Overview (Verses 80 - 83)

A Stronger Claim to Security
 
Once again we see with our eyes the splendid scene of faith when it is clearly manifest, with established roots and shining over man’s whole being. Man is thus reassured, at ease with himself and with the universe around him. The full splendour of this scene comes to its climax in the verses that follow. We witness the case of the Prophet Abraham as he realizes with all his consciousness the truth of his Lord. He has complete peace of mind as he feels that God has taken him by the hand to guide him to the straight path. His people come to him with their arguments about his declared belief in God’s oneness and to warn him against what their idols and deities might inflict on him: “His people argued with him. He said: Do you argue with me about God, when it is He who has given me guidance? I do not fear those beings you associate with Him, [for no evil can befall me] unless my Lord so wills. My Lord embraces all things within His knowledge; will you not, then, reflect? And why should I fear anything you worship side by side with Him, when you are not afraid of associating with God partners without His ever giving you any warrant? Which of the two parties has a better right to feel secure, if you happen to know?” (Verses 80-81)
 
When human nature departs from the right path, it goes astray, and then it is automatically led further astray. The angle between its line and the right path becomes wider and wider, to make any return far more difficult. Abraham’s people used to worship idols, planets and stars. They could not appreciate the great divide that separated them from Abraham after he had been helped by God and guided aright. In spite of the clear flimsiness of their concepts and beliefs, they came to him with their arguments.
 
Abraham, who could feel God within himself and in the universe around him, confronted them with decisiveness and reassurance: “Do you argue with me about God, when it is He who has given me guidance?” (Verse 80) He tells them that God Himself has helped him, opened his mind and shown him the right guidance. He has seen Him clearly, consciously in everything He has placed in the universe. How can they, then, argue with him about something he feels deep down within himself? The fact that God has guided him provides all the evidence and argument he needs.
 
“I do not fear those beings you associate with Him.” (Verse 80) This is both natural and logical. Having known God, what and whom would any person fear, when every power other than God’s is of no consequence? However, with his strong faith, Abraham does not make any final statement without attaching it to God’s free-will and perfect knowledge, “[for no evil can befall me] unless my Lord so wills. My Lord embraces all things within His knowledge.” (Verse 80) He, thus, entrusts himself to God’s care, reassured of His protection. He declares that he fears nothing whatsoever from their deities, since he knows that nothing befalls him except by God’s will and with God’s knowledge.
 
“And why should I fear anything you worship side by side with Him, when you are not afraid of associating with God partners without His ever giving you any warrant? Which of the two parties has a better right to feel secure, if you happen to know?” (Verse 81) This is the logic of a believer who has a true understanding of the truth to be found in the universe. If anyone should entertain fear, that person is certainly not Abraham who believes in God and follows His guidance. How could he fear deities that are powerless, no matter what they are, even though they may wear the mask of tyrannical powers? After all, compared to God’s power, theirs is insignificant. How could Abraham, then, fear such powerless deities while his people do not entertain fear as a result of having associated partners with God whom He has not sanctioned? Which party has a stronger claim to security: those who believe in God’s oneness and reject the notion of Him having any partners, or a person who ascribes divinity to anything which has no power whatsoever? He tells them that they should answer him if they have any knowledge or true understanding.
 
But the answer is given by God who passes His verdict with absolute clarity: “ Those who believe and do not taint their faith with wrongdoing are the ones who will feel secure, as they follow the right path.” (Verse 82) Those who believe and submit themselves purely to God, associating with Him no partners whom they obey or worship, are the ones who deserve security and receive guidance.
 
“This was Our argument with which We furnished Abraham against his people. We raise whom We will, degree after degree.” (Verse 83) This was the argument with which God inspired Abraham to refute all his people’s arguments. He showed him how petty and worthless were their concepts and claims that their deities could harm him. It is clear that Abraham’s people did not deny God’s existence altogether, and did not deny that He had the ultimate power and authority in the universe. They only associated those partners with Him. Abraham confronted them with the fact that a person who submits himself totally to God does not fear anyone besides Him. On the other hand, a person who ascribes divinity to beings other than God is the one to experience fear. Thus, their arguments collapsed while Abraham’s argument was triumphant. Abraham was thus raised above his people in rank, faith, argument and position. God thus raises in rank whomever He wills, in accordance with His knowledge and wisdom: “Your Lord is Wise, All-Knowing.” (Verse 83)
 
Before we move on to the next verses in this passage, let us reflect on the sort of life led by the Prophet’s Companions as they were addressed by the Qur’ān. They certainly contemplated its meaning, appreciated its teachings and requirements, abiding by its instructions and committing themselves not to deviate from them. We cannot but admire their serious commitment which moulded their generation of believers in a way that enabled them to achieve, by God’s will, and in a very short period of time, heights that were superior to anything humanity had ever known.
 
A report quoted by al-Ţabarī on the authority of `Abdullāh ibn Mas`ūd, says: “When this verse was revealed, speaking of Those who believe and do not taint their faith with wrongdoing’, the Prophet’s Companions felt down-hearted and wondered: who of us does not wrong himself? God’s Messenger told them: `It is not as you think. This is a reference to what Luqmān said to his son: Do not associate partners with God; for, to associate partners with God is serious wrongdoing.
 
Al-Ţabarī also reports that after `Umar ibn al-Khaţţāb once read, `Those who believe and do not taint their faith with wrongdoing’, he was much alarmed. He went to Ubayy ibn Ka`b and asked him: “Who is safe after the revelation of this verse? Who of us does not wrong himself? Ubayy said: “May God forgive you. Have you not heard what God says: To associate partners with God is indeed serious wrongdoing. (31: 13) This verse means that true believers do not taint their faith by the association of partners with God”.
 
Al-Ţabarī also reports that a man said to Salmān, one of the Prophet’s Companions: “I am very scared by a Qur’ānic verse I read, saying: Those who believe and do not taint their faith with wrongdoing.” Salmān said: “It refers to associating partners with God.” The man said: “To hear this from you is far more welcome to me than having twice as much of everything I own.”
 
These incidents give us an idea of how those people treated the Qur’ān very seriously. They took it as direct commandments which must be implemented and as a final judgement that could not be contested. If they felt that their limited ability could not cope with what was assigned to them, they were scared lest they should be held accountable for it. Their worry would not quieten until they were reassured by God and His Messenger. In their attitude we also recognize the nature of those people whom God has used to accomplish His will in human life.