In the Shade of the Qur'an - Surah # 92
In the Shade of the Qur'an - Surah # 92
Syed Qutb
THE NIGHT
AL-LAIL
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the
Merciful.
By the night when she lets fall her darkness, by the day in full splendour, by Him who
created the male and the female: surely your striving is diverse. For him who gives and is godfearing and believes
in that which is the Best We shall smooth the way to perfect ease. But as for him who is a miser and
deems himself self-sufficient, and calls the Best a lie We shall smooth his way to affliction. His wealth
will not avail him when he falls headlong. It is for Us to give guidance, and to Us belong the End and the Beginning.
I warn you, therefore, of the fiercely blazing fire, in which none shall burn but the most wretched,
who denies the truth and turns away. Preserved from it will be the righteous who gives away his money to purify
himself, not in recompense of any favour done Him by anyone. He simply seeks the pleasure of His Lord,
the Most High. He shall indeed be well content.
In the Shade of the Qur'an
Within a framework of scenes taken from the universe and the realm of human nature, this
surah states emphatically the basic facts of action and reward. This issue had diverse aspects: "Surely your striv- ing
is diverse. For him who gives and is godfearing, and believes in that which is the Best, We shall smooth the way to perfect
ease. But as for him who is a miser and deems himself self-sufficient, and calls the Best a lie, We shall smooth his
way to affliction. " The end in the hereafter is also varied, according to the type of action and the direction taken in this
life: "I warn you, therefore, of the, fiercely blazing fire in which none shall burn but the most wretched, who denies
the truth and turns away. Preserved from it will be the righteous who gives away his money to purify himself. "
The
subject matter of the surah, i.e., action and reward, is by nature double directional, so the framework chosen for it at
the beginning of the surah is of dual colouring. It is based on contrasting aspects in the creation of man and the universe:
"By the night when she lets fall her darkness, by the day in full splendour, by Him who created the male and the female.
" This is one form of artistic harmony extensively used in the Qur'an.' [1]
"By the night when she lets fall her
darkness; by the day in full splen- dour, by Him who created the male and the female. " Allah swears by these two of
His signs, namely, the night and the day, and describes them by the scene each produces on the horizon: the night as she enshrouds
everything with her veil of darkness, and the day as it attains its full splendour. The night covers and conceals thc land
and all there is on it, and the day brightens up and makes every object apparent and visible. The two times are contrasting
in the astro- logical cycle and in their respective scenes, qualities and effects. Allah also swears by His creation
of all species in two contrasting sexes: "by Him who created the male and the female." This completes the contrast
in the general atmosphere of the surah as well, as in the facts it emphasises. The night and the day are two general phenom- ena
which carry a certain message with which they inspire the human heart. The human soul is automatically affected by the
cycle of the night and its curtain and the day and its splendid brightening. This continuous succession of night and
day specks the universe, its mys- terious secrets and phenomena over which man has no control. It suggests that there
is a power which controls time in the universe as if it was a simple wheel. It also tells of the never-ending change in
the universe.
As one contemplates and meditates upon these phenomena one is bound to conclude that there is an
able hand which controls the uni- verse and alternates the night and the day in that perfect, unfailing accuracy. One
is also bound to conclude that the hand of Allah also controls the lives of men. He has not created them in vain, and He does
not abandon them to lead a life without purpose.
However the disbelievers try to drown this reality and divert atten- tion
away from it, the human heart remains responsive to this uni- verse. It receives its intimations and ponders over its changes
and phenomena. Contemplation and meditation endorse its innate feel- ing that there is a Controller whose presence is
bound to be felt and recognised in spite of all nonsense and conceited denials.
The same applies to the creation
of male and female. In man and the mammals it all starts with a living germ settling in a womb, a sperm which unites
with a cell. What is the reason then for this differ- ence in outcome? What is it that says to one germ, "Be a male", and to
another, "Be a female"? Discovery of the operative factors does not make the matter any different. How do the male factors
exist in one case and the female ones in the other? What makes the end pro- duct, I.e., division of the species into
two sexes, so fitting with the course of life as a whole and a guarantee of its continuity through procreation?
Is
it all a coincidence? Even coincidence has a rule which deems it impossible for all those elements to come together accidentally.
The only explanation is that there is a Controller in charge Who creates the male and the female according to a carefully
worked-out plan which has a definite objective. There is no room for chance in the order of this universe.
Moreover,
the male and female division is not limited to mam- malia alone: it is applicable to all animate species, including plants. Singularity
and oneness belong only to the Creator Who has no parallel whatever.
Allah swears by these contrasting aspects of
the universe and of man's creation and constitution that the striving of human beings is diverse, the roads they follow
lead to different ends. Hence, their re- ward is also diverse. Good is not the same as evil, following the right guidance
is unlike wrong-doing, and righteousness is different from corruption. Generosity and godfearing are unlike hoarding and
con- ceit. The faithful are unlike those devoid of faith. Variance of ways necessitates variance of destinations. The
reward is also appropriately different: "Surely your striving is diverse. For him who gives and is godfearing, and
believes in that which is the Best, We shall smooth the way to perfect ease. But as for him who is a miser and deems himself
self-sufficient, and calls the Best a lie, We shall smooth his way to affliction. Iiis wealth will not avail him when
hefallsheadlong."
" Your striving is diverse." It varies in essence, motives, directions and results. Men have diverse
temperaments, environments, con- cepts and concerns, so much so that every man seems to be a distinct world by himself
living in his own, special planet.
This is a fact, but along with it there is another general fact which applies
to all beings and their different worlds. It groups them in two distinct classes and two contrasting positions. It assigns
to each its distinctive label: "who gives and is godfearing and believes in that which is the Best;" and, "who is a
miser and deems himself self- sufficient and calls the Best a lie. "
These are the two positions at which the disparate
souls line up where all the diverse striving and the divergent ways of life end. Each group has its way in this life
smoothed, all obstructions removed: "For him who gives and is godfearing, and believes in that which is Best, We shall
smooth the way to perfect ease." He who is charitable and godfearing and believes in the ideology which has the Best as
its title has indeed done his best to purify himself seeking right guidance. Hence, he deserves the help and grace which
Allah has, by His own will, committed Himself to provide. For without this grace man finds himself absolutely helpless.
He whose path to perfect ease and com- fort is made smooth by Allah achieves something certainly great, and achieves
it with ease and in this life. He lives in ease. Ease flows from him to all around him. Ease becomes characteristic of
his movement, action and handling of all things and situations. Success coupled with quiet contentedness becomes the
distinctive mark of his life, all its details and its general aspects. He attains the highest grade of all, in the sense
that he joins the Prophet as recipients of Allah's promise to His messenger: " We will indeed facilitate for you the way
to perfect ease. '" [2].
But for him who is a miser and deems himself self-sufficient. and calls
the Best a lie We shall smooth his way to affliction. His wealth will not avail him when he falls headlong.
He
who sacrifices nothing of himself or his wealth, professes that he is in no need of His Lord or His guidance and disbelieves
in His message and religion, makes himself most vulnerable to evil. He deserves for so doing that everything should
be made hard for him. Hence, Allah makes easy his path to affliction, and withholds from him all kinds of help. Allah
makes every stride he takes really hard, drives him away from the path of the right guidance, and leaves him to traverse
the valleys of misery, although he may imagine himself to be taking the road to success. How greatly mistaken he is! He
loses balance so he tries to avoid falling only to go down heavily, and finds himself further away from the path set
by Allah, deprived of His pleasure. When he falls headlong eventually he can make no use of the wealth he has hoarded
and which has caused him to imagine him- self in no need of Allah or His guidance. "His wealth will not avail him when
he falls headlong." Facilitating evil and sin is the same as facili- tating the way to affliction, even though the sinful
person may be suc- cessful and prosperous in this life. For is there any affliction worse than Hell? Indeed, Hell is
affliction itself.
Thus the first part of the surah ends having made clear that there are only two ways for all
mankind in all times and places. All human- ity is in two parties under two headings however numerous are their colours
and forms.
The second part states the fate of each group. It emphasises firstly that the end and reward of each
group is fair and inevitable, for guid- ance has been provided and warnings have been issued: "It is for Us to provide
guidance, and to Us belong the End and the Beginning. I warn you, therefore. of the fiercely blazing fire. in which none
shall burn but the most wretched who denies the truth and turns away. Preserved from it will be the righteous, who gives
away his money to purify himself, not in recompense of any favour done him by anyone. He simply seeks the pleasure of
His Lord, the Most High. He shall indeed be well content."
One aspect of Allah's grace and mercy to His servants is
that He has taken upon Himself to provide clear guidance readily acceptable to human nature, and to explain it as well
through His messages and messengers, and by means of the signs He has provided. Thus, no one will have a valid argument
for his deviation, and no one will suffer injustice: "It is for Us to give guidance. "
Then follows a straightforward
statement of the essence of the power which has control over man and all around him, from which he can have no shelter:
"and to Us belong the End and the Beginning. "
By way of elaboration on the two facts just mentioned, namely, Allah's
provision of guidance and that to Him belongs this life and the hereafter, i.e., the realms of actions and reward, there
is a reminder to us that He has cautioned and warned: "I warn you, there- fore, of the fiercely blazing fire. " It is
only the most wretched of man- kind who are thrown in this fire. Indeed there is no wretchedness Worse than suffering
in Hell: "in which none shall burn but the rmost wretched." Then follows a description of the most wretched. It is he
"who denies the truth and turns away." He denies this message and turns away from Divine guidance. He does not answer his
Lord's beckoning to him so that He may guide him as He has promised any one who comes towards Him with open mind.
"Preserved
from it will be the righteous." who will be the happiest in contrast with the most wretched. The righteous, the surah explains,
is the one "who gives away his money to purity himself", not for any vanity or to satisfy any snobbish feeling. He spends
it voluntarily not out of any indebtedness to anybody, seeking no gratitude from anyone. His only objective is the pleasure
of his Lord, the Most Exalted: "nor in recompense of any favour done him by anyone. He simply seeks the pleasure of
his Lord, the Most High. "
What can the righteous person expect in return for spending his money in self-purification,
for the pleasure of his Exalted Lord? The reward which the Qur'an states is indeed astonishing: "He shall indeed be
well content. " It is the satisfaction which fills the believer's heart and soul, animates everything in his life, and
radiates through him. What a reward, and what grace! "He shall indeed be well con- tent. " He will be satisfied with
his religion, his Lord and his destiny. He will be content with whatever befalls him of comfort or dis- comfort, and
whether he is poor or wealthy. He will be free of anxiety and hard feelings. He does not worry about his burden being too heavy
or his objective too far. This satisfaction is in itself a reward, great beyond description. Only the person who sacrifices
hlmself and his wealth for it and who seeks to purify himself and to win the pleas- ure of Allah deserves this reward.
It is Allah alone Who can pour such a reward into the hearts which submit to Him with all sincerity and pure devotion.
Having paid the price, the believer "shall indeed be well content. " At this point, the reward comes as a surprise, but
it is a surprise awaited by the one who attains the standard of the righteous, whose main qualifications are spending
for self purifica- tion and seeking the pleasure of Allah. Such a person will be well pleased and well satisfied.
[1].
For a fuller treatment of this reference may be made to the chapter entitled "Artistic Harmony"
in the author's book "The Qur'anic Art of Picture Drawing" (Arabic).
[2]. 87:8
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