,_

Quran Nisab
2013-2014


rditqur-nd-.om

List of Contents
Page No. Nisab Month Sl. No.
3 Namaz: Surah Bani Israel 78-84 Apr 2013 1
13 Message of Meraaj: Surah Bani Israel 23-30 May 2013 2
20 Fasting: Surah Al Baqara 183-187 Jun 2013 3
32 Infaaq: Surah Al Baqara 261-266 Jul 2013 4
40 Story of Adam and Hawwa: Surah Al Baqara 30-39 Aug 2013 5
54 Hajj: Surah Al Baqara 197-203 Sep 2013 6
59 Ijtimaiyat: Surah Aale Imraan 102-104 Oct 2013 7
62 Akhirath: Surah Qaaf 20-35 Nov 2013 8
73 Responsibilities of Women: Surah Al Ahzab 32-35 Dec 2013 9
94 Commentary of on the battle of Uhud: Aale Imraan 169-175 Jan 2014 10
99 Nifaaq: Surah Al Nisa 142-147 Feb 2014 11
105 Guidelines for a good society: Surah Al Hujurat 10-13 Mar 2014 12
Surah Introduction
133 Surah Bani Israel (Isra) 1
137 Surah Al Baqara 2
146 Surah Aale Imraan 3
153 Surah Qaaf 4
156 Surah Al Ahzab 5
178 Surah Al Nisa 6
186 Surah Al Hujurat 7








78. Establish prayer
`91
from
the decline of the sun
`92
to
the darkness of the night,
`93
and (recite) the Quran
`94
at
dawn. Indeed, (reciting) the
Quran at dawn is ever
witnessed.
`95

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`91 The Muslims have been commanded to establish Salat
immediately after the mention of obstacles and adversities.
This implies that the perseverance required to face adverse
circumstances is obtained by the establishment of Salat.
`92 We have translated the words of the Arabic text into
~the declining of the sun. Though some of the companions
and their followers are of the opinion that it means ~the
sunset, the ma jority of them are of the opinion that it
means ~the declining of the sun from its zenith. Umar,
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Quran Nisab (April 2013)
Namaz
Surah Bani Israeel (Isra), Verse 78-84
3
Ibn Umar, Anas bin Malik, Abu Barza-tal-Aslami, Hasan
Basri, Shaabi, Ata, Mujahid a nd, according to a tradition,
Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them all) are of this
opinion and Imam Muhammad Baqir and Imam 1aafar
Sadiq also are of the same opinion. Besides this, there are
some traditions from the Prophet (peace be upon him) to
the same effect, though they are not so authentic.
`93 According to some, the ori ginal words of the Arabic
text mean ~darkness of the night, while others take it to
mean ~midnight. If the first opinion is accepted, it will
imply ~the beginning of the time of the salatul-isha, the isha
prayer and according to the other it will mean ~the last
limit of the time of salatul-isha.
`94 The literal meaning of the word fajr is dawn, that is,
~the beginning of the morning after the darkness of night.
Here the ~recital of the Quran in the morning stands for
the salatul-fajr, the morning pra yer. At some places the
Quran has used the word salat for prayer and at other
places a particular part of sa lat for prayer as a whole, e.g.
tasbih, hamd, zikr, qayam, ruku, sajud etc. Likewise, here
~recital of the Quran at dawn does not mean the mere
recital of the Quran but its recital during the salatul-fajr.
Thus, the Quran has also incidentall y referred to the
different parts of which salat is composed and these guided
the Prophet (peace be upon him) to prescribe the definite
form of salat in which it is performed by the Muslims.
`95 The recital of the Quran at dawn is witnessed by the
angels of Allah to testify it as has been explained in the
traditions. Though the angels witness each prayer and each
4
good deed, the special mention of their bein g witnesses at
the time of the recital of the Quran during the salatul-fajr
gives it a particular importance. That is why the Prophet
(peace be upon him) used to recite long passages from the
Quran during the salatul-fajr. His example was followed by
the companions, and the succeeding Muslim scholars held it
to be a desirable thing.
In this verse, it has been briefly stated how to establish salat
which was made obligatory at the prescribed timings on the
occasion of Miraj. It has been ordained that the first prayer
is to be offered before the sunrise and the remainin g four
after the declining of the sun till the darkness of the ni ght.
Afterwards Angel 1ibril was sent to the Prophet (peace be
upon him) to define the limits of the timings of each prayer.
According to a tradition of Abu Daud and Tirmizi related
by Ibn Abbas, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 1ibril
led me in the five prayers twice near the Kaabah. On the
first day, he offered the Duhr pra yer just after the
declining of the sun, when the shadow of everything was the
shortest. Then he offered the Asr pra yer when the shadow
of each thing was equal to its own length, then the Ma ghrib
prayer at the time when one breaks hiss fast, and the Isha
prayer was offered just at the time when twili ght had
disappeared, and Fajr pra yer at the time when it becomes
unlawful to eat and drink anything for the one who intends
to observe a fast. The next day he offered the Dhuhr prayer
at the time when the shadow of each thing became equal to
its own length and the Asr pra yer when the shadow had
doubled. The Maghrib pra yer was offered as on the
5
previous day and the Isha prayer when one third of the
night had passed away, and the Fajr pra yer when light had
spread all over. After this 1ibril turned towards me and
said: O Muhammad, these are the timings of salat of the
Prophets and the right tunings are between these two
extreme limits.
The Quran has also pointed to these five times of Salat on
different occasions:
(1) And listen; establish salat at the two ends of the day and
in the early parts of the night (Surah At-Tauba, Ayat 114).
(2) And glorify your Lord with His praise before the
sunrise (Fajr) and before sunset (Asr) and then glorify Him
during the night (Isha) and then at the ends of the da y
(Fajr, Dhuhr and Maghrib). (Surah Taaha, Ayat 130).
(3) So glorify Allah when it is evenin g for you (Maghrib),
and when it is morning (Fajr). Praise is onl y for Him in the
heavens and the earth and glorify him in the later part of
the afternoon (Asr) and in the afternoon (Dhuhr). (Surah
Ar-Room, Ayats 17-18).
There is great wisdom in this system of the timings of salat.
One of these is to avoid the timin gs of the worship of the
sun worshipers. This is because the sun has alwa ys been in
every age one of the greatest deities of the mushriks, who
worshiped it especiall y at the time of sunrise and sunset.
Therefore, these two times have totall y been forbidden for
salat. Besides this, they worshiped the sun at the time of its
zenith. That is wh y Islam has ordained that the Muslims
should offer their two prayers during the day time after the
sun has declined and the Fajr pra yer before the sunrise.
6
The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself has stated this
wisdom of the timings of prayer in several traditions. For
instance, in the tradition related by Amar bin Abasah, the
Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have replied to
a question to this effect: Offer your morning pra yer, but
refrain from it when the sun is about to rise until it has
risen high. For the sun rises between the horns of Satan and
the unbelievers fall prostrate before it at that time.
Then after mentioning the Asr prayer, he said: After Asr
prayer, refrain from any prayer until the sunset, for during
that time the sun sets between the horns of Satan and the
unbelievers fall prostrate before it.
The rising and the settin g of the sun between the horns of
Satan is a s ymbolic expression that has been used in this
tradition. This implies that both these times are used b y
Satan as temptations for the people. This is, as if to say:
that Satan is so pleased with the worship of the unbelievers
at the time of sunrise and sunset that he appears to carr y
the sun on his head as a mark of approval. This
interpretation of the tradition is based on this remark of
the Prophet (peace be upon him): The unbelievers fall
prostrate before it.
79. And at night, wake up
and pray
`96
with (Quran) it,
an additional pra yer for
you.
`97
It ma y be that your
Lord will raise you to an
honored position.
`98

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`96 The literal meaning of tahajjud is to rise up by breaking
7
sleep. Therefore, it means: Rise up from sleep after the
passing of a part of night and then offer your prayer.
`97 Nafl literally means: Something done in addition to an
obligatory duty. This shows that the tahajjud prayer is in
addition to the five prescribed prayers.
`98 ~Will raise you to an honored position. You ma y
attain such a hi gh position in this world and in the next
world that people from ever ywhere may be full of praise
for you, and you may become a praiseworthy personality.
This is, as if to say: Now your opponents are en gaged in
calling you names and are trying to defame you throughout
the country, and have raised a stor m of false accusations
against you but that time is not far when the world will ring
with the echoes of your praise and in the Hereafter you will
become worthy of praise by all creatures. The exaltation of
the Prophet (peace be upon him) to the hi gh position of
intercession on the Day of Re surrection is also a part of
that honored position.
80. And say: ~My Lord,
cause to enter me with
a true entrance, and to
exit me with a true exit.
`99
And grant me from Your
presence a supportin g
authority.
`100

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`99 This pra yer clearly shows that the time of Hi jrah
(Migration) had come near. That is wh y Allah has
instructed the Prophet (peace be upon him) to this effect:
8
You should follow the truth wherever and in whatever
condition you be. If you migrate from a place, you should
migrate for the sake of the truth, and wherever you go, you
should go for the sake of the truth.
`100 That is, either grant me power and authorit y or make
some government my helper so that I ma y use its power to
reform the corrupt world. This is because power is
required to check indecency and sin and to enforce the law
of justice.
Hasan Basri and Qatadah have made the same
interpretation of this verse, and the great commentators
like Ibn 1arir and Ibn Kathir have adopted the same. This
is supported by a tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon
him): Allah eradicates b y the power of government those
evils, which are not eradicated b y the teachin gs of the
Quran. This is a clear proof that accordin g to Islam,
political power is also required to introduce reform, for
admonition alone is not enough for this. Besides this, when
Allah Himself has taught this prayer to His Prophet (peace
be upon him) for the establishment of His wa y and
enforcement of His law, it is not only lawful but desirable to
acquire power and those, who consider this to be a worldl y
thing, are obviousl y in the wron g. What is reall y
worldliness is that one should desire and acquire power for
his own interest. On the contrary, the desire of power for
the sake of Allah`s wa y is not the worship of the world but
the worship of God.
81. And sa y: ~Truth has
come and falsehood has
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9
vanished away. Indeed,
falsehood is ever bound to
vanish.
`101

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`101 At the time of this declaration, the persecution of the
Muslims was at its hei ght. A lar ge number of them had
emigrated to Habash, and those who had remained behind
were suffering from untold hardships at Makkah and its
suburbs: so much so that the life of the Prophet (peace be
upon him) himself was always in dan ger. Therefore, to all
appearances, falsehood was prevailin g everywhere and
there was no si gn to show that the truth would ever
overpower falsehood. That is wh y the disbelievers took it
for a boastful talk and scoffed at it when this declaration
was made. But this prophecy of victory did come out true in
less than a decade when the Prophet (peace be upon him)
entered the same city of Makkah as a conqueror, and
entered the Kabah where he made the same declaration
while he was breaking the three hundred and sixt y idols.
According to a tradition of Bukhari, related by Abdullah
bin Masud: On the da y of the conquest of Makkah the
Prophet (peace be upon him) went on striking idols and
uttering these words: The truth has come and falsehood has
vanished; for falsehood is a thin g that must by its nature
vanish. The truth has come and falsehood will never
reappear nor return.
82. And We send down of
the Quran that which is a
healing and a mercy for those
who believe. And it does not
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10
increase but loss to the wrong
doers.
`102

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`102 That is, those people who make the Quran their guide
and their book of law, are favored with the blessin g of
Allah and are cured of all their mental, ps ychological,
moral and cultural diseases. On the other hand, those
wicked people who re ject this and turn their back on its
guidance, in fact, are unjust to themselves. Therefore, the
Quran does not allow them to remain even in that bad
condition in which the y were before its revelation or its
knowledge but involves them in a greater loss than before.
This is because before the revelation of the Quran or their
acquaintance with it, they suffered from ignorance alone
but when the Quran came before them and made distinct
the difference between truth and falsehood, no excuse was
left with them to remain in their previous condition of
ignorance. After this, if the y reject its guidance and persist
in their deviation, it is a clear proof that the y are not
ignorant but workers of iniquit y and worshipers of
falsehood, which are averse to the truth. For then their
position is of the one who, when presented both poison and
elixir, makes a choice of poison. Therefore, they themselves
are in that cast full y responsible for their deviation and
whatever crimes the y commit after that, shall incur their
full punishment. It is obvious that the consequent loss of
wickedness must be far greater than the loss of i gnorance.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) has summed this up in
this concise and comprehensive sentence: The Quran is
either an argument in your favor or against you.
11
83. And when We bestow
favor upon man, he turns
away and drifts off to one
side. And when evil touches
him, he is in despair.
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84. Say: ~Each one does
according to his rule of
conduct. And your Lord
knows best him who is best
guided on the way.
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12
23. And your Lord has
decreed
*25
that you worship
none except Him,
*26
and
(show) kindness to parents.
If they attain old age
(while) with you, one of
them or both of them, do
not say to them a word of
disrespect, nor shout at
them, and speak to them a
gracious word.
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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Quran Nisab (May 2013)
Message of Me'raaj
Surah Bani Israeel (Isra), Verse 23-30
13
*25 In the succeeding verses, those main basic principles
have been put forward on which Islam desires to build the
entire structure of human life. These form the manifesto of
the invitation of the Prophet (peace be upon him) declared
by him at the end of the Makki stage of his mission, and the
eve of the new stage at Al-Madinah so that it should be
known to all that the new Islamic society and state were
going to be built on such and such ideological, moral,
cultural economic and legal principles. (Please also refer to
Ayats 151-153 and E.Ns thereof of Surah Al-Anaam).
*26 This commandment is very comprehensive. It prohibits
not only the worship of anyone except Allah but also
implies that one should obey and serve and submit to Allah
alone without question. One should accept His
commandments and law alone to be worthy of obedience
and His authority to be supreme above all. This was not
merely an instruction confined to a religious creed and
individual practice but it served as the foundation of the
moral, cultural, and political system which was practically
established in Al-Madinah by the Prophet (peace be upon
him). Its first and foremost principle was that Allah alone is
the Master, Sovereign and Law-giver.
24. And lower unto them the
wing of submission through
mercy, and say: My Lord,
have mercy on them both as
they did care for me (when I
was) little.
*27
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*27 This verse enjoins that after Allahs right, the greatest
14
of all the human rights is the right of parents. Therefore,
the children should obey and serve and respect their
parents. The collective morality of society should make it
incumbent on children to be grateful and respectful to their
parents, they should serve them as they nursed and brought
them up in their childhood. Above all, this verse is not
merely a moral recommendation but is the basis of the
rights and powers of parents the details of which we find in
the Books of Hadith and Fiqh. Moreover, respectful
behavior and obedience to and observance of the rights of
parents comprise the most important element of the
material education and moral training in the Islamic
society and civilization. Incidentally, all these things have
determined forever the principle that the Islamic state shall
make the family life sound and secure by laws,
administrative regulations and educational policy and
prevent its disintegration.
25. Your Lord is best
aware of what is within
yourselves. If you should be
righteous, then indeed He is
ever Forgiving to those who
turn (to Him).
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26. And give to the near of
kin his right, and the needy,
and the wayfarer, and do
not squander (your wealth)
extravagantly.
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15
27. Indeed, the squanderers
are brothers of Satan, and
Satan is ever ungrateful to
his Lord.
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28. And if you have to turn
away from them (needy),
awaiting mercy from your
Lord, which you expect, then
speak to them a word of
kindness.
*28
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*28 These three articles are meant to impress that a man
should not reserve his earnings and his wealth exclusively
for his own person. He should do his utmost to fulfill his
own necessities of life in a moderate way and render the
rights of his relatives, neighbors and other needy persons as
well. This attitude will help create the spirit of cooperation,
sympathy and justice in the collective Islamic life. Thus
every relative will cooperate with the other and every rich
person will help the needy in his neighborhood and a
wayfarer would find himself an honorable guest among
generous hosts. The conception of rights should be so
extensive that every person should consider that all other
human beings have rights on his person and his property so
that he should serve them with the idea that he is rendering
their rights and is not doing any favor to them. In that case
one would beg pardon of the other if he was unable to serve
him and would pray to God to send his blessings upon him
16
to enable him to serve His servants.
These articles of the Islamic manifesto were not merely
confined to moral teachings but these formed the basis of
the commandments of Zakat and voluntary charity. The
laws of inheritance and of making will and endowments
were based on these articles. The rights of the orphans were
determined by these and it was made obligatory on every
habitation to entertain a wayfarer gratis for at least three
days. Subsequently the whole moral system was formed so
as to create the feelings of generosity, sympathy and
cooperation. So much so that the people began to realize
the importance of and observe voluntarily the moral rights
which could neither be demanded legally nor enforced by
law.
29. And do not keep
your hand fastened to your
neck, nor outspread it
altogether widespread, for
you will then be sitting
rebuked, destitute.
*29
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*29 And do not keep your hand fastened to your neck,
means: Do not be parsimonious. Nor outspread it
altogether widespread means: Do not be extravagant. The
Quran desires the people to follow the golden mean, i.e.
they should neither be so parsimonious as to prevent the
circulation of wealth nor so extravagant as to destroy their
own economy. On the contrary, they should learn to behave
in a balanced manner so that they should spend money
wherever it should be spent and refrain from becoming
17
spendthrifts so as to involve themselves into trouble. As a
matter of fact, it is ingratitude towards Allahs favor to
spend money for the sake of show, luxury and sinful acts
and similar things which are neither mans real necessities
nor useful. Therefore, those people who spend money
lavishly on such things as these are the brethren of Satan.
These clauses too, are not merely meant to be moral
instructions for individuals. They are intended to safeguard
the Islamic society against extravagance by moral
instruction, collective pressure and legal restrictions.
Accordingly, in the Islamic state of Al-Madinah, practical
steps were taken to safeguard the community against
extravagance. First, many forms of extravagance and
luxury were forbidden by law. Secondly, legal measures
were taken against it. Thirdly, social reforms were
introduced to put an end to those customs which involved
extravagance. The government was empowered to prevent
people from the obvious forms of extravagance. Above all,
Zakat and voluntary charity helped to break parsimony
and the lust of hoarding money. Besides these measures, a
public opinion was created that enabled the people to
discriminate between generosity and extravagance and
thrift and parsimony: so much so that parsimonious people
were looked down upon as ignominious and the thrifty
people were regarded as honorable. This moral and mental
attitude became a part and parcel of the Muslim society,
and even today the parsimonious people and hoarders are
looked down upon in the Muslim society, while the
generous people are respected everywhere.
18
30. Indeed, your Lord
enlarges the provision for
whom He wills, and straitens
(it for whom He wills).
Indeed, He is All Knower, All
Seer of His servants.
*30
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*30 That is, man cannot realize the wisdom of the disparity
of wealth among the people. Therefore, man should not try
to interfere by artificial means with the natural distribution
of wealth. It is wrong to level down natural inequality or to
aggravate it by artificial means so as to make it unjust.
Both the extremes are wrong. The best economic system is
that which is established on the divine Way of the division
of wealth.
As a result of the realization of the wisdom of economic
disparity, no such problems arose which might have made
that disparity an evil in itself so as to demand the creation
of a classless society. On the contrary, in the righteous
society established at Al-Madinah on these divine principles
which are akin to human nature, the economic differences
were not artificially disturbed. But by means of moral and
legal reforms these became the means of many moral,
spiritual and cultural blessings and benefits instead of
becoming the means of injustice. Thus, the wisdom of the
disparity created by the Creator of the Universe was
practically demonstrated at Al-Madinah.
19
183. O those who believe,
fasting is prescribed
for you, as it was
prescribed for those before
you, that you may become
righteous.
*183
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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Quran Nisab (1une 2013)
Fasting

Surah Al Baqara, Verse 183-187
20
*183 Islam proceeded step by step and by degrees in the
imposition of its obligatory duties. The same was done in
the case of fasting. At first the Prophet (peace be upon him)
advised the Muslims to observe fasts only for three days in
a month but this was not obligatory. Then in the second
year of the Hijrah, this command (Ayat 183) about fasting
in the month of Ramadan was revealed. This, however, left
an option for those who were able to fast but did not. They
were required to feed one poor man as an expiation of one
days fasting (Ayat 184). Then later, the final
commandment contained in the next verse (Ayat 185)
modified this, and the concession for able-bodied people
was withdrawn, but retained for a sick person or wayfarer
and by analogy for a pregnant or a suckling woman and for
those old people who were not able to fast.
In a lengthy statement quoted by lmam Ahmad bin Hanbal,
Muaaz bin Jabal says: The Salat and the fasting took their
present form gradually. At first the Muslims faced
Jerusalem during the Salat but after some years they were
commanded to turn their faces towards the Kabah in
Makkah. Besides this, at first they used to inform one
another about the time of each Salat but afterwards the
same was proclaimed by means of Azan (the call for
prayer). As to the fasting, when the Prophet (peace be
upon him) migrated to Al-Madinah, he observed fasts for
three days in a month and also on the tenth of Muharram.
Then Allah made it obligatory to fast during the whole
month of Ramadan but allowed the feeding of one person
as an expiation for one who did not observe fasts, though he
21
could. Afterwards this concession of feeding one person for
one day of fast was cancelled in the case of healthy persons
and the one not on a journey.
Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud and other scholars have also
quoted traditions from Aishah, Abdullah bin Umar, and
Abdullah bin Masud (may Allah be pleased with them) to
the same effect. In support of the same, Ibn Jarir Tabari, a
famous commentator of the Quran, has quoted traditions
citing the authority in full from several companions and
their followers. In one of these traditions, he quotes the
following explanation of Muaz bin Jabal: As the Arabs
were not used to of fasting, it was hard for them at first to
observe fasts. They were, therefore, given the option to feed
one poor person on the day they did not observe fast during
the month of Ramadan. Afterwards, a commandment was
revealed, cancelling this concession except in the case of a
sick person or one on a journey. He quotes another
tradition from Ibn Abbas to this effect. In the first
commandment (Ayat 184), Allah had allowed expiation for
fasts even for an able-bodied person who could fast but did
not. In verse 185 which was revealed next year, the
concession for an able-bodied person was cancelled but was
retained for a sick person or a wayfarer.
184. (Fasting) a certain
number of days. So whoever
among you is sick, or on a
journey, then an equal
number of other days (should
be made up). And for those
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22
who can afford it there is a
ransom, the feeding of a
needy person. Then whoever
does good of his own
accord,
*184
so it is better for
him. And that you fast, it is
better for you if only you
knew.
*185
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*184 Good of his own accord, to feed more than one
person for each fasting day, or to feed one as well as
observe the fast.
*185 The first commandment about fasting contained in
Ayats 183-184 was revealed in the second year of Hijrah
before the battle of Badr. The subsequent verses were
revealed a year later but were inserted here because they
dealt with the same matter.
185. The month of Ramadan
is that in which the
Quran was revealed, a
guidance for mankind, and
clear proofs of guidance,
and the criterion. So
whoever of you witnesses
(this) month, then he
must fast (in) it. And
whoever is sick or on a
journey, then an equal
number of other days
(should be made up).
*186
`: !.. _. _ . ,
`,1l _.> _!.ll ..,
_. _.l !l _.
.: `>.. :l ..,l _.
! !.,. _ls .
:.- _. ,!`, > .,`, <
23
Allah intends for you ease,
and He does not intend
hardship for you, and (He
wants) that you should
complete the count, and
that you should glorify Allah
for having guided you, and
that you may be grateful
(to Him).
*187
`, `.`,l .,`, ` ,
.`-l l..l :.-l
.l < _ls !.
>..> l-l _`>:
__
*186 It has been left to the option of the individual to
observe or not to observe fasts during a journey. Some of
the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
observed fasts and some did not when they were on a
journey with him and neither raised any objection against
the other. The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself
sometimes observed fasts on a journey and sometimes did
not. Once he saw people gathered around a man who had
fallen to the ground and asked what was the matter with
him. He was told that he had become too weak to stand on
account of observing fasts; he remarked that it was no
virtue to observe fasts in such a condition.
During war time, The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to
issue orders for postponing the fasts. Umar (may Allah be
pleased with him) has related that they did not observe
fasts twice during the month of Ramadan when they went
to war under the command of the Prophet (peace be upon
him), on the occasion of the battle of Badr and at the
conquest of Makkah. Ibn Umar says that on the eve of the
conquest of Makkah, the Prophet (peace be upon him)
24
declared, As we are going to fight our enemy you should
postpone your fasts so that you may conserve your strength
to fight. There is no clear injunction from the Prophet
(peace be upon him) for the prescription of a minimum
standard of distance for postponing the fasts. His
companions also differed in practice with regard to the
standard. But it is obvious that the fast may be postponed
for that distance which is commonly understood to be a
journey and in which one begins to feel being on a journey.
There is a difference of opinion as to whether the people of
a city, which is attacked by an enemy, can postpone the
fasting for the sake of Jihad, in spite of being the residents.
Some scholars do not allow this. But Imam Ibn Taimiyyah
has maintained with strong arguments that postponement
of the fasting under such circumstances is permissible.
*187 Allah is so bountiful that He does not want to deprive
His servants of the blessings of fasting. Therefore, He has
not confined it to the month of Ramadan but has opened
another way for its completion for those who fail to
complete it during this month for genuine reasons. They
should make up the deficiency by observing fast on other
days in order to show their gratitude for the revelation of
the Quran during the month of Ramadan.
It is clear from this verse that fasting in Ramadan has been
prescribed not only as a form of worship and a training for
piety, but also to show gratitude for the great blessing of
the revelation of the Quran during the month of Ramadan.
And the best way to show gratitude for a favor is to fulfill
the object for which it was bestowed and to prepare oneself
25
for its completion as best as one can. The object for which
Allah has bestowed the Quran upon us is to reveal His will
so that we may fulfill it ourselves and persuade others to do
the same. Fasting provides the best training for the
fulfillment of this object and is both a devotion and a sign
of gratitude for the favor shown in the form of the Quran.
186. And when My servants
ask you about Me, then
indeed I am near. I respond
to the invocations of the
suppliant when he calls upon
Me. So let them respond to
Me,
*188
and let them believe
in Me, that they may be
guided.
*189
:| ;l! . _:!,s _.s _.|
, ,> :s: _. :|
!s: ,,>.`.,l _| `..`,l
_ l-l _.:, __
*188 That is, although you cannot see Me nor perceive Me
with your senses, yet you must never imagine that I am far
from you. Nay, I am so near to every servant of Mine that
he can invoke Me and place his request before Me
wherever he is. So much so that I hear and answer even
those requests which are not expressed in words but are
made only in the innermost heart. As to the false and
impotent gods you have created in your ignorance and
folly, you have to travel to them, and even then they do not
hear and answer you. But here am I, the sovereign, the
absolute ruler of the boundless universe and possessor of all
powers and authority, so near to hear and answer you that
you need no recommendation of intercession for making
any request anywhere at any time you like. Therefore, you
26
should free yourselves from the folly of running from door
to door after false gods, and accept My invitation and turn
to Me and trust in Me and submit to Me and become My
servants.
*189 That is, they may learn this truth from you and adopt
the right attitude, in which lies their own good.
187. It has been made
lawful for you in the night
of the fasting to go in unto
your wives. They are as a
garment for you, and you
are as a garment for
them.
*190
Allah knows that
you were deceiving
yourselves, so He has
turned to you and forgave
you. So now have intimate
relations with them,
*191
and
seek that which Allah has
decreed for you.
*192
And
eat and drink until, it
becomes distinct to you the
white thread from the
black thread of the dawn.
*193
Then complete the fast till
the nightfall.
*194
And do not
have intimate relations with
them (your wives) while you
are in Itikaf (confining
_> l ,l ,! ,.l
l _|| >!. _> _!,l
>l .. _!,l _l l. <
. `.. _.!.>
.. ,!. >,l. !s
>. s _.:l! _>:., -.,
!. . < >l l
,. _.> _,,., `>l 1,>'
'_,, _. 1,>' :`. _.
>l . .. !,.l _||
_,l _>:.,. `..
>.s _ .>...l ;l.
27
yourselves) in the
mosques.
*195
These are the
limits by Allah, so approach
them not.
*196
Thus does Allah
make clear His verses to
mankind that they may
become righteous.
:.`> < !>,1. ;l.
_,,`, < ...,, _!.ll
`l-l _1`., __
*190 That is, just as nothing can intervene between the
clothes and the body and each fits into the other naturally,
so is the relation between the husband and the wife: each is
a means of comfort, protection and happiness for the other.
*191 Although, at first there was no clear injunction
forbidding intercourse between husband and wife during
the nights of Ramadan, yet the Muslims had a vague notion
that it was not lawful to do so and it was with a guilty
conscience that sometimes some of them went to bed with
their wives. There was thus a danger of developing a
criminal and sinful mental attitude. Therefore, Allah first
warned them of their dishonest behavior towards their
conscience and then made it lawful so that they might do it
with a clear conscience.
*192 There was also a misunderstanding about the timings
of eating and drinking during Ramadan. Some people were
of the opinion that eating and drinking was prohibited after
the Isha (night) prayer up to sunset of the next day. Others
thought that one was permitted to eat and drink as long as
one kept awake after the Isha prayer, but could not do so
after one had fallen asleep; they were often put to great
inconvenience on account of these notions of their own
28
creation. In this verse their misunderstandings were
removed and the duration of the period of fasting was fixed
from the dawn of the morning to the sunset, and eating and
drinking and intercourse with wives were permitted from
sunset to dawn. Besides, the Prophet (peace be upon him)
instructed that a meal should be taken before the dawn (of
morning) as a preparation for fasting.
*193 Islam has set a standard of time for its practices which
can be applied universally by people at every stage of
civilization and in every part of the globe. That is why it
does not fix the boundary lines of its religious practices by
watches and clocks but by clear signs in the sky. This is a
standard which can suit the people of every age and
country, and can be set by watches between these
prescribed bounds to suit their circumstances and
convenience. But those people who do not understand its
philosophy raise foolish objections. For example, they say
that this standard cannot work near the Poles, because
there the duration of the day and the night is of many
months. They forget that even in the polar regions, the
signs of morning and evening and midnight appear as
regularly as in other places and the inhabitants regulate the
timings of work, play, sleep, etc. in accordance with the
appearance of these signs. When there were no watches and
clocks, the inhabitants of the Arctic Circle fixed their
timings by these signs. Thus when these signs can help them
to fix the timings in other matters of life, they can also serve
them to fix the timings of the prayer and of the
commencement and end of the fasting.
29
*194 Then complete the fast till nightfall means: Your
fast ends where the boundary of the night begins. It is
obvious that the boundary line of the night begins at sunset:
therefore the fast should be broken at the time of sunset for
which we should look at the eastern horizon. If we see the
darkness of the night rising up there, it is a signal for the
breaking of the fast. In the same way, the rising of the white
streak of the morning in the eastern horizon is a signal for
the beginning of the fast.
It must be clearly understood that in the Islamic code of
law there are no hard and fast limits, exact to the second or
minute, for the duration of the fast. There is great latitude
in both the limits. Differences of a minute or a second
either way do not make the fast defective. The fast becomes
complete as soon as the darkness of night begins to rise in
the east. It should, therefore, be broken at sunset. In the
same way, when the dawn of the morning appears in the
eastern horizon, the boundary line begins for observing the
fast and eating and drinking, should be stopped. But here,
too, there is an allowance for one to finish ones meal even
though the dawn of the morning might have appeared, if
one could not wake up in time for it. There is a tradition of
the Prophet (peace be upon him) to this effect: If one,
while taking his meals, hears the call for the morning
prayer (or the sound of the siren as in our age) for
beginning the fast, one should not withdraw ones hand
immediately from food, but should finish the meal.
Likewise, one is enjoined to break the fast without delay as
soon as the dark line of the night appears in the east.
30
*195 Itikaf is a special voluntary practice of devotion
during the last ten days of the month of Ramadan. One
confines oneself to a mosque and devotes ones whole time
to prayer and meditation in addition to the prescribed
obligatory religious duties. One is required to abstain from
all worldly pursuits, desires, lusts, etc., and is not to leave
the mosque except to attend to the call of nature etc.
*196 The wordings of the commandment about the extreme
limits is very significant. It not only prohibits one from
transgressing them but also warns one not even to go near
them. It is very dangerous to roam about on the boundary
lines of the forbidden territory for one is liable to enter into
it by mistake. Going near them has, therefore, been
prohibited. The Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasized
the same point, saying, Every king has some reserved land
and Allahs reserved land is bounded by those limits which
prescribe the lawful and the unlawful, the right and the
wrong. The animal which grazes near the last bounds of the
reserved land might one day enter into it. It is a pity that in
spite of this clear warning, many people, who are ignorant
of the spirit of Islamic law, persist in going to the extreme
limits and many learned people try to find excuses for them
from the same Islamic code of law that warns the Muslims
not to go near the boundary line. That is why many people
get involved in vice and stray from the straight path.
Obviously, it is not an easy thing to demarcate these fine
boundary lines and to control oneself from transgressing
them, when one is roaming near them.
31
261. The example of those
who spend their wealth
`298
in the Way of Allah
`299
is
as the example of a grain
(of corn), it grows seven
ears, in each ear is a hundred
grains. And Allah increases
`_.. _. 1.`, `l . _
_,,. < _:. ,> .,.
_,. _,!.. _ _ ,.. .!.
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Quran Nisab (1uly 2013)
Infaaq

Surah Al Baqara, Verse 261-266
manifold for whom He
wills. And Allah is All
Encompassing, All
Knower.
`300

,> < -..`, _.l ',! :
< _ . ' ,l. __
32
`298 In the address which be gan with verse 243, the
believers were exhorted to make sacrifices of life and
property for the success of the great and noble cause the y
believed in. After strengthening their faith in Allah, for
whose cause the y were required to make sacrifices, the
same theme has been resumed from this verse, and
instructions have been given for the development of that
attitude which is essential for makin g such sacrifices. It is
obvious that people cannot make monetar y sacrifices for a
moral cause unless their economic point of view is totall y
changed. The materialists, who live and die in order to
amass wealth and wei gh everything in the scales of profit
and loss, can never be expected to spend an ything for
higher ends. Even when the y seem to be spending for some
noble cause, they do so after calculatin g how far it would
benefit their tribe, their own person or their nation.
Obviously with such a mental attitude, one cannot move
even a step forward in the Way of Allah. In order to uplift
the word of Allah, one has to spend one`s life, ener gy and
wealth, irrespective of an y worldly gain or loss. This wa y
requires a broad view, great courage, a bi g heart and,
above all, a sincere desire to win Allah`s approval.
Moreover, it requires radical chan ges in the social s ystem
in order to eradicate the materialistic moralit y and create
spiritual values instead. That is wh y from here on up to
verse 281, instructions have been given for the creation of
that kind of moral attitude.
33
`299 All that wealth which is spent in accordance with the
divine law and only for the achievement of Allah`s approval
is spent in the Way of Allah, even thou gh it mi ght have
been spent for one`s own needs or those of one`s relatives or
for the indigent or for public works or for the propa gation
of Islam or for 1ihad.
`300 As Allah has limitless resources and knows
everything, one must rest assured that the more sincere one
is and the deeper feelin gs of devotion one has in spendin g
the wealth in the Way of Allah, the greater will be the
reward one will get from Him. One must have a firm
conviction that Allah, who produces seven hundred grains
from one grain, has most surel y the power of developin g
the charity seven hundredfold.
After stating this fact, two attributes of Allah have been
specially mentioned in this connection to show that the
resources of Allah are boundless and He is able to reward
deeds to the extent they deserve, and to show that He knows
everything and is not unaware of what is spent and with
what intention. Therefore there is absolutel y no risk of
losing one`s due reward.
262. Those who spend their
wealth in the cause of Allah,
then do not follow what
they have spent with
reminders of generosity, nor
(with) abuse. For them their
_. 1.`, l. _
_,,. < . `-,.`, !.
1. !.. _: >
34
reward is with their Lord.
And there shall be no fear
upon them, nor shall the y
grieve.
`301

>` > .. s , .>
`,l. > _.`>, ___
`301 There is neither an y fear of losing their due reward
nor shall there ever come a time when the y will regret what
they have spent.
263. A kind word and
forgiveness are better than
charity followed b y hurt.
And Allah is Self
Sufficient, Forbearing.
`302

_ .`-. :-. ,> _.
.. !`-,., _: < _.s
',l> ___
`302 This implies two things. First, Allah does not stand in
need of anybody`s charity, for He is self-sufficient.
Secondly, He likes those people who are generous, but does
not like frivolous and narrow-minded people, for He
Himself is generous, clement and forbearin g. How, then
Allah, who bestows on the people the necessities of life
without stint, and forgives and pardons them over and over
again in spite of their errors, would like those who mar the
self-respect of a person b y sending repeated reminders of
their charity and makin g pointed references to it even
though they themselves might have given only a small
thing.
A tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him) says that on
the Day of resurrection, Allah will neither speak a word
nor even so much as look at a person who makes pointed
references to the gift he gave to someone.
35
264. O those who believe,
Do not render in vain your
charities by reminders of
your generosity and hurting,
as him who spends his
wealth to be seen by the
people, and does not believe
in Allah and the Last
Day.
`303
So his example is
as the example of a smooth
rock upon which is dust,
then a heavy rain falls
upon it, which leaves it
bare.
`304
They are not able
upon anything of what the y
have earned. And Allah does
not guide the ungrateful
people.
`305

! ,!., _. `.., lL,.
>.... _.l!, _:
_.ll _.`, .`!. ,!. _!.l
_.`, <!, ,,l >
.`:. _:. . ,ls
',. .,!.! _, ..
.. _'.1, _ls ,`_ :
!.. ,. < _.,
1l _.>l ___
`303 His h ypocrisy itself clearl y shows that he does not
believe in Allah and the Hereafter. The ver y fact that he
practices charity so as to be seen by men, shows that the y
are his gods (and not Allah), from whom he expects to get
his reward. A h ypocrite does neither expect an y reward
from God nor he believes that one da y all deeds will be
judged and rewarded.
`304 In this parable the rain is the charity. The hard
barren rock on which the rain falls is the evil intention with
which that charity is practiced. The thin la yer of the earth
is the seeming virtue which hides the evil intention. Though
36
rainfall makes the crop grow, it do es actual harm, if it fall s
on a rock which has onl y a thin la yer of soil on it, b y
washing away even that thin soil and leaving the rock bare.
In the same wa y, though charity has the power of
developing virtue, it fails to do so, if it is not practiced with
good intentions. Without these thin gs the wealth spent in
charity is nothing more than the wealth wasted like the
rainfall on the rock with a thin layer of soil.
`305 The word kafir here stands for the un grateful person.
Anyone who does not spend the wealth given to him b y
Allah in His Way and for His pleasure but spends it to gain
approbation from people, is an ungrateful wretch because
he forgets the favor of Allah. It is equall y true of him who
spends something in the Way of Allah but at the same time
does harm to the recipient. When such a person himself
does not want His approval, it is not Allah`s will to show
him the Way of His approval.
265. And the example of
those who spend their wealth
seeking the pleasure of Allah,
and to strengthen their own
selves, is as the example of
a garden on a high ground.
A heavy rain falls upon it,
so it brin gs forth its fruit
twice as much. And if the
heavy rain does not fall
upon it, then a drizzle (is
sufficient).
`306
And Allah is
`_.. _. _1.`, `l .
,!-., ,!.. < !.,:.
_. .. _:. _.> :,,
!,!. _, .!: !l
_,-. | l !,.`, _,
_L < !., l.-. ,.,
37
All Seer of what you do.
___
`306 Heavy rainfall is that charity which is practiced with
the best intentions and the deepest feelings of devotion.
The light shower or drizzle is that charit y which, though
sincere, does not have that much depth and intensit y of
feelings behind it as in the former case.
266. Would any of you
like that there is for
him a garden of palm
trees and grapevines,
rivers flowin g underneath
it, all kinds of fruits
for him in it, and he is
afflicted b y old age,
and he has weak
offspring, then it is
struck by a whirlwind with
fire in it, so that it is
burnt.
`307
Thus does Allah
make clear (His) verses
for you, that you may
give thought.
:, .> _>.
.l .> _. _,>. ,!.s
_>. _. !.`>. `.. .l
!, _. _ ,..l
,!. >l .` `,: ',!-.
!,!.! "!.s| , "!.
.>! .l. _,,`, <
`l ., >l-l
_`>.. ___
`307 That is, it is quite obvious that you do not like the
earnings of your whole life to be consumed at that critical
period of your old age when you need them very badly and
when there is no more chance for you to earn an ything
afresh. Exactly the same shall be your condition when you
enter into the life-after-death without an y provision for it.
38
You shall then realize all of a sudden, like the old man of
the parable, that the earnin gs of your whole life were left
behind in the world and were as useless for you in the other
world as the consumed garden to the old man. Besides this,
you shall find yourself as helpless as the old man of the
parable because in the life-after-death there would be no
more chance for you to earn anything for the next world. If
you do not practice charity etc. in this world in the wa y it
has been en joined, but spend your whole life and its
energies for the interest of this world only. You will meet,
at your death, with the same critical and helpless situation
as the old man of the parable met. He lost his onl y garden,
the earnings of his whole life and the support of his old a ge
at that period of his life when he himself was unable to
plant a new garden, and his children were unable to do
anything because of their tender age.
39
30. And
*36
when your
Lord said to the angels:
*37
Indeed, I will make a
vicegerent
*38
upon the
earth. They said: Will
you place upon it one who
will cause corruption
therein, and will shed
blood,
*39
while we glorify
Your praise and sanctify
You.
*40
He said: Surely, I
know that which you do not
know.
*41
:| _! ., >.l.ll _.|
_sl> _ _ ,l> l!
`_-> !, _. ..`, !,
;`. ,!.. _> _,..
..> '_.1. ;l _! _.|
`ls !. .l-. _
*36 In the foregoing verses, man has been asked to submit
to Allah because He is his Creator and Sustainer and has
power over his life and death, and because He is the Master
and Ruler of the universe in which he lives. In these verses,
he has been exhorted to submit to Him because he is His
vicegerent on the earth. As such, he is not only bound to
serve Him but also to obey and act according to the
guidance sent down by Him. For, if he did not do so and
yielded to the temptations of Satan, his eternal enemy, he
would be guilty of the worst crime of rebellion against
Allah and meet with evil consequences. Incidentally, the
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Quran Nisab (August 2013)
Story of Adam and Hawwa

Surah Al Baqara, Verse 30-39

40
Quran here throws light on the truth about man and his
correct position in the universe and presents the chapter of
human history, which man could not have ascertained in
any other way. The important results that this chapter
yields, are far more precious than the results which man
tries to obtain by excavating miscellaneous bones from the
earth and joining them together by speculation and
conjecture.
*37 Malak: literally means a messenger, which is
translated farishta (angel). Angels are not mere abstract
powers without personality; they are beings with
personalities and are so to speak the agents of Allah, who
employs them for the administration of His Kingdom.
Ignorant people mistook them for associates in Godhead;
others thought they were related to God and started to
worship them as deities.
*38 Khalifah: one who exercises the delegated powers on
behalf of another as his vicegerent. Khalifah thus is not the
master, but deputy of the Master; his powers are not his
own but delegated to him by the real Master. He has
therefore no right to have his own will but he is there to
fulfill the will of the delegating authority. It would be
dishonesty and treason, if he assumed sovereign powers, or
used them according to his own whim, or if he
acknowledged another as his sovereign and submitted to his
will.
*39 This was not an objection but a query raised by the
angels, for the angels dare not object to any scheme of
Allah. From the word Khalifah they had understood that
41
the one, who was about to be created, was going to be
entrusted with some powers, but they could not understand
how an autonomous creature could fit in this totalitarian
system of the universe. They also could not understand how
that part of the universe, in which someone was entrusted
with autonomy, could be free from disorder.
*40 By this, the angels did not mean to say that they should
be entrusted with the vicegerency because they deserved it.
They simply meant to say, We are carrying out orders
obediently, faithfully and earnestly and are keeping the
whole universe clean and in order, and sing hymns of Your
praise and sanctify You as Your humble servants.
Therefore, we are unable to understand what need then is
there for a vicegerent. The word tasbih has a double
meaning: it means to sanctify as well as to work earnestly
and do ones utmost. Similarly taqdis also means both to
sanctify and to purify.
*41 This was the reply to the second doubt of the angels:
You cannot understand the need and wisdom of the
appointment of a vicegerent as I do. Your services do not
suffice for the purpose that I have in view. I want
something more than the services you have mentioned.
That is why I am going to create a being on the earth and
endow him with some powers.
31. And He taught
Adam the names,
*42
all of
them. Then He showed
them to the angels and
said: Inform Me of the
l. :, ,!.- ! l .
.. _ls >.l.l _!1
_.:,. ,!.`.!, , .> | ..
42
names of these, if you
are truthful.
_,... _
*42 Nomenclature is the means by which human mind
grasps the knowledge of things. Hence, the whole
information of man, in fact, consists of assigning names for
things. Thus, teaching Adam the names of all things was
meant to impart their knowledge to him.
32. They said: Glory be to
You, we have no knowledge
except that which You have
taught us.
*43
Indeed, it is
You, All Knower, the All
Wise.
l! ;..>,. l. ! .l |
!. !...ls ;.| . `,l-l
` ,>>' __
*43 It appears that the knowledge of each angel and of each
species of angels is confined only to his or its own special
sphere. For example, the angels who deal with the air,
know everything about the air but nothing about water.
The same is true about the angels who are responsible for
other spheres. In contrast to them, man has been granted
comprehensive knowledge. He may not know as much
about these things as the angels in charge of a special
sphere do but the comprehensiveness of knowledge that
man has been granted has not been granted to the angels.
33. He said: O Adam,
inform them of their
names. Then when he had
informed them of their
names,
*44
He said: Did I
not say to you that I know
_! `:!:., .,. !.-!,
!.l >!,. !.-!, _! l
_ >l _.| `ls ,s
43
the unseen of the heavens
and the earth. And I know
that which you reveal and
that which you have
concealed.
,.,.l _ `l. ! .
.,. !. .. `,.>. __
*44 This demonstration was the answer to the first doubt
of the angels. Thus Allah, so to say, informed them: I am
not giving Adam only authority but also knowledge. The
chaos that you apprehended from his appointment is only
one aspect of the matter. It has its good aspect also, which is
more weighty and valuable than the evil aspect, and a wise
man does not give up a greater good because of a lesser evil.
34. And when We said
to the angels: Prostrate
before Adam, so they
prostrated,
*45
except Iblis.
*46
He refused, and was
arrogant, and he became
of the disbelievers.
*47
:| !.l >.l, ll .>`. :
.>. | _,l,| _
>.`. l _. _.>l
__
*45 This was symbolic of the submission and subjugation
to man of all the angels appointed to manage the earth and
that part of the universe which is connected with it in any
way. As man was being appointed vicegerent in this part
by Allahs command, it was ordained that all the angels,
who worked in it must, as far and as long as Allah willed,
cooperate with him in their respective spheres whether he
wanted to use the powers given to him rightly or wrongly.
This implied: You must help him in whatever he wants to
44
do, irrespective of whether it is right or wrong. If he wants
to commit theft or offer the prayer, or intends to do
another good or evil, you must cooperate with him in both
cases as long as We allow him to act according to his will
and choice. This may be illustrated by the example of a
government officer. He is obeyed within his jurisdiction by
every official but no sooner is he deposed by the
government than those very officials, who carried out his
orders promptly cease to obey him. They even handcuff
him and take him to prison, if the government so orders.
The command given to the angels to bow down before
Adam was in the same nature. Possibly the word sajdah
(bowing down) here is symbolic of only submission, but this
also is possible that the angels were ordered to perform
some such act actually to signify their subordination, and
this seems to be more correct.
*46 Iblis, dejected and desperate. As a term it is the name
of the Jinn who disobeyed Allah and refused to bow down
to Adam as a symbol of subordination to him and his
offspring and asked Allah to grant him the opportunity of
tempting mankind up to the last day. He is also called ash-
Shaitan (Satan). He is not merely an abstract power of evil
but is a being with his own personality like that of man. He
was not an angel as is commonly understood but was one of
the jinn who form a distinct species of their own separate
from the angels. (See Al-Kahf: Ayat 50).
*47 From the words of the text it so appears that probably
Iblis was not alone in refusing to bow down before Adam,
but a group of the jinn also was bent upon disobedience.
45
Iblis has been particularly mentioned because he was their
chief who led the rebellion. But this verse can also be
translated as: He was of the disbelievers. In this case, it
would mean that there already existed a group of rebellious
and disobedient jinn and Iblis belonged to it. The word
shayatin in the Quran has generally been used for these jinn
and their species, and wherever there is no basis for taking
shayatin to imply men, this same jinn satans are implied.
35. And We said: O
Adam, dwell, you and your
wife in the Garden, and eat
there from in abundance,
from wherever you will.
And do not go near this
tree,
*48
lest you become
among the wrongdoers.
*49
! .l `:!:., _>`. .
;`> .>' !.. .s
,> !..:: !,1. :..>
:>:l !.>. _. _,..Ll
__
*48 This shows that Adam and Eve were first kept in the
Garden for a trial of their inclinations before they were to
be sent to the earth, the place where they were appointed as
vicegerent. A tree was chosen for this purpose and they
were forbidden even to go near it. They were duly warned
that if they violated the command, they would be
considered guilty of iniquity in the sight of Allah. The
discussion as to what tree it was and why they were
forbidden to go near it, is unnecessary. They were not
forbidden because there was something intrinsically evil in
the tree itself by which Adam and Eve could be harmed. It
46
was chosen for the purpose of trial to see how far they
remained constant on obedience to Allahs command as
against the temptations of Satan. For this purpose it was
enough to select a tree. That is why Allah has not
mentioned the name and any characteristics of the tree.
The Garden was a very suitable place for this trial because
it was meant to show to man that Paradise alone was the fit
place for Allahs vicegerent, but if he yielded to satanic
temptations, he would deprive himself of it. The only way to
regain it was to oppose the enemy successfully who was
always on the look-out to mislead him.
The tree has not been named or pointed out specifically in
the Quran because there was nothing intrinsically evil in
the tree itself. It was merely chosen for the purpose of trial.
*49 The Arabic word zalim is very comprehensive in its
meaning. Zulm is violation of a right or duty, and zalim is
one who violates a right or duty. Anyone who disobeys
Allah really violates three basic rights. First, he violates the
rights of Allah Who is worthy of obedience. Second, he
violates the rights of all those things and beings whom he
employs in this disobedience, e.g. his own limbs and
faculties, his fellow beings and those angels who contribute
to the fulfillment of his will and all those things which he
uses for the performance of the work of iniquity, for they
have a right to be used only in accordance with the will of
the real Master but it is an act of iniquity, if he abuses the
powers he has over them. Lastly, he violates his own rights
on himself, for his own self has a right that he should do his
best to save it from destruction. He is also guilty of iniquity
47
against himself when he brings the wrath of Allah on
himself by his disobedience. That is why the Quran, in
many places has used the term zulm for sin and zalim for
the sinner.
36. Then Satan made them
slip from there, and caused
them to be expelled from the
state in which they had been.
And We said: Go down,
one of you to the other as
enemy.
*50
And there shall
be for you on earth a
dwelling place and
provision for a time.
! .l! _.L,:l !.s
!.>>! !.. !.l , !.l
L,> _>.- , _- ,l .s
_>l _ _ 1.`.`. _...
_|| _,> __
*50 That is, Satan shall be the adversary of man and man
the adversary of Satan. The fact, that Satan tries his utmost
to beguile man from the path of Allah to the path of
destruction, is a clear proof that he is the arch enemy of
man. On the other side, mans humanity demands that he
should fight Satan as his enemy. But it is a pity that man is
so beguiled by the temptations of Satan that he begins to
take him as his friend. This does not mean that their
mutual enmity has really been changed into friendship. It
only means that man has been beguiled by his opponent
and caught in the snare which has been laid for him.
37. Then Adam received
from his Lord words,
and He accepted his
repentance.
*51
Indeed, He is
_1l. `:, _. ., ..l
,!. ,ls ..| > , `.l
48
the One who forgives, Most
Merciful.
*52
`,>l __
*51 When Adam felt sorry for his guilt and wanted to
repent and return to Allah, he could not find appropriate
words for asking Allahs pardon. Then Allah took pity
upon him on account of his grief and helplessness and
taught him the appropriate words. The Arabic word taubah
means both to turn back and to turn to. When applied
to man, it means that he has turned back from rebellion to
submission, and, when it is ascribed to Allah, it means that
He has again turned with compassion to the penitent
person.
*52 Here the Quran rejects the theory that the
consequences of sin are inevitable and every man shall bear
these anyhow. This is one of those self invented, misleading
theories which have done great harm to humanity. As a
result of this, one loses for ever all hope of reform, when
once one is involved in sin. Even if he feels sorry for a past
sin and wants to make amends for it and changes his life for
the better, this theory confronts him with despair: there is
no hope for you because you are doomed for ever: you must
bear the consequences of what you have done in the past. In
contrast to this, the Quran says, It lies absolutely in
Allahs power to reward a virtue or to punish a sin. If you
are rewarded for a virtue, it is not on account of the natural
result of your virtue, but it is through Allahs grace. He has
full power to reward it or not. In the same way, if you are
punished for a sin, it is not because of the inevitable
consequences of the sin but because Allah has full power to
49
punish or pardon it. Of course, being All-Wise, He does not
use these powers indiscriminately, but takes into
consideration the intention of the doer. If He rewards a
virtue, He does so when He sees that His servant performed
the good deeds to please Him. And if He rejects an
apparent virtue, He does so because He knows that it
lacked sincerity. In the same way, He punishes the crime
which is committed in a spirit of rebellion and is not
followed by self reproach but by an evil desire to commit
more crimes. He, however, exercises His grace, and
forgives the sins for which His servant feels sorry and
makes up his mind to change for the better. It is thus clear
that the rejection of the theory of the inevitability of
punishment for sin holds out new hopes of reform for
sinners. Even the worst criminals and the staunchest
unbelievers need not despair of forgiveness from Allah,
provided that they confess their sins (of course, before their
Lord and not before a priest), feel ashamed of their
disobedience, give up their attitude of rebellion and adopt
the attitude of submission instead.
38. We said: Go down
from here, all of you.
*53
Then whenever there
comes to you a guidance
from Me, and whoever
follows My guidance, then
there shall be no fear upon
them, nor shall they grieve.
!.l L,> !.. !-,.- !.|
>..!, _.. _.> _. _,.
_.> .> ,l.
> .> __
*53 The repetition of this command after forgiveness is
50
very significant. In the preceding verse, it has been said
that Adam repented and Allah accepted his repentance.
Thus Adam was not only absolved from the sin of
disobedience, but his future descendants also were made
immune from its effect. There was, therefore, no need for
Allah to crucify His only son for the atonement of the sin
of Adam and of his offspring. On the contrary, Allah not
only accepted his repentance but also appointed him as His
Messenger to show guidance to his children. The repetition
of the command, Go down from here, shows that the real
purpose of Adams creation was to make him vicegerent on
the earth. He was kept in the Garden merely for trial and
training, (see E.N. 48). That is why he was not kept in the
Garden after the acceptance of his repentance. He was sent
to the earth not by way of punishment but as a matter of
course.
39. And those who
disbelieve, and they deny
Our revelations,
*54
those are
the companions of the Fire.
They will abide therein
forever.
*55
_. ` ,. !...,! :,
;.l` .> !.l > !,
..> __
*54 Ayaat is plural of ayat, which literally means a sign or a
symbol that points to something. The Quran has used this
word in four different senses. At some places, it means
merely a sign or symbol. At other places, the different
phenomena of nature have been termed as ayat of Allah,
because each phenomenon points to the reality which is
hidden behind such curtains. Then the miracles which were
51
given to the Messengers have also been called ayat (signs)
because these showed that they were the representatives of
the Ruler of the universe. At some places the verses of the
Book have been called ayat because they point not only to
the truth and the right but also to the Great Author of the
Book. It is not only the subject matter of the Book but also
its words and mode of expression and its style that point to
its Author. The meaning of the word ayat in a particular
place becomes clear from the context in which it occurs.
*55 The law of Allah, contained in Ayats 38-39 about the
guidance, has been in force ever since the creation of man
and will remain so up to the last day. It has been called
Allah's covenant in Ayat 27. It is meant to warn man not to
invent a way of life for himself but to follow the guidance of
his Lord, for he is His servant as well as vicegerent. And
there are only two means of knowing this: either a man
should receive direct revelation from Allah, or follow the
one who has received revelation from Him. There is no
third way of knowing Allahs Will. Therefore, every other
way than these two is not only wrong but also rebellion
which will lead ultimately to Hell. The story of the creation
of man and the advent of mankind has been described in
six other places in the Quran: Al-Aaraf: Ayats 11-25; Al-
Hijr: Ayats 26-48; Bani-Israil: Ayats 60-65; Al-Kahf: Ayat
50; Ta-Ha: Ayats 116-123, Suad: Ayats 71-85. It will be
useful to read the same story in the Old Testament
(Genesis, Chapters 1 to 3). The comparison of the Quranic
version with the Biblical one, will conclusively show that
the Quran has remained intact in its pure, original and
52
unadulterated form just as it was revealed by Allah, while
the Bible has been tampered with. It will also be interesting
to contrast the conversation between Allah and the angels
as has been given here in the Quran with that cited in the
Talmud. The latter is not only void of spiritual values but is
also ridiculous. According to it when the angels asked Allah
why He was going to create man, He answered that He was
doing that so that good people should be born on the earth.
He did not mention the birth of bad people lest the angels
should withhold their permission for the creation of man.
53
197. The pilgrimage is (in)
the well known months, so
whoever has made obligatory
(on himself) the pilgrimage
in these (months), then there
is no sexual relations,
*214
nor
disobedience,
*215
nor
disputing
*216
during the
pilgrimage. And whatever
you do of good, Allah knows
it. And take provision with
you, but indeed, best
provision is righteousness.
And fear Me, O people of
understanding.
*217
_>' ": ..l- . _.
_ _, _>'
_. _ .> _
_>l !. l-. _. ,>
.l-, < :. _| ,>
:l _1`.l 1. _|`!.,
.,l __
*214 While in the state of ihram, not only intercourse
between husband and wife is prohibited but that sort of
conversation too, which might excite sexual passions.
*215 Though all sorts of evil deeds are unlawful at all times,
they become all the more grave when committed during the
course of Hajj.
*216 One cannot even rebuke a servant.
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Quran Nisab (September 2013)
Hajj
Surah Al Baqara, Verse 197-203

54
*217 Before the advent of Islam, taking of provisions for
the pilgrimage journey was considered to be a worldly act
and it was expected that a pious man would go to the House
of Allah without any worldly goods. Here it is declared that
it is no virtue to go without provisions on pilgrimage to
Makkah. Real virtue is that one should fear God, obey Him
and keep ones life pure. If a pilgrim does not take any
provisions with him, but commits evil deeds without any
fear of Allah, he makes a profitless show of piety. In the
sight of Allah and men, such a man will dishonor both
himself and the pilgrimage he is performing. On the other
hand, if a pilgrim has fear of Allah embedded in his heart
and keeps his morals pure, he will gain honor with Allah
and men, though he may have provided himself fully with
provisions.
198. It is no sin upon
you that you seek the
bounty of your Lord
(by trading during
pilgrimage).
*218
Then, when
you depart from Arafat, so
remember Allah at Al
Mashar al Haram. And
remember Him as He has
guided you. And though you
were, before that, among
those who were astray.
*219
_,l ,ls _!.`> -.,.
. _. , :| ..
_. .s `:! <
..s -:.l ,>l
:`: !. ..> |
.. _. ., _.l
_!.l __
*218 The Arabs had another wrong notion about Hajj.
55
They considered it a worldly thing to do any kind of
business during the Hajj season. The Quran removes this
misconception also and declares that if a pious man
observes the law of Allah and then does some business to
earn his livelihood, he really seeks the bounty of Allah. And
there is nothing wrong in seeking the bounty of Allah along
with seeking His pleasure.
*219 That is, you should give up all those ungodly customs
of ignorance which you used to practice in pre-Islamic days
along with the worship of Allah. Now worship Allah
exclusively in accordance with the guidance He has
revealed.
199. Then depart from
where all the people depart,
and ask forgiveness of
Allah.
*220
Indeed, Allah is Oft
Forgiving, Most Merciful.
. ., _. ,> _!
'_!.l `-.`. < _|
< "s ',> __
*220 Ever since the time of the Prophet Abraham and
Ishmael (peace be upon them), the pilgrims used to go to
Arafat from Makkah on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah for the
performance of Hajj and then returned from there to
Muzdalifah on the morning of the 10th. But later when the
Quraish established their own priesthood, they arrogantly
asserted: It is below our dignity to go to Arafat along with
the common Arabs because we live in the Sanctuary.
Accordingly, they reserved this mark of distinction for
themselves and would halt at Muzdalifah and let others
proceed on to Arafat. Then this distinction was extended to
56
Bani Khuzaah and Bani Kinanah and the other tribes with
whom the Quraish had marriage relations. Later, even the
allies of the Quraish adopted this privilege of distinction
and they too would stop short of Arafat. In this verse the
same privilege of distinction and pride has been abolished.
Addressing the Quraish, their relatives and allies in
particular and the common Arabs in general it has been
enjoined that they should accompany others to perform the
essential ceremonials at Arafat, halt there and return along
with them to Makkah, and should ask Allahs forgiveness
for their breach of the Prophet Abrahams (peace be upon
him) way, which they committed in the past on account of
tribal pride and distinction.
200. Then when you have
completed your (pilgrimage)
rites, then remember Allah
as you remember your
forefathers, or with greater
remembrance.
*221
Then of
mankind is he who says:
Our Lord, give us in
this world, and he will
not have any portion in the
Hereafter.
:| .,. >....
`:! < _.
,!,, .: :
_. _!.l _. `_1, !.`,
!.., _ !,..l !. .` _
:> _. _.l> _
*221 After performing their Hajj, the Arabs used to hold
meetings in Mina and brag about their own achievements
and those of their forefathers. Here they were told to give
up these customs of ignorance, and pass their time in
57
remembering and glorifying Allah instead of singing
praises of their ancestors.
201. And of them is he who
says: Our Lord, give us in
this world (what is) good,
and in the Hereafter (what
is) good, and save us from
the punishment of the Fire.
.. _. `_1, !.`, !.., _
!,..l ..> _ : >
..> !. ,.s !.l _
202. Those, for them is a
portion of what they have
earned. And Allah is swift at
reckoning.
;. l` ` l ',.. !.. ,.
< _,. ,!.> ' __
203. And remember Allah
during the appointed days.
Then whoever hastens in two
days, then there is no sin
upon him, and whoever
delays, then there is no sin
upon him,
*222
for him who
fears (Allah). And fear Allah,
and know that to Him you
will be gathered.
`: < _ ,!`, ,:.-.
_. _>-. _ _,., .|
,ls _. >!. .| ,ls
_.l _.. 1. < .ls
. ,l| :> __
*222 That is, it does not matter whether you return from
Mina to Makkah on the 12th or the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah
during the Tashriq days. The real thing that matters is not
the number of days you stayed at Mina but whether you
spent those days in establishing your relation with Allah
during those days or in merry making.
58
102. O those who believe,
fear Allah as rightfully He
should be feared, and do not
die except that you are in
submission (to Allah).
`82

!!., _. `.., 1. <
_> ..!1. _. | ..
.l`.. _
`82 That is, be loyal and obedient to Allah up to your last
breath.
103. And hold firmly, to
the rope of Allah (the
Quran) all together,
`83
and do
not become divided. And
remember the favor of Allah
upon you, when you were
enemies, then He put love
between your hearts so you
became as brothers by His
grace. And you were upon
the edge of a pit of fire, then
He saved you from it.
`84
Thus Allah makes clear His
revelations to you, that you
may be guided.
`85

...s _,> < !-,.>
. `: .-. <
>,l. :| ,.. ,.s l! _,,
>,l ,.`>,.! ..,-.,
!.>| ,.. _ls !: :`>
_. !.l .1.! !.. ;l.
_,,`, < >l ...,, _>l-l
..: _

`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Quran Nisab (October 2013)
Ijtimaiyat

Surah Aale Imraan, Verse 102-104

59
`83 Allah`s rope, is the way of life prescribed by Him. It is
a rope because it keeps intact the relations of the believers
with Allah and also binds and unites them into a
community. Holding firmly the rope of Allah, implies that
the Muslims should give the greatest importance to Allah`s
Way, and should make it the centre of all their interests,
and exert their utmost to establish it and cooperate with
one another for its service. When and if the y let loose this
rope and deviate from its basic principles, the y would
inevitably suffer from disunity and would be divided into
sections and subsections, like the communities of the
former prophets. As a consequence of this, they would meet
with disgrace both in this world and in the next.
`84 This refers to that horrible state of the Arabs from
which they were rescued by Islam. Before Islam, their clans
were divided into hostile camps, who went to war for
frivolous reasons. Human life had lost its sanctit y and
people were killed without an y pangs of conscience. The
fire of enmity would have burnt to ashes all the Arabs, if
blessed Islam had not rescued them from it. This blessin g
had appeared in a tangible form at Al-Madinah at the time
of the revelation of these verses. The two clans Aus and
Khazraj who had been enemies for years and had been
involved in bitter feuds and blood y battles, became
brethren after the y embraced Islam. Not onl y this: the y
also showed that spirit of sa crifice for the rehabilitation of
the refugees from Makkah that has no parallel in history.
60
`85 That is to say, if you have eyes to see, you can
yourselves judge whether your welfare lies in holding fast
to Allah`s Way or in discarding it and reverting to the old
ways of ignorance, and whether your well wishers are Allah
and His Messenger or the 1ews and the hypocrites and the
polytheists who are tr ying to revert you to your former
condition.
104. And let there be
(arising) from you a nation
inviting to good, and
enjoining to ri ght, and
forbidding from wron g.
And such are those who
will be the successful.
_>.l >.. . `s., _||
,>' ``.!, .`-.!,
., _s >..l ;.l`
`> _>l.l _
61
20. And the trumpet is
blown.
*24
This is the
threatened Day.
_. _ .l ;l: `,
.,sl _
*24 This implies that blowing of the Trumpet at which all
dead men will rise back to life in their own physical bodies.
For explanation, see E.N. 47 of Suarh Al-Anaam; E.N. 57 of
Suarh Ibrahim; E.N. 78 of Suarh TaHa; E.N.1 of Suarh Al-
Hajj; E.Ns 46,47 of Suarh YaSeen, and E.N. 79 of Suarh
Az-Zumar.
21. And every soul will come,
with it a driver and a
witness.
*25
,,l> _ _. ! -. _! .
.,: _
*25 Most probably this implies the same two angels who
had been appointed for compiling the record of the words
and deeds of the person in the world. On the Day of
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Quran Nisab (November 2013)
Aakhirath

Surah Bani Qaaf, Verse 20-35
62
Resurrection, when every man will rise from his grave on
the sounding of the Trumpet, the two angels will come forth
immediately and take him into their custody. One of them
will drive him to the divine court and the other will be
carrying his record.
22. Indeed, you were
heedless of this. So We have
removed from you your
covering, so your sight is very
sharp today.
*26
.1l . _ s _. ..>
!.:> ;.s ,!Ls `.,
,l .,.> __
*26 That is, you can clearly see that everything of which the
Prophets foretold is present here.
23. And his companion
(angel) will say, this is
what I have ready (as
testimony).
*27
_! .` ., ..> !. _. .,.s
__
*27 Some commentators say that the companion implies the
angel who has been referred to as a witness in verse 21. He
will say: I have this persons record ready with me here.
Some other commentators say that the companion implies
the satan who was attached to the person in the world. He
will say: This person whom I was controlling and preparing
for Hell, is now presented before You. But the commentary
that is more relevant to the context is the one that has been
reported from Qatadah and Ibn Zaid. They say that the
companion implies the angel who drove and brought the
person to Allahs court. He will say: Here is the person who
had been given in my charge
63
24. Cast into Hell
*28
every
stubborn disbeliever.
*29
! ,1l _ , .> _ ! .,.s
__
*28 As the context shows this command will be given to the
two angels who had taken the culprit into their custody as
soon as he had risen from the grave, and then brought him
before the court.
*29 The word kaffar as used in the text means an
ungrateful person as well as a denier of the truth.
25. Hinderer of good,
*30
transgressor,
*31
doubter.
*32
_!.. ,>ll ..-`. ,. __
*30 Khair in Arabic is used both for wealth and for
goodness. According to the first meaning, the sentence
means that he paid no one his dues from his wealth, neither
the dues of Allah nor of the people. According to the second
meaning, it would mean that he did not only withhold
himself from the path of goodness but forbade others also
to follow it. He had become a hindrance for the people in
the way of goodness and exerted his utmost to see that
goodness did not spread.
*31 That is, he transgressed the bounds of morality in
everything he did. He was ever ready to do anything and
everything for the sake of his interests, his desires and his
lusts. He amassed wealth by unlawful means and spent it in
unlawful ways. He usurped the peoples rights, had neither
control over his tongue nor over his hands, and committed
every injustice and excess. He did not rest content with
creating hindrances in the way of goodness but harassed
64
those who adopted goodness and persecuted those who
worked for it.
*32 The word murib as used in the original has two
meanings: a doubter and the one who puts others in doubt,
and both are implied here. It means that he was not only
himself involved in doubt but also created doubts in the
hearts of others. He held as doubtful the Being of Allah and
the Hereafter and the angels and the Prophethood and
revelation and every other truth of religion. Anything that
was presented by the Prophets as a truth was held as
unbelievable by him, and the same disease he spread to
other people. Whomsoever he came in contact with, he
would create one or the other doubt, one or the other evil
thought in his mind.
26. He who had made up
another god with Allah, so
cast him into the severe
punishment.
*33
_. _ -> _. < !.l| >,
:!,1l! _ ,.- l .,.:l __
*33 Allah, in these verses, has enumerated the qualities that
make a man worthy of Hell:
(1) Denial of the truth.
(2) Ingratitude to Allah.
(3) Enmity for the Truth and the followers of the truth.
(4) To become a hindrance in the way of goodness.
(5) Failure to fulfill the rights of Allah and the people from
his wealth.
(6) To transgress the bounds in his affairs.
(7) To commit injustices and excesses against others.
(8) To doubt the truths of religion.
65
(9) To create doubts in the hearts of the people.
(10) To hold another as an associate in the Godhead of
Allah.
27. His (devil) companion
will say: Our Lord, I did
not cause him to rebel, but
he himself had gone far
astray.
*34
_! .`., !.`, !. ..,-L
_>.l l _ __.l. .,-, __
*34 Here by companion is meant the satan who was
attached to the disobedient person in the world. And this
also becomes evident from the style that both the person
and his satan are disputing between themselves in the court
of Allah. He says: My Lord, this wretched one pursued me
in the world and did not leave me until he succeeded in
misleading me, therefore he alone should be punished. And
the satan replies: Lord, I had no power over him. Had he
not himself willed to become rebellious, I could not have
seduced him forcibly. This wretched person himself fled
from goodness and was fascinated by evil. That is why he
did not like anything that the Prophets presented and went
on yielding to every temptation and inducement presented
by me.
28. He (Allah) will say: Do
not dispute in My presence.
While I had already sent to
you the threat.
*35
_! ...> _. .
.. _>,l| .,sl!, __
*35 That is, I had warned both of you as to what
punishment will be given to the one who beguiles and what
punishment will be suffered by him who is beguiled. In
66
spite of this warning when you did not desist from
committing your respective crimes, there is no use
quarreling now. Both, the one who beguiled and the one
who was beguiled have to be punished for the crimes
committed by them.
29. The word (decree)
cannot be changed with
me,
*36
nor am I unjust to My
servants.
*37
! . `_.,`, `_1l _. !. ! .
.lL, .,,-ll __
*36 That is, it is not My way to change the decisions once
taken. The decision that I have taken to cast you into Hell
cannot be withdrawn, nor can the law that I had
announced in the world be changed that the punishment
for misleading and for being misled will be awarded in the
Hereafter.
*37 The word zallam as used in the original means the one
who is highly unjust. It does not mean: I am unjust to My
servants but not highly unjust. But it means: If I were
unjust to My own servants being their Creator and
Sustainer, I would be highly unjust. Therefore, I am not at
all unjust to My servants. This punishment that I am giving
you is precisely the same punishment which you have made
yourselves worthy of. You are not being punished an iota
more than what you actually deserve, for My court is a
court of impartial justice. Here, no one can receive a
punishment which he does not actually deserve, and for
which his being worthy has not been proved by certain and
undeniable evidence.
67
30. The Day We shall say to
Hell: Have you been filled.
And it will say: Is there any
more.
*38
, `_1. , .>l _> ,..
`_1. _> _. .,. _
*38 This can have two meanings:
(1) There is no room in me for more men.
(2) Bring all other culprits who may be there.
According to the first meaning the scene depicted would be
that Hell has been so stuffed up with culprits that it cannot
hold any more; so much so that when it was asked: Are you
full? It cried out, alarmed: Are there still more culprits to
come? According to the second meaning, the scene depicted
before the mind is that the wrath of Hell is so flared up
against the culprits that it is constantly demanding more
and more of them to be cast into it so that no culprit
escapes un-punished.
Here, the question arises: What is the nature of Allah
Almightys addressing Hell and its reply? Is it only
something metaphoric, or is Hell actually a living and
intelligent being which may be spoken to and it may
respond and give replies? In this regard nothing can, in
fact, be said with certainty. Maybe the meaning is
metaphoric and only for the purpose of depicting the actual
scene of the state of Hell it may have been described in the
form of the question and answer, just as one may ask a
motor car: Why dont you move forward? And it may say:
There is no fuel in me. But this also is quite possible that
this conversation is based on reality. Therefore, it is not
correct to assume about the things which are lifeless and
68
mute for us in the world that they would be lifeless and
mute for Allah as well. The Creator can have
communication with any of His creatures and each of His
creatures can respond to Him, no matter how
incomprehensible its language may be to us.
31. And Paradise shall be
brought near to the
righteous, not far off.
*39
l .>' _,1`..ll ,s .,-,
_
*39 That is, as soon as the judgment will be passed about a
person from the court of Allah that he is righteous and
worthy of Paradise, he will immediately find Paradise in
front of him. He will not have to travel a distance on foot or
by a conveyance to reach to it. There will be no interval
between the pronouncement of the judgment and his entry
into the Paradise. From this it can be judged how different
the concept of space and time is between this world and the
Hereafter. The concept of space and time that we are
familiar in this world will become meaningless there.
32. This is what you were
promised, to every such
returning
*40
(to Allah),
heedful.
*41
..> ! . .s. _>l ,
1,> __
*40 The word awwab is very extensive in meaning. It
implies the person who might have adopted the way of
obedience and Allahs goodwill instead of the way of
disobedience, who gives up everything that is disapproved
by Allah and adopts everything that is approved by him,
who gets alarmed as soon as he swerves a little from the
69
path of worship and obedience, and repents and returns to
the path of worship and obedience, who remembers Allah
much and turns to Him in all matters of life.
*41 The word hafeez means the one who guards. This
implies the person who takes care of the bounds and duties
enjoined by Allah, who guards the trusts imposed by Allah
and avoids the things forbidden by him, who keeps watch
over his time, energies and activities to see that none of
these is being misemployed or misused, who offers
repentance, remains steadfast and keeps it strong and
intact, who examines himself over and over again to see
that he is not disobeying his Lord anywhere in word or
deed.
33. Who feared the
Beneficent, unseen,
*42
and
came with a heart returning
(in repentance).
*43
_. _ :> _..-l ,-l!, ,l >
l1, ,.. __
*42 That is, although he could not see the Merciful God and
could not perceive Him by his senses in any way, yet he
feared His disobedience. His heart was more dominated by
the fear of the unseen Merciful God than the fear of other
perceptible powers and visible and mighty beings, and in
spite of knowing that He is All-Merciful, he did not become
a sinner, trusting His Mercy, but feared His displeasure in
whatever he said and did. Thus, this verse points to two of
the believers important and basic characteristics: First,
that he fears God although he cannot see and perceive Him;
second, that he does not persist in sin in spite of his full
awareness of Gods quality of mercy. These very two
70
characteristics make him worthy of honor in the sight of
Allah. Besides, there is another subtle point also in it, which
Imam Razi has pointed out. In Arabic, there are two words
for fear, khauf and khashiyyat, which have a difference in
their shade of meaning. The word khauf is generally used
for the fear that a man feels in his heart on account of his
sense of weakness as against someones superior power and
strength, and the word khashiyyat is used for the dread and
awe with which a man is filled and inspired because of
somebodys glory and grandeur and greatness. Here, the
word khashiyyat has been used instead of khauf, which is
meant to point out that a believer does not fear Allah only
on account of the fear of His punishment, but it is the sense
of Allahs glory and greatness that keeps him awe inspired
at all times.
*43 The word munib in the original is derived from inabat,
which means to turn to one direction and to turn to the
same again and again, just like the needle of the compass
that points to the magnetic north persistently, however one
may try to turn it away from that direction. Therefore,
qalb-i-munib would mean such a heart as has turned away
from every other direction and turned towards One Allah
alone and then kept on turning towards Him again and
again throughout life. The same sense has been conveyed by
the devoted heart. This shows that in the sight of Allah the
man of real worth is he who remains attached and devoted
to Allah alone not merely verbally but also truly and
sincerely.
71
34. Enter it in peace.
*44
This
is the Day of eternal life.
!>l>: .l., ;l: `,
:l>' __
*44 If the word salam in udkhuluha bi-salamin is taken in
the meaning of peace and security, it would mean: Enter
this Paradise safe and secure from every kind of grief,
sorrow, anxiety and affiliation; and if it is taken in the
meaning of salam itself, it would mean: Enter this Paradise
you are welcomed here with the greeting of peace by Allah
and his angels.
In these verses Allah has mentioned the qualities because of
which a person makes himself worthy of Paradise, and they
are:
(1) Taqwa (piety),
(2) Turning towards Allah.
(3) Watching over and guarding his relationship with
Allah.
(4) Fearing Allah although he has not seen Him, and has
full faith in His quality of mercy.
(5) Coming into His presence with a devoted and captivated
heart, i.e. remaining constant on the way of devotion and
dedication till death.
35. They shall have whatever
they desire therein, and with
Us is more.
*45
,> !. ',! : !, !.,. .,.
__
*45 That is, they will certainly get whatever they desire, but
in addition We will also give them that which they have
never conceived and, therefore, could not desire.
72
32. O wives of the Prophet,
you are not like any
other women.
*46
If you fear
(Allah), then do not be soft
in speech, lest he in whose
heart is a disease should be
moved with desire, And
speak customary speech.
*47
,! ..., _,.l _ .`.l .>!
_. ,!..l | _.,1.
_-.> _1l!, _.L, _.
_ .,l "_. _l
!`-. __
*46 The verses from here to the end of the paragraph are
those with which the commandments of hijab were
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Quran Nisab (December 2013)
Responsibilities of Women

Surah Al Ahzab, Verse 32-35
73
introduced in Islam. In these verses, though, only the wives
of the Prophet (peace be upon him) have been addressed,
the intention is to enforce reforms in all the Muslim houses.
The object of addressing the Prophets (peace be upon him)
wives in particular is that when a pure way of life will start
from his house, it will be followed by the women of all other
Muslim houses as well, because this house was looked upon
by the Muslims as a model to follow. Some people, when
they see that these verses have been addressed only to the
wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him), assert that these
commandments were only meant for them. But when one
reads what follows in these verses, he feels that there is
nothing which might have been meant particularly for the
wives and not for the other Muslim women. Could Allah
have intended only this that the wives alone should be free
from un-cleanliness and they alone should obey Allah and
His Prophet (peace be upon him) and they alone should
offer the Salat and pay the Zakat? If this could not be the
intention, then how could the command for them to stay in
their houses and avoid displaying the fineries and abstain
from talking to the other men in an alluring voice be meant
particularly for them to the exclusion of all other Muslim
women? Is there any rational proof on the basis of which
some commands in one and the same context and series be
regarded as general and some others as particular and
special?
As for the sentence, You are not like any other women, it
also does not mean that the other women should come out
in full makeup and should talk to the other men
74
coquettishly and flirt with them, but as for you, you
should not adopt such a conduct. The style, to the
contrary, is such as if a gentleman would tell his child,
You are not like the common children of the street: you
should not use abusive language. From this no sensible
person would ever conclude that the speaker regarded only
his own child using abusive language as bad; as for others
he would not mind if they used abusive language.
*47 That is, There is no harm if the other man is spoken to
in case of a genuine need, but on such an occasion the
womans tone and manner of speech should be such as does
not let the other man think that he could cherish any false
hope from her. There should be no undue softness in her
tone, no allurement in her conversation, no consciously
affected mellowness in her voice, which should excite the
male hearers emotions and encourage him to make
advances.
About such a manner of speech Allah clearly says that this
does not behoove a woman who has any fear of God in her
heart and desire to avoid evil. In other words, this is the
way and manner of the wicked and unchaste womans
speech and not of the believing pious womans speech: If
this verse is read together with verse 31 of Surah An-Nur,
in which Allah says: They should not stamp the ground in
walking lest their hidden decoration is revealed, the
intention of the Lord clearly seems to be that the women
should not attract other men by their voice or the jingle of
their ornaments unnecessarily, and if at all they have to
speak to the other men, they should speak to them in an un-
75
affected tone and manner. That is why it is forbidden for
the woman to pronounce the call to the Prayer. Moreover,
if a woman is attending a congregational Prayer and the
Imam commits a mistake, she is not permitted to say
Subhan-Allah like the males but should only tap her hands
to call the imam's attention to the error.
Now just consider this: When Islam disallows the woman to
talk to other men in a soft and sweet tone and even forbids
her to produce her voice before the other men without a
genuine need, will it approve her to appear on the stage and
sing, dance, flirt and behave coquettishly? Will it permit
her to sing love songs over the radio and excite the peoples
emotions by presenting sweet melodies full of obscene
themes? Will it permit that she should play the roles of the
wives and sweethearts of others in dramas? Or that the
women should be made the air hostesses and be especially
trained to charm and allure the passengers? Or that they
should visit clubs and attend social functions and
gatherings in full makeup and mix freely with men and
have fun and a good time with them? From which Quran
has this culture been derived? For, the Quran that was
sent down by God there is to be found no hint as to the
admissibility of this sort of culture.
33. And stay in your
houses,
*48
and do not display
yourselves like the displaying
(of fineries of women) of the
former times of ignorance.
*49
And establish the prayers,
_ _>.`,, _>.
_. ,l.>l _| _.
:l.l _,., :l
76
and give the poor due, and
obey Allah and His
Messenger. Allah only
intends to remove from you
abomination, O people of the
household (of the Prophet),
and purify you, a thorough
purification.
*50
_-L < .` . !..| .,`,
< >.`,l `.s _>l
_> ,l _L`, ,L.
__
*48 The word qarna in the original is derived from qarar
according to some lexicographers and from waqar
according to others. In the first sense, it will mean: settle
down, stick firmly and in the second sense: live
peacefully, sit with dignity. In both the cases the verse
means to impress that the womans real sphere of activity is
her home; she should carry out her functions within that
sphere peacefully, and she should come out of the house
only in case of a genuine need. This meaning is clear from
the words of the verse itself and the Prophets (peace be
upon him) Ahadith also impress it even more forcefully.
Hafiz Abu Bakr Bazzar has related on the authority of
Anas that the women made a submission to the Prophet
(peace be upon him), saying: All kinds of virtues have
been secured by the men: they fight and accomplish great
deeds in the way of Allah. What should we do that we may
also get a reward equal to that of the warriors? The
Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: The one who sits in
her house from among you; will attain the reward of the
warriors. What he meant was: The warrior can fight
confidently and with full peace of the mind in the way of
77
Allah only when he is sure that all is well at home. His wife
is there to look after the house and the children, and there
is no cause for him to worry that she will betray him in his
absence. The woman who will provide him this satisfaction
and peace of the mind will be an equal partner with him in
his fighting though she will be sitting back at home.
According to another tradition that Bazzar and Tirmidhi
have related on the authority of Abdullah bin Masud, the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The woman must
remain veiled and concealed. When she comes out of her
house, Satan stares at her. And she is closer to Allahs
mercy when she is inside her house. (See E.N. 49 of Surah
An-Nur).
In the presence of such a clear and express command of the
Quran, it is not at all permissible that the Muslim women
should seek membership of the councils and parliaments;
that they should run after social activities outside the
house; that they should work side by side with men in the
government offices, should get education along with boys in
the colleges, serve as nurses in the male wards of hospitals,
should be employed as hostesses in the airplanes and rail
cars, and should be sent abroad for education and training.
The greatest argument that is given in support of the
permissibility of the womens outdoor activities is that
Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had taken part in
the battle of the Jamul. But the people who present this
argument perhaps do not know what was Aishahs own
opinion in this regard. Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal
has related in his Zawa id az-Zuhd and Ibn Mundhir, Ibn
78
Abi Shaibah and Ibn Saad in their own books the tradition
from Masruq, saying that when Aishah during her
recitation of the Quran would reach this verse (wa qarna fi
buyut-i kunna), she would start crying involuntarily; so
much so that her head-wrapper would become wet, for this
reminded her of the error that she had committed in the
battle of the Jamul.
*49 In this verse two important words have been used,
which must be understood for the proper understanding of
its intention. They are tabarruj and jahiliyyat al-ula.
The word tabarruj in Arabic means to become manifest and
appear openly before others. The Arabs use the word baraj
for every conspicuous and elevated object. A burj (tower) is
so called because of its prominence and elevation. A sailing-
boat is called barijah, because its sails become visible from
a distance. The word tabarruj when used in respect of a
woman will have three meanings: (1) that she should show
the charms of her face and body before the people. (2) That
she should display the adornments of her dress and
ornaments before others. (3) That she should make herself
conspicuous by her gait and figure and coquetry. The same
explanation of this word has been given by the leading
lexicographers and commentators. Mujahid, Qatadah and
Ibn Abi Nujaih say: Tabarruj means to walk in a vain,
alluring and coquettish manner. Muqatil says: It means a
womans displaying of her necklaces, ear-rings and bosom.
Al-Mubarrad says: That a woman should reveal her
adornments which she should conceal. Abu Ubaidah
comments: This that a woman should make herself
79
conspicuous by display of her body and dress to attract the
attention of men.
The word jahiliyyat has been used at three other places in
the Quran besides this, in Surah Aal-Imran: Ayat 154,
where about those who shirk fighting in the way of Allah, it
has been said: They began to cherish about Allah thoughts
of Ignorance Uahiljyyat, which were void of the truth. And
in Surah Al-Maidah: Ayat 50, where about those who want
to be judged by their own law instead of the law of Allah, it
has been said: Do they desire to be judged by the laws of
ignorance (Jahiliyyat)? and in Surah Al-Fath: Ayat 26,
where the prejudice of the people of Makkah due to which
they did not permit the Muslims to perform Umrah, has
been called as "the haughty spirit of paganism (jahiliyyat).
According to a Hadith once Abu ad-Darda in the heat of a
quarrel abused another person in respect of his mother.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) heard of it, he
remarked: You still have jahiliyyat in you. According to
another Hadith the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Three things show jahiliyyat: to taunt the lineage of another
person, to take omens from the movement of the stars, and
to mourn over the dead. All these customs show that
jahiliyyat in the Islamic terminology is every such conduct
which goes against Islamic culture and civilization and
Islamic morality and etiquette and Islamic way of thinking
and behavior. Thus, jahiliyyat al-ula would mean all those
evils in which the Arabs of the pre-Islamic days and the
people of the entire world were involved.
This explanation makes it abundantly clear that what Allah
80
forbids women is to move out of their houses showing off
their physical charms and beauty. He instructs them to stay
in their houses because their real sphere of activity is their
home and not the world outside. However, if they have to
move out of the house for an outdoor duty, they should not
move out as the women used to do in the pre-Islamic days
of ignorance. For it does not behoove the women of a
Muslim society to walk out fully embellished to make their
face and figure conspicuous by adornments and tight-
fitting or transparent dresses, and to walk coquettishly.
These are the ways of ignorance which Islam does not
approve. Now everybody can see for himself whether the
culture which is being made popular in our country is the
culture of Islam, according to the Quran, or the culture of
ignorance.
*50 The context in which this verse occurs makes it
manifest that the word ahl al-bait (people of the house) here
implies the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
because the address begins with: O wives of the Prophet,
and they are the addressees in the whole discourse
preceding it as well as following it. Moreover, the word ahl
al-bait in Arabic is used precisely in the sense in which the
word household is used in English, which includes both a
mans wife and children. No one would exclude the wife
from the household. The Quran itself has used this word
at two other places besides this, and at both the wife is
included in its sense, rather as the most important member
of the family. In Surah Hud, when the angels give the
Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) the good news of
81
the birth of a son, his wife exclaims: Shall I bear a child
now when I have grown too old, and this husband of mine
has also become old? The angels say: What! Are you
surprised at Allah's decree, O people of Abrahams
household? Allahs mercy and blessings are upon you. In
Surah Al-Qasas, when the Prophet Moses (peace be upon
him) reaches the Pharaoh's house as a suckling, and the
Pharaohs wife is in search of a suitable nurse for the child,
the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) sister says, Shall
I tell you of a household whose people will bring him up for
you and look after him well? Thus, the Arabic idiom and
the usage of the Quran and the context of this verse, all
point clearly to the fact that the Prophets (peace be upon
him) wives as well as his children are included in his ahl al-
bait; rather the more correct thing is that the verse is
actually addressed to the wives and the children become
included in the household only because of the sense of the
word. That is why according to lbn Abbas and Urwah bin
Zubair and Ikrimah, the word ahl al-bait in this verse
implies the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
But if somebody says that the word ahl al-bait has been
used only for the wives and none else can be included in it,
it will also be wrong. Not only this that the word
household includes all the members of a mans family,
but the Prophet (peace be upon him) has himself explained
that this includes even himself. According to Ibn Abi
Hatim, once when Aishah was asked about Ali, she said,
Do you ask me about the person who was among the most
loved ones of the Prophet and whose wife was the Prophets
82
(peace be upon him) daughter and most beloved to him?
Then she related the event when the Prophet (peace be
upon him) had called Ali and Fatimah and Hasan and
Husain (may Allah be pleased with them all) and covered
them all with a sheet of cloth and prayed: O Allah, these
are my household, remove uncleanness from them and
make them pure. Aishah says, I said: I also am included
among your household (i.e. I may also be covered under the
sheet and prayed for). Thereupon the Prophet replied:
You stay out: you, of course, are already included. A
great many Ahadith bearing on this subject have been
related by traditionalists like Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ahmad,
Ibn Jarir, Hakim, Baihaqi, etc. on the authority of Abu
Said Khudri, Aishah, Anas, Umm Salamah, Wathilah bin
Aqsa and some other companions, which show that the
Prophet (peace be upon him) declared Ali and Fatimah and
their two sons as his ahl al-bait. Therefore, the view of those
who exclude them from the ahl al-bait is not correct.
Similarly the view of those people also is not correct, who,
on the basis of the above cited Ahadith, regard the wives of
the Prophet (peace be upon him) as excluded from his ahl
al-bait. In the first place, anything which has been clearly
stated in the Quran cannot be contradicted on the basis of a
Hadith. Secondly, these Ahadith also do not have the
meaning that is put on them. As related in some traditions
that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not cover Aishah
and Umm Salamah under the sheet of cloth which he put
on the four members of his family, does not mean that he
had excluded those ladies from his household. But it
83
means that the wives were already included in ahl al-bait,
because the Quran, in fact, had addressed them as ahl al-
bait. The Prophet (peace be upon him), however, thought
that the apparent words of the Quran might cause
somebody the misunderstanding about these members that
they were excluded from the ahl al-bait. Therefore, he felt
the need for clarification in their case and not in the case of
his wives.
A section of the people have not only misconstrued this
verse to the extent that they have made the word ahl al-bait
exclusively applicable to Ali and Fatimah and their
children to the exclusion of the wives, but have gone even
further and concluded wrongly from its words Allah only
intends to remove uncleanliness from you and purify you
completely, that Ali and Fatimah and their children are
infallible like the Prophets of Allah. They say that
uncleanliness implies error and sin, and, as Allah says,
these ahl al-bait have been purified of this, whereas the
words of the verse do not say that uncleanliness has been
removed from them and they have been purified. But the
words are to the effect: Allah intends to remove
uncleanliness from you and purify you completely. The
context also does not tell that the object here is to mention
the virtues and excellences of the Prophets (peace be upon
him) household. On the contrary, they have been advised
here what they should do and what they should not,
because Allah intends to purify them. In other words, they
have been told that if they adopted such and such an
attitude and way of life, they will be blessed with
84
cleanliness, otherwise not. However, if the words Allah
intends to remove uncleanliness from you are taken to
mean that Allah has made them infallible, then is no reason
why all the Muslims who perform their ablutions before
offering the Prayer are not held as infallible, because about
them also Allah says: But Allah wills to purify you and
complete His blessings upon you. (Surah Al-Maidah: Ayat
6).
34. And remember what
is recited in your houses
of the revelations of
Allah,
*51
and wisdom.
Indeed, Allah is Subtle,
*52
Well Acquainted.
_: ! . _l.`, _
_.`,, _. .,, <
.>' | < _l
! ,Ll ,,> __
*51 The word wadhkurna in the original has two meanings:
Remember and mention. According to the first meaning the
verse would mean: O wives of the Prophet (peace be upon
him), you should never forget that yours is the house from
where the world is being instructed in divine revelations
and wisdom, therefore, your responsibility is very great.
Let it not happen that the people might see specimens of
ignorance in this very house. According to the second
meaning, it would mean: O wives of the Prophet (peace be
upon him), you should mention and relate before the people
whatever you hear and see, for by virtue of your close and
constant social association and attachment with the
Prophet (peace be upon him) you will know and experience
many such things which the other people. will not be able to
85
know by any other means than you.
Two things have been mentioned in this verse: (1) The
Revelations of Allah; and (2) the wise sayings. The
revelations of Allah are the verses of Allahs Book, but
hikmat (wisdom) is a comprehensive word which includes
all those wise things which the Prophet (peace be upon him)
taught the people. This word may also imply the teachings
of the Book of Allah, but there is no reason why it should be
made exclusively applicable to them. It inevitably includes
the wisdom that the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught by
his pure character and by his sayings besides reciting the
verses of the Quran. Some people, only on the basis that the
word ma yutla (that which is recited) has been used in the
verse, make the assertion that the Revelations of Allah
and "Wisdom" imply only the Quran, for the word
recitation as a term is specifically used for the recitation
of the Quran. But this reasoning is absolutely wrong. The
use of the word recitation specifically as a term for the
recitation of the Quran or the Book of Allah is the work of
the people of the later ages. The Quran has not used this
word as a term. In Surah Al-Baqarah: Ayat 102, this same
word has been used for the incantation of the magical
formulas which the satans falsely attributed to the Prophet
Solomon and taught the people. (They followed that which
the satans recited attributing it to the kingdom of
Solomon.) This shows that the Quran uses this word in its
lexical meaning, and does not specify it for reciting the
verses of the Book of Allah.
*52 Well Acquainted: Knower of even the most secret
86
and hidden things.
35. Indeed,
*53
men who
surrender (to Allah), and
women who surrender (to
Allah),
*54
and men who
believe and women who
believe,
*55
and men who obey
and women who obey,
*56
and
men who speak the truth and
women who speak the truth,
57
and men who are patient and
women who are patient,
*58
and men who are humble and
women who are humble,
*59
and men who give alms and
women who give alms,
*60
and
men who fast and women
who fast,
*61
and men who
guard their modesty and
women who guard (their
modesty),
*62
and men who
remember Allah much and
women who remember,
*63
Allah has prepared for them
forgiveness and a great
reward.
*64
| _,.l`..l ..l`..l
_,...l ....l
_,...1l ....1l
_,...l ....l
_..l ,..l
_,-:.>l .-:.>l
_,....l .....l
_,...l ....l
_,L.>' >`
.L.>l _.
< ,: ,. .s <
,> :-. > !.,Ls __
*53 Presentation of this theme immediately after the
foregoing paragraph contains a subtle allusion to the fact
that the instructions given above to the Prophets (peace be
87
upon him) wives are not exclusively meant for them but the
Muslim society as a whole should reform itself in
accordance with them.
*54 Who have surrendered themselves to Allah: Who have
accepted Islam as a code of life for themselves, and have
decided to follow it in their lives, and who have no wish to
resist the Islamic way of life and thought, but have adopted
the way of obedience and submission to it.
*55 Who are believing: Whose obedience is not merely
outward, nor unwilling but who sincerely regard the
guidance given by Islam as based on the truth. Whose faith
is that the way shown by the Quran and the Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the only right and
straight way. And in following which alone lies their true
success. That which has been declared as wrong by Allah
and His Prophet (peace be upon him) is certainly wrong.
And that which has been declared as right by Allah and His
Prophet (peace be upon him) is certainly right. Also,
psychologically and intellectually, they do not regard as
improper any injunction that has been enjoined by the
Quran and Sunnah, and do not remain on the lookout to
change it somehow to suit their own desires or mold it
according to the current trends of the world, avoiding at
the same time the blame that they have effected a change in
the command given by Allah and His Prophet (peace be
upon him). The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has
described the true state of faith in a Hadith in these words:
He who reconciled himself to Allah as his Lord and to
Islam as his way of Life and to Muhammad as his
88
Messenger, has the true taste of faith. (Sahih Muslim).
In another Hadith, he has explained it thus:
None of you becomes a believer until the desires of his self
become subordinate to what I have brought. (Sharh-as-
Sunnah).
*56 That is, they do not rest content with mere belief but
are obedient practically also. They are not the sort of the
people who would honestly believe that what Allah and His
Messenger (peace be upon him) have commanded was true
but would violate it in practice: that they would sincerely
regard what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden as
bad but would go on following the same in practical life.
*57 That is, hey are truthful in their speech and honest in
thou dealings. They do not deal in lies, deceptions, frauds
and forgeries. They utter with their tongues only what their
conscience approves as true. They practice and perform
only what they honestly find to be in accordance with
righteousness and truth, and they are honest in all their
dealings with others.
*58 That is, they patiently and steadfastly bear and face all
the obstacles, dangers, difficulties and losses that they
might have to encounter in following the right way taught
by Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) and in
establishing Allahs religion in the world; no fear and no
temptation and no desire of the self can succeed in diverting
them from the right way.
*59 That is, they are free from pride, vanity and
haughtiness: they have full understanding of the reality
that they arc servants and they have no other position than
89
that of servitude. Therefore, their hearts as well as their
bodies remain bowed before Allah, dominated by fear of
Him. They never display the attitude which is the hallmark
of the lives of those who are fearless of God and arc
involved in arrogance. From the sequence it appears that
the mention of Khushu (expression of humility) in
particular along with the general attitude of the fear of God
implies the Prayer, for the mention of the practice of
charity and fast has been made just after it.
*60 This does not only imply payment of the obligatory
Zakat, but it also includes general charity. It means to say
that they spend their wealth freely in the way of Allah and
they are not at all niggardly in the matter of helping the
servants of Allah as much as they can. No orphan and no
sick or afflicted person, no weak or disabled person, no
poor and needy one remains deprived of their support in
their dwelling; and if there arises the need for monetary
help for promoting the cause of Allahs religion, they are
never miserly in spending their wealth for that purpose.
*61 This includes both the obligatory and the voluntary
fasts.
*62 This has two meanings:
(1) They refrain from adultery, and
(2) they avoid nudity. One should also note that nudity does
not only mean being naked but it is also nudity to put on a
thin dress which shows the body, or is so tight fitting that it
reveals all the outlines of the body.
*63 Remember Allah much means that one should mention
Allahs name in one way or other at all times in every
90
business of life. Man cannot develop such a state of the
mind unless the thought of God becomes deeply embedded
in his heart. When this idea has passed beyond his
conscious mind and settled deep in his subconscious and
unconscious mind, then only he will remember and mention
Gods name in whatever he does and in whatever he says.
He will begin with bismillah when he eats and say al-hamdu
lillah when he finishes. He will remember Allah when he
goes to bed, and mention Allahs name when he gets up. In
his conversation also he will again and again pronounce
bismillah, al-hamdu-lillalh, insha-Allah, masha Allah, etc.
and ask for Allahs help in every matter, and thank Him
for every blessing. He will seek His mercy in every
affliction, and turn to Him in every trouble. He will fear
Him on encountering every evil, and ask for His forgiveness
when he happens to have committed an error and will pray
to Him for fulfillment of every need. In short, in every state
and in every business of life his function will be to
remember Allah.
This, in fact, is the essence of the Islamic life. For all other
acts of worship there is a prescribed time when they are
performed, and one is free when one has performed them.
But this is the worship which has no special time; it has to
be performed constantly so that it links up the mans life
with Allah and His service permanently. The other
worships and religious acts themselves also become
meaningful only when the heart of man remains inclined to
Allah not only at the time when the act is actually being
carried out but at all times when the tongue is uttering
91
Allahs name constantly. In such a state as this worship and
religious acts develop and flourish in a mans life precisely
in the same manner as a plant grows in a congenial climate
and environment. Contrary to this, the example of the
religious services and worships which are carried out only
on special times and occasions in the life which is devoid of
this constant remembrance of Allah is of the plant which
has been planted in an un-congenial climate, and which is
growing only due to the special attention and care of the
gardener. This very thing has been explained by the
Prophet (peace be upon him) in a Hadith, thus: Muadh bin
Anas Juhani relates that a person asked the Prophet (peace
be upon him) of Allah, Who among those who fight in the
way of Allah will get the highest reward? He replied: The
one who remembers Allah the most. The man asked:
Who among the observers of the fast will get the highest
reward? He replied: The one who remembers Allah the
most. The man then asked the same question about the
performer of the Prayer, the payer of the Zakat and
charities and the performer of Hajj and the Prophet (peace
be upon him) in every case gave the same answer, saying:
He who remembers Allah the most. (Musnad Ahmad).
*64 This verse plainly tells what qualities and
characteristics are of real worth in the sight of Allah. These
are the basic values of Islam which have been compressed
into one sentence. As regards these, there is no difference
between the man and woman. However, as for their life
activity, the two sexes have separate spheres to function.
The males have to function in some particular spheres and
92
the females in some others. But if they possess these
qualities and characteristics equally, Allah will raise them
to equal ranks and bless them with equal rewards. It will in
no way affect their rank and reward if one carried out
household chores and the other performed the duties of
caliphate and enforced the Shariah injunctions; one raised
children in the house and the other went to the battlefield
and fought for the sake of Allah and His religion.
93
169. And do not think
of those who are killed in
the Way of Allah as dead.
Nay but, they are alive
*120
with their Lord, they are
given provision.
_,.> _. l. _ _,,.
< !.. _, ',!,> ..s
` , `, __
*120 It is forbidden to refer to those who are martyred for
Allahs sake as dead because the very word death and its
thought are very discouraging, and kill the spirit of self-
sacrifice and the urge to fight in the Way of Allah. Instead,
the Muslims are told to believe that those who fall martyrs
in the Way of Allah in fact enjoy eternal life. And this is a
reality which revitalizes and keeps alive the spirit of
courage and valor.
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Quran Nisab (1anuary 2014)
Devine Commentary on the battle of Uhud

Surah Ale Imran, Verse 169-175
94
170. Jubilant in that which
Allah has bestowed upon
them of His bounty,
*121
and
rejoicing about those (to be
martyred) who have not
joined them, from those left
behind, that there shall be
no fear upon them, nor
shall they grieve.
_,> !., `.., < _.
.. :,.`. _.!, l
1>l, , _. l>
.> ,l. >
_.`>, _
*121 It has been explained by the Prophet (peace be upon
him) in the tradition cited in Musnade Ahmad. One, who
enters the next world with good deeds, is blessed by Allah
with such a cheerful and joyful life that he never wishes to
return to this world, but the case of a martyr is different.
He does wish that he should again be sent to this world so
that he may again enjoy the pleasure, joy and exultation
that he felt at the time of laying down his life in the Way of
Allah.
171. They rejoice because
of the favor from Allah
and a bounty, and that
Allah will not waste the
reward of those who believe.
:,.`. .-., _. <
_. < _,.`, >
_,...l _
172. Those who responded to
Allah and the messenger
after what befell them of
injury (in the fight).
*122
For
those who did good among
_. ,!>.`. < _.l
_. .-, !. `,!. _1l
95
them, and feared (Allah),
there is a great reward.
_.l `..> .. 1. '>
,Ls __
*122 This verse alludes to those devoted servants of Islam
who willingly accompanied the Prophet (peace be upon
him) in his pursuit of the Quraish at that critical juncture.
After the battle of Uhd, the Quraish marched back towards
Makkah. When they had covered a good deal of distance
from Al-Madinah, they realized that they had not utilized
the golden opportunity of crushing the power of
Muhammad (peace be upon him) and they began to regret:
what a folly have we committed by losing that excellent
chance. Accordingly, they halted and held a council of war.
Though they were in favor of returning to Al-Madinah and
making a sudden attack, yet they could not muster up
courage and continued their march towards Makkah. At
the same time, the Prophet (peace be upon him) surmised
an attack from the enemy; so he assembled the Muslims on
the next day after the battle of Uhd and said, let us go in
pursuit of the Quraish. Although that was a very critical
situation, yet the believers and the devoted servants of
Allah responded to the call and willingly marched with the
Prophet (peace be upon him) to Hamra-ul-Asad, a place at
a distance of 8 miles from Al-Madinah.
173. Those
*123
(believers)
to whom men (hypocrites)
said: Surely, the people (an
army of pagans) have
_. _! `l '_!.l |
_!.l . `-,> >l
96
gathered against you, so fear
them. But it (only)
increased them in faith, and
they said: Allah is sufficient
for us, and excellent (is He)
for trusting.
>:>! >: !.. .,|
l! !.,`.> < -.
`_,l __
*123 Ayats 173-175 were revealed one year after the battle
of Uhd, but have been included in this discourse because
they deal with the events which are connected with the
same.
174. So they returned
with favor from Allah
and bounty, no harm
touched them. And they
followed the pleasure of
Allah. And Allah is the
owner of great bounty.
,l1.! .- ., _. < _.
l '`..., ",. `-,.
. < < : _.
,Ls __
175. That is only the
Satan who frightens (you)
of his supporters. So do not
fear them, and fear Me, if
you are (true) believers.
*124
! ..| `>l: _.L,:l .>
.:,!,l >! >. l>
| , .. _,... __
*124 This refers to the terrifying rumors which were being
spread in Al-Madinah. On the occasion of his return from
Uhd, Abu Sufyan had challenged the Muslims to a fight the
following year at Badr. But when the time approached, he
could not find courage on account of the famine that was
97
raging in Makkah. So in order to save face, he tried to shift
on to the Muslims the responsibility for the postponement.
Accordingly, he sent a special spy to Al-Madinah to terrify
them by spreading rumors that the Quraish were making
great preparations for war and collecting such a large army
as could defeat any army in Arabia. This device of Abu
Sufyan succeeded in producing the desired panic. When the
Prophet (peace be upon him) made an appeal to the
Muslims to meet the Quraish in combat at Badr, it failed to
produce any encouraging response. So much so that the
Messenger (peace be upon him) of Allah had to declare
before the gathered assembly, I will go to the combat all
alone, if none else is willing to go. It was then that 1,500
devotees volunteered to accompany him, and he reached
Badr with them. From the other side, Abu Sufyan left
Makkah with an army of 2,000 men. But after two days
journey, he told his men that it did not appear to suit them
to have a fight that year, and that they would come next
year for it. Accordingly, he returned to Makkah with his
men. The Prophet (peace be upon him), however, waited
for him at Badr for eight days. During these days, his
companions did profitable business with a trading party.
Then he came to know that the disbelievers had gone back
to Makkah, and he returned to Al-Madinah.
98
142. Certainly, the
hypocrites seek to deceive
Allah, but it is He
who deceives them. And
when they stand up for
the prayer, they stand with
laziness, (and) to be seen
of people, and they do not
remember Allah but
little.
*172
| _,1...l `s..> <
> `s..> :| `.! _||
:l.l `.! _|!. ',`,
_!.l _`., < |
,l __
*172 The offering of the Salat in congregation has been
held out as a test of ones being a sincere believer or a
hypocrite because during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace
be upon him) one could not be considered a member of the
Islamic community unless one offered the Salat regularly
and punctually. Just as every association or organization
considers the absence of a member without genuine excuse
from its meetings a sign of his lack of interest, and expels
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Quran Nisab (February 2014)
Nifaaq

Surah Al Nisa, Verse 142-147
99
him from it for continuous absence, so if a Muslim absented
himself from the Salat in congregation, it was considered a
clear sign of his lack of interest in Islam. And if he
continuously absented himself from it, this was taken as a
proof of his desertion from Islam. That is why even the
confirmed hypocrites of that time had to join the Salat in
congregation five times a day; otherwise they could not be
counted as members of the Islamic community. But what
distinguished them from the true believers was that the
true believers went to the mosques with great enthusiasm
before time and stayed there even after the Prayer was over
which was a clear proof of their genuine interest in it. On
the other hand, the very call to the Prayer sounded like a
death knell to a hypocrite. He would rise up reluctantly to
join the congregation, but his whole demeanor clearly
showed that he was offering his Salat unwillingly. Then
after the Prayer he would leave the mosque in haste as if he
had been released from prison. Thus, all his movements
showed that he had no interest in the remembrance of
Allah.
143. Swaying between this
(and that), (belonging)
neither to these (believers),
nor to those (disbelievers).
And he whom Allah sends
astray, then you will never
find for him a way.
*173
_,,.,.. _,, ;l: _||
,.> _|| ,.> _.
_l.`, < _l .> .` ,,.
__
*173 It declares that no human being has the power to
100
guide to the right way the one who himself does not intend
to get guidance from the Book of Allah and the excellent
pattern of His Messenger (peace be upon him). Allah turns
him to the wrong way to which he himself is inclined and
shuts all the doors of guidance against him because of his
own quest for deviation. And this happens in accordance
with the divine law that man gets what he seeks and strives
for. For instance, if one seeks to make ones provisions by
lawful means and strives for the same, God provides lawful
means for him and shuts unlawful doors against him, in
proportion to the intensity of the sincerity of his intention.
On the contrary, if one has the intention of making his
provisions by unlawful means and strives for the same,
Allah provides him with the same through unlawful means.
Allah alone has the power to guide any individual on any
way whatsoever, and no one can take any course, right or
wrong, without His permission and without His help, but
He allows and helps everyone to proceed on the way he
chooses for himself. If one loves Allah and is a seeker after
truth and sincerely strives to follow His way, He allows him
and helps him to think and act on the right lanes leading to
the right way and provides means for him to proceed on the
same way. But if one chooses to follow wrong ways and
strives to proceed on wrong ways, Allah shuts the way of
guidance against him and opens before him evil ways which
he chooses for himself. No one has the power to prevent
such a one from evil thoughts and evil deeds and from
spending his energies in evil ways. It is thus obvious that
none can guide to the right way the wretched one who
101
deliberately loses it and whom Allah leads astray in
consequence of his intentional deviation.
144. O those who
believe, do not take
the disbelievers for friends
instead of the believers.
Do you wish to give
Allah against yourselves a
manifest proof.
!!., _. `.., .>`..
_.>l ,!,l _. :
_,...l .,. l->
< ,l. !..Ll. !.,. __
145. Indeed, the hypocrites
will be in the lowest
depths of the Fire. And
never will you find for
them a helper.
| _,1... _ . _ `.
_. !.l _l .> l ,..
__
146. Except those who
repent and correct
themselves, and hold fast to
Allah, and make sincere
their religion for Allah,
*174
then they will be with the
believers. And Allah will
bestow on the believers a
great reward.
| _. ,!. >l.
...s <!, .l>
`.,: < ..l`! _.
_,...l .. ,`, <
_,...l > !.,Ls __
*174 That person, who dedicates his faith to Allah, devotes
his whole life earnestly and faithfully for Him and reserves
all his loyalties, interests, and affections for Him alone. In
short, his attachment to Allah becomes so intense that he is
102
ready to sacrifice anything for Him.
147. What would Allah do
(gain) with your punishment,
if you give thanks
*175
and
believe (in Him). And Allah
is ever All Appreciative (of
good),
*176
All Knowing.
!. `_ -, < ,.-, |
`.>: ..., l <
!: !.,ls __
*175 That is, if you show your sincere gratitude to Allah
and do not adopt an attitude of ingratitude and treachery
towards Him in regard to the benefits and blessings you
have received from Him, there is no reason why He should
punish you.
The right attitude of gratitude is that one should sincerely
appreciate the kindness of the benefactor, acknowledge it
with his tongue and show his gratitude by his conduct. This
implies three things: First, the grateful person should
attribute the kindness to the real benefactor and should not
associate anyone else with him in gratitude and
acknowledgment. Second, he should be full of the feelings
of love and loyalty for his benefactor and should not
cherish any such feelings for the opponents of the
benefactor. Third, he should be obedient to his benefactor,
and should not in any way use or employ the benefits
conferred on him against the will of the benefactor.
*176 The word shakir, when applied to Allah, means that
He appreciates the worth of the services of His servant; and
when applied to the servant, it means that he expresses his
gratitude to his Lord for His blessings. Allah appreciates
fully the quantity and the quality of the services that are
103
rendered by His servants for His cause and deprives none
of them of the due rewards: nay, He rewards their services
most generously and gives much more than they deserve.
Of course, His treatment of His servants is quite different
from their own treatment of their fellow-men. They
underestimate the worth of the services rendered by a
fellow man and take him to task severely for an omission.
Allah in His bounty rewards much more generously than
His servant deserves for any service rendered by him in His
cause, but is very lenient and forgiving for any omission or
neglect of duty shown by His servants.
104
10. Indeed, the believers are
brothers, so make peace
between your brethren,
*18
and fear Allah that you may
receive mercy.
! ..| `...l :>| >l.!
_,, _>,> 1. < _>l-l
.-.
*18 This verse establishes a universal brotherhood of all
the Muslims of the world, and it is by virtue of this that the
sort of fraternity that exists among the Muslims exists
among the followers of no other religion and creed. The
importance of this command, and its demands, has been
explained by the Prophet (peace be upon him) in many of
his traditions from which one can understand its full
significance and spirit.
Jarir bin Abdullah says: The Prophet (peace be upon him)
took a pledge from me on three things: That I will establish
the Prayer, that I will continue to pay the zakat, and that I
will remain a well-wisher of every Muslim. (Bukhari:
Kitab-al-Iman). According to Abdullah bin Masud, the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: To abuse a Muslim is
sinful and to fight him a disbelief. In Musnad Ahmad a
tradition bearing on the same subject has also been related
by Saeed bin Malik on the authority of his father.
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Quran Nisab (March 2014)
Guidelines for a good Society

Surah Al Hujurat, Verse 10-13

105
Abu Hurairah relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him)
said: The life, property and honor of every Muslim is
forbidden to every other Muslim. (Muslim: Kitab-al-Birr
was Silah; Tirmidhi: Abwab-al-Birr was-Silah).
Abu Saeed Khudri and Abu Hurairah say that the Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: A Muslim is a brother to the
other Muslim: he does not treat him unjustly, he does not
leave him alone and he does not dishonor him. There is no
greater evil than that one should hold a Muslim in
contempt. (Musnad Ahmad).
Sahl bin Saad as-Saidi has related this saying of the
Prophet (peace be upon him): A believers relation with the
community of the believers is just like the heads relation
with the body. He feels their afflictions as the head feels the
pain of every part of the body. (Musnad Ahmad). In
another Hadith bearing on the same subject the Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: The believers example in the
matter of their mutual love, relationship and compassion
with one another is of the state of the body that when a part
of it is afflicted, the whole of it is afflicted with fever and
restlessness. (Bukhari, Muslim).
In another Hadith he is reported to have said: The
believers are with one another like the bricks of a wall so
that each is strengthened by the other. (Bukhari: Kitab al-
Adab; Tirmidhi; Abwab al-Birr was-Silah).
11. O you
*19
who believe,
neither should men mock
other men, it may be that
these are better than
!!., _. `.., >`.
_. , _.s .>, ,>
106
they,
*20
nor (should) women
(mock) other women, it may
be that these are better than
they. And do not insult
one another among
yourselves,
*21
nor call one
another by nicknames.
*22
Bad is the name of
disobedience after faith.
*23
And whoever repents not,
then it is those who are the
wrongdoers.
.. ",!. _. ,! . _.s
_>, ,> _.. '.l.
_>.. ',!.. .1l!,
_., `,- _.l .-,
_.., _. l `., ;.l`!
`> ..Ll
*19 In the preceding two verses after giving necessary
instructions about the Muslim peoples mutual fighting, the
believers were made to realize that by virtue of the most
sacred relationship of the faith they were brothers to one
another, and they should fear God and try to keep their
mutual relations right. Now, in the following two verses,
they are being enjoined to avoid and shun those major evils
which generally spoil the mutual relationships of the people
in a society. Slandering and taunting the people and
harboring suspicions and spying on others are, in fact, the
evils that cause mutual enmities and then lead to grave
mischief. In this connection, from the commandments that
are being given in the following verses and the explanations
of these found in the Hadith a detailed law of libel can be
compiled. The western law pertaining to libel in this regard
is so defective that a person who sues another under this
law may well cause some loss to his own honor. The Islamic
107
law, on the contrary recognizes a basic honor for every
person and gives nobody the right to attack it, no matter
whether the attack is based on reality or not, and whether
the person who has been attacked has a reputation of his
own or not. Only the fact that a person has debased and
humiliated the other person is enough to declare him a
criminal unless, of course, it is proved that the humiliation
caused had a legal ground for it.
*20 Mocking does not only imply mocking with the tongue
but it also includes mimicking somebody, making pointed
references to him, laughing at his words, or his works, or
his appearance, or his dress, or calling the peoples
attention to some defect or blemish in him so that others
also may laugh at him. All this is included in mocking.
What is actually forbidden is that one should make fun of
and ridicule another, for under such ridiculing there
always lie feelings of ones own superiority and the others
abasement and contempt, which are morally unworthy of a
gentleman. Moreover, it hurts the other person, which
causes mischief to spread in society. That is why it has been
forbidden.
To make mention of the men and the women separately
does not mean that it is lawful for the men to mock the
women or the women to mock the men. The actual reason
for making a separate mention of the two sexes is that
Islam does not at all believe in mixed society. Ridiculing
each other generally takes place in mixed gatherings and
Islam does not permit that non-mahram males and females
should meet in such gatherings and make fun of each other.
108
Therefore, in a Muslim society it is inconceivable that the
men would mock a woman, or the women would mock a
man in an assembly.
*21 The word lamz as used in the original is very
comprehensive and applies to ridiculing, reviling, deriding,
jeering, charging somebody or finding fault with him, and
making him the target of reproach and blame by open or
tacit references. As all such things also spoil mutual
relationships and create bad blood in society, they have
been forbidden. Instead of saying: Do not taunt one
another, it has been said: Do not taunt yourselves, which by
itself shows that the one who uses taunting words for
others, in fact, taunts his own self. Obviously, a person does
not use invectives against others unless he himself is filled
with evil feelings and is almost in a state of bursting like a
volcano. Thus, the one who nourishes such feelings has
made his own self a nest of evils before he makes others a
target, Then, when he taunts others, it means that he is
inviting others to taunt him. It is a different matter that the
other person may evade his attacks because of a gentle
nature, but he himself has opened the door to mischief so
that the other may treat him likewise.
*22 This command requires that a person should not be
called by a name or a title which may cause him
humiliation, e.g. calling somebody a sinner or a hypocrite,
or calling someone a lame or blind one, or one-eyed, or
giving him a nickname containing a reference to some
defect or blemish in him, or in his parents, or in his family,
or calling a person a Jew or a Christian even after his
109
conversion to Islam, or giving such a nickname to a person,
or a family, or a community, or a group, which may bring
condemnation or disgrace on it. Only those nicknames have
been made an exception from this command, which though
apparently offensive, are not intended to condemn the
persons concerned, but they rather serve as a mark of
recognition for them. That is why the traditionists have
allowed as permissible names like Suleman al-Amash (the
weak-eyed Suleman) and Wasil al-Ahdab (the hunch-
backed Wasil) among the reporters of the Hadith. If there
are several men of the same name and a particular man
among them may be recognized only by a particular title or
nickname of his, the title or nickname can be used, even
though the title by itself may be offensive. For instance, if
there are several men called Abdullah, and one of them is
blind, he may be called Abdullah the blind, for his
recognition. Likewise, those titles also are excluded from
this command, which though apparently offensive, are in
fact, given out of love and the people who are called by
those titles themselves approve them, like Abu Hurairah
(father of the kitten) and Abu Turab (father of the dust).
*23 That is, it is very shameful for a believer that in spite of
being a believer he should earn a name for using abusive
language and for immodest behavior. If a disbeliever earns
reputation for himself for mocking the people, or taunting
them, or for proposing evil and offensive titles for others, it
may not be a good reputation from the point of view of
humanity, but it at least goes well with his disbelief. But if a
person after affirming the faith in Allah and His Messenger
110
and the Hereafter earns reputation on account of these
base qualities, it is simply regrettable.
12. O you who believe,
avoid much suspicion,
indeed some suspicions are
sins.
*24
And do not spy,
*25
nor should any one
backbite the other.
*26
Would any among you
like to eat the flesh of
his dead brother,
*27
you
would hate it. And fear
Allah. Indeed, Allah is
Acceptor of repentance, All
Merciful.
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*24 What is forbidden is not conjecture as such but
excessive conjecture and following every kind of
conjecture, and the reason given is that some conjectures
are sins. In order to understand this command, we should
analyze and see what are the kinds of conjecture and what
is the moral position of each.
One kind of conjecture is that which is morally approved
and laudable, and desirable and praiseworthy from
religious point of view, e.g. a good conjecture in respect of
Allah and His Messenger and the believers and those
people with whom one comes in common contact daily and
concerning whom there may be no rational ground for
having an evil conjecture.
111
The second kind of conjecture is that which one cannot do
without in practical life, e.g. in a law court a judge has to
consider the evidence placed before him and give his
decision on the basis of the most probable conjecture, for
he cannot have direct knowledge of the facts of the matter,
and the opinion that is based on evidence is mostly based
on the most probable conjecture and not on certainty.
Likewise, in most cases when one or the other decision has
to be taken, and the knowledge of the reality cannot
possibly be attained, there is no way out for men but to
form an opinion on the basis of a conjecture.
The third kind of conjecture, which is although a suspicion,
is permissible in nature, and it cannot be regarded as a sin.
For instance, if there are clear signs and pointers in the
character of a person (or persons), or in his dealings and
conduct, on the basis of which he may not deserve to enjoy
ones good conjecture, and there are rational grounds for
having suspicions against him, the Shariah does not
demand that one should behave like a simpleton and
continue to have a good conjecture about him. The last
limit of this lawful conjecture, however, is that one should
conduct himself cautiously in order to ward off any
possible mischief from him; it is not right to take an action
against him only on the basis of a conjecture.
The fourth kind of conjecture which is, in fact, a sin is that
one should entertain a suspicion in respect of a person
without any ground, or should start with suspicion in
forming an opinion about others, or should entertain a
suspicion about the people whose apparent conditions show
112
that they are good and noble. Likewise, this also is a sin
that when there is an equal chance of the evil and goodness
in the word or deed of a person, one should regard it as
only evil out of suspicion. For instance, if a gentleman while
leaving a place of assembly picks up another ones shoes,
instead of his own, and we form the opinion that he has
done so with the intention of stealing the shoes, whereas
this could be possible because of oversight as well, there is
no reason for adopting the evil opinion instead of the good
opinion except the suspicion.
This analysis makes it plain that conjecture by itself is not
anything forbidden; rather in some cases and situations it
is commendable, in some situations inevitable, in some
permissible up to a certain extent and un-permissible
beyond it, and in some cases absolutely unlawful. That is
why it has not been enjoined that one should refrain from
conjecture or suspicion altogether but what is enjoined is
that one should refrain from much suspicion. Then, to
make the intention of the command explicit, it has been
said that some conjectures are sinful. From this warning it
follows automatically that whenever a person is forming an
opinion on the basis of conjecture, or is about to take an
action, he should examine the case and see whether the
conjecture he is entertaining is not a sin, whether the
conjecture is really necessary, whether there are sound
reasons for the conjecture, and whether the conduct one is
adopting on the basis of the conjecture is permissible.
Everyone who fears God will certainly take these
precautions. To make his conjecture free and independent
113
of every such care and consideration is the pastime of only
those people who are fearless of God and thoughtless of the
accountability of the Hereafter.
*25 Do not spy: Do not grope after the secrets of the
people: do not search for their defects and weaknesses: do
not pry into their conditions and affairs. Whether this is
done because of suspicion, or for causing harm to
somebody with an evil intention, or for satisfying ones own
curiosity, it is forbidden by the Shariah in every case. It
does not behoove a believer that he should spy on the
hidden affairs of other people, and should try to peep at
them from behind curtains to find out their defects and
their weaknesses. This also includes reading other peoples
private letters, listening secretly to private conversation,
peeping into the neighbor's house, and trying to get
information in different ways about the domestic life or
private affairs of others. This is grave immorality which
causes serious mischief in society. That is why the Prophet
(peace be upon him) once said in an address about those
who pry into other peoples affairs:
O people, who have professed belief verbally, but faith has
not yet entered your hearts: Do not pry into the affairs of
the Muslims, for he who will pry into the affairs of the
Muslims, Allah will pry into his affairs, and he whom Allah
follows inquisitively, is disgraced by Him in his own house.
(Abu Daud).
Muawiyah says that he himself heard the Prophet (peace be
upon him) say: If you start prying into the secret affairs of
the people, you will pervert them, or at least drive them
114
very near perversion. (Abu Daud).
In another he said: When you happen to form an evil
opinion about somebody, do not pry about it. (Al-Jassas,
Ahkam al-Quran).
According to still another Hadith, the Prophet (peace be
upon him) said: The one who saw a secret affair of
somebody and then concealed it is as though he saved a girl
who had been buried alive. (Al-Jassas).
This prohibition of spying is not only applicable to the
individuals but also to the Islamic government. The duty of
forbidding the people to do evil that the Shariah has
entrusted to the government does not require that it should
establish a system of spying to inquire too curiously into
the peoples secret evils and then punish them, but it should
use force only against those evils which are manifested
openly. As for the hidden evils spying is not the way to
reform them but it is education, preaching and counseling,
collective training of the people and trying to create a pure
social environment. In this connection, an incident
concerning Umar is very instructive. Once at night he
heard the voice of a person who was singing in his house.
He became curious and climbed the wall. There he saw
wine as well as a woman present. He shouted at the man,
saying: O enemy of God, do you think you will disobey
Allah, and Allah will not expose your secret? The man
replied: Do not make haste, O commander of the faithful: if
I have committed one sin, you have committed three sins:
Allah has forbidden spying, and you have spied; Allah has
commanded that one should enter the houses by the doors,
115
and you have entered it by climbing over the wall; Allah
has commanded that one should avoid entering the other
peoples houses without permission, and you have entered
my house without my permission. Hearing this reply Umar
confessed his error, and did not take any action against the
man, but made him to promise that he would follow the
right way in future. (Abi Bakr Muhammad bin Jafar al-
Kharaiti, Makarim al-Akhlaq). This shows that it is not
only forbidden for the individuals but also for the Islamic
government itself to pry into the secrets of the people and
discover their sins and errors and then seize them for
punishment. The same thing has been said in a Hadith in
which the Prophet (peace be upon him) has said: When the
ruler starts searching for the causes of suspicions among
the people he perverts them. (Abu Daud).
The only exception from this command are the special
cases and situations in which spying is actually needed. For
instance, if in the conduct of a person (or persons) some
signs of corruption are visible and there is the
apprehension that he is about to commit a crime, the
government can inquire into his affairs; or, for instance, if
somebody sends a proposal of marriage in the house of a
person, or wants to enter into business with him, the other
person can, inquire and investigate into his affairs for his
own satisfaction.
*26 Ghibat (back-biting) has been defined thus: It is saying
on the back of a person something which would hurt him if
he came to know of it. This definition has been reported
from the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself. According
116
to a tradition which Muslim, Abu Daud, Tirmidhi, Nasai
and others have related on the authority of Abu Hurairah,
the Prophet (peace be upon him) defined ghibat as follows:
It is talking of your brother in a way irksome to him. It was
asked: What, if the defect being talked of is present in my
brother? The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: If it is
present in him, it would be ghibat; if it is not there, it would
be slandering him.
In another tradition which Imam Malik has related in
Muwatta, on the authority of Muttalib bin Abdullah. A
person asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): What is
ghibat? The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: It is
talking of your brother in a way irksome to him. He asked:
Even if it is true, O Messenger of Allah? He replied: If
what you said was false, it would then be a calumny.
These traditions make it plain that uttering a false
accusation against a person in his absence is calumny and
describing a real defect in him ghibat; whether this is done
in express words or by reference and allusion, in every case
it is forbidden. Likewise, whether this is done in the
lifetime of a person, or after his death, it is forbidden in
both cases. According to Abu Daud, when Maiz bin Malik
Aslami had been stoned to death for committing adultery,
the Prophet (peace be upon him) on his way back heard a
man saying to his companion: Look at this man: Allah had
concealed his secret, but he did not leave himself alone till
he was killed like a dog! A little further on the way there
was the dead body of a donkey lying rotting. The Prophet
(peace be upon him) stopped, called the two men and said:
117
Come down and eat this dead donkey. They submitted:
Who will eat it, O Messenger of Allah? The Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: A little while ago you were attacking the
honor of your brother: that was much worse than eating
this dead donkey.
The only exceptions to this prohibition are the cases in
which there may be a genuine need of speaking in of a
person on his back, or after his death, and this may not be
fulfilled without resort to backbiting, and if it was not
resorted to, a greater evil might result than backbiting
itself. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has described this
exception as a principle, thus: The worst excess is to attack
the honor of a Muslim unjustly. (Abu Daud).
In this saying the condition of unjustly points out that
doing so with justice is permissible. Then, in the practice of
the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself we find some
precedents which show what is implied by justice and in
what conditions and cases backbiting may be lawful to the
extent as necessary.
Once a desert Arab came and offered his Prayer under the
leadership of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and as soon
as the Prayer was concluded, walked away saying: O God,
have mercy on me and on Muhammad, and make no one
else a partner in this mercy beside the two of us. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said to the companions: What
do you say: who is more ignorant, this person or his camel?
Didnt you hear what he said? (Abu Daud). The Prophet
(peace be upon him) had to say this in his absence, for he
had left soon after the Prayer was over. Since he had
118
uttered a wrong thing in the presence of the Prophet (peace
be upon him), his remaining quiet at it could cause the
misunderstanding that saying such a thing might in some
degree be lawful; therefore, it was necessary that he should
contradict it.
Two of the companions, Muawiyah and Abu Jahm, sent the
proposal of marriage to a lady, Fatimah bint Qais. She
came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked for his
advice. He said: Muawiyah is a poor man and Abu Jahm
beats his wives much. (Bukhari, Muslim). In this case, as
there was the question of the ladys future and she had
consulted the Prophet (peace be upon him) for his advice,
he deemed it necessary to inform her of the two mens
weaknesses.
One day when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was
present in the apartment of Aishah, a man came and
sought permission to see him. The Prophet (peace be upon
him) remarked that he was a very bad man of his tribe.
Then he went out and talked to him politely. When he came
back into the house, Aishah asked: You have talked to him
politely, whereas when you went out you said something
different about him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
On the day of Resurrection the worst abode in the sight of
Allah will be of the person whom the people start avoiding
because of his abusive language. (Bukhari, Muslim). A
study of this incident will show that the Prophet (peace be
upon him) in spite of having a bad opinion about the
person talked to him politely because that was the demand
of his morals; but he had the apprehension lest the people
119
of his house should consider the person to be his friend
when they would see him treating him kindly, and then the
person might use this impression to his own advantage
later. Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned
Aishah telling her that he was a bad man of his tribe. Once
Hind bint Utbah, wife of Abu Sufyan, came to the Prophet
(peace be upon him) and said: Abu Sufyan is a miserly
person: he does not provide enough for me and my
childrens needs. (Bukhari, Muslim). Although this
complaint from the wife in the absence of the husband was
backbiting, the Prophet (peace be upon him) permitted it,
for the oppressed one has a right that he or she may take
the complaint of injustice to a person who has the power to
get it removed.
From these precedents of the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace
be upon him), the jurists and traditionalists have deduced
this principle: Ghibat (backbiting) is permissible only in
case it is needed for a real and genuine (genuine from the
Shariah point of view) necessity, and the necessity may not
be satisfied without having resort to it. Then on the basis of
the same principle the scholars have declared that ghibat is
permissible in the following cases:
(1) Complaining by an oppressed person against the
oppressor before every such person who he thinks can do
something to save him from the injustice.
(2) To make mention of the evils of a person (or persons)
with the intention of reform before those who can be
expected to help remove the evils.
(3) To state the facts of a case before a legal expert for the
120
purpose of seeking a religious or legal ruling regarding an
unlawful act committed by a person.
(4) To warn the people of the mischief of a person (or
persons) so that they may ward off the evil, e.g. it is not
only permissible but obligatory to mention the weaknesses
of the reporters, witnesses and writers, for without it, it is
not possible to safeguard the Shariah against the
propagation of false reports, the courts against injustices
and the common people or the students against errors and
misunderstandings. Or, for instance, if a person wants to
have the relationship of marriage with somebody, or wishes
to rent a house in the neighborhood of somebody, or wants
to give something into the custody of somebody, and
consults another person, it is obligatory for him to apprise
him of all aspects so that he is not deceived because of
ignorance.
(5) To raise voice against and criticize the evils of the
people who may be spreading sin and immorality and error
or corrupting the peoples faith and persecuting them.
(6) To use nicknames for the people who may have become
well known by those names, but this should be done for the
purpose of their recognition and not with a view to
condemn them. (For details, see Fathal-Bari, vol. X, p. 362;
Sharh Muslim by An-Nawawi; Riyad us-Salihin; al-Jassas,
Ahkam al-Quran; Ruh al-Maani commentary on verse wa
la yaghtab ba-dukum badan).
Apart from these exceptions it is absolutely forbidden to
speak ill of a person behind his back. If what is spoken is
true, it is ghibat; if it is false, it is calumny. And if it is
121
meant to make two persons quarrel, it is malicious. The
Shariah has declared all these as forbidden. In the Islamic
society it is incumbent on every Muslim to refute a false
charge made against a person in his presence and not to
listen to it quietly, and to tell those who are speaking ill of
somebody, without a genuine religious need, to fear God
and desist from the sin. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
has said: If a person does not support and help a Muslim
when he is being disgraced and his honor being attacked,
Allah also does not support and help him when he stands in
need of His help; and if a person helps and supports a
Muslim when his honor is being attacked and he is being
disgraced, Allah Almighty also helps him when he wants
that Allah should help him. (Abu Daud).
As for the backbiter, as soon as he realizes that he is
committing this sin, or has committed it, his first duty is to
offer repentance before Allah and restrain himself from
this forbidden act. His second duty is that he should
compensate for it as far as possible. If he has backbitten a
dead person, he should ask Allahs forgiveness for the
person as often as he can. If he has backbitten a living
person, and what he said was also false, he should refute it
before the people before whom he had made the calumny.
And if what he said was true, he should never speak ill of
him in future, and should ask pardon of the person whom
he had backbitten. A section of the scholars has expressed
the opinion that pardon should be asked only in case the
other person has come to know of it; otherwise one should
only offer repentance, for if the person concerned is
122
unaware and the backbiter in order to ask pardon goes and
tells him that he had backbitten him, he would certainly
feel hurt.
*27 In this sentence Allah by likening backbiting to eating
the dead brothers flesh has given the idea of its being an
abomination. Eating the dead flesh is by itself abhorrent;
and when the flesh is not of an animal, but of a man, and
that too of ones own dead brother, abomination would be
added to abomination. Then, by presenting the simile in the
interrogative tone it has been made all the more impressive,
so that every person may ask his own conscience and
decide whether he would like to eat the flesh of his dead
brother. If he would not, and he abhors it by nature, how
would he like that he should attack the honor of his
brother-in-faith in his absence, when he cannot defend
himself and when he is fully unaware that he is being
disgraced. This shows that the basic reason of forbidding
backbiting is not that the person being backbitten is being
hurt but speaking ill of a person in his absence is by itself
unlawful and forbidden whether he is aware of it, or not,
and whether he feels hurt by it or not. Obviously, eating the
flesh of a dead man is not forbidden because it hurts the
dead man; the dead person is wholly unaware that
somebody is eating of his body, but because this act by
itself is an abomination. Likewise, if the person who is
backbitten also does not come to know of it through any
means, he will remain unaware throughout his life that
somebody had attacked his honor at a particular time
before some particular people and on that account he had
123
stood disgraced in the eyes of those people. Because of this
unawareness he will not feel at all hurt by this backbiting,
but his honor would in any case be sullied. Therefore, this
act in its nature is not any different from eating the flesh of
a dead brother.
13. O mankind, indeed We
created you from male and
female, and We made you
into nations and tribes so
that you may recognize one
another. Indeed, the most
noble among you with Allah
is the most righteous of
you.
*28
Indeed, Allah is All
knowing, All Aware.
*29
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,,> _
*28 In the preceding verses the Muslims were addressed
and given necessary instructions to safeguard the Muslim
community against social evils. In this verse the whole of
mankind has been addressed to reform it of the great evil
that has always been causing universal disruption in the
world, that is, the prejudices due to race, color, language,
country, and nationality. On account of these prejudices
man in every age has generally been discarding humanity
and drawing around himself some small circles and
regarding those born within those circles as his own people
and those outside them as others. These circles have been
drawn on the basis of accidental birth and not on rational
and moral grounds. In some cases their basis is the accident
of being born in a particular family, tribe, or race, and in
124
some particular geographical region, or in a nation having
a particular color or speaking a particular language. Then
the discrimination between ones own people and others is
not only confined to this that those who are looked upon as
ones own people are shown greater love and cooperation
than others, but this discrimination has assumed the worst
forms of hatred, enmity, contempt and tyranny. New
philosophies have been propounded for it, new religions
invented, new codes of law made and new moral principles
framed; so much so that nations and empires have made
this distinction a permanent way of life with them and
practiced it for centuries. The Jews on this very basis
regarded the children of Israel as the chosen people of God
and even in the practice of their religious rites looked upon
the non-Jews as inferior to the Jews in rights and rank.
This very discrimination gave birth to class distinctions
(varnashrama) among the Hindus according to which
superiority of the Brahmins was established, all other
human beings came to be regarded as inferior and unclean
and the shudras cast into the depths of disgrace and
degradation. Every person can see for himself even in this
20
th
century what atrocities have been committed against
the colored people in Africa and America on account of the
distinction between the white and the black. The treatment
that the Europeans meted out to the Red Indian race in
America and to the weak nations of Asia and Africa had
the same concept underlying it. They thought that the
rights and property and honor of all those who had been
born outside the frontiers of their own land and nation
125
were lawful for them and they had the right to plunder and
take them as their slaves and exterminate them if need be.
The worst examples of how the nationalism of the western
nations has turned one nation against the others and made
it their bloodthirsty enemy have been seen in the wars of
the recent past and are being seen even in the present time.
In particular, if what was manifested by the racism of the
Nazi Germany and the concept of the superiority of the
Nordic race in the last World War is kept in view. One can
easily judge how stupendous and devastating is the error
for whose reform this verse of the Quran was revealed.
In this brief verse, Allah has drawn the attention of all
mankind to three cardinal truths:
(1) The origin of all of you is one and the same. Your whole
species has sprung up from one man and one woman. All
your races that are found in the world today are, in fact,
the branches of one initial race that started with one
mother and one father. In this process of creation there is
no basis whatsoever for the divisions and distinctions in
which you have involved yourselves because of your false
notions. One God alone is your Creator. Different men
have not been created by different gods. You have been
made from one and the same substance. It is not so that
some men have been made from some pure and superior
substance and some other men from some impure and
inferior substance. You have been created in one and the
same way; it is not also so that different men have been
created in different ways. And you are the offspring of the
same parents; it is not so that in the beginning there were
126
many human couples which gave birth to different
populations in the different regions of the world.
(2) In spite of being one in origin, it was natural that you
should be divided into nations and tribes. Obviously, all the
men on the earth could not belong to one and the same
family. With the spread of the race it was inevitable that
countless families should arise, and then tribes and nations
should emerge from the families. Similarly, it was
inevitable that after settling in different regions of the
earth, there should be differences of colors, features,
languages and ways of living among the people, and it was
also natural that those living in the same region should be
closer in affinity and those living in remote regions not so
close. But this natural difference never demanded that
distinctions of inequality, of high and low, of noble and
mean, should be established on its basis, that one race
should claim superiority over the other, the people of one
color should look down upon the people of other colors,
and that one nation should take preference over the other
without any reason. The Creator had divided the human
communities into nations and tribes for that was a natural
way of cooperation and distinction between them. In this
way alone could a fraternity, a brotherhood, a tribe and a
nation combine to give birth to a common way of life and to
cooperate with each other in the affairs of the world. But it
was all due to satanic ignorance that the differences among
mankind created by Allah to be a means of recognition,
were turned into a means of mutual boasting and hatred,
which led mankind to every kind of injustice and tyranny.
127
(3) The only basis of superiority and excellence that there
is, or can be, between man and man is that of moral
excellence. As regards birth, all men are equal, for their
Creator is One, their substance of creation is one, and their
way of creation is one, and they are descended from the
same parents. Moreover, a persons being born in a
particular country, nation, or clan is just accidental.
Therefore, there is no rational ground on account of which
one person may be regarded as superior to the other. The
real thing that makes one person superior to others is that
one should be more God-conscious, a greater avoider of
evils, and a follower of the way of piety and righteousness.
Such a man, whether he belongs to any race, any nation
and any country, is valuable and worthy on account of his
personal merit. And the one who is reverse of him in
character is in any case an inferior person whether he is
black or white, born in the east or the west.
These same truths that have been stated in this brief verse
of the Quran have been explained in greater detail by the
Prophet (peace be upon him) in his addresses and
traditions. In the speech that he made on the conquest of
Makkah, after going round the Kabah, he said:
Thank God Who has removed from you the blemish of
ignorance and its arrogance. O people, men are divided
into classes: the pious and righteous, who are honorable in
the sight of Allah, and the sinful and vicious, who are
contemptible in the sight of Allah, whereas all men are the
children of Adam and Adam had been created by Allah
from clay. (Baihaqi, Tirmidhi).
128
On the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage, in the midst of
the Tashriq days, he addressed the people, and said:
O people, be aware: your God is One. No Arab has any
superiority over a non-Arab, and no non-Arab any
superiority over an Arab, and no white one has any
superiority over a black one, and no black one any
superiority over a white one, except on the basis of taqwa
(piety). The most honorable among you in the sight of Allah
is he who is the most pious and righteous of you. Say if I
have conveyed the Message to you? And the great
congregation of the people responded, saying: Yes, you
have, O Messenger of Allah. Thereupon the Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: Then let the one who is present convey
it to those who are absent. (Baihaqi).
In a Hadith he has said: You are all the children of Adam,
and Adam was created from the dust. Let the people give
up boasting of their ancestors, otherwise they will stand
more degraded than a mean insect in the sight of Allah.
(Bazzar).
In another Hadith the Prophet(peace be upon him) said:
Allah will not inquire about your lineage on the Day of
Resurrection. The most honorable in the sight of Allah is he
who is most pious. (Ibn Jarir).
In still another Hadith he said: Allah does not see your
outward appearances and your possessions but He sees
your hearts and your deeds. (Muslim, lbn Majah).
These teachings have not remained confined to words only
but Islam has practically established a universal
brotherhood of the believers on the basis, which does not
129
allow any distinction on account of color, race, language,
country and nationality which is free from every concept of
high and low, clean and unclean, mean and respectable,
which admits all human beings with equal rights, whether
they belong to any race and nation, any land or region.
Even the opponents of Islam have to admit that no
precedent is found in any religion and any system of the
success with which the principle of human equality and
unity has been given practical shape in the Muslim society,
nor has it ever been found. Islam is the only religion which
has welded and combined innumerable races and
communities scattered in all corners of the earth into one
universal ummah.
In this connection, a misunderstanding also needs to be
removed. In the case of marriage, the importance that
Islamic law gives to kufv (likeness of status) has been taken
by some people in the sense that some brotherhoods are
noble and some mean, and matrimonial relations between
them are objectionable. But this, in fact, is a wrong idea.
According to the Islamic law, every Muslim man can marry
every Muslim woman, but the success of the matrimonial
life depends on maximum harmony and conformity
between the spouses as regards habits, characteristics and
ways of life, family traditions and economic and social
status, so that they may get on well with each other. This is
the real object of being equal and alike. Where there is
unusual difference and disparity between the man and the
woman in this regard, lifelong companionship will be
difficult. That is why the Islamic law disapproves of such
130
intermarriages, and not for the reason that one of the
spouses is noble and the other mean, but for the reason that
in case there is a clear and apparent difference and
distinction in status, there would be a greater possibility of
the failure of the matrimonial life if the marriage
relationship was established.
*29 That is, this is only known to Allah as to who is really a
man of high rank and who is inferior in respect of qualities
and characteristics. The standards of high and low that the
people have set up of their own accord, are not acceptable
to and approved by Allah. May be that the one who has
been regarded as a man of high rank in the world is
declared as the lowest of the low in the final judgment of
Allah, and maybe that the one who has been looked upon
as a very low person here, attains to a very high rank there.
The real importance is not of the honor and dishonor of the
world but of the honor and dishonor that one will receive
from Allah. Therefore, what man should be most
concerned about is that he should create in himself those
real qualities and characteristics which make him worthy
of honor in the sight of Allah.
131




Surah
Introduction


132
_ `. Al-Isra
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Name
This Surah takes its name Isra from Ayat 1. The Surah is
also known as Bani-Israel. But the name is merely a
distinctive appellation like the names of many other surahs
and not a descriptive title.
Period of Revelation
The very first verse indicates that this Surah was revealed
on the occasion of Miraj (Ascension). According to the
traditions and books on the life of the Prophet (peace be
upon him), this event took place one year before Hijrah.
Thus, this Surah is one of those which were revealed in the
last stage of Prophethood at Makkah.
Background
The Prophet (peace be upon him) had been propagating
Tauhid for the previous twelve years and his opponents had
been doing all they could to make his mission a failure, but
in spite of all their opposition, Islam had spread to every
corner of Arabia and there was hardly any clan which had
not been influenced by his invitation. In Makkah itself the
true believers had formed themselves into a small
133
community and were ready and willing to face every
danger to make Islam a success. Besides them, a very large
number of the people of Aus and Khazraj (two influential
clans of Al-Madinah) had accepted Islam. Thus the time
had come for the Prophet (peace be upon him) to emigrate
from Makkah to Al-Madinah and there gather together the
scattered Muslims and establish a state based on the
principles of Islam.
These were the conditions when Miraj took place and on
his return the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought down
the message contained in this Surah.
Theme and Topics
This Surah is a wonderful combination of warning,
admonition and instruction, which have been blended
together in a balanced proportion.
The disbelievers of Makkah had been admonished to take a
lesson from the miserable end of the Israelites and other
communities and mend their ways within the period of
respite given by Allah, which was about to expire. They
should, therefore, accept the invitation that was being
extended by Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the
Quran. Otherwise they shall be annihilated and replaced
by other people. Incidentally, the Israelites, with whom
Islam was going to come in direct contact in the near future
at Al-Madinah, have also been warned that they should
learn a lesson from the chastisements that have already
been inflicted on them. They were warned: Take advantage
of the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him)
because that is the last opportunity which is being given to
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you. If even now you behave as you have been behaving,
you shall meet with a painful torment.
As regards to the education of mankind, it has been
impressed that human success or failure, gain or loss,
depends upon the right understanding of Tauhid, life after
death and Prophethood. Accordingly, convincing
arguments have been put forward to prove that the Quran
is the Book of Allah and its teachings are true and genuine.
The doubts of the disbelievers about these basic realities
have been removed and on suitable occasions they have
been admonished and rebuked in regard to their ways of
ignorance.
In this connection, those fundamental principles of morality
and civilization on which the Islamic system of life is meant
to be established have been put forward. Thus this was a
sort of the manifesto of the intended Islamic state which
had been proclaimed a year before its actual establishment.
It has been explicitly stated that that was the sketch of the
system on which Muhammad (peace be upon him) intended
to build human life first in his own country and then in the
outside world.
Besides these, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has been
instructed to hold firmly to his stand without minding the
opposition and difficulties which he was encountering and
should never think of making a compromise with unbelief.
The Muslims who sometimes showed signs of impatience,
when they met with persecution, calumny, and crooked
arguments, have also been instructed to face adverse
circumstances with patience and fortitude and keep full
135
control over their feelings and passions. Moreover, salat
was prescribed in order to reform and purify their souls, as
if to say: This is the thing which will produce in you those
high qualities of character which are essential for everyone
who intends to struggle in the righteous way. Incidentally,
we learn from traditions that Miraj was the first occasion
on which the five daily prayers were prescribed to be
offered at fixed times.
136
: 1,l Al-Baqarah
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Name
Al-Baqarah (the Cow) has been so named from the story of
the cow occurring in this Surah (Ayats 67-73). It has not,
however, been used as a title to indicate the subject of the
Surah. It will, therefore, be as wrong to translate the name
Al-Baqarah into The Cow or The Heifer as to translate
any English names into their equivalents in other languages
or vice versa. This would imply that the Surah dealt with
the subject of The Cow. Many more Surahs of the
Quran have been named in a similar way because no
comprehensive words exist in Arabic (in spite of its
richness) to denote the wide scope of the subjects discussed
in them. As a matter of fact, all human languages suffer
from the same limitation.
Sequence
Though it is a Madani Surah, it follows naturally a Makki
Surah Al-Fatihah, which ended with the prayer: Show us
the straight path. It begins with the answer to that
prayer, This is the Book (that)...is a guidance.
The greater part of Al-Baqarah was revealed during the
137
first two years of the Prophets (peace be upon him) life at
Al-Madinah. The smaller part which was revealed at a later
period has been included in this Surah because its contents
are closely related to those dealt with in this Surah. For
instance, the verses prohibiting interest were revealed
during the last period of the Prophet's (peace be upon him)
life but have been inserted in this Surah. For the same
reason, the last verses (284-286) of this Surah which were
revealed at Makkah before the migration of the Prophet
(peace be upon him) to Al-Madinah have also been
included in it.
Historical Background
In order to understand the meaning of this Surah, we
should know its historical background:
1. At Makkah the Quran generally addressed the mushrik
Quraish who were ignorant of Islam, but at Al-Madinah it
was also concerned with the Jews who were acquainted
with the creed of the Unity of Allah, prophethood,
revelation, the Hereafter and Angels. They also professed to
believe in the law which was revealed by Allah to their
prophet Moses (peace be upon him), and in principle, their
way was the same (Islam) that was being taught by Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him). But they had strayed
away from it during the centuries of degeneration and had
adopted many un-Islamic creeds, rites and customs of
which there was no mention and for which there was no
sanction in the Torah. Not only this: they had tampered
with the Torah by inserting their own explanations and
interpretations into its text. They had distorted even that
138
part of the word of God which had remained intact in their
Scriptures, and they taken out of it the real spirit of true
religion, and were now clinging to a lifeless frame of rituals.
Consequently their beliefs, their morals and their conduct
had gone to the lowest depths of degeneration. The pity is
that they were not only satisfied with their condition but
loved to cling to it. Besides this, they had no intention or
inclination to accept any kind of reform. So they became
bitter enemies of those who came to teach them the right
way and did their best to defeat every such effort. Though
they were originally Muslims, they had swerved from the
real Islam and made innovations and alterations in it and
had fallen victims to hair splitting and sectarianism. They
had forgotten and forsaken Allah and begun to serve
mammon. So much so that they had even given up their
original name Muslim and adopted the name Jew
instead, and made religion the sole monopoly of the
children of Israel.
This was their religious condition when the Prophet (peace
be upon him) went to Al-Madinah and invited the Jews to
the true religion. That is why more than one third of this
Surah has been addressed to the children of Israel. A
critical review of their history, their moral degeneration
and their religious perversions has been made. Side by side,
with this, the high standard of morality and the
fundamental principles of the pure religion have been put
forward in order to bring out clearly the nature of the
degeneration of the community of a prophet when it goes
astray. This was to draw clear lines of demarcation between
139
real piety and formalism, and the essentials and non-
essentials of the true religion.
2. At Makkah Islam was mainly concerned with the
propagation of its fundamental principles and the moral
training of its followers. But after the migration of the
Prophet (peace be upon him) to Al-Madinah, where
Muslims had come to settle from all over Arabia and where
a tiny Islamic state had been set up with the help of the
Ansar (local supporters), naturally the Quran had to turn
its attention to the social, cultural, economic, political and
legal problems as well. This accounts for the difference
between the themes of the Surahs revealed at Makkah and
those at Al-Madinah. Accordingly about half of this Surah
deals with those principles and regulations which are
essential for the integration and solidarity of a community
and for the solution of its problems.
3. After the migration to Al-Madinah, the struggle
between Islam and un-Islam had also entered a new phase.
Before this the believers, who propagated Islam among
their own clans and tribes, had to face its opponents at their
own risk. But the conditions had changed at Al-Madinah,
where Muslims from all parts of Arabia had come and
settled as one community, and had established an
independent city state. Here it became a struggle for the
survival of the community itself, for the whole of non-
Muslim Arabia was bent upon and united in crushing it
totally. Hence the following instructions, upon which
depended not only its success but its very survival, were
revealed in this Surah:
140
a. The Community should work with the utmost zeal to
propagate its ideology and win over to its side the greatest
possible number of people;
b. It should so expose its opponents as to leave no room for
doubt in the mind of any sensible person that they were
adhering to an absolutely wrong position;
c. It should infuse in its members (the majority of whom
were homeless and indigent and surrounded on all sides by
enemies) that courage and fortitude which is so
indispensable to their very existence in the adverse
circumstances in which they were struggling and to prepare
them to face these boldly;
d. It should also keep them ready and prepared to meet
any armed menace, which might come from any side to
suppress and crush their ideology, and to oppose it without
minding the overwhelming numerical strength and the
material resources of its enemies;
e. It should also create in them that courage which is
needed for the eradication of evil ways and for the
establishment of the Islamic way instead.
That is why Allah has revealed in this Surah such
instructions as may help achieve all the above mentioned
objects.
4. During this period, a new type of Muslims called
munafiqin (hypocrites) had begun to appear. Though
signs of duplicity had been noticed during the last days at
Makkah, they took a different shape at Al-Madinah. At
Makkah there were some people who professed Islam to be
true but were not prepared to abide by the consequences of
141
this profession and to sacrifice their worldly interests and
relations and bear the afflictions which inevitably follow
the acceptance of this creed. But at Al-Madinah different
kinds of munafiqin (hypocrites) began to appear. There
were some who had entered the Islamic fold merely to
harm it from within. There were others who were
surrounded by Muslims and, therefore, had become
Muslims to safeguard their worldly interests. They,
therefore, continued to have relations with the enemies so
that if the latter became successful, their interests should
remain secure. There were still others who had no strong
conviction of the truth of Islam but had embraced it along
with their clans. Lastly, there were those who were
intellectually convinced of the truth of Islam but did not
have enough moral courage to give up their former
traditions, superstitions and personal ambitions and live up
to the Islamic moral standards and make sacrifice in its
way.
At the time of the revelation of Al-Baqarah, all sorts of
hypocrites had begun to appear. Allah has, therefore,
briefly pointed out their characteristics here. Afterwards
when their evil characteristics and mischievous deeds
became manifest, Allah sent detailed instructions about
them.
Theme: Guidance
This Surah is an invitation to the divine guidance and all
the stories, incidents etc. revolve around this central theme.
As this Surah has particularly been addressed to the Jews,
many historical events have been cited from their own
142
traditions to admonish and advise them that their own good
lies in accepting the guidance revealed to the Prophet
(peace be upon him). They should, therefore, be the first to
accept it because it was basically the same message that was
revealed to Prophet Moses (peace be upon him).
Topics and their Interconnection
Ayats 1-20. These introductory verses declare the Quran to
be the Book of guidance: enunciate the articles of the faith
(belief) in Allah, prophethood and life-after-death; divide
mankind into three main groups with regard to its
acceptance or rejection, believers, disbelievers and
hypocrites.
Ayats 21-29. Allah invites mankind to accept the guidance
voluntarily and to submit to Him, the Lord and the Creator
of the universe, and to believe in the Quran, His guidance,
and in the life-after-death.
Ayats 30-39. The story of the appointment of Adam as
Allahs vicegerent on earth, of his life in the garden, of his
falling a prey to the temptations of Satan, of his repentance
and its acceptance, has been related to show to mankind
(Adams offspring) that the only right thing for them is to
accept and follow the guidance. This story also shows that
the guidance of Islam is the same that was given to Adam
and that it is the original religion of mankind.
Ayats 40-120. In this portion invitation to the guidance has
particularly been extended to the children of Israel and
their past and present attitude has been criticized to show
that the cause of their degradation was their deviation from
the guidance.
143
Ayats 121-141. The Jews have been exhorted to follow
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who had come
with the same guidance and who was a descendant and
follower of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) whom
they highly honored as their ancestor, and professed to
follow as a prophet. The story of building of the Kaabah by
him has been mentioned because it was going to be made
the qiblah of the Muslim community.
Ayats 142-152. In this portion, the declaration of the
change of qiblah from the Temple (Jerusalem) to the
Kaabah (Makkah) has been made as a symbol of the
change of leadership from the children of Israel to the
Muslim community, which has also been fore-warned to
guard against those transgressions against the guidance
that had led to the deposition of the Jews.
Ayats 153-251. In this portion practical measures have
been prescribed to enable the Muslims to discharge the
heavy responsibilities of the leadership that had been
entrusted to them for the promulgation of guidance. Salat,
fasting, Zakat, Hajj and Jihad have been prescribed for the
moral training of the ummat (Muslim community). The
believers have been exhorted to obey authority, to be just,
to fulfill pledges, to observe treaties, to spend wealth etc. in
the Way of Allah. Laws, rules and regulations have been
laid down for their organization, cohesion and conduct of
daily life and for the solution of social, economic, political
and international problems. On the other hand, drinking,
gambling, lending money on interest etc. have been
prohibited to keep the ummat safe from disintegration. In
144
between these, the basic articles of the faith have been
reiterated at suitable places, for these alone can enable and
support one to stick to the guidance.
Ayats 252-260. These verses serve as an introduction to the
prohibition of lending money on interest. The true
conception of Allah, revelation, and life-after-death have
been emphasized to keep alive the sense of accountability.
The stories of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) and
of the one who woke up after a sleep of hundred years have
been related to show that Allah is All-Powerful and is able
to raise the dead and call them to account. The believers,
therefore, should keep this fact in view and refrain from
taking interest on money.
Ayats 261-283. The earlier theme has been resumed and the
believers have been exhorted to spend in the Way of Allah
in order to please Him alone. In contrast to this, they have
been warned against the evils of lending money on interest.
Instructions have also been given for the honest conduct of
day-to-day business transactions.
Ayats 284-286. The basic articles of the faith have been
recapitulated here at the end of the Surah, just as they were
enunciated at its beginning. Then the Surah ends with a
prayer which the Muslim community needed very much at
that time when they were encountering untold hardships in
the propagation of the guidance.
145
.s_ Aal-Imran
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Name
The Surah takes its name from Ayat 33. Aal-Imran, like the
names of many other Surahs, is merely a name to
distinguish it from other Surahs and does not imply that
the family of Imran has been discussed in it.
The Period of Revelation
The Surah consists of four discourses:
The first discourse (Ayats 1-32) was probably revealed soon
after the battle of Badr.
The second discourse (Ayats 33-63) was revealed in 9 A.H.
on the occasion of the visit of the deputation from the
Christians of Najran.
The third discourse (Ayats 64-120) appears to have been
revealed immediately after the first one.
The fourth discourse (Ayats 121-200) was revealed after the
battle of Uhd.
Subject
Though these discourses were revealed at different periods
and on different occasions, they are so inter-linked and so
inter-connected in regard to their aim, object and central
theme that they make together one continuous subject. This
146
Surah has been especially addressed to two groups, the
people of the Book (the Jews and the Christians), and the
followers of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The message has been extended to the Jews and the
Christians in continuation of the invitation in Surah Al-
Baqarah, in which they have been admonished for their
erroneous beliefs and evil morals and advised to accept, as
a remedy, the truth of the Quran. They have been told here
that Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught the same
right way of life that had been preached by their own
prophets. That it alone was the right way, the Way of Allah.
Hence any deviation from it will be wrong even according
to their own scriptures.
The second group, the Muslims, who had been declared to
be the best community in Surah Al-Baqarah and appointed
torch bearers of the truth and entrusted with the
responsibility of reforming the world, have been given
additional instructions in continuation of those given in the
preceding Surah. The Muslims have been warned to learn a
lesson from the religious and moral degeneration of the
former communities and to refrain from treading in their
footsteps. Instructions have also been given about the
reformative work they had to perform. Besides this, they
have been taught how to deal with the people of the Book
and the hypocrites who were putting different kinds of
hindrances in the Way of Allah. Above all, they have been
warned to guard against those weaknesses which had come
to the surface in the battle of Uhd.
147
Background
The following is the background of the Surah:
1. The believers had met with all sorts of trials and
hardships about which they had been forewarned in Surah
Al-Baqarah. Though they had come out victorious in the
battle of Badr, they were not out of danger yet. Their
victory had aroused the enmity of all those powers in
Arabia which were opposed to the Islamic movement. Signs
of threatening storms had begun to appear on all sides and
the Muslims were in a perpetual state of fear and anxiety. It
looked as if the whole Arabian world around the tiny state
of Al-Madinah - which was no more than a village state at
that time - was bent upon blotting out its very existence.
This state of war was also adversely affecting its economy,
which had already been badly disturbed by the influx of the
Muslim refugees from Makkah.
2. Then there was the disturbing problem of the Jewish
clans who lived in the suburbs of Al-Madinah. They were
discarding the treaties of alliance they had made with the
Prophet (peace be upon him) after his migration from
Makkah. So much so that on the occasion of the battle of
Badr, these people of the Book sympathized with the evil
aims of the idolaters, in spite of the fact that their
fundamental articles of the faith, Oneness of Allah,
prophethood, life after death, were the same as those of the
Muslims. After the battle of Badr, they openly began to
incite the Quraish and other Arab clans to wreak their
vengeance on the Muslims. Thus, those Jewish clans set
aside their centuries old friendly and neighborly relations
148
with the people of Al-Madinah. At last when their
mischievous actions and breaches of treaties became
unbearable, the Prophet (peace be upon him) attacked the
Bani-Qainuqaa, the most mischievous of all the other
Jewish clans who had conspired with the hypocrites of Al-
Madinah and the idolatrous Arab clans to encircle the
believers on all sides. The magnitude of the peril might be
judged from the fact that even the life of the Prophet (peace
be upon him) himself was always in danger. Therefore his
companions slept in their armors during that period and
kept watch at night to guard against any sudden attack,
and whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) happened
to be out of sight even for a short while, they would at once
set out in search of him.
3. This incitement by the Jews added fuel to the fire which
was burning in the hearts of the Quraish and they began to
make preparations to avenge the defeat they had suffered
at Badr. A year after this an army of 3,000 strong marched
out of Makkah to invade Al-Madinah and a battle took
place at the foot of Mount Uhd. The Prophet (peace be
upon him) came out of Al-Madinah with one thousand men
to meet the enemy. While they were marching to the battle
field, three hundred hypocrites deserted the army and
returned to Al-Madinah, but there still remained a small
band of hypocrites among the seven hundred who
accompanied the Prophet (peace be upon him). They
played their part and did their worst to create mischief and
chaos in the ranks of the believers during the battle. This
was the first clear indication of the fact that within the fold
149
of the Muslim community there was quite a large number
of saboteurs who were always ready to conspire with the
external enemies to harm their own brethren.
4. Though the devices of the hypocrites had played a great
part in the set back at Uhd, the weaknesses of the Muslims
themselves contributed no less to it. And it was but natural
that the Muslims should show signs of moral weakness for
they were a new community which had only recently been
formed on a new ideology and had not as yet got a thorough
moral training. Naturally in this second hard test of their
physical and moral strength, some weaknesses came to the
surface. That is why a detailed review of the battle of Uhd
was needed to warn the Muslims of their shortcomings and
to issue instructions for their reform. It should also be
noted that this review of the battle is quite different from
the reviews that are usually made by generals on similar
occasions.
Subject: Guidance
This Surah is the sequel to, Al-Baqarah and the invitation
therein is continued to the people of the Book. In Al-
Baqarah the Jews were pointedly invited to accept the
guidance and in this Surah the Christians have particularly
been admonished to give up their erroneous beliefs and
accept the guidance of the Quran. At the same time, the
Muslims have been instructed to nourish the virtues that
may enable them to carry out their obligations and spread
the divine guidance.
Topics and their Interconnection
Ayats 1-32 In these introductory verses, the fundamental
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truths about Allah, revelation and life after death have
been reiterated to serve as fitting preliminaries, leading to
the main topics discussed in the Surah.
Ayats 33-65 This discourse is particularly addressed to the
Christians and invites them to accept Islam. It clears Jesus
(peace be upon him) and his mother not only from the
stigma maliciously set upon them by the Jews, but also
refutes the erroneous Christian creed of the divinity of
Jesus (peace be upon him) which had been formulated
because of his miraculous birth. For this purpose the
instances of John the Baptist (peace be upon him) to a
barren woman and an extremely aged man and that of
Adam without father and mother have been cited to show
that there is nothing in the birth of Jesus (peace be upon
him) without a father to entitle him to divinity.
Ayats 66-101 In these verses the people of the Book, the
Jews, have been invited to give up their sinister ways and
accept the divine guidance. At the same time the Muslims
have been warned to be on their guard against their
malicious intentions, erroneous ways and absurd
objections.
Ayats 102-120 The Muslims have been instructed to learn
lessons from the history of the people of the Book and also
to guard themselves against their machinations, and to
prepare and train themselves to establish virtue and
eradicate evil.
Ayats 121-175 In this portion, a review of the battle of Uhd
has been done to teach and reassure the Muslims that the
machinations of their enemies could do them no harm, if
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they would practice restraint and fortitude and have fear of
Allah. It has been pointed out that the setback they had
suffered was due to the lack of some moral qualities and the
existence of some evils. Since the main cause of the defeat
was the greed of the archers, guarding the pass. The taking
of interest has been prohibited to eradicate this evil.
Ayats 175-189 The main theme of the verses 109-120 has
been resumed to reassure and encourage the Muslims
against the dangerous plots of their enemies.
Ayats 190-200 This is the conclusion of the Surah and is not
directly connected with the verses immediately preceding it
but with the theme of the Surah as a whole.
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_Qaaf
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Name
The Surah derives its name from the initial letter Qaf,
thereby implying that it is the Surah which opens with the
alphabetic letter Qaf.
Period of Revelation
There is no authentic tradition to show as to when exactly
this Surah was revealed. A study of the subject matter,
however, reveals that its period of revelation is the second
stage of the Prophets (peace be upon him) life at Makkah,
which lasted from the third year of the Prophethood till the
fifth year. We have given the characteristics of this period
in the Introduction to the Sarah Al-Anaam. In view of those
characteristics it can be said that this Surah might have
been sent down in about the 5th year, when the antagonism
of the disbelievers had become quite intense but had not yet
assumed tyrannical proportions.
Theme and Topics
Authentic traditions show that the Prophet (peace be upon
him) used to recite this Surah generally in the Prayer on
the Eid days. A woman named Umm Hisham bin Harithah,
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who was a neighbor of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
says that she was able to commit Surah Qaf to memory
only because she often heard it from the Prophet (peace be
upon him) in the Friday sermons. According to some other
traditions, he often recited it in the Fajr Prayer. This makes
it abundantly clear that this was an important Surah in the
sight of the Prophet (peace be upon him). That is why he
made sure that its contents reached as many people as
possible over and over again.
This reason for this importance can be easily understood by
a careful study of the Surah. The theme of the entire Surah
is the Hereafter. When the Prophet (peace be upon him)
started preaching his message in Makkah, what surprised
the people most was the news that people would be
resurrected after death, and they would have to render an
account of their deeds. They said that that was impossible;
human mind could not believe that it would happen. After
all, how could it be possible that when the body had
disintegrated into dust, the scattered particles would be
reassembled after hundreds of thousands of years to make
up the same body once again and raised up as a living body,
Allah in response sent down this discourse. In it, on the one
hand, arguments have been given for the possibility and
occurrence of the Hereafter in a brief way, in short
sentences, and, on the other hand, the people have been
warned, as if to say: Whether you express wonder and
surprise, or you regard it as something remote from reason,
or deny it altogether, in any case it cannot change the truth.
The absolute un-alterable truth is that Allah knows the
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whereabouts of each and every particle of your body that
has scattered away in the earth, and knows where and in
what state it is. Allahs one signal is enough to make all the
scattered particles gather together again and to make you
rise up once again as you had been made in the first
instance. Likewise, your this idea that you have been
created and left free to yourselves in the world and that you
have not been made answerable to anyone, is no more than
a misunderstanding. The fact is that not only is Allah
Himself directly aware of each act and word of yours, even
of the ideas that pass in your mind, but His angels also are
attached to each one of you, who are preserving the record
of whatever you do and utter. When the time comes, you
will come out of your graves at one call just as young shoots
of vegetable sprout up from the earth on the first shower of
the rain. Then this heedlessness which obstructs your vision
will be removed and you will see with your own eyes all that
you are denying today. At that time, you will realize that
you had not been created to be irresponsible in this world
but accountable to all your deeds. The rewards and
punishments, the Hell and Heaven, which you regard as
impossible and imaginary things, will at that time become
visible realities for you. In consequence of your enmity and
opposition to the truth you will be cast into the same Hell
which you regard as remote from reason today. And those
who fear the Merciful God, and return to the path of
righteousness, will be admitted to the same Paradise at
whose mention you now express wonder and surprise.
155
, > Al-Ahzab
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Name
The Surah derives its name Al-Ahzab from verse 20.
Period of Revelation
The Surah discusses three important events which are: the
battle of the Trench (or Al-Ahzab: the Clans), which took
place in Shawwal, A.H. 5; the raid on Bani Quraizah, which
was made in Dhil-Qadah, A.H. 5; and the Prophets (peace
be upon him) marriage with Zainab (may Allah be pleased
with her), which also was contracted in Dhil-Qadah, A.H. 5.
These historical events accurately determine the period of
the revelation of this Surah.
Historical Background
The Islamic armys setback in the battle of Uhud (A.H. 3)
that resulted from the error of the archers appointed by the
Prophet (peace be upon him) so boosted up the morale of
the Arab pagans and the Jews and the hypocrites that they
started entertaining the hope that they would soon be able
to exterminate Islam and the Muslims completely. Their
high state of morale can be judged from the events that
occurred in the first year after Uhud. Hardly two months
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had passed, the tribe of Bani Asad of Najd began to make
preparations for a raid on Al-Madinah, and the Prophet
(peace be upon him) had to dispatch an expedition under
Abu Salamah to counteract them. In Safar A.H. 4 some
people of the tribes of Adal and Qarah asked the Prophet
(peace be upon him) to send some men to instruct them in
Islam. Accordingly six of the companions were allowed to
accompany them for the purpose. But when they reached
Raji (a place between Rabigh and Jeddah), they summoned
Hudhail against them, who killed four of the companions,
and took the other two (Khubaib bin Adi and Zaid bin ad-
Dathinnah) to Makkah and sold them to the enemy. Then
in the same month of Safar, on the request of a chief of
Bani Amir, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent another
deputation of 40 (according to others, 70) preachers,
consisting of the Ansar young men to Najd. But they were
also betrayed. The people of Usayyah and Ril and
Dhakwan, tribes of Bani Sulaim, surrounded them
suddenly at Bir Maunah and slew all of them. Meanwhile
the Jewish tribe of Bani an Nadir of Al-Madinah, getting
encouragement, continued to commit breaches of the
treaties; so much so that in Rabiul Awwal, A.H. 4, they
plotted against the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Then in Jamadi alUla, A.H. 4, Bani Thalbah and Bani
Muharib, the two tribes of Bani Ghatafan, started making
preparations to attack Al-Madinah and the Prophet (peace
be upon him) had to go to punish them. Thus, after their
setback at Uhud, the Muslims went on encountering
repercussions continuously for seven to eight months.
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However, it was the Prophets (peace be upon him)
determination and wisdom and his great companions spirit
of sacrifice that changed these adverse conditions
completely within a short span of time. The economic
boycott by the Arabs had made life hard for the people of
Al-Madinah. All the polytheistic tribes around Al-Madinah
were becoming rebellious. Inside Al-Madinah itself the
Jews and the hypocrites were bent upon mischief. But the
successive steps taken by a handful of the sincere Muslims,
under the leadership of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
not only restored the image of strength of Islam in Arabia
but also increased it manifold.
Raids Preceding the Battle of the Trench
The first such step was taken immediately after the battle
of Uhud. The very next day when quite a large number of
Muslims lay wounded and the martyrdom of the near and
dear ones was being mourned in many houses, and the
Prophet (peace be upon him) himself was injured and sad
at the martyrdom of his uncle, Hamzah, he called out to the
devoted servants of Islam to accompany him in pursuit of
the pagans so as to deter them from returning and
attacking Al-Madinah again. The Prophets (peace be upon
him) assessment was absolutely correct. He knew that,
although the Quraish had retreated without taking any
advantage of their almost complete victory, they would
certainly regret their folly when they would halt and
consider the whole matter coolly on the way, and would
return to attack Al-Madinah again. Therefore, he decided
to go in pursuit of them, and 630 of the Muslims at once
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volunteered to accompany him. When they reached Hamra
al-Asad on the way to Makkah and camped there for three
days, the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to know
through a sympathetic non-Muslim that Abu Sufyan had
stayed at Ar-Rauha, 36 miles short of Al-Madinah, with an
army of 2,978 strong: they were regretting their error and
were, in fact, planning to return and attack Al-Madinah
once again. But when they heard that the Prophet (peace be
upon him) was coming in pursuit of them with an army,
they lost heart and gave up their plan. Thus, not only were
the Quraish deterred by this action but the other enemies
living around Al-Madinah also realized that the Muslims
were being led by a person, who was highly well informed,
wise and resolute, and that the Muslims were ever ready to
lay down their lives at his command. (See Introduction to
Surah Aal-Imran and E.N. 122 thereof).
Then as soon as the Bani Asad started making preparations
for a raid on Al-Madinah, the Prophets (peace be upon
him) secret agents gave him timely information about their
intention. Thus, before they could come in force to attack
Al-Madinah, he sent an army of 150 strong, under Abu
Salamah (the first husband of Umm Salamah) to punish
them. They took Bani Asad by surprise, who fled in panic
leaving all their possessions behind, which fell into the
hands of the Muslims.
After this came the turn of the Bani an-Nadir. The day they
plotted against the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
and the secret was disclosed, the Prophet (peace be upon
him) ordered them to leave Al-Madinah within ten days
159
and warned that anyone who remained behind after that
would be put to death. Abdullah bin Ubayy, the chief of the
hypocrites of Al-Madinah, encouraged them to defy the
order and refuse to leave Al-Madinah. He even promised to
help them with 2,000 men, and assured them that the Bani
Ghatafan from Najd also would come to their aid.
Accordingly, the Bani an-Nadir sent word that they would
not leave no matter what the Prophet (peace be upon him)
might do.
As soon as the time limit of ten days come to an end, the
Prophet (peace be upon him) laid siege to their quarters,
but none of their supporters had the courage to come to
their rescue. At last, they surrendered on condition that
every three of them would be allowed to load a camel with
whatever they could carry and go away leaving the rest of
their possessions behind. Thus, the whole suburbs of the
city which were inhabited by the Bani an-Nadir, and their
gardens and their fortresses and other properties fell to the
Muslims, and the people of this treacherous tribe became
scattered in Khyber, Wadil Qura and Syria.
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) turned his attention
to the Bani Ghatafan, who were preparing for a war
against Al-Madinah. He took 400 of the Muslims and
overtook them at Dhat ar-Riqa. They were so taken by
surprise that they fled their houses without a struggle and
took refuge in the mountains.
After this in Shaban A.H. 4, the Prophet (peace be upon
him) went forth to Badr to fight Abu Sufyan. At the end of
the battle of Uhud, he had challenged the Prophet (peace be
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upon him) and the Muslims, saying, We shall again meet
you in combat at Badr next year. In reply the Prophet
(peace be upon him) announced through a companion: All
right: we accept your challenge. Accordingly, at the
appointed time he reached Badr with 1,500 of the Muslims.
From the other side, Abu Sufyan left Makkah with an army
of 2,000 men, but could not have the courage to march
beyond Marr-az-Zahran (modern, Wadi Fatimah). The
Prophet (peace be upon him) waited for him at Badr for
eight days; the Muslims during these days did profitable
business with a trading party. This incident helped more
than restore the image of strength of the Muslims that had
been tarnished at Uhud. It also made the whole of Arabia
realize that the Quraish alone could no longer resist
Muhammad (peace be upon him). (Refer to E.N. 124 of
Surah Aal-Imran).
This image and position of the Muslims was further
strengthened by another event. Dumat al-Jandal (modern,
Al-Jauf) was an important place at the border between
Arabia and Syria. When the caravans of the Arabs, trading
between Iraq in the south and Syria and Egypt in the north,
passed that way, they were harassed and looted by the
natives. In Rabi al-Awwal, A.H. 5, the Prophet (peace be
upon him) himself went to punish them with an army of
1,000 men. They could not muster up courage to come out
and fight him and, therefore, fled the place. This caused the
whole of northern Arabia to dread the power of Islam, and
the tribes began to realize that the great power emerging
from Al-Madinah was formidable and could no longer be
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resisted by one or a few of the tribes.
The Battle of the Trench
Such were the conditions when the battle of the Trench
took place. It was in fact a combined raid by many of the
Arab tribes, who wanted to crush the power of Al-
Madinah. It had been instigated by the leaders of the Bani
an-Nadir, who had settled in Khyber after their
banishment from Al-Madinah. They went around to the
Quraish and Ghatafan and Hudhail and many other tribes
and induced them to gather all their forces together and
attack Al-Madinah jointly. Thus, in Shawwal, A.H. 5, an
unprecedentedly large army of the Arab tribes marched
against the small city of Al-Madinah. From the north came
Jews of Bani an-Nadir and Bani Qainuqa who after their
banishment from Al-Madinah, had settled in Khaiber and
Wadil-Qura. From the east advanced the tribes of
Ghatafan, Bani Sulaim, Fazarah, Murrah, Ashja, Saad,
Asad, etc. and from the south the Quraish, along with a
large force of their allies. Together they numbered from ten
to twelve thousand men.
Had it been a sudden attack, it would have been disastrous.
But the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not unaware of
this in Al-Madinah. His intelligence men and the
sympathizers of the Islamic movement and the people
influenced by it were present in every tribe, who kept him
informed of the enemys movements. Even before the
enemy could reach his city, he got a trench dug out on the
north-west of Al-Madinah in six days, and having the
Mount Sala their back, took up a defensive position with
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3,000 men in the protection of the Trench. To the south of
Al-Madinah there were many gardens (even now there are)
so that it could not be attacked from that side. To the east
there are lava rocks which are impassable for a large army.
The same is the case with the south western side. The
attack, therefore, could be made only from the eastern and
western sides of the Uhud, which the Prophet (peace be
upon him) had secured by digging a trench. The
disbelievers were not at all aware that they would have to
counter the trench outside Al-Madinah. This kind of a
defensive stratagem was unknown to the Arabs. Thus, they
had to lay a long siege in winter for which they had not
come prepared.
After this, only one alternative remained with the
disbelievers: to incite the Jewish tribe of Bani Quraizah,
who inhabited the south eastern part of the city, to
rebellion. As the Muslims had entered a treaty with them
that in case of an attack on Al-Madinah they would defend
the city along with them. The Muslims had made no
defensive arrangement there and had even sent their
families to take shelter in the forts situated on that side.
The invaders perceived this weakness of the Islamic
defenses. They sent Huyayy bin Akhtab, the Jewish leader
of the Bani an-Nadir, to the Bani Quraizah so as to induce
them to break the treaty and join the war. In the beginning,
they refused to oblige and said that they had a treaty with
Muhammad (peace be upon him) who had faithfully abided
by it and given them no cause for complaint. But when Ibn
Akhtab said to them, Look, I have summoned the united
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force of entire Arabia against him: this is a perfect
opportunity to get rid of him. If you lose it, you will never
have another opportunity, the anti Islamic Jewish mind
prevailed over every moral consideration and the Bani
Quraizah were persuaded to break the treaty.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) received news of this. He
at once told Saad bin Ubadah, Sad bin Muadh, Abdullah
bin Rawahah and Khawwat bin Jubair, chiefs of the Ansar,
to go and find out the truth. He advised them that if they
found Bani Quraizah still loyal to the treaty, they should
return and say so openly before the Muslim army;
however, if they found that they were bent upon treachery
they should only inform him so that the common Muslims
would not be disheartened. On reaching there the
companions found the Bani Quraizah fully bent on
mischief. They told the companions openly, There is no
agreement and no treaty between us and Muhammad. At
this they returned to the Islamic army and submitted their
report to the Prophet (peace be upon him), saying, Adal
and Qarah. That is, The Quraizah are bent upon doing
what the Adal and Qarah had done with the preachers of
Islam at Raji.
This news spread among the Muslims and caused great
consternation among them, for they had been encircled and
their city had been endangered on the side where there
existed no defensive arrangement and where they had also
sent their families to take shelter in the forts. This further
increased the activities of the hypocrites and they started
making psychological attacks to break the morale of the
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Muslims. One said, How strange! We were being foretold
that the lands of Caesar and Khosroes would fall to us, but
here we are that not one of us can go out even to relieve
himself. Another one asked for permission to leave his
post at the Trench so that he could go and protect his own
house which was in danger. Another one started making
secret propaganda to the effect: Settle your affair with the
invaders yourselves and hand over Muhammad to them.
This was a highly critical hour of trial, which exposed every
person who harbored any hypocrisy in his heart. Only the
true and sincere Muslims remained firm and steadfast in
their resolve and devotion.
In the meantime Nuaim bin Masud, a member of the Ashja
branch of the Ghatafan tribe, became a Muslim and came
before the Prophet (peace be upon him) and submitted:
No one as yet knows that I have embraced Islam: You can
take from me whatever service you please. The Prophet
(peace be upon him) replied: Go and sow the seeds of
discord among the enemy. So, first of all, Nuaim went to
the Quraizah with whom he was on friendly terms, and said
to them, The Quraish and the Ghatafan can become
wearied of the siege and go back, and they will lose nothing,
but you have to live here with the Muslims. Just consider
what will be your position if the matter turns that way.
Therefore, I would advise you not to join the enemy until
the outsiders should send some of their prominent men as
hostages to you. This had the desired effect upon the Bani
Quraizah and they decided to demand hostages from the
united front of the tribes. Then he went to the chiefs of the
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Quraish and the Ghatafan and said to them, The Bani
Quraizah seem to be slack and irresolute. May be they
demand some men as hostage from you, and then hand
them over to Muhammad (peace be upon him) to settle
their affair with him. Therefore, be very firm and cautious
in your dealing with them. This made the leaders of the
united front suspicious of Bani Quraizah and they sent
them a message, saying, We are tired of the long siege; let
there be a decisive battle; let us, therefore, make a general
assault simultaneously from both the sides. The Bani
Quraizah sent back the word, saying, We cannot afford to
join the war unless you hand over some of your prominent
men to us as hostages. The leaders of the united front
became convinced that what Nuaim had said was true.
They refused to send hostages. And the Bani Quraizah, on
the other side, also felt that Nuaim had given them the
correct counsel. Thus, the strategy worked: it divided the
enemy against itself.
The siege was prolonged for more than 25 days. It was
winter. The supply of food and water and forage was
becoming more and more scarce everyday and division in
the camp was also a great strain on the state of morale of
the besiegers. Then, suddenly one night a severe windstorm
accompanied by thunder and lightning hit the camp. It
added to the cold and darkness. The wind overthrew the
tents and put the enemy in disarray. They could not stand
this severe blow of nature. They left the battleground even
during the night and returned to their homes. When the
Muslims awoke in the morning, there was not a single
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enemy soldier to be seen on the battlefield. The Prophet
(peace be upon him), finding the battlefield completely
empty, said: The Quraish will never be able to attack you
after this, now you will take the offensive. This was a
correct assessment of the situation. Not only the Quraish
but the united front of all the enemy tribes had made their
final assault against Islam and had failed. Now they could
no longer dare invade Al-Madinah; now the Muslims were
on the offensive.
Raid on Bani Quraizah
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) returned from the
Trench, Gabriel came to him in the early afternoon with
the divine command that the Muslims should not lay aside
the arms yet but should deal with the Bani Quraizah as
well. On receiving this command, the Prophet (peace be
upon him) announced: Everyone who is steadfast in
obedience should not offer his Asr Prayer till he reaches the
locality of the Bani Quraizah. Immediately after this, he
dispatched Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) with a
contingent of soldiers as vanguard towards the Bani
Quraizah. When they reached there, the Jews climbed on to
their roof tops and started hurling abuses on the Prophet
(peace be upon him) and the Muslims, but their invectives
could not save them from the consequences of their
treachery. They had committed breach of the treaty right
at the most critical moment of the war, joined hands with
the invaders and endangered the entire population of Al-
Madinah. When they saw the contingent of Ali (may Allah
be pleased with him), they thought that they had come only
167
to overawe them. But when the whole Islamic army arrived
under the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
himself and laid siege to their quarters, they were very
frightened. They could not stand the severity of the siege
for more than two or three weeks. At last, they surrendered
themselves to the Prophet (peace be upon him) on the
condition that they would accept whatever decision Sasd
bin Muadh, the chief of the Aus, would give. They had
accepted Saad as their judge because in the pre-Islamic
days the Aus and the Quraizah had been confederates and
they hoped that in view of the past ties he would help them
quit Al-Madinah as had happened in the case of the Bani
Qainuqa and the Bani an-Nadir before. The people of the
Aus themselves wished that Saad treat their previous allies
leniently. But Saad had just experienced and seen how the
two Jewish tribes, who had been allowed to leave Al-
Madinah previously, had instigated the other tribes living
around Al-Madinah and summoned the united front of ten
to twelve thousand men against the Muslims. He was also
aware how treacherously this last Jewish tribe had behaved
right on the occasion when the city was under attack from
outside and threatened the safety of the whole of its
population. Therefore, he decreed that all the male
members of the Quraizah should be put to death, their
women and children taken prisoners, and their properties
distributed among the Muslims. The sentence was carried
out duly. When the Muslims entered their strongholds they
found that the treacherous people had collected 1,500
swords, 300 coats of mail, 2,000 spears and 1,500 shields in
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order to join the war. If Allahs succor had not reached the
Muslims, all this military equipment would have been used
to attack Al-Madinah from the rear right at the time when
the polytheists were making preparations for a general
assault on the Muslims after crossing the Trench. After this
disclosure there remained no doubt that the decision of
Saad concerning those people was absolutely correct.
Social Reforms
Though the period of two years between the battles of Uhud
and the Trench was a period of disturbance and turmoil
and the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions
could hardly relax in peace and security even for a day, the
work of reform as a whole and the reconstruction of the
Muslim society continued uninterrupted. This was the time
when the Islamic laws pertaining to marriage and divorce
were complemented, the law of inheritance was introduced,
drinking and gambling were prohibited, and the new laws
and regulations concerning many other aspects of the
economic and social life were enforced.
In this connection, an important thing that needed to be
reformed was the question of the adoption of a son.
Whoever was adopted by the Arabs as a son was regarded
as one of their own offspring: he got share in inheritance;
he was treated like a real son and real brother by the
adopted mother and the adopted sister; he could not marry
the daughter of his adopted father and his widow after his
death. And the same was the case if the adopted son died or
divorced a wife. The adopted father regarded the woman as
his real daughter-in-law. This custom clashed in every
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detail with the laws of marriage and divorce and
inheritance enjoined by Allah in Surahs Al-Baqarah and
An-Nisa. It made a person who could get no share in
inheritance entitled to it at the expense of those who were
really entitled to it. It prohibited marriage between the men
and the women who could contract marriage perfectly
lawfully. And, above all, it helped spread the immoralities
which the Islamic law wanted to eradicate. For a real
mother and a real sister and a real daughter cannot be like
the adopted mother and the adopted sister and the adopted
daughter, however one may try to sanctify the adopted
relations as a custom. When the artificial relations endued
with customary sanctity are allowed to mix freely like the
real relations, it cannot but produce evil results. That is
why the Islamic law of marriage and divorce, the law of
inheritance and the law of the prohibition of adultery
required that the concept and custom of regarding the
adopted son as the real son should be eradicated
completely.
This concept, however, could not be rooted out by merely
passing a legal order, saying, The adopted son is not the
real son. The centuries old prejudices and superstitions
cannot be changed by mere word of mouth. Even if the
people had accepted the command that these relations were
not the real relations, they would still have looked upon
marriage between the adopted mother and the adopted son,
the adopted brother and the sister, the adopted father and
the daughter, and the adopted father-in-law and the
daughter-in-law odious and detestable. Moreover, there
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would still exist some freedom of mixing together freely.
Therefore, it was inevitable that the custom should be
eradicated practically, and through the Prophet (peace be
upon him) himself. For no Muslim could ever conceive that
a thing done by the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself,
and done by him under Allahs command, could be
detestable. Therefore, a little before the battle of the
Trench, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was inspired by
Allah that he should marry the divorced wife of his adopted
son, Zaid bin Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him),
and he acted on this command during the siege of the Bani
Quraizah. The delay probably was caused for the reason
that the prescribed waiting period had not yet ended, and
in the meantime the Prophet (peace be upon him) had to
become busy in the preparation for war.
Storm of Propaganda at the Marriage of Zainab
As soon as the marriage was contracted, there arose a
storm of propaganda against the Prophet (peace be upon
him). The polytheists, the hypocrites and the Jews, all were
burning with jealousy at his triumphs which followed one
after the other. The way they had been humbled within two
years after Uhud, in the battle of the Trench, and in the
affair of the Quraizah, had made them sore at heart. They
had also lost hope that they could ever subdue him on the
battlefield. Therefore, they seized the question of this
marriage as a god sent for themselves and thought they
would put an end to his moral superiority, which was the
real secret of his power and success. Therefore, stories were
concocted that Muhammad (peace be upon him), God
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forbid, had fallen in love with his daughter-in-law, and
when the son had come to know of this, he divorced his
wife, and the father married his daughter-in-law. The
propaganda, however, was absurd on the face of it. Zainab
was the Prophets (peace be upon him) first cousin. He had
known her from childhood to youth. So, there could be no
question of his falling in love with her at first sight. Then he
himself had arranged her marriage with Zaid under his
personal influence, although her whole family had opposed
it. They did not like that a daughter of the noble Quraish
should be given in marriage to a freed slave. Zainab herself
was not happy at this arrangement. But everyone had to
submit to the Prophets command. The marriage was
solemnized and a precedent was set in Arabia that Islam
had raised a freed slave to the status of the Quraishite
nobility. If the Prophet (peace be upon him) had in reality
any desire for Zainab, there was no need of marrying her to
Zaid, he himself could have married her. But in spite of all
this, the shameless opponents invented stories of love,
spread them with great exaggeration and publicized them
so vehemently that even some Muslims also began to accept
them as true.
Preliminary Commandments of Hijab
The fact that the tales invented by the enemies also became
topics of conversation among the Muslims was a clear sign
that the element of sensuality in society had crossed all
limits. If this malady had not been there, it was not possible
that minds would have paid any attention whatever to such
absurd and disgusting stories about a righteous and pure
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person like the Prophet (peace be upon him). This was
precisely the occasion when the reformative
commandments pertaining to the law of Hijab were first
enforced in the Islamic society. These reforms were
introduced in this Surah and complemented a year later in
Surah An-Nur, when a slander was made on the honor of
Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). (See Introduction
to Surah An-Nur).
Domestic Affairs of the Prophet
There were two other problems which needed attention at
that time. Though apparently they pertained to the
Prophets (peace be upon him) domestic life, it was
necessary to resolve them for the domestic and mental
peace of the person, who was exerting every effort to
promote the cause of Allahs religion and was day and
night absorbed in this great mission. Therefore, Allah took
these two problems also in His own hand.
The first problem was that economically the Prophet (peace
be upon him) at that time was in straitened circumstances.
During the first four years he had no source of income
whatsoever. In A.H. 4 after the banishment of the Bani an-
Nadir, a portion of their evacuated lands was reserved for
his use by the command of Allah, but it was not enough for
his familys requirements. On the other hand, the duties of
the office of prophethood were so onerous that they were
absorbing all his energies of the mind and body and heart
and every moment of his time, and he could not make any
effort at all for earning his livelihood. In conditions such as
these when his wives happened to disturb his mental peace
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because of economic hardships, he would feel doubly
strained and taxed.
The other problem was that before marrying Zainab, he
had four wives already in the houses: Saudah, Aishah,
Hafsah, and Umm Salamah. Zainab (may Allah be pleased
with them all) was his fifth wife. At this the opponents
raised the objection, and the Muslims also started
entertaining doubts, that as for others it had been
forbidden to keep more than four wives at a time, but how
the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself had taken a fifth
wife also.
Subject Matter and Topics
These were the questions that were engaging the attention
of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Muslims at the
time Surah Al-Ahzab was revealed.
A perusal of the theme and the background shows that the
Surah is not a single discourse which was sent down in one
piece but it consists of several injunctions and
commandments and discourses, which were sent down, one
after the other, in connection with the important events of
the time, and then were put together in one Surah. Its
following parts stand out clearly distinguished from one
another:
Ayats 1-8. These Ayats Seem to have been sent down before
the Battle of the Trench. Their perusal, keeping the
historical background in view, shows that at the time of
their revelation Zaid had already divorced Zainab. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) was feeling the necessity that
the concepts and customs and superstitions of ignorance
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concerning the adoption of the son should be eradicated,
and he was also feeling that the delicate and deep
sentiments the people cherished about the adopted relations
merely on emotional grounds would not be rooted out until
he himself took the initiative to eradicate the custom
practically. But at the same time he was hesitant and
considering seriously that if he married the divorced wife of
Zaid, the hypocrites and the Jews and the mushriks who
were already bent on mischief would get a fresh excuse to
start a propaganda campaign against Islam. This was the
occasion of the revelation of Ayats 1-8.
Ayats 9-27. In these Ayats an appraisal has been made of
the battle of the Trench and the raid against the Bani
Quraizah. This is a clear proof that these verses were sent
down after these events.
Ayats 28-35. The discourse contained in these Ayats consists
of two parts. In the first part, Allah has given a notice to
the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him), who were
being impatient of the straitened circumstances, to the
effect: Choose between the world and its adornments, or
Allah, His Prophet and the Hereafter. If you seek the
former, you should say so openly: you will not be kept back
in hardship even for a day, but will be sent off gracefully.
And if you seek the latter, you should cooperate with Allah
and His messenger and bear patiently. In the second part,
initial steps were taken towards the social reforms whose
need was being felt by the minds molded in the Islamic
pattern themselves. In this regard, reform was started from
the house of the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself and
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his wives were commanded to avoid behaving and
conducting themselves in the ways of the pre Islamic days
of ignorance, to remain in their houses with dignity, and to
exercise great caution in their conversation with the other
men. This was the beginning of the commandments of
hijab.
Ayats 36-48. These Ayats deal with the Prophets (peace be
upon him) marriage with Zainab. In this section the
opponents objection about this marriage have been
answered; the doubts that were being created in the minds
of the Muslims have been removed; the Muslims have been
acquainted with the Prophets (peace be upon him) position
and status; and the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself
has been counseled to exercise patience on the false
propaganda of the disbelievers and the hypocrites.
Ayat 49. In this Ayat a clause of the law of divorce has been
laid down. This is a unique verse which was sent down on
some occasion probably in connection with the same events.
Ayats 50-52. In these Ayats a special regulation of marriage
has been laid down for the Prophet (peace be upon him),
which points out that he is an exception to the several
restrictions that have been imposed on the other Muslims
in regard to marital life.
Ayats 53-55. In these Ayats the second step was taken
towards social reform. It consists of the following
injunctions: Restriction on the other men to visit the houses
of the Prophets (peace be upon him) wives; Islamic
etiquette concerning visits and invitations; the law that only
the near relatives could visit his wives in their houses; as
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for the other men, they could speak to or ask them a thing
from behind a curtain; the injunction that the Prophets
(peace be upon him) wives were forbidden for the Muslims,
and should be regarded as their mothers; and none could
marry any of them after him.
Ayats 56-57. In these Ayats warning was given to stop
criticizing the Prophets (peace be upon him) marriage and
his domestic life, and the believers instructed not to indulge
in fault finding like the enemies of Islam, but to invoke the
blessings of Allah for their Prophet (peace be upon him);
moreover, they were instructed that they should avoid
falsely accusing one another even among themselves, not to
speak of the person of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Ayat 59. In this Ayat the third step for social reform was
taken. All the Muslim women were commanded that they
should come out well covered with the outer garments and
covering their faces whenever they came out of their houses
for a genuine need.
Ayats 60-73. After this, to the end of the Surah the
hypocrites and other foolish and mean people have been
rebuked for the propaganda that they were carrying on at
that time against Islam and the Muslims.
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,!..l An-Nisa
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Name
The name An-Nisa , the Women, appears in multiple Ayats
of this Surah. The laws and regulations for the smooth
running of family life have been laid down for the men and
their women at several places. But this is not the only topic
of this Surah. Severeal other impotant aspects of family,
social, community and religious matters have also been
stated as listed in several discourses.
The Period of Revelation
This Surah comprises several discourses which were
revealed on different occasions during the period ranging
probably between the end of A.H. 3 and the end of A.H. 4
or the beginning of A.H. 5. Although it is difficult to
determine the exact dates of their revelations, yet it is
possible to assign to them a fairly correct period with the
help of the commandments and the events mentioned
therein and the traditions concerning them. A few instances
are given below by way of illustration.
1. We know that the instructions about the division of
inheritance of the martyrs and for the safeguard of the
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rights of the orphans were sent down after the battle of
Uhd in which 70 Muslims were killed. Then naturally the
question of the division of the inheritance of the martyrs
and the safeguard of the rights of their orphans arose in
many families at Al-Madinah. From this we conclude that
Ayats 1-28 were revealed on that occasion.
2. We learn from the traditions that the commandment
about Salat during war time was given on the occasion of
Zat-ur-Riqaa, an expedition which took place in A.H. 4.
From this we conclude that the discourse containing Ayat
102 was revealed on that occasion.
3. The last warning (Ayat 47) to the Jews was given before
the Banu Nadir were exiled from Al-Madinah in Rabi-
ulAwwal, A.H. 4. From this it may safely be concluded that
the discourse containing Ayat 47 must have been revealed
some time before that date.
4. The permission about tayammum (the performance of
ablutions with pure dust, in case no water be available) was
given during the Bani-al-Mustaliq expedition, which took
place in A.H. 5. Therefore the probable period of the
revelation of the discourse containing Ayat 43 was A.H. 5.
Topics and Their Background
Let us now consider the social and historical considerations
of the period in order to understand the Surah. All the
discourses in this Surah deal with three main problems
which confronted the Prophet (peace be upon him) at the
time. First of all, he was engaged in bringing about an all
round development of the Islamic community that had been
formed at the time of his migration to Al-Madinah. For this
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purpose he was introducing new moral, cultural, social,
economic and political ways in place of the old ones of the
pre-Islamic period. The second thing that occupied his
attention and efforts was the bitter struggle that was going
on with the mushrik Arabs, the Jewish clans and the
hypocrites who were opposing tooth and nail his mission of
reform. Above all he had to propagate Islam in the face of
the bitter opposition of these powers of evil with a view to
capturing more and more minds and hearts.
Accordingly, detailed instructions have been given for the
consolidation and strengthening of the Islamic community
in continuation of those given in Surah Al-Baqarah.
Principles for the smooth running of family life have been
laid down and ways of settling family disputes have been
taught. Rules have been prescribed for marriage and rights
of wife and husband have been apportioned fairly and
equitably. The status of women in the society has been
determined and the declaration of the rights of orphans has
been made laws and regulations have been laid down for
the division of inheritance, and instructions have been
given to reform economic affairs. The foundation of the
penal code has been laid down, drinking has been
prohibited, and instructions have been given for cleanliness
and purity. The Muslims have been taught the kind of
relations good men should have with their Allah and fellow
men. Instructions have been given for the maintenance of
discipline in the Muslim community.
The moral and religious condition of the people of the Book
has been reviewed to teach lessons to the Muslims and to
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forewarn them to refrain from following in their footsteps.
The conduct of the hypocrites has been criticized and the
distinctive features of hypocrisy and true faith have been
clearly marked off to enable the Muslims to distinguish
between the two.
In order to cope with the aftermath of the battle of Uhd,
Inspiring discourses were sent down to urge the Muslims to
face the enemy bravely, for the defeat in the battle had so
emboldened the mushrik Arab clans and the neighboring
Jews and the hypocrites at home that they were threatening
the Muslims on all sides. At this critical juncture, Allah
filled the Muslims with courage and gave them such
instructions as were needed during that period of war
clouds. In order to counteract the fearful rumors that were
being spread by the hypocrites and the Muslims of weak
faith, they were asked to make a thorough inquiry into
them and to inform the responsible people about them.
Then they were experiencing some difficulties in offering
their Salat during the expeditions to some places where no
water was available for performing their ablutions, etc. In
such cases they were allowed to cleanse themselves with
pure earth and to shorten the salat or to offer the Salat of
Fear when they were faced with danger. Instructions were
also given for the solution of the puzzling problem of those
Muslims who were scattered among the unbelieving Arab
clans and were often involved in war. They were asked to
migrate to Al-Madinah, the abode of Islam.
This Surah also deals with the case of Bani Nadir who were
showing a hostile and menacing attitude in spite of the
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peace treaties they had made with the Muslims. They were
openly siding with the enemies of Islam and hatching plots
against the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Muslim
community even at Al-Madinah itself. They were taken to
task for their inimical behavior and given a final warning
to change their attitude, and were at last exiled from Al-
Madinah on account of their misconduct.
The problem of the hypocrites, who had become very
troublesome at that time, was involving the believers in
difficulties. Therefore they were divided into different
categories to enable the Muslims to deal with them
appropriately.
Clear instructions were also given regarding the attitude
they should adopt towards the non-belligerent clans. The
most important thing needed at that time was to prepare
the Muslims for the bitter struggle with the opponents of
Islam. For this purpose greatest importance was attached
to their character building, for it was obvious that the small
Muslim community could only come out successful, nay,
survive, if the Muslims possessed high moral character.
They were, therefore, enjoined to adopt the highest moral
qualities and were severely criticized whenever any moral
weakness was detected in them.
Though this Surah mainly deals with the moral and social
reforms, yet due attention has been paid to propagation of
Islam. On the one hand, the superiority of the Islamic
morality and culture has been established over that of the
Jews, Christians and mushriks; on the other hand, their
wrong religious conceptions, their wrong morality and their
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evil acts have been criticized to prepare the ground for
inviting them to the way of the truth.
Consolidation of the Islamic Community
The main object of this Surah is to teach the Muslims the
ways that unite a people and make them firm and strong.
Introduction for the stability of family, which is the nucleus
of the community has been given. Then they have been
urged to prepare themselves for defense. Side by side with
these, they have been taught the importance of the
propagation of Islam. Above all, the importance of the
highest moral character in the scheme of consolidation of
the community has been impressed.
Topics and their Interconnection
Ayats 1-35. Just, fair and equitable laws and regulations for
the smooth running of family life have been laid down for
the husband and wife. Detailed instructions have been
given for the division of inheritance and due regard has
been paid to the rights of orphans.
Ayats 36-42. In order to inculcate the right spirit for the
observance of rules and regulations, the Muslims have been
enjoined to show generosity to all around them and to be
free from meanness, selfishness, stinginess of mind, because
this is essential for the consolidation of the communities
and helpful for the propagation of Islam.
Ayat 43. The ways of the purification of mind and body for
the offering of Salat have been taught because it plays the
most important part in every scheme of moral and social
reform.
Ayats 44-57. After moral preparation, instructions for
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defense have been given. First of all, the Muslims have been
warned to be on their guard against the cunning
machinations and vile practices of the local Jews who were
hostile to the new movement. This caution was necessary
for removing some possible misunderstanding that might
have arisen on account of the pre-Islamic alliance between
the people of Al-Madinah and the Jews.
Ayats 58-72. Then they have been enjoined to place their
trusts and offices of trust in the custody of honest and
qualified persons, and to do what is just and right, and to
obey Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) and
those among themselves entrusted with the conduct of their
affairs and to turn to Allah and His Messenger (peace be
upon him) for the settlement of their disputes. As such an
attitude and behavior alone can ensure consolidation. They
have been strongly warned that any deviation from this
path will lead to their disintegration.
Ayats 73-100. After this pre-requisite, they have been
exhorted to make preparation for defense and to fight
bravely for the cause of Islam, without showing any kind of
cowardice or weakness. They have also been warned to be
on their guard against hypocrites. A line of demarcation
has been drawn to distinguish the intentional shirkers from
the helpless devotees.
Ayats 101103. Here again instructions have been given for
the offering of Salat during military campaigns and actual
fighting. This is to impress the importance of Salat even at
the time of fear and danger.
Ayat 104. Before proceeding on to the next topic, the
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Muslims have been exhorted to persevere in their fight
without showing any kind of weakness.
Ayats 105135. In order to make the Islamic community
firm and strong for defense, the Muslims have been
enjoined to observe the highest standard of justice. The
Muslims are required to deal out strict justice even in case
of the enemy, with whom they might be involved in war.
They should also settle disputes between husband and wife
with justice. In order to ensure this, they should keep their
beliefs and deeds absolutely free from every kind of
impurity and should become the standard bearers of
justice.
Ayats 136-175. Resuming the theme of defense, the Muslims
have been warned to be on their guard against their
enemies. They have been admonished to take necessary
precautions against the machinations of the hypocrites and
the unbelievers and the people of the Book. As belief in
Allah, and Revelation and life-after-death is the only
safeguard against every kind of enemy, they should
sincerely believe in and follow His Messenger, Muhammad
(peace be upon him).
Ayat 176. Though this verse also deals with the family laws
contained in Ayats 1-35, it has been added as a supplement
at the end of this Surah because it was revealed long after
An-Nisa was being recited as a complete Surah.
185
, >>' Al-Hujurat
`., < _..-l ,>l
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Name
The Surah takes its name from verse 4 in which the word
hujurat has occurred.
Period of Revelation
Traditions show and the subject matter of the Surah also
supports the same that this Surah is a collection of the
commandments and instructions revealed at different
occasions, which have been put together because of the
relevancy of the theme. Moreover, the traditions also show
that most of these commandments were sent down during
the final stage of the Prophets (peace be upon him) life at
Al-Madinah. For instance, about verse 4 the commentators
state that it was sent down concerning the Bani Tamim
whose deputation had arrived in Al-Madinah and started
calling out to the Prophet (peace be upon him) from outside
the apartments (hujurat) of his wives, and according to all
biographical books on the Prophets (peace be upon him)
life this deputation had visited Al-Madinah in A.H.9.
Likewise, about verse 6, a large number of the traditions of
Hadith confirm that it was revealed concerning Walid bin
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Uqbah whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) had sent to
collect the Zakat from the Bani al-Mustaliq, and it is well
known that Walid bin Uqabah had become a Muslim on
the conquest of Makkah.
Subject Matter and Topics
The subject matter of this Surah is to teach the Muslims
the manners worthy of true believers.
In the first five verses they have been taught the manners
they should observe with regard to Allah and His
Messenger (peace be upon him).
Then, they have been given the instruction that it is not
right to believe in every news blindly and to act according
to it, without due thought. If information is received about
a person, a group or a community, it should be seen
carefully whether the means of the information is reliable
or not. If the means is not reliable, it should be tested and
examined to see whether the news is authentic or not before
taking any action on it.
Then, it has been told what attitude the other Muslims
should adopt in case two groups of the Muslims fall to
mutual fighting.
Then the Muslims have been exhorted to safeguard against
the evils that corrupt collective life and spoil mutual
relationships. Mocking and taunting each other, calling
others by nicknames, creating suspicions, prying into other
peoples affairs and back biting are the evils which are not
only sins in themselves but they also corrupt society. Allah
has mentioned all these evils separately and forbidden
them as unlawful.
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After this, the national and racial distinctions that cause
universal corruption in the world have been condemned.
National, tribal or ancestral supremacy and arrogance,
looking down upon others as inferior, pulling down others
only for the sake of establishing ones own superiority is a
major source of global injustice and tyranny. Allah in a
brief verse has exposed the root of this evil by stating that
all men are descendants of the same one pair and their
division into tribes and communities is only for the sake of
recognition, not for boasting and pride, and there is no
lawful basis of one mans superiority over the other except
on the basis of moral excellence.
In conclusion, the people have been told that the real thing
is not the verbal profession of the faith but to believe in
Allah and His messenger (peace be upon him) truly, to obey
them in practical life and to exert sincerely with ones self
and wealth in the cause of Allah. True believers are only
those who adopt this attitude. As for those who profess
Islam merely orally without affirmation by the heart and
then adopt an attitude as if they had done someone a favor
by accepting Islam, may be counted among the Muslims in
the world, may even be treated as Muslims in society, but
they cannot be counted as believers in the sight of Allah.
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