of Nokounam, (Session 851)
The Holy Quran, a book of guidance and illumination, directs humanity towards understanding the reality of existence and their own position before the Lord through its profound and meaningful verses. Verses 25 to 27 of Surah Al-Imran, like a brilliant mirror, display the boundless greatness and authority of God in contrast to human frailty and incapacity. These verses eloquently and deeply speak of Gods absolute ownership of existence, the granting and revocation of dominion, honour and humiliation, the wondrous order of night and day, and uncountable provision. In this discourse, through reflection upon and elaboration of these verses, an effort has been made to present the sublime divine themes in a coherent and clear framework. Drawing upon the lectures of religious scholars, this work seeks to invite the audience, with articulate and precise expression, to a deeper comprehension of these verses and their influence on spiritual purification and divine knowledge.
The Holy Quran, in verse 25 of Surah Al-Imran, depicts the scene of the Day of Resurrection; a day devoid of any doubt, when every soul shall receive fully that which it has earned, without the slightest injustice inflicted upon it. This verse, like a prominent engraving upon the tablet of existence, demonstrates the absolute divine justice in the grand gathering.
فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَاهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَتْتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
So how will be their state when We gather them for a Day about which there is no doubt, and every soul is fully recompensed for what it earned, and they will not be wronged?
This verse, through a thought-provoking question, summons humanity to contemplate their ultimate fate. The gathering of all beings on the Day of Resurrection signifies the limitless authority of the Lord, beyond which no entity lies. The full recompense of deeds reveals the precision and justice of God, whereby no action, however insignificant, escapes scrutiny. The phrase لَا يُظْلَمُونَ (they will not be wronged) serves as a seal of flawless divine justice, wherein no injustice is permitted.
Verse 26 of Surah Al-Imran, addressing قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ (Say: O Allah), guides humanity towards recognition of the greatness of the Lord. This verse introduces God as the absolute owner of sovereignty, who grants dominion to whom He wills, strips it from whom He wills, honours whom He wills, and humiliates whom He wills; and all good lies in His hand.
قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Say: O Lord, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will; You honour whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.
The address قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ functions as a key opening the doors of knowledge to humanity. This invocation calls the servant to acknowledge Gods absolute ownership and to humble themselves before it. مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ signifies that all existence, from the heavens to the earth, and from material to immaterial beings, lies under the dominion of the Lord. There is no other claimant to sovereignty besides Him; honour and power are manifestations of this ownership.
The phrase تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ reflects the free will of God in granting sovereignty. Although this grant may appear arbitrary, it is governed by divine wisdom and justice. God is like a master painter weaving the fabric of existence with the brush of wisdom. The apparent arbitrariness is dispelled by emphasising divine justice and prudence, ensuring no action falls outside His wise plan.
Conversely, تَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ refers to the revocation of sovereignty, carried out according to justice and individual conduct. This revocation resembles reclaiming a trust taken away due to oppression or ingratitude by its holder. God, as a just ruler, withdraws sovereignty from those who have lost the merit to maintain it, reflecting an equitable order in the system of creation.
The expressions تُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ and تُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ speak of granting honour and humiliation. Honour is akin to a crown God places on the heads of worthy servants, while humiliation is like a shadow cast over the ungrateful. Though these appear to be discretionary, they are, in essence, subject to divine wisdom and justice. God weaves the destiny of servants within the fabric of justice with His wise hands.
The phrase بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ signifies that absolute good lies with God. This good, like a clear spring, flows from the essence of the Lord and quenches all beings. Evil is also under His dominion but is dispensed according to a system rooted in the deeds of servants. This distinction demonstrates that divine good is unconditional, whereas evil manifests as a shadow arising from human ingratitude.
The verse culminates in إِنَّكَ عَلَى
