Surah Al-Hajj; Warning against Dispute about God

TEHRAN (IQNA) – In various verses of the Quran, God has challenged those rejecting the divine message, those who were either disbelievers or idolaters. God challenges them to create a particle or bring a verse similar to those of the Quran but no one has been able to do that.

That is why Surah Al-Hajj warns people to have fear of God and avoid disputing about Allah and follow every rebel satan.

Surah Al-Hajj is the 22^nd chapter of the Quran that has 78 verses and is in the 17^th Juz. It is the 103^rd Surah revealed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

The word Hajj means the intention of doing something and in Islam it refers to the annual pilgrimage and rituals in Mecca. Since 13 verses of the Surah (25 to 37) are about Kaaba, its history and the social and political effects of Hajj, this chapter’s name is Al-Hajj.

The Surah begins with a verse reminding people of the Resurrection Day and its earthquake: “People, have fear of your Lord; the quake (of the physical realm) at the Hour of Doom will be terribly violent.”

The overall content of the Surah is about the characteristics and fate of the faithful and several groups of disbelievers. The first group of disbelievers are those who, without having any knowledge, talk about God’s attributes and what He does and obey devils. Ultimately, they are led to punishment and fire of hell by those very devils.

The second group are those who seek to lead other astray. They, who are the leaders of the Mushrikeen (the polytheists) will end up receiving a humiliating punishment on the Day of Judgment. The third group are those who ostensibly worship God but their belief fluctuates as they reach peace whenever they hear some good news but get away from God whenever there is a hardship or difficulty. This group are also among the losers.

On the other hand, there are the faithful who are given a lofty status by God.

Also, some verses of this Surah discuss Tawheed (monotheism) and the need to worship the one God, warn against polytheism and its consequences, and highlight the definiteness of the Day of Judgment and its terrible earthquake.

The Surah also features verses about different spiritual and Fiqhi aspects of Hajj, Jihad against tyrants, saying prayers, paying Zakat and promotion of virtue and prevention of vice.

It also elaborates on some ethical values such Tawakkul (putting trust in God), warns against committing sins ad disobeying God, and underscores the link between Taqwa (God fearing), good deeds and divine help.