تَنزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ فَاعْبُدِ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّينَ أَلَا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاء مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَى إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي مَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ

'The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.
Surely We have revealed to you the Book with the truth, therefore serve Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience. Now, surely, sincere obedience is due to Allah (alone) and (as for) those who take guardians besides Him, (saying), We do not serve them save that they may make us nearer to Allah...'

(Az Zumar, verses 1-3)

Apart from mentioning the philosophy of the revelation of Holy Qur'an, the essence of religion and the personality of Holy Prophet (SAW) in the first twenty verses of Surah Az Zumar, Allah (SWT) has turned our attention to one more important topic and that is the calamity of piety.

The system of creation and the wisdom of calamities

The creator of man has created a very interesting system of creation. He has created everything with its proper requisites and has ordained guidance for the development and perfection of the same. In the Holy Qur'an, Allah (SWT) recounts this fact through the words of his pious servant Prophet Musa (AS) when Pharaoh asked him, 'Who is your lord?' He replied,

قَالَ رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَى

'He said: Our Lord is He Who gave to everything its creation, then guided it (to its goal).'

(Al Taha, verse 50)

Generating essentials required for creation and guidance, Allah (SWT) has also created hardships for man whose purpose is to create obstacles between creation and development of different things along with its system of guidance. Its purpose is also to mislead man while hiding the real purpose and showing some other goals, the other name of which is misguidance. A clear guidance regarding this danger is given in religious education.

A calamity for everything

Imam Ali (AS) says, 'لکلّ شیٔ آفة تفسدہ'There is a calamity paired with everything that is a cause of its ruin e.g. the calamity for intellect is following desires, the calamity for certaintyis uncertainty and contradiction, pretence (hypocrisy) for worship, love of governance for scholars, weak politics for rulers, the calamity for knowledge is negligence of knowledge and the calamity for action is absence of sincerity. Where Allah (SWT) has granted the best creation to man, he has also appointed the most perfect of guidance for him and side by side He has also appointed calamities in every field of life. To keep man's creation undamaged in order to receive guidance, He has instructed man to stay away from such calamities because a calamity-afflicted body is unhealthy, a calamity-afflicted soul is misguided and a calamity-afflicted action is ineffective.

Calamities of religion and religiousness

The greatest blessing by Allah (SWT) for man is religion. Creating a religion is Allah (SWT)'s task, revelation of religion is also His (SWT) duty and rescuing it from calamities of religion is also His (SWT) responsibility.

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ

'Surely We have revealed the Reminder and We will most surely be its guardian.'

(Surah Al Hijr, verse 9)

Religion is for man's guidance. Therefore following religion is declared obligatory for man. Accepting God's religion, to follow accordingly and to abide by its rules is termed as religiousness or piety. Religion is an act of Allah (SWT) but religiousness is an act of man. Protection of religion is Allah (SWT)'s task while protection of religiousness is man's undertaking. There are calamities of religion and of religiousness as well. Allah (SWT) has rescued religion from calamities while the task of a religious person is to rescue the religiousness from its calamities.

The boundaries of religiousness are as big as the boundaries of religion. And according to the boundaries of each, the calamities, respectively, are in abundant too. If an unguided man doesn't accept religion from the core, surely he is among the misguided ones in world and among the destroyed ones in the hereafter. Similarly, if a guided man accepts religion but does not protect himself from the calamities, he too will remain wandering in this world and among the deprived ones in the hereafter. As a consequence, a calamity-afflicted religion is similar to being unreligious. In the Holy Qur'an, Allah (SWT) has instructed the Holy Prophet (SAW) to rescue people from the germs of irreligiousness guiding them towards a pure atmosphere. Allah (SWT) says,

كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ

'(This is) a Book which We have revealed to you that you may bring forth men, by their Lord's permission from utter darkness into light-- to the way of the Mighty, the Praised One'

(Surah Al Ibrahim, verse 1)

This was an instruction to all divine prophets and everyone executed their tasks beautifully especially the Holy Prophet (SAW) who, with permission from His Lord, guided people drenched in ignorance towards light of guidance.

Sincerity - A name to rescue religion from calamities

Allah (SWT) has delivered one more message through divine books and prophets to man. This message was specifically for those people who had already stepped out of ignorance and entered the light of guidance and the message was to protect this religion from calamities. He also mentioned the important calamity of religiousness and that was infidelity. The prophets' task was to propagate Allah (SWT)'s religion and to keep the religion pure from calamities. This itself is called sincerity, meaning keeping the religion away from calamities. Allah (SWT) has revealed a pure religion, the prophets have propagated a pure religion and so a common man has also been instructed to accept a pure religion. This is termed as Islam e Naab, an Islam away from calamities.

In the aforementioned verses of Surah Az Zumar, Allah (SWT) has mentioned this same fact that this book is revealed from a Mighty and Wise God with truth. Hence it is pure, clean and unadulterated, therefore you worship Allah (SWT) but with sincerity - a worship with a pure and an unadulterated religion.

In the first verse of Surah Az Zumar, there is a hint towards religion being pure during the Holy Qur'an's revelation. In the second verse, the Holy Prophet (SAW) is instructed that he must accept a pure religion too and worship according to the pure religion. In the third verse, the purity of religion is mentioned as a common announcement to all, '... َلاَلِلَّہِ الدِّینُ الْخَالِص', meaning 'O people! Be aware and know that pure religion is only for Allah (SWT) and for Allah (SWT) is only a pure religion.' The purpose of this announcement is to inform us that the purity and unadulteration of religion is as important as the religion itself.   

Embracing an impure religion with sincerity

Thereafter, the mention of those people begins who do have a religion but a religion without purity and filled with pollution and calamities. But poor people have embraced such an impure religion with full sincerity. Eating polluted things with sincerity doesn't make them pure, in fact it turns the man eating such things sick. Man doesn't attain salvation by embracing an impure religion, in fact the impurity of religion will drown the religious person below. Ones who have embraced an impure religion may not have heard Allah (SWT)'s announcement in Surah Az Zumar '... َلاَلِلَّہِ الدِّینُ الْخَالِص', 'People! Be aware and know that pure religion is only for Allah (SWT) and for Allah (SWT) is only a pure religion.'

Hypocrisy of an impure religion

Those simple people who have embraced a polluted religion used to explain and interpret such calamities. Mention of infidelity would be so beautiful that the listener would see only religion in the same. The calamities were presented with such an exegesis that the most sincere of the religious would begin salivating. Infidelity and such polluted concepts were presented with such firmness and certainty that monotheists would become dubious. In fact sometimes, people would become so totally ignorant and insincere that they would invite prophets towards infidelity. When the divine prophets would request them to abandon infidelity, they would, in reply, present such a conversation that other than prophets, anyone could have been easily trapped as seen in today's times.

Verse 3 of Surah az Zumar quotes a few people who, other than God, have also assigned a guardian to themselves. When they were told that God and only those whom God has appointed are their guardians, they would give a deceptive explanation saying they don't worship those guardians as their Gods or creators but due to their character getting them closer to God.

Absurd interpretations of Idol-worshipping

Allama Tabatabai (RA) presents an exegesis of this third verse of Surah az Zumar saying that the belief of pagans was that comprehending the being of God (SWT) is beyond man's understanding. Man does not have the power to understand God through his wisdom. As a result, if we do not possess the power to understand Him (SWT), we cannot address our worship towards Him too. Hence to reach God, we have to cling on to those who are near to Him. They are those people whom Allah (SWT) has given the entire authority. We have to consider them as our God and worship them so that they seek intercession for us. And such beings whom we have to consider our God are angels, Jinns, and holy humans.

Those idols which are placed in idol temples are replicas of Gods and Lords and not Gods themselves. And according to pagans, looking at such statues reminds us of God and helps us achieve proximity of Him. This perception is labeled as infidelity by the Holy Qur'an. They used to worship but a worship infiltrated with pollution, they were devotees and would execute all rules of devotion with sincerity but according to Holy Qur'an, this devotion is an impure worship. It is not a pure worship and worse that abandoning worship itself because the one who doesn't eat anything dies of hunger and the one who consumes impure meals dies of indigestion and cholera. Today, the death toll of one dying from hunger is higher than the one who dies of indigestion and similar is the case of irreligious peoples' number higher than the ones who are not religious at all.

Penetration of infidelity in religiousness

The surface of religion is crystal clear like the nature of man. It is akin to a mirror - slightest of dust will mar this clarity. Just like nature can be polluted by following lusts, materialistic desires, desire for dignity, committing sins, disobedience, evil character, abusive language and temptations, and thought of corruption; similarly religiousness is also unknowingly polluted by dust of infidelity. It is narrated in a tradition,

ان دبیب الشرک فی القلب اخفی من دبیب النملة السوداء "
"علیٰ الصخرة الصماء فی اللیلة الظلماء

Infidelity is more hidden than the creeping of black ant on a black rock in the pitch-darkness of the night.

The Holy Prophet (SAW) is reported to have said, دبیب الشرک فی امتّی کدبیب النملة السوداء علیٰ الصخرة الصماء فی اللیلة الظلماء'

'Infidelity is more hidden than the creeping of black ant on a black rock in the pitch-darkness of the night.'

Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Qur'an,

وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِاللّهِ إِلاَّ وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ

'And most of them do not believe in Allah without associating others (with Him).'

(Surah Al Yusuf, verse 106)

With such interpretations, we can easily understand the dangers religion is faced with. These verses and traditions are constantly ringing bells to familiarize the religious one with such dangers and inform by saying, 'O religious people! Do not let your pure religion get polluted with calamities and diseases'.

In Nahj ul Balagha, Imam Ali (AS) has specifically declared recognition of religion and sincere religiousness as the foundation of religion. He says in the first sermon,

ا وّلُ الدِّینِ معرِفتہ، وکمالُ معرِفتِہِ التصدیق بِہِ، وکمالُ التصدِیقِ بِہِ توحِیدہ، وکمالُ توحِیدِہِ الاِِخلاص لہ، وکمالُ الاِِخلاصِ لہ نفی الصِفاتِ عنہ...

'The foremost in religion is the acknowledgement of Him, the perfection of acknowledging Him is to testify Him, the perfection of testifying Him is to believe in His Oneness, the perfection of believing in His Oneness is to regard Him Pure, and the perfection of His purity is to deny His attributes (of His creation), because every attribute is a proof that it is different from that to which it is attributed and everything to which something is attributed is different from the attribute.'

The most difficult stage of religiousness

The most difficult stage in religion is to keep it pure and unpolluted which is a tiring task. It is reported from Holy Prophet (SAW) that 'شیّبتنی سورة ہود', 'Surah Al Hood has turned me old'. Respected scholars have said that the verse mentioning the act in Surah Al Hood which has turned the Holy Prophet (SAW) old is:

.فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ وَلاَ تَطْغَوْاْ إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ 
وَلاَ تَرْكَنُواْ إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاء ثُمَّ لاَ تُنصَرُونَ

'Continue then in the right way as you are commanded, as also he who has turned (to Allah) with you, and be not inordinate (O men!), surely He sees what you do.
And do not incline to those who are unjust, lest the fire touch you, and you have no guardians besides Allah, then you shall not be helped.'

(Surah Al Hood, verses 112 and 113)

This same firmness had wearied the Holy Prophet (SAW), none other than him had such an firmness. Now, we have to see which act was it that required his steadfastness. There is a clear mention of this in Surah Az Zumar:

قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّينَ
وَأُمِرْتُ لِأَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

(Say: I am commanded that I should serve Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience.
And I am commanded that I shall be the first of those who submit.)

(Surah Az Zumar, verses 11 and 12)

In verse 14, it is mentioned,

قُلِ اللَّهَ أَعْبُدُ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ دِينِي

'Say: Allah (it is Whom) I serve, being sincere to Him in my obedience.'

Combining verse 112 of Surah Al Hood and verses 11 and 14 of Surah az Zumar will reveal the secret of the Prophet (SAW)'s hadith:

فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ وَلاَ تَطْغَوْاْ إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ 
وَلاَ تَرْكَنُواْ إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاء ثُمَّ لاَ تُنصَرُونَ
قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّينَ
وَأُمِرْتُ لِأَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ قُلِ اللَّهَ أَعْبُدُ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ دِينِي

The entire task of Prophet hood itself is difficult. Whether it is propagation or holy war, migration or martyrdom, the life of Makkah or uprising in Medina, the journey of Taaif or the victory of Makkah, the incidents of Badr and Uhud or Khaibar and Khandaq, but the task which requires firmness and that too a mighty power, is to keep the religion pure and unpolluted just with the same purity it was revealed and to pass it on in the same state to the next generations.

 The emphasis on wisdom of a pure religion

The sensitivity of keeping the religion pure and unpolluted is commanded by Allah (SWT), the Holy Qur'an and the Holy Prophet (SAW) due to the previous pollution and impurities created by pure beings. The Jewish scholars had polluted the Musawi religion (religion of Musa) with their own accusations and imaginations. Christianity had polluted the oneness of God into trinity (division of God into three personalities) under Jesus' religion. The distortions and rectifications of impurities in previous religions and divine legislatures were compensated with the final completion of religion but there are no chances of any recompense now if such impurities are created in this final religion.

The Jewish method of religiousness

When the Holy Prophet (SAW) propagated the pure and religion in Yathrab, the Jewish scholars and preachers did not accept such a religion because they felt the era of their nonsensical preaching coming to an end. The Holy Qur'an has mentioned the Jewish breach of trust as an admonition (warning) for Muslims so that the religion of Islam doesn't end up in a similar situation in the hands of Muslims the way Musa's religion was distorted. But the nation of Mohammed (SAW) could not keep itself protected for long from the Jewish school of thought and acts. Gradually, various imaginations began penetrating in the religion of Islam. Somewhere it was the penetration of culture, while in other places it was the percolation of nonsensical material, innovations in religion, self-centered practices, haughtiness and colonialistic views while at other places wrong-headedness began forming a part of religion too and so the pure religion of Allah (SWT) was polluted by the hands of Ummah to an extent that the real face of religion was buried under the man-made dust.

The same dust-polluted Islam began to be propagated on pulpits, taught in Islamic schools (madrassa), published in books, and impurities were so much publicized that no one paid attention to the pure religion. With full sincerity a polluted Islam was propagated. Ummawi Islam (the reign of Ummverse), Abbasi Islam (the reign of Abbasi), Safawi Islam (the reign of Safawi), Islam under the influence of rulers, (darbaari Islam), self-centred Islam and American Islam were all acted upon with extreme sincerity.

The divine system of keeping religion pure

As Allah (SWT) mentions in the Holy Qur'an,

َلاَلِلَّہِ الدِّینُ الْخَالِص

God extremely dislikes an impure religion. Whenever there was a rise of impurities in religion that veiled the real face of religion, Allah (SWT) with His wisdom sent a personality to revive the pure religion. Before the seal of prophet hood, this task was under the duty of previous prophets. After the demise of Prophet (SAW), this responsibility was taken by the infallibles and now in this major occultance (Ghaibat e Kubra), it is the duty of theologians (fuqaha).

Just like a prophet or infallible doesn't have the right to follow or propagate an impure Islam, a theologist in these times of major occultance doesn't have the right to follow or propagate such a polluted Islam too. In fact, a person propagating such an impure Islam is neither a prophet, nor an infallible or a theologist.

In these times, Allah (SWT) has once again disliked the propagation or adherence of a polluted religion and gave birth to such a theologist from his blessings who pulled the religion out from a deep burial of dust accumulated since centuries and once again presented the Mohammadi Islam (the Islam of Prophet Mohammad (SAW)) as Islam e Naabe Mohammadi (the real and pure Islam of Prophet Mohammad (SAW)).

Finding the pure Islam today is as difficult as it was during the Holy Prophet (SAW)'s time. And more difficult is to maintain the purity of religion. To remain steadfast on pure religion requires the same firmness commanded to the Holy Prophet (SAW) and his companions by Allah (SWT) and its protection requires the same determination that was adopted by the Holy Prophet (SAW) and his companions.

It is nothing strange if such a religion is not liked by Jewish-like attitudes, deceitful scholars and so-called Muslims because the Holy Prophet (SAW) when propagated the pure and unpolluted religion in Yathrab, the idol-worshippers accepted the religion but it was abandoned by that group of people who were so-called religious and those who mocked the religion.

To be continued...