Derived from the lecture series of Nokounam, may his sanctity be preserved (Session 1278)
Surah Al-A'raf, one of the Meccan chapters of the Holy Qur'an, flows like a pristine spring, imparting divine knowledge into the human soul and shedding new light on fundamental human issues, including justice, worship, and monotheism. This treatise, inspired by the lecture of session 1278, endeavours to elucidate and analyse verses 28 and 29 of this Surah. The focal themes include the critique of obscenity (fahsha), emphasis on practical justice (qist), sincere worship, and pure monotheismeach serving as firm pillars that constitute the believers edifice of faith. Employing eloquent and dignified language, this work seeks to present Quranic concepts in a detailed and coherent framework suited to a scholarly research context, thereby reflecting the truth of divine teachings as in a mirror.
The Holy Qur'an in verse 28 of Surah Al-A'raf explicitly refers to open sins or fahsha. Fahsha, like a visible wound on the body of society, encompasses sins that are apparent and noisy in the public eye, such as deeds that disrupt moral and social order. Unlike covert errors occurring in private, these sins threaten moral foundations like a destructive storm. It is noteworthy that interference in others hidden sins, as the Qur'an states, is undesirable. Another verse commands: And do not spy
(Al-Hujurat: 12), thereby safeguarding personal privacy and prohibiting unwarranted intrusion into others' lives.
And when they commit an indecency, they say, "We found our forefathers upon it, and Allah has commanded us to do it." Say, "Indeed, Allah does not command indecency. Do you say about Allah that which you do not know?" (Qur'an 7:28)
Some justify fahsha by appealing to ancestral tradition, saying, We found our forefathers upon it
. This justification, like an old and worn-out veil, cannot conceal the ugliness of the sin. Worse still is the claim by some that these acts are commanded by God: And Allah has commanded us to do it
. This statement, like a poisonous arrow, is a grievous slander against the sanctity of the Divine. The Qur'an emphatically replies: Say, indeed Allah does not command indecency
, thus illuminating the falsehood of such claims like a blazing torch and inviting reflection upon ones speech and conduct. Attributing sin to divine command is a far graver sin, as the Qur'an warns: Do you attribute to Allah that which you do not know?
This verse, like a mirror, exposes human ignorance and misunderstanding before their eyes.
In verse 29 of Surah Al-A'raf, the Holy Qur'an introduces justice by the term qist, denoting practical justice rather than mere claims. Qist, like a precise scale, weighs human behaviour against truth and calls one to righteous action. This justice is a prerequisite for all worship; without it, worship collapses like a building without a structure. The lecture notes emphasise that prayer without qist is not only devoid of value but, like a hollow display, becomes subject to ridicule. If a person is deceitful, backbiter, or engages in unlawful consumption, their prayer unravels like an old garment and loses efficacy.
Say: "My Lord has commanded justice, and set your faces upright at every place of worship, and call upon Him, being sincere in religion. As He began you, so shall you return."
Qist is like the root that stabilises the tree of worship. Without practical justice, worship is like a barren branch, fruitless. The lecture cites religious scholars who assert that a sinful person who prays would be better not to pray, for their prayer is like a mark on waterineffectual. Though seemingly harsh, this is a warning that worship without righteous deeds loses its essence. The Qur'an also states: Indeed, prayer forbids immorality and wrongdoing
(Al-Ankabut: 45). Therefore, prayer accompanied by sinfulness is devoid of its true reality.
Verse 29 of Surah Al-A'raf presents worship with two essential features: facing God (and set your faces upright at every place of worship
) and sincerity in religion (being sincere in religion to Him
). Sincere worship, like a pure gem, is solely for God, not for saints or prophets. Religion, like a clear stream, flows only toward God; no one, not even prophets or Imams, stands before the Divine except as His righteous servants. The lecture uses a metaphor to critique beliefs that assign divine status to prophets or saints, such as certain sects known for Ali-Allah doctrines. Such beliefs, like dust on the mirror of monotheism, obscure the truth of religion.
The lecture highlights erroneous beliefs that saints or Imams independently perform deeds, emphasising pure monotheism. The Qur'an commands: Know that there is no deity except Allah
(Muhammad: 19), underscoring that prophets and saints are righteous servants guiding humanity towards monotheism, not substitutes for God. This emphasis, like a fresh breeze, clears the believers heart of polytheism and directs them towards sincere worship.
The lecture compares a believers faith to a triangle whose three pillars are qist (practical justice), worship (praying towards the Qibla), and sincerity (for God alone). These three, like three legs of a sturdy structure, stabilise faith. A true believer is one who observes justice in conduct, directs worship to God, and acts with pure intention. Without these three, faith is like a bird without wings, unable to soar.
Some mystics erroneously reject external worship, claiming that through inner contemplation and silent remembrance they reach God. The lecture critiques this view by telling of a mystic who disparaged prayer. The Qur'an states: Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a timed obligation
(An-Nisa: 103). Worship is a bridge uniting body and soul; without it, claims of mysticism are like bubbles on watertransient and unsustainable.
The lecture likens the world to an advance payment against the full rights of the Hereafter, akin to a drop compared to the ocean. Despite its imperfections, the world serves as a testing ground; however, complete justice is only realised in the Hereafter. The Qur'an says: As He began you, so shall you return
, a divine promise that no deed, however small, escapes Gods precise scrutiny.
In the Hereafter, divine reckoning acts like a precise scale, measuring human deeds. The lecture stresses that the worlds limitations preclude perfect justice. Oppressions, injustices, and inequalities are transient clouds that divine justice will address. The Qur'an warns: And never think that Allah is unaware of what
