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Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan
Their commentaries can only be read in
verse by verse view.
سورة
الحجرات
The Chambers
From the Introduction of
Yusuf Ali:
“This is the third of the group of
three Madinah Surahs, which began with Surah 47.
Its subject matter is the manners to
be observed by the members of the rapidly-growing Muslim community, among
themselves and towards its Leader. The keyword
"Hujurat" (Chambers) occurs in verse 4.
Its date is referred to the Year of
Deputations, A.H. 9, when a large number of deputations of all kind visited
Madinah to offer their allegiance to Islam.”
From the Introduction of Muhammad
Asad:
“REVEALED, in
the consensus of most of the authorities, in the year 9 H., this surah deals predominantly
with social ethics. Beginning with the reverence due to the Prophet and – by implication
- to the righteous leaders of the community after him, the discourse culminates
in the principle of the brotherhood of all believers (verse 10) and, in its
widest sense, the brotherhood of all mankind (verse 13). The concluding passage
(verses 14 ff.) points out the difference between true faith and a mere outward
observance of religious formalities.
The title is
derived from the mention of the word al-hujurat in verse 4.”
COMMENTS:
What a Chapter, dear Reader!
This chapter begins with two verses, each calling upon ‘Those who have
attained Faith’ with injunctions NOT to behave in a certain way. Indeed, many verses in this chapter do the
same, and as we proceed we feel that there is a list of behaviors which should
not – or simply CANNOT- be part of the record of anyone working to earn the
label ‘Faithful.’
(New Readers: Put ‘label faithful’ in ‘Search this Site.’)
It is not only one of the three
Qur’anic chapters (Ch:5, 49, 60) which begin with the direct address: ‘O you who have
attained faith!’ but the address is also most concentrated .. 5 times in 3 pages ([i]).
How difficult it must have been for some ‘rugged’ individuals to change
their habits and learn civilized manners, especially when speaking to the
Prophet: They actually had to be told
not to raise their voices above his, and not to holler to get him out of his
home to meet them!
Aside:
Dear Reader, if you happen to have had a western upbringing, the
following may help you understand why some ‘Muslims’ revere their scholars to
the point of adulation:
When we begin reading we get the impression that the people addressed
are only those who were interacting with the Prophet at the time, which is
perhaps one reason why scholars -to extend these injunctions to ALL times- have
postulated that people should respect and treat their ‘religious scholars,’
‘imams’ and ‘sheikhs’ just as if they were the Prophet himself.
Note that Muhammad Asad (above) said : “….by implication - to the
righteous leaders of the community after him…” Extending by
implication this particular command from the Messenger to all ‘righteous
leaders’ has added to peoples’ natural tendency to revere those in higher
position, and has made the questioning of an elder unlikely. Another reason for such adulation is that, with
relation to a reported ‘Hadeeth/ saying of the Prophet’ ([ii]),
scholars have narrowed the interpretation of the word ‘al-ulamaa’ which means ‘the
Learned/ the Knowledgeable/ the Scientists’ as ‘heirs to Prophets’….making it
apply solely to individuals who are adept at ‘religious sciences.’ That is why in recent times only ‘religious
scholars’ were revered, while other sciences were considered inferior and even
at times, unnecessary or ‘unlawful!’
This is so sad, especially when we think farther back to the Middle Ages
when, in order to be recognized as a scholar in Europe, one would have had to
graduate first from an ‘Islamic university,’ and would have returned home wearing
the ‘abaya’ and the ‘fez’... STILL proudly donned today (with tassle !) in
graduation ceremonies all around the world.
Therefore, I do agree that we should pay due respect to our elders and
our teachers, and it certainly is true that (in a way similar to Prophets) certain people
of learning/knowledge/ science have positively impacted humanity, bringing us information
which has raised our standard of Awareness. ..but I do not agree that whatever the Qur’an mentions
as specific to the Prophet or his wives should apply to anyone else.
(Examples: I do not agree that any woman other than the Prophet’s wife
should never remarry, or remain in her home while her outdoor errands are run by others, or that a barrier/screen should
be imposed upon men who wish to speak to
her in her home.. [iii].
And I do not agree that any woman other
than the Prophet’s wife should think that she has such a heightened
responsibility and heightened reward that in case she might ever commit a 4-person
witnessed-adultery, her suffering should be double that of other women -meaning
200 lashes instead of 100- or that her reward for good deeds would automatically
be double that of other women.. see HQ 33:30-34: Doesn’t the Qur’an clearly
tell the Prophet’s wives ‘YOU ARE UNLIKE ANY OTHER WOMEN?’).
And the Prophet too was unlike any other man, so his specifically
sanctioned multi-marriages after the age of fifty did not apply to others (HQ 33: 50). Also, as we see in today’s
chapter, the fact that a person would bring upon oneself a PAINFUL VOIDING of
one’s deeds by raising one’s voice above the Prophet’s or interrupting him does
not apply to anyone raising their voice or interrupting another person, no
matter how high that person happens to be in the hierarchy of knowledge: We owe people of knowledge due respect but
none of them is the Prophet, and we certainly can (and sometimes should)
question them, correct them, and hold them responsible to the point of
condemnation, judgment, and stripping off of their titles and degrees if that happens
to be what they deserve (the only people on earth who should feel immune from
our contempt are our own elderly parents.
Put ‘elderly parent’ in ‘Search this Site.’)
Back to our verses:
This must have been such an
‘ethically-enlightening’ chapter to the earliest of Those who attained Faith
(may we be counted among them).
1. This Chapter seems to present us with a list of behaviors which cannot
be part of our record IF we wish to earn the label ‘Faithful.
Beginning with two verses, each
calling upon ‘Those who have attained Faith’ we get the impression that the
people addressed are only those who were interacting with the Prophet at the
time, but that is not necessarily so for two reasons:
·
Ethical
conduct is timeless.
· Although personal
contact with any Prophet can only take place when someone is living in that
Prophet’s proximity, yet we find certain verses speaking of the ‘Messenger of
God,’ which relate to his bearing of this Living Message, the Qur’an. At this ‘frequency’ (God à Messenger with
Message à
Recipient) we have direct contact with the Message and indirect contact with
the Messenger ([iv]).
New Readers: Please put ‘difference between prophet
messenger’ in ‘Search this Site.’
Also check out ‘every messenger is prophet.’
That is why I see Verse 1 as
applying to ALL Those who have attained Faith, past and present, telling us NOT
to seek precedence over what has already preceded from God and His Messenger,
and to be aware of God, for indeed God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
Indeed, whenever we hear the
call: “O you who
have attained faith” we should listen carefully: It
is either something beneficial we are told to pursue, or something detrimental
we are told to avoid ([v]).
And then Verse 2 switches from calling him ‘Messenger of God’ to calling
him ‘Prophet,’ by which we understand that this is about his every-day life,
and that those around him were raising their voices above his and interrupting
him as he conversed and instructed, and NOT while he was reciting Qur’an (the
Message. Indeed, none could have “raised
their voice above the Messenger’s…” as that would indicate the failing
of both Message and Messenger!).
Whenever I wish to myself that I had known the Prophet personally, I
remember such verses and think of the great responsibility his companions were
bearing: Being impulsive around him
might bring upon oneself a PAINFUL VOIDING ([vi]حبط) of deeds!
Verse 3 mentions the best of his companions: They are the ones who speak softly([vii]غض)
when in the company of the Messenger of God;
it is they whose hearts/minds God has ‘tried for Awareness’ and who have earned
absolution and great reward.
Compare them to others mentioned in Verses 4, who holler to him from
behind the private quarters (of his home): Most of them ‘lack understanding/ do
not use their reason’ (Ali/
Asad. ‘Aqala actually means to use one’s intellect
so as to secure knowledge.)
Then Verse 5 says that it would
have been better for them had they been patient and waited for him to come out
to them, concluding with the statement that God is indeed Forgiving and
Unceasingly Compassionate: This indicates
that their outward behavior stemmed from a lack of discernment and knowledge, rather
than a lack of faith.
To always verify any news brought by a
deserter (faasiq). Without verification,
one could inadvertently strike an ‘irreparable blow’ at a people, and then end
up regretting what one had done (put ‘ssawaba’ in ‘Search
this Site’).
Verse 7 tells Those who attained Faith
to ‘mark/ impress upon themselves/ know’ that in their midst is the Messenger
of God (!) and that if he were to obey them in many a matter, they would be in hardship, but that God has endeared the faith to them and adorned it in
their hearts/ minds, and has made detestable to them Denial, Desertion, and
Disobedience, and that it is they who are the ‘Rashidoon/ well-directed’ (literally:
those who are steady on the
path straight to destination). This
verse shows us that the Prophet used to consult with his companions, but also went
ahead with what he thought was best.
Verse 8 elaborates by saying that (all) that is a ‘bounty/
faDdl’ from God and is a ‘grace/ advantage/ privilege/ ni’mah.’
Verse 9 gives us another rule, one
which is of paramount importance:
If two ‘operating groups/ action
teams’ were to fight each other, and we know them both to be ‘trustworthy/
faithful,’ our duty is to arbitrate between them and bring them to accord. But
if one were to wrongfully assault the other, then we should fight the wrongful
assailants until they return to God’s command. (God’s command ما أمَرَ الله is about NOT breaking our bond with God, our ties to each other, or
corrupting the earth). The rest of the
verse tells us what to do after the assailant has returned to God’s command. Well- explained by both Ali
and Asad
(I found what Yusuf Ali said about the United Nations interesting).
“Indeed The Faithful are but brothers,
so reconcile between both your brothers; and be aware of God, that you may
receive Mercy.”
What an important concept, which served to make the ‘Faithful’ throughout
the centuries feel kinship to each other, despite our different tongues, color,
and the distances that separate us in life!
Anyone who goes to Mecca for Pilgrimage feels this quite distinctly:
“There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over
the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned
Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual displaying a spirit
of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe
never could exist between the white an d the non-white...America needs to
understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society
the race problem. Throughout my travels in the Muslim world, I have met, talked
to, and even eaten with people who in America would have been considered white
-- but the "white" attitude was removed from their minds by the
religion of Islam. I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood
practiced by all colors together, irrespective of their color.”
(Malcolm X/ El-Hajj Malik al-Shabazz)
3. Verse 11 again calls upon ‘Those
who have attained Faith’ with another directive, telling them/ us NOT to ridicule anyone; the persons ridiculed may actually
be better than ourselves… and not to defame, insult, or call each other
names. What an important directive! Then the verse-ending prods towards
repentance without which they would be ‘wrong-doers,’ and also indicates that when
we defame others we replace ‘Faith’ with ‘Desertion;’ an offensive name/
characteristic indeed!
Here
we recall HQ:14: 24- 27 which we read
earlier discussing
the difference between a wholesome and an unwholesome word.
· To avoid much of presumption,
indeed certain PRESUMPTION IS HINDRANCE.
·
Not to spy on others; covertly/subtly
probe into others’ affairs.
· Not to speak ill of each other in
absentia. ‘…Would any of you be tempted to eat a dead brother’s flesh? You
would find that odious!’
· To be Aware of God, indeed God is
Oft-Returning, Unceasingly Compassionate.
What
beautiful moral principles!
Can
you imagine, dear Reader, how much more healthy and relaxed your life would be
if every person you knew were to abstain from negative presumption, spying, meddling,
and back-biting … holding themselves accountable to God in the awareness that
He knows and sees all?
Think,
dear Reader: These are the standards which
the Faithful hold themselves up to, and which we should too, IF we aim to be in
their number. Self-restraint is required
here, and more of it from those who had not been raised since childhood on such
characteristics. But what I said in the
previous paragraph is not entirely accurate: These standards in others alone
would not make your life more healthy and relaxed… it is these standards in yourself
alone that can do that!
The
Qur’an is ALL about guiding us to happiness and fulfillment, in this life
before the Hereafter. It has been
calling upon Believers and guiding them for the past 1400 years… but only about
a decade ago has parts of its instruction been ‘discovered’ by modern
psychology as a path to happiness and fulfillment. This new branch of the discipline is called:
POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY.
As
described by Positive Psychology Center
at Pennsylvania University:
“Positive Psychology
has three central concerns: positive emotions, positive individual traits, and
positive institutions. Understanding positive emotions entails the study of
contentment with the past, happiness in the present, and hope for the future.
Understanding positive individual traits consists of the study of the strengths
and virtues, such as the capacity for love and work, courage, compassion,
resilience, creativity, curiosity, integrity, self-knowledge, moderation,
self-control, and wisdom. Understanding positive institutions entails the study
of the strengths that foster better communities, such as justice,
responsibility, civility, parenting, nurturance, work ethic, leadership,
teamwork, purpose, and tolerance.”
Note, dear Reader:
This Wikipedia
article acknowledges the ‘historical roots’ for Positive Psychology found in
all ‘religions’ … yet fails to mention ‘Islam.’
What ignorance or bias on their part as ‘researchers’ and what
‘inefficiency’ on our part as ‘Muslims!’
Prejudice still rules every aspect of our lives, including education
(see ‘Setting
the Record Straight’).
Back
to our verses:
Presumption
(thann) is the opposite of certainty (yaqeen). We spoke earlier
about negative presumption/ conjecture and how it ‘hinders’ us. Put ‘Thann’ in ‘search this Site.’ When we presume something to be
correct we do so without evidence, and when we spend our energy and time
following it we end up wasting both, and losing the opportunity to do the right
thing. BIG hindrance! The Qur’an
shows us how those who follow presumption/ conjecture end up being misguided.
5. Verse 13 is another oft-quoted
verse. While the previous verse dealt
with the smaller scale of society, this verse deals with our entire world-view!
First
of all, it calls upon Cognizant Humans, telling us that God has indeed created
us from male and female and rendered us peoples and tribes for one reason: SO THAT (li) we may ‘mutually acknowledge,
recognize, and find comfort in one another!’ (see definition of ‘arafa’
below (عرف[viii].
Wow. So our diversity (male and female, different
cultures, peoples, and tribes) is all part of our learning and growing process,
and should give us pleasure in life.
Diversity is to be acknowledged, learnt about, recognized and enjoyed!
We
read something about that before in (HQ 35: 27-28), where we
were told that all creatures, including Cognizant Humans, ARE OF DIFFERENT FEATURES [ix] لون)) and
that indeed, those
who are in awe of God ARE the Knowledgeable! … may we be among them…
لون
(You
might be wondering, dear Reader of Arabic, how that explanation just came
about: Well, I just looked up the
definition of ‘la-wn/لون’ in our more than 1,000 year old Lexicon whereas before, I had
relied on common knowledge just like everyone else, and thought that it meant color…
but no: It turned out to be about ALL distinguishing
features, color included! But I should
have known better: We constantly ask
each other: ‘sh-la-wn-ak’ meaning ‘How are you?’ and we call each dish we cook
a ‘la-wn…’ Just to show us once again how familiarity influences intellect!)
Secondly
(after telling us that God had created us from male and female and rendered us
peoples and tribes so that we may ‘mutually acknowledge, recognize, and find
comfort in one another), it follows up by the statement that indeed, the most
EMINENT among us are the most AWARE.
So our awareness of this fact, that diversity is a gift from God and a
learning-opportunity which we can truly enjoy, adds to our eminence as
Cognizant Humans.
Aside:
What
a sad state we are in: If Awareness is
our goal, why are we not seeking positive stimulus? Why do so many of us claim our love for God
and our desire to help mankind, yet huddle in familiarity, and end up dimming
our senses?
New
Readers: Put ‘awareness’ in ‘Search this
Site.’
Finally,
the verse ends by telling us that indeed God is All-Knowing, Fully- Acquainted with
the subtleties (‘Khabeer.. [x]’). So whatever we hide… He has full-knowledge
of.
6. Verse 14 (onwards) relates to the
Bedouin Arabs’ assertion that they had ‘attained Faith,’ and the Prophet’s
response that while they could assert that they have attained ‘Pure Reverence’
(of God)…..Faith had NOT YET ([xi])
entered their hearts/ minds. This clearly shows us the more advanced state of
‘Imaan’ (Belief/Faith/Trust) and what should precede it, ‘Islaam’ (Pure
Reverence to God):
Regular
Readers already know that:
‘Imaan/
Attaining faith/trust ’إيمان is a description of the heart/ mind (qalb) which believes in
God, has faith in Him, and therefore fully TRUSTS Him and feels SECURE in His
care. It is a status following the
status of ‘Islaam,’ which is about purely revering God. In other words, Islaam is the basic belief of ‘Pure Reverence to God,’ in NOT associating
Him with anything or anyone. That
‘pureness’ either is, or it isn’t:
Islaam can be present, or Islaam can be absent, but it neither
fluctuates nor grows.
Upon Islaam’s sturdy foundation, Imaan
is built.
Imaan/Faith/ trust DOES fluctuate, and it
certainly does grow when we consciously observe the measures God has set for us
(to the benefit of all Creation), and we hearken to His guidance.
Asad: ‘…its meaning extends to all people, at all times,
who think that their mere profession of faith and outward adherence to its
formalities makes them “believers.”
Verse 15 gives us a definition of who THE honest/truthful Faithful
are: They are those who had complete
Faith and Trust in God and His Messenger AND SUBSEQUENTLY NEVER DOUBTED, and
exerted themselves both financially and personally (literally: in ‘their wealth
and themselves’) in the path of God/ for God’s ‘sake’… The verse ends by
pointing out that it is they who are Truthful.
It is heartwarming to note, dear Reader, that this verse could be about
us, IF we had the above characteristics… in which case we would be similar in
our Truthfulness/ Honesty to those early Believers who emigrated from Mecca
seeking to uphold the word of God!!
(May
we be with them! See أولئك هم الصادقون)
To see more characteristics of the Faithful, check the Chapter by that
name ‘Al Mu’minoon’ and the recurrences
in Qur’an of إنما المؤمنون.
7. Verse 16 asks (the Bedouin Arabs
and others like them) whether it is they who would be ‘impressing upon’ God
their ‘standard of accountability/ deen,’ while it is He who knows everything
in the exalted expanses and in the earth and is of everything All-Knowing?
(New
Readers: Put ‘Deen’ in ‘Search this
Site.’)
It
seems that the Bedouin Arabs might have argued with the Prophet when he told
them that they had not yet attained Faith because Verse 17 informs the
Messenger of their feelings:
They
were looking upon their ‘Islam’ as a favor to him, which they thought he
should feel beholden to them for! In
this verse he is told to respond by telling them not to see their Islam as a
favor to him, but rather to know that it is God who is granting them His
favor by guiding them to ‘Imaan/ Faith’ IF they were indeed Truthful!
This
also shows us that Truthfulness is the condition:
Being
truthful in ‘Islam’ leads to ‘Iman.’
The final verse informs us that God knows everything that is beyond
perception (gheyb) in the exalted expanses and the earth, and that He sees
everything that we do.
Enough
said!
Our next Reading is from HQ 45:1-45.
Peace unto all!
[i] Actually
the Chapter in which this address appears most is Chapter 5, the
‘Repast/Table-spread,’ where ‘O you who have attained Faith’ appears 16
times. As I write this I realize that we
should put all these verses and the directions they give in a list… study them,
and consider it incumbent upon ourselves to respond to what the Qur’an is
calling us to…IF- If -if we consider ourselves among ‘Those who have attained
Faith!’
Remind me, dear Reader, to post such a list when this project is done.
[ii] The
Prophet, peace upon him, is reported to have said in a ‘Hadeeth’ prodding
people to partake of Knowledge- that ‘the Knowledgeable/ the Scientists’ are
the ‘heirs of Prophets’ and that whoever follows a path seeking knowledge, God
shall ‘easen’ for him a path to the Garden / ‘Paradise.’
".....الْعُلَمَاءَ
هُمْ وَرَثَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَرَّثُوا الْعِلْمَ مَنْ أَخَذَهُ أَخَذَ بِحَظٍّ
وَافِرٍ وَمَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَطْلُبُ بِهِ عِلْمًا سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ
طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ...."
Many meetings took place in the
Prophet’s quarters, and many meals were cooked and consumed there. The Prophet’s wives bore the brunt of the
inconvenience. The ‘hijaab’ –which was a
kind of indoor partition like a screen or curtain, was placed as a divider so
that each of them could move about freely inside her home, knowing that
visitors would never trespass even if they needed something from within (they
could still talk through the screen).
Contrary to what one might suppose, this indoor Hijaab was imposed
upon the visitors, and not upon the lady of the house! Read the verse again, and note that the
entire responsibility is delegated to visiting Believers.
Today, we mistakenly use the word
‘hijab’ to describe the head-cover. By
using the connotation of a ‘barrier/ partition’ for something which should in
reality have remained a ‘khimar/ cover,’ we have made this yard of cloth
into something it isn’t.
Certainly, there are
Muslim women in certain parts who are forced either to put it on, or to take it
off (see quoted article and revisit our important discussion of Aug 24th, where we mourned for
the girls forced back into the burning building).
But as many of us
know: Most Muslim women are free to
do with their hair what they want.
Westerners should realize that the head-cover is ultimately a personal choice,
and incidentally, many women would agree that:
Wearing it is a
declaration of independence!
[iv] As
for God, we are always in direct contact with Him at all ‘frequencies:’
·
Creator à
Creature.
·
Source of all
Being à
Being.
·
Giver à
Dependent.
·
Etc…… we can
go on an on…
HOWEVER it is only at the above ‘frequency’ –through the Message- that
we can receive His actual Words.
[v] قال ابن مسعود وغيره من
السلف: إذا سمعت الله تعالى يقول في القرآن { يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ
آمَنُوا } فأوعها سمعك فإنه خير ما يأمر به أو شر ينهى عنه.
[vi] حبط: أصلٌ واحدٌ يدلُّ على
بطلانٍ أو ألَمٍ.
يقال: أحبط اللهُ عملَ الكافر، أي أبطله.
وأمّا الألَم فالحَبَط: أن تأكل الدَّابةُ
حَتَّى تُنْفَخ لذلك بطنُها. قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: "إنّ
مما يُنبِت الرَّبيعُ ما يقتُل حَبَطاً أو يُلِمّ".
[vii] غض: أصلانِ صحيحانِ، يدلُّ أحدُهما على
كفٍّ ونَقْص، والآخر على طراوة.
فالأوّل الغَضّ: غضُّ البصر. وكلُّ شيءٍ كففتَه فقد
غَضَضْته. ومنه قولهم: تلحقُه في ذلك غَضَاضةٌ، أي أمر يَغُضُّ لـه بصرَه.
والغَضْغَضة: النُّقْصان. وفي الحديث: "لقد مرَّ من الدُّنيا بِبطنته لم
يُغَضْغَض". ويقولون: هو بحرٌ لا يُغَضْغَض.
وغَضْغَضْت السِّقَاءَ: نقصتُه. وكذلك الحقّ.
والأصل الآخر: الغَضُّ: الطريُّ من كلِّ شيء. ويقال
للطَّلْع حين يطلُعُ: غَضيض.
[viii] عرف)
أصلان، يدلُّ أحدُهما على تتابُع الشيء متَّصلاً بعضُه ببعض، والآخر على السكون
والطُّمَأنينة. · فالأوّل العُرْف: عُرْف الفَرَس. وسمِّي بذلك لتتابُع الشَّعر
عليه. ومن الباب: العُرْفة وجمعها عُرَف، وهي أرضٌ منقادة مرتفِعة بين سَهْلتين
تنبت، ...
عرف) السكون والطُّمَأنينة. المعَرِفة
والعِرفان. تقول: عَرَف فلانٌ فلاناً عِرفاناً ومَعرِفة. وهذا أمر معروف. وهذا
يدلُّ على ما قلناه من سُكونه إليه، لأنَّ مَن أنكر شيئاً توحَّشَ منه ونَبَا
عنْه. والعُرْف: المعروف، وسمِّي بذلك لأنَّ النفوس تسكُن إليه. (نكر) خلاف
المعرفة
[ix] لون:
اللام والواو والنون كلمةٌ واحدة، وهي سَحْنَة الشَّيء: من ذلك اللَّون:
لونُ الشَّيء، كالحمرة والسواد، ويقال: تلوَّن فلانٌ: اختلفت أخلاقُه.
[x] خبر: أصلان: فالأول العِلم، والثاني يدل على لينٍ ورَخاوة
وغُزْرٍ.
فالأول الخُبْر: العِلْم
بالشَّيءِ. تقول: لي بفلان خِبْرَةٌ وخُبْرٌ. والله تعالى الخَبير، أي العالِم
بكلِّ شيء. وقال اللهُ تعالى: {وَلاَ يُنَبِّئكَ مِثْلُ خبِيرٍ} [فاطر 14].
والأصل الثاني: الخَبْراء، وهي الأرض الليِّنة.
والخَبِير: الأكّار،
وهو مِن هذا، لأنّه يُصْلِح الأرضَ ويُدَمِّثُها ويلَيِّنها. وعلى هذا يجري هذا
البابُ كلُّه؛ فإنهم يقولون: الخبير الأكّار، لأنه يخابر الأرض، أي يؤاكِرُها.
و[من] الذي ذكرناه من اللِّين تسميتُهم الزَّبَدَ خبِيراً. والخَبير: النَّبات
الليِّن.
[xi] ‘Lamma’ means ‘not yet.’
Note that the verses do not say ‘lam’ which means ‘not,’ nor do they say
‘lan’ which means ‘never.’ They say ‘lamma’
meaning ‘not YET,’ showing them that they are only steps away from their
destination!
