The Holy Qur'an, like a radiant lamp, opens the path of guidance for humanity and, with profound expression, reveals human deviations and seditions. This writing, focusing on verses 72 and 73 of Surah Al-Imran, examines the seditions incited by the People of the Book and the deviations of religions from the path of monotheism. In this process, through a glance at the history of religions and human behaviours, the truth of divine guidance and the inherent loss of humanity are elucidated. The aim of this work is to clarify the path that guides humanity from the whirlpool of misguidance towards the shore of salvation.
The heavenly religions, which ought to be standard bearers of unity and harmony, have historically been engulfed in hostility, rancour, war, and strife. These conflicts, at times more intense than the confrontations among disbelievers themselves or with religions, stem from deviation from the truth of monotheism. When sectarian fanaticism and self-superiority replaced monotheism, religions diverged from their primary mission, which is guiding humanity towards perfection. This deviation, like a thorn in the foot of religion, wounded its truth, leaving nothing but a shell of superficial rites.
The wars among religions, due to the use of enmity, deceit, and fraud, attained greater severity than other conflicts. This intensity did not arise from genuine faith but from exploitation of religious beliefs to justify power-seeking and violence. Such an approach degraded religion from its lofty station to a tool for discord and division, stripping it of its monotheistic essence.
Among these, only the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) and the Messenger of Allah, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), maintained doctrinal and practical integrity. These two great figures, like stars in the dark sky of deviations, remained steadfast in pure monotheism, avoiding the traps of fanaticism and polytheism. They presented an unparalleled model of authentic religion that guides the seekers of truth.
The Muslims, both Shia and Sunni, followed a similar path to that of the Jews and Christians, falling into deviations that distanced them from the truth of monotheism. This repetition of deviations indicates the inherent weakness of humanity in preserving the essence of religion. Just as the Jews and Christians deviated from the path of guidance, Muslims also fell into the snare of division and fanaticism, losing the way of salvation.
The Holy Qur'an, through this verse, unveils a bitter truth: humanity is inherently in loss. This loss, like a heavy shadow, overwhelms human existence and, except in exceptional cases, keeps him away from goodness and salvation. Only faith, righteous deeds, and mutual enjoining of truth and patience can rescue humanity from this abyss.
The righteous of the world, like a vein of fresh water in a salty ocean or gold within a mountain, are rare and precious. These righteous individuals, often descendants of the prophets and saints, carry the knowledge of monotheism and shine like a gem amid the mass of misguidance. This hereditary nature of guidance indicates divine favour towards this chosen group.
Guidance and righteousness have been passed down among the prophets and their progeny like a precious inheritance. This divine selection, mentioned in the Holy Qur'an with the phrase "ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُهَا مِنْ بَعْضٍ" (offspring some of whom are from others), signifies God's special grace to this group. They serve as torchbearers in darkness, illuminating the path for others.
This verse unveils a satanic stratagem employed by some among the People of the Book to weaken the faith of Muslims. The leaders of the People of the Book, by designing outward faith in the morning and disbelief in the evening, intended to sow doubt and distrust within the hearts of believers. This cunning plan was like a hidden trap designed to turn Muslims away from Islam towards misguidance.
The leaders of the People of the Book, as the architects of sedition, commanded their foot soldiers to undermine the faith of Muslims through faades. This division of roles signifies an organised conspiracy. The leaders, exploiting their influence, propagated misguidance while the foot soldiers acted as instruments executing this plan.
The objective of this sedition was to turn Muslims away from Islam and strengthen the position of the People of the Book. This scheme, like a poisonous breeze, infiltrated the collective psyche and weakened faith. A similar phenomenon is observable in marketplaces where a few individuals steer collective behaviour through praise or defamation. This collective psychology served as a tool for misguidance.
The example of selling a house to several people, like a mirror, reflects the deception of the People of the Book. Outward leniency and cunning ensnare people, such that the apparent faith of the People of the Book led believers towards misguidance. This deceit stems from the human souls frailty, which is easily influenced by appearances.
This verse critiques the fanaticism of the People of the Book who limited faith to their co-religionists. They monopolised divine guidance and rejected acceptance of truth in others. The Holy Qur'an, emphasising "Indeed, guidance is the guidance of Allah", nullifies this fanaticism and considers guidance a divine gift bestowed by Allahs will to the deserving.
The phrase "Indeed, bounty is in the hand of Allah; He grants it to whom He wills" indicates that bounty, beneficence, and perfections are under God's control. This bounty, like a shower of mercy, descends upon the deserving and is distributed with divine knowledge and vastness. God, with intrinsic wisdom, selects the worthy and grants them guidance.
Man is a weak and ignorant creature who, in understanding and perception, sometimes falls behind animals. Animals, with their natural instincts, occasionally surpass humans in tasks such as detecting smuggling. This weakness acts like a chain binding man in misguidance and distances him from salvation.
The prophets, despite their divine mission, failed to reform society permanently because after them, people reverted to misguidance. This failure stems from human spiritual weakness and lack of inherent capacity to accept truth. Man, like loose soil, lacks the ability to preserve the seed of guidance.
The Holy Qur'an speaks of the mass entry and exit of people in religion: "They enter the religion of Allah in crowds." This cycle signifies the weakness of faith and susceptibility to appearances. Religion, in the absence of knowledge, is like a mere outer garment easily discarded.
Apparent believers, despite performing acts of worship such as prayer and fasting, sometimes incline towards violence and crime. This behaviour, like a wolf in sheep's clothing, results from lack of monotheistic knowledge and reliance on religious appearances. Faith without inner reality leads to deviation and conflict.
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