Signs of the Fasiqun: Rejection and Corruption*

 *Day 23 - Signs of the Fasiqun: Rejection and Corruption*

_Read time: 2-3 Minutes_

Allah, Most Exalted, states:

﴿ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا یَسۡتَحۡیِۦۤ أَن یَضۡرِبَ مَثَلࣰا مَّا بَعُوضَةࣰ فَمَا فَوۡقَهَاۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ فَیَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡۖ وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَیَقُولُونَ مَاذَاۤ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَـٰذَا مَثَلࣰاۘ یُضِلُّ بِهِۦ كَثِیرࣰا وَیَهۡدِی بِهِۦ كَثِیرࣰاۚ وَمَا یُضِلُّ بِهِۦۤ إِلَّا ٱلۡفَـٰسِقِینَ﴾ [البقرة ٢٦]

﴿ٱلَّذِینَ یَنقُضُونَ عَهۡدَ ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مِیثَـٰقِهِۦ وَیَقۡطَعُونَ مَاۤ أَمَرَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦۤ أَن یُوصَلَ وَیُفۡسِدُونَ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرُونَ﴾ [البقرة ٢٧]

Indeed, Allah does not shy away from presenting an example — even of a mosquito or something smaller. As for those who believe, they know that it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, “What does Allah intend by this example?” He misleads many by it and guides many by it. And He misleads none except the transgressors.

﴿Those who break Allah’s covenant after it has been established, and sever what Allah has commanded to be joined, and spread corruption on the earth — they are the ones who are truly losers.﴾ [al-Baqarah: 27]

قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ يَضْرِبَ مَثَلًا﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي صَالِحٍ: لَمَّا ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ هَذَيْنَ الْمَثَلَيْنِ لِلْمُنَافِقِينَ: يَعْنِي ﴿مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي اسْتَوْقَدَ ناراً﴾ [البقرة: ١٧] وقوله: ﴿أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍ مِنَ السَّماءِ﴾ [البقرة: ١٩] قَالُوا: اللَّهُ أَجَلُّ وَأَعْلَى مِنْ أَنْ يَضْرِبَ الْأَمْثَالَ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ.

Allah the Exalted said: ﴿Indeed, Allah does not shy away from presenting an example﴾. Ibn ʿAbbās, in the narration of Abū Ṣāliḥ, said: When Allah, Glorified and Exalted, presented these two examples for the hypocrites — namely, ﴿Their example is like that of one who kindled a fire﴾ [al-Baqarah: 17] and ﴿Or like a rainstorm from the sky﴾ [al-Baqarah: 19] — they said: “Allah is too Great and Exalted to present examples.” So Allah revealed this verse.

*Meaning of the oath of Allah in this verse*

وَاخْتَلَفَ النَّاسُ فِي تَعْيِينِ هَذَا الْعَهْدِ، فَقِيلَ: هُوَ الَّذِي أَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى بَنِي آدَمَ حِينَ اسْتَخْرَجَهُمْ مِنْ ظَهْرِهِ

People differed regarding the specification of this covenant. It was said that it is the one Allah took from the children of Adam when He brought them forth from their backs.

وَقِيلَ: هُوَ وَصِيَّةُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى إِلَى خَلْقِهِ، وَأَمْرُهُ إِيَّاهُمْ بِمَا أَمَرَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ طَاعَتِهِ، وَنَهْيُهُ إِيَّاهُمْ عَمَّا نَهَاهُمْ عَنْهُ مِنْ مَعْصِيَتِهِ فِي كُتُبِهِ عَلَى أَلْسِنَةِ رُسُلِهِ، وَنَقْضُهُمْ ذَلِكَ تَرْكُ الْعَمَلِ بِهِ.

It was said that it is Allah’s command to His creation, His instruction to them regarding what He commanded them to obey, and His prohibition against what He forbade them from in disobedience, as conveyed in His books through the tongues of His messengers. Violating it means abandoning to act upon it.

وَقِيلَ: بَلْ نَصْبُ الْأَدِلَّةِ عَلَى وَحْدَانِيَّتِهِ بِالسَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَسَائِرِ الصَّنْعَةِ هُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْعَهْدِ، وَنَقْضُهُمْ تَرْكُ النَّظَرِ فِي ذَلِكَ

It was said: rather, establishing the proofs of His Oneness through the heavens and the earth and all other creation is like a covenant, and their breaking of it is their neglect to reflect upon it.

وَقِيلَ: هُوَ مَا عَهِدَهُ إِلَى مَنْ أُوتِيَ الْكِتَابَ أَنْ يُبَيِّنُوا نُبُوَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ وَلَا يَكْتُمُوا أَمْرَهُ. فَالْآيَةُ عَلَى هَذَا فِي أَهْلِ الكتاب

And it was said: it is that which was entrusted to those who were given the Scripture—that they should clarify the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ and not conceal his matter. The verse applies to the People of the Book in this sense.

*Meaning of ‘what Allah commanded’ in this verse*

وَاخْتُلِفَ مَا الشَّيْءُ الَّذِي أَمَرَ بِوَصْلِهِ؟ فَقِيلَ: صِلَةُ الْأَرْحَامِ. 

And it was disputed what the thing is that He commanded to be maintained. It was said: the maintaining of kinship ties (ṣilah al-arḥām).

وَقِيلَ: أَمَرَ أَنْ يُوصَلَ الْقَوْلُ بِالْعَمَلِ، فَقَطَعُوا بَيْنَهُمَا بِأَنْ قَالُوا وَلَمْ يَعْمَلُوا

It was also said: He commanded that speech be joined with action, but they severed the connection between them by speaking without acting.

وَقِيلَ: أَمَرَ أَنْ يُوصَلَ التَّصْدِيقُ بِجَمِيعِ أَنْبِيَائِهِ، فَقَطَعُوهُ بِتَصْدِيقِ بَعْضِهِمْ وَتَكْذِيبِ بَعْضِهِمْ.

It was also said: He commanded that belief in all His prophets be maintained, but they severed it by believing in some of them and denying others.

وَقِيلَ: الْإِشَارَةُ إِلَى دِينِ اللَّهِ وَعِبَادَتِهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ، وَإِقَامَةِ شَرَائِعِهِ وَحِفْظِ حُدُودِهِ.

And it was said: the reference is to the religion of Allah and His worship upon the earth, the establishment of His laws, and the preservation of His prescribed limits.

فَهِيَ عَامَّةٌ فِي كُلِّ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ. هَذَا قَوْلُ الْجُمْهُورِ، وَالرَّحِمُ جُزْءٌ مِنْ هَذَا.

So it is general with respect to everything that Allah, the Exalted, has commanded to be maintained and joined. This is the view of the majority of scholars, and maintaining family ties (ṣilat al-raḥim) is one part of that.

تَعَالَى: ﴿وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ﴾ أَيْ يَعْبُدُونَ غَيْرَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَيَجُورُونَ فِي الْأَفْعَالِ، إِذْ هِيَ بِحَسَبِ شَهَوَاتِهِمْ، وهذا غاية الفساد.

His statement, the Exalted: “and they cause فساد (corruption) in the earth” — meaning that they worship other than Allah, the Exalted, and act unjustly in their deeds, since their actions are governed by their desires; and this is the utmost form of corruption.

 وَالْخَاسِرُ: الَّذِي نَقَصَ نَفْسَهُ حَظَّهَا مِنَ الْفَلَاحِ وَالْفَوْزِ. وَالْخُسْرَانُ: النُّقْصَانُ، كَانَ فِي مِيزَانٍ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ، قَالَ جَرِيرٌ:

Al-khāsir is the one who has diminished his own share of success and triumph. Al-khusrān means loss or deficiency, whether in a measure or otherwise. 

وَالْخَاسِرُ: الَّذِي نَقَصَ نَفْسَهُ حَظَّهَا مِنَ الْفَلَاحِ وَالْفَوْزِ. وَالْخُسْرَانُ: النُّقْصَانُ، كَانَ فِي مِيزَانٍ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ

Al-khāsir is the one who has diminished his own share of success and triumph. Al-khusrān means loss or deficiency, whether in a measure or otherwise. 

فَقِيلَ لِلْهَالِكِ: خَاسِرٌ، لِأَنَّهُ خَسِرَ نَفْسَهُ وَأَهْلَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَمُنِعَ مَنْزِلَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ.

Thus the one who is ruined is called a loser, because he has lost himself and his family on the Day of Resurrection and has been deprived of his place in Paradise.

فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّ الْوَفَاءَ بِالْعَهْدِ وَالْتِزَامَهُ وَكُلَّ عَهْدٍ جَائِزٍ أَلْزَمَهُ الْمَرْءُ نَفْسَهُ فَلَا يَحِلُّ لَهُ نَقْضُهُ سَوَاءٌ أَكَانَ بَيْنَ مُسْلِمٍ أَمْ غَيْرِهِ، لِذَمِّ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مَنْ نَقَضَ عَهْدَهُ.

In this verse is evidence that fulfilling covenants and adhering to them is obligatory, and that any valid pledge a person binds himself to is not lawful for him to break—whether it is with a Muslim or with someone else—because Allah, Exalted is He, has condemned those who break their covenant.