Wednesday 26 December 2012

Story of Earth

Qur'aanic Verses 41:9 & 41:10:
















Transliterations:

9. Qul a-innakum latakfuroona biallathee khalaqa al-arda fee yawmayni watajAAaloona lahu andadanthalika rabbu alAAalameena

10. WajaAAala feeha rawasiya min fawqiha wabaraka feeha waqaddara feeha aqwataha fee arbaAAati ayyamin sawaan lilssa-ileena

Translations:

9. Say, “Do you really deny Him Who created the earth in two spans of time, and set up equals to Him – Him, the Lord of all the worlds!?”
10. And, in four spans of time, He placed firm mountains rising above its surface, blessed it with plenty and growth, and ingrained within itself its provisions, sufficient for all needs.3 

Study Note:

3. Readers may like to go through The Story of Earth in 10 parts on YouTube. It is fascinating. Although the authors of the videos fail to mention it, the meticulous divine Hand behind creation of the earth ought to be apparent to the believers.



The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Monday 10 December 2012

Crime and Punishment

Qur'aanic Verses 40:47 & 40:48:














Transliterations:

47. Wa-ith yatahajjoona fee alnnari fayaqoolu aldduAAafao lillatheena istakbaroo inna kunna lakum tabaAAan fahal antum mughnoona AAanna naseeban mina alnnari

48. Qala allatheena istakbaroo inna kullun feeha inna Allaha qad hakama bayna alAAibadi


Translations:

47. And when they quarrel in the Fire, the weak ask the proud, “We were just your followers. Would you therefore relieve us of a portion of the Fire?”

48. The proud say, “We are all together in this. Allah has already pronounced the Judgment on His subjects.”5 


Study Note:

5. This contentious discourse among the inmates of Hell has a lesson to teach to the Muslims of today. Despite Allah’s declared abhorrence (Verse 6:159) against formation of sects, the Muslims have persisted in grouping themselves into numerous sects like Sunni, Shia etc. Someone declares a deviant view, and, others, aided and abetted by the Satan, flock together around that view. And, lo, a sect is formed! Rank and file of any such sect just blindly follows its leaders. Most of the followers do never bother to cross-check their leaders’ contentions with the Qur’aan. If the leaders’ contentions are such as to make them liable for punishment in the Hereafter, the blind followers too would get the same punishment.


The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Monday 12 November 2012

Get Not Deceived

Qur'aanic Verse 40:4:

 
Transliteration:
 
 
4 Ma yujadilu fee ayati Allahi illa allatheena kafaroo fala yaghrurka taqallubuhum fee albiladi
 
 
Translation:
 
 
4. No one calls Allah’s Verses in question, but those who suppress the Truth! Hence, let not their activity among the populace deceive you.2
 
 
Study Note:
 
 
2. It 0ften happens that the wicked and the cruel people in this world have the upper hand. Despite their crimes against humanity, they continue apparently to enjoy life. To take an example on a macro level from history, Hitler had undoubtedly an upper hand for many years initially in World War II. He seemed invincible against his opponents all around him. But in the end he had to suffer an ignominious defeat and death. The believers have to take heart from this historical piece from our recent past. History abounds in such examples. And I have no doubt every believer has experienced in their personal lives such examples of bad persons having bad ends. But personal experiences are not necessarily definitive in character. The person experiencing or witnessing them does not always have the whole story revealed to him. The person is likely therefore to be deceived. To him or her, crime apparently goes unpunished most of the times. A believer however remains steadfast in believing that Allah Almighty is watching every minute thing everywhere and that justice is bound to be done whatever the apparent position for now. One other thing that ought to be remembered in this context is that an atheist is not likely to be punished in this world if that atheist behaves justly with all his fellow citizens here. His punishment for his disbelief in Allah is reserved for the Hereafter.

The above is an extract from Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.
 

 

Wednesday 7 November 2012

The Manager

Qur'aanic Verse 39:62:







Transliteration:

62. Allahu khaliqu kulli shay-in wahuwa AAala kulli shay-in wakeelun


Translation:

62. Allah is the Creator of everything. And He is the Manager of affairs for everything.9


Study Note:

9. Everything here includes human beings. In the divine scheme of things, a human being, unlike other animals, is given the freedom to choose – to choose to believe in Allah (with all His attributes as given in the Qur’aan) or not to believe in Him. A believer has just to abide by His directions as given in the Qur’aan and rest assured that all his/her affairs in this worldly life will be exquisitely managed by Him. The believer has not to worry about it at all.



The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Sunday 4 November 2012

Gravely Deluded

Qur'aanic Verse 39:43:










Transliteration:

43. Ami ittakhathoo min dooni Allahi shufaAAaa qul awa law kanoo la yamlikoona shay-an walayaAAqiloona


Translation:

43. Or have they taken intercessors other than Allah? Say, “Can they intercede even if they have no power and do not even understand?”8


Study Note:

8. This Verse tells us in no uncertain terms that no one, repeat no one, can intercede with the Omniscient Allah. But in flagrant disobedience of this clear-cut guidance of the Qur’aan, most Muslims say that Prophet Muhammad shall intercede for them! And the Christians are sure their Christ will take them to Paradise, whatever their crimes here in this wicked world!! Both communities are gravely deluded.



The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Monday 29 October 2012

The Best Hadeeth

Qur'aanic Verse 39:23:












Transliteration:

23. Allahu nazzala ahsana alhadeethi kitaban mutashabihan mathaniya taqshaAAirru minhu juloodu allatheena yakhshawna rabbahum thumma taleenu julooduhum waquloobuhum ila thikri Allahithalika huda Allahi yahdee bihi man yashao waman yudlili Allahu fama lahu min hadin


Translation:

23. Allah has sent down the best hadeeth [Qur’aan]6, a Book with oft-repeated passages resembling one another. Thereat shiver the skins of those that fear their Lord! And then their skins and their minds become receptive to Allah´s remembrance. That is Allah´s Guidance! He guides therewith whosoever He wills. And one whom Allah lets go astray has none to guide him.



Study Note:

6. Qur’aan describes itself as the best hadeeth. It does not mention, sanctify or authorize any other hadeeth book as a parallel – or even supportive – source for the Allah-approved Deen [way of life] of Islam for mankind.


The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Tuesday 23 October 2012

God has no Son

Qur'aanic Verse 39:4:









Transliteration:

4. Law arada Allahu an yattakhitha waladan laistafa mimma yakhluqu ma yashao subhanahu huwa Allahu alwahidu alqahharu


Translation:

4. Had Allah wanted to have a son, He could have chosen anyone He willed out of those whom He created.3 Glorified is He! He is Allah: the One and Only, the Almighty.


Study Note:

3. In Verse 19:92, the Qur’aan has already pointed out to us that it is simply inconceivable that the Gracious One should beget a son. Begetting is an activity characteristic of and a need of created beings like man and animals that are mortal. They need someone to take their places after their deaths. But Allah is immortal. He is Omniscient and Omnipotent. He is far above all creature needs. He needs no son, and He has no son!



The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Sunday 21 October 2012

Crux and Motto of a Believer's Life

Qur'aanic Verse 39:2:










Transliteration:

2. Inna anzalna ilayka alkitaba bialhaqqi faoAAbudi Allaha mukhlisan lahu alddeena


Translation:

2. We have revealed the Book to you [Prophet Muhammad] in Truth, indeed! Worship Allah, then, consecrating your lifestyle exclusively for Him.1


Study Note:

1. Consecrating his/her lifestyle exclusively for Allah is the crux and motto of a believer’s life. When one so consecrates one’s lifestyle, one does not suppress the truth as one knows it even when the truth is against one’s own interests. If I suppress the truth in such a circumstance, I grievously fail the test divinely laid for me to check my belief!



The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Wednesday 17 October 2012

In Deep Slumber

Qur'aanic Verse 38:88:







Transliteration:

88. WalataAAlamunna nabaahu baAAda heenin
et-to-be-published

Translation:

88. “And you will certainly come to know its [Qur’aan’s] Message [of the greatest importance] after some time! 14


Study Note:

14. Within a decade of the complete revelation of the Qur’aan, the Islamic State under Khalif Omar had already become the greatest power on earth. And during the next few centuries, Muslims had become the torch-bearers in almost all fields of human activity like science, medicine, technology etc. Muslims could have this achievement because they had then, by and large, grasped the importance of the Qur’aan and followed its tenets in their lives. The Muslims’ suzerainty however vanished after the majority of them started treating the Qur’aan as a thing of no importance! History has thus registered the importance of the Qur’aan in no uncertain terms. But man, alas, continues to be in deep slumber.



The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Tuesday 9 October 2012

King Solomon

Qur'aanic Verse 38:34:











Transliteration:

34. Walaqad fatanna sulaymana waalqayna AAala kursiyyihi jasadan thumma anaba


Translation:

34. And We did certainly put Solomon on trial by placing upon his throne a [lifeless] body; and thereupon he turned in repentance to Us.6


Study Note:

6. Like King David, King Solomon too, it seems, had committed some unnamed impropriety. Books of Ahaadeeth do allude to some highly impossible and improbable acts attributed to the great King. But the Ahaadeeth are man-influenced and error-prone. And why should we go to those books when the Qur’aan gives us everything needed for our guidance? Allah Almighty has thought it fit not to specifically mention the impropriety done, so why should mankind be eager to find it out? This Qur’aanic Verse itself indicates that the impropriety was related to the succession to Solomon’s throne. We learn from Israelite history that the successor to Solomon was incompetent and that lead to the disintegration of the great Solomon Empire. What we should learn from these episodes concerning the two Prophet-kings is that (i) Prophets are after all human and (ii) hereditary succession to ruler-ship is not divinely sanctioned.




The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

King David

Translations of Qur'aanic Verses 38:21 to 39:24:

21. And has the information of the litigants come to your knowledge when they climbed over the walls of (King David’s) private chamber?
22. When they confronted David, he shrank back in fear of them. They said, “Fear not! We are two litigants. One of us has wronged the other. So judge between us with justice, and deviate not from what is right, and show both of us the right path.
23. “This man here is my brother. He has ninety-nine ewes, whereas I have one ewe. And he asks me to hand over to him even the one I have. And he prevailed over me in the discourse we had.”
24. David said (to the complainant), “He has certainly wronged you by demanding that your ewe be added to his ewes! And indeed do many associates – except those who believe in Allah and do righteous deeds – wrong one another; but how few are those exceptions!” And David at once realized that We had tested him (by presenting to him the case of the ewes)! And so he asked his Lord to forgive him, and bowed down, and turned to Him in repentance.5

Study Note:

5. In all probability the two litigants were angels sent by Allah Ta’ala to teach King David a lesson. Undoubtedly, the King had committed some unnamed impropriety, unbecoming of a Prophet King of his high stature. A safe bet is to assume that the King’s impropriety was of the nature of the impropriety involved in the litigants’ case. But since Allah almighty has thought it fit not to specifically name the King’s impropriety, we should better avoid echoing what Chritian scriptures (Old Testament) unabashedly accuse the King of committing an undoubtedly sinful act. The accusation has to be patently false since Allah Almighty could not have chosen a man committing such a heinous crime as His Prophet. The Christian scripture containing this accusation is not purely divine as the Qur’aan is. It is of the nature of the man-influenced and error-prone Ahaadeeth which too contain some unpalatable and unsavoury things about our own Prophet Muhammad (peace on him). What King David might have done could only be described as an impropriety not amounting to sin. And as the next Verse below informs us Allah forgave King David.



The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.



















Sunday 30 September 2012

Following Fathers' Footsteps

Qur'aanic Verse 37:70:







Transliteration:

70. Fahum AAala atharihim yuhraAAoona


Translation:

70. So they hasten to follow in their (fathers’) footsteps.4


Study Note:

4. This is the bane of our modern society as well. Right or wrong, people tend to follow their fathers’ footsteps. Muslims in the Indian subcontinent insist on visiting and praying at dead saints’ tombs because their fathers’ did so. They won’t listen if anyone tells them that their acts smack of shirk in Qur’aanic light.


The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Tuesday 25 September 2012

Tooth for a Tooth

Islamic jurisprudence, as delineated in the Qur'aan, allows or permits retaliation by the a victim of any injustice done. But no excess of any kind is allowed. And the retaliation has strictly to be of the like kind and extent, as famously exemplified by the saying: 'a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye'.

Now take the case of an American Jew making a derogatory film against Prophet Muhammad (peace on him). Muslims are naturally offended. But the retaliation permitted to them has to be of the like kind and extent. So, the Muslims can at most make a film derogatory to Prophet Moses (peace on him). But can they do this? They can't! Their religion directs them to respect Prophet Moses as much as they respect their own Prophet Muhammad. Now, what can they do in these circumstances? They can of course denounce the Jew making the film and explain to the world at large why the film is based on falsehoods and canards. They can then patiently wait for Allah's decision in the matter. Although their religion allows retaliation, it prefers for them forgiveness and patience.

And what do the Muslims factually do? They indulge in mindless violence against parties not directly connected with the Jew in question and issue death threats to him! They thus go brazenly against the dictates of their own religion to incur divine wrath on themselves.

Friday 21 September 2012

Advocates of Stagnation

Qur'aanic Verse 37:5:






Transliteration:

5. Rabbu alssamawati waal-ardi wama baynahuma warabbu almashariqi


Translation:

5. (And the One Whom you should worship is the) Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is in between, and Lord of the Easts! 2

Study Note:

2. The Sun has many planets other than the earth. All these planets have rotational movements around their respective axes. So like the earth, these other planets have their respective easts. Besides, there are innumerable stars out there in the vast cosmos. And these stars, like our own Sun, may also have their respective planets revolving and rotating around them. All these planets should therefore be having their own respective easts. ‘Lord of the easts’ is Lord of all these innumerable planets. The planets are of course included in the Arabic expression wama baynahuma contained in the earlier part of this Verse, but by mentioning ‘easts’ Allah Ta’ala has brought to light the factual positions of the planets, orbiting the Sun and other stars, that were unknown to mankind at the time the Qur’aan was revealed. [The people then thought that the Sun moved round the earth.] This also shows the need for interpreting Qur’aanic Verses in the light of knowledge gained by mankind from time to time. Those who advocate sticking to the interpretation at the time of revelation are advocates of stagnation.



The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Tuesday 11 September 2012

God Particle

Qur'aanic Verse 34:3:










Transliteration:

3. Waqala allatheena kafaroo la ta/teena alssaAAatu qul bala warabbee lata/tiyannakum AAalimi alghaybi la yaAAzubu AAanhu mithqalu tharratin fee alssamawati wala fee al-ardi wala asgharu minthalika wala akbaru illa fee kitabin mubeenin

Translation:

3. And those who suppress the Truth say, “The Hour (the time when the present world will end and the Hereafter begin) is not going to come to us ever.” Say, “Yes, by my Lord, the Knower of the unseen! It is certainly going to come to you.” No mass (weight) particle1 is hidden from Him, either in the heavens or in the earth. And nor is there anything less than that nor greater, but clearly recorded.

Study Note:

1. As late as June 2012, scientists were unable to find the particle that gives an atom its weight. British scientist Higgs and an Indian Scientist Bose had theorized about its existence during the preceding century, but the scientists could not factually find it. In exasperation, therefore, they had called it ‘God-damned particle’, which later came to be shortened to ‘God particle’. The particle also came to be known as ‘Higgs Boson’ after the two scientists who had conceptualized about it earlier. It is only now (beginning of July 2012) that we are getting the ‘breaking news flashes’ in the news channels that the scientists have ‘almost’ got it. In any case, the Qur’aan had mentioned this particle 1400 years before human scientists could even conceptualize it. The particle was hidden from humans, but not from Allah.



The above is an extract from Qur'aanic Studies Manzil V