those who have incurred wrath and those who have gone astray in contrast to those who are guided and blessed. This occurs frequently in the Quran: misguidance is paired with misery, and guidance with success. Examples of the latter include His words:
“Those are upon guidance from their Lord, and those are the successful.” (2:5)
And His words:
“Those will have security, and they are rightly guided.” (6:82)
Examples of the former include His words, Exalted is He:
“Indeed, the criminals are in error and blazing fires.” (54:47)
And His words:
“Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their eyes is a covering. And for them is a great punishment.” (2:7)
He, Glorified is He, brings all four together in His words:
“When guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray nor suffer misery.” (20:124)
This is guidance and happiness. Then He says:
“Whoever turns away from My remembrance will have a life of hardship, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind. He will say, ‘My Lord, why have You gathered me blind when I once could see?’ He will say, ‘Thus Our signs came to you, but you forgot them; and thus today you will be forgotten.’” (20:125)
Here He mentions misguidance and misery.
Guidance and happiness are thus inseparable, as are misguidance and misery.
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He mentions the straight path in the singular, making it definite in two ways: through the definite article and through a genitive construction. This indicates its particular and exclusive character, and that it is one path. As for the ways of those who incur wrath and those who go astray, He, Glorified is He, mentions them in both the plural and the singular, as in His words:
“This is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow other ways, for they will lead you away from His way.” (6:153)
He thus uses the singular for “path” and “His way,” but the plural for the ways that oppose it.
Ibn Masʿūd said: “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, drew a line for us and said, ‘This is the way of Allah.’ Then he drew lines to its right and left and said, ‘These are other ways, and on each way is a devil calling people to it.’ Then he recited His words, Exalted is He: ‘This is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow other ways, for they will lead you away from His way. This He has enjoined upon you, so that you may be mindful of Him.’ «1»”
This is because