SURAH (34) SABA' (AYA 1 to 20)
Sura (34) SABA’ (the Saba) Aya 1 to 54 in 6 Sections
Revealed
in Makka
SECTION
1
Those
given the knowledge (by ALLAH (SWT))
ALLAH (SWT) knows everything in the heavens and in the earth which is
recorded and described in a perspicuous Book---Those who have been given by ALLAH
(SWT) the knowledge, witness what has been sent to the Prophet, of the
Omnipotence of ALLAH (SWT).
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي
السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ ۚ وَهُوَ
الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ {34:1}
[Q34:1] Alhamdu
liLLaahil lazee lahoo maa fis samaawaati wa maa fil ardi wa lahul hamdu fil
aakhirah; wa Huwal Hakeemul Khabeer.
[Q34:1] (All) praise is due to ALLAH (SWT), Whose is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, and to Him is due (all) praise in the hereafter; and He is the Wise, the Aware.
[Q34:1] (All) praise is due to ALLAH (SWT), Whose is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth, and to Him is due (all) praise in the hereafter; and He is the Wise, the Aware.
[Q34:1] Segala puji tertentu bagi ALLAH (SwT) Yang Memiliki dan Menguasai
segala yang ada di langit dan yang ada di bumi dan bagiNyalah juga segala puji
di akhirat; dan Dialah sahaja Yang Maha Bijaksana, lagi Maha Mendalam
pengetahuanNya.
This is against
the polytheistic view of dividing the universe into different regions and
believing in different gods and dieties ruling the different regions. EVERYTHING
IN THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH AND IN BETWEEN BELONGS TO NONE BUT THE ONE AND
ONLY CREATOR LORD, HENCE PRAISE OF EVERY KIND AND IN ANY DEGREE IS HIS. The faith in this fact is of so much
important that it has been repeated in the Holy Qur’an (viz. Surahs 1, 6, 18, 34, 35) so that every sensible
one of the human race be repeatedly reminded that there is none else other than
ALLAH (SWT), and He alone is the Benefactor---Real and every man and woman
should be ever mindful of Him.
IF A MAN
DULY BELIEVE IN THIS TRUTH and knows for certain that everything good has to
come from none else besides ALLAH (SWT), he would naturally enact nothing in
his life BUT goodness and virtue and wouls necessarily avoid everything that
displeases the Lord and would always remain adoring Him, celebrating His praise
and offering his gratitude to Him. THIS
IS ISLAM.
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(34:1) All praise be to Allah to Whom belongs all that
is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, *1 and
all praise be to Him in the World to Come. *2 He is Most Wise, All-Aware. *3
*1 The
Arabic word hamd
is used both for praise and for gratitude and both the meanings are implied
here. When Allah alone is the Owner of the whole universe and of everything in
it, then inevitably He alone deserves to be praised for every beauty,
perfection, wisdom, power and excellent skill and design shown and manifested
by it. Therefore, every inhabitant of the world must thank AIlah alone for any
benefit and pleasure that he draws from anything here. For when no one else is
a partner in the ownership of these things, no one else deserves to be praised
or thanked.
*2 That is, "Just as every blessing in this world is granted by Allah alone, so in the Hereafter also whatever a person will get, he will get from His treasures and by His grace. Therefore, in the Hereafter too, Allah alone deserves to be praised as well as thanked."
*3 That is, "All His works are based on perfect wisdom and knowledge. Whatever He dces, He does right. He has full knowledge about every creation of His as to where it is, in what state it is, what are its requirements, what precisely needs to be done for its well-being, what it has done so far and what it will do in the future. He is not unaware of the world created by Himself, but is fully aware of the condition and state of every particle in it. "
*2 That is, "Just as every blessing in this world is granted by Allah alone, so in the Hereafter also whatever a person will get, he will get from His treasures and by His grace. Therefore, in the Hereafter too, Allah alone deserves to be praised as well as thanked."
*3 That is, "All His works are based on perfect wisdom and knowledge. Whatever He dces, He does right. He has full knowledge about every creation of His as to where it is, in what state it is, what are its requirements, what precisely needs to be done for its well-being, what it has done so far and what it will do in the future. He is not unaware of the world created by Himself, but is fully aware of the condition and state of every particle in it. "
يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ
مِنْهَا وَمَا يَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا ۚ وَهُوَ
الرَّحِيمُ الْغَفُورُ {34:2}
[Q34:2] Ya'lamu
maa yaliju fil ardi wa maa yakhruju minhaa wa maa yanzilu minas samaaa'i wa maa
ya'ruju feehaa; wa Huwar Raheemul Gafour.
[Q34:2] He knows that which goes down into the earth and that which comes out of it, and that which comes down from the heaven and that which goes up to it; and He is the Merciful, the Forgiving.
[Q34:2] He knows that which goes down into the earth and that which comes out of it, and that which comes down from the heaven and that which goes up to it; and He is the Merciful, the Forgiving.
[Q34:2] Dia mengetahui apa yang masuk ke bumi serta apa yang keluar daripadanya
dan apa yang turun dari langit serta apa yang naik kepadanya dan Dialah jua
yang Maha Mengasihani, lagi Maha Pengampun.
EVERYTHING HIDDEN AND MANIFEST IS KNOWN TO ALLAH (SWT). Man in his ignorance thinks that whoever is dead and buried is lost. The water absorbed into the earth replenishes numerous streams and the seeds planted in the soil come out in various forms of vegetation and provide food to all living beings. It is a constant cycle of generation, decay and re-generation. Although ignorant men think of physical death as their end, outside the realm of space and time there are further countless realms for the soul of man to pass through.
EVERYTHING HIDDEN AND MANIFEST IS KNOWN TO ALLAH (SWT). Man in his ignorance thinks that whoever is dead and buried is lost. The water absorbed into the earth replenishes numerous streams and the seeds planted in the soil come out in various forms of vegetation and provide food to all living beings. It is a constant cycle of generation, decay and re-generation. Although ignorant men think of physical death as their end, outside the realm of space and time there are further countless realms for the soul of man to pass through.
GOOD AND VIRTUE NEVER PERISH, BUT RISE UP TO ALLAH (SWT), THE GENERATOR OF ALL GOOD, PURITY AND PERFECTION.
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(34:2) He knows what penetrates into the earth and
what goes forth from it, what descends from the heaven and what ascends to it.
He is the Most Merciful, the Most Forgiving. *4
*4 That is, "If a person (or
persons) is not being seized in spite of rebellion against Him in His Kingdom,
it is not because this world is a lawless kingdom and Allah is ruler, but
because Allah is an inept All-Merciful and All-Forbearing, Although it lies in
His power to seize the sinner and the wrongdoer immediately on the commission
of sin, to withhold his sustenance, to paralyse his body, and to put rum to
death suddenly, yet He does not do so. It is the demand of His Beneficence
that" in spite of being All-Powerful He gives the disobedient servant
plenty of rope and enough respite to mend his ways and as soon as he desists
from his evil ways, He pardons and forgives him.”
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَأْتِينَا
السَّاعَةُ ۖ قُلْ بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّي لَتَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ ۖ لَا
يَعْزُبُ عَنْهُ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا
أَصْغَرُ مِنْ ذَٰلِكَ وَلَا أَكْبَرُ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ {34:3}
[Q34:3] Wa
qaalal lazeena kafaroo laa taateenas Saa'ah; qul balaa wa Rabbee
lataatiyannakum 'Aalimul Ghaib; laa ya'zubu 'anhu misqaalu zarratin fis
samaawaati wa laa fil ardi wa laaa asgharu min zaalika wa laaa akbaru illaa fee
kitaabim mubeen;
[Q34:3] And those who disbelieve say: The hour shall not come upon us. Say: Yea! By my Lord, the Knower of the unseen, it shall certainly come upon you; not the weight of an atom becomes absent from Him, in the heavens or in the earth, and neither less than that nor greater, but (all) is in a clear book.
[Q34:3] And those who disbelieve say: The hour shall not come upon us. Say: Yea! By my Lord, the Knower of the unseen, it shall certainly come upon you; not the weight of an atom becomes absent from Him, in the heavens or in the earth, and neither less than that nor greater, but (all) is in a clear book.
[Q34:3] Dan orang-orang yang kafir berkata: Hari kiamat itu tidak akan datang
kepada kami. Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad): Bahkan (tetap datang). Demi Tuhanku
yang mengetahui segala perkara yang ghaib, hari kiamat itu sesungguhnya akan
datang kepada kamu. Tiada tersembunyi dari pengetahuanNya barang seberat debu
yang ada di langit atau di bumi dan tidak ada yang lebih kecil dari itu atau
yang lebih besar melainkan semuanya tertulis di dalam Kitab yang terang
nyata.
See Anam 6:59 and Yasin 36:12.
EVERY HUMAN BEING MUST KNOW THAT THE LAW OF
CAUSE AND EFFECT ALSO GOVERNS HUMAN ACTIONS, good or bad,
carried out during man's life on earth. GOOD DEEDS EARN MERCY and BAD DEEDS EARN WRATH. ALLAH (SWT)'s mercy can be
freely earned; BUT by straying away from
the right path, mankind betrays the Trust. Refer to Ahzab 33:72.
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(34:3) The unbelievers say: “How come the Hour is not
coming upon us!” *5 Say to them: “Yes indeed, by my Lord, by Him
Who fully knows the realm beyond the ken of perception, that the Hour shall
inevitably come upon you. *6 Nothing escapes Him, not even the smallest
particle in the heavens or the earth; nor is anything smaller or bigger than
that but is in a Manifest Book.” *7
*5 This
they said satirically and mockingly. What they meant was: "This Prophet
has been giving us the news of his coming of Resurrection for along tune now,
but Resurrection has not overtaken us so far although we have openly denied and
rejected him as a Prophet, have been insolent to him and have ridiculed him in
every way."
*6 The use of the attribute "Knower of the unseen" for Allah while swearing by him by itself points to the fact that the coming of Resurrection is certain, but no one knows except AIlah, Knower of the unseen, when exactly it will come. This same theme has been explained at different places in the Qur'an in various ways. For details, see AI-A'raf: 187, Ta Ha: 15. Luqman: 34, Al-Ahzab: 63, Al-hulk: 25-26, An-Naziyat: 42-44.
*7 This is one of the arguments for the possibility of the Hereafter as is being stated in verse 7 below. One of the reasons why the deniers of the Hereafter regarded the life-after-death as irrational was ;' They said that when all human beings will have become dust after death, and scattered away in particles, how it will be possible to bring all the countless particles together and combine them to be re-created as the same human bodies once again. This doubt has been dispelled, saying, "Every particle wherever it is, is recorded in God's Register, and God knows where a particle is. Therefore, when He wills to recreate, He will not face any difficulty in gathering together all the particles of the body of each and every man. "
*6 The use of the attribute "Knower of the unseen" for Allah while swearing by him by itself points to the fact that the coming of Resurrection is certain, but no one knows except AIlah, Knower of the unseen, when exactly it will come. This same theme has been explained at different places in the Qur'an in various ways. For details, see AI-A'raf: 187, Ta Ha: 15. Luqman: 34, Al-Ahzab: 63, Al-hulk: 25-26, An-Naziyat: 42-44.
*7 This is one of the arguments for the possibility of the Hereafter as is being stated in verse 7 below. One of the reasons why the deniers of the Hereafter regarded the life-after-death as irrational was ;' They said that when all human beings will have become dust after death, and scattered away in particles, how it will be possible to bring all the countless particles together and combine them to be re-created as the same human bodies once again. This doubt has been dispelled, saying, "Every particle wherever it is, is recorded in God's Register, and God knows where a particle is. Therefore, when He wills to recreate, He will not face any difficulty in gathering together all the particles of the body of each and every man. "
لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا
الصَّالِحَاتِ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ {34:4}
[Q34:4] Liyajziyal
lazeena aamanoo wa 'amilus saalihaat; ulaaa'ika lahum maghfiratunw wa rizqun kareem
[Q34:4] That He may reward those who believe and do good; these it is for whom is forgiveness and an honorable sustenance.
[Q34:4] That He may reward those who believe and do good; these it is for whom is forgiveness and an honorable sustenance.
[Q34:4] (Kedatangan hari kiamat itu) supaya Tuhan membalas orang-orang yang
beriman dan beramal soleh; mereka itu akan beroleh keampunan dan limpah kurnia
yang mulia.
THE UNFAILING LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT SURELY WORKS IN THE CASE OF GOOD
AND EVIL. Good will be recompensed with good, AND evil with evil, without exception. EVERYONE WILL BEAR
HIS OWN BURDEN (see Baqarah 2:48,
123, 254; An-am 6:165; Bani Israil 17:15; Fatir 35:18; Zumar 39:7; Najm 53:38).
¥
The
sustenance promised to the righteous is not the ordinary sustenance of worldly
life, BUT an honourable, graceful and generous spiritual
satisfaction.
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(34:4) (The Hour shall come) that He may
reward those who believe and do righteous deeds. Theirs shall be forgiveness
and a generous provision.
وَالَّذِينَ سَعَوْا فِي آيَاتِنَا مُعَاجِزِينَ
أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مِنْ رِجْزٍ أَلِيمٌ {34:5}
[Q34:5] Wallazeena
sa'aw feee aayaatinaa mu'aajizeena ulaaa'ika lahum 'azaabum mir irjzin aleem
[Q34:5] And (as for) those who strive hard in opposing Our communications, these it is for whom is a painful chastisement of an evil kind.
[Q34:5] And (as for) those who strive hard in opposing Our communications, these it is for whom is a painful chastisement of an evil kind.
[Q34:5] Dan (sebaliknya) orang-orang yang berusaha menentang dan membatalkan
ayat-ayat keterangan Kami sambil menyangka dapat melepaskan diri (dari hukuman
Kami), - mereka itu akan beroleh azab dari jenis azab seksa yang tidak terperi
sakitnya.
ALLAH (SWT)'S PLAN CAN
NEVER BE FRUSTRATED (see Hajj 22:51). Those who
oppose it or attempt to frustrate it, are punished and destroyed.
It also refers to those who attempt to
explain all the natural phenomena of the universe in atheistic and
materialistic terms.
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(34:5) As for those who worked against Our Signs in
order to frustrate them, they shall suffer a painful chastisement. *8
*8 The
above was an argument for the possibility of the Hereafter: this is an argument
for its need ard necessity. It means: A time must come when the wicked should
be requited for their wickedness and the righteous rewarded for their
righteousness. Reason wants and justice demands that a worker of goodness
should be rewarded and a worker of evil punished. Now when you see that in the
present worldly life neither is an evildoer fully requited for his evil nor a
worker of goodness for his goodness, rather there are opposite results of evil
and goodness in most cases, you should admit that this necessary demand of both
reason and justice must be fulfilled at some time in the future. Resurrection
and the Hereafter will be the same time. It is not its coming but its not
coming which is contrary to reason and against justice.
In this connection, another point becomes evident from the preceding verses. They tell that the result of faith and righteous acts is forgiveness and a bounteous provision, and for those who strive and act antagonistically in order to discredit and defeat Allah's Religion, there will be a torment of the worst kind. This makes it manifest that he who believes sincerely will not be deprived of forgiveness even though he may not get a bounteous provision owing to some flaw or weakness in his deeds. And the one who is a disbeliever but who dces not adopt an attitude of enmity and antagonism towards the true Faith, will not be able to avoid the torment but he will be saved from the worst torment.
In this connection, another point becomes evident from the preceding verses. They tell that the result of faith and righteous acts is forgiveness and a bounteous provision, and for those who strive and act antagonistically in order to discredit and defeat Allah's Religion, there will be a torment of the worst kind. This makes it manifest that he who believes sincerely will not be deprived of forgiveness even though he may not get a bounteous provision owing to some flaw or weakness in his deeds. And the one who is a disbeliever but who dces not adopt an attitude of enmity and antagonism towards the true Faith, will not be able to avoid the torment but he will be saved from the worst torment.
وَيَرَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي
أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ هُوَ الْحَقَّ وَيَهْدِي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطِ
الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ {34:6}
[Q34:6] Wa
yaral lazeena utul 'Ilmal lazeee unzila ilaika mir Rabbika huwal haqqa wa
yahdeee ilaaa siraatil 'Azeezil Hameed.
[Q34:6] And those to whom the knowledge has been given see that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, that is the truth, and it guides into the path of the Mighty, the Praised.
[Q34:6] And those to whom the knowledge has been given see that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, that is the truth, and it guides into the path of the Mighty, the Praised.
[Q34:6] Dan orang-orang yang diberi ilmu pengetahuan, mengetahui (dengan yakin,
bahawa keterangan-keterangan) yang diturunkan kepadamu dari Tuhanmu (mengenai
hari kiamat dan lain-lainnya) itulah yang benar serta yang memimpin ke jalan ALLAH
(SwT) Yang Maha Kuasa, lagi Maha Terpuji.
Refer to the commentary of Ali Imran 3:7 and 18; Nisa 4:162, Ankabut
29:49 and Rad 13:43.
THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA
SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) AND HIS DAUGHTER FATIMAH AND THE TWELVE HOLY IMAMS OF THE AHLUL BAYT ARE THOSE WHO
NEVER LEARNT ANYTHING FROM ANY MORTAL IN THIS WORLD, AND
YET WERE THE FOUNTAINHEADS OF KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM, GIVEN TO THEM DIRECTLY BY ALLAH
(SWT) .
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(34:6) (O Prophet), those who have knowledge see
clearly that what has been revealed to you from your Lord is the Truth and
directs to the Way of the Most Mighty, the Immensely Praiseworthy Lord. *9
*9 That
is, "These antagonists cannot succeed in their object to prove the truth
presented by you false, however hard they may try, for they can only delude and
misguide the ignorant people by their designs. Those possessed of knowledge
cannot be deceived by them. "
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هَلْ نَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ
رَجُلٍ يُنَبِّئُكُمْ إِذَا مُزِّقْتُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ إِنَّكُمْ لَفِي خَلْقٍ
جَدِيدٍ {34:7}
[Q34:7] Wa
qaalal lazeena kafaroo hal nadullukum 'alaa rajuliny yanabbi 'ukum izaa
muzziqtum kulla mumazzaqin innakum lafee khalqin jadeed.
[Q34:7] And those who disbelieve say: Shall we point out to you a man who informs you that when you are scattered the utmost scattering you shall then be most surely (raised) in (to) a new creation?
[Q34:7] And those who disbelieve say: Shall we point out to you a man who informs you that when you are scattered the utmost scattering you shall then be most surely (raised) in (to) a new creation?
[Q34:7] Dan orang-orang yang kafir pula berkata
(sesama sendiri secara mengejek-ejek): Mahukah, kami tunjukkan kepada kamu
seorang lelaki yang memberitakan kepada kamu: (Bahawa apabila kamu dihancurkan
sehancur-hanurnya sesudah mati), sesungguhnya kamu akan dihidupkan semula dalam
bentuk kejadian yang baru?
THE
HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) USED TO PREACH RESURRECTION OF MAN AFTER PHYSICAL
DEATH. This verse refers to the
ignorance of the disbelievers, who obstinately refused to accept the truth the Holy
Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali
Muhammad) preached to them, by relying on false conjectures.
According
to the theistic view of life, death is not the annihilation of life, but
a transfer to a new state. This always appears strange to the atheists.
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(34:7) The
unbelievers say: “Shall we direct you to the man who tells you that when you
have been utterly broken to pieces, you will be raised to life again?
أَفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَمْ بِهِ جِنَّةٌ
ۗ بَلِ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ فِي الْعَذَابِ وَالضَّلَالِ
الْبَعِيدِ {34:8}
[Q34:8] Aftaraa
'alaL Laahi kaziban am bihee jinnah; balil lazeena laa yu'minoona bil Aakhirati
fil'azaabi waddad laalil ba’eed.
[Q34:8] He has forged a lie against ALLAH (SWT) or there is madness in him. Nay! Those who do not believe in the hereafter are in torment and in great error.
[Q34:8] He has forged a lie against ALLAH (SWT) or there is madness in him. Nay! Those who do not believe in the hereafter are in torment and in great error.
[Q34:8] Adakah
dia berdusta terhadap ALLAH (SwT) atau dia kena penyakit gila? (Tidak ada
satupun) bahkan orang-orang yang tidak percaya kepada hari akhirat tetap
beroleh (di sana) azab seksa yang seburuk-buruknya dan (di sini) tetap berada dalam
kesesatan yang jauh terpesong.
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(34:8) Has
he forged a lie against Allah, or is he afflicted with madness?” *10 Nay, but those who do not believe
in the Hereafter are doomed to be chastised and are far gone in error. *11
*10 The
chiefs of the Quraish knew full well that it was extremely difficult for the
common people to accuse Muhammad (upon wham be Allah' peace) of being a liar,
for the whole nation knew that he was a completely truthful person, and no one
had ever heard a lie from him all his life. Therefore, they presented their
charge against him before the people like this: 'When this person utters an
impossible thing like the life-after-death from his mouth, he is either
uttering (God forbid) a falsehood deliberately, or he is mad.' But this
accusation of madness also was as absurd as of falsehood, for a stupid person
only could admit that such a wise and intelligent man as the Holy prophet could
be mad. That is why Allah did not feel it was necessary to refute their absurd
charge by an argument, and only made mention of their wonder which they
expressed at the possibility of the I ife-after-death
أَفَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَىٰ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ
وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ إِنْ نَشَأْ نَخْسِفْ بِهِمُ
الْأَرْضَ أَوْ نُسْقِطْ عَلَيْهِمْ كِسَفًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ
لَآيَةً لِكُلِّ عَبْدٍ مُنِيبٍ {34:9}
[Q34:9] Afalam
yaraw ilaa maa baina aydeehim wa maa khalfahum minas samaaa'i wal ard; in
nashad nakhsif bihimul arda aw nusqit 'alaihim kisafam minas samaaa'; inna fee
zaalika la Aayatal likulli 'abdim muneeb.
[Q34:9] Do they not then consider what is before them and what is behind them of the heaven and the earth? If We please We will make them disappear in the land or bring down upon them a portion from the heaven; most surely there is a sign in this for every servant turning (to ALLAH (SWT).
[Q34:9] Do they not then consider what is before them and what is behind them of the heaven and the earth? If We please We will make them disappear in the land or bring down upon them a portion from the heaven; most surely there is a sign in this for every servant turning (to ALLAH (SWT).
[Q34:9] (Setelah
mereka mengejek-ejek dan membuat tuduhan-tuduhan itu) tidakkah mereka melihat
apa yang ada di hadapan mereka dan yang ada di belakang mereka dari langit dan
bumi (dapatkah mereka melarikan diri)? Jika Kami kehendaki nescaya Kami
timbuskan mereka di bumi atau Kami gugurkan atas mereka ketul-ketul dan
serpihan-serpihan dari langit (yang akan membinasakan mereka). Sesungguhnya
yang demikian mengandungi satu tanda (yang memberi keinsafan) bagi tiap-tiap
hamba ALLAH (SwT) yang mahu kembali kepadanya (dengan taat dan berbakti).
The
spiritually blind OR those whose hearts and minds are filled with falsehood laugh at the
truth about the hereafter, BECAUSE they are unable to
observe the power of ALLAH (SWT) in the nature surrounding them.
± In verses 36:77 to 83 of Ya Sin the disbelievers are
asked whether He who created the heavens and the earth will be able to
re-create the like of them or not? The same section contains the answer. ALLAH (SWT) says: "When He wills a thing He only says: 'Be', and it is."
A proper
observation
of the surrounding, terrestrial and celestial, proves that they are held by
some power above the dimensional realm unexplainable in terms of the
dimensions.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:9) Do
they not see how the heavens and the earth encompass them from the front and
the rear? We could, if We so wished, cause the earth to swallow them or let
fragments of the sky fall upon them. *12 Verily
there is a Sign in this for every servant (of Allah) who penitently turns to
Him. *13
*11 This is the first answer to
their charge. It means: "O foolish people, it is you who have lost your
reason. For you do not listen to the one who is informing you of the truth and
arc recklessly galloping on the way that leads to Hell. But the height of your
stupidity is that you are calling the one who is anxious for your salvation,
mad."
*12 This is the second answer to their charge. To understand it well one should bear in mind the fact that three things were most prominent among the reasons for which the disbelieving Quraish denied the life-after-death: (1) They did not want to believe in any kind of accountability before God, for after believing in such a thing they would be left with no freedom whatever to behave and act as they pleased in the world. (2) They thought it was inconceivable that Resurrection would take place and the present material order of the universe would be destroyed and replaced by a new order. (3) They thought it was impossible that the people who had died hundreds of thousands of years in the past and whose bones even had decayed and disintegrated, would be raised back to life. With the same body and soul. The answer given above covers all these three aspects, and contains a severe warning as well. The details of the theme contained in these brief sentences are given below:
(1) If you ever had observed this earth and the heavens with clear sightedness, you would have seen that it is not a plaything nor has its creation come into being by accident. Everything in this universe points to the fact that it has been created by an AII-Powerful Being with great wisdom. In such a wise system it would be highly absurd to think that somebody could be left to live an irresponsible and unaccountable life after he had been given the faculties of intellect and discrimination and authority.
(2) Anyone who sees the natural order with discerning eyes will realize that the occurrence of Resurrection is not at all difficult. It can take place suddenly as soon as the system in which the earth and the heavens are bound together is disturbed. And the same system testifies that the One Who has made and is running this world today can create another world again. If it were difficult for Him to do so, this world would not have existed as it does today.
(3) Your opinion and judgement about the Creator of the universe that it will be impossible for Him to resurrect the dead, is strange. The bodies of the men who die may utterly decay and disintegrate and be scattered but nevertheless remain within the bounds of this very universe and do not go anywhere outside its bounds. Then it is not at aII difficult for the God Who has created this earth and the heavens to gather together everything from the earth and water and air wherever it happens to be. Whatever makes up your body today was collected and combined by Him, and brought out from this very earth, water and air. When the collecting and assembling of these elements together is possible today, how will it be impossible tomorrow?
Besides these three arguments, the discourse also contains a subtle warning to the effect: "You are surrounded by God's Kingdom on aII sides. Wherever you may go, you would be covered and surrounded by the same universe. You cannot find any place of refuge against God, and God's power is such that He can afflict you whenever He likes with a calamity from under your feet or from above your heads. You do not know what forces might be working under the very surface of the earth which you find as an abode of perfect peace and safety for yourselves, and when they would cause an earthquake to take place and turn the' same earth into your grave. You do not know when a disaster might befall you-a lightning. or a devastating rain, or some other calamity-from the same sky under which you walk about with full peace and satisfaction of the heart as if it were the ceiling of your own house. In a state like this, your fearlessness of God, your heedlessness of any thought of the Hereafter and your vain and nonsensical talk against the admonition of a well-wisher has no other meaning than that you are only inviting your own doom."
*13 That is, "The person who is neither prejudiced nor obstinate and stubborn, but is a sincere seeker of guidance from his God, can learn many lessons from the observation of the earth and heavens; but the one whose heart is turned away from God, will sec everything in the universe, but will never perceive any Sign pointing to the Truth."
*12 This is the second answer to their charge. To understand it well one should bear in mind the fact that three things were most prominent among the reasons for which the disbelieving Quraish denied the life-after-death: (1) They did not want to believe in any kind of accountability before God, for after believing in such a thing they would be left with no freedom whatever to behave and act as they pleased in the world. (2) They thought it was inconceivable that Resurrection would take place and the present material order of the universe would be destroyed and replaced by a new order. (3) They thought it was impossible that the people who had died hundreds of thousands of years in the past and whose bones even had decayed and disintegrated, would be raised back to life. With the same body and soul. The answer given above covers all these three aspects, and contains a severe warning as well. The details of the theme contained in these brief sentences are given below:
(1) If you ever had observed this earth and the heavens with clear sightedness, you would have seen that it is not a plaything nor has its creation come into being by accident. Everything in this universe points to the fact that it has been created by an AII-Powerful Being with great wisdom. In such a wise system it would be highly absurd to think that somebody could be left to live an irresponsible and unaccountable life after he had been given the faculties of intellect and discrimination and authority.
(2) Anyone who sees the natural order with discerning eyes will realize that the occurrence of Resurrection is not at all difficult. It can take place suddenly as soon as the system in which the earth and the heavens are bound together is disturbed. And the same system testifies that the One Who has made and is running this world today can create another world again. If it were difficult for Him to do so, this world would not have existed as it does today.
(3) Your opinion and judgement about the Creator of the universe that it will be impossible for Him to resurrect the dead, is strange. The bodies of the men who die may utterly decay and disintegrate and be scattered but nevertheless remain within the bounds of this very universe and do not go anywhere outside its bounds. Then it is not at aII difficult for the God Who has created this earth and the heavens to gather together everything from the earth and water and air wherever it happens to be. Whatever makes up your body today was collected and combined by Him, and brought out from this very earth, water and air. When the collecting and assembling of these elements together is possible today, how will it be impossible tomorrow?
Besides these three arguments, the discourse also contains a subtle warning to the effect: "You are surrounded by God's Kingdom on aII sides. Wherever you may go, you would be covered and surrounded by the same universe. You cannot find any place of refuge against God, and God's power is such that He can afflict you whenever He likes with a calamity from under your feet or from above your heads. You do not know what forces might be working under the very surface of the earth which you find as an abode of perfect peace and safety for yourselves, and when they would cause an earthquake to take place and turn the' same earth into your grave. You do not know when a disaster might befall you-a lightning. or a devastating rain, or some other calamity-from the same sky under which you walk about with full peace and satisfaction of the heart as if it were the ceiling of your own house. In a state like this, your fearlessness of God, your heedlessness of any thought of the Hereafter and your vain and nonsensical talk against the admonition of a well-wisher has no other meaning than that you are only inviting your own doom."
*13 That is, "The person who is neither prejudiced nor obstinate and stubborn, but is a sincere seeker of guidance from his God, can learn many lessons from the observation of the earth and heavens; but the one whose heart is turned away from God, will sec everything in the universe, but will never perceive any Sign pointing to the Truth."
SECTION
2
The
destruction of Saba
The destruction of the people of David and Solomon---The destruction of
Saba which was an ease for ALLAH (SWT)---On the Day of Jedgment, believers will
be distinguished from the disbelievers---Satan could beguile mankind except a
few who were the true believers
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ مِنَّا فَضْلًا ۖ يَا
جِبَالُ أَوِّبِي مَعَهُ وَالطَّيْرَ ۖ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ الْحَدِيدَ {34:10}
[Q34:10] Wa
laqad aatainaa Daawooda minnaa fadlany yaa jibaalu awwibee ma'ahoo wattaira wa
alannaa lahul hadeed.
[Q34:10] And certainly We gave to Dawood excellence from Us: O mountains! Sing praises with him, and the birds; and We made the iron pliant to him,
[Q34:10] And certainly We gave to Dawood excellence from Us: O mountains! Sing praises with him, and the birds; and We made the iron pliant to him,
[Q34:10] Dan demi sesungguhnya, Kami telah memberikan kepada Nabi Daud limpah
kurnia dari Kami (sambil Kami berfirman): Hai gunung-ganang, ulang-ulangilah
mengucap tasbih bersama-sama dengan Nabi Daud dan wahai burung-burung
(bertasbihlah bersama-sama dengannya)! Dan juga telah melembutkan besi baginya;
Refer to the commentary
of Anbiya 21:79
and 80.
Dawud had been
gifted with an [1] enchanting melodious voice, and whenever he sang the glory of ALLAH (SWT) the mountains around him
would echo his praise, and the birds would join him in chorus. [2] ALLAH (SWT) made
iron, one of the hardest metals, soft and pliant in his
hands, so that without heating the metal he was able to manufacture coats of
mail. **It
is said that Dawud was the first to manufacture coats of mail.
Ì As a prophet of ALLAH (SWT) he only
manufactured armour which is the means of defence, and not swords, which are
the implements of aggression.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:10) We bestowed Our favour upon David. *14 (We
commanded): “O mountains, sing Allah’s praises with him”; (and so did We
command) the birds. *15 We softened the iron for him, (saying):
*14 This is an
allusion to the countless favours with which Allah had blessed the Prophet
David. He was an ordinary young man of the tribe of Judah, living at Bethlehem.
In a campaign against the Philistines he slew the giant Goliath, the great
enemy of Israel, and suddenly grew in esteem of the Israelites. With this event
began his rise to prominence; so much so that after the death of Saul he was
first elected king of Judah in Hebron (mod. AI-KhaliD, and then a few years
later he was made king over aII the tribes of Israel. He took Jerusalem and
made it the capital of the kingdom of Israel. It was under his leadership that
for the first time in history a God-worshipping kingdom was established, whose
boundaries extended from the Gulf of `Aqabah to the western banks of the River
Euphrates. In addition to these favours, he was further graced with Divine
bounties in the form of knowledge and wisdom, and the qualities of justice and
mercy and devotion to the truth. (For details, see E.N. 273 of Al-Baqarah and
E.N. 7 of Bani Isra'il).
*15 For this please refer to AI-Anbiya': 79 and E.N. 71 thereof.
*15 For this please refer to AI-Anbiya': 79 and E.N. 71 thereof.
أَنِ اعْمَلْ سَابِغَاتٍ وَقَدِّرْ فِي السَّرْدِ ۖ
وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا ۖ إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ {34:11}
[Q34:11] Ani'mal
saabighaatinw wa qaddir fis sardi wa'maloo saalihan innee bimaa ta'maloona
Baseer.
[Q34:11] Saying: Make ample (coats of mail), and assign a time to the making of coats of mail and do good; surely I am Seeing what you do.
[Q34:11] Saying: Make ample (coats of mail), and assign a time to the making of coats of mail and do good; surely I am Seeing what you do.
[Q34:11] (Serta Kami wahyukan kepadanya): Buatlah baju-baju besi yang luas labuh
dan sempurnakanlah jalinannya sekadar yang dikehendaki dan kerjakanlah kamu
(wahai Daud dan umatmu) amal-amal yang soleh, sesungguhnya Aku Maha Melihat
akan segala yang kamu kerjakan.
Dawud was an impartial and just ruler. He used to ask everyone
he met what they thought of him as a ruler. IF ANYONE HAD BEEN WRONGED HE WOULD
ARRANGE THE NECESSARY REDRESS.
Once when Dawud was passing a
street of his town at midnight, he met an angel, sent by ALLAH (SWT), in the
form of a man. He asked the angel his usual question, and the angel replied
that the ruler was alright, except
for the fact that he took his own sustenance from the public funds. On
hearing this Dawud wept for forty
days, and prayed to ALLAH (SWT) to teach him some profession.
It was then that ALLAH
(SWT), in His mercy, made iron soft and pliant like wax in Dawud's hands, and inspired him with the art of manufacturing coats
of mail, and the other articles of defence. Dawud was
therefore able to sell the articles and live upon his own earnings.
The concluding words
indicate indirectly THAT A PERSON SHOULD NOT SPEND ALL HIS TIME IN EARNING A
LIVING, BECAUSE THE ULTIMATE
OBJECT OF LIFE IS TO DO GOOD ACTIONS WITH AWARENESS OF ALLAH (SWT).
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:11) “Fashion coats of mail and measure their links
with care *16 and act righteously. I am watching over whatever
you do.”
*16 For this
also please refer to AI-Anbiya': 80 and E.N. 72 thereof.
وَلِسُلَيْمَانَ الرِّيحَ غُدُوُّهَا شَهْرٌ
وَرَوَاحُهَا شَهْرٌ ۖ وَأَسَلْنَا لَهُ عَيْنَ الْقِطْرِ ۖ وَمِنَ الْجِنِّ مَنْ
يَعْمَلُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ ۖ وَمَنْ يَزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ
أَمْرِنَا نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ {34:12}
[Q34:12] Wa
li-Sulaimaanar reeha ghuduwwuhaa shahrunw wa ra-waahuhaa shahrunw wa asalnaa
lahoo 'ainal qitr; wa minal jinni mai ya'malu baina yadaihi bi izni Rabbih; wa
mai yazigh minhum 'an amrinaa nuziqhu min 'azaabis sa’eer.
[Q34:12] And (We made) the wind (subservient) to Sulaiman, which made a month's journey in the morning and a month's journey in the evening, and We made a fountain of molten copper to flow out for him, and of the jinn there were those who worked before him by the command of his Lord; and whoever turned aside from Our command from among them, We made him taste of the punishment of burning.
[Q34:12] And (We made) the wind (subservient) to Sulaiman, which made a month's journey in the morning and a month's journey in the evening, and We made a fountain of molten copper to flow out for him, and of the jinn there were those who worked before him by the command of his Lord; and whoever turned aside from Our command from among them, We made him taste of the punishment of burning.
[Q34:12] Dan Kami kurniakan kepada Nabi Sulaiman kuasa menggunakan angin untuk
perjalanannya: sepagi perjalanannya adalah menyamai perjalanan biasa sebulan
dan sepetang perjalanannya adalah menyamai perjalanan biasa sebulan dan Kami
alirkan baginya mata air dari tembaga dan (Kami mudahkan) sebahagian dari jin
untuk bekerja di hadapannya dengan izin Tuhannya dan sesiapa dari jin itu yang
menyeleweng dari perintah Kami, Kami akan merasakannya (pukulan) dari azab api
Neraka.
Refer to the commentary of Anbiya 21:81 and 82; and also Baqarah 2:102,
Nisa 4:163, An-am 6 85, and Naml 27:15 to 44. For Sulayman's navy see :- I Kings 9: 26. For the control
over time and distance Sulayman could command see Naml 27:38 and 39. Regarding
the jinn being made to serve under Sulayman see Naml 27:17.
The jinn must naturally be uncontrollable, rebellious
beings because the phrase be-idhni rabbihi indicates that some special control of ALLAH (SWT) was
needed to make them work submissively. The punishment mentioned to be
waiting for the disobedient among them, implies that they were by nature liable
to revolt and disobey the authority of man.
Ù The first being to disobey ALLAH (SWT) in the matter of prostrating before Adam, while all the angels immediately did so, was neither an angel nor a
human being, but a genie. It is said that Iblis was a genie, made of fire, and he opposed the very first man while the
man was yet in his creation (Araf 7:12).
Inspite
of such clear statements, the Ahmadi commentator interprets
the word jinn as "the aliens" quoting 2 Chronicles 2:12 to 18- "Solomon
took a census of all the aliens, resident in Israil." This interpretation is against the clear evidence of the
Quran that jinn are other than human beings, and are made of fire. To
console the materialists of the West, the Ahmadi
commentator is consistently opposed to belief in any kind of
supernatural powers having been granted to any prophet of ALLAH (SWT), and
hence he interprets every miracle of the prophets in his own peculiar way. This
is an outright denial of the special gifts bestowed by ALLAH (SWT) on His prophets.
IN REFUTATION OF THE MATERIALISTIC VIEW
OF LIFE, verse 9 refers to the evidence
afforded by the general and natural phenomena, while subsequent verses refer to
the particular miracles given to the prophets.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:12) And
We subdued the wind to Solomon: its morning course was a month’s journey and
its evening course was a month’s journey. *17 We gave him a spring
flowing with molten brass, *18 and
We subdued for him jinn who, by his Lord’s permission, *19 worked
before him. Such of them as swerved from Our commandment, We let them taste the
chastisement of the Blazing Fire.
*17 For this
also please refer to Al-Anbiya: 81 and E.N. 74 thereof.
*18 Some former commentators have taken this to mean that a spring from the earth had erupted for the Prophet Solomon from which molten copper flowed oat instead of water. But another interpretation of this verse can be that in the time of the Prophet Solomon the work of melting and moulding copper for different uses was done on a very large scale and the same has been referred to here as the flowing of a spring of molten copper for him. (For further details, see E.N. 74 of AI-Anbiya').
*19 The question whether the jinns who had been subdued to the Prophet Solomon were human beings of the mountain tribes or really the jinns who are well known by this name as the hidden creation, has been discussed in detail in our commentary of Surah AI-Anbiya' and Surah An-Naml. (Please see E.N. 75 of AI-Anbiya' and E.N.'s 23, 45 and 52 of An-Naml).
*18 Some former commentators have taken this to mean that a spring from the earth had erupted for the Prophet Solomon from which molten copper flowed oat instead of water. But another interpretation of this verse can be that in the time of the Prophet Solomon the work of melting and moulding copper for different uses was done on a very large scale and the same has been referred to here as the flowing of a spring of molten copper for him. (For further details, see E.N. 74 of AI-Anbiya').
*19 The question whether the jinns who had been subdued to the Prophet Solomon were human beings of the mountain tribes or really the jinns who are well known by this name as the hidden creation, has been discussed in detail in our commentary of Surah AI-Anbiya' and Surah An-Naml. (Please see E.N. 75 of AI-Anbiya' and E.N.'s 23, 45 and 52 of An-Naml).
يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُ مَا يَشَاءُ مِنْ مَحَارِيبَ
وَتَمَاثِيلَ وَجِفَانٍ كَالْجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٍ رَاسِيَاتٍ ۚ اعْمَلُوا آلَ
دَاوُودَ شُكْرًا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌ مِنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ {34:13}
[Q34:13] Ya'maloona
lahoo ma yashaaa'u mim mahaareeba wa tamaaseela wa jifaanin kaljawaabi wa
qudoorir raasiyaat; i'maloo aala Daawooda shukraa; wa qaleelum min 'ibaadiyash shakour.
[Q34:13] They made for him what he pleased of fortresses and images, and bowls (large) as watering-troughs and cooking-pots that will not move from their place; give thanks, O family of Dawood! And very few of My servants are grateful.
[Q34:13] They made for him what he pleased of fortresses and images, and bowls (large) as watering-troughs and cooking-pots that will not move from their place; give thanks, O family of Dawood! And very few of My servants are grateful.
[Q34:13] Golongan jin itu membuat untuk Nabi Sulaiman apa yang dia kehendaki
dari bangunan-bangunan yang tinggi dan patung-patung dan pinggan-pinggan
hidangan yang besar seperti kolam, serta periuk-periuk besar yang tetap di atas
tukunya. (Setelah itu Kami perintahkan): BeramALLAH (SwT) kamu wahai keluarga
Daud untuk bersyukur! Dan sememangnya sedikit sekali di antara hamba-hambaKu
yang bersyukur.
A colossal masjid at
Jerusalem is said
to be one of the structures erected by both men and jinn.
It is said that ALLAH (SWT) revealed knowledge to Dawud,
saying: "I had covenanted with your
father (ancestor) Ibrahim that I would bless his seed, (see Baqarah 2:124)
and
multiply it, and make it a great nation, for he (Ibrahim) had offered the
sacrifice of his son at My command. I have fulfilled my promise to him, but his
seed has turned ungrateful to My grace and bounties and I shall send a
chastisement on them." ALLAH
(SWT) then afflicted them with a plague, which was withdrawn when Dawud invoked
ALLAH (SWT) to spare them.
ALLAH (SWT) said: “O
Dawud, tell my servants to offer their gratitude for the prayer I answered, by
building a masjid where
your progeny and other future generations may also pray to Me."
The construction of
the masjid was commenced and the righteous Israelites and Dawud himself laboured to build it,
carrying heavy stones and mud on their backs. When the walls of the masjid rose
to a man's height, Dawud was informed by ALLAH (SWT) that his share in the
building of the masjid was complete, because the remaining work had been designated to his son Sulayman. Dawud died in the one hundred
and fortieth (140) year of his age and Sulayman
succeeded his father to the throne in the thirteenth (13) year of his age, and
completed the construction of the masjid.
ì The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), like Dawud and Sulayman, laboured to construct
the first masjid in Madina, at Quba.
Maharib are the houses of defence
during warfare, fortresses.
Some of the jurists refer to the
word tamathil (statues) in
favour of the permissibility of making images, restricting the prohibitory
traditions to those images which are meant for worship. For details refer to
the books of fiqh.
THE CONCLUDING
WORDS of admonition to the children of Dawud to
work, is a general injunction to every nation, AND to the Muslims in particular
indicating that if a people desire the blessings of ALLAH (SWT) on them to be
sustained, they must labour in the way of ALLAH (SWT) for righteousness. ONLY A FEW ADHERED to the command while the remainder fell
into luxury and ease, and suffered the natural consequences of their
degradation and a miserable, ignominious life.
Some critics attempt to
slander the followers of the Ahlul Bayt by saying that they have borrowed their views about
the Ahlul Bayt from the adoration of the family
of Dawud by the Jews. In reply,
§ Firstly the Quran itself has given the
exceptionally distinguished status to the Ahlul
Bayt, excluding all others (see Ali
Imran 3:61 and Ahzab 33:33).
§ Secondly, Nur
24:55 expressly
says that the method of the caliphate after the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali
Muhammad) will
be the same as before.
§ Thirdly, the Quran asserts that the families of Ibrahim and Imran are
chosen by ALLAH (SWT) to hold the book, the Wisdom and the authority (Ali Imran 3:33 and 34)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:13) They
made for him whatever he would desire: stately buildings, images, *20 basins
like water-troughs and huge, built-in-cauldrons: *21 “Work,
O house of David, in thankfulness (to your Lord). *22 Few
of My servants are truly thankful.”
*20 The word tamathil in the Text is the plural of timthal, which in Arabic is used for
every such thing as is made to resemble a natural thing, whether it is a human
being, an animal, a tree, a flower, a river, or some inanimate object. Timthal
is the name of every artificial thing which may have been made to resemble
something made by God." (Lisan al- Arab). "Timthal is every such
picture which may have been made to resemble the likeness of something else,
whether living or dead." (The Commentary, Al-Kashshaf). On this basis the
statement of the Qur'an does not necessarily imply that the "images"
made for the Prophet Solomon were the pictures or images of human beings and
animals. They might have been floral designs or natural landscape or different
kinds of decorations with which the Prophet Solomon might have decorated his
buildings and works.
The misunderstanding has been created by some commentators who have stated that the Prophet Solomon had got the pictures of the Prophets and the angels made for himself. They took such things from the Israelite traditions and then explained them saying that in the former Shari'ahs it was not forbidden to make the pictures. But while accepting and citing these traditions without question, these scholars did not keep in mind the fact that the Prophet Solomon was a follower of the Mosaic Law and in that Law also making of the pictures and images of human beings and animals was forbidden as it is in the Shari'ah of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace). And they also did not remember that because of the enmity which a section of the Israelites bore against the Prophet Solomon they have accused him of crimes like polytheism, idolatry, sorcery and adultery. Therefore one should not place reliance on the Israelite traditions and accept anything about this great Prophet, which might contradict any Shari'ah enjoined by God. Everyone knows that all the Prophets who came after the Prophet Moses till the Prophet Jesus among the Israelites were the followers of the Torah, and none of them had brought forth a new law, which might have abrogated the Law of the Torah. Now the Torah clearly enjoins repeatedly that making of the pictures and images of human beings and animals is absolutely forbidden.
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." (Exod., 20: 4) "Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, nor rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it." (Levit., 26: 1)
'Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female. The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air. The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth." (Deut., 4: 16-18).
"Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place." (Deut., 27: 15).
In the face of these clear and express injunctions how can it be accepted that the Prophet Solomon might have employed the jinns to make pictures and images of the Prophets and the angels for him? And how can this thing be admitted on the authority of the statements of the Jews who accuse the Prophet Solomon of idolatry due to his love for polytheistic wives? ( Kings, oh., 11).
However, the Muslim commentators, while citing the Israelite traditions, had made it clear that in the Shari'ah of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) this thing is forbidden; therefore, it is no more lawful for anybody to make pictures and images in imitation of the Prophct Solomon. But some people of the modern time, who want to make photography and carving of idols lawful in imitation of the West, took this verse of the Qur'an as an argument for themselves. They argue like this: "When a Prophet of Allah has done this and Allah Himself has mentioned this act of the Prophet in His Book, and has expressed no disapproval of it either, it must be lawful."
This argument of these followers of the West is wrong for two reasons. First, the word tamathil that has been used in the Qur'an, dces not explicitly give the meaning of the human and animal pictures, but it applies to the pictures of lifeless things as well. Therefore, only on the basis of this word, it cannot be concluded that it is lawful to make the human and animal pictures according to the Qur'an. Secondly, it is established by a large number of the Ahadith, which have been reported through authentic chains of transmitters, and commonly reported by many authorities, that the Holy Prophct absolutely forbade the making and keeping of the pictures of the living things. In this connection, we reproduce below the authentic Traditions of the Holy, Prophet and the verdicts given by the eminent Companions:
(1) Mother of the faithful Hadrat `A'ishah has reported that Hadrat Umm Habibah and Hadrat Umm Salamah had seen a church in Habash, which had pictures in it. When they mentioned this before the Holy Prophet, he said: "The custom among those people was that when a pious man from among them died, they would build a house of worship at his grave and would make his pictures in it. On the Day of Resurrection, these people will be among the most wretched creatures in the sight of Allah." (Bukhari: Kitab as-Salat,' Muslim: Kitab al-Masajid; Nasa`i: Kitab al-Masajid).
(2) Abu Hujaifah has reported that the messenger of Allah has cursed the maker of pictures. (Bukhari Kitab al-Buyu', Kitab at-Talaq, Kitab alLibas).
(3) Abu Zur'ah says, "Once when I entered a house along with Hadrat Abu Hurairah I saw that a painter was making pictures at the top. Thereupon, Hadrat Abu Hurairah said, 'I have heard the Holy Prophet say: Allah says who could be more wicked than the one who tries to create a thing like My creation? Let them, if they can, create a seed or an ant'." (Bukhari: Kitab al-Libas; Musnad Ahmad. According to the tradition in Muslim, this was the house of Marwan).
(4) Abu Muhammad Hudhali has reported on the authority of Hadrat `Ali: The Holy Prophet was present at a funeral prayer when he said: Who from among you would go to Madinah and demolish every idol that he sees, and level down every grave that he sees, and blot out every picture that he sees. A man said that he would go. So he went but came back without carrying out the task due to fear of the people of Madinah. Then Hadrat `Ali submitted that he would go, and the Holy Prophet allowed him to go. Hadrat `Ali went, then came back and said: I have demolished every idol and leveled down every grave and blotted out every picture. Thereupon the Holy Prophet said: "Now if any one made any of these things, he would be denying the teaching sent down on Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace)." (Musnad Ahmad; Muslim: Kitab al-Jana 'iz; Nasa' i (Kitab al-Jan 'iz) also contain a Tradition on the same subject).
(5) Ibn `Abbas has reported: ".....And he who made a picture would be chastised and compelled to breathe the soul into it, which he will not be able to do." (Bukhari: Kitab al-Ta 'bir, Tirmidhi: Abwab al Libas; Nasa`i: Kitab az-Zinah; Musnad Ahmad).
(6) Said bin al-Hasan says: "I was sitting with Ibn `Abbas when a man came and said: O Ibn `Abbas, I am a man who earns his living with his hand, and my profession is to make these pictures. Ibn `Abbas replied: I shall say to you the same that I have heard from the Holy Prophet. I have heard this from him that Allah will chastise the one who makes pictures, and. will not leave him till he breathes the saul into it, and he will never be able to breathe the soul into it. At this the man was much upset and his face turned pale. Ibn `Abbas said: Well, if you have to make the pictures, make of this tree, or of something which is lifeless." (Bukhari: Kitab al-Buyu'; Muslim: Kitab al-Libas; Nasa`i; Kitab al-Zinah; Musnad Ahmad).
(7) "Abdullah bin Mas'ud has reported that the Holy Prophet said: "On the Day of Resurrection the ones to be most severely punished by Allah would be the painters of the pictures." (Bukhari: Kitab al-Libas; Muslim: Kitab al-Libas; Nasa`i; Kitab al-Zinah; Musnad Ahmad).
(8) 'Abdullah bin `Umar has reported that the Holy Prophet said: Those who paint the pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection. They will be asked to put life into what they have made. (Bukhari: Kitab al-Libas; Muslim: Kitab al-Libas; Nasa`i; Kitab al-Zinah; Musnad Ahmad).
(9) Hadrat 'A'ishah says that she bought a cushion in which pictures had been painted. Then the Holy Prophet came and stood at the door and did not enter. I said: "I repent before God of any sin that I may have committed." The Holy Prophet asked: "What is this cushion for?" I said: "This is here so that you may sit and may recline on it." He said: "The painters of these pictures will be chastised on the Day of Resurrection: they will be asked to put life into what they have made; and the angels (i. e. the angels of mercy) do not enter a house which has pictures in it. "(Bukhari; : Kitab al-Libas; Muslim: Kitab al-Libas; Nasa`i: Kitab az-Zinah; Ibn Majah: Kitab at-Tajarat; Mu`watta': Kitab al-Istidhan).
(10) Hadrat `A'ishah says: Once the Holy Prophet came to my house, and I had hung a curtain which had pictures on it. The colour of his face changed. Then he took hold of the curtain and tore it and said: "Those who try to create like the creation of Allah will be among, those who will be severely punished by Allah on the Day of Resurrection." (Muslim: Kitab al-Libas; Bukhari: Kitab al-Libas; Nasa`i: Kitab az -Zinah).
(11) Hadrat `A'ishah says: Once the Holy Prophet came back; from a journey and I had hung a curtain at my door, which had the pictures of winged horses on it. The Holy Prophet commanded me to remove it and I removed it. (Muslim: Kitab al-Libas, Nasa'i: Kitab al-Zinah).
The misunderstanding has been created by some commentators who have stated that the Prophet Solomon had got the pictures of the Prophets and the angels made for himself. They took such things from the Israelite traditions and then explained them saying that in the former Shari'ahs it was not forbidden to make the pictures. But while accepting and citing these traditions without question, these scholars did not keep in mind the fact that the Prophet Solomon was a follower of the Mosaic Law and in that Law also making of the pictures and images of human beings and animals was forbidden as it is in the Shari'ah of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace). And they also did not remember that because of the enmity which a section of the Israelites bore against the Prophet Solomon they have accused him of crimes like polytheism, idolatry, sorcery and adultery. Therefore one should not place reliance on the Israelite traditions and accept anything about this great Prophet, which might contradict any Shari'ah enjoined by God. Everyone knows that all the Prophets who came after the Prophet Moses till the Prophet Jesus among the Israelites were the followers of the Torah, and none of them had brought forth a new law, which might have abrogated the Law of the Torah. Now the Torah clearly enjoins repeatedly that making of the pictures and images of human beings and animals is absolutely forbidden.
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." (Exod., 20: 4) "Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, nor rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it." (Levit., 26: 1)
'Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female. The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air. The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth." (Deut., 4: 16-18).
"Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place." (Deut., 27: 15).
In the face of these clear and express injunctions how can it be accepted that the Prophet Solomon might have employed the jinns to make pictures and images of the Prophets and the angels for him? And how can this thing be admitted on the authority of the statements of the Jews who accuse the Prophet Solomon of idolatry due to his love for polytheistic wives? ( Kings, oh., 11).
However, the Muslim commentators, while citing the Israelite traditions, had made it clear that in the Shari'ah of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) this thing is forbidden; therefore, it is no more lawful for anybody to make pictures and images in imitation of the Prophct Solomon. But some people of the modern time, who want to make photography and carving of idols lawful in imitation of the West, took this verse of the Qur'an as an argument for themselves. They argue like this: "When a Prophet of Allah has done this and Allah Himself has mentioned this act of the Prophet in His Book, and has expressed no disapproval of it either, it must be lawful."
This argument of these followers of the West is wrong for two reasons. First, the word tamathil that has been used in the Qur'an, dces not explicitly give the meaning of the human and animal pictures, but it applies to the pictures of lifeless things as well. Therefore, only on the basis of this word, it cannot be concluded that it is lawful to make the human and animal pictures according to the Qur'an. Secondly, it is established by a large number of the Ahadith, which have been reported through authentic chains of transmitters, and commonly reported by many authorities, that the Holy Prophct absolutely forbade the making and keeping of the pictures of the living things. In this connection, we reproduce below the authentic Traditions of the Holy, Prophet and the verdicts given by the eminent Companions:
(1) Mother of the faithful Hadrat `A'ishah has reported that Hadrat Umm Habibah and Hadrat Umm Salamah had seen a church in Habash, which had pictures in it. When they mentioned this before the Holy Prophet, he said: "The custom among those people was that when a pious man from among them died, they would build a house of worship at his grave and would make his pictures in it. On the Day of Resurrection, these people will be among the most wretched creatures in the sight of Allah." (Bukhari: Kitab as-Salat,' Muslim: Kitab al-Masajid; Nasa`i: Kitab al-Masajid).
(2) Abu Hujaifah has reported that the messenger of Allah has cursed the maker of pictures. (Bukhari Kitab al-Buyu', Kitab at-Talaq, Kitab alLibas).
(3) Abu Zur'ah says, "Once when I entered a house along with Hadrat Abu Hurairah I saw that a painter was making pictures at the top. Thereupon, Hadrat Abu Hurairah said, 'I have heard the Holy Prophet say: Allah says who could be more wicked than the one who tries to create a thing like My creation? Let them, if they can, create a seed or an ant'." (Bukhari: Kitab al-Libas; Musnad Ahmad. According to the tradition in Muslim, this was the house of Marwan).
(4) Abu Muhammad Hudhali has reported on the authority of Hadrat `Ali: The Holy Prophet was present at a funeral prayer when he said: Who from among you would go to Madinah and demolish every idol that he sees, and level down every grave that he sees, and blot out every picture that he sees. A man said that he would go. So he went but came back without carrying out the task due to fear of the people of Madinah. Then Hadrat `Ali submitted that he would go, and the Holy Prophet allowed him to go. Hadrat `Ali went, then came back and said: I have demolished every idol and leveled down every grave and blotted out every picture. Thereupon the Holy Prophet said: "Now if any one made any of these things, he would be denying the teaching sent down on Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace)." (Musnad Ahmad; Muslim: Kitab al-Jana 'iz; Nasa' i (Kitab al-Jan 'iz) also contain a Tradition on the same subject).
(5) Ibn `Abbas has reported: ".....And he who made a picture would be chastised and compelled to breathe the soul into it, which he will not be able to do." (Bukhari: Kitab al-Ta 'bir, Tirmidhi: Abwab al Libas; Nasa`i: Kitab az-Zinah; Musnad Ahmad).
(6) Said bin al-Hasan says: "I was sitting with Ibn `Abbas when a man came and said: O Ibn `Abbas, I am a man who earns his living with his hand, and my profession is to make these pictures. Ibn `Abbas replied: I shall say to you the same that I have heard from the Holy Prophet. I have heard this from him that Allah will chastise the one who makes pictures, and. will not leave him till he breathes the saul into it, and he will never be able to breathe the soul into it. At this the man was much upset and his face turned pale. Ibn `Abbas said: Well, if you have to make the pictures, make of this tree, or of something which is lifeless." (Bukhari: Kitab al-Buyu'; Muslim: Kitab al-Libas; Nasa`i; Kitab al-Zinah; Musnad Ahmad).
(7) "Abdullah bin Mas'ud has reported that the Holy Prophet said: "On the Day of Resurrection the ones to be most severely punished by Allah would be the painters of the pictures." (Bukhari: Kitab al-Libas; Muslim: Kitab al-Libas; Nasa`i; Kitab al-Zinah; Musnad Ahmad).
(8) 'Abdullah bin `Umar has reported that the Holy Prophet said: Those who paint the pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection. They will be asked to put life into what they have made. (Bukhari: Kitab al-Libas; Muslim: Kitab al-Libas; Nasa`i; Kitab al-Zinah; Musnad Ahmad).
(9) Hadrat 'A'ishah says that she bought a cushion in which pictures had been painted. Then the Holy Prophet came and stood at the door and did not enter. I said: "I repent before God of any sin that I may have committed." The Holy Prophet asked: "What is this cushion for?" I said: "This is here so that you may sit and may recline on it." He said: "The painters of these pictures will be chastised on the Day of Resurrection: they will be asked to put life into what they have made; and the angels (i. e. the angels of mercy) do not enter a house which has pictures in it. "(Bukhari; : Kitab al-Libas; Muslim: Kitab al-Libas; Nasa`i: Kitab az-Zinah; Ibn Majah: Kitab at-Tajarat; Mu`watta': Kitab al-Istidhan).
(10) Hadrat `A'ishah says: Once the Holy Prophet came to my house, and I had hung a curtain which had pictures on it. The colour of his face changed. Then he took hold of the curtain and tore it and said: "Those who try to create like the creation of Allah will be among, those who will be severely punished by Allah on the Day of Resurrection." (Muslim: Kitab al-Libas; Bukhari: Kitab al-Libas; Nasa`i: Kitab az -Zinah).
(11) Hadrat `A'ishah says: Once the Holy Prophet came back; from a journey and I had hung a curtain at my door, which had the pictures of winged horses on it. The Holy Prophet commanded me to remove it and I removed it. (Muslim: Kitab al-Libas, Nasa'i: Kitab al-Zinah).
(12) Jabir bin
`Abdullah says: The Holy Prophet prohibited keeping of the pictures in the
house and also forbade that somebody should make pictures. (Tirmidhi: Abwab
al-Libas).
(13) Ibn `Abbas has related on the authority of Abu Talhah Ansari: The Holy Prophet said that the angels (i.e. of mercy) do not enter a house where there is a dog, nor where there is a picture. (Bukhari: Kitab al-Libas).
(14) 'Abdullah bin `Umar says: Once Gabriel promised to pay the Holy Prophet a visit, but the time passed and he did not come. The Holy Prophet felt troubled and came out of his house and met him. When he complained to him, he (Gabriel) replied: "We do not enter a house where there is a dog or a picture." (Bukhari: Kitab a/-Libas. Several Traditions on this subject have been related by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Da`ud, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad on the authority of several Companions).
As against these, there are some other Traditions which allow some exceptions regarding the pictures. For example, according to a tradition of Abu Talhah Ansari, it is permissible to hang the curtain of a cloth which has pictures embroidered on it. (Bukhari: Kitab al-Libas); and according to Hadrat 'A'ishah's tradition, when she tore a cloth having pictures on it and made a cushion from it to be spread on the floor, the Holy Prophet did not forbid it. (Muslim: Kitab al-Libas); and Salim bin `Abdullah bin `Umar's tradition that the prohibition is of the picture which is displayed and installed prominently and not of the one which is used as a carpet: (Musnad Ahmad). But none of these traditions contradicts the Traditions which have been cited above. None of these sanctions the making and painting of the pictures. They only tell that if a person has got a piece of cloth having pictures on it, how he should use it. In this regard, the tradition of Abu Talhah Ansari cannot at all be accepted because it contradicts many, other authentic Traditions in which the Holy Prophet not only forbade use of cloth having pictures on it as a curtain but even tore it into pieces. Moreover, Hadrat Abu Talhah Ansari's own practice that has been reported in Tirmidhi and Mu'watta', in this regard, was that he did not even like to use a piece of cloth which had pictures on it, as a carpet, not to speak of hanging it as a curtain.
As for the traditions related by Hadrat `A'ishah and Salim bin `Abdullah they only permit that if a picture is not placed prominently out of respect and esteem but is used as a carpet disrespectfully and is trodden under the feet, it could be tolerable. After all, how can these Traditions be cited for obtaining sanction for the culture which regards the art of painting and portrait making and sculpture as an enviable achievement of the human civilization, and wants to popularize it among the Muslims?
THE CODE OF PRACTICE THAT THE HOLY PROPHET LEFT FOR HIS UMMAH WITH REGARD TO THE PICTURES, Can be seen from the conduct and practice of the eminent Companions, which they adopted in this regard. The admitted principle of law in Islam is that the authentic and reliable Islamic Law is that which the Holy Prophet enjoined during the latter part of his life after it had passed through gradual and preliminary injunctions and exceptions. And after the Holy Prophet the eminent Companions' practice and persistence on a particular way is a proof that he left the Ummah on that way. Now Iet us sec how these holy and pious people treated and regarded the picntres.
Hadrat 'Umar said to the Christians: "We do not enter your churches because there are pictures in them." (Bukhari: Kitab as -Salat).
Ibn 'Abbas would sometimes offer his Prayer in the church, but not in a church which had pictures in it. (Bukhari; Kitab as-Salam).
Abu al-Hayyaj al-Asadi says: Hadrat 'Ali said to me: "Should I not send yon on the same mission on which the Holy Prophet had sent me? And it is this that you should not leave any idol that you should not break, and you should not Ieave any grave that you should not level down, and you should not leave any picture that you should not blot out." (Muslim: Kitab al-Jana'iz; Nasa'i: Kitab al .lane 'iz).
Hanash al-Kinani says: Hadrat 'AIi said to his chief of the police: "Do you know on what mission I am going to send you?-on the mission on which the Holy Prophet had sent me, that you should blot out every picture and level down every grave.' (Musnad Ahmad).
This very established Law of Islam has been accepted and acknowledged by the jurists of Islam and regarded as an article of the Islamic Law. Thus, 'Allama Badruddin 'Aini writes with reference to Tauhid.'
"Our elders (i. e. the Hanifite jurists) and other jurists say that making the pictures of a living thing is not only unlawful but strictly forbidden and a major sin, whether the maker has made it for a purpose where it would be held with contempt or for some other use and purpose. The making and painting of the picture anyway is unlawful, because it is an attempt to create like the creation of Allah. Likewise, the making of pictures whether in the cloth, or in the carpet, or nn a coin, or in a utensil, or in a wall, is in any case unlawful. However, making the pictures of something else, for instance, of a tree, etc., is not forbidden. Whether the picture casts a shadow or not is immaterial.
The same is the opinion of Imam Malik, Sufyan Thauri, Imam Abu Hanifah, and other scholars. Qadi Iyad says that the dolls of girls are an exception, but Imam Malik; disapproved of even buying them." (`Umdat al-Qari vol. XXII p. 70). Imam Nawawi has elucidated this same view in greater detail in his commentary of Muslim. Please refer to Sharh Nawawi, Egyptian Ed., vol. XIV, pp. 81-82).
This is then the injunction about the making of pictures. As regards the use of the pictures made by others, `Allama Ibn Hajar has cited the views of the jurists of Islam as follows: "Ibn 'Arabi, the Malikite jurist, says that the consensus of opinion is that the picture that casts a shadow is unlawful, whether it is regarded with contempt or not. Only the dolls of girls are an exception .. Ibn 'Arab; also says that the picture which does not cast a shadow but which persists (as in the printed form, unlike the reflection of a mirror) is also unlawful, whether it is regarded with contempt or not. However, if its head is cut off, or its limbs or parts are separated, it may be used. ... Imam al-Harmayn has cited a verdict according to which a curtain or a cushion having pictures on it may be used, but the picture hung on the wall or ceiling is forbidden, for it would show respect and esteem for it, while the picture on the curtain or cushion, on the contrary, would be held with contempt. ... Ibn Abi Shaibah has related on the authority of 'Ikrimah that the scholars among the immediate followers of the Companions held the opinion that the picture's being in the carpet or cushion is disgraceful for it; they also opined that the picture hung prominently is unlawful, but the one trodden under the feet is permissible. The same opinion has been cited from Ibn Sirin, Salim bin 'Abdullah, 'Ikrimah bin Khalid and Said bin Jubair." (Fath al-Bari, vol. X, p. 300).
The details given above clearly show that the forbiddence of the pictures is not a controversial or doubtful matter in Islam, but it is an established article of the law according to the express instructions of the Holy Prophet, the practice of the Companions and the unanimous verdicts of the jurists of Islam, which cannot be changed by the hairsplitting of the people influenced by the alien cultures.
In this connection, certain other things should also be understood so that there remains no misunderstanding in this regard.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN A PHOTOGRAPH AND A PAINTING, whereas the Shari ah forbids the picture itself and not any process or method of making pictures. There is no difference between a photograph and a painting: they are both pictures. Whatever difference is there between them is due to the method of making them, and in this regard the Shari'ah injunctions make no difference between them.
Some people give the argument that the picture was forbidden in Islam 'in order to put an end to idol-worship. As there is no such danger now, this injunction should be annulled. But this argument is absolutely wrong. In the first place, nowhere in the Traditions has it been said that the pictures have been made unlawful in order to avoid –the danger of shirk and idol-worship. Secondly, the assertion that shirk and idol-worship have been eradicated from the world is also baseless. Today in the Indo-Pak sub-continent itself there are millions of idolworshippers and polytheists. Shirk is being practised in different regions of the world in different ways. The Christian people of the Book also are worshipping the images and portraits of the Prophet Jesus and Mary and other saints; so much so that even a large number of the Muslims also are involved in the evil of worshipping others than God.
Some people say that only those pictures which are polytheistic in nature should be forbidden, i. e., pictures and images of those persons who have been made gods. As for the other pictures and images there is no reason why they should be forbidden. But the people who argue like this, in fact, become their own law-givers instead of deriving law from the Commandments and instructions of the Law-Giver, They do not know that the picture does not become the cause of polytheism and idol-worship only but has become the cause of many other mischiefs in the world, and is becoming so even today. The picture is one of those major means by which the aura of greatness of the kings, dictators and political Ieaders has been impressed upon the minds of the common people. The picture also has been used extensively for spreading obscenity and today this mischief has touched heights unknown to previous history. Pictures have also been used for sowing discord and hatred and for creating mischief between the nations and for misleading the masses in different ways. Therefore, the view that the Law-Giver forbade the picture only in order to eradicate idol-worship is basically wrong. The Law-Giver has absolutely forbidden pictures of the living things. If we are not our own law-givers but are the followers of the-Law-Giver, we should desist from this accordingly. It is not at alI lawful for us that we should propose from ourselves a basis for a particular injunction and then, on the basis of it, should declare some pictures lawful and some as unlawful.
Some people refer to some apparently "harmless' kinds of pictures and say that there could be no danger from these: they could not cause the mischiefs of shirk, obscenity, political propaganda or other evils; therefore, they should not be forbidden. Here again the people commit the same error: they first propose a cause and a basis for an injunction, and then argue that when the cause is not found in a particular forbidden thing, it should not be forbidden. Furthermore, these people also do not understand the rule of the Islamic Shari ah that it dces not make vague and ambiguous boundaries between the lawful and the unlawful from which a man may not be able to judge when he is within the bounds and when he has crossed them; but it draws a clear line of demarcation which every person can see like the broad daylight. The demarcation in respect of the picture is absolutely clear: pictures of living things are unlawful and of the lifeless things lawful. This line of demarcation does not admit any ambiguity. The one who has to follow the injunctions can clearly know what is permissible for him and what is not. But, if some pictures of the living things had been declared lawful and some unlawful, no list of the two kinds of the pictures however extensive, would have made the boundary between the lawful and the unlawful clear, and the case of many pictures would still have remained ambiguous as to whether they were within the bounds of lawfulness or outside them. This is similar to the Islamic injunction about wine that one should completely abstain from it, and this marks a clear limit, Hut, if it had been said that one should abstain from such a quantity of wine as intoxicates, it would be impossible to demarcate between the lawful and the unlawful, and no one would have been able to decide what quantity of wine he could drink; and where he had to stop. (For a further discussion, see Rasa 'iI-o-Masa'il, Part 1, pp. 152-155).
*21 This gives an idea of the generous and large scale hospitality practised by the Prophet Solomon. Big bowls like troughs had been arranged to serve as containers of food for the guests and heavy cooking pots were meant for cooking food for thousands of the people at one and the same time.
*22 "Work gratefully": work like grateful servants. The mere verbal thankfulness of a person who acknowledges only verbally the favours done by the benefactor but uses them against his will is meaningless. The truly grateful person is he who acknowledges the favours with the tongue as well as uses and employs the favours according to the will of the benefactor.
(13) Ibn `Abbas has related on the authority of Abu Talhah Ansari: The Holy Prophet said that the angels (i.e. of mercy) do not enter a house where there is a dog, nor where there is a picture. (Bukhari: Kitab al-Libas).
(14) 'Abdullah bin `Umar says: Once Gabriel promised to pay the Holy Prophet a visit, but the time passed and he did not come. The Holy Prophet felt troubled and came out of his house and met him. When he complained to him, he (Gabriel) replied: "We do not enter a house where there is a dog or a picture." (Bukhari: Kitab a/-Libas. Several Traditions on this subject have been related by Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Da`ud, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad on the authority of several Companions).
As against these, there are some other Traditions which allow some exceptions regarding the pictures. For example, according to a tradition of Abu Talhah Ansari, it is permissible to hang the curtain of a cloth which has pictures embroidered on it. (Bukhari: Kitab al-Libas); and according to Hadrat 'A'ishah's tradition, when she tore a cloth having pictures on it and made a cushion from it to be spread on the floor, the Holy Prophet did not forbid it. (Muslim: Kitab al-Libas); and Salim bin `Abdullah bin `Umar's tradition that the prohibition is of the picture which is displayed and installed prominently and not of the one which is used as a carpet: (Musnad Ahmad). But none of these traditions contradicts the Traditions which have been cited above. None of these sanctions the making and painting of the pictures. They only tell that if a person has got a piece of cloth having pictures on it, how he should use it. In this regard, the tradition of Abu Talhah Ansari cannot at all be accepted because it contradicts many, other authentic Traditions in which the Holy Prophet not only forbade use of cloth having pictures on it as a curtain but even tore it into pieces. Moreover, Hadrat Abu Talhah Ansari's own practice that has been reported in Tirmidhi and Mu'watta', in this regard, was that he did not even like to use a piece of cloth which had pictures on it, as a carpet, not to speak of hanging it as a curtain.
As for the traditions related by Hadrat `A'ishah and Salim bin `Abdullah they only permit that if a picture is not placed prominently out of respect and esteem but is used as a carpet disrespectfully and is trodden under the feet, it could be tolerable. After all, how can these Traditions be cited for obtaining sanction for the culture which regards the art of painting and portrait making and sculpture as an enviable achievement of the human civilization, and wants to popularize it among the Muslims?
THE CODE OF PRACTICE THAT THE HOLY PROPHET LEFT FOR HIS UMMAH WITH REGARD TO THE PICTURES, Can be seen from the conduct and practice of the eminent Companions, which they adopted in this regard. The admitted principle of law in Islam is that the authentic and reliable Islamic Law is that which the Holy Prophet enjoined during the latter part of his life after it had passed through gradual and preliminary injunctions and exceptions. And after the Holy Prophet the eminent Companions' practice and persistence on a particular way is a proof that he left the Ummah on that way. Now Iet us sec how these holy and pious people treated and regarded the picntres.
Hadrat 'Umar said to the Christians: "We do not enter your churches because there are pictures in them." (Bukhari: Kitab as -Salat).
Ibn 'Abbas would sometimes offer his Prayer in the church, but not in a church which had pictures in it. (Bukhari; Kitab as-Salam).
Abu al-Hayyaj al-Asadi says: Hadrat 'Ali said to me: "Should I not send yon on the same mission on which the Holy Prophet had sent me? And it is this that you should not leave any idol that you should not break, and you should not Ieave any grave that you should not level down, and you should not leave any picture that you should not blot out." (Muslim: Kitab al-Jana'iz; Nasa'i: Kitab al .lane 'iz).
Hanash al-Kinani says: Hadrat 'AIi said to his chief of the police: "Do you know on what mission I am going to send you?-on the mission on which the Holy Prophet had sent me, that you should blot out every picture and level down every grave.' (Musnad Ahmad).
This very established Law of Islam has been accepted and acknowledged by the jurists of Islam and regarded as an article of the Islamic Law. Thus, 'Allama Badruddin 'Aini writes with reference to Tauhid.'
"Our elders (i. e. the Hanifite jurists) and other jurists say that making the pictures of a living thing is not only unlawful but strictly forbidden and a major sin, whether the maker has made it for a purpose where it would be held with contempt or for some other use and purpose. The making and painting of the picture anyway is unlawful, because it is an attempt to create like the creation of Allah. Likewise, the making of pictures whether in the cloth, or in the carpet, or nn a coin, or in a utensil, or in a wall, is in any case unlawful. However, making the pictures of something else, for instance, of a tree, etc., is not forbidden. Whether the picture casts a shadow or not is immaterial.
The same is the opinion of Imam Malik, Sufyan Thauri, Imam Abu Hanifah, and other scholars. Qadi Iyad says that the dolls of girls are an exception, but Imam Malik; disapproved of even buying them." (`Umdat al-Qari vol. XXII p. 70). Imam Nawawi has elucidated this same view in greater detail in his commentary of Muslim. Please refer to Sharh Nawawi, Egyptian Ed., vol. XIV, pp. 81-82).
This is then the injunction about the making of pictures. As regards the use of the pictures made by others, `Allama Ibn Hajar has cited the views of the jurists of Islam as follows: "Ibn 'Arabi, the Malikite jurist, says that the consensus of opinion is that the picture that casts a shadow is unlawful, whether it is regarded with contempt or not. Only the dolls of girls are an exception .. Ibn 'Arab; also says that the picture which does not cast a shadow but which persists (as in the printed form, unlike the reflection of a mirror) is also unlawful, whether it is regarded with contempt or not. However, if its head is cut off, or its limbs or parts are separated, it may be used. ... Imam al-Harmayn has cited a verdict according to which a curtain or a cushion having pictures on it may be used, but the picture hung on the wall or ceiling is forbidden, for it would show respect and esteem for it, while the picture on the curtain or cushion, on the contrary, would be held with contempt. ... Ibn Abi Shaibah has related on the authority of 'Ikrimah that the scholars among the immediate followers of the Companions held the opinion that the picture's being in the carpet or cushion is disgraceful for it; they also opined that the picture hung prominently is unlawful, but the one trodden under the feet is permissible. The same opinion has been cited from Ibn Sirin, Salim bin 'Abdullah, 'Ikrimah bin Khalid and Said bin Jubair." (Fath al-Bari, vol. X, p. 300).
The details given above clearly show that the forbiddence of the pictures is not a controversial or doubtful matter in Islam, but it is an established article of the law according to the express instructions of the Holy Prophet, the practice of the Companions and the unanimous verdicts of the jurists of Islam, which cannot be changed by the hairsplitting of the people influenced by the alien cultures.
In this connection, certain other things should also be understood so that there remains no misunderstanding in this regard.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN A PHOTOGRAPH AND A PAINTING, whereas the Shari ah forbids the picture itself and not any process or method of making pictures. There is no difference between a photograph and a painting: they are both pictures. Whatever difference is there between them is due to the method of making them, and in this regard the Shari'ah injunctions make no difference between them.
Some people give the argument that the picture was forbidden in Islam 'in order to put an end to idol-worship. As there is no such danger now, this injunction should be annulled. But this argument is absolutely wrong. In the first place, nowhere in the Traditions has it been said that the pictures have been made unlawful in order to avoid –the danger of shirk and idol-worship. Secondly, the assertion that shirk and idol-worship have been eradicated from the world is also baseless. Today in the Indo-Pak sub-continent itself there are millions of idolworshippers and polytheists. Shirk is being practised in different regions of the world in different ways. The Christian people of the Book also are worshipping the images and portraits of the Prophet Jesus and Mary and other saints; so much so that even a large number of the Muslims also are involved in the evil of worshipping others than God.
Some people say that only those pictures which are polytheistic in nature should be forbidden, i. e., pictures and images of those persons who have been made gods. As for the other pictures and images there is no reason why they should be forbidden. But the people who argue like this, in fact, become their own law-givers instead of deriving law from the Commandments and instructions of the Law-Giver, They do not know that the picture does not become the cause of polytheism and idol-worship only but has become the cause of many other mischiefs in the world, and is becoming so even today. The picture is one of those major means by which the aura of greatness of the kings, dictators and political Ieaders has been impressed upon the minds of the common people. The picture also has been used extensively for spreading obscenity and today this mischief has touched heights unknown to previous history. Pictures have also been used for sowing discord and hatred and for creating mischief between the nations and for misleading the masses in different ways. Therefore, the view that the Law-Giver forbade the picture only in order to eradicate idol-worship is basically wrong. The Law-Giver has absolutely forbidden pictures of the living things. If we are not our own law-givers but are the followers of the-Law-Giver, we should desist from this accordingly. It is not at alI lawful for us that we should propose from ourselves a basis for a particular injunction and then, on the basis of it, should declare some pictures lawful and some as unlawful.
Some people refer to some apparently "harmless' kinds of pictures and say that there could be no danger from these: they could not cause the mischiefs of shirk, obscenity, political propaganda or other evils; therefore, they should not be forbidden. Here again the people commit the same error: they first propose a cause and a basis for an injunction, and then argue that when the cause is not found in a particular forbidden thing, it should not be forbidden. Furthermore, these people also do not understand the rule of the Islamic Shari ah that it dces not make vague and ambiguous boundaries between the lawful and the unlawful from which a man may not be able to judge when he is within the bounds and when he has crossed them; but it draws a clear line of demarcation which every person can see like the broad daylight. The demarcation in respect of the picture is absolutely clear: pictures of living things are unlawful and of the lifeless things lawful. This line of demarcation does not admit any ambiguity. The one who has to follow the injunctions can clearly know what is permissible for him and what is not. But, if some pictures of the living things had been declared lawful and some unlawful, no list of the two kinds of the pictures however extensive, would have made the boundary between the lawful and the unlawful clear, and the case of many pictures would still have remained ambiguous as to whether they were within the bounds of lawfulness or outside them. This is similar to the Islamic injunction about wine that one should completely abstain from it, and this marks a clear limit, Hut, if it had been said that one should abstain from such a quantity of wine as intoxicates, it would be impossible to demarcate between the lawful and the unlawful, and no one would have been able to decide what quantity of wine he could drink; and where he had to stop. (For a further discussion, see Rasa 'iI-o-Masa'il, Part 1, pp. 152-155).
*21 This gives an idea of the generous and large scale hospitality practised by the Prophet Solomon. Big bowls like troughs had been arranged to serve as containers of food for the guests and heavy cooking pots were meant for cooking food for thousands of the people at one and the same time.
*22 "Work gratefully": work like grateful servants. The mere verbal thankfulness of a person who acknowledges only verbally the favours done by the benefactor but uses them against his will is meaningless. The truly grateful person is he who acknowledges the favours with the tongue as well as uses and employs the favours according to the will of the benefactor.
فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَوْتَ مَا دَلَّهُمْ
عَلَىٰ مَوْتِهِ إِلَّا دَابَّةُ الْأَرْضِ تَأْكُلُ مِنْسَأَتَهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا
خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الْجِنُّ أَنْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ الْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوا
فِي الْعَذَابِ الْمُهِينِ {34:14}
[Q34:14] Falammaa
qadainaa 'alaihil mawta ma dallahum 'alaa mawtiheee illaa daaabbatul ardi
taakulu minsa atahoo falammaa kharra tabaiyanatil jinnu al law kaanoo
ya'lamoonal ghaiba maa labisoo fil 'azaabil muheen.
[Q34:14] But when We decreed death for him, naught showed them his death but a creature of the earth that ate away his staff; and when it fell down, the jinn came to know plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in abasing torment.
[Q34:14] But when We decreed death for him, naught showed them his death but a creature of the earth that ate away his staff; and when it fell down, the jinn came to know plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in abasing torment.
[Q34:14] Setelah Kami tetapkan berlakunya kematian Nabi Sulaiman, tidak ada yang
menunjukkan kepada mereka tentang kematiannya melainkan semut putih (anai-anai)
yang telah memakan tongkatnya. Maka apabila ia tumbang, ternyatalah kepada
golongan jin itu, bahawa kalaulah mereka sedia, mengetahui perkara yang ghaib
nescaya mereka tidak tinggal sedemikian lamanya di dalam azab (kerja berat)
yang menghina.
Imam Ali bin Musa Ar Ridha said:
"Once Sulayman told
his courtiers: 'ALLAH (SWT) has blessed me with the
greatest kingdom such as no other man ever possessed, and has favoured me with
unique gifts of control over men, jinn, animals and birds, and has even taught
me the language of the birds; but I have to give account of every moment of
this great responsibility He has given me. I want to view the whole of ALLAH
(SWT)'s kingdom around me from the top of my palace, so let no one disturb me.' He
climbed to the top with his staff in his hand, and while he stood viewing the
kingdom around him a beautifully dressed young man appeared from a corner of
the palace. Sulayman asked him: 'Who are you? Who gave you permission to come here?
I had ordered that none should be allowed to enter.' The visitor replied: 'The
owner has given me permission.' Sulayman
said: 'I am the owner.' The stranger said: 'ALLAH
(SWT) is the owner of the universe. I am the angel of death and I have been
sent to take your soul from your body.' Sulayman
said: 'Then go ahead, and fulfill the duty
for which the Lord has sent you.'
While Sulayman stood leaning on his staff, his soul left his body, BUT
the staff supported the body in that posture a full year. The people below
could see him standing and thought him to be alive. **When some considerable time had passed many people began to
worship him as a God. **Some people said that he was a magician, with the power of
control over their perception, so as to make them see him standing there. ALLAH
(SWT) commanded the white ants to chew his staff, then it collapsed, and the
body of Sulayman fell on the ground, and at that time the people came to know
that he was dead. UNTIL THAT moment they had
believed him to be living and therefore continued to perform the duties
entrusted to them by him."
THE EVENT HAS SEVERAL FACTORS OF GUIDANCE FOR MANKIND WHICH ARE GIVEN
BELOW:
1.
No amount of power, however
great, possessed by anyone in this world, is permanent, and power and glory,
however great, enjoyed by man comes to an end.
2.
None, not even the prophets of ALLAH (SWT),
are exempted from undergoing the reality of death.
3.
Great events like the death of
Sulayman could be manifested by unseen agencies as commanded by ALLAH (SWT).
4.
Even the smallest creatures can destroy
strong, hard structures like Sulayman's staff, which had born the weight of his
body for a long time.
5.
A man, who unconditionally
submits himself to ALLAH (SWT)'s will, like Sulayman, could have control over
all ALLAH (SWT)'s creatures in order to fulfill His will.
6.
Any body can survive and remain stationary,
for any period beyond the ordinary limits of our limited knowledge in
accordance with ALLAH (SWT)'s will.
7.
The forces of nature are
always subservient to the chosen servants of ALLAH (SWT).
8.
Things people regard impossible to achieve, ALLAH
(SWT) effects with ease through His will.
9.
A true and ALLAH (SWT)ly
responsibility to control men, materials and matters is given to a chosen
individual endowed with divine wisdom, not to ordinary men who are either
elected by the people or usurp the authority by force.
10.
The knowledge of the unknown is with ALLAH
(SWT) only and not with men or jinn.
11.
The greatest and most
magnificent structures designed by men or jinn decay and ultimately perish.
DEATH IS DECREED BY ALLAH (SWT) AND COULD NOT BE AVOIDED OR DELAYED. IT
IS EFFECTED IMMEDIATELY AS ALLAH (SWT) WILLS.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:14) When We executed Our decree of death on
Solomon, nothing indicated to the jinn that he was dead except a worm eating
away his staff. So when Solomon fell down, the jinn realised *23 that
had they known what lies in the realm beyond perception, they would not have
continued to be in this humiliating chastisement. *24
*23 Another
meaning of the sentence can be: "The true state and condition of the jinns
became clear and exposed." According to the first meaning, it will mean: "The jinns
realized that their claim to have the knowledge of the unseen was wrong."
According to the second, it will mean: "The
people who thought that the jinns possessed the knowledge of the unseen, came
to know that they had no such knowledge."
*24 Some modern commentators have interpreted it as follows: As the Prophet Solomon's son, Rehoboam, was unworthy and given to luxurious living and surrounded by flatterers, he could not sustain the heavy burden of responsibility that fell on his shoulders after the death of his great father. A short time after his succession, the kingdom collapsed, and the frontier` tribes (i. e., of the jinns) whom the Prophet Solomon had subdued by his mighty power, rebelled and broke away. But this interpretation does not at all conform to the words of the Qur'an. The scene depicted by the words of the Qur'an is somewhat like this: Death came to the Prophet Solomon in a state when he was standing or sitting with-the support of a staff. His body stood in place due to the staff, and the jinns continued to perform their duties and services, thinking that he was living. At last, when the wood-louse started eating away the staff and it became hollow from within, the Prophet Solomon's body fell down; THAN the jinns realized that he had died. After all, why should this clear and unambiguous description of the event be construed to mean that the wood-louse implied the unworthiness of the Prophet Solomon's son, and the staff implied his power and authority and the falling down of his body implied the disintegration of his kingdom? Had Allah meant to say all this, there was no dearth of the words in the vast Arabic language. The Qur'an, in fact, has nowhere used such enigmatic language. How could the common Arabs, who were its first addressees, have solved this riddle?
THEN, the most absurd part of this interpretation is that according to it the jinns imply the people of the frontier tribes whom the Prophet Solomon had subdued to perform certain services under him. The question is, which of these tribes had claimed to have the knowledge of the unseen, and whom did the mushriks regard as the knower of the unseen? A person who reads the last words of the verse with open eyes can himself see that jinn here necessarily implies a group of beings who either had themselves made a claim to have the knowledge of the unseen, or who, the people believed, had the knowledge of the unseen; and the secret of this group's being ignorant and unaware of the unseen became disclosed when they continued to serve the Prophet Solomon under the impression that he was living, whereas he had died. This statement of the Qur'an was enough to induce an honest person to revise his this opinion that the jinn imply the frontier tribes, but the people who feel shy of admitting the existence of the hidden creation called the jinn before the materialistic world stilt insist on this interpretation of theirs in spite of the plain meaning of the Qur'an.
At several places in the Qur'an Allah tells that the mushriks of Arabia regarded the jinns as the associates of Allah, and as His children, and used to seek their refuge: "They set up the jinns as partners with AIlah whereas He has created them." (Al-An'am:100). "And they have invented a blood-relationship between Allah and the jinns." (As-Saffat: 1S8). "And that, some people from among the men used to seek refuge with some people from among the jinns." (AI-Jinn: 6).
One of their beliefs was that they regarded the jinns as the knowers of the unseen and hidden and used to turn to them to obtain knowledge of the hidden things. Allah has related this event here in order to repudiate this belief and to make the Arabs realize that they are following the false creeds of ignorance without any valid reason, whereas the fact is that chest beliefs are absolutely baseless. (For further explanation, see E.N. 63 below).
*24 Some modern commentators have interpreted it as follows: As the Prophet Solomon's son, Rehoboam, was unworthy and given to luxurious living and surrounded by flatterers, he could not sustain the heavy burden of responsibility that fell on his shoulders after the death of his great father. A short time after his succession, the kingdom collapsed, and the frontier` tribes (i. e., of the jinns) whom the Prophet Solomon had subdued by his mighty power, rebelled and broke away. But this interpretation does not at all conform to the words of the Qur'an. The scene depicted by the words of the Qur'an is somewhat like this: Death came to the Prophet Solomon in a state when he was standing or sitting with-the support of a staff. His body stood in place due to the staff, and the jinns continued to perform their duties and services, thinking that he was living. At last, when the wood-louse started eating away the staff and it became hollow from within, the Prophet Solomon's body fell down; THAN the jinns realized that he had died. After all, why should this clear and unambiguous description of the event be construed to mean that the wood-louse implied the unworthiness of the Prophet Solomon's son, and the staff implied his power and authority and the falling down of his body implied the disintegration of his kingdom? Had Allah meant to say all this, there was no dearth of the words in the vast Arabic language. The Qur'an, in fact, has nowhere used such enigmatic language. How could the common Arabs, who were its first addressees, have solved this riddle?
THEN, the most absurd part of this interpretation is that according to it the jinns imply the people of the frontier tribes whom the Prophet Solomon had subdued to perform certain services under him. The question is, which of these tribes had claimed to have the knowledge of the unseen, and whom did the mushriks regard as the knower of the unseen? A person who reads the last words of the verse with open eyes can himself see that jinn here necessarily implies a group of beings who either had themselves made a claim to have the knowledge of the unseen, or who, the people believed, had the knowledge of the unseen; and the secret of this group's being ignorant and unaware of the unseen became disclosed when they continued to serve the Prophet Solomon under the impression that he was living, whereas he had died. This statement of the Qur'an was enough to induce an honest person to revise his this opinion that the jinn imply the frontier tribes, but the people who feel shy of admitting the existence of the hidden creation called the jinn before the materialistic world stilt insist on this interpretation of theirs in spite of the plain meaning of the Qur'an.
At several places in the Qur'an Allah tells that the mushriks of Arabia regarded the jinns as the associates of Allah, and as His children, and used to seek their refuge: "They set up the jinns as partners with AIlah whereas He has created them." (Al-An'am:100). "And they have invented a blood-relationship between Allah and the jinns." (As-Saffat: 1S8). "And that, some people from among the men used to seek refuge with some people from among the jinns." (AI-Jinn: 6).
One of their beliefs was that they regarded the jinns as the knowers of the unseen and hidden and used to turn to them to obtain knowledge of the hidden things. Allah has related this event here in order to repudiate this belief and to make the Arabs realize that they are following the false creeds of ignorance without any valid reason, whereas the fact is that chest beliefs are absolutely baseless. (For further explanation, see E.N. 63 below).
لَقَدْ كَانَ لِسَبَإٍ فِي مَسْكَنِهِمْ آيَةٌ ۖ
جَنَّتَانِ عَنْ يَمِينٍ وَشِمَالٍ ۖ كُلُوا مِنْ رِزْقِ رَبِّكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا
لَهُ ۚ بَلْدَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ وَرَبٌّ غَفُورٌ {34:15}
[Q34:15] Laqad
kaana li Saba-in fee maskanihim Aayatun jannataani 'ai yameeninw wa shimaalin
kuloo mir rizq Rabbikum washkuroolah; baldatun taiyibatunw wa Rabbun Gafoor.
[Q34:15] Certainly there was a sign for Saba in their abode; two gardens on the right and the left; eat of the sustenance of your Lord and give thanks to Him: a good land and a Forgiving Lord!
[Q34:15] Certainly there was a sign for Saba in their abode; two gardens on the right and the left; eat of the sustenance of your Lord and give thanks to Him: a good land and a Forgiving Lord!
[Q34:15] Demi sesungguhnya, adalah bagi penduduk negeri Saba', satu tanda (yang
membuktikan kemurahan ALLAH (SwT)) yang terdapat di tempat tinggal mereka,
iaitu: Dua kumpulan kebun (yang luas lagi subur), yang terletak di sebelah
kanan dan di sebelah kiri (kampung mereka). (Lalu dikatakan kepada mereka):
Makanlah dari rezeki pemberian Tuhan kamu dan bersyukurlah kepadaNya; (negeri
kamu ini adalah) negeri yang baik (aman dan makmur) dan (Tuhan kamu adalah)
Tuhan Yang Maha Pengampun.
Refer to the commentary
of Naml 27:20
to 44. The town referred to is Ma-rib,
near Yemen, amply irrigated by the great dam Sadd Ma-rib, wherein
lived the people of Saba or Sheba mentioned in the Bible-I Kings
10, and 2 Chronicles 9.
*THE SOIL OF SABA was very rich and there was an
abundant water supply. *The whole area
flourished with profoundly yielding fruit gardens and was free from venomous
serpents and insects. *The climate was very
pleasant.
Each of the twelve
townships of Saba had its own
prophet of ALLAH (SWT). Each of
the prophets called their people to correct belief in ALLAH (SWT), the true
Lord of the universe, and to righteous living. They preached: "Eat of what ALLAH (SWT) from His grace and mercy has provided to
you, and be thankful and grateful to Him who is the most merciful."
It was a happy and prosperous country, amply supplied with canals and
roads, and skirted by gardens to the right and left, BUT
the people became arrogant of their prosperity, their skills and the
achievements of their ancestors. ALLAH
(SWT) therefore punished them by
destroying their habitations, gardens and cultivated fields. A mighty flood came and the dam burst.
§
The French
traveller T.J. Arnaud saw the town and ruins of the dam of Ma-arib in 1874, and
described its gigantic works and its inscriptions in Journal
Asiatique for January 1874. The dam as measured by Arnaud was two
miles long and 120 feet high. The date of destruction was somewhere about 120
A.D. The flourishing land was converted into a waste.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:15) For Sheba *25 there
was also a Sign in their dwelling place: *26 the two gardens *27 to
the right and to the left.“ Eat of your Lord’s provision, and render thanks to
Him. Most pleasant is your land and Most Forgiving is your Lord.”
*25 To
understand the continuity of the subject-matter one should keep in view the
theme as expressed in vv.1-9. There it has been pointed out that the pagans of
Arabia regarded the coming of the Hereafter as irrational, and declared openly
that the Messenger who was presenting this doctrine was either a mad man or
deliberately was fabricating falsehood. In reply to this, Allah first gave some
rational arguments, which we have elaborated in E.N.'s 7, 8 and 12 above. Then
in verses 10-21 the story of the Prophets David and Solomon and of Saba has
been related as an historical argument, which is meant to impress the reality
that the history of the human species on the earth itself testifies to the law
of retribution. If man studies his own history carefully he will see that this
world is not a lawless kingdom, which might be functioning blindly, but it is
being ruled by an All-Hearing and AII-Seeing Being, Who treats and deals with
His grateful servants in one way and with the ungrateful and thankless people
in quite another way. If one wants one can learn this lesson from the same
history that in the Kingdom of God which has such a character, goodness and
evil cannot have one and the same result. The necessary demand of its justice
is that a time must come when goodness should be fully rewarded and evil fully punished.
*26 That is, "A Sign of this that whatever they havc is the gift of some one else and not of their own creation, and a Sign of this that the one worthy of their service and worship and gratitude is that God Who has blessed them with these favours and not those who havc no share in bestowing these, and a Sign of this that their wealth is not imperishable but can perish even as it has been amassed".
*27 This does not mean that there were only two gardens in the whole country, but that the entire land of Saba was like a garden. Wherever a man stood, he could see a garden on his right and a garden on his left.
*26 That is, "A Sign of this that whatever they havc is the gift of some one else and not of their own creation, and a Sign of this that the one worthy of their service and worship and gratitude is that God Who has blessed them with these favours and not those who havc no share in bestowing these, and a Sign of this that their wealth is not imperishable but can perish even as it has been amassed".
*27 This does not mean that there were only two gardens in the whole country, but that the entire land of Saba was like a garden. Wherever a man stood, he could see a garden on his right and a garden on his left.
فَأَعْرَضُوا فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَيْلَ
الْعَرِمِ وَبَدَّلْنَاهُمْ بِجَنَّتَيْهِمْ جَنَّتَيْنِ ذَوَاتَيْ أُكُلٍ خَمْطٍ
وَأَثْلٍ وَشَيْءٍ مِنْ سِدْرٍ قَلِيلٍ {34:16}
[Q34:16] Fa-a'radoo
fa-arsalnaa 'alaihim Sailal 'Arimi wa baddalnaahum bijannataihim jannataini
azwaatai ukulin khamtinw wa aslinw wa shai'im min sidrin qaleel.
[Q34:16] But they turned aside, so We sent upon them a torrent of which the rush could not be withstood, and in place of their two gardens We gave to them two gardens yielding bitter fruit and (growing) tamarisk and a few lote-trees.
[Q34:16] But they turned aside, so We sent upon them a torrent of which the rush could not be withstood, and in place of their two gardens We gave to them two gardens yielding bitter fruit and (growing) tamarisk and a few lote-trees.
[Q34:16] Maka mereka berpaling ingkar, lalu Kami hantarkan kepada mereka banjir
yang membinasakan dan Kami gantikan dua kumpulan kebun mereka (yang subur) itu
dengan dua kumpulan kebun yang berisi dengan pohon-pohon yang pahit buahnya dan
pohon-pohon yang jarang berbuah, serta sedikit pohon-pohon bidara.
(see commentary for verse 15)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:16) But they turned away *28 and
so We let loose upon them a devastating flood *29 that
swept away the dams and replaced their gardens by two others bearing bitter
fruits, tamarisks, and a few lote trees. *30
*28 That is,
"They adopted the way of disobedience and ingratitude instead of obedience
and gratefulness."
*29 The word 'arim as used in sayl al- arim in the Text is derived from the South Arabic word ariman, which stands for a "dam". In the ancient inscriptions that have been unearthed in the ruins of the Yaman, this word has been commonly used in this meaning. For example, in an inscription dated 542 or 543 A.D., which Abraha, the Abyssinian governor of the Yaman, had got installed after the repairs to the great dam of Maa`rib, this word has been used repeatedly in the meaning of a dam. Therefore, sayl al- arim implies a flood that comes when a dam breaks.
*30 That is, "As a result of the flood that came after the dam burst, the whole land was laid waste. The canals which the Sabaeans had dug out by building dams between the mountains, were ruined and the irrigation system destroyed. Then the same land which had been like a garden before, became a jungle of wild growth and no eatable plants were left in it except the small plumlike fruit of the lote bushes."
*29 The word 'arim as used in sayl al- arim in the Text is derived from the South Arabic word ariman, which stands for a "dam". In the ancient inscriptions that have been unearthed in the ruins of the Yaman, this word has been commonly used in this meaning. For example, in an inscription dated 542 or 543 A.D., which Abraha, the Abyssinian governor of the Yaman, had got installed after the repairs to the great dam of Maa`rib, this word has been used repeatedly in the meaning of a dam. Therefore, sayl al- arim implies a flood that comes when a dam breaks.
*30 That is, "As a result of the flood that came after the dam burst, the whole land was laid waste. The canals which the Sabaeans had dug out by building dams between the mountains, were ruined and the irrigation system destroyed. Then the same land which had been like a garden before, became a jungle of wild growth and no eatable plants were left in it except the small plumlike fruit of the lote bushes."
ذَٰلِكَ جَزَيْنَاهُمْ بِمَا كَفَرُوا ۖ وَهَلْ
نُجَازِي إِلَّا الْكَفُورَ {34:17}
[Q34:17] Zaalika
jazainaahum bimaa kafaroo wa hal nujaazeee illal kafoor.
[Q34:17] This We requited them with because they disbelieved; and We do not punish any but the ungrateful.
[Q34:17] This We requited them with because they disbelieved; and We do not punish any but the ungrateful.
[Q34:17] Demikianlah Kami membalas mereka disebabkan kekufuran mereka dan
sebenarnya Kami tidak menimpakan balasan yang demikian melainkan kepada
orang-orang yang amat kufur.
The old Frankincense route was the great highway between Arabia and Syria.
Through Syria it connected with great and flourishing kingdoms of the Euphrates and Tigris (Furat and Dajlah) valleys on the one hand and Egypt on the other, and with the great Roman Empire round the Mediterranean. At the other end, through Yemen
coast, the route was connected, by sea transport, with India, Malaysia and China. The route was studded, in the
days of prosperity, with many cities close to each other. The close proximity
of the cities prevented the inroads of highway men.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:17) Thus did We retribute them for
their ingratitude. And none do We retribute in this manner except the utterly ungrateful.
وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ الْقُرَى الَّتِي
بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا قُرًى ظَاهِرَةً وَقَدَّرْنَا فِيهَا السَّيْرَ ۖ سِيرُوا
فِيهَا لَيَالِيَ وَأَيَّامًا آمِنِينَ {34:18}
[Q34:18] Wa
ja'alnaa bainahum wa bainal qural latee baaraknaa feehaa quran zaahiratanw wa
qaddamaa feehas sayr; seeroo feehaa la yaalirya wa aiyaaman aamineen.
[Q34:18] And We made between them and the towns which We had blessed (other) towns to be easily seen, and We apportioned the journey therein: Travel through them nights and days, secure.
[Q34:18] And We made between them and the towns which We had blessed (other) towns to be easily seen, and We apportioned the journey therein: Travel through them nights and days, secure.
[Q34:18] Dan di antara tempat tinggal mereka (di negeri Yaman) dengan
bandar-bandar (di daerah negeri Syam) yang Kami limpahkan berkat kepadanya
(dengan kemakmuran), - Kami adakan beberapa buah bandar yang jelas kelihatan
(kepada orang-orang yang melalui jalan itu) dan Kami tentukan jarak perjalanan
di antaranya (sekadar yang dapat dijadikan tempat-tempat persinggahan), (serta
dikatakan kepada mereka): Berjalanlah kamu di bandar-bandar itu pada bila-bila
masa yang kamu suka, malam dan siang, dalam keadaan yang aman.
(see commentary for verse 17)
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(34:18) We placed other prominent towns between them,
the towns that We had blessed and had set well-measured stages between
them. *31 Move back and forth between them, night and
day, in perfect security.
*31 "Blessed
habitations": the lands of Syria and Palestine, which have been generally
mentioned in the Qur'an by this title, as for instance, in AI-A'raf: 137, Bani
Isra`il: 1, Al-Anbiya`: 71, 81. "Conspicuous habitations":
habitations situated on the highway and not inside the country. It may also
mean that the habitations were not very far apart but contiguous so that as the
outlying areas of one habitation came to an end those of the other started
coming into view.
"Set...distances" implies that from the Yaman to the borders of Syria the whole journey passed through inhabited lands, and the distances between one station and another were known and determined. That makes the distinction between the journey through inhabited land and the journey through uninhabited desert area. In the desert the traveller continues to travel as long as he wills and halts when tired. Contrary to this, in settled areas as the distance between one habitation and the other is well known, the traveller can plan beforehand when he would break his journey, where he would have his midday rest and when he would stay for the night.
"Set...distances" implies that from the Yaman to the borders of Syria the whole journey passed through inhabited lands, and the distances between one station and another were known and determined. That makes the distinction between the journey through inhabited land and the journey through uninhabited desert area. In the desert the traveller continues to travel as long as he wills and halts when tired. Contrary to this, in settled areas as the distance between one habitation and the other is well known, the traveller can plan beforehand when he would break his journey, where he would have his midday rest and when he would stay for the night.
فَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا بَاعِدْ بَيْنَ أَسْفَارِنَا
وَظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ فَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ وَمَزَّقْنَاهُمْ كُلَّ
مُمَزَّقٍ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ {34:19}
[Q34:19] Faqaaloo
Rabbanaa baa'id baina asfaarinaa wa zalamooo anfusahum faja'alnaahum ahaadeesa
wa mazzaq naahum kulla mumazzaq; inna fee zaalika la Aayaatil likulli sabbaarin
Shakoor.
[Q34:19] And they said: O our Lord! make spaces to be longer between our journeys; and they were unjust to themselves so We made them stories and scattered them with an utter scattering; most surely there are signs in this for every patient, grateful one.
[Q34:19] And they said: O our Lord! make spaces to be longer between our journeys; and they were unjust to themselves so We made them stories and scattered them with an utter scattering; most surely there are signs in this for every patient, grateful one.
[Q34:19] (Maka
kamakmuran dan kemudahan itu menjadikan mereka sombong dan kufur) lalu berkata:
Wahai Tuhan kami, jauhkanlah jarak perjalanan kami (di antara sebuah bandar
dengan yang lain) dan mereka berlaku zalim kepada diri mereka sendiri; lalu
Kami jadikan (kisah perbuatan derhaka) mereka: Buah mulut orang ramai, serta
kami pecah belahkan mereka berkecai-kecai. Sesungguhnya kisah mereka yang
tersebut mengandungi tanda-tanda (yang besar pengajarannya bagi tiap-tiap
seorang (mukmin) yang sentiasa bersikap sabar, lagi sentiasa bersyukur.
The people of
Saba became increasingly covetous and selfish, departing from the
path of righteousness and
envying their neighbour's prosperity and happiness. In order to make more profit the distance between two towns
had to be extended, because a few stations which they could monopolise would
bring more money. Their
grasping nature put aside the moral standards of righteousness.
Ü MONOPOLY IN TRADE AND
INDUSTRY NOT ONLY SPREADS POVERTY AMONG PEOPLE BUT
ALSO DESTROYS THE MORAL FABRIC OF THE SOCIETY. THEY
FELL INTO THE SNARE OF SHAYTAN, THEREFORE FELL FROM DIVINE GRACE AND DECLINED. They gradually passed out of
history, and became only a name in a story.
Prosperity is only a snare unless used for the highest service of ALLAH (SWT) and
His servants, an nas (common people).
THE
PEOPLE OF SABA NEGLECTED THE BOUNTIES OF ALLAH (SWT) and invited the miseries
on themselves. This
is true of the material, as well as the spiritual life of man.
THUS Imam Jafar bin Muhammad as Sadiq quotes this verse
to illustrate that the trouble which engulfed the Muslims (and will continue
until the reappearance of Imam Al Mahdi
al Qa-im) was due to the ingratitude shown by the
people concerning Ghadir Khum. They neglected to pay attention to the
covenant of Ghadir (see commentary of Ma-idah
5:67).
§ For a similar example among
the children of Israil see Ma-idah 5:20 to 26.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:19) But
they said: “Lord, make the stages of our journeys longer.” *32 They
wronged their own selves so We reduced them to bygone tales, and utterly tore
them to pieces. *33 Verily
there are Signs in this for everyone who is steadfast and thankful. *34
*32 They may not
have prayed thus in so many words. As a matter of fact, whoever is ungrateful
to Allah for His blessings, oils Allah, as if to say that he is not worthy of
those blessings. Likewise, the nation which abuses the bounties of AIlah, in
fact, prays to Him, as if to say, "Our Lord, withdraw Your blessings from
us: we are not worthy of these ." Moreover, the words in the Text also
seem to suggest that the Sabaeans perhaps regarded their large population as a
calamity for themselves, and they also wanted like the other foolish people
that their population should fall.
*33 That is, "The people of Saba were so dispersed in alI directions that their dispersion became proverbial. Even today when the Arabs have to mention the complate Dispersion of any people they refer to the people of Saba as an example. When AIlah caused His blessings to be withdrawn from them, the different tribes of the Sabaeans started leaving their homes and migrating to other parts of Arabia. The Banu Ghassan went to settle in Jordan and Syria, the Aus and Khazraj in Yathrib, and the Khuza`ah in Tihamah near Jeddah. The Azd left for 'Uman and the Bani Lakhm and Judham and Kindah were also forced to give up their homes for other places. Thus, the "Sabaeans" ceased to exist as a nation and became a mere legend. "
*34 In this context the "patient and grateful person" implies every such person (or persons) who dces not lose his balance after he has received blessings from Allah, nor exults at prosperity, nor becomes heedless of God Who has blessed him with these. Such a person can learn great lessons from the history of those people who adopted the way of disobedience after attaining opportunities for progress and prosperity and ultimately met with their doom.
*33 That is, "The people of Saba were so dispersed in alI directions that their dispersion became proverbial. Even today when the Arabs have to mention the complate Dispersion of any people they refer to the people of Saba as an example. When AIlah caused His blessings to be withdrawn from them, the different tribes of the Sabaeans started leaving their homes and migrating to other parts of Arabia. The Banu Ghassan went to settle in Jordan and Syria, the Aus and Khazraj in Yathrib, and the Khuza`ah in Tihamah near Jeddah. The Azd left for 'Uman and the Bani Lakhm and Judham and Kindah were also forced to give up their homes for other places. Thus, the "Sabaeans" ceased to exist as a nation and became a mere legend. "
*34 In this context the "patient and grateful person" implies every such person (or persons) who dces not lose his balance after he has received blessings from Allah, nor exults at prosperity, nor becomes heedless of God Who has blessed him with these. Such a person can learn great lessons from the history of those people who adopted the way of disobedience after attaining opportunities for progress and prosperity and ultimately met with their doom.
وَلَقَدْ صَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِبْلِيسُ ظَنَّهُ
فَاتَّبَعُوهُ إِلَّا فَرِيقًا مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ {34:20}
[Q34:20] Wa
laqad saddaq 'alaihim Ibleesu zannnabhoo fattaba'oohu illaa fareeqam minal Mu’mineen
[Q34:20] And certainly the Shaitan found true his conjecture concerning them, so they follow him, except a party of the believers.
[Q34:20] And certainly the Shaitan found true his conjecture concerning them, so they follow him, except a party of the believers.
[Q34:20] Dan sesungguhnya Iblis telah dapati sangkaannya tepat terhadap mereka,
iaitu mereka menurutnya, kecuali sebahagian dari orang-orang yang beriman (yang
tidak terpedaya kepada hasutannya).
SHAYTAN HAD PRAYED FOR A RESPITE and said that he would lead the children of
adam astray and bring them under his influence, all except a few (Bani Israil 17:62). The
people of Saba, by their own
conduct, proved the challenge of Shaytan true. Only a small group of sincere believers in ALLAH (SWT) remained
steadfast in their faith and righteousness.
THE SAME WAYWARDNESS HAS OCCURRED AMONG THE FOLLOWERS
OF EVERY PROPHET OF ALLAH (SWT), AND ALSO AMONG THE MUSLIMS. EXCEPT THE HOLY AHLUL BAYT AND THOSE WHO
FOLLOW THEM FAITHFULLY, THE OTHERS HAVE BEEN LED ASTRAY BY THE AGENTS OF SHAYTAN WHO
APPEARED IN THE GUISE OF THE FALSE LEADERS OF THE FAITH.
·
All these false leaders who ruled
after the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala
Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) were like devils in human form, worse than
the brutes of the jungle. (Please refer to the books of
history written by Muslim scholars on the personal characters of some of the Umayyid and Abbasid caliphs, particularly Yazid,
who posed as the rightful successors of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), while actually living quite against the teachings of the Qur’an and
the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali
Muhammad)).
THE VERY FEW WHO REMAINED STEADFAST IN THEIR FAITH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
ARE THOSE ABOUT WHOM ALLAH (SWT) HAS SAID THAT IBLIS WILL NEVER EVER HAVE ANY
AUTHORITY OVER THEM. Refer to the commentary of Bani Israil 17:65; Hijr 15:42; Ibrahim 14:22.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:20) Iblis found his estimate of them to be true,
and they followed him, except a party of the believers. *35
*35 History
shows that in ancient times there lived among the Sabaeans a small group of the
people, who believed in one God, apart from all other gods. The inscriptions
that have been discovered in the ruins of Yaman as a result of modern
archaeological research point to the existence of this small element. Some
inscriptions of the period about 650 B.C. indicate that at several places in
the kingdom of Saba there existed such houses of worship as were exclusively
meant for the worship of dhu-samavi or dhu-samavi (i.e. Rabb as-Sama': Lord of
the heavens). In some places this Deity has been mentioned as Makkan dhu-samavi
(the King who is the Owner of the heavens). This remnant of the Sabaeans
continued to live in Yaman for centuries afterwards. Thus, in an inscription of
378 A.D. also there is found the mention of a house of worship built in the
name of Ilah dhu-semevi'. Then, in an inscription dated 465 A.D. the words are;
Bi-nasr wa rida ilah-in ba'l samin wa ardin (i.e. with the help and support of
that God Who is the Owner of the heavens and the earth). In another inscription
of the period dated 458 A.D., the word Rahman has been used for the same God,
the actual words being bi-rida Rahmanan (i. e. with the help of Rehman).
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