An Enlightening Commentary Into the Light of the Holy Qur'an Volume 20

An Enlightening Commentary Into the Light of the Holy Qur'an11%

An Enlightening Commentary Into the Light of the Holy Qur'an Author:
Translator: Sayyid Abbas Sadr-'ameli
Publisher: Imam Ali Foundation
Category: Quran Interpretation
ISBN: 9645691028

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An Enlightening Commentary Into the Light of the Holy Qur'an

An Enlightening Commentary Into the Light of the Holy Qur'an Volume 20

Author:
Publisher: Imam Ali Foundation
ISBN: 9645691028
English

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought


Notes:

The 20 Volumes of this book have been corrected and uploaded as you can go directly to any other volumes by just clicking on the volume numbers located on the left side.


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Surah ‘Alaq, Chapter 96

(The Clot)

Number of Verses: 19

Contents of Surah 'Alaq

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

It is commonly known among the commentators that this Surah is the first Surah that was revealed to the holy Prophet (S) of Islam. The contents of the Surah also confirm this idea. Some have said that the first Surah is Surah Fatihah, or perhaps Surah Muddaththir, but again this is contrary to what is commonly thought.

First, this Surah addresses the holy Prophet (S) and commands him to read or proclaim (the Message).

Then, it refers to the creation of Man out of a mere clot.

Further, it refers to the development of Man, who is taught from the bounty and by the Grace of Allah; the soul in him reaching out to knowledge sublime, and the instrument of it, the sanctified Pen.

Thereafter, it speaks about ungrateful Man, and that despite all the blessings and graciousness that Allah bestows on him, he rebels.

Following this, it points to the painful chastisement of those who cause a hindrance on the road to guidance and righteous deeds.

Then, the Surah ends with a command to prostration, and of drawing closer to Allah.

The Virtue of Studying this Surah

On the virtue of reciting this Surah, there is a tradition from Imam Sadiq (as) who said:

“He who recites Surah 'Alaq on a day or a night and passes away on the same day or night, at the time of the Day of Judgment, he will be considered as a martyr and Allah will raise him to life again as a martyr and He will resurrect him as one who has fought the holy war, on the way of Allah, in the presence of the Messenger of Allah.”1

Because of the different words used at the beginning, this Surah is called: 'Alaq, Iqra', or Qalam.

Surah ‘Alaq, Verses 1-5

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ

خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ

اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ

الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ

عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

1. “Read (Proclaim!) In the Name of your Lord Who created”

2. “Created man, out of a clot (of congealed blood).”

3. “Read (Proclaim), and your Lord is the Most Generous,”

4. “Who taught by the Pen,”

5. “Taught man that which he knew not.”

The Occasion of the Revelation

As it was mentioned in the description of the content of this Surah, the majority of commentators believe that this is the first Surah that came to the heart of the holy Prophet (S). Some have even said that all the commentators believe that the first five verses, of the Surah, were the first direct Revelation to the holy Prophet (S). Their contents confirm this idea, too.

Some narrations denote that the holy Prophet (S) had gone to Mount Hira when Gabriel came and told him:

“Iqra'“ (Read/ Proclaim).

He said that he was not 'versed'. Gabriel embraced him and told him again to proclaim; and the Prophet (S) repeated the same answer. Gabriel embraced him for a second time, but was given the same answer.

Then, for the fourth time he told him:

“Read (Proclaim!) In the name of your Lord Who created”,

(and recited the first five verses).

Finishing the verse, Gabriel then took leave from the; Prophet (S).

The Messenger of Allah, his energy spent due to receiving the first rays of Revelation, went to his wife, Khadijah, and told her:

“Cover me; wrap me in a mantle”.

The following is a tradition from Tabarsi in Majma'-al-Bayan, and he cites that the Messenger of Allah told Khadijah that whenever he was alone he heard a voice.

According to Tabarsi, Khadijah told Muhammad (S):

“Allah will not bring anything on you but goodness because you are trustworthy and pay the deposits, you observe bonds of relationship, and you are truthful in speech.”

Khadijah said this statement and then, she went to see Waraqah-ibn Nufil.

(He was Khadijah's cousin and was of the knowledgeable Arabs.)

She described to him what had happened to Muhammad (S) and added that he had heard the voice say:

“O Muhammad say:

‘Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim, al-Hamd-u-lillah-i-Rabb-al-'alamin (to the end of Surah Fatihah)';

and say:

'La Ilaha Illallah’”.

Waraqah said:

“Rejoice thou! Rejoice thou! According to what is mentioned in Taurat and Ingeel it is clear that he is the Messenger of Allah and he is the very one that Jesus Christ told about in his glad tidings. He has a religion like that of Moses; he is an apostle. He will be told to fight in the Holy War soon after this, and if I am alive then, I will be with him in that Holy War.”

Later, when Waraqah died, the Messenger of Allah said:

“I saw him in Heaven (the Heaven of the Lesser Judgment) having a high rank for he had believed in me and confirmed me.”

There are, of course, some unflattering statements cited in various history books or some commentaries about this period of Muhammad's life which seem incorrect. They are probably inserted by the enemies of Islam to taint both the idea about this divine religion and the person of the holy Prophet (S). Regarding what was said above, we are only concerned, here with these commentaries of the verses, which will be cited in this text.

Read (Proclaim!) In the Name of your Lord!

In the first verse of the Surah, it addresses the holy Prophet (S) and says:

“Read (Proclaim)! In the Name of your Lord Who created”.

Some have said that the object is not mentioned in the sentence, which basically would be:

'Read (Proclaim) the Qur'an in the Name of your Lord',

and that is why they have considered this verse as an evidence that /bismillah/ is combined with the Suras of Qur'an.

It is worthy to note here first of all, that the emphasis is on the proposition of Lordship and we know that /rabb/ means a 'reformer Lord', the one Who is both the master and the cherisher.

Then, to establish the Lordship of Allah, it emphatically refers to the 'creation and the existence of this universe', because the best reason for His Lordship is, His Creative attribute. The One Who runs and sustains the universe is its Creator.

This is, indeed, an answer to the pagan Arabs who had accepted the creative power of Allah, but, they assumed the lordship and device of this world for their own idols and gods. Besides, the Lordship of the Lord and His Device, in this World, are the best evidence for proving His Being.

Then, amongst all the creatures of the world, it emphasizes on the best and the most important of them, i.e. Man, and referring to his creation, it says:

“Created man out of a clot (of congealed blood)”.

The term /'alaq/ originally means 'to adhere to something', and hence, some congealed blood or a leech which sticks to the body to suck blood, is called /‘alaq/.

Since the life-germ, in the course of its first processes until it becomes a foetus, changes to a type of sticking clot which is apparently very worthless, it is, indeed, the basic origin of the creation of Man, then, it makes the power of Allah clear that it is He Who is able to create such a worthy creature from such a lowly unworthy thing.

Some have also said that the objective point of using /‘alaq/, here is due to the clay of which Adam came from and which was sticky, too. It is obvious that the Creator Who creates this wonderful creature from that sticky piece of clay is apt to be worshipped.

Furthermore, some have considered the term /‘alaq/ as meaning 'a possessor of kindness and affection'. This refers to the social and gregarious manner of men and the love they have for each other which is the main basis of Man's development and progress in the history of his civilization.

Again, some have thought of the term /‘alaq/ as referring to 'the male seed' which they thought much resembled a 'leech'. It was their understanding that this microscopic creature, which swims in the fluid of men, approaches the woman's 'seed', in the womb, and adheres to it and that by the combining of these two complete 'seeds' Man came into being.

It is true that at the time of the appearance of Islam these problems were not known to Man, but the Holy Qur'an, as a scientific miracle, unveiled the true meaning.

Among these four commentaries, the first one seems more clear, although to combine all of them, together, is also possible.

It is understood, then, from what was said in the above that 'man', according to one commentary, means Adam, and according to the other three commentaries, means only 'Man'.

To emphasize the matter, again it says:

“Read (Proclaim), and your Lord is the Most Generous”.

Some believe that the second

/iqra'/ 'read (proclaim)’,

is an emphasis on the first /iqra'/ in the previous verses, while some others say that they are different. In the first sentence, the term requires the Prophet (S) to read (proclaim) to himself and in the second sentence, it means to read (proclaim) to people. But, the idea of emphasis seems more appropriate because there is no evidence available to show the difference between them.

In any event, this verse, in fact, is an answer to the statement of the Prophet (S) who responded to Gabriel saying:

'I am not versed’;

and it means: 'you can read (proclaim) because of the extreme graciousness and the extraordinary generosity of your Lord'.

Then, it tells about Allah Who is the Most Generous and says:

“Who taught by the Pen”.

“Taught man that which he knew not”.

In fact, these verses are also an answer to that very statement of the Prophet (S) who said:

'I am not versed'.

Now, it replies that it is the same god Who taught the human being by the

'pen',

and taught him the things that he did not know, and Who is capable of teaching a servant, like 'you', who does not know how to read.

The verse

“Who taught by the Pen”

can be rendered in two ways.

The first is that: Allah taught writing and the book to Man and it is He Who is able to do this portent; to establish the origin of all sciences, knowledge and civilizations in him.

The second meaning is that through this way and by this means Man is taught all of the sciences and knowledge.

In short, according to one commentary, the objective meaning is 'teaching how to write' and another commentary says the objective meaning is 'the sciences taught to man by writing'.

In any case, this is an expressive statement, full of meaning, that was issued in these great verses at the sensitive moments of the onset of revelation.

Explanations

The First Revelation Was Accompanied by a Societal Movement

These verses, as was mentioned before, according to the belief of most or all commentators, are the first rays of the Divine Light that glittered into the holy heart of the Prophet (S). This incident was a new door opened to humanity, and a new chapter was founded in the history of the human race, and then, Mankind was bestowed one of the greatest Blessings of Allah. the most complete divine religion, which was the last of all religions, was descended.

And after that descent, all the precepts of the religion, the ordinance of Allah, was completed according to the sense of

“...This day have I Perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”2 .

It is interesting to note that the fact is the Prophet (S) was unlettered and was not taught, and at the time when the territory of Hijaz was filled with ignorance, in the first verses of this Surah, of the revelation, the proposition of 'science and the Pen' is emphasized which is mentioned immediately along with the great blessing of 'creation'.

In fact, at first these verses tell about the development of the 'body' of Man from such an unworthy thing as a clot, and on the other hand, they speak about the development of his 'soul' by means of training and education, especially by the pen.

On the day when these verses were revealed, not only in the territory of Hijaz, which was the territory of ignorance, few people valued the pen, but also in the civilized world of that time, the pen was worth little.

Today, however, we know that the basis of whole civilizations, different kinds of knowledge, and the progresses of Man in different fields pivots on the existence of the 'pen'. The rank of scholars has preceded that of the martyrs, because the source for the appearance of the martyrs is really in the ink of the scholars' pen, and basically, it is their 'pen' that can change the destiny of individuals in different societies.

In communities, improvements often start by the pen of faithful, believing people who feel responsibility, but, also, vice and corruption originate from poisonous pens, too.

That is why the Holy Qur'an makes an oath to the

'Pen'

and to what the

'Pen'

produces, thus:

“Nun. By the Pen and by the (Record) which (men) write”3 .

We know that the whole life of the human being is divided into two distinct periods: the historical period and the prehistorical period.

The historical period begins from the time that the invention of writing appeared on the scene and Man used the

'pen'

and was acquainted with reading and writing and as a consequence, Man could leave some trail's from his life for later generations. Hence, the history of Man can be dealt with from the date he could use the 'pen'; when the 'pen' and 'writing' appeared in the history of Man's life.

Therefore, from the very early beginning, Islam was founded on the basis of the

'Pen'

and 'knowledge'; and it is for this same reason that backward people of early Islam could progress in science so much so that they succeeded in introducing and exporting new scientific findings to Europe and all over the world.

As the popular European historians confess, it was the light of the knowledge of Muslims that enlightened the darkened feature of medieval Europe and let them enter the gate of the Golden age.

There are many books, in this field, supplied by the European writers, themselves, under different titles such as 'the History of the Civilization of Islam', or 'Islamic Heritage'.

How disgraceful is a nation with this historical background and with a rich religion like this to fall behind in the path of science and be in need of non-Muslim nations or even dependant on them!

Remembrance of Allah in any Condition

At first, the invitation of the Prophet (S) started with the remembrance of the Name of Allah:

“Read (Proclaim)! In the Name of your Lord...”

And it is interesting that the whole fruitful life of the Prophet (S) was associated with His remembrance.

The remembrance of Allah accompanied each of his breaths; in his rising, sitting, sleeping, walking, riding, starting, stopping, all in all; he was always with the Name of Allah.

When he awakened he used to say:

“Praise be to Allah, Who raises us after our death: and unto Him is the Resurrection”.

Several traditions similar to the above-mentioned one are also cited which conform to this idea.4

Surah ‘Alaq, Verses 6-14

كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَيَطْغَى

أَن رَّآهُ اسْتَغْنَى

إِنَّ إِلَى رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَى

أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يَنْهَى

عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّى

أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَى

أَوْ أَمَرَ بِالتَّقْوَى

أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَى

6. “Nay! Most surely man does transgress (all bounds).”

7. “For he thinks himself self-sufficient.”

8. “Verily, to your Lord is the return (of all).”

9. “Have you seen him who forbids”

10. “A servant when he prays?”

11. “Have you seen whether he is on (the road of) Guidance?”

12. “Or enjoins piety?”

13. “Have you seen if he rejects and turns away?”

14. “Does he not know that Allah surely sees?”

Do You Not Know That Allah Surely Sees What You Do?

Following the last verses in which some material and spiritual gifts of Allah bestowed on Man were mentioned, that which demands his gratitude and absolute submission to Him, here it says:

“Nay! Most surely man does transgress (all bounds)”.

“For he thinks himself self-sufficient”.

This is the nature of most human beings, the nature of those who are not acquainted with revelation and are not trained wisely that, when they think they are self-sufficient, they rebel.

Although all of our knowledge and capacities come as gifts from Allah, Man, in his inordinate vanity and insolence. Misinterprets Allah's gifts as his own achievements. So, he neither obeys Him nor follows His guidance, nor pays attention to his conscience, nor observes the right and justice.

Not only Man, but, also, no creature will be self-sufficient and free from the help of Allah. All of them are always in need of His Grace and His blessings. If His Mercy stops for a moment, just at the same time, all will be destroyed. Man sometimes makes mistakes and as the verse points out, thinks himself self-sufficient.

The delicate sense of the verse is that it says:

'For he thinks himself self-sufficient'

and not: 'For he becomes self-sufficient'.

Some think that the word 'Man' in the verse, here means, Abu-Jahl', who opposed the invitation to Islam from the Prophet (S) in the very beginning. But, 'Man', here certainly means Mankind collectively and persons like Abu-Jahl are only an example.

At any rate, the verse seems to mean that the Prophet (S) should not expect that all people will accept his invitation easily, but he should be prepared to be opposed by the denial and enmity of the transgressors and know that the road in front of him is full of ups and downs.

Then, warning the rebels, it says:

“Verily, to your Lord is the return (of all)”.

And it is Allah Who punishes the transgressors for their deeds. Originally, just as the return of all is to Him and

“...To Allah belongs the heritage of the heaven and the earth...”5 ,

everything has also been from Him, from the beginning, then, it is not reasonable for Man to think that he is self-sufficient and to become bold and rebel.

Next, our attention is turned to a on the behaviour of the arrogant transgressors who prevent believing people from doing righteous deeds, and says:

“Have you seen him who forbids.”

“A servant when he prays?”

Does such a person not deserve the Divine Punishment?

In traditions it is said that Abu-Jahl inquired of the people around him:

“Does Muhammad put his face on the ground (for prostration) amongst you, too?”

They answered that he did.

Then, he said:

“By what we take an oath to, if I see him in that state I will tread His neck under my foot”.

At that moment they told him to look; that the Prophet was praying thereabout.

Abu-Jahl went to tread the Prophet's (S) neck under his foot, but when he approached him he stopped and it seemed as if he was pushing something away from himself with his hand. He was asked what was the matter with him, and he answered.

“Suddenly, I saw a ditch of fire between me and him; a frightful thing, and I saw some wings and feathers, too.”

The Messenger of Allah (S) said about this:

“By the One in Whose hand is my life, if he had come close to me, the angels of Allah would have torn his body to pieces and taken them away one by one.”

It was on this occasion that the above verses were revealed.6

In conformity with those traditions, the above verses were revealed at the beginning of the Prophetic mission. They were not revealed later when the call of Islam was known to all. Hence, some believe that only the first five verses of this Surah were revealed at the beginning of the Prophetic mission and the rest were revealed after a considerable length of time.

In any case, this occasion of revelation can never stand as a barrier for the broad meaning of the verse.

To show further emphasis, it says-

“Have you seen whether he is on (the road of) Guidance?”

“Or enjoins piety?”

Is it right for him (a man such as Abu-Jahl) to forbid? Can the punishment of such a man be anything but the fire of Hell?

“Have you seen if he rejects and turns away?”

“Does he not know that Allah surely sees?”

The aforementioned conditional sentence indicates that this proud rebel should, at least, think of the possibility that the Prophet (S) is on the path of piety. This contingency is enough to stop his rebellion.

Therefore, these verses do not contain the meaning that there is doubt about the invitation of the Prophet (S) of people to guidance and piety, but they point out the above delicate case.

Some of the commentators think that the pronoun in the Arabic word /kana/ or /amr/ refers to the one who prohibits, like Abu-Jahl. So, the verses mean that if he assumes the guidance and instead of prohibiting the saying of prayers, invites to piety, how beneficial it will be for himself!

Yet, the first commentary seems more appropriate.

Explanation: All the World is Before the Presence of Allah

Taking this fact into consideration that all the deeds that Man does are in front of Allah and for that matter, all the world is in front of Him, so that nothing of Man's deeds and thoughts is hidden from Him, this still has little effect on the routine of Man, in his whole life, or prevents him from doing wrong except when faith, in this fact, actually settles in his mind and establishes a certain belief in him.

There is a saying which goes:

“Worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, He sees you.”

It is said that once a heedful believer, who had repented for his sin, was weeping.

Someone asked him:

“Why are you weeping? Do you not know that Allah, the Almighty, is forgiving?”.

He answered:

“Yes, He might forgive, but how can I keep away the shame of that which He has seen from me?”

Surah ‘Alaq, Verses 15-19

كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ

نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ

فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَه

سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ

كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِبْ

15. “Nay! If he desist not, We will certainly seize him by the forelock,”

16. “A lying, sinful forelock!”

17. “Then, let him call (for help) to his council (of comrades),”

18. “We will call on the angels of punishment (to deal with him)!”

19. “Nay! Heed him not: but prostrate yourself and draw nigh (to Allah)”

Prostrate Yourself and Draw Nigh (to Allah)!

The description of the previous verses is about the disbelieving rebels and their disgraceful treatment towards the holy Prophet (S) and those who pray.

Now, in the following verses these rebels are warned most violently. It says that it is not so as Abu-Jahl imagines.

(He thinks that he can tread on the neck of the Prophet (S) when he is prostrating himself and restrain him from doing this divine action):

“Nay! If he desist not, We will certainly seize him by the forelock.”

“A lying, sinful forelock!”

The term /la nasfa'an/ is based on /saf '/ which carries different meanings such as: 'laying hold upon, or seizing; to drag; to slap a man or his face with one's hand; to blacken the face; to make a mark upon something', and 'to abase';7 the best choice being the first meaning, here though there are also some other possibilities in the current verse.

Therefore, the phrase /la nasf 'an bin-nasiyah/ means: 'We will assuredly take him by the forelock to the fire (of Hell); or 'We will assuredly lay hold upon his, forelock and drag him thereby with violence to the fire’; or ‘We will assuredly blacken his face”, the

/nasiyah/ ‘forelock'

being used for the face because it is the fore part, or ‘“We will assuredly mark him with the mark of the people of the fire, making his face black, and his eyes blue”; or 'We will assuredly abase him or render him despicable’.

In any event, the objective meaning that Abu-Jahl, or the likes of him, will be seized by his forelock and dragged on to the blazing fire, is that this happening occurs in the Hereafter or in this world or in both of them. Its witness is the narration cited in Tafsir-i-Fakhr-i-Razi8 .

The term /nasiyah/ means 'forelock', and 'its seizing' is said for the case when a person is to be taken to something with humiliation, because when the forelock of a person is seized he can do nothing but submit to the circumstances.

The word /nasiyah / of course, is used for both men and precious things. It is used in some other senses, too.

The words

“A lying, sinful forelock”

refer to a person with a forelock who was both a lier and sinful like Abu-Jahl.

A narration from Ibn-Abbas denotes that once when the Messenger of Allah (S) was praying around 'the standing place of Abraham (at Mecca)’, Abu-Jahl went to him and told him that he had prohibited him from praying. The Holy Prophet loudly called at him and sent him away.

Abu-Jahl said:

“Do you call at me and send me away? Don't you know that the men in my tribe are more numerous of all others in these surroundings?”

At this time the next verse was revealed, saying.

“Then, let him call (for help) to his council (of comrades),'.

“We will call on the angels of punishment (to deal with him)!'

It is then that the punishment of Allah encompasses him when this neglectful, arrogant Man will understand he can do nothing.

The term /nadi/ is derived from /nida/ with the sense of 'call' which means 'common meeting', and sometimes it is used fur an activity center, since, therein, the members usually 'call' each other.

Some have said that it is based on the root /nida/ with the sense of 'graciousness', because they entertain each other there.

But, the purpose of using /nadi/, here is to refer to the people who gather in that meeting, or, in other words, the people and comrades which persons like Abu-Jahl rely on for their power in their affairs.

The term /zabaniyah/ is the plural form of /zibniyah/ which originally means 'disciplinary guards', and here it appears to refer to 'the Angels who keep guard over Hell'.

In the last verse, of this Surah, (that is; the verse of compulsory prostration), it emphasizes that it is not as he imagines and persists on not bowing in adoration, it says:

“Nay! Heed him not, but prostrate yourself and draw nigh (to Allah).”

Those, such as Abu-Jahl, are naught to be able to stop 'you' from prostration, or to be a hinderance on the path of progress for 'your' religion. 'You' do cover the way by prostration and adoration to draw yourself closer to Allah.

By the way, it is understood from this verse that prostration causes Man to be close to Allah; so a tradition from the Messenger of Allah says:

“The time when a servant of Allah is closest to Him is the time when he prostrates himself”.

We know of course, that, according to the narrations of Ahlul-Bait, there are four obligatory prostrations in the verses of Qur'an. The Suras containing them are: Sujdah, Fussilah, al-Najm. And here 'Alaq; the rest are only recommended prostrations.

Explanation: Rebellion and Self-Sufficiency

Most corruptions and vices raise their ugly heads amongst rich and oppressive people who have always been at the head of the line against prophets.

These people are the same ones who are mentioned in the Qur'an under the names of

/malaa/ ‘the leaders',9 ;

or

/mutrafin/ ‘wealthy ones',10 ;

and sometimes

/mustakbirin/ ‘oppressors'11 .

The first refers to the rich whose outside appearances look valuable but, their real insides are empty; the second means the ones who enjoy the good things of this life and live in comfort and are completely proud, self-sufficing, and unaware of others' pain; and the third is applied to those who, talking nonsense about the Qur'an, insolently transgress the bounds of Allah and the rights of His servants.

The origin of them all is the imagination of being self-sufficient, the characteristic of those of low capacity who, when they obtain some blessings, wealth, tranquility or high position, feel self-sufficient and forget their Lord, quite neglectfully.

But, we know that the wealth of a person may disappear easily in a few minutes, or be wholly destroyed by a flood, an earthquake or lightning. One's health too, is in danger by such a slight thing as drinking water.

What kind of negligence is it that dwells in some people to the point that they think they are self-sufficient, and transgress on others proudly in the society?

In order to remove this vice from himself, Man should think of his own weaknesses, on the one hand, and on the other hand, he should contemplate on the Great Power of Allah, and study the history of the destruction of arrogant people of ancient generations, who were much stronger and more powerful than him.

He must learn humility: This is his defence.

Supplication

O Lord! Protect us against pride and arrogance; the main vices which cause us to be far from You.

O Lord! Please do not leave us alone, even for a moment.

O Lord! Please bestow on us such an ability that we valiantly overcome the oppressors who hinder our path, and make their evil plans fruitless.

Notes

1. Tafsir-i-Borhan, vol. 4, p. 478.

2. Surah Maidah, No. 5, verse 4

3. Surah Qalam, No. 68, verse 1

4. Fi-Zalal-il-Qur'an, vol. 8, p. 619.

5. Surah 'Imran. 'No. 3, verse 180

6. Majma' -al- Bayan, commentary, vol. 10. p. 515

7. Fakhr-i-Razi vol. 32, p. 23.

8. vol. 32, p. 23

9. 7:60

10. 34:34

11. 23:67

Surah Lail, Chapter 92

(The Night)

Number of Verses: 21

Contents of the Surah

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

This Surah is a Meccan Surah and has the same qualities that other Meccan Suras have; short verses. Their contents are expressive and awakening and they are generally about the Hereafter and Divine chastisement.

At the beginning, after making three oaths, the verses divide people into two groups: Those pious believers who give in charity and fear Allah; and those disbelievers who are greedy misers and think themselves self-sufficient. The fate of the first group is introduced as being in ease and happiness, and the destiny of the second group is affliction and misery.

At one point in the Surah, after mentioning the fact that Allah guides His servants, the Qur'an warns all of us of a blazing fire. Then, it introduces the conduct of those who enter the fire and that of those who are kept away from it.

The Virtue in Studying Surah Lail

On the virtue of this Surah, the holy Prophet (S) is narrated to have said:

“He who recites it (Surah Lail) Allah awards him so much so that he is satisfied, and He protects him from toil, and makes (the path of his life) smooth for him.”1

Surah Lail, Verses 1-11

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى

وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى

وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنثَى

إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّى

فَأَمَّا مَن أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى

وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى

فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى

وَأَمَّا مَن بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى

وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى

فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى

وَمَا يُغْنِي عَنْهُ مَالُهُ إِذَا تَرَدَّى

1. “By the night when it enshrouds,”

2. “By the day when it brightens up,”

3. “By Him Who created the male and the female,”

4. “Verily (the ends) you strive for are diverse.”

5. “Then as for him who gives (in charity) and fears (Allah),”

6. “And (in all sincerity) testifies to the Best,”

7. “We will ease him to the state of ease.”

8. “But he who is a greedy miser thinks himself self-sufficient,”

9. “And gives lie to the Best,”

10. “We will ease him to the path of affliction,”

11. “And his wealth will not avail when he perishes.”

The Occasion of the Revelation of Surah Lail

Commentators have cited an occasion of revelation for the whole Surah on the authority of Ibn-Abbas.

Here is what the late Tabarsi has said in Majma'-al-Bayan:

There was a man among the Muslims who had a palm tree, a branch of which was bent towards the house of a poor man who had a large family. Sometimes the owner of the palm tree would collect the fruit and if by chance some dates fell in the poor man's yard and his children picked them up, the owner would come and snatch them away from their hands and even from their mouths.

The poor man complained to the holy Prophet (S) who, in turn requested that the man leave until he (S) could investigate the situation.

Then, it happened that the Prophet (S) met the owner of the palm tree and asked him if he would give him (the holy Prophet) the tree in question, in return for a palm tree in Paradise. The man declined with the plea that the dates of that tree, among all his numerous trees, were so delicate that he could not give it up.

There was another man, according to some narrations, named Ahul-Dahdah, who heard what the holy Prophet (S) promised the owner.

He said,

“O Messenger of Allah! Would you promise the same to me if I get the palm tree from the owner and give it to you?”

The holy Prophet (S) said,

“Yes”.

So, the man went to the owner of the palm and talked with him and questioned him as to if he knew that the Prophet (S) had offered a palm tree in Paradise instead of the one he had and he answered that he had many palm trees but, the taste of the dates of that tree was the most delicious.

Then, the man asked the owner whether he wanted to sell it, and he refused unless he received a sum that he supposed no one would pay. The man asked about the price and the owner answered that it was forty palm trees.

The buyer was astonished and told him that it was an expensive price that he demanded for a bent palm tree-forty palm trees!

Then, after a short pause the buyer agreed to give him forty palm trees. The greedy seller asked him to call some people as witnesses for the exchange and the buyer did. After that, he went to the holy Prophet (S) and presented the palm tree to him.

The Messenger of Allah went to the poor man and told him that the palm tree was in his and his children's possession.

It was there that Surah Lail was descended and stated what it declared about the righteous and the wrongdoers.

Piety and the Divine Assistance

At the beginning of this Surah, again, we find three reflective oaths about the 'creation' and the Creator of the world.

It says:

“By the night when it enshrouds,”

The use of the term

/yaqsa/ ‘enshrouds’

is because night, like a creature, covers half of the globe and brings it under her authority, or is for the reason that the light of the day or the rays of the world-illuminating sun 'hides' when night comes forth.

In any case, it is an evidence to the importance of Night's effective role in men's lives, including the adjustment of the sun's heat, the resting of the living creatures in it, and the adoration of the night by awake, vigilant believers.

Then, our attention is attracted to another oath.

It says:

“By the day when it brightens up,”

'Day'

begin from the moment that the light of dawn breaks the curtain of the gloom of night and removes the darkness and dominates the expanse of heaven, filling everywhere and everything with its glory and light; the very light that is the secret of the life of all living things.

In the Qur'an, the contrast of 'light' and 'darkness' and their effect in Man's life is repeatedly stated and emphasized upon, because they are two perpetual great blessings and are also two Divine Signs.

Then, the last oath of this Surah is mentioned.

It says:

“By Him Who created the male and the female,”

The existence of the mystery of the sexes runs through all life in human beings, animals and plants. The process of development that occurs in the life-germ from the very beginning until the time of birth, the characteristics of both sexes due to their functions and actions, and the secrets hidden in the sex phenomena are all Signs of the glorious world of creation through which we may understand the greatness of its Creator.

The term /ma/ ‘something, a thing' used, here for Allah is for the extraordinary greatness or His Entity that has an ambiguous state which is beyond the imagination and human concept.

Some have also said that /ma/, here in Arabic is 'masdariyah'. If so, the sentence means: 'By the creation of male and female'. But, this interpretation seems feeble.

In fact, the first two oaths refer to the celestial Signs while the third oath points to the human signs.

The conclusion of the aforementioned oaths is stated in the next verse.

It says:

“Verily the (ends) you strive for are diverse.”

People have different or diverse aims in life for which they strive. One might be talking of the pleasures of this world while another may be mindful of the life in the Hereafter. No one lives aimlessly, but we should be careful of the way in which we use our divine talents and powers in order to understand if it is for good or evil.

The term /satta/ is the plural form of /satit/ and is derived from /Satt/ which means 'separate, divided'.

Then, the Qur'an, dividing people into two groups; addressing the first says:

“Then as for him who gives (in charity) and fears (Allah),”

“And (in all sincerity) testifies to the Best,”

“We will ease him to the state of ease.”

The purpose of using the term /a'ta/ is for the meaning of charity in the way of Allah and helping the needy.

Then, immediately after that, it emphasizes on 'piety' which may refer to the necessity of pure intention in practicing the action lawfully and with permitted wealth, without any reproach or harm or hurt, because all of the meanings are gathered in the sense of 'piety'.

Some have said that /a'ta/ refers to financial actions done for Allah, and /atqa/ refers to other religious actions of worship. However, the first commentary is better, because it adapts both to the appearance of the verse, and to the occasion of revelation that was mentioned before.

The idea of 'testifying to the Best' indicates 'the faith in the Divine blessed rewards', as Abul-Dahdah, the believing man mentioned in the story on the occasion of revelation of the Surah, who with faith in the Divine blessed rewards spent his wealth.

This meaning is also mentioned in Surah Nisa, No. 40, verse 95

“...unto all (in Faith) hath Allah promised good...”

Some have said the phrase means 'the best religion', i.e. 'the faith in Islam' which is the best religion.

Some have rendered the words thus:

“I testify that there is no god besides Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the apostle of Allah.”

But, regarding all conditions, the first commentary seems more fitting.

The sentence:

“We will ease him to the state of ease”

may refer to the success given by Allah and making the path of obedience for such persons easy; or paving the road to paradise for them and the act of relieving and greeting them by angels; or it may include all of them.

No doubt, those who give charity and alms piously and believe in the Divine rewards, their difficulties will be changed into easy affairs for them and will have enjoined a special calmness both in this world and the next.

In the beginning the payment of the alms-tax and giving charity may seem difficult for us, but with continued and frequent practice it will become easy, so that we will gain enjoyment from it.

There are many generous people who are happy to have guests present at their meals but, if they do not receive anyone on a particular day, they will be rather sad. Therefore, for them to receive guests is a kind of ease in their lives.

We should not neglect that, in principle, belief in the Resurrection and in Divine, immense rewards changes Man's tolerance of different hardships and makes them easy for him. This kind of believing man will spend eagerly not only his wealth, but will also give up his dear sweet life for the love of martyrdom on the path of Allah.

The term /yusra/ is derived from /yusr/ that basically means 'to saddle a horse and make it ready to ride on', and the term has been used for any easy deed.

In the next verse attention is paid to the contrary group and says:

“But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient,”

“And gives the lie to the Best,”

“We will ease him to the path of affliction.”

Here, the term

/buxl/ ‘miser'

is mentioned opposite to /a'ta/ ‘being generous' which we find in the first group; and

/istaqna/ ‘demands self-sufficiency'

is either an excuse for the conduct of avarice and a means of heaping up wealth, or it refers to an imagination of being self-sufficient of the divine rewards. This characteristic is just opposite to that of the former group who always seek Allah's favour. Or, since the latter group think that they do not need to obey their Lord, then they always commit sin.

Among these three commentaries the first one seems more appropriate, though all of them may be combined.

The purpose of the phrase

“gives the lie to the Best”

is for signifying disbelief in the rewards of the Next World or rejecting the religion and the good ways of the prophets.

The sentence:

“We will ease him to the path of affliction”

is a state opposite to the case in the sentence: “We will ease him to the state of ease” where Allah brings forth his favor and the righteous succeed on a smooth path of obedience and charity which makes them free from the difficulties of life.

But, the members of the other group are in absence of success, and travelling the path is difficult for them. They will be involved in hardships in this world and the next.

In general, the fulfillment of good deeds and especially payment of charity and the alms-tax in the way of Allah is difficult for the disbelieving, greedy misers, while it is easy, exciting and pleasant for the righteous.

At the end of this part of the Surah, the blind-hearted, greedy misers are warned:

“And his wealth will not avail him when he perishes.”

He can neither take anything of his worldly property with him, nor could it prevent him from the fire of Hell.

The term /ma/, at the beginning of the verse, may be a negative sign (as it was mentioned above), or for questioning in the negative. If so, the sentence means: 'What benefit can he take from his wealth when he falls in the grave or Hell?”

The term /taradda/ is based on /rida 'at/ and /radaya/ which means'to perish, to fall’ and since falling from a high place usually causes one to perish, it is also used in the sense of 'perdition’. In the current verse it may mean 'to fall into the grave, or Hell, or perdition as a punishment'.

Thus, the Qur'an, in these verses, speaks about two groups of people: the first is the righteous who are pious, generous believers; and the second is the group of unbelievers who are impious and miserly. The examples of both groups are clearly pointed out in the description of the occasion of revelation.

Surah Lail, Verses 12-21

إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَى

وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْآخِرَةَ وَالْأُولَى

فَأَنذَرْتُكُمْ نَارًا تَلَظَّى

لَا يَصْلَاهَا إِلَّا الْأَشْقَى

الَّذِي كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى

وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى

الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّى

وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُ مِن نِّعْمَةٍ تُجْزَى

إِلَّا ابْتِغَاء وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَى

وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَى

12. “Verily We take upon Ourselves to guide,”

13. “And certainly to Us (belongs the End) the Hereafter and (the Beginning) the first (life).”

14. “Therefore, I warn you of a Fire that blazes:”

15. “None shall reach it but the reprobate,”

16. “Who gives the lie (to Truth) and turns away,”

17. “And from which shall the most devoted to Allah be kept away,”

18. “Who gives away his wealth, purifying himself;

19. “And bestows no favour on anyone for the sake of reward,

20.”But only the desire to seek for the countenance of his Lord, the Most High,”

21. “And he shall soon be well-pleased.”

Payment of Charity Causes the Fire to Be Kept Away

In the former verses, people were divided into two groups; pious, generous believers and impious, miserly unbelievers, and then, their different fates were pointed out. Now, in the following verse, we are told that Allah guides us to the straight way, so, the choice is up to us without being obliged to it. It is our own duty to decide and act accordingly. Going along the right path is beneficial for us, ourselves; Allah has no need of it at all.

“Verily We take upon Ourselves to guide.”

This guidance is irrespective of guidance by way of genesis (through natural position and intellect) or guidance by way of religion (through books and traditions). All other necessary means of guidance have already been provided.

“And certainly to Us (belongs the End) the Hereafter and (the Beginning) the first (life).”

'We are not in need of your Faith and obedience. Neither does your obedience profit Us nor does your sinning hurt Us.’ All things and the means of guidance are provided, fully, for the use of Man to take benefit from.

According to this commentary 'guidance' means 'showing the way'. It is also probable that the purpose of these two verses is to encourage the generous believers, and to say that they are guided better by Allah and their way is easy for them in this world and the Next World, and since all this world and the Next World are in His possession, He is completely capable of this.

It is true that this world comes before the Next World but, because of its importance and because it is the main, final goal, the Hereafter is mentioned first.

And since one of the branches of guidance is the act of warning, in the next verse it says:

“Therefore, I warn you of a Fire that blazes.”

The term /talazza/ is derived from /laza/ in the sense of 'a smokeless flame or fire', and we know that this kind of fire has a hotter heat. The term /laza / has sometimes been used for Hell, itself.

Then, it points to those who enter this blazing fire, saying:

“None shall reach it but the reprobate,”

“Who gives the lie (to truth) and turns away,”

So, the scale for happiness and unhappiness is Faith and disbelief, respectively, and the fruit that each of them brings forth. Allah, in His infinite Mercy, has provided full guidance to His creatures. Man, having mental and spiritual faculties and talents, with all the inspired prophets and heavenly Books, and all Divine signs and possibilities of guidance at his disposal, rejects the truth and goes astray. So, such a person is surely the clear example of the reprobate.

In the sentence

“Who gives the lie (to truth) and turns away”,

the idea

“gives the lie”

may refer to 'blasphemy' and

“turns away”

to 'the negligence of doing good'; as this is a condition of blasphemy.

Or both of them may refer to the negligence of Faith, in this way that at first, they reject the prophet and then turn their backs and go away from him forever.

The commentators have a question and answer thus: the above mentioned verses indicate that the fire of Hell is only for disbelievers, but, this idea does not adapt to what the other verses of the Qur'an and the Islamic narrations say from which it is understood that the sinful believers will have a share from the fire, too. That is why some misled classes, taking these verses as their evidence, believe that with the existence of Faith sinning is possible without punishment.

In answering the question, two points should be made: the first is that the purpose of the phrase

'reaching the fire',

here is the same as 'being immortal in Fire' that we know it belongs to disbelievers, with reference to the verses that mean besides blasphemers, there are some who enter Hell.

The second point is that the idea that the above verses and the following ones say that being kept away from the fire is only for the most God-fearing people, i.e. on the whole the situations of the two groups are to be indicated thus: the miserly unbelievers and the generous, pious believers. From these two groups only the first one reaches Hell and the second group enters Heaven. Thus, the third group, that is, the sinful believers is not in question at this point.

In other words, limitation, here is 'an additional limitation'; as if Heaven is created only for the second group. This statement makes other objections clear in connection with the contradiction of the current verses and the next ones which restrict salvation to the righteous.

Then, the words are about some people who are kept away from this blazing Fire. It says:

“And from which shall the most devoted to Allah be kept away.”

“He who gives away his wealth, purifying himself”

The usage of the term /yatazakka/ is in fact for the meaning of 'purity of intention' since the Arabic root word /zaka/ implies both increase and purification in morals and wealth, as:

“Of their goods take alms, that so thou mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf. Verily prayers are a source of security for them...”2

Then, to emphasize on their pure intention in their giving of charity, it says:

“And bestow no favour on anyone for the sake of reward,”

“But only the desire to seek for the countenance of his Lord, the Most High.”

In other words, many charities or good deeds are done with a motive; that of returning someone else's favour and compensating and rewarding someone for some service done or expecting some reward in return for ones own good deeds. But the above mentioned verses denote that the sole motive in a pious, believing Man's mind is that he desires the Countenance or, Good Pleasure of the Lord, the Most High.

This countenance or

/wajh/ ‘face',

here with the meaning of 'essence', implies good pleasure or the approval of Allah.

The phrase

'his Lord, the Most High'

shows that the act of 'giving charity' is done with a good understanding of His Lordship and that He is the Most High.

Finally, in the last verse of the Surah, the unique great reward of these good believers is pointed out in a short sentence.

It says:

“And he shall soon be well-pleased”.

Yes, one who is whole-heartedly devoted to Allah shall find Allah's pleasure as he expects; an absolute pleasure, vast, illuminated and conditionless which contains all the blessings, of His Bliss. It is something that, today, we cannot imagine at all; and what a grand, splendid blessing this reward is!

Some commentators have thought that the pronoun in the term /yartda/ may refer to Allah. If so, the verse means: 'And Allah shall soon be well-pleased (with him), which is, itself, a great, unique gift that the Lord, the Most High, has bestowed upon His servant, and certainly such a pious believing servant will be well-pleased with Him, because these two correlate with each other. Surah Bayyinah, No. 98, verse 8 verifies this idea.

It says:

“...Allah is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him...”,

and also the verse:

“Come back to your Lord well-pleased (with Him) and well-pleasing”.3

But, the first commentary is more appropriate.

Explanation:

The Moral Excellence of Spending in the Way of Allah:

Spending in the Way of Allah and giving financial help to the needy; especially to the respectable ones, with pure and good intention, is one of the themes that is repeatedly mentioned in the Holy Qur'an and is one of the characteristics of 'True Faith'.

There are many Islamic narrations on this subject so much so that the culture of the religion indicates that financial spending, which has no motive but for the countenance of Allah and which is free from any hypocrisy, reproach and hurt, is the best of deeds.

Here are some meaningful traditions on the matter:

1. A narration from Imam Baqir (as) says:

“The best actions with Allah is the bringing of joy to the soul of a believing Muslim, feeding him until he is satisfied, or clearing his debt”.4

2. The Messenger of Allah (S) is narrated to have said in a tradition:

“Good temper, feeding (others) and blood shed (offered in sacrifice for the sake of Allah) are (signs) of Faith”.5

3. Imam Sadiq (as) is narrated to have said:

“I have not seen anything equal to visiting a (Muslim) believer but that of feeding him, and it is for Allah to feed from Heaven the (believing) one who feeds a believer.”

4. In another tradition the holy Prophet (S) is narrated to have answered the man who asked him what the best actions were:

“Feeding (others), and (saying) good words.”6

Again, a tradition from the holy Prophet (S) says:

“The one who maintains a Muslim family (entertaining them) for a day and a night's time, Allah forgives his sins.”

Supplication

O Lord! Give all of us the success of having a share of this great, good action.

O Lord! Cause the purity of our intention to be increased.

O Lord! We seek your Grace and Mercy so that You will be well-pleased with us and we will be well pleased, too.

Notes

1. Bihar-al-Anwar, vol. 74, p. 395, Traditions 35 and 38.

2. Surah Tauba, No. 9, Verse 103

3. Surah Fajr, No. 89, verse 28

4. Ibid.

5. Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, on 'Feeding a Believer', Tradition 17.

6. Bihar-al-Anwar, vol. 74, p. 388, Traditions 113.


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