Saturday, August 21, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Education and Opportunity?
Education first then opportunity? or
Opportunity first then education?
Some people can learn without knowing the reason why, for them, education first then opportunity. Classrooms are examples of education first. Technical skills are acquired as needed.
Some people need to know why before anything sticks. For them, opportunity first followed by training. Apprentice programs are examples of opportunity first. Academics are acquired as needed.
- Opportunity First versus Academics First
- People, whose ideas changed the way we live have always been in conflict with classroom environments. Innovators are not "A" students, they do not accept the classroom formula for success. They learn with projects, which require opportunity first.
What is Education?
Image by San Mateo County Library via Flickr
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
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Al-FalaqSoorah 113:1-5
An-Naas
Soorah 114:1-6
Name and BackgroundTeachings and Commentary
Ayub A. Hamid
Teachings and Commentary
Name and Background
The last two Soorahs of the Qur-aan will be discussed together.
The names of both of these Soorahs have been taken from the first verse respectively.
These Soorahs teach how the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the believers should seek only Allaah’s refuge from the dangers they face while trying to succeed in living according to the guidance provided by the Qur-aan. The Qur-aan starts with al-Faatiĥah wherein the believers humbly request Allaah to show them the straight path. The whole Qur-aan showed that path, guiding the Islamic movement through all its phases until it succeeded in its mission and victory was declared in Soorah An-Naŝr and defeat of the opponents proclaimed in Soorah Al-Lahab. Then, the guidance was concluded with a concise statement of Towĥeed – the essence of Islam – in Soorah Ikhlaaŝ. Now the Qur-aan is concluding with advice to believers to seek refuge in their Master who showed them the straight path so that they can continue on that path under His protection.
The concept of seeking refuge automatically implies two things: firstly, the seeker feels that he on his own cannot fend off the danger from which refuge is being sought; secondly, the entity whose refuge is sought has the power, resources and means to protect the refugee. These Soorahs teach that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala is the only One Who has that power, authority, means and resources to protect a believer who seeks His refuge.
As both of these Soorahs teach mankind to seek refuge in Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, collectively they are called “Mu‘awwi dzatain” – “the two refuge-seeking” Soorahs.
Teachings
Al-Falaq 113:1-5
In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
1 Proclaim! I seek refuge in the Lord Who brings things out, 2 from the evil of what He has created, 3 from the evil of the darkness as it overspreads, 4 from the evil of the blowers on knots (who practise secret arts or witchcraft) 5 and from the evil of the envier when he envies.
An-Naas 114:1-6
In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
1 Proclaim! I seek refuge in the Lord of people, 2 the King of people, 3 the God of people, 4from the evil of the whisperings of the incessant retreating whisperer, 5 who whispers into the minds of people – 6 whether he is from jinns or human beings.
Commentary
1 Proclaim! I seek refuge in the Lord Who brings things out, 2 from the evil of what He has created, 3 from the evil of the darkness as it overspreads, 4 from the evil of the blowers on knots (who practise secret arts or witchcraft) 5 and from the evil of the envier when he envies.
Instead of using Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala’s Names, the refuge has been sought by using an attribute of Allaah as “the Lord Who brings things out”. The attribute indicates that He is the Lord of things from the evil of which we are seeking His refuge. This implies that as the Lord, He is the only real source of protection from the evil that may emanate from the things that He has created.
The Arabic word used in the first verse is “Falaq” which is usually translated as “Dawn”. The literal meaning of Falaq is “to bring out by splitting or breaking open” such as bringing the plant out by breaking the seed open and by breaking the earth open, or breaking the dawn by making the light come piercing through the darkness. The Qur-aan has used this word for both of these meanings:
“It is Allaah who splits and sprouts a grain-seed or a fruit-stone… He causes the dawn to break;…” (Al-An‘aam 6:95-96)
Thus there is no reason to restrict the translation to “dawn”. It is a general term that is applicable to all things that Allaah brings out by splitting or breaking open whatever is covering them or holding them back, including for example, water springing out of earth, or rain coming out of clouds or an offspring coming out of the womb or an egg, and so on and so forth. Hence, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala is the Lord that brings things out.
The refuge of the Lord Who creates or brings things out has been sought in general from the risks posed by, or evil of, everything He has created. The Creator, Lord or Master of the creation is the only One Who has power over His creations and can protect from their evil – none else can. The point to note is that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala did not create evil; He created everything for a useful role and for goodness in this world. Evil does not have its own distinct existence. In addition to the evil that people commit, the evil includes the risk of problems and dangers inherent in the imperfections of all the creations within this temporary universe. They have been designed with built-in imperfections in order to end at a predetermined time. It is only after this temporary test that a perfect and everlasting universe will be created. Until then, only He can shield His slaves from the problems that may arise out of the people and things that He has created.
After this general request, refuge from three specific risks is being requested in this Soorah and a fourth one in Soorah An-Naas.
1. The risks that are posed by the darkness of night[1]. Nights are dangerous. Dangerous animals emerge and become active at night, and so do criminals. Nights used to be even more dangerous, rather dreadful, at the time of the revelation of these verses because of the danger of night raids from enemies. The opponents of the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam also used to conspire to attack and kill him at night, so that the murderer could not be identified. Because of these dangers, the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam advised the Muslims, “When the sun sets, devils spread out in the land, so keep your children at home and hold your animals in their barns, until the night departs.” Although, not the subject matter being discussed here, an ancillary lesson we should keep in mind is that the youth who stay out at night fall prey to devils and commit immoral and inappropriate acts. Thus it is extremely important that Muslim youth should not stay out late at nights.
2. The evil of the blowers on knots. This refers to those who practise secret arts, magic or witchcraft type of activities. One of the techniques they use to cast a spell is to blow on a thread and tie a knot on every blow, usually seven times. Most of the witchcraft as we know it is usually invalid superstitious practice that is totally ineffective. But some magic taught by Shayŧaan or secret arts taught by angels in the past and handed down over the ages may have an effect on the faculty of mental perception of people. An example is the effect of Egyptian magicians on Moosa ‘alayhissalaam
3. The evil of the envier when he envies. The Arabic word Ĥasad means a feeling of jealousy against another person who has been endowed with some success or something good, and the jealous person wishes that the endowed person is deprived of that success or goodness. As long as the jealous person just burns in his own jealousy and does not take any step under the influence of jealousy, it is hurting only the jealous person, not the victim of his jealousy. But when the jealous person does something to hurt the victim in any way, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala’s help can protect the victim from the evils of the jealous person’s behaviour. Muslims must in particular remember the jealousy of Shayŧaan against us and his vow to remove us from the straight path of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala’s Deen. We must continue to seek Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala’s refuge to protect ourselves from the machinations of the Shayŧaan. That is the only effective way of protection from his incitements.
1 Proclaim! I seek refuge in the Lord of people, 2 the King of people, 3 the God of people, 4from the evil of the whisperings of the incessant retreating whisperer, 5 who whispers into the minds of people – 6 whether he is from jinns or human beings.
This Soorah uses three attributes of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala to seek His protection: Lord of people Who takes care of their needs and provides sustenance, King of people Who rules over them on His own authority and power, and God of people only Who is worthy of and has the legitimate right to be worshipped. Being the Lord, King and God, only He has the power, means and authority to protect people from the machinations, temptations and incitements of the Shayŧaan who wants people to express their gratitude to others for the bounties of Allaah, to disobey Him while obeying their own wishes or wishes of other people, and join others with Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala in worship and devotion.
Shayŧaan incites people by continually whispering his bad ideas and notions into the minds of people. These incitements come in the form of friendly advice, good ideas, and useful innovations. It is done in a manner that people do not even feel that they are being misguided. It continues until the barrier is broken and the person decides to try it only once. Then the next time it becomes easier and easier to have the person repeat the same behaviour until it becomes a part of his personality. Then the incitement starts on the next more serious level of the bad behaviour. The irony is that despite the repeated suggestions in various convincing ways, the Shayŧaan never takes the responsibility of the action of his victim, because all he did was suggest, the decision to act was the person’s own. All these meanings are covered in the “Waswaasilkhannaas” – “whisperings of the incessant retreating whisperer”.
The most important thing to remember in this respect is that such Shayŧaan can be a Jinn who is not visible or a human being, your friend, your colleague and your peer with whom you spend time or to whom you listen. Anyone who suggests something to you that should not be done, regardless of the excuse or the convincing reasons the person uses, is a Shayŧaan from whom you must seek the refuge of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala.
Al-Ikhlaaŝ
Soorah 112:1-4
Name and Background
Teachings and Commentary
Ayub A. Hamid
Name and Background
Like Al-Faatiĥah, the first Soorah of the Qur-aan, the name of this Soorah is not any word from its contents but, instead, the topic of the Soorah has been used as its name.
Ikhlaaŝ means purity and exclusivity. This Soorah describes the pure concept of Towĥeed[1]so that a person can save himself from any notions of equating anything or anyone with Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala in any respect. It corrects a believer’s views about Allaah and negates all forms of Shirk (idolatry or polytheism – misconceived beliefs that people may harbour in terms of assuming partners in Allaah’s person or in His attributes). It does so in such a concise, simple and effective manner that a listener can easily learn, understand and remember it.
When the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was commanded to undertake the Islamic mission, people of the world had adopted a variety of illogical, irrational, erroneous and corrupt views about God. Many Arabs believed in Allaah as the Supreme God, but also worshipped different wooden, stone, golden and silver idols. They also believed that the angels were Allaah’s daughters and that all those idols and daughters were helpers and favourites of Allaah and His partners in divinity. Christians claimed to believe in one God but considered Jesus ‘alayhissalaam as His son. They ascribed divinity to Jesus ‘alayhissalaam as well as the Holy Ghost and regarded them as partners with Allaah. For this reason, some of them considered Mary (Maryam) as the “Mother of God”. Both idolaters and Christians believed that a human being can be God-incarnate. The Jews also claimed to believe in one God but their concept of God was also totally defective. Like Idolaters and Christians, the Jewish concept of God visualized Him in the finite shape of human being and He was described like a finite entity who walked and talked like a human being, who had to go into the garden to find Adam ‘alayhissalaam and to call him in order to locate him, who would wrestle with Jacob ‘alayhissalaam, etc. There were also those who thought that He Himself is everything – everything in the universe being part of God’s own being. None of these people had a clear concept of Allaah being one, unique and infinite in His person, in His attributes and in His ways to make things happen. This Soorah was revealed to correct all those corrupted notions about Allaah. Hence, whenever, any of these groups were encountered and they argued about the attributes of Allaah or wanted to know about Him, this Soorah was recited to them to present the Islamic concept of Towĥeed.
As this Soorah was recited by the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to different groups of people at different times explaining to them about the Islamic concept of God and Towĥeed, some listeners reported as if it was revealed at that time. For this reason, there have been different reports about the timing of the revelation of this Soorah.
This Soorah has been placed at this spot after the announcement of the success of the prophetic Islamic mission and the failure of the opponents to pronounce clearly once and for all the message of Towĥeed – the objective of the Islamic mission. The Qur-aan opened with Soorah Faatiĥah acknowledging the Towĥeed of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala and seeking the right path based on it. Then, after dealing with the different stages of the Islamic mission, the Qur-aan concluded with the declaration of victory and reiteration of the concise message of Towĥeed. The two Soorahs after this describe the best way to protect oneself from deviating from the straight path of Towĥeed. In other words, they describe Allaah’s refuge as the necessary means of persevering on this path.
Teachings
In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
1 Proclaim! He is Allaah, the One and Unique. 2 Allaah is eternally independent on Whom everyone depends. 3 He has not fathered anyone nor was He fathered, 4 nor is there any equivalent to Him.
Commentary
In view of all the cacophony of human views about God that were raging in response to the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s call towards Islam and that continue to rage in the world today, the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the Muslims have been told to proclaim the Towĥeed of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala in a clear, succinct and uncompromising way.
The first verse mentions “Allaah” as the personal name of God and describes Him as “Aĥad”. Although “Aĥad” means “one”, this is a unique and singular use of this word as an attribute of an entity. It has never been used for anyone except for Allaah. In Arabic, “Waaĥid” also meaning “one” is used as an attribute. But “Waaĥid” connotes one out of many or one out of a species. When there are many, “Waaĥid” is used to talk about one of them. The use of “Aĥad” for Allaah signifies His uniqueness, that is, He is not only “One” but also absolutely “Unique”. It refers to His infiniteness in existence, in shape, in nature, in person and in every attribute that we can think of. This uniqueness and infiniteness rejects all notions of His having any finite or human-like shape, acting in a human-like or in any finite manner, being a composite of different entities (whether it is the concept of three-in-one or the concept of everything being part of God Himself or any human capability of becoming a part of God), having a beginning or end, being confined to any place or time for any reason or cause, and so on and so forth. “Aĥad” negates all those notions and speculations about Him that may, in any way, negate His absolute and total Uniqueness vis-à-vis anything He has created.
The second verse describes His attribute of being “Aŝ-Ŝamad”. “Ŝamad” means a big rock or mountain that can be effectively used for protection from enemy attacks. It also means a perfect leader or chief who protects his people from dangers, who fulfills their needs, guides them and solves their problems and, hence, all his people come to him for help. Lest some people conclude from His Infiniteness and Uniqueness that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala is not concerned about the needs and well being of His creations, this verse clarifies that He is “Ŝamad”. Rather, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala is “Aŝ-Ŝamad” – the only perfect, real and eternal “Ŝamad”. Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala is independent of all and no one can be of any help or use to Him, but He takes care of every kind of needs of everyone. In fact He is the only Source on which everyone of His creations depends, and He is the only One Who has the power, resources and might to fulfill the needs of everyone at the same time, all the time.
The third verse explains Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala’s uniqueness and infiniteness further so that this point is absolutely clear. He always was -- He was not born to anyone at any time. He always will be -- and thus, He does not need any offspring to take His place or to do anything whatsoever for Him. He is absolutely above and beyond these finite human attributes and needs of being born, and having children. People must not apply human concepts to the Infinite Creator.
The fourth verse expounds it further that absolutely no entity in the universe can be equal to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala in any respect whatsoever, partner with Him in any matter whatsoever, similar to Him in any way whatsoever or comparable to Him in any manner whatsoever.
Al-Lahab
Soorah 111:1-5
Name and Background
Teachings and Commentary
Ayub A. Hamid
Name and Background
Like many other Soorahs, the name Al-Lahab comes from the first verse.
This Soorah prophesizes about Aboo Lahab and his wife. Aboo Lahab was the worst enemy of the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s Islamic mission and the only such enemy mentioned by name in the Qur-aan, though there were many other enemies of the mission almost as staunch as he was. Thus some background information about him will be pertinent here.
Pre-Islamic Arabia
Aboo Lahab was a brother of the Prophet’s late father. An uncle was considered like a father, especially when the father was not alive. However, Aboo Lahab sided with the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s enemies, breaking the ethical and social rules that were the core of Arabian society.
He was a rich man, but he was also extremely miserly. He never provided any support to his nephew when the Prophet was a child under the care of the other uncle, Aboo Ŧaalib.
At the start of his Islamic mission, when the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam used the morning-danger-call[1] tradition to gather the Quraish and warn them about the Hereafter, before anyone could have responded, Aboo Lahab reacted angrily saying, “Perished be you! Did you gather us for this?”
When the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam invited his close relatives for a dinner to talk to them about Islam and started started talking after the dinner, Aboo Lahab immediately interrupted, did not give the Prophet a chance to say what he wanted to say and caused the gathering to disperse.
One day he asked the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, “If I accept your Deen, what would I get when you succeed?” When he was told that he would be like all other believers, without any special status, he responded, “Perished be this Deen where I am treated equal to everyone else.” He was also extremely annoyed by the Qur-aanic criticism of those who are stingy and by the constant Islamic exhortation about spending in the way of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala to help the poor and the orphans.
Two of the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s daughters were betrothed to two of the sons of Aboo Lahab. When the Prophet started the Islamic mission, Aboo Lahab ordered his sons to divorce Prophet’s daughters, which they did.
When the second and only remaining son of the Prophet died, instead of offering condolences to the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, Aboo Lahab went to the Makkans merrily announcing that Muĥammad had become totally root-less.
When the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam used to go out to bazaars, fairs, exhibitions and pilgrim encampments to invite people to Islam, Aboo Lahab would follow him throwing dust and stones at him and announcing to people, “Do not listen to him, he is a deviant liar”. Aboo Lahab’s word was taken very seriously by outsiders because, according to Arab traditions, a father or uncle’s word about a son carried the most significant weight, and those outsiders did not know the real situation.
When the Makkans boycotted the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s clan, Aboo Lahab sided with the enemies and participated in the boycott of his own clan. In fact, he was so vicious that when his clan would try to buy groceries from trade caravans arriving in Makkah, he would out-bid his clan to make them unable to obtain supplies for their families.
He was the next door neighbour of the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He and his wife used to throw their filthy trash over the wall into the Prophet’s house, which was sometimes aimed at the food being cooked in the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s house. Aboo Lahab’s wife used to put thorny bushes at night right in front of Prophet’s door so that in the morning, when he or his children venture out, they would get hurt.
After the death of Aboo Ŧaalib, the clan’s leadership was inherited by Aboo Lahab who, because of his wealth and religious influence, became the most influential Makkan chief. As the leader of the clan, he withdrew the protection of the clan that had been available to the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam under the leadership of his uncle Aboo Ŧaalib. Deprived of the protection from his own uncle, the Prophet had to seek protection from Muŧ‘am ibn ‘Addi in order to stay and continue his mission in Makkah.
This Soorah announces that he and his wife are doomed to fail in their efforts to eradicate Islam and that they will be severely punished and humiliated in the Hereafter. When was this announcement made, that is, when was this Soorah revealed? Some people think that it was revealed in the early period of Makkah in response to the comments that Aboo Lahab made about the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and Islam using similar words as used in this soorah for him. This assumption is untenable considering that it has never been the style of the Prophet or of the Qur-aan to respond to the enemies in the same harsh language as they used in their animosity. Even if the Qur-aan citicizes someone or prophesizes about the punishment of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala for any people, it does so only after all attempts have been made and all avenues have been exhausted to open the heart of that person to Islam. For this reason, it was revealed late in the Makkan period when his vicious behaviour, which was totally unacceptable from all Arabian and Makkan standards, had become evident to people. If we use the approach, the most pertinent juncture appears to be when Aboo Lahab had withdrawn the clan’s protection and the Prophet had to live under the protection of another clan. At that stage, it had become evident that in his animosity towards Islam and the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, he could do the most unthinkable and abominable act in the eyes of Arabs. Thus, it was sometime after this stage that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala revealed this Soorah to let everyone know that Aboo Lahab was going to be an utter failure and to comfort the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam by informing him of the success of his mission.
The revelation of this Soorah, singling out Aboo Lahab by mentioning his name, underscored another important point – a prophet or a believer does not make any compromise in the matter of principle for a close blood relative. Rather, if a relative is on the wrong, he will be singled out more than another person. Also, the closeness is determined by the strength of the faith, not by blood.
This Soorah announces the failure of Aboo Lahab and his gang immediately after Soorah An-Naŝr announced the victory of the Islamic mission. That is in the same way as Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala said, “The truth came and falsehood vanished.” Banee Israaeel 81:17. Another way to look at the arrangement of the three Soorahs – Al-Kaafiroon, An-Naŝr and Al-Lahab – is in the light of the following statement the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam made after the conquest of Makkah:
“There is no God except Allaah alone; He fulfilled His promise and helped His slave; and defeated all of the opponents by Himself.”
The same statement has been made by the three Soorahs: The uncompromising message of Towĥeed has been conveyed in Al-Kaafiroon, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala’s help and victory has been announced in An-Naŝr and the defeat of the opponents has been predicted in Al-Lahab.
Teachings
In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
1 Perished are Aboo Lahab’s wishes and ruined is he. 2 Neither did his wealth avail him nor did his works. 3 Soon shall he be in a flaming fire; 4 as shall be his wife – the bearer of fuel. 5Upon her neck shall be a halter of strongly twisted palm-fibre.
Commentary
The literal meaning of the first phrase is “Broken are the hands of Aboo Lahab” and that is a proverb to indicate utter failure in one’s plans, goals, wishes, etc., on which a person may have put all his power, money, efforts and/or energies. Although it was a prophesy, past tense was used to indicate its inevitability.
His failure became evident when the majority of his cohorts and accomplices were killed in the battle of Badr. He himself had not participated in the battle because he had sent another person on his behalf in return of a 4,000 dirham loan which the person was unable to pay back to Aboo Lahab. So, when the news of defeat reached him in Makkah, he was so shocked that he fell ill, contracted some infectious disease such as malignant pustule or smallpox and died in seven days. During his sickness, he was abandoned by his family for fear of contracting the disease. They did not even approach his body to bury him after his death. The corpse was rotting for a few days. Then his sons hired some slaves to dispose of his body.
As mentioned earlier, he was one of the four wealthiest men of Makkah, and was extremely greedy and miserly. But all the wealth he accumulated proved to be useless for him.
The Arabic word for “his works” literally means “what he earned”. Some commentators think it means the profits he was earning on his wealth, but the profits are part of the wealth already described. Others think that it means his sons, who were of no help when he needed them in sickness and death.
His wife was very fond of jewellery and used to wear a heavy golden necklace. In her opposition to the Islamic mission and the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, she was like her husband. Some of her behaviour in this respect has already been mentioned above. When this Soorah was revealed and became known to the public, she went looking for the Prophet in a very angry mood. She was reciting poems of condemnation against the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The Prophet was in the Holy Ka’bah along with Aboo Bakr. When Aboo Bakr saw her coming, he expressed his concern that she would misbehave. The Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam comforted Aboo Bakr by assuring him that she would not be able to see him. She approached them, did not see the Prophet but complained to Aboo Bakr that your friend (the Prophet) has said some verse of condemnation about me. Aboo Bakr denied the allegation and she left. Aboo Bakr was right in denying it, firstly, because it was not poetry of condemnation that she was implying, and secondly, it was not from the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam but from Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala.
In the Hereafter, she will be carrying the huge burden of her sins and misbehaviour, and instead of a golden necklace, she will have a thick and coarse rope around her neck.
An-Naŝr
Soorah 110:1-3
Name and Background
Teachings and Commentary
Ayub A. Hamid
Name and Background
The Soorah came to be identified by the word An-Naŝr (The help) from the first verse.
It talks about the help of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, the resultant victory the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam had over the Makkans, the acceptance of Islam by Arabs en masse and the completion of the mission for which the Prophet was sent. It exhorts the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to express his gratitude towards and seek forgiveness of Allaah who made the attainment of these goals possible.
The previous Soorah, Al-Kaafiroon, marked the rejection of the offers of compromise from Makkans. It announced the steadfast continuity of the Islamic mission in an uncompromising way until its objectives were fully achieved and Islam was fully established as a complete and dominant way of life in Arabia
- Bring Arabs back to the Deen of Islam and Towĥeed as it was preached and practised by
Ibraaheem ‘alayhissalaam - Remove the Makkans from the leadership of Arabs and control of the Holy Ka‘abah; and
- Re-dedicate the Holy Ka‘abah to its original purpose of being the centre of Towĥeed and Islamic movement in the world.
This Soorah announces the completion of the mission and achievement of these objectives.
It is evident that this is a Madani Soorah revealed in the last part of the Prophetic mission. However, there are two views about the time of its revelation. Some believe that it was revealed just before the conquest of Makkah informing the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam of how the events were going to unfold. Others are of the opinion that it was the last Soorah (i.e., complete Soorah) to be revealed and that its revelation indicated to the Prophet that, with the completion of the mission, it was time for the Prophet to depart from this world. Thus, it gave to the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam the news of his death and he died within months of its revelation.
In reality, the difference of opinion regarding the timing is moot. The essential point is clear. It announces the successful completion of the mission of the Prophet and exhorts the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to get ready to meet his Lord through extra devotion, glorification and request for forgiveness.
Teachings
In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
1 When Allaah’s help and triumph comes, 2 and you see people entering into Allaah’s Deen[2]in droves; 3 then glorify your Lord with praise and gratitude and seek His forgiveness. He is ever so Accepting of repentance.
Commentary
The triumph herein means the conquest of Makkah and the acquisition of control of the Holy Ka‘bah. This conquest not only opened the hearts and minds of the Prophet’s Makkan adversaries to Islam, it also opened the doors for all Arab tribes to enter into Islam. Arab tribes were watching the struggle between the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and his Makkan adversaries with keen interest. To them, the Prophet’s success over his own people and his own city would prove that he was the true prophet of Allaah. It would also show the viability of his movement and mission. As soon as they saw him succeed in this crucial test in 8 AH[3], they started entering into Islam in droves. The year 9 AH was called the year of delegations because the delegations from different tribes from all over Arabia Arabia
The Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam has been commanded to “glorify your Lord with praise and gratitude and seek His forgiveness”. The first part of this command is expressed by the word Sabbiĥ (Tasbeeĥ) which means glorifying Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala to be above and beyond any weaknesses or imperfections that human beings can think of. The second part is Ĥamd, which means praise that ensues from deep gratitude. The third part is seeking forgiveness.
We know that the prophets are under direct and active supervision of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, Who protects them from making mistakes or committing sins. This quality differentiates them from other human leaders. Every human being makes mistakes. So do the leaders. That is why we cannot follow the model of any human being other than a prophet, because that is the only model which is free from mistakes, errors and sins. So when the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, like other prophets, was sin-free, why was he being asked to seek forgiveness from Allaah?
This forgiveness is not from sins or mistakes, but rather it is an expression of humility in acknowledging and seeking forgiveness for any instance where any of the prophetic responsibilities may not have been performed in its most excellent form or way. These were the kind of matters that were already publicly mentioned in the Qur-aan. Otherwise, his performance was so superb that there is no example of that kind of performance even among all of the prophets and messengers, much less any other human being. He accomplished the most profound revolution, in the most peaceful manner (with the least amount of bloodshed), in the outlook of the biggest number of people in the shortest time. Within 23 years, he made a scattered, illiterate, ignorant, and warring faction of the Peninsula change their beliefs, outlook, manners, morals, ethics, lifestyle, and their social, political and economic systems, united them under law and order and made them the leaders of the civilized world and champions of goodness.
It would have been natural to celebrate and feel pride for this achievement that was and remains unparalleled in human history, but instead he was being exhorted to praise the Lord and seek forgiveness with humility. By teaching the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to praise the Lord, express his Gratitude to Him and seek His forgiveness, the Muslims are being taught that:
§ We should never be proud of any of our achievements; because the success, results, triumph and victory comes from Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala’s help and mercy. Only He makes our humble attempts produce fruitful results;
§ Instead of being proud of what we have achieved, we must thank Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, glorify Him and appreciate His kindness for making our imperfect and less than desirable efforts accomplish good results.
§ We should rather seek Allaah’s forgiveness for the weaknesses and shortcomings that we may have shown while performing our duty to Allaah; we should also seek His forgiveness for our shortcomings in glorifying and thanking Him.
This is the lofty ideal that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala wants Muslims to pursue. It frees a person from any kind of egoistic feelings and develops constructive humility in him.
This attitude makes the people kind to those conquered and to those over whom victory has been achieved. It is in contrast to the vicious behaviour adopted by those who do not know or practice Islamic teachings and the world has observed the viciousness of their behaviour when they gain victory over others.
It will be good to recall that when the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was entering Makkah after gaining victory over those arrogant Makkans who had persecuted him and his followers so viciously, the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam had bowed his head so much in humility and gratitude to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala that his face was almost touching the camel’s back.
According to the exhortation given in this Soorah, he increased the frequency of Allaah’s glorification to an unprecedented level. He frequently was heard saying phrases such as:
Glorified are You O Allaah, for You is all praise and gratitude, I seek your forgiveness and I turn to you in repentance.
Glorified are You O Allaah, for You is all praise and gratitude, O Allaah forgive me.
Glorified is our Lord, for Him is all praise and gratitude, O Allaah forgive me, You indeed are kindly accepting of repentance and forgiving.
(These and similar du‘aas have been reported by Bukhaari, Muslim, Musnad Aĥmad, Aboo Dawood, Nasaai, Ibn Maajah, Ibn Jareer, Ibn Abee Ĥaatim, etc.)
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