Dr. Amin Samad

16. THE AMAZING QUR’ᾹN (2)

‘Umar ibn al-Khattab r.a. was one of those who opposed the Prophet in the early period of Islam, but suddenly he became his ally and a defender of Islam. One day before his conversion, he set out to kill the Prophet, but on his way he met someone who had probably converted to Islam and told him that his sister Fatimah and her husband had accepted Islam.  

‘Umar went to his sister’s house and found her reading the Qur’an. He beat her mercilessly, until he was bleeding. She became bold and defiant, and said, “Umar, you can do whatever you like, but you cannot turn our hearts away from Islam.”  He was amazed with his sister’s persistent, and when he read the verses her sister had read before he accepted Islam. The verses run as follows:

طه. مَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ لِتَشْقَى. إِلَّا تَذْكِرَةً لِمَنْ يَخْشَى. تَنْزِيلًا مِمَّنْ

خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ وَالسَّمَاوَاتِ الْعُلَى. الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى. لَهُ مَا

فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمَا تَحْتَ الثَّرَى (طه:1-6)

Ṭā Ḥā. We have not sent down the Qur’an unto you to cause

 you distress. But only as a Reminder to those who fear Allah.   Revelation from Him Who created the earth and the high

 heavens. The Most Glorious rose over the (Mighty)

 Throne. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens

 and all that is on the earth, and all that is between

 them, and all that is under the soil. (Q. 20:106)

          The word Ṭā-Hā (طه), like other letters of the alphabet at the beginning of some sῡrahs, (such as A.L.M., A.L.R.)  is not translated, and considered one of the miracles of the Qur’an, and none but Allah Alone knows its meaning. However, some classical Qur’an commentators said that the word Ṭā-Hā in Syriac according to Ibn ‘Abbās , Qatādah, and Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr means “O man”, whereas according to ‘Ikrimah and al-Ḍaḥḥāk  it was from Nabatean language, also meaning “O man.” Al-Ṭabarī (d. 320/923) said that the word Ṭā-Hā meaning “O man” had been used in Acre (a seaport in Palestine). The poet Mutammim ibn Nuwayrah (d. 30/650), one of the ṣaḥābah (companions of the Prophet), used the word ṭāhā meaning “O man” in his poems, such as the following line:

هَتَفْتُ بِطَهَ فِي القِتالِ فَلَمْ يُجِبْ ... فَخِفْتُ عَلَيْهِ أنْ يَكونَ مُوَائِلا

I shouted [to him] “O man” in the fighting, but he did not

 answer, so I feared for him that he might have collapsed.

         The idolaters of the Quraysh said that the Qur’an was sent to Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. only to distress him. Therefore, Allah revealed to deny this allegation and states that instead, it is a Reminder for people who fear Allah. However, ‘Umar had distress his sister for accepting Islam.

          The contents of the above verses are: the Qur’an is a Reminder to the Muslims, coming from Allah Who created the heavens and the earth. Everything belongs to Him, on the earth, in the heavens, and what is between the heaves the earth, and what is under the soil.

          Beside the deep meanings of these verses, most of their endings rhyme together sounding ā like poetry.  No wonder that after reading the above verses, ‘Umar said, “This is not the words of human beings, I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”  When he met the Prophet in the house of al-Arqam the Prophet s.a. held him, saying, “Is not this the time for you (to accept Islam?)” ‘Umar answered, “I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and you are His Messenger.” On hearing this statement of ‘Umar, those who were present shouted “Allah Akbar” (Allah is Great).

          The Qur’an was revealed in the era where Arabic poetry reached the highest standard of eloquence. The wise saying of the pre-Islamic Arabs was “The beauty of man lies in the eloquence of his tongue.” It is the ability to express oneself forcefully and elegantly. But poetry was esteemed more than prose. Once a year they held a general assembly at the ‘Ukāz where they recited their poems competing among themselves to get the first honour to be the best poet of the year. It was the biggest market in pre-Islamic Arabia. Its approximate location is Southeast of Makkah between Makkah or Nakhlah and Ṭā’if in Hawāzin territory.  Poets came to this place to recite their best poetry, as the best poetry would be hung at the door of the Ka‘bah in honour of the poet. The collection of these ancient Arabic poetry is called al-Mu‘allaqāt (lit. “things hung”, i.e., poetries hung at the door of the Ka‘bah).

          Pre-Islamic poetry was full of boasting and reviling, describing   the joys of battle, the struggle for mastery, the flashing of swords in the battle, the perils of long journeys, the noble horses and camels. One of the seven Mu'allaqāt poems prized as the best examples of pre-Islamic Arabian verse was the long poem (qaṣīdah) of ‘Imru’ al-Qays who was born in the early 6^th century. It contains his lamentation over the ashes of a long deserted encampment which had been the home of his beloved one, as follows:

قِفَا نَبْكِ مِنْ ذِكْرَى حَبِيبٍ ومَنْزِل   *   بِسِقْطِ اللِّوَى بَيْنَ الدَّخُولِ فَحَوْمَلِ

فَتُوْضِحَ فَالمِقْراةِ لَمْ يَعْفُ رَسْمُها   *   لِمَا نَسَجَتْهَا مِنْ جَنُوبٍ وشَمْألِ

Stop, oh my friends, let us pause to weep over the

remembrance of my beloved. Here was her abode on the

edge of the sandy desert between Dakhūl and Hawmal.

The traces of her encampment are not wholly obliterated

even now;  For when the South wind blows the sand

over them the North wind sweeps it away.

The only poet whose poetry was included in the Mu‘allaqat was Labīd ibn Rabī‘ah al-‘Ᾱmirī (d. 41/662) who cited poetry in both pre and post Islamic eras. One line of his poetry was appreciated by the Prophet s.a.w. who considered it the most correct one  among the sayings of the poets, is as follows:

الا كل شي‏ء ما خلا الله باطل *  وكل نعيم لا محالة زائل

Indeed, everything except Allah is futile, and every

 comfort will most certainly come to an end.

What the poet means here is the worldly comfort, not the bliss in Paradise.      

          When the ruler of Kufah requested him to recite some of his poems, he cited sῡrat al-Baqarah, and said after reciting it, “Allah has given me this surah replacing my poems after I have become Muslim.” He lived a long life, 140 years old. At the age of 102 he accepted Islam, and since then he swore that he would never write pagan poetry again.

          One example of the eloquence of the Qur’an is the following verse, containing three orders and three prohibitions as admonition to the Muslims:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى

عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ (النحل:90)  

Verily, Allah orders justice and kindness, and giving

(help) to the relatives, and He forbids immoral sins,

and evil and tyranny. He admonishes you, so that

perhaps you may take heed (Q. 16:90)

           The above verse contains Allah’s orders to do three things and to avoid three things. He orders us to do ‘adl. It means justice, fairness, impartiality, honesty. That means Allah prohibits us from doing its opposite, namely, ẓulum, injustice, unfairness, partiality and dishonesty. Allah orders us to do iḥsān, doing good deeds (for Allah’s sake alone). It means Allah prohibits us from doing bad deeds. Doing good things includes doing voluntary good deeds, such as giving charity to the needy. If you have to pay zakat $10 000 and you give $15 000, giving the extra $5 000 amount is called iḥsān. If you have to feed one poor person as fidyah (ransom) because you are too weak to fast, but you feed two poor persons, then feeding the extra one person is called iḥsān. When the angel Jibrīl asked Prophet Muhammmad s.a.w., “What is iḥsān?” He wanted the Prophet’s companions to hear and learn from his answer. He said,

أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ

 (رواه البخاري ومسلم وغيرهما)

You worship Allah as if you see Him, but if you cannot (worship

Him as if you( see  Him, verily, (be sure that) He sees you.

(Reported by Bukhari and Muslim and others)

          This is not the definition of iḥsān, but the ultimate example of it. The companions of the Prophet knew the meaning of iḥsān, namely, doing good deeds, but they did not know the best example of it, i.e., worshiping Allah as if we see Him. We are created by Allah to worship him. Allah says,   (وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ (الذاريات:56             " And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)" So, we want to worship Allah the best way we can, and the Prophet s.a.w. told us how to do it. This is the purpose of our lives. But if we cannot achieve this kind of iḥsān, although we keep trying it, we remain at the level required when we pray, namely, to worship Allah with certainty that He sees us worshiping him. Even this level is not easy to keep, as when we pray our mind may keep wondering, and we have less concentration.

          Allah orders us to give help to our relatives. That means He prohibits us from forgetting, ignoring and abandoning them. We do not choose our father, our mother, our brother and sister. We cannot say that he or she is my former father, my former mother, my former brother, my former sister. This family tie is and should remain unbreakable in Islam. What if they are not good parents, brother or sister, or even if they are not Muslims? Bad luck! Yet, we should keep being good with them, as it is Allah’s command to do so.

          Allah prohibits us from three things: faḥshā’ immoral things,  munkar, evil, and baghy, injustice, tyranny. The word faḥshā’ is something to do with immorality, such as adultery which was commonly practiced in pre-Islamic Arabia. At that time there was no conjugal fidelity. The husbands were indifferent about infidelity of their wives. There was no stain of illegitimacy for the children of prostitutes. Adultery was tolerated except of a person from another line of ancestry; this was usually punished with death.  When it was revealed,

(الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ  ... (البقرة:146

Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and

Christians) recognize him (Muhammad s.a.w.)

as they recognize their sons… 2:146; 6:20)

‘Umar r.a. asked ‘Abdullah ibn Sallām (a converted Jewish scholar) whether he recognized Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. as he recognized his own son, he replied, “Yes, and even more … I recognize him, although I do not know anything about his mother’s story.” He did not know whether his wife was faithful to him or not.

          In modern age, the condition of immorality in pre-Islamic era called the Jāhiliyyah (ignorance) seems similar. For example, in 2011 the illegitimate births in the 27 Union of European counties were 39.5%. In 2009, it was 41%. In Latin America where the highest rate of illegitimacy is between 55 and 74 %. In fact, the institution of marriage is being in jeopardy, especially in the Western world.   

          Allah prohibits us from doing munkar, namely, reprehensible, detestable, and objectionable action. The word literally means “that which is not recognized as good”, so that it becomes “denied, unacknowledged, abominable.” It is, then, anything bad according to Islam is munkar and ḥarām which a Muslim has to avoid, such as, lying, slandering, cheating, backbiting, and drinking alcohol.

          Allah prohibits us from doing baghy, namely, tyranny and oppression. These are the last of the three things prohibited in the above verse; the other two are evil and immoral deeds. These three prohibitions are preceded by three injunctions, namely, justice, iḥsān, translated as “kindness” in the above verse, and giving help to relatives. Then the verse concludes with “He admonishes you, so that

 perhaps you may take heed.” 

          One day the linguist and poet al-Aṣma‘ī (d.740/121) heard a Bedouin girl citing a poem,

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِذَنْبِي كُلِّهِ ... قَبَّلْتُ إِنْسَانًا بِغَيْرِ حِلِّهِ

مِثْلَ الْغَزَالِ نَاعِمًا فِي دَلِّهِ ... فَانْتَصَفَ اللَّيْلُ وَلَمْ أُصَلِّهِ

I ask Allah’s forgiveness for all my sins,

I have kissed a man without his disposal,

like a gazelle tender in his  flirtation,

then midnight come without

doing my night prayer

he said to her:! قَاتَلَكِ اللَّهُ مَا أفصحك  “May  Allah fight you! [an expression indicating blame as well as praise], how eloquent you are!”

        She said, “Is it considered eloquent compared to Allah’s saying,

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى أُمِّ مُوسَى أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ... where in one verse we find two commands, two prohibitions, and two promises of good tidings?” The verse meant by this Bedouin girl runs as follows:

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى أُمِّ مُوسَى أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِي

وَلَا تَحْزَنِي إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ (القصص:7)

And We inspired the mother of Moses (telling): “Suckle him,

 but when you fear for him, then cast him into the river and

 fear not, nor grieve. Verily, We shall bring him back to you,

  and shall make him one of (Our) Messengers.  (Q. 28:7)

The two commands are: suckle him and cast him into the river. The two prohibitions are: “do not fear and do not grieve”. The two promises and good tidings are: “We shall bring him back to you, and We shall make him one of Our Messengers”. We notice the internal rhymes in this verse are also in pairs: awḥaynā - mūsā; arḍi‘īhi -fa’alqīhi; khifti - ‘alayhi, walā takhāfī - walā taḥzanī, and rāddūhu -jā‘ilūhu. We also notice that the vowel fatḥah a is used 27 times, including 10 long vowels ā, whereas the kasrah i is used 20 times, including 5 long vowels kasrah ī. Only 7 vowels with ḍammah u, including 3 long vowels ῡ are used in this verse. The proportion between the short vowel a, i, and u in this verse is 27: 20: 5; the proportion in long vowel ā, ī, and ῡ is 10: 7: 3. The easiest vowel to pronounce is a and ā, then i and ī, followed by u and ῡ. Babies start learning to speak by opening their mouths, blowing out air, making sound, then the sound will be ”a” or “ā”, later become “pāpā, bābā, māmā,” then the vowel ”i” follows, and they will say “daddy” and “mummy”, then the vowel  “u” follows. سبحان الله! (CIVIC, 28.04.14)

المراجع:

المكتبة الشاملة

تفسير إبن كثير
تفسير الطبري
تفسير القرطبي
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legitimacy_(law)
https://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198002/the.fair.at.ukaz.htm
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/'Ukaz