Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
COMMENTS:
1. For new-comers: See Blog Post Day 33 so that you get an accurate idea as to what the Qur’an is saying in today’s Reading. Relationships of friendships and cooperation between us and all people in general are encouraged, especially since these are the building-blocks to knowledge and mutual respect. On the other hand, especially during times of combat, Those Who Attained Faith are warned against being under the guardianship ولاية/ of someone else; ‘under their wing’ so to speak.
Such an intimate relationship is discouraged, even when such ‘awliyaa/أولياء’ are one’s own parents or siblings (HQ9:23) who have clearly chosen Denial over Faith (further info for youth at end of today’s Blogpost).
In other words, unless someone shares their standard of Accountability, Those Who Attained Faith are NOT to put themselves in their hands and under their patronage ولاية/, no matter how they may have earlier been related. Perhaps the most important reason is that, when one is given guardianship over another, the latter becomes, in effect compliant to the guardian regardless of whether or not the guardian holds one’s best interests at heart. Guardians will not seek advantage for their wards over their own unless they both share higher goals. Intimacy is also discouraged because at that level of a relationship people let their guard down and often end up losing much more than they had originally bargained for, including their well-being and their Faith.
Today’s Reading is somewhat on the same subject.
Verse 51, begins with a call to Those Who Attained Faith, telling them not to take as ‘Protectors/Intimates/Awliyaa’ either the Jews or the Christians, and whoever does, will indeed be one of them, for God does not guide the wrongdoers. The reason given in this verse for this restriction is that, from what seems to be the point of view of these two groups, they are only Protectors/Intimates of each other.
We also have to remember that when these verses were revealed in Medina, many of the SaHaba/Companions had already severed their previous alliances with the Jewish tribes of Medina, except for Abdul-Lah Ibn Ubeyy Ibn Salool (dubbed ‘the Head of the Hypocrites) who had an alliance with Bani Qeynuqaa’ بني قينقاع (one of the 3 Jewish tribes of Yethrib). He was reluctant to sever this alliance, saying that he feared that he might need them at the end of the day (doubting that the Prophet ﷺ and his companions would prevail).[1] The next verses tell us more about his kind.
2. Verses 52-53 give us the characteristics of those who actually rush into these two groups, hastening to forge intimate alliances with them. The verses tell us clearly that in their hearts/minds is a Dis-Ease (identified in HQ2:10 as Doubt/Hypocrisy). The verse shows us how Those Who Attained Faith wondered about such a change in someone who had vowed to be with them, and ends by calling such indecisive persons, ‘Losers.’ It is worthwhile to mention here, that it is NOT our call to identify as ‘doubters’ or ‘hypocrites’ those who seem to belong to our group in body but not in spirit. We should remember that during the Prophet’s time, peace upon him, no hypocrite was identified as such until after he had died a hypocrite. The Prophet, being informed by God who they were, let them remain in the fold during their lives despite the harm they were doing. When they died however, he simply did not pray for them, obeying God’s command in HQ9:84. It is never our call to label people, for we do not know what their hearts hold (or how they might evolve), as we were so beautifully instructed in HQ4:94.
3. Verse 54 is a warning to Those Who Had Attained Faith who might desert their Deen/Standard of Accountability for another. Although in Islamic literature that person is called a ‘murtadd/مُرتَدّ’ and is often considered earning the death penalty, the Qur’an relegates delivery of the consequence of ‘desertion’ to God Himself, and none other.
This is an important issue which you might have to respond to one day, and can read more about here. Please remember, whenever you read about ‘Deen’ in the Qur’an, that it is the Accountability Standard shared by most faiths, with The Creator as Deity and where sanctity of life and doing good deeds is paramount. Paralleling the Straightened Path and its ten Inviolables, this would mean that people who leave their Accountability Standard would no longer be trusted to uphold its universal human values. Despite that, it is God Alone Who metes out the consequence of mere desertion (after which, if that person were to commit criminal offences, he would have to answer to society and its laws).
The verse tell us that if we were to leave our Accountability Standard, God will bring forth, in our stead, others whom He loves and who will ,love Him. (They would be) humble unto the Faithful, invincible unto the Deniers, striving in the way of God fearing no reproach from anyone. That is God’s ‘Grace/Favour’ (Ali/Asad) granted to whomever He wills, for God is Infinite, All-knowing.
Desertion IS its own consequence, for one would have deserted God’s Favor both in life and in the Hereafter!
4. Verses 55-56 tell us WHO we should consider our Protectors/intimates:
God, His Messenger, and those who are active in Communion among Those Who Attained Faith, advancing their purifying dues and bowing to God. And then comes a promise, that those who do take God, His Messenger and Those Who Attained Faith as Protectors/intimates, indeed (they would have earned the title) the ‘Fellowship/Partisans’ (Ali/Asad) of God, and must certainly triumph/be victorious (Ali/Asad).
It is interesting to note that ‘Hizb-Allah’[2] is mentioned again in HQ 58:22, countered by ‘Hizb-al-Sheytaan’ or the ‘party of the Deviant,’ in HQ58:19.
5. Verse 57-58 repeats the same call to Those Who Attained Faith, and gives us yet another reason not to take specific persons from among the People of (earlier) Compilation, or the Deniers as ‘protectors/intimates,’ and that reason is Disrespect.
If someone mocks our standard of Accountability, or makes it into a subject of ridicule, there is no way that we can be friends on any level. There is no generalizing here to include everyone; this is quite specific.
Verses 59 tells the Messenger what to say to People of the (earlier) Compilation, asking them why they find fault with us when we believe in God Alone and all His Revelations, while they are delinquent (in their duty to their own Compilation)?
In Verse 60 he is told to remind them of people who had disobeyed God, and how God had banished them from His Grace. Being severe with them, He rendered, from among them, apes and swine and worshippers of Taaghoot/Tyranny/ Satanic forces). Muhammad Asad’s note 77 discusses this issue, giving us reasons for the two descriptions he sees as metaphors reflecting a moral degradation into the status of apes and swine. Although some commentators believe this to be literal, others have said that we have in Ibleesإبليس a good example: Iblees was not degraded or dubbed ‘Sheytaan’ until after he had disobeyed and was condemned/banished from God’s Mercy لعنه الله. Therefore, since Verse 60 tells us quite clearly that these people were banished from God’s Mercy, and then shows their status- this illustrates that the ‘ape’ and ‘swine’ depiction is one of worth and stature among God’s creation, and not that they were ‘turned into’ animals.
The Qur’an does not show some people ‘turning into’ these three pejorative entities, but rather, that these three despicable entities were rendered ‘from/out of’ some people. Whether it is literal or not is of no importance to me. Whatever the case may be, I curb my imagination trusting God’s Arabi words to be true.
6. Verses 61-63 tell us of those whose lips say words of faith while their entire comportment is one of Denial; they hasten into deeds of hindrance and aggression, and consume what is forbidden, while neither their ‘Men of God’ nor their Rabbis, do anything to prevent them. Verse 62 ends by saying ‘..Evil indeed is what they (the people) were doing /laboring…يعملون, ya’عmaloon while verse 63 ends by saying: ‘..Evil indeed is what they (their Spiritual Leaders) were fabricating/ constructing/ devising/ contriving يصنعون yaSna’عoon. This shows us the great responsibility of Spiritual Leaders who, in effect, help build and shape their congregations!
7. Verse 64 discusses an accusation leveled by certain Jews against God, that his ‘hand’ is tied; to be tight-fisted means to be stingy! God Himself responds to that, saying that it is they whose hands are in fact tied/they who are tight-fisted and stingy, while both his ‘hands/aidings’ are extended to bestow (of His abundance) as He wills (for the definition of ‘hand,’ or ‘aid’ see Blog Post Day 21 and Jan 24th & March 11th). To anyone who asks, “Why ‘both,’ as in ‘two yad’?” my preferred answer would be to stop in my tracks and say ‘God know best.’ But some have attempted a response.
Usually in Arabic, as some have posited, the upper hand is that which gives, and the lower hand is that which takes. God gives and does not take, so ‘both’ are said to be extended here. Also, He is describing His relationship to us here, and we know that everything in life is in ‘pairs.’ See Muhammad Asad’s note which explains this.
A quick search through the Qur’an also enlightens since it does mention two ‘objects’ in God’s ‘yad:’ Mulk/Malakoot/Dominion and Kheyr/Bounty/Goodness…. however: God knows best; it is not for us to speculate on such matters.
The rest of the verse tells the Prophet that such persons who speak ill of God will only increase in their Denial because of what is being revealed to him, and they will find enmity and hatred being sown amongst themselves till the Day of Resurrection.
According to Yusuf Ali’s explanation, whenever they wage war against the innocents, God extinguishes it in His Mercy. Muhammad Asad, on the other hand, says that every time they light the fires of war to gain full victory over each other, God extinguishes it so that none of them is a clear victor, and their state of constant conflict continues.
The verse ends by saying that God loves not The Corrupters.
Before we sign off today, I must ask young Muslim youth who might have read the first point mentioned today about compliance to guardians and wondered about themselves: Do NOT misinterpret this and misapply it to yourselves!
To begin with, your young age does not qualify independence. It’s good however to start honing your demeanor with regard to your guardians, learning not to pass judgment about ‘faith’ over your family, especially if, in your perception, your family’s faith and trust in God does not seem to be as ‘genuine’ or ‘strict’ as your own. God Alone knows what anyone’s heart holds, however, if you set the best heart-warming and welcoming example as to what you believe in, they will enjoy your company, admire you, and would also be more likely to gradually adopt your standards IF yours are indeed better than theirs.
The same applies to friendship, with one major difference: You CHOOSE your friends!
Friendship is beautiful, and having a wide circle of real-life friends is always a bonus however: Intimate friendship is what we are talking about. You must be very careful regarding intimate friendships, making sure that these friends share your values of what a true friendship would consist of, beginning with honesty, loyalty and respect, and ultimately aiming for your success and happiness just as much as their own. A dishonest, disloyal, disrespectful or selfish friend is no friend. The more you have in common with an intimate friend the better and the more lasting. When they share your faith, you will be doing much more together, and their presence won’t be as distracting.
Treat everyone as you would like to be treated as you look around and learn. There are countless examples around you of people who say they have faith and trust in God, yet you can see how harshness pushes people away, while gentleness brings them closer.
Enough said!
Our next Reading is from HQ5: 65-76
Peace unto all!
[1] من الكشاف للزمخشري: وعن عبادة بن الصامت رضي الله عنه أنه قال لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إنّ لي من موالي من يهود كثيراً عددهم، وإني أبرأ إلى الله ورسوله من ولايتهم وأُوالي الله ورسوله فقال عبد الله بن أبيّ: إني رجل أخاف الدوائر لا أبرأ من ولاية مواليّ وهم يهود بني قينقاع
[2]حزب: هو تجمُّع الشيء. فمن ذلك الحِزب الجماعة من النّاس. قال الله تعالى: {كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ} [الروم 32]. والطائفة من كلِّ شيءٍ.