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" So perhaps you may(be inclined)to give up a part of what is revealed unto thee, and your breast becomes straitened by it lest they say, 'Why has not a treasure been sent down unto him or an angel not come with him ? " Perhaps, the delay in conveying the revelations had been confined solely to a few obstinate people, of whose guidance the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) had despaired. However, Allah ordered that although they might not become believers, it was the duty of the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) not to abandon them. The verse continues saying: "... Verily you are only a warner, and Allah is custodian over everything. " Therefore, a leader and an authority in propagating the message of Islam must be always decisive in propagating and conveying the word of Allah, remaining undaunted by the people's words and pretexts, for Allah is the guarantor of a prophet's duty and prophets are not responsible for the consequences. They must act according to their duty and leave the rest to the Almighty. The unbelievers used to put pressure upon the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) under various pretexts. It was in addition to the physical tortures that they used to inflict upon him. * * * * (13) أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَراهُ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِعَشْرِ سُوَرٍ مِثْلِهِ مُفْتَرَياتٍ وَ ادْعُوا مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صادِقينَ 13. " Or do they say: 'He has forged it' Say, 'Bring you then ten suras forged, like unto it, and call(to your aid)whomsoever you can, other than Allah, if you are truthful! '" Commentary : The Qur'an is not only a miracle of eloquence in itself, it is also a miracle from the view point of its wisdom and ideology, its admonitions, its reasoning, the news it gives of the invisible world and its legislations. The sentence, "and call to your aid whomsoever you can" is a call addressed to everyone, and not only to those Arabs who could comprehend the eloquence and the fluency of the noble Qur'an. In this regard He elsewhere reiterates: "Were men and jinn to combine together to bring the like of this Qur'an, they could not bring the like of it, "(1) The miraculous nature of the Qur'an is multi- faceted. It is found in the sweetness of its words when read, the harmony of its content, etc. Although it had been revealed over a period of 32 years, it had revealed scientific knowledge which had been non- existent at that time. It foretold affairs that eventually took place in the future. It provided information concerning the nations of antiquity which had left no trace from themselves. It stated comprehensive laws governing all dimensions of the individual and social life of man. And it has remained intact (1) Sura Al- 'Isra', No. 17, verse 88 throughout the ages free of all distortions, changes, and of becoming out- dated and forgotten. Despite making it easy for them and all these challenges, mankind is still rendered impotent. The Qur'an elsewhere says: " to bring the like of this Qur'an ".(1) In the verse under discussion, it says: "Bring you then ten suras forged like unto it". In another place it makes it even easier by saying: " then bring one Sura the like thereof ".(2) In addition to this, the Qur'an issues thought- provoking challenges. Elsewhere it says: "Were men and jinn to combine together to bring the like of this Qur'an. "(3) Elsewhere it implies that if they call on all the think- tanks of the whole globe; they cannot produce anything like the Qur'an. Here is the text: " they could not bring the like of it, though some of them were aiders of others. "(4) History has also clearly proven that enemies have waged numerous wars against Islam, they have planned conspiracies and yet they have never been able to produce even one Sura like that of the Qur'an. Can any miracle performed be better than this? However, instead of using their reason, the unbelievers, accused the Prophet(p. b. u. h.)of fabricating the Qur'an, saying that it is not the word of Allah, while the Qur'an is the eternal miracle of history. The verse says: " Or do they say: 'He has forged it' Say, 'Bring you then ten suras forged, like unto it, and call(to your aid)whomsoever you can, other than Allah, if you are truthful! '" (1) Sura Al- 'Isra', No. 17, verse 88 (2) Sura Al- Baqarah, No. 2, verse 23 (3) Sura Al- 'Isra', No. 17, verse 88 (4) Ibid (14) فَإِلَّمْ يَسْتَجيبُوا لَكُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّما أُنْزِلَ بِعِلْمِ اللَّهِ وَ أَنْ لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ 14. "If then they do not answer your(call), know that it is sent down by the knowledge of Allah, and that there is no Allah but He! Will you then submit(to Islam)" Commentary : The unbelievers accused the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) of having learned the Qur'an from someone. The Qur'an answers them that the source of this Book is Divine Knowledge and nothing other than that. Sometimes they also said that he had written the Qur'an while receiving help from others. This verse provides a firm answer to all those accusations. It says: "If then they do not answer your(call), know that it is sent down by the knowledge of Allah, and that there is no Allah but He! Will you then submit(to Islam)"? The noble Qur'an is not a product of man's conjectural suppositions, imaginations, or contemplations, it is based upon Allah's Omniscience, recognizing no spatial, temporal, or racial boundaries and is not specific to only one particular generation for it is based on Allah's Knowledge. Similar to the infinite knowledge of Allah, the secrets of the Qur'an are infinite. Therefore, we must not waver in our opinion concerning the authenticity of the holy Qur'an and in monotheism with regards to Allah because of infidelity and hesitation of disbelievers. * * * * (15) مَنْ كانَ يُريدُ الْحَياةَ الدُّنْيا وَ زينَتَها نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمالَهُمْ فيها وَ هُمْ فيها لا يُبْخَسُونَ (16) أُولئِكَ الَّذينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلاَّ النَّارُ وَ حَبِطَ ما صَنَعُوا فيها وَ باطِلٌ ما كانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ 15. " Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornment, We shall pay them in full(the recompense for)their deeds therein, and they will not be defrauded therein. " 16. "(But)these are they for whom there is naught in the hereafter but the Fire: and what they have wrought in it shall fail, and vain shall be what they were doing. " Commentary : Their reward for their good conduct will be delivered to them without any diminution in this world and they will be amply rewarded, which is healthy and favours gifted to them, but there would be no rewards for them in the Afterlife, for they had no intention of meriting Allah's approbation in their deeds and expected no compensation in the Hereafter. They had only intended to have what they gain in this world and this they have obtained. The verse says: " Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornment, We shall pay them in full(the recompense for)their deeds therein, and they will not be defrauded therein. " The foregoing holy verses present adequate proofs to the unbelievers and deniers by mentioning the reasons for the miracle of the Qur'an. After the truth has been well- expounded and made crystal clear, some people abstain from submitting to it for their own material benefits. The Qur'an refers to the fate of such people in this verse and in the one following by saying that those whose aims are simply to have a good and luxurious life are given their complete reward in this world without losing anything. However, if their intention is to please Allah, they will be rewarded abundantly both in this world and in the next. One could easily find examples of the above facts in his environment. The Western world, in its unceasing efforts, has split the unknown secrets of many sciences, thus controlling and dominating various forces in nature. It has attained affluence as a result of its unity and its continuous struggle and resistance against difficulties. Thus, they will evidently reap the fruits of their labor and attain the fruits of victory. However, as their aim is solely confined to the worldly life, the natural consequences of such acts will be only limited to the provisions of this material world. Therefore, in this verse the Qur'an explicitly states that whatever they have done in this world(which are rewarded here)will be obliterated in the next world and they will get no rewards for whatever they have performed for all they have done for other than Allah will become null and void. The verse says: "(But)these are they for whom there is naught in the hereafter but the Fire: and what they have wrought in it shall fail, and vain shall be what they were doing. " * * * * (17) أَ فَمَنْ كانَ عَلى بَيِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَ يَتْلُوهُ شاهِدٌ مِنْهُ وَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ كِتابُ مُوسى إِماماً وَ رَحْمَةً أُولئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَ مَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الْأَحْزابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ فَلا تَكُ في مِرْيَةٍ مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَ لكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ 17. " Is he then(like unto him)who has a clear proof from his Lord and follows him a witness from Him, and before it(is)the Book of Moses, a guide and a mercy(testifying it)These believe in it; but whoever of the(different)parties disbelieves in it, the(Hell)Fire is the promised place; so be you not in doubt of it; verily it(the Qur'an)is the truth from your Lord, but most of the people do not believe. " Commentary : Allah has offered more than adequate reasons as to why people must be believers. The Qur'an is a miracle on its own and, at the same time, a person like Ali- ibn- Abi- Talib(a.s.), is also a witness which testifies to its authenticity. Moreover, the Torah had also provided good tidings as to the emergence of the Qur'an long before it was revealed. Therefore, the Qur'an inquires whether he who brings clear evidence from his Lord, who is supported by a testifying witness, who is commissioned by Allah, and before whom the Book of Moses(Torah)had come bringing revelations as the forerunner of future blessings to come and heralding his magnitude to be regarded as equal to those who lack all these qualities, signs, and proofs. The verse says: " Is he then(like unto him)who has a clear proof from his Lord and follows him a witness from Him, and before it(is)the Book of Moses, a guide and a mercy(testifying it)"? He is no one but the Prophet Muhammad(p.b.u.h.) and/ bayyinah/ or the clear evidence he offers, is the glorious Qur'an, and his witness, who testifies as to the truthfulness of his prophecy amongst the believers is none other than that righteous believer, Ali(a.s.), whose signs and characteristics had been depicted in the Torah long before his historical appearance. Therefore, the authenticity of his mission has been verified in three ways: First, the Qur'an which is a clear evidence in his hands. Secondly, the previous holy Books which have precisely explained his signs, and whose adherents were very familiar with those signs during the era of the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) . Thirdly, faithful followers, the leading figure of whom is Ali- ibn- Abi- Talib(as.)who testifies as to the truthfulness of his call and his words. Can one still doubt the authenticity of his call or compare him with others who claim to be 'prophets' Then, it makes an allusion to truth- seeking individuals and calls on them to become believers, telling them to adhere to such a prophet who carries so many clear proofs. It says: "... These believe in it; ..." Following this statement, the Qur'an mentions the fate of the unbelievers saying whichever of the various groups denies him, will meet the Fire of the Inferno, as there is its meeting place. It continues saying: "... but whoever of the(different)parties disbelieves in it, the(Hell)Fire is the promised place; ..." As is the case with the style of the holy Qur'an in most situations, it addresses the people through addressing the Prophet(p. b. u. h.), at the end of the verse as a general lesson it teaches that since the circumstances are as such and the authenticity of his call has been confirmed by so many witnesses, there should not be the least shadow of doubt cast as far as his mission is concerned, for this is a truthful word on the part of Allah though many people, because of their ignorance, fanaticism and ego- centrism would remain unbelievers in his mission. The verse says: "... so be you not in doubt of it; verily it(the Qur'an)is the truth from your Lord, but most of the people do not believe. " In summary, the verse refers to the privileges of Islam and the Muslims, the righteous ones, and their reliance upon sound reasoning for choosing this divine school of thought, while, simultaneously, it also explains the wicked and evil destiny of the arrogant unbelievers. * * * * (18) وَ مَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِباً أُولئِكَ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلى رَبِّهِمْ وَ يَقُولُ الْأَشْهادُ هؤُلاءِ الَّذينَ كَذَبُوا عَلى رَبِّهِمْ أَلا لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الظَّالِمينَ 18. " And who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah?(On the Day of Resurrection)these will be presented before their Lord and the witnesses( the prophets and angels)will say: 'These are those who lied against their Lord! ' Beware! the curse of Allah is on the unjust. " Commentary : The Court of the Resurrection contains many witnesses:A)The Lord who is a witness to all of our conduct: "Verily, Allah is a witness for everything. "(1) B)The Blessed Prophet(p.b.u.h.) : "How will it be then when We bring from every People a witness, and We bring you a witness over those witnesses?(2) C)The Immaculate Imams(a.s.) "And thus have We made you an Ummah of middling stand that you may be witnesses over mankind, "(3) According to some Islamic traditions, what is meant by Ummah(nation)here are the Immaculate Imams, for other individuals in the nation are not eligible for serving as witnesses on that Day owing to their lack of knowledge and their not being infallible. (1) Sura Hajj, No. 22, verse 17 (2) Sura Nisa, No. 4, verse 41 (3)
Sura Al- Baqarah, No. 2, verse 143
D)The Angels On the Day of Resurrection every person will be accompanied with two angels; one of them drives him and the other is a witness over him. E)The Earth: "On that Day, she(the earth)will recount(all)her news. "(2)F)Conscience: "Read your book; your own self is sufficient as a reckoner against you this Day. "(3) G)One's Bodily Organs: "On the Day(of Resurrection), their tongue, and their hands, and their feet shall bear witness against them as to what they used to do. "(4)H)Time: Imam Sajjad(a.s.)states in the sixth prayer of the Sahifa that:"Today(on the Day of Resurrection)is a new day which will testify as to the kind of conduct we have had. " I)Performance: " and what they had done they shall find present(there), "(5)Question: The Qur'an has employed the word/ 'az lamu/ when referring to many sins while the utmost oppression must be one and not more than one. Why is it so? Answer: This inference is used in 51 cases, all of which are concerned with spiritual mental deviations irrespective of polytheism, false accusations, covering up the truth and withholding it, and obstruction of the way and of the remembrance of Allah. Therefore, the most important of the oppressions is intellectual, cultural, and ideological.(1) Sura Qaf, No. 50, verse 21 (2) Sura Zilzal, No. 99, verse 4 (3) Sura Al- 'Isra', No. 17, verse 14 (4) Sura Nour, No. 24, verse 24 (5) Sura Kahf, No. 18, verse 49 The Qur'an in this verse, as well as in a few verses which come later, explains the situation, profile, and the fate of those who falsely accuse Allah as follows: The most oppressive individual is he who is deprived of Divine favors, denies the Day of Resurrection, distorts facts, obstructs the way of Allah and is neither able to escape Allah's domination in this world nor to seek assistance on the Day of Resurrection. He is the one whose punishment is multi- fold, his life has gone with the wind, his endeavors have become null and void, and his life and soul have become lost. Therefore, false accusations against Allah are the greatest of the unjust. Writers and preachers of religion must be on guard against wrong words and their writings and keep in mind the fact that there are many witnesses who will testify as to what they have said and written on the Day of Resurrection. The verse says: " And who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah?(On the Day of Resurrection)these will be presented before their Lord and the witnesses(the prophets and angels)will say: 'These are those who lied against their Lord! ' Beware! the curse of Allah is on the unjust. " * * * * (19) الَّذينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبيلِ اللَّهِ وَ يَبْغُونَها عِوَجاً وَ هُمْ بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ كافِرُونَ 19. " Those who hinder(people)from the path of Allah and seek to make it crooked, and they are themselves unbelievers as to the hereafter. " Commentary : Enemies obstruct the Path of Allah through various methods including heresy, false accusations, personal interpretations, forging traditions, provoking skepticism, emptying mosques, abandoning and neglecting the teaching of Ahl- ul- Bayt, standing in the way of good conduct, fabricating pretexts to justify immoral entertainment, setting forth insignificant issues of hero worship, recommending and propagating falsehood, humiliating faithful believers, forbidding what has been allowed by religion, giving undue appreciation and recommendation of what is not appropriate, glorifying despots, etc. Among the clear examples of obstruction of Allah's Path, one may cite closing the gate of the 'House of Allah', closing the 'House of the men of Allah, ' and the 'House of the Ahl- ul- Bayt of the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) ' as well as that of the immaculate and just leaders. The enemy obstructs the Path first, and if he is unable to do so, he diverts the course leading to the Path. The verse says:" Those who hinder(people)from the path of Allah and seek to make it crooked, and they are themselves unbelievers as to the hereafter. " (20) أُولئِكَ لَمْ يَكُونُوا مُعْجِزينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ ما كانَ لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِياءَ يُضاعَفُ لَهُمُ الْعَذابُ ما كانُوا يَسْتَطيعُونَ السَّمْعَ وَ ما كانُوا يُبْصِرُونَ 20. " They will in no wise frustrate(His design)on the earth, nor shall there be for them any protectors besides Allah! The penalty will be doubled for them. They could not bear to hear(the truth), and they used not to see(it). " Commentary : How can one reconcile the issue of the manifestation and multiplication of Allah's punishment with Divine justice which seem to be incompatible with each other Answer: He who misleads others, owing to his power and position, naturally must be held responsible for their faults. Thus, the sin committed by knowledgeable people, because of their social function, is manifold when compared to that committed by ordinary people and this is identical with justice. Any way, the oppressors are under the yoke of the Divine wrath and power, and will meet their own doom. The holy verse says: " They will in no wise frustrate(His design)on the earth, nor shall there be for them any protectors besides Allah! The penalty will be doubled for them. They could not bear to hear(the truth), and they used not to see(it). " Those who make false accusations must forget and give up the idea that being the support of despots and being among their entourage will save them. (21) أُولئِكَ الَّذينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَ ضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ ما كانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ (22) لا جَرَمَ أَنَّهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ هُمُ الْأَخْسَرُونَ 21. " These are they who have lost their own selves, and that which they used to invent has failed them. " 22. " Assuredly, they will be the greatest losers in the Hereafter. " Commentary : In Islamic culture, the world is compared to a marketplace where people are salesmen and the purchasing group consists of Allah, the Satan, one's passionate self, etc., the number of which is numerous. The merchandise is the soul, property and performance. This merchandise is on offer at an expensive or cheap price. Hence the words/ 'ajr/(recompense),/ awab/(reward),/ d i'f/ and/ 'id 'af/, are used frequently in the Qur'an to mean recompense; while the terms/ xusr/(loss)and/ xusranun mubin/(manifest loss)and/ axsarin/(the most losers)are used about damage. The important warning is that we know that every loss can be compensated except the passage of one's lifetime which cannot be redeemed. The holy verse says: " These are they who have lost their own selves, and that which they used to invent has failed them. " Sometimes, wealth and property, position and power or one's social status are lost. At other times, man himself and his humanity are lost which is the greatest of all losses. Therefore, worldly losses can be compensated but losses incurred in the Hereafter cannot be replaced. The verse says:" Assuredly, they will be the greatest losers in the Hereafter. " (23) إِنَّ الَّذينَ آمَنُوا وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ وَ أَخْبَتُوا إِلى رَبِّهِمْ أُولئِكَ أَصْحابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فيها خالِدُونَ 23. " Verily those who believe and work righteousness, and humble themselves before their Lord, they will be Companions of the Garden,(paradise), they will abide therein for ever. " Commentary : The Qur'anic word/ axbatou/, is derived from/ xabt/ which means both submission and humility as well as comfort and confidence. Reward and encourage have also been mentioned along with warnings and threats. Following the aforementioned verses which explained the fate of those who are involved in giving false accusations, this verse exposes the profile of those involved in righteous deeds. It implies that those who believe and perform righteous acts and behave well, who submit themselves before Allah and are confident of His promises, will be among the Companions of Paradise, remaining there forever. The verse says: " Verily those who believe and work righteousness, and humble themselves before their Lord, they will be Companions of the Garden,(paradise), they will abide therein for ever. " * * * * (24) مَثَلُ الْفَريقَيْنِ كَالْأَعْمى وَ الْأَصَمِّ وَ الْبَصيرِ وَ السَّميعِ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيانِ مَثَلاً أَ فَلا تَذَكَّرُونَ 24. " The similitude the two parties is like the blind and the deaf, and the seeing(ones)and the hearing(ones). Are they equal in likeness ?Will you not then admonish ?" Commentary : As one's body has eyes and ears, one's heart also has eyes and ears and as the blind and the deaf do not perceive the sensations of the world and do not enjoy them, obstinate individuals also stop enjoying the Divine acquaintance and do not enjoy it. Therefore, the Qur'an inquires whether the deaf and the blind are equal to the hearing and the seeing in the eyes of a wise man. And as they are not equal, the faithful and the unbeliever are not identical either. Do you not meditate in this matter so as to attain to the truth ?The verse says: " The similitude the two parties is like the blind and the deaf, and the seeing(ones)and the hearing(ones). Are they equal in likeness ?Will you not then admonish ?" * * * * Section 3The Ministry of Noah Noah exhorts the people believe in and worship only the One Ture God - Noah is rejected and charged the people and as imposter - Noah warns the people of the punishment from Allah (25) وَ لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنا نُوحاً إِلى قَوْمِهِ إِنِّي لَكُمْ نَذيرٌ مُبينٌ (26) أَنْ لا تَعْبُدُوا إِلاَّ اللَّهَ إِنِّي أَخافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذابَ يَوْمٍ أَليمٍ 25. " And verily, We sent Noah to his people,(saying:)'I am a plain warner for you'. " (2)
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