B i s m i l l a a h i r R a h m a a n i r R a h e e m
Teachings of the Qur'aan
Al-Mulk
Soorah 67:16-30
Name and Background
Teachings and Commentary
Ayub A. Hamid
People should be mindful that He Who has made this earth
inhabitable could destroy them at any time either by making the earth open up
and swallow them, by disturbing its balance within its solar system so that it
runs off its orbit or its revolutions are disturbed, or by causing super strong
winds to rain stones over people and destroy everything.
16 Do you feel secure that He Who is in the heaven will not cause
the earth to swallow you, while it is convulsing? 17 Or do you feel secure that
He Who is in the heaven will not send violent stone-throwing winds against you?
Then you shall know how was My warning. 18 And their predecessors did deny, so
how severe was My censure.
Because Allaah Subhaanahu wa Taaala has made the earth inhabitable
and exploitable for people, they forget that He has the power to use the same
natural forces for the destruction of human population and their belongings. He
has made the natural system such that once in a while people are reminded of
the natural powers through storms, floods, landslides and sinkholes. In the
past Allaah Subhaanahu wa Taaala has also used natural calamities to wipe out
those who had become rebellious to Allaah and rejected the idea of submitting
to Him, through both kinds of calamities that came from beneath their feet and
from above their heads. This was done so that the Muslims could re-establish
the law, order, balance and peace according to Allaahs standards in the land
by submitting to Him and practising Islam. This is like a gardener cleaning up
the garden from weeds so that good plants can flourish. Through these verses,
the Makkans are being admonished that instead of daring the Prophet ?all
Allaahu alayhi wa sallam to bring on the punishment of Allaah Subhaanahu wa
Taaala, they should learn the lessons from the history of those townships
around them that have been wiped out in the past, the ruins of which the
Makkans themselves have seen during their travels.
The phrase Who is in the heaven is not specifying a location for
Allaah, Who is infinite in all His attributes including His presence. However,
finite human beings cannot imagine or perceive the infinite nature of Allaahs
presence. As people cannot think of anything without its location and
direction, when people think of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Taaala, they think of
heavens and look or signal upwards when talking about Him. That is their way of
referring to the Infiniteness of Allaah, as compared to some physical god such
as an idol or a human figure. This phrase is relating to that human perception
of the Infinite God. Elsewhere in the Qur-aan, the infinite nature of Allaah
Subhaanahu wa Taaalas presence has been inculcated through verses such as:
Whichever way you turn, Allaah is in that direction. Al-Baqarah 2:115
The next verse presents them with a common phenomenon to reflect
upon the dependence of all creatures on the laws of nature wherein a slight
disturbance can be devastating.
19 Do they not observe the birds above them, spreading their wings
and folding them in? None can uphold them except the Most Gracious. Truly it is
He that watches over all things.
Allaah has graciously given the air such properties and equipped
birds physically such that they are able to fly and manoeuvre in the air. Just
as Allaah Subhaanahu wa Taaala has taken care of the needs of birds, so has He
done for all of His creations, from the cosmos to human beings. Not only did He
set the laws of nature at the beginning, He continuously watches over their
operation. He also overrules them, or adjusts them as He likes and His plan
requires. Miracles of the Prophets or destruction of nations are some examples
thereof.
If Allaah Subhaanahu wa Taaala decides to destroy them, who are
they counting on to defend them against Allaahs forces?
20 Or who is there that will be your army to help you against the
Most Gracious? Disbelievers are merely suffering from delusion. 21 Or who is
there that can provide you with Sustenance if He were to withhold His
provision? But they obstinately persist in insolent defiance and disdain for
the Truth.
The main reason for their obstinate and insolent defiance and
disdain for the truth is that they are blindly following the traditions of
their society and their self interest in maintaining the status quo. Like
sheep, bowing their head, they continue to follow the path they have been put
on without thinking if it is the right path or not and without thinking where
it is going to take them. They refuse to think independently or think out of
the box to find the right path or to choose the right alternatives. Allaah
Subhaanahu wa Taaala has endowed them with appropriate faculties to help them
find the right path if they just stand straight, look around and think where
they should be going.
22 Is then one who walks fallen on his face better guided or one
who walks erect upon a straight path? 23 Say, It is He Who brought you into
being and equipped you with hearing, seeing and thinking faculties. Yet, little
do you thank. 24 Say, It is He Who spread you all over the earth and to Him
you shall be gathered.
When they are invited to think and correct their path so that they
do not end up with disaster on the Day of Judgment, they try to refute it just
by raising questions about its precise timing as if knowing when it is going to
happen is of any help when it comes to believing in it. Even if it was
disclosed precisely when the Last Day will be, how would that help them believe
in it? Rather such knowledge would be counterproductive because it would divert
peoples attention away from the Hereafter itself to the timing of the Last
day. The Last Day and subsequent Judgment has to be believed on its own merit
and logic, just like we believe that everyone is going to die without knowing
when.
25 And they say, When shall this threat materialize, if you are
truthful? 26 Say, The knowledge thereof is only with Allaah and I am merely a
clear warner. 27 But when they shall see it approaching, the faces of the
disbelievers shall be disfigured with distress and it will be said, This is
what you used to call for.
By the time they know about the Day of Judgment with certainty and
are frightened to see it, it will be too late. The time to believe in it is now
while people are still in the test phase when they are living in the world.
Once they die, the test is over. Although thereafter they will have knowledge
and certainty about these matters of faith, the knowledge will be of no avail
and people will have to suffer the consequences of not believing.
Instead of heeding to these warnings and preparing for the
Judgment, the Makkan leaders would tell other Makkans not to believe in the
Prophet ?all Allaahu alayhi wa sallam because with time he and his movement
would die their own death. Also the families of those people who believed in
the Prophet ?all Allaahu alayhi wa sallam were very upset with him. They would
pray for the death and destruction of the Prophet, seek witchcraft spells for
that purpose and even hatch plots to kill him somehow. The next verse invites
them to think about how death of the Prophet ?all Allaahu alayhi wa sallam and
his followers would in any way help them against or save them from the
punishment of Allaah? Whether the Prophet lives or dies, the reality of the
punishment of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Taaala and the Day of Judgment is not going
to change or disappear. They would be wise to worry about the consequences they
themselves are going to face rather than their concern with the death of the
Prophet ?all Allaahu alayhi wa sallam and his followers.
28 Ask them, Have you considered whether Allaah destroys me and
those with me or has mercy on us, who will shelter the disbelievers from a
painful punishment?
The Prophet ?all Allaahu alayhi wa sallam is being told to inform
them that even if he and his followers die, they would be relying on the mercy
and grace of the Most Gracious Lord because of their faith in Him. However, it
would become crystal clear to the disbelievers as to how wrong they had been
for not believing in Him. Then they would not find any shelter from the painful
punishment prepared for such disbelievers.
29 Tell them, He is the Most Gracious; We have believed in Him,
and on Him do we rely; so you shall soon find out who it is that is in obvious
misguidance. 30 Say, Have you considered if your water should sink down into
the ground, who then could bring you clear-flowing water?
They doubt the power of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Taaala while relying
for their daily living on the resources created by Him. They have mistakenly
assumed that what they have is going to stay with them forever. They should
think about the supply of water in their arid land. Did they ever ponder that
if Allaah Subhaanahu wa Taaala decides to deprive them of water, do they have
any way to obtain water for their survival?
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Copyright ? 2008 Ayub A. Hamid
All rights reserved
This document may be used, only with this copyright notice
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attributed to the author Ustaadz Ayub A. Hamid. Contact the author for all
other rights, which are reserved.
Note: This series is providing the teachings of the Quraan, not a
literal translation. Instead of literal translation, it gives interpretive
meanings of the verses, along with their contextual details. Please remember
that any translation of the Holy Quraan is in fact only an expression of the
translators understanding of the Word of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Taaala, and
hence cannot be equated with the Quraan itself. Only the original Arabic text
can be called the Holy Quraan.
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Ustaadz Ayub A. Hamid is a visionary and strategic Islamic thinker
residing in Canada for the last 33 years. His recently published books are:
1. Islam - Does It Make Sense?
2. Unveiling the CommandsThe Truth about Hijaab, Khimaar and
Jilbaab.
3. Finding A Soulmate - A Guide for Parents and Youth.
4. A Book Unlike Any Other.
5. Islam - Adopting Its Paradigms.
6. Exploring the Islamic Beliefs.
http://soundvisioncanada.com/shop/pbrowse.asp?Pg=3&Cat=10004
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The following soowar Teachings of the Quraan series by Ustaadz
Ayub A. Hamid, are available on request:-
Al Faatihah
Al Baqarah
Aali Imraan
A Nisaa
Al Maaidah
Al Anaam
Al Araaf
Al Anfaal
At Teen
Al`Alaq
Al Qadr
Al Bayyinah
Al Zilzaal
Al Aadiyatt
Al Qaari`ah
At Takaathur
Al`Asr
Al Humazah
Al Feel
Al Quraish
Al Maa`oon
Al-Kowthar
Al Kaafiroon
Al Nasr
Al Lahab
Al Ikhlaas
Al Falaq
An Naas
Al Mulk - Aayaat 1-4 / 5-15
K a r i m a
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