Message of Hajj 15

If you search for the translation or the interpretation of the verse 15 from the chapter Al-Hajj, you will be perplexed upon reading. This verse has pronouns and outside references that have confused the scholars, and still there are discussions as to what means what. Personally, I think that the suggestions for the meanings don't make sense when thought critically. Let's read the verse itself, first:

"Whoever should think that Allah will not support [Prophet Muhammad] in this world and the Hereafter - let him extend a rope to the ceiling, then cut off [his breath], and let him see: will his effort remove that which enrages [him]?" (22/15)

The verse begins with mentioning God's support for someone, but that person is not revealed; rather, it is mentioned with a pronoun. Furthermore, the verses preceding or following this verse do not include an explicit name related to that pronoun. That is why there are variations in translations on this point, and that is why the prophet's name is put into parenthesis.

Second, the meaning of the word sabab and its suggested use have been a matter of discussion. Is it a means, a way or a rope? Why is it used? I am going to come back to this point later.

Then, the word samaa' has been scrutinized. Virtually everywhere in the Quran, this word is translated as the sky or heaven. However here, some scholars prefer to translate as rope in order to make it fit into the general picture they are forging. That forged meaning is suicide, but that doesn't make sense either, as I'll discuss later.

Fourth, the thing to be cut off is rather elusive. Some interpret it as cutting off the rope, whereas others refer to cutting off of the throat or detaching the feet from the ground. Both of these groups are picturing a suicide scene. Aside from these, there are those who mention the cutting of the means to the heavens, but what that means is a matter of discussion!

In the end, amidst these confusing interpretations, a verse that is basically intended to explain the uninterruptibility of God's help is hidden behind layers of uncertainties. There must be an easier way of understanding this verse!

Let's look at the occasion of revelation of this verse (see: a paper on this verse). There are two narrations, one focusing on the believers, the other on the disbelievers.

The narration looking at the believers say that this verse was revealed at a time when the believers, tired of the injustices committed by the disbelievers, were thinking that it was already the time God crushed them, considering all the threats He was making in the Quran. But seeing that such destruction was not coming, their anger of the situation was growing.

The second narration looking at the disbelievers says that two tribes were calculating their odds of future prosperity among Arabs considering the possibility of Muhammad pbuh not receiving any help from God.

The latter narration focusing on the disbelievers seem to support the interpretations that translate the verse as "whoever thinks that God will not help him (Muhammad)". However, this information doesn't really help to understand the suicidal comments! If a person kills themselves, can they check later on whether their anger has calmed or not? Furthermore, what does suicide have to do with calming the anger? Or let's go even further. If this anger is about God helping the prophet, enraging the disbelievers, does it make sense at all that they would imagine killing themselves to stop that help?

The above questioning is for the interpretations that use the unusual meanings for the words sabab (rope) and samaa' (ceiling). Things get even more complicated if you actually go with the regular meanings of the words sabab (cause, means) and samaa' (sky, heaven ). First of all, all of the questions above apply for this case, too. In addition, how can you associate the suicidal comments to tying a rope to the sky?

Leaving aside these interpretations that stem from the second narration, if we look at the more abstract interpretations that stem from the believers' anger, then we end up with a different set of questions. As before, how can we relate the suicidal comments and the mechanism thereof to the calming of the anger and the subsequent introspection? Second, if this anger is on the side of the believers, then the support that enrages them is coming from God to the disbelievers! So, we are saying that God is supporting the disbelievers against the believers! If this is really the case, we need to digest that carefully.

In order to solve this mystery, we can get help from the explicit parts of the verse, instead of getting stuck on the vague ones.

"Whoever should think that Allah will not support him in this world and the Hereafter - let him extend a means to the sky, then cut it off, and let him see: will his effort remove that which enrages?" (22/15)

We know that someone is hopeless of God's support, be it to themselves or to someone else.  We also know that this person is angry. Here, let's assume the person is not expecting of God's support on the other side, which means that it hasn't come so far, and it is not likely to come ever. But then, at an unexpected time, God's help arrives, enraging the person. This scenario supports the interpretation focusing on the disbelievers.

If we continue on the same avenue, than as a rational way, the disbelievers would do their best to stop what is going on. Then, the suggestion of Quran is similar to the invitation of Noah: do your best to stop God's help and see if it works (10/71). In the verse, we are also told the ultimate level of what they can do: establish a way to the heaven and interrupt God's support. Here, symbolicly, God's help is depicted as descending from heaven, hence the reason to build a way to it.

If we step back and assume that the angry person is a believer, then they are emotionally tired of the injustices committed by the disbelievers. Yet, God's promise to help is never fulfilled. Tortured, outcast, they are unable to host a hope emotionally. But they are mentally forcing themselves to keep their hopes as told by God, which strains the psyche of the believers. Still, the superiority of the disbelievers remains untouched, thanks to the mercy and generosity of God. The mercy shown to the disbelievers when the believers are suffering in all aspects of life enrages the believers. In this critical situation, God tells them that this rage will not change God's plan on the events (2/155, 57/22-23, 64/11, 76/30, 81/29), even if the believers were to build a means to the heavens and try to change things.

Before ending, I should remind you that among the scholars, all interpretations are treated as acceptable as long as they are in line with the basic tenets of the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh. So, I am going to add my two interpretations above to that list. God knows best.

Looking at the interpretation for the disbelievers, we read that God is implicitly telling that He is going to enrage them by His eventual support to the believers. This is a glimpse of hope for the believers. But, taking the interpretation for the believers, we read an implicit invitation to patience. So, I would like to share a few more verses that are related:

"But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not." (2/216)

"Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. 'Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.' " (2/286)

"Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower." (3/8)