Verse 55 of Surah Al-Baqarah, one of the pivotal verses of the Holy Quran, addresses the topic of the Divine vision and the request of the Children of Israel to witness God in an explicit form. This verse serves as a gateway to profound epistemological, theological, and psychological concepts that occupy a distinguished place within the Quranic epistemic framework. In this treatise, through a scientific and systematic approach, this verse is analysed and its content is rewritten with a comprehensive and specialised perspective for an erudite audience and researchers of religious sciences. The structure of this work, divided meticulously and utilising refined Persian allegories, is arranged so as to encompass both scientific richness and literary appeal.
Vision and contemplation, like two wings of knowledge, guide man towards the understanding of truth. The Holy Quran, emphasising the superiority of seeing over hearing, invites man to employ the eye to ponder the Divine signs. This superiority is also reflected in the Persian proverb, Hearing has never been like seeing.
The Holy Quran refers to the concept of vision and its derivatives in more than 315 instances and employs the term contemplation in over 140 cases. This frequency indicates the significance of these two tools within the Quranic epistemic system.
For instance, in a verse, God says:
انْظُرْ إِلَى الْإِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ
Translation: Look at the camels, how they were created.
This verse invites man to reflect upon creation, illustrating the profound link between contemplation and knowledge.
The Holy Quran, emphasising vision and contemplation, points to empirical and observation-based methods for acquiring knowledge. This approach aligns with modern empirical sciences and encourages man to explore nature and the Divine signs.
Vision and contemplation, as fundamental tools of knowledge in the Holy Quran, guide man towards reflection on Divine signs and a deeper understanding of existential truths. The prevalence of these concepts in the Quran and their connection with empirical sciences underscore their importance in the Islamic epistemic system.
One of the principal barriers to epistemological progress in Islamic societies is the neglect of epistemic tools such as vision and contemplation. This deficiency stems from historical and cultural factors that have led to epistemic isolation.
Environmental limitations, social isolation, and the negative influence of external factors on religious knowledge are among the elements that have reduced the use of vision and contemplation. These constraints, like a tall wall, have obstructed the expansion of epistemic horizons.
Prolonged isolation, such as living in confined environments, leads to a reduction in visual and cognitive abilities. In psychology, this is recognised as a factor diminishing cognitive performance.
Non-empirical approaches, such as intellectual stagnation and emphasis on isolation, have acted as epistemic maladies preventing the utilisation of vision and contemplation. These approaches contradict the Quranic invitation to reflection and observation.
Confined environments, such as prisons, narrow the field of vision and reduce visual capacities. This fact highlights the importance of an open environment in strengthening epistemic tools.
Historical, cultural, and psychological obstacles have erected barriers against the use of vision and contemplation in Islamic societies. Overcoming these obstacles necessitates a re-examination of epistemic methods and a return to Quranic principles.
وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ
Translation: And when you said, O Moses, we will never believe you until we see Allah manifestly, the thunderbolt took you while you were looking on.
The Children of Israel, with a tone of limitation and conditionality towards God and Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), committed impropriety. This behaviour, as an epistemic error, was the principal cause of their punishment.
The thunderbolt, as a Divine response to the impropriety of the Children of Israel, was not only a corporeal punishment but also a sign of reproach for their wrongful behaviour. The use of the passive voice in the thunderbolt took you
indicates the insignificance of this behaviour against Divine grandeur.
Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), when confronted with Divine manifestation, merely lost consciousness but did not die, indicating a distinction in rank and reverence compared to the Children of Israel.
The thunderbolt, a combination of sound, motion, wind, and lightning, can cause stroke, death, or bodily harm with high intensity. In the Quran, this concept appears in eleven instances, referring to physical or spiritual reactions to Divine manifestations.
Verse 55 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by emphasising the impropriety of the Children of Israel and the thunderbolt punishment, imparts profound lessons regarding Divine reverence and the importance of observing epistemic boundaries. This verse calls man to reflect on his behaviour and speech before God.
To revive religious knowledge, strengthening epistemic tools such as vision and contemplation is essential. This requires a return to Quranic roots and empirical methods.
Narrow-mindedness and unsubstantiated predictions, such as specifying particular times for the emergence, weaken faith and limit religious concepts. Genuine expectation is based on active knowledge and open eyes.
Excessive emphasis on paper-based study and neglect of direct observation of nature obstruct the realisation of empirical and Quranic knowledge. Nature, as a Divine book, invites man to reflection.
Scholars such as Khwaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, by employing vision and contemplation, achieved great scientific accomplishments. This exemplifies the importance of observation-based methods in epistemic progress.
Returning to the epistemic principles of the Holy Quran, through strengthening vision and contemplation and avoiding narrow-mindedness and intellectual isolation, paves the way for reviving religious knowledge.
The exegesis of Verse 55 of Surah Al-Baqarah is a gateway to a deeper understanding of the Quranic epistemic system. This verse, emphasising the significance of vision and contemplation, critiquing epistemic obstacles, and reproaching impropriety towards God, provides fundamental lessons for scholars of religious sciences. Strengthening epistemic tools, returning to empirical methods, and observing Divine reverence are among the strategies proposed for reviving religious knowledge and fulfilling the lofty objectives of the Quran. This treatise, preserving all details of the original lecture and complementary analyses, endeavours to present a scientific, coherent, and refined text that meets the needs of erudite audiences.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
