Verse 279 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as the culmination of the discourse on usury within this chapter, emphatically and ominously calls upon the faithful to abandon usury. It warns those who transgress of confronting the wrath of God and His Messenger. This verse, by emphasising justice in transactions and the restitution of principal capital to its rightful owners, interlinks faith with action and critiques superficial faith devoid of effect. In this treatise, the content of lecture session 772 has been cohesively rewritten with supplementary analyses and presented in a systematic and scholarly framework. The objective is to elucidate the centrality of action within faith, piety, and guardianship (wilayah), while critiquing cultural phenomena such as deification and pseudo-faith. This exegesis is composed in an elevated language befitting a university academic audience and enriched with literary metaphors and allegories.
Faith devoid of action is akin to a seed that bears no fruit without nurturing. The Holy Quran defines faith within the context of righteous deeds and regards any intellectual doubts as ineffectual.
فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا فَأْذَنُوا بِحَرْبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ۖ وَإِنْ تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ ٢٧٩
Translation: So if you do not do it, then be informed of a war from Allah and His Messenger; but if you repent, you shall have your principal capital you shall neither wrong nor be wronged.
This verse marks the pinnacle of the discussion on usury in Surah Al-Baqarah and, in a decisive tone, calls the believers to renounce usury and observe economic justice. The threat of war from Allah and His Messenger underscores the severity of the prohibition of usury and the imperative of practical adherence to divine ordinances. The emphasis on you shall neither wrong nor be wronged establishes justice as the cornerstone of Islamic transactions.
Verse 279 represents the conclusion of the discourse on usury in Surah Al-Baqarah, which begins at verse 275 and proceeds through descriptive, exhortative, and threatening modes. Subsequent verses, including the famous verse of debt (the longest verse in the Quran), address other economic and social injunctions, moving away from the subject of usury. This transition illustrates the comprehensiveness of Surah Al-Baqarah in delineating various aspects of a faithful life, as if the Quran were a comprehensive map encompassing all dimensions of existence.
The verses addressing usury (275 to 279) are presented with diverse structures: verse 277 offers a practical paradigm of faith and righteous action; verse 278, addressing O you who believe, introduces piety as the vessel of faith; and verse 279 culminates with a threat and an emphasis on repentance. This diversity reveals the Quranic wisdom in capturing the audiences attention and exerting multifaceted influence.
The Holy Quran employs descriptive, exhortative, and threatening modes to convey its message with profound impact, addressing both the heart and intellect simultaneously through a multifaceted language.
The Quran regards faith absent righteous deeds as inadequate. Verse 277 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by stating Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds, ties faith inseparably to righteous action and likens it to a tree whose roots are defective if it bears no fruit (action). Righteous deeds encompass establishing prayer, giving alms (zakah), and their consequential states (no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve), which include voluntary acts (prayer and zakah) as well as involuntary states (fear and grief). In perfect individuals, even fear and grief become voluntary and controlled, as though the believers spirit attains a station whereby their emotions are directed in Gods path.
Pseudo-faith resembles a seed that fails to grow without practical nourishment and remains a mere mental illusion. This faith, prevalent in contemporary Islamic culture, results in deification a condition where the individual presumes faith but whose conduct betrays no evidence of it. This phenomenon acts as a shadow over the reality of faith, depriving it of vitality.
Pseudo-faith is a lifeless shadow, reinforced by formalistic acts but devoid of the reality of faith, culminating in deification.
In verse 278, addressed as O you who believe, fear Allah, piety is presented as the vessel of faith and is linked to abandoning usury (and leave what remains of usury). Piety constitutes a firm and steadfast practice that transforms faith from pseudo to a dynamic reality. The phrase if you are believers conditions faith on the renunciation of usury, implying faith without action is like a flame extinguished for lack of fuel.
Repentance in verse 279 signifies the practical abandonment of usury rather than mere verbal confession or seeking forgiveness. This repentance represents a return from the peak of sin to justice, realised through action. The Quran regards repentance as an act in itself, not merely a verbal declaration for others. This perspective views repentance as a bridge guiding the believer from oppression to justice.
Repentance is a bridge that leads the believer from injustice to justice, achievable solely through the practical cessation of sin, not through superficial utterances.
Contemporary Islamic culture, by excessively emphasising mental faith, has rendered virtues and perfections ineffectual doubts. This faith, confined to intellectual acceptance of God, the Prophet, and resurrection, fails to generate volitional conduct in the believers life. The Quran prioritises action, considering faith valid only within the context of righteous deeds, as if faith without action were a vessel devoid of water.
Faith resembles an infant who cannot grow without practical nourishment (righteous deeds, piety) and perishes otherwise. This allegory likens faith to a living being requiring continuous care. Just as a child matures with water and food, faith attains perfection through righteous deeds.
The proliferation of phenomena such as addiction to tobacco (e.g., hookah and narcotics) in society signals cultural decline and estrangement from practical faith. These phenomena resemble a dust settling on the mirror of faith, depriving it of radiance. Pseudo-faith, akin to aimless addiction, neither satiates nor brings joy, but rather immerses society in mental illusions.
Pseudo-faith and the spread of addiction act as dust upon the mirror of religion, depriving society of dynamism.
Industrial slaughter, which involves stunning animals electrically, contradicts Islamic methods and is cruel, resulting in oppression. This method resembles a whip descending upon the body of Islamic mercy. Islam mandates slaughter with due respect to the animal and utterance of the phrase Bismillah, yet industrial methods have converted this mercy into cruelty.
Oppression of animals leads to oppression of humans and fosters a spirit of cruelty within society. Psychology demonstrates that cruel treatment of animals plants a seed within the human soul, resulting in oppression against oneself and others. The Quran warns with the phrase Whoever looks upon something, falls into it, indicating that observing sin or injustice imprints it upon the soul and precipitates action.
In advanced countries, animals are treated with respect and care, whereas in Islamic societies, neglecting animals in cold and hunger indicates estrangement from Islamic mercy. This cruelty is akin to a dagger thrust into the heart of Islam. An Islamic government is obligated to assume responsibility for animal welfare and prevent their oppression.
Islamic mercy is a spring that must flow to all creatures, from humans to animals. Neglecting animals constitutes a violation of this mercy.
The fatwa authorising the killing of dogs due to lack of expertise is erroneous and should be delegated to environmental authorities. This ruling resembles a decree issued without consideration of Islamic jurisprudence, resulting in oppression. Responsible bodies, such as municipalities and environmental organisations, must propose appropriate solutions.
Guardianship is practical piety and compassion for creatures, not pseudo-rituals such as chest-beating or self-flagellation. True guardianship is alignment with Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) in conduct towards creatures and mercy for them. Amir al-Muminin, who even showed mercy to a Jew, exemplifies guardianship as a light radiating upon all beings.
Pseudo-guardianship, manifesting as formal acts devoid of sincerity, are ineffective phantoms far removed from true guardianship. These pseudo-practices resemble masks obscuring the face of the truth. Guardianship entails kindness to Gods creation and sincerity towards creatures, not hollow rituals devoid of depth.
Guardianship is like a light that shines in the believers heart through love for creatures and practical piety, not through superficial and ineffective pseudo-rituals.
Psychological self-therapy assists the individual in evaluating daily deeds to measure their faith. This process resembles a mirror in which the believer perceives the truth of their faith. Action is the criterion for proximity to Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), and emulating the conduct of the Imams is the minimum duty of the believer.
The exegesis of verse 279 of Surah Al-Baqarah, with its emphasis on the abandonment of usury and threat of war against God and His Messenger, intertwines faith with action and criticises pseudo-faith and deification. This verse establishes economic justice as the axis of Islamic transactions and regards repentance as a concrete practical act. The analysis of verses 275 to 279 highlights the centrality of action in faith, piety, and guardianship. Critique of contemporary Islamic culture underscores the necessity of its reconstruction based upon practical action. Cruelty towards animals, the spread of addiction, and ignorance of human sciences are challenges demanding the revival of Islamic culture and utilisation of psychology and sociology. This exegesis, articulated in a refined language and scientific structure, offers solutions for the realisation of a practical and modern Islam, akin to a guiding light illuminating the believers path towards truth.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
