إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴿5﴾اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ﴿6﴾

﴾5﴿ Iyyaaka na'budu wa lyyaaka nasta'een
﴾6﴿Ihdinas-Siraatal-Mustaqeem

﴾5﴿ We worship You alone (in need), and we seek help from You alone (in all things and in every state)
﴾6﴿ Keep us firm on the straight path

[5] "(You alone we worship)" – This is the result of the previous arguments: when the oneness of Allah in His Essence and Attributes is mentioned, the natural outcome is to declare His oneness in worship. Worship means complete devotion with utmost humility. It includes worship of the heart, physical acts of worship, financial worship, and within it are the obligatory, Sunnah, recommended, disliked, and forbidden acts—all are encompassed. Even obedience in matters of halal and haram is considered worship. "(You alone)" – When the goal is to dedicate worship exclusively to Allah, this is true monotheism. That is why "You alone" (iyyāka) comes first. "(And You alone we ask for help)" – Seeking help and making supplication is the core of worship. Therefore, it is mentioned specifically after worship. This implies that even in worship, the servant is in need of Allah’s help. Thus, his act of worship is not a favor upon Allah. The phrase "You alone" also indicates that supplication, asking for aid, fulfillment of needs, and seeking relief from difficulties is exclusively for Allah. This is a refutation of those who, in times of hardship or for fulfillment of needs, call upon prophets, saints, elders, or the poor, and humble themselves to them in a manner of servitude. This is shirk (polytheism), like the shirk of the Arabs in the time of ignorance (Jāhiliyyah).
[6] Since all forms of Tawhid (monotheism) have been mentioned, now Allah teaches His servants a supplication to remain firm upon that Tawhid. In the Arabic language, guidance (hidāyah) means showing the path of goodness. Sometimes, it is used in the context of evil with a tone of judgment or decree. From Allah, there are many levels of guidance:
1. Innate (natural) guidance,
2. The development of external senses,
3. The granting of intellectual capacity,
4. The discovery of rational proofs within the self and the world,
5. The revelation of divine scriptures and the sending of messengers,
6. Granting success (tawfīq) and firmness,
7. Ultimately, delivering the person to Paradise as a result of that success.
For all these levels, the word guidance (hidāyah) is used. In this verse, the intended meaning of guidance is granting success and spiritual maturity. Attributing these levels of guidance solely to Allah is essential.
"As-Sirāt al-Mustaqīm" (the straight path) – it is the path free from excess, deficiency, or deviation and one that leads directly to the goal. In the Qur’an, this straight path has been interpreted in four ways:
1. Tawhid of Lordship and Divinity, such as in Surah Āl 'Imrān (3:51),
2. The Qur'an itself, as in Surah al-An‘ām (6:126),
3. The path of the Prophets (peace be upon them), as in Surah as-Sāffāt (37:118) and Yā Sīn (36:4),
4. Following the way of the Messengers, as in Surah az-Zukhruf (43:61).