of Nokounam, may his sanctity be preserved (Session 1054)
Surah Al-Ma'idah, one of the Medinan chapters of the Noble Quran, is akin to a profound ocean, presenting divine knowledge in the form of injunctions, ethics, and social guidance to the believers. This Surah, revealed in the latter days of the blessed life of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), establishes a firm framework for a faithful life through emphasising covenant-keeping, justice, and regulation of human relationships. Verses ten and eleven of this Surah, like two radiant jewels, manifest the divine completion of proof over both disbelievers and believers; the former with a warning about the consequences of disbelief and denial, and the latter with an invitation to remember the boundless divine blessings and to rely upon the Exalted Truth. This treatise, relying on the discourses of religious scholars, elucidates these two verses in clear and eloquent language so as to illuminate the path for seekers of truth.
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ
"And those who disbelieve and deny Our signsthose are the companions of the Blaze."
Verse ten of Surah Al-Ma'idah addresses with explicitness and grandeur those who have committed two great sins against the divine signs: disbelief and denial. Disbelief, like a dark shadow, signifies the rejection of God's existence or neglect of the truth of monotheism. Such rejection may stem from ignorance, as there are groups of people who, due to distance from religious knowledge, remain in doubt and hesitation. Denial, however, is a step beyond; it is a conscious and hostile repudiation that regards the clear divine signs as falsehood and conflicts with them. Denial, akin to a poisoned arrow, targets the heart of truth and is graver than disbelief, since it is accompanied by awareness and deliberate opposition.
Among the disbelievers are those who, out of ignorance, neither recognise God nor the Prophets. These individuals, referred to as the weak disbelievers, are trapped in a world of doubt and deprivation from divine knowledge. This group, numbering in the billions, bears no direct enmity toward religion but dwells in the darkness of ignorance. Conversely, some scholars, among whom it is stated by religious authorities that 64% have rejected the existence of God, perceive the universe as a natural system and place the burden of proving God's existence upon believers. This group, although steadfast in their denial of God, often speak from reasoning rather than animosity.
Within the hierarchy of sins, oppression transcends disbelief and denial. Oppression is an act that leads to apostasy and destroys the foundation of faith. While disbelief and denial are grave sins confined to belief and conviction, oppression, through reprehensible actions, harms others and is therefore a more significant sin.
Verse ten refers to disbelievers and deniers as "companions of the Blaze," signifying the inhabitants of Hell. The Blaze (Jahim) is a burning and unfathomable fire that transcends human perception. The punishments of the Hereafter, including the Blaze, are beyond the imaginative capacity of a material-bound human mind. Contrary to common folk notions that depict Hell with materialistic features such as hanging by hair or fanciful banquets, the Blaze possesses neither ceiling, floor, nor physical structures. These misconceptions, sometimes rooted in unreliable narrations, diverge from the transcendent reality of the Noble Quran and are ascribed to nave minds.
Erroneous popular notions of Hell, which reduce it to a material feast or a terrestrial place with earthly characteristics, contradict the elevated truth of Jahim. Jahim has neither earth nor air, and comprehension of it is beyond the human intellect. This discontinuity with the material realm invites reflection on divine greatness and human incapacity to understand the Hereafter.
Verse ten, with a clear warning, admonishes humanity against disbelief and denial. This divine completion of proof, like a mirror, displays the dire consequences of rejecting the signs of truth and presents the path to salvation through acceptance of reality.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ هَمَّ قَوْمٌ أَنْ يَبْسُطُوا إِلَيْكُمْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فَكَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنْكُمْ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
"O you who have believed, remember the favour of Allah upon you when a people intended to extend their hands [in aggression] against you, but He withheld their hands from you; and fear Allah. And upon Allah let the believers rely."
Verse eleven addresses the believers with gentle exhortation, urging them to recall the divine blessings bestowed upon them. The remembrance of blessings is like a clear stream that refreshes the believers heart and guides it towards gratitude and thankfulness. Divine favours, from peaceful sleep and health to guidance and faith, are countless as the stars of the heavens. Humans, often engulfed in negligence, remain unaware of these blessings. According to religious scholars, if one nights sleep is lost or the ability to eat is removed, then the true importance of these daily blessings is realised.
One prominent instance of divine blessing is health, whose value was made especially manifest during the global pandemics such as COVID-19. According to religious scholars, this illness, which afflicted millions worldwide and in Iran, taking many lives daily, demonstrated that easy breathing and health are incomparable blessings. The reduction of road accidents during COVID-19 restrictions also exemplifies the social impacts of blessings and trials, reminding us that even amid hardships, divine favours remain hidden.
Dhikr (remembrance), beyond mere verbal repetition, in practical mysticism means immersion in divine blessings. The mystical seeker is like a navigator adrift in the boundless ocean of Gods favours, recalling innumerable blessings at every moment. This remembrance is not only verbal gratitude but also profound contemplation of divine grandeur that guides the soul towards perfection.
Humans, due to habituation to daily blessings, sometimes fail to enumerate or remember them. Intellect, intelligence, health, and even existence itself, which has risen from dust to humanity, are blessings that receive little attention. Religious scholars emphasize, referencing childhood education, that humans must be habituated from the outset to remembering divine favours so that their hearts overflow with gratitude.
Verse eleven restricts the divine blessing to a particular instance: the prevention of harm by disbelievers and polytheists to the believers. The phrase "when a people intended to extend their hands to you" indicates a hostile intent which God, in His mercy, thwarted. "But He withheld their hands from you" signifies the restraint of the aggressors hands rather than their breaking, which is a sign of Gods boundless kindness even toward the disbelievers.
Verse eleven invites the believers to piety and reliance. Piety is like a shield that preserves a person from disobedience and brings them closer to God. Reliance (tawakkul), however, is like a banner signalling true faith. The true believer entrusts all affairs to God and rests their heart upon divine tranquillity amidst hardships. Religious scholars consider weak reliance to be the root cause of many afflictions, from poverty and illness to anxiety.
To explain reliance, a humorous anecdote from religious scholars is narrated: a man on the brink of death, relying on God and encouraged by his faithful wife, not only escaped death but was appointed to make a coffin for the ruler, thereby earning abundant livelihood. This story, like a mirror, demonstrates the power of reliance and shows that God, with His infinite knowledge, is aware even when a leaf falls and governs the affairs of His servants.
Reliance, contrary to some misconceptions, is not greed for material or spiritual blessings. The true believer, like a lover desiring nothing but the beloved, entrusts everything to God and fears neither death nor hardship. This reliance is pure love that invites surrender to divine wisdom.
God is just and wise and commits no injustice. Reliance is submission to this justice and wisdom. Humans, who sometimes exceed God in sin and oppression, take steps towards purity and salvation through reliance. This submission is like a key that opens the doors of divine mercy.
Despite its advancements, humanity often remains an incomplete being immersed in conflict and killing. According to religious scholars, had humans reached perfection, their children would not have fought one another so bitterly. The story of Cain and Abel, like a mirror, displays this failure and invites human introspection.
Religious scholars, recalling a childhood memory of watching a film about Adam and Eve, refer to the initial beauty and dignity of humanity. This beauty, which has faded in subsequent generations, reminds that despite its capacities, humanity sometimes drifts away from its truth.
Dhikr and reliance, like two wings, elevate the human spirit towards perfection. The remembrance of blessings fills the heart with gratitude, and reliance strengthens faith. These two, like precious gems, mature the soul and prepare it to receive divine grace.
Verses ten and eleven of Surah Al-Ma'idah, like two celestial guides, present the paths of disbelief and faith before humanity. Verse ten completes the proof over disbelievers and deniers, warning of the dire consequences of denial and depicting Jahim as an incomprehensible destination. Verse eleven, however, like a refreshing breeze, invites believers to remember divine blessings, piety, and reliance. The remembrance of blessings, from health to deliverance from enemies, and reliance, as a sign of true faith, lead humanity towards perfection. These verses, in eloquent and exalted language, call human beings to contemplate the boundless divine favours and submit to His wisdom.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
