Prostrate only to Allah - and not to His creations

Prostration is an act of extreme humility and humbleness wherein a believer falls to the ground. This act cannot be performed for anyone but Allah, the sole Creator of the entire universe to thank Him for the countless bounties and blessings He has showered on us. Although, prostration is often performed by people of other faiths too, but none is like the prostration made by Muslims for the act of Muslims is only for their Creator, AND NOT FOR HIS CREATIONS.

It is also important to note that in Islam, the prostration of anyone but Allah is absolutely forbidden. Even Prophet Muhammad ﷺ strictly forbade Muslims from prostrating before him. Regardless of the circumstances, no Muslim should request or accept prostration from others, as prostration of anyone but Allah is strictly prohibited in Islam.

A complete chapter of Qur'an is named As-Sajdah ("The Prostration") and in its 15th verse, it is said:

اِنَّمَا يُؤۡمِنُ بِاٰيٰتِنَا الَّذِيۡنَ اِذَا ذُكِّرُوۡا بِهَا خَرُّوۡا سُجَّدًا وَّسَبَّحُوۡا بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَكۡبِرُوۡنَ۩‏ 

(32:15) Only those who believe in Our verses who, when they are reminded by them, fall down in prostration and exalt [Allah] with praise of their Lord, and they are not arrogant. (As Sajdah)

* ۩ Readers are to perform sajdah / prostration after reading verse 15.

While many people other than Muslims also prostrate, but they do so in front of manmade lifeless statues they have created themselves. The pagans of Arabia too had made countless statues and they revered them by prostrating in front of them. But none had the sole Creator of the universe in their minds while doing so and to them these statues replicated their gods.  

Despite many warnings and cautions in the Qur'an and by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, it is heart wrenching to see many Muslims prostrating before graves of the long dead saints for the pursuance of their wishes. Even fake imams expect their followers to prostrate before them. This is extreme form of Shirk which such Muslims may not be aware of and masses must be educated to avoid some non-Muslim practices and prostrate before none but Allah. This happens so specially in the Indian sub-continent where though Muslims have learnt to recite the Qur'an in Arabic, only a few have read it with translation. The purpose of sharing selected verses from Qur'an with translations and explanation by different scholars to press home the real understanding of Qur'an so that ordinary Muslims are no mislead by the fake scholars and imams.

It is in this context, we share the 37th verse of Surah 41 Ha Meem (also called Surah Fussliat) in which Allah strictly forbids men to bow and prostrate in front of His creations:

وَمِنۡ اٰيٰتِهِ الَّيۡلُ وَالنَّهَارُ وَالشَّمۡسُ وَالۡقَمَرُ​ؕ لَا تَسۡجُدُوۡا لِلشَّمۡسِ وَلَا لِلۡقَمَرِ وَاسۡجُدُوۡا لِلّٰهِ الَّذِىۡ خَلَقَهُنَّ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ اِيَّاهُ تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ‏ 

(41:37) And of His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Do not prostrate yourselves before the sun, nor before the moon, but prostrate yourselves before Allah Who created them, if it is Him that you serve.

(And of His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon) That is, "They are not the objects of Divine power that you may start worshiping them, thinking that Allah is manifesting Himself in their form, but they are the Signs of Allah by pondering over which you can understand the reality of the universe and its system, and can know that the doctrine of the Oneness of God which the Prophets arc teaching is the actual Reality. The mention of the night and day before the sun and moon has been made to give the warning that the hiding of the sun and appearing of the moon at night, and the hiding of the moon and appearing of the sun in the day clearly point to the fact that neither of them is God or object of Divine power, but both are helpless and powerless objects, and are moving subject to the law of God. 

(Do not prostrate yourselves before the sun, nor before the moon, but prostrate yourselves before Allah Who created them, if it is Him that you serve) This is an answer to the philosophy that the intelligent among the polytheists generally used to propound to prove that polytheism was rational. They said that they did not bow to these objects but bowed to God through them. An answer to this has been given, so as to say: "If you really are Allah's worshipers, there is no need of these intermediaries: why don't you bow down to Him directly?' 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: From among the Signs of Allah - Here Allah reminds His Creation of His power, and that He is the One Who has no equal, and He is Able to do all things. 

Allah's saying; (And from among His signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon.) means, He created the night with its darkness and the day with its light, and they alternate without ceasing. And He created the sun with its shining light, and the moon with its reflected light. and He allotted their stages and gave them separate orbits in the heavens, so that by the variations in their movements man may know the stages of night and day, of weeks, months and years, and time periods related to people's rights, acts of worship and various transactions. Moreover, because the sun and moon are the most beautiful of the heavenly bodies that can be seen in both the upper and lower realms, Allah points out that they are created entities which are in a state of enthrallment to Him, subject to His dominion and control. 

So, He says: (Do not prostrate yourselves to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate yourselves to Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him.) meaning, `do not associate anything in worship with Him, for your worship of Him will be of no benefit to you if you worship others alongside Him, because He does not forgive the association of others in worship with Him.' 

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

This, according to Razi, connects with the phrase "calling [one's fellow-men] unto God" in verse {33} of same Surah. God is the sole cause and source of all that exists; and whatever exists is but a wondrous sign of His creative power. Hence, it is a blasphemy - apart from being unreasonable - to ascribe real power (which is the meaning of "adoration" in this context) to anything created, whether it be a concrete phenomenon, or an abstract force of nature, or a set of circumstances, or even an idea.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: 

Night and Day are opposites, and yet, by the alchemy of Allah, they can both subserve the purpose of human good, because the Night can give rest while the Day can promote activity. The Sun and the Moon are similarly complementary. So, in moral and spiritual affairs, seeming opposites may by Allah's alchemy be made to subserve the purposes of Good. They are but instruments: Allah is the Cause. Adore Allah, and not the things which He has created. Use the things which He has created, but do not adore them.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

([People! The One Who is the creator of the heavens and the earth,] this night and day and sun and moon are also from among His signs. ) Ie., neither they are God nor have a share in divinity from any aspect; in fact, they are from among the signs of God’s power, wisdom, mercy and providence. The topic that was being discussed in verses 9 to 12 is taken up afresh. What was discussed in between was the nature of reminder, admonition and assurance. Hence there is no disjointedness in the discourse.

(Neither prostrate before the sun) This signifies worship because prostration is its most prominent manifestation. 

(nor the moon; in fact, prostrate before the God Who has created them) The actual word is خَلَقَهُنَّ. The pronoun in it refers to all the objects mentioned earlier.

(if you are ones who worship Him alone.)  Ie., if they claim to worship God, then this worship should be in such a manner that the signs which specifically worship him must also not be associated with God. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

… Here it needs to be kept in mind that if the idolaters of Arabia worshipped other things besides God, it was because they thought that those things were a means of procuring God’s favour. In other words, worshipping them in their view was like worshipping god. These words refute this claim. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 7, 108)

Let us take a re-appraisal of our faith and see if we are not following any deity other than Allah. If so, time is now to repent for the shirk we may innocently be committing and seek Divine forgiveness as soon as possible. 

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'an. You 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 | 4 | 5 | 

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.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Don't (لا)!!

Today, we deviate from our usual formats of posts and write about something that we usually ignore to look deeper into our actions and thinking process. And while doing so, we completely forget who we are, why are we in this world and Who sent us here and for what purpose. Instead, we are engrossed in our worldly pleasures, we lose our direction and walk on pathways leading us to our destruction.

This post is simply a caution to not do things we are not expected or warned both in Qur'an and many a Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. That is most of the things we do in this life are usually to satisfy our pride, vanity, arrogance and lust to enjoy the pleasures of life before we die away. We think life is too short to be wasted away in praying, worshipping or doing good or being good and helpful to others, for these are too boring a thing that have no immediate dividends for us.

And this brings us to Laa - "لا" which means a big NO in Arabic language. And we get into the habit of saying NO to the very pleasures of the world, we are so enticed into by Evil, we can shape our future lives in the world that we shall live in after being resurrected. Choice is all ours - enjoy life of this world or the life of the Hereafter.

Let us start with Laa and see how to start and then what more we need to do to be successful in the both worlds:

The biggest "لا" in Islam is: There is NO god but He - Your God, The Only One God (Surah 2. Al-Baqara:163). And from this only true reality, stem many smaller DON'Ts that prevent a believer from erring and falling into the trap of Evil - The Satanic luring. 

There are so many other NOs that we should be mindful of after saying NO to any god that has associates and assistance.

We have listed a lot many DON'Ts already in one of our earlier posts: Important DOs and DON'Ts from Qur'an. This post is just a reminder of those many DON'Ts that if given due attention, our life can become meaningful and pleasant, though more tests would encounter to judge our firmness on the Siraat e Mustaqeem, the straight path as shown in Qur'an. 

• Do not knowingly conceal the truth 
• Do not use your property as bait for the JUDGES with intent that ye may eat up wrongfully (other) people's property 
• Do not nullify your acts of charity by stressing your benevolence and causing hurt
• Do not plead for those who are dishonest to themselves 
• Believers!  Make not unlawful the good things which Allah hath made lawful for you 
• Believers! Do not be  Over-inquisitive and unnecessarily curious 
• Do not revile those whom they invoke other than Allah 
• Do not draw near to the property of the orphan (Surah 4. An-Nisaa:2)
• Do not make mischief in the earth 
• Do not grieve. Allah is with us 
• Do not be inclined (even in the least) towards those who do wrong - lest you be touched by the Fire 
• Do not worship others beside Allah 
• Do not worship any but Allah 
• Don't be rude to parents 
• Do not squander your wealth wastefully 
• Believers!! Do not be Parsimonious 
• Do Not spread gossip, for in the sight of Allah it is a serious matter 
• Do not Follow in Satan's Footsteps 
• Don't be miserly nor extravagant
• Don't take bribes
• Do not exhibit Arrogance and Vanity
• Do not scoff, taunt or revile others with nicknames for others may be better than thine 
• Don't call others with bad names
• Don't spy nor backbite 
• Don't claim yourselves to be pure 
• Don't ask for repayment for favours

These are some of the DON'Ts listed in Qur'an. Let us take a self-appraisal and see how many DON'Ts still cling with us despite the Divine cautions. Unless we cleanse ourselves from these ills, we can never be sure of what will happen to us in our graves and on the Judgement Day when we will be asked to explain why we did not adhere to the commandments of Qur'an. 

Start counting for days are just numbered and clock can stop at any time from this second on.

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 also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo 

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.

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.  If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Believers! Do not be Over-inquisitive and unnecessarily curious

It is always good to be inquisitive and curious about things one doesn't know much about. In fact it is this ability of the human mind that has provided answers to the hidden mysteries and has even lead to strange discoveries and new inventions. Most inventions have been attributed to this ability of the man.

However, when it comes to Divine Commandments, one need not be excessively curious and over inquisitive for these are guiding lines in the form of DOs and DON'Ts which have to be obeyed and not to be probed in for the answers to some are made known in course of time or would remain hidden forever for it is willed by God that way.  Like many people are still engrossed to find the answer as to why eating pork is not allowed in Islam. Earlier it were non Muslims who had been asking this from Muslims, and now even some Muslims are trying to find the answer to it. Whereas the simple answer is that it has been so willed by God. One may try to find scientific reasons for its prohibition, yet no answer can counter weight the Divine Commandment.

The reverts should read the meaning of this verse carefully for they may be encountered with questions by over inquisitive and over curious non Muslims or even Muslims who may not have not read this verse and its meaning in detail.

When Islam was in its initial phase, some over inquisitive and curious non Muslims or even newly converted Muslims would ask questions from Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for no good reason and the revered prophet would often keep quiet when confronted with such people. It is in this regard the 101st verse / Ayat of Surah 5 Al Maida (The Table Spread) was revealed to calm down the agitating minds of such people:

يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تَسۡـئَلُوۡا عَنۡ اَشۡيَآءَ اِنۡ تُبۡدَ لَـكُمۡ تَسُؤۡكُمۡ​ۚ وَاِنۡ تَسۡـئَـلُوۡا عَنۡهَا حِيۡنَ يُنَزَّلُ الۡقُرۡاٰنُ تُبۡدَ لَـكُمۡ ؕ عَفَا اللّٰهُ عَنۡهَا​ ؕ وَاللّٰهُ غَفُوۡرٌ حَلِيۡمٌ‏ 

(5:101) Believers! ask not questions about things which if made plain to you may cause you trouble. But if ye ask about things when the Qur'an is being revealed they will be made plain to you: Allah will forgive those: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Forbearing.

This verse forbids people to ask useless and unnecessary questions because some people used to put such questions to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as were of no practical good for mundane affairs nor for spiritual up-lift. 

For example, once a certain person while sitting in a gathering asked him, "Who is my real father?'' Likewise, sometimes, some people put unnecessary questions concerning legal matters so as to get these defined, whereas they had been purposely kept undefined for the good of the people. Far example, when Hajj was made obligatory by a commandment in the Qur'an a certain person heard it, and instantly asked. "Has it been made obligatory to perform Hajj every year'" Prophet ﷺ  did not make any reply. The man repeated the question, but he again kept quiet. When the man put the question for the third time, he replied, "Woe to you! If I had said: 'Yes', the performance of Hajj every year would have become obligatory and people like you would have been unable to perform it and been guilty of disobedience. "

Prophet ﷺ himself forbade people to ask questions for the sake of it and to probe into things aimlessly. In a Tradition he warned, "The worst offender against the Muslims is the person who asked a question about something that had not been made unlawful but was made so because of his question." In another Tradition he said{

"Allah has prescribed some obligatory duties for you; let not these go unfulfilled, and He has made certain things unlawful, so do not go near them. He has prescribed certain limits, do not transgress them. He has been silent concerning certain things, but not because He has forgotten them; so do not try to probe into such things."

In these two Traditions a warning has been served against a very serious matter. There are certain things and commandments which have been left vague and without details. This is not because the Law-giver had forgo ten to give details or to make them specific but because He did not intend to limit these in order to leave a wide scope for the people. Therefore if a person goes on creating one issue after the other, by putting unnecessary and useless questions and thus creates limitations and specifications, he puts the people to unnecessary trouble. Likewise if he tries to deduce the details by the force of his "reasoning". and does trot rest content till .he has made the vague things specific and the indefinite definite. he in reality puts the Muslims in a very awkward position. This is because the more details we otter for the Unseen and the Next World, the more will be the chances for creating doubts about them and, likewise, the more limitations are imposed concerning the Commandments, the greater will be the chance for their violation.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

This verse connects directly with verse {99}: "No more is the Apostle bound to do than deliver the message." Read in conjunction with the sentence, "Today have I perfected your religious law for you" (occurring in verse {3} of this surah), the above statement implies that the believers should not try to deduce "additional" laws from the injunctions clearly laid down as such by the Qur'an or by the Prophet, since this "might cause you hardship" - that is, might (as has indeed happened in the course of the centuries) impose additional burdens on the believers above and beyond anything that has been stipulated in terms of law in the Qur'an or in the authentic commandments of the Prophet. On the basis of this verse, some of the greatest Muslim scholars have concluded that Islamic Law, in its entirety, consists of no more than the clear-cut injunctions forthcoming from the self-evident (zahir) wording of the Qur'an and the Prophet's commandments, and that, consequently, it is not permissible to extend the scope of such self-evident ordinances by means of subjective methods of deduction. (A most enlightening discussion of this problem is to be found in the Introduction to Ibn Hazm's Muhalla, vol. I, 56 ff.) This, of course, does not prevent the Muslim community from evolving, whenever necessary, any amount of additional, temporal legislation in accordance with the spirit of the Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet: but it must be clearly understood that such additional legislation cannot be regarded as forming part of Islamic Law (the shari'ah) as such.

( for, if you should ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed, they might [indeed] be made manifest to you [as laws] ) I.e., with possibly unfortunate consequences. An illustration of this problem has been provided in the following authentic Tradition, quoted by Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah. In one of his sermons, the Prophet said: "O my people! God has ordained the pilgrimage (al-hajj) for you; therefore perform it." Thereupon somebody asked, "Every year, O Apostle of God?" The Prophet remained silent; and the man repeated his question twice. Then the Prophet said: "Had I answered 'yes', it would have become incumbent on you [to perform the pilgrimage every year]: and, indeed, it would have been beyond your ability to do so. Do not ask me about matters which I leave unspoken: for, behold, there were people before you who went to their doom because they had put too many questions to their prophets and thereupon disagreed [about their teachings]. Therefore, if I command you anything, do of it as much as you are able to do; and if I forbid you anything, abstain from it." Discussing this Tradition, Ibn Hazm observes: "It circumscribes all the principles of religious law (ahkam ad-din) from the first to the last - namely: what the Prophet has left unspoken - neither ordering nor forbidding it - is allowed (mubah), that is, neither forbidden nor obligatory; whatever he ordered is obligatory (fard), and whatever he forbade is unlawful (haram); and whatever he ordered us to do is binding on us to the extent of our ability alone" (Muhalla I, 64). It should be borne in mind that the term "the Prophet" comprises, in this context, the Qur'an as well, since it was through the Prophet that the Qur'anic message was communicated to mankind.

( God has absolved [you from any obligation] in this respect: for God is much-forgiving forbearing ) I.e., by leaving certain matters unspoken, God has left them to man's discretion, thus enabling him to act in accordance with his conscience and the best interests of the community.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

Many secrets are wisely hidden from us. If the future were known to us, we need not necessarily be happy. In many cases we should be miserable. If the inner meaning of some of the things we see before our eyes were disclosed to us, it might cause a lot of mischief. Allah's Message, in so far as it is necessary for shaping our conduct, is plain and open to us. But there are many things too deep for us to understand, either individually or collectively. It would be foolish to pry into them, as some people tried to do in the time of the Prophet. Where a matter is mentioned in the Qur-an, we can reverently ask for its meaning. That is not forbidden. But we should never pass the bounds of (1) our own capacity to understand, (2) the time and occasion when we ask questions, and (3) the part of the Universal Plan which it is Allah's purpose to reveal to us.

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble.) This Ayah refers to good conduct that Allah is teaching His believing servants, by forbidding them from asking about useless things. Since if they get the answers they sought, they might be troublesome for them and difficult on their ears. Al-Bukhari recorded that Anas bin Malik said, "The Messenger of Allah gave a speech unlike anything I heard before. 

In this speech, he said, (If you but know what I know, you will laugh little and cry a lot.) The companions of Allah's Messenger covered their faces and the sound of crying was coming out of their chests.

Anas bin Malik narrated that once, the people were questioning the Messenger of Allah until they made him angry. So he ascended the Minbar and said, (You will not ask me about anything today but I will explain it to you.) So the Companions of the Messenger of Allah feared that it was the commencement of a momentous event, and I looked to my right and left and found only people who covered their faces, crying. An argumentative man who was said to be the son of someone other than his true father asked, "O Allah's Messenger! Who is my father The Prophet said, `Your father is Hudhafah.'' `Umar stood up (when he saw anger on the Prophet's face) and said, "We accept Allah as our Lord, Islam as our religion and Muhammad as our Messenger, I seek refuge with Allah from the evil of the Fitan (trials in life and religion).''

The Messenger of Allah said, (I have never witnessed both goodness and evil like I have today. Paradise and the Fire were shown to me and I saw them before that wall.) This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs from Sa`id. 

(O you who believe! Ask not about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble.).'' At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah also recorded this Hadith. The apparent wording of this Ayah indicates that we are forbidden to ask about things that if one has knowledge of, he would be sorry he had asked. Consequently, it is better to avoid such questions. 

Allah's statement, (But if you ask about them while the Qur'an is being revealed, they will be made plain to you.) means, if you ask about things that you are prohibited from asking about, then when the revelation about them comes to the Messenger , they will be made plain for you,

(and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.) Do not ask about things that do not have a ruling yet, for because of your questions, a difficult ruling may be ordained. A Hadith states, (The worst criminal among the Muslims is he who asks if a matter is unlawful (or not), and it becomes unlawful because of his asking about it.) It is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said, (Leave me as I have left you, those before you were destroyed because of many questions and disputing with their Prophets.) 

An authentic Hadith also states, (Allah, the Most Honored, has ordained some obligations, so do not ignore them; has set some limits, so do not trespass them; has prohibited some things, so do not commit them; and has left some things without rulings, out of mercy for you, not that He forgot them, so do not ask about them.) 

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

 This is the answer to a question which begins with an on the spot admonition. It is said that people should refrain from unnecessary questions. This admonition was required because such questions tighten the limits of a directive, and then people are not able to follow them and as a result invite the wrath of God. God wants that a directive be followed the way it is given. Difficulties should not be created by asking to explain what is concise and by asking to limit and restrict what is absolute. Moreover, it also should remain in consideration that the last sharī‘ah of God is until the Day of Judgement and hence the freedom of ijtihad and fiqh cannot be curtailed in it. There is a possibility that this freedom might get curtailed because of asking unnecessary questions, and the coming generations might be faced with hardships as a result.

Having explained the above said verse in detail, you may now listen to explanation of the ayat by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:

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 life 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 to make 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.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Important DOs and DON'Ts from Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages: Understanding Al Qur'an and  Selected Verses from the Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 

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 following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the 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.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

When greeted upon, greet back in a better worded greeting

Whenever two persons meet, they always greet each other with some form of verbal or bodily gestures. The act of greeting has been in vogue since ages, perhaps since the dawn of mankind in the world. The form of greeting differ from culture to culture both in form and social intimacy. Generally the gestural greetings include a handshake, a salutation by waving hands. The verbal greetings are normally restricted from saying a hello to good mornings (or to be replaced by the time of the day) or good bye when parting.

When it comes to Muslims, same-sex people do not greet each other the same as do opposite sex. While same-sex people (men or women) will shake hands, kiss on the cheek and even hug multiple times, a man and woman greeting each other in public will not go further than bowing a little with right hand on the chest or at best a handshake.  

As for the verbal greetings, the Arabic greetings: As-salamu alaykum ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ (peace be upon you) is more comprehensive form of salutation than a mere hello or good morning, whereby a Muslim prays for the peace of his Muslim brother or sister. This salutation is often returned with Wa ʿalaykumu s-salām وَعَلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَامُ - that is'and peace be upon you'. 

This has been customer since the advent of Islam and Muslims even today, whether they know Arabic or not, use these salutations worldwide. This practice is in line with the verse 86 of Surah 4. An Nisa (The Women) as quoted herein under:

وَاِذَا حُيِّيۡتُمۡ بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوۡا بِاَحۡسَنَ مِنۡهَاۤ اَوۡ رُدُّوۡهَا​ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ حَسِيۡبًا‏ 

(4:86) When you are greeted with a salutation then return it with a better one, or at least the same.114 Surely Allah takes good count of everything.

As mentioned before, the salutation came into being for Muslims to be courteous not only to each other but also to the non Muslims as well as a gesture of goodwill. The Muslims were specially exhorted to be very civil and polite to the non-Muslims because at that time their relations were strained on account of the conflict between them. In that state of tension, they were forewarned to be on their guard against incivility and impoliteness. They were, therefore, taught to be equally civil and polite to them when they greeted them respectfully. Nay, they should be even more civil and polite than their opponents.

Harsh behavior and harsh words do no good to anyone but they are specially unsuited to the work of those missionaries of Allah's Message, who have dedicated themselves to one day invite the world to the Truth and exerted themselves to reform the ways of the people. Such ill behavior may satisfy one's vanity, but it does great harm to one's mission.

However, readers may notice that while the believers are instructed to return the salutations in the same words as greeted upon, they are encouraged to use better words for a return greeting rather than a custom made reply. Generally the salutation is returned back with Wa ʿalaykumu s-salām wa-raḥmatu -llāhi wa-barakātuh  وَعَلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَامُ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ - that is ' And peace be upon you, as well as the mercy of God and his blessings'.

The addition to the return greetings could be composed by the one being greeted in a manner to add more blessings for the one who initiated the greetings.

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, an eminent Muslim scholar of the timeexplains: The actual words are: وَاِذَا حُيِّيْتُمْ بِتَحِيَّةٍ. The real meaning of حَيَّاهُ تَحِيَّةٍ is to pray for someone’s life. The supplicative expression حَيَّاكَ اللّٰهُ originates from them. It means: “May God prolong your life.” Since the word salām and other supplicative words of similar meaning have this connotation or are close to it, they are included in the general meaning of تَحِيَّة. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 2, 356)

Thus all Muslims must make it a habit to reciprocate a salutation of greeting with a better worded response so as to show one's willingness to be at peace with his greeter. In face such greetings should be more profusely be used when interacting with the non Muslims for it gives away the intrinsic message of peace to everyone. If such gestures are made to promote peace both within and without with a whole hearted approach, we may be able to add our share for promotion of peace and well being of the mankind.

Eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan explains the above quoted verses as under:

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 life 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 to make 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.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages: Understanding Al Qur'an and Important DOs and DON'Ts from Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 

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 following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the 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.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Believers !! Do Not Scoff or revile one another by nicknames (Important DOs and DON'Ts from Qur’an )

The man as individual and as part of a community has generally failed to establish an environ wherein everyone is respected with honour and dignity. We more often than not find people pointing fingers at others, even when their own character is blackened with sins and wrongdoings. Calling others with derogatory nicknames, scoffing others and using dirty slanders is but the norm. Even in lighter mood or in fun times, our tongues often slip and we use words that are usually fall under the downgraded categories.

Surah 49. Al Hujurat (The Private Apartments) is an exclusive chapter of Qur'an which deals with the social behaviour of the Muslims in a society with respect to other members of the community, even if not from Islam. The instructions contained in this chapter if adopted whole heartedly by the mankind, the very complexion of our outlook towards others would change and in the process the entire society would be reformed.

In our series of posts on Important DOs and DON'Ts from Qur'an, we share the 11th verse / ayat of  Surah 49. Al Hujurat (The Private Apartments) which commands believers (and even others from other religions, if they like to be reformed) which points towards two ills of the society: Scoffing and derogatory nicknames. In fact the preceding two verses after giving necessary instructions about the Muslim people's mutual fighting, the believers were made to realize that by virtue of the most sacred relationship of the faith they were brothers one to another, and they should fear God and try to keep their mutual relations right. Now, in the following two verses, they are being enjoined to avoid and shun those major evils which generally spoil the mutual relationships of the people in a society.  

يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا يَسۡخَرۡ قَوۡمٌ مِّنۡ قَوۡمٍ عَسٰٓى اَنۡ يَّكُوۡنُوۡا خَيۡرًا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَلَا نِسَآءٌ مِّنۡ نِّسَآءٍ عَسٰٓى اَنۡ يَّكُنَّ خَيۡرًا مِّنۡهُنَّ​ۚ وَلَا تَلۡمِزُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَكُمۡ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوۡا بِالۡاَلۡقَابِ​ؕ بِئۡسَ الِاسۡمُ الۡفُسُوۡقُ بَعۡدَ الۡاِيۡمَانِ​ ۚ وَمَنۡ لَّمۡ يَتُبۡ فَاُولٰٓـئِكَ هُمُ الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ‏

(49:11) Believers, let not a group (of men) scoff at another group, it may well be that the latter (at whom they scoff) are better than they; nor let a group of women scoff at another group, it may well be that the latter are better than they. And do not taunt one another, nor revile one another by nicknames. It is an evil thing to gain notoriety for ungodliness after belief. Those who do not repent are indeed the wrong-doers.

Slandering and taunting the people and harboring suspicions and spying on others are, in fact, the evils that cause mutual enmities and then lead to grave mischief. In this connection, from the commandments that are being given in the following verses and the explanations of these found in the Hadith a detailed law of libel can be compiled. The western law pertaining to libel in this regard is so defective that a person who sues another under this law may well cause some loss to his own honor. The Islamic law, on the contrary,, recognizes a basic honor for every person and gives nobody the right to attack it, no matter whether the attack is based on reality or not, and whether the person who has been attacked has a `reputation" of his own or not. Only the fact that a person has debased and humiliated the other person is enough to declare him a criminal unless, of course, it is proved. that the humiliation caused had a legal ground for it. 

Mocking does not only imply mocking with the tongue but it also includes mimicking somebody, making pointed references to him, laughing at his words, or his works, or his appearance, or his dress, or calling the people's attention to some defect or blemish in him so that others also may laugh at him. All this is included in mocking. What is actually forbidden is that one should make fun of and ridicule another, for under such ridiculing there always lie feelings of one's own superiority and the other's abasement and contempt, which are morally unworthy of a gentleman. Moreover, it hurts the other person, which causes mischief to spread in society. That is why it has been forbidden,

To make mention of the men and the women separately does not mean that it is lawful for the men to mock the women or the women to mock the men. The actual reason for making a separate mention of the two sexes is that Islam does not at all believe in mixed society. Ridiculing each other generally takes place in mixed gatherings and Islam does not permit that non-mahram males and females should meet in such gatherings and make fun of each other. Therefore, in a Muslim society it is inconceivable that the men would mock a woman, or the women would mock a man in an assembly.

The word lamz as used in the original is very comprehensive and applies to ridiculing, reviling, deriding, jeering, charging somebody or finding fault with him, and making him the target of reproach and blame by open or tacit references. As all such things also spoil mutual relationships and create bad blood in society, they have been forbidden. Instead of saying, “Do not taunt one another", it has been said "Do not taunt yourselves", which by itself shows that the one who uses taunting words for others, in fact, taunts his own self. Obviously, a person does not use invectives against others unless he himself is filled with evil feelings and is almost in a state of bursting like a volcano. Thus, tire one who nourishes such feelings has made his own self a nest of evils before he makes others a target, Then, when he taunts others, it means that he is inviting others to taunt him. It is a different matter that the other person may evade his attacks because of a gentle nature, but he himself has opened the door to mischief so that the other may treat him likewise.

" nor revile one another by nicknames " This Command requires that a person should not be called by a name or a title which may cause him humiliation, e.g. calling somebody a sinner or a hypocrite, or calling someone a lame or blind one, or one-eyed, or giving him a nickname containing a reference to some defect or blemish in him, or in his parents, or in his family, or calling a person a Jew or a Christian even after his conversion to Islam, or giving such a nickname to a person, or a family, or a community, or a group, which may bring condemnation or disgrace on it. Only those nicknames have been made an exception from this Command, which though apparently offensive, are not intended to condemn the persons concerned, but they rather serve as a mark of recognition for them. That is why the traditionists have allowed as permissible names like Suleman al-A`mash (the weak-eyed Suleman) and Wasil' al-Ahdab (the hunch-backed Wasil) among the reporters of the Hadith. If there are several men of the same name and a particular man among them may be recognized only by a particular title or nickname of his, the title or nickname can be used, even though the title by itself may be offensive. For instance, if there are several men called `Abdullah, and one of them is blind, he may be called Abdullah the blind, for his recognition. Likewise, those titles also are excluded from this Command, which though apparently offensive, are in fact, given out of love and the people who are called by those titles themselves approve them, like Abu Hurairah (father of the kitten) and Abu Turab (father of the dust). 

"It is very shameful for a believer that in spite of being a believer he should earn a name for using abusive language and for immodest behavior. If a disbeliever earns reputation for himself for mocking the people, or taunting them, or for proposing evil and offensive titles for others, it may not be a good reputation from the point of view of humanity, but it at least goes well with his disbelief. But if a person after affirming the Faith in Allah and His Messenger and the Hereafter earns reputation on account of these base qualities, it is simply regrettable.

What is forbidden is not conjecture as such but excessive conjecture and following every kind of conjecture, and the reason given is that some conjectures are sins. In order to understand this Command we should analyze and see what are the kinds of conjecture and what is the moral position of each.

One kind of conjecture is that which is morally approved and laudable, and desirable and praiseworthy from religious point of view, e.g. a good conjecture in respect of Allah and His Messenger and the believers and those people with whom one comes in common contact daily and concerning whom there may be no rational ground for having an evil conjecture.

The second kind of conjecture is that which one cannot do without in practical life, e.g. in a law court a judge has to consider the evidence placed before him and give his decision on the basis of the most probable conjecture, for he cannot have direct knowledge of the facts of the matter, and the opinion that is based on evidence is mostly based on the most probable conjecture and not on certainty. Likewise, in most cases when one or the other decision has to be taken, and the knowledge of the reality cannot possibly be attained, there is no way oat for men but to form an opinion on the basis of a conjecture.

The third kind of conjecture, which is although a suspicion, is permissible in nature, and it cannot be regarded as a sin. For instance, if there are clear signs and pointers in the character of a person (or persons), or in his dealings and conduct, on the basis of which he may not deserve to enjoy one's good conjecture, and there are rational grounds for having suspicions against him, the Shari `ah does not demand that one should behave like a simpleton and continue to have a good conjecture about him. The last limit of this lawful conjecture, however, is that one should conduct oneself cautiously in order to ward off any possible mischief from him; it is not right to take an action against him only on the basis of a conjecture.

The fourth kind of conjecture which is, in fact, a sin is that one should entertain a suspicion in respect of a person without any ground, or should start with suspicion in forming an opinion about others, or should entertain a suspicion about the people whose apparent conditions show that they are good and noble. Likewise, this also is a sin that when there is an equal chance of the evil and goodness in the word or deed of a person, one should regard it as only evil out of suspicion. For instance, if a gentleman while leaving a place of assembly picks up another one's shoes, instead of his own, and we form the opinion that he has done so with the intention of stealing the shoes, whereas this could be possible because of oversight as well, there is no reason for adopting the evil opinion instead of the good opinion except the suspicion.

This analysis makes it plain that conjecture by itself is not anything forbidden; rather in some cases and situations it is commendable, in some situations inevitable, in some permissible up to a certain extent and un-permissible beyond it, and in some cases absolutely unlawful. That is why it has not been enjoined that one should refrain from conjecture or suspicion altogether but what is enjoined is that one should refrain from much suspicion. Then, to make the intention of the Command explicit, it has been said that some conjectures are sinful. From this warning it follows automatically that whenever a person is forming an opinion on the basis of conjecture, or is about to take an action, he should examine the case and see whether the conjecture he is entertaining is not a sin, whether the conjecture is really necessary, whether there arc sound reasons for the conjecture, and whether the conduct one is adopting on the basis of the conjecture is permissible. Everyone who fears God will certainly take these precautions. To make one's conjecture free and independent of every such care and consideration is the pastime of only those people who are fearless of God and thoughtless of the accountability -of the Hereafter.

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

Mutual ridicule ceases to be fun when there is arrogance or selfishness or malice behind it. We may laugh with people, to share in the happiness of life: we must never laugh at people in contempt or ridicule. In many things they may be better than ourselves!

Defamation may consist in speaking ill of others by the spoken or written word, or in acting in such a way as to suggest a charge against some person whom we are not in a position to judge. A cutting, biting remark or taunt of sarcasm is included in the word lamaza. An offensive nickname may amount to defamation, but in any case there is no point in using offensive nicknames, or names that suggest some real or fancied defect. They ill accord with the serious purpose which Muslims should have in life. For example, even if a man is lame, it is wrong to address him as "O lame one!" It causes him pain, and it is bad manners. So in the case of the rude remark, "the black man".

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

( Believers! [It is the requisite of this brotherhood that] neither [your] men make fun of other men; it may well be that they are better than them ) Ie., better with regard to faith and deeds whose true weight will become evident from the scale of justice that will be set up on the Day of Judgement. This scale will tell if any deed has a speck of weight or that of a mountain. Things which they regarded as important will not have any weight on that scale. Thus their claim to racial and tribal superiority will prove absolutely weightless on it.

( nor should your women make fun of other women; )  Though the words لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّنْ قَوْمٍ were sufficient, yet the Qur’ān has mentioned women too alongside men. What was the reason for this? 

Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes: … In the mention of both morality and immorality, the Qur’ān has specially mentioned women where they are emphatically urged to strive to gain high reward or to save them from some trial. Here it is this second case. The evil from which men are stopped here is found if not more in women then certainly not less than in men. Women who are conceited because they regard their family, lineage, financial situation or apparent looks to be superior, speak in very humiliating tones to women whom they regard inferior to themselves. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 7, 505)

( t may well be that they are better than them. And neither defame your own people )  The actual word used is لَمْز which means to blame someone and mock someone while gesturing with the eyes. Such poisonous sentences portray the jealousy and arrogance of the speaker. They are meant to discourage people and dent their mutual relationships to such an extent that they end up hating one another and becoming enemies of each other. Through this word, the Almighty has directed attention of people to the fact that those who blame any of their brothers in the words of Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī aim their arrows at their own chests and thereby wound them (Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 7, 507).

( nor give bad names to one another )  Calling people by bad names is not a trivial wrongdoing. This attitude is generally adopted to humiliate someone or some nation to the ultimate extent. The reason for this is that such names are easily memorized and produce very permanent and far-reaching results.The bad taste created by them continues for generations, the essential consequence of which is that people seldom remain well-wishers of one another and national unity is torn apart.

( [All these are wrongdoings and] after faith even the name of wrongdoing is evil. )  This style signifies exaggeration. 

Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes: ... It is like saying: الشريركأسمه (even the word naughty is bad, let alone the badness of being naughty). Even in our language we say: “Sir! Even the name of it stinks.” (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 7, 508)

Please listen to explanation of the ayat by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:

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 cordial and respectful to others and let at no time others feel hurt by the bad use of our tongues, and that we should never deride one another. May we be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others life 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 to make 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.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages: Understanding Al Qur'an and Important DOs and DON'Ts from 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 following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the 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.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More