the Lectures of Nokounam, (Session 1098)
Verses 58 to 60 of Surah Al-Maidah, like a crystal-clear mirror, depict irrational behaviours, hypocrisy, and the spiritual and ethical consequences of straying from the truth. These verses, expressed in a celestial manner, call upon humanity to tread the path of rationality and monotheism, and to abstain from lapsing into fisq (immorality) and tyranny-worship. This treatise, with a profound and contemplative approach, endeavours to elucidate these verses, drawing upon the content of Quranic lectures to provide a coherent and scholarly framework for understanding them. The objective is not merely to explicate the apparent meanings of the verses, but to explore their deeper spiritual and ethical layers, thereby serving as a guiding light for a faithful life journey.
وَإِذَا نَادَيْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ اتَّخَذُوهَا هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
"And when you call to prayer, they take it in ridicule and amusement. That is because they are a people who do not understand."
This verse explicitly describes a group who mock the invitation to prayer, this paramount pillar of religion, treating it as a mere jest. The phrase "قَوْمٌ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ" does not signify madness, but rather an absence of rationality in behaviour. These individuals act without regulation, measure, or restraint; as if, like a rudderless ship, they drift aimlessly across the sea of their deeds. Rationality, in this perspective, is the capability to regulate conduct based on divine principles and rules, from which this group is deprived.
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ هَلْ تَنْقِمُونَ مِنَّا إِلَّا أَنْ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَأَنَّ أَكْثَرَكُمْ فَاسِقُونَ
Say: "O People of the Book, do you resent us except for that we believe in Allah and what was revealed to us and what was revealed before, and that most of you are defiantly disobedient?"
This verse addresses the People of the Book directly, questioning why they criticise and harm the believers. The answer lies in the believers faith in God, the revelation sent to them (مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا), and the prior revelations (مَا أُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلُ). The Quran astutely refrains from using the phrase مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ, since some among the People of the Book do not genuinely believe in prior revelations and merely bear the external title "People of the Book." This hypocrisy stems from a lack of genuine commitment to the truth of revelation and an inclination towards worldly matters.
The phrase وَأَنَّ أَكْثَرَكُمْ فَاسِقُونَ classifies the majority of the People of the Book as fasiqthose who deviate from divine rules and engage in disorderly and worldly conduct. They resemble birds that have flown from the secure branches of God towards worldly snares, displaying unruly and excessive behaviour. This fisq stems not only from lack of genuine faith in revelation but also from an absence of rationality in governing behaviour.
قُلْ هَلْ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِشَرٍّ مِنْ ذَٰلِكَ مَثُوبَةً عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ۚ مَنْ لَعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَغَضِبَ عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهُمُ الْقِرَدَةَ وَالْخَنَازِيرَ وَعَبَدَ الطَّاغُوتَ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ شَرٌّ مَكَانًا وَأَضَلُّ عَنْ سَوَاءِ السَّبِيلِ
Say: "Shall I inform you of worse than that as a reward from Allah? Those whom Allah has cursed and with whom He is angry and made of them apes and swine and who worshipped Taghut. Those are worse in position and further astray from the sound way."
This verse issues a stern warning regarding the fate of those who stray from the path of truth. This outcome is elucidated in three stages: Divine curse (exclusion from God's mercy), Divine wrath (Gods anger upon them), and transformation into beings possessing the attributes of apes and swine, coupled with worship of Taghut. These stages resemble successive steps descending human beings from the lofty status of Gods vicegerent to the nadir of animality and tyranny-worship.
The terms الْقِرَدَةَ وَالْخَنَازِيرَ in this verse do not imply a physical transformation of humans into animals, but rather denote animalistic characteristics such as corruption, malevolence, greed, and impurity. Apes and swine, due to their biological proximity to humans, symbolise unethical behaviours manifest in the fasiq. This interpretation aligns with rationality and avoids unscientific notions of human-to-animal metamorphosis. These individuals, estranged from reason and truth, instead of aspiring towards perfection, sink into the quagmire of animalistic traits.
The phrase عَبَدَ الطَّاغُوتَ represents the utmost moral degradation of those who slide from fisq into worshipping entities other than God. Taghut encompasses anything that stands in opposition to God, ranging from physical idols to worldly values, or even the deification of non-monotheistic personalities. This worship is the natural consequence of animalistic traits; like a bird that has severed its secure connection with God, it flutters towards the snares of Taghut.
Although fisq is a grave sin, it is reversible through repentance (Astaghfirullh Rabb wa atbu ilayh). However, worship of Taghut is akin to drowning in a deep whirlpool, rendering return far more difficult. Fisq resembles getting lost in narrow worldly alleys, whereas worship of Taghut resembles falling into an infinite abyss, distancing the individual from God and truth.
In this context, Taghut refers to anything that replaces Gods position in a persons heart, even if it is done in the name of sacred figures. Mentioning the names of holy personalities, such as Imams, without linking them to monotheism, leads to Taghut worship. It is as if a person, instead of worshipping divine light, attaches to its shadows and moves away from the truth.
One novel suggestion of this lecture is the emphasis on the phrase "السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا اللَّهُ" ("Peace be upon You, O Allah") as a unifying and spiritual act of monotheism. This greeting, like a cool breeze, dispels rancour from the heart and polishes it with the light of monotheism. Greeting God, the Messenger, and the righteous servants leads a person towards purity of heart and distance from rancour.
The absence of "السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا اللَّهُ" in some ziyrah texts reflects a limited mindset in religious traditions. This lecture calls for reconsideration of such traditions, proposing that greeting God, as a monotheistic act, be placed alongside greetings to the Messenger and the righteous servants. This act, like a golden key, opens the doors of monotheism and knowledge to the individual.
The phrase "ما از آن پاکدلانیم که به کس کینه نداریم" ("We are among the pure-hearted who harbour no rancour") serves as a celestial motto, inviting humanity towards purity and avoidance of enmity. This principle harmonises with the spirit of the verses, which warn against hypocrisy and fisq, guiding towards rationality and monotheism.
Salm (peace) is one of the divine names and the essence of Islam. The phrase "السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا اللَّهُ", as an act of submission and monotheism, draws a person closer to God. This lecture criticises the restriction in invoking divine names and suggests that greetings such as "السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا الرَّحْمَنُ" ("Peace be upon You, O Most Merciful") or "السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا الْمَجِيدُ" ("Peace be upon You, O Glorious") are also permissible, as all are within the framework of monotheism.
This viewpoint, like a clear stream, springs from the fountain of monotheism and leads the individual towards freedom in divine remembrance and avoidance of blind imitation. Greeting God, the Messenger, and all creation signifies submission to divine will and acceptance of all His creations.
Verses 58 to 60 of Surah Al-Maidah, like a shining lamp, illuminate the path of rationality, monotheism, and abstinence from fisq and Taghut worship. These verses critique irrational behaviour, hypocrisy of the People of the Book, and the consequences of straying from the truth, inviting reflection on ones conduct. The interpretation of apes and swine as animalistic traits, not physical transformations, underscores the rationality of these verses. The suggestion to greet God and creation acts as a golden bridge leading towards monotheism and purity of heart. This lecture, with profound and spiritual language, offers a framework for a faithful life wherein reason, ethics, and monotheism are intricately intertwined.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
