HOME | Intro | Ramadan E-Cards | Updates* | Article Of The Month | Send Us a Message - Vieuw Visitors' Messages | MSN/YAHOO GROUPS | Qur'an | Sunnah | Islamic Law | Tafsir | UNITY | Dhikr | Imaan | Non-Muslims | Five Pillars | Tazkiyah | Da'wah | Family/Marriage | Muslim Kids Corner ! | Sisters Section | Brothers Section | Authors | Social Issues | History | Inspirational | Death and The Hereafter | Health | SPECIAL PAGES | Islamic Countries | Picture Gallery | Links
In the Shade of the Qur'an - Surah # 98

In the Shade of the Qur'an - Surah # 98
 
Syed Qutb
 
 
THE CLEAR PROOF
                                 AL BAYYINAH

          In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.


  Those who disbelieve among the people of the earlier revelations and
  the polytheists could have never departed (from their erring ways)
  until there had come to them the Clear Proof: A Messenger from Allah
  reciting purified pages, containing books of high value and importance.
  Nor were the people of the earlier revelations divided until the Clear
  Proof had been given to them. Yet they are ordered to do nothing more
  than to serve Allah, to worship Him alone with sincerity, and with
  purity of faith, to attend to their prayers and to pay the purifying
  alms (zakat). That is surely the faith of the upright nation.
  Those who disbelieve among the people of the earlier revelations and
  the polytheists shall burn forever in the fire of Hell. They are the
  worst of all creatures. But those who believe and do righteous deeds
  are the best of all creatures. Their Lord will reward them with the
  gardens of Eden underneath which rivers How, where they shall dwell
  forever. Allah is well pleased with them and they with Him. This is
  the reward of the god fearing.

                        In the Shade of the Qur'an

As stated in our copies of the Qur'an and according to the greater
number of reports, this surah is a Medinan revelation. There are,
however, some reports which classify it as Makkan. Although its
classification as Medinan carries more weight in view of these reports
and its mode of expression and style, yet the possibility of its being
Makkan cannot be ruled out. The fact that it mentions "the purifying
alms" (zakat) and "the people of earlier revelations" is not clear cut
argument against the Makkan possibility. Some surahs which are
indisputably Makkan mention the people of earlier revelations. Also,
there were some of these people in Makka; some of them adopted
Islam and some did not. Moreover the Christians from Najran came
to the Prophet when he was still in Makka, and they accepted the
Islamic faith, as it is known. Moreover, "zakat" or "the purifying
alms" is mentioned in some Makka surahs.

This surah deals in a positive manner with a number of facts relat-
ing to history and faith. The first fact is that the sending of the Mess-
enger, Muhammad (peace be on him), was essential to the
transformation of those of the people of the earlier revelations and
the polytheists who had ended up in disbelief. They could not have
departed from their erring ways without thc help of this prophetic
mission: " Those who disbelieve among the people of the earlier revel-
ations and the polytheists could have never departed (from their erring
ways) until there had come to them the Clear Proof: a Messenger from
Allah reciting purified pages containing books of high value and import-
ance.

The second fact is that religious discord and conflict among the
people of the earlier revelations did not arise out of their ignorance
of, or from any obscurity or ambiguity in, their religion. On the con-
trary, they ran into discord after they had received true knowledge
and the clear proof: "Nor were the people of the earlier revelations
divided until the Clear Proof had been given to them. "

The third fact is that, in regard to its origin, religion is one. Its fun-
damentals are simple and clear and do not, by themselves and by
their plain and easy nature, make for divisions or conflicts: " Yes they
are ordered to do nothing more than to serve Allah, to worship Him alone
with sincerity and with purity of faith, to attend to their prayers and to
pay the stated alms. That is surely the faith of the upright nation. "

The fourth fact is that those who disbelieved after receiving the
clear proof are the worst creatures of all, while those who believe and
do good deeds are the best creatures. Hence the rewards of the two
types are totally different: " Those who disbelieve among the people of
the earlier revelations and the polytheists shall burn forever in the fire of
Hell. They are the worst of all creatures. But those who believe and do
righteous deeds are the best of all creatures. Their Lord will reward
them with the gardens of Eden underneath which rivers flow, where they
shall dwell for ever. Allah is well pleased with them and they with Him.
This is the reward of the godfearing.

All these four facts are greatly valuable for the full understanding
of the role of the Islamic ideology which is the final Divine message,
as well as for the formulation of one's concepts of faith.

  Those who disbelieve among the people of the earlier revelations
  and the polytheists could have never departed (from their erring ways)
  until there had come to them the Clear Proof: a Messenger from Allah
  reciting purified pages, containing books of high value and import-
  ance.

The world was terribly in need of a new message. Corruption had
spread around the whole world to the extent that there was no hope
of reform except by means of a new message, a new method of orien-
tation and a new movement. Disbelief crept into and became the
characteristic of all creeds and doctrines whether those of the people
of earlier revelations (i.e. the Jews and the Christians) who pre-
viously knew the Divine religions and distorted them or those of the
polytheists in the Arabian Peninsula and beyond, all alike. They were
not to turn away trom this disbelief into which they had sunk except
by means of this new message and at the hands of a messenger who
would himself be a clear proof, distinctive and specific. "A Messen-
ger from Allah reciting purified pages", that is, purified of all idola-
tory and disbelief, "containing books of high value and importance. "
The term "book" is used for reference to the subject discussed, for
example, book of purity, book of prayers, book of destiny and
book of resurrection. These pure pages are indeed the Qur'an which
contains valuable and important books.

Hence this message and the messenger came at a perfectly
suitable time. These scriptures also came with all that they contain of
books and facts to bring about a far reaching reform of this world.
As to how badly the world needed this message and messenger we
shall be content to indicate by quoting some inspiring remarks from
the valuable book written by the Muslim author Sayyid Abul-
Hassan Ali Nadwi and entitled "Islam and the World ". This book is
the clearest as well as the briefest that we have read on this subject.
The author writes in chapter one:

  The sixth Century of the Christian era, it is generally agreed.
  represented the darkest phase in the history of our race. Humanity
  had reached the edge of the precipice, towards which it had been
  tragically proceeding for centuries, and there appeared to be no
  agency or power in the whole world which could come to its rescuc
  and save it from crashing into the abyss of destruction .

  In his melancholy progress from God forgetfulness to self-
  forgetting, man had lost his moorings. He had grown indifferent
  to his destiny. The teachings of the prophets had been forgotten:
  the lamps that they had kindled either had been put out by the
  storms of moral anarchy or the light they shed had become so
  feeble that it could illumine the hearts of but a few men, most of
  whom had sought refuge in passivity and resignation. Having
  been vanquished in the battle between spiritualism and material-
  ism, they had shut themselves up in monasteries or gone into
  wilderness Such of them as were still left in the whirlpool of life
  had aligned themselves with the ruling classes of their lands. They
  helped them in the satisfaction of their sensual desires and in the
  maintenance of unjust political and economic systems and co-
  operated with them in reaping unlawful benefits out oi the wealth
  of the people ...

  Great religions became playthings in the hands of debased
  ecclesiastics who corrupted and twisted them beyond recognition,
  so much so that if it were possible for their founders to return to
  the physical life, they could not have recognised them. In con-
  sequence of the moral debasement of the great centres of civilisation
  and general disorder and unrest, people everywhere got entangled
  in their internal problems. They had no message to offer to the
  world The world had become hollow from within; its life-springs
  had dried up. It possessed neither the light of religious guidance
  for their personal conduct nor any abiding and rational principles
  for running a state.

This outlines briefly the condition of mankind and religions just
before the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). The
Qur'an refers in various parts to the aspects of this disbelief which
spread amongst the people of the earlier revelations as well as the
polytheists. Among these references to the Jews and Christians are:
"The Jews say. 'Ezra is the son of Allah" [1], and the Christians say. ' the
Messiah is the son of Allah" and "The Jews say, 'the Christians
follow nothing true', and the Christians say. 'the Jews follow nothing
true'." [2] The Qur'an also refers to the Jews: "The Jews have said,
'Allah 's hand is fettered '. Fettered are their hands, and cursed they are
f or what they say. His hands are outspread: He bestows as He wills." [3]
It says about the Christians: "They are surely disbelievers who say,
'Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary" [4] and, "They are surely disbe-
lievers who say, "Allah is one of a trinity" [5] The Qur'an also speaks
about the polytheists: "Say: "Disbelievers! I do not worship what you
worship. Nor do you worship what I worship. I shall never worship what
you worship, neither will you worship what I worship. You have your
own religion and I have mine'. " [6] There are many other statements in
the Qur'an which support this view.

In addition to this disbelief, there were backwardness, divisiors, ruin
as wel I as other evils spread all over the world.

  In short there was no nation on earth with an upright thinking.
  There was neither a society built on a foundation of morality and
  virtue, nor a government based on justice and mercy, nor a leader-
  ship founded on knowledge and wisdom, nor a true religion that
  came through the prophets. [7]

Hence, the Divine grace extended to mankind required that a
Messenger be sent from Him reciting purified scriptures containing
valuable and important books. There was no way of putting an end
to the widespread corruption except by the sending of this Messen-
ger, the deliverer, the guide and himself the Clear Proof.

Having made this fact clear at the outset, the surah goes on to state
that the people of the earlier revelations in particular did not experi-
ence religious conflicts and divisions as a result of ignorance on their
part or confusion or complicaiion on the part of their religion. Their
divisions occurred after the true knowledge and the clear signs of
their religion were delivered to them through the Messengers sent to
them: "Nor were the people of the earlier revelations divided unril the
Clear Proof had been given to them."

The first division was among the Jews who split into sects and
groups before the prophethood of Jesus. Although their prophet was
Moses and the Torah was their book, they split up into five main
sects, namely, the Sadducees, the Pharisees, the Asians, the Extrem-
ists and the Samaritans. Each had their own characteristics and their
own ways. Later on the division between the Jews and the Christians
took place in spite of the fact that Jesus is the last prophet sent to the
Children of Israel. He came to endorse the Torah and confirm it.
Nevertheless, the quarrel between the Jews and the Christians
reached the level of violent enmity and wicked hatred. History tells
us about the horrifying massacres that took place between the two
parties.

  The mutual jealousy and hatred between the Christians and the
  Jews, which did not permit them to forego any opportunity of set-
  tling an old score was brought to its climax towards the close of the
  sixth century. In 610 A.D. the Jews of Antioch rebelled against the
  Christians, and the Emperor Phocas sent his famous general Bon-
  osus to put down the uprising, who set about his business with
  such enthusiasm that the whole of the Jewish population was
  wiped out. Thousands of Jews perished by the sword, while hun-
  dreds of them were drowned or burnt alive or thrown to the wild
  beasts. [8]

  This was repeated again and again between the Jews and the
  Christians. Al-Maqrizi says in his Book of Plans (Al Khitat),
  "During the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Phocas, Chosroes,
  the Shah of Persia, dispatched his armies to Syria and Egypt. They
  destroyed the churches of Jerusalem, Palestine and the rest of the
  Syrian land. They wiped out all the Christians and pursued them
  to Egypt, where they slaughtered them in large numbers and
  enslaved an unimaginable number. The Jews helped them in fighting
  the Christians and destroying their churches. They poured from all
  directions to help the Persians and came from Tiberia, the Mount
  of Galilee, Nazareth village and the City of Tyre and all around
  Jerusalem. They committed all sorts of atrocities against the
  Christians, organised ghastly massacres, destroyed two Christian
  churches in Jerusalem, burnt their places, stole a piece of the pillar
  of the Cross and captured the Patriarch of Jerusalem and a great
  many of his friends and companions ..." Al-Maqrizi goes on to
  relate the Persian conquest of Egypt; then he writes: "At that time,
  the Jews in the City of Tyre rebelled and sent messengers from
  among themselves to other cities and towns and all agreed to lay a
  trap for the Christians and kill them. A war broke out between the
  Jews and Christians in which the number of the Jews was around
  20,000. They destroyed the Christian churches around Tyre. But
  the Christians surrounded them and raised much greater numbers,
  so the Jews suffered a ghastly defeat and a great number of them
  were killed. At the time Heraclius ascended to power in Con-
  stantinople. He defeated the Persians by setting a trap for the
  Shah, who left him eventually and went away. Then he marched
  from Constantinople to re-establish his authority over Syria and
  Egypt and to renew what the Persians had destroyed. The Jews
  from Tiberia and other places went out to meet him. They pre-
  sented him with precious gifts and begged him to guarantee their
  security and to take an oath to this effect. He granted their request.
  He went on to Jerusalem where he was received by the Christian
  population holding up their Bibles, crosses, and incense, and burn-
  ing candles. He was very much displeased at seeing the city and its
  churches destroyed. He expressed his sorrow to the local Chris-
  tians who told him about the uprising by the Jews and their siding
  with the Persians, the massacre of the Christians and the destruc-
  tion of their churches. They told Heraclius to level a blow to the
  Jews but he protested that he had already guaranteed their security
  and had taken an oath to that effect. Their monks, cardinals and
  priests gave their judgement that the killing of the Jews was justi-
  fiable on the grounds that they had played a trick in order to win
  that assurance from him before he knew what they had done. The
  clergy also pledged to atone for Heraclius' oath by committing
  themselves and all Christians to fast a certain Friday every year for
  the rest of time. Thus he leaned to their argument and wreaked
  such a savage vengeance upon the Jews that in the Byzantine prov-
  inces of Syria and Egypt those alone could save themselves who
  could take to flight or go into hiding.

These reports give us an idea about the degree of savagery the
two parties, the Christians and the Jews, had reached, their watch-
ing for a chance to strike against the enemy and their heeding no
rules in all that. [9]

Then divisions and differences broke out amongst the Christians
themselves in spite of the fact that their book is one and their messen-
ger is one. They were divided first in matters of faith; then they split
up into hostile and warring sects. The differences were concerned
with the nature of Jesus and whether he had a Divine or a human
nature, and with the nature of Mary, his mother, and also with the
nature of the Trinity which constitutes God, as they claim. The
Qur'an relates two or three of their sayings on these issues: "They are
surely disbelievers who say. 'Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary'" [10],
"They are surely disbelievers who say: 'Allah is one of a trinity'" [11]
and, "Allah said: 'Jesus, son of Mary! Did you eversay to people. " Worship
me and my mother as gods beside Allah "? [12]

The most violent of doctrinal divisions was that which erupted
between the Byzantine State and the Christians of Syria and the
Christians of Egypt, or, in a more accurate definition, the Melkites
and the Monophysites. The main dispute was over the alleged
combination of the Divine and the human natures in Jesus. The
Melkite Christians of Syria held that he was both Divine and
human, while the Monophysites of Egypt insisted upon his being
truiy Divine, the human part of his nature having lost itself in the
Divine as a drop of vinegar loses its identity in the ocean. The dis-
pute between the two parties became much stronger in the sixth
and seventh centuries so that it looked as if it was a ceaseless war
between two rival religions, or a dispute between Jews and
Christians. Every group kept saying to the other that its stand was
without foundation.

Emperor Heraclius (610 641) tried after his victory over the
Persians in 638 to reconcile the contending creeds in his state and
to unite them by compromise. This compromise took the shape of
a general ban on indulging in any argument on the nature of Jesus
Christ, the Messiah, and whether he had a single or dual nature.
But everyone had to accept the doctrine of a single energy in
Christ. [13] Agreement on this was established at the beginning of
631, and thus the Menothelian creed was declared the official
creed of the state and all those of its populations who belonged to
the Christian church. Heraclius was determined to give the new
creed overall supremacy, and he utilised all means for this end.
But the Copts disputed his authority and declared their totai re-
jection of this innovation and deviation. They took the opposing
stand and sacrificed their all for their old faith. The Emperor tried
once again to unite all the creeds and settle the differences. He was
content that people should accept that there is a single will for
Christ.' As for the other issue, namely, the realisation of that will
by action, he deferred taking a stand on it altogether. He also
banned all people from indulging in arguments and debates on
these issues. He included all that in an official message which he
delivered to all parts of the Eastern world. But the message failed
to end the storm. Instead, brutal persecution was administered by
the Emperor in Egypt for ten years which witnessed what would
send a shiver of terror into any mortal being. Men were tortured
savagely before being put to death by drowning. Big torches were
lit and directed to the miserable prisoners until the fat ran from
both sides of their bodies to the floor. Prisoners were put in sacks
which were then filled with sand and thrown into the sea. These
and other ghastly brutalities were committed. [13]

All these disputes among the people of earlier revelations took
place after "the Clear Proof had been given to them". They were not
lacking in knowledge and proof, but they were blindly driven by their
desires into deviation.

Yet religion is clear in its original form and the faith is simple in its
essence: " Yet they are ordered nothing more than to serve Allah, to
worship Allah alone with sincerity, and with purity of faith, to attend to
their prayers and to pay the purifying alms (zakat). Thal is surely the faith
of the upright nation. " This is the basis of the Divine religion through-
out the ages and in all its forms. It is simply the worship of Allah
alone, sincere and pure submission to Him, detachment from poly-
theism and the polytheists, the establishment of regular worship and
payment of the prescribed alms: " That is surely the jaith of the upright
nation.' It is a pure and sincere faith in the heart, worship of the
Divine Being which is a translation of this faith, and spending money
for the cause of Allah as He has stated. He who fulfils these injunc-
tions has met the requirements of faith, as the people of the carlier
revelations were commanded to do, and as these requirements are
outlined in all the forms of the Divine religion. It is one religion, the
same faith in all the successive messages and as preached by the suc-
cessive messengers of Allah. It is a religion free from all ambiguity
and complication; a faith which gives no reason for division and dis-
pute. It is very clear and very simple. How completely different this
religion is from those complicated and confusing concepts and from
those lengthy polemics.

Since clear proof has been given to them formerly in their own re-
ligions through their own prophets, and since clear proof had been
given to them again, full of life, in the form of a Messenger from
Allah reciting purified pages, and offering them a clear and simple
faith, then the true path becomes very clear. So does the destiny of
the disbelievers, and that of the believers: "Those who disbelieve
among the people of the earlier revelations and the polytheists shall
burnforever in the fire of Hell; they are the worst of all creatures. But
those who believe and do righteous deeds are the best of all creatures.
Their Lord will reward them with the gardens of Eden underneath
which rivers flow where they shall dwell forever. Allah is well pleased
with them and they with Him. This is the reward of the godfearing."

Muhammad (peace be on him) was the last messenger, and Islam,
which he preached, the final message. Messengers from Allah came
successively every time corruption spread in the world. Their objec-
tive was to make mankind return to righteousness. Those who
deviated from the right path had one chance after another to correct
their behaviour. But now that Allah has willed to close His messages
to earth by this final, comprehensive, perfect and accomplished mes-
sage, then the last chance has been given. It is either the adoption of
faith and salvation, or the denial of faith and destruction. For disbe-
lief now is an established evidence of unlimited evil, while accepting
the faith is proof of goodness which goes to its absolute end.

"Those who disbelieve among the people of the earlier revelations
and the polytheists shall burn forever in the fire of Hell. They are the
worst of all creatures." It is a clear and absolute verdict which gives
no room for argument of dispute. It is applicable even if some of their
actions, values or systems were good, since these are not based on be-
lieving in this final message and final messenger. No appearance of
goodness will make us entertain even the slightest doubt in this
judgement, since this apparent goodness is detached from the up-
right method of living laid down by Allah.

"Those who believe and do righteous deeds are the best of all crea-
tures. " This is also an absolute verdict that makes for no dispute or
argument. Its condition is also clear, free from any ambiguity or de-
ception. The condition is faith, not merely being born in a land which
claims to be Islamic, or in a family which claims to belong to Islam.
Neither is it a few words which one repeats again and again. It is the
acceptance of faith which establishes its effects on the actual life,
"and do righteous deeds. " It is entirely different from the words that
go no further than the lips. As for the "righteous deeds", these are
everything Allah has commanded to be done in matters of worship,
behaviour, action and day-to-day dealings. The first and most im-
portant of these 'righteous deeds " is the establishment of Allah's law
on this planet, and the government of people according to what
Allah has legislated. Those who act accordingly are the best creatures
of all .

"Their Lord will reward them with the gardens oJ Eden underneath
which riversflow, where they shall dwell forever. " These gardens are a
specially prepared, permanent and happy dwelling. The happiness is
symbolised here by security against death and by the prevalent feel-
ing of contentment as against the feelings of anxiety which mar and
disrupt all earthly comforts. It is also symbolised by the rivers flow-
ing underneath these gardens; a picture which adds a sense of ease,
life and beauty.

The surah then adds some refined touches to the picture it portrays
of their perpetual happiness: "Allah is well pleased with them and they
with him." This pleasure of Allah with them is much more exalted
and far more enjoyable than any happiness. Moreover, in their
inmost souls they feel their pleasure with their Lord. They are well
pleased with the destiny He has set for them, delighted with the grace
He has granted them, enchanted with this relationship with their
Lord. It is a pleasure which fills the heart and soul with security and
contentment as well as delight and happiness, deep and pure. It is an
expression which suggests unique connotations: "Allah is well
pleased with them and they with him. "

"This is the reward of the godfearing. " This is the final assertion. It
stresses that all that has been said is dependent on the nature of the
relationship between man's heart and Allah. It also depends on
man's having a feeling Of Allah which urges him to all sorts of good
deeds and militates against all sorts of deviation. It is a feeling which
removes the barriers, lifts the curtains and makes man's heart stand
bare before Allah, the One, the All Powerful. It is a feeling which
helps make worship and submission to Allah pure and purges
human actions from all elements of hypocrisy and polytheism. in all
norms. So he who truly fears his Lord cannot allow his heart to en-
tertain the slightest shred of influence by any being other than Allah.
the Creator of all beings. Such a man knows that Allah rejects any
deed by which the doer seeks any being beside Allah. For Allah is in
no need of partners. Every action must be pure for Him or else He
rejects it.

1. 9:30
2. 2:113
3. 5:64
4. 5:72
5. 5:73
6. 109:1-6
7. Abul Hasan Ali NAdwi, Islam and the World.
8. Ibid. pp. 17-18
9. Ibid pp. 9-11
10 5:72
11 5:73
12 5:116
13 Nadwi, Ibid, pp. 3-5

http://nur-ar-ramadan.tripod.com/

http://nur-al-hajj.tripod.com/

nur_al_islaam@yahoo.com

http://soulofhope.blogspot.com/

Site Meter