የቅዱስ ቁርዓን ይዘት ትርጉም - የእንግሊዝኛ ትርጉም - በዶ/ር ወሊድ ብሊሂሽ አል-ዑመሪይ - ገና ያልተጠናቀቀ
وَٱصۡبِرۡ نَفۡسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلۡغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلۡعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجۡهَهُۥۖ وَلَا تَعۡدُ عَيۡنَاكَ عَنۡهُمۡ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَلَا تُطِعۡ مَنۡ أَغۡفَلۡنَا قَلۡبَهُۥ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمۡرُهُۥ فُرُطٗا
[3805] The fact that they are busy with mentioning and praying to their Lord at these two busiest times of the day underlines how devoted they were (cf. Abū Ḥayyān): “Only Allah has a decision; He declares the Truth—He is the best of adjudicators” (6: 57).
[3806] In these early days, the ones who sincerely Believed were mostly from among the underprivileged societal denominations, paupers and slaves, so out of sheer egotism when those belonging to the upper echelons of society wanted to sit with the Prophet they disdainfully demanded these ‘others’ be sent away. Saʿd Ibn Abī Waqqāṣ (رضي الله عنه) said: “We were with the Prophet (ﷺ), six of us, when the Associators said to him: “Send these away, lest they get overfamiliar with us!” He continued: “There were me, ˹ʿAbdullāh˺ Ibn Masʿūd, a man from ˹the clan of ˺ Hudhayl, Bilāl ˹Ibn Rabāḥ˺ and another two men whom I do not know their names. Something ˹of sorts˺ occurred to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and then Allah sent down: “Do not ˹Muhammad˺ turn away those who pray to their Lord early and late in the day”” (Muslim: 2413).
Naturally, the Noble Messenger (ﷺ) did not want to do that but God told him against it as is usually the case with Divine teaching (cf. al-Qurṭubī). Anas Ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Noble Messenger (ﷺ) said: “That I stay with a group of people mentioning Allah from the Fajr Prayer until the sun shines is worthier to me than emancipating four of the ˹noble˺ sons of Ishmael. That I stay with a group of people mentioning Allah from the Asr Prayer until the sun sets is worthier to me than manumitting four ˹slaves˺” (Abū Dāwūd: 3667).
[3807] “˹Thus Muhammad˺ Do not linger your eyes on what We have made parties of them enjoy, do not feel sad over them and lower your wing for the Believers” (15: 88); “And do not linger your eyes to what We have given parties of them to enjoy – the flower of the worldly life – that We may test them therein; the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring” (20: 131).
[3808] Such a person ignored remembering God Almighty so God punished him by making him all the more ignorant (cf. al-Saʿdī): “So turn away from whoever has shunned Our Reminder, only seeking the ˹fleeting˺ life of this world” (53: 29).
[3809] By choosing Denial, idolatry and sinning over Believing, monotheism and dutifulness (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Baghawī, al-Shawkānī).
[3810] Furuṭan (in shambles) originates from al-ifrāṭ which means going to excess without check (cf. Ibn Qutaybah, Gharīb al-Qur’ān, Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah, al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt). That is in all his affairs he exceeds proportionate moderation. Thus, he goes over the Truth leaving it behind his back and his life is at a loss (cf. Ibn Kathīr, al-Biqāʿī, al-Shinqīṭī).
وَقُلِ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمۡۖ فَمَن شَآءَ فَلۡيُؤۡمِن وَمَن شَآءَ فَلۡيَكۡفُرۡۚ إِنَّآ أَعۡتَدۡنَا لِلظَّٰلِمِينَ نَارًا أَحَاطَ بِهِمۡ سُرَادِقُهَاۚ وَإِن يَسۡتَغِيثُواْ يُغَاثُواْ بِمَآءٖ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ يَشۡوِي ٱلۡوُجُوهَۚ بِئۡسَ ٱلشَّرَابُ وَسَآءَتۡ مُرۡتَفَقًا
[3811] Now that this message has been delivered to the Noble Messenger (ﷺ), he is told to unequivocally declare to the Deniers, in the face of their demands, that he would unyieldingly deliver the Message as it is. They are either to Believe or Deny: it is up to them; they should not expect compromises from his side (cf. al-Rāzī, Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[3812] That Truth is from God Almighty Himself nonetheless. So no one should expect it to be altered or changed to accommodate their demands (cf. al-Shawkānī).
[3813] Those who choose Denial over Believing will have Hellfire as their final destination (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr). So that they need to choose carefully (Abū Ḥayyān).
[3814] “Indeed the Deniers are the unjust ones!” (2: 254)
[3815] al-Muhl is generic for molten materials. It could be copper, lead or any such mineral which has reached its maximum temperature and/or murky oil (cf. Ibn Kathīr, al-Sijistānī, Gharīb al-Qur’ān, Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah, al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt). This is what they get for a drink to quench their raging thirst within Hell’s fire and this for choosing Denial over Belief!
[3816] “Verily, how evil an abode and a station!” (25: 66)
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجۡرَ مَنۡ أَحۡسَنَ عَمَلًا
[3817] At the very other end of the extreme are the Believers, regaling like pampered kings in Paradise. The idolaters used to disdain these folk as riff-raff claiming that because of them they would never come to Believe. “Their Lord responded to them that: “I shall never render useless the deeds of any doer of you, male or female; you are each other’s other part. Those who migrated, were expelled from their lands, persecuted in My cause, fought and got killed, I shall expunge their misdeeds and admit them into Gardens under which rivers flow;” a reward from Allah—indeed with Allah is the best of rewards” (3: 195).
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ جَنَّٰتُ عَدۡنٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهِمُ ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ يُحَلَّوۡنَ فِيهَا مِنۡ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٖ وَيَلۡبَسُونَ ثِيَابًا خُضۡرٗا مِّن سُندُسٖ وَإِسۡتَبۡرَقٖ مُّتَّكِـِٔينَ فِيهَا عَلَى ٱلۡأَرَآئِكِۚ نِعۡمَ ٱلثَّوَابُ وَحَسُنَتۡ مُرۡتَفَقٗا
[3818] The following is a detailing of their reward: their abode, their garments and adornments and their regal reclining (cf. al-Rāzī). While the abode of the Deniers is Hellfire, theirs are Gardens of Eternity; while the Deniers are served with muhl, they have whole rivers running under them; while the Deniers burn in Hell, they regale in silk garments and wear gold bracelets (cf. Abū Ḥayyān): “Allah promised the Believers, male and female, Gardens under which rivers flow forever they abide therein and comely abodes in Gardens of Eternity, but a Pleasure from Allah is ˹ever˺ greater; that is ˹truly˺ the great triumph!” (9: 72)
[3819] Jannāt ʿAdn (lit. Gardens of Eternal Residence) (cf. Ibn Kathīr, al-Sijistānī, Gharīb al-Qur’ān, Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah, al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt). Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “In the Gardens of Eternity, ˹there are˺ two gardens. Their utensils and all that is there is made of silver; ˹and another˺ two gardens their utensils and all that is there is made of gold. Nothing keeps its dwellers from seeing their Lord except the Mantle of Loftiness on His Face” (al-Bukhārī: 4878, Muslim: 180).
[3820] The colour green has special significance since Arabs considered it an emblem of kings (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr): “If you were made to see you would see there great pampering and kingship; *on them are garments of green sundus and istabraq; they are adorned with sliver bracelets and their Lord gives them especially pure drink!” (76: 20-21)
[3821] They put on both at the same time: fine silk next to their skin to shield them against the roughness of the gold-threaded brocade, which is their outer garment (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[3822] The reclining posture is symbolic of comfort and luxury (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr, Ibn ʿUthaymīn). It is the favorite poise of kings who are in possession of total indulgence and at their utmost comfort (cf. al-Biqāʿī, Naẓm al-Durar).
[3823] The word ‘retreat’ (murtafaq) is employed to drum up the contrasting picture being drawn here between the ‘sordid retreat’ of the haughty Deniers (cf. Aya 27 above) and the ‘splendid retreat’ of the humble Believers (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).
۞ وَٱضۡرِبۡ لَهُم مَّثَلٗا رَّجُلَيۡنِ جَعَلۡنَا لِأَحَدِهِمَا جَنَّتَيۡنِ مِنۡ أَعۡنَٰبٖ وَحَفَفۡنَٰهُمَا بِنَخۡلٖ وَجَعَلۡنَا بَيۡنَهُمَا زَرۡعٗا
[3824] The following is a morally charged, potent parable of the two parties who stand at both ends of the divide: the have-it-all Deniers and the have-not Believers. Their perception of life could not be more different (cf. Abū Ḥayyān, al-Marāghī).
[3825] That is, the haughty Deniers who looked down on the dedicated Believers and demanded that the Noble Messenger (ﷺ) expel them should he want to have them sit and listen to him (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn ʿArafah, al-Saʿdī).
[3826] Exegetes differed about these two men, whether they were real or figurative (cf. al-Qurṭubī, al-Shawkānī). However, be they real or figurative the moral of the story and how it is employed in the Qur’an is what one should bring to mind (cf. al-Saʿdī).
كِلۡتَا ٱلۡجَنَّتَيۡنِ ءَاتَتۡ أُكُلَهَا وَلَمۡ تَظۡلِم مِّنۡهُ شَيۡـٔٗاۚ وَفَجَّرۡنَا خِلَٰلَهُمَا نَهَرٗا
[3827] If imagined correctly this would portray a very beautiful landscape (cf. al-Zajjāj, Maʿānī al-Qur’ān al-Karīm wa Iʿrābuhu, 284). One that is orderly, pleasing to the eye and replete with plentiful water, greenery and myriad edibles; grapes, palm dates and vegetables (cf. Ibn ʿAṭiyyah).
وَكَانَ لَهُۥ ثَمَرٞ فَقَالَ لِصَٰحِبِهِۦ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَنَا۠ أَكۡثَرُ مِنكَ مَالٗا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرٗا
[3828] This affluent person stands for the arrogant Deniers of Makkah while his fellow stands for the few true Believers who were around the Noble Messenger (ﷺ) at that time (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, al-Qurṭubī).
[3829] Ṣāḥibuhu is the person with whom he is mentioned or the contending other (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr); thus, it is translated here as fellow not friend which is what comes to mind when the word ṣāḥib is mentioned.
[3830] That their interaction is called ‘argument’ (muḥāwarah) shows that he was earlier admonished by his fellow against leading a heathen life. To this he responded with this snobbish reply, meant at belittling his adversary (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[3831] That is having more helpers (children, clan, servants and followers) who would come to his aid when summoned at times of need (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, al-Qurṭubī).
