Path Towards Enligthment

Path Towards Enlightenment Friday November 24, 2006 First we read verse 108 of Surah Baraat: "Never stand therein; There is a mosque whose foundation was laid from the very first day on piety; it is more worthy of your standing forth (for prayer) therein. In it are men who love to be purified; and Allah loves those who purify themselves." In the previous program we said the hypocrites of Medina built a mosque as a base to carry out their divisive policies, but on the command of God Almighty, the Prophet had to destroy this socalled mosque, which was actually a centre of sedition. The verse that we recited now, addresses both the Prophet and the faithful, and means to speaks of a holy mosque that has been built by the Prophet on the basis of piety and fear of God, unlike the destroyed mosque that the hypocrites had built for discord and conspiracy. The verse points to the first mosque that was built in Medina by the Prophet on his migration from Mecca. This is the sacred Qoba Mosque, which still stands today as a venerated spot and where the Prophet used hold prayer every week. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Worship is not separate from morally correct politics. Islam recommends prayer in the mosque but not a mosque built by hypocrites and other opponents of Islam to mislead simple-minded Muslims

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The worth and value of a mosque lies in the piety and sincerity of the worshippers that flock to it, and not in its seemingly beautiful architecture.

Now we read verses 109 and 110 of Surah Baraat: "Is he, therefore, better who lays his foundation on piety of Allah and His good pleasure, or he who lays his foundation on the edge of a cracking hollowed bank, so it broke down with him into the fire of hell; and Allah does not guide the unjust people.

“The building which they have built will continue to be a source of disquiet in their hearts, except that their hearts get cut into pieces; and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise." This verse compares the two mosques, the holy and unholy, and means to say, the acts of persons are not important but what is important are their intention and objectives, according to which their word will be evaluated. There are many people who build hospitals, but since their intentions are neither sincere nor for public welfare, but for boasting and bragging in society, their actions are not rewarded by God. They might even by subject to loss and chastisement, because they lacked piety and sincerity. Thus naturally, any building, however, strong and beautiful, that has been built for plots and conspiracies, will crumble along with its builders into the abysmal depths of hell. From these verses we learn that:

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Deeds are evaluated according to the intention of the doers and not on the basis of display or appearance.

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There are many mosques, which drag their founders to hell, for their objective was not God and moral progress of society, but mere display of their wealth and boasting among friends and social circles.

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The ideological foundations of the hypocrites and the disbelievers are shallow and flimsy, and that is the reason they and their seemingly mighty buildings collapse.

Now we read verse 111 of Surah Baraat: "Surely Allah has bought of the believers their persons and their property and in return they shall have the Paradise. They fight in Allah's way, and slay and are slain; a promise which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Evangel and the Qur’an, and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah? Rejoice therefore in the pledge which you have made, and that is the supreme achievement." The holy Qur’an likens the world to a market and portrays people as sellers. In this transaction, the commodity is life and property and their Buyer is God Almighty. The deal is over Paradise. The selling of life to God has all benefits. Therefore, it is better to sell our souls and property to God our Creator, Who pays the highest price for our insignificant possessions and endeavours. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Among the ways of entering Paradise is Jihad or sincere striving for the sake of God without fear of loss of life or worldly possessions, since after all these things are transient.

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What is important is fulfilling of duty in the way of God irrespective of attaining martyrdom or having survived the encounter.

Now we read verse 112 of Surah Baraat: "They who turn (to Allah) in repentance, who serve (Him), who praise (Him), who fast, who bow down, who prostrate themselves, who enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and who keep the limits of Allah; and give good news to the believers." If the previous verse pointed to the readiness of the faithful for Jihad in the way of God, this verse lists at least 9 characteristics of the Mujahed. In other words, a true Mujahed is not always fighting physically but should enjoy all other perfections such as sincerity, obedience to God and fulfillment of religious, personal and social duties. Thus prayer, fasting, supplication and worship pave the ground for self-building and helps avoid selfishness and other negative tendencies. Among the other duties of the faithful is reforming individuals and the society through enjoining of good and prohibiting of evil. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Self-building, which is the greater Jihad, has priority over armed Jihad against enemies, which is considered the lesser Jihad.

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The faithful fights both evil in the environment around him and the foreign enemies in order to make the Word of God prevail.

Friday November 4, 2006 First we read verse 95 of Surah Baraat:

"They will swear to you by Allah when you return to them so that you may turn aside from them; so do turn aside from them; surely they are unclean and their abode is hell; a recompense for what they earned." The hypocrites who propped up lame excuses to be exempted from joining the Tabouk expedition and stayed behind in Medina, came to the holy Prophet upon his return from the expedition and again brought up different excuses pleading for forgiveness. But God Almighty commanded the Prophet to turn away from them and to ostracize them. Accordingly, the Prophet instructed the faithful not to associate with those who did not join the expedition and stayed away from armed defence or jihad. In continuation, the verse means to say that the reason for divine wrath was the faithless behaviour of the hypocrites, who were still not with Islam and Muslims deep down in their hearts. That is the reason they have been warned of hellfire on the Day of Resurrection. From this verse we learn that: 1-

One should not trust any oath since the hypocrites take advantage of oaths to deceive the faithful.

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It is advisable to maintain distance from corrupt people and an immoral environment, because discord is like a contagious disease spread by the faithless and the hypocrites.

Now we read verse 96 of Surah Baraat: "They will swear to you so that you may be pleased with them; but if you are pleased with them, yet surely Allah is not pleased with the transgressing people." It is evident that the hypocrites attach no value to faith. In view of this fact their promises are hollow and empty. The main intention of the false oaths of the hypocrites is try to deceive Muslims in order to preserve their own status in the society. The Prophet has said in this regard: The hypocrite only seeks to satisfy the people but the faithful seek to earn the satisfaction of God Almighty. From this verse we learn that: 1-

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The hypocrite never seeks the content of God but intends to deceive people through oaths and false promises. The faithful should always be vigilant against the ploys of unrepentant sinners.

Now we read verse 97 of Surah Baraat: "The dwellers of the desert are very hard in unbelief and hypocrisy, and more disposed not to know the limits of what Allah has revealed to His Prophet; and Allah is All-Knowing, Wise." The people of Arabia in the days of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) consisted of two groups; the nomads or desert dwellers and the urbanized or residents of cities and towns. This and the next two verses that we will recite to you, point to the dangers from the hypocrite nomads and say: do not be indifferent toward them, since they have little understanding of religion. In Islamic concepts the term ‘Arab Nomad’ as used in this verse is not restricted to the people of Arabia or the people of the days of the Prophet. As a matter of fact, it includes all kinds of hypocrites, even modern day ones, who have no intention of understanding the tenets of religion, and merely wants to deceive others. However, all nomads or desert dwellers are not hypocrites. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Refusal to understand divine injunctions paves the way infidelity and discord.

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Those who have given up Islamic beliefs and reverted to the customs of paganism, are considered hypocrites nomads in Qur’anic terminology.

Now we read verses 98 and 99 from Surah Baraat: "And of the dwellers of the desert are those who take what they spend to be a fine, and they wait (the befalling of) calamities to you; on them (will be) the evil calamity; and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. And of the dwellers of the desert are those who believe in Allah and the latter day and take what they spend to be (means of) the nearness of Allah and the Apostle's prayers; surely it shall be means of nearness of them; Allah will make them enter into His mercy; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." These two verses define the two different types of nomads or desert dwellers; the faithless and the faithful. The faithless and the hypocrites consider any type of donations, alms or charity for the benefit of the poor and the deprived, as a loss for them, and instead of fulfilling their obligations, they curse receivers of charity. But those of nomad who have faith and are neither disbelievers nor hypocrites, donate willingly in the path of God as an investment for the Day of Resurrection, on which their profits will be multiplied beyond imagination and beyond comparison to whatever they could have earned with this money while alive. The faithful strive to seek the satisfaction of God Almighty and the Prophet. From these verses we learn that: 1-

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The hypocrites consider donation a loss, for they do not believe in God and the Day of Resurrection by heart. The hypocrite desires evilness for others, and strives to harm others. What causes nearness to God is sincerity and not display for others to see. The faithful and hypocrite may both give donations and charity but it is only the donation of the faithful that is accepted by God.

Friday October 13, 2006 First we read verse 80 of Surah Baraat: "Ask forgiveness for them or do not ask forgiveness for them; even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah will not forgive them; this is because they disbelieve in Allah and His Prophet, and Allah does not guide the transgressing people." Last week we said that at the advent of Islam the hypocrites sought to harass and humiliate the believers through their self-contradictory words and actions. They even plotted in vain to assassinate Prophet Mohammad (SAWA – Blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). They also discouraged Muslims from confronting the armed attacks of the enemies and tried to push them into an embarrassing situation. The verse that we recited to you now addresses the Prophet, and means to say that forgiveness ought not to be sought for the hypocrites. These wretches are immersed in sin. They neither believe in God nor in His Prophet although they pretend to be Muslims. Although We made you Mercy unto the whole universe, even if you were to ask forgiveness for these hypocrites 70 times, they will not be forgiven. In other words the divine words mean to say that trying to guide the hypocrites is like a physician treating a patient whose death is imminent and who cannot be save by any medicine. From this verse we learn: 1-

Ridiculing the faithful and mocking at religious injunctions drives mankind towards disbelieve and ultimate self-annihilation without any hope for salvation.

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God and His Prophet are not selective or miserly in forgiveness, but some human

beings, because of their unrepentantly sordid behaviour that causes dissension in society, do not deserve to be forgiven. Now we read verses 81 and 82 of Surah Baraat: "Those who were left behind were glad on account of their sitting behind Allah's Prophet and they were averse from striving in Allah's way with their property and their persons, and said: Do not go forth in the heat. Say: The fire of hell is much severe in heat. Would that they understood.

“Therefore they shall laugh little and weep much as a recompense for what they earned." These verses point to some of the seditious characteristics of the hypocrites and refer to their conspiracies against the Prophet during the expedition to Tabouk. Not only the hypocrites were reluctant to take part in the expedition against the enemies of Islam but they also tried to hinder others from accompanying the Prophet citing such lame excuses as the hot weather. The hypocrites considered themselves smart in evading the responsibilities of Jihad or striving sincerely in the way of God. In response, God means to say: do not be so happy because the time of your lamentation will soon come. Cry for yourselves, because your punishment will make your moments of laughter self-mockery. Don’t be unmindful of the Day of Judgement and how you had refrained from accompanying the Messenger of God and had sought to create dissension in Muslim ranks by citing hot weather as excuse. From these verses we learn that: 1-

Some believers of weak faith might be afraid of jihad and hardships in the way of God, but at heart they regret their behaviour and try to compensate it by engaging in whatever other forms of aid they deem necessary. But the hypocrites feel no remorse. They are neither ready to endure any hardship nor do they feel saddened at heart, and never do they provide any aid to the believers.

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The reminder of the Day of Judgement makes even those of weak faith, brave enough to endure the hardships of the world, and balance their mirth with tears for the sake of the AllMerciful God, but this is not the case with the hypocrites.

Now we read verse 83 of Surah Baraat: "Therefore if Allah brings you back to a party of them, and then they ask your permission to go forth, say: By no means shall you ever go forth with me and by no means shall you fight an enemy with me; surely you chose to sit the first time. Therefore sit (now) with those who remain behind." Self-conceit is among the characteristics of the hypocrites. When the Prophet ordered them to get prepared for defence, they refused to do so. When the Muslims returned safely, the hypocrites tried to goad them to launch another expedition. Their intention was to try to tempt the Prophet to enter into undesirable armed conflict so that Islam and the Prophet would suffer harm. It is noteworthy that the holy Qur’an says: even if the Prophet had listened to them and ordered them to move to the fronts to confront the enemy, they would make another excuse and would not go with him. What they say is just a deceit, not a real readiness. Therefore, the Prophet said to them: You are not the men of action, so go and stay at home like the old, the sick and the disabled who cannot go to the battlefield. From this verse we learn that: 1-

By drawing a comparison between the hypocrites and the faithful, we discover that real

faith is different from what is uttered by tongue. 2-

We have to accept real repentance, but at the same time we should not be deceived by the hypocrites and the lip service they pay to Islam while their characteristics are exactly the opposite.

Now we read verse 84 of Surah Baraat: "And never offer prayer for any one of them who dies and do not stand by his grave; surely they disbelieve in Allah and His Apostle and they shall die in transgression." It was the habit of the Prophet to attend the funeral ceremony of Muslims. He used to pray for them and hold prayer on their bodies. But in this verse, God asks the Prophet not to hold prayers for the corpses of hypocrites, thus reminding that even their dead are not to be shown respect because of the crimes they had committed against humanity. From this verse we learn that: 1-

One of the ways of countering the conspiracies of the hypocrites is to wage an active campaign against them, which includes their boycott in the society.

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The funeral Prayer and visiting the graves of the believers is among the good deeds, which shows the respect of the faithful even after death, but this does not apply to the hypocrites.

Friday September 29, 2006 First we read verse 69 of Surah Baraat: "(Hypocrites! Your case is) similar to those who were before you, who were more powerful than you and more abounding in wealth and children: They enjoyed their share (of worldly existence); you too enjoy your share, just like those who were before you enjoyed their share, and you have gossiped (impiously) as they gossiped. They are the ones whose works have failed in this world and the Hereafter; and it is they who are the losers.” In continuation of the last verse of our previous programme, the verse which we recited now means to say that the hypocrites, although powerful and enjoying an ample share of worldly, have actually nullified their deeds and become losers in the Hereafter because of their lack of faith. This verse is a warning to all would be hypocrites to learn from what befell the hypocrites of the past, and draws parallels between their fates. From this verse, we learn that:

1. Material power and the enjoyment of worldly life are of no avail if the heart is empty of faith.

2. The bliss of the Hereafter is for the true believers, and not for the hypocrites, who lack sincerity and pretend to be Muslims in order to deceive the believers. Now we read Ayah 70 of Surah Baraat.

“Has not come to them the account of those who were before them – the people of Noah, Aad and Samood, and the people of Abraham and the dwellers of Midian and the towns that were overturned? Their Prophets brought them manifest proofs. So it was not Allah Who wronged them, but it was they who used to wrong themselves." This verse refers to the nations of the past who were destroyed because of their unrepentant indulgence in sins and their disobedience of God. The verse mentions some of these arrogant

nations and says that it were they who were responsible for their own annihilation. For instance, the people who turned away from Prophet Noah were drowned by the huge deluge. The haughty tribe of Aad turned against Prophet Houd and was struck by divine wrath. The rebellious tribe of Samood mocked Prophet Saleh and cut off the hoofs of his miraculous she camel that was a sign of God, and were struck by God’s punishment. Divine wrath also overtook the Midianites for disobeying Prophet Shoeib or Jethro. Similar was the fate of the people of Lot and of several other nations that not only did not heed the message of God Almighty but mocked and ridiculed it. From this verse we learn that: 1-

The reference by the holy Qur’an to certain accounts of the past is neither history nor story-telling but is an advice for future generations to learn lessons from experiences of the past.

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Not all punishments take place in the hereafter. In some cases, God punishers the unrepentant sinners in this world itself.

Now we read verse 71 of Surah Baraat: "And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Prophet. It is they to whom Allah will soon grant His mercy. Indeed, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise." In contrast to verse 67 of Surah Baraat, which we discussed last week and which said the hypocrites prevent good and promote evil, this verse means to say that the true believers are helpful to each other, and in addition they enjoin good in society and caution people from that which is evil. Actually, enjoining good and forbidding evil is one of the major obligations in Islam. It is the duty of every Muslim to be aware and vigilant towards social happenings in order to promote good and prevent evil. A true believer cannot be silent and indifferent towards social ills, for the community is like a ship, whose all passengers could be in danger if a hole, however small, occurs. So intellect and religion require human beings to be aware of each other's behavior in order to save the ship of society from any danger. From this verse we learn that: 1-

The enjoining of good and forbidding of evil is the duty of all true believers, whether men or women.

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In order to enjoin good and forbid evil, one must keep up prayer, pay Zakat and obey divine injunctions.

Now we read verse 72 of Surah Baraat: "Allah has promised the believing men and the believing women gardens, beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them (forever), and goodly dwellings in the Gardens of Eden. Yet Allah’s pleasure is greater (than all these), and is the grand achievement." Following the warning of hell and punishment for the hypocrites in the previous verses, this verse focuses on God’s promise of eternal comfort amidst the beautiful gardens of paradise for the true believers. Both the Paradise and its dwellers are permanent. Neither they get tired or bored of Paradise nor does God deprive them of favours. Moreover, achieving the contentment of God is the greatest achievement more worthy of paradise. It is the highest ever degree, which a human being can ever achieve. From this verse we learn that:

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Life in the hereafter is both physical and spiritual, and certainly the spiritual pleasures are superior to the physical ones.

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On the Day of Resurrection, God rewards the believers and compensates for all the deprivation they had suffered in the material world.

Now we read verse 73 of Surah Baraat: "O Prophet! Strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them. Their abode shall be hell, and it is an evil destination." The verse addressing the Prophet emphasizes on the dynamic concept of jihad and tells the Prophet and the believers to spare no efforts in obeying divine injunctions to counter the plots of the infidels and the hypocrites. It says: Be firm with them without any fear and weakness and tell them evil fate is awaiting them. From this verse we learn that: 1-

The true believers are advised to strive sincerely in the way of God in order to nullify the plots of the infidels and the hypocrites. Jihad, which means striving sincerely, is waged with the tongue, with the pen, with money, with whatever means one has, and if the enemy attacks Muslim lands, the dynamic concept of jihad takes on an armed countenance that warrants defensives fortifications and weapons to blunt the onslaught of the enemies of humanity.

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The danger caused by infidels and foreign enemies should not cause us ignore the enemies in our midst, namely the hypocrites. One should be prepared to counter both.

Friday September 8, 2006 First we read verse 66 of Surah Baraat:

“Do not make excuses. You have disbelieved after your faith. If We forgive a group among you, We will punish another group, for they have been guilty.” In the previous programs we pointed to the improper behavior of the hypocrites towards the true believers and towards Prophet Mohammad (SAWA – blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). The verse that we recited to you now continues its address to the hypocrites and says: Why do you try to justify your insulting of religious sanctities and your mocking of true believers as mere jesting? These are not playthings and such behaviour is tantamount to disbelief and infidelity. However, God, out of His infinite mercy says that those who have indulged in such behaviour unintentionally might be forgiven but those who intentionally and unrepentantly insult religious sanctities and try to ridicule the Prophet will be punished. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Ridiculing divine signs is tantamount to disbelief and such unrepentant behaviour results in dire consequences.

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In dealing with wrongdoers, one should differentiate the real criminals from the ignorant persons.

Now we read verse 67 of Surah Baraat:

“The hypocrites, men and women, are all alike; they bid what is wrong and forbid what is right; and are tight-fisted. They have forgotten Allah, so He has forgotten them. The

hypocrites are indeed the transgressors.” One of the most important characteristics of the hypocrites is to try to humiliate the faithful and mock at their good deeds, while praising the wrongdoers and sinners. This leads to the spread and promotion of evil deeds in society and deters people from doing good deeds. As a result, persons who have no strong belief in the Day of Resurrection and do not like to donate in the path of God, refrain from giving anything to the needy and to the society. Perhaps the best reference to such persons is the continuation of the divine verse which means to say: They have forgotten God, So God too has forgotten them and left them to themselves. To be more precise, although God never forgets anything, this verse actually refers to the stopping of God's infinite mercy on the hypocrites, who are eventually deprived of doing anything good and worthwhile. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Reforming or corrupting the society is not related to any specific gender, and both men and women are responsible for the positive and negative trends.

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The kind of divine punishment depends on the magnitude of the deed of the wrongdoer. Whoever forgets God and has no intention of repentance will be deprived of divine mercy and left in the dark.

Now we read verse 68 of Surah Baraat:

“Allah has promised the hypocrites, men and women, and the faithless, the fire of hell, to remain in it (forever). That suffices them. Allah has cursed them, and there is a lasting punishment for them.” The verse refers to discord during history and means to warn the hypocrites by saying: Do not think you are clever and have really succeeded in deceiving the faithful. Before you there were those who had greater wealth, power and status but death soon overtook them in a disgraceful manner and on the Day of Judgement they will be raised with empty hands. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Military might, economic power and numerical strength are not guarantees of immunity against divine wrath. One should not be proud of this, for nothing can stand against the wrath of the All-Merciful God.

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The benefits and successes of the world are transient. One should be prudent enough and be on guard against the temptations to become wholly involved in the pleasures of material world since on the Day of Resurrection such persons will be the ultimate losers.

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One should be cautious against the dangers of irreligious attitudes and plunging into sin without the least remorse and repentance. God the All-Merciful has left the doors of repentance wide open so we should reform ourselves and avail of divine compassion.

Friday September 1, 2006 First we read verse 61 of Surah Baraat: "Among them are those who torment the Prophet and say: He is one who believes every thing that he hears. Say (to them): A hearer of good for you (who) has faith in God and trusts the believers, and is a mercy for those of you who faith. As for those who torment the Prophet of Allah, they shall have a painful punishment."

As we said in the previous editions of this program the verses of Surah Baraat mainly deal with the plots of the hypocrites against the faithful and especially against God's Last Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA – blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). In continuation of the previous verses, the verse that we recited to you says, the Prophet used to listen patiently and attentively to the people who approached him. He never interrupted anyone's words and was never showed indifference to anyone. In response to this excellent behaviour of the Prophet the hypocrites used to say: What a simpleton Prophet he seems to be since he listens to everybody's word and rejects nobody! God Almighty answered them through revelation, saying: What you consider as a weak point for the Prophet is a positive point in his behavior. He is neither like the authoritative rulers who issue orders without listening to anyone nor is he like those scholars who claim to listen to the words of what they consider knowledgeable people without any clue to prudence or practical approach to matters of the mundane world. He, in fact, is the Messenger of God and has come to guide mankind. The divine mission that he shoulders requires him to be humble and modest towards people and to associate with them in order to mould their hearts and convey the divine message to them. Without the least doubt he trusts the faithful and treats them kindly. From this verse we learn that: 1-

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In the Islamic system, officials and especially the society's leaders should listen to the words of the people'. Full attention to the words of the people is among the manners of listening.

Now we read verses 62 and 63: "They swear to you by Allah to please you, but Allah and His prophet, have a greater right that they should please Him. Should they be faithful? Do they not know that whoever opposes Allah and His Prophet, there awaits him the fire of hell, to abide in it? That is the great disgrace. " This verse points to one of the evident characteristics of the hypocrites namely hypocrisy and means to say that instead of pleasing God, they think of merely staying in the good books of the people, whatever the behaviour of the public, so that they would not be driven out of the society. They swear to God falsely in order to deceive the believers. They have no inhibitions in opposing the divine leadership and they try to avoid the various social and religious responsibilities. From these verses we learn that: 1- Abuse of religious sanctities and people's beliefs is among the common ways of the hypocrites. 2 - For the faithful, content of God is of paramount importance, but for the hypocrites it the satisfaction of others. Now we read verse 64 of Surah Baraat: "The hypocrites are apprehensive lest a Surah should be sent down against them, informing them about what is in their hearts. Say: Go on deriding, surely Allah will disclose what you are apprehensive of." While the Prophet was returning from the Tabouk expedition, a group of hypocrites that were with him went ahead and hid in a gorge at night with the intention of causing panic to the Prophet’s camel when it passes so that the Prophet would fall down and get killed. But God Almighty foiled their plot by revealing these verses and informing the Prophet of what lay ahead for him. When the Prophet entered the gorge, lightening lit up the sky and instead of the usual flash, the lightening stayed for some time, enabling the Prophet and some of his close

companions to see the hypocrites lying in ambush. The hypocrites fled and their plot was foiled. It is interesting to note that these hypocrites who claimed to be Muslims, not only did not help the Muslims against the Roman army, they ridiculed the Prophet's and his companions, saying they want to conquer Damascus and rule over them. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Although God covers defaults and errors of the believers, He exposes the plots of the hypocrites.

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Mocking the faithful is among the ways of the hypocrites for they do not understand logic and reasoning.

Now we read verse 65 of Surah Baraat: "If you question them (regarding their conduct), they would certainly say: We were just gossiping and amusing ourselves. Say: Were you deriding Allah, His signs, and His Prophets?" The hypocrites after seeing the failure of their mockery of Muslims, say we were just jesting. God means to say: Are the verses of God and His Prophet your plaything that you say whatever you want and then you say it was not serious? From this verse we learn that: 1- Jesting with religious sanctities is not permitted. 2- Taking sanctities as playthings whether religious figures or texts entails swift divine punishment.

Friday August 18, 2006 First we read verse 52 of Surah Baraat: "Say: Do you await for us but one of two most excellent things? And we await for you that Allah will afflict you with punishment from Himself or by our hands. So wait; we too will await with you." Last week we talked about the hypocrites’ behaviour towards Muslims and Prophet Mohammad (SAWA – blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). The hypocrites not only wanted to escape the duty of jihad at the fronts they even try to demoralize the Muslim combatants by magnifying the enemy's power and predicting the failure and destruction of Muslims. This verse in response to the hypocrites means to say: What awaits the Mujahediin or those who strive in the path of God is nothing but goodness. The result of a battle is either victory over the enemy or martyrdom in the path of God, which is also the highest degree of salvation for the faithful. So a true believer is always the winner and he never loses. But those who escape the Jihad, nothing awaits them except divine punishment. It is up to God’s discretion; either He punishes them in the world or in the Hereafter for fleeing from the jihad. From this verse we learn that: 1-

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The true believer is never defeated. He seeks to do his duty and the result does not matter to him. For the true believer to remain alive or dead is not important. What is important is to be

steadfast on the right path. Now we read verse 53 of Surah Baraat: "Say: Spend willingly or unwillingly, it shall not be accepted from you; surely you are a transgressing people." Some of the hypocrites who did not take part in the Tabouk expedition, wanted to have a share of its worldly rewards by rendering some sort of financial aid to the battlefront and thus intending to justify their escape. But this verse says: presence on the battlefront was your duty. Now that you disobeyed your aid will not be accepted, since you did not fulfill your duty. The verse adds that it is not known whether your were content with your donation, for, you might be discontent of the victory of Muslims combatants but you were forced to help due to the social conditions. From this verse we learn that: 1-

We should not accept any aid from anyone. The sacred and religious tasks should be carried out with the financial aid of the pious men.

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The condition of acceptance of deeds to God is piety while disobedience prevents acceptance of deeds.

Now we read verse 54 of Surah Baraat: "And nothing hinders their spending being accepted from them, except that they disbelieve in Allah and in His Apostle and they do not come to prayer but while they are sluggish, and they do not spend but while they are unwilling." This verse points to the reason for not accepting the financial aid of hypocrites and says: they are unbelievers and do not believe in God and His Prophet and they hold prayers and donate unwillingly. From this verse we learn that: 1-

A deed without faith is not accepted. The intention of proximity to God is the first condition in every thing.

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We should be careful not to let any sign of discord like indifference in prayer and donation grows in us.

Now we read verse 55 of Surah Baraat: "Let not then their property and their children excite your admiration; Allah only wishes to chastise them with these in this world's life and (that) their souls may depart while they are unbelievers." This verse points to the worldly situation of the hypocrites and says: they enjoy a better state in terms of property and children rather than the faithful, but this should not surprise you. For all of these are the causes of chastisement for the hypocrites in the world and God punishes them in this world while they are unbelievers. The dependence of the hypocrites on the world is somehow that when their souls depart from his body he dies while he is unbeliever. From this verse we learn that: 12-

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There are many apparent blessings, which are the source of chastisement. Death does not mean mortality but is the departure of soul from body till the day of resurrection, when it joins again. Do not pay attention to the worldly appearance of people's life. You should think of the

their fate.

Friday August 11, 2006 First we read verse 48 of Surah Baraat: "Certainly they sought (to sow) dissension before, and they schemed plots against you until the truth came, and Allah's commandment prevailed although they were averse (from it)." Last week we pointed to the obstructionism of the hypocrites who tried to undermine Jihad against the enemies of humanity until it became known that their presence on the battlefronts was having a demoralizing affect on the combatants and created discord among them. The verse that we recited to you now means to say: Earlier also on the various social scenes the hypocrites sought to deceive the masses through creation of discord, distortion of realities and spread of rumors. In view of these negative factors, the leaders of the Islamic community should be quite vigilant against the plots of the hypocrites and should not be deceived by them. Certainly God provides the suitable opportunities to clarify the realities and eventually the hypocrites are disgraced. From this verse we learn that: 1 - In case of creation of discord and sedition, we ought to become alert to the presence of hypocrites and should identify them by diligently investigating the record of various individuals. 2 - Divine aid always nullifies the hypocrites’ plans and despite all conspiracies, Islam marches forward and spread even though its distracters are averse. Now we read verse 49 of Surah Baraat: "And among them there is he who says: Allow me and do not try me. Surely into trial have they already tumbled down, and most surely hell encompasses the unbelievers." Among the pretexts of the cowardly hypocrites for not joining the Tabouk expedition was that the sight of Roman woman might tempt them to indulge in sin. In response to such lame excuses, the holy Quran says: escaping from jihad is the worst sin and sedition in which you have indulged and these pretexts are nothing but indication of your lack of faith. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Jihad or any kind of righteous struggle even if it requires the taking up of arms and giving of life for the sake of higher ideals, is the place of trial that sifts truth from falsehood and differentiates the selfless from the dishonest ones.

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Some persons try to behave as if they are more faithful than the Prophets, Imams and upright religious leaders. They leave the battlefront under the pretext of abstaining from sins.

Now we read verse 50 of Surah Baraat: "If good befalls you, it grieves them, and if hardship afflicts you, they say; Indeed we had taken care of our affair before; and they turn back and are glad." This verse reveals the real visage and the internal incentives of the hypocrites and means to say: if they do not come to the battlefront or deter others from joining Jihad it is because they do not want the believers to overcome the enemies, but if perchance the believers face setback these hypocrites would be quick to say that they did not take part in the fighting because they already knew its results and the heavy odds that they were facing, as if they could predict the future and decide about it.

From this verse we learn that: 1-

The analyses made after the war, indicate the motives of the individuals concerned. In these situations one can better understand friends and enemies.

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The armed encounters that were forced upon the Prophet also suffered some setbacks. This was because of the negligence and weak faith of Muslims since jihad is a trial of faith chosen by God and the Prophet.

Now we read verse 51 of Surah Baraat: "Say: Nothing will afflict us save what Allah has ordained for us; He is our Patron; and on Allah let the believers rely." This verse is a crushing response to those who try to humiliate the faithful and consider themselves as expert analysts. The Prophet was assigned by God to announce to the opportunists and hypocrites that taking part in self- defence does not always bring victory. Many of the defenders attain martyrdom and this is certainly not defeat. It is God Alone Who decrees victory or setback. Thus, the true believers rely only on God and go to the battlefield irrespective of coming back alive or dying in honour on the battlefield From this verse we learn that: 1-

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A true believer seeks to fulfill his or her duty and is not concerned about the result. Jihad is a duty, it does not matter what the result is. The life and death of a human being is in the hand of God.

Neither those who go to the battlefront are always killed nor those who stay behind can escape death when it comes.

Friday August 4, 2006 First we read verse 44 and 45 of Surah Baraat: "Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day do not ask you for leave (exempting) from waging jihad with their possessions and their persons, and Allah knows best those who guard (against evil).

“Only those seek a leave (of exemption) from you who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and whose hearts are in doubt, so they waver in their doubt." Since the past few programs we have been explaining to you the verses that God Almighty revealed to the Prophet concerning expedition to Tabouk against the Roman aggression on Islamic territory and how some Muslims tried under various pretexts to stay away from jihad. These verses actually drawn distinction between the faithful and the hypocrites and mean to say: Those who believe in God and the Day of Judgement do not fear death in the path of God and neither do they seek excuse. Those who behave in this way are those who do not believe in God and the Day of Judgement and are plagued by doubts. From these verses we learn that: 1-

The need for piety on the fronts of Jihad is not isolation but an essential requirement. A pious person is known on the battlefield as well and not simply in the safety of his house.

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Doubt is the ground for scientific growth and thought, but what is dangerous is persisting in doubt, which leads to straying away from the truth.

Now we read verse 46 of Surah Baraat: "Had they desired to go forth, they would have certainly made some preparations for it; but Allah was averse to arouse them, so he held them back, and it was said to them: Be seated with those who sit back." This verse points to the internal state of the hypocrites and those who escaped Tabouk expedition and says those who were seeking to take leave from the Prophet were actually not ready for fighting, and wanted to avoid jihad. Basically God is not satisfied with the presence of such people on the field of jihad, therefore God keeps them deprived of these glories. Thus God's messenger gave them leave to stay away and they thought that they had no more duty. Whereas God knows that they did not have any justified reason for staying away and if the Prophet had apparently agreed to exempt them from fighting it does not mean that they were absolved of any duty, and were not guilty. The verse goes on to say: these people stayed at home like children, women and the sick. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Participation in Jihad is a divine success from which the hypocrites are deprived.

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Just purpose and incentive are not sufficient. One should provide the preliminaries.

Now we read verse 47 of Surah Baraat: "Had they gone forth with you, they would have only added to your troubles, and they would certainly have spread rumours in your midst, seeking to cause sedition among you. They have some spies among you, and Allah knows best the wrongdoers.” This verse expresses the cause behind the discontent of God over the presence of the hypocrites on the battlefronts and says: God takes away any chance from such people, for, if they came to the battlefield, they would do nothing but create discord and sedition. It is natural that the simple-minded people would listen to their words and various types of doubts and anxieties would split the Muslim army. In addition, they hypocrites act as spies for the enemy and they might penetrate among you. From this verse we learn that: 1-

The number of combatants is not important. Faith, belief, and purity are needed for gaining victory.

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One should be careful from those who seek seditions and live among people in the Islamic community and by spreading rumors distort the minds of simple-minded people and create discord in the society.

Friday July 28, 2006 First we read verse 41 of Surah Baraat: "Go forth, whether (armed) lightly and heavily, and wage jihad with your possessions and persons in the way of Allah; this is better for you, if you know." In continuation of the previous program and the divine commandment to the Prophet to move towards Tabouk on the borders of the Roman Empire in order to counter the enemy’s expected attack, this verse says: the command of Jihad or striving selflessly in the way of God is binding, and

Muslims were asked to accompany the Prophet irrespective of the circumstances and without anxiety for worldly possessions and even life, since the defence of Islam and the Prophet stands high above all such things. In other words, this commandment was a divine test for sifting faith from hypocrisy and determining the true believers from those who merely pay lip service to faith and are not prepare to give up their comfort, possessions, families and lives, for the sake of the Almighty Creator. From this verse we learn that: 12-

Sometimes mass mobilization of the Islamic community is essential. Jihad requires sacrifices, to whatever extent possible by the faithful, whose contributions to its cost, as per the conditions and ability of each and every person, is necessary for the protection of faith and honour.

Now we raed verse 42 of Surah Baraat: "Were it an accessible gain or a short journey, they would have surely followed you; but the distance seemed too far to them. Yet they will swear by Allah: If we could, surely we would have gone forth with you. They (merely) destroy themselves. Allah knows that they are most surely liars." In continuation of the previous verse that was a command for general mobilization for the Tabouk expedition, this verse means to say that some claim to be Muslims but bring up excuses in order to be excused from joining the expedition. Sometimes they say that their supposedly weak physical health does not permit them to endure the long journey to Tabouk and back, while at other times they say that they lack provisions and supplies for the journey. These people are even ready to take false oaths in order to escape from their duty at the battlefront. However, if there were prospects of booty and chances of easy victory, these very same persons who offer lame excuses, would certainly be the first to come forward for an expedition. But they should not think that they can deceive God since God the Omnipresent Who knows what passes in the hearts and minds of His Creatures, is well aware of their intentions. As a matter of fact such persons deceive their own selves and actually damn themselves eternally. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Jihad is a good opportunity for a field test to determine the faith and sincerity of the believers.

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Escaping duty but opting for easy and seemingly profitable works is not the sign of faith and moral perfection. In fact, the readiness to face difficulties is the criteria for testing the faith of the true believers.

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The consequences of escaping the battlefield will befall those who fled the front, and the faithful should separate themselves from the hypocrites and the weak in faith.

Now we read verse 43 of Surah Baraat:

“May Allah excuse you! Why did you grant them leave (to stay behind) before those who told the truth when evident to you and you had ascertained the liars?" This verse although it seems to address the Prophet, it actually addresses the Muslims. It means to say: many of them who asked to leave the battlefield had no real excuse. As is clear by the verses that follow, this verse does not blame the Prophet. It means to say that God too dislikes the presence of hypocrites on the scene of Jihad and that this verse is meant to expose those who asked for permission to stay behind without an excuse. God makes it clear here: Do not think that We did not realize that you lie. We know what was in your hearts, but we do not like your presence. From this verse we learn that:

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God reprimands and He forgives. The scene of battle and Jihad is the right place to discern between the true believers and the false claimants of belief.

Friday July 14, 2006 First we read verse 36 of Surah Baraat: "Indeed the number of months with Allah is twelve months in Allah's Book, the day when He created the heavens and the earth. Of these, four are sacred. That is the right reckoning, so do not wrong yourself during them. Fight all the polytheists as they fight you all, and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)." In the previous programs we explained the verses that deal with jihad or striving in the way of God against the polytheists for their breeching of accords. This verse means to say: that four of the 12 months of the year are sacred and therefore it is forbidden to initiate armed conflicts in these inviolable months. These four months are Zil-Qa’da, Zil-Hejjah, Moharram and Rajab. But if the enemy violates the sanctity of these months and starts armed invasion, it is obligatory for Muslims to face the enemy in self-defense. It is worth noting that this verse starts with reference to the cycle of nature and says that from the beginning of creation of the earth, God has stipulated that every year should have 12 months. It is interesting to note that the moon orbits the earth 12 times a year and each orbit completes a month. As mentioned in verse 189 of Surah Baqara, one of the philosophies of this cycle of nature is to determine the calendar for correct calculation of the year and the seasons for human societies. Since this phenomenon is unchangeable and orderly, it gives order to time and chronology. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Islam does not seek war and in order to pave the way for a lasting peace it has forbidden initiating of hostilities in 4 months of the year.

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But the Muslims should be prudent enough to thwart the designs of the enemies of Islam and prevent them from exploiting divine injunctions.

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If the enemy were to start hostilities in these 4 sacred months, then it is the duty of Muslims to defend their home and hearths with all their might.

Now we read verse 37 of Surah Baraat: "Indeed the postponing (of the sacred month) is only an addition in unbelief, whereby those who disbelieve are led (further) astray. They allow it in one year and forbid it another year, so as to fit in with the number (of months) that Allah has made inviolable, thus permitting what Allah has made forbidden. Their evil deeds appear to them as fairseeming, and Allah does not guide the unbelieving people." In continuation of the previous verse, this verse says: although the disbelievers of Mecca were aware of the four sacred months and they observed the prohibition against initiating fighting in these months as per the shari’a or divine legacy left by Prophet Abraham (PBUH), part of which was still observed in their culture, sometimes when their vested interests required, the polytheists felt no inhibitions to start fighting. At times resorting to trickery they would observe truce in any of the four months of the year, and not necessary Rajab, Zil-Qa’da, Zil-Hejjah and Moharram, as a pretension of respect for the sacred months. They would say that this particular year they have replaced the sacred months with other months. Thus, according to their whims and fantasy they would start fighting in the sacred months. The holy Qur’an rebukes them for their subterfuge and says: to make the divine injunctions a plaything is disbelief and such people are deprived of divine guidance.

From this verse we learn that: 1-

One of the factors that mislead people is the wrong interpretation of divine injunctions.

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If one realized the wrongfulness of his or her actions, he or she will seek repentance, but it becomes dangerous and self-deceptive if one views his evil as goodness and such a thing will deprive the doer of any chance of guidance.

Now we read verses 38 & 39 of Surah Baraat: "O you who believe! What is the matter with you that when you are told: Go forth in the way of Allah, you sink heavily to the ground? Are you pleased with the life of this world instead of the Hereafter? But the provisions of the life of this world compared with the hereafter are but insignificant.

“If you do not go forth, He will chastise you with a painful chastisement and replace you with another people, and you will not hurt Him in anywise, and Allah has power over all things." In the 9th year of the Hijra, the Romans planned to attack Muslims. Therefore the Prophet mobilized the Muslims to defend the Islamic land. On one hand the way from Medina to Tabouk, which formed the frontier of the Roman Empire, was long and on the other hand the hot summer coupled with approach of the harvest season, made the expedition appear arduous for some of the Muslims. In view of this, those of the Muslims who were weak in faith became influenced by the hypocrites of Medina and sought excuses to escape mobilization for the Tabouk expedition against the Roman invaders. God censures the weak of faith and through these verses means to ask them: have you forgotten the hereafter and become attached to the transient pleasures of this world? What lame excuses are you bringing up in order to escape the divine commandment of Jihad and the rewards that God has promised to the faithful? Of course if you do not obey God’s commandments and march to the battlefront, the religion decreed by God will not be defeated and God will replace you with others of firm faith, for He is capable of supporting His religion and Prophet and He is not in need of you. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Humiliation in the world and severe punishment in the Hereafter is retribution for fleeing Jihad. Do not think that by giving up Jihad, you would be secure and comfortable.

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Obedience or disobedience to the commandments of God is neither of benefit nor loss to the Lord Most High. It is human beings who benefit or harm themselves by their acts of obedience and disobedience.

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We should not think that we are doing a favor to God by observing His injunctions and neither should we entertain the preposterous idea that God is in need of us. imHH

Friday July 7, 2006 First we read verse 31 of Surah Baraat: "They have taken their scribes and their monks as lords besides Allah, and also the Messiah son of Mary; though they were commanded to worship only the One God only; there is no god except Him; He is far too Glorious to have any partners that they ascribe (to Him)." As we said last week, those who later, after the end of Prophet Jesus’ mission, claimed to be Christians, erred when they called the Virgin-born Messiah son of Mary as son of God, although Jesus never preached such blasphemy. Later, some of these sects started calling the scribes who

wrote down religious texts and the monks who dwelt in secluded monasteries as ‘lords’, to the extent that the conflicting and self-contradictory statements of such fallible persons began to be considered as divine words, whereas the scripture revealed to Prophet Jesus (PBUH), preached obedience to none but God, Who is far glorious to have any partners or the characteristics of His creatures to beget. Exaggeration in religious matters is not limited to Judaism and Christianity. Muslims have been warned by the Prophet and his infallible progeny against such fallacies. It is interesting to note that the Infallible Imams of the Prophet’s Household despite their lofty status and God-given authority considered themselves to be humble creatures of God and cautioned Muslims from indulging in any irrational beliefs. From this verse we learn that: 1-

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One should never worship anyone or anything such as idols or saints, since God only is worthy of worship. Worship of others besides God is a form of polytheism. Only the Word of God Almighty is binding and whoever accepts laws contradicting divine injunctions, is a disbeliever.

Now we read verse 32 of Surah Baraat: "They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah is intent on perfecting His light, though the unbelievers are averse." Throughout history different persons and groups, especially the oppressive kings and rulers who could not accept right and justice, resorted to intricate plots and brutal massacres in a bid to suppress divine teachings, remove divine leaders from the scene and blot out their memory. But history bears witness that the oppressors miserably failed. In spite of their plots and bloodcurdling savagery, the teachings of the Messengers of God and their exemplary behaviour, have remained alive. Today, after the passing of centuries and even millenniums, people revere the divinely-sent leaders and adhere to their teachings, while no one remembers the oppressive or the weird and irrational codes that they tried to impose on societies in the name of law. This verse means to say that the oppressors try to extinguish the light lit by God through His messengers by attempting to mislead people, punish them for observing the tenets of religion, brainwash them and promote immoral practices in society. But they will never succeed since the Light of God is more dazzling and widespread than sunlight that brightens up the world. From this verse we learn: 1-

The enemies of God and humanity frequently resort to propaganda to try to weaken religious teachings and the beliefs of people. Therefore, the believers should be extra careful against the intricate plots of the disbelievers.

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The believers should be confident of the triumph of righteousness over evil despite the magnitude of the enemy plots.

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The opponents of truth, if they have any commonsense, should know that their efforts are doomed to fail since it is God Who has promised victory to the truthful.

Now we read verse 33 of Surah Baraat: "It it is He Who sent His Prophet with the guidance and the religion of truth, that He might cause it to prevail over all religions, though the polytheists may be averse." In continuation of the previous verse that exposed the vain efforts of the oppressors against manifest truth, this verse means to say that despite the intensity of the enemy plots, Truth and

the Word of God eventually defeats and throws into the dustbin of history all deviated creeds, manmade laws and schools of thought, since eternity is only for divine guidance and righteousness. In the light of the Prophet’s sayings, the eventual victory of truth, justice, peace and righteousness, will be materialized towards the end of time by the Prophet’s 12th infallible successor, Imam Mahdi (May God speed up his reappearance to rid the planet of all vestiges of oppression and corruption and to establish the global government of justice and order). His appearance will be followed by that of Prophet Jesus and all mankind will eventually realize the truth of Islam and become Muslims, that is, those who submit to none but One and Only God alone, and lead a healthy way of life by refraining from indulging in immoral ways. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Truth is the basis of the religion revealed to mankind by God through His Prophets, the culmination and perfection of which is Islam.

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True believers ought to discern the tampering of the previously revealed scriptures as is the case with the various and self-contradictory versions of the Torah and the Christian Gospels in circulation, which display human handiwork.

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True believers should lead life in harmony with divine injunctions with firm believe in the appearance of the Promised Saviour of Mahdi to fill the world with peace. Now let us listen to verses 34 and 35:

"O you who believe! Indeed many of the scribes and the monks wrongfully eat up the property of the people and bar them from the way of Allah. Those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in Allah's way, announce to them a painful chastisement. “On the day when these shall be heated in the fire of hell, then therewith branded on their foreheads, their sides and their backs (and told); this is what you hoarded up for yourselves, therefore taste what you hoarded." At the start of today’s programme we said that those who claim to be Christians and Jews, instead of following the revealed Word of God, allowed themselves to be duped and misled by the scribes and monks. This verse means to say: As a matter of fact many of these monks and self-styled religious scribes are wolves in the clothing of sheep. They are corrupt and sinful and never hesitate in seizing the wealth and property of their followers. They not only do not believe in promotion of religious values, but they drive away people from the path of God by tarnishing its image through their evil deeds and words. The next verse points to the dangers of hoarding and warns that some merely think of hoarding and are not prepared to spend it in the way of God though they have plenty that far exceeds their needs. These people will be meted out severe punishment on the Judgement Day. Their gold and silver hoardings will be heated in the fire of hell and put on their bodies so that they taste what they did to others by exploiting them and depriving them of their property. From these verses we learn that: 1-

Financial corruption is among the dangers that threaten religious scholars as well, for, people have confidence in them and entrust them with their savings.

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In the community where there are needy persons, hoarding gold and essential items is not allowed, even though its Zakat or religious tax may have been paid.

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Reward and punishment on the Day of Resurrection depends on human behaviors in the world. The hoarders will taste the torment of their heated hoardings.

Friday June 30, 2006 First we read verse 28 of Surah Baraat:

"O’ you who believe! The idolaters are nothing but unclean, so they shall not approach the Masjid al-Haraam after this year; and if you fear poverty then God will enrich you out of His grace if He pleases; surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise." Following the peaceful surrender of Mecca to the Muslims in 8 AH and removal of the idols that the infidels had placed in Abraham’s monotheistic edifice, the Holy Ka’ba, the infidels, who are considered unclean for their lack of observing ritual purification which comes with faith, continued to enter the Masjid al-Haraam for their weird rituals until the year 9th AH when they were banned entry by the commandment of God that the Prophet conveyed to them through his dear cousin, son-inlaw and vicegerent, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (PBUH). This prohibition of the infidels who used to flock to Mecca from all over the Arabian Peninsula led to recession in trade and commerce and worried Muslims of weak faith. Hence the revelation of this verse indicating God’s promise of sustenance for the Muslims and assuring them against the fears of poverty and loss of income. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Disbelief is evil and is a state of moral and spiritual pollution. Real purity and cleanliness emanates from faith and firm belief in the One and Only God, and His commandments.

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Muslims ought not to worry about loss of revenues as a result of severance of economic relationship with the infidels, for sustenance is not in their hands. The Real Sustainer is God Almighty. Therefore, economic bottlenecks and financial pressures should not affect our commitment to religion and its dynamic principles.

Now we raed verse 29 of Surah Baraat: "Campaign against those who do not believe in God nor in the Last Day; nor do they prohibit what God and His Prophet have prohibited, and neither do they follow the Religion of Truth (even if they are) of the people who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued." While the previous verse defined the manner of dealing with the infidels, this verse deals with the People of the Book or those communities who adhere to the previously revealed scriptures such as the Torah and the Evangel although these books have been abrogated with the revelation of the Holy Qur’an by God Almighty to His Last Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA or blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). After establishment of the Islamic government in Medina, those who professed Christianity and Judaism had to clarify their duties and accept the rule of Muslims. The alternatives before them were either to acknowledge the rule of Islam and live peacefully beside the Muslims, or to leave the place and migrate beyond the borders of the Islamic realm. According to historical accounts, some of these so-called People of the Book, especially the Jews, were always trying to hatch conspiracies against the Islamic system and they also did not acknowledge the rule of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). This was the reason for revelation of this verse, which urges Muslims to confront the seditionists until they submit, stop disobedience, acknowledge the rule of Islam and pay taxes to the state as their contribution to the running of the government in return for the security provided to them by the state. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Faith is not mere lip service but has to be proven through practical observance of its tenets. In other words, actions and deeds of a person show whether he or she has faith in God and the Day of Resurrection.

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Religious minorities living under the protection of the Islamic state ought not to hatch conspiracies against the Islamic system. They should pay taxes like the rest of the citizens and feel free to adhere to their beliefs provided they do not violate in public the social limits set by Islam. Now let us listen to verse 30 of Surah Baraat:

"And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of God; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of God; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who

had disbelieved before; God’s curse upon them; how they are deluded (away from the Truth)!" This verse focuses on the irrational and illogical ideas of the so-called People of the Book. For instance, some Israelites used to regard Prophet Uzair or Ezra as a son of God when he returned to his community after disappearing for a century by the Will of God, Who is far Glorious to have the traits of His creatures in begetting children. In like manner, the Christians also erred by calling the Virgin-bon Jesus as the son of God despite being reprimanded by the Messiah and his mother Mary for indulging in such a manifest sin against the One and Only God. On closer scrutiny we find the words of the Jews and Christians similar to the irrational and illogical ideas expressed earlier by pagans, who used to regard angels as the daughters of God and worshipped a pantheon of idols where their imaginary deities beget and are begotten. This manifest disbelief by the heathens brought swift wrath from the All-Merciful God after repeated warnings, and they were destroyed as is evident from the ruins of their cities and civilizations throughout the world. From this verse we learn that: 1-

It is sin and disobedience of God’s commandments to exaggerate and extol Prophets and religious figures beyond what they are, to the status of divinity, since they are human beings and not the children of God the Glorious, Who has no form, shape or place and Whose Glories human minds cannot encompass.

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Superstition and irrationality undermine the principles of divinely revealed religions as is the unfortunate case with the Torah and the Evangel as well as the scriptures of other previously revealed faiths, which show the handiwork of man and clear signs of tampering with their contents.

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Campaign against superstition is among the most important duties of the scholars of every creed so that religion remains pure and unsullied.

Friday June 23, 2006 First we read verse 23 of Surah Baraat: "O you who believe! Do not befriend your fathers and your brothers if they prefer unbelief to belief. Those of you who befriend them, it is they who are the wrongdoers." Last week we explained to you the verses of Surah Baraat concerning migration and jihad or striving selflessly in the way of God. The verse that we recited to you now means to say that if your fathers and brothers happen to be non-Muslims and are unwilling to migrate in order to escape persecution from the disbelievers, you should not give up true belief for their sake. The religion decreed by God for humanity is Islam. So do not drift away from the Omnipresent God and His Prophet in the false hope of maintaining family kinship. The real kinship is with God the Almighty Creator, and not with those blood relations who have disobeyed God, turned away from true belief and become unjust. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Safeguarding of religion is very important. At times a true believer has to leave his home, hearth and family and migrate to a safer place in obedience to divine commandment in order to preserve his faith, rather than submitting to the unjust demands of the disbelievers.

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The right of a father over a son is acceptable as long as it does not violate the rights and absolute guardianship of God over human beings.

Now we read verse 24 of Surah Baraat:

"Say: If your fathers and your sons, your brethren, your spouses and your kinsfolk, the property that you have acquired, the business you fear may suffer and the dwellings you are fond of, are dearer to you than Allah and His Prophet and to strive His way, then wait until Allah issues His edict, and Allah does not guide the transgressing people." This verse in continuation of the previous verse means to say: measure yourself on the barometer of faith, whether you love God, His Prophet and striving in the divine path, more than you love your parents, your spouse, your house, your business, and your job? Beware that if your love for the world were to overcome your religion, you will have an evil fate in this world and in the hereafter. You will be deprived of divine guidance in this world and of salvation in afterlife with grave punishment being your fate. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Evaluating one’s own belief by comparing the love for God in the heart with the love for one's own desires, determines the degree of faith.

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Welfare is a must in life. But not at a price of loss of religion and distance from divine duties.

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Interests and passions should not hinder Jihad or striving in the Way of God, and one should be ready to sacrifice his property, forgo his family and even risk his life for the sake of God and salvation in the Hereafter.

Now we read verse 25 of Surah Baraat: "Certainly Allah helped you in many situations, and on the Day of Hunain, when your great numbers impressed you, but it did not avail you in any way, and the earth became narrow for you in spite of its expanse, whereupon you turned back to flee." This verse dwells on divine aid and favours to Muslims during the Battle of Hunain that occurred in the year 8th AH shortly after the peaceful surrender of Mecca to the Prophet. The Prophet set out for Tayef with a group of Muslims in order to quell the conspiracy and military offensive of the disbelievers. The Muslims first prided on their great numbers but when the battle ensured, most of them broke ranks and fled leaving the Prophet on the battlefield with Imam Ali (AS) and a few steadfast companions. It was the valour of Imam Ali (AS) that saved the day for Islam and Muslims, and when he repulsed the onslaught of the disbelievers, most of the Muslims who had fled returned and joined in the counter attack, which eventually brought victory. From this verse we learn that: 1-

2-

The number of persons or the quality of equipment is not a determining factor in war. Faith, steadfastness, conviction and of course divine aid are vital. Sometimes large numbers lead to pride, negligence and finally failure and disgrace.

Now we read verses 26 & 27: "Then Allah sent down His tranquility upon His Prophet and upon the believers, and He sent down hosts you did not see, and he punished those who disbelieved, and that is the requital of the unbelievers.

“Then Allah shall turn mercifully after that to whom He wishes. Indeed Allah is AllForgiving, All-Merciful." In continuation of the previous verse, this verse says: The Muslims were impressed by their great number but ran away when the enemy attacked.

God sent angels to assist the Prophet and Imam Ali in order to ensure victory for Islam. The All-Merciful God also granted tranquility to the hearts of those of the Muslims who had deserted the Prophet and fled. They recovered their composure and returned to the battlefield to join the Prophet in the hour of victory. This setback for the weak-hearted Muslims was a worldly punishment. Of course God forgave those who ran away and returned them of their grave sin. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Tranquility, assurance and good morale are among the important factors for victory, which is gained under the blessing of faith in God.

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The gates of repentance are always open to human beings and God likes those who repent.

Friday June 16, 2006 First we read verse 17 and 18 of chapter Baraat: "The polytheists may not maintain Allah’s Mosques while they are witness to their own unbelief. Their works have failed, and they shall remain in the fire (forever)..

“Only those shall maintain Allah’s Mosques whose believe in Allah and the Last Day, and maintain the prayer and give the zakat, and fears no one except Allah. They, hopefully, will be among the guided." The custodianship of the Masjid al-Haraam or the Sacred Mosque in Mecca that houses the Holy Ka’ba was in the hands of polytheists before the peaceful surrender of Mecca to Muslims. The mosque is the most important religious and social base of Muslims and its custodianship should be in the hands of pure and pious believers in order to ensure the intellectual and spiritual growth of the community as well as to prevent moral and physical pollution. Although this verse refers to Masjid al-Haraam, it could mean all other mosques as well, since it is not logical for disbelievers to be in charge of places of Muslim worship. The important task of maintaining the mosques should be through legitimate incomes and not through the ill-begotten wealth of those who are opposed to Islam and are its enemies, who might interfere in the mosque's affairs. Moreover, the repair and development of mosque is not only limited to the apparent repair of the building, but the real development means the active presence of people, propagation of religious issues and the allencompassing role of the mosque in the affairs of the community. From these verses we learn that: 1-

An act by itself is not important, what is important is the intention and objective of the act. Religious affairs require people with sincere and pure incentives. The mere good appearance of an act is not sufficient, but the goodness of the objective is very important.

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Infidelity and polytheism nullify the worth and value of any act, however good in appearance.

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The custodians of mosques, in addition to their attention to prayer, should pay attention to the deprived people. In most cases, zakat or giving the poor people their dues has been raised as worthy as prayer. Now we read verse 19 of chapter Baraat: "What! Do you regard the providing of water to Hajj pilgrims and the maintenance of

the Sacred Mosque as similar (in worth) to someone who has faith in Allah and (believes in) in the Last Day and wages Jihad in the way of Allah? They are not equal with Allah, and Allah does not guide the unjust people." In continuation of the previous verse, which decreed custodianship of the Masjid al-Haraam in Mecca the right of the true believers and banned the interference of the infidels, this verse means to say: Basically the type of public amenities in the Sacred Mosque like providing water to pilgrims and the custodianship of the Holy Ka'ba despite their great worth and value, can never be equal to striving in the way of God through Jihad and self-sacrifice. As per the reason for revelation of this verse, it happened that once two of the neo-Muslims tried to assert their so-called superiority over each other by boasting of their respective roles as providing water to Hajj pilgrims and custodianship of the Holy Ka’ba. Imam Ali (PBUH) who happened to pass by told the two that I don’t know what merits you are boasting about, since I have the honour of striving selflessly in the way of God through Jihad and the risk to my life. The two neo-Muslims felt dejected and approached the Prophet for a verdict, when to their surprise God instantly revealed this particular verse confirming the pride of position and the matchless merits of Imam Ali (PBUH). From this verse we learn that: 1-

The gist of Islam is faith and sincere endeavours. Building of huge mosques have no worthy as long as the aim and objectives are not sincere and solely for the service of Islam. The Prophet practically built persons like Belal the Abyssinian and Salman the Persian, and did not construct vast and magnificent mosques.

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Those who strive in the way of God unmindful of their life are far more superior to those who donate their properties. In the social hierarchy of Islam, the Mujahideen or those who selflessly strive for the promotion of faith and humanitarian values are definitely at the top of the ladder compare to other sections of the society.

Now we read verses 20, 21, & 22: "Those who have believed and migrated, and waged Jihad in the way of Allah with their possessions and persons have a great rank near Allah, and it is they who are the triumphant.

“Their Lord gives them the good news of His mercy and (His) pleasure, and for them there will be gardens with lasting bliss.

“To remain in them forever. With Allah indeed is a great reward." In continuation of the previous verse, these verses point to the status of the Mujahedeen and confirm their pride of place in Paradise. The highest are those who in addition to faith are prepared to migrate from their land and to sacrifice their life and give up their properties in the path of God. These persons are certainly rewarded with perpetual bliss and receive special mercy from God Almighty. From these verses we learn that: 1-

The criterion of merit in Islamic society is moral and spiritual perfection and not any supposed ethnic or class superiority or the legacy of distinguished or wealth ancestors.

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For God, faith, jihad and migration are the criteria for superiority. It should be the same in a truly Islamic society.

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If one desires perpetual blessings, one has to be ready for sacrificing the transient pleasures of mortal world.

Friday June 9, 2006 First we read verse 12 and 13 of chapter Baraat: "And if they break their oaths after their agreement and (openly) revile your religion, then fight the leaders of unbelief- surely their oaths are nothing-so that they may desist. What! Will you not fight a people, who broke their oaths and aimed at the expulsion of the Prophet, and they attacked you first; do you fear them? But Allah is most deserving that you should fear Him, if you are believers." In the previous program we said that God says if the infidels repent and give up their wicked ways, Muslims should welcome them and behave with them like brethren. The verses that we recited to you now mean to say: But if they continued their wicked ways, ridiculed religion and breached the agreement they made with Muslims, you should no more keep silent and defend yourself and the religion of God by confronting them so that your action makes them give up their improper deeds. Do not think that your silence and patience would make them desist from their devilish ways. The Meccan infidels are the same ones who forced the Prophet under threat of death to leave his hometown Mecca and migrate to Medina. They have always plotted to kill the Prophet and they arrogantly break their agreements with the Prophet, so in such a case they ought to be properly confronted. If Muslims were to fear the infidels this would be an indication of weak faith, for, the faithful should fear no one except God. From these we learn that: 1-

Islam accepts logic and always invites its opponents to bring proof and reason.

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Jihad or striving in the way of God, which times assumes armed confrontation for defence of divine values, the ringleaders of the infidels should be targeted and not the and the ordinary disbelievers, since it is the ringleaders who are the source of all evil.

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In Islam, Jihad including armed encounter, is defensive and not offensive. It is aimed at defending religion, not attacks and conquests.

Now we read verses 14 and 15 of chapter Baraat: "Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace, and assist you against them and heal the hearts of a believing people.

“And remove the rage of their hearts; and Allah turns (mercifully) to whom He pleases, and Allah is Knowing, Wise." One of the divine punishments for the malicious infidels who seek to fight the religion of God is their humiliation in this world. These verses invite the faithful to decisively confront such enemies and means to say: If you are forced to take up arms and come to the battlefield, God will provide you victory, a victory that soothes the pains of the hard pressed faithful and removes anger and frustration. From these verses we learn that: 1-

Divine aid is promised to those striving in the way of God.

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Honour and security that comes under the blessings of Jihad are better even if it means martyrdom for some of the true believers.

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The door of repentance is always open, even for those who due to their weak faith turned away from Jihad. So do not drive them away since the All-Forgiving Lord accepts the repentance of the penitents.

Now we read verse 16 of chapter Baraat: "What! Do you think that you will be left alone while Allah has not yet known those of you who have struggled hard and have not taken any one as an adherent besides Allah and His Apostle and the believers; and Allah is aware of what you do." This verse means to say: Do you think that faith just means prayer and fasting? Do not you know that God tests you through hardships and at times armed conflicts so that it becomes clear to all that who is firm and steadfast in faith and who merely pays lip service to God and religion? Jiahd or striving in the way of God is incumbent on the true believers who have no hesitation in even sacrificing their life, if necessary, in path of God. One of the characteristics of the true believers is that they do not fear for their life and property in view of the fact that these are the gifts of God, and should be spent in the way of God. The true believers know that God is well aware of what occurs even in the depth of hearts though such mysteries might be hidden from fellow humans. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Trial and tribulation are the means through which the All-Merciful God tests human beings.

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Jihad is the arena of divine trial, and those who desert the cause of Jihad are not faithful even though they might pray the whole night till morning and fast.

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Safeguarding the secret of the Muslim community is vital and whatever relation one has to maintain with outsiders and foreigners, should not mean the disclosure of the military, economic and scientific secrets.

Friday June 2, 2006 First we read verse 7 of chapter Baraat: "How can there be an agreement for the idolaters with Allah and with His Prophet; except those with whom you made an agreement at the Sacred Mosque? So as long as they are true to you, be true to them; surely Allah loves those who are careful (of their duty)." In the opening verses of Surah Baraat God declared His disavowal and that of the His Prophet towards the disbelievers. This verse means to say that the disbelievers have no agreement with Allah and the Prophet. In other words, the Muslims are commanded to observe only those accords that were made at the Masjid al-Haraam at Mecca between the disbelievers and the last Divine Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny), provided the disbelievers adhere to the clauses of the treaty. Otherwise, there is no need to unilaterally observe the agreement. Certainly it is evident that one should practice piety even in dealing with the enemies and one should not act out of the framework of justice. From this verse we learn that: 1-

In dealing with the enemy, in adherence to or violation of agreement, Muslims should reply in a like manner without exceeding limits, but at the same time should not behave in a manner that leads to the domination of the enemy and obstructs Muslims from piety and practicing of their beliefs.

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Adherence to agreements and social accords is the requirement of faith and piety.

Now we read verse 8 of chapter Baraat: "How (can it be)! While if they prevail against you, they would not pay regard in your case to ties of relationship, nor those of covenant; they please you with their mouths while their hearts do not consent; and most of them are transgressors." This verse expresses the performance of enemies so that Muslims are not deceived by them and know that the infidels are never honest with them in practice. If non-Muslims take control of affairs and subjugate Muslims they will observe no legal or social norm and will have no mercy even to their relatives without regard for any treaty. From this verse we learn that: 1-

The enemy should be well understood. He is with you just in words and not by heart, neither his acts is to your benefit.

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One should not be simple-minded about the enemy who will not observe any ethical and social rules when he gains power over Muslims.

Now we read verse 9 of chapter Baraat: "They have taken a small price for the communications of Allah, so they turn away from His way; surely evil is it that they do." This verse points to another aspect of the enemy's characteristics and says: they spare no efforts and spend lavishly for preventing the spread of God's religion. This characteristic points to the Israelites in Medina who, although they had the Torah and were familiar with divine verses, distorted and concealed the truth in order to prevent the progress of Islam. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Whatever Muslims would get in return for ignoring divine verses is nothing, even though the sum might appear great.

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The enemies have no logic and the main aim of their hostility towards faith is their blind love for the material world.

Now we read to verses 10 & 11 of chapter Baraat: "They do not pay regard to ties of relationship nor those of covenant in the case of a believer; and these are they who go beyond the limits." "But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, they are your brethren in faith; and We make the communications clear for a people who know." These verses once again emphasize the severe hostility between the infidels and the faithful and says: Their way is to go beyond the limits, whether the social limit which is created according to the treaty among the members of community or the divine limit stipulate by God Almighty for the peace and prosperity of human beings. In continuation the verses say, certainly the way of returning towards the All-Merciful Lord is not closed to them and if they give up disbelief, accept monotheism and fulfill their religious duties like prayer and Zakat, like all other believers, they would be also considered brethren-in-faith. From these verses we learn that:

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Breach of treaty is an aggression. Not only murder and robbery are aggressions but breaking agreements is also a type of aggression.

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Prayer and Zakat are the condition for entering the circle of religious brotherhood and the relations of a Muslim is defined according to his or her thoughts.

Friday May 26, 2006 First we read verse 4 of chapter Baraat: "Barring the polytheists with whom you have made a treaty and who did not violate any (of its terms) with you, nor backed anyone against you. So fulfill the treaty with them until (the end of) its term. Indeed Allah loves the Godwary." As you might recall, last week we explained to you the first three verses of chapter Baraat, saying God and His Last Prophet declared their disavowal of disbelievers and gave the infidels four months to either accept Islam and give up their sordid and superstitious practices or to leave Mecca the base of monotheism in peace for another place. Verse 4 that we recited to you now, means to say that this 4-month term allowing residence in Mecca does not cover those disbelievers who made a pact with the Muslims and annulled it by helping the enemies of Islam. Only those disbelievers who honoured their commitment to the clauses of the treaty with the Muslims can stay for the specified period before accepting either of the two options, that is, accept Islam or leave the city. From this verse we learn that:

1. Adherence to the clauses of an agreement is essential even though it is made with the infidels and disbelievers unless the other side cancels it.

2. Fulfillment of an agreement is the sign of piety. A pious person does not just pray or fast but he or she has to respect the social treaties. Now we read verse 5 of chapter Baraat: "Then when the sacred months have passed, slay the polytheists wherever you find them, capture them and besiege them and lie in wait for them at every ambush. But if they repent, and maintain the prayer and give the zakaat then let them alone. Indeed Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful." To differentiate between the polytheists who fulfilled their terms of the treaty and those who breached it, this verse says that those who cancelled the agreement and helped the enemies, should not be allowed to stay in Mecca after the end of the 4-month respite, and if they stay their life and property will not be safe. The polytheists who resorted to every conceivable conspiracy and plot against the life and property of the Prophet and the Muslims for 13 years in Mecca and even after the migration of the Prophet did not stop their plots against him and Islam, deserve a harsh punishment. This is because, these hardcore infidels continued to abuse the terms of the general amnesty that the Prophet had granted them in 8th AH on the surrender of Mecca to him. God commands believers that after the end of the term of respite, wherever the violators of the treaty are, they should be besieged and arrested. If the polytheists refused to surrender but resisted and fought, naturally they would be killed in the armed encounters. As said earlier, they have two options; either to leave Mecca or accept Islam by giving up their sordid practices. They should submit to the Will of the One and Only God, Who is Omnipotent but Unseen, instead of worshipping idols and other weird imaginations of their minds. Moreover, they should stop the superstitious practice of offerings to the idols and should instead pay Zakaat to the poor and needy people. If they behaved in such a manner, God Almighty will surely forgive their sins. From this verse we learn that:

1-

It is vital to act decisively and punish the violators. Mercy and affection are required in relationship among the faithful, and not to diehard enemies scheming every hour to inflict death and damage.

Islam does not close its doors. On the contrary the doors of repentance are always open and even on the battlefield, where the disbelievers can avail of God’s infinite mercy to repent. Now we read verse 6 of chapter Baraat: "If any of the polytheists seek asylum from you, grant him asylum until he hears the word of Allah, then convey to his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know." In the previous verse, mention was made of decisiveness in dealing with the idolaters. The verse that we just now recited says Jihad is not vengeance, but is aimed at removing social oppressions and injustice. Therefore whenever an infidel seeks asylum, he or she should be granted protection and provided the opportunity to become acquainted with divine injunctions. Whether or not the disbeliever accepts the divine word, he or she has the right to hear the word of God and contemplate. This shows the peak of magnanimity of Islam and the loftiness of character of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). Even on the battlefield, the Prophet permitted enemies easily access to him to hear the Word of God, irrespective of whether he became Muslim or not. In case the polytheist did not become Muslim even after hearing the Revealed Words of God, he was allowed to return safely to his own people. From this verse we learn that: 1-

The enemy should be given the chance of thinking and choosing. Under no circumstances the path of invitation to the religion of God should be closed.

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The deviation of most people results from their ignorance and unawareness and it is the duty of Muslims and the Islamic government to convey the message of religion to the public and provide means of guidance.

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Islam attaches respect for freedom of choice and wants people to accept Islam by their will, and not by force.

Friday May 19, 2006 We begin this article with Holy Quran's 9th chapter titled Baraat, which means disavowal since its opening verses speak of the divine commandment to the Prophet to disavow the disbelievers and forbid them from polluting the sacred precincts of the Masjid al-Haraam in Mecca through their obscene behaviour. That is the reason this particular chapter does not start with the usual divine phrase Bismillah-hir-Rahman-nir-Rahim or in the Name of God the Merciful and Compassionate, since disavowal is the opposite of mercy and compassion. This same chapter is also known as Towbah or repentance since it opens the window of hope for penitents and their eventual return to God if the sinners sincerely repent. Now we read first verse of this chapter: "(This is a declaration of) disavowal by Allah and His Prophet of those idolaters with whom you made an agreement." After the peaceful surrender of Mecca to the Muslims in the 8th year AH, the Prophet issued a general amnesty for the infidels and allowed them to live in the city with freedom to practice their weird acts of worships that were at times offensive to cultured and pious persons, although the idols had been removed from Abraham’s ancient edifice of monotheism, the holy Ka’ba. For instance, among the repulsive habits of some of these infidels was to circumambulate the holy Ka’ba naked without any piece of clothing on their bodies while clapping hands in a state of frenzy. This obscene

behavior of the infidels was intolerable for Muslims, and soon God Almighty revealed the first few verses of this Surah forbidding such uncultured and uncivilized acts. These verses forbade the infidels from entering the premises of the holy Ka’ba to perform their weird rituals and also annulled the treaty with them for their refusal to respect the sentiments of Muslims. Islam lays emphasis on commitment to pledges and treaties, as long as the opposite side remains loyal to their contents and do not violate them. God’s command to the Prophet to cancel the treaty was because of the infidels’ violation of its clauses. Thus the 4th verse of this chapter exempts those of the disbelievers who did not violate the clauses of the treaty. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Declaration of disavowal of the disbelievers is a religious and Qur’anic injunction. A true believer ought to express his stance clearly.

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Entering into an agreement or treaty with disbelievers is permitted as long as this treaty does not become a means for domination and humiliation of Muslims. In other words, whenever Muslims feel the danger of exploitation by the disbelievers, they have a right to cancel the treaty. Now let us listen to the recitation of the second verse of chapter Baraat:

"So go about in the land for four months and know that you cannot weaken Allah and that Allah will bring disgrace to the unbelievers." After the declaration of disavowal of the disbelievers and annulment of the past treaties, God gave the infidels 4 months to clarify their intentions. Either to accept Islam and give up their sordid practices or to leave Mecca in peace for another place, for their habits of nakedly circumambulating the holy Ka’ba and their other superstitions were repulsive for the Muslims. In continuation, the verse means to say: of course the infidels should not think that if they leave Mecca, they could escape the divine penalty for their sinful acts. God, the All-Merciful, Whose doors of repentance are always open, is severe with the obstinate and unrepentant sinners and disgraces them both in this world and the hereafter. From this verse we learn: 1-

Without due notice, the believers should not expel or forbid the enemy. The disbelievers should be granted enough time to make up their minds and clarify their position.

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Islam leaves the doors of mercy wide open for anyone willing to repent and return to the Infinite Mercy of the All-Compassionate God. True believers think of reforming the community and are not hasty in enforcing punishment.

Now we read verse 3 of chapter Baraat: "And an announcement from Allah and His Prophet to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage that Allah and His Prophet are free from liability to the idolaters: therefore if you repent, it will be better for you, and if you turn back, then know that you will not weaken Allah; and announce painful punishment to those who disbelieve." This verse once again lays much emphasis on the divine principle of disavowal of disbelievers that was stated by the opening verse of this chapter. It means to say that during the annual Hajj pilgrimage on the day of Arafah and the Feast of Sacrifice, when all pilgrims gather in one place, the masses should know that God and His Prophet disavow the disbelieves and their sordid practices, but have kept the path of repentance open for their return to the fold of Islam. If they repent and give up their wrong and sinful deeds, Islam welcomes them warmly. This is in their interest, for wherever they go they in God’s realm and under His supervision and they cannot escape Divine Wrath. And if they were to die in the state of disbelief and sin, they will be exposed to painful punishment on the Day of Resurrection. From this verse we learn that:

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In foreign relations, we have to clearly and explicitly declare our stances in order to let both the believers and the disbelievers know their duty.

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Hajj rituals is the best place and time for declaration of disavowal of disbelievers and the true believers should take advantage of this great opportunity that comes once every year to create unity among Muslims against the enemies.

Before bidding you goodbye, we wish to draw your attention to an interesting point. On revelation of the verses of this chapter in Medina, the Prophet asked one of his companions called Abu Bakr to proceed to Mecca and inform the infidels. No sooner had Abu Bakr departed, Archangel Gabriel descended to tell the Prophet that it is Divine Will that either he himself should go in person to Mecca to proclaim these divine commandments of disavowal of disbelievers, or should send somebody who is closest to him in faith and practice. The Prophet at once told his dear cousin and son-in-law Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (PBUH) to proceed, overtake Abu Bakr, send him back to Medina and take charge of the mission to proclaim to the Meccans the divine commandment. The Imam did as told and dutifully delivered the divine declaration of disavowal of disbelievers.

At first we read verses 73 of chapter Anfaal: "And (as for) those who disbelieve, some of them are the guardians of others; if you will not do it, there will be in the land persecution and great mischief." In the previous articles we dwelt on the divine injunctions concerning dealings with the enemies of Islam. The verse that we read to you now means to say: If divine injunctions are not carried out fighting and bloodshed will take place, for the disbelievers have ganged up with each other and support each other. Last week we said God called on Muslims to enter into brotherhood covenants with each other in order to stand united against outside dangers. But if Muslims have to enter into pacts and treaties with disbelievers, they have to adhere to its clauses unless the disbelievers break it, otherwise a great sedition will take place and many Muslims lives might be lost. From this verse we learn that: 1- The disbelievers despite their disputes and differences are united against Islam and Muslims. If Muslims do not solidify their ranks sedition and discord will take place. 2- One should not give the enemy a pretext to embark on war and bloodshed against the Islamic Ummah since the disbelievers seek a pretext to sow sedition and discord. Now we read verse 74 of chapter Anfaal: "And (as for) those who believe and migrated and struggled hard in Allah's way, and those who gave shelter and helped, these are the believers truly; they shall have forgiveness and honorable provision." This verse defines the criteria for real faith and says, a true believer is the who when required is fully prepared for migration and striving in Allah's path or at least gives shelter to immigrants and support Mujahedin, which means those striving for the sake of God. Of course, in the Islamic culture, immigration and jihad are not restricted to war with the enemies. As a matter of fact, Jihad means to strive selflessly and this could through efforts, with money, with the pen and by way of the power of speech. At the same time, immigration could be for acquisition of knowledge or its diffusion to others. According to Islam, immigration is considered a great Jihad for serving the deprived and these are the signs of faith. It is quite clear that each and every individual of the Muslim Ummah cannot immigrate or make Jihad. But this does not mean that Muslims become absolved of their duties and responsibilities. Financial and economic support to the immigrants and the Mujahedin is the

duty of Muslims so that the ground for growth, progress and spread of Islamic teachings are further provided. If this is the case, divine mercy will certainly descend on the Islamic Ummah, while repentance and forgiving of the faults of others will increase sustenance. From this verse we learn that: 1- Every good deed, though hard and difficult is worth once it is in the path of God and not for one’s own carnal and selfish desires. It is the divine blessings that make good deeds immortal. 2-

Even a true believer is not immune from sin and is always in need of divine forgiveness.

Now we read verse 75 the last verse of chapter Anfaal: "And (as for) those who believed afterwards and fled and struggled hard along with you, they are of you; and the possessors of relationships are nearer to each other in the ordinance of Allah; surely Allah knows all things." Following the definition of immigration and Jihad in the previous verses, this verse means to say; do not think that these values were only for Muslims at the advent of Islam and the lifetime of the Prophet who embroiled in clashes with the infidels of Mecca. As a matter of fact, these verses concern all Muslims all those who turn to Islam, since the message of the Holy Qur’an is timeless. Nonetheless the early migrants and the Mujahedin do enjoy a higher status in view of the fact they had assisted the Prophet when he had no companion and no power. The verse goes on to say: although all Muslims and the faithful, especially the immigrants and Mujahedin enjoy priority, the relationships amongst the faithful, even with new converts to Islam, are not ignored and these relatives enjoy more priority. From this verse we learn that: 12-

The embracement of the Muslim community is open to all without any restrictions. In the social system of Islam, preservation of kinship and family relationship is emphasized and recommended.

At first we read verses 70 of chapter Anfaal: "O Prophet! Say to those of the captives who are in your hands: If Allah knows anything good in your hearts, He will give to you better than that which has been taken away from you and will forgive you, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." During the Battle of Badr, which was the first armed encounter forced on the Prophet and Muslims by the Meccan infidels, some of the elders of Mecca including the holy Prophet's uncle Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib who was on the opposite side, were taken captive by the victorious Muslims. Some suggested that since Abbas was the Prophet’s uncle no ransom should be required from him for earning his freedom. But the Prophet disagreed and said there is no difference between his uncle and the other captives of Mecca and he should therefore pay the ransom for freedom. Here in this verse God Almighty means to say: Tell those who have fallen captives at your hands and have been freed in return for payment of a sum that if you become Muslim, the gates of divine mercy will open for you and in this way you will obtain more than what you have paid and, that is, divine mercy and forgiveness.

From this verse we learn that 1- During Islamic Jihad, the captives should be treated in a way so that the ground is paved for their guidance. 2- Always keep the way open for the return and repentance of wrongdoers to the extent that even if they were to wage war against God's Messenger, this should not hinder repentance and divine forgiveness. Now we read verse 71 of chapter Anfaal: "And if they intend to act unfaithfully towards you, so indeed they acted unfaithfully towards Allah before, but He gave (you) mastery over them; and Allah is Knowing, Wise." Following the previous verse on release of captives, this verse means to say: one should not mistreat the captives in fear of the enemy's treason, but on the contrary, one should behave with them in a way that they would be encouraged to answer the invitation of Islam. If you treat them well, they will cease fighting for the infidels and by embracing Islam, they will become your companions. In this way treason will be nipped in the bud. From this verse we learn that: 1- If we fulfill our duty, God will answer the enemies and defend the faithful against them. 2- One can expect nothing from the enemy but treason, whereas the faithful strive towards guidance and the promotion of the message of Islam. Now we read verse 72 of chapter Anfaal: "Surely those who believed and fled (their homes) and struggled hard in Allah's way with their property and their souls, and those who gave shelter and helped- these are guardians of each other; and (as for) those who believe and did not fly, not yours is their guardianship until they fly; and if they seek aid from you in the matter of religion, aid is incumbent on you except against a people between whom and you there is a treaty, and Allah sees what you do." With the peaking of the infidels' conspiracies in Mecca, the Prophet immigrated to Medina and following him many Muslims left their houses in Mecca and came to Medina. This group is called Mohajerin or Migrants in the history of Islam. In Medina those who welcomed the Prophet, became Muslims, provided houses of for the Mohajerin and supported the cause of Islam, are called Ansaar or Helpers. The Prophet concluded a pact of brotherhood between every Mohajer and Ansaar thus making

them brethren in faith in order to strengthen the bonds of Islam, and cautioned them against any type of discord and difference. The verse by pointing to this pact which cemented friendship between the two groups of early Muslims says: Those who refused to migrate and preferred to their properties over their religion, are not included in this covenant of brotherhood unless they immigrate from Mecca, which was the stronghold of pagans in those days. In continuation the verse says, certainly some of them are somehow under pressure and they do not have the opportunity to migrate. But if they asked you for assistance, you should help them unless they live among a people with whom you have a treaty and have to observe its clauses. From this verse we learn that: 1- Immigration from the land of infidelity and polytheism is essential for preserving religion and fulfillment of religious duties. 2- The manmade border among countries should not be a hurdle to the religious duties of a Muslim. If a Muslim in another part of the world is oppressed and asks for help, other Muslims are duty bound to help him. 3- Observing the clauses of a treaty even with the infidels, is obligatory as long as the other party adheres to it and does not violate it.

At first we read verses 50 and 51 of chapter Anfaal: "And had you seen when the angels will cause to die those who disbelieve, smiting their faces and their backs, and (saying): Taste the punishment of burning.

“This is for what your own hands have sent on before, and because Allah is not in the least unjust to the servants;" In the last edition of the Path Towards Enlightenment, we shed light on the conspiracy of the Arab infidels and the hypocrites against Muslims, which failed thanks to the help of God Almighty, Who inspired resistance among the believers. The verses that we recited to you just now mean to say that the disbelievers will not only fail in their intricate plot against Islam in the transient life of this world but in the Hereafter too they will be severely punished by angels who will smite their faces and their backs. As for the faithful, according to verse 32 of Surah Nahl, their souls will depart peacefully and with ease with tidings of mercy from the angels. From these verses we learn that: 12-

God's wrath towards the infidels begins with the end of their life span on earth. Divine punishment is the result of human misdeeds that go unrepentant, and thus it is justice from the All-Merciful rather than God's revenge for the wrongdoers.

Now let us listen to the recitation of verse 52 of chapter Anfaal: "In the manner of the people of Pharaoh and those before them; they disbelieved in Allah's communications, therefore Allah destroyed them on account of their faults; surely Allah is strong, severe in requiting (evil)."

The verse is a divine reassurance to believers and means to say: Do not think that the disbelievers behavior towards you is something new and it is only you who have to deal with such stubborn and obstinate people. As a matter of fact, throughout history the disbelievers have always denied the truth. Remember the cruelties of the Pharaoh and his courtiers towards Prophet Moses and his followers or prior to that the brutalities of the tyrant Nimrod towards Prophet Abraham and the monotheists? Haven't you be informed how God punished the disbelievers? So have trust in God Almighty and stand firm against the disbelievers since God is with you. From this verse we learn that: 1-Whenever disbelief and stubbornness becomes the habit of a community, it will be subjected to divine punishment. 2- God is Just and all creatures are equal to God. The Almighty helps the faithful and punishes His disbelieving creatures. Now we raed verse 53 of chapter Anfaal: "This is because Allah has never changed a favor which He has conferred upon a people until they change their own condition; and because Allah is Hearing, Knowing." This verse points to one of the great divine blessings and says: at first, God provides blessings to all persons and groups by giving them a chance to enjoy different opportunities. He does not take these blessings away from them unless they change their own conditions from positive to negative. In the light of narrations from the Prophet and his blessed household, oppression and exploitation of others is the major factor responsible for removal of divine blessings and exposing of societies or individuals to different kinds of afflictions. It is only repentance and return to God that averts afflictions and makes the person or society deserving of divine blessings. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Our prosperity and affliction are in our own hands. Every individual is responsible for his or her own eventual fate and others have nothing to do with him or her.

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The All-Merciful God never withholds His blessings except in acute cases and conditions brought about by man himself, whose record of unrepentant sins deprives him or her of divine blessings.

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It is human being themselves who create history and can change the conditions or the environment through their deeds.

Now we read verse 54 of chapter Anfaal: "In the manner of the people of Pharaoh and those before them; they rejected the communications of their Lord, therefore We destroyed them on account of their faults and We drowned Pharaoh’s people, and they were all unjust." This verse points to the obstinacy of the infidels throughout history to deny God’s sings and reject divine prophets. It means to say: It is the habit of infidels to turn away from truth and to reject the call God and virtue. As mentioned in the previous verse, God deprives such people from His Infinite Mercy and subjects them to different afflictions, the least of which is death. Death may not be easy for the sinners, who are likely to be caught up in such violent ends as drowning at sea, struck by lightning, crushed by quakes or the like. From this verse we learn that:

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We should take a lesson from the fate of the predecessors in order to have a blessed future. Oppression and injustice swiftly bring about divine displeasure.

(65) At first we read verse 34 of chapter Anfaal: "And what (excuse) have they that Allah should not chastise them while they hinder (people) from the Sacred Mosque and they are not (fit to be) custodians of it; its custodians are only those who guard (against evil), but most of them do not know." In previous article we said that as long as the Messengers of God are amongst the people, the AllMerciful Creator does not chastise them for their misdeeds since His Prophets are a source of blessing. We also said that God decreed as Mercy to the entire creation, His last and Greatest of all Messengers, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). The verse that we presented to you today means to say: certainly the disobedient people deserve punishment for their sins since they have assumed custodianship of a sacred place that they do not deserve. The Masjid al-Haraam or the Sacred Mosque in Mecca houses the symbolic House of the Omnipresent God, the Holy Ka’ba. Arab polytheists who had seized control of it and tried to pollute its premises had no right to assume custodianship of this inviolable edifice rebuilt by the great patriarch, Prophet Abraham (PBUH). They had committed a cardinal sin. However, since the Prophet was in their midst, they were spared of divine wrath and were given the chance to heed the voice of logic and repent. In other words, those who die as disbelievers and those who die without repenting their sins will be punished by God on the Day of Resurrection. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Those who hinder in any way the entrance of the faithful to the symbolic House of God in Mecca and assume custodianship of the Holy Ka’ba and the Sacred Mosque despite the fact that they have no right to do so, have to await divine punishment.

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Another example of seizure and occupation is the usurper Zionist entity called Israel, which has assumed control of Islam’s 3rd holiest site, the al-Aqsa Mosque in Palestine and is terrorizing the Palestinians and preventing world Muslims to visit this place.

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The custodianship of mosques is the duty of pious and dedicated believers and not disbelievers, hypocrites, or incompetent, inefficient, and unqualified persons.

Now we read verse 35 of chapter Anfaal: "And their prayer before the House is nothing but whistling and clapping of hands; taste then the chastisement, for you disbelieved." This verse, in continuation of the previous verse says why such persons do not deserve to be custodians of Masjid al-Haraam. It goes on to say that these unprincipled persons claim they pray and supplicate, but as is clear their prayers are not in the manner prescribed by God Almighty. They in fact merely clap their hands and whistle while circumambulating the Holy Ka’ba and this is actually a mockery of prayer and a deviation from the right path, and is certainly not what the One and Only God has decreed for mankind. It is worth noting that in our own modern times some groups gather to sing and dance and term their weird acts as prayer and hymns, when it is obvious that such practices are manifest deviation and have no religious roots.

They are nothing but self-deceit since no Divine Messenger taught them such rites. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Prayer has a prescribed form and is taught by the Prophets of God and is not something invented as merriment by fallible minds.

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The practices of most religions have been distorted or exposed to superstitions during history with clear deviation from what had been taught by the Messengers of God.

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Prayer means respect for sacred places, sincerity of intention and admission of one’s own humbleness in the hallowed presence of God the Omnipresent, while mockery of sacred places and indulging in frivolities, is not prayer but cardinal sins that entail severe divine punishment.

Now we read verse 36 of chapter Anfaal: "Surely those who disbelieve spend their wealth to hinder (people) from the way of Allah; so they shall spend it, then it shall be to them and intense regret, then they shall be overcome; and those who disbelieve shall be driven together to hell." This verse points to the large sums of money that the infidels of Mecca used to spent in a bid to undermine Islam and the mission of the Prophet. Since the Arab infidels lacked logic and rationality and had no answer to the dynamism of Islam they spent lavishly to try to prevent the ordinary people from paying heed to the message of Islam. The infidels also funded armed encounters against the Muslims and persecuted and killed them. But as God says, the disbelievers will soon regret their folly, and actually by spending so lavishly against Islam and Muslims they have gained nothing but lost whatever they had, which could have been spent for a better cause. They are the ultimate losers. The Holy Qur’an means to say: This regret and defeat is the worldly result of their evilness while in afterlife severe punishment awaits them. From this verse we learn that: 1-

One should be wary of the enemies and should not think that they are sitting idle. Even if they are seemingly inactive, they have are plotting secretly and spending large sums of money for the destruction of Muslims and the undermining of Islam.

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However, whatever they have spent, like what the US does against the Islamic Republic of Iran these days, will be of no benefit to them, except loss and regret.

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The faithful should be hopeful of the future, for, infidelity will ultimately be defeated despite its power and wealth.

Now we read verse 37 of chapter Anfaal: "That Allah might separate the impure from the good, and put the impure, some of it upon the other, and pile it up together, then cast it into hell; these it is that are the losers." This verse means to say: the confrontation between righteousness and wrongfulness, which is actually the result of the will and choice of human beings, is a divine trial so that the pure and the impure are distinguished. But the impure should know that unless they repent and correct themselves, not only their fate is sealed in this world but in afterlife they will be thrown into hell together and this is the greatest loss for the disbelievers. From this verse we learn that: 1-

To separate the righteous from the wrongdoers, through the medium of free will and choice that God the All-Wise has granted human beings, is part of divine trial and tribulation, so that the real essence of a person is determined.

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Hell is the most evil destination and is actually the result of disbelief and unrepentant sins.

(65) At first we read verse 30 of chapter Anfaal: "And when those who disbelieved devised plans against you that they might confine you or slay you or drive you away; and they devised plans and Allah too had arranged a plan; and Allah is the best of planners." This verse was revealed when the infidel Arabs of Mecca, despaired of stopping the spread of Islam, plotted to kill Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). The disbelievers, seeing that their 13 years of persecution of the Muslims and the plots against the Prophet and his clan including his social and economic boycott, had failed to prevent the youths and the oppressed from embracing Islam, decided to chose a person from every clan participate in the planned murder of the Prophet so that the Prophet's kinsmen the Bani Hashem will not be able to avenge his death, since this would mean confronting the whole of Mecca. God Almighty, however, had His own plans, and He the All-Wise, Who is aware of what passes even in the hearts of His creatures, informed the Prophet of the foul intention and commanded him to migrate from Mecca without disclosing his plans to anyone except his nearest and dearest ones. The infidels gathered around the Prophet’s house that crucial night, but undetected by them the Prophet left the house after instructing his dearest cousin and ward Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (PBUH) to join him later in Medina after handing over to the people whatever that was kept in the safe custody of the Prophet, who was known as Ameen and Sadeq or the truthful trustee. Imam Ali (PBUH) volunteered to sleep on the Prophet’s bed that night to save his life and the infidels, who hovered around the abode of divine revelation waiting for the break of dawn to strike were not able to discern who really was sleeping in that bed that night. At the break of dawn, when the Prophet had already left Mecca, they burst inside to carry out their foul deed but to their horror and surprise found the valiant Imam Ali (AS) rise from the bed. This is how God, the Best of Planners, made the evil plots of the disbelievers go awry. The Prophet says in this regard: The infidels are naïve to think that their well calculated plots will succeed in the face of Divine Will. The believers also should not be disappointed of God’s help, because the He the All-Observing is the Best of Planners and Helpers, whatever the odds. From this verse we learn that: 1-

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The infidels and disbelievers resort to such cowardly and crooked ways as pressures, persecution, imprisonment, terror, torture, exile and murder, whereas the method of Prophets consists of education, self-purification and awakening of the minds of the masses towards truth and virtue. God supports the truthful and the virtuous and never leaves them alone.

Now we read verse 31 of chapter Anfaal: "And when Our communications are recited to them, they say: We have heard indeed; if we pleased we could say like of it; this is nothing but the stories of the ancients." This verse speaks of disbelief of the words of God by the infidels who tried to belittle the Holy Qur’an as myths or tales of the past. A little reflection will make any conscientious person realize that the Holy Qur’an is wisdom enshrined. It is the ultimate truth whose matchless eloquence and timeless wisdom have withstood the test of times. Despite the challenge of the Holy Qur’an to disbelievers to try to bring a single passage matching its eloquence, none have ever dared to do so. Thus, the Holy Qur’an is actually the finest code for a sound and health life. Therefore, terming the divine verses as myths is nothing but self-deceit. From this verse we learn that:

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The opponents of Islam claim that they can bring a book like the holy Quran but none has ever been able to do so despite the fact that some Christian Arabs are supposed to be the masters of Arabic literature.

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The charges of fanaticism are one of the oldest accusations leveled against the faithful and their scripture.

Now we read verse 32 of chapter Anfaal: "And when they said: O Allah! If this is the truth from Thee, then rain upon us stones from heaven or inflict on us a painful punishment." This verse shows the peak of prejudice and stubbornness of the infidels. Unable to digest the dynamism of the Prophet's words, they would say: If you tell the truth and there is a God, then whoever opposes Him should be instantly punished. They meant to say: Tell God to rain upon us stones as punishment. These retarded minds failed to understand the infinite Mercy of the All-Compassionate Creator. They thought that by their absurd logic they were defeating the Muslims, and the blighted conscience of the infidels made them consider the believers as simple-minded and naïve. From this verse we learn that: 12-

Sometimes stubbornness and even jealousy might push persons to self-destruction. Some of the enemies of the Prophet were the People of the Book, especially the Israelites, who although they claimed to believe in God but were stubborn and obstinate in understanding the prophecies of the Torah about Islam and the Holy Qur’an.

Now we reda verse 33 of chapter Anfaal: "But Allah was not going to chastise them while you were among them, nor is Allah going to chastise them while yet they ask for forgiveness." This verse points to the blessing of the Prophet's existence and says: Under the blessing of the Prophet's presence, God has removed the infliction from Muslims as in the account of the People of Prophet Lot, who was called by God to leave the city of the sinners, so that He could punish them. In other words, as long as Lot was among the sinners, they were safe from divine wrath despite their crimes. Moreover, the door of repentance is wide open and it is part of God’s infinite Mercy to forgive those who turn towards Him. From this verse we learn that: 1-

The presence of Prophets and saints is a source of blessing and immunity from divine punishment.

2 - Repentance and forgiveness saves mankind from the calamities of the world and the punishment of afterlife.

(65)

At first we read verse 188 of chapter Anfaal::

“Say: I do not control any benefit or harm for my own soul except as Allah pleases; and had

I known the unseen I would have had much of good and no evil would have touched me; I am nothing but a Warner and the Giver of good news to the people who believe;” Some people had thought that the Prophet should be like a soothsayer or foreteller aware of the future and the unseen in order to predict good things and make them immune from dangers. Here in this verse, God commands the Prophet to say: I have come for your guidance and not for informing you of the unseen. If I had this ability I would try to obtain much benefits for myself and protect myself from the dangers about to take place. Like you my benefits and harms are in the hands of God and I have no say concerning my own profit or harm except what the All-Merciful and Just God has informed me. In the light of this verse, it could be said that basically, knowledge of the unseen belongs the God the One and Only Creator of the universe, and He only permits others to become aware of it. For instance, God informs His prophets of specific events of the past and the future in order to guide mankind. But Prophets are not allowed to make personal use of such knowledge. In fact, so perfect is the belief of Prophets and saints in God Almighty that the world appears trivial for them and they are not concerned about the transient pleasures and riches of material life. They live like ordinary persons and not as soothsayers. From this verse we learn that: 1-

We should not become proud of what we possess since we do not even possess our own life. Everything is in the hand of God and nothing takes place except what He wants.

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Whatever predictions the Prophet make this is meant for guidance of mankind and not for earning money or solving problems like soothsayers do.

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An example in this regard is the simple life of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny), and how he was tried and tested by God Almighty through suffering and hardships.

Now we read verses 189 and 190 of Surah A’raaf:

“He it is Who created you from a single being, and of the same (kind) did he make his mate, that he might incline to her; so when he covers her she bears a light burden, then moves about with it; but when it grows heavy, they both call upon Allah, their Lord: If Thou gives us a good one, we shall certainly be of the grateful ones.”

“But when He gives them a good one, they set up with Him associates in what He has given them; but high is Allah above what they associate (with Him).” These verses, addressing husband and wife couples means to say: that it is God that places inclines you towards each other in order to live in peace and to have children. But when the

burden of mother becomes heavy and the time of birth nears, you raise your hand and pray to God to grant you a good child, promising God to be grateful for His bounties. But after the birth of the child, some of you forget their vows and also ignore God the Almighty Creator. Instead of grooming the child properly to be virtuous and obey God, you place him in a direction that leads to go astray and as per his or her whims ascribe partners to God the Glorious. From these verses we learn that: 1-

Married life is the prime factor for peace and tranquility of both the body and soul of man and woman. Marriage, and the lawful relations it creates between two persons of the opposite sex, is the best solution to prevent the youth from falling into psychological and physical problems.

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Conjugal ties are in the inherent nature of human beings and this is divine rationale behind creating man and woman to live and multiply as spouses.

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Among the objectives of marriage is to bring up good and pious children. For the proper grooming of children, the parents should beseech God for help and guidance.

Now we read verses 191 and 192 of chapter A’raaf:

“What! they associate (with Him) that which does not create anything, while they are themselves created! And they have no power to give them help, nor can they help themselves.” In the previous verses we said that some parents instead of guiding their children towards God and moral values, mislead them towards errors, which at times end in polytheism or ascribing partners to the One and Only God, in the false belief that idols and other also have powers. These verses wonder at the misconception of man and mean to say how can they ascribe partners to God, when it is He Alone Who is the Creator of all. Don’t these erring person realize that idols and even powerful and rich do not create, and are themselves the creations. These persons or objects whom erring persons regard mighty do not even have the power of protection against dangers or the means to avert death when it approaches. Life and death is the hand of God. So isn’t it advisable to turn towards God and worship Him Alone? Why you bring up your children in a way that they only think of this world and stockpile properties. Why you ignore the hereafter and let your children them ignore it as well. From these verses we learn that: 1-

A child is a divine blessing and is a great asset for the parents. One should not misguide the child toward a perilous path that brings disaster in life and in the Hereafter.

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God Almighty is the Possessor of all power. He is the source of creation and has provided us the means of guidance through a remarkable chain of Prophets rather than leave us alone without guidance groping in the dark. This warrants that we turn towards Him and the most excellent means of being God-conscious is following the teachings of the Prophets of God.

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We ought not to sell faith for the paltry and perishing pleasures and powers of the material world. We have been created for a higher purpose with God promising the faithful and the sincere repentant the lasting bliss of afterlife in paradise.

(64) At first we read verse 22 of chapter Anfaal: "Surely the vilest of animals, in Allah's sight, are the deaf, the dumb, who do not understand." The most important characteristic of human beings that distinguishes them from the other living creatures is the power of the intellect to think, to express thoughts in the form of speech and to translate words into action. Therefore those who do not care to listen to wise words or do not speak logical and reasonable words, could be called dumb and deaf persons lacking intellect, or in other words akin to animals. But according to the holy Qur’an, such persons are even meaner than beasts and the quadrupeds, for they ignore their God-given power of reasoning and merely act according to their base animal instincts and devilish whims. Here in the verse that we recited to you, it is obvious that the worth and value of a person in the sight of God the Almighty Creator is that particular person’s hearing attentively and saying the truth. On the other hand, whoever does not do so, has no worth and value in the sight of God. According to verse 10 of chapter Molk, on Judgement Day those who go to hell shall say: We would not have been in hell if we had been attentive while alive and pondered on words of wisdom. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Enjoying the senses of hearing, seeing, and talking is worthy only when these faculties are used to understand and accept the truth.

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Human value lies in wisdom and whoever turns away from the divine teachings has actually distanced himself or herself from wisdom.

Now we read verse 23 of chapter Anfal: "And if Allah had known any good in them He would have made them hear, and if He makes them hear they would turn back while they withdraw." In this thought-provoking verse, God says that although He is able to instill in their hearts the words of truth, these persons are so evil and crooked in their behavior that they never admit the Truth. Moreover, they are so stubborn that even if they gain certainty in the truthfulness of divine verses, they apparently turn away from it and they do not like to acknowledge it. From this verse we learn that: 1-

It is the infinite mercy of God that gives more than a fair chance to each and everybody to

prosper and strive towards salvation according to his God-given capability. 2-

The dynamic laws of God Almighty are based on human choice, since mankind on the basis of intellect has been given the free will to choose between right and wrong as a test.

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The All-Wise Creator can make mankind say nothing but the truth and be immune from sin, like in the case of angels who have no feelings of their own or free will, but in such a case, the concept of trial and success on the basis of free will and greater rewards in afterlife would be absent for human beings, who if they do good are certainly greater than angels because of showing power of resistance when temptations arise.

Now we red verse 24 of chapter Anfal: "O you who believe! Answer (the call of) Allah and His Prophet when he calls you to that which gives you life; and know that Allah intervenes between man and his heart, and that to Him you shall be gathered." This verse invites human beings to a life beyond the base animal one. It is the life that leads to growth of human intellect and spirituality and could be attained by responding to divine invitation and the instructions of the Almighty’s Last Messenger to mankind, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). Incidentally in verse 97 of chapter Nahl, God says: "Whoever does good whether male or female and he is a believer, We will most certainly make him live a happy life." Elsewhere God says in the Holy Qur’an that he is well aware of what goes on in human hearts, even if the tongue does not express it. This is the meaning of the divine words that God is also present between mankind and his heart. In addition to the fact that all human beings will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection before the Omnipresent but Unseen God, whom visions cannot encompass, so nothing in this world and the hereafter is out of His power and as God says in verse 16 of chapter Qaaf: “And We are nearer to him than his life-vein." From this verse we learn that: 1-

A fruitful and satisfactory life is that which adheres to the commandments of God as promulgated by the Prophet and his behaviour and practice. In other words, a life outside the framework of divine teachings is a meaningless life and actually a kind of death in motion although the person might eat, drink and enjoy all pleasures of the flesh in the life span decreed for him or her. 2.

should be alert throughout out our life, and Divine Mercy is so infinite that even before death finally overtakes us we have the chance to repent of our misdeeds and turn to the All-Compassionate God, Who is nearer to our jugular vein and more loving than our own parents.

Now we read verse 25 of chapter Anfaal: "And fear an affliction which may not smite those of you in particular who are unjust, and know that Allah is severe in requiting (evil)." Sometimes sins are committed secretly. In this case, only the sinful is punished if he or she dies unrepentant. But sins are also committed publicly and regrettably become social norms involving all those weaklings who lack firm belief and easily fall to temptations. This verse means to say that when sins are committed openly and those who are capable of confronting them keep silent, all will be liable for divine punishment. Therefore, refraining from sins

personally and in isolation from the community when one has the power to stop them or at least preach against the sins thereby discharging one’s duty is also a sin. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Keeping away from divine teachings is the factor behind sins and spread of corruption.

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We should neither be involved in sins nor be indifference to the sins of the community.

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Forbidding evil and preaching against it is the duty of every faithful believer whose efforts will save society.

(63) At first we read verses 15 and 16 of chapter Anfaal: "O you who believe! When you meet those who disbelieve marching for war, then turn not your backs to them. And whoever shall turn his back to them on that day-unless he turns aside for the sake of fighting or withdraws to a company-then he, indeed, becomes deserving of Allah's wrath, and his abode is hell; and an evil destination shall it be. " In continuation of our discourse of the past few weeks on the Battle of Badr, the first armed encounter imposed on the Prophet and Muslims by the Arab infidels, here God Almighty refers to the discipline required during defence on the battlefield. He says: never turn back from the battlefield if you are confronted even with a large number of enemy forces, since fleeing the battle scene is forbidden, unless it is to refresh oneself or to change the weapons or join another groups of Muslims to make a mass attack on the enemy. From these verses we learn that: 1-

Fleeing battle scenes, especially the field of Jihad or striving in the way of God, is a great sin and such a person will be exposed to divine wrath.

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A tactical retreat to regroup and renew the attack against the aggressors is allowed on the war front.

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Running away from the battlefield brings about humiliation both in this world and the hereafter and an evil fate.

Now we read verses 17 and 18 of chapter Anfaal: "You did not slay them, but it was Allah Who slew them, and you did not smite when you smote (the enemy), but it was Allah Who smote, and that He might confer upon the believers a good gift from Himself; surely Allah is Hearing, Knowing. This, and that Allah weakens of the struggle of the unbelievers." This verse warns the faithful not to get proud and not to think that they were the factor of victory since it is the will of God that has defeated the enemy and not your weapons. Like all spheres of life, the battlefield is also the field of divine test and tribulation where the faithful are tried. An armed jihad is thus among the higher tests since it determines the sincerity of intention in striving in the way of God Almighty, Who is All-Hearing and All-Knowing. In other words, sometime divine tests are accompanied with the blessing of victory and at times with hardships,

setbacks and even martyrdom, which is also a blessing for the believers. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Jihad is one of the means of trial in order to distinguish the true believers from the people of weak faith.

2-

Although whatever one does is one’s own action, in the case of believers, who strive sincerely and selflessly for the sake of God, divine unseen help facilitates their actions, and the Almighty rewards them by calling their actions His actions.

3-

God supports the true believers and nullifies the plots of the disbelievers, who although the creatures of God have rebelled against divine favours and despite being shown mercy, blessings and the bounties of life, have become so wicked that they have turned vengefully against those who sincerely believe in God and His commandments.

Now we read verse 19 of chapter Anfal: "If you demanded a judgment, the judgment has then indeed come to you; and if you desist, it will be better for you; and if you turn back (to fight), We (too) shall turn back, and your forces shall avail you nothing, though they may be many, and (know) that Allah is with the believers." Some exegetes of the Holy Qur’an commenting on this verse, have said that Muslims after overcoming the disbelievers disputed over the material gains of the battles and even argued with Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). Other exegetes say that the addressees in this verse are the unbelievers and not Muslims. The verse means to say that the faithful gained victory. But in case both the parties, that is the believers and the unbelievers are meant here in this verse, the Word of God is that disputing with the Prophet and protesting to his instructions and guidelines, would lead to God Almighty’s displeasure and consequently divine wrath for the unrepentant sinners. From this verse we learn that: 12-

It is in the interest of mankind not to disobey the Command of God and His apostle. The condition of God's assistance lies in faith and resistance, since large numbers play no role in the wrath of God.

Now we read verses of 20 and 21 of chapter Anfaal: "O you who believe! Obey Allah and His Prophet and not turn back from Him while you hear. And be not like those who said, We hear, and they did not obey." These verses invite the faithful to obey the commandment so God and His Prophet sincerely. It says: When you hear the words of the holy Prophet you ought to believe in him and never entertain the idea of disobedience, because it is God Almighty Who reveals to the Prophet. In other words obedience to the Prophet means obedience to God Almighty since it is through the Prophet that God imparts instructions and commandments to mankind. The verse also warns against those who pay lip service to the Prophet but practically disobey him by not accepting his words and instructions. From these verses we learn that: 1-

Warnings from God are to the benefit of mankind and save them from going astray.

2-

Faith is not lip service but is practical obedience to the Commands of God.

(62) At first we read verse 10 of chapter Anfaal: "And Allah only gave it as a good news and that your hearts might be at ease thereby; and victory is only from Allah; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise." In the previous program we said that in the first armed encounter that was imposed on the Muslims by the Arab infidels, God helped the Prophet through angels in order to boost the morale of the Islamic defenders. The Muslims although 313 in number at the Battle of Badr compared to the 1,000-strong infidel horde had the feeling that they capable of confronting the enemy although they could not see the angels. The same awe struck the infidels to whom it appeared as if the Muslims were well equipped and capable of meeting. This unseen help resulted in a resounding victory for Islam and Muslims against an armed-to-the-teeth enemy. Here, in the verse that we just recited to you, God Almighty points to this very divine favour which was meant to lift the hearts of the Muslims and inspire them to victory since the actual fighting was done by the humans, and it doesn’t mean that some invisible forces unfairly smashed the infidels, although there is no doubt that it is God Who grants victory. From this verse we l earn that: 1-

Divine tidings boost the moral of the righteous and pave the ground for their success.

2-

Overcoming the enemy is not possible with arms and military might alone but it requires divine assistance.

3-

The seemingly frightening arsenal of the infidels is no assurance for their superiority and safety in view of the fact that God can cause a few poorly armed righteous to triumph against formidable military might.

Now we read verse 11 of the same chapter: "When He caused calm to fall on you as a security from Him and sent down upon you water from the cloud that He might thereby purify you, and take away from you the uncleanness of the Satan, and that He might fortify your hearts and steady footsteps thereby." At Badr, when the Muslim defenders initially viewed the well-equipped and large enemy army, they became a little shaky. In these verses, God means to say that it was divine power that created comfort and tranquility among Muslims and removed anxiety and awe from them. It was divine will to pour down rain in order to meet the needs of the Muslims for hygiene and cleansing of their bodies after the call of nature. The shower not only refreshed the Muslims but also kept away Satan’s instigation to cause fear among them concerning the large and wellequipped enemy horde. From this verse we learn that: 1- For those strong in faith, God puts even natural factors at their service. 2- Bodily cleanliness is not enough and must be supplemented by spiritual cleanliness in order to be immune from satanic temptations. Now we read verse 12 of chapter Anfaal: "When your Lord revealed to the angels: I am with you, therefore make firm those who

believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them." Here God says that in the same way that he sent angels to boost the morale of the Muslim defenders, He fills the hearts of the disbelievers with fear and awe. But, this does not mean that the faithful should sit idle and expect Divine Power to finish off the enemy. No, this is contrary to the principle of divine justice. It is the rule of God that the righteous should strive, spare no efforts in confronting the plots of the evil-doers, and by practically entering the arena of the struggle should strike off the hands and every war-mongering mean of the enemies, so as to defeat them and achieve victory. From this verse we learn that: 12-

If we are true believers, God will grant us tranquility and fill the hearts of our with fear. When we prove ourselves as men of action God will help us, but if we think of fleeing and saving our life, we should not expect divine help to defeat the enemy.

Now we read verses 13 and 14 of chapter Anfaal: "This is because they acted adversely to Allah and His Apostle; and whoever acts adversely to Allah and His Apostle then surely Allah is severe in requiting (evil)."

“Thus – taste it, and (know) that for the unbelievers is the chastisement of fire." This verse considers the action of Muslims against infidels a type of punishment and means to say: They always opposed the divine verses and the Prophet's statements and they even did not want to listen to the words of truth. Therefore, in order to punish the infidels, God helped the faithful to overcome them and this is their chastisement in this world but they will go to hell on the Day of Resurrection, for their refusal to repent and believe in what God Almighty has actually decreed as righteous. From these verses we learn that 1-

2-

Divine anger is not without reason but it is the result of the rebellion of the human beings themselves. Whoever opposes divine truth is annihilated.

(61) At first we read verses 5 and 6 of chapter Anfaal: "Even as your Lord caused you to go forth from your house with the truth, though a party of the believers were surely averse;" "They disputed with you about the truth after it had become clear, (and they went forth) as if they were being driven to death while t hey saw (it)." These verses refer to the Battle of Badr, the first armed encounter imposed on the Prophet by the infidels of Mecca. In the second year of Hijra, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny) was confronted with the arch enemy of Islam, Abu Sufyan, who along with the notorious infidel Abu Jahl decided to confront the Muslims at place called Badr near Medina. The Prophet and his small group of 313 persons readied themselves to face the infidel army of over

1,000 fully armed persons. The Muslims were poorly armed but with the unseen help provided by God Almighty they overcame the heavily armed infidels, thanks to the valour of the Prophet’s cousin Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb and the Prophet’s uncle Hazrat Hamzah (peace upon them). Abu Jahl and 70 other infidels lost their lives in the fighting. Another 70 infidels were taken captive and the rest fled to Mecca. The Muslims had only 14 martyrs. These verses say although a group of believers had faith in God and the Prophet, when they were required to defend the religion, they disputed with the Prophet concerning Jihad or striving in the way of God. From these verses we learn that: 1-

Jihad against the enemies is one of the duties of faith even though fighting is not something to relish.

2-

People of weak faith not only do not wage Jihad, they even start senseless disputes with the divinely appointed leaders.

Now we read verses 7 and 8 of chapter Anfaal: "And when Allah promised you one of the two parties that it shall be yours and you loved that the one not armed should be yours, and Allah desired to manifest the truth of what was true by His words and to cut off the root of the unbelievers." "That He may manifest the truth of what was true and show the falsehood of what was false, though the guilty disliked." These verses say: although you moved with the hope of seizing the enemy's properties and gaining booties you moved towards Mecca and you did not expect countering the armed enemy. But the goal of God for encouraging you to move was to strengthen and stabilize truth and to nullify falsehood so that the divine tradition in the victory of truth and failure of falsehood are realized. Of course, such a demand has not been completely realized and sometimes the faithful have also met with failures. According to the holy Quran and narrations, at the end of the time during the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (May God expedites his reappearance) this divine tradition will rule over the world comprehensively and with the establishment of justice and truth, falsehood and oppression are removed from the earth. From these verses we learn that: 1-

Victory is gained not only with large number and equipment but other human factors like high morale and divine help play an important role.

2-

The goal of Jiahd in the Islamic culture is materialization of truth and nullifying falsehood and not conquest or collecting booties.

3-

We should not seek to attract the attention of the enemy since materialization of truth is to anger the infidels and enemies.

Now we read verse 9 of chapter Anfal: " When you sought aid from your Lord, so He answered you: I will assist you with a thousand of the angels following one another." This verse explicitly speaks of the descending of divine assistance in Badr battle. The assistance which has been made by the descending of angels. In this verse the number of 1000 angels and in verses 124 and 125 of chapter A'lay Emran the number of 3000 and 5000 have been mentioned indicating the descending of several angels in different stages of the battle.

Certainly it is natural that the angels have not fought the enemy's army. But their presence beside the Muslim combatants both boosted their moral and the faith and scared the enemies. This verse also stresses the role of prayer and supplication in wars and considers the mystery behind the victory of the faithful to be seeking help from God and materialization of prayer. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Although without prayer and supplication, God grants blessings, prayer and supplication pave the human capacity for accepting divine granting causing the growth of mankind.

2-

Angels have role in the life of human beings and faith becomes a factor to absorb them towards mankind.

3-

Divine assistance is descended in case of human efforts and expression of need.

(60) Now we will start the explanation of the 8th Surah of the Holy Qur’an, that is, Anfaal, which contains 75 verses and was revealed in Medina to Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). Now we read first verse of this Surah: "They ask you about the windfalls. Say: The windfalls are for Allah and the Prophet. So be careful of (your duty to) Allah and set aright matters of your difference, and obey Allah and His Apostle if you are believers." After the migration of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina, the Meccan infidels imposed an armed encounter on the Muslims at a place called Badr, where the heavily outnumbered Muslims defeated the numerically strong and well-equipped force of the infidels. When the Meccan infidels fled leaving behind their baggage, the booty fell to the Muslims, who approached the Prophet and asked him on the manner of its distribution. The Prophet awaited the revelation of divine command and finally God revealed to the Prophet through the first few verses of chapter Anfaal the manner of distribution. Unlike the discriminatory ways that were common among the Arabs of the days of ignorance, the Prophet divided the booty equally among the fighters without any distinction, thus eradicating the practice of the pagans. From the Islamic point of view, the term Anfaal, in addition to booty includes any kind of property or natural resources such as forests and mines, which cannot be wasted and require the sanction of the Prophet and infallible descendants. The verse, emphasizing obedience to the Prophet, who is only promulgating the commandments of God, cautions mankind against carnal desires and blind materialistic pursuits. It says, piety is the key to peaceful life. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Islam is the religion of society and hence regulates economic affairs in the interests of the society. Muslims should refer to the holy Qur’an and the Prophet for just and orderly management of their economic affairs.

2-

Although the faithful should be firm and steadfast against the enemies of faith, their behavior with each other should be based on peace and sincerity.

3-

Faith requires obedience to God and the Prophet. For instance, many might participate in the battle and call it jihad, but they fail the test of faith when it comes to financial and

related matters. Now we read verses 2 and 3 of chapter Anfaal: "Those only are believers whose hearts become full of fear when Allah is mentioned, and when His communications are recited to them they increase them in faith, and in their Lord do they trust. Those who keep up prayer and spend (benevolently) out of what We have given them." The verse draws a picture of the true believers. It says that one of their signs is that at the mention of God and recitation of the verses of the Holy Qur’an they become cheerful, which is an indication of the increase and strengthening of their faith. Their cognizance of God Almighty makes them humble before God and they do not turn to any other except Him. At the same time the mention of divine punishment fills the hearts of the true believers with awe and they seek protection in divine Mercy that soothes their hearts. Here it could be said that the true believers’ behaviour towards God is like a child who is afraid of his parents but loves them. These were the innate characteristics of true believers. Among the other signs of the true believers is observance of the daily prayers, payment of Zakat, abstinence from evil and the urge to do good. From these verses we learn that: 1-

Faith, although deep down in the hearts manifests itself and has certain outward characteristics as well such observance of prayers and payment of Zakat.

2-

Faith has degrees and it may decrease or increase, as per the behaviour of the individual. Contemplating on the verses of the Holy Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet and the Infallible Imams, certainly increases faith.

3-

The charitable who are ready to spend part of their property and assets in the way of God are showered with divine mercy, while the stingy are deprived of God’s mercy since it is lack of faith that makes them unkind and unsympathetic towards others.

Now we read verse 4 of chapter Anfaal: "These are the believers in truth; they shall have from their Lord exalted grades and forgiveness and an honorable sustenance." This verse points to the reward of the faithful and says: faith is not lip service or mere oral expression, but it is acknowledgement of truth stemming from the heart and manifesting in practice and behaviour. It is these characteristics that exalt the believers in the sight of God Almighty. God in turn, does not restrict the rewards to the true believers in the Hereafter, but may also shower them during the transient life of the material world. He is the All-Forgiving and the Generous. As a matter of fact, it is the deeds of a believer that determine the degree of his or her eternal rewards in afterlife. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Faith brings rewards, while lack of faith results in deprivation from divine mercy in the Hereafter.

2-

Even the true believers are exposed to trials and are in need of divine forgiveness.

(59) At first we read verse 203 of chapter A’raaf:

"And when you bring them not a revelation they say: Why do you not forge it? Say: I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord; these are clear proofs from your Lord and a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe." God revealed the Holy Qur’an over a period of 23 years to His last and greatest Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). Once during a gap between the revelation of the Qur’anic verses, the hypocrites and the disbelievers tried to mock at the Prophet by saying that it seems God is not happy with him. In response to these retarded minds, God revealed the verse that we just now recited to you. The message is clear. The Prophet is asked to tell the hypocrites and the disbelievers that the Qur’an is not the words or expressions of the Prophet but is divine revelations. In other words, it is God Almighty Who decrees when verses should be revealed and for what purpose. Also it is God Who commands and empowers the Prophet to perform miracles if necessary. The Prophet only follows what he is instructed by God and expounds to humanity the ways and sources of guidance. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Religious laws require prudence and wisdom to understand. Unnecessary prattle by some because of their failure to comprehend the truth is detrimental to the disbelievers and people of weak faith themselves.

2-

One should not be influenced the inappropriate and absurd demands of opponents and disbelievers. The true believer adheres to the tenets of faith whatever the circumstances.

Now we read verse 204 of chapter A'raaf : "And when the Qur’an is recited, then listen to it and remain silent, that mercy may be shown to you." This verse means to say that when the words of God Almighty are being recited it is advisable to keep silent and listen to them so as to contemplate and understand the purpose of divine commandments. Disrespect and rashness clouds the mind and it is only politeness and respect that brings more divine mercy. Interestingly, during congregational prayer when the Prayer Leader recites the Surahs of the holy Qur’an, it is obligatory for those praying in orderly rows behind him to keep silent and listen to the recitation, rather than recite individually, as is the case when the prayer is performed individually without the congregation. From this verse we learn that: 1-

The holy Qur’an is revealed Word of God Almighty. So one should keep silent, listen and ponder on its meaning when it is being recited.

2-

Reverence for holy Qur’an is the key to divine mercy while disrespect for it the cause of divine affliction.

Now we read verse 205 of chapter A'raaf: "And remember your Lord within yourself humbly and fearing and in a voice not loud in the morning and the evening, and be not of the heedless ones." This verse elaborates on the proper ways and manner for the remembrance of God and recitation of the words of God during the five-times-a-day daily prayer. It says that sincerity of heart is vital element for the recitation of God’s Words and for remembrance of the Almighty. At the same time in the morning and evening namely the beginning and the end of the day, it is advisable to recite in a quite tone indicating one’s humbleness towards God.

From this verse we learn that: 1-

The remembrance of God requires sincerity of heart.

2-

Invoking and beseeching the Almighty should be in a quite and humble tone.

3-

One should begin and end every day with the name of God. We should thank God for our good deeds and for His favours to us, and seek repentance for our ignorance and faults.

Now here is verse 206 that is the last verse of Surah A'raaf: "Surely those who are with your Lord are not too proud to serve Him, and they declare His glory and throw themselves down in humility before Him." This verse means to say that those who have attained the proximity of God such angels, saints or pious persons are proud in serving Him but they always praise Him and prostrate before God Almighty. In other words those who do not have such characteristics give the impression that they are needless and heedless of their own Loving Creator. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Pride and arrogance before God Almighty shows one’s own gross ignorance. Humbleness towards the Creator is certainly the source of proximity and one’s own greatness.

2-

One should not be proud of worshipping God and think that he or she has done a favour, for, those who are close to God are always humble and they never become proud.

(58) At first we read verses 197 and 198 of chapter A’raaf:

“And those whom you call upon besides Him are not able to help you, nor can they help themselves. And if you invite them to guidance, they do not hear; and you see them looking towards you, yet they do not see.” These verses are continuation of the verses that we explained to you last week regarding the characteristics of the infidels and their worshipping of idols and objects crafted by their own hands. Here the Holy Qur’an means to say that if you appeal to any of these idols or even to the products of your imagination, these will not be able to help you. Neither can the human beings of whom you are awed and afraid because of their wealth and power can come to your help nor protect you from dangers, since they themselves are in need of protection and exposed to dangers. So why do you to cling to them and ignore the God the One and Only Creator of the entire universe? The next part of the verses addressing Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny) say: Don’t expect that your warnings, tidings and words of guidance will influence those who are adamantly opposed to the truth and refuse to accept it. Many of these infidels are as blind and deaf as the creation of their warped minds, the idols. The only difference is that they might look at you but fail to perceive the manifest truth because of the reluctance deep down in their hearts to abstain from evil and the transient materialistic pleasures of life. From these verses we learn that: 1-

Only God is deserving of worship since it is He alone in Whom we can take refuge and Who protects us.

2- Persons having ears and eyes do not necessarily have the perception and conscience to discern between truth and falsehood. There are many blind and deaf persons who accept truth and righteousness although they do not see or hear. Now we read verse 199 of Surah A’raaf:

“Take to forgiveness and enjoin good and turn aside from the ignorant.” Here God addressing the Prophet and the believers says that moral principles are necessary in dealing with people whether friends or enemies. The message is forgive those do bad to you and do not seek revenge. Always invite others to goodness and overlook those who behave ignorantly. Certainly it is evident that this highly ethical manner of dealing with people has wide ranging impacts on both the individuals and the society. However, it does not mean a sign of weakness and inability of the believers, for according to the commandments of God Almighty, persons or groups of persons actively transgressing the rights of believers and oppressing them should be decisively confronted. They should not be allowed to covet the property of Muslims or violate their honour and dignity. But if these enemies repent or are not doing active harm, believers should not seek revenge. Here the politeness and magnanimity of Muslims has far reaching affects and moulds the hearts of these hardened souls towards remorse and regret. From this verse we learn that: 1- To be good is not enough; one should promote goodness in the society and advise others to be good. 2- The ignorant is not necessarily illiterate, but the real ignorant is the person who is impolite and unwise in his behavior. Now we read verse 200 from Surah A’raaf:

“And if a false imputation from the Satan afflict you, seek refuge in Allah; surely He is Hearing, Knowing.” This verse warns believers from the deceit of the devil who is always trying to tempt and mislead the Children of Adam. The Prophets and the Infallible Imams have been made immune by God from the deceit of the devil, but the believers, when the attain the degree of piety and virtue, will also be protected by God against the satanic temptations, but they should not drop guard in any case and should always be alert and attentive to the tricks of the devil in order to defeat them. The ploy of the Satan is to create discord and divisions among the human beings. Hence, God in this verse says: do not pay attention to the satanic insinuation and control your anger by taking refuge in God. Trust in God makes a person immune from the Satan’s temptations. From this verse we learn that: 1-

The Satan’s temptations can be defeated if there is trust in God.

2-

The way of keeping away from the Satan is to get close to God and to take refuge in Him.

Now we read verses 201 and 202 from Surah A’raaf:

“Surely those who guard (against evil), when a visitation from the Satan afflicts them they become mindful, then lo! They see. And their brethren increase them in error, then they cease not.” This verse addressing the faithful warns against the temptations of the Satan and says that whenever the pious people come across any temptation they seek refuge in Almighty God, which prevents them being misled. But those who lack piety, easily fall prey to the Satan, who drives them towards evil and making them hopeless of God’s mercy. From these verses we learn that:

1-

A true believe ought to be careful against devils of every kind, even the evil human beings who deceive and promote evil.

2-

Constant remembrance of God Almighty keeps mankind away from temptations.

3-

Satan befriends those who lose piety and misleads them into more error.

(57) At first we read Verse 193 of chapter A’raaf:

“And if you invite them to guidance, they will not follow you; it is the same to you whether you invite them or you are silent.” In the previous program we said that some parents instead of properly guiding and grooming their child, who is after all is a trust of God Almighty, mislead him or her into error deviation from the realities of creation. This is what the verse means to say by pointing out that often people do not follow proper guidance even if invited. They go after their whims and desires and by worshipping idols instead of the One and Only God they merely follow the creation and imagination of their warped minds. Often such people refuse to acknowledge the manifest truth by stubbornly sticking to their erroneous ways and beliefs, despite the fact that there is no independent power other than God the Omnipresent and the Omnipotent that cannot be encompassed by the eyes of His creation. From this verse we learn that: 1- Servitude to other objects crafted by human hands such as idols that have no ability at all, is a futile form of worship. 2- Guidance is not possible except by proper cognition of God the Almighty and His manifest signs that are all around us. Now we read verse 194 from chapter A’raaf:

“Surely those whom you call on besides Allah are in a state of subjugation like yourselves; therefore call on them, then let them answer you if you are truthful.” The verse says that all human beings are the creation of God and all are in need of Divine Favours. No person is superior to others, except in terms of piety and virtue, as said elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an. In view of this it is nothing but an exercise in futility to beseech seemingly powerful human beings, who actually have no power over their own life, death and eventual fate. It is obvious that they cannot do anything except by the Will of God Almighty. From this verse we learn that: 1-

It is illogical to worship fellow humans, who themselves are the creation of God.

2-

Only God has absolute and infinite power and answers to the invocations of mankind.

Now we read verse 195 from Surah A’raaf:

“Have they feet with which they walk, or have they hands with which they hold, or have they eyes with which they see, or have they ears with which they hear? Say: Call your associates, then make a struggle (to prevail) against me and give me no respite.”

This means censure the weak in mind and faith for worshipping stones, wood and similar objects such as images that cannot hear, and neither have the power of speech nor the selfpropulsion to move or walk. As per this verse, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny) is given the mission to awaken such people from the sleep of negligence by stimulating their brains and challenging them to invoke their idols to defend them against Muslims. It is obvious that these objects have neither the power to ward off harm nor to do good to their worshippers. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Divine Messengers because of their absolute faith in God Almighty fearlessly challenge their enemies and expose their weaknesses.

2-

Polytheism is among the worst kind of disbelief since a polytheist worships the creation of his imagination or hands, which is certainly far inferior to him as a human being created by God.

Now we raed verse 196 from Surah A’raaf:

“Surely my guardian is Allah, Who revealed the Book, and He befriends the good.” In this verse, God commands the Prophet to introduce Allah as the Guardian, Who is superior to all and everybody else and Who Alone is deserving of worship and servitude. It is God Who revealed the Holy Qur’an as the Living Miracle of the mission of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), and it is God Alone Who gives provision, guidance and protection from evil. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Piety is among the status desired of mankind by God. The holy Qur’an refers to all the Prophets as the Pious.

2-

While treading the path of truth, one should not fear loneliness and isolation, for it is God Who has promised to help and protect the pious.

3-

God has granted mankind clear signs of guidance and a proper blueprint for leading a virtuous life, as could be done by practical adherence to the tenets of the Holy Qur’an.

(56) At first we read Verse 188 of chapter A’raaf:

“Say: I do not control any benefit or harm for my own soul except as Allah pleases; and had I known the unseen I would have had much of good and no evil would have touched me; I am nothing but a Warner and the Giver of good news to the people who believe;” Some people had thought that the Prophet should be like a soothsayer or foreteller aware of the future and the unseen in order to predict good things and make them immune from dangers. Here in this verse, God commands the Prophet to say: I have come for your guidance and not for informing you of the unseen. If I had this ability I would try to obtain much benefits for myself and protect myself from the dangers about to take place. Like you my benefits and harms are in the hands of God and I have no say concerning my own profit or harm except what the All-Merciful and Just God has informed me. In the light of this verse, it could be said that basically, knowledge of the unseen belongs the God the One and Only Creator of the universe, and He only permits others to become aware of it. For instance, God informs His prophets of specific events of the past and the future in order to guide mankind. But Prophets are not allowed to make personal use of such knowledge. In fact, so perfect is the belief of Prophets and saints in God Almighty that the world appears trivial for them and they

are not concerned about the transient pleasures and riches of material life. They live like ordinary persons and not as soothsayers. From this verse we learn that: 1-

We should not become proud of what we possess since we do not even possess our own life. Everything is in the hand of God and nothing takes place except what He wants.

2-

Whatever predictions the Prophet make this is meant for guidance of mankind and not for earning money or solving problems like soothsayers do.

3-

An example in this regard is the simple life of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny), and how he was tried and tested by God Almighty through suffering and hardships.

Now we read verses 189 and 190 of chapter A’raaf:

“He it is Who created you from a single being, and of the same (kind) did he make his mate, that he might incline to her; so when he covers her she bears a light burden, then moves about with it; but when it grows heavy, they both call upon Allah, their Lord: If Thou givest us a good one, we shall certainly be of the grateful ones.”

“But when He gives them a good one, they set up with Him associates in what He has given them; but high is Allah above what they associate (with Him).” These verses, addressing husband and wife couples means to say: that it is God that places inclines you towards each other in order to live in peace and to have children. But when the burden of mother becomes heavy and the time of birth nears, you raise your hand and pray to God to grant you a good child, promising God to be grateful for His bounties. But after the birth of the child, some of you forget their vows and also ignore God the Almighty Creator. Instead of grooming the child properly to be virtuous and obey God, you place him in a direction that leads to go astray and as per his or her whims ascribe partners to God the Glorious. From these verses we learn that: 1-

Married life is the prime factor for peace and tranquility of both the body and soul of man and woman. Marriage, and the lawful relations it creates between two persons of the opposite sex, is the best solution to prevent the youth from falling into psychological and physical problems.

2- Conjugal ties are in the inherent nature of human beings and this is divine rationale behind creating man and woman to live and multiply as spouses. 3-

Among the objectives of marriage is to bring up good and pious children. For the proper grooming of children, the parents should beseech God for help and guidance.

Now we read verses 191 and 192 of chapter A’raaf:

“What! they associate (with Him) that which does not create anything, while they are themselves created! And they have no power to give them help, nor can they help themselves.” In the previous verses we said that some parents instead of guiding their children towards God and moral values, mislead them towards errors, which at times end in polytheism or ascribing partners to the One and Only God, in the false belief that idols and other also have powers. These verses wonder at the misconception of man and mean to say how can they ascribe partners to God, when it is He Alone Who is the Creator of all. Don’t these erring person realize that idols and even powerful and rich do not create, and are themselves the creations. These persons or objects whom erring persons regard mighty do not even have the power of

protection against dangers or the means to avert death when it approaches. Life and death is the hand of God. So isn’t it advisable to turn towards God and worship Him Alone? Why you bring up your children in a way that they only think of this world and stockpile properties. Why you ignore the hereafter and let your children them ignore it as well. From these verses we learn that: 1-

A child is a divine blessing and is a great asset for the parents. One should not misguide the child toward a perilous path that brings disaster in life and in the Hereafter.

2-

God Almighty is the Possessor of all power. He is the source of creation and has provided us the means of guidance through a remarkable chain of Prophets rather than leave us alone without guidance groping in the dark. This warrants that we turn towards Him and the most excellent means of being God-conscious is following the teachings of the Prophets of God.

3-

We ought not to sell faith for the paltry and perishing pleasures and powers of the material world. We have been created for a higher purpose with God promising the faithful and the sincere repentant the lasting bliss of afterlife in paradise.

(55) At first we read Verse 184 of chapter A’raaf:

“Do they not reflect that their companion has not unsound in mind; he is only a plain warner.” Last week we said that people are divided into two groups vis-à-vis the Prophets sent by God Almighty for the guidance of mankind. A group honestly acknowledged the words of divine messengers whereas the second group denied and disbelieved them. The verse that we recited now says that in order to justify their denial and infidelity the second group of people unable to comprehend the revelation of God said Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny) has been exposed to some kind of unsoundness, which makes him say things about the beginning and end of creation. The Qur’an means to ask them: Don’t they remember that during the 40 years that they have known him prior to his appointment by God as the Last Divine Messenger, they did find any record of unsoundness in him, and used to vouch his honesty, sincerity and trustworthiness? It goes on to point to them that even now also the Prophet speaks nothing but words of honesty and sincerity and he is only warning human beings against the result and consequences of their evil deeds? It is worth noting that unsoundness is among the common accusations that infidels used to heap on the Prophets of God as history bears witness. This accusation was not restricted to the holy Prophet of Islam. It seems that according to the absurd logic of the unbelievers any efforts to control carnal desires and discourage evil in society is a sort of insanity! From this verse we learn that 1-

Logic and reasoning are not the way of the infidels, but their methods are accusation and wild charges.

2-

Since they lack reason in trying to confront religious facts they turn to illogical behavior.

3-

Warning against the result of deeds should be explicit and clear, as the Prophet used to do, and not something unambiguous.

Now we read verse 185 of chapter A’raaf:

“Do they not consider the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and whatever things Allah

has created, and that may be their doom shall have drawn nigh; what announcement would they then believe in after this?” Here God Almighty invites people to think and ponder on the words and behavior of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) by contemplating on the creation of the heavens and the earth. The Qur’an asks them: Who is the Creator and Ruler of this infinite universe? Isn’t it the One and Only God? The Qur’an means to ask them: You have enjoyed the material life of this world and followed your carnal desires, don’t you think that your death is near and you have to depart from this world soon? So why do you still try to deny the truth and do not like to accept it? Why you believe in the false and illogical words of others but do not accept the words of the Prophet? From this verse we learn that 1-

One should ponder and contemplate on the creation seriously and not superficially. The whole nature is manifestation of the signs of God and it should be properly recognized in order to realize His glory.

2-

Negligence of the fact that death will soon overcome every living soul is the factor behind infidelity and inability to grasp the truth. It is the reminder of death that prepares human beings for accepting the truth and keeping away from evil and sins.

Now we read verse 186 of chapter A’raaf:

“Whomsoever Allah causes to err, there is no guide for him; and He leaves them alone in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on.” By focusing on the result of the deeds of the infidels this verse says: their stubbornness and blind adherence to their evil ways by refusing to see the manifest signs of God Almighty, causes the AllMerciful Lord to leave them alone. As a result they fail to benefit from divine guidance and go astray. From this verse we learn that: 1-

The hostile approach towards Prophets and divine books that are the means of guidance for mankind, brings down divine wrath in the form of deprivation of divine guidance.

2-

Mankind is always in need of God’s protection in order to remain immune from falling prey to the temptations of Satan.

Now we read verse 187 of chapter A’raaf:

“They ask you about the hour, when will it take place? Say: The knowledge of it is only with my Lord; none but He shall manifest it at its time; it will be momentous in the heavens and the earth; it will not come on you but of a sudden. They ask you as if you were solicitous about it. Say: Its knowledge is only with Allah, but most people do not know.” One of the questions that the infidels used to raise was the occurrence of the Day of Resurrection, by ignoring its significance and being prepared to meet it. The Qur’an says that its eventual taking is not the issue, but what ought to be important for is belief in its occurrence and being prepared for it. It is also not important for you how long the world has been in creation and how long it will last. Suppose if the Prophet were to provide you the exact answer with the knowledge given to him by God, would you believe it, or still continue to deny it? In this verse the holy Quran stresses two basic points. One is that the Day of Resurrection is an eventuality that will soon come and that mankind does not have the power of predicting its time and its consequences. The second point is that the knowledge related to the start and end of creation is exclusive to God and the others even prophets are not aware of it. From this verse we learn that:

1-

We should always be prepared for the occurrence of the Day of Resurrection.

2-

Regarding what we do not know, we should not resort to mere guesses and lies. Even Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) used to say explicitly that God has not revealed to him knowledge about that particular issue.

(54) At first we read Verse 179 of chapter A’raaf:

“And certainly We have created for hell many of the jinn and the mankind; they have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear; they are like cattle. Nay! They are in worse errors; these are the heedless ones.” Among the main purposes of creation is the growth and perfection of mankind, and that is why God has provided human beings with all the required means. The ears, eyes and above all intellect and the power of speech that God has bestowed human beings are the means for recognizance and comprehension of facts and realities. But unfortunately, most of those who possess these senses do not use them properly. On the contrary they move in the opposite direction by misusing these faculties, deliberately distorting the realities of life and purpose of creation, and the end result is that, they end up in hell, although the All-Merciful God wants them to repent and avail of the bliss of paradise. Basically animals too possess these senses. The eyes and ears of the animals may be sharper than those of the human beings, but God neither gave the animals the power of speech nor the intellect to discern between good and bad. This special bestowal to mankind is part of the divinely decreed trial. If human beings were to use intellect properly to avail of the promise of salvation by abstaining from carnal desires and falsities, they will be regarded superior than even the angels, since the angels have been created by God without personal feelings and hence unlike human beings who have been given free choice and will, they do not know what temptation is. But if human beings ignore the manifest truth and fall prey to temptations by misusing the bounties of God, they will be considered lower than animals, since animals merely pursue natural instincts without possessing the power to discern between good and bad. Thus, in the light of this verse, the senses are means of correct cognizance, and if human beings fail in discharging this responsibility to comprehend truth, and never bother to mend their ways and repent, the misguided will end up in hell. From this verse we learn that: 1-

As a matter of regret many human beings fail to use their God-given faculties to discover faith and salvation.

2- If proper comprehension makes mankind superior to angels and deserving of greater rewards in afterlife, failure to acknowledge the manifest truth in the pursuit of the perishing pleasures of life, makes mankind even more base and inferior than animals, and liable to punishment in the Hereafter because of having failed to repent and seek God’s forgiveness while alive. Now we read verse 180 from chapter A’raaf:

“And Allah’s are the Best Names, therefore call on Him thereby, and leave alone those who violate the sanctity of His names; they shall be recompensed for what they did.” All good characteristics and attributes belong to God, for He Alone is the source of all perfections and beauties. Therefore one should choose the best attributes while praying to God and should also preserve the sanctity of Divine Names. As in the other verses of the holy Qur’an the sanctity of the Divine Names and attributes has been advised and the holy Qur’an calls on mankind that neither should associate any partner

for God nor should ascribe negative attributes to the Almighty Creator. From this verse we learn that: 1- All goodness belongs to God. In order to achieve goodness, one should move towards Him. 2- Islam has paid special attention to the Divine Names. The use of interesting and meaningful attributes has been advised. Now we read verses 181 to 183 of chapter A’raaf:

“And of those whom We have created are a people who guide with the truth and thereby they do justice. And (as to) those who reject Our communications, We draw them near (to destruction) by degrees from whence they know not. And I grant them respite; surely My scheme is effective.” These verses state that people are of two types. A group has not only achieved guidance but thinks of guiding others by moulding their life on the basis of truth and justice, thereby becoming exemplars for others. But on the opposite is the case of the other group of people, which instead of accepting and practicing the truth, reject it. Such persons instead of worshipping God follow their carnal desires. For this group, God says We give them in the world the chance to do whatever they wanted, but they should not think that this is to their interest, for instead of benefiting from the opportunity provided by life, they added to their sins and every day drifted further away from the path of God and truth. One of God’s punishments in the world is the gradual one. That is a gradual chastisement that every person does not realize it and it gradually targets him. As in this verse, the holy Qur’an says God will entangle them in a way that they do not realize. From these verses we learn that: 1-

Lip service to faith is insufficient. We should practice what we believe in a way that we become exemplary for others and guide them.

2-

If we commit a sin and were not punished, we should not get happy, for there is no way to escape the wrath of God the Merciful except through repentance and atoning for the wrong we have done.

3-

God has given the chance of repentance to all, but only the heedful benefit from it. The evil people misinterpret the respite given by God the All-Merciful as escape from calamity.

(53) At first we read Verse 175 of chapter A’raaf:

“And recite to them the narrative of him to whom We give Our communications, but he withdraws himself from them, so the Satan overtakes him, so he is of those who go astray.” The verse that we recited to you points to the account of a scholar and soothsayer of the days of the ancient Israelites called Bal’am ibn Ba’oura, who is supposed to be originally from Babylon. Initially he was among the companions of Prophet Moses (PBUH), and was showed clear signs of

truth by God Almighty, but he fell to the temptations of the Satan and turned against Moses. The lust of the material world so overwhelmed him that conspired against Moses and his followers. However, divine wrath overtook him and the Israelites that he had deceived. The account of Bal’am is also mentioned in the Torah where he is called Balaam the son of Beor. From this verse we learn that: 1-

The risk of worldly attachments tempts even the scholars of religious sciences and the fate of Bal’am Ba’oura should be a lesson for all scholars.

2-

One should not become proud of his past, since there always exists the risk of collapse. The more higher the climb the greater the risk of falling down.

3-

Whoever rejects the signs of God falls to the bait of the Satan. Attachments to the material world makes religious scholar loose their piety, asceticism and spiritual values.

Now we read verse 176 of chapter A’raaf:

“And if We had pleased, We would certainly have exalted him thereby; but he clung to the earth and followed his low desire, so his parable is as the parable of the dog; if you attack him he lolls out his tongue; and if you leave him alone he lolls out his tongue; this is the parable of the people who reject Our communications; therefore relate the narrative that they many reflect.” In this verse God says that divine favours were showed to Bal’am so that he would rise towards ethereal heights, but by following his carnal desires he plunged into the abysmal depths of the earth and perished. Despite being shown the path towards perfection he refused to rise above the material affairs. As a result he was snared by the Satan and lost whatever good he had initially achieved. The holy Qur’an likens the ignorant people to the quadrupeds, and the disbelievers who turn away from manifest truth, to a dog that always lolls out his tongue, since his greedy has no end. The greed for more money and higher posts, is the result of vain pride, and makes such persons lose sight of spiritual glories and immortal rewards of afterlife. A famous statement from Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), says: "The one whose knowledge increases but his guidance does not, that knowledge will keep him away from God." From this verse we learn that: 1-

Knowledge of divine verses and insight into manifestations of nature that are the clear signs of God Almighty, does exalt human beings provided that they do not fall to the temptations of the material world.

2-

When religious scholars turn materialist they deny the manifest signs of God and become inclined to infidelity and apostasy.

3-

The history of the past generations is a lesson for the next generations. We should not ignore the accounts and the fates of the predecessors.

Now we read the verses of 177 and 178 of the same chapter:

“Evil is the likeness of the people who reject Our communications and are unjust to their own souls. Whomsoever Allah guides, he is the one who follows the right way; and whomsoever He causes to err, these are the losers.” After revealing the fate of Bal’am Ba’oura, the holy Qur’an says that as a general principle those who reject the manifest signs of God Almighty have an evil destiny, and are grossly mistaken if they think they through their disbelief they will be harming God and the truth of

religion in any way. They actually oppress themselves, deceive themselves and deprive themselves of divine mercy and the lasting bliss of the Hereafter. The one who turns away from the truth will be deprived of divine guidance and this is the greatest loss for a human being. Although God the All-Knower has complete knowledge of all affairs, it is man who despite the free will given to him for choosing either right or wrong deprives himself of divine bounties by failing to avail the opportunities provided to him and falling into temptations when it is a known fact that human beings have been created for trial and tribulations. God, the All-Wise and AllMerciful is ready to forgive and as the Creator, His care for mankind is greater than that of parents since it is the Lord, Who has endowed us and our parents with the sense and feeling of love and affection. That is the reason that his bounties never cease even when we err, but the end result is only for those who abstain from evil and for those who repent and return to the AllForgiving Lord, rather than suffer the fate of Bal’am. From these verses we learn that: 1-

The worst form of oppression is self-oppression that is the result of denial of right and lust for the carnal desires.

2-

Our faith or unbelief makes no difference For God, for He the Glorious is needless of His creatures. In fact, it is we that need Him.

3-

Knowledge alone does not guarantee salvation; rather it is the proper use of knowledge that ensures divine guidance and the continuity of God’s lasting favors.

(52) At first we read Verse 170 of chapter A’raaf:

“And (as for) those who hold fast by the Book and keep up prayer, surely We do not waste the reward of the right doers.” As you remember, last week we presented you the holy Qur’an’s censure of those to whom heavenly scriptures were revealed in ancient times but who have either tampered with the words of God to mislead people or have to chosen to forget and ignore divine injunctions that were not in line with their material interests and worldly ambitions. In the verse that we recited to you today, the holy Qur’an praises those who abide by the injunctions of the Divine Book and obediently keep up the daily prayers and other acts of worship. It is worth noting that God has mentioned the daily prayers specifically, in view of the fact that in all heavenly revealed creeds, prayers hold special significance because they provide identity to the believers. According to a narration from Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny), the daily prayers are the visage of religion. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Memorization and recitation of the divine books is not sufficient, but should be coupled with practice in order to ensure prosperity in life and salvation in the Hereafter.

2-

The real reforming of a person or a community is indebted to religious injunctions, and the claimants of reforms in human communities who are indifferent towards the divine teachings can do nothing.

Now we read verse 171 of chapter A’raaf:

“And when We shook the mountain over them as if it were a covering overhead, and they thought that it was going to fall down upon them: Take hold of what We have given you with firmness, and be mindful of what is in it, so that you may guard (against evil).”

This verse refers to the favours that God bestowed on the Israelites as a divine test and towards which the Israelites always showed gratitude, thereby damning themselves and serving as a lesson for humanity of an ever-rebellious and erroneous people. Here God recalls the miracle He had shown during the time of Prophet Moses (PBUH) and how the Israelites witnessed it. However, when Prophet Moses returned from Mount Sinai with the tablets of the Torah, the Israelites disputed with him and disobeyed the divine command. In order to punish them, God made Mount Sinai rise miraculously above their heads. The Israelites became terrified as a result, fell down in prostration and promised for the umpteenth time not to disobey the commandments of God. But when the danger subsided, once again a group of these ever-rebellious Israelites turned away from religion, and began violating divine laws. From this verse we learn that: 1-

Sometimes God shows His power to people in order to jolt their conscience and awaken them from their slumber.

2-

It is incumbent on the believers to abide by Divine Laws and not violate them.

3-

Mere lip service to religion is not sufficient. The teachings of religion should be put into practice and properly explained so that these are neither ignored nor forgotten.

Now we read verses 172 to 174 from chapter A’raaf:

“And when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their backs, their descendants, and made them bear witness against their own souls: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes! We bear witness. Lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: Surely we were heedless of this.” Or you should say: Only our fathers associated others (with Allah) before, and we were an offspring after them: Wilt Thou then destroy us for what the vain doers did? And thus do We make clear the communications, and that haply they might return.” This verse refers to the innate human nature and points to the pledge that God took from the souls of mankind before corporal creation and made them bear witness that He is the Lord, and that after being born in different communities, as part of the divine test, they would stand steadfast to their pledge and worship none but Allah. On the Day of Resurrection, the Almighty will remind mankind of their pledge and judge accordingly. According to the exegetes of the holy Qur’an, God has seeded the nature of mankind with monotheism and virtue and it is only the polluted atmosphere of the world that makes them into disbelievers and deviants following other creeds other than Islam, the religion or way of life decreed by the Almighty for the human race. This is the reason that whenever the conscience is awakened of any person born in any religious or irreligious atmosphere, he or she turns towards Islam, monotheism, and virtue, since these characteristics are part of innate human nature. Therefore, everyone finds God in his or her heart and is inclined towards Him. This pledge is an argument against the excuse of those people who say they became polytheists or disbelievers because of the social environment and inability to discern the Truth. From these verses we learn that: 1-

The inclination towards the One and Only Creator is part of inherent human nature, which neither social developments nor progress in science and technology, can hamper.

2-

Respect for ancestors or national heritage should not prevent human beings from forsaking the inherent belief in God and Islam, since following the wrong ideas and customs of the ancestors is unjustifiable.

(51)

At first we read Verse 167 of Chapter A’raaf:

“And when your Lord announced that He would certainly send against them to the day of resurrection those who would subject them to severe torment; most surely your Lord is quick to requite (evil) and most surely He is Forgiving, Merciful. “ In the previous program we said that a group of the Israelites disobeyed the command of God to stop working on Saturdays contrived to fishing through tricky methods. We knew that they were severely punished and turned into apes that soon died afterwards. In this verse, God says that those who try to ridicule God’s command and play with the divine commandments, God will subject them to a hard punishment and hardships in this world while in afterlife their fate will be worse. Certainly, if such people repent they will be subjected to divine mercy and forgiveness. From this verse we learn that : 1- The Israelites oppressors will live in hardships till the day of resurrection and they will never be in peace. 2- Fear of punishment beside hope in divine mercy causes growth and education of human being. Now we read verse 168 of chapter A’raaf:

“And We cut them up on the earth into parties, (some) of them being righteous and (others) of them falling short of that, and We tried them with blessings and misfortunes that they might turn.” If the previous verse warned of the punishment awaiting the oppressive Israelites on Day of Resurrection, this verse means to say: that are not a united nation as they claim but are a scattered people. Of course, this does not mean that all of the Jewish are evil since there are honest people among them. But since the majority of the Israelites have been evil minded as is evident from their constant disobedience of God’s commandments since the time of Prophet Moses, their fate during history has been accompanied with humiliation. The Verse goes on to say: that the Israelites have always been tried through welfare and hardship, so that they correct their ways. They have been granted blessings but each time instead of obeying God and expressing gratitude to Him and behaving honestly with the rest of the humanity, they have turned to deceit and oppression of other races. From this verse we learn that: 1-

We have to be fair in dealing with all and everybody even with those who have different views than us. We should always be kind and not resort to evil in the hope of countering evil.

2-

Repentance is vital otherwise we would end up as the ever-rebellious Israelites did.

Now we read verse 169 from chapter A’raaf:

“Then there came after them an evil posterity who inherited the Book, taking only the frail good of this low life and saying: It will be forgiven us. And if the like good came to them, they would take it (too). Was not a promise taken from them in the Book that they would not speak anything about Allah but the truth, and they have read what is in it; and the abode of the hereafter is better for those who guard (against evil). Do you not then understand?” The holy Qur’an by recounting the history of the Israelites in these verses says, that those who lived during the time of Moses and the other Prophets, saw them and heard their statements, but unfortunately they ridiculed the divine books and the Prophets. For this reason they were subjected to severe punishment by God. The generation which came after them, although they had the divine

book and were aware of its content, they preferred the world to the hereafter, blinded by the worldly materials and they became so proud that they consider themselves the superior race and say: Though we are seeking the world and do not work for the hereafter, God will forgive us on the day of resurrection and enter us in the Paradise. In this verse, God means to say: what an unfounded statement that you attribute to God. You have read the Torah and you know that it is not so, why do not you adopt piety and think in your work. From this verse we learn that: 1- Love for the world and materialist things is the bane of religious beliefs and keeps human beings away from the hereafter. 2-

Hope in divine mercy without working and efforts is a vain and impossible wish.

(50) At first we read Verse 163 of Chapter A’raaf:

“And ask them about the town which stood by the sea; when they exceeded the limits of the Sabbath, when their fish came to them on the day of their Sabbath, appearing on the surface of the water, and on the day on which they did not keep the Sabbath they did not come to them; thus did We try them because they transgressed.” One of the fundamentals of the Jewish religion was the observance of Saturday as a sacred day on which they had to give up working and devote themselves to acts of worship or spending the time at home. They called this day Sabbath and still observe it today. But in the ancient times, a group of the Israelites living on the seacoast and earning their livelihood through fishing, noticed that on Saturdays, the day they were religiously forbidden from work, fish would appear in abundance on the water surface in the inlets, while they were difficult to catch during the rest of the week and the fishermen had to go out far into the sea for the daily catch. This was actually a trial and tribulation from God Almighty to test the faith of the Jews. The Israelites devised a plan and thought they wound circumvent the divinely set regulations and try to deceive even God the All-Seeing and AllKnowing. Thus, on the Sabbath day when the fishes had swam into the inlets, they subsequently closed the mouth of waterways trapping them inside so they can have a good catch the next day. Through their trick they were actually violating the sanctity the Sabbath, the day they were not supposed to engage in worldly affairs, even though they came up with the excuse that they were catching the fish the next day. The holy Qur’an denounces such trickery and says: The abundance of the fish on the Sabbath Day was at the command of God and was a trial to determine how the Israelites would heed divine laws. From this verse we learn that: 1- A trick, however legal, cannot remove the evilness of sin. On the contrary it increases the sin since the sinner is not considering his sinful act as a sin and is unbothered about repentance. 2- At times, God decrees trials to test the faith of human beings in order to make their shortcomings clear to them so as to serve as a warning for future generations, although the Almighty knows very well what would come to pass. Now let us listen to the recitation of verse 164:

“And when a party of them said: Why do you admonish a people whom Allah would destroy or whom He would chastise with a severe chastisement? They said: To be free from blame before your Lord, and that haply they may guard (against evil).”

The holy Qur’an divides the Israelites into three groups: the habitual lawbreakers, the believers and the indifferent. This verse says that the indifferent persons said to the believers who were always admonishing out of concern for the law of God, not to tire yourselves uselessly, since your word has no effect on the sinful and God is responsible for their account. If the Almighty wishes He will chastise or destroy them. But the believers used to say: first of all our word is not useless and there are many people who through these advices either give up committing sins or at least they commit less sins. Secondly, even if they do not listen, at least we have fulfilled our duty of forbidding the evil, and are free of blame before the Almighty. From this verse we learn that: 1-Some people neither give advice nor tolerate the giving of advise by others. Instead of objecting to the acts of the sinners, they protest to the admonishers and advisers to stop preaching. 2-It is obligatory to forbid others from doing sinful acts, even if one’s words are not likely to be effective. We have to fulfill our obligation irrespective of the result. Now we reda verses 165 and 166 of Chpter Araf:

“So when they neglected what they had been reminded of, We delivered those who forbade evil and We overtook those who were unjust with an evil chastisement because they transgressed. Therefore when they revoltingly persisted in what they had been forbidden, We said to them: Be (as) apes, despised and hated.” In sequel to the classification of the Israelites into three groups, these verses mean to say that out of these three groups only the believers who sympathizers of the people and who forbid them from evil will attain salvation. As for the indifferent people they would became partners in the crime of the sinful and share their punishment, a terrible punishment, to the extent that some of the Israelites were transformed by God into monkeys and swine because of their extremely sinful behaviour. According to narrations they physically resembled monkeys but could not procreate nor did they remain alive after being afflicted with such a terrible punishment, except for a few days. From these verses we learn that: 1- If preaching prohibition from sinful acts does not guide others at least it saves mankind from divine punishment. 2- Silence towards a sinful or oppressive acts makes the indifferent persons partners in such crimes and subsequently in their affliction of divine punishment. 3-

Those who change or abort the Command of God, their faces will be tarnished.

(49) At first we read Verse 160 of Surah A’raaf:

“And We divided them into twelve tribes, as nations; and We revealed to Moses when his people asked him for water: Strike the rock with your staff, so out-flowed from it twelve springs; each tribe knew its drinking place; and We made the clouds to give shade over them and We sent to them manna and quails: Eat of the good things We have given you. And they did not do US any harm, but they did injustice to their own souls. “

In this verse God means to say that one of the miracles of Prophet Moses (PBUH) for the ever rebellious Israelites was that by the same stick with which he had parted the sea waters to enable them to cross into Sinai from Pharaonic Egypt, he struck a huge rock from which sprang 12 springs equal to the number of the 12 Israelites tribes, so that each tribe could drink from a separate spring and thus avoid tribal squabbles. During the 40-year wandering of the Israelites in the Sinai desert, the clouds several times formed a shade over them to protect them from heat while God send food in the shape of birds that descended with frequency in that region. But unfortunately despite all these blessings and miracles a large number of the Israelites were ungrateful and did not appreciate the blessings of God. They disobeyed the instructions of Prophet Moses. Through this verse we learn that people should not think that by disobeying the divine injunctions they have harmed God and reduced something from His Infinite Power. No, this is a wrong notion. The disobedient, in fact, have oppressed themselves and have become the eventual losers. From this verse we learn that: 1- The division of people into separate groups for preserving the overall unity is sometimes essential, as is evident in the division of work in our own times in order to better manage the social and administrative affairs. 2-

Appealing to Prophets for overcoming problems is not in contradiction to the fundamental principle of monotheism, but it is a means of prayer and supplication being accepted by God Almighty, Who sent the Messengers and exalted them over other people.

3-

God has provides mankind with Halal or lawful food in abundance so that people would not have any excuse to resort to unlawful or Haraam food.

4- The Halal is much more easier and accessible than the Haraam, so why should we disobey? Now we read verses 161 and 162 of Surah Araf:

“And when it was said to them: Reside in this town and eat from it wherever you wish, and say: Put down from us our heavy burdens; and enter the gate making obeisance, We will forgive you your wrongs: We will give more to those who do good (to others).

“But those who were unjust among them changed it for a saying other than that which had been spoken to them; so We sent upon them a pestilence from heaven because they were unjust.” After the passage of 40 years of wondering in the desert as a trial and because of their frequent disobedience, the Israelites were permitted by God to enter Bait ol-Moqaddas and reside there. But while entering the gates of the holy city they were required to seek forgiveness from God for all acts of disobedience and harassing of Prophet Moses (PBUH). This required that should prostrate by touching the ground with their forehead and to yield to God so that besides acceptance of their repentance, it would be determined who is sinner and who is not. Still the obstinate Israelites ridiculed the divine command. As a result the All Merciful Lord decided to punish them and as is clear the Israelites themselves were the cause of their own oppression for taking the divine laws as a plaything. From these verses we learn that: 1- Seeking forgiveness paves the ground for the blessings of God Almighty including prosperity in the world. 2- God has provided mankind with all material needs, but people continue to sin and make themselves liable for divine punishment. However, if they repent and seek forgiveness, the blessings are restored once again by Almighty God.

3- Entry to holy sites like mosques has certain regulations that should be observed. 4-

Not only in the days of the Prophets, but today as well, the Israelites continue to violate the commandments of God.

5- All punishments are not related to the Day of Resurrection, and some are punished in this world as well by the All-Wise God.

(48) At first we read Verse 157 of al-A’raaf Chapter:

“Those who follow the Prophet, whom they find written down with them in the Torah and the Evangel, (who) enjoins them good and forbids them evil, and makes lawful to them the good things and makes unlawful to them impure things, and removes from them their burden and the shackles which were upon them; so (as for) those who believe in him and honor him and help him, and follow the light which has been sent down with him, these it is that are the successful.” Last week, we said that Prophet Moses (PBUH) prayed to God for the forgiveness of the Israelites who because of their blasphemous demands had become deserving of divine punishment. God said: My Mercy encompasses the universe and the pure and faithful persons would surely benefit from it. In continuation, the verse that we recited to you today means to say that among the Jews and the other people to whom heavenly scriptures were revealed, they are people who find in the Torah, Evangel and other holy books prophecies about the emergence of the Last and Greatest of Divine Messengers, Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). God says that those who will follow the Last Prophet will be showered with divine mercy since he has been ordained as Mercy unto the whole creation. He is the Prophet who invites them to goodness and forbids them from evil. He is the Prophet who negates superstitions and deviated thoughts in order to liberate their minds and bodies that disbelief had imposed upon them. This Prophet, although he has emerged among the Arabs in the progeny of Prophet Abraham’s firstborn son Prophet Ishmael, and has not been schooled by anyone in this world, he expresses the most excellent statements and invites people to the best path. This itself is the best reason for the truth of his statements, which God Almighty has put in his mouth. From this verse we learn that: 1- All previous Prophets prophesied the coming of the Last and Greatest of Divine Messengers, whose universal mission Islam, has been mentioned in the Torah that was revealed to Prophet Moses and to the Evangel that was revealed to Prophet Jesus. 2- The Deuteronomy clearly mentions God’s words that the promised Prophet will be raised in the progeny of Ishmael. Despite the changes wrought over the past centuries the version of the Christian Gospel according to St. John clearly mentions Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) in Chapter 17, Verse 14, 3- The Prophets were raised to enlighten societies and rid them of superstitions and deviated beliefs. 4- Faith in the Divine Messenger and observance of the things that they enjoin or prohibit is essential. Now we read Verse 158 of A’raaf Chapter:

“Say: O’ people! Surely I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, of Him Whose is the kingdom

of the heavens and the earth, there is no god but He: He brings to life and causes to die, therefore believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Prophet who believes in Allah and His words, so follow him that you may walk in the right way.” This verse points to the universality of the mission of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and says: The Last Prophet has been sent to all mankind and not to the Arabs or any specific race or clan. Like the prophets of the past, he too has been sent by the One and Only God Who controls all affairs including life and death. He thus speaks the Words of God to mankind and whoever follows him will be guided towards prosperity and salvation in afterlife. From this verse we learn that: 1- With the advent of Islam the followers of all religions are duty bound to believe in the last divine message and practice it. 2- The source of guidance beside the Revealed Words of God in the Holy Qur’an, is the Sunnah and Seerah or ways and behaviour of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). The Qur’an requires a practical model and it is the Prophet and his immaculate Ahl al-Bayt who demonstrate its practicability and correct interpretation in human society as specified by the famous Hadith called Saqalayn or Two Precious Things, that prevent human societies from going astray. Now we read verse 159 of A’raaf chapter:

“And of the people of Moses was a party who guided (people) with the truth, and thereby did they do justice.” In this verse, the Holy Qur’an praises a group of Jews who unlike the majority of the Israelites were people of faith and righteousness who practiced justice and invited others to the truthful path. Such morally upright persons, although not a majority, were present in the days of Prophet Moses (PBUH) as well as during the advent of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). When Islam was proclaimed this group of upright Jews instantly believed in the last divine message and became Muslims. From this verse we learn that: 1- We should be just in dealing with our opponents and should not ignore their goodness, services and other merits. The Holy Qur’an speaks of both the evil and the good ones among the Israelites. 2-

Mere theoretical invitation towards rightfulness and justice is not sufficient. Faith and justice ought to be accompanied with practical demonstration.

(47) At first we read Verse 150 of al-A’raaf Chapter: "And when Moses returned to his people, angry and grieved, he said: Evil has been your conduct in my absence. Would you hasten on the judgment of your Lord? And he threw down the tablets and seized his brother by the head, dragging him toward him. He said: Son of my mother! Indeed! These people thought me to be weak, and they were about to kill me. So do let the enemies gloat over me, and do not take me with the wrongdoing lot." We said last week that Prophet Moses (PBUH) left his people for Mount Sinai on God’s commandment to pray and fast in solitude for an initial period of 30 days that was, on divine orders, extended by another 10 days after which he was revealed the divine book Torah. The over stay gave way to rumors that Moses was dead and the Israelites were misled into

idol-worship. The verse tells us that Moses upon returning to his people was angry at his brother, Aaron, and the Israelites for the sorry state of affairs in his absence. Addressing his people, he said: "You have been awful in my absence since you did not wait to see why I had left for Mount Sinai and what my God's command had been for. Instead of following my brother Aaron whom I had placed over you, you asked the mischievous Samaritan for assistance. " Moses was also furious with his brother and dragged Aaron toward himself and reproached him for not being able to lead the people in his absence. Aaron responded by saying that the people abandoned him and didn't heed his advice and warnings. Aaron said the Israelites even plotted to him and told Moses that he was not to blame for this since he was not one of them. We learn from this verse that: ·

1. When a human society shows signs of deviation from the right path, one should show strong opposition and express anger and indignation. In our own times, the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini, reacted the same way when he issued his Fatwa against the apostate writer of the Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie.

·

2. When dishonesty prevails, no one should remain immune from prosecution because of his post or rank or due to ties of kinship. The guilty person should be severely reprimanded. 3. A virus that infects all revolutions and reform movements is a longing for the sordid habits and rituals of the past on the pretext that it is a cultural or national heritage. The leaders should identify the problem and prevent it from happening. Now we read Verse 151 of Chapter al-A’raaf: "He said: My Lord! Forgive me and my brother; and admit us into Your mercy, for You are the Most Merciful of the merciful." When his anger subsided, Moses asked for God's forgiveness for reproaching his brother and asked for divine mercy for Aaron and for himself. Asking for mercy is the key to enjoying God's blessing. God always welcomes the guilty who repent and turn to Him. And here's the recitation of Verse 152 of Chapter al-A’raaf: "Indeed! Those who chose the calf (for worship), shall be overtaken by their Lord’s wrath and humiliation in the life of the world. Thus do We requite those who invent a lie." Although Moses returned to the Israelites from Mount Sinai and reprimanded them for what they had done, some of the obstinate who wanted to emulate the misled ways of other nations continued practicing idol-worship. God warns that His wrath will afflict this group of people, since they have seen the truth but have turned a blind eye to it. Here's what we learn from the verse:  To make the prophets of God furious would lead to divine anger. In the previous

verse we were told of Prophet's anger and in this verse we are made familiar with the causes of divine wrath.  To abandon God's messengers and turn to fake deceivers would lead to total calamity. Now we read Surah al-A’raaf Chapter 153: "Yet (to) those who do misdeeds and repent afterward and believe - Indeed! After that

Your Lord shall surely be All-Forgiving, All-Merciful." This verse refers to those Israelites who had turned to the worship of calf that the evil Samaritan had sculpted out of gold, but repented when reproached by Moses and asked for forgiveness. The verse tells us that if people regret doing wrong deeds and become faithful once again, God will accept their act of contrition and will reward them by His divine blessings. We learn from this verse that: ·

The road to repentance is always open and there is no time limit when one seeks to repent.

·

Let us not lose hope in divine mercy as God might even answer dreadful sinners' plea for clemency.

·

God not only shows mercy to sinners, but He bestows blessing upon them.

(46) In continuation of our explanation of Chapter A’araaf of the Holy Qur’an, we begin with the verse 147:

“And (as to) those who reject our communications and the meeting of the hereafter, their deeds are null. Shall they be rewarded except for what they have done?” In Islam man is rewarded based on his intentions. There are, without any doubt, actions that benefit others but the intentions might not be so good. This can be illustrated by a hypocrite involving himself in a good deed just to deceive or impress others. The deceit might be so treacherous or damaging that makes it liable to be punished. This is like the person who intoxicates himself to alleviate problems of life but then faces sudden death. The verse you have just heard points to the fact that the person who denies the originality of the divine verses and rejects the idea of hereafter, in fact, has no intention of doing good but gaining personal advantage with worldly intent. He is a real loser since man’s actions affect one another and one ill intention can inevitably dissipate one good deed. This is how divine justice works. What we learn from this verse includes the following: - Denying there is life after death makes us want to do things only for short term benefits, limited to this world only. - Reward and punishment on the Day of Judgment involves our actions; those that reach eternity and are done for eternity. Now we read verse 148 of Araf Chapter:

“And Moses’ people made of their ornaments a calf after him, a (mere) body, which gave a mooing sound. What! Could they not see that it did not speak to them nor guide them in the way? They took it (for worship) and they were unjust. In our previous program we said that Prophet Moses was asked by God to leave his people for Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. He was asked to prolong his stay on Mount Sinai for another ten days after having spent a month there in prayer and fasting. He assented and remained in Tour for a total of 40 days. The Israelites who lived in Egypt for generations had seen how Egyptians worshiped idols that were statues of cows and other animals. They also met with tribes who were idol-worshippers after crossing the Red Sea into the Sinai Peninsula. So, they asked Moses to create for them a god like the idols they had seen. Moses opposed their imperceptive request and

felt sorry for their ignorance. But in his absence that got longer than planned, the Israelites were deceived by the rumor spread by the Samaritan that Moses was dead. Samaritan, a cunning artist, collected all jewelries of women and sculpted a golden bull. The devious artist managed to mold the bull in a way that a long and deep sound like mooing could be heard coming out of its mouth. So, he managed to easily deceive the Israelites. The Holy Qoran states that although the golden bull was pleasing to look at and its mooing sound was an attraction for people, it could not speak to them, nor could it guide them. And the sound it was creating was meaningless. Weren’t Israelites doing injustice to themselves by abandoning Moses’ divine religion and being mesmerized by a mooing sound? The verse teaches us great lessons such as: - The absence of spiritual leaders in the society could give the cunning personalities a chance to mislead people. - The devious characters might use the arts to lure people into acting immorally. One has to be careful not to be deceived by the ballyhoo of the sly and furtive forces. Now, we read Chapter A’raf with verse 149:

“And when they repented and saw that they had gone astray, they said: If our Lord show not mercy to us and forgive us, we shall certainly be of losers.” When Moses returned from Mount Sinai, he began preaching the right path. The Israelites were remorseful and repented of what they had done. Moses not only censured them for their manifest error but also got into action and smashed the idol bull into pieces, burned the pieces and threw the ashes into the sea so there would be left nothing of the idol. This lowered the value of the statue in the eyes of the Israelites so they could understand the inability of the bull to defend itself let alone defending them. Destroying the symbols of idol worshiping is the duty of the messengers of God. Accordingly, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny), when capturing Mecca without a battle forgave the people of Mecca but destroyed the idols. The verse teaches us a few lessons as follows: - Preaching by itself may not suffice. The tools and instruments that are used to mislead people should be removed from the community. - The real loss for a human being is when he distances himself from divine compassion and clemency.

(45) In continuation of our explanation of Surah A’araaf of the Holy Qur’an, we begin with Ayah 143 of surah A’raaf:

“And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said: My Lord! Show me Thyself, so that I may look upon Thee! He said: You cannot see Me, but look at the mountain, if it remains firm in its place then will you see Me. Sot when his Lord manifested His glory to the mountain, He made it crumble and Moses fell down in a swoon; then when he recovered, he said: Glory be to Thee! I turn to You penitence, and I am the first of the faithful.” Last week it was mentioned that Prophet Moses (PBUH) was called on by the Lord to have a forty-

day solitude on Mount Sinai in worship and prayer in order to prepare himself for receiving the Divine Code. According to the Ayah that we just recited to you prophet Moses come to the appointed site and the Lord talked to him. One of the irrational demands that the Israelites had made upon prophet Moses was to see the Almighty God, Who is Omnipresent but is too glorious to be encompassed by the eye. Prophet Moses had warned the ever-rebellious Israelites against such blasphemy but they had persisted in their demands by saying that other nations have idols made of wood and stone to worship while we cannot see the Lord. Thus prophet Moses conveying the demand of the Israelites asked the Lord whether it was possible for the human eye to see Him. The response was that Divine Power and Glory is all-encompassing and evident in every small particle of the universe even among humans themselves, which means that if a person were to properly reflect on his own self, he could see the manifest glory of the Lord Most High. In other words the mere eye of a creature cannot encompass the Creator and whatever it observes and encompasses cannot be God. In reply to Moses, God said He would simply manifest a ray of His glory on the seemingly solid mountain, which would crumble at the sight of infinite magnificence. The sudden flash of a single ray of dazzling light made the divinely sent Prophet, Moses, fall unconscious on the ground. When he regained consciousness, he said: I am the first person to observe a ray of Your infinite glory. And I do apologize to You for making such an irrational demand, since vision can never comprehend You. Once a person asked Imam Ali (PBUH) the first infallible successor of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny), whether he had observed the Lord since he worshipped Him so devotedly. The Imam responded: “I do not worship the God that I have not observed, but I do worship Him since I have seen Him not with my eyes but with my heart." In another instance Imam Ali (AS) said: "everything I observe is the manifestation of the Lord Most High, since He is everywhere." The Holy Qur’an in Ayah 103 of Surah An’aam says very explicitly,

“Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends all vision.” From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

In order to have proper consciousness of the Lord, one must consider the manifestation of His power and grandeur in the universe, which are all His creation.

2.

Any improper thought concerning the Lord should be avoided. And one should repent of any whimsical imagination of the Lord, Who is far beyond human imagination.

Now we read Ayahs 144 and 145 of Surah A’araaf:

“He said: O Moses! Surely I have chosen you over the people with My messages and with My words. Therefore take hold of what I give to you and be of the grateful ones.”

“And We ordained for him in the Tablets admonitions concerning all and a clear explanation of all things; (and We said) so take hold of them with firmness and enjoin your people to take hold of what is best thereof (what is in). Soon I will show you the abode of the transgressors.” During Prophet Moses’ forty-day stay on mount Sinai, the Lord revealed for him His Divine messages on stone tablets and ordered that the Israelites should hold fast to these clear admonitions. Those who violate these commandments and coin their own codes of behaviour are open transgressors and liable to punishment from God if they do not repent of their misdeeds. These Ayah teach us that: 1. After the end of the evil government of Pharaoh and the formation of a religious government, the Divine decrees and command should then be carried out. 2. Special worship and thanks should be given to the Lord for He blesses man with His revelations. Thus, giving thanks to the Lord is a divine order rather than a moral

suggestion. Now we read Ayah 146 of Surah A’araaf:

“Soon I shall turn away from My signs those who are unjustly proud in the earth; (even) though they should see every sign, they will not believe in it; and if they see the way of rectitude, they do not take it for a way. And if they see the way of error, they take it for as their way; this is because they deny Our signs and were heedless of them.” In continuation of the previous Ayah emphasizing the fulfillment of the divine decrees and the carrying out of Divine orders, this Ayah says that those who do not accept God’s commands and wax arrogant despite the clear signs that prove the grandeur of the Lord, are in manifest error. Those who reject the signs of God that are spread all over do not in fact seek reforms and perfection as they claim, but are pursuing mischief and corruption in order to mislead others as well. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

The root cause of denying the divine signs is arrogance and self-conceit.

2.

Being arrogant towards God deprives man of Divine guidance but the Lord does not deprive any one of His favour without any reason.

(44) In continuation of our explanation of Surah A’araaf of the Holy Qur’an, we begin with Ayah 141:

“And when we delivered you from Pharaoh’s people who subjected you to severe torment, killing your sons and sparing your women, and in this there was a great trial from your Lord.” Last week we mentioned that the Israelites after crossing from Egypt into Sianai by the miraculous parting of the sea waters, instead of being grateful to God Almighty for His favours, made the blasphemous demand on Moses that he should provide for them a god similar to the idols made of wood and stone worshipped by the other nations. They seemed to have forgotten that it was the One and Only God the Creator of the universe that had delivered them from the oppression of the Pharaoh who liked to call himself the god-king. The Ayah that we now recited to you reminds these ungrateful Israelites of how debased they were in Egypt until God delivered them and saved them and their women from slavery. He has now given them power and authority as a trial but they have obviously failed in this divine test by craving for the worship of idols. They were tested in Egypt too and since they were patient they were saved and granted power and authority, and now they have turned their backs to the blessings of God. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

Ungratefulness for divine blessings makes the society go off the right path.

2.

The bitter and horrible events in life as well as the blessings and comforts given to us are but divine trials and we ought to be obedient to the Lord.

Now we read Ayah 142 of Surah a’araaf:

“And We made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights, and completed them with ten more; so the appointed time of his Lord was completed in forty nights, and Moses said to Aaron, his brother: Take my place among my people, and act well and do not follow the way of the mischief makers.”

In accordance with the Lord’s commandment, Prophet Moses’ mission was to deliver the Israelites from the oppression of Pharaoh. However, since written decrees are necessary for regulating individual and social life in an orderly manner, God orders Prophet Moses to leave his people for a while and go to Mount Sinai for worshipping the Almighty in solitude for forty nights in order to receive the heavenly scripture in the form of the Torah. In his absence Moses was asked to entrust the leadership of the Israelites to Aaron since without a divine appointee to guide them nations normally go off the track. The Holy Qur’an refers to this period of time as ‘forty nights’. The reason might be that, night is the best time for worshipping the Lord and receiving divine favours. Chapter ‘Exodus’ of the ‘Old Testament’ says Prophet Moses stayed on Mount Sinai for forty days. It is worth noting that it was also the habit of the Almighty’s Last Messenger to mankind, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny) to stay in solitary worship on Mount Hera near Mecca where he eventually received the formal divine appointment to preach the universal message of Islam to all humanity. It is also interesting to ponder on the Prophet Moses’ choosing of a person from his own family to substitute him as leader during his relatively short absence on Mount Sinai. As we said earlier a divine appointee has to be present among mankind. Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) when he departed for the Tabouk Expedition appointed his dear cousin and son-in-law Imam Ali (PBUH) as his vicegerent in Medina to look after the affairs of the people, with the famous saying: O Ali! Your position to me is like that of Aaron to Moses. The Prophet by these words meant to say that after him his successor will be Imam Ali (AS). This was confirmed by God Almighty during the return from the Farewell pilgrimage some 70 days before the Prophet’s passing away, when at the place called Ghadeer near Mecca, God ordered His Last Prophet to proclaim to the people that his successor was Imam Ali (AS). Coming to what transpired after Prophet Moses’ departure for Mount Sinai, the Israelites again rebelled against the orders of God and the Prophet by refusing to obey Aaron. There is a warning for Muslims here, since the Israelites turning their back on the divinely appointed Aaron, started to follow a corrupted Samaritan sculptor, who misled them by making them a calf out of gold and ordering them to worship it as a god. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

Men of action derive their spiritually strengthen by keeping vigils throughout nights in the worship of God Almighty despite their busy social activities.

2.

A divine leader is an indispensable part of a society, for instance when prophet Moses goes on Mount Sinai, Aaron is asked to handle the God-given responsibilities.

3.

The main responsibility of the divine prophets is to reform the society and save it from vice and corruption.

(43) In continuation of our explanation of Surah A’raaf, we begin with Ayah 136:

“Therefore We inflicted vengeance on them and drowned them in the sea because they rejected Our signs and were heedless of them. As you might remember last week it was mentioned that although prophet Moses (PBUH) in order to prove his divine mission displayed a variety of miracles to the Egyptian people, still the Pharaoh and the courtiers not only did not accept his words, but they also threatened him and accused him incessantly. The Ayah just recited to you says that due to their unreasoning enmity and obstinacy, those disbelievers were punished in this world in a way that they drowned while trying to chase Moses and his followers across the Red Sea into Sinai. For Moses the sea waters miraculously parted creating ways to the other side but when Pharaoh and his army pursued them the waters again merged and drowned the disbelievers. Here the Holy Qur’an says, the retribution inflicted on the

disbelievers is nothing but the result of their own deeds in the form of divine punishment. Some may attribute holding grudges on the part of the All-Merciful Lord, but on closer scrutiny of our actions, the fact is that it is indeed man who takes revenge and ruins himself and other, while the Almighty God is far glorious from all such qualities. And the rest of the Ayah says that the punishment of the Pharaoh and his hordes was because they rejected the Lord’s signs and were heedless of them although they realized the truth. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

The Lord’s mercy is infinite and at the same time He punishes the ungrateful. Thus one blessed by His mercy should not disregard divine wrath.

2.

The fate of human beings is in their own hands. One thing they should be aware of is that those disbelievers who keep oppressing others shall be punished anyway and will not be able escape punishment.

Now we read to Ayah 137 of Surah A’araaf;

“We made the people who were deemed weak to inherit the eastern and western lands which We had blessed; and the good word of your Lord was fulfilled for the children of Israel because of their patience; and We utterly destroyed what Pharaoh and his people had built and what they used to erect.” After describing the retribution inflicted on Pharaoh and the courtiers, the Lord points to the rewards for the Israelites who were patient in suffering and followed Prophet Moses in obedience to God’s command, saying they were blessed with green and fertile land. This is how God exalts the status of those who were subjected and humiliated as in the case of the Israelites of the times of Prophet Moses who were enslaved by the Pharaoh. They now become strong in their new land. The rest of the ayah says that not only were Pharaoh and his army drowned but their palaces and gardens were also destroyed despite the vastness of their lands, which were now given to new heirs. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

Divine Prophets have formed governments with the purpose of benefiting the poor and the destitute not the wealthy or the oppressors. In the light of the teachings of the Prophets, the poor can be freed from the yoke of the oppressors and reach power.

2. Based on the Lord’s promise the believers shall attain victory, should they be patient and persistent. Now we read Ayahs 138, 139 and 140 of Surah A’araaf:

“We carried the children of Israel across the sea; wherewith they came upon a people cleaving to (the worship of) certain idols they had. They (the Israelites) said: O Moses! Make for us a god like the gods they have. He said: you are indeed an ignorant lot.”

“What they are engaged in is indeed bound to perish, and what they have been doing shall come to naught.”

“He (Moses) said: What! Shall I seek for you a god other than Allah, while He has graced you over all the nations?” As it was mentioned, the Lord out of His grace freed the Israelites from the oppression of the Pharaoh and then made them settle and rule the new lands given to them in Sinai and beyond. These people soon turned ingrates. They tried to abuse their newfound freedom and on becoming familiar with a group of idolaters the Israelites also raised irrational demands. The ungrateful Israelites demanded that Prophet Moses should also make for them idols since they cannot see God. Prophet Moses admonishes the Israelites for their disbelief and their turning away from the blessings granted by the One and Only God Who is far too glorious to be encompassed by human

eyes. He also reminded them of the worthlessness of the idols of wood and stone, which can neither benefit nor harm their worshippers. He reminded them that God has exalted them over other nations for believing in Him. But this of no avail to the ignorant and misled Israelites. From these ayahs we learn that: 1. A corrupt environment ought not to affect true believers. Thus, as long as we are not strong in our faith and beliefs, we should avoid corrupt people and deviated cultures. 2.

Sometimes the ignorant friends and the ignorant followers of the divine prophets are more dangerous than intelligent enemies.

(42) Now we read the English translation of Ayah 132 of Surah A’raaf of the Holy Qur’an:

“And they said: Whatever sign you may bring to us to bewitch us with it- we will not believe in you.” This Ayah and the similar ones in the holy Qur’an show that the root of atheism of many unbelievers is not the inability to recognize truth but it is rooted in their pride and intransigence. In other words many people do understand the truth but the devilish aspects of their character prevent them from believing in it. In this Ayah, the Pharaoh and his group of arrogant disbelievers say to Prophet Moses (PBUH) that they will never believe in his mission even if he brings any proof of his prophethood. In contrast to this intransigence, the Qur’an also presents the example of seekers of truth who say if you bring us a convincing cause, we will believe in you. For instance, the magicians of Pharaoh’s court, on seeing the miracle performed by Prophet Moses (PBUH) soon realized that this was the magic they used to perform but genuine demonstration of truth. So they immediately believed in the mission of Moses as a Messenger of the One and Only God. But Pharaoh, who liked to style himself god and his courtiers, who were merely following conjectures without knowledge of magic or the world of reality, refused to accept the words of magicians that what Moses had displayed was not magic. These misled people once again accused Moses of wizardry and did not believe in him despite being witness to the manifest truth. From this Ayah we learn that: 1- Accusing divine prophets of magic and wizardry have been among the most common charges of the disbelievers and atheists who wrongly think they are smart. But the Messengers of God continued their enlightening tasks, never retreating from the scene and were neither cowed down by the political power; wealth and material might of the disbelievers. 2- Spiritual diseases like pride, vanity, greed, intransigence and pursuit of the perishing pleasures of the world, prevents acceptance of truth, and as a result such people stray from the reality of religion. Now we read Ayah 133 from Surah A’raaf: “So We sent against them a flood and the locusts, lice, frogs and the blood as clear signs; but they behaved haughtily and they were a guilty people.” The stubbornness of the infidels and their refusal to accept manifest truth despite witnessing it brought down upon them the wrath of the All-Merciful God in the form of afflictions on Egypt such as torrential rainfall that ruined many regions, followed by plagues like the swarm of locusts that destroyed their agriculture. When the Pharaoh and his group of Egyptians still refused to acknowledge the truth, the water of the River Nile took the colour of blood making life miserable for them. All these calamities were the result of their unrepentant pride and sins. The Torah like the Holy Qur’an mentions these cases of affliction.

From this Ayah we learn that: 1- Animals, insects and all other forms of life as well as inanimate objects are the creation of God. Sometimes they become factors of divine mercy like the spider that spun its cobweb over the entrance of the Cave Saur where Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) had taken refuge from the infidels of Mecca during his migration to Medina. 2 - At other times these insects become factors of divine wrath as in the case of Pharaoh’s Egypt where swarms of locusts appeared to devour farmlands and denude trees of vegetation. 3- Waxing proud on sins and rejecting the manifest truth brings about swift punishment from God Almighty. Now we read Ayahs 134 and 135 of the same Surah:

“Whenever a plague fell upon them, they would say: O Moses! Pray for us to your Lord by the covenant He has made with you. If you remove the plague from us, we will certainly believe in you and let the children of Israel go along with you.”

“But when We removed the plague from them until a term which they should have completed, behold! They broke their promise.” The dread of dead as a result of the different calamities that struck Pharaoh and his group of intransigent Egyptians made them realize that these were not mere natural disasters but the punishment of the Lord. They now implored Prophet Moses (PBUH) to pray to God to have mercy on them by removing the plague. They promised to believe in God and allow the Israelites to leave Egypt, but each time, no sooner God showed mercy to them, these disbelievers broke their promises, changed their minds and continued the same tyrannical behaviour. Prophet Moses (PBUH) continued his enlightening mission but without any positive response from the Pharaoh and his group of disbelievers. From this Ayah we learn that: 1. Promises ought to be kept especially vows made to divine personages for deliverance from calamities, otherwise the consequences could be disastrous as was the case of the Pharaoh and the Egyptians who continued to promise and go back on their words to Moses whenever the troubles ceased. 2. The bitter and sweat incidents of life are not accidental but they follow a specific system, which the holy Qur’an has beautifully expounded for the guidance of mankind. 3.

Liberation of human societies from oppressors and devilish minded persons or regimes is among the goals of Men of God.

(41) In continuation of our explanation of Surah A’raaf, we begin with Ayah 128:

“Moses said to his people: Ask help from Allah and be patient: surely the land is Allah’s: He causes such of His servants to inherit it as He pleases, and the end is for those who guard against evil.” As you might remember, in the previous article we learned that following the victory of Prophet Moses (PBUH) over the magicians, Pharaoh thought that through torture and murder of the followers of the divine Prophet, he could reduce their numbers and pave the ground for stopping others to follow the path of the One and Only God. He ordered massacres of young men of the

Israelites and enslavement of their womenfolk. To counter this new wave of tyranny, Prophet Moses (PBUH) called on his followers to have patience and perseverance in time of hardships. By referring to the fact that since the earth belongs to God, and He the Almighty is the real sovereign, Moses said: "If people stand against the Pharaoh and fight him by beseeching only the Creator for help, according to divine promise they will be among those who shall inherit the earth." Prophet Moses pointed out that the faithful should not feel threatened by the power of Pharaoh, for if they make an uprising by heeding the commandments of God, they shall definitely achieve victory, provided they should be pious and guard themselves against evil temptations. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

Three factors are needed for overcoming oppressive governments: first of all patience, then trust in God and third observing piety and virtue.

2.

Those who are pious are both awarded in this world and in the Hereafter, where they shall enjoy an eternal life of ease and comfort under divine blessings.

Now we read Ayah 129 of Surah A’raaf:

“They, the Israelites, said: We have been persecuted before you came to us. He, Moses, said: It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you rulers in the land, then he will see how you act.” The Israelites were looking forward to salvation from the tyranny of the Pharaoh following the victory of Prophet Moses over the magicians, but quite contrary to their expectations, the Pharaoh and his courtiers made the conditions worse than before, so much so that the Israelites began to question Prophet Moses’ instructions as futile and blamed him for their troubles. In response, Prophet Moses said that no victory could be attained overnight without enduring hardship. He advised them to have patience and continue their struggle against the enemy, with trust in God, so that the Almighty would destroy the enemy and make them as the true rulers. Prophet Moses also warned them that even if they gain power, they should not feel free to do whatever they wish, since worldly power is part of divine trial and the Lord wants to test whether the Israelites repent and become people of justice or would be as oppressive as Pharaoh or even worse. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

Seeking merely comfort in life is a kind of peril preventing religious persons from reaching their holy objects. A person intending to be pious and religious, he or she should be patient in hardships, since the one who solely pursues comfort in life often deviates from the decrees of his religion.

2.

Power is given to man by the Lord to test his capacity; man in this case is not expected to follow up his very personal wishes or those pertaining to a particular party.

Now we read Ayahs 130 and 131 of Surah A’raaf:

“And certainly We overtook Pharaoh’s people with droughts and diminution of fruits that they may be mindful.”

“But when good befell them, they said: This is due to us; and when evil afflicted them, they attributed it to the ill-luck of Moses and those with him; surely their evil fortune is only from Allah, but most of them do not know.” In the Ayahs just recited to you the Lord says that it was not so that the children of Israelites would always be in hardship and that the Pharaoh and his courtiers would always bask in comfort, rather they were also afflicted by draught to make the Egyptian king understand that he was not the god on earth as he blasphemously claimed and that not everything was in his power. But they, not being persons of consciousness, attributed their ill-luck to Moses and his followers so mush so that whenever an affliction struck them, they attributed it to what they called the ominous presence of

the Israelites in their midst. The Pharaoh and his courtiers were so self-centered that they deemed themselves as the source of everything good since they liked to believe that it was due to their merit that luck would be with them. But God says in response, that it is neither all Israelites are ominous nor are Pharaoh and his courtiers the source of all good; rather everything is in God’s hand but they are ignorant of it. From these Ayahs we learn that: 1. All natural events are under the control of the One and Only God. Thus, we should not attribute everything to nature, since draught and the natural disasters might be divine afflictions either as a punishment or as a warning. 2. We should not make mistakes by interpreting as per our whims the happy or unhappy events of life. We should neither look for outer factors for the sad events happening to us, nor should we blame others for the misfortunes, for, the root cause of many problems happening to us might be ourselves not others.

(40) At first we read the English translation of Ayahs 124 and 125 of Surah A’raaf of the Holy Qur’an.

“I will certainly cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, then will I crucify you all together.”

“They said: Surely to our Lord shall we go back.” As you might remember last week we said the magicians of Egypt observing the miracles preformed by Prophet Moses (peace upon him), accepted the truth of the divine mission and bowed down in prostration to the One and Only God. Their action angered the Pharaoh and he charged them with being accomplices of Moses. The Ayahs that we recited to you now express the anger of the Pharaoh who threatened to cut off their hands and feet, mutilate them and crucify them if they do not repent and return to his creed. But the magicians who believed in the divine mission of Prophet Moses out of conviction and awareness, not only were not intimidated but they bravely told the Pharaoh that if he carries out his threats, they will be proud of achieving martyrdom since such a glorious death at the hands of a tyrant is purification from all past misdeeds and salvation in the way of God. From these verses we learn that: 1.Tyrannical regimes who, resort to threats, torture and murder, are ignorant of the fact that men of God wholeheartedly welcome martyrdom. 2. A true believer can never be oppressed by corrupt regimes; rather he stands steadfast against them through his faith and strong willpower. 3. One should neither be proud of faith nor be frustrated by the plots of disbelievers, as could be learned from the case of the disbelieving magicians who in a very short time turned into staunch believers on observing divine miracles. And now we read to Ayah 126 of Surah A’araaf:

“And you do not take revenge on us except that we have believed in the communications of our Lord when they came to us! Our Lord: Bestow us patience and cause us to die in submission.”

In a bid to retaliate for the manifest disgrace suffered in front of his courtiers and the Egyptian public, the defeated Pharaoh accused Prophet Moses and his own magicians of plotting against him to seize the kingdom. According to this Ayah, the magicians in response to Pharaoh’s threats the magicians who had now become firm believers in God and monotheism, say the Pharaoh is merely conjecturing and if he wants to torture them to death, it is because of their belief in God and the mission of Prophet Moses. The magicians then pray to God to grant them patience and steadfastness in the face of these threats so that they die as believers. This verse teaches us that: 1. Professing belief in God is not the only condition for a Muslim rather a true believer should firmly resist against the enemies of God and humanitarian values. 2. True believers strive selflessly with firm trust in the Lord. Now we read Ayah 127 of Surah A’araf:

“And the chiefs of Pharaoh’s people said: Do you leave Moses and his people to make mischief in the land and to forsake you and your gods? He (the Pharaoh) said: We will slay their sons and spare their women, and surely we are masters over them.” The Pharaoh issued orders for the execution of the magicians and on the advice of his ministers who saw their vested interests in danger because of the mission of Prophet Moses to preach monotheism to the people of Egypt and save them from idol worship, he branded the Prophet as the source of all problems. But fearful of the influence of Moses among the enslaved Israelites, the Pharaoh threatened the followers of Moses with serious punishment. He said that any person from among the Israelites who dares to challenge Pharaoh would be killed and their wives or daughters would be taken as slaves. From this Ayah we learn that:

1. Falsehood thinks that by massacre and enslavement it can silence the voice of truth. 2. Those steadfast in faith should be ready for offering sacrifice whether it is with their possessions and property or with their life, since God tests the faith of the believers. (39) In continuation of our explanation of Surah A’raaf we begin with Ayahs 117 and 118:

“And We revealed to Moses, saying: Cast your rod: then lo! it devoured the lies they told.” “So the truth was established, and what they did became null.” As you might remember last week we learned that in a bid to try to disgrace Prophet Moses (PBUH), the Pharaoh summoned magicians and sorcerers from all parts of Egypt. The sorcerers, expecting rich rewards from the Pharaoh assembled on the main square of the city to display their skill to the mesmerized public. Through tricks they cast their ropes on the ground and made them appear as snakes. The king and the courtiers thought that this would frighten Prophet Moses (PBUH). But the Divinely-sent Prophet stood his ground calm and composed with trust in God Almighty. Then as commanded by God, he cast his rod on the ground and lo, the wooden rod took the shape of a huge snake that swallowed the ropes of the sorcerers. As we learn through the Ayah that we recited, the plot of the Pharaoh backfired and the tricks of the sorcerers were defeated. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

Falsehood may deceive man through its make-belief faces, but it all its deceitful aspects

cannot defeat ultimate truth. 2.

Divine truth is ultimately victorious and falsehood shall perish soon.

Now we read Ayahs119 and 120 of Surah A’araaf:

“Thus they were vanquished there, and they went back abased.” “And the enchanters were thrown down, prostrating themselves.” After the failure of the tricks of the sorcerers, the Pharaoh’s pride was severely shattered and it was he who became disgraced. The Pharaoh who did not want the Egyptian people to believe in Prophet Moses and the One and Only God, was now shocked to see the sorcerers professing faith in Moses and monotheism. They had come to the Pharaoh’s court to receive rewards in gold and silver for performing their sorcery but now they had given up their magic, admitted their defeat and professed faith in Prophet Moses. They fell down in prostration to the One and Only God and refused to acknowledge the Pharaoh as their Lord anymore. These Ayahs teach us that: 1.

If there is no obstinacy, divine truth become fully manifest and there is no obstacle in acknowledging it.

2.

The state of prostration is a very clear sign proving man’s inner belief in divine truth.

Now we read Ayahs 121, 122, and 123 of Surah A’araaf:

“They said: we believe in the Lord of the worlds.” “The Lord of Moses and Aaron.” “Pharaoh said: Do you believe in Him before I have given you permission? Surely this is a plot which you have secretly devised in this city, that you may turn out of it its people, but you shall know.” As mentioned earlier, the sorcerers, overwhelmed by the manifest miracle performed by Prophet Moses, prostrated themselves to God Almighty and admitted. They said in front of the Pharaoh that Moses was undoubtedly a Prophet of God the Creator of the universe. The proud and arrogant Pharaoh was shocked. He raved in anger and accused his own sorcerers of being accomplices to prophet Moses, saying that it was preplanned. He even accused them of being hungry for power and plotting to incite the people of Egypt to topple the Pharaoh. He warned them of severe punishment so as to teach others the consequences of disobeying the king. From these Ayahs we learn that: 1. Man is free and not a slave to his conscience. Even the prevailing conditions and tyrannical rulers cannot impose absurd ideas on conscientious persons. The sorcerers despite the threats of the Pharaoh believed in the divine mission of Prophet Moses. 2. Tyrannical and oppressive rulers cannot tolerate any difference of opinion and are under the wrong impression that people need their permission to practice religious beliefs. False accusation is one of the most common tactics used by such haughty rulers. Since they know no logics and have no analytical brains, they only resort to wild charges against men of God. 3. Another policy of the tyrants is to threaten people with torture and death.

(39) At first we read Ayahs 109 and 110 of Surah A’raaf, which read:

“The chiefs of Pharaoh’s people said: most surely this is an enchanter possessed of knowledge:”

“He intends to turn you out of your land. What counsel do you then give?” As you might remember, last week we said that Prophet Moses (peace upon him) was ordained by the Lord to go to Pharaoh and invite him towards monotheistic truth as well as to free the Israelites from captivity. In order to demonstrate his divine message, Prophet Moses enacted certain miracles that amazed the Egyptians and even the sorcerers summoned by the Pharaoh to try to counter Prophet Moses, felt helpless before divine power. Here, in the Ayahs that we just read to you, God informs us that the Pharaoh and his courtiers instead of believing in Prophet Moses called him a professional magician in view of the fact that during those days sorcery was commonly practiced. Pharaoh and his courtiers by calling the miracles of Moses as sorcery wanted to give the impression to the common people that what he had performed was fake and false. They accused Moses of seeking wealth or leadership of the Israelites by performing such acts. Pharaoh instead of believing in God hardened his polytheistic beliefs and thought that if Moses succeeded there would be no place for him in Egypt. Thus the Egyptians sought time to consult with each other on this subject. From these Ayahs we learn that: Those who oppose the crystal clear signs of the Prophets are merely obstinate persons steeped in disbelief. Tyrants normally accuse men of God of seeking power in to mislead people from the right path. Now we read Ayahs 111 and 112 of Surah A’araaf:

“They said: Put him off and his brother, and send collectors into the cities: “That they may bring to you every enchanter possessed of knowledge.” The courtiers of Pharaoh conferred with each other and came to the conclusion that for the moment it is not advisable to kill Moses but he should be humiliated through sorcery. They asked Pharaoh to assemble sorcerers form all over the kingdom to confront Prophet Moses. These Ayahs teach us that: The tyrants in a bid to confront truth and righteousness hold international meetings, conferences, and seminars. Sometimes science, art and expertise are exploited by perverted minds in their hopeless fight against truth. Now we read Ayahs 113 and 114 of Surah A’raaf:

“And the enchanters came to Pharaoh and said: We must surely have a reward if we are the prevailing ones.’

“He said: Yes, and you shall certainly be of those who are near to me.” When all the enchanters and sorcerers assembled at Pharaoh’s court and were told what to do, they said: “If we can outwit and humiliate Moses, we should be rewarded handsomely.” Pharaoh in

return promised to bestow them a high position at his court in addition to material rewards if they prevail over Moses. From these Ayahs we learn the following points: Sorcerers like other people expect money in return for what they do, in contrast to the mission of the Prophets who invite people towards God not for any material reward and worldly possessions but as part of their sincere and selfless duty. Tyrants and oppressors leave no stone unturned in their obstinate fight against truth and they even employ the services of artists and specialists. Now we read Ayahs 115 and 116 of Surah A’araaf:

“They said: O Moses! Will you cast, or shall we be the first to cast?” He said: Cast. So when that cast, they deceived the people’s eyes and frightened them, and they produced a mighty enchantment.” Thus when the sorcerers prepared themselves to challenge prophet Moses, the Pharaoh called on the people to assemble in a the main square to behold a great show in which as he supposed, Moses would be humiliated and gotten rid of forever. The sorcerers asked Moses if he would prefer to begin. This shows how confident they thought they were in their art that it would make no difference to them who would start first. Prophet Moses with complete trust in the Lord Almighty confidently asked them to display all the skills they had. So through a trick of optical illusion they mesmerized the audience by making their ropes appear as snakes. These Ayahs teach us that: Man’s senses might err since he might be disillusioned and not able to see the realities such as a mirage that does not truly exist. So magicians make use of this physical defect in humans to produce make-belief things that do not exist. Witchcraft and sorcery because of their falsity produce negative impacts on viewers and are thus considered forbidden in Islam.

(38) Now we read the English translation of Ayah 103 of Surah A’raaf:

“Then We raised after them Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they disbelieved in them; consider then what was the end of the mischief makers.” Over the past few weeks we have heard the accounts of the Prophets Hpud, Saleh, Lot and Shoaib and what befell their people for indulging in sins despite the divine favours. Here God draws our attention to the mission of Prophet Moses (PBUH) whose was sent as the Almighty’s argument against the arrogant Egyptian Pharaoh as well as to guide the ever-rebellious Children of Israel. Although Prophet Moses displayed the miraculous powers that God had granted him, not only did Pharaoh and his people did not believe in his mission but they also behaved cruelly towards him. The name of Prophet Moses (PBUH) occurs 136 times in the Holy Qur’an. The holy scripture provides accounts of his birth, his flight from Egypt to Madyan, his prophethood, his return to Egypt to invite the Pharaoh to the right path through display of divine signs, and his deliverance of the Israelites from captivity.

From these Ayahs we learn that: 1. 2.

Confronting illegitimate rulers was among the tasks of divine prophets. We should not be deceived by the apparently fascinating promises of the tyrannical rulers, for it is the outcome of our deeds that matters not attraction towards the perishable pleasures of the mortal world.

Now we read Ayahs 104 and 105 of Surah A’araaf:

“And Moses said: O Pharaoh! Surely I am a Messenger from the Lord of the Universe.” “I am worthy of not saying anything about Allah except the truth: I have come to you indeed with clear proofs from your Lord; therefore send with me the children of Israel.” Since the Pharaoh used to consider himself as god and call himself the highest of all beings, Prophet Moses challenged him through his display of miracles, which he said were given him by the One and Only God. He advised the Pharaoh to stop his tyranny and persecution and let the Israelites go free. This Ayah teaches us the following points: 1.

2.

The main task of divine prophets was to convey the words of God to mankind without the least fear from kings and tyrants. Releasing man from the yoke of oppression was a top priority of all the prophets.

Now we read Ayahs 106 and 107 of Surah A’araaf:

“He (the Pharaoh) said: if you have come with a sign, then bring it, if you are of the truthful ones.” “So he (Moses) threw his rod, then lo! It was a clear serpent.” The followers of Pharaoh first decided to test Prophet Moses, hoping to disgrace him, but when he displayed the miracle, they accused him of sorcery and witchcraft. The turning of the rod of Moses into a huge serpent was one such sign by the Will of God. It is worth mentioning that the rod at first took the shape of a small snake but when the magicians of Pharaoh cast their ropes to make them assume the form of snakes, the rod of Moses by the command of God took the shape of a huge python and swallowed the fake snakes conjured up by the sorcerers. It then returned to its original form, that is, a simple rod. The rod of Moses also performed other miracles. For instance, when Prophet Moses struck the rod at a rock, twelve springs sprouted. It was the same rod that parted the waters of the Red Sea so as to help the Israelites cross from Egypt into Sinai. From this Ayah we learn the following points: 1.

Miracles prove the righteousness of the prophets no matter if blind and obstinate persons like the Pharaoh reject them.

2.

The miracles of the prophets were compatible with the sciences of their time. At a time when sorcery and witchcraft were prevalent in Egypt, the miracle entrusted by God to Prophet Moses exposed the falsity of sorcery.

As the last Ayah in this article we read Ayah 108 of Surah A’araaf:

“And he (Moses) drew forth his hand, and lo! It was white to the beholders.”

Another miracle performed by Prophet Moses was the shining brilliant light in his palm. When he drew forth his hand from his collar, it was shone as the sun and amazed every observer. As a matter of fact, divine messengers in addition to warning people and displaying such miracles that may at times instill awe and fear among the people, also give tidings and inspire hopes of divine mercy to guide mankind towards God’s blessings. From this Ayah we learn that: A missionary ought to draw attention towards both divine wrath and divine blessings in a logical and rational way.

(37) In continuation of our explanation of Surah A’raaf, now we read English translation of Ayahs 94 and 95:

“And We did not send a prophet in a town but We overtook its people with distress and affliction in order that they might humble themselves.”

“Then We gave them good in the place of evil until they became many and said, ‘Distress and happiness did indeed befall our fathers. Then We took them by surprise while they did not perceive.’ ” As you might remember, last week, we related to you the account of Prophet Shu’aib and the affliction that fell the disbelieving people of Madyan for their short weighing, cheating, usury and other forms of injustice. The Ayahs that we recited to you now point to an ordeal that God has decreed for mankind. The Ayah says that in addition to sending prophets and inviting people towards believe in the One and Only Lord, there are certain hardships in life that man has to face in order to become mindful of death and the resurrection. The various forms of hardship that we encounter in life save us from ignorance and drifting astray and guide us to the straight path of God. The Lord sometimes through natural disasters such as drought, diseases, earthquakes and storms, or through the problems of life such as financial losses, failure in examination, and disappointment from achieving certain objectives, reminds mankind that life in this world is temporary. It is actually against pursuit of the perishing pleasures of the world. These hardships jolt the conscience and make man think of death, afterlife, the Day of Judgment and the Mercy and Promise of the Lord for the virtuous in the Hereafter. God also tests mankind through granting of power and money or other material desires. But unfortunately, there are people who on achieving success in money and power, drift away from the path of the Almighty Creator. They wax proud and attribute their success to their own abilities or luck, and in cases of problems in life or natural disasters, blame this on misfortune and continue their previous evil ways by saying that death is imminent and we ought to enjoy the pleasure of this short life. Such people are liable to be struck by God’s wrath that either overtakes them swiftly in the world, or is deferred in the Hereafter where a painful punishment awaits them. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

Through hardships and difficulties the conscience is jolted and becomes aware of the purpose of life and creation. Hardships are not always indicative of God’s wrath rather they might be divine blessings in disguise, but for the unrepentant sinners, these are definitely a form of punishment.

2.

Wealth, power and comfort at times drives people towards negligence of their basic duties and worship of the One and Only God. Thus, not every kind of apparent wealth and comfort is a blessing, and is actually a great calamity.

Now we read to Ayah 96 of Surah A’araaf:

“And if the people of the towns had believed and guarded against evil, We would certainly have opened up for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they rejected, so We overtook them for what they had earned.” Here God says that if people strive towards virtue and piety, and discharge their responsibilities concerning themselves, their family and the society, the Lord shall open up for them blessings from the heaven and the earth and they shall enjoy eternal, holy bounties. But for those who enjoy abundant blessings in life and reject God and his commandments, they make themselves deserving of Divine wrath. Now a question might be raised as why in the world today the disbelievers are enjoying a seemingly comfortable life while Muslims are in hardship? However, on second thought we discover that the majority of the so-called Islamic countries are merely Muslim in name while in practice they are violating the laws of God. On the other hand, the non-Muslim countries, which seemed to have achieved remarkable breakthroughs in science and industry, are suffering from cultural and social disorders, most important of which is the disintegration of family life and widespread sins and injustice in society. Thus, mankind itself is to be blamed for its fate and failure to correct its ways in order to enjoy the divine blessings as promised by the Lord. In other Ayahs, the Holy Quran has also pointed to such temporary and seemingly blessings, as in ayah 44 of Surah An’aam, God says:

“But when they neglected that with which they had been admonished, We opened for them the doors of all things…” The important point is that true graces are bestowed to the true believers but the disbelievers are deprived of them. True blessings shall never perish such as faith and knowledge. According to the Islamic texts, when the 12th Imam of the Prophet’s household, the Promised Mahdi will reappear to cleanse the world of corruption and injustice and fill it up with the global government of peace and justice, mankind will be showered with blessings from the heavens and the earth since all oppression and tyranny is replaced by justice and righteousness. From this Ayah we learn that: 1. One should not be happy with illusionary blessings. If these are given to the true believers, this Divine grace and should it be given to disbelievers, it shall be accompanied with Divine wrath. 2. In order that all members of a society enjoy divine blessings, the majority in a society is required to be pious. An individual’s righteousness does not suffice. 3. Proper investment on a society’s culture and spirituality shall boost the economic progress and hinder economic corruptions.

(36) At first we read Ayahs 90 and 91 of Surah A’araaf:

“And the chiefs of those who disbelieved from among his people said, ‘If you follow Shu’aib, you shall then most surely be losers.”

“Then the earthquake overtook them, so they became motionless bodies in their abode.” As you might remember in our previous editions we mentioned that the people of Madyan followed

their corrupt leaders in opposing Prophet Shu’aib. They not only rejected his invitation to monotheism but also schemed to exile him and his companions. The Ayahs that we recited to you today assert the fact that the leaders of Madyan who were disbelievers, prevented people from listening to the words of Prophet Shu’aib on the pretext that heeding his advice would bring losses for them. What they meant was definitely worldly losses since Prophet Shuaib’s most important admonition for his people was against short weighing and taking usury, which were viewed by the disbelievers as profitable business at the expense of the cheated and impoverished people. When the Lord’s message was conveyed to them, although they were well aware of the truth of the Prophet’s words, they rejected them out of obstinacy and tried to create trouble for the true believers. Because of their unrepentant evil that dragged on for long years, the punishment of the All-Merciful God overtook them in the form of a severe earthquake that occurred overnight, not giving them even an instant to save their lives. Those trying to escape became motionless and were buried under the debris of their own houses. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

The opponents of divine Prophets were mostly those from the supposedly aristocratic and rich class of the society who saw their illegal interests endangered.

2.

We ought to heed the voice of good and justice and stand steadfast against social pressures in order to avail of divine blessings.

Now we read Ayah 92 of Surah A’araaf”

“Those who called Shu’aib a liar were as though they had never dwelt therein; those who had called Shu’aib a liar, they were the losers.” This Ayah indicates the intensity of the divine punishment and points out that so swift was God’s wrath that those who passed through Madyan in the immediate aftermath of the quake thought that the place was for ages deserted with no inhabitant. The Holy Quran then adds that the disbelievers supposed that listening to the Prophet’s words and discontinuing their evil habit of usury and short weighing would bring them losses, but it were these very practices that brought about the eventual loss for the people of Madyan both in this world and in the Hereafter. This Ayah teaches us that: 1. We should learn from the terrible outcome of the deeds of the disbelievers and thus avoid obstinacy towards divine rules. 2. We should trust in the Lord, and know that all the plots of the disbelievers will come to naught as is evident from their failure to carry out their plan of sending Prophet Shu’aib and the believers into exile. Now we read Ayah 93 of Surah A’araaf:

“So he turned away from them and said: O my people! Certainly I delivered to you the messages of my Lord and I gave you good advice; how shall I then be sorry for an unbelieving people.” At the end of the account of Prophet Shu’aib and the sorry end of the wicked people of Madyan, this Ayah informs us of the Prophet’s response after long years of preaching the message of the AllMerciful Lord. It sounds as if the Prophet is talking to some dead people and complaining of their disobedience by asking them: Did I not convey to you what the Lord had communicated to me and did I not advise you and preach to you, so why did you not listen to me and instead followed those who made you their slaves and exploited you to their own interests? Prophet Shu’aib thus felt no remorse since he had done his duty in delivering God’s

commandments in the face of some of the most severe difficulties. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

The tenets of religion are conveyed by divine messengers through goodwill with equal respect for all irrespective of social barriers.

2.

Should we do our duty well then we do not have to worry about the consequences.

3. There is a limit to any preaching and compromising but when people are unrepentant of their evil, there is no need for the prophets to continue. 4.

Divine punishment comes after declaration of the facts to the people and long years of opportunity for repentance.

(35) At first we read Ayahs 77 and 78 of Surah A’raaf:

“So they slew the she-camel and revolted against their Lord’s commandment, and they said: O Salih! Bring us what you threatened us with, if you are one of the apostles.”

“Then the earthquake overtook them, so they became motionless bodies in their abode.” As you might remember, in our last edition we pointed to Prophet Salih’s miracle for the people of Samoud, which was a camel. As God’s command the she-camel was born out of a mountain, and provided the people with an excessive amount of milk as it consumed an excessive amount of water as well. The Lord had decreed people not to do any harm to the camel, but the arrogant leaders of the people of Samoud who felt their so-called high position in danger, if the people followed Prophet Salih, commissioned some to kill the camel to make this miraculous event fade away. Thus, very brutally, they slew the camel by cutting off its feet and impudently challenged the prophet to pray for the divine wrath he had formerly warned them of. Although, the common people had no active role in killing the camel, since it was done by a specific person, their silence to this heinous act and refusal to condemn the crime brought on them divine wrath. As a result all of them except the pious perished. This Ayah teaches us the following points: 1.

Pride and arrogance pave the ground for mankind to disobey the Lord and defy His orders.

2.

Remaining silent to the sin of others and refusing to denounce it is as though one has participated in the crime, thus making him liable for divine punishment.

3.

We should be aware that many earthquakes; as well as natural disasters are the result of our sins.

Now we read Ayah 79 of Surah A’raaf:

“Then he turned away from them and said: O my people, I did certainly deliver to you the message of my Lord, and I gave you good advice, but you do not love those who give good advice.”

It can be interpreted that what Prophet Salih had said was either before the chastisement and as an ultimatum, or after the people of Samoud had died as a kind of bidding farewell to those obstinate people. What goes without saying is that Prophet Salih had done his best and did everything he could, to advise the people but they instead proved to be incorrigible and disinclined towards divine guidance. From this Ayah we learn that:

1. In their mission to guide the people towards the Lord, prophets convey the divine message with benevolence sincerity and compassion; and this is unlike the secular messages. 2. We should wholeheartedly receive advice and respect those advising us, for, ignoring their words ends in the Lord’s wrath. Now we read Ayahs 80 and 81 of Surah A’raaf:

“And we sent Lot when he said his people: What! Do you commit an in decency which any one in the world has not done before you?”

“Most surely you come to males in lust besides females; nay, you are an extravagant people.” Following the stories of Prophet Salih and the rebellious tribe of Samoud, these Ayahs tell us about Prophet Lot and his people who had gone astray and were so corrupted that sodomy became widespread in their society had supplanting the healthy and hygienic bonds of marriage. Prophet Lot, who was contemporary with and a kinsman of prophet Abraham, was commissioned by the Lord to guide the sinful people who had gone to excesses in their sins of homosexuality or sodomy, a word derived from Sodom in which these sinful people dwelt. As it has been expressed by the Holy Quran such people were unlike any other people in history. In other words, they were the first human beings to indulge in such sordidly unnatural acts. In our so-called age of technology and civilization, this heinous sin has perverted the western societies with some so-called Christian countries legalizing it. In this regard, the Holy Prophet of Islam says, “ Men who like women corrupt other men by having sexual relations with them, are resented by the Lord, and according to the Islamic rules both sides participating in the heinous deed shall be sentenced to death. This ayah teaches us the following points: 1.

Homosexuality, which is a deviation from the natural way to fulfill one’s desire, is indeed violation of the rights of other men and women in the society and transgression of norms.

2.

The danger lies in this wicked deed becoming prevalent in the society. As a result, the society is susceptible to various kinds of vices and disasters.

Now we read Ayah 82 of Surah A’raaf:

“And the answer of his people was no other than that they said: Turn them out of your town, surely they are a people who seek to purify themselves.” Although Prophet Lot’s words to the people were crystal clear, the sinful people very impudently tried to get rid of the divine prophet and his followers, and instead of giving any rational response for their dreadful acts, they asked him to leave if he wished to remain pure. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

Sin and corruption can in no way be justified, thus the only thing the sinners resort to, is sending the pious into exile.

2.

If we allow corruption to spread in the society, we are the ones who finally have to leave the society and let the sinners take the control of affairs.

(34) Now we read Ayah 72 of Surah A’raaf:

“So We delivered him and those with him by mercy from Us, and We cut off the last remnants of those who rejected Our communications and were not believers.” In our last edition as you might remember we pointed to the people of Aad who stubbornly rejected prophet Houd’s teachings and even very insolently asked him to prove what he had claimed in regards with the hereafter. This Ayah says that the people of Aad were as the result of their deeds and their insult, were punished so severely by a highly strong wind blowing on them for seven consecutive days which made fall so hard as the fall of the palm trees. Among them to, only prophet Houd as well as those true believers were saved and were blessed by the Lord. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

The Lord is Just and does not punish both the wicked and the pious equally. At the time of chastisement, the true believers are saved.

2.

History teaches us not to stand against the Lord and the Divine apostles since we will end in defeat.

Now we read to Ayah 73 of surah A’raaf:

“And to Samood We sent their brother Salih. He said: O my people! Serve Allah, you have no god other than Him; clear proof indeed has come to you from your Lord, this is as Allah’s she-camel for you- a sign, therefore leave her alone to pasture on Allah’s earth, and do not touch her with any harm, otherwise painful chastisement will overtake you.” Following the story of the people of Aad, this Ayah pointing to what happened to the people of Samood says that God, almighty chose Salih as the prophet from among the people of Samood and he like other prophets guided people to worship the Unique God and avoid idol-worshipping. The people then asked him to show them a miracle which the Lord fulfilled through making a female camel come out of the mountain. The camel then gave birth to a baby camel. The strange thing is that the milk of the female camel alone was sufficient to meet the needs of all the people of Samood. Prophet Salih asked the people to take care of the camel and do no harm on it for if they did, they certainly be punished by the Lord. This Ayah teaches us that: 1. The relation of the divine prophets with people is that of brotherhood and equality. Prophets would never talk to people from a higher position rather they would guide them like their brothers. 2. Whatever created by the Lord even if it is a camel is sacred so if one disrespects it, he should be chastised. Thus, we should revere our religious values. Now we read Ayah 74 of Surah A’raaf;

“And remember when He made you successors after Aad and settled you in the land- you make mansions on its plains and hew out houses in the mountains- remember therefore Allah’s benefits and do not act corruptly in the land, making mischief.”

Prophet Salih reminded the people of Samood to learn from the people of Aad who lived before them, and died because of their obstinacy. So the divine prophet advised them not to follow them and be grateful to the Lord’s blessings since it is He who has granted them power to settle on earth and construct such buildings on it. From this Ayah we learn that: 1. The history of the past is in fact Now we read Ayahs 75 and 76 of Surah A’raaf:

“Te chief of those who behaved proudly among his people said to those who were considered weak, to those who believed from among them: Do you know that Salih is sent by his Lord? They said: Surely we are believers in what he has been sent with.”

“ Those who were haughty said: Surely we are deniers of what you believe in.”

(33) Now we read Ayah 67 of Surah A’raaf:

“He said: O my people! There is no folly in me, but I am a Messenger from the Lord of all Being.” In our last edition, as you might remember we learned that the authorities of the people of Aad resisted the teaching of prophet Hud and instead of presenting logical reasons to deny the words of the divine prophet, they humiliated him and accused him of being insane. This Ayah points that Prophet Hud replied them with quite confidence and no rudeness and offence rather he just denied such false accusations. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

The divine prophets have always been in the worst and hardest conditions imposed on them by their enemies but they never retreated from their sacred beliefs.

2.

We are permitted to deny the accusations attributed to them but we do not have the right to reverse their accusations back to them.

3.

Being humble and forgiving is required for one to succeed in inviting people to the Divine path. \

Now we read Ayah 68 of Surah A’raaf:

“I deliver to you the Messages of my Lord; I am your adviser, sincere and faithful.” The previous Ayahs pointed to the irrational and insulting reactions of the people of Aad to the divine words of Prophet Hood. This Ayah in continuation of the previous ones mentions the fact that not only the prophet did not react seriously but he also made himself known to people as a faithful advisor to transmit the Lord’s message to people and that whatever he says is not his but rather God’s words. And he in return did not expect anything from them. Although, the piety and purity of the holy prophets have been proved to ordinary people even prior to their prophethood, since accepting this fact brings about other responsibilities, which are not desirable to some people, they prefer to deny and ridicule them than to accept their words. From this Ayah we learn that:

1. 2.

The holy prophets did everything they could to spread the Divine religion. Being faithful and benevolent are two major characteristics that missionaries should possess without which a religion cannot be properly made known to the public.

Now we read Ayah 69 of Surah A’raaf:

“What! Do you wonder that a reminder from your Lord should come to you by the lips of a man from among you? That he may warn you; and remember when He appointed you as successors after the people of Noah, and increased you in stature broadly. Remember God’s bounties; haply you will prosper.” As it is mentioned in this Ayah as well as the other ayahs of the holy Quran, the people of Aad, were strong and sturdy so much so that after their death, their fall was interpreted by the Holy Quran as the fall of palm trees. This Ayah addressing them says that prophet Hud come from among them not from other groups of people so why should they ever resist him so hard? Thus, he is from them and if he warns them it is merely out of his benevolence since the words of the Lord which are meant to be awakening are revealed to him. And that the divine revelation stops man from ignoring God, and that man’s salvation in this world is possible only when he takes his own origin and the Day of Judgment into consideration. The Divine Prophet then draws his people’s attention to God who created them so strong and made them able to supplant Noah’s people who died out of their disobedience and warns them should they follow their wrong path, they shall have the same fate. This Ayah teaches us the following points: 1.

God’s Messengers are sent to men from among men and for them too, thus they are not supposed to feel superior to ordinary people.

2.

Physical capabilities are in fact Divine blessings, which should be used in the right path, lest they will cause damage and loss.

Now we read Ayah 70 of Surah A’raaf:

“ They said, ‘Why, hast thou come to us that we may serve God alone, and forsake what our fathers served? Then bring us that thou promisest us, if thou promisest us, if thou speakest truly.” This Ayah refers to the extreme irrationality and obstinacy of the disbelievers who denied the prophet’s words and worse than that mocked God’s warning them of His chastisement without presenting any convincing reason to deny them. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

It is condemned that anyone should blindly follow the long-believed traditions of the past. Since it is logics that counts not the relational and ethnic ties.

2.

Man’s irrational prejudices blind him to see the truth, and worst of all make him rebellious to the Lord.

3.

The divine prophets have usually deviated from the norms in regards to superstitions and heresies.

Now we read Ayah 71 of Surah A’raaf:

“Said he, ‘Anger and wrath from your Lord have fallen upon you. What do you dispute with me regarding names you have named, you and your fathers, touching which God has sent

down never authority? Then watch and wait; I shall be with you watching and waiting.” Although Prophet Hud was so patient towards people in encouraging them to believe in God, they in return not only denied the Divine words but they also resisted them claiming if the hereafter is true and men will be chastised, show us a part of the divine miracle. Prophet Hud in this Ayah addressing them says that due to their own insistence, they shall be chastised in this world, the chastisement they and the prophet are waiting for though but instead of worshipping the unique God, they worship wood, rock and the like which they call Gods. Prophet Hood calls their god something illusive void of any sublimity, greatness, power, knowledge, and mercy. From this Ayah we learn that: 1. We should be in quest of truth and avoid seemingly great names, which are quite worthless. 2.

Man’s beliefs should be based on logics and reasons not on prejudice or blind imitation.

(32) At First we read Ayah 63 of Surah A’raaf:

“What! Do you wonder that a reminder has come to you from your Lord through a man from among you, that he might warn you and that you might guard against evil and so that mercy may be shown to you?” Last week as you might remember we pointed to prophet Noah’s mission and the insulting behavior of the leaders of his tribe. According to this Ayah, Prophet Noah’s response was meant to blame them for such a behavior by asking them whether it would be surprising should God, Almighty wish to transfer His words to men through one of his chosen servants. And thus such a behavior is quite irrational. For, prophet Noah’s job is to warn people and make them aware and nothing more. But such people instead avoid the prophet and thus avoid God’s blessing. Prophet Noah invites them to be pious and avoid evil and wickedness. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

The purpose of Divine revelation has been guiding mankind through warning and advice.

2.

The divine prophets are from among common people and this is what seems to be weird and unacceptable to the authorities of a society.

Now we raed Ayah 64 of Surah A’raaf:

“But they called him a liar so We delivered him and those with him in the ark, and We drowned those who rejected Our communications; surely they were a blind people.” Although it is in the Hereafter that man is punished or awarded for his deeds, in some cases the Lord chastises, partially of course the disbelievers. As it was mentioned in this Ayah, the obstinacy and baseless animosity of Noah’s tribe had gone to excess so much so that the Lord ordered prophet Noah to build a hue ark and save from drowning a small group of His true believers guided by him. The end of Ayah reveals the fact that those who were blind to the truth and deliberately insisted to overlook it, were finally punished so harshly that no one was left behind them.

This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

Divine faith leads man to salvation but deliberate disbelief brings damnation to him.

2.

Natural disasters such as storm and flood are out of man’s control or in a sense designating Divine wrath.

Now we read Ayah 65 of Surah A’raaf:

“And to Ad we sent their brother Hud. He said: "O my people! Serve Allah, you have no god other than Him; will you not then guard against evil?” After the story of Noah, this Ayah informs us of prophet Hud and the tribe Ad who were living in an area called Yemen, south of Saudi Arabia. They were such physically powerful people but morally corrupted and idolaters. Thus, the Lord commissioned Prophet Hud from among them to save them from the captivity of their idols and instead guided them on the divine path in the service of the Almighty God. Thus, the message of the prophet Hud for his people was to remind them that there is only One God, and thus they should resort to Him and avoid evil in order to reach salvation. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

Prophets as the most sympathetic leaders have been very friendly to people.

2.

The most important priority for the prophets throughout

History has been calling men on monotheism and avoiding idolatry. Now we read Ayah 66 of Surah A’raaf:

“The chiefs of those who disbelieved from among his people said: Most surely we see you in folly, and most surely we think you to be of the liars.” Much like those who mocked and humiliated prophet Noah instead of following him, the people of Ad too called prophet Hud, a mindless man whose words are not of the Lord but falsely attributed to the Lord. As we see the disbelievers and idolaters follow no logics, instead the only thing they seem to know is their baseless accusations and their sheer rudeness through which they call a divine prophet an ignorant man with hallucinations and false imaginations. This Ayah teaches us that: 1. Divine prophets have endured the most difficult conditions of oppositions, and accusations. Yet they never gave up their holy goals. 3.

Ignorant people accuse the wisest people of being insane and even liars.

(31) We begin this article with Ayah 57 of Surah A’raaf:

“It is He Who sends forth the winds as harbingers of His mercy. When they bear (rain) laden clouds We drive them towards a dead land and send down water on it, and with it We bring

forth all kinds of crops. Thus, shall We raise the dead that you may be mindful.” In our last edition, as you might remember, we learned about God’s infinite power to create the heavens and earth. This Ayah pointing to the divine bounty of rain, which is the source of all life on earth, says that it is the wish of the Lord that makes winds blow, and man should not falsely imagine that nothing, including winds and clouds, can move and bring about rain by accident. Rather it is God Almighty Whose commandments creates the winds, sets the clouds in motion pours rain on land and sea. This is part of God’s infinite power that is fully manifest in the laws of nature. Such natural phenomena not only prove the uniqueness of the All-Wise Creator but they also remind us of the hereafter and man’s life after death, how he is resurrected like the revival to life of a dead land. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

Discovering nature and its rules should not deviate our attention from the Origin of existence.

2.

Death is not the end rather it is only a transformation.

Now we read Ayah 58 of Surah A’raaf:

“And as for the good land, its vegetation springs forth by the permission of its Lord. And as for that which is inferior, its herbage comes forth but scantily; thus We do paraphrase the signs variously for a people who give thanks.” In the previous Ayah, we learned that rain is a Divine blessing. This Ayah too asserts the fact that although rain is the source of life and mercy, it requires a proper piece of land to bring out the hidden bounties of nature. For instance, a fertile land takes in water and produces green vegetation, but a barren land does not absorb water neither does it produce anything. Instead it turns into a salty marsh that often produces stench. Thus, just like the rain, the Qur’anic verses too are Divine blessings and should they be recited to receptive hearts, they transform the person and make blessings galore, but unresponsive hearts that have put the cover of sins over them, do not change when hearing the words of God. Those who lack the spiritual strength to expel the devil from their hearts, fail to be fruitful since obstinacy and prejudice have taken hold of them. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

In order for a person to b properly guided, Divine blessings are necessary provided he or she is ready to remove the stain of sins and awaken the natural but suppressed conscience to response to guidance.

2.

Purity leads man towards salvation while impurity and wickedness brings damnation.

Now we read Ayahs 59 and 60 of Aurah A’raaf:

“Certainly We sent Noah to his people He said: O’ my people, worship Allah! You have no other god other than Him. Indeed I fear for you the punishment of a dreadful day.”

“The elite of his people said, indeed we see you in manifest error.” Here God recounts incidents from the life of Prophet Noah (peace upon him), who preached for over 950 years but the people were so immersed in deviation that except for a few persons the majority persisted in its wicked ways. The rich and seemingly powerful leaders of these deviated persons caused trouble for him until the time the All-Merciful Lord decided to punish these evil people since they deserved punishment as all sources of peaceful guidance had been exhausted by Prophet Noah (peace upon him). According to this Ayah, although Prophet Noah would always try to enlighten people and warn them of the wrath of the Merciful Lord both in this world and in afterlife, the deviated people and their followers refused to believe in the One and Only God and

called him ignorant. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

All prophets preached the unique monotheism of the All-Merciful God and His infinite Majesty to mankind, from Noah to Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny.

2.

Throughout history major enemies of the prophets were those wealthy minority who were enchanted by money and power.

Now we read Ayahs 61 and 62 of Surah A’raaf:

“He said: O' my people, I am not in error. Rather I am a Messenger from the Lord of all Being.”

“I deliver to you the messages of my Lord, and I am your well wisher, and I know from Allah what you do not know.” In response to those who had disrespectfully accused Prophet Noah of being ignorant, the benign Prophet that he was, Noah only politely denied their wild accusations, saying he was their best advocated and what he was trying to reveal to them was not out of ignorance, but only expounding to them the Lord’s message. And that he was God’s messenger whose duty it was to help people and show them that the Almighty God is the Lord of the universe and nothing equals Him, the One and Only Creator. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

We should be patient and not retaliate if insulted by the ignorant.

2.

The messenger and the missionary should both be polite, courteous fully alert for the sake of guiding the people.

3.

God has granted His messengers divine knowledge that is not accessible to ordinary people.

We begin with Ayah 53 of Surah A’raaf: “Do they wait anything but its fulfillment? The day when its fulfillment comes, those who had forgotten it before will say, “Our Lord’s messengers had certainly brought the truth. If only we had some intercessors to intercede for us, or we would be returned, so that we may do differently from what we did!” They have certainly ruined their souls and what they used to fabricate has forsaken them.” As you might remember, the Ayahs that we reviewed last week pointed partly to the conversation among those living in heaven and those in hell. This ayah on the confessions of the sinners on the Day of Judgment says these people who have now realized the truthfulness of the Prophets are vainly pleading to be sent back to the world. On that Day

they shall confess their sins of neglecting God’s words in this world and then wrongly suppose their confession might help them so as to influence the Lord to reduce their punishment or someone might intercede for them or even they might return to the material world to compensate for their wrong deeds. But what goes without saying is that on the Day of Judgment all their confessions are futile since what remains for them is only regret and loss. This Ayah teaches us that: 1. We should take the Holy Qur’an’s warnings serious for, it is no use regretting on the Doom’s Day. 2. Availing intercession by those whom God has appointed as intercessors, depends on certain conditions and only those who meet those conditions can enjoy them. Thus one should not commit sins with the false hope of availing intercession on judgment day, without having repented of his sins during life. Now we read Ayah 54 of Surah A’raaf: “Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days (six stages), and then settled on the Throne. He draws the night’s cover over the day, which pursues it swiftly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, and the stars (all of them) disposed by His command. Look! All creation and command belongs to him. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.” Contrary to the superstitious beliefs of the disbelievers, this Ayah describes the characteristics of the One and Only God, to whom everything is subservient including the heavens, the earth, the sun, the moon, the day, the night and all other phenomena. He is the Creator and every minute thing is under his control. He even knows what passes in our hearts. God Almighty is the source of all creation. His knowledge is infinite. Thus, the creation of the heavens and the earth was carried out in six stages and then controlling the affairs of the world was concentrated in a place called the Throne, which is in turn under the supervision of the Almighty God. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

All that has come into existence has been carefully and thoughtfully preplanned and supervised and no accidental coincidence can ever bring about such order.

2.

Haste, which is a satanic act by its nature, makes waste but acting with no hurry and keeping patient is a virtuous deed.

3.

All that exists is evolving towards a definite end under the Lord’s supervision and their existence merely depends on the will of the bountiful God.

Now we read Ayahs 55 and 56 of Surah A’raaf: “Supplicate your Lord, humbly and secretly. Indeed He does He does not like the transgressors.” “And do not cause corruption on the earth, after it has been set right; and supplicate Him with fear and hope; Indeed, Allah’s mercy is close to the virtuous.” In continuation of the previous Ayah, these Ayah too points to man’s relation to God and that he should he should neither supplicate to fellow humans or idols but only to the One and Only God, and that too in a very humbly and from the depth of heart, away from any kind of pretense. Mankind should also be very hopeful of God’s mercy and at the same time fearful of His wrath so as not to get disappointed or become self-centered. Human beings should repent of their sins and fear the severe punishment and the consequences. They should heed those who tread the path of God. These Ayahs call on man to both pray to the Lord and trust him from the depth of the heart with presence of mind. At the same time we should do good for, man is rewarded in accordance with his deeds not his words. He should not be like those hypocrites who only pretend to follow God’s path but in practice transgress it. The transgressors are not hidden from the Lord. We should also stay away from the wicked and only follow the path of the Divine messengers who do their best to reform the society and help cleanse people of vice and corruption. According to Islamic narrations, while supplication to the Lord, we should raise our hands towards Him like a lowly beggar before great persons. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

Praying signifies man’s need for the Needless Entity and one who does not do so is infected by pride and selfishness.

2.

Trying to have proper cognizance of God is necessary but not enough; rather one should worship the Lord and such worship is completed with praying to Him.

3.

Even a reformed society might be threatened by some peril and so the reformers are in need of prayer and vigilance.

4.

Fear and hope are two poles of the magnet of man’s entity; the balance in life is achieved if these two are balanced.

(29) Now we begin with Ayah 49 of Surah A’raaf: “Are these the ones concerning whom you swore that Allah will not extend them any mercy? Enter Paradise! You shall have no fear, nor shall you grieve.” As you might remember in our last edition we referred to what the dwellers of A’raaf told those abiding in heaven and those in hell. They understood the reality that their power and wealth in life was not of benefit to them in hell. In continuation of the previous Ayah, Ayah 49 addressing the dwellers of hell reminds them of their evil deeds compared to those who now live in heaven. The evil-doers were so arrogant that they failed to consider what God had bestowed them out of His affection. They also used to regard those without wealth or power as not worthy of anything either in this world or in the hereafter, and thus deprived of God’s mercy. Thus according to this Ayah the virtuous will enter heaven without any worry or fear, while those who used to mock them and humiliate them will be thrown into hell From this Ayah we learn that: 1. One endowed with wealth, material facilities and other blessings in life, should good, since the day will come when all their possessions will be considered useless. And that being destitute in this world does not mean that one shall be deprived of spiritual blessings in the other world. 2. We should not hasten to make judgments on others. On the Day of Judgment it shall be decided on the basis of good and evil, as to which group should enter paradise and which should be thrown into the hell. This decision is not based on our criteria but only on God’s infinite justice. Now we read to Ayah 50 of Surah A’raaf: “The inmates of the fire will call out to the dwellers of paradise, saying: Pour on us some water, or something of what Allah had provided you. They will say: Surely Allah has indeed forbidden these to the unbelievers.” In continuation of the previous Ayahs expressing what the dwellers of A’raaf tell those abiding in heaven and hell, this Ayah depicts their status whether in the blissful gardens of paradise or in the blazing inferno of hell. According to this Ayah, because of the intensity of the fire, the first thing those living in hell ask for is water. And they plead to the dwellers of paradise to give them just a portion of water or other kinds of blessings the Lord has

granted them so that they can quench their thirst. They will find out that these things are forbidden to them now since while alive they neither believed in God nor abstain from evil and vices. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

Those whose only concern is accumulating worldly possessions in this world, shall be empty-handed in the hereafter.

2.

Those who did not respect limits set by God and violated Divine commandments shall be deprived of the blessings of heaven including water.

Now we read to Ayah 51 of Surah A’raaf: “Those who took their religion for an idle sport and play and whom the life of the world had deceived; so today, We will forsake them as they ignored the encounter of this day of theirs, and as they used to deny Our signs.” In the previous Ayah we heard the cry of those living in hell asking for water from the heaven dwellers. This Ayah discusses their status and tells us that their suffering is dues to the consequences of their own evil deeds and not any other factor destiny. While they were alive in the material world, they had been informed by the Prophets of God and the heavenly scriptures of the tidings promised by God Almighty, but instead of pondering, they used to ridicule divine blessings and signs and never believed in the Day of Judgment. Their lives were devoid of any good deeds and since they ignored the commandments of God, they will ignored on the Day of Reckoning. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

The disbelievers take their religion as fun, frolic and idle sport and instead take this worthless world very seriously.

2.

Being too much enchanted by the material world causes one to neglect or even deny the hereafter.

Now we read to Ayah 52 of Surah A’raaf: “Certainly, We have brought them a book, which We have elaborated with knowledge, as a guidance and mercy for a people who believe.” While the previous Ayah pointed to the disbelievers taking their religion for an idle sport, this ayah emphasizes the importance of religion as a means of divine guidance contained in the heavenly revealed scripture whose every word and ayah is quite logical, rational and scientific. But the disbelievers used to disregard divine guidance,

and reject the manifest truth contained in the heavenly scripture thus depriving themselves of God’s mercy in the hereafter. From this Ayah we learn that: 1. Through His holy books, the Lord has bestowed mankind both His favors and blessings so that none will have the excuse to claim that he or she was unaware of the truth. 2.

God’s revelation is in accordance with His infinite knowledge and in line with the path to salvation and perfection for mankind. In other words Divine rules are in perfect harmony with the nature of creation.

(28) Now we read Ayahs 39 and 40 of Surah A’raaf: “And the foremost of them will say to the last of them: So you have no preference over us; therefore taste the chastisement for what you earned.” “Surely as for those who reject Our communications and turn away from them haughtily, the doors of heaven shall not be opened for them, nor shall they enter the garden until the camel passes through the eye of the needle; and thus We punish the guilty.” Last week we drew your attention to a part of the conversation those confined to hell. Here, in this Ayah, God says that although many of those who deviated from the right path by following the whims of their leaders, would try to lay the blame on the heads of their leaders for misleading them, they will be told by their misled leaders that: You have no privilege over us to be forgiven by the Lord since you like us, are sinners and should be punished for your wrong deeds along with us. The Lord in response says neither of the groups shall be excused and there shall be no way out for them since they out of obstinacy, stubbornness, pride, and egoism refused to accept the words of God. The Lord by citing a parable says they shall not able to enter Paradise until the camel passes through the eye of the needle. This is a form of saying it is impossible to them and thus this is how the Lord shall punish the guilty for their sins, which they never repented during life. These Ayahs teach us that: 1.

Man’s fate depends on his or her deeds. The major sins that ringleaders of vice

indulge in, cannot justify the seemingly minor sins their followers do. 2.

Sins hinder the way of man to the Lord and deprive him or her of the blessings of God, the All-Merciful.

3.

The root of disbelief and denial of the Holy Scripture is not the incapability of the divine instructions but man’s arrogance and refusal to see the manifest reality.

Now we read Ayah 41 of Surah A’raaf: “They shall have a bed of hell-fire and from above them coverings of it; and thus do we reward the unjust.” This Ayah in continuation of the previous one in view of the severe punishment reserved for the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment, says that what surrounds them in hell from all sides is the eternal fire through which there shall be no way out. The Lord in these Ayahs refers to the disbelievers sometimes as criminals and some other times as oppressors due to the fact that disbelief paves the way for sins, crimes and oppression. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

Those whose only pursuit had been the perishing pleasures of the material world shall live in hell forever since there seems nothing except fire for their souls made impure from sins.

2.

Hell shall fully engulf the disbelievers and oppressors, with tongues of the infernal fire shooting from every direction.

The next Ayah you will hear is Ayah 42 of Surah A’raaf: “And as for those who believe and do good-We do not impose on any soul a duty except to the extent of its ability-they are the dwellers of the garden; in it they shall abide.” This is customary in the Holy Qur’an to juxtapose the punishment for sinners with divine rewards for the pious. While the previous Ayah points to the severe punishment for those confined to hell, this ayah pictures the blissful destiny of those who shall live in Heaven forever due to their virtuous life in this world and their efforts to do good, since every soul is rewarded or punished in accordance with his abilities and capabilities. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

The interaction between faith and good deeds shall guarantee an eternal existence

for those in the divine abode who will have the company of the most pure and virtuous figures in history. 2.

There is no compulsion or force in Islam rather everyone shall be judged based on their abilities and capabilities.

Now we read Ayah 43 of Surah A’raaf : “And We will remove whatever of ill-filling is in their breasts; the rivers shall flow beneath them; and they shall say: All praise is due to Allah Who guided us to this; and we would not have found the way had it not been that Allah had guided us; certainly the apostles of our Lord brought the truth; and it shall be cried out to them that this is the garden of which you are made heirs for what you did.” One of the blessings the Lord grants those dwelling in heaven is removal of all grudges and envy from their hearts prior to their entrance to the garden of eternal bliss so that whatever remains is cordial and heartfelt affection for each other, making it a true heavenly atmosphere devoid of any disturbance or disparities. Although, Heaven has different degrees, no one shall feel superior to the other nor shall there be any kind of covetousness or resentment among them. The dwellers of Heaven always remember God, and no blessing or the lawful pleasures granted therein to them shall deviate their minds from the worship and remembrance of God. Rather they praise the Lord for having guided them through His Prophets and divine scriptures that brought them salvation. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

A life without jealousy or pride is a heavenly one.

2.

The dwellers of Heaven never feel proud of their deeds rather they believe Heaven is the outcome of adherence to divine guidelines, the result of the sincere and selfless efforts of the Prophets and the Infallible Imams.

(27) Now we read Ayah 34 of Surah A’raaf: “And there is a preordained time for every nation, when their time comes, they shall not defer it by a single hour nor shall advance it.” One thing many people tend to disregard is death and the end of life. Not only individuals

but according to this and other Ayahs nations and civilizations also disregard their eventual doom. Throughout history there have been a large number of seemingly mighty civilizations that due to their oppression, tyranny, sluggishness, or materialistic tendencies declined and were erased from the face of the earth. All those possessing immense power or wealth wrongly suppose their current status would go on for good. But according to this Ayah, when God wishes them to fall, they will in no time have a great fall. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

The opportunities and facilities we have shall vanish soon. Thus, we should do our best to make the most of everything.

2.

The oppressors should not suppose the chances given to them by the Lord are because of God’s favor. Rather they should know that their time shall end soon and they will be held responsible for what they have done.

Now we read Ayahs 35 and 36 of Aurah A’raaf: “O children of Adam! If there come to you Prophets from among yourselves, recounting to you My signs, then those who are Godwary and righteous will have no fear, nor shall they grieve.” “But those who deny Our signs and are disdainful of them, they shall be the inmates of the fire and they shall abide in it forever.” Last week we pointed to a number of guidelines the Lord has given to mankind. These Ayahs in view of the paradoxical behaviour of mankind in accepting or rejecting the leadership decreed by God for human societies, express the fact that the Lord has always sent Prophets from among mankind to guide them towards piety and goodness, but many have disregard God’s words. Those who are pious shall enjoy God’s grace both in this world and in the hereafter since they have made their pact with God. Thus there shall be no regret or grief for them. They shall also fear nothing because if one has faith in the Lord, he or she will never fear the worldly powers, nor will be in danger of the fire of hell. The second group of people, out of obstinacy and stubbornness, take no notice of God’s Prophets and even called them liars so that they could continue their limited and seemingly comfortable life. Such people think they could live without worry forever when the fact is that their final abode shall be hell. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

One should do his best in reforming the society and the people living in it including

his family if he would like to be pious. Thus isolation from society leads to nowhere. 2.

True peace of mind shall be attained if one cleanses himself or herself spiritually and do good, because only faith will remove any grief and sorrow.

Now we read Ayah 37 of surah A’raaf: “So who is a greater wrongdoer than him who fabricates a lie against Allah, or denies His signs? Their share, as decreed in the Book, shall reach them. When Our messengers (i.e. the angles of death) come to take them away, they will say, where is that which you used to invoke besides Allah? They will say: They have forsaken us, and they will testify against themselves that they were faithless.” This Ayah refers to the conditions of disbelievers in the hereafter. It says that quite contrary to the disbelievers’ attempts to accuse the Prophets of liars, the disbelievers themselves will acknowledge that they lied after realizing the truth but denying it our of obstinacy. The All-Merciful God, of course, does not deprive them of the material blessings available in life for everyone in this world, but seeing angel of death come to take their soul, they shall confess their sins and reveal the fact that in this world they were disobedient to God and violated His communications. From this ayah we learn that: 1.

Denying the truth is considered a deadly sin committed against oneself. Oppressing oneself is by far worse than oppressing others.

2.

Every human being in this world has been blessed in a specific way determined only by the All-Wise Lord.

3.

The first judge on the Day of Justice is man’s own conscience testifying against him.

Now we read to Ayah 38 of Surah A’raf: “He will say: Enter along with the nations who passed before you of the jinn and mankind into the fire. Every time that a nation enters hell, it will curse its sister nation. When they all rejoin in it, the last of them will say about the first of them: Our Lord! It was they who led us astray: so give them a double punishment of the Fire. He will say: It is double for each of you, but you do not know.” This Ayah pointing to the conversations among those seemingly great people who shall be dwelling in hell forever says that after their deeds are reckoned by the Lord, they shall enter hell in groups but each group will curse the other from both mankind and

jinn. Those who blindly followed the previous nations in disobeying God and violating His commandments will accuse their predecessors of having misled and deceived them and will call on God to mete them out double punishment for their crimes. But since, like the predecessors, they also did not used their ration to avoid manifest error and adhere to plain truth, God will tell them that there is double punishment for all of you for the continuing chain of deceit. This Ayah teaches us that: 1. Heaven is filled with peace and friendship while hell is the abode of the sinners languishing in divine punishment. Those rewarded heaven are true and everlasting friends but those in hell might seem to be friends but indeed curse each other bitterly. 2. Like mankind, the Jinn are also responsible for their deeds and the sinners among shall be punished like human beings. 4.

On the Day of Judgment, the sinners will try to blame others for their sins but to no avail.

(26) At first we read Ayah 31 of Surah A’raaf: “O children of Adam! Attend to your embellishments at every time of prayer, and eat and drink and be not extravagant; surely He does not love the extravagant.” Last week we spoke of God’s instructions to the children of Adam, who are told to have proper clothing during circumambulation of the Holy Ka’ba inside the Masjid al-Haraam and not circumambulate bare and without clothes as the pagans used to do. Here the Ayah means to say that not only the Sacred Mosque in Mecca but while entering any mosque, a Muslim is required to wear ritually clean clothes that are not polluted with things considered unclean. The necessary reverence ought to be shown at such sites, which should not be turned into centers of idle prattle or corruption. In Islamic narrations too, the wearing of decent clothes and use of perfume while praying have been emphasized. The next part of the ayah points to the question of eating and drinking, which should be within the bounds prescribed by God and should not be in an extravagant way. As we mentioned before the disobedience of Adam and Eve in eating the fruit of a forbidden tree led to their expulsion from Paradise. The Ayah the human beings, that is the children of Adam to be careful in abstaining from forbidden things, otherwise punishment awaits them if they

continue their unrepentant way. From this Ayah we learn that: 1-

Mosque is a symbolic House of God and the place of gathering of God’s servants, so one should always be neat and clean while entering it.

2-

The food of spirit has priority over the food of body. First prayer and then food.

3-

We can avail of the gifts of nature according to our needs but should not be wasteful and extravagant.

Now We read Ayah 32 of Surah A’raaf: “Say: Who has prohibited the embellishment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants and the good provisions? Say: These are for the believers in the life of this world, purely (theirs) on the resurrection day; thus do We make the communications clear for a people who know.” The Ayah means to ask as to who has prohibited the things permitted by Allah? God has created these gifts to let His faithful and pious servants benefit from them, but the Almighty Creator is so Kind and Merciful that he does not bar disbelievers from availing of the blessings of nature. However, on the Day Resurrection the disbelievers will have no share and the divine gifts will be exclusively for the faithful ones. In this area, human beings might be exposed to extravagance. Some overuse God-given facilities while others are quite frugal and lead a monastic life by suppressing their natural and needs and instincts. In this Ayah and in the previous one the Holy Qu’ran censures both groups. The Holy Qur’an asks the first group why they indulge in extravagance and asks the second group why they do not benefit from the lawful divine gifts? From this Ayah we learn that: 1-

Neither is it lawful to forbid what God has permitted nor is it lawful to allow what God has forbidden.

2-

God has encouraged the faithful to use lawful embellishment within the framework of divine injunctions.

3-

The believer and disbeliever equally benefit from the gifts of God, but salvation on the day of resurrection is exclusively for the faithful.

Now we read Ayah 33 of Surah A’raaf:

“Say: My Lord has only prohibited indecencies, those of them that are apparent as well as those that are concealed, and sin and rebellion without justice, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down any authority, and that you say against Allah what you do not know.” Some simpleminded believers think that the only way to reach God is through worship, isolation and self-contentment. They also think that piety means to keep oneself aloof from worldly affairs and materialistic life since they consider working for the materialistic life as unpleasant. The Ayah that we recited to you refers to such misconstrued way of thinking and means to say: God has only prohibited the indecent while everything else is permissible. God forbids oppression of others, committing disobedience, indulging in sin and practicing polytheism and superstitions. True believers ought to keep away from these foul behaviours but are free to use whatever they desire of the material world and its bounties. From this Ayah we learn that: 1- The world is abundant with things permitted by Allah, while the forbidden or unlawful things are very little. 2- God has given human beings a free hand to use their brains concerning His blessings and to abstain from the few cases He has considered unlawful in order to test our obedience to Him. 3- God has only prohibited the evil and harmful things and whatever that pollutes the human soul and body. These are the very things which, human conscience and habits rationally comprehend, and refuses them as contrary to its nature. 4- A sin is sin and its ugliness is natural whether people realize or not. The ugliness of sin lies in the nature of sin itself, and not if people realize it whether it is indecent or not.

(25) Now we read Ayah 28 of Surah A’raf: “And when they commit an indecency they say: "We found our fathers doing this, and Allah has enjoined it on us." Say: "Surely Allah does not enjoin indecency; do

you say against Allah what you do not know?” In the previous program we said Satan deceived human beings and was the cause of the removal of the raiment of modesty from the eyes of Adam and Eve. In view of this fact, God advises the children of Adam and Eve to be careful against the temptations of the devil since he tears up the Hejab or the cover of modesty and exposes mankind to evil and lewdness. This Ayah refers to the indecent practice of the pagans before Islam to go around the Holy Ka’ba in a state of nakedness by removing all their clothes. This was a violation of the Abrahamic concept of the pilgrimage and the Satan had lured the pagans to take off their clothes on the assumption that their garments might be unclean or polluted. In this Ayah, the Holy Qur’an denounces their practice as evil and points out that the pagans when questioned about this sordid practice used to say that we found our fathers and ancestors doing this, and this is our tradition of worshipping God. The Holy Qur’an replies that God never enjoins indecency on any people and these sordid ways are clear deviation by their ancestors. From this Ayah we learn that: 1- The source of many superstitions in human communities is the blind and indiscriminate imitation of the ways of ancestors on the pretext of preserving the customs and traditions of the past. This is absurd and illogical since in most human communities, the anti-Islamic practices are clear deviation contradicting intellect and wisdom. 2- The worship of God requires performing of rituals in the manner commanded by God through the prophets and not the innovations wrought by impostors, otherwise it will lead to spread of superstitions. Now we read Ayah 29 of Surah A’raaf: “Say: "My Lord has enjoined justice, and set upright your faces at every occasion of prayer; and invoke Him, being sincere to Him in obedience; as He brought you forth in the beginning, so shall you also return.” In response to the polytheists who attributed their evil deeds to God, the Ayah means to say that the Almighty always enjoins goodness and has instructed mankind to be conscious of Him during prayer, to practice virtue, to abstain from superstitions and be sincere in all aspects of life, since He is the Creator and to Him is the eventual return of all. From this Ayah we learn that:

1-

Justice is the basis of divine commands and the best recommendation of God to mankind.

2-

Sincere servitude paves the way for spreading justice and guarantees its implementation.

Now we read to Ayah 30 from Surah A’raaf: “A part (of mankind) has He guided aright and (as for another) part, error is justly their due, surely they took the Satans for guardians instead of Allah, and they think that they are followers of the right way.” Following the previous Ayah in which God has outlined the manner of worship and living on the basis of justice, here the Almighty means to say that those who obey divine commandments are guided, but those who heed the temptations of the devil and still think they are guided and have reached prosperity are in manifest error. Among the dangers that threaten mankind is the false thoughts, which make a person blindly rush towards the edge of precipice thinking that he or she is on the right track. This is one of the tricks and deceits of the Satan who makes falsehood appear as truth to those who indulge in wanton pleasures and wrong deeds to satisfy the greed of the body and the soul. In other Ayahs, the Holy Quran regards these individuals to be the greatest losers and says they consider their evil deed to be good oblivious of the fact that they their deeds in this world have evaporated making them empty handed in the Hereafter. From this Ayah we learn that: 1- Guidance is the task of God and is from Him, while it is we ourselves who are misled because of our own improper choice. 2-

To drift away from our All-Loving God causes mankind to fall into the snare of the Satan to the extent that the human being becomes the follower of the devil instead of obeying his Creator the Almighty.

3- We should be careful not to be from those who think that they are right but actually they are wrong.

(24) Now we read Ayahs 24 and 25 of Surah A’raaf that shed more light on the dawn of creation, the casting out of Satan from the divine court, his temptation of Adam and Eve to

taste of the forbidden fruit and the expulsion of the first human pair from the Garden of Eden for violation of God’s commandments. “He said: Get you down, some of you (being) the enemies of others, and on earth will be your dwelling place and your means of livelihood for a time. “He (also) said: Therein shall you live, and therein shall you die, and from it shall you be raised (in the end).” As we said last week there was a great difference between the acts of disobedience of the Satan and of Adam and Eve. While the Satan was unrepentant of his refusal of God’s commandment to prostrate before Adam and schemed to mislead others, Adam and Eve were ashamed at struck with remorse for having tasted of the forbidden fruit and quickly repented to God, seeking divine Mercy. Thus, God accepted the repentance of Adam and Eve, but since an act of disobedience has negative consequences they were expelled from the blissful life of paradise. God put them on earth, to live and die there until the Day of Resurrection when they will be raised from the earth. These Ayahs point to the enmity of human beings towards each other and the avowed enmity of the Satan towards mankind. In other words, life on earth is beset with enmity and hatred while in paradise it is eternal bliss with the human nature retaining its pure and unsullied characteristics stemming from piety and sincerity. From these Ayahs we learn that: 1- Sometimes the behaviour of parents has a certain bearing on the life of children. The disobedience of Adam and Eve led to their descent on Planet Earth and a life of trial and tribulation, where of course, the obedient and God-fearing will be rewarded and the disobedient and unrepentant sinners punished. 3- However, there is no taint of the so-called original sin on any human being for the error of Adam and Eve. 2- The world is the place of conflict and contradiction. Clash of selfish interests and egoistic instincts are the factors behind enmity and hatred among the children of Adam and Eve. Now we read Ayah 26 of Surah A’raaf: “O children of Adam! We have bestowed to you clothing to cover your shame, as well as to be an adornment to you; but the clothing that guards (against evil), -- that is the best. These are among the signs of Allah that they may be mindful.” As we said last week, the moment Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the forbidden tree after

being tempted by the Satan, the screen of blissful modesty that hitherto covered them fell apart, exposing their nakedness and they were obliged to cover themselves by stitching tree leaves over what now appeared to them as their bare bodies. This Ayah means to say that after the descent of Adam and Eve on the earth, God granted to them the sense of clothing themselves. The human beings were not ignorant and unconscious savages without the sense of modesty as some modern people have conjectured because of their own ignorance. Initially, Adam and Eve and their descendants clothed themselves with the hides of animals while wool and fabrics woven from it were added as a form of style and beauty. This trend continued for several centuries until the Prophet Idris or Enoch, by divine inspiration taught the art of weaving clothes by making threads out of cotton wool and by inventing the loom and the spinning wheel, centuries before the great deluge of the days of Prophet Noah that submerged sizeable parts of the globe. In the following generations as mankind progressed because of divine inspiration to develop civilization and urban life, it was again God’s blessings that made them come with different types of decent clothing made out of a variety of materials as science and technology advanced. The holy Qur’an means to say: "These garments are a clothing for the material body but better still are the garments of piety that never allows any obscenity, ugliness and evil to be exposed to public eyes. Proper clothing thus leads to spiritual salvation for the human beings." From these Ayahs we learn that: 1-

The Satan, because of his deep malice towards Adam to whom he had refused to prostrate at the dawn of creation and was thus expelled from the divine court, is always scheming to tempt mankind towards lewdness, nudity, obscene behaviour and other evil acts, whereas God has provided the human race with the sense of modesty and the beauty of clothing to cover up their bodies.

2-

The beauty of clothing is a gift of God, Who has permitted us to enjoy beauty in legal and lawful ways without indulging in profanity and forbidden acts that not only violates the sense of modesty but tempt others to commit sins.

3-

The different type of clothing, whether of cotton, wool, hide or synthetic material are the result of mankind’s God-given intellect and due attention to manner of decent dressing increases awareness and consciousness and keeps one away from ignorance and listless attitude in life.

Now we read Ayah 27 of Surah A’raaf:

“O children of Adam! Let not the Satan cause you to fall into affliction as he got your parents out of the garden, stripping them of their clothing to expose their shame, for he and his tribe watch you from a position where you cannot see them; indeed, We have made the Satans to be the friends of those who do not have faith.” Since the Satan’s enmity was not merely restricted to Adam and Eve but it also included the entire human race, that’s why God the Almighty in these Ayahs advises mankind to be alert against being seduced by the temptations of the Satan as he deceived their parents. The devil’s deception to expose the shame by ripping apart the cover of modesty caused the expulsion from paradise of the first human pair. The Satan and his devilish hordes are not visible to human eyes but they watch the humans ever eager to mislead them towards sins. Nevertheless, they have no influence on human beings and cannot force them to do something against a person’s will. However, this mere whispers of temptation are enough to unbalance persons who are weak of faith and neither believe in the Almighty Creator nor the Day of Resurrection on which mankind will be raised to life from the dust of rotten bones so as to give an account of their deed and receive the due remuneration, whether paradise for good deeds and lasting punishment for evil deeds. From this Ayah we learn that: 1-

Danger always lies in ambush. We should not consider ourselves insured and immune from deviation. Adam, to whom the celestial angels prostrated at God’s command, was deceived by the Satan and expelled from paradise.

2-

Violation of the covers of modesty, lewd behaviour, nudity and shameless acts are the factors that drive one away from the grace of God Almighty and fall into Satanic traps.

3-

The Satan is not alone and has many accomplices, whether genies or evil-minded human beings.

4-

Firm faith in God prevents the Satan from misleading.

(23) In this program, as usual, we will get familiar with the easy and fluent exegesis of a few more Ayahs of God’s last revelation to mankind, the Holy Qur’an. Now we read Ayahs 20 and 21 of Surah A’raaf that shed more light on the deceit of the ever-deceiving devil and

how he tried to mislead the first pair of human beings, Adam and Eve: “Then the Satan tempted them to expose to them what was hidden from them of their nakedness, and he said: "Your Lord has only forbidden you from this tree lest you become two angels or lest you become of the immortals." “And he swore to them: I am indeed your well-wisher.” As we said last week, the Satan, following his expulsion from the ranks of the angels after his refusal of God’s commandment to prostrate before Adam, swore that he would wreak vengeance upon Adam. The Ayah that we recited to you just now points to the first ever temptation of Satan. It means to say that since God had prohibited Adam and Eve from eating the fruit of a certain tree in order to test their obedience, the Satan devised a plan and whispered that the reason God has prohibited them from eating the fruit of that particular tree was to prevent them from turning into angels with immortal life. Adam and Eve who had not heard lies from anyone were deceived by the devil and because of their naivety forgot the instructions of God. The main goal of the Satan in misleading the first human pair was to rip apart from them the screen of blissful innocence in order to expose their hitherto concealed bareness so that in this way the ground is paved for later sins among the human race. From these Ayahs we learn that: 1- The Satan has no power to force or compel anyone to disobey God, and his job is merely temptation. It is the human beings who fall victims to his temptations if they fail feel to heed God’s commandments. 2- The uncovering of modesty and bashfulness and the exposure of mankind’s bareness is one of the goals of the sinister Satan. We should be careful and alert so that this delicate aura of dignity does not fall from us. 3- The Satan deceives mankind by whispering far-fetched and unnatural wishes like the quest for permanent welfare, wealth and power. 4-

One should not trust any swearing since the devils also swear in order to deceive mankind.

Now we read Ayah 22 of Surah A’raaf: “Then he brought about their fall by deception; so when they tasted of the tree, their nakedness became exposed to them, and they began to stitch over themselves with the leaves of the garden. Their Lord called out to them: Did I not forbid you

from that tree and say to you that the Satan is your manifest enemy?” Thus, as is clear from the wording of the Holy Qur’an, the instant Adam and Eve dropped their guard, Satan managed to deceive them as part of his plan to mislead the human race. Adam and Eve had tasted but a little of the fruit of the forbidden tree that their hitherto concealed nakedness became exposed to each other, embarrassing them and forcing them to cover themselves by stitching leaves of trees around their bodies. Their blissful innocence was shattered and they heard the call of the Omnipresent but Unseen God, which meant to say: "How could you forget divine commandments and allow yourselves to be deceived by the devil. Don’t you know that the Satan is your manifest enemy and has been seething with vengeance ever since his fall from divine grace for refusing to prostrate to Adam? From this Ayah we learn that: 1- Both man and woman are exposed to the Satan’s temptation to the same extent since gender differences have no role in falling into sins. 2- Exposure of nakedness is a type of divine chastisement and not a sign of civilized norms, human perfection or physical satisfaction. Ignoring God’s commands and indulging in forbidden foods and drinks rips apart the delicate screen of human modesty and bashfulness, paving the ground for sins and obscene behaviour. 3- Hijab or covering is something natural for the children of Adam and Eve in contrast to the animals, and it is the natural inclination of all human beings since infancy to cover their bodies even with the most simple means. 4- We have to know our real enemy and not be negligent of his plots. We should always be ready and on guard against the temptations and possible deception by the enemy. Now we read Ayah 23 of Surah A’raaf: “They said: Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves! If You do not forgive us, and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.” Adam and Eve after being deceived by the Satan soon realized their mistake and humbly turned to the All-Merciful God to seek forgiveness. Here is a very interesting and delicate point in view of the fact that both the Satan and the first human pair had disobeyed God. But the Satan instead of repenting for his folly tried to justify his disobedience at not prostrating to Adam by protesting God’s justice and wisdom. On the other hand, Adam and Eve quickly admitted their mistake, repented, sought forgiveness and vowed to compensate their single act of negligence with due devotion

to the divine court. In view of these facts, God cast out the Satan and damned him to His everlasting curse, but He forgave Adam and Eve and made them avail of His mercy. From this Ayah we learn that: 1- Disobedience of God is oppression of oneself rather than wronging of God. In other words, when a person commits a sin he or she does not harm God but only harms himself or herself. 2- Adam and Eve were partners in their negligence of divine commandments but both quickly realized their mistake and sought forgiveness from God. There is no difference between man and woman in committing sins or for compensating the damage done by seeking repentance in earnest and with a sincere heart. Basically, gender differences are not the criteria for acquiring moral perfections or descending into deficiencies. 3- The All-Merciful God has allowed the children of Adam to confess and admit their sins in the divine court, followed by repentance and seeking of forgiveness in earnest with a commitment not to repeat such acts. 4- Sin results in losses and damage for mankind that could become irreparable in case of blind persistence. The remedy is repentance and only through admission of guilt and commitment not to repeat can one avail of the Mercy of the All-Forgiving God.

(22) Now we read Ayahs 16 and 17 of Surah A’raaf, as part of our easy to understand weekly lessons of the Holy Qur’an:

“He said: As Thou hast caused me to remain disappointed I will certainly lie in wait for them in Thy straight path. Then I will certainly come to them from before them and from behind them, and from their right-hand side and from their left hand side; and Thou shall not find most of them thankful.” In our last edition, two weeks ago, we said that following Satan’s disobedience of God to prostrate before Adam, he was driven from the divine court and was cast out by the Almighty but according to the norm of God Who gives reward and punishment on the Day

of Resurrection so as to provide time for the sinful to repent while alive, the Satan was also given the respite. He had requested God to grant him life till the Day of Resurrection but God the All-Wise deemed that this disobedient creature would be granted a very lengthy life till what the Holy Qur’an says Waqt al-Ma’loum, that means till the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (AS) and the establishment of the global government of peace, justice and order in the last days of the world. In these Ayahs we read that in order to take revenge against mankind, Satan swore to mislead human beings and keep them away from divine grace. That’s why he says he will attack mankind from four sides and will lead mankind astray from whatever side he can. Let us hear an interesting narration in this regard from the Almighty’s Last Messenger to mankind, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). When the Satan swore to lie in wait for mankind the angels said: "Our Lord, how could mankind get away from his temptations? God said: "Two ways are open from above and below. Whenever a man raises his hand to supplicate to Me or lays his forehead on the ground to prostrate to Me, he or she will be immune from Satan’s temptations." From these Ayahs we learn that: 1- To attribute sin and disobedience to divine will is a satanic act. 2- The Satan is the archenemy of mankind. Instead of following him, we should obey the Merciful God. 3- The Satan’s temptations have surround mankind from every direction, so we ought to be on guard all the time. Now we read Ayah 18 of Surah A’raaf: “He said: Get out of this (state), despised, driven away; whoever of them will follow you, I will certainly fill hell with you all.” According to this Ayah, in response to the Satan’s oath based on misleading human beings, God says that He will humiliate whoever that follows the devil and will trap all of them in hell. That’s why the Almighty orders the devil to keep away from his pious worshippers, who because of their sincerity and purity and character are protected from the machination of Satan. The Satan’s sin which led to his casting out of the divine court was pride, selfishness, self-conceit and self-aggrandizement, and in other words whoever becomes proud vis-à-vis divine orders he or she is seeking the path of Satan and will be humiliated like the Satan. From this Ayah we learn that:

1- The Satan tempts mankind but could never force them to commit sins. It is the mankind that takes the decision to follow the path of the Satan instead of God by committing sins. 2- Succumbing to the temptations of the Satan in the world leads to his company on the Day of Resurrection, and what a catastrophic company it would be. Now we read Ayah 19 of Surah A’raaf: “And (We said): O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the garden; so eat from where you desire, but do not go near this tree, for then you will be of the unjust.” Following the Satan’s refusal to prostrate to Adam which led to his being cast out from God’s mercy, this and the next Ayahs point to the abode of Adam and his wife in paradise and reminds the children of Adam, that is mankind, that they were driven out of their blessed dwelling because of their disobedience of divine commandments. The Ayah means to say: "God provided a garden with different kinds of fruits and trees for them. God permitted them to eat any fruit they desired but prohibited them from approaching one tree as a divine test of their will to remain loyal to what the Creator had instructed. But tempted by the devil they approached the forbidden tree and by eating of it they oppressed themselves. This is the first act of disobedience of mankind vis-à-vis divine duty and led to the later problems of life. There are differences of opinion on whether the paradise in which Adam and Eve resided was the eternal heaven promised to the virtuous as lasting reward in the Hereafter where the devil has no access, or it was a worldly paradise. They contend that since the eternal paradise contains no forbidden tree and where no devilish temptation occurs, it was most probably a paradise-like garden in this world or perhaps on some planet from they were cast out to earth for having disobeyed the commandments of the Lord. From these Ayahs we learn that: 1-God desires the welfare and comfort of mankind as the most perfect of creation and made paradise the dwelling of their progenitors, Adam and Eve. It was mankind who created problems for itself through disobedience. 2- One should be careful of the stomach and the food that it is eaten, for the first disobedience of Adam was made because of the needs of his stomach that made him taste the forbidden fruit while several other types of lawful fruits were in plenty to eat. 3- Before insisting on forbidden and permitted affairs, first we should properly and in a rational way introduce thing that are lawful and things that are unlawful and for what

reasons. 4. Not only the committing of sin is prohibited but also approaching of the areas ruled off-limit by God, for frequenting of vice dens gradually results in contamination even if one pretends in the beginning to first watch such decadent things as amusement.

(21) We begin this edition with Ayahs 11 and 12 of Surah A’raaf. “And certainly We created you, then We fashioned you, then We said to the angels: Make obeisance to Adam. So they did obeisance except Iblis; he was not of those who did obeisance.” “He said: What hindered you so that you did not make obeisance when I commanded you? He said: I am better than he: Thou hast created me of fire, while him Thou didst create of dust. Last week we pointed to God’s blessings on earth that were meant for man to make the best and proper use of them. The Ayahs that we recited to you just now remind us of the purpose of creation, mention the fact that not only the earth but those living in the heavens as well as the angels showed respect and reverence for the first created man, Adam, and due to mankind’s sublime position and merits in the ranks of creation, the Almighty Creator ordered all angels to make obeisance to Adam. But among all those in the divine presence, only Iblis, whose origin differed from the angels, disobeyed the Lord. As it can be inferred form the other Ayahs of the Holy Qur’an, Iblis, unlike the angels had not been created of light. His origin of creation was in fact fire like that of the Jinns or Gennies, but due to his lengthy worship of the Lord and supplications to the Almighty to raise his status he was elevated by the All-Wise God to the company of angels as a trial. Thus as is clear, he refused to obey the command of God to prostrate to Adam on the unconvincing pretext that Adam was created from clay while his origin was fire. God cast Iblis away as the evil Satan, because of the fact that he neither regretted nor apologized for what he had done. God’s commandment to the angels to make obeisance to Adam was not due to the material origin of man but it was because of man’s spiritual magnificence and virtue on the basis of intellect that the Lord granted the human beings. Thus, no excuse can ever be accepted should anyone stand against the Lord’s decree. The insolent Satan by daring to argue intended to imply that he knew better than the Almighty Creator. This is a totally

wrong and erroneous notion. Unfortunately this blasphemous, because of the whispering of the Satan into the ears of the gullible descendants of Adam, persists today. This is evident by the those who disobey the commandments of God in daily life and so devilishly retarded is their concept that these dissenters of divine laws call themselves intellectuals which they are absolutely not. It is clear that their minds have missed the truth. Therefore, in view of our nature we ought to be in the service of the Merciful Lord and should obey His decrees and laws without hesitation. These Ayahs teach us that: 1. Mankind has been bestowed with the essence that could potentially exalt him, by courtesy of his virtue and controlling of his passions through the divine gift of intellect, to be revered by the celestial angels. 2.

When all angels had made obeisance to Adam, the father of the human race, as commanded by God, it is incumbent on mankind to obey the Lord without satanic intentions.

3.

Race or origin or even age cannot justify a person’s superiority; rather the criterion is our obedience to the Lord.

4.

When Satan did not make obeisance to Adam why should man ever follow Satan who disobeyed the Lord.

Now we read Ayah 13 of Surah A’raaf: “He said: Then get forth from this state, for it does not befit you to behave proudly therein. Go forth, therefore, you are of the abject one.” This Ayah referring to the root of Satan’s disobedience which is arrogance and misplaced air of superiority, expresses the fact that Iblis lost a position he had gained through years of worshipping the Lord and was expelled from the divine presence. Let us hear a Hadith in this regard from the Almighty’s Last Messenger to mankind, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). Whoever tries to be modest and humble shall be elevated by the Lord, but whoever is arrogant, shall be trampled on the Resurrection Day. From Ayah 13 of surah A’raaf we learn that: 1.

Neither knowledge nor worship can lead man to salvation. What is required is obedience to the commandments of the Lord. Satan had a better cognizance of God and accordingly worshipped Him more than human beings do today, but a

moment of disobedience brought about his fall, since this supposed cognizance and worship lacked sincerity because he did not thoroughly obey the Lord. 2.

Arrogance leads to damnation by wiping out good deeds.

Now we read Ayahs 14 and 15 of Surah A’raaf: “He said: Respite me until the day when they are raised up.” “He said: Surely you are of the respited ones.” Now a question may be raised here and that is why did the Lord give respite to the Satan? The answer is that the final reward and punishment shall come on the Day of Judgment. God has given respite to all sinners so that the children of Adam repent of their temptations by the devil. Thus, a person who commits a deadly sin is not necessarily punished with death. Furthermore, Satan is symbolically a means to test man; therefore according to divine logic concerning man’s trial, goodness and evil should juxtapose to give meaning to man’s free will to be master of his own self. Satan is unable to force anyone to commit a sin; rather what he does is to tempt man to lose control. These Ayahs teach us the following points: 1.

The All-Merciful Lord has given respite to all sinners, and happy are those who use this opportunity for repentance.

2.

Not every long life can be valuable since Satan has a long life too. The important point is to make the best of it.

3.

It seems that although Satan believed in the principle of justice he did not seemingly believe in the Resurrection Day. That’s why he never thought of repenting of capital sin.

(20) Now we read the translation of Ayahs 6 and 7 of Surah A’raaf. “Most certainly then We will question those to whom (the Prophets) were sent, and most certainly We will also question the Prophets.” “Then most certainly We will relate to them with knowledge, and We were not absent.” In our previous program we pointed to the punishment of the oppressors in the life of this

world. According to these Ayahs, the main punishment or reward of all human beings, whether good or evil, and even the recompense for the Prophets, Imams and the saints, shall be on the Day of Judgment. Although, the Lord is All-Knowing and nothing can be ever hidden from Him, to spill the facts from our own mouths on the Resurrection Day before the entire creation, He shall question everyone of us for whatever we did and inform us of the consequence of our deeds. Islam says, human beings shall be questioned by the Lord on the blessings bestowed by the Lord, whether material or spiritual. Our bodily organs, our earnings and the blessing of divine guidance and leadership to alert us from the pitfalls of life that the All-Merciful God had bestowed upon us, shall be asked. We cannot blame anyone else on that day, since every individual is responsible for his or her own actions. The important point is that the Lord shall question all mankind to their capabilities and nothing more than that. From these Ayahs we learn that: 1.

All human beings shall be questioned by the Lord on the Day of Judgment. Everybody is responsible for his or her deeds. Even the Prophets and the Imams as well as the common people will be questioned whether they did what they were supposed to do.

2.

The reason why everyone is questioned on the Day of Justice is to punish the wicked and to reward the righteous. Of course, God is All-Forgiving for those who repent before their death.

Now we read Ayah 8 of Surah A’raaf: “And the measuring out on that day will be just; then as for him whose measure (of good deeds) is heavy, those are they who shall be successful.” Although the only judge in the divine court is the Lord, and those attending are all His creatures, God Almighty, will mete out verdicts based on perfect justice among his servants not as the way He wishes. Certain Muslim schools of jurisprudence believe that due to His being the One and Only God, He can do whatever He wishes without consideration for justice. This is totally wrong and erroneous, and according to this Ayah the only criterion the Lord uses to make judgment is justice and the righteousness of His best servants, that is, perfect men like the Prophets and the Imams. This Ayah teaches us that: 1. Passing judgment and the criterion on ‘The Resurrection Day’ is based on righteousness and nothing else.

2. It is no use longing for salvation without belief in God and His commandments and without doing good because of a life spend in disbelief and wickedness. Now

we read Ayah 9 of Surah A’raaf:

“And as for him whose measure of good deeds is light, those are they who have made their souls suffer loss because they disbelieved in Our communications.” This Ayah and the previous one emphasize not only the quantity of deeds but also the quality of them, since as it is mentioned here, should the measure of good deeds be light, it signifies a great loss, no loss comparable to it. For, man’s life resembles a mold, and should it not be used, it shall melt away and cause a great damage to the content in it. From this Ayah we learn that: 1. On the Day of Judgement if one’s measure of deeds is light compared to the heavy misdeeds committed in life, he shall be at loss. 2. The world we live in looks like a market whose capital is our life and its profit is our good deeds. Thus, the greatest loss we may ever have is our negligence of good deeds. Now we read Ayah 10 of Surah A’raaf: “And certainly We have established you in the earth and made in it means of livelihood for you; little it is that you give thanks.” In this Ayah the Lord after referring to punishment and reward as a result of every person’s own deeds points to the endless blessings He has bestowed on mankind based on which our deeds shall be assessed. But in spite of all these just a small number of people are grateful to the Lord for the gift of life and the blessings that we enjoy including air, sunshine, water, food and even the use of our own limbs and bodily organs that are nothing but gifts from our Loving Lord. However, we give but little thanks. It goes without saying that man cannot give thanks to God only through words, rather the most valuable thanksgiving is making use of what the Lord has given us to the most and best possible way and in a legitimate way. For instance grape is a Godgiven fruit to man and should he make use of it in the right way, he has implicitly shown his gratitude to Him. However, if he makes wine out of it, he in fact has proved his being inappreciative to the Lord. The same is the case with God’s other blessings to man like the uses of our hands, feet, tongue, eyes, etc, given to us to meet our purpose of life, of which we should not be ignorant. From this ayah we learn that:

1. The right to make use of all the possibilities on earth has been equally bestowed for every person; thus no one has any privilege over another in this regard 2. The divine blessings should pave the way for human beings to show their gratitude to the Lord and not a factor to neglect duties or go astray.

(19) Now we begin the next Surah of the Holy Qur’an, that is al-A’raaf, and here is the English translation of Ayahs one and two: “In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Alif Laam Meem Suad. A Book revealed to you, so let there be no strait-ness in your breast on account of it, that you may warn thereby, and a reminder close to the believers.” ‘Araaf’ refers to a place in afterlife, like Heaven and Hell in which some people would reside. This is mentioned in Ayahs 46 and 48 of this Surah and thus it is called A’raaf. Among 114 Surahs of the Holy Qur’an, 29 begin with some cryptic letters including A’raaf. As it was mentioned before interpreting the Surah ‘Baqarah’ these cryptic letters are codes between the Almighty Creator and His Last Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). For the time being these letters will remain as it is in their present mysterious state and can only be decoded and revealed to mankind on the advent of the Prophet’s 12th Infallible Successor, Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance to establish the global government of peace and justice). It, however, seems that through these letters, God Almighty wants to imply He has created the Holy Qur’an out of these letters and that no new alphabet and no new words are invented, rather Qur’anic words are created only out of the very existing Arabic words and no man is ever able to compose a thing like it. Pointing to the same matter, the second Ayah addressing the Prophet says the Qur’an whose Ayahs are all truth, has been revealed to Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). Thus he should not put himself under so much pressure vis-à-vis the stubborn polytheists who blind to the truth, since his only duty is to convey God’s words to mankind and it is up to people to accept the truth and attain the promised divine rewards or to deny the manifest truth and end up in the infernal fires of hell. From these Ayahs we learn that: - For teaching and spreading religion among people one needs to be highly patient and

tolerant. - The Prophets’ duty is to guide people towards the right path and warning them of disobedience of God’s commandments. There is no obligation and force in their divine responsibility. Now we read Ayah three of Surah al-A’raaf: “Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow guardians besides Him, how little do you mind.” The previous Ayah outlined the Prophet’s duty of awakening the conscience of people. The addressee of this Ayah is mankind and it outlines to the people’s their duty towards religion, for the message of the Holy Qur’an, revealed through the Prophet is for the entire human race. The Prophet is the trustee who conveys the words of God. The important point here is that this ayah in addition to its advice to mankind to follow the Holy Qur’an, warns him against following diabolical ways. In other words it asserts that the only way to salvation is through following the Divine Book. This Ayah teaches us that: - Divine rules and instructions are necessary for mankind for proper guidance on the divine path. - Those who do not obey Almighty God, Who is Unique, end up under the miserable yoke of atheism or the agony of polytheism. Now we read Ayahs 4 and 5 of Surah A’raaf: “And how many a town that We destroyed, so Our punishment came to it by night or while they slept at midday.” “Yet, their cry, when Our punishment came to them, was nothing but that they said: Surely we were unjust.” Following the previous Ayahs concerning mankind’s obedience to divine precepts, this Ayah says that despite all the endeavors the Prophets made to guide people, only a very few followed and obeyed them during them lifetime. The rejecters grew impudent and dayby-day committed more sins for which, at times they were subjected to divine punishment. Although, man is practically rewarded or punished on the Resurrection Day, he might as well face chastisement here in this world too for some of his sins like treating others unjustly. Divine punishment might come any time of the day even when people might be asleep. This is the time man is awakened from his ignorance. He then admits and

confesses his sins that this punishment is only the result of his own misdeeds and that he betrayed himself. Though, this awakening and confession might be of no use to the victims of the catastrophe anymore because divine justice deemed them deserving of wrath, it can be very useful for others. Even a cursory glance at the history of dictatorial regimes proves the fact that great empires such as ancient Persia and Rome for instance, collapsed and were destroyed because of their own oppressive policies. From these Ayahs we learn that: - Chastisement is not only limited to the Day of Judgment, to make sinners feel secure and safe in this world, rather sinners should await punishment in different forms here in this world too. - Before we face chastisement, we better repent and confess our sins to the All-Merciful Lord in order to avoid being punished and also regain the All-Loving God’s graces.

(18) Now we begin with Ayah 158 of Surah An’aam: “They do not wait aught but that the angels come to them, or that some of the signs of your Lord should come. On the day when some of the signs of your Lord shall come, its faith shall not profit a soul that did not believe before, or earn good through its faith. Say: Wait; we too are waiting.” Last week, we said the Holy Qur’an remains the greatest and eternal miracle granted by God to His last Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny). It is a book whose timeless wisdom and unmatched eloquence have been admitted even by non-Muslim scholars of the Arabic language. Its challenge to produce even a small surah like its, has remained unanswered for obvious reasons. But the polytheists and the atheists, unable to answer the dynamism of the contents of the Holy Qur’an, deny it out of obstinacy and prejudice. In the days of the Prophet, the polytheists resorted to irrational views and took the phenomena of nature such as lightning and thunder as heavenly sounds. The Prophet told them that the things they were asking for, such as the appearance of angels would not benefit them since Satan has deceived them into disbelief. Faith should be the outcome of awareness and freedom of choice and not a half-hearted belief based on fear or something forced upon. The Almighty Lord has the power to create everything out of nothing like the miraculous emergence of a fully grown

she camel with the splitting of mountain rock as a divine sign for the tribe of Samoud when it demanded that Prophet Saleh should produce a miracle to prove his prophethood. But so obstinate were the disbelievers that instead of accepting these signs they killed the she camel born miraculously out of a mountain rock, and accordingly made themselves deserving of divine punishment. This ayah teaches us that: 1.

Although even one miracle would do for a sincere and pure hearted person, those whose hearts are blackened by obstinacy will never become true believers.

2.

The faith void of any good deed is as valueless as a deed void of any true faith.

Now we read to Ayah 159 of surah An’aam. “Surely they who divided their religion into parts and became sects, you have no concern with them; their affair is only with Allah, then He will inform them of what they did.” Not only the polytheists and atheists but also those who claim to be believers, sow discord among others through creating heresies and superstitions as well as misinterpreting the Holy Scriptures and thus shall be punished on the Day of Judgement for their misdeeds. One of the points on which Islam finds faults with other creeds, is that their scriptures have been altered one way or other and misinterpreted textually and literally in order to deceive the simple and unsuspecting followers. The Holy Qur’an though not altered literally and textually a unanimously agreed upon codex as it was revealed to the Prophet over a millennium and four centuries ago, has at times been verbally misinterpreted by some. This is the reason of sectarian divisions, which, however, compared to other religions such as Christianity and Judaism, are actually schools of jurisprudence. Nevertheless such distortion is a deadly crime and God Almighty will punish those responsible for the misdeed. Thus, religious scholars should take it upon themselves to remove any kind of heresy or superstition from religion so as to achieve true unity. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

One should believe in all the rules and principles of one’s religion instead of being selective and preferential since believing in some principles and denying others is not compatible with the nature of religion.

2.

Existence of discord among Muslims signifies the fact that the ayahs of the Holy Qur’an have been misinterpreted.

Now we read Ayah 160 of surah An’aam: “Whoever brings a good deed, he shall have ten like it, and whoever brings an evil deed, he shall be recompensed only with the like of it, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.” One of the privileges of divine principles over flawed manmade laws is the reward bestowed in return for a good deed. Manmade laws punish those who disobey rules but there is no reward for those who obey them. Divine principles also punish criminals but unlike the flawed manmade rules they recompense man’s good deeds, even ten times more than the reward one deserves and that is all because of God’s mercy and grace towards His good creatures. This ayah teaches us the following points: 1.

According to Islamic principles there should be more rewards than punishment.

2.

The only companions of a person in afterlife, is his or her good or evil deeds.

Now we read ayah 161 of surah An’aam: “Say: Surely, (as for) me, my Lord has guided me to the right path; to a most right religion, the faith of Abraham the upright one, and he was not of the polytheists.” Since the polytheists would call themselves the followers of prophet Abraham (AS) and perform pilgrimage to prove it, although in a distorted sense, in this ayah, God Almighty means to say here that even Prophet Abraham detests what they do; for, Abraham like other prophets based his tenets in accordance with God’s will and thus no atheistic notion can ever be found in them. From this ayah following points can be inferred: 1.

The Prophet is the direct path towards the Lord, thus resorting to him and his words keeps a person on the right path.

2.

The base of all divine religions is the same and that is monotheism. The tenets of Islam in fact could be traced to Prophet Abraham and before that to Noah and Adam.

(17) Now we begin with Ayah 153 of Surah An’aam:

“And know that this is My path, the right one, therefore follow it, and follow not other ways, for they will lead you away from His way; this He has enjoined you with that you may guard against evil.” In our previous editions we pointed to the false beliefs of the polytheists which were considered by the Holy Quran as superstitious. This Ayah advises mankind to adhere to the right path which is quite clear, straight and unique in contrast to the crooked ways that are so vague and dispersed. The interesting fact is that a large number of superstitions and heresies are created by those who wrongly call themselves religious and prejudiced. But the fact is that they attribute their false and personal beliefs to religion. According to the holy Qur’an the right path of religion is a moderate and a direct one which is far from any kind of prejudice and piety in its actual sense is guaranteed only through following this path. From this Ayah we learn that: 1. The best factor that keeps the people in a society united is adherence to religious principles, and thus what causes discord in a society is deviation from the right path. 2. The divine path is unique, since the right path is unique and there is no duality in this regard. Now we read Ayah 154 of Surah An’aam: “Again, We gave the book to Moses to complete Our blessings on him who would do good to others, and making plain all things and a guidance and a mercy, so that they should believe in the meeting of their Lord.” In spite of those who believe there is disparity between divine religions, the fact is that all divine religions confirm each other and basically refer to prophethood and the mission of the prophets as a trend in continuation of each other for a definite goal, that is, guiding people and defining divine principles on different subjects. In this Ayah the Holy Qur’an has referred to the Torah that was revealed to Prophet Moses as a blessing to guide believers of those times. The Torah was God’s mercy and it reminds us of the Day of Judgment. This Ayah teaches us that: 1. All divine heavenly revealed books have expressed man’s needs in order to help him reach perfection and salvation.

2. The only people who enjoy the messages of the divine books are those who cleanse themselves of sins not the wicked. Not we read Ayahs 155 and 156 of Surah An’aam: “And this is a Book We have revealed, blessed; therefore follow it and guard against evil that mercy may be shown to you.” “Lest you say that the Book was only revealed to two parties before us and We were truly unaware of what they read.” Following revelation of the Torah to Prophet Moses that was expressed in the previous Ayah, these Ayahs comparing the Torah and the Holy Quran, assert that like the Torah, the Holy Qur’an is a God’s Words and following it would bring blessing, guidance and salvation for the human race. The Qur’an was revealed as God’s final and most comprehensive code of behavior for mankind to remove any doubts or excuses for trying to justify wrongdoings. Thus, believers are obliged to follow it and fear only God. From these Ayahs we learn that: 1. The Holy Qur’an is not a mere theoretical book; rather it is the most practical one that is easy to be followed by people anywhere around the world and anytime. 2.

Mankind’s salvation depends on two points: doing good and abstaining from evil.

Now we read Ayah 157 of Surah An’aam: “Or lest you should say: "If the Book had been revealed to us, we would certainly have been better guided than they; so indeed there has come to you clear proof from your Lord, and guidance and mercy. Who then is more unjust than he who rejects Allah’s communications and turns away from our communications with an evil chastisement because they turned away.” In continuation of the previous Ayahs, this Ayah asserts the fact that since the Holy Qur’an has been revealed by God, there shall be no excuses left for mankind to worship idols or indulge in other forms of disbelief and deviation. Rejecting the Holy Qur’an is to turn away from the All-Merciful God and to bear the dire consequences, as there is no excuse to justify such a capital sin. This Ayah teaches us that: 1. There are too many who falsely claim to be true believers. But their honesty shall be proved only when they practice what they preach.

2. The most deadly sin is turning away from the revealed Words of God and to follow the flawed systems coined by deviated minds.

(16) We start this edition with the English translation of Ayah 150 of Surah Anaam, where God Almighty says: “Say: Bring your witness who should bear witness that Allah has forbidden this, then if they bear witness, do not bear witness with them; and follow not the low desires of those who reject Our communications and of those who do not believe in the hereafter, and they make others equal to their Lord.” In the previous programs we said the infidels had considered as taboo certain things by attributing the ban to Allah and the holy Prophet (SAWA) was assigned to struggle against these superstitions. This Ayah tells the Prophet to ask the unbelievers to produce witnesses as to who forbid these things. It also means to say that since they have attributed lies to God, their words are not to be believed, since the follow their carnal desires. But if the minds of these people are opened to facts, they will realize the truth and believe in God. From this Ayah we learn that: 1- Islam is the religion of logic and proof and has nothing to do with superstitions. Therefore it asks for proofs from its opponents. 2- Manmade laws that are based on human desires have no valuable. True believers only adhere to the law of God. Now we read Ayah 151 of Surah Anaam: “Say: Come I will recite what your Lord has forbidden to you- (remember) that you do not associate anything with Him and show kindness to your parents, and do not slay your children for fear of poverty- We provide for you and for them- and do not draw nigh to indecencies, those of them which are apparent and those which Allah has forbidden except for the requirements of justice; this He has enjoined you with that you may understand.” Following the negation of superstitions in the previous Ayahs, this Ayah points to the forbidden cases which are common in all divine religions and are not limited to Islam It

means to say that the most heinous belief is polytheism or attributing partners to the One and Only God. Polytheism is in fact the worst sin. The Ayah also warns the polytheists against their sordid and faithless practice of killing their own small children including those still in the wombs under different pretexts such as poverty and famine or offering them as sacrifices to the idols in the vain hope of preventing famine and natural catastrophes. God points out that it is He who gives sustenance to the human race, even to those in the wombs of their mothers. In other words sustenance is not in the hands of the idols that are the creation of man’s weird and superstitious minds. God has not forbidden the evil and indecencies such as corruption and killings and He has not prohibited the good things. So how do the unbelievers have the wrong notion that whatever evil they do is according to the Will of God, Who only wishes good for His creatures. God wants human beings to show kindness to their parents as well. From this Ayah we learn that: 1- Polytheism and idol-worship is the root of all corruption that is why Islam regards it as the capital sin, while monotheism inculcates humanitarian values in believers. 2- Abortion, which is growing in the so-called progressive communities today, is among the sins and equal to manslaughter. 3- Divine injunctions are in harmony with the intellect as well as the innate nature of mankind. Now we read Ayah 152 of Surah An’aam: “And do no t approach the property of the orphan except in the best manner until he attains his maturity; and give full measure and weight with justice-We do not impose on any soul a duty except to the extent of its ability; and when you speak then be just through it be (against) a relative, and fulfill Allah’s covenant; this He has enjoined you with what you may be mindful;” Here God cautions against exploitation of orphans and misappropriation of their property. The Almighty urges proper management of the belongings of orphans and handing them over the trust when they come of age. The Ayah also commands that in all transactions Muslims ought to be careful and observe justice even while trading. They should also tell the truth and be just in judgment, even if the verdict is not in their favour. From this Ayah we learn that: 1- Our Merciful Creator asks us to do things in the best possible manner, whether for

us or for others. 2- The society’s economic system should be based on justice and not for mere profiteering or preserving the interests of the capitalists even at the expense of the orphans. 3- Divine duties and injunctions are in perfect accordance with mankind’s ability and basically all duties are assigned to the extent of one’s ability. In other words, the more capable a person, his duty is heavier. 4- Justice in words and deeds is among the most important principles of Islam. Rules and regulations carry precedence over relationship, and one should not sacrifice justice at the altar of kinship.

(15) At first we read Ayah 145 of Surah An’aam: “Say: I do not find in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden for an eater to eat of, except that it be what has died of itself, or blood poured forth, or flesh of swine – for that surely is unclean – or that which is a transgression, other than (the Name of) Allah having been invoked on it; but whoever is driven to necessity, not desiring nor exceeding the limit, then surely your Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.” As it was mentioned in our previous editions, the polytheists due to a number of superstitions and heresies intermingled with which they had discolored and distorted the monotheistic message brought to them by Prophet Abraham (AS), would consider as forbidden the things God allows man do and then attribute such erroneous beliefs to the Lord. In this Ayah Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny) has been commissioned by the Lord to specify the limited number of forbidden comestibles to make man differentiate between right and wrong. What this Ayah prohibits man from eating is either unclean, or against religion. Carrion or the flesh of animals that died without being slaughtered, the flesh of the swine and the blood of animals are all considered as filthy and unclean, for, these are sources of a variety of diseases. God wishes man to eat clean and hygienic food as He says in Ayah 57 of Surah Baqarah: “Eat of the good things that We have given you.”

Thus as should be clear, not only the unclean things but also whatever prohibited by the Lord is unlawful for mankind as well. Accordingly, sheep, cattle and other species of sanctioned animals such as birds should be slaughtered by reciting the Name of the Lord Most High, and should not be dedicated to idols. Towards its end the Ayah points to a general rule according to which anything prohibited to eat, can in specific cases of emergency, be made use of, provided its purpose is it save life. This Ayah teaches us that: 1. In addition to hygienic reasons, whatever Islam prohibits man to do is also because of spiritual and moral losses such things bring about. 2. Islam is neither rigid nor irrational. In times of emergency when there is no healthy food is available, especially if life is at stake, carrion is allowed for survival. Now we read Ayahs 146 and 147 of Surah An’aam: “And to those who were Jews We made unlawful every animal having claws, and of oxen and sheep We made unlawful to them the fat of both, except such as was on their backs or the entrails or hat was mixed with bones: this was a punishment We gave them on account of their rebellion, and We are surely Truthful.” “But if they give you the lie, then say: Your Lord is the lord of All-encompassing mercy; and His punishment cannot be averted from the guilty people.” In these Ayahs God points out to Jewish precepts to declare that the superstitious beliefs of the polytheists are neither compatible with Islamic tenets nor those of Judaism or Christianity. Also certain prohibitions existing among the Jews and not is Islam, are penal ones since God made decreed these measures as punishment to the ever rebellious Israelites for disobeying His explicit commandments. This is underlined in Ayah 160 of Surah Nisa’: “Wherefore for the iniquity of those who are Jews did We disallow to them the good things which had been made lawful for them, and for their hindering many people from Allah’s way.” According to Divine decreed penal rules, the Israelites were disallowed to eat animals with uniformed hoofs whether cattle or birds, thus they were neither allowed to eat the meat of camels nor the fat of sheep or oxen except the fat that would come with the bones although some of such prohibitions were removed during the time of Prophet Jesus (AS). Ayah 147 of Surah Am’aam addressing Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny), says that if the Jews reject him, he’d better remind them that God Almighty bestows on man His endless blessings but such blessings shall not cover the

sins of the sinners, since He does not punish them now; rather He gives them more chances that they might repent and return to Him. From these Ayahs we learn that: 1. We should be grateful to the divine blessings we enjoy, for if we do not do so we might be deprived of them. 2. Facing the opponents of Islam we should both remind them of divine bounties and warn them of punishment. Now we Read Ayahs 148 and 149 of Surah An’aam: “Those who are polytheists will say: If Allah had pleased we would not “have associated aught with Him nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden to ourselves anything: even so did those before them reject until they tasted Our punishment. Say: Have you any knowledge with you so you should bring it forth to us? You only follow a conjecture and you only tell lies. “Say: Then Allah’s is the conclusive argument; so if He pleases, He would certainly guide you all.” In these Ayahs God tells the Prophet that soon the polytheists will try to justify their superstitious beliefs in their usual illogical manner. The Lord observes their deeds. If He had wished, He would have stopped them from doing them, and also had God wished, neither they would be disbelievers nor their ancestors. Because of this the polytheists deceived themselves by surmising that all these facts signify that it was God Who had wished them to be so. In response to such baseless excuses, the Holy Qur’an says that by sending the Prophets and teaching the principles of monotheism, the Lord intended to show them He strongly dislikes such superstitious beliefs. But it is not true that He would force man to accept the right path, rather He gives man the freedom of choice between good and evil after making everything clear. And God sent Prophets to guide humanity and fulfill His commitment so that on the Day of Judgment, mankind will not have any excuse to say that he or she was not aware of divine guidance. In response to the polytheists, the Holy Qur’an says that such claims posed by the disbelievers are not based on knowledge, rather based on unjustified and groundless suppositions. These Ayahs teach us that: 1. God wishes that mankind to believe in Him, not through force but through awareness

and enthusiasm for truth. Thus even the prophets are not allowed to force people since their duty is to expound the truth and warn against falsehood. 2. What is worse than committing a sin is trying to justify it, and what is worst of all is forging lies against the Lord.

(14) At first we read Ayah 141 of surah An’aam: “And He it is Who produces gardens, trellised and without trellises, and palm-trees and crops diverse produce, olives and pomegranates, similar and dissimilar. Eat of its fruits when it bears fruit, and give its due on the day of harvest, and do not act extravagantly; surely Allah does not like the extravagant." In our previous edition it was mentioned that the polytheists of Mecca, would first allocate a portion of their cattle to their idols and then another portion to God and that such ideas were mixed with superstitious and heretic beliefs. This Ayah points to the fact that if the due was paid for the sake of God Almighty, it would be naturally given to the needy, and the orphans should not only have a share of the cattle but also of agricultural produce. But in spite of those who would consider all the farm products for themselves and would not leave any portion for the needy, there were also some others who went to excess and gave away all they gained. Islam censures such an act though it appears to be charitable, since Islam is the religion of moderation. Thus neither neglecting the needy in a society nor neglecting one’s own needs is acceptable, as pointed out in Ayah 67 of Surah Furqan: “ And they who when they spend, are neither extravagant nor parsimonious, and (keep) between these the just mean.” From Ayah 141 of Surah An’aam we learn that: 1. Making a large variety of fruits and plants from the same water and soil is indicative of the Power of God Almighty. 2. Water, soil, light, and oxygen, which are essential for plants to grow are all granted by the Lord and consequently all the products of the earth belong to Him. Thus, through allocating a portion of it for God and in fact for others we should be grateful to Him and avoid being parsimony. Now we read Ayah 142 of Surah An’aam:

“And of the cattle (some) are for burden and (some) for slaughter. Eat of what Allah has provided you and do not follow the footsteps of the Satan; surely he is your open enemy.” This Ayah also underlines the fact that everything one can imagine such as trees and plants that grow from the seemingly lifeless soil, as well as the different animals that man requires for feeds, have all been created by the Lord. He is the One who permits human beings to enjoy them rather than falling victim to superstition and allocating portions for idols and other lifeless objects that are the weird imagination of warped human minds. It is the Almighty God who lets animals such as horses and camels be tamed by man to act as beasts of burden. It is God alone Who created sheep or goats so that man could make use of their meat, skin and milk. This Ayah also warns us neither to be extravagant nor parsimonious in making use of animals. It draws our attention to the superstitious practices of the polytheists who left a part the cattle unused and not only did not eat of what God had sanctioned but violated the rules of God by feeding on animals the Lord has banned. Rather the Ayah allows man to use certain animals and avoid some others. In other words, if man does not do so, he has definitely disobeyed the Lord and instead allowed himself to be misled by the devil. This Ayah teaches us that: 1. Islam does not recommend total abstinence from the meat of animals sanctioned by God as people who call themselves vegetarians do in the wrong belief that they are being kind to animals. 2. We should be very careful about what we eat since it the one through which Adam and Eve were tested by the Lord and deceived by the Devil. Now we read Ayahs 143 and 144 of surah An’aam: “Eight in Pairs – two of sheep and two of goats. Say: Is it the two males that He has forbidden or the two females, or what is contained in the wombs of the two females? Inform me with knowledge if you are truthful.” “And two of camels and two of oxen. Say: Is it the two males that He has forbidden or the two females, or what is contained in the wombs of the two females? Were you witnesses when Allah enjoined this upon you? So who is the greater wrongdoer than him who fabricates a lie against Allah to mislead the people without knowledge? Surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.” As you remember the previous Ayah pointed to the fact that God Almighty has allowed

man to make use of the meat, skin and milk of cattle and forbids having any kind of superstitious belief in this regard. Then in the next ayahs God pointing to the misconstrued beliefs of the polytheists, mentions the names of the animals permitted for food such as sheep, goats, camels, and cattle, both male and female totaling eight in number. This is while as it was mentioned in the previous Ayahs, the polytheists had in some cases forbidden the males and in some other cases deemed that the females of these animals were unfit to eat. Instead they had permitted themselves to eat the stillborn animals and even what is still in the wombs, a sordid and unhealthy practice that God has forbidden. The rest of the Ayah says that such superstitious and heretic beliefs amount to forging lies against the Lord and lead people astray. Those who coined such wrong heresies should be responsible for their heinous acts. From this Ayah we learn that: 1. The important point in making use of food is whether the Lord has allowed it or not. 2. Religious scholars should endeavor to remove superstitions among the public and make truth prevail. 3. Religious beliefs should be based on knowledge not superstition and hearsay that will end in ignorance.

(13) At first we read Ayah 137 of surah An’aam: “And thus their associates have made fair seeming to most of the polytheists the killing of their children, that they may cause them to perish and obscure for them their religion, and if Allah had pleased, they would not have done it, therefore leave them and that which they forge.” In our previous edition we pointed to one of the superstitions of the unbelievers concerning their allocating a portion of their agricultural products as well as their cattle to the idols. This Ayah referring to another superstitious belief of the disbelievers adds, they would not only give a share of their property to the idols but even sometimes would sacrifice their own children at the altar of the idols as an act of worship. The Holy Qur’an in this regard says their idolatry has exceeded all bonds on the misconstrued notion that it is something to be proud of. The Ayah continues that due to such false and wrong beliefs, the righteous tenets taught by Prophet Abraham had been distorted and transformed out of shape. Thus,

superstitions had supplanted divine rules in the Jahiliyya or ignorant society of Mecca. Addressing the Prophet, the Quran says, the infidels attribute their sins to the Lord and refuse to heed divine commandments so the Prophet becomes tired and leaves them alone since even God does not wish to make them believe through compulsion. And if just the Lord wished, He could easily stop them from such heinous acts. From this Ayah we can learn that: 1. What is worse than committing a sin is justifying it, which will end in damnation and block the way to salvation. 2. The Prophet and the missionaries are responsible to teach people the divine tenets not force them to accept them, thus they should not be disappointed when people are not guided. Now we read Ayah 138 of the Surah An’aam: “And they say: These are cattle and tilth prohibited; none shall eat them except such as We please – so they assert- and cattle whose backs are forbidden, and cattle on which they would not mention Allah’s name- forging a lie against Him; He shall requite them for what they forged.” Last week we pointed to the habit of the polytheists in allocating a portion of their agricultural products and cattle to their idols. This Ayah referring to this superstitious belief says that this portion dedicated to their idols was not only left unused by them but was also forbidden to others. They would also prohibit use of the milk or flesh of these animals. The only people who were permitted to eat them were the temple priests. This was a kind of manipulation to deceive the ordinary people, who were also not allowed to ride such animals on the pretext that these were the property of the idols. They even did not mention Allah’s name at the time they slaughtered them; instead they would mention the name of their favorite idol. The Holy Quran in this regard says although such deeds and beliefs were all heinous, the worse thing is that all such superstitions were wrongly attributed to religion and thus the One and Only God shall requite them for what they forged. This Ayah teaches us that: 1. Fighting against superstitions especially the ones wrongly intermingled with religion was one of the major aims of the divine prophets. 2. Not only doing what the Lord has prohibited but also refusing to do what God has allowed as legitimate, are all parts of forging lies against God.

Now we read Ayahs 139 and 140 0f the surah An’aam: “And they say: What is in the wombs of these cattle is especially for our males, and forbidden to our wives, and if it be stillborn, then they are all partners in it; He will requite ward them for their attributing (falsehood to Allah); surely He is All-Wise, AllKnowing.” “They are lost indeed who kill their children foolishly without knowledge, and forbid what Allah has given to them, forging a lie against Allah; they have indeed gone astray, and they are not the followers of the right course.” These Ayahs pointing to another superstitious and at the same time discriminatory idea of the polytheists, says that these people not only sacrificed their cattle for the idols but they also believed what was in the womb of these animals if alive were to be given to men only and forbidden to women. But if stillborn they the men could share it with the women despite the fact that the flesh of a stillborn animal is harmful and unhealthy. The last Ayah pointing to filicide says the unbelievers had gone to excess in their ignorance. Even the most heinous act a person can ever do that is killing one’s own child was considered a divine act by them and indicates their rejection of God’s blessing. In such harsh conditions God sent Prophet Mohammad (blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny) in order to eradicate the superstitions and to guide them towards lofty humanitarian goals. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

Islam rejects any kind of unreasonable discrimination between men and women concerning the bounties of God.

2.

We should be careful enough not to attribute superstitious beliefs to religion since such deeds are not in accordance with Divine knowledge and so shall be requited.

3.

The real damage is not losing one’s material possessions but acting out of ignorance.

(12) Now we read English translation of Ayahs 131 and 132 of Surah An’aam: “This is because your Lord would not destroy towns unjustly while their people were negligent.”

“And all have degrees according to what they do; and your Lord is not heedless of why they do.” As you remember, it was mentioned in our previous editions we pointed out that God Almighty in his address to mankind and jinns, has said that His purpose for sending the Prophets was to caution mankind of the Resurrection Day. According to this Ayah, the warnings of the Lord are meant as an ultimatum for humans to set them free from ignorance and make truth known to them. For, should the atheists be punished without being warned of the consequences of their deeds, it will be considered as unfair to them. Thus, the right thing is to present the correct way to the disbelievers and if they deny it, then they shall be punished by the Lord. This has always been according to divine principles to which the other Ayahs of the Holy Qur’an have pointed out. For instance in Ayah 15 of Surah Esra, the Lord says: “Whoever does right does it for the sake of his own soul and whoever goes astray goes astray to his own detriment; no one bears the burden of another, nor do We punish unless We We raise an Apostle.” From these Ayahs we learn the following points: 1.

Those shall abide in Hell who did recognize well the righteousness of Islam but then denied it.

2.

Punishing the ignorant without informing them beforehand is in fact unfair.

3.

Salvation and damnation go to those who ask for it, and it is their deeds that determine their position before the Lord.

Now we read Ayahs 133 and 134 of Surah An’aam: “And your Lord is the Self-Sufficient One, the Lord of mercy; if He pleases, He may take you off, and make whom he pleases successors after you. Even as He raises you up from the seed of another people." “Surely what you are threatened with must come to pass and you cannot escape it.” Following the previous Ayahs concerning God’s being just to His creatures, these Ayahs assert that there is no need for the Lord to be unjust to His creatures, for injustice either stems from deficiency in power and perfection that leads to cruelty and exploitation, and God the Omnipotent, the All-Merciful does not have these negative attributes. Rather He is above all needs and wants and is kind and beneficent. But the sinners should not abuse God’s blessings. In such a case they would be deceiving themselves. The Lord has given us freedom in life since He has power both in this world

and the Hereafter from which none can escape. If God merely wishes He can eliminate us from the face of the earth and replace us with others. Thus no one will be able to either get away with his or her crimes or stand against the Lord’s justice. These Ayahs teach us the following points: 1. God is not in need of our worship, which only benefits us. He is not in need of our existence as well, for although the All-Merciful Creator cares us more than our parents, if He wishes, He can simply remove us from existence. 2. Although God’s blessings are vast and infinite, some sinners exceed all limits and thus deprive themselves of His bounties. Now we read Ayah 135 of Surah An’aam: “Say, O my People! Act according to your ability; I too am acting; so you will soon come to know for whom of us will be the good end of the abode; surely the unjust shall not be successful.” Following the previous Ayahs concerning unbelievers’ tantrums and their denial of divine punishment, these Ayahs command Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) to tell them to do their best. The Prophet will also do his best too. But what goes without saying is that God is always victorious but the oppressors and unbelievers shall never be. From this Ayah we learn that : 1. What determines success is the consequences of a deed. Sometimes frivolity might end in damnation. 2. Disobeying God although done by the majority of people, does not change our duty, for we should be committed to our responsibilities and declare the righteousness of the Divine path against doubts and disbelief. Now we read Ayah 136 of sura An’aam: “And they set apart a portion for Allah out of what He has created of tilth and cattle, and say: This is for Allah – so they assert – and this for our associate, it reaches not to Allah, and whatever is set apart for Allah, it reaches to their associates; evil is that which they judge.” This Ayah pointing out to another superstitious belief of the polytheists of Mecca says they would dedicate a portion of their harvest and cattle to God and a portion to their idols. According to history, they would grant the portion dedicated to God to the needy and their guests, while the portion set apart for idols they would grant to idol keepers for their

superstitious rites. And whenever the idols’ portion was insufficient, they would reduce the portion they had dedicated to God but would never do the reverse. Should an accident were to occur and the idols’ portion was destroyed, they would justify their deed by claiming that since God was free of needs and wants, they had better allocate this portion to the idols as well. The last short part of this ayah points to the wrong belief, condemning it since they try to belittle Almighty God. Although, the Lord is the Owner of everything and He is the one who has the right to divide things, the polytheists used to dedicate a portion for Him and add or subtract from it according to their whims. In spite of all this superstition, the polytheists proved something through their false deeds, and that was showing respect for what is called Zakat or share of the poor in the divine religions. This is a clear pointer that with the passing of centuries these ignorant minds that had drifted into polytheism had tampered with and misinterpreted divine commands by adding or deleting to the original teachings of the previous Prophets. From these Ayahs we learn that: 1. That the real cultivator is God Almighty and not human beings. The farmer merely sows the seed and it is God the Creator that provides the conditions and the atmosphere for the plant to sprout, grow and blossom. 2. Among the important aspects of the mission of all Prophets was the fight against confrontation.

(11) Now we start this article from Ayahs 126 and 127 of Sura An’am: “And this the path of your Lord, a right path; indeed We have made the communications clear for a people who mind.” “They shall have the abode of peace with their Lord, and He is their guardian because of what they did.” In our previous editions we reviewed some Qur’anic verses that said how true believers and the unbelievers viewed the divine signs in this world. According to the first Ayah, being a Muslim necessitates that one be pure both in body and mind since the rules of Islam are designed to show the divine path and to guide mankind towards perfection and salvation. Should anyone both in words and deeds accept the rules of Islam, he or she shall indeed make a great step towards the desired purpose through the shortest and surest way. It

goes without saying that if anyone in this world moves on the right path, he or she shall be secure from any danger or punishment in afterlife and will be admitted to secure abode in heaven. From these Ayahs we learn that: 1.

The straight and unwavering path is the only path that lead towards God Almighty. All other ways either end in damnation or perversion.

2.

In order to have perseverance on the right path one needs to be constantly reminded and be attentive, for even a moment of inattention might make man deviate from the right path.

3.

In Heaven one will never be afflicted with any kind of death, disease, poverty, hardship, violence, jealousy, remorse or blame.

Now we read Ayahs 128 and 129 of Sura An’am: “And on the day when He shall gather them all together; O assembly of jinn! You took away a great part of mankind. And their friends from among the men shall say: Our Lord! Some of us profited by others and we have reached our appointed term which Thou didst appoint for us. He shall say: The fire is your abode, to abide in it, except that Allah is please; surely your Lord is wise, Knowing.” “And thus do We make some of the iniquitous to befriend others on account of what they earned.” In these Ayahs, the God once again points out to the conditions of the ignorant in this world as well as that of the next world. First, the Devil as the forerunner of all the ignorant is mentioned and that there might be a large number of people following him. In any event both groups shall be questioned in afterlife but then it will be of no use since there will be a dilemma from which one can neither retreat nor will have a chance to compensate. The Jinns in this Ayah refer to the Satan and his supporters who by presenting temptations pave the way for man to commit sin. But what these deceived people are not be aware of is that such worldly pleasures will not end well for them. The wise persons shall never exchange the eternal heaven with the materialistic world though such deceptive pleasures and attractions. The Ayah continues that the ones who always pursued sin in this world, will see a fire ignited out of their sins that will encircle them through which there is no way out unless that the Lord might forgive them. But the point is that God does not do anything in vain since He is All-knower, All-Aware, Who both rewards and punishes very precisely

and justly. This Ayah teach us that: 1.

On the Day of Judgment, mankind and Jinns shall be resurrected in the same site so as to make Satan and man stand side by side.

2.

We should think of the impact and consequences of our deeds and try to find a qualified God-oriented leader, capable enough to protect us.

3.

Not all the sinners shall remain in the fires of hell; rather their punishment is decided by the Divine knowledge.

4.

Following Satan in this life prepares the ground for oppressors to usurp and dominate the society.

Now we read Ayah 130 of Surah An’am: “O assembly of Jinn and mankind! Did there not come to you apostles from among you, relating to you My communications and warning you of the meeting of this day of yours? They shall say: "We bear witness against ourselves; and this world’s life deceived them, and they shall bear witness against their own souls that they were unbelievers.” In continuation of the previous Ayahs, this Ayah asserts that God on the Day of Judgment will first make the unbelievers confess that despite being aware of the truth they themselves did not accept. The had the possibility to be guided on the right path but then went astray, and that they had heard facts about the Resurrection Day but instead were so much fascinated by the material world that they disregarded the afterlife. And that was the cause for them to deny the Lord and His endless blessings and finally made them end up in Hell. From this Ayah we learn that: 1. Both Jinn and mankind are responsible for their deeds and for both God has appointed some Prophets in accordance with their gender. 2. On the Day of Judgment there is no room for denying; even the sinners confess although not beneficial to them. 3.

The most important factor making man deny the Prophets is man’s enchantment to the materialistic aspect of this world.

(11) Now we read the English translation of Ayah 123 of Surah An’am: “And thus have We made in every town the great ones to be its guilty ones, that they may plan therein; and they do not plan but against their own souls, and they do not perceive.” It was mentioned in our previous edition that some of the elite of polytheist Mecca such as Abu-Jahl were always trying to conspire against Islam, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and the fledgling Muslim community. God Almighty made the plots of the enemies of humanity go awry and in a soothing tone to His Messenger and the believers, as is evident by the Ayah that we recited to you now, said: "That during history there have always existed arrogant people like Abu-Jahl who rejected God’s words and plotted against the believers. Since every good or evil deed man does, is in full control of the Lord, one should not suppose that he or she is so powerful that God is unable to destroy them. This is an erroneous idea and the sinners are the main losers in the end for harbouring such thoughts and continuing with their mischiefs. If only they could realize that it is only God, Who has enabled them and bestowed them the power to think and decide, so anytime He wishes, the Lord can easily end this power and control. The Omnipotent God has given mankind the use of free will to see how human beings behave on the basis of their intellect. Those who chose the wrong way will suffer, while those who repent and seek help from God will surely be rescued by the Almighty. The Ayah teaches us that: 1.

The corrupt leaders as well as corrupt politicians and intellectuals are the root cause of corruption in a society.

2.

Opponents of God and His Messengers, possess no logic, neither righteousness nor any piety, rather what they use to reach their goals are tricks, deception and intrigue.

3.

One who tries to trap others is finally entrapped himself, namely, the evil consequences of man’s deeds shall finally boomerang upon him.

Now, we read Ayah 124 of the Surah al-Ana’m: “And when a communication comes to them, they say: We will not believe till we are given the like of what Allah’s apostles are given. Allah best knows where He places

His message. There shall befall those who are guilty humiliation from Allah and severe chastisement because of what they planned.” In continuation of the previous Ayahs concerning the hypocrisy and stratagem of the enemies the Prophet and Islam, this Ayah asserts that one of the pretexts of the polytheist leaders in Mecca was that they were superior to the Prophet, who was chosen by the Lord to guide them in all affairs, irrespective of their wealth, rank and social status. They had the assumption that they were the right ones, and not the Prophet. They raised the absurd question why God did not directly reveal His words to them instead of through the Prophet. And because of this obstinacy, they rejected truth and refused to believe either in God or the Prophet. In response to such baseless claims the Holy Qur’an asserts: "The Lord does know better than anybody else which one is qualified to shoulder such great divine responsibility." Furthermore, worldly possessions do not determine whether the person is qualified or not, rather guiding people is fulfilled by another requirement to which those materialistic people have no access. From this Ayah we learn that: 1. One of the most important root causes of rejecting the leadership of the divine Prophets is the people who suffer from megalomania and superiority complex. This wrong attitude makes them vehemently oppose righteousness. 2. The Lord has promised to chastise and punish severely such arrogant people even in this world so that others would never forget the consequences of such deeds. Now we Read Ayah 125 of Surah An’am: “Therefore (for) whomsoever Allah intends that He would guide him aright, he expands his breast for Islam, and (for) whomsoever he intends that he should cause him to err, He makes his breast strait and narrow as though he were ascending upwards; thus does Allah lay uncleanness on those who do not believe.” Ayah 125 sums up the previous Ayahs asserting that choosing the path of belief or infidelity depends on man’s free will. Being a disbeliever or a true believer are not merely limited to a series of apparent conducts, rather true faith in God means totally submitting to the Will of the Lord and accepting the divine rules wholeheartedly. On the other hand, disbelief means rejecting the divine truth and illogically resisting against it. Thus, the Holy Quran in this regard says that the one who accepts divine guidance is sound and safe in heart. In other words, man’s heart be healthy and he should be ready to accept the truth.

Likewise, should his heart be sick, he will reject even the most delicious kind of foods, such as those sick in body and mind do. This Ayah has also points to a very important note, and that is, the one who opposes the divine truth is like the one who wishes to ascend to sky but, due to oxygen deficiency, is not able to breathe easily. From this Ayah we learn that: 1. Accepting truth necessitates an internal capacity but after one becomes a true believer such capacity expands gradually and this is what we call divine grace. 2. The corrupt people though seemingly enjoying comfort and wealth, are indeed entangled and entrapped in the biggest catastrophe.

(10) Now we read the English translation of Ayah 120 of Surah An’aam of the Holy Qur’an: “And abandon open and secret sin; surely they who earn sin shall be recompensed with what they earned.” This Ayah views those who truly believe in the Lord and His last Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). So profound is their faith that they never approach any sin either overtly or covertly. It is worth noting that every sin can be considered from two aspects: one is the observable aspect that could have apparent effects on the sinner as well as on onlookers and society. The other is hidden aspect that is detrimental to the soul and mind of sinner. Sin can be likened to a poisonous food, which the sinner thinks has an apparently delightful taste but which gradually makes the sinner’s heart grow dim and sick. These forbidden comestibles seem to give short-lived pleasure but their effect on the sinner’s heart is so severe that after some time they turn him into a brutal and stonehearted being. If you could recall, the message of the ayah that we explained to you last week towards the end of our programme, was that, the sufferings and apparent punishments a person bears in this world are the direct result of his or her own deeds and not due to God’s will to make that particular person suffer for no reason, except that it is a divine tribulation and trial for the chosen of God. This Ayah teaches us that:

1.

Islam takes into consideration both the inner and outer purity, that is, a person should avoid both manifest sins as well as those concealed in his or her heart, such as being suspicious of others or feeling jeolous of others.

2.

Although the devil is continuously tempting human beings to commit sin, he is not able to deprive steadfast believers of their strong will. Thus, if one commits a sin, it is because he has voluntarily asked for it.

Now we read Ayah 121 of Surah An’aam: “And do not eat of that on which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned, and that is most surely a transgression; and most surely the Satans suggest to their friends that they should contend with you; and if you obey them, you shall most surely be polytheists.” As could be clear from the wording of the Ayah, since the purpose of divine religions is to lead mankind towards peace and prosperity in life and and salvation in the Hereafter, many of their regulations also pertain to the material affairs of the world, including eating and clothing. Islam, as the last revelation of God to mankind, makes us aware of the divine blessings in nature, and has at the same time prohibited us from eating or drinking some of them, which based on Divine knowledge are considered detrimental to man’s body or soul. One such prohibition is eating carrion which the polytheists Arabs used to do. When Islam prohibited the eating of carrion, these ignorant minds tried to questions the logic behind by reasoning that there was no difference between an animal that died naturally and the slaughtered by man. Furthermore, they would claim that a dead animal is dead due to God’s will and so is preferable to the one slaughtered by man. But as could be inferred from what was mentioned, it is surely a fallacious reasoning in view of the fact that when an animal dies it is because of a disease and in such a case its meat is harmful to man. On the contrary when an animal is slaughtered ritually by reciting the Name of God Almighty, the blood of the sacrificed animal gushes out of its vessels and body and so the meat is much healthier. The important point to note is that while slaughtering an animal, it is obligatory for Muslims to recite the Name of Lord, which signifies how meaningful the deeds of Muslims are even when it comes to eating. Another humanitarian aspect of Islam when slaughtering is that, the animal should not be starving and should be given water to drink. While slaughtering it is also obligatory to face the Qibla or the direction of prayer towards the holy Ka’ba in Mecca with the animal’s head also turned towards the same direction, in order to signify the importance of the focal point of prayer and the and the sincerity of intention of

Muslims. From this ayah we learn that: 1.

In matters such as nutrition also we should keep committed to our religious responsibilities, even preparing and eating food with all acts being God-oriented in Islam.

2.

Devilish temptations that urge man to consume forbidden foods will only lead to negative consequences on man’s body and soul.

3.

Emulating the ways of polytheists and other disbelievers even in words will make Muslims deviate from the right path.

Now we read Ayah 122 of the same Surah: “Is he who was dead when We raised him to life and made for him a light by which he walks among the people, like his whose likeness is that of one in utter darkness whence he cannot come forth? Thus, what they did was made fair seeming to the unbelievers” According to historical accounts, when Hazrat Hamza (AS), the uncle of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), professed his true belief in Islam and opposed arch-infidel Abu Jahl who was an enemy of Islam, this Ayah was revealed in appreciation of the Prophet’s lofty character. The Prophet had another uncle, named Abu Lahab, who was an unbeliever and against whom God revealed a Surah warning him of the most severe punishment for rejecting truth and misbehaving with the Prophet. This Ayah teaches us the following points: 1.

Polytheism and disbelief both end in man’s destruction while strong faith leads man to salvation. Thus, real life and death are dependent on strong faith and death.

2.

Real faith is accompanied with light, while disbelieving brings about darkness. A true believer shall never end in dilemma and is always guided by the divine light.

3.

The seemingly attractive deeds of the polytheists prevents them from seeing their depravity and inhuman behavior.

(9)

To pick up from where we left you last week, let’s read Ayah 115 of Surah Ana’m: “And the word of your Lord has been accomplished truly and justly; there is none who can change His words, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” In our last edition concerning Ayah 114 we said that some Jewish and Christian scholars were present in Medina when the Holy Quran was being gradually revealed to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and were sure of its being a divine book but for a variety of reasons they did not believe in it. Addressing the Holy Prophet, the Ayah that we recited to you today means to say that the Prophet should not get upset if the disbelievers do not trust him, for the Lord has asserted that He has revealed to you the most sublime words overflowing with righteousness and virtue. These words contain the most complete divine rules for practicing justice in society; they shall never undergo alteration but shall remain unchanged forever contrary to the previous divine scriptures, which because of the tampering by the hypocrites had been subjected to additions and omissions. From this Ayah we learn that: 1.

The Holy Qur’an as the most comprehensive and most complete divine book is considered the last heavenly scripture revealed to mankind.

2.

All Qur’anic rules are based on honesty, justice, and seeking righteousness.

Now, we read Ayah 116 of Surah Ana’m: “And if you obey most of those in the earth, they will lead you astray from Allah’s way; they follow but conjecture and they only lie.” In continuation of the previous Ayah, this ayah too addresses the Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and says that his true followers are those who do not follow the views and ideas of others after listening to the divine truth revealed to them, even though their opponents may be great in number. Not every majority is always right; more specifically in a society where most people do not act in compliance with logic and wisdom but rather follow their wrong traditions, superstitions and suppositions. All divine Prophets have practiced what they preached even if the majority of the people did not believe in them and scoffed in utter ignorance at their teachings. Thus, if the majority is regarded as the denominating factor, then no Prophet would have carried out his mission that was opposed by the majority and none of the true believers would have dared to express anything against what the polytheists and idol-worshippers believed in. In some cases, of course, such as the presidential elections we refer to the majority vote, but

even in this case the majority factor does not prove the true capability of the candidate for such a post, in view of the fact that many of those who had voted for him, might regret. Or for example, the parliament that had initially approved a minister introduced by the president might impeach him and take back his office. Basically, the idea of being right or wrong is not assessed by the common people as a criterion. For instance, smoking is harmful although many people smoke and righteousness is admired although many people tell lies. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.True guidance is following the path of righteousness shown by the Holy Qur’an and not perusing the whims of the common people. 2. Ideologically, the majority vote does not usually determine righteousness, rather in sociological issues we refer to the majority vote and even in that case it is just a temporary solution and does not indicate the right path! 3. We should accept things based on righteousness and should not follow our worldly desires. Now we read Ayah 117 of the Surah Ana’m: “Surely your Lord - He best knows who goes astray from His way, and He best knows those who follow the right course.”’ So now that we have learned in matters of faith and belief the majority vote cannot decide the right path, we are obliged to follow the perfect and flawless path shown by the Lord, even if those adhering to it are just a minority group of people. Differentiating between righteousness and wickedness requires one to possess vast knowledge about the consequences of affairs whether at present or in the future and this is only possible if one is blessed with inexhaustible source of divine knowledge. And it is only the Lord, Who knows better than anybody else about those who are actually on the right path and those who are wrong. He also does know who has gone astray or who has been guided. Man of course, through his wisdom is enable to differentiate between righteousness and wickedness. But one can clearly see how divergent man’s flawed scope of knowledge is compared to the infinite knowledge of God Almighty. This Ayah confirming the previous Ayah directs us to follow the One and Only God, the AllKnowing Creator of knowledge who guides the deserving among mankind through His infinite Knowledge.

From this Ayah we learn: 1.

Since the knowledge and wisdom of man is acquired, man ought to follow the source of knowledge and wisdom, the All-Knowing and All-Wise God. 2.

It is an erroneous idea to think that we can deceive the Lord as we do deceive others through any means. He is well aware of whatever is hidden or clear and He knows more than anybody else as to who shall achieve salvation in the end or damnation.

Now we read Ayahs 118 and 119 of the same Surah: “Therefore eat of that on which Allah’s name has been mentioned if you are believers in His communications." “And what reason have you that you should not eat of that on which Allah’s Name has been mentioned, and He has already made plain to you what He has forbidden to you excepting what you are compelled to; and most surely many would lead people astray by their low desires out of ignorance; surely your Lord He best knows who exceeds the limits.” Following our previous discussion on the differences between monotheism and polytheism, this Ayah points to one of the evident examples of polytheism in man’s life and says that deviation from the Lord’s path makes man go astray and exceed the limits even in his eating habits. Some people wrongly suppose they have the right to kill and eat any kind of animal and go to extremes. On the other hand, there are some who call themselves vegetarians and also wrongly suppose that eating meat of animals is an immoral and inhuman act. The Holy Quran in this regard means to say: "Neither that way, nor this way is correct, but the right thing is to slaughter the animals that God has given the permission to eat provided that at the time of slaughter one should recite the Name of the Lord." Beware that you do not have the right to kill any kind of animal unless the Lord gives you the permission to do so for, He is the true possessor of all the living beings. Also, when one utters the name of the Lord while slaughtering an animal, it proves his true faith in the Lord, since a person’s health depends on what he eats. Thus, remembering God purifies the soul and helps it achieve salvation. In continuation of the Ayah, God says that He likes you to avoid what He has prohibited you to do and act in accordance with what He has ordained. Thus, man is not permitted to do what God has prohibited. Such excesses and defects all originate from worldly desires followed by ignorant people and are considered a kind of aggression; violation of the divine

principle of righteousness as well as violation of human rights. Through the previous Ayahs we learn that: 1.

Even our food should be divinely sanctioned, for religion is not separate from the material world. Thus, foods permitted by God have a profound effect on one’s faith.

2.

Man should eat the things in accordance with God’s rules and should not follow his worldly desires in this regard.

3.

Since Islam is in harmony with human nature, in dire conditions, a helpless person can eat things that circumstances have forced upon him.

(8) To pick up from where we left off last week, let’s begin with Ayah 111 of Surah Ana’m: “And even if We had sent down to them the angels, and the dead had spoken to them and We had brought together all things before them, they would not believe unless Allah pleases, but most of them are ignorant.” In our last edition we mentioned that the root cause of polytheism in many people is obstinacy and their lack of courage to see realities. It is not because they do not understand what is right rather it is because they do not want to do so. The Ayah we recited to you now says that one of the demands of the polytheists on the Prophet was to ask God to make the angels appear to them, despite the fact that their polluted selves lacked the purity and clarity of vision to behold them in their real form. Also, according to other Qur’anic verses, if angels are supposed to be visible, they shall be manifested in the form of human beings as they appeared to Prophet Abraham and prophet Lot. And even in such a case the polytheists would reject the angels and call them mere humans. Their other absurd demand on the Prophet was reviving the dead, like what Prophet Jesus (AS) did. But would these Arab polytheists believe in such a case in view of the fact that the obstinate Israelites despite observing the miracles performed by Prophet Jesus (AS) refused to believe in his mission. The holy Qur’an in this regard says as long as the polytheists draw shutters over their minds, even if the angels appear to them from heaven or the dead are given a new life right in front of them and talk to them, they shall not be true believers. Instead they would attribute all these manifest miracles to magic and sorcery as done by the idolaters and polytheists of old.

This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

To be a true believer, one has to have a strong will and clarity of vision to discern between truth and falsehood. Merely being aware is not enough.

2.

Not everybody is supposed to be a true believer since God, Almighty has wished that people should use the blessings of the intellect to make choices based on their free will.

Now, we read Ayah 112 of Surah Ana’m: “And thus did We make for every Prophet an enemy, the Satans from among mankind and jinn; some of them suggesting to others varnished falsehood to deceive them, and had your Lord pleased they would not have done it. Therefore, leave them and that which they forge.” In continuation of the previous Ayah, this Ayah pointing that a number of human beings and Jinns refuse to accept the teachings of the Prophets confirms the divine tradition of free will. For instance the Satan, whose origin is the same as the Jinn, was not killed by the Lord for disobedience. Rather he was given the respite so as to test him and test mankind as well through his deceptive acts. All human beings have been given the powers of the intellect and freedom of choice, either to accept divine revelation and reap the benefits or to turn away from the realities and suffer the consequences. Their lifespan is a chance and an opportunity for them to mend their ways since the rewards and the punishments have been delayed for afterlife. The rest of the Ayah means to say that most of the things expressed by the polytheists are Satanic temptations. In other words, the Prophet should not fear anything, but should leave them alone, since his duty is guide people and spread the Lord’s message. He should neither feel offended nor exert any force in this regard. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

History has always been witness to the struggle between truth and falsehood and it is not limited to a specific time.

2.

We have to be quite vigilant against deceit and seemingly fascinating words that are usually plotted by Satan.

Now we read Ayah 113 of Surah An’am: “And that the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter may incline to it and that they may be well pleased with it and that they may earn what they are

going to earn of evil.” This Ayah points to the negative propagation of the enemies of Islam and asks Muslims not to fall for the seemingly fascinating and beautiful words since such words are so tempting that if one is not completely certain of the hereafter, he shall be deceived by such gullible talk and end up on the path of evil. If one does not take heed of devilish words expressed by devious people, they will succeed in staying clear off evil. But even if a small number of people attend the gatherings of the mischievous and fall in to their deceptive words, these evil persons will take advantage and try to penetrate their hearts and minds. Now we read Ayah 114 of the same Surah: “Shall I then seek a judge other than Allah? And He it is Who has revealed to you the Book which is made plain; and those Whom we have given the Book know that it is revealed by your Lord with truth, therefore you should not be of the disputers.” This Ayah which is meant to talk about the Jews and the Christians who believe in the earlier revealed scriptures, states that these people are well aware of the coming of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and having heard his words they very well know that he is the same mould as the Prophets Moses and Jesus (peace upon them). The Jews and Christians also know that the Holy Qur’an revealed to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) is similar to the Torah that was revealed to Prophet Moses (AS) and the Evangel revealed to Prophet Jesus (AS). Still some of them refuse to see the realities and reject him and the Qur’an, that is, tantamount to the rejection of God himself by these people. And some of their demands of performing miracles similar to those performed by the Prophets Moses and Jesus are only baseless pretexts. The rest of the ayah warns Muslims not to have any doubt about their righteousness and not to let their belief grow weaker. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

Among the facts proving the righteousness of Islam are the tidings of the previous prophets in the Torah, the Evangel and the scriptures of other revealed religions around the globe.

2.

If the disbelievers do not believe in Islam, the religion suffers no harm. It is only the disbelievers who are at fault. What people believe, does not determine whether it is right or wrong, rather righteousness has is assessed through its own criteria.

(7) Now we begin from Ayah 107 of Surah An’am: “And if Allah had pleased, they would not have set up others with Him and We have not appointed you a keeper over them, and you are not placed in charge of them.” Following the previous ayahs which pointed to the sordid practice of polytheism and idolworship, this ayah implies that we should not imagine that God has no control over the affairs of mankind, rather had the Lord wished them not to go astray, they would never have done so. But God Almighty wants man to choose his way in accordance with his free will. So He calls Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) that he ought not to compel people to have faith in the Lord since he is not their custodian. In other words, God has made His signs clear to us and wants us to use the power of intellect that He has given us to chose the right path. If people fail to do and fail to avail of the manifest signs of guidance in life, they will be the sufferers. This Ayah teaches us that: 1.

God’ will is based on man’s freedom of action and choice, a fact that is proven by the existence of disbelievers in the world.

2.

The responsibility of the Prophets and the divine missionaries is to guide people not to force them to accept the truth.

Now we read Ayah 108 of Surah al-Ana’am: “And do not abuse those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest exceeding the limits they should abuse Allah out of ignorance. Thus have we made fair seeming to every people their deeds; then to their Lord shall be their return, so He will inform them of what they did.” Following the previous ayah that says Prophets are not obliged to force disbelievers to accept the truth, this ayah says the polytheists and disbelievers should not be abuse or insulted, since these retarded minds are liable to say bad things against their Creator Himself out of ignorance. So truth should be preached on the basis of logic. Prophets have no more responsibility than this and it is up to the people to either follow them or deny reject them out of free choice and suffer the consequences. This ayah also expresses that each group prides on its own beliefs and deeds but it is on the Day of Judgement that truth, as made clear by the Prophets, will be unraveled. The Lord will make clear to them the folly of their wrong beliefs and deeds and they will learn what consequences they had

brought upon themselves by rejecting the Prophets and turning a blind eye to the manifest truth while alive. This Ayah teaches us the following points: 1.

We should take into account the reaction of the opponents of Islam. Sometimes they react in such ugly ways that the best thing we should do is to ignore them.

2.

Disavowal in Islam is quite distinct from cursing and abusing. Disavowal means expressing one’s stance against oppression and polytheism through logical resentment.

Now, we read Ayah 109 of Surah Ana’am: “And they swear by Allah with their strongest of their oaths, that if a sign came to them, they would most certainly believe in it. Say, signs are only with Allah, and what should make you know that when it comes they will not believe?” The polytheists and the disbelievers in the days of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) used to criticize him for not fulfilling their absurd wishes. In response, the Lord asks the Prophet to inform them that performing miracles is not the duty of the Prophet since it is God Who decides when miracles are necessary. Basically miracles are performed to confirm God’s ultimatum and warning and not to fulfill the wayward wishes of people of retarded minds, since many of the wishes are unreasonable and is the result of the failure to use the powers of intellect that the Lord has bestowed upon them. For instance the demands of the Israelites on Prophet Moses to make them see God Almighty, Who as we explained last week is Omnipresent and cannot be encompassed by human eyes, were quite absurd. Thus, the system of the universe cannot be played with by the illogical wishes of the disbelievers. We learn from this ayah that: 1.

We should not be deceived by the false promises of the enemies of Islam who very often deny their own their absurd claims.

2.

The root cause of polytheism is obstinacy and the refusal to see the truth when it is fully manifest. These people are deceived by the Satan to such an extent, that they do not change their wrong beliefs even after observing numerous miracles.

Now we read Ayah 110 of Surah al-Ana’m: “And We will turn their hearts and their sights, even as they did not believe in it the first time, and We will leave them in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on.”

Prejudice and obstinacy make man lose his ability to see, hear and understand the truth so much so that he mistakes truth for falsehood and takes falsehood for truth. The Holy Quran says, this is a practice based on divine creation that the failure of the disbelievers to correct their behaviour after realizing the truth, makes them more blind and astray, to the extent that such person end up in utter confusion and are at a total loss to realize the purpose of creation anymore. This ayah teaches us the following points: 1.

Believing in the Lord and the Prophet requires a sound and pure heart. Thus a heart corrupted by spite, capriciousness, and obstinacy is not capable of accepting truth.

2.

Deviating from the Divine path in this world causes man to go astray and end in perpetual grief.

(6) The following article is an insight into some Ayahs of Surah al-Anaam. Now we start with Ayah 103 of Surah An’am. “Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends all vision; and He is the knower of subtleties, the Aware.” In our previous edition we reviewed together the Ayahs on God’s attributes, the attributes that make the Lord distinct from the idols some people believe in. This Ayah also points out to another attribute of the Lord, by revealing the fact that neither man’s eyes nor his commonsense is able to understand the essence of the Lord. Rather, man can only understand the existence of the Creator and about His attributes, since if eyes are only a mere creation and cannot encompass the Supreme Creator of eyes and all that exist in the universe. A beautiful Hadith from the Prophet’s 6 th Infallible Successor, Imam Ja’far Sadeq (AS) says in this regard that whatever comes to human imagination cannot be God, since He the Almighty is above everything else and the creator imagination and its marvelous powers. But despite man’s incapability, the Lord possesses a kind of power far beyond that of all creatures including human beings. Thus, He is able to understand whatever man hears or sees, since He is the All-

Knowing. Although He cannot be seen, He is Omnipresent and His divine presence is felt everywhere. He is the All-Seeing and is aware of even whatever that occurs deep inside human hearts, since He is the creator of hearts and the source of all life and all that exists. Nothing by any means can ever hide from Him. From this Ayah we learn that: 1. The essence of the Lord can never be understood. Should we ponder what He is, we would go astray. 2. Although God is well aware of whatever evil we do, yet He does not deprive us of His endless blessings. Now let’s read Ayah 104 of Surah An’am: “Indeed there have come to you clear proofs from your Lord; whoever will therefore see, it is for his own soul and whoever will be blind, it shall be against himself and I am not a keeper over you.” In continuation of the previous Ayahs which focused on making humans aware of the Lord as well as expressing the incapability of idols and other manmade objects that some erring people take as deities, to have control over man’s fate, this Ayah expresses the fact that God has made clear to man the divine path. But in order to test our faith He does not compel anybody since He has bestowed the powers of brain and intellect to differentiate between right and wrong on which depends the eventual destination, either heaven or hell. However, God guides whoever that asks Him for His blessings and grants prayer, but it is the humans who deprive themselves of divine favours by abstaining from turning to the Almighty Creator. Thus, in accordance with God’s everyone is free to achieve prosperity in world and salvation in afterlife or become tempted by the deceit of Satan. This Ayah teaches us that: 1. God provides the ways of guidance through Prophets so that no one would say that he or she has been left in the dark. But He does not force them, leaving it for the humans to turn towards the right or towards the wrong after having seen clear signs. 2. If people were to go astray, it does not mean that the teachings of the Prophets had any shortcoming, rather it signifies the fact that they themselves are blind-hearted. Now let read Ayah 105 of Surah An’am:

“And thus we repeat the communications and that they may say: You have read; and that We may make it clear to a people who know.” Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) was once accused by the atheists and disbelievers of being instructed by Jewish rabbis and that what He expressed as the divine revelation and as the revealed Qur’an were not the words of God but the words of others. In response to these wild accusations, God consoles the Prophet and tells him not to grieve over such accusations since these are absurd charges. It is obvious that the accusers had neither proof nor the comprehension to prove that the Prophet was instructed by anybody anywhere. Furthermore, there is a great difference between the contents of the Holy Quran and the Jewish Torah and as Islam believes, Torah has been tampered with unlike the timeless wisdom of the Qur’an, which remains unmatched and unchallenged. From this Ayah w learn the following points: 1.

Even those opposing the Qur’an, confess to its wisdom and unmatched eloquence. They do not express that the words of the Holy Quran are baseless, rather they claim, although absurdly that the Prophet used his own words and was taught by others.

2.

However, a scientific analysis not only reveals the righteousness of the Holy Quran, but it acknowledges it.

Now read to Ayah 106 of Surah An’am: “Follow what is revealed to you from your Lord; there is no god but he; and withdraw from the polytheists.” In addition to their accusation against the Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), the atheists would believe that Qur’an was not a divine revelation rather it was the Prophet’s own word. But this Ayah again consoles the Prophet and order him to tells these retarded minds that the Prophet is advised only to only listen to the Lord since He is the only One who is right. The responsibility of the believers towards the atheists is to guide them but if they don’t heed, we should not force them but should leave them alone. Another important point in this regard is that we should not implore others for it might be construed we badly need to convert them to our own beliefs, rather it should be in a way that in the first stage we should let them hear the divine words in a logical way, and if they don’t we should not insist on that. This Ayah teaches us that:

1.

If one decides to follow the divine path, he should be prepared for difficulties. But one should not fear, rather he should resist.

2. The words of the Holy Quran were revealed to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and without God’s permission he never makes any decision.

(5) The following article is an insight into some Ayahs of Surah al-Anaam. Now we start with Ayah 98 of Surah An’am. “And He it is Who has brought you into being from a single soul, then there is (for you) a resting-place and a depository; indeed We have made plain the communications for a people who understand.” This Ayah mentions how God created mankind and says: "Mankind has been created superior than all other forms of creation. All human beings, whether man or woman, black or white and from any race and clan have been created from a single soul. Of course, some have been born and some are still to be born. Till the Day of Resurrection the caravan of births and deaths will continue." The Ayah teaches us that: 1-All human beings are from a single set of parents. They are actually one large family and there is no difference or discrimination between them despite the superficial shades of colours and features. 2- The diversity in the creation of human beings despite being from a single set of parents, are the signs of the glory of God Almighty. Now we read Ayah 99 of Surah An’am : “And He is Who sends down water from the cloud, then We bring forth with it buds of all (plants), then We bring forth from it green (foliage) from which We produce grain piled up (in the ear); and of the palm-tree, of the sheaths of it, come forth clusters (of dates) within reach, and gardens of grapes and olives and pomegranates, alike and unlike; behold the fruit of it when it yields the fruit and the ripening of it; most surely there are signs in this for a people who believe.”

This Ayah cites the source of existence of all plants and how they benefit from the rainwater. Of course, what is important is that both rainfall and growth of plants are at the command of God, and mankind has no role except to act as beneficiaries. In the Ayah the name of fruits such as grapes and dates have been mentioned, which among other fruits are considered to be of superior quality as compared to other fruits. We learn from the Ayah that: 1- The relationship between mankind and trees and fruits should not be just material or to satisfy hunger, but there should be an intellectual and spiritual relationship as well. The brain too like the stomach should benefit from these fruits and strive to attain the proximity of God. 2- Human observation of nature should not be superficial. But it should be a deep one emanating from the creature as a token of thanksgiving for the Creator. Now we read Ayah 100 of Surah An’am: “And they make the genies associates with Allah, while He created them, and they falsely attributed to Him sons and daughters without knowledge; glory be to Him, and highly exalted is He above what they ascribe (to Him).” Unfortunately, prior to Islam each of the followers of divine religions attributed a partner to God. The Christians considered Jesus and the Jews Ezra as the sons of the Almighty. Some of them considered angels as the children of God. The Zoroastrians, who consider God the symbol of goodness and the devil as the symbol of evil, actually made the Satan a rival and partner of God in the affairs of the world. The pagan Arabs too associated genies as partners of God and blasphemously believed of a kinship with God. In response to these deviating thoughts and superstitions the Ayah says: "The genie too are the creatures of God. The Almighty is above all such human attributes and is neither in need of a wife, a son or a daughter. In fact, He the Omnipotent does not require partners or associates in running the universe. He is the source of all creation and is above the imagination of human mind. In other words God cannot be encompassed by the human mind, which is after all His own creation." The Ayah teaches us that: 1- Ignorance is rooted in superstitions whereas in ideological issues, mankind should act on the basis of knowledge and not doubts. 2- God has no spouse or the urge of his creatures to have children and offspring.

Now we read Ayahs 101 and 102 of Surah An’am : “Wonderful Originator of the heavens and the earth! How could He have a son when He has no (need of) consort, and He (Himself) created everything, and He is the Knower of all things. That is Allah, your Lord, there is no god but He; the Creator of all things, therefore serve Him, and He has charge of all things.” In these Ayahs, God Almighty once again stresses His indivisible Oneness in the creation and administration of the universe and says He has created the world from nothing and is aware of all of its mysteries. He is above the attributes that He Himself has bestowed on his creatures such as the need for a spouse or children. He is the sole and single Creator and is Omnipresent. It is therefore a duty for the creatures, especially the human beings that have been given the intellect and the power of speech by God, to worship the One and Only Creator alone and to obey His commandments. We learn from the Ayah that: 1- Compare the supreme monotheist concept of God Almighty that the Holy Qur’an speaks about with the concept of god that is found in books that have been distorted by human beings. 2- The worship of God is rooted in creation. The One who has created us is the Only One deserving to be worshipped.

(4) The following article is an insight into some Ayahs of Surah al-Anaam. Now we start with ayah 94 of Surah “An’am”: “And certainly you have come to Us alone as We created you at first, and you have left behind your backs the things which We gave you, and We do not see with you your intercessors about whom you asserted that they were (Allah’s) associates in respect to you; certainly the ties between you are now cut off and what you asserted is gone from you.” Following the ayahs that we recited to you last week and which described the conditions of the infidels at the time of death, this Ayah also says: At the time of departure from this

world the infidels are told: In the world you went to many people and pinned hope on them, so much so that you tied your fate to their fate, accumulated much wealth assuming that those people and money might have one day come to your help. But today you have left behind the world and have come to Us and all your material wealth has perished. What have you gathered for such a day, that is the Day of Judgment and the eventual meeting with the Almighty Creator? The Ayah teaches us that: 1-The system of life in the Hereafter is individual rather than social. Family and social bonds will perish in the life of this world. 2-Falsity and shallowness of wealth and power will become evident at the time of death, as things of no value. And now we invite you to listen to the Ayah 95 of Surah An’am: “Surely Allah causes the grain and the stone to germinate; he brings forth the living from the dead and He is the bringer froth of the dead from the living; that is Allah! How are you then turned away?” In continuation of the last Ayah Almighty God refers to the death and life of creatures and cites instances of such developments in nature. Even though mankind plants a seed, it is God Who germinates the seed and nurtures it into grain. He brings forth the living plant from a dead grain and brings lifeless seed from a living tree. According to narrations in the life of this transient world, the faithful offspring even though born to infidel parents is a living person, while an infidel person born to believing parents is likened to a dead one, because of his apparent lack of faith. The Ayah teaches us that : 1-Studying nature and paying attention to the cycle of life of creatures is among the best ways for the cognizance God the Almighty Creator. 2-When Almighty God is the Sustainer of all individuals how come they turn away from Him in the search for livelihood. Now here is Ayah 96 of the same Surah, which reads: “He causes the dawn to break; and He has made the night for rest, and the sun and the moon for reckoning this is an arrangement of the Mighty, the Knowing.” The Ayah points out that God not only germinates the seed but also He transforms the dark night into a bright day, through the revolving and rotation of the earth and the planets. He grows the seed out of the dark soil and causes life to continue and He through well-

calculated planning has also made the system of night and day for the residents of the Earth to rest at night and to go after their livelihood in the daylight. One could say that the most beautiful phenomenon which can be observed in the sky every day is the sunrise time when brings along life and warmness. The rotation of the earth and the moon around the Sun not only causes days and nights but also is the best way for counting days and times so as to enable mankind to make a timetable for its activities. We learn from the Ayah that 1-Mulling the precise system of creation is a way for knowing God and getting familiar with Him. 2- God’s deeds are based on exact and calculated planning. He has not created even a single atom in vain, since everything in the universe is orderly. Therefore, we must plan for our moves otherwise we will not be in harmony with the whole existence. And now time to move on to the next Ayah: “And He it is Who has made the stars for you that you might follow the right way thereby in the darkness of the land and the sea; truly We have made plain the communications for the people who know.” In addition to the sun and the moon which play important roles in man’s modern life the stars with all their glory and massiveness are among the signs of God’s power in creation and administration of the world and there are yet many stars that have not been discovered. The holy Qur’an says the stars were created for the benefit of mankind, but the role of stars in the life of mankind has still remained undiscovered. This Ayah has referred to the keeping of the right direction during trips by navigating the position of the stars. In the past when mankind did not have any means for finding the right direction the stars played a great role. Basically Islam gives special attention to the manifestations of nature. For instance, determining the timing of daily prayers takes place with the use of the Sun, Muslims have been commanded to perform the prayer of Ayaat or signs when a lunar or a solar eclipse occurs, and that’s why great Muslim scholars set up observatories in Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, Samarqand, Maraghe and Islamic Spain and wrote many books on astronomy. The Ayah teaches us: 1- The system of stars is so much precise to the extent that one can find ways on the

Earth by observing the position of stars in the skies. 2-It is not logical to say that God Who has set guidelines in the skies for man to find his way during travel, has left his servants in the path of life alone without any proper guide.

(3) The following article is an insight into some Ayahs of Surah al-Anaam. “And his people disputed with him. He said: "Do you dispute with me respecting Allah? And He has guided me indeed; and I do not fear in anyway those that you set up with Him, unless my Lord pleases; my Lord comprehends all things in His knowledge; will you not then mind?” Last week we mentioned how prophet Abraham (PBUH) reasoned with the idolaters, who worshipped the stars, the moon and the sun. He proved to them that these waning objects and masses are not worthy of worship and could have no effect whatsoever on man’s fate, since these are mere creations of Allah the One and Only God. Thus, Abraham declared that he worships God Alone, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them. Now this week, we will touch upon the harsh behavior of the idolaters towards prophet Abraham and how they not only refused to accept his rationale but also intended to impose their absurd idol worshipping ways upon him. Abraham, the great monotheist he was, told them how do you expect me to stop worshipping Allah, Who created me, you and the whole universe? How can I stop worshipping the One Who has blessed me with insight and made me cognizant enough to differentiate between manifest reality and mere superstition? If in this path I face hardships and adversities do not assume that it was your idols that inflicted me with any curse. No they cannot and are not capable of doing any harm or benefit, since everything that happens to me is as per the Will of God Almighty alone. From this Ayah we learn the following points: 1- A monotheist does not fear loneliness and isolation, even if the rest of the society loose their minds and chose to become polytheists and idolaters. 2- Faith means bearing fearless of anyone or anything else besides God.

Now we read Ayah 81 of the same Surah: “And how should I fear what you have set up with Him, while you do not fear that you have set up with Allah that for which He has not sent down to you any authority; which then of the two parties is surer of security, if you know?” By demonstrating an example of logic and rationale, Prophet Abraham states that you polytheists seem not to fear God’s Wrath in this world or the hereafter and see yourselves as safe and secure. And you expect me to be afraid of your idols, this is while, the objects that you have taken up as deities are the creation of your own hands and the imagination of your warped minds. They neither hear nor see. They have no power over anything, so how could one worship idols. Therefore, logic and reason tells us to fear God’s Wrath, not the superstition that idols may afflict a curse. From this Ayah we learn the following points: 1- Religious thought and belief must be based on logic and reason, not superstition or assumptions. 2- In order to confront the disbelievers a good method is to ask them questions and make them think and contemplate. Now we read Ayah 82 of Surah al-Anaam: “Those who believe and do not mix up their faith with iniquity, those are they who shall have the security and they are those who go aright.” The Holy Qur’an informs us that towards the end of his interesting debate, Prophet Abraham replies to his own unanswered question saying that security on the Day of Judgment is only for those who were righteous, and those who were steadfast in their faith and had not fallen into polytheism. From this Ayah we learn the following points: 1-Being steadfast in our faith is more important than faith itself. 2-Real security lies within true faith. Now we read what God says in Ayah 83 of the same Surah: “And this was Our argument which we gave to Abraham against his people; We exalt in dignity whom We please; surely your Lord is Wise, Knowing.” At the end of Prophet Abraham’s memorable debate, God states how that great patriarch was granted the sense of reason and intellect to provide irrefutable proofs of monotheism

to the people of his time. The Almighty says that Prophet Abraham was sent as a Messenger to reason with people with logic, for people need a divinely-ordained role model. From this Ayah we learn these points: 1- Hierarchy in the society and rank and fame must be based on the level of knowledge and intellect, not power or wealth. 2- The method used by the divine Prophets to invite people towards monotheism was based on logic and rationality, not blind following of the dubious ways of the past or presumptions.

(2) This programme teaches us more about God’s last and final revelation to mankind, the Holy Qur’an, by expounding in easy to understand words the timeless wisdom of its holy verses. Now we read Ayah 75 of Surah Al-Anaam: “And thus did We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and that he might be of those who are sure”. Last week we mentioned how Prophet Abraham would use logic and reason to fight the superstitious minds and denounce the idols and idolaters. In the ayah that we just now recited to you God says that Prophet Abraham’s firmness and steadfastness against the idol worshippers demonstrates certain truths about the heavens and the earth. It enables any sane person to see the beauty of existence and believe that the One and the Only Creator and Owner of all things is Allah and the ultimate rule is with Him. From this ayah we learn that: 1- When a person recognizes the truth and invites others to it, God will enhance guidance upon him. 2- We should avoid being materialistic, since this transient world is not all that is to life and our creation. One should not forget the relation between existence, God and mankind.

Now we read ayah 76 of the same surah: “So when the night overshadowed him, he saw a star; said he: Is this my Lord? So when it set, he said: I do not love the setting ones.” In the days of Prophet Abraham, in addition to idolatry people also worshipped heavenly bodies such as the stars, the moon and sun, and would term the rotation or movement of each as a change in their fate. Such is also mentioned in literary works nowadays as well such as astronomy and astrology. For example they say the lucky star of so and so has set, or I don’t have a single star in the sky. Well Prophet Abraham went among the people who worshipped the stars, sun and moon, and used their own logic to prove to them he does not want to worship a thing that sets or fades. In other words such an object has been created and follows the rules of nature, and is therefore is not worth worshipping. From this ayah we learn that: 1- A way to invite the people towards monotheism is to go amongst them and then use logic and reason to guide them to the right path. 2- Worship is an act that emanates from the depth of the heart and is proved by the reasoning of the mind. Consequently objects that have been created and follow a specific pattern set by the Almighty Creator cannot be worshipped as deities. Now we read ayahs 77&78: “Then we he saw the moon rising, he said: Is this my Lord? So when it set, he said: If my Lord had not guided me I should certainly be of the erring people.” “Then we he saw the sun rising, he said: Is this my Lord? Is this the greatest? So when it set, he said: O my people! Surely I am clear of what you set up with Allah.”

Following the previous ayahs this one says Prophet Abraham started portraying himself as one who worships the moon or the sun but at sunset and sunrise he said he does not want to worship something that sets. This way he convinced the people that such objects are bound to set and are not worthy of worship. Prophet Abraham would question the people saying, how could you ascribe such objects as partners to the One and Only God, when they have no power of their own and Allah is AllPowerful. From this ayah we learn that: 1-

It is the duty of the prophets to awaken the innate nature of human beings and thus invite them to monotheism.

2- One must act gradually in confronting the deviated ones. Like Prophet Abraham, who refuted the worshipping of the stars, the moon and the sun, step-by-step. Now we learn ayah 79 of the same Surah: “Surely I have turned myself, being upright, wholly to Him Who originated the heavens and the earth, and I am not of the polytheists.” Towards the end of his wonderful reasoning, Prophet Abraham tells the star worshippers not even one of these objects or masses are worthy of worship, But God alone. He says my God is Allah, Who is the Originator of all things. He created the heavens and the earth and whatever is in it. I worship Him and I submit to Him alone. From this ayah we learn that: 1- Whenever truth is revealed to us, we should explicitly announce it and reject that which is void and false. 2- In order to distance oneself from polytheism, one should direct all deeds towards God and become detached from material things.

(1) This article teaches us more about God’s last and final revelation to mankind, the Holy Qur’an, by expounding in easy to understand words the timeless wisdom of its holy verses. Now we Learn ayahs 71 & 72 of Surah Al-Anaam: “Say: Shall we call on that besides Allah, which does not benefit us nor harm us, and shall

we be returned back on our heels after Allah has guided us, like him whom the Satans have made to fall down perplexed in the earth? He has companions who call him to the right way, (saying): Come to us. Say: Surely the guidance of Allah, that is the true guidance, and we are commanded that we should submit to the Lord of the Worlds.” “And that you should keep up prayer and be careful of your duty to Him; and He it is to Whom you shall be gathered.” Before we mentioned how the polytheists and idolaters would try to lure back the newly converted Muslims to their idol-worshipping ways, and would mock the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Well, the ayah we just now read out to you commands the Prophet to respond to them firmly and explicitly and to question their own conscious as to why they should worship objects instead of God, things that have no advantage nor benefit and for that matter no harm or anything to be afraid of? The newly converted Muslims who were idol-worshippers before acknowledging the truth of monotheism, knew that return to polytheism would mean turning back to the evil ways of ignorance. The ignorant Arabs of Jahilya used to think that if a person looses his way in the desert and is bewildered in his direction it is doings of the Satan and Jinns. The Holy Qur’an in order to awaken their minds uses the parable saying that to turn from monotheism to polytheism is like being on a dark and dangerous road infested by devils. Towards the end, this ayah tells us that the only way to save ourselves from deviation and bewilderment is to submit to the One & Only God, Allah, and His teachings, for, the ultimate return of man is to the Creator, and the only thing that matters is to please Him alone. From this ayah we learn that: 1- Idols have no ethereal or logical value. These are the creation of human hands and the imagination of retarded minds. The idols can neither cause any benefit nor harm us, so what is the point of worshipping them? 2- All creation and existence submits to the will of Allah, and thus we should submit to Him alone. Now learn ayah 73 of the same surah: “And He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth with truth; and on the day He says, Be, and it is. His word is the truth, and His is the kingdom on the day when the trumpet shall be blown; the Knower of the unseen and the seen; and He is the Wise, the Aware.”

The previous ayahs tell us to submit to Allah and His commands. Now this ayah asks us do you not have faith that the beginning and end of life is from Him and Him alone? He created the heavens and the earth and He will resurrect us on the Day of Judgment. He is the Creator of all things and the Knower of all things, thus you are obliged to submit to Him, so as to be favored by Him. He created the world on the basis of truth and justice. He speaks truth and judges upon truth. From this ayah we learn that: 1- The creation of every single particle in the universe has a point and purpose to it, since the All-Wise God brought every single for a purpose. 2- God’s teachings are based on knowledge and wisdom and His rule is thus based on logic and intellect. Now learn ayah 74 of surah Al-Anaam: “And when Abraham said to his sire, Azar: Do you take idols for gods? Surely, I see you and your people in manifest error.” In continuation of the Surah, this ayah recalls that the filthy practice of idol-worshipping was rampant even during the days of Prophet Abraham, who used to question these retarded minds the cause of worshipping the creation of their hands, saying: You are surely deviated. Azar was Abraham’s uncle, not his father as some have erred in claiming, but since he was Abraham’s guardian, that is why the Semitic word ‘ab’ meaning father, has been used in this ayah. From this ayah we learn that: 1- A child is not obligated to follow what his parents or guardians are following, rather he should use reason and intellect to judge between right and wrong. 2- Even though wrong acts might be intertwined with culture and passed from generation to generation, that does not mean that they have any logic. These are definitely unacceptable. What matters is logic and truth, not how long a certain custom has been around or how popular it is.