Interpretation of Fortress 89 (The Coming Appearance)
The Almighty wanted to uncover to us the reason that people shun their Creator, and our negligence of seeking to know our Provider – in spite of the fact that this knowledge will help us get rid of our beastly qualities and turn us into humane creatures, who are reformers not corruptors, and who are happy rather than miserable. For this reason, He says:
Verse no. 15
15. “As for the human, when their Lord tries them by bestowing favors and blessings on them, do they say, ‘My Lord has honored me?”
To “test” something here is to uncover its reality. When you say: “God tested a person using money” it means that He granted money to a person in order to disclose their real qualities and whatever stinginess and attachment to this worldly life their spirit had been hiding, or its generosity and inclination towards donation, service, and charity.
Furthermore, when you say that: “Allah tested a person using advancement,” that means that He inducted this person into a high office so that this would bring out the liking for prestige and authority that had been settled in their spirit, as well as any other hidden desires or proclivity for mercy, humanity and an interest in the well-being of other people. If a person belonged to the latter group, they would regard their position as an opportunity to help those who are without anyone to protect them or help them.
Thus, the Almighty Allah examines people in this world, no matter what a person hides and keeps secret, their reality will surely appear one day nonetheless, and what is latent in their spirit will be uncovered.
The words “by bestowing favors on him” suggest that He will make a perfect donation to them for free, lacking nothing, be it in terms of health, wealth, food, drink, lodging, or any other kind of donation.
The phrase “and blessing him” refers to giving the person an ability to attain relish and pleasure in what their Provider exalts them with.
Allah the Almighty has created delicious fruit and given us a tongue by which we can find enjoyment in tasting their flavors.
Similarly, He has created fragrant flowers, and has given us a sense of smell with which we can appreciate this boon.
The Almighty has obliged humanity with untold graces, and granted us the ability to taste them in order to enjoy them and find zest in them.
In this noble Verse, the Almighty wanted to blame those who oppose Him for depreciating this donation and this Godly Care. He mentioned the Verse in the interrogative case to inspire people to inquire of what they hold hidden within themselves, so that they would be roused to test themselves. In this way, we will come to know our true state and the degree of our appreciation for our Provider’s Favor.
This Verse calls upon us as follows:
You, human! Search within yourself whenever God tests you and drives boons and graces to you.
Are you one of those who esteem the Favor of this Generous Provider?
Have you come to know that the source of all that is granted to us is Al’lah, alone?
When you drink water or eat fruit or some other food; when you enter your home or go to bed; when you sit surrounded by your family or your friends; when you walk in the street and see powerless and poor people, or those of lower rank than you in this world; when you go to work and sit at your desk: in all these situations and in many others, do you recollect the Grace of Allah upon you? Do you feel grateful for the Generosity of your Provider and His Charity to you?
Do you admit that your Provider has obliged you with this, and that it comes solely out of His Compassion and Favor towards you?
The Almighty clarified this to us. Furthermore, in just the same way that He tests humanity in this world using its pleasures and bliss, He also tests them using various kinds of affliction that He sends to them, which then help to purify their spirits. God says:
Verse no. 16
16. “And when He tries them by restricting His provision towards them, do they say, ‘My Lord degrades me?”
”His provision” refers to every blessing which God grants to humanity, including health, money, glory, and power.
This Verse is telling us: If Allah examines you by depriving you of some of His boons, by afflicting you with disease, poverty, humbleness or by dispossessing you of your authority, or by sending any other kind of trouble in your way, all of which would be in order to make you return to the right path and to release the wickedness and the deathly lust that have settled in your spirit: when this happens to you, do you try to recognize the reason for this distress so that you may avoid repeating your prior negligence?
Are you one of those who return to their Lord when affliction strikes? When you are in distress, do you say that your Lord has degraded you in order to save you from the wrong which you live in, and to make you change the devious conduct which draws evil and destruction down upon you?
The Almighty tests humanity either by giving and bestowal, or by exerting pressure and deprivation.
Have you examined yourself and applied these two Verses to your own life? Have you found yourself to be one of those who, when Allah examines your spirit, says “my Provider has obliged me” when you are the recipient of His donation, or “my Provider has abased me” when difficulty and hardship come in your way?
If you have not yet recognized He Who gives and deprives, and if your spirit has not yet approached the grades of true belief – achieved only when one ascertains that everything is directed by God’s Hand, alone, and that there is no god except Allah – at this time, know that the reason behind your lack of success in attaining this belief is nothing other than your omission and your lack of enthusiasm in doing good actions.
God wanted to disclose this to you, and therefore He says:
Verse no. 17
17. “No (you do not)! Rather you show no kindness to the orphan,”
The word “No” indicates negation. It means that your spirit do not express the sentiment in the preceding Verse.
The Almighty has revealed to us the reason for disbelief. He says: “Rather you show no kindness to the orphan,” that is, you do not render good actions. You do not help or sympathize with orphans.
Verse no. 18
18. “Nor do you urge one another to feed the poor.”
That is, you do not charge yourself with feeding the poor, or inspire yourself to do so.
“The poor” is meant to refer to anyone who is powerless or in need, unable to work due to illness or senility.
This Verse and the preceding one show us that a failure to do good works is the reason for the failure to acquire belief. This belief is the belief which makes people recognize the One Who gives and deprives, and the Steerer Who manages everything in this universe.
In fact, when the spirit refrains from carrying out a good deed when it has the opportunity, or from sacrificing the money which is considered valuable, it becomes unable to turn towards Allah, the Almighty.
You will see that such a spirit becomes diffident towards its Provider, and is unable to draw near to Him.
The Almighty demonstrated to us that a refusal to sacrifice money or to carry out charitable actions does not maintain a person at the same degree of tight-fistedness and miserliness, but rather it draws them down to an even lower and inferior degree than their current one. They will covet the worldly life greedily, to the extent that their chief concern will be only to obtain all of its pleasures, and to keep them away from others. That is why God says:
Verse no. 19
19. “And you consume inheritance greedily,”
The “inheritance” is the wealth which we see people pass down from one generation to the next.
The words “consume” here aim at describing the spiritual state of such a distant person. This person did not convince their spirit to carry out good actions, and therefore their attachment to this world grew, until it made them wish to collect whatever money and wealth they could see which is handed down among people, in order to keep it solely for themselves. Had it been possible for them, and had the circumstances been advantageous for them, they would have taken everything that others have, leaving them in possession of nothing. Because they fully indulged themselves in worldly desires, they became greedy, stingy and avaricious, having a desire to possess more and more until they became pathologically eager to have the possessions of all people.
I tell you that this situation has become more noticeable and is popular nowadays. You find that the seller will desire to swallow all of the buyer’s money, and that the powerful heir will seek to lay his hands on the shares of his less powerful relatives.
Thus every person is now doing their best to wrest people’s money from them as much as they can, whether their methods are lawful or unlawful.
God wanted to tell us that nothing will satisfy the gluttony of such a person, who has shunned their Provider and sunk into this kind of life. No matter how much they collect, and no matter what they possess, they will continue to crave even more. They will reach a point where they will not be happy for anyone else to have anything, and will prevent it if they can.
Therefore the Almighty says:
Verse no. 20
20. “And you love riches with inordinate love.”
That is, due to your shunning of Allah, your love of riches will grow until you have put your hands on other people’s belongings, wishing to leave them with absolutely nothing.
The failure to perform good actions will thus drive such a person far from Al’lah and separate them from belief. This distance will implant itself in the very love of their heart for this world and become integral to their absorption in this lower life.
God wants to reproach these kinds of people for their behavior, in order to deter them from such abject conduct. Otherwise, it will dishonor them and they will not reach the position of which they are capable. They will be separated from the lofty ranks for which they were created in order to ascend. Therefore He says in the next Verse: “No! For when the earth is……”
“No” indicates deterrence. It is used to rebuke the addressee and to discourage them from their error.
It addresses us: “You, human! Beware of this kind of wrongful conduct and repent from your deviation. You have not been created to be like animals, caring only about your own advantage and wishing to appropriate everything that people have.”
These are not the manners of a humanist one.
We have been brought into this existence in order to perform good actions and to gain eternal life by helping our brothers and sisters in humanity. Through doing so, we will associate with people of Paradise in the next world.
Questions:
1- The Almighty God Says “As for the human, when their Lord tries them by bestowing favors and blessings on them, do they say, ‘My Lord has honored me?” What is the meaning of the word “tries”? What does “My Lord has honored me” indicate?
2- The Almighty God says “And when He tries them by restricting His provision towards them, do they say, ‘My Lord degrades me’?” Why does God restrict His provision towards some people?
3- If the human sacrifices his beloved money in order to approach nearer to God, Where will his donation drive him to?