Wishes and Hopes Will Not Help When One would see the Torment of Hell

There is a parable I often find in the social media about an dialogue between an believer and a dis-believer. The athiest is found telling the believer that what if after his death he finds that there was no Resurrection, no accountablity and no Paradise or Hell. How lost would you fell for having shied away from the colourful life full of lewdness and merrymaking. The believer is found answering: I know I am not wrong and know that there would be day when everyone will appear before God and will made to be accountable for one's deeds. And I am sure I will be among those who would be likely to be spared the torment of hell. But what would you do if all this turns out to be true? Who will be the loser. Just ponder over it.

The 27th verse from Surah 6. Al An'am basically hinges on the theme of the parable cited above. And on that day when the reality would unveil, atheists and non believers would find them on a point of no return. That fateful day they would be standing on the brink of the blazing fire of the hell and just before being thrown into it, they would repent and wish that if another chance was given to them to go back to the worldly life, they will make good their presence and would not follow the evil. But that day, Wishes and hopes will not help them when they would see the Torment of Hell:

وَلَوۡ تَرٰٓى اِذۡ وُقِفُوۡا عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُوۡا يٰلَيۡتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِاٰيٰتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُوۡنَ مِنَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ‏ 

(6:27) If you could but see when they shall be made to stand by the Fire! They will plead: 'Would that we were brought back to life? Then we would not give the lie to the signs of our Lord and would be among the believers.'

Explaining the aforesaid verse / Ayat, Ibn e Kathir notes that Allah mentions the condition of the disbelievers when they are made to stand before the Fire on the Day of Resurrection and witness its chains and restraints, along with seeing the horrible, momentous conditions in the Fire with their own eyes. 

This is when the disbelievers will say, ("Would that we were but sent back (to the world)! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!'') They wish that they would be sent back to the life of the world so that they could perform righteous deeds, refrain from disbelieving in the Ayat of their Lord and be among the believers. 

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

The actual words are: وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ (we do not deny). This is the light indefinite tense (muḍāri‘ khafīf), but is not the answer to the desire expressed in the first part of the sentence. Its accusative form evidences the fact that the answer to the desire that is coordinated to it is suppressed here. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

A very obvious answer to the desire was فنصدق (we attest) or a similar one. Hence it was suppressed and this suppression was indicated through the particle of co-ordination in وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ. The eloquence in this expression is very telling: not only does longing exude from it, but their confession is also evident from it. In other words, today these people are showing arrogance and regarding the Qur’ān to be a tale of the ancients; however, on the day of judgement they will long to come back in this world to testify to the revelations of their Lord and not deny them. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 3, 36)

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:

If we want to know the ultimate end of their efforts, we need only look at the result: “If you could but see them when they will be made to stand before the Fire! They will say: ‘Would that we could return! Then we would not deny our Lord’s revelations, but would be among the believers.’“ 

 

This is the scene which contrasts with their situation in this life. Now they are in a state of regret, humility and total loss. This is compared with their attitude when they turned away from guidance, using their power to force others to also turn away, and boasting about their own strength and influence.

 

“If you could but see them when they will be made to stand before the Fire!” Now they cannot turn away, use their argumentation, or repeat their falsehoods. If we were to see them ourselves in such a position, we would be sure to see something fearful. Their dearest wish would be: “Would that we could return! Then we would not deny our Lord’s revelations, but would be among the believers.” They know that the Qur’ān is God’s revelation, and their desire to return to earth is such that they may have a second chance when they no longer deny these revelations. They claim that they would make sure that they would be among the believers.

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  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

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

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

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

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Yusuf Ali Translation
• 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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Children of Adam! Beware of Satanic Machinations

Man is always tempted to machinations of the Satan and his associates. Satan's tactics to lure in the man is so lucrative that many a man fall into the evil temptations. Even Adam and Eve despite being duly warned by God could not resist the temptations and fell for it and lost paradise.

Nudity and indecency are the major tools in the hands of the Satan which he employs on its target subjects to lead them into a life of lewdness and indecency. His machinations were set into motion right from the heavens, when he lured in Adam and Eve, and continue till date. Those with lose faith and character are the most prized targets of evil forces and unfortunately most of the people in the West are the hunted who in the name of freedom lose their decency and piety and thus fall into darker depths.

Allah warns Children of Adam at many a places in the Qur'an to be cautious of Satanic machinations, stay away from raiment of revealing dresses that boost indecency in the society. We have been sharing such references and verses to warn man to take heed to the Divine Commandments and clothed themselves decently in order not to attract evil eyes and to be safe and away from lewdness that Satan wants us to be indulged in. Such verses are specially meant for women who are the in the habit of showing off their bodies by wearing clothes that hardly cover their shame and tempt man to sin.

Herein under we share the 27th verse of Surah 7. Al A'raf cautioning man to take safeguards lest they fall prey to Stannic machinations:

يٰبَنِىۡۤ اٰدَمَ لَا يَفۡتِنَـنَّكُمُ الشَّيۡطٰنُ كَمَاۤ اَخۡرَجَ اَبَوَيۡكُمۡ مِّنَ الۡجَـنَّةِ يَنۡزِعُ عَنۡهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوۡءاٰتِهِمَا ؕ اِنَّهٗ يَرٰٮكُمۡ هُوَ وَقَبِيۡلُهٗ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا تَرَوۡنَهُمۡ​ ؕ اِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا الشَّيٰطِيۡنَ اَوۡلِيَآءَ لِلَّذِيۡنَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ‏ 

(7:27) Children of Adam! Let not Satan deceive you in the manner he deceived your parents out of Paradise, pulling off from them their clothing to reveal to them their shame. He and his host surely see you from whence you do not see them. We have made satans the guardians of those who do not believe. 

This passage brings out clearly the following facts about clothing:

(1) The need of clothing has not been artificially created in man, but it is an important urge of human nature. That is why Allah has not created a natural covering for the human body, as He has done in the case of all other animals. Instead, He has instilled inherently the feelings of modesty and shyness in human nature. Besides this, He has not made his sex organs as merely sex organs, but has also made them shameful organs, which, by his very nature, he does not like to expose before others. Moreover, He has not given man any ready-made covering for hiding the shameful parts, but has ingrained in the human nature that man should hide them with a clothing. This is what v. 26 implies. Allah has inspired man with the urge to hide the shameful parts of the body. Therefore man should understand the nature of this inspired urge and make clothing for himself from the material provided by Him.

(2) The fact that in v. 26 the covering of the shameful parts precedes the protecting and decorating of the body, is a clear proof that more importance has been attached to the moral than the physical function of clothing. Thus it is obvious that the human nature is quite different from the animal nature. That is why Nature has made provision for the protection and decoration of the body of the animals, but has ingrained no urge in them for the covering of their shameful parts. But when the human beings discarded the Guidance of Allah and began to follow the guidance of Satan, they reversed the above order as if to say, "Your clothing is merely to protect and decorate your bodies just as the skins cover the bodies of the animals. As regards the covering of the shameful parts, garments have absolutely no importance, for these are merely sex organs and not shameful organs."

(3) The garments should not only be the means of covering the shameful parts and of protection and decoration but should also enable man to attain piety. The dress should, therefore, be such as to conceal those parts of the body that should be hidden from others; it should neither be too expensive nor too poor with regard to the position of the wearers; it should not smack of haughtiness nor arrogance nor hypocrisy. Moreover, the garment of piety demands that the male should not wear the female dress and vice versa, and that the Muslims should not imitate blindly the non-Muslims in dress. It is obvious that only those who believe in the Guidance of Allah and follow it, can attain the desired standard of the garment of piety. But those who discard the Guidance of God and make satans their guides, are misled by them into one error or the other in regard to clothing.

(4) Clothing is one of Allah's many Signs which are spread all over the world and which lead men to the recognition of the Reality, provided that one sincerely seeks it. If one seriously considers the above-mentioned three facts about clothing, one can easily understand how clothing is an important Sign of Allah.

Tafsir Ibn e Kathir: Warning against the Lures of Shaytan

Allah warns the Children of Adam against Iblis and his followers, by explaining about his ancient enmity for the father of mankind, Adam peace be upon him. Iblis plotted to have Adam expelled from Paradise, which is the dwelling of comfort, to the dwelling of hardship and fatigue (this life) and caused him to have his private part uncovered, after it had been hidden from him. This, indeed, is indicative of deep hatred (from Shaytan towards Adam and mankind). 

Allah said in a similar Ayah, (Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me, while they are enemies to you What an evil is the exchange for the wrongdoers.) [18:50].

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

The interpolated word "truly" is implied in this phrase in view of the subsequent reference to the erroneous beliefs of such people: for, although their beliefs are wrong, some of them are under the impression that the "shameful deeds" subsequently referred to have been enjoined by God. As for the "satanic forces" (shayatin), it is to be remembered that this designation is applied in the Qur'an to all kinds of wicked impulses or propensities that are "near unto" (i.e., in the hearts of) those who do not truly believe in God: hence, the term shayatin occurring in verse {30} below has been rendered as "evil impulses".

Herein under we share explanation of part of 14:22 in which Satan address man:

( I, too, held out [all manner of] promises to you - but I deceived you. Yet I had no power at all over you: I but called you - and you responded unto me. Hence, blame not me, but blame yourselves ) In his commentary on this passage, Razi remarks: "This verse shows that the real Satan (ash-shaytan al-asli) is [man's own] complex of desires (an-pals): for, Satan makes it clear [in the above] that it was only by means of insinuations (waswasah) that he was able to reach [the sinner's soul]; and had it not been for an already-existing [evil] disposition due to lusts, anger, superstition or fanciful ideas, these [satanic] insinuations would have had no effect whatsoever."

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

That is, by fraud and deceit,-by putting you off your guard and telling lies. Adam's story here becomes an introduction to the later religious history of mankind: vii. 20-22. In the Garden, Satan's deceit stripped off their raiment of honour and innocence. In this life on a lower plane he seeks to strip us of the raiment of righteousness. And he can take up positions on a vantage ground of worldly power or influence or riches, in which he and his confederates are not seen in their true colours. They may assume a fair-seeming disguise of disinterested friendship or high motives of patriotism or public spirit, or loyalty to ancestors, when beneath it there is nothing but spite and selfishness.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

(Children of Adam! This should never happen that Satan lures you the way he ousted your father and mother from that orchard [in which God had made them dwell] by revealing their private parts to them by making them take off this very attire.) This is a reference to the attire of piety mentioned earlier. Satan wanted to expose that aspect of their private parts which was concealed from them. He achieved this very purpose of his by having it taken off from them. Thus this verse warns people to be on guard. Even today Satan uses this weapon against them. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

... First, through latent suggestions, he deprives people of the attire of piety and fear. It was this attire which the Almighty had revealed with the outer attire; its purpose was to grant him a high status, as is mentioned earlier. When the internal attire is stripped off, a person’s modesty – the real motive for his outer attire – no longer remains with him. It is then that the external attire becomes a burden for him. Lewdness induces a person to bare his private parts – the concealment of which is found in his nature. Then fashion sustains and supports this urge and he produces such innovations in his attire that the children of Adam in spite of wearing it seem to be without it. Its basic reason of covering the private parts is lost. After that, the only element left in clothing is embellishment. The purpose of that too is to expose the body as much as possible in an enticing way. Then gradually human intellect is overwhelmed and nudity is then dubbed as culture and covering the body is considered to be an old-fashioned act which exudes abhorrence. Then educated ruffians come to the scene and present the philosophy in the light of history that nudity is real human nature. Clothing has become in vogue because of restrictions of customs and etiquette. It is at this stage that shamelessness overcomes people and the whole society is poisoned with lust and licentiousness. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 3, 246)

[Bear in mind that] he and his accomplices see you from where you cannot see them.]  The implication is that they launch offensives on people from places they cannot even imagine. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

... This is a reference to the cunning, wily and conniving nature of Satan and his accomplices: such is the multiplicity and variety of their garbs and the places of their onslaughts that people can neither recognize them in all these apparels nor can remain on guard regarding all these attacks. The army of Satan boasts both of jinn and mankind. They will sit in ambush at places where people will not be able to spot them. They will regard them to be friends, well-wishers, teachers, leaders and the like, while they are after severing the roots of their faith. People will think that they are paving the way for development and advancement whereas they will be after mercilessly decimating them. They will know all the inner weaknesses of human beings and will try to inveigle them through evil suggestions. They will also try to spin a web of charm around them to make them get caught in it. In short, mankind should not take Satan’s enmity lightly and always remain on guard. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 3, 247)

(In reality, We have made these devils the companions of those who do not believe.) Ie., these temptations of Satan inveigle only those who do not have faith in God and in His guidance. In verse 36 of Sūrah al-Zukhruf, precisely this topic is stated in the words: “Those who are indifferent to the Most Gracious, We depute a devil on them; then he becomes their companion.” It is evident, as a result, that Satan is not successful in luring those who strongly adhere to faith and guidance. Their Lord protects them from his onslaughts and those of his companions. Thus, in verse 99 of Sūrah al-Naḥl, the words used are: اِنَّهٗ لَيْسَ لَهٗ سُلْطٰنٌ عَلَي الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَعَلٰي رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُوْنَ.

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 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 help us against machinations of the Satan and let us keep us on the righteous path forever. Ameen.

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.

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.

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 | 6 |

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

Man's Regrets: Would that we were brought back to life? Then we would not give the lie to the signs of our Lord

Man has always been ungrateful. Whenever Allah sent prophets and messengers to them so that they follow the one true path that would ultimately lead them to eternal prosperity and wellbeing, he has always negated the Divine messages and preferred to live a life of worldly joys and lewdness. And whenever he was told that there would be life after this worldly life is over and that he would be resurrected to answer for the sinful life he had enjoyed, he just mocked the prophets and ridiculed them for they think that worldly life is all that there is and once a man dies and becomes dust, how come he be lifted alive again and made to appear before his Creator.

But when reality would unfold and he would find him standing on the edge of the raging fire of hell, he would cry out to be sent back to worldly life again so as to make amends. For such sinners, the following 27th verse of Surah 6. Al An'am was revealed:

وَلَوۡ تَرٰٓى اِذۡ وُقِفُوۡا عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُوۡا يٰلَيۡتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِاٰيٰتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُوۡنَ مِنَ الۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ‏ 

(6:27) If you could but see when they shall be made to stand by the Fire! They will plead: 'Would that we were brought back to life? Then we would not give the lie to the signs of our Lord and would be among the believers.

Then it would be too late and even Allah would tell them that one life wasn't enough when prophets after prophets brought them His warnings? And even if they are given a life again, they would still revert to their worldly enjoyments and set aside any advice of prophets to follow the true path.

Ibn Kathir explains: 

The above said verse means that they lie when they say they wish to go back to this life so that they can embrace the faith. Allah states that even if they were sent back to the life of this world, they will again commit the disbelief and defiance that they were prohibited.

( وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ and indeed they are liars.) in their statement that ("Would that we were but sent back! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!' Nay, what they had been concealing before has become manifest to them. But if they were returned, they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden. And indeed, they are liars. And they said: "There is no (other life) but our (present) life of this world, and never shall we be resurrected.')

Verse By Verse Quran Study Circle Explanation: Wishes and Hopes Do Not Help One When He Sees the Torment - There are three basic principles of Islam: Tawheed [Oneness of Allah], Prophethood and Belief in the Hereafter. All other articles of faith fall under these three. These principles guide human beings regarding who they are and what their purpose in life is; whoever understands these finds guidance.

In this ayah, Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala mentions the condition of the disbelievers when they are made to stand before the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.

If you could see when they will be held over the (Hell) Fire! They will say, “Would that we were but sent back (to the world)! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!”

The word wuqifu [وُقِفُواْ] is from the root letters wau-qaf-fa [waqf] and it means “to stand, to come to stand or pause”. Such as waqouf-e-Arafah, the standing on the Arafat. The wrongdoers and the deniers of the truth will be detained and forced by the angels to stand by the edges of Hell, and to observe the horrifying punishment far beyond their imagination.

Witnessing the chains and restraints of the Day of Resurrection, along with seeing the horrible, momentous conditions in the Fire they will wish to be sent back to the worldly life in order to perform righteous deeds, refrain from disbelieving in the Signs of their Lord and be among the believers.

In Surah Bani Israeel Ayah 102 Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala narrates a conversation between Prophet Musa `aalyhi salaam and Fir`awn, “Verily, you know that these signs have clearly been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence.”

The Signs of Allah are eye-opening evidence yet people deny them. Upon seeing the punishment in the Hereafter, people will wish for another chance.

We have this one chance and there will never be a second chance. So, time is now that we read the holy scriptures and try to follow the truth contained therein, worship one true God, do not associate anyone with Him and stay clear of the path of the evil forces. Time is now to still make amends, repent our wrongdoings and ask forgiveness of One True God before our worldly clock stops and we are made to stand with our conduct sheets handed over to us. Pray we get our conduct sheets in our right hand, for those holding these in their left hands will be ones mentioned in the verse above.

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

For compiled verses for more specific subjects, please refer to our exclusive reference page: "Selected verses from Al-Qurʾān about a specific subject."

In addition, 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 | 

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, 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

The Utter Losers - Who?

In our worldly life, when someone breaks his promise, we really feel hurt and sometimes even show a sharp reaction to the violation of trust. But when it comes to making promises with the ultimate Creator of the universe, we feel no remorse or pain for having broken our covenant that we pledge to Allah. For we think the Hereafter is far too away and nothing is going to happen to us. We in fact do not look around and see the worldly fate of many upon whom wrath of Allah has fallen. There are ruins of many once great civilizations that speak the sorry stories of how the betrayed Allah, refused to honour their promises and perished forever.

In the 27th verse of Surah 2. Al Baqarah (The Cow), Allah explains the characteristics of the disbelievers and those who broke their promises, characteristics that greatly contradict the qualities of the believers. The covenant that these deviant people broke is Allah’s covenant with His creation, that is, to obey Him and avoid the sins that He prohibited. This covenant was reiterated in Allah’s Books and by the words of His Messengers. Ignoring this covenant constitutes breaking it. It was said that the ayah (2:27) is about the disbelievers and the hypocrites among the People of the Book.:

الَّذِيۡنَ يَنۡقُضُوۡنَ عَهۡدَ اللّٰهِ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مِيۡثَاقِهٖ وَيَقۡطَعُوۡنَ مَآ اَمَرَ اللّٰهُ بِهٖۤ اَنۡ يُّوۡصَلَ وَيُفۡسِدُوۡنَ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ​ؕ اُولٰٓـئِكَ هُمُ الۡخٰسِرُوۡنَ‏ 

(2:27) Those who break the covenant of Allah after its firm binding, and cut asunder what Allah has commanded to be joined, and spread mischief on earth. They are the utter losers.

In these three sentences the nature of transgression and the attitude of transgressors is fully defined. To debase the relationship between man and God, and between man and man necessarily leads to 'mischief'. Those who spread this 'mischief' on earth are transgressors.

The injunctions or ordinances issued by a sovereign to his servants and subjects are termed 'ahd " عهد " in Arabic since compliance with them becomes obligatory for the latter. 'Ahd has been used here in this sense. The 'ahd referred to signifies God's eternal command that all human beings are obliged to render their service, obedience and worship to Him alone. 'After its binding' refers to the promise made by mankind to remain faithful to the injunctions of God at the time of Adam's creation. (For details see verse 7: 172)

That is, the transgressors strike their blows at those very relationships upon which the individual and collective well-being of mankind depends, and which God wants maintained on a sound basis. This small sentence is of great import as it embraces the whole of human morality and social life, and extends from relationships between individuals to those between nations. 'To cut asunder what Allah has commanded should he joined' does not merely signify the disruption of relationships between man and man; it forbids the establishment of all forms of human relationship except the right and permissible ones. For wrong and prohibited bonds between people have the same consequences as the disruption of the bonds of human relationship as such

Ibn Kathir explains that:

Allah said in Surat Ar-Ra`d (13:19-21)): (Shall he then, who knows that what has been revealed unto you (O Muhammad ) from your Lord is the truth, be like him who is blind But it is only the men of understanding that pay heed. Those who fulfill the covenant of Allah and break not the Mithaq (bond, treaty, covenant). And those who join that which Allah has commanded to be joined (i.e. they are good to their relatives and do not sever the bond of kinship), and fear their Lord, and dread the terrible reckoning.)

(And those who break the covenant of Allah, after its ratification, and sever that which Allah has commanded to be joined (i.e. they sever the bond of kinship and are not good to their relatives), and work mischief in the land, on them is the curse (i.e. they will be far away from Allah's mercy), and for them is the unhappy (evil) home (i.e. Hell).) (13:25)

The covenant that these deviant people broke is Allah's covenant with His creation, that is, to obey Him and avoid the sins that He prohibited. This covenant was reiterated in Allah's Books and by the words of His Messengers. Ignoring this covenant constitutes breaking it. It was said that the Ayah (2:27) is about the disbelievers and the hypocrites among the People of the Book. In this case, the covenant that they broke is the pledge that Allah took from them in the Tawrah to follow Muhammad when he is sent as a Prophet, and to believe in him, and in what he was sent with. Breaking Allah's covenant in this case occurred when the People of the Book rejected the Prophet after they knew the truth about him, and they hid this truth from people, even though they swore to Allah that they would do otherwise. Allah informed us that they threw the covenant behind their backs and sold it for a miserable price.

It was also reported that the Ayah (2:27) refers to all disbelievers, idol worshippers and hypocrites. Allah took their pledge to believe in His Oneness, showing them the signs that testify to His Lordship. He also took a covenant from them to obey His commands and refrain from His prohibitions, knowing that His Messengers would bring proofs and miracles that none among the creation could ever produce. These miracles testified to the truth of Allah's Messengers. The covenant was broken when the disbelievers denied what was proven to them to be authentic and rejected Allah's Prophets and Books, although they knew that they were the truth. This Tafsir was reported from Muqatil bin Hayyan, and it is very good. It is also the view that Az-Zamakhshari held.

Losers in this verse refers to whoever decreased his own share of Allah's mercy by disobeying Him, just as the merchant loses in his trade by sustaining capital loss. Such is the case with the hypocrite and the disbeliever who lose their share of the mercy that Allah has in store for His servants on the Day of Resurrection. And that is when the disbeliever and the hypocrite most desperately need Allah's mercy.''

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

The "bond with God" (conventionally translated as "God's covenant") apparently refers here to man's moral obligation to use his inborn gifts - intellectual as well as physical - in the way intended for them by God. The "establishment" of this bond arises from the faculty of reason which, if properly used, must lead man to a realization of his own weakness and dependence on a causative power and, thus, to a gradual cognition of God's will with reference to his own behaviour. This interpretation of the "bond with God" seems to be indicated by the fact that there is no mention of any specific "covenant" in either the preceding or the subsequent verses of the passage under consideration. The deliberate omission of any explanatory reference in this connection suggests that the expression "bond with God" stands for something that is rooted in the human situation as such, and can, therefore, be perceived instinctively as well as through conscious experience: namely, that innate relationship with God which makes Him "closer to man than his neck-vein" (50:16). For an explanation of the subsequent reference to "what God has bidden to be joined", see surah {13}.

To summaries the meaning of Ayat 27 we should know that it is essential for us to maintain the relationships which the Shari’ah has commanded us to keep intact, and that it is forbidden to break them. Indeed, religion itself signifies the divinely ordained laws which bind us to fulfill our obligations with regard to Allah (Huquq-Allah) and with regard to His servants (Huquq al-‘Ibad). According to this ayat, the fundamental cause of disorder in human society is the sundering of these relationships.

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.

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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.

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.

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