Preface
The Holy Qur'an, like a radiant beacon, illuminates the path of guidance for humanity and, with profound and sagacious expression, unveils the deviations and aberrations of mankind. Verse 140 of Surah Al-Anm addresses, in clear and unequivocal language, the critique of polytheistic behaviours and the misuse of divine blessings. This verse, by referencing the sacrifice of children and the prohibition of God's sustenance, invites humanity to reflect upon their deeds and return to the path of truth. In this treatise, relying on the content of Quranic lectures and exegetical analyses, an effort has been made to elucidate the concepts of this verse in a lucid and scholarly manner, so as to present, like a mirror, the reality of human conduct before the readers eyes.
The Holy Quran, in verse 140 of Surah Al-Anm, with resolute diction, condemns those who, out of folly and ignorance, sacrificed their children and declared forbidden the divine blessings. This verse, like a sharp blade, uncovers the ignorance and imprudence of the polytheists and depicts their immense loss.
قَدْ خَسِرَ الَّذِينَ قَتَلُوا أَوْلَادَهُمْ سَفَهًا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَحَرَّمُوا مَا رَزَقَهُمُ اللَّهُ افْتِرَاءً عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ قَدْ ضَلُّوا وَمَا كَانُوا مُهْتَدِينَ
Indeed, those who killed their children in folly without knowledge and forbade what Allah had provided for them, falsely against Allahindeed, they have gone astray and were not guided.
Folly, denoting imprudence and absence of sound intellect, alongside ignorance, indicating lack of knowledge and awareness, are the two fundamental characteristics of polytheists who commit such acts. The Holy Quran, by employing these two attributes, emphasises the distinction between irrationality and ignorance. It is possible for someone to possess knowledge but lack sound intellect, or to be prudent yet deprived of knowledge. These two qualities, like two wings of misguidance, draw a person towards loss.
The child is akin to the fruit of the soul and the essence of human existence. The Holy Quran regards the child as the secret of the father the mystery and core of the father's being. Killing a child is an act that not only destroys human life but annihilates the very essence of human existence. Polytheists, by sacrificing their children to idols, which are merely pieces of wood and stone, unjustly obliterated this divine blessing.
Meanwhile, the Holy Quran, by referring to the story of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), elucidates the distinction between the polytheists act and the divine test. God called Abraham to sacrifice his son, but this was solely a divine trial that concluded with the deliverance of Ishmael (peace be upon him). The Quran states in Surah As-Saffat, verse 106:
Indeed, this was the clear trial.
This trial, unlike the polytheists act, was rooted in obedience to divine command, not folly or ignorance. The polytheists, by attributing the sacrifice of their children to idols, slandered God and declared His blessings forbidden.
Verse 140 of Surah Al-Anm not only condemns the sacrifice of children but also censures the forbidding of divine sustenance. The polytheists illegitimately deemed as forbidden that which God had appointed as provision for them, thereby slandering the Almighty.
Divine sustenance is like rain that quenches the parched earth of human existence. Children, wealth, health, and other blessings are all from divine provision, which is a trust in human hands. The polytheists, by forbidding these blessings and attributing them to idols, squandered this trust. The Holy Quran points to this truth in Surah An-Nahl, verse 112:
And whoever forbids the provision of Allah
This verse clearly demonstrates that forbidding divine blessings is an act that leads a person towards loss and misguidance.
The polytheists, believing that idols brought them closer to God, slandered the Almighty. The Quran reprimands this accusation in Surah Al-Anm, verse 93:
And they say lies against Allah.
Idols, being lifeless objects, cannot possibly serve as intermediaries to approach God. This belief is not only polytheistic but also indicative of the profound folly and ignorance of the polytheists.
The lectures critically address the exploitation of religious symbols in wars. The deployment of youth to battlefronts under the guise of religious rites, such as passing beneath the Quran, has sometimes been conducted not from sincerity but for ulterior motives. This act, akin to clothing an incongruous body in sacred garments, criticises the misuse of religion for non-divine ends.
The lectures refer to scenes depicting youth, with weary and deprived faces, preparing for deployment to the front lines. This image, like a sorrowful painting, reveals the plight of those sacrificed by the decisions of others. The Holy Quran, in Surah Al-Anm, verse 125, mentions those who choose misguidance:
And whoever Allah intends to misguide...
This verse serves as a warning to those who exploit religion to lead others astray.
The lectures explicitly criticise the hypocrites who, under the facade of religiosity, distort the truth of religion. These individuals, like actors on a deceptive stage, with beautiful speech and a sacred appearance, deceive the simple-hearted. The Quran refers to this behaviour in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 14:
And when they meet those who believe
The hypocrites, claiming piety, distort reality and propagate misguidance among the people with deceptive words.
The lectures, with profound insight, criticise authoritarianism in religious scholarship and economic exploitation of the people. The suppression of critics under the pretext of apostasy contradicts the truth of religion. The Quran states in Surah Al-Kahf, verse 29:
And say, The truth is from your Lord.
This verse emphasises freedom of truthful expression and rejects any form of suppression in the name of religion.
The lectures address poverty and deprivation among people, critiquing economic exploitation of divine blessings. This deprivation, like a heavy shadow, has fallen upon people's lives, preventing them from benefiting from Gods blessings. The Quran alludes to this in Surah Al-Hashr, verse 7:
So that it will not be a fortune circulated among you.
Verse 140 of Surah Al-Anm, like a clear mirror, portrays the deviations of the polytheists in sacrificing children and forbidding divine blessings. This verse, with articulate language, censures folly, ignorance, misguidance, and distancing from guidance, inviting humans to reflect upon their conduct. The lectures, by expanding these concepts, critique the misuse of religion in war, distortion of religion by hypocrites, authoritarianism in religious knowledge, and poverty. Divine blessings, being precious trusts, must be preserved; any form of corruption thereof drives humanity towards loss and misguidance. This treatise, relying on the Holy Quran and exegetical analysis, endeavours to present these truths to the reader with clarity and elegance.
