Alif. Lam. Mim. These are verses of the divine book, full of wisdom, providing guidance and mercy to those who excel in doing good, attend regularly to prayers, give in charity and are indeed certain of the hereafter. Those are the ones who follow their Lord’s guidance, and they are the ones who will be successful. (Luqman: 31: 1-5)
As we began our introduction to this surah last week, we mentioned that although it is on the shorter side of medium length surahs, it presents the same issue four times, using the same background of the universe and its various aspects known to man. The issue in question is the same tackled in all surahs revealed in Makkah. We provided an outline of the first two presentations of this great issue, and we will pick up where we left off, looking briefly at the other two presentations.
The third one begins with a new factor derived from people’s attachment to the heavens and the earth, and the blessings God has placed in them for mankind, even though they do not show any gratitude: “Are you not aware that God has made subservient to you all that is in the heavens and the earth, and has lavished upon you His blessings, outward and inward? Yet some people argue about God without having any knowledge, without guidance, and without any light-giving revelations.” (Verse 20) This new factor shows all argument about God to be abhorrent to an upright nature and sound mind. The surah denounces the unbelievers’ stagnant attitude: “When it is said to them: Follow what God has revealed’, they say, ‘No; but we will follow only what we found our forefathers believing in.” (Verse 21) This is a stupid attitude betraying total ignorance. The comment that follows also carries a strong psychological component: “Why, even if Satan is beckoning them to the suffering of the blazing fire.” (Verse 21)
The question of reward and requital on the Day of Judgment is then shown to be closely connected with the question of belief or denying faith: “Whoever submits himself to God and excels in good deeds has indeed taken hold of a most firm support. With God rests the final outcome of all events. And whoever disbelieves; let not their unbelief grieve you. To Us they must all return, and then We shall inform them about all that they were doing (in life).” (Verses 22-23) The surah then refers to God’s absolute knowledge: “God has full knowledge of what is in people’s hearts.” (Verse 23) A strong element of warning is then added: “We will let them enjoy themselves for a short while, but We shall ultimately drive them into severe suffering.” (Verse 24)
As this third presentation draws to a close people are made to face up to the logic of human nature as it reflects different aspects of the universe and its inevitable acknowledgment of the One Creator: “If you were to ask them: ‘Who is it that has created the heavens and the earth?’ they will be sure to answer: ‘God.’ Say: ‘All praise is due to God alone!’ Yet most of them do not understand.” (Verse 25) The section then concludes with a scene of the universe, showing God’s knowledge as infinite, while His will of creation and origination is unrestricted. These are given as universal evidences in support of the concept of resurrection and return, as this also proves creation in the first place: “Were all the trees on earth to be made into pens, and the sea ink, with seven more seas yet added to it, the words of God would not be exhausted. God is indeed Almighty, Wise. The creation of you all and your resurrection is but like (the creation and resurrection of) a single soul. God hears all and sees all.” (Verses 27-28)
The fourth presentation begins with a universal scene that produces special effects on people’s hearts. It is the scene of the night and the day as each creeps into the other. This scene also shows the sun and the moon as they move in their orbits within certain limits and up to a point in time that is known to no one other than God who created them and who knows them as well as He knows people and their actions: “Do you not see that God causes the night to pass into the day, and the day to pass into the night, and that He has made the sun and the moon subservient (to His laws), each running its course for a set term, and that God is fully aware of all that you do?” (Verse 29) This scene is made to provide human nature with fresh evidence in support of the central issue: “Thus it is, because God alone is the Ultimate Truth, and all that people invoke besides Him is sheer falsehood, and because God alone is Most High, Great.” (Verse 30)
The surah then touches our hearts with another strongly effective note derived from an aspect of God’s grace represented by the ships as they go about the sea: “Do you not see that the ships sail the sea by God’s blessing, so that He might show you some of His signs? In this there are clear signs indeed for all who are truly patient in adversity and deeply grateful to God.” (Verse 31) The comment here shows man’s natural attitude as he faces the might of the sea when he is free of the deceptive influence of power and knowledge that keeps him away from his Lord. Such a natural attitude provides evidence for the central theme of God’s oneness: “When the waves engulf them like shadows, they call to God, sincere in their faith in Him alone; but as soon as He has brought them safe to land, some of them are restrained in their attitude. Yet none could knowingly reject Our revelations except those who are utterly perfidious or hardened unbelievers.” (Verse 32)
While the sea’s waves can be fearsome, they provide a reminder of the greatest fear that severs blood relations, a bond which can never be severed in this present life: “Mankind! Fear your Lord and fear a day when no parent will be of any avail to his child, nor any child will in the least avail his parents! God’s promise is most certainly true. Let not, then, the life of this world delude you, and let not deceptive thoughts about God delude you.” (Verse 33) At this point, with man trembling in fear, the surah concludes with a verse that states the final verdict in all the issues it has treated: “Indeed with God alone rests the knowledge of when the Last Hour will come; and He it is who sends down rain; and He knows what the wombs contain; whereas no one knows what they will earn tomorrow, and no one knows in what land they will die. God alone is omniscient and takes cognizance of all things.” (Verse 34)
These four presentations of the same theme, with their different styles, effects and conclusions constitute an example of how the Qur’an deals with human hearts. They provide an approach chosen by God who has created these hearts and knows what suits them. In the following weeks we will discuss these four presentations in detail, putting two into each of the two following chapters as they manifest stronger interaction in this way.