Understanding Al Qur'an (Quick Reference to Specific Subjects): Repentance and Forgiveness

No man is born perfect. Even if someone follows his religion diligently, yet he is prone to making mistakes, hurting others or committing sins, even advertently or inadvertently). Yet our Creator is ready to forgive us if we repent our mistake or crime and beseech His infinite mercifulness for forgiveness. Al Qur'an is replete with guiding supplications and invocations for believers. Therefore we must remember Allah instantly if we sin and ask for His forgiveness. Allah promises that even the size of sins of a believer is the weight of a mountain, if he sincerely repents and ask for forgiveness, He will forgive him. But this leverage is available only till angel of death starts knocking at his door.

We in our series of posts on Understanding Al Qur'an (Quick Reference to Specific Subjects) we will focus on importance of repentance and forgiveness and quote references and even explanation of some of the verses for better understanding and hurrying up for Allah's mercy.

Repentance and Forgiveness

We have already written a post on Repentance, and shared many posts on Repentance and Forgiveness.

 

The word(s) "repentance" appears 34 time(s) in 34 verse(s) and  The word(s) "forgiveness" appears 76 time(s) in 74 verse(s) in Quran (in Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation). Herein under are some of the reference. We shall keep adding to this listing for complete reference on the subject in time.:

• And hasten to the forgiveness of your Lord, and paradise (Surah 3. Al-i'Imran:133)
• Remember Allah Instantly if you sin and implore forgiveness (Surah 3. Al-i'Imran:135)
• And whoever does evil, but seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (Surah 4. An-Nisaa:110)
• Allah's acceptance of repentance is only for those who commit evil and then soon repent (Surah 4. An-Nisaa:17-18)
• Seek forgiveness of Allah and turn to Him in repentance - Surely Allah is Ever Merciful, Most Loving (Surah 11 Hud verse 90)
• Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents and the believers on the Day of Reckoning  (Surah 14. Ibrahim:41)
• Allah will forgive those who guard their chastity and remember Him much (Surah 33. Al-Ahzab:35)
• The Verse of Mercy: Those who have committed excesses should not despair of Allah's Mercy - Surely Allah forgives all sins (Surah 39. Az-Zumar:53)
• Our Lord! Forgive those who repent and follow Your Path (Surah 40. Al-Mu'min:7)
• Surely your Lord is abounding in forgiveness (Surah 53. An-Najm:32)
• Believers, turn to Allah in sincere repentance; for He may expunge your evil deeds (Surah 66. At-Tahrim:8)

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the 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.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. 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. 

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

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.

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. 

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

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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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Quran was revealed for people with understanding to reflect over its verses

The religious scriptures are normally revered and read all over the world - but very few really strive to understand the wisdom contained therein. Like all religious scriptures, Qur'ān too was reveled for people with understanding to ponder over its verses and derive lessons for their benefit and to find the Divine Wisdom contained therein.

Allah says in the 29the verse of Sürah Ṣād " ص‎ " -The Letter Ṣād:

كِتٰبٌ اَنۡزَلۡنٰهُ اِلَيۡكَ مُبٰرَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوۡۤا اٰيٰتِهٖ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ اُولُوا الۡاَلۡبَابِ‏ 

"This is the Blessed Book that We have revealed to you, (O Muhammad), that people with understanding may reflect over its verses and those with understanding derive a lesson."

The Quran has been called a blessed Book in the sense that it is highly useful for man. It gives him the best guidance to improve and reform his life. By following it he has only to gain and nothing to lose.

Revelation is not a mere chance or haphazard thing. It is a real blessing-among the greatest that Allah has bestowed on man. By meditation on it in an earnest spirit man may learn of himself, and his relation to nature around him and to Allah the Author of all. Men of understanding may, by its help, resolve all genuine doubts that there may be in their minds, and learn the true lessons of spiritual life.

The dilemma of the Muslims of late has been to recite the Qur'ān and then wrap it and place it in the highest shelf of the house. While many read its translation or those who know Arabic automatically understand its meaning, very few strive to understand the Divine Wisdom contained in it and benefit from it. In fact Qur'ān should be read just like we read any text book and prepare for the examination. We pay extra care while reading our text book so as not to lose marks when the exam comes. And when we do not understand a subject, we read it over again and again and even consult those who better understand the subject, so as not to fail.

If we are so careful and particular about our exams, why aren't we concerned about the far bigger exam, or should I say mother of all exams that will confront us in the Hereafter? To be prepared for that exam, we need to ponder over each word of the Qur'ān and try to find the hidden Divine Wisdom. Unless we do that, we shall never be able to find the true guidance that Qur'ān contains. Like difficult subjects, there are many verses that are hard to understand and when confronted with such verses, we leave them and move on for we do not fear the exam for which this Qur'ān is set to prepare us for. So read it again and again and try to relate it to the reference to the context. And if still you do not understand, ask a scholar to make things easier for you.

The knowledge in interpretation of the Quran is limitless, and each commentator can find out some points about a verse, and there are still many points that have not been known. And it is one of the miraculous aspects of the Quran; that every individual may understand its points based on his/her conditions of time and place. That is why in Quranic interpretations there is always space for growth in understanding the meanings. Hence, do not stick to one interpretation and try to read and listen to different commentaries. Then you can compare them to each other, and at some points, with the help of Allah, you might find some new points about specific verses. [1]

Allah tells us to refer to people of wisdom and knowledge and ask them our questions if we cannot reach the answers by ourselves. With regards to Quranic questions, reading or listening to different interpretations of the Quran can be a great help. Different Qur'ān interpreters have discovered different points about the meanings of Quranic verses.

For better understanding the Quran, one must read it without any bias or prejudice for Allah tells us that the Quran is a book of guidance (2:2) and asks those who read it not to read their desires into it (3:7).

Those who come to the Qur’an looking to affirm their beliefs that Islam promotes violence will take fragments of verses out of context and leave with that impression. Those who come to the Quran to look for proof that it is OK to do drugs will take one verse and not look at the Quran holistically.

But those who come to the Quran free from bias and with open hearts and minds, they will find guidance. In the beginning of every chapter of the Quran, save one, you will find mercy. You will find that justice is fundamental (4:135). And you will find that peace is the cornerstone of the Qur’an. You will find tolerance is a necessity (2:256). You will find that equality is a given (4:2). And in all this and more you will find guidance in the Quran.

We at Islam: My Ultimate Decision have embarked upon an effort to offer exegesis / tafsir of each chapter of Qur'ān, verse by verse, by four to five eminent Muslim scholars and exegetes so that our readers can better understand each verse easily. Please refer to our reference page: 114 Chapters (Surahs) of Holy Quran for better understanding of Divine Wisdom. 

May Allah help us understand Qur'an 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 Quran.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 |

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

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Most Comprehensive Quranic Verse which is Essence of the Entire Islamic Teachings

The Holy Qur'an was revealed unto Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the last of the Divine Scriptures, after the Psalms, Torah and Injeel (Bible), for the reformation and guidance of the mankind till the end of this world. Every word of the Qur'an carries in itself a commandment from Allah to guide the man and the mankind to the ultimate truth that would lead to his salvation on the Day of Judgement. Those who are lucky, find the truth and are blessed by none other than Allah. But those who have their eyes closed from reading the truth, or their ears muffed from hearing the truth, will be in utter loss when they will be presented before their Creator.

Although we have been sharing the translation and exegesis of the each chapter of Qur'an in our posts, we have also been sharing selected verses which carry important commandments and guidance so that ma does not deviate from the eternal truth. This post today is one of such posts and is very important as it very comprehensively presents the essence of the entire Islamic teachings contained in the Qur'an, condensed in but a few words.

In fact, in this brief sentence Allah has enjoined three most important virtues on which alone depends the establishment of a sound and healthy society, along with three most disliked acts or vices that create chaos, confusion and moral degeneration and oppression of the society and the mankind.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَاۡمُرُ بِالۡعَدۡلِ وَالۡاِحۡسَانِ وَاِيۡتَآىـئِ ذِى الۡقُرۡبٰى وَيَنۡهٰى عَنِ الۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَالۡمُنۡكَرِ وَالۡبَغۡىِ​ۚ يَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُوۡنَ‏ 

( 90 )   Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.

The verse above is the 90th verse of Surah 16. An Nahl of the Holy Qur'an which has three distinct segments:

• The Three most Advised Virtues
• The Three most Disliked Vices
• And a Severe Admonishment from Allah

Let us now take each portion one by one and see how these form the essence of entire Islamic teachings:

The Three Most Advised Virtues:

اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَاۡمُرُ بِالۡعَدۡلِ وَالۡاِحۡسَانِ وَاِيۡتَآىـئِ ذِى الۡقُرۡبٰى

The first of the three virtues is the Adl or Justice. Yousaf Ali in his exegesis of the Quran and this verse, describes justice as:

Justice is a comprehensive term, and may include all the virtues of cold philosophy. But religion asks for something warmer and more human, the doing of good deeds even where perhaps they are not strictly demanded by justice, such as returning good for ill, or obliging those who in worldly language "have no claim" on you; and of course a fortiori the fulfilling of the claims of those whose claims are recognized in social life. Similarly the opposites are to be avoided; everything that is recognized as shameful, and everything that is really unjust, and any inward rebellion against Allah's Law or our own conscience in its most sensitive form. 

According to Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi,  justice has two aspects.

To make such arrangements as may enable everyone to get one’s due rights without stint. Justice does not, however, mean equal distribution of rights, for that would be absolutely unnatural. In fact, justice means equitable dispensation of rights which in certain cases may mean equality. For example, all citizens should have equal rights of citizenship but in other cases equality in rights would be injustice. For instance, equality in social status and rights between parents and their children will obviously be wrong. Likewise those who render services of superior and inferior types cannot be equal in regard to wages and salaries. What Allah enjoins is that the full rights of everyone should be honestly rendered whether those be moral, social, economic legal or political in accordance with what one justly deserves.

The second thing enjoined is ihsan which has no equivalent in English. This means to be good, generous, sympathetic, tolerant, forgiving, polite, cooperative, selfless, etc. In collective life this is even more important than justice; for justice is the foundation of a sound society but ihsan is its perfection. On the one hand, justice protects society from bitterness and violation of rights. On the other hand, ihsan makes it sweet and joyful and worth living. It is obvious that no society can flourish if every individual insists on exacting his pound of flesh. At best such a society might be free from conflict but there cannot be love, gratitude, generosity, sacrifice, sincerity, sympathy and such humane qualities as produce sweetness in life and develop high values.

The third thing which has been enjoined is good treatment towards one’s relatives which in fact is a specific form of ihsan. It means that one should not only treat his relatives well, share their sorrows and pleasures and help them within lawful limits but should also share his wealth with them according to his means and the need of each relative. This enjoins on everyone who possesses ample means to acknowledge the share of his deserving relatives along with the rights of his own person and family. The divine law holds every well to do person in a family to be responsible for fulfilling the needs of all his needy kith and kin. The law considers it a great evil that one person should enjoy the pleasures of life while his own kith and kin are starving. As it considers the family to be an important part of society, it lays down that the first right of needy individuals is on its well t -do members and then on the others. Likewise it is the first duty of the well to do members of the family to fulfill the needs of their own near relatives and then those of others. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has emphasized this fact in many traditions, according to which a person owes rights to his parents, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, other relatives, etc. in accordance with the nearness of their relationships. On the basis of this fundamental principle, Umar made it obligatory on the first cousins of an orphan to support him. In the case of another orphan he declared that if he had no first cousins he would have made it obligatory on distant cousins to support him. Just imagine the happy condition of the society every unit of which supports its every needy individual in this way. Most surely that society will become high and pure economically, socially and morally.

The Three Most Detested Vices:
In contrast to the above mentioned three virtues, Allah prohibits three vices which ruin individuals and the society as a whole. In fact the moral degradation of society, communities and even nations is due to disregard of the three virtues discussed above and freely adoption of flowing three vices:

وَيَنۡهٰى عَنِ الۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَالۡمُنۡكَرِ وَالۡبَغۡىِ​ۚ

(1) The Arabic word fahsha applies to all those things that are immodest, immoral or obscene or nasty or dirty or vulgar, not fit to be seen or heard, because they offend against recognized standards of propriety or good taste, e.g. adultery, fornication, homosexuality, nakedness, nudity, theft, robbery, drinking, gambling, begging, abusive language and the like. Likewise it is indecent to indulge in giving publicity to any of these evils and to spread them, e.g. false propaganda, calumny, publicity of crimes, indecent stories, dramas, films, naked pictures, public appearance of womenfolk with indecent makeup, free mixing of sexes, dancing and the like.

(2) Munkar applies to all those evils which have always been universally regarded as evils and have been forbidden by all divine systems of law. Al-munkar translated as 'evil deeds', denotes the word or deed the unlawfulness or impermissible of which is agreed upon by the well-recognized authentic exponents of the Shariah of Islam. Therefore, no side can be regarded as 'munkar' in their Ijtihad-based differences and, as for the word: 'Al-munkar', it includes all sins whether outward or inward, done practically or committed morally. 

(3) Baghy applies to those vices that transgress the proper limits of decency and violate the rights of others, whether those of the Creator or His creation.  It is translated as 'transgression' is to cross the limit. The sense is that of injustice and excess. At this place, though the sense of the word: Al-munkar (evil deeds) is inclusive of both Al-Fahsha' (shameful acts) and Al-Baghy (transgression), but Al-Fahsha' has been picked out as a separate entry, and made to appear first as well, because of its extreme evil and abomination. And the word: Al-Baghy has been taken up separately because its fallout is contagious. It affects others. Sometimes this transgression reaches the outer limits of mutual hostility, even armed confrontation, or it could go still further and cause inter- national disorder. 

According to a saying of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), there is no sin, except injustice, the retaliation against which and the punishment for which comes so quickly. From this we learn that the ultimate severe punishment for injustice due in the Hereafter has to come anyway, however, much before that happens, Allah punishes the perpetrators of injustice in this mortal world as well - even though, he may fail to realize that the punishment he received was for a particular injustice commit- ted by him and that Allah Tams has promised to help the victim of injustice. 

The six commands, imperative and prohibitive, given in this verse are - if pondered upon - an elixir for the perfect prosperity of man's individual and collective life. May Allah bless us all with the ability of following them.

Having given out three virtues to be adopted and three vices to be shunned and prevented at all costs, Allah's warns:

 يَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُوۡنَ‏ 

"He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded."

So beware of the vices that are more attractive and lucrative than the difficult virtues to be adopted. For it is always the tough going on a thorny path that the salvation lies at the end.

You may also refer to our following sites for knowing more about Islam and Quran:

• 114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary / exegesis of all Sūrahs / chapters of the Quran
• 99 Attributes of Allah" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation.
• Understanding Islam - Frequently Asked Q&A for knowing more about Islam.
• Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 

Refer to our post: Understanding Islam for many questions that are generally asked and their answers as given out right in the Qur'an, and through various authentic hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and by prominent scholars.

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.

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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Understanding Islam: Responsibility of Man towards His Actions vs Doctrine of Substitutionary Atonement

The Doctrine of Substitutionary Atonement is an important pillar of Christianity like the doctrine of Trinity. Substitutionary atonement, also called vicarious atonement, is the idea that Jesus died "for us." There is also a less technical use of the term "substitution" in discussion about atonement when it is used in "the sense that [Jesus, through his death,] did for us that which we can never do for ourselves". According to Collins English Dictionary, it is used to describe the redemption through Jesus' death and resurrection, to reconcile the world to himself, and also of the state of a person having been reconciled to God. [2]

As explained in Wikipedia, a distinction has to be made between substitutionary atonement (Christ suffers for us), and penal substitution (Christ punished instead of us), which is a subset or particular type of substitutionary atonement. Care should be taken when one reads the language of substitution in, for example, patristic literature, not to assume any particular substitution model is being used but should, rather, check the context to see how the author was using the language.

In simple words, the doctrine hinges on the fact that all Christians are absolved of their sins since Prophet Eesa (Jesus, peace be upon him) took over the responsibility of all the sins of Christians, thus absolving them of their sins and errors. It also means that a god died to absolve its people of the sins, for as per Trinity, Prophet Jesus is part of the Three Gods.

The details of this doctrine can be read in the Wikipedia [2]. However, Islam has a different view altogether about the responsibility of towards his actions, specially the sins. Not only that, the concept of a god dying is completely alien to teachings of Islam. In fact Muslims believes here is only One True God without any associates who is always presents before the begging and will be here forever even when this worldly empires come to an end. And it will be Only He and none else Who would decide who to reward, who to forgive and who to punish.  We have already written a detailed post on the Doctrine of Tawhid / Oneness of Allah in a separate post, which may be consulted for details.

Talking specifically about the sins and the authority which can forgive the sins of man, please read the following verse from Surah 17. Al-Isra [verse 15], wherein the Divine commandant reads: 

"Whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul. And whoever errs only errs against it. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger."

This is to impress that if a person adopts the right way, he does not do any favor to God or His Messenger or a reformer but he himself gets its benefits. On the other hand, if a person deviates from the right way, he can do no harm to God or His Messenger or a reformer, for they desire only to protect men from wrong ways and guide him on to the right way, and not for any selfish ends. Therefore, the right course for a wise man is to adopt the righteous way when it becomes distinct to him what is truth and what is falsehood. On the other hand, if he rejects truth because of his prejudices and self interest, he will be his own enemy and not a well wisher.

The Quran has laid great stress on the doctrine of personal responsibility at several places, for one cannot follow the right way scrupulously without understanding fully its implication. It means that, everyone is solely responsible for his moral conduct and is accountable to God as an individual in his own person and no other person can share the burden of responsibility with him. As an instance, we take the case of a particular action or a particular way of conduct in which a generation or a community of a large number of people had collaborated. When the people will assemble before Allah on the Day of Judgment, their collective action will be analyzed so as to lay the burden of its responsibility on each and every person who had been conducive to it, and rewarded or punished in accordance with it. Neither will a person be punished for the part another had played in its performance nor shall the burden of the sin of one individual be laid on the shoulders of another. This doctrine has been emphasized over and over again so that a wise man should not act in imitation of another or justify his own conduct by similar deeds of others. If a particular person feels the sense of his own responsibility, he will act in such a way as to come out successful on the Day of Judgment, regardless of what the others do.

This is another doctrine which has been impressed on the minds by the Quran in different ways. This is to emphasize the basic importance that a Messenger has in the dispensation of divine justice because this is determined in the light of the message brought by him. This will be employed as an argument in favor of or against the concerned people. Otherwise the infliction of punishment on the people would be unjust for in that case they could argue that they should not be punished as the knowledge of the righteous way had not been conveyed to them. But after the message had been conveyed to a particular people, and they had rejected it, there would be left no excuse for them.

It is an irony that instead of accepting the message some people are misled by reading verses like this and they ask such absurd questions: What will be the position of those, who might not have received the message of any Prophet? The wise course for such persons would have been to ask themselves what their own position will be on the Day of Judgment, because they themselves had received the message. As regards to other people, Allah knows best who has received the message, and when, how and to what extent and what attitude a certain person adopted towards it. In short, Allah alone is aware of whether a particular person received the message in such a way as to fulfill the required condition for punishment. 

The doctrine of personal responsibility is insisted on, and the basis of ethics is shown to be our own good or evil as furthering or obstructing our highest development. The doctrine of Substitutionary Atonement or the Vicarious Atonement is condemned. Salvation for the wicked cannot be attained by the punishment of the innocent. One man cannot bear the burden of another: that would be unjust. Every man must bear his own personal responsibility. But Allah never visits His wrath on anyone until due warning is conveyed to him through an accredited messenger.

A similar theme is projected in Surah 6. Al-An'am, verse 164:

قُلۡ اَغَيۡرَ اللّٰهِ اَبۡغِىۡ رَبًّا وَّهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ​ ؕ وَلَا تَكۡسِبُ كُلُّ نَـفۡسٍ اِلَّا عَلَيۡهَا​ۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِّزۡرَ اُخۡرٰى​ۚ ثُمَّ اِلٰى رَبِّكُمۡ مَّرۡجِعُكُمۡ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمۡ بِمَا كُنۡـتُمۡ فِيۡهِ تَخۡتَلِفُوۡنَ‏  

"Say: 'Shall I seek someone other than Allah as Lord when He is the Lord of everything?' Everyone will bear the consequence of what he does, and no one shall bear the burden of another. Thereafter, your return will be to your Lord, whereupon He will let you know what you disagreed about."

Since God is the Lord of the entire universe, how could anyone be His lord?  Or how can someone else, no matter how holy or revered he may be, could be equated with One True God (as the concept of Trinity in Christianity equates the son and the holy ghost with Father). Since the entire universe is yoked to obedience to God, man is an integral part of the universe, how can he reasonably, look for another lord in that area of his life in which he uses his own volition,ind judgement? Is it appropriate for him to move in diametrical opposition to the entire universe?

There we Muslims believe that every person is responsible for whatever he does; and no one is responsible for the deeds of others. And that is what he will be accounted for his sins, errors, and the grave sin of shirk, the act of associating others at par with One True Allah.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Page on Understanding Islam: Frequently asked Q&A.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

You may also refer to our following sites for knowing more about Islam and Quran:

• 114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary / exegesis of all Sūrahs / chapters of the Quran
• 99 Attributes of Allah" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation.
• Understanding Islam - Frequently Asked Q&A for knowing more about Islam.
• Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries

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, Twitter, 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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Understanding Islam: Why the Qur'an was not Revealed All at Once?

The revelation of the Holy Qur'an took some 23 years to be raveled in full. The revelations in bits and pieces often irked the disbelievers / pagans of Makkah and they would ask the Prophet of Allah that why the Qur'an is raveled all in one go. While this  was oft asked question from the Prophet of Allah, the same is still being asked many non believers even today. And by the way had Quran been revealed in one go, the disbelievers would still had not been satisfied and had asked: "Why all at once? We have not been able to grasp it. It should have been better that it had been revealed in bits and pieces so that we could understand." But did they still grasp it or were just finding excuses not to accept the true message from God.

It was for this very purpose and to answer their query that the Divine Answer came which is given in verses 32-33 of Surah Al Furqan, the 25th Chapter / Surah of the Holy Qur'an:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

وَقَالَ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا لَوۡلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيۡهِ الۡـقُرۡاٰنُ جُمۡلَةً وَّاحِدَةً​  ​ۛۚ كَذٰلِكَ ​ۛۚ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهٖ فُـؤَادَكَ​ وَرَتَّلۡنٰهُ تَرۡتِيۡلًا‏ 

( 32 )   And those who disbelieve say, "Why was the Qur'an not revealed to him all at once?" Thus [it is] that We may strengthen thereby your heart. And We have spaced it distinctly.

As the disbelievers of Makkah considered this objection to be very strong, they repeated it over and over again. The Quran also has cited it with its answer at several places. Their question implied: Had the Quran been really the Word of Allah, it would have been sent as a complete book all at once; for Allah has the knowledge of everything and every human affair. Thus it is obvious that nothing is being sent down from above; but this man himself fabricates all its themes or gets these from other people or other books.

So that by it We may strengthen your heart and imbue it with courage. The words are comprehensive. This concise sentence contains the following explanation why the Quran was revealed piecemeal by degrees:

• (1) So that the Prophet (peace be upon him) may commit it to memory perfectly and recite it to his people, who are illiterate, rather than present it in a written form.
• (2) So that its teachings and messages may be impressed deeply on the minds.
• (3) So that the way of life it teaches, may be followed with complete conviction, which would not be possible if all the commandments and the whole system of life had been sent down all at once.
• (4) So that the hearts of the Prophet and his followers may be imbued with courage during the conflict between the truth and falsehood. This required that the divine guidance and messages of encouragement should be revealed as and when needed according to the practical situation. Obviously, this could not have been possible if these had been sent down all at once. 
• (5) "Slow, well-arranged stages": though the stages were gradual, as the occasion demanded from time to time, in the course of twenty-three years, the whole emerged, when completed, as a well-arranged scheme of spiritual instruction

This also showed that Allah had not left His Messenger alone amidst persecution to counter all sorts of resistance and opposition after appointing him to the mission, but He Himself was watching the struggle with concern and guiding His Prophet through every difficulty by direct communion in every critical situation.

"And We have spaced it distinctly": This perhaps is the final answer that says it all. The verses have been "spaced distinctly" which allows not only memorizing the earlier verses correctly by the Prophet of Allah but also allow the breathing time for its correct understanding as lot of questions and queries arose after every revelation and Prophet of Allah had to satisfy each questioner so that no ambiguity was left. In some cases, the supporting revelations were revealed to explain the earlier verses to make those more elaborate and understandable.

Had the Qur'an been revealed all at once, it would have been difficult for the Muslims who had lived all their lives under a different set and traditions of the days of ignorance. They had been slave to traditions and culture which were at tangent to the teachings of Islam. In order to condition them for their new lives as Muslims, the commandants of prohibitions and  restrictions, the revelations were softer in the beginning and got tougher as the days went by. The transition from soft to harder commandments took a lot of time and Muslims started to understand the reason why of these commandments when they saw the Prophet of Allah himself living under same commandments. 

And in the next verse, Allah further clarifies the spacing of revelations in distinctive intervals:

وَلَا يَاۡتُوۡنَكَ بِمَثَلٍ اِلَّا جِئۡنٰكَ بِالۡحَـقِّ وَاَحۡسَنَ تَفۡسِيۡرًا ؕ‏ 

(25:33) "(This was also done so that) whenever they put any strange question to you, We sent its right answer and explained the matter in the best manner."

This is yet another point of wisdom of sending down the Quran by degrees. Allah did not intend to produce a book on guidance and spread its teachings through the agency of His Prophet (peace be upon him). Had it been so the disbelievers would have been justified in their objection as to why the Quran had not been sent down as a complete book all at once. The real object of the revelation of the Quran was that Allah intended to start a movement of faith, piety and righteousness to combat disbelief, ignorance and sin, and He had raised a Prophet to lead and guide the movement. Then, on the one hand, Allah had taken it upon Himself to send necessary instructions and guidance to the leader and his followers as and when needed, and on the other, He had also taken the responsibility to answer the objections and remove the doubts of opponents and give the right interpretation of things which they misunderstood. Thus the Quran was the collection of the different discourses that were being revealed by Allah; it was not merely meant to be a code of laws or of moral principles, but a Book, which was being sent down piecemeal to guide the movement in all its stages to suit its requirements on different occasions.

Divine knowledge is a fathomless ocean. But glimpses of it can be obtained by any individuals sincerely searching for the Truth. Their progress will be in grades. If they ask questions, and answers are then furnished to them, they are more likely to apprehend the Truth, as they have already explored the part of the territory in which they are interested. In the same way, when concrete questions arise by the logic of events, and they are answered not only for the occasion, but from a general stand-point, the teaching has a far greater chance of penetrating the human intelligence and taking shape in practical conduct. And this is the usual way of instruction in the Qur'an.

To sum the discussion, let me quote Fethullah Gülen who in one of his blog posts writes:

The Qur'an was revealed in stages so that its audience could understand, internalize, and apply its prohibitions, commands, and reforms. Revelation came when the need for guidance arose, without discouraging or grinding down morale: warning and condemnation preceded prohibition, appeal and exhortation preceded command. For instance, alcohol and other intoxicating drinks were prohibited in three or four stages; female infanticide in two stages; uniting warring tribes and building up a close-knit society based on brotherhood, thus raising the collective consciousness, in several stages. These difficult reforms were not gestured at or expressed in slogans—they were achieved.

Thus it could be said that had the revelations not spaced distinctly, it would not have allowed the teachings of Islam to mature, understood and implemented right from the heart as emotions cooled down and logic took over, which was must for Islam to rest on solid foundations.

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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.

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No matter how many sins you have committed - Islam can still take you in its fold

Most of us live in a state of ignorance, for we are not aware of the immense mercy of Allah. And in this state of ignorance, we commit crimes, mostly knowingly and some unknowingly and still think that we may would get escort free. The concept of confession to priests is a misnomer as a priest or any religious entity may relieve the burden of one's sins from the time being for one feels lightened after confessing to someone, but this does not cleanse the slate of one's heart as the sole authority to forgive one's sins remains with Allah alone, the Master and the Creator of this universe and no on else.

There are many a people who have drowned in the quagmire of a sinful life, those who have committed smaller to heinous crimes and sins. While some continue to do so till death reaches them, many feel ashamed of their misdeed but do not know how to repent and to whom. No matter what wordily gods, saints and priests profess, none has the authority to waive off one's sins. Even if one makes confession, the sins continue to haunt them for repentance lies with none other than Allah.

Sincere tawba (repentance with a firm promise not to repeat a sin) is always accepted by Allah. Allah says: Verily, He is One Who forgives (accepts repentance), the Most Merciful. In the Holy Qur'an Allah promises:

“Allah accepts only the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and repent soon afterwards” [an-Nisa’ 4:17]

Islam is the only religion where one can converse to Allah without any intermediary. No priest or saint or a religious entity is required to represent a sinner's case to Allah. It is the sinner all by himself who must make an earnest confession and seek repentance for his past sins, no matter how grave, and can have hope of being forgiven. 

Since committing sins is something that can lead one to the burning fire of hell, Allah has on a numerous occasions in the Holy Qur'an warned the sinners to repent for that is the only way to utter salvation:

“And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allah ? - and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.”  [Aal ‘Imraan Chapter 3:135]

So why not repent when one still has time to, for no one knows for sure when the angel of death would knocks one's door. And when the angel of death is around, the transition from life to death is so swift that one doesn't even get a second to repent. So why not repent while one has still time and embark upon a new life of the enlightened path and to paradise !!

I came across this video I am sharing below and thought I must do it for those who do not find a ray of hope out of their sinful life and do not find guidance from anyone as how to repent and begin a new life. Listen this short video for it may it may change your life. Remember, Islam is the only trusted light at the end of the tunnel and one must seek it before it is too late.

Watch this enlightening video that guides even the worst of the sinners to repent and come into the fold of Islam and be rest assured that your past will be washed away and you start your day and future with a clean slate:

What are you waiting for?

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Understanding Quran: Do we need saints as intermediaries to reach Allah?

The post today to me is very important for I have been in quest of an answer to one of my quires for there are many believers around us who seem to have got carried away with some notions mostly arising from not reading and understanding the Holy Qur'an. My query: Do we need saints as intermediaries to reach Allah?

In the part of the world where I live, I see many believers shirking to approach Allah and finding intermediaries to take their case to Allah for they feel they are too small or are sinners and thus are not worthy of praying directly to the Master of the Universe. While I do not blame them entirely for they have been told by their imams that they must find someone close to Allah and "request" them to plead their case to Allah for they do not know the etiquettes to approach Allah.

This has been the reason that there are graves of saints which are flocked with the believers with weak faith due to lack of understanding the Qur'an and understanding the clear message that Allah gives out to them and in fact to the entire humanity.

So while trying to understand the Holy Qur'an and sharing the exegesis / tafseer of the surahs / chapters of the Holy Qur'an I found the answer to my query; answered by none but Allah Himself in Surah Az Zumar:

Surely, the religion (i.e. the worship and the obedience) is for Allah only. And those who take Auliya' (protectors and helpers) besides Him (say): "We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah." Verily, Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Truly, Allah guides not him who is a liar, and a disbeliever. [Surah Az Zumar 39:3]

This verse carried a clear message for the disbelievers of Makkah and the polytheists the world over who generally say the same: We do not worship other beings regarding them as our creators: the Creator is only Allah, and He alone is the real Deity; but He is too high for us to have access to Him. Therefore, we make these saintly beings a means to convey our prayers and our petitions to Allah.

Although this verse was meant for the disbelievers of the time, how true it is even today when many Muslims still seek help from Allah by asking a saint or a pious man to pray for them. In fact a section of religious men have drilled this notion in the minds of their subjects that Allah is NOT for the ordinaries to be requested directly and that they need an intermediary to approach Allah on their behalf to forward their requests. 

The verse and its explanation clearly states that this line of thinking is against the spirit of Islam and one should understand Islam by reading Qur'an and its exegesis / tafseer so that one is not mislead.

Then again later in Surah Zumar, Allah once again comes back to the same subject to make it clearer so that believers do not go astray like disbelievers:

And when Allah Alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter are filled with disgust (from the Oneness of Allah) and when those (whom they obey or worship) besides Him [like all false deities other than Allah, it may be a Messenger like 'Eesa (Jesus) - son of Maryam (Mary), 'Uzair (Ezra), an angel, a pious man, a jinn, or any other creature even idols, graves of religious people, saints, priests, monks, etc.] are mentioned, behold, they rejoice!  [39:45]

Now once again  there is a caution - EVEN for some Muslims: This evil is common to almost all polytheistic people of the world, and even some unfortunate Muslims also suffer from it, They profess with the tongue that they believe in Allah, but when One Allah alone is mentioned before them, their faces are distorted, and they say: This man certainly does not believe in the saints and holy men, that is why he talks of Allah and Allah alone. And if others besides Allah are mentioned, they are delighted, and their faces brighten up with joy. Their this attitude shows as to who is the actual object of their love and esteem. 

Allama Alusi, in his commentary Ruh al-Maani, has related his own experience here. He says: One day I saw that a man was invoking the help of a dead saint in his affliction. I said: O bondsman of Allah, invoke Allah, for He Himself says: If My servants ask you, O Prophet, concerning Me, tell them I am quite near to them. I hear and answer the prayer of the supplicant when he calls to Me, (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayat 186), Hearing this, the man became angry. The people told me afterwards that he said: This man is a denier of the saints. And some others heard him also say: The saints answer the prayers more promptly than does Allah.

So please read and understand the Holy Qur'an by reading exegesis / tafseer written by prominent scholars and spread the right explanation to those who are at loss to understand the message contained in the Divine Book for it is our moral obligation and religious duty. Remember we need to understand Qur'an to understand Islam better and be a better Muslim.

Author's Note: The explanation of the verses above is from "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. Those not believing his work would not agree with him - but those who have a rationale mind and have read Qur'an deliberately would know what truth is.

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Understanding the Holy Quran: How Surah Ad-Duha Can Change Your Life

Surah Ad-Duha, the 93rd chapter / surah of the Holy Qur'an if understood properly can change a man's life as it did the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he was in great distress and low morale.  The surah guides the believers and shows them a way out of their despair and low days.

We have already presented the exegesis of the Surah Ad-Duha in one of our earlier posts. But the purpose of this post is to share an enlightening commentary on Surah Ad-Duha, wherein it is deliberated upon how one can change one's life if one seeks guidance given in the surah by Allah, the Almighty to His last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he was in great despair due to non receipt of the Divine revelations for a number of days and the pagans of Makkah had started to mock the Prophet of Allah that he had been abandoned by the Allah.

As per some sources, it is quoted that "Umm Jamil, wife of Abu Lahab, who was an aunt of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and whose house adjoined his, said to him: It appears your Satan has forsaken you."

In such trying times, Allah promised His Prophet through this surah that "Soon would follow what is better for you and that you shall be rewarded and given so much that you will be well pleased." This promise was fulfilled during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and all Arabia, from the southern coasts to the Syrian frontiers of the Byzantine empire and the Iraqi frontiers of the Persian empire in the north, and from the Persian Gulf in the east to the Red Sea in the west, came under his control.  

That is why Surah Ad Duha needs to be understood for it took out the Prophet of Allah from darkness of despair and depression and showed him the light and reminded him that didn't Allah look after him when he was orphan, very young and no one to rely upon. Those were the days when despite all odds, from where he grew up to be a strong young man and a successful businessman and later to be the Prophet of Allah.

Those of us who lose heart when confronted with difficult times and lose any hope, there must listen to this enlightening commentary by Sh Tawfique Chowdhury to an audience in Australia sometime ago:

I am sure after listening to this video, you will be a better man than you were before. May Allah help us to seek guidance from the Holy Qur'an by understanding its meaning and helping others who are in distress by making them understand what we now know.

You may refer to our post "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary / exegesis of other chapters (Though not complete but building up from 30th Part backwards for chapters in 30th Part are shorter and easier to understand). 

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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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