Surah al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2 : 208

Overview (Verses 208 - 210)
 
The True Meaning of Islam
 
Against this background, the sūrah addresses the Muslim community, the believers, with a very special and unique instruction:
 

Believers, submit all of you to God and do not follow Satan’s footsteps. He is indeed your open foe. If you should stumble after all evidence of the truth has come to you, then know that God is Almighty, Wise. (Verses 208-209)
 
The call is addressed to the true adherents of Islam, whose faith sets them apart and links them directly to God. The invitation entails, first of all, total submission to God Almighty in all matters, simple or grave. Believers must surrender to God their intentions, actions, desires, and their whole destiny, and accept His judgement without hesitation, and with total trust and self-assurance. They will submit in full certainty and confidence that God will lead them to happiness and self-fulfilment, in both this life and the life to come.
 
The fact that the call was made at that particular stage of the development of the Muslim community suggests that there were Muslims who fell short of the required degree of obedience and submission to God, in their public as well as their private life. This in itself is not unusual, and could explain the need for such a call to be made from time to time, in order to create the required discipline in the community and enable it to function as a coherent, self-assured, and forward-looking body.
 
Heeding this call takes the Muslim into a realm of peace and security. The world of Islamic faith radiates tranquillity, harmony, reassurance and clarity of vision. A believing Muslim lives in total peace with himself, with his conscience and his mind, with other people and with his whole environment. He lives in peace with all the world and everything in it. He enjoys peace on earth and peace in heaven.
 
This peace emanates, first and foremost, from a clear, simple and compelling understanding of the essence and nature of the Divine Being. There is but one God, to whom every Muslim believer turns for guidance. Freed from paganism and idolatry, a Muslim believer happily and honestly devotes his loyalty and energy to God alone, to whom there is but one straight path.
 
He is mighty, omnipotent, supreme. Turning to Him for help and guidance is turning to the ultimate power that controls all existence.
 
Having thus sought His succour, the believer is totally secure and confident, having no cause or reason to fear anyone or anything else. Submission to the all- powerful and supreme God is a sufficient guarantee of perpetual sustenance, which spares the believer the need to seek livelihood and support anywhere else.
 
God is also just and wise, unlike pagan and man-made deities. His might and omnipotence are a safeguard against injustice, inequity and bias. To seek His protection is to seek dependable justice, care and security.
 
He is also merciful and compassionate, generous and benevolent, forgiving and responsive to those who repent and seek His protection. Under God’s protection a believer feels total peace, security, understanding and sympathy.
 
Islam reveals to Muslims that every attribute of God Almighty inspires an overwhelming feeling of added intimacy and renewed tranquillity, bringing about an unshakeable sense of protection, compassion, self-esteem, stability and peace.
 
A believer’s heart is filled with peace as a result of the clear and robust understanding of the nature of the relationship between God and man, between Creator and creation and between man and the world around him. God has created the world and everything in it according to a sound scheme and for a definite purpose. The creation of man is a deliberate and carefully considered act, and he does not stand alone; all the natural prerequisites for his existence and wellbeing are present in nature and the world around him, and available for his benefit. As God’s representative on earth, man is given honour by God and enjoys a privileged position in the divine order of things. In discharging his mission, he receives God’s unstinted support and the support of the world around, with which, through submitting to the will of God Almighty, he shares a harmony of bonding. Man is invited to partake in a cosmic festival of divine creation, to reflect on its marvels, to interact and become intimate with everything and every being in this vast, rich and dynamic universe.
 
The faith that teaches its followers to reflect on the tiniest plants, and promises to reward them for watering them and looking after them and helping them grow and flourish, is a beautiful and noble one. It fills man’s heart with peace and releases him to embrace the whole cosmos and everything in it, promoting peace, mercy, love, compassion, and security all around him.
 
Belief in the hereafter plays a fundamental role in radiating peace throughout a believer’s surroundings, and prevents anxiety, resentment and despair. It makes it clear that the final reckoning and the real and just reward are reserved for another time, when full justice shall be guaranteed. One need not regret the good deeds and the sacrifices and the struggles that may go unrewarded in this life, nor should one lose hope that justice will be done when in this brief journey of life one encounters hatred, wrongdoing or oppression. God harbours no grudges against anyone, and His justice shall be done.
 
Belief in the hereafter saves believers from following the frenetic rat-race of mankind, in which values and sanctity are brazenly trampled upon and violated. This belief gives real promise of abundance, magnanimity and recompense for all victims, and can turn that contentious and selfish race into a peaceful and fair contest, assuaging the frenzied feeling that this transient life is man’s only chance to have, hold and enjoy.
 
The conviction that the ultimate purpose of human existence is to worship and serve God can elevate man’s conscience and consciousness, his activity and performance, to wider and more glorious horizons. It purifies and develops his methods and techniques; all his pursuits and activities and his whole vocation as God’s vicegerent on earth become means of worship of, and devotion to, God and the establishment of His order. Man will thus shun treachery, deceit, law breaking, arrogance, oppression, and all such foul and vile behaviour. He will avoid haste and recklessness, shortcuts and aimless wandering; the sincerity of his intentions and his diligence are the best guarantee of success. Man will be free of fear and anxiety throughout his life, because he is aware that at every step he is asserting his own role and serving God Almighty. Every action he takes will bring him closer to God.
 
A believer’s feeling that he is moving according to God’s order, in obedience to, and in fulfilment of, His will, and the security, peace and tranquillity such a feeling generates, fill his heart and soul with inner peace. Even during armed combat against his and God’s enemies, he continues to feel and enjoy such peace because he is conscious that he is fighting in the cause of God and to establish His order, not for worldly or personal gain, privilege or ambition.
 
The believer’s feeling that he is living in harmony with God’s order and the laws of nature, and acting in unison with all other creatures and forces around him, brings a state of peace and tranquillity. His existence is reinforced by the world around him, and together they move in harmony and union, without conflict or contradiction, guided by God’s light and devoted to Him.
 
The obligations prescribed by Islam are in full harmony with human nature and aim to keep that nature on the right path. They are well within man’s capabilities and take full account of his aptitudes and disposition. They leave no human talent or ability untapped, enhancing and promoting them, and fulfilling man’s physical and spiritual needs. In discharging these obligations, man faces no hardship or distress, but seeks God’s pleasure with confidence and peace of mind.
 
The society which Islam creates existed once in its purest and best form. Islam then continued to give different examples of it in varying degrees of purity, in various parts of the world. It is a society established on the principles of love, compassion, unity, solidarity and care. Whatever its degree of purity, it remains the best and most shining social experiment the world has known.
 
It is a society brought together by the single bond of religious faith, which is greater than any bond of race, origin, colour or language. Muslims are described in the Qur’ān as the community of ‘brothers,’ (49: 10) and by the Prophet Muĥammad as ‘one body; if any part suffers any pain all other parts share in its complaint, feeling sleepless and feverish.’ [Related by Aĥmad and Muslim]
 
It is a society with a strong code of social morality based on Qur’ānic teachings and exhortations, some of which are outlined in the statements:
 
When a greeting is offered you, answer it with an even better greeting, or [at least] with its like. (4:86)
 
Never turn your face away in disdain to others, and do not walk haughtily on the ground, for God does not like the arrogant and vain glorious. (31:18)
 
Repel [evil] with something that is better. Thus, a person with whom you had enmity may become as though he has always been close to you and a true friend. (41: 34)
 
Believers! No men shall deride other men: it may well be that those [whom they deride] are better than themselves. And no women [shall deride other] women: it may well be that those [whom they deride] are better than themselves. And neither shall you defame yourselves, nor insult one another by [opprobrious] epithets. Ill- seeming is a name connoting wickedness [to be used of one] after he has believed. Those who do not repent are indeed wrongdoers... Do not spy on one another, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Surely you would loathe it. And remain God-fearing. God is certainly the One who accepts repentance, and He is Merciful. (49:11-12)
 
It is a society protected by solid guarantees enshrined in the Qur’ān: “Believers! If any evildoer comes to you with a piece of news, make sure of it first, lest you should wrong others unwittingly and then regret your action.” (49: 6) “Believers! Avoid suspicion as much as possible, for, some such suspicion is a sin. And do not spy on one another.” (49: 12) ‘Believers, shun most suspicions, for in some cases suspicion is injustice, and do not spy on one another” (49: 12) “Believers, do not enter houses other than your own unless you have obtained their residents’ permission and greeted them.” (24: 27) The Prophet Muĥammad clearly states: “All that belongs to a Muslim is inviolable and forbidden to any other Muslim: his blood, personal honour and property.” [Related by Mālik, al-Bukhārī and Muslim]
 
It is a clean and virtuous society, where promiscuity and loose sexual conduct are stringently outlawed, and where lewd and indecent behaviour is given no room to thrive. It is well protected against all forms of over-indulgence, and against unrestricted exploitation and manipulation of people’s sensual and sexual desires common in many non-Muslim societies, past and present. The principles of this social morality are derived from a host of Qur’ānic directives, a few of which may be cited below.
 
Those who delight in spreading immoral slander against the believers shall face grievous punishment in this life and in the life to come. God knows, whereas you do not know. (24: 19)
 
As for the adulteress and the adulterer: flog each of them with a hundred lashes, and let no compassion for them hold you from [carrying out] this law of God, if you truly believe in God and the Last Day; and let their punishment be witnessed by a group of believers. (24: 2)
 
As for those who accuse chaste women (of adultery] and are unable to produce four witnesses: flog them with eighty lashes. Do not accept their testimony ever after, for they are transgressors. (24: 4)
 
Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity: this will be most conducive to their purity. God is aware of all they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be mindful of their chastity and not to display their charms in public beyond what may decently be apparent thereof Hence, let them draw their head-covering over their bosoms. And let them not display their charms except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husbands’ fathers, or their sons, or their husbands’ sons, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their womenfolk, or those whom they rightfully possess, or such male attendants as are beyond all sexual desire, or children who are yet unaware of women’s nakedness. And let them not walk in such a way as to draw attention to their hidden charms. Believers, turn all of you to God in repentance, so that you may be successful. (24: 30-31)
 
The Qur’ān addresses the Prophet’s wives, the purest women ever to grace this earth, living in the purest house at the purest place in the purest time, saying: “Wives of the Prophet, you are not like any other women, provided you maintain your fear of God. Do not be over- soft in your speech, lest any whose heart is diseased should be moved to desire [you], and always speak in a kindly way. Abide quietly in your homes, and do not flaunt your charms as women used to flaunt them in the old days of pagan ignorance. Attend regularly to your prayers, pay zakāt [the purifying alms], and obey God and His Messenger. Women of the Prophet’s household, God wishes only to remove from you all that might be loathsome, and to totally purify you.” (33: 32-33)
 
A Caring and Peaceful Society
 
In such a society husbands and wives grow to trust each other, and people feel that their families and their honour are safe and respected. All society is free from stress and anxiety. There are no salacious or lurid temptations that might lead people to violate the moral codes and norms of society. It is a tranquil and peaceful society.
 
A Muslim society gives every able-bodied member the opportunity to work and earn a decent living. The infirm and invalid are cared for and helped to lead a dignified life. It provides for those who seek to marry and start a family. It is a society where the residents of a locality are collectively responsible for the death of any one of them through hunger. Some Muslim jurists would charge them with negligence and require them to pay indemnity for manslaughter to his family.
 
Under the laws of Islam, all basic rights and freedoms are protected and guaranteed; no one may be condemned on suspicion alone. According to Islamic law, illegal entry into homes or private property, invasion of privacy, homicide, theft, or robbery of any kind are strictly forbidden and are punishable crimes.
 
A Muslim society is built on mutual consultation and cooperation among its members, on equality and rigorous justice, where everyone feels that their rights are subject only to God’s law and not to the fancy or prejudice or interests of any individual or group.
 
It is, further, the only human society in which people are not subjected to the rule of other people. The whole society, the rulers as well as the ruled, are subordinate to God and His laws, and comply willingly and confidently with His will and order. All stand equal before God, the just Lord of all creation.
 
These are some aspects of the peace the sūrah invites the believers to enter into in submitting themselves completely to God. The significance of such peace can only be appreciated when one considers the extent of confusion and mental stress plaguing non- Muslim societies as well as societies that have cast Islam and its teachings aside. Despite all the material comfort and progress these societies may achieve, their life remains aimless, confused and miserable.
 
In a highly developed country like Sweden, for example, people enjoy a high per capita income, free health care and sickness benefit, free education and an array of state grants and easy loans for students. Newly married couples receive financial assistance to help them set up homes. Indeed, in Sweden there are numerous other manifestations of true material affluence. But where is it all leading to in a country where the majority have abandoned their faith in God? It is a society with incurable ills, living under the threat of a rapidly declining birth rate, rampant promiscuity, a high divorce rate (one in six marriages ends in divorce!), alcohol and drug addiction, widespread psychological and mental disease and disturbed behaviour, and a rising rate of suicide. The same can be said about the United States or Russia.
 
Such wretchedness can only be the result of lack of belief in God, without which souls are deprived of happiness, security and peace of mind.
 
As God calls upon the believers to submit themselves to Him alone, He warns them against following “Satan’s footsteps; he is indeed your open foe.” (Verse 208) There is no third way; it is either God’s Guidance or Satan’s confusion; either the way of Islam or the way of ignorance and foolishness. A Muslim has to be very clear on this point and permit no doubt or hesitation.
 
In life there can be no compromises or half measures; the choice is between right and wrong, guidance and confusion, order and chaos, Islam and unbelief, the way of God and the way of Satan. God invites believers to peace and obedience and warns them against following Satan, in an effort to arouse their emotions and inspire their conscience and to make them conscious of Satan’s avowed enmity to believers. It is a hostility of which the believing heart is ever aware.
 
The sūrah goes on to point to the consequences of taking that warning lightly, saying: “If you should stumble after all evidence of the truth has come to you, then know that God is Almighty, Wise.” (Verse 209)
 
The reminder carries awesome power. Those who disregard God’s advice, challenge His power and question the wisdom of His guidance, expose themselves to condemnation and destruction.
 
At this point the sūrah adopts a different approach to emphasize its previous warnings and speaks in the third person, saying: “Are they waiting for God to reveal Himself to them in the shadows of clouds, together with the angels? The case will have been settled then. To God shall all things return.” (Verse 210)
 
It condemns those who waver and are reluctant to submit and come into the fold of God’s peace. It questions their motives and the reasons that hold them back, and asks whether they will remain fixed in their obstinacy until such time as God, flanked by angels, should appear to them in person. In other words, are they waiting for the fearful Day of Judgement to arrive? That day will indeed come, and the sūrah moves at once to that momentous day to tell us that everything has been settled. Time has come to a stop. The opportunity to believe and repent has gone for ever. No one could be saved now, as all stand facing their Lord to whom “shall all things return”.
 
This is an illustration of the unique and effective style of the Qur’ān, which brings to life the scenes it describes, and makes the reader or listener feel, see and hear what is going on as if it were happening now.
 
How much longer will they dither when the chance to come into the fold of God’s peace is calling, and the final judgement is so close? God’s invitation is a promise of peace and happiness both in this life and the life to come.