losing trade—which entailed acquiring misguidance, being content with it, and surrendering guidance in exchange for it—and their coming into darkness, which is misguidance, and being content with it in place of the light that is guidance and illumination. They surrendered guidance and light, receiving darkness and misguidance in exchange. What a losing trade! What a ruinous bargain!
Consider how Allah Most High said, “Allah took away their light,” using the singular, then said, “And left them in darkness,” using the plural. Truth is one: it is Allah’s straight path, besides which no path leads to Him. It consists in worshipping Allah alone, without any partner, according to what He prescribed through His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), not according to desires, religious innovations, or the ways of those who depart from the guidance and the religion of truth with which Allah sent His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The paths of falsehood, by contrast, are many and divergent. Thus, Allah, glorified is He, speaks of truth in the singular and falsehood in the plural, as in His words:
2:257 “Allah is the ally of those who believe. He brings them out of darkness into the light. And those who disbelieve—their allies are false gods, who bring them out of the light into darkness.”
Allah Most High also says:
6:153 “And this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow other ways, for they will separate you from His way.”
He thus speaks of the ways of falsehood in the plural and the way of truth in the singular. This does not contradict His words:
5:16 “By it Allah guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace.”
Those are the ways of attaining His pleasure, all encompassed by His single way and His straight path. All the ways of attaining His pleasure lead back to one path and one way: His way, apart from which there is no way to reach Him.
It is authentically reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) “drew a straight line and said, ‘This is Allah’s way.’ Then he drew lines to its right and left and said, ‘These are ways; upon each is a devil calling people to it.’ Then he recited the words of Allah Most High: ‘And this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow other ways, for they will separate you from His way. This He has enjoined upon you, so that you may be mindful of Him.’”
It has also been said that this is a parable of the hypocrites and the fire of discord they kindle among the people of Islam. On this interpretation, it would be comparable to the words of Allah Most High: 5:64 “Whenever they kindle