Verse 2:284 of Surah Al-Baqarah, akin to a radiant jewel within the constellation of divine speech, delineates absolute divine ownership and sovereignty alongside human self-accountability, thereby portraying a profound and multilayered system in the doctrinal, legal, and ethical domains. This verse, emphasising God's encompassing control over all entities and the reckoning of what is manifest or concealed within human souls, is an invitation to reconsider ancient jurisprudential and legal frameworks and the necessity for their transformation in accordance with divine wisdom. In this treatise, employing a scientific and academic approach, the content of the exegetical lectures on this verse is intertwined with theological, jurisprudential, and sociological analyses to provide a comprehensive and profound perspective on its exalted concepts. This examination, while remaining faithful to the original text, utilises an elevated and refined language suited for scholarly audiences, explicating the verses meanings and critically evaluating extant jurisprudential systems, proposing pathways for reform in religious sciences.
لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ وَإِنْ تُبْدُوا مَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُمْ بِهِ اللَّهُ ۗ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
To God belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth; and whether you disclose what is in your souls or conceal it, God will hold you accountable for it. Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills; and God is omnipotent over all things.
This verse is arranged into three principal sections: firstly, the absolute divine ownership over all beings in the heavens and the earth; secondly, the human self-accountability encompassing both the manifest and the concealed; and thirdly, the divine will in forgiveness or punishment, culminating in God's unparalleled omnipotence. This structure, like a flowing river, begins from the origin of divine ownership, flows through the domain of self-accountability, and rests upon the shore of divine will and sovereignty.
The text of the verse, emphasising divine ownership and sovereignty alongside self-accountability, provides a firm foundation for reconsideration within doctrinal and legal systems. This verse is an invitation to reflect deeply on the human soul and the necessity of harmonising jurisprudential systems with divine wisdom.
The phrase لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ (To God belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth) acts as a golden key unlocking the understanding of absolute divine ownership. This ownership encompasses not only benevolent beings but even sins and transgressions, for all phenomenafrom good to evilfall within the sphere of divine omniscience. From this viewpoint, evil emanates from the human self, whereas virtues are directly attributed to God, as stated in another verse: كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ (All are from God). This existential linkage indicates that all actions are dependent upon divine power, even when sin arises from the inherent determinism of human creation.
The concluding clause of the verse, وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (and God is omnipotent over all things), underscores divine absolute sovereignty. Unlike ownership, which may theoretically exist without power, this verse portrays God as an omnipotent possessor who exercises dominion over all matters, including souls and actions. The distinction between the opening and closing clauses, akin to two wings of flight, indicates the comprehensiveness of divine attributes and the integration of ownership and sovereignty within the system of lordship. This sovereignty forms the basis for divine oversight and accountability, which will be further examined subsequently.
The theological analysis of the verse underscores Gods absolute ownership and sovereignty, encompassing all phenomena and serving as the foundation for divine accountability. This viewpoint invites a reassessment of our understanding of the God-creation relationship and the role of divine power in the manifestation of good and evil.
The phrase وَإِنْ تُبْدُوا مَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُمْ بِهِ اللَّهُ (And whether you disclose what is in your souls or conceal it, God will hold you accountable for it) functions as a clear mirror reflecting the depths of the human soul before divine scrutiny. Unlike traditional jurisprudence, which concentrates on external deeds, this verse stresses accountability for what lies within hearts, whether apparent or hidden. This accountability, articulated in the grammatical form of يُحَاسِبْكُمْ (He holds you accountable), belongs to the verb form of interaction wherein God is the active agent and humans the passive recipients, differing from reciprocal forms involving dual agents. This structure demonstrates divine authority in soul accountability and positions humans as dependent and resultant.
The verb يُحَاسِبْكُمْ, in contrast with the past tense حاسب, indicates a gradual and continuous accountability encompassing all dimensions of human existence, from past to future. This accountability, like a skilled weaver, intertwines the fabric of actions and intentions and evaluates human behavioural trajectories comprehensively. This characteristic distinguishes divine reckoning from the mere recording of deeds by angels.
Contemporary religious knowledge, due to its focus on external acts and neglect of the inner self, is inefficient and incapable of explicating profound Quranic concepts such as يُحَاسِبْ. This knowledge resembles an outdated garment, incompatible with modern societal needs, and requires transformation towards a tailored and universal system. Jurisprudence must shift from monitoring individual acts to designing comprehensive social and legal systems, akin to modern tailoring producing garments in universal sizes.
The focus on effects (such as drug users) and neglect of root causes (such as traffickers) has rendered current judgements unjust. Like a farmer who cuts off branches instead of uprooting weeds, this approach undermines justice. Historical examples of drug trafficking during the Pahlavi era illustrate that simple workers were victims of systems managed by the powerful. Just judgement requires examination of psychological and social causes with the involvement of medical and psychological commissions.
The self-accountability of the verse challenges religious sciences to shift focus from external acts to soul evaluation and social system design. This transformation acts as a bridge guiding society from unjust judgements towards sagacious justice.
The phrase فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ (Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills) represents the two wings of mercy and justice delineating the system of divine will. Forgiveness here means the covering of sin rather than its erasure, differing from pardon in that the sin remains to be considered in subsequent reckoning. Divine will, contrary to whimsical assumptions, is founded on wisdom and justice and evaluates sins within the continuum of time and conditions through comprehensive soul-accounting.
Divine reckoning, like a wise teacher, assesses deeds and intentions together over time. This approach aligns with modern educational systems that calculate averages and emphasises the necessity of collective, multilayered judgement. Individual judgement, due to limited knowledge, is inefficient; a jury, like a just assembly, ensures fairness in judgement.
Divine will, by integrating forgiveness and punishment with wisdom, offers a comprehensive human evaluation system founded on collective soul-accountability. This system serves as a model for reform in human adjudication and the realisation of sagacious justice.
The example of cooperation between a dog and a parrot serves as a mirror reflecting justice and collaboration in nature. In this cooperation, wherein the parrot shares its food with the dog, a profound lesson is presented to humanity, which at times suffers from violence and distrust. This example, like a melody from nature, emphasises the necessity of emulating natural ethics in social behaviour.
The Infallible Imams (A.S.), like guiding lights, lived with justice and wisdom, offering paradigms for social judgement and management. This conduct contrasts with contemporary culture, which sometimes tends towards violence and unjust judgement. Returning to this conduct is, like a key, opening the doors of justice and mercy in society.
Nature and the conduct of the Infallibles provide lessons in justice and wisdom capable of guiding social and legal systems towards justice. These paradigms invite reconsideration of social behaviours and human judgements.
Verse 2:284 of Surah Al-Baqarah, like a profound ocean, presents exalted knowledge in doctrinal, legal, and ethical domains. By linking divine ownership and sovereignty with self-accountability, it transcends traditional jurisprudence centred on outward acts and stresses the necessity of transforming religious sciences towards a tailored and universal system. The critique of unjust judgements, especially concerning social issues such as drugs, highlights the need for causality analysis and attention to principal factors. Examples from nature and the conduct of the Infallibles, as illuminating torches, clarify the paths of justice and fairness. This verse, by synthesising theology, jurisprudence, psychology, and sociology, manifests divine wisdom in guiding humans and society and underscores the necessity of religious engineering for the realisation of justice soul.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
