Guide us to the straight path

English Translation of the photo in cover [right]: from Surah Al-Fatiha, the first chapter of the Quran.

(1) In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.*
(2) All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
(3) the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
(4) Master of the Day of Judgment.
(5) You Alone we worship, and you Alone we ask for help.
(6) Guide us to the straight path.
(7) the path of those You have blessed [A]; not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray. [B]

*In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate: One of the many practices taught by Islam is that its followers should begin their activities in the name of God. This principle, if consciously and earnestly followed, will necessarily yield three beneficial results. First, one will be able to restrain oneself from many misdeed, since the habit of pronouncing the name of God is bound to make one wonder when about to commit some offence how such an act can be reconciled with the saying of God’s holy name. Second, if a man pronounces the name of God before starting good and legitimate tasks, this act will ensue that both his starting point and his mental orientation are sound. Third — and this is the most important benefit — when a man begins something by pronouncing God’s name, he will enjoy God’s support and succour; God will bless his efforts and protect him from the machinations and temptation of Satan. For whenever man turns to God, God turns to him as well.

[A]: This defines the ‘straight way’ which we ask God to open to us. It is the way which has always been followed by those who have enjoyed God’s favours and blessings. This is the way which has been trodden from the beginning of time by all those individuals and communities that have unfailingly enjoyed God’s favours and blessings.

[B]: This makes it clear that the recipients of God’s favour are not those who appear, briefly, to enjoy worldly prosperity and success; all too often, these people are among those whom God has condemned because they have lost sight of the true path of salvation and happiness. This negative explanation makes it quite clear that in’am (favour) denotes all those real and abiding favours and blessings which one receives in reward for righteous conduct through God’s approval and pleasure, rather than those apparent and fleeting favours which the Pharaohs, Nimrods and Korahs (Qaruns) used to receive in the past, and which are enjoyed even today by people notorious for oppression, evil and corruption.

We beseech God to guide us in all walks of life to a way which is absolutely true, which provides us with a properly-based outlook and sound principles of behaviour, a way which will prevent our succumbing to false doctrines and adopting unsound principles of conduct, a way that will lead us to our true salvation and happiness. This is man’s prayer to God as he begins the study of the Qur’an. It is, in short, to illuminate the truth which he often tends to lose in a labyrinth of philosophical speculation; to enlighten him as to which of the numerous ethical doctrines ensures a sound course of conduct; to show which of the myriad ways and by-ways is the clear, straight, open road of sound belief and right behaviour.

English Translation of the photo in cover [left]: from Surah Al-Baqara (2:1–5):

Alif. Lam. Mim. This is the Book; there is no doubt in it. It is guidance to God-fearing people, who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and donate from what We have provided for them, and who believe in what has been revealed to you (Muhammad) and what was revealed before you, and have sure faith in the Hereafter. These are upon guidance from their Lord. These are the successful.