Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
We ended yesterday’s Reading with verses 44 and 45, which may have seemed surprising to some, in that God opened wide the gates of Worldly Pleasures to these Heedless persons, who indulged in these pleasures, only to be taken suddenly ‘to account/to task,’ then becoming dumbstruck and despairing/mublisoon.
This turn of events is quite natural, explained in Asad’s note 35 as a historical phenomenon in the inevitability “of social and moral disintegration of communities that have lost sight of spiritual truths.” Also, God gives us many chances to initiate change for the better as He allows for BOTH the suppression and release of the earth’s bounties, and reminds us to be compliant in supplication ‘taDharru3’ to Him, for only with that inborn FiTrah of love and certainty… comes relief.
COMMENTS:
1. Today’s Reading holds seven “Say!” commands, as well as other verses directing the Messenger, peace upon him, on how to deal with his Denying tribe on one hand, and ‘Those who have Faith and Trust in God’s Signs’ on the other. We must bear in mind that, when these verses were revealed, Those who Attained Faith consisted mostly of the down-trodden in the Meccan community; they were mostly young people, many of whom were slaves and servants, or immigrants with no financial or tribal backing. They were the Messenger’s ‘company’ at all times, a matter which caused the arrogant persons of ‘higher breeding’ to distance themselves from his company, and to ask him to send away the ‘lower class’ whenever they arrived, or else they would not stay.
In verses 46-47 The Messenger is told to ask them 2 questions that focus on God as Creator and Provider (of their sensory and cognitive organs, and of their general well-being and freedom from suffering).
2. Verses 48-49 are statements indicating the reason behind sending Messengers and the result of denying/belying those Divine Messages, and here again repeats the statement of ‘… no fear shall be (brought) upon them nor shall they grieve.. (appearing 12 times in the Qur’an).
3. Verse 50 has important information to remember: This is where the Messenger is told to highlight his mortality, making it clear that he possesses neither material treasures nor supernatural powers and he does not know The ‘gheyb’/The Unseen; all that is beyond human perception.
HQ27:65 tells us that no one, whether in the heavens or on earth, knows The ‘gheyb/The unseen’ EXCEPT GOD.
When we hear people saying that the Messenger, peace upon him, knew THE Unseen ‘al gheyb,’ they probably do not mean ‘ALL the unseen.’ What they may mean is that he knew much more of the unseen than any other human (which is of course part of being God’s Messenger) and that he was also granted to see OF The Unseen whatever God had shown him. He did not know THE Unseen.
No one does, except God Himself.
In three clear Qur’anic statements the Messenger plainly says, as commanded by God: “…I do not know the Unseen…” (HQ6:50; 11:31) and,“….if I had known the Unseen….”(HQ7:188).
It is God who imparts to him through ‘waHi/وحي’ or revelation/exclusive information about the Unseen.
In this verse the Messenger explains that he only follows what has been delivered to him and asks, “…are the blind and the sighted equal, do you not then ‘consider/take thought’?” (Ali/Asad)
Verse 51 tells him to warn -by means of this revelation- all those who fear being gathered to their Lord-Sustainer. None else do they have as Intercessor or Protector.. perchance they would be Aware.
4. Verse 52 begins with the command to the Messenger, NOT to send away those who call unto their Lord-Sustainer morning and evening seeking his direction (intending Him as their direction of focus ‘wajh’-(وجه. What a beautiful description is given of these early men and women of Faith, and what love God shows for them! (Commentators, such as Zamakhshari, say that ‘morning and evening’ indicates daylong continuity.)
The verse then shows that each person (whether Deliverer or Recipient of the Message) is accountable for oneself, and that, were the Messenger to ask them to leave (when the arrogant persons arrived), he would become one of the wrongdoers.
Verse 53 continues, showing us how humans could become (by God’s design, as could anything really) ‘Fitna’ trials by fire for each other (also HQ6:165)-here referring to the arrogant persons versus the poor people of Mecca; each side being a Fitnah[1] to the other. The arrogant here are wondering how God could have favored the poor over them (with His guidance) …the response is that He Best Knows those who would be appreciative/productive even with little means الشاكرين/Al Shaakireen (See definition of ‘shukr شكر.)
Verse 54 is amazing in the ‘three- points-delivered-as-one,’ which God commands His Messenger to say to Those of Faith and Trust in His Signs (many of whom were suffering the cruelty of their ‘masters’ on a daily basis:’
When those who have Faith and Trust in God’s Signs approach the Messenger, he should:
- Wish them Peace (from their Lord to immediately reassure them of their special status, no matter what ‘social status’ they might feel they lack.)
- Tell them that THEIR Rabb[2] has compiled UPON Himself THE Mercy (He has placed all Mercy as a trust upon Himself, assuring them He shall grant it).
- Tell them that whoever of them commits a misdeed unknowingly, then repents and repairs his wrongs.. (such a person will find).. that He is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Unceasingly Merciful.
What a strong endorsement from God Himself! How rewarding it must have been to these humble persons (whom we call ‘the Sahaaba’- Companions) to hear this, as testimony of God’s love and support!
And the next verse (55) concludes by showing how it is through His signs that the path of the ‘Mujrimeen’[3] ‘the sinners/those who are lost in sin’ (Ali/Asad) becomes clearly distinguished.
5. Verse 56 is a loud ‘Disclaimer,’ in which the Messenger is told to announce to Qureish that he had been forbidden from worshipping those whom they call upon- other than God- and that he does not follow their plummeting desires,[4] and that if he did he would have gone astray and would not be among Those Guided!
6. Verses 57 onward are in response to Qureish’s demand for a ‘miraculous’ Sign as proof of the Messenger’s truth; he responds that he stands upon a clear evidence which they have belied anyway, and that what they ask for is not his to impart; God’s Alone is the Truth that is told, and He is the best to distinguish (and identify people by their intentions and deeds: [5]فصل / fasala.
Note: Incessant demands for proof is a common trait among all who aim to discredit the Messengers -no matter what proofs the Messengers bring them! By discrediting the Messenger they aim to discredit the Message and deny The Sender. Here we think back to HQ6:33, when God told His Messenger that the idolators of Qureish were not, in reality, rejecting him, but rather, they were rejecting all God’s evident Signs.
Our next reading continues along these lines.
Enough said!
Our next Reading is from HQ6:58- 73
Peace unto all!
[1] Fitnah,’ defined on Day 15, acts like the inferno which separates different metals- distinguishing people by bringing out their true mettle/character.
[2] Just by calling Himself ‘their’ Rabb God is assuring them of His tender care!
[3]Here we recall that ‘mujrim’ is about someone whose criminal acts have cut him off, probably from Islam itself; ‘mujrim’ being a noun which stands in opposition to ‘Muslim’ in HQ68:35. You might also remember that the root-verb ‘jarama’ denoted something which is cut, or has dropped away like defective fruit off its tree.
[4] ‘Hawa/هوى’ (sing); ahwaa’/أهواء (plural); is about plummeting desire that leads to emptiness, from the root-verb ‘hawiya/هَوِيَ’.
هَوِيَ: يَدُلُّ عَلَى خُلُوٍّ وَسُقُوطٍ. أَصْلُهُ الْهَوَاءُ بَيْنَ الْأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاءِ، سُمِّيَ لِخُلُوِّهِ. قَالُوا: وَكُلُّ خَالٍ هَوَاءٌ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {وَأَفْئِدَتُهُمْ هَوَاءٌ} [إبراهيم: 43] أَيْ خَالِيَةٌ لَا تَعِي شَيْئًا…. وَأَمَّا الْهَوَى: هَوَى النَّفْسِ، فَمِنَ الْمَعْنَيَيْنِ جَمِيعًا، لِأَنَّهُ خَالٍ مِنْ كُلِّ خَيْرٍ، وَيَهْوِي بِصَاحِبِهِ فِيمَا لَا يَنْبَغِي.”
(فصل) تمييز الشَّيء من الشَّيء وإبانته عنه. يقال: فَصَلْتُ الشَّيءَ فَصْلاً. والفَيْصل: الحاكم. والفَصِيل: ولدُ النَّاقةِ إذا افتُصِلَ عن أُمِّه. والمِفْصَل: اللِّسان، لأنَّ به تُفصَل الأمور وتميَّز. والمفاصل: مَفاصل العِظام. والمَفْصِل: ما بين الجبلَيْن، والجمع مَفاصل