The Demand of the Revelation

A cursory glance at the society around reveals that man is lopsided in his approach to life. He is running after loaves and fishes at the cost of spiritual cravings. What matters to him is how to ensure mundane pleasures. He makes tireless strivings to achieve this goal. It is as if this were the be-all and end-all of his life. The result of this derailed life is that he fails to listen to the call of his Lord and Creator Who has revealed the Book that can lead him onto the path of success.

The Qur’ān draws a scenic picture of this failing of man and draws his attention towards what is the Truth, how to lead life in this world and how to ensure ultimate success. Surah Ra’d, the 13^th Chapter of the Qur’ān begins thus: “Alif. Lam. Mim. Ra’. These are the verses of the Divine Book. Whatever has been revealed to you from your Lord is the truth, and yet most (of your) people do not believe.” (13:1)

Here the Qur’ān addresses His Messenger ﷺ, and says to him that most of his people are rejecting the teachings of the Qur’ān for one reason or the other, while the fact remains that what God is sending down to His Messenger is the truth whether people believe it or not.

Let’s mark the contrast this introductory ayah of Surah Ra’d presents. The Surah begins with four separate letters – Alif. Lām. Mīm. Rā. These letters are the Signs of God that prove the truth of this Book. They are clear evidence that it is a revelation from God. That it is composed of the same material as these separate letters, Alif, Lām, Mīm, Rā, is sufficient proof that it comes from God. It is not the work of any creature, human or non-human. Then the Qur’ān says: “Whatever has been revealed to you from your Lord is the truth.” This Divine Assertion is negation of any falsehood attached to it. That is, what has been revealed by God is absolute truth; there is no shred of a doubt in that. The natural corollary of the fact that these verses are the truth revealed by God demands that they should be accepted and followed in letter and spirit; there should be no denial. But what happens is that most of the people do not believe in the Divine Truth.

The verse that follows presents three basic facts. First, the entire universe belongs to God alone, and none besides Him has any right to service and worship. Second, there is another life after this life in which all human beings shall have to render an account of all their deeds. Third, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of God and whatever he is presenting is not from himself but from God. As the people were rejecting these three things, these have been reiterated over and over again in various forms to remove doubts and objections from the minds of the disbelievers. Let’s see to it we reflect on these revelations in order to reap success here in this life and in the hereafter.