of Nokounam, (Session 1674)
The Holy Quran, akin to a radiant lamp, guides humanity towards truth and felicity. Among its luminous verses, the verse "La Ikrah Fi Ad-Din" (Al-Baqarah: 256) stands as a resplendent gem emphasising human freedom and volition in the acceptance of religion, rejecting any form of compulsion and despotism in this realm. This verse, together with the concept of abameaning refusal and rejection of the truthopens a window towards a deeper understanding of religion as a voluntary disposition and methodology. This treatise, by reflecting upon these concepts and relying on the Quranic verses, endeavours to present a comprehensive perspective on these two fundamental concepts in a fluent language and structured manner. Its aim is to elucidate, through these verses, the spirit of religious freedom and the place of flexibility and gentleness in opposition to rigidity and spiritual hardness.
Religion in the Holy Quran is not merely a collection of rulings and rituals but rather a disposition that a person chooses with volition and awareness to organise their life accordingly. This concept, like a flowing river, permeates all aspects of human existence and guides man towards perfection and felicity. Religion is a methodology originating from a divine source and intertwined with human intellect and free will. This definition opposes any form of coercion and compulsion, as the Holy Quran states:
"There is no compulsion in religion; verily the right way has become distinct from the wrong."
(Al-Baqarah: 256)
This verse, like a clear mirror, reflects the reality of religion: a religion imposed by force upon the human heart is not religion but a mask of hypocrisy. Religion is like a flower that grows in the soil of free will and blossoms with the breeze of awareness.
The essence of religion, like a clear stream, is internal and voluntary. Coercion in the acceptance of religion transforms it into pretense and hypocrisy, as a humorous narration suggests: a person who prays under compulsion beneath a blanket does so not from faith but out of fear of the householder. This kind of religiosity is like a castle of sandunstable and worthless. The Holy Quran emphasises that the path of guidance and misguidance is clear to humans, and they must, through intellect and free will, select the path of truth. This principle is also reflected in another verse:
"So whoever wills, let him believe; and whoever wills, let him disbelieve."
(Al-Kahf: 29)
This verse, like a blazing torch, underscores human freedom in choosing their path of life. Religion enters the human heart not by force but through reason and persuasion.
The Holy Quran introduces religion in diverse forms and various usages, reflecting its flexibility and comprehensiveness. The term dn appears in different forms such as dnakum, dnahum, dn, and ad-dn in numerous verses:
"For you is your religion, and for me is my religion."
(Al-Kafirun: 6)
This verse, like a bridge between religions, accepts diversity and plurality of beliefs, emphasising the independence of the true religion with respect for others' convictions.
"Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam."
(Al-Imran: 19)
This verse introduces the true religion as a divine methodology accompanied by guidance and awareness.
"He sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth."
(At-Tawbah: 3)
This verse depicts religion as a clear and guiding path intertwined with human free will.
This diversity, like the varied colours of a beautiful painting, illustrates the flexibility and comprehensiveness of religion in the Holy Quran, which, instead of despotism, emphasises freedom and choice.
The verse "La Ikrah Fi Ad-Din" is like a thunderbolt, shattering any form of despotism and tyranny in the realm of religion. This principle opposes cultures that promote compulsion and violence under the name of religion. The Holy Quran, by emphasising generosity of spirit, introduces religion as a gem that gains value solely through conscious choice. This concept is further reinforced in another verse:
"Do they seek other than the religion of Allah?"
(Al-Imran: 85)
This verse, with descriptive rather than threatening language, critiques the choice of a religion other than Allahs and invites humans to reflect on their choice.
Compulsion in religion acts like a deadly poison, leading to hypocrisy and superficiality. The Holy Quran states:
"They swear by Allah that they are from among you, but they are not of you; rather, they are a people who are afraid."
(Al-Munafiqun: 14)
This verse, like a mirror, reveals the face of hypocrisy that originates from coercion in religion. True religion arises from the believers heart, not from fear or compulsion.
Religion in the Holy Quran is like a garment woven for the human stature to guide them towards perfection. This garment is only befitting when donned with volition and awareness. The verse "La Ikrah Fi Ad-Din" and related verses affirm this truth that religion is a voluntary disposition incompatible with coercion and despotism. The diversity in the usage of the word religion reflects its flexibility and comprehensiveness, while the rejection of hypocrisy and despotism are fundamental features of the true religion.
The word aba in the Holy Quran denotes refusal and obstinacy in accepting the truth. This term, like a dark shadow, spreads over entities such as Iblis, the oppressors, and the corrupt, who are deprived of flexibility and gentleness before the truth. Aba indicates spiritual rigidity and hardness that prevent transformation and change in the face of truth. The Holy Quran employs this word twelve times, attributing it once to Allah, which bears a different meaning.
Iblis: In a verse from Surah Al-Baqarah:
"They all prostrated except Iblis; he refused and was arrogant."
(Al-Baqarah: 34)
Iblis, due to arrogance and pride, refused to prostrate to Adam, and this refusal distanced him from Divine mercy.
Most People: In Surah Yusuf it states:
"But most of the people refused except disbelief."
(Yusuf: 38)
The majority of people, due to ingratitude and lack of flexibility, refuse to accept the truth.
The Oppressors: In Surah Al-An'am it is stated:
"And the oppressors refused except disbelief."
(Al-An'am: 76)
The oppressors, because of inner hardness and obstinacy, refuse to accept the truth.
The Corrupt: In Surah At-Tawbah it is stated:
"And their hearts refuse, and most of them are defiantly disobedient."
(At-Tawbah: 100)
The corrupt, due to their distance from gentleness and flexibility, resist accepting the truth.
These instances, like images of darkness, portray beings spiritually rigid and incapable of transformation and change before the truth.
Only one instance of aba is attributed to Allah in the Holy Quran:
"Allah refuses except to perfect His light."
(At-Tawbah: 32)
This aba, unlike the created beings' refusal, is not out of arrogance but out of divine necessity. Allah stands firm against the efforts of disbelievers to extinguish the light of truth so that this light reaches perfection. According to some commentators, this perfection refers to the role of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) in the complete establishment of the true religion.
Believers, contrary to Iblis, the oppressors, and the corrupt, possess flexibility and gentleness. This flexibility, like a gentle breeze, enables them to undergo transformation before the truth and avoid rigidity and spiritual hardness. This characteristic is manifest in the conduct of the friends of God, such as forgiveness and pardon towards wrongdoers.
The concept of aba in the Holy Quran serves as a warning against spiritual rigidity and hardness. Iblis, the oppressors, and the corrupt, due to lack of flexibility, reject the truth, whereas believers, with gentleness and adaptability, traverse the path of transformation and perfection. Divine aba exists solely to preserve the light of truth and realise its perfection, manifesting divine wisdom and grandeur.
The Holy Quran, like a heavenly book, presents religion as a voluntary disposition incompatible with coercion and compulsion. The verse "La Ikrah Fi Ad-Din" and related verses emphasise freedom and awareness in accepting religion, rejecting any form of despotism and hypocrisy. Conversely, the concept of aba denotes obstinacy and inflexibility before the truth, seen in beings such as Iblis, the oppressors, and the corrupt. Only divine aba, aimed at the realisation of the light of truth and perfection of religion, aligns with divine wisdom and grandeur. These concepts, like two wings, guide humanity towards felicity and perfection, inviting reflection on free will and flexibility before the truth.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
