Interpretation Through Reflection

INTERPRETATION BASED ON PERSONAL INSIGHT except by God’s will. We raise to high ranks whom We please, and above every knowledgeable person is one more knowledgeable.” (Quran 12:76) This explanation matches the Quran’s wording and also fits with the prophetic greatness of Yusuf (Joseph). Similarly, the Quran commands the believers: “Prepare any strength you can muster against them, and any cavalry with which you can overawe God’s enemy and your own enemy as well, and others besides them whom you do not know, but who are known to God.” (8:60) A contemporary Arab commentator interprets this verse as a call for the “liberation of humanity.” In his view, the command to equip the believers with strength was intended to free all people from every form of bondage— for example, from communism, Nazism, secularism, and Zionism. At first glance, this interpretation may seem revolutionary. In reality, however, it is rooted in personal opinion. Without close reflection on the actual wording of the Quran, the commentator has projected his own preconceived ideas onto the verse. A careful reading shows that the stated purpose of preparing force is to overawe the enemy so that they lack the courage to commit aggression against the believers. In other words, the command is framed in a defensive context, whereas the commentator has understood it in an offensive sense.