Surah 1-2 - YasSarNal QuR'aN

Al-Baqarah (The Cow) | THE MESSAGE SPELT OUT“And are certain of the Hereafter.” (Verse 4) This characteristic of the God-fearinglinks the present life with the life to come; the beginning with the end; deed withreward. It provokes in man the feeling that he is no mere useless being, createdwithout a purpose and left to wither away. It comforts him by affirming that fulljustice is certain to come, and thus inspires man to seek to do good, with totalconfidence in God’s justice and mercy.Belief in the hereafter is the point of departure between those who conceive onlyof the confines of the physical world and those who appreciate the limitless expanseof existence; those who believe that worldly life is the be-all and end-all, and thosewho see it merely as a testing arena where the ultimate reward is earned. This lattergroup realize that true life is there, beyond the limited confines of this earthlyexistence.Each of these interrelated characteristics carries certain values for human life, andthey form one harmonious entity.Fear of God is an inner feeling, a state of mind, a source of human action andbehaviour. It binds inner feeling with outer action, and brings man into constantcontact with God, in private and in public. This contact extends into the deeperrecesses of meaning and consciousness, penetrating barriers of knowledge andfeeling, making acceptance of the belief in the unseen a plausible and naturaloutcome and bringing total peace and tranquillity to man’s soul.Fear of God and belief in what is beyond human perception go hand in hand withacts of worship, in accordance with the manner prescribed by God Almighty in orderto link man the servant with God the Lord and Master.Then comes the giving of part of one’s wealth to charity, in acknowledgement ofGod’s favour and as an expression of human fraternity and compassion. This isfollowed by a broad, all-embracing fellowship with all believers in God, andacceptance of His message and all the Prophets and messengers who preached it.Finally comes an unswerving belief in the hereafter.These qualities were true of the first Muslim community which emerged inMadinah at the time these verses were revealed. It consisted of the Muhājirūn, whohad migrated from Makkah, and the Anşār, the natives of Madinah who welcomedthem. Members of this model community displayed these profound characteristics offaith in their personal and public conduct. Thus they were capable of greatachievements, with far-reaching effects on human life and civilization as a whole.The passage aptly concludes with the comment: “Those follow their Lord’s guidance,and they shall surely prosper:” (Verse 5) Indeed, they adhered to God’s guidance andthey were successful. For those who wish to follow in their footsteps, the routeremains clearly marked.31