Interpretation of Fortress 95 (The Fig)
I seek refuge in God from the cursed Satan
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
1. ((Behold the fig and the olive!))
2. ((Behold the Endless Supreme Attribute,))
3. ((Then behold this safe country!))
4. ((Truly, We have created humanity upon the most perfect formation,))
5. ((Then We shall abase them to be the lowest of the low,))
6. ((Except those who believe and do good works, for they shall have an unfailing reward.))
7. ((What then, after that, can disprove the religion (you have brought)?))
8. ((Is Al’lah not ruling over all rulers (with absolute precision and wisdom)?))
§§§§§
The Almighty Al’lah has revealed in ‘Al-Alaq’ Fortress that He is the Creator Who created everything and that He created humanity from a clot, and He has clarified to us that closeness to Him entails right morality, manners and happiness in life. After this, out of His Tenderness and Mercy, He wanted to draw humanity’s attention to the greatness of creation so that we may contemplate it and esteem its Creator and the One Who brings things into existence. This would lead us to be near to God and enjoy happiness. Therefore God says:
1. ((Behold the fig and the olive!))
With this statement, the Almighty Al’lah wants to turn the eyes of humanity and direct the thinking of humanity towards the great creation: the fig fruit. Indeed, if a person observes this fruit and thinks about its pollination and formation, they will be amazed!
As we know, the fig is male and female, and the fruit is not formed until it is pollinated by means of small insects which fly from the male fruit to the female, carrying the pollen.
I wonder who made the fig male and female!.
Who created this small insect and made it move back and forth between the two fruits?
Who taught it and directed it to carry this pollen from one fruit to another as its function?
Then, look at the fruit after it has become ripe and mature, and ask yourself: who has put the sweetness into this fruit and given it such a delicious taste, even though it rises from wood which contains none of this sweetness whatsoever?
Now, if you look at the fig fruit itself, you will see that it has many seeds inside it, and that each of them contains a large tree which has leaves, branches and fruit. Inside these fruits are seeds, and inside these seeds are trees which in turn have fruit and seeds… and so on.
If you think of this, you will find that in one seed there are millions of trees that cannot be counted or comprehended.
How can all of this be contained in one small seed of the fig fruit?
If you are unable to imagine what is folded inside the seeds and fruit of fig trees, although this is just one minute part of creation among creation as a whole, then what about its Creator, the Creator of heaven and earth? Can you perceive His Might?!
That is what the statement ((Behold the fig)) suggests to us. However, it also refers to many other clear signs.
As for the statement ((and the olive)), it turns your sight and thought towards this fruit and the indications it includes.
I wonder, how does the olive contain its fatty substance, although the soil from which it draws its aliment contains neither fat nor oil?
Who has put oil inside it, and given it such taste and flavor?
Who brings out the weak olive seedling from the hard and firm stone which does not break open, except with great difficulty?
What are these numerous quintals of oils and olives which the olive tree presents all throughout its long life, which lasts for hundreds of years?
All of this is included in that small stone which you spit out of your mouth without contemplating what the Grand Creator and Wise Manager has put inside it.
Having referred to the fig and the olive and to the high wisdom, great potency, favor and grace contained therein, the Almighty God revealed to us the source of that wisdom and potency which full of broad favor and abundant gifts. God says:
2. ((Behold the Endless Supreme Attribute,))
This Verse illustrates that everything that was mentioned previously comes from the Perfect Godly Attribute and Divine Stature, Whose Kindness floods, Whose Mercy embraces and Whose Charity overwhelms all beings and all of creation.
This statement refers to the Generous Supreme Self and Its Magnificent Lofty Stature which overwhelms everything with compassion. It means:
From the Godly Attribute, only Favor and Kindness come, and only divine Benevolence and Charity flood; the comprehensive Godly Mercy emanates from It to overwhelm all of creation.
After the Almighty began this noble Fortress by mentioning the fig and the olive, showing the wisdom, potency, favor and kindness that are manifested in these two fruits, and after He clarified the source of this grace to us, He uplifted us to a wider level of contemplation and thinking by turning our sights onto the whole uniVerse. He says:
3. ((Then behold this safe country!))
The word ((country)) refers to the whole uniVerse. It is a safe country for humankind, as it includes everything and there is nothing missing in it.
To acquaint you, human, with your spirit, God told you the high rank that He honored you with among all of creation. He showed you your position in this great uniVerse, in which He made you upon the best formation among all creation. He says:
4. ((Truly, We have created humanity upon the most perfect formation,))
Al’lah (glory to Him) created humanity upon the most perfect formation when He granted them the capacity to acquire virtue and perfection, and when He created them to be – in their very nature – prepared to derive the perfect qualities from their Provider to a level that no other creature is able to achieve.
Furthermore, God (glory to Him) created humanity upon the most noble formation when He gave us the ability to attain high knowledge of the Supreme Self, on a level that is unapproachable even by the spirits of the noble angels. Neither heaven nor earth, neither the mountains nor the seas, neither the sun nor the moon nor even the angels are more able to bear the Godly Manifestation than the human spirit, nor can they witness the perfection indicated by the Attributes of the Supreme Self as the human spirit can. The Holy Saying denotes: ((Neither My earth nor My heaven could witness My Supreme Attributes like the heart of My believing follower did.))
The Almighty Al’lah has granted the human being thought and faculties, just as He has granted us insight and put signs before our eyes. He then made our spirit firmer, steadier and more able than the spirits of everything else in creation. Apart from this, He has granted us the freedom of choice and unlike the lower animals, He has not entrusted anyone with our affairs. The livelihood of certain animals is under the control of humans, but humans are completely responsible for themselves, rather than being in the care of any higher species. If humanity makes use of such grace, we will be able to witness the perfection of our Provider and enjoy watching His Supreme Attributes, and this sort of viewing will allow us to swim in the perfection and delight of that Sublime Treasure forever and ever.
The Holy Saying denotes: ((I was a hidden treasure, and then I desired to be known, and so I created creation and acquainted them with Me, so that they knew Me through Me)) .[26]
Oh human! For this reason you have been created! Your Provider has brought you into existence and granted you thought, perception and talent to enjoy this treasure. Yours is the noblest formation, because God wants you to be able to elevate your spirit to a degree that is unapproachable by any other creature.
If you draw near to your Provider and recognize Him, you will obtain everlasting happiness and perpetual life, but if you shun Him you will lose your spirit and the donation your Provider has prepared for you in the Gardens of Paradise; you will become one of the lowest of the low creatures. God says:
5. ((Then We shall abase them to be the lowest of the low,))
To explain the meaning of this noble Verse, we give an example. Suppose that a hyena got caught by someone, and its captor found it abject and vile because of the bad smell that emanated from it and the harm that it caused.
On the other hand, the hyena found itself to be despised and humbled in the hands of that person. Such is the state of the far opposer after death and then on Doomsday. When their mean deeds appear and their stinking, inferior reality becomes uncovered, people will see them to be lowly and ignoble, and they will also find themselves to be vile and foul-smelling. This will lead them to feel pain and disgust, just as others will be revolted by them and disinclined to them.
The issue will grow more severe for them and their state will become worse and worse, until they find that there is no refuge for them except the Fire.
They will demand this Fire, despite its burning, so that it may deodorize their bad smell and treat their wicked ills. Because of their state, they will not ask to enter Paradise as they will find that they are not apposite for it, and will believe that they do not deserve to be one of its pure and healthy people.
To illustrate this state of shunning, we give the following example. Suppose there was a woman that God had created with a wonderful appearance and a beautiful form, and that she was then affected by an illness that caused rank pustules to appear on her face. These pustules then suppurated and their smelly pus began to flow.
I wonder whether this woman would wish to go out into society to meet the healthy women there! Would she enjoy appearing among people?
I do not think so. I think that you would find that her disease had made her diffident and disgusted with herself. Surely she would prefer to go to hospital for treatment, as she would be loathsome both in her own eyes and in the eyes of others.
This applies equally to the state of anyone that opposes the Command of his Provider and disobeys his Creator. They will be reduced to the lowest of the low, and will live on in such a state of lowness until they are driven into the Fire to be treated and cured.
As for the believer who has rendered good actions without causing their spirit to be polluted with the dirt of breaches or sins, they will keep enjoying blessings, and the Godly Donation will keep overwhelming them until death, after which they will move to a higher state and will attain even greater and loftier bliss. God says:
6. ((Except those who believe and do good works, for they shall have an unfailing reward.))
That is, they will enjoy a life that is happier than their first one.
((For they shall have an unfailing reward.)): their recompense will not be regarded as a favor to them; rather, their Provider will oblige them with what He does for them as a reward for their good actions and the charity they have rendered.
After drawing our attention to the universal system which the Almighty God has established in this safe country, and after presenting many signs which show man that all the creatures of this uniVerse are established upon the most perfect discipline and the most wonderful arrangement, God settles all of this in our spirit when He addresses His noble Envoy and says:
7. ((What then, after that, can disprove the religion (you have brought)?))
In Arabic, the word ((religion)) gives the meaning of submission, for religion contains nothing except truth and shows the right position into which everything should be put according to true wisdom. Thus, all people of sound mind submit themselves before its perfection and see that it is true.
Therefore, this Verse states: ((After I have revealed to My obedient followers the just steering of the uniVerse and the perfection upon which it has been established, what is there that fails to affirm your words? Is there any logical objection to this sublime and high revelation?
((Is not it true, and is everything else not false? Can anyone bring a revelation similar to Mine?!
((Does not the Potency of your Provider appear through the perfect movement of the uniVerse ?
((Does it not bespeak its own perfection, and that it is established upon the most perfect order?))
God wanted to acquaint us with the One Who arranged the uniVerse and made everything in it accurate, so that we would move from the glorification of this uniVerse to the glorification of its Creator and Provider, and resort to Him in spirit. He says:
8. ((Is Al’lah not ruling over all rulers (with absolute precision and wisdom)?))
That is, is Al’lah not the One Who accurately created the whole of creation, making everything in it with precision, so that they came into view upon such a basis of perfection which you can now see?
And since you notice the Grandeur of your Provider and Creator, is not it fit for you to obey Him and to realize that He should not be opposed or disobeyed in anything?
The word ((ruling)) aims to ascribe the attributes of perfection and accuracy of the creatures that you see to Al’lah, Alone.
As for the word ((rulers)), it indicates two meanings:
Either the ruler who makes the decision and renders a judgment in all matters,
Or the ruler who applies the decision and puts it into effect.
However, the word ((rulers)) as used in this Verse is not intended to be the one who decides, because in this existence there is undoubtedly no ruler except God Alone.
The word ((rulers)) here means those who execute decisions.
Accordingly, the word ((rulers)) indicates all of creation, because each of them is carrying out its own function and its own work, and is applying the Orders of its Provider.
For example, the sun is like a ruler of the water; that is, it fulfills the function with which it was charged by the Almighty Al’lah, according to which He directed it; thereby water vaporizes.
Similarly, the winds are like the rulers of the clouds, because they apply God’s Orders in driving them from one side to another and from one place to the next. You can say the same for the other elements of creation.
Thus, everything in this uniVerse is carrying out its own function and are all directed according to the Command of their Provider.
That is what we can understand from the word ((rulers)). Thus, who has created this entire uniVerse and has made everything in it perfectly?
Is it not Al’lah, the Provider of all the worlds?
Is not He, Alone, worthy of love, reverence and glorification?
Are his Words not true?
Should you not surrender to His Commands, and abide by what He sent for you through His noble Messenger (cpth)?
Be assured that if you do, you will succeed, and you will enjoy everlasting bliss. However, if you turn away, you will wrong your spirit and will lose the goodness which your Provider has prepared for you.
God says: ((...We do not wrong them, but they themselves wrong themselves.)) .[27]