The metaphysics of manhood (III)

By Yusuf Bulafu

Assalam alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

Cont’d ….

The Quranic Intervention

In a strikingly similar narrative, Surah Ya-Sin introduces another Man from the farthest part of the city who also came running (36:20). The context here is different: three Messengers had come to a town calling the people to God, but they were met with rejection and threats. Seeing the spiritual blindness of his community, this man rushed from the suburbs to the city center. He did not wait for a committee to be formed or for permission to speak. He saw the truth being trampled and felt a burning, personal compulsion to support the cause of the Messengers.

His intervention was public and fearless. He challenged his people’s logic, asking, “O my people, follow the messengers… And why should I not worship He who created me and to whom you will be returned?” This man’s manhood was defined by his lack of apathy.

In a society of passive spectators and hostile rejectors, he chose to be an active participant. He did not worry about his social standing; he worried about the salvation of his community. He utilized his own story and his own logic to persuade his people, demonstrating that a man does not keep the truth to himself when others are in need of it.

The consequences of his bravery were severe, as tradition holds that he was martyred by the mob for his stance. Yet, the Quran honours him by immediately recording his entry into Paradise, where his first thought was still for his people: “I wish my people could know how my Lord has forgiven me.”

This archetype teaches that Rujula is not about winning the argument or surviving the day; it is about taking a stand for what is right. It is the refusal to be silenced by the majority, proving that a man’s spirit is restless until he has discharged his duty to the truth, regardless of the personal cost.

The Quran culminates its definition of manhood in Surah Al-Ahzab, set against the terrifying backdrop of the Battle of the Trench. While the hypocrites were fleeing, making excuses, and doubting God’s promise, the spotlight turns on the believers: “Among the believers are men who have been true to the covenant they made with Allah.”

This verse equates Rujula with Sidq; absolute truthfulness and fidelity. These men made a promise to God in times of peace, and they honoured it with their lives in times of war. They are defined by the integrity of their word.

The verse continues to describe their fate: “Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance], and they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration.” This is a direct reference to companions like Anas ibn Nadr.

Having missed the Battle of Badr, he swore to God that if he faced the enemy again, God would see what he would do. At Uhud, he fought with such ferocity that he was found with over eighty wounds, identifiable only by his fingertips. He did not change his mind when the battle turned against them; he was true to his covenant.

The phrase “they did not alter by any alteration” serves as a critique of the fickle nature of the hypocrites who change their principles when the pressure mounts. True manhood, by contrast, is consistency. It is the unbending resolve to stick to one’s principles regardless of the external circumstances.

Whether they lived to see victory or died on the battlefield, their status as Men was secured by their reliability. This establishes the gold standard: the ultimate measure of a man is that his word is a bond that even death cannot break, and his loyalty to the Truth is unshakable.

To be continued …