Topic: Environment (Mahaul)
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مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ ٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَلَمَّآ أَضَآءَتْ مَا حَوْلَهُۥ ذَهَبَ ٱللَّهُ بِنُورِهِمْ وَتَرَكَهُمْ فِى ظُلُمَٰتٍ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ
6:40, 123; 24:41.
“火” 这个词有时用于战争。在这节经文中 “燃火的人” 可能意指:或者是那些虚伪者串通不信道者向伊斯兰教进行战争, 或者是穆圣在主的旨意下点起精神之光。传说穆圣曾经说过: “我的样子就像一个点起火光的人似的” («布哈里»)。
这句话的意思是, 那些虚伪者煽动战争来重新建立他们已丧失的势力, 但那些战争的实际结果却是暴露了他们的虚伪性以及随之发生的他们的混乱与困惑。«古兰经»中总是用 ظُلْمَة (Zulma) 这个词的复数,它的意思是道德与精神上的黑暗。罪与恶从来不单独存在。一个罪恶会引出另一个罪恶, 一件不幸的事情会引出另一件不幸的事情。这意思是, 虚伪者被多方面的危险与灾难所压垮。
مَثَلُھُمْ کَمَثَلِ الَّذِی اسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًا عربی زبان میں نَار کا لفظ جنگ کے لئے بھی بولا جاتا ہے۔ پس آیت کا مطلب یہ ہے کہ منافقوں نے مسلمانوں کوہرانے کے لئے کفار سے لڑوا دیا۔ مگر جب جنگ پھیل گئی تو نتیجہ اُلٹ نکلا۔ مسلمان جیت گئے اور اللہ تعالیٰ نے منافقوں کو ایسی حالت میں چھوڑ دیا کہ ان کو اس اُلجھن سے نکلنے کا کوئی راستہ نظر نہیں آتا تھا اور اندھوں کی طرح اِدھر اُدھر مارے پھرتے تھے۔
اندھیروں کا لفظ اس امر کے اظہار کے لئے استعمال کیا گیا ہے کہ صرف ظاہری تاریکی ہی نہیں بلکہ اور کئی قسم کے خطرات بھی لاحق ہو گئے ہیں۔ اردو میں چونکہ اندھیرے کا لفظ اس موقعہ پر جمع کے صیغہ میں استعمال نہیں ہوتا اور اگر کر بھی لیں تو وہ معنی نہیں دیتا جو عربی سے ظاہر ہوتے ہیں اس لئے ’’قسم قسم کے‘‘ کے الفاظ خطوط وحدانی میں بڑھا دیئے گئے ہیں تا اصل مفہوم پڑھنے والے پر واضح ہو جائے قرآن کریم میں یہ لفظ ہمیشہ جمع کے طور پر استعمال ہوا ہے کیونکہ جب بھی استعمال ہوا ہے کسی اخلاقی یا روحانی امر کی تمثیل بیان کرنے کے لئے ہوا ہے اور گناہ اور بداخلاقیاں اکیلی نہیں رہتیں بلکہ ای
6:40, 123; 24:41.
The word "fire" is sometimes used for war. "The kindler of fire" in the verse may signify either the hypocrites who conspired with disbelievers to wage war against Islam, or the Holy Prophet who under God’s command kindled a Divine light. He is reported to have said: 'My example is like that of a person who kindles a fire' (Bukhari).
The expression signifies that the hypocrites fomented wars in order to re-establish their lost influence but the actual result of these wars was the exposure of their hypocrisy and their consequent confusion and perplexity. The word Zulumat has always been used in the Qur’an in the plural, signifying moral and spiritual darkness. Sin and vice never exist in isolation. One vice attracts another and one misfortune draws another. The meaning is that the hypocrites are overtaken by manifold dangers and calamities.
6:40, 123; 24:41.
Important Words:
مثل (case) gives a number of meanings: (1) likeness or similitude; (2) state or condition; (3) reason or argument; (4) proverb, etc (Aqrab)..
اضاء (it lighted up) is derived from ضاء i.e. it or he became bright or lit up. اضاء is used both transitively and intransitively. Used transitively it means, it lit up or lighted up (the surroundings, etc.), and used intransitively it means, it became bright or lit up. الضیاء or الضوء means, light (Aqrab). In the verse under comment the word has been used transitively.
ظلمات (darkness or lit. darknesses), which is the plural of ظلمة i.e. darkness or absence of light, is derived from ظلم i.e. it became dark. The word ظلمة is also used figuratively to signify ضلالة i.e. error or ignorance, just as the word نور i.e. light is sometimes used to signify ھدایة i.e. guidance (Aqrab). ظلمة also means, affliction, hardship and danger. In the verse the word ظلمات has been used in the plural form in order to signify that the position or place spoken of is not only wanting in light, but is also ful1 of various dangers. In the Quran the word is always used in the plural and denotes different kinds of darkness, physical, moral or spiritual. In the moral and spiritual sense the plural form also signifies that sins and evil deeds do not stand alone, but grow and multiply, one stumbling leading to another.
Commentary:
The verse speaks of hypocrites who were unbelievers at heart but outwardly formed part of the Muslim community. The light of the Holy Prophet or the light of Islam touched their outside, but owing to the diseased condition of their hearts it could not penetrate their inside, which is essential for true religious conversion; so they remained virtually deprived of that light. "The kindler of fire" in the verse can mean either: (1) the class of hypocrites who kindled a fire for themselves, i.e. they accepted the light of Islam but when the light grew in intensity and lit up the surroundings, their hidden disease got the better of them and they lost the light and were left in utter darkness. In this case the Arabic text would read somewhat like this: مثلھم كمثل الذین استوقدوا نارا فلما اضاءت ماحولھم۔الخ i.e. their condition is like the condition of those who kindle a fire, etc. This reading would be quite correct according to Arabic idiom and the style of the Quran itself. Or, (2) it may mean the Holy Prophet of Islam who, under God’s command, kindled a fire or a light but then the class of hypocrites came into being, whom the light touched but did not penetrate. Though apparently in light, they were really deprived of it, and owing to the disease of their heart their deprivation grew as the light increased. In this case the Arabic text would read somewhat like this: مثلھم كمثل بعض اصحاب الذی استوقد نارا فلما اضاءت ماحوله۔الخ i.e. their condition is like the condition of some of those surrounding a person who kindles a fire, etc. This reading is also correct according to the Arabic idiom. In either case the people deprived of light are the hypocrites.
By 'a fire' is meant, the light of divine teaching and heavenly signs. This is corroborated by other passages in the Quran. In 28:30, 31, it is said that Moses saw a fire near Mount Sinai and, approaching it, he heard a voice, saying, O Moses, verily I, even I, am Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Elsewhere in the Quran divine revelation is compared to "fire" and it is stated that some human beings possessing extraordinary spiritual potency are near to being lit up even without divine revelation (24:36). Thus, according to the Quran, the word "fire" sometimes signifies the light of divine teaching and heavenly signs, and in the present verse the word has been used in this very sense.
According to Arab usage, the word "fire" is sometimes also used for war. In 5:65 the Jews are said to have lighted the fire of war. In this sense, the verse would mean that hypocrites conspired with disbelievers to wage war against Islam. But the war only served to increase the power of Islam, leaving the hypocrites utterly confounded.
The words, Allah took away their light, may mean that the wars tore away from the hypocrites the bright mantle of Islam with which they had disguised themselves. The wars not only failed to bring the expected victory to the disbelievers, but also helped to expose the hypocrites who betrayed themselves by failing to join up with the Muslims and share the perils of the wars with them. The gradual extension and elaboration of the teachings of Islam also helped the exposure. The more commands there were to obey, the more burdensome did obedience prove to the hypocrites.
The expression, left them in thick darkness; they see not, means that the hypocrites had fomented the wars in order to re-establish their influence but the actual result of these wars was the exposure of their hypocrisy and their consequent confusion and perplexity.
If the word "fire" means the light of Islam, the verse would signify that though the light of Islam touched the hypocrites on the outside, yet their hearts remained unaffected by it. God deprived them not only of the light of revelation with all its blessings but also of the light of conscience which He has implanted in the nature of man.
d
6:40, 123; 24:41.
29H
“火” 这个词有时用于战争。在这节经文中 “燃火的人” 可能意指:或者是那些虚伪者串通不信道者向伊斯兰教进行战争, 或者是穆圣在主的旨意下点起精神之光。传说穆圣曾经说过: “我的样子就像一个点起火光的人似的” («布哈里»)。
29I
这句话的意思是, 那些虚伪者煽动战争来重新建立他们已丧失的势力, 但那些战争的实际结果却是暴露了他们的虚伪性以及随之发生的他们的混乱与困惑。«古兰经»中总是用 ظُلْمَة (Zulma) 这个词的复数,它的意思是道德与精神上的黑暗。罪与恶从来不单独存在。一个罪恶会引出另一个罪恶, 一件不幸的事情会引出另一件不幸的事情。这意思是, 虚伪者被多方面的危险与灾难所压垮。
1
مَثَلُھُمْ کَمَثَلِ الَّذِی اسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًا عربی زبان میں نَار کا لفظ جنگ کے لئے بھی بولا جاتا ہے۔ پس آیت کا مطلب یہ ہے کہ منافقوں نے مسلمانوں کوہرانے کے لئے کفار سے لڑوا دیا۔ مگر جب جنگ پھیل گئی تو نتیجہ اُلٹ نکلا۔ مسلمان جیت گئے اور اللہ تعالیٰ نے منافقوں کو ایسی حالت میں چھوڑ دیا کہ ان کو اس اُلجھن سے نکلنے کا کوئی راستہ نظر نہیں آتا تھا اور اندھوں کی طرح اِدھر اُدھر مارے پھرتے تھے۔
2
اندھیروں کا لفظ اس امر کے اظہار کے لئے استعمال کیا گیا ہے کہ صرف ظاہری تاریکی ہی نہیں بلکہ اور کئی قسم کے خطرات بھی لاحق ہو گئے ہیں۔ اردو میں چونکہ اندھیرے کا لفظ اس موقعہ پر جمع کے صیغہ میں استعمال نہیں ہوتا اور اگر کر بھی لیں تو وہ معنی نہیں دیتا جو عربی سے ظاہر ہوتے ہیں اس لئے ’’قسم قسم کے‘‘ کے الفاظ خطوط وحدانی میں بڑھا دیئے گئے ہیں تا اصل مفہوم پڑھنے والے پر واضح ہو جائے قرآن کریم میں یہ لفظ ہمیشہ جمع کے طور پر استعمال ہوا ہے کیونکہ جب بھی استعمال ہوا ہے کسی اخلاقی یا روحانی امر کی تمثیل بیان کرنے کے لئے ہوا ہے اور گناہ اور بداخلاقیاں اکیلی نہیں رہتیں بلکہ ای
a
6:40, 123; 24:41.
24
Important Words:
مثل (case) gives a number of meanings: (1) likeness or similitude; (2) state or condition; (3) reason or argument; (4) proverb, etc (Aqrab)..
اضاء (it lighted up) is derived from ضاء i.e. it or he became bright or lit up. اضاء is used both transitively and intransitively. Used transitively it means, it lit up or lighted up (the surroundings, etc.), and used intransitively it means, it became bright or lit up. الضیاء or الضوء means, light (Aqrab). In the verse under comment the word has been used transitively.
ظلمات (darkness or lit. darknesses), which is the plural of ظلمة i.e. darkness or absence of light, is derived from ظلم i.e. it became dark. The word ظلمة is also used figuratively to signify ضلالة i.e. error or ignorance, just as the word نور i.e. light is sometimes used to signify ھدایة i.e. guidance (Aqrab). ظلمة also means, affliction, hardship and danger. In the verse the word ظلمات has been used in the plural form in order to signify that the position or place spoken of is not only wanting in light, but is also ful1 of various dangers. In the Quran the word is always used in the plural and denotes different kinds of darkness, physical, moral or spiritual. In the moral and spiritual sense the plural form also signifies that sins and evil deeds do not stand alone, but grow and multiply, one stumbling leading to another.
Commentary:
The verse speaks of hypocrites who were unbelievers at heart but outwardly formed part of the Muslim community. The light of the Holy Prophet or the light of Islam touched their outside, but owing to the diseased condition of their hearts it could not penetrate their inside, which is essential for true religious conversion; so they remained virtually deprived of that light. "The kindler of fire" in the verse can mean either: (1) the class of hypocrites who kindled a fire for themselves, i.e. they accepted the light of Islam but when the light grew in intensity and lit up the surroundings, their hidden disease got the better of them and they lost the light and were left in utter darkness. In this case the Arabic text would read somewhat like this: مثلھم كمثل الذین استوقدوا نارا فلما اضاءت ماحولھم۔الخ i.e. their condition is like the condition of those who kindle a fire, etc. This reading would be quite correct according to Arabic idiom and the style of the Quran itself. Or, (2) it may mean the Holy Prophet of Islam who, under God’s command, kindled a fire or a light but then the class of hypocrites came into being, whom the light touched but did not penetrate. Though apparently in light, they were really deprived of it, and owing to the disease of their heart their deprivation grew as the light increased. In this case the Arabic text would read somewhat like this: مثلھم كمثل بعض اصحاب الذی استوقد نارا فلما اضاءت ماحوله۔الخ i.e. their condition is like the condition of some of those surrounding a person who kindles a fire, etc. This reading is also correct according to the Arabic idiom. In either case the people deprived of light are the hypocrites.
By 'a fire' is meant, the light of divine teaching and heavenly signs. This is corroborated by other passages in the Quran. In 28:30, 31, it is said that Moses saw a fire near Mount Sinai and, approaching it, he heard a voice, saying, O Moses, verily I, even I, am Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Elsewhere in the Quran divine revelation is compared to "fire" and it is stated that some human beings possessing extraordinary spiritual potency are near to being lit up even without divine revelation (24:36). Thus, according to the Quran, the word "fire" sometimes signifies the light of divine teaching and heavenly signs, and in the present verse the word has been used in this very sense.
According to Arab usage, the word "fire" is sometimes also used for war. In 5:65 the Jews are said to have lighted the fire of war. In this sense, the verse would mean that hypocrites conspired with disbelievers to wage war against Islam. But the war only served to increase the power of Islam, leaving the hypocrites utterly confounded.
The words, Allah took away their light, may mean that the wars tore away from the hypocrites the bright mantle of Islam with which they had disguised themselves. The wars not only failed to bring the expected victory to the disbelievers, but also helped to expose the hypocrites who betrayed themselves by failing to join up with the Muslims and share the perils of the wars with them. The gradual extension and elaboration of the teachings of Islam also helped the exposure. The more commands there were to obey, the more burdensome did obedience prove to the hypocrites.
The expression, left them in thick darkness; they see not, means that the hypocrites had fomented the wars in order to re-establish their influence but the actual result of these wars was the exposure of their hypocrisy and their consequent confusion and perplexity.
If the word "fire" means the light of Islam, the verse would signify that though the light of Islam touched the hypocrites on the outside, yet their hearts remained unaffected by it. God deprived them not only of the light of revelation with all its blessings but also of the light of conscience which He has implanted in the nature of man.
b
6:40, 123; 24:41.
36
The word "fire" is sometimes used for war. "The kindler of fire" in the verse may signify either the hypocrites who conspired with disbelievers to wage war against Islam, or the Holy Prophet who under God’s command kindled a Divine light. He is reported to have said: 'My example is like that of a person who kindles a fire' (Bukhari).
37
The expression signifies that the hypocrites fomented wars in order to re-establish their lost influence but the actual result of these wars was the exposure of their hypocrisy and their consequent confusion and perplexity. The word Zulumat has always been used in the Qur’an in the plural, signifying moral and spiritual darkness. Sin and vice never exist in isolation. One vice attracts another and one misfortune draws another. The meaning is that the hypocrites are overtaken by manifold dangers and calamities.
وَإِذْ وَٰعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰٓ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ ٱتَّخَذْتُمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ وَأَنتُمْ ظَٰلِمُونَ
7:143.
2:55, 93; 4:154; 7:149, 153; 20:89.
Moses, the Founder of Judaism, who delivered the Israelites from the tyranny of Pharaoh, was the greatest Israelite Prophet. According to biblical data he lived about 500 years after Abraham and about 1,400 years before Jesus. He was a Law-giving Prophet; the other Israelite Prophets that came after him were only the followers of his system.
See 7:143.
Man generally is the slave of his environments. This is particularly true of a subject people, who generally imitate the manners and customs of their rulers. The Israelites had lived under the bondage of Pharaohs for a long time, and naturally had imbibed the idolatrous faith of the Egyptians. When they left Egypt with Moses and came across an idol-worshipping people on the way, they requested him to sanction a similar worship for them (7:139).
7:143.
2:55, 93; 4:154; 7:149, 153; 20:89.
Important Words:
ظالمون (transgressors) is the plural of ظالم which is derived from ظلم which means (1) he put a thing at a wrong place (2) he transgressed against or wronged a person (Aqrab).
Commentary:
In this verse the incident of calf-worship mentioned in Exodus 32 is related. Man is generally the slave of environment. This is particularly true of a subject people, who assiduously imitate the manners and customs of their rulers. The Israelites had lived under the Pharaohs for a long time, and had imbibed the idolatrous faith of the Egyptians. When they left Egypt with Moses, and came across any idol-worshipping people on the way, they requested Moses again and again to sanction a similar worship for them (7:139). So eager were they for such worship that when Moses went to Mount Sinai, they made a calf and took to worshipping it. They revered the calf, because in Egypt the cow was held in special veneration. Egypt, like India, was an agricultural country where cattle must be of the highest value to man. Hence cow-worship.
The Bible mentions Aaron as having made a calf for the Israelites (Exod. 32:1-6). But the Quran strongly refutes this idea. Aaron was a Prophet of God and could not stoop to idol-worship. Says the Quran, And Aaron had said to them before this, 'O my people, you have only been tried by means of the calf; and surely, the Gracious God is your Lord; so follow me and do as I bid you' (20:91). It is strange that such baseless and incredible stories as the participation of a chosen one of God in idol-worship should find place in a Book which claims to be inspired. It only proves that the Bible has been the object of human interference. It is probable that some interested people deliberately interpolated the sacred writings and ascribed certain vices to the Prophets; and the Christian divines eagerly took them for granted, as they were of good use to them as a means of the exaltation of Jesus over the rest of the Prophets.
The verse speaks of the appointed duration as being of forty nights. In 7: 143 the Quran further tells us that at first the appointed duration was thirty nights, but by a subsequent addition of ten the period was extended to forty nights which is a fuller number. This favour was granted to Moses because of his faithfulness and sincerity.
The words, and you were transgressors, mean, you resorted to setting up equals with God, because this practice is indeed the greatest ظلمi.e. putting a thing in a wrong place. Elsewhere the Quran says: شرک i.e. attributing partners to God is indeed a great ظلم (31:14).
b
7:143.
c
2:55, 93; 4:154; 7:149, 153; 20:89.
51
穆撒是犹太教的创始人, 他使古以色列人从法老的暴政下解救出来, 是伟大的犹太人先知。按照 «圣经» 资料, 他生活在伊布拉欣之后约五百年, 约比伊撒早一千四百年。他是一位有经的先知; 他身后的一些其他古以色列人先知只是他道统的遵行者。
52
见7:143。
a
7:143.
b
2:55, 93; 4:154; 7:149, 153; 20:89.
58
Important Words:
ظالمون (transgressors) is the plural of ظالم which is derived from ظلم which means (1) he put a thing at a wrong place (2) he transgressed against or wronged a person (Aqrab).
Commentary:
In this verse the incident of calf-worship mentioned in Exodus 32 is related. Man is generally the slave of environment. This is particularly true of a subject people, who assiduously imitate the manners and customs of their rulers. The Israelites had lived under the Pharaohs for a long time, and had imbibed the idolatrous faith of the Egyptians. When they left Egypt with Moses, and came across any idol-worshipping people on the way, they requested Moses again and again to sanction a similar worship for them (7:139). So eager were they for such worship that when Moses went to Mount Sinai, they made a calf and took to worshipping it. They revered the calf, because in Egypt the cow was held in special veneration. Egypt, like India, was an agricultural country where cattle must be of the highest value to man. Hence cow-worship.
The Bible mentions Aaron as having made a calf for the Israelites (Exod. 32:1-6). But the Quran strongly refutes this idea. Aaron was a Prophet of God and could not stoop to idol-worship. Says the Quran, And Aaron had said to them before this, 'O my people, you have only been tried by means of the calf; and surely, the Gracious God is your Lord; so follow me and do as I bid you' (20:91). It is strange that such baseless and incredible stories as the participation of a chosen one of God in idol-worship should find place in a Book which claims to be inspired. It only proves that the Bible has been the object of human interference. It is probable that some interested people deliberately interpolated the sacred writings and ascribed certain vices to the Prophets; and the Christian divines eagerly took them for granted, as they were of good use to them as a means of the exaltation of Jesus over the rest of the Prophets.
The verse speaks of the appointed duration as being of forty nights. In 7: 143 the Quran further tells us that at first the appointed duration was thirty nights, but by a subsequent addition of ten the period was extended to forty nights which is a fuller number. This favour was granted to Moses because of his faithfulness and sincerity.
The words, and you were transgressors, mean, you resorted to setting up equals with God, because this practice is indeed the greatest ظلمi.e. putting a thing in a wrong place. Elsewhere the Quran says: شرک i.e. attributing partners to God is indeed a great ظلم (31:14).
b
7:143.
c
2:55, 93; 4:154; 7:149, 153; 20:89.
90
Moses, the Founder of Judaism, who delivered the Israelites from the tyranny of Pharaoh, was the greatest Israelite Prophet. According to biblical data he lived about 500 years after Abraham and about 1,400 years before Jesus. He was a Law-giving Prophet; the other Israelite Prophets that came after him were only the followers of his system.
91
See 7:143.
92
Man generally is the slave of his environments. This is particularly true of a subject people, who generally imitate the manners and customs of their rulers. The Israelites had lived under the bondage of Pharaohs for a long time, and naturally had imbibed the idolatrous faith of the Egyptians. When they left Egypt with Moses and came across an idol-worshipping people on the way, they requested him to sanction a similar worship for them (7:139).
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا۟ فِيمَ كُنتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ قَالُوٓا۟ أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُوا۟ فِيهَا ۚ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ مَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَسَآءَتْ مَصِيرًا
16:29.
یعنی کفار کے ملک میں رہ کر تکلیفیں اٹھا رہے تھے‘ مگر ہجرت نہ کرتے تھے۔
16:29.
Islam would not be satisfied with a weak or passive belief. If the environments of a believer are not congenial to the Faith he must shift to a more congenial place and if he does not do so he will not be regarded as sincere in his Faith.
16:29.
Commentary:
The words فتھاجروا (for you to migrate) show that the people referred to here were not so weak as not to be able to migrate from their homes. They were thus not truly "disabled ones" as mentioned in 4:96 above. The present verse, therefore, strongly condemns them. Islam would not be satisfied with a weak or passive belief, for it is neither good for the believer nor for the community. If the environment of a believer is not suitable for him, he should shift to a different environment more congenial to his faith; and if he does not do so, he is not sincere in his faith.
b
16:29.
2
یعنی کفار کے ملک میں رہ کر تکلیفیں اٹھا رہے تھے‘ مگر ہجرت نہ کرتے تھے۔
a
16:29.
566
Commentary:
The words فتھاجروا (for you to migrate) show that the people referred to here were not so weak as not to be able to migrate from their homes. They were thus not truly "disabled ones" as mentioned in 4:96 above. The present verse, therefore, strongly condemns them. Islam would not be satisfied with a weak or passive belief, for it is neither good for the believer nor for the community. If the environment of a believer is not suitable for him, he should shift to a different environment more congenial to his faith; and if he does not do so, he is not sincere in his faith.
a
16:29.
655
Islam would not be satisfied with a weak or passive belief. If the environments of a believer are not congenial to the Faith he must shift to a more congenial place and if he does not do so he will not be regarded as sincere in his Faith.
۞ وَمَن يُهَاجِرْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ يَجِدْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مُرَٰغَمًا كَثِيرًا وَسَعَةً ۚ وَمَن يَخْرُجْ مِنۢ بَيْتِهِۦ مُهَاجِرًا إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ثُمَّ يُدْرِكْهُ ٱلْمَوْتُ فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
مُرَاغَمٌ: اَلْمَذْھَبُ وَ الْمَھْرَبُ راستہ اَلْحِصْنُ یعنی قلعہ۔ (اقرب) مُرَاغَمًا کَثِیْرًا اَیْ مَذْھَبًا یَذْھَبُ اِلَیْہِ یعنی مراغم کے معنے راستے کے ہیں۔ (مفردات)
Islam accepts no excuse from believers to stay in environments hostile to their Faith if they can afford to leave such localities.
Important Words:
مراغما (place of refuge) is derived from رغم. They say رغم أنفه meaning his nose clove to the dust, i.e. he became abased and humbled. رغمه means, he disliked it. ارغم اھله or راغم اھله means, he forsook or deserted his family against their wish. رغامmeans, earth or dust. مرغم or مراغم means, a road by travelling on which a man separates himself from his people against their wish or so as to displease them; a place to which one migrates; a place of refuge; a safe and fortified place (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The verse promises those sincere believers who are forced by circumstances to migrate from their homes in the cause of God abundant place of refuge and plentifulness. There is, therefore, no excuse for the people to stay at home surrounded by hostile disbelievers. But the motive must be good and the migration sincere.
The Holy Prophet is reported to have said: "Whoso migrates from his home for the sake of God and His Messenger, his migration will be regarded as having been performed for the sake of God and His Messenger and will be rewarded as such. But whoso leaves his home for the sake of a worldly gain which he wishes to get or for a woman whom he wishes to marry, will be considered to have migrated for the sake of the object for which he migrated, and his migration will not be considered as having been performed in the cause of God" (Bukhari, ch. on Bad’ul Wahy).
2
مُرَاغَمٌ: اَلْمَذْھَبُ وَ الْمَھْرَبُ راستہ اَلْحِصْنُ یعنی قلعہ۔ (اقرب) مُرَاغَمًا کَثِیْرًا اَیْ مَذْھَبًا یَذْھَبُ اِلَیْہِ یعنی مراغم کے معنے راستے کے ہیں۔ (مفردات)
569
Important Words:
مراغما (place of refuge) is derived from رغم. They say رغم أنفه meaning his nose clove to the dust, i.e. he became abased and humbled. رغمه means, he disliked it. ارغم اھله or راغم اھله means, he forsook or deserted his family against their wish. رغامmeans, earth or dust. مرغم or مراغم means, a road by travelling on which a man separates himself from his people against their wish or so as to displease them; a place to which one migrates; a place of refuge; a safe and fortified place (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The verse promises those sincere believers who are forced by circumstances to migrate from their homes in the cause of God abundant place of refuge and plentifulness. There is, therefore, no excuse for the people to stay at home surrounded by hostile disbelievers. But the motive must be good and the migration sincere.
The Holy Prophet is reported to have said: "Whoso migrates from his home for the sake of God and His Messenger, his migration will be regarded as having been performed for the sake of God and His Messenger and will be rewarded as such. But whoso leaves his home for the sake of a worldly gain which he wishes to get or for a woman whom he wishes to marry, will be considered to have migrated for the sake of the object for which he migrated, and his migration will not be considered as having been performed in the cause of God" (Bukhari, ch. on Bad’ul Wahy).
658
Islam accepts no excuse from believers to stay in environments hostile to their Faith if they can afford to leave such localities.
قُل لَّا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْخَبِيثُ وَٱلطَّيِّبُ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ كَثْرَةُ ٱلْخَبِيثِ ۚ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَٰٓأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
2:268.
2:268.
Being naturally influenced by his environment man is prone to follow and imitate others, particularly when they happen to be in the majority. The verse contains a warning against unthinking and blind following of the majority.
2:268.
Commentary:
Being naturally influenced by his environment, man is prone to follow and imitate what others do, particularly when they happen to be in the majority. This verse, however, is a warning against unthinking and blind following of the majority. The real criterion by which the worth of a thing is to be judged is not how many people do it, but what good it contains; and, God being the source of all good, the only true and unfailing test is, as the verse puts it, تقوی or God-fearingness.
a
2:268.
c
2:268.
728
Commentary:
Being naturally influenced by his environment, man is prone to follow and imitate what others do, particularly when they happen to be in the majority. This verse, however, is a warning against unthinking and blind following of the majority. The real criterion by which the worth of a thing is to be judged is not how many people do it, but what good it contains; and, God being the source of all good, the only true and unfailing test is, as the verse puts it, تقوی or God-fearingness.
e
2:268.
795
Being naturally influenced by his environment man is prone to follow and imitate others, particularly when they happen to be in the majority. The verse contains a warning against unthinking and blind following of the majority.
وَٱتَّقُوا۟ فِتْنَةً لَّا تُصِيبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مِنكُمْ خَآصَّةً ۖ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ
11:114.
11:114.
It is not enough to make ourselves good. We are not safe unless we also reform our environment. A house surrounded by a raging fire is likely to fall a victim to it any moment.
11:114.
Important Words:
فتنة (affliction). See 2:192.
Commentary:
The verse embodies a great and important truth. It is not enough that you should become good yourselves. If you are surrounded by wicked and ungodly persons, you cannot escape the contagion and its consequences. Thus, even a good man may sometimes be overtaken by Divine punishment, if he is living among wicked people and does not shun their society. Hence, we should not only try to lead righteous lives ourselves, but should also endeavour to make others do the same. We should not only reform ourselves but try to reform the society in which we move and the people among whom we live. We cannot long enjoy safety if the houses surrounding ours are on fire.
e
11:114.
a
11:114.
1114
Important Words:
فتنة (affliction). See 2:192.
Commentary:
The verse embodies a great and important truth. It is not enough that you should become good yourselves. If you are surrounded by wicked and ungodly persons, you cannot escape the contagion and its consequences. Thus, even a good man may sometimes be overtaken by Divine punishment, if he is living among wicked people and does not shun their society. Hence, we should not only try to lead righteous lives ourselves, but should also endeavour to make others do the same. We should not only reform ourselves but try to reform the society in which we move and the people among whom we live. We cannot long enjoy safety if the houses surrounding ours are on fire.
a
11:114.
1111
It is not enough to make ourselves good. We are not safe unless we also reform our environment. A house surrounded by a raging fire is likely to fall a victim to it any moment.
إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَةً لِّمَنْ خَافَ عَذَابَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَّجْمُوعٌ لَّهُ ٱلنَّاسُ وَذَٰلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَّشْهُودٌ
14:15.
'sign' means, 'a lesson.'
Man is not wholly independent. He is influenced by his environment, education and heredity; so in order to judge rightly a particular action of his it is necessary to take into consideration all the conditions and circumstances which lead to and influence it. Hence, for the full realization of the true nature of man’s actions and to show that the seemingly unfair and inexplicable determination in dealing out different punishments and rewards to different persons by God is not capricious or arbitrary but perfectly just and fair, being based on the extent to which the individual is independent or free in his actions, it was necessary that there should have been fixed a certain day when all men should assemble, attended by all conditions and circumstances under which they worked and the various causes and reasons that led to their actions, so that these circumstances and causes may be jointly considered while determining the nature of their rewards and punishments.
14:15.
Commentary:
The word "sign" is not used here in the sense of "proof" of the Day of Judgement but in the sense of "a lesson." The verse thus means that those who believe in the punishment of the future life can alone learn a lesson from the events related above. When such people witness heavenly visitations in this life, they are naturally reminded of the punishment of the life to come and, being actuated by Divine fear, they begin to strive more earnestly for the future life.
The words, for which all mankind shall be gathered together, signify that a day fixed for holding judgement is necessary for the moral and spiritual development and perfection of man. It is not therefore a means to an end but an end in itself. The assembling of men on that day is not accidental. It is deliberate and serves a definite and useful purpose.
In fact, as it appears from the Quran, human actions are not quite independent, but are influenced by environment and heredity; and, in order to judge a particular action rightly, it is necessary to take into consideration all the conditions and circumstances which lead to and influence it. So, for the full realization of the true nature of a man’s actions and to show that the seemingly unfair and inexplicable discrimination in dealing out different punishments and rewards to different persons is not capricious and arbitrary but perfectly just and fair, being based on the extent to which the individual is independent and free in his actions, it is necessary that there should be fixed a certain day when all men should assemble with all the conditions and circumstances under which they worked and the various causes and reasons that led to their actions, so that these circumstances and causes may be jointly considered while determining the nature of their rewards and punishments. Thus it may become apparent to all that no injustice or unfairness was observed in meting out those punishments and rewards.
f
14:15.
625
‘迹象’ 意为 ‘一次教训’。
b
14:15.
1484
Commentary:
The word "sign" is not used here in the sense of "proof" of the Day of Judgement but in the sense of "a lesson." The verse thus means that those who believe in the punishment of the future life can alone learn a lesson from the events related above. When such people witness heavenly visitations in this life, they are naturally reminded of the punishment of the life to come and, being actuated by Divine fear, they begin to strive more earnestly for the future life.
The words, for which all mankind shall be gathered together, signify that a day fixed for holding judgement is necessary for the moral and spiritual development and perfection of man. It is not therefore a means to an end but an end in itself. The assembling of men on that day is not accidental. It is deliberate and serves a definite and useful purpose.
In fact, as it appears from the Quran, human actions are not quite independent, but are influenced by environment and heredity; and, in order to judge a particular action rightly, it is necessary to take into consideration all the conditions and circumstances which lead to and influence it. So, for the full realization of the true nature of a man’s actions and to show that the seemingly unfair and inexplicable discrimination in dealing out different punishments and rewards to different persons is not capricious and arbitrary but perfectly just and fair, being based on the extent to which the individual is independent and free in his actions, it is necessary that there should be fixed a certain day when all men should assemble with all the conditions and circumstances under which they worked and the various causes and reasons that led to their actions, so that these circumstances and causes may be jointly considered while determining the nature of their rewards and punishments. Thus it may become apparent to all that no injustice or unfairness was observed in meting out those punishments and rewards.
b
14:15.
1346
'sign' means, 'a lesson.'
1347
Man is not wholly independent. He is influenced by his environment, education and heredity; so in order to judge rightly a particular action of his it is necessary to take into consideration all the conditions and circumstances which lead to and influence it. Hence, for the full realization of the true nature of man’s actions and to show that the seemingly unfair and inexplicable determination in dealing out different punishments and rewards to different persons by God is not capricious or arbitrary but perfectly just and fair, being based on the extent to which the individual is independent or free in his actions, it was necessary that there should have been fixed a certain day when all men should assemble, attended by all conditions and circumstances under which they worked and the various causes and reasons that led to their actions, so that these circumstances and causes may be jointly considered while determining the nature of their rewards and punishments.
سُبْحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا ٱلَّذِى بَٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
5:22; 7:138.
这节经文谈的, 看来是穆圣的一种精神境界, «古兰经» 大多数注释家都以为这节经文指的是他的精神升天 (مِعْرَاج, Mi‘raj)。我们与大多数人的意见相反, 倾向於这节经文述及穆圣从麦加到耶路撒冷的精神夜行 (اِسْرَاء, Isra’) 的一种精神境界这一看法, 而他的精神升天在 «星宿» 章中谈得较详细。 «星宿» 章 (8-18) 提到的所有事实, 都是在宣称使者第五年伊历七月移居阿比西尼亚之后不久启示的。这些事实在述及穆圣精神升天的许多传说中都有详细的叙述。本章述及的穆圣从麦加到耶路撒冷的精神夜行, 根据 祖尔卡尼 (زُرْقَانِی, Zurqani) 的看法, 发生在宣称使者第11年, 而米尔 (Muir) 和其他基督教作者的意见是发生在第12年。然而, 按照梅尔达伟 (مَرْدَوَيْه, Merdawaih) 和伊本•萨德 (اِبْنِ سَعْد, Ibn-e-Sa‘d) 的看法, 精神夜行发生在三月的第17日 (رَبِيْعُ الْاَوَّل, Rabi‘ul-Awwal), 在伊历纪元前一年 (اَلْخَصَائِصُ الْكُبْرَى, Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra)。贝哈奎 (بَيْهَقِی, Baihaqi) 也说, 精神夜行发生在伊历纪元前一年或六个月, 这样所有有关的传说都表明, 精神夜行发生在宣称使者约第12年前一年或六个月, 那时在第10年卡迪贾 (خَدِيْجَة, Khadijah) 死后穆圣和他的堂姐妹, 乌姆·哈尼 (اُمّ هَانِی, Umm-e-Hani) 生活在一起。可是, 精神升天, 根据绝大多数学者的意见, 是在第5年发生的。因此, 这两件大事彼此时间相隔有六七年, 所以不可能是一回事; 认为两者各具特性而并无牵连。而且, 传说中谈到的穆圣在精神升天中所发生的种种事情与他在精神夜行中所发生的种种事情性质十分殊异。顺便也可说一下, 两件大事只是穆圣的精神境界, 并不是他亲身到天上去或旅行去耶路撒冷。
除了这一强有力的历史证明以外, 其他有关情况也证实这两件大事各具特性而并无牵连: (a) «古兰经» 在第53章中叙述了穆圣的精神升天, 但该章并不叙述他的夜行去耶路撒冷; 但本章谈及了他的精神夜行而不谈一切有关他的精神升天的事。(b) 乌姆·哈尼是穆圣的表姐妹, 精神夜行去耶路撒冷发生的那个夜晚和他住在一起, 她只说他去了耶路撒冷而没有说他到天上去过。她是听到穆圣夜行去耶路撒冷这件事的第一个人。至少有七个收集传说的人, 根据四位直接从她所谈的事情中得到情况的报道, 叙述了她讲的事情。所有这四位的报导都一致说, 穆圣去了耶路撒冷并在当夜又回到麦加。假如穆圣说了他也到天上去过, 乌姆•哈尼不会不在她的某一个报导中谈到这件事。可是, 她的任何一次报道中都没有说, 其结论明显地是, 在那个夜晚穆圣只精神夜行去了耶路撒冷而并没有精神升天。看来有些传说的报道人把精神夜行和精神升天这两件大事的叙述牵连在一起了。这种混淆不清的说法, 似乎是由夜行 (اِسْرَاء, Isra’,) 这个单词引起的, 因为它既可用于精神夜行, 又可用于精神升天; 而且在描写精神夜行和精神升天的某些细节中颇有相似之处, 更使人们加强和相信这种说法。(c) 首先叙述穆圣去耶路撒冷然后他又从耶路撒冷到天上去的传说, 也讲了在耶路撒冷他见到了包括阿丹、伊布拉欣、穆撒和伊撒在内的过去的许多先知, 而且在天上他又见到了相同的那些先知, 但没有认出他们。穆圣在耶路撒冷碰见的这些先知如何在他之前到了天上? 为什么他在同一旅程中没有多少时间以前刚看到过的那些先知他又不能认出他们了? 他在同一旅程中没多久以前刚碰见过的先知, 他竟不能认出, 这是不能理解的。这一重要论题的详细讨论, 可看英文 (《大版本的注释本》第1404-1409页)。
“远寺” 指耶路撒冷的先知素莱曼的寺。
本节经文所叙述的穆圣的精神境界, 意示一个伟大的预言。他远行到 “远寺” 意味着他移居麦地那并在那里他要建造一座清真寺, 这寺命定将要成为伊斯兰教的中心清真寺; 他在精神境界中见到自己领导着安拉所派遣的其他先知在祈祷, 意指新的宗教--------伊斯兰教--------将不局限于它所诞生的地方, 而是将遍及全世界, 所有宗教的信奉者都将参加到它的行列中来。他在精神境界中去耶路撒冷, 也可理解为意指他将受命统治耶路撒冷所在的那块领土。这一预言在圣职继位人欧麦尔时期实现了。这一精神境界也可理解为指穆圣在将来某一时期去远处的一次精神旅行而言。它意指在精神黑暗笼罩全世界时, 穆圣将从精神意义方面在他的追随者之一的身上再次出现在离他第一次降临的一个很远的地方。针对穆圣第二次降临的叙述, 可见62:3-4节经文。
5:22; 7:138.
The verse which seems to mention a vision of the Holy Prophet is supposed by most Commentators of the Qur’an to refer to his Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension). Contrary to popular opinion we are inclined to the view that the verse deals with the Isra’ (Spiritual Night Journey) of the Holy Prophet in a vision from Mecca to Jerusalem, while his Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension) has been dealt with at some length in Surah An-Najm. All the facts, mentioned in Surah An-Najm (vv. 8-18) which was revealed immediately after the Emigration to Abyssinia which took place in the month of Rajab in the 5th year of the Call, are to be found narrated in detail in the traditions which deal with the Mi‘raj of the Holy Prophet. The Isra’ or the Spiritual Night Journey of the Holy Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem, with which the present verse deals, took place in the eleventh year of the Call, according to Zurqani, and in the 12th year according to Muir and some other Christia
"The Distant Mosque" refers to Prophet Solomon’s Temple at Jerusalem.
The Vision of the Prophet referred to in the present verse implied a great prophecy. His journey to "The Distant Mosque" meant his Emigration to Medina where he was to build a Mosque which was destined to become later on the Central Mosque of Islam, and his seeing himself in the Vision that he was leading other Prophets of God in Prayers signified that the New Faith— Islam—was not to remain confined to the place of its birth but was to spread all over the world and the followers of all religions were to join its fold. His going to Jerusalem in the Vision may also be understood to mean that he was to be given dominion over the territory in which Jerusalem was situated. This prophecy was fulfilled during the Caliphate of ‘Umar. The Vision may also be taken as referring to a spiritual journey of the Holy Prophet to a distant land in some future time. It meant that when spiritual darkness would envelop the entire world, the Holy Prophet would appear in a spiritual sense a second time in the person of one
5:22; 7:138.
Important Words:
اسری (carried) is derived from سری. They say سری باللیل او سری اللیل i.e. he journeyed or travelled by night or in the night. اسراهاو اسری به means, he made him journey or travel, or he transported him by night or in the night; he journeyed or travelled with him, by night or in the night, or simply, he carried him. The Quranic expression سبحان الذی اسری بعبدہ لیلا means, Glory be to Him Who transported His servant by night. According to some lexicologists اسری is used for journey in the first part of the night and سری for the last part of it. According to others, the verb اسری is from سراة which means, a wide tract of land. According to this meaning the expression اسری بعبدہ means, Who transported His servant over a wide tract of land (Lane, Aqrab & Mufradat).
المسجد الاقصی (the Distant Mosque). اقصی is derived from قصی. They say قصی المکان i.e. the place was or became distant. اقصیmeans, distant or very distant (Aqrab). المسجد الاقصی may signify the Prophet Solomon’s Temple at Jerusalem, the Holy Prophet’s Mosque at Medina or the Promised Messiah’s Mosque at Qadian.
Commentary:
The verse is supposed by almost all commentators of the Quran to refer to the معراج (Spiritual Ascension of the Holy Prophet). The subject of Mi‘raj has become much complicated and confused on account of the many divergent traditions that deal with it. Contrary to popular view we are, however, inclined towards the opinion that the present verse deals with the اسراء (Night Journey) of the Holy Prophet while his Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension) has been dealt with in Surah An-Najm. That Surah removes all the obscurities and ambiguities that have confused the popular mind in regard to this important subject. In Surah An-Najm we have:
It is nothing but a revelation that is revealed. The One of mighty powers has taught him (this knowledge): the One Possessor of strength. So He manifested His ascendance (over everything) and He revealed His Word when he was on the uppermost horizon. Then he drew nearer (to God); then he came down to (His creatures), so that he became, as it were, the one chord of two bows or closer still. And He revealed to His servant that which He revealed. The heart (of the Prophet) was not untrue to that which he saw. Will you then dispute with him concerning that which he saw? And certainly he saw Him a second time, near the Lote-tree beyond which none may pass, near which is the Garden of Abode. This was when a wonderful and glorious Divine manifestation covered the Lote-tree. The eye deviated not nor did it wander. Surely, he saw the greatest of the Signs of his Lord. (53:5-19).
These verses give a graphic description of the Mi‘raj, for the facts mentioned in them all relate to it, e.g. the Holy Prophet went up to the Lote-tree; (2) the Lote-tree was covered with "something"; (3) the Prophet saw the Paradise (the Garden of Abode) near the Lote-tree; (4) he became, as it were, the one chord of two bows; (5) he saw God (and the heart of the Prophet was not untrue to that which he saw); and (6) the word of God descended on the Lote-tree.
All these details have also been mentioned in the traditions which deal with the Mi‘raj. As for the Lote-tree, AbuHurairah (as reported by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abu Hatim, Ibn Merdawaih, Abu Ya‘la and Baihaqi) says, "In the night of Mi‘raj, after having seen other Prophets of God in heaven, the Holy Prophet proceeded further till he reached the Lote-tree." The same fact has been mentioned in the tradition quoted on the authority of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Merdawaih, Baihaqi, and Ibn ‘Asakir, and in the tradition quoted on the authority of Malik Ibn Sa‘sa’ by Ahmad bin Hanbal, Bukhari, Muslim and Ibn Jarir and in the tradition quoted on the authority of Anas by Bukhari (Bukhari, chapter on Mi‘raj, & Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. 1, pp. 153, 167 & 174).
The second important detail mentioned in Surah An-Najm is that when the Prophet reached the Lote-tree, he saw it covered with some extraordinary thing (53:17). This has also been mentioned in the traditions that deal with Mi‘raj. In the tradition reported by Abu Hurairah to which reference has been made above we read فغشیھا نور الخلاق عزوجل i.e. when the Holy Prophet reached the Lote-tree, the light of the Powerful and Glorious Creator covered it (Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. 1, p. 174). Similarly, in the tradition reported by Anas we have: "Then the Lote-tree became covered with a special Divine grace so much so that in its newly changed condition its beauty defied all description" (Muslim, Kitabul-Iman)
The third incident referred to in chapter 53 (An-Najm) is that the Holy Prophet saw Paradise near the Lote-tree. This has also found mention in traditions which deal with Mi‘raj. In the tradition quoted on the authority of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri by Ibn Jarir and mentioned in some other books of Hadith we read: ثم انی رفعت الی الجنة i.e. after I had seen the Prophets in the heavens I was taken up to Paradise. This is followed by the words ثم انی رفعت الی سدرة المنتھی i.e. after paradise I was led up to the Lote-tree (Ibn Jarir, vol. 15, p. 11).
The fourth important detail mentioned in chapter 53 is that when the Holy Prophet had a vision of those celestial scenes he was transported into a highly spiritual state which has been described in the words, So that he became, as it were, the one chord of two bows or closer still.
This fact has also been mentioned in the traditions about Mi‘raj. In the tradition reported by Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri and referred to above we find the words: فکان قاب قوسین او ادنی i.e. between God and the Prophet there was the one chord of two bows or closer still.
The fifth important and relevant incident mentioned in chapter 53 is that during the Mi‘raj the Prophet had a vision of God Himself (53:12). This fact has also been mentioned in the traditions quoted by Ibn Merdawaih on the authority of Asma’, daughter of Abu Bakr (Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. 1, p. 177), and by Muslim on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas (Muslim, Kitabul-Iman). In the latter tradition we read راٰہ بفؤادہ مرتین i.e. twice the Prophet saw God with the eyes of his heart.
The sixth notable detail mentioned in chapter 53 is that God spoke to the Holy Prophet near the Lote-tree (53:11). This fact has also found a mention in the traditions. For instance, in the tradition reported by Abu Hurairah we have فکلمهاللّٰه تعالی عند ذالک i.e. so God spoke to him near it—the Lote-tree (Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. 1, p. 174). Similarly, Ibn Abu Hatim has reported on the authority of Anas bin Malik that when the Prophet arrived near the Lote-tree, God addressed him by name saying یا محمد i.e. O Muhammad, and then Anas continues to finish the hadith. These very striking similarities and resemblances between the subject matter of Surah An-Najm and the traditions about Mi‘raj leave no doubt that it is the Mi‘raj of the Holy Prophet which has been described in that Surah.
After having established the fact that Surah An-Najm contains a description of the Mi‘raj it is important to point out that this Surah has been admitted by the consensus of scholarly opinion to have been revealed in the fifth year of the Call or even earlier. The following very well-known historical event proves it. A party of early Muslims had sought refuge in Abyssinia. They left Mecca in the seventh month of the fifth year of the Call (Muir, The Life of Mahomet, 1923, p. 69). Now the traditions agree that three months had hardly elapsed since this little band of the Faithful had left for Abyssinia when they returned to Mecca (Muir, The Life of Mahomet, 1923, p. 80). The reason which, according to traditions, led to their early return was this. The Holy Prophet was one day reciting chapter 53. When he came to the words, Rather prostrate yourselves before Allah, and worship Him (53:63), the Prophet and the Muslims with him fell prostrate on the ground. The disbelievers present on the occasion, being overwhelmed with the grand theme of the Surah and the solemnity of the occasion, also joined the Prophet in prostration. This gave rise to the rumour that the Quraish had converted to Islam. When this rumour reached Abyssinia, Muslim refugees hastened back to Mecca. This shows that the recitation of the Surah which led to this incident having taken place, must have been revealed in the fifth year of the Call or sometime prior to it.
After a brief description of the Mi‘raj or the Spiritual Ascension of the Holy Prophet and of the time when it took place, it may be noted here that the اسراء Isra’ or the Night Journey of the Holy Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem, with which the present verse deals took place in the eleventh year of the Call (Zurqani, vol. 1, p. 306). Christian writers, however, put it in the twelfth year of the Call (Muir, The Life of Mahomet, 1923, p. 121). Traditions relating to this incident also corroborate the date referred to above. According to the traditions quoted by Ibn Merdawaih and Ibn Sa‘d, the Isra’ took place on the seventeenth of Rabi‘ul-Awwal, a year before the Hijrah (Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. 1, p. 162). Similarly, a tradition quoted by Baihaqi on the authority of Ibn Shihab, relates that the Isra’ took place a year before the Hijrah. Another tradition also quoted by Baihaqi places the Night Journey to Jerusalem six months before the Hijrah (Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. 1, p. 162).
All these traditions go to prove that the Isra’ took place six months or a year prior to the Hijrah and it has been shown above that the Mi‘raj took place about the fifth year of the Call. Thus the two incidents are separated from each other by an interval of six or seven years and therefore cannot be identical; the Mi‘raj must be regarded as quite distinct and separate from the Isra’.
Irrefutable evidence which shows that the Mi‘raj and the Isra’ were two separate incidents is the fact that it was during the fifth year of the Call that the five daily prayers were enjoined upon Muslims. If the Mi‘raj be considered as identical with the Isra’, then it will also have to be admitted that the five daily Prayers were enjoined upon Muslims in the eleventh or twelfth year of the Call which is evidently wrong because all traditionalists agree that the five Prayers were prescribed in the very early years of the Call.
It may incidentally be stated here that the Mi‘raj itself seems to have occurred twice. As it appears from the Hadith, the first Mi‘raj occurred in the beginning of the Holy Prophet’s ministry when the foundation of the Shari‘ah may be said to have been laid and Prayers were made obligatory, which seem to have taken place in the first year of the Call (Bukhari, chapter on Tauhid; Jarir, vol. 15, p. 4). The second or the better known Mi‘raj took place about the fifth year of the Call when the five prescribed Prayers were made obligatory and chapter 53, containing a description of it, was revealed (or it may have taken place even earlier and may have been subsequently referred to in Ch. 53). The Isra’, however, is quite a separate event which undoubtedly occurred in the eleventh or twelfth year of the Call when the Prophet was living in the house of his cousin, Ummi Hani, after the death of his wife, Khadijah, which took place in the tenth year of the Call after the Prophet had come out of the Valley (شعب) of Abu Talib.
In addition to this strong historical evidence, other relevant circumstances also lend support to the view that the two incidents are quite distinct and separate from each other:
(1) The first evidence in this connection is furnished by the Quran itself. It gives an account of the Prophet’s Mi‘raj(Spiritual Ascension) in chapter 53 but makes no reference to his Isra’ (Night Journey to Jerusalem), while in the present Surah it speaks of his Isra’ but omits all allusion to his Mi‘raj. This shows that the two incidents took place separately and, therefore, could not be mentioned together. It is inconceivable that the Quran should have mentioned the concluding portion of this incident in one Surah and the first portion of the selfsame incident in another Surah five years later.
(2) The second evidence which supports this inference is the fact that there was only one person, namely Ummi Hani, who was present with the Prophet during the night when the Isra’ (Spiritual Night Journey to Jerusalem) took place and she speaks only of his visit to Jerusalem and makes no mention of his journey to the heavens. She was the first person whom the Prophet informed of his Night Journey to Jerusalem and at least seven collectors of traditions have given her account of the incident on the authority of four different reporters who have reported the incident from her. All these four reporters concur in saying that the Prophet went to Jerusalem and returned to Mecca the same night. If the Prophet had spoken of his Ascension to the heavens also, Ummi Hani could not have failed to refer to it in one or other of her reports. But she does not do so in any of her reports, which conclusively shows that during the night in question the Holy Prophet made the Isra’ or the Spiritual Night Journey to Jerusalem only and that the Mi‘raj did not take place on that occasion. So the Isra’ or the Prophet’s Spiritual Night Journey to Jerusalem should not be confused with the Mi‘raj or his Spiritual Ascension to heaven.
(3) All the different reporters of this incident may be placed in three categories: (a) those who speak of the Prophet’s Ascension direct to heaven and make no mention of his Journey to Jerusalem; (b) those who speak first of his Journey to Jerusalem and then of his Ascension to heaven; and (c) those who only speak of His Journey to Jerusalem and make no mention at all of his Ascension to heaven. Of the reporters of this last group, there is a goodly number who say expressly that the Prophet returned to Mecca after his Journey to Jerusalem.
It is evident that the reports of the first group point to the Mi‘raj as being distinct from the Isra’ inasmuch as, according to them, the Holy Prophet was taken from his house direct to heaven, so Jerusalem could not lie in his way. The reporters of this group are Anas, Malik bin Sa‘sa’ and Abu Dharr, who was one of the earliest converts to Islam.
Similarly, the reports of those who speak only of the Prophet’s Journey to Jerusalem and make no mention of his Ascension to heaven also show that when he made his Night Journey to Jerusalem, he did not ascend to heaven, for if he had ascended to heaven after his visit to Jerusalem, it is inconceivable that the reporters, after mentioning the less important part of the vision, should have omitted to mention its more important part which related to his Ascension to heaven, and to his having seen God and having had communion with Him. The reporters of this group of traditions are Anas and ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud, the latter being one of the earliest and best-loved of the Prophet’s Companions.
Reports of the third group clearly state that the Prophet returned to Mecca after his visit to Jerusalem and did not ascend to heaven. These also demonstrate the two events to be distinct and separate from each other. The reporters of this group are ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud, ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas, ‘A’ishah and Ummi Salma and Ummi Hani. All of them with the exception of ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud, who, as stated above, was among the earliest converts to Islam, were the Prophet’s very near relatives and enjoyed his intimate and constant company. It is impossible to impugn their evidence.
Another argument in favour of Isra’ being distinct from Mi‘raj are the traditions which speak of the Prophet’s transportation to the heavens after his visit to Jerusalem and then of his return from the heavens to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem back to Mecca (Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. I, p. 154). Now, going to Jerusalem before ascending to heaven may be considered as reasonable, for it served for the Prophet the purpose of offering Prayers at the place where a large party of heavenly Messengers had delivered their Divine Message, but it is difficult to understand why the same route should have been followed during the return journey, when on his return from heaven the Prophet is not reported to have performed any specific act at Jerusalem. The only reasonable assumption is that the account of the Isra’ became mixed up with that of the Mi‘raj. Anas seems to have related the account of both the Isra’ and the Mi‘raj to some reporters who mixed up the two accounts and mistakenly thought that they formed the two parts of the same event and thus these reporters were led to believe that while coming back from his Mi‘raj the Prophet went to Jerusalem from where he returned to Mecca. In fact, the confusion seems to have arisen from the same word اسراء (which means a night journey) having been used for both the Holy Prophet’s اسراء (Spiritual Night Journey to Jerusalem) and his معراج (Spiritual Ascension to heaven); and the resemblance that existed in some of the details in the description of the اسراء (Isra’) and the معراج (Mi‘raj) heightened and confirmed it.
Internal evidence of the traditions also points to the fact that the Isra’ and the Mi‘raj were two distinct and separate events. The traditions which first give an account of the Prophet’s visit to Jerusalem and then of his transportation from Jerusalem to heaven also state that at Jerusalem he met the former Prophets, including Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, and that in the heavens he met the same Prophets again but could not recognize them. Now how did these Prophets whom he had met at Jerusalem reach the heavens before him and why could he not recognize them while he had seen them only a short while ago in the course of the same journey? If the two meetings had taken place separately and at a distance of long intervals, it was possible that he could not have recognized some of them at the time of the second meeting in a changed atmosphere. But it is inconceivable that he should have failed to recognize them when he had met them only a short while ago in the course of the same journey.
It having been established that the Isra’ and the Mi‘raj were two separate and distinct events, it is necessary to give a somewhat detailed account of Isra’ as given in the traditions as it forms the subject matter of the verse under comment. The most reliable account of it is to be found in the tradition quoted by Ibn Jarir on the authority of Anas bin Malik. It is briefly as follows:
'When the Archangel Gabriel brought the Buraq to the Holy Prophet, he mounted it, and had gone only a short distance, when he saw an old woman. The Prophet asked Gabriel who she was, but Gabriel gave no answer to his question; on the contrary he told him not to ask questions, just as Moses in his معراج (Spiritual Ascension) was told not to put unnecessary questions (18:71). After the Prophet had gone a little further he saw a man calling him by name from across the road in order to invite his attention to himself. But Gabriel asked him again not to heed his call. When the Prophet had proceeded a little further, he met a party of men who greeted him with the greeting of peace. Gabriel told him to return their greeting. After this, the Prophet reached the Holy House in Jerusalem. There Gabriel presented him with three cups containing water, milk and wine. The Prophet took the cup containing milk and drank it and refused to accept the other two. Upon this Gabriel said to him, "Thou hast, indeed, chosen the right course which is in perfect harmony with a pure, unsullied nature. If thou hadst accepted water or wine, thou and thine followers would have been lost." Then Adam and the other Prophets were presented to him, and the Holy Prophet led them in Prayers. After this Gabriel explained to him that the old woman he saw on the way was an embodied representation of the life of this world and only as much was left of the life of the world as was left of the life of that old woman. As for the person who called him from across the road, he was Iblis, the enemy of God. The party of men who greeted him were the Prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus' (Ibn Jarir).
This tradition serves as a key to resolve this whole allegory. It gives the most reliable and correct account of the Isra’. It shows that the Journey to Jerusalem was no physical act but only a vision. This is clear from the following facts:
(a) It is stated in this tradition that during the Night Journey to Jerusalem, the Prophet saw an old woman, a person standing on one side of the road, and three cups full of water, wine and milk (of which the Prophet chose the last), and Gabriel told him what all these things signified. The explanation and interpretation by Gabriel of the things the Prophet saw shows that the Journey was only a vision, for it is only things seen in visions that need interpretation and explanation.
(b) The Night Journey has been spoken of as a vision in the present Surah (v. 61). Accordingly, we find that several Companions of the Prophet and some of the later scholars of Islam have, on the basis of this verse, declared the Isra’ to be a vision. For instance, Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Jarir report that when Mu‘awiyah was asked concerning the Isra’, he said that it was a vision which came out to be true (Manthur, vol. 4, p. 197). ‘A’isha is also reported to have held the same view. (Hisham and Mas‘ud, vol. 1).
(c) We learn from the hadith that when the Holy Prophet spoke of his Night Journey to Jerusalem he was asked to give a description of the Temple at Jerusalem. The Prophet is reported to have said that at that time God presented before his eyes an embodied representation of the Temple and he was thus able to describe it as demanded of him (Ibn Kathir, vol. 6, p. 18).
The Vision of the Prophet referred to in the present verse implied a great prophecy. His journey to the Distant Mosque (المسجد الاقصی) meant his Migration to Medina where he was to build a Mosque which was destined to become later the Centre of all Faiths and Dispensations and the Holy Prophet’s seeing himself in the Vision leading other Prophets of God in Prayers signified that the new Faith Islam was not to remain confined to the place of its birth but was to spread all over the world and the followers of all religions were to join its fold. His going to Jerusalem in the Vision may also be understood to mean that he was to be given dominion over the territory in which Jerusalem was situated. This prophecy was fulfilled in the Caliphate of Umar.
The words of the verse also lend support to the view that the Vision constituted a prophecy about the great future of Islam. The Distant Mosque (المسجد الاقصی) that the Prophet saw in the Vision represented his own Mosque at Medina, Jerusalem stood for Medina and his going to Jerusalem signified his Migration to Medina. The Vision begins with the words سبحان الذی (Glory be to Him) which indicated that the Migration of the Prophet would redound to the Glory of God. The word سبحان itself shows that the Vision embodied a prophecy; for a physical journey to the Temple at Jerusalem could not be regarded as evidence of the Glory of God. But as establishment of the Islamic State at Medina was to fulfil a prophecy, that event did serve as evidence of Divine glory. Thus the words, Glory be to Him Who carried His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Distant Mosque, signified that God would take the Holy Prophet to a Mosque resembling المسجد الاقصی (the Distant Mosque) at Jerusalem so that His word might be fulfilled.
The words, We might show him some of Our Signs, pointed to the great possibilities of the Prophet’s journey to Medina. The Prophet’s Migration to Medina served as a prelude to the glorious future of Islam which was then hidden from the eyes of the world and thus God’s great signs were manifested. The reason why the Holy Prophet’s Mosque was called المسجد الاقصی (the Distant Mosque), and why Medina was shown to him in the Vision in the form of Jerusalem was that the blessings which God had conferred on the Mosque at Jerusalem were also in store in a greater measure for the Prophet’s Mosque at Medina.
The Prophecy implied in the words, Who carried His servant by night, was fulfilled when the Prophet left Mecca at dead of night. He did not undertake this journey of his own accord but in pursuance of God’s express command. And as in his Night Journey to Jerusalem in the Vision he was accompanied by the Archangel Gabriel, so in his Flight to Medina he was accompanied by his most faithful companion, Abu Bakr. The word "Gabriel", which means "Man of God", fitly applies to Abu Bakr and portrays his spiritual eminence.
The Vision may also be taken as referring to a spiritual journey of the Holy Prophet to a distant land in some future time. It meant that when spiritual darkness enveloped the entire world, the Prophet would appear in spirit a second time in the person of one of his followers, in a land far away from the scene of his first advent—in the Punjab. A pointed reference to this second advent of the Holy Prophet is to be found in 62:3-5.
a
5:22; 7:138.
695
这节经文谈的, 看来是穆圣的一种精神境界, «古兰经» 大多数注释家都以为这节经文指的是他的精神升天 (مِعْرَاج, Mi‘raj)。我们与大多数人的意见相反, 倾向於这节经文述及穆圣从麦加到耶路撒冷的精神夜行 (اِسْرَاء, Isra’) 的一种精神境界这一看法, 而他的精神升天在 «星宿» 章中谈得较详细。 «星宿» 章 (8-18) 提到的所有事实, 都是在宣称使者第五年伊历七月移居阿比西尼亚之后不久启示的。这些事实在述及穆圣精神升天的许多传说中都有详细的叙述。本章述及的穆圣从麦加到耶路撒冷的精神夜行, 根据 祖尔卡尼 (زُرْقَانِی, Zurqani) 的看法, 发生在宣称使者第11年, 而米尔 (Muir) 和其他基督教作者的意见是发生在第12年。然而, 按照梅尔达伟 (مَرْدَوَيْه, Merdawaih) 和伊本•萨德 (اِبْنِ سَعْد, Ibn-e-Sa‘d) 的看法, 精神夜行发生在三月的第17日 (رَبِيْعُ الْاَوَّل, Rabi‘ul-Awwal), 在伊历纪元前一年 (اَلْخَصَائِصُ الْكُبْرَى, Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra)。贝哈奎 (بَيْهَقِی, Baihaqi) 也说, 精神夜行发生在伊历纪元前一年或六个月, 这样所有有关的传说都表明, 精神夜行发生在宣称使者约第12年前一年或六个月, 那时在第10年卡迪贾 (خَدِيْجَة, Khadijah) 死后穆圣和他的堂姐妹, 乌姆·哈尼 (اُمّ هَانِی, Umm-e-Hani) 生活在一起。可是, 精神升天, 根据绝大多数学者的意见, 是在第5年发生的。因此, 这两件大事彼此时间相隔有六七年, 所以不可能是一回事; 认为两者各具特性而并无牵连。而且, 传说中谈到的穆圣在精神升天中所发生的种种事情与他在精神夜行中所发生的种种事情性质十分殊异。顺便也可说一下, 两件大事只是穆圣的精神境界, 并不是他亲身到天上去或旅行去耶路撒冷。
除了这一强有力的历史证明以外, 其他有关情况也证实这两件大事各具特性而并无牵连: (a) «古兰经» 在第53章中叙述了穆圣的精神升天, 但该章并不叙述他的夜行去耶路撒冷; 但本章谈及了他的精神夜行而不谈一切有关他的精神升天的事。(b) 乌姆·哈尼是穆圣的表姐妹, 精神夜行去耶路撒冷发生的那个夜晚和他住在一起, 她只说他去了耶路撒冷而没有说他到天上去过。她是听到穆圣夜行去耶路撒冷这件事的第一个人。至少有七个收集传说的人, 根据四位直接从她所谈的事情中得到情况的报道, 叙述了她讲的事情。所有这四位的报导都一致说, 穆圣去了耶路撒冷并在当夜又回到麦加。假如穆圣说了他也到天上去过, 乌姆•哈尼不会不在她的某一个报导中谈到这件事。可是, 她的任何一次报道中都没有说, 其结论明显地是, 在那个夜晚穆圣只精神夜行去了耶路撒冷而并没有精神升天。看来有些传说的报道人把精神夜行和精神升天这两件大事的叙述牵连在一起了。这种混淆不清的说法, 似乎是由夜行 (اِسْرَاء, Isra’,) 这个单词引起的, 因为它既可用于精神夜行, 又可用于精神升天; 而且在描写精神夜行和精神升天的某些细节中颇有相似之处, 更使人们加强和相信这种说法。(c) 首先叙述穆圣去耶路撒冷然后他又从耶路撒冷到天上去的传说, 也讲了在耶路撒冷他见到了包括阿丹、伊布拉欣、穆撒和伊撒在内的过去的许多先知, 而且在天上他又见到了相同的那些先知, 但没有认出他们。穆圣在耶路撒冷碰见的这些先知如何在他之前到了天上? 为什么他在同一旅程中没有多少时间以前刚看到过的那些先知他又不能认出他们了? 他在同一旅程中没多久以前刚碰见过的先知, 他竟不能认出, 这是不能理解的。这一重要论题的详细讨论, 可看英文 (《大版本的注释本》第1404-1409页)。
696
“远寺” 指耶路撒冷的先知素莱曼的寺。
697
本节经文所叙述的穆圣的精神境界, 意示一个伟大的预言。他远行到 “远寺” 意味着他移居麦地那并在那里他要建造一座清真寺, 这寺命定将要成为伊斯兰教的中心清真寺; 他在精神境界中见到自己领导着安拉所派遣的其他先知在祈祷, 意指新的宗教--------伊斯兰教--------将不局限于它所诞生的地方, 而是将遍及全世界, 所有宗教的信奉者都将参加到它的行列中来。他在精神境界中去耶路撒冷, 也可理解为意指他将受命统治耶路撒冷所在的那块领土。这一预言在圣职继位人欧麦尔时期实现了。这一精神境界也可理解为指穆圣在将来某一时期去远处的一次精神旅行而言。它意指在精神黑暗笼罩全世界时, 穆圣将从精神意义方面在他的追随者之一的身上再次出现在离他第一次降临的一个很远的地方。针对穆圣第二次降临的叙述, 可见62:3-4节经文。
b
5:22; 7:138.
1931
Important Words:
اسری (carried) is derived from سری. They say سری باللیل او سری اللیل i.e. he journeyed or travelled by night or in the night. اسراهاو اسری به means, he made him journey or travel, or he transported him by night or in the night; he journeyed or travelled with him, by night or in the night, or simply, he carried him. The Quranic expression سبحان الذی اسری بعبدہ لیلا means, Glory be to Him Who transported His servant by night. According to some lexicologists اسری is used for journey in the first part of the night and سری for the last part of it. According to others, the verb اسری is from سراة which means, a wide tract of land. According to this meaning the expression اسری بعبدہ means, Who transported His servant over a wide tract of land (Lane, Aqrab & Mufradat).
المسجد الاقصی (the Distant Mosque). اقصی is derived from قصی. They say قصی المکان i.e. the place was or became distant. اقصیmeans, distant or very distant (Aqrab). المسجد الاقصی may signify the Prophet Solomon’s Temple at Jerusalem, the Holy Prophet’s Mosque at Medina or the Promised Messiah’s Mosque at Qadian.
Commentary:
The verse is supposed by almost all commentators of the Quran to refer to the معراج (Spiritual Ascension of the Holy Prophet). The subject of Mi‘raj has become much complicated and confused on account of the many divergent traditions that deal with it. Contrary to popular view we are, however, inclined towards the opinion that the present verse deals with the اسراء (Night Journey) of the Holy Prophet while his Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension) has been dealt with in Surah An-Najm. That Surah removes all the obscurities and ambiguities that have confused the popular mind in regard to this important subject. In Surah An-Najm we have:
It is nothing but a revelation that is revealed. The One of mighty powers has taught him (this knowledge): the One Possessor of strength. So He manifested His ascendance (over everything) and He revealed His Word when he was on the uppermost horizon. Then he drew nearer (to God); then he came down to (His creatures), so that he became, as it were, the one chord of two bows or closer still. And He revealed to His servant that which He revealed. The heart (of the Prophet) was not untrue to that which he saw. Will you then dispute with him concerning that which he saw? And certainly he saw Him a second time, near the Lote-tree beyond which none may pass, near which is the Garden of Abode. This was when a wonderful and glorious Divine manifestation covered the Lote-tree. The eye deviated not nor did it wander. Surely, he saw the greatest of the Signs of his Lord. (53:5-19).
These verses give a graphic description of the Mi‘raj, for the facts mentioned in them all relate to it, e.g. the Holy Prophet went up to the Lote-tree; (2) the Lote-tree was covered with "something"; (3) the Prophet saw the Paradise (the Garden of Abode) near the Lote-tree; (4) he became, as it were, the one chord of two bows; (5) he saw God (and the heart of the Prophet was not untrue to that which he saw); and (6) the word of God descended on the Lote-tree.
All these details have also been mentioned in the traditions which deal with the Mi‘raj. As for the Lote-tree, AbuHurairah (as reported by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abu Hatim, Ibn Merdawaih, Abu Ya‘la and Baihaqi) says, "In the night of Mi‘raj, after having seen other Prophets of God in heaven, the Holy Prophet proceeded further till he reached the Lote-tree." The same fact has been mentioned in the tradition quoted on the authority of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Merdawaih, Baihaqi, and Ibn ‘Asakir, and in the tradition quoted on the authority of Malik Ibn Sa‘sa’ by Ahmad bin Hanbal, Bukhari, Muslim and Ibn Jarir and in the tradition quoted on the authority of Anas by Bukhari (Bukhari, chapter on Mi‘raj, & Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. 1, pp. 153, 167 & 174).
The second important detail mentioned in Surah An-Najm is that when the Prophet reached the Lote-tree, he saw it covered with some extraordinary thing (53:17). This has also been mentioned in the traditions that deal with Mi‘raj. In the tradition reported by Abu Hurairah to which reference has been made above we read فغشیھا نور الخلاق عزوجل i.e. when the Holy Prophet reached the Lote-tree, the light of the Powerful and Glorious Creator covered it (Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. 1, p. 174). Similarly, in the tradition reported by Anas we have: "Then the Lote-tree became covered with a special Divine grace so much so that in its newly changed condition its beauty defied all description" (Muslim, Kitabul-Iman)
The third incident referred to in chapter 53 (An-Najm) is that the Holy Prophet saw Paradise near the Lote-tree. This has also found mention in traditions which deal with Mi‘raj. In the tradition quoted on the authority of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri by Ibn Jarir and mentioned in some other books of Hadith we read: ثم انی رفعت الی الجنة i.e. after I had seen the Prophets in the heavens I was taken up to Paradise. This is followed by the words ثم انی رفعت الی سدرة المنتھی i.e. after paradise I was led up to the Lote-tree (Ibn Jarir, vol. 15, p. 11).
The fourth important detail mentioned in chapter 53 is that when the Holy Prophet had a vision of those celestial scenes he was transported into a highly spiritual state which has been described in the words, So that he became, as it were, the one chord of two bows or closer still.
This fact has also been mentioned in the traditions about Mi‘raj. In the tradition reported by Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri and referred to above we find the words: فکان قاب قوسین او ادنی i.e. between God and the Prophet there was the one chord of two bows or closer still.
The fifth important and relevant incident mentioned in chapter 53 is that during the Mi‘raj the Prophet had a vision of God Himself (53:12). This fact has also been mentioned in the traditions quoted by Ibn Merdawaih on the authority of Asma’, daughter of Abu Bakr (Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. 1, p. 177), and by Muslim on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas (Muslim, Kitabul-Iman). In the latter tradition we read راٰہ بفؤادہ مرتین i.e. twice the Prophet saw God with the eyes of his heart.
The sixth notable detail mentioned in chapter 53 is that God spoke to the Holy Prophet near the Lote-tree (53:11). This fact has also found a mention in the traditions. For instance, in the tradition reported by Abu Hurairah we have فکلمهاللّٰه تعالی عند ذالک i.e. so God spoke to him near it—the Lote-tree (Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. 1, p. 174). Similarly, Ibn Abu Hatim has reported on the authority of Anas bin Malik that when the Prophet arrived near the Lote-tree, God addressed him by name saying یا محمد i.e. O Muhammad, and then Anas continues to finish the hadith. These very striking similarities and resemblances between the subject matter of Surah An-Najm and the traditions about Mi‘raj leave no doubt that it is the Mi‘raj of the Holy Prophet which has been described in that Surah.
After having established the fact that Surah An-Najm contains a description of the Mi‘raj it is important to point out that this Surah has been admitted by the consensus of scholarly opinion to have been revealed in the fifth year of the Call or even earlier. The following very well-known historical event proves it. A party of early Muslims had sought refuge in Abyssinia. They left Mecca in the seventh month of the fifth year of the Call (Muir, The Life of Mahomet, 1923, p. 69). Now the traditions agree that three months had hardly elapsed since this little band of the Faithful had left for Abyssinia when they returned to Mecca (Muir, The Life of Mahomet, 1923, p. 80). The reason which, according to traditions, led to their early return was this. The Holy Prophet was one day reciting chapter 53. When he came to the words, Rather prostrate yourselves before Allah, and worship Him (53:63), the Prophet and the Muslims with him fell prostrate on the ground. The disbelievers present on the occasion, being overwhelmed with the grand theme of the Surah and the solemnity of the occasion, also joined the Prophet in prostration. This gave rise to the rumour that the Quraish had converted to Islam. When this rumour reached Abyssinia, Muslim refugees hastened back to Mecca. This shows that the recitation of the Surah which led to this incident having taken place, must have been revealed in the fifth year of the Call or sometime prior to it.
After a brief description of the Mi‘raj or the Spiritual Ascension of the Holy Prophet and of the time when it took place, it may be noted here that the اسراء Isra’ or the Night Journey of the Holy Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem, with which the present verse deals took place in the eleventh year of the Call (Zurqani, vol. 1, p. 306). Christian writers, however, put it in the twelfth year of the Call (Muir, The Life of Mahomet, 1923, p. 121). Traditions relating to this incident also corroborate the date referred to above. According to the traditions quoted by Ibn Merdawaih and Ibn Sa‘d, the Isra’ took place on the seventeenth of Rabi‘ul-Awwal, a year before the Hijrah (Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. 1, p. 162). Similarly, a tradition quoted by Baihaqi on the authority of Ibn Shihab, relates that the Isra’ took place a year before the Hijrah. Another tradition also quoted by Baihaqi places the Night Journey to Jerusalem six months before the Hijrah (Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. 1, p. 162).
All these traditions go to prove that the Isra’ took place six months or a year prior to the Hijrah and it has been shown above that the Mi‘raj took place about the fifth year of the Call. Thus the two incidents are separated from each other by an interval of six or seven years and therefore cannot be identical; the Mi‘raj must be regarded as quite distinct and separate from the Isra’.
Irrefutable evidence which shows that the Mi‘raj and the Isra’ were two separate incidents is the fact that it was during the fifth year of the Call that the five daily prayers were enjoined upon Muslims. If the Mi‘raj be considered as identical with the Isra’, then it will also have to be admitted that the five daily Prayers were enjoined upon Muslims in the eleventh or twelfth year of the Call which is evidently wrong because all traditionalists agree that the five Prayers were prescribed in the very early years of the Call.
It may incidentally be stated here that the Mi‘raj itself seems to have occurred twice. As it appears from the Hadith, the first Mi‘raj occurred in the beginning of the Holy Prophet’s ministry when the foundation of the Shari‘ah may be said to have been laid and Prayers were made obligatory, which seem to have taken place in the first year of the Call (Bukhari, chapter on Tauhid; Jarir, vol. 15, p. 4). The second or the better known Mi‘raj took place about the fifth year of the Call when the five prescribed Prayers were made obligatory and chapter 53, containing a description of it, was revealed (or it may have taken place even earlier and may have been subsequently referred to in Ch. 53). The Isra’, however, is quite a separate event which undoubtedly occurred in the eleventh or twelfth year of the Call when the Prophet was living in the house of his cousin, Ummi Hani, after the death of his wife, Khadijah, which took place in the tenth year of the Call after the Prophet had come out of the Valley (شعب) of Abu Talib.
In addition to this strong historical evidence, other relevant circumstances also lend support to the view that the two incidents are quite distinct and separate from each other:
(1) The first evidence in this connection is furnished by the Quran itself. It gives an account of the Prophet’s Mi‘raj(Spiritual Ascension) in chapter 53 but makes no reference to his Isra’ (Night Journey to Jerusalem), while in the present Surah it speaks of his Isra’ but omits all allusion to his Mi‘raj. This shows that the two incidents took place separately and, therefore, could not be mentioned together. It is inconceivable that the Quran should have mentioned the concluding portion of this incident in one Surah and the first portion of the selfsame incident in another Surah five years later.
(2) The second evidence which supports this inference is the fact that there was only one person, namely Ummi Hani, who was present with the Prophet during the night when the Isra’ (Spiritual Night Journey to Jerusalem) took place and she speaks only of his visit to Jerusalem and makes no mention of his journey to the heavens. She was the first person whom the Prophet informed of his Night Journey to Jerusalem and at least seven collectors of traditions have given her account of the incident on the authority of four different reporters who have reported the incident from her. All these four reporters concur in saying that the Prophet went to Jerusalem and returned to Mecca the same night. If the Prophet had spoken of his Ascension to the heavens also, Ummi Hani could not have failed to refer to it in one or other of her reports. But she does not do so in any of her reports, which conclusively shows that during the night in question the Holy Prophet made the Isra’ or the Spiritual Night Journey to Jerusalem only and that the Mi‘raj did not take place on that occasion. So the Isra’ or the Prophet’s Spiritual Night Journey to Jerusalem should not be confused with the Mi‘raj or his Spiritual Ascension to heaven.
(3) All the different reporters of this incident may be placed in three categories: (a) those who speak of the Prophet’s Ascension direct to heaven and make no mention of his Journey to Jerusalem; (b) those who speak first of his Journey to Jerusalem and then of his Ascension to heaven; and (c) those who only speak of His Journey to Jerusalem and make no mention at all of his Ascension to heaven. Of the reporters of this last group, there is a goodly number who say expressly that the Prophet returned to Mecca after his Journey to Jerusalem.
It is evident that the reports of the first group point to the Mi‘raj as being distinct from the Isra’ inasmuch as, according to them, the Holy Prophet was taken from his house direct to heaven, so Jerusalem could not lie in his way. The reporters of this group are Anas, Malik bin Sa‘sa’ and Abu Dharr, who was one of the earliest converts to Islam.
Similarly, the reports of those who speak only of the Prophet’s Journey to Jerusalem and make no mention of his Ascension to heaven also show that when he made his Night Journey to Jerusalem, he did not ascend to heaven, for if he had ascended to heaven after his visit to Jerusalem, it is inconceivable that the reporters, after mentioning the less important part of the vision, should have omitted to mention its more important part which related to his Ascension to heaven, and to his having seen God and having had communion with Him. The reporters of this group of traditions are Anas and ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud, the latter being one of the earliest and best-loved of the Prophet’s Companions.
Reports of the third group clearly state that the Prophet returned to Mecca after his visit to Jerusalem and did not ascend to heaven. These also demonstrate the two events to be distinct and separate from each other. The reporters of this group are ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud, ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas, ‘A’ishah and Ummi Salma and Ummi Hani. All of them with the exception of ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud, who, as stated above, was among the earliest converts to Islam, were the Prophet’s very near relatives and enjoyed his intimate and constant company. It is impossible to impugn their evidence.
Another argument in favour of Isra’ being distinct from Mi‘raj are the traditions which speak of the Prophet’s transportation to the heavens after his visit to Jerusalem and then of his return from the heavens to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem back to Mecca (Al-Khasa’isul-Kubra, vol. I, p. 154). Now, going to Jerusalem before ascending to heaven may be considered as reasonable, for it served for the Prophet the purpose of offering Prayers at the place where a large party of heavenly Messengers had delivered their Divine Message, but it is difficult to understand why the same route should have been followed during the return journey, when on his return from heaven the Prophet is not reported to have performed any specific act at Jerusalem. The only reasonable assumption is that the account of the Isra’ became mixed up with that of the Mi‘raj. Anas seems to have related the account of both the Isra’ and the Mi‘raj to some reporters who mixed up the two accounts and mistakenly thought that they formed the two parts of the same event and thus these reporters were led to believe that while coming back from his Mi‘raj the Prophet went to Jerusalem from where he returned to Mecca. In fact, the confusion seems to have arisen from the same word اسراء (which means a night journey) having been used for both the Holy Prophet’s اسراء (Spiritual Night Journey to Jerusalem) and his معراج (Spiritual Ascension to heaven); and the resemblance that existed in some of the details in the description of the اسراء (Isra’) and the معراج (Mi‘raj) heightened and confirmed it.
Internal evidence of the traditions also points to the fact that the Isra’ and the Mi‘raj were two distinct and separate events. The traditions which first give an account of the Prophet’s visit to Jerusalem and then of his transportation from Jerusalem to heaven also state that at Jerusalem he met the former Prophets, including Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, and that in the heavens he met the same Prophets again but could not recognize them. Now how did these Prophets whom he had met at Jerusalem reach the heavens before him and why could he not recognize them while he had seen them only a short while ago in the course of the same journey? If the two meetings had taken place separately and at a distance of long intervals, it was possible that he could not have recognized some of them at the time of the second meeting in a changed atmosphere. But it is inconceivable that he should have failed to recognize them when he had met them only a short while ago in the course of the same journey.
It having been established that the Isra’ and the Mi‘raj were two separate and distinct events, it is necessary to give a somewhat detailed account of Isra’ as given in the traditions as it forms the subject matter of the verse under comment. The most reliable account of it is to be found in the tradition quoted by Ibn Jarir on the authority of Anas bin Malik. It is briefly as follows:
'When the Archangel Gabriel brought the Buraq to the Holy Prophet, he mounted it, and had gone only a short distance, when he saw an old woman. The Prophet asked Gabriel who she was, but Gabriel gave no answer to his question; on the contrary he told him not to ask questions, just as Moses in his معراج (Spiritual Ascension) was told not to put unnecessary questions (18:71). After the Prophet had gone a little further he saw a man calling him by name from across the road in order to invite his attention to himself. But Gabriel asked him again not to heed his call. When the Prophet had proceeded a little further, he met a party of men who greeted him with the greeting of peace. Gabriel told him to return their greeting. After this, the Prophet reached the Holy House in Jerusalem. There Gabriel presented him with three cups containing water, milk and wine. The Prophet took the cup containing milk and drank it and refused to accept the other two. Upon this Gabriel said to him, "Thou hast, indeed, chosen the right course which is in perfect harmony with a pure, unsullied nature. If thou hadst accepted water or wine, thou and thine followers would have been lost." Then Adam and the other Prophets were presented to him, and the Holy Prophet led them in Prayers. After this Gabriel explained to him that the old woman he saw on the way was an embodied representation of the life of this world and only as much was left of the life of the world as was left of the life of that old woman. As for the person who called him from across the road, he was Iblis, the enemy of God. The party of men who greeted him were the Prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus' (Ibn Jarir).
This tradition serves as a key to resolve this whole allegory. It gives the most reliable and correct account of the Isra’. It shows that the Journey to Jerusalem was no physical act but only a vision. This is clear from the following facts:
(a) It is stated in this tradition that during the Night Journey to Jerusalem, the Prophet saw an old woman, a person standing on one side of the road, and three cups full of water, wine and milk (of which the Prophet chose the last), and Gabriel told him what all these things signified. The explanation and interpretation by Gabriel of the things the Prophet saw shows that the Journey was only a vision, for it is only things seen in visions that need interpretation and explanation.
(b) The Night Journey has been spoken of as a vision in the present Surah (v. 61). Accordingly, we find that several Companions of the Prophet and some of the later scholars of Islam have, on the basis of this verse, declared the Isra’ to be a vision. For instance, Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Jarir report that when Mu‘awiyah was asked concerning the Isra’, he said that it was a vision which came out to be true (Manthur, vol. 4, p. 197). ‘A’isha is also reported to have held the same view. (Hisham and Mas‘ud, vol. 1).
(c) We learn from the hadith that when the Holy Prophet spoke of his Night Journey to Jerusalem he was asked to give a description of the Temple at Jerusalem. The Prophet is reported to have said that at that time God presented before his eyes an embodied representation of the Temple and he was thus able to describe it as demanded of him (Ibn Kathir, vol. 6, p. 18).
The Vision of the Prophet referred to in the present verse implied a great prophecy. His journey to the Distant Mosque (المسجد الاقصی) meant his Migration to Medina where he was to build a Mosque which was destined to become later the Centre of all Faiths and Dispensations and the Holy Prophet’s seeing himself in the Vision leading other Prophets of God in Prayers signified that the new Faith Islam was not to remain confined to the place of its birth but was to spread all over the world and the followers of all religions were to join its fold. His going to Jerusalem in the Vision may also be understood to mean that he was to be given dominion over the territory in which Jerusalem was situated. This prophecy was fulfilled in the Caliphate of Umar.
The words of the verse also lend support to the view that the Vision constituted a prophecy about the great future of Islam. The Distant Mosque (المسجد الاقصی) that the Prophet saw in the Vision represented his own Mosque at Medina, Jerusalem stood for Medina and his going to Jerusalem signified his Migration to Medina. The Vision begins with the words سبحان الذی (Glory be to Him) which indicated that the Migration of the Prophet would redound to the Glory of God. The word سبحان itself shows that the Vision embodied a prophecy; for a physical journey to the Temple at Jerusalem could not be regarded as evidence of the Glory of God. But as establishment of the Islamic State at Medina was to fulfil a prophecy, that event did serve as evidence of Divine glory. Thus the words, Glory be to Him Who carried His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Distant Mosque, signified that God would take the Holy Prophet to a Mosque resembling المسجد الاقصی (the Distant Mosque) at Jerusalem so that His word might be fulfilled.
The words, We might show him some of Our Signs, pointed to the great possibilities of the Prophet’s journey to Medina. The Prophet’s Migration to Medina served as a prelude to the glorious future of Islam which was then hidden from the eyes of the world and thus God’s great signs were manifested. The reason why the Holy Prophet’s Mosque was called المسجد الاقصی (the Distant Mosque), and why Medina was shown to him in the Vision in the form of Jerusalem was that the blessings which God had conferred on the Mosque at Jerusalem were also in store in a greater measure for the Prophet’s Mosque at Medina.
The Prophecy implied in the words, Who carried His servant by night, was fulfilled when the Prophet left Mecca at dead of night. He did not undertake this journey of his own accord but in pursuance of God’s express command. And as in his Night Journey to Jerusalem in the Vision he was accompanied by the Archangel Gabriel, so in his Flight to Medina he was accompanied by his most faithful companion, Abu Bakr. The word "Gabriel", which means "Man of God", fitly applies to Abu Bakr and portrays his spiritual eminence.
The Vision may also be taken as referring to a spiritual journey of the Holy Prophet to a distant land in some future time. It meant that when spiritual darkness enveloped the entire world, the Prophet would appear in spirit a second time in the person of one of his followers, in a land far away from the scene of his first advent—in the Punjab. A pointed reference to this second advent of the Holy Prophet is to be found in 62:3-5.
a
5:22; 7:138.
1590
The verse which seems to mention a vision of the Holy Prophet is supposed by most Commentators of the Qur’an to refer to his Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension). Contrary to popular opinion we are inclined to the view that the verse deals with the Isra’ (Spiritual Night Journey) of the Holy Prophet in a vision from Mecca to Jerusalem, while his Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension) has been dealt with at some length in Surah An-Najm. All the facts, mentioned in Surah An-Najm (vv. 8-18) which was revealed immediately after the Emigration to Abyssinia which took place in the month of Rajab in the 5th year of the Call, are to be found narrated in detail in the traditions which deal with the Mi‘raj of the Holy Prophet. The Isra’ or the Spiritual Night Journey of the Holy Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem, with which the present verse deals, took place in the eleventh year of the Call, according to Zurqani, and in the 12th year according to Muir and some other Christia
1591
"The Distant Mosque" refers to Prophet Solomon’s Temple at Jerusalem.
1591A
The Vision of the Prophet referred to in the present verse implied a great prophecy. His journey to "The Distant Mosque" meant his Emigration to Medina where he was to build a Mosque which was destined to become later on the Central Mosque of Islam, and his seeing himself in the Vision that he was leading other Prophets of God in Prayers signified that the New Faith— Islam—was not to remain confined to the place of its birth but was to spread all over the world and the followers of all religions were to join its fold. His going to Jerusalem in the Vision may also be understood to mean that he was to be given dominion over the territory in which Jerusalem was situated. This prophecy was fulfilled during the Caliphate of ‘Umar. The Vision may also be taken as referring to a spiritual journey of the Holy Prophet to a distant land in some future time. It meant that when spiritual darkness would envelop the entire world, the Holy Prophet would appear in a spiritual sense a second time in the person of one
فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا ۚ فِطْرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِى فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
حَنِیْف کے معنے ہوتے ہیں جس میں کوئی کجی نہ ہو۔
یعنی جس فطرت کے مطابق اللہ تعالیٰ نے انسان کو پیدا کیا ہے وہ ہمیشہ قائم رہے گی اور اس کو کوئی انسان بدل نہیں سکتا۔
10:106; 30:44.
98:6.
God is One and humanity is one. This is Fitratullah or Dinul-Fitrah—the religion which is rooted in the nature of man and to which he conforms and instinctively reacts. It is in this religion that a child is born, but his environments, the ideas and beliefs of his parents and the training he receives from them subsequently make him a Jew, a Magian or a Christian (Bukhari).
10:106; 30:44.
12:41; 98:6.
Commentary:
This verse continues the theme of v. 29 above, the theme, briefly, of the Almightiness and Unity of God, and, by implication, of the oneness of all humanity. The fact, that God is One and all humanity, too, is one, has been called فطرة اللّٰه(nature given by God) or دین الفطرة i.e. the religion which is rooted in the pure and unsullied nature of man. This in other words is Islam and to it has the Holy Prophet referred in his well-known saying… کل مولود یولد علی فطرة الاسلام i.e. every child is born with an unsullied and pure nature, which is دین الفطرة i.e. the religion to which pure human nature conforms and instinctively reacts. It is in this religion that a child is born, but it is his environments, the ideas and beliefs of his parents and the training he receives from them that subsequently make him a Jew, a Magian or a Christian (Bukhari).
The words, "There is no altering the creation of Allah," mean that true religion is rooted in the very nature of man. False beliefs are the result of the influences of environment. Once those vicious extraneous influences are removed, he at once reacts to it and hastens to accept it.
c
10:106; 30:44.
d
98:6.
2
حَنِیْف کے معنے ہوتے ہیں جس میں کوئی کجی نہ ہو۔
3
یعنی جس فطرت کے مطابق اللہ تعالیٰ نے انسان کو پیدا کیا ہے وہ ہمیشہ قائم رہے گی اور اس کو کوئی انسان بدل نہیں سکتا۔
b
10:106; 30:44.
c
12:41; 98:6.
3011
Commentary:
This verse continues the theme of v. 29 above, the theme, briefly, of the Almightiness and Unity of God, and, by implication, of the oneness of all humanity. The fact, that God is One and all humanity, too, is one, has been called فطرة اللّٰه(nature given by God) or دین الفطرة i.e. the religion which is rooted in the pure and unsullied nature of man. This in other words is Islam and to it has the Holy Prophet referred in his well-known saying… کل مولود یولد علی فطرة الاسلام i.e. every child is born with an unsullied and pure nature, which is دین الفطرة i.e. the religion to which pure human nature conforms and instinctively reacts. It is in this religion that a child is born, but it is his environments, the ideas and beliefs of his parents and the training he receives from them that subsequently make him a Jew, a Magian or a Christian (Bukhari).
The words, "There is no altering the creation of Allah," mean that true religion is rooted in the very nature of man. False beliefs are the result of the influences of environment. Once those vicious extraneous influences are removed, he at once reacts to it and hastens to accept it.
b
10:106; 30:44.
c
98:6.
2284
God is One and humanity is one. This is Fitratullah or Dinul-Fitrah—the religion which is rooted in the nature of man and to which he conforms and instinctively reacts. It is in this religion that a child is born, but his environments, the ideas and beliefs of his parents and the training he receives from them subsequently make him a Jew, a Magian or a Christian (Bukhari).
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْفَلَقِ
6:97.
Falaq meaning dawn; Hell; whole creation (Lane), a Muslim is enjoined to pray that (1) when the night of darkness over Islam has passed away and the morning of its bright future dawns, its sun should continue to shine till it reaches the Meridian; (2) that God might protect him from the hidden and manifest evil of all that He has created, including the evil influences of heredity, bad environment, defective education, etc. and (3) that God should save him from the torments of hell in this life and in the Hereafter.
6:96.
Important Words:
الفلق (dawn) is subs. noun from فلق. They say فلق الصبح i.e. He (God) made the dawn to break. ‘Ali, the Holy Prophet’s Fourth Successor used generally to swear by the words والذی فلق الحبة و برأ النسمة i.e. By Him Who clove the grain, making it to germinate and Who created man or the soul. فلق among other things means, the daybreak or dawn; the whole creation; Hell; the plain appearance of the truth after it had been dubious; a low or depressed place of the earth between two hills; an elevated ground (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
A believer is enjoined to invoke the protection of God, the Lord of فلق. In view of different meanings of the word, he is told to pray:
(1) That when the night of darkness over Islam has passed away and the morning of its bright future dawns, its sun should continue to shine till it reaches the Meridian.
(2) That God might protect him from the hidden and manifest evil of all that He has created, including the evils of heredity, bad environment, defective education or other corrupting influences.
(3) That God should save him from the torments of Hell in this life and in the Hereafter.
(4) That God should enable him to avoid extremes and to adopt the middle course in all things which is the safest course, since the idea implied in ربوبیة is development by degrees and in stages. See also v. 6 below.
b
6:97.
1824
فَلَق (Falaq) 的意思是: 黎明、火狱、天地万物 (Lane)。因此一个穆斯林应该礼拜: (1) 当笼罩伊斯兰教的黑夜过去而光明未来的黎明来临时; 太阳会继续照耀到正午: (2) 安拉可以庇佑他免遭他所创造的一切邪恶, 不论是显是隐的, 其中包括遗传、恶劣环境、偏差教育等所产生的邪恶影响; (3) 安拉拯救他免于遭受今生和后世的火狱的种种痛苦。
b
6:96.
4871
Important Words:
الفلق (dawn) is subs. noun from فلق. They say فلق الصبح i.e. He (God) made the dawn to break. ‘Ali, the Holy Prophet’s Fourth Successor used generally to swear by the words والذی فلق الحبة و برأ النسمة i.e. By Him Who clove the grain, making it to germinate and Who created man or the soul. فلق among other things means, the daybreak or dawn; the whole creation; Hell; the plain appearance of the truth after it had been dubious; a low or depressed place of the earth between two hills; an elevated ground (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
A believer is enjoined to invoke the protection of God, the Lord of فلق. In view of different meanings of the word, he is told to pray:
(1) That when the night of darkness over Islam has passed away and the morning of its bright future dawns, its sun should continue to shine till it reaches the Meridian.
(2) That God might protect him from the hidden and manifest evil of all that He has created, including the evils of heredity, bad environment, defective education or other corrupting influences.
(3) That God should save him from the torments of Hell in this life and in the Hereafter.
(4) That God should enable him to avoid extremes and to adopt the middle course in all things which is the safest course, since the idea implied in ربوبیة is development by degrees and in stages. See also v. 6 below.
b
6:97.
3470
Falaq meaning dawn; Hell; whole creation (Lane), a Muslim is enjoined to pray that (1) when the night of darkness over Islam has passed away and the morning of its bright future dawns, its sun should continue to shine till it reaches the Meridian; (2) that God might protect him from the hidden and manifest evil of all that He has created, including the evil influences of heredity, bad environment, defective education, etc. and (3) that God should save him from the torments of hell in this life and in the Hereafter.