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Teachings of the Qur'aan
Al-Ma'aarij
Soorah 70:1-14
Ayub A. Hamid
Name and Background
The name of this Soorah has been taken from the third verse,
identifying the Soorah as the one in which the word Al-Ma'aarij has occurred.
"Al-Ma'aarij" means stairs, ladder or other ways and means to ascend or climb
heights.
This Soorah is the twin of the previous Soorah Al-Haaqqah in
terms of its theme and structure. It was revealed soon after Al-Haaqqah, around
the same early Makkan period when the Makkans were being introduced to the
concept of the Day of Judgment and the life Hereafter and they were resisting
the idea and refusing to believe in it. By the time of the revelation of this
Soorah, they had started openly challenging the Prophet sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam to bring on the Day of Resurrection, if he was true in his claim.
Demanding the occurrence of the Last Day was their way of attacking the
credibility of the Prophet sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and making light of
his teachings.
This Soorah comments on their demand and educates them about
the difference between the human perception of time and units of time as
compared to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala's timetable and units of time. It
exposes their psychology that causes them to make such demands and informs them
of how the deniers of the Day of Resurrection will react when it actually
occurs. It also explains that what they think to be impossible is very much
within Allaah's powers.
Teachings and Commentary
In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Soorah starts with the mention of the demand by some
Makkans from the Prophet to bring about the Doomsday that he was warning about.
1 A demander has demanded[1] the doom that is bound to fall 2
upon the disbelievers, that none will be able to ward off, and 3 that will be
from Allaah Who owns the ways and means to infinitely high ranks. 4 The angels
and the Spirit (Gabriel) ascend towards Him in a day the span of which is fifty
thousand years. 5 So be patient with comely patience. 6 They certainly consider
it far away, 7 while We see it nearby.
The deniers of the Hereafter have been told that:
§ The destruction of the doomsday is inevitable and
that Day is bound to come, but it will come on its time pre-determined by
Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala. Neither can their demands bring it earlier, nor
can their denials make it go away.
§ When Allaah makes it happen, it will be
unstoppable. No one in the heavens or earth will be able to ward it off -
including any of the deniers, their invented gods, angels or anyone else for
that matter.
§ Human concept of time is defined and bound by the
movements of the earth, moon and sun and thus is limited in application to life
on earth and is counted in short measures. They cannot perceive time beyond
what they understand from the movements of the earth. Allaah Subhaanahu wa
Ta'aala is exalted and infinitely above and beyond these limitations. His
timetable spans thousands, millions and billions of years of human reckoning.
For example, even an angelic activity spans periods like 50,000 years. So what
people may think of as a very long time is as the blink of an eye in Allaah's
timetable. So the "delay" in the advent of doomsday in their perception should
not delude them. According to Allaah's timetable, it is about to happen and is
close at hand. Thousands of years in the human calendar are like a day or less
in Allaah's calendar. People of this age can understand it by taking a ratio of
a thousand or two thousand years to 13 or 14 billion years -- the presumed age
of the universe.
According to the Qur-aan, "The Spirit" is the title of Angel
Jibreel (Gabriel). For example, in Soorah Al-Baqarah, Jibreel has been
mentioned by name, "Whoever has become the adversary of Jibreel because he
brought it (the Qur-aan) down to your mind." And then in Soorah Ash-Shu'araa,
he has been mentioned by his title, "Trusted Spirit brought it (the Qur-aan)
down to your mind." Jibreel, the Spirit, has been mentioned separately from the
angels to underscore his high status.
As for the nature of the angelic activity of ascending toward
Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala, it is of the Mutashaabihaat category - beyond our
understanding, imagination and capacity. The intent is just to let people
realize that the exalted greatness of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala is
infinitely beyond their perception and that they should not think of Allaah's
timetable and units of time in terms of human concepts of time. Some people
have interpreted this to be the length of the Day of Resurrection. The Hadeeth
quoted in that respect is not trustworthy (is dha'eef) because of two
unreliable persons in the chain of narrators. The context does not allow it to
mean that way because the conditions of that Day are not being mentioned here,
they are coming in verse 8. Here it is explaining the word Ma'aarij in relation
to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala and giving the concept of divine units of time
in human terms.
Now the Prophet sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was most
earnestly trying his best to make the Makkans realize and accept the reality of
the Day of Resurrection and the Hereafter, but in return he was being ridiculed
by sardonic demands. Thus it was natural for him to feel hurt. Allaah
Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala is advising him to take their ignorant behaviour and
vicious reaction to his preaching in stride and to remain patient and steadfast
in his mission. He should not only be patient and steadfast, but he should do
so in a dignified manner: not reacting emotionally, but ignoring it gracefully
and magnanimously; without feeling disheartened, and without giving up or
slowing down in the mission, but rather remaining on course in a steadfast
manner.
The next set of verses gives people a glimpse of the
conditions of that day.
8 On that day, the sky will be like murky oil, 9 the
mountains will be like flakes of wool 10 and no close friend will ask a close
friend of his condition, 11 though they will be put in sight of each other. The
criminal will long to be able to ransom himself from the punishment of that day
at the price of his children, 12 and his wife and his brother, 13 and his
nearest kindred who sheltered him, 14 and all those that are on the earth
collectively, so this ransom might save him.
The first two verses point towards the universe-wide
destruction. The word used to describe the condition of heaven during the
initial stage of destruction is that it will look like "Muhl" which is used for
describing different types of thick, liquid-type material such as sediments at
the bottom of oil (murky oil), molten copper or molten silver, perhaps
indicating the explosion of stars spreading molten matter in the sky. The
condition of the mountains in the early period of destruction will be that
their solid rocks will become powdered and scattered like dyed wool or cotton
that is fluffed like falling snow flakes.
Verses 10 -14 describe the human attitude after resurrection.
Everyone will be so self-centred and worried about his or her own salvation
that they will not care for anyone else. Those who used to be very close
friends, willing to do everything for each other, will see each other, but not
even care to ask how the other is doing. Rather, every wrong-doer will be
willing to sacrifice their children, spouses, their dearest relatives and the
whole world just to save himself / herself from the punishment of that day. An
Arab's loyalty to one's clan and tribe was paramount. A clan or tribe would go
to any length to protect one of its own at any cost and an individual would be
ever willing to sacrifice his life for the honour of his tribe or clan. But on
that day every wrongdoer would wish that he could give the whole clan as ransom
to attain his own personal salvation.
However, nothing except one's personal faith in Islam and his
good deeds will be of any avail. In the absence of Islamic faith and good
deeds, there will be no salvation and a person will have to suffer the
punishment of fire.
_________________________________
[1] Verse 41 itself does not specify whether the replacement
of disbelievers with those better than them is to happen in this world or in
the Hereafter.
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Copyright © 2009 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 Qur'aan,
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 Qur'aan is in fact only an
expression of the translator's understanding of the Word of Allaah Subhaanahu
wa Ta'aala, and hence cannot be equated with the Qur'aan itself. Only the
original Arabic text can be called the Holy Qur'aan.
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Ustaadz Ayub A. Hamid is a visionary and strategic Islamic
thinker residing in Canada for the last 34 years. His recently published books
are:
1. Islam - Does It Make Sense?
2. Unveiling the Commands-The 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 Qur'aan' series by
Ustaadz Ayub A. Hamid, are available on request:-
Al Faatihah
Al Baqarah
Aali 'Imraan
A Nisaa'
Al Maaidah
Al An'aam
Al A'raaf
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
Al Qalam
Al Haaqqah 1-12 / 13-18 / 19-52
K a r i m a
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