Oaths;
Warnings & Examples;
The Judgement & Punishment to Come;
Glad Tidings to the Nafs-e-Mutmainna (النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ)
Purpose: To understand the oaths in Surah al-Fajr.
Warnings & Examples;
The Judgement & Punishment to Come;
Glad Tidings to the Nafs-e-Mutmainna (النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ)
Purpose: To understand the oaths in Surah al-Fajr.
Full Text
وَالْفَجْرِ
وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ
وَالشَّفْعِ وَالْوَتْرِ
وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَسْرِ
هَلْ فِي ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٌ لِّذِي حِجْرٍ
Surah alFajr begins with a series of four statements, going on to state that in these are oaths for the ذِي حِجْرٍ. The surah then goes on to give examples of mighty civilisations, who were eventually destroyed because they had been persistently transgressing in their countries, and increasing corruption therein. Assuming that the ذِي حِجْرٍ refers to a people in possession of an extant object, who can relate to the references in all these oaths, have a history of transgression and corruption, and who also have the power and potential for transgression and corruption in the present and future; the following references from the Jewish history may correlate with these oaths. As it states in Surah al-Naml:
إِنَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَقُصُّ عَلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَكْثَرَ الَّذِي هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
وَإِنَّهُ لَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقْضِي بَيْنَهُم بِحُكْمِهِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْعَلِيمُ
Indeed, this [the] Quran relates to (the) Children (of) Israel, most (of) that they in it differ.
And indeed, it (is) surely a guidance and a mercy for the believers.
Indeed, your Lord will judge between them by His Judgment, and He (is) the All-Mighty, the All-Knower.
The Dawn
وَالْفَجْرِ
By the dawn,
[Al-Quran 89:1]
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ
Indeed, We revealed it in a NightBlessed flourishing. Indeed, We [We] are (ever) warning.
[Al-Quran 44:3; Translation edited for clarity in italics]
سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ
Peace it (is) until (the) emergence (of) the dawn.
[Al-Quran 97:5]
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ
Indeed, We revealed it in a Night
[Al-Quran 44:3; Translation edited for clarity in italics]
سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ
Peace it (is) until (the) emergence (of) the dawn.
[Al-Quran 97:5]
Fajr is the time before sunrise, when the darkness of the night begins to dissipate. Surah al-Qadr, informs us that The Quran was sent in the night of al-Qadr. Its last ayat (97:5) informs us that there is peace until dawn (الْفَجْرِ) . The root ف ج ر occurs 24 times in The Quran in words translated as: gush forth, wicked, wickedness, abundance and dawn.
The Book of Daniel is included in both Jewish and Christian canon. The Jews have it as part of the Ketuvim (Writings), while the Christians have it in The Prophets in the Old Testament. It prophesies end-time events. There are many reservations about the Book of Daniel among Jewish and Christian readers, especially the Jews.
Among the end-time events, The Quran prophesies:
(i) an announcement of war by Allah and His Messenger to those who continue to indulge in usury [ref Q2:278-279]
(ii) the Hour & the recompense, the evil burden of those who turn away from The Quran, the Day the Horn will be blown, the blue-eyed criminals, the passing away of the mountains, ... [ref Q20:14-16, Q20:100-114]
(iii) the release and swarming return of Yajuj and Majuj, known for their corruption, who were contained behind a metallic barrier by Dhu al Qarnayn [ref Q18:98-99, Q21:96]
(iv) the rise of a creature from the Earth, speaking with humans, because the people did not believe in Allah's ayaat / signs [ref Q27:82]
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the seal of the prophets, is the most definite sign of the beginning of end-time prophecies. In Surah Muhammad it states:
فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا السَّاعَةَ أَن تَأْتِيَهُم بَغْتَةً فَقَدْ جَاءَ أَشْرَاطُهَا فَأَنَّىٰ لَهُمْ إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ ذِكْرَاهُمْ
فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمْ وَمَثْوَاكُمْ
Then do they wait but (for) the Hour that it should come to them suddenly? But indeed, have come its indications. Then how to them when has come to them their reminder.
So know that [He] - (there is) no god but Allah and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and the believing women. And Allah knows your movement and your resting places.
The Ten Nights
وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ
And the nights ten.
And We appointed (for) Musa thirty nights and We completed them with ten (more), so was completed (the) set term (of) his Lord (of) forty night(s). And said Musa to his brother Harun, "Take my place in my people, and do right and (do) not follow (the) way (of) the corrupters."
[Al-Quran 7:142]
The root ل ي ل occurs 92 times in The Quran. It is translated consistently as night, and is generally contrasted with day ( اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ), except perhaps only in a few ayaat: Q34:18 with days (لَيَالِيَ وَأَيَّامًا) || Q69:7 days (سَبْعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَانِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ ). Dawn (الْفَجْرِ) is the time when the daytime starts to break out, and in the brightness of the morning (الصُّبْحِ), things become visible. It is perhaps important to also keep in mind that in Arabic النَّهَارِ means daytime as opposed to nighttime, while يَوْمِ means the entire 24 hour day, as we generally understand it, based on one complete rotation of our planet.
Moses' appointment with Allah for thirty nights were perfected by adding ten more! Notice that the emphasis in Q7:142 is on nights. The only mention of number ten and nights together in The Quran is in Q7:142 and Q89:2.
It is perhaps relevant to mention here that the ascension of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, for his meeting with Allah, also occurred at night (Q17:1).
...
The Even? The Odd?
وَالشَّفْعِ وَالْوَتْرِ
The root ش ف ع occurs 31 times in The Quran, of which 30 are generally translated as intercessor or intercession, while only in Q89:3 is it translated as even.
In Chapter 9 of The Book of Daniel, we read his intercessory prayer glorifying God and confessing the sins of Jerusalem. Judah and all of Israel, including himself, and seeking God's Mercy and Forgiveness. Even though Daniel was righteous, he did not absolve himself or question God's Judgment. He confessed to all the sins of his people. He realised that the responsibility of the misfortune of Israel rested on Israel's shoulder.
The root و ت ر occurs 3 times in The Quran, its words lending meaning of deprive, succession and, in Q89:3 translated as odd.
Screenshot from corpus.quran.com
In Lane's Lexicon, pages 2017-2018, the shades of meanings of و ت ر are discussed.
...
The Night when it Passes
وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَسْرِ
And the night when it passes.
The root س ر ي occurs eight times in The Quran. Travel by night, understood exclusively by the word أَسْرِ, is clearly linked with the Exodus of Bani Israel with Moses in Q20:77, Q26:52 and Q44:23; with the rescue of Lot and his family in Q11:81 and Q15:65; and the word night clearly mentioned as well in Q17:1 (أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا) for the ascension of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, as can be been in the screenshot below:
Screenshot from corpus.quran.com
After mentioning the ascension of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the surah states:
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
وَآتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ هُدًى لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَلَّا تَتَّخِذُوا مِن دُونِي وَكِيلًا
ذُرِّيَّةَ مَنْ حَمَلْنَا مَعَ نُوحٍ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا
وَقَضَيْنَا إِلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي الْكِتَابِ لَتُفْسِدُنَّ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلَتَعْلُنَّ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا
Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far distant place of worship the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, that We might show him of Our tokens! Lo! He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer.
We gave unto Moses the Scripture, and We appointed it a guidance for the children of Israel, saying: Choose no guardian beside Me.
(They were) the seed of those whom We carried (in the ship) along with Noah. Lo! he was a grateful slave.
And We decreed for the Children of Israel in the Scripture: Ye verily will work corruption in the earth twice, and ye will become great tyrants.
...
The Possessor of حِجْرٍ
هَلْ فِي ذَٰلِكَ قَسَمٌ لِّذِي حِجْرٍ
Is there not in that an oath to be sworn for a possessor of حِجْرٍ?
[Al-Quran 89:5, Translation: Dr Laleh Bakhtiar, edited to retain last word]
The root ح ج ر occurs 21 times in The Quran, generally for words meaning stone, as well as for partition, forbidden, private chamber, guardianship, and strangely, translated in Q89:5 as who understand or possess intelligence.
If a stone (حجر) is a rock (صخرة) that has been modified for a purpose, then:
Though there is some disagreement on the exact site of The Temple, there exists a rock under the Dome of The Rock (Arabic: قبة الصخرة) in Jerusalem, which is supposed to be the foundation stone of the Temple of Solomon, and some believe that it is site of the Holy of Holies in The Temple.
The Quran informs us that the Temple (الْمَسْجِدَ) of the Bani Israel was destroyed twice:
Jerusalem has exchanged many hands since ancient times. The Dome of the Rock was built above the ancient rock/stone by a Muslim ruler. Since the Crusades, the site has been managed by the Muslim community of Jerusalem as a Waqf. Since 1967 that part of Jerusalem is under Israel's control. However, Israel has returned the administration of the Temple Mount to the Waqf under Jordanian custodianship.
Jews hope to rebuild the Third Temple at the site ...
Some ayaat from the concluding passage of Surah al-Isra:
Surah al-Fajr, an overview
As mentioned above, Daniel confessed to the collective sins of Israel while they were exiled in polytheistic Babylon, as to the reason why God had taken away the Temple and the land from His chosen people. In Surah alFajr, immediately after the oaths, the ayaat following it remind about the fantastic constructions of the mighty non-believing idolatrous Aad, Samood, and the Pharaoh. What they had in common was transgression in the land, and increase in corruption. Eventually Allah visited them with His Punishment, as He is constantly watching everyone and everything. The next two ayaat then inform us that all humans are being tried, whether by granting them wealth and status, or restricting their provision, even though humans perceive it differently. It then lists a few key sins, and warns of the upcoming Judgement when Allah comes...
Allah's Promises are always true, and all events leading up to The Hour will happen. The Book of Daniel concludes with the prophesy of the time of severe trouble, and the abomination which makes desolate being set-up; the trumpet and the resurrection, and the punishment and reward. Jesus also foretold the fate of Jerusalem, as quoted in Mark and Luke.
Surah al-Fajr foretells:
* As discussed in another post, nafs is a thing which is removed when we sleep, and when death is decreed upon the nafs, it is permanently removed from us. Our nafs is in pledge. The nafs that fails will be permanently destroyed, and the person will then neither live nor die in Hell. The nafs that is judged successful by Allah, by the Mercy of Allah, will be allowed to return to the body, to live and flourish in The Gardens of The Hereafter.
The Jews are aware of this concept of the nephesh (nafs) being removed and restored.
Attribution:
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2490663
The Quran informs us that the Temple (الْمَسْجِدَ) of the Bani Israel was destroyed twice:
إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَةِ لِيَسُوءُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا الْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا مَا عَلَوْا تَتْبِيرًا
عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يَرْحَمَكُمْ وَإِنْ عُدتُّمْ عُدْنَا وَجَعَلْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ حَصِيرًا
إِنَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا
وَأَنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا
If ye will do well ye will do well for yourselves nafs, and if ye will do evil it will be against the same. Then when the promise of the second came, We raised up a people that they may disgrace your faces and may enter the Mosque even as they entered it the first time, and that they may destroy with utter destruction whatsoever may fall under their power.
Belike your Lord may yet have mercy on you; and if ye still revert, We will revert. And We have appointed Hell for the infidels a prison.
Verily this Qur'an guideth unto that path which its straightest and beareth glad tidings to the believers who work righteous deeds that for them shall be a hire great.
And that those who believe not in the Hereafter--for them We have gotten ready a torment afflictive.
[Al-Quran 17:7-10, Translation: Daryabadi; typo corrected; edited in italics to retain the word nafs]
Jerusalem has exchanged many hands since ancient times. The Dome of the Rock was built above the ancient rock/stone by a Muslim ruler. Since the Crusades, the site has been managed by the Muslim community of Jerusalem as a Waqf. Since 1967 that part of Jerusalem is under Israel's control. However, Israel has returned the administration of the Temple Mount to the Waqf under Jordanian custodianship.
Jews hope to rebuild the Third Temple at the site ...
Some ayaat from the concluding passage of Surah al-Isra:
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ تِسْعَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ فَاسْأَلْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِذْ جَاءَهُمْ فَقَالَ لَهُ فِرْعَوْنُ إِنِّي لَأَظُنُّكَ يَا مُوسَىٰ مَسْحُورًا
قَالَ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا أَنزَلَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ إِلَّا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ بَصَائِرَ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّكَ يَا فِرْعَوْنُ مَثْبُورًا
فَأَرَادَ أَن يَسْتَفِزَّهُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُ وَمَن مَّعَهُ جَمِيعًا
وَقُلْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِ لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اسْكُنُوا الْأَرْضَ فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَةِ جِئْنَا بِكُمْ لَفِيفًا
وَبِالْحَقِّ أَنزَلْنَاهُ وَبِالْحَقِّ نَزَلَ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا
وَقُرْآنًا فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَىٰ مُكْثٍ وَنَزَّلْنَاهُ تَنزِيلًا
And assuredly We vouchsafed unto Musa nine manifest signs - ask thou the Children of Israel--so when he came unto them, Fir'awn said unto him, verily imagine thee, O Musa! enchanted.
Musa said: assuredly thou knowest that none hath sent down these save the Lord of the heavens and the earth as an enlightenment; and verily imagine thee, Fir'awn, doomed.
Then he besought to unsettle them from the land; wherefore We drowned him and those with him, all together.
And We said, after him, unto the Children of Isra'l: dwell on the earth, then when there cometh the promise of the Hereafter, We shall bring you as a crowd.
And with truth We have sent it down and with truth it hath come down; and We have not sent thee but as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner.
And this is a Recitation which We have made distinct that thou mayest recite it unto mankind with delay, and We have revealed it at intervals.
Surah al-Fajr, an overview
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ
إِرَمَ ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ
الَّتِي لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِي الْبِلَادِ
وَثَمُودَ الَّذِينَ جَابُوا الصَّخْرَ بِالْوَادِ
وَفِرْعَوْنَ ذِي الْأَوْتَادِ
الَّذِينَ طَغَوْا فِي الْبِلَادِ
فَأَكْثَرُوا فِيهَا الْفَسَادَ
فَصَبَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ سَوْطَ عَذَابٍ
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِالْمِرْصَادِ
Have you not seen how your Lord has done with Aad,
Iram comprising the columns, (i.e., It is the city of Aad, who were stalwart and huge buildings).
The like of which was not created in the lands?
And (with) Tham?d? who carved out the rocks in the valley,
And (with) Firaawn, (Pharaoh) owning the bulwarks? (Or: stakes).
(They) who tyrannized in the lands,
So they worked much corruption therein,
Then your Lord poured on them the scourge of torment?
Surely your Lord is indeed Ever-Observing.
[Al-Quran 89:6-14, Translation: Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali]
As mentioned above, Daniel confessed to the collective sins of Israel while they were exiled in polytheistic Babylon, as to the reason why God had taken away the Temple and the land from His chosen people. In Surah alFajr, immediately after the oaths, the ayaat following it remind about the fantastic constructions of the mighty non-believing idolatrous Aad, Samood, and the Pharaoh. What they had in common was transgression in the land, and increase in corruption. Eventually Allah visited them with His Punishment, as He is constantly watching everyone and everything. The next two ayaat then inform us that all humans are being tried, whether by granting them wealth and status, or restricting their provision, even though humans perceive it differently. It then lists a few key sins, and warns of the upcoming Judgement when Allah comes...
فَأَمَّا الْإِنسَانُ إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَكْرَمَنِ
وَأَمَّا إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَهَانَنِ
كَلَّا بَل لَّا تُكْرِمُونَ الْيَتِيمَ
وَلَا تَحَاضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ
وَتَأْكُلُونَ التُّرَاثَ أَكْلًا لَّمًّا
وَتُحِبُّونَ الْمَالَ حُبًّا جَمًّا
كَلَّا إِذَا دُكَّتِ الْأَرْضُ دَكًّا دَكًّا
Then, as for man, just when his Lord tries him, so He honors him, and showers His favors on him, then he says, "My Lord has honored me."
And just when He tries him, so He determines for him the right estimate of his provision, then he says, "My Lord has degraded me."
Not at all! No indeed, (but) you do not honor the orphan,
And you do not urge one another on (offering) food to the indigent,
And you eat the heritage with indiscriminate eating,
And you love wealth with an ardent love.
Not at all, When the earth is pounded (into powder), pounding, pounding,
[Al-Quran 89:15-21, Translation: Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali]
Allah's Promises are always true, and all events leading up to The Hour will happen. The Book of Daniel concludes with the prophesy of the time of severe trouble, and the abomination which makes desolate being set-up; the trumpet and the resurrection, and the punishment and reward. Jesus also foretold the fate of Jerusalem, as quoted in Mark and Luke.
Surah al-Fajr foretells:
وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ وَالْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا
And your Lord comes, and the Angels rank on rank,
وَجِيءَ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِجَهَنَّمَ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَذَكَّرُ الْإِنسَانُ وَأَنَّىٰ لَهُ الذِّكْرَىٰ
And Hell is made to come (face to face) upon that Day, man will remember, upon that Day, and however will the Reminding (avail) him?
يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي قَدَّمْتُ لِحَيَاتِي
He will say, "Oh would that I had forwarded some good for my (future) life!"
فَيَوْمَئِذٍ لَّا يُعَذِّبُ عَذَابَهُ أَحَدٌ
So, upon that Day none will torment as He torments, (Literally: "as" His tormenting).
وَلَا يُوثِقُ وَثَاقَهُ أَحَدٌ
And none will bind (as) His binding.
يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ
O you self nafs (that is) composed,
ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً
Return to your Lord satisfied with Supreme Satisfaction!
فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي
*So enter among My bondmen!
وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي
And enter My Garden!
[Al-Quran 89:22-30, Translation: Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali; edited in italics to retain word nafs]
The Jews are aware of this concept of the nephesh (nafs) being removed and restored.
Last updated on: February 19, 2022
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