Chapter 2: Surat Al-Baqarah (The Cow), verses 1-5

Translation:

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Alif, Lam, Mim. This Book is not to be doubted. It is a guide for the righteous, who have faith in the unseen and are steadfast in prayer; who bestow in charity a part of what We have given them; who trust what has been revealed to you and to others before you, and firmly believe in the life to come. These are rightly guided by their Lord; these shall surely triumph

 

Tafsir (Commentary):

There is no doubt that the Qur’an is a book of guidance. But it only guides those who are sincere in their search, and anxious to be guided. The search for truth is inherent in man’s nature; one only has to discover one’s own true nature in order to find the truth. True search and true finding are but the initial and the advanced stages of the same journey. One who searches for truth unravels the mystery of his own inner self. He becomes one with nature. God helps him in his search, and the subconscious yearnings of his nature begin to receive a definite response. 

The awakening of these sincere yearnings within one are an attempt to discern the world of meanings behind the world of forms. When this leads to discovery, it is transformed into faith in the unseen. That which is initially an urge to submit to some superior power, later takes the form of bowing to the Almighty. That which is initially a wish to sacrifice oneself for some greater good, later takes the form of spending one’s wealth for the cause of God. That which is initially a quest to comprehend the final outcome of life beyond this world, finds an answer in the form of faith in the life to come.

To discover truth is to raise one’s consciousness to the level of the Supreme Reality. Those who find truth in this way become complex-free souls. They come to see truth as it really is. Wherever truth is, and whoever is proclaiming it, they immediately recognize and accept it. No rigidity, convention or prejudice, can come between them and the truth. God has mercy on people of this nature. His universal order embraces them. They are guided on a sure course in this world. Their final destination will be heaven in the life to come.