Day 14; HQ 2: 177-186; pages 27+28.

Welcome Friends:  Ahlan wa sahlan!

Some of our friends needed the Arabic keyboard!  It's a big help, and now you can type your search-words in the 'Tanzil' site to find any word in Qur'an, as well as the Lexicon.... and Google!
Don't forget to click that you've read the post.  I noticed the low numbers of readers as compared to the much higher traffic to the site. 

COMMENTS:

1.      In revisiting the topic of Qiblah, we understand in Verse 177 that the direction of prayer has nothing to do with sincerity (of faith Arabic: ‘Bir.’ Muhammad Asad calls it ‘Piety,’ while Yusuf Ali calls it ‘Righteousness’.  ‘Bir’ from the root-verb ‘barra’ means being genuine, forthcoming, true to oneself and others*). 

And then the verse continues, telling us EXACTLY what Sincerity or Genuineness entails; listing beliefs, acts of benevolence and worship, character traits such as trustworthiness and perseverance …ending with the statement that SUCH are the those who indeed proved themselves true, and such are the Aware.

It is important that we look closely at this list and try to make ‘Bir’ our way of life.

2.      M. Asad’s note 146 is important, discussing freeing a person of ‘bondage.’  The words ‘fil riqaab’ denotes a yoke around one’s neck, which means that we should help to free others of the yokes that impede their full functioning, including debts.

3.      Verses 178-179 call upon the Faithful to seek justice in retribution.  M. Asad’s explanation (foot-notes 147,148) are lengthy but worth reading as he offers a non-traditional explanation.  Since this is the first time we discuss ‘human bondage,’ it might be a good idea to stress the fact that slavery was a historical reality all over the world at the time.  The Old Testament discusses this in many verses, among which  are Leviticus 25:44, 46 (King James Version):

“Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever…” end quote from Old Testament.

At any rate, Faith means freedom, dignity, and the betterment of society which necessitates ensuring the well-being of all its members.  The Qur’anic Message as well as its Messenger, peace upon him, encouraged people to free, rather than to own ‘abeed,’ or ‘slaves,’ and several ways to do so were put forth even as cautionary measures were put in place to create a conflict between ownership and morality until this abhorrent practice gradually disappeared.  Nevertheless, it is important to always be vigilant about this issue; there still are other forms of human-trafficking taking place around the world.

4.      Verses 180-182 discuss Death, and the necessity, for those who are wealthy, to bequeath a Will to the next of kin.

5.      In Verse 183 the Faithful are called upon to fast ‘just as those before you were ordained to do, so that you might be Aware.’  This indicates that fasting has always been an act of worship, its purpose being to enhance a worshipper’s awareness.  The Qur’an mentions the fasting of Mary in HQ: 19:26, which God instructed her to do after the birth of Jesus, both as an act of worship and a defense-strategy.  When she indicated she was fasting and did not respond to her people’s questions regarding the newborn, it was the infant Jesus who announced himself, thus absolving his mother of blame, and ensuring people’s acceptance of his birth and future mission as Messenger of God:  

"So eat and drink and comfort yourself )cool your eye). And if you were to see any among mankind after that say, 'I have vowed a fast to The Creator and will not speak today with any Person."

                                               

Fasting is prescribed only for healthy, post-puberty individuals who are not travelling.  Travelers and anyone with a temporary health setback must not fast, but should make up for the days they’ve missed when possible.  There are several explanations to 185; read Muhammad Asad’s comments 156, 157.

6.     The month of Ramadan is to be fasted, in honor of it being the time when the Qur’an was sent for the benefit of Cognizant Humans, to provide them with Guidance and Evidence, and the Standard by which truth and falsehood are to be judged.

It is believed that the entire Qur’an was delivered into Being, from its Divine Source, its Pure Origin, in Ramadan.  This delivery into Being rendered it an ‘Arabic’ Qur’an, fit to be transported to, and understood by, Humanity HQ:43:1-3:

“Ha-Mim (1) By the Compilation that makes things clear,- (2) We have rendered it an Arabic Qur'an, that ye may be able to understand (secure comprehension). (3) And verily, it is in the Mother of the Book, in Our Presence, high (in dignity), full of wisdom.”

It is also believed that the first verses ‘Iqra’!’ were revealed to the Messenger Muhammad peace upon him, in Ramadan 610 A.D.  Thereafter, the Qur’an was revealed little by little, in verses and chapters, during a period of 23 years until the Message was complete. 

2.      Verse 186 is a beautiful statement in which God begins by telling His Messenger:  “And if my worshippers* (Ibaad) ask you about me:  I am indeed near…”  Commentators have pointed out that God’s nearness to us forgo His mentioning the words ‘tell them' I am near.., and in fact, He tells us Himself.  Let us ask of Him directly; He will respond.

Enough said!

May we all have a Blessed Weekend.

Our next reading is from verse 187-196.

Peace unto all.

 

*برّ: الصدق: صدَق فلانٌ وبَرَّ، وبَرَّتْ يمينُه صدَقت، وأَبَرَّها أمضاها على الصِّدق. وتقول: بَرَّ الله حَجَّك وأَبَرَّهُ، وحِجَّةٌ مَبْرُورة، أي قُبِلَتْ قَبولَ العملِ الصَّادق. ومن ذلك قولهم يَبَرُّ ربَّه أي يُطيِعه. وهو من الصِّدق.....ومنه قول الله تعالى: {لَيْسَ البِرَّ أَنْ تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ المَشْرِقِ والمَغْرِبِ} [البقرة 177]. ومن هذا الباب قولهم: هو يَبَرُّ ذا قرَابته، وأصله الصِّدق في المحبّة. يقال رجل بَرٌّ وبارٌّ. وبرِرْت والدي وبرِرْتُ في يميني. وأبَرَّ الرّجُلُ ولَدَ أولاداً أبْرَاراً. قال ابنُ الأعرابيّ: سألتُ أعرابيّاً: هل تعرفُ الجوادَ المُبِرّ من البطيء .....؟

 *‘Ibaad’ is not the same as ‘abeed.’ The first means worshippers, the second means slave/servants.

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Day 13; HQ 2: 164-176; pages 25+26.

Welcome Friends:  Ahlan wa sahlan!

First, a Follow-up to yesterday's reading: 
In verse 150 we noticed two different explanations to an important concept: that of a person's 'khashyah’ خشية- towards God; translated by Yusuf Ali as 'fear' and by Muhammad Asad as 'stand in awe.'  The latter is correct- it is Awe, not Fear.  Although the word 'fear' (khawf- خوف) sometimes does appear in the Qur'an, it is in a different context.  It is important to realize the distinction because Fear  is urgent, threatening, and debilitating.  Fear (خوف) is unpleasant.  When in Awe, on the other hand, we exalt Whom we are in awe of; we seek His acceptance and desire closeness to Him.  We also Love Him.  There is pleasure in Awe (خشية).

With each day’s Reading we think even more deeply about ourselves and realize how far we have strayed from this beautiful Message to Humanity.  As Cognizant Humans, we should have recognized its value.  As Muslims, we should have made more of an effort to follow its guidance and values.  As Arabs, we should have understood it better and projected the correct set of priorities.

It is up to any Cognizant Human who truly cares about the well-being of Humanity to set the record straight.  Misunderstanding the Qur’an is a major cause of many of today’s troubles.

COMMENTS:

1.   Today’s Reading starts with a beautiful verse which tells us about creation, ending with the statement: .. “in this are ayaat, ‘Messages/Signs,’ for people who ya’qiloon ‘use their reason/that are wise’ (Asad & Ali respectively).

The argument is that people who use their intellect should recognize The Creator in all that is around them, for everything in creation is but an indicator to Him.  Indeed, it is He Whom the Faithful love above all else, whereas others would perhaps love other creatures or concepts they set up and consider equal to God.  This verse tells us indirectly that the Faithful are those who love God to such extent after having, in fact, recognized Him on many levels including the intellectual.

2.   Verses 166-167 offer a glimpse into a likely argument between two parties, each seeking to absolve itself of responsibility: the ‘followers’ and the ‘followed.’  But this scene takes place when it is too late to make amends, when the most bitter fruit of their deeds, is Regret.

3.   Verse 168 begins with a call: ‘O Cognizant Humans!’ (Naas: see post of Jan.2^nd, Comment 5).  Here, God calls upon all of us, not just the Faithful, welcoming us to partake of what is on earth, unbound and wholesome, and not to get carried away, partaking of that which is harmful.   

Both Asad and Ali translate ‘Halal’ as Lawful, but in this instance I prefer the word ‘unbound’ with its wider connotation, seeing that ‘Halal’ comes from ‘halla’ a root verb which means ‘to undo, to unbind.*’ Their translation is correct too, for when something is ‘lawful’ it is indeed unbound by law, but I prefer the term ‘unbound’ because the call is for Humanity at large, preceding their laws, and furthermore, laws do differ from one community to another.

4.   Verses 168-169 refer to an important subject, discussed by M. Asad in footnote no. 137:

Even today, it is common for certain people (whom some call ‘scholars’) to use subjective self-serving arguments in disregard of the original meaning of words in their Holy Book, to put forward certain injunctions and call them ‘God’s ordinances.’  This has happened throughout history, wherever injustice and aggression paraded itself as a ‘Divine Law.’  It has happened wherever devotees serving a narrow ideology resorted to indiscriminate killing of innocents, saying it is 'in the name of ....".  It has happened in all faiths (less in Islam than others) with glaring examples committed by people who believe themselves ‘chosen’ for these ‘divine missions’.  But despite that, as Believers, we should be more discerning of what is truly in the Qur’an and bring that knowledge to areas of ignorance, and we should be vigilant and outspoken against all trespasses committed in God's Name. 

5.   Verses 170-171 reproach those who blindly follow their forefathers, and those who hear without actually listening or using reason.

6.   Verses 172-173, unlike Verse 168, call upon the Faithful, telling us to partake of the wholesome bounty He has provided for us, and then giving us a shortlist of prohibitions.  These prohibitions may be approached only in a Believer’s dire need, without a desire or an intention to consume more than a minimum requirement.

7.   Verses 174-176 discuss those who suppress what God has revealed in their Book.  Here the Qur’an tells us that they have taken error in exchange for guidance and suffering in exchange for forgiveness. 

The last part is a statement regarding this Kitaab, or Compilation. It is sent down in Truth, and those who are set against it are most deeply in the wrong.

Asad calls it “Divine Writ”- Ali calls it “Book,”  but I prefer to translate it as Compilation, from the root verb ‘ka ta ba’ to compile or put together to form a unit (kitaab).* 

This distinction is very important: The Revelation has always been a ‘Kitaab’ compiled in memory.  It was not made into a ‘Book,’ compiled on paper until much later.  The Revelation we read online today is NOT a book.  Neither is what we hear on the radio or what is on CD or DVD.  These are all ‘compilations.’ 

Enough said!

Our reading for tomorrow is from verse 177-186.

Peace unto all.

* حل: لـه فروع كثيرة ومسائلُ، وأصلها كلُّها عندي فَتْح الشيء، لا يشذُّ عنه شيء.  يقال حلَلْتُ العُقدةَ أحُلُّها حَلاًّ. والحلال: ضِدُّ الحرام، وهو من الأصل الذي ذكرناهُ، كأنه من حَلَلْتُ الشيء، إذا أبحْتَه وأوسعته لأمرٍ فيه."

 *كتب: يدلُّ على جمع شيءٍ إلى شيءٍ. من ذلك الكِتَابُ والكتابة... ومن الباب كتائب الخيل."

Unless otherwise specified, all definitions are from our 10^th C. Lexicon by Ibn Fares.