Verse 268 of Surah Al-Baqarah, akin to a brilliant gem within the constellation of the Holy Quranic verses, examines the causes and factors of social and moral deviations, elucidating the roles of Satan and the self in engendering poverty and immorality. It introduces the divine promise of forgiveness and grace as the pathway to liberation from these afflictions. This verse not only analyses the external and internal factors of human misguidance, but also, through a practical approach, offers strategies for self-purification and societal reform. This treatise, with a profound focus on the content of the lecture, investigates the verse from Quranic, philosophical, psychological, and sociological perspectives, integrating scientific analyses to expound its theoretical and practical dimensions. The structure of this work is arranged in systematic sections with specialised titles and subtitles, designed to be engaging and utilitarian for researchers in religious sciences, students, and specialists in epistemological domains.
الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُمْ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُمْ مَغْفِرَةً مِنْهُ وَفَضْلًا ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
Satan threatens you with poverty and commands you to commit immorality, while God promises you forgiveness from Himself and bounty. And God is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.
The Holy Quran, like a guiding light, in verse 268 of Surah Al-Baqarah, moves from mall (practical injunctions such as almsgiving) to ilal (causes such as the role of Satan and the self). This methodology, contrary to purely theoretical approaches, emphasises pragmatism and demonstrates that Quranic concepts acquire meaning not in isolation but within the framework of action. This verse, by clarifying the manner of almsgiving and avoidance of ostentation, stresses the necessity of righteous action prior to theoretical analysis.
The Holy Quran, like a mirror reflecting truth, utilises concepts in service of action. The lecture underscores that knowledge without action is like a mirage that does not quench the thirsty. This perspective criticises purely theoretical approaches prevalent in some academic circles and insists on the necessity of linking knowledge with action.
Knowledge, like a double-edged sword, is valuable only when it leads to power and action. The lecture regards a scholar devoid of the capacity to effect change as lacking scientific competence. The true scholar is likened to a gardener who cultivates the sapling of knowledge into the fruit of action.
The lecture, employing a statistical approach, counts the frequency of key terms in the Holy Quran, demonstrating that poverty appears 14 times, immorality 24 times, and Satan 89 times. This data indicates the predominance of Satan as a root cause over poverty and immorality, which are considered effects.
The lecture describes poverty as a deep wound upon the body of humanity, noting that over one billion people suffer from hunger and approximately 200 million perish annually due to starvation. This reality necessitates immediate action to alleviate poverty.
Immorality, mentioned 24 times in the Quran, plays a role twice as impactful as poverty (14 mentions) in fostering corruption and ruin. This concept resembles a fire that consumes the moral foundations of society, necessitating urgent ethical confrontation.
Satan, with 89 mentions, stands as a dark shadow dominating poverty and immorality. This dominance signifies the pivotal role of Satan in human misguidance.
The lecture critiques Western culture for denying Satan, emphasising that belief in Satan within Islamic culture serves as a tool for recognising and combating deviations.
The lecture distinguishes Satan (a category encompassing jinn and humans, mentioned 89 times) from Iblis (a particular jinn entity, mentioned 11 times), identifying Iblis as a living being, comparable to Jesus or Khidr (peace be upon them).
The lecture divides Satan into two types: external (Iblis and devils, mentioned 100 times) and internal (the self, mentioned 279 times). The self, with greater destructive capacity, is identified as humanitys principal adversary.
The self, mentioned 279 times in the Holy Quran, resembles a sleeping dragon within humans that can lead them either to the pinnacle of guidance or the abyss of misguidance. The lecture, citing a tradition from an Infallible, regards the self as the most hostile enemy of man.
Narration: Your most hostile enemy is the self that resides between your two ribs.
