The Holy Quran, like a radiant lamp, guides humanity on the path of recognising truth and reforming oneself and society. Ayah 75 of Surah Al-Imran, with profound insight into human behaviours, unveils two contrasting types of personalities: the pure-hearted trustees and the deceitful who return even a small amount only under duress. This writing, inspired by this noble Ayah, explores the psychological and sociological dimensions of trustworthiness and ethical deviations. Like a tree rooted in the soil of knowledge and whose branches reach towards the heavens of perfection, this text seeks to extract the essence of trustworthiness as a rare gem from layers of prejudice and hypocrisy, presenting it to the reader.
وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مَنْ إِنْ تَأْمَنْهُ بِقِنْطَارٍ يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ إِنْ تَأْمَنْهُ بِدِينَارٍ لَا يُؤَدِّهِ إِلَيْكَ إِلَّا مَا دُمْتَ عَلَيْهِ قَائِمًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ سَبِيلٌ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
And from among the People of the Book there is he who, if you entrust him with a quintal, will deliver it to you; and from among them there is he who, if you entrust him with a dinar, will not deliver it to you except what you remain standing over him. That is because they say: There is no way upon us regarding the unlettered, and they utter against Allah a lie while they know.
This Ayah, like a mirror reflecting the opposing human faces, depicts two groups among the People of the Book: those who return a quintal, that is, a large quantity of gold, with pure-heartedness, and those who do not return even a dinar, a small amount, except under pressure and supervision. This contrast is a testimony to the fundamental differences in human nature, rooted in conscience, knowledge, and piety.
The quintal, like a mountain of gold, symbolises a large and heavy trust which constitutes a difficult test for human conscience. In contrast, the dinar, like a speck of gold, is a small trust that even in this simple test some fail to uphold. This contrast, like two scales, measures sincerity and trustworthiness and shows how some sacrifice their conscience at the altar of greed in the face of wealth's temptation.
Trustworthiness, like a jewel in the crown of humanity, requires no justification. The Holy Quran does not cite a reason for those trustworthy with the quintal because this trait itself is the principle of perfection and knowledge. The trustee, like a deeply rooted tree in the soil of piety, returns the trust without needing any documentation or proof, for their conscience guides them towards truth.
Humans, like travellers at a fateful crossroads, are divided into two groups: the quintal people, who are pure-hearted trustees, and the dinar people, who resort to betrayal even over small sums. This classification applies not only to the People of the Book but to all humansfrom disbelievers to believers, from the learned to the ignorant. Trustworthiness, like a light shining from the human heart, transcends religious and social boundaries.
Trustworthiness, like a clear spring, flows even in some disbelievers, who are sometimes purer-hearted than thousands of believers. In the past, some were so trustworthy that they would pledge the hair of their mustache, a symbol of honour and credibility now faded in contemporary times. This decline has cast a heavy shadow over modern society and has turned trustworthiness into a rare jewel.
One example of trustworthiness is a person who registered billions of tomans under another's name and returned it without expectation. This person, like a steadfast mountain, considered material value equal to nothing and was answerable only to their own conscience. However, the ingratitude of others, who paid only fifty tomans for transferring this enormous trust, is like a thorn in the foot of justice and demonstrates the ethical weakness of society.
A group among the People of the Book, like wolves in sheeps clothing, justify betrayal with the claim There is no way upon us regarding the unlettered (al-ummiyyin). The unlettered here refers to non-People of the Book, including disbelievers, polytheists, and even some believers, who in the view of this group lack property rights. This justification, like a veil of hypocrisy, conceals the truth and adorns betrayal with the colour of religion.
The Holy Quran explicitly calls this justification a deliberate lie against God: And they say against Allah a lie while they know. The betrayers are like actors wearing the mask of truth, fully aware that this claim is false. This awareness intensifies their sin, for hypocrisy and hypocrisy poison the human soul like venom.
This deviation is not limited to the People of the Book. Some believers, relying on sectarian prejudices, consider the property of non-co-religionists permissible. This belief, the property of others is my property, is like a fire that burns the foundations of justice. From Jews and Christians to Muslims, from religious scholars to thieves and corrupts, this deviation appears as a widespread disease across all ethnicities and groups.
Betrayers, under religious pretexts, trample social norms and property rights. The belief that the property of non-co-religionists is worthless is like a storm disrupting social order. Every nation, even disbelievers, have sanctities and rights that must be respected. Justice, like a clear spring, originates from respecting others rights.
In a world where a worker suffers under the summer heat for 120,000 tomans, betrayers plunder billions. This inequality is like a deep wound in the body of society, resulting from ethical corruption and abuse of power. Justice can only be achieved through trustworthiness and piety.
Entrusting property to betrayers is like throwing a jewel into a wellfoolishand attempting to retrieve it is even more foolish. Blind trust, like walking in darkness, leads to loss. Humans must entrust their trusts wisely and cautiously to those worthy.
Education from childhood, like planting a seed in fertile soil, is essential for nurturing trustworthiness. However, in the present era, the role of parents has diminished, and non-family institutions have overshadowed child upbringing like a heavy shadow. Humans must rely on themselves, as others come to their aid less frequently.
بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِ وَاتَّقَىٰ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ
Indeed, whoever fulfils his covenant and fears Allah then indeed, Allah loves the righteous.
The righteous are like the stars of the divine heavens, beloved by their Lord. The world is created for these pure-hearted, and the impious, like weeds, have no place in the divine order.
The quintal trustee, like a rare jewel, is so precious that one would sacrifice their life for it. In contrast, the dinar betrayer, even with documentation, is unworthy of trust. This difference is like the line between light and darkness, separating humanity from baseness.
The discussion of complementarity flows like a river originating from the Holy Quran, meaning tranquillity and discharge: so that you may dwell in tranquillity with her. Complementarity is not about beauty or wealth but about suitability and balance. Marriages lacking compatibility, such as a ninety-year-old woman with a twenty-year-old youth or a child with an elder, are like a rootless tree, leading to dysfunction. Complementarity, like two wings of a bird, requires harmony and balance for the flight of life towards felicity.
The Holy Quran, like a deep ocean, requires the sciences of sociology and psychology to understand human behaviour. Understanding humans is like a key that opens the doors to societal reform. Social transformations, from public awareness to the decline of trustworthiness, indicate the complexities of human behaviour that necessitate scientific analysis.
Praying for a being upon whom neither the quintal nor the dinar has influence is like a breeze that guides the soul towards piety. Humans must live in such a way that they stand honourably before God and His angels, like a selfless carrier who performs without expectation and leaves the result to God.
The betrayer, like one trapped in the swamp of greed, sees no good and is doomed to misery and torment. This fate is like a mirror reflecting the consequence of violating justice and conscience.
Ayah 75 of Surah Al-Imran, like a shining torch, guides humanity in recognising trustworthiness and betrayal. The quintal trustees, like the stars of the heavens, return trusts selflessly with pure conscience and divine piety. In contrast, the dinar betrayers, with false justifications and undesirable prejudices, plunder others wealth. This Ayah calls not only the People of the Book but all humans towards trustworthiness and piety. Education, self-reliance, and prayer, like three wings for flight towards felicity, lead humans to become quintal trustees. The world is created for the righteous, and betrayers, like weeds, have no place in this divine system.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
