of Nokounam (May His Secret Be Sanctified) (Session 1374)
The Holy Quran, like a radiant lamp, guides humanity on the path of truth and knowledge. Surahs Al-Anfal and Aal Imran, among the longer chapters, with their profound layers of meaning and epistemology, open a window towards understanding divine realities and the social and ethical challenges of the Islamic community. This treatise, relying on interpretive lectures and scholarly analyses, examines the verses of these two surahs, endeavouring to present their exalted concepts in a coherent and structured form with clear and dignified language. The aim of this work is not only to elucidate the meanings of the verses but also to deepen the readers comprehension of the nexus between truth and reality, faith and action, and justice and solidarity within the Islamic society.
Surah Al-Anfal addresses a fundamental religious and societal issue through the theme of two factions and the divine will to establish truth. The verse under discussion, serving as the focus of this section, is as follows:
وَإِذْ يَعِدُكُمُ اللَّهُ إِحْدَى الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ أَنَّهَا لَكُمْ وَتَوَدُّونَ أَنَّ غَيْرَ ذَاتِ الشَّوْكَةِ تَكُونُ لَكُمْ وَيُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُحِقَّ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَيَقْطَعَ دَابِرَ الْكَافِرِينَ
And when Allah promises you one of the two groupsthat it shall be yoursand you wish that the unarmed group would be yours, but Allah intends to establish the truth by His words and to cut off the root of the disbelievers.
This verse refers to two factions: one commercial and wealthy, the other martial and armed. The believers, due to their inclination towards comfort and material gain, preferred the commercial group; however, the divine will was for the truth to be manifested through victory on the battlefield by the armed faction.
The term Dhatu ash-Shawkat in this verse is interpreted as the armed and powerful force. Yet, a profound question arises: why is shawkat, which in Arabic connotes grandeur, majesty, and magnificence, here confined to a martial tool or weapon? Could not wealth, knowledge, affection, and beauty also exemplify shawkat? This inquiry leads to a critical reassessment of traditional exegeses that have prioritised war and military power over other values.
This interpretation invites a reconsideration of human and religious values. Wealth, commonly perceived as a means of power and shawkat, is secondary when compared with knowledge and love. The Holy Quran, emphasising divine will in affirming truth, indicates that success in battle is not due to the intrinsic value of war but because it actualises the words of Allah and eradicates disbelief.
One of the primary axes of this verse is the distinction between truth and reality. Reality refers to the nature of matters: commerce predominates in profit and ease, and war in death and hardship. Yet the truth, upon which divine will rests, transcends these realities. God desires to establish the truth by His words, even if this contradicts apparent everyday realities.
For example, a commercial caravan, aiming for profit, appears successful in reality, whereas a war caravan faces death and captivity. However, in divine truth, victory on the battlefieldsymbolising sacrifice and devotionholds superiority. This distinction teaches us that the criterion for success is not material gain but alignment with the divine will.
Surah Al-Anfal, by addressing the theme of two factions and divine will in affirming truth, invites reflection on the genuine meaning of shawkat and human values. Truth, rooted in divine words, transcends material realities and demands adherence to sacrifice and devotion on the path of truth in the face of temptations of comfort and wealth.
Surah Aal Imran, owing to the depth and complexity of its meanings, is considered among the longer chapters that require profound contemplation. One central verse of this surah refers to the reluctance of some believers to participate in jihad:
كَمَا أَخْرَجَكَ رَبُّكَ مِنْ بَيْتِكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَكَارِهُونَ
As your Lord brought you out from your home in truth, while a party of the believers were reluctant.
This verse refers to the Prophets departure from his home for jihad, while some believers, due to fear of death or loss of comfort, showed reluctance. This reluctance signifies a weakness in faith and a preference for personal ease over religious interests.
Another verse addressing this matter mentions the disputing of the truth after it has become clear:
يُجَادِلُونَكَ فِي الْحَقِّ بَعْدَمَا تَبَيَّنَ كَأَنَّمَا يُسَاقُونَ إِلَى الْمَوْتِ وَهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ
They dispute with you concerning the truth after it has become clear, as if they are being driven to death while they look on.
This verse refers to the resistance of some individuals towards the truth, even after its clarity. This resistance is not due to ignorance but arises from selfishness and fear of sacrifice.
The subject of Al-Anfal is another key theme in Surah Aal Imran, referring to divine ownership and equitable distribution of resources:
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَنْفَالِ ۖ قُلِ الْأَنْفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ ۖ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَصْلِحُوا ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمْ ۖ وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
They ask you about the spoils of war. Say: The spoils belong to Allah and the Messenger. So fear Allah and amend your relations among yourselves, and obey Allah and His Messenger if you are believers.
Al-Anfal refers to resources obtained without specific ownership, through war or other means. This verse, emphasising divine ownership, calls on believers to avoid selfishness and adhere to social justice.
Surah Aal Imran, addressing topics such as the reluctance of believers, disputation over truth, and spoils of war, deals with internal challenges within the Islamic community. This surah calls us to expand faith from appearance to essence, and to proceed on the path of truth with sacrifice and justice.
One of the central inquiries of the lectures is a critique of the promotion of war and violence in traditional exegeses. Why has the Quran, instead of emphasising love, beauty, and knowledge, highlighted war and weaponry as Dhatu ash-Shawkat? This question leads to a profound critique of Jahili culture and superficial interpretations.
Shawkat, in its original meaning, points to grandeur, beauty, and love. Limiting it to martial tools distorts the Qurans objective to reform Jahili culture. For instance, a narrative from religious scholars recalls a magnificent house that, despite its external beauty, lacked knowledge and love. This parable illustrates that true shawkat lies in human values, not material implements.
The lectures point to inequality in social participation, whereby the poor and deprived are sent to battlefronts while the affluent shirk their responsibilities. This inequality leads to social self-harm and deviates the Islamic community from the path of truth.
Surah Aal Imran, emphasising unity and solidarity, addresses this challenge:
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا
And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah, and do not become divided.
This verse underscores the importance of unity and cooperation within the Islamic society and condemns all forms of inequality and division.
The critique of promoting violence and social inequality invites a redefinition of concepts such as shawkat and justice. The Holy Quran, with an emphasis on love, knowledge, and unity, provides guidance for societal reform and a return to the path of truth.
Surahs Al-Anfal and Aal Imran, like two shining jewels within the Quranic treasury, teach us lessons on truth, faith, and justice. These surahs, addressing topics such as the distinction between truth and reality, the reluctance of believers towards jihad, and the importance of social justice, invite reflection on human and religious values. Shawkat, in its authentic sense, signifies grandeur and beauty and must not be confined to martial tools. The Islamic community, in order to realise truth, must distance itself from selfishness and inequality and adhere to unity, love, and knowledge. This treatise, relying on scholarly lectures, has sought to present these concepts in a coherent and clear form to guide the reader towards contemplation of divine verses and societal reform.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
