Light upon Light

Allah is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things. (Qur'an 24:35)

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Surah Qadr (The Surah about Laylat ul Qadr)

Context of Revelation (شان نزول)

According to a narration, a worshipper from among the Children of Israel used to worship Allah the whole night, and as soon as the dawn broke, he would arm himself and fight the whole day. This continued consecutively for a thousand months. This Surah was thus revealed. This shows the superiority of the Ummah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, and that the Night of Qadr is a special characteristic of this ummah. [Mazhari].

It comes in a hadith in the Muwatta of Imam Malik R.A. that the Messenger ﷺ used to look at the longer lives of the earlier people and was saddened when pondering over the much shorter lives of his own Ummah. If his Ummah had wished to compete with the people before them in piety and Taqwa, because of their shorter lives it would be impossible for them to either emulate or surpass them. To compensate for the difference in their life span, Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala out of His great Muhabbat and Infinite Mercy and Bounty granted them this great night of honour, grandeur and blessings. None of the previous Ummahs were given the gift of Laylat ul Qadr.

How is Surah Qadr connected to Surah Alaq?
1-Surah Alaq tells us how revelation began. Surah Qadr tells us when it began.

2- In Surah Alaq, Allah said He taught the human being what he could not have known, and here Allah says what will make you know what Laylat ul Qadr is? It implies that we don't have complete knowledge. Only Allah has the true knowledge of everything.

3-Allah said واسجد واقترب make sajdah and come close to Allah. In this Surah, Allah tells us about Laylat ul Qadr, which is the best night to draw closer to Allah.

4- Surah Alaq began with اقرا recite! Surah Qadr tells us what to recite i.e. the Qur'an, and tells us that the Quran was revealed in the night of Qadr.

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ - 97:1
We have sent it (the Qur'an) down in the Night of Qadr. [1]

انّا = Indeed, We...

In this opening short verse, Allah praises Himself (the source of revelation), the revelation (Qur'an), and the night on which it was revealed (Laylat ul Qadr).

Why does Allah use the plural form "We"?
The pronouns used for Allah in the Quran are: (He)انا، (We) نحن، انت(I)، هو (You)

Of all of these, only نحن is plural, and all the other are singular. This obviously is not used in the literal sense and does not imply that there are multiple gods. The word نحن is usually followed by either the word Allah or Rabb, which are both singular. This makes it clear that Allah is only one, so there is no argument of singularity or plurality of God.
It is used figuratively as a show of Allah's power and royalty. Think of the language of kings (We intend this, We have ordered this, We shall do this etc.) Whenever Allah talks about His power and majesty, He uses We e.g. creating all existence. Allah also uses We whenever He mentions sending something down from the sky e.g. sending and safeguarding revelation, providing sustenance and rizq to all creation, sending water and rain to the Earth.

Singular pronouns are used usually when Allah is expressing His extreme mercy. It is an informal, personalized and emotionally charged expression. Allah uses "I" whenever He mentions ibadah, tawbah, dua etc. to show that He is close to the believers and in proximity to them. Allah does not want the believers to think that He is a distant entity, beyond their reach.

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ- 40:60

And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you."

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ - 2:186

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَأَصْلَحُوا وَبَيَّنُوا فَأُولَٰئِكَ أَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنَا التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ - 2:160

Except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what they concealed]. Those - I will accept their repentance, and I am the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.

Indeed, We sent "it" down.
It is a pronoun. We commonly do not use a pronoun unless the noun has already been mentioned before e.g. if someone says to you: Make sure you dont forget it. You will naturally ask, "What do you mean by it?"
But Allah begins the Ayah with the pronoun "it". Why?This surah was revealed a long time after the first revelation, and the people were already well acquainted with the Qur'an. This The Qur'an was the focus of all the people.There was no neutral reaction towards the Qur'an. The believers loved the Qur'an and were willing to die for it, and the disbelievers hated the Qur'an and were willing to kill for it. So, the subject matter was so universal that it was apparent to everyone that "it" referred to the Qur'an.

LITERARY GEM: انزلنا vs نزّلنا.
Commonly, both verbs are translated as "we sent it down" but they are different.
انزلنا is from Baab Ifaal and it points to something that is done at one time. It gives the implies that the whole Qur'an was revealed together at one time in Laylah tul Qadr.
نزّلنا is Baab tafeel. It refers to something that is done gradually and takes time.
e.g. علّم is from Baab Tafeel and it means: to teach (something that happens over time) and اعلم is from Baab Ifaal and it means: to inform (something that happens in one go entirely)

We know that the Quran was revealed over a span of 23 years. So, why was انزلنا used?
Allah sent the Qur'an down all at one time انزلنا from the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz) to the House of Might (Baytul-`Izzah), which is in the heaven of this world. Then it came down in parts to the Messenger of Allah نزّلنا based upon the incidents that occurred over a period of twenty-three years.
Also, the first revelation, consisting of the opening verses of Surah Alaq, was in the month of Ramadan on the Night of Qadr, when the Messenger of Allahﷺ was in the cave of Hira. The rest of the Qur'an was revealed little by little according to the need of different occasions. (MQ)

The disbelievers had the objection that why wasn't the Qur'an revealed all at once? Why was it gradually revealed to them? The reason is that the people would have become overwhelmed if the Qur'an had been revealed at once. It requires time and effort for Qur'an to be understood, internalised and put into action. The Qur'an cannot be studied casually like a book, but requires deep reflection.

ليلة القدر

Meaning of the Night of Qadr

Qadr is commonly translated as the Night of Power. But, it has multiple interpretations, all of them being correct.

1- It means 'power, greatness, status, honour and dignity'.

مَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ - 22:74

They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.

Its a night of great honour and nobility. Allah SWT, who has the highest status, chose to reveal the greatest of revelation (Qur'an), to the greatest of Prophets, through the greatest of angels Jibril AS, in the night that has the highest status.

Allah sent the Qur'an down all at one time from the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz) to the House of Might (Baytul-`Izzah), which is in the (first) heaven of this world. Then it came down in parts to the Messenger of Allah based upon the incidents that occurred over a period of twenty-three years.

Another interpretation is that the first revelation, consisting of the opening verses of Surah Alaq, was revealed in the month of Ramadan on the Night of Qadr, when the Messenger of Allahﷺ was in the cave of Hira. The rest of the Qur'an was revealed little by little according to the need of different occasions.

A person becomes a man of honour and dignity on account of his repentance and righteous acts during this night, while prior to this he might have lacked honour and dignity because of leading a life of disobedience.

2- Qadr also means 'predestination, decree, estimation and determination'. The night is so called because the destiny of individuals and nations that was in the knowledge of Allah, is assigned to the relevant angels who are appointed to carry out these tasks. Every man's age, death, sustenance, rain and other things are measured out to the angels to be implemented for a complete year from one month of Ramadan to another. All angels are delegated different divine commandments by Allah. It is amazing that Allah chose this night for our decree, because this is the night when people will be engaged in worship and dua to Allah. Allah could have chosen any night, but He chose a night in which we would feel closest to Allah.

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ - 44:3

Indeed, We sent it (Qur'an) down during a blessed night. Indeed, We were to warn [mankind].

فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ - 44:4

On that night is made distinct every precise matter -

أَمْرًا مِّنْ عِندِنَا ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُرْسِلِينَ - 44:5

[Every] matter [proceeding] from Us. Indeed, We were to send [a messenger]

3- It also means 'the night of appreciation and value'. In this night, whoever worships Allah, Allah does qadr(appreciates it) so much that He counts this worship as better than a thousand months. The actions of this night are magnified and multiplied and have great value in the sight of Allah. Also, those who truly seek to recognise Allah will find a great appreciation of Allah in this night.

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that :

The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "Whoever stands (in he voluntary night prayer of) the Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven." (Sunan Nasai)

4- It also means 'constriction, restriction or congestion'. e.g. Qadr is used in the Qur'an when Rizq becomes tight and restricted for someone.

أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيَقْدِرُ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ - 39:52

Do they not know that Allah extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]? Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.

So many angels descend on the Earth on this night that the heavens and the earth become constricted. The quantity of angels on the Laylat ul Qadr is more than the pebbles on Earth.

The Messenger of Allah sws said narrating about the journey of ‘Isra wal Miraaj, “Then I was shown Al-Bait-al-Ma'mur (i.e. Allah’s House). I asked Jibril AS about it and he said, This is Al Bait-ul-Ma'mur where 70,000 angels perform prayers daily and when they leave they never return to it (but always a fresh batch comes into it daily).”- Sahih Bukhari & Muslim

One of the signs of Laylat ul qadr is that in the following morning, the sun appears bright but has no rays, and the reason could be the descent of angels.

When does the Night of Qadr occur?

It is explicitly stated in the Qur'an that the Night occurs in the blessed or auspicious month of Ramadan, but its exact date has not been disclosed. As a result, it is disputed and debated among scholars. There are about forty opinions recorded. The most authentic opinion is that the Night of Qadr occurs in the last ten nights of Ramadan. It could be any of the last ten odd nights: 21, 23, 25, 27 and 29. All the Traditions pertaining to the date of the Night are authentic, and there is no need for any convoluted interpretation. The safest method is to find the Night of Qadr in all the last 10 nights of Ramadan. (MQ)

Narrated `Aisha: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan." (Bukhari)

Narrated `Aisha:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to practice I`tikaf in the last ten nights of Ramadan and used to say, "Look for the Night of Qadr in the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan (Bukhari)

Narrated Aisha: With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet (ﷺ) used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work hard) and used to pray all the night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers. (Bukhari)

Narrated 'Ubada bin As-Samit: The Prophet (ﷺ) came out to inform us about the Night of Qadr but two Muslims were quarreling with each other. So, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I came out to inform you about the Night of Qadr but such-and-such persons were quarreling, so the news about it had been taken away; yet that might be for your own good, so search for it on the 29th, 27th and 25th (of Ramadan). (Bukhari)

Ubaadah bin Saamit (ra) reports that he asked the Prophet ﷺ about “Laylatul Qadr”. He replied: “It is in Ramadhan, during the last ten days, on the unevenly numbered nights, either the 21st 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th or the last night of Ramadhan. Whosoever stands in “Ibaadah” on this night, with sincere faith and with genuine hopes of gaining reward, his previous sins will be forgiven. Among the signs of this night is that it is a serene, quiet, shining night, neither hot, nor cold but temperate as if a moon is shining clear, and no meteors are shot at the “Shayateen” on that night; it lasts until the break of the dawn. Another sign is that at morn, the Sun rises without any radiant beams of light, appearing rather like the moon in its fullness. On that day, Allah prohibits the “Shayateen” from rising up with the Sun.”Reported by Ahmad (23145) and Al-Haithami said that the transmitters are trustworthy.

Why was the knowledge of the precise date of Laylat ul Qadr kept hidden?

Not having the exact knowledge of Laylat ul Qadr is a gift from Allah. There are many benefits of not knowing the exact night:

1. Anything that is valuable in the sight of Allah, Allah does not disclose its exact time and place. He makes us search and strive for it because the juice is worth the squeeze. For example, Allah told us to guard prayers, especially the middle prayer, but didn't specify what the middle prayer is. Allah told us to prepare for death but did not reveal to us the time and place of our deaths. Allah told us there is a special time in Jumuah when duas are accepted, but He kept the knowledge hidden. So, the major benefit is to make us search for Laylat ul Qadr in all the nights so that we earn extra reward by turning to Allah. Imagine if someone offers a million dollars to us for praying for ten nights, who would refuse that offer? Allah is offering us a reward of more than a thousand months! The sad reality is that if Allah had specified the date, the masjid would have been empty in all the remaining nights.

2. Imagine you spend 10 days with a friend, and after that you have to part with them. You will have developed such a strong bond with them in those days that you will miss them sorely. Allah wants us to spend the complete ten nights with Him so that we develop such a strong relationship with Him that we miss him after these nights are over. Regular Ibadah in these nights will make it easy for us to turn to Allah after Ramadan is over

3. Also, if someone ignored Laylat ul Qadr and kicked it to a side even after knowing the exact date, imagine what loss he would have been in? It is a mercy that Allah kept the knowledge hidden, so we wouldn't be of the unfortunate ones.

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ - 97:2
And what may let you know what the Night of Qadr is? [2]

وما ادراك
ما is used for تعجب: to give you a sense of awe. It is a rhetorical device to gain attention and place emphasis. It gives the meaning: What in the world could possibly make you realise what Laylat ul Qadr really is?
Allah does not emphasise here on when the night occurs but rather on what the night is i.e. its significance!
Allah sometimes uses past sense and sometimes the future tense with ما. Here, Allah uses past tense ادراك. Whenever Allah uses the past tense, Allah usually gives the answer in the following verses. Whenever Allah uses the future tense يدريك , He usually does not give an explanation after that. The rest of the Surah explains what Laylat ul Qadr is!

Also, in Arabic, using a noun is more powerful than alluding to it by using a pronoun. Allah uses the phrase ما ادراك at multiple places in the Qur'an. It is usually followed by a direct answer without attaching a noun or pronoun e.g. نار حاميه instead of saying that "It is نار حاميه"
This is the only place in the Qur'an where Allah repeats the noun by saying ليلة القدر خير من الف شهر. Allah repeated 'Laylat ul Qadr' to add emphasis to it.

لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ - 97:3
The Night of Qadr is much better than one thousand months. [3]

The Value and Importance of the Night

What is meant by better than a thousand months? The rewards and barakah of deeds we do on this night is better than a thousand months. If we take it literally, a thousand months is approximately 83 years. The average lifespan for men in developed countries is less than that! So the reward of this night is even more than our lifespan.
According to some, 'a thousand months' is used metaphorically and it does not signify a precise number, but actually denotes eternity. Allah alone knows how much more the reward is multiplied. SubhanAllah! So, we should use this night to do as many good deeds and ibadah as we can.

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven ." (Bukhari)

Anas Bin Maalik (ra) said: “Ramadhaan began so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Verily this month has arrived upon you and in it is a night that is better than 1000 months. The one who is deprived of it has been deprived of all Goodness and only the deprived person is deprived of it.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah (1644). Also narrated by Ahmad and An-Nasaa’i from Abu Hurairah (ra)

It is recommended to supplicate often during all times, especially during the month of Ramadan, in the last ten nights, and during the odd nights of it even more so.

Sayyidah 'A'ishah once asked the Messenger of Allah what supplication she should make if she finds the Night. The Messenger of Allah advised her to make the following supplication:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ كَرِيمٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
"O Allah! Verily, You are the Oft-Pardoning, You love to pardon, so do pardon me. (Tirmidhi)

تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ - 97:4
The angels and the Spirit descend in it, with the leave of your Lord, along with every command. [4]

Descent of the Angels and the Spirit with Divine Decrees
Ruh refers to the angel Jibril AS, and he is mentioned separately to distinguish his elevated status from other angels. Jibril AS is mentioned multiple times in the Qur'an.

Say, "Whoever is an enemy to Jibreel - it is [none but] he who has brought the Qur'an down upon your heart, [O Muhammad], by permission of Allah , confirming that which was before it and as guidance and good tidings for the believers. Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His messengers and Gabriel and Michael - then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers. (2:97-98)

And indeed, the Qur'an is the revelation of the Lord of the worlds. The Trustworthy Spirit (Jibreel) has brought it down (26:192-193)

[That] indeed, the Qur'an is a word [conveyed by] a noble messenger (Jibreel AS). [Who is] possessed of power and with the Owner of the Throne, secure [in position]. Obeyed there [in the heavens] and trustworthy. (81:19-21)

He witnessed the beginning of creation, communicated with and brought revelation to the prophets, and he only descends on Earth for tasks of immense importance. Jibril AS descends every year on Laylat ul Qadr, and this reflects the eminent status of this blessed night.
1. All the angels bring down, during the Night of Qadr, the decree for everything destined to occur in the coming year.
2. The angels descend with Allah's blessings and mercy, just like when they descend when the Qur'an is recited (they surround the circles of Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and they lower their wings with true respect for the student of knowledge.) The descent of angels is itself a sign and reflection of Allah's mercy. The number of angels are infinite and imagine that all of them descend on this night!

Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah 's Apostle said, "Allah has some angels who look for those who celebrate the Praises of Allah on the roads and paths. And when they find some people celebrating the Praises of Allah, they call each other, saying, "Come to the object of your pursuit.' " He added, "Then the angels encircle them with their wings up to the sky of the world." He added. "(after those people celebrated the Praises of Allah, and the angels go back), their Lord, asks them (those angels)----though He knows better than them----'What do My slaves say?' The angels reply, 'They say: Subhan Allah, Allahu Akbar, and Alham-du-li l-lah, Allah then says 'Did they see Me?' The angels reply, 'No! By Allah, they didn't see You.' Allah says, How it would have been if they saw Me?' The angels reply, 'If they saw You, they would worship You more devoutly and celebrate Your Glory more deeply, and declare Your freedom from any resemblance to anything more often.' Allah says (to the angels), 'What do they ask Me for?' The angels reply, 'They ask You for Paradise.' Allah says (to the angels), 'Did they see it?' The angels say, 'No! By Allah, O Lord! They did not see it.' Allah says, How it would have been if they saw it?' The angels say, 'If they saw it, they would have greater covetousness for it and would seek It with greater zeal and would have greater desire for it.' Allah says, 'From what do they seek refuge?' The angels reply, 'They seek refuge from the (Hell) Fire.' Allah says, 'Did they see it?' The angels say, 'No By Allah, O Lord! They did not see it.' Allah says, How it would have been if they saw it?' The angels say, 'If they saw it they would flee from it with the extreme fleeing and would have extreme fear from it.' Then Allah says, 'I make you witnesses that I have forgiven them."' Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) added, "One of the angels would say, 'There was so-and-so amongst them, and he was not one of them, but he had just come for some need.' Allah would say, 'These are those people whose companions will not be reduced to misery.' (Bukhari)

Sayyidna Anas narrates that the Messenger of Allah said: "When the Night of Qadr occurs, Jibril AS descends on the earth with a huge throng of angels and all of them pray for every servant of Allah, man or woman, busy in salah or dhikr, to be blessed by Allah." [Mazhari]. (MQ)

LITERARY GEMS:
1. تنزل vs. تتنزل
Note that the Quran is precise, down to the way a word is spelled. It is humanly incapable for us to be as precise. Let's take an example, we use the abbreviation "demo" for demonstration, and "Maths" for Mathematics. In Arabic, we also have abbreviations known as ادغام فى الصرف e.g. تنزّل is the short version of تتنزل, and using the short term does not affect the meaning. But, using the longer version adds more context and meaning to it e.g. In Surah حم سجدة, Allah says تتنزل because it refers to the angels descending at the time of death, which happens almost every minute. But here, Allah used تنزل because Laylat ul Qadr does not occur every day, but occurs once in a year. The single ت also implies that the act of descending occurs very rapidly and swiftly. It also implies that they come down with a subtle and soft nature and bring peace to everyone.
This precision is one of the marvels of the Qur'an. Recall that the Qur'an was the spoken word, and not the written word, and it is humanly impossible for a human to be so precise and subtle in language.

2. ملاىكة and روح
In the Quran, Allah mentions ملاىكة(angels) and روح(Jibril AS) at multiple places. Where the movement of angels is mentioned in an Ayah, angels are mentioned before Ruh. Jibril AS is described as عند ذى العرش المكين (He is stationed below the Arsh). So, in Surah Naba where angels are described as standing still before Allah, Ruh is mentioned first. In Surah Qadr, Allah mentions Ruh first so this night is so honourable that even Jibril AS descends. Jibril AS only descends for things of great importance e.g. bringing revelation to Nabi Kareem ﷺ

باذن ربهم: by the permission of their Master. The believers are held in such a high regard and status that the angels are waiting desperately to say salaam to the believers. So, they seek the permission of Allah to say salaam to the worshiping believers and permission is granted to them.

من كل امر
من means because/from
They descend to initiate the process because of every single command that Allah has issued them for the following year. Whenever Allah mentions the descent of angels to execute the commands of Allah, He always mentions the source of the command i.e. Himself. Allah emphasises on it because in a lot of religions, angels are considered partners or daughters of god.
امر means everything/every single matter i.e. all commands for the following year.

سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ - 97:5
Peace it is till the rising of dawn. [5]

"Salaam" means that there is absolute peace on this night. It is one of the Asma ul Husna, and Dar us Salam is also one of the names of Jannah, the place of eternal peace.

The angels are the messengers of peace on this night. Every decision of Allah brings peace to everyone. The night is a security from every harm and calamity. It is security in which Shaytan cannot do any evil or any harm.

Also, Allah did not say this night is peaceful, rather He said that this night IS peace. So, whoever seeks Allah on this night, will find peace in his heart, and it will be a peace that he has never experienced before.

It is also called the night of peace because angels constantly say Salaam to the worshipers on this night. The blessings of the Night of Qadr are not restricted to any particular part of the night. They start descending at the fall of night and continue till the break of dawn.

Salaam could also be a command from Allah to establish peace in respect of this night, and not do anything against the commandments of Allah.

Sayyidna 'Uthman narrates that the Messenger of Allah said: "If a person performs his 'Isha' salah in congregation, he will attain the blessings of spending half the night in devotion; and if he performs Fajr salah in congregation, he will attain the blessings of spending the entire night in devotion." (Muslim)

Why is Surah Qadr a Makki Surah although the disbelievers were not interesting in reaping the benefits of Laylat ul Qadr?

In the previous Surah, the messenger was being attacked by Abu Jahl. The Messenger ﷺ was desperate to change the hearts of the disbelievers because of his immense love and concern. Dawah is like making a sale. The salesman wants to sell his product and is hoping someone will buy it. The customer thinks that he is in a position of power as he can reject the product. The Kuffaar begin to think that they are like customers and have the upper hand. But Allah SWT makes it clear that if they accept the message, its for their own benefit and if they don't accept it, it is their own loss. Allah is not in need of their acceptance. They are in need of this guidance. Qur'an was revealed in Laylat ul Qadr on this magnificent night and it is a self-evident miracle. The Qur'an is so honoured that the disbelievers should rush towards it, as it is a gift for them. But the disbelievers were rejecting both the Qu'ran and Nabi Kareem ﷺ.

Is QUR'AN Allah's word? From doubt to certain conviction - Nouman Ali khan - Ramadan 2014 Day 11

This session will be a journey from doubt to conviction.

Fadel Saleh Samerai=He is from a village Samerai in Iraq, thats how a lot of Arabs name themselves.
He wrote a long time ago a book, my journey from doubt do conviction about the Prophet SAWW.
He was a highly intelligent,observant very young man who studied philosophy and got convinced that all religions are manmade, and only superstitious people believe in Heaven and Hell and he lost all faith in religion. And he thought that a lot of people around him also have doubts like him but are afraid to say it. And people are just following religion because religion runs within family and they dont even think about it. Then when he went to a University it was more secular so he finally expressed that he did not believe. But he still kept the possibility that it COULD be the truth. So he started writing some notes which were in favour and in against of religion.

I can say,do,eat whatever I want and live however I want if I leave this religion and if I accept it, it will put restrictions on me. Whats my life going to be like if I believe it or dont?
Even the Prophet said that the world is a prison for the believer and paradise for the disbeliever.

He was very knowledgeable and became the head of Phd in University of Baghdad but he refused to even study the Quran, although he read so many Arab books and on philosophy. He was proud of being an Arab thats why he studied ancient Arabic because he wanted to preserve his heritage. But he always stayed away from Quran because he wanted to keep his freedom.

One of his student suggested that he wrote a book which would be a critique on Quran and point out the mistakes in Quran to criticise it in his thesis. And he ends up writing around 18 books on the fact that Quran cannot possibly be a humans word. He then became famous and got his own TV show.

Another person is Abdur Rauf that I would like to introduce you to

Arabs were traditional people, desert people and travelled like nomads.
Nobody was interested in conquering Arab because there was no fertile land there and it was just desert.
They were in between Roman and Persian empires. So nobody messed with Arab and left them alone because it could lead to a war between the superpowers Roman and Persians. So Arabs spoke only to themselves so their language was very pure.

When too many cultures collide, the native language suffers as it becomes influenced by so many other cultures. e.g. English suffers in New york city because the place is full of immigrants each with their own brand of English.Urdu has also been heavily influenced by English. When a language is free of influences, it flourishes e.g. Arabic.
Arabs had no scenery around them, nothing! just desert. So it let their imagination go wild. Some of th emost remarkable writings have been written in prison. It makes people creative.

Arabic word for intellect is AQAL.
Iqaal was a rope people used to tie on their head, and it was used for tying camels.
It was used as a leash.
A leash restricts movement, so they say the intellect is what holds you back from doing stupid things.

e.g. Knife is called Sikkeen and sikkeen means PAUSE, so its a device to stop your life and breathing. Sikkeen also means coolness because it brings stillness and coolness to the animal before they kill it.

So Arabs have visual imagery associated with their words and their language is very picturesque and rich.

They had nothing to be proud of so they became proud of their language. In fact they were so proud that they thought every other language sounded retarded compared to theirs. So they took great care of their language. The tribes would have poetry competitions and battles. And they were so crazy about it that they killed the poet who could not beat the poet of the other tribe.
When the Quran came it also invited Arabs to produce something similar to the Quran. The Prophet SAWW entered Surah Kausar in a competition of poetry, when the Arabs did not even know it was Quran. And they heard it and said that it cant be the word of a human(Maa haaza qaulul bashar). They hung it on the kaabah.

Another incident:They sent their best poet Walid bin Mughaira to do a poetry slam with the Prophet SAWW. He was confident. He offered to give him women and money and governership. The Prophet SAWW recited some Quran in reply,Walid bin Mughaira began to CRY so hard. And he grabbed the mouth of the Prophet SAWW and said that I cannot take it anymore. He came back and said that I know poetry and thats not poetry and I know magic but its not magician and I know insanity but this is not insane speech. This Quran is bound to dominate.

Allah had not made the Prophet capable of poetry but he SAWW loved poetry.The Prophet SAWW used to have a poet Hassaan. Even the muslim tribes used to compete for poetry. So he wrote a poem about his tribe: Even the bowls in which we give charity shine. Imagine what is in it. We do impossible rescue missions so much so that our swords dont even get a chance to become dry. So the first line was about how generous he was and second was how brave he was. Everybody was impressed.
Khansa, a female sahabiya had comments, she said you used Jafanaat(you only have 9 or less bowls although you could have used a plural word) so you are not really that rich. You said Al gurr(they twinkle), anything can shine even rocks. You should have said they twinkle so much that they look white(use the word Beed). Then she said they twinkle during that day, thats not a big deal, the big deal is when something sparkles during the night, especially when it becomes a source of light. And you used Asyaaf for swords (you should have used suwoofoona), you said it drips with blood(yajreena- they flow, and rivers,NOT drops of blood). They loved doing this. Arabs LOVE correcting.They could have corrected the Quran the same way. But they were baffled. They were ready to fight and kill muslims instead of producing a Surah like this. Allah says gather the whole humanity and produce something like this.

Tufail Ibn Dosee= He was the leader of his tribe, and wanted to pay his respects to Makkah. Each tribe had an idol in Makkah around which they made pilgrimage. The leaders of Quraysh wanted to protect him from falling into the hands of Muhammad SAWW, so they met him outside Makkah to warn him. If a tribal leader accepts Islam, the whole tribe accepts Islam, so they were concerned about it. They told him that Muhammad SAWW casts spells on people and divides families, so he should go back. Tufail did not want to go back so they gave him cork to plug his ears, if he heard the messenger SAWW listening. He hears Muhammad SAWW's recitation and plugs his ears, and begins to run. On second thought, he defiantly goes back to the Messenger SAWW because of his arrogance and self confidence, but ends up taking shahadah.

A historical perspective
Quran came down over the course of 23 years.
The society transformed from a polytheistic society to a society which worshipped Allah alone.
Before they used to think women were NOTHING. But they became the most noble now. The only being Allah uses the word taqwa for apart from Himself is mothers. Allah said be conscious of the wombs of mothers.
All tribes and all people became equal.
There came restrictions on eating and drinking and business.
Women could dress provocatively before but now they became women of Haya.
It changed how the people lived and how they love and hate, their mannerism, how people speak, politics, sociology, everything!

All of these changes occurred in just 23 years. Societies dont transform that quickly! There is no other example of such a complete change in society! Neither before the Quran and nor after the Quran.
If you study all the revolutions, they take a long time for ideas to seep into the society. And usually the people who intiate them are philosophers or authors who are not themselves on the battlefield. The person giving the idea and the person carrying it out is never the same.

Some people say that if Islam was so perfect, why did it last for only a short time in its perfect form(up til khulafa rashideen RA)?But the counterargument is that this is the only periods of time in history when a set of ideas was implemented in totality hundred percent. Not in bits and pieces.

The Quran was given to the Prophet SAWW who did not know how to read and write. The Quran did not exist as a book back then. The sahaba at that time could never think of the Quran without thinking of the Prophet and they were inseparable as they got it THROUGH the Prophet SAWW.

The word Dunya is used 115 times. The word Akhirah 115 times.
Angels 88 times. Devil 88 times
Life 145 times. Death 145 times.
Good deeds 167 times.Bad deeds 167 times.
Disbelief 17 times. Belief 17 times.
Iblees 11 times. Seeking refuge 11 times.
They said 332 times (qaalo). SAY 332 times.
Month is used 12 times.
Day is 365 times.
Prayer 5 times.

These miracles are not humanly possible. Remember the Quran was not in book form. It was step by step revealed in 23 years. No human can possibly estimate how many times he said what. Its not possible.

Much of the names used in Quran e.g. Ibrahim,Zakariyya,Aazir etc were not Arab names. And Arabs were culturally isolated and unaware of their meanings.
e.g. now we found out that Musa is NEWBORN. The Quran says that the wife of Pharoah said We could take him as a Musa/newborn. The Quran used the word Musa(translated it). The Quran is in Arabic and has knowledge and translations of other names. The Arabs could not have known this.
e.g. Ismael means God listens. Ibrahim AS said this because his prayer was accepted about Ismael AS. The Quran says Master accept from us you are the one who listens.

3,5,7,9,11,13,65(Multiple of 65). Thats how Sahaba used to recite the Quran. Once every week as Manaazil. And it was not in book form yet but this was so mathematical.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Surah Qiyamah (75) - Tafseer

Why does Allah emphasise on After life in Qur'an?

1-Allah is Just, but this world clearly has a lot of injustice, so this leaves the need for an after life where justice will be fully served. The injustice in this world is balanced with the justice of after life

2- رب is an absolute authority. An authority assigns certain tasks or sets certain limits that must be followed e.g. government, teacher, employer, parents etc. After an authority assigns a set of rules, it holds the people accountable and ensures that the rules are followed. The fear of accountability and questioning often drives people to fulfil their responsibilities. The majority of people need the presence of an authority, in order to fulfil even their basic responsibilities. There are very few people who fulfil their responsibilities and do good on their own, without any incentive. e.g. if the traffic police had not set rules for driving, people would not have observed traffic regulations, even if they know that their driving can be potentially harmful for others. Allah has defined some principles for life and given us freedom to live in the dunya, but it is only fair that Allah will question us on an assigned day.

3- The life given to us is a gift from Allah. When someone gives us a gift, they have the right to ask us if we valued the gift. If we waste the gift, that reflects ingratitude and a lack of appreciation for the gift. e.g. if our parents worked hard to earn enough money to buy us a new car, they have the right to ask if we are taking care of the car, or using it recklessly

Some people argue: I did not ask to be created. I did not choose my circumstances. Why will I be questioned? It is true that we did not choose to be created, but Allah has given us a choice after creating us. Allah is our Master and our Creator, and He has made us with His infinite wisdom. We should value the gift of life as Allah has given us immense favours and blessings in dunya. Gratitude is the foundation of our faith, and we need to internalise that we are constantly being showered by the rahmah of Allah.

4-The life of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) itself is also an evidence of the Day of Judgement. His life is a testimony to the fact that he was the most truthful. He warned about the Day of Judgement, and there cannot be anything but truth in his statement.

Why is the description so graphic?

Allah describes Hell very explicitly and graphically. All Prophets described after life to their people, but the description of after life is the most graphic in the Qur'an. The purpose of the description was to warn us and make our heart soft and fearful. If Allah had not described the outcome of the paths we choose, we would not have prepared for the after life. It is Allah's mercy that He described hell to us so that we do not have to see it or suffer in it. Allah has described Hell so clearly that we cannot dare to make a mockery of it. People of other religions e.g. Bani Israel had begun to take hell as a joke, and their hearts had hardened. They even eliminated the mention of after life from their scriptures.

This description does not imply that Allah wants to punish and torture us. Shaytan tries to put wasawis in our minds by making us believe that Allah loves to punish us. Allah loves us more than our mothers and there is no comparison to His rahmah. Allah wants Jannah for us, and He provides us countless opportunities to earn Jannah. Allah loves to forgive us and looks for opportunities to multiply our rewards. It is also a gift from Allah that Allah described Hell, because he wanted us to take heed make the best choice for ourselves.

فَأَنذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًا تَلَظَّىٰ - 92:14

لَا يَصْلَاهَا إِلَّا الْأَشْقَى - 92:15

So I have warned you of a Fire which is blazing. None will [enter to] burn therein except the most wretched one.

What should be our response?

Imagine if you are told that a tornado, storm or volcano is coming. What will be your response?

1. I hate tornados. Forget it. Why would even a tornado come. I don't believe it. What did I do to deserve a tornado?

2. Take the warning, pack your bags and do everything to escape it.

Our denial of after life won't change the reality. The fact is that after life is haq and is bound to occur. It might give us temporary happiness if we live in denial and deception, but eventually we will be in loss.

لَا أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ - 75:1

I swear by the Day of Resurrection

The Surah begins with لا because all of the ideas the disbelievers had about judgement day were incorrect, so Allah first negated their beliefs. Then, Allah swore by the Day of Resurrection to place emphasis upon it. If the thing that is being sworn about is something that is being negated, then it is permissible to use the word "La'' (Nay) before the oath to emphasize the negation.

وَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِالنَّفْسِ اللَّوَّامَةِ - 75:2

And I swear by the reproaching soul [to the certainty of resurrection].

Then Allah swears by the نفس لوّامة. It is the inner self that blames us and makes us feel guilty after doing something wrong. It also makes us feel regret if we do not fulfil our obligations in a perfect manner, or if we do not perform enough good deeds. Guilt is not an acquired feeling, but it is a natural feeling placed inside all of us. Our conscience makes us feel bad the moment we cross a line. It is a built in fire alarm placed within all of us to warn us of danger. We may eventually manage to suppress it by repeated negligence, but it was placed inside our fitrah. This system is a gift from Allah, as this warning saves us from bigger dangers. This gift is also a proof of the after life, as whenever we wrong ourselves, we feel sorry, and this reminds us what our biggest regret will be on the Day of Judgement: We will be sorry for the bad deeds we committed and the good deeds that we missed.

Three kinds of Nafs

1.The first stage is called] An-nafs-ul-ammarah 'the self that tempts (to evil)' as said by the Holy Qur'an:

ۚ إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّي ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ - 12:53

Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful."

2. The second stage of development is called An-nafs-ul-lawwamah 'the self that blames' -'the self-reproaching conscience.

3. The third and highest stage of development is called An-nafs-ul-mutma'innah 'the self at peace'.

The first stage is developed into the second stage when the traveler perform righteousness, and exerts himself in riyadah and mujahadah 'spiritual struggle'. This Self is conscious of its own imperfections. It regrets its evils and shortcomings, but it is not completely cut off from the evils. This self develops into the third stage when it progressively performs righteousness and attains Divine nearness and applies the sacred laws of Sharl'ah so rigorously that Shari'ah becomes his nature and develops a natural hatred for anything contrary to Shari'ah . The title of the self at this stage is mutma'innah

If we make Istaghfar, how can we be sure that Allah has accepted it? How do we reassure ourselves? If we genuinely ask for an apology, its a fact that its accepted, without doubt. e.g. recall the example of Musa AS when he accidentally killed a man. He asked for forgiveness and Allah responded by saying that He forgave him, and Allah is undoubtedly forgiving. Musa AS immediately believed that he was forgiven and thanked Allah for the favour.

قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَغَفَرَ لَهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ - 28:16

He said, "My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, so forgive me," and He forgave him. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ فَلَنْ أَكُونَ ظَهِيرًا لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ - 28:17

He said, "My Lord, for the favor You bestowed upon me, I will never be an assistant to the criminals."

He was not even a Prophet yet, yet he had complete faith that his apology was accepted. Murder is one of the biggest sins, so why do we think that Allah cannot forgive our sins?

أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَلَّن نَّجْمَعَ عِظَامَهُ - 75:3

Does man think that We will not assemble his bones?

بَلَىٰ قَادِرِينَ عَلَىٰ أَن نُّسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُ - 75:4

Yes. [We are] Able [even] to proportion his fingertip

Now, Allah asks some rhetorical questions. Does man think that we cannot assemble his bones? Rather we are completely capable to assemble him, down to every detail, and even proportion his fingertips. Allah is able not only to raise man's dead body again, but also to reconstruct every part of his body perfectly up to the minute detail of the very delicate fingertips and individual fingerprints. Man will be given the

same body as he had in his worldly life without the slightest difference. He will be raised with the same face, shape and size, and with the same distinctive features, so much so that his fingertips and fingerprints will be reshaped as they were in the first instance of his creation.

Allah has characterized every human body with some identification marks through which one person could be distinctly recognized and

distinguished from the other. No two thumbprints or fingerprints are alike. Fingertips look alike, but the fingerprints are different. There are zillions of human beings, but the patterns of lines on the skins of the fingers is distinctly recognizable.

بَلْ يُرِيدُ الْإِنسَانُ لِيَفْجُرَ أَمَامَهُ - 75:5

But man desires to continue in sin.

فجر means to crack open/ explode. It is used for the Fajr prayer because the rays of morning light explode through the darkness. امام is used for the future or that which is ahead.

فجور is used for those people who have no self control, and they just explode into doing whatever they want to do. They are impulsive and don't know how to hold themselves back. They don't think about the consequences of their words or actions. They do whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it. They desire to continue and persist in this attribute even in the future. This makes them similar to animals, because animals also follow their natural instincts without thinking. We have been given laws and moral regulations to control our animal instincts, and prevent us and others from harm.

يَسْأَلُ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ - 75:6

He asks, "When is the Day of Resurrection?"

فَإِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ - 75:7

So when vision is dazzled

وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ - 75:8

And the moon darkens

وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ - 75:9

And the sun and the moon are joined

When the Day of Judgement arrives, the light of the Sun and moon will extinguish and the sun and moon will be rolled up. The eyes will be dazzled, humbled, diminished, and humiliated on the Day of Judgement due to the severity of the horrors and the greatness of the matters that they will witness on that Day.

يَقُولُ الْإِنسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ - 75:10

Man will say on that Day, "Where is the [place of] escape?"

كَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ -75:11

No! There is no refuge.

When the people will see the Qiyamah approaching, they will want to escape and find refuge.

وزر was used for a barrier/bolt made of heavy weight i.e. a secure vault/place to hide. Allah emphasises that there is no place of refuge on that day.

إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمُسْتَقَرُّ - 75:12

To your Lord, that Day, is the [place of] permanence.

يُنَبَّأُ الْإِنسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ - 75:13

Man will be informed that Day of what he sent ahead and kept back.

Man will be informed of all of their priorities, whatever they did immediately, and whatever they delayed for later, whatever they did for dunya, and whatever they did for akhirah, whatever good deeds they sent ahead, and whatever example/customs they left behind for others to follow.

In worldly life, we are always prioritising things. Practically, the difference between a believer and disbeliever is the difference in priorities. The believer suppresses his urges and keeps the consequences of his actions in mind. He has foresight and looks for benefit in akhirah. Disbelievers do whatever they like as they are only focused on what is immediate. Our most valuable asset is time. In any business, we have to decide how to prioritise tasks and split time, on a daily basis. We have to decide how to balance between work, family and other responsibilities. If we don't have a good sense of balance, we might give priority to one thing at the expense of other things. Our ability to prioritise and balance determines the level of productivity in our lives.

We must remember the concept of 'return of investment': In every situation where we are faced with a choice, we must think 'Is it worth it? Is it worth my time? Is the price too high? Why should I do this? What will I get out of it?' Apply this thinking to every situation you face on a daily basis. If you want to do something, think of its pros and cons, and its short and long term benefits and consequences e.g. watching a movie when you have an exam the next day, going to a party, interacting with the opposite gender etc.

بَلِ الْإِنسَانُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ - 75:14

Rather, man, against himself, will be a witness,

وَلَوْ أَلْقَىٰ مَعَاذِيرَهُ - 75:15

Even if he presents his excuses.

The word بصيرة means sight, evidence, roof, argument, witness, insight. One meaning is that the humans will witness their own deeds on the day of Qiyamah in an actual form, whether they were good or bad.

The second meaning is that humans will be witnesses to their own actions. They will know their own reality, even if they try to make excuses. Humans tend to give justifications and make excuses whenever they are questioned. But they cannot escape their own conscience, even if they apparently make excuses. On the Day of Judgement, their own selves and their own limbs will be a witness against them. Allah has temporarily given us authority over our body, but on Qiyamah, we will have no control over our limbs. Our mouth will be sealed and our whole body will testify against us, and we will be unable to stop it. We will be shocked: 'Why are you testifying against me?'

لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ - 75:16

Move not your tongue with it, [O Muhammad], to hasten with recitation of the Qur'an.

إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ - 75:17

Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation.

فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ - 75:18

So when We have recited it [through Gabriel], then follow its recitation.

ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ - 75:19

Then upon Us is its clarification [to you].

Allah commanded Prophet (ﷺ) that when the angel brings some revelation to him, he should just listen. Allah would make sure to collect it in his chest, and He would make it easy for him to recite it in the same way that it was revealed to him. Allah would explain it, interpret it and clarify it for him. So the first phase was gathering it in his chest, the second phase was recitation and the third phase was its explanation and clarification of its meaning. Allah will explain it to you, clarify it and inspire you with its meaning according to what He intended and legislated. Allah Himself took responsibility to preserve and gather the Qur'an in words and in meaning.

Before these ayahs, Allah was describing His immense power and ability to resurrect man and even proportion His fingertips. Allah is capable of everything and nothing escapes His knowledge. So, these ayahs about recitation of Qur'an are a consolation for Prophet (ﷺ) to let him know that Allah is capable of preserving the Qur'an, and He will make this task easy for him. Prophet (ﷺ) had to preserve and memorise the Qur'an in his heart, and he was nervous about the huge responsibility. Remember that the Qur'an was not arranged as a book at that time and not revealed in its entirety. Moreover, the Prophet (ﷺ) could not even read and write so he could only preserve in his heart.

The Prophet (ﷺ) was rushing to do good i.e. recite and memorise the Qur'an. This is in contrast to the previous group of فجور who were impulsively rushing towards evil deeds. When we believe in judgement day, we rush towards good. We should be eager to do good deeds but we should not be impulsive. The best deeds in the sight of Allah are those that may be few but are consistent.

كَلَّا بَلْ تُحِبُّونَ الْعَاجِلَةَ - 75:20

No! But you love the immediate

وَتَذَرُونَ الْآخِرَةَ -75:21

And leave the Hereafter.

Shaytaan offers people cash, and incites them to 'just do it'. Akhirah is not something that is visible to people, and it is not immediately in front of them, so they forget about it. People like to focus on short term gains, and forget the long term consequences. We lack patience and hate to wait, and want results overnight. We like things that have a lot of thrill, although they may be short lived.

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ - 75:22

[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant,

Some faces, on that day, will be bright and radiant. They will be splendid, fresh, glowing, delighted with goodness.Those people will be so happy that their happiness will show from their faces.

إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ -75:23

Looking at their Lord.

The believers seeing Allah in the abode of the Hereafter has been confirmed in the authentic Hadiths from numerous routes of transmission with the scholars of Hadith. It is not possible to deny this or refuse it.

It was narrated that Jarir bin 'Abdullah said:

"We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah. He looked at the moon, which was full, and said, 'Indeed, you will see your Lord as you see this moon. You will not feel the slightest inconvenience and overcrowding in seeing Him. (Ibn Majah)

Abu Hurairah said :

The people asked : Messenger of Allah! Shall we see our lord, the Exalted, on the Day of resurrection? He replied : Do you feel any trouble in seeing the sun at noon when it is not in the cloud? They said: No. He asked : Do you feel any trouble in seeing the moon on the night when it is full and not in the cloud? They replied: No. He said: By him in whose hand my soul is, you will not feel any trouble in seeing him except as much as you feel in seeing any of them. (Sunan Abi Dawud)

It was narrated that Suhaib said:

"The Messenger of Allah recited this Verse: 'For those who have done good is the best reward and even more.' Then he said:

إِذَا دَخَلَ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ الْجَنَّةَ وَأَهْلُ النَّارِ النَّارَ نَادَى مُنَادٍ يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ إِنَّ لَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَوْعِدًا يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُنْجِزَكُمُوهُ . فَيَقُولُونَ وَمَا هُوَ أَلَمْ يُثَقِّلِ اللَّهُ مَوَازِينَنَا وَيُبَيِّضْ وُجُوهَنَا وَيُدْخِلْنَا الْجَنَّةَ وَيُنْجِنَا مِنَ النَّارِ قَالَ فَيَكْشِفُ الْحِجَابَ فَيَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْهِ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا أَعْطَاهُمُ اللَّهُ شَيْئًا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّظَرِ إِلَيْهِ وَلاَ أَقَرَّ لأَعْيُنِهِمْ

'When the people of Paradise enter Paradise, and the people of the Fire enter the Fire, a caller will cry out: "O people of Paradise! You have a covenant with Allah and He wants to fulfill it." They will say: "What is it?" Has Allah not made the Balance (of our good deeds) heavy, and made our faces bright, and admitted us to Paradise and saved us from Hell?" Then the Veil will be lifted and they will look upon Him, and by Allah, Allah will not give them anything that is more beloved to them or delightful, than looking upon Him.'" (Sunan Ibn Majah)

وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَاسِرَةٌ - 75:24

And [some] faces, that Day, will be contorted,

تَظُنُّ أَن يُفْعَلَ بِهَا فَاقِرَةٌ - 75:25

Expecting that there will be done to them [something] backbreaking.

Other people will have faces that reflect gloom, grief and anxiety. They will be aware that they are going to be given a backbreaking punishment. Imagine that you are in the middle of the road and you suddenly realise that a car is going to hit you, and you cannot escape. They will have such an expression on their face because they will be aware of the approaching calamity, and there will be no escape for them.

Some faces that Day will be bright. Laughing, rejoicing at the good news. And other faces, that Day will be dust-stained; darkness will cover them, such will be the disbelieving, wicked. (80:38-42)

(Some faces, that Day will be humiliated. Laboring, weary. They will enter in the hot blazing Fire.) (88:2-4)

((Other) faces that Day will be joyful. Happy with their endeavor. In a lofty Paradise.) (88:8-10)

كَلَّا إِذَا بَلَغَتِ التَّرَاقِيَ - 75:26

No! When the soul has reached the collar bones

If we make the word "Kalla'' negative, then this Ayah means, `O son of Adam! You are not able to deny that which I informed you of at that time (death). This will become something witnessed by you with your own eyes.'

If we consider the word "Kalla'' to be a word of affirmation, then it would mean that it is certainly true when the soul reaches the collarbones - meaning, `your soul will be pulled out of your body and it will reach your collarbones.

(Then why do you not (intervene) when (the soul of the dying person) reaches the throat And you at the moment are looking on, but We are nearer to him than you, but you see not, then why do you not if you are exempt from the reckoning and recompense, bring back the soul, if your are truthful) (56:83-87)

وَقِيلَ مَنْ ۜ رَاقٍ - 75:27

And it is said, "Who will cure [him]?"

There is a sukoot between من and راق. We pause here because the person is dying, and the soul is about to leave the body. The person is trying to utter his last words for help, but he is choking so he is unable to even form the word properly. راق is someone who can cure the person, or help him, or recite something upon him, or save him.

وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُ الْفِرَاقُ - 75:28

And the dying one is certain that it is the [time of] separation

Now the person realises that the time for separation has come i.e. the time for the Ruh to separate from the body. When the Ruh is pulled out of a good person, it is as if water is being smoothly poured out of a container without any turbulence. As for a bad person, the soul will be taken out as though a piece of wool was stuck in thorns and you try to pull it out, resulting in tearing. The person who is most attached to the world will have most difficulty getting his soul taken out.

وَالْتَفَّتِ السَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ - 75:29

And the leg is wound about the leg,

The feet will rub against each other due to agony, restlessness and agitation. The legs were twine into each other, because of the intense pain. This expression is also used for a camel when it completely runs out of water, and its legs lock into each other as he falls. It could also mean that his legs lose power and can no longer support the weight of his body, such that if people place his leg on top of the other, he is unable to move it.

Allah desribes death because the person used to say that Judgement Day is far away. But, Allah wants to remind us that death is not far away. It is not up to us to decide when to leave dunya. This is a red flag for us, as we need to be ready all the time.

إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْمَسَاقُ - 75:30

To your Lord, that Day, will be the procession.

The disbelievers will be taken like animals to their Lord. Their grave will be constricted for them such that their ribs will interlock, and a window will be opened for them where they can see Hellfire.

As for the believers, they can even visit each others graves. Their graves will be vast and they will be escorted by angels, and a window will be opened into heaven for them.

فَلَا صَدَّقَ وَلَا صَلَّىٰ - 75:31

And the disbeliever had not believed, nor had he prayed.

وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ - 75:32

But [instead], he denied and turned away.

ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِ يَتَمَطَّىٰ - 75:33

And then he went to his people, swaggering [in pride].

The disbeliever will be punished because He never believed in the truth, and it reflected in the fact that he did not pray. There was no good in him, internally or externally. Prayer is the first regret the person will have after death. He denied the truth, and he turned away in arrogance from Allah.

أَوْلَىٰ لَكَ فَأَوْلَىٰ - 75:34

Woe to you, and woe!

ثُمَّ أَوْلَىٰ لَكَ فَأَوْلَىٰ - 75:35

Then woe to you, and woe!

اولى is derived from ويل which means destruction. The meaning is:Woe to you! This is a definite warning and threat from Allah to those who disbelieve in Him and strut about when walking. Allah mentioned it four times. Why? The first time at the moment of death, the second time inside the grave, the third time on the Day of Judgement, and the fourth time in Hellfire.

أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَن يُتْرَكَ سُدًى - 75:36

Does man think that he will be left neglected?

Do human beings think that they will be left on Earth without any purpose? Do they think they will not be held accountable, and not be resurrected? This means that he will not be left neglected in this worldly life, without being commanded and prohibited. He also will not be left neglected in his grave unattended to without being resurrected. The intent here is to affirm the existence of the abode of the final return and to refute whoever rejects it from the people of deviance, ignorance and stubbornness.

أَلَمْ يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِّن مَّنِيٍّ يُمْنَىٰ - 75:37

Had he not been a sperm from semen emitted?

ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ - 75:38

Then he was a clinging clot, and [ Allah ] created [his form] and proportioned [him]

فَجَعَلَ مِنْهُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنثَىٰ - 75:39

And made of him two mates, the male and the female.

Allah reminds us of our humble origin. We were made from a drop of dirty fluid. Allah turned the fluid into a clot, then a lump of flesh, then he was formed and the soul was blown into him. Then he became a perfect creation with healthy limbs, as either a male or a female by the permission and decree of Allah.

أَلَيْسَ ذَٰلِكَ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَىٰ أَن يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَىٰ - 75:40

Is not that [Creator] Able to give life to the dead?

Allah created us for the first time. Is it harder to create something or recreate it the second time? The first creation is always harder. Then, how can we doubt that Allah is unable to bring us back to life?