Day 7
EIGHTH PÂRA
At the end of the seventh pâra, mention is made of the mushrikîn’s request, that if they are shown a physical miracle, then they will believe. At the beginning of the eighth pâra, we are informed that they are liars. Even if they are shown a physical miracle, so-much-so that if a dead person from the grave comes to life and speaks to them, they will still not believe. Thereafter, Nabî صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم is consoled that he should not become worried about their opposition, mockery and denial. The Shayâtîn from man and jinn have always followed this pattern with every Nabî.
Besides this, there is no need for the miracle they desire to prove your nubuwwat. Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى has bestowed you with many miracles, the greatest being the Qur’ân-e-Karîm. Therefore, inspite of seeing and hearing this miracle if they deny, then do not be perturbed because many people living on earth are such that they leave guidance and incline towards misguidance.”
Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى states, “If you have to follow most of the people in the world, they will lead you astray from the path of Allâh.” (116) In this verse, there is negation of western democracy, because in it majority opinion is taken into consideration, even if it is contrary to the Qur’ân and Sunnah, whereas it is the unanimous belief of the Muslims that if all the people in the world are unanimous on anything which is against a clear judgement of the Qur’ân and Sunnah, then their unanimity will not be regarded and will be rejected.
Other important points mentioned in this sûrah :
(1) At the beginning of the 2nd rukû, we are told that the example of a believer is like a living person whom Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى has given light and the example of a disbeliever is that of a dead person who is drowned in darkness. (122)
(2) Imân and guidance is only in the hands of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى ., He grants it to whomsoever He wishes.
(3) After mentioning the guided and misguided groups, Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى states that He will gather them all on the Day of Qiyâmah. Then every person will be rewarded or punished according to his actions. (128-129)
(4) From amongst the many foolish acts which the mushrikîn used to perpetrate, one was that from their animals and crops, they would allot a portion for Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى and a portion for the partners which they had ascribed with Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى . They would not allow that portion, which was for their idols, to get mixed with that portion which was allocated for Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. However, if the portion which was for Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى got mixed with that portion which was for their idols, then they would not regard it as bad. (136)
Another foolish act is they used to kill their daughters due to poverty or shame. (137) From amongst the great favours of Nabî صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم on women, one great favour was that he (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) explained verbally and practically that the presence of a daughter is not a source of shame nor is it a cause of increase in poverty.
The third foolish act of the mushrikîn which the Qur’ân shows, is that they divided their livestock into different groups. Some were kept especially for their fortune tellers and religious leaders. They regarded it as impermissible to ride some of them or to take benefit from them. Some animals were such, that at the time of slaughtering, they would not take Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى’s name but the name of their idols. (138)
A fourth act of foolishness was that if from their livestock a live animal was born, they regarded it as halâl for the men and harâm for the women. However, if it was stillborn, then it was regarded as halâl for both men and women. (139) After mentioning their foolishness, Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى reminds them of His favours, that He is that Being who has created gardens and different types of fruit like olives and pomegranates. He is that Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى who created small and big animals for the purpose of carrying of loads, and for obtaining meat and milk. The choice of regarding these animals, as well as other edibles, as halâl and harâm lies only with Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. Whatever He wishes, He declares halâl and whatever He wishes, He declares harâm.
(5) After refuting the beliefs and claims of the mushrikîn, Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى gives ten advices upon which all heavenly sharî’ats are unanimous upon and which all religions call towards. By practising on them, man’s success is guaranteed and he attains a life of respect and honour in this world and the hereafter which Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى desires to grant him. The ten advices are :
1- Worship Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى alone and do not ascribe any partner with Him.
2- Treat one’s parents kindly and do not cause any verbal or physical harm to them.
3- Do not kill one’s children due to fear of poverty or disgrace and shame.
4- Abstain from all types of immorality, inward and outward.
5- To kill any human being unjustly is harâm. This is an extremely grave sin.
6- Do not use the wealth of an orphan incorrectly.
7- To give in full when weighing or measuring.
8- Be just and fair to all humans, whether it be your close family person or enemy.
9- Fulfil your pledge with Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى.
10- Follow the straight path (sirâte-mustaqîm) and abstain from following other paths.
After mentioning these advices, Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى commanded Nabî صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم to proclaim openly, “Allâh, my Rabb, has granted me guidance to the correct path. This is the same straight religion of the father of Ambiyâ, Hadhrat Ibrâhîm عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام and he was not from the polytheists. Say, ‘Verily my salâh, my other forms of worship, my living and my death (i.e. all my actions) are only for Allâh (and from these actions I desire the pleasure of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), the Master of the universe. He has no partner. With this I have been commanded and I am first to submit.’” The sûrah ends on this point that this world and whatever is in it is only as a trial and examination so that the believer and disbeliever, good and evil may be differentiated.
Sûrah A’râf
This is a Makkî sûrah. It comprises of 206 verses. Like other Makkî sûrahs, special importance is given to the three basic tenets of belief. At the beginning of this sûrah, Nabî صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم’s everlasting miracle, the Qur’ân, is mentioned which is the greatest of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى ’s favours upon man. In this sûrah, man’s attention is also turned to another favour of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى . All of mankind have been created from one father so that they may assist each other and so that they may remember that they are brothers. Similarly, in this sûrah, there is mention of the honour bestowed upon man by Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى . He created man with His hands, blew His spirit into him and then commanded the angels to prostate before him. Included in this incident, is advice to save ourselves from the tricks and evil planning of Shaytân since he is such a cunning enemy who is sitting at all roads trying to remove man from the straight path. The clash which Shaytân has with man, which began when he refused to prostate before man, will continue till Qiyâmah and there will always remain in some form a clash between good and evil, truth and falsehood.
One speciality of Sûrah A’râf (worth mentioning), is that Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى has addressed man four times continuously with the title of “يا بني آدم” O children of Âdam. In no other sûrah are these four vocations used. The first proclamation is in the 3rd rukû verse no. 26 in which Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى mentions His favour of clothing. “O Children of Âdam! We have sent down upon you clothing which conceals your private parts and is a means of beautification. And the clothing of taqwâ is better.”
The second proclamation is also in the 3rd rukû, verse no. 27 wherein we are warned by Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى to save ourselves from the evil of Shaytân, “O Children of Âdam! Let not Shaytân deceive you as he had taken your parents out of Jannah, removing from them their clothing so that he can make apparent their private parts.”
The third proclamation is in the 3rd rukû, verse no. 31, “O Children of Âdam! Adopt (clothing of) beauty, at the time of every salâh. Eat, drink and do not waste. Verily Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى does not like those who waste.”
The fourth proclamation is in the 4th rukû, verse no. 35, “O Children of Âdam! If a messenger comes to you from amongst you who conveys to you My verses, then he who chooses taqwâ and rectifies himself there will be no fear upon them, nor will they grieve.”
This repeated address to the progeny of Âdam عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام is so that they can be saved from the tricks and wiles of Shaytân. It must not happen that we hear his deceitful words, and fall into deception. Shaytân is a very cunning enemy. Outwardly, he dons the clothing of a friend. He is a cunning fox who presents himself in the apparel of a well-wisher. He knows well the art of presenting truth as falsehood, falsehood as truth, good as evil, and evil as good. Those people in this world who do the same, are in reality the agents of Shaytân.
A point to note here is that the first three proclamations refer to clothing. In the second proclamation, we are told that the accursed Iblîs was the cause for their clothing being removed and private parts being exposed. Thus, a great goal of Shaytân is to deprive the progeny of Âdam عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام of the clothing of shame and modesty, and to place them on the road of immorality and nakedness. Thus, clothing which fulfils the needs of covering one’s private parts is the thing which creates a distinction between man and beast. Animals have been created naked and remain like this, whereas Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى has granted man honour and virtue with clothing.
Today, when we see the deluge of immorality due to the western media, and the environment of shamelessness in the name of women’s emancipation, then we will understand why Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى in the Qur’ân has chosen this manner of repetition and emphasis regarding clothing.
Other important points in this sûrah are :
(1) The mushrikîn would make tawâf of Baitullâh naked. The proof for this evil action and other similar evils was that their ancestors would do the same. Sometimes they would say that Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى had commanded them likewise. Refuting this claim, Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى states that He does not command any action of immodesty. Therefore, their claim is nothing but lies and slander. Islâm is a religion which fulfils all permissible demands of life.
Therefore, it is not possible that it will prevent one from wearing clothing and consuming pure and wholesome food. In here, there is also refutation of those people who follow monasticism and regard abstaining from halâl and pure things as a means of gaining Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى’s closeness. In reality, a complete and perfect believer is he who fulfils the permissible demands and needs of both body and soul in this world and the hereafter.
When Hadhrat Salmân Fârsi رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ came to know that Hadhrat Abû Dardâ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ would fast daily and stand up for salâh the whole night and his preoccupation with ibâdat was so much that he would not fulfil his wife’s rights, he advised him saying, “Verily your Rabb has a right over you. Your nafs (body) has a right over you. Your family people have a right over you. Therefore, fulfil everyone’s rights.” Hadhrat Abu Dardâ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ mentioned Hadhrat Salmân رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ’s advice to Nabî صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم who said, “Salmân has spoken the truth.”
In the eleventh and twelfth rukû of this pâra (3rd and 4th of this sûrah), two such groups are mentioned who are completely opposite to each other in beliefs, thoughts, ideas and practise. One group has chosen the road of stubbornness, pride and kufr. Their final result is nothing else but Jahannum. The second group treads the path of îman, obedience, submission and compliance. They are, by the kindness of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى , worthy of Jannah.
When these groups reach their abodes, the Qur’ân-e-Karîm describes the conversation which will take place with each other. The people of Jannah will ask those in the fire, “Today, do you now have conviction in the truthfulness of Allâh’s promises or not?” They will confess in their answer, “Yes, we have found the promise to be true and correct.” When the people of Jahannum become agitated due to the intense heat, thirst and hunger, then they will stretch out their hands begging the believers to give some food and drink. However, it is apparent that their asking will be fruitless. This discussion is mentioned in the 12th and 13th rukû of this pâra.
There is also a third group, which the Qur’ân calls “Ashâbul-A’râf”. They are such people who were believers, but remained behind in doing good actions. They will neither be entered into Jannah nor Jahannum. Their judgement will be delayed. Finally, Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى will grant them permission to enter Jannah. There will also be a discussion between the people of Jahannum and “Ashâbul-A’râf” mentioned in the 13th rukû.
After this discussion, Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى makes mention of 3 important proofs showing His oneness and power :
(1) The seven skies, one on top of the other. Each one of them is like a dome over the other. These seven skies, inspite of their vastness and greatness, are standing without any pillars.
(2) The vastness of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى’s Arsh (divine throne) is such that all the heavens and earths cannot encompass it. None of us can even imagine its greatness and grandeur because the Kursî (divine chair) in relation to it is like a ring in a huge and vast desert. The Kursi’s size is such that it encompasses the earth and heavens. So what must be the size of the Arsh! The Arsh and Kursî are amongst those realities which we believe in, but we do not know their condition.
(3) The third proof mentioned here is the creation of the sun, moon and stars. All these things are under the will and power of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى . They are orbiting around in such vast areas which we cannot comprehend. Neither do they clash, nor do they move away from their orbits.
Finally, the incidents of six Ambiyâ are mentioned briefly i.e. Hadhrat Nûh, Hadhrat Hûd, Hadhrat Sâlih, Hadhrat Lût, Hadhrat Shuayb and Hadhrat Mûsa عليهم السلام. The first incident is regarding Shaikhul-Ambiyâ, Hadhrat Nûh عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام and the last is of Hadhrat Shuayb عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام. Some of the wisdoms and lessons hidden in these incidents are :
1- To give solace to Nabî صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم over the difficulties inflicted by his enemies.
2- To show the evil end of proud people and the good ending of the pious.
3- To warn, that in the court of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى there is sometimes a wait for justice to be meted out (دير), but Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى is not unaware (اندهير). Eventually, the oppressors will receive punishment for their oppression.
4- To present a proof of the truthfulness of Nabî صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم’s nubuwwat, that inspite of being unlettered, he (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) used to present the lost scrolls of history, in accordance with the facts.
5- To present (incidents from which man can take lesson) and to offer advice as well.