This is post #21 in our series on Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma (click the link to see all posts in this series).

The Sabab-un-Nuzool (reason of revelation) for Surah Fil well-known; you can read all about it, along with some lessons and gems, in this post by Sr. Mariam 3.36. Please read it, since I won’t touch on those points.

I will mention, however, two points not mentioned there–that the Christian tyrant king who brought his elephant, why did he decide to destroy the Ka’bah? He saw how well-known the Ka’bah was, and how great to the people; so he built a church to rival that.

So he built this huge, huge church; not realizing that it’s Allah who puts the love of Ka’bah in the hearts of the people. Honestly, the Ka’bah has a very simple architectural structure; but it’s more beloved than many buildings that are much more beautiful than it.

So one of the bedouins went to his church. “Oh, this is your ka’bah? Here you go.” And pooped in it.

That’s bedouins for you!

So the king got angry … very angry. And he decided to destroy the Ka’bah. Remember, these are tyrant kings we’re talking about.

The Quraysh Made Noble

Allah says, in Surah Fil:

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ
أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ

Translation: Have you not considered, [O Muhammad], how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant? Did He not make their plan into misguidance? [Surah Fil, verses 1-2]

This incident–the incident of Surah Fil–was well-known among the Arabs at that time. In fact, the Messenger of Allah, salallahu alayhi wa sallam, was born in the Year of the Elephant–the year that this incident occurred.

Look at the details of the story–the Meccans took their camels and sheep and goats, and they went up into the bleachers, the mountains of Mecca, to watch; the tank, the war-elephant of the Christian king, against the ka’bah.

Allah destroyed them–and in doing this, it seemed that He, subhannahu wa ta’ala, sided with mushrikeen of Mecca against Christians. But really, Allah was defending His great house.

And this showed the Quraysh, the keepers of the Ka’bah, that Allah sided with them! So immediately, their status and nobility went up among the other Arabs; so much so, that raiders and looters wouldn’t accost their caravans.

If you’ve ever lived in India/Pakistan/China/etc. and seen how people crowd around someone from America/Canada and how they’re treated well … that’s what happened to the Quryash after this.

Muhammad Alshareef mentions that when he was in Alexandria, in Egypt, some little kid was accosting him; so he started beating the kid up. And the kid’s bigger sister–like twice his age–came and started pounding and pounding on him.

And he went down! And all the kids around her wer saying, huwa kaanadi, huwa kaanadi–he’s Canadian, he’s Canadian!–and the girl herself cried from what she had done.

Just like that, the Allah raised the status of Quraysh.

Tiny Little Birds, Abaabeel

Allah continues, in verses 3-4:

وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ
تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ

Translation: And He sent against them birds in flocks (abaabeel), striking them with stones of hard clay,[verses 3-4]

The mufassireen mention, from this ayah, that the birds were small birds. Little birds. Tiny birds. What’s a tiny little bird going to do against an elephant? Nothing!

But Allah didn’t just send one, or two, or three; he sent them … ababeel. Waves and waves and waves of birds that darkened the sky.

And each bird had two stones–one in its beak, and one in its talons. You ever see those tall, tall buildings (Empire State building? CN Tower?), and someone is always tempted to throw a penny from the top floor? What would happen if that hit someone?

What about thousands and thousands of pennies, flying at high-speed? It’s almost like the birds carpet-bombed the army with little tiny rocks.

This is the army of Allah. And we see that he destroys great creations, with the smallest of creations. Like Firawn, who was killed by water, something you drink every day.

Not a Passive God

Allah finishes with verse 5:

فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍ

Translation: And He made them like eaten straw.

If you’ve ever seen, like corn on the cob, while it’s on the cob–you’ll see this tall, dense wall of green and yellow. A day later, when all that corn has been picked off, you just see these green husks; and even that, the cows and goats come and eat that, and it becomes like a dead field.

Allah describes the army of the elephant as eaten straw. This means that they were pulverized. Obliterated. Annihilated. Destroyed utterly and completely.

Why is this relevant to Meccan tafseer? Because the Quraysh were oppressing the Muslims, torturing the Muslims, killing the Muslims; and Allah is warning them: stop, or else.

And you might say, as a Meccan mushrik, “Can Allah really destroy a people like that?”

And the answer is … He already has.

And this is a stern warning to all those who are oppressing and torturing and killing Muslims in the land. Don’t think you’re fighting against some passive God. Allah has already destroyed waves of nations more powerful than you. It’s not a question of “can He?” It’s more like “when?”

Action Items

• Reflect on Natural Disasters: Natural disasters (hurricanes, fires, floods, tornadoes) are from Allah. Use YouTube to find videos of these. Watch them. This is the power of Allah at work!
• Post your own Action Items. I really don’t have anything else that comes to my mind.

Wallahu ta’ala ‘alam.

References:

• Touched by an Angel: Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma. By Muhammad Alshareef. 2009.

In Surah Kafiroon, Allah says:

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ
لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ
وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ
وَلَا أَنَا عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ
وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ
لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ

Translation: Say, “O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.” [Surah Kafiroon]

The mushrikeen (polytheists) of Mecca tried many, many different techniques to get the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) to stop spreading Islam.

Before this ayah was revealed, they decided to make a pact with him. They said, “Look, how about this–you worship our gods for one year, and we’ll worship your God for one year.” And to sweeten the deal: “And, we’ll go first.”

And they applied the Broken Record technique. Whenever the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) would try to speak to them about Islam, they would only repeat this.

And he, salallahu alayhi wa sallam, refused.

Those of you who are wondering why–although it seems on the surface like a fair trade, it’s not. Allah does not forgive shirk, worshipping other than him; not even a single sujood, or a single du’a, none of it is acceptable.

So clearly, this is not a contract the Messenger of Allah could engage with. So he refused.

And he refused.

And he refused.

Then, the Mushrikeen said, “ok, how about this–just speak highly of our gods, and we’ll do the same for you.” A smaller compromise.

And whenever people approached them, they would say, “Well, we’re trying to compromise (like we’re the good ones in this deal–even though we kill our daughters and murder on whims and …), but he’s not agreeing.”

So the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) went to the ka’bah.

Mushrikeen were there. And in front of everybody he said:

Qul, yaa ayyuhaal-kaafiroon …

Say, O you people who disbelieve. And the root verb of kafiroon is kafara, which means to be ungrateful. It’s not a nice word. It’s an ugly word. They don’t like being called kaafir.

So don’t be shy! the Messenger of Allah did this, in front of everybody! He didn’t pull any punches! We shouldn’t be embarrassed as Muslims–what’s the worst someone will do? Make fun of you? So then, O Muslim, why are you embarrassed to give The Message to those who are showing interest in it?

Allah has commanded each and every human being to stick their forehead to the ground and worship Him alone. Not just the Muslims. Everybody. It’s from the great honour and nobility of the Muslims that we do what we were created to do.

And about what Allah revealed? Here’s what it means:

• Verse 2: I’m not worshipping what you’re worshipping. (Fi’l Mudaari’–present/future tense).
• Verse 3: And you don’t worship what I worship.
• Verse 4: And I will never worship what you worship.
• Verse 5: And you will never worship what I worship.
• Verse 6: To you is your deen, and to me is my deen.

And deen, commonly translated as religion, doesn’t mean religion; it means your entire way of life, everything from how you eat and drink to clothes you wear to interaction with parents, children, schoolmates, everything.

And after this, the mushrikeen gave up their technique; they realized that it’s not going to work.

Wallahu ta’ala ‘alam.

This surah is also called Surah Tawheed, the surah of oneness (of Allah). It’s a very powerful surah.

Action Items:

• Don’t be embarrased. Realize that you have nothing to be embarrased about. And if Allah guides one person through you, that’s better than ANYTHING you can imagine.
• Share your stories. What stories do you have of embarrassment, and of da’wah turning out right?

References:

Touched by an Angel: Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma. By Muhammad Alshareef. 2009.

In Surah Ma’oon, Allah says:

فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ
الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ
الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَاءُونَ
وَيَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَ

Translation: So woe to those who pray; those who are heedless of their prayer, those who make show [of their deeds]; And withhold [simple] assistance (al-ma’oon). [Surah Ma'oon, verses 4-7]

Allah says, “so woe to those who pray.” Don’t stop at this ayah! People who pray are not cursed by Allah! Allah continues: those who show off in their prayer, …

You know what’s interesting about this ayah? What’s really, really interesting about this ayah?

Do you want to know?

Are you sure?

…ok, here goes: Allah says:

إن المنافقين يخادعون الله وهو خادعهم وإذا قاموا إلى الصلاة قاموا كسالى يراؤون الناس ولا يذكرون الله إلا قليل

Translation: Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah , but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering Allah except a little … [Surah Nisaa, verse 142]

Here, Allah directly says, “the munafiqeen.” And he says: they show themselves to the people (i.e. showing off) when they pray.

And he says: they pray lazily.

So what about people who don’t pray, at all?

So if you fall into this category–even partially–you should be afraid. Very afraid. This is a very serious matter to Allah, these five-minutes you stand up and pray five times a day.

I’ve discussed this issue in more detail in my post, The Terrible Consequences of Not Praying Salah. If you pray every prayer regularly, alhamdulillah, read it and be reminded about what you’re safe from.

And if you don’t pray, read it insha’Allah; it might help you start, or if you’ve started, it might give you that extra motivational juice to jump farther in your salah.

May Allah protect us all from being those whom He has cursed as a consequence of their actions–ameen ya rabbi!

Allah continues and mentions: those who prevent al-ma’oon. What exactly is al-ma’oon, the thing that caused this surah to get its name?

Al-Ma’oon means something small that you do, that wouldn’t even harm you to do it. Muhammad Alshareef describes it as crayons–if you ever see young kids, there might be two kids in a class; one kid has a big box of like 300 crayons with like 15 shades of blue.

So another kid pops by, “can I borrow your blue crayon?”

And the first guy looks over his box of 300 crayons and says … “no!”

That is preventing al-ma’oon. The first kid could give away that crayon, and it wouldn’t even hurt him; but he doesn’t (because kids tend to not return crayons).

And of course, kids are sinless … but we are not.

One example of al-ma’oon I find is, letting people go when it’s heavy traffic and a guy wants to change lanes in front of you. It’s literally bumper-to-bumper, and the guy won’t slow you down; but people tend to speed up and not leave any space, subhanallah.

Action Items:

• What Is Al-Ma’oon? Insha’Allah see if you can come up with some examples from your own life.
• Pray More. Hit your five fard salawaat if you haven’t; if you have, fortify it with more sunnah and nawaafil prayers, so you don’t even come close to missing a fard salah.

Wallahu ta’ala ‘alam.

References:

• Touched by an Angel: Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma. By Muhammad Alshareef. 2009.

Allah says, in Surah Ma’oon:

أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يُكَذِّبُ بِالدِّينِ
فَذَلِكَ الَّذِي يَدُعُّ الْيَتِيمَ
وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَى طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ

Translation: Have you seen the one who denies the Repayment? For that is the one who drives away the orphan, and does not encourage the feeding of the poor. [Surah Ma'oon, verses 1-3]

Notice the connection here–verse one, the one who denies Ad-Deen, the Day of Repayment. And verse two and three? He drives away orphans, He doesn’t encourage feeding of the poor.

It’s not that he doesn’t feed the poor. It’s that he doesn’t encourange feeding the poor.

If you’re a Muslim, and you practice your five pillars, you’re giving zakah, and chances are it’s going to poor poeple (two of the eight categories of eligible zakah recipients).

But are you encouraging feeding of the poor?

This is something very serious we need to think about. It’s not enough just to feed the poor; Allah is linking denial of the day of Repayment, the greatest day that will ever be …

… with not encouraging feeding of the poor. So we all need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask the question:

Are you encouraging feeding the poor, and goodness in general?

Action Items:

• Start Giving Back. Find some community project–a soup-kitchen, a Feed The Streets (if you’re in Canada), a food-drive, clothing-drive … something, anything. This will, at least, get you to the level of helping the needy. Be consistent in it.
• Call Others To It. Tell your friends, your family, your relatives, about the cause and how they can help. Sometimes, you’ll be surprised at who helps out.
• Comment. If your cause is especially easy to contribute to from the safety of your home computer (like donating to an Islamic school), please drop a comment to let us know so we can help out, too. How’s that for calling to good? (Or, if you know other ways to call to good, add a comment with those, too.)

Wallahu ta’ala ‘alam.

References:

• Touched by an Angel: Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma. By Muhammad Alshareef. 2009.

Allah says, in Surah At-Takaathur:

أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ
حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ

Translation: Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you, until you visit the graveyards. [Surah At-Takaathur, verses 1-2]

Subhanallah, even though these verses were revealed over 1400 years ago, we still see the exact same situation today. Al-Haakum means, it makes you compete with each other. At-Takaathur is rivalry, competition, in accumulating material things; thinking that life is about toys, and the one with the most (or most expensive) toys wins.

What is Takaathur?

Imagine you have two people, A and B. A buys a big house, so B buys a bigger house, so A starts looking for a bigger house … or car, or shoes, or clothes, or whatever you want. Dunya. Competing.

And it distracts you from your true purpose here–to prepare for the hereafter.

Verse two literally means, “until you visit” (zurtum) the graves. But it doesn’t mean “visit,” per-se; in this ayah, it means that final, one-way visit to the graves–until you die.

And if you don’t pay attention? If you just let the waterfall of life take you by … this is it, this is that moment when you hear the sound of the falls and you see the edge, right in front of you, sweeping you away. This is when most people wake up to the reality of life.

And these two verses, these are a shaming of the human being. That mutual rivalry for shiny things distracts you until you visit the graves.

Then Allah says:

كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ

Translation: Kalla! You are going to know. Then kalla! You are going to know. [Verses 3-4]

Allah says, kalla–a very strong, emphatic, powerful negation. Kalla refers to a wrong belief, that’s mentioned before it–in this case, the takaathur. This is not what life is about.

And as for knowing? The first “sawfa ta’lamoon,” you will know, refers to when the angel of death comes–al-qiyaam as-sughraa, the minor resurrection. When he comes, you will know then, your fate–is it the angels of mercy, or the angels of punishment? Then, you will know the reality of life.

Thumma kalla, sawfa ta’lamoon–then, again, when al-qiyaam al-kubraa, the major resurrection (on the Day of Resurrection) occurs, you will know the reality of life.

Then Allah says:

كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ

Translation: Kalla! If you only knew with knowledge of certainty… [verse 5]

Most people don’t glean this gem out of this ayah: that the law (if) makes it a statement without an answer. “Kalla, if you knew with certainty of knowledge (ilm-ul-yaqeen) …”

How would your life be if you were certain about the Day of Repayment? About the resurrection of the human race; about the accountability with Allah of every deed, big or small? How would you live your life? What deeds would you do? What sins would you avoid? Reflect on it!

Then Allah says:

لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيمَ
ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ

Translation: You will surely see the Hellfire. Then you will surely see it with the eye of certainty. [verses 6-7]

In verse 6, La here is a particle of emphasis. So it could’ve been “tarawunna al-jaheem.” Even tarawunna–the default, normal form is tarawuwna (without a shadda on the noon). The shadda just emphasizes it further and makes it more certain–two forms of emphasis.

And Jaheem is one of the names of Hellfire. Jahama, the root verb, means to look at someone; in fact, it’s the look of a hungry lion right before it pounces on its prey. Subhanallah, this is the Hellfire–a beast, that will glare, roar, and pounce upon the hearts; the Crusher (Al-Hutama). May Allah protect us from it.

And Allah says in verse 7, again, to drive the point home further: you WILL see it. And subhanallah, in verse 5, Allah mentioned certainty of knowledge–we know for sure Hellfire exists, it’s real, and it’s there, even though we haven’t seen it; but on that day, the Day of Repayment, we will all see Hellfire–every single human being–even those who will be saved from it. And that day, our certainty will become ayn-ul-yaqeen, certainty of sight. Because seeing is not like knowing.

‘Ali (radiallahu ‘anhu) used to say, “if I saw Paradise (with my eyes) I wouldn’t desire it more, and if I saw Hellfire, I wouldn’t fear it more.” Ya’ne, that he reached that level of ayn-ul-yaqeen, certainty of sight, despite never seeing them. That’s the level of (some) sahaba over the rest of us.

Then Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) concludes the surah with:

ثُمَّ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِيمِ

Translation: Then you will surely be asked that Day about pleasure. [verse 8]

One reflection I had is that, the word for pleasure/bliss, na’eem, is described as a quality of Paradise. Check out other surahs in Juz ‘Amma.

Imam An-Nawawi (rahimahuallah) mentions that this questioning will not necessarily be a punishment–because there’s a hadith about the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) going out with Abu Bakr and ‘Umar in search of food, all hungry, and someone feeding them meat (i.e. a very VIP meal), and the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) quoted this ayah–saying, you will be asked. So it won’t necessarily be a punishment or shaming.

My personal reflections are that, really, this surah should make you stop and think about life. Are you caught up in the dunya? Are you just working hard for money, so you can be more well-off then that other guy? Subhanallah, people buy things they don’t want, with money they don’t have, to impress people they don’t even like! If this is you–and maybe you have a lot of this, or a little of it–remember the grave. That’s where it ends. At that point, none of this dunya stuff will matter.

One ‘alim/scholar, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “if you see people racing with you for the dunya, race with them for the akhirah.” Don’t compete for a bigger house here–compete for a better house in Jannah. Compete to beat your friends and family in salah, in sadaqah, in dhikr, in Qur’an memorization and recitation, in all these good deeds.

Because the ultimate pay-out comes in the Hereafter; this life is only a few days, a few years, and then it’s back to the akhirah.

May Allah make us from those who understand and live these ayaat, as the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) did.

Action Items:

• Reflect on Life. Are you competing with people in dunya? Maybe a big house, or a good job, or a higher salary? Think, really truly, think hard about it. This is something Allah knows.
• Race to Success. Muhammad Alshareef said a true statement: “anything that measures, increases.” You want to increase in your Qur’an? Your visitations to the masjid? Your sadaqah? Start tracking how much of it you do each month, each week, each day. Wallahi, just opening that spreadsheet and staring at it will motivate you.

Wallahu ta’ala ‘alam.

References:

• Touched by an Angel: Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma. By Muhammad Alshareef. 2009.

We’re going to digress a bit and jump back to Surah Takweer. This post is based on Shaykh Nouman Khan’s tafseer, which heavily emphasizes the Arabic language. I hope you will find, as I found it, as a glimpse of a previously-unseen world, a depth of knowledge that just drips from the Arabic language.

Allah says, in surah Takweer:

إِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ

Translation: When the sun is kuwwirat … [verse 1]

There are a lot of gems that we learn even from this first ayah:

• Idhaa + Past-Tense: Idhaa is an indicator of future-tense “when (something will happen).” Yet, kuwwirat is past-tense; why? This combination means something is so certain, it’s like past-tense. So Allah is saying “when this happens,” yet it’s certain that it WILL happen; as certain as the past is past.
• Nominal Sentence: The default in Arabic is to put the verb first–”kuwwirat ash-shamsu.” To reverse this into “ash-shamsu kuwwirat,” shows emphasis, and makes it a tougher, stronger sentence. This hints at the audience–Mushrikeen in Mecca, the worst and most obstinate of them, who are listening to this revelation.
• Passive Voice: Allah could have said, “When I wrap up the sun,” but He didn’t. Why? If you’re biased against someone (say a political party), no matter what they say, even before they open their mouth, you say, “psshh.” But here, passive-voice highlights the maf’ool, the recipient of the action–the sun, the stars–instead of the doer.

As for the meaning of kuwwirat, kawwara means to wrap something around something; it’s used in the context of a turban, something long, that’s wrapped around your head.

Allah is applying the same meaning here–that the light of the sun, something that’s long, will be kuwwirat, wrapped up. Wrapped up meaning, something will cover it, and it will no longer be visible; and it will be wrapped slowly, part by part disappearing–the same way that Allah described the day as wrapping around the night and the night wrapping around the day.

This is something scary–that you see the sun wrapped up, and losing its light. But there’s more …

وَإِذَا النُّجُومُ انكَدَرَتْ

Translation: And when the stars are inkadarat … [verse 2]

Inkadarat is an interesting (past-tense) verb; the masculine singular is inkadara (in case you’re wondering). Inkadara has two shades of meanings–one is to lose colour. So the way that you see the stars, they will lose their colour and fade out; and the second meaning is to fall–fall, like shooting stars. So the stars will fade away, and they will fall …

And between these two–the sun, the most prominent feature of the day, and the stars, the most prominent feature of the night–when they fade away and are blacked-out, that’s something very serious and very frightening.

But there’s more …

وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ
وَإِذَا الْعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتْ

Translation: And when the mountains are removed (meaning, when they move, like water moves), And when full-term she-camels are neglected, … [verse 3-4]

Mountains are like pegs. They never move. Ever. Not in a million years … but one day, they will move.

And the she-camel? This is the pregnant she-camel at ten months–right before it gives birth (’ishaarah, from ‘ashara, ten); this is the point where it gives birth, and WHAM, that’s like $3000 right there, when your investment bears fruit.

And when the pregnant she-camels, that symbol of money, are neglected and useless. Like someone leaving their jewelry store unlocked and running away.

What would make a person do that?

وَإِذَا الْوُحُوشُ حُشِرَتْ

Translation: And when the wild beasts are gathered … [verse 5]

Hushirat means gathered; just like jam’aa; but here, hushirat means herded together, gathered by force. If you’ve ever seen like a huge flood, you might see two animals who are at each other’s necks normally, scrambling together on this little piece of land. They don’t even look at each other! What would make wild animals do that?

وَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ سُجِّرَتْ
وَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ زُوِّجَتْ
وَإِذَا الْمَوْءُودَةُ سُئِلَتْ
بِأَيِّ ذَنبٍ قُتِلَتْ

Translation: And when the seas are filled with flame, and when the souls are paired (good with good people and bad with bad people), and when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked, for what sin she was killed? … [verses 6-9]

Arabs at the time of the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to bury their daughters alive, because she would bring shame to her family. They would either do one of two things: the woman would go out, in labour, to a pre-dug grave; and if it’s a girl, throw her in right away and bury her. Or they might wait a few years, take her out to the middle of the desert, and get her to help dig the grave, then throw her in it and throw dirt on her.

And nobody would stand up for this little girl; yet Allah is asking her, speaking on her behalf, defending her. Think about this:

• She commited no sin. Yet she will be asked. So what of the one who killed her?
• Allah is not even SPEAKING to the murderer. They are not even worth talking to. Instead, He asks the victim.
• This little girl, who had nobody to defend her, has Qur’an revealed in her favour. Until the end of time.

This same jahil culture exists today (to a lesser extent, from what I know) in many, many cultures–they celebrate the boy’s birth, but are disgraced, disappointed, you name it, if it’s a girl.

And this act is put on the same scale as the destruction of the Earth at the end of time. That’s how serious it is.

وَإِذَا الصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ
وَإِذَا السَّمَاءُ كُشِطَتْ
وَإِذَا الْجَحِيمُ سُعِّرَتْ
وَإِذَا الْجَنَّةُ أُزْلِفَتْ
عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَّا أَحْضَرَتْ

Translation: And when the pages are made public, and when the sky is stripped away, and when Hellfire is set ablaze, and when Paradise is brought near, every soul will [then] know what it has brought [with it]. [verses 10-14]

Verse 14 is the answer to the idhaa. Every soul will know what it ahdarat.

Ahdarat is an interesting word; it has connotations of:

1. Remember everything. The person will remember, in vivid, vivid detail, everything that they did. Everything. Big or small.
2. Uncomfortable? It will be a remembering by force; like a person giving a presentation in front of other students in class, or in front of managers–not the most comfortable situation, and to some degree, forced.

What they sent and what they left behind. In the next surah, Surah Intifaar, Allah does tafseer of this ayah and mentions what souls sent forth, and what they left behind; sent forth, the way you send an email–it’s sent, and it’s done; and left behind?

There are two cases of leaving-behind: either it was something good–there was a fundraiser at a masjid, you had cash in your pocket or bank account, and you didn’t donate–that’s a deed you could’ve done, but left behind.

Or, your friends called you to go to the bar with them. Or you wanted to eat that delicious, roasted pork; but you didn’t. That’s a deed you could’ve done, but left behind. And you’ll be happy you did.

This is just a glimpse of the power of the Arabic language of the Qur’an, a mere drop in the proverbial ocean of knowledge. If you want more of this, check out Bayyinah’s live tafseer of Juz ‘Amma lectures , live every Wednesday at 8pm EST; or, you can listen to the recordings, available for free.

May Allah (subhannahu wa ta’ala) give us the tawfeeq to understand this great, great message that we’re getting–ameen ya rabbal alameen.

One other note–you’ll notice that all these verses rhyme; this is a consistent theme in the Qur’an, one technique that indicates that all these verses are related–one discourse. This is something you’ll never, ever get from any translation.

Wallahu ta’ala ‘alam.

References:

• Tafseer of Surah At-Takwir. By Nouman Ali Khan – Bayyinah Institute
• Touched by an Angel: Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma. By Muhammad Alshareef. 2009.

Allah says, in Surah Al-Kauthar:

إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ
إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ

Translation: Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar. So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]. Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off. [Surah Kawthar, verse 1-3]

Many of you know the hadith where the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) was napping under a tree, and he woke up, smiling; and he said, Allah revealed to me this surah.

Interestingly, the ‘ulama have discussed this–is it possible that Allah sends revelation in a dream? The answer is, surprisingly, no; of the 6-7 ways, the most common is through Jibreel (alayhi salaam). Even here, there’s no indication that the surah was revealed through a dream–perhaps Jibreel (alayhi salaam) came to the Prophet once he had woken, and revealed it to him. (For more information, check our posts on Route 114: Uloom Al-Qur’an)

In verse 1, Allah says: Inna ‘ataynaaka al-kawthar. These two words allude to an enormous giver, giving an enormous gift. Allah could’ve just said: ataytuka al-kawthar; but that would’ve been weak, human speech. Instead, he uses inna–emphasis, and refers to himself in the “royal we” (something we have in English, too).

And Allah mentions, al-kawthar … kawthar of what? The ‘ulama mention two opinions: that kawthar is a river in Paradise. There’s an authentic hadith, where the Messenger of Allah says:

دَخَلْتُ الْجَنَّةَ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِنَهْرٍ حَافَتَاهُ خِيَامُ اللُّؤْلُؤِ، فَضَرَبْتُ بِيَدِي إِلَى مَا يَجْرِي فِيهِ الْمَاءُ، فَإِذَا مِسْكٌ أَذْفَرُ، قُلْتُ: مَاهَذَا يَا جِبْرِيلُ؟ قَالَ: هَذَا الْكَوْثَرُ الَّذِي أَعْطَاكَهُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَل

Translation: The Messenger of Allah said: I entered Paradise and I came to a river whose banks had tents made of pearls. So I thrust my hand into its flowing water and found that it was the strongest (smell) of musk. So I asked, “O Jibreel! What is this?” He replied, “This is Al-Kawthar which Allah, the Mighty and Majestic has given you.” [Saheeh Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim]

And Kawthar, comes from the same word as katheerah (lots); so it means, a lot. Other ‘ulama said that kawthar means, a LOT. And when Allah says “we gave you kawther,” it’s … kawther of what? Kawther of everything. If you look at the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam), in almost every field, he was blessed with a LOT–although he chose to live a simple life. It’s like a blank cheque!

Then in verse two, Allah says: Pray to YOUR Lord, and sacrifice (to him). The “to him” (lahu), is dropped; and this is from the eloquence of the Qur’an. (If you don’t get it, don’t worry about it.)

One theme that runs through the Qur’an–anytime Allah ascribes something to Himself, that shows the great honour and nobility of that thing. So Allah here, is honouring His prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam).

Before we go on, in verse three, Allah mentions “the one who hates you.” From the depths of tafseer, we learn that this is Al-’Aas, the father of the famous companion Amr ibn Al-Aas (radiallahu ‘anhu). Verse two is almost a slight at him–that “you worship rocks and sticks, and I worship rabbal ‘alameen, the Lord of the universe.”

And from the humiliation of this person, Al-’Aas, is that he’s not even mentioned–Allah said, “the one who hates you,” inna shaaniaka, huwa al-abtaar. Al-’Aas used to say: “Muhammad is cut off, and in a few years, nobody will know him or remember him.” (Because the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) didn’t have any sons.) But in fact, it’s Al-’Aas who is the real one who is cut off–the only reason we know of him is because of his son.

Another benefit of the generality: anyone who follows the path of Al-’Aas, will meet the same ending as him. Any orientalist, any person, regardless of who they are.

And notice the refutation comes in verse three–at the end of the Surah! What do we learn from this? Don’t get caught up in refutations. That’s not the right methodology of giving da’wah–and anyone who’s done so can affirm this. You might refute refute refute, and then the person walks away without Islam anyway.

One lesson we can see is that, when you give da’wah, you will be tested. It happened to the prophets, it happened to the righteous people of old; it will happen to you. Expect it, and prepare for it.

And finally … there are three types of people in the world: People who are remembered for their good (like the Prophets, the khulafa rashideen, the sahaba, the ‘ulama); people who are remembered for their evil (like Firawn, Rustum, Hitler); and those who–the majority of people–are forgotten. Don’t be from those who are remembered for their evil. Work the good work, and insha’Allah leave the rest to Allah.

Wallahu ta’ala ‘alam.

Action Items:

• Two Types of ‘Ibaadah: Verse 2 mentions two types of ‘ibaadah–badaniyyah (of the body–like salah), and maaliyyah (of the wealth–like sacrificing a sheep). Which ‘ibadaat combine BOTH of these two types of ‘ibaadah together? Share it in the comments!
• Hook it up: There are no other action items for this surah; if you have some, post them in the comments insha’Allah and share them with everybody.

References:

• Touched by an Angel: Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma. By Muhammad Alshareef. 2009.
• Tafseer ibn Katheer online: Tafseer of Surah Al-Kauthar
• Yasir Qadhi. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Route 114: Qur’anic Sciences. University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, March 2008.

Allah begins Surah Aadiyaat by saying:

وَالْعَادِيَاتِ ضَبْحًا
فَالْمُورِيَاتِ قَدْحًا
فَالْمُغِيرَاتِ صُبْحًا
فَأَثَرْنَ بِهِ نَقْعًا
فَوَسَطْنَ بِهِ جَمْعًا

Translation: By the ‘aadiyaat, when they pant, and the muwriyraat striking (when their hoves strike the ground and make sparks), and the mughiyraat, at dawn (when they raid), stirring up thereby [clouds of] dust, arriving thereby in the center collectively, …

This is a qasam (oath), a big oath that spans five ayaat. I’m going to dive into word-for-word translation, because no translation can do justice (without paragraphs of brackets).

‘Aadiyaat (عَادِيَات) are horses (plural: sound feminine plural, in fact). Not those horses you see Canadian Mounties riding; but real, true, WAR horses. If you’ve ever seen war-horses (send us a picture!), they have a special, particular intensity to them.

Dabhaa (ضَبْحًا) means to pant. Pant meaning, if you’ve ever run in a 100-meter race, or tried to run until you’re tired, and you start breathing heavily through your mouth–that’s panting. Why are the ‘aadiyaat panting? Because they are charging into battle.

You’ll see lots of war concepts here. The Arabs at the time of the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) knew these things very, very well; and when Allah testifies, these things he testifies by–nobody would deny them.

Muwriyaat (مُورِيَات) are also war-horses–the ones that strike. Strike meaning, when they run, their hooves strike up sparks on the ground. I definitely don’t encourage watching movies, so if you’ve ever read seerah stories, or perhaps Lord of the Rings, or similar books, you might find these kinds of concepts in their battles.

Mughiyraat (مُغِيرَات) are the raiding horses. In the time of the Prophet, they would have raids; you would see a whole army of horses and riders sweeping into a city, and they’d kill everybody and destroy it. Mughiyraat are those raiding horses that they rode.

Interestingly, there’s a companion named Mughiyrah (radiallahu ‘anhu). His parents named him after a war horse. They had great aspirations for him! Think about that, o you Muslim parents! (This is because, as the Arabs say today–we name our daughters for ourselves (eg. sweet, flowery names), and our sons for our enemies (eg. Asad, ‘Uthman, Mughiyrah, etc.)

Subhaa (صُبْحًا) is to raid at dawn. As we saw in Surah Lahab, when the Arabs would attack, they would attack at Fajr time, when MOST of the people are sleeping. Also, very well-known from the seerah, is that the Muslims, when they attack (subhaa), they wait until Fajr; and if they hear the adhaan coming out, they abort mission. Think about that, o you Muslims who skip Fajr! If the community was lax, and they missed Fajr, they would be raided and considered non-Muslims. May Allah make us all strong to pray Fajr (ameen ya rabbi!)

Skipping ayah four–in ayah five, Allah says wasatna (وَسَطْنَ). This word is feminine plural third-person (for all you Arabic students out there), because it refers to horses. Wasata is to go into the middle; like the famous hadith about Az-Zubayr ibn Awwam, who went, by himself, into the middle of the Roman army to fight. That’s the most furious part of the fighting–going from the front lines, into the middle of the enemy, jam’aa (جَمْعًا) together.

And these ayahs don’t speak of corrupt horses going on an oppressive mission–they mean mujahideen horses fighting to raise the banner of “Laa ilaaha illa Allah.” So what then of the riders? They, too, get this great and honorable status–that Allah testifies by them.

As with any oath, we always need to ask–ya Rabbi, what are you testifying to? The answer is …

إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لِرَبِّهِ لَكَنُودٌ

Translation: Indeed, mankind, to his Lord, is ungrateful. [Surah 'Aadiyaat, verse 6]

If there was ever a motto that you could take as a model for your life, this would be it–that human beings are ungrateful. (”His” lord because insaan is, strangely enough, a singular word in Arabic.)

One personal reflection I had: If you remember past surahs we discussed, you might have someone praying every day for some blessing (new car? house? wife? kids?), getting up for Qiyaam and crying in their sujood … and when they get it? They cut off their connection to Allah and forget all their ibaadah. Think about this–and I am among the first and most guilty of this–when’s the last time you prayed two rakaat of shukr, for anything? Or donated, or performed some other deed, as thanks? Truly, sadaqa Allah–He spoke the truth, we ARE ingrateful; may Allah protect us from that quality and increase us in our shukr (thanks). AMEEN!

Notice also, even AFTER five verses of testification, Allah uses “inna,” a word of emphasis, to emphasize the point even more! Subhanallah!

Allah continues, in verses 7 and 8:

وَإِنَّهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ لَشَهِيدٌ
وَإِنَّهُ لِحُبِّ الْخَيْرِ لَشَدِيدٌ

Translation: And indeed, he/He is to that a witness. And indeed he is, in love of wealth, intense.

Verse 7, “innahu … lashadeed,” you can translate as “he is a witness to that.” Which he? It could mean He (Allah azza wa jal), or he (insaan). Tafseer ibn Katheer cites both sources from ‘ulama among the sahaba and tabi’een.

So it either means … that Allah is watching, witnessing, over our ungratefulness. Or that we, humans, ourselves, witness it, against ourselves and each other. Allahu ‘alam.

And verse 8: he is shadeed, intense, in his love of khayr. Khayr here means wealth; one reason why people cannot just learn the Arabic language and give tafseer. And really, if you look at how people cheat, and scam, and trick others, for a few measly (or a few thousand, or million) bucks … it really strikes you that we, humans, ARE severe in our love for wealth.

The Messenger of Allah once said: “If the son of Adam had a mountain of gold, he would ask for another; and nothing will fill him up (in terms of desiring wealth) except dust (of his grave).” [Saheeh Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 447]

Even millionaires … if you ask people, “how much money would you need, and then you’ll feel like you’ll never need money again?” most people would say one million dollars. But if you ask millionaires, they’re always trying to make “their next million.” Subhanallah.

And where is all this going? Allah says,

أَفَلَا يَعْلَمُ إِذَا بُعْثِرَ مَا فِي الْقُبُورِ

Translation: But does he not know that when the contents of the graves are poured forth? …

Muhammad Alshareef mentions regarding this ayah, that if you take a sister’s purse and dump it upside-down, a lot of things will fall out of it masha’Allah–maybe some change, coupons, some lipstick, pins, etc. Many things, some of them private. In the dunya, you can hide the sins, the deeds you don’t want–like a nice purse, concealing some illicit items. But in the hereafter … the graves will be dumped out. Subhanallah.

Then Allah says:

وَحُصِّلَ مَا فِي الصُّدُورِ

Translation: And that within the breasts is obtained, …

Hussila (حُصِّلَ) doesn’t just mean “obtained,” “made apparent,” etc. but it means … peeled.

This is your heart on the Day of Judgment.

If you have an orange, and you look at the outside–do you know what’s inside? No. Well, with oranges, you have a good idea of what it might be; but do you know exactly, specifically, how much of it will have the white part, how many slices, what spoiled or rotten areas will appear on it? No. But once you peel it, everything becomes clear, obvious, apparent to everyone around.

On that day, when the hearts will be peeled…

إِنَّ رَبَّهُم بِهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّخَبِيرٌ

Translation: Indeed, their Lord with them, that Day, is [fully] Acquainted.

On that day, Allah knows (and He knows now, too). And on that day, He will repay us fully for everything we used to do–hidden or apparent.

Thus concludes Surah ‘Aadiyaat. Wallahu ta’ala ‘alam.

Action Items:

• Contemplate the Day of Judgment. The more details you see in the Qur’an and sunnah, the more real it is to you. Put yourself there. See, hear, feel what’s going on around you. Always do this when you read about that day–this will make the verses hit your heart.
• Be thankful. Make a list of three blessings Allah blessed you with, right here and now. Pray two rakahs of shukr, or donate, in thankfulness to your Lord, the most generous.

References:

• Touched by an Angel: Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma. By Muhammad Alshareef. 2009.
• Tafseer ibn Katheer online

Allah says, in Surah ‘Asr:

وَالْعَصْرِ
إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ

“By Time. Indeed, mankind is at loss. Except for those who have believed, done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.” [Asr: 1-3]

Allah swears by time–which shows how enormous and noble this creation is. Time.

Imam Shafi said about this revelation that had it been the only revelation sent to mankind, it would have been enough.  What motivated him to say this?

This surah reinforces one of the most beautiful qualities of the Qur’an – profound messages in succinct words.  In this surah of only 3 verses, Allah t’ala gives mankind essential direction.  Whenever I read this surah, I always reflect on how is paints a crystal clear picture for all of mankind.

The varying cultures of the world have interpreted the reality of life and the reality of time in different ways.  A popular belief is that Man struggles against nature to live as long as possible and to enjoy as much as possible.  That’s why birthdays are celebrated.  It’s one more year that a person has “beat Mother Nature.”  This surah however, gives a Muslim their bearings.  It’s not about how long you manage to live – because that has been predetermined.

Allah tells us: “By Time, Mankind is at loss.” [Asr: 1-2] Essentially, “we’re on the clock.” From the minute we’re born, there is a timer counting down to the day we will leave this planet.  And as a result, we look to succeed in the limited time that we have.

But Allah doesn’t leave Mankind hopeless, just saying “Well, guess what, you’re losing, too bad, so sad, see you later.”  (So don’t ever give up hope!) Rather, Allah follows up this statement with “EXCEPT, for those who have believed, done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.” [Asr: 3]

So here, then is our recipe for success.  This is the blueprint – your road-map to Jannah.  Don’t want to be a LOSER? (And being a loser is by default–like a water-slide. You just let go, let the world sweep you buy, and you go down, down, down.) Then follow these simple steps!

1. Believe
2. Do righteous deeds
3. Advise one another to the truth
4. Advise one another to patience.

The first point is very critical.  If you want to be successful – we’re being told point blank here – you have to be a believer.  On top of that, point number two, your belief must manifest in action.  Don’t satisfy yourself by saying it’s in your heart.  If it’s really in your heart, it’ll be so powerful that your heart will pump it through every limb of your body and you will radiate actions.

Thirdly, we must call one another to the truth.  We must give dawah to those who have not found the correct path to Allah and we must help those who struggle on it.  Fourthly, we must be, and must help others be patient.  Life can be full of “interesting events and situations that may at first seem unfavourable or displeasing.”  Deal with it.  The fourth point is so beautiful because it’s such a nice of saying that life won’t be perfect, so train yourself in patience.  You’re going to need it.  If of course, you don’t want to be a loser.

Again, it’s not enough just to believe and do good deeds–you have to call to the truth, and call to patience.

Wallahu ‘alam.

Action Items:

• Memorize the surah: (Okay, you’ve probably memorized it because it’s so short.)  So memorize the accurate translation.
• Use the items as a checklist: At the end of every day, run down this small list, did you do everyone of these?  Will you be written amongst the successful?
• Post your reflections. What deep points strike you from what you know about this surah?

References:

• Touched by an Angel: Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma. By Muhammad Alshareef. 2009.
]]> http://www.ilmfruits.com/the-reality-of-time/feed 4 http://www.ilmfruits.com/tafseer-surah-inshrah http://www.ilmfruits.com/tafseer-surah-inshrah#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 14:21:31 +0000 Ilm Seeker http://www.ilmfruits.com/?p=1128 Note: this is our 13th post in our series on Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma.


Stand up and do more. Muslims don’t retire or quit from working for the deen. Persist. Be like the flower that springs through concrete.

Allah says, in verse 3:

وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ

Translation: And raised high for you your repute.

If you see those polls on CNN and BBC and all those places, “Who is the most famous person in the world?” And all those emails go out, “vote for the Prophet,” “vote for the Messenger of Allah.” Indeed, he IS (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) the most famous person world-wide; the one who had the biggest influence. Even non-Muslims know it; perhaps that is why Muhammad is the most-common name in the world.

One scholar mentioned, that this also applies to the sahaba–like Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, and ‘Ali, radiallahu anhum ajmaeen. Like the example of ‘Ali–he is one of the companions who is known world-wide; and yet, his father Abu Talib, the only reason we know him is because of his son. In this way, Allah has raised the names of these people, and others like them, throughout time; while there are millions of other Muslims who lived and died, and nobody even knows their names.

Allah says, in Surah Inshrah, verse 7:

فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانصَبْ

Translation: So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship]. [Surah Inshrah, verse 7]

This ayah alludes to a deep point–that there really isn’t an ending to the work, until you die. When a project ends, when the time to move on appears, Allah says: stand up.

This happens when people transition from highschool MSA to university, or from university MSA to work-world; they say “I’ve done my duty for 1-3 years, I’m done here.” Stand up, and keep going.

Or you might see people working on an Islamic project–maybe a halaqah they’ve run for the last two years; or a blog they’ve maintained for the last six months; or a dinner or event they’ve been planning for the last year.

Don’t stop! Keep going! Find another project to do, another door to open, if necessary.

Wallahu ta’ala ‘alam.

Action Items:

• Stand Up. Did you do more for Islam in the past than you did now? Are you at a low-point? Find something small and consistent you can do; or find another way to make your existing work Islamic–for example, intending to continue your studies in university so you can work to earn halal rizq for your family. Or if you’re graduated, intending to earn halal rizq to support yourself and your family.
• Keep Going. Is there some project that you just completed? Take a day or two to rest, and start another one! Let the momentum drive you to better and quicker results, insha’Allah.

References:

• Touched by an Angel: Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma. By Muhammad Alshareef. 2009.
]]> http://www.ilmfruits.com/tafseer-surah-inshrah/feed 4