The Holy Quran, akin to a profound and boundless sea, conceals within itself knowledge whose comprehension necessitates a meticulous, scientific, and methodical perspective. Verse 56 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as part of the Quranic narration concerning the Children of Israel, opens a window to profound epistemological and philosophical concepts. This verse, by addressing themes such as death, resurrection, and the imperative of a scientific approach to the Quran, invites reflection upon the hidden layers of Divine Revelation. In this treatise, by integrating the lecture content with exegetical analyses, an endeavour has been made to provide a coherent, lofty, and academically suitable interpretation for learned audiences. The structure of this examination, through systematic segmentation and elucidation of key points, aims to preserve all details while exhibiting the depth and richness of Quranic knowledge.
ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
Then We raised you up after your death, so that you might be grateful.
This verse refers to the resurrection of the Children of Israel after their temporary death and pursues an epistemological and admonitory aim that ultimately leads to gratitude and awareness.
The verse, by mentioning death and resurrection, alludes to the Qurans intricate epistemological system in which death and revival are not merely existential phenomena but instruments for spiritual and cognitive elevation.
The Holy Quran portrays creation, death, and resurrection in a precise and distinct proportion. Creation, as the origin of existence, precedes death, as indicated in the following verse:
الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ
He Who created death and life.
This precedence of creation over death emphasises the primacy of existence over annihilation. However, resurrection, as a voluntary emergence, can occur independently of or subsequent to death. Resurrection sometimes refers to the raising of prophets for their missions and sometimes to revival after death.
Death in the Holy Quran is a unified reality with diverse manifestations, evident in humans, the earth, plants, and the universe. Multiple verses indicate this diversity:
فَإِنْ مَاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ
So if he dies or is killed.
فَأَمَاتَهُ اللَّهُ مِائَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُ
Then Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then raised him up.
وَيُنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَيُحْيِي بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا
And He sends down from the sky, thereby reviving the earth after its death.
This diversity reflects the conceptual richness of the Holy Quran in analysing existential phenomena.
The Holy Quran, in the verse "Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die during their sleep" (Az-Zumar: 42), designates sleep as the brother of death, because in sleep the senses are suspended but the soul remains.
اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنْفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا
Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that have not died in their sleep.
This metaphor presents sleep as a state parallel to death, in which only sensory faculties cease temporarily.
Verses such as "Thus Allah revives the dead" (Al-Baqarah: 73) and the request of Abraham in "And when Abraham said: My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead" (Al-Baqarah: 260) indicate that the revival of the dead is a scientific and learnable process.
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ
And when Abraham said: My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.
These verses emphasise the scientific inquisitiveness of the prophets and the possibility of human comprehension of this process.
The accusation of sorcery regarding the revival of the dead results from rigidity in religious science, which denies any unknown phenomenon. The Holy Quran introduces this process as scientific and comprehensible.
Death and resurrection, as two fundamental concepts within the Quranic epistemological system, exhibit diversity and complexity. Death appears in natural, temporary, and terrestrial forms, while resurrection manifests in real, metaphorical, and scientific frameworks, reflecting the profundity and richness of Quranic knowledge. This section, through examination of related verses, underscores the necessity of a scientific understanding of these concepts.
Studying the Holy Quran with an ordinary view and without scientific tools is akin to observing the sky with the naked eye, which yields only rudimentary and superficial perceptions.
Analogy: Just as observing stars with the naked eye leads only to a superficial understanding of clouds and stars, comprehending the Holy Quran without scientific tools is confined to childish perceptions.
This approach, over centuries, has hindered the discovery of the scientific potentials of the Holy Quran.
The Holy Quran, beyond being a religious text, is a scientific and practical book that provides a Divine method for guiding humanity. This book, like an inexhaustible treasury, requires exploration with scientific instruments.
The day of full flourishing of Quranic knowledge, which can be termed Yawm al-Qurn (The Day of the Quran), has not yet arrived. Humanity, with current limitations, lacks the capacity to fully exploit this treasury.
Over past centuries, Quranic exegeses have mostly been confined to popular methods and lacked scientific tools. This limitation has prevented the discovery of the vast capacities of the Holy Quran.
A scientific approach to the Holy Quran is an undeniable necessity for unveiling its knowledge. Popular study, like gazing at the sky with the naked eye, results in superficial understanding. The Holy Quran, as a scientific and practical book, demands exploration with precise and methodical tools so that, in the future, on Yawm al-Qurn, its infinite potentials may flourish.
In the modern world, traditional military instruments such as tanks and airplanes have become obsolete, and advanced countries transfer these tools to backward nations. Future authority lies not in military confrontations but in knowledge, perception, and sincerity.
Knowledge, awareness, and vigilance prevent people from accepting oppression and ignorance. To ensure its authority, the Islamic system must focus on producing knowledge and nurturing geniuses.
Establishing scientific centres titled Quranic Cities can keep the Islamic Revolution and the values of the martyrs alive. These centres, benefiting from scholars including non-Muslims, will engage in the production of Quranic sciences and technologies.
The future authority of the Islamic system will be guaranteed not by military tools but through knowledge production, nurturing geniuses, and establishing Quranic scientific centres. This section emphasises the pivotal role of knowledge and awareness in the modern world.
Current methods of studying religious sciences, akin to reading folk tales such as Amir Arsalan or One Thousand and One Nights, lack scientific depth and are confined to narration and imagination.
Analogy: Studying religious sciences without scientific tools is like reading folk tales that only entertain rather than impart knowledge.
Lack of motivation among seminary students results from the absence of practical opportunities and scientific workshops. Knowledge without practical work becomes mere narration.
Establishing scientific workshops in religious domains, focusing on practical work, can increase students motivation and produce genuine knowledge.
Current religious science methods, due to lack of practical work and scientific approaches, are limited to narration. Establishing scientific workshops and practical opportunities can enhance students motivation and guide religious knowledge towards real knowledge production.
