Fate of Aspirers of the Earthly as against the Heavenly
in Islam as per the Quran and Shari'ah
ABSTRACT
in Islam as per the Quran and Shari'ah
ABSTRACT
The Holy Quran is a very wide and equally deep ocean of wisdom and enlightenment. There is something in it for all levels of knowledge and scholarship. There are more than one ways to approach it. There are different kinds of gems to look for. As a PPK Muslims our first and foremost duty is to learn to live by our religion in our homes and offices, our schools, colleges and universities, in the bazaar, parties and festivities and also in our religious and political debates and discussions.
The ayah under discussion:
“But as for those who care for the [good of the] life to come, and strive for it as it ought to be striven for, and are [true] believers - they are the ones whose striving finds favour [with God]!”
The ayahs following and preceding3-4 the index ayah are also included to get the full meaning:
“All [of them] - these as well as those - do We freely endow with some of thy Sustainer's gifts, since thy Sustainer's giving is never confined [to one kind of man]”.
“Unto him who cares for [no more than the enjoyment of] this fleeting life We readily grant thereof as much as We please, [giving] to whomever it is Our will [to give]; but in the end We consign him to [the suffering of] hell;1 which he will have to endure disgraced and disowned!”.
The index ayah is referring to those who long and wish for the Hereafter. It is stressed that merely desiring it is not going to be fruitful. There are two prerequisites to “earn” happiness in the hereafter:
1) “Wa sa’aa lahaa sa’yohaa” i.e strive for it as it ought to be striven for.
2) The second condition which Bari Ta’aala has added is that the aspirer for the Hereafter should be a believer. Yousuf Ali summarises eloquently the message of this ayah “A mere wish for moral and spiritual good is not enough. It must be backed up by hard endeavour and supported by a lively Faith”.
The ayah following the index ayah declares one of the universal Divine principles. Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo declares here that he extends his reward and generosity to both the groups as he pleases
—those lost in this world and those who are aspiring for the Hereafter; the just and the unjust; the deserving and the undeserving.
And finally the preceding ayah. Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo is addressing those who wish for the “aa’jilaa” i.e. this world. Our Parwardigaar declares that even to those desirous of this world only, HE will reward them for their efforts. This explains why one can see prosperity and abundance among the obvious sinners and even the wicked. But Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo predicts for them dire consequences in the Hereafter. They will be disgraced and rejected, left burning in Hellfire.
August 24, 2016
Read ONLY, IF AND WHEN you have time and mood for:
“An Ayah of the Quran for 30 Days” -- August 2016
Choose the section you have time, in the next 30 days to read this ayah:-
Prelude: Recurrent Primary Message 1st. Page
Starting Dua, a note & The Ayah 2nd. Page
A Short Summary: None NA Pages
The Main Story: Recommended Two Pages
Footnotes: For the Perfectionist One Pages
PRELUDE
From the Pen and Perspective of a self-styled PPK Muslim (Proud, Practicing, Knowledgeable) with a humble submission that Islam totally rejects Blind Following BUT vigorously focusses on the Limitations of Pure Human Reasoning..............and clearly and comprehensively AlLAH knows best.
In the beginning of the seventh century C.E., the folks of Mecca and Medina had a fascinatingly unique window: they had direct access to the Heavens through one of their own. They were blessed with a regular stream of Divine counseling and guidelines. Question and answer sessions were part of the program. Even individual questioner was graced by an answer. In the short Introduction to this scheme they were assured that at the end of this twenty-two year project, Divine Directions and Admonitions will continue through the agency of the PEN. The whole discourse has been preserved and archived till eternity under the guarantee of our Lord and Creator. This record in known as the Quran.
It should sound unbelievable but factually appears to be true: Many of our prevalent, widespread and important concepts and opinions about religious matters do not have a basis in the Quran and sometimes even appear to be in obvious conflict with the teachings of the Quran. It would be very educative and helpful to discuss an Ayah once a month to see if it supports or rejects our views and actions in our daily life. I wish and hope this email generates a fruitful interactive discussion.
DUAA’
بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ
In the name of Allah, we praise HIM, seek HIS help and ask for HIS forgiveness. Whosoever Allah guideth none can misguide; whosoever HE allows to fall astray, none can guide him right. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah alone and we bear witness that Mohammed, SAW is HIS slave-servant and the Seal of HIS Messengers.
Further, we recall that Allah Ta’aala has declared in HIS Book1 “He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message (or remember or receive admonition) but men of understanding (or intellect)” and we also recall that he has warned us about the day of judgement2 “Then on that day you shall most certainly be questioned about the boons (joy, pleasure).” We realise, that there cannot be a greater boon or blessing or benefit than wisdom and we wonder if this should be a timely reminder to very many of us sincere and practicing Muslims who use our critical thinking to enhance the mundane for ourselves and our families but resort to compulsory following -- taqleed, doctrine of classical Sunni Islamic Fiqh -- in matters religion.
(NOTE: I have filtered out the proofs and details into the Footnotes for those who have the time and interest for them. The main email will then be reasonable length, hopefully for the busy majority. What follows is not a sermon; I do not feel qualified to give one, anyhow. I wish, it may provide a food for thought. A caveat seems in order: If the ayah selected pertains to issues we face in our daily life with our family, friends, neighbours or peers it may affect us personally and lead to some self analysis and soul searching which in turn could be divisive and distressing. If taken in the right spirit, it can be a humble attempt towards finding the “straight path”.)
THE AYAH
Surah Al Isra No. 17, Ayah 19
وَمَن أَرادَ الآخِرَةَ وَسَعىٰ لَها سَعيَها وَهُوَ مُؤمِنٌ فَأُولٰئِكَ كانَ سَعيُهُم مَشكورًا
But as for those who care for the [good of the] life to come, and strive for it as it ought to be striven for, and are [true] believers - they are the ones whose striving finds favour [with God]!
A SHORT VERSION
None
THE MAIN STORY
“I am convinced about the veracity of my opinions, but I do consider it likely that they may turn out to be incorrect. Likewise, I am convinced about the incorrectness of the views different from mine, but I do concede the possibility that they may turn out to be correct.” — Imam Shafa’i
The Holy Quran, as all of us are sure about is a very wide and equally deep ocean. There is something in it for all levels of knowledge and scholarship. There are more than one way to approach it. There are different kinds of gems to look for. It also reflects the growth of the fledgling and nascent Ummah from the abyss of Kufr to the highly successful and respectable first batch of Ummat-e-Muslimah. Accordingly the tone, language and message of the Holy Text keeps on changing to reflect this growth. Hence the Makki surahs have an entirely different taste and fragrance that those of Madni Surahs. As a PPK Muslims our first and foremost duty is to learn to live by our religion in our homes, and offices, our schools and colleges and universities, in the bazaar, parties and festivities and also in our religious and political debates and discussions. The ayahs 19 to 35 of Surah Al Isra (no. 17) provide us ample guidance just to do all this. I intend to discuss them in our future sessions. The index ayah is the first of these.
The ayah can be labelled as the Unit of the Quran and is very frequently quoted as such. It conveys a strong message by itself. However it is not always so. Frequently other ayahs following or preceding have to be added to bring out the full meaning. The index ayah is a good example. The next ayah can actually be considered a part of it as far as the contents are concerned:3
“All [of them] - these as well as those - do We freely endow with some of thy Sustainer's gifts, since thy Sustainer's giving is never confined [to one kind of man]”.
To make sense of this ayah, we need to include the ayah preceding the index ayah in our discussions4:
“Unto him who cares for [no more than the enjoyment of] this fleeting life We readily grant thereof as much as We please, [giving] to whomever it is Our will [to give]; but in the end We consign him to [the suffering of] hell;1 which he will have to endure disgraced and disowned!”.
Now the sense is complete. We need the preceding and the following ayah of the index ayah to understand the theme. The three ayahs together convey the purport of the Quran. This is a good example of the intricacies of correctly understanding our Holy Text. A single ayah, a group of consecutive ayahs, a group of ayah spread in different surahs, the cause for the revelation (shane nuzool), the context and back ground of the ayah etc. may all be needed to appreciate the Devine message. Let me hasten to add that more often than not a single ayah conveys not one but multiple ideas and commands.
The ayah is referring to those who long and wish for the Hereafter. It is stressed that merely desiring it is not going to be fruitful. There are two prerequisites to “earn” happiness in the hereafter:
1) “Wa sa’aa lahaa sa’yohaa” i.e strive for it as it ought to be striven for.
Strive we have to; this is just common sense. But note what our Creator has conditioned our effort with. Our efforts have to measure up to “saa’yahaa”. Literally this word means “the effort”. As part of this ayah its meaning has been stated by various scholars as “as it ought to be striven for” or “with the necessary effort due for it” or “with all due striving” or “as he ought to strive” or “exerts the effort due to it” or “with the effort necessary” or “as he should (endeavor)”. In short our struggle for the Hereafter should match the status and significance of our target. We should try to observe all the commandments of Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo. Mufti Mohammed Shafi elaborates thus: “In this verse by adding the word: sa’yohaa (as due), it has been made explicit that every deed and every effort is not necessarily beneficial or acceptable with Allah. Instead, the only deed or effort credible is that which is appropriate to the essential objective (of the Hereafter). And whether or not it is appropriate can only be found out from the statement of Allah and His Messenger . Therefore, even well meaning efforts made by insisting on bland personal opinion and self-invented ways - which includes common customs of Bid'ah (innovations in established religion) - no matter how good and beneficial they may appear at their face, but are not appropriate to the effort made for the Hereafter. Consequently, they are neither acceptable with Allah nor are they of any use in the Hereafter”. For further elaboration let me quote Tafsir Ruh al-Maani which says, while explaining this term: “……the 'effort' should be in accordance with 'sunnah.' Along with it this effort or deed should also have uprightness and firmness. In other words, this deed should be beneficial in accordance with the Sunnah as well as it should be upright and constant. Doing it haphazardly or doing it in a cycle of doing and not doing is not good. It never yields the maximum benefit”.
2) The second condition which Bari Ta’aala has added is that the aspirer for the Hereafter should be a believer. What does this mean? A person who is seeking the Hereafter is taken for granted that he must have faith in his Lord Creator. True, but this has to be reinforced, declaring faith in eternal and all powerful being and complete subservience to HIS commands. Additionally, the faith should be free of any tinge of Shirk, as pointed out by Amin Ahsan Islahi in his tafseer. “Since caring and striving for the good of the hereafter presupposes belief in God and in man's responsibility before Him, it is obvious that the term "believer" relates, in this context, to a cognition of God's absolute oneness and uniqueness as well as to a willing acceptance of the guidance offered to man through prophetic revelation” elaborates Dr. Mohammed Asad.
Yousuf Ali summarises eloquently the message of this ayah “A mere wish for moral and spiritual good is not enough. It must be backed up by hard endeavour and supported by a lively Faith”. If these two conditions are fulfilled Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo promises at the end of ayah that these efforts will be duly appreciated by HIM.
The ayah following the index ayah declares one of the universal Divine principles. But to understand this ayah one has to refer to the ayah preceding the index ayah (which we will discuss next) wherein folks longing only for the mundane are discussed. Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo declares here that he extends his reward and generosity to both the groups —those lost in this world and those who are aspiring for the Hereafter; the just and the unjust; the deserving and the undeserving — as he pleases. Those heedless of the akhirah will not be punished for it in this world; they will get due return here for their labour.
It is to be regarded as a gift (at’aa) from him totally at HIS discretion. No one group has a say in what they or the other group gets.
And finally the preceding ayah. Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo is addressing those who wish for the “aa’jilaa”. Lexically it means “immediate”. Its antonym is “Akhiraa" (Hereafter). In the context of this ayah it is variously translated as “quick-passing”, “transitory”, “the immediate” and “the hasty world”. By consensus, the word refers to this world and for obvious reasons. Our Parwardigaar declares that even to those desirous of this world only, HE will reward them for their efforts; but HE will give what ever HE wants and to whomever HE desires. Amin Ahsan Islahi and Javed Ahmed Ghamdi highlight this in their respective exegesis as a part of Sunnat-e-Ilahi. The aspirants of this world will be rewarded but only what Allah wants and for whom he wants. The aspirants themselves will have no say in who and how much is rewarded. This explains why one can see prosperity and abundance among the obvious sinners and even the wicked. But Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo predicts for them dire consequences in the Hereafter. They will be disgraced and rejected, left burning in Hellfire.
........and Allah knows best.
May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding--“fahm”--of our Deen, Aameen.
Dr. Khalid Mitha
FOOTNOTES
(1) Surah 2/269
يُؤتِي الحِكمَةَ مَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤتَ الحِكمَةَ فَقَد أوتِيَ خَيرًا كَثيرًا ۗ وَما يَذَّكَّرُ إِلّا أُولُو الأَلبابِ
(2) Surah 102/8
ثُمَّ لَتُسأَلُنَّ يَومَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعيمِ
(3) Surah 17/20
كُلًّا نُمِدُّ هٰؤُلاءِ وَهٰؤُلاءِ مِن عَطاءِ رَبِّكَ ۚ وَما كانَ عَطاءُ رَبِّكَ مَحظورًا
(4) Surah 17/18
مَن كانَ يُريدُ العاجِلَةَ عَجَّلنا لَهُ فيها ما نَشاءُ لِمَن نُريدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلنا لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ يَصلاها مَذمومًا مَدحورًا
