ROOT ع ز م

2:230; 33:50; 65:2, 3.

Important Words:

الطلاق (divorce) is derived from طلق. They say طلقت الناقة i.e. the she-camel became loosened and free from the rope which tied her. طلقت المرأة من زوجھا means, the woman left her husband and severed her connection with him. طلق المرأة زوجھا means, the husband divorced his wife. الطلاق therefore, means, breaking of the tie of marriage; divorce (Aqrab).

عزموا (they decide). عزم means, he made up his mind; he decided; he was determined to do a thing (Aqrab).

Commentary:

If, after vowing abstinence from his wife, as stated in the preceding verse, the husband decides on divorce, he is free to take that course. But the words, Allah is All-Hearing All-Knowing, warn him that if he is thereby acting unjustly to his wife, he should not think that he can so act with impunity, for Allah is there to hear the supplications of the wife; and even if she does not or cannot pray to God, Allah knows everything.

With this verse begins a discussion of the Islamic law of divorce. According to this law, the husband possesses the right to divorce his wife, when legitimate necessity arises. But this right is to be exercised only on rare occasions and in exceptional circumstances.

42:39.

Important Words:

شاور (consult) is derived from شار which means, he gathered or extracted honey from the comb, and separated it from the wax. شار الدابة means, he rode the beast in order to ascertain its true worth. اشار الیه means, he pointed towards him or it. اشار علیه means, he gave him advice; he offered him counsel. شاورہ means, he consulted him; he sought his opinion or advice; he discussed with him in order to find out his opinion. مشورة means, good counsel or consultation. شوری means, mutual consultation (Aqrab).

فتوکل (then put thy trust). For the meaning of توکل see 3:123.

Commentary:

The verse gives an insight into the beautiful character of the Holy Prophet, of which the most effable and prominent trait was his all-comprehensive mercy. He was full of the milk of human kindness and was not only kind towards his Companions and followers, but was also full of mercy for his enemies who were always on the lookout to stab him in the back. It is on record that he took no action even against those treacherous hypocrites who had deserted him in the Battle of Uhud. He even consulted them in affairs of the State.

The verse also constitutes an effective answer to the charge of the hypocrites that the Holy Prophet attached no importance to their advice and did what he liked. The Quran refutes this charge by saying that if the Holy Prophet had not been kind and gentle towards them, they would have left him long ago. Thus their continuing to remain with him falsified their accusation and proved that the Prophet’s treatment of them was very kind and that in conformity with the divine command (see also 42:39) he used to consult them regarding affairs of State, with the result that many of them afterwards repented of their deeds and became sincere Muslims. The injunction about consultation contained in the present verse, although general in application, refers to the hypocrites of Medina in particular.

It may be noted that Islam stands alone in including the institution of مشورة (consultation) among its fundamental principles. It lays down as a rule that both the Prophet and his Successors should, whenever necessary, consult their followers in important affairs of the State. A religion claiming to be universal is bound to contain such a teaching; for persons of different classes and different communities continue to enter its fold, and if they are consulted in matters of moment, it is calculated not only to add to their experience and practical wisdom, but also to increase and keep alive their interest in the affairs of the State. This is why the Holy Prophet used to consult his followers on all important matters, as he did before the Battles of Badr, Uhud, and Ahzab, and also when a false accusation was brought against his wife, ‘A’ishah. Baihaqi reports: "Certainly Allah and His Messenger did not stand in need of the advice of anybody, but God has made it (the seeking of advice) a source of mercy for men. Those who hold consultation will not stray away from the path of rectitude, while those who do not are liable to do so." Abu Hurairah says: "The Holy Prophet was most solicitous in consulting others in all matters of importance" (Manthur, ii. 90).

‘Umar, the Second Successor of the Holy Prophet is reported to have said: لا خلافة الا بالمشورة i.e. "There is no Khilafat without consultation" (Izalatul-Khifa’ ‘an Khilafatul-Khulafa’). Thus the holding of consultation in matters of consequence is an important injunction of Islam and is binding on both spiritual and temporal chiefs, though they are not bound to accept that consultation as the words, when thou art determined, then put thy trust in Allah, show. The Khalifah must seek the advice of leading Muslims, but the final decision always rests with him. He is not bound to accept, in full or in part, the advice tendered to him by a majority of them. This view has ever been held by the main body of Muslims throughout the centuries and finds ample support in the sayings of the Holy Prophet as well as in his practice and in that of his rightly-guided successors.

The objection, that if the Khalifah is not bound to act upon the advice of the majority what is the use of his seeking advice, or of others offering it, is unwise and beside the point. The verse gives to the Khalifah the right to reject advice if he is convinced that it is in the interest of religion or the community to do so. Normally, he respects the view of the majority, but the Islamic شوری or مشاورة (Shura or Mushawarat) is not parliament in the sense in which the word is generally understood in the west. Islam enjoins only consultation and not decision by votes, which are two different things. Consultation is meant to help the Khalifah to know the views of his followers and to enable him to respect them as far as possible. It is not at all intended to tie his hands. It is on record that the Holy Prophet rejected the advice of the majority of his followers on certain occasions, and on others he even refused to accept their unanimous opinion. For instance, regarding the treatment of the prisoners of Badr he accepted the advice of Abu Bakr and rejected that of ‘Umar, ‘Abdullah bin Rawahah and Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh (Musnad, i. 283). At Hudaibiyyah, he signed the treaty in clear opposition to the advice of his Companions (Bukhari, ch. on Shurut). Similarly, Abu Bakr discarded the almost unanimous advice of the Muslims by sending the expedition to Syria under Usamah, immediately after the death of the Holy Prophet (Athir, ii. 139). In contrast to this, it is also on record that the Holy Prophet sometimes sacrificed his own view to that of his followers as he did in marching out of Medina for the Battle of Uhud.

The context of the verse, however, shows that here the injunction was primarily meant with regard to the hypocrites, and nobody could say that the Holy Prophet was bound to do what the hypocrites advised him.

The advantages of consultation are: (1) The Khalifah or Amir comes to know the views of his followers. (2) He is helped in arriving at a correct decision. (3) Representative Muslims get an opportunity to think about, and take personal interest in, important state affairs, thus receiving most useful training in matters of administration. (4) The Khalifah is enabled to judge the mental and administrative capabilities of different individuals, which help him to assign the right work to the right man. (5) It enables him to know the aptitudes, aspirations and tendencies as well as the moral and spiritual condition of the different members of his community, and thus he becomes able to effect an improvement, wherever necessary, in his people.

The meaning of expressions like, put thy trust in Allah, is generally misunderstood. In the language of the Quran, توکل(trusting in God) does not consist in disregarding the material means of doing a thing. On the contrary, توکل as taught by Islam means that a person should first make use of all the resources at his command and then place his trust in God to bless his efforts with success, believing all the time that the means can be successful only if and when God wills it and that the true cause and the real source of all success is God alone.

The words, put thy trust in Allah, as used in the present context, also hint that if the Prophet or the Khalifah were to be bound to accept the counsel of his followers, it would be against the spirit of توکل (trusting in God). In fact, one who is bound to act in accordance with the advice of another cannot be said to be trusting in God so far as acting on that advice is concerned.

2:156; 8:29; 64:16.

5:83.

Commentary:

Tests and trials are necessary and serve a four-fold purpose: (1) They distinguish the waverers and the weak of faith from those sincere and steadfast votaries whose faith is strong and firm. (2) They become a means of spiritual advancement for those sincere in faith. (3) Those who are tried come to know of the strength or otherwise of their own faith and are thus enabled to shape their conduct accordingly. (4) Trials also establish the title to reward of those deserving it.

Indeed there never was a Prophet who, along with his followers, was not called upon to put up with abuse and hardships.

Important Words:

عھدنا (We had made a covenant). عھد means, he promised. عھد الامر means, he knew the affair. عھد فلان وعدہ means, he guarded and fulfilled his promise. عھد الی فلان means, he enjoined upon him or commanded him and made it a condition for him (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse shows that Adam’s lapse was only an error of judgement on his part. It was quite inadvertent and involuntary and not at all intentional or deliberate. To err is human and man, however spiritually exalted he might be, is prone to forgetfulness and consequently is sometimes liable to falter.

9:71.

Commentary:

After belief in the Oneness of God and in His attributes, becomes firmly rooted, man naturally feels attracted towards Him and wishes to worship Him, which in the form of Prayer is most essential for his spiritual development. And after he himself becomes true and sincere votary of His Creator, man’s next duty lies in reforming his fellow-beings. But as soon as he enters upon this noble but very arduous task difficulties and impediments bar his way. He is told, in the verse, to put up with all sorts of hardships and privations that lie in the way of the discharge of his great duties. This is the significance of Luqman’s exhortation to his son "to endure patiently whatever may befall thee."

16:127.

Commentary:

Though Islam has given the aggrieved party full right to have the injury done to him recompensed at the expense of the guilty person, the noblest course recommended to him, however, is to bear with patience the injury and to forgive the aggressor. But it is given to extremely few—only to God’s Beloved and Elect—to possess this very noble moral quality. Our Holy Prophet gave a practical demonstration of this moral quality at the time of the Fall of Mecca. He did not utter even a single word of reproach to, much less punish, his bloodthirsty enemies, who had hounded him out of his native place and had killed in cold blood his poor and innocent followers and had placed a price at his head. He forgave them with a magnanimity unparalleled in human history, with the words, "Go, you are all free. No blame shall lie on you this day; may Allah also forgive you" (Hisham).

The verse also implies a prophecy that Muslims would be shortly given power and dominion over their opponents, and so in the hour of triumph they should be forgiving, forbearing and merciful to their enemies.

10:46; 30:56; 79:47.

Commentary:

In this verse the Holy Prophet is told that with his advent a new heaven and a new earth would be born. The old decrepit order would die and a new and better one would emerge from its ruins. But before that great and glorious day his own mettle and that of his followers would be put to a severe test. They will have to bear, with patience and fortitude, like great Prophets of God, very great hardships and privations, and it is after they will come out of the ordeal triumphantly and unscathed that their cause will prevail. That would be a glorious day for believers; and for the disbelievers a time of heart-burning and gnashing of teeth. So severe and swift and overwhelming would be God’s punishment that compared to it a whole life spent in comfort and ease would seem but an "hour".

2:264.

Important Words:

صدقوا اللّٰه (were true to Allah). صدق فی الحدیث means, he told or spoke the truth. صدق فی القتال means, he fought well; he gave a good account of himself in the fight. صدق اللقاء means, he was firm in fight صدق الصبح means, the dawn shone clearly. صدقنی وعدہmeans, he fulfilled, or he was true to his promise with me. The Quranic expression صدقوا ما عاھدوا اللّٰه علیه (33:24) means, they were true to their covenant with Allah and fulfilled it (Lane & Aqrab).