The Quran about venal people
In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful
And thus We have sent it down as an Arabic Literature (Quran) and have diversified therein the warnings that perhaps they will be aware or it would retell them remembrance! (20:113)
For people who accept the Quran as a divine Prescription, there is no doubt that God does not just say anything. A circumspect person will not be negligent to the above passage and will necessarily study the Quran for the very same warnings in order to avoid their execution. So, as a result of studying the Prescription, the most unenviable fate is revealed – this is the fate of venal people.
In the Quran, the term “munafik” is used, formed from the root of “nafaka” – to have sales, to spend, to sell. Traditionally it is translated as hypocrisy; however, based on direct meaning, the adequate word in English will be “venal”.
Indeed, the venal will be in the lowest depths of the fire – and never will you find for them a helper (4:145)
Those people who believed in the Quran, this warning of the Lord should make think hard and, after analyzing who are such venal people compare themselves with them.
Qualities of venal
- The attitude of the venal ones to the messenger of God:
And when it is said to them, “Come to what God has revealed and to the messenger,” you see the venal turning away from you in aversion. (4:61)
In what way were the venal people “turning away” from the messenger of the Most High? It is in the fact that they do not accept what is sent by the Creator.
When the venal and those in whose hearts is disease said, “God and His messenger did not promise us except delusion,” (33:12)
Unbelief in the Creator’s promises leads to a call and an urge not to follow the prescriptions of the Most High.
They are the ones who say, “Do not spend on those who are with the messenger of God until they disband.” And to God belongs the depositories of the heavens and the earth, but the venal ones do not understand.
They say, “If we return to al-Madinah, the more honored [for power] will surely expel therefrom the more inferior.” And to God belongs [all] honor, and to His messenger, and to the believers, but the venal do not know. (63:7-8)
The difficulty in identifying venal ones is that they stand in the same row together with the believers. They are the same with the believers in the verbal recognition of God and His messenger, but all this is in fact a fake, despite their admirable appearance and eloquence.
When the venal ones come to you, they say, “We testify that you are indeed the messenger of God.” God truly knows that you are His messenger, and God testifies that indeed the venal ones are liars.
They take their oaths as a cover and deviate others from the way of God. Indeed, it is evil that they are doing! That is because they believed, and then they closed themselves; so their hearts were sealed over, and they do not understand.
And when you see them, their forms please you, and if they speak, you listen to their speech. [They are] as if they were pieces of wood propped up – they think that every shout is against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them! God will kill them, wherever they invoke vainness! (63:1-4)
Impartial, thinking believers, who are aware of the wrath of the Lord, should not be misled by a simple declaration of the adherence to Islam, the Quran and other attributes of faith on the part of venal ones. A person should first of all look at people’s deeds. As can be seen from the above excerpts, venal people do not believe in the Creator’s promises, they call not to follow the prescriptions of the Almighty, which means they de facto deny the revealed signs of the Lord.
2. The resemblance of venal and closed ones:
Give tidings to the venal ones that there is for them a painful punishment – those who take closed ones as patrons instead of the believers! Do they seek with them honour? But indeed, honour belongs to God entirely!
And it has already come down to you in the Prescription that when you hear the signs of God, with people closed from them and mocking them, so do not sit with them until they switch to another story. Indeed, you would then be like them. Indeed God will gather the venal and closed ones in Hell all together!
Those who wait [and watch] you. Then if you gain a victory from God, they say, “Were we not with you?” But if the closed ones have a success, they say [to them], “Did we not gain the advantage over you, but we protected you from the believers?” God will judge between [all of] you on the day of standing before Him, and never will God give the closed people over the believers a way [to overcome them].
Indeed, the venal [think to] deceive God, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering God except a little, Wavering between them, [belonging] neither to the believers nor to the closed ones. And whoever God leaves astray – never will you find for him a way. (4:138-143)
The venal people are like a weather vane, which turns only towards strength. If the power on the side of the believers they are with them, if on the contrary, they are already opponents.
The behavior of the venal is equated with the degree of those who closed themselves from the signs of God, because they essentially behave like them.
The venal men and venal women are of one another. They command what is disapproved and forbid what is approved and close their hands. They have forgotten God, so He has forgotten them [accordingly]. Indeed, the venal – it is they who are apostates!
God has promised the venal men and venal women and the closed people the fire of hell, wherein they will abide. It is sufficient for them. And God has cursed them, and for them is an enduring punishment. (9:67-68)
3. The behaviour of the venal people:
The word “venal” speaks for itself. They are people who wear disguised personalities, they hide their true face and therefore they are afraid to show their true essence.
The venal ones are apprehensive lest “a chapter” be revealed about them, informing them of what is in their hearts.
Say, “Mock! Indeed, God will expose that which you fear.” (9:64)
The reason of venality may be an insufficient faith or lack of thereof. The person is being pushed to venality by self-serving thoughts, the desire to profit from any situation. If there is a need to pretend, then he does it without hesitation and delay.
And of the people are some who say, “We believe God,” but when one [of them] is harmed for God, they consider the trial of the people as [if it were] the punishment of God. But if victory comes from your Lord, they say, “Indeed, We were with you.” Is not God most knowing of what is within the thoughts of all creatures?
And God will surely make evident those who believe, and He will surely make evident the venal. (29:10-11)
The lack or absence of faith leads a person only to a superficial commitment before the Creator. More complete adherence to the prescriptions of God evokes only rejection.
Venal ones those in whose hearts was disease said, “Their duty has deluded those.” But whoever relies upon God – then indeed, God is Exalted in Might and Wise! (8:49)
The venal people existed at all the times. As we see, they were at the time of the prophet, they surround us now. The Quran allows believers to unerringly identify the venal people and gives recommendations on how to treat them.
Attitude to venal people
Being a weak creature, a person has preferences. This, in particular, is expressed in relation to relatives, both by kinship and by belonging to the particular category of people. If, despite the presence of qualities of venality, the attitude of believers towards such people does not change, then this is condemned by God.
What is [the matter] with you [that you are] two groups concerning the venal, while God has made them fall back for what they earned. Do you wish to guide those whom God has sent astray? And he whom God sends astray – never will you find for him a way. (4:88)
How should proper attitude towards venal people manifest itself? First of all, God forbids obeying them.
O prophet, beware of God and do not obey the closed and the venal people. Indeed, God is ever Knowing and Wise. (33:1)
And do not obey the closed and the venal but disregard their hurt, and rely upon God. And sufficient is God as Disposer of affairs. (33:48)
Do not pay attention to resentment and reprehension of such personalities. Refusing to obey them, the believer does not allow further spread of the influence of venal ones. The next step in relation to the venal people is to fight them.
O prophet, fight against the closed and the venal and be harsh upon them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination. (9:73)
O prophet, strive against the closed and the venal and be harsh upon them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination. (66:9)
What is prescribed in the Quran to develop a relationship to the venal people is legitimate before the Creator. The desire to move away from venal ones can extend depending on the situation, up to their resettlement in another place.
If the venal, those in whose hearts is disease and those who spread rumors in al-Madinah do not cease, We will surely incite you against them; then they will not remain your neighbors therein except for a little. (33:60)
Punishment for venal
Indeed, we offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was obscurant and ignorant! [It was] so that God may punish the venal men and venal women and the men and women who associate others with Him and that God may accept repentance from the believing men and believing women. And ever is God Forgiving and Merciful. (33:72-73)
The Quran is presented as an instruction to fulfil the pledge with the Lord. In essence, all divine books are the same, therefore, as in the previous prescriptions; the Quran has promises of the Creator, one of which determines the punishment for venal ones, which violate the obligations accepted.
Among the believers are men true to what they obliged before God. Among them are those who has fulfilled their vow, and those who await and do not alter – That God may reward the truthful for their truth and punish the venal if He wills or accept their repentance. Indeed, God is ever Forgiving and Merciful. (33:23-24)
The promises of the Creator are the truth. In spite of temporary setbacks, believers should not despair and stop fighting against God-negative phenomena. If people who believe in the Quran will follow the Lord’s recommendations, then they will surely succeed with the venal, for that
And [that] He may punish the venal men and venal women, and those who associate others with God, those who assume about God an assumption of evil nature. Upon them is a misfortune of evil nature; and God has become discontented with them and has cursed them and prepared for them hell, and evil it is as a destination. (48:6)
The result of the life of the venal people on the Day of Debt will be a disappointing state. Their own quality of venality such people will preserve even on the Day of the standing before God. As in earthly life, seeing the power on the side of the faithful to the Most High, they will want to be with them in the most unscrupulous way, but they will be denied and sentenced with painful punishment.
On the day the venal men and venal women will say to those who believed, “Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light.” It will be said, “Go back behind you and seek light.” And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment.
They will call to the believers, “Were we not with you?”
They will respond, “Yes, but you tempted yourselves and awaited and doubted, and wishful thinking deluded you until there came the command of God. And the tempter tempted you concerning God . (57:13-14)
In order not to appear as a seduced person, it is necessary to be attentive and judicious. It’s no secret that the majority of Muslims consider the Arabs to be the bearers of the true religion of God. Reliance on the Arab-sheikh is still a little stronger than to others. But this practice is not correct. After all, indeed the pioneers of the divine source often did not fulfill their function, which is present to us on a vivid example of the Jews. It is not in vain that the Gracious warns us in the Prescription about the venality of the Arabs.
The Arabs are stronger in closed nature and venality and more likely not to know the limits of what God has revealed to His messenger. And God is Knowing and Wise. (9:97)
And among those around you of the Arabs are the venal, and from the people of Madina, there are people who rebelled against the venality. You do not know them, [but] We know them. We will punish them twice; then they will be returned to a great punishment. (9:101)
Of course, we are not talking about the complete distrust to the Arabs. It is a question of erroneous trust based on nationality. After all, many non-Quranic orders are legalized only on the basis of the representation and practice of the inhabitants of Medina, although there is a precise warning about them from God.