And in verse 161 of Surah Al-An’am, God tells the Prophet (pbuh), “Say, ‘Indeed my Lord has guided me to the straight path, which is the upright religion, and the creed of Abraham, the upright one” (Quran 6:161). In other words, religion is a collection of religious thoughts, cognitions, and actions, which form the straight path. Each one of these is a path of God. One part of this is jihad, another part is prayer, and there are other things like this. This collection is the straight path.
It is stated in verse 175 of Surah Nisa, “As for those who have faith in Allah and [keep themselves infallible and] hold fast to Him” – infallibility means being kept away from sins with no possibility of slippage – “He will admit them to His mercy and grace, and He will guide them on a straight path to Him” (Quran 4:175). It becomes clear that in order for one to come onto the straight path, one needs to hold fast to God.
Ayatollah Khamenei
May 1, 1991
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