Lessons from Sūrah al-Ṣaff

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Lessons from Sūrah al-Ṣaff

Imam Marc Manley

Nov 26

 

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What are the big things in life that we have to be concerned with? This past year our attention has been preoccupied with the genocide in Palestine and the pending election; for so many months we wondered who was going to get elected, what the outcome would mean, and what would their administration, Harris or Trump, mean for Muslims here and abroad. Now that the waiting, at least for the election, is finally over, perhaps this is a good time to ponder the big things in life because no matter what happens, we can be guaranteed that each and everyone of us will all go back to Allāh. You and I. Trump. Biden. Netanyahu. Those whose names we know and don't know. The righteous and the indignant alike. All of us will go back to Allāh.

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So while we pause to consider these heavy questions it may also be beneficial to be reminded of who we are, or at the very least, who we ought to strive to be, as the Qur’ān informs us that, “you are the best community that was that was brought out for all of humanity” [Qur’ān 3:110]. Speaking now for myself, I find it encouraging to know, no matter the state of the world, that the One Who Made it, and us, has – not had – good intentions for us. And so let us examine the three prime directives which Allāh highlights in this verse from Sūrah ‘Āl ‘Imrān:

1. Command to good; 

2. Prohibit evil; 

3. Believe in Allah.

So whatever is happening in the world I know I have to make sure that I am working towards these directives to the best of my ability and in order to accomplish such weighty goals I must ensure that my īmān is in the best condition.

A Word About Īmān

The word īmān is a curious one. It is typically translated as “faith” whose etymological roots lie in “faithfulness” as to “a trust” or “a promise”, as well as “loyalty” such as to a person, from the Anglo-French and Old French feid or foi meaning “faith” or “belief”, its latter definition coming in around the 14th Century. And while īmān can indeed include these notions there is a deeper one worthy of examination.

First, the verb āmana (آمن) is derived from the root a-m-n (أ-م-ن) which fundamentally conveys the idea of “security” and “safety”. In particular, the active particle (ism fāʿil/اسم فاعل) of the verb, āmana (آمن) is mu’min (مؤمن) translated as “believer” with īmān (إيمان), its verbal noun (maṣdar/مصدر) translated as “faith”. But in Islām īmān (إيمان) is not merely an intellectual affirmation; it is a state of trust and surrender to Allāh, al-Mu’min (The Giver of Absolute Safety). It is a transaction which, if we adhere to its terms, we will have absolute and total safety in the Next Life. Take for instance this verse from the 61st Chapter:

“O you who have believed (āmana/آمن)! Shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment? [10] Have faith (āmana/آمن) in Allāh and His Messenger, and strive in the cause of Allāh with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if only you knew. He will forgive your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow, and house you in splendid homes in the Gardens of Eternity. That is the ultimate triumph.” – Sūrah al-Ṣaff 10-12

To further illustrate how īmān (إيمان) is about safety, as a result of what/how one “believes”, let’s look at this verse from the 44th Chapter:

“Truly, the pious (muttaqīn/متقين) are in a place of safety.” – Sūrah al-Dhāriyāt 51

Here we can see that the word amīn (أمين), another derivative of our root a-m-n (أ-م-ن), functions as an adjective this time around of the final “place” the righteous believers (muttaqīn/متقين) will be in, Paradise, namely that it will be a place of safety (the result of their beliefs and actions). In this verse in particular, to enhance my above point that believers are “made safe” by Allāh, al-Mu’min (The Giver of Absolute Safety), the passage fī maqāmin amīn (في مَقام أمين) can also be read (according to Qālūn) as fī muqāmin amīn (في مُقام أمين) with the implication that muqām, a noun constructed in the passive voice (ism mafʿūl/اسم مفعول), accentuates that the righteous believers (muttaqīn/متقين) will be made to be in a place of safety by Allāh, al-Mu’min.

Allāh is the One – the only One, who grants ultimate safety, protecting His creation from fear and harm, in this life and the Next, granting permanent safety from the Hellfire to those who “believe” in Him and follow His guidance. Thus, belief (īmān/إيمان) is intrinsically tied to safety, as true faith bequeaths temporal and eternal security.

With this understanding, we can see an even greater urgency to ponder and perpetuate the advise of our beloved Prophet ‎ﷺ when he spoke in a reliable narration about the importance of renewing īmān (إيمان) as it is susceptible to wear and tear, wearing out like the hem of a garment over time:

إن الإيمان ليخلقُ في جوف أحدكم كما يخلق الثوبُ، فسلوا اللهَ تعالى أن يجدد الإيمان في قلوبكم.

Hadith from ‘Abd Allāh bin ‘Amir said: “Faith indeed wears out within all of you, just as a garment wears out. So ask Allāh, the Exalted, to renew faith in your hearts.” – collected by al-Ṭabarānī

May Allāh renew our hearts. Āmīn.

This article was taken from and expanded on a khuṭbah I delivered at Middle Ground on November 22nd, 2024.

For more insights about Arabic and the Arabic language, check out our new Arabic class, The Arabic Reader on the Middle Ground website as well as our section here on the Substack, #EveryDayArabic.

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