the lectures of Nekounam, may his secret be sanctified (Session 156)
The exegesis of the fifth verse of Surah Al-Baqarah, which refers to Divine guidance and the salvation of the God-conscious (muttaqn), opens a profound gateway towards understanding the elevated status of faith and righteous deeds within the epistemological framework of the Holy Qur'an. This verse, by introducing the God-conscious as those who are steadfast upon the guidance of their Lord and attain felicity, demands a meticulous and systematic analysis from theological, philosophical, and mystical perspectives. In this work, employing a scientific and exalted approach, distinctions between the life of the believer and the disbeliever, the role of worldly deeds in the hereafter, and the attributes of guidance and salvation of the God-conscious are elucidated. The objective is to present a coherent and academic text, articulated with fluent and dignified language, offering analytical and literary enrichment for learned and specialised audiences. This exegesis, whilst faithfully preserving the original content, supplements with comprehensive explanations and semantic interrelations to assist in deeper comprehension of guidance and felicity.
أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ
They are upon guidance from their Lord, and they are the successful.
This verse introduces the God-conscious as those who, due to their faith and righteous deeds, are firmly established upon Divine guidance and attain salvation. The core of this section is the elucidation of the concepts of guidance and felicity and the differentiation between the life of the believer and that of the disbeliever.
Disbelievers confine life solely to the worldly existence and harbour no objective for the hereafter. As stated in the Holy Qur'an:
This is nothing but our worldly life; we die and live, and nothing will resurrect us.
This viewpoint reduces life to mere consumption, living, and death. Disbelievers prefer the immediate sweetness of the world to the deferred hereafter and seek perfection in material affairs, such as an ornate grave or lasting fame.
Believers, particularly the God-conscious, perform worldly deeds for the sake of the hereafter. This intention elevates their actions from the material level to sublime worship. The God-conscious, by envisioning and being certain of the hereafter, direct their deeds accordingly and reach the status of guidance and felicity.
Disbelievers, even if achieving great material accomplishments such as Edison or Galileo, lack eternal reward because their deeds are for the world. This perspective restricts their existential horizon to material matters like a beautiful grave or commemorative statue.
Inactivity or idleness is indicative of backwardness and weakness, and it is condemned within the Qur'anic ethos. Those who abstain from worldly activity fall into the category of idle ones (batlin) and are deprived not only of the hereafters reward but are also censured for unproductiveness.
The believer engages in worldly activities but with the intention of the hereafter and seeking Divine pleasure. This intention transforms their deeds into worship and distinguishes them from mere worldly people. The God-conscious, by this approach, attain certainty and felicity.
God grants recompense for every good deed, even from disbelievers; however, this recompense (ajr) is a material benefit or mitigation of punishment in the hereafter, not the ultimate reward. The true reward (thawb) is exclusive to the God-conscious and leads to bliss and Paradise.
Reward signifies attainment of Paradise, bliss, and Divine encounter, which is solely allocated to the God-conscious. Even if a disbeliever like Edison or Galileo possesses the greatest worldly achievements, due to lack of faith, they are deprived of the reward.
God does not wrong any creation, as stated in the Qur'an:
And He is not ever unjust to His servants.
This verse underscores Divine justice in bestowing reward. Even the worst of creatures benefit from recompense for their good deeds, but true reward is reserved for those who act with faith.
Besides faith, the God-conscious reach the station of certainty and vision of the hereafter. They do not only believe in the grave, Barzakh (intermediate state), and Resurrection, but perceive them with inner insight. This vision profoundly directs their deeds.
The term guidance in the verse refers to a special Divine guidance bestowed upon the God-conscious. This guidance manifests as a third eye or inner insight enabling them to see unseen realities, as reflected in the verse:
You will surely see Hellfire.
indicating the vision of hereafter realities.
Continuous worship is the path to certainty, as the verse commands:
And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (al-yaqn).
This verse advises worship not merely until death but until attaining certainty, a state in which one perceives unseen realities with inner insight.
Some have erroneously interpreted until certainty comes to you as worship until death; however, certainty refers to inner vision of truths, not simply death. Persistent worship opens the way to this insight.
Some pursue worldly aims such as wealth or status in the path of religious knowledge. These individuals are rubn (superficial and unreal), rather than truly rabbn (Godly). Religious knowledge must lead to Godliness and connection with the Lord.
Religious knowledge should nurture individuals who attain the station of vision and Divine guidance. Such people, endowed with inner insight, perceive unseen truths and become exemplars for the religious community.
Religious funds such as Khums and Zakat must be managed with transparency. Lack of transparency undermines the legitimacy of religious knowledge and exposes it to accusations of misuse. This emphasis aligns with the verse:
Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due.
and underscores the importance of trustworthiness.
The God-conscious, through Divine guidance and vision of realities, attain eternal felicity and salvation. Felicity signifies reaching the truth and eternal happiness, distinguishing them from ordinary believers, as in the verse:
Indeed, he who purifies himself will be successful.
Divine saints, such as Salman and Solomon, perceive the grave, Barzakh, and Resurrection with inner insight before death and depart this world fully conscious. This vision results from certainty and Divine guidance.
To attain certainty and vision, time must be allocated for seclusion and exertion upon the soul. Such seclusion, like a stream washing away debris, paves the way for the opening of inner insight.
Prolonged study, such as fifty years of schooling, results in senility and arrogance. Great scholars like Sheikh Mufid or Sheikh Ansari reached deep knowledge within a few years. Religious knowledge must lead to soul refinement and insight, not mere accumulation of information.
Humans must attain spiritual ascension through worship, such as prostration upon a prayer stone. This path, though potentially long, is the ultimate goal of religious knowledge and a worthy aspiration for death on this path.
The exegesis of the fifth verse of Surah Al-Baqarah, emphasising the guidance and salvation of the God-conscious, reveals the profound distinction between the lives of believers and disbelievers. The God-conscious, with otherworldly intention and vision of unseen realities, transform worldly deeds into means for eternal felicity. Divine guidance, as inner insight, leads them to success. Critiques of inactivity, materialism, and deviations in religious knowledge highlight the necessity of reforming the educational system and focusing on Godliness. Continuous worship and soul seclusion are the paths to certainty and vision. Divine saints, such as Salman and Solomon, provide practical models for this journey. This exegesis, preserving all original content and augmenting semantic connections, offers a scholarly and exalted discourse for educated audiences, serving as a foundation for advanced research in exegesis and philosophy of religion.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
