Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
Readers who started with us from Day One would have noticed that we did not get into detailed explanation of the all-important first Chapter of the Qur’an, the Faatiha, or Opener. The Faatiha holds too many concepts to grasp all at once, which is why we plan to discuss each concept as it comes along during our study, God-willing.
A VERY important concept comes along today:
The description of the ‘Straightened Path’ The Siraat Al Mustaqeem- الصراط المستقيم – which we ask God to gift-guide us to, at least 17 times every day!
But before we start, it is important to know that, although this is a Meccan Chapter, Verses 151-152-153 were revealed in Medina. That is one of the amazing characteristics of the Qur’an!
COMMENTS:
1. Verse 151 starts with a command to the Messenger Muhammad (peace upon him), to invite his people to RISE to a higher standard of responsibility.
Some might ask, “But the invitation is to ‘Come,’ not to ‘Rise!” All interpretations will agree… BUT… let’s stop for a second and think: ‘Ta’aala’ تعالَ in Arabic may be an invitation to ‘come,’ but, as anyone who knows Arabic will tell you, the root verb is ‘alaa – علا- يعلو’ (and we already know that when we say that God is ‘Ta’aala’ تعالى we mean that He is Exalted). Furthermore (see footnote) how the lexicon asserts that the original connotation is of persons on a higher elevation (whether literal or in seniority) calling persons on a lower elevation TO JOIN THEM![1] Isn’t that something?
We should adjust our explanation of HQ3:61; 64; 167; 4:61; 5:104- because we have just grasped what every ‘ta’aala-u’ تعالوا in the Qur’an indicated: an invitation to people to elevate themselves to a higher level!
Readers will also notice certain differences compared to common explanations, such as ‘inviolable’ instead of ‘forbidden.’ Although they might have similar meaning, the word ‘forbidden’ causes problems to commentators/translators, especially with regard to the second command, as in: ‘How would kindness/benevolence to parents be forbidden?’ You’ve seen us use the word ‘straightened’ instead of ‘straight’ to bring it closer to the meaning of ‘mustaqeem [2] (as seen in HQ9:7; 41:6- in the command to ‘straighten oneself’).
Anyway, let’s proceed, and count the underlined commands/commandments (link on verse numbers takes to original Arabic):
Say: ” Rise/Come, I’ll recite what God has made Inviolable upon you (pl):
That you do not Shirk/Associate anything with Him, and in both parents Benevolence, and do not kill your (birth) children due to poverty [3]– We sustain you and them- and do not approach the Pervasive Atrocity (sex out of wedlock), [4] what is overt of such, and what is covert, and do not kill the (Human) Self which God has made inviolable – unless in justice (legal retribution): this has He instructed you (from one generation to the next) so that you might secure knowledge.
[6:152]
And do not approach the wealth of an orphan – unless by that which is best (investment)– until he comes of age, and render (what is owed) of measure and weight in full (with QisT) – We do not charge a (Human) Self beyond its capacity/except with what it can encompass – and when you make any statement (about people), be fair between them (have ‘Adl) even if the person is close to you (in kinship or friendship).[5] And of God’s Covenant be fulfilling: this He has instructed you (from one generation to the next), so that you might recollect.
[6:153]
And indeed, THIS IS MY PATH, STRAIGHTENED, so pursue it, and do not pursue the byways which diverge you from His Way, this He has instructed you (from one generation to the next) so that you might be Aware.”
2. Verse 154 tells us that Prophet Moses, peace upon him, received the Compilation, with a beautiful description of what he had received…but why mention Moses now?
God’s Compilation has always been one, sent to His Messengers throughout the ages. Looking back also provides us a chance to learn from other people’s experiences and note their mistakes so we do not fall into them ourselves.
Note that above, in the ‘Straightened Path’ -‘Al Siraat Al Mustaqeem’- the last of our Commandments is to pursue THIS path, forsaking all others.
Forsaking all others. That is the crux.
That we should realize the value of what we have.
That we should hold it –in our minds- above contamination.
That we should hold fast onto it by making it a part of our lives.
In short, serving ourselves and PRESERVING IT by PRACTICING IT.
How many people today realize that the ‘Al Siraat Al Mustaqeem’ is right here, in the Qur’an?
Did you count the underlined injunctions as you went along those three verses? TEN.
How similar are they to what the Old Testament contains of Moses’ Commandments?
Were People of earlier Compilation commanded to do all the above and stay on God’s Path, neither turning right nor left?
Did they, in fact, do that, walking straight in the way of God, their Lord?
There is no need to answer these questions; they are not intended to show us any shortcoming but OUR OWN.
For research’s sake however, The Old Testament, Book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 5, shows us similar Commandments, [6] ending with the last of its verses saying:
“Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. (V. 32). Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you.. ..” (V. 33)
Indeed, Moses’ Compilation, when it was revealed, guided people to a ‘Straight Path,’ and traces of that guidance are still found in the ‘static’ books of today (we will notice some resemblance to the Qur’an although a translation might say ‘level’ rather than ‘straight,’ or ‘way’ rather than ‘path’. In the Arabic version of the Bible, it will be much closer of course).
World English Bible
27:11 “Teach me your way, Yahweh. Lead me in a straight path….”
The Arabic translation says ‘sabeel’ for ‘path,’ and ‘mustaqeem’ for ‘straight:’
سفر المزامير 27:11 “عَلِّمْنِي يَا رَبُّ طَرِيقَكَ، وَاهْدِنِي فِي سَبِيل مُسْتَقِيمٍ …..”
3. Now back to the Qur’an which, as we remember from previous Postings is different from all that still exists of earlier Revelation, in that it is NOT a compilation of ‘static sheets’ كتاباً في قرطاس /kitab fi qirtaas, but rather: A COMPILATION OF ABIDING BENEFIT, as shown in Verse 6:155
This Compilation is of Abiding Benefit (mubaarak), and that we should pursue it if we truly seek Mercy. Remember HQ6:92: “And THIS is a Compilation we bestowed, of Abiding Benefit (Blessings Blessed)…”(See Blog Post Day 70 for definition of Mubaarak definition of ‘baraka’ in March 26 Posting).
4. As this Meccan chapter is brought to a conclusion, Verses 156-158 present us with the responses to TWO arguments which the Qureish tribe were making (to absolve themselves of responsibility): The first is that they would say that the Compilation (singular!) was sent to two groups before their time (Jews and Christians), and that they were unaware of the teachings of other peoples. The second is the argument that, had THEY received the Compilation, they would have been better guided than the Jews or Christians. The RESPONSE is that, now, after the CLEAR EVIDENCE has come to them from their Lord-Sustainer, with Gifted-Guidance, AND Mercy… they had no excuse! Verse 157 ends with dire warning to those who turn away from God’s Signs.
Verse 158 asks them, what are they waiting for? For the arrival of Custodian-Angels, or for their Lord-Sustainer, or some of their Lord-Sustainer’s Signs…? It tells them that when the signs they seek DO finally come upon them, it would be too late for any Human Self that had not had faith and trust beforehand, or had already earned Goodness in its faith. The verses tell Prophet Muhammad to tell them (if they prefer to wait for the final hour): Say, “You all wait. We are awaiting!”
This is a timeless argument: Time will tell!
5. Verse 159 tells us of those who disassemble their Standard of Accountability, their ‘Deen,’ and become sects. By breaking its unity, making certain parts of ‘Deen’ more important or relevant than others- what may start out as a difference in priorities, becomes an ideological break, and ends up quite physical: They would no longer be united.
The Messenger is told that he is not responsible for such people (Zamakhshari), and that their affairs rest with God Who, in time, will tell them of every single deed they had been doing (notice ‘yaf’al’ not ‘ya’mal’ يفعل # يعمل see Blog Post Day 34 and Blost Post Day 61.
Read Muhammad Asad’s note, where he ends it by quoting Tabarī who wrote:
Thus, when asked about the implications of this verse, the Prophet’s Companion Abū Hurayrah is reported to have answered, “It has been revealed with reference to this [our] community.”
The persons referred to in these verses may have been thought to be People of previous Compilations, and many of us today understand this to refer to others, meaning ‘any sect other than MINE’ … but it is even more serious than that:
It is ALL of us – ANY of us – who have dissected and redefined our original Standard of Accountability!
Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad is absolved of our misdeeds, as indeed he should be, in a likeness to Jesus, who was absolved of the misdeeds of his followers, peace upon them both. In Jesus’ case, the gravest misdeed of his followers was calling him ‘son of God,’ while our gravest misdeed is our separation from our beautiful Standard and from each other. Let us all think of that.
6. Verse 160 gives us a clear-cut view of how God assesses our Deeds and Rewards: He gives us ten-fold recompense for one good deed, and a single recompense for a bad deed. How wonderful is that? After knowing this, how could we ever doubt His Infinite Mercy and Love?
7. Verses 161-164 contain a most beautiful supplication given to the Messenger to say (and to us, and indeed WE DO recite these two verses after Abraham’s ‘Du’aa el Tawajjuh,’ HQ6:79, the supplication we give as we initiate prayer, directing ourselves towards God).
Notice how these verses start with mention of the Straightened Path AND of Abraham, peace upon him:
“Say, ‘My Lord-Sustainer has indeed gift-guided me to a Straightened Path, a Standard of Accountability Upright/Straight, the creed of Abraham, Haneef/Self Correcting, and he was not of Those who Shirked (God).” 6:161
PLEASE REFER TO Blog Post Day 11 for a reminder on ‘HANEEF.’
These beautiful verses end with a question each of us should ask ourselves:
Would we seek a Lord-Sustainer other than God, after all that we now KNOW about Him?
In the center of verse 164 is what Muhammad Asad calls a “categorical rejection of the Christian doctrines of ‘‘original sin’ and ‘vicarious atonement..”…see his note.
This concept of pure self-accountability (each of us carrying the burden of our own deeds) appears 5 times in the Qur’an.
8. Verse 165 takes us back to the beginning of creation, when we were created as Beings that are ‘Khulafaa of the Earth’/ or ‘Khala’if of the Earth’ (both plural nouns from the root-verb ‘khalafa,’), each of us a ‘ khaleefah,’ taking over from, or succeeding someone (see singular ‘khaleefah;’ plural ‘khulafaa’ and ‘khalaa’if’(.
In this verse the Qur’an specifies us as ‘Successors of the Earth’ ‘Khalaa’if Al Ard’ – خلائف الأرض’ which indicates our succeeding the Earth, which may be related to our ‘inheriting’ this earth, or perhaps that humans will not become extinct, remaining on earth until the very end, also being resurrected upon it.
When we stop to reflect on what the Qur’an says, we note that it is the ‘SaaliHoon/ Goodly/Virtuous’ worshippers of God who shall ‘inherit’ the Earth, a reality mentioned in HQ21:105– which we understand was also revealed unto Prophet David, peace upon him.
Many of us have heard the expression that the Cognizant Human, as represented by Adam, is ‘God’s Vicegerent/ Khaleefat Allah’ on earth. In all probability this term is mentioned figuratively by most to highlight our responsibility, not to indicate us being a ‘representative of’ or a ‘successor to’ God in any way. And we certainly are responsible!
Although ecologists often say that humanity has a devastating effect upon this planet, that is not how the Qur’an speaks of us. The Qur’an calls our species ‘Bashar’ which literally means creatures of ‘bishaarah,’ glad tidings to come, capable of working in accordance with God’s sunnah of Creation, promoting with their own ‘shukr’ everything around them, so that whatever is ‘little’ becomes ‘abundant.’ We have heard of this in native and aborigine communities and know of this from Muslim history.
Those of us who attended classes about this specific topic know that it was Prophet Muhammad, peace upon him, who first designated land as a ‘Nature Reserve/Himaa/حِمى’.[7] In Andalusia (Muslim Spain and Portugal) as we were told, records showed that the ‘filaaHa’ tradition was at its peak, the entire peninsula described as ‘gardens’ with produce that sustained a huge population of 30 million people in prosperity, versus the approximately 10 million inhabitants of Britain, Germany, and France combined who -in that same era- were living in the dark ages of scarcity and poverty. When ‘enlightenment’ came to these lands, they made use of what Islam presented them with, while eliminating at the same time anything related to God, whether in their theories and practices, or their relationships with others, or their interaction with this earth. It is this elimination which, in most part, has led to a moral and ethical vacuum which came to be occupied by the power-obsessed paradigms of today.
If that is where we stand as Cognizant Humans, it is our obligation as Muslims to counter this by at least attempting to revive the wonderful ‘Sunan/Ways’ of the early Faithful, led by our Prophet peace upon him, who “abolished private reserves for the exclusive use of powerful individuals, and established public reserves in the way of God for the common good, as did the Rightly Guided Caliphs after him.”
In so doing we would be the best of ‘Khulafaa’ al ArDh/ خلفاء الأرض’ Successors of the Earth.
The fact that we are not -and cannot be- the ‘Khaleefah’ of God is supported by the Qur’an, by the Arabi language, by common Arabic usage, and by historical practice:
- Qur’anic research -as in the above- shows us that all variations of the word ‘khaleefah’ mentioned by God are never related to us being ‘khaleefah’ of Him.
- In the Arabi language,the verb khalafa means to be positioned literally behind someone/something in location, OR to come after, follow, or succeed someone who is absent– usually someone who has gone, died, or been displaced.
- In common Arabic usage, when someone dies we praise that person’s children by saying ‘You/they are the best successor ‘khalaf’ to the best predecessor ‘salaf’ خير خلف لخير سلف /khayr khalaf li-khayr salaf.
- As for historical practice, when the Messenger passed away, peace upon him, Abu Bakr became ‘Khaleefat Rasoolil-Lah.’ When he in turn passed away, people were wondering what to call his successor, Omar Ibnil Khattaab. He could not be called ‘Khaleefat Rasoolil-Lah’ because he was not succeeding the Messenger, but was succeeding the Messenger’s Successor, so instead of the lengthy title ‘the Khaleefa of the Khaleefa of the Messenger of God,’ people decided to call him ‘Ameerul Mu’mineen-أمير المؤمنين’ the Leader of the Faithful.
Back to our concluding verse, Verse 165:
After taking us back to the beginning of creation, when we were created as Beings that are ‘Khala’if /Successors of the Earth’ it continues, telling us that humans were elevated steps above each other (as per their varying efforts) as a trial through which we prove our worth in how we make use of what He has bestowed upon/given us (we said earlier in Blog Post Day 19 that ‘daraja’ is literally about ‘stepping or proceeding forward or upward’) in how we benefit from each other’s capability, knowledge and expertise -needing each other on one hand in working together on another (HQ43:32).
‘HOW’ WE INTERACT with what God has granted us, and with each other is the whole issue!
This brings us to the last part of this verse, and the final words of this Sura/Chapter of Al An’aam which ends by saying that God is indeed swift in meting out the consequences (to our actions and inaction), and He is indeed Most Forgiving and Unceasingly Merciful.
The fact that consequence is mentioned before mercy may point to the swiftness in which the negative consequences to our actions appear, some almost instantaneously, as we conclude with the beautiful indication that God’s Mercy is timeless!
Our next Reading is from HQ 7:1-22; a new Chapter!
Peace unto all!
Our next Reading is from HQ 7:1-22; a new Chapter!
Peace unto all!
[1] الراغب الأصفهاني: (تعال) قيل: أصله أن يدعى الإنسان إلى مكان مرتفع، ثم جعل للدعاء إلى كل مكان، قال بعضهم: أصله من العلو، وهو ارتفاع المنزلة، فكأنه دعا إلى ما فيه رفعة، كقولك: افعل كذا غير صاغر تشريفا للمقول له. وعلى ذلك قال: }قل تعالوا ندع أبناءنا{[آل عمران/61]، }تعالوا إلى كلمة{ [آل عمران/64]، }تعالوا إلى ما أنزل الله{[النساء/61]، }ألا تعلوا علي{ [النمل /31]، }تعالوا أتل{ [الأنعام/151].
وفي تاج العروس للزَّبيدي (علو) جاء: ” ( والتعالى الارتفاع إذا أمرت منه قلت تعال بفتح اللام ) أي اعل ولا يستعمل في غير الامر
وقال أحمد بن محمد بن علي الفيومي المقري في المصباح المنير (نسبة إلى فيوم العراق لافيوم مصر، ونزيل مدينة حماة) والمتوفي 770 هـ/1368م . في (تعالى): وتعالى تعالياً من الارتفاع أيضاً. وتعالَ فعل أمر من ذلك. وأصله أن الرجل العالي كان ينادي السافل فيقول: تعالَ، ثم كثر في كلامهم حتى استعمل بمعنى هلمَّ مطلقاً، سواء كان موضع المدعو أعلى أو أسفل أو مساوياً، فهو في الأصل لمعنى خاص ثم استعمل في معنى عام.
الجوهري: وقَوَّمت الشيء، فهو قَويم أي مستقيم. والاسْتِقامةُ: الاعْتدالُ، يقال: اسْتَقامَ له الأمر. وقامَ الشيءُ واسْتقامَ: اعْتدَل واستوى. [2]
[3]ملق: يدلُّ على [تجرُّد] في الشيء ولين. ويقال الإملاق: إتلافُ المال حَتَّى يُحوِج. والقياس واحد، كأنَّه تجرَّدَ عن المال
[4] وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَا إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا
(HQ17:32)
[5] The definitions of ‘qisT’ and ‘Adl’ may seem similar, but they’re not.
QisT is when we deal with a single party and must deliver to that party what we owe it, in full.
‘Adl is when we deal with two parties or more, and need to maintain equity between them, treating them all equally, favoring none over the other.
[6] “And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them:
Thou shalt have none other gods before me….(V. 7)
Honor thy father and thy mother as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.. (V. 16)
Thou shalt not kill (V. 17).
Neither shalt thou commit adultery (V. 18).
Neither shalt thou steal (V. 19).
Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor (V. 20).
Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor’s wife…. (V. 21).
….ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left (V. 32).
Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you.. .” (V. 33)
http://www.htmlbible.com/kjv30/B05C005.htm
[7] These Hima’ are mentioned by Imam Al Shafi’i in his ‘Kitaab al Umm’ and by AbdAllah Ibn Qudaamah in his ‘al Mughni’ among other sources” as the paper quoted above tells us.