In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

The surah begins with the two separate letters Ha and Mim which are then followed by an oath by the book that makes things clear.

Both the letters and the book are of the same nature: in its spoken form, the book is of the same type as the letters. Just like all letters in human language, the two letters, or sounds, are of God’s signs: it is He who created people and gave them the sounds of their languages. When such letters are mentioned, they carry more than a single meaning with reference to the Qur’an.

God states this oath by the two letters and the clear book so as to confirm the purpose of making this Qur’an in the form it was made when revealed to the Arabs: have made the Qur'an a discourse in Arabic so that you may understand” (Verse 3) The purpose, then, is that they should understand it as it is composed in their own tongue.

The Qur’an is God’s revelation which He has made, in its spoken form, Arabic as He chose the Arabs to be the bearers of His message.

We explained this purpose partly in commenting on the previous surah.

Moreover, God made His choice on the basis of His knowledge that the Arabs were suitable message-bearers and that their language could best express it. God knows whom to entrust with His message.

He then defines what position He has assigned for the Qur’an with Him and its value in His overall plan for the universe: “It originates in the source of revelation kept with Us; it is indeed sublime, full of wisdom.” (Verse 4) We will only in passing refer to the literal meaning of the phrase Umm al-Kitab, translated here as ‘the source of revelation’. Does it refer to the ‘imperishable tablet’1 mentioned elsewhere in the Qur’an, or to God’s eternal knowledge? Both are the same in the sense that they do not have a specific meaning within our sphere of knowledge.

Yet the verse transmits a definite impression that the Qur’an has an especially high value in God’s overall knowledge and planning. This is enough for us. The Qur’an is ‘sublime , and 'full of wisdom . These two qualities give it a specific rationality, and indeed it is so! It is as if the Qur’an has a soul of its own, with special features and qualities, that respond to the souls of those who interact with it. With its sublime position and wisdom, it provides guidance to humanity, leading it according to its own nature and qualities, imparting to its rational understanding and to its life values, concepts and facts that are also sublime and bear wisdom.

When this fact has been established it makes the people who speak the language in which the Qur’an has been revealed appreciate the great gift and blessing God has given them. It shows them the extent of their transgression when they turn away from it in disdain. It is they who deserve to be treated with contempt. Therefore, they are told that they may well be ignored because of their transgression: "Should We ignore you and take away this reminder from you because you are people who transgress beyond bounds?"' (Verse 5)

It is indeed most remarkable that God, in His glory and sublimity, should care for such people, revealing to them a book in their own tongue, telling them about what they feel, explaining the inner aspects of their lives, showing them the path delineated by His guidance, relating to them accounts of earlier communities and reminding them of God’s law that was in effect during ancient times. Yet they continue to ignore His guidance, turning away from it. For God to say that they will be deprived of His care and be ignored for their transgression sounds dreadful.

In addition to this threat, they are reminded of God s law that applied to earlier communities that denied the prophets sent to them: “Many a prophet did We send to people of olden times; but they mocked at each prophet who came to them. We destroyed them even though they were mightier than these. Thus their example has gone down in history.” (Verses 6-8) What can they expect when God has already destroyed people that were much mightier than they because of their derision of the messengers sent to them?

Amazingly, although the Arabs recognized that God was the Creator of the heavens and the earth, they did not follow this through to its logical conclusion, declaring His oneness and address all worship to Him. On the contrary, they attributed partners to Him, assigning to these some of the cattle He has created. They also alleged that the angels were God’s daughters whom they worshipped in the form of idols. The Qur’an reports their acknowledgement of God’s creation, puts before them the logic of human nature which they discard, and outlines the behaviour they should adopt in response to His blessings, particularly ships and cattle. It then describes what they claim about the angels:

Yet if you ask them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?’ they are sure to answer, ‘The Almighty, the All-Knowing created them. ’ It is He who has smoothed out the earth for you and has traced on it paths for you so that you can find your way. And He it is who sends down water from the sky in due measure. With it We raise dead land to life; and thus you will be raised from the dead. And He it is who created all living things in pairs, and provided for you the ships and animals on which you ride, so that when you are seated on their backs you remember your Lord's blessings and say: ‘Limitless in His glory is He who has made all this subservient to our use. We could not have done it by ourselves. To our Lord we shall most certainly return. (Verses 9-14)

The Arabs had a faith, which we can imagine as consisting of remnants of the original pure faith of Abraham, that had lost its original shining colours, intermingled with legends. What remained was something that human nature could not deny, namely that the universe has a Creator who is God: the universe could not have existed without a Creator and the Creator could only be God. Yet, the Arabs did not take this natural truth to its logical conclusion; they simply stopped at the bare fact: “Yet if you ask them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?’ they are sure to answer, 'The Almighty, the AIl-Knowing created them.’” (Verse 9)

It is obvious that they did not verbalize Gods two attributes: the Almighty and the All-Knowing. They acknowledged that it was God who created the universe, but they did not know God according to His attributes detailed in the Islamic faith. These are positive attributes that produce a clear effect on people’s lives and the life of the universe.

They admitted that God created them and the universe, but they also alleged that He had partners because they did not know God’s attributes that would have made the very concept of partnership with Him appear absurd. The Qur’an tells them now that the Creator they acknowledge is the One who is Almighty and who knows all.

The surah takes them another step forward in outlining God’s attributes and the favours He has given them: “It is He who has smoothed out the earth for you and has traced on it paths for you so that you can find your way.” (Verse 10) Smoothing out the earth is a fact understood, in one way or another, by everyone. The people who were the first to be addressed by the Qur’an would have seen the earth smooth under their feet when they walked, ready for plants to grow. It is smoothed out generally for life to grow. However, we realize this today in a more profound way, taking into account what we have learnt about the nature of the earth and its history. Future generations will understand this fact in an even greater way; human knowledge will continue to expand and discover new facts that have so far remained unknown.

Today, we understand that smoothing out the earth so as to enable the human race to survive on it and find ways and paths to ensure life progresses is a complex multi-faceted process. In fact, this planet has gone through a number of different stages that have allowed its surface to change from a hard rocky one to plant-supporting soil. Water has been formed from oxygen and hydrogen. Its rotation speed has slowed down to ensure that it has moderate temperatures throughout its day and so as to allow objects to remain stable on its surface. Moreover, a proper measure of gravity has been placed on it to ensure that its atmosphere remains sufficiently stable to support life. Without such an atmosphere life cannot be sustained, as is the case on other planets with a gravity too weak to ensure stability. Moreover, the earths gravity has been made equal to movement and this equilibrium has protected objects and living things from being blown away, while at the same time allowing man and other living things to move on the surface of the earth. Had gravity increased above this sustainable level, all objects and living creatures would have been stuck to the earth and their movements would have become very hard or even impossible.

Furthermore, air pressure would have increased so as to bind them firmly to the earth or crush them against it, just as we sometimes crush flies and mosquitoes with a strike that does not bring our hands into contact with them but rather increases the air pressure around them. By contrast, should air pressure decrease, our veins and breasts may burst.

The smoothing of the earth to make it life supporting also refers to the fact that the Almighty, All-Knowing Creator has brought about numerous balances which together facilitate human life on earth. Had any of these been disturbed, life would have become very difficult, even impossible. We have already mentioned some of these. We may, however, refer to the fact that the great amount of water that covers much of the earths surface purges its atmosphere of much of the poisonous gases that result from the infinite number of interactions that take place all the time. Thus, its atmosphere remains life supporting.

Plants also ensure that a proper balance is maintained between the oxygen living creatures breathe in and the oxygen breathed out during the process of assimilation plants perform. Unless this balance is maintained, all living things would have suffocated in a very short period of time.

Indeed the significance of the Qur’anic statement, is He who has smoothed out the earth for you and has traced on it paths for you,' grows wider every day. Every new addition to its significance testifies to both God’s might and knowledge. We see God’s able hand wherever we look and however far our imagination roams. It tells man that his life is not the result of blind coincidence nor has he been abandoned.

Indeed, God’s hand defines man’s every step before, during and after his life on earth.

“So that you can find your way.” (Verse 10) Reflection on what the universe contains and its natural laws inevitably leads the human mind to recognition of its Creator who established such accurate and perfectly harmonious systems.

The surah then looks a step further at the process of life and the emergence of living creatures: “And He it is who sends down water from the sky in due measure. With it We raise dead land to life; and thus you will be raised from the dead” (Verse 11) Water comes down from the skies, as every person sees and knows, but most people are not moved by this remarkable phenomenon because of over familiarity.

Muhammad, God’s messenger, (peace be upon him), however, held a different attitude. He looked at the drops of rain with love and welcoming delight, knowing that they came from God; in other words, his heart recognized God’s handiwork in these drops. Every heart that is aware of its bond with God and the laws of nature He has set in operation should adopt this attitude. Every raindrop is the result of these laws of nature which operate under God’s eye and control. That rain originates from the vapour that rises from the earth and cools down in the atmosphere in no way diminishes the implication of these facts. Who has brought the earth into being, placed water on it, subjected it to heat, made water naturally evaporate and vapour rise and condense? Who has given the universe its other characteristics which give the condensing vapour an electrical charge so that when clouds gather, their electric charges cause rain to fall? Besides, what is electricity?

What are these other characteristics that produce the combined effect of rain falling down? As we learn more about nature, however, our knowledge casts a heavy weight over our understanding. We no longer appreciate the messages given by universal phenomena; we no longer allow these messages to refine our feelings and responses.

“And He it is who sends down water from the sky in due measure” (Verse 11) It is given in the right quantity, neither too much so as to flood large areas of land, nor too little to leave the land barren. Man has come to recognize the importance of maintaining this fine balance for the continuity of life. “ With it We raise dead land to life.” Life on earth flourishes where water is plentiful. It is from water that every living thing originates. “And thus you will be raised from the dead.” (Verse 11) The One who originated life in the first place will bring it back again. It is He who started life in a land that was dead, and He will raise all back to life on the Day of Resurrection. Nothing is difficult for Him.

We learn from this surah that the Arab unbelievers used to assign a portion of their cattle to God and another portion to other beings.

God, however, created cattle as one of the favours He bestows on man: people ride cattle as they ride on ships and they should appreciate His blessings and give thanks: “And He it is who created all living things in pairs, and provided for you the ships and animals on which you ride, so that when you are seated on their backs you remember your Lord's blessings and say: 'Limitless in His glory is He who has made all this subservient to our use. We could not have done it by ourselves. To our Lord we shall most certainly return.” (Verses 12-14)

Making things in pairs is a rule of life, as indicated in this verse. All living things are created in pairs; even the first living cell carries masculine and feminine characteristics. In fact, this rule perhaps applies to the universe in its entirety, if we consider its basic unit to be the atom which consists of a negative electron and a positive proton, as all research in physics has so far indicated. Be that as it may, this duality is apparent throughout life. It is God who has created all pairs, human and non-human.

Moreover, it is He who has “provided for you the ships and animals on which you ride.” (Verse 12) This is to remind man that God has placed him in charge of the earth, putting at his disposal its considerable and varied power and potential. It also invites man to show gratitude for Gods choice and blessings, reminds him of the One who grants blessings every time such a blessing is enjoyed. Such expressions of gratitude for God’s blessings is sure to keep our hearts alive to their bond with God at every turn in life: “So that when you are seated on their backs you remember your Lord's blessings and say: Limitless in His glory is He who has made all this subservient to our use. We could not have done it by ourselves." (Verse 13) We certainly cannot match His blessings. All that we can do is to be truly grateful and give due thanks for all that He has favoured us with. We should realize that we will eventually return to God after our term in charge of the earth comes to its end. He will then requite us for what we have done in life when we enjoyed His favours and what He placed at our service: “To our Lord we shall most certainly return" (Verse 14) Such are the refined manners people should adopt towards God who has granted us countless favours and blessings. Yet we tend to forget Him even when we are enjoying His favours. Hence, this gentle reminder.

These Islamic manners closely relate to the cultivation of the human conscience and people’s education. This is not a mere ritual or empty phrase we say when mounting cattle or riding on ships and other means of transport. It is a deliberate action that aims to alert our feelings so that we are fully aware of the bond between God and His creatures.

Furthermore, His blessings are granted to us freely; we cannot repay God in any way for any of His countless blessings. Hence, we should always remain in awe of Him, thinking of the day when we will meet Him and submit our account of what we did in life. Thus we should always remain conscious of God, aware that He is watching over us.

The surah then refers to the absurd legend that makes deities of angels, alleging that they are Gods daughters when they are no more than a different type of creature:

Yet they assign to Him some of His own servants as offspring. Surely man is clearly bereft ofallgratitude. Would He, out of all His creation, choose for Himself daughters and favour you with sons? If any of them i. given the good news of the birth of what he so readily attributes to the Lord of Grace, his face darkens and he is filled with gloom. [Would they ascribe to God] someone who is brought up among trinkets and cannot put together a clear argument? They claim that the angels, who are themselves but servants of the Lord of Grace, are females! Did they witness their creation? Their testimony will be put on record and they will be questioned about it. They say: 'Had it been the will of the Lord of Grace, we should never have worshipped them.9 Of that they have no knowledge:

they are blatantly lying. Or have We given them a book before this one to which they are still holding fast? No indeed! They say, 'We found our forefathers following this tradition and we find our guidance by following in their footsteps.9 And thus it is: whenever, before your time, We sent a messenger to any community, the wealthy among them said: 'We found our forefathers following this tradition and we are only following in their footsteps.9 He said: 'Even though I bring you a guidance better than what you saw your forefathers following?9 They replied: 'We reject the message you have been sent with.9 Therefore, We inflicted Our retribution on them. Reflect on how those who rejected the truth met their end. (Verses 15-25)

The surah addresses every aspect of this superstition, leaving no loophole unclosed. Throughout, the surah uses the unbelievers’ own logic and draws on their own life situations. It places before them the fate of earlier communities that adopted a similar stand to theirs, making almost identical allegations. It begins by highlighting the absurdity of this superstition and what it means of blatant rejection of the truth: “ Yet they assign to Him some of His own servants as offspring.

Surely man is clearly bereft of all gratitude." (Verse 15) The angels are God’s servants. To allege that they are God’s offspring means that they are not His servants, but instead have a special relationship with Him.

Since they are God’s servants, to give them any special relation to their Creator is meaningless. All God’s creatures are His servants. Such a claim, thus, brands man as a clear unbeliever: “Surely man is clearly bereft of all gratitude." (Verse 15)

Using their own logic and standards, the surah ridicules their allegation that the angels are female and then their claim that they are Gods offspring: “ Would He, out of all His creation, choose for Himself daughters and favour you with sons?' (Verse 16) If God were to take offspring for Himself, why would He choose females and give the males to them? This is nothing less than absurd and especially when they are so distressed when a daughter is born to them. “If any of them is given the good news of the birth of what he so readily attributes to the Lord of Grace, his face darkens and he is filled with gloom." (Verse 17)

What sort of manners are these that make them attribute to God what would fill them with gloom? Indeed, they would be so distressed about parenting a daughter that they could not even face speaking about it. In their environment, it was only brave men who could fight hard in battle that were looked upon with esteem. How come, then, that they assign to God offspring of the type which only cares about jewellery and fine things, unable to refute an argument or fight a case? “[Would they ascribe to God] someone who is brought up among trinkets and cannot put together a clear argument?' (Verse 18) Here we see how the surah uses their own logic, making them ashamed of attributing to God what they themselves hate to father. Should they not, if at all, have attributed to Him what scores highly in their own estimation?

The surah then refutes another of their absurd superstitions. They alleged that the angels were female. On what basis do they make such a claim? “ They claim that the angels, who are themselves but servants of the Lord of Grace, are females! Did they witness their creation? Their testimony will be put on record and they will be questioned about it." (Verse 19) Were they present when the angels were created so as to know that they were female? Had they seen their creation, they would have had reliable evidence. They certainly cannot claim to have been present at the time, yet still they make this ridiculous assertion.

Therefore, they will be made responsible for claiming what they have no evidence to prove: * Their testimony will be put on record and they will be questioned about it." (Verse 19)

The unbelievers provide further argument to justify their absurdities, but once again the surah exposes how flawed their statements are: “ They say: Had it been the will of the Lord of Grace, we should never have worshipped them.' Of that they have no knowledge: they are blatantly lying.” (Verse 20) When they are faced with irrefutable argument based on solid evidence, they justify their action by claiming that it is Gods will. They allege that God accepts their worship of angels. Had He not been pleased with this, He would have prevented them from such worship! How devious! It is true that everything in the universe occurs by Gods will. Yet it is also God’s will that man has been given the ability to choose for himself which way to follow: true guidance or error. God has also required man to choose His guidance and follow it, telling man that this is the choice He will be pleased with. He is not pleased when man chooses error and disbelief, even though He has enabled him to do so.

When they attribute their own choice to God’s will, this is nothing less than wild conjecture. They cannot be certain that God wants them to worship the angels. How can they achieve such certainty? “Of that they have no knowledge: they are blatantly lying.” (Verse 20) They simply indulge in guesswork and delusion. “Or have We given them a book before this one to which they are still holding fast?' (Verse 21) Do they have such a book as a basis for their claims, giving them clear evidence in support of their worship?

Thus we see how the surah closes in on them, refuting every argument they make, and clearly indicating that faith cannot be based on guesswork or unsupported claims. Faith can only be based on a revealed book to which people should adhere.

At this point, the surah exposes the reality on which they rely when holding to their absurd superstition that makes them offer false worship: “No indeed! They say, 'We found our forefathers following this tradition and we find our guidance by following in their footsteps. ”’ (Verse 22) This is a ludicrous and baseless argument. It shows them to be content to follow their ancestors without thinking about or looking into the basis of their actions. Thus, they are no more than a herd of cattle driven to where it does not know. They are totally unaware of their destination or whether they are following the road leading to it.

Being a message that seeks to free the human mind of all shackles, Islam rejects such abject following in the footsteps of ancestors. Every action should be determined on the basis of deliberate thinking and conscious choice.

At the end of this passage, the unbelievers are shown the fates of earlier communities that argued in the same vein and blindly followed their forefathers’ footsteps, rejecting the truth clearly presented to them by Gods messengers: “And thus it is: whenever, before your time, We sent a messenger to any community, the wealthy among them said: "We found our forefathers following this tradition and we are only following in their footsteps.* He said: ‘Even though I bring you a guidance better than what you saw your forefathers following?* They replied: ‘We reject the message you have been sent with.* Therefore, We inflicted Our retribution on them. Reflect on how those who rejected the truth met their end.” (Verses 23-25)

Thus we see that those who turn away from Divine guidance are of a similar nature and use the same arguments. They are blind to everything other than following in their forefathers’ footsteps. They close their minds to any new evidence, rejecting any new way even though it may be better, rely on solid argument and bring better results.

Such a persistently deviant nature, which will not open its eyes or mind to the truth, deserves nothing but destruction. Such is the fate put before the unbelievers so that, perchance, they will take heed.