of Nokounam Session 1095
The Holy Quran, like a radiant lamp, illuminates the path to felicity and salvation for mankind. Verses 54 to 57 of Surah Al-Ma'idah, with their celestial and profound expression, expound upon the lofty concepts of wilaya (divine authority), love, unity, and abstention from hypocrisy. These verses, akin to a clear mirror, delineate a framework for a faithful life, wherein love for God, His Messenger, and the believers flows like a pure stream, binding hearts together and facilitating the way to triumph. This treatise, relying on these luminous verses and profound analyses, elucidates these concepts and examines the obstacles to the realisation of believers victory from historical and social perspectives. The aim is not merely to comprehend the apparent meanings of the verses but to apprehend their spirit and message in the light of historical and contemporary conditions.
وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ
And whoever takes Allah, His Messenger, and those who believe as allies, then indeed the party of Allah they are the prevailing.
This noble verse presents wilaya as the key to the believers victory. Wilaya transcends superficial affection and signifies deep companionship, alignment, and heartfelt solidarity with God, His Messenger, and the believers. This concept, like a mighty tree, takes root in the believers heart, its branches bearing unity and triumph. Yet, the 1,400-year history of Islam demonstrates that this victory has seldom been fully realised due to the absence of genuine love. Ostentation, hypocrisy, and division have acted as a heavy shadow, preventing this tree from flourishing.
Throughout Islamic history, Muslimswhether Shia or Sunnihave been deprived of the divine promise of they are the prevailing because of a deficiency in love and solidarity. Taqiyya (dissimulation), concealment, and ostentation have acted as chains that alienate the hearts of believers, engendering division instead of unity. This absence has led not only to a lack of victory but also to isolation and failure of Muslims in facing historical challenges.
One of the most painful instances of division was an eight-year war among Muslims rooted in rancour, grievances, and lack of love. This conflict not only resulted in slaughter and devastation but also dragged others, such as the Palestinians, into the vortex of misery. This disgrace stands as a profound wound, indicative of deviation from the spirit of wilaya and unity to which the Holy Quran calls.
Internal wars have often originated from both internal and external conspiracies and provocations. Examples include provocations against rulers or reckless acts, such as embassy occupations, which have generated cycles of sedition and counter-sedition, ultimately leading to the isolation of Muslims. This cycle, like a whirlpool, has distanced the Ummah from the shore of victory and dragged it into the abyss of failure.
A prominent example of ostentation was the behaviour of an individual who, by displaying rings and twirling a rosary, feigned religiosity but in private revealed his true face through mockery and hypocrisy. Such conduct, like a deceptive mask, has hindered the realisation of love and sincerity within the religious community and has sown division instead of unity.
Another narrative recounts the story of a religious scholar who, during a journey, suffered humiliation due to a tyre puncture of his vehicle. This incident, like a mirror, reflects the weakness in achieving the honour of the believer promised by the Quran in verse 54 of Surah Al-Ma'idah: Honour over the disbelievers.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَنْ يَرْتَدَّ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
O you who have believed, whoever among you should revert from his religion Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him, [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favour of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
This noble verse speaks of a people who, through love for God and the believers and honour against disbelievers, attain victory. Yet, this victory requires organisation and a collective formed on the basis of sincerity and solidarity. Historical efforts to establish such organisations, like the Party of Wilaya, have failed due to a lack of sincerity and unity.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا دِينَكُمْ هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَالْكُفَّارَ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
O you who have believed, do not take those who have taken your religion in ridicule and amusement among the ones who were given the Scripture before you and the disbelievers as allies. And fear Allah, if you should be believers.
This verse cautions believers against befriending those who mock their religion. At the time of its revelation, this warning was particularly pertinent due to conspiracies and espionage by some of the People of the Book against Muslims. However, in the contemporary world, such sensitivities have diminished and human relations should be based on ethics and respect.
In the modern world, nations operate according to their national frameworks rather than strictly religious beliefs. Accordingly, friendship and cooperation with the People of the Book or even disbelievers, provided it is sincere and not detrimental to Muslims, is not prohibited. This perspective acts as a bridge guiding humanity toward ethical and civil interactions.
One of the barriers to unity is the culture of suspicion prevalent among Muslims. An example is the behaviour of a scholar who accused his neighbours of espionage and hastily introduced others before completing greetings. Such conduct, like a wall, impedes the creation of love and trust within the religious community.
Unjust actions, such as charging fees for compulsory education and subsequently shutting it down, exemplify deceitfulness incompatible with the spirit of faith and love. Such behaviours, like thorns in the feet of the Ummah, hinder progress and victory.
Verses 54 to 57 of Surah Al-Ma'idah, like a blazing torch, illuminate the path to the believers victory through love, empathy, and sincerity. These verses, emphasising wilaya and abstention from friendship with the enemies of religion, provide a framework for a faithful life. Yet, the 1,400-year history of Islam demonstrates that division, hypocrisy, and ostentation have hindered the realisation of this divine promise. In the contemporary world, revisiting human relations and avoiding unnecessary prejudices is an undeniable necessity. This treatise, grounded in luminous verses and profound analyses, is an invitation to return to love, unity, and sincerity so that the Islamic Ummah may be guided to the shore of victory.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
