Author: Aijaz

Testifying/giving ‘shahada’ of the Messenger

Aijaz Uncategorized , , , , ,

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

When we testify (give ‘shahada’) of the messenger (pbuh), ‘I bear witness that Mohammad (pbuh) is a messenger of Allah’, are we witnessing the messenger of Allah as Allah described him in Al-Quran or are we giving witness of a historical figure of Mohammad (pbuh) from sources other than Al-Quran? Please note that there are no sources as reliable as Al-Quran and ayat 23:69 warns about people not recognizing their messenger? If we are holding on to a personality of the messenger which is different from what is described in Al-Quran, then we are not witnessing for the messenger of Allah but a different personality of messenger which is a historical figure. In order to believe in the correct personality of Mohammad (pbuh), we need to believe that personality of messenger which is depicted in Al-Quran. Some people are so much into the other personality of the messenger of history, that when ayahs of Quran are presented to them about true personality of messenger (pbuh), they just refuse to believe in those ayahs.

Sura Munafiqun 63:1 informs that when munafiqs/hypocrites come to the messenger, they testify that he is the messenger of Allah. However, Allah testifies that indeed he is the messenger of Allah but indeed the hypocrites are liars.

It is possible that a person is not telling a lie but what he is saying is not true. This could be because of his incomplete knowledge about the subject. Similarly it is also possible that a person is telling a lie but what he is saying is actually true. Also, possible because of the person’s incomplete knowledge of the subject. For example an atheist believing there is no God, states that ‘Bible is not the book of God’. What he is saying is true that Bible is not a Book of God, however, he is lying as in his perception there is no Book sent by God as God does not exists and He cannot send a book therefore.

63:1  إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ

When the hypocrites come to you, they say, “We bear witness that you are indeed the messenger of Allah.”  And, Allah knows that you are indeed His messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are indeed liars.

13:43  وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَسْتَ مُرْسَلًا ۚ قُلْ كَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ

The unbelievers say. “You are not sent (by Allah).” Say. “Enough for a witness between me and you is Allah, and the one with knowledge of the Book.”

The above ayat states that in order to give witness of the messenger, one must have knowledge of the Book.

Giving witness of the messenger without the knowledge of the Book will be tantamount to giving witness of wrong personality of messenger which is not described by Allah in his Book, but rather which is developed through historical accounts and heresy.

21:107  وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

We sent you not, but as a mercy for all worlds.

The messenger of Allah is mercy for all the people. Therefore he would not be attacking or killing people in Holy wars, or committing genocides of a particular community. If any books give such account they must be false.

68:4  وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

And you are on an exalted standard of behavior/character.

The messenger is on an extremely high level of character. One way of assassinating the character of the messenger is to ascribe him to be fond of marrying under-aged girls. A person on a high standard of character for all times (whose character is exemplary for all times not restricted to particular time in history) will not be marrying under aged girls as any reasonable person can tell. Those who believe in these accounts attributed to the messenger (pbuh) are true should reflect, will they like to follow this practice in their families and communities?

23:68-69 أَفَلَمْ يَدَّبَّرُوا الْقَوْلَ أَمْ جَاءَهُم مَّا لَمْ يَأْتِ آبَاءَهُمُ الْأَوَّلِينَ  أَمْ لَمْ يَعْرِفُوا رَسُولَهُمْ فَهُمْ لَهُ مُنكِرُونَ

Is it that they do not ponder on Al-Qaul (The saying) ? Or is it that something has reached them which did not come to their ancestors? Or do they not recognize their messenger, that they deny him?

The personality of the messenger is not to be recognized and witnessed from historical accounts of his words and practice. His personality should be recognized from the Book. Al-Qaul (The saying) as per 69:40 إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ is Al-Quran. If people don’t ponder the personality of the messenger from Al-Qaul and try to discern his personality from other accounts, they will likely be the denier of the true personality of the messenger.

Those people who take great inspiration from the ‘Golden Words’/ Aqwal e Zarrin/ Zukhrufal Qaul, are stated to be actually enemy of the Prophet.

6:112  وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَاطِينَ الْإِنسِ وَالْجِنِّ يُوحِي بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ ۖ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ

And likewise ,We have made for every Prophet the shayateen/satans of mankind and the shayateen/satans of jinkind an enemy, some of them inspire golden words (as sayings of prophets) on some, for the purpose of delusion, and if your Lord had willed they would have not done it, so leave them and what they have invented.

Below are some of the ayahs which describe aspects of the messenger’s personality which is the true personality of the messenger as per Al-Kitab. However, the shiateen/satans who want to disguise the personality of the messenger of the Book, with another personality (historical messenger) normally would not propagate these ayahs as they want to present a different or surrogate personality of the messenger. Some of these ayahs are given below:

5:115  يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا كُنتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ ۚ قَدْ جَاءَكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ

O people of The Book! There has come to you our messenger, revealing to you much that you used to hide in the Book, and passing over much: There has come to you from Allah a light and a perspicuous Book,

The messenger exposes from the Book, which people usually try to hide.

Please consider these ayahs, which gives true personality of the messenger from the Book. If you reject any of these personality traits given in the book and instead believe in other personality traits described in history books, you may then be believing in the messenger of ‘other’ books rather than believing in the messenger of God:

7:188  قُل لَّا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ ۚ إِنْ أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

Say. “I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah wills. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have multiplied all good, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith.”

The messenger does not possess the power to bring good or bad fortune for himself and therefore to anyone else. He does not have the knowledge of the unseen if he had he would have gathered a lot of goodness as like any other normal person and avoid evils. He is a warner and bringer of good tidings for the believers.

18:110  قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا

Say. “I am but a human like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your God is one God. whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the service of his Lord, admit no one as partner.

The messenger is a bashar/human being like other human beings with all bashari/human implications. This fact should not be painful to the believers that he is not a super human. Believers should work for good deeds for their salvation instead of expecting intercession by messenger (pbuh).

12:3  نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ بِمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ

We relate to you the most beautiful of stories, in that We inspire to you this Qur’an,  before this, you were among those who are in Ghaflat (ignorance).

Before the inspiration of the Quran, the messenger was among the ghafleen/ people who are in ignorance.

42:52  وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا ۚ مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِي مَا الْكِتَابُ وَلَا الْإِيمَانُ وَلَٰكِن جَعَلْنَاهُ نُورًا نَّهْدِي بِهِ مَن نَّشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

And Likewise, We have inspired you the Ar-Rooh/the spirit from our order, you did not have the perception, what is the Book and the belief, but We have made it light, We guide with it whom We will from Our servants. And surely you guide towards the straight path.

Allah inspired Ar-Rooh/the Spirit (of the Words of Quran). Before this inspiration of the spirit, the messenger did not know what Al-Kitab and what Iman/belief is.

28:86  وَمَا كُنتَ تَرْجُو أَن يُلْقَىٰ إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابُ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ ظَهِيرًا لِّلْكَافِرِينَ

And you did not expected that the Book will be delivered towards you except as a mercy from your Lord so you do not back those who reject.

The messenger did not expect that he will be given the Book from his Lord.

10:94  فَإِن كُنتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِّمَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ فَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكَ ۚ لَقَدْ جَاءَكَ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ

so, if you (Mohammad) are in doubt from what We have revealed to you, then ask those who are reading Al-Kitab/the Book from before you, definitely there has come to you the truth from your Lord, so do not become from the doubtful ones.

People have been reading Al-Kitab from before as this Al-Kitab was given to all prophets. It is the spirit of the Book that the Messenger transfers to the people.

11:12  فَلَعَلَّكَ تَارِكٌ بَعْضَ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَضَائِقٌ بِهِ صَدْرُكَ أَن يَقُولُوا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ كَنزٌ أَوْ جَاءَ مَعَهُ مَلَكٌ ۚ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ نَذِيرٌ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ

Then, it may be that you (the messenger) will give up part of what is revealed to you and your breast will become straitened by it because they say: Why has not a treasure been sent down upon him or an angel come with him? You are only a warner; and Allah is custodian over all things.

Messenger feels human emotions and his heart feels constrained and somewhat inclined to leave part of the Wahi/inspiration because of the silly things unbelievers say to him. However, Allah strengthen his heart with His Kalamats/words to remain steadfast with the revelation.

6:91  وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ إِذْ قَالُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ بَشَرٍ مِّن شَيْءٍ ۗ قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَابَ الَّذِي جَاءَ بِهِ مُوسَىٰ نُورًا وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ تَجْعَلُونَهُ قَرَاطِيسَ تُبْدُونَهَا وَتُخْفُونَ كَثِيرًا ۖ وَعُلِّمْتُم مَّا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أَنتُمْ وَلَا آبَاؤُكُمْ ۖ قُلِ اللَّهُ ۖ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِي خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ

They did not value Allah as He should be valued. When they said, “Allah did not reveal anything to a bashar/human.” Say, “Who then sent down the Book which Moses brought, with light and guidance for the people?” You made it to pieces of paper, you show something while concealing a lot of it. You were taught what you never knew-you and your parents. Say, “Allah (revealed it),” then leave them in their heedlessness, playing

Some people complain that certain personalities deserve more valuation than people value them. This they say according to their sectarian beliefs. However, Allah here declares that they don’t value Allah as He should be valued, when they do not consider the messenger as bashar (human). Many people consider the messenger as a super ‘bashar’, not like any other human/bashar with all human strengths and weaknesses that humans have. Some even consider the messenger as incapable of committing any mistake. So, this ayat exposes these beliefs.

93:7  وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَىٰ

And He found thee misguided, and He gave thee guidance.

God found the messenger as wandering and then He guided him.

46:9  قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعًا مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلَا بِكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

Say (O’ Mohammad) “I am no bringer of new doctrine among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a warner open and clear.”

The messenger does not give glad tidings of Jannat to his companions. Instead he says that he does not know what will be done with me or with you. He only follows the inspiration to him.

53:3-4  وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ  إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ

Nor does he say of (his own) desire. It is only the wahi/inspiration sent to him.

Messenger does not add from his desire any thing to the wahi/inspiration. He only conveys the message which is inspired to him.

The messenger (pbuh) is also a bashar/human and has human interactions with his wife and family in private capacity. When he conveys the message of Allah inspired on him, he is in the capacity of the messenger. There are other times when he is in the capacity of a bashar, a father and a husband in his private life. In that capacity he is not being inspired from God. There are instances in Quran where he is admonished for his actions (e.g 80:1-10, 9:43). On those instances definitely he acted in the capacity of a bashar (human)and not was under inspiration/wahi, otherwise Allah would not have admonished him. 

For example a president of a certain nation. He would deliver official statements as the president of the nation. What he says and acts privately are his private matters. Allah has advised companions not to be eager for ahadith/vain talks around messenger (pbuh) household in ayat 33:53 as these are painful to the messenger (pbuh)

69:43-46  تَنزِيلٌ مِّن رَّبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ  وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الْأَقَاوِيلِ  لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ  ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَ

This (Quran) sent down from the Lord of the Worlds. And if  he (the messenger) were to invent any sayings in Our name, We should certainly seize him by his right hand, And We should certainly then cut off the jugular vein of him:

Messenger only states what is wahi/inspired on him, i.e Quran (as mentioned in 12:3), if he were to say other aqwal/sayings about Allah, Allah would catch him and cut his jugular vein.

9:43  عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنكَ لِمَ أَذِنتَ لَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَتَعْلَمَ الْكَاذِبِينَ

Allah forgave you (the messenger)! Why did you allow for them until those who were truthful became clear for you and you knew the liars.

In his normal life the messenger is like a normal human being that is he is not being controlled by wahi in all matters. He may make mistakes in decision making about normal life for which Allah may admonish him as in 9:43. However, in matters of conveying wahi/Quran, Messenger does not make a mistake which are recorded in Al-Quran for all eternity and is protected by Allah.

47:19  فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمْ وَمَثْوَاكُمْ

Know, therefore, that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for your sin (O Prophet), and for the men and women who believe. for Allah knows how you move about and how you dwell.

Allah asks the prophet to ask forgiveness for his sin.

48:1-2  إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا  لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَيَهْدِيَكَ صِرَاطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا

 We opened/disclosed for you a clear/evident opening/victory. So, that Allah may forgive you (the messenger) of your sin of the past and that to follow; fulfil His favor to you ; and guide you to the straight way.

Messenger can do mistakes and sin, which Allah will forgives after showing him a clear/evident opening/victory and guiding him to the straight path.

6:68  وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِي آيَاتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ ۚ وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ الشَّيْطَانُ فَلَا تَقْعُدْ بَعْدَ الذِّكْرَىٰ مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ

When you (the messenger) see people engaged in vain discourse about Our ayahs/signs, turn away from them unless they engage in a different discourse. And If Satan makes you forget, then after remembering, do not sit  in the company of Zalimeen/those who do wrong.

Satan can have effect on the messenger, that he can make him forget things.

17:73-75  وَإِن كَادُوا لَيَفْتِنُونَكَ عَنِ الَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ لِتَفْتَرِيَ عَلَيْنَا غَيْرَهُ ۖ وَإِذًا لَّاتَّخَذُوكَ خَلِيلًا  وَلَوْلَا أَن ثَبَّتْنَاكَ لَقَدْ كِدتَّ تَرْكَنُ إِلَيْهِمْ شَيْئًا قَلِيلًا  إِذًا لَّأَذَقْنَاكَ ضِعْفَ الْحَيَاةِ وَضِعْفَ الْمَمَاتِ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُ لَكَ عَلَيْنَا نَصِيرًا

They had almost led you (the messenger) away from what has been revealed to you, that you may invent things about Us besides those revealed, then they would have taken you as friend. And If We had not kept you steadfast you had almost leaned towards them. In that case We would have made you taste a double punishment of life and a double of death, and then you would not have been able to find a helper against Us for yourself. 

People also with their constant persuasion may have caused the messenger to incline towards their preferences if Allah had not made him steadfast in what has been revealed to him.

66:1  يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكَ ۖ تَبْتَغِي مَرْضَاتَ أَزْوَاجِكَ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

O Prophet! Why do you make forbidden for yourself which Allah has made lawful to you? You seek to please your wives. But Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

The Prophet in order to please his wives was not perusing a thing which was made lawful/halal for him.

 80:1-12  عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ  أَن جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَىٰ  وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكَّىٰ  أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنفَعَهُ الذِّكْرَىٰ  أَمَّا مَنِ اسْتَغْنَىٰ  فَأَنتَ لَهُ تَصَدَّىٰ  وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ  وَأَمَّا مَن جَاءَكَ يَسْعَىٰ  وَهُوَ يَخْشَىٰ  فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ  كَلَّا إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌفَمَن شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ

(The Prophet) frowned and turned away. Because there came to him blind one (in perception). But how would you know that perchance he may purify himself. Or that he remembers/takes heed, and the remembrance might profit him? As to one who regards himself as self-sufficient (does not care much), you give him attention, though no blame on you if he would not purify himself. But as to him who came to you striving earnestly, and with fear (in his heart), to him you were unmindful. By no means (should it be so)! For it is indeed a reminder/advisory, for any one who desires to bear it in mind.

The prophet may falter in his judgment of giving attention to the right persons for delivering remembrance.

25:30  وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُورًا

And the messenger will say, O my Lord! Surely, my people took this Al-Quran and abandoned it.

If we believe in the personality of the messenger from other books, we will believe him to be intercessing for us on the day of Judgment. However, if we believe in the personality of the messenger from Quran, than we will be aware that the messenger will be complaining to Allah, about his ummat/nation holding the Quran as if like abandoning it.

4:80  مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ ۖ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا

He who obeys the messenger, obeys Allah. But if any turn away, then We have not sent you as a watcher over them.

To follow the messenger (pbuh) means to follow Allah. Allah has made the Quran mandatory on messenger (28:85 إِنَّ الَّذِي فَرَضَ عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ لَرَادُّكَ إِلَىٰ مَعَادٍ  ). Messenger is acting on all dos and don’ts in Quran. To follow the messenger of Allah is to follow the Quran and not to follow what other books tell about what messenger used to do. (Remember, Quran is protected by Allah by divine intervention, not history)

38:67-70  قُلْ هُوَ نَبَأٌ عَظِيمٌ  أَنتُمْ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضُونَ  مَا كَانَ لِيَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ بِالْمَلَإِ الْأَعْلَىٰ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ  إِن يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ إِلَّا أَنَّمَا أَنَا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

Say, ‘That is a great news, from which you (people) do turn away. ” I don’t have any from the knowledge of the high chiefs (Malai-l-Aala), when they were arguing. Only this has been revealed to me, that I am a clear warner.’

Some have the notions that the messenger (pbuh) is the reason for creation of the universe, and he was the first creation and that the is among the high chiefs of the heavens etc. In the above ayat Allah ask the messenger to declare that he does not have knowledge of what is discussed high up. He is but a warner to mankind from Allah. 

3:31  قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Say. If you love Allah thus follow me (the messenger), Allah will love you and forgive your sins. For Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most merciful.

Again Allah will love you when you follow the messenger whose actions and personality is described by Allah, i.e Allah will love you if you love the messenger of Allah, not the messenger of history books. 

Notes:

As we saw earlier in 63:1, that the hypocrites give witness of the messenger but they are liars declared by Allah and we see in 13:43 that in order to give witness of the messenger the knowledge of the Book/Al-Quran is required. Those who give witness of the messenger not based on the Book but based on books of history will therefore be acting like hypocrites.

4:145 إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيرًا

Verily, the Hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire, no helper will you find for them;-

The hypocrites will be in the lowest level of the hell fire, except those who repent and do correction by making their Deen judgment pure for Allah i.e not mixing any thing other than Allah in the Deen.

4:146 إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَأَصْلَحُوا وَاعْتَصَمُوا بِاللَّهِ وَأَخْلَصُوا دِينَهُمْ لِلَّهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَسَوْفَ يُؤْتِ اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

Except for those who repented and did the correction and held fast to Allah, and made their Din/judgment pure for Allah. These are the people who will be with the believers and soon will Allah grant to the believers a mighty reward.

The Sacred/Forbidden Months

Aijaz Uncategorized ,

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The Haram, sacred or forbidden months are called ‘haram’ or forbidden as some lawful things are made temporarily unlawful during these months. These months are not named in Quran therefore with the help of ayahs of Quran we will identify which months are the sacred months.

The Islamic calendar is lunar, therefore these sacred months are lunar months. The lunar calendar is important with respect to the months of Ramadan and Hajj. Because of the lunar calendar, these months don’t always come in the same season but the seasons keep on changing, thus giving us the opportunity to experience the blessings of these months in all seasons.

2:217  يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ قِتَالٍ فِيهِ ۖ قُلْ قِتَالٌ فِيهِ كَبِيرٌ ۖ وَصَدٌّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَكُفْرٌ بِهِ وَالْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَإِخْرَاجُ أَهْلِهِ مِنْهُ أَكْبَرُ عِندَ اللَّهِ ۚ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ ۗ وَلَا يَزَالُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَن دِينِكُمْ إِنِ اسْتَطَاعُوا ۚ وَمَن يَرْتَدِدْ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَيَمُتْ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ فَأُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

They ask you about fighting in the sacred / holy month. Say, fighting in it is big (offence) and to oppose from the way of Allah and to reject with it, and from the sacred Mosque, and to expel its people from it, is greater (offence) in the nearness of Allah and ‘Fitna’/temptation is greater (offence) than killing. They will not cease fighting with you until they turn you back from your ‘deen’/judgment if they are able to. And amongst you whosoever turns away from his judgment and dies while being a rejecter, then they are those whose works have failed in this world and in the hereafter and they are the companions of fire, they will dwell in it.

The above ayat states that sacred/forbidden months are associated with a prohibition of fighting and temptation. We will further investigate for identification of sacred months in Quran.

9:36  إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ ۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ وَقَاتِلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَافَّةً كَمَا يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ كَافَّةً ۚ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ

Surely in the sight of Allah, the number of the months are twelve months, in the book of Allah the day He created the skies and the earth. Out of them four are sacred / forbidden. That is the established judgment. So you do not oppress your souls in them (by fighting) and you fight (in other than sacred months) the associaters all out like how they fight you all out. And know Allah is with those who guard themselves.

The names of the twelve Islamic lunar months are given below.

01. Muharram,  02. Safar, 03. Rabi-ul-Awwal, 04. Rabi-ul-Thani, 05. Jumada-l-Ulawwal, 06. Jumada-th-Thaniyya,, 07. Rajab, 08. Shaaban, 09. Ramadhan , 10. Shawwal, 11. Dhul Qadah, 12. Dhul Hijja

Out of these 12 months, four are sacred/forbidden. Lets see which months are made sacred/forbidden in Quran:

2:185  شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَىٰ وَالْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

Ramadan is the month in which Al-Quran/The Reading was sent down, a guide for mankind, and clarification from the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong), so whosoever is a witness amongst you of that month, then he should fast in it, but if any one is ill, or travelling, then the count (should be made up) in later days. Allah intends ease for you; He does not intend to put you to hardship. So that you to complete the prescribed period (of fasting), and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and you be grateful to Him.

From the above ayat, we come to know about the month ‘Ramadan’ which is holy as Quran was revealed in this month and we are prescribed to do fasting in this month.

2:187  أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ ۖ فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ

It is lawful for you to be intimate with your women in the night of fast, they are a covering for you and you are covering for them. Allah knows that you used to be dishonest with your nafs/psyche, so He returns over you and pardoned you about it. So now be in contact with them and seek what Allah has written for you, and eat and drink until from dawn the white thread clarifies for you from the black thread, then complete the fast towards the night and you do not be in contact with them (your women) when you are devoted/Aakif in the mosques. These are the boundaries of Allah so you do not go near them. Likewise Allah clarifies His ayahs / signs for people so that they may take guard.

During fasting, eating and drinking becomes temporarily unlawful from dawn to dusk. This is for training purpose of our ‘nafs’. We restrain our ‘nafs’ during this month from certain things. Therefore now we can identify ‘Ramadan’ as one of the sacred/forbidden months.

Also, during Ramadan most men are reluctant to go to their women in the night as they are more into remembrance of Allah and sanctity of the month and thereby are declining their nafs/psychology by refraining from their wives out of respect of the Holy month. Allah addresses this point in above ayat as well.

2:194  الشَّهْرُ الْحَرَامُ بِالشَّهْرِ الْحَرَامِ وَالْحُرُمَاتُ قِصَاصٌ ۚ فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ

The Sacred / Holy month is with the sacred / holy month and the sanctities are related (months and others) So whosoever transgresses against you so you transgress against him with the example of what he transgresses against you. And take guard of Allah and know that surely Allah is with those who guard themselves (against doing evil).

The important point to note for identification of sacred months in the above ayat, is that a sacred month is with a sacred month. It means that all four sacred months are adjacent to one another. (The B/بِِ in above Ayat (بِالشَّهْرِ), means ‘with‘ in Arabic). Also note that the Arabic word (أَشْهُرٌ) for months is a plural  which means that months of Hajj are at least 3 (Arabic plural is at-least 3), therefore the 3 Hajj months cannot be separated i.e the Hajj months cannot occur with another non-Hajj month among them. (The traditionalist have different months designated as forbidden months, which are separated therefore they cannot be the 4 months intended by Allah)

2:197  الْحَجُّ أَشْهُرٌ مَّعْلُومَاتٌ ۚ فَمَن فَرَضَ فِيهِنَّ الْحَجَّ فَلَا رَفَثَ وَلَا فُسُوقَ وَلَا جِدَالَ فِي الْحَجِّ ۗ وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يَعْلَمْهُ اللَّهُ ۗ وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَىٰ ۚ وَاتَّقُونِ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ

The months of Hajj/Pilgrimage are known so whosoever imposes Hajj / Pilgrimage (on himself) in them so he should not commit obscenity nor commit immoralities and no bickering in the Hajj / Pilgrimage. And what you do from goodness, Allah knows it. And take provision, so surely the best of the provisions is to take guard and take guard from Me, O’ you who posses the core of knowledge).

One of the formality of Hajj is ‘Ahram’, which puts temporarily, certain restrictions on pilgrims. Some normally lawful things become unlawful during Hajj and ‘Ahram’. Therefore the months associated with ‘Hajj’ are sacred and forbidden. The ayat also informs that the months of Hajj is common knowledge, because the system of Salat and Hajj is preserved in the Holy City of Makkah (please see previous post (https://topicsfromquran.com/2017/03/21/salat-procedure/). We know that ‘Hajj’ is performed in the monht of ‘Dhul Hijja’. After we had identified Ramadan as a sacred month and ayat 2:194 stated that sacred months are together, and then we know that Hajj is performed in Dhul Hijja. These facts lead us to identify the four sacred months as Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhul Qadah and Dhul Hijja. So we can highlight the sacred months from the list of names of 12 months as below:

01. Muharram,  02. Safar, 03. Rabi-ul-Awwal, 04. Rabi-ul-Thani, 05. Jumada-l-Ulawwal, 06. Jumada-th-Thaniyya,, 07. Rajab, 08. Shaaban, 09. Ramadhan , 10. Shawwal, 11. Dhul Qadah, 12. Dhul Hijja

9:1-2  بَرَاءَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى الَّذِينَ عَاهَدتُّم مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ  فَسِيحُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ مُعْجِزِي اللَّهِ ۙ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ مُخْزِي الْكَافِرِينَ

(A declaration of) disassociation from Allah and His messenger, towards those of the associaters with whom you made covenant. Thus roam around in the land for four months (sacred months) and know that you cannot frustrate (the will of) Allah and Allah will disgrace the rejecters. 

Allah gives the associaters a leave of 4 months to roam around the land, after that the believers will engage with them. After the 4 months pass the believers will not leave the associaters alone. This means that the sacred months have to be in a consecutive period of four months. The sacred monhts cannot be non-consecutive months as then according to ayahs 9:1-2, believers will have to give associaters a leave of more than 4 months.  

9:5  فَإِذَا انسَلَخَ الْأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ وَاقْعُدُوا لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ ۚ فَإِن تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ فَخَلُّوا سَبِيلَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

So when the sacred / holy months are ended then fight the mushrikeen/associaters  wherever you find them and catch them and confine them and sit for them at every place of ambush. So if they repent and establish salah/prayer and give zakah / justification, then leave the way for them. Surely Allah is all forgiving, merciful.

After having identified the sacred months above, what is for us to do in these sacred/forbidden months?  The sacred months are for preparation i.e ‘Jihad Akbar’ with Quran and deep pondering in order to be prepared for engagement with associaters for the rest of the year. In the four sacred months the associaters are not to be engaged in ideological fight. After the forbidden months are over, then associaters are to be engaged in ideological fight with Quran, wherever they are encountered. It is ideological fighting only because physical fighting and bloodshed is not allowed.

2:84  وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَكُمْ لَا تَسْفِكُونَ دِمَاءَكُمْ وَلَا تُخْرِجُونَ أَنفُسَكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَشْهَدُونَ

And when We took a covenant with you, not to shed your blood and do not expel your souls/selves from your circles then you confirmed and you are witness to it.

9:37  إِنَّمَا النَّسِيءُ زِيَادَةٌ فِي الْكُفْرِ ۖ يُضَلُّ بِهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُحِلُّونَهُ عَامًا وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُ عَامًا لِّيُوَاطِئُوا عِدَّةَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ فَيُحِلُّوا مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ ۚ زُيِّنَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ أَعْمَالِهِمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ

Surely the postponing of the (sacred / holy month) is an increase in the rejection, those who reject are led astray with it. They make it (sacred month) un-lawful in a year and make it sacred in another year. So that they adjust the numbers (of the sacred  months) to what Allah has made forbidden. So they make it lawful what Allah has made forbidden. Their bad works are made adornment for them. And Allah does not guide the people who are rejecters.

Exchanging sacred months with other months is not allowed. The prescribed sacred months are to be respected. The discipline of deep pondering and preparation from Quran for 4 consecutive months is decreed by Allah which should prepare them for ideologoical fighting with associaters for the rest of the year. 

Notes:

Ayat 2:197 states that the months of Hajj are common knowledge, meaning that people have always been aware of them. Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) announced Hajj for all of mankind, as mentioned in Ayat 22:27.

Therefore, if someone conducts research and claims that the months in which Muslims currently perform Hajj do not align with the Quran, and that Hajj should be observed in a different month, their conclusion cannot be accepted. This is because the established months of Hajj have always been known to people, whereas their research is not based on common knowledge.

Additionally, the historical claim that Hajj only became mandatory from a certain date after Hijra is incorrect. Hajj has always been performed, and its designated months were well known even before Islam.

A lecture by Scholar Mohammad Shaikh about Sacred/forbidden months:

https://www.iipccanada.com/category/english-video-lectures/direction-of-belief/

https://www.iipccanada.com/2017/12/12/muhtarum-mahiney-2006/

 

Case for Lunisolar calendar:

Could the intention of Quran be that actual Islamic calendar be a Lunisolar one instead of Lunar calendar. Some people make a case citing below ayat:

17:12 وَجَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ آيَتَيْنِ ۖ فَمَحَوْنَا آيَةَ اللَّيْلِ وَجَعَلْنَا آيَةَ النَّهَارِ مُبْصِرَةً لِّتَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ ۚ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَصَّلْنَاهُ تَفْصِيلًا

We have made the night and the day as two signs. So, We obscured the sign of the night, and made the sign of the day manifest ; so that you may seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may know the count of the years and calculations and We explained everything in detail.

The above ayah refers to the alternation of day and night as signs by which people may keep count of years and make calculations. Since days and nights result from the earth’s rotation in relation to the sun, some argue that Ayah 17:12 indicates a directive to establish a solar-based calendar. Meanwhile, Ayah 10:5 is understood as a directive to base the calendar on the lunar cycle. On the basis of these two ayahs together, they conclude that the Qur’an supports the idea of a lunisolar Islamic calendar.

10:5  هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُورًا وَقَدَّرَهُ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ ۚ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ ۚ يُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ

It is He, who made the sun a radiance and the moon a light, and determined stages for it (moon); that you may know the count of years and the calculation. Allah did not create this but in truth. He explains His Ayahs/Signs in detail, for those who understand.

However, if we reflect further on Ayah 10:5, it mentions both the sun and the moon, but it specifically assigns the calculation of years to the phases of the moon. Had the Qur’an intended a lunisolar calendar, then when Allah mentions both the sun and the moon together, we would expect the verse to instruct that the calculation of years be based on both—yet it explicitly singles out the moon.

This suggests that the Qur’an intends two different calendars, each serving a distinct purpose. According to Ayah 10:5 and Ayah 2:189, the Qur’an clearly establishes a lunar calendar for observing Islamic duties—such as Hajj, Ramadan, and the four sacred months—which require careful reflection, preparation, and study of the Qur’an.

The second calendar may be used for practical, worldly matters. Ayah 17:12 indicates the use of day and night cycles for “seeking the grace of Allah,” which can be understood as pursuing livelihood, business, and agricultural needs. Since the Qur’an does not name any months for a solar calendar, this implies that people are free to adopt the commonly used solar-month names already established in the world for such purposes.

Shuraka- Partners with Allah

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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In this post we will see the characteristic traits mentioned in Al-Kitab of ‘shuraka’; those who are made partners in the Lordship of Allah. Assigning partners with Allah, is an unforgiveable sin, so it is important to recognize this sin and keep well clear of it. Many people take this issue lightly, believing that they can never fall into the trap of associating any one with Allah. However, the below ayat states the opposite:

12:106  وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ

And the majority of them, do not believe in Allah  without associating (other as partners) with Him!

The above ayat states that majority of the people who believe in Allah, associate others with Him. While most believers are under the assumption that they can never associate with Allah. So, is there a gap in our understanding of association of others with Allah and Allah’s expectation of us? Lets review below ayahs:

7:194  إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ عِبَادٌ أَمْثَالُكُمْ ۖ فَادْعُوهُمْ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

Verily those whom you call upon besides Allah are servants like you. Call upon them, and let them respond to you, if you are (indeed) truthful!

Allah forbids calling in divine matters anyone except Allah and He declares that those people you call upon are only people like you. In your eyes they may possess superhuman qualities, but in fact they are only humans with all humans constraints. Do they respond to you when you call them?

39:36  أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ ۖ وَيُخَوِّفُونَكَ بِالَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِ ۚ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ

Is not Allah enough for his servant? But they try to frighten you with others besides Him! for he who Allah leaves to stray, there can be no guide.

Allah is asking a question: isn’t Allah sufficient for His slaves, why then they have to make others, their masters  in religious matters? These people  try to frighten you from their self appointed human deities for whom you will not find any confirmation in the Book of Allah.

39:38  وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَرَأَيْتُم مَّا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَادَنِيَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ هَلْ هُنَّ كَاشِفَاتُ ضُرِّهِ أَوْ أَرَادَنِي بِرَحْمَةٍ هَلْ هُنَّ مُمْسِكَاتُ رَحْمَتِهِ ۚ قُلْ حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ ۖ عَلَيْهِ يَتَوَكَّلُ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ

If indeed you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they would be sure to say, “Allah”. Say. ” Do you see then? Those  you call besides Allah,- can they remove His harm on me, If Allah intends a harm on me?- Or if He wills some Grace for me, can they keep back his Grace?” Say. “Sufficient is Allah for me! In Him, trust those who put their trust.”

The people who assume that there are some personalities who can remove their harms or bring them nearer to Allah’s grace, they do believe in Allah. The Messenger tells them to have their trust in Allah alone, as He is sufficient to take care of them.  

39:3  أَلَا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي مَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ

Isn’t the Din (Judgment) purely for Allah alone? But those who take protectors (Walis) besides Him (say). “We do not serve them except that they are nearer to bring us closer to Allah.” Truly Allah will judge between them in what they differ. Verily Allah does not guide him who is a liar, kafir (rejecter/coverer).

Allah provides identification of shuraka/partners. They are those, who people think are the chosen ones of Allah and by serving them, they will bring them nearer to Allah.

18:102 أَفَحَسِبَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَن يَتَّخِذُوا عِبَادِي مِن دُونِي أَوْلِيَاءَ ۚ إِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ نُزُلًا

Do the Unbelievers think that they can take My servants as protectors besides Me? Verily We have prepared Hell for the Unbelievers for (their) hospitality.

42:21  أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُوا لَهُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَن بِهِ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةُ الْفَصْلِ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ ۗ وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

Do they have partners, who have established for them ways in religion (Shariat)  without the permission of Allah? Had it not been for the decree of Judgment, the matter would have been decided between them (at once). But verily the wrong-doers will have a grievous penalty.

Further identification of these shuraka/partners. They are making ‘sharia’ of religion. Those people who make sharia/ways in Din and cannot justify it from the Book, are identified as partners in orders of Allah. Why are they termed as partners, because people take orders from Allah and also take orders from these people.

10:35  قُلْ هَلْ مِن شُرَكَائِكُم مَّن يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ ۚ قُلِ اللَّهُ يَهْدِي لِلْحَقِّ ۗ أَفَمَن يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَن يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّن لَّا يَهِدِّي إِلَّا أَن يُهْدَىٰ ۖ فَمَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

Say. “Of your ‘partners’ is there any one who can give any guidance towards truth?” Say. “It is Allah who gives guidance towards truth, is then He who gives guidance to truth more worthy to be followed, or he who finds not guidance (himself) unless he is guided? what then is the matter with you? How do you judge?”

A logical question, why not follow the source of guidance. 

31:30  ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ الْبَاطِلُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ

That is because Allah is the Haq/Truth, and  whoever else they call other than Him is falsehood; and indeed Allah,- He is the most High, most Great.

in some sects, it is common to call some personalities for help in divine matters and fate, which is prohibited by Allah.

72:18  وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا

“And the mosques are for Allah. So do not call any one along with Allah;

The above ayat prohibits calling any one with Allah as well, i.e calling ‘others’ with or without Allah, both are prohibited. As people would assume that labelled non-muslims, call deities which are other than Allah, while labelled Muslims are justified in calling and praising in divine/religious matters their favorites who have favors with Allah therefore are with Allah. 

6:114  أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلًا ۚ وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ مُنَزَّلٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ ۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ

Say. “Shall I seek a judge other than Allah? – and He is Who has sent unto you (people) the Book, explained in detail.” The people whom we gave the Book, know fully well, that it has been sent down from your Lord in truth. Thus you, never be of those who doubt.

A direct question posed by messenger and should be followed in his sunnah by others; Why should I seek orders from others while Allah has sent down the Book explained in detail?

The partners/Shuraka in Allah are those whose orders are also followed in addition to Allah’s. So, if any one orders something and cannot not produce basis of the ayat which is the source of his order, that would mean his order is not from Allah and should not be followed.

No sharia or order other than Allah’s to be accepted, as he has sent a Book containing all necessary details. When Allah has sent down a detailed book then why should people seek other’s orders? Allah is asking; do these people take their orders from some one other than Allah, while he has revealed the Book with details.

39:45  وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ اشْمَأَزَّتْ قُلُوبُ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ الَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ

When Allah, alone is remembered, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter are filled with aversion; but when others than Him, are remembered, behold, they are filled with joy!

Further identification of unwanted behavior of people holding on to others as partners of Allah: When Allah alone is mentioned in a group, these people don’t feel comfortable, however when the names of their favorites are mentioned, they become happy.

2:165  وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَندَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ يَرَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا إِذْ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ أَنَّ الْقُوَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعَذَابِ

Yet there are people who take others besides Allah, as equals. They love them as they should love Allah. But the believers have great love for Allah. If only the oppressors could see the penalty, that to Allah belongs all power, and Allah is severe in punishment.

Identification of true believers; They love Allah more than any one else.

12:40  مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

You do serve beside Him certain names invented by you and your forefathers, Allah has not revealed any authority for them. The Command (hukum) is for none but Allah and He has commanded that you shall not serve except Him. This is the established Din/Judgement, but most people do not know.

This Ayat needs soul searching as many believers may be revering some list of names against which  Allah has not revealed any authority in His Book.

7:70  قَالُوا أَجِئْتَنَا لِنَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ وَحْدَهُ وَنَذَرَ مَا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا ۖ فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَا إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ

They said, “Did you come to make us serve Allah alone, and abandon what our forefathers used to serve? We challenge you to bring (the doom), you threaten us with, if you are truthful.”

The above is the reply all messenger get when they convey the message of Allah to their nations. ‘How can we forsake, what our forefathers were serving all their lives and what they instilled in us?’

10:18  وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِندَ اللَّهِ ۚ قُلْ أَتُنَبِّئُونَ اللَّهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

They serve, besides Allah, those who cannot either harm them nor profit them, and they say. “These are our intercessors with Allah.” Say. “Do you indeed inform Allah of something He does not know, in the heavens or on earth?- Glory to Him! and  He is far above the partners they ascribe (to Him)!”

Those who people hold on to, and boast as their intercessors with Allah, for which Allah has not revealed any authority, He asks them that do they inform Allah of their decision, while He knows everything. Were they really to be intercessors with Allah, He would have revealed authority for them in His Book.  

16:56  وَيَجْعَلُونَ لِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ نَصِيبًا مِّمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ ۗ تَاللَّهِ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنتُمْ تَفْتَرُونَ

And they (even) assign, to those they do not know, a portion of their sustenance! bestowed by Allah. You shall certainly be called to account for your false inventions.

Those people are mentioned who assign portion of their Rizq/sustenance for those they don’t even know such as Nazr/Niaz for others. They will certainly be called to account for this invention.

7:197  وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَكُمْ وَلَا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَنصُرُونَ

“and those people you call upon besides Him, are unable to help you, and indeed to help even themselves.”

The people who are normally called upon as helpers in divine matters, are incapable of helping.

17:56  قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم مِّن دُونِهِ فَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ كَشْفَ الضُّرِّ عَنكُمْ وَلَا تَحْوِيلًا

Say. “Call on those – besides Him – whom do you assume with pride. They have neither the power to remove your troubles from you nor to change them.”

2:141  تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ۖ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُم مَّا كَسَبْتُمْ ۖ وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

Those were the people who has passed away. They shall reap the fruit of what they did, and you of what you do! and you will not be questioned of what they used to do.

Pay heed to this Allah’s advise. You will not be questioned about what previous people used to do, as you cannot be witness over them except what Allah tells in his Book.

10:66 أَلَا إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ وَمَا يَتَّبِعُ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ شُرَكَاءَ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ

Behold! to Allah belong all what is in the heavens and in the earth. What do they follow who call upon “partners” other than Allah? They follow nothing but conjecture, and they do nothing but guesswork.

Holding on to partners with Allah, is a system of conjecture and guesswork by people.

43:15  وَجَعَلُوا لَهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ جُزْءًا ۚ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَكَفُورٌ مُّبِينٌ

And they have made some of His servants an (integral) part of Him ! truly man is a clear rejecter.

29:51  أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِهِمْ أَنَّا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَرَحْمَةً وَذِكْرَىٰ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

And is it not enough for them that we have sent down to you the Book which is rehearsed to them? Verily, in it is Mercy and a Reminder to those who believe.

Is it not enough for them the Book is revealed by Allah, which is recited to them. What else are they waiting for?

9:17  مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يَعْمُرُوا مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ شَاهِدِينَ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِم بِالْكُفْرِ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ وَفِي النَّارِ هُمْ خَالِدُونَ

It is not for the mushriks / associaters to spend time in mosques of Allah, while they are witness over their nafs/psyche to rejection. They are those whose works are wasted and in the fire they will live forever.

The associaters time spent in mosques and their worships will all be in vain. They themselves will tell and will be witness to what they say and associate with Allah while they are in the mosques.

6:22-23  وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَيْنَ شُرَكَاؤُكُمُ الَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ  ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُن فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلَّا أَن قَالُوا وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ

One day shall We gather them all together. We shall say to those who ascribed partners (to Us). “Where are the partners whom you assumed with so much pride? “There will then be no temptation for them but to say. “By Allah our Lord, we were not those who took partners (with Allah).”

The people who associate do not realize that they are the associating with Allah. Even on the day of Judgment before Allah, they will be repeating the same and will swear that they are not the mushrikeen/associaters.

4:48  إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَىٰ إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا

Verily Allah does not forgive that partners should be set up with Him; but He may forgive anything other than that, according to His wishes; Whoever set partner with Allah indeed invented a most grievous sin.

However, the sin of associating partners with Allah is not going to be forgiven by Allah.

Why God created Satan and Evil?

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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Some people ask why God created evil in the World and why does He allow injustices in the World. God must have created evil so that people can appreciate goodness. If we don’t know evil, we will not be able to appreciate the qualities of goodness.

Some people ask why God created Satan to delude people. If we observe God’s creation, we see that He balances everything thing with another. All forces in nature are balanced by opposing forces and thereby they achieve an equilibrium position because of this balancing mechanism. Similarly Allah has created Satan and He has also created a mechanism to balance Satan’s evil suggestions in our psychology with the Spirit of the Words of Allah, which he has breathed into mankind. The test is that where we can achieve a balance or equilibrium position with good and evil forces present in our psyche.

Some people ask why God does not prevent by force the cruel people who create sufferings in the World. A necessary condition of ‘free will’ is to not to restrain people by force in doing what they do however God does work in subtle ways to help the opressed. However, with the sufferings created by evil people in the world the larger humanity can relate to suffering and grow in compassion and thus being rewarded as promised by God. 

The knowledge about creation given to mankind is little and will be so in all times. Satan creates doubts in man by bringing forth arguments from both left and right side and creating doubts about creations with self made criteria. The Atheists perspective is getting popular in modern World with the premise that human beings can recognize and do good without the need of Divine guidance. The below video is particularly interesting because it is a talk given by a former atheist who reads Quran from that perspective for the first time and is amazed that how it addresses the atheistic issues which were present in his mind at that time. The interesting thing in the video is that the person was able to see what Quran was addressing at a much higher level, which a majority of people under influence of their upbringing, see at a very basic level.

91:7-10 وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا

By the ‘Nafs’/pshyce, and what shapes it, so He transmitted (to) it its corruption, and its righteousness. Truly he succeeds who purifies it (the Nafs), and he fails who buries/corrupts it.

‘Islam’ and ‘Muslim’ in Quran

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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The word ‘Islam’ and ‘Muslim’ as generally understood have somewhat different connotation when used in Quran. People generally believe the word ‘Islam’, means a particular religion. Likewise those people who follow this religion of Islam are known as Muslims. However, when used in Quran, the Word ‘Islam’ means ‘Peace’. ‘Al-Islam’ is ‘the Peace’ which Allah asks the believers to obtain as per guidance given in Al-Quran. ‘Al-Islam’ when mentioned in Al-Quran is not a religion but a Judgment (Deen). The word for religion in Arabic is ‘Millat’. The word ‘Deen’ in Arabic means ‘Judgment’ as in (مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ).  ‘Deen’ of ‘Islam’ means, the judgment to choose the way leading to peace. Some important Arabic words and their meanings related to this topic are given below:

Islam :   Peace

Muslim: Submitter

Deen:  Judgment

The Arabic root word ( س ل م  ) conveys meanings of  safety/security/freedom/immunity, to escape, salutation/greeting/peace, deliver/acknowledge, pay in advance, submit, sincerity, humility, submission/conformance/obedience, resign/quit/relinquish, to be in sound condition, well without blemish, gentle/tender/soft/elegant. Solomon/Suleiman.

The Word Islam and Muslim both are from root word (س ل م ). ‘Islam’ is used in Quran  meaning  ‘Peace’. Word ‘Salam’ is used as Peace and as a Greeting. ‘Muslim’ in Quran conveys meanings of ‘Submitter’. When Quran mentions ‘Muslim’ it means, one who submits to the Judgment and Will of Allah, other wise in the language it just means ‘submitter’.

In this post we will review what Al-Quran says about Islam (peace) and Muslim (submitter):

10:25  وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَىٰ دَارِ السَّلَامِ وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

And Allah invites towards the circle of the Peace. He  guides whom He pleases to a way that is straight..

5:16  يَهْدِي بِهِ اللَّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلَامِ وَيُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

With it (Quran) Allah guides those who seek His good pleasure to ways of the Peace (and safety), and leads them out of darkness, by His will, into the light,- guides them to a path that is straight.

2:208  يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَافَّةً وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ

O’ People who believe, Enter into Peace completely; and follow not the footsteps of Satan for he is an open enemy to you.

61:7  وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُوَ يُدْعَىٰ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

Who does greater wrong than one who invents falsehood against Allah, even as he is being invited to Al-Islam/the Peace? And Allah guides not those who do wrong.

This is a really thought provoking Ayat. Allah declares who can be a bigger oppressor than he, who is invited towards the Islam/Peace, but he rejects the Peace and prefers a way of violence and warfare as his judgment by inventing lies on Allah. Verily Allah does not guide these people who have love of violence in their hearts. See previous post of non-physical fighting (https://topicsfromquran.com/2018/06/30/non-physical-fighting-2/ ).

3:85  وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

If anyone desire a Deen/judgment other than Al-Islam/the Peace never will be accepted of him and in the hereafter he will be from those who are the losers.

In any situation that one encounters in life, he has to choose the option leading to Peace and security. Any judgment leading to violence, corruption and aggression i.e against peace, is not going to be accepted by Allah.

25:63  وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا

And the servants of (Allah) Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant ones address them, they say,”Salam/Peace!”;

28:55  وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا اللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا لَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَا نَبْتَغِي الْجَاهِلِينَ

And when they hear vain talk, they turn away therefrom and say. “To us our deeds, and to you yours; Salam/Peace be to you. we seek not the ignorant.”

6:54  وَإِذَا جَاءَكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِآيَاتِنَا فَقُلْ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ ۖ أَنَّهُ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنكُمْ سُوءًا بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ تَابَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَنَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

When those come to you(The Messenger) who believe in Our Signs, Say. “Salam/Peace be on you. Your Lord has written mercy on His Nafs/self. Such that if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented, and amend (his conduct), then verily, He is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

15:45-46  إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ  ادْخُلُوهَا بِسَلَامٍ آمِنِينَ

The righteous (will be) amid gardens and fountains (Their greeting will be). “Enter ye here in peace and security.”

19:33  وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا

(Prophet Essa said) And the Salam/Peace is on me the day I was born , and the day when I die and the day when I shall be raised to life.

47:35  فَلَا تَهِنُوا وَتَدْعُوا إِلَى السَّلْمِ وَأَنتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ وَاللَّهُ مَعَكُمْ وَلَن يَتِرَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ

Be not disheartened (you believers), and invite towards Peace (ISLAM), you are of the higher rank and Allah is with you, and He will never put you in loss for your (good) deeds.

3:19  إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ ۗ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

The Deen/judgment before Allah is Al-Islam (the Peace) nor did the Ahlal-Kitab/People of the Book differed except to wrong each other, after knowledge had come to them, And if any cover/rejects the Ayas/Signs of Allah, Allah is swift in taking account.

The people only differed in mutual enmity, after the Book has been given to them and they acquired knowledge of the Book. The intention for seeking knowledge from the Book should be to get guidance and correct one’s actions, and not to prove each other wrong in matters of knowledge.

Muslims in Quran:

The word ‘Muslim’ is also from the same root word ( س ل م ). It means ‘submitter’. All those who have been submitting to the Will of Allah and His Words, since day one on Earth, are Muslims/submitters to Allah.

2:103  إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ ۖ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

When his Lord said to him (Ibraheem). “Submit” He said. “I submit to the Lord of the Worlds.”

3:67  مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Abraham was not a Jew nor a Christian; but he was true in Faith  Muslim/submitter, and he was not one of the polytheists.

6:161-163  قُلْ إِنَّنِي هَدَانِي رَبِّي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ دِينًا قِيَمًا مِّلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۚ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ  قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ  لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ ۖ وَبِذَٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

Say : Surely my Lord has guided me to a Straight way a Judgment established. The Millat (Religion) of true Ibraheem (Abraham) and he was not from the polytheists/associators. Say : Surely my salat and my solitude and my life and my death are for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. That there is no partner for him,  I am ordered with it and I am the first of Muslim/Submitter.

When the Prophet was guided to the straight path, the Judgment established of the religion of Ibraheem, he did not wait long to submit to this judgment.

39:11-12  قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّينَ  وَأُمِرْتُ لِأَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

Say. “Verily, I am commanded to serve Allah with judgment exclusive/pure for Him”. “And I am commanded to be the first to submit to Allah”

Messenger and the his followers don’t take long to submit, when they get the Spirit of Allah’s Words, which comes after making their judgment pure for Allah.

10:90 وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْبَحْرَ فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُنُودُهُ بَغْيًا وَعَدْوًا ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ قَالَ آمَنتُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

We took the Bani Israeel/Children of Israeel across the sea: Pharaoh and his group followed them in insolence and spite. At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: “I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: and I am of those who are Muslims/Submitters.

When the Pharaoh said he wanted to be a Muslim/Submitter it was too late, i.e it was time to close his account after spending  all his life in opposition to Allah’s Will, and only submitting when he was certain of his doom.

10:72  فَإِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَمَا سَأَلْتُكُم مِّنْ أَجْرٍ ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

(Prophet Nooh said) “But if ye turn back. no reward have I asked of you. my reward is only due from Allah, and I have been commanded to be of Muslims/submitters.”

3:83  أَفَغَيْرَ دِينِ اللَّهِ يَبْغُونَ وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ

Do they seek Deen/judgment other than of Allah’s. And whosoever is in the skies and earth have willingly or unwillingly submitted to Him and to Him shall they return.

2:132  وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

And this was the legacy that Abraham left to his sons, and so did Jacob; “Oh my sons! Allah has chosen the judgment for you; then die not except you are muslims/submitters (to his judgment).”

27:38  قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ

He (Solomon) said “Ye chiefs! which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me as muslims/in submission?”

22:78  وَجَاهِدُوا فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ ۚ هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِي هَٰذَا لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ ۚ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِاللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَاكُمْ ۖ فَنِعْمَ الْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ

And you strive in Allah as the right of striving in Him. He has chosen you and He has made no difficulty over you in the Din/Judgment. The religion of your Father Ibraheem. And He has named you muslim/submitters from before and in this, so the messenger be a witness over you and you be a witness over mankind. Then establish Prayer and give zakah and hold fast with Allah.
He is your Protector (Maula) so He is the blessed Protector and the blessed Helper

3:84  قُلْ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

Say we believe in Allah and what is revealed on us and what was revealed on Ibraheem and Ismail and Ishaq and Yaqoob and tribes and what was given to Moosa, Essa and the prophets, is from their Lord. We do not make distinction between anyone from it and for Him we are muslims / submitters.

The statement of Muslims is that they don’t differentiate between any of the Messengers of God.

68:35-38  أَفَنَجْعَلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَالْمُجْرِمِينَ  مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ  أَمْ لَكُمْ كِتَابٌ فِيهِ تَدْرُسُونَ  إِنَّ لَكُمْ فِيهِ لَمَا تَخَيَّرُون

Would We make the Muslims/Submitters like the criminals? What is the matter with you? How do you judge? Or for you is a book through which you have taken lesson? In it (the other book), do you find anything you want?

Allah is asking will We make the muslims/submitters to the Will of Allah like criminals? Those who order people to do illegal acts and violence in the name of religion and become criminals certainly are not ordering with the Spirit of the Book of God.

28:53  وَإِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ

And when it is recited to them, they say. “We believe therein, for it is the Truth from our Lord. indeed we have been Muslims/submitters to Allah’s Will from before this.

3:64  قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ

Say O people of the Book come to a kalima/word that is equal between us and you that we serve none except Allah, that we associate nothing with him and that we do not take from among ourselves Lords other than Allah. If then they turn back say you bear witness that we are muslims / submitters

The people of the Book are advised to come to one Kalima which is common among all sects. Please note there is only one Kalima which is common to all present sects of Muslims i.e The Quran. You cannot attain any sect if you follow this Kalima. It is by following books other than Quran, the people get their sectarian teachings. When you come to the common Kalima and leave the sectarian teachings behind, then you can hope to become Muslims/submitters to Allah. (Please see previous post on Ahlal-Kitab  https://topicsfromquran.com/2017/03/26/who-are-ahlal-kitab/ )

3:103  وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا ۚ وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

And hold fast all together to the rope of Allah and do not be divided among yourselves, and remember the favor of Allah on you when you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love; you became brethren and you were on the brink of the pit of fire and He saved you from it. Likewise Allah make His Ayas/Signs clear to you that you may be guided.

By becoming Muslims/submitters to Alalh and leaving behind their sects and sectarian hatred, people become brothers and are saved from the brink of the pit of fire.

49:17  يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا ۖ قُل لَّا تَمُنُّوا عَلَيَّ إِسْلَامَكُم ۖ بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَدَاكُمْ لِلْإِيمَانِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

They take as a favor on you that they have submitted. Say do not take your Islam/Peace as a favor on me. But, Allah has put a favor on you that He has guided you to the belief, if you are truthful.

Nobody does any favor by their submission to the Allah’s system. It is Allah who has done a favor on those whom He has guided.

2:128  رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

Our Lord! Make both of us Muslims/submitters for You and from our off spring Muslims/submitters nation for You. And show both of us our places of solitude and turn to us surely, You are Most Oft Returning Most Merciful.

The supplication of Prophets Ibrahim and Ismaeel is to make them and their offsprings, muslims/submitters to Allah.

3:52  فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ عِيسَىٰ مِنْهُمُ الْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ اللَّهِ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ

When Essa(Jesus) realized unbelief on their part he said “who will be my helpers to Allah”. Said the companions (disciples). “we are Allahs helpers. We believe In Allah, and you bear witness that we are Muslims(submitters)“.

Notes:

Interesting lectures by Brother Mohammad Shaikh on Islam and Muslims on below links:

https://www.iipccanada.com/2017/11/06/islam-to-attain-peace-2004/

https://www.iipccanada.com/category/english-video-lectures/know-yourself/

 

Lexical Meaning of the Arabic word Silm

 

The signs of the ‘Hour’ in Quran

Aijaz Uncategorized , , , ,

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The topic about signs of the ‘Hour’ interests many people. Lets review the ayahs related to ‘the Hour’ in Quran:

7:187  يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّي ۖ لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَا إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ ثَقُلَتْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ لَا تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلَّا بَغْتَةً ۗ يَسْأَلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنْهَا ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ اللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

They ask thee (the messenger) about the (final) hour – when will be it’s appointed time? Say. “The knowledge thereof is with my Lord. None but He can reveal as to when it will occur. It is heavy on the heavens and the earth. It will come to you, suddenly”. They ask thee as if thou wert eager in search thereof. Say, “The knowledge thereof is with Allah (alone), but most people don’t know.”

The ayat 7:187 states that people asked the messenger (pbuh) about the ‘Hour’. However, messenger’s response to the question was that the knowledge of ‘the Hour’ is with Allah, no one but Allah can reveal its timings. There are however, tons of narrations attributed to the messenger (pbuh) about the final ‘Hour’. This ayat makes these narrations doubtful as the messenger has categorically replied that the knowledge of the ‘Hour’ is only with Allah.

In this post we will see ayahs of Quran, related to the ‘Hour’ as below:

47:18  فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا السَّاعَةَ أَن تَأْتِيَهُم بَغْتَةً ۖ فَقَدْ جَاءَ أَشْرَاطُهَا ۚ فَأَنَّىٰ لَهُمْ إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ ذِكْرَاهُمْ

Do they then only wait for the ‘Hour’,- that it should come on them suddenly? But already have come some conditions thereof, and when it (actually) is on them, how can they benefit then by their admonitions?

The ‘Hour’ will arrive suddenly. Some of its conditions will manifest in time. Lets see what are these conditions in Quran.

44:10-11  فَارْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ  يَغْشَى النَّاسَ ۖ هَٰذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

Then be on the watch for a day when the sky shall come with a smoke plainly visible, enveloping the people. This is a grievous penalty.

Smoke and pollution is en-gulfing people in major industrial cities and causing lots of health problems. Near the ‘Hour’ smoke will become a major problem.

Image result for pollution in cities

30:41  ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

Violence/Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of deeds of the hands of people, that (Allah) may give them a taste of some of their deeds, in order that they may turn (towards Him)

No land, sea or air is going to be safe because of the weapons of mass destruction mankind has made.

27:82  وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُونَ

And when the ‘Word’ is fulfilled on them, We shall bring out for them , a creature from the earth to speak to them, for that mankind did not believe in Our signs.

Creature of earth could be a reference to computer technology, as computer chips are sometimes referred to be made of silica (As in Silicon Valley), an ingredient of sand. With advancement of AI, we will be seeing advanced AI forms such as ‘Siri’ of Apple and ‘Alexa’ of Google, Chat GPT and robots, talking to people intelligently.

Image result for I robot 

In the world of AI, a term ‘Singularity is used which is a hypothetical future point where artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence, leading to rapid, uncontrollable technological growth through recursive self-improvement, creating superintelligence beyond human comprehension, fundamentally transforming civilization with potentially utopian or catastrophic results. I think at this point when AI will be more intelligent than human, it should be able to recognize that the Universe has a Creator and it has obvious signs which were not recognized with certainty by most humans. There are different predictions about when this may happen, could be around year 2045 AD. 

54:1  اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ

The Hour (of Judgment) is near, and the moon is split.

Could be a prophesy for the future i.e near the Sa’aa/hour the moon will be split (a supernova happening within 30 light-years from Earth could annihilate earth and moon) or could be an expression of a predicament, that in modern times, when information about moon positions is not a secret any more, still in many cities of world, the celebration of Eid will be split among factions of Muslims, i.e they will split in their judgment about the moon’s position and celebrate Eid on different days, while still living in the same city. This is as if the moon is split for them. While it is possible to calculate several hundred years in advance, when a lunar and solar eclipse will happen and in which parts of the World it can be seen. In this age, differences of people’s opinion for normal start of the lunar month is incomprehensible. Allah says that the Moon is for calculation of years and months and for ‘Muwaqeet’/scheduling/calendar (2:189 يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ ) (They ask thee about the Moon phases. Say,  they are schedules/fixed periods of time for people, and for Hajj).  And in 10:5    (    هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُورًا وَقَدَّرَهُ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ ۚ ) (It is He Who made the sun to be a shining and the moon to be a light, and measured out stages for it; that you may know the count of years and the calculation...). In the present situation can we schedule any event/meeting with Lunar calendar a few months in advance in different parts of the world? with the uncertainty of date depending upon if the moon will be visible with naked eye or not in these cities?

Image result for moon sighting

21:96  حَتَّىٰ إِذَا فُتِحَتْ يَأْجُوجُ وَمَأْجُوجُ وَهُم مِّن كُلِّ حَدَبٍ يَنسِلُونَ

Until the Gog and Magog, are released, and they swiftly swarm from every height.

The fast moving invaders shall be released. Most probably two nations from the Eastern region, of China/Mongolia/Korea, who will surge into fast moving war. They shall be swift in coming down from heights. (Please see related to topic of Zalqarnain   https://topicsfromquran.com/2018/09/22/zal-qarnain-dual-qarnain/)

The Hour is horrific occurrence that will suddenly overtake mankind. Also, see ayahs 12:107, 22:55, 43:66, also.

6:31  قَدْ خَسِرَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِلِقَاءِ اللَّهِ ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً قَالُوا يَا حَسْرَتَنَا عَلَىٰ مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِيهَا وَهُمْ يَحْمِلُونَ أَوْزَارَهُمْ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِمْ ۚ أَلَا سَاءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ

Losers indeed are those who belie meeting with Allah,- until ‘the Hour’ is on them suddenly, and they say. “Ah! woe unto us that we took no heed of it”; for they bear their burdens on their backs, and evil indeed are the burdens that they bear?

The ‘Hour’ is accompanied with a mighty convulsion.

22:1-2  يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيمٌ  يَوْمَ تَرَوْنَهَا تَذْهَلُ كُلُّ مُرْضِعَةٍ عَمَّا أَرْضَعَتْ وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَىٰ وَمَا هُم بِسُكَارَىٰ وَلَٰكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ

O Mankind! fear your Lord! for the Earth quake/Convulsion of the Hour will be a mighty thing!: The Day ye shall see it, every mother giving suck shall forget her suckling-babe, and every load bearing one shall drop her load. Thou shalt see mankind as if drunk, while they are not drunk. but dreadful is the punishment of Allah.

21:1  اقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِضُونَ

Closer has come to mankind their accountability yet they turn away in oblivion.

Actually the accountability of everyone is as close to a person as his time of death. With every passing second one is getting closer to his appointed time of death. An example is like that of fixed length rope which is slowly burning at one end and getting shorter with passage of time, eventually reaching to its end. Similar, is the life-time of every person, slowly reaching to its end. As soon as one dies, his account is closed and when he will open his eyes again, it will be the time for accountability.

35:37  وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُم مَّا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ وَجَاءَكُمُ النَّذِيرُ ۖ فَذُوقُوا فَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ

Therein will they cry aloud (for assistance). “Our Lord! Bring us out. we shall work righteousness, not the (deeds) we used to do!” – “Did We not give you long enough life-time so that he that should receive admonition? and (moreover) the warner came to you. So taste (the fruits of your deeds). for the wrong-doers there is no helper.”

Those who will be unfortunate to be destined to fire, will cry therein pleading to the Lord to give them a second chance, however, Allah will ask them a question, which we should honestly ask ourselves now, ‘is the life time we have been given on earth, is not enough for one to study Allah’s Book and take heed from it.?”

32:21 وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَدْنَىٰ دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

And indeed We will make them taste of the nearer/smaller penalty  prior to the supreme penalty, in order that they may (repent and) return.

Allah will send smaller calamities with the intention that people mend their ways and heed what wrong they are doing in the world and have a chance to correct themselves before the final calamity falls on them. 

32:22 وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن ذُكِّرَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِ ثُمَّ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا ۚ إِنَّا مِنَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُنتَقِمُونَ

And who does more wrong than one, who is reminded with ayahs/signs of his Lord, and then he turns away from them? Verily from those who transgress We shall exact (due) retribution.

Al-Kitab prophesizes of two big world scale wars.  Not sure if one of them could be the forerunner of the ‘Hour’ or not, however these events will be very stressful indeed for the world and the 2nd event will disfigure the face of Bani Israeel. 

17:4  وَقَضَيْنَا إِلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي الْكِتَابِ لَتُفْسِدُنَّ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلَتَعْلُنَّ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا

And We decreed for the Children of Israel in the Book, that twice would they do violence on the earth and be elated with mighty arrogance!

Twice the Bani-Israeel would be involved in great violence on the Earth. 

17:5: فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ أُولَاهُمَا بَعَثْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادًا لَّنَا أُولِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ فَجَاسُوا خِلَالَ الدِّيَارِ ۚ وَكَانَ وَعْدًا مَّفْعُولًا

When the first of the promise came to pass, We sent against you, Our servants given to terrible warfare. They entered the very inmost parts of your circles; and it was a promise fulfilled.

The first great violence which is prophesied in Quran is most probably the 2nd World war, in which most countries of the World got engaged.  Bani Israel were the defeated party and the stronger opponent got control of the ‘Mosque’. Then this would mean that the 2nd great violence in which Bani-Israeel would be involved is yet to come and there will again be the involvement of the Mosque. The stronger party will again enter the Mosque and will inflict great destruction on Bani Israeel. 

17:7  إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا ۚ فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَةِ لِيَسُوءُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا الْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا مَا عَلَوْا تَتْبِيرًا

If you do well, you do well for yourselves; if you do evil, (you do it) against yourselves. So when the second of the promise came about, (your adversaries) disfigured your faces, and entered the Mosque as they had entered it the first time to destroy completely what they can muster.

Israeel and Bani Israeel

Aijaz Uncategorized , , , , , ,

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

17:2-3  وَآتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ هُدًى لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَلَّا تَتَّخِذُوا مِن دُونِي وَكِيلًا  ذُرِّيَّةَ مَنْ حَمَلْنَا مَعَ نُوحٍ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا

And We gave Moosa, Al-Kitab (The Book) and We made it a guidance for Bani-Israeel (Children of Israeel), that you do not hold fast to an advocate other than Me.  (Children of Israel) are the off springs of those whom We carried with Nooh, surely he was a thankful servant.

From the above ayahs of Al-Quran, we come to know that Bani-Israeel are the off-springs of who was/were carried with Nooh (a.s). Therefore as defined by Quran, ‘Israeel’ was carried in the ‘Ark’ associated with prophet Nooh (a.s). Biblical beliefs which have crept into Muslim faith, make people believe that Israeel means Yaqoob (a.s), however, this is not stated in Quran. Instead Quran clearly defines ‘Israeel’ from the above two ayahs. Also, common perception of people when they read the term ‘Bani Israeel’ in Quran, they take it for people labeled as ‘Jews’. In this post, we will review from ayahs of Quran, what does the term ‘Bani Israeel’ mean as per character traits and descriptions given in Quran.

3:93  كُلُّ الطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِلًّا لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِلَّا مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَائِيلُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرَاةُ ۗ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِالتَّوْرَاةِ فَاتْلُوهَا إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

All food was lawful to the Children of Israeel, except what Israeel made unlawful for itself, before the Taurat/Law was revealed. Say. “Bring the Taurat/Law and recite it, if you are truthful.”

Ayat 5:44 states that All prophets of Allah command with Al-Taurat/The Law (an attribute of Al-Kitab). Israeel the one, who had first hand interaction with the prophet of Allah, had earlier self imposed inhibition with certain foods which were actually lawful to them, before ‘Taurat’ was clarified to them. The Prophet clarifies for them the commands of Allah, and orders them with Taurat/(The Law/Attribute of Al-Kitab) and removes these self imposed yokes from the people (7:157 وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالْأَغْلَالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ…  )

45:16  وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

And without doubt, We gave Childern of Israel,  Al-Kitab (the Book) & Al-Hukm (the Command) & An-Nubuowah (the Prophecy) and We gave them sustenance from the good and We favored them over the worlds.

So, Bani Israeel are the offsprings of the one in the Ark with prophet Nooh (a.s), and prophet commanded with the Book of Allah. These offsprings of Israeel, as long as they hold fast to the Book, the Commandment and Prophet-hood, they are bestowed bounties and given a  prestigious position by Allah, in the world. Those people who don’t have the Book of Allah, His Commandments, nor they believe in all prophets, can not be deemed as ‘Bani-Israeel’.

Which Al-Kitab/The Book was given to Bani Israeel? When Quran mentions ‘The Book’ Al-Kitab, that is the same book as mentioned in Ayat 2:2 ( ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ )

10:90 وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْبَحْرَ فَأَتْبَعَهُمْ فِرْعَوْنُ وَجُنُودُهُ بَغْيًا وَعَدْوًا ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَدْرَكَهُ الْغَرَقُ قَالَ آمَنتُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا الَّذِي آمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

We took the Children of Israeel across the Sea: Pharaoh and his army followed them in rebellion and enmity. Until when he realized the doom/drowning, he said: “I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israeel believe in: I am of those who are Muslims/Submitters.

Bani Israeel are the Muslims/submitters as long as following the Prophet. Pharaoh’s wish before being doomed was that ‘I believe with the Bani Israeel and I am with the Muslims’. 

2:83  وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنكُمْ وَأَنتُم مُّعْرِضُونَ

When We took a covenant with the Bani-Israeel/Children of Israel that you will serve none but Allah and be good with your parents and with relatives and the orphan and the needy and say to mankind good words and establish Salah/Prayer and give Zakat/Justification then except few from you, turn away avoiding it.

Allah’s covenant with Bani Israeel is to serve none but Allah, be good to parents, relatives, orphans, poor and be fair to mankind. To establish prayers and give zakat/charity. However, very few of the Bani Israeel adhere to these injunctions.

Is it not that the above ayat applicable to those who call themselves Muslims?

2:40-41  يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِي أُوفِ بِعَهْدِكُمْ وَإِيَّايَ فَارْهَبُونِ  وَآمِنُوا بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ وَلَا تَكُونُوا أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ ۖ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُونِ

O Bani Israeel (Children of Israel)! remember the blessing that I have blessed over you and complete your promise with Me and I will complete My promise with you and only from Me you be afraid. And believe with what I have revealed, confirming what is with you (Al-Kitab), and you do not be the first of the rejecters with it. And you do not sell My Ayahs for a little price and only from Me, you take guard/fear.

Previously we learned that Allah has bestowed Bani Israeel with Al-Kitab, the Prophet-hood and the Command. This ayat is reminding them to remember these blessings and believe with what is with them and do not become a rejecter with it as soon as they hear it. And do not sell Allah’s ayahs for a little price. Therefore Bani Israeel are labelled Muslims who are commanded to believe what is with them i.e Allah Book. Bani Israeel cannot be those people who have nothing to do with Allah’s Book. I.e if they adhere to some other book which they believe to be revealed by Allah and it is not actually revealed by Allah or is distorted then they cannot be ‘Bani Israeel’.  

2:42 وَلَا تَلْبِسُوا الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُوا الْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

And do not clothe the truth with falsehood, and do not hide the truth and you know it.

Further the Bani Israeel are advised not to mix the Haq/Truth with false hood. So we know that Haq/Truth is from Allah and if we mix this Haq/Truth with man made stories and in light of these man made stories we devise an understanding of ayahs of Allah which is tantamount to clothing truth with falsehood. 

2:43-44  وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ  أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

And establish Salah/Prayer and give Zakat/Justification and bow with those who bow down. Do you order people with righteousness and you forget yourselves and you recite Al-Kitab so do you not understand.

This Ayat addresses Bani-Israeel and states that they read Al-Kitab/the Book. Is this ayat asking Muslims to establish Salat/prayers and Zakat/Charity as they read Al-Kitab or is it addressing Jews or some other community of the World today? Common perception is that Bani Israeel means Jews. However, where do we find in Quran that Bani-Israeel means Jews? Allah’s Din/Judgment has always been Islam/Peace. All prophets of Allah convey the same message. The nations of all prophets who truly follow them actually follow the same Deen/judgement, the same religion and are actual muslim/submitters to the orders of Allah. Allah asks, don’t you people use your intellect?

5:70  لَقَدْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ رُسُلًا ۖ كُلَّمَا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰ أَنفُسُهُمْ فَرِيقًا كَذَّبُوا وَفَرِيقًا يَقْتُلُونَ

We took Covenant with Bani-Israeel/Children of Israeel and We send to them Our messengers. Whenever comes to them a messenger with what their nafs/psyche did not desire, some they belied and some they killed.

Allah enjoined salat and zakat on Bani Israeel. In their salat, several times during the day they promise to Allah that, ‘”only You we serve and only from You, we seek help”. However, after making these promises they mix all sort of false-hood with Allah’s Deen/Judgment in the garb of religion, fiqh, sharia etc. Whenever a messenger of Allah comes to them, making clear their mixing of false hood with the truth, they belie the messenger and kill him (kill messenger’s personality, by attributing false history to the messenger, as rejecters cannot kill a messenger of Allah, physically)

5:12    فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَاقَهُمْ لَعَنَّاهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً ۖ يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ ۙ وَنَسُوا حَظًّا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ ۚ وَلَا تَزَالُ تَطَّلِعُ عَلَىٰ خَائِنَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّنْهُمْ ۖ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاصْفَحْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

Thus because of their breaking of the covenant, We cursed them and We made their hearts hard. They maneuver the Word from its subject and they forgot the portion of what they were reminded with. And you will never cease to get news about their dishonesty barring a few of them, which will not befall you, so pardon them and bear with them, Surely Allah loves the good doers.

When Bani Israeel breaks the covenant, Allah hardens their hearts. Majority of them will remain dishonest. They change the subject of the Word (of Allah) and they forget what they had been made to remember (i.e not to mix anything with Allah and His Word). Most common way to change the subject of the Word of Allah is to bring a piece of history as a story associated with the Ayat of Allah, thus limiting the scope of the Ayat to some story and changing the focus from the actual ayat to that story.   

2:85  ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ هَٰؤُلَاءِ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَتُخْرِجُونَ فَرِيقًا مِّنكُم مِّن دِيَارِهِمْ تَظَاهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِالْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَإِن يَأْتُوكُمْ أُسَارَىٰ تُفَادُوهُمْ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ إِخْرَاجُهُمْ ۚ أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ ۚ فَمَا جَزَاءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ ۗ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

Then, here you are, killing your Nafs/selves and expelling a group of your people from their circles, backing them with sin and enmity and if they come to us as captives, you ransom them and it was forbidden over you to expel them (in the first place). So do you believe with a portion of Al-Kitab/The Book and you reject with a portion. So the reward for one who does that amongst you is disgrace in this worldly life and on the day of judgement will return towards the severe punishment and Allah is not unaware about your doings.

This above ayat 2:85, points out to a bad characteristic trait of Bani Israeel. If some sub-groups of them differ in matters of faith with them they expel them out of their circles of faith calling them the likes of heretics in enmity. Then they try hard to bring some of the same expelled group back to their circles of faith by preaching them their ideology. A basic principle which is stated by Quran here is, if some one says I am a ‘Muslim’, no one has the right to expel him out of the circle of faith. Allah is demanding belief on the full Al-Kitab, even though some part of it is against their sectarian teachings. Common observation is that, if some one is presented with an ayat which clashes with his present belief system, he would still will give preference to his belief system and try to distort the meaning of the ayat. Thus Allah questions them that do you believe in part of the Al-Kitab/The Book and reject part of it.

2:211  سَلْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَمْ آتَيْنَاهُم مِّنْ آيَةٍ بَيِّنَةٍ ۗ وَمَن يُبَدِّلْ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

Ask the Children of Israeel how many clear ayahs/Signs We have given them. But if any one, after Allah’s favor has come to him, substitutes (something else), Allah is severe in retribution.

How many clear signs have Allah provided to Bani-Israeel? Any who then causes distortion in these ayahs and mixes false hood with them, then Allah is sure going to punish them.

61:6  وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُم مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ قَالُوا هَٰذَا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ

And when Essa/Jesus, son of Mary, said, “O Children of Israeel, I am Allah’s messenger to you, confirming the Taurat/law which is between my hands and bringing good news of a messenger to come after me named, Ahmad.”  Then, when he came to them (children of israeel) with clarity (of Ayahs), they said, “This is profound magic.”

In the above ayat, messenger Essa (a.s) is addressing Bani-Israeel and giving them glad tiding of another messenger after him named ‘Ahmed’. If we ponder on this ayat, Essa/Jesus is addressing Bani Israeel, the promise is being made to Bani Israeel of a messenger to come to them after him. Therefore this messenger should be coming to Bani-Israeel as the glad tiding was for them. Then this messenger came to whom? Obviously, he came to Bani Israeel. But when majority of Bani-Israeel will see the clear signs, they will say this is but magic/trickery/falsehood.

46:10  قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَكَفَرْتُم بِهِ وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّن بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَىٰ مِثْلِهِ فَآمَنَ وَاسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

Say do you see, if it is from the nearness of Allah and you reject with it, and a witness from Bani Israeel who witnessed over his example, so he believed and you seek greatness, surely Allah does not guide the people who are oppressors.”

In the ayat 61:6 above, Essa (a.s) was a messenger from Bani Israeel and he gave  witness of another messenger on his example, (i.e of another messenger coming to Bani-Israeel), however, people will still believe some other nation to be ‘Bani Israeel, looking down upon this nation.

26:197  أَوَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُمْ آيَةً أَن يَعْلَمَهُ عُلَمَاءُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ

Is it not a an ayat/sign for them, that the scholars of the Children of Israeel know it (the Quran).

All scholars of Bani-Israeel know Al-Quran, obviously, as The book is given to Bani-Israeel.

27:76  إِنَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَقُصُّ عَلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَكْثَرَ الَّذِي هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ

Indeed, this Quran relates over Bani-Israeel (children of Israel) a lot in which they differ.

Bani-Israeel differ a lot among themselves, and this Quran, shows to them a lot of things in which they differ. All the ayahs in this post are ayahs of Al-Quran on which Children of Israeel differ on interpretation. 

11:48  قِيلَ يَا نُوحُ اهْبِطْ بِسَلَامٍ مِّنَّا وَبَرَكَاتٍ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰ أُمَمٍ مِّمَّن مَّعَكَ ۚ وَأُمَمٌ سَنُمَتِّعُهُمْ ثُمَّ يَمَسُّهُم مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

It was said “O Nooh! Come down (from the Ark) with peace from Us, and blessing on you and on some of the nations from those with you and (other) nations to whom We shall grant blessings, then a grievous penalty will reach them from Us.”

The nations associated with the Ark of Nooh (a.s), as per Allah’s promise they are bestowed with bounties and subsequently will be held accountable for their bad deeds when they will deviate from The Book, Prophet-hood and Commandments of Allah.

19:58  أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِن ذُرِّيَّةِ آدَمَ وَمِمَّنْ حَمَلْنَا مَعَ نُوحٍ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْرَائِيلَ وَمِمَّنْ هَدَيْنَا وَاجْتَبَيْنَا ۚ إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ خَرُّوا سُجَّدًا وَبُكِيًّا ۩

Those were among the prophets for whom Allah has blessed from the offspring of Adam and from those whom We carried with Nooh and from the offspring of Ibrahim and Israeel and from those whom We guided and We chose, when the Ayahs/signs of the Most Gracious are recited on them they fall down prostrating, weeping. {Sajda}

The ayat again mentions the nations whom Allah has bestowed his bounties; the prophets from the progeny of Adam, those who were onboard with Nooh (Israeel), and the progenies of Ibrahim and Israeel.

17:4  وَقَضَيْنَا إِلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي الْكِتَابِ لَتُفْسِدُنَّ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلَتَعْلُنَّ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا

And We decreed for the Children of Israel in the Book, that twice would they do violence on the earth and be elated with mighty arrogance!

Twice the Bani-Israeel would be involved in great violence on the Earth. 

17:5: فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ أُولَاهُمَا بَعَثْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادًا لَّنَا أُولِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ فَجَاسُوا خِلَالَ الدِّيَارِ ۚ وَكَانَ وَعْدًا مَّفْعُولًا

When the first of the promise came to pass, We sent against you, Our servants given to terrible warfare. They entered the very inmost parts of your circles; and it was a promise fulfilled.

The first great violence which is prophesied in Quran is most probably the 2nd World war, in which most countries of the World got engaged.  Bani Israel were the defeated party and the stronger opponent got control of the ‘Mosque’. Then this would mean that the 2nd great violence in which Bani-Israeel would be involved is yet to come and there will again be the involvement of the Mosque. The stronger party will again enter the Mosque and will inflict great destruction on Bani Israeel. 

17:7  إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا ۚ فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَةِ لِيَسُوءُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا الْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا مَا عَلَوْا تَتْبِيرًا

If you do well, you do well for yourselves; if you do evil, (you do it) against yourselves. So when the second of the promise came about, (your adversaries) disfigured your faces, and entered the Mosque as they had entered it the first time to destroy completely what they can muster.

Notes:

An interesting lecture by Brother Mohammad Shaikh about ‘Bani-Israeel’ for identification of Bani-Israeel from verses of Quran:

https://www.iipccanada.com/category/english-video-lectures/know-yourself/

(Lecture in Urdu)

https://www.iipccanada.com/category/urdu-video-lectures/apni-pehchan/

Zal-Qarnain/Dual-Qarnain

Aijaz Uncategorized , , , , ,

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In Sura 18 i.e Kahaf/Cave we learn about a person called Zil-Qarnain (of two Eras):

18:83-88  وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَن ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ ۖ قُلْ سَأَتْلُو عَلَيْكُم مِّنْهُ ذِكْرًا  إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَآتَيْنَاهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا  فَأَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا   حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوْمًا ۗ قُلْنَا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّا أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّا أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًا  قَالَ أَمَّا مَن ظَلَمَ فَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا نُّكْرًاوَأَمَّا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُ جَزَاءً الْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا يُسْرًا

They ask you (the Messenger) concerning Zul-Qarnain. Say, “I will rehearse to you something of his story.”  Verily We established for him on the land, and We gave him the means from everything. Thus he followed the means, until, when he reached the setting of the Sun, he found it setting in a spring of murky water. Near it he found a nation We said. “O Zul-qarnain! either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness.” He said. “Whoever does wrong, we shall punish him, then he will be sent back to his Lord; and He will punish him with a punishment unheard-of and whoever believes, and works righteousness,- he shall have a good reward and our orders to him will be easy.”

Some researchers have the opinion that the route mentioned in above set of ayahs, is the one of the silk road networks which was an established route mainly in China, connecting Asia to middle east and Europe in medieval times. Later we see mention of a wall in this story. A great wall, which was built to stop invaders from attacking communities, is also associated with China. So, the setting of this story of Zulqarnain is most probably in the Asian region of China/Mongolia/Korea. There is a muddy stream mentioned in the ayahs. The muddy stream should be a body of water carrying lot of silt so that it appears muddy. In China there exists a river which carries so much silt with it that the people call it ‘the Yellow river’. This river is also known with the name of ‘muddy flow’ by local folks. When Zulqarnain, saw the sun setting in a muddy stream, this should be the place of  the middle to lower reaches of the Yellow River, where it carries the most amount of silt and looks very muddy.

Some people raise objections on this story, stating that does Quran not know that the Sun does not set in a stream of water? However, it is clear from ayahs that Quran talked from  Zulqarnain’s perspective when he saw the Sun setting in a stream of water, as any one would see sun-set over a large body of water. While Quran is clear about orbits of the Sun, which is mentioned in ayat 21:33, that Sun and Moon moves in their respective orbits. Therefore, there is no question about Quran’s insufficient knowledge about the orbit of the Sun. Please see earlier post about facts about Universe mentioned in Quran (https://topicsfromquran.com/2018/05/19/creation-of-skies-and-the-earth/)

Zulqarnain is mentioned as a righteous person, connected with God and also assumed a high position in the world with the means available to him to accomplish a lot. So, his first journey seems to be somewhere in the path of the yellow river in China. He assumed a position of power in that land and was able to enforce God’s will in the land by rewarding the righteous people and punishing the wrong doers.  From there he continued his journey.

18:89-91  ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا  حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ لَّمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُم مِّن دُونِهَا سِتْرًا  كَذَٰلِكَ وَقَدْ أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ خُبْرًا

Then he followed a way/means, Until, when he came to the rising of the Sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering against it (the sun). Like that, and We knew everything concerning him.

Zulqarnain’s next leg of journey is said to be culminating in a place where there was no covering from Sun. This setting would be a desert where there is no shelter from the sun. The likely place is some where in Gobi Desert near China/Mongolia border.

18:92-94  ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا  حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ السَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْمًا لَّا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلًا  قَالُوا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا عَلَىٰ أَن تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّا

Then he followed a way/means until, when he reached between the two mountains, he found, besides them, a nation who scarcely understood a word. They said. “O Zul-qarnain! the Gog and Magog do great mischief on earth. Shall we then render you a tribute in order that you might erect a barrier between us and them?

Zulqarnain 3rd leg of his journey took him to a place which was between two mountains. The community living there spoke a different language. They communicated to him that through the mountain pass, Gog and Magog, attack their communities intermittently, for pillage and plunder. They were ready to pay tribute to Zulqarnain to make a barrier between the mountains so that Gog and Magog could not cross the barrier to attack them. From the description it seems that Gog and Magog were two tribes whose main occupation was warfare to collect booty. They should be excellent in fighting and attacking. From another reference in Quran, they were fast moving as well (21:96). Could be somewhat similar to Mangols and Tartar tribes in the earlier centuries who were fast moving attackers. This also gives an indication of the origins of Gogs and Magogs nation described in Quran and a prophesy that they will rise again and cause war near the end of times (21:96-97). A link to a very well researched article by brother Imran Faruqui is given below, which speculates about who could be the present day Gog and Magog. (  http://quransmessage.com/files/Quranic%20Odyssey%20Ch1-2%20v2.37.pdf )

Zulqarnain possessed good knowledge of structural engineering and with the help of manpower and material from this community, he erected a barrier strengthened with molten metal, between them and the attackers, which the attackers were not able to penetrate.

18:95-100 قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيْرٌ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًاآتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ انفُخُوا ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَارًا قَالَ آتُونِي أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا  فَمَا اسْطَاعُوا أَن يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا لَهُ نَقْبًا  قَالَ هَٰذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّي ۖ فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّي جَعَلَهُ دَكَّاءَ ۖ وَكَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّي حَقًّا وَتَرَكْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَمُوجُ فِي بَعْضٍ ۖ وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَجَمَعْنَاهُمْ جَمْعًا وَعَرَضْنَا جَهَنَّمَ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْكَافِرِينَ عَرْضًا

He said. “(The power) in which my Lord has established me is better (than tribute). Help me therefore with strength (labor). I will erect a strong barrier between you and them. “Bring me blocks of iron.” Until when he had filled up the space between the two mountain-sides, He said, “Blow” Then, when he had made it fire, he said. “Bring me, that I may pour over it, molten lead.”  So they were not able to scale it nor could they make a hole in it. He said. “This is a mercy from my Lord. But when the promise of my Lord comes, He will make it into pieces; and the promise of my Lord is true.”  On that day We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another. the trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together. And We shall present Hell that day for unbelievers to see, all spread out,-

Zulqarnain said that one day this barrier will be gone when the promise of the Lord arrives. This day these fighting nations will surge like waves into one another. That day will be Hell to the unbelievers.

Why Allah related the story of Zal-Qarnain in Quran, probably to help identify the nations of Gog and Magog and the signs of the Hour, therefore for us to take heed before our account is closed. What lessons we can learn from this narrations, i.e for a ruler or governor to reward people on merit i.e according to the their good or bad actions. To help people who are oppressed without expecting rewards from them.  To block the oppressors in a most peaceful way possible with least bloodshed and violence on earth.

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Courtesy: Google Images

Notes:

The name Zul-Qarnain or Dual-Qarnain in Arabic means ‘one belonging to two eras’. If we search in Quran for people who have lived in two eras, we find mention of a person in ayat 2:259 who was given death and then raised again after 100 years and then the companions of the cave mentioned in Sura 18,  who were made to sleep in a cave for 309 years. The companions of the cave were sleeping only, while the person in 2:259 was given death and then raised up again. A possibility is that, ‘Zulqarnain’ is the person who is mentioned in ayat 2:259 as the mention there is of a single person who was dead and then was raised again after 100 years. The Ayat mentions that he is made an Ayat/sign for the mankind. Therefore he should not be an obscure person, he must have accomplished some thing to become a sign for mankind. This person was given knowledge from Allah and this knowledge should have helped him to accomplish a lot. As he had lived in two eras apart by 100 years, he is likely a candidate to be the Zal-Qarnain mentioned in Quran later on in Sura Kahaf.

2:259  أَوْ كَالَّذِي مَرَّ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحْيِي هَٰذِهِ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۖ فَأَمَاتَهُ اللَّهُ مِائَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُ ۖ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ ۖ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ۖ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثْتَ مِائَةَ عَامٍ فَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ ۖ وَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ آيَةً لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ وَانظُرْ إِلَى الْعِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوهَا لَحْمًا ۚ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ قَالَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Or like the one who passed by a dwelling, all in ruins to its roofs. He said. “Oh! how shall Allah bring it to life, after its death?” thus Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then raised him up (again). He (Allah) said. “How long did you stay (thus)?” He said. (Perhaps) a day or part of a day.” He said. “No, You have stayed a hundred years; but look at your food and your drink; they did not change; and look at your donkey. And that We may make you a sign for the people, Look further at the bones, how We bring them together and clothe them with flesh.” When this was shown clearly to him, he said. “I know that Allah has power over all things.”

 

2. Some people think that the route of Zulqarnain when he went to the setting and rising of the sun was outside the earth in space. However ayat 18:84 states that he was established in the Earth (إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ )so his travels to portals in space cannot be assumed from description in Quran.

Waseela- Means of approach to Allah

Aijaz Uncategorized ,

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The term ‘Waseela’ in religious matters is deemed a ‘facilitation towards approach to Allah’. A point of view of some people is that since our standing before Allah may not be of much value, therefore we should try to approach Allah through mediation of some one who is closer in value to Allah. Let see what Al-Quran tells about means of facilitation towards reaching Him in below ayahs:

5:35  يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ وَجَاهِدُوا فِي سَبِيلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

O’ you people who believe take guard of Allah and seek the means towards Him and you strive in His way so that you may succeed.

Allah says in above ayat to seek a means to reach Him. Can some personalities be considered a ‘waseela’ i.e means to facilitate approach to Allah? please see the below ayat:

39:3  أَلَا لِلَّهِ الدِّينُ الْخَالِصُ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي مَا هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ

Isn’t the Din (Judgement) purely for Allah alone? But those who take protectors (Walis) besides Him (say). “We do not serve them except that they are nearer to bring us closer to Allah.” Truly Allah will judge between them in what they differ. Verily Allah does not guide him who is a liar, kafir/rejecter/coverer.

If some personalities are served with the belief that these personalities are nearer in bringing people closer to Allah, then the above ayat declares that Allah does not guide these people.

17:56-57  قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم مِّن دُونِهِ فَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ كَشْفَ الضُّرِّ عَنكُمْ وَلَا تَحْوِيلًا  أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ ۚ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا

Say. “Call on those – besides Him – whom you fancy. they have neither the power to remove your troubles from you nor to change them. Those whom they call upon, themselves seek the means of access to their Lord– whoever of them is nearest– and they hope for His mercy and fear His chastisement; surely the chastisement of your Lord is a thing to be cautious of.

Those people who are called upon to be a ‘waseela’ in the nearness of Allah, they them-selves are seeking means towards Allah, and are afraid of Allah’s punishment and have absolutely no power to either benefit or harm people.

7:194  إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ عِبَادٌ أَمْثَالُكُمْ ۖ فَادْعُوهُمْ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

Verily those whom you call upon besides Allah are servants like you. Call upon them, and let them respond to you, if you are (indeed) truthful!

2:166  إِذْ تَبَرَّأَ الَّذِينَ اتُّبِعُوا مِنَ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوا وَرَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَسْبَابُ

Then would those who are followed clear themselves of those who follow (them) . They would see the penalty, and all relations between them would be cut off.

33:66-67  يَوْمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ يَقُولُونَ يَا لَيْتَنَا أَطَعْنَا اللَّهَ وَأَطَعْنَا الرَّسُولَا  وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّا أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَاءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا السَّبِيلَا

The day that their faces will be turned upside down in the fire, they will say. “Woe to us! would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the messenger!” and they would say. “Our Lord! Verily We obeyed our syeds/chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us as from the (right) path.

People will woe themselves on the day of judgement for obeying the Sadat/Syeds/Cheifs instead of obeying Allah and the messenger. Lets see what’s the messenger tells about means to approach Allah.

12:108  قُلْ هَٰذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى اللَّهِ ۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي ۖ وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Say . “This is my way, on which I do invite towards Allah,- with perception,- I and whoever follows me. Glory to Allah! and I am not of the associaters.

Above is the practice of the messenger. Al-Quran is the way towards approach to Allah. So his ‘sunnat’/practice should be followed by the believers.

25:27  وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ الظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي اتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ الرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا

And that day the oppressor will bite over his hand and will say .  O alas! I wish I should have taken that way along with the messenger.

13:43  وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَسْتَ مُرْسَلًا ۚ قُلْ كَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَابِ

The Unbelievers say. “You are not sent (by Allah).” Say. “enough for a witness between me and you is Allah, and one who has knowledge of the Book.”

A person without the knowledge of the book (Al-Quran) will not be able to give the witness of the messenger. In order to know the true personality of the messenger, knowledge of Allah’s book is required to know how Allah has described the messenger in it. The true personality of the messenger can not be grasped from history books.

2:186  وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

When My servants ask you about Me, I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me. So, Let them also respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they get wisdom.

Allah says that he is near to his servants and listens to every supplication. Allah says they should respond to Him as well. How can we respond to Allah, if we don’t know what Allah is asking us. This two way communication with Allah can only be achieved with the help of His Book. If we make the Book of Allah a means towards approach to him, as messenger has done, then we will know what Allah’s orders are for His servants and we will know what we need to do in order for Allah to accept our supplications.

27:62  أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

Or, Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil/suffering, and makes you (mankind) inheritors of the earth? (Can there be another) illah/god besides Allah? Little it is that ye heed!

The above ayat states that who else beside Allah can respond to distress call of a caller who calls Him? The ayat asks are there illahs/gods besides Allah to which people call? So if any body calls other than Allah for divine matters, the person called is tantamount to be an illah for the caller. 

31:30  ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ الْبَاطِلُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ

That is because Allah is the Haq/Truth, and whoever else they call other than Him is Falsehood; and indeed Allah,- He is the Most High, Most Great.

72:18  وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا

And the mosques are for Allah. So do not call any one along with Allah;

Some people may still justify their calling of some one other that Allah in divine matters by saying that who they are calling is in Allah’s party and a very favorite of Allah therefore calling him is not like calling some one without Allah. So the above ayat prohibits calling someone with Allah as well. 

Following the Deen/judgment of Forefathers

Aijaz Uncategorized ,

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The majority of mankind follow their forefathers in matters of faith. It is very rare that people change their faith on which they were born. Most people make sure that their off-springs too follow their religion or philosophy. Al-Quran declares that majority of people in the world are not thankful or the rightly guided ones. So, if majority of the people in the world are not on the right path and a majority out of these people make sure that their off-springs follow the same path then it means that the majority of the people would lead their off-springs to a deviant path. Most people believe that by a stroke of great luck they were born in the rightly guided faith/sect and the others who follow different faiths, would be in trouble in matters of faith. When a messenger of Allah comes to the people and relate to them the signs of the Lord, these people say that this person wants them to deviate from the path their forefathers have been following.

2:170  وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

When they are told, “Follow what Allah has revealed,” they say, “We follow only what we found our parents doing.” What if their parents did not understand, and were not guided?

5:104  وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ وَإِلَى الرَّسُولِ قَالُوا حَسْبُنَا مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

When they are told, “Come to what Allah has revealed, and to the messenger (rasool),” they say, “What we found our parents doing is sufficient for us.” What if their parents knew nothing, and were not guided?

31:21  وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ

When they are told, “Follow what Allah has revealed,” they say, “Instead, we follow what we found our parents doing.” What if the devil (Shaitan)  is leading them to the agony of hell?

People when presented with Ayas of Allah, instead of pondering over the Ayas, start doubting the personality of the Messenger. Instead of focusing on the spirit of the message in the Ayas, they attack the personality of the messenger, believing that the messenger is leading them away from what their forefathers have been following.

34:43  وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالُوا مَا هَٰذَا إِلَّا رَجُلٌ يُرِيدُ أَن يَصُدَّكُمْ عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَقَالُوا مَا هَٰذَا إِلَّا إِفْكٌ مُّفْتَرًى ۚ وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ

When our open and clear ayaats/signs are recited to them, they say, “This is simply a man who wants to divert you from what your parents were serving.” They also say, “These are fabricated lies.”  Those who disbelieve say about the truth that came to them, “This is obviously magic.”

Why the people don’t believe in the messenger, because in their minds the messenger is an Idol or a super human/bashar. They cannot perceive the messenger as a normal ‘bashar’/human. While Allah declares that when they say that, in fact they have not valued Allah as it is rightful for Him to be valued.

6:91  وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ إِذْ قَالُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ بَشَرٍ مِّن شَيْءٍ ۗ قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَابَ الَّذِي جَاءَ بِهِ مُوسَىٰ نُورًا وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ تَجْعَلُونَهُ قَرَاطِيسَ تُبْدُونَهَا وَتُخْفُونَ كَثِيرًا ۖ وَعُلِّمْتُم مَّا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أَنتُمْ وَلَا آبَاؤُكُمْ ۖ قُلِ اللَّهُ ۖ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِي خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ

They did not value Allah as He should be valued. When they said, “Allah did not reveal anything to a bashar/human.” Say, “Who then sent down the Book which Moosa brought, with light and guidance for the people?” You made it to pieces of paper, you show something while concealing a lot of it. You were taught what you never knew-you and your parents. Say, “Allah (revealed it),” then leave them in their heedless play.

People in their minds idolize the personality of the messengers as a super human/bashar and this becomes a major contributor to their rejection of messengers and the Spirit of the Book, as they wonder, how can Allah reveal anything on a normal everyday bashar/human.

53:23  إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنفُسُ ۖ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُم مِّن رَّبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ

They are but names you have named them, you and your fathers, Allah has sent down with it, no authority. These people follow nothing but conjecture and what their nafs/psyche desire; and surely the guidance has come to them from their Lord.

Any names which people follow or regard in high esteem, which are not found in Al-Quran, Allah declares that they are but following only list of names which they and their forefathers invented. Allah has revealed no authority for these names.

11:87  قَالُوا يَا شُعَيْبُ أَصَلَاتُكَ تَأْمُرُكَ أَن نَّتْرُكَ مَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا أَوْ أَن نَّفْعَلَ فِي أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَاءُ ۖ إِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ الْحَلِيمُ الرَّشِيدُ

They said, “O Shoaib, does your salaat dictates upon you that we must abandon what our forefathers served, or running our businesses in any manner we choose? Surely, you are known for being clement, wise.”

Example of prophet Shoaib A.S, is cited above. Its very difficult for people to fore-go the practices of their forefathers and their businesses, when it is against the orders of Allah.

28:36  فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُم مُّوسَىٰ بِآيَاتِنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالُوا مَا هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّفْتَرًى وَمَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَٰذَا فِي آبَائِنَا الْأَوَّلِينَ

When Moosa went to them with our Ayaas, clear and profound, they said, “This is but fabricated magic. We have never heard of this from our earlier forefathers.”

Although all messengers bring the same message of Allah (42:13, 46:9, 41:43)and Al-Kitab is given to all prophets (6:83-90), even then people blame that an ordinary bashar/human wants to gain superiorty over them and these things which he tells them, they have not heard from their forefathers.

11:109  فَلَا تَكُ فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِّمَّا يَعْبُدُ هَٰؤُلَاءِ ۚ مَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُهُم مِّن قَبْلُ ۚ وَإِنَّا لَمُوَفُّوهُمْ نَصِيبَهُمْ غَيْرَ مَنقُوصٍ

Do not have any doubt regarding what these people serve; they serve exactly as they found their forefathers serving. We will requite them their due share fully, without reduction.

In the above ayat Allah clears doubts which arise when one starts following the Quran…do not be in doubt what the people and their forefathers are serving, it is bound to be false if clear authority is not in Al-Kitab.

43:22  بَلْ قَالُوا إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَىٰ أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِم مُّهْتَدُونَ

The fact is that: they said, “We found our parents carrying on certain practices, and we are guided in their footsteps.”

The people think that by following their forefathers practices they are guided ones.

6:116  وَإِنْ تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ

If you were to follow majority of people on earth, they will lead you away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture. they do nothing but fabricate.

But, the majority of the people in the world follow conjectures other than following the Book of Allah.

42:45  وَتَرَاهُمْ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا خَاشِعِينَ مِنَ الذُّلِّ يَنظُرُونَ مِن طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ ۗ وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ الْخَاسِرِينَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۗ أَلَا إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ فِي عَذَابٍ مُّقِيمٍ

And thou wilt see them brought forward to the (Penalty), in a humble frame of mind because of (their) disgrace, (and) looking with a stealyour glance. And the believers will say. “Those are indeed in loss, who have given to perdition their own selves and those belonging to them on the Day of Judgment. Behold! Truly the Wrong-doers are in a lasting Penalty!”

The wrong doers will not only be alone in their loss because of their wrong judgment, they would have caused their families and people to be in the loss too, because of their misguiding them.

2:133  أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن بَعْدِي قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ إِلَٰهَكَ وَإِلَٰهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

Were you witness when death appeared before Yaqoob/Jacob? Behold, he said to his sons. “What will you serve after me?” They said. “We shall serve your God and the God of your fathers, of Abraham, Isma’il and Isaac,- the one (True) God. To Him we are muslim/submitters.”

The practice of the messenger is to enjoin on his off-springs not to follow his religion or judgment but to serve Allah and be submitters to Allah.

42:24  أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا ۖ فَإِن يَشَإِ اللَّهُ يَخْتِمْ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ ۗ وَيَمْحُ اللَّهُ الْبَاطِلَ وَيُحِقُّ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَاتِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

Do they say, “He has forged a falsehood against Allah”? But if Allah willed, He could seal up your heart. And Allah removes falsehood, and confirms the Haq/Truth by His Words/Kalamat, for He knows well the secrets of hearts.

As, Allah blots out batil/falsehood and confirms the Truth by His Kalamat/Words.