شَجَرَة

Important Words:

طیبة (good) is derived from طاب which means, it was or became sweet and pleasant, or good and ennobled. طابت النفس بکذاmeans, the soul became pleased, contented and satisfied with that. طاب عیشه means, his life became happy and plentiful. طابت الارض means, the land became abundant in herbage; طیب خاطرہ (tayyaba) means, he put his heart at rest and afforded him peace of mind; he placated or soothed his mind. (Aqrab).

Commentary:

This and the following verses constitute two of the most important verses of the Quran. They contain the infallible criterion which helps a man to test and realize the truth of a revealed book that claims to meet the needs and requirements of all mankind.

The Word of God has been likened in these verses to a tree which possesses five essential qualities: It is (1) good (طیب), which means that it possesses a good and beautiful form; (2) it has deep roots in the earth (اصلھا ثابت); (3) its branches reach high into the sky (فرعھا فی السماء); (4) it yields its fruits in abundance and in all seasons (تؤتی اکلھا کل حین) and (5) the yielding of its fruits is in conformity with the command and decree of God (باذن ربھا).

The first quality is that it is طیب (good). As given under Important Words, a thing is called طیب (good) when it is free from all defects, is beautiful to look at, possesses an agreeable flavour, is clean and pure and is possessed of all good qualities in abundance. These qualities possessed by a revealed Book would mean that (a) it is free from all such teachings as may in any way offend against human reason and conscience or against human feelings and susceptibilities; (b) the person who acts upon it becomes fully satisfied with it; (c) it is grand and splendid in every way; (d) it is highly pleasing and (e) it surpasses other corrupted revealed Books in all these qualities.

The second essential quality of such a book is (1) that, like a good and deep-rooted fruitful tree, it possesses a strong and stable foundation which means that it ever continues to receive fresh life and sustenance from its source, satisfying all human needs and the depth and vastness of its meaning knowing no end; (2) that, like a strong tree, it does not bend before the blasts of objections and adverse criticism but stands firm against all storms; also that it remains firmly fixed in its place and is not swayed by changes in the views and conditions of man; (3) that, like the tree which has roots deep in the earth, it possesses a very long life and is not subject to change or abrogation; (4) that it continues to possess a community of votaries and followers who, by carrying its teachings into actual practice, set up a very high standard of moral excellence and thus demonstrate by their practical example the excellence and beauty of its teachings; and (5) that it derives life and sustenance from only one source and there is, therefore, no disharmony or discord in its principles and teachings.

The third characteristic of such a book is that its branches reach high into heaven, which means that by acting upon it a man can scale the highest summits of spiritual eminence; that, like a large tree with branches extending over a wide area, it fully meets all the vast and multifarious needs of man, and there is not a question which concerns the material or spiritual welfare of man that it does not answer.

The fourth distinctive feature of such a book is that it yields its fruits in abundance and in all seasons (see the succeeding verse), which means that its blessings are witnessed at all times and that it continues to produce in every age men who by acting upon its teachings attain communion with God and who by their uprightness and the purity of their conduct tower high above their contemporaries.

The fifth characteristic of such a book is that the works of its followers produce not only results in harmony with the physical laws of nature but also a spiritual result which is the pleasure of God.

The Quran possesses all these qualities in full measure. In most beautiful and simple language it has thoroughly dealt with all the intricate and difficult moral and spiritual problems of man. It has satisfied and will continue to satisfy all the multifarious and multitudinous needs of man. Its principles and teachings are practical and practicable in all times. It has produced in all ages in the past (and will also continue to produce in future) men who, by acting upon it, came to establish a real and living contact with their Creator and who drank deep at the fountain of Divine communion. It has never been found wanting whenever tested and tried. The Quranic tree will never wither or decay and will continue to yield delicious and wholesome fruit till the end of time.

Important Words:

اجتثت (uprooted) is derived from جث. They say جثه i.e. he pulled it (i.e. a plant) out from its very root; he uprooted it; اجتثهalso gives the same meaning. الجثة means, the body or the dead body of a human being (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

Unlike the good tree described in the preceding two verses, a book which is forged by the hand of man is like an evil tree. It possesses no permanence, nor even stability. Its teachings are supported neither by reason nor by the laws of nature. It cannot stand criticism and its principles and ideals keep on changing with the change in human conditions and circumstances. It is a hotchpotch of teachings collected from doubtful sources. It fails to produce men who can claim to have established a true and real connection with God. It receives fresh life from no divine source and is subject to decay and degeneration. Such is the inevitable fate of books forged by pretenders and false prophets. For a detailed and beautiful exposition of v. 25, 26 and 27 the reader is referred to "Tafsir-e-Kabir" by Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II, Second Successor of the Promised Messiah.

2:37; 7:21.

Important Words:

شیطان (Satan) is either derived from شطن or شاط and means, (1) the being who is not only himself far from truth but also turns others away from it; and (2) the being who burns with hate and anger and is lost (Aqrab & Mufradat). See also 2:15.

Commentary:

In common usage شیطان signifies (1) the Evil Spirit i.e. Satan; (2) anybody who greatly transgresses proper limits and is excessively proud and rebellious; (3) any evil propensity or inclination. شیطان (Satan) is a very general term and is of much wider significance than ابلیس (Iblis), for whereas Iblis is the name given to the Evil Spirit who belonged to the jinn and refused to serve Adam, thereafter becoming the leader of the forces of evil, شیطان is any evil or harmful being or thing, whether a spirit or a human being or an animal or a disease, etc. The Quran mentions ابلیس and شیطان side by side wherever the story of Adam is given, but everywhere a distinction is observed between the two. Wherever the Quran speaks of the being who, unlike the angels, refused to serve Adam, it invariably mentions the name Iblis and wherever it speaks of the being who beguiled Adam and became the means of his being turned out of جنة (garden) it mentions the name "Satan". This distinction, which is most significant and which has been maintained throughout the Quran, shows that Iblis and Satan are two aspects of the same being or person. When he refuses to believe in Adam and to submit to him, he is called Iblis but when he translates his refusal into action and opposes him and puts all sorts of obstacles in his way and creates difficulties for him, he is called Satan. It may further be added that الشیطان mentioned in connection with Adam was one of his own people.

As for شجرة الخلد (the tree of eternity), the Quran elsewhere makes mention of two شجرة (trees) i.e. شجرة طیبة (good tree) and شجرة خبیثة (evil tree). See 14:25 & 27. In the Quran pure things are likened to the former and impure things to the latter. In view of this explanation it appears that Adam was enjoined to avoid quarrels and useless wranglings which are calculated to create discord and disharmony in a family, otherwise there exists in the world no such tree as "tree of eternity" the eating of whose fruit makes a man naked or provides him with the knowledge of good and evil. The "tree" as mentioned in the present verse and elsewhere in the Quran was a certain family or tribe from which Adam was bidden to keep aloof because its members were his enemies.

Commentary:

The verse embodies yet another instance of God’s bountiful provision for the physical needs of man. The words 'Mount Sinai', however, draw attention to the fact that if God has made provision for man’s physical needs, He has not neglected to make similar provision for his spiritual needs and He has been doing so from time immemorial. The verse reminds us of the great prophecy of the Bible which is to the effect: "The Lord came from Sinai, and rose from Seir unto them; He shined forth from Mount Paran and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them" (Deut. 33:2). The prophecy refers to the advent of Moses, the appearance of Jesus from Seir and to the coming of the Holy Prophet of Islam with a fiery Law. The Holy Prophet actually had ten thousand Companions with him when he entered Mecca as a conqueror. As to the identity of Paran see 2:130.

About the tree referred to in the verse which springs from Mount Sinai and produces oil the following extract may be read with interest:

The well lying to the east of the Church, and traditionally that from which Moses drew up for the daughters of Jethro, was sufficient to supply the domestic needs of the monks and their guests; the water of the other, led by channels in the rock and carefully disposed pipes down through the sloping garden, made that a fertile and pleasant place, with grass and vegetable plots, rows of salad herbs, and the shade of many fruit trees—apple and pear, grapevines, oranges, figs and almonds, as well as so great a number of olive trees that, together with those in a more distant garden, they produced enough oil for the culinary use of the monastery, and for the multitude of lamps which hung in their Church. ("Once To Sinai" by H. F. M. Prescott).

14:26.

Important Words:

نور (light) is noun-infinitive from أنار. They say أنار الشیء i.e. the thing became bright and beautiful and manifest. أنار البیتmeans, he lit the house. أنار المسئلة means, he made the question clear and plain. نور means, light; that which makes a thing clear; light as opposed to darkness. نور is more extensive and more penetrating as well as more lasting in its significance than ضیاء. It is also one of the names of God (Aqrab & Muhit). See also 10:6.

مشکٰوة (niche) is derived from شکو and الشکو is the opening of the small skin for water or milk called شکوة and showing what is in it. شکا فلان means, the nails of such a one split in several places. They say شکا الی اللّٰه i.e. he complained of his case to God or he told God the weakness of his condition. مشکٰوة means, a niche in a wall, i.e. a hole or hollow in a wall, not extending through, in which a lamp placed therein gives more light than it gives elsewhere; a pillar or the like upon the top or head of which the lamp is put; or the iron things by means of which a lamp is suspended (Lane & Aqrab).

مصباح (a lamp), is derived from أصبح which means, he entered upon the time of morning; he rose in the middle of the night. They say أصبح القوم i.e. he came to the people in the morning, أصبح المصباح mean, he lit the lamp. أصبح الحق means, the truth became manifest. مصباح means, a lamp; a big lance or arrow (Lane & Aqrab).

زجاجة (glass) is derived from زج they say زج حاجبه i.e. his eyebrow was or became narrow and long or arched; he made his eyebrow narrow and long or made it narrow and long and arched, or clipped the redundant portion of the hair thereof. زج الموضع means, he made even, and adjusted the place. زجاجه means, a glass, a globe of glass; crystal window-pane; tumbler; eye (Lane).

مبارکة (blessed) is passive participle from برک which means, it was or it became firm or steady. برک علیه means, he applied himself constantly to it. برکة (barakatun) which is infinitive-noun from this root means, increase; abundance or plenty; firmness, stability or perpetuity coupled with increase; abundant and perpetual good. مبارکة means, abundant; firm, stable; having perpetual good blessed, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). See also 6:156.

Commentary:

The verse is a beautiful metaphor. It speaks of three things––a lamp, a glass-globe (or chimney) and a niche. The divine light is stated to have been confined to these three things which combined together make its brightness and effulgence complete and perfect in every respect. المصباح (the lamp) is the very source of the light; الزجاجة is the globe of glass or chimney which is over the lamp and which protects its light from being extinguished by the puff of wind and increases its brightness; and المشکٰوة (the niche) preserves the light. The simile may aptly apply to an electric torch of which the constituent parts are the electric wires which give light, the bulb which protects the light and the reflector which spreads and diffuses the light and gives it direction. In spiritual terminology the three things, i.e. المصباح (the lamp), الزجاجة (the glass) and المشکٰوة (the niche), mentioned in the verse, may respectively stand for divine light, God’s Prophets who protect that light from being extinguished and add to its effulgence and brightness, and the Khalifahs or Successors of the Prophets who diffuse and disseminate the divine light and give it a direction and purpose for the guidance and illumination of the world. This interpretation is borne out and supported by the context inasmuch as towards its close the Surah speaks of the establishment of Khilafat among the Muslims.

The verse further states that the oil used to light the lamp is of the highest possible purity and is inflammable to a degree which makes it (the oil) burst out into a flame even without being ignited. It is extracted from a tree which belongs neither to the east nor to the west.

The verse may have another interpretation. The light mentioned in the verse may be taken to refer to the Holy Prophet because he has been spoken of as نور (light) in the Quran (5:16). المشکٰوة (the niche) in the case would signify the heart of the Holy Prophet and المصباح (the lamp) his most pure and unsullied nature which is endowed with the best and noblest attributes and qualities and الزجاجة (the glass) would signify that the divine light with his nature has been invested is as clear and bright as crystal. When the light of heavenly revelation descended upon the light of the Holy Prophet’s pure nature, it shone with a twofold effulgence which in the words of the Quran has been described as "lights upon lights." This light of Prophet was sustained by an oil which emanated from a blessed tree, which means that the Holy Prophet’s light was not only bright and brilliant but abundant and stable and perpetual (as word مبارکة signifies) and was intended to illumine both the east and the west i.e. the whole world. Further, the Prophet’s heart was so pure and his nature gifted with such noble qualities that he was almost fit to discharge the duties of his great mission even before the light of Divine revelation had descended upon him. This is the significance of the words, "whose oil would well-nigh be ablaze even though fire touched it not."

If نور be understood to mean the light of Islam, the metaphor would mean that the light of Islam is placed on so high a pillar of minaret (المشکٰوة) and is so resplendent as to illumine the whole world. It is, as it were, placed under a glass-globe which not only saves it from being put out by puffs of adverse winds but adds to its lustre and glory and its light will one day spread over both the east and the west and will enlighten the entire world. The words, "a tree neither of the east nor of the west," further signify a universal guidance which does not discriminate in favour of or against any people and which is equally meant for all of them. The explanation is supported by another verse of the Quran viz. "they desire to extinguish the light of Allah with the breath of their mouth; but Allah will perfect His light, however much the disbelievers might dislike it" (61:9).

The metaphor may have yet another explanation. المشکٰوة or the niche in the verse is the human body. The human body contains the spirit which makes itself manifest through the organs of the body. Like the niche the human body protects the light, namely, the spirit; and guides its expression i.e. the human body contains the مصباح or the lamp of the soul which illumines the human mind and brings it into touch with God. The lamp is contained in زجاجة (globe or glass) which protects it from harm or injury and enhances and reflects its light. This زجاجة is the human brain of which the mechanism is so perfect as to have led some philosophers to think that it is the ultimate source of divine light. The light is sustained by the oil from a blessed tree, namely from those basic and eternal truths which are not the exclusive possession of any people, of the east or of the west. These eternal truths are implanted in the very nature of man and would almost make themselves manifest even without the help of Divine revelation.

18:110.

Commentary:

Overawed by the vastness of the size of an object of nature or the extraordinary powers of a human being, men of low intellect and weak faith are prone to ascribe Divine attributes to them. It is the untenability of this position that the verse under comment seeks to expose. It purports to say that disbelievers are overawed into attributing Divine powers to a big object of nature, or a great man, while the great universe of which God is the sole Architect is an inexhaustible storehouse of unfathomable mysteries, infinitely larger in number than the wonderful things that meet the eye. So it is absurd on the part of disbelievers to take an object of nature or a human being as God on the score of his or its being seemingly extraordinary.

It may also be noted that numbers "7" and "70" are used in Arabic to denote a very large number, and not exactly "seven" and "seventy" as ordinary numerals.

44:44; 56:53.

Important Words:

زقوم (Zaqqum) is derived from زقم. They say زقمه i.e. he swallowed it and devoured it. زقم اللبن means, he drank much milk. زقوم is a dust-coloured tree which has a pungent odour and is bitter and has stinking leaves. The word also means, any deadly food; the food of the people of Hell (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

Zaqqum in the verse under comment denotes the tree of disbelief. The Quran has compared true belief to a good tree which brings forth its fruit at all times (14:25-26) and disbelief to an evil tree—Zaqqum. Taking it in the sense of deadly food, the verse would mean that the fruit of the accursed tree of disbelief is deadly and its eating brings about spiritual death. The word has been used in the same sense and in the same context at two other places in the Quran, viz. 44:44, 45, 46 & 56:53, 54, 55.

Commentary:

The implication of the verse seems to be that eating of the tree of disbelief leads men to the bottom of Hell.