Making a Statement

April 15, 2009 – 5:04 pm

Note: This is the third post in our series of Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma.

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From the opening ceremonies, to the first move of world leaders, people like to send a message. The intense revelation of the Qur’an is no different. The timing, style and content, sends a message to the final Prophet (saw) and to all of humanity.

Allah (swt) starts the revelation commanding the Prophet to read “Recite in the name of your Lord who created.” The big statement? It’s all about knowledge. Allah reveals that knowledge will be the way of those who submit to him. Knowledge brings honour to our scholars and courage to our leaders. Knowledge is an Islamic tradition. The carriers of this deen understood and embraced this critical message – they embodied it.

Allah has, for his servants, put this message in context and given it some perspective. Allah instructs that all this knowledge is not an abstract pursuit of man, rather, is unconditionally linked to Himself. Allah continues, “Created man from a clinging substance. Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous.”

Intricate words for an intricate message. Allah mentions creation and the creation of man – separately, to show us how special we are. For us to link our pursuit of knowledge to Him we need to know Him, so Allah introduces Himself with the name Al-Aqram – the Most Generous. Who is more generous than the one: “Who taught by the pen. Taught man that which he knew not.”

The pen is mentioned because writing is a way to preserve and share knowledge. Further driving home the main message. And, to top it off, Allah gives a small hint, mentioning a “clinging substance,” a detail of embryology only recently understood. Allah shares some knowledge elucidating that all knowledge is from Allah.

The message can be unwrapped layer by layer, exposing the grace and beauty of a simple and beneficial point, is all about knowledge. This message then necessitates the question: what have we done to make knowledge the cornerstone of our life?

Action Items:

  • If knowledge both Islamic (and worldly), isn’t at the core of your life, shouldn’t it be? Make a plan to increase your knowledge intake, for verily, as Allah has shown us, this is the place to start.
  • Comment and tell us your plan; share it, so we can all benefit, insha’Allah!
By ilm candy | Posted in Islam, Qur'an, Tafseer | Tagged , , , | Comments (5)

Ibn Masood’s Mushaf

May 25, 2008 – 10:52 am

Ibn Mas’ood (رضي الله عنه‏) is one of the most well-known companions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم). (Can someone suggest some good links that detail his biography?) Orientalists–who do not generally fabricate–claim that, prior to the Second Compilation, Ibn Mas’ood’s (رضي الله عنه‏) mushaf had two extra surahs that our mushafs today don’t have. If you investigate this claim, you find that, indeed, it’s authentically report that his mushaf had two extra chapters.

So are these two “lost surahs” of the Qur’an, as they claim, that we don’t have anymore?

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ

Translation: Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an and indeed, We will be its guardian. [Surah Al-Hijar, verse 9] (And yes, the Arabic has three forms of emphasis in it.)

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has promised that He will protect the Qur’an. And whose promise is greater than His?

So when you search further in the authentic narrations–not surprisingly–what do you find? What were these two mysterious chapters?

Nothing more than du’a–authentically related du’a; one was dua-u-qunoot, for salaatul-witr.

(See how Orientalists twist things and slant things to make them look sinister?)

But this post is not about slamming Orientalists-some of them are good, some of them are neutral, and some of them are evil–just like any other group of people.

Rather, this post is about the mushaf of Ibn Mas’ood (رضي الله عنه‏)–a mushaf which, even when the khalifa ordered him to give it up (as part of the Second Compilation), he refused–for a long time, he refused, until finally, he was convinced.

So why would he (رضي الله عنه‏) write du’a in his mushaf? Why not in another place?

There are a couple of reasons. First, paper (or, rather, parchment and similar materials) were very scarce–as was literacy–in the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم). It was very hard to gather writing materials. Having a book was itself significant. So Ibn Mas’ood simply wrote du’a at the end of his mushaf.

But isn’t there a chance of confusion? People mixing Qur’an and ahadith together, in Arabic, in one book? No, not at all–companions knew which was Qur’an and which was not! So what was the harm in writing them in one book–especially considering the scarcity of materials?

And that, in a nutshell, is Ibn Mas’ood’s (رضي الله عنه‏) mushaf.

For more Orientalist refutations, check out the Islamic Awareness site. It details many Orientalist arguments against Islam, and their refutations.

May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) protect us from doubts and whispers of Shaytaan and keep us firm in our eman and on our deen, ameen!

References

Yasir Qadhi. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Route 114: Qur’anic Sciences. University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, March 2008.

By Ilm Seeker | Posted in Islam, Qur'an | Tagged , , | Comments (1)