Qura’n and the hardships that re-awaken

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The re-awakening trials in Islamic traditionsHardships that re-awaken

We now turn to the Qura’n so that we see what it says about this. We should test the intellect and proof from it and get its consent.

Since Qura’n is a great and educative book and our topic is concerned with education. The book has said many things about this and has used various examples and we quote some of them:

Verse 94 of Surah A’raf says, “And We sent no Prophet to any nation but we seized them with suffering from extreme poverty and loss of health and calamities so that they might humiliate themselves.” (1)

This verse clearly tells us that there is a philosophy about these people who immersed in sins and the painful tribulations. The other purpose was to warn them and re awaken them. These tribulations are connected with the arrival of the apostles so that their way could be clear and their admonishments and teaching could easily explain the creation and the manifestations.

Verse 41 of Surah Rom says:

“Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned that God may give them a taste of their deeds: in order that they may turn back.” (2)

This verse can be understood in two ways; the self created hardships and the second are the hardships that warn, alert and re-awaken. The compatibility of these hardships exemplifies the system imposed by God.

Verse 21 of Surah Sajdah says: “And indeed we will make them taste the lighter chastisement before the greater one in order that they may return.”

The meaning of the lighter chastisement is vast the interpretations given about are included here. The hardships, pains, losses of wealth, drought, famine, hunger and defeat in war).

But some people have taken the lesser chastisement to mean the punishment in the grave is not compatible with the words of the verse because “In order that they may return” seems void if it is taken as such.

We read about the people of and children of the Pharaoh in verse 130 of Surah A’raf that says, “We punished the people of Pharaoh with years of drought that they might receive admonishment.”

Though the verse speaks about the Pharaoh and his people it applies to all mankind. The Holy God subjects many people to severe hardships so that they come down from the high horse of vanity and return to the truth. The point to be noted is that in some verse it suggests admonishment and guidance, in others humility and in others re-awakening and return. actually these are the different stages of the return to God.

Man first realizes a lesson, and then he humiliates himself before God and then changes the course of his life practically through deeds to goodness and God.

According to another explanation the first stage is thoughtfulness, the second is talking about it and the third is deeds. But such finer points can only be discerned when the verses are merged and read under a certain topic only then will new learns of this divine book be learnt.

History points out and the Qura’n openly says that many sinful nations did not adopt the right attitude despite being subject to such hardships but continued on their old ways then the severe punishment of God destroyed them. We read in verse 76 of Surah Muminun that says, “We inflicted punishment on them but they did not humble themselves before their Lord nor do they submissively entreat Him.”

But there are people who adopted the right path after the trials or there were some among the rebellious ones who learnt their lessons and became rightly guided. So these tribulations become the source of re-awakening for some people and for some they remained the last resort to reason with them.  

 


 

1. there is a little difference in this verse and verse 42 of Surah Anam
2.The origin of Yazrioon is “Tazzara” which means humility with sincerity (actually the origin is Zara’ which means the flow of milk from the breast)
3. the same thing is said in verse 168 of Surah A’raf and 48 of Surah Zukhruf.

 

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