the lectures of Nekounam, may his secret be sanctified (Session 1342)
Verses 162 to 164 of Surah Al-Imran in the Holy Quran present a profound narrative concerning the behaviour of the Children of Israel in response to divine commands. These verses, by elucidating their disobediences, divine trials, and the endeavours of the believers towards rectification, open a window to understanding the governing order of the universe and the place of humanity therein. The present writing, through a deep contemplation of these verses, explores the concept of the universes infallibility and the relationship between human necessity and divine causality. This exploration, articulated in a fluent and coherent style, aims to convey the exalted Quranic meanings with reliance on reason and wisdom, rendered in a form befitting scholars and seekers of truth.
فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْهُمْ قَوْلًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِجْزًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَظْلِمُونَ
Then those among them who were unjust changed the word to a word other than that which had been said to them. So We sent upon them a punishment from the heaven because they were unjust.
This verse recounts a tale concerning the Children of Israel who, instead of uttering the word "حِطَّةٌ" (repentance) and entering with humility, spoke another word and thus took an erroneous path. This disobedience was an injustice that culminated in the descent of a heavenly punishment, akin to hail or a great calamity. The concept of rijz here functions as the sword of divine justice striking down the oppressors and manifesting the infallible order of the universe.
Key Point: The universe, under divine sovereignty, is infallible; every human action (necessity) is met with a just response from God (causality). Goodness brings reward, and evil invites affliction and punishment.
The notion of the universes infallibility in this verse acts as a mirror reflecting the inherent order and justice of creation. Every particle within this universe, from a blade of grass and a drop of water to human beings, occupies a place within an infallible framework. This infallibility signifies that no action, however insignificant, remains without response. Humans, through their free will, enact necessities, and God, with wisdom and justice, establishes causalities thereupon. This principle flows like a golden rule through all realms of existence: You reap what you sow. Even if an action appears unpunished in this world, its response will manifest in other realms or in the Hereafter.
To comprehend this meaning, one may consider a natural example: grass that does not wither without cause and a drop of water that does not fall without reason are signs of the universes infallible order. Within this framework, even historical figures such as Shimar and Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) acted according to their necessities, and God, in His justice, directed one towards Paradise and the other towards Hell. This difference in necessity is not born of oppression but from justice that governs the universe like a precise balance.
Verse 162 of Surah Al-Imran, by referring to the disobedience of the Children of Israel and the descent of heavenly punishment, underscores the universes infallibility and divine justice. This verse invites humans to contemplate their deeds and consequences and reveals that the universe, like a precise scale, weighs every action with an appropriate response.
One of the pivotal themes of the lecture is the critique of historical narrations and the emphasis on reason as the criterion for discerning truth. History, like a turbid river, sometimes conceals truths behind the veil of ambiguity. Many narrations, especially regarding the event of Karbala, from the perspective of this interpretation, lack valid chains of transmission or rational logic. For instance, the story of thirst in Karbala or the battle being caused by a marriage proposal are introduced as unreliable narrations. This doubt is not born of denial but rather invites reflection.
Reason, like a luminous lamp, is the principal criterion to distinguish truth from falsehood. Collective intellect affirms that Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) was a virtuous and just figure, yet historical details such as the timing or causes of the war remain unproven due to a lack of credible evidence. This perspective challenges religious knowledge and calls for a revision of historical sources and adherence to reason and the Holy Quran.
In this regard, a remark from a religious scholar is cited: I have not wronged anyone even by the smallest amount. This statement not only accords with reason but also testifies to infallibility in conduct and action. Historians, sometimes driven by material motives or mercenary interests, have recorded inaccurate narrations that, from the standpoint of reason, lack credibility. Therefore, only the Holy Quran and the Prophets progeny are recognised as authentic sources of truth.
Key Point: Reason is the main criterion for discerning truth. Historical narrations, due to the absence of valid evidence, should be regarded with scepticism; the Holy Quran and reason are the primary sources of guidance.
This section, through critique of historical narrations and emphasis on reason, calls for revisiting sources and adhering to truth. Reason, like a radiant torch, distinguishes the path from misguidance and guides humanity towards authentic understanding of the Holy Quran.
وَاسْأَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِي السَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَيَوْمَ لَا يَسْبِتُونَ ۙ لَا تَأْتِيهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَبْلُوهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ
And ask them about the town that was by the sea when they transgressed on the Sabbath when their fish came to them openly on their Sabbath day, and the day they did not observe the Sabbath, they did not come to them. Thus We tested them because they were defiantly disobedient.
This verse narrates a divine test imposed upon the Children of Israel who dwelt in a coastal town. God forbade them from fishing on the Sabbath, yet the fish appeared visibly (shurraan) on this day and were absent on other days. This situation constituted a scene of divine testing measuring the peoples adherence to Gods commands. However, due to inclination to disobedience, they violated the command and caught fish.
This test exemplifies the interplay between human necessity and divine causality. God, by providing the condition (presence of fish on Sabbath), offered an opportunity for choice, but the people, with their improper necessity, inclined towards sin. This disobedience is akin to a stone thrown into the calm waters of the universe, causing waves of divine consequences.
Key Point: Divine testing provides an occasion for the manifestation of human necessity. The Children of Israels disobedience on the Sabbath was the consequence of their inclination to sin, to which divine justice responded.
Verse 163, by describing the divine test of the Children of Israel, emphasises the relationship between necessity and causality. This verse invites humans to contemplate their choices and adherence to divine commands, so that by the light of the universes infallibility, they may be preserved from sin and its consequences.
وَإِذْ قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌ مِنْهُمْ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا ۙ اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا ۖ قَالُوا مَعْذِرَةً إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ
And when a group of them said, Why do you admonish a people whom Allah is going to destroy or punish with a severe punishment? They said, To be excused before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him.
This verse portrays a dialogue between two factions among the Children of Israel. One group of believers, despite the peoples transgressions, continued admonishing them, whereas another group deemed this effort futile, believing the people were condemned to destruction or severe punishment due to their sins. The admonishers responded with two motives: firstly, to fulfil their duty and offer an excuse before God (to be excused before your Lord), and secondly, in hope that some might adopt piety (perhaps they may fear Him).
This dialogue resembles a breeze blowing amid the darkness of sin, sustaining hope for the light of piety. Even among a corrupt people, there is always a window for reform, and the believers duty is to persist in enjoining good and forbidding evil, even if the outcome is minimal.
Key Point: Admonition, even in the face of a sinful people, is a divine duty performed with hope for reform and fulfillment of obligation.
Verse 164, by emphasising the importance of admonition and hope for reformation, demonstrates that even in the darkest circumstances, the light of guidance can illuminate the path. This verse calls believers to perseverance in enjoining good and forbidding evil, trusting that some may return from sin to piety.
The concept of the universes infallibility functions as a thread binding all verses and meanings of this lecture. The universe, under divine will, is infallible, and no action, however trivial, lies outside the domain of Gods justice. Humans, through their necessities, enact deeds, and God, through His causality, provides a fitting response. This principle prevails across all realms of existence, from this world to the Hereafter.
To clarify this notion, one may refer to examples from daily life: a thief who believes he escapes punishment, or a person who suffers due to the deeds of their forebears, all exist within the framework of the universes infallibility. The universe appears like a book in which every line is inscribed with the pen of divine justice, and no word is meaningless or unanswered.
This interpretation, by alluding to stories from life, such as a labourer who is paid before his sweat dries or an individual who endures hardship due to his fathers deeds, illustrates that the universes infallibility operates even in the minutiae of daily life. Humans, lacking understanding of this infallibility, sometimes believe that a thief who is not caught rules the king, yet God, with His justice, responds to every action either in this world or other realms.
Key Point: The infallibility of the universe calls humans to self-awareness and avoidance of sin, as every deed, in this world or the Hereafter, meets a just response.
This section, by stressing the infallibility of the universe and human responsibility, invites a life of infallibility and avoidance of sin. Humans, aware that every action has a response, can proceed along the path of justice and piety.
Verses 162 to 164 of Surah Al-Imran, like shining gems in the treasury of the Holy Quran, present profound lessons concerning the infallibility of the universe, human disobedience, and hope for reformation. These verses, by describing the disobedience of the Children of Israel, the divine test on the Sabbath, and the believers efforts in admonition, invite humanity to reflect on their position in the universe. The infallibility of the universe resembles a sun that leaves
