The Reliance on Guess and Conjecture

The Official Website of Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi

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Introduction.The Baseless Names.

In the fourth verse after declaring the glory of the creator of the heavens and earth it says, “Be it known that to God belong whatever is in the heavens and on earth.” This may be referring to the belief of the idolaters for they knew that the Lord of the heavens and the earth was the One God but the still worshipped the idols. It may also be about the single system prevalent in the universe which is a proof that there is One entity who rules the universe. It then says, “and those who worship and invoke others do not follow (His partners).”

They follow their own whims and conjectures. And they speak lies. “They follow only a conjecture and they only invent lies.” (1) We have already explained that the origin of the word “Yaqrosun” is “Khars” which means conjectures and it is often used for lies. In this verse we can take each sentence to have two meanings.

The same meaning is conveyed in the fifth verse with a little change. After rejecting the waywardness of the idolaters God says, “And most of them follow nothing but conjecture. Certainly conjecture cannot help against the truth.” And those who follow their conjectures are warned, “Surely God is aware of what they do.”

All kinds of whim, fancies and conjectures are like shooting arrows in the dark and they do not take mankind to its real goal. If by chance they prove correct they still will not be able to recognize their aim or goal and it will be just a chance.

According to the dictionary “Zan” includes al kinds of conjectures, whims and fancies and it is at times referred to mean certitude but in this verse it is the first meaning that is relevant. Another point to be noted is that the verse tells us that most people follow their conjectures but everyone is not included. Quite a number of commentators have given due attention to it.

Some feel that the word “Aksar” includes them all but there is no proof of this argument. It is better to take some to mean some only because the majority is usually ignorant and foolish. Most people are very impressed by fanciful ideas and take to idolatry and there is the minority of numbered people, leaders and guides who takes these ignorant ones to sins and errors (2)

It is also said that “Aksar’ is that group of people who spend their entire lives in conjectures and whims and idolatry. They always strive for the baseless conjectures. (3)

The topic of the sixth verse is similar to the other verse as the Qura’n says, “They are but names that you have given, you and your fathers, for whom God has sent no authority.” This verse clearly speaks about the blind following among the polytheists; they close their eyes and ears to remain in ignorance. It then says, “They follow but a conjecture that they desire.”

There is this point about their whims being the reflection of their souls. This is a very meaningful explanation. It says that the fountainheads of all their whims are their souls which present the wrong as the right to them. The actually worship the soul’ desire in the form of idols and they make them out of wood and stones. There are two major reasons for their denial and idolatry the first is that of the intellect and belief where they do not seek certitude but follow their own fancies and secondly the inclination to ignore the Oneness of God and follow their own egoistic desires.

The words that need special attention are “ Yattabe’un” and “Tahawa” and they are two deeds which mean that the polytheists increasingly follow their desires and personal whims daily and their flights of fancy convinces them to do so in innovative ways.

The point to reflect is that the verse initially speaks to the polytheists, but in the end they are ignored because they that they are so insignificant do not deserve to be addressed.

In the seventh and last verse this truth is expressed in yet another manner. It is said, “Or have they taken for worship other gods besides Him?” Ask them to bring their proofs and arguments, “Say, “Bring your proof” If you do not have any authority for what you are doing then this action is totally wrong.

God then refutes their belief and says, “” This (the Qura’n) is a reminder for those with me and the reminder for those before me.” It means all the books mine and of those apostles before are in front of you, see them and read them. Do you find any sentence supporting polytheism?” they only invite people to the pure Tawhid or oneness of God. (4)

By attributing the celestial and divine books as “Dhikr” it says that all these books have been sent to open their eyes, and to admonish them.

Some commentators have given other meanings to this verse but none are compatible to it.

At the end of the verse God reiterates, “But most of them do not know the truth so they are averse” There is a small group that knows the truth but refrains from expressing it for short term illegal gains.

We can now conclude from the seven verses that there is no justification either intellectual or through other sources for worshipping two or more gods. It is very surprising that there is no proof for such an important issue. This absence of proof is the irrefutable proof of its falsehood.

 


 

1. According to this Tafsir the words the “Ma” in “ Wama yattabe-o” is negative and the active verb of Yattabe-o is “ Allazin” and the passive is ‘Shoraka” or the polytheists do not follow those whom they make partners of God ( because there is no partner of God and this is just their conjecture) Some commentators say the word “Ma” here is exclamatory and so the sentence will now mean , what do the polytheists declare as god and what do they follow is it anything but conjecture? But the result of both the commentary is the same. Tafsir Majmaul Bayan, Tafsir Kabeer Razi, Tafsir Qartabi, Tafsir Kashaf and Tafsir Ruhul Ma’ani can be studied for this some have called “ Ma” to be Mosula” but this is very far fetched. Tafsir Ruhul Bayan Vol.4 Page 45, Tafsir Ruhul Ma’ani Vol.11 Page 103 also has similar meanings.
2. Tafsir Ruhul Bayan Vol.4. Page 45, Tafsir Ruhul Ma’ani Vol.11 Page 103 too has the same meaning.
3. Tafsir Ruhul Ma’ani has given this argument.
4. This verse has used other sources as arguments while the previous two verses contained intellectual and composition proof.

 

Introduction.The Baseless Names.
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