Al Furqān

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ لَمْ يَخِرُّوا عَلَيْهَا صُمًّا وَعُمْيَانًا

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

73. “And those who, when admonished with the Signs of their Lord, do not fall down thereat deaf and blind.”
74. “And those who say: ‘O’ our Lord! Grant us from our wives and our offspring the joy of our eyes, and make us for the pious ones (their) Imams.”

Acts of worship and having insight are attributes of the servants of the Beneficent. They knowingly follow religion. Therefore, this noble verse mentions the 11th attributes of theirs which is to have an ear that can hear and an eye that can see at the time effacing with Allah's revelations. It says:

Certainly it does not refer to the deed of pagans, for they do not even pay attention to Allah’s verses, but it refers to hypocrites or those apparently Muslims who blindly and deafly follow Allah's verses, while they neither understand its reality and find its depth, nor they know Allah's purpose, nor they think about it, nor do they practically use it through inspiration in their life. Of course, one can not pave the path of Allah blindly and deafly; before anything an ear that hears and an eye that sees are needed for this way. It needs an eye that can see inwardly and deeply and an ear that is sensitive and punctilious.

If we think correctly we see that the damage of this group, who blindly and deafly, as they imagine, pursue the divine verses, causes to religion of truth is not less than the damage that the enemies who knowingly cause to the foundation of the religion of truth, and sometimes it is more. Basically, conscious perception of religion is the main source of resistance and forbearance, for those who have blind eye and deaf ear can be easily deceived and they can be deviated from the main path by distorting religion and they can be led to paganism and disbelief.

They are tools and puppies in the hands of foes and good victims for devils. Only insightful believers who see and listen carefully may remain stable and do not become puppies of this and that person. When Imam Sadiq (as) was asked about the commentary of this verse, he said:

“The purpose is the insightful ones that are not skeptic!” ³⁷

In the next verse, the 12th attribute of these real believers, which is paying special attention to training and education of their issue and family and for which they feel seriously responsible is mentioned. The verse says:

It is clear that its purpose is not to sit in a corner and pray for them, but prayer is the reason of their inward love and fond for this affair and the main key is struggle and attempt. Certainly such people leave no stone unturned in training their issues and wives, and they making them acquainted with the main principles and positive laws of Islam and paths of truth and justice, and when having no way and no choice, they ask Allah, the Merciful, and pray.

Basically each correct praying is so, man must try his best and when there is something out of his power, he must pray. The Arabic phrase /qurrata ‘ayn/ means the apple of one’s eye, which means a person who is the cause of happiness and pride. This is originally derived from the word /qurr/ which means coolness and coldness, and since it is said (and maney commentators specify this) that the tears of eagerness and happiness are always cool, and the sorrowful tears are always hot and burning, the phrase /qurrata ‘ayn/ means something that causes the eye of man to get cool, that is: teats of happiness and eagerness are shed from his eyes and this implies happiness and joy.

The issue of training children and guiding wife and responsibility of parents for their children is of the most important issues on which the holy Qur’an puts emphasis. We will explain it in the commentary of verse 6 of Surah At-Tahrim, if Allah wills. The 13th attributes of these outstanding sincere servants of Allah, which is from one aspect one of the most important ones, is that they never get satisfied by going the path of truth lonely, but they are so high-minded that they want to be the Imam and leader of the believers and to invite others to this upright path.

They do not do only all right for themselves like recluses but they try to save one who is sinking. Therefore, it is said in the end of the verse that they are those who say:

It must be noted that they do not pray for taking the place of great persons exorbitantly, but they acquire the means and qualifications of greatness and leadership in a way that all deserved attributes of a real leader are included in them and this is a very difficult job with severe conditions. Certainly it is not forgotten that these verses do not state all the qualities of the believers but they define the specialties of a choice group of them who are at the top and are entitled as ‘the servants of the Beneficent’.

Yes, they are special servants of Allah and as the general mercy of Allah includes all people, the mercy of servants of Allah is, from some aspects, general, too. Their knowledge, speech, thought, power, and writing all function for guiding people to the path of the Truth. They are paragons and examples of the humane society. They are counted as examples for pious persons. They are like guiding lights and lamps in deserts and seas, which call those who are lost to them and save them from falling down and sinking.

In many narrations we read that this verse is about Imam Ali (as) and family of the Prophet (S) and Imams (as). Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“The purpose of this verse is us.” ³⁸

Without doubt, Imams (as) are of the most obvious extensions of this verse, but this does not limit the concept of the verse that other believers can be imams and leaders of others in various degrees. Some of commentators say that not only asking spiritual and divine leadership is not forbidden, but also it is preferred and good.³⁹ Meanwhile, we must pay attention that though the Qur’anic word ‘Imam’ is singular, sometimes it is used in plural sense. In this verse it is so.