vi The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences vbl. 3, No. 2, 1986 

Guiding Light 
Selections from the Holy Qur'an 

Comments by Dr. 2bdulHamid AbiiSulaymiin 

Translation 
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful. 

Generations before you 
We destroyed when they 

Did wrong: their Apostles 
Came to them with Clear Signs, 

But they would not believe! 
Thus do We requite 

Those who sin! Surah X:13 

NOW such WCR their houses,- 
In utter ruin,-because 

They practised wmngdoing. 
Verily in this is a Sign 

For people of knowledge. 

AndWSSlVedthose 

R i g h t e ~ ~ ~ n e s ~ .  Surah XXVII52-53 
Who believed and practised 

Such ~m the populations 

Committed iniquities; but 

For their destrudon. Surah XVIII59 

*d#rtmyed*thy 

wfixedanappohtdtim 

We have revealed for you 

Is a Message for you: 
(0 mn!) a book in which 

Will ye not then understand? 

How many were the populations 

Of their iniquities, setting up 
w utterly destmyed because 
In their places other pcoples? Surah XXI:lO-11 



A. AbiiSulaymh Guiding Light vii 

Nay, the evil results 

And the wrongdoers 

The evil results of their deeds 

Of their deeds overtook them. 

Of this @emtion)- 

Will soon overtake them (too), Surah XM[M:51 

[But] thus it is: goodly seem a l l  
Their awn doings to those who 

Deny the truth. And it is in this 
Way that Wk muse the great ones 

In every land to become its [greatest] 
Evildoers, there to wewe their 

Schemes: yet it is only against 
Themselves that they scheme- 

And they peweive it not. Surah V1:122-123 

And fear tumult or oppression, 
Which a&cts not in particular 

A n d b t h a t A l l a h  
Is strict in punishment. 

(only) those of you who do wrong: 

Surah VIJI:25 
( Y O  :JLih) 

These are the limits 

So do not transgress them. 

The limits ordained by Allah, 

(Themselves as well as others). 

ordained by Allah; 

If any do transgress 

Such persons wrong 
Surah II:229 

To Pharaoh and his Chi&: fc:,i$~ 

Rebellious and wicked." Surah XXVm:32 
They are B people 

"0 my son! 
Join not in worship 

(Others) with Allah. for 
p a l s e ~ i s i n d e s d  

Thc highest wrongdoii." surah xxxI:l3 



viii The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 

Nor would thy Lord be 
The One to destroy 

Communities for a single wrong-doing, 
If its members were likely 

To mend. Surah XI:ll7 

“It is those who believe 

With wrong-that are 

Are on (right) guidance.” 

And confuse not their beliefs 

(Truly) in security, for they 
Surah VI:82 

Verily, Allah does not do the least 
Wrong unto men, but it is men 

Who wrong themselves. Surah X:44 

Why were there not, 

Persons possessed of balanced 
Among the generations before you, 

Good sense, prohibiting (men) 

From mischief in the earth- 
Except a few among them 

Whom We saved (from harm)? 
But the wrong-doers pursued 

The enjoyment of the good things 
Of life which were given them, 

And persisted in sin. Surah XI:116 

And to how many populations 
Did I give respite, which 

Were given to wrong-doing? 
In the end I punished them. 

To Me is the destination (of all). Surah XXII:48 

Nay, the wrong-doers (merely) 
Follow their own lusts, 

Being devoid of knowledge. 
But who will guide those 

Whom Allah leaves astray? 
To them there will be 

No helpers. Surah XXX:29 

Vol. 3, No. 2, 1986 



‘A. ‘GbGSulaymin Guiding Light ix 

When they disregarded the warnings 
That had been given them, 

We rescued those who forbade 
Evil: but We visited 

The wrongdoers with a 
Grievous punishment, because 

They we.= given to transgression. Surah W:165 

Whoever chooses to follow the right 
path, follows it but for his own 

Good; and whoever goes astray, 
Goes but astray to his own hurt; 

And no bearer of burdens shall be 
Made to bear another’s burden. 

Moreover, We would never chastise 
[Any ixmmunity for the wrong 

They may do] ere We have sent 
An apostle [to them]. 

But when [this has been done, 
And], it is Our will to destmy a 

Community, We convey Our last 
Warning to those of its people 

Who have lost themselves entirely 
In the pursuit of pleasures; and 

[Ifl they [continue to] act sinfully, 
The sentence [of doom] passed on 

The Community takes effect, and 
We break it to smithereens. Surah XVII:l5-16 



X The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences Vol. 3, No. 2, 1986 

From the above verses, we see clearly that the Qur’anic concepts of justice 
and injustice refer broadly to following or opposing right objectives, to re- 
maining within or exceeding proper limits, and to observing or violating rules 
of conduct. The understanding of justice and injustice and the distinction be- 
tween them were implanted by Allah in the inner nattm of every person cfitmh) 
and were revealed further by Allah to man in Qur’anic directions about man’s 
nature, role in the world, and ultimate destiny. 

These verses make it clear that deviation from the right norms is ZuZm and 
will lead to the destruction of every human society that indulges in p l m .  

The Qur‘an makes it clear also that ,guZm is the opposite of obectively right 
behavior and of the constructive conduct of human affairs, which together 
are termed i&h. The Qur’an teaches us that Allah, the Creator of the universe, 
decides and alone knows the objective truth about the nature and goal of life 
and alone has total and absolute knowledge about man’s origin and purpose 
of existence. 

In the Qur’an we learn that i s l a ,  i.e. following specific norms of behavior 
revealed objectively in the Qur’an, is the only road to peace and security (al- 
am), and that its opposite, p l m ,  inevitably leads to sin, conflict, tyranny, 
and crime W C q ,  Bmf, fariid, and ijriim). 

To see the object of the abovequoted verses, we need only look at the history 
of past civilizations and at the present state of affairs in the ”modern, developed 
countries,” which evidence all too clearly the spread of crime, social con- 
flicts, and disintegration, as well as the resulting loss of both internal and 
external security. The Qur’anic verses are warning us about the existing state 
of affairs and about the future consequences we must expect if persons and 
societies continue to deviate as they do from the true directions and right norms 
of human behavior. 

Social scientists should try to understand the dilemmas and troubles of con- 
temporary human societies by studying man’s nature and behavior according 
to the teachugs and directions of Islam. If statesmen and scientists so far have 
failed to find the right direction and courses of action to save their peoples, 
then it is high time for Muslim scientists, i.e. those who study both the cosmos 
and human affairs, to offer the statesmen and their advisors objective answers 
to their problems. 

There is no doubt that objective norms determine what the right course 
of action is for everythmg on earth. The real question is how one can best 
find out what this right course of action is. Among the members of mankind, 
Muslims and especially Muslim social scientists are the best equipped to help 
in this effort, because they have a proper reverence for the Qur’an and because 
Allah, the Creator of the universe, al&mdulilliih, has kept this complete and 
universal message intact for every person and civilization until the end of time.