As those who follow my blog are probably aware, I am writing the book with the working title of “Quranic Wisdom for the 21st Century.” God willing, it will cover my reflections on 5 different surahs. Two of these I have shared snippets from the book here in my blog. Here is another snippet from the book.
From the fourth chapter
Oh, verily, they [who are bent on denying the truth of this divine writ] are enshrouding their hearts in order to hide from Him. Oh, verily, [even] when they cover themselves with their garments [in order not to see or hear], He knows all that they keep secret as well as all that they bring into the open – for, behold, He has full knowledge of what is in the hearts [of men]. And there is no living creature on earth but depends for its sustenance on God; and He knows its time-limit [on earth] and its resting-place [after death]: all [this] is laid down in [His] clear decree. And He it is who has created the heavens and the earth in six aeons; and [ever since He has willed to create life,] the throne of His almightiness has rested upon water.”
[God reminds you of your dependence on Him] in order to test you [and thus to make manifest] which of you is best in conduct. For thus it is: if thou sayest [unto men], “Behold, you shall be raised again after death!” – they who are bent on denying the truth are sure to answer, “This is clearly nothing but an enchanting delusion.” And thus it is: if We defer their suffering until a time-limit set [by Us],” they are sure to say, “What is preventing it [from coming now]?”
“Oh, verily, on the Day when it befalls them there will be nothing to avert it from them; and they shall be overwhelmed by the very thing which they were wont to deride.”
And thus it is: if We let man taste some of Our grace, ‘ and then take it away from him behold, he abandons all hope,” forgetting all gratitude [for Our past favours]. And thus it is: if We let him taste ease and plenty” after hardship has visited him, he is sure to say, “Gone is all affliction from me!”- for, behold, he is given to vain exultation, and glories only in himself.” [And thus it is with most men-] save those who are patient in adversity and do righteous deeds: it is they whom forgiveness of sins awaits, and a great reward. (Surah Hud:5-11)
The reasons, if anyone needed to be convinced, for why God alone deserves to be worshipped are laid out in the above ayat where He reminds us of His all encompassing power and knowledge. The reminder that His knowledge encompasses the hidden and the manifest. There is no secret, even in the darkest corner of our hearts, hidden from Him. And that not only has He created the heavens and the earth but also the utter dependence of all that is on earth on Him, the Sustainer. His perfect knowledge also encompasses where each creature dies and we need to remind ourselves that life on the Earth has been in existence for billions of years. So His knowledge and power is truly infinite and immeasurable. Qutb (1965) wrote on this:
“All the creatures which live on earth; every human being and every animal, whether it walks, flies, crawls or creeps; and every creature which lives underneath the soil or in the depths of the sea is known to God. He it is who provides them with sustenance and He knows where each one of them abides and where it lies down, where it comes and where it goes. Each single one of them is part of His very detailed knowledge.”
In these ayat too is the reminder that our lives are a test for us and of the limited time we have on earth, which should be used to excel in doing ‘righteous deeds.’ It is a similar message to Surah Al-Asr as discussed in a previous chapter, where if we are patient and continuing doing good, we will not among those who are at a loss. In ayah 11, it extends the idea that not losing means being forgiven of our sins and the promise of a great reward. It is often the case in the Qur’an that when the reward is not explicitly detailed, it symbolises that it is so extreme beyond human comprehension. Here, the reason for this great reward is tied to the fact that these people are not like the majority who are ungrateful when given ease and losing hope/faith in God when tested with hardship. We see a great example of these type of people in the steadfastness shown by the Palestinians in Gaza.
Is it, then, conceivable [O Prophet] that thou couldst omit any part of what is being revealed unto thee [because the deniers of the truth dislike it,- and] because thy heart is distressed at their saying,” “Why has not a treasure been bestowed upon him from on high?” – or, “[Why has not] an angel come [visibly] with him?”
[They fail to understand that] thou art only a warner, whereas God has everything in His care;” (and so they assert, “[Muhammad himself] has invented this [Qur’an)!””
Say [unto them]: “Produce, then, ten surahs of similar merit, invented [by yourselves], and [to this end] call to your aid whomever you can, other than, God, if what you say is true! And if they [whom you have called to your aid] are not able to help you,” then know that [this Qur’an] has been bestowed from on high out of God’s wisdom alone,” and that there is no deity save Him. Will you, then, surrender yourselves unto Him?” (Surah Hud:12-14)
In today’s world where Muslims feel they are under pressure to present Islam in a positive light, given all the negative associations due the ‘war on terror’ for the first quarter of the twenty first century, I often wonder if we have failed in conveying the whole message. That we have not trusted in God’s wisdom as manifested in the Qur’an. Indeed, in the past few years, I have seen and heard of more people discovering the beauty of the Qur’an and of Islam than any other time in my life. They did that by directly engaging with the Qur’an rather than through their interactions with Muslims. We need to embody the Qur’an similar to how Aisyah r.a. described the Prophet s.a.w. as a walking Qur’an but unfortunately we have failed to do so. We should be warners and stand up for justice while putting our trust in God’s ultimate care.
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