Surah 9, At-Tawba (The Repentance), Verses 94-129 & Surah 10, Yunus (Jonas),
109 Verses & Surah 11, Hud (Hud), Verses 1-6
Chapter 11 begins to see the
start of some shorter Surahs and covers 3 Surahs of the Holy Quran. Continuing
with the last 4 sections of Surah 10.
Surah 9, At-Tawba (The
Repentance)
Section 13: The hypocrites
among the people of the Desert, verses 100-110
"And the first to lead the way,
of the Muhajirin and the Ansar, and those who followed them in goodness - Allah
is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He hath made
ready for them Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide
for ever. That is the supreme triumph." (Verse 100)
"And among those around you of
the wandering Arabs there are hypocrites, and among the townspeople of
Al-Madinah (there are some who) persist in hypocrisy whom thou (O Muhammad)
knowest not. We, We know them, and We shall chastise them twice; then they will
be relegated to a painful doom. And (there are) others who have acknowledged
their faults. They mixed a righteous action with another that was bad. It may
be that Allah will relent toward them. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (Verses 101-102)
"Take alms of their wealth,
wherewith thou mayst purify them and mayst make them grow, and pray for them.
Lo! thy prayer is an assuagement for them. Allah is Hearer, Knower. Know they
not that Allah is He Who accepteth repentance from His bondmen and taketh the
alms, and that Allah is He Who is the Relenting, the Merciful." (Verses 103-104)
"And say (unto them): Act! Allah
will behold your actions, and (so will) His messenger and the believers, and ye
will be brought back to the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible, and He
will tell you what ye used to do." (Verse 105)
Verse 100 categorically states
the equality between the muhajirs and the ansars. Preference given to any
individual above another is purely on account of their piety. Verses in praise
of the companions always apply to those who were sincere in faith. There were
many hypocrites amongst the Holy Prophets companions and these cannot be
accepted as those praised by the Holy Quran.
Verses 101-102 refer to a few people who regretted
their actions when they refused to accompany the Holy Prophet to Tabuk. They
sought forgiveness from the Holy Prophet but the final forgiveness lies with
Allah. They offered alms and gifts to the Holy Prophet who accepted when verses 103-104 were revealed.
In verse 105, Allah, the
Holy Prophet and the believers (namely the Ahlul-Bayt) are aware of every
action. Allah has blessed them with the divine quality to witness the deeds of
all men, at all times, in all places.
Sections 14 & 15: The true believers
& To be always with the truthful ones, verses 111-122
"Lo! Allah hath bought from the
believers their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs: they
shall fight in the way of Allah and shall slay and be slain. It is a promise
which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur'an. Who
fulfilleth His covenant better than Allah? Rejoice then in your bargain that ye
have made, for that is the supreme triumph." (Verse 111)
"(Triumphant) are those who turn
repentant (to Allah), those who serve (Him), those who praise (Him), those who
fast, those who bow down, those who fall prostrate (in worship), those who
enjoin the right and who forbid the wrong and those who keep the limits
(ordained) of Allah - And give glad tidings to believers!" (Verse 112)
"It is not for the Prophet, and
those who believe, to pray for the forgiveness of idolaters even though they
may be near of kin (to them) after it hath become clear that they are people of
hell-fire." (Verse
113)
"It is not for the townsfolk of
Al-Madinah and for those around them of the wandering Arabs so stay behind the
messenger of Allah and prefer their lives to his life. That is because neither
thirst nor toil nor hunger afflicteth them in the way of Allah, nor step they
any step that angereth the disbelievers, nor gain they from the enemy a gain,
but a good deed is recorded for them therefor. Lo! Allah loseth not the wages
of the good." (Verse
120)
"And the believers should not all
go out to fight. Of every troop of them, a party only should go forth, that
they (who are left behind) may gain sound knowledge in religion, and that they
may warn their folk when they return to them, so that they may beware." (Verse 122)
The spirit of self-surrender
towards Allah discussed in verses 111-112 has been the requirement of all
believers since the beginning of mankind and has been mentioned in all the holy
scriptures. In return Allah grants eternal bliss and salvation in the
hereafter. Verse 112 contains the acts mandatory of a true
believer.
Verse 113 is often used to attack Imam Ali's
(as) father, Hazrat Abu Taleb by the enemies of Shia Islam who try to allege
that he was not a believer. They site this verse as a reference to Abu Taleb
and how it was futile of the Holy Prophet to pray for him as he was an idolater!
However this verse was revealed many years after his demise and is not
applicable. You can read more about Hazrat Abu Taleb here.
Verse 120 once again refers to the expedition of
Tabuk, but the lesson is general. The Muslims must not hold their own interests
or livers dearer than the Holy Prophet, nor desert him in his hour of danger. Verse 122 refers to the importance of scholars
and teachers who should learn the religion of Islam in all aspects so that they
can spread the word.
Section 16: Effects of the
guidance revealed, verses 123-129
"And whenever a surah is revealed
there are some of them who say: Which one of you hath thus increased in faith?
As for those who believe, it hath increased them in faith and they rejoice
(therefor). But as for those in whose hearts is disease, it only addeth
wickedness to their wickedness, and they die while they are disbelievers. See
they not that they are tested once or twice in every year? Still they turn not
in repentance, neither pay they heed." (Verses 124-126)
"There hath come unto you a
messenger, (one) of yourselves, unto whom aught that ye are overburdened is
grievous, full of concern for you, for the believers full of pity, merciful.
Now, if they turn away (O Muhammad) say: Allah sufficeth me. There is no Allah
save Him. In Him have I put my trust, and He is Lord of the Tremendous
Throne." (Verses
128-129)
The Holy Prophet is grieved when any one among his followers rushes headlong
towards ruin (disbelief). He is most kind and merciful to the believers, so the
believers should also be always mindful not to grieve him by their disobedience
to his teachings and by not paying attention to his instructions. Whether the
Muslims follow his commands or turn away (as most of them did) Allah is
sufficient for him. Allah is all in all. His grandeur is figured by a lofty
throne.
That concludes Surah 9 and we
now move on to the first of the Prophet Surahs - Surah Yunus. This Surah was
revealed at Mecca, contains 109 verses in 11 sections. Chapter 11 has the
entire Surah.
Surah 10, Yunus
Section 1: The Quran contains
signs from the All-Wise, verses 1-10
"Lo! your Lord is Allah Who
created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then He established Himself upon
the Throne, directing all things. There is no intercessor (with Him) save after
His permission. That is Allah, your Lord, so worship Him. Oh, will ye not
remind? Unto Him is the return of all of you; it is a promise of Allah in
truth. Lo! He produceth creation, then reproduceth it, that He may reward those
who believe and do good works with equity; while, as for those who disbelieve,
theirs will be a boiling drink and painful doom because they disbelieved." (Verses 3-4)
"He it is Who appointed the sun a
splendour and the moon a light, and measured for her stages, that ye might know
the number of the years, and the reckoning. Allah created not (all) that save
in truth. He detaileth the revelations for people who have knowledge." (Verse 5)
"Lo! those who believe and do
good works, their Lord guideth them by their faith. Rivers will flow beneath
them in the Gardens of Delight, Their prayer therein will be: Glory be to Thee,
O Allah! and their greeting therein will be: Peace. And the conclusion of their
prayer will be: Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds!" (Verses 9-10)
In verse 3, once again Allah
permits intercession via those who have his permission - the Holy Prophet and
the Ahlul-Bayt. In verse 5, the sun, the
moon and all other heavenly bodies are created beings, created to serve man,
therefore he should not bow to them as gods-they have been created to
demonstrate the truth of the divine unity. The boiling fluid is a symbol of the
grievous penalty that results from rebellion against Allah.
Section 2: Ingratitude of man,
verses 11-20
"And if misfortune touch a man he
crieth unto Us, (while reclining) on his side, or sitting or standing, but when
We have relieved him of the misfortune he goeth his way as though he had not
cried unto Us because of a misfortune that afflicted him. Thus is what they do
made (seeming) fair unto the prodigal." (Verse 12)
"And when Our clear revelations
are recited unto them, they who look not for the meeting with Us say: Bring a
Lecture other than this, or change it. Say (O Muhammad): It is not for me to
change it of my accord. I only follow that which is inspired in me. Lo! if I
disobey my Lord I fear the retribution of an awful Day. Say: If Allah had so
willed I should not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to
you. I dwelt among you a whole lifetime before it (came to me). Have ye then no
sense?" (Verses
15-16)
"Mankind were but one community;
then they differed; and had it not been for a word that had already gone forth
from thy Lord it had been judged between them in respect of that wherein they
differ." (Verse 19)
In verses 15-16, some idolaters
asked the Holy Prophet to change some of the verses of the Quran to suit them,
to compromise on some of the verses which reject idol-worship. The Holy Prophet
never said anything of his own will, whatever he said was revelation from
Allah. Prophet Isa also foretold this in the Bible: "But when he, the Spirit of
truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his
own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to
come." (John
16:13)
Section 3: The Divine mercy,
verses 21-30
"Yet when He hath delivered
them, behold! they rebel in the earth wrongfully. O mankind! Your rebellion is
only against yourselves. (Ye have) enjoyment of the life of the world; then
unto Us is your return and We shall proclaim unto you what ye used to do." (Verse 23)
"For those who do good is the
best (reward) and more (thereto). Neither dust nor ignominy cometh near their faces.
Such are rightful owners of the Garden; they will abide therein." (Verse 26)
"And those who earn ill-deeds,
(for them) requital of each ill-deed by the like thereof; and ignominy overtaketh
them - They have no protector from Allah - as if their faces had been covered
with a cloak of darkest night. Such are rightful owners of the Fire; they will
abide therein." (Verse
27)
"On the day when We gather them
all together, then We say unto those who ascribed partners (unto Us): Stand
back, ye and your (pretended) partners (of Allah)! And We separate them, the
one from the other, and their (pretended) partners say: It was not us ye
worshipped. Allah sufficeth as a witness between us and you, that we were
unaware of your worship. There doth every soul experience that which it did
aforetime, and they are returned unto Allah, their rightful Lord, and that
which they used to invent hath failed them." (Verse 28-30)
The reward of the righteous will be far more than in proportion to their
merits. While the blessed will be rewarded beyond their merits, the condemned,
who earn evil (bring it on themselves by the deliberate choice of evil), will
receive their punishment only with exact justice.
Those who engaged in
idol-worship will be raised with their so-called idol who will deny all
knowledge of them being worshipped. Allah's punishment will be exact (Verse 27).
Section 4: The Divine gift,
verses 31-40
"Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Who
provideth for you from the sky and the earth, or Who owneth hearing and sight;
and Who bringeth forth the living from the dead and bringeth forth the dead
from the living; and Who directeth the course? They will say: Allah. Then say:
Will ye not then keep your duty (unto Him)?" (Verse 31)
"Say: Is there of your partners
(whom ye ascribe unto Allah) one that leadeth to the Truth? Say: Allah leadeth
to the Truth. Is He Who leadeth to the Truth more deserving that He should be
followed, or he who findeth not the way unless he (himself) be guided. What
aileth you? How judge ye?" (Verse 35)
"And this Qur'an is not such as
could ever be invented in despite of Allah; but it is a confirmation of that
which was before it and an exposition of that which is decreed for mankind -
Therein is no doubt - from the Lord of the Worlds. Or say they: He hath
invented it? Say: Then bring a surah like unto it, and call (for help) on all
ye can besides Allah, if ye are truthful." (Verses 37-38)
Verse 31 implies that Allah brings whomsoever
He wills out of the darkness (ignorance) into the light (wisdom) and takes
whomsoever He wills out of the light into the darkness.
The guides referred to in verse 35 are the 12 Holy Imams. Only those,
guided by the divine guidance bestowed on them, and are not therefore in need
of any guidance whatsoever from any agency other than Allah, are the true
guides who should be followed. Once we accept Allah's authority, we have to
follow and obey His guides, the Holy Prophet and the Holy Imams. It is not for
mankind to appoint guides.
Section 5: Every people has an
apostle from God, verses 41-53
"And if they deny thee, say: Unto
me my work, and unto you your work. Ye are innocent of what I do, and I am
innocent of what ye do." (Verse 41)
"Lo! Allah wrongeth not mankind
in aught; but mankind wrong themselves. And on the day when He shall gather
them together, (when it will seem) as though they had tarried but an hour of
the day, recognising one another, those will verily have perished who denied
the meeting with Allah and were not guided." (Verses 44-45)
"And for every nation there is a
messenger. And when their messenger cometh (on the Day of Judgment) it will be
judged between them fairly, and they will not be wronged." (Verse 47)
"And they ask thee to inform them
(saying): Is it true? Say: Yea, by my Lord, verily it is true, and ye cannot
escape." (Verse 53)
Verse 53 was revealed in response to questions
the Holy Prophet used to receive about the authencity of the Holy Quran and
whether it really was the word of God. The other verses in this section a very
clear cut and direct to the point.
Section 6: The Divine mercy
precedes the wrath, verses 54-60
"And if each soul that doeth wrong
had all that is in the earth it would seek to ransom itself therewith; and they
will feel remorse within them, when they see the doom. But it hath been judged
between them fairly and they are not wronged." (Verse 54)
"O mankind! There hath come unto
you an exhortation from your Lord, a balm for that which is in the breasts, a
guidance and a mercy for believers." (Verse 57)
Verse 54 implies that if all that is in the
Earth is offered by the unjust as a negotiation for forgiveness, it shall not
be accepted. When the disbelievers see the punishment in store for them, they
will offer anything to escape from it but it will be too late. Verse 57 describes the benefits of the Holy
Quran; a guidance and mercy for mankind.
Section 7: No fear or grief for
the friends of God, verses 61-70
"And thou (Muhammad) art not
occupied with any business and thou recitest not a Lecture from this
(Scripture), and ye (mankind) perform no act, but We are Witness of you when ye
are engaged therein. And not an atom's weight in the earth or in the sky
escapeth your Lord, nor what is less than that or greater than that, but it is
(written) in a clear Book." (Verse 61)
"Lo! verily the friends of Allah
are (those) on whom fear (cometh) not, nor do they grieve?" (Verse 62)
"Lo! is it not unto Allah that
belongeth whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is in the earth? Those who
follow aught instead of Allah follow not (His) partners. They follow only a
conjecture, and they do but guess. He it is Who hath appointed for you the
night that ye should rest therein and the day giving sight. Lo! herein verily
are portents for a folk that heed." (Verses 66-67)
"Say: Verily those who invent a
lie concerning Allah will not succeed. This world's portion (will be theirs),
then unto Us is their return. Then We make them taste a dreadful doom because they
used to disbelieve." (Verses 69-70)
Verse 61 is a warning from Allah to those who
forge lies and show hostility against Allah and the Holy Prophet. Whatever the
Holy Prophet declared lawful and unlawful shall remain so till the end of time.
The friends of Allah in verse 62 are the Ahlul-Bayt.
Section 8: Referring to the
ministries of Noah and Moses, verses 71-82
"Recite unto them the story of
Noah, when he told his people: O my people! If my sojourn (here) and my
reminding you by Allah's revelations are an offence unto you, in Allah have I
put my trust, so decide upon your course of action you and your partners. Let
not your course of action be in doubt for you. Then have at me, give me no
respite." (Verse
71)
"But they denied him, so We saved
him and those with him in the ship, and made them viceroys (in the earth),
while We drowned those who denied Our revelations. See then the nature of the
consequence for those who had been warned." (Verse 73)
"Then, after him, We sent
messengers unto their folk, and they brought them clear proofs. But they were
not ready to believe in that which they before denied. Thus print We on the
hearts of the transgressors." (Verse 74)
The story of Prophet Nuh will
be discussed in more detail in a later Chapter. Verses 75-82 discuss the story of Moses once again,
specifically the dealing with the magicians of the Pharaoh and how they were
defeated.
Section 9: Moses takes away the
children of Israel, verses 83-92
"And We inspired Moses and his
brother, (saying): Appoint houses for your people in Egypt and make your houses
oratories, and establish worship. And give good news to the believers. And
Moses said: Our Lord! Lo! Thou hast given Pharaoh and his chiefs splendour and
riches in the life of the world, Our Lord! that they may lead men astray from
Thy way. Our Lord! Destroy their riches and harden their hearts so that they
believe not till they see the painful doom." (Verses 87-88)
"And We brought the Children of
Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh with his hosts pursued them in rebellion and
transgression, till, when the (fate of) drowning overtook him, he exclaimed: I
believe that there is no Allah save Him in Whom the Children of Israel believe,
and I am of those who surrender (unto Him). What! Now! When hitherto thou hast
rebelled and been of the wrong-doers?" (Verses 90-91)
"But this day We save thee in thy
body that thou mayst be a portent for those after thee. Lo! most of mankind are
heedless of Our portents." (Verse 92)
The story of Prophet Musa
continues in this section. Here Prophet Musa prays for the condemnation of the
Pharaoh and followers and subsequently leads his followers out of Egpyt. When
he arrived at the Red Sea, Allah instructed him to strike his staff and the Red
Sea parted allowing him and his followers to escape. The Pharaoh gave chase and
as he entered the Red Sea it closed up around him and he drowned. As he drowned
he exclaimed his belated belief in God, but by then it was too late.
The mummy of Ramesus II is to
this day preserved in Cairo; it is the remains of Firawn, the Pharaoh at the
time of Prophet Musa. Verse 92 confirms that he will remain preserved
as an example for mankind - the event was foretold hundreds of years before
Ramesus was discovered, confirming the Holy Quran as the word of Allah.
Section 10: Jonah's people,
verses 93-103
"And if thou (Muhammad) art in
doubt concerning that which We reveal unto thee, then question those who read
the Scripture (that was) before thee. Verily the Truth from thy Lord hath come
unto thee. So be not thou of the waverers." (Verse 94)
"If only there had been a
community (of all those that were destroyed of old) that believed and profited
by its belief as did the folk of Jonah! When they believed We drew off from
them the torment of disgrace in the life of the world and gave them comfort for
a while." (Verse 98)
"It is not for any soul to
believe save by the permission of Allah. He hath set uncleanness upon those who
have no sense." (Verse 100)
This section speaks of the
people of Jonah who benefited from the warnings of previous Prophets. It also
mentions how no soul is guided right but by God's permission (verse 100) and goes on
to mention that the safety of believers is undertaken by God himself.
Section 11: Profit or loss
caused by God is unavoidable by anyone, verses 104-109
"Say (O Muhammad): O mankind! If
ye are in doubt of my religion, then (know that) I worship not those whom ye
worship instead of Allah, but I worship Allah Who causeth you to die, and I
have been commanded to be of the believers." (Verse 104)
"If Allah afflicteth thee with
some hurt, there is none who can remove it save Him; and if He desireth good
for thee, there is none who can repel His bounty. He striketh with it whom He
will of his bondmen. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (Verse 107)
"And (O Muhammad) follow that
which is inspired in thee, and forbear until Allah give judgment. And He is the
Best of Judges." (Verse 109)
Surah 10 ends with the reminder
to serve only Allah. If Allah wills to bestow any profit or afflict any loss,
no-one can avoid it.
We now move on to the beginning
of Surah 12, Hud. This Surah was revealed at Mecca, contains 123 verses in 10
sections. Chapter 11 concludes with the first section.
Surah 11, Hud
Section 1: Repentance earns
pardon and the bounties from God, verses 1-8
"And (bidding you): Ask pardon of
your Lord and turn to Him repentant. He will cause you to enjoy a fair estate
until a time appointed. He giveth His bounty unto every bountiful one. But if
ye turn away, lo! (then) I fear for you the retribution of an awful Day." (Verse 3)
"Lo! now they fold up their
breasts that they may hide (their thoughts) from Him. At the very moment when
they cover themselves with their clothing, Allah knoweth that which they keep
hidden and that which they proclaim. Lo! He is Aware of what is in the breasts
(of men)." (Verse 5)
"And He it is Who created the
heavens and the earth in six Days - and His Throne was upon the water - that He
might try you, which of you is best in conduct. Yet if thou (O Muhammad)
sayest: Lo! ye will be raised again after death! those who disbelieve will
surely say: This is naught but mere magic." (Verse 7)
"Fold up their breasts" in verse 5, means
to conceal hostility. When the idolaters used to see the Holy Prophet, they
used to lower their heads, covered with scarves, in front of their chests so as
to not look at him. This verse refers to the hypocrites who concealed their
anger and envy towards Imam Ali (as) during the time of the Holy Prophet but
then revealed their true colours after his demise.
Verse 7 confirms that this life is a testing
time, but the disbelievers who do not believe in a hereafter think that all
this talk is just silly sorcery, empty of reality. They are in for quite a
shock.
Chapter 11 finished and inshallah
I'll continue with Chapter 12 tomorrow (or later today!), with the rest of
Surah 11 and then Surah 12.
Thanks for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment