Quran Garden

Session 260

Chapter 2

Verse 243

Didn’t you see those who abandoned their homes, though they were in the thousands, for fear of death? Allah said to them: "Die." Then He restored them to life. Truly, God shows real favor to people, but most of them are ungrateful.

(Chapter 2: Verse 243)

             After God addressed the social issues of the Muslim family, whether in marriage, divorce, or death, He turns our attention to matters concerning every individual in the entire Muslim nation.  The Muslim nation is the one entrusted with carrying God’s message to humanity till the end of time.  There is no prophet after our beloved Muhammad.  So it is essential for every Muslim to understand that there is no escape from God except to God himself.  It is vital for every Muslim to study history and learn all the lessons of the previous nations, all the difficulties they faced, and all the hardships they put their Prophets through.  We, as a nation, and as individuals, should not repeat the mistakes of the past.  These are not abstract theoretical lessons; they are lessons from real life and past historical events.        

             We start at the very core of creed: God is the only One who gives life; He is the One who takes it away.  People cannot give life or create life.  We can preserve life through food, drink, and healthcare; but it is ultimately God’s domain when life ends.

Allah reminds us of this lesson through the story of Prophet Moses and his people –the Israelites-.  In fact, the story of Moses and the children of Israel is the most told story in the Quran.  Why, you may ask? We answer that the Israelites were the last nation that received a message from the heavens before Islam.  More importantly, due to their defiance and materialism, the children of Israel put their prophets through hardships; Allah wants us to avoid such trouble.  Thus, it was necessary to review these events and learn from them. 

The story starts with a question: “Didn’t you see those who abandoned their homes, though they were in the thousands, for fear of death?”  Interestingly, Allah chose to ask Prophet Muhammad and the companions: “didn’t you see?” about an event that happened hundreds of years prior.  No one reciting the Quran could have seen these events.  We might have heard or read about them, but it is impossible to have seen them.  What is the point of the question then?  It would have made more sense to ask: haven’t you heard? Or didn’t you read?  We answer that eyesight is the most certain of our senses.  You may hear from someone you trust about an event that happened, but there is always room for doubt.  You may read news stories about an event, but there is still room for bias and incomplete narration.  However, when you see something with your own eyes, you become certain. 

So are the words of our Lord.  To the believer, what God says is as real and sure as one's own eyesight.  The Quran is God's word and the phrase "Have you not seen?" implies that we should believe in what God tells us with the same certainty as if we were present witnessing the event first hand.  This vision and certainty are continuous for every believer who recites the verse till the Day of Judgment.  A believer sees through his or her faith what his or her eyes fail to see. 

In another example, God addresses the Prophet in the following verse:

Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the people of the elephants? (105:1)

Some critics of Islam cite this verse to challenge the authenticity of the Quran.  Prophet Muhammad was born in the year of the battle of the elephant.  God addressed him by using the phrase "didn't you see?" although the prophet, an infant at the time, could not have seen the incident.  We answer that when we hear the words of God, we believe in them as if we were physically there.

This brings us back to the verse.  God says: “Didn’t you not see those who abandoned their homes, though they were in the thousands, for fear of death?”  We understand that fear of death led people to leave their homes.  The verse does not mention the reason for this fear; was it disease? Was it an invading army? Or something else? Allah omitted this information because He wants you to focus all your attention on the critical issue.  Take note that the verses did not mention a particular time in history, nor a specific place, nor did the verses name any specific people.  This is a common theme in many stories in the Quran. 

Some scholars have gone to great length to specify the time, place and names of the people involved.  We answer that by specifying a time, a place and people, you are diminishing the moral and social lessons of the story.  How can that be? We answer that by specifying a time, some people may think that things are different now and the events are no longer relevant.  By determining a place, some people may say that such incidents do not happen in our land.  Similarly, by naming specific people, you may think that the events are related to them personally and no one else. 

By making the time, place and people anonymous, God makes the story and its lessons applicable to all places, times, and peoples.  The story becomes more relevant to you.  Let’s look at some examples from the Quran.  God says:

God presents the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot as an example for those who disbelieve. They were married to two of Our righteous servants yet betrayed them.  Their husbands availed them nothing against God, and it was said to them: "Enter the Fire with all those who enter it!" (66:10)

Take note that Allah did not name the two women; all we are given that they were wives of two prophets.  Noah and Lot –peace be upon them- could not instill faith in the hearts of their wives.  Moreover, the wives conspired with the disbelievers against their husbands, and thus earned hellfire.  The moral of the story is that faith is a deep personal matter, and that each person is free to choose his or her path.  In another example, God says:

God has also given examples of believers: Pharaoh’s wife, who said, ‘Lord, build me a house near You in the Garden. Save me from Pharaoh and his actions; save me from the evildoers (66:11)

             Again, the woman was not named.  The critical part to focus on is that she was married to a Pharaoh who claimed to be God, yet he could not convince his own wife.  She chose her path in life. 

Contrast the previous examples to the following verse.  God says:

and Mary, daughter of Imran. She guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her from Our spirit. She accepted the truth of her Lord’s words and Scriptures: she was truly devout. (66:12)

             Allah mentioned Virgin Mary by name and named her father.  This is because her story is unique and will not be repeated at any time in history.  

             From all the above, we should learn to leave the stories of the Quran as God intended.  We should give priority to the matter that God wants us to focus on, and treat the details that are not mentioned as secondary.