Ahsan Hanif – Quran Tafseer – Page 86 – Beware Of Misguided Intentions
AI: Summary ©
The importance of Allah's teachings and guidelines for Islam is discussed, including the need for individuals to know their actions and not give up on guidance and miscalculance. The use of words like "has been" in Islamic language is discussed, as it can distort people's beliefs and intentions. The importance of following instructions from the Prophet is emphasized, and the use of words like "arson" and "aroness" in the context of Islam is emphasized. The potential consequences of sh patterning and the importance of forgiveness are also discussed.AI: Transcript ©
Tafseer page by page and Insha'Allah Ta'ala. Today
we are on page number 86 which is
in Surah Al Nisa, the 5th Judz.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in the previous number
of verses and passages that we have mentioned,
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is giving to us
a number of instructions, a number of etiquettes,
a number of guidelines and principles
concerning the way that the Muslims should behave
in a number of issues. And Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala for example in the last episode
that we mentioned gave us the instruction of
how we should approach the salah
and what we should do in terms of
making ghusl and making wudu and purifying ourselves
and what we do in the in the
case where a person is unable to find
water, so then they must resort to what
is called,
and that is when a person uses the
ground and the earth in order to purify
themselves in the absence
of water or in the case of them
being unable to use it. Today Insha'Allah Ta'ala
we continue from verse number 40 4 of
the Surah, Surah T Nisa
and that is the statement of Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala
Allah
says, have you not considered
how those who are given a share of
the scripture
purchase misguidance
and want you to to lose the right
path.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
in a number of these verses as we
will see that have passed and that will
continue, insha Allah ta'ala, in the forthcoming passages.
Allah makes
a comparison or distinction between the people of
Iman and belief
and between those people who were given the
scriptures in the past and were given and
shown the way to guidance and what they
did there in terms of their rejection.
And this is important for the Muslim because
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala has given to us
Iman, Allah has given to us the Quran,
Allah has sent us the Prophet of Allah
sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.
But by no means are those things a
guarantee
of a person following guidance and entering into
Jannah.
And so
me, you, every other Muslim, we have no
guarantee
that we will die upon Iman or that
we will live our days upon Islam or
that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will enter us
into Jannah. That is not a guarantee that
Allah azza wa jal gives
to us. And so therefore when Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala mentions examples like this of the
people in the past who also had scriptures,
to whom also prophets were sent, who also
were given the path to guidance and shown
the way that leads to Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala, we see amongst them groups that rejected
this, groups that turned away, groups that preferred
the life of the dunya with its trappings
and its beauties and its leisure
over what Allah Subhanu Wa Ta'ala has prepared
in terms of reward. And so therefore these
comparisons are made in order for us to
also hold ourselves to account, in order for
us to stop and reflect and to measure
ourselves when it comes to how we are,
how we are measuring up when it comes
to our worship of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
and our obedience to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
So here Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says,
have you not considered, do you not look
at, do you not see,
comprehend and contemplate over those people
who are given a share of the scripture,
They too were given revelation,
whether they were given the Torah, whether they
were given the gospel, the injeel, whether they
were given the Psalms, the zabur that were
given to Dawood alaihi salam, or the other
scriptures some of which we may not know
of in terms of their names and in
terms of their details. Allah says that they
were from amongst those people,
they purchased misguidance.
And Allah as we mentioned a number of
times already in the Quran, Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala often says that they purchased misguidance
and that word purchasing misguidance
means that they are spending their wealth in
order to disobey Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. This
isn't just something which they're doing because it's
coming to them and it's easy and convenient.
No. They are actively going out, actively making
an effort, actively seeking out disobedience to Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala and misguidance from the path
that Allah wants them to go upon. And
so they're spending their money and they love
to spend their wealth and so that's what
people do when they want to disobey Allah
azza wa Jal, often times or sometimes
what it requires is a certain amount of
money, effort, time,
determination
that has to be put in, in order
to follow the path of misguidance.
Not only do they do this, they
purchase misguidance. Allah Azzawajal goes on to say,
and they want from you also,
that you also lose that right path, that
you also be
fall astray from the path that Allah wants
from you. So not only are they purchasing
misguidance
for themselves but they spend money and make
effort and spend time so that you too
and others too will be misguided from the
path of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And this
is what we see throughout the Quran in
the many examples of Allah gives to us
of the stories of the prophets and their
people and how they would actively not only
are they themselves
misguided and upon misguidance
but how those people actively seek the misguidance
of those around them. So they will give
them wealth and they will spend time with
them and they will give to them different
temptations
that lead them away from the path of
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
So for example in the time of the
prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam,
the Quraysh were actively spending their wealth and
their money in order to divert people away
from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. They were spending
time and effort in order to stop people
from listening to the message of the prophet
sallallahu alaihi wasallam. This is the example of
those people that they've been given
guidance. They know the truth that they seek
misguidance
and they seek the life of misery and
wretchedness over that which Allah
has promised them if they obey him and
follow his path. Allah
then continues and says in verse number 45,
Allah
knows your enemies best and indeed Allah is
enough to protect and help you. Sufficient is
Allah as a protector and helper. Allah Subhana
Wa Ta'la is saying that He knows the
reality of these people. He knows that they
are your enemies. Allah knows their plots and
their plans and what it is that they
try to do to divert people away from
his path Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. But Allah also
gives us this guarantee,
this promise, this surety
that if you turn to Allah azza wa
jal, you trust in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala,
you connect yourself to Allah azza wa jal
in his worship, Allah will suffice
you. Allah is enough and sufficient
as a helper and a protector. You don't
need anyone other than Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
So despite the amount of wealth that they're
spending,
despite all of their time and effort, despite
their great number and their collusion and their
plotting and their planning,
it is enough for the believer to have
with him or her his Lord or her
Lord and Creator. That is enough for the
believer.
And sufficient is Allah as the protector. Who
can protect you better than Allah the one
who controls
everything in the heavens and earth and sufficient
is Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala as a helper.
So the one who gives good or grants
good and withhold evil, the one who helps
and assists, there is none better than Allah
In the next verse, verse number 46, Allah
then goes on to say,
says that some from amongst the Jews distort
the meaning of the words, meaning revelation.
They say, we hear and disobey,
and they say, listen, adding insult,
may you not hear, and they say,
twisting it abusively with their tongues so as
to disparage religion.
If they had said only,
we hear and obey,' and they had said,
'listen,
that would have been better and more proper
for them.' but Allah has spurned them for
their defiance, they believe
very little.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala speaks about a group
from amongst the people of the book, from
the people who have given the scriptures before
us and some of their traits and what
it is that they did in terms of
the revelation that they received.
One of the things that they did as
Allah mentions here at the beginning of this
verse
is
They would distort the meanings of the revelation
that they seen.
Meaning that the words that they were given,
the revelation, the guidance that Allah gives to
them, they would take those words and they
would twist and distort the meanings. So for
example,
we know that Allah gave in the previous
scriptures a description
of the messenger of Allah salallahu alaihi wa
sallam. Allah ajawajal gave to those past nations
a description of Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
and so they knew and were aware of
his coming and they knew of his description
and they knew enough for them to know
that when he appeared that this is the
man that that was prophesied to them in
their revelations and in their scriptures.
But when the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam emerged
and they realized that he was from the
Arabs and they realized that he was from
Mecca and so on, they distorted the meaning.
They changed the words and the meaning that
they had so that it wouldn't apply to
the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam but rather
they said that it replied to someone else
or that it will refer to something else.
So that it's actual true understanding was something
else and this is something which is very
common
and just as this is something which they
did and continue to do, then likewise unfortunately
you find amongst the Muslims those who do
the same thing when they come across certain
verses of the Quran that don't appeal to
them, that don't go in line with their
desires or their ideologies.
When they come across certain Hadith and instructions
of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, again that
don't go in line with their desires or
their beliefs or their ideologies
they will twist those words and they will
twist those meanings in order for to make
them to apply
and fit in with their ideology. And this
is for example something common that you will
see for example in the names and attributes
of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala How many of
the different groups of Muslims
who don't believe
in holding the Quran and the Sunnah in
its literal and open way and apparent way,
they will twist those meanings and they will
say that Allah azza wa jal can't be
described in that way and that actually what
this description or attribute means is this and
this and they will twist those words and
they will twist those meanings and that is
all because of them not wanting to accept
the revelation of Allah azza wa jal in
the way that it should be accepted
unadulterated
and without distortion.
That's the first thing. The second thing that
Allah ahsawajal then says is their attitude.
Not only do they distort the meanings of
the revelation but then their attitude in the
one in what they say and in the
manner that they address the Prophet salallahu alaihi
wa sallam. Allah ajazhu says,
they say we hear and we disobey.
Now when a messenger of Allah comes a
prophet of Allah ajaz comes we know as
Allah mentions subhanahu wa ta'ala in numerous places
in the Quran that the believers are those
who when they hear the instructions of Allah
or his prophets they say we hear and
we obey.
But hear what they are saying instead
is we hear what you're saying,
but we disbelieve,
we disobey, and we reject. And so that
is the way that they are. And this
is again something which you find common amongst
many of us as Muslims. We know that
Allah says something and even though we may
not openly
physically say the words or verbally say the
words we disobey, but our actions
and the way that we behave
and our attitude
exactly shows that meaning, shows exactly that same
meaning of disobedience.
So we may not be as as as
open as as Allah is mentioning about these
previous nations that they would say to their
prophets, we hear and we disobey, but sometimes
our actions amount to the same thing. Allah
says pray, we refuse to pray. Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala commands us to give zakah, we
refuse to give zakah. Allah tells us to
stay away from certain things that are haram
and we refuse to obey. So essentially you
are saying,
we hear and we disobey.
And then they will say further,
adding more insult to this.
They say, may you not hear
or they say,
what you will hear from us is that
which you will not like.
Hear as if you will hear that which
you do not like. So you will hear
from us a response that you don't expect,
that you don't approve of, that you don't
like. This is the way that they would
respond to our Messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam.
Disobedience,
insult,
mockery,
trying to distort the meanings of revelation that
they were given before and they would say
they would say the word
and this is something which we mentioned before
in the Quran
and that is that Allah Azzawajal said that
the companions of the Prophet salallahu alaihi wa
sallam amongst the Muslims, especially the poor and
the needy, they would say the word ra'ina.
Ra'ina means look after us, means look upon
us with with mercy and affection, that's one
meaning but there is another meaning to this
word which is not a good meaning. It
comes from a word that is that is
disparaging, that is if you mean it's the
same root word, but it can be used
in different context. So they would see the
same word, meaning these people of the scripture,
they would say the same word as the
Muslims would say. The Muslims intend with it
a good meaning, but they would intend with
it something which was not good and they
would say the word Ra'ina. That is what
Allah says,
twisting it abusively with their tongues so as
to disparage religion.
So not only are they changing and distorting
revelation, not only are they saying that they
will disobey and they're insulting and and and
and mocking the religion of the prophet sallallahu
alaihi wasallam, but then they use the words
that are being used by others with a
good meaning
but because it has multiple contexts and multiple
connotations
they're using it with the intention of something
which is evil and Allah
knows what it is that they're saying and
what it is that they're doing and what
it is that they have in their hearts
in terms of their intention. And that is
why Allah azza wa jal then goes on
to say,
if only they would have said,
if only rather than rejecting,
rather than following the path of Shaitaan, rather
than wanting misguidance.
If only they had said, now this is
how the believer should be. This is what
the believer should be in terms of the
response to the message of Allah and the
Prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam. If only they had
said,
we hear and we obey as the Muslim
should. When Allah commands something, when the prophet
sallallahu alaihi wasallam commands something, they turn to
Allah ajawajal with obedience
and they turn in following the instructions of
Allah and his prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam wasma.
And if only they had said, listen,
and that's it enough.
Not as those other people said that we
will listen, but we will respond in a
way that you don't like or listen in
a way that is disparaging, that is disrespectful.
The believer is someone who listens.
So when the revelation of Allah is being
recited to them,
the words of Allah, the Quran are being
recited to them or the instruction of the
Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam is being given
is from the etiquettes of the believer that
they listen, that they pay attention,
that they show respect and that is the
etiquette of, for example, the one who is
listening to the Quran as we know. When
someone is reading the Quran, you should listen
and pay respect as Allah Azza wa Jal
commands us in the Quran.
If the Quran is being recited,
then pay attention to it, listen to it
attentively.
That is from the instructions of the Qur'an
concerning the way that we listen to Revelation.
So this is how the believers
They say we listen, we obey and they
hear and listen attentively
and they say which has the same meaning
as the word but it doesn't have multiple
connotation connotation other connotations
that can then be twisted and used in
a way that is disparaging. And so therefore
they use the word and this is something
which we mentioned before in the tafsir of
Surat Al Baqarah Allah as we just said
to the believers rather than saying ra'ina
because that is something which those people use
in a way that is not befitting, use
the word
which means the same thing means look upon
us favorably, look upon us kindly and affectionately,
that is the way that the believer is.
And this is an important point which shows
to us therefore that in these types of
terms which are not necessarily Islamic terms, the
word
aren't Islamic terms in the sense that they
have a religious connotation only. They are normal
Arabic terms that can be used in one
context or another.
In these types of issues, the believer always
chooses words that are appropriate,
that can't be twisted or used for means
or in ways that are disparaging to the
religion and this is a principle that Allah
is giving to us here. Allah is saying
that if only you had said this instead,
it would have been better for you and
more proper or appropriate for you. Would have
been better
to follow Allah to hear to Allah to
hear and obey Allah and his messenger salallahu
alaihi wasallam to speak in a way that
is respectful, to listen in a way that
is respectful.
But Allah Azzawajal says,
but
Allah Azzawajal has spurned them for their defiance
and indeed they believe
very little.
In the next verse verse number 47, Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala then continues and says,
O people of the book, believe in what
we have sent down to confirm
what you already have before.
Who broke the Sabbath. Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala here gives a command to
the people of the book and he also
gives to them a threat of punishment. Allah
says concerning the people of the book, oh
people of the scripture who came before, believe
in that which we have now revealed,
which only affirms that which came to you
before.
So Allah Azzawajal is saying believe in the
Prophet Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, believe in the
Quran,
believe in the revelation
that has only come to confirm that which
you already know is the truth. Because the
Quran as we said is the speech of
Allah just like the Torah and the Injeel
and the Zabur were all the speech of
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and the words of
Allah azza wa jal. They speak to the
same message.
They speak to the same core issue of
Tawhid and belief in Allah azza wa Jal
and the last day and so on and
so forth. So what the Quran brings,
it confirms that which they already know from
the scriptures and from their texts. Allah
says do this
before and then we come to the first
of
punishment.
Allah Azzawaj says do this before
we wipe you
out and then we turn you towards
your back turning you back or rejecting you
and this is the punishment that Allah
gives essentially
that they will be
wiped out and destroyed. Not mister Wajuha
means that we will wipe them out, destroy
them and
the
and we will turn you backwards.
We will turn you backwards or in in
in a sense reject you. And so Allah
gives to them this threat of punishment And
that is because those people who don't believe
in what Allah has given to them turn
away from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. They will
have the grave of punishment of Allah 'azawajal.
So when they come with their disbelief and
their shirk, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will essentially
destroy them. They will be placed in the
fire for eternity
and they will find its torment and punishment
something which is unbearable for a single moment
later on for all of eternity. And that
is why Allah says
oh, we will curse you the way that
we cursed those people who broke the Sabbath
and that story of the Sabbath insha'Allah will
be mentioned later on in the Quran in
another Surah,
and indeed Allah's will is always done.
In verse number 48, Allah Azzawajal speaks about
the central issue that Allah Azzawajal is warning
them of and that is the issue of
Tawhid and staying away from shirk. Allah says
Allah does not forgive the joining of partners
with him. Anything less
he forgives to whomsoever he wills. But anyone
who joins partners with Allah has indeed conducted
or concocted
a tremendous sin.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gives to us this
principle that every single person should know, every
Muslim should memorize and understand this principle because
it is essentially
the principle that tells us the difference between
salvation and damnation.
Who will be those that will be given
the mercy of Allah and his reward and
those who will be turned away from Allah's
mercy and given his punishment, his wrath and
his anger instead. Allah 'Azza wa Jal says,
Allah will never ever forgive
the sin of shirk
turning to other than Allah in acts of
worship
making acts of worship for the sake of
other than Allah subhanahu ta'ala. This is shirk
and to do that is something which is
not forgiven
and that is why it's extremely dangerous and
why the scholars spend so much of their
time and effort speaking about this one issue
and highlighting it when and as it appears
anywhere in the world and amongst any group
of people, even amongst the Muslims. Because as
we know there are Muslims unfortunately today
that worship other than Allah Azzawajal in the
way that they do certain things in certain
acts of worship such as du'a or sacrifice
or tawaf or trust all these types of
acts of worship that are meant to be
purely and sincerely for the sake of Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala, others will do them for
other than Allah ahsawajal,
for a righteous person, for a saint, for
someone that they consider to be worthy.
But even so irrespective of who that individual
is receiving
that type of of worship or the type
of of devotion,
it is still an act of shirk. Allah
doesn't forgive this and this is the only
thing that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will never
forgive unless and until that person returns back
to Islam because for them that is their
tawba. Someone who is upon shirk, they return
back to tawhid, that is tawba for them.
But the meaning of this verse is the
person who dies upon shirk. That person lives
upon shirk, they die upon shirk. That person
will never be forgiven by Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala and had Allah azza wa jal be
willing to forgive
those people
for perchance for for whatever for whatever sake
then surely Allah would have forgiven
the close family members of the prophets who
were disbelievers
because we know throughout the Quran Ibrahim alayhis
salam his father died as a disbeliever.
Nuh alaihi salaam his son died as a
disbeliever. Nuh alaihi salaam his wife died as
a disbeliever.
Our Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam and close
family members who died upon other than Islam,
surely if Allah was going to let anyone
off with this sin or make an exception
to this rule, it would have been to
those people that were the closest and dearest
of people to his prophets and messengers alaykum
Surat al salam. But Allah has given this
command.
Allah does not forgive
any act of shirk.
But Allah may forgive anything else to whomsoever
he wants, anything lesser than shirk. Allah forgives
to whomsoever he wants and that shows therefore
that when it comes to other than shirk,
Allah 'alayhi wa jalal may forgive a person.
Upon the 'reedharaw, they are believers but they
have other sins, they committed major sins and
so on. Allah may forgive them to whomsoever
He wills. So Allah may punish those people
if he chooses, or he may forgive them
if he chooses subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Well may yushlik be lap whosoever commits shirk
with Allah
that
they have concocted
a tremendous sin. It is the worst of
sins as we know because it is the
one that Allah azza wa Jal will not
forgive.
As for those whom make Toba, however, and
turn back to Allah azza wa Jal, as
we said they embrace Islam, they go upon
tawhid, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala will forgive them.
Have you considered those who claim purity for
themselves?
No. Indeed Allah purifies whomsoever He wills. No
one will be wrung by as much as
the husk of a dead stone. Allah
says that there are people
who claim purity for themselves,
they claim that they are the people of
Jannah, they claim that they are the ones
who were chosen by Allah and the beloved
to Allah azza wa jal. Allah says no,
they don't get to decide who is pure
or not pure who will be saved or
not saved who is beloved to Allah not
beloved to Allah. It is Allah who chooses
and Allah decides, and Allah purifies, and Allah
gives his love to whosoever he will and
no one will be oppressed. And that is
why as Muslims, it is not a good
attribute, as Allah mentions elsewhere in the Quran
in Suratul Najm, to pure to praise yourself.
Falah to zekkoon for a second, don't praise
yourself. 'Uwa Adam will be men taka'f for
indeed Allah 'Azza wa Jal is more knowing
of those who have piety.
And so those people used to praise themselves
before Allah, claiming that they were the chosen
beloved ones of Allah. Allah says no, you
don't get to make that choice. It is
Allah who chooses who is purified and not,
and that is true to heed and obedience
in Iman. Allah Azzawajal says in the final
verse that we will take in today's episode,
verse number 50.
See how they invent lies about Allah that
is in itself a frequent a frequent sin.
Allah says that this is the way that
they lie about Allah
saying that we are beloved to Allah. Allah
has chosen us. Allah will give to us
Jannah. Allah, they are the ones making this
up. Allah Azzawajal didn't say that, Allah didn't
command that, Allah Azzawajal didn't reveal those words,
but his words are clear in the revelation.
Allah forgives the people of Tawhid and Allah
doesn't forgive anyone beyond those people of Tawhid
and amongst the people of Tawhid Allah forgives
whomsoever he rules in the manner that he
sees befitting Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala and to say
other than this
that is from the sins and it is
from the lies that are ascribed to Allah
Azza wa Jal. And with that InshaAllah we
come to the end of today's episode.
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