Many people are fascinated by religious poetry. However, the Quran does not speak highly of the poets and does not make distinction between type of poetry. Therefore, we cannot say that what Quran says about poetry, excludes such and such type of poetry. For those who may have great fascination with poetry and poets especially religious poetry, this may be a strong Ilah (which hinders to act on Allah’s command) and they may devise some justification to cover/reject below ayahs. The ayahs below describe that Quran is not poetry; poetry is not worthy for the messenger (pbuh); Instigators descend on poets and the poets follows their instigators.
“Shall I give you the news on whom the Shayateen/satans descend? They descend on every liar, wicked person. They pour forth in the hearing and the majority of them are liars. And on poets (The satans descend), who follow their strayers. Don’t you see that they wander distracted in every valley? And what they say they do not practice?”
This Quran is not poetry nor its should be accompanied by the saying of a poet. But many will not believe that:
The basic tenet of ‘tawheed’ that every believer says is ‘There is no god/idol but He (Allah), 2:163, and yet Al-Quran declares that the majority of people who believe in Allah associate partners with Him (12:106). There are no false gods or idols but Allah, therefore as soon as we start idolizing any personality (or any fascination/temptation/philosophy) besides Him, the problem starts.
The believers may be well able to avoid physical idols, however are they able to avoid psychological idols as well. Lets have a reality check with ayahs of the Book;
“And most of them do not believe with Allah without associating (others as partners) with Him!”
Are we holding on to some personalities believing that serving these personalities will bring us nearer to Allah because they are Allah’s beloved. Then please take heed of below ayat:
“Isn’t the Deen (Judgment) purely for Allah ? 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.”
And no one could rightfully be called for help in divine matters except for Allah.
“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, the Greatest”
In addition to the command that do not call any one other than Allah, the below ayat commands not to call anyone with Allah as well, considering them Allah’s favorite so to get intercession from Allah’s favorite people.
And the mosques are for Allah. So do not call any one along with Allah
If someone praises and glorifies only Allah in a gathering, do we feel that some others/our favorites should be glorified and remembered with Allah too, as praising Allah alone is not sufficient. If we feel that, then we should heed the below ayat seriously:
“When Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter, are filled with resentment. But when others are mentioned apart from Him, they begin to rejoice. “
Are we following/serving certain list of names for whom Allah has not revealed any authority in His Book, only because our surroundings and our forefathers have been doing the same. This is addressed in below ayat;
“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 desire; and surely the guidance has come to them from their Lord.”
The people who are called for help in divine matters, are just people like yourself. Allah has not allowed calling anyone as per below ayat. It is only other people who have made you believe that it is rightful to call them.
“Is not Allah enough for his servant? But they try to frighten you with others besides Him! for such as Allah leaves to stray, there can be no guide.”
Many people have great fascination with golden words/Zukhrif al Qaul/Aqwale Zareen. They spend much effort in collection, remembrance, authentication of the same. The below ayat states that doing it is like being an enemy to the prophet:
“And likewise ,We have made for every prophet the satans of mankind and the satans of jin an enemy, they inspire golden words on one another, 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.”
The prophet (pbuh) is ordered to serve Allah in making his Deen i.e all his judgements purely for Allah.
Say, “Indeed, I am commanded to serve Allah with judgment exclusive/pure for Him”.
The prophet (pbuh) declared that he serves Allah with purity in Deen/judgment. In his ‘sunna’ and practice of all prophets, if we don’t follow Allah with purity and exclusivity in our Judgment, then it will be terrible loss we may bring to ourselves and our families.
Say. “It is Allah I serve, purely in my deen/judgment”. “You people serve whatever you (like) besides Him, Say, (but beware) indeed, losers are those who put themselves and their people (close to them) in loss on the day of Judgment. Ah! that is indeed the (real and) evident Loss!
“And they have not been commanded except to serve Allah purely in the Din/Judgment, being true/focused; and to establish Prayers; and to give Zakat; and that is the (rightly) established Deen/ Judgment.”
One of the idols mentioned in Al-Kitab is Sowaa i.e time period/Era. We shouldn’t be stuck and fascinated with a particular period of time or people of some bygone era in order to avoid pitfall of personality worship, as per below Ayat:
“Those were the people that 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 did.”
Do they not see that We come to the Earth reducing it from its sides/edges? (When) Allah commands, there is none to put back His command, and He is swift in calling to account.
The above ayat indicates that Allah reduces the Earth at its edges. The edges would be poles for a sphere. In fact Earth’s diameter at the equator is 43 Km more than the diameter measured at the poles/edges. This phenomenon is known as ‘Equatorial bulge’ (Source Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatorial_bulge).
Scientists have learned that the Earth is not a perfect sphere. In truth, it is what is known as an “oblate spheroid”, which is a sphere that experiences flattening at the poles.
According to the 2004 Working Group of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), Earth experiences a flattening of 0.0033528 at the poles. This flattening is due to Earth’s rotational velocity – a rapid 1,674.4 km/h (1,040.4 mph) – which causes the planet to bulge at the equator.
Equatorial vs Polar Diameter:
Because of this, the diameter of the Earth at the equator is about 43 kilometers (27 mi) larger than the pole-to-pole diameter. As a result, the latest measurements indicate that the Earth has an equatorial diameter of 12,756 km (7926 mi), and a polar diameter of 12713.6 km (7899.86 mi).
“We sent our messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the balance (of right and wrong), that people may stand forth in justice; and We sent down the iron, in which is great power, as well as benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help, unseen, Him and His messengers, for Allah is powerful, exalted in might.”
The above ayat 25 of Sura 57, Al-Hadeed, mentions the iron. Two points worth noting about iron are mentioned in above ayat as below:
Iron is sent down on earth
Iron has great strength
1- The fact is that iron is formed on stars . All elements form together inside a star during fusion reactions. When the supernova occurs at the time of death of the star, the iron fragments are blasted into the space. This is how Iron came to earth millions of years ago
2- In terms of nuclear binding energy, Iron and Nickel together called the ‘iron group’ has the highest nuclear binding energy of all the elements of the periodic table. Nuclear binding energy is the energy that would be required to disassemble the nucleus of an atom into its component parts. These component parts are neutrons and protons, which are collectively called nucleons. The binding energy of nuclei is due to the attractive forces that hold these nucleons together. Since most nuclei would require the expenditure of energy to separate them into individual protons and neutrons.
If new binding energy is available when light nuclei fuse, or when heavy nuclei split, either process can result in release of this binding energy. This energy may be made available as nuclear energy and can be used to produce electricity as in (nuclear power) or in a nuclear weapon. The nuclear binding energies and forces are on the order of a million times greater than the electron binding energies of light atoms like hydrogen.[1]
The stability of a nucleus is determined by how much Nuclear binding energy it has per nucleon (proton or neutron). The more binding energy in a nucleus, the harder it is to split it apart.
Iron Limit:
Iron is a “special” element because of its nuclear binding energy. The very basic idea is that when you fuse two light elements together, you get a heavier element plus energy. You can do this up to iron. Similarly, if you have a heavy element that undergoes fission and splits into two lighter elements, you also release energy, down to iron. Iron is just in the middle of graph of heavier and lighter elements.
Interestingly, the Sura no. Al-Hadeed (iron) is also Sura no. 57 of total 114 Suras of Quran, i.e in the middle. In addition no. 57 happens to be the atomic mass of one of the isotopes of iron.
The above point gives a hint that the collection and current order of suras in Quran is by divine design as Allah has the responsibility for keeping its integrity. The story in Islamic history, of collection of Quran by companions of Prophet and deciding upon the order of Suras is therefore doubtful. The below Ayat states that the collection of Quran is Allah’s responsibility:
75: 17 إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ
“Surely, upon Us is its collection and its recital.”
There is a tendency in some people to hold those people in high esteem, who are supposedly knowledgeable in religious doctrine, and follow them in religious matters. Sectarian labeled Muslims have divided themselves into groups based on which Imam’s teachings they follow. The people who are followed are usually awarded lofty titles e.g mufti, imam, ayatullah, ulamas, bishop, cardinals, rabbis, etc
These knowledgeable people/Ulamas often write books of religious practice (sharia) and practically for a common man, the religion becomes following this sharia/practice. Little that people know that when they are following this ‘sharia’, they are in effect not following the ‘sharia’ of the Book of Allah but the ‘sharia’ of the religious leaders of their particular sect. While Allah categorically declares the makers of all these ‘sharias’ as the partners who are strictly forbidden in Allah’s religion (42:21).
A majority of ‘Ulamas’ lead people astray from true ‘Deen’/Judgement of Allah (9:34). There is a book of guidance given to everyone (Al-Kitab), however, instead of following this guidance, people like to follow big names in religion who give the impression that common man is unable to pursue the right path on his own and must follow someone knowledgeable in religious matters.
The true believers are basically ‘wali’/protectors of each other as they advise/correct each other with Allah’s ayahs. Its is not always one way traffic for the believers that a more knowledgeable person can correct/advise people and not vice versa.
Follow, what (the revelation) is sent down on you (people) from your Lord, and do not follow, as Aulia /(spritual) protectors, other than Him. Little among you pay heed to admonition.
Majority of Ulama’s take people’s money and devour it with falsehood. They terrorize people’s hearts for submission to their authority and for extorting money. Also, they propagate their own, mostly sectarian version of religion instead of conveying Allah’s path.
O’ you who believe surely the majority of ‘Ahbar’/the scholars and ‘Rohban’/the terrorists definitely eat the wealth of the people with falsehood and they oppose the way of Allah, and those people who hoard gold and silver (wealth) and they do not spend it in the way of Allah, then give them the tidings of the grievous punishment.
A portion of ‘Ulamas’ i.e the supposedly knowledgeable religious people give the impression that what they are saying is from the Book of Allah, which actually is not from the Book, it only looks or sounds similar to the Book.
There certainly is among them a party who digress their tongues with the Book so that you people may think it (what they are saying) is from the Book, but it is not from the Book; and they say, “This is from Allah,” but it is not from Allah, and they tell lies towards Allah, and they know it!
Say, shall I seek a judge other than Allah? – when He is Who has sent unto you the Book, explained in detail. Those to whom We have given the Book, know fully well that it has been sent down from your Lord in truth. Thus you never be then of those who doubt.
The above ayat answers and provides reason for the question, why a judge other than Allah, shouldn’t be sought? the reason is because Allah has sent down a detailed book.
When those who were followed, cleared themselves from those who followed (them) and they saw the penalty, and all relations between them would be cut off. And those who followed said. “If only we were to return, we would clear ourselves of them, as they have cleared themselves of us.” Likewise Allah shows them (The fruits of) their deeds as (nothing but) regrets for them and there is no way out of the fire for them.
As above ayahs state that those who were following supposedly knowledgeable people, will realize their mistake on the day of judgment.
Then there are religious grand ‘Muftis’ who issue ‘Fatwas’ (religious advice) for various issues and write Books of ‘Sharia’. They give the impression that by following the ‘Fatwa’ or their ‘Sharia’ book, the responsibility will be on the ‘Mufti’, absolving the followers of the responsibility of making that decision. The below ayat covers that issue:
And the people who did Kufr/covered said to the people who believed, “Follow our path, and we will certainly bear the (burden of) your faults.” But they shall not be bearing anything from their faults, certainly they are liars! They will bear their own burdens, and (other) burdens along with their own, and on the day of Judgments they will surely be called to account for what they used to fabricate.
Then on the day of judgment, the followers and followed ones, both will be present and the followers will ask, that we but followed you as you asked us to do. So, is there a way you can help, but alas there will be no help for them.
They were all presented before Allah together. Thus the weak ones said to those who were arrogant, “We were but your followers; can you spare us anything (at all) from the punishment of Allah?”. They replied, “Had we been on Guidance of Allah, we would have guided you. To us it makes no difference (now) whether we lament or bear with patience. For us there is no way of escape.”
Those who had been weak (lesser in knowledge) will say to the arrogant ones. “Nay! it was (your) day and night plotting when you ordered us to negate Allah and set up rivals to Him!” They will (try to) conceal their shame when they see the punishment. We set up yokes on the necks of the rejecters, will they be retributed anything but what they used to do.
When on the day of judgment, the weaker in knowledge who used to follow the supposedly more knowledgeable religious leader, will disassociate themselves and will complain that you engaged us day and night in your fraud to cover Allah’s ayahs with your fabrications to set up rivals with Allah and make them the center of our hopes and supplications.
Do they have partners, who have established ‘Shariat’/ways for them in ‘deen’/judgment? for which Allah never gives His permission? Had it not been for the ‘decisive Word’, the matter would have been settled among them, and for the wrong-doers there is definitely a grievous penalty.
Those people who make ‘Shariat’/Practices, are the ‘Shuraka’/Partners as stated in above ayat.
Quran is Allah’s Book and the saying/Qaul of the Messenger (69:40-46). The Messenger (pbuh) has conveyed Quran to the people not the other Hadith books which are attributed to the Messenger. On the day of Judgment people who followed people with big names, will say wistfully that they should have obeyed Allah and the Messenger, instead of following the their ‘Syeds’ and big names and titles;
The Day 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.”
The true believers are ‘aualia’s’ i.e backings to one another. It is basically a two way traffic. One can correct the other with the help of ayahs. Believers who back and protect each other for every advise/order they should give reference of relevant ayahs from the Book of Allah.
“The Believers, men and women, some are Wali/protectors of some. They enjoin with what is Maroof( recognized ), and forbid what is Munkar (Not recognized/impostor). they establish prayers, give zakat/justification, and obey Allah and His messenger. On them Allah will soon pour His mercy, for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise.”
Some Quranic Arabic words and their meanings to ponder are given below:
Deen دین : Judgement
Millat مِلَّةَ : Religion
Islam إِسْلَامُ : Peace
Shia شِيَعًا : Group
Ahlal-Kitab : Those people who have the Al-Kitab. (Not those who were supposed to have different version of the Book earlier (6:156))
When Allah orders that the Judgment (Deen) in the nearness of Allah is Al-Islam, it should mean that when confronted with any situation in life, one should always take that decision which leads to peace and security
The Deen/judgement in the nearness of Allah is al-Islam (the Peace), nor did the Ahlal-Kitab (People of the Book) differed except to wrong one other, after knowledge had come to them, and if any covers/rejects the ayahs/signs of Allah, Allah is swift in taking account.
When people gained some knowledge, they started differing among themselves and formed into various groups and sects. Allah’s order was to make their judgement in all situations, of peace and security . People were ordered to hold fast to one Book however they put that Book on their back and started making other books which Allah did not provide, as source of their religious knowledge and guidance. They wrote the other books with their own hands and claimed that these are from inspiration of Allah. Every group takes great pride in what they have gathered. We see that there is one common ‘kalima’ (al-Quran) in all people who believe in Al-Kitab however they differ in practice and beliefs which are detailed in their sectarian books.
Allah does not allow believers to form or join any sect.
Surely those who differed in their Deen/Judgement and became sects/groups, you (the messenger) does not have anything to do with them, surely their affair is towards Allah, then He will inform them what they used to do.
The groups and sects get their beliefs from the books which Allah has not provided them. These very religious books give rise to the difference in sectarian beliefs. Each sect has different rules and history books and narratives.
Those who split up their Deen/Judgement, and become groups/sects,- each party rejoicing in what they have!
The people of the book are advised to come to one Word/’kalima’ which is common among all. Please note there is only one ‘kalima’ which is common to all present sects in Islam i.e The Quran. You cannot attain any sect if you follow this ‘Kalima’ except being a muslim/submitter to it. It is by following other sectarian books and teachings that the people get their sectarian beliefs;
Say O people of the Book, come to a Word/kalima 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”
When people form into different groups and sects, then Allah’s punishment comes to them in the form of hatred and fighting which they inflict upon one another.
Say He has the power to appoint over you a punishment from above you or below your feet or clothe you into sects and makes you to taste the harshness of one another. See how We explain the ayahs/signs so that they may understand.
And hold fast all together with 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; thus you became brethren with His favor, and you were on the brink of the pit of fire and He saved you from it. Likewise Allah makes His ayahs/signs clear to you that you may be guided.
When the spirit of Allah’s ayahs becomes clear and people accept the order of Allah and leave their sects to be true to the Book of Allah, (the true word of Messenger) and become submitter/muslim to the orders of Allah then all the sectarian hatred vanishes and people turn into brothers.
Notes:
While Quran forbids believers to adopt any sect, one widely believed ‘hadith’ attributed to the messenger (pbuh) is that the messenger (pbuh) said that ‘my nation will be split into seventy two sects and except for one sect all sects will be hell bound’.
The messenger (pbuh) would never have said this as this is bound to give all sectarians a justification to stick to their sects believing that their sect is the one going to Janna. Messenger would exactly say what Allah ordered in Quran, i.e not to adopt any sect.
Undoubtedly there are many religions in the world existing today and also a growing number of people not following any religion. What does the Book say about following a religion and which one? We will see shortly in the light of ayahs/signs of the Book.
The word for religion in Arabic is ملت/‘Millat’. There is another word which is commonly understood to mean religion i.e دين/‘Deen’. However, the context in which ‘Deen’ is used in the Book is ‘judgment’ and not religion.
God instructs every one to follow the religion of Ibrahim (a.s) in ayat 95 of Sura 3 Ale-Imran.
Say : ‘Surely my Lord has guided me to a straight path; a judgment established; the religion of true Ibrahim and he was not from the polytheists.’
Was this inspiration to follow the the religion of Ibrahim, a new instruction for the messenger and people? or the same religion and practice was asked to be followed which was the religion and practice of all previous messengers? The following three ayahs will shed light on this question:
“Nothing is said to You (O’ Mohammad) that was not said to the messengers before you: verily your Lord has at His command (all) forgiveness as well as the most grievous penalty.”
The ayahs very clearly state that the messenger (pbuh) does not get any thing which the messengers before him did not get. Nothing new is said to him. He also says that he does not bring any new doctrine or practice different from previous messengers before him.
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 ‘sharia’ of the messenger (pbuh) is exactly the same which was prescribed for previous messengers such as Nooh (a.s) Ibrahim (a.s), Moosa (a.s) and Essa (a.s). No new ‘sharia’ ever comes. However, this fact is very hard for the associaters to accept despite clear ayat in Quran. They will continue to believe what their associaters keep telling them from sectarian books.
The ‘Sharia’ in ‘Deen’ that He (Allah) established for you all, is what He enjoined on Nooh and that We inspired to you (Mohammad) – and that which We enjoined on Ibraheem, Moosa and Essa: that you all establish the Deen, and make no differentiation therein: to those who join others with Allah, hard is the (way) towards which you call them. Allah chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him).
and who would forsake the religion of Abraham, except one who fools his own soul? We have chosen him in this world, and in the Hereafter he will be with the righteous ones.
After you have made it your judgment to follow the religion of Ibrahim (a.s), Allah names you ‘Muslim’ as stated in Aya 78 of Sura Hajj. The father of all ‘Muslims’ is prophet Ibrahim (a.s). This is the same name given to them earlier as well. :
And you all strive in Allah as is the right of striving in Him. He has chosen you and He has made no difficulty over you in the deen/judgment ; The religion of your father Ibrahim. And He has named you ‘Muslim’ from before and in this, so the messenger be a witness over you and you be a witness over people. Then establish as-salat and give az-zakah and hold fast with Allah. He is your Maula/protector so He is the blessed protector and the blessed helper.
If the religion prescribed for believers in the Book is ‘religion of Ibrahim’ then what is ‘Islam’? When Allah says in Quran, that ‘Islam’ is your ‘Deen’ what does this mean? We know that Deen means ‘judgment’ and ‘Islam’ means ‘peace’. Al-Islam means the specific ‘peace’ which you can obtain by implementing Allah’s instructions in your life. So, the statement that Islam is your ‘Deen’ means that in any situation encountered in life, believers response should be the one which achieves ‘peace’ per Quranic instructions. If believers opt for unpeaceful response, their judgment will not be acceptable by Allah.
The Deen/judgment before Allah is 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 covers/rejects the ayahs/signs of Allah, Allah is swift in taking account.
The above ayahs are very important for believers to understand that Allah’s religion and instructions for mankind do not change with time and messengers. All messenger brought the same message of Allah and the same religion. The name of this religion is Millat-e-Ibrahim or ‘the religion of Ibrahim’. The judgment of believers to obtain peace in life by implementing Allah’s instructions in their life is ‘Al-Islam’. The divisions in mankind began when they start discriminating between the messages brought by different messengers. The statement (kalima) for muslims i.e submitters to Allah is given below which categorically says that we don’t differentiate among any of messengers and the messages which they brought.
Say we believe in Allah and what is revealed on us and what was revealed on Ibrahim 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 any of it and for Him we are Muslims / submitters.
Other related ayahs to this topic are: 60:4, 2:128, 4:26, 2:130, 4:125, 3:67, 2:135, 12:38.
Usage of word ‘Deen’ in Quran:
The Arabic word ‘Deen’ is some time used interchangeably and commonly to mean ‘Religion’. Some people propagate another meaning of it as religion in a broader sense encompassing every aspect of life. When we look closely to all the ayahs in Quran containing this word, the closest meaning we get is ‘Judgment’. Something you evaluate and judge . Some ayahs are presented below in which you can see that this meanings is the closest:
So he began (the search) with their baggage, before (he came to) the baggage of his brother, at length he brought it out of his brother’s baggage. Thus did We plan for Yusuf. He could not take his brother by the law/judgment of the king except that Allah willed it
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been made forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor they judge by the judgment of Truth.
3:19 إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ ۗ
The Deen/judgment before Allah is al-Islam (the Peace)
Link to web page, showing occurrence of all instances of ‘د ي ن’ in Quran:
‘Hanif’ means literary to bend or incline. In Quran it is used in the meaning of attaining the right path i.e ‘leaving the wrong and bending to the right faith or judgement’.
Link showing occurrence of root word ‘ ح ن ف’ in Quran:
Topics from The Book (Al-Kitab) 