Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 9

(Ayah9) ➊ {وَ عَلَى اللّٰهِ قَصْدُ السَّبِيْلِ … :} After mentioning some human necessities, the most essential thing, that is, the arrangement for showing the correct path, is especially mentioned, because without this, nothing else matters. That is why we pray for this in every prayer: «{ اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَ }» [ الفاتحۃ : ۵ ] "Guide us to the straight path." {’’ قَصْدُ ‘‘} means to be straight. {’’ السَّبِيْلِ ‘‘} means path, so {’’ قَصْدُ السَّبِيْلِ ‘‘} means the straight path in which there is no crookedness. It is also called "Sabeel Qasd" and "Sabeel Qasid." Thus, {’’ قَصْدُ ‘‘ } is a verbal noun in the meaning of an active participle, which is annexed to the described noun. It is established that the shortest line between two points is a straight line, meaning that guiding His servants to the straight path is the responsibility of Allah alone, and He has taken this responsibility upon Himself out of His grace; no one has compelled Him. Or, the translation can also be that the straight path leads to Allah, meaning that if a person remains upon his natural disposition, he will automatically affirm the oneness of Allah. This indicates that just as Allah has provided for the physical needs of man, in the same way, He has also determined the path of guidance for him.

➋ When the Giver of life Himself has determined the path, thinkers, philosophers, and lawmakers should refrain from the trouble of making constitutions or laws, because their knowledge does not encompass everything; therefore, the constitutions and laws they make keep changing and always result in the ruin of mankind. The job of rulers is not to make constitutions, but to practically implement the constitution and law given by Allah. Unfortunately, as a result of several centuries of effort by the disbelievers, Muslims eventually assumed the position of Allah themselves and, after abolishing the caliphate, became constitution-makers and lawmakers in the name of democracy. Now their name is Muslim, but their system is rebellion against Allah and acting upon the command of the disbelievers or their own desires.

➌ { وَ مِنْهَا جَآىِٕرٌ: ’’جَارَ عَنِ الطَّرِيْقِ‘‘} deviated from the path. {’’ جَآىِٕرٌ ‘‘} is an active participle; all those paths that are not from Allah, that is, neither proven from the Quran nor from Hadith, all of them are deviated from the straight path, and those who adopt them are misguided.

➍ {وَ لَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدٰىكُمْ اَجْمَعِيْنَ :} But by this, the real purpose of creating man, which is trial, would be lost, because as far as showing the way is concerned, that has been fulfilled by sending prophets and revealing books, but walking on that path has been left to man's own choice, so that he may be rewarded or punished according to his deeds.

9. 1 Its other meaning is 'And upon Allah is the straight path,' that is, its explanation. Thus, He has explained it and made both guidance and misguidance clear. That is why it is further stated that some paths are crooked, meaning they are paths of misguidance.

9. 2 But since there would be compulsion in this and man would not be tested, Allah, by His will, did not compel everyone. Rather, by indicating both paths, He gave man the freedom of will and choice.

9. And upon Allah rests the responsibility of showing the straight path [9], though there are crooked ways as well. And if Allah had willed, He would have guided you all [10].

[9]
Guidance Without Revelation is Impossible for Humans:

Just as Allah Almighty has created all the necessary things for the survival of your physical life, in the same way, providing the means for the survival of your spiritual life is also His responsibility. This need cannot be fulfilled by intellect alone because the scope of thought and reflection of the intellect is extremely limited. Therefore, Allah Almighty has fulfilled this responsibility by taking the Covenant of Alast and by sending prophets and books. This is the only path that is straight and singular, whereas the paths upon which intellect travels are both crooked and countless, because neither does every human possess the same intellect, nor is the standard established by each person's intellect for correctness the same. Due to this difference in intellects, countless paths are created. In reality, the intellect is like the eye, which requires some external light in order to see. Without external light, the eye does not function properly. And this external light is divine revelation. Whatever a person sees in the light can be trusted, but one who walks in darkness only gropes about, sometimes stumbling upon one path and sometimes another, and there is also the danger of falling into some pit or ditch, of tripping, of bumping into something hard and high, and of getting hurt. Therefore, man was in dire need of this external light so that he could walk on the straight path without difficulty, and Allah Almighty has fulfilled this need of man by sending His messengers and books. Allah has expressed this same theme in several places in these words: Can the seeing and the blind be equal? And humanity always keeps wandering in experiments and failures. Therefore, Allah Almighty has done a great favor to mankind by Himself showing the straight path.

[10]
It is Not Allah’s Way to Give Compulsory Guidance:

Because compulsory guidance would nullify the very purpose of man's creation. That is why Allah Almighty has granted man more intellect and discernment than any other creature, as well as the power of will and the ability to choose. The paths of guidance and misguidance have also been clearly explained so that He may see which person chooses which path, and this is the divine will. It is not that Allah Himself puts everyone on the path of guidance.