Araf 33

Araf 33

33- SAY: “MY LORD FORBIDS THE WICKED SINS, THOSE MANIFEST AND THOSE HIDDEN, TRANSGRESSION FOR NO JUST CAUSE, TO WORSHIP OTHERS BESIDES ALLAH WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE, AND TO SPEAK CONCERNING ALLAH WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE.

This Ayah includes some prohibitions; they are all concerning articles of Faith and morale issues.  We will notice that Allah the Highest mentions the prohibitions in an order, the reason for this order is best known to Him.  Some are only known to Him and some are known to others as well.

1. The Wicked Sins, whether they are Manifest to people or Hidden.  Nothing can be hidden from Allah the Highest, Who knows even what is inside our hearts and minds.  Hidden sins are hidden from people only, not from our Creator.

Allah the Highest is a Jealous God, and therefore He forbids us doing wrong, good fathers and mothers act similarly in not wanting their children to do wrong.  Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, said: “No one is more jealous than Allah, this is why he forbids the manifest and hidden wicked sins; and no one likes to be Praised more than Allah”.  (Bukhari & Muslim)

2. Transgressing, which is stepping over the Limits and boundaries set by Allah the Highest.  These limits and boundaries protect every person from the injustice of others.  While some might feel that it is limiting their actions, it is at the same time protecting the person from the actions of others as it protects others from his actions.
3. Worshipping other than Allah the Highest in any shape or form.  Worshipping is not just praying; it is also holding a person, idea, ideology or placing anything else in the supreme position where Allah the Highest should be held.
4. To speak about Allah the Highest without good knowledge is the worst kind of lying.  Allah the Highest said: “AND IF HE INVENTS ABOUT US SOMETHING WE DID NOT SAY * WE WILL TAKE HIM BY OUR RIGHT (HAND) * AND WE WILL CUT HIS MAIN BLOOD VESSEL * AND NONE OF YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PROTECT HIM”.  (S:69  A:44-47)

The same applies to Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, who said: “Should any one intentionally invent a lie about me; they will have their place in the Fire”.   

Unfortunately we see in the media these days’ people speaking about religion without knowledge, while they present themselves as if they have authoritative knowledge concerning Islam.  Some even pass decrees and Fatwa.  They are misguided, and they misguide others, who listen to them and believe what they say.  It will be a sad state of affairs for the Muslim Nation when the ignorant rule and are held in the highest esteem.  Allah’s messenger, prayer and peace upon him, said about that: “Allah does not take knowledge away by snatching it from his slaves, but he takes knowledge away by taking the scholars by death, until when there are no scholars left, people will take ignorant people as their heads, then they will be asked and they will give fatwa without knowledge, they will be misguided and they will misguide others”.  (B: Elm; 34)

Like in scientific writing, religious writings should be done in a scientific way, good evidence and well authenticated references are used and quoted, not heresy and unreliable evidence and sources, like people using weak Hadith to make rulings and hold the tertiary issues in the same importance as the main and primary ones.