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Interpretation of the Quran- Surat Al-Fajr (89)- Lesson (1)- Verses [1-4]: Importance of Contemplation in the Signs of Allah
   
 
 
In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful  
 

Some explanations of ayaat 1-4 of surat Al-Fajr:

 Dear brother, the surah we are going to examine today is al-Fajr.
 Allah Most High says:
 In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

“By the Dawn; By the ten Nights, And by the Even and the Odd.And by the Night when it departs.
Is there (not) in this a mighty oath for a man open to reason?”

(Al-Fajr, 89:1-5)

 Commentators vary as to the interpretation of the above ayaat. Some of them say: the dawn is something well-known; the ten nights are the first ten days of Dhul-Hijja; some sh3er say that they are those of the month of Muharram. As for "the Even and the Odd" –that those are the two forms of the salah: the salah of four raka'h is "the even", and the salah of uneven number of raka'h is "the odd". As for "the night when it departs" –it means "disappears". These are some of the interpretations of these ayaat.
 However, some of the commentators give a specific meaning to these ayaat, which turns them into one-subject matter. If one, for example, says to you: "a watch, a hand, a face, a crown", and you analyze every word individually, you will perceive that each of them is unrelated to the sh3er. But when you consider other meanings of these words, you will say: the watch with its hands, its face and winding-crown. The explanations of some interpreters of the ayaat in question aim at the coherence of the subject Allah Most High is telling you about.

“By the Dawn;
By the ten Nights,”

 What is, then, the relationship between the Dawn and the ten Nights, and the Even and the Odd, and the Night when it departs? The first and the last ayaat are clearly about the Universe, but those in between them are unrelated to it. The dawn is something everybody is familiar with. Where, then, does its greatness lie? It lies in the night. If you hire a boat to take you to an island by night, you will certainly feel gloom or fear. Go to a forest at night! You cannot deny that you will feel desolate. Then the dawn breaks and you see everything clearly; you then feel comfortable.

The meanings of al- fajr:

 It carries many meanings. The strict or narrowed meaning of this ayah is that the earth is a sphere which revolves around itself at a thousand and six hundred kilometers per hour. This revolution around itself takes place simultaneously with its revolution around the sun; the part of the earth's surface which comes to face the sun receives its rays, and those disperse darkness. If the earth didn't revolve around itself, the dawn wouldn't exist; and if the shape of the earth weren't spherical, the dawn wouldn't break gradually. If the earth were cubic, the sun would rise abruptly, and it can be easily imagined how harmful the sudden sunrise and sunset would be. The expression "by the Dawn" means that the earth is spherical; and also that it revolves around itself; and it also means "the sun". If the earth revolved and the sun did not exist, its revolution would be useless, and so would be the day without the night.

“And from among His Signs are the Night and the Day,
and the Sun and the Moon.”

(Fussilat, 41: from ayah 37)

“And a Sign for them is the Night. We withdraw therefrom the Day,”

(Ya-Sin, 36: from ayah 37)

 The Day and the Night are, then, two Signs, and so is the Sun. Were it not for the night, you wouldn't know about it. You know the value and the warmth of the sun when you feel its rays at sunrise. Also, the cold makes you appreciate its importance and that of the gentle and gradual stream of sunlight caused by the globular shape of the earth. When our Lord the Great and Almighty says "by the Dawn", this means that it is a remarkable Sign, worthy of all attention. Have we ever thought about it? Have we ever sat after the salah of fajr to think about it? When Allah swears in this ayah by the Dawn, He wants to draw our attention to some of His Signs.

Allah has created everything according to adequate measure:

"By the ten Nights,”

 Everybody knows that the earth has an object attached to it, a kind of satellite –the moon, the complete revolution of which around the earth lasts one month, and its twelve revolutions form the lunar year, with the months of Rajab, Sha'ban, Ramadan, etc. On comparing these lunar months with the solar ones, we find that there is a considerable difference between the two. The solar year is longer than the lunar year by ten days. To give more details –the moon revolves around the earth to form the lunar year, and the earth revolves around the sun to form the solar year, and the difference between the two is ten nights. As all of you know, Ramadan comes ten days earlier every year.

“And they stayed in their Cave three hundred (solar) years, adding nine (lunar years).”

(al-Kahf, 18:25)

 As regards the above ayah, some commentators say that when you calculate the difference between the three hundred years, the lunar and the solar ones, you will find that it is exactly 9 years. Who created this difference between the revolution of the moon and the revolution of the earth around the sun? Indeed, it is exquisitely planned; everything functions according to precise measurement.

Man comes to know Allah by means of reflection:

“Verily, We have created all things according to qadar (proportion and measure).”

(al-Qamar, 54:49)

 Some have interpreted this ayah in terms of the hearing, the sight, the smell and other senses; the distance between the earth and the sun, and the earth and the moon, and the distance between the sun and the other planets; all of them, having been designed with perfect precision and unparalleled wisdom. There is yet another interpretation which affirms the coherence of these ayaat which makes them into a harmonious one-subject matter.
 By the Dawn: the system which includes the sun, the earth, the moon, the spherical shape, the revolutions, warm sunrays, etc.
 By the ten Nights: think about this marvelous system that Allah Most High made on a twofold patterns –lunar and solar year; and made the ten-night difference between the two, exactly as mentioned in this surah.
 The Even: in pairs –the earth and the moon are an even (number), while the sun is an odd number; hence, the connection between the Even and the Odd, and the ten Nights and the Dawn is indeed accurate.
 Can man get to know Allah without reflecting on these ayaat? Man acquires knowledge of things by means of his senses. You can see things by the agency of your eyes and you can hear the sounds they make by the agency of your ears, and you can feel them by the agency of your hands. But how can you get to know Allah the Exalted and Glorious? Only by the agency of reflection. Allah Most High has created this miraculous Universe and, furthermore, the precise faculty of reflection. If man duly uses this ability, he will come to know Allah, and when one knows Allah, one knows everything.

"O Son of Adam! If you look for Me, you find Me; and when you find Me, you find everything; and when you miss Me, you miss everything, and I should be more beloved by you than everything else."

 Is it so difficult to infer from the various kinds of the Universe Signs mentioned by Allah that we should reflect on them seriously? Certainly, these are the themes for contemplation, and if you want to know Allah, there are His Signs.

When Man reflects on Allah's Creation, he comes to know Him:

 Imagine somebody asks you: Didn't you want a set of furniture for your bedroom? You say that you did, and this person takes you to two carpenters, one of whom is black and the other white, asking you to choose one for placing your order. However, you want to find out about their craftsmanship first. Therefore, you will ask each of them to show you a sample of their art, something they had made, to check the precision of manufacture, the harmony of colors, durability, keeping in mind your standards for the order. Will you evaluate the carpenter on the basis of his appearance? No, you will do so on the basis of his craftsmanship.
 Allah the Exalted and Glorious cannot be felt by senses, but you can feel and come to know Him by means of reflection on His Creation.

“And on the earth are Signs for those of assured faith.”

(Adh-Dhariyat, 51:20)

 Signs… wherever you look you find a Sign; millions in your daily life; in your own household you find thousands of them. Your son is a Sign, the cup of water is a Sign, the food and fruits that you eat are Signs, the warmth is a Sign, the bed that you sleep on is a Sign. Who created its wool? The cotton that your pillow is filled with is also a Sign, and the cement and the iron your house is made from are Signs, too:

“And We sent down Iron, in which is great might, as well as many benefits for mankind,”

(al-Hadid, 57:from ayah 25)

 The cutlery and crockery are Signs, natural gas is a Sign, your son and daughter and their characters are Signs, and so is your wife:

“And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put between you affection and mercy.”

(ar-Rum, 30:21)

The Night and the Day –two of the Signs of Allah’s Greatness:

 Why waste the Signs of Allah as if there were useless?! If you do so, you will never realize their real value and, consequently, you will never realize the Greatness of their Creator. On the other hand, if you think about them seriously, you will see Allah Most High through them, and thus be successful in your life.
 Our Lord is Great and Almighty, and it goes without saying that nothing has been done by Him haphazardly. Unsurprisingly, most suwar in the final part of the Qur'an, revealed in Mekka, where the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, started his Call to Islam, contain abundant references to Allah's Signs.
 The Dawn is a Sign in its own right; even animals wake up when the sun rises, returning to their shelters and dens when it sets. Its shine increases gradually, and in the same way takes place the coming of the night, and this is a great Sign of Allah's:

“By the Dawn;
By the ten Nights,
And by the Even and the Odd.
And by the Night when it departs.
Is there (not) in this a mighty oath for a man open to reason?”

(Al-Fajr, 89:1-5)

 The night departs due to earth's revolution around itself. Look how our Lord the Great and Almighty summed up these ayaat in the first one, the Dawn, and in last one, the Night when it departs. This means that the dawn breaks out from here and the darkness of the night gathers from there, at dawn time.

Qur'anic ayaat on the Universe are countless:

 When you look to the east you see the shine, and when you look to the west you see the darkness. This Sign is reversed in the evening: you see the shine in the west, and the darkness in the east –the night comes. Both the Day and the Night are among the Signs of Allah.
 So are the Sun and the Moon. The globular shape of the earth is a Sign; the weather that you enjoy is also a Sign. Then, where are you going?! And what distracts you from reflecting on Allah's Signs?

“Then in what exposition after Allah and His Signs will they believe?”

(Al-Jathiyah, 45: from ayah 6)

“And also in your own selves (there are Signs). Will you not then see?”

(Adh-Dhariyat, 51:21)

“And on the earth are Signs for those of assured faith.”

(adh-Dhariyat, 51:20)

“And He has subjected to you, as from Him, all that is in the heavens and on earth.”

(Al-Jathiyah, 45; from ayah 13)

 The Qur'anic ayaat on the Universe are uncountable.

Hijr is another name for reasoning

 Furthermore, Allah Most High says:

"Is there (not) in this a mighty oath for a man open to reason (hijr)?"

(Al-Fajr, 89:5)

 Some commentators say that hijr is another name for reason. Why would reason be called hijr? Because it prevents, yahjar, the man from committing mistakes. Put a piece of meat in front of a hungry cat, what will it do? It will jump at it and eat it. Science says that in the world of animals there exist only stimuli and responses. As regards human beings, however, we talk of reasoning and response. You might be hungry and the meat might be before you but you do not eat it because it isn't yours. And you might be at your friend's but you cannot eat because you haven't been invited, the fact which prevents you from eating. And what prevents you from taking what doesn't belong to you? It is your reason. And what forbids you to look at a woman that you aren't allowed to look at? It is your reason. And what prohibits you from taking illicit money? It is your reason. And what prevents you from treating your wife kindly while you forget your mother's rights? It is the reason. Thus, our Lord called the faculty of reasoning hijr is because it prevents man from making mistakes; from tyranny, depravity, corruption and wrongdoing. Hence:

“Is there (not) in this a mighty oath for a man open to reason”

(Al-Fajr, 89:5)

 Allah Most High calls it, thus, hijr; and He also calls it lubb.

“Verily, in this is a Reminder for men of understanding (ul'ul al-bab).”

(Az-Zumar, 39; part of ayah 21)

 He also called it aql.

Someone asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "O Messenger of Allah, shall I hobble (aql) it (a she-camel) or trust in Allah? He said: Hobble it and (then) put your trust in Allah."
"Blessed be Allah Who distributed reason at random between His servants. Verily, you may find two men who are equal as regards offering salah, fasting and doing good, but differ as regards their faculty of reasoning as much as an atom differs from Mount Uhud."

(Agreed upon)

 The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

"The essence of man is his reason."

Allah has honoured Man with the faculty of reasoning:

 It occurs to me that an animal doesn't fear except when it sees the danger. With its low level of mental and psychological life, it doesn't avoid danger until it sees it. On the other hand, Allah the Great and Almighty has honored man with reasoning, through which he can perceive danger before it happens. So when man misuses this faculty and doesn't reflect on the Universe, and is faced with danger at the moment of death, he will realize then that he is of the people of Hell. We say to him: Where was your reason? Your reflection? Intelligence lies in reaching the thing before it reaches you. Therefore, Allah Most High says:

“Verily, the Hour is coming; I have almost kept it hidden, for every soul to receive its reward by the measure of its endeavour.”

(Taha, 20:15)

 "I have almost kept it hidden"… Till man and his reason appear.
 If a building one happens to be passing collapses all of a sudden, one can escape the danger or not; but if one sees a road sign warning of a dangerous slope or turn, for example, and fails to heed it, one will not be considered sane or thoughtful:

“Verily, the Hour is coming; I have almost kept it hidden, for every soul to receive its reward by the measure of its endeavour.”

(Taha, 20:15)

 The real danger is the danger of the Hereafter, which is invisible. All the people are, relatively and generally, equal; both believers and disbelievers. The believer has a home and a job, he eats and drinks, and so does the usurer; he who fails to be obedient to Allah lives as the believer does; he who transgresses and violates the rights of sh3er lives as the believer does. The danger is invisible, but Allah Most High has honored man with the faculty of reasoning, and he must see the dangers before their time comes, and he must understand that this Universe was created by Allah, Who is One and Only, and it is impossible that He should let people avoid Reckoning.

“Did you think that We had created you in jest, and that you would not be brought back to Us?Therefore Exalted be Allah, the True King, the Reality; there is no god but He, the Lord of the Throne of Honour!”

(Al-Mu'minun, 23:115-116)

Life without the Hereafter would be meaningless:

 Imagine a university –with impressive towering buildings, beautiful gardens, huge amphitheaters, labs supplied with modern devices, managed by resolute administration. It has accurate records and archives, a library overflowing with volumes, books and other publications, recreation areas, and campuses. What it lacks is exams. Were it not for exams, a university would be something absurd because the exam is what actually evaluates its students, divides them into those who worked hard and who didn't; it is the examination that demonstrates their qualifications and skills. Similarly, the worldly life without the Hereafter would be meaningless and imperfect, and when we talk of perfection we do not mean that all the students should be successful. No, the perfection of a university lies in the fact that the results are concurrent with what precedes them. Lazy and negligent students will not pass their exams and succeed. Who will succeed is the hard-working and diligent student, and success itself has many grades: excellent, very good, good, and acceptable. The magnificence of a university or academic system is that the results of the exams correspond with students' effort –not all of them can be successful, but as long as accurate standards are applied, reckoning and evaluation are adequate.
 The weak and the powerful, the poor and the rich, the ill and the healthy, those who have numerous opportunities and those who have none, couples who have children and those who are childless cohabit on this earth and in this life. If this life were everything we had, we could say that Creation was imperfect as no blame can be attached to those we have been deprived of some blessing; and thus orldly life without the Hereafter would be meaningless. On the Doomsday, the rich man will be asked about his wealth. How did he earn it? How did he spend it? Similarly, the poor will be questioned as to whether they were patient and endured for Allah's sake; as to whether poverty drove them to seeking ill-gotten gain or helped them to remain virtuous. The powerful will be questioned as to what they did for the poor who were their responsibility. And the weak person will be asked: Did you help sh3er?
 On that Day, everybody will undergo questioning, and when its results are compared with what went before, a perfect match will be perceived. Hence, this life does not make sense except with the belief in the Last Day.
 If a big sum of money were offered to a person for betraying his principles and he would say "Allah forbid! I fear Allah the Lord of all the Worlds", wouldn't he be considered stupid, in case there were no Afterlife, on account of his being virtuous but poor? But given that there is the Last Day, this person will be rewarded with the eternal happiness for this precious virtue. We say: This is justice. On that Day, it will be said to him, and to everybody like him:

“Eat and drink in full satisfaction for that which you have sent on before you in days past!”

(Al-Haqqah, 69:24)

Allah links the belief in Him with the belief in the Last Day:

“Then he that will be given his Record in his right hand will say: "Here! "Read my Record!
Surely, I did believe that my Account would reach me (one Day)! And he will be in a life of Bliss.
In a Garden on high,
The fruits whereof (will hang) low and near.
Eat and drink with full satisfaction for that which you have sent on before you in days past!”

(Al-Haqqah, 69:19-24)

“As to the Righteous, they will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs,
Taking joy in the things which their Lord gives them, because, before then, they have done good deeds.
They were in the habit of sleeping but little by night,
And in the hours of early dawn they (were found) praying for Forgiveness;
And in their wealth there is a due share for the beggar and the deprived.
And on the earth are Signs for those of assured faith.
And also in your own selves. Will you not see?”

(Adh-Dhariyat, 51:15-21)

 If you read the Qur'an attentively, you will find that in most ayaat Allah Most High links the belief in Him to the belief in the Last Day. It is so because the belief in Allah only is not enough.

The Hereafter is the everlasting Abode:

 There is a Creator of this Universe –why poverty; why weakness; why crushing crises, when Allah is the Rich One?

“And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth.”

(Al-Ma'idah, 5:from ayah 18)

“And to Allah belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth,”

(Al-Munafiqun, 63: from ayah 7)

 Why scarcity of rain? Why paucity of the agricultural production? Why cankers, so destructive to plants? These are the trials of this fleeting life, life of painstaking and hard work, life of earning one's living, life of being tested; and the Hereafter is the Abode that remains forever. Imam Ash-Shibli said that he had read four hundred thousand ahadith, then took just one hadith in which he saw all the knowledge, first and last, useful for mankind. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, says in the following hadith:

"Work for (the sake of) the worldly life by the measure of (the length of) your sojourn in it; and work for the Hereafter by the measure (of the length) of your abiding in it; and work for Allah's sake by the measure of your necessity of Him; and fear the Hellfire by the measure of your capacity to tolerate it."

 All of us shall die, Death is lying in wait for us; every day there are two or three funerals. Won't I be like those deceased? And know that the Angel of Death has passed us (going) to other (people).
 Look at the obituaries in the streets… today I have heard of three funerals… We must be cautious … Death has passed the sh3er on its way to us… The real triumph is to appear, on that Day, with a shining face and pure heart, having earned one's money in a licit way, having obeyed Allah…

“Eat and drink with full satisfaction for that which you have sent on before you in days past!”

(Al-Haqqah, 69:19-24)

None disobeys Allah but he who neglects reflection:

 Get used to thinking about Death five minutes every day. This is not pessimism. The average man thinks that it is, but the believer realizes that Death is lying in wait for him, and when Death is taken into consideration, man will act rightly and work for what comes afterwards; and the weak is he who has indulged in his desires then expected to be saved by Allah.

“Is there (not) in this a mighty oath for a man open to reason?”

(Al-Fajr, 89:5)

 Shouldn't these Signs be sufficient for reasonable people? O reasonable people, where is your reason? The reason is what bars man from disobedience to Allah, no one disobeys Allah but a fool. Thus:

“Is there (not) in this a mighty oath for a man open to reason?”

(Al-Fajr, 89:5)

 What, indeed, is the value of somebody who doesn't care about these Signs?
 A man talked about Allah to a foreigner who said that he believed in Him. He was then asked whether he believed in the Hereafter. He said: "I don't believe in it." He, then, ended the conversation saying, summarizing it a little: "These subjects do not concern us and should not trouble us. What concerns us is a big house, big car, high income…" Allah Most High says:

“They are only like cattle. Nay, they are even farther astray from the Path. “

(Al-Furqan, 25: from ayah 44)

“They are as blocks of wood propped up.”

(Al-Munafiqun, 63: from verse 4)

“The likeness of those who were entrusted with the (obligation of the) Torah (Tawrah), but who subsequently failed in those (obligations) is as the likeness of a donkey which carries huge burdens of books (but understands nothing from them).”

(Al-Jumu'ah, 62: from ayah 5)

The attitude of worldly people:

 When man turns away and refuses to think about the Signs of Allah, he does not care about Him. But talk to them about the life of this world and you will find that everybody is paying attention; talk with them about the exchange rate, business, houses, heaters, central heating and everything related to luxury and the pleasures of life, you find they are all ears. By contrast, when you talk to them about the Hereafter, they yawn and apologize. For this reason, Allah Most High says:

“Say: Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds?
Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds.”

(Al-Kahf, 18:103-104)

“By the Time.
Verily, man is in loss.
Except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and (join together) in the mutual enjoining of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.”

(Al-'Asr, 103:1-3)

The pharaonic civilization:

 When man does not reflect on Allah's Signs, and says: "I am not interested in them, what concerns me is food and drink, good income, my marriage, a comfortable home, prosperous trade, successful projects and a beautiful summer house", we say to him:

“Saw you not how your Lord dealt with the 'Ad (people)
Of the (city) of Iram, with lofty pillars,
The like of which were not created in the land?
And (with) the Thamud (people), who hewed out rocks in the valley?
And (with) Fir'aun (Pharaoh), lord of Stakes?
All these transgressed beyond bounds in the land.
And heaped therein mischief (on mischief).
Therefore your Lord poured on them a scourge of diverse chastisement.
Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful.”

(Al-Fajr, 89:6-14)

 Fir'aun –who is meant here is the Pharaoh of Musa (Moses), who had the stakes. The majority of commentators say that those were the pyramids. Think about their structure –something almost unimaginable: tremendous height, huge stones… I was told that there is an opening in the pyramid wall, made according to a wonderful geometric -architectural design. The sunrays enter this opening on just one day in the whole year, which is the day on which the deceased buried there was born or died. Indeed, the most exquisite geometry and architectural design! So far, nobody knows how their dead were mummified. Wheat stored in the pyramids for more than seven thousand years has been sowed and it yielded a plant. There are graves and mummified bodies in the pyramids. A couple of years ago, or more, I read that the Pharaoh of Musa was taken to Paris to be "treated", isn't he mummified? Some rottenness affected him; he was treated and returned to Egypt, an ancient person who lived thousands of years ago.
 Our Lord says:

“Saw you not how your Lord dealt with the 'Ad (people)?”

 Those were the first 'Ad, whose name was Iram. It was a mighty and powerful tribe that lived in the region between Hadramout (now in Yemen) and the Empty Quarter Desert (in Saudi Arabia), who used to put up their tents on pillars. It dominated the whole region.

Allah describes the power of the 'Ad, their might and hegemony:

“Saw you not how your Lord dealt with the 'Ad (people)
Of the (city) of Iram, with lofty pillars,

 The like of which were not created in the land?”When they gave up reflection on these Signs, neglected the Last Day, and indulged in their lusts and pleasures, blindness took possession of their hearts. Then they transgressed, depraved and corrupted, whereupon they deserved destruction, and, consequently, Allah's Sign came about.
 Allah Most High describes their strength, dominance, might and hegemony in these words:

“The like of which were not created in the land?”

 In every age, there is a dominant country, exceptionally advanced. You sometimes hear about a country which has atomic weapons; and another country possesses the neutron bomb, which kills people only not causing much damage to man-made objects such as buildings, roads, gardens, factories, etc. It is intended for the destruction of human life only, the most sophisticated medium of mass destruction that the ruinous human brain has produced. Some other countries possess chemical weapons, which, if used on the battlefield, cause hallucinations or phobias, as well as other dangerous psychic disorders; and some have bacteriological weapons of mass destruction, etc. Our Lord the Great and Almighty says:

“Until when the earth is clad in its adornments and is beautified, and its people think that they have all the powers of disposal over it, Our Command reaches it by night or by day and We make it like a clean –mown harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday ! Thus We do explain the ayaat in detail for the people who reflect.”

(Yunus, 10: from ayah 24)

The ayaat which follow are specific and general:

 Nowadays, every powerful "team" in the dominant countries think that the fate of the world is in their hand. For this reason, a direct line has been set up between Washington and Moscow, called "the red line", lest a misunderstanding occurs and they might destroy each other, thinking that the fate or the end of the world is in their hands.
 “Until when the earth is clad in its adornments and is beautified, and its people think that they have all the powers of disposal over it, Our Command reaches it.”
 Our Command, not theirs, reaches it by night or by day. The earth is globular and this inevitable total destruction will happen by night and by day. Our Lord says:

“Saw you not how your Lord dealt with the 'Ad (people)
Of the (city) of Iram, with lofty pillars,
The like of which were not created in the land?”

(Al-Fajr, 89:6-8)

 This ayah mentions specifically the 'Ad, but its general meaning refers to any other powerful state claiming that it is the strongest power on earth and thus nobody can confront it.

“And (with) the Thamud (people), who hewed out rocks in the valley?”

 There is a palace inside the Al- Berta' Mountain (in Jordan), which I saw with my own eyes. The king's hall was thirty meters by thirty meters by thirty meters –a huge perfect cube; at the entrance you can see the pillars with their capitals and ornaments. No stone had been used in the construction of those buildings; they were wholly and entirely carved in the rock. It actually seems a thing beyond humans abilities… you can see their houses, baths, meeting places, amphitheaters and other public facilities.

“And (with) the Thamud (people), who hewed out rocks in the valley?
And (with) Fir'aun (Pharaoh), lord of Stakes?”

The relationship between tyranny and transgression:

 But why did Allah Most High call the 'Ad and the Thamud by their names while he didn't call the people of Egypt by this name, mentioning Fir'aun (Pharaoh)? Some interpreters inferred that they "dissolved" in the personality of Fir'aun as if one was nothing in his presence. Allah Most High says:

“Thus did he (Fir'aun) make fools of his people, and they obeyed him; truly were they a people rebellious (against Allah).”

(Az-Zukhruf, 43:54)

 Hence, Allah did not give them a name but He, in a way, gave them the nickname of Fir'aun, but the Thamud and the 'Ad are another case.

“Saw you not how your Lord dealt with the 'Ad (people)
Of the (city) of Iram, with lofty pillars,
The like of which were not created in the land?
And (with) the Thamud (people), who hewed out rocks in the valley?
And (with) Fir'aun (Pharaoh), lord of Stakes?
All these transgressed beyond bounds in the land.
And heaped therein mischief (on mischief).
Therefore your Lord poured on them a scourge of diverse chastisement.
Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful.”

(Al-Fajr, 89:6-14)

 There is a connection between transgression and exceeding the bounds or limits. Sometimes the husband transgresses against his wife; he has rights and so does she; and when he transgresses her rights, he corrupts and demoralizes her and damages himself by doing so. He inevitably corrupts her and he corrupts himself by his transgression.

“All these transgressed beyond bounds in the land.”

 If you offend against the rights of the buyer by raising the price of the good or by giving him a bad one, this is transgression. Its meaning is very wide, but it can be summarized as exceeding the limits; you should grant everybody their rights; if you don't, then you transgress and offend against him.

The relationship between tyranny and corruption:

 Transgression in this ayah means exceeding the limits, and has many significations. It can be taken on the level of the family –exceeding the limits in dealing with children is transgression. Also, abusing an employee is transgression –you are the boss and you exceed the limits; and there may be transgression in treating the neighbor, the buyer… in any kind of social intercourse. Every transgression is conducive to corruption and bad relationship. Transgression breeds corruption –the corruption of relationships… tyranny. So, corruption is a general term here…

“That Home of the Hereafter We shall give to those who
intend not high-handedness or mischief on earth;
and the End is (best) for the Righteous.”

(Al-Qasas, 28:-83)

 You certainly make somebody hate his house when you criticize it: "It's such a small house, how can you live here?" Thus, you corrupt his "relation" with his house; and if you mention a beautiful woman who has more beauty than his wife, you corrupt his relation with his wife; and when you make him interested in the worldly life, you corrupt his relationship with his Lord; and when you tempt him into wrongdoing, you corrupt his relationship with his Afterlife. All the relations may get corrupted and most likely the relation between man and his reason gets corrupted when man misuses or disuses it, or uses it only to satisfy his lusts and desires. And the relation between man and his Lord gets corrupted when man fails to obey Him, when he cheats people, wrongs them, offends against them; and maybe the relations within the whole society get corrupted when they are based on lie and fraud. Therefore, there is a link between transgression and corruption.

“All these transgressed beyond bounds in the land.
And heaped therein mischief (on mischief).
Therefore your Lord poured on them a scourge of diverse chastisement.
Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful.”

(Al-Fajr, 89:6-14)

 "Poured" indicates the magnitude or abundance of painful torment, an immense amount of painful torment.

“Therefore your Lord poured on them a scourge of diverse chastisement.”

Man's action and inactivity are under the Divine Watch:

“ Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful.”

(Al-Fajr, 89:14)

 This is to say that all your movements and repose; thoughts, intentions, ambitions; what you show and what you withhold; all your secrets; all of this is watched by Allah Most High. At any time you are under the Divine Watch, under close observation.
 When one feels that he is watched, he cannot sleep as he usually does. So how about the Divine Watch of He Who knows all secrets, and even what is still more hidden than them? Say whatever you want, He knows your intentions and secrets, your purpose for this invitation, for that meeting or appointment, picnic or journey; He knows every single thing about you.
 Therefore, a wife who knows this ayah cannot wrong her husband, nor can her husband wrong her when he knows what "Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful" means. And if the employer, who knows that his employee necessarily needs to work, that this employee works with him out of pure necessity, exploits this need to reduce his wages and increase his working hours, he should know that "Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful". Also when you know that the buyer needs some product, and you raise its price and hide its defect, you had better remember that "Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful" … By Allah, this ayah is more than sufficient.
 By Allah, apart from Whom there is no other god, if we deal properly with this ayah, all our relations will be well-conducted –at work, at home, in the neighbourhood, and everywhere else, since Allah Most High knows who is doing wrong. I say frequently to the spouses "Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful" … If you wrong her and transgress her rights, and if she is neglectful and transgresses your rights, remember "Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful" …

“Truly strong is the Grip of your Lord.”

(al-Buruj, 85:12)

 Anyone should tremble on reading this ayah, and he who doesn't is a fool.

The highest rank before Allah is that of fear (of Him):

 Who fears Allah most is ranked highest by Him …

“ Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful.”

 Perhaps you control yourself more when you know that there is a recorder at the meeting, and you entreat your friend to erase your words, and he doesn't, not even as a joke. The presence of the recorder makes you control yourself; and this control still increases when you know that you are videoed. This is the self-discipline that should exist with regard to the continuous Divine Watch, in private and in public. For this reason, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

"As for he who has no piety that prevents him from disobedience to Allah when he is alone, Allah will not care in the least for his deeds."

 Do you offer your salah as sincerely in your house as you do if you are behind the imam at the mosque?

“Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful.”

 Do you hide your faults at home and show people your virtues?

“Verily, your Lord is Ever Watchful.”

 When this ayah, therefore, is put into practice, one will definitely control one's behavior, as much privately as publicly and as much publicly as privately. There will be no dualism or duplicity; one's intentions will be identical to one's words. Therefore:

“The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail,
But only he (will prosper) who brings to Allah a sound heart.”

(Ash-Shu'ara, 26:88-89)

Faith is "sound", clean, free from all that is forbidden.

 This is what we learn from these ayaat, when we reflect on it adequately.

“By the Dawn;
By the ten Nights,
And by the Even and the Odd.
And by the Night when it departs.”

(Al-Fajr, 89:1-4)

 And he who comes to know Allah Most High through them, then behaves righteously, follows His Orders and does good will be happy forever.
 And he who turns away from these ayaat, doesn't care about them and indulges in his desires:

“Saw you not how your Lord dealt with the 'Ad (people)
Of the (city) of Iram, with lofty pillars,
The like of which were not created in the land?”

(Al-Fajr, 89:6-8)

 There is a very strong link here. If the Qur'an is read superficially, no connection will be found between this part and the other…

“By the Dawn;
By the ten Nights,
And by the Even and the Odd.
And by the Night when it departs.
Saw you not how your Lord dealt with the 'Ad (people)?”

(Al-Fajr, 89:1-5)

 There is a sudden shift here from the Universe Signs to a story, that is to say, if man doesn't reflect on these ayaat, and doesn't care about them, and isn't upright following Allah's Orders and doesn't do good deeds, his fate will be like the fate of the 'Ad, the Thamud and Fir'aun, the fate which is certain. And if he reflects on them, he will certainly save himself from this gloom fate.

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