Verse 83 of Surah Al-Baqarah, one of the key verses of the Holy Qur'an, depicts the Divine Covenant with the Children of Israel encompassing the principles of monotheism, social ethics, and acts of worship. This verse, by emphasising the majority of the nations turning away and rejection of this covenant, addresses the profound psychological and anthropological layers of human behaviour. The central axis of this exegesis is the exploration of fear as an innate yet pathological trait that obstructs adherence to Divine commitments. Employing a scientific and systematic approach, this treatise analyses the verse from the perspectives of religious psychology, Islamic anthropology, and Quranic theology, and through refined allegories and literary allusions, endeavours to present the concepts clearly and engagingly for an audience of specialised and highly educated scholars.
And when We took the covenant from the Children of Israel: You shall worship none but Allah and do good to parents, relatives, orphans, and the needy, and speak kindly to people, and establish prayer and give zakat; then you turned away, except for a few of you, while you were averse.
Verse 83 of Surah Al-Baqarah outlines a comprehensive covenant with the Children of Israel, which encompasses the principles of monotheism (pure worship of Allah), social ethics (kindness to parents, relatives, orphans, and the needy, and speaking kindly to people), and acts of worship (establishing prayer and giving zakat). The concluding part of the verse, through the terms tawallaytum (you turned away) and mu'ridun (you averted), indicates the majority's failure to adhere to this covenant. This turning away did not stem from malice or transgression but was caused by fear and cowardice, which constitutes the main focus of the psychological analysis in this interpretation.
Verse 83 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by combining tawallaytum and mu'ridun, refers to the complexity of human behaviour in turning away from the Divine covenant, rooted in pathological fear.
Fear, like thought, imagination, and desires, is an innate trait within the human constitution that Allah has placed as a mechanism for caution and avoidance of aberrations. This trait, akin to salt in food, is essential for maintaining human balance and health. Even in children, from early ages, this attribute instinctively manifests; a child avoiding the heat of fire or dangerous objects exemplifies this Divine wisdom.
Despite its innate nature, unhealthy environmental and educational factors can transform fear into a pathological condition. This pathological fear, which can affect between 60 to 80 percent of human behaviours, is the root of many failures, errors, and sins. Psychologically, such fear leads to nervous weakness, delusions, compulsions, and even weakness of faith. The fearful individual, due to dread of failure or reproach, resorts to sins such as lying, hypocrisy, and deceit.
Pathological fear, arising from unhealthy upbringing, is the root cause of numerous individual and social sins and failures and prevents the attainment of sincerity and righteous deeds.
Faith originating from pathological fear holds no religious value. Some individuals adopt apparent faith out of fear of denying Allah or losing Divine support. Such faith is fragile and easily supplanted by disbelief or polytheism. The Holy Qur'an states in another verse:
فَمَنْ تَوَلَّىٰ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
"So whoever turns away after that those are the defiantly disobedient." (Al-Imran: 82)
This verse demonstrates that turning away from the Divine covenant, often due to fear, leads to immorality and ethical deviation.
Fear, as an innate trait, when managed correctly, serves as a factor for caution and balance, but in its pathological form becomes an obstacle to religiosity, ethics, and success. The psychological analysis of this trait highlights the necessity of mental health care in the path of fulfilling the Divine covenant.
The concepts of tawallaytum (you turned away) and mu'ridun (you averted) appear extensively in the Holy Qur'an. Research indicates that the root tawalla occurs about 81 times, irada around 60 times, and the combination of the two approximately 26 times, totalling 167 instances. The majority of these instances point to pathological fear and psychological weakness. For example, the Qur'an states:
إِنَّمَا اسْتَذَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُوا
"Indeed, Satan has made them fall low because of some [wrong] that they had earned." (Al-Imran: 155)
This verse indicates that Satan incites fear, leading humans towards turning away and evasion.
Even the Prophets, as humans in full humanity, experienced fear under certain circumstances. For instance, Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) says in a verse:
قَالَ إِنِّي سَقِيمٌ
"He said, 'Indeed, I am ill.'" (As-Saffat: 89)
Some commentators consider this an instance of tauriya (a rhetorical device) possibly reflecting fear or a strategic manoeuvre to protect his position. Likewise, Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) experienced fear in his initial challenges, but his faith and reliance on Allah managed this fear effectively.
The Holy Qur'an, by emphasising Divine support, reassures believers that fear should not impede adherence to religion. A relevant verse states:
فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ
"And Allah will suffice you against them." (Al-Baqarah: 137)
And expressions such as nimal-mawla wa niman-nasir ("What an excellent protector and what an excellent helper") (Al-Anfal: 40) underline Divine support in reducing fear and strengthening courage.
The Holy Qur'an, by extensively referencing the concepts of turning away and evasion, and emphasising Divine support, introduces fear as a central barrier in religiosity and proposes solutions for its removal.
The Holy Qur'an and the Prophetic tradition demonstrate that while fear is a human attribute, it can be managed through trust and Divine support. The abundance of verses related to turning away and evasion highlights the critical importance of this matter in religiosity.
Pathological fear impedes the realisation of justice, transcendence, and sincerity in religiosity. To remedy this condition, the establishment of comprehensive treatment centres, integrating psychological, educational, and training departments, is essential. Such a centre, akin to a hospital for the soul, can nurture healthy and courageous individuals committed to the Divine covenant.
Child-rearing should involve encouragement of bravery, physical activities, and playful engagements. This approach is comparable to planting a sapling that in the future grows into a robust and resilient tree. An upbringing rooted in fear, starting from childhood, leads to passivity and cowardice in adulthood.
Courageous upbringing during childhood constitutes a firm foundation that strengthens character against fear and prevents passivity in adulthood.
Pathological fear in family relationships, particularly in religious societies, results in passivity and dependency. For instance, womens fear of independence or families fear of marriage to seminary students stems from unhealthy upbringing. This fear acts like an invisible wall that obstructs personality growth and bravery.
Fear is the root cause of many social failures, including poverty and lack of wealth. The fearful individual, like a bird that never spreads its wings for fear of the storm, refrains from taking risks or striving to improve conditions.
Treating pathological fear and fostering courageous upbringing are keys to unlocking religiosity and success. This endeavour requires educational and therapeutic programmes beginning from childhood that culminate in the cultivation of transcendent individuals steadfast to the Divine covenant.
Traditional exegeses, often confined to linguistic analysis or reliance on narrations, are inadequate in elucidating the psychological and anthropological dimensions of verses, such as fear. This limitation is akin to a one-dimensional view of a multifaceted gem, hindering deep understanding of Quranic concepts.
To enrich Quranic exegesis, psychological, anthropological, and theological approaches must be integrated with linguistic analysis. This approach resembles a river nourished by diverse springs, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of the verses.
Traditional exegeses, by focusing on linguistic analysis, have overlooked psychological and anthropological interpretations and require a multidimensional methodology.
Critiquing traditional exegeses and proposing multidimensional approaches paves the way for deeper comprehension of the Holy Qur'an. This transformation, like opening a window to light, contributes to the enrichment of religious sciences.
Verse 83 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by elucidating the Divine covenant and emphasising turning away and evasion, addresses the pivotal role of fear in religiosity and human behaviour. Although fear is an innate trait, in its pathological form it becomes a barrier to fulfilling Divine obligations. The Holy Qur'an, with 167 references to the concepts of turning away and evasion, highlights the importance of this issue and, by stressing Divine support, offers solutions for overcoming fear. The Prophetic tradition, exemplified by Moses (peace be upon him) and Abraham (peace be upon him), demonstrates managing fear through faith and reliance. Treating pathological fear through education and courageous upbringingespecially in childhoodand establishing comprehensive treatment centres can nurture individuals who are transcendent and steadfast to the Divine covenant. Critiquing traditional exegeses and proposing multidimensional approaches facilitates deeper understanding of the Qur'an. This interpretation, like a radiant torch, lays the groundwork for future research in the fields of religious psychology, philosophy of education, and Quranic theology.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
