Surah Bayyinah – the Clear Proof
Dream
Notes - Nouman Ali Khan
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Surah Alaq [96] - Is the first Surah when Revelation [wahy] began.
Surah Qadr [97] - Described how revelation begins. (I.e. the Qur'an was sent down
in the Night of Qadr [Power] - in Ramadan.)
Surah Bayyinah [98] - What is the essence of revelation and its effects?
This surah is crystal
clear in regards as to what the religion of Allah is, and what it and its
followers should be like. So its name - Bayyinah
[meaning Crystal Clear] is most suitable for its description.
Go to Top^
Ayah 1:
لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ مُنفَكِّينَ حَتَّىٰ تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ
Those who disbelieved among the People of the
Scripture and the polytheists were not to be parted [from misbelief]
until there came to them clear evidence -
The people who disbelieved from the people of the
book and the polytheists would not separate (munfak-keena) themselves/discontinue
doing (their things [explained below]), until the clearest proof came to them.
Munfak-keena,
can either mean;
1 - Cut ones-self off a way.
2 - Discontinue doing something.
What thing? The scholars differ.
Abdur-Rahman al Kilanee: Infaka - [similar to Intaha]
- to stop doing something.
inFiqaq أنفقاق - Set Free [i.e. A Prisoner.]
Infaq al Azam أنفق العظم - Painfully separated.[I.e. A bone painfully separated from its place (a
dislocation).]
Other similar words; Munqasim, Munqati' - Divided, Chopped up etc.
Where was it Revealed?
There's a Difference of opinion on whether it was
revealed in Makkah or Madinah.
This is of the most hardest Surah's
in the Qur'an to Understand and Translate
al-Wahidi; The
first Ayah is the most difficult to understand in regard to its sequence and
meaning.
لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ مُنفَكِّينَ حَتَّىٰ تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ
The people of the book and polytheists weren't
going to stop their shirk (association of others with Allah) until the bayyinah (clear proof) came.
The Question: But we see through history
that the - People of the Book and the Polytheists - did not stop their shirk [association of partners] with Allah, even
after the Bayyinah/clear Proof had come.
So why is this ayah/verse
phrased this way?
The People of the Book and Polytheists Asking for a Miracle.
Az-Zamakshari said:
Allah is elaborating the stance of those who disbelieve. They're argument that
- until a certain Bayyinah/clear proof comes to them,
they will never leave their shirk.
The Supporting evidences are based on;
Surah aal Imraan (where the Jews asked for a Miracle);
الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَهِدَ إِلَيْنَا أَلَّا نُؤْمِنَ لِرَسُولٍ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَنَا بِقُرْبَانٍ تَأْكُلُهُ النَّارُ ۗ قُلْ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِي بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَبِالَّذِي قُلْتُمْ فَلِمَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
[They are] those who said, "Indeed, Allah has taken our promise not to
believe any messenger until he brings us an offering/sacrifice which fire [from
heaven/the skies] will consume." Say, "There have already come to
you messengers before me with clear proofs and [even] that of which you speak.
So why did you kill them, if you should be truthful?"
[aal Imraan
3:183]
Perhaps they were demanding a miracle like the
above?
And the polytheists said in; Surah
Israa';
وَقَالُوا لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ يَنبُوعًا. أَوْ تَكُونَ لَكَ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَعِنَبٍ فَتُفَجِّرَ الْأَنْهَارَ خِلَالَهَا تَفْجِيرًا. أَوْ تُسْقِطَ السَّمَاءَ كَمَا زَعَمْتَ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفًا أَوْ تَأْتِيَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ قَبِيلًا.
أَوْ يَكُونَ لَكَ بَيْتٌ مِّن زُخْرُفٍ أَوْ تَرْقَىٰ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَلَن نُّؤْمِنَ لِرُقِيِّكَ حَتَّىٰ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا كِتَابًا نَّقْرَؤُهُ ۗ قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا
And they say, "We will not
believe you until you break open for us from the ground a spring. Or [until]
you have a garden of palm tress and grapes and make rivers gush forth within them in force [and abundance].
Or you make the heaven fall upon us in fragments as you have claimed or you
bring Allah and the angels before [us]. Or you have a house of gold or you
ascend into the sky. And [even then], we will not believe in your ascension
until you bring down to us a book we may read." Say, "Exalted is my
Lord! Was I ever but a human messenger?"
[Israa'
17: 90-3]
They are asking for a Bayyinah which is so
clear that there is no dispute about its Miraculousness,
only then will they believe.
2nd Opinion - This Ayah [ayah 1] is
referring to those who DID disbelieve from the people of the book and
polytheists, without coming to Islam. They will not leave their Shirk
[disbelief/association of partners with Allah] even after the Bayyinah/clear Proof came to them.
Historical Proof: The People of the
Book and Polytheists wouldn't leave their Shirk - Until the Bayyinah
Came - then Many Believed.
3rd Opinion - Shanqeeti
- [the total opposite of the 2nd opinion]: the People of the Book and the
Polytheists wouldnt leave their kufr/shirk
[disbelief] until the Bayyinah came - then many of
them did believe.
The People of the Book and Shirk were firm on
their cultural religion for many Centuries and even Millenia
- until the Bayyinah/clear proof came to them.
These people would never leave their old cultural
religion until something so Powerful (a Miraculouss Bayyinah) came to them. The same way a slave is set
free/the people are set free (Infiqaaq)
from their old cultural religion - to a better freedom of Islam.
This is proven clearly in early Islamic history
when the Arabs and Persians (who were polytheists) cut themselves off their old
religion when the Bayyinah/clear message of Islam came
to them. The same happened to the Syrian Christians and Jews (people of the
book) who joined Islam in crowds, and this has continued to happen through
history, in some times more than others. The times when many have entered into
Islam is when the Bayyinah
has had the ability to be spread without alot of
resistance.
The previous Surah [Surah Qadr 97:1] was; إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ[in-naa anzalnaahu fee laylat al qadr]
(Surely We have sent it [the Qur'an] down in the
night of Power).
The Power of the Qur'an has been explained in this
Surah - that it can change the history of nations and
peoples forever. Just look and study the history of Muslim countries, and what
religion they followed before Islam, and how Islam changed the people and their
historical allegiance and legacy forever.
4th Opinion: -
The People of the Book would not betray their
Book - Until the Bayyinah Came.
Ibn Kiseen:
the People of the Book would fight the Polytheists and would lose due to the polytheists strength. So they would say to the polytheists
that in our books, there is a Messenger who is soon coming - we will follow him
and be victorious over you.
But when the Messenger did come, they rejected
him. When they rejected him, they even rejected their book which Prophecised him.
وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ كِتَابٌ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ وَكَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُم مَّا عَرَفُوا كَفَرُوا بِهِ ۚ فَلَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ
And when there came to them a Book
from Allah confirming that which was with them - although before they used to
pray for victory against those who disbelieved - but [then] when there came to
them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it; so the curse of Allah
will be upon the disbelievers.
[al Baqara 2:89]
Meaning; they would not leave their books until the Bayyinah/clear
proof came to them.
لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ مُنفَكِّينَ حَتَّىٰ تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ
Those who disbelieve people of the book and
polytheists weren't going to stop/leave their ways,
their shirk (association of others with Allah) until the bayyinah (clear proof) came.
aladheena kafaroo - those who reject/deny
the truth. This title is usually for those who reject the
message after it has come. Yet these people are being described as those who
already rejected it. Why?
kafaraكَفَر - bury seed in dark/underground.
Everyone before revelation is in darkness, and a
message from Allah brings light.
اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
He brings them outside of darkness
into light...
[al Baqara 2:257]
All societies contain some good and some bad.
There are 4 Types of people in a Society before the truth from Allah reaches
the Society;
A person who is;
1 - Good from inside and out.I.e. Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq even before Islam.
2 - Good
from inside but influenced by society so they're best side isn't shown. i.e. Hamza bin Abdul Mu'tallib.
3 - Bad
from inside but percieved as good by society. I.e. Abu Jahl.
4 - Bad
from inside and out. I.e. Abu Lahab.
They're all in the same society, but when the Bayyinah comes - this message is powerful enough to
distinguish between each of the groups and separate them into different camps.
That He should establish the truth
and abolish falsehood, even if the
criminals disliked it.
[Anfal
8:8]
... لِّيَهْلِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ وَيَحْيَىٰ مَنْ حَيَّ عَن بَيِّنَةٍ ۗ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَسَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
those who perished [through
disbelief] would perish upon evidence and those who lived [in faith] would live
upon evidence; and indeed,
Allah is Hearing and Knowing.
[Anfal
8:42]
Whoever accepts the truth, they naturally have to
separate from falsehood.
لِيَمِيزَ اللَّهُ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ وَيَجْعَلَ الْخَبِيثَ بَعْضَهُ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فَيَرْكُمَهُ جَمِيعًا فَيَجْعَلَهُ فِي جَهَنَّمَ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ
[This is] so that Allah may
distinguish the wicked from the good and place the wicked some of them upon others and heap them all
together and put them into Hell. It is those who are the losers.
[Anfal
8:37]
قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّىٰ تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ إِلَّا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ ۖ رَّبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ
There has already been for you an
excellent pattern in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their
people, "Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you
worship other than Allah . We have denied you, and there has appeared between
us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone" except
for the saying of Abraham to his father, "I will
surely ask forgiveness for you, but I have not [power to do] for you anything
against Allah . Our Lord, upon You
we have relied, and to You we have returned, and to You is the destination.
[Mumtahanah 60:4]
The Furqan الفرقان(another
name for the Qur'an) = Separator/Criterion
(between truth and falsehood, right and wrong etc)
In arabic language -
when a word starts with Fa,
it usually has a meaning of separation and opening up i.e. Fath
(opening up), faj, falaq, fajr (opening up the darkness to reveal the sunlight) etc.
The word in this Surah
is Munfikeena - Separating
something from its Place. This religion separates people into two different groups,
when before they were all a mixture of people in one society.
لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ مُنفَكِّينَ حَتَّىٰ تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ
Those who disbelieve people of the book and
polytheists weren't going to stop/leave their ways,
their shirk (association of others with Allah) until the bayyinah (clear proof) came.
Bayyinah - baana -
yabeenu - to put distance
between two things [literally].
So the bayyinah
came to clearly separate 2 groups from each other; believers from
disbelievers.
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Ayah 2:
رَسُولٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ يَتْلُو صُحُفًا مُّطَهَّرَةً
A Messenger from Allah , reciting
purified scriptures.
What is the Bayyinah/clear
proof mentioned in ayah 1?
Al Aloosi;the Bayyinah/clear proof is
Muhammad, the Messenger from Allah (sal Allah alaihi
wasalam, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Rasoolun(with tanween) - mufeed-ul-Azma [مفيد أل عظمة] - Magnificent,
awesome - Messenger from Allah.
yatloo - that Reads onto people Purified scriptures.
These 2 are the Bayyinah;
2 - Its Practical
Implementation [the Messenger of
Allah as an example].
The caller to Islam should therefore be learned and also practical/implementing
his knowledge, just like Allah's Messenger. An attribute
which many of us Muslims are lacking these days.
yatloo - tilawa = to Read at someone, and also means to Follow (since a
reader follows the lines on a page).
Allah's Messenger however did not read. So why is
the word root Tilawa
used?
لاَ تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ - إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْءَانَهُ - فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَـهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْءَانَهُ - ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ
(Move not your tongue concerning to make haste therewith. It
is for Us to collect it [the Qur'an] and that
it be recited.)
[al Qiyamah 75: 16-19]
Ibn `Abbas said, "This
means He will collect it in his chest to recite it."[See Tafsir Ibn Katheer, Surah Qiyamah. Or Sahih al Bukhari, Book (#1) of Revelation
[Wahy]
So
the Qur'an was written upon the heart of Allah's Messenger (sal Allah alaihi wasalam), through which he would recite it to the people.
Reading Suhufun [scriptures] Mutaharah
[purified] - His heart was also purified twice in his life(once
when he was a child, the second time on his journey of Israa' wal Mi'raaj[Journey
to Palestine and to the Heavens]), to support the purified scripture
which came to him.
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Ayah 3:
فِيهَا كُتُبٌ قَيِّمَةٌ
Within which are uprightwritings.
fee haa kutubun qayyimah:
Kutubbun - can refer
to writings [i.e.
a book is called Kitab], and can also refer to (hukm) - laws of Allah.
decreed upon you is fasting..
[al Baqarah 2:183]
كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ
Fighting has been enjoined upon you..
[al Baqarah 2:216]
كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ
prescribed for you is legal retribution..
[al Baqarah 2:178]
All these words are 'kutiba' - which
implies lawswhich have been
prescribed for you.
Qayyimah - qaama - keep firm, upright, that stands
straight. If something was crooked, it is straightened to upright too.
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Ayah 4:
وَمَا تَفَرَّقَ الَّذِينَأُوتُوا
الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ
Nor did those who were given the Scripture become divided until after
there had come to them clear evidence.
Only
the People of the Book are mentioned in this ayah, in comparison to Ayah 1
where Polytheists [mushrikeen] were also
mentioned. How come?
Those
who were "given the scripture" differed amongst themselves after
the Messenger had come to them and made the message clear - the message which
was supposed to unite them. I.e. Jesus's followers
differed after he left the world, and even the people of this Ummah fell into sects, only after Allah's had given the full
message!
The
phrasing;
Oowtul kitaab أُوتُوا
الْكِتَابَ - (those) Given the book.
When
Allah refers to those who are - Oowtul kitaab[Those given the book], it usually has a negative context.
However, whenever Allah says;
آتَيْنَاهُمَا الْكِتَابَ - aatayna hum al kitab - those who We gave the
book. This is usually in a Positive
context and will have positive statements next to it.,
This
is because all good is attributed to Allah, and evil is distanced from Him.
This
is part of the miraculous consistency in the Qur'an.
By
dividing into sects - people are going from light to darkness by dividing into
sects, whereas guidance should really unite you, taking you out of darkness
into the light. You moved into this darkness even though you had the knowledge.
This is such a dangerous path to tread onto.
كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ ۚ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ فَهَدَى اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
Mankind was
[of] one religion [before their deviation]; then Allah sent the prophets as
bringers of good tidings and warners and sent down
with them the Scripture in truth to judge between the people concerning that in
which they differed. And none differed over the Scripture except those who
were given it - after the clear proofs [bayyinaat] came to them - out of jealous animosity among themselves. And Allah guided
those who believed to the truth concerning that over which they had differed,
by His permission. And Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path.
[al Baqarah 2:213]
What do we learn from this?
Religious knowledge is a means of Power in society, and it brings; Respect,
Status, Attention - People listen to these learned people.
But
they might become corrupt people. So if someone comes along with better
knowledge, they might belittle them because of their ego of wanting to be more knowledgable than others.
The
same way some Jewish Rabbi's argued and belied Jesus son of Mary, even though
Jesus had more knowledge than them about their own scripture.
This
is why those who were 'given the book' are mentioned and given more
emphasis, because they had the knowledge but they didn't follow it, which is
worse than being ignorant (like the polytheists were).
This
jealousy corrupts them further, so they are not sincere in following the
truth - they are just wanting to compete in their
pride. So they cause divisions.
This
is why in the next ayah/verse, Allah mentions;
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Ayah 5:
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ
مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ
And
they were not commanded except to worship Allah , [being] sincere to Him in religion,
inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah.
And that is the correct religion.
mukhlisseen - sincerety. Since sincerety
is in the religion, and that sincerety aims to cause
unity amongst the people.
Bayyinah is - the Messenger and the Message.
So
humbling yourself before a Messenger requires true sincerety
and to overpower your ego. Since obeying a man in all matters is really hard for the
ego. And only the sincere ones can achieve this.
So
these people choose to reject the Messenger and only claimed to follow the
Message. Ever heard of the hadeeth rejectors? The people who reject the Bayyinah, they reject one of the two (either the religious Book, or the Messenger who came with the Book), after
rejecting one of them - they can change the religion to follow their desires.
-
The Opposite of the corruption (which was mentioned in Ayah 4), and what should
really be on the inside of a believing scholar is mentioned in this ayah.
-
This ayah summarises the whole religion for us in
this one ayah.
illaa li
ya'budullah. إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ - except to
worship Allah..
Linguistically, what does 'Ibadah mean?
-
The word 'abada (ya'bud)
- 'abd = Slave. The opposite/antonym of 'abd (slave) in arabic is a Rabb (Master).
The
antonym for 'aabid (worshipper) in arabic is Illah (god). Both are
applied when when Allah is implying in a nominal
form.
What is Slavery, and how is it
different to Worship?
-
The Slave is fulltime in his slavery, whereas a worshipper is
worshipping for a specific time.
-
Servant comes from service, someone who works in a specific field (i.e. Accountant)
for a certain amount of time for a payment. So to use the word servant instead
of slave of Allah is incorrect. A slave would have to do any job his master
told him to do without question.
-
Slavery is forced upon you throughout human history - whether you like it or
not. In this slavery - Allah is the Master, He is Fair
and Just and unlike the creation. He is forebearing,
and we praise him and actually recognise His
greatness, and we walk into this slavery willingly ourselves whereas
usually slaves are not willing to be enslaved. The primary drive of
this slavery is that the Master is loved, and not hated. We love Allah, and Everything we love is for His sake; including our lives,
wealth and friends.
Ibn Taymiyyah said your Slavery to Allah consists
of 5 factors:
1- Love
2- Obedience
3- Sincerety
4- absolute trust (tawakkul) in Him.
5- the terms of slavery; are dictated by
Allah. The rules and standards come from Allah alone, which you have to follow.
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah , Lord of the worlds.
[al An'am 6:162]
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ
مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَحُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ
They
were not commanded except that they were to put themselves into slavery of Allah,
and to worship Him.
مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ
mukhlisseena lahuddeen
- making the deen sincerely for His sake.
LAHUdeen - muqaddam
(placed earlier in the sentence)- to emphasise
that the deen (religion) is FOR HIM [ALONE]. (since usually the phrase could be; deena
Lahu [for Him], but that would not specify that it is
for Him Alone.)
For
Him ALONE - implies that the religion is sincerely for Him, and that it
is not partially for Him, or for fame and power struggles, or for being evil
scholars like described earlier. It's for Him alone, sincerely for Him.
If people didn't appreciate what you do Islamically,
and they criticized you instead, would you get angry and give up? Were your
expectations from the people, or from Allah? Did you expect your reward from
the people, or from Allah?
Allah's
Messenger would be criticized all the time in the most abusive of ways by the
people when he called them to Islam. Yet he expected his reward from Allah.
hunafaa - hanaf; to incline away from misguidance, to being upright
and committed without being distracted by others (istiqamah
in that path).
Janaf - the opposite of hanaf. Incline towards deviation, walking away from the
straight path.
The
Sunan and the Musnad
compilers recorded that Allah's Messenger said:
(I was sent with the easy Hanifiyyah (Islamic
Monotheism).)
to establish and
uphold the;
Salah [5 daily prayers] - which is service to Allah
Zakah [compulsory charity of 2.5% of ones total wealth per every lunar year] - which is service to the people.
On the basis
that all these actions are done sincerely for Allah.
وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ
And that is the
religion Qayimah.
dhaalika deenul qayimah.
Qayimah;
-The truly established religion.
- Or The
religion of the
established nation (qayimah)
tuqeemu - to establish.
Moving from Ikhlas/Sincerety to Iqaamah - Establishment. Since sincerety brings about firm results and Allah rewards sincerety for His sake with establishment.
Ayah 6:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ
Indeed, they
who disbelieved among the People of
the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally
therein. Those are
the worst of creatures.
Those who
want to stay in their kufr - they will be in the fire of hell/Jahannum - comes from the
Persian wordJahnaam = torture chamber.
Khaalideen - khuld- Remain there
permanently, Ongoing.
They are;
Sharrul bariyah - bara'a[to bring something
into existence] = they [the disbelievers
from the people of the book and the polytheists] are the worst of all existence. Because Allah had
given them al Bayyinah (the clearest proof
which you can't even counter or refute) but they rejected it.
So they are
the worst of creation.
Go to Top^
Ayah 7:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ
Indeed, they who have
believed and done righteous deeds - those are the best of creatures.
Inna - surely. For those who are
in doubt.
You realise the mindset of the people Allah is talking to by
the types of words He uses when talking to them. By Allah sayying
"Ina" - he is removing
any type of doubt the listener might have about this statement.
Ina aladheena aamanoo wa 'amilus-saalihaat.
Those who
believe and do good deeds, i.e. they are good from the Inside and outside. And
not hypocritical or corrupt like the evil people discussed in ayah 4.
They are;
khayrrul bariyah - the best [of] existence.
Go to Top^
Ayah 8:
جَزَاؤُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۖ رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ رَبَّهُ
Their reward
with Allah will be gardens of perpetual
residence beneath which rivers flow, wherein they
will abide forever. Allah being pleased
with them and they with Him. That is for whoever
has feared his Lord.
Jazaa'ahum 'inda rabihim - their reward is
with their Master.
If you go to
the best hotels or best houses, they have alot of beautiful scenery,
gardens, swimming pools/water fountains etc.
As people get
older - they enjoy a serene environment, they like scenery and nature. This is
a human instinct, no matter what race, culture, background or historic
timeframe you are from.
khaalideena fee haa abadan - where
they will live forever (abadan is not mentioned in Ayah 6 for
hellfire.) [also
see surah Taghabun 64:9]
Some scholars (including Ibn Taymiyyah) had a rare opinion
that hellfire won't remain forever because abadan is mentioned for Jannah [Paradise] but not for hell.
The
Majority of the scholars however
differed, they had the view that abadan has
been mentioned for hellfire in other aayaat in the
Qur'an [i.e. Refer to Surah Ahzab
33:65 خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۖ لَّا يَجِدُونَ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا -Abiding
therein forever, they will not find a
protector or a helper.].
They
said that sometimes Allah describes hellfire more, and Jannah
less.Sometimes He mentions Jannah more and hellfire less. When they are in equal
proportions - both are mentioned as abadan.
In
this surah - more description is given for the people
of Jannah - so the description of abadan [forever] is extra detail for
the people of Jannah to increase them in desire for
Paradise more.
khaalideena fee haa abada - to dwell therein
forever - speaks to human nature. We want permanent Residence,
Citizenship. We don't want to rent, we want to Own. We want stability.
There's
no bills, no financial costs, no problems.
In
this life - the more beautiful things we have, the more problems and costs we
require to maintain them things = the more hardships.
In the next life - you're being offered a Permanent Mansion,
stability and ease without any form of hardship whatsoever.
radhiyAllah 'anhum - Allah is pleased with them.
wa radhoo
'anhu - they are pleased with Him too.
Arddaارضي - total
satisfaction and totally pleased.
Allah is completely happy with you, and the slave is completely happy with
Allah (this is achieved just for being of those who established the salah and zakah and weren't
corrupt in this life.)
That is for the one who khashyah Rabbah - khashyah = fear of something greater than
yourself - his Rabb/Master.
That
reward of Jannah/paradise is for the one who feared
his Master, more than he feared himself and his society.
Go to Top^
Beginning of Surah's Relation to it's End:
The
surah described at the beginning how the world was
fragmented, and these lines were not going to be divided until the Bayyinah/clear proof came - dividing a mixed
society of people into two camps; believers and disbelievers.
These
people painfully divided (infaka al azam -
like a bone is painfully dislocated/separated) themselves from
the ways and legacies of their forefathers and society due to the Bayyinah/clear proof which convinced them, so they became
Muslim. This is because they did not fear the people when they
disconnected themselves from the ways of their society. What did they fear
more? They feared (khashyah) their true
Master - Allah the most.
This
is how the beginning of the Surah unites with the end
conclusion of the surah. And the praise is for Allah.