In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

This passage is closely linked to the previous one. Indeed, some of its verses comment on the events that followed the incident where an innocent Jew was accused of a crime he did not commit. One of the events in question is the apostasy of Bashīr ibn Ubayriq and his reversion to old, ignorant beliefs to which reference is made in this passage. The passage also talks about the concepts and beliefs of Jāhiliyyah, or ignorant society, clearly linking these to Satan. The passage makes it absolutely clear that the sin that will never be forgiven is that of associating any partner with God. He may forgive anything else, as He pleases.

The passage also refers to talks people have in secret and their plotting against each other, making it clear that much of this secret talk brings no good; a clear example being the falsely accused Jew. It outlines the types of secret talks which are acceptable to God. These include the urging of one another, in private, to do good, to donate to charity, and to bring about reconciliation between people, etc. It also outlines the reward for each type of talk as administered by God.

The passage finally states the absolutely fair rules of requital by God for human actions. This is not subject to anyone’s desire or preference. Indeed, it has nothing to do with the desires of either the Muslim community or the followers of other Divine religions. Requital is based on God’s absolute justice and on the truth which yields to no one’s desire. Had truth been subject to people’s desires, the heavens and earth would have been set along the road to utter corruption.

As we see, the whole passage is closely linked, in subject matter and treatment, to the preceding one. On the other hand, it formulates a part of the judicious method of education that prepares the Muslim community for its guiding role, so that it may assume the leadership of humanity by virtue of its superior education and organisation. The passage deals with some aspects of human weakness and some of the remaining practices of the old ignorant community. Thus, the Qur’ān helps make the Muslim community ready to fulfil its task in the confrontation with opposing camps. This is the ultimate objective of this sūrah in all its themes, and of the Qur’ān as a whole.

No good comes out of much of their secret talks; except for one who enjoins charity, or justice, or setting things right between people. To him who does this out of a longing for God’s goodly acceptance We shall in time grant a rich reward. (Verse 114)

The order to refrain from secret talks is repeated more than once in the Qur’ān.

Here, it is a group of people who meet away from the rest of the Muslim community and leadership in order to decide on a certain matter in secret. The Islamic method of education and organisation in the Muslim community was such that any person could put his question or problem to the Prophet, either in private if the matter was personal, or in public, if it was of common interest. The aim was that no “pockets” should be formed within the Muslim community and that no groups be isolated by concepts, interests, ideas or aims different from the rest of the Muslim community.

No group within the Muslim community should decide on any matter under the cover of darkness, and then either confront the community with it as a fait accompli, or conceal it. Whatever such a group may do, it cannot conceal its action from God who remains present in all situations. The prohibition of secret talks in this case is only one of several Qur’ānic references objecting to such clandestine dealings, away from the rest of the Muslim community.

It was in the mosque that the Muslim community usually met to offer worship and to conduct its life affairs. The whole community was an open one, dealing with all its problems publicly, unless these pertained to military engagements with the enemy, or were of a highly personal and private nature. Hence, this open society remained clean, maintaining a pure atmosphere. None but conspiring enemies, harbouring ill intentions or trying to subvert Islam’s guiding principles, isolated themselves in such a community. Furthermore, these were most likely to be hypocrites. Hence, secret talks by small groups have been linked in most cases to hypocrisy and the hypocrites.

This fact is very useful to us. A Muslim community must be free of such actions.

Individuals in the Muslim community should refer to their leadership with whatever thoughts they may have or what occurs to them of ideas or problems.

The sūrah excludes types of secret talks that do not exactly belong to this category, but which may take the same form: “Except for one who enjoins charity, or justice, or setting things right between people.” (Verse 114) This means that one good person meets another and says, “Let us give something in charity to this or that person, for I have come to know from private sources that he is in need.” Or he may urge him to do something good to maintain fairness between people, or invite him to work with him in order to bring reconciliation between two Muslims who are involved in a dispute.

Such good people may collaborate to fulfil any of these objectives and they may decide in private on their line of action. This sort of thing is neither plotting nor conspiracy. Hence, the Qur’ān uses the word “enjoin” to describe it, even though its apparent form is the same as clandestine talking, as it involves one good person speaking to others in private, urging them to collaborate in some good action.

It is important, however, that the overriding motive is to earn God’s pleasure: “To him who does this out of a longing for God’s goodly acceptance We shall in time grant a rich reward.” (Verse 114) There must he no element of holding favour against someone, or favouring a particular person with charity, or mending relations between favoured individuals. A person who enjoins such actions must not do so in pursuit of earning a good reputation for himself as one who loves charity and works hard to mend relations between people. Indeed, there must be no element of motive behind such good actions other than seeking God’s pleasure. This is the determining factor which makes one good action easy to please God and earn a rich reward from Him, and one that incurs God’s displeasure and is recorded by Him as a bad deed. The latter action may have the same appearance or form, but the difference is that it is undertaken for the wrong motives.

But as for him who, after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, puts himself in contention with God’s Messenger and follows a path other than that of the believers — him shall We leave to that which he himself has chosen, and shall cause him to endure hell. How evil a journey’s end. For a certainty, God does not forgive that partners should be associated with Him, but He forgives any lesser sin to whomever He wills.

He who associates partners with God has indeed gone far astray. (Verses 115-16)

It is reported that the reason behind the revelation of these verses was that Bashīr ibn Ubayriq, who had joined the Muslim ranks, reverted to disbelief “after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him.” Thus, he followed a different path to that of the believers. But the statement is general and applicable to every case in which a person puts himself in contention with God’s Messenger. To be opposed to the Prophet is to disbelieve in God and His message.

The Arabic expression used in the original text of the Qur’ān and rendered here as being “in contention” with the Prophet means, in its linguistic sense, taking a stand opposite to that taken by another. Hence to put oneself “in contention with God’s Messenger” is to choose a life other than that followed by the Prophet. God’s Messenger has come forward preaching a message that comprises a whole system for life, including faith and worship as well as a legal code legislating for all practical aspects of daily life. The faith and the legal code together constitute the body of this whole system. Should one part of it be adopted and the other neglected, then the whole body, and indeed the whole system, are in ruin. A person brings himself in contention with God’s Messenger when he denies his system in total, or believes in parts of it and denies other parts, implementing the former and ignoring the latter.

It is an aspect of God’s grace bestowed on mankind that they will not be doomed to suffer the punishment of hell until He has sent them a Messenger who explains to them His guidance but which they reject and choose falsehood instead. This shows the great extent of God’s grace bestowed on man, a weak creature. When man, having ascertained the truth of God’s guidance and the system He has revealed, still refuses to obey God’s Messenger and implement the Divine system, then he is in contention with God’s Messenger. Thus, does God condemn him to error, leaving him to follow the path he has chosen and allowing him to join the nonbelievers whose path he preferred. This is what condemning him to the punishment mentioned in the same verse actually means: “But as for him who, after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, puts himself in contention with God’s Messenger and follows a path other than that of the believers — him shall We leave to that which he himself has chosen, and shall cause him to endure hell. How evil a journey’s end.” (Verse 115)

The sūrah explains that this depressing end is inevitable because God’s forgiveness may include every sin except that partners should be associated with Him. When any person continues to associate partners with God until he or she dies, then forgiveness will not be granted: “For a certainty, God does not forgive that partners should be associated with Him, but He forgives any lesser sin to whomever He wills. He who associates partners with God has indeed gone far astray.” (Verse 116)

As we have explained when commenting on a similar verse earlier, associating partners with God may take the form of open polytheism on the lines of old Arabian and other pagan beliefs. It may also take the form of denying that certain aspects of Godhead belong to God alone and claiming that these also belong to some human beings. A case in point is mentioned in the Qur’ān whereby the Jews and Christians treated their rabbis and priests as gods in association with God. They certainly did not offer any worship rituals to these, but they acknowledged their right to legislate for them. When the priests and rabbis enacted such legislation, forbidding certain things and making others lawful, and they accepted such legislation, they truly became idolaters. This is because they assigned to their priests and rabbis the most important of God’s attributes. Thus, God says of them that they have violated the orders to believe in God’s oneness: “They have been ordered to take for worship none other than a single God.” This means that they should address their worship to God alone and receive their laws only from Him.

Associating partners with God is the one sin that cannot be forgiven, if continued until a person dies. Forgiveness is open to all other sins, when God so wills. The reason for portraying the sin of associating partners with God as so great as to permit no forgiveness is that the perpetrator of such a sin goes beyond the boundaries of all goodness. His nature is corrupted beyond redemption: “He who associates partners with God has indeed gone far astray.” (Verses 116) If only one thread of upright nature remains in sound condition, it will pull a person round to accepting the oneness of his Lord, even one hour before his death. But when he continues to associate partners with God until his last throes, then he has condemned himself to an awful doom:

“We ... shall cause him to endure hell. How evil a journey’s end.” (Verse 115)

The sūrah now describes some of the superstitions of Arabian ignorance and the legends that the Arabs spread about God taking to Himself daughters, i.e. the angels, and the Arabs’ worship of Satan, the angels and their idols. It describes some of their rituals, such as slitting the ears of some cattle as offerings to their deities, as well as their corrupting of God’s creation, and their belief in other deities beside God. All this is contrary to the upright nature God has placed in man:

In His stead, they invoke only lifeless symbols — thus invoking none but a rebellious Satan, whom God has rejected, for he had said: “Of Your servants I shall indeed take my due share, and shall certainly lead them astray, and fill them with vain desires; and I shall command them — and they will slit the ears of cattle [in idolatrous sacrifice]; and I shall command them — and they will corrupt God’s creation. But all who take Satan rather than God for their master do incur a manifest loss. He [i.e.

Satan] holds out promises to them, and fills them with vain desires, but whatever Satan promises is meant only to deceive them.” (Verses 117-20)

In their days of ignorance, the Arabs alleged that the angels were God’s daughters.

They made statues representing these angels and gave them feminine names, such as Al-Lāt, Al-`Uzza, Manāt, etc. Then, they worshipped these statues or idols, allegedly representing God’s daughters, in order to be closer to God. This was the case at least in the beginning, but then they forgot the original legend and worshipped the statues themselves. Indeed some of them worshipped the very stone from which the statues were made. Some of them also worshipped Satan himself. Al-Kalbī mentions that the clan of Mulaiĥ, which belonged to the Khuzā`ah tribe, worshipped the jinn.

The statement here is of wider implication. The fact that they associated partners with God means that they actually invoked Satan and derived their beliefs from him.

It is the same Satan who figures in the story of their original father, Adam, and whom God rejected for his disobedience and for his hostility to mankind. When he was so accursed, Satan nurtured an unabating hatred towards mankind which motivated him to seek permission to lead astray any human who does not seek refuge with God.

In His stead, they invoke only lifeless symbols — thus invoking none but a rebellious Satan, whom God has rejected, for he had said: “Of Your servants I shall indeed take my due share, and shall certainly lead them astray, and fill them with vain desires; and I shall command them — and they will slit the ears of cattle [in idolatrous sacrifice]; and I shall command them — and they will corrupt God’s creation. (Verses 117-19)

They invoke their old enemy, Satan, and receive from him all that leads them into manifest error. He has already declared his intention to divert a section of mankind away from Divine guidance, holding for them the prospect of satisfying their vain desires, whether it be some fleeting pleasure, false happiness, or of escaping ultimate punishment. He has also declared that he will persuade them to commit evil actions and perform stupid and legendary rituals, such as the slitting of the ears of cattle so that they become forbidden to ride or eat, although God has not prohibited them. He will also persuade them to change or corrupt God’s creation by cutting off or altering some parts of the body of humans or animals, such as castrating slaves or tattooing a person and similarly altering God’s creation. All this God has strictly forbidden.

When a human being feels that Satan, his old enemy, is actually the one who advocates such pagan rituals and practices, he is bound to feel that he must be cautious lest he should be tricked by his enemy. Islam makes the battle between man and Satan the main battle, and directs all the resources of a believer into combating Satan and the evil he spreads on earth. Thus, a believer joins God’s party and fights under God’s banner against Satan and his cronies. This is an ever-raging battle; it will never end. This because Satan will not stop waging it. A believer, on the other hand, will not ignore or withdraw from it. He knows that the choices available to him are either to join God’s party or Satan’s lot. There is no middle ground to hold. In this battle Satan is represented by all the vain desires he arouses, and by his followers who include all non-believers and all advocates of evil. A Muslim fights Satan himself and his followers in a long battle which lasts as long as life itself continues.

Whoever takes God for his patron will achieve success, and whoever takes Satan for his patron will end up in ruin: “But all who take Satan rather than God for their master do incur a manifest loss.” (Verse 119) The Qur’ān describes what Satan does with those who do his bidding in pursuing their vain desires: “He [i.e. Satan] holds out promises to them, and fills them with vain desires, but whatever Satan promises is meant only to deceive them.” (Verse 120)

This is an example of raising the prospect of fulfilling desires which divert human nature away from faith into disbelief and associating partners with God. Had it not been for this temptation, human nature would have remained pure and responded to the guidance of faith. It is Satan’s temptation which adorns the had deeds of a human being so that he sees them as fair. He promises man much gain and complete happiness when he follows the path of disobeying God. Thus, man joins him along that road. Satan then promises man that he will escape punishment in the hereafter, but this leads only to man’s inevitable ruin: “but whatever Satan promises is meant only to deceive them.” (Verse 120)

When the whole scene is portrayed in this form, with the old enemy setting the traps and tempting his victims, only those who are unwilling to see continue to remain oblivious to what is being plotted for them. They do not even try to see the destination to which they are being driven, and into what precipice they are being pushed.

This most touching of descriptions puts people on the alert, paints the battle in its true colours, and then follows the comment which shows the end result of those who succumb to Satan’s temptation. They are the ones with whom he accomplishes his declared evil intentions. It also shows the end of those who escape from his wicked schemes because they truly believe in God. True believers are immune from Satan’s wicked designs because, when he sought permission to try to seduce mankind, he received no permission to come near true believers. As they hold tight to God’s guidance, Satan is shown to be very weak by comparison: “He [i.e. Satan] holds out promises to them, and fills them with vain desires, but whatever Satan promises is meant only to deceive them. Such as these shall have Hell as their dwelling place. They shall find no way to escape from it. Yet those who believe and do righteous deeds We shall bring into gardens through which running waters flow, wherein they will abide beyond the count of time. This is, in truth, God’s promise. Whose word could be truer than Gods?” (Verses 120-2)

The two far apart destinations, then, are hell as an inevitable dwelling place for those who patronise Satan and paradise, for ever, for those who are true believers.

That is God’s promise, and “whose word could be truer than God’s?” (Verse 122)

The absolute truth of God’s word is shown in marked contrast to all of Satan’s deceptions and false temptations. The gulf is great indeed between one who believes in God’s promise and one who is deluded by Satan.

The sūrah follows this discussion with a statement of the basic Islamic rule that governs action and reward. What determines the type of requital a person receives is not wishful thinking. There is a basic principle, a rule to apply to all and a law that favours no one. The law applies equally to all communities. No one has any special relation of kinship with God. Hence, no one may claim special favour so as to have the rule violated or the law suspended for his own sake. Everyone will be requited according to his deeds, whether good or evil.

It may not accord with your wishful thinking, nor with the wishful thinking of the people of earlier revelations. He who does evil shall be requited for it, and shall find none to protect him from God, and none to bring him support. But anyone, be it man or woman, who does good deeds and is a believer, shall enter paradise and shall not suffer the least injustice. Who could be of better faith than he who surrenders himself completely to God, does what is good, and follows the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false? For God has taken Abraham for a friend. (Verses 123-5)

Both the Jews and Christians claimed to be God’s children and beloved ones. Both also claimed: “The fire will not touch us except for a few days.” (2: 80) And the Jews continue to assert that they are “God’s chosen people.” It may have occurred to some Muslims that they are truly the “best community ever raised for mankind”, and that God is certain to forgive them whatever misdeeds they may have perpetrated, simply because they are Muslims.

These verses put the question right for all three communities. The only determining factor is a person’s own deeds. All are, thus, referred to the same standard and criterion: complete submission to God alone, doing what is good, and following Abraham’s creed. Indeed, the best faith is Islam, which is Abraham’s creed based on total submission and self-surrender to God. The best deeds are those which aim for perfection, defined by the Prophet as “to worship God as though you were seeing Him, and to know that if you cannot see Him, He certainly sees you”. Doing good, as the Prophet states, is required in all actions, even when we slaughter an animal for food. In such instances, we are required to place the animal comfortably and to sharpen our blades so that the animal does not suffer much at the point of death.

The Qur’ānic statement ensures equality between the two parts of the single soul from whom all mankind originate with regard to action and requital. It also makes acceptance of people’s deeds conditional on their believing in God. “But anyone, be it man or woman, who does good deeds and is a believer, shall enter paradise and shall not suffer the least injustice.” (Verse 124) This statement is a clearly extends the same treatment to men and women. Furthermore, faith is the prerequisite for accepting anyone’s deeds. Indeed, no action is of any value in God’s measure unless it is based on, and motivated by faith. This is both natural and logical. It is belief in God that gives a good deed a proper r concept and a clear purpose. It also makes such a good deed a natural and consistent line of action. It is no longer a response to a personal desire or a momentary impulse.

This clear statement is at variance with what Shaikh Muĥammad `Abdu (may God bless his soul) stated in his commentary on the verse: “Whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it then.” (99: 7) He considers this statement to be applicable to Muslims and non- Muslims alike. The fact is that other clear statements make this totally incorrect. The same applies to what Shaikh al-Marāghī (may God bless his soul) also states. We have referred to this in the last volume of this work.

“He who does evil shall be requited for it, and shall find none to protect him from God, and none to bring him support.” (Verse 123) This statement was tough on the Muslims, for in it they recognised their weaknesses and the fact that no matter how good a person is and how much good works he does, he will inevitably do some evil. They knew what it means in reality to be human. Hence, they knew themselves. They did not try to delude themselves or hide their own tendencies. Nor did they ignore or conceal the weakness they sometimes felt within themselves. Hence, they were very apprehensive when they were told that they would be requited for every bad deed they committed. They shuddered as though they were facing the results here and now. This was their distinctive characteristic: to feel the hereafter as though it were here now, and not merely as something that will eventually, without doubt, come. To them, it was close, not distant. Hence, their anguish at this most serious of warnings.

Imām Aĥmad relates: “I am told that Abū Bakr said to God’s Messenger: How is anyone to prosper now that this verse has been revealed: ‘It may not accord with your wishful thinking, nor with the wishful thinking of the people of earlier revelations. He who does evil shall be requited for it.’ We will be requited for every bad deed we commit.

The Prophet said: `May God forgive you, Abū Bakr! Do you not fall ill? Do you not get tired? Do you not feel distress? Do you not experience hardship?’ Abū Bakr answered in the affirmative, and then the Prophet said: All that is part of your requital.’” (This ĥadīth is also related by al-Ĥākim.)

Another ĥadīth reports Abū Bakr as saying: “I was with the Prophet when a verse was revealed stating: ‘He who does evil shall be requited for it, and shall find none to protect him from God, and none to bring him support.’ The Prophet said to me, ‘Shall I teach you a verse that has been revealed to me.’ I requested him to teach it to me. I had never experienced terrible pain in my back until I had reflected on it. The Prophet said, ‘What is wrong with you, Abū Bakr?’ I said: ‘Who of us has not done bad deeds? Are we to be requited for every bad deed we perpetrate?’ God’s Messenger said: As for you, Abū Bakr, and your friends, the believers, you will be requited for all that in the life of this world, so that you will have no sin recorded against you when you meet God. As for the others, their deeds will be put together so that they will be requited for such deeds on the Day of Judgement.” (Related by al-Tirmidhī.)

`Ā’ishah, the Prophet’s wife, reports: “I said, `Messenger of God, I know the hardest verse in the Qur’ān.’ When he asked me to name it, I said, ‘He who does evil shall be requited for it.’ He replied: `That refers to what a believer suffers in this world, even every adverse experience.’” (Related by al-Ţabarī.)

Abū Hurayrah states: “When the verse, ‘He who does evil shall be requited for it,’ was revealed, the Muslims felt it too hard. God’s Messenger said to them: `Take it easy and do your best. Whatever happens to a Muslim counts as requital, even a thorn pricking his skin or an adverse experience. — (Related by Muslim, al-Tirmidhī and al-Nasā’ī.] At any rate, this was one part of the process of developing a proper and accurate concept of the rule of action and reward in Islam. It was of paramount importance in making such a concept perfectly accurate and in helping to set believers’ practices on the right way. The verse shook them because they took all matters related to their faith very seriously. They realised that whatever God promises will come true, both in this life and in the life to come.

The passage concludes with a comment on the whole question of action and reward, as well as the earlier question of faith and disbelief. This comment makes it clear that all the heavens and earth belong to God, who encompasses all that is in life and beyond it: “To God belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth; and indeed God encompasses everything.” (Verse 126)

When the oneness of the Godhead is mentioned in the Qur’ān, it is often coupled with a mention that all dominion, power and authority also belong to God alone.

Islamic monotheism does not only relate to God’s being only. It is a positive monotheism which applies to action that influences the whole universe and to real and active authority in the universe as well.

When a person realises that to God belongs all that is in the heavens and earth, and that He encompasses everything, so that nothing escapes His knowledge or lies beyond His power, he has a strong motivation to acknowledge Him as the only God in the universe. This means that all worship is addressed to Him alone and His pleasure is sought through the implementation of His constitution and by obeying His orders. This is the logical conclusion, for everything belongs to Him, subject to His power and under His watchful eye.

Some philosophies acknowledge that God is one without partners, yet some of them negate His will, or His knowledge, or His power, or His dominion, etc. Such hollow ideas, calling themselves “philosophies”, abound. However, any such creed is negative, having no effect on people’s lives, or their moral values and practices, or their feelings and perceptions. It is all hollow, going no further than the words they use to express themselves.

In the Islamic doctrine, however, God is the overall King to whom all the heavens and earth belong. With His knowledge and power, He encompasses everything. Such a doctrine ensures that human conscience is set on the right track. Hence, people’s practices are set right and human life itself prospers as it follows the right method.