Surah Zumar, Aayah 22-28

Transcript of Tafseer by Hazrat Mufti Ebrahim Salejee Saheb

أَفَمَن شَرَحَ اللَّـهُ صَدرَهُ لِلإِسلـمِ فَهُوَ عَلى نورٍ مِن رَبِّهِ فَوَيلٌ لِلقـسِيَةِ قُلوبُهُم مِن ذِكرِ اللَّـهِ أُولـئِكَ فى ضَلـلٍ مُبينٍ ﴿٢٢﴾ اللَّـهُ نَزَّلَ أَحسَنَ الحَديثِ كِتـبًا مُتَشـبِهًا مَثانِىَ تَقشَعِرُّ مِنهُ جُلودُ الَّذينَ يَخشَونَ رَبَّهُم ثُمَّ تَلينُ جُلودُهُم وَقُلوبُهُم إِلى ذِكرِ اللَّـهِ ذلِكَ هُدَى اللَّـهِ يَهدى بِهِ مَن يَشاءُ وَمَن يُضلِلِ اللَّـهُ فَما لَهُ مِن هادٍ ﴿٢٣﴾

“Then can the one whose heart Allah Ta’ala has opened for the truth of Islam then goes on constantly receiving the light of his Rabb (can he be equal to the one whose heart is closed to the truth). Then woe to the one whose heart is hardened from receiving the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala and engaging in His remembrance. These are the ones that are in a clear and wrong path. Allah sent down the best message in a book, the book in itself is consistent in itself with often repeated verses and the hearts and the skins of those that fear their Rabb fear and tremor with their hair standing up. Thereafter their skins and their hearts soften towards the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala. Such is the guidance of Allah Ta’ala. He guides with it whomsoever He pleases and whomsoever Allah leaves to stray then they can be no one to guide him.

The Sahaba-e-kiraam wanted to know how do you make out that a person’s heart has been opened for receiving the truth of Islam and receiving the noor of Allah Ta’ala (the special light of Allah Ta’ala), what will indicate and what will prove that this person's heart has been opened for the truth of Islam and that the divine light is settling within his heart? So Rasul-e-Paak (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) explained to them that الإنابة إلى دار الخلود والتجافي عن دار الغرور – Inclination and interest in the hereafter (the permanent home) and a disinterest and disinclination towards this life. والتأهب للموت قبل أوانه – Preparation for death before the time of death can actually arrive. So this is indicative of the fact that this person's heart has been opened for the truth of Islam and the special noor of Allah Ta’ala (the divine light) has settled into his heart. And an indication that a person’s heart has been hardened from engaging in the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala and from the noor of Allah Ta’ala settling in his heart is that his heart is hardened as though it is locked up, it is sealed, it cannot receive that divine light.

The best message that Allah Ta’ala has sent down is the message in His book. The message of the book is consistent within itself through the verses that are often repeated.

The Qur’an has been revealed in parts and portions on different occasions at different times yet you will see that all verses are similar and consistent within themselves. One is similar to the other, one is consistent with the other. The message is one and the same though the Qur’an has explained it from different perspectives and different dimensions. And what is the response and what is the reaction of those who really fear their Rabb? Those who really fear their Rabb on impact they are shaken. As a result you will see the impact on their skins-that the first thing to show the impact is the skin in a human being-when you are shocked and when you are terrified, then the first impression and the first impact is on the skin. You can see the skin responding and reacting, that the hair of the skin stands up and it trembles. So this is the first impact when they recite, when they receive and when they listen to the word of Allah Ta’ala. Thereafter this message of Allah Ta’ala penetrates deeply into their hearts. Then at the second level you will find that their skins and their hearts have softened (have complied) to the word of Allah Ta’ala and they engage in the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala. So one is, at the first impact, then there is some form of fear with the hair standing up then when they have settled, you will find that their hearts and their skins have become totally compliant and softened with the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala. They are prepared to take on anything.

Such is the guidance of Allah Ta’ala. And He guides with it whomsoever he pleases. That their hearts and their skins are totally compliant and softened towards the obedience of Allah Ta’ala and His submission. Basically there are two forms of submission: One is the submission to the happenings and systems of Allah Ta’ala governing us and ruling our lives. At times you will find the person is in poverty and the next person or the same person can be in prosperity. Sometimes it’s adversity and sometimes it’s prosperity. Sometimes it’s riches and sometimes it is rags. Sometimes it is honour and sometime you don’t see this honour. But when a person’s heart has been softened and becomes compliant to the will of Allah Ta’ala in all these conditions, he is comfortable, he does not complain about the poverty and he does not become proud, arrogant and haughty in the face of wealth and riches. So in all conditions his heart has softened and he has humbled himself. Everything is acceptable to him. So this is the first type of command, that is the systems that govern us. And then the other command of Allah Ta’ala, that is the commands of Allah Ta’ala that govern Halaal and Haraam (i.e. the do’s and the don'ts) the prohibitions and the permissions that Allah Paak has given us. So in all these conditions, he is totally compliant, he is not objecting to the command of Allah Ta’ala, not verbally and not from within his mind that, why is this like this and why had this happened like this, why is this person taken away and why am I in poverty and why am I not in riches etc. So these types of questions don’t feature in his mind. He takes it as Allah Ta’ala has ordained. And the one who Allah Ta’ala leaves to stray, then he will not find anyone to guide him.

أَفَمَن يَتَّقى بِوَجهِهِ سوءَ العَذابِ يَومَ القِيـمَةِ

“Can the person wards off the terrible punishment of the Day of Qiyaamah with his face.”

When a person is confronted with problems and he is in some difficulty or danger, then he wards of the difficulty and the problems with his hands and his feet. But on the Day of Qiyaamah his hands and his feet will be binded. He will not be able to ward off that punishment with his hands nor with his feet. So as though he will have to ward it off with his face. His face will be receiving the punishment of Allah Ta’ala directly.

وَقيلَ لِلظّـلِمينَ ذوقوا ما كُنتُم تَكسِبونَ ﴿٢٤﴾ كَذَّبَ الَّذينَ مِن قَبلِهِم فَأَتىهُمُ العَذابُ مِن حَيثُ لا يَشعُرونَ ﴿٢٥﴾ فَأَذاقَهُمُ اللَّـهُ الخِزىَ فِى الحَيوةِ الدُّنيا وَلَعَذابُ الـٔاخِرَةِ أَكبَرُ لَو كانوا يَعلَمونَ ﴿٢٦﴾ وَلَقَد ضَرَبنا لِلنّاسِ فى هـذَا القُرءانِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍ لَعَلَّهُم يَتَذَكَّرونَ ﴿٢٧﴾ قُرءانًا عَرَبِيًّا غَيرَ ذى عِوَجٍ لَعَلَّهُم يَتَّقونَ ﴿٢٨﴾

“And it will be said to the sinners then taste of the fruit of your earnings. Those before them as well had rejected the message, then the punishment had come to them from directions which they had least perceived. Then Allah Ta’ala gave them a taste of disgrace in this life and the punishment of the hereafter is far worse. Had they only known. And Allah Ta’ala sets all types of parables through this Qur’an that mankind may receive admonition. It is a Qur’an that has come down in the Arabic language without any crookedness that they may fear Allah Ta’ala and guard themselves against evil.”

2013-08-13_Surah_39_Ayah_22.mp3

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