The eighty-fifth verse of Surah Al-Baqarah serves as a window into a profound understanding of the human existential journey, spanning the stages from worldly life to the intermediate realm (Barzakh) and the Hereafter. This verse unfolds an extensive range of divine knowledge for scholars, addressing the breach of the covenant by the Children of Israel and its consequences. It discusses themes of oppression and selective faith, emphasising the phrase يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ (they will be returned to the severest punishment), which introduces profound concepts such as will, punishment, and the boundless mercy of God. This treatise employs philosophical, theological, and psychological perspectives to analyse three existential domains of humanity (worldly life, Barzakh, and Resurrection), the concept of returning as final downfall, and the encompassing mercy of God. The aim is to provide a comprehensive and systematic interpretation, faithful to the original content, presented in a scientific style appropriate for scholarly audiences.
Then you are those who kill one another and expel a party of you from their homes, assisting one another in sin and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their expulsion was forbidden to you. Do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then the recompense of those among you who do so is disgrace in this worldly life, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be returned to the severest punishment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.
You are those who kill one another and drive a faction among you out of their dwellings, assisting one another in sin and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, whereas their expulsion was forbidden to you. Do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? The recompense for those among you who do so is nothing but disgrace in the life of this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be returned to the severest punishment, and Allah is not unaware of what you do.
This verse criticises the contradictory behaviour of the Children of Israel, including acts of killing, displacement, and selective faith, highlighting their violation of the divine covenant. The phrase يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ marks the climax, referring to the eschatological consequences of these actions. This concept opens a pathway for understanding the stages of human existence and their destiny in light of their choices.
In the world, humans live within a realm of voluntary will, akin to standing on the edge of a precipice. They can freely choose between good and evil, virtue and vice. This will, similar to the decision to jump or not jump from a rooftop, enables humans to determine the course of their lives. Worldly choices, like seeds sown, bear fruit in subsequent stages of life.
Barzakh is a realm where human will becomes compulsive, subject to their worldly choices. This domain resembles a person who, after jumping from a rooftop, retains will but loses the ability to return. In Barzakh, influenced by past deeds, humans continue their journey with a subdued and compulsive will. This realm acts as a bridge between the world and Resurrection, offering an opportunity for restoration and correction.
Resurrection is the realm of return (رد) where compulsive will is removed, and actual will, i.e., complete adherence to past intentions and deeds, prevails. The phrase يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ alludes to this final downfall, leaving no room for restoration. Resurrection is like the destination where the traveller, having crossed the Barzakh bridge, receives the ultimate recompense for their deeds.
The human existential journey across the three domains of worldly life, Barzakh, and Resurrection illustrates the evolution of will from voluntary to compulsive and finally to actual. These stages, akin to a journey from freedom of choice to the realisation of its consequences, underscore the importance of self-purification in the world and utilising the restorative opportunity of Barzakh.
The phrase يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ in verse 2:85 and رَدَدْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ أَسْفَلَ السَّافِلِينَ in other verses refer to the concept of return (رد), signifying downfall, overthrow, and final destruction. This notion is analogous to the fatal blow ending the possibility of reform and entering the severe punishment of Resurrection.
The punishment in Barzakh is restorative and corrective, similar to medicine accompanied by pain but leading to healing. In contrast, the punishment in Resurrection, described as أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ (the severest punishment), is final and irreversible. This difference is comparable to that between a clinic for treatment and a court for justice enforcement.
Punishment in Resurrection has gradations. The phrase يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ indicates severe punishment for oppressors, while رَدَدْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ أَسْفَلَ السَّافِلِينَ applies to the lowest level of downfall for leaders of disbelief and the most egregious wrongdoers. These levels resemble the stratified layers of a deep precipice, determining the intensity and type of punishment according to the sin.
The concept of return and the stratification of punishment reflect divine justice in proportion to sin. Barzakh, as a restorative realm, offers opportunity for correction, whereas Resurrection, with the removal of compulsive will, actualises final justice.
God, the Almighty, possesses pure attributes of knowledge, power, infallibility, and perfection, which are identical to His essence. This purity, like an endless light, accepts no flaw or limitation and distinguishes Him from all other beings.
The infallible Imams and Prophets are derivative manifestations of divine attributes. Although the most perfect of creatures, they are neither pure good nor purely infallible in essence, but rather, within creation, they are mirrors reflecting divine light.
In the realm of existence, no being is purely evil or absolute falsehood. Even the vilest individuals, such as Shimr or Ibn Sa'd, possess traits of good that evoke the longing of the believers. This perspective is akin to viewing a garden filled with both flowers and thorns, showing that every entity is a combination of good and evil.
