THE QUR’AN SPEAKS OF HIMSELF (2

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم
IN THE NAME OF GOD, the MOST GRACIOUS the MOST MERCIFUL
By: Wahba Mahmoud Diyab
THE HOLY QUR’AN IS A BOOK SENT DOWN TO HELP EVERY HIGHLY ELEVATED SOUL – IN ITS BEHAVIOUR- IS TO BE A LIVING TRANSCRIPT OF HIS MEANINGS.So let us seek the help from God and take the first step:
THE QUR’AN: FROM GOD (a):
And in Surat Al-An’am/The Cattle 6 verses 114-115, and notes:
Say [O’ Muhammad PPBUH]:”shall I seek for judge other than God?! When it is He Who has sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an), explained in detail”. And to those to whom We have given the Book/Scripture (the Torah and the Gospel) know that it is revealed from your Lord in truth. So then never be of those who doubt. (114) أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلًا وَالَّذِينَ آَتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ مُنَزَّلٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ (114)

And the Word of your Lord has fined its fulfilment in truth and in justice; none can change His Words; for –verily- He is the One Who is Ever-Hearing- Ever-Knowing. (115) وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلًا لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (115)
The righteous man seeks no other standard of judgment but God’s Will. How can he –when God in His Grace has explained His Will in the Qur’an, with details which men of every capacity can understand? The humblest can learn lessons of the right conduct in daily life, and the most advanced can find the highest wisdom in its spiritual teaching, enriched as it is with all kinds of beautiful illustrations from nature and the story of man.
As revealed in Surat Al-A’raf 7- verses 2-3, and 196, and notes:
(This is a) Book revealed to [O’ Muhammad PPBUH], so let not your heart/breast be narrow or oppressed no more by any difficulty on that account,- that with it you might thereby warn (the erring) and (teach) reminder to the believers. (2) كِتَابٌ أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ فَلَا يَكُنْ فِي صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِنْهُ لِتُنْذِرَ بِهِ وَذِكْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ (2)
Follow (O’ men!) the revelation sent down to you from your Lord (the Qur’an), and follow not any of friends or protectors, other than Him. Little it is you remember of admonition. (3) اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ قَلِيلًا مَا تَذَكَّرُونَ (3)
Revelation should ease the difficulties of heart and mind, for it tells the story of man’s spiritual past, and teaches the end of good and evil. Iblis/Lucifer fell from jealousy and arrogance, and Adams fell because he listened to his deceit. But God did grant –in His Mercy gift and guidance to men- warned them against excess, and taught them moderation of justice.
Heart: in the original Breast. We have used the word most appropriate to the English idiom. The meaning is that Al-Mustapha [PPBUH] is consoled for all the difficulties which he encountered in his mission, with the fact that he had clear guidance in the Book for his preaching. This is added in order that men might not be puffed up with little knowledge as they possessed, for there are great heights to be scaled in the spiritual kingdom.
“Verily, my protector/supporter is God, Who has revealed the Book (the Qur’an), and He Will choose and befriend the righteous.” (196) إِنَّ وَلِيِّيَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْكِتَابَ وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى الصَّالِحِينَ (196)
Mankind have the nature of good created within them; yet God the Almighty –by His Signs- keep up constant reminder to men of His Holy Names. Those who err scarce realize how gradually they fall into sin. Their respite has a term; the doom must come, and it may be on a sudden. So humbly draw nigh to the Lord, declare His Glory, and rehoice in His service. Here is a test and a challenge. If the false gods had any power or even existence, collect them all together, and –says the man of God-:”Let them do their worst against me”.
And as revealed in Surat Yunus/Jonah 10, verses 15-16, 37, 94, and notes:
But when Our Clear-Signs are rehearsed and recited to them –those who do not rest their hope on their meeting with Us- Say:”Bring us a Qur’an other than this, or change it”. Say [O’ Muhammad PPBUH]:”it is not for me –of my own accord- to change it; I follow naught what is revealed to me; and if I were to disobey my Lord, I should myself fear the Penalty of a Great Day (Day of Resurrection) to come. (15) وَإِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آَيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا ائْتِ بِقُرْآَنٍ غَيْرِ هَذَا أَوْ بَدِّلْهُ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِي إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ إِنِّي أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ (15)
Say [O’ Muhammad PPBUH]:”If God had so willed, I should have not recited/rehearsed it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. Verily, I have stayed amongst you a whole life-time before this (have I tarried amongst you) will you not then understand/have no sense?” (16) قُلْ لَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا تَلَوْتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَا أَدْرَاكُمْ بِهِ فَقَدْ لَبِثْتُ فِيكُمْ عُمُرًا مِنْ قَبْلِهِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ (16)
a/Reading: in the Arabic, the word is ‘Qur’an’, which may mean Reading, or in the special sense: the Qur’an. The duty of God’s Messenger is to deliver God’s Message as it is revealed to him, whether it please or displease who hear it. Selfish men want to read their own desires or fancies into religious precepts, and thus they are often willing to use Religion for their own ends. Most of the corruptions of Religion are due to this cause. b/ It is God’s Plan that He should reveal Himself in certain ways to His creatures, and His Messengers are the instruments that carry out His Will. It is in itself His gracious Mercy that He should thus make His Will known. We should be grateful for His guidance instead of carping at it. c/ Muhammad Al-Mustapha [PPBUH] had lived his whole life of purity and virtue amongst his people, and they knew and acknowledged it before he received his mission. They knew he loved his nation and was loyal to it. Why should they turn against him when he had to point out –under inspiration- all their sins and wrong-doings? It was for their own good and benefit. And he had to plead again and again with them: “will you not understand, and see what a glorious privilege it is for you to receive true guidance from God?”
And it is no way (possible) could this Qur’an have been fabricated (produced) by other than God; on the contrary it is a confirmation of (the revelation) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of Book –wherein there is no doubt- from the Lord of worlds. (37) وَمَا كَانَ هَذَا الْقُرْآَنُ أَنْ يُفْتَرَى مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنْ تَصْدِيقَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (37)
The Book: see Surat Al-Imran 3 verse 23 and commentary (a portion of the Book: I conceive that God’s revelation as a whole throughout the ages is “The Book”. The Law of Moses and the Gospel of Jesus were portions of the Book. The Qur’an completes the revelation and is per a completeness excellence to the Book of God. The commentators mention a particular incident when a dispute was submitted by the Jews for arbitration to the Holy Apostle (PPBUH). He appealed to the authority of their- own books, but they tried to conceal and prevaricate. The general lesson is that the People of the Book should have been the first to welcome in Muhammad (PPBUH) the living exponent of the Message of God as a whole, and some of them did so; but others turned away –deceived by their guilty-arrogance, relying on corrupted texts and doctrines forged out of their own fancies, though they were not comfortable to reason and good sense). God’s revelation throughout the ages is one. The Qur’an confirms, fulfills, completes, and further explains the one true revelation, which has been sent by the One True God in all ages. Hadith Sharif: Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet [PPBUH] said: “There was no Prophet among the Prophets but was given miracles because of which people had security or had belief, but what I have been given is the Divine Revelation which Allah has revealed to me. So I hope that my followers will be more than those of any other Prophet on the Day of Resurrection”. (Sahih Al-Bukhary).
So if you [O’ Muhammad PPBUH] were in doubt as to what We have revealed to you; then ask those who have been reading the Book before you. Verily, the Truth has indeed come to you from your Lord. So –be wise- do not be of those who are in doubt. (94) فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ فَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ لَقَدْ جَاءَكَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ (94)
A/ God’s Truth is all one, and even in different forms men sincere in Religion recognize the oneness. So sincere Jews like “Abdullah bin Sallam”, and sincere Christians like Waraqa Ibn Nofel, or the Nestorian monk Babira, were ready to recognize the mission of Muhammad Al-Mustapha [PPBUH]. ‘The Book’ in this connection is the Revelations generally, including pre-Islamic revelations. B/ See Surat Al-Imran 3 verse 60 and the commentary,-(The truth doesn’t necessarily come from priests, or from the superstitions of whole peoples. It comes from God, and where there is a direct revelation, there is no room for doubt).
And as revealed Surat HUD (The Prophet HUD) 11, verse 1, and notes:
A. L. R.: ALIF-LAM-RA. (This is) a Book with verses basic or fundamental (of establlished meaning), further explained in detail, from One Who is All-Wise, Well-Acquainted (with all things) الر كِتَابٌ أُحْكِمَتْ آَيَاتُهُ ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتْ مِنْ لَدُنْ حَكِيمٍ خَبِيرٍ (1)
The Abbreviated Letters are mystic symbols, about whose meaning there is no authoritative explanantion. The particular letters A. L. M., are found prefixed to this Surat, and Surats 3 (Al-Imran), 29 (Al-‘Ankabut/The Spider), 30 (Al-Rum/The Roman Empire), 31 (Luqman/The Wise), and Surat 32 (Al-Sajda/the Adoration) six in all. In this Surat 2 and Al-Imran 3 the argument is about the rise and fall of nations, their past, and their future in history, with ordinances for the new universal People of Islam. In Surat Al-Ankabut/The Spider 29, a similar argument about nations leads off to the mystery of Life and Death, Failure and Triumph, Past and Future, in the history of individual souls. The burden of Surat Al-Rum 30 is that God is the source of all things and all things return to Him. In Surat Luqman 31, and Surat Al-Sajda 32, the same lesson is enforced; God is the Creator and He will be the Judge on the Last Day. There is therefore a common thread, the mystery of Life and Death, Beginning and End. Much had been written about the meaning of these letters, but most of it is pure conjecture. Some commentators are content to recognize them as some mystic symbols –of which it is unprofitable to discuss the meaning by mere verbal logic. In mysticism we accept symbols as such for the time being; their esoteric meaning comes from the inner light when we are ready for it. Among the conjectures there are two plausible theories. One is that each initial represents an attribute of God. Among the attributes it is not difficult to select three which will fit in with these letters. Another theory –favored by Baidhawi- is that these letters are the initial, the final and the middle (or again the initial) letter of three names: Allah, Jibrail and Muhammad – the source of revelation, the heavenly Messenger who brought it, and the human Messenger through whom it was promulgated in human speech. This might be appropriate to the first Surat (which is really Al-Bagara if we take Surat Al-Fatiha as a preface): but if it was prefixed to others why to these six only? If we look to the nature of the sounds which the letters represent, A is breathing and comes the throat, L is a lingual-palatal-dental sound from the middle of the mouth, and M is a labial or lip-sound. Can’t we take them as symbolical of the Beginning, Middle and End? If so, are they not appropriate to the Surat which treats specifically of Life, Growth, and Death- the Beginning and the End? In Greek Scripture of the New Testament, the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet; Alpha and Omega are symbolical of the Beginning and the End, and give one of the titles of God: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith (say) the Lord, which, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. i.8). The symbolism of the three things is better with three letters. If the theory advanced above has any validity, and the present group A.L.R. is cognate to the group A.L.M., e have to consider and form some idea in our minds as to the probable meaning of the variation. We took A.L.M. to be a symbol of those Surats that deal with the beginning, the middle, and the end of man’s spiritual history,- the origin, the present position, and the things to come in the Last Days (eschatology, to use a theological term). We took A.L. to stand as symbols of the first two, and M. of the last. In the present group of Surate we find hardly any eschatological matter, and therefore we can understand the absence of M., the symbol standing for such matter. In its place comes R., which is phonetically allied to L. L. is produced by the impact of the tongue to the front of the palate, and R. to the middle of the palate. In many languages the letters L. and R. are interchangeable; e.g., in Arabic , Al-Rahman becomes ar-Rahman, and R. in imperfect enunciation becomes L., as in Chineses lallations. If L. is a symbol of present-day things looking to the future, we may take R. as a symbol of present-day things looking within, i.e., into the interior of the organization of the Ummat (Nation). And this symbolism fits in with the subject-matter of the Surats in question. But no one should be dogmatic in speculation about mystic Symbols. Definitely God’s Revelation teaches the Truth; it warns against wrong and gives Glad Tidings to the Righteous. Ungrateful man folds his heart and fail to see how all Nature points to God and to the Hereafter; he but seeks petty issues, forgetting the Cause of Causes. But men will wrong their own souls in shutting out the Truth of God. To Him will be their return. They have been warned at all times and among all peoples by chosen Apostles of God. Yet man! What wonderful destiny is yours! Created Man, what a wonderful destiny is yours? You are created to be God’s vicegerent on earth! Man is a little higher than the Angels! Yet beguiled by evil! Set for a season on this earth on probation to purge your stains, with the promise of guidance and hope from the highest, from the Oft-Returning, Merciful! Will you choose righteousness and regain the spiritual home with God?