of Nokounam (Session 1415)
Surah Yunus, one of the Meccan chapters of the Holy Quran, with its profound and exalted verses, calls humanity to contemplate the boundless majesty of the Divine and ones insignificant position before the Creator of existence. This Surah, emphasising the creation of the heavens and the earth, the governance of affairs by God, and the inevitable return of all beings to Him, opens a gateway to Divine knowledge. The present lecture, focusing on the opening verses of the Surah (verses 3 to 10), particularly verse three, addresses from a mystical and epistemological perspective the fundamental question of how an understanding of Gods majesty should lead to human humility, worship, and submission before the Lord. By employing concrete allegories and novel analogies, such as comparing humans to insignificant creatures and the devotional behaviour of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), this writing endeavours to guide the audience towards a deeper comprehension of the truth: God is greater than any description, and humans are smaller than to consider themselves great.
The Holy Quran, in the initial verses of Surah Yunus, introduces God as the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and with an exalted expression, stresses His infinite majesty. This grandeur surpasses human cognitive capacity to such an extent that humans have no choice but to acknowledge Gods greatness and their own incapacity to fully comprehend it.
Your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself upon the Throne, managing all affairs. There is no intercessor except after His permission. That is Allah, your Lord; so worship Him. Will you not then take heed?
This verse, by introducing God as the Creator of the heavens and earth and the Manager of affairs, emphasises His boundless majesty. Concepts such as Throne, management of affairs, and creation in six days belong to the realm of the ambiguous (mutashabihat), whose full comprehension is beyond human capability. This incapacity is not a sign of weakness but an invitation to humility and submission to Divine wisdom. Religious scholars, through reflection on these verses, guide humans to the reality that God is greater than any description that the limited human cognition can provide.
Concepts like the heavens, earth, the Throne, the Hereafter, Paradise, and Hell, although clearly articulated in the Holy Quran, remain unknown in their depths to the human mind. This unknownness is not due to ambiguity in Divine speech but results from the limited cognitive capacity of humans. It is as if humanity stands before an endless ocean, of which only a drop can fit into the vessel of the human mind. This limitation is an invitation to faith and submission so that, instead of striving to describe what is beyond their understanding, humans turn to worship and approach God.
The first section of this reflection underscores the infinite majesty of God and the incapacity of humans to fully comprehend it. The verses of Surah Yunus, introducing God as the Creator and Manager of existence, invite humans to contemplate the greatness of the Lord and their own smallness. This invitation not only leads to faith and humility but also directs humans towards worship and intimacy with God.
If properly internalised, the understanding of Gods majesty leads humans to worship and submission before the Creator. This section, inspired by the devotional behaviour of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), explores how the comprehension of Divine greatness should translate into transformation in human conduct and disposition.
Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), having realised Divine greatness, spent nights in worship, supplication, and weeping before God. This conduct was not out of weakness but arose from profound recognition of human smallness before the grandeur of the Lord. It was as if the soil of his prostration was made fertile by his tears, symbolising submission and humility before the Creator. This model invites humans to forsake heedlessness and arrogance and, through worship and closeness to God, take steps towards Divine knowledge.
Humans, due to immersion in worldly affairs and reliance on superficial knowledge, sometimes become oblivious to Divine majesty and their own smallness. Such heedlessness leads to arrogance, as if they consider themselves great before the heavens, earth, the Throne, and the Hereafter. Yet, just as humans are powerless against cold, heat, hunger, and illness, so too are they insignificant before Divine majesty. This reality invites reconsideration of ones character and behaviour so that instead of pride, humility and submission prevail.
Comprehension of Divine majesty leads humans towards worship and humility. The devotional conduct of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) serves as a model response to this greatness. Heedlessness and arrogance constitute barriers preventing humans from attaining Divine proximity. This section emphasises the necessity of worship and intimacy with God as a response to His grandeur.
One of the fundamental messages of Surah Yunus is the emphasis on human smallness before the boundless majesty of God. This section employs novel analogies and concrete examples to illustrate this reality.
Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) called himself the least of the least (aqall al-aqalln), as if he considered himself even smaller than creatures like ants, flies, and cockroaches. This analogy is not meant to demean humans but to demonstrate their limitations before Divine grandeur. Humans, who sometimes regard themselves as great due to their physique and appearance, are in fact more insignificant before Divine wisdom and power than any description can capture. This truth invites humility and modesty before the Creator.
One of the novel allegories in this lecture compares human understanding to the behaviour of dogs that recognise empty bones and turn away from them. Despite humans claims of knowledge and cognition, they are sometimes incapable of grasping truths that even animals perceive instinctively. This allegory, articulated in a simple yet profound manner, highlights human epistemic limitations and invites reflection on ones own smallness.
In this example, the narrator describes how he cooked some bones and offered them to dogs, but the dogs immediately discerned their emptiness and turned away. Meanwhile, humans, despite investing time and effort, failed to perceive this simple
