Quran Garden

Session 431

Chapter 3

Verse 101

How can you disbelieve when God's revelations are being recited to you and His Messenger is living among you?  Whoever holds firmly to God will be guided to the straight path.

(Chapter 3: Verse 101)

Quite often, God uses the actions of the disbelievers to serve the faithful.  How, you may ask?  Let's look at two examples.  In the previous session we mentioned the story of the Jewish leaders of Medina who tried to reignite the decades-old animosity between the Aws and the Khazraj Arab tribes.  But, before violence took hold, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, intervened and asked, "How dare you revert to tribalism and ignorance while I am among you!  God has honored you with Islam, brought you civility and love, and removed the traditions of ignorance from your ranks."  This noble saying became a reminder to all Muslims when faced with the devil's whisper or an enemy plot.  Allah used this incident to strengthen the Muslims and give them immunity against malicious actions.   

The second example highlights how the disbelievers helped spread Islam to tens of thousands of people.  Years before the arrival of our beloved Muhammad, the Jews of Medina used to threaten their Arab residents and say, "A prophet will come, whom we will follow and kill you like the killing of Aad and Iram." So, when the Arabs of Medina heard about Islam in Mecca, they said, "This is the new religion the Jews have been talking about; let's beat them to it and follow Muhammad." 

The arrogance of the Jews of Medina and the way they maltreated their neighbors ultimately motivated thousands to enter Islam.  That is how Allah strengthens faith through the actions of the disbelievers.  He says:

Those who disbelieve spend their wealth to bar people from God's path, and they will go on doing so.  In the end, this will be a source of intense regret for them: they will be overcome and herded towards Hell.  (8:39)

This brings us back to the verse.  Allah asks a rhetorical question of astonishment, "How can you disbelieve when God's revelations are being recited to you and His Messenger is living among you?"  How strange is it for a person to deny God while His Messenger is right there reciting the Holy Book!  The Messenger and the Quran are the only matters worth holding onto in life.  God says, "Whoever holds firmly to God will be guided to the straight path." 

The phrase "hold firmly" is translated from the Arabic origin يَعْتَصِمْ (Yatasem), which means "to cling onto something above you." For example, you hold onto a rope to climb higher.  This is significant because, without a firm grip, gravity would cause you to fall.  The same is true in spiritual matters.  If you do not hold onto higher values, your greed and desires will plummet you into sin.  God says:

Devote yourselves to God and assign Him no partners, for the person who does so is like someone who has been hurled down from the skies and snatched up by the birds or ?ung to a distant place by the wind.  (22:31)

What is the spiritual rope we are supposed to grab?  It is the Quran and the teachings (sunnah) of our beloved Muhammad.  God says:

How can you disbelieve when God's revelations are being recited to you and His Messenger is living among you?  Whoever holds firmly to God will be guided to the straight path.

(Chapter 3: Verse 101)

For early Muslims, the presence of Prophet Muhammad was necessary because they were immersed in the pagan traditions of tribalism and bigotry.  The Messenger illuminated the correct path to bring them out of the darkness.  Allah kept our beloved Muhammad alive until he completed his mission.  He says, in the 6^th verse of  Chapter 5,

Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam as your religion.

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, "I am a human being that is about to reach the end of life.  I leave you with two things which you will never go astray if you hold on to them: the Book of God and my sunnah.  Take care of my family (Ahlu Albayt), take care of my family, take care of my family."  Thus, the Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad are the guardians of faith that keep you on the straight path. 

Here we should ask, why did God send messenger and scriptures?  We answer that God divided His creation into a subjugated group, which affirms His ability, and a group –such as humans- that has free will.  We are not subjugated like animals or plants.  The sun rises every day to give us light and warmth, the earth yields crops to whoever plows and sows, and livestock follows our command.  We are the masters of the universe. 

God, however, did not grant us freedom in all matters.  For example, you have no control over the day of your birth or diseases that strike your body.  In other words, Allah proved that He could subjugate you to His will, and then left matters such as beliefs and actions under your control.  You can choose what to believe, and decide what to do each day.  Why?  Because, when it comes to faith, Allah does not want subjugation: He wants love.  He says:

Do you not realize that everything in the heavens and earth submits to God: the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, and the animals?  So do many human beings, though for many others punishment is well deserved.  Anyone disgraced by God will have no one to honor him: God does whatever He will.  (22:18)

So what keeps some people away from the path of their Lord?  Their whims and desires.  Many people choose immediate gratification over eternal bliss in Paradise.  They let go of God's book and the Messenger's teachings and fall into ruin.  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, "My example and yours is like that of a man who kindled a fire; then insects and butterflies swarmed around it and were about to fall into it.  I am working very hard to keep you away from the fire." God says:

How can you disbelieve when God's revelations are being recited to you and His Messenger is living among you?  Whoever holds firmly to God will be guided to the straight path.

(Chapter 3: Verse 101)

If you want to protect yourself from your destructive desires, you must adhere to the Quran and the teachings of our beloved Muhammad.  The Quran is the owners and maintenance manual of human beings.  If you ignore your car's maintenance, it will stop working and turn into junk.  Likewise, if you ignore the maintenance of your humanity, it too will turn into junk.  Allah is your Creator, so make sure you follow His instructions of "do this" and "do not do that." He says:

There is no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error, so whoever rejects false gods and believes in God has grasped the firmest hand-hold, one that will never break.  God is all-hearing and all-knowing.  (2:256)

Keep in mind that, besides your desires, Satan is also working hard to deviate you from God's path.  God called Satan "the deceiver" because he tempts you into chasing after illusions against your interest.  Allah paints for us the picture on the Day of Judgment where Satan disowns those who followed him.  He says:

When everything has been decided, Satan will say, "God gave you a true promise.  I too made promises, but they were false: I had no power over you except to call you, and you responded to my call, so do not blame me; blame yourselves.  I cannot help you, nor can you help me.  I reject the way you associated me with God before." A bitter torment awaits such wrongdoers.  (14:22)

The phrase "I had no power over you except to call you" gives you valuable insight into your battle with the devil.  Remember that Satan does not possess the authority to compel you to do what you do not want.  Nor does he have the power to make you feel comfortable with sin.  In fact, Satan does not have any power or authority over any human being.  Sadly, his whispers often find an inclination and a desire within ourselves and, thus, we lend it an attentive ear and pursue it into the abyss.