of Nekounam, (Session 980)
Surah An-Nis, mistakenly known as The Women, is a collection of divine laws and rulings that, in their complexity and profundity, resemble a deep sea inviting humanity to contemplate the meanings of obedience, faith, and rationality. This Surah, with verses shining like lights in the darkness of ignorance, guides humanity towards understanding truth and practising justice. In this treatise, by focusing on verse 66 of Surah An-Nis, an exploration of the concepts of faith, rationality, and submission to divine commandments is undertaken. This examination, with a view to the social and ethical contexts of these verses, seeks to open a path towards a deeper understanding of the Holy Quran and reveals the necessity of returning to reason and justice in the life of the faithful.
Surah An-Nis, known in popular culture as The Women, does not merely address womens issues but deals with divine rulings and laws which, like steadfast pillars, uphold the structure of Islamic society. This nomenclature, which perhaps stems from a scarcity of names in post-prophetic traditions, has sometimes led to misunderstandings in grasping the profound content of this Surah. Other Surahs, such as Al-Baqarah, Al-Midah, An-Naml, and Al-Ankabt, have also been affected by these non-prophetic naming conventions. These names, most likely popularised after the prophetic era, have occasionally obscured the deep truths of these Surahs and diminished understanding of their contents.
Some religious scholars, instead of delving deeply into the verses of the Holy Quran, have spent their time critiquing texts of other religions, such as the Torah and Psalms, focusing on marginal issues like their alleged distortions. This approach, akin to getting lost in side alleys, deviates from the primary priority of understanding and practising the Holy Quran. Such deviation prevents the divine words light, which shines like a blazing torch illuminating the path, from being properly seen.
وَلَوْ أَنَّا كَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَنِ اقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ أَوِ اخْرُجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ مَا فَعَلُوهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ مِنْهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ فَعَلُوا مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ تَثْبِيتًا
And if We had decreed upon them, Kill yourselves or Leave your homes, they would not have done it except a few of them. And if they had done what they were admonished, it would have been better for them and a firmer [foundation] for their faith.
Verse 66 of Surah An-Nis, by positing a difficult command such as self-killing or exile, tests human faith and submission. These commands, which at first glance may seem irrational, in reality reflect divine rationality like a mirror. Reason, which is the precious jewel of mankind, is a capital that God never commands against. If a prophet or scholar were to say something irrational, obedience to that would not be permissible, for God does not speak with madness or folly.
The command of self-killing in this verse does not imply unjustified suicide but is understood in contexts such as retribution (qisas) or repentance from grave sins. For instance, if a child commits a crime, executing retribution, though difficult, is just. Also, leaving ones home refers to abandoning usurped property, which, like liberation from wrongful bondage, guides a person toward justice.
The verse states that except for a few, people do not obey such difficult commands. This reality, like a mirror, reveals the weakness of most peoples faith. Worldly attachments, like chains on human feet, prevent submission to divine will. Only the true believers, whose hearts are like pure springs, acquiesce to these commands.
The verse emphasises that acting upon divine admonitions brings worldly and otherworldly benefit and firmness of faith. This benefit is like a sweet fruit from the tree of obedience, and the firmness is like a steadfast root preserving faith against storms of doubt. Complying with these commands guides a person toward salvation and moral integrity.
In circumstances where a person faces severe oppression and finds no path to assert justice, suicide may represent the last bastion of defending human dignity. This act, which at first seems irrational, is permissible within the framework of defending justice, analogous to fighting an enemy. This perspective, like a fresh breeze in the confined space of oppression, demonstrates Islams flexibility in social conditions.
For example, where judicial systems are inefficient, some individuals have resorted to suicide to expose injustice. This act, like a cry in silence, reveals despair from social justice and a need for structural reform.
Islam is a fluid religion, like a flowing river adapting to temporal and spatial conditions. This fluidity, which requires knowledge and wisdom, distances Islam from rigidity. Islamic responses to social issues, such as defence against an enemy or asserting rights, are contextually appropriate and emanate from rationality and justice.
Sin, like a poison penetrating the human heart, prevents the utterance of the phrase There is no deity but Allah at the moment of death. The sinner, whose heart is filled with worldly abominations, confronts satanic whispers at death and cannot easily pronounce this remembrance. Conversely, the believer, whose heart is like a clear mirror, calmly utters this phrase.
A story of an individual who, due to attachment to a trivial wealth, failed to recite the divine remembrance at death illustrates the effect of worldly attachments on faith. These attachments, like shackles on the spirits feet, prevent focus on God. Asceticism and avoidance of sin are the path towards a pure heart and steadfast faith.
Many people claim faith but are devoid of true faith due to pretense and failure to act upon divine admonitions. Genuine faith, which shines like a brilliant jewel in the believers heart, manifests in adherence to divine commands and submission to them. Pretense, like a mask over the face of truth, obstructs the realization of this faith.
وَلَئِنْ أَتَيْنَاهُمْ مِنْ لَدُنَّا أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا وَلَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا
And if We had given them from Us a great reward, and We would surely have guided them to a straight path.
Verse 68 of Surah An-Nis regards the reward for acting upon divine admonitions as a great recompense and guidance to the straight path. This reward, encompassing both material and spiritual dimensions, is like a fruit borne from the tree of faith and righteous deeds. The straight path is a way that leads to safety and felicity, attainable only through avoidance of sin and adherence to divine commands.
The exegesis of verse 66 of Surah An-Nis, like a blazing torch, illuminates the path towards a deeper understanding of faith, rationality, and obedience to divine commands. This verse, emphasising the challenges of faith in the face of difficult commands, shows that only true believers, shining like stars in the sky of faith, comply with these commands. Rationality, mankinds chief capital, alongside faith in the Hereafter, guides humanity toward goodness and firmness. Cultural deviations, such as religious pretense or focusing on marginal issues, act like dust upon the mirror of truth, obstructing understanding and practice of the Holy Quran. Returning to religious rationality, clinging to the Holy Quran, and strengthening faith in the Hereafter are the pathways to reforming religious culture and establishing a just and faithful society.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
