From: http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/09/cdc-59-1-million-lacked-insurance-in-2009/?hpt=T2
CDC: 59.1 million lacked insurance
The number of Americans without health insurance is rising, and it's not just those living in poverty who are affected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new Vital Signs report, 59.1 million people had no health insurance for at least some part of the 12-month period that ended in March of this year. That's up 400,000 people from 2009.
Of that 59.1 million people, about 50 million aged 18 to 64 years had no health insurance, according to the CDC– the most ever recorded in that age group.
The data is from the National Health Interview Survey covering 2006 through 2009 and the first quarter of 2010. Over that time, the number of people without insurance in the 18- to 64-year-old age group has increased an average of 1.1 million Americans per year. Half of the overall increase are among people with family incomes twice to three times higher than the federal poverty level of about $22,000 for a family of four.
Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, says the numbers mean access to care is seriously affected. "Private insurance coverage has been falling steadily for at least the last 10 years," Frieden said. "The public insurance safety net helped cover children, but private insurance fell by 9 percent." The uninsurance rate is three times higher in adults than children, according to the CDC.
The report also found adults without health insurance were three times more likely to skip or delay care because of cost. Last year, more than 40 percent of adults aged 18-to-64 years who had chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma or high blood pressure and didn't have insurance admitted they went without care. Such delays can lead to poorer patient outcomes and higher costs. One reason, according to Frieden, is that people without insurance are much less likely to have a regular doctor.
There are stark differences in health insurance coverage in state-to-state comparisons. In Massachusetts, because the state has strong policies on health care coverage, only 6 percent of adults are uninsured. In Texas, 29 percent of adults have no health insurance, according to the CDC.
The CDC says the Affordable Care Act is expected to cover up to 94 percent of people under 65 years by 2019. That's an additional 32 million Americans.
Another measurement of the uninsured, from the U.S. Census Bureau shows 50.7 million people were without insurance for 2009. The Census Bureau figure, reported in September, reflects how many people were uninsured for the full calendar year.
Post by: Saundra Young - CNN Medical Senior ProducerFiled under: Healthcare Costs
Blogger comment:
This is unjust. crazy and inhuman. I saw personally a patient die for coming late with severe pneumonia to the hospital hoping that he would get better since he can not afford the hospital bill. Another waiting outside in the hospital park with severe chest pain hoping it will subside so he would not need to enter the hospital and need to pay thousands of dollars bill. See my health plan that I offered to the American politicians in return to lift millions of Muslims and Arab Christians from poverty and medical health problems. See my book, read it for free in the Internet:
http://books.google.com/books?id=FzJ3NtHcpFYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=maged+taman&source=bl&ots=ycaGd4QZER&sig=E-13WMvK4k_7lOx-jdiORq28ZXk&hl=en&ei=VYzaTOKOIoa4sAPa1-DRBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q&f=false
If you are interested to save America and the World tell your politicians to talk to a large group of Muslims leaders and those leaders can sit down and talk to me how to save America. I am not an arrogant person but they were very arrogant against me and the God of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Monday, November 08, 2010
First Chapter of the Quran
From: www.islamicity.com
By Dr. Jaafar Sheikh
“In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
All praise is to God, Lord of all the worlds
Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Master of the Day of Judgment
You Alone do we worship and You Alone do we ask for help
Guide us to the right path
The Path of those on whom You bestowed Your bounties
Not the path of those who incurred Your wrath or those who went astray.” (Quran 1:1-7)
These, Prophet Muhammad tells us, are the most important words that have ever been revealed by God to any Prophet; there is nothing like them in any scripture including the Quran. No wonder because by sincerely uttering these words you profess your belief in the most important facts about your Creator, and ask Him to grant you the most important things you need to be a true servant of His.
All praise is to God
When you state that all praise is to God you acknowledge the fact that only He has all the attributes of perfection and that only He is the bestower of all the bounties that any of His creation enjoys. And since gratefulness is the essence of worship, you are in effect also acknowledging the fact that only He is the one who deserves to be worshipped.
Lord of all the worlds
The Arabic word for Lord, rub, conveys the meaning of being the one who owns, who creates, who sustains and who looks after all that exists. The only relationship between Him and every other existent is that of the Creator to the created. He cannot therefore be the father of anyone in any real sense; Creator and father is a contradiction in terms. You don’t create your child, you beget it. It is because of this that the Quran keeps reminding those who claim that God has children - the Arabs who used to say that the angels are the daughters of God, the Christians who say that Jesus is the son of God, and a Jewish sect who used to believe that Ezra is the son of God - that God is the Creator and Owner of everything.
Most Gracious, Most Merciful
The two Arabic words, Rahman and Raheem, for which these English phrases stand, are two intensive forms of a root which conveys the meaning of mercy. Rahman is more intensive than Raheem, and refers to God’s all-encompassing mercy, His mercy to all His creation in this life and the life to come. Raheem refers to His special mercy to the faithful. No created being can therefore be Rahman, but created beings can be described as raheem in a limited and special sense.
Master of the Day of Judgment
God is the Master of all days and all things, but while some people can have some limited mastership or even falsely claim to have it, no one can be, or claim to be master in any sense on the day of reckoning. On that day God will ask all of His creation: “To whom is sovereignty today?” And the answer will be “To God, the One, the Irresistible.” This reminds us of the fact that this world is only a transient station on the road to the final abode where we shall either be rewarded or punished for what we do here. This in turn reminds us of the important fact that this world is a temporary place of test and that it is run according to a moral law to which the natural and social ones are only subservient. We should not therefore allow the immediate natural to blind us to the moral that is beyond.
You Alone do we worship and You Alone do we ask for help
The foregoing verses were like an introduction to this one. It is as if you are saying: because we acknowledge the fact that all praise is to You, that You are the Lord of all the worlds, that You are Most Gracious and Most Merciful, and that You Alone is the Master of the day of judgment, we hereby declare that we worship none but You and seek help from none except You. This verse emphasizes the fact that what is important is not only that You worship God, but that you worship none besides Him, because none except Him deserves to be worshipped. To worship none but God entails - among other things - that you obey none but Him in any absolute sense, love no one as or more than you love Him and pray to no one except Him. To seek help from none but God does not mean that you don’t extend or accept any help from any of God’s created beings in matters in which they have the power to help. It only means that you believe that even when you give or receive such help you believe that it is ultimately coming from God because nothing is this world happens without His will and power. So it is from Him alone that you are ultimately turning for help, and it is on him that you ultimately and absolutely depend.
Guide us to the right path
Having acknowledged all those truths about God, and having declared to Him that it is He Alone that we worship and ask for help, we now go on to ask Him to grant us the thing that we need most: knowing and taking the shortest road that leads to Him. Having known who God is, we are convinced that such guidance must come from Him, that it must be available to all who want to follow it, and that there must be no doubt about the fact that it is from Him. That guidance, we know, is no where to be found in any complete way except in God’s words, the words that He reveal to His chosen Prophets, people like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. But we also know for sure that none of the books that contain that guidance is now at our disposal except one - the Quran. It is to this Divine book that we must turn for a detailed description of the straight path that leads to our Lord. The straight path is necessarily one path; it does not change with the change of time or place. The words that describe it must therefore have the same meaning that the man to whom they were revealed had. With the increase of our knowledge, the richness of our experience, the depth of study and pondering we can continuously learn more from that basic meaning without contradicting it. Only the understanding and interpretation consistent with it is the correct one; all others must necessarily be false.
The Path of those on whom You bestowed Your bounties
The straight path described in the Quran is not a theoretical path; it is an actual path that some people before us have taken. To be sure that we had a good understanding of it, we must see to it that we are following in their footsteps. If your destination is a well-known city to which hundreds of people go every day, and you find yourself alone on what you thought was the road to it, you know you must be mistaken.
Not the path of those who incurred Your wrath or those who went astray
Just as you described that straight path in a positive way, you now describe it in a negative way. You ask your Lord to keep you away from the paths taken by two kinds of deviant people: those who know the truth about religion and yet refuse to act according to it, and are therefore hated; and those who make their religion subservient to their whims and opinions and are therefore gone astray. The Quran tells us in some detail about their main deviations, among the greatest of which is that they have no great respect for God or His words: they ascribe to Him imperfect, even insulting attributes; they distort His words at will to make them suit their own wishes or preferences; they side with the enemies of His religion against those whom they know to be nearer to it; they commit immoralities in the name of religion.
The web address of this article:http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/10190/
By Dr. Jaafar Sheikh
“In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
All praise is to God, Lord of all the worlds
Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Master of the Day of Judgment
You Alone do we worship and You Alone do we ask for help
Guide us to the right path
The Path of those on whom You bestowed Your bounties
Not the path of those who incurred Your wrath or those who went astray.” (Quran 1:1-7)
These, Prophet Muhammad tells us, are the most important words that have ever been revealed by God to any Prophet; there is nothing like them in any scripture including the Quran. No wonder because by sincerely uttering these words you profess your belief in the most important facts about your Creator, and ask Him to grant you the most important things you need to be a true servant of His.
All praise is to God
When you state that all praise is to God you acknowledge the fact that only He has all the attributes of perfection and that only He is the bestower of all the bounties that any of His creation enjoys. And since gratefulness is the essence of worship, you are in effect also acknowledging the fact that only He is the one who deserves to be worshipped.
Lord of all the worlds
The Arabic word for Lord, rub, conveys the meaning of being the one who owns, who creates, who sustains and who looks after all that exists. The only relationship between Him and every other existent is that of the Creator to the created. He cannot therefore be the father of anyone in any real sense; Creator and father is a contradiction in terms. You don’t create your child, you beget it. It is because of this that the Quran keeps reminding those who claim that God has children - the Arabs who used to say that the angels are the daughters of God, the Christians who say that Jesus is the son of God, and a Jewish sect who used to believe that Ezra is the son of God - that God is the Creator and Owner of everything.
Most Gracious, Most Merciful
The two Arabic words, Rahman and Raheem, for which these English phrases stand, are two intensive forms of a root which conveys the meaning of mercy. Rahman is more intensive than Raheem, and refers to God’s all-encompassing mercy, His mercy to all His creation in this life and the life to come. Raheem refers to His special mercy to the faithful. No created being can therefore be Rahman, but created beings can be described as raheem in a limited and special sense.
Master of the Day of Judgment
God is the Master of all days and all things, but while some people can have some limited mastership or even falsely claim to have it, no one can be, or claim to be master in any sense on the day of reckoning. On that day God will ask all of His creation: “To whom is sovereignty today?” And the answer will be “To God, the One, the Irresistible.” This reminds us of the fact that this world is only a transient station on the road to the final abode where we shall either be rewarded or punished for what we do here. This in turn reminds us of the important fact that this world is a temporary place of test and that it is run according to a moral law to which the natural and social ones are only subservient. We should not therefore allow the immediate natural to blind us to the moral that is beyond.
You Alone do we worship and You Alone do we ask for help
The foregoing verses were like an introduction to this one. It is as if you are saying: because we acknowledge the fact that all praise is to You, that You are the Lord of all the worlds, that You are Most Gracious and Most Merciful, and that You Alone is the Master of the day of judgment, we hereby declare that we worship none but You and seek help from none except You. This verse emphasizes the fact that what is important is not only that You worship God, but that you worship none besides Him, because none except Him deserves to be worshipped. To worship none but God entails - among other things - that you obey none but Him in any absolute sense, love no one as or more than you love Him and pray to no one except Him. To seek help from none but God does not mean that you don’t extend or accept any help from any of God’s created beings in matters in which they have the power to help. It only means that you believe that even when you give or receive such help you believe that it is ultimately coming from God because nothing is this world happens without His will and power. So it is from Him alone that you are ultimately turning for help, and it is on him that you ultimately and absolutely depend.
Guide us to the right path
Having acknowledged all those truths about God, and having declared to Him that it is He Alone that we worship and ask for help, we now go on to ask Him to grant us the thing that we need most: knowing and taking the shortest road that leads to Him. Having known who God is, we are convinced that such guidance must come from Him, that it must be available to all who want to follow it, and that there must be no doubt about the fact that it is from Him. That guidance, we know, is no where to be found in any complete way except in God’s words, the words that He reveal to His chosen Prophets, people like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. But we also know for sure that none of the books that contain that guidance is now at our disposal except one - the Quran. It is to this Divine book that we must turn for a detailed description of the straight path that leads to our Lord. The straight path is necessarily one path; it does not change with the change of time or place. The words that describe it must therefore have the same meaning that the man to whom they were revealed had. With the increase of our knowledge, the richness of our experience, the depth of study and pondering we can continuously learn more from that basic meaning without contradicting it. Only the understanding and interpretation consistent with it is the correct one; all others must necessarily be false.
The Path of those on whom You bestowed Your bounties
The straight path described in the Quran is not a theoretical path; it is an actual path that some people before us have taken. To be sure that we had a good understanding of it, we must see to it that we are following in their footsteps. If your destination is a well-known city to which hundreds of people go every day, and you find yourself alone on what you thought was the road to it, you know you must be mistaken.
Not the path of those who incurred Your wrath or those who went astray
Just as you described that straight path in a positive way, you now describe it in a negative way. You ask your Lord to keep you away from the paths taken by two kinds of deviant people: those who know the truth about religion and yet refuse to act according to it, and are therefore hated; and those who make their religion subservient to their whims and opinions and are therefore gone astray. The Quran tells us in some detail about their main deviations, among the greatest of which is that they have no great respect for God or His words: they ascribe to Him imperfect, even insulting attributes; they distort His words at will to make them suit their own wishes or preferences; they side with the enemies of His religion against those whom they know to be nearer to it; they commit immoralities in the name of religion.
The web address of this article:http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/10190/
Sunday, November 07, 2010
The Quran: The clear verses and verses need to be understood to be clear
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
The Qur'aan has described itself in various verses as being entirely muhkam, in one verse as being entirely mutashaabih, and in another verse as being partially muhkam and partially mutashaabih. There is no contradiction here, because the first two cases use the words in their general sense, while the final one uses the words according to a more technical meaning. Since the general meaning of the Arabic term muhkam is "perfected" or "completely formed," the whole Qur'aan may be referred to as being muhkam in respect to it construction, its logic, and its message. Hence, we find Allaah referring to the Qur'aan as follows:
"Alif, Laam, Raa. A Book from the Wise and Aware (Allaah), whose
verses were made muhkam, then explained." (Soorah Hood (11):1)
Likewise, Allaah applied the general meaning of mutashaabih, "mutually resembling one another" or "similar," to the whole Qur'aan in the following verse:
"Allaah has revealed the best speech (in the form of) a mutashaabih
book repeating (its message)." (Soorah az-Zumar (39):23.)
That is, all of the verses of the Qur'aan resemble each other in their rhythmic and poetic perfection, and they all mutually confirm each other's meanings. However, the specific meanings of these two terms play a very important role in the science of tafseer. Those meanings are contained in the following verse, along with a very stern warning:
"It is He Who revealed the Book to you; in it are muhkamaat verses which are the essence of the Book (umm al-kitaab) and other (verses) which are mutashaabihaat. As for those whose hearts are twisted, they follow the mutashaabih, seeking to sow discord and searching for its inner meanings, but no one knows its inner meaning except Allaah. And those firmly grounded in knowledge say, 'We believe in it, as it is all from our Lord.' Yet, none will realize (this) except the wise." (Soorah Aal 'Imraan (3):7.)
Hence, the muhkam could be defined as those verses whose meanings are clear, and the mutashaabih as those verses whose inner meanings are known only to Allaah. 'Aa'ishah reported that once the Prophet (r) recited the above mentioned verse and said,
" If you meet those who seek out the obscure verses (mutashaabih), they are the ones whom Allaah has named in the Qur'aan, so beware of them." (Collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 6, pp. 53-4, no. 70) and Muslim (Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1402, No. 6442). (Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, Usool At-Tafseer The Methodology of Qur'anic Interpretation, pp. 181-182, Source)
Shaykh Abu Ammar Yasir al-Qadhi concludes it off by saying:
In conclusion, Allaah has called the whole Qur`aan muhkam, meaning that it is a clear source of guidance and a criterion between good and evil; He has also called the whole Qur`aan muttashaabih, meaning that its verses are similar to one another in beauty and aid one another in meaning; and, finally, He has called part of it muhkam and part muttashaabih, meaning that part of the Qur`aan is clear and not open to distortion, and part of it is unclear and open to distortion by those 'who have a deviation in their hearts.' The portion that is muhkam forms the foundation of the Book, meaning that it comprises all the moral and social laws that mankind needs for its guidance. The muttashaabih portion of the Qur`aan is clear in its meaning to 'those well grounded in knowledge,' and it is necessary to understand these muttashaabih portions in light of the muhkam ones. The actuality of the muttashaabih verses, however, are known only to Allaah. (Shaykh Abu Ammar Yasir al-Qadhi, On the Muhkam and Muttashaabih, Source)
Blogger comment:
The Quran verses are two kinds both of them are perfected and clear. The first group which are Muhakam (confirmed, perfected and clear) , most people can read and understand. The Mutashapah (which mean may not be clear) does not mean these verses to be confusing or contradicting or illusive but mean these verses may not be clear as yet. For example the origin of the universe and earth was a verse that Muslims at the time of the prophet was not sure about its proper meaning but they did that only recently after we found it confirm the big bang theory.
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاء كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ (21:30)
21:30 (Picktall) Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were of one piece, then We parted them, and We made every living thing of water? Will they not then believe? -
That is why God in the 3:7 verse described that people who are well grounded in knowledge of the Quran though do not confess to know all the meanings of the verses but they confess by their faith in the words of God. They red all the Quran and understood it well so the few verses that they did not understand well knew that God did not reveal to humans its explanation as yet.
It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad) the Book (this Qur'an). In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book [and those are the Verses of Al-Ahkam (commandments, etc.), Al-Fara'id (obligatory duties) and Al-Hudud (legal laws for the punishment of thieves, adulterers, etc.)]; and others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials, etc.), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord." And none receive admonition except men of understanding. (Tafsir At-Tabari). S. 3:7
The Qur'aan has described itself in various verses as being entirely muhkam, in one verse as being entirely mutashaabih, and in another verse as being partially muhkam and partially mutashaabih. There is no contradiction here, because the first two cases use the words in their general sense, while the final one uses the words according to a more technical meaning. Since the general meaning of the Arabic term muhkam is "perfected" or "completely formed," the whole Qur'aan may be referred to as being muhkam in respect to it construction, its logic, and its message. Hence, we find Allaah referring to the Qur'aan as follows:
"Alif, Laam, Raa. A Book from the Wise and Aware (Allaah), whose
verses were made muhkam, then explained." (Soorah Hood (11):1)
Likewise, Allaah applied the general meaning of mutashaabih, "mutually resembling one another" or "similar," to the whole Qur'aan in the following verse:
"Allaah has revealed the best speech (in the form of) a mutashaabih
book repeating (its message)." (Soorah az-Zumar (39):23.)
That is, all of the verses of the Qur'aan resemble each other in their rhythmic and poetic perfection, and they all mutually confirm each other's meanings. However, the specific meanings of these two terms play a very important role in the science of tafseer. Those meanings are contained in the following verse, along with a very stern warning:
"It is He Who revealed the Book to you; in it are muhkamaat verses which are the essence of the Book (umm al-kitaab) and other (verses) which are mutashaabihaat. As for those whose hearts are twisted, they follow the mutashaabih, seeking to sow discord and searching for its inner meanings, but no one knows its inner meaning except Allaah. And those firmly grounded in knowledge say, 'We believe in it, as it is all from our Lord.' Yet, none will realize (this) except the wise." (Soorah Aal 'Imraan (3):7.)
Hence, the muhkam could be defined as those verses whose meanings are clear, and the mutashaabih as those verses whose inner meanings are known only to Allaah. 'Aa'ishah reported that once the Prophet (r) recited the above mentioned verse and said,
" If you meet those who seek out the obscure verses (mutashaabih), they are the ones whom Allaah has named in the Qur'aan, so beware of them." (Collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 6, pp. 53-4, no. 70) and Muslim (Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1402, No. 6442). (Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, Usool At-Tafseer The Methodology of Qur'anic Interpretation, pp. 181-182, Source)
Shaykh Abu Ammar Yasir al-Qadhi concludes it off by saying:
In conclusion, Allaah has called the whole Qur`aan muhkam, meaning that it is a clear source of guidance and a criterion between good and evil; He has also called the whole Qur`aan muttashaabih, meaning that its verses are similar to one another in beauty and aid one another in meaning; and, finally, He has called part of it muhkam and part muttashaabih, meaning that part of the Qur`aan is clear and not open to distortion, and part of it is unclear and open to distortion by those 'who have a deviation in their hearts.' The portion that is muhkam forms the foundation of the Book, meaning that it comprises all the moral and social laws that mankind needs for its guidance. The muttashaabih portion of the Qur`aan is clear in its meaning to 'those well grounded in knowledge,' and it is necessary to understand these muttashaabih portions in light of the muhkam ones. The actuality of the muttashaabih verses, however, are known only to Allaah. (Shaykh Abu Ammar Yasir al-Qadhi, On the Muhkam and Muttashaabih, Source)
Blogger comment:
The Quran verses are two kinds both of them are perfected and clear. The first group which are Muhakam (confirmed, perfected and clear) , most people can read and understand. The Mutashapah (which mean may not be clear) does not mean these verses to be confusing or contradicting or illusive but mean these verses may not be clear as yet. For example the origin of the universe and earth was a verse that Muslims at the time of the prophet was not sure about its proper meaning but they did that only recently after we found it confirm the big bang theory.
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاء كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ (21:30)
21:30 (Picktall) Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were of one piece, then We parted them, and We made every living thing of water? Will they not then believe? -
That is why God in the 3:7 verse described that people who are well grounded in knowledge of the Quran though do not confess to know all the meanings of the verses but they confess by their faith in the words of God. They red all the Quran and understood it well so the few verses that they did not understand well knew that God did not reveal to humans its explanation as yet.
It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad) the Book (this Qur'an). In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book [and those are the Verses of Al-Ahkam (commandments, etc.), Al-Fara'id (obligatory duties) and Al-Hudud (legal laws for the punishment of thieves, adulterers, etc.)]; and others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials, etc.), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord." And none receive admonition except men of understanding. (Tafsir At-Tabari). S. 3:7
Surah 28 - Al-Qasas - The Narration
From: http://www.quranexplained.co.uk/main-menu.htm
[Author's note] This is the 28th Surah of the Qur'an. It has 88 verses. This Surah touches upon history with its lessons as well as other precious guidance for everyday life. Denounce not the life of this world for the Hereafter or vice versa. With the Glorious Name of Allah, the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness.
28:1 T.S.M. Toor-e-Sina, Moses. Commandments were given to Moses at Mount Sinai.
28:2 Now these are Messages of the Book clear in itself and it makes things clear.
28:3 We narrate to you some history of Moses and Pharaoh, setting forth the Truth for the benefit of those who will believe.
28:4 Behold, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and divided its people into castes. A tribe among them (the Israelites) he oppressed, killing their sons and sparing their women. Verily, he was of the corrupters. (2:49), (7:141), (40:25). [Prophet Joseph son of Prophet Israel Jacob had died around 1600 B.C. His successors gradually lost control of the government and the native Egyptians started up a slow but steady rebellion against the Israelites. About a century later around 1500 B.C. the Egyptians wrested control of the government and established a Kingdom. The Egyptian Kings from then on assumed the title 'Pharaoh'. They began persecuting the Israelites about 1400 B.C. and this persecution reached its zenith in the times of Prophet Moses, under the rule of Pharaoh Ramses II (King from 1290 to 1224 B.C.)]
28:5 But it was Our Will to bestow favor unto those who were oppressed in the land, and to make them leaders, and to make them inheritors.
28:6 And to establish them in the earth, and to show Pharaoh (the King) and Haman (the Chief Adviser and High Priest) and their troops what they feared from the Israelites (rebellion). [This Haman is quite different from the Persian Haman of the Old Testament who was an adviser to the Persian King Xerxes (who ruled eight hundred years later, from 486 to 465 B.C.). Whereas the 'Haman' of Pharaoh derives his name from the title borne by every successive High Priest of the Egyptian Kingdom. 'Ha-Amen' = High Priest of the Egyptian god Amon. So the Haman mentioned in the Qur'an refers to the High Priest during the reign of Ramses II. This information is important to bear in mind in order to avoid confusion.]
28:7 We inspired the mother of Moses, "Nourish him and when you worry for his life, then (place him in a box and) cast him into the river, and have no fear nor grieve. We shall bring him back to you and make him one of Our Messengers." [The mother of Moses was the wife of Amram (Imran). They had three children: Miriam, Aaron and Moses in that order. Mary, mother of Jesus had descended from Amram probably through Aaron, and that is how the Qur'an refers to her as Mariam daughter of Imran. The Royal decree of Pharaoh applied to the new born boys when Aaron was already a few years old].
28:8 And the family of Pharaoh picked him up, not knowing that he would become an enemy unto them and a source of grief. That is because Pharaoh, Haman and their troops were a folk bent on committing fault upon fault.
28:9 Now the wife of Pharaoh said, "A joy to the eye for me and you! Slay him not. He may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son." And they perceived not (the future).
28:10 And the heart of the mother of Moses became void. She almost gave away his identity had We not strengthened her heart, so that she might remain a firm believer.
28:11 And so she said to his sister, "Follow him -and the girl (the 12 year old Miriam) watched him from afar, while they were not aware.
28:12 Now from the very beginning We caused him to refuse suckling from foster mothers. She (Miriam, the sister of baby Moses) said, "Shall I tell you of a family that can raise him for you and take good care of him?"
28:13 And thus We restored him to his mother so that her eye might be gladdened and that she might grieve no longer, and that she might know that Allah's Promise always comes true. But most of them know not.
28:14 Now when Moses reached full strength and maturity, We blessed him with wisdom and knowledge. This is how We reward those who live a balanced, virtuous life.
28:15 And one day the young Moses entered the city at a time when most of its people were resting unaware of what was going on in the streets. And there he encountered two men fighting with each other. One was of his people (a Hebrew) and the other of his (Egyptian) adversaries. His tribesman cried out to him for help against the one who was of the enemies - Whereupon Moses struck him with his fist and thus, (accidentally) brought about his end. But then he said to himself, "This is of Satan's doing! Verily, he is an open enemy, a misleader." (Moses, not yet commissioned to Prophethood, was denouncing his emotions).
28:16 And he prayed, "My Lord! Verily, I have hurt my 'Self'. Forgive me then." And He forgave him - for, indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. (Moses had intended only to help the weak and not to kill the other man).
28:17 He said, "My Lord! For You have bestowed Your Grace on me, nevermore shall I be a supporter of the guilty."
28:18 And next morning he was in the city, fearful and vigilant when, behold! The man who had asked him the day before cried out to him for help. Moses said to him, "You are indeed one erring manifestly."
28:19 But then, as soon as he was about to lay his hands on their enemy the man said, "O Moses! Would you kill me as you killed a person yesterday? Your aim is to become a tyrant in the land, for you care not to be of those who set things right."
28:20 And then and there a man came running from the other side of the city, and said, "O Moses! Behold, the chiefs are considering your case with a view to killing you. You better leave immediately. Verily, I am of those who wish you well."
28:21 So he escaped from there, fearful, vigilant. He said, "My Lord! Save me from the oppressive people."
28:22 As he turned his face towards Midyan, he said to himself, "It may well be that my Lord will guide me onto the right road."
28:23 Now when he arrived at the wells of Midyan, he found a crowd of people watering their herds and flocks. And he found two women who were keeping away their flocks. He asked, "What is the matter with you?" They said, "We cannot water our flocks until the shepherds take back their flocks. And our father is a very old man."
28:24 So he watered their flocks for them; then he turned back to the shade (of the tree he had been relaxing under). And he said, "My Lord! I am in dire need of any good that You bestow upon me and any opportunity that You provide me for doing good."
28:25 Shortly afterwards, one of the two maidens came to him walking shyly, and said, "Behold, my father invites you, so that he might duly reward you for having watered our flocks for us." As soon as Moses came unto him and told him the story, he said, "Have no fear! You are now safe from those oppressive folk."
28:26 Said one of the two maidens, "O My father! Hire him! For, the best one you can hire is the competent, the trustworthy."
28:27 He (the father) said, "Behold, I am willing to let you marry one of these two daughters of mine on the understanding that you will remain eight pilgrimages (years) in my service. Then if you make it ten, it will be a grace from you. I do not want to impose any hardship on you. God Willing, you will find me righteous in all my dealings."
28:28 He (Moses) said, "Be that the agreement between me and you. Whichever of the two terms I fulfill, there will be no injustice to me. And Allah be Witness to all that we say." (Moses married Shoaib's daughter Zipporah and in time they had two sons).
28:29 And when Moses had fulfilled his term, and was traveling with his family, he saw a fire on the slope of Mount Toor of Sinai. He said to his family, "Stay here. Behold, I have seen a fire. I hope to bring you some information from there, or a burning torch, that you may warm yourselves."
28:30 But when he came close to it, he was called from the right side of the valley in the blessed field, from the tree, "O Moses! Behold! I, verily I am Allah, the Lord of the Worlds." (27:7-8).
28:31 (God said), "Rehearse your supporting power of Truth." Moses felt as if the mission assigned to him was like holding a huge dragon, and he retreated hesitating. (See (27:10) 'kannaha jann' -'as if it was a dragon, applies to the living Truth as well as to the great mission). We said, "O Moses! Draw near (to conviction), and fear not - for, behold, you are secure from harm." (7:107-108), (20:17-24), (26:32-33), (27:10-12).
28:32 "The Guidance enshrined in your heart will shine unblemished when you present it with confidence. And guard your heart against all fear. Then these two shall be your evidences from your Lord to Pharaoh and his chiefs, (the Divine Truth and your confident presentation). Verily, they are people drifting away from Moral Values."
28:33 Moses said, "My Lord! I killed a man among them and I am afraid they will kill me.
28:34 And my brother Aaron - he is far better in speech than I am. Send him, therefore, as a helper, so that he might more eloquently bear witness to my speaking the truth. I am afraid that they will accuse me of lying."
28:35 God said, "We shall strengthen your abilities with your brother, and We will give both of you power that they will not be able to touch you. By Our Commands! You shall triumph, - you two as well as those who follow you."
28:36 But as soon as Moses came to them with Our clear Messages, they said, "This is a mysteriously fabricated lie. We have never heard such sermon from our ancestors." [Note: They did not say, "We never saw a magic like this", they said, "We never heard such sermon."]
28:37 And Moses replied, "My Lord is best Aware as to who comes with Guidance from Him, and to whom the future belongs. Verily, the oppressors do not attain a happy state of mind."
28:38 Pharaoh said, "O Chiefs! I did not know that you could have any god other than myself. Well, then, O Haman! Kindle me a fire for baking bricks and then build me a lofty tower so that I may have a look at the god of Moses - although, behold, I deem that he is of the liars." [(40:30). Some historical records propose that the Pyramids of Egypt began to be built under that Royal decree. And (38:12) in the Qur'an alludes to that possibility.]
28:39 Thus Pharaoh and his forces continued to behave with unjust pride in the land - just as they thought that they would never have to appear before Us.
28:40 And so We seized him and his armies, and threw them into the sea. And behold, what happened to those oppressors in the end.
28:41 And We made them leaders, a pattern, of those who take people to the Fire, and no help shall they find on the Resurrection Day.
28:42 In this world We did cause a rejection to follow them, and they shall be among the despised ones on the Day of Resurrection.
28:43 And, indeed, We had given the Scripture to Moses, after We had annihilated several earlier communities, - to give Insight to people, and Guidance and Mercy, that they take heed.
28:44 And (O Prophet) you were not present on the Western slope (of Mount Sinai) when We expounded the Commandments to Moses, nor were you among those who witnessed his times.
28:45 Nay, but between them and you We brought forth many generations, and long was their life-span. And neither did you dwell among the people of Midyan, conveying to them Our Messages. Nay, but We have been sending Messengers.
28:46 And neither were you present on the slope of Mount Sinai when We called Moses. But you are sent as an act of your Lord's Grace, to warn people to whom no Warner has come before you, so that they may reflect. ((32:3), (36:6). Prophet Ishmael, the ancestor of Arabs, cannot be considered a Prophet to them since Children of Ishmael multiplied and inhabited Arabia as the Arab community long after his death. See (2:125) and introduction to Surah 11 Hud).
28:47 Otherwise, if disaster struck them as a result of their own actions, they might say, "Our Lord! Why did You not send a Messenger to us, that we might have followed Your Revelations and been of the believers?"
28:48 And yet, now that the Truth has come to them from Us, they say, "Why is he not given the like of what Moses was given?" (The supernatural miracles they had heard about). But, did not the generations before this Revelation reject the Truth of what Moses was given? They used to say, "Two examples of delusion, supporting each other (Moses and Aaron)! And they went ahead, "Behold, we refuse to accept either of the two (brothers)."
28:49 Say, "Produce then, a Book from Allah that would offer better Guidance than either of these two (the Torah and the Qur'an) - and I shall follow it! Do it if you are men of truth." [The Gospel is not mentioned here since, according to Jesus, he only came to fulfill the Law. Another point worth mentioning is that the Qur'an embraces all of the Truth that was given in the Torah].
28:50 And since they cannot respond to this challenge of yours, know that they are only following their desires. And who could be more astray than he who follows his own desire, devoid of Guidance from Allah? For, Allah does not intervene to guide people who displace Reason with desire.
28:51 Now, indeed, We have caused this Word to reach mankind step by step, so that they might take it to their heart. ('Wassalna' embraces 'step by step').
28:52 As for those whom We have given the Scripture before (and who understand that this Qur'an is a Divine Revelation like the ones before it) come to believe in this one as well.
28:53 And whenever it is conveyed to them, they say, "We believe in it, for it is the Truth from our Lord. Indeed, even before it we have been of those who submit (to a Supreme Authority)."
28:54 These will receive a twofold reward because they persevere, counter harsh behavior in a kind manner and distribute Our provision of guidance and sustenance among others. (13:22).
28:55 (Additionally) whenever they hear vain talk of ridicule, they withdraw from it decently and say, "To us our deeds and to you yours; Peace be upon you, we do not seek to join the ignorant. (25:72).
28:56 Verily, you cannot guide aright everyone you love, but it is Allah Who guides him who wishes to be guided. And He is best Aware of those who will be rightly guided. (2:272), (4:88), (10:99-100).
28:57 They (the Quraish) say, "If we were to follow the Guidance to which you invite us, we would be torn away from our land." Why - Have We not established for them a Secure Sanctuary, to which are brought all kinds of produce, a provision from Our Presence? But most of them do not make use of what they know.
28:58 And how many a town We annihilated, which exulted in their life of ease and plenty! Such that most of their dwelling places have remain deserted after them. For it is indeed We alone Who shall remain when all else have passed away!
28:59 Yet, your Lord never destroyed townships unless He sent a Messenger in their midst (the big city) who conveyed Our Commands to them. And never did We destroy the townships unless the people thereof violated human rights.
28:60 And whatever you have been given is a comfort and decor for the life of the world. And that which Allah has is better and more lasting. Will you not, then, use sense?
28:61 Is, then, he to whom We have given a goodly promise which he shall see fulfilled comparable to the one whom We have given the good things of this life, but who on the Resurrection Day, is to be among those brought up for punishment? (24:55).
28:62 On the Day He will call unto them, and will ask, "Where, now, are My 'partners' that you imagined?"
28:63 Those against whom the charge will be proved, will say, "Our Lord! These are the ones we misled. We misled them only because we were astray ourselves. We now disown them before you. It was not us they worshiped."
28:64 And it will be said, "Call upon all your 'partners'" - but the 'partners' will not answer them. Whereupon they will see the suffering - Ah, if they had allowed themselves to be guided!
28:65 And on the Day when He will call them and say, "What answer did you give to the Messengers?"
28:66 On that Day all arguments (they used to contrive) will be dimmed for them, nor will they ask one another.
28:67 But anyone who (in this life) repents and truly believes and helps others may well find himself among the successful.
28:68 Your Lord does create and choose according to His Laws. No choice do they have (against the Divine Laws). Glorified is Allah and High above all that they associate with Him. (In the ongoing Evolution in the Universe, species and nations advance according to the Law of Natural Selection).
28:69 And your Lord knows what their hearts conceal and what they reveal. (He is fully Aware of the subtle and manifest processes towards the fulfillment of His Plan).
28:70 For He is Allah, other than Whom there is no god. Unto Him is due all Praise, at the first and at the last. For Him is the Command, and to Him you shall be brought back.
28:71 Say, "Will you consider this: If Allah were to make the Night last over you till the Resurrection Day, what god is there other than Allah, who can give you light? Will you not, then, listen to the Truth?"
28:72 Say, "Will you consider this: If Allah were to make the Day last over you till the Resurrection Day, what god is there other than Allah, who can give you a Night in which you can rest? Will you not, then, see the Truth?"
28:73 For it is out of His Grace that He has made for you Night and Day - that you might rest therein, and that you may seek of His bounty - and so that you may be grateful.
28:74 And (think again) the Day He will call them, He will ask, "Where are My 'partners' whom you imagined?" (28:62).
28:75 And from every community We shall draw a witness (their Prophet) and We shall say to the rejecters, "Bring your proof for what you used to claim." Then shall they know that the Truth is indeed with Allah, and all they used to fabricate will forsake them.
28:76 Now, behold, Qaroon (Korah) was one of the people of Moses but he exalted himself and oppressed them (his own Hebrews). We had granted him such riches that his treasure-chests alone would have been a burden for a body of strong men ('miftah = key. 'maftah = chest under lock and key). Behold, his people said to him, "Exult not, for Allah does not love those who exult (in riches)." (Korah, a cousin of Moses, was the chief slave driver for Pharaoh, and for his wealth and advisory position he was next in power only to Pharaoh, and equal to Haman. Historically, this legendary "Trio" of despotism + priesthood + capitalism, has always joined hands in the exploitation of the masses).
28:77 "But seek with the wealth Allah has bestowed upon you, the Home of the Hereafter. And do not forget your portion in this world. Be kind to people, as Allah has been kind to you. Do not create corruption and disorder in the land (such that the poor becomes poorer). Allah does not love the corrupters."
28:78 He replied, "This wealth has been given to me because of the knowledge that is in me." Did he not know that Allah's Law of Requital had annihilated, before him, whole generations which were superior to him in strength and richer in what they had amassed? But such guilty need no questioning since their guilt is obvious and yet, they are not exempt from the Law of Respite.
28:79 And so once he came out to his people in all his pomp. And those who cared only for the life of this world said, "Ah, we wish we had the like of what Qaroon has been given. Indeed, he is extremely fortunate."
28:80 But those who knew better said, "Woe unto you! Merit in the Sight of Allah is far better for anyone who believes and works for equity among people. (The real wealthy is one who believes in Divine Laws, helps the needy, and creates balance in the society). This reward is reserved for those who do not fall for instant gains, and work hard steadfastly."
28:81 And thereupon We caused the earth to swallow him and his dwelling. And he had none and nothing to help him against Allah's Laws, nor could he help himself.
28:82 And those who had envied his position only the day before were saying the next morning, "Ah, it is indeed Allah Who makes the provision plenty or scarce for His servants according to His Laws. Had Allah not been kind to us, He could have caused the earth to swallow us! Ah! The rejecters of the Truth can never attain lasting contentment."
28:83 That Home of the Hereafter We shall give to those who do not seek to exalt themselves in the earth, nor do they seek corruption and disorder. And the Future belongs to those who walk aright.
28:84 Anyone who brings actions that benefited others, the reward to him is better than what he has done. And anyone who is unfair in his dealings with others, such will be punished, but not more than the like of what they have done.
28:85 Verily, He Who has made this Qur'an a binding duty upon you (O Believers), will assuredly direct you to the Destination of Bliss. Say, "My Lord is best Aware as to who is rightly guided and who is obviously lost in error." (The Path to the Destination of Bliss has been well expounded in this Book).
28:86 (O Prophet) you never expected that this Book will be bestowed upon you. But it is a Mercy from your Lord (to all humanity). Hence, never uphold those who deny the Truth.
28:87 And let them not divert you from Allah's Revelations after they have been sent down unto you. But, invite people to your Lord and be not of the company of those who uphold systems other than the Divinely ordained System of Life.
28:88 (Keeping pristine the Divinely ordained System of Life) call not upon human 'authorities' and man-made systems as gods side by side with Allah. There is no god but He. Everything is mortal except His Eternal Self. To Him belong all Governance and all Judgment, and unto Him you shall be returned.
[Author's note] This is the 28th Surah of the Qur'an. It has 88 verses. This Surah touches upon history with its lessons as well as other precious guidance for everyday life. Denounce not the life of this world for the Hereafter or vice versa. With the Glorious Name of Allah, the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness.
28:1 T.S.M. Toor-e-Sina, Moses. Commandments were given to Moses at Mount Sinai.
28:2 Now these are Messages of the Book clear in itself and it makes things clear.
28:3 We narrate to you some history of Moses and Pharaoh, setting forth the Truth for the benefit of those who will believe.
28:4 Behold, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and divided its people into castes. A tribe among them (the Israelites) he oppressed, killing their sons and sparing their women. Verily, he was of the corrupters. (2:49), (7:141), (40:25). [Prophet Joseph son of Prophet Israel Jacob had died around 1600 B.C. His successors gradually lost control of the government and the native Egyptians started up a slow but steady rebellion against the Israelites. About a century later around 1500 B.C. the Egyptians wrested control of the government and established a Kingdom. The Egyptian Kings from then on assumed the title 'Pharaoh'. They began persecuting the Israelites about 1400 B.C. and this persecution reached its zenith in the times of Prophet Moses, under the rule of Pharaoh Ramses II (King from 1290 to 1224 B.C.)]
28:5 But it was Our Will to bestow favor unto those who were oppressed in the land, and to make them leaders, and to make them inheritors.
28:6 And to establish them in the earth, and to show Pharaoh (the King) and Haman (the Chief Adviser and High Priest) and their troops what they feared from the Israelites (rebellion). [This Haman is quite different from the Persian Haman of the Old Testament who was an adviser to the Persian King Xerxes (who ruled eight hundred years later, from 486 to 465 B.C.). Whereas the 'Haman' of Pharaoh derives his name from the title borne by every successive High Priest of the Egyptian Kingdom. 'Ha-Amen' = High Priest of the Egyptian god Amon. So the Haman mentioned in the Qur'an refers to the High Priest during the reign of Ramses II. This information is important to bear in mind in order to avoid confusion.]
28:7 We inspired the mother of Moses, "Nourish him and when you worry for his life, then (place him in a box and) cast him into the river, and have no fear nor grieve. We shall bring him back to you and make him one of Our Messengers." [The mother of Moses was the wife of Amram (Imran). They had three children: Miriam, Aaron and Moses in that order. Mary, mother of Jesus had descended from Amram probably through Aaron, and that is how the Qur'an refers to her as Mariam daughter of Imran. The Royal decree of Pharaoh applied to the new born boys when Aaron was already a few years old].
28:8 And the family of Pharaoh picked him up, not knowing that he would become an enemy unto them and a source of grief. That is because Pharaoh, Haman and their troops were a folk bent on committing fault upon fault.
28:9 Now the wife of Pharaoh said, "A joy to the eye for me and you! Slay him not. He may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son." And they perceived not (the future).
28:10 And the heart of the mother of Moses became void. She almost gave away his identity had We not strengthened her heart, so that she might remain a firm believer.
28:11 And so she said to his sister, "Follow him -and the girl (the 12 year old Miriam) watched him from afar, while they were not aware.
28:12 Now from the very beginning We caused him to refuse suckling from foster mothers. She (Miriam, the sister of baby Moses) said, "Shall I tell you of a family that can raise him for you and take good care of him?"
28:13 And thus We restored him to his mother so that her eye might be gladdened and that she might grieve no longer, and that she might know that Allah's Promise always comes true. But most of them know not.
28:14 Now when Moses reached full strength and maturity, We blessed him with wisdom and knowledge. This is how We reward those who live a balanced, virtuous life.
28:15 And one day the young Moses entered the city at a time when most of its people were resting unaware of what was going on in the streets. And there he encountered two men fighting with each other. One was of his people (a Hebrew) and the other of his (Egyptian) adversaries. His tribesman cried out to him for help against the one who was of the enemies - Whereupon Moses struck him with his fist and thus, (accidentally) brought about his end. But then he said to himself, "This is of Satan's doing! Verily, he is an open enemy, a misleader." (Moses, not yet commissioned to Prophethood, was denouncing his emotions).
28:16 And he prayed, "My Lord! Verily, I have hurt my 'Self'. Forgive me then." And He forgave him - for, indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. (Moses had intended only to help the weak and not to kill the other man).
28:17 He said, "My Lord! For You have bestowed Your Grace on me, nevermore shall I be a supporter of the guilty."
28:18 And next morning he was in the city, fearful and vigilant when, behold! The man who had asked him the day before cried out to him for help. Moses said to him, "You are indeed one erring manifestly."
28:19 But then, as soon as he was about to lay his hands on their enemy the man said, "O Moses! Would you kill me as you killed a person yesterday? Your aim is to become a tyrant in the land, for you care not to be of those who set things right."
28:20 And then and there a man came running from the other side of the city, and said, "O Moses! Behold, the chiefs are considering your case with a view to killing you. You better leave immediately. Verily, I am of those who wish you well."
28:21 So he escaped from there, fearful, vigilant. He said, "My Lord! Save me from the oppressive people."
28:22 As he turned his face towards Midyan, he said to himself, "It may well be that my Lord will guide me onto the right road."
28:23 Now when he arrived at the wells of Midyan, he found a crowd of people watering their herds and flocks. And he found two women who were keeping away their flocks. He asked, "What is the matter with you?" They said, "We cannot water our flocks until the shepherds take back their flocks. And our father is a very old man."
28:24 So he watered their flocks for them; then he turned back to the shade (of the tree he had been relaxing under). And he said, "My Lord! I am in dire need of any good that You bestow upon me and any opportunity that You provide me for doing good."
28:25 Shortly afterwards, one of the two maidens came to him walking shyly, and said, "Behold, my father invites you, so that he might duly reward you for having watered our flocks for us." As soon as Moses came unto him and told him the story, he said, "Have no fear! You are now safe from those oppressive folk."
28:26 Said one of the two maidens, "O My father! Hire him! For, the best one you can hire is the competent, the trustworthy."
28:27 He (the father) said, "Behold, I am willing to let you marry one of these two daughters of mine on the understanding that you will remain eight pilgrimages (years) in my service. Then if you make it ten, it will be a grace from you. I do not want to impose any hardship on you. God Willing, you will find me righteous in all my dealings."
28:28 He (Moses) said, "Be that the agreement between me and you. Whichever of the two terms I fulfill, there will be no injustice to me. And Allah be Witness to all that we say." (Moses married Shoaib's daughter Zipporah and in time they had two sons).
28:29 And when Moses had fulfilled his term, and was traveling with his family, he saw a fire on the slope of Mount Toor of Sinai. He said to his family, "Stay here. Behold, I have seen a fire. I hope to bring you some information from there, or a burning torch, that you may warm yourselves."
28:30 But when he came close to it, he was called from the right side of the valley in the blessed field, from the tree, "O Moses! Behold! I, verily I am Allah, the Lord of the Worlds." (27:7-8).
28:31 (God said), "Rehearse your supporting power of Truth." Moses felt as if the mission assigned to him was like holding a huge dragon, and he retreated hesitating. (See (27:10) 'kannaha jann' -'as if it was a dragon, applies to the living Truth as well as to the great mission). We said, "O Moses! Draw near (to conviction), and fear not - for, behold, you are secure from harm." (7:107-108), (20:17-24), (26:32-33), (27:10-12).
28:32 "The Guidance enshrined in your heart will shine unblemished when you present it with confidence. And guard your heart against all fear. Then these two shall be your evidences from your Lord to Pharaoh and his chiefs, (the Divine Truth and your confident presentation). Verily, they are people drifting away from Moral Values."
28:33 Moses said, "My Lord! I killed a man among them and I am afraid they will kill me.
28:34 And my brother Aaron - he is far better in speech than I am. Send him, therefore, as a helper, so that he might more eloquently bear witness to my speaking the truth. I am afraid that they will accuse me of lying."
28:35 God said, "We shall strengthen your abilities with your brother, and We will give both of you power that they will not be able to touch you. By Our Commands! You shall triumph, - you two as well as those who follow you."
28:36 But as soon as Moses came to them with Our clear Messages, they said, "This is a mysteriously fabricated lie. We have never heard such sermon from our ancestors." [Note: They did not say, "We never saw a magic like this", they said, "We never heard such sermon."]
28:37 And Moses replied, "My Lord is best Aware as to who comes with Guidance from Him, and to whom the future belongs. Verily, the oppressors do not attain a happy state of mind."
28:38 Pharaoh said, "O Chiefs! I did not know that you could have any god other than myself. Well, then, O Haman! Kindle me a fire for baking bricks and then build me a lofty tower so that I may have a look at the god of Moses - although, behold, I deem that he is of the liars." [(40:30). Some historical records propose that the Pyramids of Egypt began to be built under that Royal decree. And (38:12) in the Qur'an alludes to that possibility.]
28:39 Thus Pharaoh and his forces continued to behave with unjust pride in the land - just as they thought that they would never have to appear before Us.
28:40 And so We seized him and his armies, and threw them into the sea. And behold, what happened to those oppressors in the end.
28:41 And We made them leaders, a pattern, of those who take people to the Fire, and no help shall they find on the Resurrection Day.
28:42 In this world We did cause a rejection to follow them, and they shall be among the despised ones on the Day of Resurrection.
28:43 And, indeed, We had given the Scripture to Moses, after We had annihilated several earlier communities, - to give Insight to people, and Guidance and Mercy, that they take heed.
28:44 And (O Prophet) you were not present on the Western slope (of Mount Sinai) when We expounded the Commandments to Moses, nor were you among those who witnessed his times.
28:45 Nay, but between them and you We brought forth many generations, and long was their life-span. And neither did you dwell among the people of Midyan, conveying to them Our Messages. Nay, but We have been sending Messengers.
28:46 And neither were you present on the slope of Mount Sinai when We called Moses. But you are sent as an act of your Lord's Grace, to warn people to whom no Warner has come before you, so that they may reflect. ((32:3), (36:6). Prophet Ishmael, the ancestor of Arabs, cannot be considered a Prophet to them since Children of Ishmael multiplied and inhabited Arabia as the Arab community long after his death. See (2:125) and introduction to Surah 11 Hud).
28:47 Otherwise, if disaster struck them as a result of their own actions, they might say, "Our Lord! Why did You not send a Messenger to us, that we might have followed Your Revelations and been of the believers?"
28:48 And yet, now that the Truth has come to them from Us, they say, "Why is he not given the like of what Moses was given?" (The supernatural miracles they had heard about). But, did not the generations before this Revelation reject the Truth of what Moses was given? They used to say, "Two examples of delusion, supporting each other (Moses and Aaron)! And they went ahead, "Behold, we refuse to accept either of the two (brothers)."
28:49 Say, "Produce then, a Book from Allah that would offer better Guidance than either of these two (the Torah and the Qur'an) - and I shall follow it! Do it if you are men of truth." [The Gospel is not mentioned here since, according to Jesus, he only came to fulfill the Law. Another point worth mentioning is that the Qur'an embraces all of the Truth that was given in the Torah].
28:50 And since they cannot respond to this challenge of yours, know that they are only following their desires. And who could be more astray than he who follows his own desire, devoid of Guidance from Allah? For, Allah does not intervene to guide people who displace Reason with desire.
28:51 Now, indeed, We have caused this Word to reach mankind step by step, so that they might take it to their heart. ('Wassalna' embraces 'step by step').
28:52 As for those whom We have given the Scripture before (and who understand that this Qur'an is a Divine Revelation like the ones before it) come to believe in this one as well.
28:53 And whenever it is conveyed to them, they say, "We believe in it, for it is the Truth from our Lord. Indeed, even before it we have been of those who submit (to a Supreme Authority)."
28:54 These will receive a twofold reward because they persevere, counter harsh behavior in a kind manner and distribute Our provision of guidance and sustenance among others. (13:22).
28:55 (Additionally) whenever they hear vain talk of ridicule, they withdraw from it decently and say, "To us our deeds and to you yours; Peace be upon you, we do not seek to join the ignorant. (25:72).
28:56 Verily, you cannot guide aright everyone you love, but it is Allah Who guides him who wishes to be guided. And He is best Aware of those who will be rightly guided. (2:272), (4:88), (10:99-100).
28:57 They (the Quraish) say, "If we were to follow the Guidance to which you invite us, we would be torn away from our land." Why - Have We not established for them a Secure Sanctuary, to which are brought all kinds of produce, a provision from Our Presence? But most of them do not make use of what they know.
28:58 And how many a town We annihilated, which exulted in their life of ease and plenty! Such that most of their dwelling places have remain deserted after them. For it is indeed We alone Who shall remain when all else have passed away!
28:59 Yet, your Lord never destroyed townships unless He sent a Messenger in their midst (the big city) who conveyed Our Commands to them. And never did We destroy the townships unless the people thereof violated human rights.
28:60 And whatever you have been given is a comfort and decor for the life of the world. And that which Allah has is better and more lasting. Will you not, then, use sense?
28:61 Is, then, he to whom We have given a goodly promise which he shall see fulfilled comparable to the one whom We have given the good things of this life, but who on the Resurrection Day, is to be among those brought up for punishment? (24:55).
28:62 On the Day He will call unto them, and will ask, "Where, now, are My 'partners' that you imagined?"
28:63 Those against whom the charge will be proved, will say, "Our Lord! These are the ones we misled. We misled them only because we were astray ourselves. We now disown them before you. It was not us they worshiped."
28:64 And it will be said, "Call upon all your 'partners'" - but the 'partners' will not answer them. Whereupon they will see the suffering - Ah, if they had allowed themselves to be guided!
28:65 And on the Day when He will call them and say, "What answer did you give to the Messengers?"
28:66 On that Day all arguments (they used to contrive) will be dimmed for them, nor will they ask one another.
28:67 But anyone who (in this life) repents and truly believes and helps others may well find himself among the successful.
28:68 Your Lord does create and choose according to His Laws. No choice do they have (against the Divine Laws). Glorified is Allah and High above all that they associate with Him. (In the ongoing Evolution in the Universe, species and nations advance according to the Law of Natural Selection).
28:69 And your Lord knows what their hearts conceal and what they reveal. (He is fully Aware of the subtle and manifest processes towards the fulfillment of His Plan).
28:70 For He is Allah, other than Whom there is no god. Unto Him is due all Praise, at the first and at the last. For Him is the Command, and to Him you shall be brought back.
28:71 Say, "Will you consider this: If Allah were to make the Night last over you till the Resurrection Day, what god is there other than Allah, who can give you light? Will you not, then, listen to the Truth?"
28:72 Say, "Will you consider this: If Allah were to make the Day last over you till the Resurrection Day, what god is there other than Allah, who can give you a Night in which you can rest? Will you not, then, see the Truth?"
28:73 For it is out of His Grace that He has made for you Night and Day - that you might rest therein, and that you may seek of His bounty - and so that you may be grateful.
28:74 And (think again) the Day He will call them, He will ask, "Where are My 'partners' whom you imagined?" (28:62).
28:75 And from every community We shall draw a witness (their Prophet) and We shall say to the rejecters, "Bring your proof for what you used to claim." Then shall they know that the Truth is indeed with Allah, and all they used to fabricate will forsake them.
28:76 Now, behold, Qaroon (Korah) was one of the people of Moses but he exalted himself and oppressed them (his own Hebrews). We had granted him such riches that his treasure-chests alone would have been a burden for a body of strong men ('miftah = key. 'maftah = chest under lock and key). Behold, his people said to him, "Exult not, for Allah does not love those who exult (in riches)." (Korah, a cousin of Moses, was the chief slave driver for Pharaoh, and for his wealth and advisory position he was next in power only to Pharaoh, and equal to Haman. Historically, this legendary "Trio" of despotism + priesthood + capitalism, has always joined hands in the exploitation of the masses).
28:77 "But seek with the wealth Allah has bestowed upon you, the Home of the Hereafter. And do not forget your portion in this world. Be kind to people, as Allah has been kind to you. Do not create corruption and disorder in the land (such that the poor becomes poorer). Allah does not love the corrupters."
28:78 He replied, "This wealth has been given to me because of the knowledge that is in me." Did he not know that Allah's Law of Requital had annihilated, before him, whole generations which were superior to him in strength and richer in what they had amassed? But such guilty need no questioning since their guilt is obvious and yet, they are not exempt from the Law of Respite.
28:79 And so once he came out to his people in all his pomp. And those who cared only for the life of this world said, "Ah, we wish we had the like of what Qaroon has been given. Indeed, he is extremely fortunate."
28:80 But those who knew better said, "Woe unto you! Merit in the Sight of Allah is far better for anyone who believes and works for equity among people. (The real wealthy is one who believes in Divine Laws, helps the needy, and creates balance in the society). This reward is reserved for those who do not fall for instant gains, and work hard steadfastly."
28:81 And thereupon We caused the earth to swallow him and his dwelling. And he had none and nothing to help him against Allah's Laws, nor could he help himself.
28:82 And those who had envied his position only the day before were saying the next morning, "Ah, it is indeed Allah Who makes the provision plenty or scarce for His servants according to His Laws. Had Allah not been kind to us, He could have caused the earth to swallow us! Ah! The rejecters of the Truth can never attain lasting contentment."
28:83 That Home of the Hereafter We shall give to those who do not seek to exalt themselves in the earth, nor do they seek corruption and disorder. And the Future belongs to those who walk aright.
28:84 Anyone who brings actions that benefited others, the reward to him is better than what he has done. And anyone who is unfair in his dealings with others, such will be punished, but not more than the like of what they have done.
28:85 Verily, He Who has made this Qur'an a binding duty upon you (O Believers), will assuredly direct you to the Destination of Bliss. Say, "My Lord is best Aware as to who is rightly guided and who is obviously lost in error." (The Path to the Destination of Bliss has been well expounded in this Book).
28:86 (O Prophet) you never expected that this Book will be bestowed upon you. But it is a Mercy from your Lord (to all humanity). Hence, never uphold those who deny the Truth.
28:87 And let them not divert you from Allah's Revelations after they have been sent down unto you. But, invite people to your Lord and be not of the company of those who uphold systems other than the Divinely ordained System of Life.
28:88 (Keeping pristine the Divinely ordained System of Life) call not upon human 'authorities' and man-made systems as gods side by side with Allah. There is no god but He. Everything is mortal except His Eternal Self. To Him belong all Governance and all Judgment, and unto Him you shall be returned.
The student of the Qur'an
From: http://www.quran.net/
The student of the Qur'an should grasp, from the outset, the fundamental claims that the Qur'an makes for itself. Whether one ultimately decides to believe in the Qur'an or not, one must recognise the fundamental statements made by the Qur'an and by the man to whom it was revealed, the Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him) to be the starting point of one's study. These claims are:
The Lord of creation, the Creator and Sovereign of the entire universe, created man on earth (which is merely a part of His boundless realm). He also endowed man with understanding, with the ability to distinguish between the good and evil, with the freedom of choice and volition, and with the power to exercise his latent potentialities. In short, Allah bestowed upon man a kind of autonomy and appointed him His vicegerent on earth.
Although man enjoys this status, Allah made it abundantly plain to him that He alone is man's Lord and Sovereign, even as He is the Lord and Sovereign of the whole universe. Man was told that he was not entitled to consider himself independent and that only Allah entitled to claim absolute obedience, service and worship. It was also made clear to man that life in this world, for which he has been placed and invested with a certain honour and authority, was in fact a temporary term, and was meant to test him; that after the end of this earthly life man must return to Allah, Who will judge him on the basis of his performance, declaring who has succeeded and who has failed.
The right way for man is to regard Allah as his only Sovereign and the only object of his worship and adoration, to follow the guidance revealed by Allah, to act in this world in the consciousness that earthly life is merely a period of trial, and to keep his eyes fixed on the ultimate objective - success in Allah's final judgement. Every other way is wrong.
It was also explained to man that if he choose to adopt the right way of life - and in this choice he was free - he would enjoy peace and contentment in this world and be assigned, on his return to Allah, the Abode of eternal bliss and happiness known as Paradise. Should man follow any other way - although he was free to do so - he would experience the evil effects of corruption and disorder in the life of this world and be consigned to external grief and torment when he crossed the borders of the present world and arrived in Hereafter.
Having explained all this, the Lord of the Universe placed man on earth and communicated to Adam and Eve, the first human beings to live on earth, the guidance which they and their offspring were required to follow. These first human beings were not born in a state of ignorance and darkness. On the contrary, they began their life in the broad daylight of divine Guidance. They had intimate knowledge of reality and the Law which they were to follow was communicated to them. Their way of life consisted of obedience to Allah(i.e. Islam) and they taught their children to live in obedience to Him (i.e. to live as Muslims).
In the course of time, however, men gradually deviated from this true way of life and began to follow various erroneous ways. They allowed true guidance to be lost through heedlessness and negligence and sometimes, even deliberately, distorted it out of evil perversity. They associated Allah with a number of beings, human and non-human, real as well as imaginary, and adored them as deities. They adulterer the Allah-given knowledge of reality (al-'ilm in the Qur'anic terminology) with all kinds of fanciful ideas, superstitions and philosophical concepts, thereby giving birth to innumerable religions. They disregarded or distorted the sound and equitable principles of individual morality and of collective conduct (Shari'ah in Qur'anic terminology) and made their own laws in accordance with their base desires and prejudices. As a result, the world became filled with wrong and injustice.
It was inconsistent with the limited autonomy conferred upon man by Allah that he should exercise His overwhelming power and compel man to righteousness. It was also inconsistent with the fact that Allah had granted a term to the human species in which to show their worth that He should afflict men with catastrophic destruction as soon as they showed signs of rebellion. Moreover, Allah had undertaken from the beginning of creation that true guidance would be made available to man throughout the term granted to him and that this guidance would be available in a manner consist ant with man's autonomy. To fulfil this self assumed responsibility Allah chose to appoint those human beings whose faith in Him was outstanding and who followed the way pleasing to Him. Allah chose these people to be His envoys. He had His messages communicated to them, honoured them with an intimate knowledge of reality, provided them with the true laws of life and entrusted them with the task of recalling man to the original path from which he had strayed ( These men were the Prophets and Messengers of Allah - Ed).
These Prophets were sent to different people in different lands and over a period of time covering thousands and thousands of years. They all had the same religion; the one originally revealed to man as the right way for him. All of them followed the same guidance; those principles of morality and collective life prescribed for man at the very outset of his existence. All these Prophets had the same mission - to call man to his true religion and subsequently to organise all those who accepted this message into a community (ummah) which would be bound by the Law Of Allah., which would strive to establish its observance and would seek to prevent its violation. All the Prophets discharged their mission creditably in their own time.
However, there were always many who refused to accept their guidance and consequently those who did accept it and became a 'Muslim community' (That is, a group of people committed to the true guidance of Allah as revealed to His Prophets. Here the word Muslim is not used in the sense of the followers of the last Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him), but in the wider sense, meaning all those who, at various periods, both before and after the advent of the Last Prophet, committed themselves to live in submission to Allah -Ed) gradually degenerated, causing the Divine Guidance to be lost, distorted or adulterated.
At last the Lord of the Universe sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) to Arabia and entrusted him with the same mission that He had entrusted to the earlier Prophets. This Last Messenger of Allah addressed the followers of the earlier Prophets (who had by this time deviated from their original teachings) as well as the rest of humanity. The mission of each Prophet was to call men to the right way of life, to communicate Allah's true guidance afresh and to organise into one community all who responded to his mission and accepted the guidance vouchsafed to him. Such a community was to be dedicated to the two-fold task of moulding its own life in accordance with the Allah's guidance and striving for the reform of the world. The Qur'an is the Book which embodies this mission and guidance, as revealed by Allah to Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The student of the Qur'an should grasp, from the outset, the fundamental claims that the Qur'an makes for itself. Whether one ultimately decides to believe in the Qur'an or not, one must recognise the fundamental statements made by the Qur'an and by the man to whom it was revealed, the Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him) to be the starting point of one's study. These claims are:
The Lord of creation, the Creator and Sovereign of the entire universe, created man on earth (which is merely a part of His boundless realm). He also endowed man with understanding, with the ability to distinguish between the good and evil, with the freedom of choice and volition, and with the power to exercise his latent potentialities. In short, Allah bestowed upon man a kind of autonomy and appointed him His vicegerent on earth.
Although man enjoys this status, Allah made it abundantly plain to him that He alone is man's Lord and Sovereign, even as He is the Lord and Sovereign of the whole universe. Man was told that he was not entitled to consider himself independent and that only Allah entitled to claim absolute obedience, service and worship. It was also made clear to man that life in this world, for which he has been placed and invested with a certain honour and authority, was in fact a temporary term, and was meant to test him; that after the end of this earthly life man must return to Allah, Who will judge him on the basis of his performance, declaring who has succeeded and who has failed.
The right way for man is to regard Allah as his only Sovereign and the only object of his worship and adoration, to follow the guidance revealed by Allah, to act in this world in the consciousness that earthly life is merely a period of trial, and to keep his eyes fixed on the ultimate objective - success in Allah's final judgement. Every other way is wrong.
It was also explained to man that if he choose to adopt the right way of life - and in this choice he was free - he would enjoy peace and contentment in this world and be assigned, on his return to Allah, the Abode of eternal bliss and happiness known as Paradise. Should man follow any other way - although he was free to do so - he would experience the evil effects of corruption and disorder in the life of this world and be consigned to external grief and torment when he crossed the borders of the present world and arrived in Hereafter.
Having explained all this, the Lord of the Universe placed man on earth and communicated to Adam and Eve, the first human beings to live on earth, the guidance which they and their offspring were required to follow. These first human beings were not born in a state of ignorance and darkness. On the contrary, they began their life in the broad daylight of divine Guidance. They had intimate knowledge of reality and the Law which they were to follow was communicated to them. Their way of life consisted of obedience to Allah(i.e. Islam) and they taught their children to live in obedience to Him (i.e. to live as Muslims).
In the course of time, however, men gradually deviated from this true way of life and began to follow various erroneous ways. They allowed true guidance to be lost through heedlessness and negligence and sometimes, even deliberately, distorted it out of evil perversity. They associated Allah with a number of beings, human and non-human, real as well as imaginary, and adored them as deities. They adulterer the Allah-given knowledge of reality (al-'ilm in the Qur'anic terminology) with all kinds of fanciful ideas, superstitions and philosophical concepts, thereby giving birth to innumerable religions. They disregarded or distorted the sound and equitable principles of individual morality and of collective conduct (Shari'ah in Qur'anic terminology) and made their own laws in accordance with their base desires and prejudices. As a result, the world became filled with wrong and injustice.
It was inconsistent with the limited autonomy conferred upon man by Allah that he should exercise His overwhelming power and compel man to righteousness. It was also inconsistent with the fact that Allah had granted a term to the human species in which to show their worth that He should afflict men with catastrophic destruction as soon as they showed signs of rebellion. Moreover, Allah had undertaken from the beginning of creation that true guidance would be made available to man throughout the term granted to him and that this guidance would be available in a manner consist ant with man's autonomy. To fulfil this self assumed responsibility Allah chose to appoint those human beings whose faith in Him was outstanding and who followed the way pleasing to Him. Allah chose these people to be His envoys. He had His messages communicated to them, honoured them with an intimate knowledge of reality, provided them with the true laws of life and entrusted them with the task of recalling man to the original path from which he had strayed ( These men were the Prophets and Messengers of Allah - Ed).
These Prophets were sent to different people in different lands and over a period of time covering thousands and thousands of years. They all had the same religion; the one originally revealed to man as the right way for him. All of them followed the same guidance; those principles of morality and collective life prescribed for man at the very outset of his existence. All these Prophets had the same mission - to call man to his true religion and subsequently to organise all those who accepted this message into a community (ummah) which would be bound by the Law Of Allah., which would strive to establish its observance and would seek to prevent its violation. All the Prophets discharged their mission creditably in their own time.
However, there were always many who refused to accept their guidance and consequently those who did accept it and became a 'Muslim community' (That is, a group of people committed to the true guidance of Allah as revealed to His Prophets. Here the word Muslim is not used in the sense of the followers of the last Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him), but in the wider sense, meaning all those who, at various periods, both before and after the advent of the Last Prophet, committed themselves to live in submission to Allah -Ed) gradually degenerated, causing the Divine Guidance to be lost, distorted or adulterated.
At last the Lord of the Universe sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) to Arabia and entrusted him with the same mission that He had entrusted to the earlier Prophets. This Last Messenger of Allah addressed the followers of the earlier Prophets (who had by this time deviated from their original teachings) as well as the rest of humanity. The mission of each Prophet was to call men to the right way of life, to communicate Allah's true guidance afresh and to organise into one community all who responded to his mission and accepted the guidance vouchsafed to him. Such a community was to be dedicated to the two-fold task of moulding its own life in accordance with the Allah's guidance and striving for the reform of the world. The Qur'an is the Book which embodies this mission and guidance, as revealed by Allah to Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Pilgirm Wisdom
والحج هو عبادة من أجل العبادات وأفضلها عند رب العالمين وذلك لما رواه أبو هريرة- رضي الله عنه- أن رسول الله- صلي الله عليه وسلم- سئل' أي الأعمال أفضل ؟ قال: إيمان بالله ورسوله, قيل: ثم ماذا ؟ قال: ثم جهاد في سبيل الله, قيل: ثم ماذا ؟ قال: ثم حج مبرور'( والحج المبرور هو الذي لا يخالطه إثم)( البخاري ومسلم).وأصل العبادة الخضوع لأوامر الله- تعالي- بالطاعة, ومن هنا فإن العبادة لا تحتاج إلي تبرير, ولكن إذا عرفت الحكمة من وراء أداء العبادة فإن مؤديها يتمكن من إتقان أدائها بطريقة أفضل, ويسلك في أدائها سلوكا أنبل وأجمل, ويكون أجره علي أدائها أوفي وأكمل.الحكمة من تشريع فريضة الحج:(1) تعريض كل من حج البيت لكرامة أشرف بقاع الأرض في أشرف أيام السنة: فمكة المكرمة هي أشرف بقاع الأرض قاطبة, يليها في الكرامة مدينة رسول الله- صلي الله عليه وسلم- ثم بيت المقدس, وذلك لقول رسول الله- صلي الله عليه وسلم- عن الكعبة المشرفة:' هذا البيت دعامة الإسلام, من خرج يؤم هذا البيت من حاج أو معتمر أو زائر, كان مضمونا علي الله- عز وجل- إن قبضه يدخله الجنة, وإن رده, رده بغنيمة وأجر'( الحارث, ابن حجر).وفي المقابل فإن أشرف أيام السنة هي الأيام العشرة الأولي من شهر ذي الحجة, وأشرفها علي الإطلاق هو' يوم عرفة'. وذلك لقول رسول الله- صلي الله عليه وسلم-:' ما من أيام عند الله أفضل من عشر ذي الحجة..., وما من يوم أفضل عند الله من يوم عرفة...'( أبو يعلي, البزار, ابن خزيمة, ابن حبان). فإذا اجتمع فضل الزمان وفضل المكان تضاعفت البركات والأجور بإذن الله.(2) تذكير الحاج بمرحلية الحياة وبحتمية الرجوع إلي الله: لأن دوامة الحياة تكاد تنسي الإنسان حتمية الخروج منها, وهنا تأتي شعيرة الحج لتخرج الناس من دوامة الحياة ـ ولو لفترة قصيرة ـ وتذكرهم بحتمية العودة إلي الله.(3) تذكير الإنسان بضرورة محاسبة نفسه قبل أن يحاسب: وذلك لأن للحج العديد من الأعمال الإجرائية التي منها: التوبة إلي الله من الذنوب والمعاصي, ووصل كل مقطوع من صلات الرحم, وقضاء الديون, ورد المظالم, ورد كل ما هو غير ذلك من حقوق العباد, وإخلاص النوايا لله- تعالي- والحرص علي الحلال, والتطهر من كل حرام, والحرص علي تسديد زكاة المال قبل الخروج بالحج, وكتابة الوصية, وتهيئة كل حاج نفسه لحساب الله- تعالي- قبل أن يحاسبه الله.(4) تدريب الحاج نفسه علي مفارقة الحياة الدنيا بواسطة المشاعر التي يدركها أثناء غسل الإحرام, ولبسه, والنية بالإحرام للحج أو العمرة أو بهما معا( متمتعا أو قارنا), وعند الوقوف بالميقات, والانتقال من الحل إلي الحرم عبر الميقات, وعند التلبية.(5) تذكير الحاج نفسه بضرورة الالتزام بأوامر الله ـ تعالي ـ واجتناب نواهيه; حيث إن جميع الخلق غير المكلف ملتزم بقوانين الخالق- سبحانه وتعالي- التي أودعها في كل أمر من أمور الكون. ولعل الطواف حول الكعبة في عكس اتجاه عقارب الساعة يذكر بذلك, وهو النظام الغالب في الكون كله.(6) تدريب الحاج علي الالتزام بسنة رسول الله- صلي الله عليه وسلم- في أداء هذه العبادة الكبري, وفي كل أمر من أمور الحياة, وهو- صلوات ربي وسلامه عليه- القائل:' خذوا عني مناسككم'.(7) تذكير الحاج بجهاد السابقين من الأنبياء والمرسلين, ومن الصالحات والصالحين, ولعل في اتخاذ مقام إبراهيم مصلي, وفي الشرب من ماء زمزم, وفي السعي بين الصفا والمروة ما يذكر الحاج بذلك.(8) تذكير الحاج بيوم البعث وزحامه, ولعل النفرة إلي مني ثم إلي عرفات تلعب دورا في هذا التذكير.(9) ولعل الوقوف بعرفات يذكر بيوم الحشر فيعمل كل من أكرمه الله- تعالي- بالوقوف في هذا الموقف الكريم أن يستعد ليوم الحشر.(10) ولعل المبيت بالمزدلفة ثم بمني يذكر الحاج بآلاف الأنبياء وبمئات المرسلين الذين حجوا من قبل, ونزلوا بتلك المنازل, فيتأكد من وحدة رسالة السماء, ومن الأخوة بين الأنبياء وبين الناس جميعا, ويعلم أن ذلك كله منبثق من الإيمان بوحدانية الخالق العظيم.(11) ولعل كلا من النحر والحلق( أو التقصير), ورمي الجمار يذكر بعمق إيمان كل من عبدي الله ونبييه إبراهيم وولده الذبيح إسماعيل ـ عليهما السلام- وبضرورة التسليم لرب العالمين وطاعة أوامره, والتطهر من الذنوب والآثام, ومعرفة أبعاد المعركة بين الشيطان والإنسان والتعهد لله بالانتصار فيها لعباده الذين اختارهم لحج بيته الحرام. ثم يكون في التحلل من الإحرام, وفي كل من طواف الإفاضة والوداع رمز لانتهاء أداء هذه الشعيرة العظيمة, وعودة إلي دوامة الحياة الدنيا بذنب مغفور, وعمل صالح مقبول, وصفحة جديدة مع رب العالمين, وعزيمة علي كسب مرضاته- تعالي- باجتناب نواهيه وبعمل كل ما يرضيه, ومن ذلك: الزهد في الدنيا, اليقين في الله, الحرص علي إتقان العبادة, التمسك بطهارة النفس, وبمكارم الأخلاق, والاستقامة علي منهج الله, والاجتهاد في نصرة دين الله.(12) الحج هو أول مؤتمر عالمي في تاريخ البشرية, شرعه الله- تعالي- ليكون وسيلة من وسائل تعارف المسلمين, وجمع كلمتهم, وتوحيد صفوفهم وحل مشاكلهم, والتعاون فيما بينهم, ومواجهة التحديات التي تصادفهم, وشهود غير ذلك من المنافع التي تعود عليهم أفرادا وجماعات, ودولا, وتعود علي الإنسانية عامة بكل خير.هذا, وبالإضافة إلي ما ذكرناه آنفا إلي مكاسب الفرد المسلم( ذكرا كان أم أنثي, صغيرا أم كبيرا) من أداء هذه العبادة العظيمة, يمثل طرفا من الحكمة الإلهية بتشريع فريضة الحج, وجعلها حقا لله- تعالي- علي كل مسلم, بالغ, عاقل, حر مستطيع, ولو لمرة واحدة في العمر. لذلك جاءت الإشارة إلي الحج في هذا النص القرآني الكريم- فضلا عن غيره من العبادات المفروضة علي أهميتها ـ كما جاءت الإشارة إلي الحج في أحد عشر موضعا من كتاب الله.فالحمد لله علي نعمة الإسلام والحمد لله علي نعمة القرآن والحمد لله علي بعثة خير الأنام سيدنا محمد ـ صلي الله عليه وسلم وعلي آله وصحبه أجمعين- وآخر دعوانا أن الحمد لله رب العالمين.
المزيد من مقالات د. زغلول النجار
Blogger comment:
Since God's house in Mecca was the first house of worship built to man by his first father Adam it gives man the journey back to the start of faith and religion. It is also a journey back to remember Abraham the father of the three religions and his memories his son Ismail and wife Hagar in reestablishing the religion of God in Mecca again and similarly Muhammad and the first generation of Muslims. It is journey back to God to devote few days totally to him and his orders and commandments to renew faith and commitment to God and ask him forgiveness. It is a journey back to human spirituality coming closer to God and going back to where you came from to continue this journey in your heart, spirit and memory to be a better person. People who created their own religion and was not from God had also created pilgrimage, we call it the Fatra that human spirit is created with this desire to devout time to the creator to thank him, repent to him and have revival of their spirits.
المزيد من مقالات د. زغلول النجار
Blogger comment:
Since God's house in Mecca was the first house of worship built to man by his first father Adam it gives man the journey back to the start of faith and religion. It is also a journey back to remember Abraham the father of the three religions and his memories his son Ismail and wife Hagar in reestablishing the religion of God in Mecca again and similarly Muhammad and the first generation of Muslims. It is journey back to God to devote few days totally to him and his orders and commandments to renew faith and commitment to God and ask him forgiveness. It is a journey back to human spirituality coming closer to God and going back to where you came from to continue this journey in your heart, spirit and memory to be a better person. People who created their own religion and was not from God had also created pilgrimage, we call it the Fatra that human spirit is created with this desire to devout time to the creator to thank him, repent to him and have revival of their spirits.
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
The Infinite Power of God
From: http://www.al-islam.org/godattributes/infini.htm
The infinite power of God has no clearer proof than that furnished by the study and examination of the phenomena of the created universe and the multiple forms and colorations of nature that can never be fully described.
When we look at God's creation we find ourselves confronted with so vast an energy that no limit can be imagined for it. A look at creation and the millions of truths secreted in the wonders of nature and the depths of man's own being provides the clearest indication of the scale of the power of the One Who has created it, for the rich and complex order of being admits of no other explanation.
It is God's incomparable power that compels man to bow humbly before the Creator of this great scheme. There is no word to express the dimensions of His power; that unique essence has much power that whenever He wills a thing to come into existence, it suffices for the command "Be!" to issue forth from Him and the object addressed will be. The Quran says: "When He wills a certain thing, He commands it 'Be!' and it is" (36:82)
The law expounded in this verse is the best indicator of His limitless power and manifestation of His boundless power and splendor. It negates any limit that might be set on God's power and proclaims the inadequacy of all criteria and measures when confronted with this divine law.
The champions of the natural sciences, the men of the laboratory, despite all the advances they have achieved, have not yet gained complete knowledge of the inner secrets of a single one among the numerous and varied beings of the created universe. Nonetheless, the partial and defective knowledge that man has acquired concerning a few of the beings that exist in this world is enough for him to realize with all his being that the great power that has created such variety and abundance in the universe must be infinite.
Consider the range of His creation: tiny creatures and monstrous beasts with strange appearances both dwelling in the depths of the ocean; delicate and melodious birds with multicolored wings, the beauty of which skilled artists imitate as an adornment to their craft; stars that shine in the heavens and the sun that rises and sets; the dawn and the moonlight; the planets, galaxies and nebula each of which sometimes contains at its heart millions of great shinning stars giddying in their apparent infinitude.
Does not a creation such as this, awe inspiring in its splendor, indicate the infinite power of its Maker? Can one disregard the power of a Creator Who imparts such variety to life and made distinct, finite forms of it appear in all this vast range of phenomena?
Now, given the fact that all these captivating forms of creation ultimately arise from the atom, the question of being cannot be explained except by reference to a guiding and infinite power. It is He Who impels all things toward the assumption of life-giving form and possesses the power and intelligence to plan and design this vast and precise scheme.
*****
Large and small, difficult and easy, are properties pertaining to finite beings; in the infinite realm of God's essence and attributes, there is no question of great and little, much and few. Impotence and inability are caused by the finiteness of the energy at the disposal of an agent, by the existence of an obstacle on his path, or by the absence of means and instruments; they are inconceivable in the case of an infinite power.
The Quran says: "Nothing in the heavens or on earth can induce weakness or impotence in God; indeed, God is all-knowing and all-powerful." (35:44) Although God is capable of doing all things, He has created the world according to a precise and specific scheme in the framework of which a set role has been assigned to certain phenomena in the origination of others. Those phenomena are completely and unquestioningly subordinate to His command while fulfilling that role and never rebelling against His orders in the slightest.
The Quran says: "The sun, the moon and the stars are all at His command. Be aware that creation belongs only to God; it is His penetrating command that in its exalted purity creates the world and all it contains." (7:54)
Strictly speaking, no creature in the scheme of the universe can be a manifestation of power or have any share in His will and command, for just as God has no partner in His essence, so, too, He has no partner in His agenthood. Just as all creatures in the world lack independence in their essence and are dependent on Him, they also lack it in producing acts and effects. Every agent and cause derives the essence of its being from God and also its power to act and produce an effect. Whenever He wills and necessitates it, the order that encloses all beings abandons its role, for that order is itself subordinate to His will, precious and firm though it may be. The Creator Who has assigned a particular effect to every factor and cause is able to neutralize and suspend that effect at any instant. Just as one command brought the order of the universe into existence, another command robs phenomena of their customary effect.
Thus, the Quran says: "They said, 'Burn Abraham and thus us render help unto your gods, if you are men of action.' We commanded the fire, 'be cool for Abraham and harm him not.' They sought a stratagem against him, but We made them the losers." (21:68-69)
Although the powerful attraction exerted by the sun and the earth prevails over a vast space, both bodies are subordinate to His will. As soon as He gives a little bird the necessary power, the bird is able to resist the pull of the earth and take flight. The Quran says: "Do they not look at the birds in the heavens and see how the skies have been subjugated to them? It is God alone Who keeps them aloft, and in this there is an evident sign of God's power for the people off faith." (16:79)
Whatever phenomenon may be imagined to exist in the world of being finds its needs for sustenance and life met by the Creator. Therefore, whatever power and capacity is found in the scheme of creation must necessarily go back to the infinite power of God. Ali, peace be upon him, him, the Commander of the Faithful, says in a sermon reproduced in the Nahj al Balaghah: "O God, we cannot penetrate the depths of Your splendor and majesty. We know only that You are living and self-subsistent, that You are exempt from eating and sleeping. No mind can perceive You and no eye can see You. But You see all eyes, You know the life span of all things, and You are all-powerful.
Although we have perceived nothing of Your creation, we are astounded by Your power and praise You mightily. That which is hidden from us and our eyes cannot see and our mind and intelligence cannot attain, which is concealed from us by veils of the unseen, is much greater than what we can see ...
When man decides to build something, for example, a hospital, he assembles the necessary tools and pieces of equipment that do not have any essential relationship with each other, and, then, connects them with each other by means of a series of artificial relationships in order to reach his goal.
In order to create such artificial relationships, he makes use of different forces and object that he finds to be already existing. His work and activity are a part of the system of creation; they are not properly speaking creative activity, but only a form of motion that takes place within existing objects. Divine creation forms a quite different category from the production of artificial relationships between unrelated objects. God originates things with all their properties, forces and energies and characteristics. When we say that God is all-powerful, we must be aware that His power relates only to things that are possible. Things that are rationally impossible are entirely outside the sphere of His power, and to use the word "power" or "capacity" in connection with things that are impossible is incorrect and meaningless. Although the power of God is, indeed, unlimited, the receptive capacity of things and their ability to serve as locus for the manifestation of divine power must be taken into consideration. The implementation of God's will is intertwined with the relations between cause and effect, with the complex network of reasons and causes. In order for a thing to become the object of the divine will, it must not be impossible and must, in its essence, possess receptive capacity; divine will is accomplished by means of the receptivity of things. It is true that the divine effulgence is infinite and constantly overflowing, but the ground destined to receive it may be defective and unable to absorb the infinite share that superabundant source offers it.
The ocean is an immensely abundant source of water, but a tanker has only a limited capacity to take on its water; in fact, only a minute amount of that water can be loaded onto a tanker. Clearly enough, what is finite and limited in this case is the capacity of the tanker, not the water in the ocean. Someone once asked Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, upon whom be peace, "Is your Lord able to fit the whole world into a hen's egg?" He answered: "God Almighty is, indeed, able to do anything, but what you ask is something impossible." So although God's sacred essence is utterly free of all impotence and inability, it is meaningless and irrational to ask whether God can do something inherently impossible.
*****
One whose heart beats with the love of God and flows over with belief in the Creator of all being will never be discouraged lonely and hopeless even in the midst of the most complex difficulties. Whatever deed he undertakes he does so in the consciousness of being in the protective shade of a supreme power that can make him triumph over all difficulties.
A man who is aware of God and knows that he enjoys His support can resist and endure all kinds of hardship. Difficulties are for him like foam on swift vanishing foam on the face of the waters The fire that burns within him becomes ever brighter and he emerges stronger than ever from the crucible of hardship. Throughout the toils he endures, he is comforted and strengthened by God's kindness and favor, and it is this that forms the true motor of his activity. Failure does not block his path and cause him to surrender; instead, with sincere intention and diligent effort, he continues his strivings until final victory.
He understands well that his efforts cannot remain fruitless and that victory goes to the deserving. Whenever He wills, God takes the hand of the fallen and the oppressed who have no refuge other than Him and raises them up to the apex of power. Sometimes, too, He rubs in the dust of humiliation and disaster the noses of the powerful and arrogant oppressors who believe only in violence and the logic of force and treat men as if they were worthless.
How many arrogant tyrants have been cast down by disaster in the course of human history, sinking and vanishing in a tempest of shame!
The story of God's messengers represents in itself a complete and ideal model of human values. We all know how the messengers stood alone against the oppressive forces of their day in order to guide men to salvation, reform their society, and inculcate lofty values in them. In doing so, they lit the first spark that ultimately destroyed polytheism
The response aroused by their beliefs caused such a positive tumult that they were able to change the face and direction of history. They laid the foundations of monotheistic worship and established the principles of virtue in the most comprehensive way. Who can deny the role played by their devotion and faith in the untiring struggle they waged? How far can will power alone take man, and how much can it enable him to endure and sacrifice? A cursory review of the proud history of the Prophets' lives enables us all to behold, in the most vivid fashion possible, the sincerity and devotion they displayed, their mercy and forbearance, and their intense desire to guide and reform men. The fundamental secret of their success was the fact they never thought of themselves for a single instant; they sincerely renounced their own beings, making them a gift to God's cause. God then responded by bestowing immortality and everlasting fame on them.
The infinite power of God has no clearer proof than that furnished by the study and examination of the phenomena of the created universe and the multiple forms and colorations of nature that can never be fully described.
When we look at God's creation we find ourselves confronted with so vast an energy that no limit can be imagined for it. A look at creation and the millions of truths secreted in the wonders of nature and the depths of man's own being provides the clearest indication of the scale of the power of the One Who has created it, for the rich and complex order of being admits of no other explanation.
It is God's incomparable power that compels man to bow humbly before the Creator of this great scheme. There is no word to express the dimensions of His power; that unique essence has much power that whenever He wills a thing to come into existence, it suffices for the command "Be!" to issue forth from Him and the object addressed will be. The Quran says: "When He wills a certain thing, He commands it 'Be!' and it is" (36:82)
The law expounded in this verse is the best indicator of His limitless power and manifestation of His boundless power and splendor. It negates any limit that might be set on God's power and proclaims the inadequacy of all criteria and measures when confronted with this divine law.
The champions of the natural sciences, the men of the laboratory, despite all the advances they have achieved, have not yet gained complete knowledge of the inner secrets of a single one among the numerous and varied beings of the created universe. Nonetheless, the partial and defective knowledge that man has acquired concerning a few of the beings that exist in this world is enough for him to realize with all his being that the great power that has created such variety and abundance in the universe must be infinite.
Consider the range of His creation: tiny creatures and monstrous beasts with strange appearances both dwelling in the depths of the ocean; delicate and melodious birds with multicolored wings, the beauty of which skilled artists imitate as an adornment to their craft; stars that shine in the heavens and the sun that rises and sets; the dawn and the moonlight; the planets, galaxies and nebula each of which sometimes contains at its heart millions of great shinning stars giddying in their apparent infinitude.
Does not a creation such as this, awe inspiring in its splendor, indicate the infinite power of its Maker? Can one disregard the power of a Creator Who imparts such variety to life and made distinct, finite forms of it appear in all this vast range of phenomena?
Now, given the fact that all these captivating forms of creation ultimately arise from the atom, the question of being cannot be explained except by reference to a guiding and infinite power. It is He Who impels all things toward the assumption of life-giving form and possesses the power and intelligence to plan and design this vast and precise scheme.
*****
Large and small, difficult and easy, are properties pertaining to finite beings; in the infinite realm of God's essence and attributes, there is no question of great and little, much and few. Impotence and inability are caused by the finiteness of the energy at the disposal of an agent, by the existence of an obstacle on his path, or by the absence of means and instruments; they are inconceivable in the case of an infinite power.
The Quran says: "Nothing in the heavens or on earth can induce weakness or impotence in God; indeed, God is all-knowing and all-powerful." (35:44) Although God is capable of doing all things, He has created the world according to a precise and specific scheme in the framework of which a set role has been assigned to certain phenomena in the origination of others. Those phenomena are completely and unquestioningly subordinate to His command while fulfilling that role and never rebelling against His orders in the slightest.
The Quran says: "The sun, the moon and the stars are all at His command. Be aware that creation belongs only to God; it is His penetrating command that in its exalted purity creates the world and all it contains." (7:54)
Strictly speaking, no creature in the scheme of the universe can be a manifestation of power or have any share in His will and command, for just as God has no partner in His essence, so, too, He has no partner in His agenthood. Just as all creatures in the world lack independence in their essence and are dependent on Him, they also lack it in producing acts and effects. Every agent and cause derives the essence of its being from God and also its power to act and produce an effect. Whenever He wills and necessitates it, the order that encloses all beings abandons its role, for that order is itself subordinate to His will, precious and firm though it may be. The Creator Who has assigned a particular effect to every factor and cause is able to neutralize and suspend that effect at any instant. Just as one command brought the order of the universe into existence, another command robs phenomena of their customary effect.
Thus, the Quran says: "They said, 'Burn Abraham and thus us render help unto your gods, if you are men of action.' We commanded the fire, 'be cool for Abraham and harm him not.' They sought a stratagem against him, but We made them the losers." (21:68-69)
Although the powerful attraction exerted by the sun and the earth prevails over a vast space, both bodies are subordinate to His will. As soon as He gives a little bird the necessary power, the bird is able to resist the pull of the earth and take flight. The Quran says: "Do they not look at the birds in the heavens and see how the skies have been subjugated to them? It is God alone Who keeps them aloft, and in this there is an evident sign of God's power for the people off faith." (16:79)
Whatever phenomenon may be imagined to exist in the world of being finds its needs for sustenance and life met by the Creator. Therefore, whatever power and capacity is found in the scheme of creation must necessarily go back to the infinite power of God. Ali, peace be upon him, him, the Commander of the Faithful, says in a sermon reproduced in the Nahj al Balaghah: "O God, we cannot penetrate the depths of Your splendor and majesty. We know only that You are living and self-subsistent, that You are exempt from eating and sleeping. No mind can perceive You and no eye can see You. But You see all eyes, You know the life span of all things, and You are all-powerful.
Although we have perceived nothing of Your creation, we are astounded by Your power and praise You mightily. That which is hidden from us and our eyes cannot see and our mind and intelligence cannot attain, which is concealed from us by veils of the unseen, is much greater than what we can see ...
When man decides to build something, for example, a hospital, he assembles the necessary tools and pieces of equipment that do not have any essential relationship with each other, and, then, connects them with each other by means of a series of artificial relationships in order to reach his goal.
In order to create such artificial relationships, he makes use of different forces and object that he finds to be already existing. His work and activity are a part of the system of creation; they are not properly speaking creative activity, but only a form of motion that takes place within existing objects. Divine creation forms a quite different category from the production of artificial relationships between unrelated objects. God originates things with all their properties, forces and energies and characteristics. When we say that God is all-powerful, we must be aware that His power relates only to things that are possible. Things that are rationally impossible are entirely outside the sphere of His power, and to use the word "power" or "capacity" in connection with things that are impossible is incorrect and meaningless. Although the power of God is, indeed, unlimited, the receptive capacity of things and their ability to serve as locus for the manifestation of divine power must be taken into consideration. The implementation of God's will is intertwined with the relations between cause and effect, with the complex network of reasons and causes. In order for a thing to become the object of the divine will, it must not be impossible and must, in its essence, possess receptive capacity; divine will is accomplished by means of the receptivity of things. It is true that the divine effulgence is infinite and constantly overflowing, but the ground destined to receive it may be defective and unable to absorb the infinite share that superabundant source offers it.
The ocean is an immensely abundant source of water, but a tanker has only a limited capacity to take on its water; in fact, only a minute amount of that water can be loaded onto a tanker. Clearly enough, what is finite and limited in this case is the capacity of the tanker, not the water in the ocean. Someone once asked Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, upon whom be peace, "Is your Lord able to fit the whole world into a hen's egg?" He answered: "God Almighty is, indeed, able to do anything, but what you ask is something impossible." So although God's sacred essence is utterly free of all impotence and inability, it is meaningless and irrational to ask whether God can do something inherently impossible.
*****
One whose heart beats with the love of God and flows over with belief in the Creator of all being will never be discouraged lonely and hopeless even in the midst of the most complex difficulties. Whatever deed he undertakes he does so in the consciousness of being in the protective shade of a supreme power that can make him triumph over all difficulties.
A man who is aware of God and knows that he enjoys His support can resist and endure all kinds of hardship. Difficulties are for him like foam on swift vanishing foam on the face of the waters The fire that burns within him becomes ever brighter and he emerges stronger than ever from the crucible of hardship. Throughout the toils he endures, he is comforted and strengthened by God's kindness and favor, and it is this that forms the true motor of his activity. Failure does not block his path and cause him to surrender; instead, with sincere intention and diligent effort, he continues his strivings until final victory.
He understands well that his efforts cannot remain fruitless and that victory goes to the deserving. Whenever He wills, God takes the hand of the fallen and the oppressed who have no refuge other than Him and raises them up to the apex of power. Sometimes, too, He rubs in the dust of humiliation and disaster the noses of the powerful and arrogant oppressors who believe only in violence and the logic of force and treat men as if they were worthless.
How many arrogant tyrants have been cast down by disaster in the course of human history, sinking and vanishing in a tempest of shame!
The story of God's messengers represents in itself a complete and ideal model of human values. We all know how the messengers stood alone against the oppressive forces of their day in order to guide men to salvation, reform their society, and inculcate lofty values in them. In doing so, they lit the first spark that ultimately destroyed polytheism
The response aroused by their beliefs caused such a positive tumult that they were able to change the face and direction of history. They laid the foundations of monotheistic worship and established the principles of virtue in the most comprehensive way. Who can deny the role played by their devotion and faith in the untiring struggle they waged? How far can will power alone take man, and how much can it enable him to endure and sacrifice? A cursory review of the proud history of the Prophets' lives enables us all to behold, in the most vivid fashion possible, the sincerity and devotion they displayed, their mercy and forbearance, and their intense desire to guide and reform men. The fundamental secret of their success was the fact they never thought of themselves for a single instant; they sincerely renounced their own beings, making them a gift to God's cause. God then responded by bestowing immortality and everlasting fame on them.
Chapter 3 : Quran’s Power of Attraction
From: http://www.alhassanain.com/
Another aspect of the Quran which serves to indicate its unique and exceptional nature is the remarkable and inexhaustible attraction that it exerts.
Today, more than fourteen centuries after the revelation of the Quran, the captivating sound of the recitation of the Quran can still be heard in all the different parts of the world, leaving its impression on hearts and minds, and transforming the spirits of all who listen to it.
Its appeal overwhelms the soul and brings tears flowing from the eyes and makes the heart tremble.
“Those to whom We gave the Book before this, believe in it, and, when it is recited to them, they say, 'We believe in it; surely it is the Truth from our Lord; even before it we were of those who surrender”. (28:52-53)
This ayah describes a group of people who undergo a state of veneration and awe when the Qur'an is recited before them. They affirm faith in all the contents of the Book, declare everything in it to be nothing but truth and their veneration of it continues to increase.
Then in another verse, a group of Christians who believed and became Muslims on hearing the Qur'an are described in these words:
“And when they hear what has been sent down to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflow with tears, because of the truth they recognize. They say, "Our Lord we believe; so do You write us down among the witnesses." (5:83)
In another place, while describing the believers, the Qur'an says:
“God has sent down the fairest discourse as a book, consimilar in its oft repeated parts, whereat shiver the skins of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts soften to the remembrance of God ...” (39:23)
The rays of attraction exerted by the Quran was not confined to Mecca, its birth place, but spread outwards from Mecca together with the movement of the Muslims. To mention some examples: the rays of Quran shone in the heart of King Najjashi, in the Christian court of Ethiopia, thanks to the recitation of Ja’far bin Abitalib, despite the unfavorable situation prevailing there and the pressure brought to bear by the opponents of islam.
Equally they shone in Madina, the base for the formation of a new Society, where the Quran was recited by Mus’ab bin Umayr.
Ibn Hisham writes in his life of the Prophet: “So strong was the heartfelt desire of the people to hear the Quran that even some of the unbelievers of the Quraysh would secretly go near the Prophet’s house at night, remaining there until dawn, in order to listen throughout the night to the pleasing melody of the Quran as recited by the Messenger of God. This happened many times”. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, Vol. I, p. 386)
So that the people would not fall under the influence of Quran’s eloquence and power to attract, the nonbelievers would instruct a group of people to go and make a noise, to whistle and clap their hands, while the Prophet was reciting the verses of Quran.
“The polytheists said: Do not listen to the verses of the Quran, and make a noise while they are being recited, perhaps you will thus triumph”. (41:26)
From: Quran as a miracle
Another aspect of the Quran which serves to indicate its unique and exceptional nature is the remarkable and inexhaustible attraction that it exerts.
Today, more than fourteen centuries after the revelation of the Quran, the captivating sound of the recitation of the Quran can still be heard in all the different parts of the world, leaving its impression on hearts and minds, and transforming the spirits of all who listen to it.
Its appeal overwhelms the soul and brings tears flowing from the eyes and makes the heart tremble.
“Those to whom We gave the Book before this, believe in it, and, when it is recited to them, they say, 'We believe in it; surely it is the Truth from our Lord; even before it we were of those who surrender”. (28:52-53)
This ayah describes a group of people who undergo a state of veneration and awe when the Qur'an is recited before them. They affirm faith in all the contents of the Book, declare everything in it to be nothing but truth and their veneration of it continues to increase.
Then in another verse, a group of Christians who believed and became Muslims on hearing the Qur'an are described in these words:
“And when they hear what has been sent down to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflow with tears, because of the truth they recognize. They say, "Our Lord we believe; so do You write us down among the witnesses." (5:83)
In another place, while describing the believers, the Qur'an says:
“God has sent down the fairest discourse as a book, consimilar in its oft repeated parts, whereat shiver the skins of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts soften to the remembrance of God ...” (39:23)
The rays of attraction exerted by the Quran was not confined to Mecca, its birth place, but spread outwards from Mecca together with the movement of the Muslims. To mention some examples: the rays of Quran shone in the heart of King Najjashi, in the Christian court of Ethiopia, thanks to the recitation of Ja’far bin Abitalib, despite the unfavorable situation prevailing there and the pressure brought to bear by the opponents of islam.
Equally they shone in Madina, the base for the formation of a new Society, where the Quran was recited by Mus’ab bin Umayr.
Ibn Hisham writes in his life of the Prophet: “So strong was the heartfelt desire of the people to hear the Quran that even some of the unbelievers of the Quraysh would secretly go near the Prophet’s house at night, remaining there until dawn, in order to listen throughout the night to the pleasing melody of the Quran as recited by the Messenger of God. This happened many times”. (Sirat Ibn Hisham, Vol. I, p. 386)
So that the people would not fall under the influence of Quran’s eloquence and power to attract, the nonbelievers would instruct a group of people to go and make a noise, to whistle and clap their hands, while the Prophet was reciting the verses of Quran.
“The polytheists said: Do not listen to the verses of the Quran, and make a noise while they are being recited, perhaps you will thus triumph”. (41:26)
From: Quran as a miracle
Ibrahim Khalil M.A. (Princeton)
A former Egyptian Coptic priest who studied Islam in order to find fault with it. The result was, however, exactly the reverse.
Al-Haj Ibrahim Khalil Ahmad, formerly Ibrahim Khalil Philobus, was an Egyptian Coptic priest who studied theology and earned a masters degree from Princeton University. He studied Islam to find gaps to attack it; instead he embraced Islam with his four children, one of whom is now a professor at the Sorbonne, Paris. This is Mr. Khalil's story.
I was born in Alexandria on the 13th of January 1919 and was sent to the American Mission schools until I got my secondary education certificate there. In 1942 I got my diploma from Asiut University and then I specialized in religious studies as a prelude to join the Faculty of Theology. It was no easy task to join the faculty, as no candidate could join it unless he got a special recommendation from the church, and also, after he should pass a number of difficult exams. I got a recommendation from Al-Attareen Church in Alexandria and another from the Church Assembly of Lower Egypt after passing many tests to know my qualifications to become a man of religion. Then I got a third recommendation from Snodus Church Assembly which included priests from Sudan and Egypt.
The Snodus sanctioned my entrance into the Faculty of Theology in 1944 as a boarding student. There I studied at the hands of American and Egyptian teachers until my graduation in 1948.
I was supposed, he continued, to be appointed in Jerusalem had it not been for the war that broke out in Palestine that same year, so I was sent to Asna in Upper Egypt. That same year I registered for a thesis at the American University in Cairo. It was about the missionary activities among Muslims. My acquaintance with Islam started in the Faculty of Theology where I studied Islam and all the methods through which we could shake the faith of Muslims and raise misconceptions in their understanding of their own religion.
In 1952 I got my M.A. from Princeton University in U.S.A. and was appointed as a teacher in the Faculty of Theology in Asiut. I used to teach Islam in the faculty as well as the faulty misconceptions spread by its enemies and the missionaries against it. During that period I decided to enlarge my study of Islam, so that I should not read the missionaries books on it only.
I had so much faith in myself that I was confirmed to read the other point of view. Thus I began to read books written by Muslim authors. I also decided to read the Quran and understand its meanings. This was implied by my love of knowledge and moved by my desire to add more proofs against Islam. The result was, however, exactly the reverse. My position began to shake and I started to feel an internal strong struggle and I discovered the falsehood of everything I had studied and preached to the people. But I could not face myself bravely and tried instead to overcome this internal crisis and continue my work.
In 1954, Mr. Khalil added, I was sent to Aswan as secretary general of the German Swiss Mission. That was only my apparent position for my real mission was to preach against Islam in Upper Egypt especially among Muslims. A missionary conference was held at that time at Cataract Hotel in Aswan and I was given the floor to speak. That day I spoke too much, reiterating all the repeated misconceptions against Islam; and at the end of my speech, the internal crisis came to me again and I started to revise my position.
Continuing his talk about the said crisis, Mr. Khalil said, <> (Quran S72v1-2) <>(Quran S.72 V.13)
I felt a deep comfort that night and when I returned home I spent the whole night all by myself in my library reading the Quran. My wife inquired from me about the reason of my sitting up all night and I pleaded from her to leave me alone. I stopped for a long time thinking and meditating on the verse; <> (S.59 V.21) And the verse: <> (Quran S.5 V.82-84)
Mr. Khalil then quoted a third quotation from the Holy Quran which says: <> (Quran S.7 V.157- 158)
Now that same night, Mr. Khalil dramatically concluded: I took my final decision. In the morning I spoke with my wife from whom I have three sons and one daughter. But no sooner than she felt that I was inclined to embrace Islam than she cried and asked for help from the head of the mission. His name was Monsieur Shavits from Switzerland. He was a very cunning man. When he asked me about my true attitude, I told him frankly what I really wanted and then he said: Regard yourself out of job until we discover what has befallen you. Then I said: This is my resignation from my job. He tried to convince me to postpone it, but I insisted. So he made a rumor among the people that I became mad. Thus I suffered a very severe test and oppression until I left Aswan for good and returned to Cairo.
When he was asked about the circumstances to his conversion he replied: <
When Dr. Jamal knew that I had resigned from my job in Aswan and that I was then unemployed, he helped me with a job in Standard Stationery Company in Cairo. So I was well established after a short while. I did not tell my wife about my intention to embrace Islam thus she thought that I had forgotten the whole affair and that it was nothing but a transitory crisis that no more existed. But I knew quite well that my official conversion to Islam needs long complicated measures and it was in fact a battle which I preferred to postpone for some time until I became well off and after I completed my comparative study.
Then Mr. Khalil continued, <>. (Quran S.5 V.84) I said to him, "You should have wept in humiliation to God on hearing the Quran and believe in the truth which you know but you refuse. He stood up and left me as he saw no use. My official conversion to Islam was in January 1960.
Mr. Khalil was then asked about the attitude of his wife and children and he answered: My wife left me at that time and took with her all the furniture of our house. But all my children joined me and embraced Islam. The most enthusiastic among them was my eldest son Isaac who changed his name to Osman, then my second son Joseph and my son Samuel whose name is Jamal and daughter Majida who is now called Najwa. Osman is now a doctor of philosophy working as a professor in Sorbonne University in Paris teaching oriental studies and psychology.
He also writes in <> magazine. As in regards to my wife, she left the house for six years and agreed to come back in 1966 provided that she keeps her religion. I accepted this because in Islam there is no compulsion in religion. I said to her: I do not want you to became a Muslim for my sake but only after you are convinced. She feels now that she believes in Islam but she cannot declare this for fear of her family but we treat her as a Muslim woman and she fasts in Ramadan because all my children pray and fast. My daughter Najwa is a student in the Faculty of Commerce, Joseph is a doctor pharmeologist and Jamal is an engineer.
During this period, that is since 1961 until the present time I have been able to publish a number of books on Islam and the methods of the missionaries and the orientalist against it. I am now preparing a comparative study about women in the three Divine religions with the object of highlighting the status of women in Islam. In 1973 I performed Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) and I am doing activities preaching Islam. I hold seminars in the universities and charitable societies. I received an invitation from Sudan in 1974 where I held many seminars. My time is fully used in the service of Islam.
Finally Mr. Khalil was asked about the salient features of Islam which have attracted his attention most. And he answered: My faith in Islam has been brought about through reading the Holy Quran and the biography of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him. I no longer believed in the misconceptions against Islam and I am especially attracted by the concept of unity of God, which is the most important feature of Islam. God is only One. Nothing is like Him. This belief makes me the servant of God only and of no one else. Oneness of God liberates man from servitude to any human being and that is true freedom.
I also like very much the rule of forgiveness in Islam and the direct relationship between God and His servants.
Say: "O my servants who have transgressed against their souls!, despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. Turn ye to your Lord (in repentance) and submit to Him before the Chastisement comes on you: After that ye shall not be helped. (Quran S.39 V.53-54)
Source: The Islamic Bulletin, San Francisco, CA 94141-0186 and http://www.thetruereligion.org/
Al-Haj Ibrahim Khalil Ahmad, formerly Ibrahim Khalil Philobus, was an Egyptian Coptic priest who studied theology and earned a masters degree from Princeton University. He studied Islam to find gaps to attack it; instead he embraced Islam with his four children, one of whom is now a professor at the Sorbonne, Paris. This is Mr. Khalil's story.
I was born in Alexandria on the 13th of January 1919 and was sent to the American Mission schools until I got my secondary education certificate there. In 1942 I got my diploma from Asiut University and then I specialized in religious studies as a prelude to join the Faculty of Theology. It was no easy task to join the faculty, as no candidate could join it unless he got a special recommendation from the church, and also, after he should pass a number of difficult exams. I got a recommendation from Al-Attareen Church in Alexandria and another from the Church Assembly of Lower Egypt after passing many tests to know my qualifications to become a man of religion. Then I got a third recommendation from Snodus Church Assembly which included priests from Sudan and Egypt.
The Snodus sanctioned my entrance into the Faculty of Theology in 1944 as a boarding student. There I studied at the hands of American and Egyptian teachers until my graduation in 1948.
I was supposed, he continued, to be appointed in Jerusalem had it not been for the war that broke out in Palestine that same year, so I was sent to Asna in Upper Egypt. That same year I registered for a thesis at the American University in Cairo. It was about the missionary activities among Muslims. My acquaintance with Islam started in the Faculty of Theology where I studied Islam and all the methods through which we could shake the faith of Muslims and raise misconceptions in their understanding of their own religion.
In 1952 I got my M.A. from Princeton University in U.S.A. and was appointed as a teacher in the Faculty of Theology in Asiut. I used to teach Islam in the faculty as well as the faulty misconceptions spread by its enemies and the missionaries against it. During that period I decided to enlarge my study of Islam, so that I should not read the missionaries books on it only.
I had so much faith in myself that I was confirmed to read the other point of view. Thus I began to read books written by Muslim authors. I also decided to read the Quran and understand its meanings. This was implied by my love of knowledge and moved by my desire to add more proofs against Islam. The result was, however, exactly the reverse. My position began to shake and I started to feel an internal strong struggle and I discovered the falsehood of everything I had studied and preached to the people. But I could not face myself bravely and tried instead to overcome this internal crisis and continue my work.
In 1954, Mr. Khalil added, I was sent to Aswan as secretary general of the German Swiss Mission. That was only my apparent position for my real mission was to preach against Islam in Upper Egypt especially among Muslims. A missionary conference was held at that time at Cataract Hotel in Aswan and I was given the floor to speak. That day I spoke too much, reiterating all the repeated misconceptions against Islam; and at the end of my speech, the internal crisis came to me again and I started to revise my position.
Continuing his talk about the said crisis, Mr. Khalil said, <> (Quran S72v1-2) <
I felt a deep comfort that night and when I returned home I spent the whole night all by myself in my library reading the Quran. My wife inquired from me about the reason of my sitting up all night and I pleaded from her to leave me alone. I stopped for a long time thinking and meditating on the verse; <
Mr. Khalil then quoted a third quotation from the Holy Quran which says: <
Now that same night, Mr. Khalil dramatically concluded: I took my final decision. In the morning I spoke with my wife from whom I have three sons and one daughter. But no sooner than she felt that I was inclined to embrace Islam than she cried and asked for help from the head of the mission. His name was Monsieur Shavits from Switzerland. He was a very cunning man. When he asked me about my true attitude, I told him frankly what I really wanted and then he said: Regard yourself out of job until we discover what has befallen you. Then I said: This is my resignation from my job. He tried to convince me to postpone it, but I insisted. So he made a rumor among the people that I became mad. Thus I suffered a very severe test and oppression until I left Aswan for good and returned to Cairo.
When he was asked about the circumstances to his conversion he replied: <
When Dr. Jamal knew that I had resigned from my job in Aswan and that I was then unemployed, he helped me with a job in Standard Stationery Company in Cairo. So I was well established after a short while. I did not tell my wife about my intention to embrace Islam thus she thought that I had forgotten the whole affair and that it was nothing but a transitory crisis that no more existed. But I knew quite well that my official conversion to Islam needs long complicated measures and it was in fact a battle which I preferred to postpone for some time until I became well off and after I completed my comparative study.
Then Mr. Khalil continued, <
Mr. Khalil was then asked about the attitude of his wife and children and he answered: My wife left me at that time and took with her all the furniture of our house. But all my children joined me and embraced Islam. The most enthusiastic among them was my eldest son Isaac who changed his name to Osman, then my second son Joseph and my son Samuel whose name is Jamal and daughter Majida who is now called Najwa. Osman is now a doctor of philosophy working as a professor in Sorbonne University in Paris teaching oriental studies and psychology.
He also writes in <
During this period, that is since 1961 until the present time I have been able to publish a number of books on Islam and the methods of the missionaries and the orientalist against it. I am now preparing a comparative study about women in the three Divine religions with the object of highlighting the status of women in Islam. In 1973 I performed Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) and I am doing activities preaching Islam. I hold seminars in the universities and charitable societies. I received an invitation from Sudan in 1974 where I held many seminars. My time is fully used in the service of Islam.
Finally Mr. Khalil was asked about the salient features of Islam which have attracted his attention most. And he answered: My faith in Islam has been brought about through reading the Holy Quran and the biography of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him. I no longer believed in the misconceptions against Islam and I am especially attracted by the concept of unity of God, which is the most important feature of Islam. God is only One. Nothing is like Him. This belief makes me the servant of God only and of no one else. Oneness of God liberates man from servitude to any human being and that is true freedom.
I also like very much the rule of forgiveness in Islam and the direct relationship between God and His servants.
Say: "O my servants who have transgressed against their souls!, despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. Turn ye to your Lord (in repentance) and submit to Him before the Chastisement comes on you: After that ye shall not be helped. (Quran S.39 V.53-54)
Source: The Islamic Bulletin, San Francisco, CA 94141-0186 and http://www.thetruereligion.org/
Universal Lessons of Hajj
From: www.islamicity.com
By: Faisal Kutty
Muslim pilgrims take part in the day-long station at Arafat during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca .It is a day of atonement and reminds believers of the day of judgment where all of humanity will be taken for account for their actions.
Millions of pilgrims from all over the world will be converging on Mecca in the coming days. They will retrace the footsteps of millions who have made the spiritual journey to the valley of Mecca since the time of Adam.Hajj literally means, "to continuously strive to reach one's goal." It is the last of the five pillars of Islam (the others include a declaration of faith in one God, five daily prayers, offering regular charity, and fasting during the month of Ramadan). Pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for those who have the physical and financial ability to undertake the journey.
The Hajj is essentially a re-enactment of the rituals of the great prophets and teachers of faith. Pilgrims symbolically relive the experience of exile and atonement undergone by Adam and Eve after they were expelled from Heaven, wandered the earth, met again and sought forgiveness in the valley of Mecca. They also retrace the frantic footsteps of the wife of Abraham, Hagar, as she ran between the hills of Safa and Marva searching for water for her thirsty baby (which according to Muslim tradition, God answered with the well of Zam Zam). Lastly, the pilgrims also commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son for the sake of God. God later substituted a ram in place of his son. Yet, the Hajj is more than these elaborate rituals. The faithful hope that it will bring about a deep spiritual transformation, one that will make him or her a better person. If such a change within does not occur, then the Hajj was merely a physical and material exercise devoid of any spiritual significance.
As all great religions teach, we are more than mere physical creatures in that we possess an essence beyond the material world. Indeed, this is why all great religions have a tradition of pilgrimage. In the Islamic tradition, Hajj encapsulates this spiritual journey toward this essence. The current state of affairs -- both within and outside the Muslim world -- greatly increases the relevance of some of the spiritual and universal messages inherent in the Hajj.As Islamic scholar Ebrahim Moosa asks rhetorically: "after paying homage to the two women Eve and Hagar in the rites of pilgrimage, how can some Muslims still violate the rights and dignity of women in the name of Islam? Is this not a contradiction?"Indeed, the Qur'an teaches: "I shall not lose sight of the labor of any of you who labors in my way, be it man or woman; each of you is equal to the other." (Quran 3:195)Clearly, the white sea of men and women side by side performing tawaf (circling) around the Kaaba (the stone building Muslims believe was originally built by Adam and rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael) should lay to rest any claim that Islam -- as opposed to some Muslims -- degrades women. The fact that millions of Muslims transcending geographical, linguistic, level of practice, cultural, ethnic, color, economic and social barriers converge in unison on Mecca, attests to the universality of the Hajj. It plants the seed to celebrate the diversity of our common humanity. Pilgrims return home enriched by this more pluralistic and holistic outlook and with a new appreciation for their own origins. One of the most celebrated Western Hajjis (one who has completed the Hajj) is none other than African-American civil rights leader El-Hajj Malik El Shabbaz, more commonly known as Malcolm X. The man who was renowned for preaching that whites were "devils" -- especially the blond, blue-eyed ones -- profoundly reassessed these views during the Hajj. This transformation, of course, sealed his break with the Black nationalist movement of the Nation of Islam.Contrary to the teachings of the Nation, he concluded that Islam encompassed all of humanity and transcended race and culture.
Malcolm X later said, "In my 39 years on this Earth, the holy city of Mecca had been the first time I had ever stood before the Creator of all and felt like a complete human."In Mecca, he discovered himself mixing with, "fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was whitest of white." Malcolm X was so inspired by what he witnessed, that, in letters to friends and relatives, he wrote, "America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem."Upon returning to America, he embarked on a mission to enlighten both blacks and whites with his new views. Malcolm X understood that in order to truly learn from the Hajj, its inherent spiritual lessons must extend beyond the fraternal ties of Muslims to forging a common humanity with others.In fact, as part of the spiritual experience, the pilgrimage links people across religions through a past shared by several Abrahamic traditions.
This combined with the Islamic teaching of the common origin of humanity holds out much hope. Indeed, the Qur'an teaches: "We created you from a single pair of a male and female (Adam and Eve), and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other and not that you might despise each other. The most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you" (Quran 49:13).
This is a great celebration of the differences and at the same time unity of all of humanity.Another essential spiritual message of the Hajj is one of humility to God and His supremacy and control over all that we know. The multitude of people and their inner beliefs and practices are all to be judged by God and God alone in His infinite wisdom and full knowledge. Indeed, as the Qur'an insists, "Let there be no compulsion in matters of faith, truth stands out clear from error." (Quran 2:256)
The result of a successful Hajj is a rich inner peace, which is manifested outwardly in the values of justice, honesty, respect, generosity, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy. And it is these values Ð all attributes of God almighty -- that are indispensable to us all if we are just to get along in this world.
Faisal Kutty is a lawyer, writer and doctoral candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University. He is also vice chair of the Canadian Council on American Islamic Relations. His articles are archived at www.faisalkutty.com.
By: Faisal Kutty
Muslim pilgrims take part in the day-long station at Arafat during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca .It is a day of atonement and reminds believers of the day of judgment where all of humanity will be taken for account for their actions.
Millions of pilgrims from all over the world will be converging on Mecca in the coming days. They will retrace the footsteps of millions who have made the spiritual journey to the valley of Mecca since the time of Adam.Hajj literally means, "to continuously strive to reach one's goal." It is the last of the five pillars of Islam (the others include a declaration of faith in one God, five daily prayers, offering regular charity, and fasting during the month of Ramadan). Pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation for those who have the physical and financial ability to undertake the journey.
The Hajj is essentially a re-enactment of the rituals of the great prophets and teachers of faith. Pilgrims symbolically relive the experience of exile and atonement undergone by Adam and Eve after they were expelled from Heaven, wandered the earth, met again and sought forgiveness in the valley of Mecca. They also retrace the frantic footsteps of the wife of Abraham, Hagar, as she ran between the hills of Safa and Marva searching for water for her thirsty baby (which according to Muslim tradition, God answered with the well of Zam Zam). Lastly, the pilgrims also commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son for the sake of God. God later substituted a ram in place of his son. Yet, the Hajj is more than these elaborate rituals. The faithful hope that it will bring about a deep spiritual transformation, one that will make him or her a better person. If such a change within does not occur, then the Hajj was merely a physical and material exercise devoid of any spiritual significance.
As all great religions teach, we are more than mere physical creatures in that we possess an essence beyond the material world. Indeed, this is why all great religions have a tradition of pilgrimage. In the Islamic tradition, Hajj encapsulates this spiritual journey toward this essence. The current state of affairs -- both within and outside the Muslim world -- greatly increases the relevance of some of the spiritual and universal messages inherent in the Hajj.As Islamic scholar Ebrahim Moosa asks rhetorically: "after paying homage to the two women Eve and Hagar in the rites of pilgrimage, how can some Muslims still violate the rights and dignity of women in the name of Islam? Is this not a contradiction?"Indeed, the Qur'an teaches: "I shall not lose sight of the labor of any of you who labors in my way, be it man or woman; each of you is equal to the other." (Quran 3:195)Clearly, the white sea of men and women side by side performing tawaf (circling) around the Kaaba (the stone building Muslims believe was originally built by Adam and rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael) should lay to rest any claim that Islam -- as opposed to some Muslims -- degrades women. The fact that millions of Muslims transcending geographical, linguistic, level of practice, cultural, ethnic, color, economic and social barriers converge in unison on Mecca, attests to the universality of the Hajj. It plants the seed to celebrate the diversity of our common humanity. Pilgrims return home enriched by this more pluralistic and holistic outlook and with a new appreciation for their own origins. One of the most celebrated Western Hajjis (one who has completed the Hajj) is none other than African-American civil rights leader El-Hajj Malik El Shabbaz, more commonly known as Malcolm X. The man who was renowned for preaching that whites were "devils" -- especially the blond, blue-eyed ones -- profoundly reassessed these views during the Hajj. This transformation, of course, sealed his break with the Black nationalist movement of the Nation of Islam.Contrary to the teachings of the Nation, he concluded that Islam encompassed all of humanity and transcended race and culture.
Malcolm X later said, "In my 39 years on this Earth, the holy city of Mecca had been the first time I had ever stood before the Creator of all and felt like a complete human."In Mecca, he discovered himself mixing with, "fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was whitest of white." Malcolm X was so inspired by what he witnessed, that, in letters to friends and relatives, he wrote, "America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem."Upon returning to America, he embarked on a mission to enlighten both blacks and whites with his new views. Malcolm X understood that in order to truly learn from the Hajj, its inherent spiritual lessons must extend beyond the fraternal ties of Muslims to forging a common humanity with others.In fact, as part of the spiritual experience, the pilgrimage links people across religions through a past shared by several Abrahamic traditions.
This combined with the Islamic teaching of the common origin of humanity holds out much hope. Indeed, the Qur'an teaches: "We created you from a single pair of a male and female (Adam and Eve), and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other and not that you might despise each other. The most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you" (Quran 49:13).
This is a great celebration of the differences and at the same time unity of all of humanity.Another essential spiritual message of the Hajj is one of humility to God and His supremacy and control over all that we know. The multitude of people and their inner beliefs and practices are all to be judged by God and God alone in His infinite wisdom and full knowledge. Indeed, as the Qur'an insists, "Let there be no compulsion in matters of faith, truth stands out clear from error." (Quran 2:256)
The result of a successful Hajj is a rich inner peace, which is manifested outwardly in the values of justice, honesty, respect, generosity, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy. And it is these values Ð all attributes of God almighty -- that are indispensable to us all if we are just to get along in this world.
Faisal Kutty is a lawyer, writer and doctoral candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University. He is also vice chair of the Canadian Council on American Islamic Relations. His articles are archived at www.faisalkutty.com.
Monday, November 01, 2010
God is Swift in Calling to Account
From: http://www.islamawakened.com/quran/3/19/default.htm
Roman Translition of the Arabic Source
Transliteration
Inna alddeena AAinda Allahi al-islamu wama ikhtalafa allatheena ootoo alkitaba illa min baAAdi ma jaahumu alAAilmu baghyan baynahum waman yakfur bi-ayati Allahi fa-inna Allaha sareeAAu alhisabi
Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man's] self-surrender unto Him; and those who were vouchsafed revelation aforetime took, out of mutual jealousy, to divergent views [on this point] only after knowledge [thereof] had come unto them. But as for him who denies the truth of God's messages - behold, God is swift in reckoning!
M. M. Pickthall
Lo! religion with Allah (is) the Surrender (to His Will and Guidance). Those who (formerly) received the Scripture differed only after knowledge came unto them, through transgression among themselves. Whoso disbelieveth the revelations of Allah (will find that) lo! Allah is swift at reckoning.
Shakir
Surely the (true) religion with Allah is Islam, and those to whom the Book had been given did not show opposition but after knowledge had come to them, out of envy among themselves; and whoever disbelieves in the communications of Allah then surely Allah is quick in reckoning.
Yusuf Ali
The Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His Will): Nor did the People of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them. But if any deny the Signs of Allah, Allah is swift in calling to account.
[Al-Muntakhab]
The religion, the system of faith and worship, commended by Allah is Islam or the recognition on the part of man of Allah’s Omnipotence and Authority and His power to control destiny besides acceptance of this feeling as a standard of spiritual and practical life. Yet not until they had received the divine discourse and intellectual acquaintance of the truth did Ahl al-Kitab fall into dispute and become divided through mutual envy and ill intention. He who disregards Allah’s revelations and visible signs shall find that Allah is indeed swift in putting the law in execution.
[Progressive Muslims]
The system with God is to surrender, and those who received the Scripture did not dispute except after the knowledge came to them out of jealousy between them. And whoever rejects God's signs, then God is swift in judgment.
Abdel Haleem
True Religion, in God’s eyes, is islam: [devotion to Him alone]. Those who were given the Scripture disagreed out of rivalry, only after they had been given knowledge- if anyone denies God’s revelations, God is swift to take account-
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
Verily the religion with Allah is Islam and those Who Were vouchsafed the Book differed Not save after the knowledge had come unto them, out of spite among themselves. And whosoever disbelieveth in the revelations of Allah, then verily Allah swift at reckoning.
Ahmed Ali
That truly the religion at God, (is) the Islam/submission/surrender, and those who were given The Book did not differ/disagree/dispute, except from after what (that) the knowledge came to them, oppression/corruption between them, and who disbelieves with God's signs/verses , so that God (is) quick/speedy (in) the counting/calculating .
Aisha Bewley
Allah bears witness that there is no god but Him, as do the angels and the people of knowledge, upholding justice. There is no god but Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise.
Ali Ünal
The (true) religion with God is Islam. Those who were given the Book before differed only after the knowledge (of truth) came to them because of envious rivalry and insolence among themselves. Whoever disbelieves in the Revelations of God (should know that) God is swift at reckoning.
Ali Quli Qara'i
Indeed, with Allah religion is Islam, and those who were given the Book did not differ except after knowledge had come to them, out of envy among themselves. And whoever defies Allah’s signs [should know that] Allah is swift at reckoning.
Amatul Rahman Omar
Decidedly, the true Faith acceptable to Allah is Islam. Those who were given the Scripture were not at variance except after the knowledge had come to them; (their differences were) due to mutual envy and to spite one another. And whoso denies the Messages of Allah (should bear in mind that) then Allah indeed is Quick at reckoning.
Blogger Comment:
The words of God are clear: God is swift in account and not punishment like some translators wrongly translated. God is the best and most able judge his knowledge is complete and judgment is perfect that he can make judgment and accounting quick. However on the other hand his punishment is mostly delayed as we read through the Quran he did not drown Pharaoh and his people until he show them clear signs of his abilities and his powers. He executed his punishment only after Moses had made his case very clear to Pharaoh and his people.
كَدَأْبِ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ كَفَرُواْ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ قَوِيٌّ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ (8:52)
8:52 (Picktall) (Their way is) as the way of Pharaoh's folk and those before them; they disbelieved the revelations of Allah, and Allah took them in their sins. Lo! Allah is Strong, severe in punishment. -
Roman Translition of the Arabic Source
Transliteration
Inna alddeena AAinda Allahi al-islamu wama ikhtalafa allatheena ootoo alkitaba illa min baAAdi ma jaahumu alAAilmu baghyan baynahum waman yakfur bi-ayati Allahi fa-inna Allaha sareeAAu alhisabi
Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man's] self-surrender unto Him; and those who were vouchsafed revelation aforetime took, out of mutual jealousy, to divergent views [on this point] only after knowledge [thereof] had come unto them. But as for him who denies the truth of God's messages - behold, God is swift in reckoning!
M. M. Pickthall
Lo! religion with Allah (is) the Surrender (to His Will and Guidance). Those who (formerly) received the Scripture differed only after knowledge came unto them, through transgression among themselves. Whoso disbelieveth the revelations of Allah (will find that) lo! Allah is swift at reckoning.
Shakir
Surely the (true) religion with Allah is Islam, and those to whom the Book had been given did not show opposition but after knowledge had come to them, out of envy among themselves; and whoever disbelieves in the communications of Allah then surely Allah is quick in reckoning.
Yusuf Ali
The Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His Will): Nor did the People of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them. But if any deny the Signs of Allah, Allah is swift in calling to account.
[Al-Muntakhab]
The religion, the system of faith and worship, commended by Allah is Islam or the recognition on the part of man of Allah’s Omnipotence and Authority and His power to control destiny besides acceptance of this feeling as a standard of spiritual and practical life. Yet not until they had received the divine discourse and intellectual acquaintance of the truth did Ahl al-Kitab fall into dispute and become divided through mutual envy and ill intention. He who disregards Allah’s revelations and visible signs shall find that Allah is indeed swift in putting the law in execution.
[Progressive Muslims]
The system with God is to surrender, and those who received the Scripture did not dispute except after the knowledge came to them out of jealousy between them. And whoever rejects God's signs, then God is swift in judgment.
Abdel Haleem
True Religion, in God’s eyes, is islam: [devotion to Him alone]. Those who were given the Scripture disagreed out of rivalry, only after they had been given knowledge- if anyone denies God’s revelations, God is swift to take account-
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
Verily the religion with Allah is Islam and those Who Were vouchsafed the Book differed Not save after the knowledge had come unto them, out of spite among themselves. And whosoever disbelieveth in the revelations of Allah, then verily Allah swift at reckoning.
Ahmed Ali
That truly the religion at God, (is) the Islam/submission/surrender, and those who were given The Book did not differ/disagree/dispute, except from after what (that) the knowledge came to them, oppression/corruption between them, and who disbelieves with God's signs/verses , so that God (is) quick/speedy (in) the counting/calculating .
Aisha Bewley
Allah bears witness that there is no god but Him, as do the angels and the people of knowledge, upholding justice. There is no god but Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise.
Ali Ünal
The (true) religion with God is Islam. Those who were given the Book before differed only after the knowledge (of truth) came to them because of envious rivalry and insolence among themselves. Whoever disbelieves in the Revelations of God (should know that) God is swift at reckoning.
Ali Quli Qara'i
Indeed, with Allah religion is Islam, and those who were given the Book did not differ except after knowledge had come to them, out of envy among themselves. And whoever defies Allah’s signs [should know that] Allah is swift at reckoning.
Amatul Rahman Omar
Decidedly, the true Faith acceptable to Allah is Islam. Those who were given the Scripture were not at variance except after the knowledge had come to them; (their differences were) due to mutual envy and to spite one another. And whoso denies the Messages of Allah (should bear in mind that) then Allah indeed is Quick at reckoning.
Blogger Comment:
The words of God are clear: God is swift in account and not punishment like some translators wrongly translated. God is the best and most able judge his knowledge is complete and judgment is perfect that he can make judgment and accounting quick. However on the other hand his punishment is mostly delayed as we read through the Quran he did not drown Pharaoh and his people until he show them clear signs of his abilities and his powers. He executed his punishment only after Moses had made his case very clear to Pharaoh and his people.
كَدَأْبِ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ كَفَرُواْ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ قَوِيٌّ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ (8:52)
8:52 (Picktall) (Their way is) as the way of Pharaoh's folk and those before them; they disbelieved the revelations of Allah, and Allah took them in their sins. Lo! Allah is Strong, severe in punishment. -
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