The Quran about faith 2
In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful
Having considered the initial meaning of the word “faith”, let us proceed to the investigation of events in history, according to the information given in the Qur’an. In order to be consistent, it is necessary to study the very meaning of the word “history”. The term “history” goes back to the ancient Greek word for “investigation, recognition, establishment.” In turn, this Ancient Greek word comes from the Pra-Indo-European word “wid-tor”, where the root “weid”is “to know, to see.”
The meaning of the Koran is precisely to inform people so that it helps to “know and see”, and not to poke blindly, like blind kittens.
The starting point of history will be the events that occurred with Noah:
(Noah) O my nation, I ask not of you for it any wealth. My reward is only from the God. And I am not one to drive away those who have believed. Indeed, they need the Lord! However I see that you are people behaving ignorantly. (11:29)
Recall that Noah warned people about the impending flood. Majority of the people did not believe him, but some of them believed, that is, trusted Noah and felt that it would be safer to be with the messenger of God. And then the following events occurred:
And it was inspired to Noah that, “No one will believe from your nation except those who have already believed. So do not be distressed by what they have been doing. (11:36)
As soon as Our command came and the oven overflowed, We said, “Load upon the ship of each a pair, two mates and your family, except those about whom the word has preceded, and those who has believed.” But none had believed with him, except a few. (11:40)
The fate of those who did not believe Noah, and therefore did not believe God, was unenviable. It is the trust in information from the Creator that distinguishes people who believed the messenger from the rest.
To date, the main religions of the world (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) consider Abraham as the founder of true monotheism. Our patriarch in his address to the Most High was worried about all the people around him:
“My Lord, make this city secure and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols. (14:35)
However, the appeal was accompanied, as we see, by one essential condition – detachment from idols. Naturally, the Creator does not aim to force all people to serve the only God, because faith is voluntary. The purpose of the Almighty is to bring to the attention of the people the consequences of this VOLUNTARY choice:
When Ibrahim (Abraham) said, “My Lord, make this a secure country and provide its people with fruits – whoever of them believes God and the last day.” God replied: “And who closed himself – I will grant him enjoyment for a little; then I will force him to suffer in the fire. After all, this is a bad exodus.” (2:126)
Among those who trusted Abraham and believed the Creator, was Lot:
And Lot believed him and said, “Indeed, I will emigrate to my Lord. Indeed, He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (29:26)
The descendant of Abraham, Joseph believed in God in everything that enabled him to endure all the trials entrusted to him steadfastly:
But the reward of the last life is better for those who believed and were circumspect. (12:57)
In order for people to better understand the meaning of faith and trust, the Koran narrates about the intra-family relations of the messenger Jacob:
Their father replied, “Should I entrust you with him except as I entrusted you with his brother before? But God is the best guardian! He is the most merciful among the merciful.” (12:64)
Although the native children of Jacob persuaded his father, he did not trust them. If you project this on the relationship between people and God, it turns out that most people know about the Creator, but do not really trust. Otherwise, people would be guided by the word of the Creator without any doubts.
History is full of information about the persistence of people in their delusion, even before the extra-clear evidence. Confirmation of this is the events that occurred with Moses:
And We did certainly send Moses with Our signs and a clear authority to pharaoh, Haman and Qarun; but they said, “Sorcerer! Liar!”
After the truth from Us came to them, they said, “Kill the sons of those who have believed with him and keep their women alive.” But the intrigues of the closed people are not except in error. (40:23-25)
Everyone knows that Pharaoh did not heed and did not believe the signs shown to him. In order to resist Moses, Pharaoh invited sorcerers. As a result, the sorcerers understood the truth and believed in God:
And the sorcerers fell down in prostration and said, “We have believed the Lord of the worlds, The Lord of Moses and Aaron.”
Said Pharaoh, “You believed before I gave you permission. Indeed, this is an intrigue! You planned the intrigue in the city to expel therefrom its people, but you are going to know! I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides; then I will surely crucify you all.”
They said, “Indeed, to our Lord we have returned. And you do not resent us except because we believed the signs of our Lord when they came to us. Our Lord, pour upon us patience and let us die humble. (7:120-126)
Only offspring among his nation believed Moses, despite fear of pharaoh and his establishment that they would put them in distemper.
And indeed, pharaoh was haughty within the land, and indeed, he was excessive.
Moses said, “O my nation, if you have believed God, then rely upon Him, if you should be humble.” (10:83-84)
So the sorcerers fell down in prostration.
They said, “We have believed the Lord of Aaron and Moses.”
Pharaoh indignantly said, “Did you believe him before I gave you permission? Indeed, he is your senior who has taught you sorcery. So I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides! And I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees! Indeed, you will surely know which of us is more severe and more enduring in punishment.” (20:70-71)
Indeed, we have believed our Lord that He may forgive us our errors and sorcery to which you compelled us. And God is better and more enduring.” (20:73)
So the sorcerers fell down in prostration, saying, “We have believed the Lord of the worlds, The Lord of Moses and Aaron.”
Pharaoh indignantly said, “You believed Moses before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your senior who has taught you sorcery, but you are going to know. I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides. I will surely crucify you all!” (26:46-49)
And he who believed said, “O my nation, indeed I fear resemblance of the depressing day for you, following the example of insistence of the nations of Noah and of ‘Aad and Thamud and those after them. And God wants no obscurity for His servants. (40:30-31)
And he who believed said, “O my nation, follow me, I will guide you to the path of
prudence. (40:38)
This is indicative, because not often highly knowledgeable intelligent person corrects his own worldview before clear arguments.
But there are cases when a person has to admit the obvious:
And We took the children of Israel across the sea, and pharaoh and his soldiers pursued them in tyranny and enmity until, it was overtaken by the flood,
Pharaoh said, “I believed that there is no deity except God that in whom the children of Israel believe, and I am of the humble.” (10:90)
After all the vicissitudes with the descendants of Israel, a covenant was concluded, one of the indispensable conditions of which is faith to what the messengers will bring:
God had already taken a covenant from the children of Israel. We delegated from among them twelve seniors. God said, “I am with you. If you establish prayer and give purifying expenditure and believe My messengers and support them and loan God a goodly loan, I will surely remove from you your misdeeds and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow. But whoever of you closes himself after that has certainly strayed from the straight way.” (5:12)
Trust and faith help to make the impossible come true:
And when Saul went forth with the soldiers, he said, “Indeed, God will be testing you with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it is indeed of me, excepting one who takes handful of water with his hand.”
But they drank from it, except a few of them. Then when he had crossed the river along with those who believed with him, they said, “We have no power today against Goliath and his soldiers.”
In reply, those who were certain that they would meet God said, “How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of God. And God is with the patient.” (2:249)
Faith in the Lord may well be put to the test. This is necessary, because faith can be weakened if it is not “strained”. In this sense, the case with the messenger David is indicative:
David replied, “He has certainly wronged you in demanding your ewe to his ewes. And indeed, many partners oppress one another, except for those who believe and corrected themselves – and few are they.”
And David became certain that We had tempted him, and he asked forgiveness of his Lord and fell in his knees, praying for forgiveness. (38:24)
Faith in God can influence events. This can be traced on the example of the messenger of Jonah and his people:
And We sent him to a hundred thousand or more and they believed! So We gave them enjoyment for a time. (37:147-148)
That is, trust in God can cancel the decision prescribed by the Creator. This became possible because all the people believed the messenger and, accordingly, the Creator. But in most cases, history shows that representatives of the “elite” do not believe the messengers:
Said the eminent ones who were arrogant among his nation to those who were oppressed – to those who believed among them, “Do you actually know that Salih is sent from his Lord?”
They said, “Indeed we, in that with which he was sent, are believers.”
Said those who were arrogant, “Indeed we, from that which you have believed, are closed.” (7:75-76)
And do not sit on every path, threatening and averting from the way of God those who believe in Him, seeking to make it deviant. And remember when you were few and He increased you. And see how was the end of the corrupters. Indeed, a part among you has believed in that with which I have been sent and a part has not believed. Then be patient until God judges between us, He is the best of judges.”
Said the eminent ones who were arrogant among his people, “We will surely evict you, O Shu’ayb, and those who have believed with you from our city, or you must return to our community.”
He said, “Even if we hate it?” (7:86-88)
In such cases, the punishment is executed without fail. As for those who truly believed the Lord, they safely avoided the impending adversity:
So when Our command came, We saved Salih and those who believed with him, by mercy from Us, from the disgrace of that day. Indeed, it is your Lord who is the Powerful, the Exalted in Might. (11:66)
And when Our command came, We saved Shu’ayb and those who believed with him, by mercy from Us.! And the shriek seized those who were obscurantists, and in the morning they became within their homes motionless, as if they had never lived therein. Then, away with Madyan as Thamud was taken away. (11:94-95)
And as for Thamud, We guided them, but they preferred blindness over guidance. So the thunderbolt of punishment seized them, at the time of their negligence, for what they used to earn! And We saved those who believed and was aware. (41:17-18)
The methods of salvation to those who believe God are different. One of them is a lethargic dream for a very long time. An example of such salvation is the story of the young men who slept in the cave for 300 years by the solar calendar, and 309 by the lunar:
We will tell you the true message about them. Indeed, they were youths who believed their Lord, and We increased guidance for them. (18:13)
And they remained in their cave for three hundred years and exceeded by nine. (18:25)
God’s messengers were different, with different “tools” of persuasion. They were united by one thing, they urged to believe the Lord:
Those messengers – some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom God spoke, and He raised some of them in degree. And We gave Jesus, the Son of Mary, clear proofs, and We supported him with the Pure Spirit. If God had willed, those succeeding them would not have fought each other after the clear proofs had come to them. But they differed, and some of them believed and some of them closed themselves. And if God had willed, they would not have fought each other, but God does what He intends. (2:253)
But when Jesus felt their closed nature, he said, “Who are my supporters before God?”
The disciples said,” We are supporters before God. We have believed God and testify that we are humble! Our Lord! We have believed in what You revealed! We have followed the messenger, so register us among the witnesses.” (3:52-53)
When I inspired to the disciples of Jesus, that they believed Me and My messenger, they said, “We have believed, so bear witness that indeed we are humble.” (5:111)
It is no accident that the Koran describes the past events. They are necessary for edification, for the necessary conclusions and making the right decisions:
There was certainly in the narrative about them a lesson for those of understanding. Never was the Qur’an a narration invented!
But a confirmation of what was before it and a detailed explanation of all things and Guidance and mercy for a people who believe. (12:111)
God presents an example of those who closed themselves: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of Our righteous servants and both betrayed them. But nothing could have saved them from God.
And it was said to them, “Enter the fire with those who enter.”
And God presents an example of those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, “My Lord! Build for me a house in the garden! Save me from Pharaoh and his deeds! Save me from the obscurantists!”
And Mary, the daughter of ‘Imran, who guarded her private parts,
So We blew into her through Our spirit, and she believed in the Words of her Lord and His Prescription and was of the reverent. (66:10-12)
It is not a simple statement of the fact of the existence of the Lord, but that He must be believed. The question arises, which source is reliable in this case?
There are two of them:
1) To believe the messengers in direct contact;
2) To believe the Prescription;
All other sources cannot guarantee an undistorted truth. If anyone believes that the Koran is the Word of God, then he must trust this Prescription. In this case, true trust to the Creator, the faith to the Quran can give an excellent result:
And if only the people of the cities had believed and were aware, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they considered it a lie, so We seized them for what they were earning.” (7:96)