The Holy Quran, like an infinite light, serves as humanitys guide towards truth and salvation. Verse 162 of Surah An-Nisa, with profound and sagacious expression, speaks of faith, knowledge, and righteous deeds, delineating the status of the firmly grounded in knowledge and believers within the Divine system. This writing, relying upon the discourses of religious scholars, elucidates this verse and reveals its concepts for researchers and seekers of truth with a clear and dignified language. Like a tree whose roots are embedded in the soil of cognition and whose branches reach the sky of wisdom, this interpretation endeavours to unveil the connection between knowledge, faith, and action with scholarly precision and profound insight.
لَكِنِ الرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ مِنْهُمْ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ وَالْمُقِيمِينَ الصَّلَاةَ وَالْمُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أُولَئِكَ سَنُؤْتِيهِمْ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
But the firmly grounded in knowledge among them and the believers believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you, and establish prayer, and give zakat, and believe in Allah and the Last Day; those - We will give them a great reward.
Verse 162 of Surah An-Nisa, with unparalleled subtlety, speaks of the firmly grounded in knowledge; those who stand as steadfast pillars in the edifice of Divine cognition. The phrase firmly grounded in knowledge among them clearly refers to a group of the People of the Book who have attained an extraordinary depth and profundity in their religious sciences. They, with rooted knowledge, have recognised the truth of Divine revelation, yet they have not necessarily embraced complete Islamic faith. This distinction, like a fine line between theoretical knowledge and practical faith, indicates the difference between deep understanding and heartfelt commitment. The firmly grounded, relying on their knowledge, believe in the previous heavenly scriptures, but may, due to prejudice or disobedience, fail to accept the revelation sent down to the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The verse continues by mentioning the believers who, like clear streams, have linked their faith to the Divine revelation sent down to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and previous scriptures. The phrase and the believers believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you denotes a comprehensive and integrated faith that encompasses not only the Holy Quran but also the Torah, the Gospel, and other heavenly scriptures. This faith acts as a bridge connecting the Divine religions and reveals the unity of Divine mission. Even if these believers have not attained the scientific depth of the firmly grounded, they, through sincerity and submission to revelation, reach a lofty station within the Divine system.
The verse refers to those who establish prayer and give zakat, pointing to two fundamental pillars of righteous deeds: the establishment of prayer and the giving of zakat. Prayer is like a pillar that fortifies the edifice of faith, and zakat is like a stream that balances wealth in society, breathing life into the needy. These two acts are not only indications of practical commitment to Divine commands but also instruments for soul purification and strengthening social bonds. Zakat, in particular, functions like pruning a fruitful tree, directing excess wealth towards the poor and deprived, thus liberating society from inequality and poverty.
The verse, emphasising the believers in Allah and the Last Day, refers to two foundational pillars of Islamic creed: monotheism and resurrection. Faith in Allah is like a root that nourishes the tree of the believers existence, and faith in the Last Day is like a horizon that determines the direction of his life. These two pillars, placed in a deliberate sequence after faith in prophethood, indicate that complete faith has progressive stages that ascend from accepting revelation to culminating in belief in monotheism and resurrection.
The verse concludes with the phrase those - We will give them a great reward, promising a great recompense to the believers who have taken steps on the path of faith and righteous deeds. This reward is like a fruit that ripens in the garden of the Hereafter and is distinct from worldly recompenses. The great reward is the result of sincerity in faith and perseverance in righteous action, reflecting the boundless grace of Allah towards His servants.
One of the prominent points in the verse is the distinction between the firmly grounded in knowledge and the believers. The firmly grounded, due to their profound knowledge, recognise the truth of Divine revelation but may, due to prejudice or disobedience, fail to embrace complete Islamic faith. In contrast, the believers, even without being deeply grounded in knowledge, wholeheartedly submit to Divine revelation with sincerity. This distinction, like two paths in a garden, highlights the difference between theoretical understanding and practical commitment. The firmly grounded are akin to scholars residing in vast libraries of knowledge, whereas the believers are like gardeners who nurture the tree of faith with their own hands.
The phrase among them in the verse clearly attributes the firmly grounded to Jews and Christians. This group consists of scholars who have reached profound depths in their religious sciences but whose faith remains confined to previous scriptures. This point indicates that profound knowledge, while valuable, does not lead to ultimate salvation without complete faith. In Shia exegeses, some religious scholars have also attributed the firmly grounded to the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), but the apparent meaning of the verse, with the emphasis on among them, limits the term to the scholars of the People of the Book.
Zakat functions as a clear stream in the Islamic community, directing wealth from the hands of the affluent towards the poor and deprived. This Divine obligation is not only a tool for poverty alleviation but also assists in social equilibrium and the reinforcement of human bonds. Just as a skilled gardener prunes the extra branches of a tree to yield abundant fruit, zakat channels excess wealth towards those in need. The verse, however, distinctly separates zakat from khums, emphasising that zakat is designated for the poor, prisoners, and deprived groups, and is forbidden for some categories, such as the descendants of the Prophet (Sayyids).
An important reflective point in the verse is the allusion to mismanagement in the distribution of zakat and khums. These funds, entrusted as a Divine trust to the Islamic society, sometimes fail to reach the true needy due to mismanagement or lack of transparency. This challenge, like a shadow over the sunlight of social justice, emphasises the necessity of reforming the system of distributing these religious dues. Religious scholars, stressing this point, call for transparency and trusteeship to ensure that zakat and khums properly serve the deprived.
One debated topic in the exegesis of this verse is the attribution of the firmly grounded in knowledge to the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). Some religious scholars, citing narrations, identify the Imams as examples of the firmly grounded, but the apparent meaning of the verse, with the emphasis on among them, confines this term to the scholars of the People of the Book. This point acts as a mirror reflecting the apparent truth of the verse and invites researchers to deliberate on its precise meaning. However, the concluding prayer of the lecture, O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, indicates recourse to the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) for guidance and knowledge.
Verse 162 of Surah An-Nisa, like a shining lamp, illuminates the path of faith, knowledge, and righteous deeds for humanity. This verse, distinguishing between the firmly grounded in knowledge and the believers, emphasises the difference between theoretical understanding and practical commitment. The firmly grounded, with their deep knowledge, recognise the truth of revelation, while the believers, with integrated and unparalleled sincerity, believe in all Divine books and prophets. Establishing prayer, giving zakat, and faith in monotheism and resurrection constitute the fundamental pillars of the believers life, and the promise of a great Divine reward, like a bright horizon, awaits them. This interpretation, with profound insight into the verses concepts, invites researchers to contemplate the connection between knowledge, faith, and action and stresses the necessity of transparency in the distribution of religious dues.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
