Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
We ended yesterday’s Reading with mention of those who, by making light of their Accountability Standard, become prey to the delusions and seductions of the ‘immediate/lowly’ Life, causing them to neglect/ignore the eternal Life of the Hereafter. Note that, by taking their Accountability lightly, although not totally forgetting/neglecting it, they ended up dismissing it completely from their lives because of how this lowly life DELUDES us. Their dire consequence is that GOD NEGLECTS them when they are most in need of Him, and they are left alone to face their consequence alone (the root-verb ‘nasiya/ نَسِيَ’[1] is about forgetting/neglecting/leaving something behind or about something that comes after).
Yusuf Ali’s Explanation.
Muhammad Asad’s Explanation.
COMMENTS:
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1. Verse 52 brings us back to THIS LIFE after so many verses had us immersed in scenes of the Afterlife (from Verse 37 speaking about death, onward). These heart-stopping verses ended with Verse 51 which gave us SEQUENCE & CONSEQUENCE in a nutshell.
Now, Verse 52 tells us that God had brought to ‘them’[2] a ‘Kitaab’ delineated/detailed for them in (His) full Knowledge, (to be) Gift-Guidance and Mercy for A People (Qawm/قوم) who have Faith and Trust.
The fact that there is only one Compilation, and that all who have faith and trust in it are considered one People shows as the unifying factor of faith:
In the final analysis, not only the Messengers of God who delivered one Message, but all those who followed them while truly seeking God, are one brotherhood. If only we could all realize that.
2. Verse 53 asks whether they await the Compilation’s “ta’weelahu – تأويله” translated by Ali as ‘the final fulfillment of the event,’ and by Asad as ‘the final meaning to unfold.’ Both are correct:
The word “Ta’weel” –تأويل is about the beginning (//أوَّلawwal/first) and the ending (مآل/ma’aal), from the root verb ‘ ’awala,’[3] which is why the verb ‘aala, ya’oolu يؤول – آل denotes something or someone returning to the first point of reference. Knowing that you’d understand how reference often is to the head-of-family or the most prominent forefather, as in the word ‘Aal’ in ‘Aali Imraan/Ibraheem/Daoud’- آل عمران/ابراهيم/ داوود – ‘the Family of/those who are referenced to …..).
Reading this verse we feel that it is asking us what we are waiting for, and telling us: DO NOT WAIT for the ta’weel… you do not want the references in the Compilation to unfold after having wasted your life!! That is because:
At the time when the Compilation will be fulfilled in reference to its beginnings, and its full meaning is unfolded, people can only lament and acknowledge that this has always been THE Just Truth, delivered by their Lord-Sustainer’s Messengers! They will lament the lost opportunity of life where they squandered and lost their very Selves, and now start begging for anyone to intercede on their behalf.
3. Verse 54 describes the creation of our universe in six distinct Aeons. The word ‘yawm-يوم [4]’ in Arabic originally meant ‘a period, an epoch, an event.’ The plural is ‘ayyaam,’ its origin having been ‘أيوام-aewaam’ before it changed to ease its pronunciation. This is where the English word ‘aeon’ seems to have originated (words which cross-over, often interchange the letters ‘m’ and ‘n’). Etymology: 1640s, from L. aeon, from Gk. Aion “age, eternity” (see eon).
Also note that Muhammad Asad said ‘aeon’ (which is how I first became interested in his work after someone I was speaking to, explaining the word ‘yawm’ -as ‘aeon’- mentioned that they’d read the same in Asad’s explanation).
It is in this beautiful verse which tells us about our Lord-Sustainer’s creation that we encounter the word ‘Arch –عرش’ for the first time. Yusuf Ali says in note 1032 that it is ‘metaphorical; symbol of authority and power..’ and Muhammad Asad agrees in note 43, connecting the expression to God’s creation of the universe.
We should bear in mind that the word ‘arch/’عرش in Arabic (near-identical pronunciation and meaning to the English)[5] expresses BUILDING, complete with raising and fortifying what is built. The ‘arch’ which the Qur’an ALWAYS mentions with regard to God’s Creation, is directly related to the form and function of this universe, as the receptacle of LIFE.
Verse HQ 2:255 tells us about God, that “..no slumber nor sleep overcomes Him…” The concept of the ‘Arch’ seems to have been well-understood by early Muslims who manifested it into their architecture; see The Arch That Never Sleeps .
5. Verses 55-56 are poignantly beautiful, as they delineate for us both the form and intent of what would be considered THE best Supplication:
The form is with humble need and in secret (تضرّعاً وخفية) while the intent is in fear and longing (خوفاً وطمعا)
We spoke earlier on Day 66 of the most tender & vulnerable supplication in a state of ‘taDharru3/تضرُّع’ –
Which was about tenderness, humility, and the utter vulnerability of newborns as they are breastfeeding.
Let us note the endings of each of these two verses, and do ‘tadabbur’ of what they seem to refer to, in Oh.. such a subtle yet most eloquent way!!!
After the verse on calling upon our Lord-Sustainer: “God does not love The Mu3tadeen” (The Transgressors, opposite of The Aware).
After the verse on calling on Him without corrupting the Earth: “God’s Mercy is close (as close as He Is)[6] to The MuHsineen (The Benevolent, who do Ihssaan, beyond the call of duty, beautifying their good-deeds).
The Prophet r spoke of supplication and the nearness of God when he heard his companions’ voices getting louder with ‘La-Ilaha-illa-Allah’ and ‘Allahu Akbar’ as they approached a ‘wadi’ during one of their journeys together, saying:[7] ‘Easy upon yourselves! For you are not calling upon someone deaf or absent! He is with you. He is The One Who Hears, The One Who Is Near.”
Note that we are descending now, (from the highest level) hearing of the creation of the Exalted Expanses and the Earth, to the gentle tenderness with which we should behave and supplicate, to a call for awareness, (now at ground-level) looking up to God and His Infinite Ever-present Mercy upon The MuHsineen, in how the earth gives us its bounty by way of the winds and heavy rain-laden clouds which God sends (now at ground-level looking down) for fruits to rise up out of the ground for us… to finally (below ground-level) be reminded that in such way shall the dead be raised!!
These verses should be read and pondered upon….again and again…
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6. Verse 58 (now that we are at ground level) gives us a similitude, comparing people to land; wholesome land versus unwholesome land. The fruits of each are the PRODUCT of the land in which they grew! The end of the verse shows us that such a similitude is for People Who are Appreciating/ being Productive.
Indeed, anyone working the land or even simply observing nature would know this, and we who are doing tadabbur realize that this is related to HOW THE DEAD SHALL RISE UP, some ‘wholesome’ and some ‘unwholesome.’
With that stirring introduction we are taken to the story of the first of God’s Messengers Noah, peace upon him.
Prophet Noah’s Message was simply: “…Worship God; you have no other god….!”
7. When (in verse 64) they ‘rejected him/gave him the lie’ (Ali/Asad), God saved Noah and those who were with him in the ‘fulk’ while those who belied him were drowned, for they were a ‘blind’ people.
‘Fulk’ فُلك’ [8] is a sphere, or ‘curved, rounded’ vessel, “..similar to the ‘felkeh’ of a spinning-wheel or the roundness of a woman’s breast.. or so sea-vessels are called because they turn around in the water..” Both Ali and Asad called it the Ark.
Despite similarities, we should NOT be influenced by the Biblical story when we read the Qur’anic narrative; the Qur’an does not tell us that the entire earth was flooded (see Asad’s note 47)!
As for ‘Ark,’ etymologically the word is said to be from Old English “O.E. earc, mainly meaning Noah’s, from L. arca “large box, chest.”
In Arabic however, as we saw, ‘fulk’ seems to be a circular or rounded vessel with no sharp corners. Perhaps the word should be rewritten in English with a ‘c’ rather than a ‘k’! ‘Arc’ is “..late 14c., from O.Fr. arc, from L. arcus “a bow, arch,” from PIE base*arqu- “bowed, curved.”
What do YOU think dear Readers?
Enough said!
Our next Reading is from HQ 7:65-79
Peace unto all!
[1] ابن فارس:
نَسِيَ: أَصْلَانِ صَحِيحَانِ: يَدُلُّ أَحَدُهُمَا عَلَى إِغْفَالِ الشَّيْءِ، وَالثَّانِي عَلَى تَرْكِ شَيْءٍ.
فَالْأَوَّلُ نَسِيتُ الشَّيْءَ، إِذَا لَمْ تَذْكُرْهُ، نِسْيَانًا… وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: الْأَصْلُ فِي الْبَابِ النِّسْيَانُ، وَهُوَ عُزُوبُ الشَّيْءِ عَنِ النَّفْسِ بَعْدَ حُضُورِهِ لَهَا.
وَإِذَا هُمِزَ تَغَيَّرَ الْمَعْنَى إِلَى تَأْخِيرِ الشَّيْءِ. .. وَالنَّسِيئَةُ: بَيْعُكَ الشَّيْءَ نَسَاءً، وَهُوَ التَّأْخِيرُ. تَقُولُ: أَنْسَأْتُ. وَنَسَأَ اللَّهُ فِي أَجْلِكَ وَأَنْسَأَ أَجْلَكَ: أَخَّرَهُ وَأَبْعَدَهُ…وَنَسَأْتُ نَاقَتِي… وَنَسَأْتُهَا : ضَرَبْتُهَا بِالْمِنْسَأَةِ: الْعَصَا. وَالنَّسِيءُ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ: التَّأْخِيرُ…
الأصفهاني:
النِّسْيَانُ: تَرْكُ الإنسانِ ضبطَ ما استُودِعَ، إمَّا لضَعْفِ قلبِهِ، وإمَّا عن غفْلةٍ، وإمَّا عن قصْدٍ حتى يَنْحَذِفَ عن القلبِ ذِكْرُهُ، يقال: نَسِيتُهُ نِسْيَاناً.
[2] ‘Them’: Refers to everyone being judged on Judgement Day in general/ refers to those mentioned in Verse 51 in particular.
[3] أول: ابتداء الأمر وانتهاؤه. فالأوّل، وهو مبتدأُ الشيء… وآلَ يَؤُول أَي رجع. وكذلك آلُ كلِّ شيء. وذلك أنَّهم يعبِّرون عنه بآلِه، وهم عشيرته، يقولون آل أبي بكر، وهم يريدون أبا بكر. ومن هذا الباب تأويل الكلام، وهو عاقبتُهُ وما يؤُولُ إليه، وذلك قوله تعالى: {هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إلاَّ تَأْوِيلَهُ} [الأعراف 53]. يقول: ما يَؤُول إليه في وقت بعثهم ونشورهم.
[4] يوم:هي اليَوم: الواحدُ من الأيّام، ثم يستعيرونه في الأمر العظيم ويقولون نِعْمَ فلانٌ في اليَوم إذا نَزَل. والأصل في أيَّامٍ أيْوَام، لكنَّه أُدغِم.
[5] Etymology: ARCH: “structure (in a building, bridge, etc.) in the shape of a curve that stands when supported only at the extremities,” c. 1300, from Old French arche “and they link it to ‘arc.’
So the word entered English in the early 14th century, bearing in mind that, in Europe, Arabic was the language of the sciences and the arts (including archaeology) from the 8th to the 15th century during Muslim rule in Andalusia. After that, it was through Arabic works that the rest of Europe gradually came out of what they have termed ‘the dark ages.’
If I can, I would help anyone who takes it upon themselves to dig deeper into this issue: The UNACKNOWLEDGED TRUTH on the hundreds (if not thousands) of European words with Arabic roots.
عرش: يدلُّ على ارتفاعٍ في شيء مبنيّ، ثم يستعارُ في غير ذلك. من ذلك العَرْش، قال الخليل: العرش: سرير الملِك. وهذا صحيحٌ، قال الله تعالى: {وَرَفَعَ أبَوَيْهِ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ} [يوسف 100]، ثم استُعير ذلك فقيل لأمر الرّجُل وقِوامه: عرش. وإذا زال ذلك عنه قيل: ثُلَّ عَرشُه. ومن الباب: تعريش الكَرْم، لأنّه رفعه والتوثُّق منه. والعريش: بناءٌ من قُضبانٍ يُرفَع ويوثَّق حتَّى يظلّل. ويقال لسَقْف البَيْت عَرْش. قال الله تعالى: {فَهي خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوشِها} [الحج 45]، والمعنى أنَّ السَّقف يسقُط ثم يتَهافت عليه الجُدرانُ ساقطةً.
[6] Exegetes have wondered, noting that the grammatically common adjective there should have been ‘qareebah’ (feminine) because the noun Mercy/RaHmah is feminine. But God said ‘qareeb,’ which is quite strange, yet it conveys the message far more correctly than ‘qareebah’ because:
Had the adjective been feminine, it would only be speaking of God’s Mercy being close… but BY BEING A MASCULINE ADJECTIVE, IT REFERS TO GOD WHO IS QAREEB TO THEM HIMSELF, as is His Mercy!! What eloquence.
[7]Although we think of ‘wadi’ as a valley, at that time it also meant a riverbed that contains water after heavy rains.
عن أبي موسى الأشعري -رضي الله عنه- قال: كنا مع النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- في سفر، فكنا إذا أشْرَفْنَا على واد هَلَّلْنَا وكبَّرْنَا وارتفعت أصواتنا، فقال النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم-: ((يا أيها الناس، ارْبَعُوا على أنفسكم، فإنكم لا تدعون أصمَّ ولا غائباً، إنَّه معكم، إنَّه سميع قريب))
[صحيح.] – [متفق عليه، واللفظ للبخاري.]
فلك: أصلٌ صحيح يدلُّ على استدارةٍ في شيء. من ذلك فَلْكة المِغزل بفتح الفاء، سمِّيت لاستدارتها؛ ولذلك قيل: فَلَّك ثَدْيُ المرأة، إذا استدار. ومن هذا القياس فَلَك السماء. والفَلَك: قِطَعٌ من الأرض مستديرةٌ مرتفِعة عمَّا حولها. وأمَّا السفينة فتسمَّى فُلْكا. ويقال إنَّ الواحد والجمعَ في هذا الاسم سواء، ولعلَّها تسمَّى فُلْكاً لأنَّها تدار في الماء.