We Do Not Have a Monopoly on Truth: Servitude to Allah and Humility

8 November 2021

Seeking the Truth, or Justifying Our Own Side?

When discussing a subject, are we truly seeking what is right, or do we want the side we already belong to to be proven right? From a distance, this question may seem easy. Of course, we all say we want the truth. But what happens within us when someone questions an idea we are used to? Do we immediately become defensive, look at the other person’s identity, or try to understand what they say? This lesson centered on verses 113–117 of Surah Al-Baqarah first invites us to question our own perspective.

When verse 113 speaks of communities rejecting one another’s foundation, it also reminds us that they read the scripture. So the issue is not merely having no access to a text. People can read and know some correct information, yet still behave wrongly out of jealousy, self-interest, or a desire to see their own side as superior. Knowledge alone does not guarantee our morality. What we do with what we read, which decisions we correct through it, and how we approach others also matter.

Let us not consider this only by looking at past communities. A similar attitude may develop among us too. We may think all our statements are correct because we carry a group’s name. We may reject what someone outside our group says without listening. Yet which side a person stands on and whether a sentence they speak is true are not the same question. We need to understand the statement and examine its basis. When we question only others without questioning ourselves, we may close the door with our own hands even while claiming to be open to learning.

Reading a Great Deal Does Not Always Mean Acting Rightly

Picking up a book does not automatically place its knowledge into our lives. We may like what we read, tell it to others, and even explain it beautifully. But how will we respond when those same words limit an interest of ours? Defending honesty is easy; remaining honest when our earnings will decrease may be harder. Speaking of justice is easy; telling the truth when someone close to us is in the wrong requires additional effort.

The lesson’s emphasis on Prophet Adam’s error despite his knowledge is thought-provoking from this perspective too. Knowing something does not mean we will not forget it under pressure or never choose wrongly. A person’s desire, fear, and effort to protect themselves may enter their decision. So we cannot say, “I have learned this; there is no problem left.” We need to recall our knowledge, examine ourselves, and ask our Lord for help.

Its counterpart in daily life is not hard to find. We know we should give a customer accurate information. But when fear of losing the sale arises, we may conceal a product’s defect. We know we should not speak hurtfully in an argument. Yet when we become angry, we may set aside what we know. Here, asking ourselves only “Do I know what is right?” is not enough. We should also ask, “What do I choose when doing right becomes difficult?” The true expression of learning often appears at that moment.

What Do We Neglect While Magnifying Our Differences?

There will be subjects on which people think differently. But if we turn every difference into a reason to regard one another as worthless, we may lose our shared responsibilities. While discussing a detail of worship, we may forget how we treat our spouse, whether we listen to our child, or whether we protect a customer’s rights. Appearing knowledgeable in one matter does not remove our injustice in another area. Alongside how correctly we speak, let us also look at what kind of person that conversation makes us.

We can observe ourselves when entering an argument. Am I preparing my answer before the other person finishes? Can I ask a question where I do not understand? Do I consider that they may give a different meaning to a word I use? Sometimes two people argue for a long time without realizing they defend the same thing. Sometimes there is a matter on which they truly differ. In either case, judging without listening does not clarify the issue.

Remembering that the final judgment belongs to Allah does not mean we should do no investigation. On the contrary, it requires us not to place our own interpretation on the same level as Allah’s knowledge. We can explain the basis of what we know and state what we consider wrong. But we cannot speak as though we know another person’s entire inner world. Recognizing our limits helps us form our words more carefully. Here we can see the difference between seeking truth and trying to establish superiority over another person.

Others Have Rights in a Place of Worship Too

The discussion around verse 114 of Surah Al-Baqarah reminds us of the seriousness of preventing Allah’s name from being mentioned in His mosques and working toward their ruin. When reading this warning, let us not look only at buildings. Let us also consider the trust, mutual respect, and devotion of people who gather for worship. Being in a place of worship does not mean that whatever we do there will be right. Our responsibility to respect others’ rights does not end when we enter the door.

When someone comes to a mosque, they should also refrain from hurting, humiliating, or violating the rights of the person beside them. Let us not think of God-consciousness only as an outwardly visible posture. Avoiding lies, keeping one’s word, and not placing one’s own interests ahead of others within a community also reveal our direction in life. Someone who wants to draw closer to Allah needs to question their behavior toward Allah’s servants. When we separate worship from human relationships, we lose an important connection.

Our strength may not be enough to change every wrong. Sometimes we see an injustice and do not know what to do. We do not have to normalize it in that case. We can seek a right contribution within our power, try to ease the burden of the oppressed, and pray. But magnifying our anger over something we cannot change and harming those around us is no solution either. First, let us consider where our responsibility, ability, and limits lie.

Making Our Direction Clear

Verse 115 reminds us that both east and west belong to Allah. This reminder invites us to reflect on our habit of thinking of Allah only in a particular place. Whether at home, at work, on the road, or somewhere we think no one sees us, responsibility for our behavior does not change. If we are careful when people watch but abandon every standard when alone, a disconnection forms within us. Our faith needs to reach our everyday decisions.

In prayer, we ask to be guided to the right path. So what connection do we make between that request and our decisions after prayer? If we immediately insult others when angry, or belittle someone else’s rights when a chance for profit appears, merely remembering the words we said may not be enough. We should also consider the behavior those words call us toward. Worship can be an important pause within life for reviewing our direction and intention.

Sometimes people may turn their worship into a field for displaying superiority over others. They may begin describing how long they worship, how much they know, or how far ahead of others they are. Here, the question we should ask ourselves is this: am I trying to turn to my Lord, or gain a place in people’s eyes? A deed appearing great from outside does not remove accountability for the intention within it. We can be diligent and attentive without diminishing others.

Our turning to Allah may be strong in hardship. We pray in illness, debt, or fear of loss. Then, when relieved, we may think everything is over. But when we receive help, we still need to remember, give thanks, and preserve our behavior. Recovering, finding a job, or paying off a debt does not by itself correct all our habits. How we live after that relief shows what our earlier devotion has become in everyday life.

What Does Our View of Those in Need Reveal?

While the lesson discusses the Day of Reckoning, it also reminds us that relying on wealth and power will not be enough. In the account in Surah Al-Haqqah, encouraging the feeding of those in need draws attention alongside faith. Let us not think only of people with great resources here. Not everyone has the same financial capacity. But sometimes it is possible to recognize a need, help aid reach someone, or inform a person who has the means.

When we see someone in difficulty, we may immediately begin judging their life. Saying, “If they had worked harder, this would not have happened,” may seem easy. Yet we do not know their past, health, family, or every circumstance they faced. Reminding people to make an effort and blaming them for all their suffering are not the same. Let us consider our own responsibility: what can we truly do in the face of a need we see? At least, can we speak without wounding that person’s dignity?

Let helping not be merely acting on a passing emotion either. Let us take care to understand the need, ensure support reaches the right place, and avoid embarrassing the other person. Let us not humiliate someone while describing what they lack. Expecting continual gratitude in return for help may place another burden alongside what we give. If we want to do good, let us examine both the support we offer and the words and attitude with which we offer it.

Taking Causes into Account and Trusting Allah

When people want to reach an outcome, they should also consider the preparation that outcome requires. The food example given in the lesson makes this understandable. Using the same ingredients differently may produce a different result. If we add too much water to rice, we cannot obtain the consistency we expect. Praying is not expecting everything in this world to change without making any preparations. We should also ask which step we will take, which wrong we will abandon, and what knowledge we will learn for what we want.

Imagine someone whose business is struggling. They ask for help but do not review their accounts, keep their promises to customers, or abandon the same wrong habit. Here, merely saying, “May business improve,” may not be enough. They need to begin the corrections within their ability. At the same time, they can trust Allah while acknowledging that they cannot fully control the outcome. Living effort and supplication together, rather than substituting one for the other, gives us a more responsible direction.

While doing all this, let us not make the means the absolute master of life. Money may meet a need, knowledge may help our decision, and a person may support us. But we cannot regard any of these as an unlimited power that guarantees every outcome. What we love, trust, and benefit from also has limits. Remembering those limits does not devalue them; it helps us establish our relationship with them more rightly.

We Have Choices, but Not the Power to Manage Everything

While reflecting on Allah’s creation and knowledge, people should not forget their own choices either. We choose which link to click on a webpage, but we do not create all its content. This analogy helps us consider the distinction between choice and the system we encounter. In life too, we make a decision and then face certain consequences. Even if we do not create every condition, we cannot entirely cast off responsibility for our behavior.

After a wrong, instead of saying only, “It was meant to happen this way,” we can ask which part belongs to us. Did we speak hurtfully to someone, reject a warning because it did not suit our interests, or ignore a need? Recognizing these does not mean regarding ourselves as worthless. It means seeing what we did so we can begin correcting it. Instead of continually trying to make the unknown future certain, let us look at how we will respond to the truth we know today.

Remembering death and accountability is also meaningful not so that we abandon life, but so that we use our time more responsibly. Our property, work, and social circle may matter to us. But when we define ourselves only through them, we may think we lose all our worth when they are lost. Yet if we have an opportunity today to act honestly, help someone, or make amends, it means there is still something important we can do.

Let Us Choose a Right Action Within Today

At the end of this lesson, we do not have to make grand promises to ourselves. We can choose one behavior. It is possible to listen again to someone we rejected without hearing, return to someone whose due we delayed, help support reach a person in need, or relate a verse we read to an everyday decision. These seemingly small steps are where knowledge begins entering our lives. How we act today matters alongside the name by which we define ourselves.

Let us ask our Lord for beneficial knowledge, clear understanding, and the strength to apply what we learn. Let us not regard truth as a group’s property. Let us not fear questioning our own interpretation. Let us not forget people while worshipping, or our responsibility while caring for people. Let us work, think, share, and turn back when we recognize our mistake. Seeking truth is more about making room for what is right in our own lives than claiming superiority over someone else.