Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
Before we start today, I must point out that reading these posts alone does NOT constitute a ‘Qur’anic’ Reading.
Please read the Qur’an interpretation (Yusuf Ali/ Muhammad Asad) which this discussion is about, and IF POSSIBLE, you must read the 2 pages we are discussing from the Arabi Qur’an itself.
The Qur’an Blog of 2010 was originally intended to highlight and clarify what was already available in Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Asad’s explanations; it was never considered sufficient on its own. Although I tried to provide ample information, I was doing so within a limited number of hours spent on each Posting. This meant that I had to be brief when the verses were well-explained or clear in themselves.
Now, in 2021, I am revising my thoughts and explanations based on new research and understanding. Revision is a ‘must’ in any human endeavor! I learnt that from our beloved Prophet’s 10-year validity of his Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, peace upon him. It’s like a person looking inward at a previous version of one’s thoughts, understanding, and decisions.
Ten years makes for new knowledge and experiences, and also: A new generation! A new generation performing IQRA! with the older generation who strives to maintain IQRA! in ‘the aan’…!! When IQRA! becomes a priority we will never sense a ‘generational gap.’
Please make this venture successful FOR YOURSELF by committing to your part as a Reader.
You must spend a reasonable amount of time and effort daily so as to be able to continue for the lo-oooong haul and crown your endeavors by having completed a turn of IQRA! through the entire Qur’an!
(I say ‘A’ turn because IQRA! is a beautiful, lifelong mission, where one turn ends you might start another, each more enlightening and fulfilling. Sisters who were with us in 2010 -and are with us now- will vouch for that!)
COMMENTS:
Today’s verses provide listeners another angle from which they could reflect upon their Creator as well as their relationship with Him (or -being shortsighted- their perceived lack of it). What we shall read below is more insightful when understood together with the powerful verses in our past Reading!
Today’s Reading is mostly about Prophet Abraham and his Reasoning, peace upon him.
First, he reasons within himself, and then he attempts to reason with his father and his people.[1]
Prophet Abraham is, after all, the one whom the Qur’an praises in HQ37:84, saying:
“When he came to His Lord with a sound heart/mind.”
- In Verse 74 Prophet Abraham first speaks to his father, his immediate area of concern, as our loved ones should be for us.[2] Notice that he first posed him a question, to which his father must have responded (even with silence!). Then Abraham continued, stating that both his father, and his father’s people, were evidently astray/in loss.
Verse 75 shows us how God helped Abraham observe His ‘Malakoot,’ meaning His complete Domination over His Dominion, the superlative word ‘Malakoot’ being an amplified, exalted form of the more common noun ‘Mulk.’ It serves to highlight the fact that all The ‘Mulk/Dominion’ is in His Power.
Zamakhshari says that the word ‘Malakoot’ is about God’s Domination over the Exalted Expanses and the Earth both as Lord-Sustainer –‘Ruboobiyyah/ربوبيّة’- and as Sole Deity –‘Ilaahiyyah/إلهية’[3] or ‘Uloohiyyah’ as many pronounce it.
God showed Abraham His ‘Malakoot’ so that he would (observe and) become one of the ‘Al Mooqineen/The Ascertained-من الموقنين’.
- Verses 76-79 are the direct result of such observation culminating in certitude! Most commentators tell us that the issue of his saying that star, the moon, and the sun, were ‘his Rabb/Lord Sustainer’ was not a debate within himself but rather, he was setting himself up as an example of a Searcher, debating his people indirectly in such a logical manner, to arrive at a conclusion that would be evident to all. At any rate, whether it was a debate in himself or one he’d set up as an example, it is an excellent one, evidenced by the fact that God mentions it for all time.
He was definitely searching. He was definitely teaching. He was definitely positioning himself apart from his idolator father and people. As for us, it is best to learn from what God tells us, without elaborating.
Also, only God knows what -and how- He showed Abraham His Malakoot!
Abraham was seeing God’s Domination over His Dominion; he was not seeing the star, the moon, the sun the way we see them when we look at them; His awe-inspiring, certitude-generating experience was his alone.
In verse 76 we encountered the verb ‘janna- (جنّ), which means ‘to conceal/enclose,’ describing the night enveloping him in its darkness in {the night ‘janna’ upon him}. This is the root verb of the noun ‘Jannah- جَنّة meaning an enclosed Garden, as well as the Jinn- جِنّ- creatures concealed or hidden )from our point of view, see Blog Post Day 44).
Verse 79 is a beautiful public affirmation made by Prophet Abraham, peace upon him, and is for us today, what we call ‘the Supplication of Direction’ to God (دعاء التوجّه – meaning by which we direct ourselves to Him).[4] Many Muslims begin every single prayer by saying this verse, with full-knowledge that they are repeating Abraham’s words (just as we do our Pilgrimage rites in his footsteps- see Blog Post Day 12)! Isn’t that fact in itself, a most eloquent affirmation of the unity of people who have faith and trust in God?
If others, who also have high esteem for Prophet Abraham, knew that, they’d realize that we are simply trying to maintain our course according to God’s single Message to Mankind.
- In Verses 80-82 we find more of Prophet Abraham’s eloquent argument with his people. We feel no need to ‘fill in the blanks’ here, despite the fact that we are told nothing about the other side of the argument; we gain insight into what the other side was saying or doing by simply following his response!
God tells us what He wants us to know. Period. As for us, we must simply have faith and trust in His Wisdom.
Abraham says that he has absolutely no fear of the deities which they associate with God, and (in Verse 81) he questions their logic –that they could even ask him of that- yet they do not fear actually HAVING SHIRKED God and worshipped idols instead?! Therefore, who of both parties (theirs or his) should have more right to feel secure, if they but knew?
Verse 82 is a statement informing us, as to whom Security truly belongs:
It indicates clearly that Security belongs to Those who have Attained Faith AND do not ‘yalbisoo/confuse/obscure’(Ali/Asad) their faith with any wrongdoing (the verb is ‘labasa’). Only such persons shall have Security and be rightly Guided. Let us attempt to live up to that!
Verse 83 concludes this narrative, showing that Abraham’s compelling argument was sent from God (Asad sees it as ‘God’s argument’), asserting that God elevates in ‘darajah’ whom He wills.[5]
- Verses 84-87 go on to mention 17 of God’s Prophets by name -after referring to Abraham- and mentioning his family line of Prophets, Isaac and Jacob,[6] the last name mentioned here being Lot, peace upon them all. They are described with beautiful attributes and the statement that they were chosen and guided to a ‘Straightened Path- صراط مستقيم.
Verse 88 informs us that, had any one of God’s worshippers shirked God, his works/efforts would have been painfully voided/desolated. See Blog Post Day 26 for the word HabaTa/حَبَطَ .
Verse 89 speaks of those (Prophets/Messengers and their people) given the Compilation (singular!) and Wisdom and Prophethood, that if any were to deny the message, God will entrust it to another community who would not Deny it.
Although this was a warning to Qureish at the time, it has remained a warning ever since!!
- If anyone were to deny God’s Message, He would entrust it to others who would not deny it!
Let us reflect a little and try to do what Prophet Abraham did. Would we realize what this statement means and notice that those who have denied God’s Message actually open the way -at their loss- for others to take it over?
Isn’t this something WE should be thinking of?
May we all, having received God’s Message, fulfil our trust.
May we approach it ‘Bismil-Lah.’
May we go through it with ‘Iqra!’
May we follow it in ‘Tadabbur.’
May we learn from its Ayaat.
May we be enlightened by its Noor.
May we gain ‘Yaqeen/Certitude.’
Ameen….
- Verse 90 is addressed to Prophet Muhammad, peace upon him, telling him that these were (the Prophets) gift-guided by God, and that he should follow their guidance, and that he should inform his people that he is NOT asking them any personal reward, but that it (his Message) is only a Reminder for all ‘the nations/mankind’ (Ali/Asad), or perhaps it is a Reminder ‘for all those who KNOW’ (عالِمين)[7]
Enough said!
Our next Reading is from HQ6:91-101
Peace unto all!
[1] There is some discussion as to his أب//abb/ whom some say may have been his uncle.
[2] In HQ 26:214 our beloved Messenger Muhammad, peace upon him, was first told to warn his closest relations (family/friends).
[3] الزمخشري: “ملكوت السمٰوات والأرض يعني الربوبية والإلٰهية ونوفقه لمعرفتها ونرشده بما شرحنا صدره وسدّدنا نظره وهديناه لطريق الاستدلال. وليكون من الموقنين فعلنا ذلك.”
[4] Wajjahtu wajhiya lillathee faTaras-samaawati wal-ardh, Haneefan wama ana minal-mushrikeen. Inna Salatee wanusukee wamaHyaaya wamaamatee lillaahi Rabbil-3Aalameen, la shareeka lahu wabithaalika omirtu wa-ana minal-muslimeen.
وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفاً وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، إِنَّ صَلَاتِي، وَنُسُكِي، وَمَحْيَايَ، وَمَمَاتِي للهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ.
[5] ‘Darajah’ being about proceeding, taking a step; relative to one’s effort.
[6] Al Razi (544-606 AH/1150-1210 CE) says that Prophet Ishmael’s name came later in the verses because these verses began by speaking of the Prophets who descended from Abraham (the Prophets of Bani Isra-eel), and it is not fitting that Prophet Muhammad would be made to mention himself here (his being the only descendant of Prophet Ishmael) peace upon all God’s Prophets.
Actually, when you think of it, the fact that our Prophet was not even mentioned in this lineage -while having to deliver these verses in person to everyone around him- constitutes such strong evidence of the truth of his Message: What you are hearing through this Messenger are the words of God!
الرازي: “فإن قالوا لِمَ لَمْ يذكر إسمعيل عليه السلام مع إسحق بل أخر ذكره عنه بدرجات قلنا لأن المقصود بالذكر ههنا أنبياء بني إسرائيل وهم بأسرهم أولاد إسحق ويعقوب وأما إسمعيل فإنه ما خرج من صلبه أحد من الأنبياء إلا محمد r ولا يجوز ذكر محمد في هذا المقام …. فإذا كان المحتج بهذه الحجة هو محمد r امتنع أن يذكر نفسه في هذا المعرض فلهذا السبب لم يذكر إسمعيل مع إسحق.”
[7] There are opinions on the word ‘3aalameen,’ which is the plural of ‘3aalam.’ From the root-verb ‘3alama/عَلَمَ’ it is usually taken to mean ‘known/identifiable worlds,’ as in the ‘worlds of animals/plants/humans etc..’. But some think that it is the plural of ‘3aalim,’ (with a different diacritic mark, a kassra in this instant) and that here, speaking of a Reminder, it cannot be pointing to anyone other than ‘Those Who Know/have 3ilm.’ But God Knows best….والله أعلم