Indexed OCR Text

264
Surah 'Al-Imran 3 : 180-186
Qur'an has certainly refrained from answering this doubt. Instead, it
has simply restricted itself to announcing that they shall be appre-
hended and punished for this effrontery of theirs, for having falsified
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and for having made fun of him. It was
said that their insolent words will be put on record in 'writing' so that
the final evidence goes against them on the Day of Judgment and they
are punished for what they did. Otherwise, Allah Almighty needs no
writing.
Along with this act of effrontery committed by the Jews, yet
another crime of theirs has been mentioned, that is, they not 'only
falsified the prophets and mocked at them, they even went to the limit
of killing them! That such people could falsify and flout any prophet or
messenger of Allah hardly remains surprising.
Staying emotionally satisfied with disbelief in and disobedi-
ence to Allah is also an equally grave sin
Worth noticing at this point Is the fact that those being addressed
by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the Qur'an are the Jews of
Madinah while the incident of the killing of prophets belongs to a time
much earlier than theirs, that is, to the time of Sayyidna Yahya and
Sayyidna Zakariyya, may peace be on them. Now, the question is: How
is it that the crime of the killing of the prophets referred to in this
verse was attributed to these addressees? The reason is: The Jews of
Madinah were quite satisfied with this act committed by their Jewish
predecessors, therefore, they too were counted as those who fall under
the injunction governing killers of prophets.
Imam al-Qurtubi has said in his Tafsir that 'remaining satisfied
with disbelief (kufr) is also included under disbelief and disobedience'
which is a major juristic ruling in Islam. A saying of the Holy Prophet
:explains it further. He said صلى الله عليه وسلم
'When a sin is committed on God's earth, following which, the
person who is present on the spot opposes that sin and
considers it to be bad, then, such a person shall be deemed as
not present there, that is, he is no accomplice in their sin.
And, a person who, though not present physically yet is quite
satisfied with this act of sinners, then, this person shall be
considered, despite his absence (from the scene of sin), an
accomplice in their sin.'

265
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 180-186
In the later part of the present verse (181) and in the third verse
(182), the text recounts the punishment to be meted out to such loud-
mouthed people by saying that they shall be consigned to the Hell to
experience the taste of burning in fire which is but the outcome of
their own deeds and certainly no injustice from Allah. The fourth verse
(183) takes up the case of a false accusation made by these very Jews
who came up with an excuse in order to reject the prophethood of the
Messenger of Allah. Their contention was that, during the period of
past prophets, there used to be a method under which charities and
offerings were placed in the centre of an open ground or on top of a hill
where heavenly fire came and burnt these to ashes. This used to
symbolize that offerings were accepted. But, to the Holy Prophet g
and to his community, Allah Almighty had given the unique distinc-
tion that charities were not left to be consumed by heavenly fire. They
were given to the poor and needy among Muslims. Since the later
method was contrary to the former, the disbelievers found an excuse to
say: If you were a prophet, you too would have been given the miracle
whereby the heavenly fire would have consumed the offerings and
charities. They, not resting at that, became audacious enough to fabri-
cate lies against Allah Almighty claiming that 'He has taken pledge
from them to the effect that they are not to believe in a person who is
unable to cause the miracle of the coming of a heavenly fire which
burns the charitable offerings.'
Since this claim of the Jews that Allah had taken a pledge from
them was false, there was really no need to counter it. So, to disarm
them through their very proven saying, Allah Almighty said: If you are
true in saying that Allah has taken such a pledge from you, then, the.
past prophets who had obliged you by showing the miracle of your
choice whereby the heavenly fire consumed the offerings certainly
deserved that you should have at least believed in them! But, what
actually happened is that you did not spare them either. You still falsi-
fied them. In fact, you went to the extreme of transgression by killing
them.
Let no one have any doubt here despite the fact that while this
claim of the Jews was absolutely false, may be, if this miracle did come
to pass at the hand of the Holy Prophet , le Ul L chances were that

266
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 180-186
they would probably have come to believe. Such a doubt is unfounded
'because Allah Almighty knew that these people were saying such
things simply out of hostility and obstinacy. Thus, even if the miracle
they demanded came to pass, they would have still not believed.
In the fifth verse (184), the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been
comforted by saying that he should not grieve at being falsified by his
adversaries for this is something faced by all prophets in the past.
Thoughts of the Hereafter heal all sorrows and remove all
doubts
The sixth verse (185) puts a sharp focus on the ultimate reality of
things in a situation when sometime somewhere disbelievers come to
enjoy ascendency one way or the other and they have all the luxury
they can think of in this world. Contrary to this, Muslims have to face
some hardships, some difficulties and a certain paucity of worldly
means. There is nothing surprising about it and certainly no occasion
to be grieved, for no follower of a faith or philosophy can ignore the
reality of life that sorrow and happiness in this world are both short-
lived. No living creature can escape death. As for the comfort and
discomfort experienced in this world, they vanish, more than often,
right there with relevant changes in circumstances - or, just in case,
no change takes place during the life of this world, it is certain that
everything will end with the knock of death. Therefore, worrying about
this short-lived cycle of comfort and discomfort should not become the
chronic concern of a wise person. One should, rather, have concern for
what would happen after death.
So, the verse (185) tells us that every living being shall taste death
and once in the Hereafter, there shall come the reward and punish-
ment of deeds which will be severe and long drawn as well. This is
what a wise person should worry about and prepare for. Given this
rule of conduct, one who stays away from Hell and finds entry into the
Paradise is really the successful one. May be this happens at the very
beginning as would be the case with the most righteous servants of
Allah. Or, it may come to pass after having faced some punishment as
would be the case with sinning Muslims. But, Muslims - all of them -
will finally have their deliverance from Hell and the blessings of Para-
dise will become theirs for ever. This will be contrary to what happens

267
Surah 'Al- Imran 3 : 187-189
:o disbelievers - Hell will be their eternal resting place. If they wax
proud over their short-lived worldly gains, they are terribly deceived.
That is why it was said at the end of the verse: 'And the worldly life is
nothing but an asset, full of illusion.' Strange is the anatomy of this
deception, for reckless material enjoyments here become the source of
great hardships in the Hereafter and conversely, most of the hardships
faced here become the treasure of the Hereafter.
People of Falsehood hurting people of Truth is a natural
phenomena: Patience (Sabr) and piety (Taqwa) cure everything
The seventh verse (186) was revealed in the background of a partic-
ular event which has been briefly referred to a little earlier in verse
181. According to relevant details, when verse 245 of Surah al-Baqarah:
who is the one who would give Allah a good) مَهُ ذَا الَّذِى يُغْرِضُ اللَّهُ قَرْضًا حَسَبًّا
loan) was revealed, it eloquently equated the givings of charities to the
giving of loan to Allah thereby indicating that all givings in charity in
the life of this world will be recompensed with a certainty like that of
someone returning a loan taken. An ignorant or hostile Jew reacted by
commenting in the following words:EN1335ya ding (Allah is poor and
we are rich). Sayyidna Abu Bakr & July», was angry at his effrontery
صلى الله عليه and slapped him. The Jew complained to the Holy Prophet
Of course, you shall be) لُبُلَوُنَّ فِى أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمُ الآية : Thereupon, the verse . وسلم
tested in your wealth and yourselves) was revealed. This verse
instructs Muslims that they should not show weakness when called to
stake their wealth and life in the defence of their Faith or when they
are hurt by the vituperations of the disbelievers, the polytheists and
the people of the Book. All this is nothing but a trial for them. The best
course for them is to observe restraint, be patient and keep to their
real objective in life which is the achievement of the perfect state of
Taqwa, (a state in which one fears Allah and remains answerable to
Him all the time). In such a state Muslims should not worry about
replying to the effrontery by antogonists.
Verses 187 - 189
وَإِذُاَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيْثَاقَ الَّذِيْنَ أُوْنُوا الْكِتْبَ لَتُبَيِّئُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَ
تُكُتُنَهُ فَنَبَذُوُهُ وَرَآءَ ظُهُوُرِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْابِهِ ثَمَنَّا قَلِيْلًا"

268
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 187-189
فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ ﴿١٨٧) لَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يَفْرَحُوْنَ بِمَّا آتَوُا
وَيُحِبُّونَ أَنْ تُحْمَدُوا بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا فَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّهُمُ بِفَازَةٍ مِنَ
الْعَذَابِ، وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ آلِجْهُمْ ﴿١٨٨) وَلِلَّهِ مُلُكُ السَّمُوُتِ
وَاُلْأَرْضِ، وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيْرٌّ ﴿١٨٩)
And when Allah took pledge from those who were
given the Book: "You shall make it known to people,
and you shall not conceal it." So, they threw it away
behind their backs and bought a small price out of it.
So, evil is what they buy. [187]
And do not think of those who are delighted with what
they did and love to be praised for what they never did
· so, do not think of them as being in a position to
escape the punishment. And a painful punishment is
there for them. [188] And to Allah belongs the Kingdom
of the heavens and the earth. And Allah is powerful
over everything. [189]
In continuation of the description of evils practiced by the Jews
mentioned in previous verses, the first of the present two verses (187)
takes up yet another evil practice of theirs. This is their habit of going
back on solemn pledges and covenants - for Allah Almighty had taken
pledge from the people of the Book that they would communicate the
commandments of Allah appearing in the Torah freely, openly and
universally and that they would not conceal any injunction out of their
selfish ends. The people of the Book broke this covenant. They
concealed injunctions. Not only that, they were audacious enough to
show their pleasure about having acted in this manner and taking this
deed of theirs as commendable.
Commentary
Concealing the Knowledge of Faith is forbidden and waiting or
manipulating to be praised without practicing it is deplorable
The three verses cited above describe two crimes committed by
scholars from the people of the Book along with their subsequent
punishment.
As pointed out earlier, they were commanded to tell their people
about injunctions revealed in the Book of Allah freely and openly

269
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 187-189
without any effort to curtail or hold back what was in there. Although,
they were explicitly instructed not to hide any commandment, yet they
elected to ignore the pledge they had made, out of their worldly consid-
erations and personal greed. They did hide a good many command-
ments from their people.
Secondly, they had the problem of personally staying aloof from
acting righteously while, at the same time, they had no qualms of
conscience in wishing to be praised without acting the way they were
expected to.
As for the incidence of hiding the commandments of the Torah, it
has been reported in Sahih al-Bukhari on the authority of Sayyidna
'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas. He narrates that the Holy Prophet _ asked the
Jews about something mentioned in the Torah. They concealed the
truth and told him something contrary to what was said in the Torah
- and they left his company all pleased with their exercise in evil
congratulating themselves on their deceit. Thereupon, this verse
which carries a warning for them was revealed.
As for the other statement - they love to be praised for what they
never did' - it refers to the hypocrites among the Jews who would
make excuses at the time of Jihad, sit home and celebrate how well
they were able to dodge the hardships of Jihad. When the Holy
Prophet 1, L Jl L returned from Jihad, they would go to him, take
false oaths, offer excuses and, on top of that, they would demand that
this act of theirs be praised. (Şahin al-Bukhari)
The Holy Qur'an condemns them for both these attitudes. From
here, we know that concealing the knowledge of Faith and the injunc-
tions of Allah and His Messenger is forbidden (Haram). But. this
forbiddance applies to the kind of concealment which was practiced by
the Jews for they used to conceal Divine injunctions to promote their
own worldly interest and, in this process, they made people pay for it.
However, if an injunction is not broadcast publicly due to some expe-
dient religious consideration, such an action would not fall under the
purview of this ruling. This problem has been taken up by Imam al-
Bukhari under a separate subject heading supported by relevant
Hadith narrations. According to him, there are occasions when there is
the danger that masses would fall prey to misunderstanding and

270
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 190-194
disorder by publicising a certain injunction openly. If an injunction is
allowed to remain unpublicised on the basis of such a danger, it does
not matter.
The rule about doing a good deed is simple. If anyone does a good
deed, then looks forward to be praised for it - or, worse still, takes
elaborate steps to make this happen - then, despite having done what
one did, this act will be deemed blameworthy under the Islamic legal-
moral norms. And should one elect not to do that good deed at all, that
would, then, be taken as far more blameworthy. As for the natural
desire to do something good and thereby earn a fair name, it is not
included under the purview of this ruling - unless, of course, if one
does not make unusual projections to earn that fair name (Bayan al-
Qur'an).
Verses 190 - 194
إِنَّ فِىُّ خَلْقِ السَّمُوتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَأَيْتٍ
لِأُولِى الْآَلْبَابِ ﴿١٩٣) الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُؤْذَا وَّ
عَلَى جُنُوبِهِمُ وَيَتَفَكَُّنَ فِى خَلْقِ السَّمُوْتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا
خَلَقْتَ هذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ﴿١٩١) رَّنَا إِنَّكَ
مَنْ تُدْخِلِ النَّارَ فَقَدْ آَخْزَ يْتَهُ، وَمَا لِلْظُلِمِيْنَ مِنْ آَنْصَارِ
﴿١٩٢ ) رََّاَ إِنَّنَا سَمِعُنَا مُنَادِيَّاتُّنَا دِى لِلْإِسْمَانِ آَنُّ ◌َامِنُوْا
بِرَّكُمْ فَامَنَّا رَبَّنَا فَاغُفِرْلَنَا ذُنُوْبَنَا وَكَفِرُعَنَّا سَّاتِنَا وَتَوَّفَّنَاَ
مَعَ الْأَبْرَارِ ﴿١٩٣) رَبَّنَا وَاتِنَا مَا وَعَلْتَّنَا عَلَى رُسُلِكَ وَ
لَا تُخُِّنَا يَوْمَ الْقِيْمَةِ، أَنَّكَ لَا تُخْلِفُ الْيُعَادَ ﴿١٩٤)
Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth,
and in the alternation of night and day, there are signs
for the people of wisdom, [190] who remember Allah
standing and sitting, and (lying) on their sides, and
ponder on the creation of the heavens and the earth
(saying:) "Our Lord, You have not created all this in
vain. We proclaim Your purity. So, save us from the
punishment of Fire. (191] Our Lord, whomsoever You

271
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 190-194
admit into the Fire, You have disgraced him indeed.
And for the unjust there are no supporters. Our Lord,
We heard a herald calling towards Faith: 'Believe in
your Lord.' And We believed. [192] Our Lord, forgive us,
then, our sins, and write off our evil deeds, and take us
unto You with the righteous. [193] And our Lord, give us
what You have promised us through Your messengers,
and do not put us to disgrace on the Day of Doom.
Surely you do not got back on Your promise." [194]
Verse 189 appearing immediately earlier particularly and strongly
stressed upon Tauhid, the Oneness of Allah. So, the verse (190) which
follows here, presents the proof of Tauhid and, along with it, mentions
the merit of those who act strictly in accordance with the dictates of
Tauhid and, by implication, it also motivates others to do the same.
In addition, the earlier mention of pain caused by the disbelievers
bears congruity to the verses appearing presently. This can be under-
stood in the background in which the disbelievers, out of hostility,
requested the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that he should turn Mount
Şafa into solid gold. Thereupon, this verse was revealed indicating that
there were so many proofs confirming the Truth all around them - why
would they not deliberate in them?
,صلى الله عليه وسلم As for the reality of their request to the Holy Prophet
it was not motivated to find out the Truth. Instead, it was out of
hostility - so, they would have still not believed, even if their request
was granted.
Commentary
The background of Revelation
Commenting on the background of revelation concerning these
verses, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih and Ibn 'Asakir in his History have
reported that the Companion 'Ata ibn Abi Rabah as July», went to
Sayyidah 'A'ishah 4 Ally, and said to her: 'Of the things about the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم , tell me what you saw as most unique out of
the many states of his life.' Thereupon, Sayyidah 'A'ishah said: 'Which
state are you talking about? In reality, everything about him was
unique. Yet, I would tell you about one very unique event. It so
happened that the noble Prophet, may Allah bless and protect him,
came to me one night and entered into the comforter with me. Then,

272
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 190-194
he said: 'Allow me to worship my Lord.' He rose from the bed, made
Wudu and stood up for Salah. And in this standing position of Qiyam,
he wept, so much so that his tears trickled down his blessed chest.
Then, he bent down for Ruku' and there too he wept. Then he did his
Sajdah and kept weeping in the Sajdah very much like before. Then,
he raised his head and continued weeping until came the morning.
Sayyidna Bilal came in and informed him about the time of the Fajr
Salah. Sayyidna Bilal says: I submitted: 'my master, why do you weep
like that? Is'nt it that Allah Almighty has forgiven you all your past
and future sins?' He said: 'So then, should I not continue to be a
grateful servant of Allah? And in offering this gratitude of mine, why
should I not shed tears, specially tonight when Allah Almighty has
revealed this blessed verse to me :
إِنَّ فِىٌ خَلْقِ السَّمُوتِ وَاْأَرْضِ ...
Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth ... (190)
After that, he said: "Ruined is the person who recited these verses but
failed to deliberate therein."
So, in order to deliberate into this verse, let us begin by answering
some questions first.
What does 'the creation of the heavens and the earth' mean?
Since Khalq is a verbal noun which signifies creation or origina-
tion, it means that there are, in the creation of the heavens and the
earth, great signs of Allah Almighty. Therefore, all those Divinely
created beings and things in the heavens and the earth also get to be
included therein. Then, among these created beings there are king-
doms after kingdoms - each having different types and states - yet
each and every such created being is comprehensively pointing out to
its Creator. Then, going a little deeper, one would discover that 'the
heavens' is inclusive of all heights and 'the earth' covers all lows.
Thus, high or low, all dimensions owe their existence to Allah
Almighty.
The different forms of 'the alternation of the night and day'
Let us now determine the meaning of 'the alternation of the night
and day'. The word 'Ikhtilaf translated here as 'alternation' is derived
from the Arabic usage: tugu dle (Such and such person arrived after

273
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 190-194
such and such person). So, the Arabic expression translated as 'the
alternation of the night and day' means that the night goes and the
day comes and when the day goes, night comes.
The word Ikhtilaf translated here as 'alternation' could also be
taken to mean increase or decrease. For example, during winter, the
night is long and the day is short; while during the summer, the order
is reversed. Similarly, the difference between the night and day is also
caused by the difference in the geographical location of countries. For
example, countries closer to the North Pole have longer days as
compared to areas farther away from it. So, it should not be difficult to
infer from each such phenomena the essential proof of the most perfect
power of Allah Almighty.
What is the meaning of the word, Ayat ?
Ayat (SL) is the plural of Ayah (21) and is used to express more than
one single meaning. Miracles are known as Ayat. It is also applied to
the verses of the Holy Qur'an. It is also used in a third sense, that of
proof and sign. Here, in the present context, this very third sense is
what is intended - meaning that, in these manifestations, there are
great signs of Allah, and the proofs of His power.
Wise are those who believe in Allah and always remember Him
To determine the meaning of the expression _UMIJ,I , we look into
the word 'albab' which is the plural of lubb. Lexically, it means the
essence. Since the essence of everything is its sum-total and the key to
its nature and uses, therefore, human wisdom has been called lubb, for
wisdom is the essence of human nature. Thus, 'albab' means 'the
people of wisdom'.
Now the problem before us is how to identify the people of wisdom
because the whole world claims to be wise. Not even a moron would be
ready to admit being devoid of wisdom, reason or sense. Therefore, the
Holy Qur'an has told us about some signs which are, in fact, the most
sound criterion of wisdom. The first such sign is Faith in Allah. Think
of the knowledge which comes from the senses such as hearing, seeing,
smelling and tasting and communication, something also found in non-
rational animals. Now, it is the job of wisdom or reason. to arrive,
through signs, circumstantial evidence and proofs, at a particular
conclusion which is beyond sense-perception and through which it may

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Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 190-194
become possible to grasp the final link of the chain of causes.
Keeping this rule in view, just think about this universe around us.
It should not be too difficult to realize that this wonderfully organised
system - comprising the heavens and the earth and containing the
whole of creation in between them which is further streamlined by the
most deft management of everything, big or small, existing therein -
certainly points out to a special Being that has to be the highest and
the foremost in terms of Knowledge, Wisdom, Power and Authority. A
Being who originated and fashioned all these components with the
wisest of consideration and under Whose intention and will this whole
system keeps operating. That Being, as obvious, can only be that of the
most-exalted Allah. How well some spiritual master has put it in a few
words:
پر کیا هے که از زمین روید ، وحده لا شريك له گوید
Every blade of grass sprouting from the earth
Says: He is One; there are no partners in Him.
That human intentions and plans keep failing everywhere all the
time is a matter of common experience. These cannot be called the
prime movers and operators of this universal system. Therefore, the
outcome of the deliberation into the creation of the heavens and the
earth and into what has been created in them is, as wisdom dictates,
living to know, obey and remember Allah. Anyone unmindful of it does
not deserve to be classed as wise. Therefore, the Holy Qur'an has given
the following sign of the wise:
الَّذِيْنَ يَذْكُرُوُنَّ اللّهَ قِيَامًا وَّفُعُوْدًا وَعَلَى جُنُبِهِمْ
That is, the wise are those who remember Allah - standing
and sitting and (lying) on their sides (191).
In other words it means that they are engaged in the remembrance
of Allah under all conditions and at all times.
From here we find out that the thing which our modern world
takes as the criterion of reason and good sense is simply a deception.
Catering to greed, some people take accumulation of money as their
ideal of intelligence. There are others who love to equate human intel-
ligence with scientifie inventions and electronic applications and for
them, these are the power. But, real good sense lies in the message

275
Surah 'Al-'Imran 3 : 190-194
brought by the prophets and Messengers of Allah Almighty, for they,
proceeding through knowledge and wisdom and advancing from the
low to the high in the chain of causation, skipped the intermediary
stages. Granted that human beings moved from raw materials to
machines and science gave them access to power through utilization
of energy generated in many ways. But, higher intelligence demands
that human beings take that real giant step farther ahead so that they
can discover that the main agent of human accomplishment is
certainly not the water or clay or iron or copper or some other mate-
rial, not even the machines that generate power. This function was
accomplished by none else but the One who created the fire, the water
and the air through which human beings were enabled to control tech-
nology and energy:
كار زلفٍ تست مشك افشانى اما عاشقان
مصلحت راتہمتے بر آ ◌ُوئے چین بسته اند
Spreading the scent of musk is the function of Your tresses
But, those who love You have, out of expediency,
ascribed the credit to the Chinese deer!
Let us understand this through the commonplace example of an
ignorant dweller of some distant jungle who reaches a railway station
and notices that such a huge railway train stops at the flash of a red
flag while it starts moving at the flutter of a green one. Then, should
he say that these red and green flags must have super power as they
can stop and move such a powerful engine of the big train. Obviously,
all sensible people would dismiss the ignoramus telling him that no
power is vested in these flags. Instead, power rests with the person
who is sitting in the engine room and stops or moves the train by
watching these signals. But, someone smarter might reject the
assumption that the engine driver had any instrinsic power to move or
stop the train. His strength had nothing to do with it. He will go a step
farther and attribute this power to the mechanical parts of the engine.
But, a scientist would bypass cold mechanics of the engine and ascribe
the real power to the steam which has been generated in the engine
through heat and water. But, that is as far as the so-called scientific
thinking goes. At this point, comes the thinking of the prophets, may
peace be upon them, who would be telling these tyrants of their intel-

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lect: If the ignoramus who took the flags or the driver or the engine
parts as the respository of power was in error, so are those who take
sources of energy powerful by themselves - intellectually, they too are
in error! The prophets would ask them to take yet another step
forward so that they could lay their hands on the lost end of this
tangled ball of string. May be, by doing so, they could have access to
the final link of the great chain of caused things and there they could
find the answer that the ultimate master of all power is none else but
the One who created all forces which were harnessed to achieve
human models of power.
It is not difficult to deduce from what has been said here that those
who get to know Allah and remember Him at all times and under all
conditions are the only people who deserve to be called 'the wise'. It is
for this reason that the Holy Qur'an has defined the 'People of
Wisdom as ◌ُالَّذِيْنَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَّقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِم :" ... those who remember Allah
standing and sitting, and (lying) on their sides.'
It is on this basis that Muslim jurists have answered the case of a
· deceased person who, before his death, made a will that his property
be given to the wise. As to who will be given this property, they have
ruled that those who will deserve this are abstaining scholars who do
not seek unnecessary material resources and are averse to the blind
pursuit of the worldly, for they are the wise ones in the real sense. (al-
Durr al-Mukhtar, Kitabul-Waşiyyah)
Also worth attention at this point is the fact that the Shari'ah of
Islam has not enjoined abundance in any other mode of worship except
Dhikr. But, about Dhikr, the command is: وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًّا كَثِيرًا (Remember
Allah remembering abundantly). The reason is that all modes of
worship, other than Dhikr, have some conditions and rules without
observing which those acts of worship are not considered to have been
duly performed. This is contrary to Dhikr which can be performed at
all times and under all conditions whether standing, sitting, lying,
with or without wudu. Perhaps, this verse is indicative of this element
of wisdom.
The second sign of the people of wisdom given in this verse is that
they deliberate in the creation of the heavens and the earth:

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Surah 'Al-Imran 3 : 190-194
يَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِىٌ خَلْقِ السَّمُوتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
And ponder on the creation of the heavens and the earth - 191.
Here we need to determine the meaning of this act of 'pondering'
and the level at which it operates.
The Arabic words, Fikr and Tafakkur, literally mean to ponder, to
deliberate and think about something which is an effort to arrive at its
reality. From this verse we find out that this act of pondering is also
an act of worship and very much like the Dhikr (Remembrance) of
Allah. The difference is that the objective of Dhikr is the remembrance
of the Being and Attributes of Almighty Allah while the objective of
Fikr and Tafakkur or thinking and deliberation relates to His crea-
tions. This is because the perception of the reality of the Divine Being
and the Attributes is beyond human reason. Deliberation of this aspect
results in nothing but wonder. The great poet, Rumi said:
دور بینان بارگاه الست ، غیر ازیںے نبرده اندکه بست
Expert watchers of the Court of the Being of the Covenant
Found out nothing but that He is.
In fact, this is an area of inquiry where excessive deliberation in the
Being and Attributes of Almighty Allah could, at times, cause one's
imperfect reason to stray into error. Therefore, the greatest among
spiritual masters have emphatically advised:
تَفَكَّرُوا فِىِ اَبَاتِ اللّهِ وَلَا تَتَفَكَّرُوا فِى اللهِ
Deliberate in the signs of Allah, but do not deliberate in
Allah.
It means that there are signs in what Allah has created. One should
think about these signs. But, one should not deliberate into the very
Being and Attributes of Almighty Allah for that is beyond one's reach.
One can see everything in the light of the sun. But, should one wish to
see the sun itself, his eyes would get dazzled. Who is Allah? What is
He like? These are questions all wise thinkers and spiritual masters
have answered by suggesting :
نه هر جائى مركب توان تاختن
كه جابا سير بايد انداختن

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Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 190-194
You do not have to mount an assault on every field of inquiry
For, there are places where you should simply surrender.
However, thinking about creation inevitably leads one to realize
the presence of its Creator. Look at the enormous expanse of the sky
above us with the sun, the moon and the many planets and stars
bound with the solar and lunar system under firm and pre-determined
laws working so well for thousands of years without being serviced or
refurbished in some workshop. Then, there is this earth of ours, its
rivers and mountains holding many marvels of creation, the trees,
animals and hidden minerals, and the air that circulates in between
the heavens and the earth and the rains that come and the electricity
generated therein. This whole system so elaborately set up leads every
sane person who is willing to think and understand that there is some
special Being which is far ahead of everyone in power and control. This
is what Ma'rifat is, the stage of knowing, realizing. So, this kind of
deliberation which leads to the discovery of the Divine is an act of
worship, a great one indeed. For this reason, Hadrat Hasan Basri said:
Ibn Kathir) which means: An hour spent in thinking) تفكر ساعة خير من قيام ليلة
about the signs of Allah is better and far more useful than a whole
night standing in worship.
Hadrat 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-'Aziz has characterized this deliberation
as a superior act of worship (Ibn Kathir).
Sayyidna Hasan ibn 'Amir ul >, said that he had heard from
many noble Companions that deliberation is the light of faith.
Hadrat Abu Sulayman al-Darani said: When I go out from my
house, everything I cast my glance on makes me realize that it
contains one or the other blessing of Allah for me and that in its pres-
ence I have a good source of learning my lesson (Ibn Kathir). So, the
knowers of the secrets of the self have always maintained:
Every blade of grass sprouting from the earth
Says: He is One and in Him there is no partner.
Hadrat Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah has said: Reflection is a beam of light
entering your heart.
Hadrat Wahb ibn Munabbih said: One who thinks a lot will under-
stand reality, and who understands will arrive at sound knowledge,
and who has sound knowledge is bound to act accordingly (Ibn Kathir).

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Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 190-194
Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar de Alga, said: A pious man saw an
ascetic sitting at a spot with a graveyard on one of his sides and a
garbage dump on the other. The passing pious man remarked - You
have two treasure troves before you, one of them is the human
treasure known as graveyard and the other is the treasure of wealth
and property turned into refuse and filth. These two treasures are
enough to learn your lesson. (Ibn Kathir)
Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar a Uly, used to go out of the city
into some wilderness with the express purpose of training and
teaching his heart. When he reached there, he would ask the spot of
land: Where are those who lived here? (solely1) After that, he would
answer his own question by saying: Everything must perish save the
presence of His being (ُكُلِّ شَىْءٍ هَالِكُ إِلاَّ وَجْهَه).(Ibn Kathir). This was how he
summoned and preserved the remembrance of Afterlife in his heart.
Hadrat Bishr al-Hafi said: If people pondered over the greatness of
Almighty Allah, it would have become impossible for them to remain
sinful and disobedient.
Sayyidna 'Isa WJJI ue said: O you who were created weak, fear God
wherever you are. Live in the world like a guest. Make prayer places
your home. Let your eyes weep fearing God, let your body remain
patient and let your heart keep reflecting. Used to this, worry not
about tomorrow's bread.
It is this kind of thoughtfulness and concern that these verses
identify as the superior quality of wise people. Pondering over the
creation of Almighty Allah, such people get to know their Creator and
are personally convinced of the temporality of the physical world. This
is a superb act of worship resplendent with the light of faith. Simi-
larly, those who see and experience the signs of Almighty Allah yet get
entangled with the superficial glamour of what has been created - as a
result of which they fail to know their real master - is rank heedless-
ness and very much juvenile. Sages have warned that whoever fails to
learn a lesson from the universe before his eyes will find that the
ability of his heart to realize the truth has corroded in proportion to
his heedlessness. The eager protagonists of scientific progress all too
engrossed in their breakthroughs fail to pay heed to their own ulti-
mate fate. Consequently, the speed with which developments in scien-

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Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 190-194
tific inquiry unfold the secrets of Allah's creation is also the speed at
which they are receding farther away from reality and God.
Commenting on the post-industrial revolution thinking, Akbar of Alla-
habad, poet, humourist, said:
بھول کر بیٹھا ھے یورپ آسمانی باپ کو
بس خدا سمجھا ھے اس نے برق کو اور بھاپ کو
Europe has forgotten the Father in the Heaven
For them, electricity and steam are as good as God.
It is about such visionless people with the dead weight of education
and culture on their backs, the Holy Qur'an says:
وَكَأَيِّنُ قِنُ آيَةٍ فِى السَّمُوتِ وَالْأَرْضِ يَهُوُنَ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ عَنْهَا مُعُرِضُونَ
And there are so many signs in the heavens and the earth
which these people pass by with faces turned askance paying
no heed to them - 12:109.
Now, as we move to the last part of this verse (191), Such EM . f.
(Our Lord, You have not created all this in vain), we can clearly see
that this is the outcome of pondering over the signs of Allah's power. It
means that there is nothing purposeless in Allah's creation. On the
contrary, there are thousands of wise considerations behind it. Things
have been harnessed to serve human beings with man being the user
of resources in the whole universe. This should make human beings
see that the universe has been created for their benefit and in their
interest. Likewise, every human being has been created to obey and
worship Allah. This is his or her purpose of life.
Further on, from verses 192 to 194, there appears a set of pleas and
prayers from such people, people who realized that this universe is no
exercise in futility and that is is brimming with open proofs of the
great power and wisdom of its Creator. So, once they knew their
Creator and Sustainer, they submitted before Him.
1. The first request they make is: GI che uf : Save us from the Fire.
2. The second request is: Save us from the disgrace of the Here-
after for whoever is condemned to the Fire stands humiliated before
the whole world. Some scholars have said that humiliation on the
plains of Ressurection will be so disgraceful a punishment that one

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would wish to be cast into the (fire of) Hell but that the multitudes
present on that fateful day do not get to hear about his or her
misdeeds.
3. The third request is: 'We have heard the message given by the
herald sent by You, that is, the message of the Messenger of Allah
and we believed in him. So, forgive our major sins and expiate our
shortcomings and misdeeds and give us death in the company of the
righteous, that is, make us a part of their group.'
These three requests were aimed at safety against punishment and
pain and loss. The fourth request is about promised blessings, the
blessings of Paradise promised through the noble prophets. This
prayer for blessings is being made with the added request that there
be no disgrace on the Day of Judgment. In other words, the request is
to be excused from the torturous procedure of accounting (for all of
one's deeds), disgrace (as a result of misdeeds) and then forgiveness
(on account of Allah's mercy). The prayer is for outright forgiveness for
Allah does not go back on His word. What is the purpose of this
submission and re-submission? The purpose is to say: O Allah, enable
us to become deserving, and a beneficiary of this promise (made by
You), and enable us to remain steadfast so that we breath our last in
this world with faith in our heart (¿LI) and busy doing what is good in
.(عمل صالح) Your sight
Verses 195 - 199
فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ أَنِى لَا أُضِيْعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍ مِّنُكُمُ رِّنُ
ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْشَىءٍ بَعْضُكُمْ مِنُ بَعْضٍ فَالَّذِيْنَ هَاجَرُوًا وَأُخْرِمُوا
مِنُ دِيَارِهِمْ وَأُذُوا فِىُّ سَبِيْلِىٌّ وَقُتَلُوا وَقُِّلُوا لَأُكَفِّرَنَّ ◌َنُّهُمُ
سَيِّاتِهِمْ وَلَاُدْخِلَنَّهُمْ جَنْتٍ تَجُرِيُ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْآَنْهُمْ ثَوَابًا مِّنُ
عِنْدِ اللَِّ وَاللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حُسْنُ الثَّوَابِ ﴿١٩٥) لَا يَغُرَّتَكَ تَقَلَّبُ
الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا فِى الْبِلَادِ ﴿١٩٦) مَتَاعُ قَلِيْلٌُ ثُمَّ مَأُوْنُهُمْ
جَهَنَّهُ، وَيِنْسَ الُّهَادُ ﴿١٩٧) لكِنِ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّقَوَا رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمُ ◌َنُ

282
Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 195-199
تَجْرِئُ مِنْ تَحْنِهَا الْآَنْهُرُ خُلِدِيْنَ فِيُهَا نُلاً مِّنُ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ، وَمَا
عِنْدَاللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِلْأَبْزَارِ ﴿١٩٨) وَ إِنَّ مِنْ آَهْلِ الْكِتْبِ لَنٌَ يٌُّ مِنُ
بِاللّهِ وَمَّا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمُ وَمَّا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خُشِعِيْنَ لِلَّهِ لَ
يَشُّتَرُونَ بِالتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنَّا قَلِيْلًاُ أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ آَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَرَيِّهِمْ
إِنَّ اللّهَ سَرِبْعُ الْحِسَابِ ﴿١٩٩)
So, their Lord answered their prayer, "I do not let go to
waste the labour of a worker from you, male or female.
You are from one another. So, those who emigrated,
and were expelled from their homes, and were tortured
in My way, and fought, and were killed, I shall
certainly write off their evil deeds, and shall certainly
admit them into gardens beneath which rivers flow,
being a reward from Allah. And it is Allah with Whom
is the beauty of reward. [195] The moving of the disbe-
lievers about the earth should not deceive you. [196] It
is just a little enjoyment. After that their resort is Hell,
and it is an evil abode. [197] But those who fear their
Lord, for them there are Gardens beneath which rivers
flow, where they shall live forever - hospitality from
Allah. And what is with Allah is best for the righteous.
[198] And surely, among the people of the Book there
are those who believe in Allah and in what has been
sent down to you and what has been sent down to them
humbling themselves before Allah. They do not barter
away the verses of Allah for paltry (worldly) gains.
They have their reward with their Lord. Surely, Allah
is swift at reckoning. [199]
Mentioned in verses previous to this were some prayers made by
good believers.
The first verse (195) appearing above reports that these prayers
have been accepted and believers have been given the good news that
great rewards have been marked for their good deeds. In the second
and third verses (196-197), Muslims have been instructed not to be
deceived by the apparent affluence and worldwide maneuvering of
disbelievers for this is transitory and the punishment which follows in
its wake is eternal.

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Surah 'Al-‘Imran 3 : 200
The fourth verse (198) reasserts the promise of the lasting blessings
of Paradise for Muslims who always keep fearing Allah.
The fifth verse (199) particularly mentions the great reward that
awaits those Muslims who used to be from among the People of the
Book but chose to embrace Islam as their faith.
Commentary
While explaining the statement: ' (I shall certainly
write off their evil deeds) in Verse 195, Maulana Ashraf 'All Thanavi
has restricted it to the forgiveness of sins and shortcomings relating to
the fulfillment of the rights of Allah. The reason is that the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said in Hadith that debts are not included
under the purview of this verse. The rule is that the person concerned
or his heirs should pay off the debt or have it forgiven. There is no
other alternative in this case unless Allah Almighty is specially
generous for someone and puts it in the heart of the wronged party
that they should relent and forgive. This would, then, be a different
matter. In fact, with some, this would also be the case.
So, let us keep in mind that all sins are forgiven following Hijrah
(Emigration) and Shahadah (Surrendering life in the way of Allah,
martyrdom) but the forgiveness of debts and other rights of people
(Huququl-'Ibad) has not been promised.
Verse 200
◌َيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا اصْبِرُوْا وَصَابِرُوْا وَرَابِطُوا فَ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ
لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٢٠٠)
O those who believe, be patient, be more patient than
others, and guard your frontiers, and fear Allah, so that
you may be successful. [200]
This is the last verse of Surah 'Al-'Imran. The advice given here is
quintessential for all Muslims.
Commentary
There are three things in the verse Muslims have been charged
with. These are Sabr, Musabarah and Murabatah. The fourth element
is Taqwa which is a necessary ingredient of all three. Their meanings
are being given below.