Friday 21 February 2014

The Anarchist

Qur'aanic Verses 2:204 & 2:205:















Transliterations:

204. Wamina alnnasi man yuAAjibuka qawluhu fee alhayati alddunya wayushhidu Allaha AAala ma fee qalbihi wahuwa aladdu alkhisami
205. Wa-itha tawalla saAAa fee al-ardi liyufsida feeha wayuhlika alhartha waalnnasla waAllahu la yuhibbu alfasada

Translations:

204. And among mankind is one, who impresses you with his utterances in this worldly life. And he cites Allah as witness to what's there in his heart. And he's very skilful in argument!
205. And when he turns away, he endeavours on the earth, to spread anarchy therein and destroy the field357 and the race. And Allah doesn't like anarchy! 358 to 361

Study Notes:

357. In the Arabic text, the word used is huarth. Normally, it means a plot of land set apart for agricultural production. But in Verse 2:223, the same word has been beautifully and appropriately used as a simile for a man's woman. Women are obviously fields for production of human beings for the continuity of human races. In the modern scenario, huarth could also stand for a factory producing industrial goods. A field/factory producing agricultural/industrial goods symbolises property, and together with race (nasl), it would symbolise 'life & property'.
358. In these Verses, being studied here, the character depicted is that of a person who says one thing and does quite the opposite. We do come across such persons very often. And if we were to make an honest peep into our own souls, we may find that we ourselves have been guilty of such behaviour! When we declare ourselves as Muslims, we declare that we are those who abide by the Qur'aan. But do we totally abide by it? Anything we do with our own free will, in contradiction to Qur'aanic teachings, does add to anarchy in this world. We do conveniently forget this.
359. Anarchy is the catalyst that helps destroy not only life and property but also humanity. In the relatively recent past, we have had the example of Hitler who mesmerised the German people, with his speeches, into the belief that theirs is the best race that can easily conquer other peoples and rule over them. The destruction of life and property, which he wrought through his wars and his infamous concentration camps, is part of history. But Hitler also destroyed the humanity of the industrious and intelligent German people. He destroyed the character of a good human race.
360. Let us now consider the significance of taking huarth to mean a man's consort. Allah has made her the basic entity which can substantially influence the character of a person – her son or daughter, growing up in her lap. Some characteristics, good or bad, of the mother are liable to be subconsciously transmitted to the child in her lap. And these characteristics could form the basis of the child's character.
361. The person described in these Verses endeavours to spoil the mothers' character. In the guise of a champion of the feminists, he draws them out of their homes, and from their babes, to be equal to men in any field of worldly activity – be it politics or, even wrestling! In the name of their liberty, he entices young ladies to be socialites, wearing increasingly revealing dresses. Their semi-nakedness suits the carnal desires of the males; and apparently everybody is happy. But this social behaviour leads, imperceptibly but surely, to moral degradation that permeates the developing minds of boys and girls. They tend to copy what they see their elders doing. It is thus that the person described in Verses 2:204 & 2:205 tries to destroy the whole race by first destroying the "huarth". History teaches us that moral degradation of a people leads ultimately to their annihilation as any force to reckon with, in this very world.


An extract from soon-to-be-published, inshaAllah, Qur'aanic Studies.


No comments:

Post a Comment