the lectures of Nokounam, (Session 1612)
Surah Al-Ahzab, one of the Medinan chapters of the Holy Qur'an, addresses profound social, ethical, and spiritual matters of the Islamic community through deeply meaningful verses. This Surah, with its emphasis on justice, propriety in speech and behaviour, and the preservation of the sanctity of the Divine Prophets, offers unparalleled guidance for a faithful mode of life. The verses under discussion in this treatisenamely verses 19, 69, and 70 of Surah Al-Ahzabrefer respectively to the concepts of limit in speech, the exoneration of the Prophets from unjust accusations, and the necessity of sound speech and piety. These reflections, grounded in an in-depth examination of Quranic meanings and utilising the teachings of religious scholars, aim to elucidate these concepts in a clear and coherent manner for the readers. Like a lamp that illumines the path in darkness, this treatise endeavours to explore the Divine verses so as to present pathways toward a better understanding and a more ethical way of life.
The Holy Qur'an, in verse 19 of Surah Al-Ahzab, describes the behaviour of the hypocrites and employs the term limit to characterise their speech. This verse provides a vivid depiction of the duplicity inherent in the hypocrites behaviour: in times of danger, fear overcomes them, whereas in times of calm, they assail the Prophet (peace be upon him) with sharp and cutting language.
O you who have believed, be not like those who harmed Moses, so Allah cleared him of what they said, and he was with Allah honoured.
The term limit in this verse signifies sharpness, severity, and harshness in speech. The phrase tongues of sharpness refers to tongues that, with audacity and impudence, speak against the Prophet (peace be upon him). The behaviour of the hypocrites, manifesting fear and weakness under threat and resorting to sharp-tongued attacks upon the removal of danger, exemplifies a dominance of language that leads to social corruption. Such speech, like a sharp sword, not only damages the sanctity of the Prophet (peace be upon him) but also endangers the order and cohesion of the Islamic society.
This verse, by portraying the hypocrites conduct, issues a warning to the Islamic society to abstain from harsh and unfounded speech. Like a river that is clear and pure in tranquillity but becomes turbid and destructive in flood, the speech of the hypocrites becomes an instrument of division and corruption during times of calm.
Verse 19 of Surah Al-Ahzab, through the use of the term limit, alludes to the sharpness and severity of the hypocrites speech, which aims at humiliating the Prophet (peace be upon him) and creating discord in the Islamic community. This behaviour exemplifies the domination of language accompanied by a lack of piety and faith. The Holy Qur'an, through this portrayal, invites the believers to avoid such speech and stresses the importance of maintaining decorum and respect in discourse.
The Holy Qur'an, in verse 69 of Surah Al-Ahzab, alludes to the unjust accusations made by the people of Moses (peace be upon him) and speaks of his Divine exoneration.
O you who have believed, be not like those who harmed Moses, so Allah cleared him of what they said, and he was with Allah honoured.
This verse refers to the baseless accusations directed against Moses (peace be upon him), including the claim that he killed Aaron, his elder brother and a Prophet of God. God, by exonerating Moses (peace be upon him), cleansed him of these accusations and affirmed his esteemed rank before Him. The Quranic decorum in this verse refrains from reiterating the unjust accusations and confines itself to mentioning the Divine exoneration. This approach acts as a shield protecting the sanctity of the Prophets against hostile assaults.
The Divine exoneration is like a breeze that disperses the dark clouds of accusation from the clear sky of the Prophets purity. This verse warns the Islamic society to refrain from harming the Prophet (peace be upon him) and attributing baseless accusations, as such conduct leads to social corruption and division within the community.
The lecture text refers to Isra'iliyyat narrations that propagate baseless accusations against the Prophets and religious luminaries, such as Moses (peace be upon him) and Avicenna (Ibn Sina). For instance, allegations of wine-drinking by Avicenna or the claim that Moses killed Aaron exemplify such unfounded narrations drawn from unreliable sources that have infiltrated exegeses. These narrations resemble weeds growing in the garden of religious knowledge and cause the degradation of the characters of great religious figures. Religious scholarship must critique these narrations to prevent the spread of unsound speech and assist in preserving the unity of the community.
Verse 69 of Surah Al-Ahzab, by emphasising the exoneration of Moses (peace be upon him) from unjust accusations, highlights the Quranic decorum of refraining from spreading defamatory allegations and preserving the sanctity of the Prophets. By referring to Moses esteemed status before God, the verse invites believers to respect the Prophets and avoid unfounded speech. Critiquing Isra'iliyyat narrations and abstaining from transmitting unsupported reports is a duty incumbent upon religious scholarship to prevent linguistic and intellectual domination.
The Holy Qur'an, in verse 70 of Surah Al-Ahzab, calls upon the believers to observe piety and speak soundly.
O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice.
Sound speech denotes firm, logical, and truth-based discourse. This verse, juxtaposed with the behaviour of the hypocrites (verse 19) and the accusations against Moses (verse 69), exhorts the believers to avoid baseless speech and slander. Sound speech is akin to a solid edifice founded upon truth and reason, immune to the instability of rumours and accusations.
Piety is like a light illuminating the path of the believers speech and conduct, preventing deviation towards unsound speech. This principle holds particular importance for elites and scholars, who, through logical and truth-based speech, assist in reforming society.
The linguistic domination, described in verse 19 of Surah Al-Ahzab as the harsh speech of the hypocrites, constitutes one of the causes of social corruption. This behaviour is like a poisonous wind that disrupts the tranquillity of society and leads to division and distrust. The Holy Qur'an in verse 12 of Surah At-Tawbah commands fighting the leaders of disbelief:
And fight against the leaders of disbelief, for indeed, there are no oaths [sacred] to them perhaps they will cease.
The leaders of disbelief, through linguistic and intellectual domination, misguide the society. Combating these leaders requires the strengthening of sound speech and oversight over information sources. Religious scholarship must neutralise this domination by producing credible content and critiquing baseless narrations.
Verse 70 of Surah Al-Ahzab, with its emphasis on piety and sound speech, invites believers to abstain from baseless speech and slander. This principle, alongside combating linguistic domination and the leaders of disbelief, assists in maintaining the unity of the community and preventing social corruption. Religious scholarship plays a pivotal role by critiquing unreliable narrations and promoting sound speech.
Verse 69 of Surah Al-Ahzab, by referring to the honour of Moses (peace be upon him) before God, underscores the elevated status of the Prophets. This honour is like a shining star in the firmament of guidance, illuminating the path of the believers. This principle calls the Islamic society to respect the Prophets and refrain from slander.
This honour functions as a Divine shield that protects the Prophets from hostile assaults and summons believers to follow their path.
The honour of the Prophets before God signifies their exalted rank and immunity from unjust accusations. This principle calls the Islamic society to respect the Prophets and avoid baseless speech so that, by emulating them, unity and cohesion of the community may be maintained.
Verses 19, 69, and 70 of Surah Al-Ahzab, centred on the concepts of limit in speech, the exoneration of the Prophets from unjust accusations, and the necessity of sound speech and piety, provide invaluable guidance for the Islamic community. These verses, by depicting the hypocrites conduct, exonerating Moses (peace be upon him) from accusations, and calling for sound speech, emphasise the importance of maintaining decorum and respect in speech and conduct. Quranic decorum, by avoiding the spread of accusations and rumours, presents an unparalleled model for faithful living. Religious scholarship, by critiquing baseless narrations such as Isra'iliyyat and promoting sound speech, can assist in the unity of the community and the enactment of justice. These principles, like lamps on the path of guidance, lead the Islamic society towards equity and away from social corruption.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
