The Holy Quran, the Book of Guidance and Light, explicitly delineates the paths to salvation and the factors leading to misguidance within its verses. Verse 113 of Surah Al-Imran, emphasising the distinction among the People of the Book, introduces a group who, due to their nocturnal recitation of Divine verses and sincere prostrations, are counted among the righteous. This treatise undertakes a profound examination of this verse alongside verse 20 of Surah Al-Muzzammil, elucidating the associated meanings and concepts pertaining to recitation, action, and benevolence. The aim is to offer a deep reflection upon these verses, grounded in lived experiences and semantic analyses, exploring the veracity of faith and righteous deeds in contemporary times.
One of the causes of misguidance in the Abrahamic religionsincluding Judaism, Christianity, and Islamis the excessive recitation of sacred texts without regard for understanding and practice. This excessive recitation, which sometimes culminates in overindulgence in Quranic verse recitation, not only fails to lead to perfection but rather fosters dullness and ignorance. The Holy Quran explicitly advocates balanced recitation in verse 20 of Surah Al-Muzzammil:
"Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand [in prayer] nearly two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allah determines the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to keep it always, so He has turned to you in mercy. So recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others travelling through the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."
Your Lord knows that you and a group of your companions rise during less than two-thirds, half, or one-third of the night. Allah measures the night and the day. He knew that you would not be able to observe it completely, so He turned to you in mercy. Therefore, recite what is easy from the Quran. He knew that among you there will be the ill, others who travel the earth seeking Allahs bounty, and others who fight in the path of Allah. So recite what is feasible, establish prayer, give zakah, and grant Allah a goodly loan. Whatever good you advance for yourselves, you will find it with Allahbetter and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness from Allah, for indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
This verse advocates for balanced recitation, taking into account the diverse conditions of humansfrom illness to travel and jihad. Nonetheless, recitation without understanding is akin to accumulating snow in a warehouse, bringing neither warmth nor vitality. This deviation, common among adherents of the Abrahamic faiths, leads not to perfection but to ignorance and addiction to superficiality.
Certain narrations which recommend reciting the Holy Quran to the point of death or attribute inappropriate ratios to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Imams are unfounded and fabricated. Recitation devoid of understanding and practicewhere neither knowledge nor insight existshas no value. Such recitation resembles hollow words producing mere noise in the wind, failing to reach the heart and soul. Instead of guiding a person towards perfection, this kind of recitation plunges one into a whirlpool of ignorance and superficiality.
Verse 113 of Surah Al-Imran explicitly refers to the distinction among the People of the Book, singling out a group who, through nocturnal recitation of Divine verses and sincere prostrations, are among the righteous:
"They are not all alike. Among the People of the Book is a standing nation who recite the verses of Allah during the night and prostrate [in worship]."
This verse alludes to a group among the People of the Book who stand at night, reciting the Divine verses with sincerity. This recitation is not merely superficial but accompanied by faith, comprehension, and prolonged prostrations. However, this standing nation is so rare that it is scarcely seen in reality.
In a personal experience, the narrator recalls his uncle who, in his childhood, embodied the standing nation. This individual would stand at night reciting the Quranic verses, maintaining alertness and ritual purity by walking and praying. This practice was so impactful that the sick, believing in his spirituality, sought healing through his saliva. This exemplar, like a precious gem amid stones, highlights the rarity of such individuals.
Benevolence, such as purity, sincerity, and soundness, in todays world is as rare as a precious jewel, while evil and impurity are as common and cheap as dogs sweat compared to cognac. The narrator references an anecdote from Qazvin, where as a child he mistakenly entered a gathering where wine and dancing were present. This incident illustrates the abundance of impure acts relative to the scarcity of benevolent deeds. Furthermore, in a metaphor involving a butcher, the healthy sheeps tongue (symbolising good) is rare, whereas the defective tongue (symbolising evil) is plentifula general rule in the world.
Contemporary Muslims, numbering over one and a half billion, are immersed in misery and impurity. Recitation without understanding and action, akin to mechanised adhans broadcast by loudspeakers and recordings, lacks human spirit. This superficiality, even prevalent among religious scholars, leads not to perfection but to ignorance and moral decay. Even during Itikf, which should be a time for solitude and recitation, nights pass in socialising and jest.
The standing nation, who recite the Divine verses at night, does not exist among present-day Muslims. The narrator has encountered only a few individuals exhibiting such traits individually, but collectively this nation is absent. No longer is recitation in the darkness of nightrequiring memorisation and ablutionpractised. Even reciters who read the Quran without ablution or in a state of ritual impurity indicate disregard for the rulings and spirit of recitation.
These verses, referencing the standing nation and benevolence, may be realised in a distant future alongside the evolution of humanity. In present times, benevolence is so scarce that even benevolent proposals, such as donating a floor of a building, are often superficial and fruitless. The narrators own expressed need for a residence in Qom demonstrates that genuine benevolencelike lawful sustenanceis virtually unattainable.
Faith in God and the Day of Resurrection forms the foundation for nocturnal recitation and prostrations. Verse 113 of Surah Al-Imran, following the introduction of the standing nation, refers to their faith in God and the Last Day. This faith, coupled with enjoining good and forbidding evil during the day, manifests the connection between night and day in the lives of the righteous.
Enjoining good and forbidding evil, performed during the day, represents the social dimension of faith. In early Islam, there was no society at night and nocturnal wandering was associated with theft. Thus, these actions were conducted by day and signify the righteous commitment to societal reform.
The righteous compete with each other in benevolence, akin to those gathering coins at a wedding. Yet, benevolence is so rare that it is like a coin amidst a throng, difficult to obtain. This hastening, mentioned in the verse as and hasten to good deeds (وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ), demonstrates the dynamism and dedication of the righteous towards goodness.
Verse 113 of Surah Al-Imran and verse 20 of Surah Al-Muzzammil, emphasising balanced recitation, faith, and righteous action, delineate the path to salvation. The standing nation, reciting Divine verses at night and performing prolonged prostrations, symbolises the righteous, who are scarce in contemporary times. The critique of superficial recitation, the rarity of benevolence, and the moral decline among Muslims manifest the profound gap between the external and internal dimensions of religion. These verses may be realised in a distant future alongside human development but are presently only observed individually. This treatise, relying on lived experience and semantic analysis, is an invitation to reflect upon the reality of faith and righteous deeds.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
