Surah Al-Midah, one of the Medinan chapters of the Holy Quran, shines like a radiant jewel within the collection of divine verses. With a focus on legal, ethical, and social injunctions, it offers a comprehensive guide for the faithful life of a believer. Verses eight and nine of this Surah, like two stars in the firmament of knowledge, depict two distinct levels of faith and action: the first an invitation to sincere standing for the Divine Essence, and the second a promise of reward to believers who walk the path of righteous deeds. This treatise, relying on the scholarly lectures of religious authorities, delves deeply into these two verses and elucidates their lofty concepts in a refined and solemn language suitable for seekers of truth. Much like a garden whose branches stretch towards the sky of knowledge, this text endeavours, with clear prose and an organised structure, to present the spirit of the verses in a dignified format to the reader.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا ۚ اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
O you who have believed, be steadfast witnesses for Allah in justice, and let not the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to piety. And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is acquainted with what you do.
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ ۙ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ
Allah has promised those who have believed and done righteous deeds that for them there will be forgiveness and a great reward.
Within the vast expanse of the Holy Quran, which is like a profound ocean of divine knowledge, verses eight and nine of Surah Al-Midah stand as two distinguished peaks side by side. Despite their apparent proximity, these two verses differ immensely in meaning and purpose. Verse eight is an invitation towards sincere standing for the Almighty Essence, while verse nine addresses believers who seek reward and forgiveness. This distinction, like a golden line, delineates the boundary between exalted faith and moderate faith.
Verse eight begins with the address "O you who have believed," a call that, like a heavenly melody, encompasses all believers, even those who harbour doubts in their faith. This inclusivity reflects the boundless mercy of Allah who opens the doors of knowledge to all. The call to "be steadfast witnesses for Allah" is an exhortation to live for God, akin to a tree whose roots lie in the soil of piety and whose branches reach the divine sky. This standing is not mere physical uprightness, but self-annihilation in the Divine Essence, as mystics have expressed: "Who am I? Layl and Layl, both are one spirit without a body."
The command "witnesses in justice" is an invitation to bear testimony to tangible justice, justice so pure and unblemished that even enmity toward a people ("hatred of a people") does not taint it. This justice reflects truth without distortion, like a clear mirror. In this station, the believer must be so impartial that even in disputes between child and neighbour, friend and foe, only the truth is perceived. Such a level of justice is reserved for the friends of Allah who shine like bright stars in the sky of truth.
Verse eight considers justice as "closer to piety," a path that, like a golden bridge, guides the believer towards intrinsic piety. Piety here is not mere external observance of rules but self-annihilation in the Divine Essence. As in the story of Moses (peace be upon him), the command "take off your sandals" symbolised relinquishing individuality, piety in this verse invites the dissolution of determinacy and reaching the station of non-determinacy, where nothing exists but God.
Verse eight, like a radiant lamp, illuminates the path of perfection towards sincere standing for God and testifying to concrete justice. It calls believers to live for the Divine Essence and transcend worldly determinacies, a station attainable only by the elect of Allah. This invitation, like a breeze blowing upon the branches of knowledge, guides the soul towards intrinsic piety.
Verse nine begins with "Allah has promised," a promise that descends like a merciful rain upon believers who have faith and performed righteous deeds. This promise includes "forgiveness" and a "great reward." However, according to religious scholars, this promise signals moderate faith of the audience, those who require divine assurance, as if lacking complete trust in the Divine Essence and seeking reward.
The need for divine promise, like a shadow over some believers faith, indicates deficient trust in the Divine Essence. These believers, sometimes wryly termed confused by tradition, seek simple rewards such as Paradise. Requesting a promise itself is a fault, for perfect faith requires no divine cheque or bond. Such faith, like a fragile plant, has not yet firmly rooted in the soil of divine knowledge.
In this verse, "great reward" refers to a material or spiritual recompense, analogous to a labourer's wage for his work. But "merit," according to religious scholars such as Khwajah Nasir al-Din Tusi, is divine nearness, a station manifested in verse eight. This difference, like a bright line, clarifies the boundary between moderate and exalted faith.
"Righteous deeds" in verse nine refer to general commendable acts, not solely acts of worship like prayer or fasting. Such righteous deeds, like clear streams, encompass any good deed done with good intention but remain on a lower level than the sincere standing called for in verse eight.
Verse nine, like a mirror reflecting moderate faith, addresses believers seeking reward and forgiveness. While it indicates divine mercy, it simultaneously reveals the weakness of its audiences faith. These believers are at the beginning of the path of knowledge and require divine promise to advance on the path of truth.
The difference between verses eight and nine is like the distance between the sky of knowledge and the earth of worldly desires. Verse eight is an invitation towards the station of non-determinacy, where the believer finds self-annihilation in the Divine Essence, whereas verse nine addresses believers still bound by determinacies, who contemplate reward. This distance, like billions of light-years, separates two levels of faith.
Anything other than God, be it wealth, offspring, spouse, or life, is worthless compared to standing for God. These worldly matters, like trials that divert the believer from the path of truth, become his enemies. Only that which is for God is valuable like a pure gem.
True mysticism, manifested in verse eight, is reaching the station of non-determinacy, where the seeker empties himself of self and sees nothing but God. This mysticism, like a lofty and formidable summit, is difficult and terrifying, as the seeker may fall repeatedly along the way. Common mysticism, sometimes attributed to dervishes or non-Shia groups, is far from this exalted station and, according to religious scholars, lacks Shia authenticity.
Prayer at the station of non-determinacy is devoid of external qibla, mention, or form. This prayer, like an explosion within the Divine Essence, guides the seeker towards anonymity. At this station, neither the Kaaba nor the compass is needed, for the seeker is embraced by the Divine Essence itself.
Verses eight and nine, like two wings of a bird, one soaring towards heaven and the other towards earth, display two distinct paths. Verse eight represents the way of the friends of Allah seeking annihilation in the Divine Essence, and verse nine the way of believers still bound by determinacies and reward. This distinction serves as a map for seekers to find their own path on the road of knowledge.
Religious science, sometimes like an orphan in the hands of history, has suffered literary distortions. According to religious scholars, these distortions sometimes stem from non-Shia influences and require revision. Efforts to reform Shia literature, though facing obstacles, have been like a seed planted in the soil of knowledge that demands nurturing.
Mystical poems, such as those of Hafez and Sadi, sometimes require literary examination due to semantic or substantive errors. Though apparently beautiful, these poems are sometimes distant from the depth of divine knowledge and must be measured by the standards of Shia mysticism.
The critique of religious and mystical literature is like a mirror revealing the shortcomings of religious science. These critiques call for revision and reform so that divine knowledge is transmitted to future generations in a pure and authentic form.
Verses eight and nine of Surah Al-Midah, like two jewels in the shell of the Holy Quran, portray two levels of faith: sincere standing for God and moderate faith seeking reward. Verse eight, like a lofty summit, calls the friends of Allah towards intrinsic piety and concrete justice, while verse nine, like a clear stream, guides moderate believers towards forgiveness and reward. Together, these two verses offer a comprehensive map for seekers of knowledge so that each may find a path to the truth according to their own state. The literary and religious critiques, like a guiding light along this path, emphasise the necessity of revisiting the understanding of divine knowledge.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
