Autonomy without Theonomy Is Cancerous

Pay attention to the structure of surah “Saad”: First it expresses the warning of God in this last Scripture and prophethood.  The last reminder.  Is it not strange or telling—what worth reflection—that after the Quran, we don’t have any text to create a new religion with a truth and consistency and thus authority to penetrate hearts?  Second, the surah indicates the destiny of those who rejected their prophets in this world: they suffered and were destroyed.  Third, we have a few points about the prophet David.  In the story of David, when he followed his own desires and took another man’s wife, he is persuaded to be just.  It shows that even prophets are prone to act unjustly and fall astray to their desires.  And then the first conclusion: the creation of the heaven and the earth has a purpose: to separate good from bad or evil.  Fourth, we have a lesson about Solomon on how, at one point, he follows his own desires and suffers and then is forgiven, similar to his father, and were given several gifts by God.  Fifth, we have a brief narration about Job and the sufferings that was afflicted upon him by Satan, and how God relieved him from those afflictions.  The emphasis is: he was patient in the face of adversary.  Then, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are mentioned as those who devoted themselves in “sincere remembering of the Final Home”.  Sixth, we have a depiction of Hell and Heaven. Seventh, the below verses about how Satan rebelled against good by its arrogance and self-centeredness, which end the surah.  When we look at the structure of this surah: we have a consistent narration about the story of the beginning and end of universe and the beginning and end of evil: it started from Satanic following desires and declaration of cancerous separation and grandiosity—that Satan is better than humans—and those who follow Satan in this self-destructive grandiosity indeed follow their own desires and whims.  As with cancer, the outcome is getting far from Good and God and suffering in Hell.  It is God’s mercy to send Scriptures to warn us of this outcome and to encourage us to purify ourselves:

“[Prophet] say, ‘I am only here to give warning. There is no god but God the One, the All Powerful, Lord of the heavens and earth and everything between, the Almighty, the Most Forgiving.’  Say, ‘This message is a mighty one, yet you ignore it.  I have no knowledge of what those on high discuss: it is only revealed to me that I am here to give clear warning.’ 

Your Lord said to the angels, ‘I will create a man from clay.  When I have shaped him and breathed from My Spirit into him, bow down before him.’  The angels all bowed down together, but not Iblis, who was too proud. He became a rebel.  God said, ‘Iblis, what prevents you from bowing down to the man I have made with My own hands?  Are you too high and mighty?’  Iblis said, ‘I am better than him: You made me from fire, and him from clay.’  ‘Get out of here! You are rejected: My rejection will follow you till the Day of Judgement!’ but Iblis said, ‘My Lord, grant me respite until the Day when they are raised from the dead,’ so He said, ‘You have respite till the Appointed Day.’  Iblis said, ‘I swear by Your might! I will tempt all but Your true servants.’  God said, ‘This is the truth– I speak only the truth– I will fill Hell with you and all those that follow you.’ 

[Prophet], say, ‘I ask no reward from you for this, nor do I claim to be what I am not: this is only a warning for all people.  In time you will certainly come to know its truth.’” (38:65-88)