the Lectures of Nekounam, may his secret be sanctified (Session 1803)
Surah d, as one of the Meccan chapters of the Holy Quran, provides an unparalleled guide to recognising the path of perfection and the factors of downfall through a profound contemplation of the duality of human power and weakness. This Surah, by delineating two categories of human beingsthose who, due to disbelief, oppression, and arrogance, descend into destruction, and those who ascend to the peaks of perfection through faith, humility, and glorificationmaps out a comprehensive blueprint for human formation. In this treatise, relying on the content of the delivered lecture series, an attempt has been made to present the mystical and practical concepts of this Surah in a cohesive and scholarly manner with elegant and dignified language. This work, benefiting from the Quranic verses, traditions, and profound analyses, examines the roots of human strength and weakness and proposes practical methods for attaining spiritual perfection.
Surah d begins with a divine oath upon the Holy Quran, describing it as a book possessing remembrance (dh al-dhikr), a book that not only suffices with general notions but guides humankind towards the truth with specific and practical language. This characteristic places the Holy Quran as a radiant lamp amid the darkness of ignorance and misguidance, distinguishing the path from the abyss.
ص ۚ وَالْقُرْآنِ ذِي الذِّكْرِd. By the Quran, full of reminder.
This verse, by swearing upon the Holy Quran, emphasises its role as a concrete and practical guide. The Quran, through symbolic language and examples, directs humans towards comprehending the roots of weakness and the causes of power. This characteristic transforms it from a merely conceptual text into a practical book for human formation, akin to a map illustrating the ascent to the summits of perfection.
The attribute dh al-dhikr denotes the capacity of the Holy Quran to awaken the innate human nature and to provide solutions for liberation from the impediments to perfection. This characteristic transforms the Quran from a theoretical text to a practical guide that, by offering concrete examples, leads humans towards self-knowledge and the reform of the soul. In Surah d, this trait is manifest clearly through the comparison of two groups of humansdefiant disbelievers and humble believers.
The Holy Quran proceeds to address the roots of human weakness, identifying disbelief, arrogance, and discord as the principal obstacles to perfection. These traits deprive humans of perceiving the truth and lead them towards destruction.
بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي عِزَّةٍ وَشِقَاقٍRather, those who disbelieve are in pride and dissension.
This verse describes disbelievers as powerless and wretched due to their entrapment in false pride (arrogance) and discord (hostility). Arrogance, representing self-exaltation and denial of truth, and discord, implying conflict and enmity with the truth, deprive humans of spiritual content and psychological health, leading them to ruin, akin to a tree whose roots are planted in the barren soil of ignorance, deprived of the water of life.
Arrogance and discord act as spiritual viruses that prevent humans from grasping the metaphysical truths. A person ensnared in self-exaltation resembles a bird whose wings are caught in the trap of pride, barred from flying towards the sky of truth. These traits obstruct the reception of the Quranic admonition, plunging humans into the darkness of impotence.
The Holy Quran, by referring to the destruction of previous peoples, manifests the divine lawfulness in the punishment of the misguided. These nations, due to disbelief and oppression, departed from the path of renewal (khalf) and were subjected to devastation (istikhlaaf).
كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِنْ قَرْنٍ فَنَادَوْا وَلَاتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍHow many generations We destroyed before them. They cried out, but there was no escape.
This verse refers to the destruction of former nations due to disbelief and obstinacy. The phrase fandaw walt na man signifies a futile plea at the moment of destruction, when the opportunity for reform and return has been lost. This verse portrays the impotence resulting from rebellion against the truth, as if a human being realises the depth of his misguidance only at the moment of collapse.
Surah d distinguishes between two concepts, khalf and istikhlaaf. Khalf
