Surah Al-Qaari’ah – Chapter 101 – Lesson No.17.

18^th January 1998 – 19 Ramadan 1418 –

بسم الله الرّحمن الرّحيم

ربّ اشرحلي صدري ويسّرلي أمري واحلل عُقدة مّن لُّلساني يفقهو قولي

الحمد لله ربّ العالَمين والعاقبة اللمتّقين والصّلوةُ والسّلام على رسولك سيّدنا محمّد

وأاله وأصحابه وأهل بيته وأهل طاعتك أجمعين – أمّا بعد

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرّجيم

بسم الله الرّحمن الرّحيم

الْقَارِعَةُ ¤ مَا الْقَارِعَةُ ¤ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْقَارِعَةُ ¤ يَوْمَ يَكُونُ النَّاسُ كَالْفَرَاشِ الْمَبْثُوثِ¤ وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ الْمَنفُوشِ ¤ فَأَمَّا مَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ ¤ فَهُوَ فِي عِيشَةٍ رَّاضِيَةٍ ¤ وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ ¤ فَأُمُّهُ هَاوِيَةٌ ¤ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا هِيَهْ ¤ نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ ¤

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1 The calamity! The Great Disaster
2 What is the calamity? What is the Great Disaster
3 And what will make thee know how terrible is the calamity?
4 The day wherein men will be as scattered moths,
5 And the mountains will be as carded wool.
6 Then as for him whose measure (of good deeds) is heavy,
7 He will live a pleasant life.
8 And as for him whose measure (of good deeds) is light,
9 The abyss is a mother to him.
10 And what will make thee know what that is?
11 A burning Fire.

My dearest Brothers, My Dearest Sisters and my Dearest Children

السّلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

For the past couple of weeks we have been explaining the mission of our Holy Prophet (S), where we gave 4 – ayaths : 2:129, 2:151, 3:164, 62:2  which shows the Four-fold nature of the mission

1. Rehearsing the Signs of Allah

2. Purification

3. Instructing in Scripture

4. Wisdom or New Knowledge.

Before I commence this lesson I would also like to point out the beauty that one can see in the

first 4 – verses of Surah Jum’ah – This Surah (62) begins by depicting the connection between the four attributes of Allah with – the four functions of our Holy Prophet (S) to which we have made a reference.  Those attributes mentioned in the very first verse are:

يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأرْضِ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ

62.1 Whatever is in the heavens and on earth, doth declare the Praises and Glory of Allah,- the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الأمِّيِّينَ رَسُولا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلالٍ مُبِينٍ

62.2 It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered a messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom,- although they had been, before, in manifest error;-

وَآخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

62.3 As well as (to confer all these benefits upon) others of them, who have not already joined them: And He is exalted in Might, Wise.

ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ

62.4 Such is the Bounty of Allah, which He bestows on whom He will: and Allah is the Lord of the highest bounty.

The Sovereign – The King – The Holy;   The Mighty;  and Wise.

1. That He is the king, the Sovereign Ruler of the universes is reflected in the miracle that He has raised amongst the ummiyyeen a Prophet who recites to his people the Signs of the Lord,

2. That He is Holy – is reflected the way He purifies them 98:2.

رَسُولٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ يَتْلُو صُحُفًا مُطَهَّرَةً

98.2 A messenger from Allah, rehearsing scriptures kept pure and holy:

3. That He is Mighty – is reflected in the way He has assigned to man a great destiny which elsewhere is described as – ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ – (that is the destiny appointed by the Almighty and All-knowing)

وَآيَةٌ لَهُمُ اللَّيْلُ نَسْلَخُ مِنْهُ النَّهَارَ فَإِذَا هُمْ مُظْلِمُونَ

36.37 And a Sign for them is the Night: We withdraw therefrom the Day, and behold they are plunged in darkness;

وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ

36.38 And the sun runs his course for a period determined for him: that is the decree of (Him), the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing.

-  آ ية     Means Sign, marks, indications, miracle, wonder, marvel, example, lesson, warning and paradigm.

العزيز   -  Means – Precious, costly, valuable, cherished, rare, noble, honoured, revered, venerated, powerful, strong influential.

4. That He is the Hakeem-the Wise -  reflected in the way the Prophet (S) makes his people Wise and all this favour done to the Ummiyyeen – is an eloquent testimony to the idea that

He – Allah bestows his favour on any one He likes – and there is no one to question him – and He is the Lord of the Mighty Grace.

Just look at this couplet from Jalaluddin Rumi’s famous Maznavi  Shareef

من ز قرءان مغزرا بردشتن       -     اُستخن  ﭘﻴﺷﺔ ﺳﮕن اندختم

man ze Qur’an maghz ra bardashtan

ustukhan pesHe sagan andakhtam

“Marrow from the Qur’an have I drawn

And the dry bones unto the dogs have cast.”

You can see that Rumi is trying to draw a distinction between the essence of the Qur’an and what are its dry bones.

What is suggested here is that there is a  correct interpretation of the words used which the poet would like to assimilate and make it a basis of his life and further, as opposed

There is a mere outward aspect of the words of the Qur’an which is liable to be interpreted by the literalists as to be in conflict with its real meaning.

We have seen and heard the so-called scholars have been quite busy down the ages vexing eloquent about what they think the words really mean.

It is about this “husk” or the “dry bones” that the poet would have no hesitation in throwing out to the dogs.

‘maghz’ in Persian – Means – Brain.

This word has real understanding of the Qur’an

أَفَلا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا

47.24 Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Qur’an, or are their hearts locked up by them?

أَفَلا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلافًا كَثِيرًا

4.82 Do they not consider the Qur’an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy.

The Holy Qur’an invites man to the real understanding of the Qur’an.  It has been rendered possible to think about it, reflect and ponder.

Thadhabbur – -  تَدَبُّر  is contra-distinguished form engaging themselves in that kind of pseudo-scholarship which refuses to see

“beyond the letter into it’s meaning” – we   have seen in the verbal quibblings -

too much pre-occupation with – “sarf” and “nahw” – grammar and syntax – mode, method, fashion.  There can be no doubt that if one concentrates upon the letter of the word instead of grasping its spirit, the very purpose for which the revealed word has been transmitted by the divine through his messenger would be frustrated.

Let me give you an illustration:

the Qur’an uses expressions like :

قُلْ إِنَّ الْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

3.73 – . . . Say: “All bounties are in the hand of Allah: He granteth them to whom He pleaseth: And Allah careth for all, and He knoweth all things.”

وَأَنَّ الْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ

57.29  .. ..  that (His) Grace is (entirely) in His Hand, to bestow it on whomsoever He wills. For Allah is the Lord of Grace abounding.

He would be right in a sense as it is taken literally.

If he were to refer to dictionary he would find ample support for his point of view

Yet ….. the whole of the Qur’an would contradict his view.

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

112.4 And there is none like unto Him. – ["there is nothing which can be compared to Him”]

لا تُدْرِكُهُ الأبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الأبْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ

6.103 No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things.

This type of standard warnings frequently administered by the Qur’an would tend to show that reference to the “Hand of Allah” is metaphorical. and the real understanding of the verse would be that Allah accepts the loyalty and the allegiance of those who are offering to the Prophet as if though it was made directly to him.

يَدُ اللهَ  مَعَ الْجَمَاعَة وَمَنْ شَذَّ شُذَّ فِى النَّار

The hand of Allah (The protective arm of Allah) is over a community that is united.  Those who move away from this unity, move away into hell-fire.

The literalists expressions would have reference to the dry-bones – اُستخن.

Yes,  our duty is to go to the real brains of the Holy Qur’an. The real marrow and as the poet says leave the dry bones to the dogs who are anyhow busy sniffing all the time for finding out the bones to eat.  For them there is not much of a difference between the bones and the brain as compared to the letter and spirit.

Now we come to the Third word –       -  النَّاس Man – in the fourth verse of Surah Al-Qaari’ah

يَوْمَ يَكُونُ النَّاسُ كَالْفَرَاشِ الْمَبْثُوثِ

101.4 (It is) a Day whereon men will be like moths scattered about,

نَاس – بَشَر – الإنسان

People, human beings, mankind, humankind, human race, world, humanity, people

oblivious forgetful, forgetting, unmindful

Then we have – Man (MALE) – ذكر – رَجُل -

Woman  اُنْثى – إمرئَة   -

Synonyms like -  تَذَبْذَبَ  -  تَدَدَّدَ

Meaning : To swing, bob, oscillate, vibrate – wobble – wavering, hesitate, falter, vacillate, fluctuate

How true these meanings are because man vacillates and oscillates and swings from health – sickness; wealth – poverty;  success – failure;

Sometimes he is good – sometimes he is evil

At times he is strong – at other times he is weak

He is powerful – he is also debilitated

In life sometimes he rises – sometimes he fall

He is faced with happiness – at the same time he is also faced with sorrow

Sometimes justice is done to him – Sometimes he is subject to injustices as well.

He is wavering between belief and unbelief

Sometimes he is kind – Sometimes he is tyrannical

You will see man grateful at times and other times he is ungrateful

You will see him silent –  and you will also see him argumentative

At times you will see him behave with intelligence –  other times you will see his foolish behaviour.

He faces the day and the night and he also faces death while facing life.

The other synonym for “Bashar” is جِلْد ِ يّيْ -    - Meaning

Epidermal, epidermis, skin, cutaneous. Cuticle – complexion -  بَشَرِيْ – مُتَعَلَّق بِالبَشَر

Dermatologist طَبِيْبُ البَشَريّ  -

فَرَحَ   -   بَشَاشَة

To rejoice, be happy – be delighted, gaiety – be cheerful

It also means to bring good news, or glad tidings to announce, to augur well, bode well,

portend good, be a good omen of, give promise of to presage, foreshadow, portend, herald, harbinger, indicate or suggest in advance, show  Signs of, be a Sign of something to come, Signal the approach.

To preach, propagate  –  بَشَرُ بِمَذْ هَبٍ   -   مَبْدَءَ

Human-being, man, personإنسان  -

pupil of the eyeإنْسَانُ الْعَيْن   -

robot    -  إنْسَانٌ آلِي ِّ        -

Human rights حُقُوٌق الإنْسَان  -

Anthropologyعِلْمُ الإنْسَان  -

Anthropologistعَالِمٌ بِعِلْمُ الإنْسَان  -

human, humane, humanistic, humanitarianإنْسَانِيّ  – شَفُوْق  -  عَطُوْف  -

philanthropicمَعْنِيّ ٌ بِا الإنْسَان -  خَيَّرَ   -

human natureإنْسَانِيَّة  -  الطَّبِيْعَةُ  البَشَرِيَّة   -

human attributesالصَّفَاتُ  البَشَرِيَّة   -

humaneness شَفَقَة  -  عَطْف  -  حُنُوّ   -

Ins  - Anasa –  إنْس  -  أنَسَ

to be sociable, friendly, amiable, affable, genial, kind, nice, gentle – كَانَ أنِيْسًا  لَطِيْفًا

to be or become tamed – domesticated صَارَ ألِيْفًا  -

to like someone’s companyأحَبَّ  عِسْرَتَهُ    -

-   أنِسَ بهlike to be with, feel at ease with-  get along with, to entertain, amuse divert, keep amused, cheer up put in good humour or mood

to  perceive notice, observe-  remark, realize recognize, discern, make out, آنَسَ   سَلَّى  -

feel sense find see

- اُنْسsociability, amiability, affability, cordiality – friendliness, intimacy, familiarity, friendly

to make forgetنَس ِ   -

woman, human being, person آ نِسة    -

شَفُوْق   -   شَفَقَة  -  حَنَان   -   رَفَقَة   -

Compassionate, pitiful, sympathetic, merciful, affectionate, tender-hearted, soft-hearted, warm-hearted, kind-hearted,

kind, sort, type species-  variety, class, category, race stockجِنْسْ  -  عِرْق  -  عُنْصُر  -

genus

sex – male/female-  genderمِنْ  حَيْثُ  الذُّكُوْرَة  او  الاُ ُنُوثَة  -

sex, sexuality, sexual drive (urge instinct)غَرِيْزَةُ  الْجِنْسِيَّة   -

the stronger, sex, the sterner sex – الجِنْسُ  ا لْخَشِن  -

the fair sex, the gentle sex, the weaker sex  -  الجِنْسُ ا للَطِيْف   -

generic noun

asexual, sexless, neuter – eunuchsعَدِيْمُ  الجِنْسُ     -

sexology عِلْمُ  الجِنْسُ     -

Ethnologyجِنْسِيَّة  -

Nationality, citizenship    -  جِنْسِيَّة  -  مُوَاطَنَة  -  مُوَاطَنِيَّة   -

The word “Insaan” – tells us that man naturally is a cheerful person, to be delighted and happy, the one who brings good news and glad tidings, here has a duty to preach and propagate – he is being given his human rights and human attributes, he is to be social and friendly amiable genial, kind, nice and gentle.  He likes to be domesticated and like others company – he observes, he sees, recognizes, and discerns. The man/woman, has to be compassionate, sympathetic, tenderhearted, warmhearted and kind-hearted.  He is categorized and sorted out on the strength of Thaqwa he possesses – He is of various ethnicities, and nationalities and the Holy Quran further tells us how he should behave with all other people, all other ethnicities and all other nationalities.

2:168, 169; 7:31, 4:28; 10:12; 11:9; 14:34; 17:11, 17:63, 100; 18:54; 33:72

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُوا مِمَّا فِي الأرْضِ حَلالا طَيِّبًا وَلا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ

2.168 O ye people! Eat of what is on earth, Lawful and good; and do not follow the footsteps of the evil one, for he is to you an avowed enemy.

إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ بِالسُّوءِ وَالْفَحْشَاءِ وَأَنْ تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لا تَعْلَمُونَ

2.169 For he commands you what is evil and shameful, and that ye should say of Allah that of which ye have no knowledge.

لَتَجِدَنَّ أَشَدَّ النَّاسِ عَدَاوَةً لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا وَلَتَجِدَنَّ أَقْرَبَهُمْ مَوَدَّةً لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّا نَصَارَى ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ قِسِّيسِينَ وَرُهْبَانًا وَأَنَّهُمْ لا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

5.82 Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans; and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, “We are Christians”: because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant.

وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ تَرَى أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا مِنَ الْحَقِّ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ

5.83 And when they listen to the revelation received by the Messenger, thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognise the truth: they pray: “Our Lord! we believe; write us down among the witnesses.

وَمَا لَنَا لا نُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَا جَاءَنَا مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَنَطْمَعُ أَنْ يُدْخِلَنَا رَبُّنَا مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الصَّالِحِينَ

5.84 “What cause can we have not to believe in Allah and the truth which has come to us, seeing that we long for our Lord to admit us to the company of the righteous?”

فَأَثَابَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِمَا قَالُوا جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

5.85 And for this their prayer hath Allah rewarded them with gardens, with rivers flowing underneath,- their eternal home. Such is the recompense of those who do good.

لَيْسُوا سَوَاءً مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ

3.113 Not all of them are alike: Of the People of the Book are a portion that stand (For the right): They rehearse the Signs of Allah all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration.

يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُولَئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

3.114 They believe in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in (all) good works: They are in the ranks of the righteous.

وَلا تُجَادِلُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ إِلا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِلا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْهُمْ وَقُولُوا آمَنَّا بِالَّذِي أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَأُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَإِلَهُنَا وَإِلَهُكُمْ وَاحِدٌ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

29.46 And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, “We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam).”

قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالأسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ لا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

2.136 Say ye: “We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them: And we bow to Allah (in Islam).”

وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِينَ لِلَّهِ لا يَشْتَرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلا أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

3.199 And there are, certainly, among the People of the Book, those who believe in Allah, in the revelation to you, and in the revelation to them, bowing in humility to Allah: They will not sell the Signs of Allah for a miserable gain! For them is a reward with their Lord, and Allah is swift in account.

Next week Insha Allah we will touch on the next word Faraash – الفراش

يَوْمَ يَكُونُ النَّاسُ كَالْفَرَاشِ الْمَبْثُوثِ

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