On Trial

On Trial

1988 11 November 13 On Trial (415) In this world, the truth is to be discovered only in the realms of the “unseen”. Those who expect to find the truth on the level of the “seen” will never succeed in finding it.

At the Battle of Uhud (3 AH) the Muslims suffered severe losses, seventy of the army of the faithful having been martyred. The prophet himself was amongst the seriously wounded. These events, naturally, were a source of great distress to the Muslims of Medina, but the Quran explains the outcome of the Battle of Uhud in the following terms: “The misfortune which befell you when the two armies met was ordained by God, so that He might know the true believers and the hypocrites....“ (3:166-67).

Such are ways of the Almighty, this divine method of trial being mentioned at various points in the Quran. The wording differs, but the message remains the same. For instance, in the surah entitled “Iron”, Muslims are told that any misfortune which befalls them in the world, irrespective of the form it takes, “is recorded in a Book before We bring it into being” (57:22). Later in the same surah, it is explained that such material resources as iron exist “so that God may know those who support Him, though unseen, and support His Apostles” (57:25).

The Battle of Uhud, was to be explicit, a divine test of this nature meant to separate the weak in faith from the strong, for there existed at that time in Medina many who were not fully convinced of unseen realities. It was only the strong in faith for whom truth was a matter of conviction, and their faith, therefore remained unaffected by the vicissitudes of defeat.

Those who were weak in faith, on the other hand, assessed the situation on a purely superficial level, in the sense that the defeat at Uhud made them look with scorn upon deeply religious Muslims. They even began to harbour doubts about the genuineness of the Prophet and the veracity of his message. This attitude exposed them as friends of fortune rather than adherents of the truth. So long as they remained on the winning side, they were willing to espouse the cause of truth, but the moment they met with misfortune, they shied away from it.

In this world, the truth is to be discovered only in the realms of the “unseen”. Those who expect to find the truth on the level of the “seen” will never succeed in finding it.