[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].

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

The Torah & The Quran

The Book

الم
ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ
أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

Alif Lām Mīm.
That is the Book—there is no doubt ^in it^, a guidance for the ones who are Godfearing:
Those who believe in the unseen and perform the formal prayer, and they spend out of what We provided them,
and those who believe in what was caused to descend to thee, and what was caused to descend before thee, and they are certain of the world to come.
Those are on a guidance from their Lord and those, they are the ones who prosper.
[Al-Quran 2:1-5, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]



The Book, The Torah & The Gospel, & The Criteria 


نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَأَنزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنجِيلَ
مِن قَبْلُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَنزَلَ الْفُرْقَانَ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ ذُو انتِقَامٍ

He sent down to thee the Book with The Truth, that which establishes as true what was before it. And He caused to descend the Torah and the Gospel
before this as a guidance for humanity. And He caused to descend the Criterion between right and wrong. Truly, those who were ungrateful for the signs of God, for them is a severe punishment. And God is Almighty, Possessor of Requital.
[Al-Quran 3:3-4, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]



Submission to Allah 


إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

Truly the way of life with God is submission to the One God. And at variance were those who were given the Book after what drew near them of the knowledge out of insolence among themselves. And whoever is ungrateful for the signs of God, then, truly, God is Swift in reckoning.
[Al-Quran 3:19, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]



Torah: Guidance & Nur 

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُوا لِلَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالْأَحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُوا مِن كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَاءَ فَلَا تَخْشَوُا النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ

Truly, We caused the Torah to descend wherein is guidance and light. The Prophets give judgment with it, those who submitted to God, for those who became Jews and the rabbis and learned Jewish scholars who committed to memory the Book of God and they had been witnesses to it. So dread not humanity, but dread Me. And exchange not My signs for a little price. And whoever gives not judgment by what God caused to descend, those, they are the ones who are ungrateful.
[Al-Quran 5:44, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]



The Tablets 

وَكَتَبْنَا لَهُ فِي الْأَلْوَاحِ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَّوْعِظَةً وَتَفْصِيلًا لِّكُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَخُذْهَا بِقُوَّةٍ وَأْمُرْ قَوْمَكَ يَأْخُذُوا بِأَحْسَنِهَا سَأُرِيكُمْ دَارَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

And We wrote down for him on the Tablets something of all things and an admonishment and a decisive explanation of all things. So take these with firmness and command thy folk to take what is fairer. I will cause you to see the abodes of the ones who disobey.
[Al-Quran 7:145, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]



The Torah & The Quran 

فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوا لَوْلَا أُوتِيَ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفُرُوا بِمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ قَالُوا سِحْرَانِ تَظَاهَرَا وَقَالُوا إِنَّا بِكُلٍّ كَافِرُونَ

قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِكِتَابٍ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَىٰ مِنْهُمَا أَتَّبِعْهُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ


But when The Truth drew near them from Us they said: Why was he not given the like of what was given to Moses? They are ones who are ungrateful for what was given to Moses before. They said: Two kinds of sorcery, each helped one against the other. And they said: Truly, we disbelieve in all of it.
Say: Then, bring a Book from God that is better guided than these two that I follow it, if you had been ones who are sincere.
[Al-Quran 28:48-49, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]



Messengers & Signs 

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ رُسُلًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِمْ فَجَاءُوهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَانتَقَمْنَا مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا وَكَانَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

And, certainly, We sent Messengers before thee to their own folk. They drew near them with the clear portents. Then, We requited those who sinned. And it had been an obligation on Us to help ones who believe.
[Al-Quran 30:47, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]



The Bani Israel 


وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ فَلَا تَكُن فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِّن لِّقَائِهِ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ هُدًى لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ

وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ

And, certainly, We gave Moses the Book. So be you not hesitant about meeting Him. And We assigned it as a guidance for the Children of Israel.
And We assigned leaders from among them to guide under Our command when they endured patiently. And they had been certain of Our signs.
[Al-Quran 32:23-24, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]



Explained in Detail 

حم
تَنزِيلٌ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
كِتَابٌ فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا فَأَعْرَضَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ
...
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَسْمَعُوا لِهَٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ وَالْغَوْا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَغْلِبُونَ
...
مَّا يُقَالُ لَكَ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ قِيلَ لِلرُّسُلِ مِن قَبْلِكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍ وَذُو عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَّقَالُوا لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ أَأَعْجَمِيٌّ وَعَرَبِيٌّ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى أُولَٰئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ فَاخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مُرِيبٍ
مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فَعَلَيْهَا وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ
...
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

Ḥā Mīm.
A sending down successively from The Merciful, The Compassionate,
a Book in which its signs were explained distinctly, an Arabic Recitation for a folk who know,
a bearer of glad tidings and a warner, but most of them turned aside so they hear not.
...
And those who are ungrateful said: Hear not this, the Quran, but talk idly about it while it is being recited so that perhaps you will prevail.
...
Nothing is said to thee but what, truly, was said to the Messengers before thee. Truly, thy Lord is, certainly, the Possessor of Forgiveness, and the Possessor of Painful Repayment.
And if We made this a non-Arabic Recitation, they would have said: Why were His signs not explained distinctly: A non-Arab tongue and an Arab! Say: It is a guidance for those who believe and a healing. And as for those who believed not, there is a heaviness in their ears and blindness in their hearts. Those are given notice from a far place.
And, certainly, We gave Moses the Book. Then, they were at variance about it. And if it were not for a Word that had preceded from thy Lord, it would have been decided between them. But, truly, they are in uncertainty, ones in grave doubt about it.
Whoever did as one in accord with morality, it is for himself. And whoever did evil, it is against himself, and thy Lord is not unjust to His servants.
...
Say: Considered you that even though it had been from God, again, you were ungrateful for it. Who is one who goes more astray than he who is in wide breach?
We will cause them to see Our signs on the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is The Truth. Suffices not thy Lord that, truly, He is Witness over all things?
They are hesitant about the meeting with their Lord. Truly, He is who One Who Encloses everything.
Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar, typos edited]



Entrusted with The Torah


مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْرَاةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ الْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًا بِئْسَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

The parable of those who were entrusted with the Torah, and, again, carries it not is as the parable of a donkey who carries writings. Miserable was the parable of a folk who denied the signs of God! And God guides not the folk, the ones who are unjust.
[Al-Quran 62:5, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]



The Guarded Tablet 



هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْجُنُودِ
فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ
بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي تَكْذِيبٍ
وَاللَّهُ مِن وَرَائِهِم مُّحِيطٌ
بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَّجِيدٌ
فِي لَوْحٍ مَّحْفُوظٍ

Approached thee the discourse of the armies
of Pharaoh and of Thamud?
Nay! Those who were ungrateful are belying
and God is One Who Encloses them from behind.
Nay! It is a glorious Recitation
inscribed on the Guarded Tablet.
[Al-Quran 85:17-22, Translation: Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar]




Last updated on September 11, 2019

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Non-Living & Living

Abstract 
Non-living and living are states of being! Our Ever-Living Creator has created these alternate states of existence. We exist in death as much as we exist in life. 



Full Text 


كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَكُنتُمْ أَمْوَاتًا فَأَحْيَاكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

How can you refuse to acknowledge God, seeing that you were lifeless and He gave you life, and that He will cause you to die and then will bring you again to life, whereupon unto Him you will be brought back?
[Al-Quran 2:28, Translation: Muhammad Asad]

Scientists classify things into living and non-living things. Rather, non-living and living are states of being! Our Ever-Living Creator has created these alternate states of existence. 

In Surah al-Mulk, the purpose of these alternate states of existence is explained: 

تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ

Blessed is Causes to flourish He in Whose hand is the kingdom, and He has power over all things,
Who created death and life that He may try you-- which of you is best in deeds; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving,
[Al-Quran 67:1-2, Translation: Shakir; edited in italics]

Death is a creation as much as Life is a creation. Life has been given for the purpose of testing... 

We exist in death as much as we exist in life. However, in life, a person exists and can flourish, in different ways, and in varying degrees. This flourishing is in Allah's hand to whom belongs The Kingdom. Whenever Allah wills, he can decrease, cease and reverse the flourishing state to a state of slow decline, death and disintegration: 

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَهْلَكَنِيَ اللَّهُ وَمَن مَّعِيَ أَوْ رَحِمَنَا فَمَن يُجِيرُ الْكَافِرِينَ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

قُلْ هُوَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ آمَنَّا بِهِ وَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ هُوَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِين

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَصْبَحَ مَاؤُكُمْ غَوْرًا فَمَن يَأْتِيكُم بِمَاءٍ مَّعِينٍ

Say thou: bethink ye if Allah destroy me and those with me; or have mercy on us, who will protect the infidels from a torment afflictive?
Say thou: He is the Compassionate; in Him we have believed, and in Him we have put our trust. -And anon ye will know who it is that is in error manifest.
Say thou: bethink ye, were your water to be sunk away, who then could bring you water welling-up? 
[Al-Quran 67:28-30, Translation: Abdul Majid Daryabadi]  

A major difference between non-living and living things is the welling-up of water inside each living cell which provides the medium for a living thing to exist, function and flourish! Dehydration leads to death, that is, transition into the non-living state. Death comes when decreed, and after death the body generally loses water and perishes. Though I've retained the word 'destroy' in the above translation, I think a clearer translation of (أَهْلَكَنِيَ) should be 'causes me to perish'.  


The Inhabitants of The Tombs  
The Quran is quite clear that humans are created from dust. Dust can and does exist is both non-living and living states. We were lifeless; we have been granted a temporal life, and we continue to exist in death as well. Surah al-Mumtahinah concludes thus: 

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ قَدْ يَئِسُوا مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ كَمَا يَئِسَ الْكُفَّارُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْقُبُورِ

You who believe, do not patronize any folk whom God has become angry with; they despair of the Hereafter just as disbelievers despair of the inhabitants of tombs.
[Al-Quran 60:13, Translation: T. B. Irving]  

O you who believe! do not make friends with a people with whom Allah is wroth; indeed they despair of the hereafter as the unbelievers despair of those in tombs.
[Al-Quran 60:13, Translation: Shakir]  

Believers do not take as allies those with whom God is angry. They have despaired of the Hereafter, as unbelievers despair of those buried in their graves.
[Al-Quran 60:13, Translation: Safi Kaskas]  


The Barrier

لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ كَلَّا إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ

Haply I may do good in that which I have left. By no means! it is a (mere) word that he speaks; and before them is a barrier until the day they are raised.
[Al-Quran 23:100, Translation: Safi Kaskas]  


There exists a barrier between the realms of the non-living and living, such that once this temporal life ends, the dead cannot return to this life. 


Communicating with the Non-Living 

وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَحْيَاءُ وَلَا الْأَمْوَاتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَاءُ وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِي الْقُبُورِ

Neither are the living and the dead alike. Surely Allah makes whom He pleases hear, and you cannot make those hear who are in the graves.
[Al-Quran 35:22, Translation: Shakir]  


The non-living and the living cannot communicate with each other. We humans cannot make the dead listen to what we want to say to them. Yet, Allah can make them listen! The non-living state is a state of existence! 


The Life

وَمَا هَٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ

And this life of the world is nothing but a sport and a play; and as for the next abode, that most surely is the life-- did they but know!
[Al-Quran 29:64, Translation: Shakir]  






Last edited on: September 9, 2019