al-mizan (80,112-114 abasa)

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Chapter 80 - Abasa (He Frowned), Verses 1-

16 - {1} {2} {3} {4} {5} {6} {7} {8} {9}

{10} {11} {12} {13} {14} {15} {16}

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. - {1} He frowned and turned away {2} Whenthe blind man came to him {3} And how do you know, perhaps he would purify himself {4} Or take admonition and the admonition would benefit him {5} But for the one who is self-complacent {6} you attend him {7} Though you are not liable If he does not purify himself {8}

But he who come hurrying to you {9} while he fears Allah {10} You are neglectful of him {11} No indeed these verses of Qur'an are a reminder {12} So let anyone who wishes remember it{13} In honored scriptures {14} Exalted and purified {15} In the hand of envoys {16} Nobleand pious.

Commentary

Traditions from Sunni sources state that these verses were revealed about a blind man called IbnUmm Maktum, who came in the presence of the Holy Prophet(s) while the Prophet(s) was in aconversation with a group of leaders from the Quraysh about matters pertaining to Islam. So the

Prophet(s) frowned at him, and Allah reproached him with these verses. A few traditions fromthe Shi'ah sources also mention this narrative.

Other traditions from the Shi'ah state that the one who actually frowned and turned away was aman from Banu Umayya who was in the company of the Prophet(s), and when Ibn UmmMaktum came in the presence of the Prophet(s), the man frowned at him and turned away hisface. Subsequently these verses were revealed. God willing, a comprehensive discussion on thisissue will soon come to you in our forthcoming narrative discourse.

In any case, the aim of this chapter is to reprimand one who prefers the affluent and wealthy over the weak and destitute among the believers, who elevates the people of the world and degrades

the people of the Hereafter. Then the speech continues to allude to the frailty of human creationand his extreme dependence in managing his affair, and despite all this, his unthankful attitudevis-a-vis the blessings of his Lord and His magnificent control over his affairs. The chapter finally ends with a mention of the human being's resurrection and reprisal as a word of admonition. And the chapter is Meccan beyond any doubt.

QUR'AN: 'Abasa wa tawalla.

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Means he frowned and constrained his face and turned away.

QUR'AN: When t he blind man came to him.

This verse describes the reason for frowning. It can be explained by understanding its implicative

composition: despite the literal absence of letter "lam" before the clause ...an ja'ahu al-a'ma... itis held to be implicatively present. [Hence in actual fact it should be read as "li-an ja'ahu al-a'ma", the letter li denoting "becau se". Therefore the verse would read: 'becau se t he blind man

came to him' .]

QUR'AN: And how d o you k now, perhaps he woul d pur ify himself Or tak e ad monition and t he ad monition woul d bene fit him.

This is a circumstantial clause for the active noun of 'abasa' and 'tawalla'. And tazakka heremeans self-purification through good action after realization, which is to heed to admonition and be vigilant of the true ideology. And the benefit of admonition refers to its call for self-

purification through belief and good deed.MEANING: He frowned and turned away from the blind man when the latter came near him,while he did not know that the blind man may purify himself by good action after belief due tohis coming and seeking knowledge. And indeed he has taken admonition before or will takeadmonition by coming to the Prophet and heeding to what he learns, so that the admonition benefits him and he purifies himself.

The first four verses bear a severe tone of reproval, and are further aggravated by bringing thefirst two verses in the context of the third person, for that means turning away from directconversation and exhibiting severe negation; and articulating the second two verses in thecontext of the second person shows intense reproval.

And in stating the one who arrived as 'a blind man' there is an additional reproof, for if the needywho struggles to meet his ends is blind and lacks eyesight and his religious need led him tostruggle for the same due to fear of Allah, he is more worthy of mercy, increased specificattention, and affection, rather than being frowned upon or turned away.

Some, on the basis that the object of reproval in the verse is the Holy Prophet(s), say that thereason why the Prophet was mentioned in the third person pronoun was to venerate him andthereby indicate that the one who frowned and turned away cannot be the Prophet(s), for such anact can never issue from the like of his personality; furthermore mentioning him in the sameverse with the second person pronoun is again for his veneration, for that exhibits familiarityafter desolation, and attention after inattention always exhibit veneration.

This opinion however can be negated since it is not in harmony with the next verse: ' But for t he

one who is self-complacent, you att end him' For the reproval here is more stern than in the verse'Abasa wa tawalla, and certainly there is no sense of familiarity in it.

QUR'AN: But for t he one who is self-complacent, you att end him, T hough you are not liabl e If

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he d oe s not pur ify himself.

The words al- ghana, al-ista ghna, al-ta ghanna, and al-ta ghana, all mean the same according towhat Raghib has mentioned. Hence "man ista ghna" would denote "one who is affluent", whichwould necessitate priority, superiority, prominence in the eyes of the people and arrogance in

following the truth. Almighty Allah says: 'Nay, but ver ily man is rebelliou s, Becau se he see shimself f ree f r om want. (96:7)' And the verbal noun al-tasadd a means to embark on something by attending to it and showing concern for the same.

This verse and the next six verses present a detailed account on the criteria of what has beenmentioned about 'frowning' and 'turning away' that necessitated reproval. A summary of the sameis as follows: You show concern and attend to one who is affluent and arrogant in accepting thetruth, distancing yourself from the followers of truth, and how do you know whether he wouldnot purify himself and you disregard and turn away from one who struggles to purify himself while he is fearful [of his Lord].

QUR'AN: T hough you are not liabl e If he d oe s not pur ify himself. Some have said: The preposition "ma" is a negative particle and the meaning of the verse is:"There is no harm on you if he does not purify himself so that your ardent craving for hissubmission to Islam makes you turn away and disregard a Muslim, and not attend him.

Some say that the preposition "ma" here is a particle for negative interrogation (al-istif ham al-inkar a) and the meaning of the verse is: And what will happen to you if he does not purifyhimself from disbelief and sin, for verily you are only an Apostle and you have no obligationsave to convey the message.

Others say that that the meaning of the verse is: Do not mind if he does not purify himself fromthe taint of disbelief and sin. And this meaning is more suitable for the tone of reproval, followed by the view prior to this, and thereafter the one previous to that.

QUR'AN: But he who come hurr ying to you; whil e he f ear s Allah; You are neg l ectf ul of him.

al-sa'y is to hasten in one's walk, and thus the meaning of the verse "But he who come hurr ying

to you ..." in view of the context, would be: And as for the one who hastens to you to attainrealization and purify himself through what he learns of religious teachings...

QUR'AN: whil e he f ear s,

i.e. while he fears Allah. And k hash yah is a sign of realization through Qur'an. Almighty Allahsays: 'But only as an ad monition to t hose who f ear (Allah )' (20:3) and He says: 'H e will heed who f earet h' (87:10)

QUR'AN: You are neg l ectf ul of him,

i.e. 'you turn your attention from him and occupy yourself with other than him...; and positioning

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the second person pronoun anta in the clauses " fa anta lahu tasadd a" and " fa anta 'anhu talahha" as well as the two pronouns in "lahu" and '"anhu" in the beginning of the two verses arefor the assertion and affirmation of reproval.

QUR'AN: No indeed t he se ver se s of Qur 'an are a reminder; So l et an yone who wishe s

remember it'. The particle "kalla" is to restrain from the act for which he was reprimanded, which is frowning,turning away, giving attention to the affluent and disregarding one who fears God.

And the pronoun in "innaha tadhkir ah" (Surely they are a reminder) refers to Qur'anic verses or the Qur'an in general and the feminine gender of the pronoun is due to the feminine form of the predicate. And the meaning of the verse is: Surely the verses of Qur'an or the Qur'an is areminder, a counsel for one who takes counsel or a reminder that reminds one of the true belief and action.

QUR'AN: So l et an yone who wishe s remember it .This verse is a parenthetical clause ( jumlat un mu'tar iah). And the pronoun in the verse refers tothe Qur'an or that which the Qur'an reminds, such as Divine teachings. The verse therefore wouldmean: 'whosoever wishes would remember the Qur'an or that which the Qur'an reminds, i.e. tomove towards the direction of the untainted human nature ( fit r ah) and what is safeguarded in itstablet, which is true belief and action.

Moreover, in employing the following expression "So l et an yone who wishe s remember it" thereis an allusion that there is no compulsion in the invitation to seek admonition, for no benefitreturns to the caller. Rather, the only one to benefit is one who heeds to the admonition. So lethim choose what he wants.

QUR'AN: I n honored scr ipt ure s; Exalt ed and pur ified .

Al-Abrasi says in his Qur'anic exegesis al-Majma' that the word S uhu f is the plural of Sahifah.And the Arabs call any object where something is written as a Sahifah or kitab, whether that be a piece of paper or something else.

And the verse ' fi S uhu fin..' is another predicate after the first predicate of the particle'inna'.[..innahu tadhkir ah...fi S uhu fin mukarr amah. Thus the implied composition would be:innahu fi S uhu fin mukarr amah]. And the apparent import of the verse denotes that the Qur'an has been written in a number of scriptures (S uhu f ) by the hands of the Angels of Revelation. And thisview enfeebles the contention that what is meant by S uhu f here is the Guarded Tablet (al-law al-

mah f u z). In fact no where in the Qur'an have the words S uhu f or k ut ub have been employed intheir plural form to denote the Guarded Tablet. Likewise it is inadequate to contend that themeaning of S uhu f here is the books of the previous Prophets of God, for that is not in harmonywith the apparent import of the verse "bi ayd i safar ah" (in the hands of envoys) which is anadjectival clause of S uhu f .

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QUR'AN: mukarr amah

Means "Ennobled & Great". And the adjective "mar f u'ah" means elevated in terms of rank near God. And the adjective "mutahhar ah" means purified from the dirt of falsehood, vain talk, doubt,and contradictory speech. Almighty Allah says:...

QUR'AN: In the hand of envoys, Noble and pious.

"bi ayd i safar ah kir amin bar ar ah" This is an adjectival clause following an adjectival clause of S uhu f . And safar ah are su far a' (envoys), the plural of safir which means an envoy. And 'kir am' is an adjective that qualifies them in terms of their essences and bar ar ah is an adjective thatqualifies them in terms of their actions, which is perform virtue.

The meaning of the verse, therefore, is as follows: The Holy Qur'an is a reminder written in anumber of scriptures which are great, elevated in status and pure from every taint and dirt; theyare written by the hands of envoys from among the Angels who are noble near Allah due to the

purity of their essences, and virtuous near Him due to the beauty of their actions.The aforesaid verses apparently state that there are Angels for revelation, who take theresponsibility of bearing the scriptures and revealing what it contains of the Qur'an. Hence theyare the helpers of Gabriel and under his command. And there is no contradiction betweenattributing them with the task of revelation and attributing Gabriel with the same as indicated inthe verse: 'T he Fait h f ul Spir it has de scended wit h it, Upon your hear t t hat you may be of t he warner s.' (26:193-194) And describing Gabriel Allah says: " Most surely it is t he W ord of an

honored me ssenger , t he posse ssor of st reng t h , having an honor abl e place wit h t he Lord of t he Dominion , One (to be ) obe yed , and fait h f ul in t ru st ." (81:19-21) Hence he is obeyed by angelswho carry out his command and do what he wants, and the act of revelation that is carried out byhis helpers is his very action. Similarly, his action and their actions are all the actions of Allah.And we have already alluded to this discussion on several occasions.

And some opine that ' safar ah' (envoys) in the verse refer to the scribes (k uttab) among theangels. However, the meaning that we mentioned earlier is more apparent.

Others hold that the envoys refer to the reciters of Qur'an who write and read the same. And thisopinion is has no base as you can see.

Traditions

[al-abrasi in his] Al-Majma' says: It is has been said that these verses were revealed about'Abdullah bin Umm Maktum, and he is known as 'Abdullah bin Shuray bin Malik bin Rabi'ah al-Farhri, who belongs to the family of 'amir bin Lawi.

He is reported to have come to the Holy Prophet(s) while the latter was in a secret conversationwith 'Atabah bin Rabi'ah, 'Aba Jahl bin Hasham, 'Abbas bin 'Abd al-Muttalib, Ubayy, Umayyah bin Khalaf in which he invited them to Allah and anticipated their change toward Islam. On

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entering their presence, Ibn Umm Maktum said to the Prophet(s): 'O Messenger of Allah, recitefor me, and teach me what Allah taught you.' He continued calling the Prophet(s) thus andrepeated his call, oblivious of the fact that the Prophet(s) was busy attending to others, until signsof displeasure were apparent in the complexion of the Messenger of Allah due to the interruptionin his conversation. The Prophet(s) thought to himself: These leaders would say: Muhammad's

followers are only blind people and slaves. So he turned his face away from him and attended tothe people whom he was conversing with. Thereupon the above verses were revealed.

After this incident, the Messenger of Allah would always venerate him, and when he would seehim he would say: 'Welcome O the one about whom my Lord reprimanded me' and ask him: 'Doyou need anything?' And the Prophet(s) left him as his representative in Mad inah on twooccasions of battle.

The author says: al-Suyuti in his al-Durr al-Mant hur narrates the same incident from 'Aishah,

Anas and Ibn 'Abbas with slight variations. And what Al-abrasi narrated is a summary of thesetraditions.

The apparent import of the verses does not indicate that they were revealed about the Prophet(s).Rather, they purely mention a narrative which does not specify 't he subject of narr ation'. Instead,there is an apparent indication in the verses that they refer to other than the Prophet(s), for the actof frowning is not among the characteristics of the Prophet(s) vis-a-vis the enemies who differ with him, not to speak of the guided Muslims.

Furthermore, the description that he is one who caters for the affluent and is indifferent of the

poor, does not resemble his noble traits, as is the opinion of Sayyid al-Murtadha (may Allah'sMercy be on him).

Furthermore, Allah has described him with exalted character prior to the revelation of thischapter as follows: 'and indeed you posse ss a great char act er .' (68:4). And this verse comes inchapter al-N un, which according to the narrations that expound the order of revelation of theQur'anic chapters was revealed after the chapter Iqr a' bi ismi Rabbik ...(ch.96). So how can it beintellectually plausible that Allah venerates his character traits at the onset of his apostleship anddoes that in the absolute sense, and then later withdraws and reprimands him for some of hisactions and reproaches with an expression such as attending to the affluent despite their disbelief and being indifferent of the believers despite their belief and guidance.

Also, Almighty Allah says: ' And ad monish your neare st kin smen , and lower your wing to the

believers who follow you' (26:214-215). Hence Allah instructed him to show kindness and besoft and gentle to the believers. The chapter where these verses appear is among the Meccanchapters of Qur'an, and the verse 'and lower your wing ...' was revealed in the context of the

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verse: ' And ad monish t h y neare st kin smen' which was revealed in the beginning of the Prophet'sinvitation.

Likewise is the verse: ' Do not e xt end your g lance at what We have be stowed on cer tain classe s

of t hem, nor gr ieve over t hem: but lower your wing (in gentleness) to the believers. '(15:88); and

in the context of the same verse the verse 'T here fore declare openly what you are bidden and

t urn aside f r om t he polyt heists.'(15:94),which was revealed during the onset of his openinvitation. So how can it be conceived of him to frown at and disregard the believers while hewas ordered to respect their belief and be gentle and kind to them and not extend his glancetowards the world and its lovers.

Besides, preferring the affluence of the affluent, which is not at all a criteria of merit, over the perfection of the poor and their state of spiritual equilibrium, by frowning and turning away one'sface from the poor and attending to the rich, is intellectually reckoned as a repulsive and ugly

deed, which contradicts the nobility of the human character, and hence there is no need of averbal prohibition to oblige its abstention.

With this in mind, as well as what was said earlier, the inadequacy of the following argumentalso becomes clear: Since Allah, the Exalted, had not prohibited the Prophet(s) from this actsave in this occasion, it cannot be considered to be a sin, except after the Divine prohibition.Before that, however, there is no sin.

This is because claiming that Allah did not prohibit him from such an act except in this case is aforbidden contention. And presuming that it was true, it is intellectually immoral. And that

contradicts its origination from a noble character, for surely Allah described him in the absolutesense with an exalted character before this when He said: 'and indeed you posse ss a great

char act er .' (68:4) And a character trait (k hulq) is a habitual disposition (malakah) that cannot perform an act contrary to what it dictates.

It is reported from Imam al-Sadiq (as) - as has been mentioned in al-Majma' - that these verseswere revealed about a man from Banu Umayyah who was in the company of the Prophet(s),when Ibn Umm Maktum arrived. When the man saw him, he regarded him as filthy, gatheredhimself, frowned at him and turned his face away from him. Consequently, Almighty Allahnarrated the incident and reprimanded him for that.

Also, in al-Majma' Imam al-Sadiq (as) is reported to have said: 'Whenever the Messenger of Allah would see 'Abdullah bin Umm Maktum, he would say: 'Welcome, welcome, I swear byAllah, Allah would never reprimand me about you; and the Prophet(s) would behave with him sokindly, such that he would prevent the Prophet(s) from his attitude.

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The author says: That which can be said about this tradition is similar to what was said aboutthe earlier tradition; and the meaning of the phrase ' such t hat he woul d stop t he P r ophet(s)...'means that he would refrain from coming into the presence of the Prophet(s) out of introversionand shame due to the Prophet's(s) over generous attitude towards him.

Chapter 80 - Abasa (He Frowned), Verses 17-

42

{17} {18} {19} {20} {21} {22} {23} {24} {25} {26} {27} {28} {29} {30} {31}

{32} {33} {34} {35} {36} {37} {38} {39} {40}

{41} {42}{17} Perish man! How ungrateful is he! {18} From what has He created him? {19} He hascreated him from a drop of [seminal] fluid, and then proportioned him. {20} Then He made theway easy for him; {21} then He made him die and buried him; {22} and then, when He wished,resurrected him. {23} No indeed! He has not yet carried out what He had commanded him. {24}So let man observe his food: {25} We poured down water plenteously, {26} then We split theearth into fissures {27} and made the grain grow in it, {28} and vines and vegetables, {29}olives and date palms, {30} and densely-planted gardens, {31} fruits and pastures, {32} as asustenance for you and your livestock. {33} So when the deafening Cry comes {34} the daywhen a man will evade his brother, {35} his mother and his father, {36} his spouse and his sons{37} that day each of them will have a task to keep him preoccupied. {38} That day some faces

will be bright, {39} laughing and joyous. {40} And some faces on that day will be covered withdust, {41} overcast with gloom. {42} It is they who are the faithless, the vicious.

Commentary

These verses curse the human being and express wonder at his extreme denial of the Lordship of his Lord. It also points out to the Divine Command in its initiation and subsistence, for surelyman does not own anything for himself, whether it be his creation or the management of hisaffairs. Rather it is Allah Who Created him from a degenerate drop of sperm, 'and be stowed him

a cer tain measure , and t hen made t he pat h easy for him; t hen he made him d ie and bur ied him;

and t hen when H e wished re surrect ed him.' Hence Allah is his Lord and Creator, and one whoabsolutely controls his affairs. Despite this, man does not perform what his Lord commands himand does not get guided by His guidance.

And if man were to look at his food, which is only one of the manifestations of Divinemanagement and only a handful from the oceans of His Mercy he would witness such a vastness

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of Divine sovereignty and fineness of creation, that it would intellectually bewilder and astonishhim. And beyond that are blessings that cannot be enumerated. 'And if you count the blessings of Allah you cannot enumerate them.'

Therefore concealing the sovereignty of his Lord and neglecting to thank Him for His blessing is

astonishing. And surely the human being is very oppressive and disbelieving. And they wouldsoon witness the result of their thankfulness or unthankfulness in the form of joy and glad tidingsor misery...

And these verses, as you can see, are not in disharmony with the previous verses and can be saidto be of the same context, although some exegetes opine that they were revealed on another occasion of revelation, as we shall come to see.

QUR'AN: P er ish man! How ungr at e f ul is he!

This is a curse on the human being due to his nature in being immersed in following his vaindesires and forgetting the Lordship of his Lord and denying to follow His commands.

The clause 'ma akfar ah' is an expression of astonishment in being extremely disobedient andconcealing the clear truth while the human being witnesses himself to be under the control of Allah, other than whose sovereignty no one has any share.

Hence what is meant by 'k u f r ' is any kind of concealment of the truth whatsoever, whichcorresponds to rejecting the Lordship and relinquishing worship. And this can be endorsed by the

verses that appear in the context of these verses which allude to areas of Lordly control wherek u f r is taken to mean 'the concealment of truth' and 'relinquishing worship'. Some exegetes haveinterpreted k u f r to mean 'the neglect of gratitude' and 'not appreciating the blessing' whichalthough is conceptually correct in itself. However, the meaning that we mentioned before, inview of the context of the verse, is more suitable.

Zamakhshari says in his al-Kash shaf : The verse ' P er ish man!..' is a curse on the human being,and the worst of its kind near the Arabs, for being kill ed* is the most intense and dishonorablecalamity of the world. And the phrase 'ma akfar ah' is to be amazed at the human being's extremesense of ingratitude vis-a-vis the blessings of Allah. And you shall not find any tone of speechmore stern, forceful in penetration, and vociferous in annoyance, than this; and despite the proximity of the meaning of the two clauses of the verse, there is nothing more comprehensive inrapprochement and complete in meaning, despite its brevity.

And it is said that the clause 'ma akfar ah' is interrogative and it means 'what is that which madehim a disbeliever?' However the preceding probability is more eloquent.

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QUR'AN: 'min ayyi shay'in k halaqah'

Means, according to the context, 'From what did Allah Create the human being so that hedeserves to transgress and be arrogant of belief and obedience'; and dropping the active noun in

the verse 'k halaqah' as well as the verbs that follow it, are to indicate their clarity; for it isinnately known and the polytheists have admitted the same, other than Allah, there is no creator.

And the interrogation was brought about as an emphasis of astonishment in the verse 'ma

akfar ah' (how ungrateful is he!). And astonishment only comes about with regard to those eventswhose causes are not apparent. Hence the verse would first of all like to say: the human being'sextreme ungratefulness is astonishing; it then asked: when Allah created him was theresomething in his creation that necessitated extreme ungratefulness; thereafter an answer negatingthe same is given that he has no evidence with which he can prove himself and has no excuse to

support himself for his has been created from a degenerate drop of sperm and neither ownsanything of his creation nor has any control over his affairs in his life, death, and resurrection. Inshort, the interrogation is an introductory question for the answer that is given in the verse 'min

nutfatin k halaqah...'

QUR'AN: Min nutfatin k halaqahu faqadd ar ah (H e has creat ed him f r om a dr op of [seminal]

fl uid , and t hen pr opor tioned him).

Mentioning nutfah in the absolute sense is for its abasement. In other words it means 'He createdhim from a degenerate drop of seminal fluid'. Hence he has no right to transgress through

ungratefulness and show arrogance vis-a-vis Divine submission while he is of such origin.

QUR'AN: Fa qadd ar ah:

Means that He conferred him a proportion in his essence, attributes and actions. Hence he cannottranscend beyond the limit that has been proportioned for him, for Divine sovereigntyencompasses him from every side and he cannot independently acquire what has not been proportioned for him.

QUR'AN: T humma al-sabila yassar ah:

The context of the verse that apparently negates any excuse from the human being for hisungratefulness and arrogant attitude shows that the meaning of al-sabil (the path) which is in itsindefinite form refers to the path towards the obedience of Allah and carrying out Hiscommands; in other words you may say 'the path towards good and salvation'.

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Therefore the verse would like to repel any kind of influence, for if it is said: ' H e creat ed him

f r om a dr op of seminal fl uid , and t hen con f erred him a pr opor tion' it is possible for the listener tothink that if creation and proportion encompass the human beings from all sides, the actions thespring from his essence and attributes are prescribed and linked to the Divine Will, which cannot be contravened, and therefore human actions would necessarily come to transpire and

indispensably exist and he would forcefully have do them lacking any volition of his own. Hencethe human being would not be responsible in his disbelief when he disbelieves nor in hissinfulness when he sins and does not do what Allah has ordered him to do, and this is only due toAllah's predetermination and volition. Hence neither is there any rapprochement or blame on thehuman being, nor any religious claim linked to him, for all these are derivatives of volition, andthe human being has no volition.

So Allah repelled the ambiguity by saying: 'T hereaft er H e made t he pat h easy'. A gist of theanswer to the said ambiguity is that 'to create' and 'proportion' do not conflict with man having a

free will in what he has been ordered to do such as belief and obedience, which is a path towardssalvation for which man was created. This is because all that for which something is created iseasy for the thing. And that means that human acts are proportioned according to his free willand the Divine Will is linked to the human action by his free will to do such and such a deed.Therefore the action originated from the human being, and despite that it is linked to Divine proportioning.

Hence the human being is free in his action and responsible for the same, although they may belinked to Divine proportioning. And we have discussed this repeatedly under relevant verses inour exegesis.

It is said that the meaning of 'making the path easy' is the exit of the human being from thewomb of his mother and the meaning is: 'Thereafter He made easy for the human being the pathto exit while he was fetus created from seminal fluid.

It is also said that it means guiding toward religion and expounding the path of virtue and evil, asAlmighty Allah says: '...and t he fir st meaning is more pr obabl e'.

QUR'AN: 't hen H e made him d ie and bur ied him' al-amaatah means to 'take the human life' and by al-aqbaar (the infinitive of the verb aqbar ah) the burial is hiding the dead body in the depthof the earth is meant. And this happens mostly by building an edifice which has been a custom of the human beings, and for this reason it has been attributed to Allah for He is the one who guidedthem to that and inspired that to do it. Hence as this act of burial is human beings it is alsoattributed to Allah.

And it is said al-aqbaar means to make the dead human being the possessor of a grave, which

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means to order for his burial out of his veneration and for the concealment his stanching dead body so that others are not disturbed thereby and do not feel an aversion for the same.

The first opinion is more suitable due to the context of the verses that have been brought toremind Allah's ontological (takwini)- and not legislative (tashr i'i) - control, upon which this

opinion is based.

QUR'AN: 'and t hen , when H e wished , re surrect ed him' .

In al-Majma' it is said: al-in shar means to enliven, to continue one's state after death as is thecase with a folded attire when unfolded. Thus its meaning is 'resurrection' when Allah wills. Andin the verse there is an indication of the suddenness of resurrection, such that non save Allahknows about it.

QUR'AN: ' No indeed! H e has not yet carr ied out what H e had commanded him.'

That which the apparent context connotes is that the article 'kalla' negates the question implied inthe context and alluded to by Allah in the verse: ' H e has not yet carr ied out what H e had

commanded him.' It is as if when it was pointed out that is created and under Divine control fromthe top to the bottom of his existence in terms of creation, proportioning, easing the path, causingto die and get buried while all these are His blessings, it was asked and said: 'Why then did Hecreate the human being while this is the state of affairs? And was he submissive to the DivineLordship or grateful for His blessings? Thereupon in response it was said: 'No indeed.' Then itwas explained further and said: He has not carried what Allah commanded him; rather, he has

been ungrateful and disobedient.

Hence it is clear from the preceding discussion that the pronoun implied in the verb ' yaqdhi'refers to the human being and the meaning of 'qadha'ihi' in the verse is ityanihi (to carry whatAllah commanded him to do). And it is said that the inferred pronoun in the said verb refers toAllah, and thus the verse means: 'Allah has not ordained for this disbeliever to carry out what Hecommanded such as belief and obedience. He only ordered him to carry out what he ordered himto do, as a completion of his evidence. And this opinion is farfetched.

And it is clear that the reproach and censure in the verses are only aimed at the human being interms of the attitude of his nature in being extremely ungrateful as is indicated in the verse:'...most surely man is ver y un ju st, ver y ungr at e f ul.' (14:34) Hence it refers to one who has cladhimself with the garment of ungratefulness and exceeded the limits through enmity. And thusclarifies the inadequacy of what has been said by some exegetes that the verse generally refers tothe disbeliever as well as the believer, for none has worshipped him that way He ought to beworshipped.

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And that is because the pronoun that returns to the human being that is mentioned in the beginning of the verses refers to him in his natural construct which calls him towards extremeungratefulness and accords to one who actualizes such a trait.

QUR'AN: 'So l et man obser ve his food '

It is derived from the aforesaid as an exposition of the synopsis. For it draws the attention of thehuman being towards his food, which he consumes and from which he derives help for hissubsistence; and this while it is only one among the countless blessings which the DivineLordship facilitated to satisfy his needs in this life so that he should reflect over it, and witnessthe vastness of Divine sovereignty that baffles his mind and bewilders his intellect, and howDivine attention in all its fine and comprehensive nature- is attached to the good of the human being and the uprightness of his affair.

And al-in san (lit. human being) in the verse, as it has been said, is other than that which has beenmentioned in the verse 'Perish human being! How ungrateful is he!' for the human beingmentioned in this verse is one who is specifically ungrateful, and is unlike the human beingmentioned in the verse under discussion, who is instructed to reflect, for that refers to everyhuman being, and that is why it was literally mentioned and not implied from the verb.

QUR'AN: We poured d own wat er pl ent eou sly...as a su st enance for you and your live stock .

It is commonly read as 'anna' with a fat' hah over the dhammah - and it is a detailed exposition of

Divine control over the human food, obviously its primary stages, for a comprehensive wordexplaining the details of the particularities of the system which facilitates all these things, and thewide system that flows in all these things and the existential interconnections between each of them and the human being cannot be contained by the exposition of human speech.

In short the word al-Sabb in the verse 'We poured d own wat er pl ent eou sly' is to pour water froma height. And what is meant by 'pouring water' in the verse is to bring down rain on the earth for the growth of plants; and it can also include 'making the wells and river flow' for whatever iscontained in the depths of the earth from the treasures of water is only from rain.

QUR'AN: 't hen We split t he ear t h into fissure s'.

The verse apparently refers to the fissures caused by the growth of plants, and that is why the present clause was adjoined to the preceding clause 'the pouring down of water' by the particle of adjunction 't humma' and the plantation of the seed too has been adjoined to it.

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QUR'AN: 'and made t he gr ain gr ow in it'

The pronoun 'ha' in f eeha refers to 'the earth', and habb refers to all the species of grain which thehuman being consumes such as barley, wheat; the same applies to grapes, vegetables, etc.

QUR'AN: 'and vine s and vegetabl e s.'

Al-'inaab (grape) is commonly well- known and it is employed to denote the vine tree, and perhaps that is what the verse actually refers to. And similar is the case with olives.

And al-qadhab means fresh vegetables such as herbs that the human beings eat. The verb yaqdhibu, which is in the imperfect tense means 'to cut one after another'. And it has been saidthat the meaning of al-qadhab is that which is cut from among the plants, so that the beasts canfeed the same.

QUR'AN: 'olive s and d at e palms'.

These are well-known plants.

QUR'AN: 'and den sely-plant ed g arden s.'

Al-had aa'iq is the plural of the noun hadeeqah and it has been translated as a fenced garden. Andal- ghulb is the plural of ghalba' . It is commonly said: shajar at un ghalba', which means 'a hugeand thick tree' Hence al-had aa'iq al- ghulb would mean gardens that contain huge and thick trees.

QUR'AN: ' f ruits and past ure s'.

It is said the al-faakihah means all kinds of fruits. Some however say that grapes and pomegranates are not included in the word. And some have said: a specific mention of whatcomes under fruits such as olives and date palms is to consider their value and status. And theword al-abb means pasture.

QUR'AN: 'as a su st enance for you and your live stock .'

This clause is maf' ul un lah (an object noun which confers the reason why something is done).Hence the verse would mean: We planted what we planted of the food that you consume so thatit may be a means of sustenance for you and the livestock that you have chosen for yourselves.

And a transfer from the third person (So l et man obser ve his food ) to the second person (as a

su st enance for you and your ...) in the verse is to underline the favor of Divine lordship and His

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blessing.

QUR'AN: 'So when t he deaf ening cr y come s':

This verse is a reference to the final consequence of what has been said about the universal

Lordship and control of the human being which involved the Divine command for submissionand was either carried out by the human being or not. And that is Judgment Day when everyhuman being would be aptly given the consequence of his deeds.

And al-ak hk hah means 'an intense cry' that deafens the ears due to its intensity. And it refers tothe 'blowing of the trumpet' in this verse.

QUR'AN: 't he d ay when a man will evade his br ot her , his mot her and his fat her '

This refers to the intense difficulty of the day, for those among the relatives and near ones of thehuman beings who would run and escape were the same people who would seek shelter in themand would be their friends and take them as their supporters and helpers where they would seek protection in this world. However, they would run away from them on the Judgment Day, for thereason that difficulty would envelop the day such that they would not get respite in dealing withother than themselves and pay attention to others, whosoever that may be. Therefore when theconfusion is aggravated and intensified and envelops the human being it draws him to himself and disengages him from others.

And the proof of this contention is in the verse that follows: 't hat d ay each of t hem will have a

task to k ee p him preoccu pied .' - which means that it suffices him from being occupied with other than himself.

And it is said that there are other reasons behind the escape of the human being's own relativesand near ones. These however are not supported by cogent proofs, and thus we have overlookedand not mentioned them here.

QUR'AN: 'T hat d ay some face s will be br i ght, laughing and joyou s.'

This explains that human beings would be divided on that day into two factions: people of salvation and people of wretchedness. And it alludes that they can be deciphered by their complexions. And isfar al-wajh means 'the brightness of the face' and its radiance through joyand happiness. And anticipating glad tidings can be known through what appears in their facesafter having witness the glad tidings that await them.

QUR'AN: ' And some face s on t hat d ay will be covered wit h du st'

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ghabar ah in the verse refers to dust and dirt which is the complexion of grief and sorrow.

QUR'AN: 'over cast wit h g loom.'

Blackness and darkness would overcast and envelop them. And surely the state of the two groupshave been explained by explaining the state of their complexions, because 'the complexion' is themirror of the heart in joy and sorrow.

QUR'AN: ' It is t he y who are t he fait hl e ss, t he viciou s.'

i.e. they are those who combine in themselves disbelief in ideology and corruption which is andetestable sin in action, or it would like to say that they are ungrateful of the blessings of Allahand mischief mongers. And this is a definition of the second group. They are the people of

wretchedness and misery. And no comment was brought to qualify the first group who are the people of salvation because the speech is led by the context of admonition and attention to thewretched people.

Chapter 112 - Al-Ikhlas (The Unity), Verses

1-4

- {1} {2} {3} {4}

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. - {1} Say: He, Allah, is Unique! {2} Allah isHe on Whom all depend. {3} He begets not, nor is He begotten. {4} And (there is) none is likeHim.

General Comment

This chapter describes the pure Oneness (Tawheed ) of Allah (swt), freeing Him from all kinds of need without associating anything with Him and that which is not in His essence, attributes or actions. This is pure Tawheed according to the Qur'an and it is one of the specialties of theQur'an and the edifice of all the Islamic knowledge.

There are numerous traditions discussing about the virtues of this sur ah including those received by Shias and Sunnis that say that this sur ah is equivalent to one third of the Qur'an and the samewill be forthcoming in our narrative discourse.

This sur ah is either a Meccan Sura or revealed in Medina, but is likely that it descended inMecca according to the reasons of its revelation.

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Commentary

Qur'an: Say: H e , Allah , is U nique:

The word Ahad (unique) is an attribute which is derived from the word W ahid (one) but the word Ahad is used about something which cannot be counted or numbered and something that doesnot accept numerousness (from all sides) - not even evidently or imagined. Therefore, the word Ahad does not mean one, unlike the word W ahid , so that we may start counting two, three and soon. In the (usage of the) word Ahad , whatever is followed by a second is that very same thing.For example if someone says: "No one (from the people) came to me" (maa jaani minal qaumi

ahad ), it negates the coming of one, two or more but if someone says "one (from the people) didnot come to me" (maa jaani wahidu minhum) it negates the coming of only one but not two,three or more.1

In this backdrop, the word Ahad (in the verse under discussion) is used in a positive sentence andit has a connotation that in His essence, Allah is such as no one like unto Him can even be

imagined - be it one or more. Therefore, regardless of its condition in actuality, it is impossibleeven to imagine it properly.

Qur'an: Allah is H e on Whom all de pend :

The literal meaning of "samad " is to intend or to depend. The word has been explained in manydifferent ways. More so, it has been explained as the One on Whom all depend. The word samad in this verse has been used without any restriction ± therefore the meaning "One on Whom alldepend" is more acceptable.

For Allah is the one who brought everything into existence ± therefore everything with the

exception of Him (Who is self-Existing) depend on Him. Just like He said:

S urely His is t he creation and t he command; bl e ssed is Allah , t he Lord of t he wor l d s. (7:54)

And t hat to your Lord is t he g oal (53:42)

By mentioning the word "Allah" again in the verse under discussion saying: "Allah is He onWhom all depend" and without saying: "He is the One on Whom all depend" or "Allah is Uniqueand One on Whom all depend" shows that each of these two verses is sufficient in explaining (ina limited way) the attributes of Allah.

These two verses praise Allah (swt) in His attributes of essence and action. Therefore, the clause"Allah is Unique" is the praise of His Essence and the clause "Allah is One Whom all depend" isthe praise of action - which praises Allah for He is the end of everything.

It has also been said that the word samad means One who does not eat, drink, sleep, beget or isHe begotten. Therefore the verse that follows ( H e d oe s not beget nor was H e beg ott en) is theexplanation of the word samad .

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Qur'an: H e begets not, nor is H e beg ott en. And (t here is) none is lik e Him:

These two verses refute that Allah begets something through another thing by way of separation2 - just like what the Christians claim about 'Isa (as) that he is the son of God or the claim by the polytheists concerning some of their idols that they were the sons of God.

In the same manner, these two verses refute that He was begotten or He came into existence fromanother thing just like what the polytheists claim. In their (the polytheists) belief of god, there isgod the father, god the mother and god the son.

Also, these two verses refute that God has a partner in His actions just like the claim among people like Firawn and Nimrud - who called themselves gods.

To give birth is one way of reproducing (or populating) however one defines it - for the one whois born has to cling to (depend on), and becomes part of, the one who gave birth and definitelyeach of the parts will be in need of each other. But Allah (swt) is not in need of anything and that

all things are in need of Him. Therefore, Allah does not beget.His saying: "H e was not beg ott en": a thing which is begotten must be dependable on the onewho begets and Allah is not dependable on or in need of anyone, therefore He was not begotten.

His saying: "t here is no one lik e unto Him": it is indeed not possible that He is self-Sufficient(and on Whom all depend) if there is someone else like Him or a model like Him. For, He aloneis the One on Whom all depend, thus He has no example or model. Therefore it has become clear that these two verses is the explanation of the word "samad " and they also confirm or establishAllah's Oneness in His Essence, Attributes, Actions and in addition, those things that relate toHis Majesty and Glory. For this reason, this whole chapter explains the attributes of Allah andHis Oneness.3

It is also said that the word "k u fwan" means wife because a wife is an example of a husband. Inthis case, the verse (under discussion) takes on the meaning of the following verse:

And t hat H e - e xalt ed be t he maje sty of our Lord - has not tak en a con sor t, nor a son. (72:3)

Traditions

In al-Kafi, from Muhammad bin Muslim, from Abu Abdillah (as) who said: "Indeed, some Jewsasked the Prophet (s): 'Praise your Lord for us'. The Prophet waited for three days without

replying them, and then this sur ah was revealed."

The author says: In I htiyaj, it has been reported from al-Askary (as) that the one to ask theProphet (s) was Abdullah bin Suriyya, a Jew. In some Sunni traditions, it is mentioned that theone who asked the prophet (s) was Abdullah bin Salam, who asked him while in Mecca andthereafter he became a Muslim but he concealed his faith. In some Sunni traditions it says thatsome Jews had asked the Prophet while some others say that the polytheists of Mecca were theones who asked the Prophet (s).

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In Ma'an from the Isnad from Asbagh bin Nabata from 'Ali (as) who said: "the praises(attributes) of Allah is 'Qul huwallah' .

And in Ilal from the isnad , from as-Sadiq (as) who said in a tradition that in Meraj (ascention)

Allah (swt) told the Prophet to recite "Qul huwallah" for it is His praise. This tradition with thesame meaning has been narrated by al-Kadhim (as) and also in many traditions of the Sunnisfrom among the companions like Ibn Abbas, Abu Dhard, Jabir bin Masud, Abu Sais al-Khudr,Muadh bin Anas, Abu Ayyub, Abu Amama and others. There are many traditions received fromthe Shias regarding the same.

The author says: They have all explained that this chapter is equivalent to one third of theQur'an in different ways one of them being that the Qur'an has the exposition of three main pillars or principles: Tawhid , Prophethood and the Hereafter and this whole chapter (of Ik hlas)covers one of the pillars i.e. Tawhid .

In at-Tawhid it is reported that 'Ali (as) said: "One day I saw Khidr (as) in my dream before the battle of Badr and I said to him: 'teach me something that will protect me from the enemies' andhe (Khidr) said: 'say, yaa huwa man la huwa illa huu' (O You besides Whom there is no oneexcept You). So when I woke up, I narrated this to the Messenger (s) who told me: 'O 'Ali youhave been taught a glorious name'. That is why this was at the tip of my tongue on the day of the battle of Badr."

The author says: Indeed, Amirul Mu'mineen ('Ali ibn Abi Talib) recited Qul huwallah until theend (of the chapter) and then recited " yaa huwa man la huwa illa huu! I gh fir liy wan surni alal qawmil kafireen". (O You besides Whom there is no one except You. Protect me and help mefrom the disbelieving people)

In al-Kafi, from the Isnad of Daud bin al-Qassim Jafari it is reported that he asked Abu Jaffar (as): "What is the meaning of samad ?" He (Abu Jaffar) said: "It means the One on Whom alldepend from little to plenty."

In the meaning of the word samad , there are other explanations received from the Imams (as):

al-Baqir (as) said: "Samad means one who is obeyed and no one else".

al-Hussein (as) said: "Samad means one who has no example or model, one who does not sleep,one who is available and will always be available".

as-Sajjad (as) said: "Samad is He Who if He wants something, He says: 'Be' and Samad is (also)He who has produced things and created unique species in pairs - male and female.

The author says: The actual meaning of Samad , as narrated by Abu Jaffar II (as), is that whichis in keeping with the intended theme (of the sur ah). So various meanings have been transmitted by the Imams (as) in their tafseer and it compels us to say that Samad means the One (AlmightyGod) on Whom all depend for all their needs without Him having any dependence (or need).

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In at-Tawhid , it has been narrated by Wahab bin Wahab al-Quraysh who narrates from as-Sadiq(as) who narrates from his grandfathers that people of Basra had written to al-Hussein (as) askinghim for the meaning of Samad . The Imam (as) replied them as follows: "In the Name of Allah,the Beneficent and the Most Merciful. Do not argue and talk about the Qur'an without any

knowledge because I heard the Messenger (saw) say (about the Qur'an) that whoever says aboutthe Qur'an without any knowledge, then he should prepare for himself a seat in the fire of hell.And Allah Himself has said: "Say: H e , Allah , is U nique! Allah is H e on Whom all de pend . H e

begets not, nor is H e beg ott en. And (t here is) none is lik e Him."

In the same at-Tawhid from the isnad of Ibn Abu Umair who narrates from al-Kadhim (as) thathe said: "Know that Almighty God (swt) is only One! One on Whom all depend, He did not beget to be inherited nor was He begotten to be associated (to have partners)."

In another sermon of 'Ali (as), he said: "He (Allah) was not begotten except that He should nothave a partner in His Glory and He does not beget except that He should not be inherited.

The author says: There are many traditions narrating what has been mentioned in the foregoing.

Footnotes

[1] This example also shows how the word Ahad is used in negative and positive sentencesrespectively. (t r .)

[2] When part of a body separates and forms into another thing. ( t r .)

[3]

These two verses negate such factors (like begetting and being begotten) that impose somelimits and isolation on Allah. (t r .)

Chapter 113 - Al-Falaq (The Dawn), Verses 1-

5

- {1} {2} {3} {4} {5}

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. - {1} Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of thedawn, {2} From the evil of what He has created, {3} And from the evil of the utterly dark nightwhen it comes, {4} And from the evil of those who blow on knots, {5} And from the evil of theenvious when he envies.

General Comment

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The Prophet (s.a.w.) has been commanded to seek refuge in Allah (for his well-being) from allevil including some special ones as well. This chapter descended in Medina according to thecircumstances or reasons for its revelation.

Commentary

Qur'an: Say: I seek re f uge in t he Lord of t he d awn:

Seeking refuge means guarding and protecting from evil by seeking it from the one who can provide such protection. The word al-falq means the opening or crack whereas the word al-falaq (dawn, daybreak) is an adjective in the meaning of an object i.e. cleavage in the meaning of something which breaks through or cleaves. This is usually how the daybreak is described because it cuts or cleaves through the darkness. This leads us to the meaning behind theexpression "I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn" because He (Allah) makes the dawn emergefrom the darkness. Thus, the meaning is: I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn - He who causesthe dawn to break through the darkness. And the reason of this expression is to seek refuge from

evil that hides the good and conceals what is manifest.

It was said that falaq means every created thing that is manifest and not veiled. As a matter of fact, within the world of creation lies a crack which leads to the realm of obliviousness - anopening which exposes the evil into existence. The latter becomes applicable to the beings. It hasalso been said that the meaning of falaq is a pit in hell as strongly supported by some traditions.

Qur'an: F r om t he evil of what H e has creat ed :

In other words, any bearer of evil from among mankind, jinn and animals including all Hiscreations that bear evil and one should not be preoccupied about it.

Qur'an: And f r om t he evil of t he utt er ly d ar k ni ght when it come s:

In as-Sahih, it is mentioned that word al- ghassak (dusk) means the early part of the evening (just before sunset) and the night or darkness becomes apparent when the twilight has disappeared or ended. Thus, the meaning "from the evil of the utterly dark night when it comes" is appropriate.

The relationship between evil and night is established because darkness helps or assists the evildoer in his evil deeds and covers him. Therefore, there is more evil (carried out) at night rather than during day time and one also becomes more vulnerable to evil at night than during day time.It was said that what is meant by darkness (in the verse) is every evil doer who strikes by

performing evil.

In this context, mentioning the evil of the night after the evil of what He has created, in themanner of mentioning the specific after the general, is for the purpose of emphasis. Allah (s.w.t)has drawn our close attention to three types of evil in this chapter - the evil of the night, the evilof the witchcrafts and the evil of the envious - because people are often heedless or inattentive tothese things.

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Qur'an: And f r om t he evil of t hose who blow k nots:

This refers to the sorceresses and witches who bewitch (others) by blowing into the knots. Thewomen have been specifically mentioned here because they seem to favor witchcraft (and magic)more than men. This affirms the impact of witchcraft in general just like Allah has said in the

story of Harut and Marut:"Even t hen men l earned f r om t he se two (Harut and Marut), ma g ic by which t he y mi ght cau se a

se par ation between a man and his wif e; and t he y cannot hur t wit h it an yone e xce pt wit h Allah's per mission..." (2:102)

In the same manner, as demonstrated in the story of Firawn and his magicians.

It is also said: "from the evil of those who blow knots" refers to women who tend to change thestandpoints of their husbands - in order to make them approve the women's beliefs and meet their demands. In fact, the knots represent the standpoint and to blow into the knots is to dissolve

them.Qur'an: And f r om t he evil of t he enviou s when he envie s:

This verse identifies the state in which envy overwhelms man and drives him to live by the envythat he possesses, thus affecting him.

It was said: the verse includes the people who cast an evil-eye upon others. In fact, the evil-eye isa kind of psychic envy realized whenever the envious observes a thing that he likes and showshis admiration thereto.

TraditionsAbd ibn Hamid has narrated from Zaid ibn Aslam, who said: "Someone among the Jews casted aspell on the Prophet (s.a.w.) who complained (of being unwell) and was thus visited by Gabrielwho revealed upon him, the last two chapters of the Qur'an ( Nas and Falaq), and he (Gabriel)said: 'Indeed, someone from the Jews has cast a spell on you and it (the charm) is in so-and-sowell'. So the Messenger sent 'Ali (a.s) who brought that charm and ordered him to untie the knotwhile reciting (the verses of Nas and Falaq) until the Prophet (s.a.w.) regained his wellbeing.(ad -Durru'l Mant hur )

The author says: A similar tradition is found in Tibb al-A'imma (medicine of the Imams)attributed to Muhammad bin Sanan from al-Mufadhal from as-Sadiq (a.s) and many traditionsfrom the ahlul Sunnah with slight variations. More than one of these traditions mention that theMessenger sent (to get the charm from the well) 'Ali (as) together with Ammar bin Yassir andZubair.

The contents of such traditions have confused some people because they say that the Messenger

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(s.a.w.) cannot be affected by magic so how did he succumb to the spell? But Allah has said:

"Or (Why) has not a t reasure been be stowed on him, or wh y has he (not) a g arden for

en joyment?" T he wick ed say: "Y e follow none ot her t han a man bewitched . S ee what kind s of

compar ison s t he y mak e for t hee! But t he y have g one ast r ay, and never a way will t he y be abl e to

find!" (25:8-9)

In these verses, they (the disbelievers) refer to the Prophet as being bewitched and insane whosemind was corrupted by the effect of magic. The fact is that the Messenger was unwell bodily(and not mentally) due to the effect of magic. This is an example to show the absence of proofsthat He (the Prophet) was immune from witchcraft and magic.

It has been narrated that, many times, the Prophet (s.a.w.) used to seek refuge (in Allah) for hisgrandsons Hassan and Hussein (a.s) by reciting these two chapters( Falaq and Nas). It has been

narrated by Uqba bin Amir who said: "The Messenger (s) said: none of the verses revealed tome are like al-M u'awwidhatayn ( Falaq and Nas)". ( Majmau 'l-Bayan)

The author says: This tradition is also found in ad -Durru 'l-Mant hur attributed to at-Tirmidhi, Nasai and among others. A tradition with the same meaning has been narrated by Tabarani in al-

Aswat on the authority of Ibn Masud. In fact, the reason that no other similar chapters wererevealed (from the whole Qur'an) is because they ( Falaq and Nas) exclusively aim at seekingrefuge in Allah - something that none of the other chapters share.

Furthermore, it has been reported by Ahmad, al-Bazzar, Tabrani and Ibn Murdawayh quoting Ibn

Abbas and Ibn Masud who related that people talked about these two chapters saying: "Do notcombine the Qur'an with things (chapters) that are not part thereof since they are not part of theBook of Allah and the Prophet (s.a.w.) was only ordered to seek refuge in Allah by them. Eventhen, Ibn Masud did not read them as part of the Qur'an. (ad -Durru'l Mant hur )

The author says: As-Suyuti said, quoting al-Bazzar: "Ibn Masud did not follow any of thecompanions and verily, it was said about the Prophet (s.a.w.) that He read (these two chapters) in prayers. Thus, it was proven that they were at the end of the Qur'an".

Abi Bakr al-Hadrami said: I told Abu Jaafer (a.s) that Ibn Masud was erasing the two chapters of refuge from the Qur'an. He then replied: "My grandfather used to say: 'certainly Ibn Masud didso according to his own opinion'"

The author says: There are numerous traditions regarding the ways adopted by both sides(Sunni and Shia) showing that there is a definite report among all the Islamic sects relevant towhether these two chapters are part of the Qur'an or not. This has confused some of the deniers

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of the miracle of the Qur'an who say that whether the two chapters were a miracle in eloquenceor not, it does not matter if they are not part of the Qur'an, like the opinion of Ibn Masud.

Reply: The specific traditions are enough to prove that no one has reported that these twochapters were not revealed to the Prophet (s.a.w.) or that they are a miracle in their eloquence but

the issue was whether they are part of the Qur'an or not as proven by the definite report.

It has been narrated by Ibn Jarir that Abu Huraira quoted the Prophet (s.a.w.) who said that al-

falaq is a covered well in hell. (ad -Durru'l Mant hur )

The author says: The meaning of the word al-falaq is mentioned in more than one tradition. He(s.a.w.) said: It is a threshold to the fire that, when opened, the hell will flare through it, asnarrated by Uqbah ibn Amir. In other traditions as narrated by Amr ibn Anbasa among others: Itis a well in hell and it is through this well that the fire shall flare in hell. According to as-Sadi,

narrated by Abu Hamza al-Thumali, it is said that al-falaq is a well in hell in which the peoplewill seek refuge due to the intense heat reigning therein. ( Majma ' ul-Bayaan)

In Tafseer al-Qummi, transmitted respectively from his father, an-Naufal, from as-Sukuni fromAbu Abdullah (a.s.) who said: "The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said: 'Poverty can lead one todisbelief and envy appears to take over destiny'"

The author says: This tradition is narrated in his words by people who transmitted directly fromhim (s.a.w.).

And in Tafseer al-Uyun, transmitted respectively from as-Sultiy, from ar-Ridha (a.s) from hisfather and from the Messenger (s.a.w.) who said: "Envy appears to take over destiny".

Ibn Shayba has reported from Anas, who said: "The Messenger (s.a.w.) said: 'envy destroysvirtues in the same manner as fire consumes wood.'" (ad -Durru'l Mant hur )

Chapter 114 - An-Nas (Mankind), Verses 1-6

- {1} {2} {3} {4} {5} {6}In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. - {1} Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of humans, {2} the King of humans, {3} the God of humans. {4} From the evil of the 'persuasivewith obsession' of the slinking (Shaytan), {5} which whispers in the breasts of humans, {6}From among the jinn and the humans.

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General Comment:

It is a command to the Messenger (s.a.w.) to seek refuge in Allah from the slinking one (who puts doubt and then retreats). This chapter descended in Medina just like the previous one (al-

falaq) according to the circumstances of its revelation. This is also substantiated by some

traditions that this chapter and that of al-falaq descended together.

Commentary:

Qur'an: Say: I seek re f uge in t he Lord of human s, t he King of human s, t he God of human s:

It is human nature that when one is faced with (some kind of evil), which he fears and feelsvulnerable, he seeks help from the one whom he sees as very capable of protecting anddefending him from the evil (reaching him). The one who is suitable to be a protector and preserver is one of the three:

First, a Lord who guards, administers and rears him and to whom he may turn for all affairs andwhat is needed for survival and protection from evil that may threaten him. This is anindependent reason in itself.

Second, a King who is strong in authority, extreme in ability and influential in ruling who protects him from evil with his authority. This as well is an independent reason (for seekinghelp) in itself.

Third, a worshipped God who is One having no partner, especially if this worshipping isassociated with sincerity from the worshipper who will not glorify and beseech (help) for his

needs, except Him. So he does not desire except what God dictates for him and does not actexcept what God wills (for him).

Allah (swt) is the Lord of the humans, the King of the humans and the God of the humans just asHe has combined all the three qualities (or attributes) in His words:

"«S uch is Allah , your Lord . His is t he Kingd om. T here is no God but H e. W it her t hen you t urn away?" (39:6)

Moreover, He has given the purpose of His Lordship and Divinity by saying:

"(H e is) t he Lord of t he east and t he we st. T here is no God but H e. So tak e Him t hen as t he

pr ot ector " (73:9)

And He has given the purpose of His Kingship (or authority) by saying:

"His is t he kingd om of t he heaven s and t he ear t h , and all affair s are br ought back to Allah" (57:5)

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If a human seeks refuge with a Lord from the evil that endangers him, then Allah (swt) is thatLord - there is no Lord except Him. And if he wants protection of a King, then Allah is thatrightful King ± the Kingdom and reign is His. And also, if he wants such a protection from aGod, then He (Allah) is that God ± there is no God but He.

Say: I seek re f uge in t he Lord of human s: It is a command to the Messenger (s.a.w.) to protecthimself and preserve his status since he is among mankind and Allah (swt) is the Lord, King andGod of mankind.

The following have become evident from the foregoing discussion:

First, the reason for the specific selection of the three qualities (Lord, King and God) from allother gracious attributes of Allah and also the significance of their sequence is: The Lord wasmentioned first because He is closer to the humans and possesses more specific guardianship(over them); then the King because He is beyond reach and possesses universal guardianshipover a human who has no special guardian who can protect and satisfy his needs and thus seeks a

King for such protection; then the God because He is the ultimate guardian whom the humanfollows due to his faith (in Him) and not due to his material nature.

Second, the reason behind the absence of "and" in His words: "the Lord of humans, the King of humans, the God of humans" is that each of these attributes is a separate and independent meansto protect from evil. Hence Allah (swt) represents independent means for each of these attributes because He is the Lord, the King and the God. So He becomes the Protector when the means of protection is sought. A similar explanation is found in His words:

"...H e is Allah , t he U nique , Allah on Whom all de pend " (112:1-2)

In the same way, the reason for repeating the word "humans" without saying "their Lord" or "their God" becomes evident; because each of the three attributes can be sought for protectionindependently (without the other two). Allah's are the fairest names.

There are other views regarding the explanation of these attributes and their specifics in waysthat do not seem beneficial to mention.

Qur'an: F r om t he evil of t he 'per suasive wit h obse ssion' of t he slinking (Shaytan):

It has been said in al-Majmau'l-Bayaan that an obsession is like a self talk or a hiddenconversation. Obsession is an abstract noun like "insinuation". Some have suggested that it is anadjective and not an abstract noun.

The word "slinking" is a form of exaggeration for the act of hiding after being apparent.

It has been said that Shaytan is called the slinking one because it whispers allusion in the mind of a person who when remembers Allah (swt), it (Shaytan) falls back and retreats. Then if the person becomes oblivious (of his Lord), it (Shaytan) comes back to put (more) allusion.

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Qur'an: which whisper s in t he breasts of human s:

This sentence is a description of the slinking Shaytan. The meaning of "breasts" here is human psyche or minds because obsession happens in human minds. The word "mind" is associatedwith the word heart (in the common use of Arabic language) because the heart is in the chest,

hence the use of the word "breasts" (or chests). Just like He (swt) has said:"«but blind are t he hear ts which are in t he breasts" (22:46)

Qur'an: F r om among t he jinn and t he human s:

This is a further portrayal of the slinking Shaytan. It hints that there are some people who areassociated with Shaytans and can be considered as part of their faction. Just like what He (swt)has said:

" (Shayateen) S haytan s f r om among t he human s and jinn" (6:112)

Traditions

Abu Khadija has narrated from as-Sadiq (a.s) that he said: "Jibrael came to the Messenger (s.a.w.) when he was not feeling well; and he greeted him with al-M u'awwidhatayn (The twoChapters of refuge, chapters 113 and 114). Jibrael said: 'In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent,the Merciful. May Allah cure you of every illness that harms you; take it to be in bliss.' Herecited Qul audhubi Rabbi n-nas until the end."

It has also been narrated by Anas bin Malik, saying: "The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: 'Indeed Shaytan

keeps its snout above the heart of a human being. As he (the human being) remembers Allah,Shaytan retreats; and if he forgets (Allah), it (Shaytan) engulfs him. Therefore it is the one which puts doubt and the one which retreats (slinking one).

In al-Majmau'l-Bayaan as well, it is narrated from Iyashi through his own authentication (isnad ),narrated by Aban bin Taghlab from Jaffar bin Muhammad (a.s) who said: "The Prophet (s.a.w.)said: 'There is not a believer who does not have in his heart, in his breasts, two channels (of hearing): One which is blown by the Angels and the other (channel) blown by the 'persuasivewith obsession' ± one which puts doubt i.e. the slinking one.'"

The author says: Allah (swt) strengthens a believer through the Angels just like He says:

"...and whom H e has st reng t hened wit h a spir it f r om Him" (58:22)

In the al-Amali of as-Saduq from his own authentication (isnad) from as-Sadiq (a.s) who said:"When this verse descended ± And t hose who when t he y commit an indecency or d o in ju stice to

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t heir souls remember Allah« (3:135) Iblis climbed on a mountain in Mecca which is calledThuwayr,and shouted aloud calling its associates which gathered and asked: 'Master; why haveyou called us?' Iblis said: 'This verse (3:135) has descended , so which among you will be able toconfront it?' One of its associates said: 'I will confront it like this'. Iblis said: 'You are not theone'. Another associate stood up and said the same thing and Iblis said: 'No, you will not be able

to.' Then stood up wasiwasil k hannas (the persuasive slinking one) and said: 'I can.' (Iblis) asked:'How will you be able to?' It replied: 'I will give them a promise and give them hope until theycommit sin. Then, when they do commit a sin, I will make them oblivious of asking for forgiveness.' At this point, Iblis told it: 'You will indeed be able to confront this verse' and Iblisdelegated the mission to it until the Day of Judgment."

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