The Straight Path is the path that the one journeying to Allaah traverses
and it is none other than obedience to Allaah and His Messenger (SAW).
At-Tirmidhee reports from Nawaas bin Sam`aan that the Messenger of Allaah
(SAW) said,
Allaah has set forth the following as a parable: There is a road that leads
straight to the destination. On either side of the road there is a wall in
which there are open doors with curtains hanging on them. From the remote
end of the road, a voice calls, 'proceed straight and do not turn aside.'
Whenever someone intends to lift a curtain from the door another voice calls
from above, 'beware! Do not lift the curtain, otherwise you will be lured
inside.'
The Prophet (SAW) explained the parable by saying that the straight path is
Islaam, the walls are the limits imposed by Allaah, the open doors are the
things that he has prohibited, the voice which calls from the end of the
road is the Qur`aan and the voice which calls from above is Allaah's monitor
in the heart of every believer. [At-Tirmidhee [Adaab, no. 76], Ahmad
[4/182-183]. It was declared saheeh by al-Albaanee in 'Saheeh al-Jaami`'
[no. 3887]]
From the above verse we also learn that the Straight Path is one path and
not many and indeed that anything that deviates from it is to be regarded as
misguidance. Ash-Shaatibee explains this further by saying,
"And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not [other]
paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained
for you that you may become pious." [Al-An`aam (CATTLE, LIVESTOCK) (6): 153]
The Straight Path is the path to which Allaah has named and that is the
Sunnah. The other paths are the paths of the people of disagreement who
deviate from the Straight Path, and they are the People of Innovation. The
intended meaning here is not the 'paths of disobedience' because no one
makes disobedience a path that he continuously treads upon - in imitation of
and resemblance to the legislation, but rather this description is
specifically for the newly invented innovations.
In what Ismaa`eel has narrated from Sulaimaan bin Harb lies evidence for
this: Hammaad bin Zaid narrated to us; from `Aasim bin Bahdalah; from Abu
Waa`il; from Abdullaah [Ibn Abbaas] who said:
'One Day the Messenger (SAW) drew for us a long, straight line' and then
Sulaimaan drew for us a long, straight line, 'and then he drew lines to its
right and to its left and then said, 'this is the Path of Allaah.' Then he
drew lines to its right and to its left and said, 'these are different
paths, upon each of these ways is a devil calling to it', and then he
recited the verse:
"And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not [other]
paths." [Al-An`aam (CATTLE, LIVESTOCK)(6): 153]
meaning these paths
".for they will separate you away from His Path." [Al-An`aam (CATTLE,
LIVESTOCK) (6): 153]'
Bikr bin `Alaa said, "he meant the devils amongst men and these [other
paths] are the innovations and Allaah knows best."
And the hadeeth has been reported in many ways.
Umar bin Salamah al-Hamdaanee said, "we were sitting in the circle of Ibn
Mas`ood in the Mosque, which had been plain land after it had been covered
with gravel.
Ubaydullaah bin Umar ibn al-Khattaab, who had just returned from an
expedition asked him, 'what is the Straight Path O Abu Abdur-Rahmaan?' He
replied, 'by the Lord of the Ka`bah, it is that which your father was firmly
established upon until he entered Paradise' and he swore firmly upon that
three times.
Then he drew a line in the ground with his hand and also drew lines to
either side of it and said, 'your Prophet (SAW) left you upon this end and
its other end is in Paradise. So whoever remains steadily upon it will enter
Paradise and whoever takes any of these lines will be destroyed.'"
In another narration [the wording is], "O Abu Abdur-Rahmaan, what is the
straight path?" He replied, "the Messenger (SAW) left us upon the nearest
end of the line and its other end is in Paradise. And to its left and right
are roads in which there are men who invite those who pass by them, saying,
'Come this way! Come this way!' So whoever is taken by them to those paths
will end up in Hellfire and whoever remains steadfast upon the great path
will end up, through it, in Paradise."
Then ibn Mas`ood recited:
"And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not [other]
paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained
for you that you may become pious." [Al-An`aam (CATTLE, LIVESTOCK) (6): 153]
Mujaahid said about the saying of Allaah:
".and follow not [other] paths." [Al-An`aam (CATTLE, LIVESTOCK) (6): 153]
[That it refers to] "the innovations and doubts."
Abdur-Rahmaan bin Mahdee said, "Maalik bin Anas had been asked about the
Sunnah to which he replied, 'it is whatever has no other name for it except
'the Sunnah' and he recited,
'And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not [other]
paths, for they will separate you away from His Path.' [Al-An`aam (CATTLE,
LIVESTOCK) (6): 153]"
Bikr bin `Alaa said, "he means - if Allaah wills - the hadeeth of Ibn
Mas`ood that the Messenger (SAW) drew a line..." and he mentioned the
hadeeth.
And this explanation shows that the verse includes all the different paths
of innovation and does not specify one innovation over others. Also amongst
the verses [that are related to the censure of innovation] is the saying of
Allaah the Exalted,
"And upon Allaah is the responsibility to explain the Straight Path but
there are ways that turn aside. And had He willed, He would have guided you
all." [An-Nahl (THE BEE) (16): 9]
The explained path is the Path of Truth and that which is other than it,
turns away from the truth - and these are the paths of innovations and
misguidance - may Allaah protect us, by His Excellence, from travelling upon
them. It is sufficient for whatever turns away [from the Truth] that it is
warned against and the verse contains a warning and a prohibition [of taking
other paths that deviate from the Truth].
Ibn Waddaah mentioned that "Aasim bin Bahdalah was questioned: 'O Abu Bakr,
have you considered the saying of Allaah, the Exalted,
"And upon Allaah is the responsibility to explain the Straight Path but
there are ways that turn aside. And had He willed, He would have guided you
all." [An-Nahl (THE BEE) (16): 9]?'
He replied, 'Abu Waa`il informed us; from Abdullaah Ibn Mas`ood saying,
"Abdullaah bin Mas`ood drew a straight line and drew lines to its right and
to its left and then said, 'the Messenger (SAW) drew just like this. He said
about the straight line, 'this is the path of Allaah' and about the lines to
its right and left he said, 'these are different ways, upon each of these
ways is a devil calling to it.' Allaah the Exalted said,
"And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it." [Al-An`aam (CATTLE,
LIVESTOCK) (6): 153]
to the end of the verse.'"
At-Tustaree said, "explanation of the path - that is the path of the Sunnah;
'ways that turn aside' - meaning to the Hellfire and they are the sects and
innovations."
Mujaahid said, "explanation of the path - meaning the one who is justly
balanced between exaggeration and negligence," and this shows that the one
who turns aside is one who commits excesses or is negligent, and both of
them are amongst the descriptions of the innovations."




Reference:
Tafseer of Surah al-Fatihah, compiled by Abu Rumaysah,(This commentary is a
compilation gathered from a number of commentaries written.) These being:
Tafseer at-Tabaree
Tafseer al-Qurtubi [Jaami lil Ahkaam al-Qur`aan]
Tafseer ibn Katheer
Tafseer ash-Shawkanee [Fath al-Qadeer]
Tafseer as-Sa`dee [Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan]
Tafseer ash-Shanqeetee [Adwaa al-Bayaan fee Eedaah al-Qur`aan bil Qur`aan].