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Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
Their commentaries can only be read in verse by verse view.
COMMENTS:
1. Today’s Reading begins with the statement in Verse 60, that the life of this ‘lower-existence’ (‘dunya’) is no more than ‘convenience/ passing enjoyment’ (Ali/ Asad). Verse 61 elaborates by drawing comparison between someone who gets the best which God had promised, and another who is brought forth on Resurrection Day, having had all the ‘conveniences’ of life (yet earned no good). We read something similar in HQ 4:77; 9:38; 10:23; 13:26, where each verse shows us the difference.
Verses 62- 63- 64 give us a glimpse of that day, when ‘Associaters’ shall be questioned regarding the ‘Partners’ they had set up to God. Well-explained by Asad (I like what he said about “leaders of thought supposed to have set the community’s faulty standards of social behaviour and moral valuation.”
2. Verses 65- 66- 67 ask (and respond to) another question of great significance, encouraging a return to God with the performance of good deeds, which is the only route to success.
We should remember that it is Qureish who was being asked the question/ admonition:
“The Day He shall call them and say: What was your response to the Messengers?”
His is all Praise in the First (as in HQ 35:1) and the Last (as in HQ 10:10), His is the Judgment, and to Him will you all be returned.
The last part of this verse (in italics) will be repeated in Verse 88 to close this entire chapter
4. After the beautiful declaration we just read, which began ‘He is God, no god but Heهو الله لا إله إلا هو....’- we find Verses 71- 72- 73 showing us the Creator’s part, in the most observable of our daily comforts: the alternation of Day and Night.
Then, as Yusuf Ali notes, Verses 74- 75 ‘round off the argument.’ This ‘rounding-off’ is with a warning, citing the need for those who associate with God, to present their evidence on Judgment Day.
5. Verse 76 mentions ‘Qaroonقارون- ’ for the first time (he is mentioned 4 times in the Qur’an, and is considered the epitome of corrupting Affluence). Read both Ali and Asad’s explanations; it is interesting to note that Ali relates him to the Biblical personality ‘Korah,’ while Asad sees him as a generic example for all time!
In Verses 76- 77 we hear the advice given to him by (the wise from among) his people, Bani Isra-eel:
· Not to exult - for God loves not such persons (فرح- who rejoice triumphantly in their gain, without fulfilling its burden of responsibility![i]).
· To seek the Hereafter, using the bountiful provisions God had provided for him, without forgetting to make use of them, in Life.
· To be generous with others, remembering God’s Generosity to him.
· Not to pursue whatever might corrupt this earth, for God loves not the Corrupters.
Verse 78 addresses Qaroon’s haughty response, even as it indirectly labels him a ‘mujrim;’ someone who has ‘extracted himself’ from Faith!
Verses 79- 80 recount how he appeared to his people in his full adornment, as well as what was thought and said of him (by both groups of his people) -those who sought the life of this world, versus those who had Knowledge.
Verse 81- 82 tells us what happened to Qaroon, and how those who had envied him learnt their lesson.
Verse 83 announces the characteristics of those who shall prevail in the Hereafter:
They are the Aware, who wanted neither self-exaltation on this earth, nor corruption.
Verse 84 is similar to HQ 6:160; 27:89; it mentions the recompense of Deeds, comparing the Good deed to the Bad.
The next verses of this Chapter help us better understand the important distinction between ‘Qur’an,’ and ‘Kitaab[ii]’
6. Verse 85 informs us (as we noted earlier), that the Qur’aan alone (not the Kitaab) was ‘IMPRESSED’ UPON Muhammad by God - where we said:
“In HQ 28:85, the Qur’an is mentioned as being ‘impressed upon you,’ the word ‘you’ referring to the ONLY person upon whom the Qur’an was literally impressed/ imprinted; someone upon whose heart/ mind ‘qalbقلب-’ it had descended… Muhammad, peace upon him.”
However, most explanations do not show this meaning:
‘Faradha aleyka/ فرض عليك or ‘impressed upon you’ is translated as:
· ‘ordained for thee’ by Ali.
Furthermore, when we research the Arabic connotations of the words راد- معاد[iii] we find that, although they both denote ‘return’... there still is SO MUCH MORE which we have missed (which the Arabs of the time well-understood):
In this verse, God is assuring His Messenger that He, who impressed the Qur’an upon him, shall in all certainty return him- AND strengthen him with the RETURNS/benefit- of taking him back, empowered, full circle to where it all began, to what has always been his aspired Destination!
He also commands him to announce that God knows best who comes bearing Guidance, and who is in manifest error.
Verse 86 tells the Messenger that (God knows that) you had never expected the Compilation to be delivered to you (as it was delivered to other Messengers). But (so it happened, that it was delivered to you), a Mercy from your Lord, therefore do not be a support to the Deniers.
Note that it is the Kitaab, NOT the Quraan, which he was ‘not expecting to be delivered of.’ This makes perfect sense since, BEFORE he became a Messenger, there would naturally be no mention of ‘Qur’an!’
This verse is better-understood in Asad’s explanation, but I disagree with his considering the address ‘you’ (which is directed to the Messenger), as directed to any ‘Believer.’ We should be very careful how we explain any verse which contains the word ‘Qur’an’ or ‘Kitab,’ as we might easily lose its distinction.
· Do not be a support to the Deniers (86).
· Do not let them impede you from the Signs of God after they were delivered to you.
· Invite/ call (people) to your Lord.
· Do not be of the Associaters (those who ‘associate’ or set up ‘partners’ with God).
· Do not call on another deity besides God, there is no God but He, for Everything Is Expiring/ Shall Expire EXCEPT HIS DIRECTION[iv]; His is the Judgment, and to Him will you all be returned.
Notice here the ‘voice’ of God, advising His Messenger, commanding, persuading, dissuading…. so dutifully conveyed by His Messenger! It is verses such as these which have led many to believe in the Qur’an.
And with this, the Chapter of (Accurate) Accounts ‘Qassas’ comes to a beautiful end.
As for us, dear Reader: Let us close our laptops today, bearing in mind that everything is indeed ‘expiring’… even as we speak.
May we all direct ourselves, from this day forward, to the one thing on earth that has no expiry: God’s Direction.
Amen.
Enough said!
Our next Reading is from HQ 29:1-25; a New Chapter!
Peace unto all!
[i] We already discussed ‘faraha’ which denotes both exultation AND heaviness /burden. It is interesting to note that of the 22 times this word and its derivatives appear in the Qur’an, all but 4 mention ‘exultation’ unfavorably. Exultation is only mentioned favorably when it is accompanied by Faith, and gratitude for God’s bounties (we shall see similar advice later in HQ 31:18; 40:75).
[ii] Regular Readers already know that ‘Qur’an ‘denotes the live interaction which takes place when a Qare’/ قارئ Reader activates the Dynamic of Iqra with its 6 components, whereas ‘Kitaab’ merely denotes a unit of ‘Compiled’ material. See Aug 25th for grammatical form of the word ‘qur’aan’- being ‘superlative’ and ‘ongoing/ active.’ Put any required word in ‘Search this Site’.
[iii] رد: وهو رَجْع الشَّيء. تقول: ردَدْتُ الشَّيءَ أرُدُّه ردّاً.
والرِّدُّ: عِماد الشَّيء الذي يردُّه، أي يَرْجِعُه عن السُّقوط والضَّعْف.
ويقال هذا أمرٌ لا رادَّةَ له، أي لا مرجُوع له ولا فائدةَ فيه.
عود: أصلان صحيحان، يدلُّ أحدهما على تثنيةٍ في الأمر، والآخر جنسٌ من الخشب.
فالأوَّل: العَوْد، قال الخليل: هو تثنية الأمر عوداً بعد بَدْء. تقول: بدأ ثُمَّ عاد. والعَوْدة: المَرّة الواحدة. ومن الباب العِيادة: أن تعود مريضاً.
والمَعَاد: كل شيء إليه المصير. والآخرة مَعادٌ للناس. واللهُ تعالى المبدِئ المُعيد، وذلك أنه أبدأَ الخلْقَ ثم يُعيدهم.
والعِيد: ما يعتاد من خَيالٍ أو هَمٍّ. ومنه المعاوَدَة، واعتياد الرَّجل، والتعوُّد.
والعَادة: الدُّرْبة. والتَّمادِي في شيء حتَّى يصير لـه سجيّةً. ويقال للمواظب على الشيء: المُعاوِد. وفي بعض الكلام: "الزموا تُقَى الله تعالى واستَعيدوها"، أي تعوَّدوها.
ويقال للشجاع: بَطَلٌ معاوِدٌ، أي لا يمنعُه ما رآه شدّة الحرب أن يعاودها. والقياس في كلِّ هذا صحيح.
ومن الباب: العائدة، وهو المعروف والصِّلة. تقول: ما أكثَرَ عائدةَ فلانٍ علينا. وهذا الأمر أعْوَدُ من هذا، أي أرفَق.
ومن الباب العِيد: كلُّ يومِ مَجْمَع. واشتقاقُه قد ذكره الخليل من عاد يَعُود، كأنَّهم عادُوا إليه. ويمكن أن يقال لأنَّه يعود كلَّ عامٍ. وهذا عندنا أصحُّ. وقال غيره، وهو قريب من المعنيين: إنّه سمِّي عيداً لأنَّهم قد اعتادوه . والياء في العِيد أصلها الواو، ولكنها قلبت ياءً لكسرة العين.
ويجمعون العيدَ أعياداً، ويصغرونه على التغيير عُيَيْد.
وأمّا الأصل الآخَر فالعُود وهو كلُّ خشبةٍ دَقّت. ويقال بل كلُّ خشبة عُود. والعُود: الذي يُتبَخّر به، معروف.
[iv] ‘Wajh’ is taken to mean ‘face,’ but it actually denotes ‘direction,’ as in ‘facing towards:’
وجه: يدلُّ على مقابلةٍ لشيء. والوجه مستقبِلٌ لكلِّ شيء. يقال وَجْه الرّجلِ وغَيره. وربَّما عُبِّر عن الذات بالوَجْه. تقول: وَجْهي إليك.
وواجهتُ فلاناً: جعلتُ وجهي تِلقاءَ وجهه.
ومن الباب قولُهم: هو وجيهٌ بيِّنُ الجاه.
والوِجهة: كلُّ موضعٍ استقبلتَه. قال الله تعالى: {وَلِكُلٍّ وِجْهَةٌ} [البقرة 148].
ووجَّهت الشَّيءَ: جعلتُه على جهة. وأصل جِهَتهِ وِجْهَته.
والتَّوجيه: أن تَحفِر تحت القِثَّاءَة أو البِطِّيخة ثم تُضجِعَها.
وتَوجَّهَ الشَّيْخُ: ولَّى وأدْبَر، كأنَّه أقْبَلَ بوجهه على الآخر.
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