Translation
O People of Faith, do not practice [or participate] in usury, trying to double and redouble your money. Instead, focus on your responsibilities to God and to fellow humans—that is the way to achieve success. This way you will also guard yourself against the fire that is ever present for those who deny God and are not thankful. And pay attention to God and to His prophet so that you may have mercy and peace [from God and from others]. Be ever vigilant to secure forgiveness of God and to endeavor for a Garden [of peace] that is as wide as the heavens and the Earth combined—a Garden that is ever present for those who are responsible [Muttaquin], those who help others during times of plenty as well as in times of difficulty and who control their anger and are ever ready to forgive others. Such are the good people God loves. These are the people who, when they commit an act of indecency or injustice [to themselves or to others], they immediately ask for forgiveness from God, Who alone can forgive sins, and they do not persist in such acts knowingly.205
God rewards them by giving protection [from evils and from evildoers] and a place in a Garden [of peace and plenty] in which rivers flow. How excellent is the reward that God provides for being a good worker! You can travel around the world and see for yourself such examples and also what was the fate of those who were ungrateful to and denied God. These are profound statements—a source of guidance and words of caution for those who feel responsible to God and to fellow humans.206
Interpretation
205. These verses articulate some of the key attributes of those who pay attention to being good:
· They pay serious attention to God and His messengers.
· They do not make their fellow beings suffer from financially burdensome and unjust acts of usury.
· They steadfastly avoid evil acts that might propel them toward hellfire and do acts of justice and compassion that move them closer to Heaven (garden of peace).
· They seek forgiveness from and show forgiveness to others.
· They help others in days of plenty and in days of meager means.
· They recognize immediately their own acts of injustice and indecency to correct themselves and do not persist with such acts.
206. Human history is full of examples of people of diverse activities and the consequences they have attained or suffered that resulted from their good acts or evil acts as individuals and as communities. The consequences of our activities are reflected and played out over times in our own lives and in the lives of our children and grandchildren and will continue into the afterlife when we will see clearly (if not in this life) the true nature and outcome of our individual and collective pursuits of meaning or vanity in this life and on this planet.
REFLECTION
One should deeply reflect on the consequence of our own actions as individuals and as nations—pursuit of financial inequality, lack of fairness, not practicing forgiveness, persistence of evil and unjust acts, being unmindful of the message from God, His prophets, and other people of goodwill, the contrast of fire in the afterlife versus the garden on this earth that results from such contrasting works and diverse aspirations of human minds and human conditions. It is all too evident already in our current world situation and in the history of the past. We see it, we know it, and we feel it. The question is, what can we and what should we do about it during our own lifetime, a span of time that God gifted us to advance the cause of human dignity and well-being on this planet?
ACTION
We have to act to make changes in our lives and in our conditions. Small acts of individuals add up to colossal changes in the way we run and shape our societies and nations. Let’s remind ourselves of another message from the Qur’an (13:11), where God says that He does not change the condition of a people until they themselves change their own condition. This is the real challenge that God, His prophets, and our leaders, teachers, parents, and well-wishers continue to impress on us each and every day!