Establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance

Upholding of Justice, thereby establishing balance is the second most important part after Tawhid which is emphasized at many a place in the Qur'an. This has been deliberated upon in the verses 7-9 of Surah Ar Rahman.  We all know that Allah has created a fine balance in all celestial movements and if for a fraction of second, this balance is disturbed, there will be utter chaos. Likewise if justice is not upheld in in a society, the balance will be broken and will lead to injustice and usurping of rights of people. Thus, in a the following few brief sentences the people have been told what teaching has been brought by the Qur'an which the Merciful God has sent for the guidance of man: 

وَالسَّمَآءَ رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ الۡمِيۡزَانَۙ‏ 

( 7 )   And the heaven He raised and imposed the balance

Almost all the commentators have interpreted mizan " الۡمِيۡزَانَۙ‏ " (balance) to mean justice, and '...set the balance" to imply that Allah has established the entire system of the Universe on justice. Had there been no harmony and balance and justice established among the countless stars and planets moving in space, and the mighty forces working in this Universe, and the innumerable creatures and things found here, this life on earth would not have functioned even for a moment. Look at the creatures existing in the air and water and on land for millions and millions of years on this earth. They continue to exist only because full justice and balance has been established in the means and factors conducive to life; in case there occurs a slight imbalance of any kind, every tract of lift would become extinct. 

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

The "balance of justice" in this verse is connected with "the Balance" in the next two verses, that men may act justly to each other and observe due balance in all their actions, following the golden mean and not transgressing due bounds in anything. But the Balance is also connected figuratively with the heavens above in three symbols: (1) Justice is a heavenly virtue: (2) the heavens themselves are sustained by mathematical balance; and (3) the constellation Libra (the Balance) is entered by the sun at the middle of the zodiacal year.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

The noun mizan, usually denoting a "balance", has here the more general connotation of "measure" or "measuring" by any means whatsoever (Zamakhshari), in both the concrete and abstract senses of the word. (Cf. also the parabolic use of the term mizan in 42:17 and 57:25 .):

[for] it is God [Himself] who has bestowed revelation from on high, setting forth the truth, and [thus given man] a balance [wherewith to weigh right and wrong]. And for all thou knowest, the Last Hour may well be near! (42:17)

Indeed, [even aforetime] did We send forth Our apostles with all evidence of [this] truth; and through them We bestowed revelation from on high, and [thus gave you] a balance [wherewith to weigh right and wrong], so that men might behave with equity; and We bestowed [upon you] from on high [the ability to make use of] iron, in which there is awesome power as well as [a source of] benefits for man: and [all this was given to you] so that God might mark out those who would stand up for him and His Apostle, even though He [Himself] is beyond the reach of human perception.44 Verily, God is powerful, almighty!  ( 57:25 )

اَلَّا تَطۡغَوۡا فِى الۡمِيۡزَانِ‏ 

( 8 )   That you not transgress within the balance.

وَاَقِيۡمُوا الۡوَزۡنَ بِالۡقِسۡطِ وَلَا تُخۡسِرُوا الۡمِيۡزَانَ‏ 

( 9 )   And establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance.

That is, "As you are living in a balanced Universe, whose entire system has been established on justice, you also should adhere to justice. For if you act unjustly within the sphere in which you have been given authority, and fail to render the rights of others, you would indeed be rebelling against the nature of the Universe; for the nature of this Universe does not admit of injustice and perversion and violation of the rights. Not to speak of a major injustice, even if a person fraudulently deprives another of an ounce of something, by giving him short measure, he disturbs the balance of the entire Universe. 

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

To be taken both literally and figuratively. A man should be honest and straight in every daily matter, such as weighing out things which he is selling: and he should be straight, just and honest, in all the highest dealings, not only with other people, but with himself and in his obedience to Allah's Law. Not many do either the one or the other when they have an opportunity of deceit. Justice is the central virtue, and the avoidance of both excess and defect in conduct keeps the human world balanced just as the heavenly world is kept balanced by mathematical order.

Qur'an Wiki:

"He has raised the skies high, and has set the balance, so that you may not exceed the balance. Weigh, therefore, with justice and do not fall short in the balance." (Verses 7-9) The reference to the skies is intended, like all other references in the Qur'an to the two immediate aspects of the universe, to awaken minds and hearts that have become oblivious to the wonders around them, because of long familiarity. These minds and hearts should look at the universe, appreciate its wonderful beauty, harmony and coordination, and glorify the One who initiated all.

 

Whatever is meant by the skies, the reference to them lifts our sight to the great space above us, which appears without boundaries, and in which float trillions of huge celestial bodies, yet no collision occurs between them, either individually or in clusters. A cluster may include as many as a billion stars, as in the galaxy which includes our own solar system. Our sun has a diameter of 2.3 million kilometers, yet within our galaxy there are many smaller stars and many that are larger by thousands of times. All these stars and clusters of stars and planets move in space at frightening speeds, but in the great space above they are no more than particles floating far apart from each other.

Another Viewpoint [5]

Allah set a balance of Justice in the Sky and Earth. He commands us not to break this balance, not to lose (tuKhsir) it. In fact Allah is telling us that there is a balance in the sky and earth, and we should look to that and not break the limits of Allah.

Just look at the blue Sky and the worldly Earth around us – that is in of itself working in harmony with each other in precision, order and obedience. There are so many seemingly different things taking place at similar times in the Sky; (different stars, planets, days and nights etc), and on the Earth; different plants, insects and animals (animals only hunt each other for food [in a balanced food chain] but don’t do mass murder for no reason.) 

Yet when we see oppression on Earth, we see it is only due to disobedient humans wronging each other – that is why there is corruption, harm and evil in this world. So when people say; why does God allow evil, then no – the entire Sky and Earth are obedient to Allah – at peace with each other even though there are so much differences within them. So why can’t humans get along in obedience to God/Allah and work together in their differences for a greater good, just like the Sky and Earth work together to sustain life for millions of years?

If we humans followed the example of the sun, moon, stars etc. – by being obedient slaves of Allah – their would also be harmony on this Earth, just like it is in the skies. However, us humans have to be sincere to the Abundantly Merciful (ar-Rahman), be students of His Merciful Qur’an, and follow the way of His Merciful Messenger, Muhammad (sal Allah alayhi wasalam.)

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

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

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |  5 | 

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.

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 plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• 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. [2]  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• 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.

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Selected verses from Quran: Do not plead for those who are dishonest to themselves

The very basic virtue hinges around Just and Impartial Justice. It is the manipulation of facts and support of dishonesty which brings disharmony and corruption in a society. Before the advent of Islam, the well to do and the influential would always get away from justice because there were people who would plead for the dishonest and the sinners. By doing so, they not only breached the trust vested in them, they supported the evil and wrongdoing of others. In order to ensure discontinuation of this ill of the society which was badly hurting the moral fiber of the people, the following verse 107 of Surah An Nisa was revealed:

وَلَا تُجَادِلۡ عَنِ الَّذِيۡنَ يَخۡتَانُوۡنَ اَنۡفُسَهُمۡ​ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَنۡ كَانَ خَوَّانًا اَثِيۡمًا ۙ​ ۚ‏ 

(4:107) Do not plead for those who are dishonest to themselves; Allah does not love him who betrays trust and persists in sin.

The verse implies that whoever commits a breach of trust with others in fact commits a breach of trust with his own self first. For the powers of his head and heart have been placed at his disposal as a trust, and by misusing them he is forcing those powers to support him in acts which involve a breach of trust. In doing so the person concerned suppresses his conscience, which God has placed as a sentinel over his moral conduct, with the result that it is rendered incapable of preventing him from acts of wrong and iniquity. It is only after a man has already carried out this cruel suppression of conscience within himself that he is able to commit acts of sin and iniquity outwardly.

Renowned exegete Muhammad Asad puts it this way:

I.e., "you may ask God to forgive them, but do not try to find excuses for their behaviour". It is significant that the Qur'an characterizes a betrayal of trust, whether spiritual or social, as "being false to oneself" - just as it frequently describes a person who deliberately commits a sin or a wrong (zulm) as "one who sins against himself" or "wrongs himself" (zalim nafsahu)- since every deliberate act of sinning damages its author spiritually.

Yusuf Ali Explains:

Our souls are a sort of trust with us. We have to guard them against all temptation. Those who surrender to crime or evil betray that trust. We are warned against being deceived into taking their part, induced either by plausible appearances, or by such incentives to partiality as that they belong to our own people or that some link connects them with us, whereas when we are out to do justice, we must not allow any irrelevant considerations to sway us.

Now if we look the sorry state still continues despite clear commandant from Qur'an to arrest such tendencies. Mostly politicians are involved in usurping the rights of people despite being elected to protect their rights, and plunder the money of the people for their well-being rather than spending it on the welfare of the people. But despite their wrong doings, they so mesmerized their followers that the followers still plead for them, take out processions to portray their unjust leaders. This is a clear breach of trust reposed on to the people who support the dishonest and the sinners. Likewise, the Justices try to find loopholes in their cases to set them scot-free. This is clear violation of Divine directions on how to uphold justice, the grave consequences of which we try not to understand. 

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.

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 | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 

Reading the Holy Quran 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.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Holy Quran officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Holy 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. [2]  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], 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, 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 Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Understanding Islam: The Day when even the Mightiest of World will Surrender

While reading the exegesis / tafseer of Surah As Saffat, the explanation of the 26th verse simply stunned me. Though just a plain small verse, but going deep into its explanation was really hair raising:

بَلۡ هُمُ الۡيَوۡمَ مُسۡتَسۡلِمُوۡنَ‏ 

Indeed, today they are surrendering themselves completely. [Surah as Saffat, Vrse 26]

This verse tells of the general conditions at the time. It tells how the haughty and stubborn culprits of the world will be moving towards Hell meekly and without showing any resistance. Somewhere some kind will be seen being pushed about, and no one from among his courtiers will come forward to rescue “his majesty”. Somewhere some conqueror of the world and some dictator will be moving away in humiliation and disgrace, and his brave army itself will deliver him for the punishment. Somewhere some saint or some holy father will be seen being thrown into Hell, and no one of his disciples will bother to save him from disgrace. Somewhere some leader will be trudging helplessly towards Hell, and those who used to glorify and applaud him in the world will turn away their eyes from him. So much so that the one who was ever prepared to sacrifice everything for the beloved in the world, will feel least concerned to save him from his plight. By depicting this scene Allah wants to impress how the relationships of man with man, which are based on rebellion against Allah in the world, will break in the Hereafter, and how the pride of those who are involved in arrogance and conceit here will be ruined.

Relate it to the demagogues of the day, who have looted their countries, killed millions, bombed innocents and walked with pride and vanity as if they were never to be held accountable for their misdeeds and still do not surrender and their loyalists standing beside them, supporting them, despite their crimes.

Read the explanation again and again and wonder how the mightiest of the world will surrender to Allah on day of judgement and how their loyalists will ignore them completely and let them pass by and enter the hell, all alone !!

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

Photo: | References | 1 | 2 | 3 |

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 Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Laws of Inheritance in Islam

Before the advent of Islam, the laws governing inheritance were purely for men. The women what to talk of given any share in hesitance, were buried alive as they were considered as humans by the pagans of Makkah or anywhere on the Arabian peninsula. Even int other faiths, women had no share in the properties left by their fathers or husbands.

In the Holy Qur'an, mention is made how the inheritance is to be divided between the heirs of the deceased. And by doing so, there are "clear cut entitlement and specific shares of female relatives." This amply highlights the status Islam gives to the women, which henceforth was not prevalent in the pre-Islamic era. Thus Islam not only elevated the position of women but simultaneously safeguarded their social and economic interests as long ago as 1400 years. 

There are two places in the Holy Qur'an where the basic rules of inheritance have been mentioned:

Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share of two females. But if there are [only] daughters, two or more, for them is two thirds of one's estate. And if there is only one, for her is half. And for one's parents, to each one of them is a sixth of his estate if he left children. But if he had no children and the parents [alone] inherit from him, then for his mother is one third. And if he had brothers [or sisters], for his mother is a sixth, after any bequest he [may have] made or debt. Your parents or your children - you know not which of them are nearest to you in benefit. [These shares are] an obligation [imposed] by Allah . Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. [Quran 4:11]

They request from you a [legal] ruling. Say, " Allah gives you a ruling concerning one having neither descendants nor ascendants [as heirs]." If a man dies, leaving no child but [only] a sister, she will have half of what he left. And he inherits from her if she [dies and] has no child. But if there are two sisters [or more], they will have two-thirds of what he left. If there are both brothers and sisters, the male will have the share of two females. Allah makes clear to you [His law], lest you go astray. And Allah is Knowing of all things. [Quran 4:176]

However, it  has also been cautioned that those who do not do justice in inheritance will draw wrath of Allah:

And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits - He will put him into the Fire to abide eternally therein, and he will have a humiliating punishment. [Quran 4:14]

This commandment in fact changes the entire complexion of the rules of inheritance that prevailed before Islam. The pagan system of inheritance was confined to the male agnate (a person descended from the same male ancestor as another specified or implied person, especially through the male line) relatives ("asaba") of the deceased. In this old customary system only the male agnates were entitled to inherit. Among the male agnates there were rules of priority, which determined which of the surviving male agnates were entitled to inherit.

Setting aside portions of inheritance for women was a revolutionary idea at its time. In ancient Arabia, like in many other lands, women were considered part of the property and were themselves to be shared among purely male heirs. In fact, only the eldest son used to inherit everything, depriving all other family members of any share. The Quran abolished these unjust practices and included women as inheritors in their own right. [5]

A question generally arises in the mind of women about the half share as compared to the full share of men. Muslim theologians explain this aspect of inheritance by looking at Islamic law in its entirety, which bestows the responsibility and accountability on men to provide safety, protection and sustenance to women.[Qur'an 4:34]. Anther explanation of why a daughter is entitled to only half that of the son is that Islam decrees that women, upon marriage are entitled to a "dowry" from the husband (in addition to any provision by her parents). It is thereafter the husband's obligation to care for and maintain his wife and the "dowry" is, therefore, essentially an advance of inheritance rights from her husband's estate which returns to his possession after the formalities over.

The the Qur'an also introduced additional heirs that were not entitled inheritance in pre-Islamic times, mentioning nine relatives specifically of which six were female and three were male. The laws of inheritance in the Qur'an also included other male relatives, such as the husband and half-brothers from the mother’s side, who were excluded from inheritance in old customs. The heirs mentioned in the Qur'an are the mother, father, husband, wife, daughter, brother who shares the same mother, full sister, sister who shares the same mother, and consanguine / consanguineous (relating to or denoting people descended from the same ancestor) sister. 

While the details of distribution have been explained in the Qur'an, one is free to write one's will as to one wants to share the wealth and property. To better understand the inheritance laws in Islam, please listen to Professor Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, a Pakistani Muslim theologian, Quran scholar, Islamic modernist, exegete and educationist, on the subject. The video is in Urdu, but has English subtitles for those who cannot understand Urdu:

It may be added here that:

• The laws mentioned above are only in raw form, those seeking details may open references given below, specially [1] to know details and find answers to many questions that may arise due to one's peculiar situation.
• The rules of inheritance differ for the Shia branch of Islam. Those belonging to Shia sect may refer to their rules drawn by their scholars.

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

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 Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More