the Lectures of Nokounam (May Allah sanctify his soul) Session 1361
The Holy Quran, like an illuminating lamp, reveals the path to human felicity and unveils the reality of Tawhid before the eyes of mankind with its divine words. Verses 189 and 190 of Surah Al-Araf, like a precious gem in this boundless ocean, address the creation of man, the supplication for a righteous offspring, and the warning against deviation towards practical shirk. This treatise, relying on these two noble verses, elucidates the knowledge of monotheism, critiques practical shirk, and examines cultural and religious deviations, presenting the profound Quranic concepts in a clear and dignified language for seekers of truth. Just as a skilled gardener nurtures the sapling of knowledge by watering it with wisdom, this text strives, through detailed explanation, to firmly establish the roots of Tawhid in the readers heart.
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا فَلَمَّا تَغَشَّاهَا حَمَلَتْ حَمْلًا خَفِيفًا فَمَرَّتْ بِهِ فَلَمَّا أَثْقَلَتْ دَعَوَا اللَّهَ رَبَّهُمَا لَئِنْ آتَيْتَنَا صَالِحًا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ
He is the One who created you from a single soul and made from it its mate so that he might find rest in her. Then, when he covered her, she carried a light burden and passed through it. But when it became heavy, they both called upon their Lord, saying, If You grant us a righteous child, we will surely be among the grateful.
This verse, like a clear mirror, demonstrates the unity of human origin. The term single soul refers to the universal essence of humanity, from which both Adam and Eve originated. This concept, like a pure stream, flows the equality of men and women in the essence of creation, negating any discrimination. Just as the sun shines its light equally upon all, human creation also emanates from one unified reality.
The phrase وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا, like a cool breeze, articulates the divine wisdom in the creation of the pair. The purpose of creating the spouse is to establish tranquillity and rest, as if God created the human heart like a thirsty desert and made the spouse a clear spring to quench it. This principle lays the foundation of the familial and social order, showing that the bond between man and woman is designed not only for procreation but also for the peace of the soul and psyche.
Subsequently, when the burden of pregnancy grows heavy, Adam and Eve, with hearts full of hope, raise their hands in prayer: If You grant us a righteous child, we will surely be among the grateful. This supplication, like a blossoming flower in the garden of faith, signifies the parental responsibility in seeking a worthy offspring and gratitude for divine blessings. The term righteous here denotes a child who treads the path of truth through faith and righteous deeds and shines as a guiding star in the firmament.
فَلَمَّا آتَاهُمَا صَالِحًا جَعَلَا لَهُ شُرَكَاءَ فِيمَا آتَاهُمَا فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
But when He gave them a righteous offspring, they attributed partners to him concerning what He had given them. Exalted is Allah above what they associate with Him.
This verse, like a mirror revealing truth without concealment, speaks of the ingratitude of some of Adams children. Practical shirk is akin to a thorn in the garden of Tawhid, rooted in acts such as oppression, ingratitude, or extravagance. This deviation is like a dark shadow that obscures the light of faith in the hearts of some individuals.
The phrase فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ, like a thunderbolt, negates any form of shirk from the Divine Being. God is, like a lofty and unattainable summit, free from all partners. Shirk, whether in the form of belief in other deities or ungrateful behaviours, is incompatible with the incomparable Divine essence.
أَيُشْرِكُونَ مَا لَا يَخْلُقُ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ وَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ لَهُمْ نَصْرًا وَلَا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَنْصُرُونَ
Do they associate with Him that which does not create anything while they themselves are created? Nor can they assist them, nor can they assist themselves.
These verses, like a sharp sword, reveal the futility of associating partners with idols or humans. Partners, whether lifeless idols or created humans, possess no power to create or to assist. It is as if man, instead of relying on the self-sufficient God, leans upon a rotten branch that itself is needy.
Prophets and Imams (peace be upon them), although created, are exempt from shirk due to their complete obedience and submission to God. They are, like guiding stars, the exemplars of practical Tawhid, showing humanity the path of monotheism through righteous action. This distinction, like a bright line between light and darkness, separates truth from falsehood.
One of the great afflictions on the path of religiosity is imitation without investigation, which, like a dust upon the mirror of knowledge, conceals the truth. Blind imitation traps man in the snare of wrongful customs and superstitions. For example, the phrase Bismillah Al-Qasim Al-Jabbarin, which has no Quranic root, is the result of cultural distortions and colonial interventions. This phrase, like a thorn in the garden of religion, reduces divine mercy and compassion to pure violence and majesty.
The Holy Quran introduces God with the attributes Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim, both derived from the root Rahm and indicating kindness and compassion. Contrary to some erroneous interpretations that consider Ar-Rahman as an attribute of majesty, these two attributes are like two flowers in the garden of Divine beauty, representing Gods mercy and benevolence. Distorting these attributes into violence is akin to marring a beautiful painting with dark colours.
Religious deviations, such as the promotion of violence or superstition, often have roots in colonial interference. Colonialism, like a serpent in the sleeve, by distorting religious concepts, has distanced Islamic societies from the truth of Tawhid and Divine mercy. Phrases such as Bismillah Al-Qasim Al-Jabbarin, which imply violence and pure majesty, exemplify these distortions that have diverted religion from the path of mercy towards violence.
Research and precise understanding of the Quranic verses are like keys unlocking the chains of superstition and blind imitation. Without investigation, man becomes trapped in wrongful customs and deprived of true knowledge of religion. Just as a miners exploration reveals hidden gems, research in religion unveils the truth of Tawhid.
Violence and crime in some Islamic societies result from deviation
