15. Surah Al-Hijr

Commentary From: ذَرْ‌هُمْ يَأْكُلُوا (Let them eat ...3) we can see that the making of eating and drinking the real occupation and aim of life, and keeping glued to long-drawn material plans while surrounded by countless things of worldly comfort, and becoming totally heedless to death, is something which can be done only by the disbelievers. The reason is that they do not believe in the 'Akhirah, the life to come, and the accounting of deeds there, and the reward and punishment for it. As for eating and drinking, a believer does it too, and takes care of economic needs to the measure of necessity, and makes future plans for occupation and business as well. But, a believer would not make all these efforts by forget-ting death and ignoring the concern for 'Akhirah. Therefore, he is careful about everything he does and finds out whether it is Halal or Haram, permissible or forbidden. Then, he does not occupy himself in the making of wasteful or unnecessary plans and projections, as hobby or compulsion. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: Four things are signs of being unfortunate: (1) Not being able to shed tears (that is, not being in tears when ashamed of acts of negligence and sin); (2) and hard-heartedness; (3) fanciful hopes and plans for the future; (4) and the greed for worldly things. (Qurtubi from Musnad al-Bazzar from Sayyidna Anas ؓ And the expression: يُلْهِهِمُ الْأَمَلُ 'let (their) fancy make them neglectful' means the making of long-drawn plans with engrossing love, and the greed for the material without any concern for death and 'Akhirah. (Qurtubi). As for plans made to achieve religious objectives, or those made to guard the future interests of a people or country, they are not included here - because, that is a form of the concern for 'Akhirah itself. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: The first set of people from this Ummah will have their salvation because of their perfect faith, and avoidance of the pursuit of the material (dunya); and the later people of the Ummah will be destroyed because of miserliness, and fancies projected too far. It has been reported from Sayyidna Abu Ad-Darda' ؓ that he stood up on the Mimbar of Jami' Masjid of Damascus and said: '0 people of Damascus, would you listen to what this well-wishing brother of yours has to say? So, listen to me. There have been big people before you who made big money, collected gold and things, built magnificent palaces and made long-hauled plans and projections for the future. Today they are dust. Their residences are their graves. And all their long winded hopes and plans have proved to be no more than a web of deception. Close to you lived the people of ` Ad who had stuffed their country with their fighting men, wealth, means, possessions, arms and horses. Is there someone around who would be ready to buy what they left behind as their legacy for two silver dirhams from me?' Imam Al-Hasan Al-Basri (رح) said: A person with long plans, hopes and fancies is bound to ruin his proper conduct in life. (Al-Qurtubi)

Explanatory Notes 1. The word: الْحَقِّ (what is true) in: إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ (ilia bi al-l aqq: translated as 'except with what is true' ) means the decision to send down punishment. Some commentators take them to be denoting the Qur’ an, or prophethood. In Bayan al-Qur'an, preference has been given to the first meaning which has been reported from al-Hasan al-Basri (رح) . Maulana Ashraf ` Ali Thanavi (رح) has explained these verses as given below. And these disbelievers (of Makkah) said to the Holy Prophet ﷺ : "0 you to whom the Qur’ an has been revealed, (as you claim, then,) you are certainly (God forbid) insane (and your claim to prophethood is false, otherwise) why would you not bring the angels to us (who will testify your truthfulness before us - as in Surah Al-Furqan: لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ فَيَكُونَ مَعَهُ نَذِيرً‌ا : 'Why is not an angel sent down unto him, to be a warner with him? [ 25:7] which is answered by Allah Ta’ ala:) We send down the angels (in the manner asked by them) only to enforce a decision (and had that been the case) then they would have been given no respite either (in fact, when they would have not believed even after their having come - as their ways guarantee - they would have been destroyed instantly, the reason for which has already appeared in the later verses of the first section of Surah Al-An’ am: 6:8, 9).

Commentary An Episode from the Court of Ma'mun Imam Al-Qurtubi has authentically reported an event from the court of ` Abbasi Khalifah, Al-Ma'mun. He was used to patronizing occasional debates on intellectual issues at his court where all scholars were welcome. It so happened that a Jew came to attend one of these debates. By his looks, dress and manners, he seemed to be an elegant person. Then, his address during the debate was eloquent and intellectually bright. When the meeting was over, Ma'mun called for him and asked him if he was an Israelite, which he confirmed. To test him, Ma'mun asked him to become a Muslim in which case he could hope to have the best possible treatment from him. He said that he was not willing to leave the religion of his forefathers which was his religion too. The matter ended there. That person went away. Then, after a year, the same person returned as a Muslim and made a very distinct contribution in the court meeting on the subject of Islamic jurisprudence. After the session was over, Ma'mun called for him and asked him if he was the same person who had come last year. He said: Yes, I am. Ma'mun asked: At that time you had refused to accept Islam. Tell me what made you accept Islam now. He said: When I went back from here, I decided to do some research on contemporary religions. I am a scribe. I write books and sell them. They bring good price. This time I wanted to make a test. First, I calligraphed three manuscripts of the Torah in which I made some additions and deletions on my own. I took these manuscripts to the Synagogue. The Jews found them interesting and bought them. Then, I did the same things with the Injil. I calligraphed three manuscripts, complete with my additions and deletions, and took them to the Church where the Christians were pleased with these manuscripts and bought them from me. After that, I tried the same thing with the Qur’ an . I calligraphed three good looking manuscripts of the Qur'an, of course with the usual additions and deletions of my own. When I went out to sell them, I faced a problem. Every buyer I went to would take the manuscript, look into it to determine if it was correct or not, and when he would notice additions or deletions made into it, he would quietly return the manuscript back to me. From this episode, I learnt my lesson that this Book is protected, and protected by Allah Ta` ala Himself, therefore, I embraced Islam. Qadi Yahya ibn Aktham, the narrator of this event says that, by chance, he had the tauf` iq of performing his Hajj in the same year. There he met Sufyan ibn ` Uyainah to whom he related this event. He said: Surely, this is how it should be because this is confirmed by the Qur’ an. Yahya ibn Aktham asked about the ayah he had in mind. He said: When the glorious Qur’ an mentions the Torah and the Injil, there it says: بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُوا مِن كِتَابِ اللَّـهِ (that is, the Jews and Christians have been entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the Torah and Injil, the Books of Allah - 5:44). This is the reason why, when the Jews and Christians did not fulfill their duty of protecting them, these Books were lost through distortions and alterations. This is contrary to the case of the Holy Qur’ an about which Allah Ta’ ala has said:إِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ (And We are there to protect it - 9). Thus, when Allah Ta’ ala Himself arranged to have it remain protected, then, despite thousands of efforts made by enemies, not a single change in one tiny dot or case mark could be made. Today, over fourteen hundred years have passed since even the blessed age of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and there has been a shortfall and neglect on the part of Muslims in all areas of their religious matters, yet the continuous arrangement of memorizing the Holy Qur’ an all over the world stands firmly established as it was. In every period of time, there are millions of Muslims, old and young, male and female, always present on the scene, blessed people in whose hearts and minds the Holy Qur’ an lives protected. Before them, not even the highest of the high religious scholar can dare recite a single letter of the Qur’ an wrong, for there would be around at that time many, seniors or children, who would promptly apprehend the error. The Promise to Protect the Qur'an Includes the Protection of Hadith As a matter of principle, all learned people agree that the Qur’ an is neither the name of the words of the Qur’ an alone, nor that of its meanings alone, instead, a combination of both is called the Qur’ an. The reason is that Qur'anic meanings and subjects appear in other books as well, and as for Islamic writings, their subjects are essentially Qur'anic, but they are not called Qur’ an - because, they are not the words of the Qur’ an. Similarly, if a person were to borrow different words and sentences from the Holy Qur’ an and write an article or treatise, no one will call this too by the name of Qur’ an, even though there is no word from outside the Qur’ an. This tells us that the Qur'an is the exclusive name of the particular Divinely revealed Book the words and meanings of which are simultaneously protected. This also leads us to the ruling that the practice of people who publish the translation of the Qur’ an only in a foreign language and give it the name, for example, an English Qur’ an or an Urdu Qur’ an, is not permissible at all - because, that is not the Qur’ an. And when we know that Qur’ an is not the name of the words of the Qur’ an alone, but that its meaning too are a part of it, then, the responsibility of protecting the Qur’ an taken upon Himself in this verse by Allah Ta’ ala covers the total protection of the words of the Qur’ an as well as the meanings of the Qur’ an in that they remain protected against alteration or distortion. And it is obvious that the meanings of the Qur’ an are the same as the Holy Prophet ﷺ ﷺ was sent to teach - as pointed out in the Qur’ an: لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ (16:44). It means: 'You have been sent to explain the meaning of what has been revealed for them.' And this is what the verse: يُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ : 'Teaches them the Book and the Wisdom' (3:164) also means. And that is why he said: اِنَّمَا بُعِثتُ مُعَلِّماً 'As for me, I have been sent as a teacher.' Now, when the Holy Prophet ﷺ was sent to explain the meanings of the Qur'an and to impart education to people, then, he used a set of his sayings and doings as the medium of instruction for his community, and this very set of his words and deeds is known as the Hadith. One who says that the Ahadith of the Rasul ﷺ of Allah are not absolutely protected is really saying that the Qur'an is not protected. There are people around who would like to deceive the whole world by saying that the treasure of Ahadith present in authentic books is not trustworthy because it has been documented much later than the blessed age of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . First of all, even this assumption of theirs is not correct because the process of protection and documentation of Ahadith had already started within the age of prophethood itself, though it was completed later. In addition to that, the Hadith of the Rasul of Allah is really the explanation of the Qur’ an and the meaning of the Qur’ an. Their protection is something which Allah Ta’ ala has taken upon Himself. Then, how can it be possible that only the words of the Qur’ an remain protected while the meanings of the Qur’ an (that is, the Ahadith of the Rasul) go to waste?

A Lexical Note of Explanation The word: اَلشِيَعِ in the first verse (10) is the plural form of: شِیعہ (shah) which means the follower or helper of a person. Then, it is also used to denote a group which agrees upon particular beliefs and theoretical assumptions. So, the sense of the statement is that Allah Ta’ ala has sent messengers among every group or sect. Here, by using the word: فِی in فِي شِيَعِ الْأَوَّلِينَ ( in place of اِلٰی : ila: to (translated as 'among the groups of earlier peoples' ), the hint given is that the messenger for every group was sent from among that particular group so that people would find it easy to trust him, and that he too, by being aware of their taste and temperament, could make appropriate plans to work for their reform.

Sequence Mentioned in the previous verses was the doggedness and hostility of deniers and disbelievers. In the present verse, and in those which follow immediately after, clear proofs of the Oneness, Knowledge and Power of Allah Ta’ ala have been given. Described alongside is what transpires before His creation between the heavens and the earth, a little deliberation in which on the part of a sensible person would make any denial impossible. Commentary The word: بُرُ‌وجًا ; is the plural of: بُرُج (burj) which is applied to big palaces and castles and to similar other structural entities. Tafsir authorities Mujahid, Qatadah, Abu Salih and others have explained 'buruj' at this place in the sense of big stars. As for the statement in this verse which points to the creation of these big stars in the sky, the word: السَّمَاءِ (as-sama’) sky means atmosphere which, in common modern day terminology, is called the 'space.' The application of 'as-sama" in both these senses is common, and recognized. Thus, the physical presence of deep space is identified as 'as-sama" and the atmosphere much lower than it has also been repeatedly termed as 'as-sama" in the Holy Qur'an. As for the planets and stars being in the space, and not in the skies, the relevant investigative details, as coordinated with the verses of the Qur’ an and classical and modern astronomy, will Insh’ Allah appear under our comments on the verse: تَبَارَ‌كَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ بُرُ‌وجًا وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَ‌اجًا وَقَمَرً‌ا مُّنِيرً‌ا (Blessed is He Who made in the sky stellar formations and made in it the Sun and the Moon providing light) of Surah Al-Furqan (25 :61).

Commentary The Meteor The first thing these verses prove is that the shaitans have no access to the heavens. That shaitan the accursed was in the heavens at the time of the creation of Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) and that he deceived 'Adam and Hawwa (Eve) (علیہما السلام) were events which took place before they appeared on the earth. Upto that time, the entry of the Jinns and shaitans in the heavens was not prohibited. It was after the coming down of Sayyidna 'Adam I and the expulsion of the shaitan that this entry was banned. From what has been said in Surah Al-Jinn: أَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِ ۖ فَمَن يَسْتَمِعِ الْآنَ يَجِدْ لَهُ شِهَابًا رَّ‌صَدًا (And we used to sit in ambush at places from it so as to eavesdrop. Whoever then tries to hear would find for him a flame in hot pursuit - 72:9), it appears that, before the coming of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، the shaitans could overhear about things happening in the heaven through the mutual conversation of angels. This does not necessarily imply that that the shaitans used to hear about such information by entering into the heavens. The first sentence of the verse quoted above: نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ gives the sense that they would enter the atmospheric zone where clouds abound like thieves, would sit there in ambush and hear. These words themselves are indicative of no other possibility but that the entry of the Jinns and the shaitans had continued to be banned in the heavens - but, they would reach the outer atmosphere of the skies and hear a little by stealth. It was after the advent of the Prophet of Islam, peace and blessings be on him, that an additional arrangement was activated when the shaitans were stopped even from this covert eavesdropping through meteors or shooting stars (Al-Shihab Al-Thaqib) which zoom in upon them from the outer space with enormous speed. Now the question, as to how could the shaitans hear the conversation of angels taking place inside the heavens while they were out of it, is not something just impossible. It is quite probable that the heavenly bodies not be prohibitive of the audition of sounds, and it is also not far out that the angels sometimes come lower down the heavens and engage them-selves in some conversation hearing which the shaitans used to run. A Hadith of Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ appearing in the Sahih of Al-Bukhari confirms this very probability. She said that the angels sometimes come down as far as where the clouds are and talk about the heavenly happenings among themselves. It was in this atmospheric zone of the skies that the shaitans used to hide themselves in to hear this news. This furtive effort of theirs was stopped through Al-Shihab Al-Thaqib, the shooting stars. Detailed comments on this subject will, Insh’ Allah, appear in Surah Al-Jinn under our exegesis of the verse: أَنَّا كُنَّا نَقْعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمْعِ (72:9). Now, the second question we have here is that of Al-Shihab Al-Thagib, meteors or shooting stars, in these verses. According to the statements of the Holy Qur'an, it appears that these 'shihabs' or flames are formed to hit the shaitans in order that the revelation remains protected. In other words, the shaitans are driven away through them so that they would not overhear angels. The difficult part of the question relates to the fact that the presence of shooting stars in outer space is nothing new. Falling stars were seen even before the coming of the Holy Prophet ﷺ - and this phenomena continues later than that as well. If so, how can it be said that the shooting stars show up to drive the shaitans away, which is the particular feature of the age of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ? Obviously, this seems to support the view of the scientists who say that meteors become so hot from rushing through the air that they glow and often burn up which gives onlookers the impression that a star has fallen. Therefore, in usage, this is identified as a falling star. The Arabic language itself has an expression: اِمقِضَاض اَلکَوَاکَب (inqidad al-kaukab) which is a virtual synonym, of the falling of a star. However, the answer is that there is no contradiction here. One or more scientific explanations for this phenomena could be possible, for ex-ample, vapours rising from the earth surface may heat up at some point, or the speed of the meteors makes them glow and burn, or a flame emits from a star - and this may have habitually continued since ever. But, before the coming of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، these flames were not employed to serve a particular purpose. However, after his coming, meteoric flames were employed to serve the purpose of shooting the shaitans who would come up to stealthily hear the conversation of angels. This is how ` Allamah Al-'Alusi has interpreted it in Ruh al-Ma’ ani. There he reports that someone asked Imam Zuhri, the Hadith authority, that stars used to fall even before the coming of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . He said: "Yes." Thereupon, this person confronted him by quoting the verse cited above. Then he said: "The shooting stars, no doubt, did exist before - but, after the coming of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، when the shaitans were dealt with sternly, these were employed to drive them away." In a Hadith of the Sahih of Muslim, there is a narration from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ which reports the saying of the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself on this subject. According to this report, he was sitting with a group of his Sahabah ؓ when they saw a star falling. He asked them: at did you take the falling of a star to be during the days of Jahiliyyah, that is, before Islam? They said: We took it to be a sign of some major upheaval in the world, or that a prominent man would die, or be born. He said: This is absurd. It has nothing to do with someone's death or birth. As for these flames, they are thrown to dispel the shaitans. To sum up, it can be said that the view of scientists about the shooting stars is also not contrary to the Qur’ an, and it is also not too far out to state that these flames were made to fall directly from some stars. Whichever way it is taken, the purpose of the Qur'an stands proved clearly.

Commentary Divine Wisdom: Balanced Provision for Human Needs One sense of the expression: مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَّوْزُونٍ (everything in balance - 19) is what has been taken in the present translation of the text, that is, it was in His infinite wisdom that He caused everything that grows to grow in a determined measure, not less than that which would have made life difficult, and not too much which would have also brought difficulties of a different nature. If grains like wheat and rice and the best of fruits around were to grow in such excess that stockpiles of them remain behind even after their liberal consumption by human beings and animals, then, it is obvious that they would go bad, or their possible storage (in ideal natural state) will be difficult under varying conditions, and if they had to be dumped, then, not much space will be left for such mega dumpings. This tells us that it was also within the power of Allah Ta’ ala that He would have caused grains and fruits on which human life depends to grow in such abundance that everyone would have them free everywhere so much so that, despite their care-free use, stores upon stores of them would have kept lying around. But, this situation could have turned into a punishment for human beings, therefore, these were provided in a particular measure and balance so that their worth and value remains actively recognized, and that they are not left over only to go to waste either. And this expression: مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَّوْزُونٍ (everything in balance) could also be taken in the sense that Allah Ta’ ala has created everything that grows in a suitable and proportionate manner which gives it beauty and attraction. Trees are different, so are their trunks, branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. Different are their sizes, shapes, colours and tastes. at one readily sees is their happy balance and delightful looks. Everyone enjoys having them around. But, a full comprehension of the wisdom which has gone into their making is not possible for any human being.

Water Supply: The Unique Divine Arrangement In verse 22, from: وَأَرْ‌سَلْنَا الرِّ‌يَاحَ (And We send forth winds ...) to: مَا أَنتُمْ لَهُ بِخَازِنِينَ (and you are not able to store it), a hint has been given to this wise arrangement through which a formidable system has been established to provide water for all human beings, animals, cattle, birds and beasts who live on this earth as and when they need it. Under this arrangement, everyone gets water everywhere, under all conditions, as needed, for drinking or bathing or washing or for irrigating farms and trees. This is water at no cost. As for those who would spend to dig a well or put water pipes to receive the supply of water, they only pay for the means and facilities. No one can pay for even a drop of water, nor has anyone been asked to pay for it. Mentioned first in the verse was how Divine power has set in motion its unique system of delivering water from the sea all over the earth by creating vapours in the sea which generated the substance of rains (the monsoons) and on top of it fanned the winds which would transform it into clouds making them as if they were mountain-like planes laden with water. Then, comes the task of having these giant planes carrying their cargo of water reach every nook and corner of the world where it must reach. And then this mission is accomplished directly under Divine command whereby these gigantic auto planes would rain down a specific quantity of water over a specific area of the earth, as commanded. In this manner, water from the sea is home-delivered to all inhabitants of the earth, human beings, and animals, wherever they may be. Then, this system takes care of seeing that an equally unique change is made in the taste and properties of the water being delivered. We know that Allah Ta’ ala has, in His wisdom, made sea water so salty and brackish that tons and tons of salt is extracted and used from it. The element of wisdom behind it is that this great sea sphere which is home to mil-lions and billions of life forms, and their burial place too where they die and disintegrate. Then, foul water from all over the earth (despite much publicized ecological concerns voiced by the polluters themselves) ulti-mately gets delivered in it. Had this been sweet water, it would have gone bad within a day, and its stench would have been so severe that it would have become a health hazard for the dwellers on land. Therefore, nature made it so acidly brackish that it would just burn up the filth which keeps reaching it from all over the world. So, it was based on this wise consideration that the sea water was made salty, rather brackish, which cannot be drunk or used to quench thirst. Certainly great is the Divine system which not only made water planes designed as clouds to carry the priceless treasures of water, but did much more when it activated its own desalination without the help of huge mechanized plants used for this purpose in our time. It only took the period of time from the rising of the monsoons until the rains fell down on the earth that salt from sea water separated and sweet water was what we got. A reference to this appears in Surah Al-Mursalat (77:27) where it is said: وَأَسْقَيْنَاكُم مَّاءً فُرَ‌اتًا : It means: We gave you water to drink which quenches thirst. The word: فُرَات (furat) used here signifies thirst-quenching sweet water. In other words, the sense is that Allah has made the salty water of the sea go through His own desalination plant in the clouds and has arranged for you to have sweet drinking water out of water which was brackish. The same subject occurs in Surah Al-Waqi` ah (56:68-70) where it is said: أَفَرَ‌أَيْتُمُ الْمَاءَ الَّذِي تَشْرَ‌بُونَ أَأَنتُمْ أَنزَلْتُمُوهُ مِنَ الْمُزْنِ أَمْ نَحْنُ الْمُنزِلُونَ لَوْ نَشَاءُ جَعَلْنَاهُ أُجَاجًا فَلَوْلَا تَشْكُرُ‌ونَ You see the water you drink? Is it you who bring it down from the cloud, or are We the senders? If We had willed, We would have made it bitter. Why, then, would you not be grateful? Upto this point, we have seen the spectacular manifestation of Divine power as to how it has picked up water from the sea, changed it into sweet water, and delivered it through clouds all over the world with such efficiency of management that it reached not only the human beings of every region but was also passed on to animals and wildlife which are not within the range of human inquiry. Water was, so to say, home-delivered to them - and free of cost too, in fact, they had to have it. But, this arrangement does not solve the problem faced by human beings and animals because they need water every day, rather every moment. Therefore, one method of fulfilling their daily demand was to have rains come every day, twelve months a year. But, under this arrangement, their elemental need for water would have been taken care of to a certain degree, however, the disturbance they would have faced in other economic activities is not difficult to foresee, at least for those who have the experience. Constant rain, every day of the year, would have affected health and caused gridlocks in transportation, hazards in movement and sluggishness in business. Also possible was a second method that there be enough rain in particular months of the year so that the water from it becomes sufficient for the rest of the months. But, this method would have required that everyone be assigned a quota of water which may be entrusted to each such person with the ground rule that they would keep the quota and share of water thus received under their personal custody. Now, just imagine. If this was done, how could every human being have managed to assemble enough water containers of suitable sizes and capacities in which water needed for a period of three to six months could be stored? Even if, this could somehow be done, it goes without saying that this water would have gone bad within a few days drinking which, in fact, using which for some other purpose would have been out of the question. Therefore, Divine power introduced yet another unique system to preserve it and make it become available as and when and where needed. We see that some portion of the water rained down is immediately put to use when it helps farms and trees to bloom and human beings and animals to quench their thirst. Part of it gets deposited and preserved in open ponds and lakes. Then a greater portion of it is trans-formed into ice - a frozen sea - which is so conveniently put atop mountain peaks. Neither dust, nor filth can touch it. Had this water remained in the liquid form, there would have been the danger of its being contaminated with dust or filth brought by the winds. May be birds and animals would have fallen into it, and died, which would have spoiled this water. But, what Divine power did was to take this treasure of water, turn it into a virtual sea of ice, and put it on top of the mountains from where it keeps seeping into the pores of the mountains and then becomes what streams are and thus it reaches everywhere. Places where there are no streams either, water keeps flowing under the earth surface like human veins in every region of the world. Dig a well, it would come out. To sum up, this Divine system of water supply holds thousands of blessings in its fold. First of all, the creation of water is in itself a great blessing. Then, making it reach all regions of the earth is the second blessing. Then, making it potable is the third blessing. Then, giving human beings the opportunity to drink it is the fourth blessing. Then, the formidable system of collecting and preserving water according to its need is the fifth blessing. And then, giving men and women of this world the ability to benefit by it is the sixth blessing - because, despite water being available, there may be unwelcome circumstances or natural and man-made calamities due to which one may not remain capable enough to drink water. In the present verse of the Holy Qur’ an: فَأَسْقَيْنَاكُمُوهُ وَمَا أَنتُمْ لَهُ بِخَازِنِينَ (and gave it to you to drink, and you are not able to store it - 22), a clear hint has been given to these blessings, and also a warning (to those who refuse to see truth as it is): فَتَبَارَ‌كَ اللَّـهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ Blessed is Allah, the best of creators.

Going Ahead and Remaining Behind in Righteous Deeds: The Difference in Degrees Some exegetic interpretations of the words: (al-mustaqdimin) : 'those who go ahead' and: (al-musta'khirin) : 'those who remain behind' appearing in verse 24: الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ ~.A11 have been variously reported from Tafsir authorities among the Sahabah ؓ and Tabi` in. These are: 1. 'Al-Mustaqdimin' are those born to date, and 'Al-Musta'khirin' are those not born yet [ Qatadah and ` Ikrimah ]. 2. 'Al-Mustaqdimin' means the dead, and 'Al-Musta'khirin' means those alive till now [ Ibn ` Abbas and Dahhak ] 3. 'Al-Mustaqdimin' signifies good people who came before the appearance of the Ummah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، and 'Al-Mustakhirin' refers to his Ummah itself [ Mujahid ]. 4. 'Al-Mustaqdimin' denotes people who obey Allah and do good deeds while 'Al-Musta'khirin' refers to people who disobey Him and neglect what is good [ Hasan and Qatadah ] 5. 'Al-Mustaqdimin' are people who remain ahead in the rows of Sal, or in the front lines of Jihad, and in other righteous deeds - and 'Al-Musta'khirin' are those who remain behind in these deeds of merit, stay in the rear rows and are used to being late [ which is the Tafsir given by leading authorities Hasan al-Basri, Said ibn al-Musaiyyab, al-Qurtubi, al-Sha` bi and others ] It is obvious that there is no distinct conflict or contradiction in these sayings, in the real sense. They can be accommodated all in one because the all-encompassing knowledge of Allah Ta` ala covers all kinds of people 'who go ahead' or 'remain behind.' In his Tafsir, Al-Qurtubi has said that this verse indicates the merit of performing Salah in the first row, and soon after the time it becomes due. This is in accordance with the Hadith where the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said: If people were to find out the enormous merit of calling the Adhan and standing in the first row of Salah, everyone would have started making the effort to necessarily stand in the first row, and when there would remain no space for everybody to stand there, lots would have to be drawn. With this, Al-Qurtubi has also reported the saying of Sayyidn Ka'b ؓ : 'There are some people in this Ummah who, when they put their forehead on the ground for their Sajdah, forgiveness is granted to all those who are praying behind them.' Therefore, Sayyidna Ka'b liked to be in the last row in the hope that 'perhaps, there may be in the front rows, some servant of Allah of the class, because of whose barakah (blissful presence), I may be forgiven.' What is apparent here is that real merit does lie in praying in the first row - as stands proved from the clear statements of the Qur'an and Sunnah. But, a person who does not, for some reason, find a place in the first row, then, he too will have a sort of merit in that there may perhaps be some righteous servant of Allah praying in the front rows for whose sake, he too may be forgiven. And the way praying in the first row of Salah stands proved from this verse, also proved is the superiority of being in the front lines of Jihad.

Commentary Blowing of Spirit into the Human Body and Making Angels Prostrate to him: A Brief Review Is the spirit (Ruh) a physical entity, or pure essence? On this subject, there has been a difference of opinion among the learned since a long time. According to Ash-Shaykh ` Abd Al-Rauf Al-Munawi, there are upto a thousand positions taken by them. But, they are all based on conjectures. None of them can be called certain. Imam Al-Ghazali, Imam Razi and mystic scholars and thinkers maintain that it is no physical entity. It is pure essence. Imam Razi has advanced twelve arguments in support of this view. But, the majority of the ` Ulama' of the Muslim Ummah declare Ruh (spirit, soul) to be a highly refined physical entity. The word: (nafkh) means to blow, to breathe into. If we were to go by the consensus of the majority of Ulama and take Ruh to be a refined physical entity, then breathing into it becomes evident by itself. And if we were to accept it to be pure essence, then breathing into it would mean establishing its connection to the body. (Bayan a1-Qur'an) Ruh (spirit) and Nafs (self): The View of Qagli Than' ullah (رح) Leaving this long-winding debate aside, we consider it sufficient to refer the reader to a special research presented by Qadi Thana'ullah Panipati (رح) in his Tafsir Mazhari. The respected commentator says that Ruh has two kinds: (1) Higher (`’ Ulwi) and (2) Lower (Sifli). The higher Ruh is bereft of matter and is a creation of Allah Ta’ ala the comprehension of whose reality is difficult. The masters of insight by illumination (ahl al-kashf) see its real station to be above the Throne ('Arsh عَرش) because it is more refined than the ` Arsh. And this higher Ruh, as seen through illumination, is sensed in five degrees at upper and lower levels. Their number is five and they are: (1) The heart (Qalb) (2) The spirit (Ruh) (3) The mystery (Sirr) (4) The secret (Khafii) (5) The most secret (Akhfa). These are all from the refine-ments of the domain of Divine command towards which the Holy Qur’ an has hinted by declaring: قُلِ الرُّ‌وحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ‌ رَ‌بِّي (Say, "The spirit is from the command of my Lord - 17:85). As for the lower Ruh, it is a refined vapour which emerges from the combination of the four elements of the human body, that is, from fire, water, dust and air, and this lower Ruh is called the self (nafs). Allah Ta’ ala has made this lower spirit called self a mirror of the higher spirits mentioned above. An illustration would make it clear. If we were to hold a mirror against the sun, then, despite that the sun is far far away, its reflection comes into the mirror. And because of the light, that too starts glowing like the sun. It even receives the heat of the sun in it which could burn a piece of cloth. The same thing applies to the higher spirits. Though they are, because of their purity and detachment, very high and elevated in station, and far distant too, yet their reflection appears in the mirror of the lower spirit and transfers the states and effects of the higher spirits into it. When these very effects take root in human selves, they become known as subordinate parts of each individual's spirit. Then, this lower form of spirit which is identified as Nafs or self armed with the states and effects which it has acquired from the higher forms of spirits first gets connected with the heart muscle of the human body. This connection itself is another name for life. Once the lower spirit relates to the human heart, it infuses in it life and cognitions which it has acquired from the higher spirits. This lower spirit then starts circulating through the thin veins spread throughout the body and thus reaches every part of it. It is this infusion of the lower spirit into the human body which has been called the 'blowing or breathing of the spirit' (نَفَخ اَلرُوح): the nafkh of ruh) because it bears close resemblance to blowing or breathing into something. And, in the present verse, Allah Ta’ ala has attributed the spirit to Himself. He has said: مَن رُوحِی (from My spirit) so that the superior status of the human spirit out of the entire creation becomes evident - because, it has come into existence, without any material substance, only under Divine command. In addition to that, it has a unique ability to accept and absorb the manifestations of Divine light, an ability which does not exist in the spirit of any other living creature other than that of the human person. Though, dust is the dominant element in the creation of man - and that is why the creation of man has been attributed to clay - but, the reality is that man is a combination of ten elements out of which five be-long to the universe of creation (عَالم الخلق) while the other five to the universe of Divine command (' عَالم الأمر). The four elements of the universe of creation are fire, water, dust and air. The fifth is the refined vapour from these four which is called the lower spirit or nafs. As for the five elements of the universe of Divine command mentioned above, they are: (1) heart (qalb) (2) spirit (ruh) (3) mystery (sirr) (4) secret (khafiyy) (5) totally hidden (akhfa). It is because of this comprehensive making of the human model that man became deserving of Divine vice-regency, and very much capable of absorbing the light which helps him know his Lord and, of course, sustaining his own burning quest on the path of love and longing for Him. The outcome, though unspecified as to its actual state, is communion with the Divine because the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said: اَلمَرُء مَعَ مَن اَحَبَّ (One shall be with whoever one loves). And since human beings have the ability to absorb the manifestations of Divine light, and since they have been given the honour of being in communion with the Divine, it came to be the dictate of Divine wisdom that man be made the object of prostration by the angels. It was said: فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ ' (you fall down before him, prostrating - 29)