Day 183; Qur’an 25: 33-55, Page 363 + 364

Welcome Friends:  Ahlan wa sahlan!

Yusuf Ali’s Translation of this Chapter.

Muhammad Asad’s Translation of this Chapter.

Their commentaries can only be read in verse by verse view.

COMMENTS:

PAGE 363 Arabic Qur’an.

1. We begin today’s Reading with Verse 33, an illuminating statement which indicates that, no matter what examples the Deniers might transmit to the Messenger, God communicates The Truth and the best of explanation.

(I am researching the distinction between the two Arabic verbs (أتى – جاء), ‘ataa’ and ‘jaa’a,’ which appear together in this verse.  We commonly take them both to mean ‘come /bring,’ but since no two words are alike, I’ll look into it and get back to you, God-willing.)

2.  Verse 34 is the final verse in a section which was describing the final ‘Hour’ (Verses 11- 24).  It tells us about Those who are gathered to Hell (having arrived there) ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN DIRECTION–على وجوههم – following their own bearings.  Ali and Asad both translated ‘wujooh’ as ‘faces’ (singular: wajh وجه- Put wajh in ‘Search this Site’). 

Such persons have done the exact opposite of those we mentioned on Jan. 10^th, where we said, with regard to HQ 2:112:

“Verse112 is explained, that by submitting one’s whole ‘Being’ or ‘Self’ (Asad, Ali respectively) WHILST doing good deeds, people shall have no fear nor shall they grieve.
Taking into consideration the fact that the word ‘wajh’ means ‘direction’ (not simply ‘face’) – and the word ‘Ihsaan’ is mentioned in the Qur’an as the topmost of one’s acts of voluntary goodness, I believe that:

People of Faith are given their BEARINGS in this verse: Whoever focuses direction purely towards God, while performing deeds of goodness that surpass the call of duty, their reward is with their Lord and no fear shall be brought upon them nor shall they grieve.  What a beautiful and inclusive message!”

Then, Verses 35- 36- 37- 38- 39 mention three Prophets:  Moses (who was given the Compilation), assisted in his mission by his brother Aaron; and then Noah, peace upon them all.  Noah’s people, who were drowned, and other tribes who had also belied God’s Signs became, each in their own Destruction, a ‘Sign’ unto others.

 

3.  Verse 40 presents Prophet Muhammad’s tribe, Qureish (who did not anticipate ‘Nushoorنشور- ’) with the option of learning from these lessons as they travelled past these destroyed townships. 

‘Nushoor’ literally means ‘Open Emergence,’ which we understand as ‘Resurrection’- where we all emerge openly, from our graves, out into the open!

Verses 41- 42 narrate their deeds, their feelings and their words, as they ridiculed him and decided to show ‘forbearance’ by clinging onto their idols. 

Verse 42 also warns them that they’ll realize their loss when they see the Suffering with their own eyes.

4.  Verse 43 is about our ‘هوى [i]–Hawaa,’ which can be literally defined as our ‘Plummeting Desire leading to Emptiness.’ 

Hawaa is therefore ALWAYS negative, indicating a ‘falling’ as we can see when we put the following sequence in Tanzil:  هوى -نه -شه -له -قه –ته , and read the 6 verses.

The precision of the Arabic language always amazes me.  When Desire rules, it ALWAYS plummets us headlong towards its Object, ‘the object of our Desire…’ which is why the two concepts indicating ‘Desire’ on one hand, and ‘Plummeting, or Falling with speed,’ BOTH have ‘Hawiya هوي-’ as their root-verb. 

But there is more: 

This root-verb also denotes ‘Hawaa’e هواء-,’ which means ‘empty space’ or Void (we mentioned this earlier -on June 14^th- when we talked about persons whose “Fou’aad were Hawaa’e أفئدتهم هواء-”)… hence my full translation:

Hawaa = Plummeting Desire leading to Emptiness.

Put الهوى in Tanzil and note the 4 times this noun with the definite article (al=the) appears in the Qur’an.  Read HQ 79:40, which shows us that being in awe of/ fearing Our Lord’s ‘Presence’ means restraining and deterring our own Selves from the ‘Hawaa’- the ‘Plummeting Desire which leads to Emptiness.’

Following Desire:

·   Is a symptom of the Heart/Mind’s Unawareness (HQ 18:28).

·   Is the main reason for lack of Faith (HQ 28:50).

·   Leads to Loss of Guidance/ Error ضلال and diverts from God’s Way (same verse above, and HQ 38:26).

·   Leads to Inequity/ Injustice (HQ 4:135).

·   Makes people into Wrong-doers (HQ 30:29).

·   Embellishes misdeeds (HQ 47:14).

·   Debases people, to their lowest possible ‘Selves,’ keeping them earth-bound, tired and panting, making sure they cannot rise to their potential as Aware, Cognizant Humans (HQ 7:176).

·   While following OTHER people’s Desire:

Seems to be most serious, virtually breaking the covenant with God, and that applies to ANYONE who follows other people’s desire AFTER Knowledge has reached him (even Messengers- see HQ 2:120).

Put "ولا تتبع" in Tanzil.

Thankfully, Truth /Justice الحق does NOT follow human Desire.  If it did, the HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WOULD HAVE BEEN CORRUPTED, as we saw in HQ 23:71 on Aug 11^th. 

That day, we also read our Teen Motto which said:

“…I respect my Desires,
but since they contradict one another

I will be selective:

I will control any desire that does not respect

my Self, my Mind, my Conscience, my Soul, and my Body!...”

We discussed (Nuha) the self-restraining Mind, and its role  in deterring 'Hawaa' on July 21st, and found this feat rooted in fearing ‘our Lord’s Presence.’  We realized then, that the more Aware we are of our Lord’s Presence, the less difficult it becomes for us to restrain our Selves.

Back to Verse 43:

This verse is telling the Messenger, peace upon him, that he is NOT responsible for persons who take their own ‘Hawaa’ as deity!  It is setting his mind at rest, and assuring him/ and listeners, that when ‘Desire’ is the deity, no Goodness is expected because Hawaa, by definition, is: Plummeting Desire leading to Emptiness. 

However, what Verse 43 also indicates, is that he may have been troubled by people’s refusal to accept the guidance he was offering them.  Perhaps he felt that he had not completely fulfilled his duty, peace upon him.  These verses seem to put his mind at ease, and also inform its recipients as to the limits of his responsibility (put ‘his responsibility’ in ‘Search this Site’).  His responsibility was in the complete and clear Delivery of the Message, and had nothing to do with whatever its recipients chose to do with it.  

PAGE 364 Arabic Qur’an.

5.  From the Q and A in Verse 44 to the Statement in Verse 56:

These verses continue to address the Messenger (and listeners), describing God’s Bounty VERSUS most people’s Denial.  Most people do not listen or ‘secure knowledge ofيعقل- ’ what they hear.  They seem to be like cattle, but are actually worse at finding their way.

Verses 45- 46- 47- 48- 49- 50 describe the Shade/ Shadow as it changes with the Sun, the Night as a ‘garment[ii] FOR US, together with Sleep as Repose, and Daytime as an ‘Open Emergence’ (Nushoor) of each of us, to our affairs.  Also the winds that carry glad tidings of rain, by which He revives dead townships, quenching the thirst of animals and humans alike. 

Put نشور in Tanzil and note that this word appears most frequently in this chapter (verses 3, 40, 47).

You might also enjoy putting the full sequence وهو الذي الليل in Tanzil and reading all six beautiful verses.

6.   Verse 51 indicates that, had God so willed, every human gathering (villageقرية- ) would have had a Warner.
       Verse 52 is SO IMPORTANT, and is one of those verses which have been completely overtlooked:  Here we find the Prophet commanded NOT to obey the Deniers but rather to exert himself in delivering this Message to them, ‘with great exertion’ )jihad (جهاد-.  This is the 'Jihaad' everyone has missed:  Jihad by way of the Qur'an!

Verse 53 is considered a ‘Scientific Marvel’:  It describes the two bodies of water, Rivers and Seas, and where their waters MERGE to form a distinctive ‘Barrier’ (see also HQ 55:19-20).  Yes, dear Reader: The English ‘merge’ and the Arabic ‘maraja’ are one and the same word, with similar pronunciation and IDENTICAL meaning.  But do we expect English Etymologists to reflect that?  Not at all (see below)*.

7.  In Verse 54 we read that it is God Who created, from water, the human species ‘basharبشر-’ rendering them blood-relatives or relatives by marriage.

Remember the difference between ‘bashar’ and ‘insaan’ April 6^th, July 14^th (bashar is how we began, and it denotes our species).

Also remember HQ 21:30, which told us that He created everything Alive, from water.

Verse 55 ends today’s Reading, with a declaration as to what the Deniers’ worship, and how they behave towards God.

Enough said!

Our next Reading is from HQ 25: 56-77; which will be quite exciting, as the Qur’an will introduce us to some very special people indeed: ‘Ibaadul Rahmaan,’ or Worshippers of God, the Creator! 

May we strive to be among them!

Peace unto all!

---

[i] هوي: يدلُّ على خُلُوٍّ وسقوط. أصله الهواء بين الأرض والسماء، سمِّي لخلوِّه. قالوا: وكلُّ خالٍ هواء. قال الله تعالى: {وأفْئِدَتُهُمْ هَوَاءٌ} [إبراهيم 43]، أي خاليةٌ لا تَعِي شيئاً.

ويقال هَوَى الشّيءُ يَهوِي: سقط. وهاويةُ: جهنم؛ لأنَّ الكافِر يَهوِي فيها. والهاوية: كلُّ مَهْواة. والهُوَّة: الوَهدة العميقة. وأهْوَى إليه بيده ليأخذه، كأنّه رمَى إليه بيده إذا أرسلها. وتهَاوَى القَوْمُ في المَهْواة: سقط بعضهم في إثْر بعض.

وأمَّا الهوى: هَوى النَّفسِ، فمن المَعنيين جميعاً، لأنه خالٍ من كلِّ خير، ويَهوِي بصاحِبِه فيما لا ينبغي. قال الله تعالى في وصف نبيّه عليه الصلاة والسلام: {وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الهَوَى}[النجم 3]. يقال منه هَوِيتُ أهْوَى هَوىً.

[ii] Explained fully in ‘The Marriage Union’ from which comes this excerpt:

“Besides one’s mate, there seems to be another bequest created specifically to provide humans with ‘tranquility’ sakeena. Furthermore, this bequest is also considered a ‘garment’!“And it is He who made the night as a robe (garment ‘libaasan’) for you, and sleep as repose….”
(Qur’an:, 25:47).

“And We made the night as a garment. And We made the day as means of sustenance.”
(Qur’an:: 78:10-11).

“It is He who made the night for you to settle- rest-find solace within it (‘li-taskunu feeh’) and the day well-sighted……”
(Qur’an:, 10:67).

This correlation between marriage and nighttime is quite significant. Spouses and nighttime are called ‘libas’; spouses and nighttime are ‘sakan’ or ‘sakeena’. By revealing the purpose of ‘sakeena’ with regard to nighttime we may reveal the purpose of ‘sakeena’ with regard to marriage.

“It is He who appointed the night and day in succession for whomever has the will to reflect يذّكر (by night) and whomever has the will to be productive in gratitude شكورا (by day) .
Qur’an: (25:62).

Nighttime then is for reflection, remembrance ‘tathakkur’, a spiritual exercise that can only be accomplished in a state of ‘sakeena’ or tranquility. Tranquility therefore is necessary for spiritual enhancement. Moreover, the Qur’an shows us how tranquility augments and strengthens faith, or ‘Iman’:

‘It is He who sent down tranquility ‘sakeena’ into the hearts of Believers so that they may increase in Faith ‘Imaanan’ unto their own Faith, for to God belong the forces of heavens and earth and God is the Knower, the Wise”.
(Qur’an: 48:04)”

* “Merge: 1630s, “to plunge or sink in,” from Latin mergere “to dip, dip in, immerse, plunge,” probably rhotacized from mezgo, from PIE mezg- “to dip, plunge” (cf. Sanskrit majjati “dives under,” Lithuanian mazgoju “to wash”).”

The origin is thought to be Proto-Indo-European, or Sanskrit, or even Lithuanian… and NOT the so much more historically-logical and linguistically-close Arabic!!!  This, despite the fact that the so-called ‘rhotacized’  word ‘mezgo’ is ALSO probably from the Arabic ‘mezj/ مزج’ which means to ‘mix.’