Appearance
Verse 100
The verse seems as if it is independent and complete in itself, because its connection with the preceding and the following verses is not clear. Therefore, one should not needlessly strive to seek its connection with foregoing verses. It only explains a universal parable God has used to describe a characteristic which distinguishes the True Religion from other prevalent religions and customs: That consideration and respect belongs to the Truth even if the people adhering to it are few and its band scattered; that one should rely on good and bliss even if majority has turned away from it and powerful people have forgotten it. It is because Truth does not rely in its intrinsic values except on sound reason; and far be it from the sound reason to lead to other than the good of human society—the good which supports man in the affairs of life and means of pleasant livelihood, no matter whether it agrees with majority’s desires or not (and often it goes against majority’s wishes!). So it is this system prevalent in creation, and it is the basis of correct views and opinions; it does never follow their desires, and if the Truth were to follow their desires, the heavens and the earth would perish.
قُلْ لَا يَسْتَوِي الْخَبِيثُ وَالطَّيِّبُ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ كَثْرَةُ الْخَبِيثِ ۚ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ١٠٠
(5:100) Say: “The bad and the good are not equal, though the abundance of the bad may enchant you;” so fear Allah, O men of understanding, that you may be successful.
Apparently, inequality of the bad and the good means that the good is better than the bad. It is a very clear idea; therefore the speech must be an allusion to some deeper factor: The good by it very nature enjoys a higher status than the bad; now if we suppose the opposite, that because of some accidental development, the bad becomes better than the good, it would mean that the bad had gradually risen and ascended the stairs until it reached a step where it became level with the good in rank and status, before surpassing it and gaining ascendancy over it. So, when equality between them is negated, it more clearly and forcefully would negate the idea of the bad being better than the good.
It also makes it clear why “the bad” has been placed in this verse before “the good.” It is because the speech aims at showing that abundance of the bad does not make it better than the good; and it could only happen if the bad rose from the abyss of vileness and meanness to the height of nobility and glory until it became level with the good in its position and then ascended higher. If the speaker were to say: ‘The good and the bad are not equal,’ then the motive would be to show that the good cannot be more vile and mean than the bad, and in that case it should have mentioned smallness of the good in place of abundance of the bad. Understand it.
Goodness and badness are two real attributes for real things found outside imagination, like good/bad food, good/bad land. God says: And as for good land, its vegetation springs forth (abundantly) by the permission of its Lord, and (as for) that which is bad (its herbage) comes forth but scantily … (); … and the good provisions? (). If at any time, goodness and badness are used for any type of subjective approach or situation, like good/bad judgement or good/bad behavior, then it is based on a sort of consideration.
However, in this speech, the clauses: so fear Allah, O men of understanding, that you may be successful, have branched out from, “The bad and the good are not equal …” and fear of God or piety results from action or inaction, while its goodness and badness emanate from metaphorical consideration; and the sentence: “The bad and the good are not equal,” is taken as a well accepted principle; all these factors together offer the strongest proof that goodness and badness here connote the real things outside imagination—only then the proof will be successful. If on the other hand, it were to describe good and bad and behavior, the meaning would not be so clear, because every community believes that its system is the good one and what goes against its wishes and opposes its desires is bad.
Therefore, the speech is based on another meaning which God has described in various places in His Book; that is, the religion is based on nature and creation, and what the religion invites to is the life that is good, and what it forbids is the bad; that God has not made lawful except the good things, and has not forbidden except the bad things. God says: Then set your face upright for religion in natural devotion (to truth); the nature made by Allah in which He has made men; there is no altering of Allah’s creation; that is the right religion, … (); … and makes lawful to them the good things and makes unlawful to them impure things, … (); Say: “Who has prohibited the embellishment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants and the good provisions?” … ().
It comes out from above that the sentence: “The bad and the good are not equal, though the abundance of the bad may enchant you,” is a parable to show that religious laws, which are based on the things’ good or bad inherent attributes, do affect the human bliss and misery; that they do not vary because of smallness or abundance; the good is good even it is in small quantity, and the bad is bad even it is in abundance.
Thus it is incumbent on every man of understanding to distinguish the bad from the good, and to decide that the good is better than the bad. He must realize that man is obligated to exert himself to make his life blissful, and to opt for the good against the bad; he must fear God, his Lord, and proceed on His path. He should not be deceived when he sees the multitude of the people addicted to heinous deeds and perilous characteristics and conditions; base desires should not turn him away from following the truth, and fear or favor should not influence him in anyway. Probably then he will succeed in attaining the human bliss.
... so fear Allah, O men of understanding, that you may be successful: It branches out from the preceding parable. The meaning: Piety and fear of God are connected with divine sharīʾah, which in its turn is based on creative good and bad for looking after the interest of the man’s bliss and success; and no man of reason can entertain any doubt about it. Therefore, O men of understanding! It is incumbent on you to fear God by acting on His sharīʾah, in order that you may be successful.