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Section 10 Exhortation to Shun Evil Everybody's action shall be returned to him in full - Evil shall have an evil consequence hence shun it - The word of Allah is fulfilled, hence the Jinn and men shall be punished - Admonition and Reminder in the history preceding Apostles of Allah - Patience and good deeds and waiting for the End enjoined. (110) وَ لَقَدْ آتَيْنا مُوسَى الْكِتابَ فَاخْتُلِفَ فيهِ وَ لَوْ لا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَ إِنَّهُمْ لَفي‏ شَكٍّ مِنْهُ مُريبٍ 110. " And We certainly gave Moses the Book, then variance was(created)in it, and had not a Word gone forth before from your Lord, the matter would have been decided between them: but they are in grave doubt concerning it. " Commentary : To console the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) , the Qur'an adds that if his people raised objections and fabricated pretexts concerning the Qur'an, he should not worry, for Allah had also provided Moses with a Celestial Book(the Torah)and it became then an object for their differences, some accepted it while others rejected it. The verse says: " And We certainly gave Moses the Book, then variance was(created)in it, ..." Allah is not hasty in punishing His enemies; it is for the sake of expediency and pragmatism in their education which requires such a course of action. And if pragmatism in such a case did not allow for it, and the program which Allah had preordained for the Prophet in this respect did not require further delays, judgment would have been passed upon them and the punishment would have been inflicted upon them. Nevertheless, they had not yet believed in the Truth, everything about which they entertained with suspicion and viewed with pessimism. The verse continues saying: "... and had not a Word gone forth before from your Lord, the matter would have been decided between them: but they are in grave doubt concerning it. " * * * * (111) وَ إِنَّ كُلاًّ لَمَّا لَيُوَفِّيَنَّهُمْ رَبُّكَ أَعْمالَهُمْ إِنَّهُ بِما يَعْمَلُونَ خَبيرٌ 111. "And certainly, to all will your Lord recompense them their deeds in full; verily He is aware of what they do. " Commentary : In stressing the matter further, the Qur'an adds in this verse that Allah will remunerate both groups, the faithful as well as the idol worshippers, without any failing or shortcoming, in lieu of the kind of conduct they had been engaged in. the verse says: " And certainly, to all will your Lord recompense them their deeds in full; ..." This does not create any difficulties for Allah, for He is well aware of everything and of what they do. It continues saying: "... verily He is aware of what they do. " It is interesting to note that the Qur'an says that Allah will return to them(the recompense of)their deeds. This is another allusion to the subject of the embodiment of deeds and that the reward and retribution of man, indeed, are his own deeds which will change in form and reach him. Anyway, in the Divine system of belief, no deed will be left unanswered and uncompensated for; if it is good, it will be rewarded with good and if it is evil it will be compensated for with the same. * * * * (112) فَاسْتَقِمْ كَما أُمِرْتَ وَ مَنْ تابَ مَعَكَ وَ لا تَطْغَوْا إِنَّهُ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ بَصيرٌ 112. " Therefore stand firm(O Prophet)as you are commanded, and(also)he who has turned(unto Allah)with you, and(O' men)do not transgress(from the Path ); verily He sees well what you do. " Commentary : The Command of Steadfastness: After recounting the lives of the prophets and former tribes and the reasons for their success, and after reinforcing the will of the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) , thereby in this verse He commands him(p.b.u.h.) the most important duty, saying that he must stand firm as he had been commanded. The verse says: " Therefore stand firm(O Prophet)as you are commanded, ..." He must stand firm in propagation and guidance, in his struggles and battles, in carrying out Allah's orders, and in implementing the instructions of the Qur'an. However, this stance must not be for the sake of pleasing others, nor should it be for bigotry, nor for the acquisition of titles, nor for acquiring wealth, position, success and power. It must be for the execution of Allah's command as he had been instructed. However, this order does not concern the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) only, it also instructs those who are following in his footsteps for approaching Allah. The verse continues saying: "... and(also)he who has turned(unto Allah)with you, ..." The Qur'an advises the kind of persistence which avoids both extremes, neither more nor less, and the order not to be unruly, signifies the kind of persistence which avoids all kinds of transgression, for Allah is well aware of every action which we do. No cessation of movement or pause, and word or schedule remains hidden from Him. It says: "... and(O' men)do not transgress(from the Path); verily He sees well what you do. " This is a sensitive yet disturbing verse. There is a hadith from Ibn Abbas which says: "There is no verse revealed more severe and more difficult for the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) than this verse. Therefore, when the companions of the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) asked him why his hair had turned gray so soon, and the signs of age prematurely appeared on his face, he said: "The Sura Al- Waqi'ah and the Sura Hud made me age. " Some other traditions indicate that when the above verse was revealed, the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) said: "Fasten your belts! Fasten your belts(as it is time for struggling and working)"; and since that time, he was never seen smiling. The reason is clear, for there are four commands in this verse, each of which imposes a heavy duty upon man. Today, our responsibilities as Muslim leaders can also be summarized as: persistence, sincerity, leadership of the believers, abstinence from unruliness, and non- violence. Victory over our enemies, who have been surrounding us from all sides, exploiting us in all cultural, political, economic, social, and military spheres, might not be possible without the implementation of the four principles mentioned above. (113) وَ لا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَ ما لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِياءَ ثُمَّ لا تُنْصَرُونَ 113. " And do not incline to those who are unjust, lest the Fire will touch you; and you have no protectors other than Allah, nor shall you be helped. Commentary : Reliance upon the Unjust! This verse explains one of the most fundamental programs in the realm of social, political, military, and ideological spheres of activity. It addresses all Muslims, putting forward a decisive duty, it implies that we should not seek support from oppressors, and never rely upon them for such an act for it causes us to be surrounded by the Fire of Hell and we have no one from whom to expect support but Allah. The verse says: " And do not incline to those who are unjust, lest the Fire will touch you; and you have no protectors other than Allah, nor shall you be helped. In which matters must one not rely upon the transgressors In the first instance, obviously, we must not share in the atrocities they commit and seek support from them in this regard. Secondly, reliance upon them must stop where the Muslim community stands to be weakened, and its independence and self sufficiency jeopardized, this type of dependency will bear no fruit but frustration and loss of independence on the part of Islamic communities. As to the idea that Muslims should establish commercial or scientific relations with non Muslim communities on the basis of protecting Muslim interests and independence as well as their security is not unprecedented in the history of Islam nor is it forbidden in Islam and it does not fit into the meaning of seeking assistance from the oppressors. During the era of the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) and after him such relationships with non Muslims had also existed. However, one must not, at the same time, obey the oppressors or put his hope in them, for we read in the narrations that friendship with the unjust and obedience to them are examples of submission to tyranny. In a narration, it has been said: "Do not put your hope in an oppressor even if he is a member of your family or a friend. " In Al- Kafi, there is also a narration which says: "Allah has forbidden you to spare even one minute when an oppressor is to be hanged, for, in such a case, you would have supported him. " Refer to Tafsir al Burhan- As- Safi, Usul Al- Kafi, and the Bihar- ul- 'Anwar for further information. Explanation: 1- Every kind of dependence on internal and external oppressors is prohibited. 2- Oppression and assisting the oppressors or even relying upon them constitute capital sins and those affiliated with it are subversives.(Every sin which Allah has spoken of as being punishable with the Fire is considered as a capital sin) 3- Relying upon and trusting the oppressor will lead to Allah's Hell. Therefore, how is the situation of the oppressor himself going to be 4- Instead of taking recourse to the unjust, put your trust in Allah. 5- The result of relying upon tyrants is isolation and estrangement. 6- As the obedience from/ ulul- 'amr/(the political and religions chiefs appointed to issue decrees on behalf of Allah), is obligatory and, on the other hand, since relying upon and seeking the support of the unjust is forbidden, therefore the/ ulul- 'amr/ cannot be unjust, they must necessarily be "immaculate", too, because sin is considered an example of injustice.(And do not incline to those who are unjust,) * * * * (114) وَ أَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهارِ وَ زُلَفاً مِنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَناتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئاتِ ذلِكَ ذِكْرى‏ لِلذَّاكِرينَ (115) وَ اصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُضيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنينَ 114. " And establish the prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night; verily the good deeds remove evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful. " 115. " And be patient(and steadfast); for verily Allah does not waste the reward of the righteous(ones). " Commentary : Prayer and Steadfastness: These two verses point to two of the most important Islamic instructions that embody the spirit of Islam and shape its foundation. At first, the Qur'an commands us to establish the prayers, declaring that we must keep our prayers at both ends of the day and at the time of nightfall. The apparent meaning of the phrase/ tarafay- in- nahar/(on both sides of the day )is the morning and evening prayers and/ zulaf/ is in keeping with the/ 'i a'/( the prayer of nightfall). In the meantime, as the midday prayer and the afternoon prayer have been explained in other verses, they have not been repeated here. However, according to one quotation, they are also mentioned in this verse as well, though this verse does not aim at explaining all the daily prayers. The verse says: " And establish the prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night; ..." Afterwards, to specifically stress the importance of the daily prayers, and other rituals, acts of worship and the performance of good deeds in general, it declares that good conduct nullifies evil acts. The verse continues saying: "... verily the good deeds remove evil deeds. ..." This is a reminder for those who try to lend ears to such matters. It says: "... That is a reminder for the mindful. " The above verse, like some other Qur'anic verses, illustrates the influence of good deeds in removing the evil effect of evil deeds. Good deeds, which have their origin in Divine motives, bestow purity and beauty upon the human spirit which may wipe out the effects of sin from it, turning the darkness of sins into light. The Extraordinary Importance of Prayers: In the numerous narrations from the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) and the immaculate Imams(a.s.) which concern the above verse, one easily finds interpretations which unveil the extraordinary importance of prayers in Islam. ‏Ali(a.s.) is quoted as saying: "The Prophet(p.b.u.h.) and I were waiting for our prayers inside the mosque when a man stood up saying: "O Messenger of Allah! I have committed a sin. " The Prophet(p.b.u.h.) turned his face away from him. When the prayers ended, the same man stood up and repeated the same sentence. The Prophet(p.b.u.h.) said: "Have you not joined us in prayer And have you not done your ablutions well for it ?" The man answered: "Yes". He said: "This is an atonement for your sin. "(1) The sublime Prophet(p.b.u.h.) said: "At the times of prayer, an angel is certain to say: 'O people! Stand up and put out the Fire you have lit( against your selves), by means of your prayers. '"(2) (1) The commentary of Majma'- ul- Bayan, concerning this verse. (2) Bihar, vol. 82, p. 209 And the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) also said: "The five daily prayers are like a stream running in front of your houses. Once you wash yourselves five times a day in that stream, you will be clean of all pollution.(It is the same as cleaning your soul from all kinds of pollution by establishing your five daily prayers.)"(1) However, prayer insures man who has committed sinful acts, by wiping his heart clean of the dust of sin.ع2 ع Ali ibn Abi Talib(a.s.) said: "Whenever man is in the state of prayer, his body, clothes, and whatever is found around him engage in giving glory of Allah. "(2) Prayer enables one's potentialities to flourish in the depths of his soul. It also strengthens one's will, purifies his heart and cleans up his spirit. Prayer in this way can be a superior school of education, provided that it is not just treated as a series of rituals in form without substance. * * * * Following the human shaping schedule of prayer, and the description concerning the impact of the virtues upon the vices, the Qur'an commands perseverance in this verse, saying that we should stay patient, for Allah does not spoil the rewards of those who act with righteousness. The verse says: " And be patient(and steadfast); for verily Allah does not waste the reward of the righteous(ones). " All of this means that performing decent acts is not possible without patience and perseverance. (1) Kanz- ul- Ummal, vol. 7, Hadith 18931 (2) Bihar, vol. 82, p. 213 The Qur'anic term/ s abr/ includes all aspects of forbearance against difficulties, oppositions, harms, emotions, outrage and disasters. Patience and perseverance is a fundamental general principle which is sometimes coupled in the Qur'an with prayers. It is perhaps for the reason that prayer enables man to move and it ordains him to have patience and perseverance. And these two, that is 'movement' and resistance, when coupled with each other, are the main factors for victory. Finally, let us focus upon the most hopeful of the verses of the Qur'an: Had rat Ali(a.s.) coming upon a group in discussion asked them: "Do you know which is the most hopeful of the verses of the Qur'an " In response, everyone named one verse which suited his own mood. ‏Some suggested the verse, which says: "Verily Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and forgives what is besides that, "(1) means that Allah forgives all sins except idol worship. Others were of the opinion that the verse in question is the one which says: "And whoever does evil or acts unjustly to his own self, then seeks forgiveness of Allah, shall find Allah forgiving, Merciful"(2) This verse means that he who is a wrongdoer and a tyrant, if he asks for forgiveness, and apologizes, he will find Allah compassionate and merciful. ‏Still others cited the holy verse declaring: "Say: 'O My servants who have acted extravagantly against their own selves! Do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults altogether; verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. "(3) (1) Sura An- Nisa, No. 4, verse 48 (2) Ibid, verse 110 (3) Sura Az- Zumar, No. 39, verse 53 Others were of the opinion that it was the verse saying: "And those who, when they commit an indecency or do injustice to their selves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins and who forgives the sins except Allah ? -And they(the pious)do not knowingly persist in what they have committed. "(1) Meaning that those who have committed an evil act, oppressing themselves, think of Allah and ask forgiveness from Him, and who is there to forgive sins except Allah ? After hearing all those views, Had rat Ali said: "I heard from my dear one, the Prophet of Allah(p.b.u.h.) , who said: "I hope to a verse in the Book of Allah, which says: " And establish the prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night; verily the good deeds remove evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful. " Then the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) continued: 'O Ali! By the One Who appointed me as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner towards people. Whenever a person makes ablution for prayer, his sins will fall off; and when he turns toward Qiblah he will become purified. O' Ali! The example of the daily prayers resembles one who washes himself in a stream in front of his house, fives times every day. "(2) * * * * (1) Sura 'Al- i- 'Imran verse 135 (2) Majma'- ul- Bayan, the commentary, and Kanz- ud- Daqayiq. (116) فَلَوْ لا كانَ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ أُولُوا بَقِيَّةٍ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْفَسادِ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلاَّ قَليلاً مِمَّنْ أَنْجَيْنا مِنْهُمْ وَ اتَّبَعَ الَّذينَ ظَلَمُوا ما أُتْرِفُوا فيهِ وَ كانُوا مُجْرِمينَ 116. " But why were there not, among the generations before you, persons possessed understanding(and authority), prohibiting(people)from mischief in the earth, except a few whom We saved from among them And those who were unjust pursued what they were made to enjoy and they were guilty. " Commentary : The Arabic term/ baqiyyah/ means 'remainder', but it usually refers to 'virtue' and 'power' in Arabic, maybe because one stores his precious belongings with himself and preserves them to remain; or perhaps because some people who have more power stay on the scene. The holy word/ baqiyyah/ has been employed three times in the Qur'an. In this verse, Allah has criticized a group of believers as to why they do not equip themselves with knowledge and power so as to warn the society. This warning, which has repeatedly been used in the Qur'an, is accompanied with the word/ laula/. At any rate, in this holy verse and the previous one, a fundamental social principle, which stands out in saving human societies from corruption and self- destruction, has been mentioned. That is, in every society where there is a group of conscious learned and dutiful people who are committed to not remain silent in the face of corruption, who launch campaigns against it, and who lead in developing the ideological awareness of the people, that society will not suffer from self- destruction. But, when indifference and silence is the rule of the game everywhere, and then society is made defenseless against the elements of corruption, self- destruction will surely be its eventual outcome. Therefore, while referring to the previous peoples which had been the target of all kinds of disasters, the Qur'an asks why it is that in the previous centuries, there were no righteous people of knowledge and power to prevent all kinds of corruption on the earth. The verse says: " But why were there not, among the generations before you, persons possessed understanding(and authority), prohibiting(people)from mischief in the earth, ..." The role of/ 'oulou baqiyyah/(those possessed understanding and authority)in the survival of society, is so sensitive that one must say that without them the right of societies to survive will be removed from them. This is what the above verse implies. To make an exception to this rule, the Qur'an says: "... except a few whom We saved from among them ..." Despite the fact that this small group observed the rules of persuading others to perform what was good and dissuading them from what was evil, their number was so limited that they could not have any success in reforming the society. This is reflected in examples like Lot and his small family, Noah and his limited number of believers, Salih and his few followers. The oppressors of these societies, who constituted the majority, pursued their extravagant way of life and were so proud and saturated with pleasures that they committed all kinds of sin. The verse says: "... And those who were unjust pursued what they were made to enjoy and they were guilty. " Such unrestricted affluence and hedonism are the sources of all kinds of deviations and usually originate among affluent families, as their carefree state hinders them from comprehending social realities and covers them with sin, leaving them no chance for becoming familiar with real human values. Whereas verse 411 deals with prayers, this verse is concerned with dissuading others from doing evil deeds. It is appropriate to mention here some of the verses of the Glorious Qur'an which deal with the subject of prayers together with persuading others to engage in decent acts and dissuading others from committing evil deeds. Such verses are as follows: A. " Verily prayer restrains from indecency and evil "(1) B. " Verily the good deeds remove the evil deeds, "(2) C. " Keep up prayer, enjoin the good and forbid evil, "(3) D. Those who, should We establish them in the land, will keep up prayer and pay the poor- rate, and enjoin the right and forbid thewrong; "(4) The utmost responsibility thus lies with those who are knowledgeable and powerful, and the result of reformers' sympathy and reformation in society is salvation from Allah's anger and benefiting from His compassion. The key to the downfall of former generations has been their indifference and failure to dissuade others from doing wrong, hedonism, and criminal activity, the vicious triangle of destruction. We hope that Allah may save us, our children, and our coming generations from these dangers and deviations. (1) Sura Ankabut, No. 29, verse 45 (2) Sura Hud, No. 11, verse 114 (3) Sura Luqman, No. 31, verse 17 (4) Sura Hajj No. 22, verse 41 (117) وَ ما كانَ رَبُّكَ لِيُهْلِكَ الْقُرى‏ بِظُلْمٍ وَ أَهْلُها مُصْلِحُونَ 117. " Nor would your Lord destroy the townships unjustly while their people acted well. " Commentary : Allah(s.w.t.) removes His wrath from societies because of the presence of benevolent and righteous individuals who mend their society. (9) Back Next