Day 18
+/- 5 Minutes read

NINETEENTH PÂRA
Sûrah Furqân

Sûrah Furqân is a Makkî sûrah. It has 77 verses and 6 rukûs. The first two rukûs of this sûrah are found in the eighteenth pâra. The sûrah begins with mention of the Qur’ân regarding which the mushrikîn levelled different types of doubts and which they falsified. One group regarded it as fables of past nations. Another group claimed that it was the creation and making of Nabî صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم and that the ahle-kitâb had assisted him. The third group felt that it was clear sorcery. (1-6)

After the Qur’ân, there is mention of Sâhib-e-Qur’ân i.e. Nabî صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم. Stubborn and antagonistic people would belie him. They felt that a messenger (Rasûl) cannot be a human but had to be an angel. If, supposing any human attained nubuwwat or risâlat, then the wealthy and people of high-standing would have attained it. No poor or orphan would ever receive it. (7-9) Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى refutes their misgivings and false claims by clear proofs.

The nineteenth pâra commences with the claims, objections and futile demands of the mushrikîn e.g. sometimes they used to say, “Why have angels not come down to us or why is it not such that we can see our Rabb?” (21) In answer to this, Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى states that they will see the angels at the time when they will come to remove their souls. When they will see the angels, then there will be no glad-tidings for them. Since they are void of the basic condition for the acceptance of good actions i.e. îmân, on the Day of Judgment their actions will be of no benefit and they will turn into dust and fly away. This day will be very severe on them. Due to grief they will bite their fingers and say, “O if only we followed the way of the messenger.” On this day Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى ’s Rasûl صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم will lodge a complaint to Allâh, “O my Rabb, verily my nation had forsaken this Qur’ân.”

Imâm Ibn Qayyim  states that they are several ways of forsaking
1- To listen to the Qur’ân, and not to believe in it.
2- To read and believe in it but not to practice on it.
3- Not to make it a judge in one’s dealings and disputes in life.
4- Not to ponder over its meaning.
5- Not to attain cure from spiritual maladies.

My honourable readers! Before continuing further, ponder for a short while and then make an important decision regarding yourself and the entire ummah. How have we forsaken the Qur’ân today! Also ponder, inspite of being involved in destructive spiritual and moral sicknesses, neither do we abstain from them nor do we take benefit from the heavenly medicine in which there is a definite cure, then can anyone be saved from its harmful result which is an increase in sicknesses and destruction? Never ever!

The mushrikîn also raised the objection “Why is the Qur’ân not revealed at one time just as the Tawrât and Injîl were revealed at one time?” It is obvious that there are many wisdoms hidden in the Qur’ân being revealed gradually e.g. it is easy to memorise it, understand its meaning, remember the laws and practise on it. Here Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى has mentioned one wisdom and that is the purpose being revealed gradually, was so that Nabî صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم’s blessed heart could be continuously illuminated with the light of the Qur’ân. Through its knowledge and realities, Nabî صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم’s soul would attain strength and spiritual nourishment. People of intellect know that rain which falls down suddenly will destroy a field. However, the rain which comes down gradually at the correct time, and which is soaked into the earth gives great benefit.

After these objections, the nations of Hadhrat Mûsa, Hadhrat Hârûn, Hadhrat Nûh, Hadhrat Hûd and Hadhrat Sâlih عليهم السلام have been mentioned to give consolation to Nabî صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم. Besides this, proofs of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى’s power and oneness have been mentioned. (45-49) At the end of this sûrah 13 qualities of (Rahmân’s special servants) have been mentioned i.e. humility, turning away from ignorant people, salâh and ibâdah at night, fear of punishment of Jahannum, being moderate in spending - neither extravagant nor stingy, complete abstinence from shirk (polytheism), staying away from unlawful killing, protecting oneself from fornication and immorality, abstaining from false oaths, turning away from gatherings of music and evil, listening to the book of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى and being affected by it and taking benefit from it, making du’â to Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى for a pious wife and children, and that He should make them a means of guidance as well as rightly-guided themselves. (63-74)

Dear readers! Before studying the following sûrah, let us make the following du’â to Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى , “O Rahîm and Karîm, create in us these 13 qualities by Your mercy and kindness and include us in the list of عباد الرحمن (the servants of Rahmân).

Sûrah Shu’arâ

Surâh Shu’arâ is a Makkî sûrah. It has 227 verses and 11 rukûs. This sûrah commences with the hurûfe-muqatta’ât طسم. Immediately after this, according to the normal habit, mention is made of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى’s great favour which is in the form of the Qur’ân. Nabî صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم felt such a sense of responsibility regarding the Qur’ân, that he exhausted himself in conveying its knowledge, explanations and laws. In his (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم) heart was such a pain for the guidance of mankind that it seemed that he would lose his life. (2-3) On the other hand was the habit of these antagonists, that when advice and guidance was presented to them, they would regard it as necessary to turn away. (5-6) Thereafter, the incidents of many Ambiyâ have been mentioned. These incidents commence with that of Mûsa عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام. Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى granted him nubuwwat and commanded him to go to Fir’awn.

In fulfilling the command of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, he reached the court of the false claimant of divinity. At this juncture, Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى has mentioned a few glimpses of the conversation which transpired between him and Fir’awn. First Fir’awn mentioned his favours that, “I had nurtured you.” Mûsa عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام said, “How do you have the right to boast of your favours when you made my people slaves?” Then Fir’awn reminded him of the incident of a killing which took place at his hands unintentionally. Mûsa عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام answered, “I did not purposely kill, but this action occurred by mistake.” Fir’awn asked with pride and in a mocking tone, “What is رب العلمين ? The Rabb (Creator and Sustainer) of the universe?” Mûsa عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام said, “The Rabb of the universe is He who has created the earth and heavens. These two move according to His command. He has created you and your forefathers. He causes the sun to rise from the east and sets it in the west.” Fir’awn continued uttering nonsense but Mûsa عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام introduced Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى to him and mentioned the definition of رب العلمين in detail. Then Fir’awn began levelling threats. He requested Mûsa عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام to bring forth a miracle. On his request, Mûsa threw down his staff which changed into a serpent. He took out his hand from beneath his clothing and it shone like the sun. Due to its brightness, the eyes of Fir’awn and his courtiers were dazzled. Fir’awn immediately attributed it to magic.

He gathered all the famous magicians of Egypt to destroy Mûsa عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام. In a huge field in front of hundreds of thousands on the annual day of celebration of the Egyptians, the contest began. The sticks and staffs thrown by the magicians seemed to be like snakes. Hadhrat Mûsa عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام threw down his staff which swallowed all the snakes, and cleared up the field. The magicians immediately understood the truth and fell down in prostration as believers in front of the Lord of the Universe. Inspite of Fir’awn’s warnings, they remained firm on îmân. Banî Isrâ’îl came out of Egypt in the darkness of the night by the command of Hadhrat Mûsa عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام. In the morning, Fir’awn together with a huge army set out in pursuit of them. Finally, at the edge of the ocean they caught up with Banî Isrâ’îl. In the ocean, roads were formed through which the Banî Isrâ’îl attained salvation. Fir’awn and his army were drowned. In this incident, we learn the lesson that the people of truth are eventually successful and there is nothing other than destruction destined for the oppressors. (10-28)

The second incident is of Hadhrat Ibrâhîm عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام whose father was Âzar and whose nation used to worship idols. With great wisdom, he invited his people to îmân and tawhîd. He mentioned five proofs and five qualities of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى :
1- He is my creator and guide.
2- He sustains me.
3- He gives cure from sickness.
4- He gives death and then gives life.
5- He forgives sins in this world and the hereafter.

In line with these 5 qualities, he made 5 du’âs which shows his perfection in îmân and true conviction :
1- O Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, grant me knowledge and understanding.
2- Let people speak good of me.
3- Grant me a place in Jannah.
4- Forgive my father (this du’â was made when his father’s disbelief was not completely clear to him).
5- Do not disgrace me in the hereafter.

From this incident of Hadhrat Ibrâhim عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام, we learn that people should at all times turn their attention to Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. (69-104) The third incident is of Hadhrat Nûh عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام who gave the call of îmân for 950 years. However, his people did not accept. Thereafter, all were drowned. From here we learn this lesson that only whom Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى wishes will gain guidance. (105-122) The fourth incident is of Hadhrat Hûd عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام who went to the nation of Âd. These people, were a nation blessed with great bodily strength, long-life and good conditions. Without necessity, they built huge palaces. They also rejected the call of îmân. Thus, the punishment of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى came upon them. From this incident, we learn that the end result of extravagance, show, pride and building without necessity is never beneficial. (123-140)

The fifth incident is of Hadhrat Sâlih عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام. His people had many material possessions, abundance of wealth and great peace and security. They lived in lush gardens and beautiful lands, however they were ungrateful for Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى’s favours. Soon, they were destroyed by means of an earthquake. This is the result of every ungrateful nation. (141-159) The sixth incident is of Hadhrat Lût عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام whose nation had exceeded the bounds in evil, immorality, following of desires and acts of filth. They used to do such an action (i.e. homosexuality) which none had done before them and which even animals detest. Stones were rained down from the heavens on them and they were completely destroyed. At the end of the incident, Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى mentions the following which He also mentions at the end of the other incidents. “Verily in this is a sign. Most of them do not believe.” The sign and lesson is that the final result of those people and nations who have exceeded the bounds in fulfilling their lustful desires is never good. (160-175)

The seventh incident is of Hadhrat Shuayb عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام. Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى had granted his people many favours. They owned dense forests, gardens full of fruit and springs of sweet water, but were involved in the disobedience of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى . From amongst the many sins, one major sin is that they would fall short in fulfilling the rights of fellow human beings. When they did not stop, inspite of being warned, Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى passed His decision to punish them. For many days, there was a severe heat wave. Then clouds appeared. The people gathered under it to gain coolness and shade. Fire began raining down from the clouds. There was an earthquake on land, and these people were burnt to ashes. (176-191) The incident of the people of Shuayb عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام teaches us that to usurp people’s rights is an action which incites Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى’s punishment and anger. As the sûrah had commenced with mention of the Qur’ân, it ends off refuting the false objections from the side of the mushrikîn regarding the Qur’ân. (221-227)
Sûrah Naml

This is a Makkî sûrah. It has 93 verses and 7 rukûs. The sûrah begins with the hurûfe-muqatta’ât طس. Naml means ant. Since the incident of the ant is mentioned here, it has been given this name. One speciality of this sûrah is that it is from amongst those three sûrahs that have been placed in the Qur’ân-e-Karîm in exactly the same sequence that it was revealed, i.e. Shu’arâ, Naml and Qasas. As with other sûrahs which commence with the hurûfe-muqatta’ât, this sûrah also commences with an introduction to the Qur’ân-e-Karîm and the greatness of the Qur’ân-e-Karîm. The Qur’ân is a book of guidance for those who are people of îmân. (1-3) Thereafter, the incidents of Hadhrat Mûsa, Hadhrat Sâlih and Hadhrat Lût عليهم السلام are mentioned briefly, while the incidents of Hadhrat Dâwûd and Hadhrat Sulaymân عليهما السلام are mentioned with a bit of detail. Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى had made humans, jinns and birds subservient to Hadhrat Sulaymân عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام. He also knew the language of the birds. A few glimpses of his life which Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى mentions regarding him is mentioned hereunder.

One day, Hadhrat Sulaymân عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام, together with his army, passed by a valley of ants. He heard one ant telling the others, “Enter your houses, it should not be that Sulaymân and his army unwittingly crush you.” Sulaymân عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام heard this, smiled, and thanked Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى that He had granted him so many favours, amongst which he could understand the speech of the animals and birds. (18-19) In the court of Sulaymân عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام, from amongst the birds that were always present, one was the hoopoe bird. One day he informed Sulaymân عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام about the Queen of Sabâ and her people that they used to worship the sun. Sulaymân عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام sent a letter to this queen inviting her to present herself in his court. The queen of Sabâ had a lot of pride over her material possessions. However, when she saw the palaces and most modern equipment of Sulaymân عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام, she realized the worthlessness and weakness of her power and strength. Thus she accepted îmân. After Hadhrat Sulaymân عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام, Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى mentions the incidents of Hadhrat Sâlih and Lût عليهما السلام briefly. Hadhrat Sâlih عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام invited his people towards îmân. They became divided into two groups i.e. believers and disbelievers. Amongst the disbelievers were nine leaders who took oaths and declared that they will attack him suddenly at night and they will kill the Nabî of Allâh صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم. However, before bringing their intentions into action, they became entangled in the punishment of Allâh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى . There remained no-one now to even take their names. (45-53)

In front of the eyes of Hadhrat Lût عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام’s people, such darkness enveloped and their hearts became so dark that they regarded the worst evil in the world as good. In their eyes, that person was an evildoer who prevented them from this evil. Those who were drowned from head to toe in the filth of this sin were regarded as intelligent by these people. This is exactly the case today. Those who tread the straight path are called old-fashioned and many other names, whereas those who are always doing evil are regarded as intelligent and progressive. When the matter reached such a stage, then their towns were lifted up and thrown back to the earth. Thereafter stones rained down upon them. They became a sign of admonition for all. (54-59)