- Interpretation Of Quran / The long version
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- (007) Al Araaf
Introduction
Dear brother, this is the 17th lesson on surat Al-A'raf (The Heights), ayah 35. The Almighty Allah says:"O children of Adam! If there come to you Messengers from among you, reciting My Signs to you, then those who become righteous and mend (their lives), on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve."
Dear brother, in the previous ayaat, Allah clarified to us that He made lawful for us what is good, prohibited to us what is bad, gave us a way of life (millah) that guarantees our safety as individuals and as a community and then reassured us that any tyrannical nation has a term (an end):"and for every people there is a term."
After that, He addresses people in general ("Children of Adam"). The Qur'an sometimes addresses the believers by means of applied fiqh, and people in general by means of general principles of the Deen. And in this ayah the Almighty Allah addresses people in general:"O children of Adam! If there comes to you Messengers from among you…"
The Mercy of the Almighty requires that His worshippers are not left without guidelines, because:"We have indeed created man in the best of moulds."
What Allah has granted us in order that we may be guided to Him:
He has given man the Universe whose atoms testify to His Existence, His Oneness and His Perfection, and has given him the mind as an instrument for acquiring knowledge. He has made man's principles harmonize with the characteristics of the Universe. He has given man an innate disposition and has made it into a means by which man can recognize his own mistakes. He has deposited in him desires that push him towards the Lord of the earth and heavens. He has given him freedom of choice to evaluate his deeds, and time as a wrapping for them. Besides all these facts, out of His Grace, He has sent to mankind Prophets and Messengers."Allah did confer a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves."
Consider this example: A father has given his son everything he needs. He has placed him in the best of schools and has provided proper environment for him to be successful in his studies. Moreover, he has hired a private teacher to tutor him at home.Allah's Mercy upon His worshippers in sending messengers:
First of all, the Almighty Allah is merciful. His Mercy requires that He should send Prophets and Messengers in order to warn, guide, and direct people. Consider another example: A father is sitting in a room where the fireplace is lit. His little child is coming close to it. Can there exist on this earth a father who would keep calm and remain seated? It is impossible for a father not to warn his son either by word or movement so as to keep him away from the fireplace and not to get burnt!Therefore, when praying, you say: "Praise be to the Lord of the Worlds". Allah's Mercy requires that He should send Prophets and Messengers (you thank Him for that in your prayers).
It is not uncommon that some people abandon the Way of Allah and indulge in their desires. They don't like being constrained by His Way as it bsh3er them and restricts their movements. They indulge in their pleasures and desires, and in taking care of their interests. So when a Divine Message is revealed to them they see it as a restriction to their movements, which most likely will make them disbelieve the prophet who brought it.
"And the unbelievers say: No messenger are you."
Every Messenger brings a miracle testifying to his Message:
That is why Allah the Almighty must support his honourable Messengers with a testimony from Him in the form of miracles. Every Prophet has brought miracles, lying outside human experience. The very nature of a miracle is the proof provided by Allah that the man who has brought it is His Messenger."Then (Moses) threw his rod and behold! It was a serpent, plain (for all to see)."
Sayyidina Isa brought the dead to life, and sayyidina Ibrahim was thrown into the fire and he did not get burnt.The miracle of the Qur'an proves the Prophecy of the Messenger:
On account of Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, being the Seal of the Prophecy and the Last Messenger sent to mankind, and on account of the Book he brought being the Seal of Divine Books, his miracle could not be tangible; one that would happen just once and be over, turning into a mere talk, in which some would believe and some would not. Due to this fact, his miracle had to be everlasting and ongoing. Hence, there are 1300 ayaat in the Holy Qur'an talking about the Universe. These ayaat refer to the scientific facts which have been discovered only recently, whereas the Holy Qur'an mentioned them 1400 years ago. This is the absolute proof that the Holy Qur'an is the Word of Allah.So Allah's Mercy requires that when He sends Messengers, they have a proof from Allah.
"Then (Moses) threw his rod and behold! It was a serpent, plain (for all to see). And he drew out his hand, and there it was white to all beholders."
Desires are one of the prerequisites of the charge:
The history of the Prophecy and the Prophets refers to the Mercy of Allah the Almighty. It means that Allah provides the human being with desires that are neutral. However, depending on the use we make of them, we can totally get changed by them. And the love for women is deeply embedded in man."Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet, women and sons; heaped-up hoards of gold and silver; horses branded (for blood and excellence); and (wealth of) cattle and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of this world's life; but with Allah is the best of the goals (to return to)."
These desires have a very wide range but Allah has limited the range of the permissible ones. And there are some within the prohibited range. As for a woman, it is only permissible to have her as a wife. As for money, it should be gained in a licit way. You can be of a high status in this life only with permissible means. You should be of service to other people.Dear brother, what I mean is that when a man is motivated by the impulse of his desires according to the Way of Allah, he won't feel deprived at all.
"And who is more astray than the one who follows his desires, without guidance from Allah?"
This means that it is permissible for a man to follow his own desires with guidance from the Almighty Allah.Sending Prophets is for the benefit of people:
"O children of Adam!"
These prophets are sent with instructions from the Creator, the Aware, the Wise, the Omniscient, the Compassionate, and the most Merciful for your goodness, safety and happiness."Verily, this Qur'an does guide to that which is most right (or stable)."
The Qur'an guides people to the most upright ways:"Ways of peace and safety."
The Qur'an guides you to being at peace with yourself, with your Lord, with people, with living beings in general, and with all that is around you, above you and below you. When a believer is guided to Allah, he lives in peace and harmony with his entire environment.Messengers are mere human beings:
"O children of Adam! If there comes to you Messengers from among you…"
It means that they are human beings. If Messengers were not men, enjoying the characteristics of all people, they would not be masters of humankind. The prophets eat and drink:"And the Messengers whom We sent before you were all (men) who ate food and walked through the markets."
They were in need for food and drink, and for walking in the markets to earn their living. If Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had not been a man, with all the characteristics of a human being, he would not have desired, been pleased or lost his temper."I am a human being and I am pleased just as a human being is pleased and I lose temper just as a human being loses temper."
Yet, some ignorant people wished that the Prophet were an angel."What kept man back from belief when Guidance came to them was nothing but this: they said: 'Has Allah sent a man (like us) to be (His) Messenger?"
If the Messenger Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, were an angel, what would you say to him if he ordered you to lower your gaze? You would say: "No, we are human beings and you are an angel. We can't do this. You belong to a different species. You are born to perfection and we are born to lusts and desires.""Say: Had there been angels (living) on earth, walking about in peace, We would have certainly sent down an angel from the heavens as a Messenger.'"
If those called to the Almighty Allah were angels, then their Messengers would be angels. If they were people, so would be the Messengers.So I would like to repeat this phrase over and over again: If Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had not been a man, with all the characteristics of a human being, he would not be the master of all mankind. His being human implies that he desires just as we do, that he likes just as we do, that he loses temper just as we do, and is pleased just as we are. However, because of his truthfulness with his Lord, and because of his strong will, he triumphed over his humanity and thus became a model for all mankind.
"On nobody does Allah place a burden greater that he can bear."
If the burden were not within people's capacity, no one should be blamed for their failure, and no one should be considered superior to sh3er.Let us consider an example of a student who has been examined and has got the highest mark. Naturally, his success will be celebrated by all. On the other hand, other students have been tested for knowledge about issues they have never studied and then rebuked for their failure. If the chances were not equal, if the curriculum were not taught properly, and if the students did not have equal abilities and were not examined within their capacities, there would be no place for blame, and no one should be considered superior to sh3er.
Allah has enjoined on the believers what He enjoined on the Messengers:
If Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had not been a man, with all the characteristics of a human being, he would not be the model for all mankind.
"Allah has enjoined on the believers what He has enjoined on the Messengers "
A surgeon enjoys a high professional status, and yet, if he has to give a patient an injection, he should sterilize the instruments, just as any nurse should. There are some things which are obvious and well-known, and everyone involved is expected to do them properly. If the owner of the car he has invented drives it, he should know how to stop or steer it, just as any other driver should.So dear brother, uprightness is a definite matter. The differences among people do not stem from uprightness but from good deeds.
Allah has enjoined on the believers what He has enjoined on the Messengers:
If there is a defect in your uprightness, it will be covered by Allah even if you are not a Messenger, even if you are a common believer. This means that the way of the Prophets is not for the Prophets only but for all the believers.Hence, the Prophets come from among us, the mankind; have the same characteristics as we do, the same desires and the same fears.
Examples of what Prophet Muhammad suffered from in his life time:
Anas, may Allah be satisfied with him, has transmitted that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
"Verily, I fear Allah and I do not fear anyone else; and verily I seek refuge in Allah and in no-one else; and verily I was granted thirty days with their nights in which neither I nor Bilal had food human beings would eat, except what could be kept in Bilal's armpit."
In the battle of Badr, the Prophet kept supplicating his Lord till his garment fell off his shoulders. He feared that the preparations for the battle were not sufficient. He feared that the position taken up was weak. A victory from the Almighty Allah only comes to him who applies Allah's commands, and His command in war is that you should take all the precautions and preparations within your reach, and then put your trust in Him as if you had nothing else.Thus:
"O children of Adam! If there come to you Messengers from among you"
–from your own species; human beings.
Prophet Mohammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had several wives, some of whom caused him trouble. He was patient. He was sometimes poor and hungry. Although he was the best of all people, when he sometimes went home and asked whether there was any food, he was told that there was none. Then he would say that he was going to fast. His attitude when he was poor set a shining example for us. And sometimes he was rich. Once he was asked: "Who is the owner of this valley?" (it was a valley full of grazing sheep) "It is yours," the Prophet said. "Are you making fun of me?" the man asked. "No, by Allah, it is yours," the Prophet said. The man who was inquiring, and who was not a Muslim at the time, said then: "I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah." He would give generously as if he were not afraid of being poor. Allah sometimes made him poor and sometimes rich, and in either case he is our model. Then Allah made him triumphant. He entered Mekka as a conqueror, while humbly lowering his head to the extent that the front of his turban was about to touch his camel's neck. He never showed arrogance, never looted a city and never took revenge on his enemies.
Upon entering Mecca, he said to its inhabitants: "What do you think I am going to do with you?" "Well, you are an honourable brother and a son of an honourable brother," they said. "Go, you are set free," he replied.
The Almighty Allah made him victorious and he forgave (Mekka for everything). He made him oppressed in Taif, when he went to call its inhabitants to Islam and they disbelieved in him, mocked him, and ordered their boys to throw stones at him. He only said then: "O my Lord! If I have not incurred Your wrath, I don't mind what is happening; and reproach me until You are satisfied with me." When he suffered the loss of a son, he said:"The eyes are shedding tears and the heart is grieved, but we will not say except what pleases our Lord. O Ibrahim! Indeed we are grieved by your separation from us."
Two of his daughters were divorced by their husbands, and he remained patient and steadfast. He suffered emigration, it was as if he had been uprooted and then moved to a new place. If Allah had not made the Prophet suffer from so many things and if he were not the example for us to follow in all these circumstances, he would not be the master of all Prophets and Messengers.The real triumph lies in passing the examination:
Dear brother, I would like to give you a very precise piece of information that everyone needs to know. There is no triumph without being examined. You have to be tested. You triumph when you pass the test. You might be tested by being poor or rich; by being healthy or sick; by being strong or weak; by being handsome or ugly; by being clever or dumb; or by being fluent or unable to speak. Triumph comes not with avoiding the test but with passing it.Iman Ash-Shafi' was once asked: "Shall we supplicate Allah for being tested or powerful?" He replied: "You will not be powerful before being tested".
Believe this, dear bsh3er, the station of a man before Allah cannot be raised unless he has been tested. The Almighty Allah sets us countless tests. By His Power he could dispose of all men and bring them back to their previous state. One might say: "I am upright and honest. I have never done anything illicit." He is bragging and telling stories, but the reality is that one thousand liras is, for him, small change, and his life style would make you faint. Yet, he tells you: "What can I do? That’s how the world goes nowadays." Never ever think that Allah won't test you.
There must be a test:
There are many people who fancy themselves to be of high station but with extreme kindness Allah dissipates their delusion. You are not as you claim you are. You don't love Allah as you think you do, in goodness and wealth, with a large income, a wife, children and a car. Then Allah puts you to a small test. He makes you slightly sick, you feel tolerable pain, and yet you protest and say: "O Allah! Why have You done this to me? What have I done to You?""Surely, We always put (man) to the test."
Everyone will surely be put to the test.
Therefore, Imam Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Being content in a calamity is the highest degree of certainty (of belief)."If you want to test the real capacity of your car, you will drive it uphill not downhill.
The Almighty Allah put the Companions to the test in the Battle of the Ditch though they were the Prophet's closest Companions, fighting by his side, and it was not just any battle, but the one of extermination. Ten thousand enemy fighters wanted to do away with Islam. Some of those who were with the Prophet at that time said to one another: "Does your companion (meaning the Prophet) promise us that we will conquer the lands of Caesar and Khosrau when we cannot even answer the call of nature?" The Almighty Allah said:
"Behold! They came on you from above you and from below you, and behold, the eyes swerved and the hearts gaped up to the throats, and you imagined various (vain) thoughts about Allah. In that situation were the Believers tried they were shaken as by a tremendous shaking. And behold! The hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease say: Allah and His Messenger promised us nothing but delusions!"
"Among the Believers are men who have been true to their Covenant with Allah; of them some have died and some (still) wait, but they have never changed (their determination) in the least.
"Surely, We always put (man) to the test."
Let us repeat once again, Iman Ash-Shafi' was asked: "Shall we supplicate Allah for being tested or powerful?" He replied: "You will not be powerful before being tested".Get ready because the kinds of tests are countless. Nowadays, we, as Muslims, are put to the most difficult kinds of tests. Allah makes our enemies stronger than before and they take great pleasure in making our lives miserable, in corrupting our societies, in humiliating us, in trying hard to exterminate us. They ransack our lands and seize our goods. The lives of our youths are worthless to them. In Iraq, one million people have been killed; four million are homeless and one million are handicapped. Nothing has ever been done about it. However, if one of their soldiers gets captured, they do everything in their power to rescue him. This, for Muslims, is a very hard test indeed.
Sometimes Allah strengthens our enemies to the degree that a Muslim whose faith is weak can say: "Where is Allah?" While in fact thousands of Muslims do not perform the obligatory prayers. We are put to the most difficult test indeed. In this state of affairs, the real hero is the one who remains firm.
"Among the Believers are men who have been true to their Covenant with Allah; of them some have died and some (still) wait, but they have never changed (their determination) in the least.
A true Muslim is the one who is steadfast in observing Allah's Commandments in prosperity and adversity, in health and sickness, in strength and weakness, before and after marriage, and before and after graduation. We have made a covenant with Allah to obey Him. This is the stance of a true Muslim. The deeds Allah loves most are the ones performed regularly, even though they may be few. Never ever believe that Allah has forsaken us.When the Qur'an relates the story of Musa and Pharaoh, it mentions the fact of Pharaoh’s “slaughtering their sons and sparing their women for he was of the mischief-makers". However, here's the good news:
"Yet We desired to be gracious to those who were being depressed in the land and to make them leaders (in faith) and to make them heirs, and to establish a firm place to them in the land, and to show Pharaoh and Haman, and their hosts, the very things they were dreading from them."
It is entirely impossible that a tyrannical powerful nation on this earth can ever succeed in building up their glory and wealth upon the ruins of other nations; can ever enrich themselves at the expense of making other peoples poor; can ever make their culture flourish at the expense of eradicating other people's cultures; or can ever dignify their people at the expense of oppressing sh3er. By Allah, there is no god but He! The long-term success of the plans of the great tyrannical countries contradicts the existence of man on earth. It is impossible! Stay reassured! If all the powers on earth gathered together to hinder Allah's worshippers from His Guidance, they could never do so."The unbelievers spend their wealth to hinder (people) from the path of Allah and so they will continue to spend it, but in the end they will have only regrets and sighs: then they will be overcome; and the unbelievers will be gathered together to Hell."
In some occupied countries, the invaders wanted to eradicate the Islamic identity of their inhabitants. In the process, they banned the Arabic language, granted their nationality to all the inhabitants and closed the mosques. The only thing a Muslim could do was to leave. However, nowadays, these countries are filled with mosques and flourishing with faith, and they deeply respect and love scholars and religious men.This is the Deen of Allah. If Islam were not Allah's Deen, it would have been eradicated many years ago. There is no power on earth that can ban the religious education or ban piety. One of the great things about Islam is that whenever it is oppressed, it becomes much stronger. On the Day of Judgement, when all the facts are revealed, we will find out that those who fought against Islam have a credit for it but no reward whatsoever. They contributed to strengthening and gathering Muslims together. If it were not for them, we would remain asleep. They awakened us and we became aware of what was intended to be done against us.
"Messengers from among you, reciting My Signs to you":
Dear brother:"O children of Adam! If there come to you Messengers from among you, reciting My Signs to you, then those who become righteous and mend (their lives), on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve."
1. The Signs of Allah encompass the Qur'an, the Universe and the formation
The Signs regarding the Universe constitute His Creation; regarding the formation are His Works, and those regarding the Qur'an are His Words.2. " then those who become righteous"
This means those fearing the anger of the Almighty Allah and thus obeying Him; fearing His power and thus turning to Him; and fearing His punishment and thus following His mandate.3. " and mend their lives"
This means if one's deeds cause corruption, he should struggle to make them decent. If he is careless in his obligatory acts of worship, he should struggle to perform them properly. If he neglects the rights of his wife, children and neighbour, he should attend to them. If he doesn't care about his health, he should change his habits and eat moderately. And if he is unmindful of self-improvement, he should get to know His Lord better and work towards obeying Him." then those who become righteous" fear calamities, disbelief, shirk, extravagance, oppression and above all fear the anger of Allah, and thus follow Him. He is the Only One you seek refuge in and you escape from Him (His anger) into Him (His mercy).
" then those who become righteous and mend their lives"
: Sometimes you might come across a well. It is definitely better not to block it up or throw rubbish into it. Rather, a fence should be built around it and its water transferred to the nearby houses by means of an engine.4. "on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve"
They have no fear in this worldly life and they will not be grieved by their departure from it.You live this very moment but there is a future and a past; a future with no fear: "on them shall be no fear"; and a past with no grief: "nor shall they grieve".
O Lord, what do we lose when we find You? And what do we find when we lose You? If Allah is with you, who is strong enough to go against you? And if He is against you, who can be of any help to you?
Sayyidina Abu-Bakr As-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, never regretted anything he had missed in this worldly life: "on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve."
"Whoever follows My guidance will not lose his way, nor fall into misery."
His mind will not go astray. His soul will not feel miserable. With no Divine guidance, there would be countless questions with no answers, questions such as: Why is life short? Life is so short that a doctor would spend much less time practicing medicine than studying it. Why should there be the poor and the rich? Sickness and health? Why is there oppression in this world? Why are there tyrannical countries and weak destroyed countries? The Qur'an presents profound and accurate explanations that are in conformity with the Universe, life and human beings. To every question, there's an answer in the Holy Qur'an: "then those who become righteous and mend their lives, on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.""But those who reject Our Signs and treat them with arrogance, they are companions of the Fire, to dwell therein (for ever)."
"But those who reject Our Signs and treat them with arrogance, they are companions of the Fire, to dwell therein (for ever)."
1. Death should be taken into account every day.
Those who are oblivious of death live in the present only, and such is the case of most people. Death is a sudden transfer from a 400-square-meter house into a grave; a departure from a wife, children, friends, companions and servants! Glory be to Allah Who vanquishes His worshipper by death.When one lives thinking about the future, one becomes mindful. The stupid ones are those who live in the past and the less stupid are the ones who live in the present. They get surprised when something they have not thought about happens to them. They reject and condemn it. On the other hand, the mindful live in the future, and the most dreadful thing that will happen in the future is the departure from this life. What have you prepared for such a departure? What have you prepared for the grave? Have you performed good deeds? Have you been upright? Have you raised your children well? Have you controlled your desires? Have you managed correctly your income and expense? Have you established social relations according to Allah's Command? What have you prepared?
Abu Huraira, may Allah be satisfied with him, has transmitted that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said (meaning death):
"Keep mentioning the destroyer of pleasures."
"Keep mentioning the one who separates lovers and communities."
"Live as you want; you are to die. Love whoever you want; you are to be separated from them. Do whatever you want; you are to be held responsible for what you did."
2. " And those who reject Our Signs and treat them with arrogance."
"And those who reject our signs" have never considered death; "and treat them with arrogance."
How many frame-ups are there in the courts of justice? Cases of usurping a company or money? Avoiding paying off a debt? How many cases in which the usurper is provided with legal aid and can continue usurping?Dear brother, by Allah, I don't exaggerate! Most people have never taken Allah into account.
"And those who reject Our Signs and treat them with arrogance, they are the inhabitants of Fire therein dwelling forever."
