Quran Garden

Session 533

Chapter 3

Verse 200

a continuation

You who believe, be patient, more steadfast than others, stand firmly on guard, and be mindful of God so that you may prosper.  (Chapter 3: Verse 200)

In the verse that concludes Surah Al Imran, God gave us four commands embodying the lessons of the entire chapter.  We learned about His commands to be patient and more steadfast than others.  What is meant by "stand firmly on guard"?  It means being prepared and letting your enemy know you are ready to face them anytime.  God says,

Prepare against them whatever you can of forces and war-horses to frighten off God's enemies and your own, and others besides them not known to you but known to God.  Whatever you spend in the way of God will be paid back to you in full, and you will not be wronged.  (8:60)

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, "The best among you is the one who holds firm to his horse's reins, ready to rush out when he hears a call for help." 

The point is to be prepared, fully on guard, and ready to confront the enemy at a moment's notice.  Such preparation can only be done before escalations.  Why?  Because being well-prepared sends a clear message: you're not an easy target.  On the other hand, if you're lazy, relaxed, and careless, it is an open invitation for the enemy to catch you off guard and take advantage.

Keep in mind being prepared and alert isn't just about military gear and physical training.  It also means being ready to defend the truth against any type of attack.  Thus, it is crucial to arm our Muslim youth with the knowledge and resilience necessary to stand against atheistic ideas before they encounter them.  The threat isn't always a physical invasion with weapons and troops; sometimes, it is an invasion of ideas that subtly infiltrate the mind.  When faced with atheism or misinformation designed to sow doubt, the believers should be knowledgeable and vigilant to counter such intellectual attacks.

The problem with the current educational curriculum in most Muslim countries is that it is wholly adopted from the West.  We learn history as narrated by the West and study nature and biology through their lens.  However, Muslims should never forget that we have a religion that protects us against the falsehoods and polytheistic ideas embedded within such curriculums.  For instance, when a historian presents the Western narrative that "The French Revolution was the birthplace of human rights," I must have the knowledge and confidence to respond with, "In what year did the French Revolution occur?  It has not been that long, only a couple of hundred years ago.  Are you aware that Islam established human rights fourteenth centuries ago?  Maybe you should take time to read the Quran." Upon hearing about the French Revolution's declaration of human rights, every Muslim student should assert, "No, the revolution happened in the 17th century.  Islam introduced these principles more than fourteen centuries ago and prohibited the abuses of such rights.  It is not proper for you to obscure the truth just because you are ignorant or have an agenda against Islam."

Here are a few Quranic verses among many establishing human rights for all.

God says of equality,

Mankind!  We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other.  The most honored of you in God's sight are the ones most mindful of Him. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (49:13)

God also taught us about the value of human life,

On account of this, We decreed to the Children of Israel that if anyone kills a person- unless in retribution for murder or spreading corruption in the land- it is as if he kills all humankind, while if any saves a life, it is as if he saves the lives of all humankind.  Our messengers came to them with clear signs, but many continued to commit excesses in the land.  (5:32)

And He addressed matters for property rights and outlawed exploitation,

You who believe, do not consume one another's property by false means but only by means of mutually agreed trade.  And do not kill yourselves.  God is Most Merciful to you.  (4:29)

The Quran also addressed justice and personal responsibility and called against cronyism,

O you who believe!  Be upholders and standard-bearers of justice, bearing witness to the truth for God's sake, even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or your close relatives.  Whether the person is rich or poor, God can best take care of both.  Refrain from following your own desire, so that you can act justly.  If you distort or neglect justice, God is fully aware of what you do. (4:125)

We should stand just as firm against atheistic and polytheistic ideas seeping through biological sciences.  When for example, scientists claim that "Nature endowed the octopus with skin that changes color and texture to mirror the surrounding environment so that it can go stealth and invisible to its enemies." We are quick to answer: "Nature does not endow anyone with anything, nature is endowed by God.  He is the Creator and Sustainer.  Such animals are marvels of creation that point toward a higher power." 

So, to "stand firmly on guard" applies equally to military force, and to the scientific and intellectual force.  At the heights of the Islamic civilization, the opponents of faith gave up on defeating Islam militarily after they exhausted all efforts during the Crusades.  All they were left with was to invade with their curriculum.  Sadly, many among us are more than eager to fully adopt Western ideas and use them to undermine Islam.  Such people do not know history, and often, they lecture to audiences who are also ignorant of their own history. 

Let's take this typical attack as an example.  The opponents of Islam say, "Europe and the West are advanced civilizations, but you Muslims are backward, lagging far behind."  We answer: Is our backwardness associated with Islam?  Isn't it true that when Islam was the guiding principle of the state, Muslims enjoyed the highest civilization in the world for a thousand years, while Europe lurked in the dark ages?  Muslim scientists living under the Muslim state laid the foundation for modern science in many fields, such as algebra, optics, and astronomy, to name a few.  In fact, the Muslim civilization only declined after it moved away from the Quran. 

To "stand firmly on guard" means that it is your duty, and the duty of every Muslim, to study and understand faith properly.  Your sound knowledge of God's teachings is the only way to confidently defend against Islam's doubters and attackers.  In other words, the foundation of Islam should be crystal clear in your mind so you can clarify it to others.  Remember that the enemies of faith often start with intellectual invasion before resorting to armed aggression.  The commands: "Be patient, more steadfast than others, stand firmly on guard" should be practiced in the material, intellectual, and spiritual realms.