What is the straight path?

The Straight Path moved by anything other than material reality, material utility and the avoidance of harm. The Divine Book will guide only those who are ready to accept such truths as have no force of external reality to back them, their importance existing wholly in the mind. In other words, the state of animality is characterized by belief in the seen while the state of humanity is characterized by belief in the unseen. According to a tradition, the Prophet said of Abu Bakr’s acceptance of Islam: “Whenever I invited someone to Islam, he would show some doubt or hesitation. The only one who did not do so was Abu Bakr, who accepted the faith without hesitation or second thoughts as soon as I talked to him of Islam.” (Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, Vol. III, p. 27) In his evaluation of a thing purely on its merits, Abu Bakr attained to the highest point of humanity. There were some who accepted Islam because of the Prophet’s charisma, or the miracles, or the ineffable style of the Quran, or the conquest of Makkah, or the material gains brought by Islam; but Abu Bakr Siddiq had reached such heights of conceptual thought that he could accept or reject a thing purely on merit. When, at the time of his death, Abu Bakr nominated Umar Faruq to the Caliphate, there was a general feeling of unrest. Talha ibn Ubaidullah came to him and said: “The people have sent me to you as their messenger. They say that you have seen all along how strict Umar has been with us. When you pass on your office to him, what then will become of us? And then, if God questions you about this choice, what answer will you give Him?” But one who has attained to such a high state of humanity could see beyond appearances: he knew that Umar’s strictness was not for his self but for religion. He knew that his God-fearing heart was the greatest surety of his firm stand on matters of truth. Uthman ibn Affan pointed out that they should not look at what was on the surface, but should consider what lay beneath, for what was inside him far surpassed his exterior. Abu Bakr also held the same opinion about Umar.