In the Quran, several terms have been used for “path.” One term is “tareeq.” When someone moves along a hypothetical line, even if there is no sign or stepping stones along the way and the person is merely walking along a hypothetical line, this is a tareeq. There is no other special feature about this path apart from that a person walks on it. Therefore, it has a general meaning. “Sabeel” is more limited in meaning. It is a path where many people walk. A sabeel is a path that has been trampled on and has become distinct due to the many people that have come and gone on it. Sometimes a person may lose his/her way on this path. “Sirat” is a path that is obvious and clear. According to the meaning given in dictionaries, it is as though it swallows the walker. So when you look at an obvious asphalt road, the car or person walking on this road is engulfed by the road. It is as though an enclosure has surrounded him/her. It is impossible for him/her to make a mistake and to move along the road incorrectly. “Ihdina sirat” means “guide us to the clear path.” Combine this with “al-mustaqeem” and the meaning becomes “guide us to the clear, straight path.”
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