The Holy Quran, like a radiant lamp, opens the path of guidance to humanity and, through its sublime discourse, distinguishes truth from falsehood. Among its verses, the third verse of Surah Al-Imran, with profound expression, speaks of divine creation and management, emphasising the authenticity and grandeur of God's word against accusations of the revelation being mere sorcery. This treatise, derived from a spiritual lecture session, investigates the distinction between divine revelation and earthly magic, contemplating deeply the challenges of understanding the Quran, the spiritual degradation of societies, and the power of faith in opposition to materialism. The present text, composed with a coherent structure and eloquent language, endeavours to present the exalted concepts of this lecture in a scientific style befitting scholarly research, serving as a bridge between religious knowledge and rational reflection to illuminate the seekers of truth.
Your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days; then He 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 remember?
This verse, like a luminous mirror, portrays the greatness and oneness of God and, through an invitation to worship and contemplation, guides humanity towards understanding the divine truth. The verse was revealed in response to the contemporaries of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who accused the divine revelation of being sorcery and belittled God's word as mere human magic. This accusation stems from their inability to comprehend the sublime divine discourse, which on one hand is due to the limitations of human knowledge and on the other to mankinds inclination towards worldly matters.
A key point: Revelation is a divine descent flowing from above to below and is comprehended only by the divine saints and the inheritors of the prophets, whereas magic is an earthly and human phenomenon formed through human effort and toil.
Divine revelation descends like a breeze from the Truth, independent of human exertion, upon the hearts of God's saints. This descent is a sublime knowledge intrinsically linked to the reality of existence and is free from any defect or deficiency. In contrast, magic arises like an earthly endeavour from the dust and is formed with material tools and human exertions. The contemporaries of the Prophet (peace be upon him), due to their inability to grasp the grandeur of revelation, compared it to magic and reduced Gods word to human sorcery. This error not only reflected their ignorance of the reality of revelation but also signified their orientation towards worldly affairs and estrangement from divine knowledge.
The Holy Quran, like an endless ocean, possesses deep semantic layers whose understanding surpasses the limited capacities of the human intellect. This incapacity does not stem from any deficiency in the divine word but originates from the epistemological limitations of humans. Humanity, like a traveller on the path of truth, requires humility before divine grandeur and acceptance of prophetic guidance. This perspective is an invitation to modesty and faith, to open ones heart to the light of divine guidance instead of engaging in intellectual disputes.
Verse 3 of Surah Al-Imran, with clear and exalted expression, speaks of divine creation and management and affirms the authenticity of God's word against accusations of sorcery. The distinction between revelation and magic, akin to the separation of light from darkness, highlights divine greatness and human limitations. Comprehending the Holy Quran requires divine knowledge and abstaining from earthly inclinations that lead humanity towards superstition and magic.
Despite scientific and technological advances, todays world remains ensnared by the inclination towards magic and sorcery. In cities such as Turkey and the United States, extensive markets exist for selling magical implements which act as magnets drawing lost individuals towards them. These markets, offering items such as divination tools and astrolabes, indicate the spiritual void in modern societies, which instead of seeking divine knowledge, turn to worldly and superstitious matters.
The narrator of the lecture recounts personal observations in markets of magic and sorcery and narrates experiences of teaching magic in America. He speaks of a challenge wherein sorcerers proved powerless in the face of sincere faith and devotion. This experience serves as a mirror reflecting the limitations of magic against divine power. Although magic is accompanied by material tools and human effort, it remains as ineffectual as straw before a storm when confronted by the faith of a believer.
The tendency to resort to magical tools, such as purchasing bones or superstitious objects, denotes naivety and estrangement from divine knowledge. These tools, widely available in global markets, lack authenticity and function as traps to deceive the ignorant. This critique stands as a warning to societies to abandon superstition and return to the truth of divine revelation.
The prevalence of magic and sorcery in modern societies signals humanitys deviation from the path of divine guidance. Rooted in spiritual void and inclination towards materialism, this phenomenon is powerless against faith and divine knowledge. Returning to the truth of revelation and eschewing superstition is the path that rescues humanity from this degradation.
Science is an external knowledge that serves materialism and at times becomes an instrument of crime, whereas knowledge is a divine reality originating from revelation that guides humanity towards truth.
Science, like a superficial shell, explores the properties of objects and manufactures material tools; however, when severed from divine knowledge, it transforms into a tool for destruction and wrongdoing. Knowledge, like an inner gem, springs from divine revelation and leads humanity to truth and felicity. This distinction is an invitation to reconsider humanitys approach to science and the necessity of its union with divine knowledge.
Todays world, under the shadow of estrangement from faith and sincerity, has plunged into ethical and spiritual decline. Sacred cities, once centres of spirituality, have become ensnared in corruption and vice. This decline acts as a warning bell calling Islamic societies to return to faith and righteous deeds. The Holy Quran, through calls to worship and remembrance, points the way out of this darkness.
Faith and sincerity, like spiritual weapons, can overcome enemies equipped with superior technology, as history demonstrates that sincere prayers have secured monumental victories.
Islamic history bears witness to victories achieved not through weapons of war but by faith and sincerity. In battles such as Tangestan, devotion and two units of prayer brought down technologically advanced foes. This spiritual power, like a blazing torch, illuminates the path for Islamic societies to confront modern challenges.
The distinction between science and knowledge, akin to the separation of light from darkness, differentiates guidance from misguidance. The ethical decline of societies is a consequence of estrangement from faith and an orientation towards materialism. Returning to sincerity and worship is the way to rescue humanity from this abyss and demonstrate the power of faith against materialism.
Worship with sincerity, like a golden key, opens the doors of divine mercy. Two units of prayer performed with pure intention possess the capacity to manifest miracles such as the splitting of the moon by the Prophet (peace be upon him). This act not only establishes a profound connection with God but also liberates the individual from the snares of magic and superstition.
The Holy Quran, like a guiding torch, prevents humanity from turning to magic and superstition and invites towards deeper understanding and divine knowledge. This exalted discourse, emphasising worship and remembrance, indicates the path of salvation from spiritual decline.
Worship with sincerity is the path to establishing a bond with God and escaping worldly traps. The Holy Quran, through invitation to contemplation and worship, guides humanity towards truth and felicity, averting the tendency towards superstition and magic.
Verse 3 of Surah Al-Imran, like a clear mirror, displays the grandeur and unity of God and, by rejecting the accusation of sorcery against revelation, affirms the authenticity of the divine word. This lecture, by elucidating the distinction between revelation and magic, critiques the spiritual degradation of societies and the tendency towards superstition and demonstrates the path to salvation through return to faith and sincere worship. Understanding the Holy Quran requires divine knowledge and distancing from purely material science. Two units of prayer performed with sincerity, like a blazing torch, possess the power to revive spirituality and overcome material and spiritual challenges. This treatise, by inviting contemplation on divine grandeur and righteous deeds, paves a way for seekers of truth.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
