Surah
6, Al-Anaam (The Cattle), Verses 111-165 & Surah 7, Al-Araaf (The Heights),
Verses 1-87
Chapter 8 continues Surah Al-Anaam
with the remaining 7 sections.
Surah
6, Al-Anaam (The Cattle)
Section
14: Every apostle had an enemy, verses 111-121
"Thus have We appointed unto
every prophet an adversary - devils of humankind and jinn who inspire in one
another plausible discourse through guile. If thy Lord willed, they would not
do so; so leave them alone with their devising; That the hearts of those who
believe not in the Hereafter may incline thereto, and that they may take
pleasure therein, and that they may earn what they are earning." (Verses 112-113)
"Perfected is the Word of thy
Lord in truth and justice. There is naught that can change His words. He is the
Hearer, the Knower." (Verse 115)
"Eat of that over which the name
of Allah hath been mentioned, if ye are believers in His revelations." (Verse 118)
Allah confirms in verse 115 that that the Holy Quran is the
perfected, protected word of God. It is something that can never be tampered
with or made to lose its originality.
Section 15: The arch-enemies,
verses 122-129
"And when a token cometh unto
them, they say: We will not believe till we are given that which Allah's
messengers are given. Allah knoweth best with whom to place His message.
Humiliation from Allah and heavy punishment will smite the guilty for their
scheming." (Verse 124)
And whomsoever it is Allah's will to
guide, He expandeth his bosom unto the Surrender, and whomsoever it is His Will
to send astray, He maketh his bosom close and narrow as if he were engaged in
sheer ascent. Thus Allah layeth ignominy upon those who believe not." (Verses 125)
"In the day when He will gather
them together (He will say): O ye assembly of the jinn! Many of humankind did
ye seduce. And their adherents among humankind will say: Our Lord! We enjoyed
one another, but now we have arrived at the appointed term which Thou
appointedst for us. He will say: Fire is your home. Abide therein for ever, save
him whom Allah willeth (to deliver). Lo! thy Lord is Wise, Aware." (Verse 128)
It was Walid bin Mugirah who told the Holy Prophet that as he had more wealth
and power, the Prophethood should have been given to him. Verse 124 is a reply
to him, and men like him, that Allah alone, in His infinite wisdom, knows who
is fit to carry out His commission as a Prophet or as an Imam.
If a man refuses faith, he becomes a rebel and to remain spiritual is
very difficult. On the other hand, the God-fearing will find, with each step,
the next step easier. Therefore, it is not Allah who renders the disbelievers
incapable of believing in the truth, but according to the divine plan they are
given full freedom to go astray if they desire to do so.
Verse 128 confirms the communication between Jinn and humans and their
ability to influence the weak-minded among them and lead them astray. On the
Day of Judgement they shall be dealt with accordingly.
Section 16: The decreed
punishment shall be unavoidable, verses 130-140
"Thy Lord is the Absolute, the
Lord of Mercy. If He will, He can remove you and can cause what He will to
follow after you, even as He raised you from the seed of other folk." (Verse 133)
"They are losers who besottedly
have slain their children without knowledge, and have forbidden that which
Allah bestowed upon them, inventing a lie against Allah. They indeed have gone
astray and are not guided." (Verse 140)
Allah is self-sufficient, independent, standing in no need of our worship of
Him or our good, nor does our evil affect Him in the least. It is out of His
mercy that for our good He sent His messengers. Any race or people whom He
gives opportunities to follow the right path should know that in the event of
their deviation and disobedience He may create others in their place, as He did
in the past.
Verses 136-140 discuss the polytheists (maybe Hindus)
who would assign certain gifts or donations to Allah and then their idols which
would then be appropriated by the priests instead. It also mentions the
absurdity of treating certain cattle as Holy and untouchable, instead they are
dedicated as produce for their idols. All of these beliefs are condemned,
including the the horrible practices of infanticide that used to exist in the
Arab world at the time of Islam.
Sections 17 & 18: The
Divine gifts, the self-imposed prohibitions & The forbidden food, the vain
excuses, verses 141-150
"They who are idolaters will say:
Had Allah willed, we had not ascribed (unto Him) partners neither had our
fathers, nor had we forbidden aught. Thus did those who were before them give
the lie (to Allah's messengers) till they tasted of the fear of Us. Say: Have
ye any knowledge that ye can adduce for Us? Lo! ye follow naught but an
opinion, Lo! ye do but guess. Say - For Allah's is the final argument - Had He
willed He could indeed have guided all of you." (Verses 148-149)
Verses 141-145 discuss in detail the food that is
allowed and forbidden by Allah and further condemning the superstitious acts of
the idol-worshippers. Verse 148 rebuts the suggestion that man has no
personal responsibility and all that happens has been pre-determined. Allah has
given man the freedom of choice and action. He has helped man find the right
path by sending His messengers.
Sections 19 & 20: Guiding
regulations of life & Prayer, sacrifice, life and death to be only for God,
verses 151-165
"Say: Come, I will recite unto
you that which your Lord hath made a sacred duty for you: That ye ascribe no
thing as partner unto Him and that ye do good to parents, and that ye slay not
your children because of penury - We provide for you and for them - and that ye
draw not nigh to lewd things whether open or concealed. And that ye slay not
the life which Allah hath made sacred, save in the course of justice. This He
hath command you, in order that ye may discern." (Verse 151)
"Or lest ye should say: If the
Scripture had been revealed unto us, we surely had been better guided than are
they. Now hath there come unto you a clear proof from your Lord, a guidance and
mercy; and who doeth greater wrong than he who denieth the revelations of
Allah, and turneth away from them? We award unto those who turn away from Our
revelations an evil doom because of their aversion." (Verse 157)
"Lo! As for those who sunder
their religion and become schismatics, no concern at all hast thou with them.
Their case will go to Allah, Who then will tell them what they used to
do." (Verse 159)
"Whoso bringeth a good deed will
receive tenfold the like thereof, while whoso bringeth an ill-deed will be
awarded but the like thereof; and they will not be wronged." (Verse 160)
"Say: Lo! my worship and my
sacrifice and my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the Worlds. He hath
no partner. This am I commanded, and I am first of those who surrender (unto
Him)." (Verses 162-163)
"Say: Shall I seek another than
Allah for Lord, when He is Lord of all things? Each soul earneth only on its
own account, nor doth any laden bear another's load. Then unto your Lord is
your return and He will tell you that wherein ye differed. He it is Who hath
placed you as viceroys of the earth and hath exalted some of you in rank above
others, that He may try you by (the test of) that which He hath given you. Lo!
Thy Lord is swift in prosecution, and Lo! He verily is Forgiving,
Merciful." (Verses 164-165)
Surah Al-Anaam ends in a
flourish with some glorious verses. Verse 151 mentions goodness to ones parents
immediately after belief in Allah highlighting its importance. Our first duty
after love of Allah is love of our parents.
From verse 159, the Holy
Prophet has said: "Out of
the seventy-one sects of the followers of Musa, only one was on the right path.
The followers of Isa also divided their religion into seventy two sects, out of
which only one was on the right path. Likewise there will be seventy three
sects among my followers, out of which only one will be on the right
path."
In verse 160 Allah states that to the good, the
reward is multiplied ten times (far above merits) by virtue of His generosity
and to the evil, the punishment is no more than commensurate with their sin.
Even then, the door of mercy is always open to those who sincerely repent and
show it by their conduct.
The highest achievement of a human being is to understand and follow the laws
decreed by Allah, which alone generate good in individual and collective life.
All the aspects of living with reference to self, family, relatives and
possessions should be employed in the service of Allah, out of His love, if one
completely surrenders oneself to the will of Allah. There was no better or
greater manifestation of a perfect submission to Allah than the Holy Prophet
and his Ahlul-Bayt and no better example than the sacrifice of Imam Husain (as)
at Karbala.
Verses 164-165 highlights how we alone are
responsible for our deeds. We cannot transfer the consequence to someone else.
In Islam every individual is answerable for his faith and deeds when he returns
to Allah on the day of reckoning.
With that, Surah Al-Anaam
finishes and we move on to the 7th Surah of the Holy Quran, Al-Araaf (The
Heights). This Surah was revealed in Mecca, contains 206 verses, split into 24
sections. Chapter 8 has the first 11 sections.
Surah 7, Al-Araaf (The Heights)
Section 1: The object of the
revelation of the Quran, verses 1-10
"(It is) a Scripture that is
revealed unto thee (Muhammad) - so let there be no heaviness in thy heart therefrom
- that thou mayst warn thereby, and (it is) a Reminder unto believers.
(Saying): Follow that which is sent down unto you from your Lord, and follow no
protecting friends beside Him. Little do ye recollect!" (Verses
2-3)
"Then verily We shall question
those unto whom (Our message) hath been sent, and verily We shall question the
messengers. Then verily We shall narrate unto them (the event) with knowledge,
for We were not absent (when it came to pass). The weighing on that day is the
true (weighing). As for those whose scale is heavy, they are the successful.
And as for those whose scale is light: those are they who lose their souls
because they used to wrong Our revelations." (Verses
6-9)
The messengers of Allah were sent to every people to show them the right path,
therefore, all people will be questioned as to how they treated the messengers
of Allah and followed their teachings. The messengers of Allah will bear
witness over their followers when they will be asked to give their report about
them. The Holy Prophet will be a witness over all the witnesses, which means he
was present in the times of all the Prophets (see Surah 4, Verse 41).
Section 2: Creation of Adam and
the defiance of the Devil, verses 11-25
"And We created you, then
fashioned you, then told the angels: Fall ye prostrate before Adam! And they
fell prostrate, all save Iblis, who was not of those who make prostration. He
said: What hindered thee that thou didst not fall prostrate when I bade thee?
(Iblis) said: I am better than him. Thou createdst me of fire while him Thou
didst create of mud." (Verses 11-12)
"He said: Now, because Thou hast
sent me astray, verily I shall lurk in ambush for them on Thy Right Path. Then
I shall come upon them from before them and from behind them and from their
right hands and from their left hands, and Thou wilt not find most of them
beholden (unto Thee)." (Verses 16-17)
"And (unto man): O Adam! Dwell
thou and thy wife in the Garden and eat from whence ye will, but come not nigh
this tree lest ye become wrong-doers. Then Satan whispered to them that he
might manifest unto them that which was hidden from them of their shame, and he
said: Your Lord forbade you from this tree only lest ye should become angels or
become of the immortals." (Verses 19-20)
"Thus did he lead them on with
guile. And when they tasted of the tree their shame was manifest to them and
they began to hide (by heaping) on themselves some of the leaves of the Garden.
And their Lord called them, (saying): Did I not forbid you from that tree and
tell you: Lo! Satan is an open enemy to you?" (Verse 22)
"He said: Go down (from hence),
one of you a foe unto the other. There will be for you on earth a habitation
and provision for a while. He said: There shall ye live, and there shall ye
die, and thence shall ye be brought forth." (Verses 24-25)
Forgive me for saying this, but
if only Prophet Adam hadn't eaten from the forbidden tree...! It was only from
eating the fruit did they experience guilt and shame and felt the need to cover
themselves because of it.
Section 3: Mankind warned
against Saytan, verses 26-31
"O Children of Adam! Let not
Satan seduce you as he caused your (first) parents to go forth from the Garden
and tore off from them their robe (of innocence) that he might manifest their
shame to them. Lo! he seeth you, he and his tribe, from whence ye see him not.
Lo! We have made the devils protecting friends for those who believe not." (Verse 27)
"O Children of Adam! Look to your
adornment at every place of worship, and eat and drink, but be not prodigal.
Lo! He loveth not the prodigals." (Verse 31)
Verse 27 onwards are a warning to mankind that
Shaitan can influence us through power and riches obtained by total rejection
of Allah's commands. It is a disguise and therefore, man does not see Shaitan's
actions.
At the time of prayer and being
in the presence of Allah, we are advised to present ourselves in good
adornments but not in excess or extravagance which Allah does not like.
Section 4: The guidance through
apostles and their rejections, verses 32-39
"Say: My Lord forbiddeth only
indecencies, such of them as are apparent and such as are within, and sin and
wrongful oppression, and that ye associate with Allah that for which no warrant
hath been revealed, and that ye tell concerning Allah that which ye know not.
And every nation hath its term, and when its term cometh, they cannot put it
off an hour nor yet advance (it)." (Verses 33-34)
"Who doeth greater wrong than he
who inventeth a lie concerning Allah or denieth Our tokens. (For such) their
appointed portion of the Book (of destiny) reacheth them till, when Our
messengers come to gather them, they say: Where (now) is that to which ye cried
beside Allah? They say: They have departed from us. And they testify against
themselves that they were disbelievers." (Verse 37)
Once again we are reminded of
following the Holy Prophet's message in this section and the punishment that
awaits on the Day of Judgement for those who turn away. Time is limited for all
of us. If mankind doesn't believe or do good during that period, the chance is
lost and it cannot come back. Does who disbelieve will end up testifying
against themselves on the Day of Judgement.
Section 5: The disbelievers
shall not enter paradise, verses 40-47
"But (as for) those who believe
and do good works - We tax not any soul beyond its scope - Such are rightful
owners of the Garden. They abide therein." (Verse 42)
"And the dwellers of the Garden
cry unto the dwellers of the Fire: We have found that which our Lord promised
us (to be) the Truth. Have ye (too) found that which your Lord promised the
Truth? They say: Yea, verily. And a crier in between them crieth: The curse of
Allah is on evil-doers, Who debar (men) from the path of Allah and would have
it crooked, and who are disbelievers in the Last Day." (Verses 44-45)
"Between them is a veil. And on
the Heights are men who know them all by their marks. And they call unto the
dwellers of the Garden: Peace be unto you! They enter it not although they hope
(to enter)." (Verse 46)
No soul shall be tested beyond
their capabilities, for those who believe and follow God, the Holy Prophet and
the Ahlul-Bayt, there lies great reward in the Hereafter. The Holy Prophet and
the Ahlul-Bayt will occupy the heights overlooking mankind, both the
disbelievers and believers.
Section 6: The disappointment
of the wicked in Hell, verses 48-53
"And the dwellers of the Fire cry
out unto the dwellers of the Garden: Pour on us some water or some wherewith
Allah hath provided you. They say: Lo! Allah hath forbidden both to
disbelievers (in His guidance), Who took their religion for a sport and
pastime, and whom the life of the world beguiled. So this day We have forgotten
them even as they forgot the meeting of this their Day and as they used to deny
Our tokens." (Verses 50-51)
The dwellers of paradise will have Allah's mercy and His pleasure. They will
enjoy the bliss of Allah's nearness. The inmates of hell shall remain deprived
of these provisions. The disbelievers deliberately turned away and ignored the
hereafter in spite of clear warnings given to them through the Quran-a guide
and a mercy. Allah shall ignore and neglect them on the day of judgement.
Section 7: God's only is the
creation and the command, verses 54-58
"Lo! your Lord is Allah Who
created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then mounted He the Throne. He
covereth the night with the day, which is in haste to follow it, and hath made
the sun and the moon and the stars subservient by His command. His verily is
all creation and commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!" (Verse 54)
"And He it is Who sendeth the
winds as tidings heralding His mercy, till, when they bear a cloud heavy (with
rain), We lead it to a dead land, and then cause water to descend thereon and
thereby bring forth fruits of every kind. Thus bring We forth the dead. Haply
ye may remember." (Verse 57)
In verse 54, "mounted He the Throne" is
not a literal description but a metaphor for the process of creation belonging
solely to Allah. From the lowest form of creation to the highest level of
spiritual and intellectual existence, there are all finite beings. All
commanded and created by Allah.
Section 8: The Ministry of
Noah, verses 59-64
"We sent Noah (of old) unto his
people, and he said: O my people! Serve Allah. Ye have no other Allah save Him.
Lo! I fear for you the retribution of an Awful Day." (Verse 59)
"But they denied him, so We saved
him and those with him in the ship, and We drowned those who denied Our tokens.
Lo! they were blind folk." (Verse 64)
Nuh means 'to weep’; he used to
constantly weep in fear of Allah. There were ten Prophets between him and Prophet
Adam. He lived for 850 years. His preaching of goodness and godliness continued
to face of violent opposition. At last the waters of a great flood came upon
the Earth and Allah wiped out everything save Prophet Nuh and his companions in
the Ark.
Section 9: The Ministry of Hud,
verses 65-72
"And unto (the tribe of) A'ad (We
sent) their brother, Hud. He said: O my people! Serve Allah. Ye have no other
Allah save Him. Will ye not ward off (evil)?" (Verse 65)
"They said: Hast come unto us
that we should serve Allah alone, and forsake what our fathers worshipped? Then
bring upon us that wherewith thou threatenest us if thou art of the
truthful!" (Verse 70)
"And We saved him and those with
him by a mercy from Us, and We cut the root of those who denied Our revelations
and were not believers." (Verse 72)
Prophet Hud was sent to preach
the message of Allah to the people of Aad. In vain Prophet Hud tried to bring
them to the true faith. Eventually after a 3 year famine in which they still
refused to believe, Allah sent down a blast of wind that lasted 8 days. Prophet
Hud along with his companions had left Aad before the wind destroyed them.
Section 10: The Ministries of
Saleh and Lot, verses 73-84
"And to (the tribe of) Thamud (We
sent) their brother Salih. He said: O my people! Serve Allah. Ye have no other
Allah save Him. A wonder from your Lord hath come unto you. Lo! this is the
camel of Allah, a token unto you; so let her feed in Allah's earth, and touch
her not with hurt lest painful torment seize you." (Verse 73)
"Those who were scornful said:
Lo! in that which ye believe we are disbelievers. So they hamstrung the
she-camel, and they flouted the commandment of their Lord, and they said: O
Salih! Bring upon us that thou threatenest if thou art indeed of those sent
(from Allah)." (Verses 76-77)
"So the earthquake seized them,
and morning found them prostrate in their dwelling-place." (Verse 78)
"And Lot! (Remember) when he said
unto his folk: Will ye commit abomination such as no creature ever did before
you?" (Verse 80)
"And We rescued him and his
household, save his wife, who was of those who stayed behind. And We rained a
rain upon them. See now the nature of the consequence of evil-doers!" (Verses 83-84)
Prophet Saleh was sent to the
people of Thamud. They used to worship a part of a mountain and offer
sacrifices. On their demand Prophet Saleh revealed a she-camel from the
mountain, who provided enough milk for the whole town and was supposed to be
looked after. In their greed they hamstrung her and defied the order of Allah.
Consequently they were destroyed by an earthquake, only Prophet Saleh was
saved.
Prophet Lot was sent to the
people of Mutafikat, a complex of five towns, with the town of Sodom the
largest. Shaitan came down and taught them homosexuality in order to prevent
travellers from stopping in the town on the way to Egypt or Syria (at either
ends of the town). From then on they became addicted to this act. Despite
Prophet Lot's protestations and warnings the people did not change. Even his
wife was in league with the people of the town. After saving the Prophet and
his few companions, Allah rained down on the town a shower of stones,
everything was buried under a mountain of stones.
Section 11: The Ministry of
Shuaib, verses 85-93
"And unto Midian (We sent) their
brother, Shu'eyb. He said: O my people! Serve Allah. Ye have no other Allah
save Him. Lo! a clear proof hath come unto you from your Lord; so give full
measure and full weight and wrong not mankind in their goods, and work not
confusion in the earth after the fair ordering thereof. That will be better for
you, if ye are believers." (Verse 85)
"Lurk not on every road to
threaten (wayfarers), and to turn away from Allah's path him who believeth in
Him, and to seek to make it crooked. And remember, when ye were but few, how He
did multiply you. And see the nature of the consequence for the
corrupters!" (Verse 86)
"The chieftains of his people,
who were scornful, said: Surely we will drive thee out, O Shu'eyb, and those
who believe with thee, from our township, unless ye return to our religion. He
said: Even though we hate it?" (Verse 88)
"But the chieftains of his
people, who were disbelieving, said: If ye follow Shu'eyb, then truly ye shall
be the losers. So the earthquake seized them and morning found them prostrate
in their dwelling-place." (Verses 90-91)
Prophet Shuaib was sent to the
people of Midan and Aikah. They would often create mischief and disorder and
resort to highway robbery, cutting of peoples access to the worship of Allah.
When they refused to listen to Prophet Shuaib, they suffered the same fate as
the people of Thamud. They were covered by an avalanche of volcanic ash and
then buried by an earthquake.
That concludes Chapter 8 with
some good reminders some of the other Prophets mentioned in the Holy Quran. We
conclude Surah 7 tomorrow inshallah and move on to Surah 8
Thanks for reading.
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