This text is the lectures of Nokounam (may his soul rest in peace), session 421.
The exegesis of Verse 119 of Surah Al-Baqarah opens a window towards a profound understanding of the Islamic system of guidance and education. This verse, which emphasises the role of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as both a bringer of glad tidings and a warner, contains deep theological, educational, and sociological layers. The present treatise, adopting a scholarly and specialised approach, analyses this verse and its related concepts. The objective is to provide a comprehensive and systematic interpretation that, utilising elevated metaphors and semantic linkages, appeals to and benefits highly educated and expert audiences, including researchers in the field of theology. The text preserves all the details of the original lecture and its detailed analyses, and is composed in a dignified and fluent language to ensure scientific credibility and literary elegance.
A precise and profound understanding of religious thought is one of the most fundamental pillars of religiosity. A religious person must possess complete awareness of their creed and doctrine, as if treading a luminous path, seeking their destination by the lamp of reason and knowledge. Without this awareness, religiosity devolves into superficiality and deviation. Reason, as a divine instrument, guides humans towards the comprehension of the truth of religion, and knowledge serves as a key that unlocks the locks of ignorance.
Religiosity requires precise and specialised engineering, much like an engineer who constructs a steadfast structure with skill and accuracy. The religious adherent must be, in the domain of religion, akin to an ideologue or technician, possessing expertise. This expertise means a profound understanding of religious principles and teachings, as well as their systematic implementation. Just as an architect uses geometric knowledge to build a lasting edifice, the religious individual must build their life upon divine guidance through knowledge of religion.
Throughout history, religions have deviated from their natural course due to the interference of ignorant and unqualified individuals. In Islam, after the Prophets and the Infallible Imams (peace be upon them), the management of religion fell into the hands of people lacking sufficient expertise and knowledge. This deviation cast a heavy shadow upon the body of religion, distancing it from its original authenticity. The absence of scholarly and insightful awareness led religion to the brink of distortion and superficiality.
The first part emphasises the necessity of understanding religious thought, the specialised engineering of religion, and the historical challenges of religions. Religiosity, beyond mere outward practice, requires profound and scholarly comprehension. Historical deviations resulted from lack of expertise and knowledge, and rectifying this course depends on a return to the scientific and epistemic principles of religion.
إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا ۖ وَلَا تُسْأَلُ عَنْ أَصْحَابِ الْجَحِيمِ
Translation: Indeed, We have sent you with the truth as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner; and you shall not be questioned about the companions of the blazing Fire.
The phrase Bashran wa Nadhrn constitutes the two principal pillars of the Prophet Muhammads (peace be upon him) mission. Glad tidings, like a refreshing breeze, attract the hearts of the believers towards the religion, while warning, like a vigilant guardian, prevents deviation and sin. These two, akin to the two wings of guidance, lead humanity towards perfection.
In the Qurn, glad tidings and warning are presented in various forms: sometimes glad tidings precede, sometimes warning does, and sometimes one alone is mentioned. This diversity, like temperature control in a divine kitchen, depends on the different needs and capacities of the communities. In some societies, glad tidings dominate, while in others, warning is more prominent.
An examination of the Qurnic verses reveals that the word Bashr appears 125 times and Nadhr 127 times. This slight difference, like a precise scale, reflects the balance between glad tidings and warning. This divine engineering renders religion a comprehensive system responsive to human needs.
Nations and peoples, like roads with different conditions, are not uniform in their capacities and needs. Some roads are smooth and level, where glad tidings serve as motivation; others are rugged and difficult, necessitating warning. Prophets also, according to their peoples characteristics, emphasised either glad tidings or warning more prominently.
This section analysed Verse 119 of Surah Al-Baqarah and the role of the bringer of glad tidings and the warner in the prophetic mission. The diversity in presenting glad tidings and warning reflects divine flexibility and wisdom in guidance. This system provides balanced and effective guidance considering the differences among peoples and individuals.
Religion is like a sea possessing both waves of attraction (glad tidings) and currents of repulsion (warning). Excess in either is akin to a ship veering off course, leading to misguidance. Attraction draws hearts towards religion, while repulsion prevents deviation.
Those who exaggerate in repulsion, presenting religion with harshness and severity, are like coarse stones on a shore, damaging religion. This approach is incompatible with the spirit of glad tidings in Islam and repels people from religion.
Those who exaggerate in expansion, neglecting religious injunctions and practising leniency, also err. This group, like a purposeless breeze, distances religion from its essential function.
Excess and deficiency, as two ends of a spectrum, are seen in all religions. Radical and diluted groups, in every faith, create common challenges requiring reform and management.
This section emphasised the necessity of balance in religiosity and critiqued excess and deficiency. Religion, through attraction and repulsion, offers a balanced system preventing deviations. Reforming extremist behaviours depends on a return to Qurnic equilibrium.
Jahm derives from the root jahama (heat and warmth), and Hajm from the root hajama (prominence and volume). Jahm grows and becomes prominent like a cancerous substance within nature, encompassing the human existence.
Paradise, like a garden full of tranquillity, is devoid of Hajm and Jahm, whereas Jahm, with heat and constriction, is painful. Paradise, with its vastness and gentleness, invites humans to serenity, while Jahm, with its limitations and heat, is a painful punishment.
The notion of spiritual punishment, which appears in some exegeses, is inaccurate. Punishment, by permeating the heart and existence, transcends the dichotomy of spiritual and material. This critique underscores the necessity of precise understanding of Qurnic concepts.
Teaching derivation and etymology of words, like a light that dispels the darkness of ignorance, is essential to prevent misinterpretations. Understanding the linguistic roots aids in accurate verse interpretation and avoidance of epistemic errors.
This section analysed the concepts of Jahm and Hajm and their difference from Paradise. The critique of spiritual punishment and emphasis on teaching derivation highlight the necessity for precise and scholarly understanding of Qurnic concepts.
Religiosity is like a journey along a winding path; it is not simple. Avoiding oppression is easy, but managing truth and falsehood under complex conditions requires wisdom and precision. In some situations, falsehood becomes a necessary expedient, revealing philosophical and jurisprudential complexities.
In jurisprudence, truth and falsehood do not have inherent characteristics and depend on contexts. This matter, like a complex equation, requires profound philosophical analysis on which jurists differ.
The value of a human being, like a star shining in the guidance sky, depends on their obedience to God and the Messenger. No one possesses authenticity except through this obedience.
Ostentation, like a fire that brings burning instead of light, is incompatible with the spirit of religiosity. Such acts lead, instead of guidance, to the torment of Hell.
This section addressed the complexities of religiosity, including managing truth and falsehood, obedience to God and the Messenger, and critique of ostentation. True religiosity requires wisdom, sincerity, and complete adherence to the Qurn.
Human beings, like raw material in the kiln of creation, are unripe creatures with a collective status. This characteristic, like fertile soil requiring cultivation, necessitates precise and balanced guidance.
Glad tidings in the Qurn appear in phrases such as bashsharnk, yubashshiruhum, and istabshar, while warning appears in expressions like andhartukum and tandhir. This diversity, like various colours in a divine painting, reflects the flexibility and dynamism of guidance.
The phrase Nadhr Mubn refers to absolute warning for rebellious peoples, whereas glad tidings mostly apply to believers (li-qawmin yuminn). This distinction, like the two sides of a scale, demonstrates the targeted nature of guidance.
The system of glad tidings and warning is like a divine kitchen producing diverse foods with varying heat levels. This engineering, like a sophisticated device, directs the commanding soul with precision and wisdom.
This section addressed the characteristics of humans as un
