of Nekounam, (Session 1069)
This treatise examines and interprets verse twenty-six of Surah Al-Ma'idah from the Holy Quran, which addresses the fate of the Children of Israel and their divine punishment due to disobedience. This verse, through a historical narrative and profound lessons in ethics and theology, elucidates the relationship between obedience and felicity, and disobedience and distress. The present writing, adopting a comprehensive and profound perspective, systematically and scientifically reconstructs the content of the lecture, employing an elevated language and semantic cohesion to clarify the concepts for an audience interested in religious and ethical discourse.
The Holy Quran, like a pure mirror, recounts historical events with the aim of imparting lessons for future generations. Verse twenty-six of Surah Al-Maidah portrays a segment of the fate of the Children of Israel, who, due to disobedience to divine command, were afflicted with forty years of wandering in the desert. This narrative is presented not only as a historical occurrence but also as timeless lessons in faith, obedience, and the consequences of disobedience in the Quranic text.
In verse twenty-one of Surah Al-Maidah, Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) commands his people to enter the sacred land of Palestine:
ادْخُلُوا الْأَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ الَّتِي كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ
Enter the sacred land which Allah has prescribed for you.
This command was a divine invitation towards blessing and a promise whose fulfilment depended upon the faith and deeds of the people. The sacred land, like a jewel within reach, awaited a people who would, with courage and obedience, conquer it.
Despite this clear invitation, the Children of Israel refused to enter the sacred land and said:
لَنْ نَدْخُلَهَا
We will never enter it.
This refusal was not merely a sign of fear and weakness but was rooted in a lack of faith and trust in divine promises. Instead of stepping on the path of obedience, the people became ensnared in doubt and disobedience.
Among them, two individuals who possessed faith and courage urged others to enter the sacred land and trust in victory:
قَالَ رَجُلَانِ مِنَ الَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ
Two men from those who feared God said.
These two persons, like torches in darkness, exemplified faith and bravery. Nevertheless, the lectures text notes that even these two did not themselves enter the land but confined themselves to speech alone. This gap between words and deeds indicates the general weakness of the people and the challenges inherent in guidance.
Confronted with the people's disobedience, Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) acknowledged his own limitations:
إِنِّي لَا أَمْلِكُ إِلَّا نَفْسِي وَأَخِي
I possess authority only over myself and my brother.
This admission, like a mirror, reflects the educational role of the Prophets. Prophets are guides who cannot compel their people towards felicity by force. This limitation stems not from weakness on the part of the Prophet but from the human free will of the people.
In despair regarding the guidance of his people, Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) petitioned God:
فَافْرُقْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ
Separate us from the rebellious people.
This plea, like a cry from the depths of the heart, signifies entrusting the fate of the people to divine wisdom. Moses (peace be upon him) neither cursed the people nor condemned them to punishment but requested God to determine the destiny of the disobedient.
God responded to Moses (peace be upon him) with the decree concerning the peoples fate:
قَالَ فَإِنَّهَا مُحَرَّمَةٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ۛ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً ۛ يَتِيحُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ
He said: Then indeed it is forbidden to them for forty years; they shall wander upon the earth. So do not grieve over the rebellious people.
This response, like a decisive judgment, declared the peoples wandering as punishment for disobedience. The wandering was not only a material torment but also a symbol of spiritual confusion, ignorance, and remorse rooted in rebellion.
The disobedience of the people is described in the Quran as fisq (transgression). Fisq, like a poisonous tree, has its roots in deviation from divine obedience and its fruits are deviation, confusion, and misery. This concept applies not only to disobedience towards God but also extends to rebellion against parents, commandments, and the principles of life.
Obedience to God, parents, and divine commandments is like a key that opens the doors to felicity. Abandoning acts of worship such as prayer and fasting is equivalent to stepping into the path of transgression, which distances a person from piety and guidance. This principle underscores the importance of adherence to religious injunctions in maintaining spiritual and social order.
Gods command to Moses (peace be upon him) to refrain from grieving over the rebellious people provides a profound lesson for the faithful:
فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ
So do not grieve over the rebellious people.
This command, like a breeze clearing the dust from the heart, invites acceptance of the consequences of sin. Unwarranted pity for sinners yields no benefit and is far removed from divine wisdom and rationality.
The Holy Quran elucidates the direct relationship between action and outcome through the principle kama tazra tahsud (As you sow, so shall you reap). Sin, like a poisonous seed, produces torment and confusion, whereas virtue, like a flourishing sapling, brings felicity and tranquility.
The Holy Quran portrays God as a vigilant observer:
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِالْمِرْصَادِ
Indeed, your Lord is watchful.
This vigilance, like an ever-awake eye, does not overlook any deed. Divine justice recompenses good and evil everywhere and at all times, whether by the Tigris River or in the wilderness.
The phrase l awla wa l quwwata ill bi-llh, like a brilliant jewel, signifies that all changes and strengths depend on God. awla refers to transformation and movement from one state to another, which ultimately returns to divine power. This invocation calls man to reliance and submission to the divine will.
The lecture recounts a memory of a distinguished teacher who recited the Holy Quran with unparalleled mastery and speed. This teacher, who guided the narrator during childhood, memorised the Quran, supplications, and religious texts such as Mafatih and Zad al-Maad, exemplifying a committed religious scholar. His swift and precise recitations illuminated the path for his students like a blazing torch.
The teachers mastery over religious textsfrom the Quran to supplications and poetrydemonstrated the depth of his knowledge and commitment to spiritual training. This mastery, like a clear spring, quenched the thirst of young generations and imparted lessons of faith and practice.
Nevertheless, the teacher occasionally expressed cursing remarks about the social situation, which caused concern. Such speech, like a double-edged sword, could lead to despair instead of guidance. This critique highlights the importance of avoiding negative utterances in religious education.
The teacher passed away at the age of ninety-two due to the widespread COVID-19 pandemic. This event, like a wake-up call, draws attention to human mortality and the value of righteous deeds in life. His life, filled with Quranic recitation and supplication, left a great lesson in attaining a good end.
The interpretation of verse twenty-six of Surah Al-Maidah, like a radiant light, presents profound lessons in theology and ethics. The disobedience of the Children of Israel, which resulted in forty years of wandering, serves as a mirror reflecting the consequences of departing from divine obedience. This verse, emphasising the law of action and consequence, divine vigilance, and refraining from grief over sinners, invites man towards piety and rationality. The recounted memories of a religious scholar underscore the significance of spiritual education and its societal impact, while cautioning that negative and cursing speech can diminish the guiding effect of discourse. Ultimately, this treatise, by advocating obedience and abstention from oppression, delineates the path to felicity through adherence to divine guidance.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
