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OUR MISSION:
UNCOVERING the original message of the Arabic Qur'an by using Lexicons compiled more than 1,000 years ago.

ISOLATING Fact from Fiction.


RECOVERING Hope and regaining the perspective where Humanity is one, God's Message is one, and our Future CAN become one we all look forward to!












© 2010 IQRATHECHALLENGE: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTED BY D.M.C.A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

© 2010 IQRATHECHALLENGE: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTED BY D.M.C.A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Image: 14th C. Qur'an, Mamluk origin, Library of Congress; Rights obtained.

A BREAKTHROUGH project which helps understand the Qur'an AS REVEALED -not just 'as explained.'

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Day 226; Qur’an 39:41-53, page 463-464


Welcome Friends:  Ahlan wa sahlan!
Faced with the refusal of the chieftains of Qureish to accept this Message despite all the persuasion and dissuasion it contained, the Messenger was told to tell them to carry on working ‘according to their station.’  He too would carry on his work (and he did), may God’s peace and blessings be peace upon him and all God’s Messengers.

Yusuf Ali’s Translation of this Chapter.
Muhammad Asad’s Translation of this Chapter. 
Their commentaries can only be read in verse by verse view.

COMMENTS:

PAGE 463 Arabic Qur’an.

1.     After verses of persuasion and dissuasion directed at Qureish and any other ‘reluctant’ persons, Verse 41 speaks directly to the Messenger.  It announces that this Compilation was sent down to him FOR THE PEOPLE- for (the benefit of) ‘Naas’/ Cognizant Humans- and that any of them who are guided, will be doing so for (li-ل ) their own selves, whereas any who stray do so against (‘ala-على) their own selves.
The verse ends by absolving him of any responsibility regarding whatever choices they end up making.  In fact, this is one of the four times he is told that he is NOT ‘guardian over them’ (....وما أنت عليهم بوكيل)
   
2.     Verse 42 is a very important verse which describes ‘Death,’ in both its states of ‘mawt[i]’ and ‘wafaat[ii],’ and also describes a condition we spend half our earthly lives in, and that is ‘Sleep.’
 
“God takes the Selves (wafaat) at the time of their death (mawt) and that which has not died (mawt), in its sleep, then retains that upon which He has determined death (mawt), and releases the other to a defined term.  Indeed, in that are Signs for a people who reflect.

Here we learn several important things, which are SIGNS for people who Reflect:
·        That God ‘yatawaffaa/ takes unto Himself our (spiritual) Selves at the time of our (physical) ‘mawt/ death’.
·        That Sleep is a state when our (spiritual) Self is also taken unto God, and is then either retained (and we die physically) or released to a defined time (to go through this cycle every night, until circumstances define this occurrence).

We obtain similar understanding of these phenomena in HQ 6:60 and 10:104, and of the entire ‘life-cycle,’ in HQ 22:5 and 40:67.
We think of ‘Mawt’ as the ‘demise’ of physical bodies, human as well as others, but according to our 1,000 year old Lexicon ‘Mawt’ denotes the ‘departure of strength.  I find this VERY interesting:
Now we can better understand ‘mawt,’ which takes place gradually, whatever the circumstance:  Physical death requires nothing to make it happen; we simply ‘die a little’ with every breath we take!
No wonder the Qur’an had just told the Messenger in Verses 30-31:
إنك ميِّت وإنهم ميِّتون
‘You are indeed dead/ dying and they are indeed dead/ dying!!
At length (thumma) you shall (all) at the time of Resurrection be settling your disputes in the presence of your Lord.”
 
We are all dead/ dying.

As for ‘wafaat,’ on March 24th we read that God ‘yatawaffaa’ our Selves at night (HQ 6:60), and we said that Muslim scholars have dubbed our ‘sleep’ a ‘minor Death/wafaat sughraa,’ reserving the term the ‘major Death الوفاة الكبرى’ for the time when the spirit/consciousness is delivered unto its Creator (after the physical ‘mawt/ death’).

Sleep is a temporary surrender of our Spirits unto our Creator; it is a comfortable and welcoming ‘visit’ into another level of existence, after which (if we’d slept well, of course) we feel relaxed, replenished and rejuvenated.
 
I don’t presume to understand Death, nor do I think it possible to do so before experiencing it.  Sleep, on the other hand, we might begin to understand, which may be the reason for the Qur’an mentioning it to us in this context: to help us better understand Death.  Read: ‘Sleep: Understanding the Basics:’

·          “Sleep is essential for the normal, healthy functioning of the human body.
·         It is a complicated physiological phenomenon that scientists do not fully understand.
·         Historically, sleep was thought to be a passive state. However, sleep is now known to be a dynamic process, and our brains are active during sleep.
·         Sleep affects our physical and mental health, and is essential for the normal functioning of all the systems of our body, including the immune system.”


3.   Verses 43-45 speak to those who have taken someone to be their ‘intercessor with’ God, and describe the ‘hearts/ minds’ of such persons.  They seem to refuse a direct relationship with God, are repelled by the concept of God being mentioned /remembered Alone الله وحده… and rejoice when the remembrance/ mention is of lesser ‘beings.’

Verse 46 is so comforting:  It tells the Messenger (in the face of all the troubles he was facing and his people’s refusal) to direct himself to God, ‘Allaahumma اللهم-’ .. and mention three of His attributes, the first related to Creation, which He initiated by ‘cleaving it’- He is the ‘Originator/ FaaTtir’ (put faTtara in ‘Search this Site’)… the second to His Knowledge of all in existence, and the third, to His judging between His disputing Worshippers. 
I can only imagine how it must have felt to the Messenger, peace upon him, to be instructed in affecting a ‘handover’ of his problems… to God!
   
4.     Verses 47- 48 give us a glimpse into the Wrongdoers’ desperation at the time of Resurrection as they attempt to get out of the consequence they had created for themselves... and we are told how their ‘evil earnings’ become evident to them, and how what they had been mocking before… now closes in, upon them.

PAGE 464 Arabic Qur’an.
5.     Verse 49 tells us of human behavior when affliction ‘touches’:  Most would call upon God for relief, after which, when they are living in abundance, they (begin to feel superior to others and) say that they were given this abundance because of (knowledge of) their merit!  We are told that, to the contrary, this abundance is a ‘Fitnah,’ an extreme trial… a ‘trial by fire’ (and has nothing to do with a person’s ‘merit’ at all).

This is a lesson for us all, dear Reader!

Verses 50- 51 mention how others before them also said that, and the results they incurred.

Verse 52 is the eighth time (out of ten) that the Qur’an mentions how God extends, or lays out some bounties for us  يبسط, even as He ‘projects’ others (which require effort to be reached  يقدر), in which is a Sign for people who Believe. 
Unfortunately, there has been a huge MISTAKE in the Traditional explanation of these verses, because scholars have missed the distinction between the two words ‘qadr’ (قدر)- which the Qur’an mentions… and ‘qatr’(قتر)  which it does not; a mistake which resulted in depicting God as being ‘scant’ in giving!  Arab scholars have made this mistake, as have both Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Asad.

Dear Reader,
Although ‘Qatr’ with a ‘T’ does mean ‘scant,’ it is nowhere in these verses, and in the five times it is mentioned in the Qur’an, it is describes humans only.
The crucial word in these verses is ‘Qadr,’ with a ‘D’.  See Posting of July 2nd.
What a difference between God giving us only a little, or giving us the potential for much.  Note how this verse in fact does become a Sign, when we understand what it says:
Another example of the static Compilation becoming a live Qur’an!    
  
6.   Verse 53 is a beautiful, oft-quoted verse, in which God calls to His worshippers who have committed ‘excesses’  سرفagainst their own Selves NOT to despair of God’s Mercy, telling them that God indeed forgives conceals[iii] ALL the ‘Thunoob.’

‘Thunoob’ is plural of ‘Thanb,’ which denotes a certain type of ‘misdeed.’

Scholars in translation -AND in explanation- have not differentiated between the many types of ‘misdeeds’ we might commit, and have called them all ‘sins’ (Ali/ Asad).

The six types of ‘misdeeds’ counted so far are:

‘thanb, sayyi’ah, ithm, khaTa’, khaTee;ah, ma;Ssiyah
 ذنب- سيئة- إثم- خطأ- خطيئة- معصية

‘Thanb’ usually takes place between our Selves and God:  It could be the failure to perform a duty, or the commitment of an unfavorable act which harms us first and foremost.  When we commit a ‘Thanb’ (on its own) it means we have done something that does not infringe upon other people’s liberties or rights.  It remains a ‘private affair,’ between us and God until it affects someone else, in which event it couples with a ‘sayyi’ah.’  

A ‘sayyi’ah’ is a bad ‘deed’ committed against others.

So, what is this verse about?  It is about ‘Thunoob.’
Thunoob are all the deeds we do, or fail to do, which wrong our own selves.

Although we should never despair of God’s Mercy, it is especially in these cases that sincere Repentance absolves us (see HQ 3:135) BECAUSE NO REPARATION TO OTHERS IS REQUIRED (unlike the ‘sayyi’ah,’ where reparation to the wronged party is required!).

In this case, because the misdeed was between us and God, He pardons us without ever exposing our wrongdoing.

If you are interested, we could touch upon this again as your questions come in.  Otherwise, we’ll do so when the subject presents itself.

Enough said!

Our next Reading is from HQ 39:54-67.

Peace unto all!


[i]  موت: ذهاب القوة من الشيء. منه الموت خلاف الحياة. يقال رجل موتان الفؤاد وامرأة موتانة.

[ii]  وفي: كلمةٌ تدلُّ على إكمالٍ وإتمام. منه الوَفاء: إتمام العَهْد وإكمال الشَّرط. ووَفَى: أوْفَى، فهو وفِيٌّ. ويقولون: أوْفَيْتُكَ الشَّيءَ، إذا قَضَيْتَه إيّاهُ وافياً. وتوفَّيْتُ الشَّيءَ واستَوْفَيْته إذا أخذتَه كُلّه حتَّى لم تتركْ منه شيئاً. ومنه يقال للميِّت: تَوفَّاه الله.

[iii] غفر: عُظْمُ بابِه السَّتْر، ثم يشِذُّ عنه ما يُذكر. فالغَفْر: السَّتر. والغُفْران والغَفْرُ بمعنَىً. يقال: غَفَر الله ذنبه غَفْراً ومَغفِرةً وغُفراناً.
لسان العرب:
الساتر لذنوب عباده المتجاوز عن خطاياهم وذنوبهم. يقال: اللهمَّ اغفر لنا مَغْفرة وغَفْراً وغُفْراناً، وإنك أَنت الغَفُور الغَفّار يا أَهل المَغْفِرة. وأَصل الغَفْرِ التغطية والستر. غَفَرَ الله ذنوبه أَي سترها؛ وقد غَفَرَه يَغْفِرُه غَفراً: ستره. وكل شيء سترته، فقد غَفَرْته؛ ومنه قيل للذي يكون تحت بيضة الحديد على الرأْس: مِغْفَرٌ.  وغَفَرْتُ المتاع: جعلته في الوعاء. ابن سيده: غَفَرَ المتاعَ في الوعاء يَغْفِرُه غَفْراً وأَغْفَرَهَ أدخله وستره وأَوعاه؛ وكذلك غَفَرَ الشيبَ بالخِضاب وأَغْفَرَه؛
والغَفْرُ والمَغْفِرةُ: التغطية على الذنوب والعفوُ عنها.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Day 225; Qur’an 39:23-40, page 461-462


Welcome Friends:  Ahlan wa sahlan!

How interesting it was last time to realize that our INTENTION and AWARENESS change us ON THE GENETIC LEVEL!

Yusuf Ali’s Translation of this Chapter.
Muhammad Asad’s Translation of this Chapter. 
Their commentaries can only be read in verse by verse view.

COMMENTS:
PAGE 461 Arabic Qur’an.

1.    Verse 23 begins by announcing that God has sent down the Best of Hadeeth (which is) an allegorical/analogous Compilation.  (Put any word in ‘Search this Site’).
The Compilation is also ‘repetitious/ enfolded..’ see June 16 where we said that ‘Mathaani’ carries two connotations, related to the Compilation.

Certainly, the BEST of all ‘Hadeeth’ is what God sends us. 
Furthermore, His is the TRUEST of all Hadeeth (HQ 4:87)-"...ومن أصدق من الله حديثا"  - The word ‘hadeeth’ appears 23 times in the Qur’an. 
As we read earlier:

“Although we mostly relate the word ‘Hadeeth’ to Prophet Muhammad’s Sayings, peace upon him, the word means something ‘that was not there before, and is the opposite of ‘old’ or قديم ‘qadeem.’  It also means something that is being announced in real time "خبر"  In this context it refers to the Qur’an as being the latest communication from God.  In that context we can take the Prophet’s Hadeeth to be his communication.
See the verses which mention the Qur’an as the ‘best’ of Hadeeth (HQ39:23) أحسن الحديث, or ‘this Hadeeth هذا الحديث (HQ18:6; 53:59; 56:81; 68:44).”

2.   This verse also describes ‘Those who are in Awe of their Lord,’ and their PSYCHOLOGICAL and PHYSICAL RESPONSE to the Best of all Hadeeth; a response which is, in itself, an indicator of God’s Guidance!

In response to God’s Hadeeth:
·      Their tough, protective shields/‘skins’ would tremble… (see جلود –julood[i]).
·      After a time (thumma (ثمًّ- BOTH their ‘toughness’ AND their ‘hearts/minds’ would become lenient[ii]
·      … yielding in softness to the Remembrance of God..
·       And THAT is God’s Guidance granted to whoever wills it/ whomever He wills….!

Dear Reader:
If you have felt your skin tremble while reading/listening to God’s Hadeeth, you’d know exactly what we are talking about. 
Remember that our deep INTENTIONS and AWARENESS change our Reality, and even CHANGE US on the genetic level:  The ‘trembling’ is an outward sign of an Inner Awareness which, after becoming receptive to the content of this Compilation, can progress to the Remembrance of God as we literally develop into a higher state of Being!

See Ali/ Asad’s opinion on the explanation of this verse.
   
3.   Verse 24 mentions the word ‘wajh’ or ‘direction/ face.’ 

As I understand it, this verse tells us NOT to be of the ‘wrongdoers’ ظالمين who shall taste their earnings at the time of their Resurrection, but rather: 
To be aware of THE DIRECTION WE TAKE TODAY, and heed/ prevent any suffering we might otherwise incur.

Then we are offered Dissuasion in Verses 25-26, where we are given the consequences of Lying (about this Truth).  Notice that the humiliation which befalls such Liars, begins here, in this lesser existence; and the Hereafter is of Greater Suffering… if they but knew!

4.    Before we go on, let us recap for the benefit of our New Readers: 

Here, at iqrathechallenge, our research has uncovered that ‘Kitaab’ and Quraan’ are NOT two ‘separate entities’ or subject-matters (bound together in one ‘mis-haf’مصحف-) as some contemporary scholars have postulated, NOR are these two words ‘synonymous and interchangeable’ as traditional scholars assert.

‘Kitaab’ is the ‘Compilation’ itself which, when it was sent down to God’s Worshipper (Muhammad, peace upon him), was rendered without ‘slant/ bias/crookedness’ (HQ 18:1).  God has only sent one ‘Compilation’ throughout the ages, and it has often been rendered (by humanity, and due to biased readings) into a ‘static qirtaas "قرطاس (put qirtaas in ‘Search this Site).
‘Quraan,’ on the other hand, is this very same Compilation AFTER it has been approached by a cognizant ‘Qaari-Reader’ who, by activating the 6 components of the word ‘iqra,’ allowed its content to transform from a simple ‘qira’at’  قراءة ‘reading’… into an ‘interactive’ Qur’aan قرآن-

This transformation is attested to by the grammatical distinction of the verb ‘Fa’laan’ (put فعلان  in ‘Search this Site,’ and if needed, put ‘distinction quraan kitaab’ in ‘Search this Site’).

Going on:

After we were told of the ‘Compilation’ and the psycho-physical changes that take place in ‘Those who are in Awe of their Lord,’ we were advised to heed the direction we take today, and dissuaded about lying against this truth.

Now, Verses 27- 28 draw our attention to:

·       The Qur’an, in which God has ‘struck every example’ for Cognizant Humans so that they may REMEMBER.
·        The Qur’an, which is eloquently self-expressive and clearly coherent (put ‘Arabi’ in ‘Search this Site’).
·        The Qur’an, which is NOT SLANTED/ BIASED in any way, so that they may be AWARE.

Ali: ‘without any crookedness’ / Asad: ‘free of all deviousness.’

Yes, dear Reader:  Our heightened perception and intention causes a transformation in EVERYTHING, and everything comes closer to realizing its full potential, to our benefit. 
People who do not see that will always be seeking bias in life.  

Probably to illustrate the excellence of Pure Reverence to God Alone, Verse 29 sets an example by drawing comparison between two active persons ‘rijaal’: 
One, in whom several disagreeing associates have command… and one in whom only one active person has command.  Then the verse asks the question:  Are they -or can they be- deemed of equal example?  It ends with glorification of God, and the statement that most of them do not know.

PAGE 462 Arabic Qur’an.
5.    Verses 30-35  show that, although they are all mortal, Prophet Muhammad and the people he is trying to guide cannot be compared.  Although he and they shall die and be resurrected to settle their disputes in the presence of their Lord, there is an insurmountable difference between:

·        Someone who has lied against God and belied the Truth when it came to him and shall subsequently find an abode in Hell as a Denier…and
·        Someone who has come with the Truth and believed in it, and is indeed of the Aware: 
Who shall have whatever they desire in the presence of their Lord, a subsequent recompense to the Doers of Goodness (beyond mere duty). 
For them God shall cover, of their deeds, the worst committed.. and grant them their recompense according to the best of what they had performed!
(May we be among them.. Amen.)

6.    Verses 36- 37 clearly show that God suffices his Worshipper (Muhammad), as Qureish threaten him with lesser beings, having gone astray themselves.

Note: 
Although the ‘going astray’ and the ‘guidance’ in Verse 37 seem to be of ‘God’s doing,’ this is simply due to the fact that everything takes place in the system set up by God: 
We are free to choose our way within this system as long as the two paths are obvious to us. 
·        The path to Goodness is the route closest to our nature as a species; remember ‘bashar,’ ‘bishr,’ and ‘bishaara:’ we are creatures projecting goodness and beauty.   
·        The path to Goodness is also most fitting to our heightened human cognizance, as ‘Insaan.’ 
·        However, having made the wrong choice and carried it forth with deeds, humans tend to become virtually ‘blind,’ close-hearted and single-minded (HQ 22:46), unable see the other alternative.

So, although there will always be two ways, there will come a time when humans see only one, having blinded themselves to the other, and there will be no going back.  
It is therefore up to us to make our choice within God’s system, of which He informed us and warned us, persuaded us and dissuaded us.

7.    Verses 38- 40 are well explained by both Ali and Asad, except for the word ‘makaanatikum مكانتكم-’ which Arberry explained better as ‘station.’

Each of us works according to his/her STATION- meaning that we translate into action what we already think, believe and desire.  
Here the Messenger is told to tell Qureish that they can go ahead and work according to the He is also to warn them that they shall come to know whom the suffering will humiliate, and to whom the suffering shall be abiding!

Enough said!

Our next Reading is from HQ 39:41-56.

Peace unto all!



[i]  جلد: يدلُّ على قوّةٍ وصلابة. فالجِلْدُ معروفٌ، وهو أقوى وأصلَبُ ممّا تحته من اللحم. والجَلَد صلابة الجِلد. والأجلاد: الجسم؛ يقال لجِسم الرّجُل أجلادُهُ وتجاليده.
[ii] See etymology of ‘lenient’ – a word which English scholars admit came into English around 1540 from the field of Medicine.  BUT what they do NOT tell us (as usual), is that it came from the Arabic ‘leen, leyenaلين - ’ –which is of similar pronunciation and meaning! 

This, despite the fact that it was during those times when the ‘Colliget’ of Averroes, (Ibn Rushd) was published in Venice in 1549 and the famous Canon of Medicine by Avicenna (Ibn Sina) was considered a medical authority (and remained so until the early 19th century), setting the standards for medicine in Europe and the rest of the civilized world. 

Qanun was used at many medical schools—at University of Montpellier, France, as late as 1650.  Much of the book was also translated into Chinese as the Huihui Yaofang (Prescriptions of the Hui Nationality) by the Hui people in Yuan China.[10] The Canon also formed the basis of Unani medicine, a form of traditional medicine practiced in India. The principles of medicine described by the Canon ten centuries ago are still taught at UCLA and Yale University, among others, as part of the history of medicine.” 

For other English words of Arabic origin, put ‘Etymology’ in “search this Site.’

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