WEBVTT 00:00:02.150 --> 00:00:04.404 Introduction to the Qur'an. 00:00:06.754 --> 00:00:09.710 Themes, Subjects and Characters. 00:00:10.908 --> 00:00:14.370 Addressees, Language and Difficulties. 00:00:15.959 --> 00:00:20.199 Verses, Surahs and Groups. 00:00:22.345 --> 00:00:25.545 How to understand Qur'an. Mohammad Hassan Ilyas. 00:00:25.545 --> 00:00:27.164 [Hassan Ilyas] Gratitude is only for the Lord of the worlds. 00:00:27.164 --> 00:00:30.810 May peace and blessings be upon his Trustworthy Prophet, Muhammad 00:00:30.810 --> 00:00:33.500 and his family, his companions and those who follow him. 00:00:34.592 --> 00:00:36.664 I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Devil. 00:00:36.664 --> 00:00:38.467 I begin in the name of Allah, most gracious, forever merciful. 00:00:38.467 --> 00:00:43.377 Dear viewers, we are studying the Holy Qur'an. 00:00:45.139 --> 00:00:47.484 This is the fourth session of the series. 00:00:49.415 --> 00:00:52.165 In the previous session, we read and understood 00:00:52.165 --> 00:00:57.396 the introduction and the text of Surah Al-Fatihah. 00:00:58.174 --> 00:01:04.040 We tried to know the message that this first Surah of the Holy Qur'an, 00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:08.500 which is also the preface or introduction of the Qur'an is giving. 00:01:10.621 --> 00:01:15.435 We had learnt that this Surah is actually a prayer, 00:01:16.325 --> 00:01:22.651 and a kind of summary whose details are to be explained in further Surahs. 00:01:25.021 --> 00:01:32.231 It is the prayer, the answer to which comes under discussion in further Surahs. 00:01:33.446 --> 00:01:35.168 What was that prayer? 00:01:35.349 --> 00:01:38.217 That prayer was, "Ihdinas siratal mustaqeem." 00:01:39.313 --> 00:01:45.030 Meaning, Oh God, the Lord of the worlds, Nourisher of the worlds, 00:01:45.030 --> 00:01:47.752 Gratitude is only for You. 00:01:48.720 --> 00:01:53.352 You are the one who created this world by virtue of His mercy. 00:01:53.352 --> 00:01:56.700 You are the one whose compassion is eternal. 00:01:56.700 --> 00:02:04.266 Your blessings in this world are perpetual, everlasting and eternal. 00:02:05.528 --> 00:02:08.960 You are the one who gave us the ability to will and choose. 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:12.540 Hence, it is You who is the Master of the Day of Recompense. 00:02:13.144 --> 00:02:18.130 We only worship You and from You alone do we seek help. 00:02:18.130 --> 00:02:20.803 Show us the straight path. 00:02:21.549 --> 00:02:23.459 What is that straight path? 00:02:24.534 --> 00:02:26.642 And it had also been asked in that prayer that, 00:02:26.642 --> 00:02:32.601 "The path of those upon whom You bestowed Your favor, not the path of 00:02:32.601 --> 00:02:40.470 those people or nations who incurred Your wrath and those who went astray. 00:02:40.470 --> 00:02:45.631 After Surah Al-Fatihah, the next Surah is Surah Al-Baqarah. 00:02:47.440 --> 00:02:53.678 This should be kept in mind that these Surahs have been named by human beings. 00:02:55.655 --> 00:02:59.876 As we will read further in this Surah, 00:02:59.876 --> 00:03:05.395 there comes the mention of the nation of Prophet Moses [AS]. 00:03:06.646 --> 00:03:14.236 There is an apparent symbolic aspect of the 'cow' present in that mention. 00:03:15.040 --> 00:03:17.456 Cow is called "Al-Baqarah" in the Arabic language. 00:03:18.925 --> 00:03:24.119 The scribes who took down the dictation of the Holy Qur'an and memorized it, 00:03:24.119 --> 00:03:28.912 they also gave these symbolic names to these Surahs for their own memorization. 00:03:29.853 --> 00:03:33.513 And these are the names that have continued till now. 00:03:34.167 --> 00:03:39.554 But when we will study Surah Al-Baqarah, it will be clear that the names 00:03:39.554 --> 00:03:45.124 that Allah has named these Surahs, have been made part of those Surahs. 00:03:45.124 --> 00:03:47.776 That is, either in the beginning of the Surahs, 00:03:47.776 --> 00:03:52.793 or in other verses of some Surahs, these parts come under discussion. 00:03:52.793 --> 00:04:00.090 Our method of studying the Holy Qur'an should be recalled in every session. 00:04:00.090 --> 00:04:01.957 That should be up front. 00:04:02.593 --> 00:04:06.120 And that method is that whichever Surah one begins to study, 00:04:06.120 --> 00:04:08.732 the central theme of that Surah, 00:04:08.732 --> 00:04:13.462 the context of the events under discussion in that Surah should be well known. 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 00:04:20.606 --> 00:04:27.536 Surahs and groups revolve, should also be remembered 00:04:27.536 --> 00:04:33.706 that it is actually Prophet's [PBUH] account of warning to people. 00:04:33.706 --> 00:04:39.767 That is, when He [PBUH] cautioned people after coming to this world, 00:04:39.767 --> 00:04:43.701 the chronicle of that has been written in the Holy Qur'an. 00:04:44.558 --> 00:04:48.662 Hence, it needs to be decided in every Surah now 00:04:48.662 --> 00:04:54.588 that which stage of drawing people's attention or to caution them, 00:04:54.588 --> 00:04:56.868 is under the discussion in the given Surah. 00:04:56.868 --> 00:05:02.639 Surah Al-Baqarah and Aal-e-Imran are two twin Surahs. 00:05:03.685 --> 00:05:14.248 We also had read that the Surahs in these seven groups arrive in pairs. 00:05:14.248 --> 00:05:22.792 It is like having a message that one Surah describes about one nation, 00:05:22.792 --> 00:05:26.622 and the same message or some other aspects of that message, 00:05:26.622 --> 00:05:30.503 are described about that same nation in some other Surah. 00:05:30.503 --> 00:05:37.391 Similarly, sometimes a nation is being addressed in a Surah, 00:05:37.391 --> 00:05:42.224 and the matter is being brought to their notice. 00:05:42.224 --> 00:05:45.751 And in its second twin Surah, its pair, 00:05:45.751 --> 00:05:49.678 the same thing happens regarding the other nation. 00:05:49.678 --> 00:05:56.987 We all know the effect of dividing the theme in this way. 00:05:56.987 --> 00:06:03.221 Its effect is that one is able to convey one's matter in a focused manner. 00:06:03.840 --> 00:06:06.600 That is, it is not the case that the address is happening 00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:08.189 with everybody at the same time. 00:06:08.189 --> 00:06:13.313 Rather one group is being addressed at one time from one aspect. 00:06:13.774 --> 00:06:18.342 And the same group is being addressed from another aspect at some other time 00:06:18.342 --> 00:06:21.842 or some other group is being addressed. 00:06:22.672 --> 00:06:26.702 So Al-Baqarah and Aal-e-Imran, they both are twin Surahs. 00:06:26.702 --> 00:06:28.433 They are a pair, they are joined. 00:06:28.433 --> 00:06:30.558 The teacher writes that, "In terms of the subject matter, 00:06:30.558 --> 00:06:32.586 both of these Surahs are twins." 00:06:32.586 --> 00:06:36.230 That is, they have come in the form of a pair, they are twins. 00:06:37.746 --> 00:06:40.856 "After the completion of God's proof on Jews in the first Surah, 00:06:40.856 --> 00:06:46.880 and particularly on Christians along with Jews in the second Surah, 00:06:46.880 --> 00:06:50.196 there is an announcement of the establishment of the new Ummah, 00:06:50.196 --> 00:06:54.574 the Muslim Ummah, from the children of Ishamel. 00:06:54.574 --> 00:06:59.520 Although the Prophet [PBUH] also has been tacitly addressed in them, 00:06:59.520 --> 00:07:02.359 as well as the polytheists of the Arab, 00:07:02.359 --> 00:07:07.247 however, the actual addressees of both the Surahs are the People of the Book, 00:07:07.247 --> 00:07:09.919 and then the Muslims. 00:07:11.446 --> 00:07:14.986 It is clear from the themes of these Surahs that they have been revealed 00:07:14.986 --> 00:07:17.662 in Medina after the migration at the time 00:07:17.662 --> 00:07:23.260 when the Muslim state had been formally established. 00:07:24.167 --> 00:07:28.803 And the Prophet [PBUH] was completing God's proof on the People of the Book, 00:07:28.803 --> 00:07:33.368 and was cleansing and purifying Muslims. 00:07:34.022 --> 00:07:37.260 The subject of the first Surah, Al-Baqarah, 00:07:37.260 --> 00:07:41.180 is the description of the completion of God's proof on the People of the Book, 00:07:41.180 --> 00:07:45.930 an establishment of a new Ummah in their place and a description of their duties. 00:07:46.790 --> 00:07:49.793 The subject of the second Surah, Aal-e-Imran, 00:07:49.793 --> 00:07:53.610 is completion of God's proof on the People of the Book, especially on Christians, 00:07:53.610 --> 00:07:56.693 an establishment of the new Ummah in their place, 00:07:56.693 --> 00:07:59.950 and its cleansing and purification." 00:08:00.528 --> 00:08:04.328 You may remember the discourse regarding the introduction of the Holy Qur'an, 00:08:04.328 --> 00:08:07.808 that we discussed in the initial sessions. 00:08:07.808 --> 00:08:09.981 In that, we had said that unless and until 00:08:09.981 --> 00:08:13.782 one doesn't keep the theme of the Qur'an in one's mind, 00:08:13.782 --> 00:08:16.394 one can't understand the context in which these Surahs 00:08:16.394 --> 00:08:19.997 of the Holy Qur'an are speaking, or which nations are they conversing to, 00:08:19.997 --> 00:08:24.835 or whose characteristics they are describing. We can't know any of this. 00:08:24.835 --> 00:08:31.934 And these introductions are so important that if we will not know them, 00:08:31.934 --> 00:08:41.705 then the consequence of this ignorance is so deadly and serious that 00:08:41.705 --> 00:08:47.830 the biggest reason for people distancing themselves from the Holy Qur'an nowadays, 00:08:47.830 --> 00:08:49.749 is to overlook this very aspect. 00:08:49.749 --> 00:08:51.718 We will formally study the Surah. 00:08:51.718 --> 00:08:54.846 This thing will also come under the discussion there, by implication. 00:08:54.846 --> 00:09:00.298 But let me just initially clear this thing by an example so that during the study 00:09:00.298 --> 00:09:03.646 of the Surah, this point stays up front with great consideration that 00:09:03.646 --> 00:09:05.916 in what context is the matter being discussed, 00:09:05.916 --> 00:09:08.626 who are being talked to, who are the addressees, 00:09:08.626 --> 00:09:11.007 what characters are under discussion in it, 00:09:11.007 --> 00:09:13.746 and what is the reason for bringing them under discussion? 00:09:13.746 --> 00:09:20.380 This is because, if in this Surah, it will be said about some nation, 00:09:20.380 --> 00:09:24.696 that 'This nation has gone astray now, it has deviated from the right path. 00:09:24.696 --> 00:09:28.933 And for this reason, it has had to taste the torment of Allah. 00:09:28.933 --> 00:09:32.543 And now you will have to distance yourself from them. 00:09:32.543 --> 00:09:34.845 They cannot be your friends. 00:09:34.845 --> 00:09:39.219 They can't be your helpers or well wishers. 00:09:39.219 --> 00:09:43.583 They will not be satisfied until you enter into their religion. 00:09:43.583 --> 00:09:48.831 And now, break up all relations and turn away from them.' 00:09:48.831 --> 00:09:53.897 So unless and until we won't understand the context of this instruction, 00:09:53.897 --> 00:09:58.192 we will describe it as a general or universal injunction. 00:09:58.192 --> 00:10:03.060 And just imagine, when we say to our children and to the future generations, 00:10:03.060 --> 00:10:09.770 about the Book of Allah in this day and age with full confidence, 00:10:09.770 --> 00:10:12.899 that the last message of God is inscribed in this, 00:10:12.899 --> 00:10:15.410 what message do we give to them? 00:10:15.410 --> 00:10:21.157 If you look at the children, especially those who live in western countries, 00:10:21.157 --> 00:10:26.129 when they study the Holy Qur'an, without understanding its introduction, 00:10:26.129 --> 00:10:32.707 without determining its theme, its topic and its subject, 00:10:32.707 --> 00:10:37.454 they fall victim to the dilemma, that does the Qur'an say the 00:10:37.454 --> 00:10:43.134 same about their friends, those People of the Book having good character, 00:10:43.134 --> 00:10:48.694 who are present all around them, that there can't be any friendship with them? 00:10:49.538 --> 00:10:52.738 Does Qur'an say the same about them that 00:10:52.738 --> 00:10:55.471 now they have to now taste the torment of God? 00:10:55.471 --> 00:11:00.509 Does Qur'an instruct us to distance ourselves from them too? 00:11:00.509 --> 00:11:04.939 So all these topics of discussion and all these issues, 00:11:04.939 --> 00:11:09.845 will arise during the study of the holy Qur'an. They can arise. 00:11:09.845 --> 00:11:14.972 This is the reason that the introduction of every Surah, 00:11:14.972 --> 00:11:17.686 the stage at which a given Surah has been revealed, 00:11:17.686 --> 00:11:21.231 the responsibility under which the Messenger [PBUH] 00:11:21.231 --> 00:11:24.409 is speaking given his status and position, 00:11:24.409 --> 00:11:29.442 and what He [PBUH] is speaking about and to whom, will come under discussion. 00:11:30.218 --> 00:11:33.476 Here our teacher has told us that, in terms of the subject matter, 00:11:33.476 --> 00:11:38.724 both of these Surahs have come in the from of a pair. 00:11:38.724 --> 00:11:41.962 Jews have been addressed in the first Surah, and in the second one, 00:11:41.962 --> 00:11:45.698 particularly Christians along with the Jews have been addressed. 00:11:46.355 --> 00:11:50.645 And they are addressed in the context which we had also learnt earlier, 00:11:50.645 --> 00:11:53.581 which is the basic theme of the first group, 00:11:53.581 --> 00:11:58.605 that this nation which was given the responsibility, the children of Israel, 00:11:58.605 --> 00:12:01.088 they didn't fulfill their responsibility. 00:12:01.760 --> 00:12:06.560 Hence, the children of Ishmael, the descendants of Abraham, 00:12:06.560 --> 00:12:08.709 are now being appointed. 00:12:08.709 --> 00:12:12.760 The children of Ishmael are being established at a place 00:12:12.760 --> 00:12:16.570 where the responsibilities which were once in charge of the children of Israel, 00:12:16.570 --> 00:12:19.136 as well as in charge of the children of Ishmael. 00:12:19.136 --> 00:12:21.219 But they didn't fulfill them. 00:12:21.219 --> 00:12:25.825 So now a new Ummah is being appointed from them, a new group, 00:12:25.825 --> 00:12:29.813 that has now to take on this responsibility to continue the 00:12:29.813 --> 00:12:34.391 same mission as a nation in the world, 00:12:34.391 --> 00:12:38.281 that the Prophets of God used to champion. 00:12:38.281 --> 00:12:42.596 This point also got clarified from this introduction that this Surah... 00:12:42.596 --> 00:12:50.185 And Surah Al-Baqarah is the longest and detailed Surah of the Holy Qur'an. 00:12:50.185 --> 00:12:54.602 And that's why it is very important to know its context, 00:12:54.602 --> 00:12:59.341 i.e, whom it has been revealed to and to address what? 00:13:01.890 --> 00:13:06.889 It becomes clear from reading the Surah that it has been revealed in Medina. 00:13:06.889 --> 00:13:12.408 This is because in the course of this Surah, after describing the mistakes 00:13:12.408 --> 00:13:20.030 done by Jews and Christians, their rebellion, deviation and wickedness, 00:13:20.030 --> 00:13:25.887 when Muslims are sanctified and purified, the commandments that they are being given 00:13:25.887 --> 00:13:30.387 become clear by reading the Surah, that the relation of those commandments is with 00:13:30.387 --> 00:13:32.251 an organised and systematic society. 00:13:32.251 --> 00:13:37.905 That is, this is not possible that Muslims stand in Mecca at an individualistic level 00:13:37.905 --> 00:13:41.840 and they are given the commandments regarding the society. 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:46.791 So this is quite clear that these Surahs have been revealed in Medina. 00:13:46.791 --> 00:13:48.978 Let us begin the study of the Surah. 00:13:48.978 --> 00:13:51.328 "Bismillahir rahman nirrahim. 00:13:51.328 --> 00:13:56.107 In the name of Allah, who is wholly merciful, whose compassion is eternal. 00:13:57.797 --> 00:14:00.507 This Surah is 'Alif-Laam-Meem'. 00:14:01.967 --> 00:14:06.809 This is a Book from God and there is no doubt in it. 00:14:06.809 --> 00:14:10.158 It is the guidance for these God fearing people, 00:14:10.158 --> 00:14:17.189 who believe without seeing, and are watchful of their prayers. 00:14:17.189 --> 00:14:23.506 And spend in the way of God out of whatever we have provided for them. 00:14:24.902 --> 00:14:31.402 And who also believe in what has been revealed to You (Prophet Muhammad), 00:14:31.402 --> 00:14:35.162 as well as in that what was revealed before You. 00:14:36.245 --> 00:14:40.245 And who really believe in the hereafter. 00:14:40.245 --> 00:14:43.568 These are the ones who are upon the guidance of their Lord. 00:14:43.568 --> 00:14:47.973 And these are the ones who are going to be successful and saved." 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, 00:14:55.143 --> 00:15:01.100 that like the way we converse under normal circumstances, 00:15:01.100 --> 00:15:06.225 the message that we want to communicate in that conversation, 00:15:06.225 --> 00:15:08.904 if we communicate that by writing that down, 00:15:08.904 --> 00:15:11.899 then that gets distinguished in the form of a paragraph. 00:15:11.899 --> 00:15:18.313 That is, taking a topic from one point to another fixed point, 00:15:18.313 --> 00:15:22.148 even though that topic is only a part in relation to the entire theme, 00:15:22.148 --> 00:15:23.848 i.e. it is not completed. 00:15:23.848 --> 00:15:31.678 However, the complete message is conveyed to a reader in that paragraph, 00:15:31.678 --> 00:15:36.300 by the speaker who wants to convey it. 00:15:36.300 --> 00:15:41.782 The same is the case in the Qur'an, that all these series of verses together 00:15:41.782 --> 00:15:47.921 communicate a certain point to the people. 00:15:49.581 --> 00:15:53.969 So as you may have noticed that when I read the translation, 00:15:53.969 --> 00:15:58.299 I only translated from the first verse to the fifth verse of Surah Al-Baqarah. 00:15:58.949 --> 00:16:02.860 This is because from the first verse to the fifth verse, 00:16:02.860 --> 00:16:09.457 there is one paragraph, one complete topic that has been conveyed to the world. 00:16:09.457 --> 00:16:11.977 We said that this Surah is 'Alif-Laam-Meem'. 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. 00:16:18.198 --> 00:16:20.318 So what is this 'Alif-Laam-Meem'? 00:16:21.846 --> 00:16:28.103 You may have noticed that when we Muslims are invited to study the Holy Qur'an, 00:16:28.103 --> 00:16:32.718 to hold the Holy Qur'an firmly in our lives, 00:16:32.718 --> 00:16:36.865 and to make it as the guide as it is the only wealth worth having. 00:16:37.506 --> 00:16:42.182 And when we want to read the Qur'an and open it to read, 00:16:42.182 --> 00:16:50.428 then just in the initial Surah, there comes some word whose meaning 00:16:50.428 --> 00:16:54.288 does not happen to be mentioned in the translation of the Holy Qur'an. 00:16:55.188 --> 00:17:01.449 A reader gets surprised, thinking that I had just opened the Book of God, 00:17:01.449 --> 00:17:04.147 in order to benefit from it, to understand it, 00:17:04.147 --> 00:17:06.897 to know what guidance or instructions are in it for me, 00:17:06.897 --> 00:17:09.438 and to know about the warnings mentioned in it, 00:17:09.438 --> 00:17:16.608 but it begins with something which if we say in plain and simple language, 00:17:16.608 --> 00:17:22.418 are strange kind of words that come in the beginning of it. 00:17:22.418 --> 00:17:24.627 'Alif-Laam-Meem'. 00:17:24.627 --> 00:17:29.247 I mean, if you open some lexicon or ask some Arab, 00:17:29.247 --> 00:17:33.657 or try to know the meaning of this word by examining the Arabic literature, 00:17:33.657 --> 00:17:36.996 that if 'Alif-Laam-Meem' is any word? 00:17:36.996 --> 00:17:40.345 If yes, then what is the meaning and connotation of it? 00:17:40.345 --> 00:17:46.168 So we are told that these are "Huroof-e-Muqatta'at" (disjoined letters). 00:17:46.168 --> 00:17:51.188 And their meanings and connotations are known to Allah alone. 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, 00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:02.440 then what is the purpose of having that word in this Book (Qur'an)? 00:18:03.420 --> 00:18:08.850 And that Book which will become the cause of your and mine guidance 00:18:08.850 --> 00:18:11.900 till the Day of Resurrection, 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, 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 00:18:24.893 --> 00:18:27.673 its meaning and connotation? 00:18:27.673 --> 00:18:32.641 We will highlight these aspects during our study of the Holy Qur'an. 00:18:33.561 --> 00:18:38.630 The aspects that create hindrance and resistance for an ordinary reader and 00:18:38.630 --> 00:18:44.331 an ordinary Muslim to associate themselves with the message of the Qur'an, 00:18:44.331 --> 00:18:50.403 with fervour and with real conviction. 00:18:50.403 --> 00:18:57.011 That is to say that although a Muslim wants to make Qur'an a shining beacon 00:18:57.011 --> 00:19:04.931 or guide of his life, but he encounters some aspects that 00:19:04.931 --> 00:19:13.708 subconsciously prevent him from attaching himself to the Book (Qur'an). 00:19:15.632 --> 00:19:18.772 This Surah is 'Alif-Laam-Meem', as I had said that the teacher 00:19:18.772 --> 00:19:21.272 has written it in the translation. What does it mean? 00:19:22.638 --> 00:19:26.622 You may have come across different views and opinions about this. 00:19:26.622 --> 00:19:29.842 You can read about them in any of the translations or commentaries. 00:19:29.842 --> 00:19:32.158 There are wide range of opinions about it. 00:19:32.158 --> 00:19:38.376 But the thing that turns out to be most clear and correct, 00:19:38.376 --> 00:19:45.980 and which is qualified by the discourse and its history itself, 00:19:45.980 --> 00:19:48.366 is that these are the names of the Surahs. 00:19:48.366 --> 00:19:54.759 We find this style in the Arabic language, 00:19:54.759 --> 00:19:58.641 that when you have to decide the title of some discourse, 00:19:58.641 --> 00:20:05.491 or write its name or decide its topic, you write it in a combination of letters. 00:20:06.725 --> 00:20:10.749 These letters are separate, like 'Alif' is separate, 00:20:10.749 --> 00:20:12.781 'Laam' is separate and so is 'Meem'. 00:20:14.157 --> 00:20:17.899 The other languages of the world, for example, Chinese language, 00:20:17.899 --> 00:20:21.629 or other languages like Hebrew langauge, 00:20:21.629 --> 00:20:25.439 sometimes in those languages too, 00:20:25.439 --> 00:20:31.620 these alphabets do not just simply represent some sound, 00:20:31.620 --> 00:20:36.589 rather they also express the symbol of a given thing. 00:20:37.361 --> 00:20:46.028 For example, if you see in the Hebrew language, then even today, 00:20:46.028 --> 00:20:57.198 the shape that is drawn to describe a fish is like the letter "Nun". 00:20:57.198 --> 00:20:59.478 You write the letter "Nun" like this. 00:20:59.478 --> 00:21:01.694 A semi-circle and a dot at the center. 00:21:01.694 --> 00:21:11.757 Actually when we wanted to communicate the shape or form of a fish to the people, 00:21:11.757 --> 00:21:15.227 we did it by taking just one aspect of its shape. 00:21:15.227 --> 00:21:18.237 For example, if you look at it from one aspect, 00:21:18.237 --> 00:21:22.024 then that (letter Nun) describes the mouth and an eye of a fish, 00:21:22.024 --> 00:21:26.646 and if you look at it from another perspective, then its tail is just like 00:21:26.646 --> 00:21:28.778 the semi-circle of the letter "Nun". 00:21:29.438 --> 00:21:35.794 So what human beings did in the beginning, when they wanted to communicate something, 00:21:35.794 --> 00:21:39.910 for example, that 'I need a fish', they communicated it by the word "Fish", 00:21:39.910 --> 00:21:46.748 or by the shape of a fish or by drawing an element of that shape. 00:21:48.104 --> 00:21:55.678 So, these words refer to both sounds and symbols. 00:21:55.678 --> 00:21:59.711 These words appear in more or less thirty Surahs of the Holy Qur'an, 00:21:59.711 --> 00:22:03.493 and these are called "Haroof-e-muqatta'at" meaning "Disjoined letters". 00:22:03.493 --> 00:22:09.492 So these letters are actually a kind of codes that indicate a given shape. 00:22:10.299 --> 00:22:15.014 The Holy Qur'an itself makes this thing quite clear 00:22:15.014 --> 00:22:18.913 in Surah Nun, by the letter Nun. 00:22:18.913 --> 00:22:22.236 But since we know that the meaning of "Nun" is a fish, 00:22:22.236 --> 00:22:25.531 so the story that is further discussed in that Surah, 00:22:25.531 --> 00:22:31.009 is of Sahib-ul-Hut, Prophet Younis [AS]. And He was a fisherman. 00:22:31.009 --> 00:22:36.119 So, this prominent aspect of this Surah was picked up and then 00:22:36.119 --> 00:22:40.996 written by highlighting it in the form of a symbol. 00:22:40.996 --> 00:22:45.702 This style started to fade over time. 00:22:45.702 --> 00:22:50.055 And it also didn't last in that way even in the Arabic language itself. 00:22:50.055 --> 00:22:55.619 This is the reason that we can say it about certain letters with full certainty 00:22:55.619 --> 00:23:02.574 that whose symbols are they, what codes do they contain and what are they describing, 00:23:02.574 --> 00:23:05.891 but we have no knowledge about some other letters. 00:23:05.891 --> 00:23:09.508 It is not like that God has not given this knowledge to humans, 00:23:09.508 --> 00:23:13.351 rather what happened was that a style that was normally in vogue, 00:23:13.351 --> 00:23:15.291 did not continue in that way. 00:23:15.291 --> 00:23:19.821 However, scholars are still researching on it. 00:23:19.821 --> 00:23:24.801 And they are also making it clear to the world that which symbols or things 00:23:24.801 --> 00:23:29.211 do these letters represent. 00:23:29.765 --> 00:23:36.782 This aspect should also be kept in view that if we did not yet know that 00:23:36.782 --> 00:23:43.362 what these letters as names represent or what their meanings are? 00:23:43.362 --> 00:23:47.492 Then it wouldn't have made any difference if we can't even know the subjects 00:23:47.492 --> 00:23:51.447 of a given Surah which is named by these letters. 00:23:51.447 --> 00:23:54.505 This is because if my name is Hassan, 00:23:54.505 --> 00:23:57.037 and if you don't know the meaning of the word 'Hassan', 00:23:57.037 --> 00:23:59.917 then that doesn't cause any difficulty or trouble in knowing 00:23:59.917 --> 00:24:02.155 the qualities and traits of my personality, 00:24:02.155 --> 00:24:06.900 my knowledge, my views and my opinions. 00:24:08.450 --> 00:24:12.450 So this is the first thing that every Muslim should keep in mind. 00:24:13.381 --> 00:24:16.711 And let me say that the translations of the Holy Qur'an may be present 00:24:16.711 --> 00:24:21.140 in your cupboards, so you can read them if you want to. 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 00:24:29.792 --> 00:24:31.644 and understood this Book (Qur'an), 00:24:31.644 --> 00:24:35.404 and as persons inhabiting this modern era, 00:24:35.404 --> 00:24:41.534 when other people read this (Qur'an), then what questions arise in their minds? 00:24:42.304 --> 00:24:48.106 If you reflect, then the present era is the era of critical thinking. 00:24:48.106 --> 00:24:50.933 The present era is the era of reason and argumentation. 00:24:50.933 --> 00:24:54.933 The present era is the era of freedom and freedom of thought. 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 00:24:58.893 --> 00:25:02.228 doesn't ask the question such as what is meant by 'Alif-Laam-Meem? 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 00:25:06.546 --> 00:25:08.582 that I am unable to know! 00:25:08.582 --> 00:25:11.852 So these questions will come before us. 00:25:11.852 --> 00:25:15.852 Gone is that age when we used to shut down questions merely on the 00:25:15.852 --> 00:25:20.757 emphasis of respect, literature, imitation and tradition. 00:25:20.757 --> 00:25:24.554 This is the age when we need to consciously pass the knowledge 00:25:24.554 --> 00:25:28.798 of religion to our children and future generations. 00:25:28.798 --> 00:25:32.275 Therefore, we need to critically analyze things, 00:25:32.275 --> 00:25:35.149 raise questions about them and understand them. 00:25:35.149 --> 00:25:37.909 However, this should be kept in view that we have already accepted that 00:25:37.909 --> 00:25:39.558 this is the Book of Allah. 00:25:39.558 --> 00:25:44.641 This exercise of understanding things is for the better understanding of the Book, 00:25:44.641 --> 00:25:52.514 and for our own confidence that we also understand the Book that we believe in. 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. 00:25:58.349 --> 00:26:00.452 So it was said that this Surah is 'Alif-Laam-Meem'. 00:26:00.452 --> 00:26:03.512 Meaning 'Alif-Laam-Meem' is the name of the Surah Al-Baqarah. 00:26:03.512 --> 00:26:09.423 "This is a Book from God and there is no doubt in it." 00:26:10.812 --> 00:26:16.616 That is, it was made clear in the very beginning that all over the world, 00:26:16.616 --> 00:26:23.056 different discourses, books, testaments and different media come into existence, 00:26:23.056 --> 00:26:25.989 in order to communicate things. 00:26:27.286 --> 00:26:34.306 But this thing should be kept in mind that there shouldn't be any doubt regarding 00:26:34.306 --> 00:26:37.840 the Book of God in terms of its divine nature. 00:26:37.840 --> 00:26:43.346 That is, if you imagine the time when the Prophet [PBUH] was reciting these verses 00:26:43.346 --> 00:26:47.181 to His people, then what was He saying to them? 00:26:47.181 --> 00:26:52.313 He was saying to them that these words are not My invention. 00:26:52.313 --> 00:26:56.854 These words are not My creation or the result of My thoughts, 00:26:56.854 --> 00:27:01.009 or the ideas that have evolved over a lifetime of thinking. 00:27:01.009 --> 00:27:04.201 Rather, this is the word of God that I am reciting before you. 00:27:05.533 --> 00:27:09.533 These are not My words but the words of God. 00:27:09.533 --> 00:27:13.943 And these Surahs, consisting of these very words, these collection of Surahs 00:27:13.943 --> 00:27:19.521 and this entire Book, i.e. the Book, by which is meant the Holy Qur'an, 00:27:19.521 --> 00:27:21.450 is the Book of Allah. 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 00:27:28.935 --> 00:27:31.396 in the fact that this is a divine book. 00:27:32.366 --> 00:27:36.430 The teacher said, "This is the guidance for God fearing people, 00:27:36.430 --> 00:27:38.502 who believe without witnessing (with their eyes)." 00:27:38.502 --> 00:27:43.439 Guidance for God fearing people who believe without seeing. 00:27:44.404 --> 00:27:50.326 We know that guidance is needed to walk on a given path, 00:27:50.326 --> 00:27:54.226 as well as to find that path. 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? 00:28:01.040 --> 00:28:07.147 Or which route do we have to take to start the journey? 00:28:08.033 --> 00:28:13.917 So these inspired scriptures actually come to keep us on the guided path. 00:28:13.917 --> 00:28:17.657 That is to say, that these scriptures show you the definite path. 00:28:18.370 --> 00:28:22.770 They show you the definite way which you have to stick to. 00:28:22.770 --> 00:28:28.414 They don't just guide you a pointer and then leave you free 00:28:28.414 --> 00:28:32.572 to adopt a Shari'ah of your making, 00:28:32.572 --> 00:28:36.558 or to create ways to relate with God through your own conceptions. 00:28:36.558 --> 00:28:40.872 No! Rather the guidance that is required to walk on that path, 00:28:40.872 --> 00:28:45.300 that complete guidance is given in the Holy Qur'an. 00:28:45.300 --> 00:28:49.253 And all the inspired scriptures actually come for the same purpose. 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, 00:28:53.308 --> 00:28:58.684 A guidance for these God fearing people, who believe without seeing" (or observing) 00:28:58.684 --> 00:29:00.821 For the God fearing people. 00:29:00.821 --> 00:29:03.952 We had stated that the context of this Surah is that 00:29:03.952 --> 00:29:06.441 Jews are actually addressed in it. 00:29:07.313 --> 00:29:09.328 So what was then just said? 00:29:09.328 --> 00:29:14.386 That is, those people who were standing in front of the Messenger of Allah [PBUH], 00:29:14.386 --> 00:29:18.813 the companions of Prophet [PBUH], who had believed in Him, 00:29:18.813 --> 00:29:22.386 they are being told who gets the guidance? 00:29:23.120 --> 00:29:31.148 Only those get the guidance, who fear God with a sincere heart 00:29:31.148 --> 00:29:36.234 after recognizing the limits set by Him. 00:29:36.234 --> 00:29:47.060 In our culture, when you introduce God and His Book (Qur'an) to Muslims, 00:29:47.060 --> 00:29:51.470 then an early and a very prominent objection comes to the fore, 00:29:51.470 --> 00:29:55.595 that why is this fear being created with the concept of God? 00:29:56.646 --> 00:30:03.140 Why is it often said that we should fear God? 00:30:03.140 --> 00:30:06.109 Why is it not being said that we should love God? 00:30:06.109 --> 00:30:10.334 Why doesn't the concept of a God comes as a compassionate Lord? 00:30:11.957 --> 00:30:16.841 People who are in the initial phase of reading the Qur'an, especially the youth, 00:30:16.841 --> 00:30:22.290 usually ask me this question that why we come up with a scary concept of dread, 00:30:22.290 --> 00:30:25.220 anxiety, fear and pressure, in case of God? 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 00:30:29.322 --> 00:30:34.588 for these God-fearing people, who believe without seeing (with their eyes). 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 00:30:41.220 --> 00:30:43.638 that God is merciful and compassionate. 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:48.317 Even Surah Al-Fatihah started with the same. 00:30:48.317 --> 00:30:52.591 And this thing was also noted in its contents and text. 00:30:52.591 --> 00:30:56.666 And then this Surah also began by saying that God is merciful and compassionate. 00:30:56.666 --> 00:31:02.749 This is crystal clear that God doesn't want to oppress us. 00:31:02.749 --> 00:31:07.309 That God doesn't want to frighten us. He doesn't want to make us afraid. 00:31:07.309 --> 00:31:13.689 It is His attribute of being Merciful and an attribute of His compassion, 00:31:13.689 --> 00:31:17.689 that He created this Universe, and He wants to make us the 00:31:17.689 --> 00:31:23.162 citizens of His paradise by giving us an eternal life in His kingdom. 00:31:23.162 --> 00:31:26.380 His whole scheme is based on love and compassion. 00:31:27.569 --> 00:31:30.575 His whole scheme is not based on intimidation. 00:31:30.575 --> 00:31:32.190 It is indeed based on love. 00:31:32.190 --> 00:31:35.119 It is His kindness, just kindness! 00:31:35.119 --> 00:31:41.730 Otherwise, God who is imperishable, unique, eternal and such a power 00:31:41.730 --> 00:31:44.080 that has always been and always will be, 00:31:44.080 --> 00:31:47.840 whether He would have created the Universe or not, that wouldn't have made 00:31:47.840 --> 00:31:51.470 anydifference in His grandeur, status and greatness. 00:31:51.470 --> 00:31:54.163 He actually had mercy on me that 00:31:54.163 --> 00:31:59.404 after putting me to the initial test of fifty to sixty years, 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 00:32:03.974 --> 00:32:07.813 the regret of the past nor the worry of future. 00:32:07.813 --> 00:32:12.047 So it becomes clear from all of this that He is an absolute mercy. 00:32:12.047 --> 00:32:13.736 His compassion is eternal. 00:32:13.736 --> 00:32:18.447 He wants, "Walayn ardha libaadihi l kufr", that you don't go astray. 00:32:18.447 --> 00:32:20.824 And He is more compassionate than seventy mothers. 00:32:20.824 --> 00:32:23.163 There is this much of love in Him. 00:32:23.163 --> 00:32:26.261 But what is the demand of this love? 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, 00:32:31.938 --> 00:32:37.529 this yearning, urge, desire, wish, longing and passion, should also be present 00:32:37.529 --> 00:32:43.717 in a decent, rational, and believing Muslim after believing in God. 00:32:44.473 --> 00:32:50.510 And this word that appears at various places in the Holy Qur'an i.e. "Mutaqeen", 00:32:50.510 --> 00:32:54.831 it never refers to those people who fall victim to some dread or fear. 00:32:55.681 --> 00:33:00.336 Rather it refers to those who are aware of the limits (set by God). 00:33:00.336 --> 00:33:06.487 And they fear the seriousness of those limits, that if they transgressed them, 00:33:06.487 --> 00:33:11.396 then their relationship with God will be affected. 00:33:13.260 --> 00:33:18.630 So "These God fearing people who believe without seeing", refers to 00:33:18.630 --> 00:33:22.760 those who know that God has been so merciful to them and after that 00:33:22.760 --> 00:33:25.274 has shown them the definite path (of guidance), 00:33:25.274 --> 00:33:28.174 so therefore if they strayed from this path now, 00:33:28.174 --> 00:33:30.916 then God will be displeased from them. 00:33:30.916 --> 00:33:33.073 So this is the fear of His displeasure. 00:33:33.073 --> 00:33:36.948 This is the dread of His displeasure because of which a believer 00:33:36.948 --> 00:33:39.766 obeys His commandments. 00:33:41.025 --> 00:33:45.105 "A guidance for these God fearing people, who believe without seeing & are watchful 00:33:45.105 --> 00:33:50.856 of their prayers and spend in our way out of what we have bestowed upon them." 00:33:52.811 --> 00:33:57.867 When you hand over the Holy Qur'an to people, 00:33:57.867 --> 00:34:00.587 and when you invite them to read the word of God, 00:34:02.352 --> 00:34:07.002 then as I pointed out certain things in the very beginning, 00:34:07.002 --> 00:34:11.892 for example, the discourse seems strange if one is not aware of the theme of it, 00:34:11.892 --> 00:34:14.162 the characters seem strange. 00:34:14.162 --> 00:34:18.778 Similarly, the 'Alif-Laam-Meem', 00:34:18.778 --> 00:34:21.109 whose meaning is known to God and not to us. 00:34:22.160 --> 00:34:28.856 Likewise dread and fear, that gets attached to the concept of God. 00:34:28.856 --> 00:34:31.865 The same case happens in the next sentence. 00:34:33.036 --> 00:34:37.036 And all of this actually being the description of that covenant and 00:34:37.036 --> 00:34:42.176 the adverse attributes of the Jews who were present before that. 00:34:42.719 --> 00:34:45.707 It is being described that they (Jews) do not fear God. 00:34:46.417 --> 00:34:50.460 For them, the concept of God has become a ritualistic concept. 00:34:50.460 --> 00:34:52.123 They believe in God. 00:34:52.123 --> 00:34:55.136 They are also attached to the traditions of God's Prophets. 00:34:55.409 --> 00:34:58.461 But do they really believe in God? 00:34:59.075 --> 00:35:01.115 Do they really fear God? 00:35:01.115 --> 00:35:09.567 You will further read that if the sign of being oblivious of God's guidance arises 00:35:09.567 --> 00:35:13.515 in nations, after they believe in God, then what are those attributes and traits 00:35:13.515 --> 00:35:15.317 towards which the Holy Qur'an points to? 00:35:15.317 --> 00:35:17.485 That will later come under discussion in detail. 00:35:17.485 --> 00:35:21.235 So when it was said that, "A guidance for these God fearing people.", 00:35:21.235 --> 00:35:23.838 it was actually said about that covenant of Jews 00:35:23.838 --> 00:35:28.144 and the adverse attributes of the Jews who were present before that, 00:35:28.144 --> 00:35:31.949 to the companions of the Prophet [PBUH], that they (Jews) are not God fearing. 00:35:31.949 --> 00:35:34.009 But you have to be God fearing. 00:35:34.009 --> 00:35:37.847 And then it is said, "Allazeena yuminuna bil ghayb." 00:35:37.847 --> 00:35:40.745 Meaning those who believe without seeing (with their eyes). 00:35:40.745 --> 00:35:46.326 So this is the verse that when Muslims usually read it, 00:35:46.326 --> 00:35:52.336 a wrong orientation of the whole religion gets created. 00:35:52.953 --> 00:35:57.953 And then it is being said that see Allah Almighty has said, "Yuminuna bil ghayb". 00:35:59.010 --> 00:36:01.654 Referring to those who believe in the unseen (blindly). 00:36:01.654 --> 00:36:05.353 The translation that we did here is that, 00:36:05.353 --> 00:36:08.878 "A Guidance to these God fearing people who believe without seeing." 00:36:08.878 --> 00:36:11.075 Who believe without witnessing with their eyes. 00:36:11.075 --> 00:36:14.324 We didn't translate it as, "Those who believe in the unseen". 00:36:14.324 --> 00:36:16.449 What is the reason for this? 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, 00:36:22.664 --> 00:36:26.664 then it becomes clear, and when one reads the very same 00:36:26.664 --> 00:36:29.682 topics of discussions of the Qur'an further in the Surah, 00:36:29.682 --> 00:36:34.703 in the light of the attributes of that nation, then it becomes even clearer 00:36:34.703 --> 00:36:37.974 that what exactly is being negated or denied? 00:36:38.725 --> 00:36:43.075 As I said that by this verse, it is usually understood 00:36:43.075 --> 00:36:46.390 that all the commandments of religion, 00:36:46.390 --> 00:36:48.910 all the guidance and instructions of religion, 00:36:48.910 --> 00:36:51.218 actually need to be believed blindly. 00:36:51.880 --> 00:36:53.789 To believe in what is unseen! 00:36:53.789 --> 00:36:56.243 To believe in things that you can't understand. 00:36:56.742 --> 00:37:00.382 Things that you can't even question. 00:37:01.221 --> 00:37:08.397 Hence, it has an effect, that is seen in our Muslim culture and society. 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, 00:37:17.407 --> 00:37:20.028 and that question can be of any type. 00:37:20.028 --> 00:37:23.015 That can be about the whole concept of religion, 00:37:23.015 --> 00:37:25.265 or that can be about the existence of God, 00:37:25.265 --> 00:37:29.023 or that can be about God's qualities or about the characteristics of His being. 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. 00:37:32.927 --> 00:37:38.738 Saying that see this whole religion is all about believing blindly in the unseen. 00:37:38.738 --> 00:37:41.784 That one doesn't need to question, rather one needs to blindly believe, 00:37:41.784 --> 00:37:45.641 because we believe in things that we can't see. 00:37:46.125 --> 00:37:51.053 This verse of the Holy Qur'an is never ever saying this thing. 00:37:51.053 --> 00:37:55.722 Rather the exact opposite thing is being discussed here. 00:37:56.648 --> 00:37:59.495 What is that thing that is being described here? 00:37:59.495 --> 00:38:04.705 The thing that is being described is that Allah Almighty did not just give man a 00:38:04.705 --> 00:38:10.272 mere material existence like other animals. 00:38:10.272 --> 00:38:14.967 Rather, man has been bestowed with an intellectual and a spiritual personality. 00:38:15.960 --> 00:38:19.041 Man deduces the unknown from the known. 00:38:19.656 --> 00:38:23.356 He infers fire from seeing the smoke. 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 00:38:28.827 --> 00:38:33.356 him to slow the car, as a child could also be running after the ball. 00:38:33.918 --> 00:38:38.308 So even the animals believe after seeing. 00:38:38.308 --> 00:38:42.448 A Buffalo believes, a sheep believes, a dog also believes after seeing. 00:38:42.448 --> 00:38:48.190 The difference between humans and animals is this very thing that humans infer. 00:38:48.190 --> 00:38:54.110 They assess things, they deduce the unknown from the known. 00:38:55.590 --> 00:39:01.682 Therefore, if your demand is, "Anara llaha jahra.", 00:39:01.682 --> 00:39:07.830 meaning we won't believe until we see Allah outright, 00:39:07.830 --> 00:39:10.638 then this is the answer to that which is being asked, 00:39:10.638 --> 00:39:15.110 that why do you need to see God? 00:39:15.110 --> 00:39:18.925 Is it because that you will then come to believe that there is a God? 00:39:18.925 --> 00:39:25.252 And is it because that you will then have a firm faith or confidence 00:39:25.252 --> 00:39:27.714 about the existence of the Creator of the Universe? 00:39:27.714 --> 00:39:32.751 If so, then the question is that this whole Universe, 00:39:32.751 --> 00:39:37.652 this greenery, these flowing streams, this sound of the waterfall, 00:39:37.652 --> 00:39:43.638 these mountains, these valleys, these oceans, these gardens, 00:39:43.638 --> 00:39:48.541 these galaxies, this colorfulness of the world, its diversity, 00:39:48.541 --> 00:39:50.747 its wonders and variegation, 00:39:50.747 --> 00:39:56.341 so can you believe that all of this got created all by itself, without a Creator? 00:39:57.347 --> 00:40:04.991 Can you accept that the affairs of this creation after creating it ... 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, 00:40:08.870 --> 00:40:12.211 rather they come out at specified time and from specified places. 00:40:12.964 --> 00:40:15.798 Do you ever see that the sun rise from the east on one day 00:40:15.798 --> 00:40:17.614 and then from the west on the next day? 00:40:17.614 --> 00:40:19.860 Or that everything happens all by itself? 00:40:19.860 --> 00:40:24.755 So if you are a rational being and you have a spiritual personality, 00:40:24.755 --> 00:40:30.240 and you assess things and deduce what was unknown from the known facts, 00:40:30.240 --> 00:40:32.506 then what kind of a question is it that 00:40:32.506 --> 00:40:35.516 we won't believe until we see God by our very eyes. 00:40:36.379 --> 00:40:40.379 So Allah Almighty said to the companions of the Messenger [PBUH] 00:40:40.379 --> 00:40:42.928 that some people asked this question. 00:40:43.532 --> 00:40:46.120 And later on, this too shall be clear 00:40:46.120 --> 00:40:49.292 that the purpose of the question was not to believe. 00:40:49.292 --> 00:40:52.390 If the purpose of the question would have been to believe, 00:40:52.390 --> 00:40:59.889 then for believing, there are way more stronger, convincing and greater proofs 00:40:59.889 --> 00:41:02.580 which have been put in this Universe. 00:41:02.580 --> 00:41:06.572 They are both in the Universe and in the human soul and nature. 00:41:07.312 --> 00:41:10.420 So God gave a rational and moral understanding to a man. 00:41:10.420 --> 00:41:15.160 And He gave him the aesthetic sense and created these wonders in the Universe, 00:41:15.160 --> 00:41:20.778 so after all this, who can even question on the existence of the Creator? 00:41:21.164 --> 00:41:28.694 So here it was not said that, "Those who believe in the unseen", 00:41:28.694 --> 00:41:31.660 which is how it is usually translated. 00:41:31.660 --> 00:41:34.686 Rather it was said that, "Those who believe without seeing". 00:41:34.686 --> 00:41:37.438 "Bil Ghaybi", while it is in the Ghaib. 00:41:37.438 --> 00:41:41.506 I mean those who know the Arabic language know that this letter "baa", 00:41:41.506 --> 00:41:43.410 is used to denote 'capacity'. 00:41:43.410 --> 00:41:48.366 So it is being said that if for example something is hidden from my sight, 00:41:48.366 --> 00:41:53.436 then my human existence believes or recognizes that 00:41:53.436 --> 00:41:56.236 only seeing is not the means of acquiring knowledge. 00:41:56.236 --> 00:41:59.206 In fact what's so special about seeing as a form of knowledge? 00:41:59.206 --> 00:42:03.820 If seeing and lifting of curtains is indeed what one wants, 00:42:03.820 --> 00:42:05.516 then where is the test? 00:42:05.516 --> 00:42:09.516 Not seeing is actually that veil and curtain behind which you need to 00:42:09.516 --> 00:42:12.910 use your intellect and knowledge. 00:42:13.657 --> 00:42:19.177 It is the knowledge and intellect that makes a human being, a human being. 00:42:19.177 --> 00:42:27.631 Man decides all matters of his life in the light of rationality. 00:42:27.631 --> 00:42:33.941 The concept of good and evil has been inspired in this nature and personality 00:42:33.941 --> 00:42:37.453 of a man, under the light of which he decides all matters of his life. 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, 00:42:42.304 --> 00:42:44.654 which is done in all the other matters of life? 00:42:45.681 --> 00:42:53.296 So the point here is to tell that man is not merely a material being. 00:42:53.296 --> 00:42:56.698 Rather he is a rational and spiritual being. 00:42:56.698 --> 00:43:00.588 So it was said that, "A Guidance for these God fearing people, 00:43:00.588 --> 00:43:02.674 who believe without seeing" 00:43:02.674 --> 00:43:03.650 Without seeing! 00:43:05.362 --> 00:43:11.429 If we ponder over it, then when someone asks us that since you believe in God, 00:43:11.429 --> 00:43:13.130 so where is God? 00:43:13.130 --> 00:43:16.432 We become worried. We become afraid. 00:43:16.432 --> 00:43:19.939 And we usually say that such questions shouldn't be asked as it is a sin. 00:43:20.788 --> 00:43:23.951 Well, you can never stop this world from questioning. 00:43:24.528 --> 00:43:28.528 So what we should be doing is that we should have such a strong and firm 00:43:28.528 --> 00:43:32.918 belief, faith and confidence in the Book of god, 00:43:32.918 --> 00:43:36.528 that we should expect this Book to give answers to the questions 00:43:36.528 --> 00:43:38.644 that come in our minds. 00:43:38.644 --> 00:43:41.738 So why do we believe in God? 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? 00:43:46.245 --> 00:43:49.995 Then we will reply by saying that He is even seen by blind people. 00:43:51.850 --> 00:43:55.540 That is so because even if a person looses his eyesight, 00:43:55.540 --> 00:43:59.766 his rational existence still remains. He still learns a language. 00:43:59.766 --> 00:44:02.267 He still recognizes relations. 00:44:02.267 --> 00:44:06.506 He still creates the basis for different skills within himself. 00:44:06.506 --> 00:44:09.645 So it is an animal who believes only after seeing. 00:44:09.645 --> 00:44:13.891 It is an animal that is not rational and doesn't have the understanding. 00:44:14.371 --> 00:44:19.646 The greatest honor and distinguished feature of a man is that he discovers 00:44:19.646 --> 00:44:25.521 facts by assessing things, by means of rational inference, induction, 00:44:25.521 --> 00:44:29.871 and by getting the results from the given information by inferring things and 00:44:29.871 --> 00:44:34.111 by deducing the unknown from the known. 00:44:34.111 --> 00:44:36.891 And man in every field of the world, 00:44:36.891 --> 00:44:40.741 advances his knowledge on the very same principle. 00:44:40.741 --> 00:44:42.952 So why do we believe in God? 00:44:43.555 --> 00:44:48.445 We believe in Him without seeing Him because God has clearly proved 00:44:48.445 --> 00:44:55.431 His existence in every single atom in this Universe, by proving that 00:44:55.431 --> 00:44:59.650 the Universe is a creation and hence needs a Creator. 00:45:00.162 --> 00:45:05.324 When we say that we are the creation, that everything is created, 00:45:05.324 --> 00:45:10.774 then what question does the human intellect and his spiritual being asks? 00:45:10.774 --> 00:45:15.870 It asks that if everything is created, then who has created it all? 00:45:15.975 --> 00:45:21.291 If a table is put before me, then I know that this table has been made, 00:45:21.291 --> 00:45:22.798 that it didn't make itself. 00:45:22.798 --> 00:45:26.196 Hence, I just recognized the Creator. 00:45:26.196 --> 00:45:32.939 So Allah Almighty said that, "A guidance for these people who believe in the unseen 00:45:32.939 --> 00:45:35.431 and are watchful of their prayers. 00:45:35.431 --> 00:45:41.891 And spend in our way out of whatever we provided them. 00:45:42.846 --> 00:45:48.413 The thing that the teacher clarified about the prayer in the translation here 00:45:48.413 --> 00:45:52.316 is that they are watchful of their prayers. 00:45:52.316 --> 00:45:56.566 I mean he didn't merely say that they offer prayers, 00:45:56.566 --> 00:45:58.116 or are offering prayers. 00:45:58.116 --> 00:45:59.740 No! He said that they take care of their prayers. 00:45:59.740 --> 00:46:01.348 What does that mean? 00:46:01.348 --> 00:46:09.668 It means that prayer is such a sensitive topic in their life, 00:46:09.668 --> 00:46:12.920 that they are committed to it. 00:46:13.924 --> 00:46:22.137 That they with all their efforts, strife, endeavor and complete faith, 00:46:22.137 --> 00:46:25.768 stand by it in a very disciplined manner. 00:46:25.768 --> 00:46:30.828 This is what the Holy Qur'an has termed as "Iqaamat-e-salaat". 00:46:31.753 --> 00:46:36.530 And it also got clarified from this that when the Messenger of Allah [PBUH] 00:46:36.530 --> 00:46:45.433 is saying to his addressees that the earlier nations did not have this 00:46:45.433 --> 00:46:49.611 sensitiveness in them to express their relationship with God, 00:46:49.611 --> 00:46:51.380 or to worship Him, meaning to pray. 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 00:46:55.699 --> 00:47:00.534 alien to the people of the Arab or to the nation of the Prophet [PBUH]. 00:47:00.534 --> 00:47:07.555 They knew about it as prayers were always offered in the religion of the Prophets. 00:47:07.555 --> 00:47:14.828 Though some shortcomings were made in them, which Prophet [PBUH] then 00:47:14.828 --> 00:47:19.639 corrected and made some additions in it and then passed it on to the entire Ummah. 00:47:20.286 --> 00:47:24.389 So here the thing that we read to determine the subject of the Qur'an, 00:47:24.389 --> 00:47:27.879 should also be kept in view that the guidance of Allah which was present 00:47:27.879 --> 00:47:33.110 among all the Prophets, began with Adam and that Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] 00:47:33.110 --> 00:47:35.456 is the last Messenger of that tradition. 00:47:35.456 --> 00:47:39.516 So this also makes it clear that when it was commanded to offer prayers, 00:47:39.516 --> 00:47:42.510 then people were aware of the concept of the prayer. 00:47:42.510 --> 00:47:46.551 This word (Prayer) or any other term cannot be used 00:47:46.551 --> 00:47:50.270 until its addressees are not aware of its concept. 00:47:50.794 --> 00:47:54.230 Otherwise, in the very beginning of the Qur'an, it would have been said 00:47:54.230 --> 00:47:57.504 that people who perform such and such act and then 00:47:57.504 --> 00:47:59.916 the details of the prayer would have come under discussion. 00:47:59.916 --> 00:48:01.576 But such isn't the case in the Qur'an. 00:48:01.576 --> 00:48:05.330 Usually, this question is also raised by people that why isn't there a mention 00:48:05.330 --> 00:48:07.356 of the prayer in the Holy Qur'an? 00:48:07.356 --> 00:48:10.926 That is, why isn't it explained how to perform prayers? 00:48:11.586 --> 00:48:15.385 The reason for this is that people were already aware of the prayers. 00:48:15.385 --> 00:48:17.195 People used to perform prayers. 00:48:17.195 --> 00:48:19.897 Yes, there were some shortcomings which were made in them. 00:48:19.897 --> 00:48:22.654 But the Prophet [PBUH] is the only source of the religion. 00:48:22.654 --> 00:48:28.286 Just like he conveyed Qur'an to us, he also renewed, reformed and 00:48:28.286 --> 00:48:30.540 modified those practical aspects of religion, 00:48:30.540 --> 00:48:33.942 and after that passed them to the entire Ummah. 00:48:34.421 --> 00:48:36.175 So this is one thing that was said. 00:48:36.175 --> 00:48:39.387 The second thing that was said is that they spend in the way of God. 00:48:39.387 --> 00:48:43.702 "And they are watchful of their prayers and spend in our way 00:48:43.702 --> 00:48:47.922 out of whatever we provided them." 00:48:48.612 --> 00:48:56.262 That is, believers offer prayers to express their relationship with God. 00:48:56.830 --> 00:48:59.702 What does God get from one's prayers, from one's bowing down, 00:48:59.702 --> 00:49:02.182 from one's prostration and standing? 00:49:02.182 --> 00:49:04.290 By performing these acts of worship in the world, 00:49:04.290 --> 00:49:08.290 what would God, the selfless being, the one who doesn't need anyone, 00:49:08.290 --> 00:49:11.099 get from these acts? 00:49:11.099 --> 00:49:14.375 So actually one offers prayer to express one's own relationship with God. 00:49:14.375 --> 00:49:18.758 So the relationship with the Creator is expressed by offering prayers. 00:49:18.758 --> 00:49:24.457 And the relationship with the creation is expressed by spending on them. 00:49:24.457 --> 00:49:29.355 So the teacher described these two very detailed qualities. 00:49:29.355 --> 00:49:37.223 and said that the believers in Allah are actually adorned by these two qualities. 00:49:38.337 --> 00:49:42.843 The same thing was also described in the previous scriptures. 00:49:43.713 --> 00:49:49.194 In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Christ [PBUH], 00:49:49.194 --> 00:49:52.348 also described the same thing in a slightly different style. 00:49:53.821 --> 00:49:58.312 In that, it is written that, "And among them, 00:49:58.312 --> 00:50:02.081 a scholar of exegesis asked in order to test him that, 00:50:02.081 --> 00:50:06.201 'O teacher, which is the greatest commandment in Torah?', 00:50:06.201 --> 00:50:10.510 and he replied to him saying, 'Loving your Lord and God with 00:50:10.510 --> 00:50:18.530 all your heart, soul and mind, is the greatest and the first commandment. 00:50:18.530 --> 00:50:25.578 And second one like it is to love your neighbour as yourself. 00:50:25.578 --> 00:50:29.642 The entire Torah and the scriptures of the Prophets 00:50:29.642 --> 00:50:32.520 are based on these two commandments." 00:50:32.975 --> 00:50:38.725 Hence, it is stated everywhere in the revealed traditions that 00:50:38.725 --> 00:50:45.777 these two qualities, i.e. relationship with God and love for God's creatures, 00:50:45.777 --> 00:50:48.815 should be present in those who believe in God. 00:50:49.333 --> 00:50:55.059 This subject of the initial paragraph of Surah Al-Baqarah is continuing. 00:50:55.528 --> 00:50:58.228 The time for our session ends here. 00:50:58.228 --> 00:51:03.067 "Aqoolu qawli haaza wa astagfirullah li wa lakum walisairil muslimin."