of Nokounam (May Allah Sanctify His Soul), Session (1920)
The exegesis of the verses of the Holy Quran is a gateway towards profound understanding of the Divine Word, which, like a brilliant light, illuminates the path of guidance for mankind. This treatise, relying on precise and deep analyses, examines several selected verses of the Holy Quran, each of which, like a radiant gem, conceals exalted meanings and concepts within. These verses are contemplated from psychological, social, spiritual, and governmental perspectives and have been composed in an elevated, scientific, and scholarly language intended for specialised audiences and academic environments. The structure of this work is designed such that each section, akin to a branch of the tree of knowledge, elucidates a verse or a set of verses, presenting a coherent unity through meaningful connections.
This section, reflecting upon a verse from Surah Al-Qasas, explores the concept of oppression and its psychological and social consequences. This verse narrates the story of the Children of Israel who, under the leadership of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), were liberated from the tyranny of Pharaoh.
And We wished to bestow favour upon those who were oppressed in the land, and to make them leaders, and to make them the inheritors.
This verse is a narrative of the Divine will in the elevation of a people who have endured long years under the yoke of oppression and subjugation. The Children of Israel, who spent a lifetime under Pharaohs dominion, through the guidance and leadership of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), were not only freed from bondage but also attained positions of leadership and inheritance of the land. This transformation, like a flower blooming from the heart of a stone, manifests the power of God in the alteration of destinies.
Some have attributed this verse to the era of the emergence of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), but such an interpretation is incongruent with the text of the verse. The verse speaks of a group who lived in oppression, whereas Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) is free from such a characteristic. Furthermore, the context refers to a collective, not a particular individual, and his companions, despite their exalted status, hold a subordinate position in comparison to him and cannot be considered the central focus of this verse.
Oppression acts as a heavy shadow that engulfs the human psyche and spirit. Individuals who have lived in poverty, humiliation, and deprivation may, due to latent complexes, lose self-control upon acquiring power and wealth. This characteristic resembles a quagmire that swallows whatever water is poured into it, returning nothing beneficial to society. For example, in regions dominated by deprivation, resources and facilities have sometimes been consumed irrationally, resulting in wastage rather than productivity.
Conversely, those nurtured under the shade of spirituality and simplicity, like a clear spring, bring blessing and goodness to society. This difference is akin to that between a robust tree and a fragile plant which, when faced with storms, one remains steadfast while the other collapses.
This section, reflecting upon a verse from Surah Al-Qasas, demonstrated that Divine will sometimes manifests in the transformation of the fate of oppressed peoples. Nonetheless, oppression carries profound psychological and social consequences that, without spiritual education and refinement, can lead to deviation in the exercise of power. This verse is an invitation to contemplate the necessity of nurturing the soul and psyche prior to attaining rank and status.
Building upon the preceding discussion, this section examines the traits of those who tread the path of faith and guidance. A verse from Surah At-Tawbah provides a criterion for recognising the guided.
Only those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish prayer, give zakat, and fear none but Allah will maintain the mosques of Allah. It may be that those are among the rightly guided.
This verse, like a mirror, portrays the characteristics of those worthy of maintaining the sanctuaries of God. Faith in Allah and the Day of Resurrection, establishment of prayer, payment of zakat, and fearing none but Allah are the qualities that distinguish the guided. The emphasis on and fear none but Allah indicates the importance of perseverance and steadfastness against hardships and adversaries.
Perseverance in faith is like a root that stabilises the tree of human existence against the storms of life. This trait manifests not only in performing virtuous deeds but also in resisting sabotage and hostility. Courage and resilience are rare attributes that guide a person towards transcendence.
The verse under discussion provides a clear criterion for recognising the guided. Faith, righteous deeds, and steadfastness in adversity form the three pillars upon which the edifice of salvation stands. This section emphasises the significance of courage and endurance on the path of faith, demonstrating that guidance is attained solely through perseverance.
This section, drawing upon a verse from Surah Muhammad, addresses the reciprocal relationship between Gods assistance and the firmness of believers steps, establishing a semantic link with the preceding section.
O you who have believed, if you support Allah, He will support you and make your foothold firm.
This verse is like a golden key, revealing a bilateral relationship between supporting God and Gods support for the believers. Supporting God means not only defending His religion but also steadfastness in the path of truth and endurance of hardships. The firmness of steps signifies courage and unwavering faith in the face of trials, not necessarily apparent worldly victory.
The firmness of steps is like a lamp that illuminates the way in lifes darkness. This trait is beautifully exemplified in the life of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) who, despite the trials of Karbala, departed this world with steadfast faith. This verse is a test for believers to assess the extent of their support for God.
This section, through examination of a verse from Surah Muhammad, showed that divine assistance and steadfastness in the path of truth are two sides of the same coin. By supporting Gods religion, believers not only attain salvation but also gain firm hearts and unwavering faith that persist in adversity.
This section, relying on verses from Surah At-Tawbah, explores the role of rationality in religion and the necessity of combating covenant-breakers, establishing a link with the concept of perseverance discussed in preceding sections.
And if they break their oaths after their covenant and defame your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief - indeed, they have no oaths, so that they might desist. Would you not fight a people who broke their oaths and intended to expel the Messenger, and they had begun you the first time? Do you fear them? But Allah has more right that you should fear Him, if you are believers.
These verses, like a sharp sword, manifest the rationality of Islam against tyranny and blind obedience. God, through argument and logic, encourages believers to combat covenant-breakers and commands them to fear none but Him.
Islam is like a clear spring that has embedded rationality at the core of its rulings. Even in devotional commands, intellect and knowledge are central. Worship acts as a mirror reflecting human knowledge of God. Prayer, as an example, is not merely a
This section, through the examination of a verse from Surah Al-Arf, demonstrated that the mission of the Prophet Muammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, is to lighten the burdens and remove the shackles from the shoulders of the servants. The principle of permissibility, like a pure spring, paves the way for felicity and salvation.
This section, linked to the concept of alleviation addressed in the previous part, examines divine rulings that bring about facilitation and expansion within society. A verse from Surah Al-Azb exemplifies these rulings which break erroneous traditions.
And [remember] when you said to the one upon whom Allah bestowed favour and you bestowed favour, Keep your wife to yourself and fear Allah, while you concealed within yourself that which Allah is to disclose. And you feared the people, whereas Allah has more right that you fear Him. So when Zayd had no longer any need for her, We married her to you so that there is no difficulty for the believers concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they have no longer any need for them. And the command of Allah must be fulfilled.
And when you said to him whom Allah had favoured and to whom you had favoured, Hold to your wife and fear Allah, while you concealed within yourself what Allah was to make manifest, and you feared the people, though Allah was more worthy that you should fear Him. Then when Zayd had completed his term with her, We married her to you so that there should be no difficulty for the believers regarding the wives of their adopted sons when they have completed their term with them. And the command of Allah is always executed.
(Al-Azb: 37)
This verse articulates one of the divine rulings which does not regard an adopted son as a biological or legitimate son and permits marriage to his former wife. This ruling was deemed disgraceful and reprehensible in the Arab society of that time, yet Allah commanded the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, to implement it despite the widespread negative reactions. The person referred to, upon whom Allah and the Prophet bestowed favour, is Zayd, the adopted son of the Prophet.
Through such rulings, Allah wills to bring about facilitation within society, ensuring that people are not placed under hardship and that erroneous traditions do not constrain them, for undue sanctities bring about restriction and hardship. One reason why religion has not grown as it should is that, in religious scholarship, sometimes without strong legal evidence, some permissible matters have been restricted out of caution, or due to inadequate expertise in understanding subject matters, prohibitions have been multiplied and certain divine permissions declared forbidden, while such rulings themselves constitute hardship. Moreover, all divine permissibilities serve as instruments to avoid prohibitions.
At the conclusion of the verse, Allah states that His command is always to be executed, and negative reactions must not be heeded; rather, one must persevere patiently and steadfastly upon this ruling. The believer must stand firm upon the truth amid difficulties, obstructions, and malevolence, maintaining faith that the command of Allah shall prevail. It is crucial for the believer to attain such awareness and knowledge that they both recognise the truth and stand firmly by it.
This section, by analysing a verse from Surah Al-Azb, demonstrated that divine rulings are developmental and facilitative, designed to remove constraints caused by erroneous traditions. Standing firm upon the truth despite negative repercussions is the key to implementing these rulings and guides believers towards a society free of hardship.
Linked to the facilitative rulings in the preceding section, this part addresses the heavy responsibilities of women affiliated with the religion and emphasises that while religion is facilitative, it also maintains special safeguarding of sanctities.
O wives of the Prophet, whoever of you commits an evident immorality double punishment shall be inflicted on her; and that is easy for Allah.
O wives of the Prophet, whoever of you commits an evident immorality will have double punishment inflicted upon her, and that is easy for Allah.
(Al-Azb: 30)
This verse addresses the wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, stating that any of them who commits a clear immorality shall receive twice the punishment compared to others. This stringent ruling is reasonable, for their evident sins damage the sanctity of the Prophet. Therefore, any open sin from them counts as twofold: one due to the sin itself and the other due to the offence it causes to the sacred person of the Prophet. This verse also imposes a heavy responsibility on the wives of scholars, as they too are affiliated with the religion.
If these wives possess good qualities and righteous conduct, their reward is doubled: And whoever among you obeys Allah and His Messenger and does righteousness We will give her her reward twice; and We have prepared for her a noble provision. Not only are their virtues doubly rewarded, but they are also promised generous provision and innumerable recompense for the hardships they endure.
Not only the Prophets wives but anyone affiliated with the Prophet, the religion, and the Sharia must be particularly cautious about their conduct; Allah has reserved great rewards for them as well. This is why the next verse refers to the distinction of the Prophets wives: O wives of the Prophet, you are not like any other women. If you have taqwa, then do not be soft in speech lest he in whose heart is disease should be moved with desire, but speak with appropriate speech. All those affiliated with the religion and their wives must avoid any act that could disgrace the religion, God forbid.
From a psychological perspective, anyone who behaves with leniency invites covetousness from others. If such persons are affiliated with religion, they not only harm themselves but also damage the religion of Allah. However, the religion brought by Allah is one of facilitation and expansion, not restriction. Divine rulings contain no hardship; if hardship exists, it is due to misconceptions or lack of understanding, as precautionary rulings are not part of the religion but stem from weaknesses in legal deduction.
The facilitation in religion is first established for the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, so that no one mistakenly thinks he must be so sacred as to touch nothing: O Prophet, We have made lawful to you your wives to whom you have given their due compensation, and those your right hand possesses of the captives whom Allah has assigned to you, and the daughters of your paternal uncles and the daughters of your paternal aunts, and the daughters of your maternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal aunts who emigrated with you, and a believing woman if she gives herself to the Prophet and the Prophet wishes to marry her [this is] only for you, excluding the [other] believers. We certainly know what We have made obligatory upon them concerning their wives and those their right hands possess, that you may be free from blame, and Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.
Allah permits many women to be lawful for the Prophet and even allows the marriage of women who voluntarily offer themselves to him, unconditionally.
