The Straight Path: How Surah al-Fatiha addresses modern ideologies
What is the meaning of Surah al-Fatiha? Muslims recite this opening chapter of the Qur’an at least 17 times daily in their prayers. It’s a prayer for guidance and a source of healing. But are we letting it shape the way we see our world?
The Straight Path offers a bold perspective, showing how Surah al-Fatiha directly challenges the dominant ideologies of our time—ideologies that underpin the confusion, injustice, and even atrocities we see today. Nowhere is this failure more evident than in the genocide in Gaza, a grim example of the ethical collapse of secular modernity.
Examine ten major ideologies — atheism, materialism, deism, secularism, polytheism, naturalism, relativism, progressivism, liberalism, and postmodernism — and discover how Surah al-Fatiha dismantles each one, offering clarity where they sow confusion. Through the process of knowledge decolonization, we are invited to free our minds of oppressive systems of thought and return to the ethical worldview of Islam.
This book is a direct and urgent call to reawaken humanity to the message of truth and justice emphasized in Islam's teachings. It challenges readers to rethink the values of modernity and explore how Islamic principles offer a way out of the confusion, injustice, and misguidance of our time.
Download The Straight Path ebook and discover the Qur’an’s guidance towards a moral and just future for humanity.
What’s in the book
- Tafsir of each verse of Surah al-Fatiha, highlighting the Qur’an’s eloquence (balaghah)
- Explanation of 10 major and 20 minor contemporary ideologies and how Surah al-Fatiha responds to them
- Quotes, infographics, and a glossary to facilitate understanding of concepts
- The ring structure of Surah al-Fatiha
- References to 70 classical works of Qur’anic commentary and Islamic scholarship
- Calligraphy of the ayat of Surah al-Fatiha
Author
Dr. Nazir Khan
Dr. Nazir Khan MD FRCPC is a medical doctor, clinical neuroscientist, Islamic theologian, and specialist in Qur’anic sciences. He is an Asst. Professor at McMaster University and a doctoral candidate in Islamic theology at the University of Nottingham. He memorized the whole Qur’an during his youth, has certifications (ijāzāt) in all ten readings of the Qur’an through both major and minor routes of transmission, and has also received certifications in the six books of Hadith as well as numerous works of Islamic theology. He has served as a volunteer Imam for many years. He is also a consultant for the Manitoba Islamic Association Fiqh Committee. Following medical school, he completed his residency in Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Manitoba and his fellowship in Neuroradiology at the University of Calgary with dual-board certification. His expertise in both medical sciences and Islamic theology uniquely positions him to address challenging contemporary questions regarding faith, reason, and science. He is a Senior Fellow at Yaqeen Institute and served as the founding President of Yaqeen Institute in Canada.
