Welcome to our weekly program “Path Towards Enlightenment” in which we present you a fluent and easy-to-understand explanation of the ayahs of the holy Qur’an.

We start from where we left you last week and here are ayahs 65 and 66 of Surah Ankabut:

فَإِذَا رَكِبُوا فِي الْفُلْكِ دَعَوُا اللَّـهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ فَلَمَّا نَجَّاهُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ إِذَا هُمْ يُشْرِكُونَ

لِيَكْفُرُوا بِمَا آتَيْنَاهُمْ وَلِيَتَمَتَّعُوا ۖ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ

“When they board the ship, they invoke Allah putting exclusive faith in Him, but when He delivers them to land, behold, they ascribe partners [to Him],”

“Being ungrateful for what We have given them! So let them enjoy. Soon they will know!”

These ayahs point towards the ingratitude of persons of weak faith, who when in trouble fervently supplicate to the One and Only God to deliver them, but when they are safe from danger, they indulge in the cardinal sin of polytheism by associating partners to Allah and inventing a pantheon of deities for various affairs. For example, very often those flying on an aircraft or sailing on a ship, come with unexpected development in the air and at sea, when there seems to be acute danger of mishap. In such situations, the only recourse for help is Allah the One and Only, to whom even the atheists appeal for help for escaping possible death, which no friend, technician, doctor, or scientist avert. But those of weak faith who allow themselves to be hoodwinked by the Satan, soon forget the favours of God and plunge into the pitfalls of infidelity and disbelief. In the next ayah, God Almighty says that He has given respite to the ungrateful to repent, reform and return to His path, while enjoying the pleasures of life in which they have immersed themselves, and those who persist in their wicked ways, will soon bear consequences of their evil.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. Belief in the One and Only God is ingrained in human nature, and it is the evil of sins that deprives one of the proper use of the intellect resulting in the ingratitude, apostasy, sins, and self-destruction.
2. Sincere supplications are answered by God Who even responds to the pleas of help of the atheists, the polytheists and infidels.
3. Polytheism is a type of ingratitude to the favours of God and blessings of monotheism.
4. The fruit of bad deeds is divine punishment, disgrace in life and the Hereafter, and all kinds of other miseries.

Here is ayah 67 of Surah Ankabut:

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا حَرَمًا آمِنًا وَيُتَخَطَّفُ النَّاسُ مِنْ حَوْلِهِمْ ۚ أَفَبِالْبَاطِلِ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَبِنِعْمَةِ اللَّـهِ يَكْفُرُونَ

“Have they not seen that We have appointed a safe sanctuary, while the people are despoiled all around them? Would they then believe in falsehood and be ungrateful toward the blessing of Allah?”

The Arabs before Islam indulged in fratricide, looting of other tribes, enslavement of those captured in such fights, and transgression of the rights and lands of fellow Arabs. God decreed Mecca to be the safe haven and inviolable place, whose sanctity should not be desecrated. Here in this ayah, God means to jolt the conscience of Arabs on the consequences of desecrating the sanctity of Mecca, as was the fate that befell the Christian Abyssinian governor of Yemen, whose elephant-led army was miraculously annihilated by a flock of birds when he tried to storm the holy Ka'ba. The ayah addressing the pagan Arabs and reprimanding them for their ingratitude despite the blessings of God, asks them as to why, despite such clear signs, they have taken to the worship of idols, instead of believing in monotheism. This is nothing but outright falsehood.

From this ayah we learn that:

1. The atmosphere of peace and security is among the great divine blessings, and gratitude in this regard warrants firm belief in the One and Only God by abstaining from atheism and polytheism.
2. God favours should always be remembered in order to firm up faith.

Now we listen to ayah 68 of Surah Ankabut:

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّـهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُ ۚ أَلَيْسَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِّلْكَافِرِينَ

“Who is a greater wrongdoer than him who fabricates a lie against Allah, or denies the truth when it comes to him? Is not the [final] abode of the faithless in hell?”

Allah has provided many clear evidences that monotheism is ingrained in human nature, which means that those who indulge in polytheism and forge lies to Him by denying the truth and claiming that their beliefs and actions are part of a divine programme, are only wronging themselves, since there is no greater injustice than attempts to subvert their own nature. Is it not oppression and wronging of their own souls by the infidels who ignore the timeless wisdom of the holy Qur’an, and belie the Prophets of God? In other words, injustice means anything that deviates from its proper place, place? In view of this, is there anything worse than placing some pieces of stone and wood as objects of worship, instead of refurbishing their own innate nature to submit to none but the One and Only Creator of the universe? Thus, in view of these undeniable facts, atheism and polytheism are the source of all social corruptions originate from them. On the day of resurrection, oppression against God and Prophets will be followed by the most severe punishments.

Of course, idolatry might appear in different forms, including one's greed and excessive attachment to material things, wealth and high posts. Therefore, the faithful should purify their selves from such destructive attachments that bring about severe punishment on the Day of Resurrection

From this ayah we learn that:

1. The worst oppression is self-oppression by denying of truth and promotion of false and baseless ideas.
2. Innovation in religious practices and attributing such forgery to God and the Prophet, are cardinal sins that the true believers should avoid.

Now we listen to ayah 69 of Surah Ankabut:

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

“As for those who strive in Us, We shall surely guide them in Our ways, and Allah is indeed with the virtuous.”

This last ayah of Surah Ankabut refers to Jihad which means striving in the way of God, both against the evil of outside forces, including enemies, and against one's own self, that is controlling the sinister designs and intentions, in order to spread the words of truth in society. Likewise, striving in the fields of science, culture, industry, and technology, based on firm faith in God and humanitarian values, is Jihad. There are many who claim to wage against the enemies of religion, but their real objectives are to gain fame or acquire worldly benefits. The important point of jihad is sincerity of intention and striving for higher egalitarian goals for the sake of preserving humanitarian values, otherwise even the sacrificing of one's own life in war is worthless and the source of loss, both in the world and in afterlife. Thus, as the ayah emphasizes, God has promised guidance and support for true sincere jihad. It means, sincerity of intention brings success after success.

From this ayah we learn that:

1. God guides those who strive sincerely.
2. It is not Jihad to destroy culture, society, and humanitarian values by falsely claiming to be Muslims.

With this we come to the end of Surah Ankabut. Next week, God Willing we start Surah Roum.

AS/MG