Do the Evil Doers suppose that they will escape the Divine Grasp?

The world has ever been more of oppression than justice and peace. The notion of might is right has always been true and the oppressors always dominated. The powerful always find ways and means to punish the meek and weak with their evil machinations.  Those who are oppressed, weary of their oppressed way of life, often think why doesn't God rein in the treacherous beings and bring them to Divine justice.

The world has never changed from stone age to today's so called developed world. Today we see nations and people oppressed while the world conscious sleeps. The oppressor always thinks that he is getting away with his evil doings, for despite their oppressive designs, no lightening from sky bolts on them and wipes them out for world to live in peace. And they continue to live in palatial abodes and utter prosperity. Does that mean that Divine Justice protects the evil? Well this is what the weak and oppressed think.

But men of true faith never lose hope and remain patient for no one is beyond the Divine Grasp and sooner or later the tyrants and the demagogues are holed up and punished so severely that they would have never imagined. They have faith that God permits leases time to the wicked, so that get a chance to repent.  We have recently shared a post "Why does Allah give leverage to the tyrants and demagogues" based on the 45th verse / ayat of Surah 35. Fatir. Today we share another similar verse from Surah 29. Ankabut - The Spider (verse 4):

اَمۡ حَسِبَ الَّذِيۡنَ يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ السَّيِّاٰتِ اَنۡ يَّسۡبِقُوۡنَا​ ؕ سَآءَ مَا يَحۡكُمُوۡنَ‏ 

(29:4) Do the evil-doers suppose that they will get the better of Us? How evil is their judgement! 

This may refer to all those people who disobey Allah's Commands though this was particularly implies those wicked chiefs of the Quraish, who were in the forefront in their antagonism to Islam and persecution of the converts to Islam, e.g. Walid .bin Mughirah, Abu Jahl, `Utbah, Shaibah,`Uqbah bin Abi Mu`ait, Hanzalah bin Wail, etc. Here the context itself requires that after exhorting the Muslims to patience and fortitude against the trials and tests, those people also should be chided and scolded, who were persecuting the believers." 

It may also mean: "...that they will escape Our grasp." The words yasbiquna " يَّسۡبِقُوۡنَا " in the original may have two meanings: (1)`Whatever we will (i.e. the success of the mission of Our Messenger) should meet with failure, and whatever they wish (i.e. to frustrate the mission of Our Messenger) should be accomplished;" and (2) "We may want to seize them for their excesses and they should be able to escape and get out of Our reach.

However, the verse  has relevance even today when all over the world the weak nations are oppressed, kept under tighter control of bigger nations, the demagogues of another kind on the pretext of the safeguard of their interest. Do they think that people of Kashmir, Palestine, Afghanistan and Myanmar can be oppressed forever? In the end everything is ends as planned by  Allah and evil machinations of worldly gods fail and crumble miserably.

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

If the enemies of Truth imagine that they will "be first" by destroying Truth before it takes root, they are sadly at fault, for their own persecution may help to plant Allah's Truth more firmly in men's hearts.

Explanation Javed Ahmed Ghamidi:

This is a reference to the people who were targeting the weak Muslims through oppression and persecution.

( [Alas!] how ill are ) Ie., an ill-judgement in every respect. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

… If they think that God is so weak as to not able to seize them, even then this is an entirely incorrect judgement. And if they think that God is unconcerned about their oppression and injustice, then too they have reached a very wrong conclusion. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 6, 17)

Explanation Qur'an Wiki:

Those who subject the believers to hardship and act wickedly will not escape God’s punishment, even though they may appear strong and victorious. This is again a true promise made by God. No wicked or evil person should think that he can escape. If he does then his judgement is absolutely erroneous. God, who has made tests a general rule to distinguish true believers from false claimants, is the One who has also made punishment of the perpetrators of evil a general rule that never fails. 

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 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. 

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 | 

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.

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Be Always Thankful to Allah

Life has never been easygoing for everyone. One encounters ups and downs, facing hurdles and sometimes almost being in hitting against a wall like situations. But ever imagines that while everything around looked so unfavorable, suddenly there was an ease and all the misty fog cleared in no time or a help came from a corner you never expected?

I have encountered many a unfavorable situations and it looked as if that was the end of me. But then suddenly every odds against me disappeared and I saw the bright sunshine. It looked as if nothing ever happened. And this has not been once but many times. You know who saved and protected me and you in such grave situations? 

It was none but Allah who protected us.  Although, Allah could punish us for being in a situation because of our misdeeds or wrongdoings for He has the ultimate capacity and power  to punish us. Yet He lets us free, save us from situations which could have ruined us.  Ever wondered how many times it happened? I for myself know it was umpteen number of times - rather I do not know how many times I was saved.

Even other than being saved from hard situations, we are blessed with countless blessings in the form of our families, Rizq, shelter, and countless verities of food and fruits for which we seldom thank Allah. What if Allah takes these away from us - can we protest or fight back? Never. So let us keep thanking Him as much as we can for in thanking Him, our blessings will increase. 

But do I thank Allah enough? Did I not momentarily thought of my misdeeds and thanked Allah and then after a awhile forgot about saying even " اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ " - All praise and is due only to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى‎) - which is all about gratitude in every aspect of life.

Allah reminds the believers of His countless mercies and favours unto that even if try to count, we would certainly lose the counting:

وَاِنۡ تَعُدُّوۡا نِعۡمَةَ اللّٰهِ لَا تُحۡصُوۡهَاؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَـغَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ‏ 

For, were you to count the favours of Allah, you will not be able to count them. Surely Allah is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful. [16:18]

In the verse above, quoted from Surah 16. An Nahl (The ants), two attributes of Allah have been mentioned:  اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَـغَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ‏ "“Forgiving and Compassionate.”

In the verse above, it is being said: Though Allah goes on showering countless blessings upon people, they behave in an ungrateful, faithless and rebellious manner towards Him. He does not punish them immediately, but gives them respite, for He is Forgiving and Compassionate. This is true of both individuals and communities. There are people, who deny even the existence of God, yet He goes on bestowing His favors on them for years. There are others who set up partners with Him in his attributes, power and rights, and show their gratitude to others than Him for His blessings, yet He does not withhold His favors from them. There are still others who profess to acknowledge Him as their Creator and Benefactor, yet rebel against Him and are disobedient to Him and consider freedom from Him to be their birth right, but in spite of all this He continues to shower His countless blessings on them as long as they live.

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. 

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.

Photo | References: | 1 | 

Please refer to our Quick Reference Pages to know more about Islam, Qur'an and Sunnah.

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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Allah creates doors that did not exist before

In one's life there come many a occasion when one feels hit against a wall and nothing seems to be working out in his favour. Every corner from where he could expect help seems to be obscured and all the supposed help hands gradually retract, leave one all alone, depressed, dejected and demoralized. 

Under such trying times, many lose hope of any help and may even end their lives in sheer desperation. But men of faith never ever lose hope for they know that no matter what, there shall be help from Allah for He is the Creator of everything that exists and He never shirk from patronizing His creations and takes care of them, though in His own way. So He "CREATES" doors that never existed before. Taken metaphorically one may see avenues opening and pulling him into  one of them and opening other vistas for him. But spiritually, it is Allah Who injects ideas and guided tips into one's otherwise puzzled mind that open knots and help in clearing the thought process so that one can work on options he would have never thought before.

This creating and opening of doors is one of the many attributes of Allah: Al Fattah " الْفَتَّاحُ ", the Opener, the Revealer and the Informer. Thus when does not find any ray of hope to take him of his hard times, and he really believes that Allah will come to his help, Allah opens up his mind and lets him see things and ideas that were hitherto obscured from him.

The word for "Fattah" comes from the root word fataha (فتاحة). Fataha means to open, grant, explain, disclose, to make victorious or let out. The name of first surah of the Quran, Al-Fatiha, is based on this same root, and is generally translated as The Opener, or The Opening. The Arabic word miftâhî, translated as key, means that which opens or unlocks, is also based on this same root.

And when help or mercy of Allah is accorded to the people, none can withhold it. That is once a door of opportunity has been created, none other than Allah can close it. It will remain opened so long a man believes and has firm faith in Allah. The 2nd verse of Surah 35. Al Fatir explains:

مَا يَفۡتَحِ اللّٰهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِنۡ رَّحۡمَةٍ فَلَا مُمۡسِكَ لَهَا ۚ وَمَا يُمۡسِكۡ ۙ فَلَا مُرۡسِلَ لَهٗ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِه ؕ وَهُوَ الۡعَزِيۡزُ الۡحَكِيۡمُ‏ 

(35:2) Whatever Mercy Allah accords to people, none can withhold; and whatever He withholds, no other will be able to release after Him. He is Most Mighty, Most Wise.

This is also meant to remove the misunderstanding of the polytheists, who believed that from among the servants of Allah, someone gave them the provision, someone the children and someone health to their patients. All these superstitions of shirk are baseless, and the pure truth is just that whatever of mercy reaches the people, reaches to them only through Allah Almighty’s bounty and grace. No one else has the power either to bestow it or to withhold it. This theme has been expressed at many places in the Quran and the Ahadith in different ways so that man may avoid the humiliation of begging at every door and at every shrine and may realize that making or marring of his destiny is in the power of One Allah alone and of none else.

“He is the All-Mighty”: He is dominant and the owner of Sovereignty: none can stop His judgments from being enforced. Also “He is All-Wise”: every act of His is based on wisdom. When He gives somebody something He gives because it is demanded by wisdom, and when He withholds something from somebody, He withholds it because it would be against wisdom to give it.

That means one can only rely on Divine help in testing times and when in distress one should never lose sight of Divine Help which is always at hand provided one invokes Allah's mercy and having form faith in getting out of his miseries.

Allah, the Al Fattah, also unties the knots of a confused mind when one is pitched against two ways: The Right One and the one of the one of those who were wretched and despite knowing the truth chose the way to blazing fire of hell. A mind which has openness and fertility, will certainly chose the Sirat al Mustaqeem, the straight guiding path and is always blessed.  

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.

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.

Photo | Resource references: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

For more Q&A about Understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam - Frequently asked Q&A

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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O ye children of Adam! Wear Raiment of Modesty and Righteousness

Islam is often mocked for its women clad in layers of clothes and wearing of Hijab. Many non Muslims countries have banned wearing of Hijab and Muslim women are often harassed for their attire and there are many incidents of unruly men snatching away their headdress and scarves.

For many communities, raiment is not taken as a means to cover their shame but to prevent weather hazards and as a mean of adornment and a means to add to their beauty. While generally men are modestly dressed, it is the women who wear inviting clothes, sometimes barely covering their bodies and making them a kind of show piece for every one to gaze on. 

Let us see what are the reasons for our raiment:.[1]

• Adornment: Added decoration or ornamentation.
• Protection: Clothing that provides physical safeguards to the body, preventing harm from climate and environment.
• Identification: Establishing who someone is or what they do.
• Modesty: Covering the body according to the code of decency established by society.
• Status: One's position or rank in comparison to others.

Of the above, adornment and modesty are two conflicting factors. Mostly modesty is sacrificed for sake of adornment as a means of attraction. That is why revealing dresses are generally worn which perhaps are the main cause of many ills in the society. And this trend is not new. Even in pre Islam Arabia, men and women used to circumambulate naked when taking rounds around  the Kaaba. And if today, if we want to surf for naked, there will 99% women and hardly 1% men. 

One's attire and raiment is "THE" difference between modesty and immodesty. In order to ensure modesty and ensure a dress code of  righteousness, Qur'an at many places advocates usage of one's raiment to properly cover one's shame and nakedness. The following 26th verse of Surah 7. Al A'raf cautions man to ensure a dress code of righteousness and modesty:

يٰبَنِىۡۤ اٰدَمَ قَدۡ اَنۡزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمۡ لِبَاسًا يُّوَارِىۡ سَوۡاٰتِكُمۡ وَرِيۡشًا​ ؕ وَلِبَاسُ التَّقۡوٰى ۙ ذٰ لِكَ خَيۡرٌ​ ؕ ذٰ لِكَ مِنۡ اٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَذَّكَّرُوۡنَ‏ 

(7:26) O ye children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame as well as to be an adornment to you but the raiment of righteousness that is the best. Such are among the signs of Allah that they may receive admonition! 

In this passage, the Qur'an has used the story of Adam and Eve for the eradication of the evil of nakedness. Satan had seduced the Arabs of the pre-Islamic period into believing that clothing was meant merely for the purpose of decorating and protecting the body from the hardships of weather. Accordingly they totally disregarded its real purpose and paid no heed to cover their shameful parts and did not hesitate to uncover them before others in the open. Above all, they would go round the Ka'abah in perfect nudity during the Haj season; and their women were even more shameless than their men. That was because they considered it a religious act and did this as if it were a virtuous deed.

The whole human race has been addressed because this evil was not confined to the Arabs alone but many people of the world had been (and even today are) guilty of this. Therefore the whole human race has been warned, as if to say, "O children of Adam! Nudity is a clear manifestation of the fact that you have been seduced by Satan. As you have discarded the Guidance of your Lord, and rejected the Message of His Prophets, you have given yourselves up to Satan who has misled you from the way of natural modesty into that shameful state, in which he intended to mislead your first parents. If you consider it seriously, you will come to the inevitable conclusion that you can neither understand rightly the demands of your nature nor fulfill them without the Guidance of the Messengers." 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir:  (Bestowing Raiment and Adornment on Mankind)

Allah reminds His servants that He has given them Libas and Rish. Libas refers to the clothes that are used to cover the private parts, while Rish refers to the outer adornments used for purposes of beautification. Therefore, the first type is essential while the second type is complimentary. Ibn Jarir said that Rish includes furniture and outer clothes. 

`Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam commented on the Ayah, (وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَى and the Libas (raiment) of Taqwa...) "When one fears Allah, Allah covers his errors. Hence the `Libas of Taqwa' (that the Ayah mentions).''

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

The body: is pure and beautiful, as long as it is not defiled by misuse: its clothing and ornaments may be good or meretricious, according to the motives in the mind and character: if good, they arc the symbols of purity and beauty: but the best clothing and ornament we could have comes from righteousness, which covers the nakedness of sin, and adorns us with virtues.

Explanation Qur'an Wiki:

The first address to the children of Adam speaks of the affliction caused to their first father, and of God’s grace when He ordered human beings to wear clothes, to cover their nakedness, and gave them fine garments pleasing to the eye.

`Abd al-Raĥmān ibn Aslam, an early scholar, says: “When a person fears God, he covers his nakedness. Thus he clothes himself with the robe of piety.” In divine law, then, there is a close relationship between garments that a person wears to cover his nakedness and to give himself a fine appearance on the one hand and fearing God and being pious on the other. Both are garments, with one covering mental or abstract nakedness and the other physical nakedness. Both give a human being a fine appearance and both go together. When a person is conscious of God and feels ashamed to appear in a way which is unpleasing to Him, he feels physical nakedness to be abhorrent and shies away from it. On the other hand, a person who feels no sense of shame in front of God and does not fear Him is one who does not hesitate to appear naked or to call people to do likewise. Being modest and covering one’s body are not matters of social tradition, as claimed by those who try to destroy the humanity of people by attacking their sense of shame and chastity in order to carry out the wicked designs of the Protocol of the Elders of Zion. To have a sense of shame is something that God has implanted in human nature and embodied in His law which He sent down to be implemented in human life. He has made them able to implement this law by giving them talents, abilities and provisions.

 

God reminds the children of Adam of His grace as He requires them to cover their nakedness with dress in order to protect their humanity against sinking to the level of animals. Everything He has facilitated for them is also an aspect of His grace. He reminds them of it “so that they may reflect.” (Verse 26) 

Tafsir Javed Ahmed Ghamidi:

The implication is that just as God has created things from which a person’s external attire is made, in the same way He has inspired those facts in his soul with which his inner attire is made. This is the attire of piety which a human is adorned with and then sent in this world. For this purpose, God has ingrained in him his fear, sense of worship and the feeling of modesty and chastity. This inner attire is composed from these elements and is far above the outer one. In fact, it is when the outer attire is made from motives that spring from the inner attire that it makes human beings truly human and humane. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

... It is the person whom God out of His grace adorns with this garment who looks truly graceful and majestic. Such a person is an angel in human form. Whoever sees him, instantly cries out: مَا هٰذَا بَشَرًاﵧ اِنْ هٰذَا٘ اِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيْمٌ. (31:12) (this is not a human being; this is but a noble angel.) (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 3, 245)

(It is a sign from among the signs of God so that people may be reminded)  Ie., they be reminded that a person’s outer attire too should be in accordance with the inner one. The signs of God are found in the world outside a hu,an being and that within him as well. It is his responsibility to seek guidance from them. The revelations of the Qur’ān at many places direct his attention to these signs.

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 our outer and inner self be modest and that of righteousness. Aneen

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

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

Which category of people are you?

Man can conveniently be divided into two main categories: The obedient who are true believers and disobedient with weak faith or even non believers. And then again we have obedient living a happy and contended life and others living in misery or poverty. Likewise there are disobedient who have gone astray or non believers who are living a life one can only envy or those in distress and misery. If these are the main categories and sub categories, have you ever pondered where do you fall in and why?

Let us dwell on this a little in the light of relevant verses of Al Qur'an:

The Obedient and True Believers living a happy and contended life

This is but obvious that those who are men of true faith and obey every commandment of Allah are the most blessed for obvious reasons. The 97th verse of Surah 16. An-Nahl explains the life of these people:

مَنۡ عَمِلَ صَالِحًـا مِّنۡ ذَكَرٍ اَوۡ اُنۡثٰى وَهُوَ مُؤۡمِنٌ فَلَـنُحۡيِيَنَّهٗ حَيٰوةً طَيِّبَةً​ ۚ وَلَـنَجۡزِيَـنَّهُمۡ اَجۡرَهُمۡ بِاَحۡسَنِ مَا كَانُوۡا يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ‏ 

(16:97) Whosoever acts righteously - whether a man or a woman - and embraces belief, We will surely grant him a good life; and will surely grant such persons their reward according to the best of their deeds.

The Obedient - True Believers yet living a hard life

The second category of believers are of those who despite having complete faith in Allah, but are in misery and their life is full of tests and hurdle. Yet they cling to their faith and take their life as it comes from Allah. 

These people can be sub divided into two sub categories;

• Believers who are patient and remain steadfast in all trying conditions as mentioned in 155th verse of Surah Al Baqarah (The Cow):

 وَلَـنَبۡلُوَنَّكُمۡ بِشَىۡءٍ مِّنَ الۡخَـوۡفِ وَالۡجُـوۡعِ وَنَقۡصٍ مِّنَ الۡاَمۡوَالِ وَالۡاَنۡفُسِ وَالثَّمَرٰتِؕ وَبَشِّرِ الصّٰبِرِيۡنَۙ‏ 

(2:155) We shall certainly test you by afflicting you with fear, hunger, loss of properties and lives and fruits. Give glad tidings, then, to those who remain patient;

• The second sub category of these people are of those who have faultered somewhere and are ignorant of their faults and thus fail to repent and ask forgiveness from Allah. That is why Allah puts them to test to awaken them so that they return to their faith.  (سورة السجدة 21 )

وَلَنـُذِيۡقَنَّهُمۡ مِّنَ الۡعَذَابِ الۡاَدۡنٰى دُوۡنَ الۡعَذَابِ الۡاَكۡبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُوۡنَ‏ 

(32:21) We shall certainly have them taste some chastisement in this world in addition to the greater chastisement (of the Hereafter); perhaps they will retract (from their transgression).

The life of those who disobey Allah or are negators of Allah's commandments. These are divided into two sub categories:

• Those living a miserable life: For obvious reasons who shun Allah's guidance and are bent upon caring less about the punishment in the life of the hereafter are certainly given the taste of their disbelief. These people are mentioned in 124th verse of Surah Ta Ha:

وَمَنۡ اَعۡرَضَ عَنۡ ذِكۡرِىۡ فَاِنَّ لَـهٗ مَعِيۡشَةً ضَنۡكًا وَّنَحۡشُرُهٗ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ اَعۡمٰى‏ 

(20:124) But whosoever turns away from this Admonition from Me shall have a straitened life; We shall raise him blind on the Day of Resurrection,"

• The second category of these disobedient people are those who live a life of comfort and care less for any Divine guidance. For such disobediently people Allah cautions them that though they are being given a leverage, the day cannot be far when all of sudden they will incur heavy losses and will never be able to recover. These are the most miserly people who having lived a life everyone else envied, suddenly fall from grace with nothing in their hands. If such people do not realize their artificial pride and return to Allah, they will be the worst of man ever. Fate of such people is mentioned in the 44th verse of Surah 6. Al-An'am:

فَلَمَّا نَسُوۡا مَا ذُكِّرُوۡا بِهٖ فَتَحۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ اَبۡوَابَ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ ؕ حَتّٰٓى اِذَا فَرِحُوۡا بِمَاۤ اُوۡتُوۡۤا اَخَذۡنٰهُمۡ بَغۡتَةً فَاِذَا هُمۡ مُّبۡلِسُوۡنَ‏ 

(6:44) So, when they forgot what they had been reminded of, We opened the gates of all things so that while they rejoiced in what they had been granted We seized them suddenly and they were plunged into utter despair.

These are the four categories of people, one of which we are, and the rest three we see in our every day's life. Try to be the ones who are the blessed ones, men of true faith and observance of all Divine Laws as contained in the Qur'an and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Let us pray that we are not tested for tests of Allah are very tough and we will never be as strong faith as required to undergo these tests. And if we are misguided or have been derailed from the Sirat al Mustaqeem, the Straight Path, then let us get back to it as early as possible, repenting and asking forgiveness of Allah. And be rest assured that Allah, our Creator, is extremely merciful and is ever ready and compassionate to welcomes anyone who repents and falls back to him forgivingly.

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. 

Photo |  For more Q&A about Understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam - Frequently asked Q&A. You may also refer to our Quick Reference Pages to know more about Islam, Qur'an and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

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.

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

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Can one True God Have associated Gods

There has always been a concept of One Supreme Being in all religions of the world. Hinduism which is said to be the oldest religion also has a concept of one God. Hindus recognize one God, Brahman, the eternal origin who is the cause and foundation of all existence. as for the Divine Religions, all prophets from Adam through Noah, Abraham, Moses and even Christ profess to worship One True God. And this goes on to Islam, the last of the Divine Religions as well.

But perhaps man could not comprehend with the idea of One God managing the entire universe. So Hindus came up with sub gods to address matters related to every walk of life, like health, fires, rains, and so on. So from here on the division commences of having Associated Gods to one True God.

After revelation of the Psalms and Torah, revealed on Prophets Dawood (David) and Musa (Moses, may peace be upon them) came the Bible which is attributed to the Prophet Eesa (Jesus Christ, peace be upon him). Jesus proclaimed that there was one God, the God he worshipped and asked his followers to worship his God alone:

The Bible clearly tells us there is only one God. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

A similar verse appears in the 72nd verse of Surah 5. Al-Maida which shuns any idea of any worldly or even heavenly being to be at par with Allah and He alone wields His power over all His creations: 

لَقَدۡ كَفَرَ الَّذِيۡنَ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّ اللّٰهَ هُوَ الۡمَسِيۡحُ ابۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ​ ؕ وَقَالَ الۡمَسِيۡحُ يٰبَنِىۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ اعۡبُدُوا اللّٰهَ رَبِّىۡ وَرَبَّكُمۡ​ ؕ اِنَّهٗ مَنۡ يُّشۡرِكۡ بِاللّٰهِ فَقَدۡ حَرَّمَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيۡهِ الۡجَـنَّةَ وَمَاۡوٰٮهُ النَّارُ​ ؕ وَمَا لِلظّٰلِمِيۡنَ مِنۡ اَنۡصَارٍ‏ 

(5:72) And surely they disbelieved when they said: 'Christ, the son of Mary, is indeed God'; whereas Christ had said: 'Children of Israel! Serve Allah, Who is your Lord and my Lord.' Allah has forbidden Paradise to those who associate anything with Him in His divinity and their refuge shall be the Fire. No one will be able to help such wrong-doers.

Now coming back to associates of God (may God forbid):

The Hindus while believing in one God, found it strange that one God would manage the countless affairs of the universe and mankind. So they made mini Gods responsible for affairs like health, rain, children, wealth, wind, fire, water etcetera. [1]

Likewise, Christians too taking the advantage of extra ordinary birth of the Christ, call God as Father. The Bible clearly tells us there is only one God. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). At the same time, we encounter multiple passages in the Bible that show that the one God consists of more persons. While they believe that The term Trinity is not used in the Bible. Yet they drive implied meaning of verses to stress that one God in three persons is very true. [2]

So while Hindus have specified charter of duties of their associated deities, Christians take all three, that is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, at par with each other.  This thus is tantamount to "Shirk" as far teachings of Islam or even that of Torah and Psalms are concerned where there is associate(s) of God, for the God is alone, omnipotent and wield His powers all by Himself. He does not need no one else to run the affairs of the world but He. And if at all Concept of Trinity was true, then why didn't Christ spelt it so in clear and unambiguous words or why the concept of Trinity does not form part of Bible?

Verse 255 (also called "Ayat-al-Kursi") of Surah 2. Al Baqarah (The Cow) explains the many attributes of Allah:

( 255 )   Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

In the above quoted verse from Qur'an, God clearly tells mankind that there is no deity except Him and  Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. That He is awake to watch over whatever happens in His domain, which is the entire Universe, and yet He does not need anyone to administer His domain or "Help Him in doing so."

It may be added here that one of the major causes of Christians reverting to Islam is their doubts over the concept of Trinity for they feel that no one else can be at par or be an associate of One True God.  So now we have to decide what logic says and how we decide to accept One True God as all by Himself.

This is a big point to ponder upon without being prejudiced.

Disclaimer: The post is based on the concept of One True God as it appears in Qur'an and all other Divine Scriptures without inclusions of additions which even many people believe that those are based on implied meanings, whereas the Divine Commandments are very concise, clear and direct and these do not leave any ambiguity as to their meaning. The purpose is not to undermine any religion or ideas or concepts but to put across view point based on Divine Commandments as contained in Qur'an and interpretation of Godly concepts of other religions.

For more posts, please refer to our reference page: Islam and the rest of the World. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Supported References: | 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. 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 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.

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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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

Please read our two previous posts as a premise to Repentance and Forgiveness:

• Repentance
• Understanding concept of Tauba and Astaghfar (Repentance and Forgiveness) in Islam

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)
• Two verses in Qur'an that reassure a sinner of Allah's boundless mercy and forgiveness (Surah 4. An-Nisaa:110 - also Surah 3. Al-i'Imran:135)
• 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

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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Behold! the only [true] religion in the sight of God is Islam [man's self-surrender unto Him]

No knowledge comes to man instantly. Students seeking the ultimate knowledge in a particular field have to gradually climb up the ladder, absorbing knowledge from initials to intermediaries and then finally reaching out to the basics of their selected field. Even from then on yet another journey into Indepth knowledge of their selected field sets which may not complete even many years and decades thereafter.

The spread of religions is no different. The onset of Divine Religions that began with Prophet Adam (may peace be upon him) passed hands through many a prophets of Allah, like Nuh (Noah), Ibraheem (Abraham) and his two offspring, Dawood (David), Musa (Moses) and Eesa (Christ). So far the preliminaries were targeted at people of particular areas and communities. When the Divine message had been drilled into hearts and minds of everyone, the final religion "Islam" was revealed to the last of the prophets, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.  Islam thus became the final religion from God to all of the mankind till the world remains before Day of Resurrection. And it is from then on that scholars of advance pursuits are deciphering the many hidden meanings contained therein the Al Qur'an to know more about God, universe and its future. 

However, the followers of previous religions, instead of bowing to the Divine Commandment with regard to the final religion, cling on to the previous religions and continue to find ways and means to shoot down Islam. The following 19th verse of Surah 3. Al-i'Imran (The family of Imran) is about those people who try to differ from the Godly commandments. In fact this verse is a warning to all those who deny the truth of God's message:

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.

اِنَّ الدِّیۡنَ عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ الۡاِسۡلَامُ ۟ وَ مَا اخۡتَلَفَ الَّذِیۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡکِتٰبَ اِلَّا مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَہُمُ الۡعِلۡمُ بَغۡیًۢا بَیۡنَہُمۡ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّکۡفُرۡ بِاٰیٰتِ اللّٰہِ فَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ سَرِیۡعُ الۡحِسَابِ

Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is Islam [man's self-surrender unto Him]; and those who were vouchsafed revelation aforetime took, out of mutual jealousy, to divergent views [on this point] only after knowledge [thereof] had come unto them. But as for him who denies the truth of God's messages-behold, God is swift in reckoning!

(The true religion with Allah is Islam)  It implies that in the sight of Allah there is only one correct system and one right way of life for man. It is this: 

Man should worship Allah, acknowledge Him as his Master and surrender himself completely to Him in His worship and service. He should not invent his own way of worship but should faithfully follow that Guidance alone which Allah has revealed through His Messengers, without adding anything to or taking away anything from it. 

This way of thinking and behaving is called "Islam." And it is the absolute right of the Creator and the Master of the Universe that He should not accept as lawful from His subjects, His own creation, any way other than Islam. One might ignorantly think it to be one's right to follow any system, atheism, idolatry, etc., but the Ruler of the Universe will regard this behaviour as rebellious.  

(The People of the Book adopted many different ways rather than follow the true way of Islam even after the knowledge of truth had reached them, and this merely to commit excesses against one another) It means that originally Islam and Islam alone was professed and preached by every Messenger who was sent by Allah at any time in any comer of the world. Hence any Scripture sent down to any community in any language taught the same Islam. Afterwards, the people distorted this original religion and added to it something to suit their interests or to gratify their lusts, and omitted those things from it which went against their interests. They invented new religions just because they wanted to transgress the prescribed limits and run after undue privileges and gains and distinctions. Thus they made changes in the beliefs, principles and injunctions of the true Faith to make it subservient to their own desires and lusts.

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.) Allah states that there is no religion accepted with Him from any person, except Islam. Islam includes obeying all of the Messengers until Muhammad who finalized their commission, thus closing all paths to Allah except through Muhammad . Therefore, after Allah sent Muhammad , whoever meets Allah following a path other than Muhammad's, it will not be accepted of him. 

In another Ayah, Allah said: (And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him) [3:85].

In this Ayah Allah said, asserting that the only religion accepted with Him is Islam (Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.) Allah then states that those who were given the Scripture beforehand divided in the religion after Allah sent the Messengers and revealed the Books to them providing them the necessary proofs to not do so. 

Allah said, (Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except out of rivalry, after knowledge had come to them.) meaning, some of them wronged others. Therefore, they differed over the truth, out of envy, hatred and enmity for each other. This hatred made some of them defy those whom they hated even if they were correct. 

Allah then said, (And whoever disbelieves in the Ayat of Allah) meaning, whoever rejects what Allah sent down in His Book, (then surely, Allah is Swift in reckoning.) Allah will punish him for his rejection, reckon him for his denial, and torment him for defying His Book. 

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

(Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man's] self-surrender unto Him; and those who were vouchsafed revelation aforetime)  Most of the classical commentators are of the opinion that the people referred to are the followers of the Bible, or of parts of it - i.e., the Jews and the Christians. It is, however, highly probable that this passage bears a wider import and relates to all communities which base their views on a revealed scripture, extant in a partially corrupted form, with parts of it entirely lost.

( took, out of mutual jealousy, to divergent views [on this point] only after knowledge [thereof] had come unto them) I.e., all these communities at first subscribed to the doctrine of God's oneness and held that man's self-surrender to Him (Islam in its original connotation) is the essence of all true religion. Their subsequent divergencies were an outcome of sectarian pride and mutual exclusiveness.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

 The implication is that the religion of the Jews and Christians was also Islam. From the very beginning, the Almighty revealed the same religion to His prophets and messengers. He did not reveal any religion other than Islam to them. The religions which today exist in the name of Judaism and Christianity have come into being only after their followers have created dissensions in what Islam originally was.

Explanation Qur'an Wiki:

The sūrah now moves on to establish the logical result that since there is only one God, then all worship must be addressed to that one God: “The only true faith acceptable to God is [man’s] self-surrender to Him.” The oneness of the Divine Being requires that all submission must be to Him. There is nothing in people’s minds or in their lives which is not subject to God’s authority. The oneness of God means that there is only One Being who has the right to set values and standards for people, to require them to submit to Him, obey Him, implement the legislation He has enacted for them in all the affairs of their lives. There is only one faith, namely, pure submission to God alone, which is acceptable to Him.

 

When we state that the only true faith acceptable to God is self- surrender to Him, we mean true Islam. This is not merely a claim to be stated, a flag to be raised or a detached academic concept to be discussed which does not stir hearts or minds, or even a set of acts of worship such as Prayer, fasting and pilgrimage. This is not the sort of Islam which God describes as the only faith acceptable to Him. True Islam means complete obedience, total submission to God and the implementation of His revelations in human life, as will be stated presently in the same Qur’ānic text.

 

Their disputes did not arise out of ignorance of the truth. They had been given certain knowledge of God’s oneness and the fact that He is the only Lord in the universe. They were also given the knowledge they needed about human nature and true submission to God. They simply disagreed “through mutual aggression” when they abandoned the course of justice embodied in the faith and the law God revealed to them. A timely and appropriately stern warning is then given: “He who denies God’s revelations will find that God is indeed swift in reckoning.” Disagreement over the truism of the oneness of God is thus considered a denial and rejection of God’s revelations. The rejecters are here threatened with swift reckoning in order that people do not persist with their disbelief, denials and disputes.

And in reply to this verse, Allah ordains Prophet Muhammad to tell those who dispute him in the following verse:

فَاِنۡ حَآجُّوۡكَ فَقُلۡ اَسۡلَمۡتُ وَجۡهِىَ لِلّٰهِ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِ​ؕ وَقُل لِّلَّذِيۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡكِتٰبَ وَالۡاُمِّيّٖنَ ءَاَسۡلَمۡتُمۡ​ؕ فَاِنۡ اَسۡلَمُوۡا فَقَدِ اهۡتَدَوْا ​ۚ وَاِنۡ تَوَلَّوۡا فَاِنَّمَا عَلَيۡكَ الۡبَلٰغُ ​ ؕ وَاللّٰهُ بَصِيۡرٌۢ بِالۡعِبَادِ‏ 

(3:20) And if they remonstrate with you, tell them: 'I have submitted my whole being to Allah, and so have those who follow me.' And ask the People of the Book as well as those who follow no heavenly Scripture: 'Have you also submitted (to Allah)?' If they have submitted to Him, they are indeed on the right way but if they deviate from submitting to Allah, then your duty is merely to deliver the message. Allah observes the affairs of His servants.

Please listen to explanation of the ayats 19-21 by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:

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.

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

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

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

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