The Holy Quran, like a clear mirror, presents the realities of existence and the dimensions of human being before his eyes. Verse 51 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by referring to the deviation of the Children of Israel towards calf worship and attributing the attribute of oppressors to them, expounds a profound and multifaceted concept of oppression within theological, ethical, psychological, and sociological contexts. This verse, through the narration of Gods promise to Moses (peace be upon him), the mistaken choice of the people, and the decisive judgement of the Lord, reveals the system of guidance and human accountability. The present treatise, adopting a scientific and academic approach, undertakes a comprehensive analysis of this verse and elucidates all its content dimensions in an elevated language appropriate for a highly educated audience. Employing literary allusions and metaphors, the text achieves literary richness while preserving its academic nature, and at the same time, meticulously and faithfully conveys all details of the two attached documents.
Translation: And when We made a covenant with Moses for forty nights, then you took the calf after him and you were oppressors.
This verse encompasses three main axes: the divine promise to Moses (peace be upon him) for receiving guidance, the deviation of the Children of Israel towards calf worship, and the divine judgement with the designation oppressors, which signifies their doctrinal and practical deviation.
Oppression is a comprehensive concept encompassing injustice towards oneself, others, and the rights and sanctities of the Lord. This expansiveness confines the attribute of non-oppressiveness exclusively to the Almighty God.
Oppression is defined as injustice, transgression, and placing something in a position other than its rightful place. This transgression occurs in proportion to the individuals status and at every level.
The derivatives of oppression in the Holy Quran include lim (oppressor), alam (more oppressive), ulm (acts of oppression), and malm (the oppressed), each illustrating a particular aspect of oppression.
Verse 51 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by referencing the deviation of the Children of Israel and attributing the term oppressors to them, introduces oppression as an impediment to divine guidance. The expansiveness of this concept highlights the necessity for reflection upon its diverse dimensions.
Alam refers to oppression that occurs in the context of transgression upon others (transgressive oppression), as opposed to intrinsic oppression (oppression of the self). This type of oppression is predominantly associated with slander against God, denial of the verses, or obstruction of guidance.
The manifestations of Alam include slander against God, concealment of testimony, and prevention of the remembrance of God or guidance.
Translation: And who is more oppressive than one who forbids the mosques of God from being mentioned therein His name?
Translation: And who is more oppressive than one who conceals testimony he has from God?
Translation: And who is more oppressive than one who forges a lie against God?
These verses manifest the severity of oppression in the distortion of truth and obstruction of guidance.
The phrase wa man alam (and who is more oppressive) appears approximately sixteen times in the Holy Quran, most of which (twelve instances) relate to slander against God and denial of His verses.
Alam is primarily verbal and intellectual in nature and pertains to the elites, since ordinary people are less capable of slandering God.
Alam, as the most severe form of oppression, denotes the distortion of truth and obstruction of divine guidance. Due to its intellectual and verbal essence, this oppression imposes a heavier responsibility upon the elites.
The closer an individual approaches knowledge, the greater their dangers become and the more intensive their need for vigilance.
Oppression by the elites, owing to their awareness and social influence, leads to misguidance, hardness of heart, and deprivation.
Denial of divine verses, as a manifestation of Alam, frequently occurs among the elites because they possess the ability to distort the truth due to their knowledge.
From a psychological perspective, denial of divine verses serves to obtain false peace and justify sin.
The elites, by virtue of their awareness and social influence, bear heavier responsibility in relation to oppression (especially Alam). Denial of verses and distortion of truth constitute their principal dangers, culminating in misguidance and hardness of heart.
ulum denotes the genus of oppression and general, often unconscious, deviations, encompassing ignorant behaviours that harm oneself or others.
In the Holy Quran, ulum refers to widespread and general acts of oppression, which are frequently accompanied by ignorance.
The alm, as a genus of injustice, encompasses unconscious behaviours that cause harm either to oneself or to others. This concept underscores the necessity of awareness and behavioural reform.
The term malm is mentioned only once in the Holy Quran and is associated with authority and dignity (as exemplified by the oppression of Imam usayn (peace be upon him)).
Oppression, contrary to its seemingly passive appearance, is accompanied by spiritual authority and influence.
The malm, as a rare concept in the Holy Quran, is accompanied by authority and dignity, symbolising spiritual victory over injustice.
The term nr (light) appears 49 times, while nr (fire) occurs 145 times (126 instances of نار and 19 of نارًا). Fire, as a sedimentation of light, is linked with injustice.
The material realm (nst) is filled with sediments (such as fire) which render human life fragile.
Darkness symbolises misguidance and deviation, which injustice amplifies. Emergence from darkness towards light constitutes the objective of divine guidance.
Light, fire, and darkness, as Quranic concepts, elucidate the relationship between injustice, deviation, and guidance. The material world, with its sediments, calls for constant vigilance against injustice.
Human deeds, thoughts, and behaviours resemble the colours of the rainbow, characterised by variability and instability which complicate their assessment.
The term ill (shade) in the Holy Quran is frequently related to Paradise and Resurrection and is distinct from darkness and injustice.
illًا
Translation: Soothing shadows.
This concept symbolises divine mercy in the Hereafter.
Humans must establish mechanisms for assessing injustice and goodness within themselves, analogous to medical devices measuring blood pressure or glucose.
The evaluation of deeds in this world is feasible, yet due to inertia or historical impediments, the requisite tools have not been developed.
The invention of an injustice-meter and goodness-meter could assist elites in daily behavioural evaluation and prevent indiscriminate actions.
The variability and instability of actions underscore the necessity for continuous behavioural assessment. The invention of spiritual tools such as the injustice-meter aids in self-reformation and spiritual elevation.
The retardation in inventing spiritual assessment tools results from despair or colonial domination over Islamic societies.
Islamic communities must, inspired by the Holy Quran, engage in innovation regarding human behaviour analysis and the development of spiritual instruments.
The backwardness in religious sciences poses an obstacle to the development of spiritual tools such as the injustice-meter. Innovation, inspired by the Holy Quran, constitutes the principal remedy to these deficiencies.
The supplication Allhumma alli al Muammad wa li Muammad is a sign of humility and a request for protection from injustice.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
Translation: O God, send blessings upon Muammad and the family of Muammad.
Supplication and appeal to God provide a means to avoid injustice and enhance self-awareness. This practice brings the individual closer to guidance and self-reformation.
Verse 51 of Surah Al-Baqarah, referring to the deviation of the Children of Israel and divine judgement titled limn (wrongdoers), explicates the multifaceted concept of injustice. Injustice encompasses harm to the self, others, and rights, with its derivatives (lim, alam, allm, malm) forming a complex semantic network within the Quran. Alam, as elite injustice, relates to slander against God and distortion of truth, indicating the heavy responsibility borne by intellectuals. allm involves widespread and unconscious injustice, whereas malm is accompanied by spiritual authority. Light, fire, and darkness elucidate the relationship between injustice, guidance, and deviation. The metaphorical proposal to invent an injustice-meter underscores the need for self-awareness and continuous behavioural evaluation. The backwardness of religious sciences obstructs the development of spiritual tools, which can be remedied through innovation and Quranic inspiration. Ultimately, this exegesis invites humanity to self-awareness, self-reformation, and avoidance of injustice, providing a guiding message particularly pertinent for contemporary societies in the realm of guidance and social responsibility.
Supervised by diq Khdami
