[24].Surah An-Nur [The Light]: Ayat 39

৩৯. যাদের কাফের, তাদের কর্ম মরুভূমির মরীচিকা সদৃশ, যাকে পিপাসার্ত ব্যক্তি পানি মনে করে। এমনকি, সে যখন তার কাছে যায়, তখন কিছুই পায় না, এবং পায় সেখানে আল্লাহকে, অত:পর আল্লাহ তার হিসাব চুকিয়ে দেন। আল্লাহ দ্রুত হিসাব গ্রহনকারী।

Ayat 39. As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one thinks it to be water, until he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing, but he finds Allah with him, Who will pay him his due (Hell). And Allah is Swift in taking account.

 

[Tafseer]of ayat 39. But the Unbelievers,- their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: But he finds Allah (ever) with him, and Allah will pay him his account: and Allah is swift in taking account. We have had various metaphors to give us an idea of the beneficent Light of Allah in the spiritual world. Now we have contrasted metaphors to enable us to see those who deny or refuse that Light, and are overwhelmed in utter darkness. The Light (of Allah) is an absolute Reality, and is mentioned first, and the souls that follow that Light are a reflected reality and are mentioned after the Light. On the other hand the Darkness is not a reality in itself, but a negation of reality; the reflected existences that refuse the Light are mentioned, and then their state, which is Unreality. Two metaphors are given: a mirage, in this verse, and the depths of darkness in the sea, in the next. The mirage, of which I have seen several instances in the Arabian deserts and in Egypt , is a strange phenomenon of illusion. It is a trick of our vision. In the language of our Parable, it rejects the Light which shows us the Truth, and deceives us with Falsehood. A lonely traveler in a desert, nearly dying of thirst, sees a broad sheet of water. He goes in that direction, lured on and on, but finds nothing at all. He dies in protracted agony. The rebel against Allah finds himself like the man deluded by a mirage. The Truth which he rejected is always with him. The mirage which he accepted leads to his destruction.

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) said, "He who spends a pair in the way of Allah will be called from the gates of Jannah: `O slave of Allah! This gate is better for you' and one who is constant in Salat (prayer), will be called from the Gate of Salat; and whoever is eager in fighting in the Cause of Allah, will be called from the Gate of Jihad; and who is regular in observing Saum will be called from Ar-Raiyan Gate. The one who is generous in charity will be called from the Gate of Charity.'' Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH)! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! Those who are called from these gates will stand in need of nothing. Will anybody be called from all of those gates?'' He replied, "Yes, and I hope that you will be one of them.''

[Al-Bukhari Book 03, Chapter 31, Hadith # 121]. 

 

Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah An-Nur Ayat 39.Allah is Swift in taking account." "Pair'' means two; in other channels of transmission, it has been explained thus: "They asked him, `Pair of what?' He [SAWW](PBUH) said, `A pair of horses, cows or camels'.'' "Pair'' in this Hadith, however, can be all-inclusive; i.e., fasting two days or performing two prayers, etc. This Hadith also mentions special distinction of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (May Allah be pleased with him) and the esteem in which he was held by the Prophet [SAWW](PBUH). It also transpires from this Hadith that one can praise such a person right on his face about whom one does not fear that it will make him proud. This Hadith has also an inducement for giving in Sadaqah two instead of a single item.

[24].Surah An-Nur [The Light]: Ayat 37

৩৭.এমন লোকেরা, যাদেরকে ব্যবসা-বানিজ্য ও ক্রয়-বিক্রয় আল্লাহর স্মরন থেকে, নামায কায়েম করা থেকে এবং যাকাত প্রদান করা থেকে বিরত রাখে না। তারা ভয় করে সেই দিনকে, যেদিন অন্তর ও দৃষ্টিসমূহ উল্টে যাবে।

Ayat 37. Men whom neither trade nor sale diverts them from the Remembrance of Allah (with heart and tongue), nor from performing As­Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), nor from giving the Zakat. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (from the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection).

[Tafseer] of ayat 37. By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of Allah, nor from regular Prayer, nor from the practice of regular Charity: Their (only) fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be transformed (in a world wholly new),-"Remembrance of Allah" is wider than Prayer: it includes silent contemplation, and active service of Allah and His creatures. The regular Prayers and regular Charity are the social acts performed through the organized community. Some renderings suggest the effects of terror on the Day of Judgment. But here we are considering the case of the righteous, whose "fear" of Allah is akin to love and reverence and who (as the next verse shows) hope for the best reward from Allah. But the world they will meet will be a wholly changed one. 

Hazrat Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) came out during the night and observed (TARAWEEH) prayer in the mosque and some of the people prayed along with him. When it was morning the people talked about this and so a large number of people gathered there. The Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) went out for the second night, and they (the people) prayed along with him. When it was morning the people began to talk about it. So the mosque thronged with people on the third night. He (the Holy Prophet [SAWW](PBUH) ) came out and they prayed along with him. When it was the fourth night, the mosque was filled to its utmost capacity but the Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) did not come out. Some persons among then cried:" Prayer." But the Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) did not come to them till he came out for the morning prayer. When he had completed the morning prayer, he turned his face to the people and recited Tashahhud (I bear testimony that there is no god but Allah and I bear testimony that Muhammad is His Messenger) and then said: Your affair was not hidden from me in the night, but I was afraid that (my observing prayer continuously) might make the night (TARAWEEH) prayer obligatory for you and you might be unable to perform it.

[Muslim Book 004, Chapter 117 Hadith Number 1667]. 

 

Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah An-Nur Ayat 37.Men whom neither trade nor sale diverts them from the Remembrance of Allah (with heart and tongue), " .It is well to keep the priorities of things mentioned in the Hadith as one gets the reward of following the Sunnah remembrance of Allah day and night " .

[24].Surah An-Nur [The Light]: Ayat 36

৩৬. আল্লাহ যেসব গৃহকে মর্যাদায় উন্নীত করার এবং সেগুলোতে তাঁর নাম উচ্চারন করার আদেশ দিয়েছেন, সেখানে সকাল এবং সন্ধ্যায় তাঁর পবিত্রতা ও মহিমা ঘোষনা করে;

Ayat 36. In houses (masjids), which Allah has ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be honoured), in them His Name is glorified in the mornings and in the afternoons or the evenings, 

[Tafseer]  of ayat 36. (Lit is such a Light) in houses, which Allah hath permitted to be raised to honour; for the celebration, in them, of His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings, (again and again), The punctuation of the Arabic text makes it necessary to carry back the adverbial clause, "in houses", to something in the last verse, say "Lit from a blessed Tree"-the intervening clause being treated as parenthetical. That is, in all places of pure worship; but some Commentators understand special Masjids, such as the Ka'bah in Makkah, or the Mosques in Madinah or Jerusalem ; for these are specially held in honour. In the evenings: the Arabic word is Aisha I, a plural of a plural, to imply emphasis: I have rendered that shade of meaning by adding the words "again and again".

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) said, "The dearest parts on the face of the earth near Allah are its Masjid, and the most hated parts near Allah are its markets.''

[Muslim Book 04, Chapter 92, Hadith # 1416].

 

Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah An-Nur Ayat 36.In houses (masjids), which Allah has ordered to be raised" The superiority of the mosques is self evident. People pray and worship Allah in the mosques and recitation of Qur'an goes on there. While in the market places people forget to remember Allah and indulge in such forbidden acts as fraud, lies and gossip. In fact, it is not the place itself which is disliked but the bad things which are bound to happen in it, they are not the places of choice and are not liked.

[24].Surah An-Nur [The Light]:Ayat 35

৩৫. আল্লাহ আকাশমন্ডলী ও পৃথিবীর জ্যোতি, তাঁর জ্যোতির উদাহরন যেন একটি দীপাধার, যাতে আছে একটি প্রদীপ, প্রদীপটি একটি কাঁচপাত্রে স্থাপিত, কাঁচপাত্রটি উজ্জ্বল নক্ষত্র সদৃশ্য। তাতে পুত:পবিত্র যয়তুন বৃক্ষের তৈল প্রজ্বলিত হয়, যা পূর্বমুখী নয় এবং পশ্চীমমুখীও নয়। অগ্নি স্পর্শ না করলেও তার তৈল যেন আলোকিত হওয়ার নিকটবর্তী। জ্যোতির উপর জ্যোতি। আল্লাহ যাকে ইচ্ছা পথ দেখান তাঁর জ্যোতির দিকে। আল্লাহ মানুষের জন্য দৃষ্টান্তসমূহ বর্ননা করেন এবং আল্লাহ সব বিষয়ে ঞ্জাত।

Ayat 35. Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as (if there were) a niche and within it a lamp, the lamp is in glass, the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east (i.e. neither it gets sun-rays only in the morning) nor of the west (i.e. nor it gets sun-rays only in the afternoon, but it is exposed to the sun all day long), whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself), though no fire touched it. Light upon Light! Allah guides to His Light whom He wills. And Allah sets forth parables for mankind, and Allah is All-Knower of everything.

 
[Tafseer] of ayat 35. Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the West, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things. Embedded within certain directions concerning a refined domestic and social life, comes this glorious parable of Light, which contains layer upon layer of transcendental truth about spiritual mysteries. No notes can do adequate justice to its full meaning. Volumes have been written on this subject, the most notable being al Ghazali's Mishkat al Anwar. In these notes I propose to explain the simplest meaning of this passage. The physical light is but a reflection of the true Light in the world of Reality, and that true Light is Allah. We can only think of Allah in terms of our phenomenal experience, and in the phenomenal world, light is the purest thing we know, but physical light has drawbacks incidental to its physical nature: e.g., (1) it is dependent on some source external to itself: (2) it is a passing phenomenon: if we take it to be a form of motion or energy it is unstable, like all physical phenomena; (3) it is dependent on space and time; its speed is 186,000 miles per second, and there are stars whose light takes thousands (or millions or billions) of years before it reaches the earth. The perfect Light of Allah is free from any such defects. The first three points in the Parable centre round the symbols of the Niche, the Lamp, and the Glass. (1) The Niche (Mishkah) is the little shallow recess in the wall of an Eastern house, fairly high from the ground, in which a light (before the days of electricity) was usually placed. Its height enabled it to diffuse the light in the room and minimized the shadows. The background of the wall and the sides of the niche helped throw the light well into the room, and if the wall was white-washed, it also acted as a reflector: the opening in front made the way for the light. So with the spiritual Light: it is placed high above worldly things: it has a niche or habitation of its own, in Revelation and other Signs of Allah; its access to men is by a special Way, open to all, yet closed to those who refuse its rays. (2) The Lamp is the core of the spiritual Truth, which is the real illumination; the Niche is nothing without it; the Niche is actually made for it. (3) The Glass is the transparent medium through which the Light passes. On the one hand, it protects the light from moths and other forms of low life (lower motives in man) and from gusts of wind (passions), and on the other, it transmits the light through a medium which is made up of and akin to the grosser substances of the earth (such as sand, soda, potash, etc.), so arranged as to admit the subtle to the gross by its transparency. So the spiritual Truth has to be filtered through human language or human intelligence to make it intelligible to mankind. The glass by itself does not shine. But when the light comes into it, it shines like a brilliant star. So men of God, who preach Allah's Truth, are themselves illuminated by Allah's Light and become like illuminating media through which that Light spreads and permeates human life. The olive tree is not a very impressive tree in its outward appearance. Its leaves have a dull greenish-brown colour, and in size it is inconspicuous. But its oil is used in sacred ceremonies and forms a wholesome ingredient of food. The fruit has a specially fine flavour. For the illuminating quality of its oil, This mystic Olive is not localized. It is neither of the East nor the West. It is universal, for such is Allah's Light. As applied to the olive, there is also a more literal meaning, which can be allegorized in a different way. An olive tree with an eastern aspect gets only the rays of the morning sun; one with a western aspect, only the rays of the western sun. In the northern hemisphere the south aspect will give the sun's rays a great part of the day, while a north aspect will shut them out altogether, and vice versa in the southern hemisphere. But a tree in the open plain or on a hill will get perpetual sunshine by day: it will be more mature, and the fruit and oil will be of superior quality. So Allah's light is not localized or immature: it is perfect and universal. 3002 Pure olive oil is beautiful in colour, consistency, and illuminating power. The world has tried all kinds of illuminants, and for economic reasons or convenience, one replaces another. But for coolness, comfort to the eyes, and steadiness, vegetable oils are superior to electricity, mineral oils, and animal oils. And among vegetable oils, olive oil takes a high place and deserves its sacred associations. Its purity is almost like light itself: you may suppose it to be almost light before it is lit. So with spiritual Truth: it illuminates the mind and understanding imperceptibly, almost before the human mind and heart have been consciously touched by it 3003 Glorious, illimitable Light, which cannot be described or measured. And there are grades and grades of it, passing transcendently into regions of spiritual height, which man's imagination can scarcely conceive of. The topmost pinnacle is the true prototypal Light, the real Light, of which all others were reflections; the Light of Allah. Hence the saying of the Holy Prophet about Allah's "Seventy thousand veils of Light". 

Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: We took Suhur (predawn meal) with the Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) and then we stood up for (Fajr) Salat (prayer). It was asked: "How long was the gap between the two?'' He replied: "The time required for the recitation of fifty Ayat.''

[Al-Bukhari Book # 01, Chapter # 10, Hadith # 550]. 

Lesson : We learn from this Hadith that Suhur should be taken towards the end of its timing. This is the Sunnah of the Prophet [SAWW](PBUH). One should, however, take care that it is done before dawn.

[24].Surah An-Nur [The Light]: Ayat 34

৩৪. আমি তোমাদের প্রতি অবতীর্ন করেছি সুস্পষ্ট আয়াতসমূহ, তোমাদের পূর্ববর্তীদের কিছু দৃষ্টান্ত এবং আল্লাহ ভীরুদের জন্য দিয়েছি উপদেশ।

Ayat 34. And indeed Allah have sent down for you Ayat (The Quran, proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) that make things plain, and the example of those who passed away before you, and an admonition for those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious ).

[Tafseer] of ayt 34. We have already sent down to you verses making things clear, an illustration from (the story of) people who passed away before you, and an admonition for those who fear (Allah). This prepares the way for the magnificent Verse of Light that follows, and its sublime meaning.

Hazrat Amr bin Al-Aas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) said, "The difference between our observance of Saum (fasting) and that of the people of the Scriptures is Suhur (predawn meal in Ramadan).''

[Muslim Book 06, Chapter 09, Hadith # 2413].  

Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah An-Nur Ayat 34."that make things plain, and the example of those who passed away before you, and an admonition for those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious )" We learn from this Hadith that Suhur is a distinctive mark with which Allah has blessed the Muslim Ummah.