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Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
Today’s Reading offers us guidelines on the manner in which we discuss/ argue with ‘People of the Compilation’ (Jews and Christians). Such verses should help us negotiate the current dispute, seen by some as ‘Christian versus Muslim’ (which it is not), taking place around the Cordova House, in New York City.
Truly, dear Reader: Bigotry has no place in honest discussions, and should not be afforded any platforms!
Muhammad Asad’s Translation of this Chapter.
Their commentaries can only be read in verse by verse view.
COMMENTS:
1. Verse 46 shows us SO clearly that God Is One; His Compilation through the ages was one…and still is.
The fact that we all worship God, our Creator –but that some of us call him Allah- may be lost on some Ignorants today. Since this fact is NOT lost on us, it is WE who must show it by our behavior towards such people -who know no better.
Generally speaking, we should not argue with the People of the Compilation, although when we do disagree, we should present the BEST and most beautiful of arguments, as these verses show. We should announce OUR SIMILARITIES, even as we indicate our PURE Reverence to God Alone.
As to those OF them who have wronged us (إلا الذين ظلموا منهم), only with these PERSONS specifically are we given the ‘green light’ to argue in whatever manner might expose their wrongdoing and help us regain our rights.
Dear Reader:
Isn’t this amazing? The Qur’an is telling us plainly that we can only argue freely with those who have wronged us so as to regain our rights, and we CANNOT argue freely with the entire community of the ‘People of the Book!’
There are no sweeping statements; there are no generalizations in the Qur’an.
Yet we have often heard Ignorants and Fanatics say that the Qur’an ‘sanctions’ not only arguments and intimidation, but the fighting/ killing of others, including Jews/ Christians! These Uninformed, Over-zealous ‘Pinheads’ could be ‘Muslim’ or ‘Non-Muslim’- two sides to the very same Coin.
(I have borrowed the term ‘Pinhead’ from Bill O’Reilly, who said on ‘The View’: “Muslims killed us on 9/11!” a sweeping statement – a generalization. Let each of us decide for ourselves whether Generalizing is acceptable or not.
As we saw in the video, many think it is not.)
But there is one IMPORTANT question to answer:
Q. If the Qur’an demands so much AWARENESS[i] on our behalf, even with regard to the spoken word:
How do certain ‘Muslim’ individuals, while saying that they ‘Believe in the Qur’an’… how do they justify aggressive/ violent/ murderous acts against others with whom they might or might not dispute?
A. We discussed this on March 12th, where we noted that the famous Islamic scholar Sheikh Yusuf Qardawi (a regular on TV; see his website[ii]) responded accusingly, saying that we have zealots who have ‘abrogated’ or rendered ‘null and void’ what they count as between 140-200 Qur’anic verses! What are these verses mostly about? Fair treatment and forgiveness.
What!
So, according to such Zealots, this beautiful verse 46 would be considered ‘void’ under the fabricated ‘Theory of Abrogation’ they’ve adopted. No wonder it is difficult to get some to adhere to –and others to recognize- the Qur’an’s higher standards: Much of it goes UNACKNOWLEDGED by both sides!
But as Intellectual Creatures of Cognizance, we should know better.
Furthermore,
God is Knowing of what they fabricate/ devise الله عليم بما يصنعون
“Perhaps, and I say ‘perhaps’…. Male Believers are told in this verse (HQ 24:30) that God is well-acquainted with what they DEVISE, so that they would remain pure, and well-removed from:
¨ Doing as No. 1 did, forgetting divine Reminders and generating enmity and hatred amongst them (such as fighting for power, dividing into ‘sects’ and calling each other infidels).
¨ Doing as No. 2 did, their Scholars allowing unjust words and deeds to pervade in society (at the expense of the powerless).
¨ Doing as No. 3 did, taking God’s Bounties lightly and devising constructs which would generate Fear and Hunger (such as wars, depletion of earth’s resources.. etc..).
¨ Doing as No. 5 did, allowing bad deeds to be embellished for them, so that their eyes would then see them as ‘good’ ones (such as forbidding women from full participation in society, in the name of Faith, and ‘for their own good.’)”
Let me know, dear Reader, what you think.
Meanwhile, ALL of us must literally exert ourselves in the most important ‘jihaad’ – the Intellectual Jihaad, to raise Awareness, each of us amongst our own.
Let each of us ask: Am I doing my part?
2. Verse 47 begins by saying that ‘in such manner’ was the Compilation sent down to ‘you’ (O Muhammad, a clear reference to the earlier Compilation. Note that each is a Compilation ‘kitaab’ and all together they still form one Compilation). The rest of the verse is well explained by Yusuf Ali, except for the label ‘kaafiroon.’
The verb ‘jaHhadaجحد-[iii] ’ (describing the Deniers) denotes someone who has fully understood the value of something, then deliberately discredited it (as in HQ 27:14).
So, what this verse is telling us is, that those who realize the value of God’s Signs and then deliberately discredit these Signs, are: ‘Deniers.’
3. Verses 48- 49 address Prophet Muhammad, announcing that he did not recite in sequence any part of a Compilation before this, nor did he inscribe it with his right hand, or else, the Falsifiers would have doubted. These are indeed God’s Evident Signs, IN THE HEADS AND BREASTS (see Aug 6th) of those who have attained Knowledge, while those who realize the value of God’s Signs and then deliberately discredit these Signs, are: ‘Wrongdoers.’
Verse 50 recounts both their insistence on his being given Signs from ‘his Lord,’ and his response that the Signs are indeed with God, and that he is indeed an Evident Warner.
Then, Verse 51 asks, isn’t the Compilation -sent down upon you (and) recited to them in sequence- sufficient for them? Indeed in this is Mercy and a Reminder to a People who Believe.
Arabic Readers might notice that the Subject فاعل of the verb ‘yutla-recite in sequence’.. is in the ‘passive tenseمبني للمجهول- .’
Actually, this tense appears twice for ‘Compilation’ (put كتاب يتلى in Tanzil) and 18 times for ‘Signs’ (put آي تلى -اختلاف –لآيات in Tanzil).
Furthermore, when we put نتلو in Tanzil, we notice that it is ‘WE’ (God / The Spirit Gabriel) mentioned 5 times as the Subject/s ‘reciting in sequence’ God’s Signs unto the Messenger, Muhammad.
Verse 52 announces that God suffices as Witness, knowing what is in the Heavens and Earth… and ends with a note of warning.
4. In Verses 53- 55 the Deniers challenge the Messenger (and God), telling him to hasten the Suffering (we read something similar in HQ 22:47; 26:204). They are then forewarned.
In Verse 56 God speaks to His Worshippers, telling us to worship Him (wherever we can) in the vastness of His Earth,
Verse 57 assures us that every Self shall taste Death, and then to him we shall be returned (put كل نفس ذائقة الموت in Tanzil, or see HQ 3:185; 21:35).
5. In Verses 58- 59, Those who have attained Faith and performed Goodness, are promised the bounties of the Garden. Their Faith, together with their Good Deeds, Forbearance AND Reliance on God, have earned them the Label ‘aamileenعاملين- ’ or Workers/ Laborers; in this instance: Achievers!
Verse 60 indicates that God provides for/ sustains all living organisms that roam the earth (daabbahدابّة-), AND yourselves.
Although this verse expresses His Bounty -in general- towards all Creation, it clearly indicates to Cognizant Humans that our provision IS DEPENDENT UPON other creatures being sustained.
§ To Qureish, this verse put them in their place: As business-minded people they were reluctant to relinquish their hold over Pilgrimage Revenues and the power it generated (in their mind, the 360 idols around the ka’ba were generating their income. How little foresight they had!).
This verse was assuring them that they would lose no provision by worshipping God Alone.
§ To the Faithful, this verse offered not only Hope, but a Promise of Sustenance, (after Verse 56 had told them to leave if necessary, and go elsewhere where they could worship in Pure Reverence and live in Accountability).
§ To us Cognizant Humans of today, this verse:
· puts us in our place.
· offers Hope and a Promise of Sustenance.
· AND illustrates the necessity for us to be Eco-friendly: Our provision IS DEPENDENT UPON other creatures being sustained.
Just think of all the crops we grow, and that one OUNCE of the good-quality soil we need contains around ten trillion bacteria.
Look at the illustration from Merriam-Webster.com (click to enter):
Q. Are we at the top of the food chain?
A. We are, and then again, we aren’t. It all depends on how we look at it:
Ultimately it is ‘Decomposers’ such as funghi and the 10,000 different species of bacteria in the soil that ‘eat’ everything, including Humans.
(HQ 11:6 is another verse indicating God’s knowledge of, AND providing sustenance to EVERY living creature ‘daabbah.’)
Verses 61- 63 ask Qureish, who is He who created… who provided…who brought back the dead earth to life.. ? And they always answer ‘God.’
(Similar to HQ 10:31; we discussed how Qureish could give such a response yet deny His Message on May 12th.)
6. In Verse 64 the difference between the Life of this ‘Lower Existence’ (Dunya) is shown, as compared to the LIVING Hereafter (the Hayawaanحيوان- (
Regular Readers would have noticed the grammatical form of the verb: فعلان !
Verses 65- 66 describe our need for God when our vessel is tossed (in mid-air or mid-ocean) with NONE who can help us take it to land …. except He.
The ‘fulk’ is literally a circular or rounded vessel without sharp corners, discussed on April 9th. It comprises ANY vessel we build for transportation (see HQ 43:12).
7. Verse 67 asks Qureish how they could deny God’s Bounty, and how they could believe in Falsehood, seeing that God has rendered safety and security at a ‘Sanctuary Secure’ (the Inviolable House and vicinity: Mecca), while people all around them are completely insecure ‘being snatched away’?
Verse 68 announces the characteristics of those who are most Wrong-doing, and dissuades from such action by presenting Hell as their abode.
With Verse 69, the Chapter ends with Persuasion:
This verse announces that with regard to Those who have exerted themselves for God, Indeed, He shall surely ‘guide them/ grant them’ His channels (the paths or ways that lead to Him), and God is indeed WITH The Doers of Good ‘Muhsineen.’ (Note that they have earned the label!)
This verse encourages us to ‘exert ourselves’ in doing the right thing, in Pure Reverence to God, and in Accountability to Him, which translates into our accountability towards ALL our fellow Creatures on His earth! That is the ‘jihaad/ jihad’
Enough said!
Our next Reading is from HQ 30:1-27; a new Chapter!
Peace unto all!
[i]Remember that ‘Awareness/ Taqwaتقوى-’ is the opposite of ‘Aggression/ Udwaanعدوان-’-Put ‘Udwaan’ in ‘Search this Site’.
[ii] ووصل الأمر إلى أنهم قالوا إن آية السيف نسخت مائة وأربعين آية في كتاب الله، بل بعضهم قال نسخت مائتي آية، وإن هذه الآيات موجودة في المصحف خطًا ولفظًا ومعدومة المعنى: http://www.qaradawi.net/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=7197&version=1&template_id=211&parent_id=16
[iii] جحد: يدلُّ على قِلّة الخير. يُقال عامٌ جَحِدٌ قليل المطر. ورجل جَحْدٌ فقير، وقد جَحِدَ وأَجْحَدَ. قال ابن دُريد: والجَحْد من كلِّ شيءٍ القِلّة.
ومن هذا الباب الجُحود، وهو ضدّ الإقرار، ولا يكون إلاّ مع علم الجاحد به أنّه صحيح. قال الله تعالى: {وَجَحَدُوا بِها واسْتَيْقَنَتْهَا أَنْفُسُهُمْ} [النمل 14].
وما جاء جاحدٌ بخيرٍ قطّ.
