Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Section 4: Yusuf Prefers Prison Against the Temptation

Surah Yusuf - Verse 30

وَقَالَ نِسْوَةٌ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ امْرَأَتُ الْعَزِيزِ تُرَاوِدُ فَتَاهَا عَن نَّفْسِهِ قَدْ شَغَفَهَا حُبًّاإِنَّا لَنَرَاهَا فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ

30. “And some women in the city said: ‘The wife of the ‘Aziz has sought to seduce her slave from his (pure) self; he has affected her with love. Verily we see her in manifest error’.”

The term /šaqaf/ refers to the complications of the upper part of the heart, or of the pericardium. It is said that the Qur’anic phrase /šaqafaha hubban/ means that someone’s love has intermingled with the heart of the beloved which, in turn, increases the intensity of the love.

The incident between the wife of the ‘Aziz and Yusuf was a private affair, which the ‘Aziz had sought to cover up, but such affairs do not remain undisclosed for long, especially when they occur in the palaces of kinds and dwellings of wealthy aristocrats where rumor and hearsay abound.

So finally the secret leaked out of the palace. Some of the women of the city spread the rumor that the wife of ‘Aziz had tried to seduce her slave, and that her love for him had overcome her to the extent that it had conquered her entire heart.

The verse says:

“And some women in the city said: ‘The wife of the ‘Aziz has sought to seduce her slave from his (pure) self; he has affected her with love...”

So they laid the blame squarely at her door, saying:

“…Verily we see her in manifest error’.”

Those women, who said this statement and blamed Zulaykha therewith, were a group of Egyptian aristocratical women that, from the point of sensuality, were not so far from her.

Since they had not have Yusuf, idiomatically, they were hypocritically prudish and, because of that love, considered the wife of ‘Aziz in manifest error.

Surah Yusuf - Verse 31

فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ بِمَكْرِهِنَّ أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَأً وَءَاتَتْ كُلَّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُنَّ سِكّيناً وَقَالَتِ اخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُ أَكْبَرْنَهُ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَاشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَذَا بَشَراً إِنْ هَذَآ إِلاَّ مَلَكٌ كَرِيمٌ

31. “So when she heard about their malicious talk, she sent for them and prepared a repast for them. Then she gave each one of them a knife, and said to him (Yusuf): ‘Come forth to them.’ When they saw him, they extolled him, and (in their amazement) cut their hands and said (exclaimed): ‘Allah Blameless! This is not a human being. This is not other than a noble angel!’”

When the wife of ‘Aziz became aware of the intrigue of the Egyptian women, she became very angry. Then she came up with an idea. She invited them to an elaborate party which she had organized for them and gave each person a sharp knife to peel the fruit served.

The verse says:

“So when she heard about their malicious talk, she sent for them and prepared a repast for them. Then she gave each one of them a knife...”

From the sequence of events, one can readily infer that she did not care much for her husband and was not afraid of him, so she had not learnt anything from the previous scandal.

She then ordered Yusuf to come into the hall so that they could see his beauty for themselves and stop blaming her for what she did.

The verse says:

“…and said to him (Yusuf): ‘Come forth to them.’...”

According to several narrations, when the eyes of the Egyptian women fell upon him they were captivated by his unearthly beautiful stature and shining face.

The verse says:

“…When they saw him, they extolled him, and (in their amazement) cut their hands...”

They were so overwhelmed that they fell head over heels in love with him, which profoundly embarrassed him.

As soon as they saw how abstinent and chaste he was, and his attractive eyes in his innocent face which had blushed from modesty and shame clearly illustrated these facts, they all exclaimed that that young man had never done anything wrong in his life, he was not an ordinary man, but was a sublime heavenly angel.

The verse continues saying:

“…and said (exclaimed): ‘Allah Blameless! This is not a human being. This is not other than a noble angel!’”

Explanations

1. The Arabic term /haša/ means: ‘excepting, with the exception’. It was a custom in that time that when they wanted to know a person exempted from an indecency, at first they exempted Allah and then that person.

2. The wife of ‘Aziz was quite politically astute, through the banquet she had arranged she caught the women unawares and was able to expose the vulnerabilities of the rivals in that locality.

3. Talking about other people’s problems is not always a show of compassion. It can be the result of jealousy, or part of a plot against them.

Surah Yusuf - Verse 32

قَالَتْ فَذَلِكُنَّ الَّذِي لُمْتُنَّنِي فِيهِ وَلَقَدْ رَاوَدتُّهُ عَن نَّفْسِهِ فَاسْتَعْصَمَ وَلَئِن لَّمْ يَفْعَلَ مَآ ءَامُرُهُ لَيُسْجَنَنَّ وَلَيَكُوناً مِنَ الصَّاغِرِينَ

32. “She said: ‘This is before you he about whom you did blame me! And indeed I sought to seduce him from his (pure) self, but he proved continent. And (now), if he does not do what I command him, he shall certainly be imprisoned, and will certainly be of the humiliated!’”

At this moment, the wife of the ‘Aziz turned to those women who used to criticize her for her intense love for Yusuf and said that although they had not seen him before, only getting a first glimpse of him caused them to lose their hearts.

How could they possibly have blamed her, when she was exposed to looking at that beautiful face frequently day and night? She also admitted that he was innocent indicating that she was the one who did the seducing.

The verse says:

“She said: ‘This is before you he about whom you did blame me! And indeed I sought to seduce him from his (pure) self...”

Thus while she was justifying her behavior, she explicitly confessed her culpability saying that she was the one who invited him to engage in an illicit act which he had refused to do.

The verse continues saying:

“…but he proved continent...”

However, without expressing her remorse, she threatened him with imprisonment and humiliation if he did not acquiesce to her demands.

She said:

“…And (now), if he does not do what I command him, he shall certainly be imprisoned, and will certainly be of the humiliated!””

Highlights

1- Psychological and social conditions influence individual morality. When ‘Aziz’ wife was afraid of exposing her evil actions, she closed the doors to the room. However, when she found the Egyptian women on her side, she openly stated that:

“And indeed I sought to seduce him from his self”

The same case applies to society. When people are no longer sensitive to evildoing, it becomes easier to commit sin.

It may be for this very reason that we invocate in the supplication of Kumayl: “O Allah! Forgive me for all the sins which prevent me from being chaste and break my abstinence”, for at first, committing sins is difficult for man, but as soon as the barriers are broken, it becomes easy.

2- The liar is always exposed and scandalized. The one who claimed that Yusuf wanted to seduce her yesterday, and had had evil intentions towards him, today openly confesses that she herself had had the intention of gratifying her sexual desires towards him.

3- It is true, that at times the enemy also testifies to the honesty of the person he opposes.

4- Residing in palaces paves the way for the loss of one’s chastity.

(Although the ‘Aziz realized that his wife had betrayed him and he asked her to repent of her guilt, they did not become alienated from each other and he did not distance between his wife and Yusuf.)

Surah Yusuf - Verse 33

قَالَ رَبِّ السِّجْنُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا يَدْعُونَنِي إِلَيْهِ وَإِلاَّ تَصْرِفْ عَنّي كَيْدَهُنَّ أَصْبُ إِلَيْهِنَ وَأَكُن مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ

33. “He said: ‘My Lord! The prison is dearer to me than that to which they invite me; and if You turn not their guile from me, I may incline towards them and become of the ignorant ones’.”

Interestingly, some commentators have narrated an astonishing subject and have said that some of the Egyptian women in the gathering supported the wife of the ‘Aziz and, giving right to her, defended her behavior.

They surrounded Yusuf and every one of them tried in her own way to persuade him to submit to the desires of the wife of ‘Aziz or to her own, in other words, they all had the same intentions as Zulaykha had.

It is in the face of this overwhelming temptation that Yusuf cries out to his Lord that he would welcome a life prison than the corruption to which those women were inviting him.

In a tradition attributed to Abu Hamzah al Thumali, it is narrated that Imam Ali-ibn-il-Hussein (as) said that as soon as those women had parted company with Zulaykha, each one of them sent someone in private to Yusuf and requested an audience with him.

Yusuf had been surrounded by a series of difficulties from all sides. However, being already prepared for any mishap that might befall, he turned to Allah immediately without entering into any relationship with these passionate, promiscuous women and sought His help.

The verse says:

“He said: ‘My Lord! The prison is dearer to me than that to which they invite me;...”

He was in the prime of his youth, and naturally, the lower aspect of his soul could have inclined towards them and he would have found himself among the ignorant.

But, since he knew that in all cases, especially at the time of crises, there is no way to safety except relying on Allah, he trusted in Allah and asked Him help by saying:

“…and if You turn not their guile from me, I may incline towards them and become of the ignorant ones’.”

Points to Remember

1. Men of Allah prefer all the difficulties that come with a life of honor to a sinful life of luxury.

2. By seeking assistance from the Almighty, man can distance himself from any kind of sin and temptation under any kind of circumstance.

3. Hardship and suffering cannot provide man with the justification to commit sin.

4. Man’s character depends on his soul and not on his body. If man’s soul is free and he is in prison, it can be like a paradise for him. And if his soul is under pressure, even a palace may become a prison for him.

5. To please people at the expense of displeasing Allah is manifest ignorance.

6. As was said, the wife of ‘Aziz and the other women employed various means to achieve their objectives. They showed intense love and desire, total submission and later profuse promises of great rewards, finally, when all of that failed, they started threatening Yusuf with imprisonment.

This is the usual methodology that all dictators and despots resort to throughout the ages. It has even been experimented many times that they usually at first show excessive moderation and leniency towards men of Allah to make them acquiesce to their designs, putting on a smiling face on one occasion, and, on the other, when they fail to achieve their objectives in this way, they resort to the cruelest of threats sometimes at the end of the same sitting that they had with together.

It never occurs to them that they show contradictions and double standards in their behavior, illustrating an abhorring lack of integrity which deserves the utmost humiliation and kinds of censure.

The reason for this is obvious. They are only after their own objectives, and the means are not important for them, because for them, the ends justify the means. The weak and foolish, in this course, may submit themselves sooner or later to these attempts and thus get caught in their trap forever.

But the men of Allah, who are enlightened by the light of faith, easily pass through all these trials showing their steadfastness and irreconcilability with evil. They go as far as courting their death, for victory is the ultimate aim.

Victory here does not only mean their own victory but it also denotes the victory of their school of thought based on principle rather than caprice.

7. There are always some people like the whimsical and promiscuous women of Egypt who regard themselves as innocent and clean when they are not principal players on the scene always pretending to be more virtuous and innocent than some others.

They would think the wife of the ‘Aziz to be vulgar and seductive. But, as soon as the tables are turned, they immediately lose their hearts and prove that whatever virtues they had claimed had been utterly meaningless.

Whereas Zulaykha had fallen in love with Yusuf after frequent meetings with him and after some years of life, these women fell into the very same situation, in the same meeting and after one glance at him, cutting their own hands with knives instead of the fruit they were supposed to cut.

8. When we are facing the attacks of powerful evil forces, and we find ourselves teetering on the edge of the abyss of destruction, we must turn to Allah for protection. We must seek His support, for if His assistance is not there, nothing can be done for us.

This is the lesson which the great Yusuf, the infallible one, has taught us. It is he who says to Allah if their evil plots are not averted from him, he would tend to incline towards them, and he would be left alone in his plight and will be no more. It is holy Allah Who is the Protector, not one’s abilities, powers, or mere virtues.

This state of absolute dependence on Allah (s.w.t.) does not only provide man with a power and perseverance which is unlimited, but it also makes it possible for him to enjoy the hidden Divine favors as well, favors which are impossible to explain and can be only witnessed and accepted. Such people are they who are sheltered by Allah both in this world and the Hereafter.

In one tradition, the Prophet of Islam (S) says that there are seven groups that will be sheltered by Allah on the Day when there will be no shade except His:

1. A just pioneer and leader.

2. A young man who has been trained in servitude unto Allah from the beginning of his life.

3. He whose heart is attached to mosques and places where Allah is worshipped and whenever he leaves those places, he ceaselessly thinks of the time when he can return thereto.

4. Those who work together in obeying Allah, and when they depart from one another, the spiritual bond of their unity remains firm.

5. Those who when they hear Allah’s name mentioned, have tears in their eyes because of their sense of responsibility before Allah or for fear of their sins.

6. The man who says that he is in awe of Allah when he is invited to consort with a beautiful woman and he refuses to commit sin.

7. A man who assists those who are in need and provides charity for them in such a way that his left hand does not know what his right hand has done.

Some Narrations Regarding Fear of Allah

1. The Prophet of Allah (S) said:

"He who stops committing sins for the fear of Allah, He, the High, provides him with satisfaction on the Day of Judgment.”1

2. Once Zayd ibn Suhan asked Amir-ul-Mu’minin (as):

“Which man is superior with Allah, the Almighty, the Glorious?” He answered: “He who is more in awe of Allah, more aware of piety and morality, and is less inclined to worldliness.”2

3. The Messenger of Allah (S) said:

“The highest ranking man before Allah is he who is the most in awe of Allah.”3

4. Amir-ul-Mu’minin (as) said:

“How fortunate is he who finds it necessary to be Allah fearing and obeys Allah both in private and in public.”4

5. The Prophet of Allah (S) said:

"How fortunate are those whose fear of Allah prevents them from fearing others.”5

Some Narrations Regarding Treason

1. The Prophet of Allah (S) said:

“The believer accepts all inherent traits and characteristics, except treason and lying.”6 .

2. Amir-ul-Mu’minin (as) said:

“Abstain from betraying others which is the most heinous of sins, and truly, a traitor will be caught in the torment and torture of the Fire because of his own treachery.”7

3. The Messenger of Allah (S) said:

“There are four characteristics, when each of which appears in a house it causes for the destruction of that house, and blessings do not make headway in that house because of those circumstances. They are; treason, theft, drinking alcoholic beverages, and fornication (or adultery).”8

4. Amir-ul-Mu’minin (as) said:

“The ultimate in betrayal is betraying a friend and breaking vows and promises.”9

5. Imam Baqir (as) said:

“It is certain that a true believer never betrays (anyone).”10

Surah Yusuf - Verse 34

فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ فَصَرَفَ عَنْهُ كَيْدَهُنَّ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

34. “So his Lord answered him and He turned away from him their guile; verily He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.”

According to the Divine promise, Allah always accepts the supplications of the pious. Those sincere fighters for a holy cause (whether it be against one’s self, or an outward enemy) and those who assist others in goodness will always get a Divine response to their requests.

Yusuf was not left alone in such a dangerous situation. Allah answered his prayer. Indeed, as the Qur’an says, Allah is the Hearer, the Knower.

The verse says:

“So his Lord answered him and He turned away from him their guile; verily He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.”

He hears the prayers and supplications of His subjects. He is completely aware of their inmost secrets, and He knows the solution to all their problems.

Some commentators reject that while Yusuf knew that Allah would protect him and return away their snare, why did he pray? The answer is that the prayer of Yusuf to Allah was that he could overcome their hearts so that they would dispense with their guile, and Allah answered him either.

As a result of his supplication, the women lost all hope in achieving their objectives and all the tricks that were within their means proved to be of no benefit to them, so, in despair, they stopped chasing him. It was then that Yusuf felt tranquility.

Zulaykha, after seeing the hopelessness of her attempts, was ready to send him to prison.

Surah Yusuf - Verse 35

ثُمَّ بَدَا لَهُمْ مِن بَعْدِ مَا رَأَوُاْ الاَيَاتِ لَيَسْجُنُنَّهُ حَتَّي حِينٍ

35. “Then it seemed to them, after they had seen the signs (of his innocence), to imprison him till a time.”

From Palace to Prison

The strange meeting between the Egyptian women and Yusuf in the palace of the ‘Aziz, with its particular tumult, ended. The fear of the increasing damage the sex scandal was causing to the prestige of his family.

In the view of people, it was becoming more and more every day. The ‘Aziz and his advisors thought that the only way to rescue the situation was to remove Yusuf from the scene entirely, and the best way to do that was to send him to prison.

This would not only help the people forget about the situation, but would also make it seem that real culprit had been Yusuf himself.

The Qur’an in this holy verse says:

“Then it seemed to them, after they had seen the signs (of his innocence), to imprison him till a time.”

In such morally decrepit environments, apparently freedom only belongs to those who are corrupt and so does everything else, whereas the pure and God-fearing individuals, like Yusuf, must be isolated and imprisoned. However, such a situation never lasts forever.

Explanations

1. Only a person with a distracted mind would engage in a fruitless act causing trouble for everyone, like throwing an important needle into the bottom of a well which could not be found and taken out by a hundred wise men.

2. Love is such a distraction. A woman fell in love and although many men and high-ranking officials of a country joined together to solve the problems caused by that woman, they were unable to find a solution.

3. Trials and courts are held in default of a person aften as ceremonial gestures in palaces where despots and dictators live, assure the condemnation of the innocent.

4. Those people who dwell in luxurious palaces are usually reckless and brash. Despite all the reasons in his favour, Yusuf was still convicted and sent to prison.

Notes

1. Bihar-ul-’Anwar, vol. 67 p. 498

2. Bihar-ul-’Anwar, vol. 74, p. 378

3. Bihar-ul-’Anwar, vol. 74, p. 180

4. Ghurar ul Hikam, vol. 4, p. 239

5. Bihar-ul-’Anwar, vol. 74, p. 126

6. Kanz ul-‘Ummal, vol. 3, p. 468

7. Ghurar ul-Hikam vol. 1, p. 150

8. Bihar-ul-’Anwar, vol. 76, p. 125, The Amali of Tusi

9. Ghurar ul-Hikam, vol. 2, p. 505

10. Bihar-ul-’Anwar, vol. 100, p. 175

Section 3: The Ministry of Noah

Surah Hud - Verses 25 - 26

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحاً إِلىَ قَوْمِهِ إِنّي لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ

أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُوا إِلاَّ اللَّهَ إِنّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ أَلِيمٍ

25. “And verily, We sent Noah to his people, (saying:) ‘I am a plain warner for you’.”

26. “That you serve none but Allah; verily, I do fear for you the penalty of a painful day.”

Hadrat Noah is the first prophet among those possessors of determination /’ulul ‘azm/ i.e., among the major prophets, who stood up against polytheism and idol worship, and as the human generation traces its genealogy back to him after the drowning of the unbelievers, he is addressed as the second Adam and, since his life-time was longest comparing that of other prophets, he is called Master of the Prophets.

Allah, the Gracious, has told the story of the prophets of the past to warn the unbelievers and to soothe the Prophet (S). Taking up the story of Noah, the Qur’an says that he was sent to his people so as to warn them against worshipping other than Allah.

The verse says:

“And verily, We sent Noah to his people, (saying:) ‘I am a plain warner for you’.”

He started His call in a sincere manner inviting them to accept monotheism because it was the most supreme ideal, for no other act of worship would be accepted before the All-knowing Allah, the sole and only Creator of the world.

The verse says:

“That you serve none but Allah; verily, I do fear for you the penalty of a painful day.”

Surah Hud - Verse 27

فَقَالَ الْمَلأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَوْمِهِ مَا نَرَاكَ إِلاَّ بَشَراً مِثْلَنَا وَمَا نَرَاكَ اتَّبَعَكَ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَرَاذِلُنَا بَادِيَ الرَّأْيِ وَمَا نَرَي لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِن فَضْلٍ بَلْ نَظُنُّكُمْ كَاذِبِينَ

27. “Then the chiefs of those who disbelieved among his people said: ‘We do not see (in) you but a man like ourselves, nor do we see that any follow you but those who are the meanest among us, at first thought, nor do we see (in) you any excellence over us; nay, we think you are liars!’”

The opponents of the truth sometimes belittle and endeavor to weaken the Divine leaders. They claim that prophets are men like others and not superior to them.

The verse says:

“Then the chiefs of those who disbelieved among his people said: ‘We do not see (in) you but a man like ourselves...”

At other times, humiliating the prophets’ followers, they claim that they are some unimportant and insignificant people.

The verse continues saying:

“…nor do we see that any follow you but those who are the meanest among us, at first thought...”

At other times, they despise the entire school claiming that the adherents of this school are naive and superficial who lack any depth of vision.

The verse says:

“…nor do we see (in) you any excellence over us; nay, we think you are liars!’”

Arrogant people often detest being equal with the masses, especially with those who are deprived. Usually, the aristocrats have always allied themselves with the opponents of the prophets but those who take less interest in worldly affairs, become believers more quickly and are more decent.

Therefore, the opponents of the prophets lack reasoning and whatever they claim is based on conjecture, speculation and on hallucinations.

Surah Hud - Verse 28

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنْتُ عَلَي بَيّنَةٍ مِن رَبّي وءَاتَانِي رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِندِهِ فَعُمّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنُلْزِمُكُمُوهَا وَأَنتُمْ لَهَا كَارِهُونَ

28. “He said: “O my People! Bethink you, if I be upon a clear proof from my Lord, and He has grant me mercy from His Presence, but has been obscured for you; shall we compel you to (accept) it while you are averse to it?”

This holy verse provides answers to two objections of the unbelievers which were raised in the foregoing verse.

The unbelievers used to say that Noah (as) was a man like themselves. This verse answers that although in appearance the prophets are like the unbelievers, they have merited Allah’s particular approbation since they receive revelations and perform miracles.

The unbelievers would say that the followers of Hadrat Noah (as) were some simple minded, short sighted, and naive people. The verse answers that such was not the case, although apparently they were weaker than the unbelievers, they had become believers through witnessing the proofs shown to them by their prophet. Their conviction, indeed, was not baseless and without reason.

Despite all the false accusations and groundless protests, the prophets have always displayed a tolerant attitude towards their foes and they still took recourse to logic, reasoning and appeal to their emotions.

Of all the things required of the prophets, offering proofs to the people and performing miracles combined with decisive reasoning leave no room for any excuses. Nothing must withhold people from exercising their free choice. Once they stick to their beliefs, they will prosper and once they refuse to do so they will be tormented. There is no compulsion in that.

The verse says:

“He said: “O my People! Bethink you, if I be upon a clear proof from my Lord, and He has grant me mercy from His Presence, but has been obscured for you; shall we compel you to (accept) it while you are averse to it?”

Surah Hud - Verse 29

وَيَا قَوْمِ لآ أَسْأَلُكُم عَلَيْهِ مَالاً إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلاَّ عَلَي اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَاْ بِطَارِدِ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا إِنَّهُم مُلاَقُوا رَبّهِمْ وَلَكِنّي أَرَاكُمْ قَوْماً تَجْهَلُونَ

29. “And O’ my People! I ask you no wealth for it. My reward is only upon Allah, and I will not drive away those who believe, (for) verily they shall meet their Lord, but I see you are an ignorant people.”

The secret of a preacher’s success is his lack of over expectation with regard to people and not letting himself be stymied by the objections of the wealthy corrupt classes.

If the prophets were seeking illegitimate profits, they would call on the aristocrats and not the poor, on the princes not on the paupers. The followers of the prophets are the oppressed people and they never neglect them.

The prophets are never greedy for the people’s property. Their sole purpose, according to their mission is to save the people from their ignorance and from the Divine punishment.

The verse says:

“And O’ my People! I ask you no wealth for it. My reward is only upon Allah, and I will not drive away those who believe, (for) verily they shall meet their Lord, but I see you are an ignorant people.”

Surah Hud - Verse 30

وَيَا قَوْمِ مَن يَنصُرُنِي مِنَ اللَّهِ إِن طَرَدتُّهُمْ أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ

30. “And O my people! Who will help me against Allah if I drove them away? Will you not then reflect?”

The Qur’an further explains the situation in this verse, and from the tongue of the prophet to his people, it implies that if he cast out this group, who in this world can come to his assistance in that great Court of Justice?

The verse says:

“And O my people! Who will help me against Allah if I drove them away?...”

Driving out the righteous and faithful believers is no easy matter. They can bear witness against the prophet on the Day of Resurrection and no one will be able to defend him then, while, at the same time, the Divine punishment might also face him in this world. And contemplating this would lead to knowledge that whatever the prophet said was identical with the truth.

The verse says:

“…Will you not then reflect?”

Surah Hud - Verse 31

وَلآ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِي خَزَآئِنُ اللَّهِ وَلآ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلآ أَقُولُ إِنّي مَلَكٌ وَلآ أَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ تَزْدَرِي أَعْيُنُكُمْ لَن يُؤْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ خَيْراً اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ إِنّي إِذاً لَمِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

31. “And I do not say to you (that) Allah’s treasures are with me; nor do I know the Unseen, nor do I claim to be an angel; nor do I say, about those whom your eyes do despise, (that) Allah will never grant them any good. Allah is well aware of what is in their hearts; (for) verily then I should be of the unjust.”

Knowledge of Unseen, regarding anything and every condition, is absolutely with Allah. The Qur’an says: “And with Him are the keys of the Unseen. None but He knows them...”1 which means that the keys to the invisible world are in His Own authority.

However, due to Divine Providence and according to the Divine Will, men of Allah will sometimes find windows opened up for them. The Qur’an in regard to this fact says:

“These are of the tidings of the Unseen which We reveal unto you...”2

Therefore, Allah’s prophets are knowledgeable about the invisible world as the Qur’an states:

“The Knower of the Unseen! So He does not reveal His secrets to any,”

“Except to him whom He chooses as an apostle…”3 .

This verse means that He is knowledgeable about the invisible world, and no one is aware of this knowledge of the invisible except those whom He has selected from among His prophets.

Not only the knowledge of the invisible world is His own prerogative but the power to perform extraordinary works also rests with Him, though Allah can and will bestow something of whatever aspect of His power which He deems worthy upon anyone He chooses and to the extent that He wishes. For example, it is mentioned in the Qur’an that death and life are in His Power:

“Verily, it is He who makes one die and live”.4

However, the Qur’an also says that Hadrat ‘Isa (as) made the dead live with His permission;

“I make the dead live with His permission.”5

Although Allah takes lives “Allah takes the souls…”6 yet angels take lives with His permission:

“The angel of death shall cause you to die...”7

And although He is the sole Creator of all, “Allah is the Creator of every thing...”8 , But Hadrat ‘Isa creates, however, with His permission:

“…and when you did make of clay a thing like the shape of a bird, by My leave...”9

Theological research has shown that no one individual existing among the jinn and mankind can have access to the science of the invisible world apart from a limited amount of it which depends upon their potentialities.

This type of knowledge in relation to them is not a science of the invisible after it is bestowed on them although it might be so for others. On the other hand, Allah has made the prophets and the Imams knowledgeable about the invisible world and aware of the past and future.

For example, the blessed Prophet (S) had foretold the news of the ‘Imamat’ of twelve persons, the sufferings inflicted on them, the intentional disappearance of Hadrat Mahdi (as) and his reappearance, the events occurring during the last days, the establishment of his government, and the resurrection of the dead on the Day of Judgment, other similar matters have also been passed down to us from the other Imams (as).

Without doubt whatever has not been given to us in this respect is due to the lack of capacity on the part of the average man or has been withheld for reasons known only to Allah.10

At the end of the verse, the Qur’an goes back to the subject of oppressed believers, emphasizing that the prophet cannot say that those whom the disbelievers despise will not be rewarded by Allah.

On the contrary, the blessings of this world and those of the next belong to the oppressed even though they are empty handed in this world. It is the wrongdoers who in their infatuation with the world consider goodness to be confined to wealth, position, youth, and the like, demonstrating their lack of knowledge of the truth and its true meaning.

Even if one assumes that the oppressors are right and that the oppressed are indeed wretches, still Allah is more aware than us of what is in their minds, for we know nothing about them except what is indicative of their good faith and sincerity, and thus we are obliged to accept them.

I am only required to judge and relate with men based on their outward behavior, judging a man on the basis of his inward nature belongs to Allah alone, and if I act otherwise, I will certainly be among the oppressors.

The verse says:

“And I do not say to you (that) Allah’s treasures are with me; nor do I know the Unseen, nor do I claim to be an angel; nor do I say, about those whom your eyes do despise, (that) Allah will never grant them any good. Allah is well aware of what is in their hearts; (for) verily then I should be of the unjust.”

Surah Hud - Verse 32

قَالُوا يَانُوحُ قَدْ جَادَلْتَنَا فَاَكْثَرْتَ جِدَالَنَا فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تِعِدُنَآ إِن كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ

32. “They said: ‘O’ Noah! You have disputed with us and multiplied disputation with us. Bring us then what you have promised us (of divine punishment), if you are truthful.’”

Disputes are only valuable whenever they are honestly in pursuit of the truth and done in a respectful and polite manner; as the Qur’an says:

“…and argue with them in the best manner.”11

If the dispute is based on what is wrong, it is of no value, as the holy Qur’an says:

“…and they disputed by means of the falsehood in order to stamp out the truth thereby...”12

Thus, as the unbelievers did not have logic on their side and accepted no logical arguments, they sought to bring the debate to and end by telling him to bring unto them what he had promised.

The verse says:

“They said: ‘O’ Noah! You have disputed with us and multiplied disputation with us. Bring us then what you have promised us (of divine punishment), if you are truthful.’”

Therefore Hadrat Noah (as) cursed them after they had made their declaration that they wanted him to send down their destruction.

Surah Hud - Verse 33

قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَأْتِيكُم بِهِ اللَّهُ إِن شَآءَ وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ

33. “He said: ‘Verily Allah will bring it to you, if He wills, and you will not be able to frustrate (it).’”

Noah replies that the realization of the punishment for their heedlessness and obstinacy is not up to him but it is dependent upon the Will of Allah. He himself is only a messenger and a sincere servant of the Almighty.

They should beware, however, that when the command for the punishment is issued they cannot escape His power for they are at His mercy and they will not be able to take refuge anywhere.

The verse says:

“He said: ‘Verily Allah will bring it to you, if He wills, and you will not be able to frustrate (it).’”

Surah Hud - Verse 34

وَلاَ يَنفَعُكُمْ نُصْحِي إِنْ أَرَدْتُّ أَنْ أَنصَحَ لَكُمْ إِن كَانَ اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يُغْوِيَكُمْ هُوَ رَبُّكُمْ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

34. “And my advice will not profit you, should I intend to give you advice, if Allah wills to lead you astray. He is your Lord and unto Him you will be returned.”

Noah said that his advice would have been of no use to them even though he sincerely wished to counsel them.

The punishment and retribution of the evildoers is up to Allah, and prophets are nothing but agents for conveying the Divine message and admonishing the people.

There is no way for man to resist or escape Divine justice and punishment, for Allah’s Will overcomes all other wills. Even if one is not punished in this world, Allah will deal with him on the Day of Resurrection, and then he will see the final result of his deeds.

However, the Arabic word /nush/ refers to the saying or deed by which sincere reformation is achieved, and the Arabic word /qayy/is called to that kind of ignorance which has its roots in corrupt and evil convictions.

The difference between /’idlal/ and /’iqwa/ is that the doer of the former knows the destination but he has lost the way, while with respect to /’iqwa/ the aim and intention are both unknown.

Attributing the actions of /’idlal/ and /’iqwa/ to Allah is in the way of punishing those who are misled because of the obstinacy and corruption of their character. It does not mean that from the beginning and without prior premise Allah goes on leading one astray.

Surah Hud - Verse 35

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ قُلْ إِنِ افْتَرَيْتُهُ فَعَلَيَّ إِجْرَامِي وَأَنَاْ بَرِيءٌ مِمَّا تُجْرِمُونَ

35. “Or they say: ‘He has forged it.’ Say: ‘If I have forged it, upon me is my sin, and I am quit of the sins you commit’.”

Some of the unbelievers among the Quraysh claimed that these stories of the prophets had been fabricated by the Prophet himself (S) which he then attributed to Allah.

The Almighty instructs him to tell them that if he had fabricated them, it would be he alone who would suffer the consequences and they would not be held responsible, but the converse is also true with respect to their transgressions, that he is just as free of responsibility for their sins and offences.

His duty is only to convey the message and nothing else, whether or not they accepted or rejected it.

The verse says:

“Or they say: ‘He has forged it.’ Say: ‘If I have forged it, upon me is my sin, and I am quit of the sins you commit’.”

Apparently because of the Qur’anic word /qul/, which means ‘say’, and owing to the news about the unbelievers of Mecca and the Prophet of Islam, the verse relates to the Apostle of Islam (S).

Anyway, he who commits an act will only be held responsible and it is no one else’s fault. The Prophet (S) will not be involved in their sins either.

The fact that they did not accept the faith and attributed false accusations to the Qur’an, calling the Prophet a liar, all together resulted in grievous consequences while on his part, he had performed his mission in admonishing and conveying the message to them.

The Arabic term /’ijram/ and /jurm/ mean the picking of unripe fruits and which thereafter have been referred to whatever indecent behavior or offence or sin.

Notes

1. Surah Al-An‘am, No. 6, verse 59

2. Surah Hud, No. 11, verse 49

3. Surah The Jinn, No. 72, verses 26, 27

4. Surah An-Najm, No. 53, verse 44

5. Surah ’Al-i-‘Imran, No. 3, verse 49

6. Surah Az-Zumar, No. 39, verse 42

7. Surah As-Sajdah, No. 32, verse 11

8. Surah Ar-Ra‘d, No. 13, verse 16

9. Surah Al-Ma’idah, No. 5, verse 110

10. Refer to Bihar-ul-’Anwar, vol.35 p.420, ’Usul ul Kafi, vol.1, p.225 Yanabi‘ ul Mawaddah, vol.1, p.605; Kashf-ul Ghumma, vol.3, p.340, Safinat-ul-Bihar ‘Uyun Akhbar-ur-Rida, vol.2, p.237; Kitab al Sirat ul Haqq, vol.3 p.340, ‘Uyun-i-Akhbar-ur-Rida, vol.2, Nahjul Balaqah and Haqayiq by Ibn Shahr-’Ashub, and other books regarding the ‘Knowledge of the Imams.

11. Surah An-Nahl, No. 16, verse 125

12. Surah Ghafir, No. 40, verse 5