Section Al-Furqan – Part 28
We are continuing with our study of Section Al-Furqan of the Qur’an from where we last left off. We last studied the verse mentioning the deniers of the prophet speaking in a sarcastic way: “is this the one who God sent as a messenger?” We investigated how the status of a person, the position, superiority in strength, and knowledge have become the criteria for people to accept and take the message seriously. The value people attach is according to their own criteria and only related to this world. This verse is teaching us now as well regarding how we value people. Is it because of their status in society, physicality, authority, power, financial success, fame, knowledge, or it must be based on qualification for the position, sincerity, devotion, trusting, and submission to God?
They continue their resistance to the message further in the following verse:
إِن كَادَ لَيُضِلُّنَا عَنْ ءَالِهَتِنَا لَوْلَآ أَن صَبَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ حِينَ يَرَوْنَ ٱلْعَذَابَ مَنْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا
25:42 He would certainly have misled us from our gods if we had not been devoted to them. Soon they will know, when they see the punishment, who it is that is most astray from the path.
We will focus on the phrase “ لَوْلَآ أَن صَبَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا”, which is translated as “if we had not been devoted to them” referring to their devotion to their gods, i.e. their belief. Is it wrong for anyone who wants to protect his belief from the challenges of the contrary beliefs? For example, a believer may protect his family by living in a particular area, a believing neighborhood to protect their innocent kids, the next generation from contrary beliefs. If someone presents their belief, should I investigate to see if it makes sense to me and if it is confirmable with evidence? I don’t have to explore all the contrary beliefs. They are almost endless. What is the solution to reach certainty in one’s belief?
I must first investigate the validity of my own belief, whether I am satisfied and convinced based on the evidence to confirm that it is the truth. I must check myself whether I am on the right or wrong belief. I must be careful not to have an imitative belief which results in a reactionary attitude when presented with a contrary belief. That is because one is unsure of their own belief. I cannot have a belief achieved by memorizing and conditioning myself to take it as true, that is not the solution either. I must make sure that my belief is a consistent belief that I can defend for myself by investigating with evidence. If there is any contrary belief presented to me, listen to them and evaluate it to see if it makes sense humanly and psychologically, to see if they are right or wrong.
Someone who has the tendency to defend his belief will be more likely to present evidence to support his belief and not be bothered by contrary beliefs. We need to defend our faith by having convincing evidence; not by using financial, physical, marketing, military power. Can we ensure that we can preserve our beliefs by using these physical arrangements? One may think that they can secure themselves from being exposed to contrary ideas through these physical arrangements to secure their belief. That should be done to protect the innocent minds from being exposed to contrary ideas, morally wrong teachings, videos and movies; however, it must be supported with evidence.
Generally speaking, unfortunately the young generation is still taught memorization and repetition without any evidence supporting what they are taught. They grow up and will hear criticism to find out they are not ready to defend their belief with proper explanations.
We must establish our belief from the very beginning based on evidence. The most fundamental evidence for having belief in Islam is to realize the Absolute Creator for which the pre-requisite is to investigate the universe as evidence that it needs an Absolute Creator, God. The Qur’an has the fundamental principle to examine and see if anything in the universe has an independent quality, acting by itself, or do they just exist as they are given existence. Check to see if they have any choice? Some material scientists say that the things are trying to adapt themselves, randomly they are trying. Do they have the quality to choose to try? They say, it appears and seems to be the way they are. There is no evidence to support their claims. We must establish belief with evidence to have a comfortable mind and heart.
Do those who have evidence for their beliefs really get annoyed about any conflicting ideas presented to them? Since they have their belief with evidence, they should not be bothered. For example, if someone presents me with a contradictory idea, I should listen first, think about it and if convinced then follow it, if not, leave it, all the while being kind to them. If they show interest and listen to you then present your belief with evidence, never say things like, “I am a Muslim, we believe in God, hereafter, Muhammad as the Last messenger of God etc.” This kind of presentation just contributes to the person’s rejection of Islam.
The teachings of the Qur’an are very solid as the Qur’an asks us to use reason to confirm its message. It gives us evidence from creation, human qualities such as consciousness, intellect, feelings and then tells us to use those qualities to confirm the message. If one is satisfied, be honest and accept it. We are free to choose, however, if one doesn’t want to submit to their Creator, the verses we are studying teach us that we will suffer in this world and by extension in the next world.
The phrase “سَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ” is translated as “Soon they will know”. The Qur’an speaks in this way to invite us to examine ourselves. If we deserve punishment, it would be in this world and in the Hereafter. We must understand these verses appropriately, “soon they will see” does not mean in the Hereafter only. The chain of the burden of denial starts from this world, I will psychologically experience here and in the Hereafter physical and psychologically experience there as well. Verse 76:4 mentions: “إِنَّآ أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَـٰفِرِينَ سَلَـٰسِلَا۟ وَأَغْلَـٰلًۭا وَسَعِيرًا” translated as “We have prepared chains, iron collars, and blazing Fire for the disbelievers” In the olden days, they used to put chains on the neck of slaves. The verse is figuratively teaching that on your neck, you will carry the burden of meaninglessness by disbelief in God, waiting to fall into non-existence. All these feelings are psychological here in this world and will be both physical and psychological in the Hereafter. The solution is easy, I must base my belief on evidence. If the message doesn’t make sense, I must keep searching and be careful not to fall into imitation or blind belief which does not convince anyone but conditions them.
The Qur’an is inviting us to examine ourselves, although the language may seem to be as threatening when read initially. Do we see the invitation from our Lord? By mentioning the result of their attitude, obstinacy in denying the truth, the message of the Qur’an and Resurrection, the language of the Qur’an sounds threatening. However, the Qur’an is inviting us to examine ourselves if we deserve punishment or not when it says, “soon they will know”, which means that it is an “Invitation from God”. We must learn how to read the Qur’an. When the Qur’an says that “when they see the punishment, they will see who it is that is most astray from the path.”, it is inviting us to check ourselves. I am invited to be careful about my choice, where the wrong choice would lead to an unbearable punishment. I must check myself again and again in my living. We need to read these kinds of verses of the Qur’an by confirming: “Is this news of punishment really true? Let me check it. When I do not believe in God and the life after death, how do I feel? Am I satisfied with my life, in my feelings? Or, do I feel like I’m living a meaningless life where I am expected to disappear from existence anytime? Does it really make my feelings comfortable? Or does it really put me in pain of knowing that I will lose everything at the end while my feelings are craving for a pleasurable life with no fear of loss and no end?
For example, if a teacher tells his students: “if you don’t pay attention to what I am teaching, not learning what I teach, not doing your assignments, you will be sorry at the end of the semester. I will not forgive you as I am teaching you now. I will give you the grade that you deserve based on what you learned or did not learn”. This is an invitation from the professor for the students to study, learn seriously and do their assignments. By mentioning the consequence of one’s attitude, the result of whether they studied or not is not a threat but an invitation to pay attention to the course, study and do the assignments. I should not be saying that the professor is threatening us when I have the whole semester ahead of me with the opportunities to do what I am required to do. The professor warns them when presenting the course syllabus about the consequences of the result when they fail to do what is required before it is too late. After the term is over, I will face the consequences of my choices in my life afterwards. I must take the content of the syllabus seriously as an invitation right now to have a good future. This is an invitation from the professor to attend the class, come and learn to have a consistent student life. The invitation is not a threat but the seemingly threat is in fact an invitation.
The purpose of the Qur’an is to guide people to live according to the purpose of their life, and have the right way of living in this world. The Qur’anic invitation is to think about the consequences of what we are doing. Everyone sees that punishment is bad for them and they know that God doesn’t just get angry to punish them. God warns them first in the Qur’an by using seemingly threatening language but does not do anything in this world. He gives us lifelong opportunities to learn the Truth and, if we fail, reprend for our failures and ask for forgiveness. He is a Merciful Teacher. However, by not living according to one’s purpose, the person may suffer himself, not that God did something physically to them. Out of His Mercy, God reminds people by pointing out the consequences of their choices in denying the truth. I must take note of the invitation before I face the consequences of my choices. If a student does not learn from what is taught, he himself puts himself into “ignorance of what is taught” not that the teacher makes him ignorant. He carries his chain on his neck; God does not put the chain on his neck.
أَرَءَيْتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُۥ هَوَىٰهُ أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلًا
25:43 Have you considered the one who makes his caprices his god? Could you then be held responsible for him?
There is an important method of the Qur’an employed in this verse. The previous verse that sounded threatening was an invitation, here it seems to be talking about something else, completely different. What do “caprices” have to do with the previous topic under discussion? The method of the Qur’an is that it talks about something and suddenly it would mention something that may seem unrelated to the topic under discussion, just like in the above verse. There are other examples in the Qur’an, such as it may say something and then concludes with: “We are aware of what they have been doing”. These conclusion verses are related to the previous verses of the Section and are called “فذلكة” as their technical term, which means “the summary of what they have been doing to the prophets is because nothing but they make their caprices his god.”
The previous verses were accusing the prophet and insulting him where the deniers of the message insisted blindly on holding on to their ancestral understandings. The Qur’an here says: Have you considered the one who makes his caprices his god? The Qur’an uses the word “هَوَىٰهُ” translated as “caprices”, describing their own desires coming from their own polluted criteria as the explanation for all those accusations that were being made to the prophet for his prophetic teachings. The Qur’an is mentioning that all the accusations, the results of their consequences being mentioned are coming from their “caprices” and holding on to them as their “god”. That is the conclusion of the previous verses. Why do they do what was mentioned in the previous verses? All the excuses they presented against the message have no reality but because they made their caprices as their god.
Why do people not believe? They have caprices to satisfy themselves, want to preserve them and thus resist all truths. Can we do anything for them? The Qur’an says no, you cannot do anything, but they have to help themselves by giving up their caprices. The Qur’an mentions: “أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلًا”, translated as “could you then be held responsible for him”. There is no solution to help this person who holds on to his caprices, which is the main reason for their resisting the message. It is not because they are not satisfied with the message of the prophets using their reasoning, nor is it because they have not seen the evidence pointing to the truth, but they are worshiping their own caprices to reject the message being offered to them. We cannot help them but can only show them the truth by pointing out the evidence and asking them to think about the consequences of following their caprices which contradict one’s reality. Trying to answer back what excuses they pose to you is useless because the real reason is their caprices. First, they should change their intention to look for the truth. You need just to deliver the message kindly without excusing them, you cannot change their heart and intention.
One must be careful with these verses to not miss out on its teachings. Why do those with caprices, having their own desires, do not accept the message? The caprices have many aspects, for example, personal status, national pride, cultural attachment, power, wealth and superiority. If I say that I don’t want to give myself to my Creator, this is because I believe that I have worked hard for my status, property; I have my own power. “Why should I submit all my success to a Creator? Why can’t I see the truth in the message of the prophet? He says that all the things I am given are gifts from my Creator, but they all are my success, why should I give them up to Him? In fact, all the work that I may have done is nothing but my prayer and asking God for the result. I am not the creator of anything; I just ask the Creator to create the result of my choice from what has been already created in me and the universe and they are given to me to use and ask the Creator to create the results for me the next moment of existence. Whoever gave them to me is not obliged to give them. Rather than being proud of it, I must use them as the means to acknowledge who the Giver is. I did not create my intelligence or my memory, just found it within me. There are many hidden things that are created in the universe for me. Rather than being proud of them, I must be thankful. The problem for us are caprices which deny to acknowledge all things as gifts from my Creator.
The Qur’an mentions that all the quarrels between the prophets and their rejectors, deniers, are due to their caprices. While we are reading the Qur’an, we may come across some verse completely off topic like the example above. There are many other examples in the Qur’an, where one must be careful not to miss them. There are some verses that end with short phrases such as “God is aware of all that you do”, “God has knowledge of everything”, etc. We may think that the previous subject was a completely different subject, what does this verse mentioning the qualities of God have to do with it at the end of the subject matter? I must never forget that I must analyze the previous subjects through the manifestation of the names being presented to me such as seeing the previous verses with the lens of “God being All Knowing”.
Should we be concerned with other people’s wellbeing? We should help them if they are willing to listen. I should understand my responsibility is to kindly and humanly deliver the message with reasoning, and evidence. One can encourage them but not use any force; one cannot cheat people by giving them things, in a missionary way so that they will feel obliged to accept your choice of belief. People need to be convinced about the truthfulness of the belief you are offering them, so that it will be a genuine confirmation of the content of the belief. This does not mean that we should not be kind and generous to them while communicating the message with convincing evidence so that their mind and heart will be satisfied first.
Tags: Belief, Feelings, human qualities, Life, Lord, Quran, Worship