The Holy Quran, like an immeasurable ocean, appears outwardly simple and accessible; yet within its depths, it encompasses complex secrets and profound meanings, the comprehension of which demands relentless contemplation and exploration. This treatise, focusing on verse 14 of Surah Al-Imran, examines one of the pivotal verses of this chapter that addresses the topic of love of desires and the interpretive challenges related thereto. The purpose of this work is to provide a comprehensive and precise exegesis that, while preserving all details and fundamental meanings, employs a fluent and dignified style to conduct a deep analysis of this verse and associated issues, including the status of women and the inclusivity of the term people. Through a scientific perspective, enriched with analogies and allusions, this text endeavours to elucidate the concepts of the verse in a clear and coherent manner for researchers and seekers of truth.
زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَالْبَنِينَ وَالْقَنَاطِيرِ الْمُقَنْطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَاللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ
Translation: For mankind, the love of desires has been adorned from women and sons and abundant wealth piled up from gold and silver and branded horses and cattle and farmland. That is the enjoyment of the worldly life; and Allah has with Him the best return.
This verse, like a mirror reflecting the carnal truth of humankind, refers to the adornment of desires before the eyes of mankind and, simultaneously, by reminding of the good end with the Lord, distinguishes the path from misguidance.
The Holy Quran, like a precious gem, appears outwardly simple and fluent, yet in its depth contains complexities and subtleties whose understanding requires profound and scholarly investigation. This characteristic, known as the easy yet demanding nature, distinguishes the Quran from other texts. Throughout history, some have, due to its apparent simplicity, regarded this divine book merely as a text for recitation and supplication without paying attention to its profound meanings. This approach has been an obstacle to deep scientific research in the field of Quranic studies.
The Holy Quran, like a steadfast fortress, confronts numerous scientific, literary, cultural, social, psychological, and philosophical challenges. These challenges, exceeding ten thousand in number, have become increasingly significant in the modern world where media transmits information at an extraordinary speed. Religious sciences require revision and enhancement of their research methodologies to uphold the lofty status of the Quran against intellectual assaults.
Many existing exegeses, akin to gardens focusing solely on foliage, primarily concentrate on morphological, syntactic, and literary aspects while neglecting deep content analysis. This approach has resulted in numerous Quranic objections and doubts remaining unanswered. Religious sciences require methodological revision to deliver multifaceted analyses and worthy answers to contemporary intellectual needs.
Religious sciences, to confront future challenges, must centre the Holy Quran in their debates. Group and in-depth discussions, like clear springs, can assist in generating scientific and precise responses to Quranic doubts. This approach not only strengthens Quranic understanding but also prevents the weakening of the divine books status amid scientific challenges.
In the verse under discussion, the verb زُيِّنَ (was adorned) is employed in the passive form, which, like a mysterious veil, raises the question of the agent of this adornment. Is this embellishment from the Lord, nature, or perhaps Satan and Iblis? This passive form alludes to the divine depth and complexity of the system of creation and can be interpreted as part of a divine test or the influence of environmental and satanic factors.
The term ناس, linguistically, functions as a collective noun encompassing all humans, including women, men, children, and adults, unless context restricts its scope. However, one of the fundamental challenges of this verse is interpreting the inclusivity of ناس. If ناس refers only to men, the verse is interpreted such that women, children, and possessions are merely instruments for satisfying male desires, leading to religious patriarchy. Such an interpretation, like a thorn in the foot of Quranic justice, appears incompatible with the principles of human equality in the Quran.
The term نساء, like a blossoming flower, is a plural noun without a singular form and is employed with the letter Alif that signifies exaltation and greatness. In contrast, نسوه, due to the presence of the vowel letter (waw), conveys a diminutive or derogatory meaning. The singular of نساء may be امرأة or مرأة, which undergoes linguistic transformation. This lexical distinction demonstrates the respect and grandeur associated with the word نساء in the Quran and negates any form of disparagement of women.
In some traditional exegeses, women have been considered as tools for mens desires and excluded from the inclusivity of ناس. This perspective, like a dark shadow, relegates women to an inferior status and deprives them of the right to be loved. Such an interpretation not only conflicts with Quranic justice but also contributes to cultural distortions in understanding the Quran.
If ناس is understood to include both women and men, the phrase حب النساء might be interpreted in a way that suggests womens attraction to women, which would imply homosexuality. Such an interpretation, like a deviant path, is incompatible with the context and intent of the Quran, which rejects homosexuality.
In some traditional exegeses, the objects of love of desires (نساء، بنين، قناطير مقنطرة، ذهب، فضة، خيل، أنعام، حرث) have been mistakenly counted as seven, whereas they should be six. Gold and silver are part of piled-up treasures and not independent categories. This error, like dust on the mirror of truth, reveals a lack of precision in the structural analysis of the verse.
Piled-up treasures refers to vast wealth that includes gold, silver, properties, or even kingdoms. In the pre-Islamic culture, this term symbolised pride and power and in the verse is regarded as one of the carnal desires.
From a psychological viewpoint, impoverished individuals, lacking wealth, are like clear springs, more inclined towards generosity, while the wealthy, due to their attachment to possessions, resemble trees rooted in soil and tend to be less generous. This point reveals the psychological impacts of wealth accumulation on human behaviour.
