5. PIOUS PEOPLE’S DU‘Ā (SUPPLICATION) IN THE QUR’ĀN (4)

 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 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 (b)

4.       They are people who lived in the era of fatrah (the interval between two prophets, where there was no new prophet to 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 حِجَابٌ وَعَلَى الأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلاًّ بِسِيمَاهُمْ وَنَادَوْاْ

أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَن سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ )الأعراف:46)

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 قَالُواْ

رَبَّنَا لاَ 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.

        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

فَلَا يُجْزَى إِلَّا مِثْلَهَا وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ (الأنعام:160)

   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 qudsī[1] narrated by Abū Hurayrah that Allah said:

    مَنْ هَمَّ بِحَسَنَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كَتَبْتُ لَهُ حَسَنَةً فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا كَتَبْتُهَا بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا إِلَى

 سَبْعِ مِائَةٍ وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَةٍ 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]

    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 سَيِّئَةً فَلَا يُجْزَى إِلَّا مِثْلَهَا وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ

مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ يُرْزَقُونَ فِيهَا بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ (غافر:40)

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 فَلَا تُقَاتِلُوا الْقَوْمَ (رواه النسائي و البيهقى)

I was commanded to pardon the people, so do not

 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 اللَّهَ عَلَى نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ. الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا

مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّا أَنْ يَقُولُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّه.ُ.. (الحج:39-40)

 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 non-believers 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 لَا تُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ

 وَالْوِلْدَانِ الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ الظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهَا

وَاجْعَلْ لَنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ وَلِيًّا وَاجْعَلْ لَنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ نَصِيرًا (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

 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. 310 هـ(

تفسير القرطبى (ت. 671 هـ(

تفسير ابن كثير (ت. 774 هـ(

 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.

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[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.