Detailed Abstract
Research objective:
This article aims to demonstrate that the Straight Path (ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm) is a unified reality belonging to the domain of meaning—not a concrete external instance—and that it is composed of several integral elements. Its structure is formed by seven components: the method of the path, the guide of the path, the traveler on the path, the companion of the path, the goal of the path, and the laws and regulations governing the path. The totality of these meanings presents a novel conceptual model of this term, articulated on the basis of interpretations offered by exegetes from both Sunni and Shia traditions. The absence of any one of these components results in a disruption of the intended meaning of this concept.
Methodology:
The methodology of this article is descriptive, analytical, and inferential. By deriving the contextual elements related to the Straight Path (ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm) and describing the views of exegetes from both Sunni and Shia traditions regarding its meanings, the study proceeds to analyze and evaluate the conceptual integration of this term based on the intellectual frameworks of their commentaries. Through this process, the true semantic reality of the Straight Path is delineated.
Findings:
In this article, after analyzing the theory of conceptual integration, eight key points concerning the Straight Path (ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm) were clarified. The first point established that all creatures have a path leading toward God. In the second and third points, various types of paths and the conceptual dimensions of the Straight Path were examined. The fourth point addressed the qualities of the followers of the Straight Path. Subsequently, the fifth and sixth points discussed the rank and status of these followers, emphasizing that they are the possessors of divine knowledge.The seventh point explored the relationship between the Straight Path and the divine paths (subul Allāh) as well as the deviating paths. The eighth and final point explained the relation of the Straight Path to God Himself and that of the “straight way” (sabīl mustaqīm) to God’s servants.Following this, the interpretations of the Straight Path from the perspective of Sunni and Shia exegetes were presented, elaborating the meanings of the term—such as Islam, the religion in its absolute sense, the Prophet and the Imam, the Qur’an, truth, and the path to Paradise—as understood by exegetes of both traditions. The key points of convergence and divergence in their epistemological frameworks were highlighted. Finally, the conceptual integration of this term was evaluated and analyzed in light of the exegetical views discussed.
Following the analysis of the research data within the framework of Conceptual Integration Theory and based on the epistemological system of Sunni and Shia exegesis, it was determined that the term ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm is a composite concept whose full meaning depends on a set of indispensable sub-meanings. In other words, the Straight Path is a unified reality belonging to the category of meaning, not mere external instance, and its structure is formed through seven constituent elements.
These elements are as follows:
1. The method of the path, which is the ḥanīfī religion and constitutes the core of the meaning of the Straight Path;
2. The laws and regulations articulated in the divine scriptures, through which this method is read and interpreted;
3. The guides of the path—the prophets and the Imams—who direct the wayfarer along this straight course;
4. The traveler (sālik) who, as the essential link in the chain, must journey upon this path;
5. The companions of the path, with whom the traveler must walk;
6. The final goal of the path, which is the promised Paradise and the pleasure of the Lord;
7. (The integrative relation among all these elements).
Taken together, all preceding and subsequent links of this path complete and perfect the meaning of the Straight Path. Accordingly, it must be acknowledged that the central axis of the Straight Path (ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm) is the wayfarer (sālik), who— in order to traverse this path— requires a guide, namely the prophets and Imams, as explicitly affirmed in the exegeses of both Sunni and Shiʿi traditions. For the path to remain relevant and functional, the sālik must also rely on a set of laws and regulations instituted by the Divine Legislator through creation (takwīn) and command (tashrīʿ). Within the exegetical perspectives of both groups of commentators, these divine norms manifest in the form of religion, the heavenly religions, the revealed scriptures, and most prominently the luminous Book of the Qur’an.Moreover, the method of the path is delineated through a precise explanation of the ṣirāṭ as the upright and unaltered dīn ḥanīf, a path that deviates neither to the right nor to the left— a straight way upon which all believers walk in a unified direction. Ultimately, Paradise and the pleasure of the Lord constitute the supreme goal of this path, without which the meaning of the Straight Path remains incomplete.