of Nokounam, may his sanctity remain (Session 973)
The Holy Quran, like a pristine spring, serves as a guide leading humanity towards the truth. Verse 51 of Surah An-Nis, with clear and profound expression, critiques the behaviour of a group among the People of the Book who, despite possessing divine knowledge, have inclined towards deviation. This verse, by elucidating the undesirable nexus between religious knowledge and material powers, issues a warning to all who pursue the paths of knowledge and piety. In this discourse, relying on the teachings of a sagacious scholar, the verse and its multifaceted dimensions are examined. The aim is to clarify the divine messages and to elucidate the grave responsibility of religious scholars in preserving the authenticity of faith and avoiding attachment to materialism.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِنَ الْكِتَابِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْجِبْتِ وَالطَّاغُوتِ وَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هَٰؤُلَاءِ أَهْدَىٰ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا سَبِيلًا
Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture? They believe in the jibt and tght, and say of those who disbelieve, These are better guided than the believers.
The phrase أَلَمْ تَرَ at the beginning of the verse functions as a call inviting the addressee to contemplate deeply and critically upon the conduct of a particular group. This address is not solely directed at the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him), but to every reader of the Holy Quran. It is akin to a mirror placed before man to behold the reality of reprehensible behaviours and to become aware of religious and social deviations. This eloquent and emphatic address underscores the necessity of vigilance against such deviations and encourages the audience to re-examine their own and others deeds.
The phrase الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا نَصِيبًا مِنَ الْكِتَابِ refers to a faction of the People of the Book who have received only a limited share of the knowledge contained within the heavenly scripture. Though this share appears tangible and confers a special status upon them, the absence of genuine faith has transformed this knowledge into an instrument of deviation. This group resembles travellers holding a map but having veered from the true path towards a deceptive mirage. Instead of guiding them towards the light, their portion leads them, due to lack of faith, into the darkness of misguidance.
The verse, through the phrase يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْجِبْتِ وَالطَّاغُوتِ, reveals a profound deviation: a group among the People of the Book has, instead of believing in God, devoted their hearts to jibt and tght. The jibt represents an idol symbolising material manifestations such as wealth and worldly glitter, whereas tght refers to tyrannical rulers and rebellious potentates who, relying on power and wealth, transgress divine limits. This erroneous faith acts like a chain enslaving this group to materialism and diverting them from the path of truth.
By believing in jibt and tght, the People of the Book have become auxiliaries and dependents of oppressive systems. Instead of adhering to divine teachings, they serve the powerful and exploit their religious standing to justify tyranny and corruption. This dependency resembles a root embedded in the soil of material interests, drying the branches of faith. Such conduct not only causes their own deviation but also fuels injustice and corruption in society.
Throughout history, the People of the Book have sometimes held power themselves, sometimes been subservient to rulers, and sometimes allied with them. In this verse, they are portrayed as followers of jibt and tght who have obeyed material powers and praised them. This connection is like threads woven into the fabric of history, indicating a long-standing relationship between religious institutions and political powers. In certain epochs, such as the Middle Ages in Christianity or particular periods in Jewish history, this relationship overtly reinforced oppression and deviation.
Verse 51 of Surah An-Nis, with clear and decisive expression, critiques the conduct of a group among the People of the Book who, despite their possession of divine knowledge, have inclined towards jibt and tght. This deviation stems from a lack of genuine faith and attachment to materialism. The address أَلَمْ تَرَ serves as a warning to all humanity to reflect upon their behaviour and avoid religious and social deviations. This section lays the groundwork for a deeper analysis of hypocritical behaviours and their consequences in the following part.
The phrase وَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هَٰؤُلَاءِ أَهْدَىٰ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا سَبِيلًا unveils another deviation: the People of the Book consider the disbelievers (jibt and tght) better guided than the believers due to their possession of power and wealth. This judgement is like an arrow aimed at the heart of faith and indicates an inclination towards materialism and a distancing from spiritual values. Believers, often deprived of material resources, appear worthless in their eyes, whereas the disbelievers are deemed superior through reliance on wealth and force.
The People of the Book, through flattery and praise of jibt and tght, seek material and social gain. This behaviour stems not from genuine faith but from hypocrisy and humiliation before the powerful. They resemble birds nesting under the shade of mighty trees of power, yet their nest is not of faith but woven from threads of duplicity. Such hypocrisy indicates a lack of sincerity and exploitation of religious position for personal benefit.
The phrase الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا سَبِيلًا in this verse refers to the apparent believers present at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Although outwardly adherent to religion, due to a lack of material means, they were demeaned in the eyes of the People of the Book. The true believers, possessing firm and profound faith, are not the subject here as such faith was rarely found at that time. This distinction draws a line between outward and inward faith and reflects the social reality of early Islam.
أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَمَنْ يَلْعَنِ اللَّهُ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُ نَصِيرًا
