Verse 145 of Surah Al-Baqarah, like a brilliant jewel in the jurisprudential and epistemological system of the Holy Quran, by presenting the concept of oppression in a conditional form and attributing it to the station of the Seal of Prophethood, opens a gateway to a profound understanding of existential gradations in the realm of the corporeal world. This verse, with a cautionary tone, warns the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) against following the carnal desires of others and portrays the concept of oppression within a philosophical and theological framework. In this treatise, by aggregating the content of the lecture and exegetical analyses, an endeavour has been made to present this verse and its related concepts in a scientific, systematic, and exalted manner. The structure of this work, with thematic divisions and specialised subtitles, has been designed to serve as a comprehensive and citable resource for researchers in Quranic sciences, Islamic philosophy, and Shiite theology. By utilising refined Persian allegories and references, the profound meanings of this verse and the extracted points have been elucidated in a fluent and dignified language.
وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِنَّكَ إِذًا لَمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
Translation: And if you were to follow their desires after that knowledge has come to you, then surely you would be among the oppressors.
This verse, with a conditional structure, prohibits the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) from following the desires of others after receiving divine knowledge, and in case of transgression, places him among the oppressors. This absolute declaration, unprecedented until this stage of the Holy Quran, demonstrates the gravity and significance of the subject.
Verse 145 of Surah Al-Baqarah, with a resolute and cautionary tone, underscores the infallibility of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Oppression herein is understood as a hypothetical deviation from the truth rather than an actual act. This conditionality points to the impossibility of the Prophets adherence to the desires of others and highlights his exalted station as the Seal of the Prophets and possessor of determination. From the perspective of Quranic sciences, this verse refers to the systemic law within the divine order for the preservation of guidance and avoidance of deviation.
Oppression in this verse is presented as conditional (hinged), unlike descriptive oppression (such as "you were among the oppressors") or actual oppression (such as "indeed, they are among the oppressors"). Conditional oppression depends upon the actualisation of the subject (following desires). Since the Prophet (peace be upon him) does not follow others desires, the subject is negated and consequently, oppression is negated.
From the viewpoint of jurisprudential principles, a conditional ruling is contingent upon the actualisation of the subject. For example, in the ruling "If Zayd comes to you, then honour him," if Zayd does not come, honouring does not occur, but the possibility of Zayds arrival exists. Similarly, in this verse, since the following is not actualised, oppression is negated in the domain of assertion, yet the possibility remains in the domain of existence.
The phrase "Indeed, then you would be among the oppressors" indicates the certainty of the ruling should the subject be realised. This certainty manifests the seriousness of the divine warning and emphasises the significance of preserving infallibility against carnal desires.
Conditional oppression in this verse is negated in the domain of assertion because the subject (following) has not materialised. However, in the domain of existence, the possibility of oppression for the Prophet exists. This possibility pertains to the limitations inherent in the corporeal realm, where all beings, except God, are subject to existential imperfections.
The possibility of oppression (i.e., "the Prophet may oppress") exists for the Prophet in the domain of existence, yet due to infallibility, it is not realised in the domain of assertion. This possibility relates to the Prophets presence in the corporeal world, where existential limitations govern all beings.
From the perspective of Shiite theology, the infallibility of the Prophet impedes the realisation of oppression, but its existential possibility refers to corporeal attributes. This distinction differentiates Gods intrinsic infallibility from the delegated infallibility of the infallibles.
In the corporeal realm, no being except God is immune from oppression (in an existential sense). This universality constitutes a general law of the corporeal realm that encompasses all beings, from the Prophet to ordinary humans.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ (Aal Imran: 182)
Translation: Indeed, Allah is not unjust to the servants.
The phrase "not unjust" in an emphatic form denotes the absolute negation of oppression from the Divine Essence. God neither performs oppression essentially nor accidentally. This negation points to Gods intrinsic infallibility, which excludes even the slightest trace of oppression.
Gods infallibility is intrinsic and absolute, whereas the infallibility of the infallibles is delegated and contingent upon Divine grace. This difference reflects the existential gradations within the system of being. Although infallibles exist in the corporeal realm, due to delegated infallibility, they are immune from actual oppression but existentially susceptible to it.
With regard to God, oppression (both existential and actual) is negated. Regarding the infallibles, existential oppression is possible, but actual oppression requires proof. For ordinary humans, both existential and actual oppression occur. This differentiation points to existential gradations among beings in the corporeal realm.
The corporeal realm is summarised into two existential families: 1) Light, Fire, and Luminous; 2) Shadow, Shade, Darkness, Oppressor, Oppressors, and the Most Oppressive. These two families encompass the entire corporeal system of existence, like two wings that keep the world meaningful in flight.
Light refers to manifestation and revelation, like the sun that illuminates truth upon the world. Fire is a refined light, akin to a flame that emits both heat and brightness simultaneously. Luminous is a superior degree, like a star that shines in the sky of knowledge.
From the viewpoint of Quranic sciences, these terms denote gradations of existential intensity. Luminous, due to its delicate semantic quality, is employed in the Quran as an elevated attribute.
Shadow is a shade that persists until noon (the zenith) and "brings" the sun, like a faithful companion reflecting light. Shade extends from noon until sunset and "takes" the sun away, like a servant conveying light to its destination. Both represent weaker degrees of light.
From the perspective of Quranic sciences, this distinction relates to the difference in the intensity of light. Although existent, shadow and shade occupy a lower rank than light.
Darkness, oppressor, oppressors, and the most oppressive belong to the family of shadow and represent the lower degrees of light. Darkness is like a dense shade that conceals light within itself, yet remains existent. The oppressor is a human immersed in this shadow, and the most oppressive signifies the peak of this obscurity.
