Verses 169 and 170 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as a profound mirror, depict the complexities of human nafs (soul) when confronted with the divine invitation and the infiltration of Satan. These verses, through a deep examination of human tendencies towards inherited traditions and resistance to divine guidance, portray fundamental epistemological and practical challenges of humanity. In this treatise, employing a scientific and systematic approach, the content of these two verses is analysed based on Quranic and mystical exegeses. The objective is to elucidate the nature of Satans influence, the perceptual limitations of humans, and the obstacles to accepting divine guidance, articulated in an elevated style befitting an erudite academic audience.
إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ بِالسُّوءِ وَالْفَحْشَاءِ وَأَنْ تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
"Indeed, he only commands you to commit evil and immorality and to say about Allah that which you do not know."
Verse 169 introduces Satan as an entity that, with authority and complexity, directs humans towards evil (s), immorality (fash), and attributing baseless statements to Allah. The term يَأْمُرُكُمْ (he commands you), with the plural pronoun, indicates the inclusiveness of this command, encompassing a broad spectrum of humanity. This inclusiveness denotes Satans pervasive influence in the human realm, except in specialised cases where certain individuals transcend this sphere.
In this verse, s refers to general evils, whereas fash denotes deeper obscenities. This distinction illustrates a gradual process of deviation, commencing from simple evils and progressing towards more profound indecencies. S acts as a gateway that leads humans to fash, that is, deeper deviations. This sequence reveals Satans stepwise strategy in penetrating human psychology and behaviour.
The third segment of the verse points to the most perilous aspect of Satans infiltration: distortion of religious knowledge. وَأَنْ تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ refers to attributing unfounded beliefs and rulings to Allah, originating from ignorance and blind imitation. This undermines the foundations of divine guidance and culminates in innovations and superstitions in religion.
Satan, owing to his authority, experience, and complex behaviour, possesses superiority over humans. This superiority is analogous to a guide in a dense forest who, with knowledge of the paths, misleads others. Humans, constrained by limited perceptual tools such as eyes and ears, are powerless against this complexity. These limitations render humans vulnerable to Satans whispers.
Verse 169, by clarifying the nature of Satans command towards evil, immorality, and baseless speech, refers to his operational strategy in human misguidance. This command functions through the vulnerabilities of the nafs such as doubt and suspicion, employing Satans agents. The verse summons humans to vigilance against Satans influence and to reinforce religious knowledge.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ
"And when it is said to them, Follow what Allah has revealed, they say, Rather, we will follow that upon which we found our forefathers. Even though their forefathers understood nothing and were not guided?
Verse 170 points to one of the primary obstacles to accepting divine guidance, namely blind imitation of paternal traditions. Instead of adhering to divine revelation, humans incline towards inherited habits and customs, even when these lack rationality and guidance. This resistance is akin to a chain that imprisons humans in the cage of ignorance and prejudice.
This verse highlights the limited efficacy of instruments of guidance such as prophetic teaching, revelation, and intellect, when confronted by nafs tendencies and inherited customs. This limitation is not due to the ineffectiveness of divine guidance, but rather due to human free will and inclination to habits. The verse thus presents a disheartening picture of human resistance to truth.
By posing the question, Even though their forefathers understood nothing and were not guided?, the verse draws attention to the absence of rationality and guidance in inherited traditions. This question invites humans to re-examine their customs and rely on intellect and revelation.
Verse 170, by delineating the human tendency towards blind imitation, identifies a principal challenge to divine guidance. It summons humans to liberation from the shackles of prejudice and to acceptance of divine revelation, while recognising nafs limitations and inherited customs as primary barriers.
Satan, utilising authority, experience, and complexity of conduct, holds superiority over humans. This superiority is akin to a guide in a dense forest who, being aware of all pathways, leads another astray. Humans, limited to perceptual faculties such as eyes and ears, which serve primarily basic material life, are powerless before this complexity.
Satan commands only those in whom doubt, suspicion, or imagination resides in their nafs. Individuals who have attained certainty and perfection, such as the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) who said: My certainty has only increased, are immune to Satans influence. This tradition underscores the importance of certainty in the Islamic tradition as a shield against satanic whispers.
The pronoun -kum in يَأْمُرُكُمْ refers inclusively to all existence, encompassing humans, prophets, and even God. This inclusiveness also appears in the prayer greeting As-salmu alaykum addressed to all beings. Nonetheless, the Divine Saints, by virtue of certainty, remain immune to Satans command.
Unlike mere speech or rhetoric, Satans command is entirely operational. Satan invites humans to perform evil and immorality, avoiding theoretical discussion. This operational nature intensifies Satans influence.
Satans command is not only from himself but also exercised through his agents, including jinn and humans. These agents operate at all existential levels, from humans to animals and even filth.
The absence of explicit mention of Satan in يَأْمُرُكُمْ and the use of the pronoun denotes the generality of this command, including Satan and all his agents. This generality indicates the broad scope of Satans influence.
The mystical and philosophical analysis of these verses highlights the complexity of Satans influence and the perceptual limitations of humans. Certainty functions as a shield against satanic whispers, and Satans network of agents serves as a tool to propagate his influence.
In the mystical tradition, Divine Saints, when unable to overpower Satan directly, employed self-disciplinesuch as burning the finger or engaging in rigorous ascetic practicesto resist satanic temptations. This method contributed to strengthening willpower and resisting the commanding nafs.
The modern educational system, by eliminating disciplinary practices, has restricted itself to mere instruction and neglected character cultivation. This approach, contrasted with past traditions that considered discipline an integral part of training, has led to weaknesses in moral development.
S and fash progress relatively from evil towards more severe obscenities. This process ultimately leads to the normalisation of abnormalities within society, such as the common acceptance of violence and corruption in modern societies.
Abnormalities in politics and popular culture gradually become norms. This phenomenon is the consequence of the relativity of s and fash and Satans influence in altering ethical perceptions.
This section critiques modern educational systems and the transformation of abnormality into norm, demonstrating how Satans influence, by altering moral values, steers societies toward deviation. Self-discipline in the mystical tradition emerges as a crucial approach to counteract this influence.
Verses 169 and 170 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by elucidating Satans infiltration and human resistance to divine guidance, refer to the complexities of human nature and free will. Verse 169 explains Satans command to evil, immorality, and baseless speech, revealing his operational strategy in human misguidance. Verse 170, by emphasising blind imitation, identifies prejudice and ignorance as principal obstacles to guidance. Certainty, as the highest rank of knowledge, protects humans from Satans influence, while doubt and suspicion serve as his gateways. Modern educational systems, by excluding disciplinary methods, neglect moral cultivation, and the normalisation of abnormality results from Satans influence in altering moral values. This exegesis calls humans to vigilance, strengthening certainty, and liberation from blind imitation.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
