This Surah is the flip side of Surah Teen, what happens when the human being succumbs from the best stature and becomes an animal (rebellious). How does a person become the lowest of the low? It is discussed in this Surah.
In the previous Surah Allah says we have been created physically and morally the best. What makes us best is discussed in this Surah and that is intellect, the ability to learn.
In the previous Surah Allah asks what kind of a person will lie against the Deen, the Judgment of Allah? This Surah answers this question.
Aisha (r.a) asked that she asked the Prophet (s.a.w) how the revelation started? He (s.a.w) that he used to see true dreams. Then solitude became beloved to him. Then he used to be alone in the cave of Hira - he used to spend many nights in Hira. He wanted to wash off the influences of evil society, remove himself and disassociate himself from what they do while he was in Hira. What were his questions. Of them we know that the Prophet (s.a.w) was part of a peace group/organization (hilf al fudool). It is possible, he used to ask, I have been helping the hungry, how do I eradicate hunger itself. I have been helping the oppressed, how do I end oppression itself. What is the source of all these problems and how do we grapple with them? The US has opened hotlines and crisis help centers, the UN counsel itself to stop crimes, abuses and wars but failed. So is human race doomed to eat itself up? Self-destruct? The carnage will go on until it takes a toll on everyone?
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ
اقْرَأْ - this command was given to a messenger (s.a.w) who was not read, there were no schools or libraries in his community For the most part, all arabs were illiterate, though they were poets, their poetry was rarely ever documented because no one knew how to read. But this one word revolutionized the history of the people. It made the Muslims the most learned and scholarly people in the world. We were the first to open universities, invent the library cataloging system. The roots of modern Ph.D can be traced back to the Muslims ijazah system. This one word brought the art of learning and this drive to study to the entire Muslim world and through us it spread to all other human beings. We became the intellectual capital of the world. But there are more universities in California and France than all the universities in the Muslim world combined!! Think about generations to come.
The philosophy is to live it up. Buy a lot and let someone else after your die pay your debt off. Donal Trumpet is one of the richest man on earth but if he payed off all his debt right now, he would be in minus millions. Muslims, because we copy this lifestyle, our mindset is on enjoying life and very little on studying in life. And if we do study we only study to make more money to buy more things to live it up more.
Also the problem with the ancient religions was that they had classified religious scripture. Anything that Allah revealed, the clergy hid it from the common masses. People were not allowed to read what was in the Bible or the Hindu Vedas. The always had to listen to a Pope or a Bishop or a Hindu monk inform them of God's truth. This gave a class of people absolute monopoly over religion.They could interpret, add/delete from the Holy scripture and no would find out. An going against their dictate meant going against god, that meant blasphemy, and that meant death. So this one word freed humans from blind faith and senseless following. Every person, no matter male, female, child, free or slave, rich or poor had liberty to read Allah's message. There was no ruling class in between to force their interpretation. Religion was made open for the masses to take from.
بِاسْمِ means to read with the support/help of your Rabb, read in the Name of your Rabb meaning let the people know that this message is from Allah, this is not your own speech or ideas or from Jibreel. You are only doing (conveying the message) it for the sake of Allah.
The Qur'an has a 3 step journey -> (1)Loh mehfoodh (2) Words/Speech received by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) (3) Book again
There is a fundamental difference between speaking and writing (normally people don't write the way they speak). In speech there is no editorial process, in writing there is first/second/third draft/editions/versions. This means that in speech you are more prone to mistakes. You can't take your words back but with a book you can delete an entire page or chapter if you want. So from the very onset of revelation, Allah said "Read" - you do not read speech, you read a Book. So when the prophet (s.a.w) conveyed the revelation to the arabs, they were baffled, how is he speaking so perfectly? How does he sound like a polished book? So they had their theories that he is getting it in writing from someone, some christian slave is translating it for him. If it is a book, how can he have access to it? He doesn't know how to read or write and he doesn't speak any other language.
رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ - Your Master Who Created. He made it and He has full rights on it. It is patented in His Name.
Prophet (s.a.w) had no political power. He as an honest businessman but he didn't hold a position where he could tell people what to believe in and what their religion should be. He didn't have that qualification. So its like Allah saying to Him, "When you speak to people, speak in My Name and the power will come from that." Speaking on the authority of Allah will be His proof. The reason why he (s.a.w) is speaking now is because Allah told him, he is hired by Allah, doing Allah's job.
What did He create? There is nothing specified. There is no limit to what He created.
خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
Allah's profound knowledge of us of which we are unaware. The process of impregnation and conception is highlighted.
What is the lesson behind mentioning how Allah created the human being (1) to reminder of Allah's power of ressurection. Allah can do as He wills (2) This fluid seems useless but from this comes an advance human being with so much intricacy, high function. So if a human has high capability should we must serve a higher purpose. (3) to put us in our place, remind us that we come from something pathetic so there is no reason why we should be arrogant or stubborn against Allah or any of Allah's creation.
اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ Should be respected in and of itself. We have nothing in and of ourselves to be respected. It is Allah Who deserves respect. And
He (s.a.w) is told again to read as an encouragement, its okay Read, just do it.
الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ
Oral knowledge dies out but written knowledge passes on. The pen delivers knowledge.
Allah swears by the pen, the angels write our deeds and now we are taught to preserve knowledge by the pen. Not just read and study but document knowledge and make it available to others.
أَن رَّآهُ اسْتَغْنَىٰ
We are not entirely free of need, we still abide by traffic rules and pay our taxes. But these are selfish followings yes? We do this for our own benefit, because we know we'll get into a car accident if we break the lights or be jailed for skipping a tax payment.
Then there are physical laws, like you wouldn't jump into water if u don't know how to swim because it will kill you. You would respect the laws of gravity and not jump off your roof no matter how much you want to fly. Because there is a sharp price right away. But moral laws we take advantage of until there life becomes so debauched that it cannot be lived anymore. 9 year old becoming genocidal maniacs, 13 year old father children. The things that you read in the news sometimes are so insane you wonder how is it even possible. Where do you go? The only solution is إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَىٰ When you go back to Allah. Like if you were doing something really shameful and your mother walks in. You want to die at spot. You donno how to show your face. Because you have this love for your mother, you don't want to disappoint her or have her think less of you. If we can love Allah more than we love our parents, our things and ourselves, then we will not even think of a sin, even the thought of a sin would be offensive to Allah because Allah knows our thoughts.
Abu Jahal, Abu Lahab and Waleed bin Mugheera are mentioned the Qur'an (not by name necessarily but verses are revealed about them). Abu Jahal was the noblest of the three. He was generous and chivalrous and intelligent. Abu Lahab was a coward, he hired a few soldiers to go fight on his behalf at Badr. But Abu Jahal mustered the entire army himself, led it alone and fought at Badr. When he was killed he wanted his head to be cut off from his shoulders so it would appear bigger than the rest. Waleed bin Mugheera was in between but he was a strategist who thought of how to make prophet (s.a.w) compromise. Prophet (s.a.w) made duaa for Abu Jahal because he was like Umar. Prophet (s.a.w) saw in both of them that was worth saving. If he became Muslim, he would have been another Umar.
Abu Jahal believed in his hearth, Prophet (s.a.w) spoke the truth. He used to like the Qur'an, in fact he was addicted to the Qur'an. He was caught listening to it, outside of the Prophet's house (s.a.w) in the dead of the night three times by Akhnass bin Shuraiq. The only reason why he stopped coming to listen because he was afraid that if the youth found out, he would lose his credibility. He had been telling the youth that he was the elder in the community, the leader and so he should be followed but if the youth saw him following the prophet (s.a.w), they would follow him (s.a.w) too. Then the two go to Abu Sufyan and ask what do you think about the Qur'an and Aby Sufyan says of course it is the truth and Abu Jahal says of course it is the truth. Abu Jahal says that "we are from Banu Amir and he is from Banu Hashim. They fight and we fight equally, they give in charity, we give in charity. But now they have these words and we can never compete with that." So ego got to him. He couldn't get over his seeking of greatness for himself. The only reason why he didn't become Muslim because that would mean that he had to admit that prophet (s.a.w) is better, more guided, more spiritual.
أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يَنْهَىٰ
After Uqbah bin Amir (?) threw the intestines over the prophet (s.a.w), Abu Jahal said that if I see you praying again, I will crush your neck with my feet. So next day when the prophet (s.a.w) was praying and Abu Jahal went to go beat him up, he saw this ditch of fire between him and the prophet (s.a.w) so he bolted from that place screaming. There was a creature in the fire as well that was trying to grab him.
أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ
أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
He had so much potential and he was so close but he turned back. He brought so much destruction upon himself. He didn't see the harm that he landed himself in. But the prophet (s.a.w) saw the good in him so he wanted Abu Jahal to be guided. Of course Allah knew better. Abu Jahal thought that he could hurt the prophet (s.a.w) and stop him but Abu Jahal had no fear of Allah. It didn't occur to him that this war he was waging was against Allah and he stood no chance.
What is the relationship between knowledge (first page) and this kaffir - ignorant, rebellious person (the second passage)? Knowledge is a means of humility. Shah Wali Allah said, that when a tree bears fruit, its branches come down. The more knowledge you have, the more humble you should be, it should increase you in fear of Allah. Lack/rejection of that knowledge will lead you to arrogance. So you humble yourself before Allah, Allah raises you to high levels. But when you become stuck up, Allah throws you down and just trashes you.
أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَىٰ
First step in leaving criminal behaviour is feeling that Allah is watching. Do you curse your boss when he watching? Do you take your dad's car when he is working the garage?
كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ
You grab someone's head in rage - like an abusive parent would pull the child by the hair and drag them or slap them. Musa (a.s) pulled Haroon by his hair.
بِالنَّاصِيَةِ - In the arab tradition it is the place of your pride, this is where you wear a hat or turban and where the emblem rests
this is where is knowledge (two things that led to his kuffar is his ignorance and arrogance).
You put the forehead down for sajda. If Abu Jahal doesn't bring his head down in submission, it will be in his death and after life.
سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ
زَّبَانِيَةَ- cops, to protect and guard something with force, if it tries to come out - you give it a beating. Security and soldiers.
On one hand you have a bunch of thugs (Abu Jahal) and the other is the SWAT team, the entire army (threat made by Prophet (s.a.w). There is not even a competition.
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِب
Pay no attention to Abu Jahal, turn completely away from, Allah will deal with him. Just do sajdah and come closer to Allah. Sajdah brings closer to Allah. Seeking knowledge, qiraah and ibadaah are connected. First you learn then you practice. The means of learning is Qur'an. The best ibadaah is Salah.
In the previous Surah Allah says we have been created physically and morally the best. What makes us best is discussed in this Surah and that is intellect, the ability to learn.
In the previous Surah Allah asks what kind of a person will lie against the Deen, the Judgment of Allah? This Surah answers this question.
Aisha (r.a) asked that she asked the Prophet (s.a.w) how the revelation started? He (s.a.w) that he used to see true dreams. Then solitude became beloved to him. Then he used to be alone in the cave of Hira - he used to spend many nights in Hira. He wanted to wash off the influences of evil society, remove himself and disassociate himself from what they do while he was in Hira. What were his questions. Of them we know that the Prophet (s.a.w) was part of a peace group/organization (hilf al fudool). It is possible, he used to ask, I have been helping the hungry, how do I eradicate hunger itself. I have been helping the oppressed, how do I end oppression itself. What is the source of all these problems and how do we grapple with them? The US has opened hotlines and crisis help centers, the UN counsel itself to stop crimes, abuses and wars but failed. So is human race doomed to eat itself up? Self-destruct? The carnage will go on until it takes a toll on everyone?
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ
اقْرَأْ - this command was given to a messenger (s.a.w) who was not read, there were no schools or libraries in his community For the most part, all arabs were illiterate, though they were poets, their poetry was rarely ever documented because no one knew how to read. But this one word revolutionized the history of the people. It made the Muslims the most learned and scholarly people in the world. We were the first to open universities, invent the library cataloging system. The roots of modern Ph.D can be traced back to the Muslims ijazah system. This one word brought the art of learning and this drive to study to the entire Muslim world and through us it spread to all other human beings. We became the intellectual capital of the world. But there are more universities in California and France than all the universities in the Muslim world combined!! Think about generations to come.
The philosophy is to live it up. Buy a lot and let someone else after your die pay your debt off. Donal Trumpet is one of the richest man on earth but if he payed off all his debt right now, he would be in minus millions. Muslims, because we copy this lifestyle, our mindset is on enjoying life and very little on studying in life. And if we do study we only study to make more money to buy more things to live it up more.
Also the problem with the ancient religions was that they had classified religious scripture. Anything that Allah revealed, the clergy hid it from the common masses. People were not allowed to read what was in the Bible or the Hindu Vedas. The always had to listen to a Pope or a Bishop or a Hindu monk inform them of God's truth. This gave a class of people absolute monopoly over religion.They could interpret, add/delete from the Holy scripture and no would find out. An going against their dictate meant going against god, that meant blasphemy, and that meant death. So this one word freed humans from blind faith and senseless following. Every person, no matter male, female, child, free or slave, rich or poor had liberty to read Allah's message. There was no ruling class in between to force their interpretation. Religion was made open for the masses to take from.
بِاسْمِ means to read with the support/help of your Rabb, read in the Name of your Rabb meaning let the people know that this message is from Allah, this is not your own speech or ideas or from Jibreel. You are only doing (conveying the message) it for the sake of Allah.
The Qur'an has a 3 step journey -> (1)Loh mehfoodh (2) Words/Speech received by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) (3) Book again
There is a fundamental difference between speaking and writing (normally people don't write the way they speak). In speech there is no editorial process, in writing there is first/second/third draft/editions/versions. This means that in speech you are more prone to mistakes. You can't take your words back but with a book you can delete an entire page or chapter if you want. So from the very onset of revelation, Allah said "Read" - you do not read speech, you read a Book. So when the prophet (s.a.w) conveyed the revelation to the arabs, they were baffled, how is he speaking so perfectly? How does he sound like a polished book? So they had their theories that he is getting it in writing from someone, some christian slave is translating it for him. If it is a book, how can he have access to it? He doesn't know how to read or write and he doesn't speak any other language.
رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ - Your Master Who Created. He made it and He has full rights on it. It is patented in His Name.
Prophet (s.a.w) had no political power. He as an honest businessman but he didn't hold a position where he could tell people what to believe in and what their religion should be. He didn't have that qualification. So its like Allah saying to Him, "When you speak to people, speak in My Name and the power will come from that." Speaking on the authority of Allah will be His proof. The reason why he (s.a.w) is speaking now is because Allah told him, he is hired by Allah, doing Allah's job.
What did He create? There is nothing specified. There is no limit to what He created.
خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
Allah's profound knowledge of us of which we are unaware. The process of impregnation and conception is highlighted.
What is the lesson behind mentioning how Allah created the human being (1) to reminder of Allah's power of ressurection. Allah can do as He wills (2) This fluid seems useless but from this comes an advance human being with so much intricacy, high function. So if a human has high capability should we must serve a higher purpose. (3) to put us in our place, remind us that we come from something pathetic so there is no reason why we should be arrogant or stubborn against Allah or any of Allah's creation.
اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ Should be respected in and of itself. We have nothing in and of ourselves to be respected. It is Allah Who deserves respect. And
He (s.a.w) is told again to read as an encouragement, its okay Read, just do it.
الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ
Oral knowledge dies out but written knowledge passes on. The pen delivers knowledge.
Allah swears by the pen, the angels write our deeds and now we are taught to preserve knowledge by the pen. Not just read and study but document knowledge and make it available to others.
أَن رَّآهُ اسْتَغْنَىٰ
We are not entirely free of need, we still abide by traffic rules and pay our taxes. But these are selfish followings yes? We do this for our own benefit, because we know we'll get into a car accident if we break the lights or be jailed for skipping a tax payment.
Then there are physical laws, like you wouldn't jump into water if u don't know how to swim because it will kill you. You would respect the laws of gravity and not jump off your roof no matter how much you want to fly. Because there is a sharp price right away. But moral laws we take advantage of until there life becomes so debauched that it cannot be lived anymore. 9 year old becoming genocidal maniacs, 13 year old father children. The things that you read in the news sometimes are so insane you wonder how is it even possible. Where do you go? The only solution is إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَىٰ When you go back to Allah. Like if you were doing something really shameful and your mother walks in. You want to die at spot. You donno how to show your face. Because you have this love for your mother, you don't want to disappoint her or have her think less of you. If we can love Allah more than we love our parents, our things and ourselves, then we will not even think of a sin, even the thought of a sin would be offensive to Allah because Allah knows our thoughts.
Abu Jahal, Abu Lahab and Waleed bin Mugheera are mentioned the Qur'an (not by name necessarily but verses are revealed about them). Abu Jahal was the noblest of the three. He was generous and chivalrous and intelligent. Abu Lahab was a coward, he hired a few soldiers to go fight on his behalf at Badr. But Abu Jahal mustered the entire army himself, led it alone and fought at Badr. When he was killed he wanted his head to be cut off from his shoulders so it would appear bigger than the rest. Waleed bin Mugheera was in between but he was a strategist who thought of how to make prophet (s.a.w) compromise. Prophet (s.a.w) made duaa for Abu Jahal because he was like Umar. Prophet (s.a.w) saw in both of them that was worth saving. If he became Muslim, he would have been another Umar.
Abu Jahal believed in his hearth, Prophet (s.a.w) spoke the truth. He used to like the Qur'an, in fact he was addicted to the Qur'an. He was caught listening to it, outside of the Prophet's house (s.a.w) in the dead of the night three times by Akhnass bin Shuraiq. The only reason why he stopped coming to listen because he was afraid that if the youth found out, he would lose his credibility. He had been telling the youth that he was the elder in the community, the leader and so he should be followed but if the youth saw him following the prophet (s.a.w), they would follow him (s.a.w) too. Then the two go to Abu Sufyan and ask what do you think about the Qur'an and Aby Sufyan says of course it is the truth and Abu Jahal says of course it is the truth. Abu Jahal says that "we are from Banu Amir and he is from Banu Hashim. They fight and we fight equally, they give in charity, we give in charity. But now they have these words and we can never compete with that." So ego got to him. He couldn't get over his seeking of greatness for himself. The only reason why he didn't become Muslim because that would mean that he had to admit that prophet (s.a.w) is better, more guided, more spiritual.
أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يَنْهَىٰ
After Uqbah bin Amir (?) threw the intestines over the prophet (s.a.w), Abu Jahal said that if I see you praying again, I will crush your neck with my feet. So next day when the prophet (s.a.w) was praying and Abu Jahal went to go beat him up, he saw this ditch of fire between him and the prophet (s.a.w) so he bolted from that place screaming. There was a creature in the fire as well that was trying to grab him.
أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ
أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
He had so much potential and he was so close but he turned back. He brought so much destruction upon himself. He didn't see the harm that he landed himself in. But the prophet (s.a.w) saw the good in him so he wanted Abu Jahal to be guided. Of course Allah knew better. Abu Jahal thought that he could hurt the prophet (s.a.w) and stop him but Abu Jahal had no fear of Allah. It didn't occur to him that this war he was waging was against Allah and he stood no chance.
What is the relationship between knowledge (first page) and this kaffir - ignorant, rebellious person (the second passage)? Knowledge is a means of humility. Shah Wali Allah said, that when a tree bears fruit, its branches come down. The more knowledge you have, the more humble you should be, it should increase you in fear of Allah. Lack/rejection of that knowledge will lead you to arrogance. So you humble yourself before Allah, Allah raises you to high levels. But when you become stuck up, Allah throws you down and just trashes you.
أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَىٰ
First step in leaving criminal behaviour is feeling that Allah is watching. Do you curse your boss when he watching? Do you take your dad's car when he is working the garage?
كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ
You grab someone's head in rage - like an abusive parent would pull the child by the hair and drag them or slap them. Musa (a.s) pulled Haroon by his hair.
بِالنَّاصِيَةِ - In the arab tradition it is the place of your pride, this is where you wear a hat or turban and where the emblem rests
this is where is knowledge (two things that led to his kuffar is his ignorance and arrogance).
You put the forehead down for sajda. If Abu Jahal doesn't bring his head down in submission, it will be in his death and after life.
سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ
زَّبَانِيَةَ- cops, to protect and guard something with force, if it tries to come out - you give it a beating. Security and soldiers.
On one hand you have a bunch of thugs (Abu Jahal) and the other is the SWAT team, the entire army (threat made by Prophet (s.a.w). There is not even a competition.
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِب
Pay no attention to Abu Jahal, turn completely away from, Allah will deal with him. Just do sajdah and come closer to Allah. Sajdah brings closer to Allah. Seeking knowledge, qiraah and ibadaah are connected. First you learn then you practice. The means of learning is Qur'an. The best ibadaah is Salah.
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