Verses 122 and 123 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as part of the Quranic address to Bani Israel, are founded upon the divine blessings, the preferential status of this nation over the worlds, and the necessity of piety on the Day of Resurrection. These verses, positioned at the conclusion of the Quranic series of addresses to Bani Israel, present a comprehensive summary of the responsibilities of this people towards the divine favours and covenant.
The concept of taqwa (piety), particularly in verse 123, as a central principle within the Quranic guiding system, is an essential natural and rational requirement not only for believers but for all beings. This treatise, adopting a scholarly and systematic approach, analyses these verses and examines the concept of taqwa from a profound and rational perspective, emphasising preservation and self-restraint instead of fear, which has been historically misconstrued.
يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
O Children of Israel, remember My favour which I bestowed upon you and that I preferred you above the worlds.
This verse calls Bani Israel to recall the divine blessings and their preference over other nations, signalling a responsibility towards these gifts.
وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا لَا تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَنْ نَفْسٍ شَيْئًا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا تَنْفَعُهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ
And fear a Day when no soul will avail another soul in any way, nor will compensation be accepted from it, nor will intercession benefit it, nor will they be aided.
This verse, emphasising the concept of taqwa, refers to the Day of Resurrection when divine justice is executed without intermediaries and every person is accountable for their deeds.
Verse 123 represents the climax of the Quranic addresses to Bani Israel that began at verse 40 of Surah Al-Baqarah, revolving around blessings, fulfilment of covenant, and piety on the Day of Resurrection. This conclusion, as a summary, elucidates the responsibility of this people towards divine favours and the necessity of readiness for the Day of Judgement.
The phrase Wattaq yawman (And fear a Day) has posed challenges among the People of the Book and commentators due to erroneous interpretations rooted in fear. These interpretations, originating from semantic distortions by despotic and colonial forces, have reduced taqwa to mere fear of God, distancing it from its authentic meaningnamely preservation and self-restraint.
The term waq linguistically means protection, safeguarding, and preventing harm, analogous to the horses bit that prevents deviation. Taqwa, in this sense, refers to self-restraint and the safeguarding of the soul from error and sin. Lexicons, such as Labb al-Wiqyah, confirm this meaning, defining taqwa as protection and control.
Like brakes in a vehicle, taqwa functions as a controlling factor that preserves the individual from dangers and deviations. Just as brakes prevent a car from slipping, taqwa safeguards a person from falling into the abyss of error and rebellion.
Fear, as a destructive factor, leads to deprivation, failure, weakness, and human ruin. It produces psychological ailments such as hallucinations, obsessive behaviours, and belief distortions, hindering human progress and felicity.
Fear and tyranny maintain a direct and universal relationship; tyranny causes fear, and fear is a consequence of tyranny. This relationship, analysed in social psychology, serves as a criterion for measuring tyranny levels in societies. Excessive fears, like a heap of fire, surround people and prevent them from self-preservation.
Colonialism distorted the meaning of Wattaq to fear of God, promoting concepts such as hell and punishment instead of preservation. This distortion aimed to weaken Muslim morale and propagate cultural passivity, detaching taqwa from its authentic meaning.
God, owing to His beauty and perfection, is not fearful; fear of Him is incompatible with divine reality. Attributing fear to God results from despotic distortions that have undermined faith and taqwa.
Excessive use of music weakens the will, leading to soul slipperiness and reduction of taqwa. Just as soap renders hands slippery, overindulgence in music undermines resolve and leads a person towards deviation.
Excessive dryness (complete avoidance of music) or slipperiness (excessive indulgence) results in the failure of taqwa. Moderation, like a breeze that refreshes dry soil, preserves taqwa.
فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا (Ash-Shams: 8)
Then He inspired it [the soul] with its wickedness and its righteousness.
This verse indicates that fajr precedes taqwa, as the commanding soul naturally inclines towards deviation, and taqwa requires effort and structure.
Shaq (splitting of hard objects) and fajr (tearing of soft objects) differ in the concept of deviation but both oppose taqwa. This lexical distinction demonstrates the Qurans precision in describing deviations.
