Translation
You are [by all measure] the best community ever created to benefit mankind, in that you encourage and participate in doing what is right, you discourage and refrain from what is wrong, and you truly believe in One God. If the followers of earlier revelations had believed and attained this level of faith, it would have served them well. Some of them do believe, but most of them are in a state of transgression. They can never do you much harm [as long as you are on the right path]; if they fight you and oppose you, they will not prevail and will not get any help [from God and others]. Ignominy and humiliation will be their fate wherever they might be, except those who bind themselves to God [in submission] and to fellow men [in peaceful coexistence]. They have earned God’s wrath, and humiliation will surround them—all these because they denied God’s grace and killed prophets without justifications; they rebelled against God and have shown persistent transgressions against all that is good and right.199
This does not apply to all of them—there are people among the followers of earlier revelations who recite and reflect on God’s message in the quiet hours of the night, and they truly adore and worship God. They believe in God and the Day of Judgment, enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and they compete with one another in doing good. These are the righteous people. Whatever good they do, they will not be denied its benefits, and God is Ever Aware of those who keep their duty [to God and to fellow human beings].200
Interpretation
199. A set of simple, powerful, and encompassing criteria is given to earn the designation of a best nation on earth: (1) doing and enjoining what is right and righteous, (2) avoiding and restricting others from what is evil and shameful, and (3) true submission to the Almighty God. This designation can be earned by any group of people, whether Muslims, Jews, Christians, or people of other faiths as long as those three conditions are met. In this way, God levels the playing field in the Qur’an by urging everyone, irrespective of their names or religious affiliations, to strive for goodness and to avoid evil. Muslims, in particular, should not feel entitled to this status simply because they call themselves Muslims but because they have truly attained these three conditions. It is important to recognize that God’s grace is conditioned on these attributes and their attainment thereof and not what we choose to call ourselves.
200. Islam clearly recognizes that faith and good works are found in people of all faiths and that God will reward any and all who do good works and have firm faith in God. This democratization of religious belief and consequence of good and evil based on deeds and not based on affiliation is a powerful message that all need to pay attention to, particularly the Muslims who read this wonderful book of revelation every day in their prayer, in their recitation of it regularly, and who complete the entire Qur’an annually during the month of fasting. Given such directives to stay close to this book of revelation and to remind ourselves of its practical and thoughtful guidance, one wonders what is going on with the Muslims of today and certainly of the People of Faith who also read their Torah, Bible, and other books of revelation, all of which call for the same things—to encourage righteousness and justice, to fight against injustice and evil, and to have an enduring faith in One God—the Almighty.
REFLECTION
These few verses convey a universal message of common entitlement and common responsibility to do good, avoid evil, and to cultivate true consciousness of God; we should all (Muslims, Jews, Christians, or people of other faiths) strive to achieve a higher level of goodness in our daily activities and interactions. It is an obligation of every human being, irrespective of our religious affiliations or theological differences. Every human being is given the ability to differentiate between good and evil, between what is just and fair versus unjust and unfair, between a state of peace and a state of anarchy. Everyone is obligated to do his or her best to bring about goodness, justice, and peace in our communities and in the global village as God’s special creation.
ACTION
As God had said in another section of the Qur’an (13:11)—God does not change the condition of a community until they change their own condition (individually and collectively)—the sure way to change our condition is to start changing ourselves, each one of us, toward the common human heritage and destiny of peace, goodness, and faith in the Creator.