The Holy Quran, like a radiant lamp, guides humanity across the vast realm of knowledge and guidance. Verse 109 of Surah Al-Imran, with eloquent and profound expression, portrays the reality of Divine absolute ownership and the return of all affairs towards Him. This verse, like a passionate ode, summons the human soul to perceive the grandeur of the Creator and His position within the cosmic order. In this discourse, relying on the scholarly lectures of religious authorities, this noble verse is examined in a detailed and profound manner to elucidate the truth of Divine ownership and its consequences in human life. This interpretation endeavours, with eloquent and dignified language, to present the lofty concepts of this verse in a clear and coherent framework for the readers.
WaliLlhi m f as-samwti wa-m f al-ari wa-il Allhi turjau al-umr
And whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth belongs to God, and all affairs return to God.
This verse, like a brilliant gem in Surah Al-Imran, expresses the reality of Divine absolute ownership with eloquent and clear language. The word m in this verse refers to the boundless expanse of existence, encompassing all creaturesfrom stones and clay to humans and angels. This comprehensiveness signifies the unquestionable dominion of the Lord over all realms.
This noble verse, akin to a perfect couplet in the poem of Divine love, places all creatures of the heavens and the earth under the ownership of the Almighty God. The verse refers not only to material possession but to all manifestations of existence, whether material or spiritual. The heavens, with their countless worlds, and the earth, with its visible and hidden layers, are all encompassed within Divine ownership. This comprehensiveness, like an endless ocean, embraces all beings and excludes nothing from the Divine domain.
The heavens and the earth, in this verse, transcend their apparent and material meanings and refer to countless realms. Perhaps the heavens contain hundreds of worlds and the earth thousands of hidden layers, yet this multitude, in comparison to Divine ownership, is like a drop in the ocean. All these realmsfrom the shining stars of the heavens to the particles of earths soilare under God's ownership. This reality prompts humankind to reflect upon the greatness of the Lord and their own insignificance before Him.
Some religious scholars, citing Divine absolute ownership, hold that God may exercise any intervention in His creatures unconditionally. While this view stresses Divine ownership, it is subject to critique because Divine attributes such as justice, wisdom, and mercy negate any form of oppression or injustice emanating from His sacred realm. God has introduced Himself through names like The Just, The Wise, and The Merciful, and all actions are performed within the framework of these attributes.
In Western culture, man considers himself the owner of his soul and possessions and believes in absolute discretion over his life and property. This perspective, rooted in humanism and extreme individualism, has led to acts such as suicide, human trafficking, and even cannibalism. In certain Western societies, suicide is legally sanctioned and performed with specific rituals; an individual ends his life in a hospital or designated place, by intravenous injection, in the presence of family portraits. This act, justified in the name of freedom, is in fact a liberation from ethical and Divine constraints.
The claim of human ownership over ones life and possessions is, from a Divine standpoint, false. Man is akin to a trustee who has temporary ownership of possessions and even his own life, whereas the true Owner is God. This viewpoint prevents any unlawful intervention, including suicide or injustice towards others. Just as a person has no right to oppress his own child, God, as the true Owner, never wrongs His creatures.
In Western culture, freedom is understood as absolute deliverance from moral and religious constraints. This deliverance, which sometimes results in acts like cannibalism or child trafficking, differs fundamentally from true freedom defined within the framework of wisdom and religion. Freedom is like a bird flying in the sky of wisdom and justice, whereas deliverance resembles a stone falling from the peak of ethics into the abyss of chaos.
God, in the Holy Quran, introduces Himself with names such as The Just, The Wise, The All-Knowing, The Merciful, and The Generous. These attributes reject any form of oppression or injustice from His sacred presence. Divine absolute ownership does not mean unrestricted discretion, but rather intervention within the framework of justice and wisdom. God, like a wise gardener, tends to His creatures and never wrongs them.
In some societies, acts such as cannibalism or suicide are justified under individual ownership. For example, a person who bought a six-month-old child, fried and ate itan act seemingly legal in some regions. These actions, rooted in unethical deliverance, contradict Divine ownership and Quranic wisdom. Man is not only not the owner of his life but even in severe illness, is obliged to adhere to Divine wisdom until the last moment.
In cases where human life transitions to a vegetative state, such as brain death, preservation of life by machines is not necessary. A person who experiences brain death is like a plant with no human spirit flowing through it. Disconnecting the machine from such a person, like pruning a branch from a tree, is permissible, whereas killing a human being who still possesses life, albeit ill and incapacitated, is manifest oppression.
The second part of the verse, wa-il Allhi turjau al-umr, refers to the automatic return of all affairs to God. The passive form turjau indicates the automatic and Divine system governing existence. All creatures, actions, and judgments return like streams to the boundless Divine ocean. This return includes not only humans and beings but also all rules, systems, and attributes of existence.
Man is not the true owner of anything but is rather like a tenant entrusted with possessions and his own life for a limited time. Even long-term ownership, such as buying a house or land, is in reality temporary tenancy. This truth detaches man from attachment to the world and claims of ownership, guiding him towards acceptance of Divine ownership.
God considers even refuse and seemingly worthless entities under His ownership. This comprehensiveness demonstrates the boundless mercy of the Lord, who excludes nothing from His dominion. Like a generous sovereign, He embraces both the virtuous and the wicked and returns all to Himself.
The remembrance of WaliLlhi m f as-samwti wa-m f al-ari wa-il Allhi turjau al-umr acts as a golden key that opens the human soul towards Divine knowledge. Unlike traditional remembrances such as Subnallh or Alamdulillh, which suit the common people, this remembrance, for scholars and seekers, is a path to spiritual elevation. It polishes the heart, strengthens the psyche, and frees man from worldly attachments.
Although traditional remembrances are beneficial for the general public, for mystics and scholars the Quranic remembrance of this verse, due to its depth and comprehensiveness, has a deeper effect. This remembrance acts like a clear mirror reflecting the reality of Divine ownership and the return of affairs before the human eye, prompting reflection on ones place in the cosmic order.
The claim of ownership over wealth, power, or even life stems from human ignorance. History is replete with kings and potentates who oppressed and tyrannised by claiming ownership, but ultimately all returned to God. This truth acts as a wake-up call, rousing man from heedlessness and calling him to accept Divine ownership.
In a reflective example, a person in Tehran after death caused a dispute among heirs due to hiding assets, resulting in conflicts and imprisonments. This case illustrates the folly of attachment to wealth and the failure to resolve its disposition during life. Man must determine the fate of his assets to prevent disputes after death.
Verse 109 of Surah Al-Imran, with eloquent and profound expression, elucidates Divine absolute ownership and the return of all affairs to Him. This verse deters man from claims of ownership and injustice and invites acceptance of Divine wisdom and justice. The critique of some religious scholars and Western cultural views demonstrates the difference between true freedom and unethical deliverance. The remembrance of this verse is a path to spiritual transformation and liberation from worldly attachment. Man, like a traveller in this world, is a Divine trustee who must traverse his path with wisdom and justice until ultimately returning to the Lord.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
