Chapter 5: Surah Al-Maidah (The Repast) : Verses 33-37

Translation

The only punishment befitting those who engage in war against God and His apostles (against truth and justice) and make mischief and widespread corruption on earth (i.e., killing, oppression, destruction of environment, financial inequality, etc., in a persistent manner) is that they be murdered, crucified, hands and feet cut off, or vanished from earth (i.e., in a manner and with deterrent that is most effective and lawful in contemporary world). This is their (deserved) disgrace on this earth and in their Afterlife, (God will bring just and) grievous punishment to them. But if any of them repent before they are overpowered, then God is Ever Forgiving and Merciful. 305

O People of Faith: Be mindful of your responsibility to God (and to fellow humans) and always seeks ways to get close to God (and fellow humans) and strive diligently on the path toward God (and goodness to others), that you may find and achieve success. 306

Those who deny the grace of God (and oppose goodness), they will be willing to offer all that they had on earth and more than that on the Day of Resurrection, to avoid the consequence of their evil deeds; but such bargain will not be accepted and they will face an awful chastisement. They will desire to come out of the Fire but will not (be able to) come out of it; their chastisement will be long lasting.

Interpretation

305 There should be zero tolerance toward abuse of human rights, corruption of social justice, torture, oppression, and denial of freedom to human beings by anyone in any society at any time. The human condition had led us from time to time to observe large-scale violations of human rights and persistent oppression against people and what is good. Unfortunately, in our recent history, we have seen evidence of gross violations of human dignity such as the Holocaust, slavery on the American continent, colonial rule in large parts of the world, atrocities during various wars fought in Europe and Asia by different powers, the excess of communists in Russia and China, apartheid in South Africa, abuse and large-scale corruption, and abuse of national wealth by leaders such as Gaddafi and others in Middle East and Africa. These types of situations call for extraordinary measures to face force with force to prevent the spread of such abuse and to put in place measures to contain and eliminate such possibilities, while leaving room for cessation of hostilities, if the party responsible amends their behavior and commits to peace; overpowering force should not inflict injustice in the name of justice either.

306 In the face of injustice, people of faith have a serious responsibility to strive for justice and sustain a just society. Their faith should make them ever conscious of social justice, which manifests itself in the form of building social cohesiveness and closeness among human beings, just as their faith should make them come closer to God. This parallel endeavor to be close to God and to bring people closer is a fundamental obligation and striving for it is the primary criteria by which God will judge people of faith and define their success in this life and also in the Afterlife.

***

REFLECTION

Denial of justice and peace in a society is a serious crime and a serious disruption to the human condition on this planet. Such a situation calls for active engagement against the forces of evil and injustice by people of faith, whose stance on such situations will deter the forces of evil. Such a stance will always leave room for forgiveness and a sense of humility when victory is achieved, and peace is restored.

ACTION

Our faith in God and in goodness demands that we be ever vigilant against oppression and injustice in society. A lack of social consciousness will lead to anarchy, oppression, and denial of social justice, as we are witnessing around the world and in many Muslim countries.