The Poor-Man's Guide to Modernity - Independent Media Center

It is plainly given by the author of the Qur'an in the pithy Surah Asr, in the verse fragment:
“and those who strive for haq” (Holy Qur’an, Surah Asr, 103:3,
)
وتواصوابالحق‎4‎
The Arabic word “haq” ح‏eeق‎4‎ (pronounced 'huq' like 'hug' and not like 'faq') is an all
encompassing word and its single-word translation into English is impossible. It means all of
the following (and then some): truth, Truth, justice, rights, rectifying injustice, not violating
rights, not being unjust, demanding one's own rights, not permitting others to violate one's own
rights, etceteras.
It is but simple logic and commonsense to deduce that the pursuit of accurate knowledge in all
matters is an essential prerequisite to the pursuit of “haq” in all matters – lest one be deceived,
be manipulated, end up believing in falsehoods, and act unjustly.
The aforementioned tiny but self-sufficient verse fragment of the Qur'an forms the foundational
basis for what is called “jihad”, striving as a moral imperative, in other verses of the Qur'an:
“And strive they with their wealth and their lives in the way of God; they are the
truthful ones.” (Holy Qur'an, Surah Al-Hujraat 49:15, Arabic:
) وانفسهمفىسبيلاللZoه‏
وجاهدواباموالهم‏
But what should they “strive” ( وجاهد‏ ) for, inter alia, with their wealth and their lives, without
any expectations in return from their fellow man, to be so nobly designated as the “truthful
ones” ( الصZoدقون‏ ) by none other than the one who claims to be their Creator?
The Qur'anic answer, once again unequivocally provided by the author of the Qur'an in the
Qur'an itself, is in Surah Asr.
It is to principally strive for “haq” ( ‏بالحق‎4‎ وتواصوا ) with all of one's wealth, resources,
talents, and energies! The lack of striving of which, the author of the Qur'an emphatically reasserts
in the same Surah Asr, leads to:
“Lo! man is in a state of loss” (Holy Qur'an, Surah Asr 103:2,
) خسر‏M
انالانسانلفى‏
For completeness, reproduced below is the full recipe of the pithy Surah Asr for a noble life
which is “not in a state of loss”, one which is not perpetually full of facile views, ignorance,
The Poor-Man's Guide to Modernity 181 / 334 Zahir Ebrahim