O Muslims - 46

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extracted from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

28. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo innama almushrikoona najasun fala yaqraboo almasjida alharama baAAda AAamihim hatha wa-in khiftum AAaylatan fasawfa yughneekumu Allahu min fadlihi in shaa inna Allaha AAaleemun hakeemun

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9:28. O you who believe! The polytheists are nothing but pollution⁹. So, they shall not approach the Sacred Place of Worship¹⁰ after this year. And if you fear poverty then Allah will enrich you out of His grace if He wills.¹¹ Indeed, Allah is Knowledgeable, Wise.

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9. This is a strong but appropriate divine condemnation of all those who worship anyone other than Allah (or any other appropriate name He is called by), the Sole Creator of the entire universe and everything therein. Everything in the universe points to a Single Authority administering the entire show. This Single Authority, and no one else, deserves to be worshipped; for, if someone else is worshipped, then that someone else could only be a created being, and it would be preposterous to worship a created being as one would worship the Creator! Such worship of anyone other than the Creator would not only be an act of utter injustice, but it would be tantamount to the perpetration of falsehood. It would be an anachronism in the True Creator’s creation. It would be nothing but pollution. It could not but pollute the human society created by that Sole Creator.

10. The Kaabah at Makkah.

11. The Kaabah was held in veneration by the Arab people even before Islam. In fact, it was a source of pecuniary benefits to Makkans from visitors from all over the Arabian Peninsula. Now if non-believers, who still constituted a great number among the Arab people, were to be banned from entry to the Kaabah, it would be a financial loss to the Makkans. It is this fear that is alluded to here. And Allah promises the Makkans to enrich them by His grace. We are all witnesses now to the fulfillment of this divine promise and prophecy. The Arab country is not only flush with petro-money, but the Kaabah is visited now, all the year-round, by millions of people from all over the world.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 25^th of December 2020.

O Muslims - 45

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extracted from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

23. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la tattakhithoo abaakum wa-ikhwanakum awliyaa ini istahabboo alkufra AAala al-eemani waman yatawallahum minkum faola-ika humu alththalimoona

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9:23. O you who believe! Do not take your fathers and your brothers as awliya⁷ if they love suppression of the Truth more than faith in the Truth. And those of you who take them as awliya, those it is that do wrong.

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7. Refer to my blog post, Awliya, for a comprehensive Qur’aanic meaning of the Arabic term.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 18^th of December 2020.

O Muslims - 44

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

45. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo itha laqeetum fi-atan faothbutoo waothkuroo Allaha katheeran laAAallakum tuflihoona

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8:45. O you who believe! When you face an enemy in battle, be firm, and remember Allah a great deal, so that you may be successful.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 11^th of December 2020.

O Muslims - 43

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

29. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo in tattaqoo Allaha yajAAal lakum furqanan wayukaffir AAankum sayyi-atikum wayaghfir lakum waAllahu thoo alfadli alAAatheemi

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8:29. O you who believe! If you fear Allah, He will create in you an ability to distinguish between right and wrong and do away with your evil tendencies and forgive you. And Allah possesses great Grace.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 4^th of December 2020.

O Muslims - 42

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

27. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la takhoonoo Allaha waalrrasoola watakhoonoo amanatikum waantum taAAlamoona

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8:27. O you who believe! Betray not Allah and the Messenger, nor betray your trusts, knowingly.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 27^th of November 2020.

O Muslims - 41

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

24. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo istajeeboo lillahi walilrrasooli itha daAAakum lima yuhyeekum waiAAlamoo anna Allaha yahoolu bayna almar-i waqalbihi waannahu ilayhi tuhsharoona

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8:24. O you who believe! Respond to Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that for which Allah gives you life.¹⁵ And know that Allah intervenes between man and his mind¹⁶ and that to Him you shall be gathered.

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15. The Islamic outlook is that human life on earth is not the be-all and end-all of existence. This is only a testing ground for a better and higher life. Allah and His Messenger call us to the code of conduct in this life necessary for passing the test. And that code of conduct is laid down in the Qur’aan.

16. In other words, Allah Almighty tells us that He knows all the secrets of our minds.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 20^th of November 2020.

O Muslims - 40

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

20. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo ateeAAoo Allaha warasoolahu wala tawallaw AAanhu waantum tasmaAAoona

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8:20. O you who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger and turn not away while listening to him.

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This Verse obviously refers to people physically listening to the Messenger while he was alive in this world. As for those living now when the Messenger is no longer living in this world, refer blog post Obeying the Messenger.

 

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 13^th of November 2020.

O Muslims - 39

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

O Muslims – 39

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

15. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo itha laqeetumu allatheena kafaroo zahfan fala tuwalloohumu al-adbara

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8:15. O you who believe! When you meet the suppressors of the Truth in war, turn not your backs to them.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 6^th of November 2020.

O Muslims - 38

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

106. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo shahadatu baynikum itha hadara ahadakumu almawtu heena alwasiyyati ithnani thawa AAadlin minkum aw akharani min ghayrikum in antum darabtum fee al-ardi faasabatkum museebatu almawti tahbisoonahuma min baAAdi alssalati fayuqsimani biAllahi ini irtabtum la nashtaree bihi thamanan walaw kana tha qurba wala naktumu shahadata Allahi inna ithan lamina al-athimeena

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5:106. O you who believe! When death approaches any of you, call to witness among you, at the time of making the will, two just persons from among you, or two from among others than you, if you are travelling in the land and death befalls you. Detain the two after the prayer, then, if you are in doubt, they shall both swear by Allah, "We will not sell it for a price – and even though it is for a relative – and we will not hide the testimony. By Allah, then, certainly, we should be among the sinners."

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This Verse makes it obligatory for all Muslims to make a duly witnessed Will, before one’s death. As is customary with many other Qur’aanic edicts, this one too is rarely – if at all – followed! No wonder then that Allah Almighty has withdrawn His Hand of Mercy from them.

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 30^th of October 2020.

O Muslims - 37

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

105. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo AAalaykum anfusakum la yadurrukum man dalla itha ihtadaytum ila Allahi marjiAAukum jameeAAan fayunabbi-okum bima kuntum taAAmaloona

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5:105. O you who believe! You are responsible for your own selves. He who errs cannot hurt you when you are on the right path.⁴³ To Allah you all are to return when He will inform you of what you did.

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43. Muslims would not be in the doldrums, they are in today, had they unshakeable faith in the divine statement of this Verse.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 23^rd of October 2020.

O Muslims - 36

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

101. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la tas-aloo AAan ashyaa in tubda lakum tasu/kum wa-in tas-aloo AAanha heena yunazzalu alqur-anu tubda lakum AAafa Allahu AAanha waAllahu ghafoorun haleemun

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5:101. O you who believe! Do not put questions about things, which, if clarified to you, may cause difficulties for you. And if you put questions about them when the Qur’aan is being revealed, they may be clarified to you. Allah has absolved you of any obligation thereon.⁴⁰ And Allah is Forgiving, Kind.

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40. This Verse makes it clear that in matters in which the Qur'aan is silent, mankind has freedom of action.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 16^th of October 2020.

O Muslims - 35

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

95. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la taqtuloo alssayda waantum hurumun waman qatalahu minkum mutaAAammidan fajazaon mithlu ma qatala mina alnnaAAami yahkumu bihi thawa AAadlin minkum hadyan baligha alkaAAbati aw kaffaratun taAAamu masakeena aw AAadlu thalika siyaman liyathooqa wabala amrihi AAafa Allahu AAamma salafa waman AAada fayantaqimu Allahu minhu waAllahu AAazeezun thoo intiqamin

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5:95. O you who believe! Kill no game while you are in the state of Ihram. And whoever among you kills it intentionally, the penalty is the like of what he killed, from the cattle, as adjudged by two just persons among you, as an offering to be brought to the Kaabah – Or the expiation therefor is the feeding of the poor or commensurate fasting – so that whoever killed the game, may taste the burden of his deed. Allah has forgiven what is past. And whoever does it again, Allah will take retribution from him. And Allah is Omnipotent, Capable to take retribution.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 9^th of October 2020.

O Muslims - 34

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

87. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la tuharrimoo tayyibati ma ahalla Allahu lakum wala taAAtadoo inna Allaha la yuhibbu almuAAtadeena

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5:87. O you who believe! Forbid not the good, wholesome things which Allah has made lawful for you, and transgress not! Indeed, Allah loves not those who transgress.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 2^nd of October 2020.