Sheikh Abdel-Nasser Saleh
Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh
All praise and gratitude are due to Allah SWT. May the blessings and peace of Allah SWT be upon His Messenger PBUH.
Baseerah is a word that carries many connotations and meanings; to arrive at any precise understanding of its literal and associated meanings, it is necessary to dive deep into Arabic dictionaries.
The word Baseerah finds its plural form in Basaa’ir and carries the following meanings:
1. insight, expertise, or a particular lesson
2. a true prediction or prophesy
3. incontrovertible proof and its evidence
4. intellect and divinely granted acumen
5. far-sightedness to that which is elusive or hidden
6. an overseeing and holding to account, such that the Baseer (he or she who exercises Baseerah) is overwatching, observing, and keeping matters in check.
The term Baseerah and its derivatives are also found in the Holy Qur’an on multiple occasions (the translated term for Baseerah is emboldened):
1. In noun form:
a. Surah Yusuf, verse 108: “Say, O Prophet, This is my way. I invite to Allah with insight—I and those who follow me. Glory be to Allah, and I am not one of the polytheists.”
b. Surat Al-Qiyamah, verses 14-15: “In fact, people will testify against their own souls, despite the excuses they come up with.”
2. In verb form, in past and present tenses:
a. Surat Al-An’aam, verse 104: “Indeed, there have come to you insights from your Lord. So whoever chooses to see, it is for their own good. But whoever chooses to be blind, it is to their own loss. And I am not a keeper over you.”
b. Surat Yunus, verse 43: “And some of them look at you, but can you guide the blind even though they cannot see?”
c. Surat Al-Saafaat, verse 174: “You will see ‘what will happen to’ them, and they too will see!”
d. Surat Al-Kahf: “Say, O Prophet, ‘Allah knows best how long they stayed. With Him alone is the knowledge of the unseen of the heavens and the earth. How perfectly he hears and sees! They have no guardian besides Him, and He shares His command with none.’”
3. In plural, Basaa’ir:
a. Surat Al-An’aam, above
b. Surat Al-Israa’: “Moses replied, ‘You know well that none has sent these (signs) down except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as insights. And I really think that you, O Pharaoh, are doomed.”
Combining the dictionary findings and the Qur’anic verses conveys a collective meaning of Baseerah as being knowledge and insight, a proficient mind, sharp acumen, deep understanding of hidden matters based on far-sightedness, precise proofs, and compelling evidence which dispels doubt and clarifies reality, all within a sphere of broad oversight and continuous accountability.
In light of this, we understand Allah SWT’s address to His Messenger PBUH and his Ummah, found in the ayah of Surat Yusuf: “Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “This is my way. I invite to Allah with Baseerah—I and those who follow me. Glory be to Allah, and I am not one of the polytheists.”[1]
The Prophet PBUH’s mission was, in essence, established on Baseerah and tightly embedded to his Prophetic way. For this reason, we have chosen to name our organisation and initiative ‘Baseerah’, paying tribute and holding tightly to the perfect Qur’anic way and following the guided footsteps of our beloved Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
In summary, Baseerah relates to spiritual understanding, for it is a tool of the mind, heart and soul to reach into hidden meanings and understandings. If we use our eyesight as a tool to interact with the visible world around us, then Baseerah is the tool of understanding the spiritual, intangible world. Just as lacking sight deprives one of seeing the tangible world, lacking Baseerah deprives one of contemplating the intangible world—a reality far graver and more serious. Allah SWT says in the Qur’an: “Have they not travelled throughout the land so their hearts may reason, and their ears may listen? Indeed, it is not the eyes that are blind, but it is the hearts in the chests that grow blind.”
Oh Allah, we seek refuge in You from being deprived of vision as it engulfs the world around us in darkness, and we seek refuge in You from being deprived of Baseerah as it darkens our spiritual state and strips the heart of its feeling and the soul of its luminescence and beauty. Ameen.
________________________________________________________________ [1] You will note that in this translation of the ayah, the term Baseerah is used instead of the word ‘insight’, as in the first translation we refer to. Having explored the true meaning of Baseerah, we now know it encompasses much more than simply ‘insight’.