the Lectures of Nokounam, , Session (698)
The exegesis of verse 258 of Surah Al-Baqarah, featuring the noble phrase وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ, opens a profound window toward understanding divine guidance and its limitations in the face of oppressors. This treatise, by contemplating the concepts of universal and specific guidance, the relationship between oppression and disbelief, and the necessity of dynamism in religious knowledge, elucidates the philosophical, theological, and sociological dimensions of this verse. The objective is to provide a comprehensive and systematic analysis which, employing refined analogies and solemn language, offers an intellectual platform for scholarly audiences to reflect upon Qur'anic knowledge. The structure of this work, organised thematically with semantic links and complementary explanations, is designed to encompass all details of the lecture and its related analyses.
Divine guidance, like an all-encompassing light, shines upon all beings. The Almighty, upon creating each entity, guides it according to its existential capacity, as articulated in the noble verse 50 of Surah Taha:
الَّذِي أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ
He Who has given everything its creation and then guided it.
This verse elucidates the dual process of creation (the principle of existence) and guidance (the attribute of existence). Creation constitutes the foundation of existence, and guidance, as the way of creation, directs every being toward its existential perfection.
Philosophically speaking, creation is the principle of existence, while guidance is the attribute of existence. This distinction, like two wings that enable beings to fly, considers creation as the foundation and guidance as its trajectory. Every particle that emanates from divine grace possesses an existential origin (creation) and a guiding attribute (the path of creation). This system operates in all beings, from inanimate objects to animals.
In the unity theology of Mufaddal, Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) attributes the deficiencies of creatures not to God but to human and environmental factors, as indicated in the Holy Quran: بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ (due to what their hands have earned). This perspective ascribes outward imperfections, such as alopecia or facial differences, to genetic, historical, and environmental causes, thereby absolving God from any association with defect.
Apparent differences, such as beards among different ethnic groups, depend on environmental and cultural conditions. This diversity, akin to the varied colours on the canvas of creation, is not a defect but a manifestation of the divine conditional system. These differencesfrom hairlessness to facial beautyare linked to environmental and human factors and exempt God from any shortcoming.
Universal divine guidance, as an all-encompassing current, embraces all beings and directs each according to its existential capacity. The distinction between creation and guidance assigns responsibility for deficiencies to humans and environmental factors, while perceiving the diversity of creation as a manifestation of the divine conditional system.
Verse 258 of Surah Al-Baqarah, with the noble phrase وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ, clarifies the limitation of specific guidance for those who persist in oppression:
وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ
And Allah does not guide the unjust people.
This verse, in contrast to universal guidance, delineates the restriction of specific guidance for a people who have chosen oppression as a continuous attribute.
Divine guidance is conditional, yet causality (gratitude or disbelief) depends on human action. The noble verse إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا explains this choice. Gratitude leads a human to bliss, whereas disbelief directs one to torment.
إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا
Indeed, We guided him to the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.
Even in misguidance, conditional divine guidance operates; however, the causality of disbelief directs the path toward torment. This viewpoint, like a mirror, reveals divine guidance's presence on all paths but leaves the outcome to human choice.
The Holy Quran explains guidance and love on two axes: يَهْدِي/لَا يَهْدِي and يُحِبُّ/لَا يُحِبُّ. Verses such as إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ (God does not love the aggressors) and إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ (God loves the pious) indicate that divine love is conditional upon human deeds.
Specific guidance is limited against continuous oppression, while universal guidance remains operative. The distinction between conditionality and causality highlights human choice in determining the path (bliss or torment). Divine guidance and love depend on human gratitude or disbelief, and oppression acts as a barrier preventing the benefit of specific guidance.
Unlike other beings, humans possess free will, though its conditional capacity is divine and its causality is created. This distinction, like a key, clarifies Gods role in providing the framework and humanitys role in determining the outcome.
Human and divine acts are shared; God provides the condition and humans personalise the act. The noble verse وَاللَّهُ مُحِيطٌ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ confirms this omniscience.
وَاللَّهُ مُحِيطٌ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ
And Allah is encompassing of all things.
This shared action, like the cooperation of two partners, situates human acts within divine power.
The phrase Bihawl Allah (by the power of God) illustrates conditional guidance in human rising and sitting. However, saying Bihawl Allah aqud while standing is inauthentic, as it contradicts the current state. This critique highlights the necessity of aligning speech with reality.
The first-person singular present tense, such as aqoom (I stand), describes the current state, not future or past. This grammatical rule emphasises precision in using religious expressions. The weakness in teaching literature in religious sciences hinders precise comprehension of texts and limits innovation.
Human free will forms within divine conditionality and created causality. The shared action of God and humans confirms cooperation without compulsion. The phrase Bihawl Allah and its literary critique underscore the necessity of aligning speech with reality and reviving literature in religious sciences.
Within religious knowledge, a disbeliever is oppressive, though an oppressor is not necessarily a disbeliever. However, persistent oppression (exertion) leads to disbelief, and disbelief leads to oppression. This reciprocal relation intertwines oppression and disbelief like two edges of a sword.
Taghut (tyranny), like a heavy shadow, prevented religious scholars from declaring oppressors as disbelievers. This limitation had roots in political considerations and fear of ruling powers such as the Umayyads and Abbasids.
Oppression, like impure water, has a threshold; continuous and social oppression leads to disbelief. Oppressors such as Pharaoh and Shaddad alone constitute a people of oppression and are considered disbelievers.
Religious knowledge does not consider persistent oppressors as disbelievers while classifying disbelievers as oppressors. This contradiction, like a thorn in the foot of truth, originates from historical and political considerations and requires revision.
Continuous crimes, such as killing and plundering, lead to irreligiosity and disbelief. This relationship, like fire consuming faith, elucidates oppression's effect on faith.
