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God the Almighty Creator is source of all beauty and aesthetic values
Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz
The holy Qur'an that give the true picture of real beauty, since God the Almighty Creator is source of all beauty and aesthetic values.
In Surah Hijr, ayahs 39 and 40 enable us to distinguish between true beauty and the false notion of beauty, when the holy Qur'an refers to the stratagem of the devil in swearing to make evil appear as beautiful in order to deceive mankind: “He said, ‘My Lord! As You have consigned me to perversity, I will surely glamorize [evil] for them on the earth, and I will surely pervert them, all; Except Your exclusive servants among them,"
The holy Qur'an thus provides us the guidelines to distinguish between good and evil, so that so that with faith, patience, and forbearance, we will able to avoid the pitfalls set by the devil to make wicked deeds appear as beautiful. The holy Qur'an presents to us the proverbial patience and endurance of Prophet Ayyoub or Job that is indeed an inspiration for the faithful to resist and overcome the problems of life instead of taking the bait of the Satan and giving vent to negative characteristics.
There are many other accounts in the holy Qur'an such as the magnanimity of Prophet Joseph who forgives his brothers, who out of jealousy had wronged him. The heavenly scripture also provides us proof of the purity and chastity of the Virgin Mary who had complete trust in God Almighty. It directs us to the hope in Divine Mercy of Prophet Jonah, even when he was in the belly of the whale and not for a moment did he ever stop supplicating to the Lord Most High. All these accounts enable us to face the most adverse circumstances in life with complete trust in God, and this is indeed another example of the eternal miracle of the holy Qur'an.
In the account of the tyrannical Pharaoh of Egypt, the holy Qur'an cites the example of his wife Asiya, who was a virtuous and God-fearing lady, who spurned the luxurious life of world and longed for real solace in the life of the Hereafter by praying to the One and Only God for the eternal bliss of afterlife. In ayah 79 of Surah An'aam, God has preserved for our reflection the words of Prophet Abraham (AS), who tells the disbelievers: “Indeed I have turned my face toward Him who originated the heavens and the earth, as a Hanif (the Upright One), and I am not one of the polytheists."
The Qur'an teaches us how to decisively confront the arrogant and wrongdoers, but in a convincing, polite and rational manner, which is yet another proof of the eternality of the miracle of God's final revelation to mankind. As the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), used to say on the great guiding role of the anecdotes of the holy Qur'an: The holy Qur'an is not a book of history, but it emphasizes certain events for the sake of popularizing ethics in society, which at times ought to be repeated for further emphasis. Of course, this is not some repetitious since God has sent down the holy Qur'an for the guidance of all mankind in every age and in every place.
Among the examples in this regard is the account of the arrogant Qaroun or Korah who was proud of his abundant wealth, to the extent he never listened to the advice of any of his well-wishers. There were people in society who wished they could also possess such wealth on the assumption that excessive riches will free them from the problems of life. Such a notion is entirely wrong, and Korah was never free from any problems, and actually it was this wealth that brought about his doom. On the other hand there were people, who knew that God had given him this wealth as a trial and tribulation for him and for others.
Thus there were people in the same society, who never longed for Korah's wealth, and were thankful for whatever God had granted them, because self-contentment rather than insatiable greed is the ultimate divine reward. In the end, Korah along with his wealth was swallowed by the earth, and no one could help him.
The Qur'anic accounts point to the factors behind the rise and fall nations, civilizations and societies. Denial of truth and turning away from the call of the Prophets, coupled with corruption and oppression, bring about the downfall of scientifically advanced societies and civilizations.
In Surah Aal-e Imran, ayah 137, God says: "Certain Divine precedents have passed before you. So travel over the land and then observe how was the fate of the deniers!"
Thus the factors behind real progress and prosperity are obedience to the commandments of God Almighty and not power, arrogance, and scientific discoveries. What the Qur'an teaches us are faith, acquisition of knowledge, establishment of equity and justice in the society and the leading of a life blended with ethics and honesty.
At the end of account of Prophet Hood, the holy Qur'an says in ayah 58 of the Surah of the ayah of the same name: "And when Our edict came, We delivered Hood and the faithful who were with him, by a mercy from Us, and We delivered them from a harsh punishment."
Indeed these are some of the examples of unsurpassable beauty presented to humanity by the holy Qur'an as the lasting miracle, since it is purity and piety that salvages mankind, while it is impurity and evil, however, deceptively glamorized, that drags people towards eternal doom.
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