Sūrah Tā-Hā PDF

Sūrah Tā-Hā 199 When, having left the Pharaoh’s palace and come into the open, he expressed himself in front of all people and on a proper day in full trust in and reliance on God, he was able to influence thousands of people with one act, making many among them his followers. This is what the Qur...

Sūrah Tā-Hā 199 When, having left the Pharaoh’s palace and come into the open, he expressed himself in front of all people and on a proper day in full trust in and reliance on God, he was able to influence thousands of people with one act, making many among them his followers. This is what the Qur’ān teaches us by means of Moses, while the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, contributes to our understanding with a different event:79 According to a report from the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, a tyrant attempted to kill a young believer, who never agreed to return to the tyrant’s faith. He was thrown down from the top of a mountain, yet he came back walking. Then he was thrown into the roaring waves of a sea, but he was saved and returned. Whatever they did to kill that young believer, it proved useless. In the end, the young man said: “If you gather all the people together and shoot an arrow at me saying, ‘In the name of the Lord of this boy’, then you will be able to kill me.” A believer should always think like this young man: “You will die in any case, and these furious people will not let you live. Therefore, you should not go to the next world at a small cost.” Indeed, a believer should make plans to be able to do something for the sake of their cause even in their last moment as they go to their Lord. However valuable it is, even the desire for martyrdom is of little significance compared to a life lived with this consideration. In other words, believers should always think about what they can do at every moment of their life on behalf of their religion, nation, and humanity. The young man in the example would have only been martyred if he had died when he had been thrown down from the top of a mountain or into the waves of a sea. He would most possibly have gained his eternal life of happiness in the other world, but his reward would have been limited only to himself. However, after he was martyred in front of the people in the way he told, he caused hundreds of people to embrace belief. Thus he both served his cause and the conversion and eternal happiness of many others. To conclude, Muslims should know the value of the Religion with which they are favored and the value this Religion has gained them. They should be aware of the fact that this universe has been created for them, with all that it contains at their service. Therefore, aware of their 79 Muslim, Zuhd, 73; Tirmidhī, Tafsı̄ru Sūrah 85:2. 200 Reflections on the Qur’ān exceptional value, they should not leave this world in return for a low price. Their consideration should be as follows: “I am leaving the world, but I should leave a world which has found its true orbit—which has achieved its goal of creation. My death should also be a mysterious key to open the doors of Paradise for me, and while my personal tiny light is being distinguished, innumerable new lights should begin to shine.” Sūratu’l-Anbiyā’ (The Prophets) 201 ‫َ َ ْ أَ ْ َ ْ א ِإ َ ُכ ِכ َא ًא ۪ ِ ِذ ْכ ُכ أَ َ َ َ ْ ِ ُ َن‬ ْ ُ ْ ْ Now We send down to you a Book which contains what you must heed in life for your honor and happiness. Will you not, then, reason and understand? (Al-Anbiyā’ 21:10) Sūratu’l-Anbiyā’ (The Prophets) T he addressee of the Divine Message, “We send down to you a Book,” is all humanity. Therefore, God Almighty promised the first addressees of the Qur’ān, explicitly, and all those to come later, implicitly, that they would gain reputation and glory through the Book— the Qur’ān—sent down to them. He even implied that He began to bestow that reputation and glory on them and encouraged them to gratitude at all times. With respect to this reputation and glory, which will infinitely flourish in the other world, the following points can be considered: 1. The Qur’ān implicitly reminds us of the right means to reach the truth and the Ultimate Truth—God Almighty—such as Divine commands and prohibitions. The verse, “Indeed, it (the Qur’ān) is a Reminder for you and for your people” (Az-Zukhruf 43:44), must be emphasizing this. 2. The word “dhikr,” which is used in the verse and given the meaning of reputation and glory here, also suggests advice and preaching. The hadı̄th, “The Religion is advice,”80 which is short in wording but comprehensive in meaning, highlights this reality. The verse, “But remind and warn, for reminding and warning are of benefit to the believers” (AdhDhāriyāt 51:55), confirms the same idea. 80 Bukhārī, Imān, 42; Muslim, Imān, 95; Tirmidhī, Birr, 17; Nasāī, Bay’ah, 31; Dārimī, Riqāq, 41. 202 Reflections on the Qur’ān 3. The verse also suggests: While the states and communities around you complete their lifespan and withdraw from the stage of history one after the other, you will be able to exist eternally owing to this blessed “dhikr”—the Qur’ān. The verses, “Do they (unbelievers) not see how We deal with the earth, reducing it of its outlying parts? God judges, and (when He has judged) there is none to revise His judgment” (Ar-Ra’d 13:41) and, “Do they not consider that We have established them (believers and those invited to belief in Makkah and neighboring regions) in a secure sanctuary while people are ravaged all around them?” (Al-‘Ankabūt 29:67), imply the same—the first one implicitly and the other explicitly. 4. Additionally, the verse is also indicative of the position that the first addressees of the Qur’ān will gain. It suggests: “Because of the Qur’ān, you will attain such a position, honor, and glory among peoples that no other people will be able to attain. For this Qur’ān will protect your tongues from lapses and your languages from degeneration and will be the reference source for everybody who wants to learn Islam— the true Religion you must embrace. This is most certainly a great blessing, which should never be forgotten and requires gratitude. Your honor and glory will widely be circulated among world-peoples. Sūratu’l-Anbiyā’ (The Prophets) 203 ِ ُ ُّ ‫َ َאدى ِ ا‬ َ ْ َ‫אت أَ ْن ِإ ٰ َ ِإ َّ أ‬ ٰ َ ِ۪ ِ َ ‫ُ ْ َ א َ َכ ۠ ِإ ۪ ّ ُכ ْ ُ َ ا َّא‬ But eventually he (Jonah) called out in the veils of darkness: “There is no deity but You, All-Glorified are You (in that You are absolutely above having any defects). Surely I have been one of the wrongdoers (who have wronged themselves).” (Al-Anbiyā’ 21:87) F irst of all, we should mention a point concerning Prophet Jonah, peace be upon him: According to several traditions of the Prophet, since Jonah’s people did not believe in him, when signs of the kind of disaster which had destroyed former nations appeared, Jonah left the town where he lived without receiving any apparent command from God. Since this behavior is considered a lapse and mistake for those near-stationed to God like Prophet Jonah, Divine Destiny judged that he would be thrown into the sea, and Jonah was swallowed by a dolphin or whale. At a time when the physical means and causes were neither thinkable nor useful for salvation, Jonah became acutely aware of the omnipresence of God, Who is the Creator of causes, with a deeper Prophetic perception. Then he turned to God from the bottom of his heart and began invoking. The Qur’ān informs us about Jonah’s invocation at that particular time and place: “He called out in the veils of darkness: ‘Lā ilāha illā Anta’ (There is no deity but You); ‘Subhānaka’ (‘All-Glorified are You’ [in that You are absolutely above having any defects. You have neither partners nor equals nor peers in Your Essence, Attributes, and Actions. And there is none to be worshipped and sought except You. Everything happens or does not but by Your permission. Whatever You will to be, it is, and whatever You will not to be, it is not. So I have been thrown into the sea because You willed it; therefore, I can be saved only by Your Will!]); ‘Innī kuntu mina’z-zālimīn’ (Surely I have been one of the wrongdoers).” This heartfelt supplication is both an acknowledgement of a mistake and repentance for it. 204 Reflections on the Qur’ān In fact, every Prophet repented his lapses in a way befitting him and in accordance with what was required of his circumstances and conditions. For example, Prophet Adam invoked, saying: “Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and do not have mercy on us, we will surely be among those who have lost!” (Al-A‘rāf 7:23). Similarly, Prophet Moses said in supplication: “My Lord! Indeed I have wronged myself, so forgive me” (Al-Qasas 28:16). As for Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, I do not know of a particular supplication with the same meaning, yet he used similar words in the supplication that he taught to Abū Bakr, which is: “My Lord! I have wronged myself much and no one can forgive sins except You. So forgive me and have mercy on me, for surely You are the All-Forgiving, the All-Compassionate.”81 If we turn back to the verse, first of all, we recognize the announcement of God’s Greatness, absolute Oneness, and Majesty: “There is no deity but You.” Prophet Jonah declared this with the full consciousness that all the physical means and causes for salvation would be of no use at such a moment. This is very important. Actually, almost everyone, unavoidably, turns toward God directly when the means and causes are totally dysfunctional. Thus, the invocation, “All-Glorified are You. Surely I have been one of the wrongdoers!” has the meaning that was given here. This invocation of Prophet Jonah is both an acknowledgement of one’s nothingness and a turning to God pronouncing one’s wrongdoing and attracting His compassion. In fact, one of the most effective ways of calling for and drawing God’s compassion and forgiveness is one’s confession of one’s faults or sins. This is also the way of the Prophets. There is another point to mention here concerning the pronouncement, “There is no deity but You!” Bediüzzaman Said Nursi points out that this pronouncement relates to our future. That is, from the point of view of the principle of acting in accordance or compliance with what is required by the circumstances, through the pronouncement of, “There is no deity but You!”, Prophet Jonah emphasized that it was only God Who would rescue him to the shore of safety. In other words, he asked for something related to the future. Proceeding from here, we can point to the fact that as it was only God Who would save Prophet Jonah, it is also only God Who will save us from every kind of darkness surrounding us. Since the Divine name God (Allāh) encompasses all other Names such as 81 Bukhārī, Adhan, 149; Tawhı̄d, 9; Daawah, 16; Muslim, Dhikr, 47–48; Ibn Mājah, Du‘ā’, 2; Tirmidhī, Daawah, 96; Nasāī, Sahw, 59. Sūratu’l-Anbiyā’ (The Prophets) 205 the Lord (Rabb), the Creator (Khāliq), and the Provider (Razzāq), “There is no deity but You!” is a declaration of all dimensions of Divine Unity. That is, it carries the meanings: There is no Lord but You; there is no Creator but You; there is no Savior but You; there is no Provider but You. Prophet Jonah declared all dimensions of God’s Unity, but in accordance with his particular circumstances, he said, “There is no deity but You,” not “but God.” In the general circumstances in which we find ourselves, we had better say, “Lā ilāha illa’llāh” (There is no deity but God). In the verse, “God is the guardian of those who believe, bringing them out from all kinds of darkness into the light” (Al-Baqarah 2:257), it is stressed that there are many kinds of veils of darkness. Therefore, if Prophet Jonah, upon him be peace, was thrown into the sea and swallowed by a fish at night, we can deduce that he remained in many kinds or behind many veils of darkness. One of these darknesses was the blur or uneasiness which his lapse caused to arise in his heart. His embarrassment coming from his lapse, the darkness of the belly of the fish, the darkness of the sea, and the darkness of night were other veils of darkness which surrounded him. As a noble, illustrious Prophet of God who believed in His absolute Oneness and the sole Source of refuge, Jonah, upon him be peace, was not one who turned to God with glorification only when he was in the belly of the fish. He always turned to God with glorifications. His invocation, “All Glorified You are,” which showed his deep relationship with God, meant: “My Lord! I take refuge in You acknowledging and declaring the right of Your Divinity and the actions due to or required by Your Wisdom. And I proclaim my helplessness in the face of the majesty of Your Divinity.” The acknowledgement of, “Surely I have been one of the wrongdoers,” is the proclamation of the Prophets regarding their lapses or minor faults which they see as a great crime or wrongdoing. This acknowledgement implied: “I am in this state, and it is evident to You!” It was like the following saying of a poet: “I have many needs, and You have knowledge and understanding! My silence is such that it is the speech itself.” In conclusion, it is evident what response would come to that invocation which a chosen servant of God said in a style peculiar to the chosen: “We saved him (Jonah) from distress” (Al-Anbiyā’ 21:88). O God! Save us from distress and wretchedness, as You saved him from distress, for the sake of him whom You sent as a mercy for all the worlds! And bestow blessings on him and on his Family altogether! Reflections on the Qur’ān 206 ِ ‫ون ِ ُد‬ ‫ون‬ َ ‫ون ا ّٰ ِ َ َ ُ َ َ َّ َ ۘ أَ ْ ُ ْ َ َ א َوارِ ُد‬ ْ َ ُ ُ ْ َ ‫ِإ َّ ُכ ْ َو َ א‬ You and all the things you deify and worship apart from God are but firewood for Hell. You are bound to arrive in it. (Al-Anbiyā’ 21:98) F irst of all, the polytheists will be thrown into Hellfire together with the things they deify and worship; they will also be there together with the people whom they deify and worship apart from God. This will increase their suffering in the Fire because in addition to their remorse, they and their “deities” will accuse each other. They will also suffer the distress of the fact that those they deify and worship will be of no use to them against God’s punishment. The pangs of conscience will add to their suffering. The expression, “firewood for Hell,” emphasizes that the things that are deified and worshiped except God in this world will be transformed into burning materials in the Hereafter and that everything will burn furiously in Hellfire. This implies that polytheism is an unforgivable sin and the torment itself, with the idols being the means of punishment and torment in Hell. Therefore, polytheists will never be able to be saved from the tiresome punishment and torment of Hell. What a pitiable result for a being who was created as the noblest of existence and in the best pattern of creation of the highest stature that they reduce themselves to blind, deaf, and heartless beings and share the same conditions and the same end with the things made up of iron, earth, and wood. The verb “warada” translated as “arrive” means “arriving at a source of water with a bucket or a similar thing to take water.” However, there is irony in the verse’s usage of it. That is, as in the Qur’anic statement, “Give them the glad tidings of a painful punishment,”82 the verse means that those who are supposed to go to Prophet Muhammad with their buckets to take the water of faith and salvation do not take advantage of 82 See sūrahs Al ‘Imrān 3:21; at-Tawbah, 9:34; al-Inshiqāq 84:24. Sūratu’l-Anbiyā’ (The Prophets) 207 this opportunity. As a result, the road they follow takes them to Hell. There is the same meaning in, “There is no one among you who will not come to it (Hell)” (Maryam 19:71). The original of the verb translated as “come to” is also “warada.” God Almighty stresses by using this verb how pitiable and dismaying it is that one who should run to water to drink misses this great water source and finds himself in a furious fire. The first part of the verse, “You and all the things you deify and worship apart from God are but firewood for Hell,” may be providing an answer for the unbelievers’ or polytheists’ claim that Hellfire will not burn them. God gives them the lesson they should receive by meaning, “You are like firewood compared to the fire that will burn you,” thus doubling their dismay. Reflections on the Qur’ān 208 ‫۽‬ ٌَْ ُ ِ َ َ َ‫َ א‬ ۪ۗ ِ َ‫ف َ ِْن أ‬ ۚ ٍ َ ٰ َ َ ّٰ ْ ‫ِ ۽‬ ْ ‫ْ َ ٌ ا ْ َ َ َ َ ٰ َو‬ ِ ‫ا‬ ‫אس َ ْ َ ْ ُ ا‬ َّ ُ ۪ َ ُ ْ َ ‫َّن ِ ۚ َوإ ِْن أَ َ א‬ ِ ِ ُ ۪ ُ ْ ‫ا ُّ ْ َ א َوا ْ ٰ َ َة ۘ ٰذ َכ ُ َ ا ْ ُ ْ َ ا ُن ا‬ ِ َ ‫َو‬ َْ ‫ا‬ Among people there are also many who worship God on the borderline (of faith) in expectation of only worldly gains. If any good befalls him, he is satisfied with it, but if a trial afflicts him, he turns away utterly, reverting back to unbelief. He (thereby) incurs loss of both this world and the Hereafter. This indeed is the obvious loss. (Al-Hajj 22:11) Sūratu’l-Hajj (The Pilgrimage) T here are lots of similar verses throughout the Qur’ān. Actually, God often tests the believers, hypocrites, and unbelievers in order to reveal the differences among their inner worlds. He puts their conscience to the test with troubles and disasters and even with the things relating to good. Thus, God reminds them of their actual worth or makes them aware of themselves. Indeed, it has been established with many experiences that even the people who sacrifice in different ways in God’s cause suffer occasional, even frequent setbacks, reverses, and tribulations. Their business and financial situation may come to a standstill, and their work destabilized. This is nothing but God’s testing His servant. However, this does not mean that God, Who is the Absolutely Wealthy and Generous One, will abandon His servants who renounce their world and make sacrifices in order to exalt His religion or that He will leave them to be oppressed under hard conditions. Yet, the All-Holy Creator, Who has innumerable instances of wisdom in every act and never does anything useless, tests His servants’ sincerity and loyalty through their behavior and on the scales of the judgments of their conscience. There Sūratu’l-Hajj (The Pilgrimage) 209 may always appear some who fail this test and lose both in this world and with respect to the next one. The Qur’ān concludes this matter with the statement, “This indeed is the obvious loss.” Those mentioned in the verse who failed in their test and incurred loss in both this world and the Hereafter were generally the hypocrites. They did not achieve the unity of the heart and the tongue; thus, they could not attain true faith. With their faith on the tip of their tongues, they watched occurrences suspiciously and lived a life at the edge of the religion, without ever adopting it fully and sincerely in their lives. They always remained on the borderline between belief and unbelief, being alert not to lose the worldly advantages of being a believer in the community of believers, like a fly that intends to light on the honey. In their opinion, they were deliberate and cautious against religious obligations and certain heavy duties that they found disadvantageous. In such a position they adopted, the hypocrites made plans to benefit from any advantages that Muslims might enjoy. If they got what they expected, they adhered to it and showed off as if perfect and contented believers. Yet, if an affliction or tribulation appeared on the horizon, they immediately turned back to their previous attitudes. A believer may not be able to be a true believer in every act. All acts, attitudes, and attributes of a believer may not arise from belief—I wish this were not so. Because of this, some believers may fall under the influence of such hypocritical considerations and wish the wind blew according to their desire, rain poured according to their own interests, and the wheel of fate always turned to their advantage. Just as there were such people during the earliest period of Islam who turned their back to Islam when they did not attain what they expected, it is inevitable in our time that many will suffer deviance in their inner worlds and confusion in feelings and attitudes. Our Lord! Do not let our hearts swerve after you guided us. And, bestow upon us mercy from your Presence. Surely You are the All-Bestowing. 210 Reflections on the Qur’ān ِ ‫ات َوا ْ َ ْر ِض‬ َ ٰ َّ ‫اَ ّٰ ُ ُ ُر ا‬ God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. (An-Nūr 24:35) Sūratu’n-Nūr (The Light) I t is God Who has brought and brings everything into the Light of existence from the darkness of non-existence and has made the universe an exhibition and a book to be mediated upon, nourishing our consciences with meanings that provide light for our eyes and exhilarate our hearts. Eyes do not see where His Light (of guidance) does not exist, hearts remain deprived of insight, sciences produce whims and fantasies, truths are confused with hypotheses, and existence is a chaos whose meanings remain hidden and cannot be understood. There is neither a substantial philosophy of knowledge in minds nor knowledge about God in hearts. It is possible only through the Creator of Light, Who illuminates the heavens and the earth with whatever is in them, to advance from knowledge to faith and from faith to true knowledge of God and from true knowledge of God to a deep consciousness of servanthood to Him at the junction of the outer and inner human worlds. Indeed, it is also through this same Light that the sun and numerous other suns illuminate the universe, the earth is bedecked with innumerable kinds of beauties, and hearts are enlightened with insight and perception. All these phenomena are like seeds from which people can produce knowledge of the Creator and His love and yearning to travel toward Him. It is through this Light as well that people think and form conceptions in the mind, and reason and judge, reaching certain truths by means of deduction, induction, comparison, and analogy or syllogism. The eyes of human beings see the colors, the harmony among the colors and in everything else, and the eternal poetry in the general harmony Sūratu’n-Nūr (The Light) 211 of existence and transfer them to the heart as information. The insight takes these pieces of information and re-analyzes and synthesizes them, transforming them into knowledge about or recognition of God. Devotion to God and viewing everything through His Light and knowledge improve the truth of humanity that is contained in a mere drop and transform this tiny drop into an ocean, and human knowledge, which is contained in an atom into a huge sun, and transforms the human heart, which is nothing in itself, into the pulse of the universe. While human beings cannot view the past, the future, and even the present as a whole with their eyes, they feel and sense both themselves and all other sensible things with their insight. They also sense both the pieces and the whole, both the physical entities and their truths (i.e., the Divine Names they are based upon. Each physical entity owes its existence and essential nature to one or several of God’s Names). Furthermore, they sense the Truth of truths, which the universe and whatever occurs in it refers to and indicates, and they come into contact with Him through one of the ranks of certainty, each according to his or her capacity. The knowledge acquired about God through mental or intellectual and spiritual study of the universe and whatever is and occurs in it may cause confusion concerning the Divine Being. In order to avoid any confusion, while we, as the travelers of this guest-house of the world, are walking among His signs, evidences, and indicators and amidst incidents and witness all this with our physical eyes, we should direct our insight to or focus it on the Creator and Illuminator of Light so that the information we acquire from the universe can be transformed into knowledge of God and so that our feelings and sensations may not cause us confusion. Therefore, the existence must be studied through the Light of lights’ Book which is more radiant than the sun, as declared in the verse: “Now a Proof has come to you from Your Lord” (An-Nisā’ 4:174), and in the light of the Prophethood of the Spirit of existence, namely Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. Just as our world is illuminated by the sun in daytime and by the moon at night, as stated in the verse, “Blessed and Supreme is He Who has set in the sky great constellations and placed in it a (great, radiant) lamp and a shinning moon” (Al-Furqan 25:61), the Prophethood of the Spirit of existence is the sun of our consciences and hearts and the moon of our minds. 212 Reflections on the Qur’ān Indeed, when Divine Light is not taken into consideration, everything in the universe is nothing but darkness. When we consider everything in the light of God’s Light, then everything—visible or invisible— is illuminated and speaks about its Creator and Sustainer each in an articulate tongue. To sum up, everything has come into existence, everything occurs as a result of the manifestation of His Light. And everything develops through the manifestation of His Light as well. Light, in the absolute sense, belongs to Him exclusively. To ascribe Light to anything other than Him is either a metaphor of the elite or ignorance of common people. If everyone is unaware of this truth, it is due to the incomprehensible, infinite, and dazzling intensity of His manifestation in the universe and on the horizon of our consciences. Just as being invisible causes incomprehensibility, so does the intensity of manifestation cause invisibility. Sometimes, however, this intensiveness of the manifestations of the Divine Light becomes an aperture for the most subtle spiritual faculty of some people to reflect upon them. Truly, God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. Starting with the Light of Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, about which the Prophet himself says, “The first thing that God created is my Light,”83 everything is the manifestation of His Light at different wavelengths and its appearance in different forms in the external world. Furthermore, I would like to draw attention to a few more points concerning the verse: “God is the Light of the heavens and the earth.” Although both are translated into English as light, the nūr and ishiq are different things. Nūr is something immaterial and can be the immaterial essence of light (ishiq), which is something material. In this translation, we have interpreted this Nūr as “Light.” The verse ascribes Light to God, not light. Unaware of this difference, some question: “The velocity of light is known; how about the velocity of Light?” In order to be able to understand Light, we need to approach the source of Light. The source of Light is God, Who is beyond time and space. Therefore, His Light should be approached and reviewed from this viewpoint. Indeed, light and things of light can be present at millions of places at once and can transfer from one place to another in an instant. As a matter of fact, since 83 Al-‘Ajlūnı̄, Kashfu’l-Khafā, Vol. I, pp. 311–312. Sūratu’n-Nūr (The Light) 213 the blessed body of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, had acquired such refinement as to be able to accompany his spirit (the law of energy and matter changing into each other may be explanatory for this incident), the Prophet completed his Ascension in a few minutes and returned. Such a journey requires a trillion times a trillion years under normal conditions. However, the authentic narrations inform us that the Prophet’s bed was still warm when he returned from his Ascension. It is as if he transcended time during this journey. However, one should not assume that Light is not something created. Light (Nūr) is something created. Its Creator is God, Who is the Creator of everything. The Prophetic saying, “The first thing that God created is my Light,”84 also indicates this. The first nucleus or seed which was brought into existence was the Light of Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. To sum up, we should not confuse Light and light. It may be that Light is the source of light, and light is a manifestation of Light in the physical realm of existence. O God, O Light of all Light, O Illuminator of Light, O Fashioner of Light, O Creator of Light! Illuminate our hearts and senses with the Light of knowledge of You, and confirm us with a spirit from Your Presence; and, O God, bestow blessings on our master Muhammad, whom You sent as a shining moon, and on his Family and Companions, who followed him strictly. 84 Ibid. 214 Reflections on the Qur’ān ِ َ ‫אب ُ ٰۤ ِإ َّא َ ُ ْ َر ُכ َن ۚ۝‬ ُ َ ْ ‫َ َ َّ א َ َاء ا ْ َ ْ َ אن َ َאل أ‬ ِ ۪ ْ َ َ ّ ۪ ‫َ َאل َכ َّ إ َِّن َ ِ َر‬ َ When the two hosts came in view of each other, the companions of Moses said: “We are certainly overtaken!” He (Moses) replied: “Certainly not. My Lord is surely with me; He will guide me (to deliverance).” (Ash-Shu‘arā’ 26:61–62) Sūratu’sh-Shu‘arā’ (The Poets) T he community of Moses considered Pharaoh’s pursuit of them with his armies from a materialistic view, and Prophet Moses, upon him be peace, took their approach into consideration. Since Moses’ community had dominant materialistic tendencies and shut off to metaphysical realm with their intellects in their eyes, it required a long time to educate them and enable them to adopt the Prophetic way of thinking and action. Therefore, Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, endeavored to that end his whole life long. The verse translated above points out the materialistic attitude of Moses’ community. While the armies of Pharaoh in pursuit of Moses and his companions were just about to reach them, the Children of Israel, who had seen many miracles of Moses until that time, feared that they were surely to be overtaken due to the lack of confidence in God and His Messenger. However, Moses responded to them in an emphatic manner in order to make them believe, saying: “Certainly not. My Lord is surely with me; He will guide me (to deliverance).” While interpreting this verse, Qādı̄ Baydawı̄, an important interpreter of the Qur’ān, compares Prophet Moses and Prophet Muhammad, upon them be peace. He draws the attention to what Moses and Prophet Muhammad said in the face of almost the same sort of danger. During Sūratu’sh-Shu‘arā’ (The Poets) 215 his emigration to Madı̄nah, Prophet Muhammad took shelter in a cave in Mount Thawr together with his Companion Abū Bakr. A group of Makkans searching for them came as far as the entrance of the cave. Just at that point, Abū Bakr worried about the life of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. However, as is reported in the Qur’ān, the noblest Prophet calmed him, saying: “Do not grieve. God is surely with us” (AtTawbah 9:40). While Moses spoke in the future tense, “My Lord will guide me (to deliverance),” Prophet Muhammad spoke in the noun sentence, which expresses more certainty than a verbal sentence. Drawing the attention to this point, Qādı̄ Baydawı̄ concludes that the confidence of Prophet Muhammad in God was limitless and much greater than any other Prophet, including Moses, peace be upon them all. While clarifying this difference, we should also consider the difference between the Companions of Prophet Muhammad and those of Moses in confidence in and reliance on God Almighty. It is clear that a community which is at the peak of loyalty to God and its Prophet and accepts without hesitation whatever comes out of the mouth of its Prophet is not addressed in the same way as another community that questions its Prophet in almost every matter. 216 Reflections on the Qur’ān ‫אن ِ ْ ٍق ِ ا ْ ٰ ِ ۪ َ ۙ۝‬ َ َِ ۪ ِ ۪ َّ ‫ْ ْ ۪ ِ ْ ور َ ِ َ َّ ِ ا‬ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ ‫َوا‬ ‫َوا‬ And grant me a most true and virtuous renown among posterity. And make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of bounty and blessing. (Ash-Shu‘arā’ 26:84–85) P rophet Abraham, upon him be peace, was a man who was perfectly aware and appreciative of his Lord’s bounties and limitless blessings on him. He was perfectly sure that everything was from God: it is He Who feeds, nurtures and satisfies all the needs and grants everybody the ability to speak and express themselves. That is, He is the absolute Master and Sovereign. If therefore such a man of perfect awareness prays, saying, “Grant me a most true and virtuous renown among posterity,” it is certain that God inspired this supplication in him. In other words, God became the tongue of Abraham and made him pray so, and then He accepted his prayer. If God would not have accepted Abraham’s prayer, He would not have inspired it in him. Indeed, God accepted Abraham’s prayer, and the most evident proof of this is that as Muslims, we call God’s blessings and peace upon him together with our Prophet and his Family in the final sitting of each of our Prayers. Another significant point worth mentioning is this: The Prophets do not bequeath any property when they pass away. Their legacy is their cause or mission. Being one of the most important links in the chain of Prophethood, Prophet Abraham, who revived the Divine religion by making many changes in people’s beliefs, thoughts, and actions and by introducing many new things and abrogating many others and can therefore be regarded as a reviver, had the intention of being able to address the whole of humanity. His prayer under discussion was the result of such an intention. God Almighty accepted his prayer, and he became like the blessed Tūbā tree of Paradise for all humanity through his two illustrious offspring that became like the two large, expansive branches of this blessed tree. He functioned as a unique source both for the series of Sūratu’sh-Shu‘arā’ (The Poets) 217 Prophets and other great guides from his younger son Isaac to Prophet Jesus and for the glorious lineage of his elder son Ishmael, which gave fruit to God’s last and greatest Messenger and Prophet, Muhammad, upon them all be peace. He has always enjoyed “a most true and virtuous renown among people” belonging to both of these branches, or paths. Even though Prophethood ended with our noblest Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, Prophet Abraham continues to be remembered and mentioned by the followers of all heavenly religions. As mentioned above, hundreds of millions of Muslims have been calling God’s peace and blessings on him many times a day during their Prayers for fourteen centuries and will continue to do so until the Last Day. These prayers must add to the acceptance of Prophet Abraham for himself to be admitted to “the Garden of bounty and blessing.” Here we should mention another important point. The mission represented and carried out by the Prophets can never be compared to certain human ideals. The Prophets are not idealists according to the common usage of the word ideal or idealism. The mission they represent and carry out is incomparably great, meaningful, and important. They are the envoys and officials of the Lord of the worlds. Because of this, with his prayer above Prophet Abraham may have asked that his Divine cause should not come to an end but continue until the Last Day, and he may therefore have desired to have a most true and virtuous renown among the generations to succeed. The second part of the prayer, “And make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of bounty and blessing,” means that despite his own excellencies and merits and although he was the leader of the two most radiant and enlightening paths of human history, which gave fruit to numerous Prophets and other intellectual and spiritual guides, he did not see himself as deserving of Paradise and prayed to God for it. This demonstrates that no one can enter Paradise as the result of his deeds; Paradise is a gift of God which He will grant to His believing and righteous servants purely out of His Mercy. However, in order to be admitted into it we must earnestly and persistently ask for it through our sound and accurate beliefs, good, righteous deeds, and continuous entreaties. 218 Reflections on the Qur’ān ‫ِإ ْذ َ َאل َ ُ أَ ُ ُ َ א ِ ٌ أَ َ َ َّ ُ َن‬ ْ ْ (Recall) when their brother Sālih said to them: “Will you not keep from disobedience to God in reverence for Him and seek refuge with His protection?’’ I (Ash-Shu‘arā’ 26:142) t is not only Prophet Sālih, upon him be peace, whom God mentions as “their brother,” that is, the brother of the people to whom he was sent. Although the people to whom each Prophet was sent were mostly unbelievers, God uses the same expression for Prophets Noah, Hud, Lot, and Shu’ayb, upon them be peace.85 What is meant by this expression is not that those Prophets shared the same belief, thought, worldview, and way of living with the people among whom they emerged or to whom they were sent. Neither was he from the same lineage as them. What is meant here is that every Prophet was chosen from among the people with whom he lived and that he spoke the same language as his people did. This usage may also be intended to stir up the feeling of compassion and appreciation in the people for the one who was chosen from among them as Prophet for their good, well-being, and happiness in both worlds. This usage also expresses a Prophet’s view of his people. A Prophet may be regarded as the brother of his people as he is full of pity and compassion for them; he is also their fellow-countryman whose truthfulness, trustworthiness, chastity, and straightforwardness they knew very well. It is also because of this that a Prophet may be regarded and introduced as a brother of the people to whom he is sent. The designations such as father, uncle, and elder brother could have been used for the Prophets. However, since these designations would call for respect and reverence, they would not have expressed the warmness of the word “brother.” 85 See sūrahs ash-Shu‘arā’ 26:106; 26:124; 26:161; al-A‘rāf 7:85; Hud 11:84; alAnkabut 29:36.