Surah Al-Imran, one of the profound and meaningful chapters of the Holy Quran, through its multi-layered concepts in the domains of psychology, sociology, and theology, opens a gateway to a deeper understanding of human behaviours and motivations. Verse 42 of this Surah, focusing on the concept of the adornment of desires for human beings, explores the hidden layers of the human soul and provides a framework for analysing individual and social behaviours. This treatise aims to elucidate the meanings of this verse and extract key points from the delivered lectures, presenting a scientific and coherent re-examination and analysis of these concepts. Its goal is to clarify the psychological and sociological dimensions of this verse for readers with precision and depth and to establish a foundation for Quranic research.
زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَاءِ وَٱلْبَنِينَ وَٱلْقَنَاطِيرِ ٱلْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلْفِضَّةِ وَٱلْخَيْلِ ٱلْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلْأَنْعَامِ وَٱلْحَرْثِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَاعُ ٱلْحَيَاةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ ٱلْمَآبِ
Love and attachment to desires have been adorned for peoplefrom women and children, and abundant wealth in gold and silver, branded horses, cattle, and cultivated fields. These are the commodities of the life of this world, and the good return is with Allah.
Verse 42 of Surah Al-Imran, with unparalleled subtlety, introduces four fundamental concepts as the axes for analysing human behaviour: adornment (ziyn), love (ubb), desires (shahawt), and people (ns). These concepts, like a jewel woven into the fabric of Quranic verses, provide a framework for understanding motivations and human behaviours within psychological and social contexts. The central theme of this verse is ns, introduced as an external and diverse reality, representing the generality of human beings vulnerable to the allure of adorned desires.
The verb زُيِّنَ in this verse is employed in the passive voice, indicating a hidden agent involved in adorning desires for humans. This agent may originate from divine, satanic, or even psychological sources. The passive construction, like a delicate veil, reveals the complexity of the process influencing the human soul and emphasises that ordinary humans, lacking profound knowledge, are vulnerable to this adornment.
The saints of God, prophets, and eminent individuals, due to their possession of deep knowledge and a secure soul, stand outside the influence sphere of the adornment of desires. The soul of these individuals, like a clear and pure mirror, reflects the truth directly without need for superficial adornments. This group, by virtue of their profound awareness of realities, are immune to material temptations and steadfast against the deception of desires.
Conversely, the leaders of disbelief, whose motivations stem from power-seeking and domination, also lie beyond the scope of زُيِّنَ influence, but not due to knowledge; rather, because of their focus on goals higher than desires, such as sovereignty and supremacy. This group utilises desires not as an end but as a means to attain power, distinguishing them from ordinary humans.
The primary audience of the verse consists of average humans or ns who neither belong to the rank of divine saints nor to that of the leaders of disbelief. This group, which constitutes the majority of society, is vulnerable to the adornment of desires due to the absence of deep knowledge or elevated motivations. These individuals, like birds trapped in a snare of temptation, are drawn towards ephemeral worldly pleasures, with their ultimate goal often confined to such enjoyments.
The psychology of the Holy Quran, through its profound analysis of human motivations and behaviours, surpasses even the most advanced modern theories. This verse, by exploring the concept of adornment of desires, elucidates the hidden layers of the human soul and provides a comprehensive framework for analysing individual and social behaviours. The Holy Quran, like a blazing torch, illuminates the path to recognising the truth about human beings and society.
Statistical examination of the vocabulary in this verse within the Quran shows that the word ns occurs 240 times, ubb 91 times, zayn 46 times, and shahawt 13 times. These repetitions, like a harmonious melody in the Quranic text, underscore the importance of these concepts in its semantic system. The frequent occurrence of ns highlights the Qurans focus on general human behaviour.
Memorising the Quran without reflection on its meanings lacks substantial spiritual and scientific value in the contemporary era and may even cause psychological harm. This practice, akin to reciting meaningless poetry, is limited to mechanical repetition and cannot contribute to the spiritual or intellectual elevation of the individual. The Holy Quran is a book meant for comprehension and contemplation, not merely for memorisation and repetition.
Correct recitation of the Holy Quran must be accompanied by understanding its meanings. Among Persian speakers, who are often unfamiliar with the meanings of the Arabic verses, recitation without comprehension is incomplete and cannot lead to spiritual elevation. This deficiency is comparable to reading a book in a foreign language and diminishes the religious and spiritual value of devotional acts.
Certain past traditions, such as cupping therapy, which were prevalent in times lacking medical facilities, are now irrational and unnecessary. These traditions, like tools once effective, have been replaced by scientific and modern methods. Attachment to such traditions obstructs scientific and religious progress.
Understanding and acquiring knowledge of the contents of the Holy Quran take precedence over mere recitation and memorisation. The Quran, like a precious mine, is a source for generating knowledge and insight and should be studied through a scientific and productive approach.
The word ns in the Holy Quran refers to ordinary and average humans who are neither among the ranks of divine saints nor the leaders of disbelief. This group, like leaves in the wind of temptation, is exposed to decline and misguidance, and verses related to ns often address human and social matters.
Every verse containing the word ns has a revelatory context and addresses human challenges within social and historical frameworks. These verses, like mirrors, reflect the life and behaviours of ordinary humans.
The term ubb in the Holy Quran, as a broad and multi-layered concept, represents the driving force behind human behaviours. This love can be directed towards God, faith, or even negative matters such as corruption and disbelief. The Quran, with exquisite subtlety, introduces ubb at three levels: wudd (mild love), ubb (moderate love), and ishq (intense love, referred to as the strongest love for Allah).
Adornment (zn), meaning to beautify or embellish, is sometimes conducted by God and sometimes by Satan in the Quran. This mechanism, like a deceptive garment, can lead humans either towards misguidance or guidance. In this verse, adornment refers to the deception of ordinary humans by desires.
Emphasising material possessions such as money and wealth as signs of success or miracles is a fallacy that diminishes the spiritual and scientific values of religion. Religious scholars, like torchbearers on the path to truth, must rely on knowledge, insight, and love rather than worldly appearances.
Knowledge, insight, and love are the principal characteristics of religious scholars and take precedence over worldly matters. A religious scholar, like a gardener sowing seeds of insight, should guide society towards excellence with knowledge and love.
