of Nekounam, May His Sacred Spirit Be Blessed Session (1925)
This writing examines and interprets verses from the Holy Qur'an, each of which, like a radiant lamp, guides humanity towards perfection and salvation. These verses, centred around fundamental concepts such as patience, worship, charity, purity, and prayer, direct human beings towards spiritual and inner elevation. In this collection, an endeavour has been made to elucidate the profound meanings of these verses for specialised academic audiences through a refined language and systematic structure. Each section of this writing is dedicated to one verse or related theme, enriched with precise analyses and semantic connections to enhance the reader's comprehension.
This section, inspired by a luminous verse, explains the concept of patience and perseverance in the face of individual and social adversities. Patience, like a steadfast pillar, sustains the human being against life's storms and guides them towards salvation.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ O you who have believed, be patient and endure, and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may succeed. (Al-'Imran: 200)
In this verse, God invites the believers to four fundamental commands: patience, perseverance, maintaining bonds, and piety. The word "اصبروا" (be patient) refers to patience against the internal weaknesses and deficiencies of the human being; as though the individual is called to endurance and forbearance against their own physical and mental fatigue and pressures. However, "صابروا", presented in the form of mufala (reciprocal form), signifies perseverance against adversities and harms from others. These two types of patience, like two wings, enable the human to soar on the path to perfection.
The command "رابطوا" means to preserve and strengthen bonds, referring not only to guarding geographical borders but also to fortifying human and divine relationships. This bond, like a string of a rosary, connects all human actions and directs them towards divine piety. Piety, mentioned at the end of the verse, is like a shield that protects the individual from negligence and sin, bestowing salvation upon them.
This section demonstrated that patience and perseverance, accompanied by maintaining relationships and divine piety, pave the way for salvation. These concepts, like stars in the firmament of knowledge, guide human beings in life.
In connection with the previous section, which emphasised patience and piety, this part addresses the importance of sincere worship for God alone. Monotheism, like a radiant sun, illuminates the believers heart and prevents them from worshipping other than God.
وَاسْأَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِکَ مِنْ رُسُلِنَا، أَجَعَلْنَا مِنْ دُونِ الرَّحْمَنِ آَلِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ And ask those We sent before you of Our messengers, Have We made besides the Most Merciful gods to be worshipped? (Az-Zukhruf: 45)
This verse unequivocally rejects any worship other than God. Worship, like a pure stream, should flow only towards the boundless sea of the Divine. Any deviation from this path leads the human to polytheism and misguidance.
This section emphasised the importance of monotheism in worship and demonstrated that sincere worship connects the believers heart to the Exalted God and protects them from all forms of polytheism and deviation.
Continuing the emphasis on monotheism, this section addresses the significance of charity in the path of God and its effect on divine closeness. Charity, like a refreshing breeze, revitalises the human spirit and guides it towards salvation.
فَآَتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَى حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ ذَلِکَ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ وَأُولَئِکَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ So give the relative his due, and the needy and the wayfarer. That is best for those who seek the countenance of Allah, and it is they who will be the successful. (Ar-Rum: 38)
This verse calls the believers to give charity to relatives, the needy, and travellers, but with an essential condition: this charity must be solely for the sake of seeking God's pleasure. Charity given out of mere compassion or to alleviate poverty, though good, does not reach perfection unless accompanied by the intention of divine proximity. Such charity is like a river flowing not merely to quench the plants along its course but to reach the infinite ocean of God.
Believers here are divided into two categories: those who act for reward and God's pleasure, and those who act solely to fulfil divine duty. The latter group, like shining stars in the sky of faith, live only to discharge their divine obligations and never depart from the path of truth even in the harshest conditions.
Charity in the path of God, with sincere intention, guides the human towards perfection and salvation. This section showed that divine intention is the principal element in valuing deeds.
Following the discussion on charity, this section addresses the importance of purity in both body and soul. Purity, like a clear mirror, cleanses the inner self of contaminations and prepares the individual for worship.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا، إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ، وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ جُنُبآ فَاطَّهَّرُوا، وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ مَرْضَى أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَاءَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنَ الْغَائِطِ أَوْ لاَمَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدآ طَيِّبآ، فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ مِنْهُ، مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ حَرَجٍ، وَلَكِنْ يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ، وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ، لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows and wipe over your heads and your feet up to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have touched women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favour upon you that you may be grateful. (Al-Ma'idah: 6)
This verse provides the instructions for ablution and purification as a prerequisite for worship. Some have mistakenly believed that ablution serves merely for physical cleanliness and that with modern bathing there is no need for it. However, this perspective, like a superficial glance at the sea, only sees the surface of the matter. Ablution, beyond physical cleanliness, entails spiritual purity. Spiritual purity requires sincere intention and specific actions that human reason alone cannot fully comprehend.
Purity has two essential pillars: intention (niyyah) and form (external ritual). Intention is like a soul that animates the body of the act, and form is the mould that actualises this intention. The sacred law has prescribed ablution and full ritual washing, and in the absence of water, dry ablution (tayammum) is substituted. Earth, which shares a profound bond with human creation, becomes the agent of purity in waters absence, guiding the individual towards inner perfection.
