sura al-baqarah
(the cow)
n0. 2 (verses 1-5)
in the name of allah, the beneficent, the merciful
1. " 'alif `a', lam `l', mim
`m'."
2. " this is the (true) book wherein is no doubt, a guidance to the
pious ones,"
3. " who believe in the unseen and keep up prayer and spend
(in charity) of what we have provided them."
4. " and who believe in what has been revealed to you (muhammad),
and what has been sent down (to other apostles) before
you; and of the hereafter they are certain."
5. " they are on (true) guidance from their lord; and they are
the ones who are the successful."
" 'alif `a', lam `l', mim `m'."
commentary:
the
abbreviated letters of the qur'an
at the beginning of 29 suras of the holy qur'an, there are several
certain abbreviated letters, the muqatta`at, which seem separate from
each other; i.e. they do not form an apparently meaningful word, but
wherever they occur, in the qur'an, the sura follows immediately with
some expressions about the qur'an and its importance. this in itself
indicates that there is a relation between these letters and the origin of
the qur'an. as an example, sura an-naml, no. 27, verses 1-2 say :
"ta. sin.
these are verses of the qur'an, a book that makes (things)
clear." there are, also, many
other examples, similar to this one, in the
qur'an.
the abbreviated letters of the holy qur'an have always been
considered mysterious. in the words of scholars and commentators, the
letters that are prefixes to some suras, such as 'alif `a', lam `l', mim
`m', and the like, are among the
`metaphorical expressions' of the
qur'an. they are secrets that none knows except the prophet (p.b.u.h.)
and, after him, his successors (a.s.) who have left some traditions and
narrations which testify to this very matter :
1. amir-ul-mu'mineen ali (a.s.) said : " every book has an elite and
the elite of this book (the qur'an) is the `abbreviated letters'. " 1
2. it is narrated from imam sadiq
(a.s.) who said : "
'alif `a', lam
`l', mim `m', are the letters among the (whole) letters of the ` exalted
name ' of allah, which are separated and scattered in the qur'an and
whenever the prophet and the sinless imams (p.b.u.th.) call allah by
that `exalted name', their prayer will be accepted." 2
3. it is narrated from imam
ali-ibn-il-husayn (a.s.), thus : " the
quraysh and the jews refuted the qur'an and said: ` it is mere magic and
he has made it by himself '. so, allah said: ` 'alif, lam, mim. this is the
(true) book...', i.e. ` o' muhammad, this book that is sent down to you, is
made up of the abbreviated letters and 'alif, lam, mim are among them.
they are the same as the letters of the alphabet that you (people) use in
your words. bring similar to it if you are genuine'." 3
4. it is narrated from ibn-abbas and
`akramah who have said
that these letters are the `letters of oath', as well as `the name of
allah', by which he (s.w.t.) has sworn.
the reason why allah has sworn by these letters is,
perhaps, for
their importance and greatness through which the glory and highness
of allah and the secrets of the world of creation are stated. all
sciences, from the beginning to the end, daily activities and
arrangements of affairs in societies and their communications
throughout the world, the development of industries, the trading and
commercial activity between people, their marriages, the social laws,
regulations, and the jurisprudence of the religions of human beings, all
in all, depend on the letters of the alphabet. the transmission of
ancient civilizations and cultures from old generations to the later ones
has been possible only through transcribing and recording them
essentially with the help of the bounty of alphabets. even this very
commentary book, which is the statement of the divine laws and the
description of the qur'anic concepts, is being published and distributed
throughout the world in different languages including the english
language, because of the existence of the letters of the alphabet.
furthermore, an oath is usually taken to an important and great
subject. these abbreviated letters have such an importance and
greatness. hence, allah, the exalted, taking an oath to a letter of the
alphabet, says :
" nun. by the pen and by the (record) which (men)
write," ( sura al-qalam, no. 68, verse 1 ).
however, there are more than one hundred other traditions on
the abbreviated letters of the qur'an cited by muslim scholars in many
authentic commentary and tradition books.
another aspect is that some eminent men have said that these
letters refer to the idea that this heavenly book, with such splendour
and reputation that it stirs wonder in the great speakers, both arab and
non-arab, and that has made the men of letters and all others unable to
challenge it, is composed of the sort of the very alphabetical letters that
are within the reach of everyone. this fact shows that the qur'an has
not been produced by the mind of man, but it is an absolute revelation
and, therefore, none can produce the like of it.
imam ali-ibn-musa-ar-rida (a.s.) is
narrated to have said in a
tradition : "
verily, allah has sent down this qur'an narrated by the very
letters that all arabs apply ordinarily ". and, thus, allah, glory be to
him and highly exalted is he, says : " say,`if the whole of mankind and
jinns were to gather together to produce the like of this qur'an, they could
not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and
support ", (sura al-asra' , no. 17, verse 88).
" this is the (true) book wherein
is no doubt, a guidance
to the pious ones,"
commentary :
following the
abbreviated letters, the sura, referring to the
importance of this heavenly book, says :
" this is the (true) book wherein is no doubt, ..."
this meaning
may point to the idea that allah promised his
prophet (p.b.u.h.) to send down to him a book for the guidance of men
and now it was done. for, it is a book wherein is a source of guidance
for all truth-seekers, and, these believers, in fact, have no doubt in it.
the qur'an says that there is no doubt in this book, and this
statement is not a mere claim. it means that the content of the qur'an
has such a style that it, in itself, attests to the authenticity of itself.
in
other words, the signs of truthfulness, greatness, and firmness together
with the depth and synthesis of meanings, the sweetness and elegancy
of the words and its stylistic form found in the statements are so evident
that no doubt or temptation can interfere and every truth-seeker
reaches the limits of certitude.
it is interesting that over the course of time not only the freshness
of the holy qur'an does not decrease, but, with the progress of science
and the secrets of created things being uncovered, the facts of the
holy qur'an become more manifest. as the international standards of
development, science, and industry are raised, the luminosity and
resplendence of these verses become more evident.
this is not only a claim but it is a reality that will be dealt with in
this very commentary book, allah-willing.
explanation
:
1. what is
guidance ?
the term ` guidance
' is utilized in many occurrences in
the
qur'an. in all these cases the root meaning of the word refers to two
main guidances : divine guidance and religious guidance.
a) divine guidance is the guidance that exists in all creatures of
the world. (in other words, `divine guidance' means the leadership of
allah upon creatures under the regulation of creation governed by
some definite laws and secrets of the world of existence.)
there are some verses in the holy qur'an concerning the subject;
like the verse where the qur'an reveals through moses (a.s.) : "... our
lord is he who gave to each (created) thing its form and nature, and
further, gave (it) guidance ", (sura taha, no. 20, verse 50).
it can also be said that those who are in lack of faith are
characterized in two groups. the members of the first group are those
who generally seek for the truth and hold enough piety in their souls so
that wherever they confront the truth they accept it.
the second group are some obstinate, fanatical, lustful people
that not only do not seek for the truth but wherever they find it, they
try to blow out its light.
it is certain that the qur'an, or any other heavenly book, has
always been beneficial for the first group, but the second group does
not take any advantage from it. hence, the qur'an says : " and we
send down (stage by stage) of the qur'an that which is healing and a mercy
unto the believers, but it adds not to the unjust but perdition ", (sura
al-asra', no. 17, verse 82).
however, it is a fact that saline soil does not grow flowers such as
hyacinth though it rains a thousand times on it. but, if the land is
ploughed, fertilized and prepared for planting, the life-giving droplets
of rain will be useful for it.
the land of the self of man is similar to this parable. it should be
empty of obstinacy and enmity, otherwise, the seed of guidance will not
grow in it. so, allah qualifies the qur'an as: "(the qur'an is) a
guidance to the pious ones".
b) ` religious guidance ' is introduced by prophets and divine
books. it is through their teaching and training that men can progress
on the path of development. the references to this fact are found
abundantly in the holy qur'an, including the verse that says : " and we
made them leaders guiding (men) by our command...", (sura
al-anbiya, no. 21, verse 73).
2. why is guidance particular to the pious ones ?
it is certain that the qur'an was sent down for the guidance of all
human beings. so, the question is that why the guidance is introduced
as particular to the `pious ones'.
the reason is that it is impossible for man to take benefit from
the guidance of the divine books unless he attains some degrees of
submission and kindles the light of piety in his self.
piety in lexicon and religion
the term / taqwa /, philologically, is derived from / wiqayah / ` to
protect from what harms '. allah,
the exalted, says : "...
save yourselves
and your families from a fire...", (sura at-tahrim, no. 66, verse 6).
then, piety, in this sense, is ` the protection of oneself from what one
fears'.
and, in religion, the pious are ` people who preserve their selves
from what harms them in the hereafter '.
the stages of piety
there are some
stages of piety. the first stage is to avoid and
restrain from committing sins and wrong doings; as it is narrated from
the holy prophet (p.b.u.h.) that none reaches (this stage of) piety unless
he avoids unlawful things. 4
in a tradition from the prophet (p.b.u.h), deeds of people are
divided into three kinds : 1) those that are clearly lawful, whose
lawfulness is vividly apparent. 2) those that are clearly unlawful, whose
unlawfulness is certain. 3) some dubious things that are situated
between these two. they are lawful but resemble the unlawful. the
person who avoids even the dubious things will never approach the
unlawful ones. 5
hadrat amir-ul-mu'mineen ali (a.s) is
narrated to have said : "a
pious person is he whose deeds would not include anything shameful if they
are put in a tray and displayed it around the world (to show them) ". 6
the second stage of piety is the full obedience to what is revealed
to the prophet (p.b.u.h.). thus, piety consists of performing obligatory
things (wajibat) and avoiding the unlawful things.
the third stage of piety is to rid the heart and soul of everything
save allah. in this sense, a pious person is one who strains out from
his wishes, those that are not pleasing to allah, and relies not on
individuals but on him only; viz, he forsakes from hoping in every other
being and hopes only in him; he focuses his view on observing the
beauty and glory of his lordship. this is real piety; so the qur'an says:
" o'
you who believe! be careful of (your duty to) allah with the care
which is due to him...", (sura 'al-i-`imran, no. 3, verse 102).
" who believe in the unseen and keep up
prayer and spend
(in charity) of what we have provided them."
commentary
:
he effects of piety on man's spirit and body
regarding the
faith and practices in islam, the qur'an, at the
beginning of this sura, divides people into three different categories :
1. the pious ones (muttaqin), who accept islam in all aspects.
2. unbelievers, who are in the exact opposite state as compared to
the first group. they confess their infidelity and do not refrain from
expressing hatred and acting hostilely against islam.
3. the hypocrites, who portray contradictory features. they show
themselves muslims when they are with muslims, but they behave
hostilely towards muslims when they are with the enemies of islam.
their main fundamental features are, in fact, the very infidelity of
theirs, but they simulate affection for islam, too.
undoubtedly, the harm of this group, for islam, is greater than the
second group. hence, the qur'an, concerning them, is more severe.
this quality, of course, is found not only in islam but also in all
ideological schools of the world. their members are either faithful to
the doctrine of that school, or are clearly opposed to it, or they are
conservative hypocrites. furthermore, this proposition does not refer
only to a specific time, it has always existed in all ages of the human
world.
the pious ones,
the first group
the verses
under discussion deal with the first group. these
verses explain the special characteristics of the pious ones from the
point of view of faith and practice in five matters: faith in the
unseen, establishment of prayer, spending in charity from all of the
divine merits they possess, belief in the invitation of all prophets, and
faith in the resurrection day.
1. faith in the
unseen :
at first, the verse describes the
pious ones as those : " who believe
in the unseen...".
` the world of the
unseen ' and ` the world of the senses ' are two
concepts opposite each other. ` the world of the senses ' is the visible
and physical world, while ` the world of the unseen ' is a world beyond
our senses. therefore, the term /qayb/ is used ` for that which is
concealed from us '. the qur'an says : "...the knower of the unseen and
the seen; he is the beneficent, the merciful", (sura al-hashr, no. 59,
verse 22).
` faith in the unseen ' is just the first characteristic that
separates the believers from unbelievers. thus, the believers in
heavenly religions contrast with the deniers of god, revelation, and
resurrection. it is for this very reason that ` faith in the unseen ' has
been mentioned as the first characteristic of `the pious ones'.
the believers have cleft the limits of the world of `materiality' and
freed themselves from their restrictions. they have stepped into a
quite vast open world and, with this broad scope of view that they have
obtained, they have connected themselves with the realm of an
extraordinary, bigger, and greater world. but, the contrary group
insists on confining man, as an animal, inside the walls of the world of
materialism. they call this retrogression, which is a kind of life filled
with lusts and excessive luxuries, an advanced civilized life.
comparing the concepts and doctrines of these two groups, we
conclude that the `pious ones' believe in `the unseen', a world very
much wider and bigger than what can be seen or touched with the
external senses in the world of existence. the creator of this universe
is omniscient and omnipotent, who has infinite glory and insight. he
is eternal and has no end. he has planned the world in a good,
regular, and precise design.
in the world of believing men, the spirit of man has produced a
great distance between humans and animals. for them, death does not
mean an end. on the contrary, it is one of the stages of progression
towards man's development. death is an opening to a broader and
greater world. whereas, a materialist believes that the world of being is
restricted to what we can see. he says that natural science has proved
that the rules of nature are a chain of obligatory rules by which, without
any designs or special programs, this world has been fashioned. they
believe productive power of the world has no intellect even as little as
that of a child. and, man is a part of nature, i.e., when he dies
everything ends. his corpse is decomposed in a few days and joins with
nature again as a natural component. they conclude that there is no
life after death for man, and there is no difference between man and
animal.
are these two people with these two different methods of
thinking comparable with each other ? are their actions and behaviours
in the society the same ?
the first one cannot ignore that which is right, just and
benevolent, and helping other fellow members. but the second does
not see any reason for any of these matters. he cares for only what is
effective and beneficial in his physical life at present or in the future.
that is why that, in the lives of truthful believing people, there is purity,
brotherhood, mutual understanding, and cooperation; while in the lives
governed by materialism, colonialism, exploitation, plunder and murder
are seen. therefore, the holy qur'an, in the above mentioned verses,
considers ` faith
in the unseen ' the first stage of
piety.
opinions are divided among the commentators as to whether
faith in the unseen, here, points to faith in monotheism, or to a vast
meaning that covers faith in the world of revelation, resurrection,
angels and, in general, what is beyond the external senses.
we already pointed out that faith in ` the world of beyond the
external senses ' is the first phase of separation of the believers from
unbelievers. this makes it clear that the term ` unseen ', here, contains
the same vast meaning as the term that was pointed out. moreover, the
application of the word in this verse is absolute and unrestricted. there
is nothing included in the verse that would confine its meaning to a
specific one.
in some traditions from ahlul-bait (a.s.) 7, the term `
unseen ',
in the verse under discussion, is rendered to the `12th imam (a.s.)', who,
as we believe,is alive right now but is concealed from the eyes of
people. this idea does not contrast with what was said in the above,
because it is one of the aspects of ` unseen ',
too. and, in other words, `unseen '
is something which is not possible to be seen or heard by our
external senses, such as sight or hearing or things outside the grasp of
our other senses. the existence of allah is apparently hidden
because of the limit of our external senses. the hereafter, the status
of the next world, is concealed from our eyes. in this gloomy time in
which we live, the presence of prophets and our sinless imams
(p.b.u.th.) are necessary for us, but, even our expected imam (a.s.)
whom we need to be our guide out in front of us, whose light of
mastership, which would help us follow along this dim, murky,
dangerous road that lies before us upon which we must travel until we
reach the sound abode of ours, is absent from us. apparently, he is out
of our reach. though, he, the esteemed one (a.s.), is never heedless of
his true followers and he is always aware of their circumstances. (there
will be a more comprehensive discussion concerning the ` 12th imam
(a.s.) ' later in the commentary.)
this statement shows that at this time, which is the worst of the
ages, how high the position of the persons with complete faith is! and,
as it is narrated, there is reason for the holy prophet (p.b.u.h.) to say
about them : "
how much i am eager to see my brothers (who will come to
being) in `the end of time'! ". 8
we may consider that the prophet
(p.b.u.h.), with such high rank
and glory, has expressed his eagerness for seeing the true believers of
this time, and has introduced them as his `brothers'.
2.relationship
with allah:
another speciality of the `pious ones'
mentioned in the qur'an is
their prayers.
prayer, which is the key to communion with allah, holds the
believers in permanent and perpetual contact with that great origin of
creation. they have found the way to the world beyoed this world, viz,
the world of the supernatural. they bow only to allah and submit
only to the great creator of the world of being. that is why there is
no place for submission or surrender to any tyrants and oppressors in
their agenda.
such a human feels that he has been promoted to a situation
higher than that of all other creatures for that he has the honour of
standing in front of allah and is worthy of speaking directly with him.
this status is the greatest factor necessary for training.
the person who, with his whole heart and mind, stands in front of
allah, at least five times a day, and sincerely utters invocation, his
thoughts, his actions and his speech altogether will become divine. how
is it possible that a person like that could do anything against allah's
pleasure ?
the
excellence & importance of prayer
prayer is the pillar of faith, the
means of attaining nearness to
allah, the expression of obedience to him, the thanksgiving for his
infinite mercy, the imitation of the examples of the holy prophet and
immaculate imams (p.b.u.th.), the strong link between a person and
allah, and the constant means of seeking and receiving his guidance
and assistance and avoiding errors and evil. prayer is the only way in
which faith, that lives in the heart, can be made manifest in our actions,
and can ensure admission to the realm of everlasting happiness in our
life in this world as well as the life in the next world.
there are many verses in the holy qur'an and plenty of traditions
in islamic literature on the importance and virtue of prayer. intellectual
and religious considerations approve its excellence, too.
here, we narrate the words of the late sahib jawahir cited in
` jawahir-ul-kalam ', vol. 7, page 1. the words and ideas are based on
the contents of the verses of the qur'an and some authentic traditions :
" prayer is
an action that prevents the performance of hideous
indecent deeds. this status causes the fire of hell to extinguish, and any
pure believer to be linked with allah by which he can make, spiritually,
progress. just as the water of a stream washes away dirt from the body,
prayer washes away the sins of believers; and, its repetition five times a
day
is similar to washing the body in that stream repeatedly. allah told jesus
(a.s.),and other prophets (p.b.u.th.) as well, to pray throughout their
lives ".
" however, prayer is the basis of islam and it is the best deed and
the
best subject (which is legislated by the religion). it is the standard and
criterion of other deeds of people. thus, when a person has performed the
prayer completely, the reward of all other of his deeds is complete,
because
all of his good deeds are accepted. therefore, prayer, comparing with
other
religious practices, even the religion itself, is considered as a pillar
similar
to the central pole of a tent. for this reason the first deed of a mortal,
which
will be questioned about in the next life and will be discussed, is
`prayer'. if
prayer is accepted from a person, other (good) deeds of his lifetime will
be
evaluated and accepted from him. but, if it is refused, his other deeds
will
not be looked at and will be refused and returned to him. so, regarding
this, it is not surprising if an abandoner of prayer is called
an`unbeliever`.
yes, it is certainly so when the reason of its abandonment is especially
for
the scorning of the religion. prayer is something that imam sadiq (a.s.)
did not know anything better or higher and more beloved than that with
allah. even, he (a.s.) has said that these five daily canonical prayers
are
obligatory. he who establishes them and observes them at their proper
times, will meet allah on the judgement day, and he holds a covenant
stating that because of this he will enter paradise. but, he who does not
keep up these obligatory prayers and does not observe them at their proper
times, then, it will be up to allah whether to forgive him or to punish
him.
and, the obligatory prayer is better than twenty hajj-performances, each
of
which is better than a room full of gold that would completely be paid as
donation in the way of allah. or, the obligatory prayer is better than one
thousand hajj-performances, every one of them being better than the whole
world with all its contents. verily, obedience to allah is service to him
on
the earth, and no service is comparable with prayer. that was why the
angels called zachariah (a.s.) while he was praying in his sanctuary. when
a person is preparing for saying prayer, the divine favours come down from
heaven to him on the earth and some angels surround him. an angel
proclaims that if this prayerful believer knew what existed in the prayer,
he
would never neglect it ..."
" hadrat rida, the 8th holy imam (a.s.), wrote as an answer to the
problems of muhammad-ibn-sanan that the reason of (the importance of)
prayer is that it is the confession to the lordship of allah, almighty and
glorious, and lack of attributing partners to him. prayer means to stand
in front of the almighty, glory be to his majesty, in a manner of
humility,
abasement and wretchness and to seek forgiveness for the sins committed.
in
prayer, a servant puts his head down on the soil several times a day in
order to glorify allah, almighty and glorious, and to furnish his
remembrance all the time. to stand in the presence of allah in prayer,
causes a believing person to avoid evils, and it hinders him from all
kinds of
sin and corruption." 9
3. relationship with people :
besides the constant communion with
allah, the pious ones
have a close and permanent relationship with people, the creatures of
allah. for this very reason, the holy qur'an introduces their third
characteristic in this verse as thus : "(they) spend (in charity) of what we
have provided them".
it is noteworthy that the qur'an does not say that ` they spend
(in charity) of what they have ', but it says : `of what we have provided
them'. in this manner, it
generalizes the subject of `charity' so broadly
that it includes all the material and spiritual gifts of allah.
therefore, the pious ones are those who donate not only from
their material bounties but also from their spiritual gifts such as
knowledge, science, intellect, physical power, or social abilities, and, in
short, from all they have in their own possession. they donate from
their own capital to those who are in need of them, and, in the
meantime, they do not expect any recompense from them.
another point is that the regulation of donation is a general
regularity in the world of creation and, also, in the bodily system of
every living creature. the heart of a man does not beat for itself alone
but it donates of whatever it has to all of the cells. the brain and the
lungs, as well as other organs of the body, continually donate the vital
results of their active functions. and, generally speaking, social life
with the lack of donation is meaningless.
sincere coherence with human beings is, in fact, coherence and
attachment to allah. a person who is attached to allah, and knows
that all bounties and sustenance proceed from him, not from himself,
will not be displeased with giving charity but will be happy to donate
his gifts to his servants on his way, and, as a consequence, he gains
the physical and spiritual merits for doing it for himself. (for the
importance of charity and its effects, refer to later explanations
concerning sura al-baqarah, no.2, verses 261-274 ). at any rate,
this kind of thinking purifies the soul of man from miserliness and envy.
it changes the world of ` struggle for existence ' to the world of `
humanity and civilization ', a world in which everybody bonds himself to
sharing his bounties with all the needy in his environment and, like the
sun, gives light to his surroundings without expecting any favor in
return or recompense.
it is notable that on the meaning of the phrase : "(they) spend
(in charity) of what we have provided them", a tradition from imam sadiq
(a.s.) says : "
it means that they share (and teach to those who need) the
knowledge and science allah has taught them." 10
it is obvious that this statement does not mean that donation is
specific to knowledge but, since when speaking about charity almost all
the attention is usually turned to monetary donations, imam sadiq(a.s.)
by mentioning this kind of spiritual donation, wanted to clarify the
broadness of the meaning of `donation'.
so therefore, this idea makes it very clear that the word `charity',
referred to in the verse under discussion, is not restricted to the
` obligatory alms giving ' (zakat), but refers to alms in general,
irrespective of obligatory or recommended ones; therefore, it has a vast
meaning which includes any kind of help given gratuitously.
" and who believe in what has been
revealed to you (muhammad),
and what has been sent down (to other apostles) before
you; and of the hereafter they are certain."
commentary
:
another characteristic of the pious ones is belief in all of the
prophets and the divine designs. the qur'an says that they are those
who believe in what has been revealed to prophet muhammad(p.b.u.h.)
(i.e. the qur'an) and what has been sent down (to other apostles
preceding him like the turah, the evangel, the psalms of david and the
rest of the divine books).
therefore, not only they do not feel that there is any difference in
the basis of the invitation of prophets, but they know all prophets to be
similar truthful teachers and trainers who came, one after another, in
this great school of the world of human beings to persuade people to
pave the path of their development. further, the pious ones not only
do not consider the divine religions the cause of dispersion and
hypocrisy, but, regarding their fundamental unity, recognize them as a
means of relation and sincere communication among nations.
those who have this sort of concept and this point of view would
cleanse their souls and minds from the dirt of obstinacy, and believe in
all that the prophets of allah have brought forth for the guidance and
development of the human race. they would respect all the `guides' of
the path of
`monotheism'.
belief in the instructions of the prophets of the past (a.s.), of
course, does not mean that they do not adapt their thoughts and deeds
to the religion of the last prophet (p.b.u.h.), which is the last and
completing link of the series of religions. if they do anything other
than that, they, in fact, regress on their path towards development.
faith in the resurrection is an epithet which is mentioned as the
last quality in this series of qualities for the pious ones. 11
it says :
"... and of the hereafter they are certain ".
in the phrase
/wa bil 'axirati hum yuqinun/ the word /yaqin/ is the
state of conviction and certainty reached through accepting
undoubtable evidence or unquestionable proof in /muttaqin/. one of
the epithets of `the pious ones', / muttaqin /, is having an unshakably
firm conviction and certainty that the ultimate purpose of life here lies
in the realm beyond it, in the direction towards the absolute.
they are sure that man is not created uselessly and purposelessly.
the creation has defined a route for him which will never end with
death, for, if everything came to a completion in this world, all of these
statements and tremendous activities and movements in the universe
would certainly be in vain if it was meant only for a brief temporary life.
he accepts that the absolute justice of allah is waiting for all
humankind and it is not so that our deeds in this world will be
disregarded without having any reckoning and compensation.
this belief provides him with ease and tranquility. the stresses
resulting from the fulfilment of responsibilities not only do not hurt
him, but on the contrary he receives them willingly. he stands firmly in
front of misfortunes. he does not resign to any unjust matter. he is
sure that even the smallest action, good or evil, will be compensated;
and, after death, he will be transferred to a more comprehensive world
where no cruelty or oppression exists. but he will meet the infinite
favour and mercy of allah, the just.
belief in the hereafter means cleaving the binding walls of
materialism and reaching a happy realm, better and higher than that.
the present world is like a school wherein man should best prepare
himself for the coming world. the present life is not the final goal but
it is a preparation for the next life which will be eternal.
the life in this world is also similar to the prenatal period of a
foetus in the mother's womb. this period is not the purpose of the
creation of man, of course, but it is an evolutional stage for the next
period of life. yet, if this foetus does not finish its course safely and
without any defects or harm until the baby is born, it will not be happy
and prosperous in its next life.
belief in the hereafter brings a profound effect in the behaviour
of human beings. it gives them courage and bravery, because,
`martyrdom' in the way of a divine holy purpose, which is
life's climax
of honour and pride in this world, is the most beloved thing to a
believing person. since, to him, martyrdom is the beginning of an
eternal and everlasting life.
belief in the hereafter controls man against sins. in other words,
our sins have a reverse ratio with our faith in allah and the
hereafter. the more that faith is firm and decisive, the less the amount
of sin is.
one reference is the words of allah where he commands david (a.s) :
"... and do
not follow desire, lest it should lead you astray from the path of
allah: (as for) those who go astray from the path of allah, they shall surely
have a severe punishment because they forgot the day of reckoning ",
(sura sad, no. 38, verse 26).
yes, this forgetfulness of the `day of reckoning' in man
is the
origin of the kinds of disobedience, cruelty, and corruption which are
the total source of grievous punishment.
" they are on(true)guidance from
their lord;and they are
the ones who are the successful."
commentary :
the
last verse in the verses under discussion refers to the fruit and the destination of the pious ones who have acquired
the above five
attributes. it says :
" they are on (true) guidance
from their lord; and they are
the ones who are the successful."
in fact, both
their guidance and their successfulness are
guaranteed by allah. so, it can be said that the only path towards
felicity and salvation is the path of this group who, with these five
special attributes, have received the guidance of allah. the reason for
the restriction, / 'ula'ika / the pious ones only , is clear in that his
guidance is always universal but only the people with such
characteristics who have chosen his narrow path, and none else, can be
benefited by it, and will be successful in their life-journey in this world
and the next.
it is worthy to note that the term / hidayat / ` guidance ', as was
stated before, has a vast meaning including many kinds of guidance, all
of which originate from him alone, such as : divine guidance,
religious guidance, and natural guidance. some details about
` guidance ' were discussed when commenting on verse 6 from
sura al-fatihah. 12