Section Al A’raf – Part 19
These notes are based on studying section Araf of the Quran as we are now in part 19. We are studying the Quran in the chronological order of revelation of the sections as was approximately revealed. The Quran was revealed during the first 13 years in Mecca to prophet Muhammad (pbuh), helped develop the foundations for human development and then during the next 10 years in Medina to further solidify the human belief – gradually building upon the message and allowing people to be guided over the course of 23 years.
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَآ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ
7:42 But those who believe and do good deeds – and we do not burden any soul with more than it can bear – are the people of Paradise and there they will remain.
The Quranic meanings can go deep and we can uncover the meanings layer by layer.
We should make sure to incorporate and apply the belief teaching side of the Quran and live according to that teaching.
Let’s look at the example of The battle of Badr mentioned in detail in 8th section of the Quran in Al-Anfaal and see how to extract the belief teachings:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ حَرِّضِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى ٱلْقِتَالِ ۚ إِن يَكُن مِّنكُمْ عِشْرُونَ صَـٰبِرُونَ يَغْلِبُوا۟ مِا۟ئَتَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُم مِّا۟ئَةٌۭ يَغْلِبُوٓا۟ أَلْفًۭا مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌۭ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ
8: 65 “O Prophet! Motivate the believers to fight. If there are twenty steadfast among you, they will overcome two hundred. And if there are one hundred of you, they will overcome one thousand of the disbelievers, for they are a people who do not comprehend.”
ٱلْـَٔـٰنَ خَفَّفَ ٱللَّهُ عَنكُمْ وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ فِيكُمْ ضَعْفًۭا ۚ فَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُم مِّا۟ئَةٌۭ صَابِرَةٌۭ يَغْلِبُوا۟ مِا۟ئَتَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُمْ أَلْفٌۭ يَغْلِبُوٓا۟ أَلْفَيْنِ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
8: 66 “Now Allah has lightened your burden, for He knows that there is weakness in you. So if there are a hundred steadfast among you, they will overcome two hundred. And if there be one thousand, they will overcome two thousand, by God’s Will. And God is with the steadfast.
From the first verse above, we get the general understanding that If you believe in God, 20 of you can overcome 200 disbelievers, 100 of you can overcome 1000 of them. The following verse (8:66) mentions: I know you may have some weakness in you.
Now the mathematical ratio being different is what the orientalists may claim to be a contradiction – When I look at the explanation as pertaining to my life in this world, it is not a contradiction. I have to realize the weakness in my belief in God, trusting in Him, belief in the hereafter, belief in Divine determining that whatever happens to me is from His will, mercy, power. I have to work on my belief and get the evidence from the universe. The more I work, the more confident I will feel in my belief. So these verses are actually encouraging me to work on my belief.
The Quran uses very simple examples for me to extract universal principles from them and apply to my life. One may relate the challenges with the societal influences that distract me from staying course according to my belief. We should see that following fashion is to follow someone else. This would encourage imitation, gratification of egoistic desires. Belief is something I have to work on individually, no one can inject belief into me or I cannot inherit belief from anyone.
With the verses in the Quran, I should try to get the universal message and apply them. So although a battle is mentioned, the belief aspect of my duty to work on myself in my belief is the message I extract.
So going back to verse 42 of A’raf (Section 7 of the Qur’an) where it states that no one will be burdened with more than what they can bear, how do we extract the message? The universal message for me is that God states that I created you with the capacity to understand and act according to that capacity. If I educate my spirit to get used to thinking, organizing my life according to the fact that I am a created being. Do my duty which is to be consistent within myself, the way I am created. By following the order in creation, the way it works, I will find success, e.g. cooking food, applying to college or a job, driving to a place, etc. But, by following the order in creation I cannot find the purpose of the creation of this world together with me within it. I need to expect from the Creator of this universe to help me understand my purpose in this world.
The interpretation by scientists for example by looking at a cat – look it is walking. Can matter be the source of existence of its qualities as the cat is the source of its walking? Matter has to follow the order that it is following. So, we have to work on our interpretations when we interact with the universe.
Additionally, since I am given the qualities to comprehend the truth, I have no excuse that I couldn’t grasp this conclusion that there must be a Source of Existence. I have to train myself in belief – repeating my belief confirmations and I shouldn’t be carried away by my ambitions, egoistic desires.
وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِى صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهِمُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى هَدَىٰنَا لِهَـٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِىَ لَوْلَآ أَنْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ ۖ لَقَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ وَنُودُوٓا۟ أَن تِلْكُمُ ٱلْجَنَّةُ أُورِثْتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
7:43 We will have removed all ill feelings from their hearts. Rivers will flow at their feet, and they will say “All praise is due to God who has guided us to this, for we would certainly not have found the right path unless God had guided us. Our Lord’s messengers brought the Truth. A voice will call out to them, “This is the Paradise which you have inherited because of your past deeds.”
When I learn and am successful, all worries fade away. Work on my reality. Going to sleep comfortably that I did my job – did not follow my egoistic desires. All praise be to God because he gave me the opportunity by using the already given abilities. Success is not from me but I am blessed by the Creator to have given me whatever I cherish.
If I am unsuccessful, I have to ask – did I follow the order? If not then I should correct what I missed. I have to ask the Creator in a proper way for a positive result by following my human capacity in the way that they are created for. I have to look at myself, where did I misuse my being because I am free to use in the correct way or the wrong way. Follow the way you are created – don’t deviate your human nature (fitra). – And we should always keep in mind that we cannot expect neither the order of the universe nor the Creator of the universe and therefore my Creator to follow my self-centered interests and expect that they will obey me. I have to obey the order and its Creator’s choice to educate me and therefore, lead me to the realization of my creation on earth.
Do not reduce success to worldly matters only but in my feelings have that comfort of being a created being and establishing my connection with my Source of Existence.
Tags: Belief in God, Feelings, Reasoning