The surah then poses the following rhetorical question: "Say (O Muhammad): Praise be to Allah, and peace be on His slaves whom He hath chosen! Is Allah best, or (all) that ye ascribe as partners (unto Him)? "(59). This is reminiscent of Joseph's plea to his prison mates when he said to them: '"O my fellow-prisoners! Are diverse lords better, or Allah the One, Almighty? '"(Yusuf: 39)
This is yet another assertion that tawhid is the common denominator of all heavenly revealed religions. Polytheism, or syirik, is an aberration that occur in societies that have had no genuine guidance or have lost their way. The Arabs practised more than their fair share of syirik, and this surah gives five basic arguments for tawhid, which no sensible and rational human being can fail to understand and appreciate.
1. " Is not He (best) Who created the heavens and the earth, and sendeth down for you water from the sky wherewith We cause to spring forth joyous orchards, whose trees it never hath been yours to cause to grow. Is there any God beside Allah? Nay, but they are folk who ascribe equals (unto Him)! " (60)
Not even the most ignorant person would agree that an idol or man-made deity is capable of creating the heavens or the earth, or that it can cause the rain to fall from the sky or the plants to grow out of the soil!
2. "Is not He (best) Who made the earth a fixed abode, and placed rivers in the folds thereof, and placed firm hills therein, and hath set a barrier between the two seas? Is there any God beside Allah? Nay, but most of them know not!" (61)
The balance and stability of the earth and its orderly movement are a fascinating feat. The earth is not only moving around its own axis but it is also moving around the sun as part of a complex and intricate system. Nevertheless, the earth retains its stability and perpetual equilibrium, and nothing 'falls off ' its surface.
The earth is a sphere with eighty per cent of its surface covered with sea water. Rivers and lakes form all over the land, but due to different chemical and physical properties their clean water is never soiled by sea water. Do these observations not lead one to search for their Creator?
3. "Is not He (best) Who answereth the wronged one when he crieth unto Him and removeth the evil, and hath made you viceroys of the earth? Is there any God beside Allah? Little do they reflect! "(62)
This verse points to God's grace towards humans, and to their need for God's help and care when they are hit by disasters and afflictions they cannot cope with. God is always there to alleviate the pain and relieve the suffering.
4. "Is not He (best) Who guideth you in the darkness of the land and the sea, He Who sendeth the winds as heralds of His mercy? Is there any God beside Allah? High Exalted be Allah from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him)! "(63)
God has provided man with the means of navigation for use on land and in the sea and air. He has also harnessed the wind for man's benefit. Which of the other alleged gods is capable of any of this?
5. " Is not He (best) Who produceth creation, then reproduceth it, and Who provideth for you from the heaven and the earth? Is there any God beside Allah? Say: Bring your proof, if ye are truthful!" (64)
No such proof has been forthcoming.
To deny the existence of God is a syndrome, not a philosophy or a science. It is a product of arrogance and fanciful theorization, and cannot be accredited with any logic or intellectual respectability.
Contemporary scientific materialism is a rehash of ancient pagan philosophies. Its danger lies in the fact that it has come to be considered as science, purported to be based on evidence and tangible proof. This thinking is the underlying cause behind today's global malaise which is leading humanity to disaster. The ancient unbelievers said:
"When we have become dust like our fathers, shall we verily be brought forth (again)? (67) We were promised this, forsooth, we and our fathers. (All) this is naught but fables of the men of old." (68) Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Travel in the land and see the nature of the sequel for the guilty! (69)
Muhammad was instructed to rebutt such arguments and to bring people face to face with the reality of the hereafter. His mission was to give the world a civilization with a strong faith in God, built on authentic revelation, whose people are taught and prepared to face accountability in the hereafter. Islam has established a society whose laws, relationships and behavior are shaped by belief in the hereafter. it is not for nothing that Muslims stand up to face God in prayer five times every day of their lives.
"A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
Shaykh Myhammad al-Ghazali
[ 1917 - 1998 ]
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Reflection and commentary by Imam Zia,
session 7.1
session 7.2
session 7.3
Session 7.4 :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHEnP4J5KY0
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what I cannot perceive, nor measure , is not there....arrogance bordering on imbecility of the post modern man !
have there been a situation when mutation produce better genes, prof?....
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