The Holy Quran is a scripture which, beyond its devotional aspect, encompasses a treasury of scientific, social, and psychological knowledge. This celestial book, with its coherent and precise structure, categorises human beings ir motives and behaviours into distinct groups and clearly delineates paths of guidance. Verse 207 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by introducing a group of people who sacrifice their lives in pursuit of divine satisfaction, acts as a shining beacon, illuminating the path of selflessness and sacrifice against hypocrisy and destruction. This treatise, relying on an in-depth analysis of this verse and related verses, examines the four human categories in the Holy Quran and, employing scientific and mystical tools, elucidates the position of the self-sacrificers in societal reform and confrontation with hypocrisy.
The Holy Quran is a scripture that not only encompasses devotional and spiritual dimensions but also contains a scientific and social framework. This structure facilitates the extraction of sociological and psychological principles, provided it is re-examined with contemporary scientific tools. In previous societies, due to limited knowledge, this capacity received less attention; however, in the present era, the necessity of utilising modern sciences for a deeper understanding of the Quranic teachings has become increasingly evident.
In many Islamic societies, the use of the Holy Quran has been confined to recitation and acquiring spiritual reward. Prevailing fatwas, wisdoms, and philosophies have seldom drawn upon Quranic teachings, leading to neglect of the scientific and practical capacities of this divine scripture. The Holy Quran, beyond being a book for reward, is a source of action and a guide for life in individual and social dimensions.
Verse: يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ (Surah Qamar, 54:17)
Translation: "We have made the Quran easy for remembrance."
The Holy Quran is a treasury which, by its precise scientific structure, enables the extraction of knowledge for all. This celestial book, characterised by facilitation for admonition, invites all to comprehend and utilise its knowledge; however, its profound extraction depends on those firmly established in knowledge.
Verse: وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ (Surah Al-Imran, 3:7)
Translation: "And those firmly grounded in knowledge."
Extracting knowledge from this treasury requires effort, purification of the soul, and divine nearness, as the narrations from the Infallibles (peace be upon them) emphasise the capacity to derive knowledge from the Quran.
The extraction of Quranic knowledge necessitates the rapprochement of modern sciences, especially sociology and psychology, with the Holy Quran. These sciences provide tools for analysing verses and extracting social and psychological principles, thereby establishing the foundations for a profound comprehension of the Quran.
The Holy Quran, as a scientific and social treasury, possesses infinite capacity for guidance. Neglecting this capacity has confined its utilisation to recitation and reward. By employing modern sciences and purifying the soul, Quranic knowledge can be extracted and applied, opening a new path in understanding and practising this celestial book.
Surah Al-Baqarah, in verses 200 to 207, divides humans into four distinct categories: the worldly people, the comfort-seeking believers, the hypocrites, and the self-sacrificers. This categorisation is presented dichotomously (the first two groups and the latter two), with their difference likened to that between earth and sky.
The arrangement of these groups is executed artistically and elegantly, introducing first the two initial groups (verses 200 and 201), followed by the latter two groups (verses 204-206 and 207). This separation, due to profound spiritual differences between the two pairs, is performed with rhetorical delicacy.
Verse: وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:200)
Translation: "And among the people is he who says: Our Lord, give us in this world, and he has no share in the Hereafter."
This group comprises those whose entire effort is devoted to acquiring worldly material possessions. They live in towers and palaces, carefree and detached from spiritual and social engagements. Prioritising comfort, they avoid all challenges and maintain their ease even in crises such as war.
According to Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi in "Ethics of Nasiri," those who engage in austerities for the Hereafter are greedy, because they forego little of the world to gain more in the afterlife. In contrast, the worldly people lack greed, being content with present comfort alone.
Within society, two groups are identified as wretched: the poor, burdened by material hardships, and politicians, ensnared in anxiety and fear of power. In contrast, the worldly people,
