[Al-Quran 50:6-8] Have they not looked at the heaven above them - how We structured it and adorned it and how it has no rifts? And the earth - We spread it out and cast therein firmly set mountains and made grow therein [something] of every beautiful kind, Giving insight and a reminder for every servant who turns [to Allah].

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Clear Signs




قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ كَفَرْتُم بِهِ مَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ هُوَ فِي شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ

سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِّن لِّقَاءِ رَبِّهِمْ أَلَا إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُّحِيطٌ


Say, "You see - if it is from Allah then you disbelieve in it, who (is) more astray than (one) who - he (is) in opposition far?"
Soon We will show them Our Signs in the horizons and in themselves their nafs until becomes clear to them, that it (is) the truth. Is (it) not sufficient concerning your Lord, that He (is) over all things a Witness?
Unquestionably, they (are) in doubt about (the) meeting (with) their Lord? Unquestionably, indeed, He (is) of all things encompassing.
[Al-Quran 41:52-54, Translation: Literal (word by word), edited (in italics)] 














Tuesday, July 16, 2019

l-Baru (الْبَرُّ)

 قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

Say, "He (is) Allah, the One.
Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute.
Not He begets and not He is begotten.
And not is for Him equivalent any [one]."
[Al-Quran Surah al-Ikhlas]


Abstract
The meaning of الْبَرُّ according to the usage of the root bā rā rā (ب ر ر) across The Quran, building upon some prior learnings from The Bible and The Quran.


Full Text 




إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلُ نَدْعُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْبَرُّ الرَّحِيمُ

innā kunnā min qablu nadʿūhu innahu huwa l-baru l-raḥīmu
[Al-Quran 52:28; Transliteration]


The Quran quotes that the people of The Gardens will declare that Allah is الْبَرُّ الرَّحِيمُ . The root bā rā rā (ب ر ر) is used across The Quran 32 times. It is used once to describe Allah. It is also used for land, and it is used for people in both verb and noun form.

When used for land (الْبَرِّ in Q5:96, Q6:59, Q6:63, Q6:97, Q10:22, Q17:67, Q17:68, Q17:70, Q27:63, Q29:65, Q30:41, Q31:32), it is generally contrasted with water bodies (الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ) which clarifies that it should mean land:

Screenshot of some of the results from corpus.quran.com


When used for people, the word is generally translated in shades of dutiful, righteous, good, ... even though other words in Arabic are also similarly translated, such as words formed with the roots: wāw qāf yā (و ق ي) || ṣād lām ḥā (ص ل ح) || ṭā yā bā (ط ي ب).

Like land, we know that we humans are made from dust. The Quran encourages us to attain al-birr (الْبِرَّ), while it also quotes a prayer to grant us death among the الْأَبْرَارِ :

رَّبَّنَا إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي لِلْإِيمَانِ أَنْ آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُمْ فَآمَنَّا 

رَبَّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الْأَبْرَارِ

Our Lord, indeed we [we] heard a caller calling to the faith that "Believe in your Lord," so we have believed. 
Our Lord so forgive for us our sins and remove from us سَيِّئَاتِنَا, and cause us to die with the الْأَبْرَارِ.
[Al-Quran 3:193]


May Allah accept this prayer from us, bless us, and make us one of the الْأَبْرَارِ. Aameen.

Forgiving of our sins (ذُنُوبَنَا) and removal of its consequences (سَيِّئَاتِنَا) from us seems to be a prerequisite to die as one of the الْأَبْرَارِ . Does then becoming الْأَبْرَارِ mean that we, who are made of dust, becomes pristine and absolutely flawless?

The Quran repeatedly encourages spending for the sake of Allah (Q2:261 يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ) as a means of earning Allah's forgiveness (please read Q57).

Consider the following ayaat: 


لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ

It is not [the] الْبِرَّ that you turn your faces towards the east and the west, [and] but الْبِرَّ (is he) who believes in Allah and the Day [the] Last, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Prophets, and gives the wealth in spite of his love (for it) (to) the near relatives, and the orphans, and the needy, and (of) the wayfarer, and those who ask, and in freeing the necks (slaves) and (who) establish the prayer, and give the zakah, and those who fulfill their covenant when they make it; and those who are patient in [the] suffering and [the] hardship, and (the) time (of) [the] stress. Those (are) the ones who are true and those, [they] (are) الْمُتَّقُونَ.
[Al-Quran 2:177]


لَن تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا مِن شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ

Never will you attain الْبِرَّ until you spend from what you love. And whatever you spend of a thing then indeed, Allah of it (is) All-Knowing
[Al-Quran 3:92]


So, by spending from what we love, if we are able to earn Allah's forgiveness and removal of the consequences of our sins (سَيِّئَاتِنَا), and thereby attain الْبِرَّ , then it means we can be reverted to the pristine condition, as we were when Allah created us? As our forefather Adam was before they ate from the forbidden tree? In Surah at-Tin, we read that:

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ
ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَاهُ أَسْفَلَ سَافِلِينَ
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ

We have indeed created man in the best of moulds,
Then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low,-
Except such as believe and do righteous deeds: For they shall have a reward unfailing.
[Al-Quran, 95:4-6, Translation: Yusuf Ali] 


In Surah `Abasa, the word بَرَرَةٍ (same root as الْبَرُّ) is used to describe the scribes. Many translators translate this word as virtuous: 

كَلَّا إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ
فَمَن شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ
فِي صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّمَةٍ
مَّرْفُوعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَةٍ
بِأَيْدِي سَفَرَةٍ
كِرَامٍ بَرَرَةٍ

By no means! Verily it is an admonition.
So whosoever willeth - let him be admonished therewith.
Inscribed in Writs honoured,"
Exalted, Purified,
By the hands of scribes.
Honourable and virtuous.
[Al-Quran, 80:11-16, Translation: Abdul Majid Daryabadi; typos edited] 


In Surah al-Maidah, we find virtue (الْبِرِّ) directly contrasted with sin (الْإِثْمِ):

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُحِلُّوا شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ وَلَا الشَّهْرَ الْحَرَامَ وَلَا الْهَدْيَ وَلَا الْقَلَائِدَ وَلَا آمِّينَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَانًا وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَاصْطَادُوا وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ أَن صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ أَن تَعْتَدُوا
  وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

O ye who believe! profane not the landmarks of Allah nor any sacred month nor the offering nor the victims with the garlands nor those repairing to the Sacred House seeking the grace of their Lord and His goodwill. And when ye have put off the state of sanctity, ye may chase. And let not the hatred against a people, because they kept you from the Sacred Mosque, incite you to trespass.
Assist each other to virtue and piety, and assist not each other to sin and transgression,
Fear Allah: verily Allah is Severe in chastising.
[Al-Quran, 5:2, Translation: Abdul Majid Daryabadi] 


As discussed in The Lord is my Rock, from Q24:35, we learn that Allah is also described as ... glass like a brilliant planet ... (... الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ ...), a reading which is supported by The Bible which mentions The Rock. I have tried to understand the Noor emitting from within in another post: Gamma Rays, Visible Light & The Electromagnetic Spectrum.

We know from many ayaat across The Quran that Allah is ar-Rahim, which is generally translated as The Most Merciful, root rā ḥā mīm (ر ح م).

So, I wonder if we should understand الْبَرُّ الرَّحِيمُ as:

إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلُ نَدْعُوهُ
إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْبَرُّ الرَّحِيمُ

Indeed, we [we] used to before call Him. 
Indeed, He [He] (is) The Pristine Virtuous Land, the Most Merciful."
[Al-Quran 52:28]



The Quran questions: 

هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ الْغَمَامِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ

Are they waiting [except] that comes to them Allah in (the) shadows of [the] clouds, and the Angels, and is decreed the matter? And to Allah return (all) the matters. 
[Al-Quran 2:210







Last updated on: July 21, 2019

Saturday, July 13, 2019

Wal-ʿAṣri (وَالْعَصْرِ)

 قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

Say, "He (is) Allah, the One.
Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute.
Not He begets and not He is begotten.
And not is for Him equivalent any [one]."
[Al-Quran Surah al-Ikhlas]


Abstract
The usage of the root ʿayn ṣād rā (ع ص ر) across The Quran and some quotes from The Bible.    


Full Text 



وَالْعَصْرِ
إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ

wal-ʿaṣri
inna l-insāna lafī khus'rin
illā alladhīna āmanū waʿamilū l-ṣāliḥāti watawāṣaw bil-ḥaqi watawāṣaw bil-ṣabri
[Al-Quran 103:1-3; Transliteration]


The Quran declares by وَالْعَصْرِ that all humans are in loss except those who meet the minimum four requirements as listed in Q103:3, that is belief, acts of reform, advice the truth and advise patience. These have been extensively discussed by the scholars, as we all need to worry about whether we meet this basic criteria or not.

The word وَالْعَصْرِ is generally translated as time. However, looking at the usage of the root ʿayn ṣād rā (ع ص ر) in the following ayat:

Screenshot from corpus.quran.com

Curiously, wal-ʿaṣri is translated as 'By the time', when the rest of the words formed with the same root seem to convey a very different meaning, more in the sense of some physical phenomenon. 

The Bible foretells about a whirlwind:  

The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation. 

"But who has stood in the council of the LORD, That he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened?
"Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath, Even a whirling tempest; It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.
"The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; In the last days you will clearly understand it.


The Quran questions: 

هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ الْغَمَامِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ

Are they waiting [except] that comes to them Allah in (the) shadows of [the] clouds, and the Angels, and is decreed the matter? And to Allah return (all) the matters. 
[Al-Quran 2:210




Last updated on: July 18, 2019