of Nokounam Session 1750
Surah Al-Muminun, one of the Meccan chapters of the Holy Quran, elucidates with profound and sagacious expression the fundamental principles of existence and the human position within the cosmic order. The concluding verses of this Surah (verses 99 to 118) invite human contemplation on the moment of death, the intermediary realm (Barzakh), and the Day of Resurrection. These verses portray, beyond customary and stereotypical understandings, a judicious and equitable system in which every deed is inherently and inevitably accompanied by its consequence, as if an invisible scale meticulously weighs every act. This treatise, adopting an analytical and systematic perspective, reexamines these verses and, by correlating Quranic concepts with the wisdom of the universe, endeavours to present a lucid and comprehensive depiction of this divine system. Utilizing an exalted Persian literary style and a coherent structure, the work aims to guide the reader on a journey through the depths of Quranic meanings and the truth of existence.
The Holy Quran in verse 99 of Surah Al-Muminun depicts the moment of death as the point at which human free will ceases. This moment is when the individual confronts the reality of their deeds and the regret for lost opportunities blazes like fire within their soul.
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ
Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "My Lord, send me back."
This verse illustrates human regret at a moment when no capacity for rectification remains. It is as if the person, like a traveller whose ship has reached the shore, realises that they have not properly secured their burden. The plea "My Lord, send me back" is not borne of hope for change but rather from the intensity of remorse and awareness of reality. This awareness results from encountering the universes judgement system that links every deed inevitably with its consequence. From a mystical viewpoint, this moment is when the veils of heedlessness are lifted, and the individual sees themselves in the mirror of truth, yet can no longer alter the image.
The Holy Quran in this verse emphasises the certainty of divine laws. No intercession outside the framework of the universes wisdom is accepted. This system, like a precise clock, synchronises every act with its consequence, and no nepotism or unwise interference is permitted. This concept invites the human to reflect on their conduct, as every choice is like a stone dropped into water, generating waves that continue forever.
Verse 100 of Surah Al-Muminun continues to depict human regret at the moment of death, where the individual longs to return to the world to perform righteous deeds, but this desire is met with a resolute divine refusal.
لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ ۚ كَلَّا ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا ۖ وَمِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ
"Perhaps I shall do a righteous deed in that which I have left behind." No! It is but a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier (Barzakh) until the Day they are resurrected.
The phrase "Perhaps I shall do a righteous deed" indicates awareness of the value of righteous action, yet this awareness, like a light in a stormy darkness, is no longer of benefit. The response "No!" is like a thunderbolt that shatters any hope of return. This reply underscores the irrevocability of the universes judgement system, in which no alteration is possible. The realm of Barzakh, mentioned here, is like a bridge between this world and the hereafter, where the individual awaits the final outcome of their deeds, as if waiting in a chamber for the door of judgement to be opened.
Barzakh is the realm where the human faces the initial consequences of their deeds. This realm acts like a mirror reflecting ones conduct, yet there is no opportunity for change. Philosophically, Barzakh is a stage in which one encounters their true self; this confrontation is a prelude to Resurrection, where the final reckoning of deeds occurs.
Verse 101 of Surah Al-Muminun describes the onset of Resurrection with the trumpet blast, a moment when all material and familial relationships disintegrate.
فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَلَا أَنْسَابَ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَلَا يَتَسَاءَلُونَ
And when the trumpet is blown, no kinship will exist among them on that Day, nor will they question one another.
The trumpet blast is like a cry that tears apart the veils of the material world, confronting each human solely with their deeds. The phrase "no kinship will exist among them" indicates that on Resurrection Day, no social or familial relation can save one from the consequences of their deeds. This moment resembles a stage where each actor remains alone in their role, without any companion to assist. "Nor will they question one another" emphasises the intensity of fear and the solitary focus of each individual, as if each person is stranded on an island of their own actions.
From a sociological perspective, this verse depicts the collapse of all social and familial structures in the face of the Resurrections truth. Relationships that formed the core of human identity in this world burst like bubbles, leaving only the reality of deeds. This concept invites human beings to reconsider lifes priorities, for on Resurrection Day the measure is not social bonds but the weight of deeds on the divine scale.
Verse 108 of Surah Al-Muminun emphatically declares the end of all hope for deliverance for the misguided. This verse invites humanity to reflect on the consequences of their deeds and warns that persistence in sin is akin to a path leading to humiliation and rejection.
إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِنْ عِبَادِي يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
فَاتَّخَذْتُمُوهُمْ سِخْرِيًّا حَتَّىٰ أَنْسَوْكُمْ ذِكْرِي وَكُنْتُمْ مِنْهُمْ تَضْحَكُونَ
إِنِّي جَزَيْتُهُمُ الْيَوْمَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا أَنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ
Indeed, there was a group among My servants who said: Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and have mercy upon us, for You are the best of the merciful. Yet you took them in mockery until they forgot My remembrance, and you used to laugh at them. Indeed, I have rewarded them this Day for their patience; they are the ones who are the successful.
Faith of the servants shines as a light in the darkness of disbelief. The invocation Our Lord, we have believed signifies reliance upon and refuge in Divine mercy. However, the disbelievers, by mocking this faith, deprive themselves of remembrance of God, as if their laughter casts a veil over the truth. The reward for the patient, who endure such mockery steadfastly, is salvation, adorned like a crown upon their heads.
Patience serves as a shield protecting the believers against the storm of mockery. These verses demonstrate the ultimate triumph of faith over disbelief, for patience is the key to entering Divine mercy. From a sociological perspective, the mockery of believers represents an effort to maintain social power by disbelievers, yet this endeavour is destined to fail before Divine wisdom.
Verses 109 to 111 of Surah Al-Muminun sagely depict the contrast between faith and disbelief. These verses call humanity to patience amid hardships and reliance on Divine mercy, for these two wings enable the soul to soar towards salvation.
قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ عَدَدَ سِنِينَ
قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ فَاسْأَلِ الْعَادِّينَ
قَالَ إِنْ لَبِثْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ۖ لَوْ أَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
He said: How long did you remain on earth? They said: We remained a day or part of a day. Ask those who enumerate. He said: You have remained only a little, if only you knew.
This inquiry acts as a poignant reminder awakening humanity from the slumber of heedlessness. The response of the disbelievers, viewing worldly life as but a day or part thereof, reveals their neglect of times value. These verses function as a mirror reflecting the brevity of worldly life in comparison to the eternity of the Hereafter.
Philosophically, these verses underscore the relativity of time against the backdrop of the Hereafters eternity. The worldly life is but a drop in the boundless ocean of eternity. This notion urges humanity to make the best use of the fleeting moments of life, each moment being a seed that can yield a mighty tree in the Hereafter.
Verses 112 to 114 of Surah Al-Muminun sagely portray the shortness of worldly life and the regret of lost chances. These verses encourage reflection on the value of time and the necessity of righteous action before opportunities fly away like a bird from its cage.
أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبْثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ
Did you think that We created you in vain and that you would not be returned to Us?
This verse rings out like a clarion call awakening humanity from heedlessness. Human creation is a role painted with precision and wisdom on the canvas of existence, devoid of futility. Return to God is an inevitable destination every traveller must reach, accompanied by precise accounting of deeds.
This verse emphasises the existence of a wise system in the universe that links every deed with a commensurate outcome. This system is like a scale that measures every act with infinite accuracy, leaving no action unanswered.
Verse 115 of Surah Al-Muminun resolutely calls humanity to contemplate the purpose of creation and the certainty of return to God. This verse provides the philosophical basis for the establishment of scales measuring deeds and invites humans to perform righteous actions in accordance with Divine wisdom.
فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ ۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ
وَمَنْ يَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ لَا بُرْهَانَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الْكَافِرُونَ
Exalted is Allah, the True King; there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Noble Throne. And whoever invokes besides Allah another deity for which he has no proofthen his account is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed.
The phrase Exalted is Allah stands like a peak manifesting Divine grandeur before human sight. Denial of polytheism cleanses the mirror of existence from all dust, for polytheism is an act unsupported by any proof. The reckoning of polytheists before God is governed by the universes wise laws, which admit no salvation for disbelievers.
Philosophically, these verses affirm absolute monotheism and deny any partner for God. This monotheism underpins the universes system of judgement, upon which deeds are evaluated. Polytheism is a deviation diverting man from the path of truth, and its reckoning is measured by the Divine scale.
Verses 116 and 117 of Surah Al-Muminun resolutely depict Divine grandeur and the rejection of polytheism. These verses call humanity to monotheism and reflection on the universes system of judgement, for only under monotheism can one find true balance in the Divine scale.
وَقُلْ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
And say: My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You are the best of the merciful.
This prayer is like a breeze that soothes the hearts of believers after the storm of torment. The phrase You are the best of the merciful signifies endless hope in Divine mercy, even for those who have slipped into sin. This prayer stands in contrast to Disgrace be upon you,
