Qxpiv May, 2007 By Shabbir Ahmed, M. D., Florida Chief Adviser and Editor: Hossein Kowsari, California Reviewed by: Abdullah Ali Bashoeb, Hijaz

Surah 110. An-Nasr – The Help

Author’s note: Traditional commentaries, in this instance, show us God admonishing the exalted Messenger, after completing His Noble mission, to relax, sit down on a prayer-rug, hold on to a rosary bead, hymn His Praises and ask forgiveness for his sins! All this is the consequence of disregarding the original Qur’anic meanings, the Big Picture of the Qur’an, and succumbing to unfounded traditions.

With the Glorious Name of Allah, the Instant and Sustaining Source of All Mercy and Kindness

110:1 When God's help and the Victory come.

110:2 And you see the people enter God’s Religion in throngs. [19:96]

110:3 (Think not that your job is done.) Then strive hard to make the Divine System a living witness to the Glory and Praise of your Lord. And you shall remain vigilant to guard the System as a helmet guards the head. Indeed, He is ever Responsive to your efforts. [94:7-8]

Surah 111. Al-Lahab – The Flame

Here is the solitary instance where an opponent of the exalted Prophet is mentioned in the Qur’an by name. Perhaps because he symbolized leadership, power, tyranny, wealth and priesthood all in one. Hence, this Surah as all others has Eternal application.

Historically, Abi-Lahab was an inoffensive Kunniyah (family title) of Abd-al-Uzza, a paternal uncle of the exalted Prophet. He was a very good looking man with a glowing face and a fiery temper, hence known as Abu Lahab, ‘Father of Flame’. Unfortunately for them, he and his wife ‘Arwa Umm Jamil bint Harb bin Umayyah (a sister of Abu Sufyan) took a very hostile stance against Islam and the exalted Prophet and persecuted him in Makkah. They were the next door neighbors to him.

‘Arwa used to spread out thorny branches at the exalted Messenger’s door by night, and ran a defamation campaign against him. She had a most beautiful and expensive necklace that she always was proud of. The ornament of palm-fiber in her neck probably has a subtle allusion to that in the Surah.

Abi Lahab was the chief priest of the holy Shrine of Ka’bah which at that time hosted 360 idols. He was a wealthy and arrogant man and therefore, he could foresee that God’s Message of human equality threatened his high status and special interests. In short, he was a symbol of opposition to the Divine Message.

The Surah has also been titled by historians as “Tabbat” and “Al-Masad”. I have tried after due to research to stay with the titles of the Surahs as they were in the sacred lifetime of Muhammad Sall-Allahu-‘alayehi-wa-Sallam.

With the Glorious Name of Allah, the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness

111:1 Perished is the power of Abi Lahab, and perished is he!

111:2 His wealth and gains will avail him not! [69:27-28, 92:11, 96:7]

111:3 He shall have to endure a fire blazing, glowing.

111:4 And his wife, that carrier of slanderous tales, the firewood hauler.

111:5 Will have her neck ornamented with a rope of palm-fiber. [17:13. Jeed = A neck decorated with an ornament. Here, we have a lesson that color, nationality, tribe, family, wealth, status etc have no bearing in the Divine System. The most honored in the Sight of God is he who is best in conduct. 49:13]

Surah 112. Al-Ikhlas – The Pure Monotheism

Author’s note: This a very brief Surah that very forcefully and clearly expounds strict Monotheism, nothing confusing about it as Trinity, Dualism or any shade of Polytheism.

With the Glorious Name of Allah, the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness

112:1 Say, "He is God, the One! [He is Unique in His Essence and Attributes and He alone is the Sovereign Law-Giver in the Universe]

112:2 God is Samad. [Samad = Absolute, Eternal, Unique, Self-Sufficient, Perfect, Independent, the Uncaused Cause of all that exists, Besought of all]

112:3 He begets not, nor is He begotten.

112:4 And there is absolutely none like Him."

Surah 113. Al-Falaq – The Rising Dawn

The last two Surahs of the Qur’an have unfortunately been given the name of Mu’awwazatain by the so-called “authorities”, conveying to the reader that they are supposed to guard against “occult powers” such as magic, evil-eye, witchcraft, demons, jealousy, the ‘unseen beings’ omens and amulets etc.

The most pragmatic Book on earth, the Qur’an, strongly negates the real existence of witchcraft, black magic, soothsaying, astrology, palm-reading, psychic prowess of telling the future, crystal balls, fortune-telling, clairvoyance, and all superstition - reiterating again and again that the entire Universe is being run by Divine Laws. We may call these as God’s physical laws in the Universe, and according to the Book of God these Laws never change.

The exalted Messenger is also reported to have said that there is no such thing as Ghoul (Occult creatures like demons and Dracula, evil spirits, wicked witches etc). He is also reported to have said that Nasharah (the pretense of expelling demons from the human body) is a deceptive, Satanic act.

It is, then, amazing that Muslim scholars as well as the masses who revere Hadith, conveniently ignore such reported sayings of the exalted Messenger when they conflict with their preconceived notions and embrace those reports that clearly contradict the Book of God but are in line with their erroneous whims!

Let us not reduce the Glorious revelations of God to the irrational propositions of people, however big their names may be.

With the Glorious Name of Allah, the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness

113:1 Say, "I seek refuge with the Lord of the Rising Dawn.

113:2 From the evil aspects of created things.

113:3 And from the evils of the darkness of Ignorance whenever and wherever it is encountered.

113:4 And from the covert activities of people who try to put knots and complicate the simple.

113:5 And from the evil of the envious when he envies (and tries to harm)."

Surah 114. An-Naas – Mankind

It is refreshing and heart warming to note that the Book of God begins by calling Him, “Lord of the Worlds” and ends by calling Him, “Lord of Mankind.” The Creator of all is One, therefore, mankind must be one community.

With the Glorious Name of Allah, the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness

114:1 Say, "I seek refuge with the Lord of Mankind.

114:2 The King of mankind.

114:3 The God of mankind.

114:4 From the evil of the whispering desire that leaves in utter dejection.

114:5 That whispers in the hearts of people.

114:6 (And) from the hidden psyche that rationalizes the evil, as well as the temptations that come from people."

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Al-Hamdulillah, THE QUR’AN AS IT EXPLAINS ITSELF fourth edition (QXPiv) reaches completion here.

This is only a humble effort by a life-long student of the Qur’an, an ordinary servant of God. Of course, with human knowledge constantly evolving, our understanding of the Qur’an will keep improving with each generation. And the last word may not be said even by the last inhabitants of the planet. It is one of the eternal miracles of the Qur’an that every sincere person can derive knowledge, wisdom and guidance from the Glorious Book according to his or her intellectual capacity.

Accept from us our labor, O Our Sustainer, Cherisher Lord!

With profound gratitude to the Almighty and His sincere servants,

Shabbir Ahmed, M.D.

6440 NW 53 ST

Lauderhill, Florida 33319 USA

NOTES:

PARADISE AND HELLFIRE

The Qur’an describes Paradise and Hellfire in such metaphors and allegories that can be understood by different people according to their intellectual levels. While the body dies the ‘self’ lives on and its destiny, whether Anguish or Bliss, is a logical consequence and a built-in recompense of its doings.

A ‘self’ that has actualized or primed itself by leading a life upright, respecting the Permanent Values, and thus being a useful member of society, belongs to Paradise. This process of self-actualization is facilitated by a benevolent society. The development of a primed or actualized ‘self’ goes on in the Hereafter in Blissful Immortality.

On the other hand, a ‘self’ that has stunted itself by succumbing to selfish desire, fails to prime itself for further development. It merely survives in the ‘Hell’ of Anguish as opposed to
the Blissful Immortality of Paradise. In this sense, stagnation is Hell, and progress is Paradise.

So, we can understand the Qur’anic description of Hell and Paradise to some but sufficient extent for our intellectual needs. To put it very briefly, here is my humble understanding:

PARADISE: Men, women and children are brought into a new being in exponentially higher physical and mental forms. Aging, pain, illness, death, grief, fear, fatigue, negative emotions have no place in that Blissful Realm. It is perpetual
Delight with ongoing growth of the ‘self’.

The new human forms have intensely advanced capacities to do things they want, even see a replay of their earthly lives and the entire world history. They instantly get all they desire, and more! They get to meet with their families and friends and any personalities that lived before or after them. They are provided all they need and want without the least bit of toil.

HELLFIRE: A life where the resurrected humans in the new higher physical and mental forms have a life of Anguish. They are in a state of neither living nor dying since their personalities make no progress. Yet, they see the Truth more clearly. Jaheem (the Insurmountable Barrier) keeps them from advancing. They are in a relentless state of Regret that they should have done works to become worthy of Paradise.

The Qur’an categorically states, "The Hellfire originates in and engulfs the hearts." In that Light, Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal correctly notes that 'people carry their fire to Hell'. God does not punish anyone. Reward & Punishment are logical consequences of our deeds.

Hence, the understanding we get of the life Hereafter, although described metaphorically in the Qur’an and not exactly comparable to what we know in this life, is sufficiently clear for our mental and emotional needs. An important note must be made here that the Hell or Paradise of a person begins right here in this life.

Furthermore, the Divine System (in Biblical terms, the Kingdom of God) established in a society ensures the earthly paradise, whereas an individual or a collective life that is lived contrary to Divine Laws only builds a hell in this world as well. In that sense, tomorrow is the Hereafter of today.

The following verses are just a few among those that will support my humble submission: 2:119, 3:11, 3:132, 5:86, 8:36, 9:49, 13:35, 18:100, 26:91, 29:55, 32:13-17, 35:36, 36:53-67, 36:78-79, 47:15, 57:21, 74:30, 78:26]

Historically: The word JAHANNAM derives from an old valley south of Jerusalem. Jahannam comes from the Hebrew "ge-hinnom" which means "Valley of Hinnom." People, especially children, used to be sacrificed there to idols. Later, the Vallley was used as an execution ground for criminals. Bodies and clothing of those dying of a contagious disease, were burned there. In Jesus' time it was still used for burning the rubbish and garbage of Jerusalem. This in itself gives the idea that Jahannam is a metaphor for a state of a stagnant existence with no development.:48