The Holy Qur'an, like a radiant lamp, guides humanity towards felicity and perfection. Within this celestial book, the concepts of repentance and enmity, as two fundamental pillars, hold a special position. Repentance is a gateway to the boundless mercy of God, directing servants from the darkness of sin towards the light of guidance; whereas enmity reflects the nature of human and satanic relationships as if mirrored. This treatise, through contemplation of the Qur'anic verses and their profound analysis, examines these two concepts to open a path towards a deeper understanding of the theological, ethical, and social system of the Qur'an. Employing a polished and dignified language, this work seeks to present the exalted Qur'anic notions with a novel perspective and an organised structure to its readers.
Repentance in the Holy Qur'an is akin to a bridge that leads the servant from the realm of sin to the infinite mercy of God. This concept not only signifies the servants return to God but also encompasses the divine return to the servant. The Qur'an links repentance to the attribute of divine mercy, introducing it as a sign of the Lord's endless grace and benevolence.
فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ
"So He turned to you; indeed, He is the Accepting of Repentance, the Merciful." (Surah At-Tawbah: 104)
This verse portrays repentance as a bilateral act: the servant's return to God and God's acceptance with mercy and kindness. Unlike human forgiveness, which sometimes accompanies humiliation or reproach, divine repentance is conducted with dignity and compassion, protecting the servant from feelings of degradation and abasement.
Key Point: Divine repentance not only pardons sin but, through mercy and honour, guides the servant towards elevation and reform. This mercy liberates the servant from despair and places him upon the path of perfection.
Repentance in the Holy Qur'an is not confined to mere remorse of the heart but is completed through behavioural reform and compensating for the harms caused by sin. This reform resembles a gardener pruning dry branches so that the tree of the servant's existence may bear fruit.
وَمَنْ تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَإِنَّهُ يَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَتَابًا
"And whoever repents and does righteousness does indeed turn to Allah with [accepted] repentance." (Surah Al-Furqan: 71)
This verse associates repentance with righteous deeds and reformation. Here, reformation means rebuilding social relations, compensating for damages, and moral improvement. For example, freeing a person from prison and facilitating work or marriage for them exemplifies repentance coupled with reformation, modelled on the practice of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
The Holy Qur'an regards sin committed out of ignorance as a condition facilitating easier acceptance of repentance. Intentional sin, due to awareness and malicious intent, entails greater responsibility and demands deeper compensation.
وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا
"And whoever does a wrong or wrongs himself but then seeks forgiveness of Allah will find Allah Forgiving and Merciful." (Surah An-Nisa: 110)
This verse indicates that sin committed in ignorance, due to the absence of bad intention, is more readily forgiven. This principle demonstrates the harmony of the Divine Names, where mercy is balanced with wisdom and justice. Intentional sin is like a thorn embedded in the heart of social order, requiring more profound effort for its rectification.
Key Point: Sin committed in ignorance, due to lack of ill intent, provides a more accessible context for acceptance of repentance, whereas deliberate sin requires deeper reparation and reformation to restore social and moral order.
Repentance in the Holy Qur'an is a gateway leading the servant towards the boundless mercy of God. This concept encompasses not only the forgiveness of sins but also, through reformation and righteous deeds, guides the servant towards perfection. The condition of ignorance facilitates the acceptance of repentance, but the harmony of Divine Names confines repentance within wisdom and justice. This section demonstrates that divine repentance, with mercy and honour, guides the servant from the darkness of sin to the light of guidance.
The Holy Qur'an presents repentance in two forms: general and specific. General repentance includes all servants, including the Prophet, the Muhajirun, the Ansar, and even the hypocrites; however, its acceptance depends on conditions such as faith and righteous deeds.
لَقَدْ تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ فِي سَاعَةِ الْعُسْرَةِ
"Indeed, Allah has turned in mercy to the Prophet and the Muhajirun and the Ansar who followed him in the hour of hardship." (Surah At-Tawbah: 117)
This verse illustrates the vastness of Divine mercy that encompasses even sinners and hypocrites, yet is conditioned upon faith and righteous deeds. The level of forgiveness, meaning complete covering of sin, surpasses simple repentance and demands more stringent conditions.
One of the marvels of the Holy Qur'an is the conversion of evil deeds into good ones through repentance and righteous action. This principle portrays the world as a wise system in which nothing is destroyed but rather reconstructed in another form.
إِلَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَٰئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ
"Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good." (Surah Al-Furqan: 70)
This verse reflects the transformational system of the world whereby sins are converted into virtues through repentance and righteous deeds, akin to soil in nature blossoming into colourful flowers. This principle encourages mankind to repent and reform, as even great sins can be turned into good.
Key Point: The Qur'anic transformational system converts sins into good deeds via repentance and righteous action, demonstrating Divine wisdom in the restoration and elevation of servants.
Seeking forgiveness (istighfar) is like a key that unlocks the seal of sins deemed irreparable. For sins that cannot be directly compensated, istighfar opens the path towards Divine mercy.
For example, a person who stole fruit from a garden in childhood and now does not know the owner of the garden can compensate for their sin through seeking forgiveness. This principle directs society towards forgiveness and prayer for others, even if direct compensation is not feasible.
Repentance in the Holy Qur'an has degrees ranging from simple remorse to the transformation of sins into good deeds. General repentance encompasses all servants but is conditional upon faith and righteous deeds. Seeking forgiveness serves as a tool to compensate for sins that are irreparable. This section portrays Divine mercy as an endless ocean that embraces servants within itself.
The Name Al-Mustan acts as a refuge for oppressed and desperate believers who, in the constriction of hardship, have no recourse except turning to God. This attribute appears in two verses of the Holy Qur'an and signifies a special Divine assistance for those in utter distress.
وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ
"And Allah is the One Whose help is sought against what you describe." (Surah Yusuf: 18)
In the story of Joseph, Prophet Jacob (peace be upon him) resorts to the attribute Al-Mustan when faced with the falsehood of his sons claiming that a wolf devoured Joseph. This invocation indicates his patience and hope amidst hardship, as the ultimate outcome rests with God.
Key Point: The attribute Al-Mustan is specifically for oppressed and desperate believers who, under severe distress, seek refuge in God. This attribute sustains hope and patience in the hearts of the faithful.
The attribute Al-Mustan shines like a star in the dark sky of hardship, guiding oppressed believers towards hope and patience. It demonstrates the special Divine assistance for those who have no refuge but God in their trials. The story of Jacob (peace be upon him) serves as a clear example of this invocation, depicting patience and hope in the face of falsehood and adversity.
Enmity in the Holy Qur'an acts like a mirror reflecting the nature of human and satanic relationships. This concept is employed in the relationships between Adam and Iblis, as well as among human beings.
وَقُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ
"And We said, 'Go down, [all of you], as enemies to one another.'" (Surah Al-Baqarah: 36)
This verse introduces enmity as an inherent characteristic of the relationship between Adam and Iblis. Divine enmity is used solely in one case, against the disbelievers, whereas Satans enmity towards mankind is malicious and persistent.
Enmity as competition for benefits is part of human nature, but when it escalates into transgression and excess, it becomes a defect. The Holy Qur'an warns humanity against transgression and excess in enmity.
وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ
"And do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors." (Surah Al-Baqarah: 190)
This verse presents transgression as a flaw compared to natural enmity. Human enmity is like competition occurring at the table of life for
