Worldly Life through Divine Eyes

Qur'aanic Verse 57:20:

Transliteration:

20. IAAlamoo annama alhayatu alddunya laAAibun walahwun wazeenatun watafakhurun baynakum watakathurun fee al-amwali waal-awladi kamathali ghaythin aAAjaba alkuffara nabatuhu thumma yaheeju fatarahu musfarran thumma yakoonu hutaman wafee al-akhirati AAathabun shadeedun wamaghfiratun mina Allahi waridwanun wama alhayatu alddunya illa mataAAu alghuroori

Translation:

20. Beware! The life of this world is only a game and a pastime, a show, and mutual boasting and out-rivaling each other in riches and children. It is like the growth of vegetation after the rain, which makes the skeptic wonder, but which then withers away, turns yellow and becomes worthless stubble. And in the Hereafter,  severe punishment, forgiveness from Allah and His Pleasure! And the life of this world is nothing but means of deception.

Conflicting Voices Within

Qur'aanic Verse 50:17:

Transliteration:

17. Ith yatalaqqa almutalaqqiyani AAani alyameeni waAAani alshshimali qaAAeedun


Translation:

17. When the two frequently confronting voices, one located on the right and one on the left, confront each other⁵

^{Study Note:}

5. Man has frequently to make a choice between two conflicting urges arising in his mind. To give an example from real life published in newspapers a few years ago, a woman found out that her young son had committed a crime. Her natural instinct was to hide this fact and save her son from punishment he was liable to under the law. But she was an Allah-fearing woman. And her conscience told her that this world’s punishment is better than the punishment in the Hereafter. So she herself took her son to the authorities that day! It is such conflicting views arising in a human mind that this Verse is alluding to here.

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The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VII.

Mohammad Shafi

The Atheist

The Atheist

Who made the clock on the wall?

Or who made the tennis ball?

The atheist has no hesitation

That these are things of creation

Who then created the earth?

None, he answers without mirth

And who did create universe so vast

That its enormity makes man aghast?

No, no, none, cries the atheist

I believe in God, not the least

The earth, the universe, just happened all

God is a creation of minds small

When told: every effect does have a cause

The atheist asks, after a pause:

Who created God then

And who created God's creator, and when?

A beginning does have every effect

If you, O atheist, would but reflect!

But God - an effect He is not

He has no beginning slot

HE always has been and always will be

HE is not a creature like honeybee

If God be there, the atheist says,

Why games of cruelty He plays?

Why are innocents cruelly killed

While poor suffer, coffers of rich get filled?

The atheist speaks like frog in well

On questions unknown does he dwell

What knows he about things outside

His narrow well-view, worldwide

What knows he about child that dies

In distant land, or why there a woman cries

Individually, or collectively, no man

Knows the reasons fully, nor can

Reasons are known to one Entity

And to none else, of a certainty

That Entity is the Creator of all

Whom the atheist doesn't call

Poor fellow's bound to have a great fall

For, refused he has to open

Basic objective of life human.

Mohammad Shafi

Crime and Punishment

Qur'aanic Verses 40:47 & 40:48:

Transliterations:

47. Wa-ith yatahajjoona fee alnnari fayaqoolu aldduAAafao lillatheena istakbaroo inna kunna lakum tabaAAan fahal antum mughnoona AAanna naseeban mina alnnari

48. Qala allatheena istakbaroo inna kullun feeha inna Allaha qad hakama bayna alAAibadi

Translations:

47. And when they quarrel in the Fire, the weak ask the proud, “We were just your followers. Would you therefore relieve us of a portion of the Fire?”

48. The proud say, “We are all together in this. Allah has already pronounced the Judgment on His subjects.”⁵ 

^{Study Note:}

5. This contentious discourse among the inmates of Hell has a lesson to teach to the Muslims of today. Despite Allah’s declared abhorrence (Verse 6:159) against formation of sects, the Muslims have persisted in grouping themselves into numerous sects like Sunni, Shia etc. Someone declares a deviant view, and, others, aided and abetted by the Satan, flock together around that view. And, lo, a sect is formed! Rank and file of any such sect just blindly follows its leaders. Most of the followers do never bother to cross-check their leaders’ contentions with the Qur’aan. If the leaders’ contentions are such as to make them liable for punishment in the Hereafter, the blind followers too would get the same punishment.

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The above is an extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VI.

Mohammad Shafi