TRANSLATION
Death will overcome you wherever you are, even on top of a lofty tower. When good things happen to them, they say, “It is from God.” But when a misfortune or evil touches them, they blame the Prophet [and the faithful]. Say to them, “All is from God.” What possessed these people that they make no effort to comprehend anything they are told? Whatever good comes to you, it is from God, and whatever misfortune falls on you, it is the result of your own actions.
We have sent you [Mohammad] as a Messenger for mankind, and God is sufficient as a Witness to this. Whoever follows the guidance of the Prophet has indeed followed God. But whoever turns away, you [as a Prophet or as a faithful person] are not sent to be their keeper. They say to you, “We are listening.” But when they leave your presence, a group of them, by the darkness of the night, plots to do things other than what they said. And God does write down all that they plot. It is better that you leave them alone and rely on God who is sufficient for you to rely on!259
How is it that they do not ponder and reflect on the Qur’an? Had it been sourced from anyone other than God, they would have found numerous inconsistencies and contradictions!260
INTERPRETATION
259. The attributes of hypocrites and those who opposed the Prophet and the faithful are something that we all need to pay attention to in order to distinguish them but also to remind ourselves that we should not say or do the same while blaming others. No one can avoid death, and all that happens to us is but from our own doing. God does us no harm but only showers blessings multiplied. The evils of such people should not overly consume us; rather, we should put our trust in God and continue to do good things and be faithful to God and to our sublime human nature.
260. The Qur’an has been revealed over a period of twenty-three years, covering an enormous array of subjects—God and His attributes; human conditions; social order; moral and ethical imperatives; historical constructs and facts; confirmation of previous scriptures; future predictions about world order; guidance, laws, and obligations for individuals and societies; life after death; final judgment by God; preeminence of peace and justice for human development; and endowment of knowledge and free will to humanity—all these were revealed to and compiled by an unlettered prophet and his close associates who faced enormous persecution, trials and tribulations, and triumphs and defeats.
The Qur’an itself is a testimony to its origin from God and the angel Gabriel who conveyed the revelations to Prophet Mohammad. The inner consistency, the sublime nature of the message, the conviction of its message and its intended outcome, the enormous compassion and forgiveness extended to our failures, a keen awareness of our own weaknesses, and the practical nature of the guidance are not only remarkable but unprecedented in human history. Only such a book can claim to be the source of guidance for humanity in all of its future, if we pay attention, understand its enormity, and attend to its purpose in shaping our lives and our societies.
REFLECTION
The challenge in the Qur’an regarding its inner consistency and clarity of the message, and the inability of any human being even to produce a chapter like it (large or small) makes the Qur’an stand unchallenged even to this day. The repeated calls to reflect and ponder on the message of the Qur’an and earlier revelations and the unquestioned freedom given to humanity to make choices that will define our success, or lack thereof, truly reflect the enormous grace of God Almighty to humanity at large and to those of us who claim to have faith in particular.
ACTION
Understanding the Qur’an and other books of revelations and assessing and reshaping our human condition is a must for every human being. It is a collective responsibility to create the condition for such understanding and implementation of its guidance in our own lifetimes and in our own social construct, wherever we may live, earn, raise a family, and engage with others.