Zia Sheikh – Tafseer Of Surah BaniIsrael Session 16
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The second opinion, and this is the most
appropriate opinion, by looking at the surrounding verses
or the surrounding wording, the most appropriate opinion
is the opinion of Ibn Zayd.
It refers to the book, meaning the book
of deeds, or the book that was sent
to them.
So, the people are going to be called,
and their book that was revealed to them,
or their book of deeds, is going to
be in front of them.
This is the second opinion.
The third opinion is that every single nation
will come with that that they used to
worship.
So, the nation that used to worship statues,
the statues are going to be there.
The nation that used to worship Isa, he
is going to be there.
They used to follow Isa, he is going
to be there.
The nation that used to follow their prophets,
the prophets, they are going to be there.
But like I said, the most chosen opinion,
at this particular location, is the opinion of
the book of deeds.
And this is what is mentioned in another
verse of the Quran, that Allah SWT says,
يَوْمَ نَدْعُوا كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ Meaning, كِتَابِ أَعْمَالِهِمْ
And this is, Allah SWT says, وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ
فَطَرَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ
فِي إِمَامٍ مُّبِينٍ So the word imam is
used, Allah says that we've gathered everything in
a clear imam, and it refers to the
book of deeds in which all of their
deeds have been written and accumulated, and they
will see that.
So, and straight after that Allah says, فَمَنْ
أُوْتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ The one who's given his
book of deeds in his right hand, فَأُولَٰئِكَ
يَقْرَأُونَ كِتَابَهُمْ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيرًا These people are
going to be reading their books, and they're
not going to be oppressed, no vuln and
wrong is going to be done to them,
the size of a fatil.
Fatil refers to the string that you find
in a date pit.
Have you ever taken a date and looked
at the pit very carefully?
You will find that between there's a line
in the middle of the pit.
And if you look very carefully, there's a
piece of a string that comes out from
that line.
This is what fatil is.
Something completely insignificant, something we don't even think
about, and maybe you've never even noticed in
your life, but maybe if you look carefully
now, you'll see it.
So, Allah SWT says that the people that
come and they are given their book of
deeds in their right hand, that's why we
said that Imam refers to the book of
deeds, they are given their book of deeds
in their right hand, Allah SWT is not
going to wrong them in any way, shape
or form, not even the size of a
fatil, not even the amount of a fatil
that string is, that is between in the
date pit.
So, what is going to happen?
Allah SWT mentions in other places of the
Quran that these people that are given their
book of deeds in their right hand, they're
going to be extremely happy.
Why?
Because this is a sign that they've become
successful and they're going to go into paradise
and they're going to have eternal bliss, eternal
happiness, and they're going to be saved from
eternal hellfire.
So, if you can imagine, when a person
passes his test, he gets his diploma, people
graduate, and you see their pictures of graduation,
how they look.
They look extremely happy, photos are being taken,
family is there, they've got their cape on,
they've got the cap on, they've got the
gown on.
So, they are displaying extreme happiness.
Why?
Because they've graduated.
Just imagine now, how that happiness is going
to be multiplied millions and millions of times
over.
Why?
Because their graduation at that point is an
indication of eternal success, eternal bliss, eternal life,
and never going to die after that.
They're going to be happy and there's not
going to be any problem, any concern.
وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ Ever, ever
again.
So, imagine that happiness.
So, Allah mentions that in many places in
the Quran.
So, here's the same thing.
But, what about the opposite?
وَمَن كَانَ فِي هَذِهِ أَعْمَىٰ فَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ
أَعْمَىٰ وَأَضَلُّوا سَبِيلًا Whoever is in this blind,
he will also, in the Akhirah, he'll be
blind, and he's going to be way, he's
going to be, أَضَلُّوا سَبِيلًا He's going to
be in the misguided path.
Meaning the path of the misguided.
So, whoever is in this, هَذِهِ There's two
opinions about this.
Remember last week we talked about all the
blessings that Allah SWT has given us.
Right?
He's given us a status.
He's given us dignity.
He's given us intelligence.
He's given us so many things that gives
us a nobility and He gives us preference
over all of the other creations.
But whoever was in these blessings, he was
blind.
He didn't realize his value.
He didn't realize the purpose of his existence.
Then also in the Akhirah he's going to
be blind.
And the other opinion is more apparent and
more clear that the person who in this
world was blind, then in the Akhirah he's
also going to be blind.
Meaning he's not going to be given the
success that the people that were given the
Book of Deeds in their right hand, he's
going to get.
So, this is the situation.
You're going to be, we're all going to
be in one of those two groups.
Which one of those groups do we want
to be in?
That's the question we need to ask ourselves.
The next ayat, they are addressing the Prophet
SAW.
The first one, there was a situation that
occurred.
Some people came to the Prophet SAW and
said, okay, we're going to be Muslim with
three conditions.
Firstly, when we pray, we don't have to
make Ruku and Sajdah.
That's like too much work.
That's beyond our dignity to be doing that
type of thing.
So, that's the first condition.
We're not going to make Salat like you
make Salat.
The second condition was, they said that we're
not going to break our statues with our
hands.
Okay, we don't want to do that.
And the third condition was, that at least
once a year, we get a special day
where we come and worship our statue, our
beloved statue, Allah.
And the rest of the year, we will
worship Allah SWT.
Okay, so if these three conditions are acceptable
to you, then we will accept Islam.
So, the Prophet SAW, obviously, he said, this
is not acceptable.
None of these conditions are acceptable.
They are contrary to the rulings of Tawheed
and the oneness of Allah SWT.
So, he said this is unacceptable.
So, this is what this verse is talking
about.
وَإِن كَادُوا لَيَفْتِنُونَكَ عَنِ الَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ لِتَفْتَرِي
عَلَيْنَا غِيْرًا Indeed, it's very close that they
want to lead you astray.
لَيَفْتِنُونَكَ They want to lead you astray from
that which we've revealed to you.
Meaning, they want you to go against the
Quran.
Why?
لِتَفْتَرِي عَلَيْنَا غِيْرًا So that you can make
accusations, false accusations against us about something else.
Meaning, idol worship.
So, this was something that was not acceptable.
وَإِذَا لَتَّخَذُوكَ خَلِيلًا And if you do that,
then they're going to take you as a
friend.
Meaning, if you fulfill their conditions that they're
asking for, then they're going to accept you
as a friend, and then they're going to
follow you.
But, of course, this was not acceptable.
وَلَوْ لَا أَنْ ثَبَّتْنَاكَ لَقَدْ كِتَّ تَرْكَرُ إِلَيْهِمْ
شَيْئًا خَلِيلًا Allah SWT is addressing the Prophet
and said, if it wasn't for the fact
that we made you steadfast, then you would
have inclined towards them a little bit.
You have inclined towards them a little bit.
What does that mean?
First of all, and the next ayah is
quite severe also, we need to understand that
Allah SWT is the one who reveals the
Quran.
His status is higher than the status of
the Prophet, right?
So because of that, it's quite appropriate for
Allah SWT to say whatever he wants to
the Prophet SAW.
Because after all, our beloved Prophet is the
slave of Allah SWT.
He is the servant of Allah SWT, just
like we all are.
So any harshness that is in the Quran,
or any perception of harshness that is in
the Quran, that is because of that.
Allah SWT is much higher than the Prophet,
and he can say whatever he likes to
the Prophet.
So this is one of those instances.
And there are other places in the Quran
where the Prophet, he forgot to say Inshallah,
so verses were revealed, he frowned at somebody,
and he was reprimanded for that.
So this is another instance of the same
thing.
When these people came to the Prophet SAW
and asked him, something maybe could have crossed
his mind, that why not just let them,
accept these conditions from them, as a stepping
stone, so that they at least accept Islam,
and then maybe they can let go of
these traditions later on.
So maybe that thing crossed his mind, but
he said no, this is not acceptable.
So this is why Allah says, if it
wasn't for the fact that we kept you
steadfast, then it was close that you would
have been inclined towards them a little bit.
Allah SWT says, and this is the verse
that I wanted to focus on, Then we
would have made you taste the punishment of
the world, and the punishment of death, and
then you would not find for yourself, anybody
against us, against Allah SWT, a helper.
So can you imagine how severe this verse
is, in telling the Prophet SAW that he
needs to stay on his principles, on the
principles of Dawahid, and not to waver from
those principles, upon whose foundation is the success
of a person in this world and the
hereafter.
So this is why these verses are quite
severe, and remember what I said, that the
severity or the reprimanding of the Prophet SAW,
was simply because the status of Allah SWT
allows him to do that.
We cannot say these things, we cannot say
anything against the Prophet SAW, but Allah SWT
can.
And also some scholars actually say, that none
of that even happened.
This was not something that even crossed the
mind of the Prophet SAW, that he could
have given them a leeway in their requests.
But Allah SWT is just emphasizing this point,
to get the point across how important Dawahid
is.
That O Prophet of Allah, even though you
are my beloved, and even though I love
you so much, even though you are the
best of creation, if you had wavered in
this issue, then even you would have been
punished.
But you didn't, so that's not going to
happen.
So this is what we need to understand
from this.
And finally the last two verses, وَإِن كَاذُوا
لَيَسْتَفِزُونَكَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ لِيُخْرِجُوكَ مِنْهَا وَإِذَا لَا يَلْبَثُونَ
خِلَافَكَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا This verse was revealed when
the Jews came to the Prophet SAW, and
they said to him, that all the Anbiya
Ali SAW, they came down in the land
of Sham, Bilad al-Sham.
Bilad al-Sham refers to the modern day,
Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, etc.
All of these lands were known as Bilad
al-Sham.
And these were the lands in which the
majority of the Anbiya Ali SAW did come
down.
No doubt.
And that's why Allah SWT says at the
beginning of this surah, الَّذِي بَارَكْنَ حَوْلَ This
is the land around which Allah SWT gave
a lot of barakah.
It was a blessed land.
So they came to the Prophet SAW and
said, that if you were a prophet, then
you would have come over there.
So okay, you came over here to Medina
or Mecca, wherever it is, why don't you
then pack up and go to Sham, so
that at least we can have some kind
of consolation, that if you were not born
there, and if you were not raised there,
at least you went there.
And then if you do that, then we
might accept you as a prophet, and we'd
follow in your footsteps.
So, what happened was the Prophet SAW prepared
himself, he went for Ghazwat Tabuk, and Allah
SWT revealed this verse, وَإِن كَذُوا لَيَسْتَفِزُونَكَ مِنَ
الْأَرْضِ لِيُخْرِجُوكَ مِنْهَا And it is close, indeed
it is close, that they want to extract
you from the earth, meaning the land that
you are in now, Medina or Mecca.
There are two opinions about where this verse
was revealed.
لِيُخْرِجُوكَ مِنْهَا Because they want to expel you
from it.
إِذَا اللَّا يَلْبَثُونَ خِلَافَكَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا And once
they expel you, once you leave, they are
not going to follow in your footsteps, they
are not going to come after you as
they promised, they are just going to turn
around and betray you.
وَإِذَا اللَّا يَلْبَثُونَ خِلَافَكَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا Some scholars
they say that this verse was revealed about
the disbelievers of Quraysh who wanted to expel
the Prophet SAW from Mecca.
And actually this is what happened when the
Prophet SAW was persecuted so much, he had
to leave Mecca, he went to Medina.
So, this is one of the opinions also.
Allah SWT goes on to say, سُنَّةَ مَنْ
قَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنْ رُسُلِنَا وَلَا تَجِدُ لِسُنَّةِنَا
تَحْوِيلًا This is the sunnah of all of
those people that we have sent before you
as a Prophet.
That every single Prophet that came before you,
they were given a hard time, they were
rejected, they were thrown out of their lands,
they were thrown out of their cities, their
families rejected them, their brothers rejected them, and
their close relatives rejected them, their society rejected
them.
And that's why the Prophet SAW, when he
got his first Prophethood, he went to Khadija
RA.
What did Khadija do?
She took him to her cousin Waraqa ibn
Nawfal who was well-versed in the Torah
and the Injil.
And he said that, you have all the
indications of being a Prophet.
And I wish I could be there when
your people turn you out from your city.
Again, this was a standard Prophet SAW who
is well-respected in Mecca.
He is known as Sadiq, he is known
as Alameen, he is known as the truthful
one, the trustworthy one.
People used to leave their possessions with him.
And now all of a sudden, he is
being told by Waraqa ibn Nawfal that you
are going to be thrown out of your
own city in which you were born.
But this is...
He knew from the stories of the previous
Prophets SAW that this is going to happen.
So, this is...
Allah SWT is emphasizing this point.
This is the Sunnah of each and every
Prophet that came before you, O Prophet of
Allah, that they were rejected and they were
thrown out of their cities.
وَلَا تَجِدُوا لِسُنَّتِنَا تَحْوِيلًۭا And you will not
find our Sunnah changing.
Meaning the Sunnah of Allah SWT is not
going to change.
The way that things happen, Allah SWT is
not going to change them from happening.
There are always going to be struggles, there
are always going to be difficulties.
There are going to be difficulties for us
as believers.
Alif Lam Meem أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَن
يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ Do people think
that they're just going to say Aamanna and
they're not going to be tested?
And then on top of that, the Prophet
SAW said about himself أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ بَلَاءً أَن
بِيَاءٌ ثُمَّ الصَّالِحُونَ ثُمَّ الْأَمْثَلْ فَالْأَمْثَلْ The most
difficulty and the most hardship was endured by
Anbiya Ali SWT.
And then the pious people, then according to
their status.
So when people, what happens to them is
when they face a difficulty, they think that
Allah SWT has become their enemy.
They think that Allah SWT is just giving
them a hard time for no reason.
The reality is that the closer a person
is to Allah SWT, the more chances of
that person being tested by Allah SWT and
going through hardships because of the sake of
the Deen.
And this is why the Anbiya Ali SWT
went through those difficulties.
I'm going to stop there, Inshallah.
I pray that Allah SWT gives us Tawfiq
to understand and practice what is being said
and heard.