No Escape From God

A Commentary by Sayyid Qutb

In the Name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Most Merciful

Are they not aware how God creates [life] in the first instance, and then brings it forth anew? This is indeed easy for God. Say: “Go all over the earth and see how God has originated His creation in the first instance; and then He will certainly bring about the second life. Most certainly, God has the power over all things. He punishes whom He will, and bestows His mercy on which He wills. To Him you shall be made to return. And never can you elude Him, neither on earth nor in the skies. You have none to protect you from God and none to give you support.” Those who deny God’s signs and the meeting with Him are indeed the ones who abandon all hope of My mercy. It is for these that grievous suffering awaits.

[Abraham’s] people’s only answer was: “Kill him, or burn him!” But God saved him from the fire. In this there are signs for people who believe.

[The Spider, Al-Ankabut: 29: 19-24]

These verses represent a brief pause the surah makes in the middle of its narrative of the history of earlier prophets, which started with Noah’s long advocacy of his message, continuing for 950 years, before the floods overwhelmed them for their stubborn resistance.

The surah then speaks about Abraham and how he presented the divine message to his people. However, this pause comes early in its narrative of Abraham’s story with his people. They speak about the start of creation and God’s might.

Part of God’s power over all things is that He punishes whomever He wills and bestows His grace over whomever He wills. To Him all mankind returns; none escapes Him and none can evade His will: “He punishes whom He will, and bestows His mercy on which He will. To Him you shall be made to return. And never can you elude him, neither on earth nor in the skies. You have none to protect you from God and none to give you support.”

Punishment and mercy are subject to God’s will in the sense that He has given clear guidance and made the way of error clear for all. He has given man the propensity to follow either. The choice belongs entirely to man. However, when man chooses to believe in God and shows a willingness to follow His guidance, God will help him as He has committed Himself to do so. On the other hand, when he turns away from divine guidance he becomes isolated and lives in error. The two ways then lead to either God’s mercy in the first case or to His punishment in the latter.

“To Him you shall be made to return.” In this instance, the surah uses the word tuqlabun, which carries connotations of violent return, to suit what follows: “And never can you elude him, neither on earth nor in the skies.” You have no power to save yourselves from return to God. Neither your own power that you have on earth nor that of those whom you sometimes worship, such as the angels or jinn, thinking that they have power in the skies, have any effect: “You have none to protect you from God and none to give you support.” [Verse 22] How can there be any protection or support against God? Who could give it: Man, angel, or jinn? They are all God’s creatures and servants. They cannot cause benefit or harm even to themselves, let alone anyone else.

“Those who deny God’s signs and the meeting with Him are indeed the ones who abandon all hope of My mercy. It is for these that grievous suffering awaits.” Man does not despair of God’s mercy except when he totally disbelieves, cutting all relations with his Lord. Again man does not disbelieve except when he despairs of establishing a relation between himself and God, abandoning all hope God’s grace. The end then is well known: “It is for these that grievous suffering awaits.”

After this intervening address aimed at everyone who denies faith generally and at Abraham’s people by implication, the surah reports his people’s reply to his call. It is a very strange and singular reply; one which shows the arrogance of disbelief and oppression that relies on force and authority: “[Abraham’s] people’s only answer was: ‘Kill him, or burn him!’ But God saved him from the fire. In this there are signs for people who believe.” [Verse 24] To kill or burn a man is their only response to a simple, clear and logical call with which he addressed their hearts and minds.

How could Abraham alone and deprived of all power stand up to such arrogant brutality? Therefore, God intervened in a direct and open manner, with a miracle no human could have expected: “God saved him from the fire.” Indeed his saving in this miraculous way should have been seen as clear evidence confirming his message, but only a person whose heart is ready to embrace faith looks at it in this light. Abraham’s people, however, did not believe despite this miracle. This shows, then, that miracles do not give guidance. Instead, it is necessary to have an open mind, one willing to accept the truth and divine guidance: “In this there are signs for people who believe.” [Verse 24]

The first of these signs was Abraham’s saving from the fire. The second was the impotence of tyranny to harm just one man standing alone, when God wanted him saved. The fact that miracles do not ensure acceptance of God’s guidance by hardened hearts was the third sign. In confirmation of this fact one only needs to look at the history of divine messages, and reflect on the way people’s hearts change, and also on the factors that enable people to accept guidance as well as those that leave them astray.

© Arab News

Stubborn Resistance in the Extreme.

A Commentary by Sayyid Qutb

In the Name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Most Merciful

We sent Noah to his people and he dwelt among them for a thousand years bar fifty; and then the floods overwhelmed them as they were deep in wrongdoing; but We saved him, together with all those who were in the ark, which We made as a sign for all people.

And Abraham said to his people: “Worship God, and fear Him. This is best for you, if you but knew it! You worship only idols instead of God, and thus you create falsehood.

Those that you worship instead of God do not have it in their power to provide sustenance for you. Seek, then, all sustenance from God, and worship Him alone and be grateful to Him. Indeed, to Him you shall return. If you disbelieve, other communities also disbelieved before your time. A messenger of God is not bound to do more than clearly deliver His message”.

[The Spider, Al-Ankaboot: 29: 14-18]

“We sent Noah to his people and he dwelt among them for a thousand years bar fifty.” The weightier view is that the duration of Noah’s message was 950 years, preceded by an undefined period before he received his revelations and followed by an unspecified period after he and the believers were saved from the floods. This is certainly a very long life that seems to us, nowadays, to be unnatural and unknown in humanity. Yet we have this information from the most truthful source, God Almighty. This is more than sufficient for it to be accepted as true. If we want some sort of explanation for it, we could say that the human population of the earth at that time was small. It is possible, therefore, that God gave those early generations longer lives so that life on earth could progress. When human numbers increased, there was no longer any need for such long lives. This reflects a phenomenon applicable to some species. For example, certain types of eagle, vulture and turtle can live for centuries. Contrast this with flies, which breed in their millions, and which have a life span as short as two weeks, or less. All wisdom belongs to God, and everything He does is according to a careful measure. Furthermore, despite the near millennium of Noah’s advocacy of the divine message there were still only a small number of believers. The floods swept away the overwhelming majority because of their continued opposition to the divine message. Only the small numbers of believers were saved in the ark. This story of the floods and the ark was to become “a sign for all people,” telling us about the end of unbelief and injustice.

The surah moves on several centuries bringing into focus the divine message as preached by Abraham: “And Abraham said to his people: ‘Worship God, and fear Him. This is best for you, if you but knew it! You worship only idols instead of God, and thus you create falsehood. Those that you worship instead of God do not have it in their power to provide sustenance for you. Seek, then, all sustenance from God, and worship Him alone and be grateful to Him. Indeed, to Him you shall return. If you disbelieve, other communities also disbelieved before your time. A messenger of God is not bound to do more than clearly deliver His message.’”

Abraham’s call to his people was clear, unambiguous and very well structured. It served as a good model for all advocates of the divine faith. He started by telling them of the true nature of his message: “Worship God, and fear Him.” Furthermore, he made this appealing to them, stating that it contained much goodness for them, if they would only know it: “This is best for you, if you but knew it!” In other words, if they were not ignorant, they would choose what was good for them. This is a simple and real truth that needs no fiery speeches to impart its essence.

Then Abraham explains how flawed their religion is, especially their worship of wooden statues. What an absurd substitute for worshipping the Almighty! Secondly, evidence to support their beliefs was completely lacking; they only invented what was false. Furthermore, such statues and idols are of no benefit, as they cannot provide people with anything: “Those that you worship instead of God do not have it in their power to provide sustenance for you.”

Then Abraham directs people to seek their provisions from God. On Him alone should they rely for what is most important in their lives: “Seek, then, all sustenance from God.” Provisions and sustenance are people’s first preoccupation, particularly those who have not experienced the meaning of faith. Yet to seek sustenance from God alone is the most obvious thing to do.

Finally, Abraham calls on them to address their worship and thanks to God who grants sustenance and bestows blessings on all creatures: “And worship Him alone and be grateful to Him.” He also tells them that their return to God is inevitable. It is better for them, then, that they should turn to Him now as believers and address their worship and gratitude to Him alone: “Indeed, to Him you shall return.” [Verse 17]

If they continue to disbelieve, however, it is of no consequence. They will not affect God in the least. Nor will His Messenger lose anything. Many were the communities that denied God’s message in the past. God’s messengers’ only task is to deliver His message with the utmost clarity: “If you disbelieve, other communities also disbelieved before your time. A messenger of God is not bound to do more than clearly deliver His message.”

Thus, Abraham shows them the way to belief, addressing their hearts with the utmost precision. It is useful for advocates of the divine message to reflect on and emulate Abraham’s method.

The Test Could Take Many Forms.

The Test Could Take Many Forms.

 Sayyid Qutb

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent

Alif. Lam. Mim.

Do people think that once they say: “We are the believers”, they would be left alone and not be put to a test?

We certainly tested those who lived before them; and so most certainly God knows those who speak the truth and most certainly He knows those who are liars.

[The Spider, Al-Ankaboot: 29:1-3]

These verses at the beginning of the surah speak of the test that God put before people who accept His faith and declare their readiness to implement His message. Going through a test is an important part of a believer’s life. To attain the status of a believer is not a mere declaration that a person is convinced of the central idea of faith; it is a commitment that imposes duties and responsibilities. A believer must prove that he or she is equal to the task. We also mentioned that the test could take many forms, and we cited the examples of physical harm caused by opponents of the divine message to the believer himself or to his family; the pressures brought to bear on a believer by his loved ones not to expose himself or them to such hardship, the attainment of high position, power and wealth by other people while a believer languishes in poverty and hardship.

Yet another form is to feel oneself alone in a strange environment. A believer looks around and finds everything and everyone swimming with the sweeping tide that runs contrary to the truth he knows, while he stands alone without support.

We see nowadays a different type of test in the form of communities and states where vice is widespread, yet they reflect a progressive society and civilized style of life. In such communities, people find good standards of care and protection. Moreover, despite their turning away from God’s path, such people are both strong and affluent.

There is, however, one test that is harder than all the rest. This comes from within, where the lure of desire, enjoyment and pleasure becomes very strong, or at least comfort and security appear too tempting. This makes following the line of faith difficult and the difficulty may be compounded by other obstacles that a believer may have to contend with in his community.

If time marches on under such conditions and God’s support seems slow in coming, the test becomes even more difficult and harder to endure. Only those strengthened by God will remain steadfast. These are the ones who prove the truth of faith and can be given the great trust that God in heaven wants to place on earth.

What we have to understand is that God has no desire to put believers to such hard tests or cause them much suffering. It is all part of their preparation to take up the trust and fulfill its requirements. They must go through special preparations that can only be achieved through enduring real difficulties, withstanding pain and overcoming desires while being truly certain of God’s support or His reward, long as the hardship may continue and severe as the suffering may be.

The human soul is tested with difficulties and hardships. It is thus purged of any vile influence. All its latent powers are thus mobilized and it acquires further strength and solidity. This is the effect of hardship on communities. Only the strongest remain steadfast. These are the ones who maintain the closest relation with God, and remain absolutely confident that the path of faith will inevitably lead them to one of the two goodly eventualities: Victory or reward. To these the banner is eventually entrusted, and they are certainly worthy of it.

The trust they receive is very dear to them, particularly because of the high price they have had to give for it, enduring pain and suffering, and sacrificing much in its service. A person who gives much of himself and his comforts, who endures hardship and adversity will definitely hold dear the trust for which he has withstood so much. He will not abandon it easily.

As for the eventual triumph of faith and truth, this is something God has promised. No believer entertains any doubt that what God promises will certainly come true. If it is felt to be slow in coming, this must be for a particular purpose that will most certainly benefit faith and the faithful. No one is keener than God to protect His faith and the people who adopt it sincerely. Those believers who endure hardship should always bear in mind that it is sufficient for them to be the ones God has chosen to be entrusted with the truth. Indeed, God confirms that they have strong faith, for He has chosen them to be tested.

An authentic Hadith states: “The most severely tested are prophets, then the most pious people, then the ones closest to these, one degree after another. A man will be tested in accordance with his strength of faith. If he proves himself strong, the severity of his test is increased.”

[ Via  Arab News]