Bilal Philips – Tafseer Surah al-Mulk #01

			Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim, the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Most Merciful. I'd like to
welcome you their viewers to our series, understanding the Quran.
		

			In this segment, we begin a commentary on Surah Al Mulk. That is the 67th chapter of the Quran.
		

			This chapter is called Al Mulk. And the name Al Mulk. It comes from a Arabic term malecha, which
means to own or to possess exclusively. And the meaning then, of Mulk is dominion, or serenity, or
ownership. This name is taken from the very first verse of the chapter. And the name was something
agreed upon by those who taught the Quran in the early generations after the time of the Prophet may
God's peace and blessings be upon him. The name is not
		

			considered critical in the sense that it was referred to in the early generations by a variety of
different names. What is most important to us is that this chapter was among the chapters which were
revealed in
		

			in Mecca, as is concluded by a number of the scholars, not that anybody actually stated that from
amongst the early companions, but the structure and the way in which the chapter is presented
indicates that it is from among the early Meccan chapters.
		

			It is also the beginning of the 29th part of the Quran, what is referred to as Jews to Barak. That
is, the Quran for the purpose of reading and memorization has been divided up into 30 parts.
		

			Basically, because reading of the Quran shouldn't be shouldn't take less than a month, in order for
a person to to absorb the meanings to benefit from it, you know, it was recommended that it not be
completed in less than a month as a normal reading. person was memorizing Of course, it's a
different situation. However, phenomenal reading, reading one segment of the Quran apart that is a
30th part each day is a recommended practice. And as such, the 29th of the 30 parts was referred to
as just a Barak, and it begins with this chapter itself. Now, this chapter is a very popular chapter
amongst Muslims it's commonly read, and the reason for that has to do with the various virtues which
		

			have been attributed to it.
		

			A number of these virtues are authentically narrated by the prophet may God's peace and blessings be
upon him. Whereas there are some commonly held beliefs about this chapter which are unfortunately
not authentic.
		

			I will look at the most authentic and accurate statements with regard to this chapter. The first
addresses issues of the punishment of the grave, when the Prophet may God's peace and blessings be
upon him had said Surah Tabarak alemannia mean other I will cover that is the chapter Tabarak is a
shield from the punishment of the grave.
		

			Now, the meanings of this is quite obvious.
		

			According to Islamic belief, when a person dies, the process of judgment begins for that individual
in the state of the grave, not necessarily in the physical grave itself, but in the state of having
died and and be awaiting the actual resurrection itself. A person is in a phase which is referred to
as the grave
		

			this period between
		

			the actual death of the individual and the resurrection. And in this period, depending on where a
person is going, whether they're going to * or they're going to Paradise, then the grave will be
a reflection of it, that state will be a reflection of it. So it may include punishments, torments
or it may include
		

			pleasure
		

			Uh,
		

			and satisfaction.
		

			So the Prophet may God's peace and blessings be upon him had
		

			indicated that this chapter is a shield from the punishment of the grave. Now in the folk or
customary misunderstanding of the intent of the Prophet here may God's business be upon him. And no
people will actually record or write this chapter on a piece of paper and wrap it with the dead as
they have been placed in the grave, believing that literally this chapter in its physical form, if
you place it in the Shroud Of The Dead is going to actually shave this save this person from some
form of punishment. Of course, this is really nonsense. I mean, what is
		

			the truth as Eben Massoud, one of the companions of the Prophet may God's peace must be upon him, it
said, Allah, Allah protect anyone who recites the baraka, lady, via the hill milk every night, from
the punishment of the grave. During the era of the messenger, we used to call it the protector. So
even miss Ruth has clarified for us that it is not about writing it on papers and you know, wrapping
it in the shroud, but it is something which is recited on a nightly basis.
		

			Before going to sleep, this is a practice which Muslims are encouraged to do. Now, again, we have to
question further, is the mere recitation of this chapter that is just reciting the Arabic text of
the chapter, without any kind of reflection, it's actually just the act of reciting it is that what
will protect the person from the punishments of the grave? Again, we have to say no, because if a
person has lived an evil life, I mean in their day before going to bed, they are evil. They
disbelieve in God in their actions and in their words, etc, etc. Then simply before going to bed
they recite to a monk, and then that is going to save them from punishment. No, we can't accept
		

			this. This is not the case. Allah tells us in the Quran, in the 40 sevens chapter, verse 24. Alpha
to the Brunel Quran, Allah Kulu been Aqua Aloha, will they not reflect on the Quran? Or are their
hearts locked up?
		

			The Quran itself expresses that it must be reflected upon it must be contemplated otherwise, hearts
are locked locked from the benefit of the Quran. So, the Quran itself will not recitation of soil
milk in particular will not benefit that individual. If he or she does not contemplate the meanings
reflect on its meaning, and its have an effect in that individuals life. So what the prophet may
God's peace and blessings be upon him was instructing us was that this chapter will protect us from
the punishments of the grave, or the trials of the grave the torments of the grave. If one recites
it regularly at night contemplating its meanings,
		

			reflecting contemplating meaning, we look at what Allah is saying there in the various verses, then
we look at ourselves, what is the relevance of what is being said here to ourselves
		

			is the dressing things that we ourselves should change, we should strive to change these things, are
we fitting the image or the the picture which is being described by this chapter, either in a
positive way or in a negative way,
		

			in a negative way that we need to change so that we come in line with the recommendations, the
ideals, the guidance, which is there in this chapter.
		

			The second authentic tradition that we can look at with regards to Surah Al Mulk, or the chapter of
the minion is one which addresses issues of intercession in which the Prophet may God's peace and
best of your Parliament said In the Surah 10 mineral Qurani, Salah sunnah Aya Shaeffer Atlee Raj
Julian had who fear Allah will he or Surah to tab the baraka lady via the hill milk. That is, there
is a chapter in the Quran containing 30 verses, which will continue to intercede for a person until
all of
		

			his or her sins are forgiven. It is Subotic Allah the big one more, that is the first verse of Surah
Al Mulk. So, the prophet here may God's peace and blessings be upon him also indicated that this
chapter would be an inter cedar, it would intercede on the readers behalf.
		

			And it would help him obviously, then to get into paradise if his sins or her sins are forgiven,
that means then they have earned paradise. But again, when we're looking at the issues of
intercession, this is not something arbitrary.
		

			That is simply by reading this chapter. No matter what a person does, it benefits one intercedes on
one's behalf. No, we know very well, that a last month Allah has said
		

			in the AYATUL, kursi, Mandela the hash power in the WHO elaborate kidney, this is in So Al Baqarah,
who can intercede with him except with his permission. So it is not arbitrary laws, or whatever
intercedes on behalf of an individual will be only in accordance with what Allah what God has
already decided to be. So the process of intercession is not an arbitrary process, process free from
the will of Allah, if Allah has decided, that that individual based on certain things that he or she
has done in their lives, righteousness, etc, that their sins will be forgiven, they will not be held
accountable for them, that means they will not be punished by by them or for them, then Allah will
		

			choose certain things or certain people to intercede on his or her behalf as a means of honoring
that person or that thing. So this chapter, as a means of, of honor to the Quran will act as an
intercessor for one who has contemplated the meanings as we said before reflected on them, and it
has caused them to be better be a better person to be on the correct path. You know, and as Allah
told us also, and so our thought hovers 109. Yama is in Latin Pharaoh Shiva Illa min addin Allahu
Rahman, what are the Allahu Allah, on that day, no intercession will be of use except from those
whom Allah permits to intercede and whose word is acceptable to him. So, when we speak about issues
		

			of intercession, and there are a number of other circumstances where the prophet for example, has
told us that
		

			people will intercede for others children will intercede for their parents, the martyr will
intercede for so many members of his family, etc. You know, again, we always have to put this into
session within the context of the will of Allah. So we cannot blindly depend on intercession,
meaning that we don't have to do any good etc. As long as we have somebody in our crime, for
example, in our family who has memorized the Quran, that such a member will intercede on our behalf,
you know, or we have somebody who does a martyr, you know, that they will intercede on our behalf.
		

			You know, I let me just mention as Hadith of the Prophet may God's peace and blessings be upon him,
collected by Timothy and even imagine authentically connected, in which he said, Whoever reads the
Quran and implements it, such that he regards its lawful as lawful, and it's prohibited as
prohibited. Allah will put him in heaven and grant him intercession for 10 members of his household,
all of whom are deserving of the fire. So whoever reads the Quran and implements it, you see,
there's conditions here, even the person for that one to be able to intercede who would be honored
by Allah for intercession. It would be a person who reads the Quran and implements it to implement
		

			it means they had to have reflected on its meanings to implement it. And they regarded the lawful as
lawful not permitted is prohibited, meaning that they stayed in line with the commandments of Allah
they lived righteous lives, such a person, Allah will grant him intercession for 10 members of his
family who would normally have been deserving the fire but based on certain good which they did,
Allah had decided to forgive them their sins and that individual who read the Quran and implemented
it,
		

			making prohibited what was
		

			prohibited and making once was lawful lawful, that individual will be honored by being the factor
for their intercession.
		

			So, it is very important for us not to keep this in mind. intercession is not an arbitrary thing.
There is another well known statement of the Prophet and God's peace be upon him, in which he said,
some of my companions will come to me at Alcocer a pond in Paradise, and after I recognize them,
they will be taken away and I will say, that they are my companions, then it will be said, You do
not know the innovations they made in the religion after your time.
		

			So, those though these people were from the following of Prophet Muhammad, may God's peace and
blessings be upon him, they will not be allowed to drink from the pond. This is a pond This is a
part of the process of resurrection and judgment. This is a sign of intercession those who the
prophet will be able to intercede for those who will be able to drink from this pond, spine
specialist especially set aside for the profit referred to as agriculture.
		

			So,
		

			because of the fact that they made changes in the religion, they innovated in the religion, they
changed the teachings they innovated, introduced false teachings into the religion, they will not
be,
		

			they will not be permitted to drink from the pond and they will not receive intercession of the
Prophet.
		

			Prophet Muhammad wa sallam had also said every messenger was permitted a prayer which would be
answered with all the prophets were hasty in using this prayer in this life. However, I have
reserved my prayer for the intercession of my followers on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be
granted if Allah also wills. In the case of everyone among my followers, as long as they die without
associating any partners with Allah.
		

			He clarifies here again conditions, conditions for which the intercession of the Prophet
		

			will be beneficial to people, that they die without associating any partners along with Allah, that
is, in their worship.
		

			They have not called on others besides the law. And this, of course, is something that is very
commonplace. Unfortunately, today in the Muslim world, you have many people calling on others
besides Allah, whether it is Abdullah, other, or others who have been designated as saints, people
in times of calamities and difficulties, etc, will call on these others believing somehow that they
are close to Allah and they can intercede on their behalf. But this is falsehood, or people will
make pilgrimages to graves, places like cashmere in India, and other places can be found in Pakistan
and in Morocco, and in Egypt, all around the Muslim world. You have places of pilgrimage where
		

			people go and what they're going to actually are shrines, setup over graves, mausoleums, something
which is really not a part of Islam at all, but people go there and call on the dead, write letters
to the dead, you know, asking them to help them. All of this contradicts our basic belief in the
Oneness of Allah, and that he alone deserves our prayer.
		

			As such, anyone who does that in this life, they will destroy the right for themselves, to accept to
get the intercession of the Prophet, may God's peace and blessings be upon him. So, the viewers, it
is very important for us when we reflect on this chapter and its benefits, the benefits that it will
protect one from the performance of the grave, and that it will intercede on behalf of one, you
know, on the Day of Judgment, till one sins are forgiven, and helps one to get into paradise, that
the way to do it is to read this Surah or this chapter of the Quran regularly every night
contemplating on its meanings, reflecting on its relevance to oneself, trying to correct oneself
		

			trying to bring oneself in line with the ideals, the the exemplary character, which this chapter
encourages the believers to take on to address to live in accordance with and with that their
viewers. We end this segment on the interpretation, the commentary on the chapter known as Al Mulk,
the 67th chapter of the Quran
		

			I hope that you will continue to follow our program as we look into this chapter in greater and
greater depth. With that I bid you farewell Salam alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh