The Holy Quran, like a pristine and boundless spring, pours divine knowledge upon the souls thirsty for truth. Verse 54 of Surah Al-Maidah, shining like a brilliant gem within this celestial scripture, speaks of faith, apostasy, and the emergence of a believing people whom God has adorned with His love and called to strive and persevere in His path. This treatise, through a profound examination of this verse, endeavours to explore its semantic and exegetical layers with clarity and solemnity, opening a window for researchers and seekers of truth towards a more precise understanding of this divine statement. The content of this writing is derived from a lecture that, with meticulousness and insight, contemplated this verse and critically distanced erroneous interpretations from the realm of knowledge.
O you who have believed, whoever among you turns back from his religionGod will bring forth a people He loves and who love Him; humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers, striving in the cause of God and not fearing the blame of any critic. That is the bounty of God; He grants it to whom He wills. And God is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
The verse begins with the address O you who have believed, like a celestial call that summons the hearts of the believers to maintain their faith and steadfastness in the path of truth. This address is not directed to the hypocrites, but to the true believers who have nurtured faith within their hearts and are now cautioned against the peril of weakness and apostasy. This warning acts as a vigilant guardian, preventing believers from slipping into the abyss of apostasy and emphasising the importance of adherence to divine principles.
The verse, in the face of the apostasy of some believers, does not speak of direct punishment; rather, it reveals a divine plan: God will set aside the apostates and replace them with another people. This replacement, like a breeze that detaches withered branches from a tree, signifies Gods independence from the faith of specific individuals and His boundless power in creating a worthy and faithful people. This new people are distinguished not only in faith but also in practice and conduct, adorned with qualities that differentiate them from others.
The word fasawfa in this verse points to an event occurring in a not immediately near future. This temporal gap, interpreted in the lecture as two periods or generations (figuratively, two seasons), is a time God grants for the harmful consequences of apostasy to manifest in the world. This delay acts as a respite, spreading the unpleasant scent of the apostates deeds across the earth, serving as a lesson for others and preparing the way for the emergence of the new people.
God, in this verse, describes a people who shine like stars in the sky of faith. This people are adorned with exalted qualities, each manifesting a facet of human and divine perfection:
Some interpretations erroneously liken this people to violent and militant groups akin to extremists. Such a view is like a dust cloud obscuring the face of truth. The chosen people are known not for violence and punitive harshness but for love and humility towards believers and honourable firmness against disbelievers. These qualities are incompatible with the inhumane and bestial behaviours of extremist groups. Any comparison of this people to such factions is far removed from the exalted spirit of the verse.
A recurring question in the lecture is the identity of this people: Have they appeared in the 1500-year history of Islam, or will they come in the future? This ambiguity acts as a riddle that invites deep contemplation. Some narrations, such as those found in Bihar al-Anwar, attribute this people to groups with specific outward features (such as carrying swords), but such interpretations have been criticised for incompatibility with the spirit of the verse. This people have neither fully materialised in the past nor are definitively identified in history. Perhaps this people, like a hidden jewel, will appear in a divine future or refer to the companions of the Awaited Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance).
One of the prominent traits of the chosen people is their fearlessness of others blame. This characteristic, like a blazing torch, illuminates the path to steadfastness in the way of truth. The lecture cites an example of a distinguished scholar who, despite social pressures and reproaches, stood firm. Despite material poverty and severe assaults, he remained steadfast like an immovable mountain. In a gathering where there was not even a place to sit, he was respected with humility and dignity. This example underscores the importance of intellectual independence and bravery in facing reproach, qualities belonging to the chosen people.
The phrase That is the bounty of God; He grants it to whom He wills refers to the divine grace bestowed upon the chosen people. The lecture raises a literary challenge in this phrase: Does this bounty exclusively belong to the specific people (hdh al-qawm) or is it generally granted to whomever God wishes? Careful analysis of the verse shows that dhlik refers to the attributes of the particular people, and the clause man yash should not be interpreted in a way that diminishes the focus on this group. This bounty is like a precious gem God has given to a distinct people who, by their exalted qualities, have become deserving of this divine favour.
The verse concludes with And God is all-Encompassing and Knowing, opening a window onto the infinitude of divine mercy and knowledge. This phrase emphasises Gods limitless power in selecting the new people and replacing the apostates. Divine vastness is like an ocean encompassing all needs, and divine knowledge is like a light before which no darkness can prevail.
The lecture describes the Holy Quran as a text requiring meticulous and precise interpretation akin to mathematical exactitude. This view acts like a fine ruler, discouraging hasty and incoherent interpretations. The main challenge in this verse is the relationship between dhlik and man yash. While dhlik refers to a specific people, man yash could be interpreted generally. This apparent contradiction requires deep reflection on the verses context to prevent semantic deviation.
Some popular interpretations that attribute the chosen people to violent or inhuman groups are criticised in the lecture. Such interpretations, like broken branches, have detached from the trunk of truth. A scientific and Quranic-based exegesis avoids such misconceptions and emphasises the exalted characteristics of the people.
The lecture condemns groups that name themselves the punitive people and resort to violence against opponents. This criticism, like a mirror, reveals the difference between firmness against disbelievers (meaning defence of truth) and limitless violence. The chosen people are recognised not by retributive violence but by love and humility towards believers and dignity against disbelievers.
Verse 54 of Surah Al-Maidah, like a blazing torch, illuminates the path of faith and steadfastness. This verse warns believers against the danger of apostasy and promises the emergence of a chosen people characterised by divine love, humility towards believers, firmness against disbelievers, jihad in Gods cause, and courage in the face of reproach, transforming them into a mirror of divine virtues. The ambiguity surrounding the identity of this people invites profound reflection on the verses meaning and the search for its manifestations in history or the future. The critique of erroneous interpretations and emphasis on mathematical precision in understanding the Holy Quran make this treatise a valuable resource for researchers.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
