Quran Garden

Session 466

Chapter 3

Verse 137

A continuation

Similar traditions came to pass before you, so travel in the land and see the fate of the deniers.  (Chapter 3: Verse 137)

God invites you to look through history and learn from the clashes between divine truth and worldly corruption.  Interestingly, you can find plenty of examples in the material world around us.  The struggle between good and bad extends beyond humankind into the realm of inanimate objects.  Listen to the following verse:

He sends water from the sky that fills riverbeds to over?owing, each according to its measure.  The stream carries on its surface a growing layer of froth, like the froth that appears when people melt metals in the fire to make ornaments and tools.  In this way God illustrates truth and falsehood: the froth disappears, but what is of benefit to man stays behind.  This is how God makes illustrations.  (13:17)

Allah sends rain down to flow into the valleys, the lowlands between mountains.  On its journey downhill, the water collects mud and silt and settles them in the valley to form the most fertile soil for plants.  The remaining water finds its way into rivers, oceans, or underground reservoirs.  If you look at the water flowing down from the hills after a rain storm, you find foam that floats on the water's surface.  Have you seen a pot of boiling beef or chicken meat and bone?  You see similar foam floating on the surface.  This foam contains elements that have come out from the substance in the pot.  Heating the pot causes such elements to separate and rise to the surface.  You can remove the foam from the pot or leave it to solidify on the sides as it cools. 

Where does the rainwater foam come from?  It comes from the earth.  Many things settle on the surface of the soil, such as dead leaves, the roots of plants, and the dust from the air.  They cover the surface or seep into the ground hindering the growth of small roots, robbing them of oxygen, and preventing the absorption of nutrients.  Rainwater cleanses the earth, purifies the soil of impurities, and promotes growth.

We find a similar phenomenon at the beach where the waves wash up dead plants, fish, and garbage and set it on the sand to be collected by people who clean the area.  Allah made nature self-cleansing. 

Why all this discussion?  Because the scum, foam, and beach debris rise to the surface, become most visible and capture people's attention.  But do not think of this high position as superior because the meat's froth is not good for you, and the foam of the streams is full of contaminants.  Such is the case with the outbursts of falsehood in our world.  Corrupt people often rise to the top and become the most visible.  They collect wealth, fame, and influence and become the media's darlings.  Again, this does not equate to being good.  Quite often, such people are the source of corruption. 

Let's consider the other example from the verse.  God says:

The stream carries on its surface a growing layer of froth, like the froth that appears when people melt metals in the fire to make ornaments and tools.

When a goldsmith places a gold nugget under intense fire, it melts, and all other metals and impurities mixed with the gold separate and rise to the top.  The pure metal left behind becomes uniform and beautiful when such impurities are removed. 

So we have two examples: one with water –which is an absolute necessity of life– and one with gold –which is a luxury.  Allah wants you to know that all aspects of life involve a struggle between good and evil.  He says, "In this way God illustrates truth and falsehood: the froth disappears, but what is of benefit to man stays behind."

The truth is similar to water as it cleanses the landscape and is similar to fire as it removes the impurities from a metal.  It is fascinating to have two polar-opposite forces performing the same task of purification. 

This brings us back to the verse.  The phrase "Similar traditions came to pass before you" reminds us of the struggle between truth and falsehood.  At times, a person may see falsehood dominating and in control.  Yet, it is only scum.  This is the way of life, and if you want more evidence, then "travel in the land and see the fate of the deniers."

Interestingly, God chose the preposition "in" when speaking of traveling "in the land."  Perhaps, a more proper phrase would have been "so travel on land."  But such a phrase is limited to our perspective as humans.  We answer that, when God speaks, His perspective is more comprehensive, for He is the Creator of this universe.  We used to say that we travel on earth because we believed that the earth ended on its surface, but we now know that the atmosphere is an essential part of the earth that makes our survival possible.  Thus, when we walk, we are actually traveling in the earth as its atmosphere surrounds us. 

Another explanation is that, to see the lessons of previous nations, we need to uncover them by digging into the earth.  If you leave your house for one month, you come back to find a layer of dust covering the floor and every item despite the windows and doors being closed.  Imagine the volume of dirt you would see if you left your home for a few years.  Dust would creep in and cover everything.  If this can happen in our modern homes, what about ancient areas exposed to the elements for centuries?  One sandstorm can bury a village.  How many sandstorms have passed over old civilizations?  God informs us about the civilization of Iram, the City of Pillars, in the following verse:

Have you not seen how your Lord did with the people of A'ad?  The city of Iram of the lofty pillars, the likes of which have not been created in all the land?  And Thamood, who hewed out the rocks of the valley?  And Pharaoh, he of the tent pegs?  They were tyrants in the land and made much corruption therein. (89:6-12)

God describes the civilization of Iram as "the likes of which has not been created in all the land." In other words, it surpasses the civilization of ancient Egypt, which modern physicists and architects still cannot explain.  So where is it now?  Most likely, it is buried under mounds of sand, and we must research and dig in the land to find it. 

Another way to follow God's command to "travel in the land and see the fate of the deniers" is to do so by means of study and reflection.  We leave the task of traveling to explorers and then read their reports and watch the shows they produce. 

The verse ends with the phrase, "see the fate of the deniers."  We ask, were the mighty people who established such great civilizations unable to maintain them?  How could these marvels be abandoned, fall into oblivion, and disappear?  There must have been a force higher than them.  Hence, we understand the verse "and see the fate of the deniers" as a warning from the Sustainer Who sees all the creation, the All-Powerful Who overcomes with ease.  He says in the next verse of Al Imran:

This is a clear declaration to people, and guidance and teaching for those mindful of God. (3:138)