Translation
(Consider) when We [God] show people our mercy and good life after an adversity, they immediately start to question (plot against) our messages. Inform them: “God is even quicker in developing a plot.” Indeed, our messengers (angels and others) write down what you plot. (Know that) it is He [God] who enables you to travel by land and sea. You are on a ship and you set sail in good weather, delighted in it, until violent wind come from nowhere and big wave surrounds you from all sides; you feel you have no escape. Then you begin to pray to God, with sincerity and submission to His will: “God, if You deliver us from this, you will find us grateful.” Yet, once He gives them deliverance, they turn to evils [yabghuna] on this earth against all truth.
O mankind, such defiance only acts against your own selves—such freedom [provision]is only extended in this life. Then you will come back to Us and We will inform you about your conducts and pursuits. 465
The life of on this planet can be explained in this parable: We [God] sends down rain from up above and cause vegetations to flourish which become the source of nourishment for mankind and animals alike. Such abundance of growth beautifies the earth with color, fragrance and joyful presence and people begins to believe that they have become the master of their fortune and this earth. But Our [God’s] reminders come by day or by night and We render the earth like a field freshly mown down, as if it did not exist the day before. This is how We [God]spell out the details for those who wish to reflect (and repurpose their lives). 466
Interpretation
465 Our transient life on this planet is a gift from God and an opportunity to demonstrate our goodness toward one another while affirming our faith in God and our acknowledgment of His grace and blessings. Yet some, if not too many, of us, when life is good, not only become unmindful of such responsibilities and relationships but actively engage in evil thoughts, denial of God, and acting in a manner that not only harms ourselves but others, including the very earth that we draw our livelihood and nourishment from. There is an example of being in a ship and taking delight in the gentle breeze, assured of enjoyment and safe landing, only to encounter strong winds and big waves that threaten the ship and everyone on it. We all have seen this, whether we are in a car, on a plane, or on a ship, and when calamity hits, we all instinctively turn to God, as we find no other resort for help and safety at the moment. This happens to every one of us when we encounter sickness that does not seem to go away, a pregnancy that is endangered, a job we seek so dearly, a conflict we are caught in without any involvement, or an evil whose negative effect is finally on us—we all have been in such situations, and we turn to God for support and guidance and with remorse, but once such situations return to normal, we tend to forget our vulnerability and act like God is remote and has extended all the freedom to act in whatever way we desire and not the way we should.
466 This verse is really for those of us who are relatively well off, the developed countries and societies, when we behave as if our wealth is permanent or our prosperity is assured and then calamity hits, an armed conflicts is on us due to greed, corruption, and injustice, a random act of violence or hate hits innocent people around us—all of these are reminders that we need to bring a sense of purpose in our lives, treat each with respect and equality, seek the truth, and establish justice and align with God Who created us, placed us on this planet, and made all necessary provisions for our survival and prosperity. Without such alignment and acute awareness of our roles and responsibilities and our final return to God, where our aspirations and pursuits will lay open before us, we will continue to go after self and narrow interests, oppress and deprive people to accumulate wealth to ourselves. We will destroy our water, our air, and our land for the benefit of the few and cause harms to billions for the comfort of the few. This is already happening and is upon us like a heavy stone that we are caught underneath and cannot seem a find a way to dislodge it.
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REFLECTION
The condition of the world and the people in it are a stark reminder to all of us that something is amiss in our existence. Extreme poverty and income inequality are on us; a few corporations and their shareholders have managed to destroy the quality of our land, our air, and our water, while billions suffer the consequence and live without a living wage. Our government and institutions have become corrupt, political parties and operatives are loyal to donors while ignoring the demands and needs of the citizens, and we continue to build weapons of mass destruction while the majority of human population suffers from lack of education, inadequate health care, and marginally safe environments in which to live and prosper.
ACTION
Social consciousness and personal accountability that emanate from belief in God and our shared human destiny are needed more than ever to bring our world back to a semblance of normalcy. This will require each one of us acting in good faith, in the interest of all rather than our narrow personal and business interests, making our organizations and enterprises responsive to uplifting all around us rather than our few stakeholders and shareholders, bringing human and citizens’ interests before party interests and power grabs, and uncompromising commitments to protect and nurture our earth, not only for us, the current generation, but all of our future generations. This is the legacy that each one of us and every generation needs to live by before we are gathered before God to account for our lives and our pursuits and conducts.
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Key Arabic Term
137. Yabghuna—rebellion, causing mischief, acts of evil against any deference to truth (10:23)