of Nokounam, (Session Eighty-Six)
The seventh verse of Surah Al-Fatiha, ira alladhna anamta alayhim (the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favour), shines as a radiant light following the supplication for guidance to the straight path. It situates the concept of divine blessing and its manifestations at the heart of Quranic knowledge. This verse, by elucidating the relationship between blessing and guidance, invites mankind to contemplate the essence of blessing, its true agent, and those who have been recipients of this divine grace. This exegesis, adopting a scientific and systematic approach, addresses three fundamental questions: Is blessing exclusively attributed to God? Who are alladhna anamta alayhim? And what is the nature of this blessing? The present text, integrating lecture content with theological and epistemological analyses, is designed for erudite audiences and researchers in the fields of theology and Quranic sciences.
In the Holy Quran, blessing is primarily attributed to God, and only in exceptional instances is it ascribed to others; nevertheless, the true agent of blessing remains God.
Verse:
وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ (Al-Ahzab: 37)
Translation:
And when you said to the one upon whom Allah had bestowed favour and upon whom you had bestowed favour...
This verse constitutes the sole instance in the Quran where blessing is ascribed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). However, this blessing is ultimately referred back to God, since the Prophet is a conduit for the Divine grace.
Conclusion of Section: The attribution of blessing to God affirms the principle of Divine Unity of actions, and even in exceptional cases, God remains the true agent of blessing.
The claim of blessing by a disbeliever, due to the absence of faith, lacks spiritual reality and is confined to apparent blessing alone.
Verse:
قَالَ قَدْ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ إِذْ لَمْ أَكُنْ مَعَهُمْ شَهِيدًا (An-Nis: 72)
Translation:
He said: Allah has bestowed favour upon me because I was not present with them as a witness.
This verse refers to the claim of a disbeliever who regards survival in battle as a blessing; however, due to the absence of faith, this blessing lacks spiritual significance.
Conclusion of Section: Apparent blessing without faith lacks spiritual reality and cannot be considered a Divine blessing on the path of the straight path.
Blessing in the Quran is divided into two categories: apparent and true. True blessing is actualised within the context of faith.
Verse:
فَأَمَّا الْإِنْسَانُ إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَكْرَمَنِ (Al-Fajr: 15)
Translation:
But as for man, when his Lord tests him and honours him and grants him favour, he says: My Lord has honoured me.
This verse demonstrates that apparent blessing, such as wealth and status, may be granted to a person; however, without faith, such blessing lacks spiritual reality.
Conclusion of Section: The distinction between apparent and true blessing emphasises the essential role of faith in realising the spiritual value of blessing.
Alladhna anamta alayhim refers to four groups: the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous, who are recognised as the beloveds of God.
Verse:
وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُولَئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَئِكَ رَفِيقًا (An-Nis: 69)
Translation:
And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favour: the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. And excellent are those as companions.
This verse divides the recipients of Divine favour into four groups: the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous, who occupy a lofty station as Gods beloved.
Conclusion of Section: The recipients of Divine favour, as Gods beloveds, are situated on the straight path and comprise these four distinguished groups.
The distinction between Maiyyah (companionship with the recipients of blessing) and Aslat (being a recipient of blessing oneself) indicates different ranks in Divine guidance.
Those who obey God and the Messenger are described as with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favour, meaning they are companions of the recipients of blessing rather than recipients themselves. This companionship, analogous to the relationship between the adjective and the noun in literature, denotes a subordinate rank. The recipients of blessing occupy the rank of originality, while others approach them through effort and obedience.
Conclusion of Section: Companionship with the recipients of blessing is a secondary rank attainable by obedience and effort, whereas the recipients themselves hold the rank of originality.
The recipients of blessing, as Gods beloveds, receive blessing directly, whereas the lovers approach them through effort and obedience.
Similar to the sun whose light reaches some directly while others receive it by moving towards it, the beloved receive divine blessings without intermediaries, whereas the lovers approach this grace through obedience and effort.
Even among the beloved (prophets, truthful ones, martyrs, righteous individuals), hierarchical distinctions exist, signifying various degrees of divine nearness.
For example, Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), due to his particular austerities, holds a different rank from Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) or Jesus (peace be upon him). The highest rank is attributed to the Five Pure Ones (Ahl al-Kis) and the Nine Others.
The Anms may refer to the infallibles; however, the righteous can also include non-infallibles who occupy a lower rank.
The prophets, truthful ones, and martyrs refer to the infallibles, whereas the righteous represent a broader category that approaches the straight path through good deeds. This interpretive flexibility allows for the inclusion of non-infallibles.
The blessing in the Holy Quran is ascribed to God to enable humans to attain actual monotheism and avoid actual polytheism.
Actual monotheism entails perceiving all actions, including blessings, as divine acts. This principle prevents humans from attributing blessings to others besides God and invites gratitude towards the Creator.
The believer must regard the intermediaries of blessings (such as parents or others) as conduits of divine grace, not as independent agents.
Like a river that conveys water from the source to the plain, the intermediaries of blessings are merely channels of divine grace; the true agent is God. This perspective connects gratitude towards creatures with gratitude towards the Creator.
Blessings result in true tranquillity only through divine knowledge; without it, even apparent blessings fail to bring real peace.
Divine knowledge functions as a key that unlocks the blessing, transforming it from superficiality into spiritual reality. Without this knowledge, apparent blessings such as wealth and status do not confer genuine tranquillity.
Blessings are mentioned 144 times in the Holy Quran, each with distinct characteristics.
The 144 references to blessings in the Quran encompass both apparent blessings (such as wealth and health) and spiritual blessings (such as guidance and faith), illustrating the comprehensive nature of blessings in the divine system.
Verse seven of Srah al-Ftiah, "The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favour," serves as a gem in the crown of the Opening Chapter of the Book, introducing the concept of blessing as a key to understanding the straight path. Blessing is a divine attribute ascribed to God to reinforce actual monotheism and repel actual polytheism. The Anms, including prophets, truthful ones, martyrs, and righteous individuals, stand as the beloved of God at a lofty rank, whereas the lovers approach them through obedience and effort. Hierarchical distinctions among the beloved demonstrate the stratified nature of divine guidance. The righteous, as a broader group, may include non-infallibles. Divine knowledge converts blessings from their apparent state into reality, bringing true tranquillity. Intermediaries of blessings are merely conduits of divine grace, linking gratitude for creation to gratitude for the Creator. This interpretation offers a monotheistic framework, inviting reflection on blessings, the straight path, and spiritual progress.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
Translation: O God, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
