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.

2.37. BACK-BITING (concluded)

God says

Verily, as for those who like [to hear] foul slander spread against [any of] those who have attained to faith – grievous suffering awaits them in this world* and in the life to come: for God knows [the full truth], whereas you know [it] not. Q.24:19
*The Quranic warning against slander and, by obvious implication, against any attempt by seeking out other people’s faults find an echo in several well-authenticated sayings of the Prophet: “Beware of all guesswork [about one another], for, behold, all [such] guess work is most deceptive (akdhab al-hadith); and “do not spy upon one another, and do not try to bare [other people’s] failings” (Muatta’; almost identical versions of this Tradition have been quoted by Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Daud); “Do not hurt those who have surrendered themselves to God (al-muslimin), and do not impute evil to them, and do not try to uncover their nakedness [i.e., their faults): for, behold, if anyone tries to uncover his brother [Muslim’s] nakedness, God will uncover his own nakedness [on the Day of Judgment]” (Tirmidhi); and, “Never does a believer draw a veil over the nakedness of another believer without God drawing veil over his own nakedness on Resurrection Day” (Bukhari). All these injunctions have received their seal, as it were, in the Quranic exhortation (49:12) “Avoid most guesswork [about one another] – for, behold, some of [such] guesswork is [in itself] a sin”.

O you who believe! No men shall deride [other] men: it may well be that those [whom they deride] are better than themselves; and no women shall deride [other] women; it may well be that those [whom they deride] are better than themselves. And neither shall you defame one another, nor insult one another by calling with [offensive] names: evil is all imputation of iniquity after [one has attained to] faith; and they who [become guilty thereof and] do not repent – it is they, they who are evildoers! -- Q.49:11


Prophet said

Narrated Huzaifah that he heard the Prophet saying “A Qattar* will not enter paradise”. -- H:Bukhari
*A person who conveys disagreeable, false information from one person to another with the intention of causing harm and enmity between them.

Back-biting is not confined only to tongue. It could be through writing, signs, hints etc. All the ways showing contempt or lowering position of others are unlawful and their punishment is equal. Back-biting is also by heart: evil conjecture about others as mentioned in 49:12. Guesswork that may lead to unfounded suspicion of another person’s motives.
Souls must be freed from evil thoughts because they cause evil behaviour.

When it is not back-biting. When the oppressed speaks against oppression and wrong-doing, before a judge or people, or when spoken ill of a ruler, a judge, a leader etc., for injustice, oppression or bribery; or when fellow men cautioned of getting harmed from someone, etc.

From next Friday, inshaAllah, will begin the series of topic “SILENCE AND REFLECTION”, with selection from among those verses having very informative and useful notes, inevitably lengthy.