The Gist of the Quran

Some of the teachings of the Quran are eternal, such as zikr, that is, remembrance of God. Then there are a number of provisional teachings like jihad. It is very important to differentiate between the two kinds of verses. Without keeping this principle in mind, you are likely to misinterpret the scriptures. There are occasions when the Quran refers to particular events that occurred during the Prophet’s lifetime, but it should be borne in mind that the themes are universal. Here, in giving a particular reference, it is the intention of the Quran to give a common message. This principle is also very important, for without keeping it in mind, no one can properly interpret the real meaning of the Quran.

‘Quran’ is an Arabic word. Its literal meaning is ‘to be read’. This means that the Quran is a book of study.

In one sense, the Quran is a very comprehensive book, including as it does many references from history, astronomy, physical events and natural phenomena. But the majority of these references are expressed not in detail but in the form of allusions or hints. The reader must supply the details from his own knowledge and experience. Having done so, he can understand the comprehensive meaning of the Quran.

The Quran also records the history of the prophets. It refers to more than two dozen prophets of different times and different races. Every prophet was sent into different situations, and each one bore some specific message. In this sense, all the prophets are equal; every prophet is a source of guidance. One who wants to understand the prophetic mission must study all the prophets and not just any one of them at random.

No Pollution

Pollution of any kind is against the scheme of God the Creator. It is man’s duty, therefore, to maintain the purity of nature. Failure to do so is, in religious terms, a sin and, in legal terms, a crime. Man is permitted to exploit natural resources for their benefits, but he must do so without destroying the natural order of things.

One verse worth quoting from the Quran on this subject is from the chapter Al-A‘raf (The Heights); another relevant verse is from the chapter Al-‘Ankabut (The Spider):

The message of these two verses is that God Almighty has created things in their best order and man is allowed to enjoy these things for his own benefit. But he is not allowed to destroy the balance of nature. Man was born as a free creature, but man’s freedom ends where his mismanagement of nature begins.

In these verses, the Quran refers to land pollution and water pollution by name but, in their general application, all kinds of pollution are included, such as air pollution, noise pollution, etc.

Man is permitted to exploit natural resources for their benefits, but he must do so without destroying the natural order of things.

Man is not the creator of this world. Man is only a beneficiary of God’s creation. Man ought to be aware of this fact, for transgressing his limits will prove to be disastrous for him. All kinds of pollution are man-made, (pollution is unknown in nature; nature never created any kind of pollution) but where man has the capacity to pollute nature, he does not have the power to create another world. So, becoming sinful before God and depriving himself of the only source of life, that is, nature, is a double loss for man. This state of affairs requires man to be very careful, to be very cautious, otherwise he will be compelled to pay a very heavy price for his negligence.

Man must, of course, utilize natural bounties but he must do so with great care, because he has no alternative to the present world. The greatest minus point of human beings is that they can enjoy this world but have no power to create a new world.

What is pollution? It is the making of things impure. Things are pure by their nature; it is man who, due to his bad management, makes things impure. Man must know his limitations. Any move to pollute nature is like a suicidal act.

The most crucial aspect of this issue is that, in terms of creation, man is completely helpless; he cannot of his own create a single particle. He cannot even create a single leaf of a tree, nor can he create a single drop of water. This being the situation, man must become fully aware of his shortcomings and try to live in this world as a responsible member of society.

The first verse of the Quran tells us what the gist of the Quran is. All other parts of the Quran are only details of this first verse either directly or indirectly. It is the first verse of the chapter Al-Fatiha. The translation of this verse is like this:

All praise is due to God, the Lord of the Universe (1:2)

But man’s case is quite different. Man was born with a mind that has a unique capacity, he was given full freedom. Man does everything by his own choice. So, man’s hamd is hamd by choice. Man’s hamd is not programmed hamd, but his hamd is a self-realized hamd, discovered by himself. This is the dignity of man.

Material world is controlled by the law of nature. Animals behave under their instinct; all the creatures other than man, behave like computer or robots. Their hamd is no doubt a pure hamd, but in computer terms it is a programmed hamd.

All the creatures of the universe, living and non-living both present hamd toward their Creator. Hamd is their of the qurandaily worship. Thus the whole universe acknowledges the glory of God Almighty.

Man is the only creature in this vast universe who enjoys complete freedom. Man possesses the thinking capacity in absolute sense of the word. Man thinks, observes, contemplates, analyzes things, thus he discovers the glory of God reflected in His creation.

After acquiring this self-discovered knowledge he exclaims: ‘O God, I witness Your existence, I acknowledge Your glory, I surrender before You. You are my Lord and I am your subject.’ This is the greatest hamd and this kind of hamd can be expressed only by human beings.