Towards Understanding KURAN KAREEMSurah 2. Al-Baqarah

[kalamazoo]

الم
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(2:1) Alif. Lam. Mim. *1


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*1.

The names of letters of the Arabic alphabet,
called huruf muqatta'at, occur at the beginning of several surahs of the Qur'an.

At the time of the Qur'anic revelation the use of such letters was a well-known literary device, used by both poets and orators, and we find several instances in the pre-Islamic Arabic literature that has come down to us.

Since the muqatta'at were commonly used the Arabs of that period generally knew what they meant and so they did not present a puzzle.

We do not notice, therefore, any contemporaries of the Prophet (peace be on him) raising objections against the Qur'an on the ground that the letters at the beginning of some of its surahs were absurd.

For the same reason no Tradition has come down to us of any Companion asking the Prophet about the significance of the muqatta'at.

Later on this literary device gradually fell into disuse and hence it became difficult for commentators to determine their precise meanings. It is obvious, however, that deriving right guidance from the Qur'an does not depend on grasping the meaning of these vocables, and that anyone who fails to understand them may still live a righteous life and attain salvation.

The ordinary reader, therefore,
need not delve too deeply into this matter.

 

[kalamazoo]

al baqarah from verse 2 to 4 combined.

(2-4) This is the Book of Allah: there is no doubt *2 about it. It is guidance to Godfearing people, *3 who believe in the unseen *4 , establish the Salats *5 and expend (in Our way) out of what We have bestowed on them; *6 who believe in the Book We have sent down to you (i.e. the Qur'an) and in the Books sent down before you, *7 and firmly believe in the Hereafter. *8

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*2.it means

One obvious meaning of this verse is that this Book, the Qur'an, is undoubtedly from God. Another possible meaning is that nothing contained in it can be subject to doubt. Books which deal with supernatural questions, with matters that lie beyond the range of sense perception, are invariably based on conjecture and their authors, despite their brave show of competence, are therefore not immune from a degree of scepticism regarding their statements.
This Book, which is based wholly on Truth, a Book which is the work of none other than the All-Knowing God Himself is distinguishable from all other books. Hence, there is no room for doubt about its contents despite the hesitation some people might express either through ignorance or folly.

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*3. This means

that while the Book is potentially for all, only those who possess certain qualities can benefit from it.

The first such quality is piety:

those who want to benefit should be disposed to distinguish between good and evil, and to shun evil and do good.

Those who lead an animal existence, who never to consider whether their actions are either good or bad, whose cynically follow the prevailing winds, who are helplessly tossed about by the animal desires that dominate their minds, such persons are all together incapable of deriving any benefit from the guidance embodied in the Qur'an.

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*4.

This is the second prerequisite for deriving benefit from the Qur'an.

Ghayb signifies the verities which are hidden from man's senses and which are beyond the scope of man's ordinary observation and experience, for example the existence and attributes of God, the angels. the process of revelation, Paradise, Hell and so on. 'Belief in the ghaib' means having faith in such matters, based on an absolute confidence in the Messengers of God and despite the fact that it is impossible to experience them.

According to this verse, Qur'anic guidance can prove helpful only to those prepared to affirm the truths of the suprasensory realm.

People who make their belief in these questions conditional upon sensory perception of the object of belief, and who are not prepared even to consider the possibility of the existence of things that cannot be weighed or measured, cannot profit from this Book.


*5.
This is the third requirement.

It is pointed out that those to whom belief means merely the pronouncement of a formula, who think that a mere verbal confession of faith is enough and that it makes no practical demands on them, can derive no guidance from the Qur'an. To benefit from the Qur'an it is essential that a man's decision to believe should be followed immediately by practical obedience to God.
Prayer is the first and continuing sign of practical obedience. No more than a few hours can pass after a man has embraced Islam than the mu'adhin calls to Prayer and it becomes evident whether or not the profession of faith has been genuine.

Moreover, the mu'adhin calls to Prayer five times every day and whenever a man fails to respond to his call it becomes clear that he has transgressed the bounds of practical obedience.
An abandonment of Prayer amounts to an abandonment of obedience. Obviously, if a man is not prepared to follow the directives of his guide, it is immaterial whether or not true guidance is available to him.

It should also be noted that the expression 'establishment of Prayer' has a wider meaning than mere performance of Prayer. It means that the system of Prayer should be organized on a collective basis. If there is a person in a locality who prays individually but no arrangements are made for congregational Prayer, it cannot be claimed that Prayer is established in that locality.

*6. This,

the fourth prerequisite for a person to benefit from the Qur'an, demands that the person concerned should neither be niggardly nor a worshipper of money. On the contrary, he should be willing to pay the claims on his property of both God and man, and should not flinch from making financial sacrifices for the sake of his convictions.




*7. The fifth requirement is that one should believe in the Books revealed by God to His Prophets in the various ages and regions of the world, in the Book revealed to Muhammad (peace be on him) as well as in those revealed to the other Prophets who preceded him.

The door of the Qur'an is closed to all those who do not consider it necessary for man to receive guidance from God. It is also closed to those who, even if they believe in the need for such guidance, do not consider it necessary to seek it through the channel of revelation and prophethood, but would rather weave their own set of ideas and concepts and regard them as equivalent to Divine Guidance.
This door is also closed to those who believe in Divine books as such, but confine this belief to those books accepted by their forefathers, and spurn Divine Guidance revealed to anyone born beyond their own racial and national boundaries.
The Qur'an excludes all such people and is prepared to open the source of its grace only to those who believe that mankind does require Divine Guidance, who acknowledge that this guidance does not come to people individually but reaches them through Prophets and Divine Books and who are not given to racial or national chauvinism but are devotees of Truth alone, and are therefore prepared to submit to Divine Guidance wherever it be found.


*8.

Belief in the After-life is the sixth and last requirement.

The term al-Akhirah embraces a whole set of ideas:

(i) that man is not an irresponsible being, but is answerable to God for all his conduct in this world;

(ii) that the present order of the world is not timeless, but will come to an end at an appointed hour knon only to God;

(iii) that when this world comes to an end God will bring into being another world in which He will resurrect, at one and the same moment, all the human beings ever born on earth. He will gather them together, examine their conduct and grant each one just reward for his actions;

(iv) that those who are accounted good in God's judgement will be sent to Heaven, and those judged by Him as evil-doers will be consigned to Hell;

(v) that the real measure of success and failure is not one's prosperity in the present life, but one's success or failure according to God's judgement in the Next.


Those who do not accept this set of beliefs can derive no benefit from the Qur'an.

For if a man is merely in a state of doubt and hesitation with regard to these matters - let alone disbelieving them - he cannot advance even one step forward along the path charted out by the Qur'an.

 

[kalamazoo]

surat al baqara..verse 5

أُولَئِكَ عَلَى هُدًى مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿2:5﴾


(2:5) Such people are on the right way from their Lord and such are truly successful.

 

[rahman2040]

:salam2:

thank you brother for this useful info given..
may Allah reward you
keep up the gud work

Allah knows best...

 

[kalamazoo]

surat al baqara verse 6-7

(2:6-7) As for those who have rejected *9 (these things), it is all the same to them Allah has sealed up their hearts and ears and a covering has fallen over their eyes, *10 and they have incurred the severest punishment.

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*9.

That is, those people who do not meet these six requirements, or reject all or any one of the fundamentals set out above.

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*10.

This does not mean that their rejection of the Truth is a consequence of God sealing their hearts. What is meant is that God sealed their hearts and ears as a consequence of their decision to reject the fundamentals of faith, of their deliberate choice of a path divergent from that charted out by the Qur'an.


Anyone who has worked for the dissemination of the Truth often finds that if, after full consideration, a person decides against a doctrine, his mind begins to move in a completely opposite direction so that he fails to appreciate anything that is explained to him. His ears become deaf, his eyes are blinded to the merits of that doctrine, and one gets the distinct impression that the person's heart has indeed been sealed.

 

[kalamazoo]

surat al baqara verse 8-16

(2:8-16) Then there are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day", whereas they do not believe at all. They thus try to deceive Allah and the Believers, but they succeed in deceiving none except themselves and they realize it not *11 .In their hearts is a disease which Allah has increased all the more *12 and a painful doom is in store for them for the lie they utter.Whenever it is said to them, "Spread not disorder on the earth", their reply is, "We only seek to put things aright". Beware! they do spread disorder but they realize it not.And when it is said to them, "Believe sincerely as the other people have believed", *13 they reply, "Should we believe as fools have believed?” *14 Beware! they themselves are the fools, but they know it not. When they meet those who believe, they say, "We, too, are believers", but when they privily meet their evil geniuses, *15 they say, "Indeed we are with you: we are only mocking at these people". (Little do they realize that) Allah is mocking at them. He gives them rope enough, and they wander on and on blindly in their mischief and rebellion. These are the people who have bartered away Guidance for error, but this is a profitless bargain that they have made, and they are not at all on the right way.

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*11.

These people delude themselves that their hypocritical behaviour will profit them when in fact it will prove harmful both in this world and the Next. A hypoctite may be able to fool people for a while, but it does not last long; his hypocrisy is ultimately seen through. As for the Next Life, it is obvious that his claim to be a true believer is contradicted by his own actions and is thus quite worthless.

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*12.

' Disease' here refers to the disease of hypocrisy. The statement that 'Allah has intensified this disease' means that He does not punish the hypocrites immediately but allows them to indulge in their hypocrisy and exult in the success of their ruses. This feeling of success intensifies their hypocrisy.

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*13. They are being asked to become Muslims in the same manner as others of their community became Muslims

*14.

They think that those people who sincerely embraced Islam and thereby exposed themselves to all kinds of trials and persecutions, and confronted risks and dangers, were merely fools. To them it seems sheer folly to invite the hostility of the entire land merely for the sake of Truth and righteousness. In their view, wisdom consists not in bothering oneself with the distinction between truth and falsehood, but in remaining concerned only with one's own interests.

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*15.

'Satan' in Arabic means

refractory,
rebellious and headstrong,
~~~~~~and is used for both human beings and jinn. Although this word is generally used in the Qur'an for the satans amongst the jinn, it is also used occasionally for human beings possessing satanic characteristics.

The context generally explains whether the word 'satan' refers to jinn or to human beings. In this particular case the word 'satans' refers to those influential leaders of the time who were in the vanguard of opposition and hostility to Islam

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[kalamazoo]

verse 17-20

(2:17-20) Their condition may be described in a parable: a man kindled a fire and when it illuminated all around him, Allah took away the light from their eyes and left them in utter darkness, where they could not see anything. *16They are deaf; they are dumb; they are blind *17 so they will not return (to the right way). Or (still another parable may be cited to depict their condition): heavy rain is falling from the sky, accompanied by pitch darkness, thunder and lightning. When they hear the thunderclap, they thrust their fingers into their ears for fear of death, but Allah is encircling the disbelievers on all sides. *18The lightning terrifies them as if it were going to snatch away their eyesight from them. When they see light, they move on a little further and When it becomes dark for them, they stand still *19 . Had Allah so willed, He could have deprived them totally of their hearing *20 and their sight. Most surely Allah has power over everything.

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*16.

This means that two opposite effects emerged when a true servant of God radiated the light which made it possible to distinguish true from false and right from wrong, and made the straight way distinct from the ways of error. To those endowed with true perception, all truths became evident. But those who were almost blinded by the worship of their animal desires perceived nothing.

The expression,

'Allah took away the light of their perception' should not create the impression that these people were not responsible for their stumbling into darkness. Only those who do not seek the Truth, who prefer error to guidance and who are adamantly disinclined to pursue the Truth despite its luminosity, are deprived, by God, of the light of their perception.

God simply enables such people to do what they wish.


*17. They have become deaf to hear, dumb to utter and blind to perceive the truth.


*18.

By thrusting their fingers into their ears they temporarily deceive themselves into believing that they can escape the catastrophic end that awaits them.
However,
they cannot escape that end since God with all His might, encompasses them.


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*19.

The first parable refers to those hypocrites who disbelieved completely but had become Muslims merely, to further their worldly interests.

The second parable refers to those who were prone to doubt and hesitation or whose faith was weak; who believed in the Truth but not to the extent of exposing themselves to hardships for its sake.

The 'violent rainstorm' here alludes to Islam, which came to the world as a blessing. 'Pitch-dark clouds, thunder and lightning' refer to trials, tribulations and difficulties which confronted the Islamic movement, owing to the violent opposition and resistance of those committed to Ignorance.

The last part of the parable portrays the state of mind of the hypocrites. They move a little ahead when circumstances seem favorable, but when either difficulties cloud the horizon, or when they are given directives which run counter to their desires or inherited prejudices, they are seized with alarm and come to a halt.

*20.

Just as God has completely deprived the first category of hypocrites of their 'light of perception', He could have rendered these other hypocrites totally blind and deaf. But it is not God's way to deprive anyone of sight and hearing while he is willing to see and hear.

Hence, God allowed them to retain their sight and hearing to the extent they were prepared to see and hear the Truth.

 

[kalamazoo]

surat al baqara from vrse21-22

(2:21-22) O Mankind *21 , submit to your Lord Who created you and those who were before you; in this way only you may expect to save yourselves *22 .It is He Who has made the earth a bed for you and the sky a canopy; and it is He Who sends down rain from above for the growth of every kind of food products for your sustenance. So, when you know this, you should not set up equals to rank with Allah *23 .
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meaning

*21. Even though the message of the Qur'an is addressed to all, benefiting from it depends on ones willingness and on God's succour in relation to that willingness. This is why the Qur'an first explained which kind of people can and which kind of people cannot benefit from the Qur'an. As this has been explained in the foregoing verses, the quintessence of the message to which the Qur'an invites all mankind is now put forth.
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*22. So that you are saved from false beliefs and unrighteous conduct in this life, and from the punishment of God in the Next.

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*23. That is, when man recognizes that all those things were done by none but God, then worship, devotion and service must be exclusively for Him.
For who besides the Creator can legitimately claim these things from man?

Not to set up others as rivals to Allah means not to make anyone other than God the object of worship, service and obedience that one owes to God alone. Later on we shall see, in some detail, how the Qur'an itself specifies the forms of worship and service which we owe exclusively to God, and wherein associating anyone else amounts to shirk (associating others with God in His divinity). This, the Qur'an seeks to eradicate.

 

[kalamazoo]

al baqara verse 23 to 24

(2:23-24)

And if you be in doubt whether the Book We have sent down to Our Servant is from Us or not, then produce, at least, one Surah like this *24 . You may call all your associates to assist you and avail yourselves of the help of any one other than Allah. If you are genuine in your doubt, do this. But if you do not do this, and you can never do this, then fear the Fire which has been prepared for the disbelievers and which shall have men and stones for fuel *25

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*24.

Before this, in Makka, opponents had often been challenged to produce anything of comparable merit if they believed the Qur'an to be the work of a human being.
In Madina the same challenge was reiterated
. (For similar challenges made elsewhere in the Qur'an, see 10: 38; 11: 13; 17: 88 and 52: 33

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*25.

This suggests, in a subtle manner, that in the Next Life not only will the unbelievers become the fuel of hel.l

 

[kalamazoo]

al baqarah verse 25

(2:25)

And give good news (O Muhammad), to those who believe in this Book and do good deeds (in accordance with its teachings). For them there will be gardens underneath which canals flow. Their fruits will so resemble the fruits on the Earth that every time they will be provided with fruits, they will say,
"Such fruits were provided to us before on the Earth *26 . " And there will be pure spouses *27 for them and therein they will live for ever.

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*26. [/COLOR

]The fruits of Paradise will not be so exotic in appearance as to be unfamiliar to people.
They will resemble the fruits to which human beings are accustomed in this world, though infinitely excelling them in delicacy of taste.
In appearance they may resemble, say mangoes, pomegranates and oranges, and the people of Paradise will be able to identify them as such.
In taste, however, there will be no comparison between the terrestrial and heavenly fruits.
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*27.

The Qur'anic text has the Arabic word azwajj which means [/U]'spouses' or 'couples', and embraces both husband and wife.

The husband is the zawj of his wife, and vice versa.

In the Next World, however, this relationship of spouses will be qualified by purity.
If a man has been virtuous in this world while his wife has not, their relationship in the Next World will be sundered and the man will receive another spouse who will be pure and virtuous. On the other hand, if a virtuous woman has had an evil husband she will be tied in companionship with a virtuous man.

Where husband and wife have both been virtuous their relationship will become everlasting.

 

[kalamazoo]

al baqarah v: 26 to 27

(2:26-27)

Well, Allah is not ashamed to cite the similitude of a gnat or of something even more insignificant than this *28 . As for those who believe, they come to know from the same similitude that it is the Revelation from their Lord; but those who disbelieve, say, "What does Allah mean by such similitudes?" *29 Allah leads astray many and guides many to the right way by the same thing *30 . And He leads astray only those who disobey Allah; who break Allah's covenant after ratifying it *31 ; who cut asunder what Allah has ordered to be joined *32 , and who produce chaos on the Earth *33 . These are the people who are indeed the losers.


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*28. \

Here an objection is indirectly refuted. At several places in the Qur'an, spiders, flies, gnats and so on are mentioned in order to elucidate certain points.

Opponents objected to this on the grounds that such objects were too lowly to find a place in the Book of God. They indicated that had the Qur'an indeed been a revelation from God it would not have mentioned such trivial objects.

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*29.

Those who do not wish to understand things and are not motivated by the urge to seek the truth become enmeshed in superficial questions relating to the Book of God, draw altogether erroneous conclusions when they encounter references to apparently insignificant things such as gnats, and are thereby thrown further and further away from the Truth.

Those who seek the Truth and possess true perception, on the other hand, penetrate through these superficialities and perceive the gems of wisdom that they embody.

This appreciation~~~~~
~~~~~ makes their hearts attest
~~~~~~that such wisdom could have no other ~~source than God Himself.

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*31.

The injunctions or ordinances issued by a sovereign to his servants and subjects are termed 'ahd in Arabic since compliance with them becomes obligatory for the latter. 'Ahd has been used here in this sense.

The 'ahd referred to signifies God's eternal command that all human beings are obliged to render their service, obedience and worship to Him alone. 'After its binding' refers to the promise made by mankind to remain faithful to the injunctions of God at the time of Adam's creation. (For details see verse 7: 172)

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*32. That is, the transgressors strike their blows at those very relationships upon which the individual and collective well-being of mankind depends, and which God wants maintained on a sound basis.This small sentence is of great import as it embraces the whole of human morality and social life, and extends from relationships between individuals to those between nations.

'To cut asunder what Allah has commanded should he joined' does not merely signify the disruption of relationships between man and man; it forbids the establishment of all forms of human relationship except the right and permissible ones. For wrong and prohibited bonds between people have the same consequences as the disruption of the bonds of human relationship as such

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*33. In these three sentences the nature of transgression and the attitude of transgressors is fully defined.

To debase the relationship between man and God, and between man and man necessarily leads to 'mischief'.



Those who spread this 'mischief' on earth are transgressors.[/FONT]

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*30. Fasiq [/SIZE
~~~~~]means transgressor, disobedient. (See also n 33 below )

http://www.tafheem.net/tafheem.html

 

[kalamazoo]

surat al baqarah verse 28 to 29

(2:28) How is it that you adopt the attitude of disbelief towards Allah when the fact is that you were lifeless and He gave you life, and He will take away life from you and wilt again restore you to life: then you shall ultimately return to Him. 29) He it is Who created for you all that there is on the Earth; He then turned to the sky and ordered it into seven heavens *34 . And He has full knowledge of everything *35 .


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*34.

It is difficult to explain precisely what is meant by
the 'seven heavens'. In all ages man has tried, with the help of observation and speculation, to conceptualize the 'heavens', i.e. that which lies beyond and above the earth.

As we well know, the concepts that have thus developed have constantantly changed. Hence it would be improper to tie the meaning of these words of the Qur'an to any one of these numerous concepts.

What might be broadly inferred from this statement is that either God has divided the universe beyond the earth into seven distinct spheres, or that this earth is located in that part of the universe which consists of seven different spheres.



*35. In this sentence attention is drawn to two important facts.

First, man is warned against disbelief and rebellion against God, for God knows all that man does and none of his actions are hidden from Him.

Second, it is suggested to man that if he turns away from the All-Knowing God, from the One Who is the source of all knowledge, this can only leave him grouping in the darkness of ignorance and error. When there is no source of truth knowledge except God, and when that very light which alone can illuminate man's life can be obtained from none else but Him, what good can come out of deviation from the Truth?

 

[sachin4islam]

Assalamu Alaikum: Br.

Masha-Allah.Hope,InshaAllah,you proceed here towards completion of whole Quran.

Regards.

 

[kalamazoo]

Assalamu Alaikum: Br.

Masha-Allah.Hope,InshaAllah,you proceed here towards completion of whole Quran.

Regards.

..Inshaa....ALLAH.

 

[kalamazoo]

albaqarah from verse 30 to 33

(2:30-33)

Just *36 recall the time when your Lord said to the angels *37 , "I am going to appoint a vicegerent *38 on the Earth." They humbly enquired, "Are you going to appoint such a one as will cause disorder and shed blood on the Earth? *39 We are already engaged in hymning Your praise, and hallowing Your name". *40Allah replied, "I know what you do not know." *41 After this he taught Adam the names of all things. *42 Then He set these before the angels and asked, "Tell Me the names of these things, if you are right (in thinking that the appointment of a vicegerent will cause disorder)". They replied, "Glory be to You. You alone are free from defect. We possess only that much knowledge which You have given us. *43 Indeed You alone are All-Knowing and All-Wise." Then Allah said to Adam, "Tell them the names of these things." When Adam told them the names of all those things, *44 Allah declared, "Did I not tell you that I know those truths about the Earth and the Heavens which are hidden from you? I know what you disclose and what you hide."

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*36.

Thus for man has been summoned to serve and obey God on the grounds that God is his creator and sustainer, that in His grasp lies man's life and death, that He alone is the Lord Who rules over the entire universe in which he lives. In view of this, the only attitude which can be deemed appropriate for man is one of service and subjection to God.

The same idea is presented in the following section, but supported on slightly different grounds

In this connection the Qur'an defines precisely the true nature of man and his correct position in the universe.
It also enlightens us to a period of man's past which is otherwise inaccessible. What the Qur'an tells us here, with its practical consequences, is of far greater value than knowledge derived by unearthing bones and pottery, and piecing together scattered fragments of information with the help of conjecture.

*37. The word malak in Arabic means Messenger

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*38.

'Khalifah' or vicegerent is one who exercises the authority delegated to him by his principal, and does so in the capacity of his deputy and agent. Hence, whatever authority he possesses is not inherently his own, but is derived from, and circumscribed by, the limits set by his principal.

A vicegerent is not entitled to do what he pleases, but is obliged to carry out the will of his master. If the vicegerent were either to begin thinking himself the real owner and to use the authority delegated to him in whatever manner he pleased, or if he were to acknowledge someone other than the real owner as his lord and master and to follow his directions, these would be deemed acts of infidelity and rebellion.

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*39.

This was not said by way of objection or protest. It was said rather by way of inquiry and in order to satisfy their curiosity; it is inconceivable that the angels could object to any of God's decisions. The word 'vicegerent' suggested to them that the proposed species of creation would be placed on earth with some authority.

It was incomprehensible to them how a species of being which had been invested with discretionary power and authority could conform with the overall order of the universe, which is based on absolute and involuntary subservience to the Will of God.

They thought that investing anyone with authority in any part of the universe would lead to mischief and disorder. It is this aspect which the angels were curious about.

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*40.

This does not mean that the angels considered themselves suitable for 'vicegerency'. because they deserve it. They simply meant to say, "We are carrying out orders obediently, faithfully and earnestly and are keeping the whole universe clean and in order, and sing hymns of Your praise and sanctify You as Your humble servants. Therefore, we are unable to understand what need then is there for a vicegerent"

The word tasbih has two meanings:
(i) to proclaim glory and
(ii) to exert oneself earnestly and energetically.

In the same way taqdis has two meanings:

(i) to celebrate or proclaim holiness and

(ii) to purify.

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*41.

This was an answer to the latter doubt expressed by the angels.
The angels were told that the reason for the appointment of a vicegerent was best known to God alone and could not be understood by them. Despite the services rendered by the angels, something over and above their work was still required.

God decided, therefore, to create a new species of being in the world and to invest it with some authority.

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*42.

The nature of man's knowledge is such that he acquires information of different things through their names.

Hence it might be said that the sum total of man's knowledge consists of the names of things.

To teach Adam
the names of all things means, therefore, imparting the knowledge of those things. us
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*43.

It seems that the knowledge of each angel and each genre of angel is confined to its own sphere of competence.

The angels appointed to administer, let us say, things relating to air have full knowledge about this subject but have no knowledge, say, about water, and so on and so forth.

Man's range of knowledge, however, is comprehensive. Even if man's information in a particular area may be narrower than that of the angel directly concerned with it, the total range of his knowledge has a comprehensiveness which has not been granted to the angels.


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*44.

This demonstration of Adam's capacity was an answer to the first of the doubts the angels had expressed. In this manner, they were made to realize that 'God had not only bestowed some authority upon man, but had also endowed him with knowledge.
The chaos that you apprehended from his appointment is only one aspect of the matter. It has its good aspects also, which is more weighty and valuable than the evil aspect and a wise man does not give up a greater good because of a lesser evil:

 

[kalamazoo]

al baqara verse 34

2:34) Then We commanded the angels, "Bow yourselves to Adam. "All bowed *45 but Iblis *46 refused to do so; he waxed proud and joined the defiers. *47

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*45.

This signifies that all the angels whose jurisdiction embraces the earth and that part of the universe in which the earth is situated were ordered to devote themselves to man's service. Since man had been invested with authority on earth the angels were told that whenever man wanted to make use of the powers with which he had been invested by God, and which God of His own will had allowed him to use, they should co-operate with him and enable him to do whatever to do, irrespective of right and wrong.
This can be understood with reference to the manner in which government employees are required to work.

When a sovereign appoints a governor or a magistrate, all government employees under his jurisdiction are duty not. But as soon as the sovereign indicates to those employees that the governor or magistrate should be barred from doing something, the effective authority of the governor or the magistrate comes to an abrupt end.

In fact,
~~~were the sovereign to issue the order that the governor be dismissed or imprisoned, the same employees who until then had been moving to and fro at his bidding would not feel hesitant in putting hand on him and taking him to prison.
God's order to the angels to prostrate themselves before Adam was of a similar nature. It is possible that prostration signifies the fact of their becoming yoked to man's service.

At the same time it is also possible that they, were ordered to perform the act of prostration itself as a sign of the envisaged relationship between angels and man. In my view the latter seems more plausible.
------------------------------------

*46. Iblis literally means

'thoroughly disappointed;

utterly in despair'.

In Islamic terminology the word denotes the jinn who, in defiance of God's command, refused to obey and to yoke himself to the service of Adam and his progeny and asked God to allow him a term when he might mislead and tempt mankind to evil and error.

He is also called al-Shaytan(Satan)

In fact Satan (or Iblis) is not an abstract, impersonal force. Like human beings he is possessed of a specific personality.

Moreover, one should not make the mistake of considering Satan an angel. Elsewhere the Qur'an itself clearly states that he was a jinn and jinn, as we know, are an independent species, distinct from the angels. (See Qur'An 18: 50.)

*47.

These words seem to indicate that in committing disobedience Iblis was probably not alone. What seems to have been the case is that a section of the jinn was bent upon rebellion and the name of Iblis is mentioned only because he was their leader and the most noted among them for his rebellion.

Another translation of this sentence could be: '? and he was of the defiers (kafirin)'.

If this sense is correct, these words would signify that there was already a party of rebellious and recalcitrant jinn and that Iblis belonged to that party.

In the Qur'an the word shayatin (satans) denotes these jinn and their offspring.

Hence, whenever the context itself does not indicate that the term has been used for human beings who possess satanic attributes, the word ' Satans' should be understood to signify these satanic jinn.

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[kalamazoo]

Surah 2. Al-Baqarah verses 35 to 37

(2:35-37) Then We said, "O Adam, you and your wife, both dwell in the Garden and eat to your hearts' content where from you will, but do not go near this tree; *48 otherwise you shall become transgressors" *49After a time Satan tempted them with that tree to disobey. Our Command and brought them out of the state they were in, and We decreed, "Now, go down all of you from here; you are enemies of one another. *50 Henceforth you shall dwell and provide for yourselves on the Earth for a specified period." At that time Adam learnt appropriate words from his Lord and repented, *51 and his Lord accepted his repentance, for He is very Relenting and very Merciful. *52

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*48. This indicates that before man was sent to earth Moreover, for this kind of test Paradise was the best possible place.

What God wanted to impress on man was that the only place that befits man's station is Paradise, and that if man turns from the course of obedience to God as a result of Satanic allurements, he will remain deprived of it in the Next Life even as he was deprived of it once before. The only way he can recover his true status and reclaim the lost Paradise is by resisting effectively the enemy who is alway's trying to drive him off the course of obedience to God.

-------------------------------------------
*49. The use of the word 'wrong-doer' is highly significant.

'Wrong-doing' consists in withholding someone's rights and the wrong-doer is one who withholds those rights from their legitimate claimants.

Anyone who disobeys God withholds three major rights.

The first is what is due to God,~~ for He has the right to be obeyed.

Second, there are the rights of all those things which a man employs in disobeying God. The parts of his body, his mental energy, his fellow-beings, those angels who, under Divine dispensation, have been appointed to enable him to achieve his aims. both righteous and unrighteous, the material objects which he employs in his acts of disobedience - all these have a rightful claim upon him to be used in ways that please God. But when he uses them in ways which displease God he commits wrong against them all.

Third,

he wrongs his own self which has the right to be saved from perdition. By inviting punishment from God because of his disobedience he wrongs his own self as well.

It is for these reasons that the word 'wrong' is often used in the Qur'an for sin, and the word 'wrong-doer' for sinner

----------------------------

*50. This means that

Satan is the enemy of man, and vice versa. That Satan is the enemy, of man is obvious enough, for he tries to drive him off the course of obedience to God and leads him to perdition, but one might wonder how man could be referred to as the enemy of Satan.

The fact is that man's essential humanity makes this enmity incumbent upon him. Man, however, is often deceived by Satan and befriends him owing to the temptations that he holds out to him.

This kind of friendship does not mean that the basic, irreconcilable clash of interests between man and Satan has been resolved. It only means that one of the two (Satan) has defeated and successfully trapped the other (man).

-----------------------------------------------

51.

This means that when Adam became conscious of his act of sin and wanted to return from his state of disobedience to that of obedience, and when he tried to seek remission for his sin from God, he was unable to find the words to use in his prayer to God.

In His Mercy God taught him the words with which he could pray.

The word tawbah basically denotes 'to come back, to turn towards someone'.

Tawbah, on the part of man, signifies that he has given up his attitude of disobedience and has returned to submission and obedience to God.

The same word used in respect of God means that He has mercifully turned towards His repentant servant so that the latter has once more become an object of His compassionate attention.

---------------------------

*52.

The Qur'an refutes the doctrine that certain consequences necessarily follow from sins and that man must in all cases bear them.

In fact this is one of the most misleading doctrines to have been invented by human imagination.

If it were true it would mean that a sinner would never have the opportunity to have his repentance accepted.

It is a mechanistic view of reward and punishment and thus prevents and discourages the sinner from trying to improve.

The Qur'an, on the contrary, tells man that reward for good actions and punishment for bad ones rests entirely with God.

The reward that one receives for good acts is not the natural consequence of those acts; it is rather due to the grace and benevolence of God and it is entirely up to Him to reward one or not.

Likewise,
......punishment for evil deeds is not a natural and unalterable consequence of man's acts. God has full authority to punish man for his sin as well as to pardon him.
God's grace and mercy, however, are interrelated with His wisdom.

Since He is wise, He does not use His power arbitrarily.

Hence, whenever God rewards a man for his good acts, He does so because the good was done with purity of intention and for the sake of pleasing God.

And if God refuses to accept an act of apparent goodness, He does so because that act had merely the form or appearance of goodness, and was not motivated by the desire to please God.

In the same way God punishes man for those sins which he commits with rebellious boldness, and which what his appetite for more rather than lead him to repentance. Similarly, in His mercy God pardons those sins which are followed by genuine repentance and readiness on the part of the sinner to reform himself.

There is no need for the criminal to despair of God's grace and mercy, no matter how great a criminal he is. Nor is there any reason for even the most rabid disbeliever to despair, provided he recognizes his error, repents of his disobedience and is ready to replace his former disobedience with obedience.

 

[sqsohaib]

nice keep it up.

 

[kalamazoo]

Surah 2. Al-Baqarah verse 38 t0 39

(2:38) We said, "Now go down, all of you from here. *53 Henceforth there shall come to you Guidance from Me now and again: whoever will follow it shall have neither fear nor sorrow(2:39) and whoever will refuse to accept it and defy Our Revelations *54 they shall be doomed to the Fire wherein they shall remain for ever. *55


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*53.

The reiteration of this statement is significant. Wc have been told above that Adam repented and that his repentance was accepted by God. This means that the stain of sin was washed away and therefore no stain remained

On the contrary, God not only accepted Adam's repentance but also honoured him by endowing him with prophethood so that he might he able to direct his children correctly. The repetition of the order to leave Paradise and go down to earth is aimed at driving home the point that earth was not created as a place of punishment for man. On the contrary, man was put on earth to serve as God's vicegerent there. It was only to test man and thereafter to equip him for the performance of God's vicegerency that man was placed temporarily in Paradise. (See also n. 48 above.)


*54.

Ayat is the plural of ayah which means a 'sign' or 'token' which directs one to something important.

In the Qur'an this word is used in four different senses.
Sometimes it denotes a sign or indication. In certain other places the phenomena of the universe are called the ayat (signs) of God, for the reality to which the phenomena point is hidden behind the veil of appearances. At times the miracles performed by the Prophets are also termed ayat since they show that the Prophets were envoys of the Sovereign of the universe. Lastly, individual units of the Book of God are also called ayat because they point to the ultimate reality, and because the substantive contents of the Book of God, its phraseology, its style, its inimitable literary excellence are clear tokens of the attributes of the Author of the Book. The sense in which the word ayah has been used in a particular verse becomes evident from the context of its occurrence.


*55.

This is a permanent directive from God to mankind which is valid from the beginning of life until the Day of Judgement. It is this which has been mentioned earlier as God's covenant (see n. 31 above).
It is not for man to prescribe the way of life which his fellow human beings should follow. In his double capacity as the subject and vicegerent of God, man is required to follow the way of life prescribed by his Lord. There are only two means of access to this way: either by direct revelation from God or by following one to whom God has revealed guidance. Nothing else can direct man to the way that enjoys God's approval and good pleasure. Resorting to any other means in quest of salvation is not only fundamentally mistaken but tantamount to rebellion.

The story of the creation of Adam and the origin of the human species occurs seven times in the Quran, once in the verses just mentioned.

For other references see 7: 11 ff., 15: 26 ff., 17: 61 ff., 18: 50, 20: 116 ff.,

38: 71 ff.

The story also occurs in the Bible in Genesis 1, 2 and 3.

A comparative reading of the Quranic and Biblical versions will enable the perceptive reader to detect the differences between the two.

The dialogue between God and the angels at the time of the creation of Adam is also mentioned in the Talmud.

This account lacks the spiritual significance underlying the Quranic version. Indeed, the Talmudic version additionally contains the following oddity: when the angels ask why men are being created, God replies that they are being created so that good people may be born among them. God refrains from mentioning the bad people lest the angels disapprove the creation of man!

 

[Hajjerr]

salam aleikum wa rahmatulahy wa barakatuh,

Shokran for all this, i am here and learning, alhamdullilah
I must say i saved the link you shared, but i am afraid that if i start reading from there i will not know when to stop and i will forget about time.


:salam2: