"But those who deny Our verses are deaf and dumb in darknesses." This is a likeness of the disbeliever: he is deaf and dumb; he does not hear guidance, nor does he benefit from it. He is deaf to the truth.

His saying: "In darknesses, whomsoever Allah wills, He misguides."

7264 - Through the same chain, from Qatadah, meaning His saying: "In darknesses, whomsoever Allah wills, He misguides," he said: In darknesses from which he cannot find an exit; he is confounded therein.

His saying the Exalted: "And whomsoever He wills, He puts on a straight path."

[The First Aspect]

7265 - al-Hasan ibn 'Arafah narrated to us, Yahya ibn al-Yaman narrated to us, from Hamzah al-Zayyat, from Sa'd al-Ta'i, from the nephew of al-Harith al-A'war, from al-Harith, he said: I entered upon 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, and he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying: The Straight Path is the Book of Allah.

The Second Aspect:

7266 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih narrated to me that 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Jubayr narrated to him, from his father, from al-Nawwas ibn Sam'an al-Ansari, from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that he said: Allah has struck a parable of a straight path. He said: The path is Islam.

[The Third Aspect]

7267 - Sa'dan ibn Nasr narrated to us, Abu al-Nadr Hashim ibn al-Qasim narrated to us, Hamzah ibn al-Mughirah narrated to us, from 'Asim al-Ahwal, from Abu al-'Aliyah regarding "the straight path," he said: It is the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his two companions after him. 'Asim said: We mentioned that to al-Hasan, and he said: Abu al-'Aliyah has spoken the truth and given sincere advice.

The Fourth Aspect:

7268 - Yahya ibn 'Abdak al-Qazwini narrated to us, Khalid ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Makhzumi narrated to us, 'Umar ibn Dharr narrated to us, from Mujahid regarding His saying: "a straight path," he said: The truth.

His saying the Exalted: "Say: Have you considered if there should come to you the punishment of Allah?"

7269 - Hajjaj ibn Hamzah narrated to us, Shababah narrated to us, Warqa' narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid regarding His saying: "Say: Have you considered if there should come to you the punishment of Allah," he said: Suddenly, while you are secure."