Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
Chapter Three of the Qur’an ends with today’s Reading!
1. Verses 187-188 tell us that those from the (earlier) Compilation who had turned their backs on the Message and ‘sold’ it off for cheap gain, were in fact doing so in breach of a covenant they had with God.
Their ‘selling’ or ‘bartering’ of God’s signs for a ‘trifling gain’ (ثمناً قليلاً) has been mentioned several times so far, each time from a different angle. (HQ2:41; 2:79; 2:174; 3:77; 3:187).
Ali’s note 494 is interesting: “Privileged priesthood at once erects a barrier…But worse when such priesthood tampers with the truth.. it has sold God’s gift for a miserable ephemeral profit..”
Muhammad Asad, with his early indoctrination in Torah and Hebrew, does not mince words saying: “The implication of verse 187 above is that the advent of the Prophet Muhammad was predicted in both the Old and New Testaments…..” and that they should have spread this prophecy NOT suppressed it.
2. Verse 189 is a statement of fact. The Omnipotence it describes serves to punctuate the previous verse, and is also an introduction to the wonder of creation in the following verse, 190. We are also reminded here of the descriptive verses of HQ2:164.
3. Verse 190 is one of the 5 Qur’anic verses that speak of God’s Creation and its variation/ اختلاف .. where we see the Qur’an calling attention to (God-given) Signs, such as the Creation of the Exalted Expanses, or the variation in Night and Day, or the different languages and races of people. In these are Signs for:
- (2:164) People who apply their intellect (to secure knowledge); لقوم يعقلون
- (3:190) ‘Ulul Albaab’/ Possessors of Presence, Dedication, Commitment, and Insight;
- (10:6) People who are Being Aware; لقومٍ يتَّقون
- (30:22) The Knowledgeable/The Well-informed للعالِمين ;[1]
- (45:5) People who apply their intellect (to secure knowledge). لقوم يعقلون
Verses 191-194 begin by describing ‘Those of/Possessors of Commitment and Insight; ‘ulul albaab’ (أولوا الأباب), a Qur’anic title translated by Yusuf Ali as ‘men of understanding,’ and by Muhammad Asad as ‘who are endowed with insight.’[2] The verse tells us how special they are, remembering God when they stand, and when they sit, and on their sides, and how they reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth. Then we hear their beautiful prayer, starting with the address:
“………… O our Sustainer! Thou hast not created [aught of] this without meaning and purpose. Limitless art Thou in Thy glory! Keep us safe, then, from suffering through fire!” (191)
Ending in:
“And, O our Sustainer, grant us that which Thou hast promised us through Thy apostles, and disgrace us not on Resurrection Day! Verily, Thou never failest to fulfil Thy promise!” (194)
We actually hear their words as they speak to their Lord-Sustainer, and we wish we could be among them! The prayer of ‘Ulul Albaab’ is indeed worth memorizing.
4. We then see, in Verse 195, how their Lord responds to their prayers, asserting that no labor would go unrewarded (literally no deed of any ‘laborer’), for all are equal -one of the other- be they male or female, HOWEVER for those of ‘Ulul Albaab’ who have tasted hardship (beautifully listed in the verse) there will be a special recompense: God says that He Himself will ‘cover for them’ their misdeeds (سيئات) and bring them into gardens through which running rivers flow… a recompense from God Himself.
5. In Verses 196-198 the listener is told not to mistake any good fortune through which the Deniers may ‘transform’ themselves as gifts from God (other verses such as 19:75 explain). We are then shown the ‘finale’ of two opposite groups, the Forthcoming/Genuine ‘Abraar,’ versus those who had Denied ‘allatheena Kafaru,’ narrating both their outcomes. (For definition of ‘birr’ see Blog Posts Day 14 and 31.)
What a difference indeed!
6. Verse 199 is a conclusion: This Chapter, the ‘Family of Imran,’ having had as one of its main themes the Prophets bearing (earlier) Compilation and the People who followed them (أهل الكتاب) and having commended or criticized those followers for their faith or their failings, now arrives at a conclusion: it wraps up its message on a note of praise and reward to those who had earlier accepted the tenets in 3:64.[3]
Verse 199 is beautiful:
And, behold, among the followers of earlier revelation there are indeed such as [truly] believe in God, and in that which has been bestowed from on high upon you as well as in that which has been bestowed upon them. Standing in awe of God, they do not barter away God’s messages for a trifling gain. They shall have their reward with their Sustainer – for, behold, God is swift in reckoning! (199)
- The Final Verse in today’s Reading is addressed to Those Who Attained Faith, with a recipe for ‘FalaaH’ (فلاح) prevalence/success.[4]
In Asad’s words :
“O you who have attained to faith! Be patient in adversity, and vie in perseverance[5] with one another, and be ever ready [to do what is right], and remain Aware of God, so that you might succeed (in life)!
Y, Ali says: “Prosperity (falah here and in other passages is to be understood in a wide sense, including prosperity in our mundane affairs as well as in spiritual progress. In both cases it implies happiness and the attainment of our wishes, purified by the love of God.”
Enough said!
Our next Reading is HQ4:1-11, as we embark on our next Chapter translated by most as ‘the Women.’
Peace unto all!
[1] It’s quite enlightening to see what each verse mentions as a Sign, and for whom. For example, in 30;22, when the verse speaks of Creation and different languages and races, it says that these are Signs for the Knowledgeable/The Well-informed. How true, since only someone well-informed would know enough about this to see in such variation a Sign of God.
[2] Both translations are correct but -as shown in Blogpost Day 16- offer a limited rendering of the word. We mentioned that the singular ‘Lub’ does means the core/heart of something, which Arabs have used to mean ‘mind,’ as in ‘labeeb/ intelligent, or witty,’ and that the root verb ‘labb/labba’ (pronounced lebbe) refers to being physically present as well as emotionally settled and attached. ‘Ulu’ means possessors, so ‘Possessors of ‘Lubb/ لب would be special people who are present, dedicated, and committed. The ‘talbiyah’ of Pilgrimage (Hajj) comes from that root verb ‘labba’ and we say, ‘Labbeyk Allaahuma Labbeyk,’ announcing our pilgrim’s dedication and commitment to God. We’ve already encountered those very special people in the Qur’an 5 times so far (HQ2:179; 197; 269; 3:7; 3:190).
[3] Verses 3:64-68 laid down the basis for the common terms -the Common Word- we should seek with those who follow earlier Compilations:
• We worship none but God.
• We associate none with God.
• We appoint none amongst ourselves as Lord or patron beside/instead of God.
[4] Three times so far have we heard the command ending with ‘…and be aware of God, perchance you will prevail/succeed’ (2:189; 3:130; 3:200), root verb ‘falaha’ (فلح). See Blog Post Day 32 for the definition.
[5] Y. Ali says in his notes: “The full meaning of Sabr is to be understood here, viz.: Patience, perseverance, constancy, self-restraint, refusing to be cowed down. These virtues we are to exercise for ourselves and in relation to others; we are to set an example, so that others may vie with us, and we are to vie with them, lest we fall short; in this way we strengthen each other and bind our mutual relations closer, in our common service to God.”
I think the difference between اصبروا وصابروا ‘patiently persevering’ on the one hand, and ‘vying’ in patient perseverance’ on the other, is that Sabr is within oneself, not related to others, whereas MuSaabarah by definition relates to others, and therefore requires endurance so as to ultimately outlast them/the ordeal, and prevail. Perhaps we can understand this better if we thought of Sabr/صبر as the strength of our patience, and of MuSaabarah/مصابرة as its endurance.. and God knows best.