Exploring the Quran: 1:6 – 2:2

Peace, one and all…

‘My Lord, expand for me my breast, and ease for me my task, and untie the knot from my tongue’ (Surah Taha 20:25-27) 

Welcome to the next installment of my journey through the Quran.  You can find the first few installments here: opening remarks, one, two, three.  Ziauddin Sardar’s Blogging the Quran is also worth exploring.

In contrast to our last episode, in this session I want to take 4 verses together.  That is, I want to explore the last two verses of Surah al-Fatihah, before proceeding to the first two verses of the next chapter (Surah al-Baqarah, or ‘The Chapter of the Cow’).  This may seem rather an odd approach at first glance.  However, there is method in my madness (at least on this occasion)!

Before we proceed, however, it is important to note that I do not consider this to be Quranic exegesis (or tafsir in Arabic).  I am not qualified for such a task.  Rather, this is an interaction with the text, a conversation with and through it, if you will.

For first time readers, one of the most disorientating features of the Quran is its apparent confusion.  That is, if you open the Quran at random, you will find references to sacred history next to exhortations to goodness, and verses on the mysteries of heaven next to injunctions on business contracts, all within the space of a few lines of text.  Western readers, in particular, find this very difficult to get to grips with (as I did when I first encountered the Quran).  By hopping between chapters in this manner, I hope to show thematic continuities in the unfolding text.  In other words, I want to approach the Quran as an integrated text, with its own coherent, integrated message.

In transliterated form, the passages at hand are as follows:

• Ihdina al-Sirat al-Mustaqeem (1:6)

• Sirat alladhina An`amta `alayhim ghayril maghdoobi `alayhim wa la-daaleen (1:7)

• Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim

• Alif Laam Meem (2:1)

• Dhalik al-Kitabu la rayba fihi Hudan lil muttaqeen (2:2)

An approximate translation into English of this entire section could be:

• ‘Guide us to the straight path (Surah al-Fatihah 1:6)

• the path of those upon whom You have bestowed Your favour, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray (1:7)

• In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

• Alif Laam Meem (Surah al-Baqarah 2:1)

• This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for the God-conscious (2:2)

A Brief Textual Note

As you can see in the above quotations, the opening basmala of Surah al-Baqarah is not given a verse number.  That is, it is not considered to be a separate verse as such (except in Surah al-Fatihah).  This is true for every subsequent chapter of the Quran (except the ninth chapter, Surah al-Tawba, which does not start with the basmala at all).  Perhaps the best way to understand the basmala is as a kind of heading, a seal which needs to be passed through in order to access the wisdom contained within.  And God knows best.

Key Concepts

Guidance ‘Huda’

As we have seen, the entire opening chapter of the Quran is a prayer for guidance.  It begins with praise of God’s mercy and majesty before seeking His aid.  Indeed, the chapter ends with a very specific plea for guidance.  This plea is then answered in the opening verses of the second chapter, where the Quran itself is explicitly referred to as a guide.  But, what does guidance mean?  Essentially, the entire message of the Quran is guidance.  This general focus is given specific a quality in 2:2, where it is for those who are conscious of God (literally, those who have taqwa).  In other words, in order to benefit from the Quranic message, you have to follow it, you have to apply it.  Or, to put it another way, you have to accept that it entails ethical, social, moral and religious consequences.  Guidance is thus, on some level, a method of navigating these consequences.

Favour (Nima)

Ni`ma signifies blessing.  It refers to the multitude of blessings that each and every one of us receives, in each and every passing moment.  As I sit here typing, I am receiving the benefit of life, health, air, sunlight, ability and too many other things to ennumerate.  Or, in the words of the Quran: ‘Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?’ (55:13)

For me, on a personal level, nima suggests a source – as a blessing suggests a blesser so to speak.  That is, it underlines the crucial point of relationship.  I have been given many blessings in my life.  I am being drawn into a relationship with the One who gave them.  Indeed, we all are.  Blessings come in all shapes and sizes and forms.  Sometimes a blessing is immediately obvious.  At other times, we can only see the blessing in some thing after great trial and effort, after great sadness and reflection.  I have seen this in my own life, on many occasions.  The crucial issue is how are we to respond?  The best way to react to life’s ups and downs is to be grateful when things go our way and to be patient when they do not.  Abu Said al-Khudri reports that the Messenger of Allah (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) said:

‘What wealth I have, I will not hoard from you. Whoever has forbearance, Allah will help him. Whoever tries to be independent, Allah will enrich him. Whoever tries to be patient, Allah will give him patience, and no one is given a better or vaster gift than patience’. (Muwatta Imam Malik, Book 58, Number 58.2.7)

God’s Anger (Ghadaba) & Those Gone Astray

In 1:7 the text speaks of those who have earned God’s wrath and those who have gone astray.  A number of commentators have seen this passage as referring to the Jews and Christians.  The idea here is that the Jews have earned God’s anger, whilst the Christians have gone astray, specifically with regards to the idea of the Trinity.  Whatever one makes of such ideas, it is important to remember that these refer to attitudes rather than individuals.  Moreover, this understanding is only one of many.  A number of scholars have interpreted these verses in a more general sense.  Nisaburi, for example, asserts that ‘those who have incurred God’s wrath are the people of negligence and those who have gone astray are the people of immoderation’ (quoted in Ayoub, 1984, 49).  On a personal note, I have to say that this makes greater sense to me: the text itself makes no mention of either religious community.  And God knows best.

At any rate, the passage in its context here suggests that the guidance we ask God for runs between the two extremes of negligence and immoderation.  In other words, we ask God to guide us to a spirituality of the middle way.

The Mysterious Letters 

In 2:1 we encounter another interesting element of the Quran: the mysterious letters (al-muqatta`at).  Many Quranic surahs begin with unconnected Arabic letters: in this case Alif, Laam, Meem (or ‘A, L, M’).  As might be expected, given the nature of the Quran, these letters have given rise to all sorts of speculation.  Perhaps it might be safest to say simply that the Islamic tradition generally understands these letters as part of the miraculous nature of the Quran.  Follow these links for interesting articles on the subject: short article by Muhammad Asad, Openburhan.com

The Book

Here we encounter the first mention of ‘the Book’ (al-Kitab) for the first time.  This is an important concept within the Islamic tradition and as such, it is worth exploring it a little further.   This term is found in numerous places in the Quran, and it is used in a number of different ways.  For example, it is often found at the beginning of chapters, as a reminder of its Divine source and as an indication of what that truly signifies.

For example, at the beginning of surah 46 we read:

‘Ha Mim.  The Revelation of the Book is from Allah the Exalted in Power, Full of Wisdom’ (46:1-2) 

And again, at the opening of surah 31 we find the following passage:

‘Alif Lam Mim. These are Verses of the Wise Book (31:1-2)

That is, the source of this book is God, described as exalted in power and full of wisdom.  So, therefore, the book itself is a wise guide to life, and all that lies beyond it.  This point is re-emphasised elsewhere:

‘These are the verses of the Book that makes (things) clear’ (26:2)

‘Alif Lam Ra. These are the verses of the Book and (of) a Quran that makes (things) clear’ (15:1; see also 7:2)

As the source is wise and beyond reproach, so too is the one delivering it:

‘Praise be to Allah, Who hath sent to His Servant the Book, and hath allowed therein no Crookedness’ (18:1) 

‘Your Companion [Muhammad] is neither astray nor being misled, Nor does he speak from (his own) desire.  It is no less than Inspiration sent down to him’ (53:3) 

The Book is a guide for humankind, sent down by God:

‘And this is a Book which We have sent down, bringing blessings, and confirming (the revelations) which came before it: that thou mayest warn the mother of cities and all around her. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in this (Book), and they are constant in guarding their prayers’ (6:92)

Moreover, the Book has descended to earth throughout history:

‘He has revealed to you the Book with truth, verifying that which is before it, and He revealed the Tavrat and the Injeel aforetime, a guidance for the people, and He sent the Furqan’ (3:3)

 ’We have sent thee inspiration, as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him: we sent inspiration to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms’ (4:163)

The earthly form of the Book is thus a copy of the otherworldly original.  This is referred to in the Quran as the Umm al-Kitab (literally, the ‘Mother of the Book’)

‘Allah makes to pass away and establishes what He pleases, and with Him is the Umm al-Kitab‘ (13:39)

The opening passages of the 43rd chapter underline this concept:

‘Ha-Mim.  By the Book that makes things clear, We have made it a Qur’an in Arabic, that ye may be able to understand (and learn wisdom).  And verily, it is in the Mother of the Book, in Our Presence, high (in dignity), full of wisdom’ (43:1-4)

Revelation is protected by God, and is said to be inscribed on a preserved tablet:

‘this is a Glorious Qur’an, (Inscribed) in a Tablet Preserved! (lawh al-mahfuz)’ (82:21-22)

So, in the context of this passage, it is important to note that the Book has ‘no doubt about it’ (2:2).  Its origin is divine, its original is protected and its descent is pure.

God-Consciousness (Taqwa)

As I understand it, the word taqwa refers to a shield.  That is, it refers to behaviours that will shield us from the displeasure of God.  It is in this sense that taqwa is often translated simply as ‘fear of God’.  But, I believe, the meaning is deeper than simply fear.  Taqwa refers to that inner sense that helps us distinguish between what is good and what is bad.  Moreover, this idea leads on towards a general and sustained consciousness of God.  For me, this is also the idea behind the Biblical concept of fearing God.  I have always found Proverbs 1:7 profound for just this reason:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools [a] despise wisdom and discipline
(Proverbs 1:7)

The point is that only consciousness of God can unlock the true meaning of religion (which I would define as our relationship with God).  In other words, attentiveness to God and His guidance is what brings spiritual growth.

Interacting with the Text

Our section here begins with a plea to God for guidance amidst the trials and tribulations of life.  As we saw in earlier explorations (opening remarks, one, two, three), Surah al-Fatihah is a prayer of praise, guidance and most fundamentally in my opinion, of the opening of a relationship.  For me, this is how I would understand verse 7 (’the path of those whom You have blessed…’).  That is, ‘guide me to the path of those whose hearts have been opened to You in loving relationship’.  The passage ends with a plea to be kept away from those kinds of attitudes and behaviours which inhibit and threaten this living connection.  This is certainly how I try to relate to the text as I recite it, at any rate.

It is interesting to note that the very next passage after 1:7 is the basmallah of al-Baqara.  1:7 contains references to God’s anger.  It suggests to me that immediately after references to Divine wrath comes a reminder of Divine mercy and loving kindness.  It is almost as though God is saying through the text - if you trust in Me, I will shower My mercies upon you.  So, have no fear.  That is, it’s part of an ongoing conversation

2:1 recalls the origin of this message, in that it has come to us (and to me as an individual) from heaven.  It is thus a Book to be read, and a Book to be lived.  In other words, this suggests to me that the Quran is not static.  Rather it is dynamic in the sense that it demands faith, thought and action – it needs to be experienced.  But, and this I feel is important, action and experience by themselves are not sufficient.  In order to begin moving forwards into relationship we have react to it.  This is why 2:1 describes the Quran as ‘a Guidance for the God-conscious’. 

It is also significant that this is, in effect, the answer to the explicit plea of 1:6 (’Guide us to the straight path’).  It is as if the Quran is saying: ‘OK, if you want to be guided, you will need conscious activity’. 

And my last prayer is praise of God, Sustainer of all that exists.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman