In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent
Whenever We sent forth a messenger or a prophet before you, and he was hoping for something, Satan would throw some aspersion on his wishes. But God renders null and void whatever aspersion Satan may cast; and God makes His messages clear in and by themselves. God is all-knowing, wise.
He may cause whatever aspersion Satan may cast to become a trial for all in whose hearts is disease and all whose hearts are hardened. Indeed, all who are thus sinning are most deeply in the wrong.
And those who are endowed with knowledge may realize that this (Qur’an) is the truth from your Lord, and thus they may believe in it, and their hearts may humbly submit to Him. God will surely guide those who believe to a straight path.
Yet the unbelievers will not cease to be in doubt about Him until the Last Hour comes suddenly upon them, or suffering befalls them on a Day with no more (days) to follow.
On that Day, all dominion shall belong to God. He shall judge between them. Thus, all who believe and do righteous deeds shall find themselves in gardens of bliss, whereas for the unbelievers who have denied Our revelations there shall be shameful suffering in store. (The Pilgrimage, Al-Haj: 22: 52-57)
We discussed at length the first three verses in this passage, making it clear that many of the reports that are often floated as a possible interpretation of the first verse are insupportable. They are essentially defective, both with regard to their chains of transmission, which is an important factor in verifying whether a particular report or Hadith is authentic, and with regard to their text. They suggest that Satan was able to add a poetic couplet into the text of Surah 53, praising the three main idols worshipped by pagan Arabs, and that these were heard only by the idolaters. It is a very flimsy report that relies on no solid evidence whatsoever. We also mentioned that the verse refers to what thoughts may occur to a prophet as he is engaged on his difficult task of delivering God’s message, and when he faces determined opposition. He might wish sometimes to give the unbelievers some sort of compromise in order to win them over to faith, hoping that in time they would realize the truth and adhere to it wholeheartedly. God makes it clear that His message will never make such compromises, because they lead to nothing. This is what we can comfortably say on the meaning of these verses, and it is from God that we seek guidance.
Enthusiasm may also be an important factor with the advocates of the divine message, in all generations. Their long cherished desire to see the message spread and triumph may encourage them to try to win over certain individuals or influential people, even if this would require them to initially overlook some requirements that they may think to be of no great importance. They may even try to accommodate some practices of such people so that they would not take a hostile attitude to the divine message.
In their keenness to achieve success for their cause, they may go even further and adopt means and methods that are inconsistent with the strict standards of Islam or with its line of action. They link their haste with what they consider to be the interests of Islam.
But the true interests of Islam are served only by strict adherence to its own approach and method of action. Future results are known only to God. Hence, the advocates of Islam must not concern themselves with such results, as they are not accountable for them. Their duty is to follow the proper Islamic approach and clear line of action. They leave the results to be determined by God, knowing that they can only be good and serving the interests of His cause.
These Qur’anic verses provide a warning for the advocates of Islam, making it clear that Satan will try to exploit their hasty hopes to undermine their very cause. God has protected His messengers and prophets, bringing to nothing all Satan’s schemes to exploit their natural human keenness. Others, however, who are not similarly infallible, must take extra care so that they leave no room for Satan to exploit their sincere desires to ensure success for God’s message, or what they may term ‘the interests of the cause’.
This phrase must be removed from their lexicon, because it is a trap which Satan may set for them when he is unable to deceive them through their personal interests. Indeed, in some situations, ‘the interests of the cause’ may become an idol worshipped by its advocates who tend then to forget the proper Islamic method of operation. The advocates of Islam must always follow its own method, regardless of what such adherence may bring about of results that may seem to involve some risks for them and what they advocate. The only danger they must try hard to avoid is that of deviation from the Islamic method of action, even a minor one, for any reason. God knows best what serves the interests of His cause. They are not required to look after such interests. What they are required to ensure is that they do not deviate from the method and line of action shown to them by God’s messenger.
The Surah adds a comment on the fact that God protects His message against Satan’s scheming, emphasizing that those who reject it will be vanquished, and that humiliating torture awaits them. “Yet the unbelievers will not cease to be in doubt about Him until the Last Hour comes suddenly upon them, or suffering befalls them on a Day with no more (days) to follow. On that Day, all dominion shall belong to God. He shall judge between them. Thus, all who believe and do righteous deeds shall find themselves in gardens of bliss, whereas for the unbelievers who have denied Our revelations there shall be shameful suffering in store.”
Such is the unbelievers’ attitude to the Qur’an in general. It is mentioned here as it is closely related to their attitude to whatever aspersion Satan may try to cast in the hopes of God’s prophets and messengers, for the two situations are closely related. They continue to have doubts about the Qur’an because their hearts have not felt the sort of pleasure and happiness it imparts so as to appreciate the truth it advocates. They continue to be in such state of doubt “until the Last Hour comes suddenly upon them, or suffering befalls them on a Day with no more (days) to follow.” Such suffering befalls them on the Day of Judgment, which is described in the Qur’anic text as ‘sterile’ in the sense that it is not followed by any other day.
On that day, no one other than God will have any dominion, not even the superficial type that people in this world tend to cherish. Judgment on that day is also exercised by God alone, who gives every party its just deserts: “Thus, all who believe and do righteous deeds shall find themselves in gardens of bliss, whereas for the unbelievers who have denied Our revelations there shall be shameful suffering in store.” Such suffering is the right recompense for their scheming against the divine faith, denying His clear revelations, and for their willful refusal to be obedient.
