Surah al-A`raf (The Elevated Places) 7 : 88

Overview (Verses 88 - 89)

No Retreat Contemplated

Threats and warnings cannot shake or intimidate a strong faith. Shu`ayb made his stand taking a position from which he could not budge an inch. That was the position of peaceful coexistence which would allow every individual to adopt the faith of his or her choice and submit to the authority which he or she acknowledged, awaiting God’s judgement between the two groups. No advocate of a divine faith can make even the smallest compromise beyond this point, great as the pressures to which he is exposed may be. Otherwise, he would betray the truth he advocates. When the arrogant chiefs of his people responded to his offer by threats of expulsion from their land unless he toed their line, Shu`ayb stood up for the truth, declaring that he would not go back to the false faith after God had rescued him from it. He turned to his Lord and protector, appealing to Him for support against the advocates of evil: “He said: ‘Even though we are unwilling? We should be guilty of fabricating lies against God, if we were to return to your ways after God has saved us from them. It is not conceivable that we should return to them, unless God, our Lord, so wills. Our Lord has full knowledge of everything. In God we place our trust. Our Lord, lay open the truth between us and our people; for You are the best to lay open the truth. “(Verses 88-89)

These few words epitomize the nature of faith and its effect on the believers as well as the nature of jāhiliyyah and its hateful effects. We also see clearly how the divine truth makes the Prophet’s heart come alive: “He said. ‘Even though we are unwilling?’” (Verse 88) His attitude is one of total denunciation of their despotic threats: “We shall indeed expel you, Shu`ayb, and your fellow believers from our land unless you return to our fold.” (Verse 88) He asks them whether they are prepared to go all the way and force him and his fellow believers to return to their faith after God has saved them from it: “We should be guilty of fabricating lies against God, if we were to return to your ways after God has saved us from them.” (Verse 89)

A person given guidance by God but who reverts to false beliefs which do not require people to submit themselves totally to God and to obey Him alone makes false testimony against God and His faith. The sum of that testimony is that he could not find anything good in divine faith, so he abandoned it to readopt the creed of the tyrants. Or at least his testimony means that the tyrants’ creed also has the right to exist and exercise power, and can exist side by side with divine faith. Thus, he returns to it and recognizes it after he has believed in God. Such a testimony is far more serious than that of a person who has not experienced God’s guidance and declared his submission to God. It acknowledges as legitimate the tyrants who usurp God’s authority over human life.

Shu`ayb also denounces the tyrants’ threats to force him and his followers back into erroneous faith: “It is not conceivable that we should return to them.” (Verse 89) It is simply impossible. Shu`ayb makes this statement in the face of threats backed by the might of the tyrants. Indeed, tyranny adopts the same attitude towards every Muslim community, wherever it exists, once it declares its rejection of tyranny and submits at the same time to God alone, associating no partners with Him.

Hard as the cost of rejecting tyranny and submitting to God alone may be, it is far easier to bear than the burden of submitting to tyrants. The latter submission may appear to ensure safety, security and a life of peace where a person can work and earn his living, but its cost is too hard and long lasting. The cost is paid out of man’s very humanity, because man does not fulfil himself if he submits to another human being. What submission is worse than yielding to the laws enacted by another human being? What submission is worse than attaching one’s destiny to the will of a fellow human being and to his pleasure and capricious desire? What could be worse than a human being with a bridle by which another person leads him wherever he wishes?

But the matter does not rest at this high level of beliefs and authority. It becomes more and more mundane so as to claim, under tyranny, people’s property which will not be safeguarded by any law. It claims also their very children who are brought up to accept whatever concept, ideas, morals, traditions and customs, tyranny wishes them to adopt. In addition, tyranny imposes its control over their souls and lives, making of them an offering for its own caprice and erecting of their skulls and remains a monument for its glory. It then claims their honour. Under tyranny, no father can protect his daughter from disgrace, either by being flagrantly raped, as happens throughout history, or through implanting in her mind certain concepts that facilitate for her promiscuity under any guise and make her an easy target for unscrupulous seducers. Whoever imagines that he protects his property, honour, life and the lives of his sons and daughters under tyranny which usurps God’s authority is living in self delusion. Under tyranny people lose their sense of reality.

To submit to tyranny is to burden oneself with an extremely heavy cost in terms of personal esteem, honour and property. Whatever burden a person finds himself required to bear for submitting himself to God is far easier and more profitable even by the standards of this present world. This is not to speak of what submission to God is worth by God’s own measure.

No Sorrow for Unbelievers’ Fate

As Islam calls upon people to retrieve all authority usurped by human beings in order to return it all to God, it simply calls on them to rescue their humanity and save themselves from submission to fellow creatures. When they make a positive response, they actually save their souls and their property from the designs of tyrants, that serve their desires. In so doing, Islam requires its followers to bear the full burden of fighting tyranny, under its own banner, giving all the sacrifices such a fight may require. But at the same time, it spares them having to give sacrifices that are much more costly and humiliating. It protects their dignity and ensures their own safety at the same time. Hence, the Prophet Shu`ayb [peace be upon him] makes his statement loud and clear: “We should be guilty of fabricating lies against God, if we were to return to your ways after God has saved us from them. It is not conceivable that we should return to them.” (Verse 89)

Thus Shu`ayb stands up to the arrogant chiefs of his people, making his attitude absolutely clear and with his head raised high. Yet at the same time, he hangs his head down before his Lord, declaring his submission to Him alone, recognizing that His knowledge encompasses everything in the universe. As he refers to his Lord, he makes no final statement concerning what may happen. He simply declares that he has surrendered himself completely to God: “It is not conceivable that we should return to them, unless God, our Lord, so wills. Our Lord has full knowledge of everything.” (Verse 89)

This is an indication of complete submission to God by Shu`ayb and the believers who followed him. He makes clear that he can, at his own behest, refuse what tyrants require him to do of returning to their faith. He declares that he and his followers have no desire for such a return which sounds in principle totally unacceptable. But he, nevertheless, makes no categorical statement concerning what God may do with him or his followers. God’s will is free and absolute. Neither he, nor those who have believed with him, have any knowledge of what God may decide to do with them, while their Lord has full knowledge of everything. Hence, they submit to God’s will and knowledge. This is the mark of good manners which believers are keen to demonstrate in their dealings with God.

At this point, Shu`ayb leaves his people and their threats aside, declaring that he relies totally, and with absolute confidence, on God who is certain to judge between him and his people in accordance with the truth: “In God we place our trust. Our Lord, lay open the truth between us and our people; for You are the best to lay open the truth.” (Verse 89)

These few words portray a fascinating scene when the truth of Godhead is clearly seen and properly felt by His friend and Prophet. The Prophet knows the source of all power and the secure refuge that can be found there, and he realizes that it is his Lord who can judge in truth between faith and tyranny. He places his trust completely in his Lord before he goes into the battle that is imposed on him and his followers. He realizes that he cannot win that battle unless his Lord grants him victory.