148. " everyone has a direction to which he turns,
so hasten to precede each other towards all that is good.
wherever you (may) be, allah will bring you altogether (unto him);
surely allah is all-powerful over all things."
commentary
:
every religion has a qiblah
this
verse is, in fact, an answer to the jews who made a vast
uproar about the event of the change of qiblah. it says:
" everyone has a direction to which he turns, ..."
there
had been different directions of the qiblah during the
history of prophets. the change of the direction of a qiblah is not a
strange thing, because it is not like the principles of the religion which
are permanent, nor is it similar to divine affairs which are impossible to
interfere in. therefore, do not make such a big deal about the qiblah.
"... so hasten to precede each other towards all that is good. ..."
instead
of spending all your time on talking about this minor
subject, you had better pay attention to doing good deeds and having
pure intentions which have a broad racing field where you can
challenge to precede each other, because the criterion of the value of
your existence is your pure good actions.
this meaning is just like what is stated in verse 177 of the current
sura: " it is
not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the east
and the west, but righteousness is that one should have faith in allah,
the
last day, the angels, the book, and the apostles, ..."
if you want to examine islam or muslims, you can utilize this
criterion for analysis, not the problem of the change of the qiblah.
then, as warning to the objectors and encouraging the
good-doers, it says:
"... wherever you (may) be, allah will bring you
altogether
(unto him); ..."
in
the great court of the hereafter which is the final stage of reward
and punishment.
it is not such that some be busy doing righteous works and some
others do not do anything but destruction and spend their time spoiling
others' deeds and, yet, these two groups be treated equally without
having any reckoning or any recompense.
the idea may seem surprising for some people that how it is
possible that allah gathers the particles of the scattered dusts of men
wherever they may be, and brings them into a new life, then, it
immediately says:
"... surely allah is all-powerful over all things."
indeed,
the existence of this statement at the end of the verse is
evidence for the statement preceding it, which says:
" wherever you (may) be, allah will bring you altogether (unto him) ".
explanation
:
the day when imam mahdi's (a.s.) adherents assemble
according to numerous traditions
narrated from the holy
ahlul-bait (a.s.) cited in islamic literature, the expression: " wherever
you (may) be, allah will bring you altogether (unto him) " has been
rendered into the adherents of imam al-mahdi, the twelveth imam,(a.s.).
it is quoted in ` raudat-ul-kafi ' from imam muhammad baqir (a.s.) who,after
mentioning this expression, said: " it means the adherents of imam gha'im (a.s.) who
consist of three hundred and thirteen men. by allah, they are the objective
meaning of the phrase / ummat-ul-ma`dudah /.
by allah, they all will gather together at the same time like the autumnal
wind-driven broken clouds that become cumulus." 1
it is also narrated from ali-ibn-musa-ar-rida, the eighth imam,
who has said: "
by allah, when al-mahdi (a.s.) rises, allah will gather all
our followers from all cities unto him." 2
there is no doubt that this commentary is one of the deep innate
meanings of the verse. based on islamic traditions, we know that there
are layers upon layers of meaning concerning the verses of the qur'an.
one of them is the apparent meaning which is universal and general;
and others, which are the deeply hidden ones which none knows except
the prophet (p.b.u.h.), the sinless imams (a.s.), and those whom allah
wills.
in other words, these traditions refer to this very meaning that the
creator, who is able to gather the particles of the scattered dusts of
men from different parts of the world, can easily bring the adherents of
al-mahdi (a.s.) on one day and at one time together to strike the first
spark of the establishment of the revolution for the settlement of the
godly government in order to put an end to tyranny and transgression,
and establish divine justice among people throughout the world.