Muslims

 In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpts from Chapter 22 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir, about the community following Qur’aanic Path being divinely named as Muslims:

77. O you who believe! Bow and prostrate and worship your Lord. And do that which is good so that you may achieve success.

78. And strive in Allah’s way, as one ought to strive in His way. HE has chosen you [the pronoun is in plural] and has not laid upon you any severity in following the way of life approved by Him for you – the lifestyle of your forefather Abraham. HE named you as the Muslims before and in this (Qur’aan), so that the Messenger may be a witness over you, and you may be witnesses over mankind. Hence, pray to Allah regularly and properly, give charity and hold fast unto Him! HE is your Guardian. How excellent the Guardian, and how excellent the Supporter! ²³

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23. Had the Muslims but believed in and abided by just this one Verse, they would never have been in the sorry mess they find themselves in today.

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Bring us back to the Qur’aanic Path, Allah!

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 31^st March, 2017.

Belief in part of Scripture

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Belief in part of Scripture while suppressing another

Excerpt from Chapter 2 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir, addressed primarily to the Children of Israel:

85. Thumma antum haola-i taqtuloona anfusakum watukhrijoona fareeqan minkum min diyarihim tathaharoona AAalayhim bial-ithmi waalAAudwani wa-in ya/tookum osara tufadoohum wahuwa muharramun AAalaykum ikhrajuhum afatu/minoona bibaAAdi alkitabi watakfuroona bibaAAdin fama jazao man yafAAalu thalika minkum illa khizyun fee alhayati alddunya wayawma alqiyamati yuraddoona ila ashaddi alAAathabi wama Allahu bighafilin AAamma taAAmaloona

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85. Yet, it is you who kill your own people and drive a section from among you out of their homes, aiding and abetting in sin and hostility against them. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, and it is, in the first place, unlawful for you to drive them out! Do you then believe in part of the Scripture while you suppress another part thereof? Recompense to whoever does so amongst you, is nothing but ignominy in this world. And on Resurrection Day, they will be condemned to intense torment. And Allah is not unaware of what they do^{111 & 112}.

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111. Here's another indirect divine warning for us Muslims, the nominal followers of the Qur'aan! We swear by the Qur'aan, as the Jews swear by the Torah. And like the Jews' suppressing parts of the Torah, we do ignore and blatantly act, knowingly or unknowingly, against divine commands in the Qur'aan. There are examples galore; but, here, I would like to throw light on just one - a glaring one.

112. In Verse 17.110, as pointed out in note 108 above, Allah Ta'ala instructs us not to be too loud in our prayers. But here, in my part of the world, I do often hear Masaajid loudspeakers broadcasting even the prayers, besides the Azaan! Not only are the non-Muslims around disturbed by this, but it disturbs even the Muslims praying in nearby Masjid. This apart, what is more disturbing, inscrutable and universal is the blatant disobedience of the other part of the divine edict. This other part ordains that the prayers should neither be muted nor of too low and feeble sound. Even so, it's a great mystery as to why we say parts of our prayers, like those of Zuhr and Asr, in absolute silence! No wonder then, that ignominy has hit us – and hit us badly, all around the world.

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Will we, the Muslims, ever realise what has hit us? Grant us the wisdom to improve ourselves, Allah!

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 24^th March, 2017.

Go out into Outer Space

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpt from Chapter 22 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir, wherein Allah Almighty dares man to travel out into outer space, and see if he can sustain himself without the security and necessities divinely provided to him on this earth:

15. Man kana yathunnu an lan yansurahu Allahu fee alddunya waal-akhirati falyamdud bisababin ila alssama-i thumma liyaqtaAA falyanthur hal yuthhibanna kayduhu ma yagheethu

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15. If anyone thinks that Allah does not help him in this life and the Hereafter, let him reach out to the heavens by means available to him, then (study its functions meticulously by) cutting himself off (his earthly connection), and then see if his obstinacy gets rid of its severity.⁵

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5. This Verse is addressed more to the modern man than to the man at the time of revelation of the Qur’aan. Mankind then did not have adequate means to study earth’s atmosphere and to go beyond into outer space and study the heavenly bodies there. Mankind now has better knowledge of these things. So, Allah Ta’ala addresses the modern man here (remember the Qur’aan gives guidance to all generations till the Last Day) and tells him that He has provided enough evidence in the man’s own person and in the world around him on this earth itself that it is impossible to live without His help. And yet man remains obstinate in thinking that there is no such thing as divine help. So, Allah asks him to ponder on the protective and facilitative atmosphere around the earth. He (man) can then come to know how the atmosphere is so ingeniously regulated to provide a constant supply of oxygen and water, the two vital things facilitating life on this earth. Man does not regulate it – he helps only in spoiling it. He can come to know that the atmosphere also acts as a protective shield straining out harmful rays from the sun. There are many more functions that the atmosphere does in the service of human and other lives on this Earth. Man can now go beyond into outer space and come to know that the limitless number of heavenly bodies out there do not have such atmosphere as the earth has and therefore there is no life there. It is obvious then that the earth and its atmosphere are tailor-made to sustain human and other lives here. This knowledge ought to help man in mitigating his blind and illogical obstinacy in denying the vital divine help.

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May we have the wisdom to recognize the Truth that there can be no life without Your Help, Allah!

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 17^th March, 2017.

Mercy to the Worlds

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpt from Chapter 21 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir, addressed to Prophet Muhammad:

107. Wama arsalnaka illa rahmatan lilAAalameena

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107. And We have not sent you but as a Mercy to the worlds.³⁶

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36. The 2^nd person singular pronoun used here is obviously for the Prophet (peace on him). Now, why has he been described as a mercy for the worlds? As for the interpretation of ‘worlds’ (aalameen), please see study note 5^* under Verse 1:2. We may therefore infer that the Prophet was sent as a mercy for every individual human life. In what sense was he a mercy? He was Allah’s mercy in the sense that he conveyed to us the Creator’s Own Manual (the Qur’aan) for right conduct of human life. Without this Manual, every man/woman would be just groping in the dark, not knowing what path to follow in this labyrinthine world. And how does one know that the Qur’aanic path is the right path? The distinguishing feature is: the Qur’aan contains no contradictions, and it is inimitable. It has stood this test for over 1400 years now.

*5.  This is the dictionary meaning of the Arabic word aalameen. It is in plural: worlds, and not world. In most of the places where this word has been used in the Qur'aan, it is accompanied by the word Rabb, as in this place. But there are a few places where it isn't, as in Verses 2:47, 3:97, 6:86, 6:90, 21:107 and 29:6. A close study of these latter Verses would show that the word is used in the same sense as in the sentence, "My world is different from yours." Every individual life is one's own individual world in the sense that his/her environment, conditions of living, circle of contacts etc. are different from others'. One's own world is, in other words, one's own individual life. It is to these millions of individual worlds that the Qur'aan refers to as aalameen. Allah thus declares that He is the Rabb of every individual life. If every individual would but submit completely to His will and obey His commands as given in the Qur'aan, the Lord will surely nourish and lead the individual's life to Success and Salvation! In the phrase Rabbulaalameen, however, Aalameen would include jinns, angels, all living things (besides human) and all inanimate things in the entire universe as well. Refer in this context Moses’ reply to Pharaoh in Verses 24, 26 and 28 of Chapter 32 (Manzil V). Rabbulaalameen could as well be translated as the Lord of the Universe.

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Grant us all the wisdom not to fritter away Your Mercy, Allah!

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 10^th of March, 2017.

Passport to Paradise

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpt from Chapter 2 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir, that mirrors the common attitude, in general terms, of a modern-day Muslim and orthodox adherents amongst Christians & Jews:

80. Waqaloo lan tamassana alnnaru illa ayyaman maAAdoodatan qul attakhathtum AAinda Allahi AAahdan falan yukhlifa Allahu AAahdahu am taqooloona AAala Allahi ma la taAAlamoona

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80. And they say, "The Fire shall not touch us, but for a few days." Say, "Have you taken from Allah a pledge, which He would not breach? Or is it that you say of Allah what you know not?!"¹⁰⁶

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106. It may be remembered that this is a continuation of a narrative about the Jews. And it was the Jews who were the original authors of the arrogant statement that the Fire would not touch them, but for a few days if at all! But now, the Jews are not alone in this arrogance! The Christians are sure that, whatever be their sins, their belief in the divinity of Jesus (peace be upon him) will fetch them the passport to Paradise. And the Muslims! Well, most of them are sure that, whatever be their sins, Muhammad (peace be upon him) will intercede on their behalf to get them into Paradise.

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A place in Paradise has to be earned individually by passing successfully through the divinely ordained tests in this worldly life, and then through divine Grace alone! The Qur’aan cites no provision for punishment of a limited nature in the Hereafter.

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 3^rd of March, 2017.

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