One of the verses that caught Mutahhari’s attention was verse 72 of Surah al-Akhzab, which translates: “And indeed We have offered a message to the heavens, the earth and the mountains. They all refused to take up the mandate for fear of betraying him. Then the man carried the mandate. Verily, man is very unjust and ignorant.” A verse that inspired the famous Persian poet Hafizh ash-Shirazi to compose a verse: “The sky is not able to bear the burden of the mandate, The dwarf named I is madly gambling with it.”
Perhaps we catch that the verse in Surah al-Akhzab is just an ordinary message that does not challenge us to think further. However, according to Mutahhari, the verse explains a problem by using language that raises many questions and forces the human mind to think. A mandate is already burdensome because even the heavens, the earth, and the mountains cannot carry it, but why can humans who are not physically stronger undertake it?
The word yahmiluha (carrying it) in verse means that the mandate in question is something humans can carry out, but why are people who have it called tyrannical and stupid, even by using mubalaghah or hyperbole, which means very unjust and very stupid? The symbolism, multiple interpretations, and [as if] the paradox in verse confirms that the verse – and the many similar verses in the Qur’an – call for thought.
As difficult as they are, these invitations, calls, and orders to think are directly addressed to people who believe in them because they are the main mukhatab (audience) of the Koran. Therefore, humans have two tasks at once: carry the mandate, which according to Mutahhari means taklif (responsibility) and is not material; and think seriously about studying the verses of the Koran to find the appropriate meaning. Of course, it is not easy to carry these two tasks. Still, with the submission of these two tasks, humans are positioned very importantly in organizing and determining their own lives and making their history. Man is the master of his destiny.
Is it possible? Mutahhari said that humans are intelligent beings and perfect creations. Human is a creature whose self-creation and maintenance comes directly from himself. He has the freedom of choice, the ability to create, and the potential to assume responsibility. But, at the same time are also social creatures equipped with a human conscience.
The Qur’an, according to Mutahhari, is of the view that the human mind and conscience are free and independent in the face of societal imperatives, historical imperatives, and other imperatives. Because, in his view, the divine nature that overlies human reason and conscience can still live in all circumstances and conditions. Environment. The Qur’an recognizes the authenticity of man and the conscience of humanity; therefore, it is not subject to historical imperatives and societal imperatives, although it is recognized that these imperatives are often influential factors.
Relativity and Diversity