Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
Yesterday, we ended our reading with Verse 26, which discussed the response shown by ‘Those who Deny,’ towards the Qur’an:
“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.”
COMMENTS:
- Before we continue with today’s Reading let us contemplate that amazing statement with the two eloquent Arabi words ‘yanhawn/ ’ينهَونand ‘yan-awn ’ينئَون/… realizing their rhythm, their strength, and their truth:
When someone prohibits another person from the Qur’an, one is in fact inhibiting oneself.
The act of prohibiting other people from the Qur’an works against those who prohibit more efficiently than it works upon their target. Their prohibition functions initially as a barrier against them -deafening their hearts/minds to the Qur’anic Message- and then it starts pulling them away from the Qur’an, distancing them, so that there is less and less likelihood that they could ever hear its Message. By that they break-down their own Selves -literally causing their Selves to expire.
What might have seemed like a mental/spiritual ‘breakdown’ is now taking on physical connotations:
The ‘break-down/expiry’ is none other than Death هلاك –and we realize this fact when Verse 27 shows these same persons in the Fire! They wish they could be returned to life so as to believe in God’s Signs, and be among the Faithful.
Verse 28 offers us an insight into what would happen if they were, in fact, to be returned:
They would repeat the same things they were forbidden to do, for they are indeed Liars. Yusuf Ali uses the word ‘relapse.’
The way I understand it, is that where we might be, does not change who we are. A Denier who intentionally covers كفر something s/he knows to be true, a LIAR, will do so again and again, anytime, anywhere.. even standing before the Fire.
2. Verses 29-31 are even more serious as these persons, who in life were shown to be denying Judgment, are brought to stand before their Lord where a decisive exchange takes place. In that situation, when asked whether they now see Truth and Justice manifest, and having become incapable of lying, they assert that they indeed do, swearing it by their Lord (belatedly acknowledging God as their Lord). Nevertheless, their sentence is pronounced:
“…Then taste the ‘penalty/suffering’ (Ali/Asad) in this, what you were Denying!”
Only then do such persons -who denied that they shall be meeting God- truly feel their loss. They bear the burden of their misdeeds as they voice their regret for having disregarded the (final) Hour.
3. Verse 32 is a statement of fact about this Lowly/Life in Proximity الحياة الدنيا (also HQ29:64; 47:36; 57:20):
This Lowly Life is no more than ‘play and amusement/play and passing delight’ (Ali/Asad), while the Hereafter is best for those who are Aware, urging listeners at the end:
“…Are you not securing comprehension (of this fact)?” (عَقَلَ)[1] to secure/ hold fast, literally tying/securing as with a rope, and figuratively as in comprehension.
4. Verses 33-37 address the Messenger, peace upon him, providing solace and encouragement with descriptions of what previous Messengers had also gone through. God tells him that He knows that the words of Qureish (his own tribe and family) are causing him grief, but that they are not, in reality, rejecting him: They are rejecting all God’s evident Signs!
Verse 35 responds to the frustration felt by the Messenger who is doing his best, and still being spurned by the heads of Qureish. The verses seem to indicate that, although those who Deny might be asking for miracles, even if they got them- (whether from up high in the heavens or from the bowels of the earth), things would not change. (Remember verse 7? Even if they saw a Compilation in ‘qirtaas’ قرطاس–in hardcopy- descending from the heavens upon the Messenger, they would still be calling it ‘Sorcery!’) Such persons will continue to deny, no matter what you do.
And anyway, the ultimate goal is not that people would be made to go in the right direction, for had that been the goal, God could have joined them all together in His Gifted Guidance. The direction they take has to be their own personal choice!
The verse ends saying, “…then be not, indeed, among the ignorant.”
The powerful ‘voice’ of God is heard here, addressing His Messenger directly, the rest of us indirectly, as His Messenger dutifully conveys.
May God’s peace and blessings be upon him, and may WE work in appreciation!
In verses 36-37 we understand that people are two kinds: Those who respond to the Message, indicating that they have listened to it, and those who are, in fact, dead (of heart/mind) – ‘mawtaa موتى-’ -having neither listened nor responded! These ‘Dead’ shall not only be raised, but they shall also be returned to their Creator. The Messenger is told that, when they ask for Signs to be delivered unto him from His Lord, he should reply that God certainly is Capable of sending any Sign, but most of them do not know (notice the pronoun in ‘his Lord’ here, in life, as compared to ‘our Lord’ in the Hereafter).
5. Verse 38 is a beautiful statement, oft-quoted to illustrate the similarity of all Living Creatures, and the magnificence of their Divine Creator:
“There is not a scurrying creature دابّة / daabah on earth, nor a flying creature طائر / Taa’ir on its two wings, but (forms) communities similar to yourselves. Nothing have we omitted in the Compilation, eventually, unto their Lord shall they be gathered.”
All living creatures are similar in that they form their own communities wherein they interact with each other- no matter how they transport themselves.
6. Verse 39 portrays those who belie or reject God’s Signs as being deaf and dumb in the darkness-es (which they have surrounded themselves with; Remember, by prohibiting others they have inhibited and distanced their own Selves).
Since God has gifted Cognizant Humans His Guidance, only asking us to accept it, it naturally follows that anyone who rejects His guidance would lose direction, whereas people who accept His gifted Guidance would be on a Straightened Path. The choice WE make is not imposed, although the natural RESULTS for our choices, do follow a set pattern.
Nevertheless, Verses 40-41 present those who Deny God with a challenge, beginning with a question which the Messenger is told to ask of them, if they would respond to it in all honesty!
When people are in real suffering or facing the Hour (of Judgment) Whom other than God will they call unto?
In such a situation, it is only to God that they will address their calls, and when He wills to remove the cause of their distress, they completely forget the deities they were shirking Him for.
7. Verses 42-43 narrate historical accounts of previous peoples to whom God had sent Messengers, and taken them with both suffering and adversity, perchance they would become tender, feel vulnerable, and reach out to their Compassionate Creator. We shall ponder upon this shortly.
It’s important to note that when people’s hearts/minds start hardening, the Deviant/Sheytaan becomes more successful at embellishing their deeds/works for them.
In Verses 44-45 we find what might seem like a surprising turn of events, but it isn’t really.
It’s just that we see such people getting what they had always been striving for (see Q.17:18-19):
So God opens wide the gates of everything for them, at which they heedlessly rejoice, just before they are -all of a sudden- taken into account. Their erstwhile state of heedless rejoicing turns into a state of utter dumbstruck despair: They become ‘mublisoon’/despairing, hopeless.[2]
A point to ponder:
Let’s start with the hardened hearts/minds which are referred to in Verse 43:
If left to continue hardening -which is what happens with pride or age- such persons would only be capable of harming others and landing themselves deep inside the dire consequences they created. Their bad deeds become embellished for them, so they dive deep into such activities, causing much harm all around them.
Now, here we notice how hardship can actually save some people whose hearts are hardening; hardship functioning as a ‘tenderizer’ for their hearts/minds. Ultimately, their hearts/minds (not everyone’s) will soften and they will become more compassionate to others and kinder to their own Selves. Such hearts accept no less than the best of recompense, and they shall get it, God-willing.
As for others, depending on how far gone they are, hardship might alienate them further.
But even the hard-hearted weren’t always so: They were born with soft hearts.
This is what God is reminding us of in these verses.
A worshipper, when in most tender & vulnerable supplication, is in a state of ‘taDharru3/تضرُّع’ -an act of basic, inborn, human nature ‘FiTrah.’ In fact the word ‘tadharru3’ is of such eloquence that it brought tears to my eyes when I first checked the lexicon. Let us stop for a moment to reflect upon this verb:
‘Dhara3a’ [3] is about tenderness, humility, and the utter vulnerability of newborns as they are breastfeeding.
The noun, Dhar3/ضَرْع -as it is known by Arabs today- refers to the udder of an animal suckling her young.
The newborn knows no fear; knows only its need for its mother who feeds as she gives love and assurance. Now, worshippers in a state of ‘taDharru3/تضرُّع’ are at their most compliant and vulnerable dependability, realizing their absolute need for God, having nothing/no one other than Him on their minds and in their hearts. On the other hand, they feel very strong in their conviction. Their complete Faith in Him is a certitude that goes hand-in-hand with their utter dependability, simply because of this most sacred relationship: They FEEL, they KNOW He Alone is their Rabb and they adore Him!
Qur’anic words often refer indirectly -in Arabi- to the most tender facets of humanity even as it refers to our relationship with our Creator. God always points us to the best of what we know, observed in action all around us, represented by motherhood and ‘al arHaam/the wombs’ so that we would understand and come to know Him better. La-ilaaha-illa-Allah!
فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿الأنعام: ٤٥﴾
Our Reading today ends by telling us that the Wrongdoers shall be terminated (together with their legacy): “… praise be to God, Lord-Sustainer of the diverse Worlds!”
Enough said!
Our next Reading is from HQ6:46-58
Peace unto all!
عقل:حُبْسة في الشَّيء أو ما يقارب الحُبْسة. من ذلك العَقْل، وهو الحابس عن ذَميم القَول والفِعل. ..قال الخليل العَقل نقيض الجهل. ورجل عَقُول، إذا كان حسَنَ الفَهم وافر العَقْل. عقَلْت البَعيرَ أعقِلُه عقلاً، إذا شَدَدتَ يدَه بعِقاله، وهو الرِّباط… فأمّا قولُهم: فلانةُ عقيلةُ قومِها، فهي كريمتُهم وخيارهم. ويُوصَف بذلك السيِّد أيضاً فيقال: هو عقيلة قومه. وعقيلةُ كلِّ شيءٍ: أكرمُه. والدُّرّة: عَقيلة البحر.
[2] From root verb ‘balasa.’
بَلَسَ: فَالْأَصْلُ الْيَأْسُ، يُقَالُ أَبْلَسَ إِذَا يَئِسَ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {إِذَا هُمْ فِيهِ مُبْلِسُونَ} [المؤمنون: 77] ، قَالُوا: وَمِنْ ذَلِكَ اشْتُقَّ اسْمُ إِبْلِيسَ، كَأَنَّهُ يَئِسَ مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ.
This is also what happened to ‘Iblees,’ who after his disobedience became known as The SheyTaan. A study of the root-verb ‘balasa’ helps us understand the two main characteristics of Iblees (before he disobeyed). The Arabi definition indicates ‘immobility; being dumbstruck, and also in despair.’ Again, this is all ‘gheyb/unseen’ but we might deduce that he had first been uncommunicative as to the limits of his obedience to God AND his resentment when Adam was created. After that, he might have despaired of himself, or any other creature gaining superiority over Cognizant Humans. That seems to be the point in time when he became the Deviant/Sheytaan whose sole mission is to make subtle, inaudible suggestions (وسواس / wiswaas) to urge as many Humans as he possibly could, to their own self- destruction. But as we learnt in HQ4:76, he has no power over us; his guile is indeed weak (See Blog Post Day 45). If you read Muhammad Asad’s account, do check his note 34.
[3] “ضَرَعَ: يَدُلُّ عَلَى لِينٍ فِي الشَّيْءِ. مِنْ ذَلِكَ ضَرَعَ الرَّجُلُ ضَرَاعَةً، إِذَا ذَلَّ. وَرَجُلٌ ضَرَعٌ. ضَعِيفٌ…..وَمِنَ الْبَابِ ضَرْعُ الشَّاةِ وَغَيْرِهِ، سُمِّيَ بِذَلِكَ لِمَا فِيهِ مِنْ لِينٍ. وَيُقَالُ: أَضْرَعَتِ النَّاقَةُ، إِذَا نَزَلَ لَبَنُهَا عِنْدَ قُرْبِ النَّتَاج.”