10. KHUTAB VIII

i
S E L E C T E D
K H U Ṭ A B
VIII
(SERMONS & SPEECHES)
12 December 2014 – 12 June, 2015
*
BY
MUHAMMAD AMIN A. SAMAD
CANBERRA, JULY, 2015
ii
ب سْ م اِللّ ه اِلرَّحمْ ن اِلرّ حيْم
وَ بِ ه نَِسْتَ عيْن
ف يْ أُِمُوْ ر اِلدُّنْ يَا وَِ اِلدِّيْن
For the Collection of my Islamic Speeches
and Writings, please visit:
[Google] muhamine.blogspot.com
http://issuu.com/muhammadaminsamad
independent.academia.edu/MuhammadAminSamad
iii
Contents .……………………………. iii
Transliteration …………………………………....... v
Preface ……………………………………………... vii
A. Introduction to the Khuṭbah ………………... x
B. Some Examples of Du‘ā’ for the
Second Khuṭbah …………………….. xii
1. Pious People’s Du‘ā’ (Supplication)
in the Qur’ān (1) …………… 1
2. Keep Praying Sincerely …….. 7
3. Pious People’s Du‘ā’ (Supplication)
in the Qur’ān (2) ………………… 11
4. Pious People’s Du‘ā’ (Supplication)
in the Qur’ān (3) ………………… 17
5. Pious People’s Du‘ā’ (Supplication)
in the Qur’ān (4) ……………………………… 23
6. Pious People’s Du‘ā’ (Supplication)
in the Qur’ān (5) ……………………… 29
7. Pious People’s Du‘ā’ (Supplication)
in the Qur’ān (6) …………………. 35
iv
8. Pious People’s Du‘ā’ (Supplication)
in the Qur’ān (7) ………………………… 41
9. Pious People’s Du‘ā’ (Supplication)
in the Qur’ān (8) …………………… 47
10. Science of Tajwīd (1) ……………………… 53
11. Science of Tajwīd (2) …………… 59
12. Science of Tajwīd (3) ………………. 65
13. Science of Tajwīd (4) …………………… 71
14. Science of Tajwīd (5) ………………… 77
15. No Pork, Why? …… …… .….. 83
16. Oh, Rajab …………………………… 89
17. The Virtues of Sha‘bān) ……………… 95
18. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (1) ………………… 101
19. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (2) ……………….. 107
v
TRANSLITERATION SYSTEM
The English transliteration for Arabic names and
terms followed in this booklet is as follows:
a. Consonants:
ا = a or ’ ب = b ت = t ث = th
ج = j ح = ḥ خ = kh د = d
ذ = dh ر = r ز = z س = s
ش = sh ص = ṣ ض = ḍ ط = ṭ
ظ = ẓ ‘ = غ ع = gh ف = f
ق = q ك = k ل = l م = m
ن = n ه = h و = w ي = y
ء = ’ (like alif)
vi
b. Vowels:
Short: Long:
Fatḥah --َ ---: = a ا = ā
Kasrah --َ ---: = i ي = ī
Ḍammah -- ---: = u و = ū
c. Tā’ marbūṭah: ah, e.g., sūrah ( (سُوْرَة
Tā’ marbūṭah in iḍāfah: at, e.g., sūrat al-
Baqarah ( (سُوْرَة اْلبَقَرَة
d. Alif maqṣūrah: á, e.g., qad.á ( قَضَى ) and shūrá
( شوْ رى)
vii
بِسْمِِ اِللِِ اِلرَّحْمَنِِ اِلرَّحِيْم
PREFACE
This booklet is the eighth part of my collection
of speeches and writings from 12 December 2014 –
12 June, 2015, entitled Khutab VIII. They were
delivered at the muṣallā (place of prayer, prayer
room) at the Multi-Cultural Centre, Canberra Museum
and Gallery building, Civic Square, Canberra.
The abbreviations used in this booklet are: (1)
s.a.w. (and ص.م .) for ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam (and
صَلّى الل عَلَيْ ه وَسَلَّمْ ) meaning “may Allah bless him and
grant him salvation”, sometimes translated as “peace
be upon him” (p.b.u.h.), an eulogy after the name of
Prophet Muhammad, (2) a.s. ( ع.س .) for ‘alayhis salām
عَلَيْ ه السَّلامْ ) ) meaning “upon him be peace” usually used
after the names of angels and prophets before
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., (3) and r.a. ( ر.ع .) for
raḍiyallāhu ‘anhu (and رَ ضيَ الل عَنْهُ ) meaning “may
Allah be please with him” usually used after the
names of the ṣaḥābah (companions of the Prophet).
viii
It has been like an accident that before leaving a
certain place I left a booklet behind. The booklet
Khuṭab I (the collection of speeches and sermons at
the Canadian Islamic Centre, al-Rashid Mosque)
before leaving Edmonton (Canada) for Australia;
Khuṭab II (the collection of sermons at the Canberra
Islamic Centre) at Monash, ACT, before leaving for
overseas (the longest and happiest travel I have ever
made); the Khuṭab III before leaving for Indonesia and
Malaysia in September 2007; Khuṭab IV, was the
collection of my sermon at the ANUMA delivered until
the first quarter of the year 2011, and published later
at the end of this year after recovering from the
operation of removing the aortic aneurism of my
stomach on 11 June; the Khuṭab V is the collection of
my khuṭbah at the prayer room at the Multicultural of
Canberra Museum and Gallery building, at Civic
Square, Canberra, from the end of December, 2012 till
the end of June, 2013 before leaving for Indonesia;
the Khuṭab VI is the continuation of my collection of
my khuṭbah at the same location at Civic Square,
Canberra before leaving for Melbourne visiting
friends. This visit is following the advice of Prophet
ix
Muhammad s.a.w. « زُرْ غبًّّا، تَزْدَدْ حُبًّّا » “Visit at intervals,
so that you will increase love.” The Khuṭab VII is the
continuation of my collection of my khuṭbahs at the
same location at Civic Square, Canberra before leaving
for Sydney and Melbourne visiting friends. This
Khuṭab VIII is the continuation of my collection of my
khuṭbahs at the same location at Civic Square,
Canberra before leaving for Sydney. By this time I was
very lucky to reach the age of 79 AH/77 CE. Praise be
to Allah the Almighty Who has given me such a long
life. I have confidence in Him that He would give me
more extra bonus life.
This booklet, like the booklets written before, is
far from perfect. However, this is another attempt to
introduce some Islamic teachings to the public. May
Allah accept this humble contribution to Islam, and
may He forgive any mistake in this booklet. Amin!
Canberra, July, 2015
M.A.S.
x
A. INTRODUCTION FOR THE KHUṬBAH
This is an example for the introduction to the khuṭbah
as follows:
- أَلْحَمْدُ لِ نَحْمَدُه وَ نَسْتَ عيْنُهُ وَ نَسْتَغْ فرُه وَ نَسْتَهْ ديْ ه وَ نَعُوْذُ با لِ منْ
شُرُوْ ر أَنْفُ سنَا وَ منْ سَيِّئَا ت أَعْمَال ناَ، مَنْ يَهْ د الل فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَ د وَمَنْ
يُضْل لْ فَلَنْ تَ جدَ لَهُ وَل يًّّا مُرْ شدًّا ، وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَ إ لَهَ إ لَّ اللّ وَحْدَه لَ
شَ ريْكَ لَهُ، يُبْدئُ وَ يُ عيْدُ وَ هُوَ اْلغَفُوْرُ الْوَدُوْدُ ذُو اْلعَرْ ش الْمَ جيْ د ، فَعَّا ل
ل مَا يُ ريْدُ ، عَزَّ جَارُه وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُهُ وَعَلا شَأْنُهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالىَ عَمَّا
يَفْتَ ري الْمُفْتَرُوْنَ وَ يَتَقَوَّلُ الُمْش ركُوْنَ . وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًّا عَبْدُه وَ
رَسُوْ لُهُ وَصَ فيُّهُ وَخَل يْلُهُ وَ كَل يْمُهُ ، سَلَّ الرِّسَالَةَ وَ أَدَّى اْلأَمَانَةَ وَ نَصَحَ
اْلأُمَّةَ ، أَرْسَلَهُ الل بَ شيْر اًّ وَ نَ ذيْرًّا وَ دَا عي ا إ لىَ الل وَ سرَاجًّا مُ نيْرًّا مَنْ
يُ ط ع الل وَ رَسُوْلَهُ فَقَدْ رَشَدَ وَ مَنْ يَعْ ص همَا فَإنَّهُ ل يَضُرُّ إل نَفْسَهُ
وَل يَضُرُّ الل شَيْئًّا. أَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ وَ بَا ركْ عَلىَ عَبْ دكَ وَرَسُوْل كَ
سَيِّ دنَا مُحَمَّ د وَعَلىَ آل ه وَ صَحْ ب ه أَجْمَ عيْنَ . مَ ن اهْتَدَى بهَدْ ي ه وَ
اسْتَمْسَكَ بسُنَّ ت ه وَ سَلِّمْ تَسْل يْمًّا كَ ثيْرًّا
xi
- أَلْحَمْدُ لِ نَحْمَدُه وَ نَسْتَ عيْنُهُ وَ نَسْتَغْ فرُه وَ نَسْتَهْ ديْ ه وَ نَعُوْذُ با لِ منْ
شُرُوْ ر أَنْفُ سنَا وَ منْ سَيِّئَا ت أَعْمَال ناَ، مَنْ يَهْ د ه الل فَلاَ مُ ضلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ
يُضْل لْ فَلاَ هَا ديَ لَهُ ، وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَ إ لَهَ إ ل اللّ وَحْدَه لَ شَ ريْكَ لَهُ، لَهُ
اْلمُلْكُ وَلَهُ اْلحَمْدُ يُحْ ييْ وَيُ ميْتُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْ ء قَ ديْر. وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ
مُحَمَّدًّا عَبْدُه وَ رَسُوْلُهُ، أَرْسَلَهُ الل باْلهُدَى وَ ديْ ن اْلحَقِّ ل يُظْ هرَه عَلَى
الدِّيْ ن كُلَّ ه وَلَوْ كَ رهَ اْلكَاف رُوْن. وَأُصَلَّيْ وَأُسَلّمْ عَلىَ اْلمَبْعُوْ ث رَحْمَةًّ
ل لْعَالَ ميْنَ هَا ديًّا وَمُبَشِّرًّا وَ نَ ذيْرًّا وَ دَا عي ا إ لىَ الل بإ ذْ ن ه وَ سرَاجًّا مُ نيْرًّا
وَعَلىَ آل ه وَأَصْحَا ب ه الطَّيِّ بيْنَ الطّا ه ريْنَ وَمَنْ وَالَهُمْ بإ حْسَا ن إ لىَ يَوْ م
الدَّيْن .
- أَلْحَمْدُ لِ الْعَل يِّ الأعْليَ، أَحْمَدُهُ سُبْحَانَهُ، وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَ إ لَهَ إ ل اللّ وَحْدَه لَ شَ ريْكَ لَهُ ، خَلَقَ فَسَوَّى وَ قَدَّرَ فَهَدَى، وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًّا
عَبْدُه وَ رَسُوْلُهُ نَ بيُّ الرَّحْمَ ة وَ الْهُدَى، أَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ وَ بَا ركْ عَلىَ
عَبْ دكَ وَرَسُوْل كَ سَيِّ دنَا مُحَمَّ د وَعَلىَ آل ه وَ صَحْ ب ه الأَ ئمَّ ة الأَبْرَا ر
الْنُجَبَا ء، وَالتَّا ب عيْنَ وَ مَنْ تَ بعَهُمْ بإ حْسَا ن إ لَى يَوْ م الْبَعْ ث وَ الْنُشُوْ ر وَ
الْجَزَاء.
أَمَّا بَعْدُ ، فَيَا أَيُّهَا اْلمُؤْ منُوْنَ، أُوْ صيْكُمْ وَ إ ياَّيَ بتَقْوَى الل فَقَدْ فَازَ
اْلمُتَّقُوْنَ . قاَلَ تَعَالَى وَ هُ وَ أَصْ دَ قُ ال قا ئ ل ين:” يَا أَيُّهَا الَّ ذينَ آَمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللََّ
حَقَّ تُقَا ت ه وَلَ تَمُوتُنَّ إ لَّ وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْل مُونَ “ . صَدَقَ الل اْلعَ ظيْم.
xii
B. SOME EXAMPLES OF THE DU‘Ā’ (SUPPLICATION)
AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SECOND KHUTBAH
After performing the first khuṭbah stand up
again for the second khuṭbah citing its introduction
briefly, such as the following:
- أَلْحَمْدُ لِ رَبِّ الْعَالَ ميْن. وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَ إ لَهَ إ ل اللُّ وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًّا
رَسُوْلُ الل. أَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلىَ مُحَمَّ د وَعَلىَ آل ه وَ صَحْ ب ه أَجْمَ عيْنَ .
Some examples of du‘ā’s and its meanings in the
second khuṭbah, are as follows:
- رَبَّنَا لَ تُؤَا خذْنَا إ نْ نَ سينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا رَبَّنَا وَلَ تَحْ ملْ عَلَيْنَا إ صْرًّا كَمَا
حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّ ذينَ منْ قَبْل نَا رَبَّنَا وَلَ تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا ب ه وَاعْفُ
عَنَّا وَاغْ فرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا أَنْتَ مَوْلَنَا فَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْ م الْكَا ف رينَ
Our Lord! Do not punish us if we forget or make a
mistake. Our Lord! Do not lay on us such a burden
as You placed on those before us. Our Lord! Do not
xiii
lay on us a burden that which we have not the
strength to bear! Forgive us, have mercy on us. You
are our protector, help us against the unbelievers.
- رَبَّنَا إ نَّنَا سَ معْنَا مُنَا ديًّا يُنَا دي ل لْيمَا ن أَنْ آ منُوا برَبِّكُمْ فَآمَنَّا رَبَّنَا فَاغْ فرْ
لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّرْ عَنَّا سَيِّئَا تنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ الْأَبْرَا ر . رَبَّنَا وَآ تنَا مَا وَعَدْتَنَا
عَلَى رُسُل كَ وَلَ تُخْ زنَا يَوْمَ الْ قيَامَ ة إ نَّكَ لَ تُخْل فُ الْ ميعَادَ .
Our Lord! We have heard someone calling to
the rue faith, saying ‘Believe in your Lord!’ So
we believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, remove
from us evil deeds and make us die with the
righteous. Our Lord! Give us what You have
promised through Your messengers and save
from the shame on the Day of Resurrection;
for You never break Your promise.
- أَللَّهُمَّ اغْ فرْ ل لْمُسْل ميْنَ وَ الْمُسْل مَا ت وَالْمُؤْ م نيْنَ وَ الْمُؤْ منَا ت الْأَحْيَا ء
منْهُمْ وَ اْلأَمْوَا ت،إنَّكَ يَا مَوْلنَا سَ ميْ ع قَ ريْ ب مُ جيْبُ الدَّعَوَا ت وَ قَا ضي
الْحَاجَا ت يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَ ميْنَ
O Allah! Forgive the Muslims, males and females, the
believers, males and females, the living among them
as well as the dead! Verily, You are, O our Lord, the
xiv
All-Hearing and Near, Who answer (our) prayers, and
fulfil (our) needs, O the Lord of all creatures.
- أَللَّهُمَّ نَوِّرْ عَلَى أَهْ ل اْلقُبُوْر قُبُوْرَهُمْ؛ اَللَّهُمَّ اغْ فرْ ل لَْْحْيَا ء وَ يَسِّرْ لَهُمْ
أُمُوْرَهُمْ .
O Allah! Lighten the graves of the dead, O Allah,
forgive the living and facilitate their affairs.
- أَللَّهُمَّ تُبْ عَلَى التَّا ئ بيْنَ وَ اغْ فرْ ذُنُوْبَ اْلمُذْ ن بيْنَ وَ اشْ ف مَرْضَى
اْلمُسْل ميْنَ وَ اكْتُ ب الصِّحَّةَ وَ الْعَا فيَةَ وَ التَّوْ فيْقَ وَ الْ هدَايَةَ لَنَا وَ ل كَافَّ ة
أُمَّ ة مُحَمَّ د أَجْمَ عيْنَ .
O Allah! Forgive the repentant, forgive the sins
of the sinners, heal the sick among the Muslims,
prescribe well-being, vitality, prosperity and
guidance for us and for the entire
community of Muhammad.
- رَبَّنَا اغْ فرْ لَنَا وَ لوَال ديْنَا وَ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانَا صغَارًّا
“O Lord! Forgive us as well as our parents
and bestow on them Your mercy as they did
bring us up when we were young.”
xv
- أَللَّهُمَّ اْصْل ح لَنَا ديْنَنَا الَّ ذيْ هُوَ عصْمَةُ أَمْ رنَا، وَ اصْل حْ لَنَا دُنْيَانَا الَّ تيْ
فيْهَا مَعَاشُنَا، وَ اصْل حْ لَنَا آ خرَتَنَا الَّ تيْ إ لَيْهَا مَعَادُنَا، وَ اجْعَ ل الْحَيَاةَ
زيَادَةًّ لنَ اَ فيْ كُلِّ خَيْ ر و اجْعَ ل الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةًّ لَنَا منْ كُلِّ شَ ر
O Allah! Bring prosperity to our affairs in this
world that is the preservation of our lives, and
in the next world to which we shall return, and
increase our good deeds in our lives, and
make our death repose from evil.
- أَللَّهُمَّ أَ رنَا الْحَقَّ حَقًّّا وَارْزُقْنَا اتِّبَاعَهُ وَأَ رنَا اْلبَا طلَ بَا طلا وَارْزُقْنَا
اجْ تنَابَهُ
O Allah! Show us the truth as truth, and
guide to follow it, and show us the falsehood
as falsehood, and guide us to avoid it.
- رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا منْ أَزْوَا جنَا وَذُرِّيَّا تنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُ ن وَاجْعَلْنَا ل لْمُتَّ قينَ إ مَامًّا
Our Lord! Bestow on us, our spouses and
our offspring the comfort of our eyes and
make us leaders of the pious.
- أَللَّهُمَّ وَحِّدْ صُفُوْفَ الْمُسْل ميْنَ وَوَحِّد كَل مَتَهُمْ وَانْصُرْهُمْ عَلَى أَعْدَا ئ همْ
xvi
O Allah, unite the Muslims and assist them
against their enemies.
- أَللَّهُمَّ امْلَْ بُيُوْتَ الْمُسْل مينَ خًّيْرًّا وَبَرَكَةًّ وَ علْمًّا وَ ديْنًّا وَ هدَايَةًّ وَ تَقَوَى.
O Allah, fill the houses of the Muslims
with welfare, blessing, knowledge,
religion, guidance, and piety.
- رَبَّنَا آَ تنَا في الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًّ وَ في الْ خرَ ة حَسَنَةًّ وَ قنَا عَذَابَ النَّا ر .
اللَّهُمَّ آ ميْن يَا رَبَّ اْلعَالَ ميْن
Our Lord! Give us the goodness, both in this
world and in the Hereafter and save us from
the torment of Hellfire. (Q. 2:201)
عبَادَ الل، إ نَّ اللَّ يَأْمُرُ بالْعَدْ ل وَا لْحْسَا ن وَإ يتَا ء ذي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَ ن
الْفَحْشَا ء وَالْمُنْكَ ر وَالْبَغْي يَ عظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ . اُذْكُرُوا الل يَذْكُرُكُمْ وَ
اشْكُرُوْه عَلىَ نعَ م ه يَ زدْكُمْ وَ لَ ذكْرُ الل أَكْبَرُ وَ الل يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُوْن.
أَ ق م الصَّلاة !!!
1
1. PIOUS PEOPLE’S DU‘Ā (SUPPLICATION) IN THE QUR’ĀN (1)
The du‘ā’ of people other than prophets is divided into a
personal one starting with رَ بِّ (“My Lord!”), and as a group starting
with رَبَّناَِّ (“Our Lord!”). There are three personal du‘ā’ mentioned in
the Qur’ān as follows:
a. the du‘ā’ of Āsiyah bint Muzāḥim, the Pharaoh’s wife, who had
adopted the baby Mūsā (Moses) mentioned in Q. 28:8-9, when
she said:
رَ بِّ اِّبْ نِّ لِّ ي عندَكَِّ بَِّيْتاِّ في اِّلْجَنَّ ةِّ وَِّنَ ج ني من فرْعَوْنَِّ وَِّعَمَل هِّ
)ِّ وَنَ ج ني منَِّ اِّلْقَوْ مِّ اِّلظَّال مينَِّ )التحريم :ِّ 11
“My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and
save me from Fir‘awn (Pharaoh) and his work, and save me
from the people who are wrong-doers.” (Q. 66:11)
The Qur’ān commentator al-Ṭabarī said that when Āsiyah was
told that Mūsā and Hārūn prevailed over the magicians, she said:
“I believe in the Lord of Mūsā and Hārūn.” Fir‘awn sent his aids to
find out whether she had really become a believer, otherwise she
was still his wife. As she insisted on keeping her faith the aides
were ordered to find a biggest stone and to throw it to her. When
they came to her, she looked up at the sky, and she was able to
see her house in Paradise. When they threw a stone at her, her
soul had been captured, and they were stoning her lifeless body.
Classical Qur’ān commentators mention stories about of Āsiyah
bint Muzāḥim. The commentator Abū’l-‘Āliyah said that Fir’awn
came to know that she had become a believer. He went to his
council of elders and asked them what they thought about her.
When they told him that she was a good woman, he told them
that she worshiped a Lord other than him. So, they told him to kill
her. Then they tied her hands and legs. She prayed, “My Lord!
Build for me a home with You in Paradise…” and when she saw it
she laughed.
“See how crazy she was,” said Fir‘awn, “she laughs while we
are torturing her.” Then she passed away.
2
Another story reported by ‘Uthmān al-Nahdī from Salmān
al-Fārisī, is that she was tortured with sunshine, but the angel
Jibrīl (Gabriel) shaded her with his wings.
This is one parable of the pious woman, whereas the other
parable is the story of Maryam (Mary), who guarded her chastity,
and whom Allah breathed into the sleeve of her shirt or her
garment through His Rūḥ (Gabriel)… (Q. 66:12).
b. the du‘ā’ of the wife of ‘Īmrān’s wife, mother of Mary (Maryam).
Her name was Ḥannah bint Fāqūdh ibn Qutayl. Ibn Isḥāq said
that she could not have children. One day she saw a bird feeding
its chick, and she wished she could have children. When she was
pregnant she vowed to devote her child to worship Allah and
serving the place of worship Jerusalem as follows:
رَ بِّ إِّ نِّي نَِّذَرْ تِّ لَِّكَِّ مَِّا في بَِّطْ ني محَرَّراِّ فَِّتَقَبَّلِّْ م ني .ِّ) إ نَّكَِّ أَِّنتَِّ اِّلسَّ مي عِّ اِّلْعَل ي مِّ )ِّآل عِّمران :ِّ 53ِّ
“My Lord! I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my
womb to be dedicated for Your services (free from all worldly
work; to serve Your place of worship), so accept this from me.
Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.” (Q. 3:35)
She had expected to have a baby boy, but after the delivery of
the baby Maryam, she prayed:
رَ بِّ إِّ ني وَِّضَعْ تهَا أِّ نثَى وَِّاللِّّ أَِّعْلَ مِّ بمَا وَِّضَعَتِّْ وَِّلَيْسَِّ اِّلذَّكَ رِّ كَِّالأ نثَى وَِّإ ني سَِّمَّيْ تهَا .( مَرْيَمَِّ وإ ني أِّ عي ذهَا بكَِّ وَِّ ذ ريَّتَهَا منَِّ اِّلشَّيْطَا نِّ اِّلرَّ جي مِّ. (ِّآل عِّمران :ِّ 56ِّ
“O my Lord! I have given birth a female child” – and Allah
knew better what she brought forth – “And the male is not
like the female, and I have named her Maryam (Mary), and
I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her
offspring from Satan, the outcast.” (Q. 3: 36).1
1 Both verses are located in the Qur’an chapter three called Āl ‘Imrān, “The
House of ‘Imrān.” Muhammad Asad gives us an illustration of this, and said:
“The House of ‘Imrān comprises Moses and Aaron, whose father was ‘Imrān
(the Amram of the Bible), and Aaron’s descendants, the priestly caste among
the Israelites – thus including John the Baptist, both of whose parents were of
the same descent (cf. the reference, in Luke, i, 3, to John’s mother Elizabeth
as one ‘of the daughters of Aaron’), as well as Jesus, whose mother Mary – a
3
What she meant is that a female cannot do the male’s job in
remaining in the church worshiping, cleaning, and keeps its
maintenance while, as a female, that something could happen to
her like menstruation, and mix with men.
Allah accepted her supplication, as Abū Hurayrah said that
the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. said:
“Every newly born baby is touched by Satan
when it is born, and the baby starts crying because
of this touch, except Maryam and her son.”
(Reported by Bukhari and Muslim).
This means, that the whole human beings including
Prophets were touched by Satan when they were born, except
Mary and her son Jesus. However, this does not mean that they
are safe from Satan’s temptation. For every human being there is
always a qarīn who always accompanies him/her.
c. the prayer of the believer when he attained his full intellectual
and spiritual maturity and reaches the age of forty. Allah said:
وَوَصَّيْنَا اِّ لْنْسَانَِّ بوَال دَيْ هِّ إِّ حْسَا نا حَِّمَلَتْ هِّ أِّ مُّ هِّ كرْ ها وَِّوَضَعَتْ هِّ كرْ ها وَحَمْل هِّ وَِّ فصَال هِّ ثَِّلََ ثونَِّ شَِّهْ را حَِّتَّى إِّ ذَا بَِّلَغَِّ أَِّ شدَّهِّ وَِّبَلَغَِّ أَِّرْبَ عينَِّ سَِّنَ ةِّ قَِّالَِّ رَ بِّ أَِّوْ زعْ ني أَِّنِّْ أَِّشْ كرَِّ نعْمَتَكَِّ اِّلَّ تي أَِّنْعَمْتَِّ عَِّلَيَِّّ وَِّعَلَى وَِّال دَيَِّّ وَأَنِّْ أَِّعْمَلَِّ صَِّال حا تَِّرْضَاهِّ وَِّأَصْل حِّْ لِّ ي في ذ ريَّ تي إِّ ني .( تبْ تِّ إِّ لَيْكَِّ وَِّإ ني منَِّ اِّلْ مسْل مينَِّ (ِِّّالأحقاف :ِّ 13ِّ
And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind
to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship. And she
brings him forth with hardship, and the bearing of him, and
the weaning of him is thirty month, till when he attains full
strength and reaches forty years, he says: “My Lord! Grant
me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your
Favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my
parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds, such
close relation of John – is spoken of elsewhere in the Qur’an (19:28) as a ‘sister
of Aaron’: in both cases embodying the ancient Semitic custom of linking a
person’s or a people’s name with that of an illustrious forbear. The reference
of the House of ‘Imrān serves as an introduction to the stories of Zakhariah,
John, Mary, and Jesus.” Muhammad Asad, The Message of the Qur’an, note 22
on Q. 3:33, p. 71.
4
as please You, and make my offspring good. Truly,
I have turned to You in repentance, and truly,
I am one of the Muslims (submitting
to Your will).” (Q. 46:15)
This verse states that Allah enjoined upon man to do good
towards his parents, especially his mother who gave him birth
and bearing him and his utter dependence on her took thirty
months. This is also stated in another verse, as follows:
وَوَصَّيْنَا اِّ لْنْسَانَِّ بوَال دَيْ هِّ حَِّمَلَتْ هِّ أِّ مُّ هِّ وَِّهْ نا عَِّلَى وَِّهْ نِّ وَِّ فصَال هِِّّ
)ِّ في عَِّامَيْ نِّ أَِّ نِّ اِّشْ كرِّْ لِّ ي وَِّل وَال دَيْكَِّ إِّ لَيَِّّ اِّلْمَ صي رِّ )ِّلقمان: 11
And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and
good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness
and hardship upon weakness and hardness, and his
weaning in in two years – give thanks to Me
and to your parents. To Me is the
final destination. (Q. 31:14)
The Qur’ān commentator Ibn Kathīr said that when a man
reaches forty years his complete intellect, understanding, and
patience reach the level of maturity. At this age Allah orders him
to renew his repentance and to turn to Him with strong
resolution.
People of this age who followed Allah’s instruction to be
dutiful to their parents and said the supplication in the above
verse will be among the dwellers of Paradise, as it continues with
the following verse:
أ ولَ ئكَِّ اِّلَّ ذينَِّ نَِّتَقَبَّ لِّ عَِّنْ همِّْ أَِّحْسَنَِّ مَِّا عَِّ مل وا وَِّنَتَجَاوَ زِّ عَِّنِّْ سَِِّّ يئَا ت همِّْ في ( أَصْحَا بِّ اِّلْجَنَّ ةِّ وَِّعْدَِّ اِّل صدْ قِّ اِّلَّ ذي كَِّا نوا يوعَ دونَِّ (الأحقاف :ِّ 16ِّ
Those are the one from whom We shall accept
the best of what they did and overlook their evil deeds.
(They shall be) among the dwellers of Paradise. That
is the promise of truth that they
had been promised (Q. 46:16)
5
As mentioned earlier the age of full intellectual and spiritual
maturity according to the verse mentioned above is at the age of
forty, not the beginning of maturity as mistakenly understood by
Dr. Rashad Khalifah, as the age of responsibility.2
Based on this verse he claimed that anyone dies before this
“Crucial Age of 10” will go to Heaven. He said, “If the person
believed and benefitted from belief by nourishing and developing
the soul (see Appendix 5), he or she goes to the High Heaven.
Otherwise, the person goes to the Lower Heaven.”3 This view is
2 Dr. Rashad Khalifah, an agricultural engineer, claimed to be “God’s
Messenger of the Covenant”. He was the founder of the idea of denying the
validity of the Sunnah of the Prophet. This idea is called Inkār al-Sunnah. He
claimed to have been ascended to heaven and met all the prophets sent by
Allah. He said: “During my Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, and before sunrise on
Tuesday, Zul-Hijjah 3, 1391, December 21, 1971, I, Rashad Khalifa, the soul, the
real person, not the body, was taken to some place in the universe where I was
introduced to all the prophets as God’s Messenger of the covenant…. What I
witnessed, in sharp consciousness, was that I was sitting still, while the
prophets, one by one, came towards me, looked at my face, then nodded their
heads…. Except for Abraham, none of the prophets was identified to me. I
knew that all the prophets were there, including Moses, Jesus, Muhammad,
Aaron, David, Noah and the rest. I believe that the reason for revealing
Abraham’s identity was that I asked about him. I was taken aback by the strong
resemblance he had with my own family – myself, my father, my uncles. It was
the only time I wondered, ‘Who is this prophet who looks like my relatives?’
The answer came: ‘Abraham.’ No language was spoken. All communication
was done mentally.” Rashad Khalifa, Qur’an the Final Testament, Appendix 2,
p. 639.
3 Dr.Rashad Khalaifa gives the example of Theodore Robert Bundy who was
executed in 1989, when he was 42 years old. The execution was delayed 11
years, although many people celebrated his execution for being “one of the
most vicious criminals in history.” Therefore, he did not deserve Heaven. Had
he been executed 5 years earlier, when he was 37 years old, he would have
gone straight to Heaven, but he did not deserve it, as he was a criminal. This
was, Rashad Khalifa claimed, not his personal opinion, but “revelation (?)”
from Allah. He gives another example for people who would enter Heaven,
namely, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X who were assassinated “just a
couple of months before their 10s birthdays.” Ibid., Appendix 32, p. 703. Then
6
contrary to that of the majority of Muslims, that the age of
maturity and responsibility starts when the boy starts having wet
dream and the girl having menstruation, at the approximate age
of 15, and could be earlier or later. It was the time when a boy
and a girl can become parents. Three conditions are required for
the boy’s maturity: (a). wet dream, (b). the grown of hair on the
groan, and (c). reaching the age of fifteen. For the girl’s maturity
the same conditions are applied to her, but with an extra
condition, (d). having menstruation. This age of puberty is the
crucial one, where he or she has the full responsibility as a
Muslim. Do not wait until you reach forty.
Two expressions in the verse in question have to be taken
into consideration, namely, إ ذَا بَِّلَغَِّ أَِّ شدَّهِّ “when he attains full
strength” and وَبَلَغَِّ أَِّرْبَ عينَِّ سَِّنَ ةِّ “and he reaches forty years”. Some
scholars, such as Ibn ‘Abbās and Qatādah say that full strength is
reached at the age of thirty-three, and Ibn ‘Abbās said further that
man’s strength becomes quite even at the age of forty, and weak
at the age of sixty.
(CIVIC, 12 December, 2014)
المراجع: المكتبة اِّلشاملة تفسير اِّلطبري )ِّت. 510ِّ هِّ (ِّ
تفسير اِّلقرطبى )ِّت. 671ِّ هِّ(
تفسير اِّبن كِّثير )ِّت. 771ِّ هِّ(
Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’ānِّ
Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’ān
Khalifa, Rashad. Quran the Final Testament. Tucson: Islamic
Productions
http://islamqa.info/ar/197392
Rashad Khalifa stressed the importance of observing the religious duties as our
means of attaining certainty, quoting Q. 15:99 ( وَاعْ بدِّْ رَِّبَّكَِّ حَِّتَّى يَِّأْ تيَكَِّ اِّلْيَق ي نِّ )ِّالحجر: 99
which he translates as "Worship your Lord in order to attain certainty"
whereas its translation is “Worship Your Lord until (death) which is certain has
come to you”. When a companion passed away the Prophet said that al-yaqīn,
meaning “what is certain” had come to him, namely, death.
7
2. KEEP PRAYING SINCERELY
A Pakistani surgeon, Dr. Ihsan, went to the airport to attend a
world seminar on medicine to present his paper and explain his
biggest discovery in the field of medicine. The plane he was taking
was already one hour in the air when suddenly something was wrong
with it and its pilot had to take an emergency landing at the nearest
airport. As it would take about sixteen hours to repair the damage of
the plane, and by then it would be too late for him to attend the
seminar to fly with it. He was so specialised in his field, and his
discovery would have saved life in every minute. So, he asked the
employee of the airport how long it would take to reach his
destination by car. He was told that it would take about three hours.
So, he rented a car and there he went.
While he was driving for about five minutes the weather
suddenly changed. It started to become cloudy, then it rained and
thundered, but he kept driving. After about two hours driving he
became tired, apparently he also lost his way. He saw a small house
where he could rest, ask direction and hire a telephone. But the host,
an old woman was so poor, that she did not have even electricity, let
alone a telephone. She entertained her guest with food and tea. She
was a pious woman, and after she prayed she made her supplication
(du’a) for her grand child who was beside her. She had been
generous and liked to help needy people. She said that only one of
her du’as which had not yet been answered by Allah. She heard that
her grandchild needed a surgeon, and there was only one surgeon
who could treat the child with his new discovery, but she could not
afford to take him to the hospital. She prayed that Allah would solve
this problem. She wept of joy when Dr. Ihsan told her that her
supplication had been answered, as he was the surgeon meant by
her. Instead of going to the surgeon, the surgeon himself came to
her.
This is one of many examples of how Allah answered our
supplication. For Allah it is more important to visit the sick child than
8
attending the seminar which was so important for the surgeon,
where he could present his new discovery in medicine. “Misfortune”
befell him one after the other: the plane he was flying with had to
take emergency landing. He could not wait until the damage of the
plain was repaired which took about sixteen hours. Because of bad
weather the car he rented led him to the house of the old woman
who had prayed for his assistance.
Many things happened to us and to people around us which
looked bad, but there is wisdom behind each of them. There is
always something called “Allah’s wisdom” behind anything happens
to us.
عَ نْ صُْهَ يبٍ، قَْالَْ: قَْالَْ رَْسُولُْ هْ اللْ صَْلَّى اْللُْ عَْلَ ي ه هْ وَْسَلَّمَْ: ” عَجَبًا هْ لَِ م ه رْ اْ لمُ ؤ ه م ه ن، إْهنَّْ أَْ مرَهُْ كُْلَّهُْ خَْ يرٌ، وَْلَ يسَْ ذَْاكَْ هْ لَِحَدٍْ إْهلَّّْ لْه لمُ ؤ ه م ه ن، إه نْ أَْصَابَ تهُْ سَْرَّاءُْ شَْكَرَ، فَْكَانَْ خَْ يرًا لَْهُ، وَْإه نْ أَْصَابَ تهُْ ضَْرَّاءُ،
صَْبَرَْ فَْكَانَْ خَْ يرًا لَْهُْ“ )رواه مْسلم وْابن حْبان(
It was narrated by Ṣuhayb r.a.who said that the
Messenger of Allah s.a.w. said: “How amazing is the
condition of a Muslim, that all his cases are good, and this
would not happen to anybody except to the believer: if
happiness (prosperity) befalls him, he thanks (Allah),and
it is good for him; and if adversity befalls him he
becomes patient, and it is (also) good for him.”
(Reported by Muslim and Ibn Ḥibbān)
The well-known American writer Dale Carnegie said in his book
entitled How to Stop Worrying and Start Living that he saw the
Bedouins when something bad happened to them they said maktūb
(“it has been written”). Therefore they had no worry and did not feel
bad and blame anybody for what had happened.
On the contrary, people who have pessimistic attitude in life
see everything in a negative way. It is like wearing a pair of pink
glasses, where there is always pinkness in everything. In one of
Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, considered not
only the palace he was living in to be a prison, but the whole country,
9
Denmark. He said: "there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking
makes it so."1 So, it is our attitude and thinking that make a situation
good or bad.
عَ نْ أَْ ه بي هُْرَ يرَةَ، عَْ نْ رَْسُو ه لْ هَّْ اللْ صَْلَّى اْللُْ عَْلَ ي ه هْ وَْسَلَّمَ، قَْالَْ: أَْنَّْ اْللََّْْ
عَزَّْ وَْجَلَّْ قَْْالَْ: "ْأَنَا هْ ع ندَْ ظَْ نْ عَْ ب ه دي هْ بي، إْه نْ ظَْنَّْ هْ بي خَْ يرًا فَْلَهُ، وَْإه نْْ
ظَنَّْ شَْ را فَْلَهُْ" )ْرواه أْحمد وْ اْبن حْبان(
Abū Hurayrah r.a. narrated that the Messenger of Allah s.a.w.
said: “Allah the Almighty said: “I am with the thinking of My
servant of Me; if he thinks of Me good, then it will be so for him;
and if he thinks of Me bad, then it will be so for him (too).”
(Reported by Aḥmad and Ibn Ḥibbān)
Therefore, we Muslims are supposed to be away from worry
and stress, let alone of having mental breakdown, since we have
good faith with our Creator, Allah the Almighty.
The Egyptian sufi Ibn ‘Aṭā’ Allāh al-Skandarī, said in his Wisdom
no. 6 in his book entitled al-Ḥikam (Wise Sayings), as follows:
لَّْ يَْْكُْ نْ تَْْأَْخر أْمد اْلعطاء مْع اْلإلحاح فْي اْلدعاء -ْ مْوجبا لْيأسك ،ْ
فهو ضْ ه مْنَْ لْك اْلإجابة فْْيما يْختاره لْك لّْ فْيما تْختار لْنفسك
وفي اْلوقت اْلذي يْريد ،ْ لّْ فْي اْلوقت اْلذي تْريد
Do not let the delay of the answer of what
you are fervently asking for make you despair.
He has guaranteed an answer to your prayers
in those things He chooses for you, not in those
things that you choose for yourself, and at the
time He wants, not at the time you want.
In other words, Allah guarantees that He will accept our prayer
(du’a) with His choice, either all of them, or half of them, or with
something else as substitute, (such us protecting us from any harm
or disaster), and not with our choice. The time of His acceptance is
1 Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2
10
also up to Him; it could be tomorrow, next year, or even in the next
life, the Hereafter. We leave it to Him, for He knows exactly what is
good for us.
However, there are some conditions to be fulfilled for the
answer of our du’a: sincerity in our du’a, not asking bad things, such
as sins and cutting family relationship, being patient in waiting for
the answer, and avoiding sin. The Prophet s.a.w. mentioned the case
of a person who prayed to Allah, but his food was ḥarām and his
clothing was ḥarām so that his prayer would not be answered.
(CIVIC, 23 January, 2015)
المراجع:
المكتبة اْلشاملة
إبن عْطاء اْلل اْلسكندري. اْلحكم
Dale Carnegie. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
William Shakespeare. Hamlet.
11
3. PIOUS PEOPLE’S DU‘Ā (SUPPLICATION) IN THE QUR’ĀN (2)
The du‘ā’ (supplication) of pious people as groups mentioned in
the Qur’ān can be divided into categories, as follows: a. of the
followers of Prophet Mūsā (Moses), a.s.; b. of the followers of
Prophet Samuel a.s.; c. of the followers of Prophet ‘Īsā (Jesus) a.s.; d.
of the people of the Cave ) أَ صَ حَا بَ اَل كَ هَف (; e. of the people of the
Heights or the Faculty of Discernment ) أَ صَ حَا بَ اَلَ عَ رَاف (; f. of
oppressed people in their land; g. of the followers of good people of
earlier generations; h. of the believers of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.
and other prophets in general in facing the enemy; and i. of believers
in general.
a. Prophet Moses told his followers to put their trust in Allah
(tawakkul) if they really believed in Him. So, they said:
عل ى هََ اللَّ ت وكَ لنا ربَنا لَ ت ج ع لنا هَ ف ت ن ةَ لَه ل ق و ه مَ اَلظَاله ه مي نَ. و نجِّنا هَ ب ر ح م ه ت كَ )58- ه م نَ اَ ل ق وم ا لكا ه ف ه ري نَ )َ يَونس: 58
In Allah we put our trust. Our Lord! Make us notَََ
a trial for the folks who are wrongdoers (i.e., do not
make them over power us). And save us by Your
Mercy from the disbelieving folks. (Q. 10:85-86)
According to the classical Qur’ān commentator Mujāhid, the
first verse means that they prayed to Allah not to let the people
of Pharaoh or any other people torture them, so that they would
say, “if these people (the Israelites) were following the truth, we
would not have the ability to have authority over them or punish
them” so that they would follow falsehood because of them (the
Israelites). (Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī, Q. 10:85; Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī, Q. 10:85).
The right interpretation according to al-Ṭabarī is that the Israelites
wished that Allah would prevent them from affliction and
tribulation of the people of Pharaoh, as well as any of their affairs
which would become an obstruction from following Prophet
Moses, affirming him and what he had brought with him. This was
undoubtedly a fitnah (a deceiving trial) for them. (Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī,
Q. 10:85).
12
The interpretation of the second verse: “And save us by Your
Mercy from the disbelieving folks” is that they asked Allah’s
protection from Pharaoh and his people who burdened them with
hard labour.
Their supplication was answered by Allah when they were
delivered from the Pharaoh’s bondage led by their Prophet Moses
a.s. They successfully crossed the Red Sea to the desert of Sinai.
The magic of Pharaoh’s magicians were defeated by that of
Prophet Moses. As they knew that this magic was really from
Allah, that Moses’s staff did really turn into a real snake, they
believed in Prophet Moses a.s., Prophet Aaron a.s. and in Allah
Who sent them without the Pharaoh’s permission. This made him
very angry, and threatened to punish them severely. He would
cut off their hands and their feet from opposite side and then he
would crucify them, but they defied the threat (Q. 7:117-125).
They prayed:
) ربََ نا أَ ف ه ر غَ عل ي نا ص ب را و ت وفَ نا م سله ه مي نَ )َالعراف: 628
Our Lord! pour on us patience, and cause us to
die as Muslims. (Q. 7:126)
According to the Qur’ān commentator al-Ṭabarī, the verse
means: “Our Lord! When the Pharaoh tortured us send us an
obstruction to keep us away from disbelieving You, and when we
die, let us die following Islam, the religion of Your friend Ibrāhīm
(Abraham), a.s., not associating You with anything.” (Tafsīr al-
Ṭabarī, Q. 7:126). Ibn ‘Abbās, ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umar, Qatādah, and Ibn
Jurayj commented that these people started the day as sorcerers
and ended it as martyrs.
b. Allah mentioned the story of a group among the Children of Israel
after the time of Prophet Moses who asked their prophet at that
time to appoint for them a king. The prophet was not mentioned
by name in the Qur’ān, but according to some mufassirīn (Qur’ān
commentators) his name was Shamwīl, Samuel, meaning “Allah
has heard my pleas” (Some say that his name was Sham‘ūn,
13
Simeon or Simon which has the same meaning).1 They promised
him that with the new king they would fight for Allah’s way.
Prophet Samuel asked them whether they would refrain from
fighting when it became prescribed for them. They said that they
would never refrain from fighting in Allah’s way while they had
been driven out of their homes and families (kept as captives).
But when fighting was ordered for them, they turned away except
a few of them. (Q. 2:246).
When Prophet Samuel a.s. told them that Allah had appointed
Ṭālūt (Saul) as a king over them, they said: “How can he be a king
over us when we are fitter than him for the kingdom, and he has
not been given enough wealth.” (Qatādah said that Ṭālūt
belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, neither the tribe of
prophethood at Levi to which Prophet Moses belonged, nor that
of khingship at Yahudha to which Prophet David and Solomon
belonged. They wondered how a person who did not belong to
the tribe of prophethood nor kingship became their king. They
also said that he was poor to be a king. Some said that he used to
bring water to the people, others said his profession was dyeing
skins). Prophet Samuel a.s. said: “Verily, Allah has chosen him
above you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and
stature. And Allah grants His kingdom to whom He wills. Allah is
All-Sufficient for His creature’s needs, All-Knower.” (Q. 2:247).
Ibn ‘Abbās said that Ṭālūt at that time was the most
knowledgeable person among the Children of Israel, the most
handsome and the most physically perfect among them which
scared the enemy. It was said the he was called Ṭālūt because of
his tallness. It did not mean the bigness of his body, but rather his
goodness in many ways and his bravery.
1 In the Old Testament Samuel was a prophet and a judge (1Samuel 1:20; 3:19-
21). The Old Testament mentioned that the Children of Israel for a king
(1Samuel 8), and Saul was made king (1Samuel 10:9-26).
14
Then when Ṭālūt (Saul) set out with his army, he said: “Verily,
Allah will try you by a river.2 So, whoever drinks thereof, he is not
of me (shall not accompany me today), and whoever tastes it not,
he is of me, except him who takes (thereof) in the hollow of his
hand.” Yet, all except a few of them, drank thereof. So, when they
had crossed the river, he and those who believed with him said:
“We have no power this day against Jālūt (Goliath) and his host.”
But those (knowledgeable scholars among them) who knew with
certainty that they were going to meet Allah, (strengthened their
resolve and) said: “How often a small group overcame a mighty
host by Allah’s leave!” And Allah is with the patient.3 (Q. 2:249).
And when they advanced to meet Jālūt (Goliath) and his forces
they invoked:
ربَ نا أَ ف ه ر غَ عل ي نا ص ب را و ثبِّ تَ أَ ق دا م نا وا ن ص ر نا ) عل ى اَ ل ق و ه مَ اَ ل كا ه ف ه ري نَ )َالبقرة: 282
Our Lord! Pour forth on us patience, and set
firm our feet [i.e., save us from running away and
from feebleness] and make us victorious over
the disbelieving people. (Q. 2:250)
So they routed them by Allah’s leave, and Dāwūd (David) killed
Jālūt (Goliath). Then Allah gave him the kingdom (after the death
of king Ṭalūt and Prophet Samuel) and wisdom (prophethood)
and taught him that which Allah willed. (Q. 2: 251). He was known
in the Bible as King David, and among Muslims as Prophet Dāwūd
2 The river was the Jordan river. See al-Dāmaghānī (d. 475/6258-6), Qāmūs al-
Qur’an, s.v. n-h-r. According to Ibn ‘Abbās and others, the name of the river
was the Sharī ‘ah river which flowed between Jordan and Palestine.
3 According to mufassirīn the term ṣabr (patience) has many meanings in the
Qur’an depending on the contexts. In facing the enemy it means “bravery”, the
opposite of “cowardice”. See al-Rāghib al-Aṣfahānī (d. ca. 428/6632) Mufradāt
Alfāẓ al-Qur’an, s.v. ṣ-b-r.
15
(Dā’ūd) a.s. he was actually a prophet-king, like his son who
inherited his kingdom, the Prophet-King Solomon (Sulaymān).4
c. The disciples of Prophet ‘Īsā (Jesus) a.s who helped him was
called in the Qur’ān al-ḥawārirrūn (supporters). When he came to
know their disbelief, he asked them, “Wo will be my helpers in
Allah’s cause?” In other words, “Who will help me convey the
Message of Allah?” The ḥawārirrūn replied, “We are the helpers of
Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims.”
(Q. 3:52). Then they prayed to Allah, saying:
)َ ربَ نا آَ منَا هَ ب ما أَ ن ز ل تَ واتَ ب ع نا اَلرَ سو لَ فا ك ت ب نا م عَ اَلشَا ه ه دي نَ )َ 83 آل عَمران: 83
Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down
nd we follow the Messenger [‘Īsā, Jesus]; so write us
down among those who bear witness. (Q. 3:53)
4 According to Islam prophets sent by Allah, including Biblical prophets
mentioned in the Qur’an and King David as well as King Solomon, are ma‘ṣūm
(infallible, sinless, protected by Allah from committing sin). Therefore, any kind
of sin claimed to have been committed by any of them in the Bible is rejected
in Islam, such as: Aaron took the gold errings of the Israelite women “and
made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then
they said, ‘These are your gods [in another version ‘This is your god’] O Israel,
who brought you up out of Egypt.’” So, according to the Bible, Aaron was guilty
of making and worshipping the golden calf (Exodus 32:1-5). According to the
Qur’an, instead of Aaron, it was the Sāmirī, the Samaritan, who did it.
However, tranlating al-Sāmirī as “the Samaritan”, i.e., a man of the Jewish clan
of the Sāmirah would be unlikely, as Muhammad Asad put it, “… this sect did
not exist yet at the time of Moses, it was possible that—as Ibn ‘Abbas
maintained (Rāzī)—the person in question was one of the many Egyptians who
had been converted to the faith of Moses and joined the Israelites on their
exodus from Egypt ... in which case the designation sāmirī might be connected
with the ancient Egyptian shemer, “a foreigner” or “stranger….” (Asad, The
Message of the Qur’an, Q.20:85, n. 70). In other words, it was the newly
Egyptian convert who made the idol. As punishment Prophet Moses banished
him and that he would say throughout his life lā misāsa (“don’t touch me!”).
(Q. 22:97). This expression, according to Muhammad Asad, was “a
metaphorical description of the loneliness and the social ostracism in which he
would henceforth find himself.” (Ibid., Q.20:97, n. 83).
16
Similarly, the Prophet before his migration to Madinah, did not
find anybody who would help him in conveying the Message of
Islam, as the Quraysh tribe had prevented him from doing so. In
Madinah, the anṣār (“helpers”, the people of Madinah) helped
him, and gave him refuge. They comforted him and protected him
from his enemies.
When the Prophet s.a.w. encouraged people to fight in the
battle of al-Aḥzāb (Confederates) also called the Battle of
Khandaq (Trench) which took place in Shawwal 5 A.H, al-Zubayr
came forward, and when he called again, al-Zubayr came forward
again. The Prophet s.a.w. then said; “Every Prophet has a ḥawārī
(a helper), and my ḥawārī is al-Zubayr.”
(CIVIC, 30 January, 2015)
المراجع: المكتبة اَلشاملة تفسير اَلطبري )َت. 362َ هَ (َ
تفسير اَلقرطبى )َت. 876َ هَ(
تفسير اَبن كَثير )َت. 774َ هَ(
الراغب اَلصفهاني)ت. 428َ هَ(. مَفردات أَلفاظ اَلقرآن.َ
الدامغاني )َت. 475َ هَ(. قَاموس اَلقرآن
Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur:
Percetakan Zafar Sdn Bhd, 2005.
Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’ān.Gibraltar: Dar al-
Andalus, 1984.
Abu Khalil, Dr. Shawqi. Atlas of the Qur’ān. Riydh: Maktabah Dar-us-
Salam, 2003
17
4. PIOUS PEOPLE’S DU‘Ā (SUPPLICATION)
IN THE QUR’ĀN (3)
Among other groups of pious people whose supplications are
mentioned in the Qur’ān are: the people of the Cave ( (أَصْحَا بُ اُْلكَهْف
d. The people of the cave were people who took refuge in a cave
escaping from the persecution of their rulers for their belief. They
fell asleep for over 300 solar years (309 lunar years). This story
was told in the Qur’ān as the Prophet’s answer requested by al-
Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith and ‘Uqbah ibn Abī Mu‘īṭ suggested by the
Jewish rabbis in Madinah to test him.
The rabbis told them: “Ask him about three things which
we will tell you to ask, and if he answers them then he is a
Prophet who has been sent by Allah; if he does not, then he is
saying things that are not true… Ask him about some men in
ancient times, what was their story, for there was a strange and
wondrous tale (i.e. “People of the Cave”), about a man who
travelled extensively and reached the east and the west of the
earth (i.e., Dhū ’l-Qarnayn), and about the Rūḥ (soul or spirit).”
When they asked the Prophet, he told them: “I will tell
you tomorrow about what you have asked me,” but he did not
say in shā’ Allāh (“If Allah wills”). For this, Allah delayed giving the
answer through Jibrīl (Gabriel). Fifteen days had passed, and Jibrīl
did not come to tell him stories they had asked him. This grieved
him, as the Makkan people started doubting him.
Eventually, Jibrīl came and the Prophet complained for
his delay. Gabriel told him that it was up to Allah when he should
come. This was a lesson for us to say in shā’ Allāh (“If Allah wills”)
before we start doing something. Jibrīl told him about the young
men who fled from the persecution of their pagan king for their
belief in Allah and took refuge inside a cave. Like the story of
Prophet Yūsuf (Joseph) a.s. and many other stories in the Qur’ān,
the names of people and places in them were not given, as it is a
book of guidance and awakening, not a book of history.
18
Although the story of the People of the Cave is given in brief
and general term in the Qur’ān, Allah explains it in more detail.
He says:
أَمُْ حَُسِبْتَُ أَُ نُ أَُصْحَابَُ اُلْكَهْفُِ وَُال رقِيمُِ كَُا نوا مُِنُُْ
)ُ آُيَاتِنَا عَُجَبًا )ُالكهف: 9
“Do you think (O Muhammad) that the
peopleُ of the Cave and al-Raqīm1 were
a wonder among Our Signs?” (Q. 18:9).
It means, as put by Ibn Kathīr, their case is not something
amazing compared to Allah’s power and ability in creating the
heavens and the earth, the alternation of night and day, the
subjugation of heavenly bodies (the sun, the moon and the
stars), and other mighty signs, all indicate Allah’s great power to
do whatever He likes, and doing more amazing things than the
story of the people of the Cave.
In the next verse Allah said:
إِذُْ أَُوَى اُلْفِتْيَ ةُ إُِلَى اُلْكَهْفُِ فَُقَال وا رَُ بنَا آُتِنَا مُِنُْ لَُ دنْكَُ رَُحْمَةًُ وَُهَيِّئُُُْ
)ُ لَنَا مُِنُْ أَُمْرِنَا رَُشَدًا )ُالكهف: 01
(Remember) when the young men fled for refuge (from
their disbelieving folk) to the Cave. They said: “Our Lord!
Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for
us our affair in the right way!”(Q. 18:10)
1 The cave was located in a mountain. There are many views regarding the al-
Raqīm in the above verse, among which are as follows: (1) it is a valley near
Aylah (Ibn ‘Abbās, ‘Aṭiyyah, Qatādah and al-Daḥḥak); (2) it is the name of the
mountain where the Cave was located (Ibn ‘Abbas as reported by Ibn Jurayj);
(3) it is the name of the village where the cave is located which is now called al-
Rajīb in the present Jordan; (4) al-Raqīm means “the Inscription”; it was a
tablet of stone on which they wrote the story and the names of the people of
the Cave, then they placed it at the entrance of the Cave (Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr).
According to Western tradition the names of the Seven Sleepers are:
Maximian, Malchus, Marcian, John, Denis, Serapion, and Constantine, whereas
according to Eastern tradition their names are: Maximilian, Jamblichus, Martin,
John, Dionysius, Antonius, and Constantine.
19
Here they prayed to Allah to give them mercy and to conceal
them from their people, and to direct their matter well, namely,
to grant them a good end.
Then Allah caused them to sleep many years when they
entered the cave. Then He raised them from their slumber. They
disputed how long they stayed in the cave. Allah said:
فَضَرَبْنَا عَُلَى آُذَانِهُِمُْ فُِي اُلْكَهْفُِ سُِنِينَُ عَُدَدًا. ث مُ بَُعَثْنَا همُْ لُِنَعْلَمَُُُ
)ُُُ01- أَ يُ اُلْحِزْبَيْنُِ أَُحْصَى لُِمَا لَُبِ ثوا أَُمَدًا )ُالكهف: 00
Therefore, We covered up their (sense of)
hearing (causing them to go in deep sleep) in the
Cave for a number of yearُ . Then We raised them up
(from their sleep), that We might test which of the
two parties was best at calculating the time
period that they had tarried.(Q. 18:11-12).
There is an indication that the entrance of the cave faced
north, as when the sun rose its shade decreased to the right,
and when it set it entered their cave from the left. (Q. 18:17).
Ibn ‘Abbās said that the sunshine did not directly hit them, so
that it did not harm them.
While sleeping they turned their bodies on their right and on
their left sides, and their dog lay down at the door of the cave as
if guarding them. Allah made their appearance frightening, so
that no one would come near them or touch them until they
woke up from their sleep. Allah said:
وَتَحْسَ ب همُْ أَُيْقَاظًا وَُ همُْ رق و دُ وَُ نقَلِّ ب همُْ ذَُاتَُ اُلْيَمِينُِ وَُذَاتَُ اُلشِّمَالُُِ
وَكَلْ ب همُْ بَُاسِ طُ ذُِرَاعَيْهُِ بُِالْوَصِيدُِ لَُوُِ اُ طلَعْتَُ عَُلَيْهِمُْ لَُوَل يْتَُ مُِنْ همُْ
)ُ فُِرَارًا وَُلَ ملِئْتَُ مُِنْ همُْ رعْبًا )ُالكهف: 01
And you would have thought them awake,
whereas they were asleep. And We turned
them on their right on their left sides, and their
dog stretching forth his two forelegs at the
entrance [of the Cave or in the space near to
20
the entrance of the Cave (as a guard at the gate)].
Had you looked at them, you would certainly
have turned back from then in the fifth, and
would certainly have been filled
with awe of them. (Q. 18:18)
As they entered the cave at the beginning of the day and woke
up at the end of the day they thought that they had stayed in the
cave a day or part of a day. They sent one of them to the town to
buy good and lawful food with a silver coin.2 He was very careful
not to disclose his identity, or people would stone him, abused
him or harmed him, or turn him back to their religion. (Q. 18:20)
The number of people of the Cave was not explicitly
mentioned in the Qur’ān, but there were three views
mentioned in it: a. three people, their dog being the fourth; b.
five people, their dog being the sixth; c. seven people, their dog
being the eighth. Both the first and the second view were
rejected because they were based on رَجْمًا بُِالْغَيْب (“guessing at
the unseen”(, whereas the third view was not, and therefore
could be correct.
However, Allah told the Prophet to say,
)ُ رَبَي أَعْلَ م بُِعِ دتِهِم )ُالكهف: 11
“My Lord knows best their number…" (Q. 18:22)
Western scholars have different view on the location of the
cave. Some say it was in Turkey, others in Syria, Yemen, and
Afghanistan. The story was popular in the Middle Ages and in
several versions, including Greek, Syriac, Coptic, and Georgian.
According to this story during the persecution of the Christians
under the Roman Emperor Decius (249-251 CE) seven or eight
Christian soldiers took refuge at a cave near their native city
Ephesus, as they refused to practise pagan sacrifices. They fell
miraculously asleep, and they woke up during the reign of the
2 According to Western tradition the name of the person was Malcus, whereas
according to Eastern tradition his name was Jamblicus.
21
Eastern Roman Emperor, Theodosius II (408–450 CE). They
explained to him the profound meaning of their experience, and
then died. The emperor was moved by their miraculous presence
as evidence of the resurrection of the body in the Christian
doctrine, and then absolved all bishops who had been persecuted
for their belief in the Resurrection. The ruin of Ephesus is located
near the present city of Izmir at the Eastern coast of Turkey. Not
far from the ruin there was a cave at a hill where it was written at
its gate THE CAVE OF THE SEVEN SLEEPERS, but was not very
attractive to visitors (I was the only visitor of the cave at that
time).
Although we find some similarities between this story and that
of the people of the Cave mentioned in the Qur’ān, the sleepers
slept 208 years, whereas in the Qur’ān it was mentioned that they
slept 300 solar years, equal to 309 lunar years, as follows:
)ُُ وَلَبِ ثوا فُِي كَُهْفِهِمُْ ثَُلََثَُ مُِائَ ةُ سُِنِينَُ وَُازْدَا دوا تُِسْعًا )ُالكهف: 12
And they stayed in their Cave three hundred (solar)
years, adding nine for nine.(Q. 18:25)
In 0963 the Jordanian archaeologist Muhammad Taysīr Ẓubyān
discovered the cave of the people of the Cave near the ancient
city of Petra in Jordan. This is what Muslim scholars believe to be
the one mentioned in the Qur’ān. At the entrance of the cave it is
written in Arabic and English as follows:
كهف أُهل اُلكهف
)قبور بُيزنطية( وُردت قُصتهم فُي اُلقرآن اُلكريم
CAVE OF THE SEVEN SLEEPERS
BYZANTINE TOMBS – ONE MENTIONED
IN THE KORAN IN THE STORY OF THE
SEVEN SLEEPERS
22
(CIVIC, 6 February, 2015)
:المراجع
المكتبة اُلشاملة
تفسير اُلطبري )ُت. 301ُ هُ)
تفسير اُلقرطبى )ُت. 670ُ هُ)
تفسير اُبن كُثير )ُت. 774ُ هُ)
http://www.thaqafnafsak.com/2014/ مكان-أهل-الكهف-في-عمان/ 01 .html
http://mawdoo3.com/ قصة_اهل_الكهف
Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur:
Percetakan Zafar Sdn Bhd, 2005.
Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’ān. Gibraltar: Dar al-
Andalus, 1984.
Abu Khalil, Dr. Shawqi. Atlas of the Qur’ān. Riyadh: Maktabah Dar-us-
Salam, 2003
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/536521/Seven-
Sleepers-of-Ephesus
http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2009/10/historicity-of-sevensleepers-
of.html
23
5. PIOUS PEOPLE’S DU‘Ā’ (SUPPLICATION) IN THE QUR’ĀN (4)
Among other groups of pious people whose supplications are
mentioned in the Qur’ān are:
e. of the people of the Heights (aṣḥāb al-A‘rāf, أصحاب الأعراف ). These
people would be placed in a place called al-A‘rāf. The word al-
A‘rāf is the plural of ‘urf meaning “an elevated land”. Al-A‘rāf
here means a high place or a wall from which they see the
dwellers of Paradise, and the dwellers of Hell. This area is also “a
gate therein inside it will be mercy [i.e., Paradise], and outside it
will be torment [i.e., Hell].” (Q. 57:13). It is, then, a barrier
between Paradise and Hell which prevents the dwellers of the
Hellfire from entering Paradise.
Who are the people who will be placed in the heights, wall or
gate who will not be admitted, neither Paradise nor Hell, although
eventually will be admitted to Paradise? There are many
interpretations, among which are as follows:
1. They are those whose good and bad deeds are equal. So, they
are not very pious. Their evil deeds prevent them from being
qualified to enter Paradise, and their good deeds prevent
them from being qualified to enter Hell. Therefore, they stop
there until they are admitted to Paradise (the interpretation of
Ibn ‘Abbās, Ḥudhayfah, Ibn Mas‘ūd, and other companions of
the Prophet, as swell as of people of later generation; this is
the most acceptable interpretation).
2. They are people who joined the Muslims in the jihād
defending Islam without their parents’ permission. They will
not be admitted to Paradise because they disobeyed their
parents, but will not enter Hell either, because they were
martyrs. This view is similar to the first one.
3. They are people who also joined the Muslims in the jihād
without the permission of one of their parents. This view is
similar to the previous one (2)
4. They are people who lived in the era of fatrah (the interval
between two prophets, where there was no new prophet to
24
follow, and the earlier prophet was unheard of, so that he
could not be followed), and the children of idolaters who died
young.
The condition of the aṣḥāb al-A‘rāf in the Hereafter is
portrayed in the Qur’ān , as follows:
وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَا ب وَعَلَى الأَعْرَافِ رِجَا ل يَعْرِفُونَ كُل ا بِسِيمَاهُمْ وَنَادَوْ ا
) أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَن سَلَ م عَلَيْكُمْ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ (الأعراف: 44
And between them there will be a (barrier)
screen and on al-A‘rāf will be men, who recognize all,
by their marks. And they will call out to the dwellers
of Paradise, “Peace be on you” and at that time they
will not yet have entered it (Paradise), but they
will hope to enter (it). (Q. 7:46)
When they look at the dwellers of Paradise they recognize
them, greet them, and wish to enter Paradise, but Allah delays
it. Allah said:
.وَإِذَا صُرِفَتْ أَبْصَارُهُمْ تِلْقَاء أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ قَالُو ا
) رَبَّنَا ل تَجْعَلْنَا مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ . )الأعراف: 47
and when their eyes will be turned towards the dwellers
of the Fire, they will say: “Our Lord! Place us not with the
people who are wrong-doers.” (Q. 7:47)
When they look at the dwellers of Hell they pray to Allah to
disassociate them with wrong-doers. They will call people whom
they know and tell them that their greatness in number and
wealth they are proud of do not save them from Allah’s torment.
Then Allah will say to the dwellers of Hell: “Are they, the aṣḥāb al-
A‘rāf, the people of the Heights, of whom you swore that I would
never show them mercy? I (Allah) say to them, ‘Enter Paradise,
no fear shall be on you, nor shall you grieve’” (Q. 7:48-49). Finally,
they all enter Paradise, the last people who to enter it without
being punished in Hell.
25
Although we enter Paradise not only because of our faith and
good deeds, but also because of Allah’s blessings on us, there is
much possibility of entering it, for the following reason:
Allah says in the Qur’ān :
مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا وَمَنْ جَاءَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ
) فَلَ يُجْزَى إِلَّ مِثْلَهَا وَهُمْ لَ يُظْلَمُونَ )الأنعام: 141
Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times the
like thereof to his credit, and whoever brings an evil deed
shall have only the recompense of the like thereof, and
they will not be wronged. (Q. 6:160)
This apparently means that if we do one good deed and one
bad deed, we shall still have 9 credits, since one good deed will
make 10 credits. Therefore, there is more chance of having more
good deeds than bad deeds, and to enter Paradise. Moreover, the
Prophet s.a.w. said in a ḥadīth qudsī1 narrated by Abū Hurayrah
that Allah said:
مَنْ هَمَّ بِحَسَنَ ة فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كَتَبْتُ لَهُ حَسَنَ ا ة فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا كَتَبْتُهَا بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا إِلَى
سَبْعِ مِائَ ة وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَ ة فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا لَمْ أَكْتُبْ عَلَيْهِ فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا كَتَبْتُهَا
عَلَيْهِ سيئة واحدة )رواه ابن حبان(
Whoever intends to do a good deed and he does
not do it I will record (a reward of) a good deed for
him; if he does it I will record tenfold to seven hundred
of the merit of it. If he intends to do evil and he does
not do it, I will not record it, but if he does it I will
record (the demerit of) one evil deed against
him. (Reported by Ibn Ḥibbān).2
1 Ḥadīth qudsī (‘holy tradition”) is a tradition of the Prophet s.a.w. where the
wording is from him but the idea is from Allah. In this kind of tradition the
Prophet s.a.w. said, “Allah the Almighty said…” It is different from the verses
of the Qur’an where both the idea and the wording are from Allah.
2 Similar traditions were also narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās and reported by Ahmad,
Bukhārī and al-Nasā’ī, and narrated by Abū Hurayrah and reported by Ahmad
and Ibn Ḥibbān.
26
However, the kind of deed, either good or evil, has to be taken
into consideration. A person who has just greeted people which is
a good deed, then he robs the bank which is a grave evilness,
does not automatically mean that he still has 9 credits (merits)
left. Moreover, there is a condition he has to fulfill, namely, to be
a believer, a Muslim. Allah says:
مَنْ عَمِلَ سَيِّئَ ا ة فَلَ يُجْزَى إِلَّ مِثْلَهَا وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِ ا حا مِنْ ذَكَ ر أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ
) مُؤْمِ ن فَأوُلَئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ يُرْزَقُونَ فِيهَا بِغَيْرِ حِسَا ب )غافر: 41
Whosoever does an evil deed, will not be requited
except the like thereof; and whosoever does a right deed,
whether male of female and is a true believer, such will
enter Paradise, where they will be provided therein (with
all things in abundance) without limit (Q. 40:40)
In other words, you have to be Muslim, a believer, and do right
deed to be admitted to Paradise where Allah will reward you with
everything.
f. of oppressed people in their land. In the early period of Islam,
Muslims were ordered to be patient with the Makkan idolaters’
mistreatment. There are two main reasons for this: Firstly, they
were two weak, as they were very few in number. Retaliation
would mean suicide and self-destruction. We can understand why
Jesus (Prophet ‘Īsā a.s.) did not allow his followers who were few
in number to fight back the mighty Roman ruler in his time.
Secondly, they were living in Makkah the most sacred city on the
earth for Muslims. Many Muslims wished that they would be
allowed to fight back out of frustration, but Allah did not revealed
and prescribe the fighting in this sacred place. ‘Abd a-Raḥmān ibn
‘Awf and several of his companions came to the Prophet s.a.w. and
said: “O Allah’s Prophet! We were mighty when we were pagans,
but when we embraced the faith, we become weak.”
The Prophet said:
إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ بِالْعَفْوِ فَلَ تُقَاتِلُوا الْقَوْمَ )رواه النسائي و البيهقى(
I was commanded to pardon the people, so do not
27
fight them (Reported by al-Nasā’ī and al-Bayhaqī)
After the Muslims’ emigration to Madinah to avoid the Makkan
persecution, and after they had become strong enough, Allah
allowed them to fight back. Allah said:
أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا وَإِنَّ اللَّّ عَلَى نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِي ر . الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا
)41- مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ حَ ق إِلَّ أَنْ يَقُولُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّّ .ُ.. )الحج: 33
Permission to fight (against disbelievers) is given to those
(believers) who are fought against, because they have been
wronged; and surely, Allah is Able to give them (believers)
victory—Those who have been expelled from their
homes unjustly, because they said: “Our
Lord is Allah...” … (Q. 22:39-40)
According to the classical Qur’ān commentator Mujāhid, a
group of believers who had been prevented by the Makkan nonbelievers
from emigrating to Madinah were overtaken and caught
up by them. Then the above verses were revealed, allowing them
to fight the non-believers, and they did. Other classical Qur’ān
commentators Qatādah and Ibn Jurayj said that the verse was the
first revelation where Muslims were allowed to fight
After the prescription of fighting, some Muslims became weary
and fearful, and wished the jihad against the idolaters to be
delayed, because it would mean bloodshed, widows, and orphans.
To this, Allah replied that that enjoyment of life was short, the
Hereafter was better for him who feared Allah, Who would treat
them justly. Moreover, they would not be able to escape death
even if they were in a strong and high fortress (Q. 4:77-78). Then
Allah said:
وَمَا لَكُمْ لَ تُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَِّّ وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ
وَالْوِلْدَانِ الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ الظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهَا
) وَاجْعَلْ لَنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ وَلِ ا يا وَاجْعَلْ لَنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ نَصِي ا را )النساء: 75
And what is wrong with you that you fight not in
the Cause of Allah, and for those weak, ill-treated, and
oppressed among men women, and children, whose cry
28
is: “Our Lord! Rescue us from this town [i.e., Makkah]
whose people are oppressors [i.e., Makkan idolaters];
and raise for us from You one who will protect, and
raise for us from You one who will help.” (Q. 4:75)
These weak, ill-treated, and oppressed people, were the
Makkan Muslims who were too weak, and therefore, were excuse
from emigrating to Madinah. They prayed to Allah to rescue them
from the oppression of the Makkan idolaters who opposed the
Prophet’s propagation to Islam.
According to this verse rescuing the weak, the ill-treated and
the oppressed, besides defending the religion of Islam is included
in the jihad in the path of Allah. It includes freeing them from
captivity by paying ransom or by force.
(CIVIC, 13 February, 20150
:المراجع
المكتبة الشاملة
تفسير الطبري )ت. 311 ه)
تفسير القرطبى )ت. 471 ه)
تفسير ابن كثير )ت. 774 ه)
Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur:
Percetakan Zafar Sdn Bhd, 2005.
Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’ān. Gibraltar: Dar al-
Andalus, 1984.
29
6. PIOUS PEOPLE’S DU‘Ā (SUPPLICATION) IN THE QUR’ĀN (5)
Among the pious people’s du‘ā (supplication) mentioned in the
Qur’ān are: g. the people of later generation.
g. the du‘ā of people of later generation. After the migration of the
Prophet and his followers from Makkah to Madinah, the Muslims
were divided into three categories: 1. the Muhājirīn (the
emigrants), the Anṣār (lit. “the helpers”, the people of Madinah
who helped the Prophet and the emigrants), 3. the people who
came after them.
The Muhājirīn were the inhabitants of Makkah who had
converted to Islam and emigrated to Madinah before the conquest
of Makkah, to avoid persecution of the Makkan pagans. Allah
praised them when He said:
لِلْفُقَرَاءِِ اِلْمُهَاجِرِينَِ اِلَّذِينَِ أُِخْرِجُوا مِِنِْ دِِيَارِهِمِْ وَِأَمْوَالِهِمِْ يَِبْتَغُونَِ فَِضْلًِ مِِنَِ
.) اللَِِّّ وَِرِضْوَانًا وَِيَنْصُرُونَِ اِللََِّّ وَِرَسُولَهُِ أُِولَئِكَِ هُِمُِ اِلصَّادِقُونَِ )ِالحشر: 8
(And there is also a share in the booty)1 for the poor
emigrants, who were expelled from their homes and their
property, seeking the bounties from Allah and (His) good
pleasure, and helping Allah and His Messenger. Such
are indeed the truthful. (Q. 59:8)
The Anṣār were the Muslims of Madinah who welcomed and
helped the Muhājirīn. They competed among themselves in taking
1The fay’ (booty without fighting) was taken from the Jewish tribe Banī
‘l-Naḍīr who tried to kill the Prophet when he came to them in order to
get rid of him and to avoid paying blood money demanded by the
Prophet. The Prophet gave them an ultimatum to leave the Madinah
within ten days. The leader of the hypocrites of Madinah, ‘Abdullah ibn
Ubayy, told them that he and his people were on their side, and advised
them not to leave their houses, but to protect themselves in their
fortresses. The Prophet and his army sieged their fortress. Finally, they
surrendered, and were allowed to leave and to take whatever they could
except weapons. With 600 camels fully loaded, they set out for Khaybar.
What was left behind became the spoils of war to be divided among the
Muhājirīn, while the Anṣār, out of their sympathy with the Muhājirīn, did
not want to take any share from the booty. This took place in 4 A.H.
30
them as guests in their houses. After 5 month of the Prophet’s
arrival in Madinah he strengthened the brotherhood between the
Muhājirīn and the Anṣār in the house of Anas ibn Mālik: each of
the 45 hosts of the Anṣār took his guest among the 45 Muhājirīn
as his brother, like blood brotherhood, so that they inherited each
other after their death, without being relatives on the maternal
side. Allah said:
وَلِكُ لِ جَِعَلْنَا مَِوَالِيَِ مِِمَّا تَِرَكَِ اِلْوَالِدَانِِ وَِالَْْقْرَبُونَِ وَِالَّذِينَِ عَِقَدَتِْ أَِيْمَانُكُمِِِْ
)ِ فَآتُوهُمِْ نَِصِيبَهُمِْ إِِنَِّ اِللََِّّ كَِانَِ عَِلَى كُِ لِ شَِيْ ءِ شَِهِيدًا )ِالنساء: 33
And to everyone, We have appointed heirs of that
(property) left by parents and relatives. To those also
with whom you have made a pledge (brotherhood),
give them their due portion (by wasiyyah-wills). Truly,
Allah is Ever a Witness over all things. (Q.4:33).
The example of this brotherhood is that the Prophet made
brotherhood between Abu Bakr and Khārijah ibn Zuhayr, between
‘Umar and ‘Utbān ibn Mālik, between ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān and Aws
ibn Thābit, between Abū ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ and Sa‘d ibn
Mu‘ādh, between al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwām and Salāmah ibn
Salāmah, and so on. Allah praised their hospitality in the Qur’ān as
follows:
وَالَّذِينَِ تَِبَوَّءُوا اِلدَّارَِ وَِالِْْيمَانَِ مِِنِْ قَِبْلِهِمِْ يُِحِبُّونَِ مَِنِْ هَِاجَرَِ إِِلَيْهِمِِِْ
وَلَِ يَِجِدُونَِ فِِي صُِدُورِهِمِْ حَِاجَةًِ مِِمَّا أُِوتُوا وَِيُؤْثِرُونَِ عَِلَى أَِنْفُسِهِمِْ وَِلَوِْ كَِانَِِِ
.) بِهِمِْ خَِصَاصَ ةِ وَِمَنِْ يُِوقَِ شُِحَِّ نَِفْسِهِِ فَِأوُلَئِكَِ هُِمُِ اِلْمُفْلِحُونَِ )ِالحشر: 9
(And it is also for) those who, before them, and homes
and had adopted the faith, love those who emigrate to
them, and have no jealousy in their breath for that
which they have been given, and give them preference
over themselves even though they were in need of that.
And whosoever is saved from his own greed, such
are they who will be successful.(Q. 59:9)
We see here that the Anṣār loved the Muhājirīn, had no
jealousy for their merit (of leaving their homeland and belongings
31
for Allah’s sake) over them (who remained in their homeland), and
preferred them over themselves.
Abū Hurayrah narrated that a man came to the Prophet. The
Prophet asked his wives to entertain him, but they said that that
had nothing for him except water. Then a man among the Anṣār
said he would entertain his guest. He came home and told his wife
to entertain the Prophet’s guest, but his wife told him that she had
nothing except food for children. He told her to prepare the meal
and to make her children sleep and to light the lamp.
When the time for meal arrived, the children were asleep, and
she pretended to repair the lamp, so that they had their meal in
the dark, and he pretended to share the meal. In the morning he
told the Prophet how he entertained his guest. The Prophet said
that Allah admired what the couple had done, and revealed, “and
give them preference over themselves even though they were in
need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own greed, such are
they who will be successful.” (Reported by Bukhari).
The Prophet told the Anṣār whether they would share their
wealth and property with the Muhājirīn, and at the same time
would share the spoils of war with them, or give the whole spoils
of war to the Muhājirīn and without sharing their wealth and
property with them. The Anṣār said that they would let the whole
spoils of war to the Muhājirīn, and at the same time they would
share their wealth and property with them. To this, Allah praised
their sacrifice with the above verse, “… and give them preference
over themselves even though they were in need of that.”
The Anṣār were so good to the Muhājirīn, that the latter asked
the Prophet whether there would still remain for them thawāb
(reward for going good) left by the Anṣār for their enormous good
deed to them. The Prophet told them that there was still reward,
left as long as they appreciate what they had done and pray for
them.
This law of inheriting each other was put into effect till the
occurrence of the Battle of Badr. Since then, this law became
32
abrogated, with the following verse, although the brotherhood
remained.
وَأُوْلُواِْ اِلرْحَامِِ بَِعْضُهُمِْ أَِوْلَى بِِبَعْ ضِ فِِي كِِتَبِِ اِللَِِِِّّ
)ِِِِِ إِنَِّ اِللََِّّ بِِكُ لِ شَِىْء عَِلِي مِ )ِالْنفال: 55
…But kindred by blood are nearer to one another
(regarding inheritance) in the decree ordained by Allah.
Verily, Allah is All-Knower of everything.(Q. 8:75)
The Anṣār loved the Muhājirīn very much, that they offered to
the Prophet to divide their agricultural land between the Muhājirīn
and themselves, but the Prophet rejected this proposal. But when
they proposed to share the fruit of it, the Prophet accepted it.
Sa‘d ibn al-Rabī‘ who was the riches man among the Anṣār,
offered his emigrant brother ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf half of his
land, and to let him marry one of his two wives, after divorcing her
and the lapse of the period of iddah. But ‘Abd al-Raḥman rejected
the offer with appreciation, and asked the location of the
Qaynuqā‘ market where he started his business. Soon after that he
become prosperous and married a woman among the Anṣār.
All these kinds of people were promised by Allah with Paradise,
وَِِالسَّابِقُونَِ اِلَْْوَّلُونَِ مِِنَِ اِلْمُهَاجِرِينَِ وَِالَْْنْصَارِِ وَِالَّذِينَِ اِتَّبَعُوهُمِْ بِِإِحْسَا نِِِ
رَضِيَِ اِللَُِّّ عَِنْهُمِْ وَِرَضُوا عَِنْهُِ وَِأَعَدَِّ لَِهُمِْ جَِنَّا تِ تَِجْرِي تَِحْتَهَا اِلَْْنْهَارُِِ
) خَِالِدِينَِ فِِيهَا أَِبَدًا ذَِلِكَِ اِلْفَوْزُِ اِلْعَظِيمُِ )ِِالتوبة: 011
Aِِnd the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhajirin
(those who migrated from Makkah to al-Madinah) and the
Anṣār (the citizens of al-Madinah who helped and gave aid
to the Muhajirin) and also those who follow them exactly
(in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are
well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for the
Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise),
to dwell there-in forever. That is the
supreme success.(Q. 9:100)
Allah prepares Paradise for the Muhājirīn and the Anṣār, and
the Prophet said, as reported by Bukhārī and Muslims, that the
best generation is his generation, then the one following it, and
33
then the one following it. He praised the Anṣār when he said,
“Nobody loves the Anṣār, except he is a Muslim, nobody hates the
Anṣār except he is a hypocrite; whoever loves them Allah will love
him, and whoever hates them, Allah will hate them.” (Reported by
Bukhārī). He prayed for the Anṣār; he said “O Allah, forgive the
Anṣār, the children of the Anṣār, the spouses of the Anṣār, and the
descendants of the Anṣār” (Reported by Ahmad).
Based on this verse the Qur’ān commentator Ibn Kathīr
indicates the twisting minds and the turning upside down of the
heart of the Rāfiḍah (a sect in Shiites) who hate and curse the
companions of the Prophet who have been promised with
Paradise, such as Abū Bakr and ‘Umar.
Allah said about the third group, who came after the Muhājirīn
and the Anṣār, as follows:
وَالَّذِينَِ جَِاءُوا مِِنِْ بَِعِْدِهِمِْ يَِقُولُونَِ رَِبَّنَا اِغْفِرِْ لَِنَا وَِلِِْخْوَانِنَا اِلَّذِينَِ سَِبَقُونَا بِِالِْْيمَانِِ
.) وَلَِ تَِجْعَلِْ فِِي قُِلُوبِنَا غِِ لِ لِِلَّذِينَِ آِمَنُوا رَِبَّنَا إِِنَّكَِ رَِءُو فِ رَِحِي مِ )ِالحشر: 10
And those who came after them say: “Our Lord! Forgive
us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and
put not in our hearts any hatred against those
who have believe. Our Lord! You are indeed full
of kindness, Most Merciful.” (Q. 59:10)
The third group is the Muslims who come after the Muhājirīn
and the Anṣār till the Judgment day. It is our generation where we
have to follow their examples in every aspect of piety, generosity,
sincerity, and dedication to Islam. At least, love and pray for them
as Allah taught us in the above verse. We ask Allah to forgive us
and forgive our brothers who came before us, including the
companions of the Prophet as mentioned in the above verse.
When the Prophet was passing a cemetery he greeted the
people in the grave, and then he said, “I wish to see our brothers.”
When his companions asked him, “Are not we your brothers?” The
Prophet s.a.w. replied, “No, you are my companions. Our brothers
are those who have not come yet.”
34
A group of people from Iraq came to ‘Ali ibn al-Ḥusayn r.a. and
curses Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān r.a. He asked whether
they belonged to the first category of Muslims, namely, the
Muhājirīn. When they said “no”, he asked them whether they
belonged to the second category of Muslims, namely, the Anṣār.
When they said “no”, he said that they definitely did not belong to
the third category of Muslims who prayed, loved, and asked
forgiveness for them, as mentioned in the above verse.
The number of the Prophet’s companions exceeds a hundred
thousands, some thousands of them are known to us, and some
hundreds were well-known to us. Abū’l-Qāsim al-Baghawī (d. 305
/929) and Ibn Qāni‘ (d.351/962) were among the earlier scholar
recording the ṣaḥābah in their books entitled Mu‘jam al-Ṣaḥābah
(Dictionary of the Ṣaḥābah). Ibn al-Athīr (d. 631/1232) recorded
the names of over seven thousands of the ṣaḥābah in his work
Usud al-Ghābah fī Ma‘rifat al-Ṣaḥābah in 8 volumes. Another
writer was Ibn Hajar (d.852/1449) who wrote al-Iṣābah fī Tamyīz
al-Ṣaḥābah, in 8 volumes, containing more than twelve thousand
names, the most comprehensive dictionary of the Companions of
the Prophet. (CIVIC, 20.02.15)
المراجع:
المكتبة اِلشاملة
تفسير اِلطبري )ِت. 301ِ هِ)
تفسير اِلقرطبى )ِت. 650ِ هِ)
تفسير اِبن كِثير )ِت. 557ِ هِ)
Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur:
Percetakan Zafar Sdn Bhd, 2005.
Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’ān. Gibraltar: Dar al-
Andalus, 1984.
http://islamqa.info/ar/218999
http://articles.islamweb.net/media/index.php?page=article&lang=A
&id=13431.
http://ar.wikisource.org/wiki/
سيدنا_محمد_صلى_اللّ_عليه_وسلم/المؤاخاة_بين_المهاجرين_والْنصار
http://www.oqba.ma/Article.aspx?C=5601
35
7. PIOUS PEOPLE’S DU‘Ā (SUPPLICATION) IN THE QUR’ĀN (6)
Among the pious people’s du‘ā’ (supplication) mentioned in
the Qur’ān are: h. the believers in general, and they are, as far as I
know, fifteen of them: three verses mentioned in sūrat al-Baqarah
Q. 2: 201, 285, and 286); seven verses in sūrat Al ‘Imrān (Q. 3:8, 9, 16
, 191, 192, 193, and 194); one verse in sūrat al Mu’minūn (Q.
23:109); three verses in sūrat al-Furqān (Q. 25:65, 66, and), and one
verse in sūrat al-Taḥrīm (Q. 66:8). We shall deal here the verses
mentioned in in sūrat al-Baqarah as follows:
1. The believers make this du‘ā’ as mentioned in the Qur’an as
follows:
وَمِنْهُمْْ مَْنْْ يَْقُولُْ رَْبَّنَا آْتِنَا فِْي اْلدُّنْيَا حَْسَنَ ةْ وَْفِي اْلْْخِرَةِْ حَْسَنَ ةْ
) وَقِنَا عَْذَابَْ اْلنَّارِْ )ْالبقرة: 102
And of them there are some who say: “Our Lord!
Give us in this world that which is good and in the
Hereafter that which is good, and save us from
the torment of the Fire!” (Q. 2:201)
This verse is dealing with the du‘ā of the believers during
their pilgrimage. In the previous verse Allah told the pilgrims
among Muslims to remember Allah as they remembered their
forefathers, even more. But of mankind there are some who say:
“Our Lord! Give us Your bounties in this world!.” and for such
there will be no portion in the Hereafter. (Q. 2: 200). This is
because, as mentioned by Ibn ‘Abbās, one among the people in
the time of Jāhiliyyah, used to stand during the pilgrimage
season, said that his father used to help the poor, help others by
ending their disputes with his money. What they remembered
were the good deeds of their fathers. Then Allah revealed to the
Prophet and the Muslims in their pilgrimage to remember Allah
as they remembered their fathers, but even more.
When some Bedouins used to supplicate while they were
in ‘Arafah asking Him to make a rainy day, a fertile year, and a
year of good child bearing, without mentioning the affairs of
the Hereafter. Then Allah reminds the Prophet and the Muslims
36
not to forget to supplicate for their affairs of the Hereafter
which is more important.
Then Allah taught us by praising the believers who made
their supplication for all good aspects of this life and the
Hereafter, as well as His protection from the Hellfire. The
Prophet s..a.w. himself used to say this supplication. When the
Prophet s.a.w. visited a weak and sick man whether he had
made supplication, he said: “O Allah! Whatever punishment
you saved for me in the Hereafter, give it to me in this life.” The
man became very weak in his bed. The Prophet s.a.w. told him
that he could not stand Allah’s punishment, and he advised him
to cite the supplication to give him the goodness of this life, of
the Hereafter, and protection from the Hellfire, as mentioned
in the above verse, and he healed.
2. In the following verse Allah mentions that the Prophet as well
as the believers believe in what was revealed to him, believe in
Allah, His Angles, His Books and Messengers without making
any distinction among His Messengers, and state that they obey
and at the same time ask Him forgiveness and mercy.
آمَنَْ اْلرَّسُولُْ بِْمَا أُْنْزِلَْ إِْلَيْهِْ مِْنْْ رَْبِّهِْ وَْالْمُؤْمِنُونَْ كُْ لْ آْمَنَْ بِْاللَِّّْ
وَمَلََئِكَتِهِْ وَْكُتُبِهِْ وَْرُسُلِهِْ لَْْ نُْفَرِّقُْ بَْيْنَْ أَْحَ دْ مِْنْْ رُْسُلِهِْ وَْقَالُوا سَْمِعْنَا
)ْ وَأَطَعْنَا غُْفْرَانَكَْ رَْبَّنَا وَْإِلَيْكَْ اْلْمَصِيرُْ )ْالبقرة: 182
The Messenger believes in what has been sent
down to him from his lord, and (so do) the believers.
Each one believes in Allah, His angels, His Books, and
His Messengers. (They say,) “We make no distinction
between one another of His Messengers” – and they
say, “We hear and we obey. (We seek) Your
forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the
return (of all). (Q. 2:182(
The Muslims believe in all prophet sent by Allah to
mankind. They are unlike the Jews who believe in Prophet
Mūsā (Moses) a.s., but reject Prophet ‘Īsá (Jesus) a.s., nor
37
the Christians who believe in Prophet ‘Īsá (Jesus) a.s., but
reject Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.
3. The verse continues with following one:
لَْ يُْكَلِّفُْ اْللَُّّْ نَْفْ سا إِْلَّْ وُْسْعَهَا لَْهَا مَْا كَْسَبَتْْ وَْعَلَيْهَا مَْا اْكْتَسَبَتْْ رَْبَّنَا لَْْ
تُْؤَاخِذْنَا إِْنْْ نَْسِينَا أَْوْْ أَْخْطَأْنَا رَْبَّنَا وَْلَْ تَْحْمِلْْ عَْلَيْنَا إِْصْرا كَْمَا حَْمَلْتَهُْ عَْلَى
اْلَّذِينَْ مِْنْْ قَْبْلِنَا رَْبَّنَا وَْلَْ تُْحَمِّلْنَا مَْا لَْْ طَْاقَةَْ لَْنَا بِْهِْ وَْاعْفُْ عَْنَّا وَْاغْفِرْْ لَْنَا
)ْ وَارْحَمْنَا أَْنْتَْ مَْوْلَنَا فَْانْصُرْنَا عَْلَى اْلْقَوْمِْ اْلْكَافِرِينَْ )ْالبقرة: 286
Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope.
He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned,
and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned.
“Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error,
our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You
did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians);
our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we
have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us
forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our
Mawla (Patron, Supporter and Protector)
and give us victory over the disbelieving
people.” (Q. 2:286)
Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that the companions of the
Prophet told him that they knew how to repent from their
bad deeds and bad words; they asked him how to repent
from their temptation (devilish insinuation), and how to
avoid it. The angel Gabriel came to him revealing, “Allah
burdens not a person beyond his scope” It means that
temptation cannot be avoided, but can be ignored. Abdullah
ibn ‘Abbas also mentioned some Qur’anic verses indicating
Allah’s easiness in practising Islam, as follows:
( وَمَا جَْعَلَْ عَْلَيْكُمْْ فِْي اْلدِّينِْ مِْنْْ حَْرَ جْ (ْالحج: 88ْ
… and He has not laid upon you in religion
any hardship…(Q. 11:88)
( يُرِيدُْ اْللَُّّْ بِْكُمُْ اْلْيُسْرَْ وَْل يُْرِيدُْ بِْكُمُْ اْلْعُسْرَْ (ْالبقرة: 282ْ
...Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want
to make things difficult for you…(Q. 2:185)
( فَاتَّقُوا اْللََّّْ مَْا اْسْتَطَعْتُمْْ )ْالتغابن: 21ْ
38
So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as
much as you can…(Q. 64:16)
Ibn Kathīr states that the previous verse, i.e., verse
284 worried the companions of the Prophets s.a.w. It runs
as follows:
) ...وَإِنْْ تُْبْدُوا مَْا فِْي أَْنْفُسِكُمْْ أَْوْْ تُْخْفُوهُْ يُْحَاسِبْكُمْْ بِْهِْ اْللَُّّْ... )ْالبقرة: 182
… And whether you disclose what is in
yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call
you to account for it… (Q. 2:284)
Then revelation came to make easy for them, that any
devilish insinuation or temptation would be tolerated as
long as they do not act upon it. The verse that worried the
Companions of the Prophet became abrogated by this verse.
The Qur’an commentator Ibn Kathīr gives the
commentary of verse 286 above as follows:
“Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error,”
means “if we forget an obligation or make an error while we
do not know its ruling.”1 “Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden
like that which You did not lay on those before us (Jews and
Christians)” means “do not require us to perform difficult
deeds as You required the previous nations, even if we are
able to perform them.”2 “Our Lord! Put not on us a burden
1 In a ḥadīth narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas, the Prophet s.a.w. said: إِنَّْ اْللَّْ تَْجَاوَزَْ عَْنْْ
أُمَّتِي اْلْخَطَأَْ وَْالنِّسْيَانَْ وَْمَا اْسْتُكْرِهُوا عَْلَيْهِْ )ْوراه اْبن مْاجة( “Verily, Allah tolerates from my
community mistake, forgetfulness, and being compelled.” (Reported by Ibn
Mājah)
2 Muhammad Asad is referring “to the heavy burden of rituals imposed by the
Law of Moses upon the children of Israel, as well as the-world renunciation
recommended by Jesus to his followers”. We learn that in the Old Testament
it states, “Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams,
you may eat any that have fins and scales.” (Leviticus 22:9; Deuteronomy
14:9). Therefore, shellfish which some people say contains high cholesterol
such as lobsters, oysters, shrimp, clams and crabs are all forbidden. It is
advised that shellfish should be avoided to lower cholesterol. But the other
view states that shellfish has very little cholesterol, such as crabs, mussels,
oysters, clams, scallops and lobster. According to Yale New Haven Hospital,
39
greater than we have strength to bear” means “do not inflict
upon us misfortune or trial which we have no power over
it.” Allah accepted the above three supplications. In a
ḥadīth qudsī narrated by Abu Hurayrah, Allah said, نَعَمْْ “Yes,”
(I shall accept your supplication), whereas in another
version narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās, Allah said, قَدْْ فَْعَلْتُْ “I did”
(accept your supplication) (Both ḥadīths were reported by
Muslim).
“Pardon us” وَاعْفُْ عَْنَّا means “between us and You
regarding what You know of our shortcoming and errors.”
“And grant us forgiveness” وَاغْفِرْْ لَْنَا means “between us and
Your servants, so that do not expose to them our errors and
evil deeds.” “Have mercy on us” وَارْحَمْنَا means “in what will
come in future, so that with your guidance do not let us fall
into another error.” It is said that the offender (evil doer)
needs three things: Allah’s forgiveness, His concealing it
from people, and His protection from other errors in future.
“You are our Mawla” أَنْتَْ مَْوْلَنَا means “You are our
protector, supporter and helper. We totally rely on You, and
the power is solely from You.” “…and give us victory over
the disbelieving people” فَانْصُرْنَا عَْلَى اْلْقَوْمِْ اْلْكَافِرِينَْ means “those
who reject Islam and the message of the Prophet, and
worship other than You.”
One example of the strict law in Judaism is the
observant of the Sabbath (“Shabbat”) day where Jewish
people have to rest. The Old Testament states: “For in six
days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and
all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.
“those claims [that shellfish and seafood have high cholesterol] hadn't entirely
stood up. Much of the excess cholesterol from seafood comes from
polyunsaturated fats, which are actually beneficial to heart health. Knowing
how much cholesterol is in seafood can help you incorporate it into your diet
without going over the recommended 200 to 300 milligrams per day.” On the
other hand, according to the New Testament, Jesus in his teaching on worldlyrenunciation
said: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25).
40
Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it
holy” (Exodus 10:22). “I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign
between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them
holy” (Ezekiel 10:21). The Sabbath day is so holy that
violating it is a grave offence and the punishment for the
offender although was originally death, now with more
lenient punishment. The observant Jews would obey 39
forbidden acts, and therefore, would not drive their cars on
the Sabbath day. It is because it is prohibited on that day
from forbidden act no. 37, namely, kindling a fire (the
combustion of engine by burning gasoline and oil), and
forbidden act no. 39, namely, taking an object from the
private domain to the public, or transporting an object in the
public domain (the movement of the car). The restrictions of
the Sabbath day can only be violated in case of necessity, to
save life.
(CIVIC, 27 February, 2015)
المراجع:
المكتبة اْلشاملة تفسير اْلطبري )ْت. 020ْ هْ)
تفسير اْلقرطبى )ْت. 182ْ هْ)
تفسير اْبن كْثير )ْت. 887ْ هْ)
Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur:
Percetakan Zafar Sdn Bhd, 2005
Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’ān. Gibraltar: Dar al-
Andalus, 1984.
Holy Bible: New International Version
http://articles.islamweb.net/media/index.php?page=article&lang=A
&id=13431.
http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm#Animal
http://www.sabbathtruth.com/free-resources/article.
41
8. PIOUS PEOPLE’S DU‘Ā (SUPPLICATION) IN THE QUR’ĀN (7)
Among the pious people’s du’a (supplication) mentioned in the
Qur’ān are the believers in general, seven of them are in sūrat Āl
‘Imrān (Q. 3:8, 9, 16 , 191, 192, 193, and 194). We shall deal here the
verses mentioned above as follows:
رَبَّنَا لَ تُزِ غ قُلُوبَنَا بَ عدَ إِ ذ هَدَ يتَنَا وَهَ ب لَنَا مِ ن لَدُ نكَ
) رَ حمَ ة إِنَّكَ أَ نتَ ا لوَهَّابُ )آل عمران: 8
Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the
truth) after You have guided us (Q. 3:8)
In a tradition narrated by Shahr ibn Ḥawshab he asked the
Prophet’s wife r.a., Umm Salamah, what was the du’a he said most
when he was with her, she said that he asked Allah to strengthen his
heart in Islam. When she asked him why he did so, he said that it was
because Allah had power to make the heart straight in the right path,
or make it deviate (Reported by TirmidhĪ)
The verse above continues with the following verse:
رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ جَامِعُ النَّاسِ لِيَ و م لَ رَ يبَ فِيهِ إِنَّ اللّ
) لَ يُ خلِفُ ا لمِيعَادَ )آل عمران : 9
Our Lord! Verily it is You Who will gather mankind together
on the Day about which there is no doubt.(Q. 3:9)
When it was revealed that Allah beautified for men the love of
things they covet: women, children, and wealth which are among the
pleasure of this life, and that He had the excellent return (Q. 3:14),
‘Umar r.a. said, “O Lord! It is now the time we wish that You
beautified these things for us!” Then Allah revealed that He would
give better things for pious people, Paradise underneath which rivers
flow, where they would have eternal home and wives… (Q. 3:15).
The next verse explains who these pious people are. Allah said:
الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا آمَنَّا فَا غفِ ر لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا
) عَذَابَ النَّارِ )آل عمران: 11
Those who say: “Our Lord! We have indeed
believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from
the punishment of the Fire.” (Q. 3:16)
42
It was narrated by ‘Aishah r.a. that while the Prophet s.a.w.
was standing to pray Bilal r.a. came to perform ādhān (to call to
prayer) and saw him weeping. So he asked him, “O Messenger of
Allah, do you [still] weep, while Allah has forgiven your previous and
past sins (misdeeds)?” He said, “O Bilal, am I not a grateful servant
[of Allah]? He has revealed to me last night the verse “Verily, in the
creation of the heavens and the earth…” then he said, “Woe to
whom who reads it and does not think deeply about it.” The verse
runs as follows:
إِنَّ فِي خَ لقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَا لَْ رضِ وَا ختِلََفِ اللَّ يلِ
) وَالنَّهَارِ لََيَا ت لُِْولِي ا لَْ لبَابِ )آل عمران: 191
Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth,
and in the alternation of night and day, there are
indeed signs for men of understanding (Q. 3:190).
The verse continues with:
الَّذِينَ يَ ذكُرُونَ اللَّّ قِيَا ما وَقُعُو دا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِ م وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ
فِي خَ لقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَا لَْ رضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَ قتَ هَذَا بَاطِ لَ
) سُ بحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ )آل عمران: 191
Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers)
standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and
think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the
earth, (saying): “Our Lord! You have not created (all) this
without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted are You above
all that they associate with You as partners). Give us
salvation from the torment of the Fire.(Q. 3:191)
يَ ذكُرُونَ اللََّّ “Remembering Allah”, means according to the Qur’ān
commentators “establishing the prayer” which is not to be
neglected, and if necessary, one prays sitting or on one’s side. The
other interpretation is that remembering Allah is not only in prayer,
but also outside prayer, while one is lying down, and reading the
Qur’ān. This is also the view of Shaykh Abū Zahrah.
Shaykh Abū Zahrah’s commentary regarding remembering
Allah he says that if the believer remembered Allah in all aspects of
his life the whole human community would live in harmony, quarrels
43
would become less, swords would not be unsheathed, and even two
people would not dispute each another. Above all, whoever
remembers Allah he would overcome the suffering of life and its
troubles, and people would not be inconvenient with him and would
not become confused with him, and therefore, Allah said,
) الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَ طمَئِ ن قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكرِ اللَِّّ أَل بِذِ كرِ اللِّ تَ طمَئِ ن ا لقلُوبُ )الرعد: 88
Those who believed, and in whose hearts find rest in
the remembrance of Allah: verily, in the remembrance
of Allah do hearts find rest.(Q. 13:28)
يَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَ لقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَا لَْ رضِ “Think deeply about the creation
of the heavens and the earth” means being conscious of the
existence of the Creator Who created and designed everything, Who
is the Supreme, the Almighty. Abū Hurayrah narrated that the
Messenger of Allah talked about a man lying down, look up to the
sky and the stars, and said to them, “I bear witness that you have a
lord and a creator”. Then the man prayed, “O Allah, forgive me.”
Then Allah forgave him.
مَا خَلَ قتَ هَذَا بَاطِ لَ “You have not created (all) this without
purpose”, means not in vain, not uselessly, not for fun, but Your
creation indicates Your power and wisdom. You created this creature
for something important; there will be reward, punishment,
accounting, Heaven and Hell.
سُ بحَانَكَ “Glory to You!” means that Allah is free from any defect.
When the Prophet was asked the meaning of سُ بحَانَ اللَِّّ (“Glory to
Allah!” he said, “Purifying Allah from any defect” ) )تَ نزِيهُ اللَِّّ عَنِ ال سوءِ
Shaykh Abu Zahrah says that there are three levels in thinking
deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth. The first and
the lowest level is looking at the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars
and others, and this is the common sight among common people and
people of understanding. The second level which is higher than the
first, is thinking deeply their creation, the secrets and the rules of
their creation, and this is what astronomers and other scholars in
their fields do. The third and the highest level is thinking deeply
beyond the creature, namely, the Creator. He thinks deeply the
44
universe and its contents to realize the majesty of the Creator, so
that he would know the mighty of the Creator through the beauty of
the creature. This highest level of thinking deeply is the one intended
in the above verse. The heart becomes submitted, and the tongue
becomes humiliated, and said, “Glory to You. Give us salvation from
the torment of the Fire.”
Then the pious people continued their du’a in the following
verse:
رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ مَ ن تُ دخِلِ النَّارَ فَقَ د أَ خزَ يتَهُ وَمَا
) لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِ ن أَ نصَا ر )آل عمران : 198
“Our Lord! Verily, whom You admit to the Fire,
indeed, You have disgraced him;’ and never will be
Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers)
find any helpers.(Q. 3:192)
Then their du’a continued with the following verse:
رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا سَمِ عنَا مُنَادِ يا يُنَادِي لِ لِْيمَانِ أَ ن آمِنُوا بِرَبِّكُ م فَآمَنَّا رَبَّنَا فَا غفِ ر
) لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَكَفِّ رعَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا وَتَوَفَّنَا مَعَ ا لَْ برَارِ )آل عمران : 193
“Our Lord! Verily, we have heard the call of one
calling to Faith: ‘Believe in your Lord,’ and we have
believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and expiate
from us evil deeds, and make us die (in the state
of righteousness) along with al-Abrar
(the pious believers) (Q. 3:193)
مُنَادِ يا يُنَادِي لِ لِْيمَانِ “… the one calling to Faith” was Muhammad
s.a.w., and this was the view of Ibn Mas‘ūd, Ibn Zayd and the
majority of mufassirīn. Another view was that of Qatādah,
Muhammad ibn Ka‘b al-Quraẓī, that it was the Qur’ān, as not
everybody had heard the Prophet calling people to Islam. Moreover,
it was the Qur’ān which the jinn heard, and which guided to the right
path, as mentioned in the Qur’ān, when they said:
) 1 – إِنَّا سَمِ عنا قُ رآن ا عَجَب ا يَ هدِي إِلَى ال ر شدِ " )الجن: 8
They said: “We have heard a wonderful
Recitation (this Qur’ān). It guides to
the Right Path…”(Q. 72:1-2)
45
Here as mentioned in this verse, it was the Qur’ān which called
to the Faith, not the Prophet. However, the argument of the first
view is that whoever heard the Qur’ān it was as if he met the
Prophet. Al-Ṭabarī said that the right view was the second one. It is
because many people whom Allah described in this verse were not
those who had seen the Prophet with their own eyes, so that they
heard his call, but it was the Qur’ān.
The expression فَا غفِ ر لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا “forgive us our sins” and كَفِّ رعَنَّا سَيِّئَاتِنَا
“expiate from us evil deeds” are the same to emphasize the du’a in
asking Allah’s forgiveness. The word kaffir means “cover”, and
“covering evil deeds” means “expiate them” which also means
“forgive”. The term kāfir literally means “coverer”, i.e., a person who
“covers” the truth (Islam), a disbeliever.
Shaykh Abu Zahrah makes distinction between forgiveness of
dhunūb (sins), which is being neglectful or being slow in performing
one’s religious obligation, and expiation of sayyi’āt (evil deeds),
which is disobedience by doing what is prohibited. Forgiveness of
sins means deliverance from Hellfire, whereas expiation from evil
deeds means the removal of the trace of misdeed. The third contents
of the du ‘a is their request that Allah would make them die among
pious people.
Then these people continue their du’a as follows:
رَبَّنَا وَآتِنَا مَا وَعَ دتَنَا عَلَى رُسُلِكَ وَلَ تُ خزِنَا يَ ومَ ا لقِيَامَةِ
) إِنَّكَ لَ تُ خلِفُ ا لمِيعَادَ )آل عمران: 191
“Our Lord! Grant us what You promised to us
through Your Messengers and disgrace us not on
the Day of Resurrection, for You never
break (Your) Promise.”(Q. 3:194)
They ask Allah to grant them what He has promised them
through prophets sent to them. Prophets, even angels, pray to
believers among their respective followers. They ask Allah not to
disgrace them with punishment in the Hereafter
Allah accepted their supplication when He said:
فَا ستَجَابَ لَهُ م رَ بهُ م أَنِّي لَ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَامِ ل مِ نكُ م مِ ن ذَكَ ر أَ و
46
أُ نثَى بَ عضُكُ م مِ ن بَ ع ض فَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا وَأُ خرِجُوا مِ ن دِيَارِهِ م وَأُوذُوا
فِي سَبِيلِي وَقَاتَلُوا وَقُتِلُوا لَُْكَفِّرَنَّ عَ نهُ م سَيِّئَاتِهِ م وَلَُْ دخِلَنَّهُ م
جَنَّا ت تَ جرِي مِ ن تَ حتِهَا ا لَْ نهَارُ ثَوَا با مِ ن عِ ندِ اللَِّّ وَاللَّّ ) عِ ندَه حُ سنُ الثَّوَابِ )آل عمران: 195
So their Lord accepted of them (their supplication and
answered them), “Never will allow to be lost the work of
you, be he male or female. You are (members) of one
another, so those who emigrated and were driven out
from their homes, and suffered harm in My Cause,
verily, I will expiate from them their evil deeds and
admit them into Gardens under which rivers flow
(in Paradise); a reward from Allah, and with
Allah is the best of rewards.” (Q. 3:195)
Allah accepted their prayer, and mentioned the emigrants,
either male or female, He would forgive them, and admit them to
Paradise. He mentioned that He would reward the good deeds of the
believers, male and female, as the Prophet’s wife Ummu Salamah
had asked him why Allah did not mention the female gender in His
revelation.
As the merit of the above verses the Imam Ja‘far al-Ṣādiq said
that whoever had a serious problem let him make the du’a
(supplication) by reciting surat Āl ‘Imrān (chapter 3) verse 191 till 194
above where رَبَّنَا (“Our Lord!”) are mentioned five times, and Allah
would accept his supplication. (Civic, 6 March, 2015)
المراجع:
المكتبة الشاملة
تفسير الطبري )ت. 311 ه)
تفسير القرطبى )ت. 171 ه)
تفسير ابن كثير )ت. 771 ه)
زهرة التفاسير
Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur:
Percetakan Zafar Sdn Bhd, 2005 Asad,
Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’ān. Gibraltar: Dar al-Andalus,
1984.
47
9. PIOUS PEOPLE’S DU‘Ā (SUPPLICATION) IN THE QUR’ĀN (8)
The remaining pious people’s du’a (supplication) mentioned in
the Qur’ān are in sūrat al-Mu’minūn (Q. 23:109), sūrat al-Furqān (Q.
25:65 and 74), and sūrat al-Taḥrīm (Q. 66:8). We shall deal here the
verses mentioned above as follows:
In the Hereafter Allah would rebuke the People of Hell for their
disbelief and sins, because of which they were doomed to Hell. He
would remind them of prophets sent to them but they did not
believe in them. They would admit their mistakes and would ask
Allah to send them back to this world, and promised that if they
repeat the wrong-doing they would deserve punishment. But Allah
would not accept their request. Instead, He would remind them how
they used to make fun of His slaves who prayed for His forgiveness.
(Q. 23: 104-110). Allah says:
إِنَّ هُ كَُانَُ فَُرِي قُ مُِ نُ عُِبَادِي يَُق ول ونَُ رَُبَّنَا آُمَنَّا فَُا غفِ رُ لَُنَاُ
) وَا رحَ منَا وَُأَ نتَُ خَُ ي رُ اُلرَّاحِمِينَُ )ُالمؤمنون: 901
Verily, there was a party of My slaves, who used to say:
“Our Lord! We believe, so forgive us and have mercy on us,
for You are the Best of all who show mercy.” (Q. 23:109)
This is one of many supplications of pious people mentioned in
the Qur’ān. According to the Qur’ān commentator Mujāhid, among
these pious people were weak believers, such as Bilāl, Khabbāb,
Ṣuhayb. But the disbelievers, such as Abū Jahl and his companions
used to mock them for their belief. (Q. 23:110)
At the last part of the Qur’ān sūrat al-Furqān (Q. 25) from
verse 63 till 77 (the end of the chapter) Allah mentions in the Qur’ān
the attributes of pious people whom He calls عِبَا دُ اُلرَّ حمَنُِ (“the
servants of the Most Gracious” to indicate His graciousness to them).
He also mentions their du’a, and the reward awaiting them in the
Hereafter. As for the impious, Allah would punish them, unless they
repent. This is another way to teach us how to be pious by following
the examples of these people described by Allah in the Qur’ān, as
follows:
48
- They walk on the earth with serenity, dignity and humility, not
with arrogance or pride.
- If ignorant people insult them, they forgive them, and if they
respond they do it with good words.
- They spend the night in worship of their Lord.
- They pray to Allah to save them from Hellfire, as in the
following verse:
وَالَّذِينَُ يَُق ول ونَُ رَُبَّنَا اُ صرِ فُ عَُنَّا عَُذَابَُ جَُهَنَّمَُ
) إِنَُّ عَُذَابَهَا كَُانَُ غَُرَامًا. )ُالفرقان: 56
And those who say: “Our Lord! Avert from us
the torment of Hell. Verily, its torment is ever an
inseparable, permanent punishment.”(Q. 25:65).
This Hell is an evil abode to rest in.
- When they spend, neither extravagant nor niggardly, but
between the two extremes.
- They do not invoke any other (god) along with Allah, a major sin
- They do not kill except for just cause, a major sin
- They do not commit illegal sexual intercourse, a major sin.
Whoever commits any of these major sins will be severely
punished by Allah with double punishment and in disgrace on
the Day of Resurrection. But if they repent with true
repentance and do righteous deed, Allah will not only accept
their repentance, but He will also change their sins into good
deeds.1
- They do not give false testimony.
1 Ibn ‘Abbās r.a. narrated that some pagans committed murders in great
number and committed illegal sexual intercourse excessively came to the
Prophet s.a.w. asking him whether they could make an expiation for their past
evil deeds. Then revelation came to accept their repentance if they repent as
mentioned above. Allah also revealed: ق لُ يَُا عُِبَادِيَُ اُلَّذِينَُ أَُ سرَف وا عَُلَى أَُ نف سِهِ مُ لَُُ تَُ قنَ طوا مُِ نُ
)ُ رَ حمَةُِ اُللَُِّّ إُِنَُّ اُللََُّّ يَُ غفِ رُ اُلذُّ نوبَُ جَُمِيعًا إُِنَّ هُ هوَُ اُ لغَف و رُ اُلرَّحِي مُ )ُالزمر: 65 “Say: O My salves who
have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)!
Despair not in the Mercy of Allah: verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-
Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Q. 39:53)
49
Lying deliberately is also is among major sins. Abū Bakrah
narrated that the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. said three times:
“Shall I tell you of the greatest of major sins?” They Said: “Of
course, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Associating others in
worship with Allah and disobeying one’s parents.” He was lying
down, then he sat up and added: “Beware false speech, and
bearing witness to falsehood.” He kept repeating it until they
thought, would that he would stop. (Reported by Muslim).
- If they pass by evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity.
- When they are reminded of Allah’s ayat (proofs, evidences,
verses, signs, revelations, etc.) they do not fall deaf and blind.
- They pray to Allah, as mentioned in the Qur’ān as follows:
وَالَّذِينَُ يَُق ول ونَُ رَُبَّنَا هَُ بُ لَُنَا مُِ نُ أَُ زوَاجِنَا وَُ ذرِّيَّاتِنَا قُ رَّةَُُ
) أَ ع ي نُ وَُا جعَ لنَا لُِ ل متَّقِينَُ إُِمَامًا )ُالفرقان: 47
And those who say: “Our Lord! Bestow on us from
our wives and our offspring the comfort of our eyes,
and make us leaders of the pious.”(Q. 25: 74)
Allah will reward them with the highest place in Paradise
because of their patience in doing what they did, where they will be
greeted with words of welcome and honour. Peace will be theirs and
they will be wished peace, and will settle in Paradise forever. To
disbelievers Allah told the Prophet s.a.w. to tell them that Allah paid
attention only to those who made invocation to Him and worship
Him, but because they denied Him, they would be punished in Hell.
Allah calls the believers to turn to Him with sincere
repentance, that He may expiate their sins and admit them to
Paradise under which rivers flow. That day Allah will not disgrace the
Prophet and those who believe with him. Their light will run forward
before them and in their right hands. They will say:
) رَبَّنَا أَُ تمِ مُ لَُنَا نورَنَا وَُا غفِ رُ لَُنَا إُِنَّكَُ عَُلَى كلُِّ شَُ ي ءُ قَُدِي رُ )ُالتحريم: 8
“Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us [and do not
put it off till we cross over the Sirat (a slippery bridge
over the Hell) safely] and grant us forgiveness.
50
Verily, You are Able to do all things.” (Q. 66:8)
In the Hereafter, while the believers are crossing the Ṣirāṭ
(bridge over the Hell) Allah gives them light depending on their good
deeds, whereas the hypocrites will have no light. The believers will
ask Allah to keep the light for them until they finish crossing the
Ṣirāṭ. The hypocrites, having no light will ask the believers to wait for
them and to give them some light, but they will be told to return to
the rear where the believers get light, then seek a light… (Q. 64:95)
The classical Qur’ān commentator al-Qurṭubī mentions various
interpretations of the term “sincere repentance” ( تَ وبَةًُ نَُ صوحا (, among
which are as follows:
- not repeating or returning to the same sin, like milk will not
return to the teat (the interpretation of ‘Umar, Ibn Mas‘ūd, Ubayy
ibn Ka‘b, and Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal)
- hating the sin one has committed and asking forgiveness
whenever it is mentioned (the interpretation of al-Ḥasan)
- being remorse with heart, asking forgiveness with tongue,
refraining from the sin, and being confident that the sin will not
be repeated (the interpretation of al-Kalbī)
- three conditions to be fulfilled for the acceptance of the
repentance: worry that it would not be accepted, hope that it
would be accepted, and continuation of obedience (the
interpretation of Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr)
- its signs are: lack of talking, lack of eating, and lack of sleeping
(the interpretation of the Ṣūfī Dhū ‘l-Nūn)
- forgetting the sin, and never mention it, as the person who
repents sincerely will love Allah, and whoever loves Allah he will
forget other than Him (the interpretation of the Ṣūfī al-Junayd)
Besides pious people, angels who carry the ‘Arsh also pray for
the believers besides glorifying Allah. Allah aid:
الَّذِينَُ يَُ حمِل ونَُ اُ لعَ رشَُ وَُمَ نُ حَُ ولَ هُ يسَبِّ حونَُ بُِحَ مدُِ رَُبِّهِ مُ وَُ ي ؤمِ نونَُ بُِهُُِ
وَيَ ستَ غفِ رونَُ لُِلَّذِينَُ آُمَ نوا رَُبَّنَا وَُسِ عتَُ كلَُّ شَُ ي ءُ رَُ حمَةًُ وَُعِ لمًا فَُا غفِ رُ
لُِلَّذِينَُ تَُا بوا وَُاتَّبَ عوا سَُبِيلَكَُ وَُقِهِ مُ عَُذَابَُ اُ لجَحِيمُِ .ُ رَُبَّنَا وَُأَ دخِ ل ه مُ جَُنَّاتُِ
عَُ د نُ اُلَّتِي وَُعَ دتَ ه مُ وَُمَ نُ صَُلَحَُ مُِ نُ آُبَائِهِ مُ وَُأَ زوَاجِهِ مُ وَُ ذرِّيَّاتِهِ مُ إُِنَّكَُ أَُ نتَُ
51
اُ لعَزِي زُ اُ لحَكِي مُ .ُوَقِهِ مُ اُلسَّيِّئَُاتُِ وَُمَ نُ تَُقُِ اُلسَّيِّئَاتُِ يَُ ومَئِ ذُ فَُقَ دُُ
)1- رَحِ متَ هُ وَُذَلِكَُ هوَُ اُ لفَ و زُ اُ لعَظِي مُ )ُغافر: 4
Those (angels) who bear the Throne (of Allah) and those
around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him,
and ask forgiveness for those who believe (in the Oneness of
Allah) (saying): “Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy
and knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your
Way, and save them from the torment of the blazing Fire!
Our Lord! And make them enter the ‘Adn (Eden) Paradise
(everlasting Gardens) which You have promised them—and
to the righteous among their fathers, their wives, and their
offspring! Verily, You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.
And save them from (the punishment for what they
did of) the sins, and whomsoever You save from
(the punishment for what he did of) the sins (i.e.
pardon him) that Day, him verily, You have
taken into mercy.” And that is the
supreme success.(Q. 40:4-9)
The angles who are close to Allah and who bear His Throne,
glorify Him, believe in Him, submit themselves to Him and ask
forgiveness for the believers on the earth who repent, save them
from Hellfire, save them from the sins, and make them enter Heaven
which He has promised them together with their righteous parents,
spouses, and offspring.
Allah said that the angels continuously glorify Allah without
being tired. He said:
وَلَ هُ مَُ نُ فُِي اُلسَّمَاوَاتُِ وَُا لَْ رضُِ وَُمَ نُ عُِ ندَهُ لَُُ يَُ ستَ كبِ رونَُ عَُ نُ عُِبَادَتِهُُُِ
)ُ00- وَلَُ يَُ ستَ حسِ رونَُ. يسَبِّ حونَُ اُللَّ يلَُ وَُالنَّهَارَُ لَُُ يَُ ف ت رونَُ )ُالْنبياء: 91
To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and on earth.
And those who are near Him (i.e., the angles) are not too
proud to worship Him, nor are they weary (of His worship).
They (i.e., the angles) glorify His Praises night and day
(and) they never slacken (to do so) (Q. 21:19-20)
52
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās r.a. asked Ka‘b al-Aḥbār the meaning of
the above verses, namely, how do the angels glorify Allah
continuously night and day without becoming weary and exhausted.
“Is the blinking of your eyes a burden to you? Is your breathing
a burden to you?” asked Ka‘b al-Aḥbār.
“No,” answer Ibn ‘Abbas.
“So are the angels, they are inspired by Allah to glorify Him, just
like you are inspired by instinct to blink your eyes and to breathe,”
said Ka‘b al-Aḥbār.
In a tradition narrated by Jābir r.a. that he heard the Messenger
of Allah s.a.w. said: “The people of Paradise eat and drink, but they
do not spit, not urinate, not defecate, and not blow their noses.”
They asked: “What about food?” He answered: “Belching (i.e.
sending out gas from the stomach noisily through the mouth),
perspiring like the secretion of musk, and they are inspired to glorify
and praise Allah like they are inspired by instinct to breathe.”
(Reported by Muslim)
We see that many du’as we used to recite are derived from the
Qur’ān. By doing it we shall have double merits: making du’a and at
the same time we recite the verses of the Qur’ān which gives tenfold
reward.
(Civic, 95 March, 2015(
المراجع:
المكتبة اُلشاملةُ
تفسير اُلطبري )ُت. 590ُ هُ(
تفسير اُلقرطبى )ُت. 549ُ هُ(
تفسير اُبن كُثير )ُت. 447ُ هُ(
Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur:
Percetakan Zafar Sdn Bhd, 2005 Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’ān. Gibraltar: Dar al-
Andalus, 1984
53
10. SCIENCE OF TAJWĪD (1)
What is tajwīd? It is derived from the verb جَوَّدََ (to do well, to
make better, to improve). The term tajwīd literally meansَ تََ حَ سَ يَن
(beautification, improvement, betterment) and إَ تَقََان (perfection,
mastery, proficiency). Technically, tajwīd is a science dealing with
rules to be followed during recitation of the ā according to what
Muslims learned from Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. It means every
letter in has to be pronounced properly, and every word in the
Qur’ān has to be articulated properly. It is a religious duty to do it
when reciting the Qur’ān to the best one’s ability.
Arabic is the language of the Qur’ān which has to be recited in
its original texts in prayers. As Islam is embraced by various
nationalities other than the Arabs, each of them has its own problem
with Arabic language in general, and citing the Qur’ān in particular.
French people, for example, although they have letter “h” in their
language, but it is not pronounced, such as “hôtel”, and “hôpital,”
but when they say them in English, “hotel” and “hospital,” the letter
“h” has to be pronounced clearly. They will encounter more
problems in Arabic which has two kinds of “h” and which have to be
articulated differently, such as the word “ḥalāl” ) حَلال ( meaning
“lawful, legal” and “hilāl” ) هلال ( meaning "crescent".َ Another
problem is articulating the letter “kh”َ ) خ(, such as the word “khilāl” خلال( ( meaning “during, between, through; pin, skewer”), but the
Dutch and the Germans have no problem with it, as they have it in
their languages, such as “gram”, and “doch” respectively.
Letter “gh”َ ) غ( emitted from the throat is another letter
difficult to articulate, such as “ghayr” ) غَ ير ( meaning “other than,
different from.” A German student at al-Azhar in Cairo said that
articulating letter “gh” in Arabic is close to letter “r” which is also
emitted from the throat in German, so that to say ghayr properly it is
like saying rayr, but the first “r” is slowly turned into “g”, namely,
rgayr.
There are two kinds of “t” in Arabic: dental “t” ) ت(, such as
“anta” ) أَ نتَ ( meaning “you” (masc.), and the “heavy t” ) ط(, such as
54
“ṭayr” ) طَ ير (ََ meaning “a bird”. This letter sounds like letter “t” in the
word “time” pronounced in the Australian accent. To make
distinction between the two, we put a dot under the heavy letter t,
namely, “ṭ” in its transliteration.
There are two kinds of letter “k” in Arabic: the normal one is
“k” ) ك( , such as “kalb” ) كَ لب (, meaning “a dog”, and the emitted from
the throat k” ) ق(, such as “qalb” ) قَ لب (, meaning “a heart”.َ
Apparently, this letter ق is not so easy to pronounce, that it is
dropped in the Egyptian slang, so that qalb becomes alb, whereas in
the Saudi Arabian slang it is replaced with letter “g” so that it is
pronounced “galb,” like “gulf” in English. In order to make distinction
between the two “k”s, the emitted from the throat “k” is written in
its transliteration with “q” (in the earlier transliteration it was written
with a dot under letter “k”).
There are two kinds of “a” in Arabic: the normal “a” ) أ(, which is
called alif in Arabic, such as “asā” ) أَسَى (, meaning “to be sad, to be
distressed”, and the emitted from the throat “a” ) ع(, which is called
in Arabic ‘ayn ) ع(, such as “‘asā” ) عَسَى (, meaning “it might be, it could
be”.
There are two kinds of “z” in Arabic: the normal “z” ) ز(, such as
“zayt” ) زَ يت (َ , meaning “oil”, and “z close to d” ) ظ (, such as “ẓālim”
ظَال م( (, meaning “a wrong-doer”. For the “z” close to “d” ( ظ ), its
transliteration is a dot is put under the letter z, namely, ẓ.
There are two Arabic letters which are also hard to pronounce,
namely, letterَ صَ (its transliteration is a dot under letter s, namely, ṣ)
which sounds like the whistle of boiling water in the kettle, such as
the word ṣalāt ) صَلاة (, meaning “prayer”. The other letter is ض (its
transliteration is a dot put under letter d, namely, ḍ), such as “ḍalāl”
ضَلاَل( (, meaning “straying from the right path or from truth, error”).1
1 It is said that the Japanese language has no letter “l”, whereas the Chinese
languages have no letter “r”, so that the Japanese and the Chinese in learning
English will have problem in saying the word “really”, “lorry”, “rarely”. Our
Japanese and Chinese Muslim brothers and sisters will confirm or deny this.
55
The Arabic language has no letter “p”, so that this letter is
replaced with letter “b”, such as “Pakistan” becomes “Bākistān”
باكستان( (, “Japan” becomes “Yābān” ) يابان (, “Napoleon” becomes
“Nābulyūn” ) نابليون (, etc. Sometimes names are completely changed
in Arabic, such as “Plato” becomes “Aflāṭūn” ) أفلاطون (, and
“Nebuchadnezzar” becomes “Bukhtunaṣṣar” ) .)بختنصّر
There has been an attempt to invent a new letter for letter “p”
in Arabic, namely, three dots: one dot for letter “b”, two dots for
letter “y”, and three dots for letter “p”, but so far, this attempt has
not been very successful, but adopted in Urdu language. However, in
other languages that adopted the Arabic scripts, many new letters
have been introduced in their Arabic scripts to accommodate letters
not found in Arabic, such as letter “ch” for “church, chair” and letter
“g” for “go, get”, letter “ng” for “long, sing” etc. The Urdu language
which is the official language of Pakistan and the Persian language of
former Persia, now called Iran have adopted the Arabic scripts and
invented special scripts to accommodate their respective languages.
In order to pronounce Arabic letters properly there are 17
emission points of the letter (makhārij al-ḥurūf). They are located in
various regions of the throat, tongue, lips, and nose. Wrong
pronunciation would give wrong meaning, such as qalb means “a
heart”, whereas kalb means “a dog”. The word maṭar means “rain”,
whereas maṭār (with long “a”) means “an airport.” In English we
have to make clear distinction in pronouncing words, like: “later,
latter, letter, litter, litre, etc.”2
There are two main branches of knowledge about tajwīd: The
correct pronunciation of letters in different places, and the correct
length and emphasis of the vowels under different circumstances.
1. The correct pronunciation of letters in different places, such as the
following:
a. Assimilation ( إدغام ), which is divided into two:
2 A friend from Nigeria when he said “come” it was like saying “comb”, and
“mother” like “modern.” I do not know whether this is his own English or the
Nigerian English.
56
(1) Full Assimilation ) إدغام بلا غنة (, i.e., without nasalization.
The sound “n” followed by either letter “l” ) ل(or “r”َ ) ,)ر
the sound “n” ) ن( disappears and the letter “l” or “r” are
doubled and become “ll” or “rr”, such as, Ashhadu aN Lāَ
(pronouncedَ aLLā) ) أشهدأن لَا (, … and anna muḥammadaN
Rasūlullāh (pronounced muḥammadaR Rasūlullāh) )محمدا
رسول اَلله(َ . To remember: “suddeNLy” (read “suddeLLy”)
and “suNRise” (read “suRRise”)
(2) Nasal Assimilation ( إدغام بغنة ), occurs when the sound “N” is
follows by one of the following letters, the sound “N”
disappears and the letters that follow it are doubled, as
follows”
- “M”) م(, n+m=mm; rasūluN Minhum,, read rasūluMMinhum
رسول مَنهم( ( (Remember: “iNMate” and read “iMMate”)
- “Y” ) ي(, n+y=yy maN Yashā’, read maYYashā’ََََ ) )ََمن يَشاء
(Remember: teN Years read teYYears)
- “W” ) و(, n+w=ww; hudaN Waraḥmah read hudaW
Waraḥmah ) )هدى وَرحمة
(Remember: seveN Weeks read seveWWeeks)
- “N”) ن(, n+n=nn jannātuN Na‘īm read jannātuNNa‘īm
جنات نَعيم( ( (the same). (Remember: uNNatural), no change!
To remember all these, try to read this sentence based on
assimilation: “It is suddenly sunrise, but it is unnatural to
have an inmate for ten years and seven weeks.”
However, there are four exceptions, namely, bunyānَ
بنيان(َ (, dunyāَ ) دنيا (, qinwānَ ) قنوان (َ , and ṣinwānَ ) .)صنوان
b. Substitution ) إقلاب (. The sound “N” when it is followed by letter
“B” ) ب( the sound “N” turns into “M”. n+b=mb. For example:
samī‘uN Baṣīr read samī‘uM Baṣīr ) )سميع بَصير
(Remember: CaNBerra shoud be read CaMBerra; in bed
becomes im bed; umbearable, sumbeam, Hudsom Bay, cannom
balls, etc. where sound “n” is turned into “m”.
57
(When I wrote “Ibn Ḥanbal” in my writing the editor
“corrected” it with “Ibn Ḥambal” as it is pronounced so)
c. Intensification ) قلقلة (. There are five letters which should be
very clearly articulated when they have no vowel, whether in
the middle of the sentence or at the end of it. They are:
- “Q” ) ق(, such as: khalaqnā read khalaqənā,َ ) )َََخلقنا
min ‘alaq read min ‘alaqəَ ) )َمن عَلق
This is extremely important to make it pronounced differently
from letter “K” ) ك(. “Khalaqənā” ) خلقنا ( means “We have
created”, whereas “halaknā” ) هلكنا (َ means “We have become
perished”
- ”Ṭ” ) ط(, such as: fiṭrah read fiṭərah; mahīṭ read mahīṭəََ محيط
This is also extremely important to distinguish between “Ṭ”
ط(َ ( and “T” ) ت(. “matrūk” ) متروك (َ means “heritage, legacy,
(something) left” whereas “maṭərūqə”َ ) مطروق ( means
“(something) much frequented, much traveled, much discussed
(subject)”. In the past we had ghalatَ ) غلت ( which means
“mistake” in calculation, but no longer found in modern Arabic
dictionary, and ghalaṭə ) غلط ( which is mistake in general sense.
-“B” ) ب(, such subḥānallāh read subəḥānallāh ) )سبحان اَلله
waqab read waqabəَ ) )ََََوقب
This is also important to distinguish between “B” ( ب) and “F”
ف( (. ”Kasabəta” ) كسبتََ (َ means “you have earned, you win”,
whereas “kasafta” ) كسفتََ (َ means “you have reproved (s.o.)”.
“J” ) ج(, such as yaj‘alūna read yajə‘alūna;َََََ ) )يجعلون
burūj read burūjə.ََََ ) )بروج
“D” ) د(, such as yadkhulūna read yadəkhulūna ) )يدخلون
yalid read yalidəَ ) )َيلد
This is also important to make distinction between “D” ( (د
and “T” ( ت). yudəriku ) يَدرك (َ means “he understands, he
realizes”, whereas yatruku ) يترك (َ means “he leaves”.
58
In order to remember these 5 letters, 2 are not available
in English letter: ق (in transliteration “q”), and ط (in
transliteration “ṭ”), and we joined them and becomes ,قط
pronounced “qiṭṭ” which means “cat”. The other three letters
we remember the second, the third and the fourth letters of
the classical Arabic alphabet, أبجد , namely, ج , بَ , and د , or of
the Greek alphabet, (Alpha α), Beta (β), Gamma (γ), Delta (δ),
representing the three letters, B, J and D.
If we read surūt al-Ikhlāṣ (chaper 112) we shall see that all
of its five verses end with letter “d”, and should be articulated
clearly, namely, “…də.” For walam yakuN lahū read walam
yakuLLahū ( ولم يَكن لَه ). Remember “suddenly” becomes
suddeLLy. The chapter which follows it, sūrat al-Falaq (chapter
113), its five verses end with “Q” twice, with “B” once, and with
“D” twice, all should be clearly articulated, namely, …qə, …bə,
and …də.
Sūrat al-Masad (chapter 111) four of its five verses end
with “B”, and the last verse ends with “D”, all have to be
articulated clearly. For abī lahabiN Wattabb read abī
lahabiWWatabbə ) أبي لَهب وَتب (. Remember seveN Weeks read
seveWWeeks
As Muslims, whatever background we come from and whatever
mother-tongue we have, we need to learn reading the Qur’ān
properly as good as we can, to avoid what the Arabs call laḥn
(mispronunciation). We do not want to say, for example, “a dog”
(kalb) when we mean “a heart” (qalb).
(To be continued) (Civic, 20 March, 2015)
Sources:
Denffer, Ahmad von. ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur: The Islamic
Foundation, 1983
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajwid
59
11. SCIENCE OF TAJWĪD (2)
When we introduce foreign words into English, sometimes we
have to pronounce them as they are in order to be understood by
people, such as Grand Prix (read “groŋ prie”; French, lit. “Grand
Price”)1, ballet (Fr., read “balei”) dance, Giro d’Italia (read as “jiro
ditalia” lit. “Italian tour”). As letter “z” is pronounced “ts” in Italian,
we are supposed to say “pitstsa” for “pizza”, and “piatstsa” for
“piazza” meaning “a place, a square. “Caffé e latte” and “café au lait”
are nothing but “coffe-milk” made respectively in Italian and French
way. As letter “j” is pronounced as a weak “h” in Spanish, the name
José should pronounced “(H)osé” (for Joseph), and marijuana as
mari(h)uana.
Since the invention of “cheese burger” people might think that
hamburger is made of ham which is not supposed to be so. The word
is derived from the city “Hamburg” in Germany. And hamburger is
originally (1) ground or chopped beef made into round flat cake and
fried, (2) sandwich or bread roll filled with this. Any hamburger has
to be with beef, and not with ham. If the meat is replaced by cheese,
then it is called cheese burger.
Even in the English language, American, Canadian, Australian
and British English from which King’s English became the standard
and educated English, they have some differences in their accents
and slangs. When the American says “a letter” the sound is like
saying “a ladder”, and when the Australian says “nine” it is as he is
saying “neun” (9) in German. When an American tourist asked a
Birtish man about the “Comedy Theatre” he did not understand it,
because what he thought was “Cormedy Theatre”. When I asked for
1 The term Grand Price may refer to competitions, such as Shanghai Golden
Grand Prix; to Racing, such as Grand Prix Motor Racing; to Combat Sports,
such as International Wrestling Grand Prix; to Chess, such as, Grand Prix
Attacks (a chess opening); to Equestrianism, such as, Grand Prix (horse race);
to Awards, such as Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival); to Video games, such as,
Formula One Grand Prix (video game)
60
“shipping bags” at the department store in Montreal, the girl who
worked in the store did not understand me, until I found them
myself and told her that these were what I wanted.
She said she did not understand me, because she thought I was
saying “sheeping bags”.
Arabic language and its various dialects and slangs are more
devastating for non-Arabs who learn classical or modern written
Arabic, al-‘Arabiyyah al-Fuṣḥá ) العربية الفصحى (, like the one used in
the Qur’ān. The common expression for “yes” in the Arab world
besides na‘am is iywā or aywā which is originally from iy wallah )إي
والله ( meaning meaning “yes, by Allah”. Learning Arabic in the
Middle-East you are also to be familiar with the slang of the area you
are visiting. When I taught Lebanese school children the word ummī
meaning “my mother”, they said that it should have been immī. I told
them, it was in Lebanese slang, only understood by Lebanese and
some other Arabs, whereas ummī, was understood by the whole Arabs
as well as non-Arabs who know Arabic, because it was a classical and
modern standard Arabic. Similarly, the term bayyī and khayyī stand
for abī and akhī meaning “my father” and “my brother” respectively.
The verses of the Qur’ān were revealed murattal, i.e., cafrefully
and precisely articulated, slowly recited in chanting manner, as well
as mujawwad, i.e, verses read with correct and good pronunciation.
The science of tajwīd was orally taught by the teacher to his students
through repeated readings until they master it. The teacher read the
verses of the Qur’an to his students, and the students listened to
him. Next, the students read them, and the teacher listened to them
and corrected their mistakes. There had not been any guided book
for teaching tajwīd until the 4th century of A.H. when the science of
tajwīd was introduced as knowledge by itself.
The first who laid down the rules of tajwīd were the leaders of
readings and languists at the beginning of the era of compilation.
Some said it was laid down by al-Khalīl ibn Aḥmad (100-170/718-
786)2, others said it was by Abū ’l-Aswad al-Du’alī (16BH-69/603–
2 Al-Khalil bin Ahmad was one of the great masters in the science of Arabic
grammar, and the discoverer of the rules of prosody.
61
688)3, and another view is that it was laid down by Abū ‘Ubayd al-
Qāsim ibn al-Sallām (157-224/774-839).4 The impact of the increase
of Islamic conquest and the conversion of many non-Arabs to Islam,
led to the mixure of Arabic with non-Arabic languages, and many
Arabic words were wrongly pronounced. In order to save the Qur’ān
from this laḥn (mispronunciation) it became necessary to teach them
the proper pronunciation through the science of tajwīd. Dots and
vowel signs were put in the verses of the Qur’ān, whereas in the
‘Uthmanic codex, there were only consonantal skeletons, and there
was neither dots, nor vowel signs.
The first who compiled and composed on the tajwīd which he
called حُ سُ نُ اُلأ دُاء (“good rendition”) was Abū Muzāḥim al-Khāqānī (d.
325/937) in the form of poetry consisting of 51 lines. The term tajwīd
at that time was not well-known yet.5 He urged the Qur’ān reciter to
to improve his recitation. He said: أُ يُا قُا رُ ئُ اُلقُ رُآ نُ، أُُ حُ سن أُُ دُا ءُه (“O reader
of the Qur’ān, master its rendering”). Then many authors wrote on
this subject, such as Abū ‘l-Faḍl al-Rāzī (371-454/981-1062), who
wrote فُ ضُا ئُ لُ اُلقُ رُآ نُ وُ تُلا وُ تُه (“The Virtue of the Qur’ān and its Reading”),
and ‘Abd al-Wahhāb al-Qurṭubī (d. 461/1069) who wrote اُل مُ وُ ضُ حُ فُي
ال تُ جُ وُيد (“the Illustrator in the Tajwīd”).
There are four positions or the sound “n” in its relation with
letters following it, namely: a. Assimilation ) إ د غام (; b. Substitution
إ قلاب( (; c. clarity ( إ ظ هار ); and d. Concealment ) إ خ فاء (. We have dealt
3 Abū ’l-Aswad was a close companion of Ali ibn Abi Talib and a grammarian.
He was the first to place markings on consonants and vowels on Arabic letters
to clearly identify them. He was the first to write on Arabic linguistics, and is
said to be the first to write a book on Arabic grammar (nahw) which he took
from the caliph ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib.
4Al-Wāsim Ibn al-Sallām was a linguist. In 192/807 became judge in Ṭarṭūs
(Tortosa, a small coastal town in Syria) for 18 years and died in Makkah.
5 ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd, one of the Companions of the Prophet, was
reported to have said: “Render the reading of the Qur’an ith the best
“Read the Qur’an with the best rendering, and decorate (beautify) it
with your best voice.” ( ( ج و د وا ا لق ر آ ن و ز ي ن وه ب أ ح س ن ا ل ص و ات
62
with the assimilation and the substitution in the prevous khuṭbah
and shall deal with the clarity and concealment as follows:
c. Clarity ( (إِظْهَار
There are six letters which have to be pronounced clearly
whenever they follow the sound “n”. The sound “n” itself has to be
sounded clealy as well. These letters are called “letters of clarity”.
They are: أ (alif) or ء (hamzah), its sound could be “a”, “i”, or “u”.
Example: maN Adbara, read maN Adəbara, م ن أُ د ب ر
‘adhābaN Alīmā, read ‘adhābaN Alīmā ع ذابًا أُ ل ي مُا
ع (‘ayn), its sound could be “ ‘a”, “ ‘i”, or “ ‘u”
Example: maN ‘Amila, read man ‘Amila, م ن ع م لُ
mā’uN ‘Adhbun, read mā’uN ‘Adhbun ماءٌ ع ذبٌ
an‘Amta read an‘Amta أ ن ع م تُ
غ (gh, ghayn), its sound could be “gha”, “ghi”, or “ghu”
Example: miN GHillin, read miN GHillinُُُ م نُ غ لُ
mā’aN GHadaqā read mā’aN GHadaqā ما ءً غ د قا
ح (ḥ, ḥā’), its sound could be “ḥa”, “ḥi”, or “ḥu”
Example:ُُ rizqaN Ḥalālan read rizqaN Ḥalālan ر ز قا حلال
qarḍaN Ḥasanan, read qarḍaN Ḥasanan ق رضًا ح سنًا
خ (kh, khā’), its sound could be “kha”, “khi”, or “khu”
Example:ُُُ miN KHilālih read miN KHilālih م ن خلال ه
iN KHiftum read iN KHiftum إ ن خ ف تم
ه (h, hā’), its sound could be “ha”, “hi”, or “hu”
Example: iN Huwa, read in Huwa ;إ ن ه وُ
miNHum read miNHum م ن ه مُ
The way to remember these clearly pronounced six letters after
the sound “n” is by putting six words into one line of poetry. The first
letter of these words is one of the six letters to remember. The first
part of this line of poetry runs as follows:
أ خ ي ها ك ع لمًا حا زه غ ي ر خا س ر *ُ .ُُ..
“My brother, here is knowledge whoever
gets it will not become loser…”
63
For those who do not know Arabic, may be just to say the
expression “Ah!” A=a+‘a=ghُ ) غ + ع + أ (; H=h+ḥ+khُ ( (ُخ +ُ ح + ه
(Letter غ which should be included is letter ع with a dot on it)
d. Concealment ) )إِخْفَاء
There are fifteen letters when it is preceded by sound “n” this
sound should be concealed, although not completely. These letters
are as follows:ُ
tā’( ت), thā’ ( ث), jīm ( ج), dāl ( د ), dhāl ( ذ), zay ( ز), sīn ( س), shīn ( ,(ش
ṣād ( ص), ḍād ( ض ), ṭā’ ( ط), ẓā’( ظ), fā’ ( ف), qāf ( ق), and kāf ( .(ك
These letters may be difficult to remember, but through
practice they will be remembered. If we remember the letters in
assimilation, substitusion, and clarity, all of the remaining Arabic
alphabets belong to this category of concealment.
Examples:
ك ن ت م , ت - , kuntum read kuntum, like content we say content, just
the equivalent of the French content.
م ن ث م رات , ث - min thamarāt read min thamarāt like anthem we say
anthem
إ نج يل , ج - Injīl (Bible) read Injīl, like enjoy read enjoy. It is like French
enjoué (playful)
ع ن د هُ مُ , د - ‘indahun read ‘indahum, like tendency we say tendency.
It is the equivalent of the French tendance (tendency, leaning)
فأ ن ذ رُ , ذ - fa’andhir read fa’andhir, like in this we read in this
م ن زل ين , ز - munzilīn read munzilīn, like ANZAC read ANZAC,
ت ن سى , س - tunsā read tunsā, like insist, we say insist. It is like the
French ensuite (then, later)
ف م ن شا ءُ , ش - , faman shā’a read faman shā’a, like sunshine we say
sunshine, like the French mon choix (my choice)
أُُ ن صار , ص - anṣār read anṣār, close to insomnia read insomnia. (Fr.
ensomnie). Although letterُ ص (ṣ) is not found in English (as well
as many other languages(, the sound is almost like s in the
Australian accent when the say the word “side”, “inside” (also
probably in French when they say incendie (fire).
64
ف م ن ض لُ , ض - , faman ḍalla read faman ḍalla. Since we do not have
this letter in English, it would be better to remember Nelson
“Mandella”, close to faman ḍalla.
مُ ن ط ين , ط - , min ṭīn read min ṭīn. This ط (ṭ) letter is not found in
English (as well as many other languages), the sound is almost like
“t” in the Australian accent when the say the word “time”, (also
probably in French when they say the name Antoin)
أ ن ظر , ظ - , unẓur read unẓur. We do not have this sound in English.
ي ن فق و نُ , ف - , yunfiqūna read yunfiqūna; for infant, we say infant. It
is the equivalent of the French word enfant (child).
ي ن قل بُ , ق - , yanqalibu read Yanqalibu. We do not have this sound in
English, but probably close to “inquiry”.
م ن ك مُ , ك - , minkum read minkum, like anchor we say éŋkə, similar
to the French encore (still, again).
This sentence may give help: “The infant Insists to enjoy the
sunshine and has tendency to be content with Manḍella and the
national anthem on this ANZAC day, but later he got inṣomnia.”
In conclusion: There are 28 letters in the Arabic alphabet, six of
them belong to idghām (assimilation, remember “You aRe aLoNe
With Me,” Ann, assimilate, disappear!), six letters belong to iẓhār
(clarity, remember “AH”), one ) ب(ُ belongs to iqlāb (substitution,
remember “Camberra”), and the remaining 15 letters belong to
ikhfā’. We also remember the intensification (qalqalah) letters, as
“Cat Beta Gamma Delta”, namely, د جُ بُ طُ قُ . Letter hamzahُ ) ء( is
considered to belong to letter alif ) ا(.ُُُُُُ (to be continued).
(CIVIC, 27 March, 2015)
Bibliography:
Denffer, Ahmad von. ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur: The Islamic
Foundation, 1983
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajwid
https://ishfah7.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/belajar-tajwid-al-quran/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_alphabet#Hij.C4.81.E2.80.99.C4.
ABُ
65
12. SCIENCE OF TAJWĪD (3)
Further Assimilation
We have learned about the assimilation of the sound “n” if it
is followed by one of the six letters: Y ي , R ر , L ل ,N ن ,W و and
M م )remember: “You aRe aLoNe With Me,” !ِ!!Ann), such as man
yashā’ مَ ن يَشَاء read maYYashā’. These letters are called “letters of
assimilation”, (ḥurūf al-idghām, حروف الإدغام ). The sound “n”
assimilates with the letters that follow it.
There is a further assimilation, but not of the sound “n”, but
of two letters where the first assimilated to the other, the one that
follows it. The purpose of it is for easy reading without obscuring
the meaning. For example:
- “d” د followed by “t” ت , such as: qad tabayyana قَ د تَبَيَّنَ . Qad
alone should be read qadə (being one of the five letter of
intensification; remember: “cat, beta gamma delta” د ج ب ط ق ), but
because it is followed by letter “t” ت the letter “d” د becomes
assimilated with letter “t” ت and it becomes double “t”, and should
be read qat tabayyana. In English for “good time,” we say “goot
time”; for “bad temper” we say “bat temper.” If I say “a heart
time” you will understand that what I mean is “a hard time.”
- “t” ت followed by “d” د ; this is the opposite of the first. For
example, athqalat da‘awā أَ ثقَلَ ت دَعَوَا should be read athqalad
da‘awā . In English, for “hot day” we say “hod day”. If I say “hod
dog” you will know that what I mean is “hot dog.”
- “t” ت followed by “ṭ” ط ; for example: hammat ṭā’ifatun هَمَّ ت طَائِفَةٌ
should be read hammaṭ ṭā’ifatun. Since we have no example in
English, it may be close to the Australian accent “right time.”
- “ṭ” ط followed by t” ت , the opposite of the above, such as la’in
basaṭta¸ لَئِ ن بَسَ طتَ should be read la’im basaṭəta, but because “ṭ”
ط is followed by “t” ت , then it is read la’im basatta. Remember
hoṭ temper.
66
- “l” ل followed by “r” ر, such as qul rabbi قُ ل رَ ب we should read
qur rabbi. For “full refund” we say “fur refund”. If I say “Or
right” you will know that what I mean is “all-right”.
- “q” ق followed by “k” ك , such as nakhluqkum نَ خلُ قكُ م which is
supposed to be read nakhluqəkum, but because letter “q” ق is
followed by letter “k” ك and has to be assimilated with it and
becomes double “k” ك, we read nakhlukkum. For Jaque Cartier
say Jak Kartier.
- “dh” ذ is followed by “ẓ” ظ , such as idh ẓalamtum إِ ذ ظَلَ متُم should
be read iẓ ẓalamtum. For with ẓeal, say wiẓ ẓeal
- “th” ث followed by “dh” ذ , such as yalhath dhālika يَ لهَ ث ذَلِكَ
should be read yalhadh dhālika. For have a bath there! say
badh dhere!
To remember all, try to memorize “All-right, JaqueCartier has
hoṭ-temper, has hard-time, not right-time to have hot-dog with
ẓeal, then have a bath there”
Some important technical terms in the science of tajwīd.
When we learn any branch of knowledge we cannot avoid
learning some technical terms dealing with it. If you learn karate,
for example, you have to learn and know the names of different
kinds of standing, punching, and kicking in Japanese. If you learn
yoga, you have to learn different kinds of postures, and breathings,
such as deep and shallow breathing, in Sanskrit language. As we
are dealing with tajwīd we have to learn some important technical
terms in it in Arabic language, as follows:
a. Vowel signs
- fatḥah ف تحَ ه , sound “a”. For example, “ba” بَ (sounds like “ba”
in “bar.”) The word fatḥah literally means “opening, gape,
hole”. The verb fataḥa ) فَتَحَ ( means “to open”. When we say
this vowel “a” we open our mouth. In English we have this “a”
67
sound in hut, but, cut, some. Examples in Arabic which we read
from right to left are: دَرَسَ (darasa, to study), رَأَسَ (ra’asa, to
lead). To remember this term just remember “fetter ” which is
close to sound fatḥah.
- kasrah كَ س رَ ه , sound “i”. For example, “bi” بِ (sounds like “be”).
The word kasrah literally means “breakdown, collapse.” The
verb kasara ) كَسَرَ ( means “to break.” When we say this vowel
“i” we break our sound. In English we have sit, big, and hit. The
examples in Arabic are: قِ ف (qif, stop!), and مِ ن (min, from). To
remember this term just remember “casserole” (covered heatproof
dish in which food is cooked and then served at table)
which sounds almost like kasrah.
- ḍammah ضَمَّه , sound “u”. For example, “du” دُ (sounds like
short “do”). The verb ḍamma ) ضَمَّ ( literally means “to bring
together, to join, to embrace.” When we say this vowel “u” we
join our lips. In English we have words like put, The examples
in Arabic are|: قُ ل (qul, say!), and خُ ذ (khudh, take!).To remember
this term just remember “dummy” which is close to ḍammah.
- sukūn سُكُ ون (silence). For example, ت in بَ ت “bat” (sounds like
“but”). The word sukūn literally means “silence, quiet, calm,
tranquility.” Here it means “vowellessness of a medial or final
consonant.” The verb sakana ) سَكَنَ ( means “to become still, to
calm down, to repose, to rest, to be peaceful, to be tranquil.”
The examples in English are: between (letter “t” and “n”), and
helmet (letter “h” and “t”). The examples in Arabic are: أَ كبَر
(akbar, greater),1 and أَ شهَدُ (ashhadu, I bear witness). To
remember this term just remember “spoon”
- shaddah شَدَّه or tashdīd تَ شدِ يد (double consonant). For example,
“batta” بَتَّ (sounds like but-ter). The term shaddah and tashdīd
mean “strengthening, intensification, and stress.” Here it
means “doubling sign over a consonant”. The verb shadda ) )شَدَّ
means “to become form, solid, hard, strong, intense.” We can
hardly find any shaddah in English. Double consonant does not
intensify the letter, but makes it pronounced fast, such as
“later” and “latter”, but we find many in Italian, such as
1 When we say ه اللّ أَكْبَر (Allāhu Akbar) we just translate it as “God is great”.
68
Gioseppe (Joseph), bello, (handsome, fine, nice), bellissima
(most beautiful). In English when we say October and
pronounce the letter ”c” with “t”, and read Ottober, we then
double the letter “t” and it becomes shaddah, and this is in
Italian language, Ottobre. In the same way if we say ham then
mer (ham-mer), then the double “m” is pronounced shaddah.2
To remember this term, just remember “shady.”
- madd مَ د or maddah مَدَّه (prolongation). There are three letters
used to assist the prolongation, namely, ا (a, alif), و (w, waw),
and ي (y, ya’), for example, دَ =da, دَا = dā; دِ = di, دِي = dī; = دُ
du, دُو = dū. In English we have examples: father, rather, seen,
feel, room, soon. The examples in Arabic are: دَار (dār, home,
abode, building, residence, seat), مَال (māl, property, goods,
wealth); دِ ين (dīn, religion, way of life), فِي (fī, in, at); نُور (nūr,
light), سُورَه (surah, chapter of the Qur’ān). To remember this
term, just remember “mud” and “muddy”, close to madd مَ د and
maddah مَدَّه
- tanwīn تَ نوِ ين , nūnation, namely, adding sound “n” by doubling
the vowel sign. For example, دَ = da, د = dan (not “dada”), a
letter alif is used to be put with it, so دَا = dā, and دا = dan (not
dān); دِ = di, د = din (not “didi”); دُ = du, دٌ =dun (not “dudu”).
To remember this stern, just remember “tan-win”
- waqf وَ قف , stop, either compulsory to avoid changing the
meaning, or preferred (at the end of the sentence), either
recommended or not recommended, permissible or not
permissible, etc. For people who know the meaning of what
they are reading, most probably they will not stop in the wrong
place. For example, you will never stop in the wrong place and
say, “Tomorrow – morning I – shall go with my – friend John
and his – cousin to the – market at – about ten – o’clock sharp,”
but you would say: “Tomorrow morning – I shall go - with my
friend John - and his cousin - to the market - at about- ten
o’clock sharp.” The literal meaning of waqf is “stopping, stop;
2 There is a slight shaddah when the French people say words like famille
(family) and fille (daughter) pronouncing almost like famiyyə’ and fiyyə’
respectively.
69
discontinuation, suspension; pausing, resting, pause, rest”; it
also means, in religious term, endowment fund, “wakaf” and
“haboos”). The verb waqafa ) وَقَفَ ( means “to come to standstill,
to come to stop, to halt, to pause”, and to remember the term
waqf is just to remember giving endowment fund called waqf.
- lafẓ al-jalālah لَ فظُ ا لجَلاَلَه (lit. “the word of majesty”), namely
“Allah” الل
- ḥarf isti‘lā’ حَ رفُ اِ ستِ علاَ ء (lit. “letter of superiority”), superior
letter. There are seven of them, and are difficult to articulate,
available mostly in Semitic languages only, especially Arabic;
they are: kh خ - ṣ ص - ḍ ض - gh غ - ṭ ط - q ق - ẓ ظ , combined
in the expression خُصَّ ضَ غط قِ ظ . (lit. “It has been singled out to
suppress Qiẓ”). These letters are always articulated strongly
- tafkhīm تَ فخِ يم , it is emphatic pronunciation of a consonant,
namely, pronouncing strongly. The verb fakhkhama ) فَخَّمَ ( means
“to intensify, to honour, to pronounce emphatically or
strongly.”
- tarqīq تَ رقِ يق , it is soft or weak pronunciation. The verb raqqa
رَقَّ( ( means “to become soft, thin, tender; to soften, to have pity,
to feel compassion.”
b. The definite article “al” ال
In English language the definite article “the” is
pronounced “thie” before the vowels, such as “the apple, the
end, and the orange.” In Arabic, article “al” remains as it is
before “moon” (qamariyyah) letters, whereas before “sun”
(shamsiyyah) letters, the letter “l” in “al” becomes assimilated
with the “sun” letter that follows it, and intensifies it. The moon
in Arabic is called qamar, and if you put “al” before it, the “al”
does not change, namely, al-qamar أَ لقَمَر . The sun in Arabic is
shams, and if you but the article “al” before it, it becomes
ash-shams 3. أَلشَّ مس The “l” is not pronounced, and the “sh” is
doubled and intensified.
3 There are two systems of Arabic transliteration used nowadays: Library of
Congress and McGill University. Both keep the “al” for the “sun” letters as
70
Half of the 28 Arabic letters belong to the “moon” letters,
and the other half belong to the “sun” letters. The “moon” letters
are: alif/hamzah ( ء/ا ), bā’ ( ب), jīm ( ج), ḥā’ ( ح), khā’ ( خ), ‘ayn
ع) ), ghayn ( غ), fā’ ( ف), qāf ( ق), kāf ( ك), mīm ( م), wāw ( و), hā’ ( (ه
and yā’ ( ي). The “sun” letters are: tā’ ( ت), thā’ ( ث), dāl ( د), dhāl
ذ) ), rā’ ( ر), zay ( ز), sīn ( س), shīn ( ش), ṣād ( ص), ḍād ( ض), ṭā’ ( ,(ط
ẓā’ ( ظ), lām ( ل) and nūn ( .(ن
Since we are familiar with the verses of the Qur’an which
we recite in our prayer we do not need to remember these
“moon” and “sun” letters. By reading the Qur’an we shall
become familiar with them. The first chapter of the Qur’an is
called al-Fātiḥah, and the second one is called al-Baqarah,
where letter “f” ف and “b” ب belong to the “moon” letters. In the
first chapter we say al-ḥamdu, اَ لحَ مدُ (“ḥ” ح is a “moon” letter),
al-raḥmān الرَّ حمن (read ar-raḥmān, so “r” ر is a “sun” letter).
(to be continued)
(CIVIC, 10 April, 2015)
Bibliography:
Denffer, Ahmad von. ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur: The Islamic
Foundation, 1983
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajwid
https://ishfah7.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/belajar-tajwid-al-quran/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_alphabet#Hij.C4.81.E2.80.99.C4.
AB
it is, but in other matters they have slight difference. For example, for
الشَّمْسِيَّه the Library of Congress use al-shamsiyya (with double “y” but
without “h”), whereas McGill University use al-shamsīyah (with “īy” and
with “h”) , and I prefer the mixture of the two, namely, al-shamsiyyah, with
additional “h” because of the presence of “h” at the end of the word,
although slightly pronounced. People who are not familiar with this
transliteration may write, for example, Abdurrahman, Abdul-Rahman,
Abdur Rahman, etc, where in its transliteration it should be ‘Abd al-
Raḥmān.
71
13. SCIENCE OF TAJWĪD (4)
Letter “l” ل and letter “r” ر
Letter “l” ل is always pronounced lightly. But when it is in the
lafẓ al-jalālah ( “the word of majesty”), namely, “Allah” اللّه , it could be
pronounced with tafkhīm, namely, strongly or with tarqīq, namely
softly or lightly. It is pronounced strongly if:
a. it is standing alone, or in the beginning of the verse, such as
“Allāh” أللّه , Allāhu akbar اللَه هأَكْبَر , Allāhu lladhī .. (not Allāhu alladhī)
... اللّهههالَّذِي
b. it is preceded by a letter with fatḥah, such huwa llāh ه هوَه هاللّه , (not
huwa Allāh), subəḥānallāh ه سبْحَانَههاللّه (not subəḥāna Allāh)
c. it is preceded by a letter with ḍammah, such as ‘abədullāh عَبْ ه دههاللهّ
(not ‘abədu Allāh) , raḥmatullāh رَحْمَ ه ةه هاللّه (not raḥmatu Allāh) ,
salāmullāh سَلاَ ه مههاللِه (not salāmu Allāh), ṣalātullāh صَلاَةهههاللِه (not
ṣalātu Allāh). It is pronounced lightly if it is preceded by a letter
with kasrah, such as al-ḥamdu lillāh الْحَمْ ه دهه هِِ لل , and bismillāh .بِسْمِههاللِه
Letter “r” ر is pronounced strongly, if:
a. its vowel is fatḥah, such as: raḥmah رَحْمَه , barakah بَرَكَه , rabbanā
رَبَّنَا , and raḥīm رَحِيْم . (Remember run, rough, rug, Russia). In order
to pronounce letter “r” ر strongly, the Javanese people (the
natives of Central and Eastern Java) in Indonesia pronounce “ra”
as “ro”, so that they say: roḥmah, barokah, robbanā and roḥīm.
Even the “l” in “Allāh” they pronounce strongly and become
“Allôh”, and therefore, they say roḥmatullôh رَحْمَ ه ةههاللّه . ( …ra…)1
1 The Javanese (not to be confused with “Japanese”) people are the largest
ethnic group in Indonesia. They live in Central and Eastern Java. According to
the year 2011 statistic they are approximately 100 million people representing
45 % of the total population of Indonesia, and the vast majority of them are
Muslims. They have their own script called Hanacaraka (Carakan) derived from
their alphabet ha na ca (pronounced “cha”) ra ka. As the dominant vowel in
Javanese is “o” they pronounce it as ho no co ro ko. This is more evident in
their names, such as: Yudhoyono (former president), and Joko Widodo
(present president), and Dipo Negoro (an Indonesian hero). No wonder that in
emphasizing “ra” they pronounce it as “ro”, and “Allah” as “Alloh”, as above.
72
b. its vowel is ḍammah, such as: rubbamā ه ربَّمَا , yakhrūju يَخْ ه ر ه جه ه
(Remember rumour, ruler, rubie) (…ru…)
c. its vowel is sukūn, but preceded by a letter with fatḥah, .. ar
َرْ( (, such as Maryam ) مَرْيَم (, marḥaban. Remember: harmony,
army. (…ar…)
d. its vowel is sukūn, but preceded by a letter with ḍammah, such
as burhān ه برْهَان , qurbān قهرْبَان , qur’ān ههقهرْآنهه (Remember survey,
furniture, purchase) (…ur…)
e. its vowel is sukūn for stopping, and is preceded by “waw” or “alif”
with sukūn, namely, …ūr ( وْهرْه ), and ār ) َار ( , such as:
al-ghafūr … ) ألْغَفهوْرْ (, al-jabbār… ه)الْجَبَّارْ( ه Remember: “room, car”
(…ūr. and …ār.)
f. its vowel is sukūn, but preceded by a letter called hamzah al-waṣl,
هَمْزَةه هاْلوَصْل( ( “conjunctive hamzah” linking with the word that
preceds it. It is usually put either on the top of the letter alif ) )أ
with a ḍammah ) أه ( or with a fatḥah ) ه)أَ or under the letter alif ) ,)إ
and therefore it sounds “i”, and then the letter alif itself is called
hamzah al-waṣl without the letter hamzah ) ء(. When it is alone it
is pronounced clearly, such as irji‘ ) هإِرْجِعْ (ْ. This alif is dropped in
reading when we هconnect it with the word that precedes it. For
example:
irji‘ ( إِرْجِعْه ), but farji‘ فَارْجِع(ه (, not fa ’irji‘ .
irḥam ) اِرْحَم (, but rabbirḥam رَبَهارْحَم(ه ( , not rabbi ‘irḥam.
This additional alif indicates du’a (supplication), request and
command, and therefore, it has to be there, although it is not
part of the original letters of the words, r-j-‘ ) ه)ر-ج-ع and r-ḥ-m ه
رهحه–هم( (. Otherwise, if the letter is original, then the letter ر has
to be pronounced weakly, such as firdaws ( فِرْدَوْس ) where the
letter “f” ) ف( is original part of the word. ([i]r…) ه
As it is not easy to identify the hamzah al-waṣl in the
verses of the Qur’an for people who do not understand Arabic,
and most of the Muslims are non-Arabs, a small letter ṣād ) ه)ص is
put on the top of the letter alif replacing the hamzah in order to
73
avoid reading it. However, if a word starts with ist the “i” is most
probably a hamzah al-waṣl (hamzatu ‘l-waṣl). For example:
istakbara ه إِسْتَكْبَرَه (he became arrogant)
wa stakbra وَاسْتَكْبَرَه (“and he became arrogant”), and the “i” is gone
istaghfir إِسْتَغْفِرْه (“ask forgiveness!”)
fa staghfir فَاسْتَغْفِرْه (“then ask forgiveness!”), and the “i” is gone.
In the English language if I say “bread n butter,” “wait n see,”
and “what s matter,” you will know that what I mean is “bread
and butter,” “wait and see,” and “what is the matter,”
respectively.2
g. its vowel is sukūn, but it is succeeded by one of the letters of
isti‘lā’ (i.e., kh هخ - ṣ ص - ḍ ض - gh غ - ṭ ط- q ق - ẓ ظ), such as qirṭās
قِرْطَاس , firqah فِرْقَه , and mirṣād ه 3ه.مِرْصَاد (…rq…, …rkh… etc.)
In the word arḍ أَرْض both letter “r” and “ḍ” that follows it have
to be pronounced strongly. In English the letter ḍ is replaced with
letter th, and it becomes “earth”, whereas in German it is
replaced with letter d, and it becomes “Erde”. Whenever you find
letter “r” followed by a letter difficult to pronounce in a word, or
not found in your language, be careful, you might have to stress
both letters, like the word arḍ above. (r + kh gh q ṣ ḍ ṭ ẓ). To
2 In one of his cowboy movies John Wayne in early 50s asked about his boy,
“Where’s boy” which was understood by my English teacher, Mr. Isa Rasyidi,
but not by me, as the word “the” was not clearly said, if ever. For the word
“transportation” the Americans say “transptation”. To go “to the station” the
Germans say zum Bahnhof where the letter “h” of “hof” is almost unheard.
3As these seven letters of isti‘lā’ are always pronounced with tafkhīm (strongly,
with emphasis), when they are followed with fatḥah (vowel “a”), the Javanese
people tend to pronounce it as “o”, such as: firqoh فِرْقَه , sôdiq صَادِق , zôlim ,ظَالِم
kholaqo خَلَقَه and qôla قَالَه . In order to avoid being fallen in to the pit of laḥn, I
suggest that the mouth should be open a little to make sound “a”. Therefore,
we say firqoah, soadiq, zoalim, khoalaqoa, and qoala (sounds like “koala”),
rather than qôla (sounds like “coller”). The examples in their names are those
of my friends: Kholidin خَالِدِهيْن , Toriq طَارِقه , Solihin صَالِحِيْن , Mustofa ه مصْطَفَى , and
Ghoromah .غَرَامَهه
74
remember these four rules, remember: “Purchase rough
rubie+rock” or ra – ur –ru –rq, or Nauru Rock (na for ra, uru for ur
and ru, and rock for r+q). The rock indicates that it has to be
pronounced strongly.
Letter “r” ر is pronounced weakly, if:
a. its vowel is kasrah, i.e., namely, …ri… )... رِ (, such as: rijəsun , رِجْ سه
ma‘rifatun مَعْرِفَ ةه (Remember river, rigid, ritual) (…ri…)
b. it is preceded by a letter with kasrah, namely …ir ) ِر (, on
condition that it is NOT preceded by one of the letters of isti ‘lā’
(kh gh q ṣ ḍ ṭ ẓ) such as , such yaghfiru ) يَغْفِ ه ر (, Firdaws ) . )فِرْدَوْس
The examples in Arabic are: dirham ) دِرْهَم (, miryah ) .)مِرْيَه
(Remember: circus, firm, sir) (…ir…)
c. it is preceded by “y” ي with sukūn, namely, …yr ) يْر (, such as
khabyrun خَبِيْ ره , khayr خَيْر , al-baṣyr اَلْبَصِيْر (Remember tyre, lyric).
Examples in English: To remember a., b. and c. above, remember
the weakening “irritating year” representing ir – ri – yr.
Waqf ) . (وَقْف
This term in the science of tajwīd means “stopping, pausing,
resting.” It is like having a full-stop (“.”), a comma (“,”), or a semicolon
(“;”). When we do this, we have to do it in the right place to
avoid changing the meaning, and in the right way to avoid laḥn
(solecism, mispronunciation, grammatical mistake).
The basic rule in the waqf is to drop the vowel sign (, a, i, in, u,
un), except “an” of double fatḥah becomes ”ā” such as:
khalaqa خَلَقَه) ه ); becomes halaqə ) خَلَقْ (; ‘amalan ) عَمَ ا لا ( becomes
‘amalā عَمَلَاه( ه ( . al-jamali ) اهْلجَهمَلِ ( becomes al-jamal ) اهْلجمَل (, jamalin ه
جَهمَلٍ( ( becomes jamal ) جَهمَل (. al-ḥasanu ) الْحَسَ ه ن ( becomes al-ḥasan ه ه
الْحَسَن( (; ḥasanun ) حَسَ ن ( becomes ḥasan ) يَنْ ه ص ه روْنَه .)حَسَن (yanṣurūna)
becomes يَنْ ه ص ه روْنْه (yanṣurūn); هغَيْبٍه ه (ghaybin) and غَيْ به (ghaybun)
both become غَيْبْه (ghaybǝ).
Words ending with tā’ marbūṭah ) تَاء همَرْ ه بوطَه (, (lit. “tied “t”
namely ة), it turns into ه (“h”) when we stop, such as: raḥmatan
75
رَحْمَ ا ة( (, raḥmatin رَحْمَةٍ( ه (, and raḥmatun رَحْمَ ة( ه ( all become raḥmah
رَحْمَه( ). However, some people, especially non-Arabs would like to
keep the name without change, such as “Hikmat” and “Rahmat”
which are the names of my nephews.
When the last letter with a vowel is preceded by a letter with
sukūn, namely a consonant without vowel, the waqf can be heard
only by the reciter and the people close to him, such as: شَهْرٍه (shahrin)
becomes شَهْرْه (shahr); ه خسْرٍه (khusrin) becomes ه خسْر (khusr) ; فِىهاْلاَرْضِه
(fil-arḍi) becomes فِىهاْلاَرْضْه (fil-arḍ). In these examples, the sound “r”
and “ḍ” are not clear, because they are all with sukūn. The letter
ḍi ضِه is supposed to be pronounced emphatically, because it belongs
to the letter of isti‘lā’, but because it loses its ḥarakah, and does not
belong to the letters of qalqalah (remember: CaṬ Beta Gamma
Delta, د هجهبهطهقه ), then it is pronounced lightly. If it does, then it is
pronounced emphatically, such as هفِسْقْ ه fisqə, (compare with مِسْكك
misk).
Madd (Prolongation)
a. Natural Prolongation (madd ṭabī‘ī). There are three letters with
which the prolongation occurs. They are: alif ) ا( which prolongs
the fatḥah (namely, “ā”), yā’ ) ي( which prolongs the kasrah
(namely, “ī”), and waw ( و), which prolongs the ḍammah (namely,
“ū”). They are called “the letters of prolongation”, and Arab
grammarians call them “the weak letters” ) ه ح ه رو ه فهالعِلَّة (, for their
ability to prolong vowels (a, i, and u), although they themselves
are consonants. Examples:
بَه = ba ه بَا = bā = baa رَه ;ه = ra هرَاه = rā = raa; جَه = ja جَاه = jā = jaa
بِه = bi بِي = bī = bii ; رِه = ri رِي = rī = rii ; ه=هجِه ji جِيه = jī = jii
ه به = bu ه بو = bū = buu ; ه ره = ru ه رو = rū = ruu ; ه جه = ju ه جو = jū = juu
b. Prolongation of Hamzah ) ء(. The position of hamzah ( ه(ء is either:
(1) standing alone ء(ه ( and its vowel is generally fatḥah ) ;)ءَ
(2) sitting on the alif ( أ), and its vowel is either “a” ) ه)أَ or “u”) ;ه)أه
(3) is placed under the alif ( إ), and its vowel is “i” ) ;)إِ
(4) sitting on the yā’) ئ(, and its vowel is “i” ) )ئِ
76
(5) sitting on the waw ) ه)ؤ , and its vowel is “u”) ه) ه ؤ
The prolongation of hamzah ( ء) occurs, when a vowel is
followed by hamzah, either in one word or two words. In either
case the vowel sound has to be longer than normal two taps,
between three and six taps, at least three taps. For example:
In one word: إِسْرَائِيْل Israaa’iil (3 taps); but إِسْمَاعِيْل Ismaa‘iil (2 taps)
عِزْرَائِيْل ‘Izraaa‘iil (3 taps); but إِسْرَافِيْل Israafiil (2 taps).
In two words: إِنْ هشَاءَ هاللّه in shaaaAllaah (“If Allah wills”, 3 taps);
but شَاعَهالْخَبَره shaa ‘al-khabar (“the news has spread”, 2 taps).
It is very important to be consistent regarding the length of the
madd, whether 3, 4 or 6 taps. For exercise we read:
لَاه = laa = no; إِلهَه = ilaaha = god; إِلاهَّ = illaa = except; اّلله =allaah =
Allah
لَاهإِله laaaa ilaaha. laaaa becomes longer because it is followed by
hamzah.
إِلاَّهاللَّه = Illa llaah. In reading one “a” is dropped in illaa, and the
“a” in allaah, for being a hamzatu ‘l-waṣl.
عَلَىه = ‘alaa = on, upon; اّلله = allaah = Allah. If we join them it
becomes عَلَى اّلله = ‘ala llaah. (“upon Allah”, means “leave it to
Allah”). ‘alaa loses one “a” and becomes short, whereas “allaah”
loses the first “a” in reading for being a hamzatu ‘l-waṣl.
(to be continued)
(CIVIC, 17 April, 2015)
Bibliography:
Denffer, Ahmad von. ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur: The Islamic
Foundation, 1983
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajwid
https://ishfah7.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/belajar-tajwid-al-quran/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_alphabet#Hij.C4.81.E2.80.99.C4.
AB
http://dhezun-notes.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/hukum-tajwidlengkap-
dan-mudah.html
77
14. SCIENCE OF TAJWĪD (5)
The Position of the sound of consonant mīm “m” ) )مْ
There are three positions:
1. Followed by another mīm “m”ْ ) مْ (, so that we have two mīms,
namely, “mm” ) م ْ مْ (, and we say it in idghām as one mīm with
shaddah, namely, “mm” ) مّ(ْ with an extra “m” (or tap) to
strongly indicate “the union” of the two. For example:
وَلَكُم مَّْا كَْسَ بتُ مْ wa lakum mā kasabtun is read
wa lakum mmaa kasabətun
كُ نتُ مْ مْ سلِمِ ين kuntum muslimīn is read kuntum mmuslimiin
Originally, there was no vowel sign like وْلكم مْا كْسبتم
and كنتم مْسلمين , but in order to facilitate reading for non-Arabsْ
the vowel signs are added like this وَلَكُ م مَْا كَْسَ بتُ م and this كُ نتُ م
مُ سلِمِ ي نْ , and the whole Qur’ān are with vowel signs. Yet, in
order to read it correctly, a shaddah sign is put on the letters
concerned, in this case,ْ مَا and مُ سلِمِ ي نْ and it becomes مَّْا (mmaa
= mma- =mmā) and مْ سلِمِ ي نْ (mmuslimiin or mmuslimi-n) as
seen above. If we apply this rule in English, we will stress the
sound “m” when we say “room mmate,” “immmoral” and
immmature.
Another example where shaddah sign is added is min
ladun مِ ن لَْدُن . Since we have to read it as milladun a shaddah
sign is put on the letter “l” ) ل( and becomes “ll” ) لّ(, namely, مِن
لَّْدُن . Therefore, we have to drop the “n” and read it milladun.
(We cannot read min-lladun).
2. Followed by letter bā’ ) ب( , namely, mbْ ) م ْ بْ ( , the sound “m”
becomes unclear ) إِ خفَاء (, such asْ تَْ رمِ يهِ م بَْحِجَارَة tarmīhim biḥijārahْ
should be read tarmiihiŋ biḥijaarah. We remember that when
the sound “n” ) ن ( is followed by “b”ْ ) ب(ْ the combined sounds
become “mb” (rather than “nb”) called iqlāb (substitution),
such as Canberra, rainbow and green beans (read as Camberra,
raimbow and greem beans respectively), now the mb is read
ŋb, such as cucumber is read cucuŋber, and you will know what
78
I mean if I say based on this rule of tajwīd: haŋburger, nuŋber,
aŋbition, Noveŋber, etc. Before, we learned that nb is read mb,
now mb is read ŋb.
3. Followed by any other letter than “m” ) م(ْ and “b” ) ب(, the
sound of letter “m” is always pronounced clearly (iẓhār). For
example: ) هُ م نَْائِمُ ون )ْ م ْ نْ hum nā’imūn; ) أَ م هُْوَ )ْ م –ْ هْ am huwa;
لَ م يَْلِ د )ْ م –ْ يْ( lam yalidə ; ) أَ لحَ مدُ )ْ م ْ دْ al-ḥamdu;
أَ نعَ متَ )ْ م –ْ تْ( an‘amta; ) عَلَ يهِ م وَْلاَ )ْ م –ْ وْ ‘alayhim wa lā.
In order to remember these three rules of regarding “m” I
suggest to remember the “MBA” degree. “M” stands for “mm”
(strong m), “B” stands for “ŋb” (hidden m), and “A” stands for
any other letter (clear m) than “m” and “b”.
Two Kinds of Elongation:
There are two kinds of elongation: a. Primary or Natural
Elongationْ ) اْلمَ د اْلأَ صلِي or المَ دْ اْلطَّبِ يعِي (, which has two taps and b.
Secondary Elongation ) ا لمَدًّّ اْ لفَ رعِي ( which has between 2 – 6 taps.
a. Primary or Natural Elongation occurs:
1. with the used of three “weak letters” used to elongate a
vowel: they are alif ) ا( for the fatḥah, such as: دَا = dā, رَا = rā,
and جَا = jā; yā’ ) ي(, such as: دِي = dī, رِي = rī, and جِي = jī; and
wāw ) و(, such as: دُو = dū, رُو = rū, and جُو = A small alif (either
half or one-third of the length of the alif) placed after and
above the letter to be elongated. The example of these three
kinds of elongation can be put in one simple sentenceْ نُوحِيهَا
(nūḥīhā or nuuḥiihaa or nu.ḥi.ha.ْ or nu-ḥi-ha-, whichever you
prefer, I am using all), meaning “We reveal it.”
2. the sound “n” in “an” is replaced with “a” and becomes “ā” (aor
aa) when we stop, such as ‘alīman عَلِ يمًّا becomesْ ‘alīmaa
عَلِ يمَا , except in “tan” of tied tā’ ) تَاء مَْ ربُوطَه ), it becomes “h”
when we stop, such as ṭayyibatan طَْيِّبَةًّْ becomes ṭayyibah طَيِّبَه
the joined pronoun ه (h) with a word is prolonged read “hū”
or “hī”, such as lā ta’khudhuhū لْا تَْأ خُذُهُْ and ilā ahlihī .إِلى أَْ هلِهِْ
b. Secondary Elongation occurs:
79
1. with the presence of hamzah, either in one word or two.
In one word: جَا = ja-; جَا+ءَْ = ja-+’a becomes ja--’a.
In two words: يَا = ya-; أَ يْهَْا = ayyuhaa;ْ
يَْا +ْ أَْ يهَاْْ = ya- + ayyuha- = ya-- ayyuha-ْ يَْْْْْا أَْ يهَا
2. with the presence of sukūn that causes the elongation, either:
(a) occasionally, such as: al-‘a-lami--n ا لعَْالَمِ يْنَْ , but if we do not
stop we say al-'a-lami-na. Other examples are: . الرَّحِيمِْ and .نَ ستَعِينُْ.
(b) necessarily, the madd is followed by shaddah, such as in
the following words: aḍḍa--l li--n الضَّالِّين ; aṣṣa--kh khatu
الصَّاخَّةُْ , and alḥa--q qatu .ا لحَاقَّةُْ
3. in the word آ لْنَْ (Q. 10: 51, 91) is read a-l a-na (āl āna or a.l
a.na) because it consists of: a (indicating a question) + al (the)
+ a-na (time), meaning “is it now?”. Without elongation the
word will simply mean “now”, and not “is it now?”
4. in the alphabets in the beginning of some surahs (chapters) of
the Qur’ān. There are 14 letters out of the entire 28 letters of
the Arabic alphabet (if we consider ء belonging to أ) occur in
the beginning of some chapters (surahs) of the Qur’ān in 14
combinations. They are all read according to their
alphabetical names. Based on this, the only letter which is not
elongated is alif. We can divide the remaining letters as
follows:
a. two taps elongation which is the normal one: ḥa- ) ح(, ya-
ي( (, ṭa- ) ط(, ha- ) ه (, and ra- ) ر(. To remember them the
Arab scholars put them into a sentence, namely, حَيٌّ طَْهُرَْ
“(he Is) alive (and) clean”.“Hi, You aRe ḤoṬ, Hi, YouR ḤaṬ!”
b. three taps elongation: nu--un ) ن( , qa--af,ْ ) ق(ْ , ṣa--adْ ) , )ْص
‘ai--in ) ع(, si--in ) س(, la--am ) ل(, ka--af ) ك(, and mi--imْ ) . )ْم
To remember them the Arab scholars put them into a
sentence, namely, نَْقَْصَْ عَْْسَْلُْكُْم (“Your honey has become
diminished”). If you cannot remember this Arabic
sentence, I suggest you to remember this sentence: “See--
LeMoN CaKeS!” So, we read: اْلم = alif la--am mi--im (.--- ---);
الر = alif la--am ra- (. --- --); طسم = ṭa- si--in mi--im (-- --- ---);
80
كهيعص = ka--af ha- ya- ‘ai--in ṣa--ad (--- -- -- --- ---);ْ حم، عْسق
= ḥa- mi--im, ‘ai--in si--in qa--af (-- ---, --- --- ---).
The text of the Qur’ān was, is and will remain in its
classical spelling to guard its originality. Here lies the
importance of the small alif replacing the full one in its role for
elongation. In quoting the verses of the Qur’ān modern
spelling is used for easy reading, for example: ا لعَالَمِينَْ for ,ا لعلَمِينَْ
ا لكِتَابُْ for الصَّلََةَْ ,ا لكِتبُْ for الصَّلوة , and رَزَ قنَاهُ مْ for . رَزَ قنهُ مْ
Signs of pauses:
When we read the Qur’ān, sometimes we have to stop,
especially when we read long verses. Scholars of tajwīd give us signs
where we can stop or not, have to stop or not. This stop could be like
a comma (,) or a semi-colon (;). Here are some important stop signs
put in the verses of the Qur’ān:
لْاَزِْم =ْ م . 1 compulsory stop, e.g.,
) إِنَّمَا يَْ ستَجِيبُْ اْلَّذِينَْ يَْ سمَعُونَْ مْ وَْا لمَ وتَى يَْ بعَثُهُمُْ اْللَُّّْ )ْالأنعام: 63
لا . 2 = no, prohibited stop, e.g.,
( اْْْلَّذِينَْ تَْتَوَفَّاهُمُْ اْ لمَلََئِكَةُْ طَْيِّبِينَْ لْا يَْقُولُونَْ سَْلََ مْ عَْلَ يكُْمُ اْ دخُلُوا اْ لجَنَّةَْ )النحل: 62ْ
أَ لوَ صلُ أَْ ولَى = صلى . 3 = continuing is better, e.g.
) أُولَئِكَْ عَْلَى هُْدًّى مِْ نْ رَْبِّهِ مْصلى وَْأُولَئِكَْ هُْمُْ اْ لمُ فلِحُونَْ )ْْالبقرة: 5
أَ لوَ قفُ أَْولَى = قلى . 4 = stopping is better, e.g.,
) فَإِنَّمَا حِْسَابُهُْ عِْ ندَْ رَْبِّْه قْلى إِْنَّهُْ لَْاْ يُْ فلِحُْ اْ لكَافِرُونَْ )ْالمؤمنون: 111
جَائِز = ج . 5 = possible, permissible, e.g.,
)ْ بِسَ معِهِ مْ وَْأَ بصَارِهِ مْج إِْنَّْ اْللََّّْ عَْلَى كُْلِّْ شَْ ي ءْ قَْدِي رْ )ْالبقرة: 22
6. ... ... two signs where we can stop, if we like, at any one of
them, not both, found in Q. 2:2, 6, namely, لَاْ رَْ يبَْ ... فِيهِ .ْ.. هُْدًّى . If
we stop at the first one, it will mean “(The Book) is no doubt,
there is guidance in it”)ْ , and if we stop at the second, it will mean
“(The Book), there is no doubt in it, as guidance”). If we do not
stop, then it will include both meanings.
Extra Signs for Easy Reading
a. For the iqlāb, a small م is put on the ن, such as مِنم بَ عدِ and
.لَنَ سفَعَامبِْالنَّاصِيَة
81
b. For the idghām, shaddah is put, so that we do not pronounce
the sound n such as .غَفُورًّا رَّْحِيمَا , خَ ي ر مِّْ نهُْ
The same is applied for the idghām of two different letters,
such as: مَا عَْبَد تم ,قُل رَّْبِّْ ,أَلَ م نَْ خلُق كم , وَقَالَت طَّْْائِفَة ,أُجِ يبَت دَّْ عوَتُكُمَا
c. For the hamzutu ‘l-waṣl, a small ص is put on the top of the alif,
namely, ٲ, such as: .ٲ لْكِْتَْاب ,ٲ نْتَْهَْى , ٲ سْم ،ْ ٲْ بْن
d. For the alif which does not function as a tool for madd¸a sukūn
is given to it, such as: أَنَا (ana), and سَلََسِ لَْ (salāsila)
e. For the madd (elongation) before hamzah, a sign ~ is usually
put, such as إِذَا جَْآءَ ,إِ ن شَْآءَ اْللّ , يَْْآ أَْ يهَا to indicate that it is longer
than usual.
There are more things to learn about tajwīd not included here,
but due to the advance of technology there are many ways to know
it: listening to the recitation of qurrā’ (Qur’ān reciters), reading a
muṣḥaf (copy of the Qur’ān) containing more directions for correct
reading, and sometimes with colours; for example, red colour for
idghām, yellow for iqlāb, green for ikhfā’, etc.
The qurrā’ learned not only the tajwīd; they also learned the
qirā’āt (variant readings) which were also revealed to the Prophet
and serve as explanation to the verse. When they repeat the same
verse they may actually read the variant readings. For example,
when Joseph (Yūsuf)’s brothers asked their father Jacob (Ya‘qūb) to
let Joseph go out with them to enjoy themselves and play, one of
them said: “Send him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play,
and verily, we will take care of him.” (Q. 12:12). That is one reading.
The other brother said: “Send him with us tomorrow to enjoy
ourselves and play…” So, the qāri’ recites, أَ رسِ لهُْ مَْعَنَا غَْدًّا يَْْ رتَ عْ وَْيَ لعَ بْ وَْإَنَّا لَْهُ
)ْ لَحَافِظُون )ْيوسف: 12 and then he repeats the same verse withْ أَ رسِ لهُْ مَْعَنَا
1.غَدًّا نَْْ رتَ عْ وْنَْ لعَ بْ... This variant reading indicates that at least two of the
1This sūrat Yūsuf belongs to chapter 12. To remember this chapter, just
remember Yūsuf and his brothers, all are 12 in number, and the verse is also in
verse 12. The next surah/chapter is al-Ra‘d (the Thunder), chapter 13. Thunder
is caused by lightning which could be dangerous, such as causing bush-fire.
Some people are pessimistic with number 13, thinking that it is unlucky
number, and chapter 16 is the “Thunder,” easy to remember.
82
brothers asked earnestly to their father to let Joseph go with them
the next day, as they had plotted to get rid of him out of jealousy.
Another example is: they read at first māliki (“the Owner”) and
said مَالِكِْ يَْ ومِْ اْلدِّينِْ and repeat the verse with maliki (“the King”) and
said مَلِكِْ يَْ ومِْ اْلدِّينِْ , “the Owner (or the King) of the Day of Recompense”
in Q.1:3; there is no change in the consonantal skeleton, namely, .ملك
The qurrā’ also learned about the art of recitation besides
tajwīd and qirā’āt.2 Their tone also keep changing based on the
verses they are reading. One qāri’ showed his sadness when he was
reciting the verse dealing with Joseph’s brothers who sold him with a
cheap price in Q. 12:20. The tone changed with relief when he
recited the next verse where Joseph was rescued in Q. 12:21.
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said:
خَ يرُكُ مْ مَْ نْ تَْعَلَّمَْ اْلقُ رآنَْ وَْعَلَّمَهُْ ( رواه اْلبخاري وْأبوداؤد وْالترمذي(ْ
“The best among you is the one learn the Qur’ān and teaches it.”
(Reported by al-Bukhārī, Abū Dā’ūd and al-Tirmidhī).
Learning the Qur’ān includes learning its tajwīd. May Allah
include us among them, āmīn!!! (CIVIC, 24 April, 2015)
Bibliography:
أحمد بْن إْبراهيم بْن خْالد اْلموصلى .ْ)ت. 263ْ هْ( اْلمختصر اْلمفيد فْي أْحكام اْلتجويد. Denffer, Ahmad von. ‘Ulūm al-Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur: The Islamic
Foundation, 1983
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajwid
https://ishfah7.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/belajar-tajwid-al-quran/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_alphabet#Hij.C4.81.E2.80.99.C4.
AB
http://dhezun-notes.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/hukum-tajwidlengkap-
dan-mudah.html
2 They usually start with Bayyātī key ( مَْقَْام بَْْيَّْاتِْي ), namely Key D in Western music,
and end with it, and the listeners will know that it is the end of the recitation.
Then they move to other keys, such as al-Ḥusaynī ( مَْقَْامُْ اْلحُْسَْ يْنِْي ), Rast ( ,(مَْقَْام رَْْا سْت
namely, Key C, al-Sīkāh ( مَْقَْامُْ اْلسِّْ يْكَْاه ) which corresponds to Key E , and al-Jihārkāh
مَْقَْامُْ اْلجِْهَْا رْكَْاه) ), namely, Key F, and Ṣabā ( مَْقَْام صَْْبَْا ), namely, G which sounds sad.
83
15. NO PORK, WHY?
There are many synonyms and names derived from pigs. They
are: swine, boar, hog, pork, sow, lard, ham, porcine, and bacon.
Pepperoni which is highly seasoned, hard sausage of beef and pork,
should be avoided by Muslims as precaution.
There are four verses in four chapters of the Qur'an mentioning
the prohibition of pork, as follows:
حُرِّمَ ت عَلَ يكُمُ ا لمَ يتَة وَالدَّمُ وَلَ حمُ ا لخِ نزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَ يرِ اللََّ بِهِ وَا لمُ نخَنِقَة "
) وَا لمَ وقُوذَة وَا لمُتَرَدِّيَة وَالنَّطِيحَة وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ ...(المائدة: 3
Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead animals, blood,
the flesh of swine, and that on which Allah’s name has not
been mentioned while slaughtering, (that which has been
slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah, or has
been slaughtered for idols) and that which has been
killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a
headlong fall, or by the goring of horns, and
that which has been (partly) eaten
by a wild animal….(Q. 5:3)
إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَ يكُمُ ا لمَ يتَة وَالدَّمَ وَلَ حمَ ا لخِ نزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَ يرِ اللََّ بِهِ
) فَمَنِ ا ضطُرَّ غَ يرَ بَا غ وَلا عَا د فَإِنَّ اللََّ غَفُو ر رَحِيم )النحل: 5
He has forbidden you only meat of dead animal, blood, the
flesh of swine, and any animal which is slaughtered as a
sacrifice for others than Allah (or has been slaughtered for
idols or on which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned
which slaughtering). But if one is forced by necessity,
without willful disobedience, and not transgressing,
--then, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.(Q. 16:115)
إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَ يكُمُ ا لمَ يتَة وَالدَّمَ وَلَ حمَ ا لخِ نزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ بِهِ لِغَ يرِ اللََّ فَمَنِ ا ضطُرَّ
) غَ يرَ بَا غ وَلا عَا د فَلا إِ ثمَ عَلَ يهِ إِنَّ اللََّ غَفُو ر رَحِي م )البقرة: 373
He has only forbidden you carrion, blood and pork
and what has been consecrated to other than Allah. But
anyone who is forced to eat it--without desiring it or
going to excess in it--commits no crime. Allah is
Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Qur'an, 2:173)
84
قُ ل لا أَجِدُ فِي مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّم ا عَلَى طَاعِ م يَ طعَمُه إِلا أَ ن يَكُونَ مَ يتَة
) أَ و دَم ا مَ سفُوح ا أَ و لَ حمَ خِ نزِي ر فَإِنَّه رِ ج س (الأنعام 345
Say (O Muhammad): “I find not in that which has been
revealed to me anything forbidden to be eaten by one who
wishes to eat it, unless it be a dead animal, or blood poured
forth (by slaughtering or the like), or the flesh of swine
(pork); for that surely is impure …” (Q. 6:145)
) ... وَيُحِ ل لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَ يهِمُ ا لخَبَآئِث...(الأعراف: 357
… and he allows all lawful and good things and
prohibit them as unlawful all evil
and unlawful things…Q. 7:157)
Why Muslims are not allowed to consume swine flesh, Allah
through the Qur’an simply said that it is because it is unclean, as
mentioned in the above verses.1 Allah let people find themselves the
reasons for this prohibition, some of which are as follows:
1. Pigs are dirty animals. They are not considered the source of
food, because they are scavengers; they eat anything they can
find, waste and garbage, not only bugs and insects, but also their
own feces, and dead carcasses of sick animals, including their
own young.
2. Pigs contain viruses dangerous to humans. Pigs were first
domesticated in China around 7500 B.C., and pork is one of the
most consumed meats in the world. According to the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are more than 100
viruses enter the United States each year from China through
pigs, and some of them are dangerous to humans. The swine flu
(HIN1) is a virus that has made the leap from pig to human.
Other sickness could be got from eating the meat of the pig. Pigs
are primary carrier of Hepatitis E virus (HEV), Nipah virus,
1 The late Dr. Rashad Khalifa who claimed to be “Allah’s Messenger of the
Covenant,” the founder and exponent of Inkār al-Sunnah said that based on
the Qur’anic verses it is “the meat” of pigs which is prohibited, not “the fat.”
(See Quran the Final Testament, Appendix 16, Dietary Prohibition, p. 663).What
about pigs’ organs, which are not meat, are they also lawful like pigs’ fat (lard)?
85
Menangle virus, and PRRS (Porcine Reproductive and
Respiratory Syndrome).2 A kind of virus called Japanese
encephalitis was originally from birds, but infected pigs through
mosquitoes, and from pigs to humans which causes
inflammation of brain. The encephalo myocarditis virus that
causes the inflammation of the brain and the heart was from
large rats eaten by pigs, and from pigs it infected humans.
3. Pork is toxic, as it contains toxins more than most other meats
such as chicken and beef. It is more saturated with toxins. This
is caused by the poorest and quickest digestive system of a pig.
It digests its food quickly, about four hours. Due to short period
of the digestive process in a pig’s short intestine, many of these
toxins are not properly eliminated, but remain in its system and
stored in its fatty tissues to be consumed by human. On the
contrary, a cow eats vegetation, digests its food in about twentyfour
hours, as it has three stomachs. Therefore, it has more time
to get rid of excess toxins and other components of food that
could be dangerous to health.
4. Pigs do not have any sweat glands to get rid of toxins. This
increases the toxins in the pigs’ body. A person eating pork meat
these toxins will enter his body.
5. Pigs carry various parasites some of which are difficult to kill
even with cooking. Danger increases with eating undercooked
pork, especially the trichinella worm commonly found in pork.
The larvae of this worm cause infection call trichinellosis or
2 The Nipah Virus was discovered in 1999, has caused disease in both animals
and humans, and can lead to deadly encephalitis (an acute inflammation of
your brain) in human. In 1998 this virus was discovered in Malaysia which was
believed to have been from infected bats to pigs, where 117 pigs died, and
then to humans; to prevent the spread of this virus one million pigs were
destroyed. Menangle Virus was discovered in 1997 when sows at an Australian
piggery began giving birth to deformed piglets. One year later, in 1998, it was
reported that this virus could infect humans. The PRRS had been referred to as
"swine mystery disease," "blue abortion," and "swine infertility," a nightmare
since mid-1980s. It was first reported on in 2001 and is said that it may afflict
about 75 percent of American pig herds.
86
trichinosis, a serious illness. Among its common symptoms are:
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, chills, swollen eyes,
muscle pain, aching joints, breathing and coordination
problems.3 Pigs are also primary carrier of taenia solium tape
worm.
6. Pigs produce higher level of antibodies and growth hormones
than other animals and human. Excessive quantities of growth
hormone could cause excessive weight and as well as physical
deformations. Pork contains higher levels of cholesterols and
lipids causing a serious threat to human health, such as
arteriosclerosis, sterility, damage of liver, and cancer.
7. Pigs excrete only 2% of its total uric acid content, the remaining
98% remains as an integral part of the body. The kidney extracts
98% of the uric acid from the blood and is removed through
urination, whereas in pigs it is kept in their bodies.
8. Some diseases are unique to humans which are not shared by
animals, except pigs, such as rheumatism and joint pain.4
9. Pork meat and fat contribute to obesity and related diseases that
are difficult to treat.5
10. Pork meat and pork fat contribute to the spread of cancers of
the colon, rectum, prostate and blood.
11. Pork is a kind of meat that contains the most cholesterol, an
increase of which in the bloodstream leads to an increased
3 It is said that Mozart’s sudden death at the age of 35 was caused by
trichinellosis. He had suffered many of its symptoms, and he died after
consuming pork forty-four days earlier. A local German police at Stadt
Allendorf near Marburg (a/L) in 1965 told me that long ago many people died
in Germany because of the parasite in pigs called trichine, namely, trichina
(Trichinella spiralis).
4 In late 50s I happened to read a book claimed to be written by Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad (1835-1908) who claimed to be a prophet, the mujaddid (divine
reformer) of the 14th Islamic century, the promised Messiah and at the same
time the promised Mahdi awaited by Muslims, where he said this: The reason
why swine flesh is prohibited for Muslims is because pigs are food for lions. I
found this idea fascinating until I found myself in a film about animals’ lives in
Africa where even lions did not like eating swine flesh; yet, most people do.
5 Mrs. Alma Schröder, my former landlady at Stadt Allendorf in Germany, was
advised by her doctor not to eat pork because of her obesity.
87
likelihood of blocked arteries. The fatty acids in pork are also
of an unusual formation, compared with the fatty acids in other
types of food, which makes them more easily absorbed by the
body, thus increasing cholesterol levels.
12. Eating pork leads to scabies, allergies and stomach ulcers.
Pork had been prohibited earlier in Judaism, as mentioned in the
Old Testament:
“And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely
divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.
You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses;
they are unclean for you.” (Leviticus 11:7-8).
"The pig is also unclean; although it has a split
hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their
meat; for you it is unclean.” (Deu.14:8)
In the time of Jesus (Prophet ‘Īsā, a.s.) early Christians might
have also avoided pork, following him in observing the Biblical food
restrictions when he said:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the
Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the
smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any
means disappear from the Law until everything
is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18).
The followers of Seventh-day Adventists also do not eat pork, but
Catholics and other Christians, mostly eat it for the following reasons:
a. Jesus said: “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him
‘unclean’, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes
him ‘unclean.’” (Mathew 15:11). “Nothing outside a man can
make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes
out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.’” (Mark 7:15-16)6
6 It is said that “scholars believe Jesus was speaking here of the Pharisaic
requirement to emulate the Priests by washing hands before eating, and not of
the Bible’s dietary laws.” Rabbi Bernard J. Bamberger (1904-1980) said: "There
is no reason to doubt that Jesus observed the Biblical food restrictions, and
there is no reason to think that he called for their abrogation.”
88
b. Peter has a vision where a sheet is let down from Heaven with
all sorts of animals (unclean) according to Old Testament Law.
A voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not,
Lord.” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or
unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call
anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened
three times and immediately the sheet was taken back to
heaven (Acts 10:13-16). For further details, see Acts 10 and 11).
Act 10 abrogates two laws: food and Gentiles are no longer
unclean. (He was hungry but did not have chance to eat from it).
c. Paul declared that “Christ is the end of the Law so that there
may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (Romans
10:4), and “Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by
the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was
put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by
faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the
supervision of the law.” (Galatians 3:23-25).
For the Muslims Islamic dietary law remains unchanged till the
Last Day. Pork remains unclean and ḥarām for consumption, even if
we burn it into ashes and kill its whole bacteria and viruses.
(CIVIC, 1 May, 2015)
Bibliograpy:
Al-Makatabah al-Shāmilah
The Noble Qur’an. Translated by Dr. Muhammad Taqī-ud-Dīn and
Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khān
Khalifa, Rashad.Quran the Final Testament.
The Holy Bible. New International Version.
http://draxe.com/why-you-should-avoid-pork
http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/scientific_72.html
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/12/eatingpork.
aspx (Dr. Mercola, Why I Do Not Recommend)
http://mawdoo3.com/ لماذا حرم اللَ لحم الخنزير
http://askville.amazon.com/major-religions-eatpork/
AnswerViewer.do?requestId=56920740
http://islamqa.info/ar/12558
89
16. OH, RAJAB
Today is 8th of May 2015 according to Gregorian calendar
corresponding to 19th of Rajab 1436 H, which is the seventh month
on the Islamic calendar. Gregorian calendar is based on solar
calendar, whereas Islamic calendar is based on lunar calendar. It is
unlike Hebrew, Buddhist, Tibetan, traditional Chinese, Japanese,
Vietnamese, Mongolian, Korean, ancient Hellenic and Babylonian
calendars which are lunisolar, which indicates both the moon phase
and the time of the solar year. It is a combination of the solar and
lunar calendars. Lunar calendar is also used by the Christians to
calculate the Easter every year, and by some Satanists and Pagans.
The length of the lunar month is 29.530589 days. For our
convenience the 12 months are alternately 29 days, called hollow
month, and 30 days called full month. One year in lunar calendar
makes 354 days, whereas in solar calendar it is 365 days, with 11
days difference. By using lunar calendar the beginning of fasting in
Ramadan this year is about 11 days earlier than last year. Therefore,
wherever you live, either in Northern hemisphere like Europe and
North America, in Southern hemisphere like South America,
Australia, and New Zealand, you will fast in the four seasons, too
long in Summer, but too short in Winter.
The first month in Islamic calendar is called Muḥarram in 30
days. The name Muḥarram ( مُحَرَّم ) means “inviolable, forbidden” and
was so called because killing and all kind of fighting is forbidden
(haram) during this month. Muharram includes the Day of ‘Āshūrā
which has been dealt with extensively in Khuṭab 3 no. 39 p. 210. It is
one of the four months where they are called “forbidden months.”
Allah says in the Qur’an,
إِنََّّ عَِّدَّةََّ اَّلشُّهُورَِّ عَِّنْدََّ اَّللََِّّّ اَّثْنَا عََّشَرََّ شََّهْرًا فَِّي كَِّتَابَِّ اَّللََِّّّ يََّوْمََّ خََّلَقََّ اَّلسَّمَاوَاتَََِّّّ
وَالَْْرْضََّ مَِّنْهَا أََّرْبَعَ ةَّ حَُّرُ مَّ ذََّلِكََّ اَّلدِّينَُّ اَّلْقَيِّمَُّ فََّلََّ تََّظْلِمُوا فَِّيهِنََّّ أََّنْفُسَكُمَّْ وََّقَاتِلُواَّ
)ََّّ الْمُشْرِكِينََّ كََّافَّةًَّ كََّمَا يَُّقَاتِلُونَكُمَّْ كََّافَّةًَّ وََّاعْلَمُوا أََّنََّّ اَّللَََّّّ مََّعََّ اَّلْمُتَّقِينََّ )َّالتوبة: 63
Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months
(in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He
created the havens and the earth; of them four are Sacred
90
(i.e., the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic
calendar). That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves
therein, and fight against the Mushrikin (polutheists, pagans,
idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) collectively as
they fight against hou collectively. But know that Allah
is with those who are Muttaqin (the pious). (Q. 9:36)
The four sacred months are:
- Muharram, the first month as mentioned earlier. It was the time
to return home safely after performing their pilgrimage in the
previous month, Dhul-Ḥijjah.
- Rajab ( 30 ,رَجَب days) the seventh month. The word “rajab” means
“respect, honor.” The term رَجَبَ رََّجْبًا وََّ رَُّجُوْبًا means “to be
ashamed, to be shy.” It was called Rajab, because كَانَ يَُّرَجَّبَُّ "َّ it
was respected.” The expression أَرْجَبَ اَّلرَّجُلُ رََّجْبًا وََّ تََّرْجِيْبًا means هَابَهُ
وَعَظَّمَهَُّ , “The man respects and glorifies him/it (something).” It is
said that this month was also called Rajab Muḍar because the
people of the Muḍar tribe were very respectful and honourable.
It is in this month which is the midst of the year where people
who came from distant places in the Arabian Peninsula to come
to visit the Ka‘bah to perform ‘umrah and return home
peacefully.
- Dhū al-Qa‘dah ( 30 , ذو اَّلقَعْدة days), the eleventh month. The word
literally means “time for sitting down;” it was the time where the
Arabs avoid raiding, looking for supply and searching for pasture.
It was the month of relaxation.
- Dhū al-Ḥijjah ( 29 ,ذو اَّلحِجّة days), the twelfth month, the month of
pilgrimage. Ḥajj (pilgrimage) had been practiced by the pagan
Arabs in pre-Islamic Arabia. Upon their return from their travel,
they did not go directly home and changed their clothes which
they were supposed to; instead, they took them off, and went to
make ṭawāf around the Ka‘bah naked at night. The sky is almost
clear at night all the time there because of lack of rain, and
therefore, it is not too dark even at midnight. At the early period
of Islam the Muslims were allowed to perform the ḥajj with them
but in Islamic way.
91
Al-QurṭubĪ mentions three interpretations of the verse فَلََّ تََّظْلِمُوا
فِيهِنََّّ أََّنْفُسَكُمَّْ “so wrong not yourselves therein,” as follows:
(1) It means “do not wrong yourselves therein by disobeying Allah in
these twelve months, then Allah specialized the four months as
sacred month, where good deeds would get more rewards, and bad
deeds would get more sins.” (Ibn ‘Abbās’s interpretation);
(2) It means “do not wrong yourselves there in by disobeying Allah in
these twelve months by making ḥalāl (permitted) what is ḥarām
(prohibited) and vice-versa” (Ibn Isḥāq’s interpretation);
(3) It means “do not wrong yourselves in these four unviolated
months as wrong-doing in them is a grave sin more than that
committed in other months. Although wrong-doing is big enough,
but Allah exalts what He likes: He selected among His creation, He
selected messengers among angels, He selected messengers among
men, He selected among sayings the dhikr (the mentioning of His
Names), He selected in the land the mosques, He selected among the
months the month of Ramaḍān and the four inviolable months, He
selected among the days the Friday, and He selected among the
nights “the Night of Power” (Laylat al-Qadr). Therefore, respect what
Allah favours, as people of understanding and reasoning only who
respect what Allah favours.” (Qatadah’s interpretation).
Al-Qurṭubī said that the more likely correct among these
interpretation is the one who said that “do not wrong yourselves in
the four month by making ḥalāl (permitted) what is ḥarām in these
inviolable months, as Allah favoured them and their sacredness. He
said that, based on Arabic grammar, the word فِيهِنََّّ (“in them”) in the
verse is used to indicate the number between 3 and 10, and
therefore, it means the four months. If it means the 12 months, the
verse would say فَلََّ تََّظْلِمُوا فَِّيهاََّ rather than 1َّ.فَلََّ تََّظَّْلِمُوا فَِّيهِنََّّ
1 In Arabic language plural is used after a number between 3 and ten, and after
that singular is used. For example, for 4 month we use shuhūr ) شُهُور ( or ashhur
أَشْهُر( ( the plural of shahr ) شَهْر (. But if we say, for example, 12 month we use
the word shahr ( شَهْر ) which is singular. As the above verse uses فِيهِنَّّ ("in them")
92
We are still in the month of Rajab, one of the four sacred
months where we are not supposed to fight except in self-defence,
but in this sacred month we are fighting our own Muslim brothers,
destroying our own cities, increasing the number of Muslim widows
and orphans and refugees, as if we cannot tolerate our differences.
Apparently, the pagan Arabs in the Jāhiliyyah (Era of Ignorance)
observed and honoured more the sanctity of these inviolable months
than we do.
There is no special thing to do in this month except to honour
its sacredness. A man came to the Prophet they went away. After
one year he visited him again, but his condition had changed, so that
the Prophet s.a.w. did not recognize him. He had kept fasting, and
the Prophet s.a.w. advised him not to torture himself, but to fast in
the month of Ramadan (the month of patience), and one day every
month. The man asked to give him more, and the Prophet told him
to fast two days every month. The man asked more, and the Prophet
told him to fast three days every month. The man asked more, and
the Prophet told him to fast and break in the sacred months (he said
it three times bringing his three fingers together then released
them). (Reported by Aḥmad, Abū Dā’ūd, Ibn Mājah, and al-Bayhaqī).
There are many incidents claimed to have occurred in Rajab,
among which are as follows:
- The injunction of the five-daily prayers to the Muslims. It was
during the Prophet’s ascension to heaven one and a half year
before his migration to Madinah.
it refers to shuhūr ( شُهُور ), namely 4 months. Had it referred to the 12 months,
it would have said فِيها (“in it”) in singular. Therefore, if we say in English “four
months”, there will be no problem; but if we say “12 months”, then we have to
say “12 month” which is wrong in English, but right in Arabic. Grammatical
complication has its own advantage: clearer meaning. The term a‘raba ) )أَعْرَبََّ
which means “to Arabicize” it also means “to state clearly, to express
unmistakably.” The ancient Arabs were well-known for their honesty,
straightforwardness, bravery, and integrity.
93
- According to the historian Ibn al-Jawzī the Prophet’s night journey
to Jerusalem and his ascension to heaven took place on 27 of
Rajab. According to Abū Isḥāq it was in the night of the 27th of
Rabī‘ al-Awwal. Others said it was in Ramaḍān, Shawwāl, and
Rabī‘ al-Ākhir.
- The turn of the qiblah (direction to which Muslims pray) from
Bayt al-Maqdis in Jerusalem to the Ka‘bah in Makkah took place
in Rajab 2 AH after they had prayed toward it in sixteen or
seventeen months. When the Prophet emigrated to Madinah
Allah ordered him and his followers to pray in the direction of
Bayt al-Maqdis, in Jerusalem. This delighted the Jewish of
Madinah. Although the Prophet and his followers did, but he
preferred praying in the direction of the Qiblah in Makkah, and
kept praying that Allah would accept his prayer. After about 16 or
17 months, revelation came as follows:
قَدَّْ نََّرَى تََّقَلُّبََّ وََّجْهِكََّ فَِّي اَّلسَّمَاءَِّ فََّلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكََّ قَِّبْلَةًَّ تََّرْضَاهَا فََّوَلَِّّ وََّجْهَكََّ
شََّطْرََّ اَّلْمَسْجِدَِّ اَّلْحَرَامَِّ وَََّّحَيْثَُّ مََّا كَُّنْتُمَّْ فََّوَلُّوا وَُّجُوهَكُمَّْ شََّطْرَهَُّ وََّإِنََّّ اَّلَّذِينََّ أَُّوتُوا اَّلْكِتَابَََّّ
) لَيَعْلَمُونََّ أََّنَّهَُّ اَّلْحَقَُّّ مَِّنَّْ رََّبِّهِمَّْ وََّمَا اَّللََُّّّ بَِّغَافِ لَّ عََّمَّا يََّعْمَلُونََّ )َّالبقرة: 111
Verily, We have seen the turning of your
(Muhammad’s) face towards the heaven. Surely,
We shall turn your face to a Qiblah (prayer direction)
that shal please you, so turn your face in the direction
of al-Masjid al-Haram (at Makkah). And wheresoever
you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction.
Certainly, the people who were given the Scripture (i.e.,
Jews and Christians) know that, that (your turning
towards the direction of the Ka‘bahَّ at Makkah
in prayers) is the truth from their Lord. And Allah
is not unaware of what they do. (Q. 2:144)
Ibn ‘Abbās said that this was the first abrogation part of the
Qur’an, namely, the qiblah.
- The Tabuk Expedition took place in Rajab, 9 AH. The Prophet’s
army consisted of 30,000 fighters and 10,000 horsemen
94
- The conquest of Damascus in 14/635 under the command of
Abū ‘Ubaydah and Khālid ibn al-Walīd under peace agreement
with its inhabitants to treat with justice their churches, their
houses and their leaders, and to allow their festivals.
- The Battle of Yarmuk which took place on Monday 5th of Rajab
15/636. It took six days from 15th to 20th of August, 636 A.D.
with an army of about 25,000 under the command of Khālid
ibn al-Walīd (d. 642) whose epithet was Sayf Allāh (“the Sword
of Allah”). He was facing the East Roman army of about 50,000
under the command of Vahan the Armenian. This battle was
for the survival of Islam, and the defeat would mean the end of
it. On the sixth day the Muslim army gained overwhelming
victory. Four years later, by the year 640 A.D. the Muslim army
had conquered the Middle East.
The liberation of Jerusalem on 27 Rajab 587/1187 under Sultan
Saladin (Ṣalāḥuddīn al-Ayyūbī) after it had been occupied by the
Crusaders about 88 years, prayed at the al-Aqṣā Mosque, and
gave freedom and security to its inhabitants.
المراجع:
المكتبة اَّلشاملة تفسير اَّلطبري )َّت. 610َّ هَّ(
تفسير اَّلقرطبى )َّت. 371َّ هَّ(
تفسير اَّبن كَّثير )َّت. 771َّ هَّ(
Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur: Percetakan Zafar Sdn Bhd, 2005
Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’ān. Gibraltar: Dar al-
Andalus, 1984
http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/muslimwars/articles/yarmuk.
aspx (The Battle of Yarmuk, 636 by Dan Fratini).
95
17. THE VIRTUES OF SHA’BAN
Sha‘ban ) شَعْبَان ( is the 8th month consisting of 29 days in Islamic
calendar. The word means “scattered.” The expression تَشَعَّبَ الْقَوْمُ
means “people dispersed.” The word shu‘bah originally means “a
group of people, فِرْقَة .” Now it means “section, division, department.”
In this month the Arabs in the past scattered searching for water.
It is reclommended that we do much fasting in the month of
Sha‘bān following the examples of Prophet Muhamad s.a.w. There
are many ḥadīths (traditions of the Prophet) stating that the Prophet
s.a.w. fasted the whole month of Sha‘bān, whereas others say that
he fasted most of the days of this month, as follows:
عَنْ أُ م سَلَمَةَ رضي الله عنها قَالَتْ : مَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهَِّ صَلَّى اللهَّ عَلَيْهِ
وَسَلَّمَ صَامَ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ إِلا أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَصِلُ شَعْبَانَ بِرَمَضَان
)رواه أحمد وأبو داود والنسائي وابن ماجه(
Ummu Salamah r.a. said: “I never saw the Messenger of
Allah s.a.w. fast two consecutive months apart from the fact
that he used to join Sha‘bān and Ramaḍān.” (Reported by
Ahmad, Abū Dā’ūd, al-Nasā’ī, and Ibn Mājah)
‘Ā’ishah r.a. said,
لَمْ يَكُنِ النَّبِ ي صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَصُومُ شَهْرًا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ،
فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَصُومُ شَعْبَانَ كُلَّهُ )رواه البخاري(
The Prophet s.a.w. did not fast in a month more
than his fasting in Sha‘bān, for he fasted the whole
month of Sha‘bān (Reported by Bukhārī)
These ḥadīths indicates that the Prophet fasted the whole
month of Sha‘bān. But other ḥadīths indicate that he fasted most of
the days of Sha‘bān, among which are as follows:
عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ قَالَ : سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللهَّ عَنْهَا عَنْ صِيَامِ رَسُولِ اللهَِّ
صَلَّى اللهَّ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَقَالَتْ : كَانَ يَصُومُ حَتَّى نَقُولَ قَدْ صَامَ ، وَيُفْطِرُ حَتَّى
نَقُولَ قَدْ أَفْطَرَ ، وَلَمْ أَرَه صَائِمًا مِنْ شَهْ ر قَ ط أَكْثَرَ مِنْ صِيَامِهِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ ،
كَانَ يَصُومُ شَعْبَانَ كُلَّهُ ، كَانَ يَصُومُ شَعْبَانَ إِلا قَلِيلا )رواه مسلم(.
Abu Salamah said: “I asked ‘Aa’ishah r.a. about the fasting
96
of the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. and she said: ‘He used to fast
until we thought that he would always fast, then he would
not fast until we thought that he would always not fast,
but I never saw him fast in any month more than he
fasted in Sha‘bān. He used to fast all of Sha‘bān,
and he used to fast all of Sha‘bān apart from
a few days.’” (Reported by Muslim)
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللهَّ عَنْهَا، قَالَتْ : كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهَِّ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ "
يَصُومُ حَتَّى نَقُولَ : لا يُفْطِرُ، وَيُفْطِرُ حَتَّى نَقُولَ : لا يَصُومُ، فَمَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهَِّ
صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اسْتَكْمَلَ صِيَامَ شَهْ ر إِلَّا رَمَضَانَ، وَمَا رَأَيْتُهُ أَكْثَرَ
صِيَامًا مِنْهُ فِي شَعْبَانَ )رواه البخاري و مسلم( "
Ā’ishah r.a. said: “The Messenger of Allah s.a.w.
used to fast until we thought he would never break his
fast, and he did not fast until we thought he would never
fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. fasting for
an entire month except in Ramadan, and I never
saw him fast more than he did in Sha‘bān
(Reported by Bukhārī and Muslim(
Based on the above traditions there are two different views:
a. The Prophet fasted most of the days of Sha‘bān, but
occasionally he fast the whole month of Sha‘bān. According to
the traditionist and Qur’an commdentator al-Imām al-Ḥusayn
al-Ṭībī (d. 743/1342) it is possible that he fasted the whole
month of Sha‘bān, and in other occations he fasted most of the
days of the month, so that people would not think that fasting
in the whole month of Sha‘bān is also enjoined for Muslims
besides Ranmaḍān. This is the view favoured by Shaykh ‘Abd al-
‘Azīz Ibn Bāz (d. 1999) in his fatwā.
b. The Prophet fast most of the days of Sha‘bān, and he never
fasted the whole month of Sha‘bān. The expression “he fasted
the whole month of Sha‘bān” does not necessarily mean that
he fasted the entire month, but this expression could also
mean most of the days of Sha‘bān. It is like the expression, “he
knows everything” if he knows many things, or “he does not
know anything,” if he does not know many things. Ibn al97
Mubārak (d. 181 AH) said, as reported by al-Tirmidhī, that it is
linguisticly possible in Arabic expression to say that if someone
fasted most of the days of the month, that he fasted the whole
month. This is also the view of al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Rajab (d. 795/1393)
and Abū l-Ḥasan al-Sindī (d. 1138/1726).
The argument of this view is the ḥadīths stating that the
Prophet did not fast the whole month except Ramadan, among
which are as follows:
عن عائشة رضي الله عنها أنها قالت : وَلا أَعْلَمُ نَبِيَّ اللهَِّ
صَلَّى اللهَّ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَرَ أَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ فِي لَيْلَ ة ، وَلا صَلَّى لَيْلَةً
إِلَى ال صبْحِ ، وَلا صَامَ شَهْرًا كَامِلا غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ )رواه النسائي( .
Ā’ishah r.a. said: “ I do not know that the Prophet of
Allah s.a.w. recited the entire Qur’an in one night, or
spent an entire night in prayer until dawn, or fasted
an entire month apart from Ramaḍān.”
(Reported by al-Nasā’ī)
عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّا س رَضِيَ اللهَّ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ : مَا صَامَ النَّبِ ي صَلَّى اللهَّ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ شَهْرًا كَامِلا قَ ط غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ )رواه البخاري ومسلم(
Ibn ‘Abbās r.a. said: “The Prophet s.a.w. never
fasted any month in full apart from Ramaḍān.”
(Reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim)
Among the virtues and the wisdom behind fasting in Sha‘bān,
as mentioned by al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Rajab are in the following ḥadīth:
عَنْ أُسَامَة بْن زَيْ د قَالَ : قُلْت : يَا رَسُول اللهَّ ، لَمْ أَرَك تَصُومُ مِنْ شَهْر
مِنْ ال شهُور مَا تَصُوم مِنْ شَعْبَان ، قَالَ : ذَلِكَ شَهْ ر يَغْفُلُ النَّاس عَنْهُ بَيْنَ
رَجَ ب وَرَمَضَان ، وَهُوَ شَهْر تُرْفَعُ فِيهِ الأَعْمَال إِلَى رَ ب الْعَالَمِينَ،
فَأحُِ ب أَنْ يُرْفَعَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِ م )رواه النسائي و أبوداءود(
Usāmah ibn Zayd said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of
Allah,I do not see you fasting in any month more than
in Sha’bān.’ He said, ‘That is a month concerning which
many people are heedless, between Rajab and Ramaḍān.
It is the month is which people’s deeds are taken up to
the Lord of the Worlds, and I would like my deeds
to be taken up whilst I am fasting.’
98
(Reported by al-Nasā’ī and Abū Dā’ūd)
According to Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah the wisdom behind the
Prophet’s frequent fasting in Sha‘bān has many aspects, among
which are as follows:
a. The Prophet used to fast three days every month; he might have
missed some months, and he made them up in Sha‘bān before
doing the obligatory masting in of Ramaḍān.
b. He did it to honour the obligatory fasting in Ramaḍān. It is like
doing the recommended prayer before doing the obligatory one.
c. It is the month in which people’s deeds are taken up to Allah, and
he likes his deeds are taken up to Allah while he was fasting, as
mentioned in the above ḥadīth.
The taking up of our deeds to Allah can be divided into three
stages:
a. daily, at the time of fajr (dawn), and ‘aṣr (late afternoon) prayers,
as narrated by Abū Hurayrah, the Prophet s.a.w. said:
يَتَعَاقَبُونَ فِيكُمْ مَلاَئِكَ ة بِاللَّيْلِ وَمَلاَئِكَ ة بِالنَّهَارِ، وَيَجْتَمِعُونَ فِي صَلاَةِ العَصْرِ
وَصَلاَةِ الفَجْرِ، ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ الَّذِينَ بَاتُوا فِيكُمْ، فَيَسْأَلُهُمْ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ : كَيْفَ
تَرَكْتُمْ عِبَادِي؟ فَيَقُولُونَ : تَرَكْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يُصَل ونَ، وَأَتَيْنَاهُمْ وَهُمْ يُصَل ونَ "
)رواه البخاري و مسلم(
Angels come after the other among you at night and in the
day time, and they gather together at asr and dawn praying
times, thenthe angels who stayed at night among you, would
ascend, and Allah askes them (although He knew more about
them): ‘How did you leave my servant?” They will say
‘We were leaving them while they were praying, and
we came to them while they were praying.”
(Reported by Bukhārī and Muslim)
b. weekly, on every Thursday evening, as narrated by Abū Hurayrah
the Prophet s.a.w. said:
إِنَّ أَعْمَالَ بَنِي آدَمَ تُعْرَضُ كُلَّ خَمِي س لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ، فَلَا يُقْبَلُ
عَمَلُ قَاطِعِ رَحِ م (رواه أحمد(
99
The deeds of the children of Adam are exposed
every Thursday night, and so the deeds of a person who
breaks off his family relationship will not be accepted
(Reported by Ahmad)
c. yearly, in the month of Sha‘bān, as mentioned earlier in the
above ḥadīth.
The voluntary fasting in Sha‘bān can be considered a kind of
spiritual and physical warming up and training for the coming of the
obligatory fasting in Ramadan. In the beginning of the days of fasting
the body begins to consume its stored reserves of fats, proteins, and
others to compensate its shortage because of lack of food. Some
poisons flow in blood before the body gets rid of them with the
leftovers. Consequently, the fasting man feels some symptoms of
sickness, such as headache, weakness, ill-temper, etc. These
symptoms will disappear after a few days of fasting when the
hormones ratio in blood returns to their nature, and after the body
has adjusted itself with the shortage of food in fasting.
It is also advisable for a person who fasts, especially
recommended fasting, not to let people know that he is fasting, to
avoid showing-off, because it is a secret between him and his Lord. It
is said that some of the salaf (companions of the Prophet and people
of later generation) fasted for forty-years without being known by
anybody. He left home and went to the market with two pieces of
bread which he gave away as charity. People at home thought that
he ate the bread, whereas people in the market thought that he had
taken his meal at home. The Prophet’s companions ‘Abdullah ibn
Mas‘ūd and Qatādah advised the faster of recommended fasting to
remove any sign of fasting from his body to keep his fasting secret.
Although it is recommended to fast in Sha‘bān, fasting one or
two days before Ramaḍān is not recommended. Narrated by Abū
Hurayrah that the Prophet s.a.w. said:
لا تَقَدَّمُوا شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ بِصِيَا م قَبْلَهُ بِيَوْ م أَوْ يَوْمَيْنِ، إِلا أَنْ يَكُونَ
رَجُ ل كَانَ يَصُومُ صَوْمًا فَلْيَصُمْهُ . )رواه الترمذي وأحمد(
100
None of you should fast a day or two before the month
of Ramadan unless he has the habit of fasting (voluntary
and if his fasting coincides with that day) then he can
fast that day (Reported by al-Tirmidhī and Aḥmad)
Therefore, a person who has a habit of fasting on Monday and
Thursday can fast them even at the end of Sha‘bān.
Many ḥadīths emphasize the merits of fasting in the month of
Sha‘bān, especially the first half of it, including the 15th day of it
where its night should be spent in prayers and other forms of
worship. Muslim scholars give many names for the night of the midst
of Sha‘bān due to its virtues, such as: “the blessed night” )ال لَّ ي لَةُ
المُ بارَ كَ ة( , “the night of atonement” ) لَ ي لَةُ ال تكْ ف ير (, “the night of
forgiveness” ) لَيْلَةُ الغُ فرَ ان (, “the night of intercession”) ليلة الشَّ فاعَ ة ), “the
night of the acceptance of supplication” ) لَيْلَةُ الإجَ ا بة (, and “the night of
life” ) .)لَيْلَةُ الحَ ياة
In conclusion: Although the ḥadīths relating the virtues of
fasting on the 15th of Sha‘bān are weak, it can be done as a measure
of precaution, not taken as Sunnah, but as an advisable practice.
Muslim scholars, such as al-Nawawī, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Ibn al-
Mubārak, Sufyān al-Thawrī, and Abū Zakariyyā al-‘Anbārī agree that
it is possible to accept weak ḥadīths and act upon them, as long as
they do not contain injunction or prohibition, or making ḥalāl what is
ḥarām, and vice-versa, but rather the virtues of good deeds.
(CIVIC, 22 May, 2015)
Bibliography:
al-Maktabah al-Shāmilah
http://en.islamway.net/article/12087/the-virtues-of-shaban
http://islamqa.info/en/13729
http://www.saaid.net/mktarat/12/8-21.htm
http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?137694-A-Nightof-
excellence-in-the-Month-of-Shaban
http://web.macam.ac.il/~tawfieq/mqalat-0011.htm
)شهر شعبان ماذا فيه ؟للعلامة السيد الدكتور محمد علوي المالكي الحسني(
101
18. ABDULLAH IBN MAS‘ŪD (1)
Abdullah (‘Abd Allāh) ibn (son of) Mas‘ūd ( عبدالله بن مسعود ( r.a.
(d. 32/650) was one of the earlier companions (ṣaḥābah) of Prophet
Muhammad s.a.w., and an the sixth person who converted to Islam.
In his early life he used to tend the flocks of one of the leaders of the
Quraysh in Makkah called ‘Uqbah ibn Mu‘ayṭ ) عقبة بن معيط ( from
early in the morning till nightfall. The boy was used to be called “Ibn
Umm ‘Abd” ( إبن أم عبد “the son of the mother of a slave”). He became
qāḍī of Kūfah in about 642 CE.
One day while tending the flocks, the young Abdullah was
approached by two men unknown to him. They were the Prophet
s.a.w. and his companion Abū Bakr r.a. who were apparently very
thirsty and tired. They had come to the mountains of Makkah to avoid
the persecution of the Quraysh. They greeted him and asked if he
could milk one of the sheep to quench their thirst. He said that he
could not do that, because the sheep did not belong to him, and he was
only responsible for looking after them. They were pleased with his
honesty. Then they asked him if he had any young goat that did not
have milk. He pointed at a goat, and they placed their hands on its
udders muttering some Qur’ānic verses. To his amazement the udders
became full of milk, and they drank and offered some to him. Then
the udders shrank back as before, and the goat was released. Soon
after he knew that they were the Prophet and his companion Abū Bakr
who had come to him, he embraced Islam and quitted tending flocks.
Abdullah’s mother offered the Prophet her son to serve him
which he agreed. Now, instead of looking after the sheep, he got a
better job, looking after the needs of the Prophet s.a.w. inside as well
as outside the house, and was closely attached to him. He became a
special servant of the Prophet, helping him put on his shoes,
accompanied him on his journeys and expeditions, woke him when he
slept, provided cover when he washed, and attended other personal
needs, that the ṣaḥābah called him ṣāḥib al-siwāk (“the bearer of the
toothbrush”), ṣāḥib al-na‘layn (“the bearer of the slippers”), ṣāḥib almuṭahhirah
(“the bearer of the cleansing water”), and ṣāḥib alwisīdah
(“the bearer of the cushion”). He was allowed to enter the
Prophet’s house any time of the day or night, that he was given more
102
privileges than anyone else, and that some people thought the he was
one of the Prophet’s household. He was entitled “the Secretary” of the
Prophet as he was entrusted with his secrets.
Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd had thin legs and was short that it was
said that he was the same height of a tall man sitting. He once
climbed a tree in a campaign to cut wood. When some people
laughed at his legs the Prophet reproached them and said, “Are you
laughing at his thin legs? They will weigh heavier than Mount Uhud
in the Scales of the Hereafter.”
Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd was the first man to recite aloud the words
of the Qur’ān before a gathering of the Quraysh. The eye-witness al-
Zubayr related that one day that the Prophet's companions were
gathered with the Prophet s.a.w. They said, "By Allah, the Quraysh
have never heard the Qur’ān being recited to them before. Isn't there
any man to recite it so that they may hear it?" Thereupon Abdullah ibn
Mas‘ūd said, "I shall recite it for them”
They said, "We are afraid for you. We want a man with a clan to
protect him from those people if they want to harm him." He said,
"Let me go, Allah will protect me." Then he went to the Maqām
Ibrāhīm (a landmark situated a few meters from the Ka‘bah) at the
Ka‘bah and recited:
الرَّحْمَ ن .عَلَّمَ الْق رْآنَ . خَلَقَ الِْْنْسَانَ . عَلَّمَه الْبَيَان. الشَّمْ س وَالْقَمَ ر
)6- بِ حسْبَا ن . وَالنَّجْ م وَالشَّجَ ر يَسْ جدَانِ )النجم: 1
The Most Beneficent! Has taught the Qur’ān. He
created man. He taught him eloquent speech. The
sun and the moon run on their fixed courses (exactly)
calculated with measured out stages for each.
And the herbs (or stars ) and the trees
both prostrate (Q. 55: 1-6).
The Quraysh looked at him and said, "What does Ibn Umm Abd
say? He is reciting some of what Muhammad came with." They went
to him and began to beat him in the face while he was reciting till he
finished whatever Allah wished him to recite from the surah. When
he returned to his friends with his wound, they told him, "This is what
we were afraid would happen to you." He answered them, "Those
103
enemies of Allah have never been more worthless to me than this
moment, and if you wish I will go back to them and do the same
tomorrow." They said, "No, it is enough for you. You have made them
hear what they hated."
“The Most Beneficent has taught the Qur’ān” means Allah
taught the Prophet the Qur’ān, and he in his turn taught it to his
people. Allah made it easy to read and to remember (al-Zajjāj”s
interpretation).
“He created man” means Adam (according to Ibn ‘Abbās,
Qatādah and al-Ḥasan); another interpretation is human species.
“He taught him eloquent speech” means: names of everything;
all languages; explanation of ḥalāl (legal) from ḥarām (illegal), of
guidance from straying; explanation of the past and the future;
explanation of good and bad (al-Ḍaḥḥāq’s interpretation); the
explanation of what is beneficial and harmful to man (the
interpretation of Qatādah and al-Rabī‘). Other than eloquent speech
the term bayān also means “understanding” which is peculiar to man,
not to animals, and that Allah taught each people their languages (al-
Suddī’s interpretation). Muhammad Asad gives us more explanations
about the term bayān. He said:
The term al-bayān—denoting “the means whereby a thing is
[intellectually] circumscribed and made clearer” (Rāghib)—
applies to both thought in speech inasmuch as it comprises the
faculty of making a thing or an idea apparent to the mind and
conceptually distinct from other things or ideas, as well as the
power to express this cognition clearly in spoken or written
language (Tāj al-‘Arūs): hence in the above context,
“articulate thought and speech”, recalling the “knowledge
of all the names” (i.e., the faculty of conceptual
thinking) with which man is endowed …
(M. Asad, The Message of the Qur’ān, note. p. 824, n. 1)
“The sun and the moon run on their fixed courses (exactly)
calculated with measured out stages for each” means without them
time and ages cannot be calculated (according to Ibn Zayd and Ibn
Kaysān).
104
“And the herbs (or stars) and the trees both prostrate.” The
word النَّجْ م is derived from the verb نَجَمَ الشَّيْ ء يَنْ ج م ن جوْمًا , something
appeared and emerged. The term “al-najm” could be the herbs and
their prostration and that of the trees is the prostration of their
shadows (al-Ḍaḥḥāq’s interpretation); in another view, herbs’
prostration is their facing the sun while it is rising, their leaning until
their shadows decrease (al-Farrā’’s interpretation); their prostration is
the turning of their shadows with them (al-Zajjāj’s interpretation). The
term “al-najm” could also be the stars according to al-Ḥasan and
Mujāhid and their prostration according to him is the rotation of their
shadows. It is also said that the prostration of the stars is their setting,
and the prostration of the trees is the harvesting of their fruit, as
reported by al-Māwrdī. In general all of them and the whole creature
are subservient to Him.
The term السُّ جو د (”prostration”) means الْ خ ضو ع ("submission,
obedience”) as reported by al-Qushayrī. According to al-Naḥḥās the
original meaning of السُّ جو د (”prostration”) in Arabic language is
الِِسْتِسْلََ م وَالِِنْقِيَا د لَِِّلِّ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ (“to surrender and to submit to Allah the
Almighty”), and everything surrenders to Him, including prostration
in prayer.
One of many examples of the vast knowledge of Ibn Mas‘ūd is
as follow:
‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb in one of his journeys leading a caravan he
met another caravan from the opposite direction where Ibn Mas‘ūd
was happened to be in it. It was fairly dark and he could not be seen
properly. So he sent a messenger to find out the origin and the
destination of the caravan. They said that they came “from فَجَ عَمِيْق
(fajj amīq, deep and distant mountain highway) , or from a far off
destination.” The expression فَجَ عَمِيْق (fajj amīq) was the Qur’ānic
expression from which the pilgrims came.1 Their destination was
الْبَيْ ت الْعَتِيْق " (al-bayt al-‘atīq, the Ancient House, namely, the
Ka‘bah)." The expression الْعَتِيْق (al-bayt al-‘atīq, the Ancient House
1 Allah said in the Qur’ān: وَأَذِّ نْ فِْي اْلنَّاسِْ بِْا لحَجِّْ يَْأ تُوكَْ رِْجَالًْ وَْعَلَى كُْلِّْ ضَْامِ رْ يَْأ تِينَْ مِْ نْ كُْلِّْ فَْ جْ
)ْ عَمِي قْ )ْالحج: 72 And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to
you on foot and on every lean camel, hey will come from every deep and distant
(wide) mountain highway.(Q. 22:27)
105
was for the Ka‘bah to which the pilgrims intended to visit in their
pilgrimage.2
‘Umar r.a. realized that there was a scholar among them. So, he
told someone to ask the person:
"Which part of the Qur’ān is the greatest?"
) اللهَّ لَِ إِلَهَ إِلَِّ ه وَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّو م لَِ تَأْ خ ذه سِنَةٌ وَلَِ نَوْمٌ... )البقرة: 522
Allah. There is no god except Him, the Living, the Self-subsisting.
Neither slumber overtakes Him nor sleep… (Q. 2:255)
he replied quoting the Āyat al-Kursī (the verse of the Throne).
"Which part of the Qur’ān carries its essence?”
) إِنَّ اللهََّ يَأْ م ر بِالْعَدْلِ وَالِْْحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْق رْبَى ... )النحل: 09
Verily Allah enjoins you to be just and sacrifice for
others and help your kinsfolk.… (Q. 16:90)
was the answer.
“What it the most comprehensive statement of the Qur’ān?”
)8- فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّ ة خَيْرًا يَرَه . وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّ ة شَ رًا يَرَه )الزلزلة: 7
So whoever does good equal to the weight of an atom,
shall see it and whosoever does evil equal to the weight
of an atom shall see it (Q. 99:7-8)
was the answer.
"Which of the Qur’ānic verses evokes fear?"
لَيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّ كمْ وَلَِ أَمَانِيِّ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مَنْ يَعْمَلْ سوءًا ي جْزَ بِهِ وَلَِ
) يَجِدْ لَه مِنْ دونِ اللهَِّ وَلِي ا وَلَِ نَصِيرًا )النساء: 151
It will not be in accordance with your desire (Muslims),
nor those of the people of scripture (Jews and Christians)
whosoever works evil have the recompense thereof
and he will not find any protector or helper
besides Allah (Q. 4:123)
"Which part of the Qur’ān inspires hope?”
2 Allah said in the Qur’ān:ْ ) ثُْمَّْ ليَ قضُوا تَْفَثَهُ مْ وَْ ليُوفُوا نُْذُورَهُ مْ وَْ ليَطَّوَّفُوا بِْا لبَ يتِْ اْ لعَتِيقِْ )ْالحج: 79
Then let them complete their prescribed duties (manasik of Hajj) and perform
their vows, and circumambulate the Ancient House (the Ka‘bah) (Q. 22:29).
106
ق لْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَف وا عَلَى أَنْف سِهِمْ لَِ تَقْنَط وا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللهَّ ) إِنَّ اللهََّ يَغْفِ ر الذُّن وبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّه ه وَ الْغَف و ر الرَّحِي م )الزمر: 21
Say, O my servants who have wasted their resources, do not
despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.
He is the Forgiving, the Compassionate. (Q. 39:53)
When ‘Umar asked whether Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd was among
them, they replied, "Yes, indeed."
(CIVIC, 5 June, 2015)
:المراجع
المكتبة الشاملة
(تفسير الطبري )ت. 119 ه
(تفسير القرطبى )ت. 671 ه
Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’ān. Gibraltar: Dar al-
Andalus, 1984
http://www.inter-islam.org/Biographies/abdullahibnmasood.htm
http://sahabastories.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/abdullaah-ibn-masud-ra.
html
http://www.islamiska.org/e/masud.htm
http://www.sunnah.org/history/Sahaba/masud.html
(Scanned from: "Companions of The Prophet", Vol.1, By: Abdul
Wahid Hamid.)
http://ahadith.co.uk/hadithbynarrator.php?n=Abdullah+bin+Masud&b
id=1&let=A
http://islamicencyclopedia.org/public/index/topicDetail/id/34
http://www.islamicvoice.com/december.2003/child.htm#abmj
107
19. ABDULLAH IBN MAS‘ŪD (2) ASLI
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd r.a. participated in the hijrah (migration)
of the Muslims, twice to Ḥabashah (Ethiopia) and once to Madinah
to avoid the persecution of the Quraysh in Makkah. The first
migration took place in the fifth year of the Prophet’s prophethood,
consisting of about one hundred people, and was led by ‘Uthmān ibn
‘Affān and his wife Raqayyah (the Prophet’s daughter), Ja‘far ibn Abī
Ṭālib, ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf, and Ummu Ḥabībah (the daughter of
Abū Sufyān). They marched towards the Port of al-Shu‘aybah, then
crossed the Red Sea. When they learned that the situation was
getting better, they returned home.
As the situation was not so good as had been expected, then
the Muslims migrated again to Ḥabashah consisting of 83 men and
18 women, led by Ja‘far ibn Abī Ṭālib, taking a different route. They
crossed the Red Sea from the Port of Jeddah heading towards
Sawakin. The third migration was to Madinah which took place in
622 CE.
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd r.a. participated in the 29 military
expeditions led by the Prophet. In the battle of Badr which took
place in 2 AH as a share in the booty the Prophet gave him the sword
of Abū Jahl.
One of many reasons the Quraysh aristocrats refused to sit
with the Prophet s.a.w. and listen to him was that his companions
were weak people whom they considered belonging to the weak and
oppressed people ) الْمُسْتَضْعَفِيْن (, such as ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd, “the
son of the mother of a slave”, Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ (d. 20/640) the
Abyssinian slave of Umayyah ibn Khalaf (later freed bought and freed
by Abū Bakr), Suhayb ibn Sinān (d. 39/659) the Roman, Khabbāb ibn
al-Aratt (d. 37/657), and ‘Ammār ibn Yāssir (d. 37/657) the slave of
Banī Makhzūm. There were many examples for these, such as:
a. Mujāhid narrated that Bilāl and Ibn Mas‘ūd were with the
Prophet s.a.w. and the Quraysh said that if it were not because
of the presence of these two humiliated persons (Bilāl and Ibn
Mas‘ūd), they would have sat with him. The Prophet s.a.w. would
108
not even drive away his companions for the sake of the Quraysh
noblemen.
b. Ibn Mas‘ūd narrated that the notables among the Quraysh were
passing by the Prophet s.a.w. who was with Ṣuhayb, ‘Ammār,
Bilāl, Khabbāb, and others among weak Muslims. They said, “O
Muhammad, are you content with them for their being among
your people? Are they among people whom Allah has given
good luck among us? Are we going to be followers of them? Drive
them away from you, and hopefully we would follow you after
that.”
c. Sa‘d ibn Abī Waqqāṣ narrated: “We were being with the Prophet
s.a.w. when the idolaters told him to turn us away from him, the
six of us, Ibn Mas‘ūd, Bilāl, a man from Hudhayl tribe, and two
men whose names were unknown, and myself. He was still
considering whether turning us away would win over their hearts
and make them accept Islam, when it was revealed:
وَلَااتَطْرُدِااالَّذِينَاايَدْعُونَاارَبَّهُمْاابِالْغَدَاةِااوَالْعَشِ ياايُرِيدُونَااوَجْهَهُاامَا
عَلَيْكَاامِنْااحِسَابِهِمْاامِنْااشَيْ ءااوَمَاامِنْااحِسَابِكَااعَلَيْهِمْاامِنْااشَيْ ءا ا
) فَتَطْرُدَهُمْاافَتَكُونَاامِنَااالظَّالِمِينَاا)الأنعام: 52
And turn not away those who invoke their Lord,
morning and afternoon seeking His Face. You are
accountable for them in nothing, and they are
accountable for you in nothing, that you may
turn them away, and thus become
of the unjust. (Q. 6:52)
The above examples are the occasions that led to the
revelation of the above verse. Like hitting two birds with one stone
the above verse was the reply and the objection to the Quraysh’s
request to turn away his followers as a pre-condition for their
acceptance to have a discourse and listen to him. Moreover, those
Prophet’s followers who were despised by these Quraysh elite were
praised by Allah as pious people.
“Those who invoke their Lord” are those who preserve the
obligatory five-daily prayers in congregation according to Ibn ‘Abbās,
109
Mujāhid and al-Ḥasan. Another view is that it means reading the
Qur’ān, and yet, another view says that it means starting their day
with invocation for guidance before working, ending their day after
working with invocation of forgiveness.
“Seeking His Face” means their being sincere in their worship
and work solely for the sake of Allah.
Ibn Mas‘ūd was praised by the Prophet s.a.w. so much that he
said,
عَنْااعَلِيٍّ،اقَالَا:اقَالَاارَسُولُاااللَِّّااصَلَّىااللّاُاعَلَيْهِااوَسَلَّمَا لَوْااكُنْتُاامُسْتَخْلِفًاا
أَحَدًااعَنْااغَيْرِاامَشُورَ ة،الَسْتَخْلَفْتُااابْنَااأُ مااعَبْ داا)رواهاابناماجة(
Narrated by ‘Ali, the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. said,
“If I were to appoint anyone over my nation without
consultation, I would have appointed Ibn Umm ‘Abd (i.e.,
Ibn Mas‘ūd) )Reported by Ibn Mājah)
ا Ibn Mas‘ūd was praised by the Prophet s.a.w. for his
knowledge of the Qur’ān and his recitation. He said that Abū Bakr
and ‘Umar spent one evening with the Prophet s.a.w. When they
went out and were passing him reciting the Qur’ān, he said to them:
مَنْااسَرَّهاُاأَنْاايَقْرَاأَاالْقُرْآنَااكَمَاانَزَلَ،افَلْيَقْرَأْهاُاعَلَىاقِرَاءَةِااابْنِااأُ مااعَبْ داا)مسنداأبياحنيفة(
Whoever would like to read the Qur’ān as it
was revealed, let him read according to the
recitation of Ibn Umm ‘Abd (i.e., Ibn Mas‘ūd)
(Musnad Abū Ḥanīfah)1 ا
The Prophet said further that if Ibn Mas‘ūd pray for something
Allah would accept his prayer. ‘Umar tried to be the first one who
brought the good news to him, but he was overtaken by Abū Bakr.
So, Ibn Mas‘ūd prayed:
اللَّهُمَّااإِ نياأَسْأَلُكَااإِيمَانًاادَائِمًاالَاايَزُولُ،اوَنَعِيمًاالَاايَنْفَدُ، ا
اوَمُرَافَقَةَاانَبِ يكَاافِياجَنَّةِااالْخُلْدِاا)مسنداأبياحنيفة( ا
1 In another version, the Prophet said: مَ اْ ناأَحَبَّااأَنْاايَقْرَاأَاالْقُرْآنَااغَ ضااكَمَااأُنْزِلَ،افَلْيَقْرَأْهُاعَلَىا
قِرَاءَةِااابْنِااأُ مااعَبْدا)رواهاابناماجة( “Whoever would like to read the Qur’an tenderly as
it was revealed, let him read according to the recitation of Ibn Umm ‘Abd (i.e.,
Ibn Mas‘ūd).” (Reported by Ibn Mājah).
110
O Allah, I ask You permanent and perpetual faith,
continuous blessing and accompanying your Prophet in
Your Eternal Paradise (Musnad Abū Ḥanīfah)
The Prophet also liked to hear the Qur’ān recited by Ibn
Masūd, although it was revealed to him. So, Ibn Mas‘ūd read sūrat
al-Nisā’ to him. When he read
فَكَيْفَااإِذَااجِئْنَاامِنْااكُ لااأُمَّ ةاابِشَهِي دااوَجِئْنَاابِكَااعَلَىاهَؤُلَءِااشَهِيدًا.ايَوْمَئِ ذاايَوَ دااالَّذِينَااكَفَرُواا
)12- وَعَصَوُااالرَّسُولَاالَوْااتُسَوَّىابِهِمُااالْأَرْضُااوَلَاايَكْتُمُونَاااللَّّاَاحَدِيثًاا)النساء:ا 11
How (will it be) then, when We bring from each
nation a witness and We bring you as a witness against
those people. On that day those who disbelieved and
disobeyed the Messenger will wish that they were
buried in the earth, but they will never be able
to hide a single fact from Allah (Q 4: 41-42).
Upon hearing this, the Prophet shed tears and said to him, "Enough,
enough, Ibn Mas‘ūd."
The Prophet s.a.w. mentioned Ibn Mas‘ūd as one of the four
people from whom the reading of the Qur’ān should be taken. He
said:
ااْقرَاؤُاواااْالاقُرْاآنَاامِانْاااأَرْااَبعَاة:اابنِاااأُمَااعَااْبداوَااأاَُب ا يااْبنِااكَاعْاباوَا اُ معَااذِاااْبنِا
جَااَبلاوَاسَااالِمامَاوْالىَااأاِبياحُاذَااْياَفة.ا)حديثاسفياناالثوري(
Learn the Qur’ān from four people: Ibn Umm ‘Abd
(Ibn Mas‘ūd), Ubayy Ibn Ka‘b and Mu‘ādh Ibn Jabal, and
Sālim Maulā (Client of) Abī Ḥudhayfah
(Ḥadīth of Sufyān al-Thawrī)
Although Ibn Mas‘ūd claimed that he knew where the sūrahs
(chapters) of the Qur’ān were revealed and their contexts, he would
come to someone who had better understanding than himself and
would reach him on a camel’s back.
When the caliph ‘Umar sent Ibn Mas‘ūd to Kufah as a judge, to
be in charge of the Bayt al-Māl (Public Treasury), and to teach people
about religion, he offered him a fixed salary as he did with other
111
ṣaḥābah (companions of the Prophet). He refused the offer and said,
“Why do you try to turn me to the world.” Umar wrote to the people
of Kufah, telling them that by sending Ibn Mas‘ūd to them, he had
given them preference over himself. Soon the city turned into the
third most important centre of learning after Makkah and Madinah.
Among his students was the fifth caliph, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz, and
the Ḥanafī madhhab (school of jurisprudence) was heavily influenced
by the fiqh of Ibn Mas‘ūd, as Abū Ḥanīfah and his masters were Kufis.
Ibn Mas‘ūd related 848 ḥadīths (Prophetic traditions), among
which are as follows:
اإِذَااأَرَادَااأَحَدُكُمْااأَنْاايَخْطُبَااخُطْبَةَااالْحَاجَةِاافَلْيَبْدَاْأاوَلْيَقُلْا:االْحَمْدُاالِِلَِّاانَحْمَدُهاُاوَنَسْتَعِينُهُا
اوَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ،اوَنَعُوذُاابِالِلَِّاامِنْااشُرُورِااأَنْفُسِنَا،امَنْاايَهْدِيااللَّّاُافَلَاامُضِلَّاالَهُ،اوَمَنْاايُضْلِلْا
افَلَااهَادِيَاالَهُ،اوَأَشْهَدُااأَنْاالَااإِلَهَااإِلَّاااللَّّاُاوَحْدَهاُالَا اشَرِيكَاالَهُ،اوَأَشْهَدُااأَنَّاامُحَمَّدًااعَبْدُهاُا
وَرَسُولُهُاا،اثُمَّاايَقْرَاأُاهَذِهِااالْْيَاتِا:ايَااأَ يهَااالَّذِينَااآمَنُواااتَّقُواااللَّّاَاحَقَّااتُقَاتِهِااوَلَااتَمُوتُنَّا
اإِلَّااوَأَنْتُمْاامُسْلِمُونَاا)آلاعمران:ا 102 (، اايَااأَ يهَااالنَّاسُاااتَّقُواارَبَّكُمُااالَّذِياخَلَقَكُمْاا
مِنْاانَفْ سااوَاحِدَ ةااوَخَلَقَاامِنْهَاازَوْجَهَااوَبَثَّاامِنْهُمَاارِجَالًااكَثِيرًااوَنِسَاءًااوَاتَّقُواااللََّّا
الَّذِياتَسَاءَلُونَاابِهِااوَالْأَرْحَامَااإِنَّاااللَّّاَاكَانَا عَلَيْكُمْاارَقِيبًاا)النساء:ا 1(،ا
ايَااأَ يهَااالَّذِينَااآمَنُواااتَّقُواااللَّّاَاوَقُولُوااقَوْلًا اسَدِيدًاا
)الأحزاب:ا 70 (اا)رواهاالبخاري(
If anyone of you wants to give a prerequisite sermon he
should say االْحَمْدُاا اَِِّ لِلانَحْمَدُهاُاوَنَسْتَعِينُهُ...ااعَبْدُهاوَرَسُولُهُاا then read
these verses:( يَااأَ يهَااالَّذِينَااآمَنُواااتَّقُواااللَّّا...امُسْلِمُونَا (Q. 3:102) ,
يَااأَ يهَااالنَّاسُاااتَّقُواارَبَّكُمُا … عَلَيْكُمْاارَقِيبًا (Q. 4:1), and يَااأَ يهَااالَّذِينَا
آمَنُواااتَّقُواااللَّّاَاوَقُولُوااقَوْلًاااسَدِيدًااا (Q. 33:70)
(Reported by Bukhārī)
This is what we used to do as the introduction of our Friday
khuṭbah, although sometimes we do not recite the whole verses.
When Ibn Mas‘ūd was in his death-bed, ‘Uthmān (d. 35/ 656)
visited him, and they had a conversation approximately like this:
‘Uthmān, “Is there anything bothers you?”
Ibn Mas‘ūd, “My sin bothers me”.
112
U. “Do you need anything?”
IM. “The mercy of my Lord.”
U. “Shall I take to your account all that is due to you from the Bait al-
Māl (Public Treasury) that you have left unclaimed?"
IM. “I do not need it.”
U. “Let it be for your daughters after you.”
IM. “Do you fear poverty for my children? I have told them to read
Sūrah al-Wāqi‘ah [chapter 56] every night, for I have heard the
Prophet s.a.w. saying, “Whoever reads Sūrah al-Wāqi‘ah every
night shall never be afflicted by poverty.”
Ibn Mas‘ūd r.a. died in Madinah in 32 AH/650 CE and was
buried in the Baqī‘ Cemetery at the age of 63. May Allah reward him
for his dedication to Islam!!!
(CIVIC, 12 June, 2015)
Bibliography:
al-Maktabah al-Shāmilah
Hatta, Ahmad etal. The Great History of Muhammad s.a.w. Jakata:
Maghfirah Pustaka, 2011.
http://www.inter-islam.org/Biographies/abdullahibnmasood.htm
http://sahabastories.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/abdullaah-ibnmasud-
r-a.html
http://www.islamiska.org/e/masud.htm
http://www.sunnah.org/history/Sahaba/masud.html
http://islamicencyclopedia.org/public/index/topicDetail/id/34
http://www.islamicvoice.com/december.2003/child.htm#abmj
http://www.kitaba.org/articles/abdullah-ibn-masud/
http://ahadith.co.uk/hadithbynarrator.php?n=Abdullah+bin+Masud
&bid=1&let=A