In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
The extract below
is from QUR’AANIC
STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART II. It is one of a series of divine
guidelines for mankind on how to lead their earthly life. We prosper if we
follow those guidelines. We suffer if we don’t!
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
(For
the purpose of this article, a man stands for a woman as well.)
A man leading an
Islamic life would have, first and foremost, an unflinching belief in Allah. By
Allah, I mean the Power, without a beginning or an end, that has created the
Universe and everything therein. Allah has absolute control over everything He
has created.
Allah has given a code
of conduct, in the form of the Qur'aan, for man to lead his worldly life. HE
has given man the intelligence to recognize Him without seeing Him. HE has also
given him the freedom not to abide by the Qur'aan, but with the warning that a
breach of the Code could land him into Hell! And abiding by the Code could
fetch him the reward of Paradise. Hell is the place of everlasting suffering,
while Paradise, the place for everlasting joy! Both Hell and Paradise are placed
in the Hereafter. There is life after man's worldly death. That life is the
Hereafter!
The man leading an
Islamic life would therefore be ever vigilant that he abides by the Code. He
would commit no offence against anyone, lest Allah should punish him here or in
the Hereafter. He would necessarily be just and fair in all his dealings with
others. He would never cheat anybody but help anyone to the best of his
ability.
If most men were to
abide by the Code, there would be a virtual Paradise on earth!
I had started this
article with the assertion that a man stands for a woman as well. Man and
woman are two aspects of the same personality. One is made for the other.
They are the two wheels of the cart of mankind. The cart would come to a
grinding halt without any one of the two wheels functioning. Both must be equal
in stature. The Qur'aan gives rights for either one, over the other. Allah
won't forgive a man who ill-treats his wife. An Islamic couple would
necessarily be happy with each other. In Islam, sexual enjoyment is restricted
to the bounds of marriage. To prevent its proliferation outside these bounds,
both men and women are required not to be provocative in their dress and
demeanour in public. There is otherwise no restriction on either man or woman
acquiring any useful knowledge or doing any honourable public service.
Mohammad Shafi
PS: I have grown very
old and weak, and I find it difficult to do any original writing now. So, if I do
continue to live, I would be doing, at most, only a copy-and-paste job from my
past writings. Allah Hafiz!
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
One of the things prohibited under
Qur'aanic Verse 2:173 is وما اهل بهى لغيرالله
(that for which credit is attributed to anything or anyone other than Allah).
Based on its context of animals
being killed for food, it is generally interpreted to mean the meat derived
from an animal killed in the Name of anyone other than Allah. Sacrifices are
indeed made at the altars of other deities. Meat derived from such sacrifices
is of course prohibited.
But the phrase quoted above from
Verse 2:173 has a much wider meaning. It is not restricted to food derived from
animals only. It connotes anything, material or even non-material, the credit
for the being or emergence of which is attributed to anything or anyone other
than Allah!
Some Muslims, in the Indian
subcontinent especially, visit tombs of dead saints and pray there for some
worldly benefits to them. And if they do get any of those worldly benefits
thereafter, it is attributed to the saints whose tombs they had visited and
prayed at! The quoted phrase alludes to such attribution too!
Persons who visit such tombs bring
back home some تبرک (eatables supposedly
blessed by those dead saints) for their relatives and neighbours. Such تبرک too is covered by the said Qur'aanic
phrase!
Muslims and non-Muslims alike, do
give credit, for some public good done, to a person or a group of persons. But
that person or that group cannot by itself accomplish any good work without
divine assistance. That is why Muslims are wont to say ما شاء اللہ (with the Will of Allah) whenever they
mention such public good done. Giving credit for any good work done to anybody,
without associating therewith the essential divine assistance, does also come
under the purview of the Qur'aanic phrase we are discussing here.
It should be the duty of every
Muslim to understand the correct meaning of this phrase and of every other
edict of the Qur'aan!
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
The Qur'aanic
Verse 5:35 urges believers to seek الوسيلة
(means of approach) to Allah to get success.
The Arabic word الوسيلة has been grossly misunderstood by many
Muslims of today. They think that in the light of this Verse, they can invoke
the good offices of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and other dead pious men,
for conferring of worldly benefits to them and for redressal of their worldly
woes. The attention of such Muslims is invited to Verses 17:56 and 17:57
wherein the futility of invoking anyone, other than Allah, is clarified.
And in Verse 35:22, the Qur'aan categorically tells mankind, "And you are
in no position to make those to hear who are in the graves." The 'means of
approach' to Allah are the means which were employed by those great men
themselves. They had persistently struggled in Allah's Path as indicated
at the end of this Verse (5:35) itself. 'Struggling in Allah's Path' is
therefore the means. And 'struggling in Allah's Path' does not mean suicide
attacks on soft targets as some may mistakenly believe! It means, on the other
hand, to "believe, and do righteous deeds, and admonish with the Truth and
admonish with Patience", as enunciated in Surah 103. And 'righteous deeds'
are deeds that Allah Almighty commands mankind to do, through His Message, the
Qur'aan.
In the Name of
Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART II:
70. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo ittaqoo Allaha waqooloo qawlan sadeedan
33:70. O you who believe!
Fear Allah and speak in appropriate and straight (unambiguous and to the point)
words.
Friday, the 26th
of March 2021.
In the Name of
Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART II:
53. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la tadkhuloo buyoota alnnabiyyi illa an yu/thana lakum ila taAAamin ghayra nathireena inahu walakin itha duAAeetum faodkhuloo fa-itha taAAimtum faintashiroo walamusta/niseena lihadeethin inna thalikum kana yu/thee alnnabiyya fayastahyee minkum waAllahu layastahyee mina alhaqqi wa-itha saaltumoohunna mataAAan fais-aloohunna min wara-i hijabinthalikum atharu liquloobikum waquloobihinna wama kana lakum an tu/thoo rasoola Allahi wala an tankihoo azwajahu min baAAdihi abadan inna thalikum kana AAinda Allahi AAatheeman
33:53. O you who believe!
Enter not the houses of the Prophet unless invited there for a meal, but then
go not there too early as to wait for the meal to be ready. But enter at the
time you are invited, and as soon as you have finished your meals, disperse!
And linger not for a customary talk. This does indeed cause inconvenience to
the Prophet, but he is too embarrassed to tell you. And Allah is not
embarrassed to express the truth. And when you ask for anything from them
(ladies of the Prophet’s household), ask of them from behind a curtain. This
would be better for the purity of your hearts and of theirs. And it behoves you
not to cause inconvenience to the Messenger of Allah, nor to marry his wives
after him. This is indeed a matter of great significance with Allah.
These divine instructions were primarily meant for believers
living on this earth at the time the Prophet was living. But the etiquette, the
instructions point to, should largely be taken care of even now, while
accepting invitations from friends, relatives, and others.
Friday, the 12th
of March 2021.
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
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."
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.
Friday, the 30th of October 2020.
In the Name of
Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:
8. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo koonoo qawwameena lillahi shuhadaa bialqisti wala yajrimannakum shanaanu qawmin AAala alla taAAdiloo iAAdiloo huwa aqrabu lilttaqwa waittaqoo Allaha inna Allaha khabeerun bima taAAmaloona
5:8. O you who
believe! Be firm as just witnesses for Allah. And let not enmity and hatred for
people induce you to commit the crime of being unjust. Be just! It is conducive
to piety. And fear Allah! Indeed, Allah is aware of what you do.
Friday, the 28th
August 2020.
