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Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
Their commentaries can only be read in verse by verse viewز
سورة الحج
The Pilgrimage
From Yusuf Ali’s Introduction:
“We now come to a new series of four Surahs, dealing with the environments and methods contributing to our spiritual progress… the subject matter of this particular Surah is concerned mainly with the spiritual implications of the Sacred House, the Pilgrimage, the Sacrifices, Striving and Fighting in defense of Truth when attacked…”
From Muhammad Asad’s Introduction:
"Suyuti places most of this surah chronologically in the middle of the Medina period, excepting verses 39-40 – which…were revealed during the Prophet’s exodus from Mecca to Medina - as well as some other verses said to have been revealed at the time of he battle of Badr (in the year 2 H.). As against this, however, most of the classical Quran commentators … describe it unequivocally as a Meccan revelation, with the possible exception of six verses (l9 -24) which, according to some authorities, may belong to the Medina period. On the whole, it is most probable that by far the largest part of the surah is Meccan, while the rest was revealed shortly after the Prophets arrival at Medina. The title is derived from the reference, in verses 25 ff., to the Mecca pilgrimage (al-hajj) and some of the rituals connected therewith."
COMMENTS:
1. This Chapter begins with two heart-stopping verses:
“O Cognizant Humans/ People: Be Aware of your Lord! Indeed the Quaking of the Hour is a Tremendous thing.
At the Time you behold it, every nursing mother will be completely distracted from what she is nursing, and each who is laden will drop her load, and you will see the people intoxicated, even though they are not intoxicated: but God’s Chastisement is Severe!”
At the Time you behold it, every nursing mother will be completely distracted from what she is nursing, and each who is laden will drop her load, and you will see the people intoxicated, even though they are not intoxicated: but God’s Chastisement is Severe!”
These powerful verses (1- 2) introduce a powerful chapter, which goes on to discuss those who argue about God without any knowledge (Verse 3), following every Deviant/Sheytaan who eventually misguides them, leading them straight into the Fiery Suffering (Verse 4).
2. Verse 5 challenges those who are in doubt of Resurrection, by displaying the stages we undergo in creation and in our advancing life from beginning to end, drawing comparison between the Resurrection of Humanity and the Revival of seemingly lifeless earth after the rain.
This verse is also considered a ‘Scientific Marvel’ in that it describes three embryonic stages in almost photographic detail. Verses such as these were the reason behind Professor Keith L. Moore’s decision to publish the 3rd edition of his college textbook ‘The Developing Human,’ adding the subtitle ‘With Islamic Additions. I have a copy of this amended publication which includes Qur’anic verses and reported Sayings of Prophet Muhammad, peace upon him.
One of Professor Moore’s famous statements, which Readers can view online, was:
“As far as it is known from the history of embryology, little was known about the staging and classification of human embryos until the twentieth century. For this reason, the descriptions of the human embryo in the Quran cannot be based on scientific knowledge in the seventh century. The only reasonable conclusion is: these descriptions were revealed to Muhammad from God.”
Verses 6- 7 continue, by stating that God IS Truth; He brings life to the dead, and He is of all things Capable: The Hour is inevitable and He shall resurrect those who are in the graves.
3. Verses 8-10 describe certain people who dispute about God, without Knowledge, without Guidance, and without an Enlightening Compilation, as well as their methods, and the result of their deeds.
Verses 11-13 deserve our attention, as they describe ‘borderline’ people who are ready to go either way if they feel that their worship of God has not led to their immediate ‘interests’ being met!
Verse 14 follows these descriptions by mentioning the reward of ‘Those who have attained Faith and done good deeds.’
Verse 15 responds to any who think that God will not support Prophet Muhammad, peace upon him, in this life and the next. Let them do all they PHYSICALLY can; it will be of no avail to them (as the Heavens can only be reached with pure spirituality and God-consciousness).
In Verse 16, the Revelation is mentioned, and its clear Signs with which God guides whomever wills to be guided /He wills to guide. Then, in Verse 17, we find a ‘list’ of 6 groups of people of whom God is Witness, and whom He shall distinguish, each from the other, on the Day of Judgment. This implies that the distinction is NOT made apparent by Him until the Time of Judgment, as all groups share indiscriminately what God offers them in life.
Then Verse 18 follows up on these ‘human’ groups (who have discriminated themselves against each other in life by their professed beliefs), by indirectly comparing them to other creatures in the Heavens and on Earth, -all of which are united by their utter Reverence to God (prostrate to His natural laws). These creatures include the sun, moon, stars, mountains, trees, animals… and many Cognizant Humans/ people who have also done the same, following Nature, fulfilling their roles and achieving the potential inherent in them. This scene is then juxtaposed to another, of people (no other creatures join us here!) who, being untrue to their inherent gifts and potential, rightfully incurred The Suffering.
5. Dear Reader, we must ask ourselves:
Is there Suffering greater than discovering- when too late- that our Everlasting Happiness depended on the chances we deliberately threw away, and the gifts we were too arrogant to accept?
Perhaps a good example of that is what some ignorant -and unbelievably irresponsible- persons are planning to do on Sept 11th, which is to ‘burn the Koran.[i]’
Not unlike the ‘Danish Cartoons,’ they think that they can use representations of what we ‘Muslims’ revere, and readily make effigies out of them. Verse 15 already addressed that: Whatever they do ultimately harms them and gets them nowhere.
Nevertheless, someone should warn them that the ‘Koran’ they choose to despise:
Respectfully mentions all the following by name, narrating their missions in the most beautiful terms, peace upon them all (copy + paste Arabic words in Tanzil):
· It mentions Moses by name "موسى" 136 times.
· It mentions Abraham by name "ابراهيم" 69 times.
· It mentions Mary by name "مريم" 34 times.
· It mentions Jesus by name "عيسى" 25 times.
· It mentions Isaac by name "اسحاق" 17 times.
· It mentions David by name "داوود" 16 times.
· It ONLY mentions Ishmael by name "اسماعيل" 12 times.
· It ONLY mentions Muhammad by name "محمد" 4, yes, FOUR times.
So, whose effigy is it then? Humanity’s. And it is Humanity, not groups of insulted, angry ‘Muslims,’ who should –by using rational argument- help these foolish people realize the impact of such an act. And no matter what anyone does -or fails to do to this or any other Compilation…. the Qur’an itself shall remain intact, preserved from all corruption and mishandling.
(Aside: Perhaps they should be invited to read iqrathechallenge?)
7. Verses 23- 24 are beautiful verses of Persuasion, with ultimate Guidance to the Path of God, to Whom all Praise is due.
Enough said!
Our next Reading is from HQ 22:24-46.
Peace unto all!
[i] Please note my deliberate spelling, as this is not to be mistaken for the ‘Qur’an’ which, as we know well here at iqrathechallenge, is related to the dynamic of IQRA and therefore cannot be ‘burnt’ simply because it does not exist in material or static form. Qur’an is what takes place in REAL TIME. What we have in ink and on paper is the Compilation.. a non-dynamic entity which ONLY when actively approached by a Qare’- Reader- becomes ‘Qur’an.’
