10. Surah Yunus (Jonah)..........109

kalamazoo · Sep 14, 2012

(10:47)

A Messenger is sent to every people; *55 and when their Messenger comes, the fate of that people is decided with full justice; they are subjected to no wrong. *56

*55.

The Qur'anic expression ummah is not to be taken in the narrow sense in which the word 'nation' is used.

The word ummah embraces all those who receive the message of a Messenger of God after his advent. Furthermore, this word embraces even those among whom no Messenger is physically alive, provided that they have received his message. All those who, after the advent of a Messenger, happen to live in an age when the teachings of that Messenger are extant or at least it is possible for people to know about what he had taught, constitute the ummah of that Messenger, Besides, all such people will be subject to the law mentioned here (see verse 47 and n. 56).

In this respect all human beings who happen to live in the age which commences with the advent of Muhammad (peace be on him) onwards are his ummah and will continue to be so as long as the Qur'an is available in its pristine purity.

Hence the verse does not say:

'Among every people there is a Messenger.' It rather says: 'There is a Messenger for every people.'

*56.

When the message of a Messenger of God reaches a people the stage is set and they are left with no valid excuse for not believing. Everything has already been done to communicate the truth to these people and so all that remains is to wait for God's decision to inflict His punishment upon them. And so far as God's judgement is concerned, it is marked with absolute justice.

All those who obey that Messenger and mend their behaviour are deemed worthy of God's mercy.

On the contrary, those who reject his teaching are considered deserving of His punishment, depending on God's will, both in this world and the Hereafter.

kalamazoo · Sep 18, 2012

[48-52]

They say:'If what you promise is true, when will this threat be fulfilled?' Tell them: 'I have no power to harm or benefit even myself, except what Allah may will. *57 There is an appointed term for every people; and when the end of their term comes, neither can they put it off for an hour, nor can they bring it an hour before. *58 Tell them: 'Did you consider (what you would do) were His chastisement to fall upon you suddenly by night or by day? So why are the culprits seeking to hasten its coming?Is it only when this chastisement has actually overtaken you that you will believe in it? (And when the chastisement will surprise you), you will try to get away from it, although it is you who had sought to hasten its coming.'The wrong-doers will then be told: 'Suffer now the abiding chastisement. How else can you be rewarded except according to your deeds?'

*57.

In response to the unbelievers' query, the Prophet (peace be on him) makes it clear that he had never claimed that he himself would come forth with the judgement mentioned above, or that it lay in his power to afflict people with punishment. There was no point, therefore, in asking him when the final judgement against them would come to pass. The warning of punishment had been given by God rather than by the Messenger. Hence it lay only in God's power to decide when His judgement should come to pass, and in which form God would execute His warning to punish unbelievers.

*58.

God does not act in haste in judging a people. He does not summarily punish or reward people the very moment they reject or accept a Messenger's call. Instead, God grants a long respite both to individuals and to nations. He once that term - which has been determined by God with full justice - is over, and the individual or nation concerned does not give up its rebellious attitude, God's judgement is enforced. The time for the enforcement of such judgement can never come a moment before or after the time fixed for it by God.

kalamazoo · Sep 18, 2012

[53-56]

They ask you if what you say is true? Tell them: 'Yes, by my Lord, this is altogether true, and you have no power to prevent the chastisement from befalling.' If a wrong-doer had all that is in the earth he would surely offer it to ransom himself. When the wrong-doers perceive the chastisement, they will feel intense remorse in their hearts. *59But a judgement shall be made with full justice about them. They shall not be wronged. Indeed all that is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. And most certainly Allah's promise will be fulfilled, though most men are not aware. He it is Who gives life and causes death, and to Him shall you all be returned.

*59.

Throughout their lives the unbelievers denied that they would be resurrected and called to account by God. Considering the Next Life a mere illusion, they wasted their lives on vain pursuits and levelled all kinds of allegations against the Prophets who had forewarned them that the Next Life would inevitably come to pass. All this notwithstanding, a moment will come when they will find themselves face to face with the Next Life. When such a moment comes they will be totally unnerved. In view of their evil deeds, their conscience will intimate to them the end they are going to meet. Speechless and haggard, their hearts will begin to sink out of remorse and regret. Those who had staked their all on vain fancies, and had refused to take any heed of the admonition of their well-wishers, whom else can they blame except themselves for the catastrophe that will confront them?

kalamazoo · Sep 22, 2012

57 -60

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُمْ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿10:57﴾ قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ﴿10:58﴾ قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ فَجَعَلْتُمْ مِنْهُ حَرَامًا وَحَلَالًا قُلْ آَللَّهُ أَذِنَ لَكُمْ أَمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَفْتَرُونَ ﴿10:59﴾ وَمَا ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ
لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ ﴿10:60

O mankind, there has come to you the Admonition from your Lord: this is the remedy for the diseases of the heart, and guidance and blessing for those who believe in it. O Prophet, say, "It is the bounty of Allah and His mercy that He has sent this thing: let the people rejoice over it for it is better than what they amass." O Prophet, ask them, "Have you ever considered that you yourselves have made something unlawful and the other lawful out of what[60]Allah has given you?[61]Then ask them, "Has Allah allowed you this or do you ascribe a false thing to Him?[62]What treatment do they think Allah will mete out to them who ascribe this false thing to Him on the Day of Resurrection ? Indeed Allah is bountiful to mankind, but most of them are not grateful[63]

*60.

The word rizq( رِزْقٍ )is often used in daily parlance to denote 'eatables'. Hence, many people think that the reproach embodied in the present verse is directed merely against the wrong customs that have come into vogue in that narrow realm of behaviour which is confined to the dining room. It is not only those who are ignorant but also those who are learned about Islam that are victims of this misconception.

However, use of the word rizq in Arabic is not confined to eatables. It is used in a broad sense, and covers all the things that are granted to man by God for his use. Whatever God has conferred on man thus constitutes his rizq, including his offspring.

In the works of the branch of knowledge called Asma al-Rijal (which is part of the Hadith Sciences), we find, among the transmitters of traditions, several names such as Rizq, Ruzayq, and Rizq Allah which signify the recipients of God's bounty.

In the famous invocative prayer ****. 'O God: Show us the truth and grant us the strength (urzuqna) to follow it', the rizq that a person seeks from God is the strength to follow the truth after God has enabled him to perceive it. Here rizq has been used to mean the conferment of the bounty of knowledge on someone.

In a tradition we have been told that Allah sends an angel to the womb of every expectant mother and that he writes down what the rizq, the life-span, and deeds of the to-be-born child are to be (see al-Bukhari, Kitab Bad' al-Khalq, Bad Dhikr al-Mala' ikah -Ed.).

It is quite obvious that the word rizq here does not signify merely the eatables that child will receive during its life-lime; it rather signifies the totality of the things that it will receive. We also find the expression ****j in the Qur'an. (See al-Baqarah 2: 3; al-Anfal 8: 3 - Ed.)
It is, therefore, a serious mistake to consider rizq as being confined to the realm of the kitchen and the dining table. Likewise, it is a mistake, and quite a serious one to think that God disapproves only if those rules in the domain of food are broken and does not mind if people do so in other domains of life.

The error that people so commit has very grave consequences. As a result of this misconception, an important principle of Islam has been lost sight of. For it is owing to this misconception that while lawfulness or otherwise in regard to eating and drinking is considered a seriously religious issue, even highly religious people, let alone ordinary Muslims, feel no serious repugnance about the notion that in the collective sphere of life man has the right to lay down the rules of his behaviour. Even the most learned and pious religious scholars feel no revulsion against legislating without reference to God and His Book. Nor do they feel that such legislation is as sharply in conflict with Islam as one's laying down what is lawful and what is unlawful in matters of food and drink.

*61.

The purpose of the verse is to make people realize what an enormous act of rebellion people are committing by laying down, of their own accord, the limits that are lawful and those that are unlawful. Are they not conscious of the fact that human beings and all that they possess belong to Allah?

If they are conscious of it, how can it be considered justifiable for men to lay down as to how they should use the possessions bestowed upon them by Allah? What would their own opinion be about the servant who claims that he has the full right to lay down the rules for the disposal of his master's property, and who believes that his master has no right to determine anything?

Were a person's own servant to make such a claim about his master, how would the latter react to it?

As for the servant who goes so far as even to deny that he is a servant or denies that he is answerable to a master, or who denies that the property under his care belongs to his master, he is guilty of an even greater monstrosity, and is beyond the scope of our discussion here. What is being discussed is the case of one who, on the one hand, acknowledges that he is the servant of a master and that the property in his possession has been entrusted to him by the master, and rightfully belongs to the master. Notwithstanding this acknowledgement, the servant claims that he has the right to lay down, independently of the master, the rules for using that properly.

*62.

If the master had authorized the servant to use his property as the latter wished and to lay down the rules for so doing as he pleased, the servant, would have been justified in doing so. But do these people really have any evidence to prove that they had been granted any such authorization by their master? Or is it that such a claim was backed by no such authorization? If they do nut have any evidence to produce such an authorization, they are guilty not only of rebellious behaviour, but also of lies and fabrications.

*63.

It is indeed an act of utmost favour on the part of the master that he informs his servant of the attitude he should adopt to the master's house and to other belongings and even with regard to his own self as he is able to obtain God's good pleasure and how he would be able to escape his wrath and punishment, But many servants are not sufficiently grateful to their master for this favour. It seems that the right thing would have been for the master to have left his properties at the servant's disposal without informing him of what would lead to reward and what would lead to punishment. He should then have kept a secret watch over his servants and punished those who work contrary to his desire - a desire which had not even been made known to them. The fact is that if the master had put his servants to such a severe test none would have escaped his punishment.

kalamazoo · Sep 25, 2012

61 - 65

O Prophet, We are witnessing whatever work you may be engaged in and whatever portion you may be reciting from the Qur'an; We are also keeping a watch, O people, over whatever you are doing: for there is not an iota of anything, small or big, in the earth and the heavens that is hidden from your Lord, and everything is on record in the clear Register[64]Listen: those, who are Allah's friends and who believe and fear God, shall have no occasion for fear or sorrow: there is nothing but good news for them in this world and in the Hereafter: Allah's words cannot be changed-this is the greatest success. O Prophet, let not their remarks grieve you, for honor wholly rests with Allah. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

These things have been mentioned here in order to comfort the Holy Prophet and give a warning to his enemies. These are meant to lessen his worry and to strengthen him, as if to say, "We see all that you are doing in propagating the Message of the Truth with great patience and fortitude, and exerting your utmost to reform mankind. Rest assured that We have not left you alone after entrusting you with this arduous duty. We are not unaware of whatever you are doing for the performance of your mission, and also whatever your enemies are doing to oppose you. "

On the other hand, a warning has also been administered to his opponents: "Don't remain under the delusion that no one is seeing what you are doing in opposing the Messenger of the Truth and the reformer of mankind? We are seeing whatever mischiefs you are doing and whatever obstacles you are placing in the way of the mission. We arc keeping a detailed and accurate record of all these things. Therefore beware that you shall be called upon to render an account of all your doings."

kalamazoo · Sep 25, 2012

[66-67]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Note it well that all the dwellers of the heavens and of the earth belong to Allah: and those who invoke, besides Allah, partners (they have set up with Him) follow nothing but surmises and merely indulge in guess-works. It is He Who ordained the night for you to repose in it, and gave to the day its light. Indeed there are Signs in this for those who listen[65] [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif](to the Message).[/FONT]

[65]

This is a concise statement of a very important subject and requires a detailed explanation. The Qur'an declares in a few words that all religions other than the Revealed one are false because they have been founded on there philosophical research for the primary cause of the origin of the universe. The philosophical research is after all based on guess-work, and is in its very nature incapable of reaching the Truth. The right way of arriving at the Truth is to make a study of the signs (e.g. day and night) and of the Message of the Prophets in a dispassionate manner. For this is the only way of discovering the Truth: otherwise, if one follows wrong ways one shall always arrive at wrong conclusions. Let us now consider the several methods that different people have adopted in search of this knowledge: The mushriks bast their search wholly and solely on superstition.
The hermits and ascetics pretend and claim that they acquire that knowledge by means of contemplation and meditation and see the reality by peeping into the hidden. But the fact is that they do not see the reality; it is only a trick of their own imagination. They form a mental image and then concentrate their mind on it and eventually it takes the shape of the "reality."
The so-called philosophers claim to base their researches on rationalism but it is really only surmise and guess-work, even though they may give "logical" arguments and "sound" reasons in its support.
Then there are the scientists: though they follow the scientific method of research in the physical world, they abandon it completely in regard to their investigation into metaphysics and start to follow conjectures, surmises, and guess-work.
Then these groups invariably suffer from prejudices and are not inclined to understand the point of view of those who differ with them, and, therefore, obstinately stick to their own theories.
In this passage (vv. 66-67) the Qur'an declares that this way of search after knowledge is basically wrong, as if to say, "The real cause of your deviation is that you base your search of Reality on mere surmise and guess-work, and then, because of your prejudices, refuse to listen even to reasonable things. The result is that you have not only failed to arrive at the truth but also to judge rightly the Revealed Religion, presented by the Messengers."
In contrast to the above ways of research, the Qur'an presents its own way and asserts that it alone is the correct, rational and scientific way of arriving at the Truth. It is this: "The prerequisite for research is that you should give up your preconceived prejudices and listen to the Message of those who claim that their information about the Reality is based on "Knowledge" and not on surmises, guess-works, meditations and contemplations, abstract deductions etc. Then consider deeply the Signs in the universe to which the Qur'an invites your attention. If these also point to the Reality they claim to reveal, amen there is no reason why you should deny the Truth taught by those Messengers." This is the basis of the philosophy of Islam. What a pity that even the Muslim philosophers have forsaken this way and followed in the footsteps of Plato and Aristotle!

The Qur'an has inculcated this method at many places and has over and again presented many a phenomenon as a proof of the Reality, and taught the people how to arrive at the right conclusion so as to perceive the Reality. Accordingly, in verse 67, the Sign of the night and the day has been presented for the deep consideration of the people. The change of day and night is a wonderful Sign and clearly points to the Universal Designer and the All-Powerful Ruler; for it takes place by the turning of the earth on its axis and in relation to the sun with mathematical precision. This change is due to the great wisdom of the Designer and has a great purpose behind it because of its innumerable benefits for all that exists on the earth. This points out also to the Providence of the Creator for it demonstrates conclusively that He has made perfect arrangements for the existence of His creation. Moreover, this also shows that the Universal Designer is One and also that He is not playful but Wise and purposeful. This change points also towards the great Reality that He, being the Benefactor and Lord, is worthy of worship and none else. This is because every other being is provided with its requirements by this change of day and night and none provides others; therefore none of them can be the Lord and the Master. In the light of these Signs, how can, any other religion, based on mere surmise and guess-work, be considered to be true when it is compared with the Revealed Religion which is based on such clear Signs as these?

kalamazoo · Sep 27, 2012

[68-70]

They say: 'Allah has taken a son. *66 Glory be to Him. *67 He is self-sufficient! His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. *68 Have you any authority to support (that Allah has taken a son)? Do you ascribe to Allah something of which you have no knowledge? Tell them (O Muhammad!): 'Indeed those who invent lies against Allah will never prosper. They may enjoy the life of this world, but in the end they must return to Us, and then We shall cause them to taste severe chastisement for their disbelieving.'

*66.

In the preceding verses, the polytheists were reproached for basing their religious doctrines on guesswork and conjecture, and then failing to examine, on scientific grounds, whether those doctrines were backed up by any supporting proof or not. In this verse, the Christians and followers of some other religions are being taken to task for another error - for their designating someone, again by resort to sheer conjecture, as God's son.

*67.
This Arabic expression ***** is used both in its literal sense and also by way of exclamation. As an exclamatory expression it emphasizes one's utter amazement about God. In its literal sense, it signifies that God is free of every defect and flaw. The above verse in question employs both meanings. For, apart from expressing amazement at the notion that God took someone as His son, it also stresses the perfection, the absolute flawlessness of God. Since God is perfect and flawless, how does it make any sense to say that He took someone as His son?

*68.

In refuting the notion that God took anyone as His son, three arguments are advanced:
(i) God is free of all defects;
(ii) God is All-Sufficient; and
(iii) all that is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Him.

A brief elucidation of these statements will enable one to appreciate the meaning and significance of what is being said here. To be a son can have only two meanings: either he has sprung from his father's loins, that is, he is his father's son in the true sense of the term, and thus of his father's loins, or that he is not a son in the literal sense of the word but has merely been adopted as such. Now, if someone is considered to be a son of God in its true, literal sense, that would obviously amount to considering God akin to a mortal. Like any other mortal, God is conceived to belong to one gender or the other, and to stand in need of a spouse, and of some sort of conjugal relationship to enable the birth of offspring, and thus to ensure the continuity of his progeny. Alternatively, God is believed to have adopted someone as His son. Such a statement could either mean that God is akin to that issueless human who resorts to adoption in order that the adopted son might inherit Him and thus secure Him against the loss that would ensue from his being issueless, or at least partially offset that loss. The other possibility is that God also has certain emotional predilections and it is for this reason that He has fallen in love with one of His creatures to the extent of adopting him as His son. In each of the above-mentioned cases, the concept of God is marred by investing Him with several flaws, defects and weaknesses, and He is conceived as One lacking self-sufficiency, as One Who perforce must depend on others.
Hence, the opening part of the verse clearly proclaims God to be free of all defects, deficiencies and weaknesses which people ascribe to Him. This is followed by saying that God is All-Sufficient, that is, He is free of all those needs which impel an issueless mortal to adopt someone as his son. This is further followed by the assertion that all that is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to God and hence all human beings, without any exception, are His servants and bondsmen. This makes ii clear that there is no personal relationship between God and any of His creatures that would prompt Him to choose any, to the exclusion of others, for elevation to the level of godhead. For sure, He holds certain people, on grounds of their merit, to be dearer than others. But God's love for someone does not mean that he is lifted up from the rank of being God's servant to becoming His associate and partner in godhead. What God's special love for some person means can be gauged from the following verse of the Qur'an: 'Oh, surely the friends of Allah have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve - the ones who believe and are God-fearing. For them are glad tidings in this world and in the Hereafter' (see verses 62-4 above).

kalamazoo · Sep 28, 2012

71-74

Recite 69 to them Noah's story, when he said to his people; "O my brethren, if it has become intolerable for you that I should dwell in your midst and preach to you the Revelations of Allah, then (note it well that) I have put my trust in Allah. You may muster all the partners you have set up and come to a united decision about me and consider your scheme well so that no aspect of the matter should remain hidden from you. Then bring that into action against me without giving me any respite 70 If you have turned away from my Message, (I have lost nothing) for I did not demand any reward from you: my reward is with Allah, and I have been commanded to behave like a Muslim, (whether any other does so or not.)" But they disbelieved in him and the result was that We rescued those of them, who were with him in the Ark and made them successors on the earth and drowned those who rejected Our Revelations. So consider the end of those who were warned (but did not believe). After Noah We sent different Messengers to their peoples and they came to them with manifest Signs, but they would not believe in what they had disbelieved before. This is how We set a seal on the hearts of the transgressors 71 .

69
The story of Prophet Noah has been related here to serve as a warning to those who were rejecting the Message of Prophet Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him). Up to this place, arguments had been presented before them to show the errors of their creeds, thoughts and ways, and impressive appeals had been made to them to adopt the Right Way. But from here onward they are being warned of the consequences of the attitude they had adopted towards their Messenger and admonished indirectly to learn a lesson from the fate of Prophet Noah's people, who had behaved towards their Prophet like the Quraish, the addressees.

The Holy Prophet had been pointing out to them in a very befitting manner their errors and deviations, and was trying to correct them. Hut instead of considering and re-considering these things, they had become his mortal enemies, though he had no self-interest in his Mission and was extending the Message for their good, but they responded to his arguments with rudeness, abuses and stones. So much so that his very person had become intolerable and unbearable for them. This was because of their prejudices against the Right Way, which had so blinded them that they could not tolerate even the presence of the one who was following the Right Way. At this Allah commanded His Messenger to recite to them the story of Prophet Noah so that they might get in it the answer to their misbehavior towards him.

70

This was a challenge that amounted to this: "I am not going to give up my Mission at all, whatever you may do against me, for I have my full trust in Allah. " (For contrast please See I. 55 of Hud).

71

The transgressors whose hearts are sealed are those obstinate and obdurate people who are so hardened against persuasion that they firmly and perversely adhere to the opinion they have once formed erroneously. As they themselves refuse to listen to counsel and admonition, Allah's curse falls on them and they are deprived of the ability of ever coming to the Right Way.

kalamazoo · Sep 29, 2012

[75-82]

Then, after them, *72 We sent forth Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh and his chiefs with Our signs, but they waxed proud. *73 They were a wickd people. And when truth came to them from Us, they said: 'Indeed this is plain sorcery. *74 Moses said: 'Do you say this about the truth after it has come to you? Is this sorcery? You call this sorcery although sorcerers never come to a happy end. *75 They replied: 'Have you come to turn us away from the way of our forefathers that the two of you might become supreme in the land? *76 We shall never accept what the two of you say.' And Pharaoh said (to his) men: 'Bring every skilled sorcerer to me.' And when the sorcerers came Moses said to them: 'Cast whatever you wish to cast.' Then when they had cast (their staffs), Moses said: 'What you have produced is sheer sorcery. *77 Allah will certainly reduce it to naught. Surely Allah does not set right the work of the mischief-makers. Allah vindicates the truth by His commands, howsoever much the guilty might detest that.'

*72. For a full appreciation of the story of Moses and Pharaoh, see the explanatory notes in Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. III, al-A'raf7, n. 83 ff. The points elucidated in these notes will not be repeated here.

*73. Intoxicated by their riches, political power and glory they considered themselves to be well above the level of ordinary human beings.
Thus, instead of humbly submitting themselves to God, they waxed proud.

*74.

The response of the Pharaonites to the Prophet Moses (peace be on him) was exactly the same as the response of (he Makkan unbelievers to the Prophet (peace be on him). This response bar, been mentioned earlier (see verse 2 above) in these words: 'This man is indeed an evident sorcerer.'
The context makes it clear that the Prophets Moses and Aaron (peace be on them) were entrusted with the same mission which had formerly been entrusted to Prophet Noah (peace be on him), then to the Prophets who followed him and finally to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) who was the last in the chain of such Prophets.
From the outset, the thrust of the surah has been the same - that man should take God, the Lord of the universe, and Him alone, as his Lord and as the sole object of his worship, service and obedience, and that he has to render to Him an account of all his deeds. Now, those who had rejected the message of the Prophet (peace be on him) are being told that their well-being as well as that of all human beings rests on affirming their belief in the One True God and in the Hereafter, a belief which has been invariably expounded by the Prophets down the ages. Man's well-being depends on affirming this belief, and on fashioning his entire behaviour on the basis of that.
This constitutes the pivotal point of the whole surah. The reference to other Prophets (peace be on them) in this surah by way of historical illustration indicates that the message of all the Prophets was the same as the one embodied in this surah. The Prophets Moses and Aaron (peace be on (hem) had conveyed the same message to Pharaoh and his chiefs. Had the mission of these two Prophets been merely to liberate a specific nation, as some people are inclined to believe, reference to this event for the purpose of historical illustration would have been quite discordant with the context in which it occurs. There can be no doubt that the mission of Moses and Aaron partially aimed at bringing about the liberation of the Israelites (then, a Muslim people) from the domination of an unbelieving nation. This was, however, a secondary rather than the central purpose of raising those Prophets. According to the Qur'an the main objective of the mission of these two Prophets was the same as that of all other Prophets. An objective which has been clearly set forth in the following verses of: 'Go to Pharaoh for he has certainly transgressed all bounds (of servitude to Allah). And say to him: "Would you rather be purified; and that I guide you to your Lord that you may fear Him" ' (al-Nazi'at 79: 17-19). Now, since Pharaoh and his nobles did not respond positively to this call, the Prophet Moses (peace be on him) was ultimately left with no other choice but to secure the liberation of his people, who were Muslims, and to take them away from the area dominated by Pharaoh.

This was of course a fairly important event, and the Qur'anic narration of it also treats it as such.

However, all those who are not inclined to view the detailed teachings of the Qur'an in isolation from its general principles, can never commit the mistake of considering the liberation of a people to be the basic purpose of raising a Prophet whereas inviting people to the true faith is of secondary significance, (For further details see Ta Ha 20: 44-52; al-Zukhruf 43: 46-56; and al-Muzzammil 73: 15-16.)

*75.

In view of the apparent similarity between sorcery and miracle the Israelites hastily branded Moses (peace be on him) a sorcerer. In relegating Moses to the role of a sorcerer, however, these simpletons ignored the fact that the character and conduct as well as the motives underlying the activity of sorcerers are entirely different from those of the Prophets. Is it consistent with the known character of a sorcerer that he should fearlessly make his way to the court of a tyrant, reproach him for his error, and summon him to exclusively devote himself to God and to strive for his self-purification? What would rather seem to be consistent with the character of a sorcerer is that if he had gained access to the courtiers he would have gone about flattering them, soliciting their help in securing an opportunity to show his tricks. And if ever he succeeded in Finding his way to the royal court, he would probably have resorted to flattery in an even more abject and dishonourable manner, would have made himself hoarse in publicly praying for the long life and abiding glory of the ruler, and would then have humbly pleaded that he might be allowed to perform his show. And once the show was over, he would have disgracefully stretched forth his hands in the style of a beggar, entreating for an appropriate award.

All this has been condensed into the succinct statement that
'sorcerers never come to a happy end'.

*76.

Had the sole demand of Moses and Aaron (peace be on him) been the liberation of the Israelites, Pharaoh and his courtiers would not have suspected that the spread of these Prophets' message would transform the religion of the land and that the supremacy of Pharaoh and his courtiers would be undermined. What made them uneasy was the fact that Prophet Moses (peace be on him) was inviting the people of Egypt to the true faith and that this posed a threat to the whole polytheistic way of life which was the very cornerstone of the predominance of Pharaoh and his chiefs and clergy. (For further details see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, al-A'raf7, n. 44 and al-Mu'min 40, n. 43 -Ed.)

*77.

What Moses (peace be on him) presented before the court was no sorcery; rather it was the sorcerers who had made a show of their tricks of sorcery.

kalamazoo · Sep 29, 2012

[83]

None but a few youths *78 of Moses' people accepted him, *79 fearing that Pharaoh and their own chiefs would persecute them. Indeed Pharaoh was mighty in the land, he was among those who exceed all limits. *80

*78.

The word dhurriyah used in this verse literally means 'offspring'. We have, however, rendered this into English as 'a few youths'. We have preferred this translation because the Qur'an employed this particular expression so as to convey the idea that it was a few youths - male and female - who had the courage of their convictions to embrace and champion the truth in those perilous times whereas their parents and the more elderly members of the community were unable to do so.

The older segment of the population was too deeply concerned with its materialistic interests, too engrossed in worldliness and too eager to enjoy a life of security to stand by the truth when that seemed to invite all kinds of peril. On the contrary, this older generation tried to persuade the young ones to stay away from Moses for the simple reason that it would invite the wrath of Pharaoh upon themselves and upon others.
The Qur'an underscores this point, for once again those who came forward and courageously supported the Prophet (peace be on him) were not the elderly. They were rather a few courageous Makkan youths. Those who embraced Islam at this very early period in its history - the period of revelation of these verses - and who supported the message of truth despite fierce persecution, were all young people.

This group was altogether bereft of the aged doters of a life free of peril and hazard.
'Ali ibn abi Talib,
Ja'far ibn al-'Aqil,
Zubayr,
Talhah,
Sa'd ibn abi Waqqas,
Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr,
'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud were all young people and each one of them, at the time of embracing Islam, was under twenty.

Likewise, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, Bilal and Suhayb were all in their twenties while Abu 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, Zayd ibn Harithah, 'Uthman ibn 'Affan and 'Umar ibn al-Khattab were between thirty and thirty-five years of age.

The oldest among these Companions was Abu Bakr. and when he embraced Islam he too was no older than thirty-eight. 'Ammar ibn Yasir was the same age as the Prophet (peace be on him), and only one Companion, 'Ubaydah ibn Harith al-Muttalibi was older than he.

79

Some people have misinterpreted the Arabic words say that. all the people of Israel were unbelievers and at first only a few of them believed in the Message.

But when (iman) is followed by the letter (lam), it generally means obeying and following. Thus the original words of the text will mean (as translated) "----a few youth from his own people obeyed and followed Moses," that is, "Only a few young people from the whole tribe of the Israelites had the courage to accept and acknowledge Prophet Moses as their leader and guide and stand by him in his struggle with Pharaoh and his chiefs."

The words that follow make it quite clear that the Israelites refrained from this not because they did not believe in Prophet Moses or his Message but because they (specially their elders) were afraid of exposing themselves to the persecution of Pharaoh. This state of fear was the result of their moral degeneration. Though all of them racially and religiously belonged to the community of Prophets Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph and, therefore, were Muslims, yet slavery of centuries had so much degraded them that they had lost that spirit of Islam which impels one to become the standard-bearer of Islam against the domination of unbelief and deviation, or imbues one with the courage to stand by the one who had raised that banner.

The Bible has described their degraded condition at the time of the conflict with Pharaoh in Exodus 5: 20-21: "And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: And they said unto them, the Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savior to be abhorred n the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. " The Talmud (Selections by H. Polano, page 152) confirms the same

"Yea" said the overburdened children of Israel to Moses and Aaron, "We are like a lamb which the wolf has carried from its flock, the shepherd strives to take it from him, but between the two the lamb is pulled to pieces; between ye and Pharaoh will we all be killed. "
The Qur'an also refers to this in VII: 129:

"His people answered, `We were oppressed before you came and now again we are being oppressed after you have come. "

80

The Arabic word (musrifin) literally means "transgressors" . As this could not express the true spirit, it has been translated into "....those who are not bound by any limits".

"They are the people who do not hesitate to employ even the most wicked methods to achieve their object: who practice without any pangs of conscience cruelty, immorality, barbarism etc., if these serve their purpose, and who cross all limits in pursuit of their desires.

In short, they are such people as know no limits to stop at."

kalamazoo · Sep 29, 2012

[84-86]

Moses said to his people, "O my people, if you sincerely believe in Allah, put your trust in Him, if you are Muslims.81They answered 82 "We have put our trust in Allah: `Our Lord, do not make us a cause of trial 83 for the unjust people, and deliver us by Thy mercy from the

81
The fact that Prophet Moses in his address called his people "Muslims" shows that all the people of the community of Israel were Muslims; otherwise he could not say to them, "-if you arc Muslims" . He meant to urge them to be brave, saying, "If you are true Muslims, as you profess to be, do not fear the might of Pharaoh but put your trust in the might of Allah."

82

Those, who responded to the appeal of Prophet Moses, were those "youth" who obeyed and followed him, and not the Israelites, as a community, as is obvious from the context.

83

The prayer,

"Our Lord, do not make us a cause of trial for the unjust people," is very comprehensive in meaning. Whenever the standard-bearers of the Truth rise up to establish virtue and eradicate the prevalent evil, they come into conflict with unjust people, who, for one reason or the other, are always on the look-out to find fault with them. First, there are the champions of falsehood, who try their level best to crush down with full force the champions of the Truth. Then there are the so-called champions of the Truth who profess to believe in it but are not prepared to enter into conflict with the powerful government of the time. Therefore they declare it to be a useless and foolish effort, and begin to invent excuses to justify the wrong stand they take in regard to the struggle with falsehood in order to silence the prick of conscience they feel for their criminal attitude of cowardice. Accordingly, they try to prove that it is these standard-bearers of the Truth who are in the wrong and not they. Lastly, there are the common people, who watch the conflict as by-standers and join forces with those who prove to be more powerful of the two, whether they are the supporters of the Truth or of falsehood.

Now let us consider how the champions of the Truth are liable to become a cause of trial for these unjust people.

If they are crushed down or defeated, the first group declares, "We were in the right and not these foolish people: otherwise they could not have been defeated. "

The second group says,

"Their defeat has proved that they did not make the correct estimate of the circumstances and caused the destruction of valuable lives by coming in conflict with the mighty powers. Moreover, the Shari`at has not made it obligatory on unto expose ourselves to risk, when we are fulfilling the most essential religious duties without any restrictions from the tyrants of the day."

As regards the common people, their criterion of judging the Truth is this:

"Whatever triumphs is truth. Therefore their defeat has proved that the champions of the Truth must be in the wrong. " Likewise every mistake and error the champions of the Truth commit, every weakness they show in the face of overwhelming odds against them, every moral fault to which anyone of them succumbs, becomes a good excuse for those who intend to stick to falsehood. Consequently, the "invitation" to the Truth becomes dormant for years after their "defeat".

Thus it has become quite clear that this prayer of the companions of Prophet Moses was well-timed and meaningful:

"Our Lord, have mercy upon us so that we might not become a cause of trial for the unjust people: protect us from errors, defects and, weaknesses and make our efforts successful in this world so that we may become a source of goodness to Thy creatures and not a source of evil for the unjust people."

kalamazoo · Oct 1, 2012

87-

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And We inspired Moses and his brother: "Provide some houses for your people in Egypt, and make those houses of yours as qiblah, and establish Salat 84

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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif] and fill the Believers with hope and courage 85
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84

There is a difference of opinion among the Commentators in regard to the meaning of this verse. As for me, I have considered deeply its wording and the circumstances under which this was sent down, and have come to the conclusion that Prophet Moses was commanded to build or acquire some houses for the establishment of Salat in congregation This was necessitated because the system of Salat in congregation had been abandoned by the Israelites and the Egyptian Muslims as a result of their persecution by the government, and owing to the weakness of their faith. As this had brought about their disintegration and killed their religious spirit, it was essential to re-establish the system of Salat in congregation, which is indeed the first and foremost thing for the revival of that spirit and the integration of a scattered Muslim community and its powers.

As regards " .... appoint your houses as qiblah", I am of the opinion that it means:".... set apart these houses as common places of worship for offering Salat in congregation and the central places for holding their meetings. That is why it is followed by 'and establish Salat'," which means that they should offer their Salat collectively in congregation instead of individually.

85

The Arabic word (bashshir) means: "Fill them with hope and courage by giving them the good news of success by the grace of Allah. " And they needed that very badly at that time, for they were full of despair, fear and depression.

kalamazoo · Oct 1, 2012

[88-89]

Moses prayed 86 and said, "Our Lord, Thou hast bestowed on Pharaoh and his chiefs splendor 87 and possessions 88 in the worldly life; our Lord, hast Thou done this that they may lead astray the people from Thy Way ? Lord, destroy their wealth and harden their hearts in a manner so that they may not believe till they see the painful torment 89 Allah replied, "The prayer of you both has been granted; so be steadfast and follow not the way of those who have no knowledge 90

86

This prayer was offered by Prophet Moses during the last period of his stay in Egypt. There was a long interval between this and the events mentioned in the preceding verse which happened during the early days of his Mission. The details of this intervening period are available at other places in the Qur'an.

87

The Arabic word (zinat) includes the magnificence, grandeur, glory and the apparent brilliance of their culture and civilization which attracted other people towards them with the desire of imitating them.

88

"Possessions": resources and means which help the people like Pharaoh to put into practice all their devices and plans, and the lack of which prevents the standard-bearers of the Truth from carrying out their plans.

89

As it has already been stated, Prophet Moses made this prayer during the last period of his stay in Egypt. When he had shown many Signs, one after the other, to Pharaoh and his chiefs and pointed out the Way clearly to them, but they had persisted obdurately in their antagonism to the Truth, the, Prophet begged his Lord to destroy their possessions and harden their hearts. And this was in accordance with the decree of Allah. As they had merited this punishment according to the Divine Law of retribution, Allah decreed that they should not get the light of Faith, which they themselves had extinguished with their persistent disbelief.

90

In this verse, Allah has urged Prophet Moses and his followers to guard against a common misunderstanding that is likely to arise in such cases. It so happens that those people who have no knowledge of the reality and who do not understand the wisdom of Allah's ways are liable to believe from the apparent success of His rebels that perhaps it is His will that they should dominate in the world.

When they witness the failures of the upholders of the Truth in their conflict with falsehood in contrast to the splendor and vast possessions of the champions of falsehood, they begin to think that Allah does not will to help the Truth in its conflict with falsehood.

Therefore some foolish people further conclude from these wrong suppositions that it is useless to exert for the establishment of the Truth. Then they consider it to be the best and most proper thing to rest content with the little religiosity that the sovereignty of falsehood and unbelief allows them. That is why Allah has urged Prophet Moses and his followers to guard against such a misunderstanding and to carry on the Mission entrusted to them with patience under the adverse circumstances.

kalamazoo · Oct 1, 2012

[90-92]

And We led the children of Israel across the sea. Then Pharaoh and his hosts pursued them with the intention of cruelty and oppression to them until, when he was drowning, he cried, "I have believed that there is no god but the real God in Whom the children of Israel have believed and I am of those who surrender 91 (In answer it was said : ) "Now you believe! Whereas hitherto you had been rebellious and of the mischief-makers. Now We will preserve your dead body 92 only to be a sign of warning for the succeeding generations, though there are many people who give no heed to Our Signs.93

91

The Bible does not mention this happening but the Talmud says explicitly that when he was drowning he said, "Who is like Thee, O Lord, among the gods?"

92

Even today the place, where the dead body of Pharaoh was found floating, is pointed out by the inhabitants of that region. It lies on the western coast of the Sinai Peninsula and is now known by the name of Jabl-i-Fir`aun (Pharaoh's Mount). There is also near it a hot spring called Hammam-i-Fir`aun (Pharaoh's Bath), which is situated at a distance of a few miles from Abu Zenimah, where, they say, Pharaoh's dead body was found lying.

If the Pharaoh who was drowned was Mineptah, who ruled over Egypt when Prophet Moses was sent to him, his embalmed dead body is still lying in the Cairo Museum. When Sir Grafton E. Smith removed the bandages from his mummy, a layer of salt was found on the body, which was a clear proof that he was drowned in the sea.

93

That is, "We show Signs to the people over and over again so that these should serve as warnings and be the means of teaching them lessons, but it is a pity that they do not learn lessons even from such Signs as the dead body of Pharaoh."

kalamazoo · Oct 4, 2012

93

We gave an excellent abode 94 to the children of Israel and provided them with the best things of life. Then they caused not dissensions among themselves until the knowledge had come to them 95 Surely your Lord will decide between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that in which they had been differing.

94

That is, "in Palestine after their exodus from Egypt"

95

This refers to the dissensions the Israelites had caused in the Divine Way and the new religions they had invented. This verse accuses them of falling into variances, even though they possessed the Divine Knowledge, which had provided them with the criterion of judging between the Right Way and the wrong ways. They did this because of mischiefs of their hearts in spite of the fact that the Right Way had been made clear to them, and its fundamental principles had been imparted to them and instructions had been given about its implications and demands and its boundaries had been distinctly demarcated from those of the ways of unbelief. Besides, they had been admonished to follow the path of obedience and guard against the paths of disobedience, and establish their lives entirely in accordance with the rules and regulations based on that Knowledge, for they shall have to render an account of all they did in this life. But in spite of all the instructions that were given to them, they divided one original Religion into many divergent sects and built different ways on foundations other than those laid down by Allah.

kalamazoo · Oct 4, 2012

[94-95]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]If you are in doubt regarding the Guidance We have sent down to you, you may inquire about this from those people who have been reading the Scriptures before you. In fact, it is the very Truth that has come to you from your Lord; so be not of those who doubt and join not those who treat Allah's Revelations as false; otherwise you shall be of the losers 96
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96

Though these words were addressed to the Holy Prophet, they were meant for those who expressed doubts about his Message. As regards the reference to the people of the Book, it is because they possessed the Knowledge of the Scriptures, whereas the common people of Arabia lacked this, and were, therefore, strangers to the voice of the Quran. It was also expected that their just and pious scholars would testify that its Message was the same as that of the Scriptures of the former Prophets.

kalamazoo · Oct 4, 2012

[96-98]

The fact is that whatsoever Signs are shown to those who have fallen under Allah's decree 97 they will not believe till they see the painful torment. Then, is there any instance of a habitation that, seeing the torment, accepted the faith and that faith profited it? (There is no instance of this) except that of Jonah's people 98 When they believed, We warded off the torment of ignominy from them in this worldly life 99 and allowed them to make use of the things of life for a while 100

97

Allah's decree that had become applicable to them was this:

Allah does not thrust the Faith on those who do not seek after the Truth:
who obstinately and obdurately shut their hearts against it with prejudice: who are so lost in the love of this world that they do not care at all about the Hereafter.

98

Though Prophet Jonah (860-784 B.C.) was an Israelite Prophet, he was sent to 'Iraq for the guidance of the Assyrians, who have been called the people of Jonah for this reason. At that time, Nineveh, a very ancient and famous city, was their capital. Its vast remains are scattered on the left bank of the Tigris, opposite to the city of Mosul, and one of the mounds bears the name of 'Prophet Jonah' . In order to form an estimate of the glory of these people, suffice it to say that the circumference of their capital Nineveh was 60 miles or so.

99

As regards the question why the threatened torment was warded off from the people of Jonah as an exception to the Divine principle, "After the decision of the torment, the profession of faith by any community does not benefit it," the Qur'an does not give any details of this, but merely refers to the story at three places. (See XXI: 87, 88; *!*!*!II: 139-148; LXVIII: 48-50).

Though the story contained in the Book of Jonah gives some details, these cannot be depended upon because it was neither composed by Prophet Jonah nor it is a Revealed Book but was written by some unknown person and then inserted in the Bible. Besides this, it contains some apparently absurd things which cannot be accepted as true. Nevertheless if we consider this deeply in the light of the allusions made in the Qur'an and details in the Book of Jonah, the explanation given by various commentators of the Qur'an seems to be correct.-Prophet Jonah left the place of his Mission without Divine permission after warning the people of the torment. Therefore Allah forgave the Assyrians, when they repented after seeing some Signs of the coming torment. This was in accordance with the Divine principles as stated in the Qur'an. For, according to one of these, Allah does not inflict any torment on any people, till He has the Message fully demonstrated to them. As the Prophet did not continue his admonition in accordance with the appointed term and left the place of his Mission of his own accord, Allah's justice did not inflict the chastisement because the legal argument against his people had not been fulfilled. (For further explanation see E.N. 85 of *!*!*!VI).

100

When the Assyrians believed in the Message, they were given a new lease of life. But after some time, they adopted the wrong ways of thought and deed.

Prophet Nahum (720-698 B.C.) warned and admonished them but without any effect.

Then Prophet Zephaniah (640-609 B.C.) gave them the last warning that "he .... will destroy Assyria and will make Nineveh a desolation" but it also proved in vain. At last in about 612 B.C., Allah made the Modes dominant over them. The Median king, with the help of the Babylonians, invaded Assyria, and their army was defeated and was besieged within the walls of Nineveh. They put up a stiff resistance for some time but then the floods in the Tigris swept away the city wall and the invaders swarmed into the city and burnt it to ashes along with the surrounding countryside.

The Assyrian king set fire to his palace and was himself burnt to death.

Thus the Assyrian Empire and its culture came to an end for ever.

The recent archaeological excavations reveal widespread effects of the fire.

kalamazoo · Oct 4, 2012

[99-100]

Had your Lord willed (that all the people of the world should be believers), all the dwellers of the earth would have believed in Him 101 [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Will you, then, force the people to become believers? 102 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]No one can believe without Allah's permission,103 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]and it is the way of Allah that He throws filth on those who do not use their commonsense 104
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101

This refers to the freedom that Allah has granted to mankind to believe or not to believe in Him. Otherwise He could have very easily created all the people as born believers and obedient servants and there would have been no disbelief and disobedience at all on the earth. Or He could have very easily inspired them to turn towards belief and obedience. But these methods would have defeated the wisdom that underlies the creation of mankind.

102

This does not at all mean that the Holy Prophet desired to force people to become believers, and that Allah was forbidding him to do this. In fact, the Qur'an has here adopted the same method of admonishing the people that it has adopted at many other places, that is, though the words have apparently been addressed to the person of the Holy Prophet, in fact, these have been addressed to the people. The implication is this:

"O people! Our Messenger has made the distinction between the Guidance and deviation quite clear and plain by argument and pleading. Now, therefore, it is for you to believe or not to believe in the Guidance. If you accept that some one should force you to adopt the Right Way, you should know that this `duty' has not been assigned to Our Prophet. Had Allah willed this, He could have done it Himself: then there would have been no need of sending any Prophet to you."

103

This is to emphasize the principle that the bestowal of all these blessings is in the power of Allah alone: therefore none can acquire or bestow on anyone any blessing without the permission of Allah. As faith and guidance also are blessings, they, too, can be acquired only with Allah's permission; and no one can acquire these without His permission nor bestow these on anyone else even though one should desire to do so. That is why, even if the Prophet had sincerely desired to make people believers forcibly, he could not have done this, for this could be done only with Allah's permission and help.

104

This points out clearly that the above principle is not applied blindly and irrationally so as to bestow the blessing of faith on or withhold it from anyone without any rhyme or reason, but it works according to a system which is based on wisdom. Allah bestows this on anyone who uses his common sense properly in starch of the Truth, for Allah provides for such a one the means of attaining it in proportion to the sincerity of his intention and the extent of his exertion and grants him its correct knowledge required for faith. But He throws the filth of ignorance, deviation, wrong thinking and wrong doing on the one who is not a seeker after the Truth and does not seek the Truth and does not use his common-sense properly because of his prejudices, or does not use it at all in search of the Truth. And this is what such people deserve.

kalamazoo · Oct 4, 2012

[101-103]

Say to them, "Make a keen observation of all that is in the heavens and the earth." And (the fact is that) the Signs and warnings are of no avail to those who would not believe 105 Now what do they wait for but the evil days that befell the peoples before them? Say to them, "Well, wait and see, I, too, wait with you." Then, (when such a time comes), We deliver Our Messengers and those who believed in them-This is Our Way: We have laid it on Ourselves to deliver the believers.

105

This is the answer to the condition that they would believe him to be a true Prophet, if a Sign would be shown to them. The Holy Prophet has been asked to say to them, "There are countless Signs in the heaven and the earth, which confirm and testify the Message I am giving you. You could have easily recognized them, had you observed and considered them with open eyes and open hearts. But if you lack this urge and desire for the Truth, you will not accept and acknowledge it, however wonderful, miraculous and supernatural the sign may be, for you will declare that it was a piece of sorcery like Pharaoh and his chiefs. The fact is that the people, who suffer from this malady, see the Truth only when the torment with all its horrors overtakes them, just as Pharaoh came to believe only when he was drowning. But you should note it well that the repentance at the time of punishment is of no avail.

kalamazoo · Oct 4, 2012

[104-107]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]O Prophet say 106 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]O mankind! if you are still in doubt concerning my Faith, know that I do not worship those whom you worship beside Allah, but I worship that Allah alone, Who has the power to cause your death 107 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I have been commanded that I should be of the believers. I have also been bidden: Dedicate yourself sincerely, and exclusively and steadfastly to this Faith[/FONT] 108 [FONT=Arial, sans-serif] and be not at all of those who associate other gods with Allah.109 [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]And do not invoke beside Allah any being that can neither do you good nor harm: for if you will do so, you shall be one of the workers of iniquity. If Allah afflicts you with a calamity, there is none to remove it but He Himself. Likewise if He wills to bestow a favor on you, there is none to withhold His bounty. He bestows His bounty on anyone of His servants He wills. And He is Forgiving and Merciful." [/FONT]

106

In this concluding portion, the same thing that was stated at the beginning of the discourse, has been reiterated. Therefore it will be worthwhile to keep in view the introductory passage (vv. 1-10).

107

The Arabic word literally means "gives you death", but it has been purposely translated into "who has power to cause your death" in order to convey its real spirit in the content it occurs. It implies this: "I worship only that One, who has full power over your life: He has complete authority and power to let you live as long as He wills and cause you to die at any moment He wills. That is why I am fully convinced that I should submit and surrender, worship, serve and obey Him alone." Now let us consider why of all His characteristics, this quality of Allah was specifically cited here.

This was to bring home to the mushriks of Makkah that the doctrine of shirk was absolutely false. For they also believed (and all the mushriks have always believed) that death is entirely in the hands of Allah, the Lord of the universe, and none else has any power over it; so much so that they confessed that even those beings, whom they believed to be partners with God in other qualities and powers of, His, could not avert death even from themselves. Thus the mention of this quality of Allah along with the statement of the Doctrine of Tauhid has been made to serve as a proof of that creed. That is, "I serve Him only for He alone has the full power over life and death. Why should, then, I serve others who have no power at all over their own lives and deaths, not to mention the lives and deaths of others?" The eloquence and force of the statement has been enhanced manifold by saying, ".......Who gives you life and death" instead of ".....Who gives me life and death". For this contains the statement of the Doctrine, its proof and invitation to it, all the three combined in one concise sentence. Had it been said, "...I serve that one Who gives me death," then it would have implied, "I alone should serve Him". But by saying. "......Who gives you death" the implication is: "It is not only I, who should serve Him, but you also should serve Him. For it is absolutely wrong to serve any other than Allah, Who alone has such powers."

108

The force of the Arabic words of the text "Dedicate yourself sincerely, exclusively and steadfastly to this Faith", is worth deep consideration. The purpose might have been served by the use of such words as "Adopt this Faith" or "Follow this Faith". But Allah considered such expressions as weak and incapable of serving the real purpose, which is implied in the wording of the Text. For the literal meaning is "Set your face steadfastly", which implies, "You should steadfastly turn your face in one direction only, without turning it even slightly to right or left, or backward, and go on marching in the same direction."

Though these words were in themselves quite sufficient, the addition of the word made it all the more forceful. For (Hanif) is one who turns away from all others and exclusively turns to one direction. Thus what Allah demands is this: "Adopt this Faith, this Way of the worship of Allah and this way of life in such a manner that your worship, subjection, submission, servitude and obedience should be dedicated exclusively to Allah, the Lord of the universe, so that you do not deviate in the least after adopting this Way, you should have nothing to do with those ways that you have discarded and that you should not even have a look at the crooked paths that erroneous people follow."

109

This negative way of forbidding shirk has been purposely adopted. It implies this: "You should not at all be one of those, who set up in any way whatsoever other gods as partners with Allah in His essence, His attributes, His rights and His powers, whether that god be one's own self or another man or a group of men or some spirit or Jinn or angel or some material or imaginary being." The demand of Tauhid has been made both in the positive form, "Dedicate.... Faith", and in the negative form, "and be not....other gods with Allah. "

Thus it forbids shirk both in creed and in deed, in individual and in collective life, in places of worship and in education, in courts and in legislative assemblies in political and in economic activities. Therefore it demands from the worshiper of Tauhid to adopt a different way in every aspect of life from the way of those who adulterate God-worship with ungodly worships, for the former can never be a fellow traveler with those who practice shirk. As such things can never be expected from him, it can never be imagined that he would follow them.

Thus it is clear that it cuts at the very root of shirk, both (Jali) open and (khafi) hidden. As a matter of fact, shirk in its latter form is even more dangerous and should therefore be avoided most scrupulously. This warning is necessary, as some foolish people consider it to be almost harmless just because it is hidden. The fact is that open shirk is like an avowed enemy who makes an attack in the open and hidden shirk is like an enemy in the guise of a friend. Or the former is like a disease of which the symptoms arc quite apparent and the latter like the hidden disease that gradually undermines one's health.

Thus it is obvious that when the 'open' shirk comes into conflict with the Faith of Tauhid, it may be cured. But the one who suffers from the `hidden' shirk does not realize the threat posed by it and slowly and gradually succumbs to it, while the victim remains quite unaware that his Faith is being devoured by the deadly secret enemy.

10. Surah Yunus (Jonah)..........109

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}