The Noble Quran, like a profound and boundless ocean, contains knowledge that invites every seeker of truth towards deeper understanding. Verse 7 of Surah Al-Imrn, centred on the embellishment of ubb al-shahawt (the love of desires) for human beings, is among the key verses that unveil the complexities of the human soul and its inclinations. This verse, through a philosophical and psychological lens, reflects upon humanitys confrontation with carnal desires and the adornments of the self. In this treatise, relying upon expository lectures, an attempt has been made to analyse this verse in the light of philosophical, psychological, and epistemological sciences. The objective is to elucidate the diverse dimensions of this verse for the audience with a profound and systematic approach, thereby opening a path toward a more precise comprehension of Quranic knowledge.
زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلْبَنِينَ وَٱلْقَنَٰطِيرِ ٱلْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلْفِضَّةِ وَٱلْخَيْلِ ٱلْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ وَٱلْحَرْثِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ ٱلْمَـَٔابِ
The love of desires for women, children, and abundant wealth of piled-up gold and silver, and branded horses, livestock, and farmland, has been adorned for humankind. These are the merchandise of worldly life, and the good return is with God.
This verse, with concise yet profound expression, points to the embellishment of ubb al-shahawt (love of desires) for human beings. The term zayyana (to adorn) denotes a process that renders carnal inclinations pleasing to humans. This embellishment is sometimes from God and sometimes from Satan, placing humanity on a path where their choices reflect their spiritual rank.
Key point: The centrality of the verse is humanity (al-ns), indicating the universality of the inclination toward desires among all humans, regardless of their individual or social attributes.
The Noble Quran addresses humanity directly in this verse as the principal subject. The term al-ns emphasises the universality of the matter, demonstrating that the inclination toward desires is an inseparable part of human nature. This tendency flows like a current in the river of human existence, present in every individual, yet its manifestation depends on their perceptions and circumstances. This universality constitutes the psychological foundation of the verse and invites humanity to reflect on their own inclinations.
Key point: Embellishment (zayyin) as an actual container, not a real essence, refers to mutable matters dependent on individual perceptions, unlike true concepts such as justice and knowledge which are fixed and unalterable.
The concept of zayyin in this verse signifies adorning carnal desires, which appears as an actual container. In contrast to true concepts like justice, faith, or knowledge, which possess intrinsic permanence, embellishment pertains to matters whose form varies among individuals. For instance, what is pleasurable for one person may be worthless for another. This difference, like various colours in a painting, signifies the diversity of human perceptions. An actual container refers to things with external existence but lacking inherent stability and truth.
Key point: Human inclinations, as a result of embellishment, manifest differently among individuals; some are inclined towards wealth, others towards power, and yet others towards knowledge and faith.
One of the prominent features of this verse is the attention to the diversity of human perceptions in encountering desires. Just as a gardener cultivates various flowers in their garden, humans nurture differing inclinations within their souls. For some, wealth and riches appear as a shining gem; for others, power and dominion resemble a crown upon the head; and for a group, knowledge and faith are like a guiding lamp. This diversity stems from psychological differences and environmental conditions, reflecting the complexity of the human soul.
Key point: Embellishment is expressed in the passive verb form (zuyyina) and attributed to God or Satan, yet due to its mutable nature, it belongs to the realm of reality rather than truth.
From a philosophical perspective, embellishment in this verse is analysed as an actual container. The passive verb zuyyina indicates that this adornment is sometimes performed by God and sometimes by Satan. This process, like a painting on the canvas of the human soul, depends on ones conditions and perceptions. Unlike truth, which is constant and immutable, the reality of embellishment is changeable and contingent upon external circumstances. For example, the desire for wealth or power becomes adorned and pleasing to some individuals due to environmental or psychological influences, yet this adornment is neither inherent nor permanent.
Key point: Precise comprehension of the Noble Quran necessitates employing philosophical, psychological, and epistemological sciences; the greater ones scientific awareness, the closer one approaches Quranic knowledge.
The Noble Quran, like an inexhaustible treasury, encompasses knowledge that cannot be grasped without the aid of various sciences. Just as an explorer requires precise instruments to discover hidden gems within a mountain, a Quranic exegete needs philosophical, psychological, and epistemological knowledge to unveil the deep layers of Quranic meanings. As ones scientific awareness increases, like a window opening towards light, their proximity to Quranic knowledge deepens. Without these sciences, understanding the Quran diminishes to simplistic and naive narratives.
Key point: Embellishment is sometimes from God as a form of goodness and guidance, sometimes as a punishment appropriate to human actions, and sometimes from Satan with the intention of misguidance.
In the Noble Quran, embellishment is attributed both to God and Satan. Divine embellishment, like a light illuminating the path, guides humanity towards good and righteousness. However, at times God adorns undesirable inclinations for a person as a consequence of their wrongful deeds, akin to a mirror reflecting human behaviour. Conversely, Satanic embellishment entraps humans in the web of misguidance. This distinction reveals the profound wisdom in the Quranic elucidation of human conduct.
Key point: Natural phenomena such as food and plants are inherently beautiful and good, requiring no embellishment; however, carnal inclinations, due to their dependence on individual perceptions, belong to the realm of reality.
The Noble Quran differentiates between real and actual matters. Real matters, such as rain, plants, or foods, are intrinsically beautiful and good, like a light that shines without the need for adornment. Carnal inclinations, such as loving or disliking certain foods, rely upon embellishment and belong to the realm of reality. This distinction, like a line between two shores, separates fixed truth from mutable reality, inviting humanity to reflect upon the nature of their inclinations.
Key point: Embellishment occurs at the level of the lower soul and is related to the primitive and instinctual desires of humans, yet with spiritual growth, the soul ascends to higher stages.
Psychologically, embellishment transpires at the level of the nafs al-mmrah (the commanding lower soul), which is the lowest rank of the soul. This stage, like a playful child, is inclined toward basic and instinctual desires. However, the human soul, by progressing along the path of spiritual growth, can ascend to higher ranks such as the nafs al-lawwmah (self-reproaching soul) or nafs al-mumainnah (peaceful soul). This viewpoint resembles a ladder elevating humanity from earth to the heavens, highlighting the souls infinite capacity for transformation.
Key point: Love (ubb) and desires (shahawt) are psychological matters; in the hierarchy of inclinations, love occupies an intermediate rank while desires are its sedimentations, whereas affection (ishq) holds the superior rank.
Love (ubb) and desires (shahawt), like two branches of the same tree, are psychological phenomena. Love occupies an intermediate rank between wudd (lower affection) and ishq (exalted love). Desires, as the sediment of love, are instinctual and material inclinations that form within the human soul. This hierarchy, like the layers of the earth, reflects the depth and variety of human inclinations and invites humans to contemplate the ranks of their own souls.
In Islamic philosophy, the distinction between intrinsic (ma'lm bi-t) and extrinsic (ma'lm bi-ghayr) objects is fundamental. Intrinsic objects, akin to a jewel embedded within the heart of the soul, are those matters that exist within the human mind, such as loves and desires. Conversely, extrinsic objects, like shadows cast upon a wall, refer to external entities such as humans or physical objects. This differentiation demonstrates that desires, as psychological constituents, are formed within the human mind and are dependent upon his perceptions.
Desires, like the dispersed branches of a tree, are connected to various objects. Some are inclined towards wealth and children, while others exhibit tendencies towards abnormal phenomena such as addiction or deviant behaviours. This diversity, comparable to the countless colours within a painting, reflects the psychological complexity of the human being. For example, certain individuals show proclivities towards consuming substances like mud or contaminated materials, indicative of deviations within their psychological structure.
Religious sciences, in some instances, lack dynamism due to dependence on outdated concepts such as hylo or restrictive classifications of the senses. These approaches act as an ancient barrier, preventing the illumination of new knowledge from penetrating the understanding of Quranic wisdom. For example, categorising the senses into five or six categories is insufficient when confronted with the brains boundless capacity to perceive billions of scents and colours. This critique is an invitation to reconsider and invigorate religious sciences so that they may adequately respond to contemporary needs.
The human brain, like a star-filled sky, is capable of perceiving billions of scents, colours, and diverse perceptions. Each brain cell acts as a sensitive sentinel, responding to a particular type of perception. This diversity manifests the profound psychological depth of humans, implicitly affirmed by the Holy Quran through reference to desires. This perspective aligns with findings in modern neuroscience and emphasises the limitless capacity of humans for perception.
The Holy Quran, in numerous verses, addresses desires and their related matters, each illuminating a layer of human behaviour. The following are selected verses with translation:
وَٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَيُرِيدُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ أَن تَمِيلُوا۟ مَيْلًا عَظِيمًا
God desires to accept your repentance, but those who follow desires wish for you to deviate greatly.
فَخَلَفَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضَاعُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا
Then, after them came successors who neglected prayer and followed desires; soon they will meet ruin.
These verses, like luminous mirrors, reveal the negative consequences of following desires. Particularly, the followers of desires in these verses are associated with severe deviations and sadism, accompanied by neglecting prayer or inclination towards major deviation.
The Holy Quran, in certain verses, characterises followers of desires as exhibiting sadism or inclinations towards severe deviations. These deviations act as a storm steering the souls vessel towards a precipice, diverting humans from the path of truth. For instance, the verse يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ أَن تَمِيلُوا۟ مَيْلًا عَظِيمًا signifies the intensity of this deviation leading to great misguidance. This analysis reveals the psychological profundity of the Quran in explicating deviant behaviours.
Religious sciences need to undergo transformation to remain dynamic and responsive to the demands of the era. Just as a tree requires water and light to bear fruit, religious sciences necessitate the integration of modern sciences to present Quranic knowledge on a global scale. This transformation, like a breeze that clears dust from a mirror, facilitates deeper understanding of the Holy Quran.
Reliance on financial resources and lack of knowledge production act like chains restraining religious sciences from flourishing. Students and researchers, akin to seekers of treasure, must assert scientific authority by generating intellectual wealth. The Holy Quran, as a rich source, can underpin this self-sufficiency and elevate religious sciences to their deserved status.
Verse seven of Surah Al-Imran, like a jewel in the crown of Quranic knowledge, elucidates love of desires and their adornment for humans. This verse, through a profound philosophical and psychological lens, positions humans before their own carnal inclinations and invites contemplation on the truth and reality of these inclinations. From the distinction between true and apparent vessels to the psychological analysis of the lower soul, this verse unfolds multiple layers of knowledge before the audience. Employing modern sciences, critiquing traditional approaches, and emphasising transformation in religious sciences reflect the depth and comprehensiveness of this interpretation. The Holy Quran, like a guiding lamp, illuminates not only the spiritual path but also the route of knowledge and insight, urging humans to advance dynamically and investigatively toward deeper understanding.
