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Sun., Sep. 16, 2007 /
Ramadan 4, 1428
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Guidance for Humanity |
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The Qur'anic Cure*
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[ We
bestow of the Qur'an from on high what serves
as a healing and a blessing to true believers,
while it only adds to the ruin of the
evildoers. Yet when We bestow Our blessings on
man, he turns his back and draws arrogantly
aside, and when he is afflicted by evil he
gives himself up to despair. Say,
"Everyone acts according to his own
disposition. Your Lord is fully aware as to
who has chosen the best path."]
(Al-Israa' 17:82-84)
There is certainly a cure and a blessing
for those whose hearts are full of faith. Such
hearts brighten up and become ready to receive
what the Qur'an imparts of grace, reassurance,
and security.
There is in the Qur'an a healing power that
cures obsession, anxiety, and hesitation. It
establishes a bond between believers' hearts
and God. This bond imparts inner peace to
believers as they experience a feeling of
security in God's protection. They are happy
and satisfied with what they receive from God
and contented with their lot in life. Anxiety,
hesitation, and obsession are all terrible to
experience. As the Qur'an dispels all these,
it is indeed a blessing for true believers.
In the Qur'an we have a cure from greed,
envy, and evil thoughts. All these cause
sickness of the heart and mind, leading to
debility and utter ruin. As the Qur'an cures
these, it is a tool of grace bestowed by God
on those who truly believe in Him.
The Qur'an also provides a cure from
deviant thoughts and feelings. It protects the
mind from going far astray, while allowing it
complete freedom within its fruitful pursuits.
It stops the mind from wasting its energy over
what is devoid of use. It lays down for it a
sound approach that ensures good and useful
results.
The same principle applies to the human
body, ensuring that its resources are utilized
for what is useful and fruitful, steering
human beings away from the suppression of
natural desires or indulgence without
restraint. Thus it ensures a healthy body. In
this again we see that the Qur'an is a means
of God's grace that is bestowed on believers.
There is also in the Qur'an a cure for
social ailments that weaken the structure of
society and destroy its peace and security.
Under the social system established by the
Qur'an, society enjoys perfect justice in
peace and security. This is again a further
aspect of grace bestowed through the Qur'an.
However, the Qur'an [only
adds to the ruin of the evildoers]
(Al-Israa' 17:82). They make no use of the
cure it provides or the blessings it brings
about. They look with dismay at the believers
as they feel proud to be among the followers
of the Qur'an. In their stubborn arrogance,
the evildoers persist with their corrupt and
unjust methods. Yet in this life, they are
defeated by the followers of the Qur'an, which
makes them losers. In the life to come, they
suffer for their arrogant disbelief and
tyranny, and thus they lose again. Hence the
Qur'an adds to their ruin.
When man is left to his own devices,
without the cure and blessing of the Qur'an,
and without consistent restraint of his whims
and desires, he moves between two extremes:
when he enjoys good fortune, he is arrogant
and ungrateful, and when he experiences
hardship he is given to despair.
[ Yet
when We bestow Our blessings on man, he
turns his back and draws arrogantly aside,
and when he is afflicted by evil he gives
himself up to despair.]
(Al-Israa' 17:83)
Blessings and good fortune lead to
arrogance unless one remembers where they come
from and give thanks to God who bestowed them.
On the other hand, when people are afflicted
by difficulty and hardship, they are easily
lost in despair unless they trust in God and
hope to receive His grace. It is when one
truly relies on God that one feels that
hardship will give way to what is better. This
makes it clear that faith ensures God's grace
in situations of ease and difficulty alike.
The surah then states that everyone and
every camp acts according to the path it
follows. The final verdict on methods and
actions is left to God alone: [Say:
Everyone acts according to his own
disposition. Your Lord is fully aware as to
who has chosen the best path.]
(Al-Israa' 17: 84)
In this statement we have an implicit
warning as to the results of approaches and
deeds. Hence, everyone needs to heed the
warnings and strive to follow the path of
divine guidance which is available to
all.
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* This
article is based on the English translation of
the author's work Fi Zhilal Al-Qur'an (In the
Shade of the Qur'an), Volume VI, Trans. and
ed. by Adil Salahi, published by The Islamic
Foundation and IslamOnline.net.
Sayed Qutb (1906-1966)
was a prominent and influential Muslim
intellectual and writer. He wrote many books
about Islam and its distinctive features as a
comprehensive way of life. Among his most
important works is his exegesis of the Qur'an
In the Shade of the Qur'an, which was widely
welcomed among Muslims and established itself
as one of the best references in Qur'an
exegesis.
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