of Nokounam Session 1020
The Holy Qur'an, like a radiant lamp, illuminates the path to human felicity and guides mankind towards truth and perfection through its verses. Verses 134 and 135 of Surah An-Nis stand among those verses that, with profound and deep expressions, elucidate the exalted concepts of reward, justice, and practical faith, inviting humans to contemplate the true meaning of a faithful life. This treatise, inspired by the discourses of religious scholars, explores these verses comprehensively, examining their spiritual, practical, and mystical dimensions. The objective of this text is not only to explicate Quranic teachings but also to invite reflection on the heavy responsibilities of faith and ethics manifested in these verses.
In the Quranic paradigm, reward is not merely a material recompense but the sweetness and clarity derived from righteous deeds, granted to humans both in this world and the Hereafter. This concept acts like a soul-refreshing breeze that revitalises the believers heart and spirit on the path of divine obedience. Contrary to thawb (reward), which is sometimes attributed to material wages or compensation from sources other than God, thawb in the Quranic sense is a pure light that emanates from the Lord onto the believers heart. This distinction has its roots in Islamic theological and philosophical traditions and indicates the purity of action motivated by divine intent.
Whoever desires the reward of this world then with Allah is the reward of this world and the Hereafter. And Allah is Hearing and Seeing.
This verse acts as a window into divine wisdom, warning humans against limiting themselves to fleeting worldly desires and inviting them to the comprehensiveness of divine recompense. The reward of this world such as lawful wealth, a transparent life, and righteous offspring and the reward of the Hereafter eternal felicity are all in the hands of the Lord. The faithful individual may seek from God the sweetness of life through righteous deeds and sincere supplication, as if harvesting pure fruits in a garden of divine blessings.
This verse emphasises Gods awareness of intentions and deeds. God, like a vigilant guardian, hears the intentions of humans and sees their actions. Hence, the believer must seek reward with sincerity and honesty, both in this world and in the Hereafter.
The reward of this world, like spring blossoms, includes a life free from hardship, a spouse of good character, righteous children, and material provisions acquired through piety and righteous action. These sweetnesses are not the product of trivial comfort-seeking but rather the result of choosing the correct path and adherence to Shariah. For example, a life marked by tranquillity, dignity, and material means is a manifestation of worldly reward, whereas a life filled with anxiety, unrighteous offspring, or a disagreeable spouse indicates the absence of such reward.
The believer may seek a peaceful and dignified life from God, provided such a request is accompanied by obedience and righteous deeds. This perspective acts as a mirror reflecting the Quranic holistic view of life, balancing this world and the Hereafter and considering both under Gods dominion.
Reward is linked to purity and righteous deeds, whereas comfort-seeking sometimes accompanies sin and frivolity. Comfort-seeking, like a deceptive mirage, may lead a person toward extravagance and sin, but reward is akin to a precious gem attained through proper management of blessings and avoidance of sin. The believer, in a balanced life, attends to nourishment, rest, and charity timely, while refraining from sin, as if organising a well-kept garden where everything is in its place.
People differ in their pursuits: some seek only the Hereafter and accept the hardships of this world, some desire both this world and the Hereafter, and others settle for the world alone. This diversity, like the varied colours in the canvas of creation, depends on human intention and action. A believer who, with pure intention and righteous deed, seeks both realms may, by divine grace, enjoy the sweetness of this world and the felicity of the Hereafter.
For instance, some endure illness and hardship in life, while others enjoy health and tranquillity. These differences are the result of intention, action, and pursuit. The believer can request a peaceful and dignified life through prayer and effort, as if sowing the seed of felicity in the soil of life with their own hands.
Verse 134 of Surah An-Nis, by elucidating the concept of reward, invites humans to reflect on the comprehensiveness of divine recompense. Reward is the sweetness resulting from righteous conduct granted to the believer in both this world and the Hereafter. This sweetness encompasses a peaceful and dignified life, righteous offspring, and a spouse of good character. The distinction between reward and comfort-seeking emphasises the importance of pure intention and righteous action. The believer, by seeking the good of this world and the Hereafter and adhering to piety, can partake in divine grace, as if benefiting from the vast blessings under the shade of the tree of divine mercy.
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So do not follow personal inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.
This verse, like a lofty summit in the firmament of faith, calls the believers to steadfastly establish practical justice and bear witness for God, even if it is to their own detriment or that of their parents or relatives. This invitation is so weighty that it appears to place a tremendous burden of faith upon the believers shoulders, guiding them towards spiritual perfection. The implementation of this verse requires faith as solid as a mountain, resistant against desire, passion, and personal biases.
This verse addresses believers who, like shining stars in the sky of faith, possess the capacity to stand firmly for justice and testify for God. These addressees, described in narrations as few in number, are steadfast in faith who bear the heavy burden of justice with piety and sincerity. This rarity, like a precious gem amidst desert stones, illustrates the difficulty of the station of practical faith.
Qist denotes practical justice manifest in conduct and behaviour, whereas Adl more commonly refers to theoretical or mental justice. Qist acts as a bridge linking faith to action, guiding the believer towards soundness and sincerity in life. This distinction underscores the tangible and applicable aspects of justice in daily life, presenting Qist as the objective of the prophets.
Witnesses for Allah is an invitation to bear witness to truth and God even if it is detrimental to oneself, parents, or relatives. Such testimony, like a shining candle, signifies complete sincerity in faith that sacrifices personal and familial interests for the sake of truth. Such faith seemingly liberates the soul from the bonds of attachments and enables it to soar towards God.
The verse emphasises that justice should not be influenced by poverty or wealth, since God is more deserving of both. This viewpoint, like a precise scale, sets God as the ultimate criterion of justice and warns the believer against following desires. Justice flows like a pure stream originating from the spring of divine wisdom, unaffected by any obstacle.
The verse forbids believers from following desire, distorting the truth, or turning away from justice. Desire, like a rebellious wind, draws humans toward personal gain, but the believer, steadfast on the path of truth, remains safe from this storm. Distortion and avoidance, like dark shadows, conceal the truth, yet God, fully aware of deeds, invites humans to sincerity and commitment to justice.
Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted acts as a mirror reflecting Gods knowledge of deeds and intentions. No action is hidden from the Lords view, and this awareness encourages the believer to monitor behaviour carefully and refrain from deviation. It is as if God, like a wise guardian, watches every step of humans and guides them towards truth.
Family relationships, like deep roots, sometimes lead humans away from justice. Attachment to parents or children might incline the believer towards personal biases, but verse 135, like a sharp sword, severs these attachments and sets God as the primary criterion. This challenge reveals the difficulty of practical faith that demands overcoming attachments.
According to a narration stating: "The world is forbidden for the people of the Hereafter, and the Hereafter is forbidden for the people of the world, and both are forbidden for the people of God." The people of God desire neither the world nor the Hereafter but solely seek God. This station, like a summit in the sky of mysticism, points to annihilation in God and complete sincerity. A believer who attains this rank appears immersed in an ocean of divine light, perceiving nothing but God
