النص المفهرس

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answered by counter evil. This is heavy duty. In fact, doing something
like this is most irksome and hard on human temperament. Particu-
larly on occasions such as this, the Shaitan is there to coax someone
very normal into anger and somehow gets his client all set to fight.
Therefore, in the second verse, it has been suggested that in case
emotions of anger seem to be flaring up on such an occasion where
your patience is under test, one should promptly figure out that this
instigation is coming from the Shaitan. It has a standard treatment -
seek refuge with Allah.
It appears in Hadith that two men were quarreling before the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and one of them was getting out of control in his
fit of anger. He looked at him and said, 'I know some words which, if
this person were to say, his rage will go away.' Then, he said, 'here are
the words: ◌ِأَعُرُذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطْنِ الرَّحِيم (I seek refuge with Allah from the
Shaitan, the Accursed). When this person heard the Holy Prophet L.
do we Al reciting it, he immediately said it after him. Suddenly, his
anger was all gone.
An Unusual Coincidence
At this stage, the great Tafsir Ibn Kathir has written about an
unusual coincidence. He says that there are three verses in the entire
Qur'an that appear as an embodiment of high moral teaching - and all
three of them conclude with the need to seek refuge from the Shaitan.
One of these is this very verse of Surah al-A'raf we are talking about.
The second one is the following verse of Surah al-Mu'minun:
إِدُفَعُ بِالَّتِيْ هِىَ أَحْسَنُ السّئَةَ نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَصِفُونَ وَقُلُ ◌َّتٍ اَعُذُ بِكَ مِنْ
هَمَزَتِ الشَّيْطِيْنَ وَأَعُذُبِكَ رَبٍّ أَنْ يَّحْضُرُوْنِ
"Repel the evil with what is good. We know best what they
keep saying and you say: 'O my Lord, I seek refuge with You
against the urgings of the Satans, and O my Lord, I seek
refuge with You from that they be with me - 23:97, 98."
The third verse appears in Surah Ha Mim as-Sajdah (also referred
to as Surah Fuşșilat):
وَلَا تَسْتَوِى الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا الَتِقَةُ، إِدْفَعُ بِالَّتِ هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِيُ بَيْتَكِ
وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهَ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌّ. وَمَا ◌ُلَقُّهَا إِلَّ الَّذِيْنَ صَبَرُوْا، وَمَا يُلَّقُّهَا إِلَّ

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ذُوْحَظٍ عَظِيْمِ. وَإِمَّا يَنْزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَُّطْنِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذُ بِاللهِ، إِنَّهَ هُوَ السَّمِيْعُ
الْعَلِيُمُ .
(And good and bad deeds are not equal. Repel with that which
is better, whereupon he - between whom and you there was
enmity - will be as if a fast friend. [34] And this quality is
granted to none but those who observe patience, and this
quality is granted to none but he who is endowed with a great
fortune. [35] And if you are stricken with a strike from the
Shaitan, then, seek refuge with Allah. Surely, He is the All-
Hearing, the All-Knowing. [36] - 41:34-36)
In these three verses, instruction has been given to forgo and
forgive people who incite anger, to return evil with good and, along
with it, to seek refuge from the Shaitan. This tells us that the Shaitan
takes special interest in human quarrels. Give them any opportunity
where a quarrel is on, the Satans converge on it as their favorite
hunting ground. No matter how sedate and forbearing someone
happens to be, they would still incite him into anger and try to make
them cross the limits.
There is a treatment for it. When a person sees his anger getting
out of control, he should know that Shaitan is winning against his
better self. He should then turn to Allah Ta'ala and seek refuge with
Him. This makes noble traits of character flourish at their best. There-
fore, additional stress has been laid on the need to seek the protection
of Allah against the Shaitan in the third (201) and fourth (202) verses as
well.
Verses 203 - 204
وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِمْ بِيَةٍ قَالُوْا لَوْلَا اجْتَبَيْتَهَا ، قُلُ إِنََّا آَتَّبِعُ
مَا يُؤْخِى إِلَىَّ مِنْ رَّبِّىْءٍ هَذَا بَصَانِرُ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَ هُدَى وَّرَحُمَةُ
لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٢٠٣﴾ وَإِذَا قُرِىَّ الْقُزَانُ فَاسْتَمِعُوْا لَهْ وَأَنْصِتُوْا
لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرُحَمُونَ ﴿٢.٤﴾
And when you do not bring them a sign, they say,
"Could you not make up one?" Say, "I only follow what
is revealed to me from my Lord." This is (a Book of)

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insights from your Lord and a guidance and mercy for
a people who believe. [203]
And when the Qur'an is recited, listen to it and be
silent, so that you may be blessed. [204]
Commentary
Mentioned in the verses cited above is the proof that the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is the true Messenger of Allah. Also answered
there are doubts raised by his antagonists. Then, as a corollary, some
religious injunctions have been taken up.
To prove that they are Messengers of Allah, all prophets, may
peace be upon them all, are given miracles. It was in consonance with
it that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, the foremost among prophets,
was blessed with so many miracles which exceed the number of those
given to past prophets and which are clear too.
The miracles of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم as proved from the
Qur'an, and authentic Hadith reports, are fairly numerous. Muslim
religious scholars have written separate books about them. 'Allamah
Jalalu 'd-Din as-Suyuți's book, al-Khaşais al-Kubra, in two volumes, is
a well-known work on this subject.
But, despite the manifestation of so many miracles, his opponents
stuck to their unreasonable demands asking for ever-new miracles of
their choice. This has also been mentioned earlier in this very Surah.
The first of the two verses cited above provides an answer to their
demand as a matter of principle. To put it briefly, the miracle of a
prophet is a testimony and proof of his mission as a Messenger of
Allah. Take the example of the claim of a plaintiff that stands proved
by some trustworthy evidence. The other party has not challenged it in
any way. If so, no court in the world would give this party the right to
demand from the plaintiff that it would accept the claim only when he
produces its evidence from a number of particularly specified people.
And that the said party would, without challenging the present
evidence, not accept it. Therefore, after having seen so many manifest
miracles, the antagonists had no right to say that they would take him
to be a Messenger of Allah only if he were to show their custom-
ordered miracles. This is nothing but a hostile demand that no court of
justice would accept as valid.

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So, in the first verse (203), it was said when he does not show them
the miracle specified by them, they use it as a pretext to deny that he
was a Messenger of Allah. Had he been one, he would have shown
them the miracle of their choice! The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has
been asked to tell them that his mission does not call for the showing
of miracles on his own. Instead, his basic mission was to follow the
injunctions sent to him by his Lord through the medium of Wahy
(revelation) and it included the task of their preaching as well. There-
fore, he was busy doing what he was assigned to do. As for the verifica-
tion of his status as a Messenger of Allah, the miracles already mani-
fested before them were more than enough for that purpose. Now that
they have already seen those, the demand for some particular miracle
is nothing but an exercise in hostility that is not worth noticing.
Then, out of the miracles shown, the Qur'an by itself is a great
miracle. It has challenged the whole world to come up with a small
Surah the like of it and it has failed to do so. This, then, is an open
sign that the Qur'an is no human word, instead, is the inimitable Word
of Allah, the most exalted.
For this reason, it was said: ◌ُهذَا بَصَائِرُ مِنْ رَّبِّكُم (This is (a Book of)
insights from your Lord). It means that this Qur'an has come from
your Lord as a compendium of many proofs and miracles. Whoever
deliberates into it, even summarily, could not part with it without
believing that it was nothing but the Word of Allah, the most exalted,
and that nothing created has anything to do with it. After that, it was
said : ◌َوَهُدِّى تَّرَحُمَةٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُون (and a guidance and mercy for a people who
believe). It means that, no doubt, this Qur'an is a proof of what is true
for the whole world, but it is an escort to the purpose of life and a
medium of deserving the mercy of Allah Ta'ala only for those who
believe in it.
In the second verse (204), we have been told that the Holy Qur'an
has come as mercy for the believers. But, in order to benefit from this
mercy, there are some conditions and rules of conduct. These have
وَإِذَا قُرِئَّ الْقُوَّانُ فَاسْتَسِعُوا لَا:been delineated in the form of a general address as
Kal, (And when the Qur'an is recited, listen to it and be silent).
There are different reports about the background of these verses
and about whether this injunction has appeared about the recitation of

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the Qur'an in Salah, or in Khutbah, or relates to the recitation of the
Qur'an in an absolute sense, be it in Salah or Khutbah or in some other
condition. But, according to the majority of commentators, the correct
position is that the way the words of the verse are general, so the rule
laid down therein too is generally applicable to all conditions - except
some particular occasions.
Therefore, the followers of Hanafi School hve taken this verse to
prove that the persons offering their prayer behind an Imam (i.e. the
muqtadis) should not recite. Even Muslim jurists who have directed
the muqtadis to recite Alfatihah behind the Imam, they too, having
kept this verse in view have suggested that a muqtadi should recite
only in an interval when the Imam is silent. However, this is not the
appropriate occasion to take up this debate. Those interested may
refer to standard works, brief or detailed, written by scholars on the
issue.
The main subject of the verse is not but that the people for whom
the Qur'an has been declared to be mercy should realize the condition
that they have to recognize the etiquette and respect aligned with the
Qur'an and observe it literally in practice. Then, the cardinal etiquette
of the Qur'an is that listeners should lend their ears to it when recited
and remain silent.
The sense of lending ears to it not only includes listening to it but
also obeying it and making the effort of acting in accordance with its
injunctions. (Mazharī and Qurtubi) Then, by saying: 3%, i (so that you
may be blessed) at the end of the verse, a clear hint is given that the
mercy of Qur'an depends on the observance of rules of etiquette
mentioned above.
Some important rules relating to listening and remaining
silent when Qur'an is being recited
In contrast with what has been said above, it is obvious that
whoever flouts these rules and shows disrespect to the Qur'an will
deserve Divine wrath, not mercy.
As for listening to the recitation of the Qur'an in the Salah and
remaining silent therein, Muslims generally know about it - though,
they do fall short in practice. Some of them would not even be aware of

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the Surah recited by the Imam. For such people, it is imperative that
they should realize the greatness of the Qur'an, and listen to it atten-
tively. This Islamic legal norm applies to the Khutbah of Jumu'ah etc.
In addition to this verse, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has particu-
larly said about the Khutbah:
اذا خرج الامام فلا صلوة ولا كلام
When the Imam comes out (for Khutbah), then, there is no
Salah and no conversation.
And it also appears in a Hadith that no one should say anything to
anyone during Khutbah, not even a verbal advice is allowed to be given
to another person to keep silence (if it has to be done, making a sign by
hand should be enough). The objective is to emphasize that, during the
Khutbah, no conversation of any kind, tasbih, durud or Șalah or acts of
similar nature are permissible.
Muslim jurists have said that the rule which applies to the
Khutbah of Jumu'ah applies to the Khutbah of the two 'Eid prayers
and that of Nikah (marriage) for, at that time, listening to it and
remaining silent is obligatory (wajib).
However, in case someone is reciting on his own under usual condi-
tions other than Salah and Khutbah, the question arises: Will others be
required to be silent and listen to it? Whether or not would it be oblig-
atory (wajib) on them? The positions taken by Muslim jurists in this
matter differ. Some consider listening and remaining silent in this
condition too as wajib and doing against it a sin. It is for this reason
that they have ruled that it is not permissible for anyone to recite the
Qur'an in a loud voice at places where people are busy doing their
chores or are resting. They have also said that anyone who recites the
Qur'an in a loud voice in such surroundings shall be a sinner. This is
as it appears in Khulasatu 1-Fatawa and other juristic works.
But, some other jurists have distinguished different situations
from one another by saying that listening attentively is wajib only on
occasions where the Qur'an is being recited for the express purpose of
being listened to - such as, in Salah and Khutbah etc. And should it be
that someone is reciting on his own, or some people are doing their
own recitation at one place, then, it is not wajib to listen and be silent.

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The reason is that it stands proved on the authority of sound Ahadith
that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to recite the Qur'an in his
nightly prayers in a raised voice. At that time, his blessed wives would
be sleeping. At times, his voice could also be heard from outside his
roomette.
There is a Hadith in al-Bukhari and Muslim. It says that the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم made a stop on his journey and when morning
came he said , 'I recognized my Ash'arite companions by the voices of
their recitation of Qur'an during the darkness of the night and was
able to pinpoint the direction and location of their tents - though, I had
no idea during the day as to where they stay.
This event shows that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم never asked
these Asharite companions as to why they were reciting the Qur'an in
a loud voice, nor did he tell those sleeping that they all had to get up
and listen to the Qur'an when it was being recited.
As based on narratives such as these, jurists have given some
.
leeway in the case of recitation outside Salah. But, they all consider it
better and preferable to listen and be silent when the sound of the
recitation of the Qur'an comes from somewhere - even if it is outside
the Salah. For this reason, in places where people are resting or
working, it is not appropriate to recite the Qur'an in a loud voice.
This exposes the error of people who turn their radios to full
volume at the time some program of recitation from the Qur'an comes
on the air, particularly at places and gatherings where the crowd
would not listen to it attentively. Similarly, the practice of relaying the
recitation of the Qur'an from the public address systems of mosques
late at night, in a manner that the sound goes out and disturbs the
sleep of the sleeping or the work of the working, is not correct.
'Allamah ibn al-Humam has written that, at the time the Imam in
Şalah, or the Khatib in Khutbah, is reciting something about the
Jannah or Jahannam, then, at that time, it is not permissible even to
pray for Jannah or seek refuge from Jahannam. The reason is that,
according to this verse, the promise of mercy from Allah Ta'ala is for
the person who remains silent when the Qur'an is being recited - and
whoever does not remain silent, to him the promise does not apply.

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Yes, if one supplicates voicelessly after the recitation of such verses
during his nafl prayers, it is an act proved by Sunnah, and is worthy of
reward as well. (Mazhari)
Verses 205 - 206
وَاذْكُرُ رَبَّكَ فِيْ نَفُسِكَ تَضَرُّعًا وَخِيفَةً وَّدُوُنَ الْجَهْرِ مِنَ
الْقَوْلِ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْإِصَالِ وَلاَ تَكُنُ قِنَ الْغُفِلِيْنَ ﴿٢.٥) إِنَّ
الَّذِيْنَ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ لَا يَسْتَكُوْنَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَ يُسَبِّحُوْنَهُ وَلَهُ
ع السجدة
99
﴿٢٠٦﴾
يَسْجُدُونَ
And remember your Lord in your self with humility
and fear, and without speaking loudly, in mornings and
evenings, and do not be among the heedless. [205]
Surely, those who are with your Lord are not arrogant
against His worship, and they proclaim His purity, and
before Him they prostrate. [206]
Commentary
That the Holy Qur'an should be listened to and that due etiquette
should be observed when doing so was the subject in previous verses.
Described in the present two verses, as held by the majority of
commentators, is the injunction to remember Allah, in an absolute
sense, as well as its attending etiquette - which includes the recitation
of the Qur'an. However, according to Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas
Le Algo), the word: Ss (dhikr: remembrance) as it appears in this verse
means the Qur'an, and the rules of etiquette enunciated therein are
also related to its recitation. But, this does not make much of a differ-
ence because according to the consensus of all, other modes of remem-
brance (adhkar: plural of dhikr), in addition to the Qur'an, are
governed by the same injunction and the same rules of etiquette.
In short, in this verse, human beings have been commanded to
remember Allah and told when to do it and how to do it.
Rules of Voiced and Voiceless Remembrance [Dhikr]
The first rule of etiquette relates to the doing of Dhikr in a lowered
or loud voice. The Holy Qur'an has given two choices about that in this
verse. It can be made secretly and voicelessly and it can be made

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openly and loudly. About the voiceless Dhikr, it was said: aR & d&l;
which has been translated here literally as 'and remember your Lord
in your self (or, in your heart). This too would, take two forms: (1)
That one does not move his tongue and simply thinks of Allah and His
attributes in his heart that is known as al-dhikr-al-khafiyy (Dhikr of
the heart) or tafakkur (pondering). (2) That one brings his tongue in
alignment with what is happening in the deep recesses of his heart,
lowers his voice and renders the letters carrying Divine names. The
most preferred form of doing it is to first understand the sense of what
is being said. Then, in synchronization with it, let him do two things
simultaneously: Be fully conscious of its presence in his heart with his
span of attention riveted to it and then, verbalize it too. The reason is
that this is a form in which the tongue also joins in the Dhikr along
with the heart. And if someone were to remain devoted to the thought
within his heart alone, without uttering any word from his tongue,
that too is a reward-worthy act in its own place. However, the lowest
degree of it would be uttering the words of Dhikr but the heart stays
denuded with it, even heedless towards it. About a Dhikr like that, the
great sage, Rumi said:
بر زہاں تسبیح ودر دل گاؤخر ایں چنیں تسبیح کے دارد اثر
On the tongue, glory to God
Cow and donkey in the heart!
What remembrance is it?
How effective will it be?
What sage Rumi means is that Dhikr made through a heedless
heart brings no vestiges and blessings of the genuine act of Dhikr. It
does not rule out the reward and benefit that may issue forth from
what may be a bland verbal Dhikr because there are occasions when
this very verbal Dhikr becomes the channel, source and cause of the
Dhikr of the heart. The constant utterance of the tongue starts
affecting the heart as well. In case that does not materialize, no less is
the satisfaction that there is at least one part of the body busy with
the Dhikr of Allah. If so, that too is not devoid of its benefits and
rewards. Therefore, people who fail to experience peace, attention and
sense of presence in their Dhikr and Tasbih (act of remembrance and
glorification of Allah) should not abandon it as something useless.

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They should, rather, continue with it and keep trying to attain the
required degree of attention.
The second method of Dhikr has been given within this verse by
saying: ◌ِوَدُوْنَ الْجُهُرِ مِنَ الْقَوُل (and without speaking loudly). It means that it
has to be in a lowered voice as compared to a raised voice. In other
words, the person who is engaged in the Dhikr of Allah does have the
option of doing a voiced Dhikr but its etiquette demands that one
should not do it too loudly reaching the outer limits of shouting and
screaming. Doing it in an average voice with due regard for the rever-
ence-worthy nature of the activity is better. The fact is that doing the
Dhikr of Allah and the recitation of the Qur'an very loudly is a sign of
disrespect one has in his heart for the addressee. Is it not that one
cannot naturally speak up in a loud voice before someone he revers by
heart? Therefore, when the usual Dhikr of Allah or the recitation of
the Qur'an is made vocally, one has to be careful not to let the voice be
raised any more than necessary.
To sum up, three methods of the Dhikr of Allah and the recitation
of the Qur'an come out of this verse. (1) Concentrate on the Dhikr of
the heart only, that is, consider it sufficient to imagine and deliberate
on the meanings of the Qur'an, and Dhikr, while keeping the tongue
totally unmoved. (2) Also move the tongue along with the Dhikr of the
heart, without raising the voice to the level of being heard by others.
Both these methods are included under the Divine command of: JE's,
W 2 (And remember your Lord in your self). (3) The third method of
Dhikr is that, alongwith attention by heart, there is a movement of
tongue with voice, but it should not be raised any higher than neces-
sary, in fact, it should be limited to the average level. This method has
been proposed in the Qur'anic statement: ◌ِوَدُونَ الجُهُرِ مِنَ الْقَوْل (and without
speaking loudly). Another verse of the Qur'an has explained it further
by saying: وَلا تَجُهَرُ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتُ بِهَا وَابْتَغْ بَيْنَ ذلِكَ سَبِيْلًا It commands the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that he should not recite the Qur'an in a voice
rising too high nor in a voice lowered too much. Instead, he should
maintain a middle level between the two - [17:110].
This was the instruction given by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to
Sayyidna Abu Bakr and Sayyidna 'Umar رضى الله عنهم أجمعين about the reci-
tation of the Qur'an in Salah.

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صلى الله عليه According to an authentic Hadith, once the Holy Prophet
du, came out of the house late at night. When he reached the house of
Sayyidna Abu Bakr as Ul y»,, he saw him busy with Salah but he was
reciting in a lowered voice. Then he reached the house of Sayyidna
'Umar, e Algo, and saw that he was reciting in a raised voice. When
these two companions came to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in the
morning, he said to Sayyidna Abu Bakr ar Ul (+), 'when I went to you
last night, I noticed that you were reciting in a lowered voice.' Sayy-
idna Abu Bakr submitted, 'ya rasulallah, the One I was reciting for has
heard it. That is sufficient.' Similarly, he said to Sayyidna 'Umar, 'you
were reciting in a raised voice.' He submitted, 'By raising my voice in
the recitation, I intended to drive away sleep and Shaitan both.' Giving
his verdict, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم instructed Sayyidna Abu
Bakr ate Algo, to raise his voice a little bit and asked Sayyidna 'Umar
(to somewhat lower it. (Abu Dawud رضى الله عنه
According to a report in Tirmidhi, some Companions asked Sayy-
صلى الله about the recitation of the Holy Prophet رضى الله عنها idah 'A'ishah
Ly ude whether he did it in a raised voice or a lowered voice. She said,
'at times he would do it loudly and at others, in a lowered voice. He
recited both ways.'
Some early elders have favored reciting loudly during nafl Salah at
night and in recitations outside the Salah, while some others have
preferred reciting softly in a lowered voice. Therefore, Imam Abu
Hanifah has said that the person reciting has the choice of reciting
either way. However, it is unanimously agreed that reciting loudly has
some conditions to it. Firstly, there should be no apprehension of
showing off in doing so. Secondly, the voice of the person reciting
should not cause any inconvenience or pain to others. For example, it
should not interfere in the Salah or recitation being made by others, or
in their work, or rest. Under such eventualities, reciting in a low voice
is more meritorious as unanimously held by all.
Then, the rule that applies to the recitation of the Qur'an also
applies to other Adhkar and Tasbihat in that these could be made in a
voice loud or low. It is permissible to do it either way - subject to the
condition that the voice should not be so loud as to be against the
norms of humbleness of heart and the formal etiquette of spiritual

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devotion. In addition to that, the voice of the person so engaged in
remembering Allah and glorifying Him should cause no disruption in
the activities of people working or resting.
As to what is more meritorious - loud or low - it depends on who is
doing it and under what conditions. The verdict differs. For some, loud
is better, for others, low. Then, there are times when loud is better and
there are other times when keeping it low or voiceless is beneficial.
(Tafsir Mazharī, Ruh al-Bayan etc.)
The second rule of etiquette mentioned in the verse under discus-
sion requires that Tilawah and Dhikr should be made humbly which is
the outcome of one's realization that Allah Ta'ala is great and most
exalted and that one keeps the meaning and sense of what he or she is
saying in sight.
The third rule of etiquette comes out from the word: w's (khifah:
fear) in this very verse (205). Here, we have been told that one should
be in a state of awe and fear while reciting or making Dhikr. As for
fear, it means the fear of not being able to do justice to the great task
of worshipping Allah and recognizing His greatness - perhaps, we may
fall short or do something contrary to His reverence due on us. In addi-
tion to that, we have to be actively conscious of our sins and be fearful
of His punishment, fearful of what would happen to us in the end for
we do not know what and how it will be. So then, Dhikr and Tilawah
have to be done in the manner of a person who has been subdued by
an aura of awe and fear.
These rules have also appeared in an earlier verse of this very
Surah al-A raf where they relate to prayer : ◌ٌأُنَهُوا رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَتُحُفْيَة (Supplicate
to your Lord humbly and secretly - 7:55). Here, instead of me; (khifah:
fear), the word: un (khufyah: secretly) has been used which means
saying it softly in a low voice - as though, it is also a rule of etiquette
that Dhikr and Tilawah should be done softly in a lowered voice. But,
this verse makes it clear at the same time that doing voiced Dhikr is
not prohibited, however, it is subject to the condition that one does not
raise his voice more than necessary, definitely not so high as would
cause the state of fear and humbleness to disappear.
Given towards the end of the verse are the timings of Dhikr and
1

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Tilawah - that it should be done in the mornings and evenings. It
could also mean that one should be busy with the remembrance of
Allah at least twice a day in the morning and the evening. And it is
also possible that by saying mornings and evenings, the reference is to
all timings of the day and night on the analogy of saying East and
West and thereby meaning the whole world. If so, the verse would
mean that one must remain committed to Dhikr and Tilawah always,
under all conditions. Sayyidah 'A'ishah Que UI _+, says that the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was devoted to the remembrance of Allah at all
times and under all conditions.
At the end of the verse, it was said: ◌َوَلَا تَكُنُ مِّنَ الْغُفِلِين (and do not be
among the heedless) which means that abandoning the remembrance
of Allah and joining the heedless is a great loss.
The last verse (206) depicts the particular state and style of those
close to Allah so that others may learn their lesson from it. It is said
that those who are close to Allah Ta'ala show no arrogance against
worshipping Him. Being 'with' Allah Ta'ala means being among those
approved of and accepted by Him. This includes all angels and all
blessed prophets and the most righteous men and women of the
Muslim community. As for the sense of arrogance in this context, it
means that they do not assume airs and do not fall short in their acts
of worship on the false assumption of being big and special. Instead of
doing anything of that sort, they take themselves to be weak and
needy before Allah and keep devoting themselves to His remembrance,
worship and glorification showing their ultimate humility by pros-
trating before their Lord in sajdah.
From here, we also learn that people who are blessed with the
ability to engage in perpetual worship and remembrance of Allah are
blessed with the sign that they are 'with' Allah all the time and fortu-
nate to have His company.
Sajdah: Some merits and rules
Sajdah (prostration) as a unit of the Islamic 'Ibadah of Salah has
been mentioned here exclusively since it occupies a distinct place
among the rest of the units of Salah.
It appears in Şahih Muslim that a person asked Sayyidna Thawban

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at All ), 'tell me about something I should do that will take me to
Paradise.' Sayyidna Thawban us Ulu», remained silent. He repeated
the question. He still remained silent. When he came up with the
question the third time, he said, 'I had asked the same question from
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and he had ordered me to make sajdah
repeatedly because for every sajdah you do, Allah Ta'ala increases a
rank and forgives a sin.' This person says that following his meeting
رضى 'he met Sayyidna Abu al-Darda ,رضى الله عنه with Sayyidna Thawban
as JI. He put the same question to him and he was given the same
answer.
Again in Şahih Muslim, but on the authority of Sayyidna Abu
صلى اللّه it has been reported that the Holy Prophet ,رضى الله عنه Hurairah
dy Lle said, 'a servant of Allah is closest to his Lord when in sajdah.
Therefore, when you are in a state of sajdah, pray most ardently, for it
is strongly hoped that it will be answered.' 1
Let us bear in mind that Sajdah, by itself, is not a recognized act of
'Ibadah. Therefore, according to Imam Abu Hanifah, prostrating in
Sajdah abundantly means that one should offer nafl Salah abundantly.
An increased number of nafl Salah would naturally result in an
increased number of Sajdahs.
But, if a person were to go in Sajdah alone and supplicate after
that, it really does not matter. As for the instruction to supplicate in
Sajdah, it is particular to Nafl Salats. It is not mandatory.
Surah al-A'raf ends here. Its last verse is an Ayah of Sajdah
(requiring the person reciting and the person listening to prostrate in
Sajdah). According to a report from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah as dl,
appearing in Sahih Muslim, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'when
a son of Adam recites a verse of Sajdah and then prostrates in Sajdah,
the Shaitan runs crying. He says: Alas, man was asked to prostrate in
1. It should be borne in mind that supplication in sajdah should be in nafl
salah and using the Arabic prayers either mentioned in the Holy Qur'an
or in the sunnah of the Holy Prophet t . However, in a sajdah meant for
supplication only, one can pray in whatever language he wishes
(Muhammad Taqi Usmani)
1

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Sajdah and when he obeyed, Paradise became his home, and I was
asked to prostrate in Sajdah and when I disobeyed, Hell became my
home.'
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on Surah al-A'raf
Ends here.

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 1
Surah Al-Anfal
[The Spoils]
Surah Al-Anfal was revealed in Madinah and it has 75 Verses and 10 Sections
بِسُمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمْنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful.
Verse 1
يَسْتَلُؤْنَكَ عَنِ الْآَنْفَالِ، قُلِ الْآَنْفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَ الرَّسُوْلِّ فَاتَّقُوا اللهَ
وَأَصْلِحُوا ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمْ وَاَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُوْلَةٌ إِنْ كُنْهُمْ
مُؤْمِنِینَ
They ask you about the spoils. Say, "The spoils are for
Allah and the Messenger." So, fear Allah, and set your
relations right, and obey Allah and His Messenger, if
you are believers. [1]
Thematic Contents of the Surah
Surah Al-Anfal now opening here is a Madani Surah. Surah Al-A'raf
which appeared previous to it carried a description of the ignorance
and hostility from the Mushrikin and the disbelief and mischief from
the people of the Book, as well as a discussion of the subjects related to
these.
In this Surah, most of the subjects are connected with the battle of
Badr which was the occasion when these very people met their sad end
in defeat and Muslims succeeded in scoring a victory against them.
This was Divine favour and blessing for Muslims and a punishment
and retribution for disbelievers.

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 1
Since the main reason behind this blessing and reward for
Muslims is their absolute sincerity, Godliness and unity - and this
sincerity and unity is a result of their total obedience to Allah and His
Messenger - therefore, it is at the very beginning of the Surah that
stress has been laid on righteous conduct rooted in the fear of Allah
(Taqwa) and on obedience due to Him and His Messenger - and on the
need to remember Allah and to trust in Him (Dhikr of Allah and
Tawakkul mentioned in verse 2).
Commentary
This verse is related to an event which came to pass in the battle of
Badr. If this event is kept in sight before going to the detailed explana-
tion of the verse, it will make it easy to understand.
What happened is that Muslims, when they won in the battle of
Badr - the first confrontation of Kufr and Islam - they had some war
spoils on their hands. Its distribution led to a state of affairs among
the noble Companions which did not befit the high standard of
sincerity and unity around which the whole life of these blessed souls
was moulded. Therefore, it was within the very first verse, that the
standing policy on this subject was settled for ever - so that, there
remains nothing in the hearts of this group of people blessed with
sanctity, except truth, sincerity, unity and sacrifice.
Details of this event have been reported in the Musnad of Ahmad,
Tirmidhi, Mustadrak of Hakim and elsewhere in the words of Sayyidna
'Ubadah dulys, who was a participant in the battle of Badr.
According to the report, someone asked Sayyidna 'Ubadah ibn Şamit
about the meaning of the word: al-anfal in the verse cited above. He
said, "This verse has, of course, been revealed about us, that is, about
participants in the battle of Badr. This was in the background of some
difference of opinion which arose among us as to the distribution of
war spoils and which affected our moral conduct adversely. Then,
through this verse, Allah Ta'ala took away the spoils from our hands
and entrusted them with the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم who distrib-
uted them equally over all those who had participated in the Jihad of
Badr.
The situation at the battle of Badr was that all of us marched out
with the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. It was after a tough fight between

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 1
the two groups that Allah Ta'ala had the enemy defeated. At this
point, our forces were split in three sub-groups. Some pursued the
enemy so that they would not come back. Some went on to collect
spoils left by the disbelievers, while some others formed a cordon
around the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and kept guarding him against
any surprise attack by the enemy in ambush somewhere. When
fighting was over, the night came and everyone returned to home base,
those who had collected spoils said: We have collected this booty,
therefore, no one but us has a share in it. And those who had pursued
the enemy said: You do not deserve it more than us because we were
the ones who forced the enemy to retreat and run and which gave you
the opportunity to collect spoils in peace . And those who remained
standing around the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to protect him said: If
we wanted to, we too could have joined you in collecting the spoils with
you, but we devoted ourself to the task of seeing that the Holy Prophet
.remains protected, so, we too are deserving of it صلى الله عليه وسلم
This conversation among the Companions ultimately reached the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم whereupon this verse cited above was
revealed. It made it very clear that the spoils belonged to Allah. There
was none to own it or stake a claim over it, except the one to whom the
صلى اللّه would give it. As for the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم Holy Prophet
duy ude, he distributed the spoils equally over all participants of the
Jihad as ordained Divinely. (Ibn Kathir) Everyone was pleased with this
decree of Allah and His Messenger - and naturally ashamed of the
unbecoming state of affairs which arose between them because of their
mutual approach to remain ahead of the others.
Also in the Musnad of Ahmad, reported there is another event
which spells out the background in which this verse was revealed. It
has been narrated by Sayyidna Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas & Al »,. He says:
'My brother, 'Umayr fell a martyr in the battle of Badr. Out of the
disbelievers who were arrayed against him, I killed Said ibn al-'Aş. I
took his sword and presented myself before the Holy Prophet e ill L.
,. I wished that this sword be given to me. But, the Holy Prophet
que All ordered me to deposit it with the spoils. I was duty-bound to
obey his order, but my heart ached with the thought that my brother
laid down his life in this Jihad and I killed the enemy confronting him

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 1
and took possession of his sword, yet that too was taken away from
me. However, despite this thought, I stepped forward to carry out the
Commander's command and deposit the sword with the spoils. But, I
had hardly gone far enough when this verse of Surah Al-Anfal was
revealed to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم who called me back and let
me have this sword.' According to some other narrations, it is also
reported that Sayyidna Sa'd . My, had himself requested the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that the particular sword be given to him, but he
had said: "This is not my property which I could give to someone, nor is
this owned by you. Deposit it with the rest of the spoils. This matter
will be decided in accordance with what Allah decrees.' (Ibn Kathir,
Mazharī)
It is not unlikely that both these events may have come to pass and
the verse may have been revealed in answer to both.
A detailed explanation of the verse:
Here, the word: Just (al-anfal) is the plural of ja nafl which means
grace and reward. Nafl Şalah, Şawm and Sadaqah are called Nafl
because they are not compulsory or obligatory on anyone. Those who
do these do so out of their free will. In the terminology of Qur'an and
Sunnah, the words nafl and anfal are also used for spoils or booty
obtained from the disbelievers at the time of Jihad. But, the Qur'an
has used three words to carry this sense, that is, Just : anfal, Lust:
ghanimah and : fai'. The word: anfal appears right here in the
present verse. As for the word: ghanimah, its details will appear in
verse 41 of this very Surah. Then, details relating to the word: : fai'
find mention in Surah Al-Hashr: 'Luft; (and what Allah made His
Messenger get - 59:6). The meanings of these three words differ with
slight variation. Since the difference between them is slight, there are
occasions when one word is used for the other to mean spoils in the
absolute sense. Ghanimah generally carries the sense of booty obtained
from the adversary through fighting in Jihad. Fai': __ is booty obtained
from the disbelievers without active fighting and killing, whether they
abandon it or agree to give it up voluntarily. Then, nafl and anfal are
also used to refer to the reward which the Supreme Commander of
Jihad may bestow upon a particular Mujahid in return for his exem-
plary performance. This meaning has been reported from Sayyidna

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Surah Al-Anfal : 8 : 1
'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas at All ge, as in Tafsir Ibn Jarir. (Ibn Kathir) Then,
there are occasions when spoils as such are also identified through the
terms of nafl and anfal. In this verse, most commentators have gone by
this very general meaning. The same general meaning has been
reported from Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas as ul ya, in the Sahip of
Al-Bukhari. The truth of the matter is that this word is used to carry
both meanings, the general and the particular. Therefore, no differ-
ence exists here. And the best explanation in this connection has been
given by Imam Abu 'Ubayd in his Kitab al-Amwal. He says: Lexically,
nafl means grace, reward or gift - and it is a very special blessing of
Allah Ta'ala bestowed upon the Muslim Ummah, the most fortunate
recepients of His mercy - in that the properties obtained from disbe-
lievers through fighting in Jihad were made lawful for Muslims.
Otherwise, the practice did not exist among past communities. In fact,
the law which governed spoils was that such property was not lawful
for anyone. All spoils were collected and deposited at one place, then, a
fire or lightening would come from the heavens and burn it up. This
was supposed to be a sign indicating that the God-oriented fighting
was acceptable in His sight. If spoils so collected and deposited were
not burnt up by the lightening from the heaven, it was supposed to be
a sign that the effort was not acceptable. Therefore, the later spoils
were considered rejected and ill-omened because of which it was not
used by anyone.
Based on a narration from Sayyidna Jabir as JI », appearing in Al-
Bukhari and Muslim, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been reported
to have said: I have been blessed with five things which were not given
to any prophet or his community before me. One of the five is: l
that is, 'made lawful for me are the spoils, though الغنائم ولم تحل لاحد قبلى
they were not lawful for anyone before me.'
The injunction of 'anfal' given in the cited verse is: "The spoils are
for Allah and the Messenger." What it means is that its real ownership
is that of Allah while the right of their disposal rests with the
Messenger of Allah who distributes these in accordance with the
command of Allah at his discretion.
Therefore, a group of leading authorities in Tafsir, with Sayyidna
'Abdullah ibn 'Abbase July»), Mujahid, 'Ikrimah, Suddiyy and some