Lesson 3

Saturday, December 19, 2009

6:04 AM
Surah Al-Baqarah Ayaat 6-7

Word Analysis
Ayah 6
ّ ‫ ِإ‬Inna: Used for emphasis. Indeed this is a fact. This is
• ‫ن‬
a reality. What is a fact?
َ ‫ اّلِذي‬Allathina: Those who. Those people who have this
• ‫ن‬
particular characteristic.
• ‫روا‬ ُ ‫ َكَف‬Kafaru: They have disbelieved.
Root: Kaf-faa-raa: Kufr. Linguistic Meaning: kafara
means to cover something; to hide something. In
Arabic, Kafir is also used for the night. Because the
night covers everything with its darkness. Also
used for a farmer. What does he do? He covers the
seed in the soil. To conceal something. Technical
Meaning: Kufr is to disbelieve in that which one
must believe in; which you have to have faith in.
Believing in Allah is necessary. What is the
relationship between the two? The Kafir covers the
truth. Covers up by denying and promotes the
falsehood. Also covers the fitrah--the nature Allah
created us on. Fitra: innate desire to believe. Kufr
includes denial of Islam, ie atheism, other religions,
etc.
• ‫ء‬
ٌ ‫سَوا‬ َ Sawaaun: Means that which is equal from both
sides. In other words, it is the same. It does not make
any difference.
ْ ‫' عََلْيِه‬Alayhim: It is the same upon them. Alayhim
• ‫م‬
(them) refers to the disbelievers. It makes no
difference whatsoever.
ْ ‫ َأَأنَذْرَتُه‬Aanthartahum: Whether you warn them. About
• ‫م‬
what? (about a terrible end in the hereafter) a-
 whether. Anzartahum-you warn them. Anzarta-you
warn; hum-them.
Root: Noon-dhal-ra. Indhar: means to warn
someone about something. To tell somebody about
something and also instill an element of fear. To
caution. To alert. To warn. There are many ways of
warning someone. Indhar is not a threatening style
of warning someone; rather, it is done out of care
and concern. It's also done in time--meaning
between the warning and the harmful thing, there
is some time for the person to prepare. So what is
it: 1. done out of love, affection, care. and 2. there
is enough time to prepare.
ْ ‫ َأ‬Am: or
• ‫م‬
ْ ‫ َل‬Lam: not
• ‫م‬
ْ ‫ ُتنِذْرُه‬Tunzirhum: Anzarta--past tense Tunzir--future or
• ‫م‬
present tense. So..whether you warn then in the past,
or now you intend to warn them in the future...Allah
says it is the same upon them. What is the same?
They will not believe.
َ La: Not.
• ‫ل‬
َ ‫ ُيْؤِمُنو‬Yu'minoon: They will not believe. In other words,
• ‫ن‬
they will completely disregard the warning. Notice
that past, present and future tenses mentioned so it
will not make a difference. Why are they like this?
Why won't they believe? Why won't they take the
warning? The reason is given in the next ayah.
Ayah 7
• ‫م‬ َ Khatama: He has sealed.
َ ‫خَت‬
Root: Kha-taa-meem. Khatama means to put a
seal on something. What the point of the seal? So
nothing should go in and nothing should come out.
(Khatimun Nabiyyeen--Seal of the Prophets.
 Example for use of Khatma). Also, Khatama is not
physical. It is metaphorical.
• ُّ ‫ ا‬Allahu: Allah
‫ل‬
• ‫عَل ٰى‬ َ 'Ala: Upon
• ‫ ُقُلوِبِهْم‬Qulubihim: Their hearts. Whose hearts? Referring
to the disbelievers. Quloob is the plural of Qalb.
Root: Qaf-Laam-Baa: Qalb literally (linguistically)
means to turn about. Qalb is used for the heart.
Why is Qalb used for the heart? The heart always
beets. Your feelings always change. Thoughts
always moving around. Emotions changing.
Similarly, the state of the heart is always changing.
**(Du'a: Ya Muqallibal Quloob Thabbit Qalbi 'Ala
deenak).
• ‫عَل ٰى‬ َ ‫َو‬Wa 'Ala: And upon
• َ Sam 'ihim: Their hearing. This again, is not literal.
‫سْمِعِهْم‬
They do not have ear plugs, rather it is an examplein
the sense that nothing goes in and nothing comes out.
This is their state. Even when they hear the truth, they
don't recognize, accept.
Root: Seen-meem-'Ayn: Sam3' is used in two
ways: 1. Used for the physical ear and 2. Also for
hearing. The ability, sense of hearing. So there is a
seal on their ears and their hearing.
• ‫عَل ٰى‬ َ ‫َو‬Wa 'Ala: And upon
• ‫صاِرِهْم‬ َ ‫ َأْب‬Absaurihim: Their sights. 'Absaur' is the plural of
the word 'basar'
Root: Baa-saad-raa. Basar used for eyes and also
the faculty of seeing, sight.
• َ ِ‫ غ‬Ghishawah: A covering. A veil.
‫شاَوٌة‬
Root: Ghayn-sheen-yaa. (side note: Yaa in not
actually there, it is a huruf illa, there is a defect.)
ghashya means to cover, to veil something. Kafara
was to hide something, ghishawa used to cover
 something. Generally used for such a covering
through which a little can still be seen. So there is
still a little bit of hope for them. Even though they
can't hear and their hearts are sealed, Allah has
still left them to see a little bit so they may
recognize the truth. Translucent. The covering
disables them from seeing the truth clearly.
• ‫ َوَلُهْم‬Walahum: And for them (them referring to those
who are so stubborn in their kufr)
• ٌ ‫عَذا‬
‫ب‬ َ 'Adhabun: A punishment
Root: 'Ayn-dhal-baa: linguistically, 'adahaab
means that a person is so thirsty that he is unable
to sleep or eat. So thirsty that he cannot enjoy
other pleasures. So there is something in 'adhaab
that prevents one from living, enjoying. Also gives
the meaning of imprisonment and prevention. To
be confined in one place. 'Adhaab is to take the
sweetness away from something; a state in which
there is torture, confinement. In which the
pleasure is taken away. Indicates extreme agony.
No pleasure, no delight, no life, no death, no food,
no enjoyment.
• ‫ظيٌم‬
ِ‫ع‬ َ 'Adheem: (great). Here, adheem describes the
punishment.
Root: 'Ayn-dha-meem: adheem used for
something that is enormous. How is the
punishment great?
1. Punishment of Fire.
1. Everlasting, eternal, never-ending
1. Great in its intensity.
Their punishment is Great, why? Because of their
persistence in kufr, their stubbornness.
Tafseer
Ayah 6: ‫ن‬
َ ‫عَلْيِهْم َأَأنَذْرَتُهْم َأْم َلْم ُتنِذْرُهْم َل ُيْؤِمُنو‬
َ ‫سَواٌء‬
َ ‫ن َكَفُروا‬
َ ‫ن اّلِذي‬
ّ ‫ِإ‬
 • Attitude of these people is completely opposite of
those mentioned before.
• These people disbelieve in whatever we are required
to believe in. (ie: al-ghayb, Islam, Allah, Day of
Recompense)
• What is their condition: it is all the same for them
whether you warn them or don't warn them
• Warn them about what? A severe punishment in the
hereafter. Indhar: warning given out of care and
affection.
• When the Prophet (Salallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam)
warned the people about the closeness of the
punishment of the akhirah, he warned them with care
and deep concern.
• Prophethood is like Motherhood--poet. Just like the
mother bears the pains of her child, a Prophet bears
the pains of his nation.
• Surah Al Kahf: Ayah 6--‫مُنوا ِب َٰهَذا‬ ِ ‫ىثاِرِهْم ِإن ّلْم ُيْؤ‬
َ ‫عَل ٰ آ‬
َ ‫ك‬
َ‫س‬َ ‫خٌع ّنْف‬
ِ ‫ك َبا‬َ ‫َفَلَعّل‬
‫سًفا‬
َ ‫ث َأ‬ َ ‫اْل‬: Then perhaps you would kill yourself through
ِ ‫حِدي‬
grief over them, [O Muhammad], if they do not believe
in this message, [and] out of sorrow.
• Allah is telling the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi
Wasallam) that for some people, a warning will not
make a difference because Allah has sealed their
hearts.
Ayah 7: ٌ‫عَذاب‬ َ ‫شاَوٌة َوَلُهْم‬
َ‫غ‬
ِ ‫صاِرِهْم‬
َ ‫عَل ٰى َأْب‬
َ ‫سْمِعِهْم َو‬ َ ‫عَل ٰى‬ َ ‫عَل ٰى ُقُلوِبِهْم َو‬َ ‫ل‬ ُّ ‫خَتَم ا‬ َ
‫ظيٌم‬
ِ‫ع‬
َ
• Allah has sealed their hearts so nothing can go in and
nothing can go out. Also upon their hearing is a seal.
When they listen to the kalaam of Allah, nothing goes
in. There is a veil on their eyes so they cannot see the
signs of Allah, thus they cannot reflect.
• End result: For them is a huge punishment because of
their denial, rejecting the truth. Includes both mental
and physical torture. Size and intensity.
• Hadith narrated Abu Hurairah (RA):
They (Sahaba RA) were sitting with the Prophet and
heard the sound of something falling. The Prophet
inquired if they knew what it was. When they
expressed their lack of knowledge, he said: “That was
a stone thrown into Hell seventy years ago and it is
yet in the way (the other side) of Hell until now.”
• Shows the greatness of Jahannum and the adhaab of
Allah.
• Who is being discussed? In context, the leaders of
Quraysh in Makka were the leaders of the
disbelievers. Also the Jews in Madina and then anyone
else thereafter who denied the Message. So after
having heard the message, these people denied.
• Abu Jahl would secretly listen to Rasulullah (Salallahu
Alayhi Wasallam), he even affirmed that he is the
Messenger of Allah but out of arrogance, he
disbelieved. << Whether you warn them or you don't
warn them, it won't make a difference.
• Allah created everyone upon the fitra. But these
people denied the Messenger and the Message
because Allah sealed their hearts.
• Why did Allah seal their hearts? When a machine is
running, it will continue working properly until you
leave it off for a long time. It will start to become rusty
and after some time, the machine will be unusable.
Similarly, the heart is like a machine. When it is
constantly used, it is alive but when you stop using it
(reflecting, remembering Allah, humility,
steadfastness, etc.) it will become rusty and after a
 while, it will become blocked.--heart becomes sealed
and they can no longer use their faculties (eyes, ears).
• They denied first and then Allah increased then in
their misguidance. The first act was done by who?
Them.
• Surah Nisa' ayah 155: ‫ل‬ ْ ‫ل َقِليلَب‬
ّ ‫ن ِإ‬
َ ‫ل ُيْؤِمُنو‬
َ ‫عَلْيَها ِبُكْفِرِهْم َف‬
َ ‫ل‬
ُّ ‫طَبَع ا‬
َ
ًRather, Allah has sealed them because of their
disbelief, so they believe not, except for a few.
• Allah sealed their hearts because of their kufr.
• Allah has put the cover so what is their fault? What's
the main reason for this? Because they fell prey to
their desires. The person deviates first. What's the
meaning of kufr? To hide. To cover--linguistically. (ie
the farmer, the night).
• The truth is so obvious. No one can deny the creation
of Allah. It's a matter of simple thinking, when we see
the creation, we automatically think of the creator.
When you eat something, you ask who cooked it and
ask for the recipe. What about all those things we see
in the earth. These things are benefiting US, they are
made for US. Yet, if the person does not recognize the
creator even after His existence being so evident, the
one who hides the truth is the one who is denying
himself. He is inviting the punishment of Allah.
• If you disagree with someone whether it is right or
wrong, you reaction later on is that you will continue
denying. And this is the problem, stubborn, consistent
denial of the truth despite the fact that everything is
there.
• Abu Jahal, Abu Labab did not accept Rasulullah
(Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) despite knowing and
believing that He was indeed a Prophet of Allah. So
Allah took away the light, the ability to accept the
truth and then it became a problem of ego,
 arrogance--at that point, it becomes very difficult to
accept the truth.--this is where the seal comes in. It's
not that Allah hates them. The kafir initially stops
using his faculties so Allah sealed their hearts.
• If you are a healthy person and you sit in the same
place for a week, without moving at all. Will you be
able to walk afterwards? No. you faculties will be
jammed. Similarly, if you do not use your eyes to see
the truth, or your ears to hear the truth, or your heart
to reflect upon the truth, then after some time..they
stop working. Your faculties become useless. This is
the seal. Allah took the blessing away from them.
• What the lesson? Use it or lose it.
• Surah Al-Mulk Ayah 10: ‫ب‬ ِ ‫حا‬َ‫ص‬ ْ ‫ل َما ُكّنا ِفي َأ‬ُ ‫سَمُع َأْو َنْعِق‬ ْ ‫َوَقاُلوا َلْو ُكّنا َن‬
ّ ‫ال‬: And they will say, "If only we had been listening
‫سِعيِر‬
or reasoning, we would not be among the companions
of the Blaze."
• Surah Jathiya Ayah 23: ‫عْلٍم‬
ِ ‫عَل ٰى‬َ ‫ل‬ ُّ ‫ضّلُه ا‬
َ ‫خَذ ِإ َٰلَهُه َهَواُه َوَأ‬ َ ‫ن اّت‬
ِ ‫ت َم‬َ ‫َأَفَرَأْي‬
َ ‫ل َتَذّكُرو‬
‫ن‬ َ ‫ل َأَف‬
ِّ ‫شاَوًة َفَمن َيْهِديِه ِمن َبْعِد ا‬
َ‫غ‬ ِ ‫صِرِه‬َ ‫عَل ٰى َب‬ َ ‫ل‬ َ ‫جَع‬َ ‫سْمِعِه َوَقْلِبِه َو‬ َ ‫عَل ٰى‬ َ ‫َتَم‬:‫خ‬
َ ‫َو‬
Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own]
desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to
knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his
heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide
him after Allah? Then will you not be reminded?
• We must still warn then. We as humans cannot
assume the condition of a person's iman or their
heart. Only Allah knows.
• The different types of Kufr:
1. Major Disbelief: Kufr Akbar: Doing any of these types
of kufr takes one out of Islam.
1. Kufr of denial, rejection. Denies the existence of
Allah and all the other pillars of Iman
1. Kufr of arrogance. Person knows this is the truth
yet he denies. Example of shaytan.
 1. Kufr of doubt and suspicion: Person is not sure.
Maybe yes maybe no.
1. Kufr of turning away. Person sees the truth but
turns his face away.
1. Kufr of hypocrisy.
1. Minor Disbelief: Kufr Asghar: Committing such will not
take one out of Islam but it's very dangerous.
1. Ingratitude. A person gets blessings but he
complains. Ungratefulness to Allah
1. Riya'. Showing off.