This treatise undertakes the exegesis and analysis of the noble verse And fear Allah; and know that you will meet Him. And give good tidings to the believers
from Surah Al-Baqarah. This verse, encompassing profound mystical and theological concepts, invites mankind on a spiritual journey that begins with piety, culminates in the knowledge of Divine Encounter, and attains perfection through the glad tidings given to the believers. The Divine Encounter, as the ultimate goal of human spiritual progression, is not only the final destination of the believers but also regarded as the most intricate and exalted concept within the Holy Quran and Islamic mysticism. This treatise, relying on the content of mystical and exegetical lectures, elucidates this concept within a scientific and systematic framework, with the aim of guiding the audience to the depths of Divine knowledge.
And know that you will meet Himrefers to the meeting with God and is expressed in the language of grandeur, not threat, signifying the greatness and exalted nature of this encounter.
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ مُلَاقُوهُ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
(Al-Baqarah: 223)
This verse means Fear Allah and know that you will meet Him, and give good tidings to the believers
. The pronoun Him in meet Him refers to Allah, and this phrase invites mankind to the awareness of the inevitable encounter with the Exalted Truth. Contrary to some interpretations that perceive this verse as threatening, the language of grandeur is employed here, which manifests the majesty and magnificence of meeting God. This verse not only refrains from inciting fear or dread but rather calls the human being toward an exalted knowledge and attaining the station of Divine Encounter. This encounter, which arises under the light of piety and special knowledge granted to the Divine elect, transcends ordinary and corporeal imaginations and refers to the union with the Exalted Truth.
And knowis a special and exalted knowledge that emerges subsequent to the establishment of piety within a person and is exclusive to the Divine saints.
The knowledge of Divine Encounter, emphasised in this verse, is an exalted and specialised knowledge attained in the shadow of piety. Unlike superficial and material sciences, this knowledge results from spiritual progression. Piety, as an existential vessel, prepares the human being to receive Divine knowledge. This concept aligns with the verse وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللَّهُ
(Al-Baqarah: 282), meaning Fear Allah so that He may teach you
. Piety is the prerequisite for receiving this knowledge and elevates a person to a rank capable of comprehending the grandeur of the Divine Encounter. This knowledge is exclusive to the Divine saints who, through self-observation and avoidance of sin, have polished their hearts to receive Divine realities.
The phrase And give good tidings to the believers
addresses those believers who, by means of piety and knowledge of Divine Encounter, have attained this rank. This glad tidings is the fruit of the believers spiritual journey, which commenced with the preceding verse نِسَاؤُكُمْ حَرْثٌ لَكُمْ
(Al-Baqarah: 223) meaning Your wives are a tillage for you
, and continued with the command وَقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ
(Al-Baqarah: 223) meaning And advance for yourselves
. By acting upon these Divine commands, the believers reach a degree of perfection worthy of receiving Divine glad tidings. This glad tidings encompasses eternal happiness and peace in this world and corresponds with verses such as فَبَشِّرْ عِبَادَ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ
(Az-Zumar: 17-18), meaning So give glad tidings to My servants who listen to speech
.
The noble verse invites mankind on a spiritual journey that commences with piety and culminates in the knowledge of Divine Encounter. The language of grandeur underscores the magnificence and splendour of this encounter, presenting it beyond threat or fear. The special knowledge following piety prepares the existential vessel of man for receiving this knowledge, and the glad tidings to the believers are the fruit of this spiritual journey. This section forms the foundation of the mystical interpretation of the verse and guides man towards perfection and union with the Divine.
The Divine Encounter, as the ultimate objective of human spiritual progression, is mentioned in the Holy Quran over 150 times in various forms such as Liq Allah
, Liqn
, Liqahu
, and Mulqtuhu
. This concept, which holds a special place in Islamic mysticism as well, transcends Paradise and Hell and refers to the arrival and vision of the Exalted Truth. The Divine Encounter
