Faghih Imani, Kamal فقیه ایمانی, کمال, گردآورنده

]نورالقرآن فی تفسیر القرآن. انگلیسی. برگزیده[

(انلایتنینگ کامنتری این تو د لایت او د هولی قرآن)

An enlightening commentary in to the light of the Holy Qur'an/

Compiled by Kamal Faghih Imani and a group of Muslim scholars;

translated by Abbas Sadr-Ameli. – Isfaham: Golbahar, 2007 = 1385

ISBN 964-5691-53-2 فهرست نویسی بر اساس اطلاعات فیپا (دوره)

ISBN 964-5691-65-6 انگلیسی.

(جلد 13)

1. تفاسیر شیعه-- قرن 14. 2. قرآن -- سوره ها و آیه ها --

ترجمه ها. الف.صدرعاملی, عباس,Sadr - Ameli, Abbas , مترجم. ب. عنوان: An enlightening commentary in to the light of the holy Qur'an ج. عنوان: نور القرآن فی تفسیر القرآن. انگلیسی.

904952ن7ف/98BP 1726 / 297

1385

کتابخانه ملی ایران 18962-84م

Please note the Internet Site Address

For the English Commentary of the Light of Holy Qur’ān

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E-mail: enlightening_commentary@yahoo.com

All rights reserved by the Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.) Library

Title: An English Commentary into the Light of the Holy Qur’ān

Compiler: A Group of Muslim Scholars and " Copyright 1998 Kamal Faghih Imani "

Translator: Mr. Sayyid ‘Abbās Sadr-‘āmelī

Published by: The Scientific and Religious Research Center

Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.) Public Library, under the direction of

Ayatullah Allamah Mujāhid Al-Haj Sayyid Kamāl Faghīh Īmānī.

Address: Shekar Shekan Crossroads, Ahmadabad Street, Post Ofice Box 81465/5151

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Number of Copies in this Print: 6,000

First Edition: 2007 A.D. , 1385 / 1428 A.H.

p: 2

Commentary, verses 20-22............ 68

Commentary, verses 23-24............ 73

Commentary, verses 25-26............ 75

Commentary, verses 27-28............ 79

Commentary, verses 29-31............ 81

Section 3: Solomon and the Queen of Sheba............84

Commentary, verses 32-33............ 84

Commentary, verse 34............ 86

Commentary, verse 35 ............ 87

Some points on letter writing ............ 88

Commentary, verses 36-37............90

Some points............ 93

Commentary, verses 38-39............95

Commentary, verse 40............98

Some points............101

The virtue of Amir-ul-Mu’mineen and Ahl-ul-Bayt............104

Commentary, verse 41............106

Commentary, verses 42-43............108

Commentary, verse 44............110

Section 4: Saleh and Lot ............115

Commentary, verses 45-46............115

Commentary, verse 47............119

Some traditions upon Bad Omen............121

Commentary, verse 48............122

Commentary, verse 49............124

p: 4

Commentary, verses 50-51............126

Commentary, verses 52-53............128

Commentary, verses 54-55 ............130

The End of Part 19

Commentary, verse 56............133

Commentary, verses 57-58............135

Section 5: Allah’s Chosen Servants............137

Commentary, verse 59............137

Commentary, verse 60............139

Commentary, verses 61-62............142

Commentary, verse 63............147

Commentary, verse 64............149

Commentary, verses 65-66............151

Section 6: The Resurrection, Sura............154

Commentary, verses 67-68............154

Commentary, verses 69-70............156

Commentary, verses 71-74............158

Commentary, verse 75............161

Commentary, verses 76-77............163

Commentary, verses 78-79............166

Commentary, verses 80-81............168

Commentary, verse 82............173

Section 7: The coming of the Day of Judgment............180

Commentary, verses 83-84............180

A few Traditions as Examples............185

p: 5

Commentary, verse 85 ...................... 188

Commentary, verse 86 ...................... 189

Commentary, verse 87 ...................... 193

Commentary, verse 88 ...................... 196

Commentary, verses 89-90 ................................................................. 199

Commentary, verse 91 ...................... 203

Commentary, verse 92 ...................... 205

Commentary, verse 93 ...................... 207

The End of Sura An-Naml

Sura Al-Qasas, No. 28............209

The Virtue of Revelation of ............209

Section 1: The Narrative of Moses ............211

Commentary, verses 1-3............212

Commentary, verse 4............215

- Pharaoh ordered his men to kill the boys ............219

Commentary, verses 5-6............220

Some traditions upon the advent of Mahdī ............224

- Traditions About Raj‘at............225

Who the oppressed and oppressors are? ............227

- Kinds of Mustad‘af ............228

The general style of all oppressors............229

Commentary, verse 7............231

p: 6

- Moses’ mother cost him into the River .......................................... 232

- The midwife does not inform the birth of Moses ............................ 233

- The carpenter could not inform the informers ............................... 234

- Pharaoh had only a daughter ........................................................ 235

Commentary, verse 8 ........................ 236

Commentary, verse 9 ........................ 238

- The event of Pharaoh’s daughter .................................................. 239

Commentary, verses 10-11 ................................................................. 241

- Moses sister watched the affairs from a distance ........................... 243

Commentary, verse 12 ...................... 244

Commentary, verse 13 ...................... 247

Section 2: Moses saved by Allah from being murdered.......................... 249

Commentary, verse 14 ...................... 249

Commentary, verse 15 ...................... 251

Commentary, verse 16 ...................... 254

Commentary, verse 17 ...................... 257

- As a gratitude to Allah, Moses helped the oppressed 257

Commentary, verse 18 ...................... 262

Commentary, verse 19 ...................... 264

- Moses had killed the Coptic man for the help of the Israelite man ... 265

Commentary, verses 20-21............266

- The believer of the people of Pharaoh helped Moses............266

Section 3: Moses weds Laban’s daughter............269

Commentary, verse 22............269

- Moses stored to go toward Madyan............270

p: 7

Commentary, verses 23-24 ................................................................. 271

- Moses consumed the plants of the desert ..................................... 272

- He left the castle of Pharaoh for his home ..................................... 273

Commentary, verse 25 ...................... 275

- A woman must ply outside of the house with modesty 275

Commentary, verse 26 ...................... 278

- The girl found Moses’ strength when he put the shepherd aside ..... 279

Commentary, verse 27 ............280

Some points............281

The importance of marriage............289

Choosing the spouse ............290

Some traditions............290

Commentary, verse 28............292

Section 4: Moses Commissioned with Apostleship............294

Commentary, verse 29............294

- Moses spent ten years in strangerhood............295

Commentary, verse 30............298

- Allah speaks with Moses through a tree............298

Commentary, verse 31............300

- Moses saw the different shapes of the snake ............301

Commentary, verses 32-33 ............302

- Moses was ordered to draw his arm to himself............303

Commentary, verses 34-35............305

- Moses confessed the virtue of his brother ............306

p: 8

Commentary, verse 36 ...................... 307

- Moses informed Aaron of his prophecy .......................................... 307

Commentary, verse 37 ...................... 309

- Moses reported the failure of the unjust ........................................ 310

Commentary, verse 38 ...................... 311

- The news of Moses’ victory spread in Egypt .................................... 312

Commentary, verse 39 ...................... 315

- How can a man claim divinity? ....................................................... 315

Commentary, verse 40 ...................... 316

Commentary, verses 41-42 ................................................................. 317

- The leaders are divided into two groups: the leaders of ‘light’ and the leaders of ‘Fire’ ............ 318

Section 5: Moses’ Mission Referred to .................................................. 321

Commentary, verse 43 ...................... 321

- Allah gave torah to Moses after their destruction ........................... 322

Commentary, verse 44 ...................... 323

- The Qur’ān informs of the future events ........................................ 324

Commentary, verse 45 ...................... 325

Commentary, verse 46 ...................... 327

- The earth always contains the godly Hujjat (proof) ......................... 328

Commentary, verse 47 ...................... 329

- Allah punishes no nation before sending a prophet for them ............330

Commentary, verse 48............331

- Moses’ two miracles: Rod and white hand............332

Commentary, verse 49............333

p: 9

Commentary, verse 50 ...................... 334

- Man should be on the line of Divine guidance ................................. 335 Section 6: Guidance from Allah had been continuous ........................... 336

Commentary, verse 51 ...................... 336

Occasion of Revelation and Commentary verse 52............................. 338

- Some Christians came to the Prophet and believed ......................... 338

Commentary, verses 53-54 ................................................................. 340

They were expecting the Prophet of Islam ........................................ 341

Commentary, verse 55 ...................... 343

Commentary, verse 56 ...................... 345

- Some evidences upon the belief of Abūtālib ................................... 348

Commentary, verse 57 ...................... 350

Commentary, verse 58 ...................... 352

Commentary, verse 59 ...................... 354

- The news of the raise of the Prophet of Islam spread in Arabia peninsula in a short time............355

Commentary, verse 60 ...................... 356

Section 7: Unity of Allah ...................... 358

Commentary, verse 61 ...................... 358

- Divine lasting merits are preferable to fleeting joys ......................... 359

Commentary, verses 62-64 ................................................................. 361

- In Hereafter, every sinful person try to put his own sin on another’s shoulder ............363

Commentary, verses 65-67............365

- Pagans will have no answer but an absolute silence............366

p: 10

Commentary, verses 68-70 ................................................................. 368

- The authority of all things depends on His providence 369

- He is the Judge in both words ........................................................ 370

Commentary, verse 71 ...................... 371

Commentary, verse 72 ...................... 373

- Only Allah is eligible for being worshipped ..................................... 373

Commentary, verse 73 ...................... 374

Commentary, verse 74 ...................... 376

Commentary, verse 75 ...................... 377

- In Hereafter there will remain but the truth .................................... 378

Section 8: Korah’s (Qārūn) Ruin ............................................................ 379

Commentary, verse 76 ...................... 379

- Korah was a close relative of Moses ............................................... 380

- His wealth was the cause of his disobedience ................................. 380

- Allah does not like the proud exultant ............................................ 381

Commentary, verse 77 ...................... 382

- Not the totality of bounties belong to us ........................................ 384

Commentary, verse 78 ...................... 386

- Korah said he knew what to do better than others .......................... 387

Commentary, verse 79 ...................... 390

- Korah was an example of this quality .............................................. 390

Commentary, verse 80 ...................... 392

Commentary, verse 81 ...................... 394

Commentary, verse 82 ...................... 398

Some points ................................... 399

p: 11

Section 9: The Apostle (Muhammad) promised triumph........................ 404 Commentary, verse 83 ...................... 404

Commentary, verse 84 ...................... 408

The Occasion of Revelation .............................................................. 410

Commentary, verse 85 ...................... 411

Commentary, verse 86 ...................... 415

Commentary, verse 87 ...................... 417

Commentary, verse 88 ...................... 419

The End of Sura Al-Qasas

Sura Al-‘Ankabūt, No. 29, The Feature of Sura ...................................... 425

The Virtue of Sura ‘Ankabūt ............................................................ 425

Section 1: Every soul shall be tried ............426

Occasion of Revelation and Commentary, verses 1-3 427

Commentary, verses 4-5............433

Commentary, verse 6 ............435

Commentary, verse 7............437

The Occasion of Revelation, verse 8............439

Commentary, verse 8............439

Some other Traditions............443

Commentary, verse 9............445

p: 12

Commentary, verse 10 ............446

Commentary, verse 11 ............449

Commentary, verse 12 ............ 450

Commentary, verse 13............452

Section 2: Noah and Abraham’s Mission............457

Commentary, verses 14-15............457

Commentary, verse 16............461

Commentary, verse 17 ............462

Commentary, verse 18............465

Commentary, verse 19 ............466

Commentary, verse 20 ............468

Commentary, verses 21-22 ............471

Section 3: Abraham and Lot ............474

Commentary, verse 23............474

Commentary, verse 24 ............476

Commentary, verse 25 ............478

Commentary, verse 26............ 481

Commentary, verse 27 ............483

Commentary, verses 28-30............486

Some Traditions upon Sodomy and its punishment ............491

Section 4: The Mission of Abraham, Lot, Shu‘ayb and Moses ............492 Commentary, verse 31............492

Commentary, verse 32............494

Commentary, verse 33............497

Commentary, verses 34-35............500

p: 13

Commentary, verse 36 ...................... 502

Commentary, verse 37 ...................... 504

Commentary, verse 38 ...................... 505

Commentary, verse 39 ...................... 507

Commentary, verse 40 ...................... 509

Commentary, verse 41 ...................... 512

Commentary, verses 42-43 ................................................................. 516

Commentary, verse 44 ...................... 518

The End of Sura Al-‘Ankabūt

References ........................................ 520

Index .................................................. 523

A Presentation to Muslims ................................................................... 550

The Rank and Importance of the Qur’ān ............................................... 553

Imām Mahdī (a.s.) .............................. 555

The List of Publications of the Library .................................................... 558

p: 14

Sura An-Naml

(The Ant)

No. 27, (Revealed at Mecca)

93 verses in 7 Sections

Some of the commentators have said that probably the words ‘Qur’ān’ and ‘Kitābin Mubīn’ (The Book Manifest) refer to two separate things and the latter indicates to /lauh-i-mahfūz/ (Protected Tablet), but the apparent of the verse shows that both of them speak of one thing: one of them in the form of utterances and recitation, and the other in the form of a ‘written Book’.

****

In the second noble verse, there have been stated two other qualities for the Qur’ān. It is the Holy Qur’ān which causes ‘guidance’, and the means of good tidings for the believers. It says:

“ A guidance and glad tidings for the believers,”

“ Those who establish prayer and give Zakat (the poor-rate), and of the Hereafter, they are sure.”

Thus, their belief in both origin and resurrection is firm, and their link with Allah and His servants is strong. Therefore, the above qualities point to both their complete faith and their practical inclusive program.

There may arise a question here that if these believers have chosen a straight path from the point of basic doctrines and practice both, why is it necessary that the Qur’ān comes for their guidance? Regarding to the fact that guidance consists of different stages, each of which is a preparation for the higher stage and higher stages, the answer of this question is made clear.

Moreover, the continuation of this guidance is itself an important matter. It is the same thing that, by saying: “Guide us (O’ Lord) on the Straight Path” in our all daily prayers, we ask Allah that He makes us fix in this way and He continues it, because without His grace this continuation is impossible.

p: 21

Besides that, taking the advantages of the verses of ‘the Qur’ān’ and ‘the Book manifest’ is possible only for those who carry the soul of ‘seeking the truth’ in them, though they have not obtained the complete guidance yet. If we see that, in one occurrence, the Qur’ān has been introduced as the origin of the piety of the pious ones, (Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 2) and in another one as the source of guidance for the Muslims (An-Nahl, No. 16, verse 102), and here it is as the cause of guidance for the ‘believers’, one of its reasons is that a person will not go after the reality unless, at least, a stage of piety, submission, and belief in realities exists in his heart, and a disbeliever does not enjoy the light of this ‘manifest Book’ because the eligibility of place is also conditioned.

Besides all of these, the combination of ‘guidance’ and ‘glad tidings’ is possible only for ‘the believers’ and such a ‘glad tidings’ is not available for others.

This makes it clear that if in some verses of the Qur’ān guidance has vastly and expansively been defined for all people, like Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 185 which says: “… a guidance for mankind in”, its purpose is all those who have an appropriate ground in them for accepting the Truth, else, the arrogant, obstinate, and fanatic persons are some blind hearted ones that if, instead of one sun, thousand suns shine on them, they get the least advantage of them.

****

p: 22

﴿4﴾ إِنَّ الَّذِینَ لاَ یُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاَخِرَةِ زَیَّنَّا لَهُمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَهُمْ یَعْمَهُونَ

﴿5﴾ اُوْلَئِکَ الَّذِینَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ وَهُمْ فِی الاَخِرَةِ هُمُ الاَخْسَرُونَ

4. “ Verily those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their (ugly) deeds fair-seeming unto them, so they wander bewildered.”

5. “ These are those for whom shall be a grievous chastisement, and in the Hereafter they shall be the greatest losers.”

This change in values, and the confusion of the criterions in one’s view, the result of which is being bewildered and misguided in life, is the worst state that a person may receive.

It is interesting that this ornamentation of deeds has been attributed to Allah, and this is because He is the cause of all causes in the world of existence, and the effect of any thing relates to Allah. Yes, Allah has put this peculiarity in the repetition of action, that one gradually falls into habit of it and his sense of discrimination varies, while his responsibility does not disappear, nor can it be counted as a rejection and deficiency for the Lord. (Be careful)

****

Then the Qur’ān refers to the consequence of those evil deeds that are made fair-seening to them, and states the fate of such persons as follows:

“ These are those for whom shall be a grievous chastisement, …”

In this world, they will be hopeless and bewildered, and in the Hereafter they will encounter a terrible chastisement. The verse continues saying:

“… and in the Hereafter they shall be the greatest losers.”

The reason of that they are ‘the greatest losers’ is the same thing that is mentioned in Sura Al-Kahf, No. 18, verses 103 and 104 which announce: “Say: ‘Shall We inform you of the greates losers in (their) deeds?” “Those whose effort is lost in this world’s life, while they think that they are working good deeds.”

What a loss is greater than this that one considers his ugly deeds beautiful and does his best to commit them thinking that he is doing a positive task, but at the end he sees he has provided naught for him but misery and wretchedness.

p: 24

By the way, the losers are of different groups:

1- ‘Khāsir’. The one whose whole life and capitals are ruined: “… Say: ‘The losers surely are those who shall have lost themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection, …” (Sura Az-Zumar, No. 39, verse 15)

2- ‘In Loss’. The one who is not a true believer and does not do righteous deeds: “By Time.” “Surely man is in loss,” “Save those who believe and do good deeds, …” (Sura Al-‘Asr, No. 103, verses 1-3)

3- ‘Clear Loss’. The one who worships Allah not earnestly: “… so that if such a one who worships Allah only by tongue, so that if good befalls him he is satisfied therewith, and if a trial afflicts him he turns back his face; he loses this world and (also) the Hereafter; that is indeed the manifest loss.” (Sura Al-Hajj, No. 22 verse 11)

4- ‘The Utmost Losers’. Those who are deviated and think that they are on the right path: “Those whose effort is lost in this world’s life, while they think that they are working good deeds.” (Sura Al-Kahf, No. 18, verse 104)

Some Islamic traditions indicate that the losers are those who: do not pay alms (Zakāt), persist on committing sins, and have the power of saying the right but they do not say it. These are the most unjust ones, because they want to improve their worldly life by spoiling the religion.

3. Imam Amir-ul-Mu’minīn Ali (a.s.) said: “He who has reckoned his own self has gained, and he who has neglected it has lost.” (Qisār-ul-Hikam, No. 208, Al-Mu‘jam)

4. The same Imam (a.s.) said: “How much a loser is he who has no (good) share in Hereafter!” (Qurar-ul-Hikam, Vol. 2, P. 746)

5. Amir-ul-Mu’minīn Ali (a.s.) said: “The utmost loser among people is he who has ability of saying the Truth, but he does not say.” (Qurar-ul-Hikam, Vol. 1, P. 195)

6. Amir-ul-Mu’minīn Ali (a.s.) wrote a letter to Masqalat-ibn-Hubarat-ish-Shaybānī, who was the Governor of Ardeshīr Khurrah (Iran) from his side (a.s.), as follows: “I have come to know concerning you a matter which if you have done it you have displeased your Allah and disobeyed your Imam. You are distributing among the Arabs (Bedouins) of your kin who tend towards you the property of the Muslims which they collected by dint of their spears and horses and on which their blood was shed. … and do not reform your world by ruining your religion, since then you will be among losers by the way of (your) deeds. …”(1)

****

p: 26

﴿6﴾ وَإِنَّکَ لَتُلَقَّی الْقُرْءَانَ مِن لَدُنْ حَکِیمٍ عَلِیمٍ

6. “ And most surely you receive the Qur’ān from One All-Wise, All-Knowing.”

- They take part in the competition of luxury as a sign of ‘personality’.

-Being polluted in kinds of corruptions is the epiphany of liberty for them.

-They consider murder, crime, and destruction as the evidence of power.

- They count destruction and usurpation of others’ capitals, as they call, reestablishing those properties.

- They use the common communication means along side of the worst anti-ethical programs and call it as a reason for ‘respecting the people’s demand’.

- They tread on the rights of the deprived as a sign of ‘honouring the human’s rights’.

- They call captivity in the grips of addictions, lusts, disgraces, and indecencies ‘a kind of liberty’.

- In their view, treachery, dishonesty, and gaining wealth, in any way that it can be, are considered as a reason for their talent and competency.

- In their culture, observing the principles of justice and respecting others’ rights is the sign of inefficiency and lack of competency, while falsehood, perjury, hypocrisy, and deceit are the sign of policy.

Shortly speaking, their evil and shameful deeds seem so fair to them that not only they do not feel shame of them but also they boast for them. It is evident, then, that how the feature of such a society will be and what direction is the path which will end to it!

****

p: 29

﴿7﴾ إِذْ قَالَ مُوسی لاَهْلِهِ إِنّ-ِی ءَانَسْتُ نَاراً سَاَتِیکُم مّ-ِنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ أَوْ ءَاتِیکُم بِشِهَابٍ قَبَسٍ لَّعَلَّکُمْ تَصْطَلُونَ

﴿8﴾ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهَا نُودِیَ أَن بُورِکَ مَن فِی النَّارِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ رَبّ ِ الْعَالَمِینَ

﴿9﴾ یَامُوسَی إِنَّهُ أَنَا اللَّهُ الْعَزِیزُ الْحَکِیمُ

7. “ (Remember) When Moses said unto his family: ‘Verily I perceive a fire; soon will I bring you news of it, or I will bring you a flaming brand, that you warm yourselves.”

8. “ So when he came to it, a voice was heard: ‘Blessed is whoever is in the fire and whoever is about it, and

Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the World.”

9. “O’ Moses! Verily, I am Allah, The Mighty, The Wise;”

heart and he was acquainted with the message and the speech of Allah. The verse says:

“ (Remember) When Moses said unto his family: ‘Verily I perceive a fire; …”

“… soon will I bring you news of it, or I will bring you a flaming brand, that you warm yourselves.”

This event happened by the same night when Moses was in a dark desert on the way toward Egypt, accompanied with his wife, Shu‘ayb’s daughter, and he lost the way. Then a terrible storm began to blow and at the same time his wife felt the pains of childbirth. Moses thought he severely needed to make a fire in order to use its warmth, but there was nothing in that desert for it.

As soon as he saw the light of a flame from distance, he became happy and took it as a sign of the existence of someone or some ones there. He told them that he would go and bring them either some news from it, or a burning firebrand so that they might warm themselves by it.

It is noteworthy that Moses says he brings ‘them’ news or a flaming band, (the pronoun of which plural). This may show that there had been a child or children with him too, because his marriage bad happened in Madyan ten years before that. Or it may be for the sake that, in that horrible desert, that idea could give some further calmness to his addressees.

In the next verse, the Qur’ān indicates that Moses left his family there, and moved toward the place where he had seen a fire. When he reached the fire he heard a voice, as the verse says:

“ So when he came to it, a voice was heard: ‘Blessed is whoever is in the fire and whoever is about it, and Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the World.”

p: 31

The commentators of the Qur’ān have delivered different ideas concerning who might be the person mentioned in the phrases: “Whoever is in the fire” and “whoever is about it”. What seems more probable is that, the objective of ‘the one in the fire’ is Moses who was so close to the fire found inside the green tree that as if he were inside the tree; and the objective of ‘the one about it’ is the near-stationed angels of Allah who, at that particular moment, had surrounded that sacred land.

Or, on the contrary, the objective of those in the fire, is the Divine angels, and the objective of ‘the one about it’ is Moses (a.s.).

However, some Islamic narrations indicate that when Moses (a.s.) approached the fire, he stopped and watched it carefully. He saw that from the inside of a green branch of the tree a flaming brand was shining. Every moment the flame was becoming brighter and brighter and the tree was growing more green and more beautiful. Neither the heat of the fire was to burn the tree, nor the moist of the tree caused the fire to die. He wondered. He bowed to take some fire with the small piece of wood he had in his hand, but the fire came toward him. He terrified and went back. Sometimes he tried to go toward the fire and sometimes the fire itself came toward him. Suddenly a voice was heard, giving him the glad tidings of revelation.

The purpose is that Moses approached the fire so nigh that he was proportionate to the phrase ‘whoever is in the fire’.

The third commentary which has been stated upon this phrase is that the purpose of “whoever is in the fire” is the Light of Allah which was shown by the burning firebrand; and the purpose of the phrase “whoever is about it” is Moses who was nigh to it. However, in order that there would not appear here any misconception concerning materiality of Allah, at the end of the verse, the sentence: “Glory be to Allah, the Lord of

p: 32

the World” makes it clear that He is free from any defect, deficiency, materiality and material accidents.

****

Again a voice was heard which addressed Moses, saying:

“O’ Moses! Verily, I am Allah, The Mighty, The Wise;”

This sentence was for the sake that no doubt might remain in Moses’ mind and he would know that it was the Lord of the Worlds Who was speaking with him, not the flaming brand, nor the tree, the Lord Who does not fail, Who is ‘Mighty’ and Who is the Possessor of Wisdom and Device.

This meaning, in fact, is a premise for the statement of the miracle which will be referred to in the next holy verse, since miracle originates from two attributes of Allah: ‘Power’ and ‘Wisdom’. However, before discussing about the next verse, this question arises here that how did Moses understand and was assured that this voice was Allah’s, not other than that?

In answer to this question, it can be said that this voice, being accompanied with a clear miracle, viz., glittering a fire from inside the branch of a green tree, was a manifest reason that it was a Divine matter.

Moreover, as we will find out by the next verse, after this voice Moses was ordered a command which contained the miracles of ‘Rod and white hand’, and these two miracles were two other evidences for the reality of this voice.

Besides all of these things, principally, the Divine voice must have a particular quality which makes it separate from any other voice, and when one hears it, it affects on his heart so deeply that he never doubts that it is the voice of Allah.

****

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﴿10﴾ وَأَلْقِ عَصَاکَ

فَلَمَّا رَءَاهَا تَهْتَزُّ کَأَنَّهَا جَآنٌّ وَلَّی مُدْبِراً

وَلَمْ یُعَقّ-ِبْ یَامُوسَی لاَتَخَفْ إِنّ-ِی لاَیَخَافُ لَدَیَّ الْمُرْسَلُونَ

﴿11﴾ إِلاَّ مَن ظَلَمَ ثُمَّ بَدَّلَ حُسْناً بَعْدَ سُوءٍ فَإِنّ-ِی غَفُورٌ رَّحِیمٌ

10. “ ‘And cast down your staff!’ So when he saw it moving as if it were a serpent, he turned back retreating and did not return. (It was told him:) ‘O’ Moses! Fear not; surely the messengers shall not fear in My presence;”

11. “ Save he who has been unjust, then he does good instead after evil, for verily I am the Forgiving, the Merciful;”

“… (It was told him:) ‘O’ Moses! Fear not; surely the messengers shall not fear in My presence;”

Moses should be aware that here is the position of nearness and Allah’s secure sanctuary, the Mighty, the High; this rank is a place where there is not any fear or terror. That is, O’ Moses! You are at the presence of Allah, the Most High, and His presence is with absolute security. A similar meaning to this one is recited in Sura Qasas, No. 28, verse 31 which says: “… O’ Moses! Come you forward and fear you not; for surely you are in security.”

Through next verse the Qur’ān has stated an exception for the holy phrase “… surely the messengers shall fear not in My presence” when it says:

“ Save he who has been unjust, then he does good instead after evil, for verily I am the Forgiving, the Merciful;”

Allah accepts the penitence of those who repent and He gives them security, too.

Concerning the circumstance of this exception the Late Tabarsy, the writer of Majma‘-ul-Bayān, says: “But those people, except the prophets, who have done wrong and then repent remorsefully and decide not to return again, should know that He is the Forgiving, the Acceptor of repentance.”

The reason why the prophets have been mentioned as an exception is that they never commit any wrong and, because of the rank of infallibility, they are far from any sins and evils. Therefore, there they are not inside the exception, and prophets are like others only in the principle of doing duties. This kind of exception has also been referred to by Qurtabī in his commentary, Vol. 4, P. 8. The author of Jawāmi‘-ul-Jāmi‘, the commentary, Vol. 4, P. 450 concerning the meaning of this

sentence says as follows: “Whoever, except the prophets, does injustice, then he is remorseful of his ugly deeds and repents

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and decides not to repeat them any more, surely Allah will forgive his injustice and He is merciful to him.”

Some other great commentators have said that there is not any retrenched matter in this verse and the fact is that those, other than the prophets, are not secured. Then there is an exception where it implicitly says: save those who, after their fault and sins, repent and improve, and such ones will be in the Divine security, too.

****

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﴿12﴾ وَأَدْخِلْ یَدَکَ فِی جَیْبِکَ تَخْرُجْ بَیْضَآءَ مِنْ غَیْرِ سُوءٍ فِی تِسْعِ ءَایَاتٍ إِلَی فِرْعَوْنَ وَقَوْمِهِ إِنَّهُمْ کَانُوا قَوْماً فَاسِقِینَ

﴿13﴾ فَلَمَّا جَآءَتْهُمْ ءَایَاتُنَا مُبْصِرَةً قَالُوا هَذَا سِحْرٌ مُبِینٌ

12. “ And put your hand in your bosom, and it will come forth white (shining) without harm, (this miracle is) among the nine signs to Pharaoh and his people; verily they are a transgressing people.”

13. “ So when Our clear signs came to them, they said: ‘This is a manifest sorcery’.”

7. Nose-bleeding or ‘blood’ which signifies the universal counteraction of nose bleeding or the turning of the Nile into the colour blood (Al-’A‘rāf, 133)

8. Famine and draught (Al-’A‘rāf, 130)

9. The splitting of the sea (Al-Baqarah, 50)

Other miracles of Moses (a.s.) are: the gushing of 12 springs from stone (Al-Baqarah, 60), the descending of /mann/ and /salwā/ (explained under Sura Al-Baqarah, verse 57)

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) said: “The purpose of /min qayri sū’/ (without harm) it that this whiteness of the hand was not because of sickness of leprosy.(1)

Anyhow, the second miracle of Moses (a.s.) was given to him, as the verse says:

“ And put your hand in your bosom, and it will come forth white (shining) without harm, …”

This whiteness of hand which is an interesting shining and luminosity, and not as the result of leprosy, itself denotes to the existence of a miracle and an extraordinary event.

In order to grant some more grace to Moses and give further possibility to deviated persons to be guided, the Qur’ān, implicitly says to Moses (a.s.) that his miracles are not limited to these two ones, but:

“… (this miracle is) among the nine signs to Pharaoh and his people; verily they are a transgressing people.”

You are sent to Pharaoh and his people equipped with these nine miracles, as well as other great ones, because they are a transgressing people and they need guidance.

From the apparent of this verse, it is understood that these two miracles have been among nine known miracles of Moses (a.s.). In commenting on Sura Al-’Isrā’, No. 17, verse 101 it

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was concluded before that there are seven other miracles for Moses, five of which are: storm, plant-pests, locusts, forges, and turning of the Nile water into the colour of blood. When each of these events came to Pharaohs as a warning and they encountered with some difficulty, they used to come to Moses and asked him to remove the pest.

There were two more miracles: draught and scanty of fruits, which are mentioned in Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7, verse 130. It says: “And certainly We afflicted the clan of Pharaoh with draught and scanty of fruits, so that they may take admonition.”

****

At last, Moses was equipped with the strongest weapon of miracle and went towards Pharaoh and his people. He invited them to the religion of truth. The Qur’ān says:

“ So when Our clear signs came to them, they said: ‘This is a manifest sorcery’.”

We know that this accusation was not charged only on Moses (a.s.) but, in order to adjust their oppositions against prophets, and in order that they produce a barrier in the way of others, the arrogant fanatic people brought forth the accusation of sorcery for the prophets which itself is a clear sign for the greatness of their extraordinary work. It is in the case that we know that prophets are some pure, pious and truth-seeking men, while sorcerers are some deviated and corrupted persons and are qualified with all qualities that a deceitful one may have.

Moreover, sorcerers had always been able to do some limited affairs, but prophets, whose customs and the content of their godly invitations made their legitimacy manifest, had no similarity to sorcerers.

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﴿14﴾ وَجَحَدُوا بِهَا وَاسْتَیْقَنَتْهَآ أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْماً وَعُلُوّاً فَانظُرْ کَیْفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِینَ

14. “ And they denied them unjustly and proudly though their hearts acknowledged them; consider, then how was the end of the mischief-makers.”

“ And they denied them unjustly and proudly though their hearts acknowledged them; …”

It is understood from this sentence that Faith has a reality besides knowledge and certainly, and blasphemy may exist because of denial and negation while there is knowledge and awareness.

In other words, the reality of the correct Faith is an ‘outward and inward submission’ before the truth. Thus, if a person is certain of something but he does not surrender to it inwardly or outwardly, he has not faith, but he is a disbeliever of the denial kind. This is a vast matter that now we suffice only to this short explanation here.

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) in a tradition, explaining five kinds of disbelief, counts one of them this kind of disbelief and that one of its branches is ‘denial’, and he said: “That is something that one denies while he knows that it is surely the truth which has been proved with him”, then he recited this verse.(1)

It is interesting that the Qur’ān considers the motivation of the denial of the people of Pharaoh in two things: injustice and pride.

Their ‘injustice’ may refer to usurpation of others’ rights, and their pride refers to their self-superiority over the Children of Israel. It means that they saw if they surrendered to the signs and miracles of Moses, they both would find their unlawful interests in danger and that they would stand in the same row with their slaves, the Children of Israel, and none of them were tolerable for them.

Or the purpose of the Qur’ānic word ‘unjustly’ is the injustice they did to themselves or to the Divine verses, and, the purpose of the word ‘proudly’ is oppression over others, as

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Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7, verse 9 says: “… for they used to be unjust unto Our Signs.”

However, at the end of this verse, as a lesson and gazing-stock, with a short and very expressive sentence, the Qur’ān points to the evil end of the people of Pharaoh that they were drowned and destructed, where it says:

“… consider, then how was the end of the mischief-makers.”

The Qur’ān does not uncover the matter here, because they had read the painful story of this disbelieving people in other verses of the Qur’ān and by this short sentence they may understand what they must understand.

By the way, from among their ugly qualities entirely, the Qur’ān has emphasized on ‘making mischief’ which has a comprehensive concept. It includes both mischief in belief, speech and action, and mischief in individual and society. In fact, all their evil deeds are gathered in the word ‘mischief’.

****

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“… And We taught him the art of making the coat of mail …”(1)

But it is better to render the Qur’ānic word /‘ilm/ in a general sense, that is the knowledge of administration of the country.

However, this verse speaks about two other great Divine prophets: David and Solomon. Of course, there is only a hint to David but Solomon is explained more.

Mentioning a part of the life story of these two prophets next to the story of Moses (a.s.) is for the sake that these two prophets were from among the prophets of the Children of Israel, too. The difference between their history and the history of other prophets is that these were more successful to establish a great government because of mental and social receptivity of the atmosphere of the Children of Israel, and they could expand the Divine religion by the help of their governmental power. Therefore, the style of explanation of the life story of other prophets, who encountered the severe opposition of their nations and sometimes they were expelled from their home and city, is not seen here, and the explanations are totally different. This clearly shows to what extend the difficulties may be solved and the path can become level if the Divine callers succeed to form a government.

However, here the words are about knowledge, ability, power, and dignity. It speaks about the submission of the birds and other creatures and, finally, about the severe struggle against idolatry through the way of logical invitation and, then, enjoying the power of government. And these things are the qualities that separate the life story of these two prophets from that of other prophets.

It is interesting that the Holy Qur’ān here has begun the statement with the issue of the ‘merit of knowledge’ which is

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the foundation of a righteous and powerful government. It says:

“ And certainly We gave David and Solomon

knowledge …”

A great deal of commentators have tried very much to find out what kind of knowledge it is that Allah bestowed on David and Solomon, and it is stated here ambiguously and not definitely, and as it was precisely said at the beginning of the commentary of the verse, some commentators, relying on some other verses of the Qur’ān, have considered it ‘the knowledge of judgment’: “…and We gave him wisdom and clear judgment.” (Sura Sād, No. 38, verse 20), “… and unto each (of them) We gave wisdom and knowledge …” (Sura Al-’Anbiyā’, No. 21, verse 79). And some commentators also with frame of reference to the verses under discussion, which speak of ‘the language of the birds’ have counted this knowledge as the knowledge of speaking with birds, while some others, with frame of reference to the verses that talk of the knowledge of ‘making the coat mail’, have specified this knowledge to it.

However, it is clear that ‘knowledge’, hare, has a vast meaning which includes the knowledge of monotheism, religious belief, religious laws, knowledge of judgment, and all knowledge and information which have been necessary for the formation of such extensive and powerful government. Its reason is that the establishment of a divine government basing on justice which is an equipped and free government, is not possible without enjoying a complete knowledge. Thus, the Qur’ān specifies the rank of knowledge in the human society and in establishment of government as the first stone of the foundation of this building.

And next to this sentence, from the tongue of David and Solomon, it continues saying:

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“… and they both said: ‘Praise belongs to Allah, Who has favoured us above many of His believing servants’.”

It is interesting that immediately after stating the great merit of ‘knowledge’ it speaks of ‘thanksgiving’ in order to make it clear that there is a thanksgiving for every blessing, and the reality of thanksgiving is that every blessing should be used in the same way that it has been created for; and these two great prophets did their best from their knowledge in formation of a Divine government.

By the way, they introduced the criterion of their own superiority to others by having ‘knowledge’, not by having power and government, and they also applied thanksgiving for having knowledge not for other merits, because all values belong to ‘knowledge’ and all powers originate from ‘knowledge’.

This point is also noteworthy that they did thank for governing over a faithful people, since governing over a corrupted group, who are disbelievers, is not an honour.

There arises a question here that why did they say in their thanksgiving that ‘He had favoured them above many of His believing servants’ and they did not say over all believing people, though they were prophets who were above all the people of their time?

Using this kind of meaning may be for observing the principles of discipline and humility that one, in any rank, must not think of oneself above all.

Or it is for the sake that they did not consider only a particular part of time but they considered the whole times, and we know that there have been some greater prophets than them during the history of man.

****

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﴿16﴾ وَوَرِثَ سُلَیْمَ-انُ دَاوُدَ وَقَالَ یَآ أَیُّهَا النَّاسُ عُلّ-ِمْنَا مَنطِقَ الطَّیْرِ وَاُوتِینَا مِن کُلّ ِ شَیْءٍ إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْمُبِینُ

16. “ And Solomon inherited David and he said: ‘O people! We have been taught the language of the birds, and we have been granted of everything; verily this is the manifest favour’.”

concept of the verse. Thus, Solomon had been the heir of all merits of his father. The traditions narrated from Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) have reasoned to this verse before those who said that prophets do not leave any heritage and laid emphasis on the tradition which says: “We prophets do not leave any heritage”. They have reasoned that since the said tradition contrasts to the Book of Allah, it is invalid.

We read in a tradition narrated from Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) that when ’Abūbakr decided to take Fadak from Fatimah (a.s.) she (a.s.) heard of that decision and came to ’Abūbakr and said: “Is there any thing in the Book of Allah that you inherit from your father but I do not inherit from my father? This is a wonderful thing! Have you forgotten the Book of Allah and put it behind you when it says: ‘And Solomon inherited David’?”(1)

Then the Qur’ān in this verse adds:

“… and he said: ‘O people! We have been taught the language of the birds, and we have been granted of everything; verily this is the manifest favour’.”

Some claim that the application of ‘language and speaking’ for non-human beings is not correct save as metaphor; but if a non-human being also utters some sounds and words which are meaningful and indicate some matters, there is no evidence not to call it ‘speaking’, since ‘speech’ is often any words that communicate a truth and a concept.

Of course, we do not want to say that those special sounds that sometimes some animals produce because of anger, wrath, or pleasure and consent, or as the result of pain, or as a sign of affection unto their children are called language. No, these are some sounds that they bring forth out of their mouth at the time of a special mood. But, as we see in the verses of the

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Qur’ān, Solomon communicates some matters with hoopoe and he (a.s.) sends a message by the hoopoe and then he asks its answer from this bird.

This shows that besides the sounds that they produce because of their moods, animals can speak in some particular conditions by the command of Allah. Another clear example is the explanation about the speech of the ant which will be mentioned later concerning the future verses of this Sura.

Of course, the vast concept of /nutq/ (speech) has been used in the Qur’ān which, indeed, states the spirit and conclusion of it, and it is ‘the statement of what is in mind’, whether it is done by means of words and speech; or through other means, like the verse which says: “This is Our Book that speaks against you with justice…”(1) But we do not need to render the word /nutq/ in connection with the speech of Solomon and the birds into this sense; because according to the apparent of the above verses, Solomon was able to understand the special words that birds used for transferring their matters and he could speak with them.

Contrast to the limitations that some commentators have cited for the Qur’ānic sentence: “… we have been granted of every thing …”, it has a vast meaning and it concludes all physical and spiritual means which were necessary for the formation of that Divine government and, basically, without it this statement will be imperfect.

By the way, Allah has given some special knowledge to some particular persons and He has mentioned them in the Qur’ān:

1- Adam had the knowledge of all things: “And He taught Adam all the names, …” (Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 31)

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2- Khidr knew the inward knowledge and interpretation (so that Moses could be his student: “… ‘Shall I follow you that you teach me right conduct …” (Sura Al-Kahf, No. 18, verse 66)

3- Yūsuf was taught the knowledge of interpretation of dreams: “… this is of what my Lord has taught me. …” (Sura Yūsuf, No. 12, verse 37)

4- David was taught by Allah the knowledge of making the coat of mail: “And We taught him the art of making the coat of mail …” (Sura Al-’Anbiyā’, No. 21, verse 80)

5- Solomon knew the language of birds: “…We have been taught the language of the birds, …” (Sura An-Naml, No. 27, verse 16)

6- ’Āsif Burkhiyā (Solomon’s assistant) had the knowledge by which he could bring the royal throne (of the Queen of Sheba) from one country to another country: “One with whom was some knowledge (of a part) of the (Divine) Book said …” (Sura An-Naml, No. 27, verse 40)

7- Tālūt knew the knowledge of army: “… ‘Verily Allah has chosen him over you, and He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature, …” (Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 247)

8- The holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and other prophets had the knowledge of Unseen: “… so He does not reveal His secrets to any,” “Except to whom He chooses as an apostle, …” (Sura Al-Jinn, No. 72, verses 26-27)

It is for this reason that it has been said that the prophets’ knowledge is ‘an intuitive knowledge’ and it is bestowed on them through inspiration by Allah.

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totally loses its arm of execution, and if politics separates from religion it will be changed into a destructive element which moves along the path of its interests.

If the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) succeeded to spread this Divine religion quickly in the world, it was because, at the first opportunity, he started to form a government and by means of the Islamic government he pursued the divine aims.

Some other divine prophets who could do like that and succeeded, were able to spread the Divine call better, while some others of them who were in difficulties and the conditions did not let them to form a government, did not succeed to progress very much.

2- The Divine Government and its Means:

It is interesting that in the life story of Solomon and David we clearly see that they succeeded to quickly root out the effects of polytheism and idolatry and to establish a government whose main means, according to the concerning verses, was knowledge and awareness in various fields. It was a system that Allah’s Name was at the top of its programs. This system used to apply all the eligible powers and used even the ability of a bird for reaching its aims.

It was a system that could control all devils and dominated over the oppressors.

And, finally, it was a system which had both enough military force and elements of information, and some persons who had sufficient awareness and skill in different fields, and it had gathered all of these elements under the camp of belief and Monotheism.

3- The Birds’ Speech:

In the above verse and the verses which will come later in the story of hoopoe and Solomon, the birds’ speech and the kind of their sense and understanding are referred to explicitly.

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No doubt that birds, like other animals, in different circumstances make some various sounds that, with careful observation, we can recognize their states and situations by the kind of that sound and say which sound indicates to their anger, which one to their content, which sound is the reason of their hunger, and which one shows their whining. We can understand with which sound the animal calls its children and with which sound it warns them of coming a horrible event. This part of the birds’ sound contains no doubt and all of us are, more or less, acquainted with it.

But the holy verses of this Sura apparently intend to say something beyond this matter. They talk about a kind of animal speaking in a secret way which carries some more minute subjects in it. They talk about understanding and a debate between birds and a human being. This meaning is surprising for some persons, but regarding to the various matters that the scientists have written in their books and the personal observation, and experiences that some other persons had concerning birds, it is not so surprising

We know some matters even more surprising than this in relation with the talent of animals, and birds in particular.

Some of them are so skilful in making houses and nests for them that they exceed our engineers.

Some of birds possess so much exact information about their future offspring and their needs and difficulties and they act so minutely concerning their salvation that is surprising for all of us.

Their foresight about the circumstance of weather, even from some months before, their awareness of earthquakes before they occur and even before that our seismographs record the slightest quakes are well known.

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The training with which some animals are trained in our time, and the extraordinary jobs they do and many people have seen them in many circuses all denote to their wonderful intelligence. The marvelous acts of ‘ants’ and their wonderful civilization; the marvels of the life of bees and their amazing finding the traces are famous.

The recognition of the emigrating birds, which sometimes pave the distance between North Pole and South Pole, and their awareness of the circumstances of the ways along this extraordinary long traveling are wonderful.

The amazing information about Salmon-trout, when they emigrate in groups in deep sees, are generally some subjects that scientifically are certain and are reasons for the existence of an important stage of apprehension, or instinct, or whatever we may call, in these animals.

The existence of some extraordinary senses in animals, such as the system of radar in a bat, very strong sense of smell in some insects, the extraordinary extensive power of sight in some birds, and so on, are also some other evidences for the fact that they are not weaker than us in anything.

Keeping these things in mind, it does not seem wonderful that they have a special speech, too, and can speak with the person who is aware of the method of their talking.

In the verses of the Qur’ān, there are also some different points which refer to this meaning. For example, Sura Al-’An‘ām, No. 6, verse 38 says: “And there is no creature (that walks) on the earth nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but they are communities the like of you. …”

In Islamic narrations there are a lot of traditions which refer to the animals’ speech and that of the birds, and even for each of them there have been cited some popular statements whose explanation is very long.

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Imam Sādiq (a.s.) in a narration said that Imam Amir-ul-Mu’minīn Ali (a.s.) once told Ibn-‘Abbās: “Verily Allah taught us the birds’ speech as He taught Solomon, son of David, as well as the speech of every living creature in the land and sea.”(1)

4- The Explanation of a Tradition:

There has been recorded a tradition in some different books of Sunnites from the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) which denotes: “We prophets do not leave any heritage, and whatever we leave must be used as alms (in the way of Allah).” Sometimes this very tradition has been cited in a form that its first sentence is omitted, like this: “Whatever we leave must be used as alms (in the way of Allah).”

The document of this tradition in those books is often ended to Abūbakr who took the rein of Muslims’ affairs after the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), and when Hadrat Fatimah (a.s.) or some other wives of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) demanded Abūbakr their inheritance, relying upon this narration, he did not give them any inheritance.

This tradition is recorded by ‘Muslim’ in his Sahīh, Vol. 3, P. 13790, by Bukhārī, in Kitāb-ul-Farā’id, chapter 8, P. 185, and some others have recorded it in their own books.

It is worthy to note that in the latter document, through a tradition narrated by ‘Āyishah, we read as follows: “(After the death of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.)), Fātimah and ‘Abbās came to ’Abūbakr and demanded their heritage remained from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.). At that time they demanded their land in ‘Fadak’ and their share ‘remained from Kheybar’. ’Abūbakr said: ‘I heard from the Messenger of Allah who said: ‘We do not leave any heritage, and whatever we leave is alms’.’ When

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Fatimah heard this statement she angrily left ’Abūbakr and she never spoke with him, even for one word, until the end of her life.” (Sahīh Bukhārī, Part 8, P. 185)

This tradition, of course, from different dimensions is objectionable and can be investigated, but what can be said in short here is as follows:

1- This tradition is not consistent with the verses of the text of the Qur’ān, and according to the laws and principles we have, every tradition which does not adapt to ‘the Book of Allah’ is invalid and it cannot be taken as the tradition originated from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) or other immaculate ones (a.s.).

In the above-mentioned holy verse, we read that Solomon inheritance David, and the apparent of the verse is general and it concludes properties, too. Concerning Yahyā and Zechariah we read in the Qur’ān: “(One that) shall be my inheritor and the inheritor of the posterity of Jacob; …”(1)

Especially in respect to Zechariah, many commentators have emphasized on financial aspects.

Moreover, the apparent of the verses about inheritance in the Qur’ān is general and envelops all. Maybe, it was for the same reason that Qurtabī, the famous Sunnite Commentator, had to take the tradition as the strong verb and the most, not as a general one. He has said that: this is like the sentence that Arabs say: “We community of Arabs are the most hospital ones among people, (while it is not a general ordinance).”(2)

But it is clear that this statement nullifies the value of this tradition, because if we take this excuse for the case of

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Solomon and Yahyā, other aspects that are concluded in it are not certain either.

2- The above mentioned tradition is in contrast with other narrations which show that ’Abūbakr decided to return Fadak to Fātimah, but some others hindered it, as it is cited in Sīrah Halabī:

“Fatimah, the Prophet’s daughter, came to ’Abūbakr while he was on the pulpit. She said: “O ’Abūbakr! Is the matter in the Book of Allah that your daughter inherits from you but I do not inherit from my father?” ’Abūbakr wept and shed tears. Then he came down of the pulpit, and wrote a later indicating that Fadak was turned back to Fatimah (a.s.). At this time ‘Umar entered and said: “What is this?” ’Abūbakr said: “I wrote a letter to return the inheritance of Fatimah from her father to her.’ ‘Umar said: “If you do this, where from do you obtain the expenditure of the fight with the enemies, now that Arabs have stood against you?” Then ‘Umar caught the letter and tore it.”(1)

How could there be an explicit prohibition issued by the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and Abubakr would dare to oppose it? And why did ‘Umar rely upon the needs of fight and did not rely on Prophet’s tradition?

Careful studying the above-mentioned narration shows that the Prophet’s prohibition was not in contemplation, the important thing, here, was the political issues of the time. These are the things that remind one the statement of Ibn-’Abil-Hadīd Mu‘tazily who said: “I asked my teacher, Ali-ibn-Fāriqī, ‘Was Fatimah (a.s.) right in her claim?’ He answered: ‘Yes.’ I said: ‘Why did not ’Abūbakr give Fadak to her while he counted her a truthful one?’ My teacher smiled with a very

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meaningful smile and expressed a beautiful smooth statement, though he did not customarily joke. He said:

“If today he gave Fadak to her, she would come the following day and claimed the caliphate for her husband, and she would unsettle him of his position, and he had neither any excuse to say nor any thing to agree with.”(1)

3- A Famous Tradition from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.)

In many books of great sects of Islam, there is recorded a famous tradition which says: “The scholars are the heirs of the prophets.”(2)

It is also narrated from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) who said: “Verily the prophets did not leave any Dīnār nor Dirham (drachma) as heritage.” (’Usūl-i-Kāfī, Vol. 1 Chapter: ‘The Attribute of knowledge’, tradition No. 9)

It seems from these two traditions that the main aim has been to make it clear that the capital and the honour of the Divine prophets had been their knowledge. The most important thing that they left behind was the issue of guidance, and those who earned some larger share from this knowledge are the essential heirs of prophets, without that they seek for the properties remained from the prophets. Later this tradition has been paraphrased and has been misused by corruption in transmission, and probably the Arabic phrase /mātaraknāhu sadaqatun/ (whatever we leave must be used as alms (in the way of Allah)), which had been understood from some narrations, has been added to it.

To shorten our discussion, we conclude this statement with an explanation from Fakhr-i-Rāzī, the famous commentator of

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Sunnites, who has cited about Sura An-Nisā’, No. 4, verse 11. He says that one of the allotments that has been set for this verse (the verse of children’s heritage) is what is the majority of the jurisprudents of Sunnites believe and it indicates that prophets (a.s.) do not leave any thing as heritage, while Shi‘ite have (generally) opposed this matter. It has been narrated that when Fatimah (a.s.) demanded her heritage, they deprived her from it attaching to the Prophet’s tradition which says: “We prophets do not leave any heritage, and whatever we leave must he used as alms (in the way of Allah)” At this time Fatimah (a.s.) reasoned to the generality of the above mentioned verse (the verse of children’s heritage) as if she wanted to point to this fact that the whole Qur’ān cannot be appropriated with a single narration.”

Then, Fakhr-i-Rāzī adds: “Shi‘ites say that supposing that allotment of the Qur’ān be permissible with a single narration, it is not permissible here because of following three reasons:

1. This contrasts the explicit text of the Qur’ān which says that Zechariah asked Allah to give him a child who could inherit from him and the posterity of Jacob. And also the Qur’ān says that Solomon inherited from David. These verses cannot be rendered into the heritage of ‘knowledge’ and ‘religion’, since this is a kind of figurative heredity and these prophets taught knowledge and religion to their children, not that they took it from themselves and transferred it to them. The real heritage is considered only in wealth (that it be taken from one and be given to another).

2. Another matter is that how is it possible that ’Abūbakr could be aware of this subject, which he did not need, but Fatimah (a.s.), Abbās, and Ali (a.s.), who were of the greatest virtuous and knowledgeable ones and were dealing with the issue of the Prophet’s heritage, were not aware of it? How

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could it be possible that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) taught this tradition to the one who did not need it and restrained it from the one who needed it?

3. The Arabic phrase /mā taraknāhu sadaqah/ (whatever we leave must be used as alms (in the way of Allah) is next to the Arabic phrase /lā nuwarriθ/ which means: the properties we have set apart for the purpose of alms do not come inside the circle of heritage, not other than that. …”

Then, Fakhr-i-Rāzī gives a short answer to the above-mentioned known reasoning and says: “After speaking with Abūbakr, Fatimah (a.s.) became content with that speaking. Besides, the consensus has reached to this that the word of Abūbakr is right.”(1)

But it is clear that the answer of Fakhr-i-Rāzī is not sufficient for the abovementioned reasoning, because, as was narrated from the Sunnite famous sources, Fatimah (a.s.) not only was not contented but she was so angry that she did not speak even for a word with Abūbakr until the end of her life.

Moreover, how could there be a consensus upon this subject while Ali, Fātimah (a.s.) and Abbās, who had been trained in the center of revelation, had opposed it?

****

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﴿17﴾ وَحُشِرَ لِسُلَیْمَ-انَ جُنُودُهُ مِنَ الْجِنّ ِ وَالإِنسِ وَالطَّیْرِ

فَهُمْ یُوزَعُونَ

17. “ And gathered together unto Solomon his hosts of jinn and men and birds and they were kept in order and ranks.”

In fact, Allah showed His Might in making appear this great government and the forces it possessed; and we know that, from the view point of a monotheist, these affairs are easy, simple and untroubled for Allah, the Mighty.

By this verse, the Qur’ān says:

“ And gathered together unto Solomon his hosts of jinn and men and birds …”

The number of his forces was so large that, in order to regulate the army, it was ordered that the primary rows of forces should stop until when the last rows could move and reach others. The verse continues saying:

“… and they were kept in order and ranks.”

The Qur’ānic word /yūza‘ūn/ is derived from /waza‘a/ in the sense of ‘to restrain, to hold back’. When this word is used in respect to army it means that the first part of the army should be stopped until the ending part of it joins, and they would not be divided.

The Arabic word /waza‘/ is also applied in the sense of ‘avarice, and intensive interest’ so that it hinders man from other affairs.

It is understood from this application that the forces of Solomon were both abundant and they worked under a special order.

The Qur’ānic word /hušira/ is derived from /hašr/ which means: ‘bringing out the crowd of army from the resting place’, and causing them to start toward the battle-field, and the like. It is understood from both this meaning and the meaning used in the next verse that Solomon had led an army to a place, but it is not quite clear that which one it is among Solomon’s military expeditions. Taking the content of the next verse in mind, which speaks about reaching Solomon to the

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land of ants, some say that it had been a region near Tā’if, while some others have said it had been a land near Syria.

However, since the statement of this matter had not any effect from the point of ethical and educational aspects, it has not been spoken of.

By the way, some commentators have discussed whether the whole human beings, jinn, and birds were the army of Solomon, or a part of them formed his army. This discussion seems rather needless, because undoubtedly Solomon did not govern the whole earth and the realm of his government was Syria, Jerusalem, and probably some other lands around there. It is also understood from the later verses that Solomon had not any dominion over Yemen at that time, and he gained his authority over there after the event of ‘hoopoe’ and the submission of the Queen of Sheba.

The Qur’ānic phrase /tafaqqad-at-tayr/, mentioned in the coming verses, shows that among the birds, which were in the obedience of Solomon, there was a hoopoe that when Solomon did not see it over there he asked about it. If all birds were included and there were thousands of hoopoes among them, this meaning could not be correct. (Be careful)

****

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﴿18﴾ حَتَّی إِذَآ أَتَوْا عَلَی وَادِ الَّنمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ یَآ أَیُّهَا النَّ-مْلُ

ادْخُلُوا مَسَاکِنَکُمْ لاَ یَحْطِمَنَّکُمْ سُلَیْمَ-انُ وَجُنُودُهُ

وَهُمْ لاَیَشْعُرُونَ

18. “ Until when they came to the Valley of Ants, an ant said: ‘O you ants! Get into your habitations, so that Solomon and his hosts may not crush you, being unaware’.”

land, and how it announced this happening to other ants, which will be referred to later.

By the way, it is understood from this sentence that the justice of Solomon was made manifest to even the ants because the sentence implicitly means if the hosts are aware of the existence of the ants they will not tread that weak animal, then if they tread the ants it is because they do not know it.

****

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﴿19﴾ فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِکاً مِن قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبّ ِ أَوْزِعْنِی أَنْ أَشْکُرَ نِعْمَتَکَ الَّتِی أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیَّ وَعَلَی وَالِدَیَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحاً تَرْضَاهُ وَأَدْخِلْنِی بِرَحْمَتِکَ فِی عِبَادِکَ الصَّالِحِینَ

19. “ Then he smiled, laughing at its words, and said: ‘My Lord! Dispose me that I may be thankful for Your bounty, which You have bestowed on me and my parents, and that I may do righteousness such as You are pleased with, and admit me, by Your mercy, among Your righteous servants’.”

Some others have said that his joy was for the reason that Allah had given him such a power that at the time of the great anxiety and excitement of the army he was not neglectful of the sound of an ant either.

However, here Solomon turned to the presence of Allah and asked a few things as follows:

“… and said: ‘My Lord! Dispose me that I may be thankful for Your bounty, which You have bestowed on me and my parents, …”

Solomon asked Allah to teach him how he could thank for the great bounties that He had granted him and his parents to be able to use them in the way that He had commanded and was the cause of His pleasure so that he would not deviate from the right path, since being thankful for those abundant favours is not possible save with His succour and aid.

The next thing he asked for was as follows:

“… and that I may do righteousness such as You are pleased with, …”

This statement points to this matter that what was important for Solomon was not the remaining of that great army and his government with those vast organizations, it was important for him to do such righteous deeds that caused His pleasure. And in view of the fact that the Arabic word /’a‘mala/ is a verb in present tense, which is used in that language for the continuation of the action, it is an evidence that he asked Allah for the continuation of this succour.

Finally, the third thing he asked was that he said:

“… and admit me, by Your mercy, among Your righteous servants’.”

****

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﴿20﴾ وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّیْرَ فَقَالَ مَالِیَ لآ أَرَی الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ کَانَ مِنَ الْغَآئِبِینَ

﴿21﴾ لاُعَذّ ِبَنَّهُ عَذَاباً شَدِیداً أَوْ لاَذبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَیَأْتِیَنّ-ِی بِسُلْطَانٍ مُبِینٍ

﴿22﴾ فَمَکَثَ غَیْرَ بَعِیدٍ فَقَالَ أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ وَجِئْتُکَ مِن سَبإٍ بِنَبَإٍ یَقِینٍ

20. “ And he reviewed the birds; then he said: ‘How is it with me that I do not see the hoopoe? Or is it that he is of the absentees?’”

21. “ Certainly will I chastise him with a terrible chastisement, or will I slaughter him, or he brings me a clear reason (for his absence).”

22. “ But the hoopoe tarried not long, then he (came and) said: ‘I have comprehended that which you have not comprehended, and I have come to you from Sheba with a sure tiding’.”

No doubt that the purpose of the bird, here, is the hoopoe, since in the continuation of the statement the Qur’ān adds:

“… then he said: ‘How is it with me that I do not see the hoopoe? …”

“… Or is it that he is of the absentees?’”

Concerning the fact that how Solomon recognized that hoopoe was not present among the gathering of birds, some commentators have said: that it was for the sake that, at the time of his traveling, birds did cast a shadow over his head and, because of the existence of an opening (hole) in that vast canopy, he found out the absence of the hoopoe.

Some others have considered a mission for the hoopoe in his organizations and they have said that the hoopoe was commissioned to find the places where there was water and when the bird had gone to search for water, he (a.s.) found it absent.

However, this statement that at first he said: “… I do not see the hoopoe …” and then he added “… Or is it that he is of the absentees …” may point to this matter that whether the hoopoe is absent without having a plausible excuse or it has been absent with a plausible excuse.

An way, an organized, ordered, and powerful government has to put all movements, activities, and actions and reactions that happen in its country and realm under consideration; and it must not neglect even the presence and absence of a bird, an ordinary agent, and this is a great lesson.

Finally, some other commentators have said that the objective of hoopoe, here, is a particular ‘Hoopoe’. Their reference is the existence of Alif and Lām at the beginning of the Arabic word, ‘Al-Hudhud’, as well as the hoopoe’s power of anthropology and its theological ability. The explanation of

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this meaning will be offered later. (the commentary of Furqān, and Fi-Zilāl)

Once Abūhanifah asked Imam Sādiq (a.s.): “Why did Solomon ask only about hoopoe among all birds?” The Imam (a.s.) said: “Its reason is for the fact that a hoopoe sees the existence of water inside the earth, the same as we see oil in a crystal container.” (Majma‘-ul-Bayān, the Commentary)

As for the punishment of the hoopoe, some commentators have mentioned a few examples; including separating it from its fellow, pulling off its feathers, putting it under sunshine, banishing it from Solomon’s court, or putting it in the same cage with an enemy. (The commentaries of Rūh-ul-Bayān and Kanz-ud-Daqā’iq)

One point, however, must be noted that reviewing and being kind to inferiors, visiting their work, and asking about their affairs are among the Islamic, ethical, social, educational, and administrative principles.

****

Then, in order not to judge in its absence, and in the mean-while the absence of the hoopoe does not affect other birds, still less the persons who undertook some sensitive and important jobs, Solomon added:

“ Certainly will I chastise him with a terrible chastisement, or will I slaughter him, or he brings me a clear reason (for his absence).”

The purpose of the Arabic word /sultān/, here, is a reason which causes one’s authority and ability to prove one’s mind, and the Arabic word /mubīn/ is an emphasis on the matter that this faulty one must certainly bring a clear reason for his own fault.

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Solomon (a.s.), in fact, without judging in its absence, threatened the offender by the necessary chastisement if the fault is proved. He even considered two stages for his threat in order that it could be proportional to the kind of the sin: the stage of punishment without execution, and the stage of execution.

By the way, he showed that he surrendered to proof and logic even in front of a weak bird and he would never rely on his power and abilities.

****

“ But the hoopoe tarried not long, …”

The hoopoe returned and, addressing Solomon, said that it had known something which he (a.s.) did not know and it was an assured news from the land of Sheba. The verse says:

“… then he (came and) said: ‘I have comprehended that which you have not comprehended, and I have come to you from Sheba with a sure tiding’.”

As if the hoopoe has seen the signs of anger in Solomon’s face. Then, in order to remove his distress, the bird shortly and closely announced of an important matter that Solomon, even with his whole knowledge, was not aware of it. Then, when the anger of Solomon was lightened, Hoopoe began explaining it, which will be described through later verses.

It is worthy nothing that Solomon’s troops, and even the birds that obeyed him, had felt such a freedom, security, and daring in Solomon’s justice that, without any fear Hoopoe frankly and explicitly says: “… ‘I have comprehended that which you have not comprehended, …”

The Hoopoe’s treatment with Solomon was not like the treatment of the flattering men of courts with the tyrannical kings, who, for communicating a fact at first flatter and make

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themselves so low before them as an insignificant atom. Then they humbly state their aim inside many sorts of flatteries and never try to deliver a definite statement; so they always use some delicate allusions lest the king’s feeling be a little injured.

Yes, the hoopoe clearly said that its absence was not unreasonable and he had brought Solomon some news that he was not aware of it.

By the way, this meaning is a great lesson for all human beings that there may be a small creature, like hoopoe, which knows a matter that the most knowledgeable man of the people of the time is unaware of it; and no one should be proud of his knowledge even he is Solomon with that vast knowledge of prophecy.

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﴿23﴾ إِنّ-ِی وَجَدتُّ امْرَأَةً تَمْلِکُهُمْ وَأُوتِیَتْ مِن کُلّ ِ شَیْءٍ وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِیمٌ

﴿24﴾ وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوْمَهَا یَسْجُدُونَ لِلشَّمْسِ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَزَیَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّیْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِیلِ فَهُمْ لاَیَهْتَدُونَ

23. “ Verily I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given of everything, and she possesses a magnificent throne.”

24. “ I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them and he has barred them from the (right) way, so they are not guided aright.”

entire world was in the realm of his government and that the great throne and magnificence was allocated only to him.

By hearing this news, Solomon began contemplating, but the hoopoe did not give him time and added another amazing matter, when it said:

“ I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, …”

The Hoopoe explains that Satan has dominated over them and has so ornamented their deeds to them that they boast of worshipping the sun, and thus Satan has hindered them from the right way and they have so engaged in idolatry that I do not believe they return easily from that way. The verse continues saying:

“… and Satan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them and he has barred them from the (right) way, so they are not guided aright.”

In this way, the hoopoe made clear the spiritual and religious situation of those people and announced that they had earnestly fallen in idolatry, and their government encouraged them to adorring the sun, so people usually follow the religion of their kings.

Their idol temples and their other circumstances show that they insist on paving this wrong way: they like it and they boast of it. In the conditions that both the whole people and government are wrongly on one line, their guidance is very improbable.

That marvellous story indicates that some animals possess a high understanding, such as hoopoe who understood and realized some concepts, like: man and woman, crown and throne, government and ownership, monotheism and idolatry, sun and prostration, Satan and his ornamentations, right and wrong, guidance and misguidance.

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﴿25﴾ أَلاَّ یَسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الَّذِی یُخْرِجُ الْخَبْءَ فِی السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَرْضِ وَیَعْلَمُ مَا تُخْفُونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ

﴿26﴾ اللَّهُ لآ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِیمِ

25. “ So that they prostrate not themselves to Allah, Who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and the earth and knows what you hide and what you reveal.”

26. “ Allah, there is no god but He! Is the Lord of ‘Arsh, the Mighty (throne of Supreme Authority).”

verse means why they do not prostrate themselves to the Lord Who knows the unseen of the heavens and the earth and the secrets hidden in them.

Some commentators have rendered it to rain (respecting the heavens) and plants (respecting the earth), this in fact, is from the kind of statement of a clear extension.

Alike them are those commentators who have commented this phrase upon ‘bringing out the creatures from the unseen of nonexistence into existence’.

It is interesting that the holy verse firstly speaks of the knowledge of Allah unto ‘the secrets hidden in the heavens and the earth’, and then it refers to the secrets concealed in the hearts of people.

Why the hoopoe, among all attributes of Allah (s.w.t.), emphasized on the issue of His knowledge due to unseen and seen in the macrocosm and microcosm, it may be in relation to the fact that Solomon, with all his abilities and knowledge, was not aware of the country of Sheba and its qualities, and it says that we must seek the grace of the Lord for Whom nothing is concealed.

Or it is in relation to the known matter which is said that hoopoe has a special sense by which it can understand the existence of water inside the land that contains it. Then it speaks of Allah Who is aware of all the things which are concealed in the world of existence.

****

At last, the hoopoe concludes his saying with the following statement:

“ Allah, there is no god but He! Is the Lord of ‘Arsh, the Mighty (throne of Supreme Authority).”

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Thus, the hoopoe emphasized on ‘unity of worship’ and ‘Unity of Lordship’ of Allah and the negation of any polytheism, and then put an end to his speech.

By the way, what is cited in this part of the verse contains a lot of points which can be effective in the life of all human beings and in the process of all governments.

1- The chief of a government, or an administrator, must be so careful and aware of the order of his organizations that he recognizes and realizes even the absence of an ordinary and insignificant member, and pursues its affairs.

2- He must be careful of the offence of a single member and, in order not to affect others, he must apply the necessary precautions.

3- No one should be judged in his absence, or to pass a judgment by default. The one should be allowed to defend himself if possible.

4- The amount of forfeit must proportionate to the crime. So, for every crime a suitable punishment must be decided, and hierarchy should be observed, too.

5- Everybody, even the greatest powers of the society, must submit to reason and logic though the reason is uttered by a very insignificant person.

6- There must exist so much freedom and explicitness in the atmosphere of the society that, at the necessary time, even an ordinary person can tell the chief of the government: “I have comprehended that which you have not comprehended.”(1)

7- Sometimes some ordinary persons or the smallest ones get information of something that the greatest scientists and the most powerful ones are unaware of it, and we must never be proud of our knowledge.

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8- In the society of human beings, the reciprocal needs are so much so that sometimes some great men, such as Solomon, are dependant on a bird.

9- Though there are many eligibilities in women, and even this very story shows that the Queen of Sheba possessed an extraordinary understanding and perspicacity, the leadership of a government is not consistent with the situation of their spirit and body; so the hoopoe also surprised of it and said: “Verily I found a woman ruling over them, …”(1)

10- People often have the same religion that their rulers have. Therefore, we read in this story that the hoopoe says: “I found her and her people prostrating to the sun …” (The words are first about the prostration of the Queen and then that of the people.)

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﴿27﴾ قَالَ سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ کُنتَ مِنَ الْکَاذِب-ِینَ

﴿28﴾ اذْهَب بِکِتَابِی هَذَا فَاَلْقِهْ إِلَیْهِمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا یَرْجِعُونَ

27. “ (Solomon, after hearing hoopoe’s information,) said: ‘Soon we will see whether you have told the truth or whether you are of the liars.”

28. “ Go you with this letter of mine, and throw it down unto them, then turn away from them, and (wait to) see what (answer) they return.”

only to the statement of a single informer, and he ought to investigate more about this sensitive subject. Thus, the Qur’ān announces:

“ (Solomon, after hearing hoopoe’s information,) said: ‘Soon we will see whether you have told the truth or whether you are of the liars.”

This statement clearly proves that for important matters, which relate to the fate of people, one must pay attention to the information received from a simple member and soon it must be sufficiently researched about.

Solomon did neither accuse nor condemn hoopoe, nor did he verify its speech without any proof, but he took it as the cause of a research. He said:

“ Go you with this letter of mine, and throw it down unto them, then turn away from them, and (wait to) see what (answer) they return.”

****

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﴿29﴾ قَالَتْ یَآ أَیُّهَا الْمَلَؤُا إِنّ-ِی اُلْقِیَ إِلَیَّ کِتَابٌ کَرِیمٌ

﴿30﴾ إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَیْمَ-انَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِیمِ

﴿31﴾ أَلاَّ تَعْلُوا عَلَیَّ وَأْتُونِی مُسْلِمِینَ

29. “ (When the Queen of Sheba received the letter,) she said: ‘O chiefs! Verily there has been thrown unto me a noble letter.”

30. “ Verily, it is from Solomon; and verily it is: ‘In the Name of Allah. The Beneficent, the Merciful’.”

31. “ Exalt not yourselves against me, and come to me in submission.”

which says: “…Verily there has been thrown unto me a noble letter.”

The Queen of Sheba opened the letter and was informed of its content. Since she had formerly heard of the fame of Solomon and the content of the letter indicated that he had taken a severe decision about the country of Sheba, she fell into a deep thought; and since she used to consult with the chiefs of her entourage, she invited them. As the Qur’ān says:

“ (When the Queen of Sheba received the letter,) she said: ‘O chiefs! Verily there has been thrown unto me a noble letter.”

Had the Queen of Sheba truly not seen the bringer of the letter? But, with the content of the letter, she felt the nobility of the letter and she never thought that it might be a fabricated letter.

Or she saw the letter with her own eyes, and its surprising circumstance proved that there was a reality over there and it was not an ordinary thing. Whatever it was, she relied on the letter with certainty.

The matter that the Queen says that the letter is a noble and worthy one, may be for the magnificent content of it, or for its beginning which began with the name of Allah, and its ending was correctly signed and sealed;(1)

or its sender had been a noble person, each of which has been guessed by the

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commentators. Or all of them may be found in this consistent concept, because there is no contradictory between them.

It is true that they were sun-worshippers, but we know that many of the idolaters believed in Allah, too, and called Him as the Lord of lords. They counted His respect and glorification important.

****

Then, the Queen of Sheba referred to the content of the letter when she said:

“ Verily, it is from Solomon; and verily it is: ‘In the Name of Allah. The Beneficent, the Merciful’.”

****

“ Exalt not yourselves against me, and come to me in submission.”

It is not probable that Solomon had written the letter with these very Arabic phrases; therefore the above-mentioned phrases can be paraphrased, or they are the summary of Solomon’s letter that the Queen of Sheba reiterated for her people.

It is interesting that the content of this letter was indeed not more than three sentences: one sentence was the name of Allah, and the statement of His attributes of mercifulness and compassionateness.

The second sentence was a recommendation for controlling the low desire and abundance of self-superiority, which is the origin of many personal and social corruptions.

And the third one was to submit to the truth. And if we carefully notice them, there was nothing more which was necessary to be mentioned.

****

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By this action of hers, she wanted to attract their attentions to her and, thus, strengthen her situation among them. By the meantime, she wanted to estimate and study the amount of their agreement with her decisions.

The Arabic holy word /’aftūnī/ is derived from /fatwā/ which originally means ‘the proper and correct judgment in complicated affairs’. By this means, the Queen of Sheba both told them the complexity of the issue, and made them attentive to this matter that they should take care of expressing their views, so that they might not go a wrong way.

The Qur’ānic word /tašhadūn/ is derived from /šuhūd/ in the sense of ‘presence’, a presence which is accompanied with cooperation and consultation.

Then, in the next verse it says:

“ They said: ‘We possess force and we possess great might. The affair rests with you; so see what you will command.”

Thus, they not only showed their submission to her and to her commands, but also their willing to relying on power and their participation in the battlefield, since Bilqiys was the commander of the armed forces of her time.

****

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﴿34﴾ قَالَتْ إِنَّ الْمُلُوکَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا قَرْیَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوا أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَآ أَذِلَّةً وَکَذَلِکَ یَفْعَلُونَ

34. “ She said: ‘Verily the kings, when they enter a township, despoil it, and make the noblest of its inhabitants the meanest; and thus they (always) do’.”

﴿35﴾ وَإِنّ-ِی مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَیْهِم بِهَدِیَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ یَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ

35. “ And verily I am going to send a present unto them, and (wait to) see with what (answer) the messengers return.”

matters in this regard, some of which are not free from exaggeration and legend.

Some of the commentators have cited that she sent five hundred selected slaves and five hundred particular slave-maids for Solomon, while slave-men were clothed with beautiful dresses and having ear-rings in their ears with bracelets on their bands; and slave-girls were clothed with men clothing and ornamented with beautiful hats. Then she had written in her letter addressing Solomon that if he was a prophet he would recognize slave-men and slave-girls from each other. She mounted them on worthy horses which were ornamented very heavily, and sent them accompanied with a considerable amount of jewelry.

By the way, she told her representative that if he observed that Solomon’s look was wrathful to him as soon as he arrived, he should know that it was the manner of the kings; but if Solomon received him kindly and with good temper, he should know that Solomon was a prophet.

pen-points sharp and make the lines of their writings close (to each other), and avoid writing unnecessary matters in their letters, because the Muslim properties could not bear any loss.(1)

Making the pen-points sharp causes that the words be written in a small form, and the lines being close to each other, and omitting unnecessary things from the letter results not only economy in wealth and private properties but also saving the time of both writer and reader, and sometimes abundance causes that the main purpose of the letter be confused among the additional and ceremonial sentences so that both the writer and the reader of it may not obtain their goal. Principally, someone’s letter is a sign for showing his personality and it is like one’s messenger. Ali (a.s.) says: “Your messenger is the interpreter of your intelligence while your letter is more eloquent in expressing your true self.”(2)

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) says: “One’s letter is an evidence for the standard of his wisdom and the situation of his insight, and his messenger is an indication to the level of his understanding and his intellect.”(3)

This delicate point should also be noted that some Islamic narrations denote that the reply to a letter must be similar to the reply of a greeting. Imam Sādiq (a.s.) in a tradition says: “Answering a letter is obligatory in the same manner that answering a salutation is obligatory.”(4)

****

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﴿36﴾ فَلَمَّا جَآءَ سُلَیْمَ-انَ قَالَ أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَآ ءَاتَانِیَ اللَّهُ خَیْرٌ مِمَّآ ءَاتَاکُمْ بَلْ أَنتُم بِهَدِیَّتِکُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ

﴿37﴾ ارْجِعْ إِلَیْهِمْ فَلَنَأْتِیَنَّهُم بِجُنُودٍ لا قِبَلَ لَهُم بِهَا وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُم مِنْهَآ أَذِلَّةً وَهُمْ صَاغِرُون

36. “ And when (the messenger of the Queen) came to Solomon, he (Solomon) said: ‘What! Aid you me with wealth? But what Allah has given me is better than what He has given you. Nay, it is you (and not I) who exult in your present’.”

37. “ Go back to them: so we will certainly come unto them with (such) hosts which they shall not be able to meet, and certainly will we expel them out therefrom in disgrace, while they will feel humbled.”

help him with their wealth, while wealth was nothing in comparison with knowledge, guidance and prophethood. He added it was worthy for them to become happy with presents, but it was worthless for him. The verse says:

“ And when (the messenger of the Queen) came to Solomon, he (Solomon) said: ‘What! Aid you me with wealth? But what Allah has given me is better than what He has given you. Nay, it is you (and not I) who exult in your present’.”

Thus, Solomon (a.s.) made the criterion of their values belittle, and manifested that there were other criterions for the values that comparing with which the criterions current among mammonists are very weak and worthless.

****

Then, in order to show his decisiveness in the issue of right and wrong, Solomon, (sending back the presents with them), told the special official of the Queen of Sheba as follows:

“ Go back to them: so we will certainly come unto them with (such) hosts which they shall not be able to meet, and certainly will we expel them out therefrom in disgrace, while they will feel humbled.”

The application of the word /’aŏillah/ (in disgrace) is for the first case and the word /sāqarūn/ (humbled) is for the second case. This indicates that not only they will be expelled from their land, but they also will be encountered it with humiliation and degradation, in a manner that they will lose all their castles, properties, and glorious ranks, because they, resorting to guiles, do not submit to the true religion.

This threat, of course, for the representatives who observed the Solomon’s situation closely and visited his troops, was an earnest and considerable threat.

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Regarding to what was said in previous verses by which Solomon wanted them two things: ‘abandoning self superiority’ and ‘submitting to the truth’ and that they did not reply to these two great things and they resorted to sending presents as a reason for not accepting them, that was why he threatened them by military force.

If the Queen of Sheba and her entourage had demanded a proof, evidence, miracle and the like, Solomon would have considered them rightful to investigate more. But sending presents showed that they were in a denial position.

We surely know this fact, too, that the most important inconvenient thing that the hoopoe told Solomon (a.s.) about this nation who lived in Yemen was that they had ignored the Mighty Lord Who dominates both the unseen and the seen of the skies and the earth and they were worshipping the sun, a worldly creature.

Solomon became inconvenient with this problem, and we know that idolatry is not something that the divine religion remains silent for it, or bears the idol worshippers as a religious minority. By applying force, he (a.s.) may destroy the idol temples, if necessary, and vanishes idolatry and the polytheistic creed.

The abovementioned explanation makes it also clear that Solomon’s threat does not contrast with the principle of “There is no compulsion in religion”,(1)

because idolatry is not a religion, but it is a superstition and deviation.

****

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C) Solomon does not attack his enemies unexpectedly, but he informs them of his attack previously.

D) Solomon does not prospect to others’ wealth, but he says whatever Allah has given him is better. He does not consider the merits of Allah only in material and financial power, but he is honoured with having knowledge, faith and spiritual merits.

****

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﴿38﴾ قَالَ یَآ أَیُّهَا الْمَلَؤُا أَیُّکُمْ یَأْتِینِی بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن یَأْتُونِی مُسْلِمِینَ

﴿39﴾ قَالَ عِفْرِیتٌ مّ-ِنَ الْجِنّ ِ أَنَاْ ءَاتِیکَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِکَ وَإِنّ-ِی عَلَیْهِ لَقَوِیٌّ أَمِینٌ

38. “ (Solomon) said: ‘O chiefs!) which of you can bring to me her throne before they come to me in submission?’”

39. “ One audacious among the jinn said: ‘I will bring it to you before you rise up from your place; I have strength for it and I am trusty’.”

personally investigate this important problem and also to know what kind of religion Solomon had.

From any source it was, this news was given to Solomon. Then he decided to show his marvellous might to the Queen of Sheba and her companions before they could reach his land, so that they could become familiar with the reality of his miracle previously, and surrender to his call.

So, Solomon, addressing his entourage, stated as follows:

“ (Solomon) said: ‘O chiefs!) which of you can bring to me her throne before they come to me in submission?’”

Although some of the commentators have tried to find some reasons for bringing the throne of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, none of them are consistent with the contents of the verses of the Qur’ān, and Solomon’s aim for this program is clear. He wanted to show them his might and an extraordinary action to be fulfilled so that the way of their unconditioned submission and their faith to the power of Allah might be leveled and there would not need to attend in battlefield for fighting and shedding tear.

He wanted to send faith into the depth of the entity of the Queen of Sheba and her entourage so that others would easily accept the invitation to faith and submission, too.

****

In the next verse, the Qur’ān implies that two persons of them announced their readiness for the aim. The suggestion of one of them was surprising and that of the other was more surprising. The verse says:

“ One audacious among the jinn said: ‘I will bring it to you before you rise up from your place; …”

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He said he could do that action very easily and he would not commit any treachery in that valuable deposit. The verse continues saying:

“… I have strength for it and I am trusty’.”

However, the life story of Solomon is full of wonders and supernatural events; and it is not surprising that a jinn be able to do such an important action in a short time in front of Solomon where he (a.s.) was sitting for judging between people, solving the affairs of his country, or for advice and guidance.

****

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﴿40﴾ قَالَ الَّذِی عِندَهُ عِلْمٌ مّ-ِنَ الْکِتَابِ أَنَاْ ءَاتِیکَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن یَرْتَدَّ إِلَیْکَ طَرْفُکَ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهُ مُسْتَقِرّاً عِندَهُ قَالَ هَذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبّ-ِی لِیَبْلُوَنِی ءَأَشْکُرُ أَم أَکْفُرُ وَمَن شَکَرَ فَإِنَّمَا یَشْکُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن کَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبّ-ِی

غَنِیٌّ کَرِیمٌ

40. “ One with whom was some knowledge (of a part) of the (Divine) Book said: ‘I will bring it to you before your eye twinkles’. Then when he saw it settled before him, he said: ‘ this is of the grace of my Lord that He may try me whether I am grateful or am ungrateful; and whoever is grateful, verily he is grateful for his own soul,

and whoever is ungrateful, then my Lord is

Self-Sufficient, Bounteous.”

considerable part of knowledge of the Divine Book, as the Qur’ān says about him:

“ One with whom was some knowledge (of a part) of the (Divine) Book said: ‘I will bring it to you before your eye twinkles’. …”

And when Solomon agreed with that matter, he brought the throne of the Queen of Sheba there, in front of Solomon, in a very short moment by using his spiritual power. The verse continues saying about Solomon:

“… Then when he saw it settled before him, he said: ‘this is of the grace of my Lord that He may try me whether I am grateful or am ungrateful; and whoever is grateful, verily he is grateful for his own soul, …”

Then Solomon added:

“… and whoever is ungrateful, then my Lord is Self-Sufficient, Bounteous.”

The Commentators have cited many things that who this person was, where from he obtained this wonderful power, and what the objective of the knowledge of Divine Book was.

But the apparent of the verse shows that this person was one of the specific faithful companions of Solomon whose name has often been introduced in history books as ‘’Āsif Burkhiyā’ who was Solomon’s minister and his sister’s son.

The purpose of ‘the knowledge of the Book’ is having some information from the content of the Divine Book. It was a deep knowledge which made it possible for him to do such an extraordinary action. Some believe that the purpose of it was ‘Preserve Tablet’, the same tablet of the knowledge of Allah that this person knew a part of it. It was by the same reason that he could bring the throne of the Queen of Sheba at the presence of Solomon in a very short moment.

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Many of the commentators, and others, have thought that this faithful person had known ‘the Exalted Name of Allah’; the same great name before which everything becomes humble and gives man an extraordinary power.

This point is necessary to be mentioned that, contrast to what many people think, knowing the Exalted Name of Allah does not mean that one says a proper word and gains those abundant wonderful effects; but the purpose is to be qualified with that qualification of that name. That is, he must create the quality and meaning of that Divine Name inside his soul so that, from the point of knowledge, piety, faith, and morals, he develops and he himself becomes an example of that Name. This spiritual development, which is a ray from that Exalted Name of Allah, creates such an extraordinary power in man.(1)

Upon the Qur’ānic sentence: “I will bring it to you before your eye twinkles”, commentators have delivered different considerations. But, regarding to other verses of the Qur’ān, its reality can be found out. Sura ’Ibrahīm, No. 14, verse 43 says: “… Their eyes (and eyelids) not blinking …” which implies that on the Hereafter Day people will be so terrified that their eyes will be in a gazing state and even their eyelids do not blink.

Thus, the purpose of this Qur’ānic sentence is that before Solomon had time enough to blink, that person could bring the throne of the Queen of Sheba before him.

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In the verses under discussion the one, who brought the throne of the Queen of Sheba before Solomon in the shortest time, has been introduced as “One with whom was some knowledge (of a part) of the (Divine) Book”, while in Sura Ar-Ra‘d, No. 13, verse 43 the Qur’ān says: “…Say: ‘Allah is sufficient as a witness between me and you and he with whom is the knowledge of the Book.”

Abūsa‘īd Khidry narrates a tradition from the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and says: “I asked him about the meaning of the ‘one with whom was some knowledge (of a part of the (Divine) Book’, (which is found in the story of Solomon). He answered: ‘He was the inheritor of my brother Solayman-ibn-Dāwūd’. I inquired: “Whom is it about the one: ‘with whom is the knowledge of the Book’?” He answered: ‘He is my brother Ali-ibn-Abi-Tālib’ (a.s.)”(1)

Paying attention to the difference between the meaning of the holy phrase: “Some knowledge (of a part) of the (Divine) Book,” which is used for a constituent knowledge, and the holy phrase: “The knowledge of the Book’, which refers to a universal knowledge, makes it clear that how far was the distance between the knowledge of ’Āsif and the knowledge of Ali (a.s.).

As it was said in the above, some Islamic narrations indicate that the Exalted Name of Allah contains seventy three letters one of which ’Āsif-ibn-Burkhiyā knew and he could do such an extraordinary action. There are seventy two letters of it with

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the Imams of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) and a letter is particular to the Pure Essence of Allah.(1)

4) When the haughty mammonists sit on the throne of power, they forget everything but themselves. Like Qārūn (Croesus) who used to say: “Said he (Korah): ‘I have been given this (wealth) only because of a knowledge that is in me,’ …”(2) They think that all the wealth and possibilities that they have obtained are absolutely from their own side, not from any other source. But the proper servants of Allah, for every thing they gain, they say: “This is of the grace of my Lord (to me).”(3)

It is interesting that Solomon said this sentence not only when he saw the throne of the Queen of Sheba in front of Him, but also he added: “… that He may try me whether I am grateful or am ungrateful, …”(4)

Formerly we reiterated in this very Sura that Solomon said all his merits and bounties are from Allah, and he humbly asks Him to grant him the chance of being gratitude for them and to give him success to be able to get His pleasure because of them.

Yes, this fact is the criterion of recognizing the sincere monotheists from haughty mammonists, and this is the manner of the noble persons with capacity and personality comparing those haughty ones who have no capacity.

It has become common that some apparently Muslims write only the Solomon’s sentence: “This is of the grace of my Lord” at the top of the arrival door of their castles without

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having any belief in it and that it has any trace in their deeds. But it is important that this meaning could be seen not only at the top of their arrival door, but also in all aspects of their lives and in their hearts so that their behaviour shows that they consider them all from the grace of Allah and try to thank Him by their deeds.

Another tradition indicates that Imam Sādiq (a.s.), pointing to his chest, said: “And with us, by Allah, is the knowledge of the Book utterly.”(1)

Some Islamic traditions indicate that, disregard to time and place, Imams, the infallible, (a.s.) can attend in some places. For example, Imam Jawād (a.s.) at the moment of his father’s martyrdom, went from Medina to Tūs. Imam Kāzim (a.s.) came out of his prison and presented in Medina. At the time of his captivity, Imam Sajjād (a.s.) went to Karbalā and buried his father’s body, Imam Hussayn (a.s.). Before his martyrdom, Imam Hussayn (a.s.) took a handful of the soil of Karbalā and gave it to Um-us-Salamah in Medina. Therefore, folding of the earth miraculously and rapidly by Imams has happened and has some particular records. (Tafsīr-i-Atyab-ul-Bayān).

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﴿41﴾ قَالَ نَکّ-ِرُوا لَهَا عَرْشَهَا نَنظُرْ أَتَهْتَدِی أَمْ تَکُونُ مِنَ الَّذِینَ لاَ یَهْتَدُونَ

41. “ (Solomon) said: ‘Disguise her throne for her, we will see whether she follows the right way or she is one of those who do not go aright’.”

principles. Or he had the thought of suggesting marriage to her in mind and he wanted to know whether she had really the competency of being his wife, or not. Or, indeed, Solomon (a.s.) wanted to give her a responsibility after she believed in Truth. He must know how much she was capable to undertake the responsibilities.

For the Qur’ānic sentence /’atahtadī/ (Does she follows the right way), there have also been mentioned two commentaries: Some have said that the purpose was the recognition of her own throne, while some others have said that the objective was her being guided to the path of Allah by seeing this miracle. But the apparent of the verse leads to the first meaning, although the first meaning itself had been a premise for the second meaning.

****

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﴿42﴾ فَلَمَّا جَآءَتْ قِیلَ أَهَکَذَا عَرْشُکِ قَالَتْ کَأَنَّهُ هُوَ وَاُوتِینَا الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهَا وَکُنَّا مُسْلِمِینَ

﴿43﴾ وَصَدَّهَا مَا کَانَت تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهَا کَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ کَافِرِینَ

42. “ So when she came, she was asked: ‘Is your throne like this?’ She said: ‘It is as it were the same. And we were given the knowledge before it, and we were submitting’.”

43. “ And he barred her from the worship of others besides Allah, verily she was of the disbelieving people.”

was impossible that her throne could be brought to the country of Solomon in an ordinary way, save that there had been done a miracle. Moreover, it is recorded in history books that she had been protecting her precious throne in a safe place in her particular castle in a room with some firm and strong doors, which was being guarded by some watchful men. Yet, with all the changes which that throne had received, the Queen of Sheba could recognize it. Then, immediately she added:

“… And we were given the knowledge before it, and we were submitting’.”

This means that she implied if the purpose of Solomon by these deeds was that they comprehended his miracle, they had formerly been aware of his legitimacy by other signs, and even before observing this surprising supernatural event they had believed, and these things were not needed.

****

Thus, Solomon stopped her from worshipping what was besides Allah, although she was formerly one of the disbelievers. The verse says:

“ And he barred her from the worship of others besides Allah, verily she was of the disbelieving people.”

Yes, by seeing these clear signs, she said farewell to her last dark position and entered into a new stage of life which was full of light of faith and certainty.

****

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﴿44﴾ قِیلَ لَهَا ادْخُلِی الصَّرْحَ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةً وَکَشَفَتْ عَن سَاقَیْهَا قَالَ إِنَّهُ صَرْحٌ مُّمَرَّدٌ مِن قَوَارِیرَ قَالَتْ رَبّ ِ إِنّ-ِی ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِی وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَیْمَ-انَ لِلَّهِ رَبّ ِ الْعَالَمِینَ

44. “ It was said to her: ‘Enter the palace,’ but when she saw it she deemed it to be a great expanse of water and bared her legs. (Solomon) said: ‘Verily this is but a palace smoothed of crystal’. She said: ‘My Lord! Verily I have been unjust to myself, and I surrender with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds’.”

had got surprised about the existence of a stream there).(1)

The verse says:

“ It was said to her: ‘Enter the palace,’ but when she saw it she deemed it to be a great expanse of water and bared her legs. (Solomon) said: ‘Verily this is but a palace smoothed of crystal’. …”

There arises here a question that why Solomon, who was a Divine prophet, had such an extraordinary splendid palace. It is true that he was a ruler, but was it not possible that he also had a simple means of life like other prophets?

It did not matter to Solomon that for surrendering the Queen of Sheba, who considered all her power and greatness in her beautiful throne and her glorious castle and the like, he would show her that all her splendours were very little in his view, so that this action could become a turning point in her life for reviewing the standard of values and criterion of personality.

It does not matter that instead of a military expedition, which results to destruction and shedding tear, Solomon makes the mind and thought of the Queen of Sheba so overpowered that she does not think of it at all; in particular that she was a woman and gave prominence to such ceremonial issues.

Many commentators have specially cited that, before reaching the Queen of Sheba to Syria, Solomon ordered that such a castle should be built; and his aim was exhibition of power for surrendering her. That action indicated that a great power, from the point of apparent military forces, was in the hand of Solomon that made him able to accomplish such things.

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In other words, this expenditure for creating security and peace in a vast province, and accepting the true religion, and also preventing the large expenditure of war, was not a significant matter.

So, when the Queen of Sheba observed that scene, she expressed, as the verse says:

“… She said: ‘My Lord! Verily I have been unjust to myself, and I surrender with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds’.”

She confessed that formerly she used to fall prostrate before the sun, worshipped idol, applied ornaments, and considered herself the most superior one in the world. But now, she understands that how little and insignificant her power is. And basically, these ornaments and dazzling glares do not satiate one’s soul. She repents of her past deeds and says that she has come to the Lord of the worlds accompanied with her leader, Solomon.

It is interesting that here she uses the word /ma‘a/ (with Solomon) in order to clarify that, in paving the path of Allah, they are equal and brethren, not like the manner and custom of tyrants that some of them have power over some others and a group are involved as captives in the grips of another group. Here there is not any one victorious and overcome, and, after accepting the Truth, all are in the same row.

It is true that the Queen of Sheba had announced her faith before that, too, and she said: “… And we were given the knowledge before it, and we were submitting.” But here the submission of the Queen reaches its climax, and, therefore, she announces her faith to the Truth with emphasis. She had seen a number of signs of the legitimacy of Solomon’s invitation before, such as: coming of the hoopoe in that special condition; the lack of acceptance of those valuable presents which had

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been sent from the side of the Queen; bringing her throne from a long distance in a short moment; and, finally, observing the extraordinary power and greatness of Solomon while he had a particular manner which had no similarity with the behaviour of kings.

****

Some moods of Solomon, which are expressed in previous thirty verses and point to many different issues, were discussed. Now some other parts of them are referred to in the following:

1) This story begins with the merit and vast knowledge that Allah has bestowed on Solomon; and it ends with monotheism and submitting to the command of Allah, a monotheism the base of which is also knowledge.

2) This story shows that sometimes the absence and an exceptional flight of a bird over a region may change the history of a nation and drag them from idolatry to Faith, and from corruption to righteousness. This is an example of the power of Allah, and the example of the legitimate government.

3) This story shows that the light of monotheism may illuminate all hearts, and even an apparently mute bird can inform of the depth of the secrets of monotheism.

4) In order to attract the attention of a person to his true value, and leading him unto Allah, at first his haughtiness must be broken in order that the dark curtains of vanity be removed from his eyes and he sees the fact. By achieving two things, Solomon broke the pride of the Queen of Sheba: bringing her throne, and causing her to make mistake when she confronted a part of the castle.

5) The ultimate goal in prophets’ government is not conquest, but the aim is the same thing that was mentioned in

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the abovementioned verse, that the arrogant confess their sin and surrender to the Lord of the worlds. So, by mentioning this very point, the Qur’ān puts an end to the above story.

6) The soul of Faith is submission. That was why not only Solomon emphasized on it in his letter, but also the Queen of Sheba did it at the end of the event.

7) Sometimes someone, who has the greatest possible power in his authority, may become in need of a small weak creature, like a bird. He takes help not only from its knowledge but also from its deed; and sometimes an ant, with that weakness and disability that it has, belittles him.

8) The revelation of these verses in Mecca, where Muslims were under serious pressure from the side of their enemies, and all the doors were shut to them, had a special concept. Its aim was to strengthen their spirits, sooth them, and make them hopeful of the grace of Allah and to the future victories.

By the way, at last the Queen of Sheba believed and gave the suggestion of marriage to Solomon, and said:

“… I surrender with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds’.”

****

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As it was also said before, the application of the concept of ‘their brother’, which has been used in the story life of several prophets, is a hint to their ultimate love and affection unto their peoples. In addition to this, in some instances, it points to their relationship with those people, too. However, the entire messengership and invitation of this prophet is summarized in the holy phrase “Worship you Allah!” Yes, the servitude of Allah is the essence of all teachings of the messengers of Allah. Then, the verse continues saying:

“… but behold, they became two parties quarrelling with each other.”

Those two groups, who quarrelled with each other, were the believers, from one side, and the obstinate disbelievers, from the other side. Imam Bāqir (a.s.) said: “A group attested the invitation of Hadrat Sālih but another group rejected it.” (Tafsīr-i-Nūr-uth-Thaqalayn)

These two groups are referred to in Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7, verse 75 as ‘The arrogant’ and ‘those who were considered weak’. It says: “The chiefs of the arrogant among his people said to those who were considered weak – those of them who believed – ‘Do you know that Saleh is sent by his Lord?’ they said surely we believe in what he has been sent with’.” “Those who were arrogant said: ‘We, indeed, disbelieve in that which you believe’.” (Al-’A‘rāf, verses 75-76)

Of course, this conflict of two groups of believers and disbelievers existed among the peoples of many prophets, although some of them were deprived of even these adherents and nearly the totality of their people were rejecters of the truth.

****

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Finally, in order to awaken them, Hadrat Saleh (a.s.) began warning them, and made them aware of the painful chastisements of Allah. But not only they did not take counsel, but also took that very matter as a reason for their obstinacy, and persistently wanted him that they should be involved with the Divine punishment if he was truthful.(1) But Saleh replied them as follows:

“ He said: ‘O my people! Why will you hasten on the evil before the good? …”

Why do you concentrate your thought on meeting the Divine punishment? If the Divine chastisement meets you, it will put an end to your life and there will not remain any time for you to believe. Let yourselves try the legitimacy of my statement by the grace and blessings of Allah which will embrace you as the result of Faith. The verse continues saying:

“… Why do you not ask forgiveness of Allah so that you may be dealt with mercifully?”

Why do you seek for evils and the descent of punishment? What is this obstinacy and arrogance for?

Those who rejected the call of prophets and asked for the promised punishment were not limited to the people of Saleh, this matter is repeatedly seen in the Qur’ān concerning other peoples, too, including the people of Nūh.(2)

In relation to the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) and some fanatic and obstinate polytheists, the Qur’ān says: “And (remember) when they said: ‘O Allah! If this (Qur’ān) is the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky, or bring us a painful punishment’.”(3)

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This is, indeed, surprising that some persons want to try the truthfulness of the call of the prophet by the way of Divine destructive punishment, not by the way of asking for Divine mercy; while certainly they do verify the probable legitimacy of those prophets in their hearts, though they deny it by tongue.

This behaviour is like a person who claims he is a physician and says this medicine is curative and that one is fatal, and then, in order to test him, we use the fatal medicine, not the curative one.

This is the ultimate ignorance, folly and fanaticism, while ignorance has many fruits of this kind.

****

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﴿47﴾ قَالُوا اطَّیَّرْنَا بِکَ وَبِمَن مَّعَکَ قَالَ طَآئِرُکُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ تُفْتَنُونَ

47. “ They said: ‘Ill omen do we augur from you and those with you’. He said: ‘Your ill omen is with Allah. Nay! You are a people who are being tried’.”

opposed him with some vain words and baseless conclusions, among them is their following statement:

“ They said: ‘Ill omen do we augur from you and those with you’. …”

It seems that there was drought, and deficiency of crop and foodstuff for the people of Moses in that year. They said that all those afflictions and difficulties were because of unpleasant advent of Moses and his followers who brought them and their society misery and omen. By resorting to the weapon of ill omen, which is often the weapon of arrogant and superstitious persons, they wanted to overcome the strong logic of Moses (a.s.). But in answer to them, he said that their evil fortune was with Allah, and it was their own deeds that resulted such miseries and afflictions, as punishments. In fact, this was a great Divine trial for them.

The verse continues saying:

“… He said: ‘Your ill omen is with Allah. Nay! You are a people who are being tried’.”

These are some Divine trials. They are some warnings and awakening subjects for those who have some suitability and competency to awake from the sleep of negligence and, by going to the path of Allah, improve themselves.

****

There are also some people in some societies who do not believe in Allah, although they have earned some considerable good grades in knowledge and science but, in the meantime, they have some superstitions and similar vain beliefs in them and they still have a warm market for fortune-telling and soothsaying among them, so that the illusive subject of luck and horoscopy has many customers.

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But the Qur’ān through a short sentence says: “Your ill omen is with Allah.” This means your luck, your victory, your defeat, and your success and failure all are with Allah, Who is Wise, and His favours are divided among men according to their competencies, those very competencies which are the reflection of their Faith, action, speech and behaviour.

Thus, the Qur’ān drives out the followers of Islam from the valley of superstition to reality and from devious way toward straight Path.

****

﴿48﴾ وَکَانَ فِی الْمَدِینَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ یُفْسِدُونَ فِی الاَرْضِ وَلاَ یُصْلِحُونَ

48. “ And there were in the city nine (groups of) persons who made mischief in the land and would not reform.”

Paying attention to the Arabic conjugation of the verb /yufsidūn/ (make mischief), which is in future and simple present tense form and indicates to the duration of the action, it shows that this action was their permanent deed and they used to commit it.

Each of these nine groups had a chief, and probably every one of them was from a separate tribe.

****

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﴿49﴾ قَالُوا تَقَاسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ لَنُبَیّ-ِتَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِیّ-ِهِ مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِکَ أَهْلِهِ وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ

49. “ They said: ‘Swear a mutual oath by Allah that surely we will make a sudden attack on him and his family by night, then we will tell his heir, we were not present at the slaughter of his household, and verily we are truthful’.”

matters. It also shows that they were so proud that they did this great crime of theirs by mentioning their names; as if they wanted to worship, or to do a godly service. This is the custom of haughty misguided disbelievers.

The Qur’ānic word /lanubayyitannahū/ (surely we will make a sudden attack on him) is derived from /tabyīt/ which means ‘to surprise and to attack suddenly by night’. The application of this meaning here shows that, in the meanwhile, they were afraid of the adherents of Sāleh and his tribe. Therefore, in order that they could reach their own goal and, in the meantime, they might not confront the anger of his followers, they designed the plot of a sudden attack at night and colluded that if Sāleh’s followers came to them, all of them with together take an oath that they had no role in that event absolutely, and even they were not present there nor had they witnessed it.

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﴿50﴾ وَمَکَرُوا مَکْراً وَمَکَرْنَا مَکْراً وَهُمْ لاَ یَشْعُرُونَ

﴿51﴾ فَانظُرْ کَیْفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَةُ مَکْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَاهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْ أَجْمَعِینَ

50. “ And they devised a device, and We devised a device (too), but they were not aware;”

51. “ And behold, how was the end of their device! For We destroyed them and their people all together.”

they would attack his home by the same night and kill his household, too, and return to their houses; and when they were questioned about it, they would say they knew nothing.

But Allah nullified their plots surprisingly and their plans remained invalid.

When they were lying in ambush in a corner of the mountain, some pieces of the mountain fall and a huge rock from upward of it came down over them and destroyed them in a short moment. The verse says:

“ And they devised a device, and We devised a device (too), but they were not aware;”

****

Then, the next verse implies that not only those people, but also their adherents were destroyed. It says:

“ And behold, how was the end of their device! For We destroyed them and their people all together.”

As it has been mentioned formerly, the Qur’ānic term /makr/, in the Arabic literature, means any ‘application of a remedy’, and it does not pertain exclusively to satanic and harmful plans that is used in the Persian language today. Thus, it is used in both harmful plans and good devices. Rāqib in Mufradāt says: “/makr/ (device) is that which hinders one to reach his goal.”

Therefore, when this word is used about Allah, it means: ‘nullification of harmful plots’; and when it is used about mischief mongers, it means: ‘impedimental acts against reproving programs’.

****

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﴿52﴾ فَتِلْکَ بُیُوتُهُمْ خَاوِیَةً بِمَا ظَلَمُوا إِنَّ فِی ذَلِکَ لاَیَةً لِقَوْمٍ یَعْلَمُونَ

﴿53﴾ وَأَنجَیْنَا الَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا وَکَانُوا یَتَّقُونَ

52. “ So those are their houses in empty ruins for they were unjust. Verily there is in this a sign for a people who have knowledge.”

53. “ And We saved those who believed and used to keep from evil.”

“… Verily there is in this a sign for a people who have knowledge.”

****

But in this event those who were not guilty were not burnt in the fire of the guilty ones and were not involved in the evil fate of wrongdoers. The verse says:

“ And We saved those who believed and used to keep from evil.”

****

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﴿54﴾ وَلُوطاً إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ وَأَنتُمْ تبْصِرُونَ

﴿55﴾ أَئِنَّکُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرّ ِجَالَ شَهْوَةً مِن دُونِ النّ-ِسَآءِ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ

54. “ And (We sent) Lot, when he said to his people: ‘Do you commit indecency while you see (its iniquity)?’”

55. “ What! Do you approach men lustfully instead of women? No, you are a people that are ignorant.”

This subject has repeatedly been referred to in the former Suras of the Qur’ān, such as Al-Hijr, Hūd, Ash-Shu‘arā, and Al-’A‘rāf, where some matters have been mentioned in this ground.

This repetition, and the like of it, is for the fact that the Qur’ān is not a book of history in which an event may be wholly explained for one time and it usually does not refer to that event again. But Qur’ān is a book of education for training good men, and we know that in educational themes sometimes the conditions require that an incident should be repeated again and again, in order that it could be reminded and be dealt with from different dimensions.

However, the story of the people of Lot, who are known in the world for their sexual deviation, Sodomy, and for other hideous deeds, as well as their fate at the end of their life, can be an example for those who are drowned in the cesspool of lusts; and the spread of this pollution among societies requires that this instructive event to be mentioned repeatedly. Here the Qur’ān says:

“ And (We sent) Lot, when he said to his people: ‘Do you commit indecency while you see (its iniquity)?’”

The Arabic word /fāhišah/, as we have said aforetime, means some deeds that the indecency and ugliness of which is manifest, but here the purpose of it is the shameful act of Sodomy.

The Qur’ānic phrase /’antum tubsirūn/ (while you see) refers to this fact that you see the ugliness and the evil results of this hideous action with your eyes, and you observe that your society has wholly become polluted, so that even your own children are not secured. Why do you see, but yet you do not awake?

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Then, in the next verse, it says:

“ What! Do you approach men lustfully

instead of women? …”

In fact, at first the Qur’ān points to this action as an indecent action, /fāhišah/, then it explains it more clearly so that there remains no ambiguity for anybody. This is one of the styles of decorum in order to state an important thing. Then for making clear that the motive of this action is ignorance, it says:

“… No, you are a people that are ignorant.”

This ignorance is the ignorance to Allah, the ignorance to the purpose of creation and laws of creation, and the ignorance to the evil effects of this important sin. If a person, contemplates deeply, he will understand that how much ignorantly this evil action is. The reason why this sentence is stated in interrogative form is for the sake that they hear its answer from the inside of their own conscience so that it may be more effective.

****

The End of Part 19

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﴿56﴾ فَمَا کَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلآَّ أَن قَالُوا أَخْرِجُوا ءَالَ لُوطٍ مِن قَرْیَتِکُمْ إِنَّهُمْ أُنَاسٌ یَتَطَهَّرُونَ

56. “ But the answer of his people was naught except that they said: ‘Drive out the people of Lot from your city; verily they are people (who seek to be) pure.”

This is the clear example of the word of Qur’ān where it says about the wrong doers that their hearts were sealed because of their deeds and their eyes were veiled and their ears had heaviness.(1)

It is also probable that because of their being sunk in corruption and being accustomed to pollution, concerning Lot’s household, they said in mockery: “… They are people (who seek to be) pure…”. These people implied that Lot’s household imagined that their piety was chastity and the act of the people of Lot was impious. What a wonderful and ridiculous thing!

And it is not surprising that, as the result of getting accustomed to a shameful action, the sense of recognition of a person changes. The famous story of a tanner, who was constantly with the purified skins and his sense of smell had got accustomed to that bad smell, is well known. When he was passing the market of perfume-sellers, he became unconscious, and the concerning doctor ordered that he should be brought into the market of tanners to ‘recover his sense’. We have heard this story and it is an interesting sensible example for this logical matter.

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﴿57﴾ فَأنجَیْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ إِلاَّ امْرَأَتَهُ قَدَّرْنَاهَا مِنَ الْغَابِرِینَ

﴿58﴾ وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَیْهِم مَّطَراً فَسَآءَ مَطَرُ الْمُنذَرِینَ

57. “ So We saved him and his household, except his wife, We had decreed her to be of those that tarried.”

58. “ And We rained down on them a shower

(of brimstone), and evil was the shower of those who had been warned.

****

Then, when Lot and his family came out of the city at the appointed time, (in midnight of the night when the city was full of corruption and shame), a terrible earthquake turned their land completely upside down, and, in the morning, a shower of brimstone came over there. The verse says:

“ And We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone), and evil was the shower of those who had been warned.

We had a detailed discussion about the people of Lot and their fate, as well as the evil effects of Sodomy, when explaining holy Sura Hūd, No. 11, verse 77-83, which is not necessary to be repeated here again.

There is only one point, of course, that seems necessary to be mentioned here, as follows:

As a factor for duration of man’s seed and the calmness of his soul, the law of creation has set the sexual attraction between two opposite sexes, and its change toward Sodomy disturbs both the spiritual calmness and the social peace. And since these social laws have a trace in man’s nature, this change causes a kind of disorder in the system of the entity of man.

Lot, the great prophet of Allah, attracted the attention of that deviated nation to this natural trace and said to them: “Do you commit indecency while you see (its iniquity)?” This ignorance and unawareness of the law of life was in the sense of foolishness that drugged them towards this devious way.

It is not marvellous that other laws of creation may change due to this nation, too, and instead of a wholesome rain water, a shower of brimstone rains down over them, and their peaceful land turns over by an earthquake, and, consequently, not only they are destroyed but also no trace remains from them.

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kind of their corruption might spread all over the earth. The verse announces:

“ Say: ‘Praise be to Allah, …”

Praise belongs to the One Who sent the corruptors such as the people of Thamūd and the arrogant people of Pharaoh to destruction so that their manner might not be continued as a tradition among others.

And, finally, the praise belongs to the One Who bestowed those plenty bounties and might on His faithful servants, like David and Solomon, and by which guided some misled ones like the people of Sheba.

Then, it adds:

“… and peace be on His servants whom He has chosen. …”

Peace be on prophets, such as: Moses, Saleh, Lot, Solomon, and David (a.s.), and peace be upon all Divine prophets and their true followers. Then, the verse continues saying:

“… Is Allah better, or what they associate (with Him)?’”

That is, which is better, the Lord Who has those infinite powers, strengths and bountiful merits, or the idols which idolaters associate to Allah (s.w.t.) and they absolutely affect nothing?

In the explanations of the life stories of the former prophets, we realized that idols could never help their worshippers at the time of coming misfortunes and afflictions, while Allah did not leave the believers alone in none of their difficulties and His merciful grace came to help them.

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﴿60﴾ أَمَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَرْضَ وَأَنزَلَ لَکُم مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَنبَتْنَا بِهِ حَدَآئِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ مَا کَانَ لَکُمْ أَن تُنبِتُوا شَجَرَهَآ أَءِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ یَعْدِلُونَ

60. “ Or Who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down for you water from the sky? Then We caused to grow thereby beautiful gardens; it was not in your power that you grew the trees thereof. Is there any god with Allah? Nay! They are a people who deviate.”

The Arabic word /hadā’iq/ is the plural form of /hadīqah/ and, as many commentators have said, it means a garden which is surrounded with a wall and it is secured from any thing, like the pupil of eye which is protected among eyelids. Rāqib says in Mufradāt: “The word /hadīqah/ is originally used for a land where there is gathered some water, like the pupil of the eye that there is always water therein.

It can be concluded from these two statements that the Arabic word /hadīqah/ means a garden which has both a wall and enough water.

The Arabic word /bahjat/ means the beauty of colour and apparent goodness which causes the spectators to be full of joy.

At the end of the verse, the Qur’ān addresses the servants of Allah and says:

“… it was not in your power that you grew the trees thereof. …”

You should only sow the seed and irrigate it, but He who has created life inside this seed and commands the sunlight, the life giving drops of rain, and the pieces of soil to grow this seed is only Allah.

These are some facts that none can deny, or attributes them to other than Allah. It is He Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and is the sender of rain. He is the cause of all beauties and favours in the world.

Even paying attention to the colouring of a flower, the delicate and regular arrangement of leaves inside each other that have circulated around the central point of the flower and cry of the existence of life, are enough to acquaint man with the glory, power and knowledge of Allah. These are the facts which move the man’s heart and call him toward Him.

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In other words, Unity in creation (Unity of Creator) and Unity in Lordship (the Unity of the Deviser of this world) are counted as the basis of the Unity of the object of worship.

Therefore, at the end of the verse, the Qur’ān says:

“… Is there any god with Allah? Nay! They are a people who deviate.”

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﴿61﴾ أَمَّن جَعَلَ الاَرْضَ قَرَاراً وَجَعَلَ خِلاَلَهَآ أَنْهَاراً وَجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَاسِیَ وَجَعَلَ بَیْنَ الْبَحْرَیْنِ حَاجِزاً أَءِلَهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ بَلْ أَکْثَرُهُمْ لاَ یَعْلَمُونَ

﴿62﴾ أَمَّن یُجِیبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَیَکْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَیَجْعَلُکُمْ خُلَفَآءَ الاَرْضِ أَءِلَهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ قَلِیلاً مَا تَذَکَّرُونَ

61. “ Or Who made the earth a resting place, and made in it rivers, and placed firm mountains therein, and placed between the two seas a barrier. Is there any god with Allah? Nay! Most of them do not know.”

62. “ Or Who answers the distressed one when he calls on Him and removes the distress, and makes you successors in the earth. Is there any god with Allah? Little it is that you heed!”

Another one is the existence of the mountains. As it was said before, they have surrounded the lands of the earth and their rots have clung to each other and have formed a strong armour against the inner pressures of the earth. This armour resists against the outward movements created by flow and ebb resulted from the gravity of the moon, too, and it is also a barrier against the great storms that disturb the calmness of the earth.

Another one is the natural hinder which is between the two flows of a part of the sweet and salty water of some seas or oceans. This unseen inviolable obstruction is not any thing but the difference of the density of the sweet water and that of the salt water which causes the water of the great rivers that comes into the sea does not mix with its salty water for a considerable length of time and, therefore, the flow and ebb of the sea bring it over a great part of the lands of the seashore whose farms are ready to be irrigated. The explanation of this very meaning was cited in the commentary of Sura Furqān , No. 25, verse 53.

In the meanwhile, there are some sources of water inside the different layers of parts of the earth. The water of these sources is the origin of liveliness and greenness of cultivated farms and fruitful gardens. A part of the sources of such water is located in mountains and another part is inside the layers of the earth.

Can this system be the fruit of a deaf and blind cause and that of an origin with no intellect and knowledge?

Have idols any function in the creation of this wonderful system? Even the idolaters themselves do not claim such a thing. So, at the end of the verse, this question is repeated, saying:

“… Is there any god with Allah? …”

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And then it continues saying:

“… Nay! Most of them do not know.”

****

In the next verse, the words are about solving difficulties, removing the distresses, and answering the supplications. It implies which is better, your worthless idols or Allah. It says:

“ Or Who answers the distressed one when he calls on Him and removes the distress, …”

Yes, at the time when all the doors of the world of means are shut to a man and he is helpless from any point of view, the only one who can unlock the lock of difficulties, brings the light of hope into the hearts and opens the doors of mercy to the distressed ones is only His Pure Essence, not anyone else.

In view of the fact that this reality as a natural feeling is inside the soul of all human beings, idol worshippers also forget all their objects of worship when they entangle with the huge waves of the sea and refer to the Grace of Allah, as the Qur’ān says: “Then, if they embark on a boat, they call on Allah, making their devotion sincerely (and exclusively) to Him; …”(1)

Then the holy verse implies that not only He solves and removes the difficulties but also He makes you successors in the earth. The verse says:

“… and makes you successors in the earth. Is there any god with Allah? Little it is that you heed!”

Invoking Allah and prattling with Him is a worthy and an indispensable act. Supplicating to the Presence of Allah, and asking Him for solving the difficulties, specially at the time of distress, is necessary for everybody.

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Wherever our invocation is not answered, there is a reason for it, as follows:

1- Our invocation had not been for a good deed but we considered it as good.

2- The manner in invocation has not been earnest and accompanied with distress.

3- We have not been sincere in our invocation. That is, while we have turned to the presence of Allah, we have had some hope in others, too. It is true, of course, that sometimes, instead of accepting our supplication, He gives us something similar to it, or sometimes, instead of our demand which is not expediential for us with Allah, He banishes a misfortune from us; and sometimes instead of answering our invocation in this world, He will compensate it in the Hereafter; and sometimes instead of doing a favour to us, He favours to our descendants. All of these meanings have been mentioned in the Islamic narrations.

Of course, the condition of fulfilment of invocation, in general, is the existence of sincerity in one’s invocation and having no hope in others. Allah is aware of those who ask Him for something in silence, but He likes that His servants ask their needs by their tongues.

It is interesting that in some Islamic narrations this verse has been rendered into the rising of Hadrat Mahdī (a.s.).

Imam Bāqir (a.s.) in a tradition says: “By Allah, as if I see Mahdī (a.s.) who has leaned against the Black Stone (of Ka‘bah) and calls Allah by his legitimacy …” Then he said: “By Allah, he is the distressed one in the Book of Allah in the verse which says: ‘Or Who answers the distressed one when he calls on Him, and removes the distress, …’”(1)

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In another tradition, Imam Sādiq (a.s.) says: “This verse has been revealed concerning Mahdī from the progeny of Muhammad (p.b.u.h.). By Allah he is the distressed one, when he keeps up two units prayer in the station of Abraham and offers a petition unto the presence of Allah, Almighty and Glorious, He answers him and removes the distress and makes him successor in the earth.”(1)

No doubt, the purpose of this commentary, as we have seen many instances similar to it, is not confining the concept of the verse to the specious rank of Hadrat Mahdī (a.s.), but the verse has a vast scope of meaning and one of its clear denotation expansions is Hadrat Mahdī (a.s.). That time is the time that corruption has covered everywhere, the doors of hope have been shut, everybody is helpless so that humankind is in an earnest blind alley, and the state of distress is seen throughout the world. At that time, in the most sacred point on the earth, the Holy Mosque, he invokes Allah and asks for removing the distress. Then Allah makes this invocation the outset of his worldly sacred revolution and, according to the holy phrase: “… and makes you successors in the earth …”, He makes him and his followers the successors on the earth.

Concerning the importance of supplication, the conditions of the acceptance of invocation, and that why some prayers will not be answered, we have discussed in details when commenting on Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 186.

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﴿63﴾ أَمَّن یَهْدِیکُمْ فِی ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرّ ِ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَن یُرْسِلُ الرّ ِیَاحَ بُشْرَاً بَیْنَ یَدَیْ رَحْمَتِهِ أَءِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَی اللَّهُ عَمَّا یُشْرِکُونَ

63. “ Or Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings of His Mercy? Is there any god with Allah? Exalted High is Allah above what they associate (with Him).”

falling rain. Their duty in fact, is also to guide people to the descent of rain.

The application of the Qur’ānic word /bušrā/ (heralds of glad tidings) concerning the winds, and the word /rahmat/ (Mercy), concerning the rain, both are interesting, because the winds carry the moisture of weather by pieces of cloud arising from seas and oceans, and bring them to the dry and thirsty lands and give them goodness by the descent of rain.

Also it is raining that causes the merit of life to be seen throughout the earthly globe. Wherever it comes down, it brings goodness, mercy, bounty and life.

The Qur’ānic word /bušr/ is the abbreviated form of /bušur/ which is the plural form of /bašūr/ that means ‘the heralds of glad tidings’.

(Some more details about the function of winds and rains is mentioned in the commentary of Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7, verse 57)

At the end of the above verse, the Qur’ān, addressing the pagans again, says:

“… Is there any god with Allah? …”

Then, without waiting for any answer, it immediately says:

“… Exalted High is Allah above what they associate (with Him).”

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﴿64﴾ أَمَّن یَبْدَؤُا الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ یُعِیدُهُ وَمَن یَرْزُقُکُم مِنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالاَرْضِ أَءِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَکُمْ إِن کُنتُمْ صَادِقِینَ

64. “ Or, Who originates the creation, then reproduces it, and Who gives you sustenance from the heaven and the earth? Is there any god with Allah? Say: ‘Bring your proof if you are truthful’.”

Tell them if they have such a creed, they should bring their proof if they are truthful. The verse says:

“… Say: ‘Bring your proof if you are truthful’.”

In fact all of the former verses were about the origin and the signs of the greatness of Allah in the world of existence as well as His merits and bounties, but in this verse the Qur’ān changes the discussion into a delicate passage unto the subject of Resurrection, because the initiation of creation is itself an evidence upon the end of it, and the ability of creation is counted as a clear reasoning for Resurrection.

By this explanation, the answer of the question of many commentators is made clear. They say those pagans, who are addressed by these verses, often did not believe in Resurrection (resurrection of the body), in this case, how is it possible that we ask them and want them to confess?

The answer to this question is accompanied with a reason which makes the opposite party confess, because when they confess that the initiation of the creation belongs to Him, and it is He Who gives these sustenance and merits, it is enough that they accept that there is a possibility of returning to life again in the Hereafter.

By the way, the purpose of ‘the sustenance of the heaven’ is rain, sunlight, and the like; and the purpose of ‘The sustenance of the earth’ is the plants and different foodstuff which grow directly from the earth or originate indirectly from it, like cattle, mines, various things that man gets from it and enjoys them in his life.

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﴿65﴾ قُل لاَّ یَعْلَمُ مَن فِی السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَرْضِ الْغَیْبَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَمَا یَشْعُرُونَ أَیَّانَ یُبْعَثُونَ

﴿66﴾ بَلِ ادَّارَکَ عِلْمُهُمْ فِی الاَخِرَةِ بَلْ هُمْ فِی شَکٍّ مّ-ِنْهَا بَلْ هُم مِنْهَا عَمُونَ

65. “ Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the Unseen save Allah and they do not know when they shall, be raised’.”

66. “ Nay, but their knowledge falls as to the Hereafter; nay, they are in doubt about it; nay they are quite blind unto it.”

At first, it answers the question of those pagans who had repeatedly asked and said: “When does Hereafter occur?”, it says:

“ Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the Unseen save Allah and they do not know when they shall, be raised’.”

No doubt the knowledge of Unseen, including the date of the happening of Hereafter, belongs to Allah, but it does not contrast to the fact that He gives a part of the knowledge of Unseen to some ones that He desires; as Sura Jinn, No. 72, verses 26 and 27 say: “He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make anyone acquainted with His secrets.” “Except to him whom He chooses as a messenger, …”

In other words, the knowledge of Unseen, essentially, independently, and illimitably, is particularized to Allah, and whatever others know is from His origin, but, in any case, the date of the occurrence of Hereafter is exceptional from this affair, and no one is aware of it.

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Then the next holy verse refers to the lack of knowledge, unawareness and doubt of pagan about Hereafter. It says:

“ Nay, but their knowledge falls as to the Hereafter; nay, they are in doubt about it; nay they are quite

blind unto it.”

The Qur’ānic word /’iddārak/ has originally been /tadāruk/ in the sense of ‘arranged one after another’. Thus the concept of the sentence in this verse is that they used all their knowledge about Hereafter but they gained nothing. That is why, next to it, the verse says: “… Nay, they are in doubt about it, nay they are quite blind unto it.” The evidence of it is that the signs of Hereafter are seen in the life of this very

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world, including: the return of the dead land to life in summer, the trees that become fruitful after winter, and observing the greatness of Allah’s power in whole creation. All of these are some evidence for the life possible after death, but they pass by them as if they are blind. In other words, pagans do not know when they will be raised up and they are doubtful about it. Now the verse announces that they will understand its reality in Hereafter. Their knowledge about Hereafter will become complete in Hereafter and they will find certainty about it, a certainty which will be in vain, while they are doubtful about it in this world.

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They only sufficed to this matter that it is impossible that a man becomes dust and comes to life again, while they were dust at first and they came into being from dust. Is not it possible that they return to dust and then come forth for a new life?

It is interesting that there are eight instances in the Qur’ān with the same meaning wherein, as soon as they come to imagination of impossibility of Hereafter, they have paved the path of denial.

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Then they add:

“ Indeed we had been promised this, we and our fathers before (too), …”

They say that they were promised it before but they found no sign of it, therefore, these promises are not anything but imaginations and superstitions. The verse continues saying:

“… (but) these are not but fables of the ancients.”

Thus, they begin from impossibility of the occurrence of Hereafter and, after that, they take it as the foundation of an absolute denial. It seemed that they expected Resurrection would happen very soon, and, since they did not see it in their own lifetime, they negated it. However, these statements are the sign of their pride and negligence.

By the way, through this wrong interpretation, they wanted to belittle the Prophet’s word about the Hereafter and to say that this is one of the baseless old promises which others gave to their ancestors, too, and it was not a new matter for them to be dealt with.

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﴿69﴾ قُلْ سِیرُوا فِی الاَرْضِ فَانظُرُوا کَیْفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُ-جْرِمِینَ

﴿70﴾ وَلاَ تَحْزَنْ عَلَیْهِمْ وَلاَ تَکُن فِی ضَیْقٍ مِمَّا یَمْکُرُونَ

69. “ Say: ‘Travel in the earth and see how the end of the guilty (ones) has been’.”

70. “ And do not grieve for them nor be you straitened for what they devise.”

Do not hasten, your turn will come, too. If you do not amend yourselves, you will have the same evil fate, either.

The Qur’ān has repeatedly invited people to travel in the earth and observe the traces of the old, the ruined lands of the nations who have been seized by the Divine punishment, the destroyed castles of the kings of the ancient, the scattered graves and the rotten bones of the oppressors, and the remaining ownerless properties of the haughty wealthy ones. The Qur’ān specially declares that studying these traces, which are the alive, expressive, and concrete history of the ancient people, in fact, makes the minds aware, and gives insight to them. Sometimes, visiting one of these effects creates such a storm of vigilance in the soul and spirit of man that studying several thick history books does not have it.

A rather detailed explanation in this regard has already been offered in Sura ’Āl-i-‘Imrān, No. 3, verse 137.

It is worth noting that, in this verse, instead of applying the Qur’ānic word /mukaŏŏibīn/ (rejecters) the word /mujrimīn/ (the guilty) has been used. This points to the fact that their denial was not because of their mistake in their research, but the origin of it was obstinacy, enmity, and being polluted by kinds of crimes.

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﴿71﴾ وَیَقُولُونَ مَتَی هَذَا الْوَعْدُ إِن کُنتُمْ صَادِقِینَ

﴿72﴾ قُلْ عَسَی أَن یَکُونَ رَدِفَ لَکُم بَعْضُ الَّذِی تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ

﴿73﴾ وَإِنَّ رَبَّکَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَی النَّاسِ وَلَکِنَّ أَکْثَرَهُمْ لاَ یَشْکُرُونَ

﴿74﴾ وَإِنَّ رَبَّکَ لَیَعْلَمُ مَا تُکِنُّ صُدُورُهُمْ وَمَا یُعْلِنُونَ

71. “ And they say: ‘When shall this promise (of chastisement) come to pass, if you are truthful?’”

72. “ Say: ‘May be that it is after you, a part of what you seek to hasten’.”

73. “ And verily your Lord is the Lord of grace unto the people, but most of them are not grateful.”

74. “ And verily your Lord well-knows what their breasts conceal and what they manifest.”

This verse addresses the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) but the matter is used in plural form, because the true believers also said the same thing that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) announced and naturally they are the addressees of the verse, too.

Through the next verse, the Qur’ān, with a very truthful tone, answers this ridiculous statement of theirs, when it says:

“ Say: ‘May be that it is after you, a part of what you seek to hasten’.”

Why do you hasten? Why do you consider the Divine punishment so little? Why do you not have pity to yourselves? Do know that chastisement is certainly earnest! Probably the punishment of Allah has come above you because of these very words of yours, and soon will fall over you and annihilate you. What is this ceaseless obstinacy for?

The Arabic word /ridf/ is derived from /radf/ which means ‘to be set after each other’.

Concerning the objective of this punishment, some of the commentators have said that its purpose is the same sharp struck that these obstinate disbelievers received in the Battle of Badr, the first Battle of Muslims against pagans, in which seventy chiefs of the pagans were killed and seventy persons of them were taken captives.

There is also another probability that the purpose of it is the common painful punishment, but at last it was removed because of the existence of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) among them who was “… a Mercy for (all) the worlds”(1)

And Sura Al-’Anfāl, No. 8, verse 33 is an evidence upon this meaning. It says: “But Allah is not to punish them while you are among them, …”

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The application of the Arabic word /‘asā/ (may be) in the verse is from the tongue of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and it does not matter, and it is also in the word of Allah, though some commentators have considered something else. It points to the existence of premises required for something, though these premises may be faced with some barriers and they do not lead to the ultimate result.

Then, in the next verse, it states the fact that if Allah does not hasten in punishing you, it is because of His grace and Mercy on you so that you may have enough time to amend yourselves and recompense your past. It says:

“ And verily your Lord is the Lord of grace unto the people, but most of them are not grateful.”

By verse No. 74, it implies that if they imagine that the delay in their punishment is for the sake that Allah is not aware of the evil and ugly thought they have in their minds, they make a great mistake, because the Qur’ān says:

“ And verily your Lord well-knows what their breasts conceal and what they manifest.”

He knows the secrets of their inward as much as He knows their outward deeds, and principally inward and outward, visible and invisible, all are the same for Him.

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﴿75﴾ وَمَا مِنْ غَآئِبَةٍ فِی السَّمَآءِ وَالاَرْضِ إِلاَّ فِی کِتَابٍ مُّبِینٍ

75. “ And there is nothing hidden in the heavens and the earth but it is in a Manifest Book.”

The contents of the former verses show that, in order to shirk believing in Resurrection and its responsibilities, the rejecters of Resurrection expressed their objections in three ways:

1- To return to life after becoming dust is improbable, because, as they believed, dust could not be the source of life.

2- This kind of belief belongs to the ancient, and it is not a new thing.

3- The lack of the descent of punishment for the rejecters of Resurrection, because, they said, if the rejecters must really be punished in this world, why does not this punishment seize them?

For the answer of the first and the second instances, the Qur’ān has left it to their clearness, because we always see by our eyes that dust becomes the source of life. At first, we were dust and then we came into being as a living creature.

The state of a thing being old or belonging to the ancient does not decrease its importance, because the main laws of this world, from pre-eternity to future eternity, are wholly fix and unchangeable. The fix principles in philosophical principles, mathematic problems, and other sciences are abundant. Is the Pythagoras’ multiplication table invalid because it is old, or is its being ancient as a reason for its weakness? Or if we see that justice is good and injustice is bad, and it is so and it will be so forever, is it a reason for its falseness? In principle, many times, the perpetuity of something proves its authenticity.

Concerning their third objection, the Qur’ān answers that they should not hasten for meeting chastisement. It is the grace of Allah that He gives them respite and does not punish them promptly, but they must be careful that chastisement will come though it comes late.

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﴿76﴾ إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْءَانَ یَقُصُّ عَلَی بَنِی إِسْرَآئِیلَ أَکْثَرَ الَّذِی هُمْ فِیهِ یَخْتَلِفُونَ

﴿77﴾ وَإِنَّهُ لَهُدًی وَرَحْمَةٌ لّ-ِلْمُؤْمِنِینَ

76. “ Verily this Qur’ān relates to the Children of Israel most of what they differ in.”

77. “ And verily it is a guidance and mercy for the believers.”

“ Verily this Qur’ān relates to the Children of Israel most of what they differ in.”

The Children of Israel had discords among them in many things; like about Maryam, Jesus, the prophet whose glad tidings had been mentioned in the Torah, and that who this prophet was, and in many ordinances and religious affairs. The Qur’ān came and said the true matter in this field. It said Jesus introduced himself explicitly and said he was a servant of Allah Who had given him a heavenly Book and assigned him a prophet, “He (miraculously) said: ‘Verily I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet’.”(1) The Qur’ān also made it clear that Jesus was born only from mother and without father, and that was not an impossible affair for Allah, because He created Adam without parents from the dust: “The likeness of Jesus, with Allah, is as the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust …”(2)

Concerning the Divine prophet whose qualities are clearly mentioned in the Torah, the Qur’ān considers that those qualifications adapt to the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.), because they adapt to none but him.

However, one of the missions of the Qur’ān is to struggle against the differences which have come into being because of mixing the superstitions with the true teachings of the Divine prophets. So, every prophet was commanded to put an end to the discord originated from distortions and confusions of right and wrong; and since the fulfilment of such an action is not possible to be done by an illiterate person in the environment of ignorance, it is clear that it is from the side of Allah.

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In view of the fact that struggling against any discord is the cause of guidance and mercy, the next verse, as a general principle, says about the Qur’ān:

“ And verily it is a guidance and mercy for the believers.”

Yes, it is guidance and mercy because the evidence of its truthfulness has lain in the magnificence of its content.

The Qur’ān is guidance and mercy because it shows both the way and the style of paving the way.

The Qur’ānic term /mu’minīn/ (believers) mentioned specially in this verse, is for the sake that, as was pointed out before, a person cannot enjoy this Divine source unless he has a stage of faith in him, that is, he must have a receptive state for accepting the truth and submitting to Allah.

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﴿78﴾ إِنَّ رَبَّکَ یَقْضِی بَیْنَهُم بِحُکْمِهِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِیزُ الْعَلِیمُ

﴿79﴾ فَتَوَکَّلْ عَلَی اللَّهِ إِنَّکَ عَلَی الْحَقّ ِ الْمُبِینِ

78. “ Verily your Lord will judge between them by His judgment, and He is the Mighty, the Knowing.”

79. “ Therefore rely on Allah, verily you are on the manifest truth.”

Qualifying Allah (s.w.t.) to ‘Mightly’ and ‘Knowing’ is an indication to the couple of qualifications which are necessary for a judge who must be aware enough and be able to execute the judgment. Allah is the Most Mighty, the most Knowing.

****

Since these statements, besides expressing the greatness of the Qur’ān and being a threat for the Children of Israel, are counted as a means for calmness and peace of mind of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), through the next verse the Qur’ān says:

“ Therefore rely on Allah, …”

To rely on Allah Who is the Mighty, the Knowing, is relying on the One Who is invincible and Omniscient, and relying on Him Who has given you the Qur’ān, with that magnificence. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) is commanded to rely on Allah and does not afraid of the oppositions of the enemies, because the Qur’ān says:

“… verily you are on the manifest truth.”

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﴿80﴾ إِنَّکَ لاَ تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَی وَلاَ تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَآءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِینَ

﴿81﴾ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِهَادِی الْعُمَیِ عَن ضَلاَلَتِهِمْ إِن تُسْمِعُ إِلاَّ مَن یُؤْمِنُ بِاَیَاتِنَا فَهُم مُسْلِمُونَ

80. “ Verily you cannot make the dead to listen nor can you make the deaf to hear the call when they turn away backward.”

81. “ Nor can you lead the blind against their straying; you can make none hear save those who believe in Our revelations and who have surrendered.”

as the Qur’ān says: “That it may give admonition to any (who are) alive, …”(1) That is, they are those who have safe intellect and nature. It also says: “… he invites you to that which gives you life, …”(2)

4) The political and social life is for life, as the Qur’ān says: “And in (the law of) retaliation there is (saving) of life for you, …”(3) 5) The life in the next word, as some mortals will say about it: “… O’ would that I had forwarded (good deeds) for (this) my life.”(4)

However, in this holy verse, the Qur’ān implies that if they do not accept this ‘clear truth’ and your enthusiastic words do not affect in their cold hearts, it is not wonderful for:

“ Verily you cannot make the dead to listen …”

Your addressees are the alive ones, those who have a lively, vigilant, and truth-seeking spirit, not those dead who seem alive but bigotry, obstinacy, and constant committing sin have suspended their thought and contemplation. Therefore, the verse continues saying about those who are alive but their ears are spiritually deaf:

“… nor can you make the deaf to hear the call when they turn away backward.”

Then by the next verse, the Qur’ān implies that if, instead of hearkening ears they had eyes with insight in such case, though the sound did not reach their ears, they might find the Straight Path by signs and marks, but it is a pity that they are blind, too, and as the verse says:

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“ Nor can you lead the blind against their straying; …”

Thus, all the ways of conception the truth are shut to them: their hearts are dead, their ears are deaf, and their eyes are blind. So, the Qur’ān continues saying:

“… you can make none hear save those who believe in Our revelations and who have surrendered.”

In fact these two verses refer to a clear collection of the factors of cognizance and the way of man’s communication with outward world. The sense of discrimination and vigilant intellect is against despondency; a hearkening ear for attracting the words of Truth is against being heedless to them through the ear; and an eye with insight of observing the feature of right and wrong through the eye.

But obstinacy, contumacy, blindly imitation, and sin, make the truth seeking eyes of man blind, make his ear deaf to hear the truth, and also cause his intellect and heart (mind) not to work. If all prophets, the saints, and the angels come to guide such persons, it will be in vain, because their communication with the outward world of their entity has utterly been ceased and they refer to only themselves.

In other words, he who is physically alive but is so engaged in lusts that he neither hears the cry of an oppressed, nor does he hear the sound of the seeker of the truth, nor does he sees the feature of an indigent, nor does he observe the effects of the greatness of Allah in the scene of creation, nor does he even contemplate about his past and future, such a person in the logic of the Qur’ān is dead. But those whose works are spread and used in the world after their death and whose thoughts, ways of manner, and conditions are introduced as guide, leader and example for others; such persons are spiritually alive forever.

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However, we mention this point again that the purpose of Faith and submission is not in that he had accepted the facts of religion from before, so that it is actualization of what has already been actualized, but the aim is that man should have the mood of truth seeking state and humiliation before the command of Allah, else he will never hearken to the words of Divine prophets. Yes, if the hearer is stone-hearted the true speech, even from a pure and eligible speaker, does not affect on him. It is like a consumed lamp which does not give light by connection with any electricity.

A weak sect from among Muslims have taken the verse “Verily you cannot make the dead to listen” as a means for their deviated thought. They say that the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) has passed away and he does not hear any word, therefore it is meaningless that we pilgrimage and, addressing him, state some matters.

The answer to this sect is that the verse is in the position of a simile. It is like the simile of the heart of a cruel person from the point of effectiveness which is likened to stone, as the Qur’ān says: “Then your hearts hardened after that as stone …”(1) Of course, it does not mean that for everything their hearts are like stone, because the Qur’ān has accepted the purgatory life for the martyr and there are some narrations cited in the Sunnite and Shi‘ite sources, as follows:

1- Muhammad-ibn-‘Abdul-Wahhāb in the book entitled: Al-Hidyat-us-Sunniyyah, P. 41, says: “The prophet has a purgatory life after his death which is superior to the life of the martyr and he hears the greeting of those who greet him.

2- There are many traditions recorded in Shi’ite and Sunnite sources in this field that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and

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Immaculate Imams (a.s.) hear the words of those who salute them from near and far distances and answer them, and even the deeds of people are said to them.(1)

3- It is cited in Sahīh Bukhārī: “The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) spoke with the annihilated pagans of the Battle of Badr;” and when he was asked by ‘Umar, he (p.b.u.h.) said: “By Allah, in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, you are not a better hearer (than them).”(2)

4- At the end of the Battle of Jamal, Hadrat Ali (a.s.) said: “Make the corpse of Ka‘b-ibn-Sur sit!” Then he (a.s.) told him, while he had been killed: “Woe be to you that did not enjoy your knowledge and Satan caused you go astray and sent you to Hell.”(3)

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﴿82﴾ وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَیْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَآبَّةً مِنَ الاَرْضِ تُکَلّ-ِمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ کَانُوا بِاَیَاتِنَا لاَ یُوقِنُونَ

82. “ And when the word is fulfilled against them We shall bring forth for them a moving creature from the earth that shall speak unto them, because people did not believe in Our revelations.”

“ And when the word is fulfilled against them We shall bring forth for them a moving creature from the earth that shall speak unto them, because people did not believe in Our revelations.”

The objective of the Qur’ānic phrase: “… the word is fulfilled against them …” is Allah’s command which will be issued for the punishment they have been promised, or the occurrence of Resurrection and the manifestation of its sign. These are the signs that by observing them every one will become humble and submissive, and he will be completely certain that the promises of Allah were true and the Hereafter is near. In that circumstance the doors of repentance will be closed, because the faith in that condition will be a constrained belief which is not accepted.

These two meanings are not separate from each other, because approaching the Day of Hereafter is accompanied with the punishment of the wrong doers.

Concerning this earthly creature and that what or who he is, and what program he will have, the Qur’ān has stated ambiguously. It seems that the Qur’ān wanted to speak shortly about it, for sometime the effect of the word is in that the horrible matter should be said in curtain.

The Qur’ān only implies that this is a creature that, at the threshold of Resurrection, Allah will bring it forth from the earth and this creature will speak with people, saying that the people do not believe in the verses of Allah. In other words, his job is to separate the rows from each other and to distinguish between the row of rejecters and hypocrites and the row of believers.

It is evident that, by seeing this scene, the rejecters will become regretful from their own dark past, but they will not have any way to return.

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In Islamic narrations, the commentary books, and Shi’ite and Sunnite sources of traditions, there are many matters about the details of the Qur’ānic phrase: /dābbatan min al ’ard/ (a moving creature from the earth) as well as its exact qualities and specifications, a short explanation of which is as follows:

The Arabic word /dābbah/ means ‘a moving creature’, and the word /’ard/ means ‘earth’, and in spite of the belief of some commentators, the word /dābbah/ is not applied only for moving creatures other than humankind, but it has a vast meaning and encompasses human beings, too. We recite in Sura Hūd, No. 11, verse 6: “And there is no moving creature on the earth but its sustenance is on Allah, …”

Sura An-Nahl, No. 16, verse 61 says: “And if Allah were to take people to task for their inequity, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving being, …”

Sura Al-’Anfāl, No. 8, verse 22 says: “Verily the worst of animals in the sight of Allah are the deaf, the dumb, who do not understand.”

Concerning the adaptation of this term with its meaning, as it was already said in the above, the Qur’ān has referred to it ambiguously, and the only quality that it has stated for it is that the creature speaks with people and compendiously defines the disbelievers. But there are a lot of discussions in this regard in Islamic narrations and commentaries of the commentators all of which can be referred to in two commentaries:

1- A group of commentators of the Qur’ān believe that it is an extraordinary living and moving creature which is not of the kind of human and has a wonderful shape. They have cited some wonders about it that are similar to the miracles of Divine prophets.

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This moving creature will appear on ‘the last day’ and will speak about disbelief and Faith, and, by putting marks on the hypocrites, will make them infamous.

2- Another group, following numerous Islamic narrations recorded in this field, say that this moving creature is a man, an extraordinary man. He is a moving and active man, one of whose main actions is separating the rows of Muslims from hypocrites and putting marks on them. Some narrations even indicate that the Rod of Moses and the Signer of Solomon will be with him; and we know that the Rod of Moses is the secret of power and miracle, and the Signer of Solomon is the secret of Divine government and domination. Thus he is a powerful man who divulges the facts.

Hathīfah narrates a tradition from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) who, qualifying /dābbat-ul-’Ard/ (a moving creature from the earth), said: “(He is so strong that) no one can reach him nor any one can flee from him. He puts a sign on the forehead of every believer and writes ‘believer’ between his eyes, and puts a sign on the forehead of every disbeliever and also writes ‘disbeliever’ between his eyes; and he has the Rod of Moses and the Signer of Solomon.(1)

Some narrations have adapted it to Amir-ul-Mu’minīn Ali (a.s.). It is recorded in the commentary of Ali-ibn-’Ebrāhīm, narrated from Imam Sādiq (a.s.): “Once a man told ‘Ammār Yāsir that there is a verse in the Qur’ān which has disturbed his mind and caused him to be doubtful. ‘Ammār asked which verse it was and he answered the verse which says: “And when the word is fulfilled against them We shall bring forth for them a moving creature from the earth that shall speak unto them, because people did not believe in Our revelations”, and he added

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which moving creature it was. ‘Ammār said: ‘By Allah! I do not sit on the ground, nor do I eat any food nor drink any water before I show you /dābbat-ul-’ard/. Then he, accompanying with that man, came to Ali (a.s.) while he was having food. When he (a.s.) saw ‘Ammār he told him to come in. ‘Ammār came near, sat down and ate food with Ali (a.s.). That man seriously wondered, while he has watching that scene incredibly, because ’Ammār had promised him and had made an oath that he would not eat any food before fulfilling his promise, as if he had forgotten his promise and his oath!

When ’Ammār stood up and said good by to Ali (a.s.), that man, addressing him, said he made an oath not to eat food nor drink water, nor sit on the ground unless he show the man /dābbat-ul-‘ard/. ‘Ammār answered him: ‘Did I not show it to you if you understood?’”

A tradition similar to this one is narrated from ’Abūthar recorded in the commentary of ‘Ayyāshī.(1)

‘Allamah Majlesī, with a valid document, has cited in Bihar-ul-’Anwār that Ali (a.s.) was asleep in the mosque when the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) came in there. He (p.b.u.h.) roused Ali (a.s.) from sleep and said: “Get up O’ moving creature of Allah!”. One of the companions asked the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) whether they are right to call each other by that name, and the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: “No. this name is specialized to Ali, and he is /dābbat-ul-’ard/ about whom Allah has said in the Qur’ān: ‘And when the word is fulfilled against them We shall bring forth for them a moving creature from the earth that shall speak unto them, because people did not believe in Our revelations’.” Then he (p.b.u.h.) said: “O’ Ali! On the last day, Allah will restore you to life in the best form

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and there will be a means in your hand by which you will mark the enemies.”(1)

According to this tradition, the abovementioned verse is about ‘return to life’, and it adapts to the next verse which is about ‘return to life’.

The Late Abul-Futūh Rāzī records in his commentary book concerning the above verse: “According to the information we received by the way of our Companions, the Qur’ānic phrase /dābbatul ’ard/ is an implicit declaration to Hadrat Mahdī, the Lord of the age (a.s.).”(2)

Keeping this tradition and the above traditions in mind, we can take a more general concept from the holy phrase /dābbat-ul-’ard/ and adapt it to each one of the great leaders who rises in ‘the last day’ and has an extraordinary movement by which he differentiates between right and wrong as well as believer and disbeliever.

This meaning involved in the narrations which indicate that the Rod of Moses and Signer of Solomon, which are the secrets of power, victory and government, will be with him, is a frame of reference that ‘ a moving creature from the earth’ is a very active human.

And also the fact which is mentioned in the narrations that he will mark the believer and disbeliever and separate their rows, adapts to the meaning that the creature is a human.

The quality of ‘speaking with people’ which is mentioned in the text of the Qur’ān is also appropriate to this very meaning.

On the other side, there are some other references in the above verse itself added to many traditions concerning the

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commentary of the verse, all show that the objective of /dābbat-ul-’ard/ here is a human with the qualities mentioned in the above. He is a very active human being who specifies the right and wrong as well as the believer from unbeliever and hypocrite. It is a human being who will appear at the threshold of Resurrection and himself is one of the signs of the greatness of Allah.

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“ And on the Day when We shall muster out of every nation a party from those who belied Our revelations, and they shall be kept in rank.”

The Arabic word /hašr/ means ‘to cause to camp’, and ‘to send out a group from their place and to move them toward the battle-field, and the like’.

The Arabic word /fauj/, as Rāqib says in Mufradāt, means ‘a group who travel speedily’.

The Qur’ānic word /yūza‘ūn/ means ‘keeping a crowd of people in a manner that a group of them joins another’ and this meaning is usually applied upon some tremendous crowds, the like of which was used for the troops of Solomon in this Sura.

Thus, the verse, on the whole, indicates that there will come a day when Allah will raise to life a group from any nation and will send them forth for the retribution of their deeds.

Many of the commentators have considered this holy verse as a reference for the subject of /raj‘at/ ‘return to life’ and the return of some evil doers and good doers to this world at the threshold of the Hereafter, since if it was referring to the Resurrection and Hereafter the application of the holy phrase ‘out of every nation a party’ would not be correct, because in Hereafter all people will be mustered, as the Qur’ān in Sura Al-Kahf, No. 18, verse 47 says: “… and We muster them nor shall We leave out any one of them.”

Another reference is that before this verse the words were about the signs of Resurrection at the end of this world, and the coming verses also point to the same subject, therefore, it is not probable that the verses before and after it speak about the events which happen before Resurrection, but the middle verse speaks of the Resurrection. The agreement of the verses

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requires that all of them speak about the events before the Resurrection.

There are also many narrations in this ground that we will point to them when commenting the meaning of /raj‘at/ (return to life).

The concept of ‘Raj‘at’ is one of the famous creeds of Shi‘ah, the commentary of which, in a short sentence, is as follows. After the advent of Hadrat Mahdī (a.s.) and at the threshold of Resurrection a group of ‘true sincere believers’ and a group of ‘very vicious disobedient infidels’ will return to this world. The former group (true believers) will pass some degrees of development and the latter group will receive some harsh retributions.

The Late Sayyid Murtadā, who is one of the dignitaries of Shī‘ah, says: “After the advent of Hadrat Mahdī, Allah, the Exalted, will cause some of those who have passed away aforetime to return to this world in order that they take part in the rewards and honours of his victory and observe his government throughout the world, and He will cause a group of obstinate enemies to return to this world to punish them.”

Then, Sayyid Murtadā adds: “The reasoning of this sect is that no intellectual person can deny the power of Allah upon this thing, because it is not an impossible matter, while some of our opponents deny this subject so earnestly that it seems improbable and they count it impossible.”

Then he adds: “The proof for the legitimacy of this belief is the consensus of Twelvers, because none of them has ever opposed this belief.”(1)

It is understood, of course, from the words of some of the ancient scholars of Shī’ah, and the Late Tabarsī’s in Majma‘-

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ul-Bayān that a very minority of Shi‘ah did not believe in this belief and commented /raj‘at/ in the sense of the return of the domination and government of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.), not the return of persons and that the dead be quickened, but their opposition is in such a way that it does not harm consensus.

However, there are a lot of statements here that, in order not to go out of the way of commentary discussion, they are referred to in short as follows:

1- No doubt, the act of restoring some dead persons to life in this world is not one of the impossible things, as the restoring all human being to life in Hereafter is quietly possible. To surprise for such an affair is like the wonder of a group of pagans of the Age of Ignorance concerning the subject of Resurrection, and mocking it is similar to their mockery upon Resurrection, because intellect does not consider it impossible; and the Power of Allah is so vast that all these affairs are easy for Him.

2- According to the Holy Qur’ān, the occurrence of /raj‘at/ (return to life) has happened for five instances of the former nations:

A. The first instance is about a prophet who was passing by a township the walls of which were ruined and the bones of the bodies of its people were scattered over there. He asked himself how Allah might restore these dead bodies to life. Then Allah caused him to die and after one hundred years He restored him to life and asked him how long he had tarried. The prophet in answer said he tarried for one day or a part of a day. But Allah said he tarried for one hundred years.(1)

Whether this prophet is ‘Uzayr or other prophet it is the same, the important matter is the life after death in this world.

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The Qur’ān says: “… so Allah made him die a hundred years, then He raised him up …”

B. The Holy Qur’ān in Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 243 also speaks about another group who, being afraid of death and, with pretext of plague, restrained from going to the Holy War. They went out of their houses and Allah issued the command of death for them and then they were restored to life. “… Then Allah said to them; ‘Die’ (and they died); then He restored them to life. …”

C. Again in Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verses 55 and 56, concerning the Children of Israel, we recite that a group of them, after asking Moses for seeing Allah, died because of thunderbolt, and, the Qur’ān says: “Then We raised you up after your death in order that haply you might be thankful.”

D. In Sura Al-Mā’idah, No. 5, verse 110, among miracles of Jesus (a.s.) we recite: ‘… and you did raise the dead (from their graves), by My leave; …” This shows that Jesus (a.s.) used to use this miracle of his repeatedly to raise the dead, and this is counted as a kind of /raj‘at/ for some men.

E. Concerning the dead body and finding his murderer, the Children of Israel were quarrelling. Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 73 says: “So, We said: ‘strike him (the corps) with a part of it (the sacrificed cow)’. Thus, Allah gives life to the dead and shows you of His signs, so that you might understand.”

In addition to these five instances, there are also some other instances mentioned in the Qur’ān, like the story of ‘the Companions of the Cave’ which was something similar to /raj‘at/ (return to life); and the story of Hadrat Ebrāhīm and the four birds that, after killing them, returned to life again in order to illustrate the possibility of Resurrection of human beings for him. This is also notable in the subject of /raj‘at/.

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However, how is it possible that a person accepts the Qur’ān as a heavenly Book and, with these clear verses, does also reject the possibility of /raj‘at/ (return to life)? Basically, is /raj‘at/ something other than returning to life after death? Is /raj‘at/ not counted as a small example of Resurrection in this small world? He who accepts Resurrection with its vast scale, how can he deny the subject of /raj‘at/ (return to life in this world)?

3- Whatever was said, up to here, proved the possibility of the occurrence of /raj‘at/ (return to life), and there are also many traditions narrated from Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) which confirm its happening. Since our discussion has not the capacity of mentioning all of them, it is enough to refer to the number of them which the Late ‘Allāmah Majlesī has collected and introduced. He says: “How is it possible that a person believes the truthfulness of the statements of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) but he does not accept the widely transmitted traditions of /raj‘at/, the explicit traditions the number of which reaches about two hundred and that more than forty reliable persons of the narrators and famous scholars have referred to them in more than fifty books. If these traditions are not widely transmitted, what kind of tradition is widely transmitted?”(1)

3- Imam Sādiq (a.s.) said: “There will come with Ghā’im (a.s.) twenty seven men from behind Kūfah; fifteen persons of them are from the people of Moses (a.s.), those who used to guide (others) to the Truth and to call (them) to it; and seven persons of the Companions of Kahf; and Yūsha‘-ubnu-Nūn, Salmān, ’Abū-Dujānat-il-’Ansārī, Miqdād, and Mālik-i-’Ashtar will be his helpers and governors.”(1)

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) in a tradition says: “Verily /raj‘at/ (return to life) is not general but it is informal, because only a group will return to life that have pure faith or pure infidelity.” (Bihār-ul-’Anwār, Vol. 53, P.39).

This holy tradition defines the philosophy of /raj‘at/, because a group of sincere believers who had encountered some barriers on the path of spiritual perfection in their life and their perfection remained incomplete, the Divine Wisdom requires that they continue their path of perfection by returning again to this world, so that they can be witnesses of the worldly government of Truth and Justice and participate in building this government, since participation in the formation of such a government is one of the greatest honours.

On the contrary, some of the hypocrites and obstinate tyrants, besides their special retribution in Hereafter, must tolerate some punishments in this world similar to what the people of Pharaoh, ‘Aād, Thamūd and Lot tolerated, and its only way is /raj‘at/ (return to life in this world).

****

During the period of /raj‘at/ (return to life in this world), the disbelievers will be reprimanded for both their beliefs and

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their behaviour. Concerning the time when they are brought for reckoning, the verse says:

“ Till when they come (before their Lord), He will say: ‘Did you reject My revelations while you had no comprehensive knowledge of them? Or what was it you did?’”

The speaker of this statement is Allah and the objective of the Qur’ānic term /’āyātī/ is the miracles of Divine prophets, or the commandments of Allah, or all of them.

And the purpose of the phrase ‘you had no comprehensive knowledge’ is that without doing any research about it and being unaware of the reality of a matter, they began to reject it. This is the ultimate ignorance of a person that with rather no research and having no knowledge about something tries to deny it.

In fact, they will be asked of two things: one is their rejection while having not any research, and the other is the deed they used to do. If the above verse is taken as about Hereafter and Resurrection, its meaning is clear, but if it refers to /raj‘at/ (return to life in this world), as the agreement of the verse requires, it points to this fact that at the time of returning some of the wrong doers to this world, the one who is vicegerent of Allah and is the ‘master of affairs’ will investigate them and then he will punish them in this world as much as they deserve. This punishment does not hinder their Hereafter punishment. It is like the state of many of the criminals who tolerate the ‘fixed punishment for certain crimes’ in this world and, if they do not repent, their proper chastisement in Hereafter is reserved.

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﴿85﴾ وَوَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَیْهِم بِمَا ظَلَمُوا فَهُمْ لاَ یَنطِقُونَ

85. “ And the word will be fulfilled against them because they were unjust so they shall not speak.”

﴿86﴾ أَلَمْ یَرَوْا أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا اللَّیْلَ لِیَسْکُنُوا فِیهِ وَالنَّهَارَ مُبْصِراً إِنَّ فِی ذَلِکَ لاَیَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ یُؤْمِنُونَ

86. “ Have they not seen how We have appointed the night that they may rest therein, and the day to give light? Verily, in this are signs for the people who believe.”

The tranquility that can be obtained from night is a certain scientific fact. The dark curtain of night not only is an compulsory means for the cessation of activities of the day, but also it has a deep effect on the nerves of men and other animals and causes them to be in a deep sleep and rest, or as the Qur’ān says, to be in a ‘silence’.

Also, scientifically there is no room for any doubt that the light of the day has a relation with the struggle movement and activity of man during the day which is the property of the sunlight. Sunlight not only brightens the scene of life and makes man’s eyes active, but also it awakens all the particles of the entity of man and makes them to move.

This verse makes manifest a part of ‘Lordly Unity’, and in view of the fact that the true object of worship is the Lord and Administrator of the world of existence, it nullifies the idols and causes the idolaters to review their creeds.

It is necessary for man to note this point that he must adapt himself with this system; to rest at night and to have effort and endeavour during the day, so that he can be safe and active. Spending the night like some sensual persons, and sleeping in the morning until noon, is wrong.

It is interesting that the Arabic word /mubsir/, which originally means ‘clear-sighted’, has been used as a modifier for the day while it is a modifier for human beings in the day. This is a kind of beautiful emphasis for it.

This difference of meaning which is seen in the statement of the benefit of the night and the day inside the verse, and once it says /liyaskunū fīh/ and then in another place it says /mubsiran/ may be a hint to this fact that the main aim of the night is rest and peace, but the aim of the light of the day is not ‘seeing’ but seeing is a means for reaching the merits of life and enjoying them. (Be careful)

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However, though this noble verse speaks directly about Monotheism and contrivance of the world of existence, it can contain a tender hint to the subject of Resurrection, too, because sleep is like death and wakefulness is like life after death.

****

At the end, some things that are introduced as the means of peace and tranquility are stated as follows:

1- Remembrance of Allah: “… Behold! By Allah’s remembrance (only) the hearts are set at rest.”(1)

2- Unseen succour: “It is He Who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the Believers, …”(2)

3- Some sacred effects and objects: “… That the Ark of Covenant will come to you, wherein shall be a tranquility from your Lord, …”(3)

4- The encouragement of the Divine saints: “… Surely your prayers are a comfort for them, …”(4)

5- Residence and house: “And Allah appointed a place of rest for you of your houses, …”(5)

6- Spouse: “… He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you dwell in tranquility with them. …”(6)

7- The Night: “… We have appointed the night that they may rest therein, …”(7)

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It should be said that the occurrence of the descent of the Qur’ān, the Prophet’s ‘ascension to Heaven’, and the proper time for prayer and supplication all are at night, though some of the deluded persons misuse the bounty of the darkness of the night and commit some sins in it. In the present age, people seek for tranquility somewhere else and, therefore, they do not obtain it.

Today the world is engaged with technology, weapon, wealth, power, and political relations and, because of losing spirituality, it cannot find tranquility. There are also many persons who have been polluted with narcotic matters, alcoholic liquors, sex, etc. and are completely sinful. To find the reality in this regard, it is enough to refer to the investigations of crimes in the world.

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﴿87﴾ وَیَوْمَ یُنفَخُ فِی الصُّورِ فَفَزِعَ مَن فِی السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِی الاَرْضِ إِلاَّ مَن شآءَ اللَّهُ وَکُلٌّ أَتَوْهُ دَاخِرِینَ

87. “ And (remind them of) The Day when the Trumpet will be blown and those who are in the heavens and those who are in the earth shall be terrified except him whom Allah will please, and all shall come to Him in utter humility.”

Commentators are divided in the belief that the above verse refers to the first and second Blast or the third Blast. There are some frames of reference both in this verse and the coming verses which involve both of them. Some other commentators believe that it points to all of these Blasts.

But the apparent of the verse shows that it relates to the first Blast that occurs at the end of the world, because the Qur’ānic word /faza‘/ which means a fear and horror that fills the whole heart of man is counted of the signs of this Blast; and we know that, in the Blast of Hereafter, fear and horror is because of deeds, reckoning, and retribution, not because of the effect of the Blast.

In other words, the apparent of the Qur’ānic term /fa fazi‘a/, mentioned in the verse, indicates that this fear and horror is because of blowing in the Trumpet which belongs to the first Blast, since not only the last Blast does not create any horror, but also it is the cause of life and movement, and if there is any fear at that time it is for the deeds of man himself.

The Arabic word /nafx/ means ‘to blow’, and the word /sūr/ means ‘trumpet’. When offering the commentary of Sura Az-Zumar, No. 39, verse 68, we will explain the different ideas of the commentators concerning its purpose.

The holy phrase ‘except him whom Allah will please’ points to those who are good and pure, irrespective of the angels and the believers who are in the heavens and the earth. As the result of their Faith, they will have a special tranquility, and neither will the first Blast make them terrified, nor the last one. And also in the next verses we recite: “Whoever brings good, for him shall be better than it, and they shall be secure from the terror on that Day.”(1)

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The last sentence of the verse under discussion which says: “All shall come to Him in utter humility” apparently is general and there is no exception in it, because even the prophets and saints will be humble before Him. And Sura As-Sāffāt, No. 37, verses 127-128 which says: “… therefore they shall most surely be brought up,” “Except the chosen servants of Allah, the purified ones.”, contain no contradiction with the generality of the verse under discussion, because the abovementioned verse refers to the principle of attendance in gathering-place of resurrection before Allah and secondly refers to the attendance in the scene of reckoning the deeds.

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﴿88﴾ وَتَرَی الْجِبَالَ تَحْسَبُهَا جَامِدَةً وَهِیَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحَابِ صُنْعَ اللَّهِ الَّذِی اَتْقَنَ کُلَّ شَیْءٍ إِنَّهُ خَبِیرٌ بِمَا تَفْعَلُونَ

88. “ And you see the mountains and think them firmly fixed but they shall pass away as the passing away of the cloud. It is the work of Allah Who has made everything in perfect order.

Verily He is Aware of what you do.”

mountains will surely burst asunder. This meaning is explicitly mentioned in many Suras in the end of the Qur’ān.

Of course, this verse being set among the verses of Resurrection is the reason and evidence of this commentary.

But there are several frames of reference in the verse that verify another commentary. For example, the abovementioned verse is of the kind of verses of Unity and the signs of the greatness of Allah in this very world; and it points to the ‘movement of the earth globe’, the movement which is not sensible for us. Thus, some parts of the verses under discussion are about Unity and some parts are about Resurrection.

The conclusion we can take from this commentary is that these mountains which we consider motionless are moving fast. Certainly, the movement of these mountains, without the movement of the lands they are on them, is meaningless. Thus, the meaning of the verse is that the earth moves fast like the movement of the pieces of the cloud.

According to the calculations of the modern scientists, the movement of the earth around itself is about 30 kilometers a minute, and its rotation around the sun is more than this.

The reason why the Qur’ān has put the mountains in the center of discussion here, maybe for that mountains from the point of heaviness, weight and firmness are referred to in parables, and for explaining the Power of Allah, are counted a better example. When the mountains, with this greatness and heaviness they have, move (accompanied with the earth) by the command of Allah, His Power over everything is proved.

However, the abovementioned verse is one of the scientific miracles of the Qur’ān. We know that the first scientists who found out the movement of the sphere of the Earth were Galileh from Italy, and Kepernic from Netherlands. They

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introduced this idea to the world in the end of sixteenth century and at the beginning of seventeenth century A.D., although the authorities of the Church violently condemned them.

But the Qur’ān many years before them removed the curtain from over this fact, and announced the movement of the earth in the above form as a sign of Unity. Therefore, informing of the movement of mountains is among the scientific miracles of the Qur’ān, and in recognition of Allah everything is fix and perfect in its place, as the Qur’ān says about Him: “Who has made every thing in perfect order.”

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﴿89﴾ مَنْ جَآءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ خَیْرٌ مِنْهَا وَهُم مِن فَزَعٍ یَوْمَئِذٍ ءَامِنُونَ

﴿90﴾ وَمَنْ جَآءَ بِالسَّیّ-ِئَةِ فَکُبَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِی النَّارِ هَلْ تُجْزَوْنَ إِلاَّ مَا کُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

89. “ Whoever brings good, for him shall be better than it, and they shall be secure from terror on that Day.”

90. “ And whoever brings evil, those shall be cast down on their faces, in the (Hell) Fire; ‘Are you rewarded (for) aught except what you used to do?’”

“ Whoever brings good, for him shall be better than it, and they shall be secure from terror on that Day.”

Upon the objective meaning of the Qur’ānic word /hasanah/ commentators have offered different beliefs. Some of them have rendered it into the term ‘Unity’ and the holy phrase of: ‘There is no god but Allah’, and also into ‘having faith in Allah’.

Some of them believe that it refers to the mastership of Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.) and immaculate Imams (a.s.). This meaning has been emphasized in many traditions narrated from Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.). For example: in a tradition Imam Bāqir (a.s.) says that one of the followers of Ali (a.s.) who was called ’Abū-‘Abdullah Jabalī came to him (a.s.) and Imam asked him whether he might inform him of the meaning of the word of Allah that says: “ Whoever brings good, for him shall be better than it, and they shall be secure from terror on that Day.” He answered: “Yes, may I be your ransom, O’ Amir-ul-Mu’minīn!” Imam said: “Good is cognition of mastership and the love of us, Ahl-ul-Bayt; and sin is the denial of mastership and enmity against us, Ahl-ul-Bayt.”(1)

Of course, as we have said repeatedly, the scope of the meaning of the verses is vast and the Arabic words /hasanah/ and /sayyi’ah/ have also here such a vast concept that envelops all the good deeds, including: Faith in Allah, the Messenger of Islam, and the mastership of the Immaculate Imams (a.s.), that are at the top of every good deed, and do not hinder that other righteous deeds be involved in the meaning of the verse.

And that some persons have become worried because of this generality concerning the word ‘good’ and said whether

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there can be found anything better than the Faith in Allah to be its reward. Its answer is clear because the pleasure of Allah is also higher than Faith. In other words, all of these things are the preliminaries for that and the consequence is prior to the preliminary.

Another question here is that the apparent of some verses (like Sura Al-Hajj, No. 22, verse 2) shows that the terror of Resurrection will cover all, then how are the possessors of good as an exception from it? Sura Al-’Anbiyā’, No. 21, verse 103 answers this question, where it says: “The Great Terror (of that Day) shall not grieve them, …”

And we know that the ‘Great terror’ is the terror of the Hereafter Day, and the Terror of arriving into Hell, not the horror which will appear at the time of the Blast.

By the way, the Arabic word /kubbat/, mentioned in the verse, means: ‘to be cast down’.

****

Then, the next verse refers to those who are situated in a place opposite to this group. The verse says:

“ And whoever brings evil, those shall be cast down on their faces, in the (Hell) Fire; …”

Such people cannot expect anything except this. The verse continues saying:

“… ‘Are you rewarded (for) aught except what you used to do?’”

The Arabic term /kubbat/ is derived from /kabb/ which originally means ‘casting something on face down’, and, therefore, mentioning the word ‘faces’ in the above verse is for emphasis.

As the worst kind of punishment is said that this group shall be cast down on their faces in the (Hell) Fire. In addition,

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since they used to turn their faces away when they confronted the Truth, and they used to go toward sins with the same faces, now they should meet such a punishment.

The sentence: “… ‘Are you rewarded (for) aught except what you used to do?’” may be the answer to the question that someone may say this punishment is a grievous punishment. They will be answered that those are the same deeds of theirs that have seized them and they have not any reward except their own deeds.

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﴿91﴾ إِنَّمَآ اُمِرْتُ أَنْ اعْبُدَ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الْبَلْدَةِ الَّذِی حَرَّمَهَا وَلَهُ کُلُّ شَیْءٍ وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَکُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِینَ

91. “ (O’ Muhammad say:) ‘I am commanded only to serve the Lord of this city, Who has made it sacred, and His are all things; and I am commanded that I should be of those who submit’.”

Yes, The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) is commanded to worship the Lord Who has made this city (Mecca) sacred, and He has appointed some specialities for it. He has assigned some particular respects, ordinances, and prohibitions for it that other cites in the world do not have them.

But do not consider that only this city belongs to Allah, because everything in the world of existence belongs to Him. The verse continues saying:

“… Who has made it sacred, and His are all things; …”

The second order that he (p.b.u.h.) is commanded to fulfil is that he should absolutely submit the commandment of Allah, not other than it. The verse says:

“… and I am commanded that I should be of those who submit’.”

Thus, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) states his two main missions which are ‘worshipping Allah, the One’, and ‘being absolute obedient to His commandment’.

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﴿92﴾ وَأَنْ أَتْلُوَا الْقُرْءَانَ فَمَنِ اهْتَدَی فَإِنَّمَا یَهْتَدِی لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِینَ

92. “ And that I should recite the Qur’ān (to people), so whoever is guided aright, he is guided aright to his own gain, and whoever goes astray, then say: ‘I am only (one) of the warners’.”

And whoever goes astray his burden is over his own shoulder, because the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) is only a warner and the evil consequences of their deeds do not reach him. His duty is to convey the clear revelation, and his duty is also showing the way and that how it can be paved, but he who is eager to remain in aberration he has caused only his own misfortune.

It is interesting that concerning guidance it says: “whoever is guided aright, he is guided aright to his own gain”, but concerning aberration it does not say it is to his own loss; it says: “I am only (one) of the warners”. This difference in statement may refer to this fact that the prophet is never silent in front of those who go astray and he does not leave them alone to their own state, but he constantly warns them and he does not become tired of doing it continuously, because he is a warner. The verse says:

“… and whoever goes astray, then say: ‘I am only (one) of the warners’.”

This point is noteworthy that this Sura has begun with the statement of the importance of the Qur’ān and it ends with the emphasis on recitation of the Qur’ān, so the beginning and the end of the Sura is about the Qur’ān.

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﴿93﴾ وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ سَیُرِیکُمْ ءَایَاتِهِ فَتَعْرِفُونَهَا وَمَا رَبُّکَ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

93. “ And say: ‘Praise be to Allah. Soon He will show you His signs that you shall recognize them, and your Lord is not heedless of what you do’.”

Yet, if you go astray and pave the way of deviation, you must know that your Lord is never heedless of the deeds you do. The verse says:

“… and your Lord is not heedless of what you do’.”

You should not imagine that if Allah postpones your retribution because of His grace and mercy it is for the reason that He is not aware of your deeds, or that its reckoning and record are not preserved.

The above ending sentence of the verse, which has exactly been repeated in nine occurrences of the Qur’ān or with a little difference, is a short sentence and it is an expressive warning upon all human beings.

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O Lord! Show us a part of the signs of Your greatness each day so that we know You everyday better and more than before, and that we thank You for these bounties You have bestowed on us!

O Lord! A mass of difficulties have surrounded us, and the enemies, both inside and outside, are trying hard to quench Your Light!

O Lord! It is You Who gave Solomon those abilities, and strengthened Moses to stand against Pharaoh; cause us to be victorious against the enemies, and destroy those of them who are not eligible to be guided like the People of ‘Ād, the People of Thamūd, and the People of Lot.

The End of Sura An-Naml

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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِیمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

Sura Al-Qasas

(The Narratives)

No. 28 (Revealed at Mecca)

88 Verses in 9 Sections

The Virtue of Recitation of Sura Al-Qasas:

The holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) in a tradition said: “The one who recites Sura Al-Qasas will be given ten rewards as many as the number of all those who assented Moses and those who rejected him, and there is no angel in the heavens and the earth but he will attest to his rightfulness in Hereafter.” (Majma‘-ul-Bayān, the commentary)

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) in another tradition says: “The one who recites suras Al-Qasas, An-Naml, and Ash-Shu‘arā by the night before Friday, he will be of the friends of Allah, will be nigh to Him, and will be supported by Him; and in this world he will not encounter a sever poverty, insecurity and disquiet, and in Hereafter Allah will bestow on him so much merits that he will be pleased and even more than being pleased.”(1)

It is evident that all of these rewards will be given to the one who, by reciting this Sura, tries to be in the row of Moses (a.s.), the true believers, and those who struggle against the

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wrongdoers such as Pharaoh and Korah. When confronting the difficulties, he must not knee before the enemies and accept the disgrace of submission, for all these many rewards are not given to anyone cheaply. They are specified to those who usually recite the Sura, contemplate its content, and fulfil them accordingly.

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“ There are verses of the Book (that makes the truth) clear.”

The Qur’ānic phrase /kitābun mubīn/ has been rendered to ‘Protected Tablet’ in some verses of the Qur’ān, like Sura Yūnus, No. 10, verse 61 where it says: “… not anything lesser than that or greater but are (recorded) in a Clear Book.”, and Sura Hūd, No. 11, verse 6 where it says: “… All is (recorded) in a Clear Book”, but in the verse under discussion, with the frame reference of mentioning /’āyāt/ (verses) and the phrase /natlū ‘alayka/ (We recite to you) mentioned in the next verse, it means ‘Qur’ān’.

Here the word Qur’ān has been qualified by /mubīn/ (clear), and the Arabic word /mubīn/, as understood from lexicon, is used both in the senses of ‘transitive’ and ‘intransitive’ case, viz. it means something which is ‘clear’ and ‘makes clear’. So, the Holy Qur’ān, with its clear content, makes clear the Truth from untruth, and the true way from false way.

****

After mentioning this short proposition, referred to in the above, in the next verse the Qur’ān points to the life story of Moses and Pharaoh where it says:

“ We recite to you some of the story of Moses and Pharaoh in truth, for a people who believe.”

The application of the word /min/, here, points to this fact that whatever is mentioned here is a part of the concerning adventurous story the statement of which has been appropriate and necessary.

And the application of /bil haqq/ in the verse points to this fact that whatever has been mentioned here is free from any superstition, old fables, and false matters; and it is a recitation

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with truth and exact reality. The application of the phrase /liqaumin yu’minūn/ (for a people who believe) is an emphasis on this fact that those believers who were under pressure at that time in Mecca, and the like of them, should reach to this fact, by hearing this story, that how abundant the enemy’s power, number of persons, and their forces is, and how the number of believers is apparently little and they are under pressure, the power of Allah is above all and they must not feel weakness in themselves.

The Lord Who caused Moses to be brought up in the bosom of Pharaoh to destroy him; the Lord Who made the oppressed slaves as the governors on the earth, and made the cruel oppressors abject, mean, and annihilated; the Lord Who protected a little baby in the rushing waves of water, and buried thousands of thousand strong people of Pharaoh inside the sea, is able to save you, too.

Yes, the main target of these verses is believers, and this recitation has been accomplished for them. They are the believers who can be respired by it and find their way to the aim among the mass of difficulties.

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﴿4﴾ إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلاَ فِی الاَرْضِ وَجَعَلَ أَهْلَهَا شِیَعاً یَسْتَضْعِفُ طَآئِفَةً مّ-ِنْهُمْ یُذبّ-ِحُ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ

وَیَسْتَحْیِی نِسَآءَهُمْ إِنَّهُ کَانَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِینَ

4. “ Verily Pharaoh exalted himself in the land (of Egypt) and divided its people into sections, weakening a group of them, he slaughtered their sons and spared alive their females, verily he was of the mischief- makers.”

However, in order to strengthen the bases of his cruel oppression, Pharaoh committed a number of crimes:

At first, Pharaoh tried to produce disunity among people. This was the same policy that had been forming the main foundation of the oppressors in the length of history. The dominion of a little minority over a great majority is often impossible save by the principle of: ‘cast division and govern’.

They have always been afraid of ‘the unity of the word’ and ‘the word of unity’. They terribly feared of the close relation of the rows of people with each other, and for this reason the only way of their protection is ‘class government’, the same thing that Pharaoh and the like have done in any age. The verse continues saying:

“… and divided its people into sections, …”

Yes, Pharaoh divided the people of Egypt into two separate groups: Coptic group and Sebtian group. Coptic ones were the native people of that land, and all the governmental positions, means of comfort, and castles and wealth were under their control.

Sebtians were the emigrant Children of Israel who were in the grips of Coptic ones as slaves, retainers, and handmaidens. Poverty and deprivation had fully surrounded them and they had to do the most labour-some works without enjoying any interest. (The Arabic word /’ahl/ is used in the verse for this group, because the Children of Israel had lived for a long time in that land and they had verily become the people of it.)

When we hear that for building a grave such as the famous Pyramid called ‘Khofo’ and to be located close to the capital of Egypt, Cairo, the kings of Egypt make one hundred thousand slaves work during twenty years and thousands of them are killed in this event by means of lash or because of the pressure of working, we may guess the whole things.

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His second crime was that he oppressed a group of the people of that land. The verse says:

“…weakening a group of them, he slaughtered their sons and spared alive their females, …”

Pharaoh had ordered his men to find the boys born among the Children of Israel and slay them and if the child was a girl they should keep her alive to become a slave maid.

What did he want to do by this action of his?

It is said that he had seen in his dream that a piece of fire came from Jerusalem and covered all the houses of Egypt. It burnt the houses of Coptic ones but the houses of the Children of Israel remained safe. He wanted the learned people and interpreters of dreams to explain his dream. They said that there would come out a man from Jerusalem who might have the power of destruction of Egypt and the government of its kings.

It is also said that some of soothsayers told him that there would be born a boy among the Children of Israel who could destroy his government.(1)

At last, this event caused that Pharaoh decided to slay the new born boys of the Children of Israel.

This is also probable that the former Divine prophets had delivered the glad tidings of the advent of Moses (a.s.) and his specialties, thus, the people of Pharaoh, being informed of this fact, were terrified and tried to stand against it. (Tafsīr-i-Fakhr-i-Rāzī, following the verse) But the occurrence of the phrase: “… he slaughtered their sons …” next to the phrase: “… weakening a group of them, …” points to another matter. It implies that, in order to weaken the

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Children of Israel, the people of Pharaoh had designed this evil plan that they would annihilate the male generation of the Children of Israel who could stand against the people of Pharaoh and fight with them, and to keep their females alive in order that they could serve them, because those girls and women alone had not the power of struggling against them.

Another clear evidence for this statement is Sura Mu’min (Qāfir), No. 40, verse 25 which implies that the act of slaying boys and keeping girls alive continued even after the rising of Moses (a.s.). It says: “So when he brought to them the truth from Us, they said: ‘Slay the sons of those who believe with him and keep their women alive’; and the struggle of the unbelievers will only come to a state of perdition.”

The phrase: ‘keep their women alive’ apparently indicates that they wanted to keep the girls and women alive either for that those females might serve them, or for their lusts, or both of them.

In the last sentence of this verse, as a conclusion and also for stating the reason, the Qur’ān says:

“… verily he was of the mischief- makers.”

Shortly speaking, the act of the people of Pharaoh was wholly making mischief in the land. His self-superiority was a mischief. Inventing a kind of life with class division in Egypt was another mischief. Torturing the Children of Israel, slaying their sons and using their daughters as slaves was their third mischief. In addition to these, there were many other corruptions in them, too.

It is natural that those who seek their self-superiority are only the protectors of their own interests; and protecting the personal interests never agrees with protecting the social interests, which needs justice, benevolence, and donation.

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Therefore, whatever it may be, its result is mischief in all dimensions of life.

﴿5﴾ وَنُرِیدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الاَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِینَ

﴿6﴾ وَنُمَکّ-ِنَ لَهُمْ فِی الاَرْضِ وَنُرِیَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُم مَّا کَانُوا یَحْذَرُونَ

5. “ And We have intended to bestow (Our) favour upon those who were oppressed in the earth, and to make them leaders (in faith) and make them heirs.”

6. “ And to grant them power in the earth, and to show Pharaoh and Hāmān, and their hosts, what they were dreading from them.”

“ And to grant them power in the earth, and to show Pharaoh and Hāmān, and their hosts, what they were dreading from them.”

How much these two verses are expressive and hope-giving! They are expressed in the form of Arabic present tense (which shows the continuation of action) and as a general law so that no one imagines that it belongs only to the oppressed ones of the Children of Israel and the government of Pharaoh. The verse implies that Pharaoh intended to disperse the Children of Israel and destroy their power and greatness, but Allah (s.w.t.) intended them to become strong and victorious.

Pharaoh wanted that their power could be in the hand of the oppressors forever, but Allah (s.w.t.) intended to give the government to the oppressed ones, and finally it happened exactly the same.

By the way, the application of the Arabic word /minnat/, as we have formerly said, too, is in the sense of ‘to bestow merits and bounties’, and this usage is completely different from the verbal /minnat/ that we reiterate a bounty in order to belittle the opposite party, which is certainly a blameworthy action.

In these two noble verses Allah (s.w.t.) has removed the curtain from His Will concerning the oppressed ones, and states five affairs in this ground which are closely connected to each other.

The first thing is that Allah intends to give them His bounties by saying: “And We have intended to bestow (Our) favour, …”

Another thing is that Allah intends to make them leaders when He says: “… and to make them leaders (in faith) …”

The third thing is that Allah intends to make them the heirs of the government of the oppressors, where He says: “… and make them heirs.”

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The fourth is that Allah gives them a strong and lasting government: “And to grant them power in the earth, …”

The fifth is that Allah showed their enemies that which they were afraid of and they had mobilized all their forces against them: “… and to show Pharaoh and Hāmān, and Their hosts, what they were dreading from them.”

Such is Allah’s favour and grace unto the oppressed ones. But who are the oppressed, and what qualities do they have? We will state about them later.

Hāmān was Pharaoh’s famous minister, and he was so influenced in the court of Pharaoh that in the above verse the forces of Egypt are called the forces of Pharaoh and Hāmān. (More explanation about Hāmān, Allah willing, will be given in the commentary of verse 38 in the current Sura.)

By the way, it was said that these verses do not speak about a private, local, and limited program related to the Children of Israel, but they are stating a general law for all centuries and the entire people and generations. The first abovementioned verse says: “And We have intended to bestow (Our) favour upon those who were oppressed in the earth, and to make them leaders (in faith) and make them heirs.”

This is a glad-tidings upon the field of triumph of the truth over the untruth and faith over disbelief.

This is a glad-tidings for all the free men who seek for the government of justice and wiping the elements of injustice and cruelty.

An example of the outward existence of Allah’s Will was the actual government of the Children of Israel and annihilation of the government of Pharaoh.

And a more complete example of it was the government of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) and his followers after the advent of Islam. It was the government of the faithful, poor, indigent

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and purified oppressed people who were always mocked and despised by the Pharaohs of their time and were under their pressure, injustice and cruelty.

At last, by the hand of this very group, Allah opened the gates of the castles of those kings and brought them down of the throne of power and humiliated the tyrants.

And a vaster example of it will be the advent of the government of Justice and Truth all over the world by Hadrat Mahdī (may our souls be sacrificed to him).

These verses are among the verses that clearly give the glad tidings of the advent of such a government. Some Islamic traditions indicate that, commenting on this verse, the Imams of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) have pointed to this great advent.

We read in Nahj-ul-Balāqah from Ali (a.s.) who said: “The world will bend towards us after having been refractory as the biting she-camel bends towards its young.” Then Amir-ul-Mu’minīn (a.s.) recited the verse: “And We have intended to bestow (Our) favour upon those who were oppressed in the earth, and to make them leaders (in faith) and make them heirs.”(1)

Also the same Imam (a.s.), commenting on the above verse, said: “They are the progeny of Muhammad (p.b.u.h.). Allah will raise their Mahdī after their trouble (and pressure they receive); then He will give them honour and make their enemies despised.”(2)

Imam Zayn-ul-‘Ābidīn, Ali-ibn-il-Husayn (a.s.), once in a tradition said: “By the One Who raised Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) legitimately as the giver of glad tidings and warner, verily the righteous of us Ahl-ul-Bayt and their followers are like Moses

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and his followers. … (Finally we will be victorious and they will be destroyed and the government of the truth and justice will be ours.)” (Majma‘-ul-Bayān, following the verse)

Of course, the worldly government of Mahdī (a.s.) at the end will never hinder the limited Islamic government to be formed before it by the oppressed ones against the oppressors. Then whenever they prepare its conditions the certain promise and Divine Will will be accomplished for them and they will gain this victory.

earth with equity and justice as it was filled with tyranny and injustice.”(1)

will be delivered from disturbances the same as they were delivered from polytheism; and by us they will be brethren after the sedition of the enemy as they became brethren after the enmity of polytheism.” (‘Iqd-ul-Durar, P. 142)

Abū Sa‘īd-il-Khudrī narrates from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) that verily he said: “At the time of Mahdī, my Ummah will be favoured a bounty the like of which they had never been favoured. The sky will gradually send (bounties) down on them and the earth will not restrain anything of its plants but it brings them out.”(1)

The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: “Mahdī (a.s.) will come out while there will be a cloud above his head in which a caller will call: ‘This is Mahdī, the viceroy of Allah; then do follow him’.”(2)

By the way, the great learned Hasan-ibn-Solaymān Al-Hilly has written a book upon the virtues of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.), in which he has recorded many narrations about Raj‘at (returning to this world), and the Late ‘Allāmah Majlisī has stated around two hundred explicit traditions widely transmitted from the immaculate Imams and said: “More than forty notables of Shī‘ah, such as: Shaykh Tūsī, Shaykh Mufīd, Sayyid Murtadā ‘Alam-ul-Hudā, Shaykh Sadūq, Kulaynī, and the like have referred them in their valuable works.” He says: “If the traditions of Raj‘at were not widely transmitted, there could not be any one to claim widely transmitted of.” Also The Late Tabarsī in Majma‘-ul-Bayān, when discussing Raj‘at, says: “It has been narrated widely transmitted from the Imams of Ahl-ul-Bayt that at the time of raising of Mahdī (a.s.) Allah will cause some of his friends and followers to return to this world,

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who had formerly passed away, in order to help him and get the reward of his assistant and see his victorious government and become happy. Allah will also bring back some of his enemies to be taken vengeance and be killed as punishment, and to be involved of being abject and contemptible by seeing Mahdī’s glory and grandeur.”(1)

For proving Raj‘at, the Late Shaykh-i-Tūsī, in his valuable commentary, Tibyān, has reasoned to many holy verses of the Qur’ān, and then he has claimed that some of the traditions of Raj‘at are widely transmitted. The Late Shaykh Hurr ‘Āmily, by means of different statements, has also proved that the traditions of Raj‘at are widely transmitted. There have been recorded five hundred and twenty traditions in the valuable book entitled “’Īqāth” concerning Raj‘at.(2)

Upon the explanation of Tahthīb, the Late Muhaddith Jazā’irī has stated that he had seen six hundred and twenty traditions about Raj‘at.(3)

However, the abovementioned matters have been taken from the book entitled: Raj‘at-i-Daulat-i-Karīmeh Khāndān-i-Wahy, pp. 141, 142.

always tries to break the chains in order to become free, and send the oppressors away so that he can establish the right religion and justice everywhere.

Allah has promised such a group that He will help them and give them the government of the earth. This promise is not for those shiftless and coward people who are not ready even to make a shout, let alone that they enter the field of struggle and be sacrificed.

That day, the Children of Israel could become the heirs of the government of Pharaohs, too, when they supported their leader, Moses (a.s.), and mobilized their forces in a single row. They completed the remaining faith that they had inherited from their grand father Abraham (a.s.) with the invitation of Moses (a.s.), and after wiping out superstitions from their thought, they became ready to raise.

children who say: ‘Our Lord! Take us out of this town whose people are oppressors, and appoint for us from You guardian, and appoint for us from You helper!’”(1)

Only in one instance the Qur’ān speaks about the ones who are unjust and cooperate with disbelievers while they claim that they are oppressed but the Qur’ān negates their claim, where it says: “…‘In what state were you?’ They will reply: ‘We were oppressed in the land’. (The angels) will say: ‘Was not Allah’s land vast so that you could have migrated therein?’ …” But since they did not so, their abide is Hell.(2)

Yet, the Qur’ān has, however, supported the oppressed everywhere and has mentioned them fairly and has considered them the under-pressure-believers who are strugglers and are in the grace of Allah.

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specially the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.), tried to awaken the inactive powers of the young persons; and even taught manliness to women and set them in the row of men against the oppressors.

The evidences of these two programs are so manifest in the history of the past, and nowadays in all Islamic countries, that there is no need of mentioning them.

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﴿7﴾ وَأَوْحَیْنَآ إِلَی اُمّ ِ مُوسَی أَنْ أَرْضِعِیهِ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَیْهِ فَاَلْقِیهِ فِی الْیَمّ ِ وَلاَ تَخَافِی وَلاَ تَحْزَنِی إِنَّا رَآدُّوهُ إِلَیْکِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِینَ

7. “ And We inspired unto the mother of Moses, saying: ‘Give him suck, then when you fear for him, cast him into the River and do not fear nor grieve, for We will return him unto you and make him one of the apostles’.”

When Allah desires it, man’s enemy becomes his refuge, either: “Then the people of Pharaoh picked him up (from the River).”(1)

Therefore, in order to illustrate a lively example of the triumphant of the oppressed over the oppressors, in this verse Allah starts the story of Moses and Pharaoh. It specially explains the parts in which Moses is in the weakest states and Pharaoh is in his mightiest circumstances, so that it shows the triumph of the Will of Allah over the will of tyrants in its best form. It says:

“ And We inspired unto the mother of Moses, saying: ‘Give him suck, then when you fear for him, cast him into the River and do not fear nor grieve, for We will return him unto you and make him one of the apostles’.”

This short holy verse contains two commandments, two prohibitions, and two glad tidings which are a summary of a great story full of adventures, the extract of it is as follows:

The system of Pharaoh had designed a vast plan for killing the ‘new born boys’ of the Children of Israel, and even the midwives of Pharaoh were taking control over the pregnant women of the Children of Israel.

In this course, one of the midwives had friendship with Moses’ mother. (The delivery of Moses performed secretly and the signs of pregnancy were not so apparent in his mother.) When she felt that the childbirth was approaching, she went to meet her friend, the midwife. She told her that she had a child in her womb and she was in need of her kindness and friendship.

When Moses was born, a mysterious light came out from his eyes, in a manner that the midwife’s body trembled, and

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she felt a light of love in the depth of her heart for him, so that it brightened all parts of her heart.

Now a Divine inspiration enlightened the heart of Moses’s mother. It was an inspiration that apparently invited her to a dangerous action, but, however, she felt peace from it.

She realized that it was a Divine mission that she should fulfil it in any case. She decided to accomplish the content of this inspiration and cast her newborn child into the Nile River.

She went to an Egyptian carpenter, (a carpenter who was one of Coptic people). She asked him to make a small box for her. The carpenter asked her for what purpose she wanted that box with those qualities. The mother of Moses, being unable to tell a lie, disclosed her plan to the carpenter and said that she was from the Children of Israel and she needed the box for her newborn son to hide him in it.

made her heart calm, she would have cried and every thing was disclosed!

﴿8﴾ فَالْتَقَطَهُ ءَالُ فِرْعَوْنَ لِیَکُونَ لَهُمْ عَدُوّاً وَحَزَناً إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا کَانُوا خَاطِئِینَ

8. “ Then the people of Pharaoh picked him up (from the River) that he might be unto them an enemy and a (cause of their) grief; verily Pharaoh and Hāmān and their hosts were sinners.”

Israel, to take care of and foster eagerly the some one for whom they applied all those cruelties in order that they could vanish him.

However, the Arabic phrase: /’ālu fir‘aun/ (the people of Pharaoh), used in the verse, shows that not only one person but a group of the people of Pharaoh participated in taking the box from the water, and this is an evidence for the fact that they were waiting for such a thing.

At the end of the verse, the Qur’ān adds:

“… verily Pharaoh and Hāmān and their hosts were sinners.”

They were sinners in every thing. What a sin is greater than this that they had left out the path of truth and justice, and founded the foundation of their government on vice, injustice, tyranny, and polytheism. And what a sin is clearer than this that they killed thousands of children to destroy Moses, but Allah put him in their own hands to take him, foster him and bring up their own enemy.

Rāqib in Mufradāt says: “There is a difference between the Arabic words /xātī/ and /muxtī/. The term /xatī/ is used for the one who begins a job that he can not afford doing it and goes a wrong way, while the term /muxtī/ is used for a person who begins a job that he can afford it very well, but it happens that he makes mistake and wastes it.”

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﴿9﴾ وَقَالَتِ امْرَأَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ قُرَّتُ عَیْنٍ لّ-ِی وَلَکَ لاَ تَقْتُلُوهُ عَسَی أَن یَنفَعَنَآ أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَداً وَهُمْ لاَ یَشْعُرُونَ

9. “ And Pharaoh’s wife said: ‘(He will be) a joy of the eye for me and for you; do not slay him; may be he will profit us, or we may take him for a son; but they did not perceive (what they were doing).”

The flatterers around Pharaoh also encouraged this kind of thought and said that there was no reason that the law might not be executed upon him.

But ’Āsiyah, Pharaoh’s wife, who had no son and her pure heart, which was not of the kind of that of the people of Pharaoh’s court, had been the center of the love of this new-born boy, stood against all of them, and since in these kinds of family debates women often win, she became victorious there, too.

And if the event of the Pharaoh’s daughter, who was cured before them, is also added to it, the triumph of ’Āsiyah in this conflict will be made more clear.

But, at the end of the verse, the Holy Qur’ān, in a short expressive sentence, says:

“… but they did not perceive (what they were doing).”

Yes, they did not know that the Divine operative command and the invincible Will of Allah (s.w.t.) was upon this fact that this baby should be grown up in the most important center of danger and no one had the ability and power of opposing with this Divine Will.

Yes, the providence and power of the Almighty is not only in that if He wishes to destroy a powerful and tyrannical people He sends the forces of heaven and the earth for their destruction. Showing power is in that He appoints the arrogant tyrants themselves as the destructive of them, and influences in their hearts and thoughts so effectively that they eagerly gather the fuel-wood by the fire of which they must be burnt; or they build a prison wherein they must die; or they set up a gallows-tree on which they must be put to death. The state of the arrogant powerful people of Pharaoh was also as this, and Moses’ fosterage and deliverance, in all stages, were done by their own hand:

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Moses’ midwife was a Coptic woman.

The maker of the deliverance box of Moses was a Coptic carpenter.

Those who took the box from the waves of Nile were among ‘The people of Pharaoh’.

The person who could open the door of the box was Pharaoh himself or his wife, ’Āsiyah’.

And, finally, the secure, peaceful, and educational place of Moses, who became brave and Pharaoh-breaker was that very palace of Pharaoh! And this is the providence.

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﴿10﴾ وَأَصْبَحَ فُؤَادُ اُمّ ِ مُوسَی فَارِغاً إِن کَادَتْ لَتُبْدِی بِهِ لَوْلآ أَن رَّبَطْنَا عَلَی قَلْبِهَا لِتَکُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ

﴿11﴾ وَقَالَتْ لِاُخْتِهِ قُصّ-ِیهِ فَبَصُرَتْ بِهِ عَن جُنُبٍ وَهُمْ لاَ یَشْعُرُونَ

10. “ And the heart of the mother of Moses became void; she was about to disclose it had We not strengthened her heart so that she might be of the believers (in Our promises).”

11. “ And she said to the sister of (Moses): ‘Follow him.’ So she watched him from afar while they did not perceive.”

“ And the heart of the mother of Moses became void; she was about to disclose it had We not strengthened her heart so that she might be of the believers (in Our promises).”

The Arabic word /Fāriq/ means ‘empty’, and here the purpose of it is that it became void from all things save the remembrance of Moses. Some commentators have taken it with the sense of being empty from sorrow and grief; or empty from inspiration and the glad tidings that she was already given; but regarding the sentence of the holy verse, these commentaries do not seem correct.

This is completely natural that a mother, who separates her child from herself in the abovementioned manner, forgets everything but her child and goes into such a mood that, without considering the dangers that may threaten both her and her child, cries and reveals the secrets hidden in her heart. But the Lord, Who has assigned this heavy mission for this kind and compassionate mother, strengthens her heart so firmly that she believes in the Divine promises and knows that her child is in the protection of Allah and, at last, He will return him to her and he will become a prophet.

The Arabic word /rabatnā/ is derived from /rabata/ which originally means: ‘to tie an animal, or the like, somewhere to be assured that it is secure in its place’. That is why the site of this kind of animals is called ‘Ribāt’, and afterward it has been used in a vaster scope of meaning, as: ‘to guard, to strengthen, and to get firmness’; and the purpose of /rabatna ‘alā qalbihā/ in this verse is ‘strengthening the heart of this mother’, so that she believes in the Divine inspiration and tolerates this great event.

The next verse implies that Moses’ mother regained her calmness as the result of Allah’s grace, but she wanted to know the circumstance of her child. Therefore, the verse says:

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“ And she said to the sister of (Moses): ‘Follow him.’ …”

The Qur’ānic term /qussiyuhū/ is derived from /qass/ which means ‘seeking for the traces of something’. The Arabic word /qissih/ is used in the sense of ‘story’ because it follows the different news and events.

﴿12﴾ وَحَرَّمْنَا عَلَیْهِ الْمَرَاضِعَ مِن قَبْلُ فَقَالَتْ هَلْ أَدُلُّکُمْ عَلَی أَهْلِ بَیْتٍ یَکْفُلُونَهُ لَکُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ نَاصِحُونَ

12. “ And We already forbade on him all foster mothers ere until (his sister came up and) said: ‘Shall I guide you unto the people of a house who will take care of him for you and they will be benevolent to him?’”

The men of Pharaoh began searching everywhere to find a foster mother for the child, but it was surprising that he did not suck milk from any foster mother. Perhaps the child was frightened by their features, or the flavor of their milk was not acquainted with his taste, and it was unpleasant to him. As if he wanted to throw off himself from the bosom of those foster mothers. This was that very divine genetic prohibition that He had forbidden all foster mothers on him.

Every moment, the child became hungrier and more impatient. He was ceaselessly crying and his sound was heard in the castle and caused the queen’s heart to tremble.

The officials intensified their efforts. Suddenly they met in a not so distanced place a girl who said that she knew a family who could take care of that newborn child and they would be benevolent to him. The verse continues saying:

“… until (his sister came up and) said: ‘Shall I guide you unto the people of a house who will take care of him for you and they will be benevolent to him?’”

She implied that she knew a woman from the Children of Israel whose chest was full of milk and she had a heart full of affection. She had lost her child and was ready to undertake giving suck to the baby of the castle.

The officials become happy and took the mother of Moses to Pharaoh’s castle. When the child smelt the mother’s smell, he eagerly pressed her nipple in his mouth and he got a new life from her milk. The light of joy was seen in the eyes of the audience, specially those officials who, after a tiresome research, had gained their aim and were happier than others. Pharaoh’s wife could not hide her happiness from others for this event.

Perhaps they told the foster where she was that they sought everywhere for her. They wished she had come sooner. They

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admired her and also her milk which was a resolver of their difficulty.

Some Islamic narrations indicate that when Moses accepted the nipple of the mother, Hāmān, the minister of Pharaoh, said: “I think you are the real mother of this child. Why did he accept only your breast from among those many women?” She said: “O king! It is because I am a sweet-smelling woman and my milk is also very sweet. Up to now there has been no child given to me but he (she) has accepted my nipple. The audience verified her words and each of them gave her a precious present.(1)

Imam Bāqir (a.s.) in a tradition said: “It did not last longer than three days that Allah returned the baby to his mother.(2)

Some have said that this Divine genetic prohibition of the milk of others for Moses was that Allah did want that this great prophet drink the milk which was polluted with unlawful food, polluted with properties gained by larceny, crime, bribery, and usurping other’s rights. He should drink a pure milk such as the milk of his mother so that he could stand against the pollutions and fight against the impious ones.

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﴿13﴾ فَرَدَدْنَاهُ إِلَی اُمّ-ِهِ کَیْ تَقَرَّ عَیْنُهَا وَلاَ تَحْزَنَ وَلِتَعْلَمَ أَنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَلَکِنَّ أَکْثَرَهُمْ لاَ یَعْلَمُونَ

13. “ Thus did We restore him to his mother that her eye might be refreshed, and that she might not grieve, and that she might know that the promise of Allah is true, but most of them do not know.”

There is not any clear evidence for either of these two probabilities, but the first one seems more fitting.

And also, was Moses transported to the castle of Pharaoh after the end of his sucking period? Or did he usually keep his relation with the mother and his family and used to have familiar intercourse between these two?

Some commentators have said that after the sucking period she gave him to Pharaoh and his wife, ’Āsiyah, and Moses was fostered by them and in their hands. Here there are cited some other stories about the childish but expressive acts of Moses unto Pharaoh that mentioning all of them takes a long space. But this sentence that, after that Moses was appointed to prophethood, Pharaoh told him: “… ‘Did we not cherish you as a child among us, and you tarried among us for (many) years of your life?”, shows that Moses had lived in the castle of Pharaoh for a length of time and had remained there for some years.

It is understood from the commentary of Ali-ibn-’Ibrāhīm that Moses remained in the castle of Pharaoh with utmost honour until the period of his puberty, but his theistic statements made Pharaoh very inconvenient, so much so that he decided to kill Moses. Moses left the castle and entered the city where he confronted the conflict of two men: one from the Coptic people and the other was from among the Children of Israel.(1)

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Some commentators have said that /balaqa ’ašudd/ is the state in which man reaches the limit of perfection from the point of bodily strength and it is often in the age of eighteen; and /’istiwā’/ is the state of equilibrium and establishment in the affair of life and living which usually comes forth after the perfection of bodily power.

The difference between these two Arabic words /hukm/ (judgment) and /‘ilm/ (knowledge) may be in the fact that /hukm/ refers to intellect, understanding, and ability for correct judgment, while /‘ilm/ is an awareness and knowledge which is not accompanied with ignorance.

The Qur’ān sentence /kaŏālika najzil mu’minīn/ clearly shows that, because of his godly piety and for his good and pure deeds, Moses had got this eligibility that Allah gave him the reward of wisdom and knowledge, and it is clear that the purpose of this wisdom and knowledge is not revelation and prophethood, because on that day Moses had a long distance with the time of revelation and prophethood. Then, the purpose is that awareness, clear sightedness, the ability of correct judgment and the like of them that Allah gave to Moses for his chastity, veracity, and righteousness. Shortly speaking, this sentence indicates that Moses did not change to the habit of the castle, the environment where he lived, and, as far as he could, he tried to help the right and justice, though today the details of it are not clear to us.

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﴿15﴾ وَدَخَلَ الْمَدِینَةَ عَلَی حِینِ غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا فَوَجَدَ فِیهَا رَجُلَیْنِ یَقْتَتِلاَنِ هَذَا مِن شِیعَتِهِ وَهَذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ الَّذِی مِن شِیعَتِهِ عَلَی الَّذِی مِنْ عَدُوِّه فَوَکَزَهُ مُوسَی فَقَضَی عَلَیْهِ قَالَ هَذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّیْطَانِ إِنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ مُضِلٌ مُبِینٌ

15. “ And he entered the city at a time when its people were unheeding, and found there two men fighting, one being of his own party, and the other of his enemies. Then the one that was of his own party sought his help against the one who was of his enemies, so Moses struck him with his fist and killed him. He said: ‘This is of the Satan’s doing; verily, he is an enemy that manifestly misleads’.”

system. But, in a special time when people were unaware, Moses entered the capital.

This is also probable that the purpose of entering the city was his coming out from the castle of Pharaoh, because the castle of the kings were usually built by the city so that they could control the ways of coming and going.

The objective of the sentence ’at a time when its people were unheeding’ is the time when the people of the city stopped their business and no one was exactly taking care of the circumstances of the city. But at what hour it happened?

In a tradition the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: “The hour of negligence is between sunset and the evening supper.”(1)

And, verily, this hour is the hour of negligence and many of the crimes, vices, and ethical deviations are performed in these very hours of the beginning of night.

At this time, people are mostly neither busy working nor are they in the state of sleeping and resting. There is usually a general negligence in the city at this time, and the circulation of the mischief centers are also during these hours.

Anyhow, Moses entered the city where he was confronted a scene. The verse continues saying:

“… and found there two men fighting, one being of his own party, and the other of his enemies. …”

The application of the Arabic term /šī‘atihī/ in the verse shows that from that time Moses had some communications with the children of Israel and he had some followers there, and probably he had chosen them as a central source for struggling against the tyrannical system of Pharaoh.

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When the Israelite man saw Moses who was a strong man, asked him, to help him against his enemy. The verse says:

“… Then the one that was of his own party sought his help against the one who was of his enemies, …”

Moses hastened to help him in order to deliver him from the grips of that unjust cruel man. Some commentators have said that this enemy was one of the cooks of Pharaoh and he wanted to force the Israelite man to carry the woods without pay. The verse says:

“… so Moses struck him with his fist and killed him. …”

No doubt Moses did not want to kill the Coptic man, and this meaning is also understood from the later verses, not for the sake that they were not deserving to be killed, but for the sequels that this action might have for Moses and the Children of Israel.

So immediately Moses spoke:

“… He said: ‘This is of the Satan’s doing; verily, he is an enemy that manifestly misleads’.”

In other words, he wanted to separate the hand of the Coptic man from the collar of the man who was from the Children of Israel. Though the people of Pharaoh deserved more than this, in those circumstances that action was not expediential and, as we will see later, this event caused him not to remain in Egypt any longer and he went toward Madyan.

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﴿16﴾ قَالَ رَبّ ِ إِنّ-ِی ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِی فَاغْفِرْ لِی فَغَفَرَ لَهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِیمُ

16. “ (Moses) said: ‘My Lord! Verily I have done harm to myself! Do You then forgive me!’ So (Allah) forgave him. Verily He is the forgiving, the Merciful.”

the Children of Israel and refused to commit no crime against the Children of Israel. Thus they were not some ones whose blood could be honourable specially for the Children of Israel.

The things that have created difficulty for the commentators are the expressions that Moses (a.s.) himself has stated in this event:

Once he says: “… This is of the Satan’s doing, …”(1)

In another occurrence he says: “My Lord! Verily I have done harm to myself! Do you then forgive me!’ …”(2)

How do these expressions agree with the infallibility of the prophets who must have the rank of immunity even before their prophethood and Messengership?

But the above explanations upon the commentary of the above verses make clear that what Moses did was not more than leaving the better (nodbī). By this act he troubled him because a Coptic being killed by Moses was not an ordinary thing that the people of Pharaoh could easily renounce, and we know that abandoning this action is in the sense of an action which is not essentially unlawful (harām), but it causes that a better deed may be left without that a wrong action would have been done.

Something similar to this meaning has also been cited in the life story of some other prophets, including Hadrat Adam, the explanation of which was given when commenting on Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7, verse 19.

A tradition upon the commentary of this verse has been recorded in ‘Uyūn-ul-’Akhbar from Imam Ali-ibn-Mūsar-Ridā (a.s.) who said: “The purpose of the Qur’ānic sentence: “… this is of the Satan’s doing; …” is the conflict of those two with

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each other which was considered as a Satanic act, not the act of Moses (a.s.); and the purpose of the sentence: “My Lord! Verily I have done harm to myself! …” is that I put myself in a place where I should not put. I should not come into this city; and the purpose of the phrase: “…Do You then forgive me! …” is that You do cover me from Your enemies so that they do not find me. (One of the meanings of /qufrān/ is ‘to cover’.)

Sayyid Murtadā ‘Alam-al-Hudā, in Tanzīh-ul-’Anbiyā, commenting on the verse, has chosen the same meaning, too.(1)

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﴿17﴾ قَالَ رَبّ ِ بِمَآ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیَّ فَلَنْ أَکُونَ ظَهِیراً لّ-ِلْمُجْرِمِینَ

17. “ He said: “My Lord! For the bounty You have bestowed on me, never shall I be a supporter of the guilty’.”

In principle, the unjust, tyrants, and persons like Pharaoh are some particular members who always exist in every society, and if the crowds of people do not cooperate with them the tyrannical kings will not become so tyrant. When a group of vile and weak fellows, or the seekers of an occasion and mammonists gather around them and become as their aids or, at least, as their multitude of soldiers, they usually provide a satanic power for them.

This Islamic and humane principle has repeatedly been emphasized on in the Holy Qur’ān. For example, Allah in Sura Al-Mā’idah, No. 5, verse 2 says: “… And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and transgression; …”. There are some other evidences in it, too.

The Qur’ān explicitly says: “And do not incline to those who are unjust, lest the Fire will touch you; …”(1)

The Qur’ānic word /rukūn/, whether it may be meant in the sense of heartily inclination, outward cooperation, or expressing content, or friendship and benevolence, or obedience on which each of commentators have delivered a commentary, or a concept that envelops all of them and it is reliance, confidence and dependence, is a lively evidence and attestation to our purpose.

Muhammad-ibn-Muslim Zuharī was a learned man who had cooperation not only with the system of Umayyads but also with Hushām-ibn-‘Abdul-Malik in particular. Imam Zayn-ul-‘Ābidīn Ali-ibn-il-Husayn (a.s.), after avoiding him of helping the unjust, in his shaking words told him: “Did they not invite you to their own group and did they not form a center by you that the mill of their oppression turns around its axis? Did they not set you as a bridge for their passing unto

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their afflictions, as a ladder for their aberrations, an emissary for their misguidance, and a follower for their shameful path? They create doubt the scholars by you, and through you they entrap the hearts of ignorant simple-minded ones. What a little price they gave you for that which they took from you, and instead of what they ruined from you, how little they built!

Ponder upon yourself, because there is no one to be sympathetic for you save yourself; and as a responsible man reckon your account.(1)

Truly this clear expressive logic of the Imam (a.s.) can attract the attention of any courtier and dependent scholar to his evil end.

Concerning the verse under discussion, Ibn ‘Abbas says: “This verse is among the verses which attest that supporting the guilty is a crime and a sin, while helping the believers is obeying the commandment of Allah.”

Once one of the scholars was told: “So and so is the writer of an unjust person, and what he writes is only his accounts. If he takes a salary for this work, his living will be safeguarded, otherwise he and his family will seriously be involved in poverty.”

In answer to this question, the scholar only said: “Have you not heard the word of that righteous man (Moses) who said: ‘… My Lord! For the bounty You have bestowed on me, never shall I be a supporter of the guilty.”

Ali (a.s.) in a tradition said: “Avoid tyranny because verily a tyrant will never smell the smell of Paradise.”(2)

The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: “Allah, Almighty and Glorious, says: ‘By My Honour (and Glory) I will

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certainly take vengeance from the unjust in this world and the next; and take vengeance from the one who sees an oppressed and he can help him but he does not help him.”(1)

The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) says: “The Wrath of Allah is violent on the one who is unjust upon whom that finds no helper save Allah.”(2)

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) said: “The oppressor, the one who helps him, and he who is content of it all three are the associates of the oppression.”(3)

Imam Ali (a.s.) advised both Hassan and Husayn (a.s.), saying: “… Be enemy of the oppressor and the helper of the oppressed. …”(4)

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) said: “No oppression is more serious than oppressing the one who finds no helper for it except Allah.”(5)

The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: “Whoever breaks the oath of allegiance, or establishes an aberration, or hides a knowledge, or occupies one’s property unjustly, or helps an oppressor in his oppression while he knows that he is surely an oppressor, he has certainly refused Islam.”(6)

The holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) once said: “When people see an oppressor (who is committing cruelty) and do not take his hands (do not hinder him of it) it will be nigh that Allah inflicts a punishment upon them.”(7)

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The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: “There have been written three words on the fourth door of the doors of Hell: Allah abases the one who disgraces Islam; Allah abases the one who disgraces Ahl-ul-Bayt; Allah abases the one who helps the oppressors in their injustice upon people.”(1)

Imam Amir-ul-Mu’minīn Ali (a.s.) said: “The most vicious of people is the one who helps (the oppressor) against the oppressed.”(2)

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﴿18﴾ فَأَصْبَحَ فِی الْمَدِینَةِ خَآئِفاً یَتَرَقَّبُ فَإِذَا الَّذِی اسْتَنصَرَهُ بِالاَمْسِ یَسْتَصْرِخُهُ قَالَ لَهُ مُوسَی إِنَّکَ لَغَوِیٌّ مُّبِینٌ

18. “ And he was in the city, fearing, awaiting, when behold, the man who had, the day before, sought his help called aloud for his help (again). Moses said to him: ‘Verily you are one erring manifestly’.”

“… when behold, the man who had, the day before, sought his help called aloud for his help (again). Moses said to him: ‘Verily you are one erring manifestly’.”

Moses told the man that he was clearly an ignorant person, because every day he fought with a man and created trouble and did some deeds which were not suitable at that time. Moses then added that the sequences of his yesterday programs were still continued that he began another one.

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﴿19﴾ فَلَمَّآ أَنْ أَرَادَ أَن یَبْطِشَ بِالَّذِی هُوَ عَدُوٌّ لَهُمَا قَالَ یَا مُوسَی أَتُرِیدُ أَنْ تَقْتُلَنِی کَمَا قَتَلْتَ نَفْسَاً بِالاَمْسِ إِن تُرِیدُ إِلآَّ أَن تَکُونَ جَبَّاراً فِی الاَرْضِ وَمَا تُرِیدُ أَن تَکُونَ مِنَ الْمُصْلِحِینَ

19. “ So when he intended to assault him who was the enemy of them both, the man said: ‘O Moses! Do you intend to kill me as you killed a person yesterday? You desire nothing but to be a tyrant in the land; and you do not desire to be of the reformers’.”

However, Moses understood that the yesterday event had been revealed and, in order that he would not face with some more difficulties, he did not follow the matter.

By the way, Ibn Abbas, as well as the majority of the commentators of both sects, have said that the subject of the Qur’ānic verb /qāla/ is the Israelite man for whose support Moses had killed the Coptic man the previous day, and who fearfully said that Moses wanted to kill him as he killed the Coptic man. (The commentaries of Qurtabī, Majma‘-ul-Bayān, Atyab-ul-Bayān, Sāfī, Jawāmi‘-ul-Jāmi‘, Manhaj-us-Sādiqīn, Burhān, and Makhzan-ul-‘Irfān, Vol. 9)

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﴿20﴾ وَجَآءَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ اَقْصَا الْمَدِینَةِ یَسْعَی قَالَ یَا مُوسَی إِنَّ الْمَلأَ یَأْتَمِرُونَ بِکَ لِیَقْتُلُوکَ فَاخْرُجْ إِنّ-ِی لَکَ مِنَ النَّاصِحِینَ

﴿21﴾ فَخَرَجَ مِنْهَا خَآئِفاً یَتَرَقَّبُ قَالَ رَبّ ِ نَجّ-ِنِی مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِینَ

20. “ And there came a man from the furthest part of the city, running. He said: ‘O Moses! Verily the chiefs are consulting to slay you. So depart (from here at once); Verily I am one of Your sincere advisers’.”

21. “ So he departed there from, fearing, awaiting, (and) he said: ‘My Lord! Deliver me from the unjust people’.”

At this time, an unexpected incident saved Moses from a certain death, as the verse says:

“ And there came a man from the furthest part of the city, running. He said: ‘O Moses! Verily the chiefs are consulting to slay you. So depart (from here at once); Verily I am one of Your sincere advisers’.”

This man apparently is the same one who later became known as ‘the Believer of the people of Pharaoh’. It is said that his name was Hezqīl and he was one of the close relatives of Pharaoh. Hezqīl had such a communication with them that he could take part in that kind of meetings. He was suffering from the crimes of Pharaoh and he was waiting for a godly raise to happen against him so that he could join to it.

His hope was apparently to Moses in whose feature he had observed to be a godly revolutionary man. For this reason, when he felt that he was in danger, he quickly approached him and saved Moses (a.s.) from the grips of that danger. We will see later that not only in this event but also in some other circumstances he was a support for Moses (a.s.), and he was counted as a keen-eyed person for the Children of Israel in the castle of Pharaoh.

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The next holy verse implies that Moses (a.s.) took this information very earnest, and valued the benevolence of that faithful man. According to his advice, Moses went out from the city while he was terrified and every moment he expected an event to happen. The verse says:

“ So he departed there from, fearing, awaiting, …”

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He concentrated his whole heart to Allah and for solving this great problem he sought His Grace. The verse continues saying:

“… (and) he said: ‘My Lord! Deliver me from the unjust people’.”

This means: I know that they are unjust and cruel, and I defended the oppressed while I was not the supporter of the unjust; then, as I repelled the vice of the oppressors from the oppressed so much that I could, You, too, O’ Almighty Lord! repel the vice of the oppressors from me.

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become prepared for a godly raise in their favour and against the oppressors.

Therefore, when he started to go toward Madyan, he said he hoped that the Lord would guide him in the right path. The verse says:

“ And when he turned his face towards Madyan he said: ‘I do hope that my Lord will guide me in the right path’.”

The Arabic word /tilqā’/ here means: ‘direction’.

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﴿23﴾ وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْیَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَیْهِ اُمَّةً مِنَ النَّاسِ یَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ امْرَأَتَیْنِ تَذُودَانِ قَالَ مَا خَطْبُکُمَا قَالَتَا لاَنَسْقِی حَتَّی یُصْدِرَ الرّ ِعَآءُ وَأَبُونَا شَیْخٌ کَبِیرٌ

﴿24﴾ فَسَقَی لَهُمَا ثُمَّ تَوَلَّی إِلَی الظّ-ِلّ ِ فَقَالَ رَبّ ِ إِنّ-ِی لِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ إِلَیَّ مِنْ خَیْرٍ فَقِیرٌ

23. “ And when he arrived at the watering (place) in Madyan, he found on it a group of men watering (their flocks), and besides them he found two women keeping back (their flocks). He said: ‘What is the matter with you?’ They said: ‘We cannot water (our flocks) until the shepherds take away (their sheep from the water), and our father is a very old man’.”

24. “ So he watered (their flocks) for them, then he turned back to the shade, and said: ‘My Lord! Verily I stand in need of whatever good You may send down to me’.”

acquainted with it. As some commentators say, he had to walk the way in barefoot. It has been said that he was in the way for eight days, and he walked so much so that his feet was wounded.

one other than them. Then the crowd went aside and gave the bucket to him. They told him to come and if he could he would rinse. They knew that the bucket was so heavy that it needed ten persons to be brought out from the well. They let Moses (a.s.) be alone, but the power of Faith came to help him and increased his bodily strength. Though he was tired, hungry, and inconvenient, he watered completely all the sheep of those two girls by pulling out only one bucket of water from the well. The verse continues saying:

“… then he turned back to the shade, and said: ‘My Lord! Verily I stand in need of whatever good You may send down to me’.”

Yes, Moses was tired and hungry. He was a stranger in that city and had no place to refuge. But, in the meanwhile, he was not impatient, and he was so polite that even at the time of supplication he did not say: ‘O Lord! Do so and so’, but he said: “… ‘My Lord! Verily I stand in need of whatever good You may send down to me’.” That is, he mentioned only his need and left the rest of it to the grace of Allah.

Through a divine utterance, Allah said: “O Moses! Ask Me for whatever you are in need of, even if it is the grass for your sheep and the salt of your bread.”(1)

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﴿25﴾ فَجآءَتْهُ إِحْدَاهُمَا تَمْشِی عَلَی اسْتِحْیَآءٍ قَالَتْ إِنَّ أَبِی یَدْعُوکَ لِیَجْزِیَکَ أَجْرَ مَا سَقَیْتَ لَنَا فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُ وَقَصَّ عَلَیْهِ الْقَصَصَ قَالَ لاَ تَخَفْ نَجَوْتَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِینَ

25. “ Afterwards one of the two (damsels) came to him walking bashfully. She said: ‘Verily my father invites you that he may give you the reward of your having watered for us’. So when he came to him and narrated unto him his story, (the old man) said: ‘Be not afraid; you are secure from the unjust people’.”

may give you the reward of your having watered for us’. …”

A special light of hope appeared in his heart, as if Moses (a.s.) felt that an important event was going to happen, and he would meet a great man, a gratitude man who did not agree that even the labour of a person, even as much as driving a bucket of water from the well, remained without being rewarded. He must be a particular man, a godly man. O my Lord! What a precious chance!

Yes, that old man was Shu‘ayb, the Divine prophet, who had been inviting people to Allah in that city for many years. He was an example of ‘gratitude’ and devotion to truth and justice, and when he was informed of the subject, he decided to pay his debt to this unacquainted young man, whoever he might be.

Moses started going towards Shu‘ayb’s house. According to some Islamic narrations, in order to show the way, the girl went ahead and Moses walked behind her. The wind was blowing to the girls’ clothing so hard that the clothes might be removed from her body. The modesty and chastity of Moses (a.s.) did not let him be so. Then he told the girl that he would go ahead and on the crossroads she could guide him.(1)

Moses entered Shu‘ayb’s house. It was a house in which the light of prophethood and spirituality was seen everywhere. An old man, with majesty and dignity, having white hair on his head, said welcome to Moses.

He said to Moses: “Where do you come from? What is your business? What do you do in this city? What is your purpose here? Why are you alone?” And some other questions like them.

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Moses told his own story for Shu‘ayb. The Qur’ān says:

“… So when he came to him and narrated unto him his story, (the old man) said: ‘Be not afraid; you are secure from the unjust people’.”

Our region is out of their realm, and they do not dominate here. Let no horror be in your heart. You are in a secure land, and you may not suffer from loneliness and strangerhood, because everything will be solved by the Grace of Allah.

Soon Moses (a.s.) realized that he had found a great teacher, Shu‘ayb, in whose entity there were pure springs of knowledge, gnosis, piety, and spirituality, and he could satiate him well.

Shu‘ayb also felt that he had got a worthy, receptive and qualified learner to whom he could transfer the science, knowledge and experiences of his whole life. Yes, as much as that a learner gets gratification from finding a great teacher, the teacher is also happy for finding a worthy student.

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﴿26﴾ قَالَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا یَآ أَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ إِنَّ خَیْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرْتَ الْقَوِیُّ الأَمِینُ

26. “ One of the two (damsels) said: ‘O my father! Employ him. Verily the best of those that you can employ is the strong man, the faithful one’.”

﴿27﴾ قَالَ إِنّ-ِی أُرِیدُ أَنْ اُنکِحَکَ إِحْدَی ابْنَتَیَّ هَاتَیْنِ عَلَی أَن تَأْجُرَنِی ثَمَانِیَ حِجَجٍ فَإِنْ اَتْمَمْتَ عَشْراً فَمِنْ عِندِکَ وَمَآ أُرِیدُ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَیْکَ سَتَجِدُنِی إِن شَآءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّالِحِینَ

27. “ He said: ‘Verily I intend to wed one of these two daughters of mine to you on condition that you serve me for eight years, but if you complete ten, it will be of your own free will, and I do not wish to be hard to you, if Allah wills, you will find me one the righteous ones.”

pound of wheat given to the poor. However, Moses (a.s.) accepted to be at the service of Shu‘ayb. In the mead-time, Shu‘ayb (a.s.) said he did not want that during that time (eight or ten years) to be strict and severe to Moses and put on his shoulder some labours other than protecting their sheep. The verse says:

“ He said: ‘Verily I intend to wed one of these two daughters of mine to you on condition that you serve me for eight years, but if you complete ten, it will be of your own free will, and I do not wish to be hard to you, if Allah wills, you will find me one the righteous ones.”

The last sentence of the verse means: if Allah lets him (Moses) be alive, they will find righteousness and competency in him; otherwise, Allah may take his life from him and He does not give him the success of offering righteousness and competency from him.

Yahy-ibn-Salām says: “Shu‘ayb told Moses that every new born lamb whose colour was not like that of its mother would belong to Moses. Then all the new born lambs had a colour different from their mothers.”

Some other commentators have said that Shu‘ayb promised Moses that in that year every lamb whose head was black and its body was white it would belong to Moses. Then all the children of the sheep were born in the same colour.

It is evident that the purpose of power is not only the bodily strength, but the objective is the power and ability of performing the responsibility. A powerful and trustworthy physician is the one who is acknowledged enough of his job and has a full dominance on it.

A strong administrator is a person who knows his realm of mission well, is rather aware of the ‘motives’, is mastered in planning, has enough share of originative faculty, and has the necessary skill in ‘arranging the affairs’. He must make the aims clear, and mobilize the powers for reaching the aim. In the meantime, he must be kind, sympathetic, benevolent, trustworthy and honest.

Those who suffice to only trustworthiness and honesty for giving the responsibilities and jobs to someone are in fault as much as they consider that, for accepting responsibility, having expertness is enough. The treacherous specialists and evil conversant factors are as harmful as the unaware honest persons.

If we decide to destroy a country, we must give the affairs to one of these two groups: the treacherous administrators, and the honest ones who are not administrator, and the fruit of both is the same.

The logic of Islam is that every affair should be given to some powerful, capable, and trustworthy persons so that the system of the society ends properly. If we study the causes of the defection of governments in the length of history, we will see that the main factor has been giving the affairs to one of the abovementioned two groups.

It is interesting that everywhere in Islamic programs often ‘knowledge’ and ‘piety’ have come beside each other. An authority of imitation must be just and expert in the Islamic jurisprudence. A judge and a leader must be both expert in

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Islamic jurisprudence and also be just. (Besides these two conditions there are also some other conditions, but these two are the basic ones: ‘knowledge’ and cognizance accompanied with justice and piety).

The second subject is the answer to a few questions about the marriage of Shu‘ayb’s daughter with Moses.

We said that the above noble verses have caused a lot of questions to come forth all of which must be answered in a condensed way:

A: Is it correct that a girl who wants to be married with a person may not be precisely distinguished, and at the time of reciting the marriage contract it is said to the bridegroom that one of these two girls is married with you?

Answer: It is not definite that the above expression has been said at the time of the recitation of marriage contract, but the apparent is that at first there is the primary debate and agreement, and after the agreement of Moses, the two parties choose each other and then the formula of marriage contract is executed.

B: Can dower be set ambiguously, and between a small and a large sum?

Answer: From the tone of the verse, it is clearly understood that the real dower had been serving for eight years, and the other two years depended on the will and desire of Moses.

C: In principal, can ‘working and service’ be set as dower? And how this spouse can be touched and associated with while the time of the payment of the dower has not come yet, and he is not even able to pay all of it at once?

Answer: There is no evidence for the lack of permission of such a dower, but in our religion, everything which has value is also included for dower. It is not compulsory that the entire of the dower must be paid in a lamp. It is enough that all of it

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is in protective covenant of the husband and the wife owns it. The principle of health and ‘authorizing the previous state’ also judges that this husband will remain alive and will have the ability of doing this service.

D: In principal, how can serving to the father be the dower of the daughter? Is the girl a material that may be sold for a service?

Answer: No doubt Shu‘ayb had got the agreement of his daughter about this issue, and he had a representation and authority to execute the formula of such a marriage contract. In other words, the main owner of Moses’ protective covenant was that very daughter of Shu‘ayb, but in view of the fact that the living of all of them was passing in a common form with utmost serenity, and purity so that there was not any separation between them, (as even now in many old or rural families it is seen that the living of a family is completely mixed), it was no problem that how that debt ought to be paid. Shortly speaking, the owner of the dower was only the daughter, not the father, and the service of Moses (a.s.) was also in this way.

E: The dower of Shu‘ayb’s daughter had been a rather heavy dower, because if we count the work of an ordinary worker in a month and in a year and then multiply it to eight, it will be a considerable sum.

Answer: Firstly, this marriage was not a simple marriage, but it was a preliminary cause for Moses to remain in the school of Shu‘ayb. It was a preparation for Moses to study in a great university during that long term, and only Allah knows how many things Moses learnt from the learned old man of Madyan.

Moreover, if Moses worked for Shu‘ayb during this term, instead of it Shu‘ayb would safeguard all the living of Moses and his wife from the same way. Therefore, if we decrease the

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expenditure of Moses and his wife from the wage of this labour, there will not remain so considerable sum, and we ‘will attest that it was a simple and light dower’.

The third matter is that it is understood from this story that our nowadays custom that we consider the suggestion of the father and relations of the girl for marriage with a youth as a blemish, is not correct. There is no impediment that the close relatives of the girl find a person who is appropriate for marrying their child and suggest him, as Shu‘ayb did. Similar to this action has been seen among some of the notables of Islam.

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The fourth matter is that the names of Shu‘ayb’s daughters have been recorded ‘Safūrah’ (or Safūrā) and ‘Layā’, that the former married Moses.(1)

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The fifth matter: Labour and labourer: Allah has desired people to work and make the earth habitable, which will not obtain unless with effort and endeavour. The Qur’ān says: “… It is He Who produced you from the earth and settled you therein: …”(2) The Qur’ān thoroughly emphasized on righteous deed which has a very vast meaning. Many prophets of Allah have been farmer, shepherd, tailor, and carpenter. In Islam working is worship and it is considered as Holy Struggle,(3) and the invocation of a jobless person is not accepted.

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Work is a means of training both body and spirit, filling the hours of leisure, a hindrance of mischief and disturbance. It is a factor of growth, genius, originative faculty, economic development, honour, self-sufficiency, and helping others. The Qur’ān says: “It is He Who has made the earth manageable for you, so traverse you through its tracts and enjoy of the sustenance which He furnishes …”(1)

Islam has considered a special value and respect for labour, and has advised that the right of labourer must be observed, his consent be gained, his wage be paid quickly with some addition to the appointed one, and respecting him in all instances. In Islam, satiating the trees by a farmer deserves the satiating believers.

Hadrat Ali (a.s.) advised one of his governor-generals that the farmers might not be done unjustly, and they should be favoured when taking tax from them.(2)

In Islam mental activities are also valued highly, so much that a useful hour of contemplation is better than some hours of worship. Laziness and carelessness in work is criticized. The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: “Allah likes that whoever does a thing, he does it well.”(3)

The Qur’ān advises that after finishing an important action another action should begin. Therefore, laziness is forbidden. The Qur’ān says: “So when you have finished (with your immediate task), still strive hard, (then toil).”(4)

Yes, idleness causes fatigue, laziness, weariness, and a chance for Satan to penetrate, creation of corruption, and spread of vice.

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Islam, of course, has assigned some hours and wages for working, and those who work during holidays are entitled ‘oppressors’.(1)

Hadrat Imam Rida (a.s.) said: “A believer must divide his busy time into four parts: a part for working, a part for worship, a part for friends and dealing with social affairs. Otherwise, man will turn to be a greedy person who deserves all critics which are about greed.”(2)

Islam has a special attention to the quality of the work, not its quantity. The Qur’ān says: “… which of you is the best in conduct. …”(3)

However, Islam attaches importance to work, so much that we read in Islamic traditions: “Allah takes the one who sleeps too much and an idle, jobless (disengaged) person as an enemy.”(4)

Imam Bāqir (a.s.) said: “He who is lazy in his worldly work, is also lazy in his hereafter work.”(5)

A tradition indicates that once a poor jobless man came to the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and asked help. The Prophet asked the companions whether there was anyone who had an ax in his home. Someone answered he had. He fetched it and the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) equipped it with a steak and gave it to that jobless man and said: “Here is the tool of job, but you must strive yourself.”(6)

We can understand several points from this tradition, as follows:

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1- The Divine prophets take the life of people under consideration, too.

2- The weakest person of the society can meet the first personality of the society.

3- Society is in need of help and cooperation. One gives an ax, another person provides its stick, and the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) arranges them and makes an ax.

4- For struggling against poverty, the implements of production must be given to the active factors of the society. However, for employing persons, they necessarily must have two elements of: ability (expertness) and trustworthiness.

The abilities and trustworthiness of persons of course, must be made known and defined in ordinary conditions and without the attention of the concerning person. (Many persons cover their reality artificially, flatteringly and hypocritically. But Hadrat Moses, in a natural scene, showed himself by a supporting action and a modestly meeting.)

Once Imam Sādiq (a.s.) was asked which girl went after Moses (a.s.). He answered: “The one who became his wife.” They asked him which term of the two terms Moses finished. Imam answered the longer and more complete one, (that is, ten years). They asked whether Moses wedded his wife before ten years or after it. He answered: “Before ten years”. They asked him whether a man can marry a woman and makes a condition with her father to be hired for two months for him. He answered: “Moses knew that he would finish this condition.” They asked: “How did he know it?” Imam (a.s.) said: “He knew that he would remain alive and act according to the condition.”(1)

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The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: “The best women of my Ummah are the most beautiful ones and have the least dower.”(1)

It should also be mentioned that marriage is of two kinds: permanent marriage and temporary marriage about both of which there are special commandments and recommendations in the Qur’ān and Islamic narrations. Unfortunately, because of some incorrect customs and pretexts and undue expectations of some of the members of the family of bride or bridegroom and having vain desires, the permanent marriage has appeared in the form of a difficult, puzzle or an impracticable pass; and the temporary marriage has also been counted so ugly and reprobated that indecency has occupied its place.

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﴿28﴾ قَالَ ذَلِکَ بَیْنِی وَبَیْنَکَ أَیَّمَا الاَجَلَیْنِ قَضَیْتُ فَلاَ عُدْوَانَ عَلَیَّ وَاللَّهُ عَلَی مَا نَقُولُ وَکِیلٌ

28. “ (Moses accepted Shu‘ayb’s suggestion and) said: ‘This shall be (an agreement) between me and you, whichever of the two terms I fulfil, there shall be no injustice unto me, and Allah is a witness of what we say’.”

By the way, some commentators have said that Moses asked for a stick from Shu‘ayb in order to drive the sheep. Shu‘ayb had several sticks and he told Moses to take one of them. He took the stick, which Gabriel had brought from Heaven for Adam. That stick had a light at night. Imam Bāqir (a.s.) said: “A stick was brought from Heaven for Adam, then it came to Shu‘ayb. Then, it was given to Moses and now that stick is with us. It spoke whenever it was spoken to, and it accomplished whatever it was ordered to do.”(1)

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culture of slavery from their spirit, all of which were not so easy.

It is written in Torah, as well as the Islamic narrations, that Shu‘ayb had promised Moses to give him the lambs which were born with a special colour, in order to appreciate Moses’ troubles. By chance, in the last year, when Moses intended to say good-by with Shu‘ayb and return to Egypt, all or most of the lambs were born with the same specialty and Shu‘ayb willingly gave all of them to Moses, too.(1)

It is obvious that Moses did not suffice to be a shepherd until the end of his life, though being at the presence of Shu‘ayb was very enjoying for him. He ought to hasten to help his people who were captured in the chains of captivity and ignorance. He ought to put an end to the injustices in Egypt, to break the idols, to abase the despots, and to elevate the oppressed by the help of Allah. An innate feeling encouraged Moses for this journey.

At last, Moses gathered his furniture, provision, and sheep and set out for the journey.

However, the application of the Arabic word /’ahl/ (family) mentioned in numerous verses of the Qur’ān, shows that, besides his wife, Moses had a child (or children) with him in that journey. Some Islamic narrations verify this meaning, and in Torah, Exodus, it has been stipulated. Moreover his wife was pregnant at that time.

When he was coming back, he lost the way, and perhaps it was for the reason that he went a by-way so that he might not be seized by the grips of the Syrian oppressors.

However, the Qur’ān says:

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“ So when Moses had fulfilled the term, and he journeyed with his family, he observed a fire in the direction of Mount Tūr. He said to his family: ‘Tarry you here; verily I observe a fire. Perhaps I shall bring you news of it, or a brand of the fire, so that you may warm yourselves’.”

There is not anything mentioned in the verse about the situation of Moses’ wife, but it is generally accepted by the commentaries and narrations that she was pregnant and at that time she felt the pain of delivery, and Moses was also anxious from this point of view.

****

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﴿30﴾ فَلَمَّآ أَتَاهَا نُودِیَ مِن شَاطِئِ الْوَادِ الاَیْمَنِ فِی الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَکَةِ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ أَن یَامُوسَی إِنّ-ِی أَنَا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِینَ

30. “ Then when he came to it (he) was called (by a voice) from the right side of the valley, in the blessed spot, from the tree, saying: ‘O Moses! Verily I am Allah, the Lord of the worlds’.”

prophets, of course, received the revelation by their inward inspiration, and sometimes by dream, but sometimes by means of hearing the sound waves. However, there is no room for this delusion that we consider a physical being for Allah.

Some narrations indicate that when Moses went near the fire, he noticed that the fire glittered from inside of a green branch and every moment it became brighter and more beautiful. He bent to take some of it with the small piece of wood he had in his hand, but the fire came toward him. He terrified and came back. Sometimes he went toward the fire and sometimes the fire came towards him. Then, all of a sudden, a voice gave him the glad tidings of revelation. Thus, by the undeniable frame of references it became clear for Moses that this call was the call of Allah (s.w.t.), not other than Him.

****

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﴿31﴾ وَأَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاکَ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهَا تَهْتَزُّ کَأَنَّهَا جَآنٌّ وَلَّی مُدْبِراً وَلَمْ یُعَقّ-ِبْ یَامُوسَی أَقْبِلْ وَلاَ تَخَفْ إِنَّکَ مِنَ الأَمِنِینَ

31. “ And saying: ‘Cast down your staff.’ So when he saw it in motion as if it were a serpent, he turned back retreating, and did not return. (Then it was said to him): ‘O Moses! Come you forward and fear you not! For surely you are in security!’”

they seem small in our view but there are great potentialities in them which can be revealed by the command of Allah.

At this time, Moses heard the voice again as a command. The verse continues saying:

“… (Then it was said to him): ‘O Moses! Come you forward and fear you not! For surely you are in security!’”

The Arabic word /jānn/ originally means ‘an unseen being’, and it is also applied for small snakes, because they pass through grasses and furrows of the land in an unseen way. Of course, in some other verses of the Qur’ān, it has been referred to as /θu‘bān un mubīn/ (a clear serpent) (Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7, verse 107, and Sura Ash-Shu‘arā, No. 26, verse 32). Formerly we have said that these differences of meaning may state the different shapes of that snake which at first was small and then appeared as a great serpent. This is also probable that when Moses saw it for the first time in Tūr land, it was in its smallest size, and in later stages it became bigger and bigger.

However, Moses should become acquainted with this fact that at the presence of Allah there is an absolute security, and in that rank there is no room for any fear and scare.

****

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﴿32﴾ اسْلُکْ یَدَکَ فِی جَیْبِکَ تَخْرُجْ بَیْضَآءَ مِنْ غَیْرِ سُوءٍ وَاضْمُمْ إِلَیْکَ جَنَاحَکَ مِنَ الرَّهْبِ فَذَانِکَ بُرْهَانَان مِن رَّبّ-ِکَ إِلَی فِرْعَوْنَ وَمَلَئِهِ إِنَّهُمْ کَانُوا قَوْماً فَاسِقِینَ

﴿33﴾ قَالَ رَبّ ِ إِنّ-ِی قَتَلْتُ مِنْهُمْ نَفْساً

فَاَخَافُ أَن یَقْتُلُونِ

32. “ (Now) enter your hand into the your bosom, and it will come forth white (radiant) without evil, and draw your arm to yourself to ward off fear; and these (two miracles) be two proofs from your Lord unto Pharaoh and his chiefs, verily they have been a transgressing people.”

33. “ He said: ‘My Lord! Verily I have killed one of them, so I fear that they would slay me’.”

The observation of those wonderful supernatural events, in that dark night and in that empty desert, caused Moses (a.s.) to shake vigorously. In order that he could regain his peace and calmness, he was ordered another commandment. It was as follows:

“… and draw your arm to yourself to ward off fear; …”

Some commentators have said that this sentence ironically means the necessity of decisiveness and firm decision in fulfilment of the responsibility of prophethood, and the lack of any fear and horror from any rank and any power.

Some other commentators have also thought that when the staff was changed into a snake, Moses (a.s.) stretched his arms to defend himself, but Allah ordered him to draw back his arms and he should not fear, because he did not need to defend himself.

The application of /janāh/ (wing) instead of ‘hand’ is a beautiful meaning that, perhaps, its purpose is to liken the state of man’s tranquility and calmness to the state of a bird that when it observes a frightening thing, it flies, but when it regains its calmness, it gathers its wings.

Again, Moses heard the same voice, saying:

“… and these (two miracles) be two proofs from your Lord unto Pharaoh and his chiefs, verily they have been a transgressing people.”

Yes, these people have gone out from the obedience of Allah, and they have disobeyed Him very violently. It is upon you that you advise them, but if it is of no avail, you must struggle against them.

****

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Here Moses remembered the important event of his life in Egypt, the event of killing that Coptic man and mobilization of the forces of Pharaoh to avenge his blood. Although Moses had combated with that oppressor, these things had no meaning in the logic of Pharaoh. He is still decided to kill Moses without dispute if he finds him. That is why here Moses speaks to Allah: as follows:

“ He said: ‘My Lord! Verily I have killed one of them, so I fear that they would slay me’.”

****

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﴿34﴾ وَأَخِی هَارُونَ هُوَ أَفْصَحُ مِنّ-ِی لِسَاناً فَاَرْسِلْهُ مَعِیَ رِدْءاً یُصَدّ ِقُنِی إِنّ-ِی أَخَافُ أَن یُکَذّ ِبُونِ

﴿35﴾ قَالَ سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَکَ بِاَخِیکَ وَنَجْعَلُ لَکُمَا سُلْطَاناً فَلاَ یَصِلُونَ إِلَیْکُمَا بِاَیَاتِنَآ أَنتُمَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَکُمَا الْغَالِبُونَ

34. “ And my brother Aaron, he is more eloquent in speech than I, so send him with me as an assistant, to testify me, surely I fear that they would reject me.”

35. “ (Allah) said: ‘We will strengthen your arm with your brother, and We will give you both an authority, so that they shall not reach you; (go) with Our signs; you two and those who follow you two shall be the triumphant’.”

“ And my brother Aaron, he is more eloquent in speech than I, so send him with me as an assistant, to testify me, surely I fear that they would reject me.”

The Arabic term /’afsah/ is derived from /fasīh/ which originally refers to ‘the purity of something’; and it is used for a pure, expressive speech which is free from any redundancy and unnecessary words. The Qur’ānic word /rid’/ means: ‘Assistant’.

However, in view of the fact that this mission was very great and heavy, and Moses wanted not to fail in it, he asked Allah for it.

By the way, confessing the accomplishments of others is a virtue and a value. Therefore, though Moses (a.s.) was an arch prophet he confessed the virtue of his brother, because an eloquent speech is one of the factors of attracting people and that of a successful propagation.

****

By the next verse, Allah accepted Moses’ invocation, too, and gave him enough confidence, as it says:

“ (Allah) said: ‘We will strengthen your arm with your brother, and We will give you both an authority, so that they shall not reach you; (go) with Our signs; you two and those who follow you two shall be the triumphant’.”

What a great glad tidings! It was a glad tidings that not only encouraged the heart of Moses, but also caused his decision to become firm, and made his will very strong, the clear sequels of which will be explained later through some other topics of this story.

****

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﴿36﴾ فَلَمَّا جَآءهُم مُّوسَی بِاَیَاتِنَا بَیّ-ِنَاتٍ قَالُوا مَا هَذَا إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُفْتَرًی وَمَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَذَا فِی ءَابَآئِنَا الاَوَّلِینَ

36. “ So when Moses came to them with Our clear signs, they said: ‘This is nothing but a forged sorcery, and we never heard of it amongst our fathers of old’.”

miracles, that is, the weapon of sorcery, because that was extraordinary and this was also a supernatural event, but how one can reconcile these two?

Sorcerers are some deviated and mostly mammonist persons whose foundation of work is an alteration of facts and by this sign they can be recognized, while the invitation of Divine prophets, as well as its content, is a witness upon their miracles.

Moreover, since sorcerers rely on the power of man, their acts are always limited, but the divine prophets, who enjoy of the Power of Allah, have great and unlimited miracles.

The Qur’ānic phrase /’āyātin bayyināt/ (clear signs), which points to the miracles of Moses (a.s.), is in plural form because besides these two miracles Moses might have shown them other miracles, too, that with the combination of each of these two there would have been many miracles. The change of his staff into a great snake is a miracle, and its return to the first state is another miracle. Again the brightness of Moses’ hand in a moment is a miracle, and its return to the first state is another miracle.

The usage of the Qur’ānic term /muftaran/ (forged), derived from /faryah/ in the sense of accusation and slander, is for the sake that they wanted to say that Moses had falsely attributed it to Allah.

They said “… we never heard of it amongst our fathers of old,” though before Moses the invitation of Noah, Abraham, and Yūsuf had been heard in that land. It is either because of the long length of time, or for the sake that they wanted to say that their ancestors did not submit to such invitations, too.

****

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﴿37﴾ وَقَالَ مُوسَی رَبّ-ِی أَعْلَمُ بِمَن جَآءَ بِالْهُدَی مِنْ عِندِهِ وَمَن تَکُونُ لَهُ عَاقِبَةُ الدَّارِ إِنَّهُ لاَ یُفْلِحُ الْظَّالِمُونَ

37. “ And Moses said: ‘My Lord knows best who comes with guidance from unto Him, and whose end will be best in the Hereafter, verily the unjust will not prosper’.”

This meaning is similar to what has come in Sura TāHā, No. 20, verse 69 which says: “… and the sorcerer will not be successful wherever he goes’.”

This sentence may refer to the situation of the obstinate and arrogant people of Pharaoh, meaning that you have found out the situation of my miracles and the legitimacy of my invitation, but you oppose me unjustly. You should know that you will not win and at last the prosperity will belong to me, not to you.

The application of the Qur’ānic phrase /‘āqibat-ud-dār/ in the verse may refer to their end in this world, or in the next world, or both of them. The third meaning, of course, seems more comprehensive and more fitting.

The verse continues saying:

“… verily the unjust will not prosper’.”

By this polite logical statement, Moses reported them their failure both in this world and the Hereafter.

****

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﴿38﴾ وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ یَآ أَیُّهَا الْمَلأُ مَا عَلِمْتُ لَکُم مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَیْرِی فَأَوْقِدْ لِی یَا هامَانُ عَلَی الطّ-ِینِ فَاجْعَل لِی صَرْحاً لَعَلّ-ِی أَطَّلِعُ إِلَی إِلَهِ مُوسَی وإِنّ-ِی لأَظُنُّهُ مِنَ الْکَاذِبِینَ

38. “ And Pharaoh said: ‘O Chiefs! No god do I know for you but myself; therefore, O’ Hāmān, light me a fire upon the clay, and build for me a tower, so that I may obtain knowledge of Moses’ God, and verily I think him

to be one of the liars’.”

since it is understood from Sura Mu’min in the Qur’ān that this action was done at the time when the people of Pharaoh were planning to kill Moses (a.s.) and the believer of the people of Pharaoh attempted to defend him; and we know that there was not such a thing existed before the struggle of Moses (a.s.) with the sorcerers, but they were searching about Moses and that how they could beat him by means of the sorcerers. Since the Qur’ān has explained the event of the struggle of Moses against sorcerers in Suras: TāHā, ’A‘rāf, Yūnus, and Ash-Shu‘arā’, it has relinquished speaking about it again here and it has only referred to the subject of building the tower. This subject has been mentioned merely in this Sura and Sura Mu’min.

However, the news of Moses’ victory against sorcerers spread throughout Egypt. The subject of sorcerers’ belief in Moses (a.s.) strengthened the matter, too. The stability of the government of Pharaoh was going to be in danger seriously, and it was very probable that the captured people might awake. In any rate, the common thought and attention should be deviated from this issue, and there must be provided some mental engagements which, in the meantime, were accompanied with the munificence of the governmental organizations so that it could beguile people.

In this regard, Pharaoh started consulting and, consequently, his thought reached to the thing which is mentioned in the above verse. It says:

“ And Pharaoh said: ‘O Chiefs! No god do I know for you but myself; …”

Pharaoh implicitly says that it is certain that he is the only god on the earth but, as for the god of heaven, there is no proof available for its existence. Yet, he does not miss caution and

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begins to search about it. Then he turned to his minister, Hāmān, and, addressing him, said:

“… therefore, O’ Hāmān, light me a fire upon the clay, …”

He ordered Hāmān to build a very high tower for him to climb it and get some information about the God of Moses, though it did not seem to him that Moses could be truthful. The verse says:

“… and build for me a tower, so that I may obtain knowledge of Moses’ God, and verily I think him to be one of the liars’.”

When the building of the tower was finished, and they were not able to make it higher than that, one day Pharaoh went there with some ceremonies to climb that great tower personally. When he reached the top of the tower, he looked at the sky and observed its scenery like the same form that he used to see it on the level land and he found no change and variation in it.

It is said that he put an arrow in the bow and threw it toward the sky. The arrow struck a bird, or by his own aforetime plot, it returned back while it was bloody. Pharaoh came down from that tower and told people: “Go home, and have no anxiety, for I killed Moses’ God.”(1)

Surely, some of the contemporary simple-minded people of the government believed it and spread its news everywhere. They made a new amusement out of it for deluding people of Egypt.

It is notable that in this saying: “… No god do I know for you but myself, …” Pharaoh did his utmost satanic deed. He

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counted his divinity certain and continued that whether there was any god other than him. Then, because of the lack of any proof, he negated it either.

In the third stage, in order to bring forth a proof for the absence of the existence of any other god, he designed the subject of the great tower.

All of these affairs show that he knew the matter well, but in order to beguile the people of Egypt and protecting his own position, he said those words.

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﴿39﴾ وَاسْتَکْبَرَ هُوَ وَجُنُودُهُ فِی الاَرْضِ بِغَیْرِ الْحَقّ ِ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ إِلَیْنَا

لاَ یُرْجَعُونَ

39. “ And he and his hosts prided in the land without any right, and they thought that they would not be returned unto Us.”

﴿40﴾ فَأَخَذْنَاهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَاهُمْ فِی الْیَمّ ِ فَانظُرْ کَیْفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الظَّالِمِینَ

40. “ So We seized him and his hosts, and We cast them into the sea; behold then how was the end of the unjust.”

﴿41﴾ وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً یَدْعُونَ إِلَی النَّارِ وَیَوْمَ الْقِیَامَةِ لاَ یُنصَرُونَ

﴿42﴾ وَأَتْبَعْنَاهُمْ فِی هَذِهِ الدُّنْیَا لَعْنَةً وَیَوْمَ الْقِیَامَةِ هُم مِنَ الْمَقْبُوحِینَ

41. “ And We appointed them leaders who invite unto the (Hell) Fire and on the Day of Judgment they shall not be helped.”

42. “ And in this world, we made a curse to follow them; and on the Day of Judgment they will be of those made to appear hideous.”

effect of any cause is under the command of Allah. They paved a way that ended to being the leaders of the misguided ones. This is their position in Hereafter, too.

Again, for more emphasis, the Qur’ān illustrates their feature in this world and the next, as follows.

“ And in this world, we made a curse to follow them; and on the Day of Judgment they will be of those made to appear hideous.”

The curse of Allah is the same as exclusion from His Mercy, and the curse of angels and believers is the curse that they send for them every morning and evening, and every now and then. Sometimes all the unjust and oppressors are involved in a general curse, and sometimes they are cursed particularly, because whoever studies history about their lives will curse them.

However, those who have ugly way of life in this world will have ugly face in the next world.

Here, the Qur’ān has divided the leaders into two groups: the leaders of ‘light’, and the leaders of Fire. In the logic of the Qur’ān, we have two kinds of leader. The leaders who are in front of the pious ones on the path of guidance, as Sura Al-’Anbiyā’, No. 21, verse 73, concerning some divine prophets, says: “And We made them leaders guiding (the people) by Our command, and We revealed to them the doing of good deeds, and the establishing of prayer, and the giving of alms, and they were worshippers of Us (alone).” These are the leaders with clear bright programs, because pure Monotheism, invitation to goodness, truth and justice have formed the content of their program. These are the leaders of Light whose manner has been continued by all prophets and their vicegerents up to the Seal of the Prophets (p.b.u.h.) and his vicegerents (a.s.).

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The second group are the leaders of misguidance, and as the Qur’ān introduces them in the verses under discussion, they are the leaders of Fire.

A tradition narrated from Imam Sādiq (a.s.) about the qualities of these two groups of leaders indicates that the first group give priority to the command of Allah rather than the command of people and their own will,(1)

and consider His Commandment as the highest ordinances, while the second group give priority to their own command before the command of Allah (s.w.t.) and consider their own command before His commandment.(2)

Thus, by this criterion, the recognition of these two groups of leaders will be very clear.

On the Day of Resurrection when the rows of people will be specified, every group will be at the back of their leader. The hellish people follow the hellish ones, and the people of light follow the people of light, as the Qur’ān says: “On the Day We shall call every people with their Imam (leader), …”(3)

We have repeatedly said that Resurrection is a great embodiment from this small world, and those who have loved a leader and practically followed his way of treatment here, in Hereafter will be on his line, too.

Bushr-ibn-Qālib says that once he asked Hadrat Imam Abū-‘Abdillah-il-Husayn (a.s.) about the commentary of the Qur’ānic sentence: “On the Day We shall call every people with their Imam (leader), …”(4), and he (a.s.) answered: “A leader invites to guidance and a group accept him, and a leader

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invites to misguidance and a group accept him, too. The former are in Heaven and the latter are in Hell Fire, and this is the meaning of the word of Allah Who says: “… (When) some will be in the Paradise and some in the blazing Fire(1).”(2)

It is interesting that Pharaoh who moved in front of his followers and caused them to be drowned in the waves of Nile, on the Hereafter Day he will walk in front of them and will make them enter into the sea of Hell Fire. (Sura Hūd, No. 11, verse 98)

We put an end to this discussion with a statement narrated from Hadrat Amīr-ul-Mu’minīn Ali (a.s.) who said about a group of hypocrites: “… they have continued after the holy Prophet. They gained positions with the leaders of misguidance and callers towards Hell through falsehood and slandering. So, they put them in high posts and made them officers over the heads of the people. …”(3)

****

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of Divine ordinances and Torah, i.e. the period when the ‘negation of deity’ has finished and the period of construction and proof begins. It says:

“ And indeed We gave Moses the Book (Torah) after We had destroyed the earlier generations (as a means) of insight for mankind and a guidance and mercy that haply they might receive admonition.”

Concerning the objective of the Qur’ānic phrase: /qurūn al ’ūlā/ (the earlier generations who were destroyed) and that who they are, commentators are divided. Some of them have said that it refers to the disbelievers among the people of Noah, ‘Ād, Thamūd, and the like, because, by the past of time, the effects of the former prophets had disappeared and it was necessary that a new Heavenly Book be set at mankind’s disposal.

Some other commentators of the Qur’ān believe that it refers to the destruction of the people of Pharaoh who were the remaining of the early generations, since Allah gave Torah to Moses (a.s.) after their destruction. But it is no problem that the above-mentioned sentence refers to all of these generations and peoples.

The Qur’ānic term /basā’ir/, which is the plural form of /basīrat/, means insight and awareness and its objective here is the verses and proofs that caused the hearts of believers to be enlightened, and guidance and mercy are also the concomitants of this ‘insight’, and there follows it admonition and vigilance of the receptive hearts.

****

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﴿44﴾ وَمَا کُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِیّ ِ إِذْ قَضَیْنَآ إِلَی مُوسَی الأَمْرَ وَمَا کُنتَ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِینَ

44. “ And you were not on the western side of (Mount Tūr) when We passed to Moses the commandment, and you were not one of the witnesses.”

is why some of the commentators believe that the sentence “Then they (Pharaoh’s hosts) pursued them at sunrise”,(1)

which is about the hosts of Pharaoh in pursuance of the Children of Israel, points to this meaning.)

Finally the author of Atyab-ul-Bayān in the following of the verse says: “Some Islamic narrations indicate that the objective of executorship has been Yūsha‘-ibn-Nūn- and that every prophet that was sent his executor of testament was appointed by Him and the appointment of executor of testament is in His hand. That is, you, O’ Messenger of Allah, too, should appoint your executor of testament. Some of these narrations denote that the purpose was ‘going’ toward Pharaoh, but it apparently means if you were there and saw the affairs of Moses and inform them to the Ummat, this would not be a miracle for them. They would say that he has seen it and informs of it; but now that you inform them of these affairs by means of the Qur’ān, this is itself a miracle that without seeing them you inform of Moses’ affairs as well as other prophets and their nations. The Qur’ān also informs of the future events because Allah (s.w.t.) has the knowledge of everything from beginning to the end of arriving in Hereafter; and this itself is a great miracle. (Atyab-ul-Bayān, following the verse)

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﴿45﴾ وَلَکِنَّآ أَنشَأْنَا قُرُوناً فَتَطَاوَلَ عَلَیْهِمُ الْعُمُرُ وَمَا کُنتَ ثَاوِیاً فِی أَهْلِ مَدْیَنَ تَتْلُواْ عَلَیْهِمْ ءَایَاتِنَا

وَلَکِنَّا کُنَّا مُرْسِلِینَ

45. “ But We raised up generations and a long time passed upon them, and you were not dwelling among the people of Madyan, reciting unto them Our signs, but We were sending messengers.”

years ago in order that you guide them. The above holy verse continues saying:

“… reciting unto them Our signs, but We were sending messengers.”

Of course, the time between the advent of Moses (a.s.) and the advent of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) lasted about two thousand years.

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﴿46﴾ وَمَا کُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَیْنَا وَلَکِن رَّحْمَةً مِن رَّبّ-ِکَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوْماً مَّآ أَتَاهُم مِن نَّذِیرٍ مِن قَبْلِکَ لَعَلَّهُمْ یَتَذَکَّرُونَ

46. “ And you were not on the side of the Mount Tūr when We called (unto Moses), but (this revelation is) a mercy from your Lord that you warn a people to whom no warner had come before you, in order that they may receive admonition.”

There arises a question here that how does the Qur’ān say that no warner had come for this nation (i.e. the Arabs contemporary with the Prophet (p.b.u.h.)), while we know that there comes no time that the earth is empty of a godly Hujjat (proof) and the vicegerents of the prophets had always been present among this nation, too?

In answer, we say that its purpose is to send a prophet who had a heavenly Book and was a clear warner, because it prolonged for centuries between the time of Jesus (a.s.) and the advent of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) when no arch-prophet came, and this very matter gave a pretext to the atheists and mischief-makers.

In one of his sermons, Ali (a.s.) says: “Verily Allah sent Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) when none among the Arabs read a (heavenly) Book or claimed prophethood. He guided the people till he took them to their (correct) position and reached them their salvation.”(1)

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﴿47﴾ وَلَوْلآ أَن تُصِیبَهُم مُّصِیبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَیْدِیهِمْ فَیَقُولُوا رَبَّنَا لَوْلآ أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَیْنَا رَسُولاً فَنَتَّبِعَ ءَایَاتِکَ وَنَکُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ

47. “ And were it not that there should befall them a calamity for what their hands have sent before, they would say: ‘Our Lord! Why did You not send to us a messenger so that we might follow Your signs and so be of the believers?’”

because of lacking any leader and if they had divine leader(s) they would not be misguided.

However, this verse is among the verses that have indication to the necessity of Grace through sending prophets. It shows that Allah’s way of treatment is based on this fact that he should not punish any nation for their sins before sending a prophet for them; as Sura An-Nisā’, No. 4, verse 165 says: “(We sent) messengers as givers of glad tidings and as warners, so that people might have no argument against Allah after the (invitations of) the messengers, and Allah is the Mighty, the Wise.”

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p: 330

﴿48﴾ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ عِندِنَا قَالُوا لَوْلآ اُوتِیَ مِثْلَ مَا اُوتِیَ مُوسَی أَوَلَمْ یَکْفُرُوا بِمَآ اُوتِیَ مُوسَی مِن قَبْلُ قَالُوا سِحْرَانِ تَظَاهَرَا وَقَالُوا إِنَّا بِکُلٍّ کَافِرُونَ

48. “ But when the truth came to them from Us they said: ‘Why has he not been given the like of what was given Moses?’ (But) did they not believe also in what Moses was given aforetime? They said: ‘A pair of sorceries supporting each other’. And they (also) said: ‘Verily we disbelieve in all’.”

Did they not say that these two, Moses and Aaron, were two sorcerers who had exchanged hands with each other to misguide them? And, therefore, they said they disbelieved them. The verse continues stating:

“… They said: ‘A pair of sorceries supporting each other’. And they (also) said: ‘Verily we disbelieve in all’.”

Though customarily there must be said /sāhirān/ (sorcerers) in the verse instead of saying /sihrān/, it is for the severity of emphasis, because when, in Arabic, it is speaking about a person earnestly, that person is counted as the exact, for example, justice, or injustice, or magic.

It is also probable that the purpose of /sehrān/ is the two great miracles of Moses: Rod and White Hand.

If someone says what is the connection of these denials with the pagans of Mecca, and it relates to the people of Pharaoh who were infidels? Its answer is that the purpose of it is that the subject of seeking pretext is not a new thing. All of them are alike and their statement is very similar to that of each other. Their line, method, and program are the same.

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﴿49﴾ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِکِتَابٍ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَی مِنْهُمَآ أَتَّبِعْهُ إِن کُنتُمْ صَادِقِینَ

49. “ Say (O’ Apostle Muhammad): ‘Bring you then a Book from Allah that gives better guidance than both of them (i.e., Torah and Qur’ān), (that) I follow it, if you are truthful’.”

﴿50﴾ فإِن لَّمْ یَسْتَجِیبُوا لَکَ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا یَتَّبِعُونَ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَیْرِ هُدًی مِنَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ یَهْدِی الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِینَ

50. “ But if they do not answer you, then know that they only follow their own low desires, and who is more astray than he who follows his own low desire without any guidance from Allah? Verily Allah does not guide the unjust people.”

It is interesting that through a lot of Islamic narrations, the abovementioned verse has been rendered into those who have not accepted the Divine leaders and have relied only on their own thoughts.(1)

These narrations which have been narrated from Imam Bāqir (a.s.), Imam Sādiq (a.s.) and some other Imams (leaders) of right guidance (a.s.) are, in fact, of the kind of clear aspect. In other words, man is in need of Divine guidance. This guidance sometimes is found in the heavenly Book, sometimes in the person of Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and his way of treatment, sometime in his immaculate vicegerents, and sometimes in the logic of intellect and wisdom. The important thing is that man should be on the line of Divine guidance, not on the line of his own sensual desire, so that he can enjoy the rays of this guidance.

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p: 335

different qualities. They were sometimes with promise of divine rewards, sometimes with warning of Hell Fire, sometimes they were some advices, sometimes they were threats and warnings, sometimes they were accompanied with intellectual reasoning, and sometimes they were about the history of old nations as some useful instructive lessons.

To sum up, it is a complete collection with materials of the same kind which attracts to itself any heart that has a little receptivity, but the blind hearted ones have not accepted it.

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p: 337

﴿52﴾ الَّذِینَ ءَاتَیْنَاهُمُ الْکِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِهِ هُم بِهِ یُؤْمِنُونَ

52. “ Those to when We gave the Book before this (Qur’ān), they believe in it.”

because they find it consistent with the signs that they have found in their own heavenly Book. It says:

“ Those to when We gave the Book before this (Qur’ān), they believe in it.”

It is interesting that these people were a group of the People of the Book, but the verse refers to them as ‘the People of the Book’ without mentioning any quality. Perhaps it means that the real people of the Book were only those ones who believed, and others were naught.

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p: 339

﴿53﴾ وَإِذَا یُتْلَی عَلَیْهِمْ قَالُوا ءَامَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبّ-ِنَآ إِنَّا کُنَّا مِن قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِینَ

﴿54﴾ أُوْلَئِکَ یُؤْتَوْنَ أَجْرَهُم مَرَّتَیْنِ بِمَا صَبَرُوا وَیَدْرَءُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّیّ-ِئَةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ یُنفِقُونَ

53. “ And when it is recited to them, they say: ‘We believe in it, verily it is the truth from our Lord, verily even before it we had surrendered.”

54. “ These shall be granted their reward twice for that they patiently endured, and avert evil with good, and spend out of the sustenance We have provided them with.

They implicitly say that they had found out signs of this Prophet (p.b.u.h.) in their heavenly Book and loved him. They were expecting him, and as soon as they found him, they took him and accepted him eagerly and heartily.

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Then, in the next holy verse, the Qur’ān refers to the great reward of this group of truth seekers and says:

“ These shall be granted their reward twice for that they patiently endured, …”

They will be rewarded once for their belief in their own heavenly Book, to which they were really loyal, and once again for their belief in the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.), the promised prophet whom the earlier Books had informed of.

There is also this probability that they will be granted rewards twice, because, as it is understood from the previous verses, they believed in the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) both before his advent and after his advent. For fulfilling their duty, they showed much patience and perseverance in both stages. Neither the deviated Jews and Christians approved their action, nor the imitation from ancestors and social atmosphere allowed them to leave their former religion. But they stood firm, left their own interests and renounced their sensual desires, and, consequently, they gained the great Divine reward twice.

Then, the Qur’ān points to a group of their righteous deeds, each of which is worthier than the other. These actions are ‘averting evil with good’, ‘spending out of the Divine bounties’, and ‘facing with the ignorant magnificently.’ These qualities added to patience and perseverance, mentioned in the former sentence, make four outstanding qualities. It begins saying:

“… and avert evil with good, …”

p: 341

They avert evils, such as: ugly words with good sayings, the indecency with virtue, the ignorance with knowledge, the enmity and grudge with kindness, and the rupture of relation with friendship and union of kindred. In short, instead of answering vice with vice, they try to repel it with goodness.

This is a very effective style in struggling against mischief, specially against a group of obstinate persons, and the Qur’ān has repeatedly emphasized it. (There is a detailed explanation in this regard when commenting on Sura Ar-Ra‘d, No. 13, verse 22, and Sura Al-Mu’minūn, No. 23, verse 96)

Another thing is that they spend not only out of their property and wealth, but also out of their knowledge, mental power, body strength, and social honour, all of which are sustenance and merits of Allah that they give in the way of Allah. The verse says:

“… and spend out of the sustenance We have provided them with.

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﴿55﴾ وَإذَا سَمِعُوا اللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا لَنَآ أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَکُمْ أَعْمَالُکُمْ سَلاَمٌ عَلَیْکُمْ لاَ نَبْتَغِی الْجَاهِلِینَ

55. “ And when they hear idle talk, they turn away from it and say: ‘We shall have our deeds and you shall have your deeds. Peace be on you, we do not seek the ignorant’.”

Neither we are the people of idle talk, ignorance, and mischief, nor we seek them. We seek for clear-minded scholars, the learned men who practice their own knowledge, and true believers.

Thus, instead of wasting their strength and power in struggling against the blind-hearted ignorant and unaware idle talkers, they honourably pass by them and pay to their own fundamental aims and programs.

It is worthy to note that when these believers face with such people, their greeting is not salutation of ‘meeting’ but it is the salutation of ‘farewell’.

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﴿56﴾ إِنَّکَ لاَ تَهْدِی مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَکِنَّ اللَّهَ یَهْدِی مَن یَشَآءُ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِینَ

56. “ Verily you cannot guide whom you like, but Allah guides whomever He pleases, and He knows best those that are guided.”

Allah knows those who are eligible to accept Faith. He knows which hearts are eager for the Truth, He knows which minds contain the love of Allah. Yes, He knows these persons well and He gives them success, and endows them His grace so that they be guided towards Faith.

But those dark hearted evil doers who are inwardly enemy of the Truth, and they struggle against the messengers of Allah (a.s.) with all their strength, and, from the point of life, they are so polluted and disdained that are not eligible for the light of Faith, Allah (s.w.t.) does not set the torch of success above their way.

Therefore, the purpose of guidance, here, is not ‘showing the way’, because showing the way is the main job of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and he shows the way to everybody unexceptionally, but the purpose of guidance, here, is remittance to that which is sought and causing them to reach the destination. This is only the job of Allah that He spreads the seed of faith in the hearts, and His deed is not done undue either. He looks at the receptive hearts and cast this heavenly light into them.

However, this verse is a kind of console for the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) that he regards this fact that neither the persistence of a group of idolaters of Mecca upon polytheism is undue, nor the sincere faith of the people of Ethiopia, or Najrān and the like in becoming Muslim.

He should never be worried of the disbelief of the first group, because this divine light goes only into the receptive hearts, wherever it arrives it erects camp therein.

There are many examples of this meaning found in the verses of the Holy Qur’ān. Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 272 says: “It is not upon you to guide them (O’ Muhammad), but Allah guides aright whomever He wills. …”

p: 346

Sura Yūnus, No. 10, verse 43 says: “And some of them look at you, but can you guide the blind even though they will not see (inwardly)?”

And, in Sura ’Ibrāhīm, No. 14, verse 4 it says: “… then Allah leads astray whom He pleases and guides whom He pleases, and He is the Mighty, the Wise.”

The last sentence of the recent verse shows that the will of Allah concerning these two groups is not undue, but it is according to His Wisdom and upon the competencies, activities, and efforts of the persons. It is only upon this basis that Allah gives the success of guidance to a group and negates it in another group.

Now pay attention to this matter that the content of this verse, which is a consolation for the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), has been repeated in some other verses of the Qur’ān with some rather different statements and meanings; including, Sura Yūsuf, No. 12, verse 103 that says: “And most people will not believe, though you desire it.” Or Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 272 says: “It is not upon you to guide them (O’ Muhammad), but Allah guides aright whomever He wills. …” Yet, in the commentary of Durr-ul-Manthūr, Vol. 5, as well as some other commentaries, there have been narrated some narrations from Sunnites indicating that when Abūtalib, Ali’s father, was going to die, the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) went to him and suggested Islam to him but he did not accept it, and then this verse was revealed. But apart from the fact that what the occasion of revelation is, or whether it relates to the father of Ali (a.s.) or not, with a little care, the lack of this relation is proved, because the continuation of the verse is about a group of the believers of the People of the Book comparing with the pagans of Mecca. Now, in order to make the fact clear, we discuss on these narrations and the faith of Hadrat Abūtālib.

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‘Allāmah ’Amīnī, the author of the worthy book of Al-Qadīr, in Vol. 8, P. 19 on rejecting all these forged narrations and relying on the historical documents, believes that the narrators of such narrations were either some little infants at the time of the death of Hadrat Abūtālib, or, like ’Abū-Hurayrah, had not embraced Islam yet.

Again, in pages 330 to 410 of the same volume, ‘Allāmah proves that Hadrat Abūtālib was a true believer. He narrates hundreds of poems from that Hadrat himself, ten reminiscences and forty traditions from the Ahl-ul-Bayt of the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) which denote to his belief in Allah and the Messenger of Allah. Some of these evidences are as:

8- The life of Fatimah-Bent-Asad with Abū-Tālib, in whose Islam there is no doubt, is an evidence, because if Hadrat ’Abū-Tālib were not Muslim, a Muslim woman would surely not be his wife.

9- The existence of a great deal of poems which denote to his confess to Islam. Yet, how ignorance, ingratitude and injustice it is that some people persistently tried to say that this sincere Unitarian believer died in paganism.

Of course, it should not be forgotten that the only his unforgivable sin was that he was Ali’s father (a.s.). Ali’s enemies spent a great deal of money in the way of striking him. They concocted many false narrations, and in order to set a kind of relation between Abūtālib, Ali’s father (a.s.), and Abūsufyān, the father of Mu‘āwiyah, they accused Abūtālib of paganism.

For more information, you may refer to the commentary books of Shi‘ah and the narrations of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) cited following the abovementioned verse.

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﴿57﴾ وَقَالُوا إِن نَتَّبِعِ الْهُدَی مَعَکَ نُتَخَطَّفْ مِنْ أَرْضِنَآ أَوَلَمْ نُمَکّ-ِن لَهُمْ حَرَماً ءَامِناً یُجْبَی إِلَیْهِ ثَمَرَاتُ کُلّ ِ شَیْءٍ رِزْقاً مِن لَدُنَّا وَلَکِنَّ أَکْثَرَهُمْ لاَ یَعْلَمُونَ

57. “ And they say: ‘If we follow the guidance with you, we shall be driven out from our land.’ Have We not settled them in a secure sanctuary to which fruits of everything are drawn, as a provision from Us? But most of them do not know.”

so strongly that the best products from different parts of the world are brought towards it, has clearly shown His Power. The One Who has proved such a Might and has provided security and those abundant bounties in this land and every one sees their effects and have enjoyed of them for many years, how He is not able to protect them from the attack of a group of idolatrous Arabs.

When they were in infidelity, they were enjoying of these two great bounties of Allah: security and the merits of life, how is it possible that Allah deprives them from these bounties after Islam? They must be strong-hearted, stand firm and believe in Islam since the Lord of Ka‘bah and Mecca (s.w.t.) is with them.

The Qur’ānic term /yujbā/ (are drawn) is mentioned in the Arabic form of simple present tense. It denotes the continuation of action in both the present and future; and now, after fourteen centuries, we witness the concept of this statement that all kinds of merits are continuously drawn toward this sacred land. Those who go to Mecca see by their eyes that how this dry, hot, grassless land is full of kinds of the best bounties, so that there may not this affluence, from all points of views, be found so easily in any place of the world.

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﴿58﴾ وَکَمْ أَهْلَکْنَا مِن قَرْیَةٍ بَطِرَتْ مَعِیشَتَهَا فَتِلْکَ مَسَاکِنُهُمْ لَمْ تُسْکَنْ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ إِلاّ قَلِیلاً وَکُنّا نَحْنُ الْوَارِثِینَ

58. “ And how many a town We did destroy which exalted in its means of subsistence; so these are their abodes, they have not been dwelt in after them save a little, and We are their heirs!”

Yes, their ruin houses and cities are empty, silent, and ownerless, and if there came some persons into them to live therein they were a few and it was for a short length of time.

O’ the pagans of Mecca! Do you also want to have such a comfortable life, under the shadow of infidelity, the end of which is the same thing that was said? What can the worth of it be?

The application of the Arabic term /tilka/, which is a demonstrative pronoun pointing to a far place and is often used for perceptible things, may refer to the land of ‘Ād and Thamūd and the people of Lot which was not so far from Mecca, viz. in the land of ’Ahqāf (between Yemen and Syria), or in Wād-il-Qurā, or in the land of Sadūm, all of which were on the way of commercial caravans of Arabs of Mecca to Syria, and those Arabs could see the empty houses of that place with their own eyes and knew that there had dwelt few persons there after them.

The application of the Qur’ānic sentence “… and We are their heirs” points to that place being empty, and is an indication to the real ownership of Allah Who is the owner of everything, and if the nominal ownership of some things is temporarily given to some persons, it will not last long and all of them will disappear and their heirs will be Allah.

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﴿59﴾ وَمَا کَانَ رَبُّکَ مُهْلِکَ الْقُرَی حَتَّی یَبْعَثَ فِی اُمّ-ِهَا رَسُولاً یَتْلُواْ عَلَیْهِمْ ءَایَاتِنَا وَمَا کُنَّا مُهْلِکِی الْقُرَی إِلاَّ وَأَهْلُهَا ظَالِمُونَ

59. “ And your Lord never destroyed the towns until He raised in their centers a messenger, reciting to them Our signs, and We never destroyed the towns except when their people were unjust.”

permanent way of treatment of Allah that He never punishes any nation before giving them enough proofs.

﴿60﴾ وَمَآ أُوتِیتُم مِن شَیْءٍ فَمَتَاعُ الْحَیَاةِ الدُّنْیَا وَزِینَتُهَا وَمَا عِندَ اللَّهِ خَیْرٌ وَأَبْقَی أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ

60. “ And whatever things you have been given are only a provision of the life of this world and its adornment, and whatever is with Allah is better and more lasting, have you then no sense?”

Fakhr-i-Rāzī narrates from one of the jurisprudents who said that if a person makes testament that one third of his wealth must be given to the wisest person among people, his legal opinion was that this one third ought to be given to those who obey the commandment of Allah, because the wisest person among people is the one who gives little (perishing) thing and takes a large (lasting) capital, and this is true only in the obedient persons of the command of Allah.

Then, Fakhr-i-Rāzī adds that it seems that that jurist has taken this legal injunction from the verse under discussion. (Tafsīr-i-Kabīr by Fakhr-i-Rāzī, Vol. 25, P. 6)

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p: 357

At first, through a question, the Qur’ān wants the conscience of all to judge, when it says:

“ Is he then unto whom We have promised a goodly promise which he shall meet it, similar to him whom We have provided with the provision of the life of this world, then on the Day of Hereafter he shall be of those brought up (for punishment)?”

Then the terms /duniyā/ and /adnā/ have sometimes been used for the small creatures which are available, versus huge creatures, and sometimes it has been used for some mean things versus good and exalted things, and sometimes for ‘near’ versus ‘far’. And, in view of the fact that the life of this world in the face of the life of the next world is both small and worthless, and near, then the appellation of /hayāt-ud-duniyā/ (the life of this world) is perfectly fitting.

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﴿62﴾ وَیَوْمَ یُنَادِیهِمْ فَیَقُولُ أَیْنَ شرَکَآءِیَ الَّذِینَ کُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ

﴿63﴾ قَالَ الَّذِینَ حَقَّ عَلَیْهِمُ الْقَوْلُ رَبَّنَا هَؤُلآءِ الَّذِینَ أَغْوَیْنَآ أَغْوَیْنَاهُمْ کَمَا غَوَیْنَا تَبَرَّأْنَآ إِلَیْکَ مَا کَانُوا إِیَّانَا یَعْبُدُونَ

﴿64﴾ وَقِیلَ ادْعُوا شُرَکَآءَکُمْ فَدَعَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ یَسْتَجِیبُوا لَهُمْ وَرَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ کَانُوا یَهْتَدُونَ

62. “ And on the Day (when) He will call them and say: ‘Where are My associates whom you were asserting?’”

63. “ Those against whom the sentence has been confirmed will say: ‘Our Lord! These are they whom we led astray; we led them astray, as we were astray ourselves. To You we declare ourselves to be clear (of them). They were not unto us worshipping’.”

64. “ And it will be said (unto them): ‘Call your associate (gods)’. So they will call upon them, but they will not answer them, and they will see the punishment and would wish that they had been guided aright.”

“ And on the Day (when) He will call them and say: ‘Where are My associates whom you were asserting?’”

It is evident that this question is an objurgatory question, for on the Hereafter Day, when the curtains will be removed and everything is manifest, neither paganism is meaningful nor pagans have remained on their belief. So, this question is only a kind of reproach and punishment, or a kind of reprimand and retribution.

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But instead of pagans, that must answer this question themselves, their objects of worship will start speaking and express their hatred from them. We know that their objects of worship were sometimes idols made of stone and wood, and sometimes some sacred beings such as angels and Jesus Christ, and sometimes Jinns and Satans. Here, the third group will speak who will be referred to in this verse, which says:

“ Those against whom the sentence has been confirmed will say: ‘Our Lord! These are they whom we led astray; we led them astray, as we were astray ourselves. To You we declare ourselves to be clear (of them). They were not unto us worshipping’.”

The abovementioned verse is similar to Sura Yūnus, No. 10, verse 28 which says: “… and their associates shall say: ‘It was not us (indeed) that you used to worship’.” Thus, the seductive objects of worship, such as: Pharaoh, Namrūd, and Satans and Jinns will proclaim their hatred from such worshippers and defend themselves. They will also negate even aberration from themselves and implicitly say that the worshippers followed them with their own accord.

But it is clear that neither this negation has any effect nor that hatred and repudiation are useful, and they will surely share the sin of their worshippers.

p: 362

wants to disgrace such pagans and their astray objects of worship before the public, they will go to their gods and ask them to help them, but it is clear that they will not answer them. At this time, they will see the chastisement of Allah by their own eyes, and they gain nothing but failure and disgrace, because the only way of salvation is Faith and righteous deed which they do not have. The verse says:

“… So they will call upon them, but they will not answer them, and they will see the punishment and would wish that they had been guided aright.”

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﴿65﴾ وَیَوْمَ یُنَادِیهِمْ فَیَقُولُ مَاذَآ أَجَبْتُمُ الْمُرْسَلِینَ

﴿66﴾ فَعَمِیَتْ عَلَیْهِمُ الاَنْبَآءُ یَوْمَئِذٍ فَهُمْ لاَ یَتَسَآءَلُونَ

﴿67﴾ فَاَمَّا مَن تَابَ وءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً فَعَسَی أَن یَکُونَ مِنَ الْمُفْلِحِینَ

65. “ And on that Day He will call them and say: ‘What was the answer you gave to the messengers?’”

66. “ On that Day (all) tidings will be dimmed for them, nor will they ask each other.”

67. “ But any that (in this life) repents, and believes, and works righteousness, haply he shall be one of the prosperous ones.”

them, called them sorcerers and insane ones, and struggled against them with weapons and killed both them and their followers, their statement will be the cause of their disgrace and misery.

And, since the Qur’ān always leaves the door open for the sinners and pagans to return to the truth in what stage of mischief and pollution they may be, by the next verse it adds:

“ But any that (in this life) repents, and believes, and works righteousness, haply he shall be one of the prosperous ones.”

Therefore, the way of felicity is summed up in three phrases: returning to Allah, Faith and righteous deeds in this world the result of which will certainly be: deliverance, salvation and prosperity.

Though whoever has true Faith and righteous deed will surely be prosperous, the usage of the word /‘asā/ (haply) in the verse may be for the sake that this prosperity is conditioned to the existence and continuation of this state, and since the existence and continuation of this state is not certain for all the repentant, the word ‘haply’ has been used for it.

Some commentators have also said that when this word, haply, is said by a generous personality, its concept is the certainty of the matter, and Allah is ‘The Most Generous’.

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﴿68﴾ وَرَبُّکَ یَخْلُقُ مَا یَشَآءُ وَیَخْتَارُ مَا کَانَ لَهُمُ الْخِیَرَةُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَتَعَالَی عَمَّا یُشْرِکُونَ

﴿69﴾ وَرَبُّکَ یَعْلَمُ مَا تُکِنُّ صُدُورُهُمْ وَمَا یُعْلِنُونَ

﴿70﴾ وَهُوَ اللَّهُ لآ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِی الأُولَی وَالاَخِرَةِ وَلَهُ الْحُکْمُ وَإِلَیْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

68. “ And your Lord creates whatever He pleases, and He chooses: They have not the choice. Glory be to Allah, and exalted be He above what they associate (with Him)!”

69. “ And your Lord knows what their breasts conceal and what they manifest.”

70. “ And He is Allah, there is no god but He! His is all praise in this (life) and the Hereafter, and His is the authority, and unto Him you shall be returned.”

“… and He chooses: They have not the choice. …”

This His sovereignty over everything is a reason for His authority unto all things, and, in the meantime, it is a threat for the pagans who should not imagine that Allah is not aware of their intentions and plots.

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The last verse of the abovementioned verses is, in fact, as a conclusion and explanation for the previous verses in the field of negation of polytheism. It points to four qualities of the Attributes of Allah, all of which are derivatives of His creative power and His Will being independent. It says:

“ And He is Allah, there is no god but He! …”

How can an object of worship, except Him, be found while He is the only creator and all authorities belong to Him? Those who, as a pretext of intercession and the like of it, go to idols are seriously in error.

Another thing is that all bounties, whether in this world and the next, are from His side, and this is the requisite of His absolute creative Power. Therefore, it says:

“… His is all praise in this (life) and the Hereafter, …”

﴿71﴾ قُلْ أَرَأَیْتُمْ إِن جَعَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَیْکُمُ الَّیْلَ سَرْمَداً إِلَی یَوْمِ الْقِیَامَةِ مَنْ إِلَهٌ غَیْرُ اللَّهِ یَأْتِیکُم بِضِیَآءٍ

أَفَلاَ تَسْمَعُونَ

71. “ Say: ‘Have you thought, if Allah made the night everlasting for you till the Day of Resurrection, what god other than Allah shall bring you illumination? Will you not hear?”