The Family of Imran (Al-Imran) 3: Poems based on the Qur’an with exegesis

Abdel Haleem translation: http://www.kaskas.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Quran-Abdel-Haleem-Translation-1.pdf
This Surah does not begin with an oath like many of the other Surah’s, but instead emphasizes God’s sovereignty, “God: there is no god but Him, the Ever Living, the Ever Watchful.” Allah is the eternal God, there is no other beside Him, and He watches all of humanity in timeless time; a tableau of ever creating creation but encapsulated within the Alpha and the Omega which is the beginning and ending of endless time. The Qur’an constantly reminds us of the Day of Destruction when all souls will rise to Him and be held accountable for their actions. We know scientifically that planets and suns don’t last forever. Furthermore, there can be catastrophic events whether human made or otherwise, which can destroy all life on earth. Our times our truly in His hands. However, the Qur’an also states that creation is always being created and He will create a new Heaven and a new Earth. Additionally, if a community refuses to believe in their messengers he can replace them with a believing people who will be brought to spiritual flourishing. As the first verse states, he is “the Ever Living…” As the Qur’an beautifully reminds us again and again, it is His Mercy and Bounty that can bring a desert wilderness to complete flourishing in the ongoing cycle of birth, death and rebirth. We are given the gift of free will and can choose to create a barren wilderness around ourselves thereby cutting ourselves off from His blessings, or in submission to Him joyfully enjoy the enormous bounty of His many blessings.
Hence, Allah sent the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) the Qur’an “step by step” in the timeless process of revelation which is never revealed all at once so that progressive understanding allows movement to the next stage of revelation for full understanding. Allah sees all events and the mind and heart’s ability to understand all at one time. So His timing is always perfect for the fullness of His purpose. Also, Allah sent the Qur’an down to confirm previous revelations in the Torah and the Gospel so that all of humanity would understand His Will contrasted with our own selfish desires so that we may see and understand the Straight Path. Nothing is hidden from Allah, and it is He who has shaped us “in the womb as He pleases” (v. 6). This is the womb of woman from whence we are shaped for His Creative Purpose, for Allah is “the Mighty, the Wise: it is He who has sent this Scripture down to you [Prophet].” It is noteworthy to pay attention to the change of Arabic in this use of the word, “scripture” compared with the Arabic word used for “scripture” in verse 3. Verse 3 is a masculine noun in the accusative case with the triliteral root of kaf ta ba (I-kitaba), while verse 7 is a masculine noun in the genitive case with the same triliteral root as above. However, this form (I-kitabi), refers literally to “mother” or as expanded, “Mother of the Book.” Therefore, the creative act of Allah takes place within the feminine form, in which Allah also forms the Word given to the Prophet Muhammad in the feminine form. Due to the unbounded strength of the masculine creating unbalance evidenced by overt violence all over the world, Allah is bringing balance back through the feminine. As mentioned previously (exegesis of Surah 19, Mary: https://medium.com/@reflectAllah/19-mary-poems-based-on-the-quran-with-exegesis-5ae9194cd5c), Allah’s revelation reveals the format of the Surah’s of the Qur’an including the entire Qur’an, in the structure of a necklace with a female Prophet designated as the last messenger holding all that has previously been revealed through the masculine line together through the feminine to bring balance to the whole. Also, the imagery of the feminine through a necklace is a prophetic pointer to the end times. The Arabic root word, “suluk” gives the concrete meaning of “entering into,” or al-’Arabi expresses this by using the metaphor of a needle stringing pearls to parallel the onset of a wayfarer on a path. The opening poem in the Futuhat (II, Ch. 189) emphasizes the importance of the straightness of this threading: “Wayfaring is the straightest (aqwam) path, if you keep straight, then you are a wayfarer on it.” (1) Ibn al-’Arabi discusses a physical journey that is combined with a spiritual journey to achieve higher and higher spiritual “stations.” Based on the root word, suluk, and ‘Arabi’s metaphor of the pearl necklace this indicates the wayfaring of a “straight path” is in a feminine form as well. Islam originated from a highly masculine society, and the Middle East is still overtly patriarchal and masculine. Allah’s Creation is one of balance in all things, so to find the revelation of a new Book (scripture) from a highly masculine culture structured in a forms of the feminine certainly bears witness to the balance Allah maintains between opposing elements.
Edward F. Edinger, who was a student of C.G. Jung, in explaining the structure of Ibn al-’Arabi’s writings (which mirrors that of the Qur’an)states:
“Network thinking is neither linear nor meandering and associational. It is purposeful, but is also concerned with elaborating a network of expanded meanings derived from a central image. It is thinking that is oriented around a center and moves radically to and from that center, circumambulating it. It goes back and forth, returning to the central image again and again, building up a rich associative cluster of interconnecting images-something like a spider web.”
“Network thinking” confirms the revealed structure of a necklace; think of a precious stone set in a gold setting wrapped around the stone. Now connect this to the next stone and the next, with one strand holding all the precious stones and their settings together to form a necklace. The setting emphasizes a central meaning (precious stone), while all is strung together with one strand which pertains to the highest or most important meaning.
The feminine image of the scripture being the “Mother of Books” is followed by an explanation of some of the verses being “definite in meaning — these are the cornerstone (Ummu is a feminine singular noun and is in the nominative case and is translated by other translators as “foundation” instead of “cornerstone” [Abdel Haleem’s translation]) of the Scripture — and others are ambiguous.” (2) It is surprising that Haleem would use the word “cornerstone” in this context, for when the clear verses are contrasted with the verses with hidden, or deeper meaning, the word “cornerstone” doesn’t really apply well to the overall context. Additionally, the word, “ummu” also has the meaning of “the Mother of the Book” which would fit into the theme of the feminine in the previous verses which would expand the meaning of “foundation” in a connotation of the feminine form. (Additionally, Haleem translates mutashābihātun as “ambiguous,” but I will concur with other translators who correctly translate “mutashābihātun” as “ allegorical” (v. 7). And, “The perverse at heart eagerly pursue the ambiguities [allegorical] in their attempt to make trouble and to pin down a specific meaning of their own: only God knows the true meaning. Those firmly grounded in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it: it is all from our Lord’ — only those with real perception will take heed — Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us.”
It was Allah’s intention to make some verses ambiguous through allegory so we would not depend on our reasoning only for understanding. There are many levels of understanding within the Qur’an and the ability to clearly exegete the deeper levels is dependent upon Allah’s revelation. Allah is the all-Knowing, and all-Aware, and places us in the position of humility so we may acknowledge His sovereignty. This is found in all of the People of the Book’s scriptures and has been used by those with no understanding to defend their position on a matter which is not Allah’s position. It is my personal experience that when I am discussing an ambiguity in which I resolved by praying and asking for Allah’s discernment and clarity with those who are defending their own understanding of the scripture that refutes what Allah revealed to me, that they will ALL refuse to follow my suggestion of praying and asking Allah for guidance and understanding. They use their intellect and reasoning to obtain their own understanding, so will arrogantly defend their stance to the extreme degree of refusing to ask Allah for clarification on the matter. Is this not making themselves a partner with Allah? Ibn al-Arabi in the Futahat, “If we interpret what He has brought, we will be taking it back to rational speculation. Hence we will have worshiped our own intellects and based His Being upon our own existence…. exoteric scholars, while ignorant themselves, criticize the People of God for their lack of formal learning when it is they to whom God unveils the meanings of what is ambiguous in the Noble Book.” (3) That which is allegorical or ambiguous can be easily misinterpreted by those who seek their own understanding, or as in the case of “exoteric scholars,” they will not have their eyes opened yet to understanding the deeper esoteric nature of the Qur’an. Al-Ghazali and many Medieval Age Islamic Scholars believed that the “common man” should not attempt to understand the deeper hidden truths of the Qur’an due to the danger of misinterpretation. Furthermore, they believe that some of the Qur’an’s esoteric truths should not even be taught to those who are not at that level of understanding due to the risk of ignorance creating falsehood.
Verse 9 states that Allah will gather all people together “on the Day of which there is no doubt…” People’s possessions or anything else they were too attached to will be to their detriment on the Judgement Day. All things humans hold on too tightly is simply the egos attachments to defend the self. If the “self” attaches to Allah, then that becomes their stronghold which nothing can shake. Alternatively, holding on to wealth, status and power is attempting to stand on shaky ground which does not hold anything of true power or strength and will be burned up on the Day of Judgement. “The love of desirable things is made alluring for men, women, and children: gold and silver treasures piled up high, horses with fine markings, livestock, and farmland — these may be the joys of this life, but God has the best place to return to” (v. 14). Verse 9 and verse 14 come before and after a mention of the Battle of Badr, where the believers were outnumbered but still were still successful in battle due to Allah’s assistance (v. 13). This section mentions that Allah’s reward of Paradise is much better than anything they hold onto in the present life, and “those who say, ‘Our Lord, we believe, so forgive us our sins and protect us from suffering in the Fire,’ those who are steadfast, truthful, and truly devout, who give [in God’s cause] and pray before dawn for forgiveness” (v. 16). The important teaching here is having the willingness to give of their possessions for Allah’s cause, which was to financially support the battle against the disbelievers who were attempting to destroy all the believers and subsequently the newly formed religion of Islam. This is discussed more in detail later in the Surah.
It is interesting that children are mentioned as loving desirable things which are made alluring along with their parents. However, parents teach children values by their behavior, so the parents who focus on material wealth with the subsequent status and respect from others are indirectly teaching their children the same worldly values that can hamper true spiritual growth. The battles that had to be fought to defend Islam were necessary during this time period, and the many battles we face today in defending the true religion of Islam requires the same sacrifices, and as mentioned many times in this Surah and others, it is important to be mindful of Allah (vs. 50, 123, 198, 200).
Being mindful of Allah is used as a tool to assist believers with understanding how to change their behavior based upon the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) teachings, and for the need to keep His teachings always in their minds so that they may filter their actions through Allah’s expectations. In reference to the discussion of believers being willing to give up possessions to support the battles, being mindful of Allah is the understanding that none of our possessions are our own, and are to be willingly sacrificed for the good of His Purpose. Additionally, the phrase, “there is no god but Him,” is mentioned four times between verses 1–18, and in verse 18 the important short statement, “He upholds Justice.” This Surah transitions smoothly into Surah’s 4 discussion of Allah’s rules for creating a more just society, and fair rules of engagement during battles. The primary strand running through the Surah is implementing justice as a witness to Allah who is All Just, and All Fair. The verse that anchors this Surah together is found in verse 19, “True Religion, in God’s eyes, is islam: [devotion to Him alone],” and is found again in verse 85, “If anyone seeks a religion other than [islam] complete devotion to God, it will not be accepted from him: he will be one of the losers in the Hereafter.” Verse 85 is set within the section referring to the People of the Book (however, in this case just the Jews) who “mix truth with falsehood.” The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) makes it quite clear that those who lead others astray will have as their destination the hellfire, but those who “are upright, who recite God’s revelations during the night, who bow down in worship, who believe in God and the Last Day, who order what is right and forbid what is wrong, who are quick to do good deeds…are among the righteous and they will not be denied [the reward] for whatever good deeds they do: God knows exactly who is conscious of Him” (vs. 113–115). The Qur’an asks, “Do they seek anything other than submission to God? Everyone in the heavens and earth submits to Him, willingly or unwillingly; they will all be returned to Him. Say [Muhammad], ‘We [Muslims] believe in God and in what has been sent down to us and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes. We believe in what has been given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets from their Lord. We do not make a distinction between any of the [prophets]. It is to Him that we devote ourselves” (vs. 83–84). “Islam” means full submission to Allah whether one is a Muslim, Jew or Christian. Many Muslims believe Islam will be the final religion that other religions (of the People of the Book) must convert to in order to be saved, but this is incorrect as the understanding of the Qur’an teaches. ALL those believers who give Allah full submission will be saved, and there is no partiality regarding which monotheistic path they decide to take.
In verses 26–27, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is told to say, “God, holder of all control, You give control to whoever You will and remove it from whoever You will; You elevate whoever You will and humble whoever You will. All that is good lies in Your hand: You have power over everything. You merge night into day and day into night; You bring the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living; You provide limitlessly for whoever You will.” This is not a direct teaching, but a subtle teaching by the use of praise and prayer to Allah to bring understanding regarding Allah’s complete sovereignty over our lives.
The next section beginning with verse 35 mentions Adam, Noah, and Abraham leading into an extended discussion of the family of Imran (“Imran” means “prosperity”) in “one line of descent.” When Imran’s wife becomes pregnant she dedicates that which is growing in her womb to Allah, not knowing her baby was going to be a girl. Imran is believed to be Mary’s father, but unlike the story of Mary in the Bible (which begins at Mary’s news of her pregnancy), she is dedicated to Allah after her birth, “I [Mary’s mother] name her Mary and I commend her and her offspring to Your protection from the rejected Satan” (v. 36), and then is subsequently given over to the care of Zachariah (the father of John the Baptist), who was a Priest in the Jewish Temple. However, the Bible states that Mary and Elizabeth (Imran’s wife) were related. Mary is found residing in “the sanctuary” or as in other translations, “the prayer room,” and Zachariah finds her there with provisions that were provided to her directly by Allah. The “prayer room” is a place of sanctification and the development of purity which signifies the preparation of Mary for Allah’s Divine Purpose. Mary tells Zachariah the provisions are from God who “provides limitlessly for whoever He will” (v. 37) which points to the future time of her son’s miraculous feedings of the multitudes. Typically, in the Hebrew religion the firstborn son is dedicated to God for service in the temple, but in this unusual case, Mary is dedicated instead of a son. Symbolically, Mary’s purity is dedicated to Allah as His Creative work within the womb of a woman who will then come to birth the Messiah. So, both Mary and her son are dedicated to Allah, but Mary to service in the temple, and Jesus in service by the indwelling Holy Spirit of Allah. The Jewish religion had become extremely exclusive during that time period, so Jesus was not meant to be a priest in the temple, but a simple rabbi from Galilee who steps out of the rigid binds of the Law to fulfill Allah’s purpose through His Holy Spirit to make Allah accessible to all people, and not just the Jews. Just as in Surah 19 titled “Mary,” there is a dividing line between the purpose of Mary and her son, Jesus. In Surah 19, Mary does not speak when asked about her son, but points to the infant Jesus who speaks. This is symbolically indicative of the witness of Mary ending, with the beginning of the witness of Jesus. Also, Mary is told that Allah is giving her news of a “Word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah…” (v. 45), indicating that the revelation from Allah through Jesus will be His will made manifest by written language in a Book. Additionally, we see in this Surah the story of Mary another division which is between priestly temple service, and Jesus, who operates within the power of Allah’s Spirit which is now the indwelling of every true believer, and not just the external presence of Allah seen through the shekhina (sakina — Arabic) that only a few were allowed to approach. Additionally, the physical line of descent represents a line of righteousness as seen through Adam, the Jewish Prophets, Jesus and then an offshoot from the primary trunk seen in Ishmael which led to the Prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh).
The common thread connecting the stories of Imran, Zachariah, Mary, John and Jesus is the witness of Allah making the impossible possible through miracles. Zachariah’s miracle was the birth of John through his barren, older wife Elizabeth, John’s witness is directly to Jesus through clear prophecy, Mary’s witness is the virgin birth of the Messiah, and Jesus’ clear witness was the numerous miraculous signs and wonders that accompanied His short ministry on earth. Every Prophet or messenger is presented with clear witness to the supernatural workings of Allah’s Spirit during their ministry. The Power of Allah is the fulfillment of His purpose through all of time, such that no person will be able to doubt that His revelation and miracles came from Him, and not from his human designee, but through His messengers. All Glory and Power must be attributed to Allah, the All-Holy, All-Sovereign Lord of the Universe.
When Mary responds to Zachariah that Allah provides limitlessly, Zachariah is moved to pray and ask Allah for “virtuous offspring” (v.38). Even though Zachariah prayerfully makes his request to Allah, he still refuses to believe his older wife has become pregnant. When he asks Allah for a sign, he is told he will not be able to speak for three days. This is symbolic of the silence of a spiritual transition about to come to fruition through his son, and the son of Mary. This account of Mary and the birth of Jesus is repeated in the Surah Mary (19), except in this Surah, Jesus is sent as a messenger to the Children of Israel stating, “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I will make the shape of a bird for you out of clay, then breath into it and , with God’s permission, it will become a real bird; I will heal the blind and the leper, and bring the dead back to life with God’s permission; I will tell you what you may eat and what you may store up in your houses. There truly is a sign for you in this, if you are believers. I have come to confirm the truth of the Torah which preceded me, and to make some things lawful to you which used to be forbidden. I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. Be mindful of God, obey me: God is my Lord and your Lord, so serve him — that is the straight path” (vs. 49–50).
The making of a bird out of clay and breathing life into it hearkens back to the story of Noah in a metaphoric parallel. Noah is told to build a Ark to hold a remnant of living creatures and humans because Allah was bringing a flood to the earth to destroy the unrighteous. According to Ibn al-’Arabi, water symbolizes knowledge and so the disbelievers were destroyed by water because they refused to believe the knowledge of the One true God taught to them by Noah. The Ark symbolizes salvation,(4) and the sending out of a dove to find dry ground which returns with an olive twig in its beak symbolizes the working of the Spirit. When Jesus went to John to be baptized he saw the Spirit of Allah descending like a dove to alight upon him. Additionally, olive oil is symbolic of the anointing of Allah’s Spirit. To obtain good tasting oil from olives, the fruit and its seed has to be crushed in an olive press which is indicative of the suffering Jesus went through to be refined by the Spirit. Additionally, the olive oil must be fresh (the Hebrew word for fresh is raanan which means “green”) which indicates newness as opposed to being stale. This is symbolic of the old covenant of the Torah being replaced with the new covenant of Allah’s Spirit.
Jesus fulfilled the Law by emphasizing love and justice, instead of the many numerous laws the Jews had to follow which were so many they became a burden they couldn’t feasibly follow. Hence, after Jesus resurrection, the dietary restrictions were removed by a revelation from God to the disciple Peter in a dream. This is what verse 49 is referring to as, “I will tell you what you may eat…” The reference to Jesus telling believers what they “may store up in your houses,” refers to the pitfalls of material blessings.
Verse 54 is a verse that is often taken out of context by non-Muslims to prove the Qur’an is false, “The [disbelievers] schemed but God also schemed; God is the Best of Schemers.” The criticism of non-Muslims is an intentional misinterpretation of the verse indicating that this verse is stating God is a manipulator in a negative sense. This verse addresses the Jews continually breaking their treaties with the new believers, and denigrating the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), including formulating plans to take his life. Obviously, this verse is referring to Allah knowing all of the Jews plans against the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the new believers, such that God was moving to protect the new religion for he is All-Knowing and All-Aware. I like to use the metaphor of a chess board — if you are an excellent chess player you plan your moves several moves ahead, but Allah is the best Mover as He perceives your best future moves, and is already over at least 100 moves ahead of you. So, in other words, Allah was moving to protect the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the new believers from the scheming of the Jews.
Verse 59 states, “In God’s eyes Jesus is just like Adam: He created him from dust, said to him, ‘Be’ and he was.” Jesus is the Messiah, but he was a man like any other man, except being perfected through Allah’s Spirit. He was both physical and spiritual like all human beings, but the strong emphasis of there being no other god other than God in this Surah leads one to believe this was addressing the belief of some Christians that Jesus was God’s physical son, or God made manifest in the human form, which according to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), would make Jesus a god which would mean he would be considered a partner with God, when God is One and has no partners. This section transitions into truth being mixed with falsehood by the People of the Book with verse 64 expanding what was stated in verse 59, “Say, ‘People of the Book, let us arrive at a statement that is common to us all: we worship God alone, we ascribe no partner to Him, and none of us takes others beside God as Lords.” Even though the section is addressed to the “People of the Book” this particular admonishment is primarily to the Jews. The section ends with verse 85 as stated above, “If anyone seeks a religion other than [islam] complete devotion to God, it will not be accepted from him…” This is addressing the Jews mentioned above as a teaching point for all believers — if you don’t have “complete devotion” to Allah, nothing else will be acceptable. There are no partial believers, either one believes and their behavior is characterized with piety and truth, or they are unrepentant sinners and are deceptive which keeps them from the straight path to Allah.
With additional warnings to the People of the Book, the believers are then told that that some of those People of the Book, because of their own spiritual errors would lead them astray even though Allah’s revelations are being recited directly to the believers by a Messenger who is still living among them. This is the typical weakness of new believers who have not developed their faith adequately — they are easy targets for the workings of Satan against them — such is the importance of the Prophet (pbuh) to be in constant prayer over his followers. Through this revelation the believers are being warned to stay on the straight path, “Whoever holds fast to God will be guided to the straight path. You who believe, be mindful of God, as is His due, and make sure you devote yourselves to Him, to your dying moment” (vs. 100–102).
This leads directly into the importance of not splitting into factions or sects, that believers must “hold fast to God’s rope all together” (v. 103) otherwise the division within the religion will weaken it thereby destroying the unity which is a stronghold against the attacks of Satan. The verse then reminds the believers that some of them used to be enemies, but now are bonded together within Islam. This is referring to the tribal clans of Aus and Khazra who were bitter enemies before coming together under the auspices of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Before the onset of Islam, tribal clans fought and killed each other over minor incidents such that life no longer held importance because their honor was at stake — they didn’t just worship idols by placing gods above the One God, but placed their honor even above human life. (5) Allah calls a community of believers to, “Be a community that calls for what is good, urges what is right, and forbids what is wrong: those who do this are the successful ones. Do not be like those who, after they have been given clear revelation, split into factions and fall into disputes: a terrible punishment awaits such people” (vs. 103–105). Some of the believers who received clear revelations from their messengers then later began to argue over minor issues which created major divisions. This refers back to previous communities of believers, is a warning to the new believers following the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and a prophecy for the future divisions which would begin occurring almost immediately after the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) death. The present day Islamic sects, schools and branches from the two primary sects of Sunni and Shia:

Needless to say there is angst, fighting, and oppression towards various sects within Islam which weakens the unified message of the Qur’an. The Ummah is not moving like one body, but a divided body fighting internally among themselves. The beginning of the division began when the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) began arguing over who his successor would be after his death. The most important message the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) left his followers in which he exemplified and taught was full submission to Allah. There was a clear reason he did not leave instructions for who was to be his successor — this was to be decided by Allah as a test by Allah. Full submission means the community of believers going to Allah in prayer and waiting for his firm direction regarding who should be leader. This would have prevented the immediate division which continues to this day, with the subsequent consequence of its poor witness to the workings of Allah within Islam. Additionally, this Surah mentions believers who reject their faith after believing will then have their subsequent repentance later rejected (v. 90), and in verse 106, “How could you reject your faith after believing? Taste the torment for doing so…”
The believers are told, “you are the best community singled out for people: you order what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe in God” (v. 10), but many of the People of the Book (not all), are “lawbreakers” and “unless they hold fast to a lifeline from God and from mankind, they are overshadowed by vulnerability wherever they are found” (v. 112). Due to the mention of disbelieving in God’s revelation and killing their prophets, the Jews are obviously being singled out again for this admonishment. The weakness of the Jews faith is being presented here as a warning — if they are unable or refusing to hold fast to their faith, then they become vulnerable to outside oppression, and historically have experienced much suffering. The “lifeline” from “mankind” is the help the Jews have received from non-Jews which if they continue to consider themselves as Allah’s only “chosen” and thereby continue to express their faith within exclusiveness they will continue to suffer.
Throughout this Surah are alternating contrasting mentions of the “People of the Book” described as those who “mix truth with falsehood,” “argue,” “are led astray,” “deny God’s revelations,” “unstable”, “dishonest towards Gentiles,” “turn believers away,” and are “lawbreakers,” and then recurring reminders that not all of the “People of the Book” behave in this manner: “But they are not all alike. There are some among the People of the Book who are upright, who recite God’s revelations during the night, who bow down in worship, who believe in God and the Last Day, who order what is right and forbid what is wrong, who are quick to do good deeds. These people are the righteous and they will not be denied [the reward] for whatever good deeds they do: God knows exactly who is conscious of Him” (vs. 113–115). Verse 75 mentions some of the People of the Book (in this case it is again Jews, and not the Christians and Jews), who, if they are entrusted “with a single dinar, will not return it to you…” because they state they are under no compunction to treat the Gentiles the same way they treat fellow Jews which is a good example of the exclusive expression of their religion. The end of the Surah closes with reference to verse 75 again emphasizing that not ALL People of the Book (Jews) would do this, “some of the People of the Book believe in God, in what has been sent down to you and in what was sent down to them: humbling themselves before God, they would never sell God’s revelation for a small price. These people will have their rewards with their Lord: God is swift in reckoning” (v. 199). The purpose in reminding the Muslim believers in recurring verses is to increase the important understanding that there should not be judgement and condemnation from Muslims for any one group of people. Not ALL Christians are unrighteous or bad, nor are ALL Jews. This is significant wisdom for every believing person as it is human nature to critically judge a group of people together as a whole thereby risking displaying unfair discrimination or rejection to innocent God fearing people. Allah knows the heart of every person, and the believer who rejects that person which God has made pious will be in judgement themselves. There are Muslims in Middle Eastern countries who denigrate Christians and Jews with an arrogant mindset, not fully understanding that all the People of the Book will be judged according to what is in their hearts, their piety, and their ability to remain loyal to Allah, and not on their particular monotheistic religion. In other words, not ALL Muslims are going to Paradise, and not ALL Christians are going to hell.
However, for those who disbelieve, “…whatever they give away in this life will be nullified: a frosty wind strikes and destroys the harvest of people who have wronged themselves” (v. 117). The deeds of a non-believer are not dedicated to Allah, so will not be counted as righteous deeds. The metaphor of the frosty wind destroying the harvest refers to the early winter weather that doesn’t allow the harvest to come to its peak, so it is lost. The harvest that is not productive is of no use to Allah — it is the cold wind of disbelief that doesn’t allow disbelievers to produce fruit for Allah’s purpose. Verse 118 states what is taught in the Qur’an in numerous Surahs, which is “We have made Our revelations clear for you; will you not use your reason?” Allah has blessed us with intellect, rational thinking, logic, intuition and everything our mental faculties need to understand His revelations, so the disbelievers are admonished to use that which Allah provided them with to reach understanding of His truths. Certainly, the Qur’an has many levels of truth, some of which are hidden for those who are not at a capable level of spiritual development, but even the more simpler, easier outer or exoteric layer provides basic understanding of Allah’s Will.
The final section which is fairly long addresses the Battle of Uhud where the believers disobeyed the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) orders to stay in position until the end of the battle. Because of their strong desire for the spoils of war, many of the Muslims thinking the battle was over, prematurely rushed the battlefield and were subsequently killed by the enemy. This Surah, as in many other Surahs in the Qur’an, emphasizes the importance of being willing to sacrifice one’s life to defend the new religion, as well as proffering one’s possessions to support the cause. Additionally, the believers are told when they are weak, Allah will help them (“God helped you at [Battle of] Badr when you were very weak. Be mindful of God, so that you may be grateful” (v. 123), and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is reminded of the time when he asked the believers if they would be satisfied if Allah sent down three thousand angels to help them during the battle, but Gabriel tells him Allah will send down “five thousand swooping angels” if they are suddenly attacked as long as they remain “steadfast and mindful of God” (v.125). The number “five” has significant meaning in Islam, the most important being the “five pillars” of Islam, and the five times of prayer daily. In each case of Allah sending Angels to help the new believers in battle, the numbers were odd and prime digits (1000, 3000, 5000). According to Ibn al-’Arabi, Allah can’t be represented by an even number because that would place His representation in an equal position, therefore Allah is always represented by an odd number with “one” standing alone. For example, in the example of “3,” this is “2” plus “1”. In the above cases, these numerical designations are thousands which symbolize multitudes or a great many, but again it is seen that the representation within odd numbers (3 and 5) always portrays Allah as the One among humans who are equal to each other, with no human being on the same level as The One.
Verse 130 addresses fair financial dealings by telling the believers not to charge usurious interest on loans, and then discusses the consequences for those who ignore Allah. Maududi states in his commentary that “The main cause of the setback at Uhud was the greed for wealth shown by the Muslims. They were so overpowered by the lust for booty, that, instead of pursing their initial success to victory, they got engaged in looting the spoils. This is why the All-Wise Allah has struck at interest, the root cause of the evils and prohibited it. For it is a common experience that those who lend money on interest become so absorbed in it that day and night they think of nothing but increasing their un-earned profits and this naturally increases their greed for money.”(6) Subsequently, the section ends with verse 138 stating, “This is a clear lesson to people, and a guidance and teaching for those who are mindful of God.” (6)
Additionally, the believers are told not to lose heart because those who put their trust and faith in Allah will always have the upper hand against an enemy. They must struggle for the cause of the defense of Islam, and not worry about death for Allah has predetermined the time of their death. No one can overcome believers unless Allah allows it as He is the best Protector. Also, they are reminded to not only stand firm in battle placing their trust in Allah, but to trust Him with the sacrifice of their possessions, for “The present world is only an illusory pleasure” (vs. 185–186) and true believers will be tested with loss of possessions so they may come to the understanding that all worldly possessions are to be used for the purposes of Allah. Allah assures them that none of their deeds for His Purpose will be lost. Verses 190-191 ends with a praise statement to Allah, “There truly are signs in the creation of the heavens and earth, and in the alternation of night and day, for those with understanding, who remember God standing, sitting, and lying downs, who reflect on the creation of the heavens and earth: ‘Our Lord! You have not created all this without a purpose — You are far above that!” All of creation was created with a purpose, for Allah did not create human beings to operate within their instinctual animal natures, but because of His Spirit we are to rise up towards Him gaining increasing understanding so we may become spiritually mature.
The entire Surah ends with the believers being told to remain steadfast, even “more steadfast than others” and “always be mindful of God, so that you may prosper.” Being steadfast is extremely important for any believer, as our witness to Allah is directly related to having the ability to stand firm without wavering to defend the faith. And as mentioned previously, regarding always be mindful of God, we are spiritually strengthened by constantly keeping Allah in our thoughts, actions and prayers.
(1) Fut. IV. 197, Ch. 558 and Fut. III. 128, ch 334; III. 414, ch 370; IV. 482, ch 568
(2) Quranic Arabic Corpus
(3) The Secrets of Voyaging, Ibn al-Arabi, commentary by Angela Jaffrey, p. 166
(4) The Secrets of Voyaging, p. 87
(5) Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, Tafhim al-Qur’an
(6) Ibid
Poem
There is hidden treasure
which has been lost
in the Word of Allah
which is now rising to recognition.
Look to your bride
waiting expectantly for her groom —
the moon is shining brightly
revealing her soft, yielding submission
in the fullness of time.