Verse 218 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as one of the pivotal verses of the Holy Quran, provides a profound framework for understanding faith, migration, and jihad on the divine path, by focusing on the attributes of the believers and their spiritual and practical duties. This verse, revealed in response to an inquiry regarding fighting during the sacred months, guides the faithful towards perfection and divine mercy from theological, psychological, and sociological perspectives. In this treatise, employing a scholarly and systematic approach, the concepts embedded within this noble verse are examined in full detail, preserving all nuances and meanings from the original lecture and supplementary analyses. The language is elevated, befitting an academic milieu, with the aim of presenting a comprehensive interpretation that offers scientific and literary enrichment both to specialists and researchers in the field of religious studies.
Verse 218 of Surah Al-Baqarah, revealed as a response to the question concerning the permissibility of fighting during the sacred months, elucidates the duties of the believers by emphasising faith, migration, and jihad. The verse transcends the general populace and disbelievers by focusing on the particular characteristics of the faithful.
The sanctity of this verse derives from its focus on the exalted concepts of faith, migration, jihad, and divine mercy. The absence of any element of otherness (ghairiyyat) in this verse transforms it into a source of spiritual guidance and perfection. Just as the sun radiates its pure light in a cloudless sky, this verse illuminates the path of the believers with spiritual purity.
The verse uses the phrase "F Sabl Allh" (in the way of God) to denote the efforts and striving of believers on the divine path, whereas "F Allh" (in God) as in verse 69 of Surah Al-Ankabt: وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا
refers to the elevated station of the friends of God who have become annihilated in the Divine Essence. This distinction is akin to the difference between those who are traversing the path and those who have reached the ultimate destination.
Verse 218 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by concentrating on the believers and responding to the question of fighting, provides a spiritual and practical framework. Its sanctity lies in its purity and absence of otherness, and the distinction between "F Sabl Allh" and "F Allh" elucidates varying levels of faith.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أُولَٰئِكَ يَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
Indeed, those who have believed and those who have emigrated and fought in the cause of Allah those expect the mercy of Allah. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
mana (to believe) denotes the seeking of refuge or sanctuary. True faith is a psychological state that places the believer under the divine shelter, protecting him from fear, hypocrisy, and deceit. Just as a steadfast shield protects the warrior against the enemys arrows, faith safeguards the believers heart from anxiety and insecurity.
Faith that becomes habitual and clichd, devoid of inner transformation, is incompatible with the dynamic nature of mana. Faith is like a sapling that must constantly bud and grow, rather than becoming a dry, motionless branch.
Faith is a vessel of origination (huduth), not permanence, and requires constant renewal. The Holy Quran states in verse 136 of Surah An-Nis:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا آمِنُوا
O you who have believed, believe.
This Quranic emphasis presents faith as a dynamic current that must be perpetually renewed, like a river that continuously flows and does not stagnate.
Fear (khawf) is the greatest transgression and an impediment to the realisation of true faith. The genuine believer must not fear anything other than God, for faith is like a fortified fortress protecting him from carnal fears. A tradition attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) states: "The head of every sin is fear."
Just as a fearful marksman cannot achieve precise aim, a believer burdened by fear cannot attain the perfection of faith. Fear acts like a dark shadow that robs a person of focus and strength.
Faith, as a dynamic and transformative essence, requires constant renewal and freedom from fear. This section, by elucidating the nature of faith and critiquing habitual faith, emphasised the necessity of dynamism and inner firmness in the believer.
Migration denotes severing and detachment from attachments, while jihad means striving accompanied by hardship, and these can be generally applied to all humanity. However, in this verse, migration and jihad within the framework of faith and "F Sabl Allh" bear a specific and spiritual meaning. Migration is akin to lifting the ships anchor to move towards the destination, and jihad is like the relentless effort of the sailor against the storm, guiding the believer towards God.
In the present age, migration is more about distancing oneself from sin, violence, and carnal attachments than mere geographical relocation. This migration is like a birds release from its cage, enabling the believer to soar towards perfection.
Migration and jihad without faith do not lead to the attainment of truth. Faith is like a compass that directs the path of migration and jihad towards God. Without this compass, efforts become scattered and fruitless.
Faith is the distinctive attribute of believers, whereas migration and jihad, in a general sense, can be performed even by non-believers. This distinction is akin to the difference between the essence of a jewel and its shell; faith is the essence that spiritualises migration and jihad.
Some traditional interpretations erroneously restrict migration and jihad solely to believers, whereas these acts, in their general meaning, can apply to all humans. This critique is like correcting a faulty map and aids a more precise understanding of the Quranic meanings.
Migration and jihad, within the framework of faith, are transformed into spiritual acts guiding the believer towards God. This section, by delineating the general and specific meanings of these concepts and critiquing traditional interpretations, emphasised the centrality of faith in these acts.
The phrase "F Sabl Allh" applies to any good deed, even if performed by non-believers, animals, or inanimate objects. God, like a just gardener, rewards every seed of goodness. The Quran states in verse 7 of Surah Az-Zalzalah:
فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ
So whoever does an atoms weight of good will see it.
Even individuals such as Shimar and Harmalah, if they perform a good deed like saving a living being, receive its reward, although the special divine favour remains exclusive to believers. This justice is like a scale that precisely weighs every good deed.
