Verses 142 to 144 of Surah Al-Imran from the Holy Qur'an serve as a luminous mirror, revealing the essence of faith and the challenges confronting mankind on the path of servitude. These verses, articulated with profound and penetrating expression, critically address human illusions, ostentation of virtue, and the absence of truth in conduct, emphasising the necessity of striving (jihad), patience, and steadfastness in faith.
In this discourse, through an analytical and in-depth perspective, the concepts of these verses are examined under three principal themes: human illusions and ostentations, the reality of death, and the steadfastness of faith following the Prophet. The objective is to provide a comprehensive and coherent exegesis that elucidates Quranic knowledge with clarity and gravitas for an audience invested in religious sciences and theological studies.
This work, employing literary metaphors and semantic linkages, endeavours to reflect the spirit of the verses in an aesthetically pleasing and meaningful manner.
أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا مِنْكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ الصَّابِرِينَ
Did you think that you would enter Paradise while Allah has not yet known those of you who strive and remain patient?
This verse, like an illuminating beacon, refers to three fundamental layers within human existence: desires (illusions), ostentations, and realities. Desires resemble tempestuous windsinstinctive motives driving man towards distant aspirations such as prophethood, leadership, or wealth. Ostentations act as deceptive masks, superficial manifestations of virtue that humans display to attain social acceptance. However, realities represent a rare jewelthe truth of action manifested through striving (jihad) and patience. This classification, from the perspective of religious psychology, highlights the complexity of human behaviour and illustrates how desires and ostentations cast a heavy shadow over the truth of deeds.
Man, akin to a traveller wandering the desert of desires, harbours endless aspirations: prophethood, leadership, wealth, or power. These desires may intensify to such an extent that they impel man towards false claims such as divinity or prophethood. Past mystics, in their mystical discourses, were sometimes led astray by such claims, exemplified by utterances like There is nothing in my garment but God, which point to the misuse of mystical concepts. These desires, from the standpoint of moral philosophy, are the origin of illusions and divert man from the truth.
Ostentation of virtue, like an elegantly adorned but hollow garment, occupies the second rank. Sometimes, man presents himself as virtuous, faithful, or engaged in outward acts such as prayer, yet these ostentations lack a genuine practical foundation. From the viewpoint of social psychology, such behaviour represents an effort to gain social approval without commitment to truth. The Quran, through the phrase Did you think..., challenges this illusion and invites man to reflect on the reality of faith.
Realities, like shining stars in a dark sky, are rare and precious. The truth of action manifests through striving (jihad) and patience, but this truth is a scarce gem in the face of desires and ostentations. Theologically, this verse points to the gap between claim and action within religious communities, indicating that truth is only revealed through divine tests.
The phrase while Allah has not yet known alludes to the present knowledge of God which is formed according to human deeds. This knowledge, from the perspective of divine philosophy, is dynamic and contingent upon human action. God, like a just teacher, does not deem anyone a denizen of Paradise until they have undergone the test of striving and patience. This viewpoint underscores the primacy of action over claim and challenges the illusion of assured paradise.
Religious communities, whether Jews, Christians, or Muslims, have sometimes failed to realise divine ideals due to the dominance of illusions and ostentations over realities. This critique, from the standpoint of religious history, points to the inefficacy of these communities in actualising truth. Even among sinners, righteous individuals are scarce, and this rarity attests to the profound challenges facing practical faith.
Divine justice, like a precise scale, necessitates that oppressors and criminals are judged before the innocent weak. Minor sins, such as neglecting supererogatory prayers, are insignificant compared to major transgressions like tyranny and oppression. This perspective, from moral philosophy, emphasises the need for prioritisation in the execution of justice. God, like a fair judge, first confronts the oppressors and then attends to the innocent weak.
Verse 142 of Surah Al-Imran, with incisive expression, invites mankind to reflect upon the truth of faith. Illusions and ostentations act as deceptive shadows distancing man from truth, whereas realities are manifested through striving and patience. This verse, by critiquing religious communities and emphasising divine justice, indicates that the path to felicity lies in acting upon the truth.
وَلَقَدْ كُنْتُمْ تَمَنَّوْنَ الْمَوْتَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَلْقَوْهُ فَقَدْ رَأَيْتُمُوهُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ
And you had certainly wished for death before you met it; so you have seen it while you were looking on.
This verse, like a polished mirror, reveals the contradiction between claim and reality in confronting death. Humans, prior to encountering death, sometimes long for it and speak of it, yet when death arrives, they gaze upon it bewildered like a stunned bird. This contradiction, from the perspective of psychology, points to the conflict between reason and emotion. Despite acknowledging the inevitability of death, man, at his core, does not truly believe in it until he faces it.
Death, as an unavoidable reality, awaits all, yet humans, like playful children, avoid believing in it. Even the elderly, who have lived long lives, sometimes claim they will continue to live for years. This disbelief, from a theological viewpoint, indicates weakness of faith and lack of preparedness to face the truth. The Quran, through the phrase while you were looking on, depicts this astonishment and denial.
Death, like an open gate to eternity, is inevitable for all. Sometimes, man verbally professes acceptance of death but when it comes, he is like a traveller taken by surprise and overwhelmed before it. This parable emphasises the necessity of readiness for death as an integral part of faith. The believer, like a farmer preparing for spring, must equip himself for this eternal journey.
Verse 143 of Surah Al-Imran, with eloquent expression, highlights the contradiction between the claim to accept death and the astonishment upon encountering it. This verse invites mankind to reflect on the reality of death and to prepare for it. Death serves as a mirror revealing the frailty of faith and human illusions.
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ ۚ أَفَإِنْ مَاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِكُمْ ۚ وَمَنْ يَنْقَلِبْ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَنْ يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا ۗ وَسَيَجْزِي اللَّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ
"Muhammad is but a messenger; messengers before him have passed away. So if he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels? And whoever turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all. And Allah will reward the grateful."
This verse, like a gentle soothing breeze, emphasises the humanity of the Prophet and places him alongside other messengers. Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, is but a messenger entrusted with the duty of guidance. From a theological perspective, this statement highlights the limited role of the Prophet to his mission and his mortality. The death or assassination of the Prophet stands as a profound test to the faith of the community.
The phrase "turn back on your heels" functions as a startling warning, pointing to the danger of apostasy after the Prophets demise. This regression signifies a frailty of faith and a dependence on the person of the Prophet rather than on the truth of the religion itself. From the standpoint of religious psychology, this behaviour reflects a superficial display of faith during the Prophets life that collapses thereafter.
The phrase "will never harm Allah at all", as if echoing from the Divine Throne, points to Allahs independence from human actions. Human apostasy does not inflict harm upon Allah; rather, it consigns the individual to ruin. Theologically, this principle underscores Allahs grandeur and His self-sufficiency beyond His servants.
The phrase "And Allah will reward the grateful", like a divine proclamation, promises recompense to those who are grateful. The grateful are those who endure steadfastly in the blessings of Allah and do not abandon the faith after the Prophets passing. From a mystical viewpoint, this reward highlights the significance of practical gratitude and endurance in faith. The grateful receive worldly recompense, unlike the praisers whose praise is without expectation of reward.
The grateful express thanks for blessings, whereas the praisers, like light-winged birds, praise Allah without anticipation of reward. This distinction, from a mystical perspective, refers to varying levels of nearness to Allah. Praisers, due to their rarity, are like a precious gem, yet the grateful demonstrate endurance due to their receipt of blessings.
Verse 144 of Surah Al-Imran, by emphasising the Prophets humanity and the necessity of perseverance in faith, invites humanity to reflect on the essence of religion. The grateful, like shining stars, receive divine reward through steadfastness in trials, whereas apostasy is indicative of weak faith and hypocrisy.
Mysticism, like a spiritual journey towards truth, comprises three stages: rejection of greed from people, rejection of greed from the self, and rejection of greed from Allah. These stages, from the perspective of Islamic mysticism, refer to the phases of spiritual progress and reaching purity. The rejection of greed from Allah, like a lofty summit, signals pure love which elevates the mystic to the station of servitude.
Love of Allah devoid of greed, like a blossoming flower in the garden of existence, represents the highest degree of mysticism. The mystic, like an unassuming lover, loves Allah not for paradise or blessings but for His essence alone. This love is a sign of pure servitude that liberates the human from carnal desires and ostentation.
Allah is likened to the air that fills human existence. Should this air depart from existence, it shatters like fragile glass. This metaphor indicates human ontological dependence on Allah and demonstrates how greed alienates a person from this reality.
Mystics, like wise gardeners, eradicate malice from their hearts and harbour no grudge even against oppressors. This principle, from the standpoint of mystical ethics, pertains to purifying the heart from hatred and attaining the station of peace. The mystic, like a gentle breeze, greets all with peace and cleanses the heart from the impurity of malice.
Many acts of worship, such as pilgrimage commemorations (Ziyarat Ashura), sometimes originate from greed. This greed, like a dark shadow, taints the sincerity of worship. The true mystic, like a free bird, is liberated from greed and performs worship solely for closeness to Allah.
Mysticism, as a clear path towards truth, invites humans to renounce greed and to embrace pure love for Allah. The rejection of malice and greed purifies the heart and elevates the human to the station of God's worshippers. This section, by emphasising mystical degrees, delineates the path of felicity in pure servitude.
The extravagance of the wealthy, like a burning fire, plunges millions into the abyss of poverty. Every two seconds, a human succumbs to poverty, while extravagance and inequality, like a devastating flood, engulf the world. This critique, from the perspective of ethical economics, highlights the responsibility of the wealthy towards the poor.
Religious knowledge, at times due to its reliance on material blessings, strays from its essence. Students of religion, like learners seeking stipends, sometimes pursue knowledge with material motivations. This critique calls for a return to the true essence of religious knowledge and liberation from materialism.
This section, by critiquing extravagance and global inequality, refers to human responsibility towards divine justice. Religious knowledge, like a guiding light, must be freed from material bonds to reflect truth.
Verses 142 to 144 of Surah Al-Imran, like a clear spring, present divine knowledge to humanity. These verses, by critiquing illusions and human ostentation, guide man towards the truth of faith. Jihad, patience, and perseverance in faith, like keys to paradise, lead man to felicity. Death, as an inevitable reality, and selfless love, as the pinnacle of servitude, invite reflection on the truth of existence. This exegesis, by linking theology, psychology, and mysticism, offers a clear path for contemporary understanding of Qur'anic verses. A world based on truth and justice awaits those who have been freed from illusions and ostentation and step forward towards pure servitude.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
