The Quran about those who evoked God’s discontentment
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 a true believer, such a warning is not an empty phrase. Therefore, every day in their prayers, reading the first chapter, Muslims repeat the following:
Guide us to the straight path! The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favour! Not of those who have evoked discontentment or of those who are astray! (1:6-7)
Let’s consider how the Quran depicts those who fall under the description of “who have evoked God’s discontentment”.
I would like to recall that the hadith from Uday bin Hachim who narrates about “those who have evoked discontentment”, which Ibn Kassir cites in his “Tafsir-ul-Quran-al-Karim” tafsir. To Uday bin Hachim’s question: “Who are those who evoked God’s discontentment?” The messenger replied – “Truly these are the Jews” … The hadith was brought by Al-Tirmizi from Sammak bin Harb, who called him good. The meaning of this hadith is obvious. But let’s consider what God Himself says in the Quran about the category of people who caused God’s discontentment.
The key word considered in the chapter is “gadabun“, meaning: to provoke discontent, displeasure, anger, rage.
We will try to expand the understanding of this place with the help of the Quran and see which groups of people God was discontented with.
At all times, a murder without the right causes great indignation of people. In our time, such “actions” are especially relevant in connection with the unleashed aggression against Muslims around the world.
- Killing without the right to
They have been put under humiliation wherever they are overtaken, except for connecting “rope” of God and people. And they have drawn upon themselves discontentment from God and have been put under destitution. That is because they closed themselves from the signs of God and killed the prophets without right. That is because they disobeyed and transgressed! (3:112)
But whoever kills a believer intentionally – his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide, and God has become discontented with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment! (4:93)
Naturally, Muslims do not sit silently enduring unjust violence against themselves and as an reply, they fight for their own protection. This is God’s permission, but cowardice in battle can cause Creator’s discontentment.
2. Cowardice
O you who have believed! When you meet those who closed themselves advancing for battle, do not turn to them your backs. And whoever turns his back to them on such a day, unless swerving [as a strategy] for war or joining [another] company, has certainly returned with discontentment [upon him] from God, and his refuge is Hell – and wretched is the destination! (8:15-16)
Cowardly people cannot persevere in the truth. Their condition in different life situations can push them to make lies on others.
3. Lie:
And those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves – then each of them must witness four testimonies by God that indeed, he is of the truthful. And the fifth that the curse of God be upon him if he should be among the liars. But it will prevent punishment from her if she gives four testimonies by God that indeed, he is of the liars. And the fifth that the wrath of God be upon her if he was of the truthful! (24:6-9)
Have you not considered those who patronize people with whom God has become discontented? They are neither of you nor of them. They give false oaths while they know! (58:14)
The main feature of opponents of the messengers was persistence in their false beliefs. False beliefs invariably led to disputes with the messengers of the Creator.
4. Disputes:
He said, “Already have abomination and discontentment fallen upon you from your Lord. Do you dispute with me concerning names you have named them, you and your fathers, for which God has not sent down any authority? Then wait; indeed, I am with you among those who wait.” (7:71)
And those who justify themselves before God after He has been responded to – their argument is invalid with their Lord, and upon them is discontentment, and for them is a severe punishment! (42:16)
What is the main reason? The reason for the justification of faith, in their opinion, is in associating others with the Lord.
5. Associating others with God
Indeed, those who took the calf will obtain discontentment from their Lord and humiliation in the life of this world, and thus do We recompense the inventors! (7:152)
So Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved.
He said, “O my nation! Did your Lord not make you a good promise? Then, was the time of obligation too long for you, or did you wish that discontentment from your Lord descend upon you, so you broke your covenant with me?” (20:86)
The disputes with the messengers and associating others with God cause the rejection of the signs of the Most High.
6. Nature closed from the Signs of God
And they were covered with humiliation and poverty and returned with discontentment from God [upon them]. That was because they closed themselves from the signs of God and killed the prophets without right. That was because they disobeyed and were transgressing! (2:61)
How wretched is that for which they sold themselves – that they would close themselves from what God has revealed through [their] outrage that God would send down His favor upon whom He wills from among His servants. So they returned discontentment upon discontentment. And for the closed ones is a humiliating punishment. (2:90)
Whoever closed himself from God after his belief, except for one who is forced, while his heart is secure in faith. But those who [willingly] open their thoughts to the closed nature, upon them is wrath from God, and for them is a great punishment; (16:106)
Unfortunately, history knows examples of the wrong behavior of the believers themselves. There are plenty of such examples in the Quran, and one of them is the story of the Jewish tribes turned into monkeys and pigs because of the violation of the Sabbath.
7. Violation of God’s prescriptions
Say, “Shall I inform you of [what is] worse than that as penalty from God? [It is that of] those whom God has cursed and with whom He became discontented and made of them apes and pigs and servants of transgression. Those are worse in position and further astray from the sound way!” (5:60)
Hypocrisy pushes to violate the prescriptions of the Creator.
8. Venality
And [that] He may punish the venal men and venal women, and those who associate others with God and 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)
As can be seen, the use of the Quranic method of interpretation (when the Quran interprets itself) gives a much broader picture of the topic under consideration, than the well-known, traditional variant.