THE VISION OF ISLAM

by Sachiko Murata and William C. Chittick

PARAGON HOUSE St. Paul, Minnesota

VISIONS OF REALITY

A Series on Religions as Worldviews Series Editor: Roger Corless, Duke UniversityEditorial Board: R. Ninian Smart, University of California, Santa Barbara Charles H. Long, University of California, Santa BarbaraA common assumption behind many surveys of religions is that there is something called "religion" which is a uniquely classifiable phenomenon and which may be dealt with and written about according to recognized and agreed upon subdivisions. Systems identified as religions are then fitted into a prescribed format without considering whether the format is suited to the particular system under consideration.This series is motivated by the awareness that, rather than there being something called "religion", there are many religions, and the more they are studied, the more each one manifests itself as equally profound, nontrivial, and adequate unto itself. Each volume will be an attempt to take each religion on its own terms. Comparison may be made with other religious traditions, but there will be no attempt to impose a single methodology in order to reduce the plurality of one basic scheme.Published Volumes in the Visions of Reality Series:

THE VISION OF BUDDHISM THE VISION OF ISLAM

Roger Corless Sachiko Murata and William Chittick

Envisioned subsequent volumes on specific religions or families of religions:

The Vision of China

The Vision of Christianity

The Visions of the Elders: An Anthology

The Vision of Hinduism

The Vision of Japan

The Vision of Judaism

The Vision of the West and

Visions of Reality: Understanding Religions Understanding Themselves (a methodological volume)

Published in the United States by Paragon House 2700 University Avenue West St. Paul, Minnesota 55114

Copyright © 1994 by Paragon House All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form, without written permission from the publishers, unless by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Murata, Sachiko, 1943--

Vision of Islam: reflecting on the Hadith of Gabriel / by Sachiko Murata and William Chittick -- 1st ed.

p. cm. --(Visions of reality. Understanding religions) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-55778-516-3 (pbk.) 1. Islam. I. Chittick, William C. II. Title. III. Series.

BP161.2.M78 1994

297--dc2O 94-16064

CIP

Manufactured in the United States of America Typeset by AeroType, Inc.

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences--Permanance of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSIZ39.48-1984.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Table of CONTENTS

Preface 8

Introduction 11

The Koran 11

The Messenger of God 14

The Hadith of Gabriel 18

Religion 20

Three Dimensions of Islam 23

Islamic Learning 24

A Fourth Dimension 28

Part I: 29

ISLAM 29

The Word Islam 29

Chapter 1 31

THE FIVE PILLARS 31

Practice: Embodied Submission 31

The First Pillar: The Shahadah 32

The Second Pillar: Salat 33

The Third Pillar: Zakat 36

The Fourth Pillar: Fasting 37

The Fifth Pillar: Hajj 39

A Sixth Pillar? Jihad and Mujahada 40

The Shariah 41

Sin 43

Chapter 2. THE HISTORICAL EMBODIMENT OF ISLAM 44

The Koran and the Sunna 45

The Madhhabs 46

Jurisprudence and Politics 47

PART II: 50

IMAN 50

Islam and Iman 50

The Three Principles 54

Chapter 3. TAWHID 55

The First Shahadah 55

GOD 56

Shirk 58

The Signs of God 60

Divine Names 63

Speech 66

Essence and Attributes 68

Mercy and Wrath 70

Nearness and Distance 71

Tanzih and Tashbih 73

Figure 1 : Tanzih 74

Figure 2 : Tashbih 74

Figure 3 : Tawhid 74

Mercy's Precedence 75

Acts 77

The Unseen and the Visible 78

Heaven and Earth 79

ANGELS 82

God's Unseen Messengers 82

Light 84

Angelic Luminosity 85

Clay 87

Spirits and Bodies 88

Fire 91

Soul 93

Imagination 94

Summary 95

THE MEASURING OUT 96

Creative Power 96

Good and Evil 98

Trial 100

Freedom 102

Creaturely Diversity 105

The Human Being 106

Servant and Vicegerent 109

The Merciful King 111

The Hiemrchy of Creation 112

Chapter 4 115

PROPHECY 115

THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHETS 115

The Second Shahadah 115

Prophet and Messenger 116

The Trust 117

Innate Human Nature 119

Adam and Iblis 120

The Fall 122

Heedlessness 124

Dhikr 125

Responding to the Signs of God 127

Guidance and Misguidance 128

Wrongdoing 130

God's Two Hands 132

ISLAM AND OTHER RELIGIONS 136

The Universality and Particularity of Prophecy 136

Judaism and Christianity 139

The Koran 144

Names of the Koran 148

The Prophet Muhammad 150

Good News and Warning 152

Chapter 5 156

THE RETURN 156

STAGES OF LIFE AND DEATH 156

Life and Death 158

This World and the Next World 159

The Grave 160

The End of the World 162

The Resurrection 163

Hell and Paradise 167

THE UNFOLDING OF THE SOUL 169

Shaping the Divine Form 169

Imagination 171

The Dreamworld 174

The Barzakh 176

Meeting the Angels 178

Final Judgment 182

Chapter 6 184

THE INTELLECTUAL SCHOOLS 184

The Expression of Faith in the Earliest Period 186

Kalam 188

Theoretical Sufism 191

Philosophy 192

The Two Poles of Understanding 194

Kalam's Rationality 199

Philosophy's Abstraction 200

Sufism's Vision 203

Part III: 205

IHSAN 205

Chapter 7 205

THE KORANIC ROOTS OF IHSAN 205

The Word Ihsan 205

Worship 209

Seeing God 210

Sincerity 211

God-wariness 214

Love 216

Wholesomeness 218

Chapter 8 222

THE HISTORICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF IHSAN 222

Supplication 222

Art and Poetry 224

Practical Sufism 228

The Ethos of Love 231

The Embodiment of the Spirit 234

Part IV: 239

ISLAM IN HISTORY 239

Chapter 9 239

HISTORY AS INTERPRETATION 239

Islamic Interpretation of the Past 240

The Marks of the End 242

Chapter 10 244

THE CONTEMPORARY SITUATION 244

The Declining Fortunes of Islam 244

Reading the Signs of History 246

Select Glossary 249

Notes 255

Preface 255

Introduction 255

Part I: Islam 256

Part II: Iman 256

Part III: Ihsan 258

Part IV: Islam in History 258

So tell the tale -- perhaps they will reflect. Koran 7:176

Preface

This book grew out of an introductory course on Islam that one or the other of us has taught at least once a year since 1983 in the Program in Religious Studies at the State University of New York, Stony Brook. In teaching this course, we have dedicated our efforts to understanding the vision that animates the Islamic texts and to expressing it in the language of a Long Island classroom. From the beginning, we have been faced with the problem of presenting Islam to many kinds of students. Most of them come from Long Island or the New York City area, and they represent an extremely diverse cross section of Americans and other nationalities. Typically, about one-third are first or second generation immigrants from the Islamic world, ranging from China and Indonesia to Albania and Morocco.

The majority of non-Muslim students take a course on Islam because they need to fulfill a distribution requirement or because the hour was convenient. Muslim students attend for a variety of reasons. Some are quite distant from Islam but have developed enough disquiet about American society to have begun the search for their roots. Others have parents or grandparents who have insisted that they must learn something about their religion. Still others feel that, since they are Muslims, this course will provide them with an "easy A" (these students experience a rude awakening). Occasionally,

an adherent of one of the political ideologies that are collectively referred to as "fundamentalism" attends the class in order to see for himself why non-Muslim scholars cannot be trusted in their evaluations of Islam.

This diverse audience has accentuated the problem of how to present Islam without distorting it. How is it possible to explain Islam both to Muslims who -- as a general rule -- know nothing about their own religion but are defensive, and to Westerners, who also know nothing but are instinctively hostile? One way, which we always employ, is to have the students read various sympathetic accounts by contemporary scholars; fortunately the number of these is increasing.1 Another way is to approach Islam not as an alien, third-world, outdated enterprise, but as one of the several, currently living world views that give meaning to the lives of billions of people. From the beginning, the basic goal of our lectures has been to provide Islamic self-understanding, and our lecture notes make up the substance of this book.

Many works on Islam acknowledge Islam's living relevance in the contemporary world, but few take notice of what the universe looks like through Muslim eyes. Or, if Muslim views are cited, they usually belong to those who have taken a political stance with full awareness of the importance of the modern media. Such people have replaced serious and leisurely discussion of the nature of things -- the traditional approach in centers of learning in the Islamic world -- with dramatic declarations and camera-wise media events.

The few studies of Islam that attempt to reveal the depth of Islamic thinking demand too much knowledge of the religion for beginning students and are usually couched in language that is primarily a derivative of the Western tradition. Even if an attempt is made to rely on Koranic terminology, seldom is much attention paid to the richness and diversity of Islam's own intellectual tradition.

Our approach in this book is focused on bringing out what Islam has thought of itself. By "Islam," we mean the great texts that have been universally acknowledged (until recent times) as the highpoints of the tradition. Like any great religion, Islam has its towering landmarks, and it is from these that we have sought to understand it. Such texts are rooted in the Koran. In a very deep sense, Islam is the Koran, and the Koran is Islam. The basic interpretation of the Koran is provided by Muhammad himself. Following in his wake, numerous great figures -sages, saints, philosophers, theologians, jurists -- have elucidated and interpreted the nature of the original vision in keeping with the needs of their times.

In this book we try to pry open the door to the Islamic universe. We are not interested in evaluating Islam from within those dominant perspectives of modern scholarship that make various contemporary modes of self-understanding the basis for judging the subject. Instead, we want to portray Islam from the perspective of those great Muslims

of the past who established the major modes of Koranic interpretation and Islamic understanding.

This is not to say that we will simply translate passages from the classical texts in the manner of an anthology. The classical texts ask too much from beginning readers. They were not written for people coming from another cultural milieu. Rather, they were written for people who thought more or less the same way the authors did and who shared the same world view. Moreover, as a general rule they were written for those with advanced intellectual training, a type of training that is seldom offered in our graduate schools, much less on the undergraduate level.

The classical texts did not play the same role as contemporary textbooks, which attempt to explain everything in a relatively elementary format. On the contrary, they were usually written to present a position in a broad intellectual context. Frequently the texts would present only the outline of the argument--the rest was supplied orally by the teacher. Students did not borrow these books from the library and return them the following week. They would often copy the text for themselves (by hand, of course), and spend several months or years studying it word by word with a master. We ourselves have attended sessions in which classical texts were being studied in the Islamic world, and we can attest to how easily a good teacher can choose a word or a sentence and draw out endless meaning from it.

Rather than present the texts themselves, we have tried to step backward from the texts and delve into the point of view that informs them. At the same time, we have attempted to avoid, as often as possible, the technical and abstract language that is typically used in many of the original texts and the erudite modern studies. We have also tried to keep in view the Koran's own mode of exposition and explain it by making use of quotations rather than summaries.

We are perfectly aware that many contemporary Muslims are tired of what they consider outdated material: they would like to discard their intellectual heritage and replace it with truly "scientific" endeavors, such as sociology. By claiming that the Islamic intellectual heritage is superfluous and that the Koran is sufficient, such people have surrendered to the spirit of the times. Those who ignore the interpretations of the past are forced to interpret their text in light of the prevailing world view of the present. This is a far different enterprise than that pursued by the great authorities, who interpreted their present in the light of a grand tradition and who never fell prey to the up-to-date--that most obsolescent of all abstractions.

The introductory texts on Islam that we have encountered devote a relatively small proportion of space to the Muslim understanding of reality. The reader is always told that the Koran is of primary importance and that Muslims have certain beliefs about God and the afterlife, but seldom do the authors of these works make more than a cursory

attempt to explain what this means in actuality. Usually the reader encounters a short history of Islamic thought that makes Muslim intellectuals appear a bit foolish for apparently spending a great amount of time discussing irrelevant issues. More sympathetic authors try to explain that these issues were important in their historical context. Rarely is it suggested that these issues are just as important for the contemporary world as they were for the past, and that they are constantly being discussed today in our own culture, though with different terminology.

We like to think that the Islamic tradition provides many examples of great answers to great questions. The questions are those that all human beings are forced to ask at one time or another, even if contemporary intellectual predispositions tend to dismiss them as irrelevant or immature or unanswerable or self-deconstructing. We have in mind the great whys and whats that five-year-olds have the good sense to ask --though they soon learn to keep quiet in order to avoid the ridicule of their elders. Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? Where did we live before we were born? Where do we go after we die? Where did the world come from? Where does God come from? What are angels? Why is the world full of evil? What are devils? If God is good, why did he create Satan? Why does God allow good people to suffer? How can a merciful God predestine people to hell? Why do I have to go through all this?

Texts on Islam often tell the reader, in extremely cursory fashion, what Muslim thinkers have concluded about such issues; what they do not address is the universe of discourse that informs Islamic thinking and allows the conclusions to make sense. Studies usually highlight the differences of opinion; what they do not clarify is that the logic of either/or is not always at work. Perspectives differ in accordance with differing interpretations of the sources, and the perspectives do not necessarily exclude each other. We are told that people took sides, for example, on free will and predestination. But any careful reading of a variety of texts will show that the common intuition was that the true situation is neither/nor, or both/and. The extreme positions were often formulated as intellectual exercises to be struck down by the thinker himself, if not by his followers.

In many ways this book responds to the texts that are normally employed to introduce Islam to Western readers. Most of what we say is designed to fill in the gaps in the works that are typically used on the introductory level. The result is one-sided, but the other side can be found by reading any of the readily available introductory textbooks, or by taking an historical approach to Islam.

Readers need to be warned at the outset that this book is not designed to provide the "historical facts." In the last section of the book, we will say something about the Islamic view of history. That will help explain why the concerns of the modern critical study of history are not our

concerns. To write history, after all, is to read meaning into the events of the past on the basis of contemporary views of reality. The events themselves cannot make sense until they are filtered through the human lens. If the Koran and the Islamic tradition are read in terms of contemporary scholarly opinions or ideologies, their significance for the Islamic tradition is necessarily lost to sight.

Naturally, we as authors have our own lenses. In fact, some people may criticize us for trying to find Islam's vision of itself within the Islamic intellectual tradition in general and the Sufi tradition in particular. But it is precisely these perspectives within Islam that provide the most self-conscious reflections on the nature of the tradition. If we did not take seriously the Muslim intellectuals' own understanding of their religion, we would have to replace it with the perspectives of modern Western intellectuals. Then we would be reading the tradition through critical methodologies that have developed within Western universities. But why should an alien perspective be preferable to an indigenous perspective that has survived the test of time? It does not make sense to us to employ a methodology that happens to be in vogue at the moment and to ignore the resources of an intellectual tradition that is still alive after a thousand-year history.

Finally, we take this opportunity to thank all the students we have had the pleasure of teaching at Stony Brook over the past ten years. Their constant interest and continual probing through intelligent (and sometimes not so intelligent) questions have forced us to keep rethinking our understanding of Islam's vision of itself and to reformulate it in terms that elicit responses of recognition.

Surah Ar-Room, Chapter 30

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful

Verses 1 – 10

الم {1}

1. Alif, Lam, Meem.

غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ {2}

2. The Romans were defeated.1

فِي أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ وَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ {3}

3. On the battlefield and within a short period shall they win.2

فِي بِضْعِ سِنِينَۗ لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمِنْ بَعْدُۚ وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ {4}

4. Divine Law had been in force, and shall ever remain when it will please the faithful

بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِۚ يَنْصُرُ مَنْ يَشَاءُۖ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ {5}

5. with Divine assistance. He helps whom He likes, and He is Mighty and Merciful.

وَعْدَ اللَّهِۖ لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ {6}

6. This is a Divine promise, which He shall not contradict, though most do not understand.

يَعْلَمُونَ ظَاهِرًا مِنَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ عَنِ الْآخِرَةِ هُمْ غَافِلُونَ {7}

7. They understand the apparent affairs of the worldly (economics) and are ignorant of eternal affairs.3

أَوَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْۗ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّىۗ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ النَّاسِ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّهِمْ لَكَافِرُونَ {8}

8. Did they not think in themselves (by referring to the text) God has not created the heavens and earth and things in between in vain. Rather, with a definite purpose, and for a fixed period4 and verily most deny meeting their God.

أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْۚ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَثَارُوا الْأَرْضَ وَعَمَرُوهَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا عَمَرُوهَا وَجَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِۖ فَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ {9}

9. Have they not travelled and seen what has been the fate of people before them who were mightier in power, had fertilized soils, flourished romantically,5 to most of whom came prophets, with miracles and God does not tyrannize any, but they tyrannize themselves.

ثُمَّ كَانَ عَاقِبَةَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا السُّوأَىٰ أَنْ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا بِهَا يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ {10}

10. Then the end of those who had been committing evil had been evil for having falsified Divine Commands and ridiculed them.6

Moral

1. In June 614 A.D. Jerusalem was taken by the Persians. The entire Christian world was horrified. The Holy “life-giving cross of Christ” was taken away until 622, when Heraclius was able to take the field against the Persians. This is a miracle of the Qur’an, presaging events before their occurrence. This is also the period of the Battle of Badr.

2. Few worldly people realize the object of creation, being taken up in worldly affairs. They cannot devote a few hours for life beyond death, which is of permanent nature. Would they have relied with confidence, having belief in the future State, which is the appetite of reason. This is the world of seeds, of causes, and of tendency. The other is the world of harvest and results and of perfected and eternal consequences. The most momentous concern of man is that stage, which he shall enter upon, after this short and transitory life has ended, and in proportion as eternity is of greater importance than time, so ought men to be solicitous, upon what grounds, their expectations with regard to that durable State are built and on what assurances, their hopes and fears stand.

3. Tyrants and oppressors when living are terrors to humankind, but when dead, they are the object of general contempt and scorn. For instance, the death of Nero was celebrated by the Romans with bonfires. Also deaths of Yazid, ‘Omar, Sa‘ad, etc. are similarly celebrated by the Muslims until today.

4. Sin is first pleasing, then it grows easy, then delightful, then frequent, then habitual, then confirmed, then the man is impenitent, then he obstinate, then he is resolved never to repent and thus he is ruined ultimately, being turned into an apostate.

5. When chaos and insecurity end, attempt at restoring social order by promoting cultural creation, viz. economic, political, organizational, and moral, without guarding its impedance is made. Result has been the rise and fall of civilization (of our own making). Is India, amidst countrywide floods, marching successfully to civilization? Find out causes, so often repeated here.

6. It is only the bread of heaven and water of life (piety) which can so satisfy in which we shall hunger and thirst no more.

Verses 11 – 19

اللَّهُ يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ {11}

11. God starts with creation shall re-enliven it when you all will revert unto Him.

وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يُبْلِسُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ {12}

12. And on Reckoning Day the culprits will stand disappointed.

وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ مِنْ شُرَكَائِهِمْ شُفَعَاءُ وَكَانُوا بِشُرَكَائِهِمْ كَافِرِينَ {13}

13. They will not have any among their accomplices to intercede on their behalf. Rather, they would themselves deny them.

وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَفَرَّقُونَ {14}

14. And on Judgment Day, the gathering will part.7

فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَهُمْ فِي رَوْضَةٍ يُحْبَرُونَ {15}

15. And those who embraced faith and acted righteously shall be honoured in Paradise.

وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَلِقَاءِ الْآخِرَةِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ فِي الْعَذَابِ مُحْضَرُونَ {16}

16. And those who denied Us falsified Our Couplets and disbelieved facing Us in Eternity, shall be brought to bear punishment of hell.

فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ {17}

17. So you pray to God during the night and morning8

وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ {18}

18. as also prayers are due to Him in Heaven and Earth, towards evening and noon.9

يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَيُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَاۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ تُخْرَجُونَ {19}

19. He brings out the living from the dead and vice versa10 and enlivens the earth after its decay, and similarly shall you be raised alive (after death).

Moral

Five times daily prayers are summed up in the 17th and 18th Couplets. The righteous shall be admitted in paradise and culprits in perdition.

Verses 20 – 27

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ إِذَا أَنْتُمْ بَشَرٌ تَنْتَشِرُونَ {20}

20. And of his signs is creation of you (as men) from Earth. Then like men, you are widely spread.

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُمْ مَوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةًۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ {21}

21. And of His signs is creation of your wife from you, to exhilarate you and it is He who created love and sympathy between you. Verily in this are signs from the contemplative.

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِلْعَالِمِينَ {22}

22. And of His signs are creation of the heavens and earth, difference in your language, and your colour. Verily in this are signs for the learned.

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ مَنَامُكُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَابْتِغَاؤُكُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَسْمَعُونَ {23}

23. And of His signs is your sleep in the night and awakening in the day to earn livelihood out of His grace. Verily in this are signs for those who listen to it.

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ يُرِيكُمُ الْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنَزِّلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَيُحْيِي بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَاۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ {24}

24. And of His signs are indications of lightening to warn you and create hope and down pour of rain from clouds with which the soil vegetates after decay. Verily in this are signs for the sensible.

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ تَقُومَ السَّمَاءُ وَالْأَرْضُ بِأَمْرِهِۚ ثُمَّ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ دَعْوَةً مِنَ الْأَرْضِ إِذَا أَنْتُمْ تَخْرُجُونَ {25}

25. And of His signs is stability of the sky and Earth at His Commands, and when he will call you at a single trumpet call, you will suddenly emerge out of the grave.

وَلَهُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِۖ كُلٌّ لَهُ قَانِتُونَ {26}

26. Everything in the heavens and earth supplicates Him.11

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِۚ وَلَهُ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلَىٰ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ {27}

27. It is He Who creates and re-enlivens which is an easy task for Him, and for Him are the glorious instances in Heaven and earth and He is Mighty and Wise.

Moral

Every day is a little life and our whole life is but a day repeated. Therefore, live as if it would be the last doing virtuous deeds and procrastinating evil.

Verses 28 – 40

ضَرَبَ لَكُمْ مَثَلًا مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْۖ هَلْ لَكُمْ مِنْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ مِنْ شُرَكَاءَ فِي مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ فَأَنْتُمْ فِيهِ سَوَاءٌ تَخَافُونَهُمْ كَخِيفَتِكُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ {28}

28. God has exemplified (His case of derogating association) for you from your own self. Is it possible for you to make a partner of your own (concern) in your slaves and in your provision although you are on the same level (as a creature) you would not like lest he may put you to loss (being incapable and disqualified)?12

بَلِ اتَّبَعَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَهْوَاءَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍۖ فَمَنْ يَهْدِي مَنْ أَضَلَّ اللَّهُۖ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِنْ نَاصِرِينَ {29}

29. Rather, the disobedient followed their passionate selections without knowledge (so as to guide them) whom God deprives, who shall guide? They shall not get any help.

فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًاۚ فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَاۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ {30}

30. You better direct yourself to the Right Way (which is straight forward). It is a natural religion13 on which He has created His creation, wherein there is no change. This is a straight forward faith, though most do not (by following passion) do not understand.

مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ {31}

31. Direct yourself to it, fear Him, keep steady at prayers and do not be among the associators (developing creative minds) under varying avocations, by breaking away from His bond of religion (in His Entity, attributes, actions, or cult).

مِنَ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًاۖ كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ {32}

32. Be not those who cut asunder their faith, and broke themselves into groups, each one being pleased with their own tenet.14

وَإِذَا مَسَّ النَّاسَ ضُرٌّ دَعَوْا رَبَّهُمْ مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا أَذَاقَهُمْ مِنْهُ رَحْمَةً إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ بِرَبِّهِمْ يُشْرِكُونَ {33}

33. When calamity approaches humans, they cry unto their Providence in distress, directing (sincerely) themselves to Him, and when We savour them Our mercy, a group of them starts associating others with Him.

لِيَكْفُرُوا بِمَا آتَيْنَاهُمْۚ فَتَمَتَّعُوا فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ {34}

34. Let them deny Our bounties by (associating others) and let them enjoy. Shortly, you will come to know whether they are drifting.

أَمْ أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانًا فَهُوَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِمَا كَانُوا بِهِ يُشْرِكُونَ {35}

35. Have We revealed to them any evidence, on the authority of which they associate?

وَإِذَا أَذَقْنَا النَّاسَ رَحْمَةً فَرِحُوا بِهَاۖ وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ إِذَا هُمْ يَقْنَطُونَ {36}

36. When We savour them of Our mercy, they become exulted, and when We savour them of punishment15 due to their deeds (in the past) they become despondent.

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَقْدِرُۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ {37}

37. Have they not noticed, God of course, expands the provision on whom He likes, and contracts otherwise? Verily in this are signs for a faithful community.

فَآتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ {38}

38. Give relations their share and the poor and the wayfarers. This is good for those who seek Divine Will, and they alone shall attain the entire salvation.

وَمَا آتَيْتُمْ مِنْ رِبًا لِيَرْبُوَ فِي أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ فَلَا يَرْبُو عِنْدَ اللَّهِۖ وَمَا آتَيْتُمْ مِنْ زَكَاةٍ تُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُضْعِفُونَ {39}

39. It does not increase before God what you lent (to meet immediate needs) by demanding interest from the faithful (on your capital) but what you give in tithe to win Divine Will. Verily this increases its value.16

اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ رَزَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْۖ هَلْ مِنْ شُرَكَائِكُمْ مَنْ يَفْعَلُ مِنْ ذَٰلِكُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍۚ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ {40}

40. God created you and provided you and then will put you to death and will enliven you again. Can any associate of yours do that? Pure and Glorious is He from those whom they associate him with Him.

Moral

All revealed religions, through their authorized Divine Lights, were in nature Islamic, i.e. resigning to Divine Will and true in their origin having come from the Truth from God, the Almighty, following of which assured salvation.

When, however, they were tampered with or misconstrued by adversaries of the Divine Lights, to serve their worldly ends, they had to be amended by subsequent Divine Lights, sent by God alone, demanding their obedience and presaged by Divine Lights of their age, from successors or preceding generations, under Divine Command, hence any obstinacy to submission on the part of the latter, on plea of their faith had identical foundational tenets, proceeding from God is inadmissible and does not admit their claim to salvation, as the following the way of Divine Lights, of latest revealed cults in religion, having over-powered all preceding religious cults guaranteeing immunity from association and leading to salvation, although it is unwelcome to them.

Verses 41 – 53

ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ {41}

41. Sedition has already broken out on land and sea on account of human deeds, so as to inflict on them a part punishment, so they may revert (to penance).

قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلُۚ كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ مُشْرِكِينَ {42}

42. Tell them to move on Earth and see the fate of those who preceded them. Most of them were associators.

فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ الْقَيِّمِ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ يَوْمٌ لَا مَرَدَّ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِۖ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصَّدَّعُونَ {43}

43. Better you direct yourself to the right way before coming of the Day of Judgment when it will not be averted and you will have to part with your kinsmen.

مَنْ كَفَرَ فَعَلَيْهِ كُفْرُهُۖ وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِأَنْفُسِهِمْ يَمْهَدُونَ {44}

44. Sin of infidelity is on those who commit and for those is a reward who acts righteously, as a bed to rest on.17

لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنْ فَضْلِهِۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ {45}

45. So He may reward the faithful, who acted righteously out of His grace for he evidently does not favour infidels.

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ يُرْسِلَ الرِّيَاحَ مُبَشِّرَاتٍ وَلِيُذِيقَكُمْ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ وَلِتَجْرِيَ الْفُلْكُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ {46}

46. And of His signs are sending of the wind giving tidings of rain to taste of His Mercy, and sailing of ships, by force of the wind to enable to earn livelihood out of His grace so you may be grateful to Him.

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ رُسُلًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِمْ فَجَاءُوهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَانْتَقَمْنَا مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُواۖ وَكَانَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ {47}

47. And before you We sent prophets to generations before whom they brought miracles18 and We avenged them for their crimes demonstrating Our (bounden duty of) assistance to the faithful.

اللَّهُ الَّذِي يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَيَبْسُطُهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ وَيَجْعَلُهُ كِسَفًا فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلَالِهِۖ فَإِذَا أَصَابَ بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ {48}

48. God is He Who commands the wind, causing clouds which are spread over the sky, then separating them in parts where he likes, you see them dropping (on soil growing vegetation) profiting whom, by downpour of rain. He likes when they are pleased.

وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَمُبْلِسِينَ {49}

49. When before their dropping, they were despondent.

فَانْظُرْ إِلَىٰ آثَارِ رَحْمَتِ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ يُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَاۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ {50}

50. Look at the Divine Mercy how He enlivens after decay wherein verily lies a fact of His, enlivening the dead and He is Omnipotent.

وَلَئِنْ أَرْسَلْنَا رِيحًا فَرَأَوْهُ مُصْفَرًّا لَظَلُّوا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ يَكْفُرُونَ {51}

51. If We had sent the wind which would have turned their fields yellow, they would have been ungrateful.

فَإِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَىٰ وَلَا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَاءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِينَ {52}

52. For verily, you cannot make the dead hearted hear nor the deaf when you call them, when they turn their backs towards you.

وَمَا أَنْتَ بِهَادِ الْعُمْيِ عَنْ ضَلَالَتِهِمْۖ إِنْ تُسْمِعُ إِلَّا مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا فَهُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ {53}

53. And you are not going to guide the blind hearted from their misguidance, only those who can hear believe in Our Couplets and supplicates Us.

Moral

Lightening, floods, earthquakes, landslips, cyclones, typhoons, are all Divine warnings, and not casual catastrophes to which man is subject, as usually interpreted by men who are desirous of making headway in the world with creative mind.

Verses 54 – 60

اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ ضَعْفٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ ضَعْفٍ قُوَّةً ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ ضَعْفًا وَشَيْبَةًۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُۖ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْقَدِيرُ {54}

54. It is God Who created you weak in your (childhood), then made you strong in (youth) then after matured strength, reduced you weak (in old age) when senses begin to depart (dotage).

وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يُقْسِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ مَا لَبِثُوا غَيْرَ سَاعَةٍۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كَانُوا يُؤْفَكُونَ {55}

55. And when Reckoning Day occurs, the culprits will swear they did not live more than an hour. Similarly, were they falsifying19 regarding Eternity, etc.

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ وَالْإِيمَانَ لَقَدْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْبَعْثِۖ فَهَٰذَا يَوْمُ الْبَعْثِ وَلَٰكِنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ {56}

56. And those gifted with knowledge and faith in Divine Text20 will say, verily you lived for a fixed period21 and this is the Reckoning Day in which you did not have belief.

فَيَوْمَئِذٍ لَا يَنْفَعُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مَعْذِرَتُهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُسْتَعْتَبُونَ {57}

57. And on that day, neither their excuse will be of any avail, nor their penance and reversion to Him.22

وَلَقَدْ ضَرَبْنَا لِلنَّاسِ فِي هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ مِنْ كُلِّ مَثَلٍۚ وَلَئِنْ جِئْتَهُمْ بِآيَةٍ لَيَقُولَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا مُبْطِلُونَ {58}

58. And in this Book We have given many an example for (benefit of) men, and if you bring even a miracle, the infidels will devalue it.

كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ {59}

59. Thus, have We sealed the hearts of the people who do not know.

فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّۖ وَلَا يَسْتَخِفَّنَّكَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُوقِنُونَ {60}

60. Have patience, verily God’s promise is going to be fulfilled, lest those who are not sure may not, by their lie, render you, entertain misgivings regarding your message (keep firm in its propagation).23

Moral

Mort virtues develop by adopting patience and cheerfulness as former is essence of faith and latter mother of virtues. Guard against hasty extempore arguments leading to excitement as their ultimate fate is failure and repentance, whereas contemplative well-designed acts have been pioneer in raising one’s estimation.

Be modest, contemplative, cheerful, though sober and grave and avoid public enmity, which generates the worst diseases of the soul, viz. jealousy, backbiting, lie, allegation, ridicule, and pleasure at another’s mishaps, thus rendering the heart, incapable of attaining Divine Will. Avoid evil desires, which develop love for property and children and these unless they are secured and devoted absolutely to Divine Will, under legitimate means, result in human destruction.

Be quick in obliging in virtuous acts, though not against justice, careful against notorious mischief mongers, forbearing and forgiving to the obedient, but strict to the incurable and inveterate disobedient but within bounds of justice, kind, polite, and advisory to the obedient, but maintaining self-respect to the disobedient in enforcing rules of the department if sub-ordinate, so long as he continues persisting therein and to one’s better half in domestic administration but never to parents, as no virtues are appreciated at their displeasures, inimical to self-opinion and self-conceitedness due to knowledge, position, birth – virtues and other

Divine gifts (as it is highly self-delusive and destructive), tender and highly unreservedly self-denying. Never rest content on self-opinion, unless founded on reason, made to conform to Divine Law, rightly expounded by those authorized. Avoid joke, shooting and going to the royal gate, as they harden the heart.

Notes

1. In 614 A.D. by the Persians.

2. Within eight years.

3. which contribute to the wealth of the future State.

4. This is the test of the world.

5. Civilization of their own making.

6. By moving in a vicious circle.

7. One for paradise and the other for perdition.

8. These are the three prayer times.

9. These are remaining two times.

10. The faithful from the faithless.

11. but man granted provisional personal free will.

12. How can God tolerate His representative of your own choice? Who, unlike Him, has natural attributes except a Divine Light who is initiated and thus acts as per His dictates?

13. Islam, proving by following Divine Lights in a cult there is only One Creator in attributes, actions, commands, and refrain.

14. Adopting a guide to suit his worldly taste in a Dictator constitutional monarch, Republican president, and communistic leaders.

15. by floods, famine, earthquake, etc.

16. Investing capital on productive concerns, undertaking risk, involving interest, is not illegal.

17. Virtues precede Paradise to prepare their post.

18. as proof to their being Genuine.

19. Divine Lights of the time.

20. i.e. Divine Lights.

21. while taking account on Judgment Day.

22. As was being done in the world where they were given time to do penance and rectify.

23. This applies to the public at large although, apparently to the Prophet.