Narrow is the way and the path of God is hard to follow.

 

155. Narrow is the way. The path of God is hard to follow and Narrow is the way that leads to heaven: Many are called to the path leading to God and many attempt to follow the path, but in reality, only a chosen few, here and there, will find their way across the path to God and the remaining will be left wanting.  Christianity: Matthew 7:13 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at:” Matthew 7:14 “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”  Judaism: Esdras 2:4 Ezra “And he answered me, saying, ‘The most High hath made this world for many, but the world to come for few. There be many created, but few shall be saved. These things have I not shewed unto all men, but unto thee, and a few like thee. For thou art blessed above many other, and art called with the Highest; and so are but few.”’ (Deuterocanonical  Apocrypha) 4 Ezra 7:5 “The entrance thereof is narrow, and is set in a dangerous place to fall, like as if there were a fire on the right hand, and on the left a deep water: And one only path between them both, even between the fire and the water, so small that there could but one man go there at once. If this city now were given unto a man for an inheritance, if he never shall pass the danger set before it, how shall he receive this inheritance?” (Deuterocanonical Apocrypha)

 ISLAM: 125. “And whomsoever it is Allah’s (God‘s) will to guide, He expandeth his bosom unto the Surrender, and whomsoever it is His Will to send astray, He maketh his bosom close and narrow as if he were engaged in sheer ascent. Thus Allah layeth ignominy (dishonor and humiliation) upon those who believe not.” 126 “This is the path of thy Lord, a straight path.”

        (The Qur’an (Pickthall tr), Sura   6 – The Cattle)

Islam: 125. “Those whom Allah (in His Plan) willeth to guide, He openeth their breast to Islam; those whom He willeth to leave straying, He maketh their breast close (narrow) and constricted, as if they had to climb up to the skies: thus doth Allah (heap) the penalty on those who refuse to believe.” 126. “This is the way of thy Lord, leading straight.”

        (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   6)

Islam: “The bridge will be laid across Hell. We, the companions of the Prophet said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! What is the bridge?’ He said, ‘It is a slippery (bridge) on which there are clamps and (Hooks like) a thorny seed that is wide at one side and narrow at the other and has thorns with bent ends. Such a thorny seed is found in Najd and is called As-Sa’dan. Some of the believers will cross the bridge as quickly as the wink of an eye, some others as quick as lightning, a strong wind, fast horses or she-camels. So some will be safe without any harm; some will be safe after receiving some scratches, and some will fall down into Hell (Fire). The last person will cross by being dragged (over the bridge).” 24. “those who believe and work deeds of righteousness,…..how few are they?”

(Islam, Hadith, Bukhari Vol 9, Book 93, # 532s) (The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  38)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: “We worship the souls of the holy men and women, born at any time, whose consciences struggle, or will struggle, or have struggled, for the good,” “along the (narrow) path made by Mazda (God).” 2. “I know wherefore, O Mazda, I have been unable (to achieve) anything. Only a few herds are mine (and therefore it is so) and because I have got but few people. I cry unto thee, see thou to it, O Ahura, granting me support a friend gives to friend.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Khorda Avesta – Book of Common Prayer pt. 1 and Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 46)

 HINDUISM: “The narrow path thou choosest is the righteous path to heaven!” “Of many thousand mortals, one, perchance, Striveth for Truth; and of those few that strive- Nay, and rise high- one only- here and there- Knoweth Me, as I am, the very Truth.” 14. “The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over; thus the wise say the path (to salvation) is hard.”

(Hindu, Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 7 and Upanishads vol. 2, Katha-Upanishad)

 BUDDHISM: “Truly, like this path there is no other path to the purity of insight. If you follow this path, you will put an end to suffering.” “But each one has to struggle for himself, the Perfect Ones have only pointed out the way.” 6. “Few are those among men who have crossed over to the other shore, while the rest of mankind runs along the bank.”

((The Eightfold Path), Buddha, and Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards))

 SABEANISM: “I prepared a path for the good ones and made a gateway for the world. A gateway for the world I made and erected a throne in it. A throne for the good ones.” (Sabeanism, The Way of Salvation)

Sabeanism: “Thou hast chosen (us), hast taken us,…….and hast set us firmly on paths of truth and faith,” “And it was revealed to me (?) and to all of them in this book,”….. “and Thou hast spoken to us with Thy Word And hast commanded us with Thy commandment ‘Be My glory and I will be your Glory. Be my light and I will be your Light. And My name shall be in your mouths and I will be with you.” “Thou art he who shall rise upward on a smooth road and by the path of the perfect, shall behold the Place of Light and the everlasting Abode.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 43, 54 and 75)

 BABI RELIGION: “Take thou good heed that ye may all, under the leadership of Him Who is the Source of Divine Guidance, be enabled to direct thy steps aright upon the Bridge, which is sharper than the sword and finer than a hair, so that perchance the things which from the beginning of thy life till the end thou hast performed for the love of God, may not, all at once and unrealized by thyself, be turned to acts not acceptable in the sight of God. Verily God guideth whom He will into the path of absolute certitude.

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 95)

BAHA’I FAITH: “The realm of the religionist has gradually narrowed and darkened and the sphere of the materialist has widened and advanced.” “Many are called, but few are chosen.’ The chosen have heard and understood the call from the divine assembly.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, pp. 238 and Abdu’l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 59)

Baha’i Faith: “The straight path of God, though to Him it had always been narrow and strewn with thorns, blood and multifarious plights and calamities.”

(Bahá’í’ Faith, Abu’l-Qasim Faizi, A Flame of Fire)

Baha’i Faith: “I see before me an assemblage of souls who are of the chosen and not of the many called.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 418)