Tafseer

We often make empty du’as–they lack in sincerity, but hey, we don’t expect them to be answered. But why do it? Are you just testing Allah?

Think with certiny that Allah will answer your du’a. Make the most sincere, heart-felt du’a of your existance. And have hope that Allah will answer it.

Before Islam, there was a man named Jurayj, a worshipper of Allah. The people around him had intense jealousy of him for this.

The king’s companion pointed out the boy.

Why didn’t he remain silent? For that matter, why does the boy point out the monk later?

Resolve. Ibn Tamiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said “much of your resolve disappears when tortured”. Your determination and strength of will plummets. So the man pointing out the boy, well, his determination couldn’t withstand the torture.

So the king’s soldiers brought the boy to the king, who said “O my boy, your magic heals the blind and cures the lepers …” Then he used flattery. “O my boy, you’re soooooooooooo cool.” And when you flatter someone with pride in their heart, they become deluded. Pride makes you succeptible to delusion.

The king’s companion returned to the king. They knew he was cured–previously, people had to help him find his way in, but now, he waltzed right in.

The king said: “Who gave you back your sight?”

His companion said: “My Lord.”

The king said: “Do you have a Lord other then me?”

His companion said: “My Lord and your Lord is Allah.”

So the king tortured him until he pointed out the boy.

The boy healed the blind and the lepers–the same miracles given to the prophet ‘Isa (Jesus), on whom be peace.

Was he a prophet?

No, he was not.

The difference is: Allah gave the boy karamah, a less intense form of mu’jizah. In a way, karamah mimics mu’jizah, but to a less intense level.

The boy’s powers mimiced the miracles of ‘Isa (alayhi salaam), to a lesser level. And while ‘Isa (alayhi salaam) could resurrect the dead, the boy could not.

The boy used to heal the blind and the lepers and the people. (He wasn’t a prophet: see the next post for more details.) The king’s blind companion (jalees bin malik, or the one who sits next to the king) went to the boy with gifts, and said “these are all for you if you heal me”. The boy said “Truly Allah heals. If you believe in Him, I will pray to Him, and He will heal you.” The man believed, so the boy prayed, and Allah healed the man.

Tafseer by the Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, has multiple purposes.

1. Explains: It explains vague commands such as Hajj, and clarifies details. It also explains unclear concepts, such as the “white thread of dawn [seperated from] the black thread of night”.
2. Connotations: Example forthcoming inshaAllah.
3. Clarifies: With commands like “amputate the hand of the theif”, it clarifies (they must steal something worth 25 dinar or more, the item must be properly guarded, it cannot be food, etc.)
4. Intent of Verses: Tafseer by the Sunnah reveals the intent behind verses, such as the last two verses of Surah Fatiha: “not of those who earned your anger, nor of those who went astray” — the Jews earned the anger of Allah, and the Christians went astray. May Allah guide them.
5. Abbrogation Explaination: Tafseer by the Sunnah sorts out the order of abbrogation. For example, alcohol was mentioned multiple times in the Qur’an–as something with good and evil in it (and more evil then good), as something outlawed, and so on.

Wallahu ‘alim.

In Surah Nisaa, Allah says:

Translation: And who-so-ever obeys Allah and the Messenger, shall be with those whom Allah has blessed-the Prophets, the truthful (siddiyqin) and the martyrs (shuhada) and the righteous (saliheen). What excellent companions these are that one may get! [Surah An-Nisaa, verse 69]

Prophets are those Allah blessed with divine revelation. Allahu ‘alim, all prophets carry some sort of miracles. Regarding the other three, Mawdudi states¹:

In Surah Baqarah, verse 24, Allah says:

Translation: […] Fear the fire whose fuel is people and stones (Surah Baqara: 2:24)

Why stones, you ask? Because idols are made of stones. Subhanallah. People and stones will fuel the Hellfire, the way gasoline fuels cars. May Allah protect us all from that horrid end, ameen.

(1) Pickthall, Muhammad M., trans. Al-Qur’an Al-Kareem: Parallel Arabic text with English Translation. One Ummah Network. 8 Feb. 2006 <http://www.oneummah.net/quran/quran.html.

Musaylimah used to pray three times a day. He used to lie and say Qur’an was revealed to him, and he’d make up verses of “Qur’an”. In one instance, the people came to him and asked “was anything revealed?” “Not yet.” And later, “anything yet?” “Nope.”. And later “Anything yet?” “Nope.”

At one point, some people came to him and one said “was anything revealed to the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم)?” and another replied “Yeah, wal-Asr …” (Surah Asr). So they asked Musaylimah, “Was anything revealed to you, Musaylimah?” and he said something like, “‘The elephant … and what will make you understand the elephant? It has a ropey tail and a long trunk.’¹ … What do you think?” and the person said “I swear by Allah, that you know that I know that you’re a liar.” And on the heels of that: “A liar from Rabiyyah (an area in Najd) is more beloved to us then a truthful person from Muddah (where the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) was from).”

In Surah Nisaa, Allah says:

Translation: If We had ordered them to sacrifice their lives or to leave their homes, very few of them would have done it. But if they had done what they were (actually) told, it would have been best for them, and would have gone farthest to strengthen their (faith). And We should then have given them from our presence a great reward. And We should have shown them the Straight Way. (Al-Quran, Surah Al-Nisaa, 4:66-68)¹