The Holy Quran, like a luminous beacon, illuminates the path of guidance for humankind and explicates, with profound eloquence, the existential and ethical complexities of human beings. Verse 128 of Surah Al-Arf, centred on justice, sincerity in worship, and the distinction between guidance and misguidance, stands as a pivotal verse for understanding the divine system of values. This verse not only references the fundamental principles of religiosity but also, through a deep psychological lens, analyses the false notion of salvation among the misguided. In this treatise, relying on the lectures of esteemed religious scholars, the verse is examined with articulate language and a coherent structure, and its concepts are elucidated in detail for readers. The objective is to employ literary allusions and illustrations to present the depth of Quranic meanings in a clear and captivating manner.
قُلْ أَمَرَ رَبِّي بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَأَقِيمُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَادْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ ۚ كَمَا بَدَأَكُمْ تَعُودُونَ * فَرِيقًا هَدَىٰ وَفَرِيقًا حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الضَّلَالَةُ ۗ إِنَّهُمُ اتَّخَذُوا الشَّيَاطِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ
Say: "My Lord has commanded justice; so set your faces upright at every place of worship, and call upon Him, being sincere in religion to Him alone. As He created you, you shall return. A group [He] guided, and a group deserved to be strayed upon; indeed, they took the devils as protectors instead of God, and they think themselves to be rightly guided."
Verse 128 of Surah Al-Arf, emphasising the divine command towards justice (bi-al-qis), summons humankind towards conduct that, like a firm pillar, establishes the divine ethical framework. Justice in this verse does not merely signify fairness in social interactions but refers to an all-encompassing concept encompassing human intention, action, and thought. This notion, like a radiant sun, illuminates all aspects of human life and protects one from oppression and deviation.
The command to set your faces upright at every mosque (wa-aqm wujhakum inda kulli masjid) and to invoke God with sincere religion (mukhlina lahu ad-dn) directs the human being towards complete focus on the Divine Essence. Sincerity, like a clear spring, purifies the believers heart from any taint of polytheism or ostentation. This Quranic invitation summons man to worship in which God alone is the ultimate purpose, and all acts are offered like a fragrant flower toward Him.
In this regard, the emphasis on purifying religion solely for God means abandoning all attachments to others besides Him. The faithful person, at every prostration and moment of worship, is likened to a bird flying towards the heavens, directing heart and soul to the Almighty.
The phrase kam badaakum tadn (as He created you, you shall return) reflects a transparent mirror depicting the human existential cycle. This verse reminds humans that their origin and conclusion lie in Gods hands. Just as God brought humanity from non-existence to existence, He will return them to Himself on the Day of Resurrection. This concept, like an invisible thread, links all stages of human life to divine will and invites reflection on origin and hereafter.
This existential cycle not only alludes to resurrection but guides man to the truth that every moment of life is under divine providence. Man, like a traveller on the path of eternity, begins from the divine origin and returns to Him.
The Holy Quran in this verse divides humanity into two groups: those who are guided (farqan had) and those upon whom misguidance is deserved (farqan aqqa alayhimu -allah). This dichotomy acts like a clear line separating truth from falsehood. The guided are those who accept divine will and choose the path of truth, whereas the misguided, by choosing falsehood, deprive themselves of the light of guidance.
Misguidance here results from wrongful deeds such as oppression, crime, and deviation from the path of truth. This choice distances man from the sacred realm of God and leads towards the darkness of error.
The verse explicitly states that the misguided have taken devils as guardians instead of God (innahum ittakhadh ash-shayna awliya min dni llh). This choice is akin to a bond with darkness, depriving humans of divine light. The guardianship of devils signifies acceptance of values and aims that conflict with divine will. This path, like a slippery slope, drags humans towards the abyss of misguidance.
Consequently, forsaking God and aligning with devils diverts man from the axis of justice and sincerity, trapping him in delusions and self-deception.
One of the deepest concepts in this verse lies in the phrase wa yasabna annahum muhtadn, indicating the false notion of salvation among the misguided. This illusion, like a deceptive mirage, convinces man that he walks the path of truth while he is immersed in the darkness of misguidance. This state, termed in religious science as compound ignorance (jahl murakkab), results from self-deception and justification of wrongful deeds.
The misguided person, relying on material successes or false rationalisations, believes himself to be saved. This illusion acts like a mask over the face of truth, preventing him from recognising his deviation.
Religious scholars lectures identify two main factors behind this false notion:
The misguided, by attaining material successes such as wealth, power, and respect, perceives himself as self-sufficient and independent from God. These achievements, sometimes acquired through illicit means such as usury and theft, bind man in golden chains of self-deception. Concrete examples, such as excessive luxury (e.g., golden door handles), indicate this illusion that man, relying on
