The Holy Qurn is a text that serves not only as a guide for faith and practice but also as a profound framework for understanding the social, ethical, and religious structures of human societies. Verses 23 and 24 of Srah l Imrn, with eloquent and profound expression, critique the behaviours of the scholars of the People of the Book and religious deviations, redefining the concept of religion as health, justice, and avoidance of tyranny. This treatise, relying on these verses, elucidates the role of the elites in guiding or misleading societies, the primacy of the substance of religion over its outward forms, and the necessity of returning to health and justice in religious adherence. The objective is to illuminate the message of these verses for the contemporary human being through a comprehensive and precise approach, thus paving the way for the restoration of authentic religiosity.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِنَ الْكِتَابِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّى فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَنْ تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَعْدُودَاتٍ ۖ وَغَرَّهُمْ فِي دِينِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ
Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture, who are invited to the Book of God to judge between them, yet a party of them turns away, and they are averse? That is because they said, The Fire shall not touch us except for a few numbered days. And their falsehood which they were inventing deceived them in their religion.
These verses, with expressive eloquence, refer to the behaviour of the scholars of the People of the Book, particularly the Jews, who, despite possessing part of the divine scripture, reject the judgment of the Book of God. This turning away stems from their arrogance and erroneous beliefs, which lead them to consider themselves immune from divine punishment and to be deceived by their fabrications. The verses subtly critique this deviation and emphasise the necessity of returning to the true religion.
Religion, in the Qurnic view, is not merely a collection of rituals but a current of health and justice deeply rooted within the human being, distancing them from oppression and tyranny. This health, like a clear stream, nourishes spiritual life and results in eternal felicity in the hereafter. Its absence immerses a person in the whirlpool of misguidance and turmoil, as if wandering in endless darkness.
Religion, in its essence, is content defined by health, justice, and avoidance of tyranny. The external forms of religion, such as the manner of performing prayers or other rituals, are merely shells that must serve this content. If these shells are devoid of the spirit of justice and health, religion becomes a worthless toy, like a magnificent palace hollowed and ruined inside.
Verses 23 and 24 of Srah l Imrn profoundly critique the behaviour of the scholars of the People of the Book and redefine the concept of religion as health and justice. These verses, emphasising the primacy of religious content over its outward forms, pave the way for an authentic understanding of religiosity. Religion, in this perspective, is a current that guides a person towards health, justice, and avoidance of tyranny; any deviation from this path results in misguidance and turmoil.
The discussed verses clearly address the rejection by a group of the scholars of the People of the Book, who despite having a share of the divine scripture, turn away from the invitation to Gods Book for just judgment. This rejection is not due to ignorance but arises from arrogance and fear of disgrace. They consider themselves immune from divine punishment and, with false claims of protection from the fire of Hell, fall into the trap of their own fabrications.
The scholars of the People of the Book possess only a portion of the divine scripture because their books, such as the Torah and Psalms, have lost their complete authenticity due to corruption and alteration. These books, once radiant torches of guidance, have now become faint shadows of the truth owing to the addition of superstitious and incorrect content. The Holy Qurn, as a book immune to corruption, provides a criterion for just judgment and thus the invitation to it is an invitation to truth.
The scholars of the People of the Book are incapable of debating with the Holy Qurn due to their unstable foundations and religious fabrications. This incapacity is not from a lack of knowledge but from fear of disgrace and the collapse of their reputation. Those whose beliefs are based on falsehood and corruption shy away from confronting the truth, akin to one who closes their eyes before the sun of truth.
This section, focusing on the critique of the religious deviations of the scholars of the People of the Book, demonstrated that arrogance, corruption, and fabrication are the primary roots of their rejection of truth. The Holy Qurn, by inviting just judgment, exposes these deviations and affirms its authenticity as the criterion of truth. This critique serves as a warning to all societies to avoid distortion of truth and misguidance by the elites.
The elites, like guiding stars in the sky of society, determine the path of guidance or misguidance. If the elites embody health, justice, and fairness, the people are likewise directed towards good and virtue; but if they are corrupt and afflicted by arrogance and tyranny, they lead society to destruction. This principle, an immutable law in Qurnic sociology, views the behaviour of the people as a mirror reflecting the deeds of the elites.
A religious scholar with deep insight has stated that to understand the quality of the elites of a city, one need not meet or speak with them; it suffices to walk among the people and observe their behaviour. If the people meet you with politeness and respect, their elites are benevolent and guiding; but if they respond with disrespect and disregard, the corruption of their elites is evident. This narrative, like a mirror, reflects the true impact of the elites on the people.
The corruption of the elites, like a blight affecting the roots of the tree of religion, has led to the decline of religions. The greed, arrogance, and pride of the elites among the Jews and Christians have corrupted the divine scriptures and misled the people. This deviation does not originate from religion or the prophets but from the deeds of the elites, like a dark shadow cast over the light of truth.
This section, relying on the Qurnic sociological principle, demonstrated that the elites are the key to the guidance or misguidance of societies. Their behaviour, like a powerful current, determines the course of the peoples movement. Reforming society begins with reforming the elites, and this heavy responsibility lies on the shoulders of scholars and leaders who, with health and justice, guide people towards the truth.
In contemporary societies, religion has been emptied of its authentic content, which is health and justice, and transformed into a ridiculous and soulless shell. The construction of grand and magnificent mosques, while poverty and injustice prevail in society, exemplifies this formalism. These mosques, like palaces devoid of inhabitants, are merely symbols of superficial grandeur and lack the spirit of justice and health.
Todays religious societies suffer from a lack of mutual trust. Oppression, crime, and corruption, accompanied by external rituals, have destroyed trust among individuals. This deviation, like a cold wind, has stolen the warmth of faith and confidence from the hearts of the people and plunged society into spiritual coldness.
In some Islamic societies, such as Chechnya, competition over the construction of extraordinary mosques while poverty and injustice rage exemplifies deviation from the content of religion. Although these mosques are visually unparalleled, they are hollow shells deprived of the spirit of justice and health. This formalism, like a deceptive mask, conceals the truth of corruption and oppression.
Contemporary societies, especially in some Islamic countries, have distanced themselves from the authentic content of religion and fallen into formalism and corruption. This deviation, rooted in the deeds of the elites, has deprived society of trust and health, turning religion into a soulless shell. Returning to health and justice is the only way to revive authentic religiosity.
The accumulation of wealth by the elites, like a lethal poison, has led religion to decline. Hoarding wealth while people suffer in poverty and hardship is incompatible with health and justice. This deviation, like a fire consuming the harvest of religion, nullifies deeds and causes a person to suffer loss in this world and the hereafter.
Reforming society begins with the return of the elites to health, justice, and simplicity. The elites must be like a shining torch, guiding the people towards truth with justice and sincerity. This return, like a stream irrigating parched land, will revive the spiritual life of society.
Wealth accumulation and corruption by the elites have led religion to decline and deprived society of health and justice. The path of reform lies in returning to the authentic content of religion, namely health, justice, and simplicity. This return is a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of the elites, and the future of societies depends on it.
Verses 23 and 24 of Srah l Imrn, with profound and enlightening expression, critique religious deviations and redefine religion as health, justice, and avoidance of tyranny. These verses, exposing the arrogance and corruption of the scholars of the People of the Book, emphasise the pivotal role of the elites in the guidance or misguidance of societies. Contemporary societies, due to formalism and the corruption of elites, have distanced themselves from the authentic content of religion. Returning to health and justice is the path that the Holy Qurn presents for the revival of authentic religiosity. This treatise, by elucidating this message, calls the audience to reconsider their religiosity and to reform society through the guidance of the elites.
