Surah
46, Al-Ahqaf (The Dunes), 35 Verses &
Surah
47, Muhammed, 38 Verses & Surah 48, Al-Fath (The Victory), 29 Verses & Surah
49, Al-Hujraat (The Inner Apartments), 18 Verses & Surah 50, Qaaf (The
letter Qa'af), 45 Verses & Surah 51, Adh-Dhaariyat (The Winnowing Winds),
Verses 1-30
With 5 chapters left, we start
going through lots of Surahs. 6 Surahs in Chapter 26 today. Starting with Surah
46, Al-Ahqaf (The Dunes). This Surah was revealed at Mecca and contains 35
verses in 4 sections.
Surah 46, Al-Ahqaf (The Dunes)
Section 1: Quran, a book from
God, verses 1-10
"Say (unto them, O Muhammad):
Have ye thought on all that ye invoke beside Allah? Show me what they have
created of the earth. Or have they any portion in the heavens? Bring me a
scripture before this (Scripture), or some vestige of knowledge (in support of
what ye say), if ye are truthful." (Verse 4)
"And who is further astray than
those who, instead of Allah, pray unto such as hear not their prayer until the
Day of Resurrection, and are unconscious of their prayer, And when mankind are
gathered (to the Judgment) will become enemies for them, and will become
deniers of having been worshipped. And when Our clear revelations are recited
unto them, those who disbelieve say of the Truth when it reacheth them: This is
mere magic." (Verses 5-7)
"Or say they: He hath invented
it? Say (O Muhammad): If I have invented it, still ye have no power to support
me against Allah. He is Best Aware of what ye say among yourselves concerning
it. He sufficeth for a witness between me and you. And He is the Forgiving, the
Merciful. Say: I am no new thing among the messengers (of Allah), nor know I
what will be done with me or with you. I do but follow that which is inspired
in me, and I am but a plain warner. vBethink you: If it is from Allah and ye
disbelieve therein, and a witness of the Children of Israel hath already
testified to the like thereof and hath believed, and ye are too proud (what
plight is yours)? Lo! Allah guideth not wrong-doing folk." (Verses 8-10)
The challenge from Allah is
laid out in more detail in verse 4. The false gods
do not exist, they have never created anything nor written any sacred
scripture. Similarly a large majority of Muslims follow false leaders and turn
away from the true guides identified by Allah and the Holy Prophet.
Verses 5-7 once again highlight how the false
gods will turn away from the disbelievers on the Day of Judgement. Prophet Isa
will disown those who worship him as son of God and even Shaitan will refuse to
accept that it was he who led them astray.
In verses 8-10, the Holy
Prophet taught and preached the unity of Allah to mankind. All other Prophets
had also brought the same eternal truth. "I do but follow that
which is inspired in me," confirms that every word and deed of the
Holy Prophet was in strict compliance of Allah's will.
Section 2: Quran testifies the
book given to Moses, verses 11-20
"When before it there was the
Scripture of Moses, an example and a mercy; and this is a confirming Scripture
in the Arabic language, that it may warn those who do wrong and bring good
tidings for the righteous." (Verse 12)
"And We have commended unto man
kindness toward parents. His mother beareth him with reluctance, and bringeth
him forth with reluctance, and the bearing of him and the weaning of him is
thirty months, till, when he attaineth full strength and reacheth forty years,
he saith: My Lord! Arouse me that I may give thanks for the favour wherewith
Thou hast favoured me and my parents, and that I may do right acceptable unto
Thee. And be gracious unto me in the matter of my seed. Lo! I have turned unto
Thee repentant, and lo! I am of those who surrender (unto Thee)." (Verse 15)
"And on the day when those who
disbelieve are exposed to the Fire (it will be said): Ye squandered your good
things in the life of the world and sought comfort therein. Now this day ye are
rewarded with the doom of ignominy because ye were disdainful in the land
without a right, and because ye used to transgress." (Verse 20)
The Torah was the last guidance
from Allah prior to the Holy Quran, The Bible was sent to confirm the Torah.
The Holy Quran confirms the laws brought by Prophet Musa in the Arabic
language.
Verse 15 speaks of the rearing of a new-born
baby with recommended breast-feeding for a maximum of 2 years as mentioned
previously. Verse 20 refers to the disbelievers who grabbed
the good things in this life at a cost of the afterlife. On the Day of
Judgement they will be told, "you
took your choice, and you must pay the price."
Section 3: How the people of
Aad were punished, verses 21-26
"And verily We had empowered them
with that wherewith We have not empowered you, and had assigned them ears and
eyes and hearts; but their ears and eyes and hearts availed them naught since
they denied the revelations of Allah; and what they used to mock befell
them." (Verse 26)
Prophet Hud was sent to the
people of Aad, as mentioned in previous chapters. They were a people blessed
with great knowledge in science and yet despite that they were destroyed by a
great storm because the belied the messenger of Allah and continued in
idol-worship.
Section 4: The Jinn guided by
the Quran, verse 27-35
"And when We inclined toward thee
(Muhammad) certain of the jinn, who wished to hear the Qur'an and, when they
were in its presence, said: Give ear! and, when it was finished, turned back to
their people, warning. They said: O our people! Lo! we have heard a scripture
which hath been revealed after Moses, confirming that which was before it,
guiding unto the truth and a right road. O our people! respond to Allah's
summoner and believe in Him. He will forgive you some of your sins and guard
you from a painful doom.
And whoso respondeth not to Allah's summoner he can nowise escape in the earth,
and he hath no protecting friends instead of Him. Such are in error
manifest." (Verses 29-32)
"And on the day when those who
disbelieve are exposed to the Fire (they will be asked): Is not this real? They
will say: Yea, by our Lord. He will say: Then taste the doom for that ye
disbelieved. Then have patience (O Muhammad) even as the stout of heart among
the messengers (of old) had patience, and seek not to hasten on (the doom) for
them. On the day when they see that which they are promised (it will seem to
them) as though they had tarried but an hour of daylight. A clear message.
Shall any be destroyed save evil-living folk?" (Verses 34-35)
The Holy Prophet invited all
created beings to the worship of Allah and Allah alone, including jinns. It is said that numerous jinns used to listen to
the narrations and recitations of the Holy Prophet and would then spread his
message amongst their people. Verses 34-35 again state that the duty of the Holy
Prophet is to proclaim and preach the message in unmistakable terms. Those who
accept and believe in the truth will be rewarded. Those who come in his way,
rebel or transgress will be punished. There is always hope of forgiveness for
those who repent and amend.
Moving on to Surah 47,
Muhammed. This was revealed at Madina and contains 38 verses in 4
sections.
Surah 47, Muhammed
Section 1: Belief in the
Apostle Muhammed removes the evils, verses 1-11
"Those who disbelieve and turn
(men) from the way of Allah, He rendereth their actions vain. And those who
believe and do good works and believe in that which is revealed unto Muhammad -
and it is the truth from their Lord - He riddeth them of their ill-deeds and
improveth their state. That is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood
and because those who believe follow the truth from their Lord. Thus Allah
coineth their similitudes for mankind." (Verses 1-3)
"Now when ye meet in battle those
who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when ye have routed
them, then making fast of bonds; and afterward either grace or ransom till the
war lay down its burdens. That (is the ordinance). And if Allah willed He could
have punished them (without you) but (thus it is ordained) that He may try some
of you by means of others. And those who are slain in the way of Allah, He
rendereth not their actions vain. He will guide them and improve their state,
And bring them in unto the Garden which He hath made known to them." (Verses 4-6)
"Have they not travelled in the
land to see the nature of the consequence for those who were before them? Allah
wiped them out. And for the disbelievers there will be the like thereof. That
is because Allah is patron of those who believe, and because the disbelievers
have no patron." (Verses 10-11)
Good deeds without submission to the will of Allah (Islam) will be rendered
null and void on the day of judgement. This also includes those who may have
accept the message of the Prophet and embraced the laws of Islam but then did
not carry out the wishes of the Holy Prophet as prescribed at Ghadeer Khum and
mentioned in Surah 5, Verse 67.
Verses 4-6 commands the believers to fight in the
way of God against oppression from the disbelievers, in self defence. In doing
so, those who are martyred get great sustenance and mercy from Allah and occupy
the highest position near Allah. The verses are not a command to carry out war
aggressively, but only when facing aggression. For the believers, God will be
their guardian; there is no guardian for the disbelievers (verses 10-11).
Section 2: The reward to
believers and punishment to the disbelievers, verses 12-19
"And how many a township stronger
than thy township (O Muhammad) which hath cast thee out, have We destroyed, and
they had no helper! Is he who relieth on a clear proof from his Lord like those
for whom the evil that they do is beautified while they follow their own
lusts?" (Verses 13-14)
"A similitude of the Garden which
those who keep their duty (to Allah) are promised: Therein are rivers of water
unpolluted, and rivers of milk whereof the flavour changeth not, and rivers of
wine delicious to the drinkers, and rivers of clear-run honey; therein for them
is every kind of fruit, with pardon from their Lord. (Are those who enjoy all
this) like those who are immortal in the Fire and are given boiling water to
drink so that it teareth their bowels?" (Verse 15)
"Among them are some who give ear
unto thee (Muhammad) till, when they go forth from thy presence they say unto
those who have been given knowledge: What was that he said just now? Those are
they whose hearts Allah hath sealed, and they follow their own lusts." (Verse 16)
"Await they aught save the Hour,
that it should come upon them unawares? And the beginnings thereof have already
come. But how, when it hath come upon them, can they take their warning? So
know (O Muhammad) that there is no Allah save Allah, and ask forgiveness for
thy sin and for believing men and believing women. Allah knoweth (both) your
place of turmoil and your place of rest." (Verses 18-19)
Verses 13-14 were revealed when the Holy Prophet
was forced to migrate from Mecca to Madina. Allah reminds us of the many towns
that existed and were subsequently wiped out due to the corrupt beliefs of
their people. Verse 15, once again, metaphorically describes the virtues and
blessings of heaven.
There were many companions of
the Prophet who had no real interest in Islam and after his death returned to
disbelief. In verse 16, they would turn to "those who have been given
knowledge," the Ahlul-Bayt but still remain resistant to the message of
Islam.
Every day draws us nearer to
our deaths, so in verses 18-19 we are advised to constantly seek
immediate repentance for ours sins and errors. It is not prudent to wait and
seek forgiveness at a later date, by then it may be too late.
Section 3: War (in
self-defence) prescribed, verses 20-28
"And those who believe say: If
only a surah were revealed! But when a decisive surah is revealed and war is
mentioned therein, thou seest those in whose hearts is a disease looking at
thee with the look of men fainting unto death. Therefor woe unto them!" (Verse 20)
"Lo! those who turn back after
the guidance hath been manifested unto them, Satan hath seduced them, and He
giveth them the rein. That is because they say unto those who hate what Allah
hath revealed: We will obey you in some matters; and Allah knoweth their secret
talk. Then how (will it be with them) when the angels gather them, smiting
their faces and their backs! That will be because they followed that which
angereth Allah, and hated that which pleaseth Him. Therefor He hath made their
actions vain." (Verses 25-28)
War has been prescribed by
Allah as an act of self-defence. However those "in whose heart is a
disease," ran away from various battles during the time of the Holy
Prophet - these are the hypocrites and have been discussed in previous
chapters.
Verses 25-28 apply to the hypocrites and those who
deviated from the path of Allah and the Holy Prophet after his death. It has
been narrated from the Holy Prophet that on the Day of Judgement a group of his
companions will be thrown into the fire because, after his departure, they
turned on their heels and became disbelievers, and revolted against Allah and
the Holy Prophet. Verse 28 clearly says that all their deeds will
be rendered null and void, and wrath of Allah will seize them.
Section 4: The hypocrites shall
be identified, verses 29-38
"And if We would, We could show
them unto thee (Muhammad) so that thou shouldst know them surely by their
marks. And thou shalt know them by the burden of their talk. And Allah knoweth
your deeds. And verily We shall try you till We know those of you who strive
hard (for the cause of Allah) and the steadfast, and till We test your
record." (Verses
30-31)
"O ye who believe! Obey Allah and
obey the messenger, and render not your actions vain. Lo! those who disbelieve
and turn from the way of Allah and then die disbelievers, Allah surely will not
pardon them." (Verses 33-34)
"The life of the world is but a
sport and a pastime. And if ye believe and ward off (evil). He will give you
your wages, and will not ask of you your wordly wealth. If He should ask it of
you and importune you, ye would hoard it, and He would bring to light your
(secret) hates. Lo! ye are those who are called to spend in the way of Allah,
yet among you there are some who hoard. And as for him who hoardeth, he
hoardeth only from his soul. And Allah is the Rich, and ye are the poor. And if
ye turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they will not be the
likes of you." (Verses 36-38)
The hypocrites who remained
under cover amongst the Muslims have been identified by the Holy Prophet by a
mark - which is said to be the tone of their speech. Allah reward is for those
who strive towards him at all times. Those who followed the Holy Prophet but
then turned away after his death, their good actions will be rendered null and
void. Lastly, spending in the way of Allah has been highly commended; those who
are selfish and miserly are destroying their own souls. Allah is
self-sufficient, the whole universe belongs only to Him.
Onto the third Surah covered in
Chapter 26. Surah 48, Al-Fath (The Victory). It was revealed at Madina and has
29 verses in 4 sections.
Surah 48, Al-Fath (The Victory)
Section 1: The victory won for
the Prophet, verses 1-10
"That Allah may forgive thee of
thy sin that which is past and that which is to come, and may perfect His
favour unto thee, and may guide thee on a right path." (Verse 2)
"And that Allah may help thee
with strong help - He it is Who sent down peace of reassurance into the hearts
of the believers that they might add faith unto their faith. Allah's are the
hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is ever Knower, Wise." (Verses 3-4)
"And may punish the hypocritical
men and the hypocritical women, and the idolatrous men and the idolatrous
women, who think an evil thought concerning Allah. For them is the evil turn of
fortune, and Allah is wroth against them and hath cursed them, and hath made
ready for them hell, a hapless journey's end." (Verse 6)
"Lo! those who swear allegiance
unto thee (Muhammad), swear allegiance only unto Allah. The Hand of Allah is
above their hands. So whosoever breaketh his oath, breaketh it only to his
soul's hurt; while whosoever keepeth his covenant with Allah, on him will He
bestow immense reward." (Verse 10)
Verse 1 refers to the great victory achieved
by the Holy Prophet when he signed the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.
The Holy Prophet was on an expedition to Mecca to perform Umra when he was confronted by the
Quraysh who wanted to annihilate him and his Muslim followers. The Holy Prophet
stressed that his expedition was purely peaceful and that he had no wish to
engage in battle. Subsequently, he took a pledge from all 1400 of his followers
with him at the time, that they would support him come what may. This was known
as the Pledge of the Tree.
Seeing the strong support for the Holy Prophet, the Quraysh tribe decided to
negotiate a treaty instead which inadvertently (for them) lead to the spread of
Islam. The terms of the treaty seemed to favour the Quraysh at the time leading
Umar bin Khattab to comment "Are
you not a true messenger of Allah? Why should we then put a blot upon our faith
and bear the brunt of humiliation if we are in the right and our adversaries in
the wrong?" He expressed doubt, and not for the first time, about
the message of the Holy Prophet. By virtue of the treaty, every
individual, each family was given freedom of choice to join the Holy Prophet
and his mission and to spread the faith further themselves without any risk of
persecution from the disbelievers. 2 years after the treaty, the Holy Prophet
went to umra with
10,000 followers.
Verse 2 is directed at us via the Holy
Prophet. It does not indicate that the Holy Prophet made mistakes or committed
sin, which would contradict several verses of the Holy Quran about the Holy
Prophet's infallibility. However, this verse has been used by some to try and
bring down the status of the Holy Prophet to that of a common man which is a
grave mistake. Instead, verse 2 refers to our sins which can be
removed if we strive in the way of Allah. Verse 6, however, makes clear that
pardon and forgiveness is not available to the hypocrites and the
idol-worshippers.
In verses 3-4, the Holy
Prophet would first preach about the unity of Allah and when this was embraced
by his followers, he would start the teachings of salat, sawm, zakat, hajj & jihad, followed
by declaring the enjoined love of Imam Ali (as).
The Pledge of the Tree is an
example of verse 10, when those who
pledged their allegiance and support to the Holy Prophet, did so also to Allah
as a result. Some of the companions would go on to break this oath and turn
against the Holy Prophet. The damage caused will be great to their own
soul.
Section 2: False excuses given
by the hypocrites, verses 11-17
"Those of the wandering Arabs who
were left behind will tell thee: Our possessions and our households occupied
us, so ask forgiveness for us! They speak with their tongues that which is not
in their hearts. Say: Who can avail you aught against Allah, if He intend you
hurt or intend you profit? Nay, but Allah is ever Aware of what ye do. Nay, but
ye deemed that the messenger and the believers would never return to their own
folk, and that was made fairseeming in your hearts, and ye did think an evil
thought, and ye were worthless folk. And so for him who believeth not in Allah
and His messenger - Lo! We have prepared a flame for disbelievers." (Verses 11-13)
"Those who were left behind will
say, when ye set forth to capture booty: Let us go with you. They fain would
change the verdict of Allah. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Ye shall not go with
us. Thus hath Allah said beforehand. Then they will say: Ye are envious of us.
Nay, but they understand not, save a little." (Verse 15)
"There is no blame for the blind,
nor is there blame for the lame, nor is there blame for the sick (that they go
not forth to war). And whoso obeyeth Allah and His messenger, He will make him
enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow; and whoso turneth back, him will He
punish with a painful doom." (Verse 17)
The hypocrites who resisted the
call for jihad are mentioned once more in this section. It
refers once more to those who refused to leave with the Holy Prophet to fight
at the Battle of Khandaq.
Those who made excuses, (verse
11) may well be treated as disbelievers come the Day of Judgement. However,
these same people were keen to join the Holy Prophet after victory was achieved
to try and get some of the bounties of war, but verse 15 makes it clear that they will not be
accepted. Jihad is
mandatory on everyone when necessary except for those listed in verse 17. Those who
accept the Holy Prophets call for jihad will
receive great reward in the hereafter.
Section 3: More victories for
Islam assured, verses 18-26
"Allah was well pleased with the
believers when they swore allegiance unto thee beneath the tree, and He knew
what was in their hearts, and He sent down peace of reassurance on them, and
hath rewarded them with a near victory; And much booty that they will capture.
Allah is ever Mighty, Wise." (Verses 18-19)
"Allah promiseth you much booty
that ye will capture, and hath given you this in advance, and hath withheld
men's hands from you, that it may be a token for the believers, and that He may
guide you on a right path. And other (gain), which ye have not been able to
achieve, Allah will compass it, Allah is Able to do all things." (Verses 20-21)
"And He it is Who hath withheld
men's hands from you, and hath withheld your hands from them, in the valley of
Mecca, after He had made you victors over them. Allah is Seer of what ye do.
These it was who disbelieved and debarred you from the Inviolable Place of
Worship, and debarred the offering from reaching its goal. And if it had not
been for believing men and believing women, whom ye know not - lest ye should
tread them under foot and thus incur guilt for them unknowingly; that Allah
might bring into His mercy whom He will - If (the believers and the
disbelievers) had been clearly separated We verily had punished those of them
who disbelieved with painful punishment.
When those who disbelieve had set up in their hearts zealotry, the zealotry of
the Age of Ignorance, then Allah sent down His peace of reassurance upon His
messenger and upon the believers and imposed on them the word of
self-restraint, for they were worthy of it and meet for it. And Allah is Aware
of all things." (Verse 24 & 25 & 26)
This section refers to the
Treat of Hudaybiyyah again. Verse 18 is a direct mention of the Pledge of the
Tree and verses 24 & 25 refer to the treaty also. In verse 24, Allah states
how He restrained both sides to prevent unnecessary bloodshed and allowed the
terms of the treaty to be peacefully negotiated. Verse 25 reveals the reason why restraint from
the Muslims was important as there were believing men and women in the Quraysh
who had been forced to hide their true faith (taqqiyah) to prevent persecution.
Had the gone to battle, they would've run the risk of killing a true believer. Verse 26 shows that the disbelievers were
distracted with certain words in the treaty, the Holy Prophet calmly and
peacefully finalised the treaty which was a great victory for Islam.
Verses 20-21 refer to the Battle of Khayber when victory was granted from the jaws
of defeat by the arrival of Imam Ali (as) after a prolonged absence due to an
eye ailment. He led the charge against the leaders of the Khaybar army and
arrived at their fort. He managed to unhinge their huge iron gate protecting
the fort and used it as a bridge for the Muslim army to follow into the fort
and secure a famous victory. Afterwards it took several men to try to move the
gate once more.
Section 4: Islam's triumph over
all the other religions, verses 27-29
"He it is Who hath sent His
messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He may cause it to
prevail over all religion. And Allah sufficeth as a Witness." (Verse 28)
"Muhammad is the messenger of
Allah. And those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among
themselves. Thou (O Muhammad) seest them bowing and falling prostrate (in
worship), seeking bounty from Allah and (His) acceptance. The mark of them is
on their foreheads from the traces of prostration. Such is their likeness in
the Torah and their likeness in the Gospel - like as sown corn that sendeth
forth its shoot and strengtheneth it and riseth firm upon its stalk, delighting
the sowers - that He may enrage the disbelievers with (the sight of) them.
Allah hath promised, unto such of them as believe and do good works,
forgiveness and immense reward." (Verse 29)
After the advent of the Holy
Prophet, the religion of Islam superseded all the previous religions and laws.
The final victory of Islam will be achieved when the 12th Holy Imam appears to
establish the rule of Allah over the world. From verse 29, the
greatest of "those
with him," are Imam Ali (as) and the Ahlul-Bayt.
Surah 49, al-Hujraat (The Inner
Apartments)
Section 1: Discipline in the
presence of the Prophet, verses 1-10
"O ye who believe! Be not forward
in the presence of Allah and His messenger, and keep your duty to Allah. Lo!
Allah is Hearer, Knower.
O ye who believe! Lift not up your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor
shout when speaking to him as ye shout one to another, lest your works be rendered
vain while ye perceive not. Lo! they who subdue their voices in the presence of
the messenger of Allah, those are they whose hearts Allah hath proven unto
righteousness. Theirs will be forgiveness and immense reward." (Verses 1-3)
"O ye who believe! If an
evil-liver bring you tidings, verify it, lest ye smite some folk in ignorance
and afterward repent of what ye did. And know that the messenger of Allah is
among you. If he were to obey you in much of the government, ye would surely be
in trouble; but Allah hath endeared the faith to you and hath beautified it in
your hearts, and hath made disbelief and lewdness and rebellion hateful unto
you. Such are they who are the rightly guided." (Verses 6-7)
"And if two parties of believers
fall to fighting, then make peace between them. And if one party of them doeth
wrong to the other, fight ye that which doeth wrong till it return unto the
ordinance of Allah; then, if it return, make peace between them justly, and act
equitably. Lo! Allah loveth the equitable. The believers are naught else than
brothers. Therefore make peace between your brethren and observe your duty to
Allah that haply ye may obtain mercy." (Verses 9-10)
Being rude to the Holy Prophet
is the same as being rude to Allah. Judgement or verdict is given by Allah in
all matters through His messenger. So obey and revere the Holy Prophet as you
should obey and revere Allah. Some ill-mannered companions used to show
positive disrespect to the Holy Prophet by their behaviour. Bad manners and
rudeness destroy the value of any services which have been rendered.
Verse 6 was revealed at the time the Holy
Prophet sent one of his companions, Walid bin Aqbah to the tribe of Bani
Mushtaq to collect zakat.
The Bani Mushtaq disliked Walid but to show their change in faith and
acceptance of the Holy Prophet, they came out in numbers to greet his
representative. Walid got paranoid at their site and hurried back to the Holy
Prophet with the false conjecture that the Bani Mushtaq had turned against him.
The truth was found out and this verse was revealed to criticise Walid's
actions which could have led to bloodshed of the followers of the Holy Prophet.
In order to maintain collective and overall peace and order in the community,
group quarrels should be eliminated as soon as they crop up; but if one party
is determined to be unjustly aggressive, the whole force of the community must
be brought to bear against them with the just and fair principles laid down by
Islam. Verse 9 was revealed when the Holy Prophet
established peace and harmony among the tribes of Aws and Khazraj who were at
sword's point with each other. The Holy Prophet has said "None of you have faith until
he desires for his brother what he desires for himself," (verse 10).
Section 2: Muslims to avoid all
causes of disrespect to each other, verses 11-18
"O ye who believe! Let not a folk
deride a folk who may be better than they (are), not let women (deride) women
who may be better than they are; neither defame one another, nor insult one
another by nicknames. Bad is the name of lewdness after faith. And whoso
turneth not in repentance, such are evil-doers.
O ye who believe! Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion is a crime. And
spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh
of his dead brother? Ye abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty (to
Allah). Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful." (Verses 11-12)
"O mankind! Lo! We have created
you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one
another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct.
Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware." (Verse 13)
"The wandering Arabs say: We
believe. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Ye believe not, but rather say "We
submit," for the faith hath not yet entered into your hearts. Yet, if ye
obey Allah and His messenger, He will not withhold from you aught of (the
reward of) your deeds. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (Verse 14)
"They make it a favour unto thee
(Muhammad) that they have surrendered (unto Him). Say: Deem not your Surrender
a favour unto me; but Allah doth confer a favour on you, inasmuch as He hath
led you to the Faith, if ye are earnest. Lo! Allah knoweth the Unseen of the
heavens and the earth. And Allah is Seer of what ye do." (Verses 17-18)
Verse 11 suggests that mutual ridicule ceases
to be fun when there is arrogance or selfishness or malice or contempt behind
it. We may laugh with people, but we must never laugh at people to disgrace or
dishonour them. Defamation may consist in speaking ill of others by the
spoken or written word, or in acting in such a way as to suggest a charge.
Once a few companions sent Salman to bring food from the kitchen of the Holy
Prophet. After obtaining the Holy Prophet's permission he went to Usama bin
Zayd who was in charge of the Holy Prophet's kitchen, but as there was nothing
in the kitchen, he returned to the companions with empty hands. They laughed at
Salman and Usama and branded them closefisted misers. Then they came to the
Holy Prophet. He told them: "I
see particles of flesh in your teeth. It is the flesh of Salman and
Usama." Then verse 12 was revealed. Backbiting, is
mischievous, and if poisoned with malice, it is a sin added to sin. It is like
eating flesh of a dead brother, abomination plus abomination.
Verse 13 is addressed to all mankind and not to
the Muslims only. All races of men, white, brown and black are His creation.
Allah has made them to vary in colour, language and mode of life, and has
placed them in different lands, but before Him they are all one and cherished
by Him alike, and he is most honoured who is most righteous.
Verse 14 refers to the actual possibility of
professing faith as lip service, without a deep, inward and living assurance of
the heart which in fact is the basis of reward given by Allah to His sincere
servants. The lip service was resorted to because of many advantages available
to the Muslims. In verse 17 accepting Islam in one's heart
however, confers great favour to the believer from Allah as His guidance has
entered one's heart and is in effect.
Surah 50, Qaaf (The letter
Qa'af)
Section 1: Nature testifies the
Resurrection, verses 1-15
"Nay, but they marvel that a
warner of their own hath come unto them; and the disbelievers say: This is a
strange thing: When we are dead and have become dust (shall we be brought back
again)? That would be a far return!" (Verses 2-3)
"Have they not then observed the
sky above them, how We have constructed it and beautified it, and how there are
no rifts therein? And the earth have We spread out, and have flung firm hills
therein, and have caused of every lovely kind to grow thereon, A vision and a
reminder for every penitent slave.
And We send down from the sky blessed water whereby We give growth unto gardens
and the grain of crops, And lofty date-palms with ranged clusters, Provision
(made) for men; and therewith We quicken a dead land. Even so will be the
resurrection of the dead." (Verses 6-11)
Our bodies may decompose and
turn into dust when we die but our souls remains and we will surely
be resurrected. Verses 6-11 tell of some of the blessing Allah has
bestowed on this Earth which allow us to use its vast resources to help us
live. As the soil on the earth is brought back to life, we also will go through
the same process.
Section 2: God is nearer to
every being than its Life-vein, verses 16-29
"We verily created man and We
know what his soul whispereth to him, and We are nearer to him than his jugular
vein." (Verse 16)
"When the two Receivers receive
(him), seated on the right hand and on the left, He uttereth no word but there
is with him an observer ready. And the agony of death cometh in truth. (And it
is said unto him): This is that which thou wast wont to shun. And the trumpet
is blown. This is the threatened Day. And the trumpet is blown. This is the
threatened Day." (Verses 17-21)
"(And unto the evil-doer it is
said): Thou wast in heedlessness of this. Now We have removed from thee thy
covering, and piercing is thy sight this day.
(And it is said): Do ye twain hurl to
hell each rebel ingrate, Hinderer of good, transgressor, doubter, Who setteth
up another god along with Allah. Do ye twain hurl him to the dreadful
doom.
His comrade saith: Our Lord! I did not
cause him to rebel, but he was (himself) far gone in error." (Verses 22-27)
Verse 16 is a very famous verse of the Holy
Quran. With two fingertips, press either side of your trachea in your neck and
feel a pulse. That is the jugular artery, behind that is the jugular vein.
Allah is nearer to us than that! Allah knows the innermost state of man's
feelings and consciousness.
Verses 17-21 discuss the events of the Day of
Judgement. Throughout our lives we each have two angels on our shoulders
recording our good and bad deeds. They will present their recordings on the Day
of Judgement. Each one of us will be escorted with an angel, acting as a
sergeant. In verses 22-27, all
transgressors will have a clear view of what they did and the consequence of
their evil. Verse 24 refers to the Holy Prophet and Imam Ali (as), who will
stand on the bridge of sirat sending their followers to heaven and those who
refused to believe in Allah and his messenger, to hell. Shaitan will also be
there offering his excuse to Allah (verse 27), that his
followers were already to far gone.
Section 3: The final reward and
punishment, verses 30-45
"On the day when We say unto hell:
Art thou filled? and it saith: Can there be more to come? And the Garden is
brought nigh for those who kept from evil, no longer distant." (Verses 30-31)
"And how many a generation We
destroyed before them, who were mightier than these in prowess so that they
overran the lands! Had they any place of refuge (when the judgment came)? Lo!
therein verily is a reminder for him who hath a heart, or giveth ear with full
intelligence." (Verses 36-37)
"Therefor (O Muhammad) bear with
what they say, and hymn the praise of thy Lord before the rising and before the
setting of the sun; And in the night-time hymn His praise, and after the
(prescribed) prostrations." (Verses 39-40)
"And listen on the day when the
crier crieth from a near place, The day when they will hear the (Awful) Cry in
truth. That is the day of coming forth (from the graves)." (Verses 41-42)
"We are Best Aware of what they say, and thou (O Muhammad)
art in no wise a compeller over them. But warn by the Qur'an him who feareth My
threat." (Verse
45)
Hell will be filled with the
disbelievers and it will be a vast, limitless space. Those who turn away from
evil in sincere repentance, do good, fear, love and remember Allah will be
enter the land of peace and security, receiving blessings upon blessings. Verses 41-42 are said to refer to the coming of the
12th Holy Imam as the command to listen can only apply if there are people
alive to listen - resurrection has not yet occurred at this stage and
the 12th Imam's arrival will herald the new order and peace.
Surah 50 concludes with the
reminder that the Holy Prophet cannot compel people but has been sent as a
messenger and Warner with the Quran. We then move on to the start of Surah 51
to wrap up Chapter 26. Surah 51, Adh-Dhaariyat (The Winnowing Winds), was
revealed at Mecca, contains 60 verses in 4 sections. Chapter 26 has the first 2
sections.
Surah 51, Adh-Dhaariyat (The
Winnowing Winds)
Section 1: Judgement a surety,
verses 1-23
"Lo! that wherewith ye are
threatened is indeed true, And lo! the judgment will indeed befall." (Verses 5-6)
"Lo! ye, forsooth, are of various
opinion (concerning the truth). He is made to turn away from it who is
(himself) averse. Accursed be the conjecturers Who are careless in an abyss!
They ask: When is the Day of Judgment? (It is) the day when they will be
tormented at the Fire, (And it will be said unto them): Taste your torment
(which ye inflicted). This is what ye sought to hasten." (Verses 8-14)
"Lo! those who keep from evil
will dwell amid gardens and watersprings, Taking that which their Lord giveth
them; for lo! aforetime they were doers of good; They used to sleep but little
of the night, And ere the dawning of each day would seek forgiveness, And in
their wealth the beggar and the outcast had due share." (Verses 15-19)
"And by the Lord of the heavens
and the earth, it is the truth, even as (it is true) that ye speak." (Verse 23)
The first section begins with
the first four verses swearing in the names of the entities
and energies of nature manifested by Allah. Then the fate of the disbelievers
and believers is contrasted. Verse 23 concludes the section with a reminder
that the truth of Allah is as doubtless as the people's ability to talk to each
other.
Section 2: A son prophesied to
Abraham, verses 24-46
This section discusses the
stories of Prophets Ibrahim, Musa, Lot and Nuh as discussed in previous
chapters.
Chapter 26 finishes here and we
continue tomorrow inshallah with the rest of Surah 51 and then cover Surahs
52-57.
Thank you for reading.
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