Overview (Verses 80 - 82)

Reply to False Arguments

One of the most notorious claims made by the Israelites which stood in direct conflict with divine justice, and had no basis in logic or religious doctrine, was that they were immune to punishment no matter how much they erred or deviated. Hell fire, they said, would touch them for no more than a few days, if at all; after which they would abide in Paradise for ever.

What basis did they have for such a pompous claim? Nothing but sheer wishful thinking based on ignorance and the cunning lies of their elders. When people stray away and find themselves, over a long period, divorced from the true spirit of their religious belief, they end up with a mere facade, a superficial identity that means little in reality. Such people will continue to cherish the illusion of righteousness and salvation by paying lip service to their religious faith. They imagine that their claims of following the right faith will spare them God’s punishment: “They declare, ‘The fire will not touch us except for a few clays.’ Say, ‘Have you received such a promise from God — for God never breaks His promise — or do you attribute to God something of which you have no knowledge?’“ (Verse 80)

What a powerful rebuttal! What promise or assurance do they have from God to substantiate their claims? The truth is that they have no such thing. The question is a rhetorical one, carrying a whiff of sarcasm and reproach.

The next verse gives a definitive statement which represents one of the most fundamental concepts in Islam based on its overall view of man, life and the universe. Reward relates directly to action, both in quantity and quality: “Indeed, those who earn evil and become engulfed by their sin are destined for the fire where they shall abide, but those who believe and do righteous deeds are destined for Paradise where they shall abide.” (Verses 81-82)

What we have here is a superb artistic portrait of a particular mentality, leading to a clear-cut and decisive ruling. We learn that evil is earned. This goes beyond the mere act of committing a sin. We are presented with a psychological frame of mind: the sinners are deriving a certain degree of pleasure and satisfaction from their sins.

They somehow consider that as gainful and worthwhile behaviour, and so they become totally overcome by it. Had they not believed it to be so, they would have desisted and done their best to avoid such sinful conduct. The Qur’ānic Arabic expression is most graphic, so that the meaning is clear and immediately grasped. These people are totally enthralled with their wrongdoing and misguided behaviour. It practically engulfs them to the extent that their whole life is dominated by it and they live for nothing else.

The image of these sinners as eternal dwellers of hell is contrasted with that of those who “believe and do righteous deeds” and are destined for eternal bliss and endless happiness.

True faith finds genuine expression in good acts; a fact which believers, and Muslims in particular, ought to consider and realize. Belief loses its meaning unless it leads to constructive and worthwhile activity. Those who claim to be Muslims but perpetrate corruption, oppose the implementation of God’s law in society, and resist the promotion of Islamic ethics and modes of moral conduct among people are seriously lacking in faith and loyalty to God and Islam. The efforts of such people are fruitless. They shall have no protection whatsoever against God’s punishment, which is bound to come, keen as they may be to avoid it.