1 00:00:02,150 --> 00:00:04,404 Introduction to the Qur'an. 2 00:00:06,754 --> 00:00:09,710 Themes, Subjects and Characters. 3 00:00:10,908 --> 00:00:14,370 Addressees, Language and Difficulties. 4 00:00:15,959 --> 00:00:20,199 Verses, Surahs and Groups. 5 00:00:22,345 --> 00:00:25,545 How to understand Qur'an. Mohammad Hassan Ilyas. 6 00:00:25,545 --> 00:00:27,164 [Hassan Ilyas] Gratitude is only for the Lord of the worlds. 7 00:00:27,164 --> 00:00:30,810 May peace and blessings be upon his Trustworthy Prophet, Muhammad 8 00:00:30,810 --> 00:00:33,500 and his family, his companions and those who follow him. 9 00:00:34,592 --> 00:00:36,664 I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Devil. 10 00:00:36,664 --> 00:00:38,467 I begin in the name of Allah, most gracious, forever merciful. 11 00:00:38,467 --> 00:00:43,377 Dear viewers, we are studying the Holy Qur'an. 12 00:00:45,139 --> 00:00:47,484 This is the fourth session of the series. 13 00:00:49,415 --> 00:00:52,165 In the previous session, we read and understood 14 00:00:52,165 --> 00:00:57,396 the introduction and the text of Surah Al-Fatihah. 15 00:00:58,174 --> 00:01:04,040 We tried to know the message that this first Surah of the Holy Qur'an, 16 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:08,500 which is also the preface or introduction of the Qur'an is giving. 17 00:01:10,621 --> 00:01:15,435 We had learnt that this Surah is actually a prayer, 18 00:01:16,325 --> 00:01:22,651 and a kind of summary whose details are to be explained in further Surahs. 19 00:01:25,021 --> 00:01:32,231 It is the prayer, the answer to which comes under discussion in further Surahs. 20 00:01:33,446 --> 00:01:35,168 What was that prayer? 21 00:01:35,349 --> 00:01:38,217 That prayer was, "Ihdinas siratal mustaqeem." 22 00:01:39,313 --> 00:01:45,030 Meaning, Oh God, the Lord of the worlds, Nourisher of the worlds, 23 00:01:45,030 --> 00:01:47,752 Gratitude is only for You. 24 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:53,352 You are the one who created this world by virtue of His mercy. 25 00:01:53,352 --> 00:01:56,700 You are the one whose compassion is eternal. 26 00:01:56,700 --> 00:02:04,266 Your blessings in this world are perpetual, everlasting and eternal. 27 00:02:05,528 --> 00:02:08,960 You are the one who gave us the ability to will and choose. 28 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:12,540 Hence, it is You who is the Master of the Day of Recompense. 29 00:02:13,144 --> 00:02:18,130 We only worship You and from You alone do we seek help. 30 00:02:18,130 --> 00:02:20,803 Show us the straight path. 31 00:02:21,549 --> 00:02:23,459 What is that straight path? 32 00:02:24,534 --> 00:02:26,642 And it had also been asked in that prayer that, 33 00:02:26,642 --> 00:02:32,601 "The path of those upon whom You bestowed Your favor, not the path of 34 00:02:32,601 --> 00:02:40,470 those people or nations who incurred Your wrath and those who went astray. 35 00:02:40,470 --> 00:02:45,631 After Surah Al-Fatihah, the next Surah is Surah Al-Baqarah. 36 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:53,678 This should be kept in mind that these Surahs have been named by human beings. 37 00:02:55,655 --> 00:02:59,876 As we will read further in this Surah, 38 00:02:59,876 --> 00:03:05,395 there comes the mention of the nation of Prophet Moses [AS]. 39 00:03:06,646 --> 00:03:14,236 There is an apparent symbolic aspect of the 'cow' present in that mention. 40 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,456 Cow is called "Al-Baqarah" in the Arabic language. 41 00:03:18,925 --> 00:03:24,119 The scribes who took down the dictation of the Holy Qur'an and memorized it, 42 00:03:24,119 --> 00:03:28,912 they also gave these symbolic names to these Surahs for their own memorization. 43 00:03:29,853 --> 00:03:33,513 And these are the names that have continued till now. 44 00:03:34,167 --> 00:03:39,554 But when we will study Surah Al-Baqarah, it will be clear that the names 45 00:03:39,554 --> 00:03:45,124 that Allah has named these Surahs, have been made part of those Surahs. 46 00:03:45,124 --> 00:03:47,776 That is, either in the beginning of the Surahs, 47 00:03:47,776 --> 00:03:52,793 or in other verses of some Surahs, these parts come under discussion. 48 00:03:52,793 --> 00:04:00,090 Our method of studying the Holy Qur'an should be recalled in every session. 49 00:04:00,090 --> 00:04:01,957 That should be up front. 50 00:04:02,593 --> 00:04:06,120 And that method is that whichever Surah one begins to study, 51 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,732 the central theme of that Surah, 52 00:04:08,732 --> 00:04:13,462 the context of the events under discussion in that Surah should be well known. 53 00:04:13,462 --> 00:04:20,606 And the central theme or the grand topic of the Holy Qur'an around which all of its 54 00:04:20,606 --> 00:04:27,536 Surahs and groups revolve, should also be remembered 55 00:04:27,536 --> 00:04:33,706 that it is actually Prophet's [PBUH] account of warning to people. 56 00:04:33,706 --> 00:04:39,767 That is, when He [PBUH] cautioned people after coming to this world, 57 00:04:39,767 --> 00:04:43,701 the chronicle of that has been written in the Holy Qur'an. 58 00:04:44,558 --> 00:04:48,662 Hence, it needs to be decided in every Surah now 59 00:04:48,662 --> 00:04:54,588 that which stage of drawing people's attention or to caution them, 60 00:04:54,588 --> 00:04:56,868 is under the discussion in the given Surah. 61 00:04:56,868 --> 00:05:02,639 Surah Al-Baqarah and Aal-e-Imran are two twin Surahs. 62 00:05:03,685 --> 00:05:14,248 We also had read that the Surahs in these seven groups arrive in pairs. 63 00:05:14,248 --> 00:05:22,792 It is like having a message that one Surah describes about one nation, 64 00:05:22,792 --> 00:05:26,622 and the same message or some other aspects of that message, 65 00:05:26,622 --> 00:05:30,503 are described about that same nation in some other Surah. 66 00:05:30,503 --> 00:05:37,391 Similarly, sometimes a nation is being addressed in a Surah, 67 00:05:37,391 --> 00:05:42,224 and the matter is being brought to their notice. 68 00:05:42,224 --> 00:05:45,751 And in its second twin Surah, its pair, 69 00:05:45,751 --> 00:05:49,678 the same thing happens regarding the other nation. 70 00:05:49,678 --> 00:05:56,987 We all know the effect of dividing the theme in this way. 71 00:05:56,987 --> 00:06:03,221 Its effect is that one is able to convey one's matter in a focused manner. 72 00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:06,600 That is, it is not the case that the address is happening 73 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:08,189 with everybody at the same time. 74 00:06:08,189 --> 00:06:13,313 Rather one group is being addressed at one time from one aspect. 75 00:06:13,774 --> 00:06:18,342 And the same group is being addressed from another aspect at some other time 76 00:06:18,342 --> 00:06:21,842 or some other group is being addressed. 77 00:06:22,672 --> 00:06:26,702 So Al-Baqarah and Aal-e-Imran, they both are twin Surahs. 78 00:06:26,702 --> 00:06:28,433 They are a pair, they are joined. 79 00:06:28,433 --> 00:06:30,558 The teacher writes that, "In terms of the subject matter, 80 00:06:30,558 --> 00:06:32,586 both of these Surahs are twins." 81 00:06:32,586 --> 00:06:36,230 That is, they have come in the form of a pair, they are twins. 82 00:06:37,746 --> 00:06:40,856 "After the completion of God's proof on Jews in the first Surah, 83 00:06:40,856 --> 00:06:46,880 and particularly on Christians along with Jews in the second Surah, 84 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:50,196 there is an announcement of the establishment of the new Ummah, 85 00:06:50,196 --> 00:06:54,574 the Muslim Ummah, from the children of Ishamel. 86 00:06:54,574 --> 00:06:59,520 Although the Prophet [PBUH] also has been tacitly addressed in them, 87 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,359 as well as the polytheists of the Arab, 88 00:07:02,359 --> 00:07:07,247 however, the actual addressees of both the Surahs are the People of the Book, 89 00:07:07,247 --> 00:07:09,919 and then the Muslims. 90 00:07:11,446 --> 00:07:14,986 It is clear from the themes of these Surahs that they have been revealed 91 00:07:14,986 --> 00:07:17,662 in Medina after the migration at the time 92 00:07:17,662 --> 00:07:23,260 when the Muslim state had been formally established. 93 00:07:24,167 --> 00:07:28,803 And the Prophet [PBUH] was completing God's proof on the People of the Book, 94 00:07:28,803 --> 00:07:33,368 and was cleansing and purifying Muslims. 95 00:07:34,022 --> 00:07:37,260 The subject of the first Surah, Al-Baqarah, 96 00:07:37,260 --> 00:07:41,180 is the description of the completion of God's proof on the People of the Book, 97 00:07:41,180 --> 00:07:45,930 an establishment of a new Ummah in their place and a description of their duties. 98 00:07:46,790 --> 00:07:49,793 The subject of the second Surah, Aal-e-Imran, 99 00:07:49,793 --> 00:07:53,610 is completion of God's proof on the People of the Book, especially on Christians, 100 00:07:53,610 --> 00:07:56,693 an establishment of the new Ummah in their place, 101 00:07:56,693 --> 00:07:59,950 and its cleansing and purification." 102 00:08:00,528 --> 00:08:04,328 You may remember the discourse regarding the introduction of the Holy Qur'an, 103 00:08:04,328 --> 00:08:07,808 that we discussed in the initial sessions. 104 00:08:07,808 --> 00:08:09,981 In that, we had said that unless and until 105 00:08:09,981 --> 00:08:13,782 one doesn't keep the theme of the Qur'an in one's mind, 106 00:08:13,782 --> 00:08:16,394 one can't understand the context in which these Surahs 107 00:08:16,394 --> 00:08:19,997 of the Holy Qur'an are speaking, or which nations are they conversing to, 108 00:08:19,997 --> 00:08:24,835 or whose characteristics they are describing. We can't know any of this. 109 00:08:24,835 --> 00:08:31,934 And these introductions are so important that if we will not know them, 110 00:08:31,934 --> 00:08:41,705 then the consequence of this ignorance is so deadly and serious that 111 00:08:41,705 --> 00:08:47,830 the biggest reason for people distancing themselves from the Holy Qur'an nowadays, 112 00:08:47,830 --> 00:08:49,749 is to overlook this very aspect. 113 00:08:49,749 --> 00:08:51,718 We will formally study the Surah. 114 00:08:51,718 --> 00:08:54,846 This thing will also come under the discussion there, by implication. 115 00:08:54,846 --> 00:09:00,298 But let me just initially clear this thing by an example so that during the study 116 00:09:00,298 --> 00:09:03,646 of the Surah, this point stays up front with great consideration that 117 00:09:03,646 --> 00:09:05,916 in what context is the matter being discussed, 118 00:09:05,916 --> 00:09:08,626 who are being talked to, who are the addressees, 119 00:09:08,626 --> 00:09:11,007 what characters are under discussion in it, 120 00:09:11,007 --> 00:09:13,746 and what is the reason for bringing them under discussion? 121 00:09:13,746 --> 00:09:20,380 This is because, if in this Surah, it will be said about some nation, 122 00:09:20,380 --> 00:09:24,696 that 'This nation has gone astray now, it has deviated from the right path. 123 00:09:24,696 --> 00:09:28,933 And for this reason, it has had to taste the torment of Allah. 124 00:09:28,933 --> 00:09:32,543 And now you will have to distance yourself from them. 125 00:09:32,543 --> 00:09:34,845 They cannot be your friends. 126 00:09:34,845 --> 00:09:39,219 They can't be your helpers or well wishers. 127 00:09:39,219 --> 00:09:43,583 They will not be satisfied until you enter into their religion. 128 00:09:43,583 --> 00:09:48,831 And now, break up all relations and turn away from them.' 129 00:09:48,831 --> 00:09:53,897 So unless and until we won't understand the context of this instruction, 130 00:09:53,897 --> 00:09:58,192 we will describe it as a general or universal injunction. 131 00:09:58,192 --> 00:10:03,060 And just imagine, when we say to our children and to the future generations, 132 00:10:03,060 --> 00:10:09,770 about the Book of Allah in this day and age with full confidence, 133 00:10:09,770 --> 00:10:12,899 that the last message of God is inscribed in this, 134 00:10:12,899 --> 00:10:15,410 what message do we give to them? 135 00:10:15,410 --> 00:10:21,157 If you look at the children, especially those who live in western countries, 136 00:10:21,157 --> 00:10:26,129 when they study the Holy Qur'an, without understanding its introduction, 137 00:10:26,129 --> 00:10:32,707 without determining its theme, its topic and its subject, 138 00:10:32,707 --> 00:10:37,454 they fall victim to the dilemma, that does the Qur'an say the 139 00:10:37,454 --> 00:10:43,134 same about their friends, those People of the Book having good character, 140 00:10:43,134 --> 00:10:48,694 who are present all around them, that there can't be any friendship with them? 141 00:10:49,538 --> 00:10:52,738 Does Qur'an say the same about them that 142 00:10:52,738 --> 00:10:55,471 now they have to now taste the torment of God? 143 00:10:55,471 --> 00:11:00,509 Does Qur'an instruct us to distance ourselves from them too? 144 00:11:00,509 --> 00:11:04,939 So all these topics of discussion and all these issues, 145 00:11:04,939 --> 00:11:09,845 will arise during the study of the holy Qur'an. They can arise. 146 00:11:09,845 --> 00:11:14,972 This is the reason that the introduction of every Surah, 147 00:11:14,972 --> 00:11:17,686 the stage at which a given Surah has been revealed, 148 00:11:17,686 --> 00:11:21,231 the responsibility under which the Messenger [PBUH] 149 00:11:21,231 --> 00:11:24,409 is speaking given his status and position, 150 00:11:24,409 --> 00:11:29,442 and what He [PBUH] is speaking about and to whom, will come under discussion. 151 00:11:30,218 --> 00:11:33,476 Here our teacher has told us that, in terms of the subject matter, 152 00:11:33,476 --> 00:11:38,724 both of these Surahs have come in the from of a pair. 153 00:11:38,724 --> 00:11:41,962 Jews have been addressed in the first Surah, and in the second one, 154 00:11:41,962 --> 00:11:45,698 particularly Christians along with the Jews have been addressed. 155 00:11:46,355 --> 00:11:50,645 And they are addressed in the context which we had also learnt earlier, 156 00:11:50,645 --> 00:11:53,581 which is the basic theme of the first group, 157 00:11:53,581 --> 00:11:58,605 that this nation which was given the responsibility, the children of Israel, 158 00:11:58,605 --> 00:12:01,088 they didn't fulfill their responsibility. 159 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:06,560 Hence, the children of Ishmael, the descendants of Abraham, 160 00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:08,709 are now being appointed. 161 00:12:08,709 --> 00:12:12,760 The children of Ishmael are being established at a place 162 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:16,570 where the responsibilities which were once in charge of the children of Israel, 163 00:12:16,570 --> 00:12:19,136 as well as in charge of the children of Ishmael. 164 00:12:19,136 --> 00:12:21,219 But they didn't fulfill them. 165 00:12:21,219 --> 00:12:25,825 So now a new Ummah is being appointed from them, a new group, 166 00:12:25,825 --> 00:12:29,813 that has now to take on this responsibility to continue the 167 00:12:29,813 --> 00:12:34,391 same mission as a nation in the world, 168 00:12:34,391 --> 00:12:38,281 that the Prophets of God used to champion. 169 00:12:38,281 --> 00:12:42,596 This point also got clarified from this introduction that this Surah... 170 00:12:42,596 --> 00:12:50,185 And Surah Al-Baqarah is the longest and detailed Surah of the Holy Qur'an. 171 00:12:50,185 --> 00:12:54,602 And that's why it is very important to know its context, 172 00:12:54,602 --> 00:12:59,341 i.e, whom it has been revealed to and to address what? 173 00:13:01,890 --> 00:13:06,889 It becomes clear from reading the Surah that it has been revealed in Medina. 174 00:13:06,889 --> 00:13:12,408 This is because in the course of this Surah, after describing the mistakes 175 00:13:12,408 --> 00:13:20,030 done by Jews and Christians, their rebellion, deviation and wickedness, 176 00:13:20,030 --> 00:13:25,887 when Muslims are sanctified and purified, the commandments that they are being given 177 00:13:25,887 --> 00:13:30,387 become clear by reading the Surah, that the relation of those commandments is with 178 00:13:30,387 --> 00:13:32,251 an organised and systematic society. 179 00:13:32,251 --> 00:13:37,905 That is, this is not possible that Muslims stand in Mecca at an individualistic level 180 00:13:37,905 --> 00:13:41,840 and they are given the commandments regarding the society. 181 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:46,791 So this is quite clear that these Surahs have been revealed in Medina. 182 00:13:46,791 --> 00:13:48,978 Let us begin the study of the Surah. 183 00:13:48,978 --> 00:13:51,328 "Bismillahir rahman nirrahim. 184 00:13:51,328 --> 00:13:56,107 In the name of Allah, who is wholly merciful, whose compassion is eternal. 185 00:13:57,797 --> 00:14:00,507 This Surah is 'Alif-Laam-Meem'. 186 00:14:01,967 --> 00:14:06,809 This is a Book from God and there is no doubt in it. 187 00:14:06,809 --> 00:14:10,158 It is the guidance for these God fearing people, 188 00:14:10,158 --> 00:14:17,189 who believe without seeing, and are watchful of their prayers. 189 00:14:17,189 --> 00:14:23,506 And spend in the way of God out of whatever we have provided for them. 190 00:14:24,902 --> 00:14:31,402 And who also believe in what has been revealed to You (Prophet Muhammad), 191 00:14:31,402 --> 00:14:35,162 as well as in that what was revealed before You. 192 00:14:36,245 --> 00:14:40,245 And who really believe in the hereafter. 193 00:14:40,245 --> 00:14:43,568 These are the ones who are upon the guidance of their Lord. 194 00:14:43,568 --> 00:14:47,973 And these are the ones who are going to be successful and saved." 195 00:14:49,222 --> 00:14:55,143 This thing should also be in everyone's mind during our study of the Holy Qur'an, 196 00:14:55,143 --> 00:15:01,100 that like the way we converse under normal circumstances, 197 00:15:01,100 --> 00:15:06,225 the message that we want to communicate in that conversation, 198 00:15:06,225 --> 00:15:08,904 if we communicate that by writing that down, 199 00:15:08,904 --> 00:15:11,899 then that gets distinguished in the form of a paragraph. 200 00:15:11,899 --> 00:15:18,313 That is, taking a topic from one point to another fixed point, 201 00:15:18,313 --> 00:15:22,148 even though that topic is only a part in relation to the entire theme, 202 00:15:22,148 --> 00:15:23,848 i.e. it is not completed. 203 00:15:23,848 --> 00:15:31,678 However, the complete message is conveyed to a reader in that paragraph, 204 00:15:31,678 --> 00:15:36,300 by the speaker who wants to convey it. 205 00:15:36,300 --> 00:15:41,782 The same is the case in the Qur'an, that all these series of verses together 206 00:15:41,782 --> 00:15:47,921 communicate a certain point to the people. 207 00:15:49,581 --> 00:15:53,969 So as you may have noticed that when I read the translation, 208 00:15:53,969 --> 00:15:58,299 I only translated from the first verse to the fifth verse of Surah Al-Baqarah. 209 00:15:58,949 --> 00:16:02,860 This is because from the first verse to the fifth verse, 210 00:16:02,860 --> 00:16:09,457 there is one paragraph, one complete topic that has been conveyed to the world. 211 00:16:09,457 --> 00:16:11,977 We said that this Surah is 'Alif-Laam-Meem'. 212 00:16:13,624 --> 00:16:17,640 And then we said that it is a Book from God and there is no doubt in it. 213 00:16:18,198 --> 00:16:20,318 So what is this 'Alif-Laam-Meem'? 214 00:16:21,846 --> 00:16:28,103 You may have noticed that when we Muslims are invited to study the Holy Qur'an, 215 00:16:28,103 --> 00:16:32,718 to hold the Holy Qur'an firmly in our lives, 216 00:16:32,718 --> 00:16:36,865 and to make it as the guide as it is the only wealth worth having. 217 00:16:37,506 --> 00:16:42,182 And when we want to read the Qur'an and open it to read, 218 00:16:42,182 --> 00:16:50,428 then just in the initial Surah, there comes some word whose meaning 219 00:16:50,428 --> 00:16:54,288 does not happen to be mentioned in the translation of the Holy Qur'an. 220 00:16:55,188 --> 00:17:01,449 A reader gets surprised, thinking that I had just opened the Book of God, 221 00:17:01,449 --> 00:17:04,147 in order to benefit from it, to understand it, 222 00:17:04,147 --> 00:17:06,897 to know what guidance or instructions are in it for me, 223 00:17:06,897 --> 00:17:09,438 and to know about the warnings mentioned in it, 224 00:17:09,438 --> 00:17:16,608 but it begins with something which if we say in plain and simple language, 225 00:17:16,608 --> 00:17:22,418 are strange kind of words that come in the beginning of it. 226 00:17:22,418 --> 00:17:24,627 'Alif-Laam-Meem'. 227 00:17:24,627 --> 00:17:29,247 I mean, if you open some lexicon or ask some Arab, 228 00:17:29,247 --> 00:17:33,657 or try to know the meaning of this word by examining the Arabic literature, 229 00:17:33,657 --> 00:17:36,996 that if 'Alif-Laam-Meem' is any word? 230 00:17:36,996 --> 00:17:40,345 If yes, then what is the meaning and connotation of it? 231 00:17:40,345 --> 00:17:46,168 So we are told that these are "Huroof-e-Muqatta'at" (disjoined letters). 232 00:17:46,168 --> 00:17:51,188 And their meanings and connotations are known to Allah alone. 233 00:17:52,324 --> 00:17:58,680 So this question arises in one's mind that if only Allah knows the meaning of a word, 234 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:02,440 then what is the purpose of having that word in this Book (Qur'an)? 235 00:18:03,420 --> 00:18:08,850 And that Book which will become the cause of your and mine guidance 236 00:18:08,850 --> 00:18:11,900 till the Day of Resurrection, 237 00:18:11,900 --> 00:18:19,583 why is a student or a reader like me put to this test as soon as he opens it up, 238 00:18:19,583 --> 00:18:24,893 that a word has been written here and it is said that a human being cannot know 239 00:18:24,893 --> 00:18:27,673 its meaning and connotation? 240 00:18:27,673 --> 00:18:32,641 We will highlight these aspects during our study of the Holy Qur'an. 241 00:18:33,561 --> 00:18:38,630 The aspects that create hindrance and resistance for an ordinary reader and 242 00:18:38,630 --> 00:18:44,331 an ordinary Muslim to associate themselves with the message of the Qur'an, 243 00:18:44,331 --> 00:18:50,403 with fervour and with real conviction. 244 00:18:50,403 --> 00:18:57,011 That is to say that although a Muslim wants to make Qur'an a shining beacon 245 00:18:57,011 --> 00:19:04,931 or guide of his life, but he encounters some aspects that 246 00:19:04,931 --> 00:19:13,708 subconsciously prevent him from attaching himself to the Book (Qur'an). 247 00:19:15,632 --> 00:19:18,772 This Surah is 'Alif-Laam-Meem', as I had said that the teacher 248 00:19:18,772 --> 00:19:21,272 has written it in the translation. What does it mean? 249 00:19:22,638 --> 00:19:26,622 You may have come across different views and opinions about this. 250 00:19:26,622 --> 00:19:29,842 You can read about them in any of the translations or commentaries. 251 00:19:29,842 --> 00:19:32,158 There are wide range of opinions about it. 252 00:19:32,158 --> 00:19:38,376 But the thing that turns out to be most clear and correct, 253 00:19:38,376 --> 00:19:45,980 and which is qualified by the discourse and its history itself, 254 00:19:45,980 --> 00:19:48,366 is that these are the names of the Surahs. 255 00:19:48,366 --> 00:19:54,759 We find this style in the Arabic language, 256 00:19:54,759 --> 00:19:58,641 that when you have to decide the title of some discourse, 257 00:19:58,641 --> 00:20:05,491 or write its name or decide its topic, you write it in a combination of letters. 258 00:20:06,725 --> 00:20:10,749 These letters are separate, like 'Alif' is separate, 259 00:20:10,749 --> 00:20:12,781 'Laam' is separate and so is 'Meem'. 260 00:20:14,157 --> 00:20:17,899 The other languages of the world, for example, Chinese language, 261 00:20:17,899 --> 00:20:21,629 or other languages like Hebrew langauge, 262 00:20:21,629 --> 00:20:25,439 sometimes in those languages too, 263 00:20:25,439 --> 00:20:31,620 these alphabets do not just simply represent some sound, 264 00:20:31,620 --> 00:20:36,589 rather they also express the symbol of a given thing. 265 00:20:37,361 --> 00:20:46,028 For example, if you see in the Hebrew language, then even today, 266 00:20:46,028 --> 00:20:57,198 the shape that is drawn to describe a fish is like the letter "Nun". 267 00:20:57,198 --> 00:20:59,478 You write the letter "Nun" like this. 268 00:20:59,478 --> 00:21:01,694 A semi-circle and a dot at the center. 269 00:21:01,694 --> 00:21:11,757 Actually when we wanted to communicate the shape or form of a fish to the people, 270 00:21:11,757 --> 00:21:15,227 we did it by taking just one aspect of its shape. 271 00:21:15,227 --> 00:21:18,237 For example, if you look at it from one aspect, 272 00:21:18,237 --> 00:21:22,024 then that (letter Nun) describes the mouth and an eye of a fish, 273 00:21:22,024 --> 00:21:26,646 and if you look at it from another perspective, then its tail is just like 274 00:21:26,646 --> 00:21:28,778 the semi-circle of the letter "Nun". 275 00:21:29,438 --> 00:21:35,794 So what human beings did in the beginning, when they wanted to communicate something, 276 00:21:35,794 --> 00:21:39,910 for example, that 'I need a fish', they communicated it by the word "Fish", 277 00:21:39,910 --> 00:21:46,748 or by the shape of a fish or by drawing an element of that shape. 278 00:21:48,104 --> 00:21:55,678 So, these words refer to both sounds and symbols. 279 00:21:55,678 --> 00:21:59,711 These words appear in more or less thirty Surahs of the Holy Qur'an, 280 00:21:59,711 --> 00:22:03,493 and these are called "Haroof-e-muqatta'at" meaning "Disjoined letters". 281 00:22:03,493 --> 00:22:09,492 So these letters are actually a kind of codes that indicate a given shape. 282 00:22:10,299 --> 00:22:15,014 The Holy Qur'an itself makes this thing quite clear 283 00:22:15,014 --> 00:22:18,913 in Surah Nun, by the letter Nun. 284 00:22:18,913 --> 00:22:22,236 But since we know that the meaning of "Nun" is a fish, 285 00:22:22,236 --> 00:22:25,531 so the story that is further discussed in that Surah, 286 00:22:25,531 --> 00:22:31,009 is of Sahib-ul-Hut, Prophet Younis [AS]. And He was a fisherman. 287 00:22:31,009 --> 00:22:36,119 So, this prominent aspect of this Surah was picked up and then 288 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:40,996 written by highlighting it in the form of a symbol. 289 00:22:40,996 --> 00:22:45,702 This style started to fade over time. 290 00:22:45,702 --> 00:22:50,055 And it also didn't last in that way even in the Arabic language itself. 291 00:22:50,055 --> 00:22:55,619 This is the reason that we can say it about certain letters with full certainty 292 00:22:55,619 --> 00:23:02,574 that whose symbols are they, what codes do they contain and what are they describing, 293 00:23:02,574 --> 00:23:05,891 but we have no knowledge about some other letters. 294 00:23:05,891 --> 00:23:09,508 It is not like that God has not given this knowledge to humans, 295 00:23:09,508 --> 00:23:13,351 rather what happened was that a style that was normally in vogue, 296 00:23:13,351 --> 00:23:15,291 did not continue in that way. 297 00:23:15,291 --> 00:23:19,821 However, scholars are still researching on it. 298 00:23:19,821 --> 00:23:24,801 And they are also making it clear to the world that which symbols or things 299 00:23:24,801 --> 00:23:29,211 do these letters represent. 300 00:23:29,765 --> 00:23:36,782 This aspect should also be kept in view that if we did not yet know that 301 00:23:36,782 --> 00:23:43,362 what these letters as names represent or what their meanings are? 302 00:23:43,362 --> 00:23:47,492 Then it wouldn't have made any difference if we can't even know the subjects 303 00:23:47,492 --> 00:23:51,447 of a given Surah which is named by these letters. 304 00:23:51,447 --> 00:23:54,505 This is because if my name is Hassan, 305 00:23:54,505 --> 00:23:57,037 and if you don't know the meaning of the word 'Hassan', 306 00:23:57,037 --> 00:23:59,917 then that doesn't cause any difficulty or trouble in knowing 307 00:23:59,917 --> 00:24:02,155 the qualities and traits of my personality, 308 00:24:02,155 --> 00:24:06,900 my knowledge, my views and my opinions. 309 00:24:08,450 --> 00:24:12,450 So this is the first thing that every Muslim should keep in mind. 310 00:24:13,381 --> 00:24:16,711 And let me say that the translations of the Holy Qur'an may be present 311 00:24:16,711 --> 00:24:21,140 in your cupboards, so you can read them if you want to. 312 00:24:21,764 --> 00:24:29,792 In this session, we will also try to know that as a young person, just like I read 313 00:24:29,792 --> 00:24:31,644 and understood this Book (Qur'an), 314 00:24:31,644 --> 00:24:35,404 and as persons inhabiting this modern era, 315 00:24:35,404 --> 00:24:41,534 when other people read this (Qur'an), then what questions arise in their minds? 316 00:24:42,304 --> 00:24:48,106 If you reflect, then the present era is the era of critical thinking. 317 00:24:48,106 --> 00:24:50,933 The present era is the era of reason and argumentation. 318 00:24:50,933 --> 00:24:54,933 The present era is the era of freedom and freedom of thought. 319 00:24:54,933 --> 00:24:58,893 You cannot hand over the Book of Allah to your child and then expect that your child 320 00:24:58,893 --> 00:25:02,228 doesn't ask the question such as what is meant by 'Alif-Laam-Meem? 321 00:25:02,228 --> 00:25:06,546 Or if I do not know the meaning of it, then you are giving me such a Book of God 322 00:25:06,546 --> 00:25:08,582 that I am unable to know! 323 00:25:08,582 --> 00:25:11,852 So these questions will come before us. 324 00:25:11,852 --> 00:25:15,852 Gone is that age when we used to shut down questions merely on the 325 00:25:15,852 --> 00:25:20,757 emphasis of respect, literature, imitation and tradition. 326 00:25:20,757 --> 00:25:24,554 This is the age when we need to consciously pass the knowledge 327 00:25:24,554 --> 00:25:28,798 of religion to our children and future generations. 328 00:25:28,798 --> 00:25:32,275 Therefore, we need to critically analyze things, 329 00:25:32,275 --> 00:25:35,149 raise questions about them and understand them. 330 00:25:35,149 --> 00:25:37,909 However, this should be kept in view that we have already accepted that 331 00:25:37,909 --> 00:25:39,558 this is the Book of Allah. 332 00:25:39,558 --> 00:25:44,641 This exercise of understanding things is for the better understanding of the Book, 333 00:25:44,641 --> 00:25:52,514 and for our own confidence that we also understand the Book that we believe in. 334 00:25:52,514 --> 00:25:57,603 When we will understand and know the Book, then it will also be easy to act on it. 335 00:25:58,349 --> 00:26:00,452 So it was said that this Surah is 'Alif-Laam-Meem'. 336 00:26:00,452 --> 00:26:03,512 Meaning 'Alif-Laam-Meem' is the name of the Surah Al-Baqarah. 337 00:26:03,512 --> 00:26:09,423 "This is a Book from God and there is no doubt in it." 338 00:26:10,812 --> 00:26:16,616 That is, it was made clear in the very beginning that all over the world, 339 00:26:16,616 --> 00:26:23,056 different discourses, books, testaments and different media come into existence, 340 00:26:23,056 --> 00:26:25,989 in order to communicate things. 341 00:26:27,286 --> 00:26:34,306 But this thing should be kept in mind that there shouldn't be any doubt regarding 342 00:26:34,306 --> 00:26:37,840 the Book of God in terms of its divine nature. 343 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:43,346 That is, if you imagine the time when the Prophet [PBUH] was reciting these verses 344 00:26:43,346 --> 00:26:47,181 to His people, then what was He saying to them? 345 00:26:47,181 --> 00:26:52,313 He was saying to them that these words are not My invention. 346 00:26:52,313 --> 00:26:56,854 These words are not My creation or the result of My thoughts, 347 00:26:56,854 --> 00:27:01,009 or the ideas that have evolved over a lifetime of thinking. 348 00:27:01,009 --> 00:27:04,201 Rather, this is the word of God that I am reciting before you. 349 00:27:05,533 --> 00:27:09,533 These are not My words but the words of God. 350 00:27:09,533 --> 00:27:13,943 And these Surahs, consisting of these very words, these collection of Surahs 351 00:27:13,943 --> 00:27:19,521 and this entire Book, i.e. the Book, by which is meant the Holy Qur'an, 352 00:27:19,521 --> 00:27:21,450 is the Book of Allah. 353 00:27:22,260 --> 00:27:28,935 So bear this in mind that this is a Book from God and there shouldn't be any doubt 354 00:27:28,935 --> 00:27:31,396 in the fact that this is a divine book. 355 00:27:32,366 --> 00:27:36,430 The teacher said, "This is the guidance for God fearing people, 356 00:27:36,430 --> 00:27:38,502 who believe without witnessing (with their eyes)." 357 00:27:38,502 --> 00:27:43,439 Guidance for God fearing people who believe without seeing. 358 00:27:44,404 --> 00:27:50,326 We know that guidance is needed to walk on a given path, 359 00:27:50,326 --> 00:27:54,226 as well as to find that path. 360 00:27:55,002 --> 00:28:01,040 That is, we can ask someone to tell us how can we get to the right path? 361 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:07,147 Or which route do we have to take to start the journey? 362 00:28:08,033 --> 00:28:13,917 So these inspired scriptures actually come to keep us on the guided path. 363 00:28:13,917 --> 00:28:17,657 That is to say, that these scriptures show you the definite path. 364 00:28:18,370 --> 00:28:22,770 They show you the definite way which you have to stick to. 365 00:28:22,770 --> 00:28:28,414 They don't just guide you a pointer and then leave you free 366 00:28:28,414 --> 00:28:32,572 to adopt a Shari'ah of your making, 367 00:28:32,572 --> 00:28:36,558 or to create ways to relate with God through your own conceptions. 368 00:28:36,558 --> 00:28:40,872 No! Rather the guidance that is required to walk on that path, 369 00:28:40,872 --> 00:28:45,300 that complete guidance is given in the Holy Qur'an. 370 00:28:45,300 --> 00:28:49,253 And all the inspired scriptures actually come for the same purpose. 371 00:28:50,224 --> 00:28:53,308 So the teacher said, "This is a Book from God and there is no doubt in it, 372 00:28:53,308 --> 00:28:58,684 A guidance for these God fearing people, who believe without seeing" (or observing) 373 00:28:58,684 --> 00:29:00,821 For the God fearing people. 374 00:29:00,821 --> 00:29:03,952 We had stated that the context of this Surah is that 375 00:29:03,952 --> 00:29:06,441 Jews are actually addressed in it. 376 00:29:07,313 --> 00:29:09,328 So what was then just said? 377 00:29:09,328 --> 00:29:14,386 That is, those people who were standing in front of the Messenger of Allah [PBUH], 378 00:29:14,386 --> 00:29:18,813 the companions of Prophet [PBUH], who had believed in Him, 379 00:29:18,813 --> 00:29:22,386 they are being told who gets the guidance? 380 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:31,148 Only those get the guidance, who fear God with a sincere heart 381 00:29:31,148 --> 00:29:36,234 after recognizing the limits set by Him. 382 00:29:36,234 --> 00:29:47,060 In our culture, when you introduce God and His Book (Qur'an) to Muslims, 383 00:29:47,060 --> 00:29:51,470 then an early and a very prominent objection comes to the fore, 384 00:29:51,470 --> 00:29:55,595 that why is this fear being created with the concept of God? 385 00:29:56,646 --> 00:30:03,140 Why is it often said that we should fear God? 386 00:30:03,140 --> 00:30:06,109 Why is it not being said that we should love God? 387 00:30:06,109 --> 00:30:10,334 Why doesn't the concept of a God comes as a compassionate Lord? 388 00:30:11,957 --> 00:30:16,841 People who are in the initial phase of reading the Qur'an, especially the youth, 389 00:30:16,841 --> 00:30:22,290 usually ask me this question that why we come up with a scary concept of dread, 390 00:30:22,290 --> 00:30:25,220 anxiety, fear and pressure, in case of God? 391 00:30:25,220 --> 00:30:29,322 And when we begin with the Holy Qur'an, then it also says that it is the guidance 392 00:30:29,322 --> 00:30:34,588 for these God-fearing people, who believe without seeing (with their eyes). 393 00:30:35,728 --> 00:30:41,220 So here this point should be kept in mind that we read in the beginning of the Surah 394 00:30:41,220 --> 00:30:43,638 that God is merciful and compassionate. 395 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:48,317 Even Surah Al-Fatihah started with the same. 396 00:30:48,317 --> 00:30:52,591 And this thing was also noted in its contents and text. 397 00:30:52,591 --> 00:30:56,666 And then this Surah also began by saying that God is merciful and compassionate. 398 00:30:56,666 --> 00:31:02,749 This is crystal clear that God doesn't want to oppress us. 399 00:31:02,749 --> 00:31:07,309 That God doesn't want to frighten us. He doesn't want to make us afraid. 400 00:31:07,309 --> 00:31:13,689 It is His attribute of being Merciful and an attribute of His compassion, 401 00:31:13,689 --> 00:31:17,689 that He created this Universe, and He wants to make us the 402 00:31:17,689 --> 00:31:23,162 citizens of His paradise by giving us an eternal life in His kingdom. 403 00:31:23,162 --> 00:31:26,380 His whole scheme is based on love and compassion. 404 00:31:27,569 --> 00:31:30,575 His whole scheme is not based on intimidation. 405 00:31:30,575 --> 00:31:32,190 It is indeed based on love. 406 00:31:32,190 --> 00:31:35,119 It is His kindness, just kindness! 407 00:31:35,119 --> 00:31:41,730 Otherwise, God who is imperishable, unique, eternal and such a power 408 00:31:41,730 --> 00:31:44,080 that has always been and always will be, 409 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:47,840 whether He would have created the Universe or not, that wouldn't have made 410 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:51,470 anydifference in His grandeur, status and greatness. 411 00:31:51,470 --> 00:31:54,163 He actually had mercy on me that 412 00:31:54,163 --> 00:31:59,404 after putting me to the initial test of fifty to sixty years, 413 00:31:59,404 --> 00:32:03,974 he set up life of billions of years for me and such a life in which there is neither 414 00:32:03,974 --> 00:32:07,813 the regret of the past nor the worry of future. 415 00:32:07,813 --> 00:32:12,047 So it becomes clear from all of this that He is an absolute mercy. 416 00:32:12,047 --> 00:32:13,736 His compassion is eternal. 417 00:32:13,736 --> 00:32:18,447 He wants, "Walayn ardha libaadihi l kufr", that you don't go astray. 418 00:32:18,447 --> 00:32:20,824 And He is more compassionate than seventy mothers. 419 00:32:20,824 --> 00:32:23,163 There is this much of love in Him. 420 00:32:23,163 --> 00:32:26,261 But what is the demand of this love? 421 00:32:26,261 --> 00:32:31,938 The demand of this love is that as much as God wants me to come to Him, 422 00:32:31,938 --> 00:32:37,529 this yearning, urge, desire, wish, longing and passion, should also be present 423 00:32:37,529 --> 00:32:43,717 in a decent, rational, and believing Muslim after believing in God. 424 00:32:44,473 --> 00:32:50,510 And this word that appears at various places in the Holy Qur'an i.e. "Mutaqeen", 425 00:32:50,510 --> 00:32:54,831 it never refers to those people who fall victim to some dread or fear. 426 00:32:55,681 --> 00:33:00,336 Rather it refers to those who are aware of the limits (set by God). 427 00:33:00,336 --> 00:33:06,487 And they fear the seriousness of those limits, that if they transgressed them, 428 00:33:06,487 --> 00:33:11,396 then their relationship with God will be affected. 429 00:33:13,260 --> 00:33:18,630 So "These God fearing people who believe without seeing", refers to 430 00:33:18,630 --> 00:33:22,760 those who know that God has been so merciful to them and after that 431 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,274 has shown them the definite path (of guidance), 432 00:33:25,274 --> 00:33:28,174 so therefore if they strayed from this path now, 433 00:33:28,174 --> 00:33:30,916 then God will be displeased from them. 434 00:33:30,916 --> 00:33:33,073 So this is the fear of His displeasure. 435 00:33:33,073 --> 00:33:36,948 This is the dread of His displeasure because of which a believer 436 00:33:36,948 --> 00:33:39,766 obeys His commandments. 437 00:33:41,025 --> 00:33:45,105 "A guidance for these God fearing people, who believe without seeing & are watchful 438 00:33:45,105 --> 00:33:50,856 of their prayers and spend in our way out of what we have bestowed upon them." 439 00:33:52,811 --> 00:33:57,867 When you hand over the Holy Qur'an to people, 440 00:33:57,867 --> 00:34:00,587 and when you invite them to read the word of God, 441 00:34:02,352 --> 00:34:07,002 then as I pointed out certain things in the very beginning, 442 00:34:07,002 --> 00:34:11,892 for example, the discourse seems strange if one is not aware of the theme of it, 443 00:34:11,892 --> 00:34:14,162 the characters seem strange. 444 00:34:14,162 --> 00:34:18,778 Similarly, the 'Alif-Laam-Meem', 445 00:34:18,778 --> 00:34:21,109 whose meaning is known to God and not to us. 446 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:28,856 Likewise dread and fear, that gets attached to the concept of God. 447 00:34:28,856 --> 00:34:31,865 The same case happens in the next sentence. 448 00:34:33,036 --> 00:34:37,036 And all of this actually being the description of that covenant and 449 00:34:37,036 --> 00:34:42,176 the adverse attributes of the Jews who were present before that. 450 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:45,707 It is being described that they (Jews) do not fear God. 451 00:34:46,417 --> 00:34:50,460 For them, the concept of God has become a ritualistic concept. 452 00:34:50,460 --> 00:34:52,123 They believe in God. 453 00:34:52,123 --> 00:34:55,136 They are also attached to the traditions of God's Prophets. 454 00:34:55,409 --> 00:34:58,461 But do they really believe in God? 455 00:34:59,075 --> 00:35:01,115 Do they really fear God? 456 00:35:01,115 --> 00:35:09,567 You will further read that if the sign of being oblivious of God's guidance arises 457 00:35:09,567 --> 00:35:13,515 in nations, after they believe in God, then what are those attributes and traits 458 00:35:13,515 --> 00:35:15,317 towards which the Holy Qur'an points to? 459 00:35:15,317 --> 00:35:17,485 That will later come under discussion in detail. 460 00:35:17,485 --> 00:35:21,235 So when it was said that, "A guidance for these God fearing people.", 461 00:35:21,235 --> 00:35:23,838 it was actually said about that covenant of Jews 462 00:35:23,838 --> 00:35:28,144 and the adverse attributes of the Jews who were present before that, 463 00:35:28,144 --> 00:35:31,949 to the companions of the Prophet [PBUH], that they (Jews) are not God fearing. 464 00:35:31,949 --> 00:35:34,009 But you have to be God fearing. 465 00:35:34,009 --> 00:35:37,847 And then it is said, "Allazeena yuminuna bil ghayb." 466 00:35:37,847 --> 00:35:40,745 Meaning those who believe without seeing (with their eyes). 467 00:35:40,745 --> 00:35:46,326 So this is the verse that when Muslims usually read it, 468 00:35:46,326 --> 00:35:52,336 a wrong orientation of the whole religion gets created. 469 00:35:52,953 --> 00:35:57,953 And then it is being said that see Allah Almighty has said, "Yuminuna bil ghayb". 470 00:35:59,010 --> 00:36:01,654 Referring to those who believe in the unseen (blindly). 471 00:36:01,654 --> 00:36:05,353 The translation that we did here is that, 472 00:36:05,353 --> 00:36:08,878 "A Guidance to these God fearing people who believe without seeing." 473 00:36:08,878 --> 00:36:11,075 Who believe without witnessing with their eyes. 474 00:36:11,075 --> 00:36:14,324 We didn't translate it as, "Those who believe in the unseen". 475 00:36:14,324 --> 00:36:16,449 What is the reason for this? 476 00:36:16,449 --> 00:36:22,664 The reason for this is that when you ponder over the words of the Holy Qur'an, 477 00:36:22,664 --> 00:36:26,664 then it becomes clear, and when one reads the very same 478 00:36:26,664 --> 00:36:29,682 topics of discussions of the Qur'an further in the Surah, 479 00:36:29,682 --> 00:36:34,703 in the light of the attributes of that nation, then it becomes even clearer 480 00:36:34,703 --> 00:36:37,974 that what exactly is being negated or denied? 481 00:36:38,725 --> 00:36:43,075 As I said that by this verse, it is usually understood 482 00:36:43,075 --> 00:36:46,390 that all the commandments of religion, 483 00:36:46,390 --> 00:36:48,910 all the guidance and instructions of religion, 484 00:36:48,910 --> 00:36:51,218 actually need to be believed blindly. 485 00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:53,789 To believe in what is unseen! 486 00:36:53,789 --> 00:36:56,243 To believe in things that you can't understand. 487 00:36:56,742 --> 00:37:00,382 Things that you can't even question. 488 00:37:01,221 --> 00:37:08,397 Hence, it has an effect, that is seen in our Muslim culture and society. 489 00:37:09,328 --> 00:37:17,407 And that effect is that when you go to the Muslim scholars and ask them a question, 490 00:37:17,407 --> 00:37:20,028 and that question can be of any type. 491 00:37:20,028 --> 00:37:23,015 That can be about the whole concept of religion, 492 00:37:23,015 --> 00:37:25,265 or that can be about the existence of God, 493 00:37:25,265 --> 00:37:29,023 or that can be about God's qualities or about the characteristics of His being. 494 00:37:29,023 --> 00:37:32,927 So, the matter that is often presented is the very same verse of the Holy Qur'an. 495 00:37:32,927 --> 00:37:38,738 Saying that see this whole religion is all about believing blindly in the unseen. 496 00:37:38,738 --> 00:37:41,784 That one doesn't need to question, rather one needs to blindly believe, 497 00:37:41,784 --> 00:37:45,641 because we believe in things that we can't see. 498 00:37:46,125 --> 00:37:51,053 This verse of the Holy Qur'an is never ever saying this thing. 499 00:37:51,053 --> 00:37:55,722 Rather the exact opposite thing is being discussed here. 500 00:37:56,648 --> 00:37:59,495 What is that thing that is being described here? 501 00:37:59,495 --> 00:38:04,705 The thing that is being described is that Allah Almighty did not just give man a 502 00:38:04,705 --> 00:38:10,272 mere material existence like other animals. 503 00:38:10,272 --> 00:38:14,967 Rather, man has been bestowed with an intellectual and a spiritual personality. 504 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:19,041 Man deduces the unknown from the known. 505 00:38:19,656 --> 00:38:23,356 He infers fire from seeing the smoke. 506 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:28,827 If he is driving a car and a ball comes in front of him, then his intellect asks 507 00:38:28,827 --> 00:38:33,356 him to slow the car, as a child could also be running after the ball. 508 00:38:33,918 --> 00:38:38,308 So even the animals believe after seeing. 509 00:38:38,308 --> 00:38:42,448 A Buffalo believes, a sheep believes, a dog also believes after seeing. 510 00:38:42,448 --> 00:38:48,190 The difference between humans and animals is this very thing that humans infer. 511 00:38:48,190 --> 00:38:54,110 They assess things, they deduce the unknown from the known. 512 00:38:55,590 --> 00:39:01,682 Therefore, if your demand is, "Anara llaha jahra.", 513 00:39:01,682 --> 00:39:07,830 meaning we won't believe until we see Allah outright, 514 00:39:07,830 --> 00:39:10,638 then this is the answer to that which is being asked, 515 00:39:10,638 --> 00:39:15,110 that why do you need to see God? 516 00:39:15,110 --> 00:39:18,925 Is it because that you will then come to believe that there is a God? 517 00:39:18,925 --> 00:39:25,252 And is it because that you will then have a firm faith or confidence 518 00:39:25,252 --> 00:39:27,714 about the existence of the Creator of the Universe? 519 00:39:27,714 --> 00:39:32,751 If so, then the question is that this whole Universe, 520 00:39:32,751 --> 00:39:37,652 this greenery, these flowing streams, this sound of the waterfall, 521 00:39:37,652 --> 00:39:43,638 these mountains, these valleys, these oceans, these gardens, 522 00:39:43,638 --> 00:39:48,541 these galaxies, this colorfulness of the world, its diversity, 523 00:39:48,541 --> 00:39:50,747 its wonders and variegation, 524 00:39:50,747 --> 00:39:56,341 so can you believe that all of this got created all by itself, without a Creator? 525 00:39:57,347 --> 00:40:04,991 Can you accept that the affairs of this creation after creating it ... 526 00:40:04,991 --> 00:40:08,870 I mean it wasn't the case that the Sun and the Moon were just created randomly, 527 00:40:08,870 --> 00:40:12,211 rather they come out at specified time and from specified places. 528 00:40:12,964 --> 00:40:15,798 Do you ever see that the sun rise from the east on one day 529 00:40:15,798 --> 00:40:17,614 and then from the west on the next day? 530 00:40:17,614 --> 00:40:19,860 Or that everything happens all by itself? 531 00:40:19,860 --> 00:40:24,755 So if you are a rational being and you have a spiritual personality, 532 00:40:24,755 --> 00:40:30,240 and you assess things and deduce what was unknown from the known facts, 533 00:40:30,240 --> 00:40:32,506 then what kind of a question is it that 534 00:40:32,506 --> 00:40:35,516 we won't believe until we see God by our very eyes. 535 00:40:36,379 --> 00:40:40,379 So Allah Almighty said to the companions of the Messenger [PBUH] 536 00:40:40,379 --> 00:40:42,928 that some people asked this question. 537 00:40:43,532 --> 00:40:46,120 And later on, this too shall be clear 538 00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:49,292 that the purpose of the question was not to believe. 539 00:40:49,292 --> 00:40:52,390 If the purpose of the question would have been to believe, 540 00:40:52,390 --> 00:40:59,889 then for believing, there are way more stronger, convincing and greater proofs 541 00:40:59,889 --> 00:41:02,580 which have been put in this Universe. 542 00:41:02,580 --> 00:41:06,572 They are both in the Universe and in the human soul and nature. 543 00:41:07,312 --> 00:41:10,420 So God gave a rational and moral understanding to a man. 544 00:41:10,420 --> 00:41:15,160 And He gave him the aesthetic sense and created these wonders in the Universe, 545 00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:20,778 so after all this, who can even question on the existence of the Creator? 546 00:41:21,164 --> 00:41:28,694 So here it was not said that, "Those who believe in the unseen", 547 00:41:28,694 --> 00:41:31,660 which is how it is usually translated. 548 00:41:31,660 --> 00:41:34,686 Rather it was said that, "Those who believe without seeing". 549 00:41:34,686 --> 00:41:37,438 "Bil Ghaybi", while it is in the Ghaib. 550 00:41:37,438 --> 00:41:41,506 I mean those who know the Arabic language know that this letter "baa", 551 00:41:41,506 --> 00:41:43,410 is used to denote 'capacity'. 552 00:41:43,410 --> 00:41:48,366 So it is being said that if for example something is hidden from my sight, 553 00:41:48,366 --> 00:41:53,436 then my human existence believes or recognizes that 554 00:41:53,436 --> 00:41:56,236 only seeing is not the means of acquiring knowledge. 555 00:41:56,236 --> 00:41:59,206 In fact what's so special about seeing as a form of knowledge? 556 00:41:59,206 --> 00:42:03,820 If seeing and lifting of curtains is indeed what one wants, 557 00:42:03,820 --> 00:42:05,516 then where is the test? 558 00:42:05,516 --> 00:42:09,516 Not seeing is actually that veil and curtain behind which you need to 559 00:42:09,516 --> 00:42:12,910 use your intellect and knowledge. 560 00:42:13,657 --> 00:42:19,177 It is the knowledge and intellect that makes a human being, a human being. 561 00:42:19,177 --> 00:42:27,631 Man decides all matters of his life in the light of rationality. 562 00:42:27,631 --> 00:42:33,941 The concept of good and evil has been inspired in this nature and personality 563 00:42:33,941 --> 00:42:37,453 of a man, under the light of which he decides all matters of his life. 564 00:42:37,453 --> 00:42:42,304 So the question arises that why isn't the same thing being done in case of God, 565 00:42:42,304 --> 00:42:44,654 which is done in all the other matters of life? 566 00:42:45,681 --> 00:42:53,296 So the point here is to tell that man is not merely a material being. 567 00:42:53,296 --> 00:42:56,698 Rather he is a rational and spiritual being. 568 00:42:56,698 --> 00:43:00,588 So it was said that, "A Guidance for these God fearing people, 569 00:43:00,588 --> 00:43:02,674 who believe without seeing" 570 00:43:02,674 --> 00:43:03,650 Without seeing! 571 00:43:05,362 --> 00:43:11,429 If we ponder over it, then when someone asks us that since you believe in God, 572 00:43:11,429 --> 00:43:13,130 so where is God? 573 00:43:13,130 --> 00:43:16,432 We become worried. We become afraid. 574 00:43:16,432 --> 00:43:19,939 And we usually say that such questions shouldn't be asked as it is a sin. 575 00:43:20,788 --> 00:43:23,951 Well, you can never stop this world from questioning. 576 00:43:24,528 --> 00:43:28,528 So what we should be doing is that we should have such a strong and firm 577 00:43:28,528 --> 00:43:32,918 belief, faith and confidence in the Book of god, 578 00:43:32,918 --> 00:43:36,528 that we should expect this Book to give answers to the questions 579 00:43:36,528 --> 00:43:38,644 that come in our minds. 580 00:43:38,644 --> 00:43:41,738 So why do we believe in God? 581 00:43:42,759 --> 00:43:46,245 If someone asks us that why do you believe in God when you can't see him? 582 00:43:46,245 --> 00:43:49,995 Then we will reply by saying that He is even seen by blind people. 583 00:43:51,850 --> 00:43:55,540 That is so because even if a person looses his eyesight, 584 00:43:55,540 --> 00:43:59,766 his rational existence still remains. He still learns a language. 585 00:43:59,766 --> 00:44:02,267 He still recognizes relations. 586 00:44:02,267 --> 00:44:06,506 He still creates the basis for different skills within himself. 587 00:44:06,506 --> 00:44:09,645 So it is an animal who believes only after seeing. 588 00:44:09,645 --> 00:44:13,891 It is an animal that is not rational and doesn't have the understanding. 589 00:44:14,371 --> 00:44:19,646 The greatest honor and distinguished feature of a man is that he discovers 590 00:44:19,646 --> 00:44:25,521 facts by assessing things, by means of rational inference, induction, 591 00:44:25,521 --> 00:44:29,871 and by getting the results from the given information by inferring things and 592 00:44:29,871 --> 00:44:34,111 by deducing the unknown from the known. 593 00:44:34,111 --> 00:44:36,891 And man in every field of the world, 594 00:44:36,891 --> 00:44:40,741 advances his knowledge on the very same principle. 595 00:44:40,741 --> 00:44:42,952 So why do we believe in God? 596 00:44:43,555 --> 00:44:48,445 We believe in Him without seeing Him because God has clearly proved 597 00:44:48,445 --> 00:44:55,431 His existence in every single atom in this Universe, by proving that 598 00:44:55,431 --> 00:44:59,650 the Universe is a creation and hence needs a Creator. 599 00:45:00,162 --> 00:45:05,324 When we say that we are the creation, that everything is created, 600 00:45:05,324 --> 00:45:10,774 then what question does the human intellect and his spiritual being asks? 601 00:45:10,774 --> 00:45:15,870 It asks that if everything is created, then who has created it all? 602 00:45:15,975 --> 00:45:21,291 If a table is put before me, then I know that this table has been made, 603 00:45:21,291 --> 00:45:22,798 that it didn't make itself. 604 00:45:22,798 --> 00:45:26,196 Hence, I just recognized the Creator. 605 00:45:26,196 --> 00:45:32,939 So Allah Almighty said that, "A guidance for these people who believe in the unseen 606 00:45:32,939 --> 00:45:35,431 and are watchful of their prayers. 607 00:45:35,431 --> 00:45:41,891 And spend in our way out of whatever we provided them. 608 00:45:42,846 --> 00:45:48,413 The thing that the teacher clarified about the prayer in the translation here 609 00:45:48,413 --> 00:45:52,316 is that they are watchful of their prayers. 610 00:45:52,316 --> 00:45:56,566 I mean he didn't merely say that they offer prayers, 611 00:45:56,566 --> 00:45:58,116 or are offering prayers. 612 00:45:58,116 --> 00:45:59,740 No! He said that they take care of their prayers. 613 00:45:59,740 --> 00:46:01,348 What does that mean? 614 00:46:01,348 --> 00:46:09,668 It means that prayer is such a sensitive topic in their life, 615 00:46:09,668 --> 00:46:12,920 that they are committed to it. 616 00:46:13,924 --> 00:46:22,137 That they with all their efforts, strife, endeavor and complete faith, 617 00:46:22,137 --> 00:46:25,768 stand by it in a very disciplined manner. 618 00:46:25,768 --> 00:46:30,828 This is what the Holy Qur'an has termed as "Iqaamat-e-salaat". 619 00:46:31,753 --> 00:46:36,530 And it also got clarified from this that when the Messenger of Allah [PBUH] 620 00:46:36,530 --> 00:46:45,433 is saying to his addressees that the earlier nations did not have this 621 00:46:45,433 --> 00:46:49,611 sensitiveness in them to express their relationship with God, 622 00:46:49,611 --> 00:46:51,380 or to worship Him, meaning to pray. 623 00:46:51,380 --> 00:46:55,699 So the mention of the word 'Prayer' made it clear that the concept of prayer wasn't 624 00:46:55,699 --> 00:47:00,534 alien to the people of the Arab or to the nation of the Prophet [PBUH]. 625 00:47:00,534 --> 00:47:07,555 They knew about it as prayers were always offered in the religion of the Prophets. 626 00:47:07,555 --> 00:47:14,828 Though some shortcomings were made in them, which Prophet [PBUH] then 627 00:47:14,828 --> 00:47:19,639 corrected and made some additions in it and then passed it on to the entire Ummah. 628 00:47:20,286 --> 00:47:24,389 So here the thing that we read to determine the subject of the Qur'an, 629 00:47:24,389 --> 00:47:27,879 should also be kept in view that the guidance of Allah which was present 630 00:47:27,879 --> 00:47:33,110 among all the Prophets, began with Adam and that Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] 631 00:47:33,110 --> 00:47:35,456 is the last Messenger of that tradition. 632 00:47:35,456 --> 00:47:39,516 So this also makes it clear that when it was commanded to offer prayers, 633 00:47:39,516 --> 00:47:42,510 then people were aware of the concept of the prayer. 634 00:47:42,510 --> 00:47:46,551 This word (Prayer) or any other term cannot be used 635 00:47:46,551 --> 00:47:50,270 until its addressees are not aware of its concept. 636 00:47:50,794 --> 00:47:54,230 Otherwise, in the very beginning of the Qur'an, it would have been said 637 00:47:54,230 --> 00:47:57,504 that people who perform such and such act and then 638 00:47:57,504 --> 00:47:59,916 the details of the prayer would have come under discussion. 639 00:47:59,916 --> 00:48:01,576 But such isn't the case in the Qur'an. 640 00:48:01,576 --> 00:48:05,330 Usually, this question is also raised by people that why isn't there a mention 641 00:48:05,330 --> 00:48:07,356 of the prayer in the Holy Qur'an? 642 00:48:07,356 --> 00:48:10,926 That is, why isn't it explained how to perform prayers? 643 00:48:11,586 --> 00:48:15,385 The reason for this is that people were already aware of the prayers. 644 00:48:15,385 --> 00:48:17,195 People used to perform prayers. 645 00:48:17,195 --> 00:48:19,897 Yes, there were some shortcomings which were made in them. 646 00:48:19,897 --> 00:48:22,654 But the Prophet [PBUH] is the only source of the religion. 647 00:48:22,654 --> 00:48:28,286 Just like he conveyed Qur'an to us, he also renewed, reformed and 648 00:48:28,286 --> 00:48:30,540 modified those practical aspects of religion, 649 00:48:30,540 --> 00:48:33,942 and after that passed them to the entire Ummah. 650 00:48:34,421 --> 00:48:36,175 So this is one thing that was said. 651 00:48:36,175 --> 00:48:39,387 The second thing that was said is that they spend in the way of God. 652 00:48:39,387 --> 00:48:43,702 "And they are watchful of their prayers and spend in our way 653 00:48:43,702 --> 00:48:47,922 out of whatever we provided them." 654 00:48:48,612 --> 00:48:56,262 That is, believers offer prayers to express their relationship with God. 655 00:48:56,830 --> 00:48:59,702 What does God get from one's prayers, from one's bowing down, 656 00:48:59,702 --> 00:49:02,182 from one's prostration and standing? 657 00:49:02,182 --> 00:49:04,290 By performing these acts of worship in the world, 658 00:49:04,290 --> 00:49:08,290 what would God, the selfless being, the one who doesn't need anyone, 659 00:49:08,290 --> 00:49:11,099 get from these acts? 660 00:49:11,099 --> 00:49:14,375 So actually one offers prayer to express one's own relationship with God. 661 00:49:14,375 --> 00:49:18,758 So the relationship with the Creator is expressed by offering prayers. 662 00:49:18,758 --> 00:49:24,457 And the relationship with the creation is expressed by spending on them. 663 00:49:24,457 --> 00:49:29,355 So the teacher described these two very detailed qualities. 664 00:49:29,355 --> 00:49:37,223 and said that the believers in Allah are actually adorned by these two qualities. 665 00:49:38,337 --> 00:49:42,843 The same thing was also described in the previous scriptures. 666 00:49:43,713 --> 00:49:49,194 In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Christ [PBUH], 667 00:49:49,194 --> 00:49:52,348 also described the same thing in a slightly different style. 668 00:49:53,821 --> 00:49:58,312 In that, it is written that, "And among them, 669 00:49:58,312 --> 00:50:02,081 a scholar of exegesis asked in order to test him that, 670 00:50:02,081 --> 00:50:06,201 'O teacher, which is the greatest commandment in Torah?', 671 00:50:06,201 --> 00:50:10,510 and he replied to him saying, 'Loving your Lord and God with 672 00:50:10,510 --> 00:50:18,530 all your heart, soul and mind, is the greatest and the first commandment. 673 00:50:18,530 --> 00:50:25,578 And second one like it is to love your neighbour as yourself. 674 00:50:25,578 --> 00:50:29,642 The entire Torah and the scriptures of the Prophets 675 00:50:29,642 --> 00:50:32,520 are based on these two commandments." 676 00:50:32,975 --> 00:50:38,725 Hence, it is stated everywhere in the revealed traditions that 677 00:50:38,725 --> 00:50:45,777 these two qualities, i.e. relationship with God and love for God's creatures, 678 00:50:45,777 --> 00:50:48,815 should be present in those who believe in God. 679 00:50:49,333 --> 00:50:55,059 This subject of the initial paragraph of Surah Al-Baqarah is continuing. 680 00:50:55,528 --> 00:50:58,228 The time for our session ends here. 681 00:50:58,228 --> 00:51:03,067 "Aqoolu qawli haaza wa astagfirullah li wa lakum walisairil muslimin."