Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
Yusuf Ali’s Translation of this Chapter
Muhammad Asad’s Translation of this Chapter.
ســـــــــورة هود
1. Now we begin another Meccan Surah/Chapter, of which Asad says:
“REVEALED very shortly after the tenth surah (Yunus) – that is, during the last year of the Prophet’s sojourn in Mecca – Hud bears a great resemblance to the former, both in method and subject-matter. As in Yunus, the main theme is the revelation of God’s will through His prophets and the manifestation of prophethood as such. Some of the stories of earlier prophets mentioned in Yunus are developed in the present surah in greater detail, and are illuminated from various angles, with a particular stress on just dealings between man and man. Paramount in this connection is verse 117, which states that “never would thy Sustainer destroy a community for wrong [beliefs alone] so long as its people behave righteously [towards one another].”
Verse 1 of the Chapter of Hud also begins with the ‘disjointed letters (A-L-R), similar to the previous Chapter of Jonah/Yunus. We had already discussed such beginnings, indicating that such letters usually introduce the ‘Compilation -كتاب’ – and also that these are in reality a collection of ‘sounds’ not just letters, as you see below:
“Alif-Laam-Raa; A Compilation,
the Signs/Verses of which were (all) established/ confirmed (together)
and thereafter (singly) identified/distinguished,
by One Who Is All-Wise, Fully-Acquainted (of every specificity).” [1]
This IS a difficult verse to understand seeing that it is about God’s Message to us, where He –very briefly gives us a few details which are ‘gheyb’[2] to us- about His Divine Compilation. All we can do is seek the explanation of the words and try to understand as much as we can of the statements, aided by the context.
Doing so, from Qur’anic context, we note how the root-verb ‘faSSala’ relates mostly to His ‘Ayaat/Signs (in 15 verses) and to the Kitaab/Compilation (in 4 verses).
We also note how Verses HQ.11:1 and HQ. 41:3 are the only ones where the ‘Kitaab’ and ‘Ayaat’ are mentioned together:
حم ﴿١﴾
تَنزِيلٌ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿٢﴾
كِتَابٌ فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣﴾
As far as we can understand, the Signs/Verses of the Compilation were first ‘established/ confirmed’ in their entirety’ before being identified/ distinguished/ made distinct, in ‘Arabi (and revealed to the Messenger in parts). So ‘fussilat’ describes the verses being made distinguishable and identifiable -in eloquent ‘Arabi-[3] for people who know.
God knows best… الله أعلم.. but:
Isn’t it time we fully recognized the uniqueness of ‘Arabi’?
2. Following mention of ‘Alif-Laam-Raa,’ the Compilation and its Signs/Verses, we find Verses 2- 3- 4 calling upon listeners -especially Qureish who prided themselves on their eloquence- warning them that they should worship none other than God Alone and seek forgiveness of their Lord Alone! As always, the disjointed letters, the building-blocks of this Compilation, serve as a challenge in that no one can put similar letters/ sounds together and come up with anything like this: It is the inimitable Word of God.
The Messenger tells them that he is to them -from God Himself- both a warner/natheer and a bearer of glad tidings/basheer/نذير وبشير.
It is quite telling that when he speaks to them, he is told to mention himself as warner first (here and in HQ.7:188), while in all other verses the order is reversed, and he is mentioned as a ‘Bearer of glad tidings’ first (before Warner).
The late Meccan period was very difficult for the Messenger. Both his supporters (his wife and uncle) had died, and the Meccans were emboldened against his person and his Message.
But the doors of God’s forgiveness are always open, and God spoke to them directly in His Message, through His Messenger, telling them that they should seek forgiveness of THEIR Lord-Sustainer, and turn to Him in repentance, and He would grant them an advantageous life until their term is up and they return to Him, assuring them that he fears for them the suffering of a Great Day if they turned away.
We know how grieved he was about his people from what we read of God’s Words, especially when telling him not to be saddened. Now we hear him telling them that he feared for them, which is what other Prophets had said to their denying people, as we see here.
Notice how listeners are addressed with both persuasion and dissuasion.
Here, in a separate verse for emphasis and more powerful warning, listeners are called upon directly, to God is ‘your’ return, and God is of all things ‘fully capable/Qadeer.’[4]
Let us take note of the root-verb ‘qadara’ which is about what something is, what it reaches in time, and what it can achieve to its farthest end. [5] So if we say that someone is ‘qadeer, we mean that s/he is an achiever, well-capable of accomplishing something, that task being well-within their ‘qudrah/ capability.’ But when speaking about God, everything takes on another dimension, one we cannot fathom other than to say that it is His Alone:
God says He is ‘Qadeer’ 45 times, 37 of which He says He is Qadeer OVER everything/ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ. His ‘qudrah/ قُدرة -His domination, power, capability to do what He does is what we might humanly think to be at the ‘ultimate’ extent, although it is beyond any extent. His ‘qudrah’ is indefinable, yet we are privileged to observe its Signs and feel awe in what is humanly discernible of the ‘qudrah’ of The Creator, our own Lord-Sustainer Whom we worship in pure sincerity. Read these four verses and note the marvels of His ‘taqdeer.’
In Asad’s explanation of Verse 5 , he shows us one of the ways in which exegetes have read this verse, namely that the Deniers’ “hiding from God” in this context shows their ‘unwillingness to listen to the truth which emanates from Him: and this also explains the statement that they are “enshrouding their hearts” (lit., “bosoms,” as at the end of this verse), i.e., are allowing their hearts and minds to remain wrapped-up in prejudices, thus making them impervious to spiritual perception.’
By describing how the Deniers ‘wrap themselves up,’ we grasp the extent of their desire to hide themselves/ يستخفواfrom God, but even as they do so, God knows all THAT which is innermost in the hearts/ minds, a statement repeated 12 times. الله عليم بذات الصدور
See Ali’s explanation.
Reading such verses makes us wonder at the intensity of their denial while knowing in their hearts -or at least fearing- that the Message might be true.
3. Verse 6 is heart-melting, comforting and humbling. It is heart-melting and comforting in that we are told that there is no moving creature on this earth but that its sustenance is upon God.[6]
Verse 6 is humbling in that we are given a glimpse of what God encompasses with His Knowledge; He marks out for each moving creature -not just where it moves throughout its life- but also where it settles and is deposited,[7] wherever that might be.
Let this sink in: Our sustenance is upon God.
That is one reason why, when we put the word ‘your sustenance/ رزقكم’ in the Tanzil search engine, God is always The Provider.
Verse 7 is well-explained, first by Ali (although we better understand ‘Kitaab-كتاب’ as ‘Compilation’) and the second by Asad (although we better understand ‘Archعرش -’ as ‘Arch’ as discussed earlier).[8]
Here we notice that the purpose for the creation of the Exalted Expanses and the Earth (in Six distinctive ‘Ayyaam/Aeons’)[9] was to try us, who would be better in deeds/works. In fact, that is the purpose for Creation AND for our lives![10]
At the center of the verse we notice the first of four ‘la’inn/ لئن/ IF’ followed by three more in the next three verses:
IF you were to say that they shall be resurrected after death, Those Who Denied would say that this (Message) was ‘nothing but obvious sorcery.’
4. The next three verses 8- 9- 10 actually start with ‘la’inn-لئن’ IF):
Verse 8 continues speaking of Those Who Denied.
‘IF We deferred their suffering…’ and we learn that when their suffering is delayed, they would actually challenge God/the Messenger and would mockingly ask what is keeping their suffering back??!! The verse ends by telling them of the time when nothing can divert their suffering away from them, and they will be enclosed inside that which they had once scorned.
When adversity comes after prosperity, a person becomes despairing and denying/ unacknowledging (any good that is or was).
When prosperity comes after adversity, a person becomes exultant/elated and boastful/ bombastic (forgetting the previous state).
5. As we arrive at Verse 11, having observed a clear picture regarding Human Nature, an important point should be made:
Whenever the Qur’an gives us a negative statement about Human Nature, it does NOT intend human nature AS CREATED by God, but rather, AS IT DETERIORATES when we corrupt it by our own action or inaction.
As a ‘prototype,’ the Cognizant Humanإنسان- ’ –‘inssaan,’ is created to the BEST of God’s ‘specifications’ with the unique capacity for growth and evolution to fulfill higher degrees of potential than we could ever imagine.
The Qur’an tells us quite clearly that God created us in the best of Constitution/ Taqweem, and we know that to retain our unique mental and spiritual identities we need to maintain awareness of God and ‘rectify’ ourselves (each of us being ‘Haneefan’).
When we don’t, we run the risk of debasing ourselves until we arrive at degrees lower than the low, as in HQ 95:4-6:
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ ﴿٤﴾
ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَاهُ أَسْفَلَ سَافِلِينَ ﴿٥﴾
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ ﴿٦﴾
Verse 11: Now, recalling what Verses 9 and 10 had told us about humans responding to adversity after prosperity with despair/ يأس and denial of all that is good/ كفر, and to prosperity after adversity with exaltation/ فرح and boastfulness/ فخر, in both cases having learnt nothing from their states… in this verse the Qur’an gives us an exception to the above responses; the exception is in Those Who Patiently Persevered and Worked Goodness/ Performed Good Deeds.
Their response in both cases -be it adversity or prosperity- would be in Sabr/ patient perseverance, and doing good deeds; they would not feel despair/ يأس , deny all that is good/ كفر, exalt or boast.
A few words about Sabr:
Sabr/Patient perseverance is one of the qualities that benefit us most in this life and in the Hereafter, for God is WITH The Saabireen (HQ 2:153). Let us recall what we said earlier about ‘Sabr/ Patient perseverance,’ from Yusuf Ali’s notes: “The full meaning of Sabr is to be understood here, viz.: Patience, perseverance, constancy, self-restraint, refusing to be cowed down.”
Let us find out more from Al Isfahani:[11]
“Sabr: Holding oneself back under duress, as in an animal ‘Sabarat/ endured’ when I confined it without fodder.
Sabr: Restraining the Self according to what is required by reason and law..”
So, Sabr is about self-restraint UNDER DURESS.
No wonder the Arabs call a bitter taste ‘sabr,’ and thorny cacti ‘Sabbaar/ صبّار/ Subbeyr/ صبَّير.’ Sabr always is about enduring something with difficulty, hence the Qur’an speaks highly of a person who is constant in Sabr while -at the same time- being appreciative, making the most out of little ‘صبّار شكور/ Sabbaar shakoor/ Constant in patient perseverance AND appreciation,’
observing and learning from His Ayaat/ Signs.
There are also many verses that tell the Messenger to have Sabr.
6. Verse 12 explained by Asad (Yusuf Ali’s explanation here) is one of those verses which point to the unbelievable pressure felt by the Messenger, peace upon him in his delivery of the Message.
See Blogpost HQ 7:1-22, where we spoke of this in detail.
Check the four verses mentioning our Messenger’s ‘tightness of chest,’ and the two verses mentioning that of Moses.
Note that, when we read the entire Qur’an, we realize that history books have mentioned very little of our Messenger’s trials and tribulations: Perhaps an incident here and an incident there, and only one or two paragraphs to cover ‘The Boycott,’ the period of TWO YEARS OR MORE in which there was complete deprivation from all means of livelihood. The information that has reached us is far less than what he and his companions actually suffered. Nevertheless, the Qur’an clearly points to what might have been perceived as insurmountable difficulties by revealing his feelings, strengthening him, and encouraging him to keep going.
Here again, we learn that the constriction he felt was partly because of what his people WERE SAYING. In denying his Message, they were asking him to provide further evidence, such as riches/ treasure descending upon him, or being accompanied by a Custodian-angel, to which he is told that he is but a Warner, while God is Executor/ Wakeel of everything.
7. In Verse 13 we again hear what his people were saying; they were accusing him of falsehood, and that the Message itself was a fabrication, an invention of his. Then the challenge comes again )the third time in the Qur’an HQ 2:23; 10:38), to produce any content that would be of such high caliber,[12] ascertaining that no one can produce the like of the Qur’an, not even ten ‘Surahs/ Chapters.’[13] Furthermore, they are challenged to call upon anyone beneath God, if they were indeed truthful.
Verse 14 tells them, that if whomever they call upon will never respond (which they won’t) then they should know/ mark out that ‘it/ this Message’ was revealed in God’s Knowledge…
‘….and that there is no God but He, so are you Muslimeen/pure in Reverence and Accountability to God?’
A question that inevitably gets its response!
Enough said!
Our next Reading is from HQ 11:15-27Peace unto all!
[1] Khabeer is about knowing everything down to the minutest detail and specificity.
[2] ‘Gheyb,’ the unseen, beyond our sphere of perception.
[3] We said earlier that ‘Arabi is unrelated to ethnicity, and is not what we would call ‘Arabic.’ ‘Arabi’ literally means ‘eloquently self-expressive,’ and is about articulate eloquence as opposed to inarticulate, A’jami. Little children are inarticulate; also animals: ‘ajmaa/عجماء’.
The Arabi Qur’an alone is the Divine Compilation to Muslims, and no translation or exegesis could ever take its place no matter how esteemed its exegete.
The word ‘arabi- عربي’ denotes ‘eloquence,’ from the verb a’raba- أعرب which means to ‘express oneself.’ Therefore, whenever the verses say that this was ‘rendered’ an ‘Arabi Qur’an’ we must not limit the word ‘Arabi’ to language but must grasp its denotation. This is very important to know and tell, especially since more than 85% of Muslims are NOT Arabs!
[4] In our post HQ 6:91- 99 we spoke of how Yusuf Ali explained the word ‘Qadeer’ which is one of God’s most beautiful Attributes/Names.
[5] ‘Qadara:’ The (reached) scope/ مبلغ of something, its outcome كنه /in time, and its farthest (delivered) extentنهاية/
It is said: Its scope is such, that is, what it ultimately extends to.
قَدَرَ: أَصْلٌ صَحِيحٌ يَدُلُّ عَلَى مَبْلَغِ الشَّيْءِ وَكُنْهِهِ وَنِهَايَتِهِ. فَالْقَدْرُ: مَبْلَغُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ. .
[6] Another verse (HQ 29:60) says this in a different way, in that no moving creature carries its sustenance with it, for God sustains it and sustains us.
[7] Here we recall that مستقر ومستودع is related to humans as well, where we mentioned that ‘mustaqarr’ is from the root-verb ‘qar,’ from which we also get “al-qaraar al-makeen (HQ 23:13; 77:21) the words mentioned in the Qur’an in reference to the womb. We learn from Al Zamakhshari that ‘mustaqarr’ could be about being settled in a mother’s womb, or in a father’s loins, or living above ground and eventually buried/deposited beneath it. God knows all locations where ‘settling’ and then ‘depositing’ takes place.
الزمخشري: والمعنى فلكم مستقرّ في الرحم. ومستودع في الصلب، أو مستقر فوق الأرض ومستودع تحتها. أو فمنكم مستقر ومنكم مستودع.
[8] “We should bear in mind that the word ‘Arch’ in Arabic 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 Which Never Sleeps.’
[9] We spoke of this in post HQ. 7: 52-64; the word ‘yawm-يوم ’ in Arabic originally meaning ‘a period, an epoch, an event,’ the plural of which -according to the lexicon- was أيوام- – aeoam before being pronounced -أيّام-ayyaam.
[10] Another verse speaks of God creating Death and Life for that very same purpose.
[11]” الصَّبْرُ: الإمساك في ضيق، يقال: صَبَرْتُ الدّابّة.. والصَّبْرُ: حبس النّفس على ما يقتضيه العقل والشرع..”.
[12] The word ‘Surah’ is related to a ‘soor, a very high, hard to scale wall that surrounds and protects a city.
[13] The other two verses had challenged people to produce one Surah.