Quran Garden

Session 329

Chapter 3

Verse 7

a continuation

It is He who has sent this Scripture down to you. Some of its verses are definite in meaning- these are the cornerstone of the Scripture- and others are ambiguous. Those with deviation in their hearts eagerly pursue the ambiguities in their attempt to foster discord and to pin down a specific meaning of their own: only God knows the true meaning; And those firmly grounded in knowledge, they say, ‘We believe in it: it is all from our Lord’- only those with real perception will take heed- (Chapter 3: Verse 7)

Let’s study the phrase ‘Those with deviation in their hearts eagerly pursue the ambiguitiesin their attempt to foster discord and to pin down a specific meaning of their own.’  ‘Deviation’ is translated from the Arabic origin ‘Zaigh.’  It is the same word used to describe maligned crooked teeth.  Nowadays, people with crooked teeth seek cosmetic and orthodontic treatments to align their teeth back in their natural straight position.

Similarly, the natural state of the human heart is pure and straight.  Allah created all of us with healthy dispositions.  What corrupts the heart, you may ask? We answer that deviation develops fromblindly following every whim and desire.  By letting your desires prevail over what God asks of you, you are, in fact, corrupting your heart.  A corrupt heart often cloudsthought and logic.  Prophet Muhammad said: "But there is in the body an organ, if it is upright, the whole body is upright, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupted.  That organ is the heart.”  And in another narration, he, peace be upon him, said: “None of you truly believes until his or her desires are subservient to God’s teachings.”

Here, I would like to bring your attention to a simple truth: those who are perverse at heart and follow their desires over God’s teachings are well aware of their deviation.  They know right from wrong even if they act otherwise.  You see many people, who immersed themselves in sin, come to regrettheir actions and declare repentance later.  This is because deviation goes against human nature.  Even those who do not repent still know right from wrong.  Take the example of a group of young men who spend their nights drinking, gambling, and chasing women.  They mock and make fun of those who behave well, attend the mosque, or spend their time working and studying.  But what happens when one of thecorrupt young men tells his friend that he likes his sister and he is thinking about getting engaged to her? The young man would feel angry and run to his sister to prevent her from seeing his friend!

Interestingly, this man would not object, and may indeed feel happy if one of the upright young men asks to be with his sister.  He would normally join his friends in making fun of this upright man, but deep down he knows what is right and what is wrong.  He knows that none of his friends are decent enough to be a good husband for his sister.  Put simply: people know that God’s teachings are aligned with healthy and pure instincts, while whims and desires are often objectionable. 

This brings us back to the verse.  God says: ‘Those with deviation in their hearts eagerly pursue the ambiguitiesin their attempt to foster discord and to pin down a specific meaning of their own.’  The phrase ‘to pin down a specific meaning of their own’ is an affirmation that the goal of such people is to interpret the Quran in a way that serves the deviation in their hearts.  They want to bend the scripture to match their whims. 

Here, we should pause and address a critical issue as some people claim that they cannot stop themselves from in as God has created them this way.  Listen to the following verse.  God says:

Remember when Moses said to his people, ‘My people, why do you mistreat me when you know that I am the Messenger of Allah to you?’ So when they deviated, then God made their hearts deviate. Allah does not guide the corrupt. (61:05)

Allah does not create anyone who is evil or corrupt by nature.  To the contrary, Allah created you with a pure heart and then gave you free choice.  He also sent prophets and scriptures to show you right from wrong.  But be careful! If you choose corruption, Godwill not stand between you and what you chose.  He says:

Whenever a chapter is revealed, they look at each other and say, ‘Is anyone watching you?’ and then they turn away- God has turned their hearts away because they are people who do not use their reason. (09:127)

Allah treats you as you want to be treated.  If you turn away from him, He turns away from you.  If you close your heart to faith, Allah places a seal on your heart to ensure that faith does not enter.

Similarly, those who pick and choose verses from the Quran to match their whims and lead people to corruption will not be guided by God.  Whatever action you choose for yourself, whether good or evil, God will facilitate it for you.  God says in a sacred narration: “I am free from all kinds of partners and associates.  Whoeverdoes an act associating partners to me, I abandon him to whatever he associated me with.”

The verse continues: ‘only God knows the true meaning.’  The first question that comes to mind is: If some verses are ambiguous in meaning, why did God reveal them to begin with? We answer that had Allah wanted these verses to be clear, He would have sent them as such.  But it is of God’s wisdom to reveal these verses and encourage us to ponder over them.  Mystery fosters research and investigation.  Monotony and clarity, on the other hand, are often taken for granted and stifle human creativity.  A person who exercises his or her mind is a person who innovates and prospers. 

Allah wants you to sharpen your thinking skills, and not take things for granted or at face value.  He says:

Will they not contemplate the Quran? Or do they have locks on their hearts? (47:24)