Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
Yusuf Ali’s Translation of this Chapter
Muhammad Asad’s Translation of this Chapter
COMMENTS:
1. Today’s Reading starts with two VERY IMPORTANT verses that call unto Those Who Attained Faith:
They hold 5 commands to be heeded by those of us who wish to succeed as a community, to be respected, and to have God WITH us:[1]
“O you Who have attained Faith: If you meet a (hostile) faction stand firm, and remember God consistently so that you may succeed. (45)
And obey God and His Messenger and do not contend against one another/ ولا تنازعوا/wa la tanaaza’عu [2] thereby weakening (in strength and courage) /فتفشلوا /fa tafshalu [3] and causing the departure of your advantage over them, and patiently persevere, indeed God Is with those who patiently persevere!” (8:46)
These instructions are for all time (not just during battle). These commands help people of faith navigate successfully through ANY threatening circumstance and then EMERGE ON TOP: with steadfastness, remembrance of God, obedience to Him and His Messenger, and with togetherness, and perseverance.
These were two recipes; the recipe for success and the recipe for failure. The choice is ours!
2. The next two verses describe the tribe of Qureish, and the way in which the Deviant/Al Sheytaan embellishes people’s deeds, then leaves such persons to face God alone, while he disassociates himself from them. It is interesting to hear his argument, in that he knows what they don’t know, and that he fears God who is severe in meting out consequence!
Read it in both Ali and Asad’s explanations, bearing in mind that we already heard about Satan’s false promises in Q4:120:
يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا ﴿النساء: ١٢٠﴾
Y. Ali:
“Satan makes them promises and creates in them false desires; but Satan’s promises are nothing but deception.” (120)
Muhammad Asad:
“He holds out promises to them and fills them with vain desires: yet whatever Satan promises them is but meant to delude the mind.” (120)
3. Verse 49 responds to what two groups are saying: The first group is the Hypocrites, and the second group is ‘Those in whose hearts/minds is a Disease,’ which is understood to refer to those whose hearts/minds waver, having not wholeheartedly accepted the faith. See Ali and Asad.
Perhaps we should add that they also suffer from malice against the people of Faith, seeing that the Qur’an did say in Q47:29[4] that people in whose hearts is a disease have hidden malice.
4. Verses 50-51 give us a horrifying peek into the end of life as it will be for those who Denied; they struggle against the Custodians/Angels who bring them ‘wafaat/death,’ telling them to taste the deeds they had sent forth (see Blog Post Day 70 Posting of March 26th).
Note that this verse is identical to Verses 3:182 and 22:10, and is one of five where God calls blameworthy people in the Hereafter ‘Abeed/ slave-servants,’ for in the Hereafter there is no freedom.
In life however, all people are ‘Ibaad/ worshippers,’ whether they worship Him voluntarily or not, and none will be wronged, as seen in Q40:31:[5]
وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِّلْعِبَادِ…..”…..” “….. God does not intend (and initiate) the wronging of the worshippers…..”
Verses 52 and 54 are about the People of Pharaoh, and those prior to them; how they denied God’s Signs and had to suffer the consequence.
5. Verse 53, is a statement of FACT, positioned in between the narrative of the People of Pharaoh and those prior to them.
This verse shows us something very important:
It shows us Humanity’s DEFAULT state (as explained by Asad):
“This, because God would never change the blessings with which He has graced a people unless they change their inner selves: and [know] that God is all-hearing, all-knowing.”
In his commentary on another verse, Q13:11 (which contains a similar statement), Asad says:
“Lit., “that which is in themselves.” This statement has both a positive and a negative connotation: i.e., God does not withdraw His blessings from men unless their inner selves become depraved (cf. 8:53), just as He does not bestow His blessings upon willful sinners until they change their inner disposition and become worthy of His grace. In its wider sense, this is an illustration of the divine law of cause and effect (sunnat Allāh) which dominates the lives of both individuals and communities, and makes the rise and fall of civilizations dependent on people’s moral qualities and the changes in “their inner selves.”
This shows us that our default state, the state in which we were created and would revert to- if not for any bad choices we make- is a STATE OF BLESSING.
Human Innocence PLUS Blessings from God are the default of our existence, a very important distinction that we should make.
6. Verses 55-59 are addressed to Prophet Muhammad, peace upon him, and relate to Those who Denied and their breaking of covenants, as explained by Asad.
7. Verses 60-61 add one final command to our ‘Recipe for Success’ (verses 45-46), namely maintaining a DETERRENCE to ever becoming oppressed by others. Being ‘battle-prepared’ at all times happens to be the best way to achieve a just peace! (Explained below by Asad):
“Hence, make ready against them whatever force and war mounts you are able to muster, so that you might deter thereby the enemies of God, who are your enemies as well, and others besides them of whom you may be unaware, [but] of whom God is aware; and whatever you may expend in God’s cause shall be repaid to you in full, and you shall not be wronged.” (60)
But if they incline to peace, incline thou to it as well, and place thy trust in God: verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing!” (61)
Enough said!
Our next Reading is from HQ 8: 62-75.
Peace unto all!
[1] Unfortunately, our history provides ample example of the dire consequences suffered for having disobeyed these commands!
نزع: يدلُّ على قَلْع شيء. ونَزَعْت الشيءَ من مكانِه نَزْعاً. ونازَعَت النَّفْسُ إلى الأمرِ نِزاعاً، ونَزَعَت إليه، إذا اشتَهتْه. ونَزَع إلى أبيه في الشَّبَه. ونَزَع عن الأمر نُزُوعاً، إذا تركَه.
لسان العرب: الفَشِل: الرجل الضعيف الجبان، والجمع أَفشال. ابن سيده: فَشِل الرجل فَشَلاً، فهو فَشِل: كَسِلَ وضعُف وتراخَى وجَبُن. الفَشَل: الفزعُ والجُبْن والضَّعْف؛ وفي التنزيل العزيز: ولا تنازعوا فتَفْشَلوا وتذهب ريحكُم؛ قال الزجاج: أَي تَجْبُنوا عن عدوّكم إِذا اختلفتم، أَخبر أَن اختلافهم يضعفهم وأَن الأُلْفة تزيد في قوّتهم.
[4] أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ أَن لَّن يُخْرِجَ اللَّهُ أَضْغَانَهُمْ ﴿محمد: ٢٩﴾
Ibn Faris: ‘Daghana’: Covering something tilted and crooked, not pointing to anything good. From that come the nouns ‘Dhighn’ and ‘Dhaghn:’ A grudge/ malice.
And a ‘Dhaaghin/begrudging’ horse is one that does not give full gallop without being beaten.
ابن فارس: “ضغن: تغطية شيءٍ في ميل واعوِجاج، ولا يدلُّ على خَير. من ذلك الضِّغْن والضَّغْن: الحِقْد. وفرسٌ ضاغن، إِذا كان لا يُعطِي ما عندهُ من الجري إلاّ بالضَّرب.
[5] . مِثْلَ دَأْبِ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَالَّذِينَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًا لِّلْعِبَادِ ﴿غافر: ٣١﴾