The Holy Quran, like a radiant lamp, illuminates the path of guidance for humanity and, with its clear and firm verses, delineates the individual and collective duties of the Ummah on the path of salvation. Verses 104 to 108 of Surah l Imrn, with eloquent language and profound meaning, address the invitation to goodness, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, avoiding discord, and reflecting on the fate of mankind on the Day of Resurrection. These verses not only serve as practical guidance for the Islamic Ummah but, with a deep insight into human nature, urge it to refrain from injustice and division, and to proceed towards the light of faith and divine mercy. This treatise, relying upon the lectures of religious scholars, comprehensively and interpretatively examines these verses to provide a clear path for understanding the truth and acting accordingly.
Key Point: Goodness, like a boundless ocean, encompasses all virtues, and enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong are like waves upon this ocean, representing parts of it.
The Holy Quran in verse 104 of Surah l Imrn calls the Islamic Ummah towards goodness and introduces enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong as fundamental duties. Goodness is a comprehensive concept that includes all that entails virtue, righteousness, and salvation. This concept, like a shining sun, illuminates all aspects of human life, and enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, as two branches of this sturdy tree, address the rectification of shortcomings and elimination of evils.
"Let there be among you a group who call to goodness, enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and those are the successful." (Al-Quran, l Imrn 3:104)
This verse calls the Ummah to form a congregation that, through invitation to goodness, becomes the centre for reform and advancement of society. Salvation, like a precious gem, depends on fulfilling these duties, and the Islamic Ummah, by adherence to this divine command, can reach the pinnacle of felicity. In this verse, goodness encompasses not only enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, but all kinds of virtue, including the invitation to ethics, knowledge, and justice. This invitation manifests the collective responsibility of the Ummah, addressed not to specific individuals but to the entire Islamic community.
Enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, like two wings of flight, guide the Ummah towards reform and salvation. These two duties are specific virtues embedded within the broader good. The right (marf) includes all that reason and Shariah deem good, while the wrong (munkar) encompasses all that falls outside this domain. These responsibilities require patience and perseverance, as the Quran regards patience as the key to salvation. The Islamic Ummah, by commitment to these duties, not only saves itself from misguidance but also leads society towards the light of guidance.
Verse 104 of Surah l Imrn outlines the path of salvation for the Islamic Ummah by inviting goodness and enjoining what is right while forbidding what is wrong. Goodness, like a gushing spring, contains all virtues, and enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, as branches of this spring, aid in societal reform. This verse emphasises the collective responsibility of the Ummah, urging unity and adherence to divine duties.
Key Point: Discord is like a fissure in the body of the Ummah, and division like darkness in thought, which, after the revelation of clear proofs, bring about misguidance.
The Holy Quran in verse 105 of Surah l Imrn forbids the Ummah from following those who became divided and discordant after clear proofs had come to them. This verse serves as a warning regarding the unity of the Ummah and avoidance of fragmentation and strife.
"And do not be like those who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them; and those will have a great punishment." (Al-Quran, l Imrn 3:105)
Discord refers to social and practical fragmentation, whereas division relates to intellectual and doctrinal differences in beliefs. Discord existed from the beginning among the Arabs, but division emerged after the revelation of clear proofs (the Holy Quran, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and divine verses). This division, which arose after the arrival of clear evidence, indicates the severity of misguidance. The clear proofs, like a transparent mirror, exposed the truth, yet neglecting them led to discord and division.
The term "clear proofs" (bayynt) refers to explicit and evident reasons, including the Holy Quran, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the divine verses that clearly present guidance. These proofs transcend ordinary knowledge and, with their clarity, distinguish the path from the misguidance. However, the Ummahs disregard for these proofs resulted in being deprived of guidance. This neglect, like ignoring a bright light, led to the darkness of discord and division.
Verse 105, by mentioning "a great punishment," depicts the ultimate fate of those who fell into discord and division after the revelation of clear proofs. Due to ambiguity about its exact nature, this punishment cannot be confined to specific interpretations. Some consider it Hell, others an otherworldly chastisement, and some view it as worldly afflictions. Nonetheless, what is certain is the distance from truth and deprivation of felicity that this punishment entails.
Religious knowledge, which should be the beacon of guidance, has occasionally, due to discord and division, led to misguidance. Jews, Christians, and Muslims have each, in their own right, fallen into the trap of discord and conflict. This discord exists not only among religions but also within each religion, such as the schism between Shia and Sunni. These conflicts, like a devastating fire, have destroyed faith and felicity.
Violence, like a dark shadow, is incompatible with faith and the essence of religion. A violent person, though apparently a follower of religion, lacks the spirit of true faith. The history of Abrahamic religions, from Judaism and Christianity to Islam, bears witness to violences rooted in discord and division. This violence, akin to a poisonous toxin, has internally fragmented religious communities.
To comprehend the depth of misguidance resulting from discord, a comprehensive and comparative study is necessary, examining the extent of violence and strife in the Abrahamic religions. This study, like a mirror, reveals the truth and shows that none of these religions, due to their entrapment in discord, holds superiority over another.
Verse 105 of Surah l Imrn, by forbidding discord and division after the revelation of clear proofs, calls the Ummah towards unity and adherence to divine guidance. Discord and division, as devastating afflictions, endanger faith and felicity. Clear proofs, as evident evidences, indicate the path of guidance, but neglecting them brings about a great punishment. Critiquing religious knowledge and conducting comparative religious studies is a means to understand the depth of this misguidance and return to the path of truth.
Key Point: White and black faces on the Day of Resurrection reflect, like a mirror, the truth of human deeds and hearts.
Verse 106 of Surah l Imrn, in its description of the Day of Resurrection, introduces white and black faces as symbols of righteous deeds and disbelief.
"The Day when some faces will be white and some faces will be black. As for those whose faces are blackened, [it will be said to them:] 'Did you disbelieve after your belief? Then taste the punishment for what you used
