TRANSLATION
Have you encountered those who, having received their portion of the revelations, still believe in superstitions, do evil worshipping, and practice sorcery? They even say to those who disbelieve that they are better guided than those who believe! It is these people that God rejects, and whomever God rejects will not find a helper. Is it that they have a share in the Kingdom of God? If they did, they would not share even a speck with others. Or is it that they envy those who received God’s grace? Do they not know that God did the same to Abraham’s children—giving them the book (of revelation), guidance with wisdom, and a grand kingdom? [As you can see], there are some among them who believe, and there are others who shun him [the Prophet]. Hellfire is sufficient for punishment. Those who persistently deny God’s messages, God will cause them to endure the punishment of fire. Every time their skins will be burned off, We will replace them with new skins so that they may suffer punishment [to its due measure]. God is Mighty and Wise.252
But those who believe and do good, God will make them enter Paradise of peace and plenty [with the river flowing] to live therein forever. There, they will find mates of matching disposition and a place of enduring comfort.253
INTERPRETATION
252. These verses highlight some of the conditions of the followers of Moses, in particular during the early days of Islam in Arabia, and followers of other religions in general, where they (1) refused to acknowledge new revelations that corroborated what they already received and recited, (2) gave preference to people who did not believe to people of faith, (3) persisted in practices of false belief, sorcery, or other evil practices to align with people whom they perceived as friends over people of faith, and (4) envied people who were more inclined to faith and goodness rather than aligning themselves with them. One should note that such alignment is also seen in many Muslims today, where they align with corrupt leaders, adopt unjust social and political practices, make and follow false interpretations of the Qur’an, and hide under questionable prophetic traditions.
Recently I have seen a number of tweets about Islamic Shariah being relevant. As I reflect on this verse and the intent of this verse, I have to say that first off, we need to change the label from Shariah to laws of justice (adl) and goodness (ehsan), and such laws need to conform to Qur’anic teaching in its most comprehensive sense and to verifiable practices of the Prophet (in principles and not in letters) and has to be constantly shaped and adjusted by every generation. Without constant reviews and adaptation, such rules and guidance will become irrelevant, such as the current state of so-called Islamic Shariah today, which has become a tool of political and religious tyrants to oppress the masses and to perpetuate their unholy hold on corrupt power and practices and has very little to do with Islamic teachings of justice, gender equality, pluralism, and goodness.
253. Contrast is also drawn to the consequence of lack of faith and evil practices versus adherence to true faith and goodness. The follower of the former practices is destined to hellfire, where his or her suffering will be unceasing, and the destination of the follower of the latter practices is toward Paradise, where peace, tranquility, and good companionship will be the order of the day. Some of these conditions manifest during our lives on this earth, where we have some control over our pursuits and outcomes. But the eventual outcome of lasting and final judgment will occur in the life after death, when we will have no control over our destiny except the benefit of our pursuits on this planet.
This is something we all need to pay due attention to in our time, where secularism, the allure of ill-defined humanism, and lack of faith in God and the afterlife are eating away at our sense of purpose and meaning on this planet. People of faith and goodness have to look deeply inside and reinterpret their faith and what goodness is in a new light and make it relevant to our contemporary society and our world as we know it. It cannot be based on blind adherence to previous generations and their ways of life, no matter how glorious that might seem to us.
REFLECTION
While the condition of the previous followers of the books and the followers of previous prophets are described and their lack of continued faith in God and goodness is questioned, it should serve as a reminder to the Muslims of today as we are also falling into similar conditions. Prevalence of widespread illiteracy in the world; lack of understanding, appreciation of, and commitment to the guidance of God; and our mutual envy and enmity is causing a serious void in true faith, adherence to false beliefs and prevalence of injustice, and inequality and marginalization of large segments of world population. This is not the outcome that God and prophets of all ages approve of or sought to bring about.
ACTION
We need to internalize the consequence of being in Hell versus Heaven, what drives one toward Hell versus Heaven, and how we can ensure that our activities reflect such understanding. True faith and understanding of the natural consequence of our actions in this life will help us navigate the waters of this life and the shores of Heaven or Hell, where we will land after our deaths.
Key Arabic Terms
83. Jibt: Idol, sorcery, worthless thing
84. Taaghut: Outside of guidance, extremism