What does {My Lord is on a straight path} [Quran 11:56] mean?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

In his Tafseer (interpretation of the Quran), Ibn al-Qayyim says about the verse (which means): {Indeed, I have relied upon Allaah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but that He holds its forelock. Indeed, my Lord is on a straight path.} [Quran 11:56]

"Allaah informed us about His general Might and that all the creatures are subjected to His power and might and that He holds their forelock. They have no escape from the execution of His Will and His power on them. After this, Allaah mentioned how He disposes of them, and that this is done with justice, not with injustice; with kindness, not with mistreatment; and with reform, not with corruption. He orders them and forbids them out of kindness to them and to protect and preserve them, and not due to the need for them or stinginess towards them. Rather, it is thanks to His generosity, kindness, righteousness, and compassion, and He rewards them with kindness, favor and mercy. It is not in return for what they do or because they deserve it, nor is it a compulsory debt on Him that they are entitled to, and He punishes them out of justice and wisdom, not to take revenge against them, nor due to fearing them or being unjust to them, as the kings and others punish. Rather, Allaah is upon a straight path. It is the path of justice and kindness, in His commands, His prohibitions, His reward, and His punishment.

So reflect on the words of this verse and the encompassing might that it includes, and the complete kingdom, complete wisdom, justice and kindness, and the response that it includes for the two sects (the Qadariyyah sect, i.e. those who deny Predestination and the Jabriyyah sect, i.e. those who believe that man has not been endowed with free will to choose his action); it is really among the treasures of the Quran. It is enough as a response for whoever understands it.

The fact that Allaah is upon the Straight Path negates that He is unjust to His slaves or that He commands them to do what they are unable to do. This also negates any deficiency in His actions and His legislation and confirms for them the utmost wisdom and guidance as a response for those who deny this from Him. And (it also confirms) that all the creatures are under His grip and power and that He holds them by their forelock.

This necessitates that nothing happens in His kingdom from any of His creatures without His will and power.

Since the forelock of anyone is in the hands of Allaah and within His grip, then he cannot move except by Allaah making him move, and one does not do something except by Allaah giving him the power to do it, and (it also means) that one does not will except if Allaah ills. This is the best response to those who deny this from the Qadariyyah sect.

The two sects did not give appropriate meaning to the verse, and they did not give it proper consideration.

Allaah, The Almighty, is upon the Straight Path in giving and preventing, in guiding and in leading astray, in benefiting and harming, in giving good health and in affecting (people) with afflictions, in enriching people and impoverishing them, in raising them or humiliating them, in bestowing favors and in taking revenge, in rewarding and punishing, in giving life and in causing death, in His commands and His prohibitions, in making things lawful and in prohibiting them, in everything that He creates and everything that he Commands. This knowledge of Allaah is only for the Prophets and their heirs.

Allaah knows best.