of Nekounam, (Session 1393)
Surah Al-Anfal, one of the most Medinan chapters of the Holy Quran, was revealed amidst the challenges of early Islam and addresses fundamental issues of faith, disbelief, and piety. Verse thirty-two of this Surah, articulated in a profound and illuminating manner, critiques the behaviour of the disbelievers towards the worship of the believers and their prevention of access to the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram), while introducing the true friends of God. This writing, relying upon the scholarly religious lectures, explores this verse systematically and in a fluent and clear language. Its aim is to elucidate the deep Quranic meanings, connect them with the historical realities of early Islam, and extract lessons for faithful living in contemporary times. The work, structured cohesively, examines the ignorance of the disbelievers, their insincere behaviours, and the status of piety in nearness to God, utilising narrations and parables to clarify the concepts for the reader.
The disbelievers of Mecca, claiming possession of religion, prayer, and fasting, considered themselves people of worship, yet the Holy Quran decisively exposes their ignorance in recognising the reality of religion. This ignorance does not stem from a lack of superficial knowledge but from the absence of inner understanding and piety. The Quran, in a clarifying verse, states this reality thus:
وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
But most of them do not know.
This verse, emphasising most of them do not know, points to the heedlessness of the majority of the disbelievers regarding the truth of monotheism and worship. Their claim to religiosity was like an empty shell, devoid of spirit and meaning. This ignorance had its roots in the distance from piety, which, like a lamp within the heart, illuminates the path to truth.
This truth stands like a mirror confronting ignorance with faithful knowledge. The disbelievers, despite being present beside the Kabah, were incapable of comprehending its spiritual significance, as if lost and bewildered in the darkness of ignorance.
One of the most evident signs of the ignorance of the disbelievers was their insincere worship beside the House of God. The Holy Quran describes this behaviour with a clear statement:
وَمَا كَانَ صَلَاتُهُمْ عِنْدَ ٱلْبَيْتِ إِلَّا مُكَآءً وَتَصْدِيَةً
And their prayer at the House was nothing but whistling and clapping.
The worship of the disbelievers, limited to whistling (muk) and clapping (tadiyah), was not only devoid of sincerity but also an open mockery of true worship. This behaviour stemmed from a jahiliyyah culture that transformed worship into a lifeless and noisy spectacle. The whistling and clapping, like discordant sounds, prevented the resonance of the prayers and supplications of the believers, turning the sacred precinct of the Kabah into a playground for disruption and desecration.
This behaviour, like a poisonous breeze, shattered the spirit of worship. The disbelievers, by mocking the prostration and bowing of the believerswhich were characteristics of the novel Islamic worshipshowed their incapacity to understand the essence of worship. The prostration, symbolising the utmost humility before the Lord, was, in their view, a subject of ridicule met with whistling and clapping.
The Holy Quran, with wise expression, refers to reasons that withheld divine punishment from the disbelievers:
وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ
And Allah would not punish them while you are among them; nor would Allah punish them while they seek forgiveness.
The presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him) among the disbelievers and the believers supplications for forgiveness acted as a divine shield preventing the descent of punishment. This mercy was not due to the deservingness of the disbelievers, but by the blessing of the Prophets presence and the believers prayers. However, this consideration was temporary and conditional, as the Quran subsequently cites the unworthy conduct of the disbelievers as justification for punishment.
This verse, like a window into the boundless mercy of God, demonstrates that the Divine acts with wisdom and compassion even in the face of ignorance and disbelief. The Prophets presence was like a blazing torch, and the believers supplications like cleansing rain, creating an environment of mercy and respite for the guidance of creation.
One of the major sins of the disbelievers was preventing the believers from accessing the Sacred Mosque. The Holy Quran describes this behaviour as follows:
وَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ عَنِ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ
While they prevented [others] from the Sacred Mosque.
The disbelievers, through disturbances such as whistling and clapping, obstructed the worship of the believers in this sacred place. The Sacred Mosque, a gathering place for alldisbelievers and believers alikehad, in the eyes of the disbelievers, become a site for disruption and mockery. This behaviour not only violated the sanctity of the House of God but also deprived the believers of their right to worship.
According to a narration from Tabarsis Al-Mizan, people from distant lands such as India and China would come to Mecca and sit beside the Kabah, but when the Prophet and his companions stood for prayer, they were mocked and disturbed, preventing their worship. This scene, like a curtain of ignorance, reveals the depth of the disbelievers hostility and ignorance towards the truth of religion.
The Holy Quran, with a decisive tone, introduces the true friends of God:
وَمَا كَانُوا أَوْلِيَآءَهُ ۚ إِنْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُ إِلَّا ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ
And they were not His friends; indeed, His friends are only the righteous.
The disbelievers, despite their proximity to the Kabah, were not friends of God because they lacked piety. The friends of God are the pious; those who draw near to the Lord with sincerity and understanding. Piety, like a golden key, opens the doors to divine closeness and elevates the believer to the status of the friends of God.
This verse draws a clear line between disbelief and faith, showing that nearness to God is not about physical presence near the Kabah but about inner piety. The disbelievers, with their disruptive behaviour and mockery, were distant from this rank, while the believers, through prostration and bowing, approached God.
The disbelievers mocked the prostration and bowing of the believers, ridiculing their worship. This behaviour had its roots in the differences between Islamic worship and the jahiliyyah traditions, which lacked prostration and bowing. Prostration, representing the pinnacle of servitude, was, in the eyes of the disbelievers, a subject of mockery answered with whistling and clapping.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions endured many hardships in this environment. They preserved their faith with patience and dissimulation against the mockery and persecution of the disbelievers. These hardships were like a refining furnace that polished the faith of the believers and brought them closer to the status of the friends of God.
A narration from Ibn Abbas recounts that before embracing Islam, he witnessed the mockery of the Prophets and his companions worship and derided it; yet after guidance, he became a disciple of Amir al-Mu'minin (a) and a commentator of the Holy Quran. This transformation, like a flower rising from ashes, demonstrates the power of divine guidance.
The true religion is intertwined with knowledge, sincerity, and piety. This reality is found neither in superficial knowledge, nor among the faithless or ignorant, but exclusively in the hearts of sincere believers. Religion shines like a radiant jewel within the breasts of those who approach God with sincerity and piety.
The Holy Quran, emphasising sincerity in worship, separates religion from ostentation and hypocrisy. This truth flows like a pure stream from the hearts of sincere believers, nourishing their spiritual life.
The sincere believers of the end times, by maintaining their faith under difficult conditions, are as rare and valuable as red sulphur (kebreet ahmar). The hadith Tuba li ghariba ummati states:
Blessed are the strangers of my nation.
This hadith refers to those believers who, during hard times, preserve their faith with sincerity and piety. They shine like stars in the dark sky of the end times, illuminating the path for others.
The sincere believers stand firm against the deceptions of the world, knowledge, and apparent religion with piety and understanding. This steadfastness is like a sturdy fortress protecting them from ignorance and hypocrisy.
Piety, like a shield against the deceptions of the world, knowledge, and apparent religion, guides the believer towards truth. This invitation is like a call from the depths of the Holy Quran, summoning humans to a knowledge-based and sincere way of life.
Believers, by holding fast to piety, can escape the snares of worldly deceit and attain the light of guidance. This path is like a bright way through darkness leading to divine proximity.
The interpretation of verse thirty-two of Surah Al-Anfal, like a clear mirror, portrays the ignorance of the disbelievers, their insincere behaviour, and their obstruction of worship in the Sacred Mosque. The Holy Quran, with wise expression, regards piety as the condition for nearness to God and for being among His friends, and calls believers to preserve sincerity and knowledge against the deceptions of the world. The believers of the end times, by steadfastness in adversity, possess unparalleled worth like rare jewels. This interpretation, relying on the lectures of religious scholars, paves the way for a faithful and knowledge-oriented life.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
