the Lectures of Nokounam Session 186
Verse 21 of Surah Al-Baqarah (O mankind! Worship your Lord who created you and those before you, that you may attain righteousness), like a blazing torch, summons humanity to worship their Lord and delineates their position as the axis of the system of existence and the subject of divine training. This verse, with a profound and multi-layered expression, introduces worship as an instrument of education and the Lord as the universal trainer, outlining the relationship between humans and their Lord within a systematic framework. The present interpretation, with a scientific and mystical approach, is composed for an erudite audience at a research level and employs refined metaphors to analyse the dimensions of this verse in an academic format. The objective is to elucidate the role of worship in human training, the position of the Lord in the guidance of existence, and the necessity of moral and behavioural reform for achieving perfection.
Key Point: Verse 21 of Surah Al-Baqarah, like a clear mirror, introduces humanity as the subject of divine training and worship as the means of their perfection.
Humanity is the axis of the system of existence and the primary subject of Quranic teachings. Verse 21, by addressing the universal phrase O mankind, addresses all humans and demonstrates their central position within the creation system.
This address emphasises the universality of the divine invitation and humanitys role as a purposeful being created to attain perfection.
For researchers, this view necessitates the analysis of the human position within the system of existence from the perspectives of philosophy and theology.
Worship, as a tool for education, propels humanity from potentiality to actuality and guides it towards felicity and perfection. This process is actualised under the guidance of the Lord, the universal trainer.
This concept introduces to academic audiences the necessity of studying worship as an educative process within the framework of religious psychology.
Key Point: Humanity, like a gem within the shell of creation, is polished towards perfection through the tool of worship in the hands of the divine trainer.
The term Lord (رب) derives from the root Rabb meaning upbringing and nurturing and is introduced in the verse (Worship your Lord) as the universal trainer. The Lord, beyond mere creation, emphasises continuous guidance and nurturing of humanity.
This concept presents the Lord as the supervisor of all aspects of existence who is responsible for the training of His servants.
For researchers, this view necessitates the analysis of the Lords role within the Quranic educational system.
The term Lord in the Quran is exclusively attributed to God in an absolute sense. Instances where it is attributed to others are perspective of polytheists and not indicative of true lordship.
This exclusivity emphasises Gods uniqueness in training and guidance and negates any form of non-divine lordship.
The term Lord appears 970 times and Servant 287 times in the Holy Quran. These statistics highlight the pivotal role of the Lord in the educational system and humanitys position as the servant in relation to Him.
For researchers, these statistics provide a foundation for scientific projects analysing the Quranic educational system.
Key Point: The Lord, like a wise gardener, cultivates humanity in the garden of creation and, through worship, brings it to blossoming.
Non-contrasting worship reflects the innate human need for worship, manifested in the universal command Worship. This type of worship indicates an internal necessity for connection with the Lord.
For academic audiences, this perspective necessitates psychological analysis of the human need for worship.
Contrasting worship, in the phrase Worship your Lord who created you, refers to gratitude in response to divine blessings such as creation. This type of worship demonstrates reverence towards God.
This concept depicts a bilateral relationship between humanity and the Lord based on gratitude and reverence.
The command to worship in this verse is not in the sense of legal obligation but as a natural courtesy towards divine blessings, similar to gratitude for the kindness of others.
This view transforms worship into an emotional and ethical response rooted in reverence and thankfulness.
Key Point: Worship, like a bridge between humanity and the Lord, guides humanity to perfection in two dimensions: non-contrasting (innate need) and contrasting (gratitude for blessings).
Divine training comprises two components: the reform of inner dispositions (ethics) related to the human inner self, organising traits such as courage and generosity.
This process refines the human heart and prepares it to accept divine guidance.
For researchers, this concept necessitates psychological analysis of inner traits within religious training.
Manners regulate human external behaviours and align actions with divine values. This aspect constitutes the outward manifestation of divine training.
For academic audiences, this perspective requires studying social behaviours within the framework of religion.
Ethics pertain to the inner self (intentions and traits), while manners concern outward behaviour (actions and conduct). This distinction transforms training into a comprehensive process attentive to both heart and deed.
This principle harmonises with verses such as Establish prayer and give zakah (Al-Baqarah: 43), which emphasise both behaviour and intention.
Key Point: Divine training, like two wings of ethics and manners, enables humanity to soar towards perfection from within and without.
The religious scientific educational system, which sometimes excessively depends on book-centredness, cannot alone respond to educational needs. Teacher-centredness and practical guidance play a key role in the training of religious scholars.
This critique necessitates, for researchers, reconsideration of educational methods in religious science.
Religious scholars must be supportive like the prophets, not demanding. Service without expectation of reward characterises a divine trainer.
This principle emphasises the importance of sincerity and altruism in religious service and calls for academic analysis of professional ethics in religious science.
The conduct of the Ahl al-Bayt, such as Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), demonstrates a balance between authority in society and intimacy in family. This balance offers a model for moral and behavioural training.
For researchers, this model necessitates the study of the Ahl al-Bayts conduct as an educational paradigm.
Ritual acts such as reciting the Quran in prostration or excessive worship without regard to quality are incorrect. Worship must be performed with pure intention and accordance with the Sharia.
This critique aligns with the Prophet Muhammads (peace be upon him) hadith: Actions are judged by intentions.
Key Point: Correct training, like a pure stream, guides humanity to perfection through sincerity and balance in worship and behaviour.
The statistics of 970 occurrences of Lord and 287 of Servant in the Quran provide a foundation for scientific projects to extract the duties of the Lord and servant. These projects can explicate the Quranic educational system.
For researchers, this proposal calls for the production of religious knowledge Holy Quran.
Verse 21, as the disavowal and inauguration of the Holy Quran, summarises the entire educational system: God (Lord), humanity (servant), ethics (inner), and manners (outer).
This perspective introduces the verse as a summary of the Quranic educational system encompassing all dimensions of existence.
The training of religious scholars requires teacher-centredness to ensure practical and ethical guidance. This approach complements the book-centred educational system.
For academic audiences, this principle necessitates reconsideration of training methods in religious science.
Key Point: The Holy Quran, like an infinite treasury, paves the way for the production of knowledge and human guidance through its scientific and educational capacities.
The interpretation of verse 21 of Surah Al-Baqarah (O mankind! Worship your Lord who created you and those before you, that you may attain righteousness) with a scientific and mystical approach provides a comprehensive system of the Quranic educational framework. Humanity, as the axis of creation, is guided by the Lord towards perfection through worship as a tool. Worship, in two dimensionsnon-contrasting (innate need) and contrasting (gratitude for blessing)and divine training, in two dimensionsethics (inner) and manners (outer)leads humanity to piety. The Quranic statistics (970 occurrences of Lord and 287 of Servant) emphasise the pivotal role of the Lord in this process. Critique of the book-centred educational system and emphasis on teacher-centredness, along with models from the conduct of the Ahl al-Bayt, provide strategies for training religious scholars. This interpretation, through systematic analysis and refined metaphors, opens a new window to deep understanding of the Quranic educational system for a learned audience.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
