the Lectures of Nokounam, (Session 1205)
Verses 89 to 91 of Surah Al-Anm from the Holy Quran, like a radiant light in the firmament of divine knowledge, articulate the boundless power of the Lord, the exalted status of the Prophets and Imams in guiding humanity, and a critique of disbelief and distortion of the heavenly scriptures. These verses, with sagacious expression, invite mankind to contemplate divine grandeur and to adhere to the guidance of the Messengers. In this treatise, through a profound and systematically structured approach, the concepts of these verses are elucidated and all aspects examined in detail. The objective is to present a comprehensive and lucid analysis that simultaneously preserves the spiritual essence of the Holy Quran and unveils its rational and semantic connections for the readers.
"Those are the ones to whom We gave the Scripture and wisdom and prophethood; but if they disbelieve in it, then We have entrusted it to a people who will not disbelieve in it."
This verse, like an opened gateway toward divine majesty, manifests the unparalleled power of the Lord in granting the Scripture, wisdom, and prophethood to the Prophets. By this infinite bestowal, God has placed the Prophets as torchbearers on the path of guiding humanity. Yet, should a group, even hypothetically, reject these divine blessings, the Lord appoints another people who will believe in and uphold this guidance. This principle, like a flowing river, indicates the perseverance of the divine religion against any form of ingratitude.
This verse clearly states that the divine religion, like a luminous jewel, is entrusted to those who believe in it. This divine selection is not contingent upon lineage or name but rather upon faith and sincerity. Hence, God does not require naming the faithful people; whoever they are, it suffices that they do not disbelieve in divine guidance.
Prophets and Imams, like sweet water flowing from the heart of a salty sea, belong to a single spiritual lineage. The difference between them lies solely in spiritual ranks, not in the essence of guidance. This metaphor points to the spiritual unity of all divine guides, who all tread the path of monotheism. Although some ranks are higher and others lower, this difference, like the waves of the sea, does not alter the nature of guidance.
"Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so follow their guidance. Say: I do not ask you for any reward for it. It is nothing but a reminder for the worlds."
This verse, like a heavenly command, calls the Prophet to follow the guidance of the preceding Prophets. The guidance of the Prophets, encompassing the Scripture, wisdom, and prophethood, is like a radiant torch illuminating the way for humanity. The command "follow" signifies practical adherence to the rationality and monotheism of the Prophets, who serve as exemplars for all people. The Prophet, with unparalleled sincerity, requests no recompense for his mission, which itself is a sign of his pure intention in inviting to monotheism.
The phrase "a reminder for the worlds" resonates like a heavenly melody, indicating the universality of the Prophetic mission. The divine religion was not revealed for a particular group but for the guidance of all humanity. This universality, like a boundless ocean, encompasses all humans and invites them toward the truth.
"And they did not appraise Allah with true appraisal when they said, 'Allah did not send down to a human being anything.' Say: 'Who sent down the Scripture that Moses brought as light and guidance for the people? You [then] make it into pages, showing some of them and concealing much.' And you were taught that which you knew not, neither you nor your fathers.' Say: 'Allah.' Then leave them in their [empty] discourse, amusing themselves."
This verse, like a clear mirror, portrays the ingratitude of the disbelievers in denying divine revelation. By claiming that God has sent nothing down to any human, they fail to recognise Gods majesty appropriately. The Holy Quran, with a decisive question, points to the contradiction in their belief: if revelation does not exist, then who sent down the Scripture of Moses, which was a light and guidance for humanity? This argument, like an arrow to the heart of ignorance, exposes their disbelief.
The disbelievers transformed the Scripture of Moses, which was a light for guidance, into mere sheets (qurs), showing some and concealing much. This distortion, like a dark shadow, corrupted the truth of revelation. The concealment was not due to ignorance but motivated by personal interests or biases. God, with the unequivocal phrase "Say: Allah," asserts the divine origin of the revelation and leaves the disbelievers to their futile discourse and play.
The Jews and Christians, by concealing parts of the revelationparticularly prophecies referring to the Prophet of Islamdistorted the truth. This concealment acted like a veil over the light of truth, preventing the full realisation of guidance. Some, due to prejudice and hostility, denied the Prophet of Islam and ascribed false faults to him, although they accepted the revelations of Moses and Jesus. This contradiction, like a cold wind, stems from religious bigotry and ignores the unified truth of divine revelation.
The disbelievers, by claiming superiority of their religions and deeming Islam false, perpetuated an age-old conflict. This conflict, which has intensified in contemporary times, originates from the failure to recognise the unity of divine religions. All revelations, like branches of a mighty tree, spring from the same divine source and must not be separated.
No one, not even the Prophets, can fully comprehend the majesty of God, for the limited human intellect is incapable of grasping the infinite. This incapacity, like a mirror, invites humankind to humility before the Lord. Yet, partial knowledge of Gods majesty, like a golden key, opens the way to guidance. Reason, harmonised with faith, is the instrument for understanding this relative majesty and saving humanity from misguidance.
Concealment and distortion, like a devastating storm, obliterated the essential content of heavenly scriptures such as the Torah and the Gospel. This loss resulted from the misuse of revelation for personal gain. Integrity in transmitting revelation, like a faithful guardian, is a condition for preserving the religious heritage.
Some groups accepted Prophets like Moses and Jesus but denied the Prophet of Islam. This divergence, like a high wall, stems from prejudice and the failure to comprehend the unity of the Prophetic mission. The miracles of the Prophets, which corresponded to their times needs, appear different; Jesus revived the dead while the Prophet brought revelation. Yet, the disbelievers, by undervaluing revelation, ignored the Prophets primary miracle.
Verses 89 to 91 of Surah Al-Anm, like a brilliant jewel in the treasury of the Holy Quran, portray divine majesty, the perseverance of guidance, and critique disbelief and distortion. These verses, with sagacious diction, demonstrate the Lords power in preserving the religion and appointing a faithful people to safeguard it. Prophets and Imams, united in the spiritual lineage of monotheism, are guides differing only in rank. The command to emulate the Prophets guidance calls humanity to rationality and monotheism. The disbelievers, by denying revelation and distorting heavenly scriptures, corrupted the truth; yet the Quran, with clear reasoning, exposes their contradictions. Human incapacity to fully know God leads to humility and acceptance of guidance. This exegesis, with profound and coherent insight, provides illuminating guidance for researchers seeking to understand Quranic principles and contemporary religious challenges.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
