Welcome to another episode of our weekly series titled “Path towards Enlightenment” which is an endeavour to make you and us familiar with an easy and fluent explanation of God’s Final Scripture to all mankind, the holy Qur’an, which was revealed to the Last and Greatest of all Messengers, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny).

We continue from where we left you last week and God Willing today we will complete our explanation of Surah Hujuraat. Here we present you Ayah 13 of the Surah:

“O mankind! Indeed We created you from a male and a female, and made you nations and tribes that you may identify yourselves with one another. Indeed the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most Godwary among you. Indeed Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. ”

If you might recall, in our explanation of the previous Ayahs of this Surah last Friday, we said that in a truly Islamic society people live on the basis of goodwill and trust one another. There is no dead-end in Islam. Penitence can remove all sins as God is All Merciful and accepts repentance.

The Ayah that we recited to you now is addressed to all mankind and not exclusively to the Muslims only. It is proof of the fact that all humanity has one single origin, which means all human beings are the offspring of one particular pair of male and female, that is, Adam and Eve, although later because of geographical factors they split into nations and tribes.

All races, whether the colour of their skins is white, brown, yellow or black are the creation of Allah, Who has made them to vary in complexion, language, customs, and the mode of life, in the different lands they inhabit and have been influenced by the particular geographical features, although before Him they are all one and cherished by Him alike, since the most honoured in the sight of the Almighty Creator is the most righteous and virtuous.    

Suppose, if all people were the same in shape, colour, language and other features, would it be easy to recognize them as individuals and groups? Even twins are not absolutely the same and there is a shade of difference between them that is recognizable for their parents and near relatives. Thus, the differences among human beings are the signs of the power and wisdom of God Almighty Who decreed different characteristics for tribes and nations for the maintenance of the social order.

The Almighty Creator thus knows the righteous quite well and is fully aware of the degree of their cognition and fear of Him on the basis of sincerity of intention and purity of heart. He bestows rewards for them, while chastising the pretenders and hypocrites, who are also clearly known to Him.

This Ayah teaches us that:

1. Arabs have no superiority over non-Arabs, and whites have no superiority over people of brown, yellow or black colour, since all human beings are the offspring of Adam and Eve.
2. Biological differences, such as being male or female, or for that matter any outward differences are the signs of God’s power and wisdom for recognition of one another, rather than boasting of superiority.
3. The holy Qur’an strongly rejects any kind of discrimination and emphasizes that the only criterion for superiority is virtue, proper cognizance of God Almighty and perfection of faith.

Now we listen to Ayahs 14 and 15 of this Surah:

“The Bedouins say, ‘We have faith.’ Say, ‘You do not have faith yet; rather say, ‘We have embraced Islam,’ for faith has not yet entered your hearts. Yet if you obey Allah and His Prophet, He will not stint anything of (the reward of) your works. Indeed Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.’

“The faithful are only those who have attained faith in Allah and His Prophet and then have never doubted, and who wage jihad with their possessions and their persons in the way of Allah. It is they who are the truthful.”

These Ayahs reflect the difference between Islam and Imaan, which is faith from the depth of the heart. It means to remind the desert Arabs that Islam is the outward and legal aspect of faith and whoever expresses the two-fold testimony that “there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, is recognized as a Muslim and is thus obliged to act upon Islamic laws, but Imaan is a real and inward affair, which is conviction from the depth of the heart rather than tongue, appearance or claim.

In other words, those who say: "we submit," can be called Muslims but they are not Momins, since Islam is the outer circle and Imaan is the inner core, which means a Muslim may not be fully submissive to God, while a momin is completely obedient to the Almighty Creator and the instructions of the Prophet without the least doubt, even if it means to sacrifice life and properties.

Thus, the holy Qur’an commands us to perfect our faith and become truthful in our claims of being Muslim, since God is All-Forgiving and All-Merciful.

These Ayahs teach us the following points:

1. Those who claim to be religious, though their deeds do not comply with the commandments of God and the instructions of Prophet, could be called a Muslim, but not a Momin, since faith has not fully entered their hearts to become eligible for rewards and salvation in the Hereafter.
2. True faith is from the depth of the heart and not mere expression by the tongue.
3. Jihad in the way of God has certain rules and regulations in full conformity with what the Prophet has really taught about achievements and safeguarding of humanitarian values, and is not fanaticism to get killed or kill others.

Now we listen together to ayahs 16, 17, and 18 of Surah Hujuraat as the concluding Ayahs of this Surah:

“Say, ‘Will you inform Allah about your faith while Allah knows whatever there is in the heavens and whatever there is in the earth, and Allah has knowledge of all things?’

“They count it as a favour to you that they have embraced Islam. Say, ‘Do not count it as a favour to me your embracing of Islam. Rather it is Allah Who has done you a favour in that He has guided you to faith, should you be truthful (in your claim of having embraced Islam).

 Indeed Allah knows the Unseen of the heavens and the earth, and Allah sees best what you do.”

Some people and tribes approached Prophet Mohammad (blessings of god upon him and his progeny) and claimed that they deserve reward since they have accepted his invitation to Islam and helped him. God Almighty questions their claims, because not all of them had sincerity of intention and purity of heart, in believing in God and the Prophet, and had only done something in pursuit of worldly gains.

These Ayahs remind Muslims that God is fully aware of what they do and what is really in their hearts, which means it is not your claim of being Muslim a favour to the cause of Islam, since it is the Almighty Creator who rewards the faithful who have striven to achieve salvation from darkness by strictly following the letter and spirit of the teachings of the Prophet. God is aware of whatever there is in the heavens and the earth and knows how much you are committed to religion as He knows your inner feelings.

From these Ayahs we learn that:

1. We should never count it as a favour to God and the Prophet that we have embraced Islam and are doing some of our duties. Rather, abstinence from sins is the greatest Divine blessing that God and the Prophet should count it as a favour to us.
2. We should never be deceived by the outward of persons and claimants of faith; because some people are not true in their claim.
3. There are myriads of hidden secrets in the heavens and the earth which only God knows.

Well, on that note, we have come to the end of surah Hujurāt and next episode we will start the exegesis of surah Qāf. God bless.

RM/AS/SS