of Nokounam, May His Soul Rest in Peace (Session 883)
Surah Al-Imran, akin to a radiant gem among the verses of the Holy Quran, is an invitation towards unity, faith, and righteous deeds. Verses 103 and 104 of this Surah, which constitute the central focus of this treatise, function as two wings enabling the ascent towards divine guidance, emphasising two fundamental principles: holding fast to the rope of God and avoiding division, alongside the call to good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. These verses not only provide a roadmap for living a faithful life within the Islamic community but also, through a profound reflection on the nexus of heart and action, delineate practical measures for achieving unity and social reform. This treatise, by contemplating these two verses, elucidates their profound and applicable meanings and, through a critical lens addressing the challenges of implementing these principles in contemporary society, paves the way towards a deeper understanding of the practical and theoretical wisdom of religion.
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا ۚ وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنْتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُمْ بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا ۚ وَكُنْتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِنَ النَّارِ فَأَنْقَذَكُمْ مِنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah and do not become divided. And remember the favour of Allah upon you when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together, so you became, by His favour, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear His verses to you that you may be guided.
The Rope of God is likened to a steadfast cord stretched from the heavens to the earth, presented in the Holy Quran as the axis of guidance. This cord encompasses the Holy Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the entirety of the Divine religion, possessing an external and objective reality accessible to the believers. Just as a mountaineer requires a strong rope to ascend securely, the believer requires the Rope of God to remain steadfast on the path of guidance.
Holding fast to the Rope of God is not only an act of faith and the heart but also manifests in behaviour and conduct. This internalisation is like planting a seed in the soil of the heart, irrigated by faith and bearing fruit through action. Holding fast is among the powers of practical wisdom, not merely theoretical. Just as eating is a practical act reliant on the will of the heart, holding fast requires will, faith, and understanding to be realised in behaviour.
Practical wisdom, in contrast to theoretical wisdom (such as mathematical matters lacking practical action), necessitates the conjunction of heart and action. For example, performing prayer has both a theoretical aspect (belief in its obligation) and a practical aspect (carrying it out). Holding fast is analogous; faith in the Rope of God takes root in the heart but is manifested through the act of grasping this cord.
The noble verse emphasises and do not become divided (wa la tafarraqu) as indicating that division is the result of the absence of holding fast to the Rope of God. Division is like a fissure in the body of the Ummah that destroys unity. This division not only leads to conflict and strife but also prevents the realisation of practical wisdom. Unlike organised factions that can operate within the framework of unity, division implies conflict and dispersion, which distances the Ummah from guidance.
The phrase on the edge of a pit of the Fire (shaf ufratin mina an-nr) in the verse allows for two interpretations: first, deliverance from the fire of Hell, which is an eschatological dimension referring to divine guidance; second, deliverance from the fire of war and enmity, which is a social dimension emphasising the role of religion in fostering affection and peace. These two interpretations, like two sides of the same coin, demonstrate the comprehensiveness of the verse in both individual and social guidance.
Verse 103 of Surah Al-Imran, like a shining beacon, directs the way of unity and guidance for the Islamic Ummah. Holding fast to the Rope of God, comprising the Holy Quran, Prophetic Sunnah, and Divine religion, requires the conjunction of heart and action. This holding fast not only prevents division and dispersion but also saves the Ummah from the brink of the fire (whether eschatological or social). The emphasis on practical wisdom underscores the significance of righteous behaviour in achieving this guidance.
وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ ۚ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
And let there be from among you a nation inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong; and those are the successful.
Verse 104, akin to a multifaceted prism, defines the social duties of the Islamic Ummah in three main dimensions: the call to good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong. These duties, like the pillars of the edifice of a religious society, stabilise the structure of unity and reform. The call to good refers to benevolent acts and charities such as assisting others, while enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong focus on addressing deficiencies and violations.
The call to good is like a gentle breeze, inviting people to good deeds without compulsion or obligation. This call, such as encouraging aid to the needy, lacks coercion and is founded on benevolent motivations. Conversely, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong is like surgery for treating illness; it is compulsory and aimed at eliminating deficiencies and violations. This obligation arises from the failure of individuals or society to perform the right or abstain from the wrong.
The phrase let there be from among you a nation (wal takun minkum ummah) refers to a group within the Islamic Ummah tasked with the responsibility of calling to good and enjoining and forbidding. This Ummah may comprise religious scholars or a specific qualified group who, through competence, integrity, and expertise, fulfil this responsibility. However, identifying this Ummah is as challenging as finding a gem among stones. The criteria of qualification, moral integrity, and knowledge are fundamental prerequisites for this group.
The principal challenge lies in the absence of a systematic and selective organisation for the appointment of this Ummah. Due to the lack of rigorous selection and the existence of shortcomings, religious scholarship has sometimes been ineffective. Just as in other religions, clerical and priestly structures have failed due to lack of qualification, Islamic religious scholarship requires revision in its system of selection.
Enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong is a popular prerogative, not a governmental one. State compulsion acts as a chain binding the feet of the Ummah, depriving this duty of its popular essence. Religion, like pure water, becomes muddied by coercion. Enjoining and forbidding should arise from the bottom up, that is, from the deficiency of the individual, not from the superiority of the enforcer. The enforcer must be righteous and command correction with the motivation of reform, not with a sense of superiority.
Historically, religious scholars with popular influence, such as in the Tobacco Protest, implemented rulings with public acceptance. A contemporary example is the influence of religious scholars in Iraq, who, with respect and public trust and without coercion, contributed to peace. However, demonstrations in some societies indicate the absence of a righteous Ummah and the dominance of the state, leading to corruption and conflict.
In contemporary society, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong sometimes leads to conflict and corruption due to lack of qualification and acceptance. As Khayyams anecdote illustrates, enforcement by an unqualified individual is ineffective. This duty is permissible only under specific conditions, that is, when the enforcer is competent and the addressee accepts him.
Easy access to corruption, consumerism, and lack of contentment have led society to moral decline. The current educational system, due to improper upbringing, is ineffective and leads students astray. Previously, despite lack of resources, contentment and tranquillity prevailed; today, material abundance results in unrest.
Verse 104, like a blueprint for societal reform, assigns the duties of calling to good and enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong to the Ummah. These duties require competence, integrity, and popular acceptance. State compulsion alienates these duties from their popular nature and leads to ineffectiveness. Historical and contemporary examples demonstrate the importance of popular influence and qualification in fulfilling these duties.
Verses 103 and 104 of Surah Al-Imran, like two stars in the sky of guidance, illuminate the path of unity and social reform. Verse 103, emphasising holding fast to the Rope of God, introduces unity as a prerequisite for guidance and views division as the result of the absence of practical wisdom. Verse 104, by delineating the duties of calling to good and enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, summons the Ummah towards salvation. However, realisation of these verses requires competence, integrity, and selective organisation. The critiques presented, from the inefficacy of religious scholarship to state compulsion, provide profound lessons in religious sociology. This treatise, as a window towards a deeper understanding of these verses, invites reflection on the paths to societal reform and a return to the authentic spirit of religion.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
