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THE DIPLOMACY OF RAISING THE QURAN ATOP THE LAUNCES:

The diplomacy of Raising the Quran atop the launces has by and large been in practice for the last thirteen centuries; specially wherever fanatics and formalists multiply and ostentation is received as equivalent of conti­nence and piety, the opportunists practice the politics of Raising the Quran atop the launces. The lessons, which may be learnt from it are:

(a) The first lesson is whenever the idiots, the ignorant and the ill-informed are recognised as manifestation of continence and piety and the Muslims acknowledge them as symbols of virtue, it provides effective means to self-seeking genius. These 'wise-men' always take them as tools to achieve their objects, and exploit them as a solid obstacle to impede the genuine reformers. It has often been noticed that anti-Islamic elements utilize forces of Islam against Islam itself. Western imperialism has vast experience in exploiting such instruments. According to its choice and for its own advantage among Muslims, it creates false emotional sectarian uprisings. How shameful it is that the afflicted Muslim who issues to eradicate the extraneous influences, and the same people whom he wishes to give him emancipation, step up as a wall against him in the name of faith and religion. Yes if the hosts of people idiot, ignorant and hypocrite are available in the fortress of Islam itself the enemy will exploit them to his own advantage. In Iran, where our people have the distinctive love with and affiliation to the pious 'House of Prophet', the hypocrites in the sacred name of the House of Prophet and within the sacred fort of allegiance with the House of Prophet, erect a fortress against Islam to the advantage of the usurper Jew. (It was said about ante-revolution days). It is one of the wicked tyrannies against Islam, the Quran, the Prophet and his illustrious House. The Holy Prophet says:

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"I am not afraid of miseries and poverty showering on my Ummah. Of what I am afraid is perverse thinking. The paucity of wisdom renders that harm to my Ummah which economic poverty cannot."

(b) The other lesson is that we should try to deduce correct analogy from the Quran. The Quran is guide and Leader only when it is correctly under­stood and scholarly interpreted. The guidance provided by the people of the Quran whose knowledge of the Quran is authentic must be availed of. So long as our method of deducing from the Quran is not correct and so long as we have not had acquaintance with the rules and the principles of interpretation of the Quran we cannot benefit from it. The opportunists and the fools, when they read the Quran, impute incorrect meanings to it. As you have heard through Nehj-ul-Balagha, they say a right thing but mean a wrong one. This is not an act in obedience to the Quran or an act for its revival, it is rather a betrayal to the Quran". Acting in accordance with the Quran is possible only when its appreciation is a correct appreciation. The Quran always outlines the issue in form of basic principles but their correct analogy and application is subject to our correct appreciation and under­standing. For example, it is not written in the Quran that a battle which takes place on such and such day between Ali and Mo'awiyah, Truth will be on Ali's side; only this much has come in the Quran.

"If two groups of the Muslims fight with each other, attempt a compromise between them, and if one of them has committed aggression and excess against the other then you should also fight against the aggressor, so that he reverts to Allah".

This is the Quran and its diction. But the Quran never says such and such 'person' is on the right in the conflict and 'the other' is on the wrong.

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The Quran does not mention each one by his name. It does not say that after forty years or more or less, a man with the name of Mo'awiyah will be born and he will fight with Ali and you should also enter the fight for Ali's cause. Nor should it give details. The Quran is not supposed to enumerate subjects and then to point out which is wrong, because this is not possible. The Quran has, come to hold on perpetually. Therefore, it was to lay down only the fundamental rules and principles so that whenever 'wrong' confronts 'Right', people may follow those standards. It is another responsibility of the people themselves to distinguish the rebels from the believers by comparing them with the fundamentals. When two groups from among the Muslims are warring-They should open their eyes to distinguish between the rebel and the otherwise. If the rebels submit and surrender they should be pardoned, but if they do not give up and only pretend to avoid themselves defeat, by finding fresh time to make another assault and to up rise once more then in view of the following verse:

'Hold on. Do not accept his excuse".

The diagnosis of all this is for the people themselves. The Quran wishes the Muslims sociological and rational maturity, and on the bases of that maturity they must distinguish between Man of the Right and Man of the Wrong. The Quran has not come to so deal with men as guardian of minor, deals with the ward, nor it should deal with the details of life as a guardian of person and explain every special subject with physical symbols and indications.

Basically identifying men, evaluating their worth, knowing the extent of their merits and their commitment with Islam and, ascertaining their intrinsicality is itself an obligation and perhaps we are indifferent to this obligation.

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Ali (PBH) says: "You can never identify the truth, and you cannot adopt the right course unless you with objectivity identify the right course".

That is to say, only the knowledge of the fundamentals and the basic principles will not be enough, unless it is applied in letter and spirit. Because it is possible that for having misunderstood the individuals and personalities and for having not identified the objects you may (prima facie) be acting in name of Allah and Islam but in fact to the benefit of falsehood.

In the Quran, tyranny and tyrant, justice and truth have occurred, but the conformable to them are to be seen. We should not tell (Right' for injustice and injustice for 'Right', lest with these very principles and injunc­tions of the Quran-because of our whims-We undo truth and justice.