al-Sirat fi Ray al-Kayali wa al-Sirat fi al-Manzur al-Qurani wa al-Nabawi
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- al-Sirat fi Ray al-Kayali wa al-Sirat fi al-Manzur al-Qurani wa al-Nabawi
al-Sirat fi Ray al-Kayali wa al-Sirat fi al-Manzur al-Qurani wa al-Nabawi (Arabic: الصراط في رأي الكيالي والصراط في المنظور القرآني والنبوي, lit. 'The Bridge in the View of al-Kayali and the Bridge from the Quranic and Prophetic Perspective') is a contemporary theological treatise written by Muhammad Ayman Taysir al-Marayati in refutation of the views expressed by Ali Mansour al-Kayali concerning the denial of the eschatological bridge (al-sirat) over Hellfire.
Background and Purpose
The treatise was composed to respond to media appearances and video lectures by Ali Mansour al-Kayali, an architectural engineer with a background in mathematics, physics, and chemistry who ventured into interpreting religious texts without formal training under traditional Islamic scholars. Al-Marayati highlights several controversial claims promoted by al-Kayali, including the denial of the punishment of the grave, the denial of the eschatological emergence of Gog and Magog (Yajuj and Majuj), the claim that the hur al-'ayn are merely tour guides for the inhabitants of Paradise rather than spouses, and the rejection of polygyny. The work focuses specifically on refuting al-Kayali's public dismissal and mockery of the belief in al-sirat as a physical bridge set across Hellfire.
Content and Arguments
Analysis of Quranic Usage
Al-Marayati examines the occurrences of the word al-sirat in the Quran, noting that it appears 45 times:
- 33 times as al-sirat al-mustaqim (or siratan mustaqiman), referring to the straight and upright path of guidance.
- 10 times in equivalent construct forms denoting the divine path (such as sirat alladhina an'amta 'alayhim, sirat Allah, and sirat al-'aziz al-hamid).
- 2 times referring explicitly to the path leading to or over Hellfire, specifically in Surah Ya-Sin ( وَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَطَمَسْنَا عَلَىٰ أَعْيُنِهِمْ فَاسْتَبَقُوا الصِّرَاطَ فَأَنَّىٰ يُبْصِرُونَ [36:66]) and Surah al-Saffat ( فَاهْدُوهُمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطِ الْجَحِيمِ [37:23]).
The author argues that while al-sirat in the Quran broadly signifies a moral and intellectual way of life in this world, this metaphorical meaning does not negate the literal reality of the bridge set over Hellfire in the Hereafter as detailed in authentic Prophetic traditions.
Hadith Evidences and Theological Consensus
Al-Marayati defines al-sirat as a bridge extending across the expanse of Hellfire over which all creation must pass between Paradise and Hell, with people crossing it at varying speeds commensurate with their deeds. To support this, he cites multiple authentic narrations recorded in Sahih Muslim, Sahih al-Bukhari, and al-Mustadrak by al-Hakim al-Naysaburi via companions such as Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, describing the bridge as a slippery path (dahd mazilla) lined with hooks, clamps, and iron thorns resembling those of the sa'dan plant, sharper than a sword and thinner than a hair.
The treatise outlines the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah regarding the obligation to believe in al-sirat according to its apparent meaning, quoting doctrinal statements from authorities such as Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, Ibn Asakir, Adud al-Din al-Iji, Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi, al-Saffarini, and Ibn al-Qayyim. The author notes that the denial of the physical bridge was historically a hallmark of the Mu'tazilah and modern rationalist currents. In conclusion, al-Marayati criticizes the selective methodology of rejecting mass-transmitted and authentic hadiths while inconsistently utilizing select reports to serve preconceived notions.
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