The Holy Qur'an, a pristine fountain of guidance, calls humanity towards pure monotheism in its verses and warns against everything that diverts one from the path of truth. Verse 106 of Surah Ynus, with clear and eloquent wording, forbids the worship of anything other than God and presents shirk as a grievous injustice rooted in the neglect of the reality of tawhid. This treatise, through reflection upon this noble verse, endeavours to explore the profound concepts of shirk, injustice, and respect for divine manifestations. Employing a refined language and a coherent structure, it seeks to elucidate the sublime meanings of the verse in a manner befitting a scholarly research context, so that, like a mirror, it reveals the truth of monotheism before the readers eyes.
And do not invoke, besides God, that which neither benefits you nor harms you; for if you do so, then indeed you will be among the wrongdoers.
The noble verse explicitly forbids mankind from worshipping anything other than God which lacks intrinsic power to benefit or harm. The pronoun that in the Qur'an refers to all entities besides the Almighty God; ranging from stone or wooden idols to apparent human powers, wealth, or anything upon which a person relies in place of God. For a more precise understanding of this concept, consider the example of an idol given in the lecture: an idol, as long as it is venerated and respected as an idol, neither benefits nor harms. However, if it loses its status as an idol and becomes merely wood or stone, it may have material benefits or harms, such as being used for fire or as a tool for striking.
This distinction reveals a profound truth: shirk lies in attributing divinity to what is not God. An idol, when regarded as a mere created object, has material value, but when placed in the position of God, it yields nothing but misguidance. This concept corresponds with verse 76 of Surah ajj:
لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لَكُمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا
They have no power to harm or benefit you.
This verse confirms the inherent incapacity of all that is other than God to exert independent influence. The lecture expresses this truth with a clear analogy: wood or stone, when employed as material instruments, may confer benefit or harm; yet, when elevated to the status of an idol and endowed with divine sanctity, they bring only misguidance and injustice.
The noble verse, by linking shirk to injustice ("for if you do so, then indeed you will be among the wrongdoers"), clearly states that worship of anything other than God propels a person towards wrongdoing. This injustice is not only a violation of divine rights but also manifests as injustice towards creation. The lecture clarifies this concept with concrete examples: a person who relies upon others instead of God tends towards injustice in behaviour towards others, whether in forms of disrespect to believers or oppression of spouse and children.
The Holy Qur'an, in verse 13 of Surah Luqmn, describes shirk as a great injustice:
إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ
Indeed, shirk is a tremendous injustice.
This injustice is rooted in deviation from the innate disposition of monotheism. When a person assigns divine status to anything other than God, they depart from the path of justice and ethics, and commit injustice upon themselves and others. The lecture portrays this deviation with everyday examples such as oppression against a spouse or disrespect towards believers, demonstrating that shirkeven amongst believerscan result in practical injustice.
One prominent axis of the lecture is the emphasis on respecting creation as manifestations of the Divine. Such respect is not only a sign of faith in the Creator but also a means of attaining pure worship of God. The lecture, through a beautiful analogy, regards creation as mirrors reflecting the attributes of God. Disrespecting these mirrors equates to disregarding the truth of the Creator.
The Holy Qur'an in verse 115 of Surah al-Anm states the status of creation within the divine order thus:
وَلَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ كُلٌّ لَهُ قَانِتُونَ
And to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth; all are submissive to Him.
This verse considers all creatures as signs of God, in service and obedience to the Creator. The lecture expands this concept with tangible examples: from respecting a sparrow by giving it seeds, to honouring ones spouse and children. Disrespect towards these manifestationssuch as oppression of the spouse or dishonouring believersis a sign of estrangement from tawhid.
The lecture, adopting a critical perspective, points to hidden shirk amongst believers. This shirk manifests in daily behaviours such as disrespect towards believers or injustice against close ones. For example, locking ones spouse indoors or dishonouring fellow believers are signs of deviation from pure faith. These behaviours root in dependency on others besides God and lead humanity to injustice and misguidance.
This view accords with the concept of subtle shirk in mystical literature. The Holy Qur'an in verse 48 of Surah An-Nis stresses the necessity of purifying the heart from shirk:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ
Indeed, God does not forgive associating partners with Him.
The lecture connects this hidden shirk with social examples such as disrespect and oppression, highlighting that true faith manifests in ethical behaviour towards creation.
The lecture regards creatures as mirrors reflecting divine attributes, guiding mankind towards God. This perspective, emphasising respect for creation, regards shirk as attributing independent status to these manifestations apart from God. For instance, idolaters who assign divinity to idols depart from the truth of tawhid, whereas respect for creation as divine manifestations constitutes a means of nearness to God.
The Holy Qur'an in verse 53 of Surah Fussilat expresses this truth:
سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ
We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves.
This verse recognises creation as divine signs guiding mankind towards the Creator. The lecture, with examples such as oppression of the spouse or disrespect to believers, shows that neglecting these manifestations forms a barrier to attaining tawhid.
The lecture criticises the misuse of concepts such as Dividing Paradise and Hellfire attributed to saints and Imams, emphasising that guidance and salvation belong solely to God. Saints, as lamps of guidance and ships of salvation, are only guides and means of nearness to God, not distributors of Heaven and Hell. This view reveals shirk in attributing divine status to others even among believers.
The Holy Qur'an in verse 3 of Surah Midah underscores the perfection of religion and concentration upon God:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ
Today I have perfected for you your religion.
The lecture, stressing that saints are solely guides, calls humanity to focus on God as the source of guidance and to beware of attributing divine status to others.
The lecture offers a frank critique of hypocrisy in religion, emphasising that true worship requires genuine guidance, lordship, and nearness, not empty claims and superficial displays. Examples such as insincere statements in media demonstrate deviation from true knowledge. Such hypocrisy acts as a mask over the face of truth, diverting humanity from the path of tawhid.
The Holy Qur'an in verse 11 of Surah Taghbun presents faith as the fruit of heartfelt guidance:
وَمَن يُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ
And whoever believes in God, He guides his heart.
The lecture connects this concept to contemporary challenges, such as falsehoods in the media, inviting reflection on genuine faith.
The lecture regards injustice towards creation, especially spouse and children, as the outcome of practical shirk. Examples such as locking the spouse indoors or disrespecting believers indicate deviation from tawhid. This injustice burns the roots of faith like fire, entangling the individual in loss both in this world and the Hereafter.
The Holy Qur'an in verse 279 of Surah al-Baqarah contrasts injustice with faith:
فَإِن لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا فَأْذَنُوا بِحَرْبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ
But if you do not, then be informed of war from God and His Messenger.
The lecture illustrates this concept with tangible examples such as oppression of the spouse or dishonouring believers, demonstrating that practical shirk manifests in daily conduct.
Verse 106 of Surah Ynus, like a radiant lamp, warns humanity against worshipping anything other than God and introduces shirk as the root of injustice and misguidance. The lecture, with profound language and palpable examples, elucidates this truth that respect for creation as divine manifestations is a prerequisite for pure worship. Disrespect towards these manifestationsfrom sparrows to spouse and believerssignifies hidden shirk, which leads humanity to injustice and loss. Divine saints, like guiding lamps, show the path to God, but the division of Paradise and Hell is solely in God's hands. Through reflection upon these concepts, this treatise invites mankind towards pure monotheism and ethical conduct towards creation, so that, like a mighty tree, one may have roots in faith and branches in justice.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi