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.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
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
Friday, July 16, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, July 9, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, July 2, 2010
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.
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.
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