{"id":239,"date":"2020-12-13T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-13T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iqralaan.wordpress.com\/?p=239"},"modified":"2022-12-30T09:27:30","modified_gmt":"2022-12-30T05:27:30","slug":"welcome-friends-day-22-hq-2-257-264-pages-4344","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iqraprinciple.com\/ar\/welcome-friends-day-22-hq-2-257-264-pages-4344\/","title":{"rendered":"HQ 2: 257-264; pages 43+44"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome Friends:  Ahlan wa sahlan<\/em>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In yesterday\u2019s reading we came upon \u2018Aayatul Kursi- \u0622\u064a\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0643\u0631\u0633\u064a -The Verse of Dominion\/Knowledge\u2019 a powerful verse which we repeat in times of need.  Its concepts indeed help us put matters into perspective:  Our problems diminish when we think of God and what we know about Him (the little He told us of Who He Is), and then realize that His Knowledge encompasses everything (<\/em>HQ6:80; 20:98; 40:7), not just us and our problems.  We may be but a tiny part of the heavens and the earth He upholds, yet each one of us IS most important to Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COMMENTS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. \u201cGod is (\u0648\u0644\u064a) the Protector of<\/em>\/God is Near unto<\/em> those who have faith\u2026\u201d (Y. Ali, M.Asad respectively).  This is one of those verses that elicit feelings of either anticipation or dread, depending on who the listeners are, and what deeds they have done.  Similar verses are HQ 46:6-11, which end with the statement:<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThis, because God is the Protector of all who have attained to faith, whereas they who deny the truth have no protector. (11)<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Some of you will notice that, as translation for \u2018wali\u2019 (\u0648\u0644\u064a) in chapter 46, Muhammad Asad uses the word \u2018protector,\u2019 although he had earlier used \u2018Near unto\u2019 in 2:257.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here, God\u2019s protection of us is in that He \u2018takes us out of the Darknesses (always plural) into the Light.\u2019  Compare that with the Deniers, who have not taken God for their \u2018wali.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • Verses 258, 260 take us back to Prophet Abraham, peace upon him.  More and more, as we read the Qur\u2019an, we begin to understand the unique relationship this messenger had with God.  We also realize that the Qur\u2019an always highlights one of Abraham\u2019s most important virtues: his critical thinking!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      The king (who was proud of his own power), began by arguing with Abraham, but was soon dumb-struck by Abraham\u2019s challenge (verse 258).  In verse 260, God asks Abraham, \u2018Haven\u2019t you attained faith and trust?\u2019  Abraham says that he has indeed, but needs to set his mind at rest (Qalb).  Read Muhammad Asad\u2019s comments, 256 and 257.  Both Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Asad understand this verse as referring to Abraham\u2019s instant \u2018taming\u2019 of 4 birds, whereas others say that the birds flew back to him after he killed and dismembered them, and put them apart in pieces.  No matter; the Qur\u2019an often refrains from giving details (it does not mention killing the birds or cutting them up) but narrates an incident for us to learn a lesson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      • Prophet Abraham, peace upon him was a Thinker!  Some people are surprised to see the Qur\u2019an show such high regard for reasoning and thinking, perhaps because they consider Faith and Reason diametrically opposed.  These two could indeed be opposed when one\u2019s faith is blind, or if one is forced to surrender oneself to something or someone… but not here.  The Qur\u2019an tells us again and again that faith is a degree of awareness.  We must NEVER be blinded, nor must we ever allow ourselves to be led.  Indeed, that would be Coercion, and there is no coercion in \u2018Deen\/accountability,\u2019 nor in Eman; faith and trust.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Faith which survives trial, is Faith arrived at by Reason, and then sustained by both Reason and Spiritual discovery and growth.  That is why the Qur\u2019an constantly addresses the former and seeks to enhance the latter.  Faith and Reason go hand in hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        • The story in Verse 259 illustrates God\u2019s Power in bringing the dead back to life.  Read Muhammad Asad\u2019s note 253.  Yusuf Ali calls it the story of Ezekiel, note 304.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
          • The next three verses (261-263) discuss the returns and the virtues of spending one\u2019s wealth in the cause of God.  The returns are shown to us in a way we readily understand; in planting one grain and seeing it multiply seven-hundred times; and God tops that for us, manifold.  (Y. Ali specifies it being a grain of corn, which is inaccurate.)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
            • HOWEVER:  True virtue is in spending and then making sure we refrain from reminding recipients of our \u2018generosity,\u2019 or from following an act of \u2018benevolence\u2019 with a hurtful act.  Kindness and forgiveness are far more virtuous than any act of generosity on its own.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
              • The last verse strikes a similitude, comparing empty acts (done for public recognition by people who do not believe in God) and the returns of such acts- as a barren rock which holds little soil that one might think would benefit from the rain, but actually gets washed away by it\u2026 and the example continues in tomorrow\u2019s reading. <\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                E<\/strong>nough said!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Tomorrow\u2019s reading is from verse <\/strong>265-274<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Peace unto all!<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                Welcome Friends:  Ahlan wa sahlan! In yesterday\u2019s reading we came upon \u2018Aayatul Kursi- \u0622\u064a\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0643\u0631\u0633\u064a -The Verse of Dominion\/Knowledge\u2019 a powerful verse which we repeat in times of need.  Its concepts indeed help us put matters into perspective:  Our problems diminish when we think of God and what we know about Him (the little He […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-quran-blog"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t