of Session 1229
The Noble Qur'an, akin to a radiant lamp, illuminates the path of guidance towards the truth and summons humanity to contemplate divine mysteries and their own deeds. Verse 125 of Surah Al-Anam, with profound and meaningful expression, explicates the mechanism of guidance and misguidance, illustrating the role of divine will and human actions within this trajectory. This treatise, through a deep examination of this noble verse, seeks to exploreusing clear and eloquent languagethe concepts of monotheism, human free will, and the influence of deeds on spiritual destiny. Employing allegories and literary allusions, an endeavour has been made to present these notions to readers in a manner both engaging and precise.
Despite its name referring to quadrupeds, Surah Al-Anam primarily focuses on the themes of monotheism, polytheism, and disbelief. This Meccan chapter of the Qur'an, emphasising divine unity, calls humanity towards recognising the truth and shunning falsehood. Verse 125 of this Surah stands as a jewel among these discussions, elucidating the mechanism of guidance and misguidance and highlighting the position of divine will alongside human free will.
This verse, with remarkable eloquence, invites humanity to reflect on the connection between deeds and spiritual destiny. Monotheism flows like a pure river throughout this Surah, each of its verses branching forth to guide towards the truth. The centrality of monotheism here manifests not only in the critique of polytheism and disbelief but also in the explication of the path of guidance.
Monotheism, like a steadfast pillar, constitutes the foundation of all teachings in Surah Al-Anam. This Surah, by calling for exclusive worship, deters humanity from worshipping apparent and latent idols and directs them towards the One God. The verse in question, emphasising divine will in guiding and misguiding, displays the truth that every good and evil ultimately depends upon the will of the Lord.
فَمَن يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ ۖ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَنْ يُضِلَّهُ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِي السَّمَاءِ
"Whomever Allah wills to guide, He expands his breast to Islam, and whomever He wills to misguide, He makes his breast tight and constricted as if he is ascending to the sky."
This verse serves as a key that opens the doors to understanding guidance and misguidance. Guidance, like a refreshing breeze of the spirit, opens the human heart towards the truth, whereas misguidance, like a heavy burden, confines the chest in distress and anxiety.
Expansion of the chest is a spiritual and psychological state in which the human heart becomes ready to accept truth and act accordingly. This opening is the result of righteous deeds and sincere intention that God instils in His servants heart. When a person proceeds with faith-based and amicable conduct, the Lord, like a compassionate gardener, plants the seed of faith within and waters it with the light of truth.
This expansion does not merely signify accepting Islam as a religion but denotes an openness of heart towards all that is true and right. The expansion of the chest is like a window through which divine light shines upon the human heart, guiding it towards felicity.
Contrary to expansion is constriction and distress, which signify tightness of the chest and agitation. This condition results from improper actions, oppression, and sin. God, in His wisdom, places the misguided heart under constraint, as if it is fruitlessly striving to ascend to the heavens. This imagery vividly portrays the frustration and confusion of the misguided individual.
Distress is like a cage imprisoning the misguided person. No matter how much he struggles, he finds no path to tranquillity because his own deeds have led him into this tight predicament. This state is the natural consequence of sin and oppression, which God has imposed as a temporal punishment in human life.
Verse 125 of Surah Al-Anam, with profound language, elucidates the connection between divine will and human actions. Guidance and misguidance, though under the Lords will, result from human choices in deeds and intentions. Expansion of the chest is like a flower blooming in the garden of faith, and constriction and distress like a thorn growing in the wilderness of sin. This verse invites humanity to contemplate their conduct and its impact on spiritual destiny.
Human deeds are like seeds sown in the soil of the heart, the fruits of which are reaped in worldly and otherworldly life. This principle is beautifully reflected in the Persian proverb: "Do good and cast it into the Tigris; God will return it to you in the desert." God, like a wise farmer, arranges the outcomes of deeds according to His wisdom.
Good deeds such as faith, purity, and avoidance of oppression provide the ground for guidance. These deeds, in accordance with the principle "There is no power nor strength except by Allah," harmonise with divine will and guide humanity towards expansion of the chest.
Divine and human wills are intertwined like the warp and weft of a woven fabric. Humans have free will in their actions, yet the results of these deeds depend on the will of the Lord. This interaction is elegantly illustrated by the example of a tailor and a cloth merchant: the human is like the tailor sewing the fabric of deeds, while God is the wise merchant cutting it according to His wisdom.
If human deeds are good, the outcome is like a well-tailored garment leading to felicity; if evil, like a torn cloth causing hardship and failure. This interaction negates fatalism and highlights human responsibility for their actions.
Intentions are like roots nourishing the tree of human deeds. Good intentions lead to good outcomes and evil intentions to evil outcomes. God arranges the results of deeds se intentions. For example, a person who gives bread to the hungry with faith that God will sustain them benefits from divine guidance; conversely, one who withholds out of selfishness may suffer hardship and constriction.
Human deeds and intentions are like the two wings of a bird that carry it towards success or failure. Divine will is like the wind guiding this bird along the path of wisdom. Humans shape their deeds and intentions through free will, but the outcomes are determined by the Lords will. This section emphasises the importance of good intentions and righteous deeds in achieving guidance.
In society, behaviours such as cunningness, trickery, and harming others are like poisons that contaminate the human heart. These actions deprive people of goodness and trap them in the constriction of distress. For example, a person who pursues personal gain through deceit is like a bird trapped in its own cage, fluttering without escape.
Conversely, harmlessnesseven without religiosityleads to tranquillity and felicity. A person who refrains from harming others is like a tree bearing fruit under the shade of divine mercy. This principle underscores the importance of human ethics and demonstrates that good conduct, even without religious belief, can lead to expansion of the chest.
In society, some enjoy peaceful and happy lives through good deeds, while others suffer hardship and failure due to bad actions. For instance, a poor child content with a simple life contrasted with a wealthy child who fails to enjoy their privileges illustrates the impact of deeds on quality of life. This difference is a direct consequence of individual deeds and intentions.
Similarly, the example of a person urgently needing a restroom but unable to find one serves as a psychological illustration of distress. This individual is trapped in anxiety, and all efforts to find relief prove futile. This image vividly portrays the failure of the misguided human.
Social behaviours reflect human deeds and intentions like a mirror. Cunningness, trickery, and harming others confine individuals in the cage of failure, while harmlessness
