of Nokounam, (Session 1430)
The Holy Quran, akin to a radiant lamp, illuminates the path to felicity and salvation for humankind, guiding them towards truth and wisdom through its enlightening verses. Verses 54 and 55 of Surah Yunus, expressed in profound and contemplative language, address the foundational concepts of divine justice, the remorse of the unjust, Gods absolute ownership, and the role of reason in the comprehension of religion. This treatise endeavours, through reflection on these verses and the expansion of their meanings, to cast light upon the concealed dimensions of these Quranic truths and, employing clear and dignified language, to pave the way for a deeper understanding of these concepts. Utilising metaphors and semantic connections, the presentation aims to be both captivating and worthy of the profound reflections of religious scholars.
وَلَوْ أَنَّ لِكُلِّ نَفْسٍ ظَلَمَتْ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ لَافْتَدَتْ بِهِ ۖ وَأَسَرُّوا النَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ ۖ وَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
Translation: And if every soul that committed oppression were to ransom itself with all that is on earth, it would indeed be offered in ransom; but they will conceal remorse when they see the punishment. And judgment will be passed between them with justice, and they will not be wronged.
This verse, like a clear mirror, presents the bitter reality of the remorse of the unjust before human eyes. Oppression, which in this verse is introduced as the hallmark of all evils, casts a dark shadow over the heart and intellect of man. When the oppressor faces divine punishment, he becomes so remorseful that if he possessed all the treasures of the earth, he would offer them for his liberation. However, this remorse, like water that has flowed away from a stream and never returns, is fruitless. The phrase "أسروا الندامة" (they conceal remorse) indicates a profound regret hidden within the heart, perhaps out of shame or inability to compensate. This remorse, like fire beneath ashes, burns the oppressors spirit but opens no path to salvation.
From a psychological perspective, this remorse can be likened to a profound sense of guilt which, upon confronting the consequences of oppressive actions, engulfs the soul like a turbulent wave. Yet, as it arises too late, it leads nowhere.
The verse emphasises absolute divine justice through the expression "وَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ" (and judgment will be passed between them with justice, and they will not be wronged). God, like a just judge whose scales never tip, adjudicates among His servants. Each reaps what they have sown: "As you sow, so shall you reap." This principle, as an immutable law, operates throughout the cosmos. Man, through his deeds, determines his destiny, and God inflicts no injustice upon him. This justice corresponds, theologically, with the concept of divine justice in Islamic philosophy and aligns, socially, with the theory of restorative justice, which posits punishment proportionate to the act.
Verse 54 of Surah Yunus, with eloquent expression, addresses the dire end of the oppressors and the impeccable divine justice. Oppression, like a deadly poison, corrupts the heart and intellect of man, driving him towards fruitless remorse in the face of divine punishment. Yet God, with His fair judgment, recompenses each according to their deeds, without the slightest injustice. This verse calls humankind to refrain from oppression and to reflect upon their actions.
أَلَا إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ أَلَا إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
Translation: Be aware that whatever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to God. Be aware that the promise of God is true, but most of them do not know.
This verse, like a heavenly summons, invites humankind to contemplate Gods absolute ownership. Everything in the heavens and earth belongs to God, and this ownership, like an invisible thread, connects all existence to His will. The phrase "أَلَا إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ" (Be aware that whatever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to God) signifies the unity of Lordship and deters man from egocentrism and claims of ownership. However, "وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ" (but most of them do not know) reveals the ignorance of the majority regarding this truth. Man, like a child who believes his toys belong to him, considers himself the owner of his possessions.
From the perspective of Islamic philosophy, this verse emphasises the principle of the unity of Lordship; from a sociological viewpoint, ignorance of this ownership results from a materialistic culture that drives man towards egocentrism.
In his negligence, man, like a lost traveller, claims worldly possessions as his own. He assumes that his house, wealth, children, and life belong to him, while all these are entrusted to him as a divine trust. This ignorance acts as a chain binding him to egocentrism and oppression. When death arrives, like a wind drawing back a curtain, the truth becomes manifest that nothing truly belonged to him and all returns to heirs or others. This belated awareness leads man to loss in both this world and the hereafter.
Verse 55 of Surah Yunus, by emphasising Gods absolute ownership, invites man to reflect upon the transient nature of this world. This verse, like a mirror, exposes the ignorance of most people towards this truth and calls them to awaken and return to God. Comprehending this ownership liberates man from egocentrism and guides him towards monotheism and virtuous deeds.
Reason, like a precious gem within mans being, distinguishes him from other creatures. This gem, called by religious scholars the "most noble of creatures," is the guide towards God and virtuous acts. The phrase "العقل ما عبد به الرحمن و اکتسب به الجنان" (Reason is that by which one worships the Merciful and attains Paradise) beautifully indicates that reason is the instrument of worship and the means to gain heaven. Without reason, man is like a rudderless ship wandering the sea of misguidance. The Holy Quran, like a book for the rational, is meaningful only through reason; without it, even acts of worship such as prayer and fasting are like hollow shells, fruitless.
From the perspective of Islamic philosophy, reason is known as the "inner proof" guiding man towards truth. From a cognitive psychological perspective, reason enables the distinction between right and wrong, preventing egocentrism and sin.
Oppression and usury, like deadly poisons, corrupt mans intellect and heart. The heart, here representing reason, becomes hard and inflexible due to these sins. The oppressive or usurious man, like a stone deprived of the ability to feel softness, loses the capacity to understand truth. This hard-heartedness, psychologically, leads to diminished empathy and increased egocentrism, preventing man from recognising divine ownership and performing virtuous deeds.
The world is a divine trust in mans hands, and he, as a temporary trustee, must return it to the original owner. However, the heedless man, like a child who thinks the entrusted toy is his own, considers himself the owner of the world. This egocentrism stems from the absence of reason. If man cultivates reason within himself, like a bright lamp, he will perceive the borrowed nature of the world and relinquish claims of ownership. This understanding leads man towards humility and virtuous deeds.
Cultivating reason, like planting a seed in the fertile soil of childhood, is an undeniable necessity. If from childhood man is taught that the world is borrowed and everything belongs to God, he will avoid egocentrism and oppression in adulthood. However, if this education is neglected, man, like a tree without roots, falls in the winds of misguidance. From the perspective of developmental psychology, religious and ethical education in childhood guides personality towards rationality and responsibility.
Reason, like the gem of human existence, guides man towards God, true worship, and virtuous deeds. Oppression and usury corrupt this gem and lead man towards hard-heartedness and loss. Understanding the borrowed nature of the world and nurturing reason from childhood frees man from egocentrism and guides him towards eternal felicity.
Verses 54 and 55 of Surah Yunus, like two shining jewels in the treasury of the Holy Quran, invite man to reflect on divine justice, Gods absolute ownership, and the role of reason in understanding religion. Verse 54 eloquently speaks of the fruitless remorse of oppressors and flawless divine justice, while verse 55 calls man to comprehend divine ownership and the truth of Gods promises. Reason, like a shining lamp, shows the path to felicity and restrains man from oppression, usury, and egocentrism. Nurturing this gem from childhood directs man towards monotheism, virtuous deeds, and liberation from worldly and eternal loss. These verses, like a mirror, reveal the truth of human existence and invite man to awaken and return to God.
