Surah Al-Rad [ Thunder ] , 13
Recitation by Shaykh Nabil ar-Rifai :-
PROPHET MUHAMMAD HAD BEEN URGED many times to recite the Qur'an, as in al-Ankabut: 45, al-Naml: 91-92, and in this surah verse 30. These and other instances show that recitation is more than just a simple reading of Qur'anic passages. It means the study, interpretation, and understanding of the principles, ideas and concepts that the Qur'an is putting forward. It also means the translation of those ideas into laws, actions, relationships, programs, and practical systems that help uplift situation and improve the quality of life.
The recitation of the Qur'an also protects it against tampering and distortion. The Arabs , in whose language it was revealed and to whom it was initially addressed, are especially urged in the first place to undertake this honorable responsibility. If they falter, they are warned to take note that: "Had it been possible for a Lecture to cause the mountains to move, or the earth to be torn asunder, or the dead to speak, (this Qur'an would have done so). Nay, but Allah's is the whole command. Do not those who believe know that, had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind? As for those who disbelieve, disaster ceaseth not to strike them because of what they do, or it dwelleth near their home until the threat of Allah come to pass. Lo! Allah faileth not to keep the tryst. (31)
Although scholars and commentators commonly hold the view that this surah is a Madinan one, revealed after Surah Muhammad, I am of the opinion that it is a Makkan surah. This is borne out by its style and its preoccupation with the unbelievers' incessant demands for miracles to prove Muhammad's prophethood which is a recurring theme in the Makkan surahs such as al-An'am, Yunus, al- Isra' and others. The surah opens with the words: "That which is revealed unto thee from thy Lord is the Truth.."[1] and towards the end of it God says:
Those unto whom We gave the Scripture rejoice in that which is revealed unto thee. And of the clans there are who deny some of it. Say: I am commanded only that I serve Allah and ascribe unto Him no partner. Unto Him I cry, and unto Him is my return. (36)
These words conveyed a prophecy which has on fact been been fulfilled. When Islam started to spread into Egypt and Syria, people, especially Christians, embraced it en masse. They willingly and easily adopted the new faith and passed it on to others further afield. History illustrates that the Muslim public treasury began to dry up as more and more people converted to Islam and were no longer paying the 'non- Muslim' duty to the state. The Muslim governor of Egypt decided to impose such taxes on new converts to maintain the province's income. The Caliph 'Umar ibn Abdul Aziz is reputed to have written to to him saying: "May Allah curse you! The Prophet Muhammad was sent to guide people to God, not to collect taxes. Repeal the taxes you imposed on the new converts."
The overwhelming majority of those who converted to Islam in Egypt, Syria and other parts of the world became Arabized, ethnically, culturally and in terms of their religious beliefs and practices. This process of "Arabization" has been a source of vitality and continuity for the Arab nation which forms the backbone of the Muslim world community. The surah says:
Thus have We revealed it, a decisive utterance in Arabic; and if thou shouldst follow their desires after that which hath come unto thee of knowledge, then truly wouldst thou have from Allah no protecting friend nor defender. (37)
The Qur'an thus establishes and represents political authority and stands both as a source and a reference for literay, moral, and social guidance. Islam initially spread in the outer fringe of the Arabian peninsula, while the people of Makkah maintained their old beliefs. It was not until late ni Muhammad's lifetime that the Makkan population turned completely to Islam. This is what is referred to in the following verse which says:
See they not how we visit the land, reducing it of its outlying parts? (When) Allah doometh there is none that can postpone His doom, and He is swift at reckoning. (41)
The Quran is the written Book that guides man to God, while nature and the physical universe are manifestations pointing towards His power and existence. Bith require alert minds and sensitive hearts to be understood and appreciated. The Qur'an stresses this point by its frequent reminder: "Do you understand?" , "Do you not remember?" , and similar phrases. In this context we cite the following verse:
And in the Earth are neighbouring tracts, vineyards and ploughed lands, and date-palms, like and unlike, which are watered with one water. And we have made some of them to excel others in fruit. Lo! herein verily are portents for people who have sense. (4)
It is indeed a matter of reflection how, from the same piece of land, a variety of produce can be grown: grapes, lemons, colocynths, and nettles. How can plants be irrigated by the same water emerge with different tastes, textures, colors, and smells? Is it not also amazing that silkworms feed on mullberry trees and produce silk, whilst bees which feed on its pollen produce honey, and sheep which feed on the same plants produce dung? However, despite the astonishingly infinite variety of creatures and substances found in this world, some people continue to question the existence of God, while others demand miracles or supernatural feats to be convinced.
The surah speaks of God's infinite power, evident in the breeding and reproduction of living creatures: human, animal, bird and reptile. Millions upon millions of beings, organisms and living systems grow and multiply in a continuous life cycle om land, under the sea and in the earth's atmosphere. Each organism goes through an intricate perfectly -timed cycle of its own. All phenomena and processes encountered in the macro- as well as the microcosmic worlds form one harmonious, well-integrated structure which lends itself ti the full power and control of God who
.......knoweth that which every female beareth and that which the wombs absorb and that which they grow. And everything with Him is measured. (8) He is the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible, the Great, the High Exalted. (9)
The Creator is also responsible for the design of the grand cosmological system and the order sustaining the whole physical universe, with all its countless planets, stars, galaxies, and other formations. Nothing distracts Him, and in His scheme nothing takes precedence over anything else. The surah continues in a unique manner pointing out and explaining the manifestation of God's supreme power and grace before it puts forward certain rhetorical questions for which it supplies its own answers.
Say (O Muhammad): Who is Lord of the heavens and the earth? Say: Allah. Say: Take ye then (others) beside Him for protectors, which, even for themselves, have neither benefit nor hurt? Say: Is the blind man equal to the seer, or is darkness equal to light? Or assign they unto Allah partners who created the like of His creation so that the creation (which they made and His creation) seemed alike to them? Say: Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Almighty. (16)
[ 1917 - 1996 ]
" A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
..........................
Commentary and reflection by Ustaz Muhammad Mustafa [ ' Malay' ]
[ verse 25 to verse 26 ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9QqadDw6co
[ verse 27 to verse 30 ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKKJliYDrqA
..............................................
..........................
Commentary and reflection by Ustaz Muhammad Mustafa [ ' Malay' ]
[ verse 25 to verse 26 ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9QqadDw6co
[ verse 27 to verse 30 ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKKJliYDrqA
..............................................
From " Pearls & Gem " :-
No comments:
Post a Comment