of Nokounam, (Session 938)
The Holy Quran, as the fount of Divine wisdom and the guide to human felicity, conceals within its verses profound layers of knowledge that necessitate profound and multifaceted contemplation for their exploration. The second verse of Surah An-Nis, as a part of this celestial treasury, centres on the rulings pertaining to orphans and the prohibition of encroaching upon their rights, thereby opening a window towards understanding the social and ethical responsibilities of humanity. This treatise, relying upon the discourses of religious scholars, endeavours to elucidate the meanings of this verse with clear and dignified language within a scientific and coherent framework. The objective is not solely the jurisprudential and ethical explication of the verse but also its connection with philosophical, sociological, and epistemological issues to shed light on the complexities of human existence and its position within the system of creation.
One of the fundamental inquiries in understanding the second verse of Surah An-Nis relates to the attribute Raqb, which in the preceding verse (Surah An-Nis, verse 1) is ascribed to God: Indeed, Allah is ever a Watchful Guardian over you
(إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا). This attribute, which indicates the complete surveillance and divine oversight, provokes the question: why cannot humans themselves be Raqb in the manner of God, even though certain divine attributes such as mercy and generosity manifest partially within them?
From a theological standpoint, divine attributes such as Rahm (Merciful), Karm (Generous), and Raqb are inherent and exclusive to God, while humans, owing to their existential limitations, can only reflect a faint shadow of these attributes. Human mercy, although seemingly akin to divine mercy, is in fact an incomplete and limited manifestation that cannot be equated with the divine attribute of Rahm. Similarly, being Raqb, denoting full oversight and boundless awareness of all matters, lies beyond human capacity. Humans, constrained by limited senses and imperfect intellect, are incapable of fully comprehending reality, and any attempt at comprehensive surveillance devolves into unwarranted intrusion and prying, which Islams ethical system condemns.
Despite advances in science and technology, humanity remains powerless in the face of the grandeur and intricacy of creation. This inadequacy becomes more pronounced when compared to the capabilities of animals or even human-made instruments. For instance, a dogs olfactory sense occasionally surpasses human detection. Moreover, complex devices such as the airplanes black boxwhose full comprehension eludes even the most advanced nationsunderscore the epistemic limitations of mankind. These examples remind humanity of its humility before divine omniscience.
Philosophically, this limitation stems from human existential nature, defined by finite senses and intellect. The Quran states in another verse: And you have not been given of knowledge except a little
(وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا) (Surah Al-Isr, 17:85). This verse metaphorically depicts humanity as a traveller in the desert of knowledge possessing only a flicker of its light.
The human endeavour to monitor others, commonly termed as tajassus (spying/intrusion), often results in erroneous and harmful outcomes due to incomplete understanding of realities. Intrusion, as an effort to invade others privacy, is not only a breach of ethics but also leads to suspicion, mistrust, and the degradation of social bonds. The Quran explicitly forbids intrusion: And do not spy or backbite each other
(وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا) (Surah Al-Hujurt, 49:12).
An illustrative example involves a religious scholar who mistakenly judged another individuals behaviour upon witnessing an elderly man running swiftly, wrongly attributing improper conduct, whereas the motive might have been something simple like haste or cold. This anecdote serves as a mirror reflecting the dangers of hasty judgments.
Arabic:
وَآتُوا الْيَتَامَىٰ أَمْوَالَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَتَبَدَّلُوا الْخَبِيثَ بِالطَّيِّبِ ۖ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَىٰ أَمْوَالِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حُوبًا كَبِيرًا
Translation:
Return to the orphans their properties and do not substitute the bad for the good, nor consume their wealth with your own; indeed, this is a great sin.
The second verse of Surah An-Nis, as part of the Quranic legal and ethical system, addresses three principal themes: the restitution of orphans properties, the prohibition of replacing the pure with the impure, and the forbiddance of mingling orphans wealth with others. This verse, situated within a social context where orphans were vulnerable to rights violations due to their weakness and incapacity, provides a decisive ruling to safeguard proprietorial justice.
The command And give the orphans their properties
emphasises the delivery of orphans wealth to them, even during childhood. Jurisprudentially, this indicates the inherent ownership of the orphan over their inheritance without prerequisites such as maturity or specific conditions. Upon the fathers demise, the orphan automatically becomes the proprietor of his assets, and guardianship pertains solely to management, not deprivation of ownership. This principle serves as a pillar fortifying social justice against oppression of the vulnerable.
In prior societies, exploitation of orphans wealth due to their frailty was prevalent. The Quran, through this explicit command, rectifies such malpractice and underscores the necessity of trustworthiness. Even a child unable to verbalise is legally owner of their assets, and the guardian is duty-bound to preserve them.
The phrase Do not substitute the impure for the pure
forbids the misuse of orphans wealth by replacing lawful (pure) assets with unlawful (impure) ones arising from wrongful seizure. This prohibition acts as a shield protecting the rights of orphans against the greed of guardians.
The precise interpretation of this phrase involves some exegetical complexity. Some commentators construe it as a prohibition against converting the lawful property of the orphan into unlawful property for the guardian, while others suggest a broader ethical implication encompassing any form of exploitation of those in vulnerable positions.
The expression And do not consume their wealth with your own
explicitly forbids mingling orphans property with the guardians wealth. This commingling, often intended for appropriation, is deemed a grievous sin (hubban kabran). Jurisprudentially, this prohibition stresses financial transparency and custodianship. Orphans properties are a Divine trust to be preserved distinctly from others assets.
This ruling serves as an alarm calling guardians to uphold justice and eschew greed. The great sin signifies the severity of such oppression, as orphansdue to incapacityare exposed to harm, and any violation of their rights disrupts social order.
The first verse of Surah An-Nis refers to the creation of humanity from a single soul and its dissemination: And from them He created many men and women
(وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً). This phrase alludes to the gradual process of multiplication and diversification of humans. Contrary to some unreliable narrations proposing marriage among Adams children as siblings, the inherent sanctity prohibiting consanguineous marriage invalidates this notion.
Anthropologically, Adams progeny likely intermarried with beings known as Nasns, which existed in earlier communities. These Nasns, as pre-existing creatures, were part of the human evolutionary process. The Quran, focusing on guidance, remains silent on the details of this process, but archaeological evidence aligns with the existence of such antecedent beings.
The contemporary human is a composite of ns (humanity) and nasns (animalistic instincts), though the ns predominates outwardly. Under particular circumstances, the animalistic instincts surface, manifesting in violent behaviours unmatched even by animals. This perspective reflects the duality within human existence: on one hand, the exalted rank of humanity; on the other, animalistic inclinations necessitating restraint.
From a psychological viewpoint, this duality pertains to the balance between reason and instinct. The Quran, by exhorting piety and self-discipline, calls humans to transcend these base instincts.
God, owing to the intrinsic nature of knowledge and power, has eternally created; His creation is not confined to a specific temporal locus. Views held by some theologians limiting creation to the time of Adam conflict with divine perfection. Biologically, species, including humans, have evolved gradually, with no generation fully extinguished but rather transformed into subsequent ones.
Human racial diversity (black, white, yellow) results from environmental factors such as climate and geography. This diversity resembles a palette of colours painted by divine wisdom upon the canvas of creation.
The Holy Quran is an inexhaustible reservoir of divine knowledge; however, its utilisation has often been restricted to recitation and phonetics, with scant exploitation of its scientific, philosophical, and social potentials. Surah An-Nis, with its focus on familial, social, and inheritance matters, holds particular significance beyond Surahs Al-Baqarah and l Imrn, as it addresses the practical organisation of society. This Surah serves as a blueprint delineating the path to social felicity.
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