Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
Many might wonder whether there is a clearer definition of the word ‘Qur’an’ than what is commonly known.With God’s Grace, linguistic and grammatical research will continue to help us come closer to understand God’s Arabi words together.
Last time we started on the Chapter of ‘Al An’am,’ the Cattle, and noted that this Meccan chapter addresses –for most part- people who have long been idol-worshippers, associating many ‘deities’ with God, having forgotten His Unique attributes.
In today’s Reading the Qur’an will show us a few of God’s most beautiful attributes, assuring us of the Mercy He had made incumbent upon Himself towards Creation.
COMMENTS:
1. Verse 7 according to Ali and Asad, starts off by saying: (ولو نزّلنا عليك كتاباً في قرطاس…)
“If we had sent unto you ‘a written (message) on parchment/ a writing on paper’…”
Looking carefully however, we realize something important:
This verse offers a CLUE as to what, from the very beginning, set this Compilation apart as a Message suitable for all time:
Here is the verse with the meaning of Qirtaas: [1]
“Had we sent down unto you a Compilation (inscribed) in a static sheet so that they (could have) touched it with their hands, Those who Denied would have said, “This is nothing but manifest Sorcery!”
This Compilation is not a static entity, and is not to be approached in a mere physical sense as those who were denying the Message so shortsightedly demanded. This compilation contains God’s Signs (His Ayaat; Verse 4) and is no less than THE Truth (Al Haqq; Verse 5) which they were turning their backs upon, and belying.
We know that they were offering lame excuses all the while mocking God’s Revelation, which is how we come to realize that these responses are here today for our benefit.
Let us keep this verse in mind as we try to grasp the uniqueness of the Qur’an. There is nothing static about it!
Verse 8 tells us that Those Who Denied were asking for a Custodian/angel to descend upon the Messenger, but that, were a Custodian/Angel to appear to them, it would be indication of their end; too late for reparation!
The next verse adds that, had a Custodian-angel in fact descended (with a message), they would have been confused anyway, because a custodian-angel descending on assignment would have been rendered for them in active human-like form رجلاً /rajul (see Blog Day 19 and Blog Day 39 for the meaning of rajul).
2. Verses 10-11 discuss their mockery, challenging them to look beyond themselves and their close quarters.
The Qur’an tells Prophet Muhammad peace upon him that their treatment of him is similar to that of the Messengers before him- and that he should urge them to travel the earth and observe what the consequences were for those who, before them, had similarly belied and disbelieved; ‘The Disbelievers/المكذّبين’.
In fact, we notice that the command ‘walk/travel in/through the Earth/سيروا في الأرض’ appears in 13 verses of the Qur’an, ALWAYS URGING TRAVEL WITH OBSERVATION/انظروا… speaking no less than eleven out of the thirteen times about ‘observing’ (which also means reflecting upon) how civilizations came to an end. One of these verses (Q.22:46) crowns them all, speaking not about sighted observation, but rather about visionary, insightful observation with which hearts/minds secure comprehension!
Using a search-engine (as we just did) is what helped us follow this single image of ‘walking the earth’ through the entire Qur’an. The results of such an exercise alone should be enough to convince any open-minded person that there is no way any human could have put this Qur’an together so accurately more than 1400 years ago!
3. Verse 12 begins with the question which the Messenger peace upon him is told to ask and answer, ‘Say, to Whom is all that is in the heavens and on earth? Say, ‘To God; He has compiled UPON Himself THE Mercy (meaning all Mercy) ..…”- كتب على نفسه الرحمة –[2]
Oh, what comfort this brings us!
Our Readers will recall our discussion on Blog Day 56 regarding the meaning of the term ‘kataba’ – ‘to put together’ when we said that God either ‘compiles/puts together’ something ‘UPON على – ’ someone, making it a unit of accountability/responsibility, OR ‘puts together’ ‘FOR – لــ’someone, as a unit of exemption/privilege. Here God actually places the onus of Mercy towards creation UPON Himself!
This expression appears twice in the Qur’an, BOTH times in this chapter (see HQ6:54).
Then the verse ends on a warning note, at the Time of Resurrection, when everyone shall come together… and there shall be those who having lacked faith and trust in life, realize that they have lost their own selves.
Listeners are warned of losing their own selves quite a few times in the Qur’an.
4. Verses 13-14 give us more of God’s beautiful attributes, and tell us that Divinity sustains but does NOT require sustenance, which reminds us of our Reading of Blog Day 60 with regard to Jesus and Mary, peace upon them (HQ5:75).
Also, in Verse 14 the Messenger Muhammad, peace upon him, is told to announce to his contemporaries that he won’t take as protector any other Protector than God, and that he was commanded to be the first among them whose Reverence is purely to God, ‘aslama,’ and not to be among those who shirk.
In Verse 15-16 the Messenger peace upon continues his announcement -as commanded by God- regarding his place with regard to God and His Message:
He is made to speak of himself solely as an obedient Messenger stating that he is fearful -were he to disobey his Lord- of the suffering of a Monumental Day. He describes those who are ‘averted/spared’ (Ali/Asad) from such suffering as being recipients of God’s Mercy, indeed a clear Salvation/Deliverance (fawz فوز).
What amazing verses these are!
Whoever has doubts, alleging that “the Qur’an is the work of Muhammad” should take a look at verses such as these where the ‘voice’ of God is clearly identifiable – received by His Messenger and then dutifully delivered to us.
5. Verse 17 discusses the two opposites faced in Human Life, ‘dhurr ضر/’2 Hurt/Affliction/Distress on one hand, and Benefit- on the other (but in this verse the Qur’an has broadened the second word to include the all-inclusive concept of all that is commendable and advantageous; good/bounty/goodness;‘kheyr’/ خير)3.
How wonderful is it, that (as a search through the entire Qur’an will show) God never harms, hurts, or distresses us. The words يضركم– are never mentioned, but rather He ‘touches us with a little of affliction or distress’ (see 10:107).[3]
There is a VERY interesting point to mention here, and it relates to what Muslims refer to as the list of ‘God’s most beautiful names-أسماء الله الحُسنى ’ Listed among those ‘Beautiful Names’ are several which are derogatory, being neither Qur’anic nor authorized by the Prophet. This issue is finally receiving attention, although earlier scholars including Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328) have discussed it.4 One of these ‘names/attributes’ is الضار‘Al Dhaar.’ In Arabic it would be labelling God as (معاذ الله) ‘The Harmful/ Hurtful/ Distresser/ Afflicter’- see here, a website which allows us to look into the Qur’an and check for ourselves whether or not God has given Himself this attribute. Sometimes He has. Sometimes He hasn’t in any manner or form at all, and sometimes it only is a verb which, as we know, should in no way be transformed into a Label. We already know the difference between a verb-form and labeling!
To sum up, the beautiful ‘attributes/names’ of God which we can feel certain are approved by Him are those that He has mentioned Himself (found as nouns in the Qur’an; we must not make labels out of verbs).
Here, verse 18, for example, in one short statement, holds three of God’s beautiful attributes.
Al Qaahir; Al Hakeem; Al Khabeer, denoting His supremacy ABOVE all creation in control, wisdom and knowledge of every specificity.
ASIDE:
Readers are free to do their own research, but personally, the only way for me to be comfortable with discussing God’s attributes is in the exact context He has put them.
Example: the word ‘Qaahir’ appears in two verses in this same Sura/Chapter, as we see here and in Q.6:61, stating that He is The Qaahir ABOVE His worshippers, not OF them nor UNTO them, but above them. In our reading today, this seems to point to the earlier mention of Mercy and Wali, Merciful Protector, and in Q6:61 also to sending us heavenly forces to protect us. This stands in stark contrast to how many of us understand the word ‘Qahr’ and the root-verb ‘qahara’ to be about domineering subjugation, grief and humiliation. ‘Dominating’ in ways of protection would be more in context.[4]
We also note that Qahhaar, which is a superlative of Qaahir, NEVER APPEARS ALONE in the Qur’an, which (to me) indicates that it shouldn’t be mentioned on its own either:
It only appears with The One, as in “Al WaaHid Al Qahhaar,” both relating to each other, with God telling us that He is The One, The Dominant.
والله أعلم… and He knows best.
6. Verse 19 discusses the topmost, the weightiest ‘witnessed evidence’ or ‘shahaada’ that can ever be given:
Bearing witness that God is One and Unique- that there are no deities beside Him, and that one is ‘innocent/clear’ of all persons who believe otherwise.
The command to: ‘Say..!’ occurred ten times in our Reading today; 4 times in verse 19 alone!
Here also we see the Messenger being commanded to say: لا أشهد/Laa ash-had! I do NOT bear witness, asserting that he does NOT bear witness to there being any deities other than God, for indeed He is but One God as he absolves himself of their shirk.
Verses 20-21 challenge those among People of (earlier) Compilation who were as certain of the truth of this message as they were of their own children. Exegetes/Mufassireen tell us that this verse speaks primarily to those who had withheld the evidence contained in their own scriptures confirming the arrival of a final Message from God and its awaited Messenger.
As in verse 12, here again we see people losing their own selves.
Then comes the question: Who does more wrong than someone who speaks lies on ‘behalf’ of God, or invents a lie ‘against’ God? ………(Note the Q and A interaction!)
And the end result is, that such wrongdoers never succeed/prosper.
In verses 22-24, we get a glimpse into their single, final, lie on Judgment Day, uttered in self-defense, where they now resort to denying the charges, swearing in God’s name, after having lost the ‘gods’ they had relied on in life!
Here we notice the word ‘fitnah,’ defined on Day 15, the trial by fire, which -just like the fire which separates different metals- distinguishes people by bringing out their mettle/character/ inner truth.
Facing judgment, they lie in God’s name, just as they had been lying in life… but here it is obvious not just to everyone else -but finally so obvious to them- that they had actually been lying first and foremost to themselves all along. That is the most awful discovery which their fitnah brings to light!
7. Verse 25 describes people who hear but to no avail, for their hearts/minds قلوب have been ‘shielded’ from comprehension (not just veiled). Although the verse indicates ‘We’ (meaning God) as the subject for the ‘shields-أكنّة /akinnah’ this is similar to other verses which indicate the natural law that prevents prejudiced persons from hearing what they don’t wish to hear. In short, God has ‘rendered’ (جعل /ja’عal) the entire learning process to be affected by preconception – this natural law is a warning for all of us!
At the end of verse 25 we find Those who Deny calling the Qur’an: ‘Stories of the Ancients.’ It is interesting to note the Etymology of the English words ‘story,’ and ‘history:’ “From O.Fr.historie, from L. historia “narrative, account, tale, story,” from Gk. historia “a learning or knowing by inquiry, history, record, narrative.”5
Again we find, in the origins of this word, that Old French, Latin and Greek are mentioned, but not Arabic! The word أساطير ‘asaaTeer’ from أسطورة ‘usToorah’ from the root verb ‘saTara’
سطر which means to align6.
In narrative, it indicates adaptation and modification (mixing truth with falsehood).
Verse 26 tells us quite frankly:
“Even as they are prohibiting others from it (the Qur’an), they are distancing themselves from it. And none are they ‘breaking down’ (يهلكون) except their (own) Selves without so realizing.”
Enough said!
Our next Reading is from HQ6:27- 45
Peace unto all!
[1] Qirtaas is the static sheet into which something is compiled:
(القرطاس هو الصحيفة الجامدة التي يكتب بها)
[2] Ali/Asad: ‘He has ‘inscribed for Himself (the rule) of Mercy/ willed upon Himself the law of grace and mercy.’
2 فالضُّرُّ: خلاف النفع-الهُزال. والضَّرَّة: اسمٌ مشتقٌّ من الضَّرِّ، كأنَّها تضرُّ الأخرى كما تضرُّها تلك. واضطُرَّ فلانٌ إلى كذا، من الضرورة. والضَّرِير: الذي به ضَرَرٌ من ذَهاب عَيْنِه. أو ضَنَى جِسْمِه.
فالخَير: خِلافُ الشّرّ. أصله العَطْف والميْل والخِيرَةُ: ؛ لأنَّ كلَّ أحدٍ يَمِيلُ إِليه ويَعطِف على صاحبه. الخِيار. والخِيرُ: الكَرمُ. والاستخارة: أن تَسْألَ خيرَ الأمرين لك. وكل هذا من الاستخارة، وهي الاستعطاف.
[3] In Arabic the ‘ba’ ب is called ‘ba’ul tab3eedh’ باء التبعيض which indicates only a portion of something (بعضه)
4قال ابن تيمية : (لم يرد في تعيينها حديث صحيح عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وأشهر ما عند الناس فيها حديث الترمذي الذي رواه الوليد بن مسلم عن شعيب عن أبي حمزة ، وحفاظ أهل الحديث يقولون هذه الزيادة مما جمعه الوليد بن مسلم عن شيوخه من أهل الحديث ، وفيها حديث ثان أضعف من هذا رواه ابن ماجه وقد روي في عددها غير هذين النوعين من جمع بعض السلف) (الفتاوىالكبرى1/217) وقال ابن حجر : (والتحقيق أن سردها من إدراج الرواة) (بلوغ المرام 346) وقال الصنعاني : (اتفق الحفاظ من أئمة الحديث أن سردها إدراج من بعض الرواة) (سبل السلام 4/108)، فهذا هو حال 4الأسماء الحسنى التي حفظها الناس لأكثر من ألف عام وأنشدها كل منشد وكتبت في كل مسجد ، ليست نصا من كلام النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم باتفاق أهل العلم والمعرفة بحديثه وإنما هي في حقيقتها ملحقة أو مدرجة في الأحاديث التي ورد فيها سرد الأسماء ، وقد أمرنا الله عز وجل في غير موضع من 4كتابه أن ندعوه بأسمائه الحسنى فقال : (وَلِلَّهِ الأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا) (الأعراف:180) وحذرنا من الإلحاد فيها فقال : (وَذَرُوا الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ)……يتبع على الموقع http://www.uaearab.com/asma_alhusna/
[4] An interesting detail: Cairo gets its name from that same root-verb ‘qa-ha-ra,’ and was called Al Qaahira in 362 AH by the Khalifa (Al Mu’iz lideenil-Lah. الخليفة المعز لدين الله)
] http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=history&searchmode=none5
6(سطر) اصطفافِ الشيء، كالكتاب والشجر، وكلِّ شيء اصطَفَّ. فأمَّا الأساطير فكأنها أشياءُ كُتبت من الباطل فصار ذلك اسماً لها، مخصوصاً بها. يقال سَطَّر فلانٌ علينا تسطيراً، إذا جاء بالأباطيل. وواحد الأساطير إسطار وأُسطورة.