SURAH (27) AN-NAML (AYA 1 to 20)
Sura (27) AN-NAML (The Ant) Aya 1 to 93 verses in 7 Sections Revealed at Makka
SECTION
1
Moses
commissioned with Apostleship
Moses
goes in search of fire for his family but is attracted by the Divine lit fire
and was called to the office of Apostleship and commanded to proceed towards
Pharaoh and his people – Moses given the Miracle of his Rod – And his Radiant
hand
.
طس ۚ تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْقُرْآنِ وَكِتَابٍ
مُبِينٍ {27:1}
[Q27:1] Taa-Seeen;
tilka Aayaatul Qur-aani wa Kitaabim mubeen;
[Q27:1] Ta Sin! These are the verses of the Quran and the Book that makes (things) clear.
[Q27:1] Ta Sin! These are the verses of the Quran and the Book that makes (things) clear.
[Q27:1] Taa, siin. Ini ialah ayat-ayat Al-Quran, juga Kitab yang jelas nyata
(kandungannya dan kebenarannya),
Refer to the commentary
of al
Baqarah 2:1 for Ta, Sin (huruf muqatti-at); and Ma-idah 5:15;
Yunus 10:1 and Hijr 15:1 for
the verses of the Quran and the book that makes truth manifest.
© THE HOLY QUR’AN does not
mention names of persons BUT refers to their qualities so that the verse could be applied to **any situation or **individual, APPROPRIATE FOR
THE PURPOSE.
HERE ONLY THE BELIEVERS
ARE MENTIONED AND WHEN ANY QUALITY IS INDEFINITELY MENTIONED, IT WOULD NATURALLY MEAN ITS PERFECTION,
WHEREVER IT MIGHT BE FOUND.
The verse in the first place would mean those who possess
the qualities in their perfection. It is the universally
acknowledged truths that these qualities and also the others mentioned elsewhere
in the Qur’an ARE FOUND IN THEIR
PERFECTION ONLY IN THE HOLY AHLUL BAIT WHO ARE PURIFIED BY ALLAH (SWT) HIMSELF
vide verse
33:33.
Ü HENCE the guidance and the
glad tidings will first be meant to these holy ones and in the case of the
others, only to the extent of the degrees these qualities might be possessed by
them--- See verses
2:3 and 4 of this surah.
Ü For
a detailed description of the wholly pious ones refer verse 2:177.
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(27:1) Ta. Sin. These are the verses of the Qur'an and
the lucid Book, *1 a guidance and good news *2 for
those believers
*1 Kitab-i-mubin has three meanings: (1) This
book presents its teachings and instructions and injunctions plainly; (2) it
distinguishes between the Truth and falsehood clearly; and (3)
its being a Divine Book is obvious: WHOEVER STUDIES IT WITH OPEN EYES will
realize that it has not been composed and forged by the Holy Prophet
himself.
*2 That is, the verses themselves are a "guidance" and "good news", because they give guidance and convey good news in a most excellent manner.
*2 That is, the verses themselves are a "guidance" and "good news", because they give guidance and convey good news in a most excellent manner.
هُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ {27:2}
[Q27:2] Hudanw
wa bushraa lil mu'mineen,
[Q27:2] A guidance and good news for the believers,
[Q27:2] A guidance and good news for the believers,
(see
commentary for verse 2)
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(27:2) a guidance and good news *2 for
those believers
الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ
الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ {27:3}
[Q27:3] Allazeena
yuqeemoonas Salaata wa yu'toonaz Zakaata wa hum bil Aakhirati hum yooqinoon.
[Q27:3] Who keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and of the hereafter, they are sure.
[Q27:3] Who keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and of the hereafter, they are sure.
[Q27:3] Iaitu mereka yang tetap mendirikan sembahyang dan memberi zakat, sedang
mereka pula percaya dengan yakin akan hari akhirat.
(see commentary for verse 2)
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(27:3) who establish the Salat and pay the Zakat; *3 and
they are the ones who fully believe in the Hereafter. *4
*3 That
is, "These verses of the Qur'an give guidance and convey the good news of
a good end only to those people who possess these two qualities: (1) They should
affirm faith, that is, accept the invitation of the Qur'an and the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings), believe In one God as
their only Deity and Lord, accept the Qur'an' as the Book of AIlah, acknowledge
the Holy Prophet as a true Prophet and their Leader, and also adopt the belief that
after this life there is another life, in which man has to render his full
account of deeds and be rewarded or punished accordingly. (2) They should
not only profess faith verbally, but should also be inclined to follow and obey
the Divine Commands practically, and the first indication of this inclination
is that they should establish the Salat and pay the Zakat. The verses of the
Qur'an will show the right way of life only to those people who fulfil these
two conditions; they will explain to them the difference between the right and
the wrong at every stage on the way, protect them against the wrong ways at
every turn of the way, and bless them with the satisfaction that whatever be
the consequences of following the Right Way in the world, in the Hereafter they
will certainly attain the eternal and everlasting success and the good will of
Allah only through it. For in order to derive full benefit from the teaching of
a teacher, one has first to have faith in him, then accept to be his student,
and then work according to his instructions. Similarly, a patient who wants to
be benefited by a doctor has first to accept him as a physician, and then
follow his instructions with regard tomedical dosage, prevention, etc. Then
only he can assure the patient of the desired results. Some
people have interpreted the words yu'tun-az-zakat in this verse to mean that they
should adopt moral purity. But, wherever in the Qur'an the word ita-i-zakat has occurred along with the word iqamat-i-salat, it means payment of the Zakat,
which is the second pillar of Islam after the Salat. MOREOVER, the Qur'an has
used the word tazakka
for adopting piety and purity and not ita' which is specifically used for the
payment of the Zakat. In fact, what is meant to be impressed here is this: In
order to benefit fully by the guidance of the Qur'an, it is imperative that one
should adopt the attitude of submission and obedience in practical life as well
after the affirmation of the Faith, and the establishment of the Salat and the
payment of the Zakat is the first indication that one has actually adopted such
an attitude. If there is no such indication, it will become obvious that one is
rebellious: he might have acknowledged a ruler as such, but he is not inclined
to carry out his commands.
*4 Although belief in the Hereafter is an article of the Faith, and a believer will also believe in it along with believing in Tauhid and the Prophethood, here it has been specially mentioned separately in order to bring out its unique importance. The object is to impress that for those people who do not believe in the Hereafter, it is impossible to follow, even tread, the way taught by the Qur'an. For the people of this way of thinking naturally determine their criterion of good and evil by the results that appear, in this world. For them it is not possible to accept any admonition or guidance which seeks to determine the good and evil by the criterion of the gain and loss in the Hereafter. Such people in the first instance do not at all heed the teachings of the Prophets, but if for some reason, they also get included among the believers, they find it difficult to take even the initial steps on the way of the Faith and Islam because of the lack of faith in the Hereafter. For as soon as they will encounter the first situation where the demands of the worldly g ains and the losses of the Hereafter will pull them in opposite directions, they will freely allow themselves to be pulled towards the worldly gains without caring in the least for the losses of the Hereafter, even though they may be making all sons of claims to be the believers.
*4 Although belief in the Hereafter is an article of the Faith, and a believer will also believe in it along with believing in Tauhid and the Prophethood, here it has been specially mentioned separately in order to bring out its unique importance. The object is to impress that for those people who do not believe in the Hereafter, it is impossible to follow, even tread, the way taught by the Qur'an. For the people of this way of thinking naturally determine their criterion of good and evil by the results that appear, in this world. For them it is not possible to accept any admonition or guidance which seeks to determine the good and evil by the criterion of the gain and loss in the Hereafter. Such people in the first instance do not at all heed the teachings of the Prophets, but if for some reason, they also get included among the believers, they find it difficult to take even the initial steps on the way of the Faith and Islam because of the lack of faith in the Hereafter. For as soon as they will encounter the first situation where the demands of the worldly g ains and the losses of the Hereafter will pull them in opposite directions, they will freely allow themselves to be pulled towards the worldly gains without caring in the least for the losses of the Hereafter, even though they may be making all sons of claims to be the believers.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ
زَيَّنَّا لَهُمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَهُمْ يَعْمَهُونَ {27:4}
[Q27:4] Innal
lazeena laa yu'mimoona bil Aakhirati zaiyannaa lahum a'maalahum fahum ya'mahoon.
[Q27:4] As to those who do not believe in the hereafter, We have surely made their deeds fair-seeming to them, but they blindly wander on.
[Q27:4] As to those who do not believe in the hereafter, We have surely made their deeds fair-seeming to them, but they blindly wander on.
[Q27:4] Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang tidak percaya kepada hari akhirat, Kami
jadikan perbuatan-perbuatan buruk mereka kelihatan baik kepada mereka; oleh
itu, tinggALLAH (SwT) mereka meraba-raba dalam kesesatan.
ALLAH (SWT) HIMSELF MAKING THE DEEDS OF THE DISBELIEVERS,
FAIR-SEEMING TO THEM, MEANS the
disbelievers being endowed with the means to enjoy His bounties in this world, BUT the people intoxicated
with the abundance of the bounties of ALLAH (SWT), INSTEAD OF
BEING GRATEFUL, MEEK AND SUBMITTING TO ALLAH (SWT) take
undue conferred of their position with the means given to them AND get attracted by the evil ways of using
the bounties conferred on them.
This is what actually happens in the case of the
wealthy ones particularly those who have been given by ALLAH (SWT) to rule the
State. Instead of their being gratefully obedient to ALLAH (SWT), they get
maddened and blinded by their means and spend their wealth and time in all
forbidden ways and while their life in forbidden amusements and sinful entertainments.
See verse
6:43.
v As
AR RAHMAN (see commentary of al Fatihah 1:1) ALLAH (SWT)
gives His bounties to one and all, whether believers or disbelievers,
but the disbelievers,
self-conceited, deny the beneficent Lord and follow evil by using the bounties
given to them, to spread corruption in the earth. In this way they not only deceive their own souls but lead others
astray. THIS VERSE PARTICULARLY REFERS TO MEN OF
MEANS AND RULERS.
Zayyanna lahum amalahum (We have made their deeds fairseeming to them) refers
to the bounties which make most of men self-conceited and arrogant, whereas they should be grateful to the
Lord. A true believer always gives thanks to ALLAH (SWT), glorifies and
remembers Him.
v In
verse 6:43
of An-am it is said that "Shaytan made their deeds fairseeming to them"
which refers to their hardened hearts and inherent wickedness created and
developed in them on account of following the satanic promptings.
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(27:4) The fact is that We have made the misdeeds of
those who deny the Hereafter seem fair to them; therefore, they stray about
blindly. *5
*5 That
is. "This is God's Law of Nature and the natural logic of human psychology
that when man thinks that the results of his life's struggle are confined to
this world only when he dces not believe in the existence of any court where
his life's work has to be scrutinized and judged finally for good and evil, and
when he dces not believe in any life hereafter when he will be requited
strictly in accordance with the real worth of his life's deeds, he will
inevitably develop in himself a material outlook on life, and every kind of
conflict between the Truth and falsehood, good and evil, morality and
immorality, will appear utterly meaningless to him. Then, whatever earns him
pleasure and enjoyment, material progress and prosperity, power and authority,
will be the good for him, no matter it be any philosophy of life, any way of
life and any system of morality. He will have no concern for truth and reality.
His real ambition will be to win successes and earn adornments only of this
worldly life, and their pursuit will lead him astray into every valley. Then, whatever
he dces with this object in view will be a thing of beauty for him, and he will
regard all those others as foolish, who are not absorbed like him in seeking
the world, and doing anything and everything without any moral qualm and
inhibition.
أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ وَهُمْ
فِي الْآخِرَةِ هُمُ الْأَخْسَرُونَ {27:5}
[Q27:5] Ulaaa'ikal
lazeena lahum sooo'ul 'azaabi wa hum fil Aakhirati humul akhsaroon.
[Q27:5] These are they who shall have an evil punishment, and in the hereafter they shall be the greatest losers.
[Q27:5] These are they who shall have an evil punishment, and in the hereafter they shall be the greatest losers.
[Q27:5]
Merekalah orang-orang yang akan beroleh azab seksa yang buruk (di dunia) dan
mereka pula pada hari akhirat adalah orang-orang yang paling rugi.
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(27:5) They
are the ones for whom there is an evil chastisement, *6 and in the Hereafter theyshall be
the worst losers.
*6 Nothing definite has been said about the form, time
and place of this "evil chastisement." For it is imposed in this
world also on different persons and groups and' nations in countless different
ways; a part of it is also experienced by the wicked when they are about to
leave the world; man experiences it also in the intermediary state between
death and Resurrection; and then after Resurrection it will become endless and
everlasting.
وَإِنَّكَ لَتُلَقَّى الْقُرْآنَ مِنْ لَدُنْ حَكِيمٍ
عَلِيمٍ {27:6}
[Q27:6] Wa
innaka latulaqqal Qur-aana mil ladun Hakeemin 'Aleem.
[Q27:6] And most surely you are made to receive the Quran from the Wise, the Knowing ALLAH (SWT).
[Q27:6] And most surely you are made to receive the Quran from the Wise, the Knowing ALLAH (SWT).
[Q27:6] Dan sesungguhnya engkau (wahai Muhammad) diberikan menyambut dan
menerima Al-Quran dari sisi ALLAH (SwT) Yang Maha Bijaksana, lagi Maha
Mengetahui.
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(27:6) And
(O Muhammad), you are most surely receiving this Qur'an from the One, Who is
AllWise, All-Knowing. *7
*7 That
is, the things being mentioned in the Qur'an are not imaginary nor are they
based on the presumptions and opinions of a man, but they are being revealed by
the One Who is All-Wise and All-Knowing, Who is perfect in Wisdom and
Knowledge, Who has full knowledge of the affairs of His creation and of its
past and present and future, and Whose Wisdom devises the best schemes for the
reform and guidance of His servants.
إِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِأَهْلِهِ إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا
سَآتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ أَوْ آتِيكُمْ بِشِهَابٍ قَبَسٍ لَعَلَّكُمْ
تَصْطَلُونَ {27:7}
[Q27:7] Iz
qaala Moosaa li ahliheee inneee aanastu naaran saaateekum minhaa bikhabarin aw
aateekum bishihaabin qabasil la'allakum tastaloon.
[Q27:7] When Musa said to his family: Surely I see fire; I will bring to you from it some news, or I will bring to you therefrom a burning firebrand so that you may warm yourselves.
[Q27:7] When Musa said to his family: Surely I see fire; I will bring to you from it some news, or I will bring to you therefrom a burning firebrand so that you may warm yourselves.
[Q27:7]
(Ingatkanlah peristiwa) ketika Nabi Musa berkata kepada isterinya: Sesungguhnya
aku ada melihat api; aku akan bawakan berita dari situ kepada kamu atau aku
akan bawakan colok api daripadanya, supaya kamu dapat memanaskan diri.
Refer to the commentary of Ta Ha 20:9 to 98 and other references mentioned therein for prophet Musa, and Bani Israil 17:101 for the "nine
signs" given to Musa.
THE FIRE MUSA SAW WAS A DIVINE MANIFESTATION, so whosoever was in it and
around it (Musa and the angels) were blessed. There is no possibility to take
it as the identification or incarnation of ALLAH (SWT). "Glory be to ALLAH (SWT), the Lord of the worlds"
confirms it. It was ALLAH (SWT) (not the
fire) who called unto Musa. The voice came from the direction of the fire, or
the right side of the valley, or from the tree (Qasas 28:30).
The
fear Musa felt was not the fear of the serpents, nor was Musa afraid of the harm that
could occur to him BUT he was apprehensive of the possible
confusion that could mislead the people. NO
PROPHET COULD HAVE ANY FRIGHT IN THE PRESENCE OF ALLAH (SWT).
SO THE FALSE ACCUSATION OF FRIGHT ATTRIBUTED TO THE
HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) WHEN JIBRAIL CAME WITH THE
FIRST REVELATION SHOULD BE REJECTED OUTRIGHT AS A BLASPHEMY. Refer to the commentary of
Ali
Imran 3:48.
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(27:7) (Tell
them the story of the time) when Moses said to the people of his house, *8 "I
have seen a fire: I may either bring some information from there or a burning
brandso that you may warm yourselves." *9
*8 This happened at the foot of
Mount Tur when the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) was travelling along with
his family in search of a suitable place for settlement, after passing eight to
ten years in Madyan (Midian). From Madyan, whose territory lay on both sides of
the Gulf of `Aqabah, on the sea-shores of Arabia and the Sinai Peninsula, he
reached the place called Mt. Sinai and Jabal Musa in the southern part of the
Peninsula, which at the time of the revelation of the Qur'an was well known as
Tur. (See also The Meaning of Qur'an, Vol. VIII Ash-Shu'araa', E.N. 115). The
details of this story have already been given in Surah Ta Ha: 9-24 above and
will, follow in Surah Al-Qasas: 29-36 below.
*9 The context shows that it was a cold wintry night and the Prophet Moses was passing through unfamiliar land. Therefore, he said to his family, "Let me go and fmd out what habitation it is where a fire is alight, and get some information about the travelling routes and the nearby habitations. I shall at least bring a few embers for you to light a fire and warm yourselves." The place where the Prophet Moses had seen a burning bush is situated at about 5,000 ft. above sea level at the foot of Mt. Tur. Constantine, the first Christian Emperor of the Roman Empire, had a church built in about 365 A.D. right at the spot where this event had occurred. Two hundred years later Emperor Justinian had a monastery built which included the church built by Constantine as well. Both the monastery and the church stand even today and are under the control of the monks of the Greek Orthodox Church. Some photographs of it are given on the opposite page.
*9 The context shows that it was a cold wintry night and the Prophet Moses was passing through unfamiliar land. Therefore, he said to his family, "Let me go and fmd out what habitation it is where a fire is alight, and get some information about the travelling routes and the nearby habitations. I shall at least bring a few embers for you to light a fire and warm yourselves." The place where the Prophet Moses had seen a burning bush is situated at about 5,000 ft. above sea level at the foot of Mt. Tur. Constantine, the first Christian Emperor of the Roman Empire, had a church built in about 365 A.D. right at the spot where this event had occurred. Two hundred years later Emperor Justinian had a monastery built which included the church built by Constantine as well. Both the monastery and the church stand even today and are under the control of the monks of the Greek Orthodox Church. Some photographs of it are given on the opposite page.
فَلَمَّا جَاءَهَا نُودِيَ أَنْ بُورِكَ مَنْ فِي
النَّارِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ {27:8}
[Q27:8] Falammaa
jaaa'ahaa noodiya am boorika man finnnnaari wa man hawlahaa wa Subhaanal laahi
Rabbil 'Aalameen.
[Q27:8] So when he came to it a voice was uttered saying: Blessed is Whoever is in the fire and whatever is about it; and glory be to ALLAH (SWT), the Lord of the worlds;
[Q27:8] So when he came to it a voice was uttered saying: Blessed is Whoever is in the fire and whatever is about it; and glory be to ALLAH (SWT), the Lord of the worlds;
[Q27:8] Maka apabila dia sampai ke tempat api itu, (kedengaran) dia diseru:
Berkat yang melimpah-limpah kepada orang yang berada dekat api ini dan sesiapa
yang ada (di daerah) sekelilingnya dan Maha Sucilah ALLAH (SwT) Tuhan sekalian
alam.
(see commentary for verse 7)
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(27:8) When he came to it, a voice called out: *10 "Blessed
is He Who is in the fire and the one who is around it. Glorified is Allah, Lord
of the worlds. *11
*10 According to
AI-Qasas: 30, the voice was calling out from a tree. What one understands from
this is this: A sort of a fire was alight on the ground on the edge of the
valley, but neither was anything burning nor any smoke arising. In the midst of
the fire there stood a lush green tree from which a voice started calling out
this all of a sudden. This is a strange thing which the Prophets of Allah have
been experiencing. When the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace be upon
him) was first blessed with Prophethood, an Angel appeared before him in the
solitude of the Gave of Hira' and started delivering Allah's Message. A similar
thing happened with the Prophet Moses also. A journeying person has halted at a
place, sees a fire at a distance, approaches it in order to get some
information abort the route, or to pick a burning ember, and suddenly Allah,
Lord of the Worlds, the Infinite, the Inconceivable Being, starts speaking to
him. On such occasions, there exists externally as well as within the Prophets'
own selves an extraordinary state which fills them with the assurance that it
is not a jinn or a satan or an illusion of their own mind, nor are their senses
being deceived, but it is the Lord of the universe, or His Angel, who is
speaking to them. (For further explanation, see E.N. 10 of An-Najm).
*11 Here the use of the words Subhan -Allah (glorified is Allah) is meant to warn the Prophet Moses to this effect: "You should never think that Allah, Lord of the universe, is sitting in the tree, or has entered into it, or that His absolute Light hasconcentrated itself into the limited sphere of your sight, or some tongue is functioning in some mouth to produce speech, but it is Allah, Who is Pure and Free from all such limitations, Who is Himself speaking to you."
*11 Here the use of the words Subhan -Allah (glorified is Allah) is meant to warn the Prophet Moses to this effect: "You should never think that Allah, Lord of the universe, is sitting in the tree, or has entered into it, or that His absolute Light hasconcentrated itself into the limited sphere of your sight, or some tongue is functioning in some mouth to produce speech, but it is Allah, Who is Pure and Free from all such limitations, Who is Himself speaking to you."
يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنَّهُ أَنَا اللَّهُ الْعَزِيزُ
الْحَكِيمُ {27:9}
[Q27:9] Yaa
Moosaaa innahooo Anal laahul 'Azeezul Hakeem.
[Q27:9] O Musa! Surely I am ALLAH (SWT), the Mighty, the Wise;
[Q27:9] O Musa! Surely I am ALLAH (SWT), the Mighty, the Wise;
The
Voice came from the direction of the fire and not from the fire
itself or the direction of the right side of the Valley--- or from
the tree--- see verse
28:30. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR ANY CONCEPTION OF FORM OR INCARNATION OR ALLAH (SWT) BEING A PHYSICAL
SUBSTANCE.
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(27:9) O Moses, this is I, Allah, the Almighty, the
All-Wise:
وَأَلْقِ عَصَاكَ ۚ فَلَمَّا رَآهَا تَهْتَزُّ كَأَنَّهَا
جَانٌّ وَلَّىٰ مُدْبِرًا وَلَمْ يُعَقِّبْ ۚ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَا تَخَفْ إِنِّي لَا
يَخَافُ لَدَيَّ الْمُرْسَلُونَ {27:10}
[Q27:10] Wa
alqi 'asaak; falammmaa ra aahaa tahtazzu ka annahaa jaaannunw wallaa mudbiranw
wa lam yu'aqqib; yaa Moosaa laa takhaf innee laa yakhaafu ladaiyal mursaloon
[Q27:10] And cast down your staff. So when he saw it in motion as if it were a serpent, he turned back retreating and did not return: O Musa! Fear not; surely the messengers shall not fear in My presence;
[Q27:10] And cast down your staff. So when he saw it in motion as if it were a serpent, he turned back retreating and did not return: O Musa! Fear not; surely the messengers shall not fear in My presence;
[Q27:10] Dan (sekarang) campakkanlah tongkatmu. Maka apabila dia melihat
tongkatnya itu (menjadi seekor ular besar) bergerak cepat tangkas, seolah-olah
seekor ular kecil, berpalinglah dia melarikan diri dan tidak menoleh lagi.
(Lalu dia diseru): Wahai Musa, janganlah takut, sesungguhnya Rasul-rasul itu
semasa mengadapku (menerima wahyu), tidak sepatutnya merasa takut,
See verse 10 of this Surah and note for verse Taa Haa 20:21. ALLAH (SWT) says that no apostle shall have any fright in His presence.
HOW COULD THE
PRINCE OF APOSTLES, THE HOLY PROPHET MUHAMMAD (ALLAHUMA
SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD), HAVE ANY
FRIGHT WHEN HE WAS FIRST COMMISSIONED BY ALLAH (SWT) THROUGH THE MESSENGER
ANGEL GABRIEL.
Ä THE BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY
PROPHET (ALLAHUMA
SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) IS PROVED.
Ä THIS IS A PROOF ALSO OF THE FACT THAT ALL
APOSTLES OF ALLAH (SWT) ARE SINLESS AND INFALLIBLE.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(27:10) Just cast down your staff." No sooner did
Moses see the staff writhing like a snake *12 than he turned about and fled,
without even looking behind. "O Moses fear not: the Messengers never feel
afraid in My Presence, *13
*12 In Surahs
Al-A`raf and Ash-Shu`araa', the snake has been called thu`ban (a large serpent)
but here jaann, a small snake. The reason is that in physical size it was a
serpent but in movement it was swift like a small snake. The same thing has
been expressed by hayyatun tas `a (a running snake) in Ta Ha: 20.
*13 That is, "In My Presence there is no danger of any harm to the Messenger. When I call someone into My Presence to appoint him to the high office of Prophethood, I Myself become responsible for his safety. Therefore, the Messenger should remain fearless and confident in every kind of unusual situation: it will never harm or hurt him in any way. "
*13 That is, "In My Presence there is no danger of any harm to the Messenger. When I call someone into My Presence to appoint him to the high office of Prophethood, I Myself become responsible for his safety. Therefore, the Messenger should remain fearless and confident in every kind of unusual situation: it will never harm or hurt him in any way. "
إِلَّا مَنْ ظَلَمَ ثُمَّ بَدَّلَ حُسْنًا بَعْدَ
سُوءٍ فَإِنِّي غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ {11}
[Q27:11] Illaa
man zalama summa baddala husnam ba'da sooo'in fa innee Ghafoorur Raheem.
[Q27:11] Neither he who has been unjust, then he does good instead after evil, for surely I am the Forgiving, the Merciful:
[Q27:11] Neither he who has been unjust, then he does good instead after evil, for surely I am the Forgiving, the Merciful:
[Q27:11] Tetapi sesiapa yang berbuat salah, kemudian dia mengubahnya dengan
melakukan kebaikan sesudah berbuat salah, maka sesungguhnya Aku Maha Pengampun,
lagi Maha Mengasihani.
(see commentary for verse 7)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(27:11) unless, of course, someone has committed an
offence." *14 Then, if after the evil, he changed (his act)
into a good one, I am indeed AllForgiving, All-Merciful. *15
*14 This
exception can be contiguous as well as remote. In the first
case it will imply that there can be a genuine cause
of fear if the Messenger has committed an offence; in the second case it will mean: "None should
have any cause of fear in My Presence, unless, of course, someone has committed
an offence."
*15 That is, "If even an offender repents and reforms himself and does good instead of evil, I will pardon him. ° This implied both a warning and a good news. The Prophet Moses had killed a Copt inadvertently and fled from Egypt. This was an offence to which a subtle reference was made. When this offence was committed un-intentionally by the Prophet Moses, he had immediately offered repentance to Allah, saying, "O my Lord! I have sinned against myself, so forgive me." So, "Allah forgave him" there and then. (Al-Qasas: 16). Here the good news of the same forgiveness has been given him, as if to say, "O Moses, there could be a genuine cause for you to feel afraid in My Presence, because you had committed an offence, but when you have changed the evil into good, I have nothing but forgiveness and mercy for you. I have not called you here at this time to punish you, but I am going to send you on a great mission with wonderful miracles."
*15 That is, "If even an offender repents and reforms himself and does good instead of evil, I will pardon him. ° This implied both a warning and a good news. The Prophet Moses had killed a Copt inadvertently and fled from Egypt. This was an offence to which a subtle reference was made. When this offence was committed un-intentionally by the Prophet Moses, he had immediately offered repentance to Allah, saying, "O my Lord! I have sinned against myself, so forgive me." So, "Allah forgave him" there and then. (Al-Qasas: 16). Here the good news of the same forgiveness has been given him, as if to say, "O Moses, there could be a genuine cause for you to feel afraid in My Presence, because you had committed an offence, but when you have changed the evil into good, I have nothing but forgiveness and mercy for you. I have not called you here at this time to punish you, but I am going to send you on a great mission with wonderful miracles."
وَأَدْخِلْ يَدَكَ فِي جَيْبِكَ تَخْرُجْ بَيْضَاءَ
مِنْ غَيْرِ سُوءٍ ۖ فِي تِسْعِ آيَاتٍ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ وَقَوْمِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ
كَانُوا قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ {27:12}
[Q27:12] Wa
adkhil yadaka fee jaibika takhruj baidaaa'a min ghairisooo'in feetis'i Aayaatin
ilaa Fir'awna wa qawmih; innahum kaanoo qawman faasiqeen.
[Q27:12] And enter your hand into the opening of your bosom, it shall come forth white without evil; among nine signs to Firon and his people, surely they are a transgressing people.
[Q27:12] And enter your hand into the opening of your bosom, it shall come forth white without evil; among nine signs to Firon and his people, surely they are a transgressing people.
[Q27:12] Dan masukkanlah tanganmu melalui belahan dada bajumu, nescaya keluarlah
ia putih bersinar-sinar dengan tidak ada cacat (ini ialah) di antara sembilan
mukjizat (yang membuktikan kebenaranmu), untuk dibawa kepada Firaun dan
kaumnya; sesungguhnya mereka adalah kaum yang fasik (derhaka).
(see commentary for verse 7)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(27:12) And just put your hand into your bosom: it will
come out shining, without any hurt. These (two Signs) are from among the nine
Signs (you will take) *16 to Pharaoh and his people: they are indeed a
very wicked people."
*16 According to
Surah Bani Isra'il:101, the Prophet Moses had been granted nine clearly visible
Signs, which according to the details given in AI-A`raf were the following: (1) The
staff's turning into a serpent, (2) the shining
hand when it was drawn out of the armpit, (3) public
triumph over the magicians, (4) occurrence
of a widespread famine in the land as foretold by the Prophet Moses, (5) the storm, (6) the
locusts, (7) the
incidence of weevils in the grain stores and of lice among human beings and
animals, (8) the frogs, and (9) the
rain of blood. (Far explanation, see E.N. 43 of Az Zukhruf).
فَلَمَّا جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَاتُنَا مُبْصِرَةً قَالُوا
هَٰذَا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ {27:13}
[Q27:13] Falammaa
jaaa'at hum Aayaatunaa mubsiratan qaaloo haazaa sihrum mubeen.
[Q27:13] So when Our clear signs came to them, they said: This is clear enchantment.
[Q27:13] So when Our clear signs came to them, they said: This is clear enchantment.
[Q27:13] Maka ketika keterangan-keterangan mukjizat Kami sampai kepada Firaun
dan kaumnya dengan jelas nyata, berkatalah mereka: Ini adalah sihir yang terang
nyata!
(see commentary for verse 7)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(27:13) But when Our clear Signs came before those
people, they said, "This is plain magic."
وَجَحَدُوا بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَا أَنْفُسُهُمْ
ظُلْمًا وَعُلُوًّا ۚ فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ {27:14}
[Q27:14] Wa
jahadoo bihaa wastaiqanat haaa anfusuhum zulmanw-wa 'uluwwaa; fanzur kaifa
kaana 'aaqibatul mufsideen.
[Q27:14] And they denied them unjustly and proudly while their soul had been convinced of them; consider, then how was the end of the mischief-makers.
[Q27:14] And they denied them unjustly and proudly while their soul had been convinced of them; consider, then how was the end of the mischief-makers.
[Q27:14] Dan mereka mengingkarinya secara zalim dan sombong angkuh sedang hati
mereka meyakini kebenarannya. Oleh itu, lihatlah bagaimana kesudahan orang-orang
yang melakukan kerosakan.
(see commentary for verse 7)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(27:14) They rejected those Signs out of sheer
injustice and vanity, whereas in their heart of hearts they were
convinced. *17 See, then, what fate those mischief-makers met.
*17 As mentioned
at other places in the Qur'an, whenever a plague befell Egypt as foretold by
the Prophet Moses, Pharaoh would say, "O Moses, pray to your Lord to
remove this plague; then we shall submit to what you say." But as soon as
the plague was removed, Pharaoh would break his promise. (Al-A'raf: 134,
Az-Zukhruf: 49-50). The Bible also has mentioned it (Exod., chs. 8 to 10), and
otherwise also it could not be imagined that the occurrence of a famine
throughout the country and the coming of a violent storm and the incidence of
the locusts and the frogs and the weevils in such abundance could be due to any
trick of magic. The miracles were so manifest that even a stupid person could
not help realizing that the occurrence of the plagues on such a large scale and
their removal at the Prophet's prayer could be only due to Allah, Lord of all
Creation's power and authority. That is why the Prophet Moses had told Pharaoh
plainly: "You know it full well that none but the Lord of the heavens and
the earth has sent down these Signs." (Bani lsra'il:102). But the reason
why Pharaoh and his chiefs rejected Moses knowingly wa: "What! should we
believe in these two men who are human beings like curselves and whose people
are our bondsmen'?" (AIMu'minun: 47)
SECTION
2
Solomon
inherits from David
Solomon
inherits David – Knowledge of the Language of the birds granted to Solomon –
The Queen of Sheba.
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ عِلْمًا ۖ
وَقَالَا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي فَضَّلَنَا عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ
الْمُؤْمِنِينَ {27:15}
[Q27:15] Wa
laqad aatainaa Daawooda wa Sulaimaana 'ilmaa; wa qaalal hamdu lil laahil lazee
faddalanaa 'alaa kaseerim min 'ibaadihil mu'mineen.
[Q27:15] And certainly We gave knowledge to Dawood and Sulaiman, and they both said: Praise be to ALLAH (SWT), Who has made us to excel many of His believing servants.
[Q27:15] And certainly We gave knowledge to Dawood and Sulaiman, and they both said: Praise be to ALLAH (SWT), Who has made us to excel many of His believing servants.
[Q27:15] Dan sesungguhnya kami telah mengurniakan ilmu pengetahuan kepada Nabi
Daud dan Nabi Sulaiman dan mereka berdua bersyukur dengan berkata: Segala puji
tertentu bagi ALLAH (SwT) yang dengan limpah kurniaNya memberi kami kelebihan
mengatasi kebanyakan hamba-hambaNya yang beriman.
Refer to the commentary
of Anbiya
21:78 to 82 FOR THE WISDOM GIVEN TO DAWUD AND
SULEIMAN.
"We gave knowledge to Dawud and Suleiman" refers to the general divine design and
arrangement of giving knowledge and wisdom to messengers and prophets directly.
As stated in the commentary of al Baqarah 2:78 and
Ali Imran
3:48 all the divinely appointed representatives
of ALLAH (SWT), prophets and Imams of the Ahlul Bait, NEVER RECEIVED
KNOWLEDGE OR LEARNED ANYTHING FROM ANYONE SAVE ALLAH (SWT), BECAUSE OF WHICH THEY WERE THE FOUNTAIN-HEADS OF
KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM.
v It
is stated in Minhaj
al Sadiqin that prophet Dawud had (19) nineteen sons, AND
every one of them wanted to inherit his father's
kingdom. ALLAH (SWT) sent Dawud
nine questions with answers and asked him to appoint the son who gives the correct
answers as his successor.
QUESTIONS
ANSWERS
(i)
Which is the nearest thing? Hereafter
(ii)
Which is the farthest thing?
Time passed away.
(iii)
What phenomenon manifests love? Body
with Soul
(iv)
What phenomenon manifests dread? Body without Soul
(v)
Which things remain the same? Sky and Earth
(vi)
Which things ever remain different? Day and Night
(vii)
Which things are opposed to each other? Life and Death
(viii)
What ends in - goodness? Patience and Forbearance at the time of anger
(ix)
What ends in evil?
Haste at the time of anger
NONE SAVE SULEIMAN, the youngest son, gave the correct
answers, so he was made the heir of Dawud.
r The law of inheritance stated in this verse is the law of the Lord, and no
one can ever make changes in the laws of the Lord save Himself or the holy
prophet (ALLAHuma
sali ala muhammad wa ala ali muhammad) under His command (Bani Israil 17:77).
NOW refer to the
commentary of Bani Israil 17:26; Nahl 16:90 and
Maryam 19:2
to 15 FOR
THE ISSUE OF FADAK. To deprive Bibi Fatimah of her rightful inheritance a false tradition (The prophets of ALLAH
(SWT) neither inherit nor leave inheritance) was quoted.
THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI
MUHAMMAD) WAS A
LAW-GIVER, therefore
he could never break any law made by ALLAH (SWT). He was the best exemplar of
the laws and doctrines preached by him.
Ø The
HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALLI ALAA MUHAMMAD WA ALI MUHAMMAD)
said:
"Whenever you hear
a tradition attributed to me, compare it with the Qur’an, and, if there is no
contradiction between the two, accept it, otherwise reject it outright."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(27:15) (On the other hand,) We gave knowledge to David
and Solomon, *18 and they said, "Praise is for Allah Who
exalted us above many of His believing servants." *19
*18 That is,
the knowledge of the Reality, the knowledge that whatever they have is not
theirs but the gift of Allah and whatever rights they have been granted over
those things should be used strictly according to Allah's will, for they will be
held answerable before Allah, the real Owner, for the right and wrong use of
those rights. This knowledge is the opposite of the ignorance in which Pharaoh
was involved. The type of character built on the ignorance has been presented
in the preceding verses. Now, in the following verses, the model of the
character built on the knowledge is being presented. The sort of kingdom,
wealth, power and grandeur were common on both the sides. The Pharaoh had been
given these as well as the Prophets David and Solomon. But the distinction of
the ignorance and the knowledge built and moulded them into entirely different
personalities.
*19 That is, "There were other believing, servants as well, who could be blessed with vicegerency. But it is only Allah's favour, not due to any special quality in ourselves, that He has chosen us to be rulers over this kingdom."
*19 That is, "There were other believing, servants as well, who could be blessed with vicegerency. But it is only Allah's favour, not due to any special quality in ourselves, that He has chosen us to be rulers over this kingdom."
وَوَرِثَ سُلَيْمَانُ دَاوُودَ ۖ وَقَالَ يَا
أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عُلِّمْنَا مَنْطِقَ الطَّيْرِ وَأُوتِينَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ ۖ
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْمُبِينُ {27:16}
[Q27:16] Wa
warisa Sulaimaanu Daawooda wa qaala yaaa aiyuhan naasu 'ullimnaa mantiqat tairi
wa ooteenaa min kulli shai'in inna haazaa lahuwal fadlul mubeen.
[Q27:16] And Sulaiman was Dawood's heir, and he said: O men! We have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given all things; most surely this is manifest grace.
[Q27:16] And Sulaiman was Dawood's heir, and he said: O men! We have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given all things; most surely this is manifest grace.
[Q27:16] Dan Nabi Sulaiman mewarisi (pangkat kenabian dan kerajaan) Nabi Daud
dan (setelah itu) Nabi Sulaiman berkata: Wahai umat manusia, kami telah diajar
mengerti bahasa pertuturan burung dan kami telah diberikan serba sedikit dari
tiap-tiap sesuatu (yang diperlukan); sesungguhnya yang demikian ini adalah
limpah kurnia (dari ALLAH (SwT)) yang jelas nyata.
(see commentary for verse 15)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(27:16) And Solomon succeeded David, *20 and
he said, "O people, we have been taught the speech of the birds, *21 and
we have been granted all sorts of things. *22 This is indeed a great favour (of
Allah)."
*20 Succession here does not mean inheritance
of wealth and properties, BUT the succession to the Prophet David in the
Prophethood and vicegerency. For
the wealth and possessions, if at aII transferred, could not be transferred to
the Prophet Solomon only, because Prophet David had other children also.
Therefore, this verse cannot be cited to refute the Hadith reported from the
Holy Prophet, saying, "The
inheritance left by us, the Prophets, is not divided as such whatever we leave
behind is charity." (Bukhari) And: "There is no heir to a
Prophet. Whatever he leaves behind, is divided among the needy and the indigent
of the Muslims." (Musnad Ahmad. Traditions from Abu Bakr, Ahadith
No. 60 and 78).
The Prophet Solomon was the
youngest son of the Prophet David. His Hebrew name Solomon is a synonym of
Salim (right-minded, affable). He succeeded the Prophet David in 965 B.C. and
ruled his kingdom for forty years, till 926B.C. For other details of his life
and works, see E. N.'s 74-75 of AIAnbiyaa in The Meaning of the Qur'an, Vol.
VII). Our commentators have greatly exaggerated' the vastness of his kingdom,
and have held that he ruled over a large part of the world. The fact, however
is that his kingdom comprised only the present Palestine and Transjordan and a
part of Syria. (See Map: Kingdom of the Prophets David and Solomon, The Meaning
of the Qur'an, Vol. II, Bani Israel E. N. 7).
*21 There is no mention in the Bible that the Prophet Solomon had been taught speech of the birds and animals, though the Israelite traditions contain a reference to it. (Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. Xl.p. 598)
*22 That is, "Allah has bestowed on us all sorts of things." This, however, should not be understood literally; it only means the abundance of the wealth and the means of life granted by Allah. This was not said proudly by Prophet Solomon but only to express his gratitude to Allah for His grace and bounty and favours.
*21 There is no mention in the Bible that the Prophet Solomon had been taught speech of the birds and animals, though the Israelite traditions contain a reference to it. (Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. Xl.p. 598)
*22 That is, "Allah has bestowed on us all sorts of things." This, however, should not be understood literally; it only means the abundance of the wealth and the means of life granted by Allah. This was not said proudly by Prophet Solomon but only to express his gratitude to Allah for His grace and bounty and favours.
وَحُشِرَ لِسُلَيْمَانَ جُنُودُهُ مِنَ الْجِنِّ
وَالْإِنْسِ وَالطَّيْرِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ {27:17}
[Q27:17] Wa
hushira Sulaimaana junooduhoo minal jinni wal insi wattairi fahum yooza'oon;
[Q27:17] And his hosts of the jinn and the men and the birds were gathered to him, and they were formed into groups.
[Q27:17] And his hosts of the jinn and the men and the birds were gathered to him, and they were formed into groups.
[Q27:17] Dan dihimpunkan bagi Nabi Sulaiman bala tenteranya, dari jin dan
manusia serta burung; lalu mereka dijaga serta diatur keadaan dan perjalanan
masing-masing.
All varieties of ALLAH (SWT)'s creation (men,
animals, birds, jinn and spirits) were among the hosts of Sulayman.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(27:17) For Solomon were gathered hosts of jinn and men
and birds, *23 which were kept under strict discipline.
*23 The Bible
dces not either make any mention that there were jinns also in the Prophet
Solomon's armies, and he took service from them; but the Talmud and the
rabbinical traditions contain details of this. (Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. XI,
p. 440). Some of the present-day writers have strained every nerve to prove
that the words jinn and fair do not refer to the jinns and birds but to men who
performed different duties in the Prophet Solomon's army. They say that the
Jinn haply the people of the mountain tribes whom Prophet Solomon had subdued
and who performed teats of great strength and skill under him; and fair implies
cavalry which could move much faster than the infantry. But these are indeed
the worst examples of misinterpreting the Qur'an. The Qur'an here mentions
three distinct kinds of the army consisting of the men, the jinns and the
birds, and all the three gave been qualified by the prefix a1 (alif-lam) to
denote a class. Therefore, al jinn and al--tair could not be included in al-ins
(the men), but could be two separate and different classes from the men.
Moreover, a person who has a little acquaintance with Arabic cannot imagine
that in this language the mere word a/ Jinn could ever imply a group of the
men, or al--tair troops mounted on horses, nor could any Arab understand these
meanings from these words. Calling a man a jinn only figuratively because of
some supernatural feat of his, or a woman a fairy because of her beauty, or a
fast moving person a bird dces not mean that the words Jinn and fairy and bird
will henceforth be taken to mean a powerful man and a beautiful woman and a
fast moving person respectively. These are only the metaphoric and not the real
meanings of these words. In a discourse, a word is used in its figurative
instead of its real meaning, and the listeners also will take it in that
meaning, only when there exists in the context a clear pointer to its being
figurative. What, after all, is the pointer in the context here from which one
may understand that the words jinn and tair have been used not in their real
and lexical meaning but in their figurative meaning? Contrary to this, the work
and the state of a member each of the two groups that have been mentioned in
the following verses, fall entirely against the purport of this interpretation.
If a person dces not want to believe in something stated in the Qur'an, he
should frankly say that he does not believe in it. But it would be moral
cowardice and intellectual dishonesty if one should force the clear words of
the Qur'an to give the meaning that he wants them to give, and tell the world
that he believes in what the Qur'an says, whereas he dces not, in fact, believe
in it but believes in his own distorted meaning.
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَتَوْا عَلَىٰ وَادِ النَّمْلِ
قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَكُمْ لَا
يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَانُ وَجُنُودُهُ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ{27:18}
[Q27:18] hattaaa
izaaa ataw 'alaa waadin namli qaalat namlatuny yaaa aiyuhan namlud khuloo
masaakinakum laa yahtimannakum Sulaimaanu wa junooduhoo wa hum laa yash'uroon.
[Q27:18] Until when they came to the valley of the Naml, a Namlite said: O Naml! Enter your houses, (that) Sulaiman and his hosts may not crush you while they do not know.
[Q27:18] Until when they came to the valley of the Naml, a Namlite said: O Naml! Enter your houses, (that) Sulaiman and his hosts may not crush you while they do not know.
[Q27:18] (Maralah angkatan itu) hingga apabila mereka sampai ke "Wadi
an-Naml", berkatalah seekor semut: Wahai sekalian semut, masuklah ke
sarang kamu masing-masing, jangan Sulaiman dan tenteranya memijak serta
membinasakan kamu, sedang mereka tidak menyedari.
When Sulayman with
his large army of men, jinn, spirits and animals
entered a valley where several thousand ants were carrying on their daily
routine on the surface of the earth, they at once
decided to enter into their holes inside the earth so that they might not be
inadvertantly crushed by the hosts of Sulayman.
± According
to Imam Jafar bin Muhammad as Sadiq
there were large deposits of gold, silver and other very useful metals in that
valley.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(27:18) (Once he was marching in an expedition with
them) until when they came to the valley of the ants, an ant said, "O
ants, get into your holes lest Solomon and his hosts should trample you down
without even knowing it." *24
*24 This verse
also has been greatly misconstrued by some commentators of the present day.
They say that wad-in naml does not mean "valley of the ants", but it
is the name of a valley that was in Syria, and namlah does not mean an ant but
it is the name of a tribe. Thus, according to them, the verse means this:
"When the Prophet Solomon reached the valley of the ants, a Namilite said,
'O people of the Naml tribe ......" But this also is an interpretation
which is not supported by the words of the Qur'an. Even if we took wad-in-naml
to be the name of a valley and supposed that it was inhabited by the tribe of
Bani an-Naml, it would be against the Arabic idiom and usage to speak of a
member of the tribe as namlah. Although there are many Arab tribes which have
been named after the animals, e.g. Kalb (dog), Asad (lion), etc". yet no
Arab would ever say in respect of a member of the Kalb or the Asad tribe:
"A dog said, or a lion said, etc. Therefore, it would be against the
Arabic idiom to say in respect of a member of the Naml tribe: "A namlah
(ant) said this." Then a member of the Naml tribe's warning the people of
his tribe, saying, "O Namilites, get into your houses lest Solomon's hosts
should trample you down without even knowing it," becomes meaningless, it
has never happened that an army of men should have trampled down a group of men
without knowing it. If the army has come with the intention of an attack, it
would be useless for the other side to get into their houses, for in that case
the invaders would follow them into their houses, and trample them more
ruthlessly. And if the army is only on the routine march, it is just enough to
clear off the way for it. Human beings may be harmed by the marching columns,
but it can never happen that the soldiers on the march would trample down other
men without knowing it. Therefore, if Bani an-Naml were a tribe of human
beings, and one of its members were to warn his people, then in case of an
attack, he would have said, "O Namilites, flee your houses and take refuge
in the mountains lest Solomon's armies should destroy you." And in case
there was no danger of an attack, he would have said, "O Namilites, clear
off the way lest one of you should be harmed by the marching columns of
Solomon's armies." This error in the interpretation is on account of the
Arabic idiom and the subject-matter. As for the name of the valley and the
tribe of Bani an-Naml inhabiting it, it is a mere hypothesis for which there
exists no scientific proof. Those who hold that wad-in -naml was the name of a
valley have themselves pointed out that it had been so named because of the
abundance of ants in it. Qatadah and Muqatil say, "It is a valley in the
land of Syria where ants are found in abundance. But in no book of history and
geography and in no archaeological research it is mentioned that it was
inhabited by a tribe called Bani an-Naml. Thus, it is merely a concoction that
has been invented to support one's own interpretation. This story is also found
in the Israelite traditions but its latter portion falls against the Qur'an as
well as against the regal dignity of the Prophet Solomon. According to it, when
the Prophet Solomon was passing through a valley which abounded in ants, he
heard an ant calling out to the other ants to say, "Get into your holes,
otherwise you will be trampled down by Solomon's hosts." At this, Prophet
Solomon displayed great vanity before the ant to which the ant rejoined, "
What are you?-the product of a mere sperm-drop! " Hearing this the Prophet
Solomon felt greatly ashamed. (Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. X1, p. 440). This
shows how the Qur'an corrects the wrong traditions of the Israelites, and
cleanses the filthy spots with which they had themselves branded the characters
of their Prophets. It is these traditions about which the Western orientalists
shamelessly claim that the Qur'an has plagiarized them for its narratives.
Rationally also it is not at all inconceivable that an ant should warn members
of its' own species of an impending danger and tell them to get into their
holes. As for the question as to how the Prophet Solomon heard it, the answer
is: It is not all difficult to understand the crude speech of an ant for a
person whose senses can comprehend and receive a subtle message like the Word
of Revelation
فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا مِنْ قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ
أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ
وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَدْخِلْنِي بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِي
عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ {27:19}
[Q27:19] Fatabassama
daahikam min qawlihaa wa qaala Rabbi awzi'nee an ashkura ni'matakal lateee
an'amta 'alaiya wa 'alaa waalidaiya wa an a'mala saalihan tardaahu wa adkhilnee
birahmatika fee 'ibaadikas saaliheen.
[Q27:19] So he smiled, wondering at her word, and said: My Lord! Grant me that I should be grateful for Thy favor which Thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I should do good such as Thou art pleased with, and make me enter, by Thy mercy, into Thy servants, the good ones.
[Q27:19] So he smiled, wondering at her word, and said: My Lord! Grant me that I should be grateful for Thy favor which Thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I should do good such as Thou art pleased with, and make me enter, by Thy mercy, into Thy servants, the good ones.
[Q27:19] Maka tersenyumlah Nabi Sulaiman mendengar kata-kata semut itu dan
berdoa dengan berkata: Wahai Tuhanku, ilhamkanlah daku supaya tetap bersyukur
akan nikmatMu yang Engkau kurniakan kepadaku dan kepada ibu bapaku dan supaya
aku tetap mengerjakan amal soleh yang Engkau redai dan masukkanlah daku dengan
limpah rahmatMu dalam kumpulan hamba-hambaMu yang soleh.
As Sulayman was given supernatural powers, he understood the language of
the ants and ordered a halt to his hosts till the ants clear the way.
The ant is a very small and humble creature, yet they are given necessary intellect to manage their lives in
orderly manner by doing that which is useful and avoiding that which is
harmful.
IN SPITE OF HIS GREAT KINGDOM AND SUPERNATURAL POWERS, SULAYMAN HUMBLY PRAYS THAT HIS POWER AND WISDOM AND ALL OTHER GIFTS
MAY BE USED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL AROUND HIM.
§
Awzini
actually means-"Make me refrain from all activities save being thankful."
THERE IS A WORLD OF MEANING IN THIS EVENT.
[A] The simplest inference it could give is that even
the humblest of the creatures of ALLAH (SWT) have been endowed with the
necessary wisdom with the will to live and to save their lives as far as it could
be possible for them requiring the useful and avoiding the hurtful to them.
[B] And Suleiman
(Solomon) prayers indicate that the one endowed with the sway over the forces
of nature should use them for righteousness and for good to others and
[C] Solomon
by his prayer indicates that one should allow the will of the Lord to prevail
even in every act of virtue and should not allow one’s self to rule in any
matter of thought or action.
Solomon with all his possessions and glory as the
king ruling over the vast empire and having control of the
hosts of the various creatures of ALLAH (SWT),
*used
to fast the whole day, and
*wove
baskets or bags and sell them and with the return for his own labour,
*he
purchased loaves and ate sitting along with the poor.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(27:19) Hearing its words, Solomon laughed smilingly
and said "O My Lord, restrain *25 me so that I may render thanks to
Thee for Thy favours which Thou hast bestowed upon me and my parents, and
(enable me) to do such good works as may please Thee; and admit me, by Thy
mercy, among Thy righteous servants." *26
*25 "Restrain
me...thanks to Thee" means this: "O my Lord! The wonderful powers and
abilities that You have given me are such that if I become even a little
forgetful and heedless, I might transgress the bounds of service and be puffed
up with pride and go astray. Therefore, O my Lord, restrain me so that I may
remain grateful to You for all Your blessings instead of being ungrateful."
*26 "Admit me ….. righteous servants" probably implies this: "I should be included among the righteous in the Hereafter and should enter Paradise along with them." For a person who dces righteous acts will automatically be righteous, but one's entry into Paradise in the Hereafter cannot come about merely on the strength of one's good works, but it will depend on Allah's mercy. According to a Hadith, the Holy Prophet once said, "Merely the deeds of any one of you will not enable him to enter Paradise." It was asked, "In your case too, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "Yes, I also shall not enter Paradise only on the strength of my deeds, unless Allah Almighty covers me with His mercy." This prayer of the Prophet Solomon on this occasion becomes irrelevant if an Naml is taken to mean a vibe of human beings and namlah a member of that tribe. After all, there could be nothing extraordinary in the warning given by a member of a human tribe to the people of his vibe about the approaching troops of a powerful king that it should have induced the king to make such a prayer to Allah. However, a person's having such a wonderful power of comprehension that he may hear the speech of an ant from a distance and also understand it, is certainly something extraordinary, which can involve a person in self-conceit and vanity. In such a case only the prayer of the Prophet Solomon can be relevant.
*26 "Admit me ….. righteous servants" probably implies this: "I should be included among the righteous in the Hereafter and should enter Paradise along with them." For a person who dces righteous acts will automatically be righteous, but one's entry into Paradise in the Hereafter cannot come about merely on the strength of one's good works, but it will depend on Allah's mercy. According to a Hadith, the Holy Prophet once said, "Merely the deeds of any one of you will not enable him to enter Paradise." It was asked, "In your case too, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "Yes, I also shall not enter Paradise only on the strength of my deeds, unless Allah Almighty covers me with His mercy." This prayer of the Prophet Solomon on this occasion becomes irrelevant if an Naml is taken to mean a vibe of human beings and namlah a member of that tribe. After all, there could be nothing extraordinary in the warning given by a member of a human tribe to the people of his vibe about the approaching troops of a powerful king that it should have induced the king to make such a prayer to Allah. However, a person's having such a wonderful power of comprehension that he may hear the speech of an ant from a distance and also understand it, is certainly something extraordinary, which can involve a person in self-conceit and vanity. In such a case only the prayer of the Prophet Solomon can be relevant.
وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّيْرَ فَقَالَ مَا لِيَ لَا أَرَى
الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَائِبِينَ {27:20}
[Q27:20] Wa
tafaqqadat taira faqaala maa liya laaa aral hud hud, am kaana minal ghaaa'ibeen
[Q27:20] And he reviewed the birds, then said: How is it I see not the hoopoe or is it that he is of the absentees?
[Q27:20] And he reviewed the birds, then said: How is it I see not the hoopoe or is it that he is of the absentees?
[Q27:20] Dan (setelah itu) Nabi Sulaiman memeriksa kumpulan burung (yang turut
serta dalam tenteranya) lalu berkata: Mengapa aku tidak melihat burung belatuk?
Adakah dia dari mereka yang tidak hadir?
These
verses narrate the story of Saba or
the queen of Sheba of the Bible (refer to chapters 10 and
11 of Kings) whose Arabic name was Bilqis.
1.
“And when the Queen of Sheba
heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove
him with hard questions.
2.
“And she came to Jerusalem with
a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and
precious stones: and when she come to Solomon, she communed with him of all
that was in her heart.
3.
“And Solomon told her all her
questions: there was not anything hid from the King, which he told her not.
4.
“And when the Queen of Sheba had
seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built;
5.
“And the meat of his table, and
the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their
apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house
of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.
6.
“And she said to the King, it
was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
7.
Howbeit I believed not the words,
until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me;
thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.” 1 Kings 10:1-7
Hudhud (hoopoe)
is a light, graceful bird, with a yellow crest on its head. This bird served Sulayman as an efficient
scout, and also used to discover water beneath the surface of the earth, as if
a X-ray device was fixed in its eyes.
§ Tafaqqad literally means to find out
a defect, but in verse 20 it
is used for making an enquiry.
When Sulayman took a muster of the birds, he did not find the hoopoe,
because he had a good reason for his absence. At that time he was surveying the
vast realm of Saba, the queen of Sheba, where he went along with another
hoopoe who met him while he was flying to report to Sulayman and (the other hoopoe) gave him an explicit description of
the grandeur of her dominion, after hearing the might and glory of Sulayman's kingdom. Sulayman's hoopoe came back
and told him what he saw, particularly
about their religion that she and her people were the worshippers of the sun.
v IT IS DESIRABLE (MUSTAHAB) TO
PROSTRATE ONE'S SELF IN ADORATION BEFORE ALLAH (SWT) AFTER RECITING verse 26.
To test the
hoopoe's report Sulayman wrote a letter to Saba; and asked the hoopoe to go and
deliver his letter to her and bring her reply.
°
Sulayman expressly began his letter
with bismillahir
rahmanir rahim, on which is based the true religion
of unity of ALLAH (SWT), and *invited her and her people’s to the true faith, *not for
worldly conquest BUT for the spreading
of the light (guidance and wisdom) of ALLAH (SWT).
°
The queen, after consultation with her courtiers, decided to send a few
gifts to Sulayman in order to find
out that Sulayman was not like
ordinary kings who conquer by violence.
°
When her embassy came to Sulayman
with the gifts, he refused to accept them BECAUSE firstly ALLAH (SWT) had given him
better than that which He had given her, and secondly he was expecting her
submission to the true religion. He told the embassy that soon his army would
drive them forth from there, disgraced and humbled.
°
After the embassy had departed he asked his chiefs: "Who
can bring me her with her throne, before they come to me in submission." **A
large, powerful jinn offered his services and assured Sulayman that he would do
it before he would rise from his council. However strong and big a creature
might be, it was not possible for him to go to a distant land and bring her and
her throne in a few moments, unless the jinn had supernatural powers to do it.
°
Although the jinn had boasted of his strength and supernatural power, **yet when a man who had knowledge of the book said that he
would bring them to him within the twinkling of an eye, Sulayman gave him permission. Soon the Queen, with her throne, was
before him. See commentary of Rad 13:43 to know about him who
had the knowledge of the book.
**It is reported by Abu
Ishaq Thalabi that Abdullah bin
Salam asked the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali
Muhammad) to
give the name of the man who had knowledge of the book and brought the queen of
Sheba with her throne within the twinkling of an eye. The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma
sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said: "It was Ali."
**It is stated in Minhaj al Sadiqin and Umdat al Bayan that then the Holy Prophet
(ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said to Ali:
"O Ali, you helped all the prophets of ALLAH
(SWT) incognito (concealed
from view), and you help me in propria persona (in
person) manifestly."
v Ali ibne Abi Talib is known as mazhar al aja-ib and mazhar al
ghara-ib BECAUSE, as willed by ALLAH (SWT), he used to appear
in different forms to carry out divine plans under very special circumstances. THESE
TWO EPITHETS ARE EXCLUSIVELY RESERVED FOR ALI.
v Even today the true
believers invoke ALLAH (SWT) to send him for help. The famous dua, known
as Nadi
Ali, which the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma
sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) recited, as commanded by ALLAH (SWT), at Khaybar
refers to Ali as mazhar al aja-ib.
v Ali ibne Abi Talib is also known as mushkil kusha, the remover of
hardships. In every age, to many persons he comes personally to remove
hardships. Through his name great spiritual achievements are attained.
THE
HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD), AND AFTER HIM, ALI ARE ACKNOWLEDGED AS THE MOST SUPERIOR POSSESSORS OF THE SPIRITUAL
POWERS.
The last sentence of verse 40 **asserts that man's submission and devotion to ALLAH
(SWT) is in his own interest. ALLAH (SWT) IS SUPREME IN GLORY. HE IS
SELF SUFFICIENT. HE IS FREE OF ALL NEEDS.
°
The queen was lodged in another building of the palace. To make the
queen see the fallacy of outward appearance the floor of the palace was made of
slabs of smooth glass that glistened like water. When she was brought into the
palace she thought it was water, and tucked up her clothes to pass through it,
showing her bare feet and ankles.
°
Sulayman told her the real
fact. She then realised that she had been wrongly worshipping the creation of ALLAH
(SWT), the sun, deceived by outward appearance, instead of worshipping the
creator. At once she submitted herself to ALLAH
(SWT), the Lord of the worlds, whom Sulayman worshipped.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(27:20) (On
another occasion) Solomon reviewed his birds *27 and
said, "How is it that I do not see the hoopoe? Has he disappeared
somewhere?
*27 That is, the
birds whose troops, as mentioned above, were included in the armies of Prophet
Solomon like the troops of the men and jinns. It is just possible that the
Prophet Solomon had employed them for communicating messages, hunting and
performing other such services.