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Friday 20 October 2023

Do not be inclined (even in the least) towards those who do wrong - lest you be touched by the Fire

The majority of the mankind is generally following a straight path and try to evade every kind of ills and wrongdoing. But they are always hounded by the wrongdoers, the demagogues and the affluent arrogant position holders who make them either succumb to their treacheries or make them join their dirty game. And those who do not fall into their evil world are cornered every day and pay for their noncompliance. And rising from the individual level, this is true for strong countries versus the weak ones. Unfortunately, Muslims are the target of the strong non-Muslim countries and many have given up resisting them and decided to remain compliant.

It is for such people that Allah ordains them not to be inclined towards those, even in the least, towards those who do wrong. And if one joins their ranks, they are equally wrongdoers, being followers of the same lot and will be punished all together in the hell fire on the Day of Judgement.

This is the theme of the 113rd verse of Surah 11. Hud being explained in this post today. Although this verse was revealed to Prophet Muhammad to caution him to remain steadfast in his task assigned of calling non-Muslims to Islam, who did their utmost to deter him from doing so, this is equally applicable today when tyrant and the powerful countries are hellbent to destroy or downplay Islam by their sheer force. 

وَلَا تَرْكَنُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ فَتَمَسَّكُمُ ٱلنَّارُ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَآءَ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ
And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire should touch you, and you have no protectors other than Allah, nor would you then be helped.

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: (The Command to Stand Firm and Straight)
Allah, the Exalted, commands His Messenger and His believing servants to be firm and to always be upright. This is the greatest aid for gaining victory over the enemy and confronting the opposition. Allah also forbids transgression, which is to exceed the bounds (of what is allowed). Verily, transgression causes destruction to its practitioner, even if the transgression was directed against a polytheist. Then, Allah informs that He is All-Seer of the actions of His servants. He is not unaware of anything and nothing is hidden from Him. 

Concerning Allah's statement, (And incline not toward those who do wrong,) `Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Do not compromise with them.'' Ibn Jarir said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Do not side with those who do wrong.' This is a good statement. This means, "Do not seek assistance from wrongdoers, because it will be as if you are condoning their actions (of evil).''

(Lest the Fire should touch you, and you have no protectors other than Allah, nor would you then be helped.) This means that you will not have besides Allah any friend who can save you, nor any helper who can remove you from His torment.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:
The verb rakana comprises the concepts of inclining (in one's feelings or opinions) towards, as well as of relying on, someone or something, and cannot be translated by a single word; hence my composite rendering of the phrase la tarkanu. The use of the past tense in alladhina zalamu indicates - as is often the case in the Qur'an - deliberate and persistent evildoing; this term is, therefore, suitably rendered as "those who are bent on evildoing".

According to Zamakhshari, the particle thumma at the beginning of this last clause does not signify a sequence in time ("and then" or "afterwards") but, rather, a stress on the impossibility (istib'ad) of their ever being succoured by God.

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:
Do not incline towards or have any trust in tyrants who oppress and subjugate others by their sheer force, making them submit to false gods. If you trust them, or incline towards them, you are endorsing the great evil they practice, and you become party to it. Such deviation would bring about the punishment of hell and leave you without God’s support or protection.

Let us, our brothers and sisters in Islam, remain steadfast in the face of every treachery, and let not let ourselves be inclined towards those who do wrong and be party to them. And if we do side with them, we will be equally liable to same treatment as them for Allah forbids siding with the evil. Remember, we have been warned: We have no protectors other than Allah, nor would we then be helped.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may refer to our reference page: Important DOs and Don'ts from Qur'an to read more directives on the subject.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Qur'an Wiki
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

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