let us experience the Quran: surah al Masadd

Surah Al Masadd (palm fibre, the flame)

All praises are due unto Allah, we thank Him and we seek His assistance. Whomsoever He guides, none can astray him, and whomsoever He astray, there is none to guide him. Peace and blessings be upon the unlettered Prophet Muhammad (SAW). I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah (SWT) and Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and final Messenger.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful!

Perdition overtake both hands of Abu Lahab, and he will perish.
His wealth and what he earns will not avail him.
He shall soon burn in fire that flames,
And his wife, the bearer of fuel,
Upon her neck a halter of strongly twisted rope.

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Period of Revelation:
It can be assumed that this makki surah must have been revealed in the period when Abu Lahab had transgressed all limits in his mad hostility to Muhammad (saws), and his attitude was becoming a serious obstruction in the progress of Islam.

Background:
This is the only place in the Quran where a person from among the enemies of Islam has been condemned by name. silah rehmi (good treatment of the kindred) was esteemed most highly among the moral values of the Arabian society and breaking off of connections with the kindred was regarded as a great sin. when the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) began to preach the message of Islam, Bani Hashim and the Bani al-Muttalib (children of al-Muttalib, brother of Hashim) not only did not oppose him but continued to support him openly, although most, of them had not yet believed in his Prophethood.

This moral principle, regarded by Arabs as worthy of respect and inviolable was broken only by one man in his enmity of Islam, and that was Abu Lahab, son of Abdul Muttalib, an uncle of the Holy Prophet.

On account of his numerous acts of hostility and enmity to the Holy prophet (saws) and Islam, this man was condemned in this Surah by name, and there was a special need for it. When the Holy Prophet's own uncle followed and opposed him before the Arabs who came for hajj from outside Makkah they regarded it as against the established traditions of Arabia that an uncle should run down his nephew without a reason, should pelt stones at him and bring false accusations against him publicly. They were, therefore, influenced by what Abu Lahab said and were involved in doubt about the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace).

But when this, Surah was revealed, and Abu Lahab, filled with rage, started uttering nonsense, the people realized that what he said in opposition to the Holy Prophet was not at all reliable, for he said all that in his mad hostility to his nephew.

Besides, when his uncle was condemned by name, the people's expectation that the Holy Messenger (upon whom be peace) could treat some relative leniently in the matter of religion was frustrated for ever. When the Holy Messenger's own uncle was taken to task publicly the people understood that there was no room for preference or partiality in their faith. A non-relative could become a near and dear one if he believed, and a near relation a non-relative if he disbelieved. Thus, there is no place for the ties of blood in religion.

Discussion:
Abu Lahab, with his wife, was one of the most unbending foes of the Messenger (saws) and the ideas he was propagating. This surah was revealed as a counter-attack against their hostile compaigns, and that Allah had taken over the command of the battle.

May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, doomed he is.

The Arabic term rendered here as 'perish ' also signifies failure and cutting off. The term is used twice in two different senses. It is used first as an appeal, while in the second occurence it implies the granting of the appeal and its fulfillment. What later follows is merely a description of what took place with the remark that 'his wealth and his gains shall not avail him.' He can have no escape. He is defeated, vanquished and damned. That was his fate in this world, but in the Hereafter 'he shall be plunged in a flaming fire.'

And his wife, the wood-carrier, will reside there with him having around her neck a rope of palm-fibre with which, as it were, she is being dragged into Hell; or which she used for fastening wood bundles together, according to whether a literal or metaphorical interpretation of the text is adopted.

Thus, the humiliating picture of Abu Lahab and his wife has been recorded to last forever in this eternal book, the Qur'an, to show Allah's anger with them for their animosity to His Messenger and the ideas he was advocating. All those who choose to take a similar attitude towards Islam, therefore, shall meet with the same disgrace calamity and frustration, both in this life and in the Hereafter, as fitting punishment and reward!

......

"They said: Glory be to Thee! we have no knowledge but that which Thou hast taught us; surely Thou art the Knowing, the Wise." (Quran, Baqara - 02:32)

Wallahu 'aleemun hakeem. whatever is good is from Allah (swt) and all shortcomings are mine alone.
May Allah accept our deeds, forgive us for our shortcomings and save us from the blazing hellfire on the day of judgment. Ameen.

let us experience the Quran: surah an Nasr

an Nasr (Victory)

All praises are due unto Allah, we thank Him and we seek His assistance. Whomsoever He guides, none can astray him, and whomsoever He astray, there is none to guide him. Peace and blessings be upon the unlettered Prophet Muhammad (SAW). I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah (SWT) and Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and final Messenger.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful!

When the victory granted by Allah and the Conquest come
And you see people embracing the religion of Allah in large numbers
Then celebrate the praises of your Lord, and seek His forgiveness. He is ever disposed to Mercy.

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Period of Revelation:
Abdullah bin Abbas (r) states that this is the last complete Surah of the Quran to be revealed. According to Abdullah bin Umar (r), this Surah was sent down on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage in the middle of the Tashriq Days at Mina, and after it the Holy Prophet rode his she camel and gave his well known Sermon.

Theme and Subject Matter:
Allah in this Surah had informed His Messenger (upon whom be peace) that when Islam attained complete victory in Arabia and the people started entering Allah's religion in great numbers, it would mean that the mission for which he had been sent to the world, had been fulfilled. Then, he was enjoined to busy himself in praising and glorifying Allah by Whose bounty he had been able to accomplish such a great task, and should implore Him to forgive whatever failings and frailties he might have shown in the performance of the service.

Here, by a little consideration one can easily see the great difference that there is between a Prophet and a common worldly leader. If a worldly leader in his own lifetime is able to bring about a revolution, which has the aim and objective of his struggle, this would be an occasion for exultation for him.

Aishah (r) says: "The Holy Messenger (upon whom be peace) often used to recite Subhanak-Allahumma wa bi-hamdika astaghfiruka wa atubu ilaika before his death"

Discussion:
The surah presents the nature and the righteousness of this Faith and its ideology - how high humanity ascends to an ideal and brilliant summit unattainable otherwise than by responding to the call of Islam.

The beginning draws our attention to the concept of events taking place in this life, and the actual role of the Messenger of Allah and his followers in the progress of Islam, and to what extent it depends on their efforts.
"When the victory granted by Allah", denotes that it is Allah's victory and He brings it about in His own good time, in the form He decides and for the purpose He determines. The Prophet and his companions have nothing to do with it at all, and they obtain no personal gain from it. It suffices them that He does it through them, appoints them as its guards and entrusts it to them. This is all they acquire from the victory of Allah, the Conquest and the people's acceptance en masse of His religion.

According to this concept, the duty of the Messenger and his companions whom Allah chose and gave the privilege of being the instruments of His victory, was to turn to Him at the climax of victory in praise, expressing gratitude and seeking forgiveness. Gratitude and praise are for His being so generous as to have chosen them to be the standard bearers of His religion; for the mercy and favour He did to all humanity by making His religion victorious; and for the Conquest of Makka and the people's collective acceptance of Islam.

His forgiveness is sought for the various unrevealed, defective feelings, such as vanity, which sometimes creep into one's heart at the overwhelming moment of victory attained after a long struggle. Human beings can hardly prevent this happening and therefore Allah's forgiveness is to be sought for it. Forgiveness also has to be sought for what might have been insinuated into one's heart during the long and cruel struggle and for endured hardship resulting from the belatedness of victory or the effects of convulsive despair.

It is also necessary to seek Allah's forgiveness for one's shortcomings in praising Allah and thanking Him for His favours which are perpetual and infinite. However much one's efforts in this respect, they are never adequate.

Another touching thought is that seeking forgiveness at the moment of triumph arouses in one's mind the feeling of impotence and imperfection at a time when an attitude of self-esteem and conceit seems natural. All these factors guarantee that no tyranny will afflict the conquered. The victorious is made to realize that it is Allah who has appointed him, a man who has no power of his own and is devoid of any strength, for a pre determined purpose. To Him all things ultimately return.

Along with this release there must be exerted a striving which helps man to flourish in the world, promote human civilisation and provide a rightly-guided, unblemished, constructive, just leadership devoted to Allah.

In the moment of triumph, as the Conquest of Makka was accomplished, Muhammad (saws) entered it on the back of his camel with his head bowed down. He forgot the joy of victory and thankfully bowed his head seeking his Lord's forgiveness, though he had just conquered Makka.

Thus, only upon belief in Allah will humanity rise up to reach the highest standard of greatness, power and freedom.

On the path of the beloved (saws)

Assalamu alaikum to all.

It is our pleasure to introduce yet another exciting series on this blog, 'On the path of the beloved (saws)'. Like 'Experience the Quran', this too will be a synopsis. This time the lectures are taken from On the path of the beloved* series of brother Amr Khaled (may Allah amply reward him and his team for the great initiative). The series is an analytical narration of stories from Holy Prophet (saws) life (the proper term is fiqh seerah) with emphasis on how we can use the lessons to better our situation today.

The lectures were delivered during Ramadhan (most probably year 2004) from Madinah, 300 ft away from the final resting place of the Holy Prophet (saws). What i best love about this series is how brother Khaled attempts at implanting the lesson straight into our heart, and driving us to implement it in our daily lives.

This humble effort is to bring the message of those wonderful lectures to those who are short of time, and of course in the process, helping ourselves to better comprehend it. It should not be in anyway used as a substitute for the original lectures, and we strongly urge you to read them yourself. and ofcourse discuss! Each post will be linked to the original lecture, while the link to the whole series is places in the side bar.

We would like to thank bro Khaled's team for kindly granting me the permission to use this material. All works are copyright of amrkhaled.net

The exact copyright message is as follows
"AmrKhaled.net © جميع حقوق النشر محفوظة
This Article may be published and duplicated freely for private purposes, as long as the original source is mentioned. For all other purposes you need to obtain the prior written approval of the website administration. For more information please contact: dar_altarjama@amrkhaled.net"

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* the link may not work at this moment. its a bug and amrkhaled.net team are working on it.

let us experience the Quran: surah al-Kafeerun

Surah al Kafiroon (The Disbelievers)

All praises are due unto Allah, we thank Him and we seek His assistance. Whomsoever He guides, none can astray him, and whomsoever He astray, there is none to guide him. Peace and blessings be upon the unlettered Prophet Muhammad (SAW). I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah (SWT) and Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and final Messenger.

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful!

Say: "O unbelievers!
I do not serve that which you serve,
Nor do you serve Him Whom I serve:
Nor am I going to serve that which you serve,
Nor are you going to serve Him Whom I serve:
You shall have your religion and I shall have my religion."

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Period of Revelation
According to majority of commentators, it is a Makki Surah, and its subject- matter itself points to its being a Makki revelation.

Historical Background
In the early phase of the Prophetic mission, Quraiysh tried to deter the prophet (SAW) through many ways. One such method was through negotiation and compromise. According to Abdullah bin Abbas (R), the Quraish once proposed to the Holy Prophet (SAW); "We shall give you so much of wealth that you will become the richest man of Makkah; we shall give you whichever woman you like in marriage; we are prepared to follow and obey you as our leader, only on the condition that you will not speak ill of our gods. If you do not agree to this, we present another proposal which is to your as well as to our advantage.

"When the Holy Prophet (SAW) asked what it was, they said that if he would worship their gods, Lat and Uzza, for a year, they would worship his God for the same space of time. The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: "Wait awhile; let me see what my Lord commands in this regard."Thereupon the revelation came down: Qul ya-ayyuhal- kafirun... and: Qul afa-ghair Allahi... (Az-Zumar: 64): "Say to them: ignorant people do you bid me to worship others than Allah?" (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Tabarani).

Subject matter
Although the Arabs before Islam were not disavowing Allah, but ascribed to Him, as partners, idols that were supposed to represent their great and pious ancestors or, in some cases, the angels whom they claimed to be the daughters of Allah. But in all cases, as the Qur'an quotes them as saying, they only "worship them (the various gods) so that they may bring us near to Allah." (39:3)

Moreover, Allah superseded their gods in their oaths and supplications. But in spite of their belief in Allah, the polytheism they entertained fouled their conceptions as well as their traditions and rites extensively.

The Arabs were also convinced that they were the followers of the religion of Abraham and that they were better guided than the People of the Scriptures (i.e. Jews and Christians). When Muhammad (peace be on him) declared his religion to be that of Abraham, they argued that there was no reason for them to forsake their beliefs and follow Muhammad's instead, since they too were of the same religion.

To firmly distinguish between one form of worship and the other, and between one doctrine and concept and the other this surah was revealed in such a decisive, assertive tone. It was revealed in this manner to demarcate monotheism (tawheed) from polytheism (shirk), and to establish a true criterion, allowing no further wrangling or vain arguments.

Using all the mentioned means, the surah goes on to emphasize a negation in one sentence and an affirmation in another. "Say", this denotes a clear-cut Divine order which conveys the fact that the whole affair of the religion belongs exclusively to Allah, nothing of it belongs to Muhammad himself, and that Allah is the only One to order and decide. "Say: 'Disbelievers!' They follow no prescribed religion, nor do they believe in you. No meeting-point exists between you and them anywhere. Thus the beginning of the surah brings to mind the reality of a difference which cannot be ignored or settled.

"I do not worship what you worship" is a statement affirmed by "I shall never worship what you worship". "Nor do you worship what I worship" is also repeated for more emphasis and in order to eliminate all chances of doubt or misinterpretation. Finally, the whole argument is summed up in the last verse, "You have your own religion, and I have mine", meaning that you (disbelievers) and I (Muhammad) are very far apart, without any bridge to connect us. Such an attitude was to expose the fundamental discrepancies in the essence of the two beliefs and doctrines, in the source of the two concepts and in the nature of the two paths of monotheism and polytheism, faith and disbelief.

Faith directs man and the whole world towards Allah alone and determines for him the source of his religious concept, laws, values, criteria, ethics and morals. That source is Allah and nobody else. On the contrary, polytheism is a way of life entirely dissimilar to that of faith.

On the whole, the distinction we are dealing with here is indispensable both for those who invite people to Islam and the people themselves, because Ignorant concepts are likely to be mixed with those of Islam especially in those societies which previously followed the Islamic method, but have later deviated from it. They are, to be sure, the most rigid and the most hostile to the idea of regaining faith in its healthy, clear and straight forward form, certainly more so than those who have not known Islam originally. They take it for granted that they are righteous while they grow more and more complicatedly perverse!

The existence of noble and base beliefs and thoughts in those societies may tempt the advocate of the Islamic system to-hope for their quick return, thinking he may be able to strengthen the good aspects of their life and rightly correct undesirable features! This temptation is dangerously misleading.

The contemporary advocates of Islam need to understand that there is no room for short-term or half solutions, compromises, or partial redemption or adjustment, and that their call is for uniquely distinguished Islam, in contrast to what people conceive of as Islam. They must face these people bravely and explicitly put it to them that the boundaries in Islam are clearly defined. It is based on absolute monotheism whose concepts, values, beliefs and laws cover all aspects of human life and are all received from Allah and none else.

Similarly, advocating Islam can never be constructed on any ambiguous or feeble foundations, but has to be built upon firmness, explicitness, frankness and fortitude as embodied in Allah's instruction to us to declare: "You have your own religion, and I have mine". Such was the way adopted by the Islamic call in its early days.

Note: the Holy Prophet (SAW) used to hold this surah in high esteem as shown by the following narration:
According to Ibn Abbas, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) said to the people: "Should I tell you the word which will protect you from polytheism? It is that you should recite Qul ya-ayyuhal kafirun when you go to bed."(Abu Ya'la, Tabarani).

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"They said: Glory be to Thee! we have no knowledge but that which Thou hast taught us; surely Thou art the Knowing, the Wise." (Quran, Baqara - 02:32)

Wallahu 'aleemun hakeem. whatever is good is from Allah (swt) and all shortcomings are mine alone.
May Allah accept our deeds, forgive us for our shortcomings and save us from the blazing hellfire on the day of judgment. Ameen.

danish cartoon : an analysis

my humble efforts at analyzing the danish cartoon incident.

(posted on my other blog)

let us experience the Quran: surah al-Kauthar

al Kawthar (Abundance)

In the name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Merciful!
All praises be to the Lord of the universe (swt), Peace and blessings be upon the unlettered Prophet sayyidina Muhammad (saw)

Indeed We have given you abundance.
So pray to your Lord and sacrifice to Him.
Surely, he who hates you is the one cut off.

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Name: the word al-kauthar occurrs in the first verse.

Period of Revelation: This Surah is Makki, according to the view held by majority of commentators.

Historical Background: In the earliest phase of Prophethood the Holy Prophet (saw) was passing through the most trying conditions when the whole nation had turned hostile, there was resistance and opposition on every side, and the Holy Prophet (saw) and a handful of his Companions did not see any remote chance of success. Such were the conditions in which Allah by sending down Surah Al-Kauthar consoled the Holy Prophet as well as foretold the destruction of his opponents.

The eldest son of the Holy Prophet (saw) was Qasim; next to him was Zainab, next to her Abdullah and next to him three daughters, viz. Umm Kulthum, Fatimah and Ruqayyah. Of them first Qasim died and then Abdullah. Thereupon Quraish leaders said: "Muhammad is abtar (i. e. cut of from root): he has no son to succeed him. When he dies, his memory will perish and you will be rid of him."

1. Similar to surahs 93 and 94, "Ad Dhuha (The Forenoon)" and "Al Inshira (Solace)", this surah exclusively concerns the Prophet, cheering him up and assuring him of happier prospects in his struggle. In it Allah threatens the enemies of the Prophet with destruction while directing the Prophet to the path of thanksgiving. It is an instance of Allah's direct support to the believers in their struggle, supplying them with fortitude, restraint and promise, while threatening a terrible fate to their antagonists.

2. "Indeed We have given you abundance."
The word used in the surah and rendered here as "abundance" is "kawthar", derived from the stem word "kathrah'' which signifies "abundance" or "a multitude". This implies "We have given you" that which is plentiful, overflowing and rich, unstinting and unending.

This abundance can be found in:
a) Muhammad's (saw) prophethood which link with the great Reality and the great Being, Who has no parallel and no partner. What indeed can the one who has found Allah be said to have lost?

b) This Holy Qur'an which was revealed to Muhammad every chapter of which is a fountain of richness which flows incessantly.

c) The Prophet's Sunnah (way of life) throughout the centuries, in the far flung corners of the earth, in the millions upon millions who follow in his footsteps, in the millions upon millions who pronounce his name with respectful affection and the millions upon millions of hearts that cherish, and would cherish his example and memory even to the Day of Resurrection.

d) Goodness and prosperity which have accrued to the human race as a result of his noble message, and which reach those who know and believe in him and those who do not.

Several accounts relate that "al-Kawthar" is a river in Paradise granted to the Prophet but Ibn Abbas, a learned companion of the Prophet, contends that the river is but one part of the abundance which Allah has furnished for His Prophet.

3. "So pray to your Lord and sacrifice to Him."
Having assured the Prophet of this munificent gift, Allah directs the Prophet to be completely and sincerely thankful to Him for His bounty; to devote himself to Him alone in worship and ritual slaughter, taking no heed whatsoever of all forms of polytheism and refusing to participate in the worship of the poly theists, especially when they pronounce any name other than that of Allah in their offerings.

Islam does not aim merely at purifying the imagination and conscience, for it is the religion based on the unity of Allah in every sense. It pursues polytheism in all its manifestations, striving to eliminate its marks in the conscience of man, in his worship and rituals, and in his behaviour generally. Life, Islam says, is one indivisible entity and must be cleansed inside out and completely oriented towards Allah, in all its aspects and spheres - worship, tradition and social behaviour.

4. "Surely he who hates you is the one cut off"
In the first verse, Allah specified that Muhammad was not the one who had no posterity but, on the contrary, was the one endowed with abundance. In this verse, Allah throws back the taunt on those who hated and reviled the Prophet. Indeed, the promise of Allah has come true. For, the influence and the legacy of Muhammad's enemies was short-lived, while his impact on human history and human life has grown and deepened.

5. Faith and goodness cannot be barren: they leave deep-rooted influence but falsehood, error and evil- no matter how fast they grow and spread, do ultimately come to nothing. Men are often deceived when they vainly believe their sense of judgement to be the criterion. Calling others to the religion of Allah, to truth and goodness, can never be called futile.

Allah affirms the truth; the wily opponents are but liars!

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"They said: Glory be to Thee! we have no knowledge but that which Thou hast taught us; surely Thou art the Knowing, the Wise." (Quran, 02:32)

Wallahu 'aleemun hakeem. whatever is good is from Allah (swt) and all shortcomings are mine alone