joshim

๏ By the pressure, (1) indeed, al-insān – the people – are certainly at a loss. (2) Except those who work the corrective deeds, and enjoin each other to the truth, and enjoin each other to patience. (3) ๏

— _al-ʿaṣr_⋆103/1-3

The word ʿaṣr (ʿayn-ṣād-rā) relates to the verb ʿaṣara, meaning “pressed”. The feeling of being pressed by the competition mentioned in the previous chapter, as well as the knowledge that we will all be held to account for our deeds, can cause feelings of helplessness and loss.

Corrective works, being truthful and being patient will relieve the pressure and give us direction and comfort. There is also an emphasis on being social, enjoining each other to good.

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Tagged: #chapter-103 #annotations #ayn-ssad-ra

๏ Woe to every defamer, backbiter! (1) The one who collects wealth and tends to it, (2) thinking that his wealth will immortalise him. (3) But no! Surely he will be thrown in the crusher! (4) And what will inform you what the crusher is? (5) A fire God kindled! (6) Which mounts up upon feelings. (7) Indeed, it is over them, gated, (8) by extended columns. (9) ๏

— _al-humazah_⋆104/1-9

The pursuit of wealth is related to defamation and backbiting. It's also a symptom of delusion: that amassing wealth will give one an enduring presence.

This chapter is a complete contrast to the previous one. It suggests chasing material wealth will never nourish a person’s heart because God’s fire crushes and encloses it.

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Tagged: #chapter-104 #annotations

๏ Have you seen how your lord dealt with the companions of the immoral judgement – al-fīl? (1) Does He not make their plan go astray – taḍlīl? (2) We sent against them swift flocks, (3) striking them with stones from clay. (4) Thus we had them violently consumed. (5) ๏

— _al-fīl_⋆105/1-5

The only other place the phrase “stones from clay” – ḥijāratin min sijjīl – is found in the story of lūṭ (_hūd_⋆11/82 and _al-ḥij’r_⋆15/74). His people were also destroyed with stones from clay.

This chapter is a reference to those people, or people who behaved like them. The theme continues where the previous chapter left off, which mentions fire enclosing the feelings of those who earned God's displeasure. The evil judgements, al-fīl, comes from corrupted hearts and a desire for wealth.

The violent imagery at the end is an indication that they can't be reasoned with; they must be overcome by force.

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Tagged: #chapter-105 #annotations

๏ For the familiarity of (the) collective – quraysh. (1) Their familiarity is the journey of the winter and the summer – al-ṣayf. (2) So let them worship the lord of this house. (3) The one who feeds them against hunger and gives them security from fear. (4) ๏

— _quraysh_⋆106/1-4

The verb qarasha (qāf-rā-shīn) means “He gained, acquired, or earned and collected, for his family.” (Lane (1863) Vol. 8, p. 2986)

The theme of the previous chapter was the destruction brought on the collective which pursued abhorrent acts. That is contrasted here with those who are familiar with ‘alterity’. To become familiar with God’s bayt, one must bring together experiences of death and hardship, as well as growth and warmth. Because the ebbs and flows of life is God’s house, and God feeds and secures those who are devoted therein.

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Tagged: #chapter-106 #annotations #qaf-ra-shin

๏ Have you seen the one who belies the moral obligations? (1) That is the one who repulses the orphans, (2) and feels no urge to feed the poor. (3) So woe to those who pray – muṣallīn, (4) those who are neglectful of their bond – ṣalāt, (5) those who are just for show. (6) ๏

— _al-māʿūn_⋆107/1-6

The previous chapter speaks on familiarity with alterity, and how this relates to God's house, which provides sustenance and faith.

There are people who – despite being familiar – deny the dīn. These moral obligations are expressed through ṣalāt (ṣād-lām-wāw). Our ṣalāt is to care for the vulnerable and feed those in need. There are no excuses for not doing this; we live in a world of abundance – al-kawthar – as stated in the next chapter.

While this chapter is a warning to the muṣallīn, those who are at some level familiar with their pledge, the next chapter speaks about the enemies of the believers. This suggests the jump from being neglectful of your ṣalāt to being an enemy of God is not far.

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Tagged: #chapter-107 #annotations #ssad-lam-waw

๏ Indeed, We have bestowed upon you the abundance. (1) So support your lord and face off. (2) Indeed, your enemy – he is the one cut off. (3) ๏

— _al-kawthar_⋆108/1-3

The word kawthar (kāf-thā-rā) comes from the same root as the word kathīr – many/much. And in’ḥar (nūn-ḥā-rā) is a combative term, meaning to stab, slay, kill or face up to an enemy.

We have much, so it’s right that we connect – ṣalli (ṣād-lām-wāw) – to God and face our enemies without excuses.

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Tagged: #chapter-108 #annotations #kaf-tha-ra #ssad-lam-waw #nun-hha-ra

๏ Say, “O concealers! (1) I do not worship what you worship, (2) and you are not worshippers of what I worship. (3) I am not a worshipper of what you worship, (4) and you are not worshippers of what I worship. (5) For you is your philosophy, and for me is mine.” (6)

— _al-kāfirūn_⋆109/1-6

This chapter is often used as an example of an ‘each to their own’ attitude. But the context of the chapter is antagonistic. The believers are told to face off with the enemy in the previous chapter, 108, and they are victorious in the next chapter, 110. Rather than a call to tolerance, this chapter draws a line in the sand.

The believer faces off with those who oppose and conceal the dīn. The statement, walā antum ʿābidūna mā aʿbud – and you are not worshippers of what I worship – is repeated twice, emphasising to the kāfirūn that there will be no reconciliation while they are in open opposition.

Those who fight against the moral philosophy of islam are denounced, and denounced clearly.

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Tagged: #chapter-109 #annotations

๏ When came the help of God and victory, (1) you saw al-nās – the people enter God’s religion in afwāj – multitudes! (2) So harmonise with the praises of your lord and seek His protection. Indeed He is ever-returning. (3) ๏

— _al-naṣr_⋆110/1-3

God’s help results in people embracing the dīn in great numbers, because the dīn is meant for everyone.

The verb sabaḥa (from sīn-bā-ḥā) relates to gliding, floating in water, or something which becomes dispersed in nature. The final verse says, “fasabbiḥ biḥamdi rabbik” – do tasbīḥ with the praises of your Lord. This tasbīḥ is to harmonise with the people embracing the dīn – to swim among them, become dispersed and one with them.

This is social living and solidarity.

The next chapter tells us what can jeopardise and harm this tasbīḥ.

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Tagged: #chapter-110 #annotations #sīn-bā-ḥā #sin-ba-hha

๏ Perished the hands of the father of the flame – and he perished! (1) What he benefited for himself of his wealth and what he earned, (2) still he will burn in a fire of blazing flames! (3) and his companion, the carrier of the fuel, (4) about her slender neck is a cord of binding rope. (5) ๏

— _al-masad_⋆111/1-5

This comes after a chapter which says God's help results in people embracing the moral philosophy of the way. God's victory is not accumulating wealth.

Two archetypes are mentioned.

The one who with a fiery disposition, with a burning ambition for wealth, will perish.

His enabler and accomplice, the one who fuels his flames, will perish with him. Her beautiful slender neck will be bound to him with a noose. They share the punishment for disrupting the social living of the previous chapter, and defying the unity of God of the next chapter.

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Tagged: #chapter-111 #annotations

๏ Say, “He is God, the one. (1) God, the absolute. (2) He does not beget and He is not begotten; (3) for Him there is none equal.” (4) ๏

— _al-ikhlāṣ_⋆112/1-4

The previous chapter offers a very potent contrast with the message of this one. The father of the flames – abī lahab, and the carrier of the firewood – ḥammālata l-ḥaṭab are destined for the fire. To avoid their fate, our lives must be an expression of the unity of God and His attributes.

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Tagged: #chapter-112 #annotations

๏ Say, “I seek refuge with the Lord of the awakening, (1) from the evil of what He created, (2) and from the evil of the darkness when it spreads. (3) From the evil of the ones who spit at promises, (4) and from the evil of the envious one when he envies.” (5) ๏

— _al-falaq_⋆113/1-5

It could be argued that the dīn project comes to a conclusion in chapter 112, al-ikhlāṣ, which reminds us of the unity of the divine.

The Quran itself concludes with two further chapters, “two sentinels,” as described by Amin Ahsan Islahi. Chapters 113 and 114 are both prayers to God to protect people from evils – they act as a guard of the message found in all the previous chapters.

This chapter speaks about the evil that can come from God's creation, and how darkness can spread from it. The phrase that stands out is in verse four – al-nafāthāti fī l-ʿuqad – literally, “the blowers/spitters in the knots.” The knots, al-ʿuqad, are the pledges, obligations people are tied to by right. Evil, and the undermining of the dīn, comes when people reject their promises, or “spit” at them.

Neglecting obligations leads to inequalities, which in turn brings envy and jealousy.

The intimacy of the people – social living – is threatened by these evils, which is the subject of the next chapter.

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Tagged: #chapter-113 #annotations

๏ Say, “I seek refuge with the Lord of the people, (1) sovereign of the people, (2) a god of the people. (3) Against the evil of the whisperer – al-waswās, the distant – al-khanās! (4) The one who whispers in the chests of the people; (5) he is from the concealed and he is from the people.” (6) ๏

— _al-nās_⋆114/1-6

The term – al-nās – the people, which is repeated several times here, is contrasted against two words: al-waswās – the whisperer, and al-khanās – the distant.

The people oppose the whispering, the covert, duplicitous conduct, that which entices people by appealing to their fears and base desires.

The one who whispers is remote, distant – khanās – from God.

In this chapter, al-nās are not just people, they are people of intimacy. Intimate with the dīn; they speak and act with transparency and honesty, neither succumbing to nor engaging in whispering. They are not distant or remote.

This chapter is a request to God from the believer to protect the intimacy of al-nās.

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Tagged: #chapter-114 #annotations #quran-interpetation