Muslim Behaviour

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpt from Chapter 2 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir, that mirrors the behaviour, in general terms, of a modern-day Muslim:

78. Waminhum ommiyyoona la yaAAlamoona alkitaba illa amaniyya wa-in hum illa yathunnoona

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78. And among them are illiterates who know nothing of the Book - they know nothing but their own desires/fancies. And they do not but guess! ^{102 & 103}

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102. Even at the risk of sounding repetitive, I wish to reiterate the fact that the All-knowing Allah hasn't given us these glimpses of Jewish history just to remember these for answering questions in a written test. HE knew beforehand that a substantial majority of those who profess to follow the Qur'aan, would in fact be following the footsteps of the Jews, in their behaviour and attitude towards divine Guidance! HE has given these glimpses at some length, and even sometimes repeatedly, to warn us against following those faulty footsteps.

103. The illiteracy among the professed followers of the Qur'aan, now, may not be as high as among the Jews at the time of the revelation of the Qur'aan. But we have a sort of neo-illiterates now! These neo-illiterates do know how to read the Qur'aan, and do read it, in original Arabic, but they do not know – nor do they deem it necessary to know – what the Arabic text means!! These neo-illiterates, like the illiterate Jews before them, know nothing of the Book; they do but know their own false desires, and they do not but guess!!!

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I appeal to my brothers/sisters in Islam to introspect deeply and sincerely. These worldly lives of ours are uncertainly short. We can't be sure whether we would be alive even for another minute!

But for making this very uncertain life 'secure' and 'comfortable', we devote our entire time and energy. And we care practically little for making our ever-lasting lives in the Hereafter really secure and comfortable. We can do that only by following the Allah-bestowed Book of Guidance - the Qur'aan!

Do we put in any sincere efforts to study and follow the divine Book?

Bring us back to the Right Path, Allah!

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 24^th February, 2017.

Who Can Achieve Salvation?

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpts from Chapter 2 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir, analyzing implications of Quráanic Verse 2:62:

62. Inna allatheena amanoo waallatheena hadoo waalnnasara waalssabi-eena man amana biAllahi waalyawmi al-akhiri waAAamila salihan falahum ajruhum AAinda rabbihim wala khawfun AAalayhim wala hum yahzanoona

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62. Indeed, those who believe and those who are Jews, the Christians and the Saabieen – whosoever believed in Allah and in the Last Day, and acted righteously ⁶⁸ – for them then, of course, is their reward with their Lord. And fear shall overpower them not; nor shall they grieve! ⁶⁹

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68. In Verse 8:29, the Qur'aan informs the believers that Allah creates for them the furqaan, the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, if they are pious! Even a thief, when he steals, knows in his heart of hearts that he is doing something wrong! But he suppresses this call of his conscience. And with its repeated suppressions, his conscience so to say dies much before his physical death! A pious, Allah-fearing man, on the other hand, does not suppress his conscience - his furqaan! The Qur'aan guides us further in this regard by explaining, in Verses 2:44, 2:177 and 2:189, what Al-Birr (good, righteous conduct or behaviour) ought to be!

69. From Adam to Muhammad (peace be upon them all), all the Prophets have preached but one Religion - the Religion of Islam! And the fundamentals of this Religion have always been: belief in Allah, belief in the Hereafter and performance of righteous deeds. So, no eyebrows need be raised when this Verse 2:62 informs us that even the Jews and the Christians shall attain to salvation if they only satisfied the three conditions mentioned. And no dichotomy be sought between this Verse here and Verse 3:85, wherein Allah informs us that no religion other than Islam shall be accepted! The moot question that now arises is whether the present-day Christians and the present-day Jews – with all their notions about Trinity, and about each being the chosen people of God with guaranteed divine visas to Paradise, and with their outright rejection of Muhammad and of the Qur'aan as the last Prophet and the last divine Testament - do thus satisfy the three fundamental conditions to be entitled to Salvation. And the moot question also is whether the present-day Muslims - with their neglect and ignorance of, and therefore with their fundamental deviations from, divine commands laid down in the Qur'aan - do thus satisfy the three fundamental conditions to be entitled to Salvation.

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Grant us the wisdom to understand Your Verses correctly, Allah!

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 17^th February, 2017

No Intercession

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from Chapter 2 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir, in which the divine declaration, that there shall be no intercession in the Hereafter, is discussed:

48. Waittaqoo yawman la tajzee nafsun AAan nafsin shay-an wala yuqbalu minha shafaAAatun wala yu/khathu minha AAadlun wala hum yunsaroona

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48. And fear that Day when none can be of any avail on anything to another, when no intercession will be accepted from anyone nor any ransom taken, and when they will be given no help!⁵³

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53. This is a divine statement, made quite categorically! In defiance thereof, however, almost the entire Christendom and most Muslims cling to their futile fond hopes that Jesus and Muhammad (may peace be upon them both) shall ransom their sinning souls out, with their – the two Messengers' – respective powers(?) of intercession!

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Save us from the evil of following falsehoods, Allah!

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 10^th of January, 2017.

Divine Mantra for Salvation

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpts from Chapter 2 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir, discussing divine advice given to Adam while being banished from Paradise to this earth:

38. We said, “Down you go all from this place! Then whenever Guidance comes to you from Me, all those who follow My Guidance shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.”

39. “And those who suppress the Truth, and belie Our Verses/signs, those will be dwellers of the Fire, therein to remain, forever! ³⁷”

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37. And this - the divine message contained in these two Verses 38 and 39 - is what is vitally important and necessary for us now to know and always remember. This is the divine mantra for the ultimate salvation of any individual among mankind. The individual ought to remember that it is only the purely divine - and not any other - guidance that will get him/her the salvation. The individual also ought to remember that if he/she suppresses or in any way whatsoever belies the truth behind any piece of the divine guidance, he/she would certainly be doomed!

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Grant us the wisdom to take heed of Your Advice, Allah!

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 3^rd of February, 2017