The Holy Quran, like a pristine spring, flows with divine knowledge into the depths of human existence and opens the path to felicity and salvation before mankind through its luminous verses. Surah Ynus, emphasising the destinies of nations and divine mysteries, is among the radiant gems of this heavenly scripture, inviting humanity to contemplate their deeds and consequences. Verse 51 of this surah, with a clear and profound expression, addresses divine punishment, belated faith, and God's justice, calling humans to reflect on their accountability for their actions. This treatise, relying on erudite lectures and adopting a comprehensive approach, examines the concepts of this verse within theological, mystical, and philosophical contexts. Its aim is to illuminate the exalted meanings of the verse and its related interpretations with a clear and dignified language, shining like a light within the reader's heart and guiding them towards deeper understanding.
"Then, when the punishment befalls, will you believe in it? Now? While you were hurrying towards it." (Quran 10:51)
This verse, like a transparent mirror, depicts the incapacity of sinful humans when confronted with the descent of divine punishment. The phrase "Now? While you were hurrying towards it" is a divine reproach directed at those who failed to believe during the period of opportunity and now, with the punishment descending, seek faith. This statement acts as an awakening bell, urging humanity to seize the chances in life for repentance and return to the truth. Belated faith is akin to planting a seed in barren soil; it yields no fruit and cannot rescue a person from the consequences of wrongful deeds.
The term "hurrying" (tastajiln) in this verse signifies urgency or rushing to seek something in which one does not truly believe. The sinful person sometimes seeks punishment, not out of conviction, but out of mockery or neglect. This hastiness is like running towards a precipice without awareness of its depth. When punishment arrives, the same individual searches for faith, yet this faith is unstable and ineffective like a flame in the wind. This notion invites humans to reflect upon their intentions and motives in order to choose the path of truth before it is too late.
"Then it will be said to those who did wrong, Taste the punishment of eternity. Are you recompensed except for what you used to earn?" (Quran 10:52)
This verse functions as a warning, summoning the wrongdoers to taste the punishment of eternity. However, contrary to some traditional interpretations, the eternal punishment here does not signify infinite eternity but rather a prolonged punishment experienced in the realm of Barzakh. The term eternity (khuld) linguistically denotes a lengthy duration, not absolute perpetuity. Barzakh acts as a bridge between this world and the Hereafter, a domain in which humans confront the consequences of their deeds. This punishment is like a shadow rising from ones actions, enveloping and encompassing the individual.
Barzakh resembles a desert where humans encounter the manifestations of their deeds. This realm is neither material like the worldly life nor eternal like the Hereafter. Instead, it constitutes a space wherein humans, like travellers on a path, face the outcomes of their actions. Within the lectures, an example of Barzakhs punishment is mentioned, referred to as Tigh-abad (Land of Thorns). This location, resembling a terrain full of thorns and spikes, symbolises the hardships and sufferings that the wrongdoers experience in Barzakh. This imagery functions like a painting, vividly portraying the ultimate fate of injustice with the colours of pain and torment.
The phrase "Are you recompensed except for what you used to earn?" acts as a precise scale, underscoring absolute divine justice. God, as a just judge, rewards every person exactly in proportion to their deedsneither less nor more. This principle is akin to a law operating within the cosmos, admitting no exceptions. Every good and evil sowed by a human in this world is reaped in Barzakh and the Hereafter. This justice is like a mirror that reflects the persons conduct without any omission.
From this perspective, every deed is like a seed planted within the soil of a persons existence, whose fruitwhether sweet or bitterbecomes manifest in Barzakh and the Hereafter. This principle aligns with the concept of "recompense for deeds" in Islamic theology and is philosophically consistent with the law of causality. Humans resemble farmers who, through their own hands, shape their future. This viewpoint invites responsibility for ones deeds and cautions against negligence and heedlessness.
The universe is like a flowing river that never halts in any placeneither in this world, nor in Barzakh, nor in Paradise, nor in Hell. This dynamism resembles a breeze guiding humans towards their ultimate destination. The world is a domain of spiritual progression, and each stage acts as a resting point where a person briefly pauses before continuing towards another goal. Even Paradise and Hell, which are sometimes mistakenly regarded as eternal, are in this perspective temporary and transient.
Certain traditional exegeses, such as those found in the works of some mystics, have equated eternity with perpetuity. Yet, these lectures emphasise that eternity means long duration rather than absolute infinity. This understanding acts as a key unlocking the misconceptions and demonstrates that even the punishments of Hell are temporary and part of a transformative process. This correction accords with contemporary interpretations by some scholars who stress the temporality of Barzakh punishments.
Determinants are akin to fingerprints left by human deeds upon the surface of their existence. These existential features remain with the individual even after physical transformation and accompany them through Barzakh and subsequent stages. This concept aligns with the "Book of Deeds" in the Holy Quran, where every human action is recorded and ultimately returned to the person. Determinants resemble shadows inseparable from the individual, confronting them with their own reality.
Barzakh punishments, such as the painful experiences in Tigh-abad, can be analysed as manifestations of guilt and anxiety within the human subconscious. These afflictions are like wounds etched onto the heart through remorse and repentance. From a psychological viewpoint, these experiences correspond with psychoanalytic theories that examine the impact of guilt on the human psyche.
Barzakh, Paradise, and Hell are each like stations in the spiritual journey of humans. Though Paradise and Hell are longer in duration than Barzakh, none of them are eternal. These stages resemble waves in the ocean of existence guiding the individual towards the ultimate destination. Barzakh, with its long but temporary punishments, prepares humans for facing the subsequent phases.
At each stage, depending on ones deeds, a person either moves towards goodness and growth or sinks into heavier punishments. This transformation resembles a flower that either blooms or withers into dark soil. God, like a just gardener, recompenses each person according to what they have sown.
The Holy Quran invites humanity to contemplate their own actions. Such reflection acts like a lamp illuminating the darkness within the soul and preventing a person from falling into the trap of injustice. Injustice is like a poison that brings suffering not only in this world but also in Barzakh and subsequent stages.
Injustice is akin to a heavy burden dragging humans towards prolonged suffering in Barzakh and the Hereafter. These lectures call individuals to avoid injustice and uphold justice in order to tread the path of goodness and salvation.
The exegesis of Quran 10:51 opens a window towards deeper comprehension of divine knowledge. This verse, emphasising the futility of belated faith, divine justice, and the dynamism of the universe, directs humans towards responsibility and contemplation of their actions. The punishment of eternity, experienced in Barzakh, symbolises not perpetuity but the long-term consequences of deeds. The world is like a moving caravan that never stops and guides humans towards their ultimate destination. These lectures, by critiquing erroneous interpretations and elucidating profound Quranic concepts, invite humans to abstain from injustice and proceed along the path of goodness. May these reflections shine like a light within the heart and guide towards eternal felicity.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
