GUIDANCE FROM THE HOLY QUR’AN
- Ali Mohammad Naqvi
SURA AL-BAQARAH VERSE 75
2:75: ARE YOU EAGER THAT THEY SHOULD BELIEVE YOU WHILE SOME OF THEM HEAR THE WORD OF GOD THEN KNOWINGLY PERVERT THE TRUTH, THOUGH THEY KNOW
OBSTACLES OF A MOVEMENT:
A MOVEMENT RESISTED MOST BY THE IN-GROUP:
The Holy Qur’an makes an important point.
When a movement appears, it is expected that those who are nearest to its teachings, should accept it first. But the fact is that it faces most vicious opposition by those who should be the first to accept it.
The old guards think that up to now, they have been the sole repositories of Truth and now a rival has appeared who can take away the leadership role from them.
The movement is opposed by the in-group more than by the out-group.
Rāwan was no ordinary person. He was a pandit but he fought with Sri Ram. This is symbolic.
Same was true when the movements of Buddhism. And Jainism appeared.
Moses (Hazrat Mūsā) was born in Egypt among Israelites. But the Egyptian society and even some of the Israelite high priests) who were the authority of religion opposed him. The account is given in the Bible.
When Jesus (Hazrat Īsā) appeared, he was a Jew and it was expected that his message of Love will be accepted by them. But they vehemently opposed and brought him on the Cross.
When the movement of Islam appeared, its main plank was the absolute monotheism and belief in Hereafter, His angels, the revealed Books and the prophets of God. It confirmed and fulfilled the prophecies of the Torah and Gospels. So it was expected that those who claimed that they follow Abraham (Hazrat Ibrāhīm) and Moses (Hazrat Mūsā ) will accept them. But this expectation of the early followers of Prophet Muhammad was belied as they proved to be the most ferocious opponents of the new Religious Movement of Islam.
The modus operandi of the ‘Old Guard’ is to pervert the words, so as to instigate masses against the new movement.
As the new movement based on Truth had natural attraction, those who oppose changing the message of the movement, quote out of context. The Qur’an calls these ‘perverting God’s words’
This has always happened and always happens.
This is a guidance hidāya for all those who work for the cause of TRUTH. They will have to face opposition from thinner circle more than from the external opponents. Anyone who is starting a movement should be prepared that this movement will be opposed by his own people more than the outsiders.
This is how when reading the Scripture and Holy Books, we should try to extract practical guidance for our individual, social, moral and spiritual life.
See the special style of the Qur’an and in fact all Scriptures. Every Aya, verse or sentence is a closed unit of Guidance.
The Qur’an or the Scripture is not like an ordinary book where a theme is developed in a few paragraphs and many pages. It is not possible for an ordinary book to read one sentence today and one sentence after a few days as we are doing here. Everything will become meaningless.
We can see the style of the Quran and other Scriptures where every verse is a closed unit of immense guidance with layers and layers of meaning. One has to delve in it, like delving in a ocean to bring pearls out of it.
If you approach the Divine word like an ordinary book, you will be bewildered, puzzled, because it is not an ordinary book and should not be read or approached as an ordinary book.
This is true of the Qur’an and true of all Scriptures.
You have first to learn how to approach them so that the lotus opens itself; otherwise, the lotus will be closed; you will find nothing.
