of Nokounam, may his sanctity be preserved (Session 1417)
The Noble Qur'an, like a radiant lamp, opens the path of guidance for humanity and presents the truth before the eyes of the truth-seekers with elevated discourse. Verse eighteen of Surah Yunus, with profound and cautionary expression, speaks of an unparalleled injustice in the Divine realm: fabrication against God and denial of His verses. This verse, like a mirror, invites the human heart and intellect to reflect upon the grandeur of truth and to abstain from its distortion. The present lecture, inspired by this verse and drawing upon scholarly dialogues and tangible examples, elucidates this great injustice and its consequences. Its aim is to clarify a path that guides humankind away from the abyss of arrogance and baseless claims toward the nearness and knowledge of God.
فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِـَٔايَٰتِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ
So who is more unjust than one who fabricates a lie against God or denies His verses? Indeed, the criminals will not succeed.
The Noble Qur'an, in verse eighteen of Surah Yunus, employs a rhetorical question to speak of an unparalleled injustice: "So who is more unjust than one who fabricates a lie against God?" This question, like an arrow to the heart of the truth-deniers, unveils the depth of an injustice that attributes falsehood to the Exalted Divine Essence. Fabrication against God means ascribing something untrue to Him, such as claiming to have seen God or attributing an affair to Him without the foundation of truth and sincerity. This act is akin to a dagger that wounds the heart of monotheism and distorts the Divine truth in the eyes of creation.
In this lecture, the religious scholar clearly explains this injustice as follows: If someone claims to have seen God or spoken with Him without that claim being rooted in Divine proximity and knowledge, he falls into the abyss of fabrication. This sin is called the greatest injustice because God's Essence is exalted and free from any defect or falsehood. Attributing lies to Him not only reverses the truth but also shakes the foundation of faith in hearts.
Fabrication, linguistically, means ascribing something to another which is not true. In this verse, fabrication against God means attributing falsehood to God's Essence or His ordinances. The religious scholar elucidates this concept with a clear metaphor: just as slandering a human is an injustice that destroys trust within society, fabrication against God is an injustice that destroys faith in hearts. For instance, if someone claims that God has revealed to him or specially chosen him without this claim being rooted in truth, he has committed the greatest injustice.
The Noble Verse, after mentioning fabrication against God, speaks of denial of Divine verses: "or denies His verses." Divine verses, like stars of guidance in the firmament of knowledge, include the Noble Qur'an, the Prophets, and the Divine saints. Denial of these verses means rejecting the truth of Divine guidance. The religious scholar regards this act as another manifestation of great injustice because Divine verses are intermediaries guiding creation towards God.
For example, if someone claims to have seen a Prophet or has a special connection with God's saints, but this claim is false, he has fabricated against Divine verses. This act, like a dark curtain, hides the light of guidance from people's eyes and closes the path of felicity for them.
In this lecture, the religious scholar explicitly differentiates between conventional sins such as wine-drinking and gambling and the crime of fabrication against God and His verses. While sins like wine-drinking are reprehensible, they can be forgiven in the relationship between man and God because they can be compensated with repentance and Divine mercy. However, fabrication against God and His verses distorts Divine truth and is thus described in this lecture as unforgivable.
This distinction is like a clear line between darkness and light, showing that personal sins, however grave, are negligible compared to the crime of fabrication which unsettles the foundation of faith. The religious scholar emphasises that this crime, due to its severity and depth of injustice, closes the way of return for the perpetrator.
The Noble Verse, with decisive emphasis, states: "Indeed, the criminals will not succeed." This phrase is like a Divine decree, declaring the failure of those who fabricate lies against God and His verses as definitive. The religious scholar regards criminals as those who deliberately and obstinately distort or deny Divine truth. This failure will afflict them not only in this world but also in the Hereafter.
This lecture expresses this truth with a beautiful metaphor: just as a gardener who sows seeds of falsehood only reaps weeds, one who fabricates against God and His verses will harvest nothing but failure and deprivation of salvation.
One of the prominent points in this lecture is the emphasis on the absence of repentance for those who commit fabrication against God and His verses. The religious scholar, with a decisive tone, states that this crime, due to its severity and depth of injustice, closes the door of return for the perpetrator. This statement serves as a warning preventing man from falling into the abyss of baseless claims.
For example, the scholar refers to a dialogue with a student who asked: "Does fabrication have repentance?" The clear response was: "It does not, because the criminals will not succeed." This answer highlights the gravity of this sin and the necessity of avoiding it.
The lecture, using a clear metaphor, distinguishes between the violator and the criminal. The violator is someone who breaches social or religious laws, such as not observing hijab. This violation can be compensated with penalty or behavioural correction. But the criminal is one who fabricates lies against God and His verses, an act which, due to harming Divine truth, is irreparable.
The religious scholar explains this distinction with a daily-life example: the violator is like a person who breaks a law on the street and can return to society by paying a fine, whereas the criminal is like one who lies about God and is thus deprived of Divine mercy.
In this lecture, the scholar mentions examples of social violations such as neglecting hijab, which can be corrected by penalty or behaviour modification. These examples act as a mirror to show the difference between superficial violations and Divine crimes. For instance, one who is fined for a violation can rejoin society by paying the penalty, but one who fabricates against God is deprived of this possibility.
One of the pivotal points of this lecture is the discussion about claims of vision of God or the Divine saints. The religious scholar emphasises that such claims are either sincere and arise from Divine proximity or constitute fabrication and crime. If the claim is truthful, it indicates the high rank of the Divine saints; if false, it is the greatest injustice.
For example, the scholar recounts a personal experience at Feyzieh Seminary: at one occasion, a tall and powerful individual was noting down the names of students for propaganda, but he paid no attention. This experience acts as a metaphor for humility before Divine commands and avoidance of baseless claims.
The lecture emphasises that true vision of God or the saints is not a physical sight but an inner spiritual perception attained through Divine proximity and knowledge. The scholar explains that the Prophets and saints, though living among people, can only be truly perceived by those who have reached this rank through piety and intimacy with God. This statement is like a reminder inviting humanity to knowledge and submission before God.
One of the main themes of this lecture is the critique of arrogance and baseless claims in Divine matters. The religious scholar warns that claiming knowledge of God or the saints without Divine proximity leads to fabrication and crime. Only those who are humble and knowledgeable in Divine submission can attain the truth.
This lecture expresses this truth with a beautiful metaphor: just as a star in the night sky shines only for watchful eyes, Divine truth manifests only to pure and humble hearts.
The lecture stresses that to avoid the sin of fabrication, one must be in Divine proximity and submission. This knowledge is not attained through superficial claims but through empathy and companionship with Divine saints. The scholar profoundly states: "We must be known by God or His saints; otherwise, we will be crushed under the feet of ignorance."
The lecture, with deep insight, refers to social and religious deviations arising from distance from the Noble Qur'an and reliance on non-Divine sciences. These deviations, like dust on the mirror of truth, obscure Divine knowledge. The religious scholar emphasises that returning to the Noble Qur'an and acting upon it is the only way to rescue from these deviations.
For instance, it mentions social issues such as superficial violations which can be corrected by penalty, but deviation from Divine truth is like a wound that cannot be healed except by returning to the Qur'an.
Verse eighteen of Surah Yunus, like a Divine warning, speaks of the great injustice of fabrication against God and denial of His verses and definitively declares the failure of the criminals. This lecture, by elucidating the concept of fabrication, distinguishing it from other sins, and emphasising the necessity of Divine proximity and knowledge, considers the path of salvation to lie in submission and intimacy with the Noble Qur'an. The key points of this discourse, from the great injustice of fabrication to the critique of arrogance, invite man to reflect on truth and abstain from baseless claims. This verse and its interpretation, like a lamp, illuminate the path from the darkness of misguidance towards the light of guidance.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
