Quran Universe
4:175

فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱعۡتَصَمُواْ بِهِۦ فَسَيُدۡخِلُهُمۡ فِي رَحۡمَةٖ مِّنۡهُ وَفَضۡلٖ وَيَهۡدِيهِمۡ إِلَيۡهِ صِرَٰطٗا مُّسۡتَقِيمٗا

Faamma allatheena amanoo biAllahi waiAAtasamoo bihi fasayudkhiluhum fee rahmatin minhu wafadlin wayahdeehim ilayhi siratan mustaqeeman

So those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him - He will admit them to mercy from Himself and bounty and guide them to Himself on a straight path.

Word by word
  1. فَأَمَّاSo as for
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  3. ءَامَنُواْbelieved
  4. بِٱللَّهِin Allah
  5. وَٱعۡتَصَمُواْand held fast
  6. بِهِۦto Him
  7. فَسَيُدۡخِلُهُمۡthen He will admit them
  8. فِيin
  9. رَحۡمَةٖMercy
  10. مِّنۡهُfrom Himself
  11. وَفَضۡلٖand Bounty
  12. وَيَهۡدِيهِمۡand will guide them
  13. إِلَيۡهِto Himself
  14. صِرَٰطٗا(on) a way
  15. مُّسۡتَقِيمٗاstraight
An-Nisa · 4:175Madinah

Hold fast to Allah, and He will guide you to Himself.

Mercy, bounty, and a straight path

Those who hold on
believe in Allah
hold fast to Himrely on Him
receive
mercy and bounty
a straight pathto Him
Where the path leads
somewhere vaguejust be good
to Allah Himselfstraight, no deviation

Ibn Kathir explains holding fast as worshipping Allah and relying on Him for every single thing. Ibn Jurayj said it means holding fast to the Quran. Such people are admitted to His mercy and grace, and guided on a straight path in this life and the next.

Life keeps shaking you. A layoff. A breakup. A diagnosis. You grab at whatever is nearest. The verse offers one rope that does not snap. Hold on to Allah and His Book, and the path leads straight to Him.

When life shakes me, I grab whatever is closest.

When life shakes me, I hold on to Allah, and He leads me to Himself.

Try this

In your next hard moment today, before reacting, say: O Allah, I hold on to You.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 4:174)

O mankind! Verily, there has come to you a convincing proof from your Lord; and We sent down to you a manifest light (174)So, as for those who believed in Allah and held fast to [depend on] Him, He will admit them to His mercy and grace (i.e. Paradise), and guide them to Himself by a straight path (175)

The Description of the Revelation that Came From Allah

Allah informs all people that a plain, unequivocal proof has come to them from Him. One that eradicates all possibility of having an excuse, or falling prey to evil doubts. Allah said,

 وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ نُورًا مُّبِينًا

(and We sent down to you a manifest light.) that directs to the Truth. Ibn Jurayj and others said, "It is the Qur'an."

فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَاعْتَصَمُوا بِهِ

(So, as for those who believed in Allah and held fast to [depend on] Him,) by worshipping Him and relying on Him for each and every thing. Ibn Jurayj said that this part of the Ayah means, "They believe in Allah and hold fast to the Qur'an."

فَسَيُدْخِلُهُمْ فِي رَحْمَةٍ مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلٍ

(He will admit them to His mercy and grace,) meaning, He will grant them His mercy and admit them into Paradise, and will increase and multiply their rewards and their ranks, as a favor and bounty from Him.

وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَيْهِ صِرَاطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا

(and guide them to Himself by a straight path.) and a clear way that has no wickedness in it or deviation. This, indeed, is the description of the believers in this life and the Hereafter, as they are on the straight and safe path in matters of action and creed. In the Hereafter, they are on the straight path of Allah that leads to the gardens of Paradise.