Divine Deal

Qur'aanic Verse 2:245:

Transliteration:

245. Man tha allathee yuqridu Allaha qardan hasanan fayudaAAifahu lahu adAAafan katheeratan waAllahu yaqbidu wayabsutu wa-ilayhi turjaAAoona

Translation:

245. Who is there to lend a good loan to Allah, which He will repay in multiples thereof? And it is Allah Who takes possession of things and amplifies them, and to Him you shall be returned.⁴⁶⁴

^{Study Note:}

464. Magnanimously thus does Allah offer a deal to His creatures, the human beings. HE wants them to sacrifice, if necessary, the pleasures of this worldly life, which are in any case temporary and unreliable. In return, He offers them everlasting rewards, many many times more in real value.

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An extract from Qur'aanic Studies Manzil I.

Mohammad Shafi

What is Sadaqah?

Qur'aanic Verse 9:58:

Transliteration:

58. Waminhum man yalmizuka fee alssadaqati fa-in oAAtoo minha radoo wa-in lam yuAAtaw minha itha hum yaskhatoona

Translation:

58. And among them are those who blame you for misuse of the welfare funds²⁸. If they are given anything from it they are pleased. And if they are not given anything from it, they are indignant.

Study Note:

28. The Arabic word used is sadaqaat. Translators have rendered its meaning to be the same as of zakaat, viz, alms or charities. Zakaat has been defined in Verse 30.39 as something given away seeking only the pleasure of Allah. Zakaat therefore constitutes a voluntary deed. Sadaqah [singular form of Sadaqaat], on the other hand, is a Fund collected through mandatory cuts from individual persons’ incomes. It is collected, in the manner of a tax levied by modern governments, for welfare measures to be undertaken by the State. This is apparent from Verse 9.60 below. ‘Welfare Funds’ would therefore be a better translation for sadaqaat.

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An extract from Qur'aanic Studies Manzil II

Mohammad Shafi

Ritualistic Reading

Qur'aanic Verse 62:5:

Transliteration:

5. Mathalu allatheena hummiloo alttawrata thumma lam yahmilooha kamathali alhimari yahmilu asfaran bi/sa mathalu alqawmi allatheena kaththaboo bi-ayati Allahi waAllahu la yahdee alqawma alththalimeena

Translation:

5. Those who were given the responsibility of bearing [following the instructions in] the Torah, but did not do so are like an ass carrying a load of books.⁴ Terrible is the example of those who deny Allah’s signs/Verses! And Allah does not guide the wicked people.

Study Note:

4. The reference, of course, is to the Jews here. But the simile equally applies to most modern-day Muslims. Like how the Jews treat the Torah, the Muslims treat the Qur’aan! Both practise just ritualistic reading of their respective Scripture without bothering to follow its instructions.

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An extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VII.

Mohammad Shafi

Muhammad in Bible

Qur'aanic Verse 61_6:

Transliteration:

6. Wa-ith qala AAeesa ibnu maryama ya banee isra-eela innee rasoolu Allahi ilaykum musaddiqan limabayna yadayya mina alttawrati wamubashshiran birasoolin ya/tee min baAAdee ismuhu ahmadu falamma jaahum bialbayyinati qaloo hatha sihrun mubeenun

Translation:

6. And when Jesus son of Mary said, “O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah to you confirming what was there in the Torah before me and giving good tidings of a Messenger to come after me. His name is to be Ahmed [Praised One].”² Yet when he has come to them with clear evidences, they say, “This is magic manifest!”

Study Note:

2. Watch this YouTube video.

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An extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VII.

Mohammad Shafi

Wrong-doers' Illusion

Qur'aanic Verse 58:18:

Transliteration:

18. Yawma yabAAathuhumu Allahu jameeAAan fayahlifoona lahu kama yahlifoona lakum wayahsaboona annahum AAala shay-in ala innahum humu alkathiboona

Translation:

18. The Day Allah will resurrect them all, they will swear to Him as they swear to you and think they are standing on something solid. Are they indeed not those who are the liars?⁶

^{Study Note:}

6. Some wrong-doers in this world repeatedly swear to gullible people at large that they are the epitomes of virtue, and they push their ill deeds under the carpet of their swearing. Their repeated swearing creates the illusion in their own selves that they really are virtuous, and they extend their swearing before their Creator as well! They forget their lies would not stand before Him.

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An extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VII.

Mohammad Shafi

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.

The Great Retraction

Qur'aanic Verse 56:46:

Transliteration:

46. Wakanoo yusirroona AAala alhinthi alAAatheemi

Translation:

46. And they had persisted in the Great Retraction ¹

^{Study Note:}

1. There is an inner conviction in every human being that he/she is created by One Powerful Creator Who has also created everything else in the Universe. And he/she intrinsically pledges his/her obedience to that One Creator. But most stray away from that pledge because of carnal desires generated under satanic influence. Remember how Adam and Eve were seduced by the Satan in retracting against their solemn pledge to Allah while they were living most comfortably in Paradise. Those first humans were thrown out into this world of trials and tribulations after their very first act of Retraction. But most of their progeny here, despite being given many chances, persist in the Great Retraction. The Verse here speaks of those wicked people.

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

Mohammad Shafi