Human Being In The Holy Qur'an

Chapter 3: The Decisive RoleOf Human Beings In Shaping Their Future

The creatures that constitute our world are divided into two groups: animate and inanimate. Inanimate creatures such as water, fire, stones and soil do not play any role in the building and development of themselves. They merely originate and grow under the influence of external factors. They do not engage themselves in activities of any sort so as to improve their existence. Conversely, living creatures like plants, animals and human beings make specific efforts to preserve themselves from various difficulties, to absorb things on which to feed and to reproduce.

Plants absorb materials for making food from the soil and the air through certain natural capabilities. They grow on the food, secure their future life and manage their possible reproduction. Animals, too, possess these innate powers in addition to some intuitive means such as the five external senses and the previously mentioned desires and wishes, through which they save themselves when endangered and assure their individual growth as well as the survival of their own species.

As to human beings, they possess all natural and intuitive faculties shared by plants and animals and, in addition, they have certain distinctly human powers, the most important one being the extraordinary power of reasoning which to a great extent paves the way for the building up of their desired future.

From this discussion we may deduce the following points:

a) Some of the things play no part in the establishment of their own future. They are called inanimate.

b) Some others play a sort of unconscious and compulsory role which nature demands for the support of their growth and survival. They are named plants.

c) A third group of creatures play a more developed role in the protection of their life. This role is consciously but not freely performed. It is done with a knowledge of the living environment but under the rule of certain instinctive desires. They are called animals.

d) The last group human beings engage themselves in the performance of a more effective, extended role so as to spontaneously shape their own fate. This role is fulfilled consciously and with free will,i.e. human beings decide about their ·own future according to their intellect and providence.

It is, however, obvious that the scope of the action of human beings in performing their roles is more extensive than that of animals. This extension of scope which aims at self-development springs from three characteristics inherent in the nature of human beings:

a) The vastness of human insight and awareness: human beings extend the scope of their insight to the very core of nature through their knowledge, learn natural laws andregula tions and, thus, enable themselves to reconcile nature and human life to a greater degree.

b) Vastness of the area covered by desires mentioned in Chapter II. This category has also been dealt with in the first book of this series, named:Man and Faith1 .

c) The inherent capacity for self- development belongs exclusively to human beings, no other creature resembles them in this regard. Here mention should be made of the fact that although other living things are also changeable to some extent their behavior can be altered through special training as indicated by experiments on plants and animals none of them are able to cause this change by themselves. Rather, it is human beings who bring about any alteration in them. Furthermore, the range of changes which they are able to exhibit in their mental and physical capabilities is lower than that of human beings.

So far as characteristics and habits are concerned' human beings are potential creatures. They are devoid of any habit at the time of their birth, and this is contrary to animals which are born with specific features. However, they gradually form some sort of characteristics which are added to their inborn characteristics and which build their 'secondary dimensions'.

The human being is, in effect, the only creature endowed, by the laws of creation, with the ability to fashion his future guidelines as he wishes. It implies that as opposed to the human being's physical organs which are completed in the mother's womb and unlike animals' characteristics which become perfected in the embryonic period, the psychological forms of human beings, which later develop into characteristics and habits and the highest form of ethics, develop on a large scale after they are born.

This is why all creatures are what others have made them to be except the human being who is what he himself attempts to be. It is for this reason that the members of every species of animals share common psychological characteristics in the same way as they inherit similar physical organs. For instance, all members of the cat species share the same traits.

This is also true of all dogs, all ants and so forth. But with the members of the human race, there is a huge variety in their habits and virtues which makes man unique in that he can choose what to be.

It is recorded in Islamic traditions that men will be received on the Day of Judgement according to their acquired spiritual virtues rather than their physical appearance. This means that they would be received in the presence of God in the form of animals whom they resemble the most as far as the earned moral attributes are concerned. Only those beings would have a human appearance before God, whose acquired habits and moralities and the secondary dimensions of their soul were in agreement with human worth and dignity.

Human beings conquer nature and freely reconcile it to their own needs through their scientific knowledge. They develop themselves and determine their future on the basis of the power of self- development which exists within them. All schools of morality, religious teachings and educational doctrines aim at guiding man towards this aim (i.e. self development). The right path, they believe, is that which directs human beings to a prosperous future, the wrong one being that which leads them astray, towards adversity and corruption. It is said in the Qur’an:

إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا

It is a right way have we guided him, be he thankful or ungrateful (76:4).

(He either chooses the way to which We guided him and becomes thankful or else he chooses another way and turns thankless).

As it was discussed before, knowledge and faith play various significant roles inbuildi ng up the future of human beings. Knowledge shows them the way of doing it and enables them to shape their future according to their own will. But faith guides them as to how they should build themselves and their future that they may best serve themselves and their society.

Faith directs the human being's will towards the right outlet, frees it from the monopoly of material things and deters man from the isolation of personal and material bents. It leads him in the direction of spiritual human attitudes. Faith is, in fact, a dominant power which rules man and his will and which guides him in the direction of truth and morality. Knowledge, on the other hand, works as a tool under the control of the man's will. It is applied to nature according to man's command.

But the manner in which it should be applied to nature has nothing todowith knowledge itself. It is a matter of the type of human beings who make use of knowledge. They may exploit nature either for the benefit of the whole of mankind or for the augmentation of a few men's monopolistic authority.

Generally speaking, faith shapes man and man shapes the world through his knowledge. Thus, both man and the world would prosper should knowledge and faith be incorporated in human life.

1. LimitationsOn The Human Being's Freedom

It is quite obvious that although the human being is free to shape his or her spiritual mechanism, to convert his or her natural environment to a more desirable form and to create the ideal future, he or she is somewhat restricted in actions. In other words, human beings enjoy a relative freedom which is confined to a specific domain within which they can either choose a prosperous or a disastrous future. The following factors are influential in setting limitations for man.

A. Heredity

Human beings are born with a kind of natural disposition. They inevitably appear to the world as a human being for their parents are man and woman. On the other hand, a set of hereditary traits such as the color of skin, the color of eyes, physical particularities, etc., come to man by inheritance. These characteristics have in turn been inherited by the parents from previous generations. Human beings do not choose to have such attributes but they are automatically given to them by means of heredity.

B. NaturalAnd Geographical Environments

Natural and geographical environments and, specifically speaking, the area wherein man receives his growth, will inevitably have some sort of natural effects on his body and spirit. Warm, cold or mild climates will cause man to be exposed to different types ofmorales . This is also true of alpine, desert and other regions.

C. Social Environment

Social environment is another important factor in the creation of moral and spiritual virtues in man. Language, common social traditions and religion are among the phenomena that are incorporated into him by social environment.

D. HistoryAnd Temporal Factors

As far as the social environment is concerned, human beings are under the decisive influence of both present and past events. On the whole, there is a definite link between the present and past history of any creature. Past and present are, in fact, the two parts of an everlasting course. The past is the seed from which the present and future grow.

2. The Human Being's Rebellion Against Constraints

Although human beings are unable to completely break off their relationship with heredity, social and natural environments, history and time, they may revolt against these constraints and achieve freedom from their domination. They are able to bring about some kinds of changes in these areas through their wisdom and knowledge on the one hand, and their will power and faith on the other hand, and they can then adjust them to their own desires so as to control the reins of their fate.

3. The Human BeingAnd Predestination

It is thought by many that predestination is the primary factor which imposes limitations on human being's freedom. We do not believe in this in Islamic thought. Here, two questions may arise: Does predestination exist at all? Does it confine a human being? The brief answer is that predestination definitely exists as a reality but it does not restrict the freedom of a human being.

Predestination carries two separate concepts, the first being the divine, indisputable decree regarding the creation of events and phenomena (qada ) and the second being the measurement of them (qadar ). According to theology, it is quite certain that the divine decree does not befall any event directly and without an intermediary.

It warrants any single event through its relevant causes. It demands acause and effect type of organization of the world, in which man acquires freedom on the basis of his wisdom and free will and at the same time, confronts limitations which are imposed on him by hereditary, historical and environmental factors.

We then see that predestination is not a limiting factor; but all kinds of limitations which appear to man under the divine decree initiate from the above causes. This is true of man's freedom as well the divine decree necessitates man to possess wisdom and free will, to be able to release himself on a large scale from submission to social and environmental constraints and to manage his destiny2 .

4. The Human BeingAnd Obligations

As was mentioned earlier, the huma n being is a dutiful creature. He or she is capable of living under a certain framework of laws enacted for them. This capability does not exist in any other creature. Other creatures only follow natural (compulsory) laws and regulations. In other words, we cannot enact specific laws and notify the woods, stones, trees, flowers, cows, horses or sheep. We cannot but forcefully oblige them to behave according to the laws and regulations which are to their own benefit.

Man however, is unique among creatures in possessing such an extraordinary talent for behaving within the framework of a set of conventional laws. Now, since these laws are made and laid upon by a quite legitimate lawmaker and since forbearance in carrying them out is usually accompanied by some sort of hardship, they are called 'obligations' (takalif ).

When binding man to specific obligations, the lawgiver must bear in mind the following conditions which are essential if man is expected to perform his duties.

A. Maturity

In the course of life, man reaches an age when heisfaced with a set of sudden changes in his body, feelings and thoughts, which cause him to mature. In fact, every human being undergoes a natural maturation (physical and mental).

But a particular date for maturity cannot be exactly determined for all individuals; for some people approach their natural maturity earlier than others. Individual characteristics and regional and environmental circumstances influence the age of maturity. It is certain, however, that women attain natural maturity at an earlier stage of life than men.

In order to assign to people their duties, a certain age should be determined to stand for the average physical maturity as a criterion for all members of the male and female sexes separately. (In Islamic Jurisprudence, mental maturity is the second criterion). This criterion constitutes the legal maturity for men and women.

It is, therefore, possible that some people may reach natural maturity before legal maturity. In Islamic laws, according to the majority of Shi'ite jurists; the legal age of maturity for the male sex is the completion of fifteen years according to the lunar calendar. For the female sex, maturity begins at the outset of ten.

Generally speaking, legal maturity is one of the conditions for the performance of one's duties. This means that no one is responsible before the law unless it is proved that he or she has reached the legal age, or reached natural maturity before legal maturity.

B. Wisdom

Another condition for the performance of obligations is being sane. Just as an immature individual is not held responsible for certain obligations, and a mature one is not obliged to perform what is not done before maturation he or she is not responsible for unsaid prayers, for example, an insane person has no commitment either for obligations incumbent on sane people or, in case of recovery, for duties (such as prayers and fasting) that he has not met previous.

It should, however, be mentioned that there are certain obligations that orphans and insaneidividuals must fulfill after maturation and recovery, respectively. One is the case of Islamic tax (zakat) which befalls the orphan's or theinsane's wealth. This tax must be paid by them at the event of maturity or health provided that their legitimate guardians have not done so before.

C. KnowledgeAnd Awareness

It is obvious that human beings can perform their duties only if they are aware of them. In other words, they have to be notified of their duties. Suppose the lawmaker enacts a certain law but does not inform those to whom it applies. In that case, they are not able to follow the law and they are not to be punished if they commit an act against it. Therefore, the execution of an unaware individual is decried by authorities in jurisprudence.

This isemphasised by them in apriniple entitled, 'the indecency of punishment before giving awareness'. The Holy Qur’an, as well, frequently expresses this fact and guarantees that no people will be executed due to violation of divine lawsunlesss having been provided in advance with final notices and invitations.

This is not,ofcourse , apretence under which man can intentionally keep himself in ignorance. He has to acquire knowledge and information on the basis of which to act. It is narrated that on the 'Day of Resurrection' the sinners will be called to the Divine Court of Justice and reprimanded for shortcomings in the performance of their responsibilities.

They will be asked for the reason. They will answer' "we were ignorant". Then, they will be told, "Why didn't you try to become aware of your duties?" Accordingly, the fact that knowledge and awareness are regarded as conditions for carrying out one's duties implies that man will be excused before God only when he, in cases of ignorance, has tried his best to recognize his duties but has not succeeded.

D. PhysicalAnd Mental Strength

Duties which are laid upon should be in agreement with but not beyond physical and mental strength. In other words, since man's capabilities are infinite, he should be made duteous only within the limits of his capabilities. For instance, he is able to acquire knowledge but on a limited scale so far as time and the scope of learning are concerned. A human being, even a genius, has to attain successive levels of knowledge gradually and over the course of time.

An individual may, however be prompted to do this earlier than normal to engage in something beyond normal human toleration. He may be obliged to acquire all branches of knowledge and learning as well. These extraordinary feats may be possible but no just and wise authority would propose them. It is written in the Qur’an that:

رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ

God will not burden any soul beyond its power (2:286).

This implies that we must, for example, save a sinking man if we are able to do so. But there is no "must' when we are unable to prevent an airplane from crashing. We would not be rebuked by God for failure in this regard.

Here again, as in the case of knowledge and awareness, a significant point should be borne in mind, namely that lack of ability does not serve as a fairpretence to remain silent and apathetic. We have to strengthen ourselves. On some occasions, as Islamic teachings recommend, the reinforcement, (of a tyrannical government, for example) is illegitimate and the acquisition of power is legitimate.

Suppose we are dealing with a stubborn and powerful enemy who intends to violate our rights or to attack the territory of Muslim lands, and suppose that we are at the moment too weak to defend ourselves and any effort on our part would entail a serious loss and no positive result could be gained now or in the future. In such a case, it is obvious that we are unable to resist such a strong foe but, at the same time, we are obliged to strengthen our forces rather than losing our spirit and remaining inactive.

The Holy Qur’an advises:

وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ وَمِنْ رِبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِ عَدُوَّ اللَّهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ

Make ready then against them what force ye can, and strong squadrons whereby ye may strike terror into the enemy of God and your enemy. (8:60).

Therefore, in the same way as an individual or a community may be exposed to the divine penal ty due to failure in seeking awareness, anindivid ual or a community may be called to account for carelessness in acquiring power.

E. Free Will

Freedom of choice is another condition for the fulfilment of obligations. In other words, man will be dutiful only when there is no constraint or compulsion in what he has to perform.

Compulsion is a forceful threat inducing man to, for example, break his fast lest he should damage his health, or not to make a pilgrimage to Mecca lest he and his family should undergo nuisances. In these cases when man is forced to do or not to do something, he is no morereponsible towards his due obligations. This is what the last Prophet (S) announced: there will be no obligation where compulsion is at work.3

In case of constraints, the individual is not menaced by anything (and he has freedom of choice), but it is he himself who avoids doing his duties because of being placed in severe circumstances. For example, someone may be helplessly lost in the desert and find nothing but animal corpses on which to gain nourishment. In such a situation, the illegitimacy of eatingcorspes seems meaningless to the wretched.

Constraint and compulsion are, therefore, differentiated from one another. In case of the former, man is not forced or threatened but he himself breaks the law in order to eliminate undesired circumstances; while in the case of the latter, he is compelled to disregard his obligations due to a possible damage which other may inflict on him.

It should be stressed here that compulsion and constraint cannot be regarded as general conditions for theperformanee of obligations. It depends, firstly, on the intensity of the damage or the loss to be prevented and, secondly, on the importance of the obligation which man may avoid performing due to these two factors may avoid performing due to these two factors.

In other words, no one is allowed under thepretence of compulsion or constraint to act attthe expense of another's life or to damage society or religion. There are certain obligations however, which are worth tolerating any loss and damage in order for them to be fulfilled even in the presence of threats and forces.

5. ConditionsFor The Correctness Of Actions

Besides the conditions under which man is held responsible to perform his obligations, there is a set of other conditions which assure the correctness of his performances.

We know that religious precepts ranging from prayers to secular transactions, to be done correctly, must be in compliance with certain conditions and criteria. Without observing theseconditions one's obligations cannot be regarded as having been correctly fulfilled. Thus, whatever one does condition-free is null and void.

These conditions, like those for the performance of obligations, are great in number. At the same time, they are divisible into general and specific. Specific conditions for any obligation can be recognized along with the performance of that obligation. General conditions are hereafter explained in detail.

Rationalists believe that there is a sort of 'case general and case specific'4 relationship between general conditions ofpenormance and general conditions of correctness. It means that some of the general conditions apply to both performance and correctness. Some others apply to the former but not to the latter and vice versa. This is also correct with the conditions of correctness. Some of these conditions apply to both the correctness of prayers and transactions. Some others apply to one but not to the other and the other way round.

Wisdom is regarded as a condition which applies to both, performance and correctness, i.e., an insane individual's actions, be they prayers or transactions, are incorrect just as the performance of them is not incumbent on him or her. For instance, we cannot count on an insane person making the pilgrimage, saying prayers or fasting on behalf of others. He cannot be an intermediary between the leader and the followers or between the front and the back rows in collective prayers.

Power and lack of compulsion are also among the conditions which apply to both performance and correctness. In case of compulsion, just as compulsory obligations are invalid, transactions or marriages which are carried out by force are incorrect. It is to be noted that maturity is a pre-condition for execution of obligations but not for correctness.

This implies that an immature person has no obligation but if he or she has reached and age of recognition and acts properly, his or her actions are correct. For this reason, a child with such attributes can act as an intermediary between the leader and the followers or the followers themselves in collective prayers. He is also allowed to act on behalf of others in prayers. Contrary to prayers, in transactions, maturity stands as a condition for correctness.

According to some Islamic jurists, an immature child who is, however, capable of differentiating between good and evil is not permitted to conductbusinesss to reciprocate, to rent, to marry or to conclude a marriage on his own or another's behalf. Other jurisprudents believe that such a child cannot do anything on his own part but he is capable of acting as a deputy!

Additionally, awareness and the absence of constraints are conditions for performance but not for correctness. Thus, should someone unconsciously carry out an action which would, by chance, agree with all necessary conditions, this action will be correct.

In the same way, it will be correct if someone is made so helpless in an unpredicted event as to sell his house which he likes a great deal, or if someone is pushed by physician's advice to get involved in an unwanted marriage. Thisre-emphasises the fact that compulsory transactions are not valid while emergency ones are valid and correct.

Here, mention should be made as to the reason for the above claim; for the problem may be laid down that both the obliged' and the 'helpless' individuals (mukrah andmudtar ) are alike so far as their dissatisfaction is concerned.

It may be argued that just as a threatened person who is obliged to sell his house or to do away with his business has no satisfaction deep in his heart, a helpless individual who has to act similarly so as to prevent a certain damage (a possible disease, for instance), is greatly dissatisfied with what he does. In fact, both the 'obliged' and the 'helpless' are intensely sorry for what they like but have lost.

It may further be argued that although the 'obliged' tries to remove an incurred loss, while the helpless endeavors to prevent a possible damage, and although in compulsory transactions there is a direct interference from a second person (an oppressor), while in emergency ones no such interference is felt with regards to the fact that interventions in form of indirect exploitation are not rare in many emergency cases these do not justify the problem posed.

The fact is that the difference between the situations of the 'obliged' and the reason why Islamic laws invalidate transactions concluded by the former but not those concluded by the latter, lie somewhere else.

It is true that both the 'obliged' and the 'helpless' confront an urgent need but the need of the 'obliged' is in his warding off the evil of an oppressor. He concludes, for example, an obligatorytransacuon soas to rid himself of the oppressor's wickedness. Here the law supports him, and despite the oppressor's force, declares the transaction illegal. The need of the 'helpless' is, however, in his real inquiry for money which is to be paid for instance for the treatment of his child.

In this case, to support the 'helpless', the law should declare the transaction legal; for otherwise, the result would be more helplessness and probably the child's death. This is why religious jurists regard the illegality of a compulsory transaction as a favor or blessing for the 'obliged' but the illegality of an emergency transaction as a loss to the 'helpless'.

In an emergency case, however, the question may arise as to whether or not other people are allowed to take advantage of someone's helplessness and to buy his goods at an unfair price, while considering their action legitimate. The answer is in the negative.

Now, considering the fact that one is doing an unlawful act, it may still be asked: Is the transaction correct in case it is to the benefit of the thief just as it is correct when the 'helpless' profits by it? Is it correct when the 'helpless' profits and nor when the thief profits? Is it correct when both of them benefit provided that the thief believes in equity? These questions require a profound discussion.

The last argument here is aboutmtntal maturity. Mental maturity is considered to be a condition forcorretness but not for obligation. In fact, according to Islamic laws, a person who wants to get involved in a social affair like marriage or an independent transaction be mentally mature besides possessing other general conditions such as physical maturity, wisdom and freedom. This mentaldeelopment provides the person with a competency by which he can manage his responsibilities in such mutualinvoIvements .

Therefore, only by the incorporation of mental maturity and other conditions, we will have the necessary and sufficient conditions for action in such cases. A marriage, for example, will be correct only if the boy and the girl have enough mental growth, know the meaning and philosophy of marriage recognize its consequent responsibilities and feel its effects on their common destiny.

They must understand these so as not to blindly enter such a significantaffair.This is also true of a child who possesses wealth, coming to him by inheritance or other means. It would not be right to hand over to him his wealth as soon as be reached physical maturity.

He should first be examined for mental growth and in the case that he is found competent to safeguard and make logical use of the wealth, it should be handed over to his own prudence. In the absence of sufficient development of mind, the legitimate guardian of the child should continue his supervision. The Holy Qur’an commands:

وَابْتَلُوا الْيَتَامَىٰ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغُوا النِّكَاحَ فَإِنْ آنَسْتُمْ مِنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَادْفَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ

And make trial of the orphans until they reach the age of marriage; and if you perceive in them a sound judgement then hand over their substance to them... (4:6).

Notes

1. The book can be found online at: https://www.al-islam.org/man-and-faith-murtadha-mutahhari

2. For further information refer to the author's Man and Destiny: https://www.al-islam.org/man-and-his-destiny-murtadha-mutahhari

3.Abu'l -QasimPayandeh ,Nahj-Ul-Fasaha ' (Tehran:Javidan Publications, 1975), p. 349.

4. This relationship is applicable to coins and money. Some coins are money and some are not. Also, some forms of money are coins while others are not.

Supplement

That philosophy was admittedly only a set of conjectures - unencumbered with any test or proof; but the Muslim philosophers felt no remorse in treating its views on the system of skies, orbits, natural elements and other related subjects as the absolute truth with which the exegesis of the Qur'an had to conform.

The Sufis kept their eyes fixed on esoteric aspects of creation; they were too occupied with their inner world to look at the outer one. Their tunnel-like vision prevented them from looking at the things in their true perspective. Their love of esoteric made them look for inner interpretations of the verses; without any regard to their manifest and clear meanings. It encouraged the people to base their explanations on poetic expressions and to use anything to prove anything.

The condition became so bad that the verses were explained on the-basis of the numerical values of their words; letters were divided into bright and dark ones and the explanations were based on that division. Building castle in the air, wasn't it? Obviously, the Qur'an was not revealed to guide the Sufis only; nor had it ad- dressed itself to only those who knew the numerical values of the letters (with all its ramifications); nor were its realities based on astrological calculations. Of course, there are traditions narrated from the Prophet and the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt (A.S.) saying for example:

"Verily the Qur'an has an exterior and an interior, and its interior has an interior upto seven (or according to a version, seventy) interiors..". But the Prophet and the Imams gave importance to its exterior as much as to its interior; they were as much concerned with its revelation as they were with its interpretation.

We shall explain in the beginning of the third chapter, "The Family of 'Imran", that "interpretation" is not a meaning against the manifest meaning of the verse. Such an interpretation should more correctly be called "misinterpretation". This meaning of the word, "interpretation", came in vogue in the Muslim circles long after the revelation of the Qur'an and the spread of Islam. What the Qur'an means by the word, "interpretation", is some- thing other than the meaning and the significance.

In recent times, a new method of exegesis has become fashionable. Some people, supposedly Muslims, who were deeply influenced by the natural sciences (which are based on observations and tests) and the social ones (that rely on induction), followed the materialists of Europe or the pragmatists.

Under the influence of those anti-Islamic theories, they declared that the religion's realities cannot go against scientific knowledge; one should not believe except that which is perceived by any one of the five senses; nothing exists except the matter and its properties.

What the religion claims to exist, but which the sciences reject-like The Throne, The Chair, The Tablet and The Pen-should be interpreted in a way that conforms with the science; as for those things which the science is silent about, like the resurrection etc., they should be brought within the purview of the laws of matter;

the pillars upon which the divine religious laws are based-like revelation, angel, Satan, prophet- hood, apostleship, imamah (Imamate) etc.-are spiritual things, and the spirit is a development of the matter, or let us say, a property of the matter; legislation of those laws is manifestation of a special social genius, who ordains them after healthy and fruitful contemplations, in order to establish a good and pro- gressive society.

They have further said: One cannot have confidence in the traditions, because many are spurious; only those traditions may be relied upon which are in conformity with the Book. As for the Book itself, one should not explain it in the light of the old philosophy and theories, because they were not based on observations and tests-they were just a sort of mental exercise which has been totally discredited now by the modern science.

The best, rather the only, way is to explain the Qur'an with the help of other Qur'anic verses-except where the science has asserted something which is relevant to it. This, in short, is what they have written, or what necessarily follows from their total reliance on tests and observations.

We are not concerned here with the question whether their scientific principles and philosophic dicta can be accepted as the foundation of the Qur'an's exegesis. But it should be pointed out here that the objection which they have leveled against the ancient exegetes -that theirs was only an adaptation and not the explanation- is equally true about their own method; they too say that the Qur'an and its realities must be made to conform with the scientific theories.

If not so, then why do they insist that the academic theories should be treated as true foundations of exegesis from which no deviation could be allowed? This method improves nothing on the discredited method of the ancients. If you look at all the above-mentioned ways of exegesis, you will find that all of them suffer from a most serious defect:

They impose the results of academic or philosophic arguments on the Qur'anic meanings; they make the Qur'an conform with an extraneous idea. In this way, explanation turns into adaptation, realities of the Qur'an are explained away as allegories and its manifest meanings are sacrificed for so-called "interpretations". As we mentioned in the beginning, the Qur'an introduces itself as the guidance for the worlds (3:96); the manifest light (4:174), and the explanation of every thing (16:89).

But these people, contrary to those Qur'anic declarations, make it to be guided by extraneous factors, to be illuminated by some outside theories, and to be explained by something other than itself! What is that "something else"? What authority has it got? And if there is any difference in various explanations of a verse and indeed there are most serious differences-which mediator should the Qur'an refer to?

What is the root-cause of the differences in the Qur'an's explanations? It could not happen because of any difference in the meaning of a word, phrase or sentence.

The Qur'an has been sent down in plain Arabic; and no Arab (or Arabic-knowing non-Arab) can experience any difficulty in understanding it. Also, there is not a single verse (out of more than six thousand) which is enigmatic, obscure or abstruse in its import; nor is there a single sentence that keeps the mind wandering in search of its meaning.

After all, the Qur'an is admittedly the most eloquent speech, and it is one of the essential ingredients of eloquence that the talk should be free from obscurity and abstruseness. Even those verses that are counted among the "ambiguous" ones, have no ambiguity in their meanings; whatever the ambiguity, it is in identification of the particular thing or individual from among the group to which that meaning refers.

This statement needs some elaborations:- In this life we are surrounded by matter; even our senses and faculties are closely related to it. This familiarity with matter and material things has influenced our mode of thinking. When we hear a word or a sentence, our mind races to its material meaning.

When we hear, for example, the words, life, knowledge, power, hearing, sight, speech, will, pleasure, anger, creation and order, we at once think of the material manifestations of their meanings. Likewise, when we hear the words, heaven, earth, tablet, pen, throne, chair, angel and his wings, and Satan and his tribe and army, the first things that come into our minds are their material manifestations. Likewise, when we hear the sentences, "Allah created the universe", "Allah did this", "Allah knew it", "Allah intended it" or "intends it", we look at these actions in frame of "time", because we are used to connect every verb with a tense. In the same way, when we hear the verses:

and with Us is more yet (50:35), . We would have made it from before Ourselves (21:17), . and that which is with Allah is best. . (62:11), . and to Him you shall be brought back (2:28, etc.).

we attach with the divine presence the concept of " place", because in our minds the two ideas are inseparable. Also, on reading the verses: And when We intend to destroy a town (17 :16), And We intend to bestow a favour . (28: 5), And Allah intends ease for you (2:185), we think that the "intention" has the same meaning in every sentence, as is the case with our own intention and will.

In this way, we jump to the familiar (which most often is material) meaning of every word. And it is but natural. Man has made words to fulfill his social need of mutual intercourse; and society in its turn was established to fulfil the man's material needs. Not unexpectedly, the words became symbols of the things which men were connected with and which helped them in their material progress.

But we should not forget that the material things are constantly changing and developing with the development of expertise. Man gave the name, lamp, to a certain receptacle in which he put a wick and a little fat that fed the lighted wick which illuminated the place in darkness.

That apparatus kept changing until now it has become the electric bulb of various types; and except the name "lamp" not a single component of the original lamp can be found in it. Likewise, there is no resemblance in the balance of old times and the modern scales -especially if we compare the old apparatus with the modern equipment for weighing and measuring heat, electirc-current's flow and blood-pressure.

And the armaments of old days and the ones invented within our own times have nothing in common, except the name. The named things have changed so much that not a single component of the original can be found in them; yet the name has not changed. It shows that the basic element that allows the use of a name for a thing is not the shape of that thing, but its purpose and benefit. Man, imprisoned as he is within his habitat and habit, often fails to see this reality.

That is why al-Hashawiyyah and those who believe that God has a body interpret the Qur'anic verses and phrases within the fame-work of the matter and the nature. But in fact they are stuck with their habit and usage, and not to the exterior of the Qur'an and the traditions. Even in the literal meanings of the Qur'an we find ample evidence that relying on the habit and usage in explanation of the divine speech would cause confusion and anomaly. For example, Allah says:

Nothing is like a likeness of Him (42:11); Visions comprehended Him not, and He comprehends (all) visions; and He is the Knower of subtilities, the Aware (6:73); glory be to Him above what they ascribe (to Him) (23:91; 37:159).

These verses manifestly show that what we are accustomed to cannot be ascribed to Allah. It was this reality that convinced many people that they should not explain the Qur'anic words by identifying them with their usual and common meanings. Going a step further, they sought the help of logical and philosophical arguments to avoid wrong deductions. This gave a foot-hold to academic reasoning in explaining the Qur'an and identifying the individual person or thing meant by a word. Such discussions can be of two kinds:

i) The exegete takes a problem emanating from a Qur'anic statement, looks at it from academic and philosophical point of view, weighs the pros and cons and with the help of the philosophy, science and logic decides what the true answer should be. Thereafter, he takes the verse and fits it anyhow on that answer which, he thinks, is right. The Muslim philosophers and theologians usually followed this method; but, as mentioned earlier, the Qur'an does not approve of it.

ii) The exegete explains the verse with the help of other relevant verses, meditating on them together-and meditation has been forcefully urged upon by the Qur'an itself-and identifies the individual person or thing by its particulars and attributes mentioned in the verse. No doubt this is the only correct method of exegesis. Allah has said:

and We have revealed the Book to you explaining clearly everything (16:89).

Is it possible for such a book not to explain its own self? Also He has described the Qur'an in these words:

a guidance for mankind and clear evidence of guidance and discrimination (between wrong) (2:185);

and He has also said:

and We have sent down to you a manifest light (4:174).

The Qur'an is, accordingly, a guidance, an evidence, a discrimination between right and wrong and a manifest light for the people to guide them aright and help them in all their needs. Is it imaginable that it would not guide them aright in its own matter, while it is their most important need? Again Allah says:

And (as for) those who strive hard for Us, We will most certainly guide them onto Our ways (29:69).

Which striving is greater than the endeavour to understand His Book? And which way is more straight than the Qur'an? Verses of this meaning are very numerous, and we shall discuss them in detail in the beginning of the third chapter, The Family of 'Imran. Allah taught the Qur'an to His Prophet and appointed him as the teacher of the Book:

The Faithful Spirit has descended with it upon your heart that you may be of the warners, in plain Arabic language (26 :193-4);

and We have revealed to you the Reminder that you may make clear to men what has been revealed to them, and that haply they may reflect ( 16: 44);... an Apostle who recites to them His communications and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom (62:2).

And the Prophet appointed his progeny to carry on this work after him. It is clear from his unanimously accepted tradition:

I am leaving behind among you two precious things; as long as you hold fast to them you will never go astray after me: The Book of Allah and my progeny, my family members; and these two shall never separate from each other until they reach me (on) the reservoir.

And Allah has confirmed, in the following two verses, this declaration of the Prophet that his progeny had the real know- ledge of the Book:

Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanliness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying(33:33);

Most surely it is an honoured Qur'an, in a Book that is hidden; None do touch it save the purified ones (56 :77-79).

And the Prophet and the Imams from his progeny always used this second method for explaining the Qur'an, as may be seen in the traditions that have been narrated from them on exegesis, some of which will be quoted in this book in appropriate places. One cannot find a single instance in their traditions where they might have taken help of an academic theory or philosophical postulate for explaining a verse.

The Prophet has said in a sermon: "Therefore, when mischiefs come to confuse you like the segments of darkened night, then hold fast to the Qur'an; as it is the intercessor whose intercession shall be granted; and a credible advocate; and whoever keeps it before him, it will lead him to the Garden; and whoever keeps it behind, it will drive him to the Fire; and it is the guide that guides to the best path; and it is a book in which there is explanation,

particularization and recapitulation; and it is a decisive (world), and not a joke; and there is for it a manifest (meaning) and an esoteric (one); thus its apparent (meaning) is firm, and its esoteric (one) is knowledge; its exterior is elegant and its interior deep; it has (many) boundaries, and its boundaries have (many) boundaries; its wonders shall not cease, and its (unexpected marvels shall not be old. There are in it the lamps of guidance and the beacon of wisdom, and guide to knowledge for him who knows the attributes.

Therefore, one should extend his sight; and should let his eyes reach the attribute; so that one who is in perdition may get deliverance, and one who is entangled may get free; because meditation is the life of the heart of the one who sees, as the one having a light (easily) walks in darkness; therefore, you must seek good deliverance and (that) with little waiting .

'Ali (a.s.) said, inter alia, speaking about the Qur'an in a sermon: "Its one part speaks with the other, and one portion testifies about the other."

This is the straight path and the right way which was used by the true teachers of the-Qur'an and its guides, may Allah's blessings be on them all! We shall write, under various headings, what Allah has helped us to understand from the honoured verses, by the above- mentioned method. We have not based the explanations on any philosophical theory, academic idea or mystical revelation.

We have not put into it any outside matter except a fine literary point on which depends the understanding of Arabic eloquence, or a self-evident or practical premises which can be understood by one and all.

Supplement 2

From the discussions, written according to the above- mentioned method, the following subjects have become crystal-clear:

1. The matters concerning the names of Allah, and His attributes, like His Life, Knowledge, Power, Hearing, Sight and Oneness etc. As for the Person of Allah, you will find that the Qur'an believes that He needs no description.

2. The matters concerning the divine actions, like creation, order, will, wish, guidance, leading astray, decree, measure, compulsion, delegation (of Power), pleasure, displeasure and other similar actions.

3. The matters concerned with the intermediary links between Allah and man, like the Curtain, the Tablet, the Pen, the Throne, the Chair, the Inhabited House, the Heavens, the Earth, the Angels, the Satans, and the Jinns etc.

4. The details about man before he came to this world.

5. The matters related to man in this life, like the history of mankind, knowledge of his self, the foundation of society, the prophethood and the apostleship, the revelation, the inspiration, the book and the religion and law. The high status of the prophets, shining through their stories, come under this heading .

6. The knowledge about man after he departs from this world, that is, al-Barzakh.

7. The matters about human character. Under this heading come the various stages through which the friends of Allah pass in their spiritual journey, like submission, faith, benevolence, humility, purity of intention and other virtues. (We have not gone into details of the verses of the law, as more appropriately it is a subject for the books of jurisprudence.) As a direct result of this method, we have never felt any need to interpret a verse against its apparent meaning. As we have said earlier, this type of interpretation is in fact misinterpretation.

As for that "interpretation" which the Qur'an has mentioned in various verses, it is not a type of "meaning"; it is something else. At the end of the commentaries, we have written some traditions of the Prophet and the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt ( a.s.), narrated by the Sunni and Shiah narrators. But we have not included the opinions of the companions and their disciples, because, first, there is too much confusion and contradiction in them; and second, they are not vested with any authority in Islam.

On going through those traditions of the Prophet and the Imams (peace be on them all!), you will notice that this "new" method of exegesis (adopted in this book) is in reality the oldest and the original method which was used by the Teachers of the Qur'an (peace of Allah be on them all!).

Also, we have written separately various topics - philosophical, academic, historical, social and ethical- when there was a need for it. In all such discussions, we have confined our talk to the basic premises, without going in too much detail. We pray to Allah, High is He, to guide us and keep our talk to the point; He is the Best Helper and the Best Guide.

(Allamah Tabataba'i, Al-Mizan, p. 3-16).

Reading through The Glorious Quran Noor al-Qur'an

Sura Al-Fatihah

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful Contents of the Sura The Holy phraseIn The Name of Allah,The Beneficent,The Merciful' / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / is, in fact, mentioned both at the onset of the Qur'an and at the beginning of every Sura, except Sura 9, (Sura Taubah - Repentance).

And, since the purpose of Allah's Word, i.e. the whole Qur'an, is to guide people; as Sura Al-Ma'idah, No. 5, verses 15-16 say : "...Indeed, there has come to you a light and a clear Book from Allah ", " With it Allah guideth him who follows His pleasure to the ways of peace and safety ..."; therefore, this guidance, being a grant and a fundamental principle, begins with Allah's Holy Name.

This Sura, among all Suras of the Qur'an, has an extraordinary radiance which originates from the following merits : 1. The Tone of the Sura : This Sura, The Opening, in comparison with other Suras of the Qur'an regarding its tone and melody, has a particular style which is clearly different and extraordinary.

The other Suras contain instructions from Allah, Who gives commands and admonishments to His servants, but, in this Sura, His words are uttered on behalf of the servants. In other words, in this Sura, Allah has taught His servants how to supplicate and speak to Him, simply and without a mediator.

2. Al-Fatihah, the Basis of the Qur'an :

It is narrated that the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) has said : " By the One, in Whose hand is my soul, Allah has not sent down a similar Sura to this Sura (Al-Fatihah), neither in the Turah, nor in the Gospel, nor in the Psalms, nor even in the Qur'an, and it is Umm-ul-Kitab ";(1) which means that it is the basis and origin of all excellence.

In fact, besides referring to the Resurrection, this Sura presents facts concerning the Unity of the Divine Essence, Unity of Attributes, Unity of Divine Acts, and Unity of Worship. It is the essence of the whole meaning of the Qur'an.

It is narrated from Hadrat Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) that :

" All secrets of Allah are in Divine Books; and the contents of all those Divine Books are comprised in the Qur'an;and what is found in the Qur'an is condensed in Sura Al-Fatihah, and what is in Al-Fatihah is gathered in /bismillah /, and what is in / bismillah / is concentrated in /b/, (the first letter of Bism-il-lah ' )..."(2) Based on the entirety of great commentators' statements, it is understood that this tradition indicates clearly the importance of both the Holy Qur'an and /bismillah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim/ in which science and knowledge, from the beginning to the end, is comprised. The interpreter and elucidator of these sciences is the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.), and after him there are his true vicegerents including Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.).(3) . Al-Fatihah, Magnificent Honour of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) :

Sura Al-Fatihah, more so than the other Suras in the Holy Qur'an, was revealed to the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) as a great bounty. It stands on a par with the whole Qur'an. The seven verses in the Sura sum up the whole Qur'an : " And We have bestowed upon thee the Seven Oft-repeated (verses) and the Grand Qur'an ", ( Sura Al-Hijr, No. 15, verse 87 ).

This meaning is also referred to in a narration from Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) quoting the Prophet's (p.b.u.h.) tradition who said :" Verily, Allah, the Exalted, has bestowed (His) favours on me particularly for The Opening ' (Al-Fatihah) and has positioned it on a par with the whole Grand Qur'an, and surely Fatihat-ul-Kitab (the Opening of the Qur'an) is the dearest (item) in the treasures of the Arsh, (Throne of Heaven) ".(4) . The Importance of its Recitation :

The recitation of this Sura, because of its extreme importance, is frequently emphasized in Islamic traditions and narrations.

As for its virtue, it is narrated from the holy Prophet(p.b.u.h.) that: " The reward of any Muslim who recites the Sura Opening ', is like that of a person who has recited two thirds of the Qur'an, and so much reward would he receive as if he has given every believing Muslim, man or woman, a free will offering ".(5) . The Titles of the Sura :

There are ten titles given to this Sura, as taken from Islamic narrations and commentary books, thus: Fatihat-ul-Kitab, Umm-ul-Kitab, Umm-ul-Qur'an, Sab-ul-Mathani, Al-Wafiyah, Al-Kafiyah, Ash-Shafiyah, Al-Asas, As-Salat, and Al-Hamd. (6)

* * * Sura Al-Fatihah (The Opening) No. 1 (Verses 1-7)

1. " In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful."

2. " (All) praise is (only) Allah's, the Lord of the Worlds."

3. " The Beneficent, The Merciful."

4. " Master of the Day of Judgement."

5. " Thee (alone) do we worship and of Thee (only) do we seek help."

6. " Guide us (O' Lord) on the Straight Path."

7. " The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy bounties,

not (the path) of those inflicted with Thy wrath, nor (of those) gone astray."

1. " In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful." Commentary :

It is a custom among most people of the world to recite the name of one of their great and very beloved personalities that the worthiness of their work might be elevated. That is, they relate that work to that personality from the very beginning of their endeavour.

Among all beings, the One Who is eternal is only Allah, and, therefore, everything and every activity should begin with His Holy Name. It should be enveloped in His Light, and help should be always asked only from Him. So, in the first verse of the Qur'an, we recite Bism-illah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim', ( In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful ).

This action should not be done only with the tongue, but it should be done truly and meaningfully, because this kind of connection with Him sets work in the right direction and keeps it far from any deviation. For this very reason, such a work will certainly be successful and blessed.

The holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.), in a tradition, has said : " Any important work that begins without mentioning / bismillah /, will remain invalid. "(7) After narrating this tradition, Hadrat Aeir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) added: " For every action that a person wants to do, he/she should recite / bismillah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim /, which means that he/she begins the action with the Name of Allah, and every action that begins with the Name of Allah is blessed. "(8) On the excellence and importance of / bism-il-lah /, it is narrated from Ali-ibn-Musa-r-Rida (a.s.), who has said thus: "

(The holy phrase) Bism-il-lah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim' is closer to the Exalted Name of Allah' than the pupil is to the white of the eye ".(9) Again, Ibn-Abbas narrates from the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) thus:

"As soon as a teacher tells a child to say Bism-il-lah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim' and the child says it, Allah records immunity (from fire) for the child,his or her parents and the teacher".(10) Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has said: " No Holy Book ever came down from heaven but that it began with Bism-il-lah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim' ".(11) In Khisal' by Shaykh Saduq it is cited that Imam Baqir (a.s.) has said: "... When we begin an action, great or small, it is appropriate to recite /bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim/ and that action may be blessed ".(12) In short, the stability and permanence of an action is due to this very relation to Allah.

The phrase / bism-il-lah / at the start of the Sura, teaches us to seek the help of Allah from His pure perfect Essence when we begin any action. That is why Allah, the Exalted, in the first verses revealed to the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) instructed him to ِ initiating the proclamation of Islam ِ perform this great task with the Name of Allah: " Proclaim in the Name of your Lord...",( Sura Al-Alaq, No.96, verse 1 ); and the words of Noah (a.s.) to his followers, at the time of the Flood are: " So he said: Embark ye on the Ark, in the Name of Allah, whether it moves or be at rest! " ( Sura Hud, No. 11, verse 41 ).

Again, Soloman's letter to the Queen of Sheba begins, thus: " It is from Soloman, and is (as follows):In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful' ", ( Sura An-Naml, No. 27, verse 30 ).

Based on the same principle, all of the Suras of the Holy Qur'an, (except Sura At-Taubah, No. 9) begin with /bism-il-lah/(13) in order to pursue the essential aim of guiding man and leading him to prosperity with success, far from getting a taste of defeat.

In any event, when we begin our work with reliance upon the Supreme Power of Allah, Whose Power is above all power, we feel, psychologically speaking, far more powerful; therefore, we may be more confident. We may try more, be more persevering, and more courageous in challenging with difficulties, more hopeful, and, similarly, our intentions and the essence of our actions may be more purified. At the time of beginning any affair, reciting the Name of Allah is the secret to its success.

To whatever extent we further explain this verse, it will still be seen insufficient, because, according to a narration, Hadrat Ali (a.s.), regarding the commentary of the verse, talked to Ibn-Abbas from the beginning of a night until the next morning, but it was only for the commentary of /b/, the first letter of /bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim/.

(14) * * * Explanation : Is the Phrase Bism-il-lah' a Part of Each Sura ? Almost all Islamic scholars unanimously hold the opinion that / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim/ is, as was stated before, a part of Sura Al-Fatihah and, also, of the other Suras of the Qur'an (except Sura At-Taubah, No. 9). In essence, the inclusion of /bism-il-lah/ at the beginning of all Suras of the Holy Qur'an, except the above mentioned one,is a vital piece of evidence bearing witness to this very fact, and the belief is so firm that no change has been made in the Qur'an and nothing has been added to it since it was revealed to the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.).

Muawiyat-ibn-Ammar, one of the companions of Imam Sadiq (a.s.), said that he had asked the Imam whether he should say /bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / at the beginning of Sura Al-Fatihah when he stood for prayer, and he (a.s.) replied: " Yes ". He had questioned him (a.s.), again, as to if he should recite /bism-il-lah/ when Sura Al-Fatihah ended and before reciting the next Sura.

Then, Imam Sadiq (a.s.), again, answered: " Yes ".(15) Dar Qutni, a Muslim learned researcher, according to a sound document, narrates from Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) that someone asked him (a.s.):" What is As-Sab-al-Mathani (Seven Verses)?" " It is Sura Al-Hamd ",he (a.s.) answered. The man said: " Sura Al-Hamd consists of six verses ". He (a.s.) replied: " Bism-illah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim ' is also one verse. "

(16) Moreover, Muslims have always preserved the practice of reciting / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / at the beginning of every Sura ( except Sura 9 ) when reciting the Holy Qur'an, and it has been proven, on numerous accounts, that the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) used to recite it, too.

It has been said that Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) was asked to say whether / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / was a part of Sura Al-Fatihah. He (a.s.) answered: " Yes, the Messenger of Allah used to recite it and considered it one verse (of the verses) of the Sura, and he said that Fatihat-ul-Kitab (The Opening) is the same as Sab-al-Mathani ' (seven verses) "

(17) Allah, the Most Inclusive Name of God The term / ism / in the phrase / bism-il-lah /, as men of letters in Arabic literature say, is originally derived from / sumuww / with the meaning of height, elevation'. The reason why any noun' is called by an appellation ' is that after choosing to call a noun' by the particular given name' (ism), the hidden meaning of the expression appears, and the sense of the name' is elevated, therefore forsaking meaninglessness.

In the phrase / bism-il-lah /, the word Allah is the most complete and comprehensive name among the Lord's many names. This is because each of Allah's names, which are found in the Holy Qur'an, as well as in other Islamic sources, truly reflects one particular aspect of Allah's Attributes. In other words, the only name that refers to all of His Attributes of Glory and Beauty, is Allah. That is why other names are often used as modifiers for the word Allah'.

For example, " Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful",(Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2,verse 226), refers to Allah's forgiveness; " ...Allah heareth and knoweth all things ", (No. 2, verse 227) shows His being well-acquainted with what is audible and what comes to pass, respectively; " And Allah sees well all that you do", (Sura Al-Hujurat, No. 49, verse 18) states that He has information on every thing that is done by anyone; " Surely Allah is He Who gives (all) sustenance, the Lord of Power, steadfast (for ever) ", (Sura Ath-Thariyat, No. 51, verse 58) points to His giving sustenance to all creatures and, at the same time, discloses that He is powerful and firm in His actions.

And, finally, Sura Al-Hashr, No. 59, verses 23,24 reveals some other Attributes of Allah. The terms Creator ' and Evolver ' are suggestive of His creativeness and inventiveness, and Bestower of Forms ' indicates His giving shapes: " Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god; the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme (in creating all creatures)...."

He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms, to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names... ." Another piece of evidence which is a clear indication that this Name, Allah, is all-inclusive is that the acceptance of Faith, in Islam, is possible only by reciting the sentence: / la ilaha illalah / " There is no god, but Allah "; and each of the other phrases such as: All-Knowing ' or Creator ', or Bestower of Sustenance ', and the like, alone, is not sufficient enough to proclaim as evidence of Monotheism in Islam.

And, that is why in religions other than Islam, the God of Muslims is referred to as Allah ', because it is only Muslims who use Allah ' to refer to what they do worship. * * * Allah's General and Specific Mercy:

The words ar-Rahman' (The Beneficent) and ar-Rahim' (The Merciful) are adjectives, both derived from ar-Rahmah' (Mercy).

The former word, the Beneficent, as it is popularly recognized among some commentators, refers to the General Mercy of Allah which is bestowed upon all creatures, among them are the believers and the disbelievers, good-doers and evildoers. And, as we can see, the Divine bounties of life are distributed everywhere and all human beings enjoy the endless merits therein. This is their sustenance. They draw it out of the abundant blessings encompassing the whole world of existence.

The word ar-Rahim' (The Merciful) refers to that Specific Mercy that is endowed upon the believing, obedient servants alone. The believers, because of their true belief, good actions, and faithful active obedience, deserve this special, exclusive mercy, of which the disbelievers are deprived.

The particular fact ratifying this topic is that the word Rahman is always used in the Qur'an with the meaning of an infinite form of mercy, which is a sign of its generality, while the word Rahim is sometimes used with the meaning of a finite form, which is a sign of its specificity such as: "... And He is full of Mercy to the Believers ", (Sura Al-Ahzab, No. 33, verse 43). And it is sometimes used in an infinite form such as in Sura Al-Fatihah.

A narration from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says: " Allah is the God of all things and is Beneficent to all His creatures, and He is Merciful, especially to the believers."(18) Therefore, at the moment that we initiate any action, when we begin with the Name of Allah, we must seek His Mercy, General and Specific Mercy, both.

It is interesting to note that this power, which has a broad concept much the same as gravitational pull, and has the ability to draw hearts closer together, is the very Attribute of Mercy. This Attribute of Mercy is the very means by which men can attain a close relationship with the Creator, also.