of Nekounam, may his sanctity be preserved (Session 1759)
Surah Al-Qasas, one of the Meccan chapters of the Noble Qur'an, centres upon the story of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) and elucidates profound epistemological and divine concepts, portraying the human position within the cosmic order and his boundless capacities in the spiritual journey of perfection. This Surah, by delineating the duality of human grandeur and frailty, emphasises his infinite capabilities to attain nearness to God and mastery over realms, while simultaneously highlighting his vulnerability against inner and external impediments.
The present treatise, relying on the content of religious scholars lectures, analyses this Surah from a scientific and detailed perspective and, employing Qur'anic verses and theological expositions, examines the existential capacities of man and pathways to attaining divine perfections. The structure of this composition is thematically segmented to present the concepts clearly and coherently to the readers.
Man, as God's vicegerent on earth, is a being whose existential capacities guide him towards the lofty stages of divine perfection. This capacity, rooted in his monotheistic innate disposition (fitrah), is uniquely illustrated in Surah Al-Qasas through the story of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him). Man can reach a station where the Almighty God directly speaks to him and includes him among His intimate ones.
فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا
He created mankind upon it (the innate nature).
This innate nature directs man towards divine nearness and enables him to ascend spiritual ranks to receive divine manifestations. In Surah Al-Qasas, the story of Moses (peace be upon him) is a concrete example of this capacity. When God speaks to him at the blessed place, this degree of divine proximity becomes evident:
إِنِّي أَنَا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Indeed, I am Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
From a theological standpoint, this human capacity relates to the concept of emkn-e-faqr (the possibility of neediness) in Islamic philosophy. Man is a being in need of God, yet capable of receiving infinite divine grace. Moses (peace be upon him), upon encountering the blessed tree, attains a level of perfection where he not only receives divine revelation but acquires the ability to govern and master realms. This ability is also manifested in the story of Solomon (peace be upon him) through the subjugation of jinn, humans, and the wind:
فَسَخَّرْنَا لَهُ الرِّيحَ تَجْرِي بِأَمْرِهِ رُخَاءً حَيْثُ أَصَابَ
So We made the wind subservient to him, flowing gently wherever he intended.
Alongside the boundless grandeur of man, Surah Al-Qasas draws attention to his vulnerability against inner and environmental impediments. Despite infinite capacities, man may, due to heedlessness, sin, and attachment to material matters, fall to a level of weakness and humiliation where he becomes incapable of managing even his most basic life affairs.
Moses (peace be upon him), despite his high prophetic rank, experienced fear and anxiety at a moment in his life due to killing a man from Pharaohs people:
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي قَتَلْتُ مِنْهُمْ نَفْسًا فَأَخَافُ أَنْ يَقْتُلُونِ
He said, "My Lord, indeed I have killed from among them a soul, so I fear they will kill me."
This reaction indicates the impact of environmental and inner factors on man, even at elevated existential ranks. Psychologically and theologically, this weakness results from estrangement from the divine innate nature and surrender to the whims of the self. The Noble Qur'an emphasises the necessity of controlling the selfs desires:
وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَى
But as for he who feared the standing before his Lord and restrained the soul from [desires].
Moses (peace be upon him), by repentance and returning to God, surpasses this weakness and attains a level of perfection:
قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ فَلَنْ أَكُونَ ظَهِيرًا لِلْمُجْرِمِينَ
He said, "My Lord, because You have favoured me, I will never be an assistant to the criminals."
This duality of grandeur and weakness transforms man into a dynamic being constantly facing the choice between growth and downfall. This choice, like a fork in the road, leads man either to the peaks of perfection or the valleys of humiliation.
