[33:70] O you who believe,
reverence GOD and utter only the correct
utterances.
[33:71] He will then fix
your works, and forgive your sins.
Those who obey GOD and His messenger have triumphed a
great triumph.
A command from God almighty to all believers: utter only
the correct utterances. What would be the correct
utterances in the light of the Quran? What are
these magic words that will simply lead to fixing our
works, and wiping away our sins by God almighty? And
what could we ask for as believers that is better than
fixing our works and redeeming our sins?
33:70-71 provide us with the key of a road map for an
ideal life style and an ultimate victory. The Quran
repeatedly states that the seer and the blind are not
the same, the guided and the wicked are not the same,
the knowledgeable and the ignorant are not the same ,
the bad and the good are not the same.The same goes for
our utterances. Correct utterances cannot be the same as
sinful ones.
The utterances that speak out the divine truth
delivered from God through His scriptures and human
messengers are indeed the utterances of the seer,
knowledgeable, and sincere believer. These are the magic
words that open all doors to guided works in this life
and a complete redemption - the great triumph PROMISED
in 33:71.
[4:122] As for those who
believe and lead a righteous life,
we will admit them into gardens with flowing streams,
wherein they live forever. Such is the truthful
promise of GOD. Whose utterances are more truthful than
GOD's?
Our salvation lies on the utterance of the truth, while
all other utterances are nothing but conjecture and
blasphemy:
[5:119] GOD will proclaim, "This
is a day when the truthful will be saved by their
truthfulness." They have deserved gardens
with flowing streams. They abide therein forever.
GOD is pleased with them, and they are pleased with
Him. This is the greatest triumph.
[10:32] Such is GOD, your
rightful Lord. What is there after the
truth, except falsehood? How could you
disregard all this?
[10:36] Most of them follow
nothing but conjecture, and conjecture is no
substitute for the truth. GOD is fully
aware of everything they do.
In 33:70-71 and in studying the key words that will
not only perfect our blessings in this life, but
grant us redemption and salvation for the Hereafter,
we find the following important reminders and
examples of correct utterances:
- The utterance of the oneness and uniqueness of God
is the basic foundation of correct belief and the
correct proclamation of faith. This utterance also
sets the correct tone for leading a righteous life:
[2:163] Your god is one
god; there is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most
Merciful.
The Most Important Commandment*
[3:18] GOD bears witness
that there is no god except He, and so
do the angels and those who possess knowledge.
Truthfully and equitably, He is the absolute
god; there is no god but He, the Almighty, Most Wise.
[2:255] GOD: there is no
other god besides Him, the Living, the Eternal. Never a
moment of unawareness or slumber overtakes Him. To Him
belongs everything in the heavens and everything on
earth. Who could intercede with Him, except in
accordance with His will? He knows their past, and their
future. No one attains any knowledge, except as He
wills. His dominion encompasses the heavens and the
earth, and ruling them never burdens Him. He is the Most
High, the Great.
- If we utter teachings of our religion, which God
proclaims He completed, these utterances cannot be
correct unless we use the one divine source, the
ultimate truth He revealed and perfected for us. We are
worthy of God's guidance, blessings, and
forgiveness only when we preach with this one correct
and and truthful source:
[5:3].... Today, I have
completed your religion,
perfected My blessing upon you, and I
have decreed Submission as the religion for you.
If one is forced by famine (to eat prohibited food),
without being deliberately sinful, then GOD is Forgiver,
Merciful.
[6:73] He is the One who
created the heavens and the earth, truthfully.
Whenever He says, "Be," it is. His word is
the absolute truth. All sovereignty
belongs to Him the day the horn is blown. Knower of
all secrets and declarations, He is the Most Wise,
the Cognizant.
Quran: The Ultimate Reference
[5:48] Then we
revealed to you this scripture,
truthfully, confirming previous scriptures, and
superseding them. You shall rule
among them in accordance with GOD's revelations, and
do not follow their wishes if they differ from the
truth that came to you. ....
[38:84] He said, "This
is the truth, and the truth is all that I utter.
If we truly believe in God, we reverence Him, and we
value His words wholeheartedly. We appreciate the
precision of His work and we steer clear of the offense
of concluding and inventing our own laws. Those who
commit such sin set the worst example by uttering the
sinful word of disbelief in the complete (6:115),
infallible
(11:1, 2:2) , and fully detailed (6:114) message of the
Quran.
[16:116] You shall not
utter lies with your own tongues stating: "This is
lawful, and this is unlawful," to fabricate lies and
attribute them to GOD. Surely, those
who fabricate lies and attribute them to GOD will never
succeed.
[11:18] Who are more evil
than those who fabricate lies about GOD?
They will be presented before their Lord, and
the witnesses will say, "These are the ones who lied
about their Lord. GOD's condemnation
has befallen the transgressors."
- Inviting to the path of God and proclaiming His truth
as detailed in the Quran are among the correct
utterances for the true believers:
Submitters
[41:33] Who can utter
better words than one who invites to
GOD, works righteousness, and says, "I am one of the
submitters"?
[3:187] GOD took a covenant from
those who received the scripture: "You shall
proclaim it to the people, and never conceal it."
But they disregarded it behind their backs, and traded
it away for a cheap price. What a miserable trade.
How to Spread God's Message
[16:125] You shall invite
to the path of your Lord with wisdom and kind
enlightenment, and debate with them in the best possible
manner. Your Lord knows best who has strayed
from His path, and He knows best who are the guided
ones.
- The honest truth is the correct utterance that God
wants His allies to utter when testifying, even if
against their own family members and friends:
You Shall Not Bear False Witness
[4:135] O you who believe,
you shall be absolutely equitable,
and observe GOD, when you serve
as witnesses, even against yourselves, or your parents,
or your relatives. Whether the accused is rich
or poor, GOD takes care of both. Therefore, do
not be biased by your personal wishes. If you
deviate or disregard (this commandment), then GOD is
fully Cognizant of everything you do.
You Shall Not Bear False Witness
[5:8] O you who believe,
you shall be absolutely equitable, and
observe GOD, when you serve as witnesses.
Do not be provoked by your conflicts with some
people into committing injustice. You shall be
absolutely equitable, for it is more righteous. You
shall observe GOD. GOD is fully Cognizant of everything
you do.
- Our manners when we conduct ourselves and deal with
others, believers or non- believers, have to honestly
coincide with God's teachings; otherwise, our utterances
will not be the correct ones. Observing the standards of
righteousness in the Quran will lead us to the correct
utterances. Ignoring any of these standards will
automatically lead to sinful utterances which will in
turn drive us to all the negative aspects we witness in
many a community. Being suspicious, making wrong
assumptions, spreading rumors or inaccurate information,
lying, backbiting, participating in vain talk, beating
around the bush, conspiring, and defending or
befriending the transgressors are just a few examples of
the negative, unrighteous behavior that makes up
incorrect/sinful utterances.
- Imploring God and devoting this imploration to Him
alone is a form of worship and supplication that is
indeed a correct utterance; God expects His worshipers
to make these utterances all the time:
[13:14] Imploring Him is
the only legitimate supplication, while
the idols they implore beside Him cannot ever respond.
Thus, they are like those who stretch their hands to the
water, but nothing reaches their mouths. The
supplications of the disbelievers are in vain.
Supplication: A Form of Worship*
[40:60] Your Lord says,
"Implore Me, and I will respond to you. Surely,
those who are too arrogant to worship Me will enter
Gehenna, forcibly."
[110:3] You shall glorify
and praise your Lord, and implore Him for forgiveness.
He is the Redeemer.
- Reciting the word of God, the
ultimate truth, and the only accurate utterance:
[35:29] Surely, those who
recite the book of GOD, observe the Contact
Prayers (Salat), and from our provisions to them they
spend - secretly and publicly - are engaged in an
investment that never loses.
[35:30] He will
recompense them generously, and will multiply His
blessings upon them. He is Forgiving,
Appreciative.
The Noon Prayer
[17:78] You shall observe the
Contact Prayer (Salat) when the sun declines from its
highest point at noon, as it moves towards sunset.
You shall also observe (the recitation
of) the Quran at dawn. (Reciting)
the Quran at dawn is witnessed.
Going with all the above, it seems very clear that our
honesty with God, oneself, and with other human beings
is absolutely vital to correct utterances. Only through
applying honesty in all aspects of our lives can we move
forward towards building our righteous character,
towards the integrity of our communities and towards
purifying our souls.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless you.
