In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent
Believers! Bow down and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord alone, and do good, so that you might be successful.
And strive hard in God’s cause as you ought to strive. It is He who has chosen you, and has laid no hardship on you in (anything that pertains to) religion; the creed of your forefather Abraham. It is He who has named you Muslims, in bygone times and in this (book), so that the messenger might bear witness for you, and that you might bear witness for all mankind. Thus, attend regularly to your prayer, and pay out your zakah, and hold fast to God. He is your Guardian: the best of guardians and the best to give support. (The Pilgrimage, Al-Haj: 22: 77-78)
These two verses, the last in the surah, address the Muslim community, urging it to be true to its beliefs and to stick to the right way of life. Indeed these two verses sum up the code of living God has laid down for the Muslim community and the duties He has assigned to it, defines its role and marks out its course of action, in the past, present and future, provided that it follows His guidance.
The first instruction given here requires the believers to pray, highlighting two distinctive actions of Islamic prayer, namely bowing down and prostrating oneself before God. Thus, prayer is given a real image and a noteworthy movement so that it comes out clearly before our eyes. This mode of expression is far more effective.
Next we have a general instruction to worship God. This is far more comprehensive than prayer, because worship includes all duties and adds every action, thought or feeling that is addressed to God alone. Indeed every human activity becomes part of worship when it is intended for God’s sake. This even includes pleasures and personal enjoyments which become part of worship earning reward from God. All that is needed is that we should remember God who has granted us these pleasures and intend them as means to strengthen our resolve to follow the way God has chosen for us. Nothing of the nature of such pleasures and enjoyments changes, but their purpose is changed, and thus they become part of worship.
The last instruction in the first of these two verses is that believers must do every good thing, particularly in their dealings with fellow human beings, like they do good in their relation with God, offering prayer and worship. All these instructions are given to the Muslim community so that it may be successful, because these are the means of success. Worship maintains its relation with God so that its life is established on the right footing. Doing good means that the life of the community is firmly established on a basis of right belief.
When the Muslim community has such equipment of a proper relation with God and an appropriate lifestyle, it can discharge its awesome responsibility: “And strive hard in God’s cause as you ought to strive.” This is a veracious and comprehensive description, indicating a massive responsibility that requires adequate preparation and mustering of equipment and resources.
“And strive hard in God’s cause as you ought to strive.” This includes striving against the enemies, laziness, evil and corruption. All these must be equally resisted. It is God who has assigned to you this massive responsibility and chosen you to fulfill it: “It is He who has chosen you.” This choice adds to the seriousness of the responsibility, which means that it cannot be shrugged off or abandoned. Indeed it is an honor God has bestowed on the Muslim community for which it should be infinitely grateful.
Moreover, the assigned task is entwined with God’s grace: He “has laid no hardship on you in (anything that pertains to) religion.” Indeed, the religion of Islam, with all its duties, worship and laws always observes man’s nature and abilities. It aims to satisfy human nature and release man’s abilities so that they are used constructively. Human nature must neither be suppressed nor left without control.
Moreover, the Islamic way of life has a long history in human life, linking the past with the present. It is “the creed of your forefather Abraham.” It is the system that continued to exist on earth ever since the time of Abraham, without any long gap that allows the divine faith to be totally distorted, as happened in some periods prior to Abraham’s time.
God has given the name ‘Muslim’ to the community that believes in God’s oneness, and this name remained the same in old days and in the Qur’an: “It is He who has named you Muslims, in bygone times and in this (book).”
Islam means surrendering oneself totally to God alone, attributing no share of Godhead to anyone else. Thus, the Muslim community had the same system in successive generations, and with successive messages and messengers, up to the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It was then that the divine message was entrusted to the Muslim community. Thus, the past, present and future are interlinked as God wants. Thus, “the messenger might bear witness for you, and that you might bear witness for all mankind.” The Prophet is, thus, a witness defining the way the Muslim community should follow, pointing out right and wrong, and the Muslim community fulfills the same task with regard to humanity at large. It occupies a position of trustee by virtue of the standards established by its laws, education and concepts relating to life and to the universe. Needless to say, the Muslim community cannot fulfill this role unless it implements God’s message fully in life. When the Muslim community abandoned this role and deviated from the divine code of living, God removed it from the position of leadership, leaving it trailing well behind. It will continue to be in this humiliating position until it resumes its role chosen for it by God.
To ensure such a return, it must be fully prepared for it. Hence the order: “Attend regularly to your prayer, and pay out your zakah, and hold fast to God. He is your Guardian: the best of guardians and the best to give support.” Prayer provides a link between the weak and mortal individual and the source of power, while zakah provides a strong link between members of the community, ensuring security for all. Holding fast to God is the strong tie that is never severed.
With such resources, the Muslim community can resume the role of human leadership for which God has chosen it. It will also be able to utilize the material resources people consider to be sources of strength. The Qur’an does not overlook these; on the contrary, it wants the Muslim community to be equipped with them, alongside the resources that are available only to believers who strive to enrich life with all that is good and right.
The great advantage of the divine way of life is that it takes humanity by the hand along the way that rises to the highest position of perfection achievable in this life. It is far removed from systems that care only for worldly pleasures and the satisfaction of carnal desires.
Sublime human values aim to satisfy the needs of material life, but do not stop there. This is what Islam wants for humanity, under the wise trusteeship of the community that implements the divine message.
Arab News Islam 20 December 2002
