In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

The Qur’ān addresses human nature with its own logic. It was revealed from on high by the One who created human nature. He knows what suits it and brings the best out of it. He also knows how to address it and what affects its inner thoughts and feelings. The Qur’ān explains to human nature the truth that is deeply ingrained in it, which it knew long before it was addressed by the Qur’ān, because it was initially created with it. This is the truth of acknowledging God as the Creator, the One, the Supreme, and offering worship to Him alone. Similarly, the entire universe glorifies and praises Him at all times. The problem is that certain aspects of life on earth, some physical impulses, desires, whims and cravings may cloud human nature’s vision or force its deviation from the right path. Therefore, the Qur’ān addresses our nature with the logic it knows, presenting to it the truth that it has overlooked. In this way, it moulds human nature on the basis of its code for living, leading it to earn the pleasure of God, the Creator who controls everything.

Revealed in Makkah, this sūrah provides an example of how the Qur’ān addresses our hearts. It tackles the question of faith among the idolaters who had deviated from the truth. This is indeed the overall issue that all sūrahs revealed in Makkah tackle, albeit in a variety of ways and from different angles. That the Qur’ān employs such different means is an essential part of its method to keep our hearts on the alert.

The central issue of faith focuses in this sūrah on God’s oneness. It demonstrates how we should address worship to Him alone, express gratitude for His blessings, establish firm belief in the hereafter and what this involves of careful reckoning and just reward. Believers should also follow what God has revealed and abandon all notions that are at variance with this.

The sūrah presents this whole issue in a way that invites reflection on the remarkable approach of the Qur’ān. It addresses our natures and our hearts. All who advocate faith should study this approach carefully.

The issue of faith is presented here against the backdrop of the entire universe: its skies, earth, sun and moon, night and day, seas and atmosphere, waves and rain, plants and trees, etc. This colossal background is frequently employed in the Qur’ān, so as to make the universe a host of clear signs placed all around us, speaking to our hearts and minds, bringing them alive.

Although the issue is one, and the background is the same, it is presented in this sūrah four times in four sections. In each the sūrah takes us around the great expanse of the universe, picking up new influences and using new styles. Looking carefully at these four presentations, and how each starts and finishes in a remarkable way is especially pleasant and encourages a positive response.

The first begins immediately after the three separate letters that begin the sūrah.

These indicate that the sūrah is composed of such letters, and that it is from these that verses of this book are presented packed with wisdom and divine guidance.

Furthermore, it assures those who excel in goodness of receiving God’s mercy. These are the ones who “attend regularly to prayers, give in charity and are indeed certain of the hereafter.” (Verse 4) Thus it confirms the certainty of the hereafter and the duty of offering worship to God. These are coupled with a clear psychological influence:

“Those are the ones who follow their Lord’s guidance, and they are the ones who will be successful.” (Verse 5)

On the other hand there are those who would pay for idle talk in order to divert others from the path of God, ridiculing these verses. These are faced with a fearsome prospect that suits their ridicule: “For such people there is shameful suffering in store.” (Verse 6) It describes the movements of these people thus: “When Our revelations are conveyed to such a person, he turns away in his arrogance as though he had not heard them.” (Verse 7) This is coupled with a psychological touch showing how contemptible such people are: “as though there were heaviness in his ears.” (Verse 7) Another touch sends fear into their hearts although this is given mockingly: “Give him, then, the news of painful suffering.” (Verse 7) The Arabic term, bashshirhu, used for ‘giving news’ is always employed when people are given good and happy news. Its use here, however, denotes a clear sense of mockery.

The sūrah again refers to the believers, giving details of their success, which was already mentioned in general terms. It shows what reward awaits them in the hereafter, just as it has shown the requital of arrogant unbelievers: “Those who believe and do righteous deeds shall have gardens of bliss in which to abide in accordance with God’s true promise. He alone is Almighty, Wise.” (Verses 8-9) At this point, the sūrah portrays a panoramic scene of the great universe as providing the proof that speaks to human nature from every aspect, and in every language. It clearly presents this great truth, yet most people remain heedless of it: “He has created the skies without any supports that you can see, and has placed firm mountains on earth, lest it sway with you, and has scattered through it all manner of living creatures. We send down water from the skies to cause every kind of goodly plant to grow on earth in pairs.” (Verse 10) As it presents these aspects of universal evidence which overwhelm people’s minds, the sūrah shakes those erring hearts that associate partners with God despite seeing His great creation: “This is all God’s creation. Show me, then, what others might have created! Surely, the wrongdoers are in obvious error.” (Verse 11) As this touch makes its profound universal note, the first presentation concludes.

The second presentation begins with real people, and tackles the same issue with a new approach to produce further effects: “We bestowed wisdom on Luqmān.” (Verse 12)

What is, then, the nature of this wisdom and what is its distinctive feature? It is summed up in a word: “Be grateful to God.” (Verse 12) This is true wisdom in action.

The second step shows Luqmān as he gives counsel to his son. It is the advice of a sage to his young son, which means that it is free of fault. No one can describe such advice as insincere or dishonest: how could they when it is from father to son? This advice states the major issue of faith which was referred to in the first presentation, as well as the issue of the hereafter, but it employs new influences here: “Luqmān said to his son, admonishing him: My dear son! Do not associate any partners with God; for, to associate partners with Him is indeed a great wrong.” (Verse 13)

Here we see relations with one’s parents in a way that overflows with tenderness and compassion: “We have enjoined upon man goodness to his parents: his mother bore him going from weakness to weakness, and his weaning takes place within two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents.” (Verse 14) The sūrah makes clear the first rule concerning faith, which makes its bond the primary one in human life, taking precedence over that of blood and kinship. Strong and appealing as the latter bond is, it is lower on the scale than the bond of faith: “Yet should they endeavour to make you associate as partner with Me something of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them, but [even then] bear them company in this world’s life with kindness, and follow the path of those who turn towards Me.” (Verse 15) It adds here the truth of the life to come: “In the end, it is to Me that you shall all return, when I shall inform you about all that you were doing [in life].” (Verse 15) This is then followed with a very strong psychological factor demonstrating the extent, accuracy and comprehensiveness of God’s knowledge.

This is done in such a way that makes us shudder as we contemplate it against the background of the great universe: “My dear son! If there be something which is no more than the weight of a grain of mustard seed, and though it be hidden in a rock, or in the skies, or in the earth, God will bring it forth. God is Gracious, All Aware.” (Verse 16)

Luqmān continues his admonition to his son, outlining the duties imposed by faith, including the all-important duty of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and what follows from both of remaining patient in adversity, as difficulties are bound to be encountered by the advocates of faith: “Endure with fortitude whatever befalls you. These are matters that require strong resolve.” (Verse 17)

This should be coupled with commitment to good manners. No advocate of faith should ever be arrogant, as such action is bound to spoil his advocacy efforts: “Do not turn your cheek away from people in false pride, nor walk haughtily on earth. God does not love anyone who is arrogant, boastful. Be of modest bearing in your walk, and lower your voice; for the most hideous of voices is the braying of the ass.” (Verses 1819) Not only does the sūrah dismiss such proud, haughty and arrogant behaviour, it looks upon it with contempt. This provides a marked psychological effect.

The third presentation begins with a new factor derived from people’s attachment to the heavens and the earth, and the blessings God has placed in them for mankind, even though they do not show any gratitude: “Are you not aware that God has made subservient to you all that is in the heavens and the earth, and has lavished upon you His blessings, outward and inward? Yet some people argue about God without having any knowledge, without guidance, and without any light-giving revelations.” (Verse 20) This new factor shows all argument about God to be abhorrent to an upright nature and sound mind. The sūrah denounces the unbelievers’ stagnant attitude: “When it is said to them: ‘Follow what God has revealed’, they say, No; but we will follow only what we found our forefathers believing in.” (Verse 21) This is a stupid attitude betraying total ignorance. The comment that follows also carries a strong psychological component:

“Why, even if Satan is beckoning them to the suffering of the blazing fire.” (Verse 21)

The question of reward and requital on the Day of Judgement is then shown to be closely connected with the question of belief or denying faith: “Whoever submits himself to God and excels in good deeds has indeed taken hold of a most firm support. With God rests the final outcome of all events. And whoever disbelieves; let not their unbelief grieve you. To Us they must all return, and then We shall inform them about all that they were doing [in life].” (Verses 22-23) The sūrah then refers to God’s absolute knowledge:

“God has full knowledge of what is in people’s hearts.” (Verse 23) A strong element of warning is then added: “We will let them enjoy themselves for a short while, but We shall ultimately drive them into severe suffering.” (Verse 24)

As this third presentation draws to a close people are made to face up to the logic of human nature as it reflects different aspects of the universe and its inevitable acknowledgement of the One Creator: “If you were to ask them: ‘Who is it that has created the heavens and the earth?’ they will be sure to answer: ‘God’ Say: All praise is due to God alone!’ Yet most of them do not understand.” (Verse 25) The section then concludes with a scene of the universe, showing God’s knowledge as infinite, while His will of creation and origination is unrestricted. These are given as universal evidences in support of the concept of resurrection and return, as this also proves creation in the first place: “Were all the trees on earth to be made into pens, and the sea ink, with seven more seas yet added to it, the words of God would not be exhausted. God is indeed Almighty, Wise. The creation of you all and your resurrection is but like [the creation and resurrection of] a single soul. God hears all and sees all.” (Verses 27-28)

The fourth presentation begins with a universal scene that produces special effects on people’s hearts. It is the scene of the night and the day as each creeps into the other. This scene also shows the sun and the moon as they move in their orbits within certain limits and up to a point in time that is known to no one other than God who created them and who knows them as well as He knows people and their actions: “Do you not see that God causes the night to pass into the day, and the day to pass into the night, and that He has made the sun and the moon subservient [to His laws], each running its course for a set term, and that God is fully aware of all that you do?” (Verse 29)

This scene is made to provide human nature with fresh evidence in support of the central issue: “Thus it is, because God alone is the Ultimate Truth, and all that people invoke beside Him is sheer falsehood, and because God alone is Most High, Great.” (Verse 30)

The sūrah then touches our hearts with another strongly effective note derived from an aspect of God’s grace represented by the ships as they go about the sea: “Do you not see that the ships sail the sea by God’s blessing, so that He might show you some of His signs? In this there are clear signs indeed for all who are truly patient in adversity and deeply grateful to God.” (Verse 31) The comment here shows man’s natural attitude as he faces the might of the sea when he is free of the deceptive influence of power and knowledge that keeps him away from his Lord. Such a natural attitude provides evidence for the central theme of God’s oneness: “When the waves engulf them like shadows, they call to God, sincere in their faith in Him alone; but as soon as He has brought them safe to land, some of them are restrained in their attitude. Yet none could knowingly reject Our revelations except those who are utterly perfidious or hardened unbelievers.” (Verse 32)

While the sea’s waves can be fearsome, they provide a reminder of the greatest fear that severs blood relations, a bond which can never be severed in this present life: “Mankind! Fear your Lord and fear a day when no parent will be of any avail to his child, nor any child will in the least avail his parents! God’s promise is most certainly true.

Let not, then, the life of this world delude you, and let not deceptive thoughts about God delude you.” (Verse 33) At this point, with man trembling in fear, the sūrah concludes with a verse that states the final verdict in all the issues it has treated: “Indeed with God alone rests the knowledge of when the Last Hour will come; and He it is who sends down rain; and He knows what the wombs contain; whereas no one knows what they will earn tomorrow, and no one knows in what land they will die. God alone is omniscient and takes cognisance of all things.” (Verse 34)

These four presentations of the same theme, with their different styles, effects and conclusions constitute an example of how the Qur’ān deals with human hearts. They provide an approach chosen by God who has created these hearts and knows what suits them. In the following pages we will discuss these four presentations in detail, putting two into each of the two following chapters as they manifest stronger interaction in this way.