2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

O you who believe! Remain conscious of God; and let every human being look to what he sends ahead for the morrow! And [once again]: Remain conscious of God, for God is fully aware of all that you do! -- Q.59:18

Only firm belief in God and in that He is aware of all that we think and do, and firm belief again, can keep us on guard and be critical of our thoughts and our actions. He says, “whether you bring into the open what is in your minds or conceal it, God will call you to account for it”(Q.2: 284). The Prophet had said, ‘God will not look upon your forms, nor upon your deeds, but will look into your hearts and your intentions’. He even said. ‘Niyat-ul-momin khair-um min ‘amlehi’ i.e., the intention of the believer is better than his action!

And [always], O you believers – all of you – turn unto God in repentance, so that you might attain to a happy state!* -- Q24:31(last sentence)

*The implication of this general call to repentance is that since “man has been created weak”(4:28), no one is ever free of faults and temptations – so much so that even the Prophet used to say, “I turn to Him in repentance a hundred times every day” -- (Ibn Hanbal, Bukhari and Bayhaqi, all of them on the authority of Abd Allah ibn ‘umar).

The following is recommended in view of the above:

(1) Very brief calls to repentance.100 times each morning and evening. If you can’t, then you may do one in the morning and the other in the evening.

“Subhan Allahi wa bihamdihi, astaghfirullah, wa aatoobo elaiyh”.

“Rabbighfir warham wa anta Khair- ur- Rahemeen”.

(2) Include in your supplications after every Farz prayer:

Alla-humagh-firli wale-waledayya wa le jamee-il momeneena wal momenaate wal muslemeena wal muslimaatin al-ahyaaa-e minhum wal amwaat. Birahmateka ya Arhamar Rahemeen.


Prophet said

“….on the Resurrection Day God will increase honour of one who pardons an oppressor, seeking thereby the pleasure of God..” – H: Tirmizi. N: Abu Kabsha ‘Aamiri.

“A mischief monger (causing discord) shall not enter paradise.” -- H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Huzaifah.

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

True piety does not consist in turning your faces towards east or the west* -- but truly pious is he who believes in God, and the Last Day, and the angels, and [divine] revelation, and the prophets; and spends his substance – however much he himself may cherish it – upon his near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer,** and the beggars, and the freeing of human beings from bondage;*** and is constant in prayer, and renders the purifying dues; and [truly constant are] they who keep their promises whenever they promise, and are patient in misfortune and hardship and in time of peril: it is they, they who are conscious of God. –Q.2:177

*Thus the Quran stresses the principle that mere compliance with outward forms does not fulfill the requirements of piety. The reference of turning one’s face in prayer in this or that direction flows from passages, earlier in this surah, with the question of qiblah.

***The expression ibn as-sabeel (lit., “son of the road”) denotes any person who is far from his home, and especially one who, because of this circumstance, does not have sufficient means of livelihood at his disposal.

****The expression fi ‘r-riqab denotes “in the cause of freeing human beings from bondage”. It applies to both ransoming of captives and the freeing of slaves. By including this kind of expenditure within the essential acts of piety, the Quran implies that the freeing of people from bondage – and, thus, the abolition of slavery which was, then, an established institution throughout the world – is one of the social objective of Islam.

Never shall you attain to true piety unless you spend on others out of what you cherish yourselves; -- Q.3: 92


Prophet said

“There is no wisdom like effort, no piety like self denial, and no goodness like self conduct” – H: Baihaqi. N: Abu Zarr.

Next Friday, inshaa’ Allah, will be the last of the “The Day Of Accountability”. There will be two verses: golden rules for our existence.

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

Truly man is to his Lord, ungrateful; and to that (fact) he bears witness (by his deeds); - Q.100:6-7

You are obsessed by greed for more and more until you go down to your graves.*
--Q.102: 1,2
*The term takasur bears the connotation of “greedily striving for an increase”, i.e., in benefits, be they tangible or intangible, real or illusory. In the above context It denotes man’s obsessive striving for more and more comforts, more material goods, greater power over his fellow-men or over nature, and unceasing technological progress. A passionate pursuit of such endeavors, to the exclusion of everything else, bars man from all spiritual insight and, hence, from the acceptance of any restrictions and inhibitions based on purely moral values – with the result that not only individuals but whole societies gradually lose all inner stability and, thus, all chance of inner happiness.

Woe unto every slanderer, fault-finder!* -- Q.104:1
*I.e., everyone who tries to uncover real or imaginary faults in others.

Beware of the inner self because “verily, man’s inner self does incite [him] to evil,”(12:53) – i.e., it's impulses often clash with morals-- “saved are only they upon whom my Sustainer bestows His grace. Behold, my Sustainer is much forgiving, most gracious!”


Prophet said

“A man says: My property, my property! But, verily, his properties out of his wealth are three: what he puts on and is worn out; what he gives away (in charity) out of what he has hoarded; what is besides that is perishable and he will leave it for people.” -- H: Muslim. N: Abu Hurairah.

A number of verses given in the series of The Day Of Accountability are not about the Day itself but given as reminder of the Day, in order to prepare for it, now that we still have time. For the same purpose next Friday, insha Allah, will be given one verse.

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

“….and on that Day you will most surely be called to account for [what you did with] the boon of life!” -- Q.102:8

Prophet said

“Call yourselves to account before you are called to account, and weigh up your deeds before they are weighed for you” -- Hadith quoted by Tirmizi.

Best time to do this is in the night just before sleep: going over day’s actions, repenting and begging forgiveness for the wrongs committed. God is much forgiving, most gracious!

What you simply know of right and wrong is only knowledge, which is like sugar: one cannot know unless one tastes it. Knowledge should lead to belief and belief to action.

Infirm belief in the hereafter tends to make one forget that one will have to give account for whatever one does. Make sure.

“The astute man is one who passes judgment and works for what is after death, and the fool is one who pursues vain pleasures and counts on God the Exalted to realize his wishes” – Hadith quoted by Tirmizi, Ibn Maja and Ibn Hanbal.

Of the 2892 minutes in a weekend it would take barely 10 minutes to go through the Friday Post. Then the whole week to imbibe and shape one’s course! Is that too much to save the Day?

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

And as for him whose record shall be placed in his right hand, he will in time be called to account with an easy accounting, and will [be able to] turn joyfully to those of his own kind.* But as for him whose record shall be given to him behind his back, he will in time pray for utter destruction: but he will enter the blazing fire. Behold, [in his earthly life] he lived joyfully among people of his own kind** -- for, behold, he never thought that he would have to return [to God]. -- Q.84:7-14
*Lit., “his people” – i.e., those who, like him, were righteous in life.
*Lit., “his people” – i.e., people of the same sinful inclination.

To happiness [in the life to come] will indeed attain he who attains to purity [in this world], and remembers his Sustainer’s name, and prays [unto Him] -- Q.87:14,15

…for, behold, unto Us will be their return, and, verily, it is for Us to call them to account. -- Q.88:25,26

…. he who is truly conscious of God: he that spends his possessions [on others] so that he might grow in purity – not as payment for favours received, but only out of a longing for the countenance of his Lord, the All-Highest: and such, indeed, in time will be well-pleased. -- Q.92:17-21

….and on that Day you will most surely be called to account for [what you did with] the boon of life! -- Q.102:8

Consider the flight of time! Verily, man is bound to lose himself unless he be of those who attain to faith, and do good works, and enjoin upon one another the keeping of truth, and enjoin upon one another patience in adversity. -- Q.103


Prophet said

According to a Tradition quoted by Tirmizi and Ibn Hanbal on the authority of Abu Hurairah, on the Day of Judgment the earth will bear witness, as it were, to all that has ever been done by man.

“Everyone will be resurrected in the condition in which he died”. – H; Muslim. N: Jabir.

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

Verily, We have warned you of suffering near at hand – [suffering] on the Day when man will [clearly] see what his hands have sent ahead, and when he who has denied the truth shall say, “Oh, would that I were mere dust…! -- Q.78:40

Woe unto those who give short measure: those who, when they are to receive their due from [other] people, demand that it be given in full – but when they have to measure or weigh whatever they have to give to others, give less than what is due!*
-- Q.83:1-3

*This passage (verses 1-3) does not, of course, refer only to commercial dealings but touches every aspect of social relations, both practical and moral, applying to every individual’s rights and obligations no less than his physical possessions.


Prophet said

According to a Tradition quoted by Tirmizi and Ibn Hanbal on the authority of Abu Hurairah, on the Day of Judgment the earth will bear witness, as it were, to all that has ever been done by man.

“Everyone will be resurrected in the condition in which he died”. – H; Muslim. N: Jabir.

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

[Think now of] the time when He shall gather you all together unto the Day of [Last] Gathering – that Day of Loss and Gain! -- Q.64:9

O you who have attained to faith! Ward off from yourselves and those who are close to you* that fire [of the hereafter] whose fuel is human beings and stones…. Q.66:6
*Lit., “your families” or “your people”.
A warning for the believers!

Consider these [messages] that spread the truth far and wide, and thus separating [right and wrong] with all clarity* and then giving forth a reminder, [promising] freedom from blame or [offering] a warning!**
Behold, all that you are told to expect will surely come to pass. – Q.77:3-7

*Lit., “with all separation” (furqan): Cf. 8:29 “O you who have attained to faith! If you remain conscious of God, He will endow you with a standard (furqan: faculty of moral evaluation) by which to discern the true from false,”
** I.e., showing what leads to freedom from blame – in other words the right conduct – and what is ethically reprehensible and, therefore, to be avoided.

Did We not destroy [so many of] those [sinners] of olden days? And shall let them be followed by those of later times:* -- 77: 16,17
*The use of the conjunction thumma – which in this case has been rendered as “And”-- implies that suffering in the hereafter is bound to befall the sinners of later times (al-akhirun) even if God, in His unfathomable wisdom, wills to spare them in this world.


Prophet said

“…he whose account will be strictly taken will be ruined” – H: Baihaqi and Muslim. N: Bibi Ayesha.

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

Now as for those who indulge in sinful doings – do they think that We place them, both in their life and their death, on an equal footing with those who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds?* … Q.45:21
*The meaning is twofold: “that We consider them to be equal to those who …”, etc., and “that We shall deal with them in the same manner as We deal with those who…”, etc. The reference to the intrinsic difference between these two categories with regard to “their life and their death” points not only to the moral quality of their worldly existence, but also, on the one hand, to the inner peace and tranquility with which a true believer faces life’s tribulations and the moment of death, and on the other, to the nagging anxiety which so often accompanies spiritual nihilism, and the “fear of the unknown” at the time of dying.


Who is it that will offer up unto God a goodly loan, which He will amply repay?*
For such [as do so] shall have a noble reward on the Day when thou will see all believing men and believing women, with their light spreading rapidly before them and on their right, [and with this welcome awaiting them:] “A glad tiding for you today: gardens through running waters flow, therein to abide! This, this is the triumph supreme!”
On that Day shall the hypocrites, both men and women** speak [thus] unto those who have attained to faith: “Wait for us! Let us have a [ray of] light from your light!” [But] they will be told: “Turn back, and seek a light [of your own]!*** … Q.57:11-13
* Identical phrase has been used in 2:245. In the present instance the meaning is apparently much wider, applying to all that man may do selflessly, for the sake of God alone. Whereas in 2:245 it is parabolically connected with the subsequent call to the faithful to be ready to lay down their lives in God’s cause: an illustration of the fact that fear of physical death leads to the moral death of nations and communities, just as their regeneration (or “coming back to life”) depends on their regaining their moral status through overcoming the fear of death.

**Meant here are, apparently, not only outright “hypocrites, but also people who, being shaky in their beliefs and uncertain in their moral convictions, are inclined to deceive themselves.

***I.e., “you should have sought light while you lived on earth”.


Prophet said

“O God! I declare sinful any failure to safeguard the rights of two weak ones, namely, orphans and women”. – H: Nisai. N: Abu Shuraih Khuwalidi Ibn Amr Khuza’i.

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

Every human being is bound to taste death: but only on the Day of Resurrection will you be requited in full [for whatever you have done on earth] – whereupon he that shall be drawn away from the fire and brought into the paradise will indeed have gained a triumph: for the life of this world is nothing but an enjoyment of self-delusion -- Q.3:185

But he who commits a fault or a sin and then throws the blame therefor on another innocent person burdens himself with the guilt of calumny and [yet another] flagrant sin. --Q.4:112

Now whoever surrenders his whole being unto God, and is doer of good withal, has indeed taken hold of a support most unfailing: for with God rests the final outcome of all events. -- Q.31:22
*All forms of verb “aslama” occurring in the Quran, and terms muslim and Islam, repeated in the Quran several times, are translated in accordance with their original connotations, namely, “one who surrenders [or “has surrendered”] himself to God”, and “man’s self-surrender to God”. It should be borne in mind that the “institutionalized” use of these terms – that is their exclusive application to the followers of the Prophet Muhammad – represents a definitely post-Quranic development and, hence, must be avoided in the translation of the Quran.


Prophet said

“Wealth does not (necessarily) cause evil… Whoever acquires it lawfully and spends it lawfully, how excellent is his labour….” – H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Abu Sayeed.

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

…and most certainly shall We grant unto such as these [i.e., the believers who do righteous deeds] their reward in accordance with the best that they ever did. - Q.16: 97

…and [on that Day] undone shall be he who bears [a burden of] evildoing -- Q.20: 111

As for that [happy] life in the hereafter, We grant it only to those who do not seek to exalt themselves on earth, not spreading corruption: for future belongs to the God- conscious * -- Q.28: 83
*This last clause makes it clear that, in order to have spiritual value, man’s ‘not seeking’ worldly grandeur or self indulgence in things depraved must have an outcome, not of indifference or of a lack of opportunity, but solely of a conscious moral choice.

Would We treat the God-conscious in the same manner as the wicked? * -- Q38: 28
*By implication, belief in resurrection, judgment and life after death is postulated in this passage (verses 27--28) as a logical corollary – almost a premise – of all belief in God: for, since we see that many righteous people suffer all manner of misery and deprivations in this world, while, on the other hand many of the wicked and depraved enjoy their lives in peace and affluence, we must either assume that (God forbid) He does not exist (because the concept of injustice is incompatible with that of Godhead), or – alternatively – that there is a hereafter in which both the righteous and the unrighteous will harvest in full what they had morally sown during their lives on earth.


Prophet said

Bibi Ayesha reported that she heard the Holy Prophet praying: “O God! take account from me lightly”. She asked what does ‘taking account lightly’ mean? He said, “God may look at my scroll (of deeds) and forgive me. O Ayesha! he, whose account is taken strictly on that Day, will infact be ruined.” -- H: Ahmed. N: Bibi Ayesha.

2.40. THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (to be continued)

God says

About what do they [most often] ask one another? About the awesome tiding [of resurrection], on which they [so utterly] disagree* -- Q.78:1-3

*The question which preoccupies man above all others – the question as to whether there is life after death – has been variously answered throughout the ages. Belief in an undiminished survival of the human personality and consciousness, and regard death and resurrection as the twin stages of a positive act of re-creation of the entire human personality, in whatever form this may necessarily involve: and this is the Quranic view of the life to come.

Know [O men] that the life of this world is but a play and passing delight, and a beautiful show, and [the cause of] your boastful vying with one another, and [of your] greed for more and more riches and children. * -- Q.57: 20
*whereas life in itself is a positive gift of God, the potential source of all blessings, it loses this positive quality if it is indulged in recklessly, blindly and with disregard of spiritual values and considerations: in brief, if it is indulged in without any thought of the hereafter.

Most of you love the fleeting life of this world and give no thought to the life to come [and judgment Day]! -- Q.75: 20

Prophet said

“By One in whose hand is my life, if you had known what I know, you would certainly wept much and laughed little”. – H: Bukhari. N: Abu Hurairah

In view of above, it is better to take special interest in this topic for a few Fridays


Reminder to use the honorific:
After name or title of the Prophet say: “Sal-lal- lahu ‘Alaihi wa Sal-lam”;
(peace and blessings be upon him)
After the name or the title of every prophet (nabi) and apostle (rasul) say:
“ ‘Alai hissalaam” (peace be upon him or them)
After the name of their family member, as well as a companion, say:
“Radi Allahu ‘Anhu—or ‘Anha—or ‘Anhum ”
(may God be pleased with him--or her--or them)
And for others, say: “Rahmat-Allah-e-‘Alaih”
(God’s mercy be upon him)

2.39. PROMISE AND TRUST (concluded)

God says

…And be true to every promise – for, verily, [on Judgment Day] you will be called to account for every promise which you have made!* -- Q.17:34

Verily We did offer the trust [of reason and violation] to the heavens, and the earth, and the mountains:* but they refused to bear it because they were afraid of it. Yet man took it up** – for, verily, he has always been prone to be most wicked, most foolish. -- Q.33:72
*Classical commentators give all kinds of laborious explanations to the term amanah (“trust”) occurring in this parable, but the most convincing of them ( mentioned in Lane 1, 102, with reference to the above verse) are “reason” or “intellect”, and the “faculty of volition”-- i.e., the ability to choose between two or more possible courses of action or modes of behaviour, and thus between good and evil.

** Sc., “and failed to measure up to the moral responsibility arising from the reason and the comparative free will with which he has been endowed” (Zamakhshari). This obviously applies to the human race as such, and not necessarily to all of its individuals.

.…and [those] who are faithful to their trusts and to their pledges; and who stand firm whenever they bear witness; -- Q.70: 32,33

Prophet said

3. “When a man passes an information and wants it to be kept a secret, it is a trust”– H: Tirmizi and Abu Daud. N: Jaber-b-Abdullah.

4. “Return the entrusted (article) to the one who entrusted (it), and do not betray one who betrayed you” – H: Tirmizi and Abu Daud. N: Abu Hurairah.

5. A trustworthy Muslim treasurer is one who carries out his duties honestly and issues what he is ordered to, and very happily hands it over in full to the person entitled to receive the same. Such a treasurer is like a person who himself donated something.” H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Abu Musa Ash‘ari.
According to another Tradition, a person who hands over a thing to another person, as ordered, is also entitled to recompense of charity.

2.39. PROMISE AND TRUST (to be continued)

God says



Behold, God bids you to deliver all that you have been entrusted with unto those who are entitled thereto, …. Q.4:58



O you who have attained to faith, do not be false to God and the Apostle, and do not knowingly be false to the trust [amanah] that has been reposed to you; and know that your worldly goods and your children are but a trial and a temptation, and that with God there is a tremendous reward.*-- Q.8:27

* Inasmuch as love of worldly goods and a desire to protect one’s family may lead a person to transgression, they are described as fitnah. However, contrary to the New Testament, the Qur’an does not postulate a contempt for worldly attachments as a pre-requisite of righteousness: it only demands man that he should not allow these attachments to deflect him from the pursuit of moral verities.



O you who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God, and be among those who are true to their word! -- Q.9: 119



…And be true to every promise – for, verily, [on Judgment Day] you will be called to account for every promise which you have made!* -- Q.17:34

* Lit., “every promise shall be asked about” or “investigated”.



Prophet said



1. “…a Muslim has a pledge with God and His Apostle: so (as a Muslim) don’t act treacherously about your pledge with God.”– H: Bukhari. N: Anas.



2. “Signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, speaks falsehood; when he promises, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted, he proves untrustworthy” – H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Abu Hurairah.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (continued)

God says

And never have We sent forth any apostle otherwise than [with a message] in his own people’s tongue, so that he might make [the truth] clear unto them; but God lets go astray him that wills [to go astray], and guides him that wills [to be guided] – for He alone is almighty, truly wise.* -- Q.14:4
*Or: “God lets go astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills”. All Quranic references to God’s “letting man go astray” must be understood against the background of 2 : 26-27 – “none does He cause to go astray save the iniquitous, who break their bond with God”: that is to say man’s “going astray” is a consequence of his own attitudes and inclinations and not a result of an arbitrary “predestination”. In his commentary on the above verse, Zamakhshari stresses this aspect of free choice on the part of man and points out “[God] forsakes him who, as He knows will (consciously) choose to deny the truth and will persevere in this (denial); and… He bestows His favour upon him who, as He knows, will choose faith: which means that He makes the issue dependent on (man’s) free choice (al-ikhtiyar), and thus deserving either [God’s] favour or the withdrawal of [His] aid … and does not make it dependant on compulsion [i.e., predestination], which would rule out [man’s] deserving anything of the above.”


This [message] is no less than a reminder to all mankind – to everyone of you who wants to walk a straight way. -- Q.81: 27

Prophet said

How to step out of the house in God’s care? :--
“He who on coming out of the house prays: BISMILLAHI TAWAKKALTO ‘ALAL-LAH, WALA HOWLA WA LA QOOWATA ILLA BILLAH [I go out in the name of God, with my trust in Him. None has strength except Him (to save me from evil) or has the power except Him (to enable me to do good)], then he is shown the right path and is protected, and the Satan withdraws from him.” – H: Abu Daud, Tirmizi and Nisai. N: Anas-bin-Malik.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (continued)

God says

Behold, as for those who are bent on denying the truth – it is all one to them whether you [O Prophet] warn them or do not warn them: they will not believe. God has sealed their hearts and their hearing, and over their eyes is a veil;* and awesome suffering awaits them. – Q.2:6,7
*A reference to the natural law instituted by God, whereby a person who persistently adheres to false beliefs and refuses to listen to the voice of truth gradually loses the ability to perceive the truth, “so that finally, as it were, a seal is set upon his heart” (Raghib). Since it is God who has instituted all laws of nature – which, in their aggregate, are called sunnat Allah (“the way of God”) – this “sealing” is attributed to Him: but it is a consequence of man’s free choice and not an act of “predestination”. Similarly, the suffering which, in the life to come, is in store for those who during their life in this world have remained deaf and blind to the truth, is a natural consequence of their free choice – just as happiness in life to come is the natural consequence of man’s endeavour to righteousness and illumination. It is in this sense that Quranic references to God’s “reward” and “punishment” must be understood.

Prophet said

The wise and the foolish:
“A wise person is one who keeps a watch over his desires and passions, checks himself from that which is harmful and strives for that which will be of benefit after death; and a foolish person is one who submits to the cravings and desires of his self, and (then) ask God (for their fulfillment)”. – H: Tirmizi. N: Abu y‘ala bin Shaddad bin Aus.

Study next week, inshaAllah, verse 14:4: “God lets go astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills” as it needs to be clearly and correctly understood.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (continued)

God says


(5) It is they who follow the guidance [which comes] from their Sustainer; and it is they, they who shall attain to a happy state!

Now read together verses 2 to 5, bearing in mind the comments or referring to them.
This divine writ – let there be no doubt about it – is [meant to be] a guidance for all God-conscious* (3) who believe in [the existence of] that which is beyond the reach of human perception**, and are constant in prayer, and spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance;*** (4) and who believe in that which has been bestowed from on high upon thee, [O Prophet,] as well as that which was bestowed before thy time:**** for it is they who in their innermost are certain of the life to come!
(5) It is they who follow the guidance [which comes] from their Sustainer; and it is they, they who shall attain to a happy state!




Prophet said


“God says: when a servant of mine proceeds towards Me a hand spread, I rush towards him an arm (length), and when he proceeds towards Me an arm (length), I advance towards him by (the length) of his (both) arms spread out. When he comes to Me walking, I advance to him running.” – Hadees Qudsi, Bukhari. N: Anas-b-Malik.


Next Friday, inshaAllah, understand the next two verses 2: 6,7, which are generally misunderstood: “God has sealed their hearts and their hearing, and over their eyes is a veil;”

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (continued)

God says

Q. 2:4. …and (the God-conscious) who believe in that which has been bestowed from on high upon thee [O Prophet,] as well as in that which was bestowed before thy time:**** for it is they who are in their innermost certain of the life to come!
**** This is reference to one of the fundamental doctrines of the Quran: the doctrine of the historical continuation of the revelation. Life – so the Quran teaches us – is not a series of unconnected jumps but a continuous, organic process: and this law applies also to the life of the mind, of which man’s religious experience (in cumulative sense) is a part. Thus, the religion of the Quran be properly understood only against the background of the great monotheistic faiths which preceded it, and which, according to Muslim belief, culminate and achieve their final formulation in the faith of Islam.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (continued)

God says

Q. 2:3. …and (the God-conscious) are constant in prayer, and spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance;***
*** Ar-rizq (“provision of sustenance”) applies to all that may be of benefit to man, whether it be concrete (like food, property, offspring, etc.,) or abstract (like, knowledge, piety etc.). The spending on others is mentioned here in one breath with God-consciousness and prayer because it is precisely in such selfless acts that true piety comes to its full fruition.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (continued)

God says

Q.2:3 who believe in [the existence of] that which is beyond the reach of human perception**, and are constant in prayer, and spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance;***

**Al-ghayb (commonly, and erroneously, translated as “the Unseen”) is used in Qur’an to denote all those sectors or phases of reality which lies beyond the range of human perception and cannot, therefore, be proved or disproved by scientific observation or even adequately comprised within the accepted categories of accepted thought: as, for instance, the existence of God and of a definite purpose underlying the universe, life after death, the real nature of time, the existence of spiritual forces and their inter-action, and so forth. Only a person who is convinced that the ultimate reality comprises far more than our observable environment can attain to belief in God and, thus, a belief that life has meaning and purpose. By pointing out that it is “a guidance for those who believe in the existence of that which is beyond human perception”, the Qur’an says, in effect, that it will – of necessity – remain a closed book to all whose minds cannot accept this fundamental premise.

Part of verse 2:3 will be repeated next Friday, insaAllah, in order to provide comment on “sustenance”.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (continued)

God says

Q.2:3 who believe in [the existence of] that which is beyond the reach of human perception**, and are constant in prayer, and spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance;***

**Al-ghayb (commonly, and erroneously, translated as “the Unseen”) is used in Qur’an to denote all those sectors or phases of reality which lies beyond the range of human perception and cannot, therefore, be proved or disproved by scientific observation or even adequately comprised within the accepted categories of accepted thought: as, for instance, the existence of God and of a definite purpose underlying the universe, life after death, the real nature of time, the existence of spiritual forces and their inter-action, and so forth. Only a person who is convinced that the ultimate reality comprises far more than our observable environment can attain to belief in God and, thus, a belief that life has meaning and purpose. By pointing out that it is “a guidance for those who believe in the existence of that which is beyond human perception”, the Qur’an says, in effect, that it will – of necessity – remain a closed book to all whose minds cannot accept this fundamental premise.

Part of verse 2:3 will be repeated next Friday, insaAllah, in order to provide comment on “sustenance”.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (continued)

God says

Q.2:2. This divine writ – let there be no doubt about it – is [meant to be] a guidance for all God-conscious*

*The conventionl translation of muttaqi as “God-fearing” does not adequately render the positive content of this expression – namely, the awareness of His all-presence and the desire to mould one’s existence in the light of this awareness; while the interpretation of some translators, “one who guards himself against evil” or “one who is careful of his duty”, does not give more than one particular aspect of the concept of God-consciousness.

This is the first of 2 to 5 verses of the second surah that are going to be presented in forth coming Fridays, inshaAllah. Prophet’s saying will appear at the end.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says

Consider those [stars] that rise only to set,*
and move [in their orbits] with steady motions,**
and float [through space] with floating serene,
and yet overtake [one another] with swift overtaking:***
and thus they fulfill the [Creator’s] behest! -- Q.79:1-5

*The early commentators differ widely in their explanations of verses 1-5 of this surah. The clearest and simplest interpretation is that advanced by Qataadah (as quoted by Tabari and Baghawi) and AL-Hasan al-Basri (as quoted by Baghawi and Razi), who maintain that what is meant in this passage are the stars – including the sun and the moon – and their movement in space: and this interpretation is fully in tune with many other passages in the Qur’an in which the harmony of those celestial bodies in their multiform orbits and graded speeds is cited as evidence of God’s planning and creativeness.
** I.e., passing from constellation to constellation (Zamakhshari).
*** This is apparently an allusion to the different speeds of the orbiting stars (Al-Hasan and Abu ‘Ubaydah, as quoted by Razi), as well as to the extent of their orbits in relation to one another.



Prophet said

“The believer, by his (good) conduct, reaches the position of one who stands up (praying) at night and fasts during the day” – H: Abu Daod. N: Bibi Ayesha.

InshaAllah, from next Friday will start presenting verses 2 to 5 of the second surah, “Al Baqarah” These openning verses include the basis for receiving much needed guidance from the Quran, and hence, needed to be well understood.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says

Consider the daybreak and the ten nights!* Consider the multiple of One!** Consider the night as it runs its course!*** Consider all this – could there be, to anyone endowed with reason, a [more] solemn evidence of truth?**** -- Q.89: 1-5
*The “daybreak” (fajr) apparently symbolizes man’s spiritual awakening; hence, the “ten nights” is an allusion to the last third of the month of Ramadan, in the year 13 before the hijrah, , during which Muhammad received his first revelation and was thus enabled to contribute to mankind’s spiritual awakening.
** Lit., “the even and the odd” or “the one”: i.e., the multiplicity of the creation as contrasted with the oneness and uniqueness of the Creator. The concept of “even number” implies the existence of more than one of the same kind: in other words, it signifies everything that that has a counterpart or counterparts and, hence, a definite relationship with other things (cf. the term azwaj in 36:36, referring to the polarity evident in all creation). As against this the term al-watr or al-witr – primarily denotes “that which is single” or “one” and is, hence, one of the designations given to God – since “there is nothing that could be compared with Him” (112:4) and “nothing like unto him” (42:11).
*** An allusion to the night of spiritual darkness which is bound to “runs its course”— i.e., to disappear as soon as man becomes truly conscious of God.
**** Lit., “a more solemn affirmation”: i.e., a convincing evidence of the existence and oneness of God.

Consider the human self, and how it is formed in accordance with what it is meant to be,* and how it is imbued with moral failings as well as with consciousness of God!** -- Q. 91:7,8
*…The reference to man and that which constitutes the “human personality”, as well as the implied allusion to the extremely complex phenomenon of a life-entity in which bodily needs and urges, emotions and intellectual activities are so closely intertwined as to be indissoluble, follows organically upon a call to consider the inexplicable grandeur of the universe – so far as it is perceptible and comprehensible to man – as a compelling evidence of God’s creative power.
** Lit., “and [consider] that which has inspired it with its immoral doings (fujooraha) and its God-consciousness (taqwaha)” – i.e., the fact that man is equally liable to rise to great spiritual heights as to fall into utter immorality is an essential characteristic of human nature as such. In its deepest sense, man’s ability to act wrongly is a concomitant to his ability to act rightly: in other words, it is this inherent polarity of tendencies which gives to every “right” choice a value and, thus, endows man with moral free will.


Prophet said

“Ponder over the creation of God. Don’t ponder over God…” – Ihya of Imam Ghazali. H: Abu Nayeem. N: Ibn ‘Abbas.

The wise and the foolish:
“A wise person is one who keeps a watch over his desires and passions, checks himself from that which is harmful and strives for that which will be of benefit after death; and a foolish person is one who submits to the cravings and desires of his self, and (then) ask God (for their fulfillment)”. – H: Tirmizi. N: Abu y‘ala bin Shaddad bin Aus.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says

And what could make thee conceive what hell-fire is? It does not allow to live, and neither leaves [to die]. Over it are nineteen (powers).* For We have caused none but angelic powers to lord over the powers [of hell];** and We have caused their number to be aught but a trial for those who are bent on denying the truth***…. Q.74:27-31
*Whereas most of the classical commentators are of the opinion that the “nineteen” are the angels that act as keepers or guardians of hell, Razi advances the view that we may have here reference to the physical, intellectual and emotional powers within man himself : powers which rise man far above any other creature, but which, if use wrongly, bring about a deterioration of his whole personality and, hence, intense suffering in the life to come. According to Razi, the philosophers (arbab al-hikmah) identify these powers or faculties with, firstly, the organic functions of the animal – and also therefore human – body (gravitation, cohesion, repulsion of noxious foreign matter, absorption of beneficent external matter, assimilation of nutrients, growth, and reproduction); secondly, the five “external” or physical senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste); thirdly the five “internal” or intellectual senses, defined by Ibn Sina – on whom Razi apparently relies – as (1) perception of isolated sense-images, (2) conscious apperception of ideas, (3) memory of sense-images, (4) memory of conscious apperceptions, and (5) the ability to co-relate sense-images and higher apperceptions; and lastly the emotions of desire or aversion (resp. fear or anger), which have their roots in both the “external” and “internal” sense-categories – thus bringing the total of the powers and faculties which preside over man’s fate to nineteen. In their aggregate, it is these powers that confer upon man the ability to think conceptually, and place him, in this respect, even above the angels (cf. 2:30; see also the following note).
** Since it is by virtue of his powers of conscious perception and conceptual thinking that man can arrive at a discriminating cognition of good and evil and, thus, rise to great spiritual heights, the powers are described here as “angelic” (lit., “angels” – this being the earliest occurrence of the term malak in the history of Qur’anic revelation). On the other hand, since the neglect or a deliberately wrong use of these angelic powers is the root of all sinning on the part of man and, therefore, of his suffering in the hereafter, they are spoken as “the lords (ashab) of the fire [of hell]”, which complements the expression “over it”.
*** This is apparently an allusion to the allegorical character of this passage, which “those who are bent on denying the truth” are unwilling to recognize as such and, hence, fail to grasp its real purport. By speculating reasons which allegedly induced Muhammad – whom they regard as the “author” of the Qur’an – to lay stress on one particular number, they tend to take the allegory in a literal sense, thus missing its point entirely.

Prophet said

“You must observe long silence because it scares away Satan and helps you in performing an act of your religion” – H: Shu‘ab Al – Iman. N: Abu Zarr.

“Pondering for an hour is better than divine service for a year” – Ihya of Imam Ghazali. H: Ibn Habban. N: Abu Hurairah.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says

Know that God gives life to the earth after it has been lifeless!*
We have indeed made Our messages clear to you, so that you might use your reason. – Q.57:17
*According to most of the commentators – and particularly, Zamakhshari, Razi and Ibn Kasir – this is a parabolic allusion to the affect of a re-awakening of God-consciousness in hearts that had become deadened by self-satisfaction and false pride.

Verily, man is born with a restless disposition.* --Q.70:19
*Lit., “man has been created restless (haloo ‘an)” – that is endowed with inner restlessness which may equally well drive him to fruitful achievement or to chronic discontent and frustration. In other words, it is the manner in which man utilizes this God-willed endowment that determines whether it shall have a positive or negative character. The subsequent two verses (20 and 21 given below) allude to the latter, while verses 22-25 (given below) show that only true spiritual and moral consciousness can mould that inborn restlessness into a positive force, and thus bring about inner stability and abiding contentment.
Q.70:20, 21: [As a rule] whenever misfortune touches him, he is filled with self-pity,* and whenever good fortune comes to him, he selfishly withholds [from others].
*I.e., combination of concepts of “lacking patience” and “and lamenting over one’s misfortune”, and is therefore contrary of sabr (Jawahari).
Q.70:22-25 : Not so, however, who consciously turn towards God in prayer* [and] who incessantly persevere in their prayer; and in whose possessions there is a due share, acknowledged [by them], for such as ask [for help] and such as are deprived [of what is good in life];**
*This, I believe, is the meaning of the expression
al-musalleen (lit., “the praying ones”), which evidently does not relate to mere ritual of prayer but, rather, as the next verse shows the attitude of mind and the spiritual need underlying it. In this sense it connotes with the statement in verse 19 that “man is born with a restless disposition” which, when rightly used, leads him towards conscious spiritual growth, as well as to freedom from all self-pity and selfishness.
** Sc., “but could not beg” – and this applies to all living creatures, whether human beings or mute animals (Razi), irrespective of whether need is of a physical or emotional nature.

Prophet said

“Be God-conscious wherever you may be; do a virtuous act if an evil act has been committed, as former will undo latter; and behave well with the people”.
– H: Tirmizi. N: Abu Zarr and Mua’z bin Jabal

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says

The Most Gracious
has imparted this Qur’an [unto man].
He has created man:
He has imparted unto him articulate thought and speech.* -- Q55:1-4
*The term al-bayan – denoting “the means whereby a thing is [intellectually] circumscribed and made clear” (Raghib) – applies to both thought and speech inasmuch as it comprises the faculty of making a thing or an idea apparent to the mind and conceptually distinct from other things and ideas, as well as the power to express this cognition clearly in written or spoken language (Taj al-‘Arus): hence, in the above context, “articulate thought and speech”, recalling the “the knowledge of all the names” (i.e., the faculty of conceptual thinking) with which man is endowed.
The term ism (“name”), “implies, according to all philologists, an expression “conveying the knowledge [of a thing] … applied to denote a substance or an accident or an attribute for the purpose of distinction” (Lane 1V, 1435): in the philosophical terminology, a “concept”. From this it may legitimately be inferred that “the knowledge of all the names” denotes here man’s faculty of logical definition and, thus, of conceptual thinking. That by “Adam” the whole human race is meant here becomes obvious from the preceding reference, by the angels to “such as will spread corruption on earth and will shed blood”.
* The phrase: “the knowledge of all the names” is reference to 2:31: “And He imparted unto Adam the names of all things”.

Which, then, of your Sustainer’s powers can you disavow?* -- Q55:13
*The majority of the classical commentators interpret the dual form of address appearing in this phrase – rabbikuma (“the Sustainer of you two”) and tukazziban (“do you [or “can you”] two disavow”) – as relating to the worlds of men and the jinn;
but the obvious explanation (mentioned, among others, by Razi) is that it refers to the two categories of human beings, men and women, to both of whom the Qur’an is addressed. The plural noun ala’ rendered by me as “powers”, signifies literally “blessings” or “bounties”; but as the refrain, which is repeated many times in this surah, not only bears on the bounties which God bestows on His creation but, more generally, on all manifestations of His creativeness and might, some of the earliest commentators – e.g., Ibn Zayd, as quoted by Tabari – regard the term ala’ , in this context, as synonymous with qudrah (“power” or “powers”).


Prophet said

“…Excessive talk without remembrance of God produces hardness of heart; and indeed the remotest man from God is the hard-hearted”– H: Tirmizi. N: Ibn Omar.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says

And so, set thy face steadfastly towards the [one ever-true] faith, turning away from all that is false, in accordance with the natural disposition which God has instilled into man:* [for,] not to allow any change to corrupt what God has thus created -- this is the [purpose of the one] ever-true faith; but most people know it not. – Q.30:30
*The term fitrah, rendered as “natural disposition”, connotes in this context man’s inborn intuitive ability to discern between right and wrong, true and false, and, thus, to sense God’s existence and oneness, Cf. the famous saying of the Prophet, quoted by Bukhari and Muslim: “Every child is born in this natural disposition; it is only his parents that later turn him into a ‘Jew’, a ‘Christian’, or a ‘Magian’.” These three religious formulations best known to the contemporaries of the Prophet, are thus contrasted with the “natural disposition” which by definition, consists in man’s instinctive cognition of God and self-surrender (islam) to Him. ( The term “parents” has here the wider meaning of “social influences” or “environment”).

He knows all that enters the earth, and all that comes out of it, as well as all that descends from the skies, and all that ascends to them.* And He alone is a dispenser of grace, truly forgiving. -- Q.34:2
* This definition comprises things physical and spiritual: water disappearing underground and reappearing; the metamorphosis of seed into plant, and of decaying plant into oil and coal: traces of old artifacts and entire civilizations buried in the earth and then reappearing within the sight and consciousness of later generations of men; the transformation of dead bodies of animals and men into elements of nourishments for new life; the ascent of earthly vapours towards the skies, and their descent as rain, snow or hail; the ascent towards the heavens of men’s longings, hopes and ambitions, and descent of divine inspirations into the minds of men, and thus a revival of faith and thoughts and, with it, the growth of new artifacts, new skills and new hopes: in short, the endless recurrence of birth, death and re-birth ( as mentioned above) that characterizes all God’s creation.

And [thus it is:] We have not created heaven and earth and all that is between them without meaning and purpose, as is the surmise of those who are bent on denying the truth: but then, woe from the fire [of hell] unto all who are bent on denying the truth!* -- Q.38:27
*I.e., a deliberate rejection of the belief that the universe – and, in particular, human life – is imbued with meaning and purpose leads unavoidably – though sometime imperceptibly – to a rejection of all moral imperatives, to spiritual blindness and, hence, to suffering in the life to come.

[And all this have We expounded in this] blessed divine writ which We have revealed unto thee, [O Muhammad,] so that men may ponder over its messages, and that those who are endowed with insight may take them to heart. -- Q.38:29

And In your own nature, and in [that of] all the animals which he scatters [over the earth] there are messages for people who are endowed with inner certainty. --Q.45:4


Prophet said

“He who is pleased to see people standing in his honour, should seek his seat in hell fire” – H: Tirmizi. N: Mu’aawiya.

Think of the reward!
“The believer, by his (good) conduct, reaches the position of one who stands up (praying) at night and fasts during the day” – H: Abu Daod. N: Bibi Ayesha.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says

And He it is who out of this [very] water has created man,* and has endowed him with [the conscious of] descent and marriage-tie:** for thy Sustainer is ever infinite in His power. -- Q.25:54
*See second half of 21:30 where the creation of “every living thing out of water” is spoken of, as well as 24;45, which mentions in this connection the entire animal world (including, of course, man)
** I.e., has enabled him to attribute spiritual value to, and to derive strength from, his organic and social relationship.

….until such time as they [who gave the lie to God’s messages] shall come [to be judged. And] He will say: “Did you give the lie to My messages even though you failed to encompass them with [your] knowledge?* Or what was it that [you thought] you were doing?”-- Q.27:84
*I.e., without having understood them or made any attempt to understand them.
This verse will be addressed to non-believers after resurrection. However, is it not something to think about today for those of us who though believe in God’s massages but do not try to understand them!? Have we ever done this to any message?
(Re study of the Quran refer to the Friday Post of May 14, 2010).


….were they [who gave the lie to God’s messages] not aware that it is We who had made the night for them, so that they might rest therein, and the day, to make [them] see?* -- Q.27:86
* In the present context (as in 10:67 or 40:61) the reference to “night” and “day” has a symbolic significance: namely, man’s God-given ability to gain insight through conscious reasoning (“the day that makes them see”) as well as through the intuition that comes from a restful surrender to the voice of one’s own heart (“the night made for rest”) – both of which tell us that the existence of God is a logical necessity, and a rejection of messages is a sin against ourselves.


Prophet said

Consider this reward for a little effort:
“When you get up in the morning charity is due from every part of your body: All glorification of God (to say subhan-Allah) is charity; all praise of God (to say Al Hamdo Lillah) is charity; there is no god but God (to say La ilaha illal lah) is charity; God is the Greatest (to say Allaho Akbar ) is charity; enjoining the doing of good and forbidding the doing of evil is charity. Two Raka’t of prayer* offered early after sunrise equal all this”-- H: Muslim. N: ABU Zarr.
*This is Ishraq prayer. Time to do this begins 20 minutes after sunrise. Just in case one happens to perform Fajir prayer after sunrise, then the Ishraq prayer will be after the Fajir prayer.

“He who keeps silence will be safe* ” -- H: Ahmed and Tirmizi. N: Abdullah-b-Amr.
* As it is in silence that one reflects and also is saved from frivolous talk.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says

Are, then, they who are bent in denying the truth not aware that the heavens and the earth were [once] one single entity, which We then parted asunder?*—and [that] We made out of water every living thing? Will they not [begin to] believe?** -- Q.21:30
* It is, as a rule, futile to make an explanation of the Quran dependent on “scientific findings” which may appear true today, but may equally well disapproved tomorrow by new findings. Nevertheless, the above unmistakable reference to the unitary origin of the universe – metonymically described in the Quran as “the heavens and the earth” – strikingly anticipates the view of almost all astrophysicists that the universe has originated as on entity from one single element, namely, hydrogen, which became subsequently consolidated through gravity and then separated into individual nebulae, galaxies and solar systems, with further individual parts progressively breaking away to form new entities in the shape of stars, planets and the latters’ satellites.
** The statement that “God made out of water every living thing” expresses a most concisely a truth that is nowadays universally accepted by science. It has threefold meaning: (1) Water – and, specifically, the sea -- was the environment within which the prototype of all living matter originated; (2) among all the innumerable – existing or conceivable – liquids, only water has the peculiar properties for the emergence and development of life; and (3) the protoplasm, which is the physical basis of every living cell – whether in plants or in animals – and represents the only form of matter in which the phenomena of life are manifested, consists overwhelmingly of water and is, thus, utterly dependent on it. Read together with the preceding statement, which alludes to the unitary origin of the physical universe, the emergence of life from and within an equally unitary element points to the existence of a unitary plan underlying all creation and hence, to the existence and oneness of the Creator.

Did you, then, think that We created you in mere idle play, and that you would not have to return to Us?* -- Q.23:115
*Lit., “that you would not be brought back to Us”, i.e., for judgment.
On the Day of Judgment, God will say this to the doomed sinners.
We are continuously returning to God is the truth we should recall every day. The only way to prepare ourselves for the Day of Judgment is to be concerned about it! Then, simply to follow God’s guidance: the Quran, that guides throughout this life into afterlife.
“Will they not ponder over this Quran? – or are there locks upon their hearts” God says in 47:24 about those ‘in whose hearts is disease’.
Study of the Quran has to be taken seriously. Doing it every day (so many things we do every day, don’t we?); pondering over even if it is just one verse. Using commentary/explanatory notes will prove helpful.
(Please also refer to the Friday Post of May 14, 2010).


Prophet said

“Recite the Qur’an morning and evening,* recite in a good voice and reflect upon it,** so that you may be rewarded” – H: Mishkat. N: Ubaidah.
* This seems reference to morning prayer, after-sunset and night prayers in which recitation is voiced, as noon and afternoon prayers are offered in silence. (Al- Hadis)
**The Tradition is directing us to learn the meanings of what we say when we perform our prayer because it is only then we can “reflect” upon it. This will be in the direction of performing the prayer in communion with Him.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says


Thus, step by step, We bestow from on high through this Quran all that gives health [to the spirit] and is a grace unto those who believe [in Us], the while it only adds to the ruin of evildoers. – Q.17:82

Are, then, they who are bent in denying the truth not aware that the heavens and the earth were [once] one single entity, which We then parted asunder?*—and [that] We made out of water every living thing? Will they not [begin to] believe?** -- Q.21:30
*It is, as a rule, futile to make an explanation of the Quran dependent on “scientific findings” which may appear true today, but may equally well disapproved tomorrow by new findings. Nevertheless, the above unmistakable reference to the unitary origin of the universe – metonymically described in the Quran as “the heavens and the earth” – strikingly anticipates the view of almost all astrophysicists that the universe has originated as on entity from one single element, namely, hydrogen, which became subsequently consolidated through gravity and then separated into individual nebulae, galaxies and solar systems, with further individual parts progressively breaking away to form new entities in the shape of stars, planets and the latter’s’ satellites.
** The statement that “God made out of water every living thing” expresses a most concisely a truth that is nowadays universally accepted by science. It has threefold meaning: (1) Water – and, specifically, the sea -- was the environment within which the prototype of all living matter originated; (2) among all the innumerable – existing or conceivable – liquids, only water has the peculiar properties for the emergence and development of life; and (3) the protoplasm, which is the physical basis of every living cell – whether in plants or in animals – and represents the only form of matter in which the phenomena of life are manifested, consists overwhelmingly of water and is, thus, utterly dependent on it. Read together with the preceding statement, which alludes to the unitary origin of the physical universe, the emergence of life from and within an equally unitary element points to the existence of a unitary plan underlying all creation and hence, to the existence and oneness of the Creator.


And, indeed, many times have we repeated [all this] unto men* so that they might take it to heart: but most men refuse to be aught but ingrate. -- Q.25:50
*A reference to the frequent many-faceted reiteration, in the Quran as well as earlier revelations of all the evidence of unmistakably pointing to the existence of a conscious Creator (Zamakhshari).



Prophet said

“Whoever wants to have the pleasure of making his reliance on God (Tawakkul)* effective let him stick to silence” – H: Baihaqi. N: Anas.
*Tawakkul means to have full faith and trust in God.
Hence, if you undertake any work, start it with complete planning and determination. Then, be willing to accept whatever be the outcome. Because of your trust, God will certainly help if the work is good for us.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says

And nothing has prevented Us from sending [this message, like the earlier ones,] with miraculous signs [in its wake] save [Our knowledge] that the people of olden times [only too often] gave the lie to them:* thus We provided for [the tribe of] Thamud the she camel as a light-giving portent, and they signed against it.** And never did We send those signs for any other purpose than to convey a warning -- Q.17:59
*This highly elliptic sentence has a fundamental bearing on the purport of the Quran as a whole. In many places the Quran stresses the fact that the Prophet Muhammad, despite of being the last and greatest of God’s apostles, was not empowered to perform miracles, similar to those the earlier prophets are said to have reinforced their verbal messages. His only miracle was and is the Quran itself – a message perfect in its lucidity and ethical comprehensiveness, destined for all times and all stages of human development, addressed not only to the feelings but also to the minds of men, open to everyone, whatever his race or social environment, and bound to remain unchanged forever. Since the earlier prophets invariably appealed their own community and their own time alone, their teachings were of necessity, were circumscribed by the social and intellectual conditions of that particular community and time; and since the people to whom they addressed themselves had not yet reached the stage of independent thinking, those prophets stood in need of symbolic portents or miracles in order to make the people concerned realize the inner truth of their mission. The message of the Quran, on the other hand, was revealed at a time when mankind (and in particular, that part of it which inhabited the region marked by the earlier, Judaeo-Cristian religious development) had reached a degree of maturity which henceforth enabled it to grasp an ideology as such without the aid those persuasive portents and miraculous demonstrations which in the past, as the above verse points out, only too often gave rise to new, grave misconceptions.

Prophet said

“It is part of the excellence of a person’s Islam that he should discard what is of no benefit to him either in this world or the hereafter” – H: Tirmizi. N: Abu Hurairah.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says


Whenever He sends down water from the sky, and [once dry] river-beds are running high according to their measure, the stream carries scum on its surface;* and, likewise, from that [metal] which they smelt in the fire in order to make ornaments or utensils, [there rises] scum.

In this way does God set forth the parable of truth and falsehood: for as for as the scum is concerned, it passes away as [does all] dross; but that which is of benefit to man abides on earth.

In this way does God set forth the parables of those who have responded to their Sustainer with a goodly response, and of those who did not respond to Him. [As for the latter,] if they possessed all that is on earth, and twice as much, they would surely offer it as ransom [on the Day of Judgment]: a most evil reckoning awaits them, and their goal is hell: and how evil a resting place! -- Q.13:17,18

*Sc., “while the water beneath remains clear”.


And never have We sent forth any apostle otherwise than [with a message] in his own people’s tongue, so that he might make [the truth] clear unto them; but God lets go astray him that wills [to go astray], and guides him that wills [to be guided] – for He alone is almighty, truly wise.* -- Q.14:4

*Or: “God lets go astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills”. All Quranic references to God’s “letting man go astray” must be understood against the background of 2 : 26-27 – “none does He cause to go astray save the iniquitous, who break their bond with God”: that is to say man’s “going astray” is a consequence of his own attitudes and inclinations and not a result of an arbitrary “predestination”. In his commentary on the above verse, Zamakhshari stresses this aspect of free choice on the part of man and points out “[God] forsakes him who, as He knows will (consciously) choose to deny the truth and will persevere in this (denial); and… He bestows His favour upon him who, as He knows, will choose faith: which means that He makes the issue dependent on (man’s) free choice (al-ikhtiyar), and thus deserving either [God’s] favour or the withdrawal of [His] aid … and does not make it dependant on compulsion [i.e., predestination], which would rule out [man’s] deserving anything of the above.”


Reminder to use the honorific given below.
After name or title of the Prophet say: “Sal-lal- lahu ‘Alaihi wa Sal-lam”;
(peace and blessings be upon him)
After the name or the title of every prophet (nabi) and apostle (rasul) say:
“ ‘Alai hissalaam” (peace be upon him or them)
After the name of their family member, as well as a companion, say:
“Radi Allahu ‘Anhu—or ‘Anha—or ‘Anhum ”
(may God be pleased with him--or her--or them)
And for others, say: “Rahmat-Allah-e-‘Alaih”
(God’s mercy be upon him)



Prophet said


“Invocation* of a Muslim is accepted for another Muslim who is away from him. When he invokes for him, the commissioned angel near his head says: Be it so (Aameen); and for you be the like rewards.” -- H: Muslim N: Abu Darda’a.

*To call for help with earnest desire.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says

He creates man out of a [mere] drop of sperm: and lo! this same being shows himself endowed with the power to think and to argue!* -- Q.16:4
* Lit., “he becomes an open contender in argument”. According to Zamakhshari, the above phrase is liable to two interpretations. “One interpretation is that after having been a [mere] drop of sperm, a particle of matter without consciousness or motion, man becomes highly articulate, able to argue on his own [for or against a proposition], courageously facing disputes, and clearly formulating his arguments: [and here lies] an indication of God’s creative power. The other [interpretation] is that man is [prone to become] a contender in argument against his Sustainer, refusing to acknowledge his [very] Creator.” However, ( in Muhammad Asad’s opinion), “in view of 36:77-78 (revealed at a considerably earlier period) the above two interpretations are not mutually exclusive but, rather, complementary, inasmuch as this passage is meant to bring out man’s unique quality as a rational being – a quality that may lead him to great heights of achievement, but may equally well lead him utterly astray: hence, my free rendering of this profound, elliptic phrase”.

… We have established the night and the day as two symbols;* and thereupon We have effaced the symbol of night and set up [in its place] the light-giving symbols of day,** so that you might seek to obtain your Sustainer’s bounty and be aware of the passing years*** and of the reckoning [that is bound to come]. For clearly, have We spelt out everything!**** -- Q.17:12
*The expression aayatayn (“two symbols”) refers – as the subsequent clause shows, to the spiritual darkness and light.
** I.e., the message of the Quran, which is to lead man out of spiritual ignorance and error into the light of faith and reason.
*** Lit., “the count of years). Since this phrase denotes also “the years of [a person’s] life, which he counts”, it also implies here a call to spiritual self-criticism in view of the ephemeral nature of one’s worldly life.
**** I.e., everything that man may be in need of in the domain of ethics and religion.


Prophet said

“If you put your faith completely in God, He will arrange your sustenance in the same way as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning with the stomachs empty and return filled in the evening.” -- H: Tirmizi. N: Umer Bin Khattab.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says

The parable of the life of this world is but that of rain which We send down from the sky, and which is absorbed by the plants of the earth whereof men and animals draw nourishment, until – when the earth has assumed its artful adornment and has been embellished, and they who dwell on it believe that they have gained mastery over it* -- there comes down upon it Our judgment, by night or by day, and We cause it to become [like] a field mown down, as if there had been no yesterday.**
Thus, clearly do We spell out these messages unto people who think -- Q.10:24
*I.e., they come to believe that they have gained “mastery over nature”, with no conceivable limits to what they may yet achieve…. Thus, the whole of the above parabolic sentence may be understood as alluding to the artificial, illusionary “adornment” brought about by man’s technological efforts, not in collaboration with nature but, rather, in hostile “confrontation” with it.
** I.e., “as if it had not been in existence yesterday”: a paraphrase used in classical Arabic to describe something that has entirely disappeared or perished.

And it is He who has spread the earth wide and placed on it firm mountains and running waters, and created thereon two sexes of every [kind
of] plant;* [and it is He who] causes the night to cover the day. Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for those who think! -- Q13:3
*The above phrase states that there are two sexes to every plant: a statement fully in accord with botanical science. (Usually, the male and female organs of reproduction exist together in one and the same flower of a particular plant, e.g., cotton; alternatively they are placed in separate flowers of one and the same plant, e.g., in most of the cucurbitaceae; and, in some rare cases, e.g., the date-palm, in entirely separate, uni-sexual plants of the same species.)



Prophet said

“Anyone who commits a sin and (on realization) makes ablution, prays and seeks forgiveness is forgiven” -- H: Tirmizi, Ibn Majah. Narrator: Ali.

Think of the verse 35 : 37 : (God will say to those destined for fire) : “Did We not grant you a life, long enough so that whoever was willing to reflect could bethink of himself?*….”
* According to Ibn-i-Abbas and other scholars “long life” means the age of 60 years. Some have assed it 18 years. Imams: Hasan, Kalabi and Masrooq have taken it as 40 years. In Madina it is said that when a person reached the age of 40 years, he used to dedicate himself to prayer. (Riyadh-us-Saleheen)

Let us guard ourselves from sinning in the future, and do Astaghfaar over hundred times for forgiveness of the past sins. Here is the small Astaghfaar: Subhan Allah wa Bihamdehi, Astaghfirullah wa Aatoobo elayh thus complying with the Qur’an: “extol thy Sustainer’s limitless glory, and praise Him, and seek His forgiveness”(110:3). The Prophet used to recite this Astaghfaar after the revelation of surat-un-Nasr.

2.38. SILENCE AND REFLECTION (to be continued)

God says

Verily in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the succession of night and day there are indeed messages for all who are endowed with insight (and) who remember God when they stand , and when they sit, and when they lie down to sleep, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: …. Q3:190.191

Will they not, then, try to understand this Qur’an? … Q4:82
*A reference to the hypocrites of Madina, in the time of the Prophet, and -- by implication – the hypocritical “admirers” and half-hearted followers of Islam of all times.
Translations of the Quran with Arabic text and necessary explanatory notes are easily available today. On a programmed basis, the study of the Quran should be taken up. The objective being to keep understanding the message and, thereby, to keep improving oneself.
Further, translation only of The Holy Quran by Abdullah Yusuf Ali is available. It is in handy normal book size and style, with a brief but educative introduction and comprehensive index for quick reference to any subject -- useful to be at hand. Published by Goodword: www.goodwordbooks.com
E-mail: info@goodwordbooks.com

He it is who has made the sun a [source of] radiant light and the moon a light [reflected], and has determined for it phases so that you might know how to compute the years and to measure [time]. None of this has God created without [an inner] truth. Clearly does He spell out these messages unto people of [innate knowledge]: for, verily, in the alternating of night and day, and in all that God has created in the heavens and on earth there are messages indeed for people who are conscious of Him! -- Q.10:5,6
*Lit., “God has not created this otherwise than in accordance with truth” – i.e., to fulfill a definite purpose in consonance with His planning wisdom (Zamakhshari, Baghawi, Razi): implying that everything in the universe – whether existent or potential, concrete or abstract – is meaningful, and nothing is “accidental”. Cf.3:191 – “O our Sustainer! Thou has created [nothing of] this without meaning and purpose”; and 38:7 – “ We have not created heaven and earth and all that is between them without meaning and purpose, as is the surmise of those who are bent on denying the truth”.

The parable of the life of this world is but that of rain which We send down from the sky, and which is absorbed by the plants of the earth whereof men and animals draw nourishment, until – when the earth has assumed its artful adornment and has been embellished, and they who dwell on it believe that they have gained mastery over it* -- there comes down upon it Our judgment, by night or by day, and We cause it to become [like] a field mown down, as if there had been no yesterday.**

Prophet said

“He who keeps silence will be safe* ”-- H: Ahmed and Tirmizi. N: Abdullah-b-Amr.
* As it is in silence that one reflects and also is saved from frivolous talk.