The Qur’an – Nurun ‘Ala Nur (Light Upon Light): An Exposition Of Qur’anic Guidance In Its Own Words - Part Six

By Muhammad Yunus, New Age Islam (Co-author (Jointly with Ashfaque Ullah Syed), Essential Message of Islam, Amana Publications, USA, 2009) 30 December 2024 Section-5 Excellence In Conduct And Behaviour 60 The Prophet Muhammad As An Exemplar • “Certainly, you have an excellent example (Uswatun Hasana) in the Prophet for anyone who longs for Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah a lot” (33:21). The verse distinguishes the Prophet as a role model for any good Muslim. The question that keeps the Muslim community divided is, how best they can follow the Prophet’s example. The orthodoxy insists on imitating the Prophet’s physical habits and pursuits including his daily chores, such as: washing and bathing, brushing of teeth, clipping of nails, grooming of beard and hair, manners of eating, drinking, sitting, wearing of clothes and turban etc. But since the Prophet’s daily chore, physical habits and pursuits were informed by the realities of his era, this view reduces the horizon of Islam to a small corridor of history – the seventh century Arabia. The Qur’an also honours Prophet Abraham with this title (60:4) in the following verse: • “There is for you an excellent example (Uswatun Hasana) in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people: "We are clear of you and of whatever ye worship besides Allah..” (60:4) Since the Prophets Abraham and Muhammad lived millenniums apart in totally different corridors of history, it is obvious that the Qur’an does not use this expression for any era specific customs and habits that were unquestionably different for these Prophets. This rules out the orthodox view on imitating the Prophet’s physical habits, customs, and pursuits. The same holds for the Prophet’s personal and private life, events and accomplishments like marriage, conjugal life, profession, defensive and offensive skills, expertise in the prevalent domains of arts, science, and all other domestic and indoor and outdoor activities that were conditioned by the ground realities of his life and thus era specific and therefore they cannot serve as standards or ideals for all eras. The foregoing exclusions leaves the core - the Prophet’s noble persona that can go with the title of Uswatun Hasana – aspects that the Qur’an encapsulates in two of its short verses addressed to the Prophet at a very early stage of the revelation: i– Qad Aflahah Man Zakkaha – 91:9 (“he succeeds who purifies it (his Nafs or his innermost thoughts) and ii.- Rujza Fahjur – 74:5 (“Shun mental defilements”): As these were highly compressed pronouncements the Qur’an illustrates them with the progress of the revelation. These illustrative verses as listed below under collective headings (61 to 65) must have guided the Prophet in attaining excellence in conduct and behaviour – Uswatun Hasana that he personified and his followers need to emulate as religious obligation. 61. Restrain Anger, Forgive People, Greet Courteously, Speak Nicely, Avoid Conflict, And Do Not Talk Evil Of People In Public Unless You Are Wronged. • “Hasten to forgiveness from your Lord, and to a garden - as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the heedful (muttaqin) (3:133): those who spend (in charity) in (times of) plenty as well as hardship, restrain anger and forgive people for Allah loves the doers of good (muhsinin).” (3:134). • “When you are greeted with a greeting, return it with a more courteous greeting or (at least) it’s like. Indeed, Allah takes account of everything” (4:86). • “Allah does not approve of evil talk in public except by one who has been wronged. (Remember,) Allah is All-Knowing and Aware” (4:148). • “Tell My servants to say what is best - for verily Satan sows discord among them, for Satan is an open enemy to man” (17:53). 62. Shun arrogance, boasting, loud talk, and ignore whispers. • “And do not walk arrogantly on earth - for you can neither pierce the earth nor reach the height of mountains” (17:37). • “(Said Luqman to his son): ‘Do not turn your cheek away from people (in scorn), nor walk arrogantly on earth. Surely Allah does not love any arrogant boaster (31:18). Therefore, be modest in your bearing, and keep your voice low; (and remember) the harshest of sounds is the braying of an ass’” (31:19). • “You who believe, if a wicked person comes to you with a (slanderous) news, verify it, otherwise you may ignorantly harm (other) people, and become regretful for what you have done” (49:6). 63. Eschew Slandering, Back-Biting, Hoarding Of Wealth, Miserliness, Excessive Suspicion And Spying Over Others • “Those who slander carefree, believing, chaste women are cursed in this life and (in) the hereafter, and there is a severe punishment for them” (24:23). • “Behold, (O you people!) You are invited to spend in Allah's way, but some of you are miserly; though whoever is miserly, is being miserly to his own soul. (Remember,) Allah is Self-Sufficient, whereas you stand in need. If you turn away (from His path), He will replace you with other people, and they would not be like you” (47:38). • “You who believe, avoid excessive suspicion, for suspicion in some cases is a sin; and do not spy (over others), nor backbite each other. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it! So heed Allah and (remember,) Allah is Most Relenting and Merciful” (49:12). • “Woe to every backbiting critic (104:1), who gathers wealth, and counts it over” (104:2). 64. Repel evil with good – hatred with kindness. • “Those who patiently seek the Countenance of their Lord, keep up prayer and spend out of what We have provided them, secretly or publicly and repel evil with good – such will attain the eternal life” (13:22). • “Repel evil with that which is good. Indeed! We are aware of what they ascribe (to Allah)” (23:96). • “Goodness and evil are not equal. Therefore, repel the latter with that which is good, and then the one between whom and you is hatred, will indeed become your friend (41:34). None can attain this except those who show perseverance; and none can attain this except the very fortunate” (41:35). 65. Kindness To All People Regardless Of Any Religious Affiliations • “Serve Allah; associate none with Him; be kind to parents, relatives (Qurba), orphans, and the needy; to the neighbour close to you (Qurba) and the neighbour who is a stranger, to the companion by your side, the stranded traveller, and to those under your lawful trust. Surely Allah does not love the arrogant and the conceited” (4:36) The verse speaks about two categories of people described as Qurba: a word that traditionally connotes relatives, as rendered in its first appearance. However, the word literally means ‘the close ones.’ Therefore, in the second instance it understandably stands for people who are close enough, but not necessarily relatives. The subsequent reference to the neighbour who is a ‘stranger’ neither a relative, nor ‘close enough,’ must therefore include anyone, regardless of religion, nationality, or race. In other words, this verse explicitly calls for kindness to all people including strangers who may belong to other faiths, nationalities or races 66. The Qur’anic Ideal of conduct and behaviour of a Muslim The foregoing criteria of conduct and behaviour can be pieced together to create this prototype of an ideal Muslim. He will restrain anger, forgive people, remain courteous, speak nicely, avoid conflict, refrain from speaking ill of people publicly unless harmed. He will shun arrogance, boasting, and loud talk, ignore whispers, eschew slandering, back-biting, miserliness, and excessive suspicion. Above all he will return evil with good – hatred with kindness, and remain kind to all people including strangers, neighbours and employees (those under one’s lawful trust). This is straight from the Qur’an (61-65 above)– paraphrased to create a moral road map for any reader to reflect as each element of the road map is religion-neutral and of timeless import. 67 Bid The Good (Ma’ruf) And Restrain The Evil (Munkar) The Qur’an uses the word Ma’ruf for doing good to others and behaving in the most decent and reasonable manner in the community. It uses its antonym munkar for all deeds, gesture, and behaviour that run counter to reason and contradict all norms of good behaviour For simplicity, we will be rendering these terms as the good (ma‘ruf) and the evil (Munkar) in the passages below: • Let there emerge from among you a community for mankind that will bid to good, enjoin (Yamuruna) all that is good (ma ‘Ruf) and restrain (Yanhona) the evil (Munkar) and it is they who shall succeed” (3:104) • You are the best community brought forth for humanity; you enjoin all that is good, and restrain the evil, and believe in Allah. If the People of the Book would only believe - it would be best for them: some of them have true faith (mu’minun) while most of them are perverse” (3:110) Read in isolation, these verses purport to claim exclusivity of the Muslim community for all times. This conflicts with the pluralistic message of the Qur’an and its common criteria of divine justice which place the Muslims on a level playing field with the believing non-Muslims in accountability to Allah at the Final Reckoning (19 above). More importantly, the verses succeeding the verse 3:110 listed below removes any notion of exclusivity for the Muslims: • “They are not the same: among the People of the Book is an upright community: they recite Allah’s messages through the hours of night as they bow down before Him (3:113). They believe in Allah and the Last Day; enjoin the good, and restrain the evil and hasten to good deeds - it is they who are among the virtuous (Sualihin) (3:114). Any good they do, they will not be denied it as Allah knows the heedful (Muttaqin)” (3:115) Thus, the Qur’an does not single out the Prophet’s followers/ companions as the bidders of good and restrainers of evil. Hence, it will detract from the Qur’anic message to connect the verses 3:104 and 3:110 to all Muslim communities in all eras or to interpret it as any universal attestation of the exclusiveness of the Muslims for all times as the best community and the bidders of good and restrainers of evil. Traditionally scholars have translated/ interpreted the above verses with a compulsive connotation for the prohibition (Naha) of the evil, implying that force can be applied to ensure compliance. But since the Qur’anic word for prohibition (Naha) has both compulsive and persuasive* connotations it must be interpreted in a generic fashion to avoid any excesses. *These are a few examples of non-compulsive connotation of the word Naha in the Qur’an: • 79:40 - refers to those who ‘restrain’ (Naha) their own souls. • 11:62 – The Prophet Salih’s elders asked him if he was trying to ‘restrain’ them (Atanhana) from their idols. • 29:45 - Prayer (Salat) ‘restrains’ (Tanha) one from abomination (Fahshah). 68. Consultation In Conducting Affairs The Qur’an enjoins mutual consultation in conducting community affairs (3:159, 42:38): • “It was due to the Mercy of Allah, you were gentle with them. Had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would’ve dispersed from around you. So forgive them, pray for their forgiveness, and consult with them in the matter. Once you’ve decided, put your trust in Allah. Allah loves those who put their trust in Him” (3:159) This verse, revealed in the aftermath of the Battle of U00hud, (reviewed in Part 2 of this discourse) reflects the Prophet's leadership and the broader Qur'anic principle of consultation. A group of the Prophet’s followers who pretended to believe but were opposed to him in their hearts defied his orders and left their battle stations to collect booties. The divine voice commands the Prophet to be mild to them and consult community affairs with them • “(… Allah’s reward is for those who believe, and put their trust in their Lord (42:36) Those who avoid grave sins and indecencies; and when they are angered, they forgive (42:37), those who respond to their Lord, perform their prayers, conduct their affairs by mutual consultation, and give from what We provide for them (42:38) By prohibiting grave sins and abominable deeds in the verse preceding the verse on mutual consultation (42:38) the Qur’an clarifies that the instrument of consensus cannot be used to justify what is ipso facto wrong, or to legalize the unlawful (haram) – a routine ratification of a board or Parliament of exclusive benefits or clemency against unlawful acts for its members. Also Read (Previous Parts): The Qur’an – Nurun ‘Ala Nur (Light Upon Light): An Exposition Of Qur’anic Guidance In Its Own Words - Part One The Qur’an – Nurun ‘Ala Nur (Light Upon Light): An Exposition Of Qur’anic Guidance In Its Own Words - Part Two The Qur’an – Nurun ‘Ala Nur (Light Upon Light): An Exposition Of Qur’anic Guidance In Its Own Words - Part Three The Qur’an – Nurun ‘Ala Nur (Light Upon Light): An Exposition Of Qur’anic Guidance In Its Own Words - Part Four The Qur’an – Nurun ‘Ala Nur (Light Upon Light): An Exposition Of Qur’anic Guidance In Its Own Words - Part Five ----- Muhammad Yunus, a Chemical Engineering graduate from Indian Institute of Technology, and a retired corporate executive has been engaged in an in-depth study of the Qur’an since early 90’s, focusing on its core message. He has co-authored the referred exegetic work, which received the approval of al-Azhar al-Sharif, Cairo in 2002, and following restructuring and refinement was endorsed and authenticated by Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl of UCLA, and published by Amana Publications, Maryland, USA, 2009. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/books-documents/quran-nurun-nur-light-quranic-guidance-part-six/d/134187 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism