the Lectures of Nokounam, may his sanctity be revered (Session 1349)
The Holy Quran, akin to a radiant lamp, guides humanity on the path of recognising truth and attaining salvation. Its luminous verses, articulated with profound and wise expression, invite man to contemplate both the self and the cosmos. In this treatise, centred on Verses 177 and 178 of Surah Al-Imran, an exploration is undertaken into the concepts of guidance and misguidance, self-oppression, and the rarity of goodness. These reflections, through a mystical and philosophical lens, examine the human constitution and the role of divine will in the destiny of man. The objective is to present a comprehensive exegesis that conveys both the spirit of the verses and serves as an invitation towards self-purification and submission to divine lordship.
سَاءَ مَثَلًا الْقَوْمُ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَأَنْفُسَهُمْ كَانُوا يَظْلِمُونَ
How wretched is the example of the people who denied Our verses and wronged themselves.
This verse, with clear expression, refers to the dire fate of a people who, by repudiating the divine verses, cast themselves into the abyss of oppression and misguidance. Denial of the verseswhich encompasses rejecting the existence of God, prophethood, or associating partners with the exalted Divine Essenceis the inception of mans descent into the darkness of polytheism, disbelief, and transgression. These three are like chains that estrange man from the truth and imprison him within self-conceit and disobedience.
The phrase and wronged themselves points to the oppression man inflicts upon his own self. This oppression first takes root inwardly and then, like a wave, spreads to others. Just as in the Arabic language the intransitive verb precedes the transitive one, oppression originates within the human soul before extending outwardly. The misguided people, by denying the verses, have deprived themselves of the light of guidance and plunged into self-created darkness.
From a philosophical viewpoint, this verse serves as a warning about the consequences of erroneous choices. Man, with his unhealthy predispositions such as unlawful consumption or disobedience, drags himself toward misguidance. From a mystical perspective, this oppression results from estrangement from divine lordship and immersion in self-conceit.
The verse, by emphasising the multitude of the misguided people (the people who denied), points to the abundance of evil among humanity. This people, described in the lecture as heap upon heap and in great numbers, stand opposed to the few who are guided. This contrast, like a mirror, reveals the existential reality of humanity: the majority are in loss and a minority tread the path of salvation.
This multitude results from unhealthy predispositions. Predisposition here denotes the existential conditions and backgrounds of man, shaped by factors such as the germinal substance, nourishment, and environment. Those immersed in these defective predispositions are steered towards polytheism, disbelief, and transgression.
Verse 177 of Surah Al-Imran, with wise expression, invites man to reflect upon the consequences of denying the divine verses. Self-oppression, rooted in denial of truth, deprives man of the light of guidance. The abundance of the misguided serves as a caution for man to be vigilant regarding his predispositions and to avoid sinking into the darkness of disobedience.
مَنْ يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِي ۖ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ
Whomever God guides, he is the rightly guided, and whomever He leads astray, they are the losers.
This verse, with profound expression, points to the role of divine will in the guidance and misguidance of man. Guidance is like a rare jewel granted to those whom God wills, and misguidance is the ultimate end of those who, with defective predispositions, have deprived themselves of the light of truth.
The phrase Whomever God guides, he is the rightly guided emphasises the rarity of guidance. The guided, described in the lecture as few and scattered, are those who, with correct predispositions and submission to divine lordship, have attained the light of guidance. In contrast, and whomever He leads astray, they are the losers refers to the multitude of misguided who have fallen into loss and ruin.
A noteworthy point in this verse is the absence of an explicit agent in the phrase and whomever He leads astray. This implies the absolute nature of misguidance, which rests solely in the power of God. Misguidance results from mans defective predispositions but ultimately remains under divine will. This perspective, emphasising the principle There is no power nor strength except through God, expresses that all mattersfrom guidance to misguidanceare ultimately governed by divine decree.
Predisposition, as understood in this interpretation, means the existential conditions and backgrounds of man, playing a key role in his destiny. It is like soil into which the seeds of mans deeds are sown. If this soil is contaminated with unlawful consumption, oppression, or disobedience, its fruit will be misguidance. Conversely, if it is cultivated with faith and righteous deeds, it leads to guidance.
The lecture, emphasising the principle There is no power nor strength except through God, elucidates that causality is from God while predisposition belongs to man. Determinism applies not to predisposition but to divine causality. Man is responsible for choosing his predispositions, and misguidance is the consequence of his wrong choices. This view calls man to vigilance concerning his own predispositions.
Verse 178 of Surah Al-Imran, with wise expression, invites man to contemplate the role of divine will and human predisposition. Guidance is a rare jewel granted only to those who, with correct predispositions, approach the light of truth. Misguidance is the fate of the many who, with defective predispositions, stray far from salvation.
إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ * إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ
Indeed, man is in lossexcept those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised one another to truth and advised one another to patience.
These verses, concise yet profound, point to the existential reality of man: the majority are in loss and only a small minority, who through faith and righteous deeds proceed towards the truth, are freed from this loss. The lecture considers this minority as few and scattered, an exception standing against the multitude of the misguided.
The believers mentioned in these verses as those who have believed and done righteous deeds are further divided into two groups: those who have merely believed and those who, besides faith, are committed to mutual exhortation to truth and patience. The first group, though believers, occasionally resort to emotional reactions due to ignorance and inability in rational discourse. The second, rarer group, by exhorting one another to truth and patience, attain a higher rank of knowledge and action.
The lecture critically addresses superficial faith among some believers. Although ostensibly faithful, this group sometimes responds irrationally to reasoning and dialogue. This critique serves as an invitation towards deeper knowledge and a more steadfast faith coupled with exhortation to truth and patience.
From a sociological perspective, this critique highlights epistemic inequality within religious communities. Mystically, it calls for distancing from self-conceit and submission to divine truth. Religious knowledge, if not combined with understanding and righteous action, leads to superficiality and ignorance.
The verses of Surah Al-Asr, expressed with wisdom, invite man to reflect upon his existential condition. The multitude of evil and the rarity of goodness act as a mirror revealing human truth. Only those who, with faith, righteous deeds, and mutual exhortation to truth and patience, proceed towards truth are saved from loss.
The lecture references a contemporary narrative about an Iranian woman who, under the harsh conditions of imprisonment, depicts her experiences through creativity and art. This woman, who even converses with her dog, exemplifies the rarity of goodness amid the abundance of difficulties. This story, like a flower growing among thorns, demonstrates the human spirits power against adversity.
From a sociological standpoint, this narrative highlights human creativity in challenging circumstances. Mystically, it signals submission to divine will and the discovery of light in lifes darkness.
The lecture recounts another prison experience where a seminary student, through humility and generosity, provides food for others. This narrative exemplifies rare goodness blossoming amid hardship. This student, by eschewing self-conceit, manifests a level of faith and righteous action accompanied by mutual exhortation to good.
This story invites humility and avoidance of arrogance. Mystically, it demonstrates submission to divine lordship and finding meaning in service to others.
These social and mystical reflections from the lecture invite man to find light in darkness. Creativity amidst hardship and humility towards others are signs of rare goodness that flourish through submission to divine will.
The interpretation of Verses 177 and 178 of Surah Al-Imran, together with reflections on Surah Al-Asr, presents profound lessons concerning the existential reality of man. Denial of divine verses is the source of self-oppression and misguidance, whereas guidance is a rare jewel granted only to those who submit to divine will. The multitude of evil and the rarity
