the Lectures of Nekounam , Session 925
Verses 172 and 173 of Surah Al-Imran, like a brilliant jewel in the divine discourse of the Holy Qur'an, elucidate the characteristics of true believers in times of hardship and the role of rational obedience in attaining divine victory. These verses, contextualised within the historical framework of the Battle of Uhud and its aftermath, portray the steadfastness of faith and reliance on God whereby the believers, despite wounds and defeat, responded affirmatively to the call of God and His Messenger, and their faith increased in the face of the enemies threats. This treatise, through reflection on these verses and deep analysis of their content, examines the importance of subject-recognition, criterion-recognition, and ruling-recognition in religious actions and explicates the necessity of obedience based on reason and understanding. The present text employs eloquent language and a coherent structure to present these concepts clearly and systematically to the readers.
The verses under discussion were revealed in connection with the events of the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of Hamra al-Asad. In the Battle of Uhud, the believers faced wounds and defeat, yet these hardships did not prevent them from responding to the call of God and the Prophet. The enemies, originating from Mecca, sought to deliver a final blow by exploiting the apparent weakness of the believers after Uhud. However, the Prophet, through wise stratagem, mobilised the wounded and defeated and employed the tactic of lighting fires, creating a show of strength that compelled the enemy to retreat. This event, like a mirror, reflects the greatness of the believers' faith and obedience under difficult conditions.
ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لِلَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَآ أَصَابَهُمُ ٱلْقَرْحُ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ وَٱتَّقَوْا۟ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ
Those who responded to God and the Messenger after they had been afflicted with wounds for those among them who did good and were conscious of God, there is a great reward.
This verse refers to believers who, amid hardship and injury, answered the call of God and the Messenger. The term alqurh (the wound) denotes the injuries sustained in the Battle of Uhud. These believers, despite physical weakness and apparent defeat, heeded the divine summons and, through goodness and piety, became deserving of a magnificent reward. This reward, akin to a shining gem, is the fruit of their obedience and perseverance amid divine trials.
Obedience, as a golden key on the path of faith, is valuable only when based upon precise understanding of the subject and the criterion. The believers in verse 172, despite injuries and defeat, responded affirmatively to the Prophets call because the subject of their obedience God and the Messenger was clear and refined. This obedience, although apparently minimal and akin to a minor force, led to great victory. Conversely, obedience devoid of understanding is like walking in darkness, resulting in misguidance and calamity. Obedience to falsehood or ignorance constitutes the vilest trait of faith, which has plunged Islamic history and societies into disaster.
From the perspective of jurisprudential principles, obedience must rest on three foundations: subject-recognition, criterion-recognition, and ruling-recognition. Subject-recognition, like a lantern on the path of comprehension, entails precise understanding of the conditions and realities of the act. For example, in jurisprudence, payment of the khums during the occultation period is only permissible to a just jurist; otherwise, the debt remains. This condition demonstrates the necessity of subject-recognition (justice and deduction) in religious practice. Without this recognition, an act is like a structure without a foundation, destined to collapse.
Obedience without criterion not only lacks value but leads to crime and corruption. Islamic history abounds with examples where improper obedience to unqualified leaders caused misery and chaos. For instance, in some Arab countries, the Arab Spring resulted in social collapse and disorder due to poor management and blind obedience to ineffective leaders. This experience, like a mirror, reveals the peril of obedience without understanding.
Risk of Obedience Without Criterion: Blind obedience, absent knowledge of subject and criterion, results in misguidance and crime, even invalidating acts of worship.
Necessity of Subject-Recognition: Every religious act, from prayer to khums, requires accurate subject-recognition to correctly derive the divine ruling.
From the standpoint of political philosophy, obedience without understanding leads to dictatorship and corruption. Governance must be accompanied by freedom such that leaders can be freely chosen and dismissed. This principle, like a breeze refreshing a closed space, fosters public participation and system efficacy.
ٱلَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا۟ لَكُمْ فَٱخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَٰنًا وَقَالُوا۟ حَسْبُنَا ٱللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ ٱلْوَكِيلُ
Those to whom the people said, Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them. But it only increased them in faith, and they said, Sufficient for us is God, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.
This verse refers to a group of believers who, faced with enemy threats, did not succumb to fear; rather, their faith increased. The invocation Hasbuna Allah wa nima al-wakil acted as a spiritual shield, instilling tranquillity and reliance in their hearts, becoming the factor of their victory. This group, relying on God, demonstrated that true faith, when confronted with threats, neither weakens nor falters but, like a sturdy tree, deepens its roots.
Religious knowledge, as the science of extracting divine rulings, requires precise methodology. However, traditional methods, which neglected subject-recognition as part of religious knowledge, have resulted in unreliable and fabricated rulings. For instance, regarding ablution, if water is harmful, subject-recognition mandates dry ablution (tayammum); without such recognition, ablution is invalid. Similarly, in the issue of alcohol, its prohibition requires proof of fermentation, which without scientific testing renders the fatwa unreliable.
This critique serves as a warning bell, emphasising the necessity to reconstruct religious knowledge. Religious science must be founded on the three pillars of subject, criterion, and ruling. Subject-recognition, like a key unlocking doors of comprehension, enables the jurist to accurately extract rulings. Without these foundations, religious knowledge descends into superstition and misguidance.
To reform religious knowledge, institutions are required to carefully examine and refine subjects. Such institutions, akin to laboratories for religious science, must analyse subjects and present them to the jurist for deduction and authorisation of rulings. This approach rescues religious knowledge from stagnation and extinction, granting it scientific credibility.
Necessity of Subject-Recognition Institutions: Religious science requires institutions that refine subjects and present them to the jurist for deduction.
Extinction of Traditional Religious Knowledge: Lack of subject and criterion recognition has degraded religious knowledge into superstition and invalid rulings.
From the philosophy of science perspective, this reflects the demand for precise methodology. From jurisprudential management, it calls for scientific organisation of ijtihad.
The history of Iran, with its millennia of monarchy, has institutionalised a culture of hypocrisy and fear. This culture, like a heavy shadow, influences social and religious behaviour. For example, the claim of intention for oneself in congregational prayer signifies hypocrisy and fear of social pressure. This behaviour acts like a mask concealing sincerity, leading to misguidance.
From the perspective of historical sociology, this hypocrisy stems from the monarchical power structure, which promoted fear through instruments of violence. Iran, after seven thousand years of monarchy, was slower than other societies in overcoming this culture, yet its effects persist in social behaviours.
The greatest criminals in history were not mere thugs but social pioneers who abused public obedience to commit corruption and crime. For example, in contemporary history, leaders lacking legitimacy who relied on blind obedience led societies to destruction. This lesson serves as a warning, underscoring the necessity to recognise legitimate leadership and its criteria.
Critique of Social Pioneers: The most severe criminals were pioneers who exploited peoples obedience to commit corruption and crime.
Necessity of Leader Recognition: Obedience to a leader requires divine legitimacy; otherwise, it leads to misguidance.
From political philosophy, this critique emphasises legitimacy in leadership. From ethics, it stresses leaders responsibility towards society.
Verses 172 and 173 of Surah Al-Imran, like a radiant torch, illuminate the path of faith, obedience, and reliance. These verses, by depicting the believers steadfastness in adversity and the augmentation of their faith under threats, highlight the importance of rational obedience and subject-recognition in religion. The believers response, though seemingly minor and akin to a small force, led to the Prophets victory, which was ultimately due to the divine strategy of the Prophet. The critique of traditional religious knowledge and the culture of hypocrisy accentuate the necessity to reform jurisprudential methodology and establish subject-recognition institutions. These verses teach the lessons of rationality, reliance, and responsibility to the Islamic community and pave the way for a deeper understanding of religion.
This treatise, through reflection on these verses and profound analysis of their concepts, invites readers to approach religion and religious practices with rationality and responsibility, avoiding blind obedience. Like a traveller on the path of truth, the reader of this text is guided towards a deeper comprehension of faith and obedience.
