Surah al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage ) 22 : 31

Explanatory Note

What God wants of all people is that they should steer away from all types of associating partners with Him, as also steer away from saying anything untrue. They must maintain in absolute purity their belief in God’s oneness: “Be true to God, turning away from all that is false, associating no partners with Him.” The sūrah then paints a violent scene of a person who slips away from this pure concept of God’s oneness, and who falls into the depths of associating partners with Him. He is totally lost, as though he has never come to life. “For he who associates partners with God is like one who is hurling down from the skies; whereupon he is snatched by the birds, or blown away by the wind to a far-off place.”

In this scene we see a person falling from a great height, so as to be hurling down from the skies.’ In no time, he breaks into pieces, and is snatched by the birds.’ Alternatively, he may be blown away by the wind or thrown into a bottomless depth. We note here the rapid and violent movement, with scenes shown in quick succession and then disappearing completely.

It is a very true picture and an apt description of one who associates partners with God. He falls from the sublime height of faith to land where he is totally lost, as he deprives himself of the firm basis of belief in God’s oneness. He is also deprived of the haven to which he could have returned safely. Hence, he is snatched away by his desires, like one who is snatched by birds of prey. False beliefs and myths throw him off course, just like storms might do. How could he avoid such a fate when he has abandoned the most firm bond and the solid foundation that provides him with a firm link with the world around him?