Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
Yusuf Ali’s Translation of this Chapter.
Muhammad Asad’s Translation of this Chapter.
COMMENTS:
1. Verses 150-151 continue with the story of Prophets Moses and Aaron, peace upon them both, showing us Moses’ disappointment/sense of loss/asaf[1] upon returning to find his people worshipping the calf, and his ‘ghaDab’ feelings of severity that had reached the extreme -in the now- so that he had become ‘ghaDbaan’ (similar to HQ20:86).
It is important here to speak of two words often considered synonyms taken to mean anger or wrath:
Gheyth/غيظ (hard ‘th’ sound) and ghaDab/غضب.
We encountered the first in 3:134 and saw how commendable it is to restrain one’s anger/ gheyth/غيظ.
The word ‘ghaDab’ mentioned here however (in its superlative and emergent form according to ‘fa’laan’) is different; a ghaDbah/غضبة is a hard rock, and the word refers to ‘severity and strength’ and not to a reaction -which is why the Qur’an speaks of God’s GhaDab only. It is human beings we might feel the blameworthy, raging negative reaction called GheyTh; that of course, is never attributed to God.
We note his disappointment at the gravity of the situation and are told of the verbal and physical exchange he had with his brother Aaron whom he had left in charge, but who had almost gotten himself killed for trying to stop them. Moses then asks God to forgive them both and admit them into His Mercy.
2. In Verses 152-153, God promises dire consequence to those who took the calf for worship, as indeed will be the reward of any who invent falsehood (see Asad), while there will be forgiveness for any who repent AND recommit to faith after committing wrongs.
3. Verses 154-155 continue the narrative; at the end of verse 154 is a description of what the tablets contain: Gift-Guidance and Mercy FOR THOSE who are in awe of their Lord-Sustainer, while at the end of verse 155 we find Moses’ beautiful supplication to his Lord.
Here we encounter for the third time the word ‘meeqaat’ which we explained earlier in 7:142, 143 as ‘appointed time.’ This word is interesting because we use it also when we travel for pilgrimage to Mecca, the ‘meeqat’ in that case being the specific location where the appointed time begins.[2]
4. Verse 156 continues Moses’ supplication.
[7:156]
And ‘compile/put together’ for us, in this immediate world, what is good, and in the Hereafter. Verily, we have succumbed/turned in repentance[3] unto You!…”
At the center of the verse we get God’s response, as explained:
He [God] said: “With My chastisement I afflict whom I will – and My Mercy encompasses everything, so I shall ‘compile it/put it together’ to the benefit of those who are Aware and spend in purifying dues, and those who in Our messages do have Faith and Trust.
That in itself is a heart-melting declaration, if we but reflected upon it!
5. Then, after the supplication in this verse and God’s immediate response, the next verse seamlessly delivers a MAJOR STATEMENT, going to (what would be considered) ‘the future’ in the eyes of Prophet Moses and his generation, peace upon him.
Take a look:
Delivered in the present continuous, it is Timeless:
[7:157]
Those who follow the Messenger, the Unindoctrinated[4] Prophet whom they find (reports of) compiled in the Torah and the Evangel: who commands them to what is mutually acceptable and forbids them of what is mutually objectionable, and makes lawful to them all that is Wholesome and forbids/makes inviolable them what is Unwholesome, and relieves them of them their burden and the shackles that were upon them. Those, therefore, who have Faith and Trust in him, and honor him and gave him prominence, and follow the Light that was sent down with him– they are indeed the Successful!”
Dear Reader:
Anyone who has true Faith and Trust in God, without bias to the teachings of a certain creed, would realize that this verse illustrates the continuation of God’s single Message, which achieves its finality in Prophet Muhammad, peace upon him, as the Light sent down with him.
This verse shows us that the timeless enlightenment contained in this Qur’an, although sent to all Humanity, is most appreciable when recognized by followers of Moses’ Torah and Jesus’ Evangel. Doesn’t God introduce to them His Messenger as someone sent to relieve their burden and free their shackles? He IS a Mercy to Mankind(HQ21: 107).
Many were those wonderful Seekers of God, followers of the Torah and Evangel, who upon opening to God’s Light, seamlessly continued their journey towards Him through the Qur’an. One such Seeker was our Muhammad Asad, born Leopold Weiss!
6. Then, after that beautiful introduction comes the announcement:
[7:158]
Say: “O Cognizant Humans! I am the Messenger of God (sent) to you all, He to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: He gives both life and death. So have Faith and Trust in God and His Messenger, the unindoctrinated Prophet, who has Faith and Trust in God and His words: and follow him so that you might be guided.”
The word ALL is highly indicative!(see our authority on the Old Testament, Muhammad Asad), who also says:
“For when I ask myself, ‘What is the sum total of my life?’ something in me seems to answer, ‘You have set out to exchange one world for another-to gain a new world for yourself in exchange for an old one which you never really possessed.’ And I know with startling clarity that such an undertaking might indeed take an entire lifetime.”
(The Road to Mecca)
Enough said!
Our next Reading is from HQ 7:159-170.
Peace unto all!
[1]أَسَفَ: أَصْلٌ وَاحِدٌ يَدُلُّ عَلَى الْفَوْتِ وَالتَّلَهُّفِ وَمَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ. يُقَالُ: أَسِفَ عَلَى الشَّيْءِ يَأْسَفُ أسَفًا مِثْلَ تَلَهَّفَ….. وَيُقَالُ: إِنَّ الْأُسَافَةَ الْأَرْضُ الَّتِي لَا تُنْبِتُ شَيْئًا… وَكَذَلِكَ الْجَمَلُ الْأَسِيفُ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي لَا يَكَادُ يَسْمَنُ.
[2] ابن فارس:
وَقَتَ: أَصْلٌ يَدُلُّ عَلَى حَدِّ شَيْءٍ وَكُنْهِهِ فِي زَمَانٍ وَغَيْرِهِ. مِنْهُ الْوَقْتُ: الزَّمَانُ الْمَعْلُومُ. وَالْمَوْقُوتُ: الشَّيْءُ الْمَحْدُودُ. [وَ] الْمِيقَاتُ: الْمَصِيرُ لِلْوَقْتِ. وَقَتَ لَهُ كَذَا وَوَقَّتَهُ، أَيْ حَدَّدَهُ.
الأصفهاني:
قد يقال المِيقَاتُ للمكان الذي يجعل وَقْتاً للشيء، كمِيقَاتِ الحجّ.
[3] The common explanation of the term ‘hudna/هُدنا’is repentance, although what the definition stresses is the SUCCUMBING quiescence, becoming an unchallenging pacifist seeking safety among people! From that word comes the word ‘tahweed’ which is about walking slowly, ‘hawwad’ which means to sleep, and ‘hawaadah’ which indicates doing something slowly and gently.
هَوَدَ: يَدُلُّ عَلَى إِرْوَادٍ وَسُكُونٍ. يَقُولُونَ: [التَّهْوِيدُ] : الْمَشْيُ الرُّوَيْدُ. وَيَقُولُونَ: هَوَّدَ، إِذَا نَامَ. وَالْهَوَادَةُ: الْحَالُ تُرْجَى مَعَهَا السَّلَامَةُ بَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ. وَالْمُهَاوَدَةُ: الْمُوَادَعَةُ. فَأَمَّا الْيَهُودُ فَمِنْ هَادَ يَهُودُ، إِذَا تَابَ هَوْدًا.
[4] The word ‘ummi’ refers to a preceding ‘original’ state, not necessarily illiterate as most people explain it (as someone delivered by his ‘umm/mother’). Here we note that it’s not about the mother, but about one’s origin, one’s predecessors to whom one belongs. Examples: The ‘umm’ of our head is our brain; the ‘imaam’ is the one who ‘precedes’ stands ahead of others so they would follow him. ‘Heading’ towards something is called ‘tayammum’ in Arabic (2:267); hence the Qur’an gives us license to ‘head towards wholesome earth’ (4:43; 5:6) when we do not find water to make our ‘wudu/ablution’…. All related to the same word: Umm.
Now, since many Arabs were literate at the time, yet ALL Arabs were called ‘ummiyyeen’ (62:2), especially in contrast to the People of (previous) Compilation (3:20), and we know God’s Word to be True and Just, then it is not about literacy at all, but rather about being an original pristine community to which no compilations or doctrines had as yet been sent; Prophet Muhammad peace upon him was their Messenger, their UNINDOCTRINATED Prophet.
أمّ: هي الأصل، والمرجِع، والجماعة، من ذلك أُمُّ الرأس وهو الدّماغ. وأُمُّ القرى: مكّة؛ وكلُّ مدينةٍ هي أمُّ ما حولها من القُرى. … والإمام: كلُّ من اقتُدِي به وقُدِّم في الأمور. قال الخليل: الأمَم: القصد. قال الخليل: التيمُّم يجري مجرى التوخّي، يقال له تيمّمْ أمراً حسَناً وتيمّموا أطيب ما عندكم تَصدّقُوا به([82]). والتيمُّم بالصَّعيد من هذا المعنى، أي توخَّوْا أَطيبَه وأَنظَفَه وتعمّدوه. فصار التيمُّم في أفواه العامة فعلاً للتمسُّح بالصعيد، حتى يقولوا قد تَيمَّم فلان بالتُّراب. وقال الله تعالى: {فَتيَمَّمُوا صَعِيداً طَيِّباً) والأمّ: الرئيس، يقال هو أُمُّهم.
In posting of Blog Post Day 70 March 26, we did not explain the word ‘Umm-أم’ – when Mecca was called ‘Umm el Quraa’- the term simply denotes any central town, as compared to those surrounding it: وكلُّ مدينةٍ هي أمُّ ما حولها من القُرى- although in that part of the world at the time, Mecca was indeed the origin-the foundation- the ‘mother’ of all towns.