Book ID

All rights reserved by the Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) Library

Title: An Enlightening Commentary into the Light of the Holy Quran Compiler. A Group of Muslin Scholars and Copyright 1998 Kamal Faghih Imani"

ISBN: 964-5691-45-1

Translator: Mr. Sayyid Abbas Şadr-Sameli Editor: Ms. Celeste Smith Published by: The Scientific and Religious Research Center

Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as) Public Library, under the direction of

Ayatullah Allamah Mujahid Al-Haj Sayyid Kamal Faghih Imāni. Address: Shekar Shekan Crossroads, Ahmadabad Street, Post Office Box 81465/5151

Esfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Telephone: 2281000 , 2282000, 2296478 Far 98 - 311 - 2297028

Number of copies in this Print: 6,000

First Edition: 1997 A.D., 1375 / 1417 A.H.

Second Edition: 1998 A.D. , 1376 / 1418 A.H.

Third Edition: 1998 A.D., 1377 / 1419 A.H.

Fourth Edition: 1999 A.D. , 1378 / 1420 A.H.

Fifth Edition : 2003 A.D. , 1381 / 1423 A.H.

Sixth Edition : 2005 A.D. , 1384 | 1426 A.H.

Point

Faghih Imani, Kamal فقیه ایمانی, کمال, گردآورنده

]نورالقرآن فی تفسیر القرآن. انگلیسی. برگزیده[

(انلایتنینگ کامنتری این تو د لایت او د هولی قرآن)

An enlightening commentary in to the light of the Holy Qur'an/

Compiled by Kamal Faghih Imani and a group of Muslim scholars;

translated by Abbas Sadr-Ameli. – Isfaham: Golbahar, 2007 = 1385

ISBN 964-5691-53-2 فهرست نویسی بر اساس اطلاعات فیپا (دوره)

ISBN 964-5691-65-6 انگلیسی.

(جلد 13)

ترجمه ها. الف.صدرعاملی, عباس,Sadr - Ameli, Abbas , مترجم. ب. عنوان: An enlightening commentary in to the light of the holy Qur'an ج. عنوان: نور القرآن فی تفسیر القرآن. انگلیسی.

904952ن7ف/98BP 1726 / 297

1385

کتابخانه ملی ایران 18962-84م

Please note the Internet Site Address

For the English Commentary of the Light of Holy Qur’ān

www.maaref-foundation.com/light.htm

E-mail: enlightening_commentary@yahoo.com

All rights reserved by the Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.) Library

Title: An English Commentary into the Light of the Holy Qur’ān

Compiler: A Group of Muslim Scholars and " Copyright 1998 Kamal Faghih Imani "

Translator: Mr. Sayyid ‘Abbās Sadr-‘āmelī

Published by: The Scientific and Religious Research Center

Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.) Public Library, under the direction of

Ayatullah Allamah Mujāhid Al-Haj Sayyid Kamāl Faghīh Īmānī.

Address: Shekar Shekan Crossroads, Ahmadabad Street, Post Ofice Box 81465/5151

Esfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Telephone: 2281000, 2282000, 2296478

Fax: 98-311-2297028

Number of Copies in this Print: 6,000

First Edition: 2007 A.D. , 1385 / 1428 A.H.

Table of Contents

Introduction …………….…………………………… 15

Transliteration……….……………………………… 16

Part 20, Sura An-Naml, No. 27 ..................................... 17

The feature of the Sura ................................................ 17

Section 1: Moses Commissioned with Apostleship .................................. 19

Commentary, verses 1-3 ...................... 20

Commentary, verses 4-5 ...................... 23

Some Traditions upon Losers ............................................................. 25

Commentary, verse 6 .......................... 27

Note ................................................ 28

Commentary, verses 7-9 ...................... 30

Commentary, verses 10-11 ................................................................... 34

Commentary, verses 12-13 ................................................................... 37

Commentary, verse 14 ........................ 40

Section 2: Solomon inherits from David .................................................. 43

Commentary, verse 15 ........................ 43

Commentary, verse 16 ........................ 47

Some points ..................................... 51

Commentary, verse 17 ........................ 61

Commentary, verse 18 ........................ 64

Commentary, verse 19 ........................ 66

Commentary, verses 20-22............ 68

Commentary, verses 23-24............ 73

Commentary, verses 25-26............ 75

Commentary, verses 27-28............ 79

Commentary, verses 29-31............ 81

Section 3: Solomon and the Queen of Sheba............84

Commentary, verses 32-33............ 84

Commentary, verse 34............ 86

Commentary, verse 35 ............ 87

Some points on letter writing ............ 88

Commentary, verses 36-37............90

Some points............ 93

Commentary, verses 38-39............95

Commentary, verse 40............98

Some points............101

The virtue of Amir-ul-Mu’mineen and Ahl-ul-Bayt............104

Commentary, verse 41............106

Commentary, verses 42-43............108

Commentary, verse 44............110

Section 4: Saleh and Lot ............115

Commentary, verses 45-46............115

Commentary, verse 47............119

Some traditions upon Bad Omen............121

Commentary, verse 48............122

Commentary, verse 49............124

Commentary, verses 50-51............126

Commentary, verses 52-53............128

Commentary, verses 54-55 ............130

The End of Part 19

Commentary, verse 56............133

Commentary, verses 57-58............135

Section 5: Allah’s Chosen Servants............137

Commentary, verse 59............137

Commentary, verse 60............139

Commentary, verses 61-62............142

Commentary, verse 63............147

Commentary, verse 64............149

Commentary, verses 65-66............151

Section 6: The Resurrection, Sura............154

Commentary, verses 67-68............154

Commentary, verses 69-70............156

Commentary, verses 71-74............158

Commentary, verse 75............161

Commentary, verses 76-77............163

Commentary, verses 78-79............166

Commentary, verses 80-81............168

Commentary, verse 82............173

Section 7: The coming of the Day of Judgment............180

Commentary, verses 83-84............180

A few Traditions as Examples............185

Commentary, verse 85 ...................... 188

Commentary, verse 86 ...................... 189

Commentary, verse 87 ...................... 193

Commentary, verse 88 ...................... 196

Commentary, verses 89-90 ................................................................. 199

Commentary, verse 91 ...................... 203

Commentary, verse 92 ...................... 205

Commentary, verse 93 ...................... 207

The End of Sura An-Naml

Sura Al-Qasas, No. 28............209

The Virtue of Revelation of ............209

Section 1: The Narrative of Moses ............211

Commentary, verses 1-3............212

Commentary, verse 4............215

Commentary, verses 5-6............220

Some traditions upon the advent of Mahdī ............224

Who the oppressed and oppressors are? ............227

The general style of all oppressors............229

Commentary, verse 7............231

Commentary, verse 8 ........................ 236

Commentary, verse 9 ........................ 238

Commentary, verses 10-11 ................................................................. 241

Commentary, verse 12 ...................... 244

Commentary, verse 13 ...................... 247

Section 2: Moses saved by Allah from being murdered.......................... 249

Commentary, verse 14 ...................... 249

Commentary, verse 15 ...................... 251

Commentary, verse 16 ...................... 254

Commentary, verse 17 ...................... 257

Commentary, verse 18 ...................... 262

Commentary, verse 19 ...................... 264

Commentary, verses 20-21............266

Section 3: Moses weds Laban’s daughter............269

Commentary, verse 22............269

Commentary, verses 23-24 ................................................................. 271

Commentary, verse 25 ...................... 275

Commentary, verse 26 ...................... 278

Commentary, verse 27 ............280

Some points............281

The importance of marriage............289

Choosing the spouse ............290

Some traditions............290

Commentary, verse 28............292

Section 4: Moses Commissioned with Apostleship............294

Commentary, verse 29............294

Commentary, verse 30............298

Commentary, verse 31............300

Commentary, verses 32-33 ............302

Commentary, verses 34-35............305

Commentary, verse 36 ...................... 307

Commentary, verse 37 ...................... 309

Commentary, verse 38 ...................... 311

Commentary, verse 39 ...................... 315

Commentary, verse 40 ...................... 316

Commentary, verses 41-42 ................................................................. 317

Section 5: Moses’ Mission Referred to .................................................. 321

Commentary, verse 43 ...................... 321

Commentary, verse 44 ...................... 323

Commentary, verse 45 ...................... 325

Commentary, verse 46 ...................... 327

Commentary, verse 47 ...................... 329

Commentary, verse 48............331

Commentary, verse 49............333

Commentary, verse 50 ...................... 334

Commentary, verse 51 ...................... 336

Occasion of Revelation and Commentary verse 52............................. 338

Commentary, verses 53-54 ................................................................. 340

They were expecting the Prophet of Islam ........................................ 341

Commentary, verse 55 ...................... 343

Commentary, verse 56 ...................... 345

Commentary, verse 57 ...................... 350

Commentary, verse 58 ...................... 352

Commentary, verse 59 ...................... 354

Commentary, verse 60 ...................... 356

Section 7: Unity of Allah ...................... 358

Commentary, verse 61 ...................... 358

Commentary, verses 62-64 ................................................................. 361

Commentary, verses 65-67............365

Commentary, verses 68-70 ................................................................. 368

Commentary, verse 71 ...................... 371

Commentary, verse 72 ...................... 373

Commentary, verse 73 ...................... 374

Commentary, verse 74 ...................... 376

Commentary, verse 75 ...................... 377

Section 8: Korah’s (Qārūn) Ruin ............................................................ 379

Commentary, verse 76 ...................... 379

Commentary, verse 77 ...................... 382

Commentary, verse 78 ...................... 386

Commentary, verse 79 ...................... 390

Commentary, verse 80 ...................... 392

Commentary, verse 81 ...................... 394

Commentary, verse 82 ...................... 398

Some points ................................... 399

Section 9: The Apostle (Muhammad) promised triumph........................ 404 Commentary, verse 83 ...................... 404

Commentary, verse 84 ...................... 408

The Occasion of Revelation .............................................................. 410

Commentary, verse 85 ...................... 411

Commentary, verse 86 ...................... 415

Commentary, verse 87 ...................... 417

Commentary, verse 88 ...................... 419

The End of Sura Al-Qasas

Sura Al-‘Ankabūt, No. 29, The Feature of Sura ...................................... 425

The Virtue of Sura ‘Ankabūt ............................................................ 425

Section 1: Every soul shall be tried ............426

Occasion of Revelation and Commentary, verses 1-3 427

Commentary, verses 4-5............433

Commentary, verse 6 ............435

Commentary, verse 7............437

The Occasion of Revelation, verse 8............439

Commentary, verse 8............439

Some other Traditions............443

Commentary, verse 9............445

Commentary, verse 10 ............446

Commentary, verse 11 ............449

Commentary, verse 12 ............ 450

Commentary, verse 13............452

Section 2: Noah and Abraham’s Mission............457

Commentary, verses 14-15............457

Commentary, verse 16............461

Commentary, verse 17 ............462

Commentary, verse 18............465

Commentary, verse 19 ............466

Commentary, verse 20 ............468

Commentary, verses 21-22 ............471

Section 3: Abraham and Lot ............474

Commentary, verse 23............474

Commentary, verse 24 ............476

Commentary, verse 25 ............478

Commentary, verse 26............ 481

Commentary, verse 27 ............483

Commentary, verses 28-30............486

Some Traditions upon Sodomy and its punishment ............491

Section 4: The Mission of Abraham, Lot, Shu‘ayb and Moses ............492 Commentary, verse 31............492

Commentary, verse 32............494

Commentary, verse 33............497

Commentary, verses 34-35............500

Commentary, verse 36 ...................... 502

Commentary, verse 37 ...................... 504

Commentary, verse 38 ...................... 505

Commentary, verse 39 ...................... 507

Commentary, verse 40 ...................... 509

Commentary, verse 41 ...................... 512

Commentary, verses 42-43 ................................................................. 516

Commentary, verse 44 ...................... 518

The End of Sura Al-‘Ankabūt

References ........................................ 520

Index .................................................. 523

A Presentation to Muslims ................................................................... 550

The Rank and Importance of the Qur’ān ............................................... 553

Imām Mahdī (a.s.) .............................. 555

The List of Publications of the Library .................................................... 558

Introduction

In the Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

To begin the book with the beginning of a Sura, in this volume of the commentary of the rest verses of part 19th of the Holy Qur’ān, which are at the threshold of Sura An-Naml, accompanied with their commentary explanations are involved here and then the commentary of the whole verses of part 20 is offered.

Again here we mention that for being familiar with more information about the source and purpose of providing this endeavour, and that how the dear reader or readers of it can utilize the text of this commentary best, we may recommend you to study the introduction detailed at the beginning of book No. one (part one) which will surely be helpful.

As usual, again and again we ask Allah, the Almighty, to help us, as ever before, and to assist us to complete this sacred endeavour successfully.

May He (s.w.t.) guide and succour all of us by the light of the Qur’ān to pave its Straight Path further and further, for we are always in need of His favours.

The Scientific and Religious Research Center

Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.) Public Library

Sayyid ‘Abbās Sadr-‘Āmilī

The Translator

Transliteration of Arabic Letters

pic

Part 20,Sura An-Naml (The Ant)

Point

The Feature of the Sura:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِیمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

No. 27 (Revealed at Mecca)

93 Verses in 7 Sections

This Sura contains 93 verses, and due to verse No. 18, which is about ants and Solomon (a.s.), it is called An-Naml (The Ant); but it is also called Sulaymān, and Tā, Seen.

The whole verses of this Sura were revealed in connection with different events and occasions, and the holy phrase: /bismillah-ir-rahmān-ir-rahīm/ is repeated two times in it, one of them is at the beginning of the Sura and the other one is in verse No. 30 at the onset of Solomon’s letter to Sheba, the Queen.

The struggles of four Divine prophets (Moses, Solomon, Sālih, Lūt) against different tribes of their times have been referred to in this Sura, the most detailed of them is that of Solomon which resulted to Sheba’s faith in Monotheism.

Another portion of the verses of this holy Sura is about Solomon’s speaking with the birds, such as hoopoe and some insects like ants, and the attendance of some jinns in the army and court of Solomon, and, finally, bringing the throne of Sheba from Yemen to Syria in a short moment.

The Virtue of the Sura:

A tradition stated by Imam Sādiq (a.s.) announces: “Whoever recites the triple suras which begin with Tā Seen (Sura Ash-Shu‘arā, An-Naml, and Qasas) in the night before Friday, he will be one of the friends of Allah and he will be nigh to Him and he will be involved in His Grace and support.” (If he fulfils his religions duties sincerely.)⁽¹⁾

Sura An-Naml

(The Ant)

No. 27, (Revealed at Mecca)

93 verses in 7 Sections

Section 1: Moses Commissioned with Apostleship

Point

Moses goes in search of fire for his family but is attracted by the Divinely lit fire and was called to the office of apostleship and commanded to proceed toward Pharaoh and his people – Moses given the Miracle of his Rod – and his Radiant hand

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِیمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

1 طس تِلْکَ ءَایَاتُ الْقُرْءَانِ وَکِتَابٍ مُبِینٍ 2 هُدی وَبُشْرَی لِلْمُؤْمِنِینَ 3 الَّذِینَ یُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاَةَ وَیُؤْتُونَ الزَّکَاةَ وَهُم بِالاَخِرَةِ هُمْ یُوقِنُونَ

Commentary,verses: 1-3

The Arabic word /mubīn/ is derived from /’ibānah/ which is both intransitive and transitive and means ‘clear’ and ‘to make clear’ both.

One of Allah’s way of treatment is that He lets revelation, with its superiority and high rank, available for human beings.

The Qur’ānic word /zakāt/ contains two main meanings; one of them is the proper meaning which is known ‘as poor-rate’, and the other is the general meaning which is ‘helping the needy’ in any form and manner it may be. In this holy verse, the latter one is meant, because this Sura had been sent down in Medinā, where the formal order of Zakāt (alms) was issued.

However, at the beginning of the Sura we encounter the abbreviated letters of the Qur’ān, and regarding to the fact that immediately next to that the magnificence of the Qur’ān is referred to, it seems that one of its secrets is that this great Book and its clear verses are formed by the simple alphabetic letters. It requires that such a Creator, Who has brought such a beautiful sacred relic into being out of such simple items, be praised. We have, of course, discussed in detail in this field at the beginning of Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, Sura ’Āl-i-‘Imrān, No. 3, and Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7.

Next to the abbreviated letters: (Tā, Seen.), the verse continues, saying:

“… These are the verses of the Qur’ān and the Book (that makes things) manifest,”

The application of the word /tilka/ in this verse is for stating the greatness of these heavenly verses; and the Qur’ānic word /mubīn/ used for the Qur’ān, is an emphasis indicating that the Qur’ān is both clear and makes the facts clear.

Some of the commentators have said that probably the words ‘Qur’ān’ and ‘Kitābin Mubīn’ (The Book Manifest) refer to two separate things and the latter indicates to /lauh-i-mahfūz/ (Protected Tablet), but the apparent of the verse shows that both of them speak of one thing: one of them in the form of utterances and recitation, and the other in the form of a ‘written Book’.

In the second noble verse, there have been stated two other qualities for the Qur’ān. It is the Holy Qur’ān which causes ‘guidance’, and the means of good tidings for the believers. It says:

“ A guidance and glad tidings for the believers,”

“ Those who establish prayer and give Zakat (the poor-rate), and of the Hereafter, they are sure.”

Thus, their belief in both origin and resurrection is firm, and their link with Allah and His servants is strong. Therefore, the above qualities point to both their complete faith and their practical inclusive program.

There may arise a question here that if these believers have chosen a straight path from the point of basic doctrines and practice both, why is it necessary that the Qur’ān comes for their guidance? Regarding to the fact that guidance consists of different stages, each of which is a preparation for the higher stage and higher stages, the answer of this question is made clear.

Moreover, the continuation of this guidance is itself an important matter. It is the same thing that, by saying: “Guide us (O’ Lord) on the Straight Path” in our all daily prayers, we ask Allah that He makes us fix in this way and He continues it, because without His grace this continuation is impossible.

Besides that, taking the advantages of the verses of ‘the Qur’ān’ and ‘the Book manifest’ is possible only for those who carry the soul of ‘seeking the truth’ in them, though they have not obtained the complete guidance yet. If we see that, in one occurrence, the Qur’ān has been introduced as the origin of the piety of the pious ones, (Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 2) and in another one as the source of guidance for the Muslims (An-Nahl, No. 16, verse 102), and here it is as the cause of guidance for the ‘believers’, one of its reasons is that a person will not go after the reality unless, at least, a stage of piety, submission, and belief in realities exists in his heart, and a disbeliever does not enjoy the light of this ‘manifest Book’ because the eligibility of place is also conditioned.

Besides all of these, the combination of ‘guidance’ and ‘glad tidings’ is possible only for ‘the believers’ and such a ‘glad tidings’ is not available for others.

This makes it clear that if in some verses of the Qur’ān guidance has vastly and expansively been defined for all people, like Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 185 which says: “… a guidance for mankind in”, its purpose is all those who have an appropriate ground in them for accepting the Truth, else, the arrogant, obstinate, and fanatic persons are some blind hearted ones that if, instead of one sun, thousand suns shine on them, they get the least advantage of them.

4 إِنَّ الَّذِینَ لاَ یُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاَخِرَةِ زَیَّنَّا لَهُمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَهُمْ یَعْمَهُونَ 5 اُوْلَئِکَ الَّذِینَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ وَهُمْ فِی الاَخِرَةِ هُمُ الاَخْسَرُونَ 4. “ Verily those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their (ugly) deeds fair-seeming unto them, so they wander bewildered.”

Commentary,verses: 4-5

Point

These holy verses refer to the states of those who are not believers. One of their most dangerous states is mentioned as follows:

“ Verily those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their (ugly) deeds fair-seeming unto them, so they wander bewildered.”

In the view of such people, pollution is purity, indecency is beautiful, meanness is honour, and wretchedness and misery are considered happiness and victory by them.

Yes, such is the condition of those who go astray and persist on it. It is evident that when a person commits an ugly and wrong action, gradually its ugliness decreases in his view and he will fall into the habit of it. When he is accustomed to it, he brings forth some justifications for it. Later that evil thing may appear as a beautiful thing, or even as a duty, in his view. There are many felonious and polluted persons who are really proud of their deeds and consider them as a positive fact.

This change in values, and the confusion of the criterions in one’s view, the result of which is being bewildered and misguided in life, is the worst state that a person may receive.

It is interesting that this ornamentation of deeds has been attributed to Allah, and this is because He is the cause of all causes in the world of existence, and the effect of any thing relates to Allah. Yes, Allah has put this peculiarity in the repetition of action, that one gradually falls into habit of it and his sense of discrimination varies, while his responsibility does not disappear, nor can it be counted as a rejection and deficiency for the Lord. (Be careful)

Then the Qur’ān refers to the consequence of those evil deeds that are made fair-seening to them, and states the fate of such persons as follows:

“ These are those for whom shall be a grievous chastisement, …”

In this world, they will be hopeless and bewildered, and in the Hereafter they will encounter a terrible chastisement. The verse continues saying:

“… and in the Hereafter they shall be the greatest losers.”

The reason of that they are ‘the greatest losers’ is the same thing that is mentioned in Sura Al-Kahf, No. 18, verses 103 and 104 which announce: “Say: ‘Shall We inform you of the greates losers in (their) deeds?” “Those whose effort is lost in this world’s life, while they think that they are working good deeds.”

What a loss is greater than this that one considers his ugly deeds beautiful and does his best to commit them thinking that he is doing a positive task, but at the end he sees he has provided naught for him but misery and wretchedness.

By the way, the losers are of different groups:

1- ‘Khāsir’. The one whose whole life and capitals are ruined: “… Say: ‘The losers surely are those who shall have lost themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection, …” (Sura Az-Zumar, No. 39, verse 15)

2- ‘In Loss’. The one who is not a true believer and does not do righteous deeds: “By Time.” “Surely man is in loss,” “Save those who believe and do good deeds, …” (Sura Al-‘Asr, No. 103, verses 1-3)

3- ‘Clear Loss’. The one who worships Allah not earnestly: “… so that if such a one who worships Allah only by tongue, so that if good befalls him he is satisfied therewith, and if a trial afflicts him he turns back his face; he loses this world and (also) the Hereafter; that is indeed the manifest loss.” (Sura Al-Hajj, No. 22 verse 11)

4- ‘The Utmost Losers’. Those who are deviated and think that they are on the right path: “Those whose effort is lost in this world’s life, while they think that they are working good deeds.” (Sura Al-Kahf, No. 18, verse 104)

Some Islamic traditions indicate that the losers are those who: do not pay alms (Zakāt), persist on committing sins, and have the power of saying the right but they do not say it. These are the most unjust ones, because they want to improve their worldly life by spoiling the religion.

some traditions upon Losers:

6 وَإِنَّکَ لَتُلَقَّی الْقُرْءَانَ مِن لَدُنْ حَکِیمٍ عَلِیمٍ 6. “ And most surely you receive the Qur’ān from One All-Wise, All-Knowing.”

Commentary,verse: 6

Point

The knowledge of the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) is a divine and intuitive knowledge.

The receiver of the Divine revelation is the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) and Qur’ān is the sign of the knowledge and wisdom of Allah.

In the verse under discussion, as a complementary to the former explanations about the greatness of the content of the Qur’ān, and a preparation for the stories of the prophets, which immediately begins after it, the Qur’ān says:

“ And most surely you receive the Qur’ān from One All-Wise, All-Knowing.”

The Qur’ānic words /hakīm/ and /‘alīm/ both refer to the awareness of Allah, but the word /hikmat/ (wisdom) usually states the practical aspects, while /‘ilm/ (knowledge) points to the theoretical aspects. In other words, the Qur’ānic word /‘alīm/ refers to the infinite knowledge of Allah, and the application of the word /hakīm/ informs of the view, order, and aim of creation of this world, as well as sending down the Qur’ān.

Such Qur’ān, which has been sent down from the side of such Lord, should be a manifest Book, makes things clear, works as a guidance and glad tidings for the believers, and its stories should be free from any superstition and distortion.

Note:

The important true problem in man’s life is that he must comprehend the facts as they really are and have an explicit proper position before them. Imagination, predictions, wrong desires, and false likes and dislikes must not hinder man to see and understand the realities in their true form. So the most important definition which has been introduced for philosophy is: ‘perceiving the facts of things as they are’.

That was why that one of the most important things that the immaculate ones used to ask for from Allah was that they said: “O Allah! Show me (the facts of) the things as they are, (so that I can recognize the values of different things and treat them rightly.”

This circumstance is not possible without having Faith, because restive low desires and egocentric wishes are the greatest barriers of this way, and removing the hinders is not possible save with piety and controlling the sensual desires.

It is for this reason that in these noble verses we recite: “Verily those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their (ugly) deeds fair-seeming unto them, so they wander bewildered.”⁽¹⁾

We can see the actual and manifest example of this meaning clearly in the life of a group of mammonists of our time. They are proud of some things, and consider them as a part of civilization that, indeed, are nothing but shame, pollution, and disgrace.

-Being polluted in kinds of corruptions is the epiphany of liberty for them.

-They consider murder, crime, and destruction as the evidence of power.

Shortly speaking, their evil and shameful deeds seem so fair to them that not only they do not feel shame of them but also they boast for them. It is evident, then, that how the feature of such a society will be and what direction is the path which will end to it!

7 إِذْ قَالَ مُوسی لاَهْلِهِ إِنّ-ِی ءَانَسْتُ نَاراً سَاَتِیکُم مّ-ِنْهَا بِخَبَرٍ أَوْ ءَاتِیکُم بِشِهَابٍ قَبَسٍ لَّعَلَّکُمْ تَصْطَلُونَ 8 فَلَمَّا جَآءَهَا نُودِیَ أَن بُورِکَ مَن فِی النَّارِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ رَبّ ِ الْعَالَمِینَ 9 یَامُوسَی إِنَّهُ أَنَا اللَّهُ الْعَزِیزُ الْحَکِیمُ 7. “ (Remember) When Moses said unto his family: ‘Verily I perceive a fire; soon will I bring you news of it, or I will bring you a flaming brand, that you warm yourselves.”

Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the World.”

Commentary,verses: 7-9

The word ‘Moses’ has been mentioned in the Qur’ān for 136 times and his story has been told in 24 suras. Thus, the explanation concerning the children of Israel is studied in about 900 verses of the Qur’ān.

Moses accompanied with his wife who was pregnant, and they were going from Madyan towards Egypt. On one side, the darkness of the night in the cold stormy weather of the desert, and, on the other side, the childbirth of his wife, forced Moses to search. The verses under discussion are about this event.

Here it points to the most sensitive moments of Moses’ life, that is when the first light of revelation enlightened his

heart and he was acquainted with the message and the speech of Allah. The verse says:

“ (Remember) When Moses said unto his family: ‘Verily I perceive a fire; …”

“… soon will I bring you news of it, or I will bring you a flaming brand, that you warm yourselves.”

This event happened by the same night when Moses was in a dark desert on the way toward Egypt, accompanied with his wife, Shu‘ayb’s daughter, and he lost the way. Then a terrible storm began to blow and at the same time his wife felt the pains of childbirth. Moses thought he severely needed to make a fire in order to use its warmth, but there was nothing in that desert for it.

As soon as he saw the light of a flame from distance, he became happy and took it as a sign of the existence of someone or some ones there. He told them that he would go and bring them either some news from it, or a burning firebrand so that they might warm themselves by it.

It is noteworthy that Moses says he brings ‘them’ news or a flaming band, (the pronoun of which plural). This may show that there had been a child or children with him too, because his marriage bad happened in Madyan ten years before that. Or it may be for the sake that, in that horrible desert, that idea could give some further calmness to his addressees.

In the next verse, the Qur’ān indicates that Moses left his family there, and moved toward the place where he had seen a fire. When he reached the fire he heard a voice, as the verse says:

“ So when he came to it, a voice was heard: ‘Blessed is whoever is in the fire and whoever is about it, and Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the World.”

The commentators of the Qur’ān have delivered different ideas concerning who might be the person mentioned in the phrases: “Whoever is in the fire” and “whoever is about it”. What seems more probable is that, the objective of ‘the one in the fire’ is Moses who was so close to the fire found inside the green tree that as if he were inside the tree; and the objective of ‘the one about it’ is the near-stationed angels of Allah who, at that particular moment, had surrounded that sacred land.

Or, on the contrary, the objective of those in the fire, is the Divine angels, and the objective of ‘the one about it’ is Moses (a.s.).

However, some Islamic narrations indicate that when Moses (a.s.) approached the fire, he stopped and watched it carefully. He saw that from the inside of a green branch of the tree a flaming brand was shining. Every moment the flame was becoming brighter and brighter and the tree was growing more green and more beautiful. Neither the heat of the fire was to burn the tree, nor the moist of the tree caused the fire to die. He wondered. He bowed to take some fire with the small piece of wood he had in his hand, but the fire came toward him. He terrified and went back. Sometimes he tried to go toward the fire and sometimes the fire itself came toward him. Suddenly a voice was heard, giving him the glad tidings of revelation.

The purpose is that Moses approached the fire so nigh that he was proportionate to the phrase ‘whoever is in the fire’.

The third commentary which has been stated upon this phrase is that the purpose of “whoever is in the fire” is the Light of Allah which was shown by the burning firebrand; and the purpose of the phrase “whoever is about it” is Moses who was nigh to it. However, in order that there would not appear here any misconception concerning materiality of Allah, at the end of the verse, the sentence: “Glory be to Allah, the Lord of

the World” makes it clear that He is free from any defect, deficiency, materiality and material accidents.

Again a voice was heard which addressed Moses, saying:

“O’ Moses! Verily, I am Allah, The Mighty, The Wise;”

This sentence was for the sake that no doubt might remain in Moses’ mind and he would know that it was the Lord of the Worlds Who was speaking with him, not the flaming brand, nor the tree, the Lord Who does not fail, Who is ‘Mighty’ and Who is the Possessor of Wisdom and Device.

This meaning, in fact, is a premise for the statement of the miracle which will be referred to in the next holy verse, since miracle originates from two attributes of Allah: ‘Power’ and ‘Wisdom’. However, before discussing about the next verse, this question arises here that how did Moses understand and was assured that this voice was Allah’s, not other than that?

In answer to this question, it can be said that this voice, being accompanied with a clear miracle, viz., glittering a fire from inside the branch of a green tree, was a manifest reason that it was a Divine matter.

Moreover, as we will find out by the next verse, after this voice Moses was ordered a command which contained the miracles of ‘Rod and white hand’, and these two miracles were two other evidences for the reality of this voice.

Besides all of these things, principally, the Divine voice must have a particular quality which makes it separate from any other voice, and when one hears it, it affects on his heart so deeply that he never doubts that it is the voice of Allah.

10 وَأَلْقِ عَصَاکَ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهَا تَهْتَزُّ کَأَنَّهَا جَآنٌّ وَلَّی مُدْبِراً

وَلَمْ یُعَقّ-ِبْ یَامُوسَی لاَتَخَفْ إِنّ-ِی لاَیَخَافُ لَدَیَّ الْمُرْسَلُونَ

11 إِلاَّ مَن ظَلَمَ ثُمَّ بَدَّلَ حُسْناً بَعْدَ سُوءٍ فَإِنّ-ِی غَفُورٌ رَّحِیمٌ 10. “ ‘And cast down your staff!’ So when he saw it moving as if it were a serpent, he turned back retreating and did not return. (It was told him:) ‘O’ Moses! Fear not; surely the messengers shall not fear in My presence;”

Commentary,verses: 10-11

In view of the fact that the mission of prophethood, especially before a cruel and unjust one like Pharaoh, needed the outward and inward power and might as well as a firm proof of legitimacy, here Moses was commanded to throw down his Rod to show it. The verse says:

“ ‘And cast down your staff!’ …”

Moses (a.s.) Threw down his Rod and suddenly it changed into a serpent. The verse continues saying:

“… So when he saw it moving as if it were a serpent, he turned back retreating and did not return. …”

This is also probable that, at the beginning, the staff changed into a small snake and, in later stages, it became a great serpent. Here, Moses was again addressed and he was told not to be afraid. It says:

“… (It was told him:) ‘O’ Moses! Fear not; surely the messengers shall not fear in My presence;”

Moses should be aware that here is the position of nearness and Allah’s secure sanctuary, the Mighty, the High; this rank is a place where there is not any fear or terror. That is, O’ Moses! You are at the presence of Allah, the Most High, and His presence is with absolute security. A similar meaning to this one is recited in Sura Qasas, No. 28, verse 31 which says: “… O’ Moses! Come you forward and fear you not; for surely you are in security.”

Through next verse the Qur’ān has stated an exception for the holy phrase “… surely the messengers shall fear not in My presence” when it says:

“ Save he who has been unjust, then he does good instead after evil, for verily I am the Forgiving, the Merciful;”

Allah accepts the penitence of those who repent and He gives them security, too.

Concerning the circumstance of this exception the Late Tabarsy, the writer of Majma‘-ul-Bayān, says: “But those people, except the prophets, who have done wrong and then repent remorsefully and decide not to return again, should know that He is the Forgiving, the Acceptor of repentance.”

The reason why the prophets have been mentioned as an exception is that they never commit any wrong and, because of the rank of infallibility, they are far from any sins and evils. Therefore, there they are not inside the exception, and prophets are like others only in the principle of doing duties. This kind of exception has also been referred to by Qurtabī in his commentary, Vol. 4, P. 8. The author of Jawāmi‘-ul-Jāmi‘, the commentary, Vol. 4, P. 450 concerning the meaning of this

sentence says as follows: “Whoever, except the prophets, does injustice, then he is remorseful of his ugly deeds and repents

and decides not to repeat them any more, surely Allah will forgive his injustice and He is merciful to him.”

Some other great commentators have said that there is not any retrenched matter in this verse and the fact is that those, other than the prophets, are not secured. Then there is an exception where it implicitly says: save those who, after their fault and sins, repent and improve, and such ones will be in the Divine security, too.

12 وَأَدْخِلْ یَدَکَ فِی جَیْبِکَ تَخْرُجْ بَیْضَآءَ مِنْ غَیْرِ سُوءٍ فِی تِسْعِ ءَایَاتٍ إِلَی فِرْعَوْنَ وَقَوْمِهِ إِنَّهُمْ کَانُوا قَوْماً فَاسِقِینَ 13 فَلَمَّا جَآءَتْهُمْ ءَایَاتُنَا مُبْصِرَةً قَالُوا هَذَا سِحْرٌ مُبِینٌ 12. “ And put your hand in your bosom, and it will come forth white (shining) without harm, (this miracle is) among the nine signs to Pharaoh and his people; verily they are a transgressing people.”

Commentary,verses: 12-13

These nine signs or miracles are the miracles that Moses (a.s.) brought before Pharaoh, else he (a.s.) had some other miracles, too. By the way his every miracle can be counted two miracles, because when his Rod became a serpent, it was one miracle, and when the serpent changed back into Rod, it was another miracle, but the Qur’ān has considered one side of it a miracle. Moses’ nine miracles are as follows:

1- The white hand (or the shining of the hand of Moses).

2- Conversion of the Rod into a giant serpent.

3- The violent storm for the enemy.

4- Locust (which dominated their farms and their trees)

5- One plant-pest agent which exterminated cereals, called in Arabic /qummal/.

Other miracles of Moses (a.s.) are: the gushing of 12 springs from stone (Al-Baqarah, 60), the descending of /mann/ and /salwā/ (explained under Sura Al-Baqarah, verse 57)

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) said: “The purpose of /min qayri sū’/ (without harm) it that this whiteness of the hand was not because of sickness of leprosy.⁽¹⁾

Anyhow, the second miracle of Moses (a.s.) was given to him, as the verse says:

“ And put your hand in your bosom, and it will come forth white (shining) without harm, …”

This whiteness of hand which is an interesting shining and luminosity, and not as the result of leprosy, itself denotes to the existence of a miracle and an extraordinary event.

In order to grant some more grace to Moses and give further possibility to deviated persons to be guided, the Qur’ān, implicitly says to Moses (a.s.) that his miracles are not limited to these two ones, but:

“… (this miracle is) among the nine signs to Pharaoh and his people; verily they are a transgressing people.”

You are sent to Pharaoh and his people equipped with these nine miracles, as well as other great ones, because they are a transgressing people and they need guidance.

From the apparent of this verse, it is understood that these two miracles have been among nine known miracles of Moses (a.s.). In commenting on Sura Al-’Isrā’, No. 17, verse 101 it

was concluded before that there are seven other miracles for Moses, five of which are: storm, plant-pests, locusts, forges, and turning of the Nile water into the colour of blood. When each of these events came to Pharaohs as a warning and they encountered with some difficulty, they used to come to Moses and asked him to remove the pest.

There were two more miracles: draught and scanty of fruits, which are mentioned in Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7, verse 130. It says: “And certainly We afflicted the clan of Pharaoh with draught and scanty of fruits, so that they may take admonition.”

At last, Moses was equipped with the strongest weapon of miracle and went towards Pharaoh and his people. He invited them to the religion of truth. The Qur’ān says:

“ So when Our clear signs came to them, they said: ‘This is a manifest sorcery’.”

We know that this accusation was not charged only on Moses (a.s.) but, in order to adjust their oppositions against prophets, and in order that they produce a barrier in the way of others, the arrogant fanatic people brought forth the accusation of sorcery for the prophets which itself is a clear sign for the greatness of their extraordinary work. It is in the case that we know that prophets are some pure, pious and truth-seeking men, while sorcerers are some deviated and corrupted persons and are qualified with all qualities that a deceitful one may have.

Moreover, sorcerers had always been able to do some limited affairs, but prophets, whose customs and the content of their godly invitations made their legitimacy manifest, had no similarity to sorcerers.

14 وَجَحَدُوا بِهَا وَاسْتَیْقَنَتْهَآ أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْماً وَعُلُوّاً فَانظُرْ کَیْفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِینَ 14. “ And they denied them unjustly and proudly though their hearts acknowledged them; consider, then how was the end of the mischief-makers.”

Commentary,verse: 14

There are different sorts of infidelity and denial: 1- Disbelief may be as a result of following the fathers and customs and carnal desires. Most of disbelievers are of this kind. 2- Disbelief can be because of mere ignorance and conjectures: “… but only fancies and mere conjectures.”⁽¹⁾

3- Disbelief may be hidden by hypocrisy for the one who is apparently Muslim but inwardly he is a disbeliever. 4- Disbelief may emerge out of apostasy. When a person turns back from Islam, or denies some principles of the religion, such as Hajj, prayer, Zakāt, and other main ordinances of the religion, or produces an innovation in the religion, he is a disbeliever. 5- Disbelief of the denial kind can come into being for the person who heartily is assured in the legitimacy of the truth, but denies it arrogantly and because of enmity. The verse under discussion states this kind of disbelief. So it indicates that those accusations that they brought against Moses (a.s.) were not for the sake that they were really in doubt, but they denied the miracles unjustly and because of self-superiority. The Qur’ān says:

“ And they denied them unjustly and proudly though their hearts acknowledged them; …”

It is understood from this sentence that Faith has a reality besides knowledge and certainly, and blasphemy may exist because of denial and negation while there is knowledge and awareness.

In other words, the reality of the correct Faith is an ‘outward and inward submission’ before the truth. Thus, if a person is certain of something but he does not surrender to it inwardly or outwardly, he has not faith, but he is a disbeliever of the denial kind. This is a vast matter that now we suffice only to this short explanation here.

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) in a tradition, explaining five kinds of disbelief, counts one of them this kind of disbelief and that one of its branches is ‘denial’, and he said: “That is something that one denies while he knows that it is surely the truth which has been proved with him”, then he recited this verse.⁽¹⁾

It is interesting that the Qur’ān considers the motivation of the denial of the people of Pharaoh in two things: injustice and pride.

Their ‘injustice’ may refer to usurpation of others’ rights, and their pride refers to their self-superiority over the Children of Israel. It means that they saw if they surrendered to the signs and miracles of Moses, they both would find their unlawful interests in danger and that they would stand in the same row with their slaves, the Children of Israel, and none of them were tolerable for them.

Or the purpose of the Qur’ānic word ‘unjustly’ is the injustice they did to themselves or to the Divine verses, and, the purpose of the word ‘proudly’ is oppression over others, as

Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7, verse 9 says: “… for they used to be unjust unto Our Signs.”

However, at the end of this verse, as a lesson and gazing-stock, with a short and very expressive sentence, the Qur’ān points to the evil end of the people of Pharaoh that they were drowned and destructed, where it says:

“… consider, then how was the end of the mischief-makers.”

The Qur’ān does not uncover the matter here, because they had read the painful story of this disbelieving people in other verses of the Qur’ān and by this short sentence they may understand what they must understand.

By the way, from among their ugly qualities entirely, the Qur’ān has emphasized on ‘making mischief’ which has a comprehensive concept. It includes both mischief in belief, speech and action, and mischief in individual and society. In fact, all their evil deeds are gathered in the word ‘mischief’.

Section 2: Solomon inherits from David

Point

Solomon inherits David – knowledge of the language of the Birds granted to Solomon – the Queen of Sheba

15 وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَیْنَا دَاوُدَ وَسُلَیْمَ-انَ عِلْماً وَقَالاَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِی فَضَّلَنَا عَلَی کَثِیرٍ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ 15. “ And certainly We gave David and Solomon knowledge and they both said: ‘Praise belongs to Allah, Who has favoured us above many of His believing servants’.”

Commentary,verse: 15

The knowledge which has been given to David and Solomon may be the knowledge of Judgment; its reference is the verse which says: “… and We gave him wisdom and a clear judgment”,⁽¹⁾and also with reference to the verse which says: “… and unto each (of them) We gave wisdom and knowledge. …”⁽²⁾

And it may be the knowledge of speaking with the birds, with reference to the verse which says: “… We have been taught the language of the birds, …”⁽³⁾, or it may be the knowledge of making the coat of mail, as the Qur’ān says:

“… And We taught him the art of making the coat of mail …”⁽¹⁾

But it is better to render the Qur’ānic word /‘ilm/ in a general sense, that is the knowledge of administration of the country.

However, this verse speaks about two other great Divine prophets: David and Solomon. Of course, there is only a hint to David but Solomon is explained more.

Mentioning a part of the life story of these two prophets next to the story of Moses (a.s.) is for the sake that these two prophets were from among the prophets of the Children of Israel, too. The difference between their history and the history of other prophets is that these were more successful to establish a great government because of mental and social receptivity of the atmosphere of the Children of Israel, and they could expand the Divine religion by the help of their governmental power. Therefore, the style of explanation of the life story of other prophets, who encountered the severe opposition of their nations and sometimes they were expelled from their home and city, is not seen here, and the explanations are totally different. This clearly shows to what extend the difficulties may be solved and the path can become level if the Divine callers succeed to form a government.

However, here the words are about knowledge, ability, power, and dignity. It speaks about the submission of the birds and other creatures and, finally, about the severe struggle against idolatry through the way of logical invitation and, then, enjoying the power of government. And these things are the qualities that separate the life story of these two prophets from that of other prophets.

It is interesting that the Holy Qur’ān here has begun the statement with the issue of the ‘merit of knowledge’ which is

the foundation of a righteous and powerful government. It says:

“ And certainly We gave David and Solomon

knowledge …”

A great deal of commentators have tried very much to find out what kind of knowledge it is that Allah bestowed on David and Solomon, and it is stated here ambiguously and not definitely, and as it was precisely said at the beginning of the commentary of the verse, some commentators, relying on some other verses of the Qur’ān, have considered it ‘the knowledge of judgment’: “…and We gave him wisdom and clear judgment.” (Sura Sād, No. 38, verse 20), “… and unto each (of them) We gave wisdom and knowledge …” (Sura Al-’Anbiyā’, No. 21, verse 79). And some commentators also with frame of reference to the verses under discussion, which speak of ‘the language of the birds’ have counted this knowledge as the knowledge of speaking with birds, while some others, with frame of reference to the verses that talk of the knowledge of ‘making the coat mail’, have specified this knowledge to it.

However, it is clear that ‘knowledge’, hare, has a vast meaning which includes the knowledge of monotheism, religious belief, religious laws, knowledge of judgment, and all knowledge and information which have been necessary for the formation of such extensive and powerful government. Its reason is that the establishment of a divine government basing on justice which is an equipped and free government, is not possible without enjoying a complete knowledge. Thus, the Qur’ān specifies the rank of knowledge in the human society and in establishment of government as the first stone of the foundation of this building.

And next to this sentence, from the tongue of David and Solomon, it continues saying:

“… and they both said: ‘Praise belongs to Allah, Who has favoured us above many of His believing servants’.”

It is interesting that immediately after stating the great merit of ‘knowledge’ it speaks of ‘thanksgiving’ in order to make it clear that there is a thanksgiving for every blessing, and the reality of thanksgiving is that every blessing should be used in the same way that it has been created for; and these two great prophets did their best from their knowledge in formation of a Divine government.

By the way, they introduced the criterion of their own superiority to others by having ‘knowledge’, not by having power and government, and they also applied thanksgiving for having knowledge not for other merits, because all values belong to ‘knowledge’ and all powers originate from ‘knowledge’.

This point is also noteworthy that they did thank for governing over a faithful people, since governing over a corrupted group, who are disbelievers, is not an honour.

There arises a question here that why did they say in their thanksgiving that ‘He had favoured them above many of His believing servants’ and they did not say over all believing people, though they were prophets who were above all the people of their time?

Using this kind of meaning may be for observing the principles of discipline and humility that one, in any rank, must not think of oneself above all.

Or it is for the sake that they did not consider only a particular part of time but they considered the whole times, and we know that there have been some greater prophets than them during the history of man.

16 وَوَرِثَ سُلَیْمَ-انُ دَاوُدَ وَقَالَ یَآ أَیُّهَا النَّاسُ عُلّ-ِمْنَا مَنطِقَ الطَّیْرِ وَاُوتِینَا مِن کُلّ ِ شَیْءٍ إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْمُبِینُ 16. “ And Solomon inherited David and he said: ‘O people! We have been taught the language of the birds, and we have been granted of everything; verily this is the manifest favour’.”

Commentary,verse: 16

Point

The purpose of the Arabic word /wariθa/ in this verse is to inherit both wealth and government, not the knowledge and prophethood, because prophethood is not something to be inherited, and the knowledge of prophets is not heritable either since it is not something to be acquired.

In this verse, at first it points to inheriting Solomon from his father David. It says:

“ And Solomon inherited David …”

Here, commentators have some different ideas as for the meaning of heritage and that what that is:

Some believe that it is only the heritage of knowledge because, according to their own thought, prophets do not leave any heritage of their own properties.

Some others have mentioned inheritance is confined to property and government, because this word recalls that concept to the mind, before anything else.

And same commentators have rendered it into the language of speaking with the birds.

But regarding to the fact that the verse is general and, in the later Qur’ānic sentences the words are also about both knowledge and all other merits, there is no reason to limit the

concept of the verse. Thus, Solomon had been the heir of all merits of his father. The traditions narrated from Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) have reasoned to this verse before those who said that prophets do not leave any heritage and laid emphasis on the tradition which says: “We prophets do not leave any heritage”. They have reasoned that since the said tradition contrasts to the Book of Allah, it is invalid.

We read in a tradition narrated from Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) that when ’Abūbakr decided to take Fadak from Fatimah (a.s.) she (a.s.) heard of that decision and came to ’Abūbakr and said: “Is there any thing in the Book of Allah that you inherit from your father but I do not inherit from my father? This is a wonderful thing! Have you forgotten the Book of Allah and put it behind you when it says: ‘And Solomon inherited David’?”⁽¹⁾

Then the Qur’ān in this verse adds:

“… and he said: ‘O people! We have been taught the language of the birds, and we have been granted of everything; verily this is the manifest favour’.”

Some claim that the application of ‘language and speaking’ for non-human beings is not correct save as metaphor; but if a non-human being also utters some sounds and words which are meaningful and indicate some matters, there is no evidence not to call it ‘speaking’, since ‘speech’ is often any words that communicate a truth and a concept.

Of course, we do not want to say that those special sounds that sometimes some animals produce because of anger, wrath, or pleasure and consent, or as the result of pain, or as a sign of affection unto their children are called language. No, these are some sounds that they bring forth out of their mouth at the time of a special mood. But, as we see in the verses of the

Qur’ān, Solomon communicates some matters with hoopoe and he (a.s.) sends a message by the hoopoe and then he asks its answer from this bird.

This shows that besides the sounds that they produce because of their moods, animals can speak in some particular conditions by the command of Allah. Another clear example is the explanation about the speech of the ant which will be mentioned later concerning the future verses of this Sura.

Of course, the vast concept of /nutq/ (speech) has been used in the Qur’ān which, indeed, states the spirit and conclusion of it, and it is ‘the statement of what is in mind’, whether it is done by means of words and speech; or through other means, like the verse which says: “This is Our Book that speaks against you with justice…”⁽¹⁾But we do not need to render the word /nutq/ in connection with the speech of Solomon and the birds into this sense; because according to the apparent of the above verses, Solomon was able to understand the special words that birds used for transferring their matters and he could speak with them.

Contrast to the limitations that some commentators have cited for the Qur’ānic sentence: “… we have been granted of every thing …”, it has a vast meaning and it concludes all physical and spiritual means which were necessary for the formation of that Divine government and, basically, without it this statement will be imperfect.

By the way, Allah has given some special knowledge to some particular persons and He has mentioned them in the Qur’ān:

1- Adam had the knowledge of all things: “And He taught Adam all the names, …” (Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 31)

2- Khidr knew the inward knowledge and interpretation (so that Moses could be his student: “… ‘Shall I follow you that you teach me right conduct …” (Sura Al-Kahf, No. 18, verse 66)

3- Yūsuf was taught the knowledge of interpretation of dreams: “… this is of what my Lord has taught me. …” (Sura Yūsuf, No. 12, verse 37)

4- David was taught by Allah the knowledge of making the coat of mail: “And We taught him the art of making the coat of mail …” (Sura Al-’Anbiyā’, No. 21, verse 80)

5- Solomon knew the language of birds: “…We have been taught the language of the birds, …” (Sura An-Naml, No. 27, verse 16)

6- ’Āsif Burkhiyā (Solomon’s assistant) had the knowledge by which he could bring the royal throne (of the Queen of Sheba) from one country to another country: “One with whom was some knowledge (of a part) of the (Divine) Book said …” (Sura An-Naml, No. 27, verse 40)

7- Tālūt knew the knowledge of army: “… ‘Verily Allah has chosen him over you, and He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature, …” (Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 247)

8- The holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and other prophets had the knowledge of Unseen: “… so He does not reveal His secrets to any,” “Except to whom He chooses as an apostle, …” (Sura Al-Jinn, No. 72, verses 26-27)

It is for this reason that it has been said that the prophets’ knowledge is ‘an intuitive knowledge’ and it is bestowed on them through inspiration by Allah.

some points:

1- The Relation between Religion and Politics:

Contrast to what some short sighted persons think, religion is not only a collection of advice or affairs concerning to the private and personal life. Religion is a collection of some general and common laws of life and common programs which conclude the whole life of men and social issues in particular.

The appointment of prophets to their missions is for the settlement of justice and equity. (Sura Al-Hadīd, No. 57, verse 25)

Religion is for breaking the chains of captivity of men and providing the freedom of human beings. (Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7, verse 157)

Religion is the cause of securing the oppressed from the grips of oppressors and tyrants, and putting an end to the course of their sovereignty.

Finally, religion is a collection of education, and training men along the path of purification and making them complete. (Sura Al-Jumu‘ah, No. 62, verse 2)

It is evident that earning these great aims without having a government is impossible. Who can establish justice with mere ethical recommendations so that he stops the domination of the oppressors over the oppressed?

Who can break and take the chains of captivity from the hands and feet of those who are afflicted in it without being supported by a power?

In a society where the means of spreading culture and propagation are in the hands of the vicious and mischief-makers, who can settle the correct principles of education, and foster the morals in the hearts?

That is why we say that ‘religion’ and ‘politics’ are two inseparable elements. If religion separates from politics it

totally loses its arm of execution, and if politics separates from religion it will be changed into a destructive element which moves along the path of its interests.

If the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) succeeded to spread this Divine religion quickly in the world, it was because, at the first opportunity, he started to form a government and by means of the Islamic government he pursued the divine aims.

Some other divine prophets who could do like that and succeeded, were able to spread the Divine call better, while some others of them who were in difficulties and the conditions did not let them to form a government, did not succeed to progress very much.

2- The Divine Government and its Means:

It is interesting that in the life story of Solomon and David we clearly see that they succeeded to quickly root out the effects of polytheism and idolatry and to establish a government whose main means, according to the concerning verses, was knowledge and awareness in various fields. It was a system that Allah’s Name was at the top of its programs. This system used to apply all the eligible powers and used even the ability of a bird for reaching its aims.

It was a system that could control all devils and dominated over the oppressors.

And, finally, it was a system which had both enough military force and elements of information, and some persons who had sufficient awareness and skill in different fields, and it had gathered all of these elements under the camp of belief and Monotheism.

3- The Birds’ Speech:

In the above verse and the verses which will come later in the story of hoopoe and Solomon, the birds’ speech and the kind of their sense and understanding are referred to explicitly.

No doubt that birds, like other animals, in different circumstances make some various sounds that, with careful observation, we can recognize their states and situations by the kind of that sound and say which sound indicates to their anger, which one to their content, which sound is the reason of their hunger, and which one shows their whining. We can understand with which sound the animal calls its children and with which sound it warns them of coming a horrible event. This part of the birds’ sound contains no doubt and all of us are, more or less, acquainted with it.

But the holy verses of this Sura apparently intend to say something beyond this matter. They talk about a kind of animal speaking in a secret way which carries some more minute subjects in it. They talk about understanding and a debate between birds and a human being. This meaning is surprising for some persons, but regarding to the various matters that the scientists have written in their books and the personal observation, and experiences that some other persons had concerning birds, it is not so surprising

We know some matters even more surprising than this in relation with the talent of animals, and birds in particular.

Some of them are so skilful in making houses and nests for them that they exceed our engineers.

Some of birds possess so much exact information about their future offspring and their needs and difficulties and they act so minutely concerning their salvation that is surprising for all of us.

Their foresight about the circumstance of weather, even from some months before, their awareness of earthquakes before they occur and even before that our seismographs record the slightest quakes are well known.

The training with which some animals are trained in our time, and the extraordinary jobs they do and many people have seen them in many circuses all denote to their wonderful intelligence. The marvelous acts of ‘ants’ and their wonderful civilization; the marvels of the life of bees and their amazing finding the traces are famous.

The recognition of the emigrating birds, which sometimes pave the distance between North Pole and South Pole, and their awareness of the circumstances of the ways along this extraordinary long traveling are wonderful.

The amazing information about Salmon-trout, when they emigrate in groups in deep sees, are generally some subjects that scientifically are certain and are reasons for the existence of an important stage of apprehension, or instinct, or whatever we may call, in these animals.

The existence of some extraordinary senses in animals, such as the system of radar in a bat, very strong sense of smell in some insects, the extraordinary extensive power of sight in some birds, and so on, are also some other evidences for the fact that they are not weaker than us in anything.

Keeping these things in mind, it does not seem wonderful that they have a special speech, too, and can speak with the person who is aware of the method of their talking.

In the verses of the Qur’ān, there are also some different points which refer to this meaning. For example, Sura Al-’An‘ām, No. 6, verse 38 says: “And there is no creature (that walks) on the earth nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but they are communities the like of you. …”

In Islamic narrations there are a lot of traditions which refer to the animals’ speech and that of the birds, and even for each of them there have been cited some popular statements whose explanation is very long.

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) in a narration said that Imam Amir-ul-Mu’minīn Ali (a.s.) once told Ibn-‘Abbās: “Verily Allah taught us the birds’ speech as He taught Solomon, son of David, as well as the speech of every living creature in the land and sea.”⁽¹⁾

4- The Explanation of a Tradition:

There has been recorded a tradition in some different books of Sunnites from the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) which denotes: “We prophets do not leave any heritage, and whatever we leave must be used as alms (in the way of Allah).” Sometimes this very tradition has been cited in a form that its first sentence is omitted, like this: “Whatever we leave must be used as alms (in the way of Allah).”

The document of this tradition in those books is often ended to Abūbakr who took the rein of Muslims’ affairs after the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), and when Hadrat Fatimah (a.s.) or some other wives of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) demanded Abūbakr their inheritance, relying upon this narration, he did not give them any inheritance.

This tradition is recorded by ‘Muslim’ in his Sahīh, Vol. 3, P. 13790, by Bukhārī, in Kitāb-ul-Farā’id, chapter 8, P. 185, and some others have recorded it in their own books.

It is worthy to note that in the latter document, through a tradition narrated by ‘Āyishah, we read as follows: “(After the death of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.)), Fātimah and ‘Abbās came to ’Abūbakr and demanded their heritage remained from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.). At that time they demanded their land in ‘Fadak’ and their share ‘remained from Kheybar’. ’Abūbakr said: ‘I heard from the Messenger of Allah who said: ‘We do not leave any heritage, and whatever we leave is alms’.’ When

Fatimah heard this statement she angrily left ’Abūbakr and she never spoke with him, even for one word, until the end of her life.” (Sahīh Bukhārī, Part 8, P. 185)

This tradition, of course, from different dimensions is objectionable and can be investigated, but what can be said in short here is as follows:

1- This tradition is not consistent with the verses of the text of the Qur’ān, and according to the laws and principles we have, every tradition which does not adapt to ‘the Book of Allah’ is invalid and it cannot be taken as the tradition originated from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) or other immaculate ones (a.s.).

In the above-mentioned holy verse, we read that Solomon inheritance David, and the apparent of the verse is general and it concludes properties, too. Concerning Yahyā and Zechariah we read in the Qur’ān: “(One that) shall be my inheritor and the inheritor of the posterity of Jacob; …”⁽¹⁾

Especially in respect to Zechariah, many commentators have emphasized on financial aspects.

Moreover, the apparent of the verses about inheritance in the Qur’ān is general and envelops all. Maybe, it was for the same reason that Qurtabī, the famous Sunnite Commentator, had to take the tradition as the strong verb and the most, not as a general one. He has said that: this is like the sentence that Arabs say: “We community of Arabs are the most hospital ones among people, (while it is not a general ordinance).”⁽²⁾

But it is clear that this statement nullifies the value of this tradition, because if we take this excuse for the case of

Solomon and Yahyā, other aspects that are concluded in it are not certain either.

2- The above mentioned tradition is in contrast with other narrations which show that ’Abūbakr decided to return Fadak to Fātimah, but some others hindered it, as it is cited in Sīrah Halabī:

“Fatimah, the Prophet’s daughter, came to ’Abūbakr while he was on the pulpit. She said: “O ’Abūbakr! Is the matter in the Book of Allah that your daughter inherits from you but I do not inherit from my father?” ’Abūbakr wept and shed tears. Then he came down of the pulpit, and wrote a later indicating that Fadak was turned back to Fatimah (a.s.). At this time ‘Umar entered and said: “What is this?” ’Abūbakr said: “I wrote a letter to return the inheritance of Fatimah from her father to her.’ ‘Umar said: “If you do this, where from do you obtain the expenditure of the fight with the enemies, now that Arabs have stood against you?” Then ‘Umar caught the letter and tore it.”⁽¹⁾

How could there be an explicit prohibition issued by the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and Abubakr would dare to oppose it? And why did ‘Umar rely upon the needs of fight and did not rely on Prophet’s tradition?

Careful studying the above-mentioned narration shows that the Prophet’s prohibition was not in contemplation, the important thing, here, was the political issues of the time. These are the things that remind one the statement of Ibn-’Abil-Hadīd Mu‘tazily who said: “I asked my teacher, Ali-ibn-Fāriqī, ‘Was Fatimah (a.s.) right in her claim?’ He answered: ‘Yes.’ I said: ‘Why did not ’Abūbakr give Fadak to her while he counted her a truthful one?’ My teacher smiled with a very

meaningful smile and expressed a beautiful smooth statement, though he did not customarily joke. He said:

“If today he gave Fadak to her, she would come the following day and claimed the caliphate for her husband, and she would unsettle him of his position, and he had neither any excuse to say nor any thing to agree with.”⁽¹⁾

3- A Famous Tradition from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.)

In many books of great sects of Islam, there is recorded a famous tradition which says: “The scholars are the heirs of the prophets.”⁽²⁾

It is also narrated from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) who said: “Verily the prophets did not leave any Dīnār nor Dirham (drachma) as heritage.” (’Usūl-i-Kāfī, Vol. 1 Chapter: ‘The Attribute of knowledge’, tradition No. 9)

It seems from these two traditions that the main aim has been to make it clear that the capital and the honour of the Divine prophets had been their knowledge. The most important thing that they left behind was the issue of guidance, and those who earned some larger share from this knowledge are the essential heirs of prophets, without that they seek for the properties remained from the prophets. Later this tradition has been paraphrased and has been misused by corruption in transmission, and probably the Arabic phrase /mātaraknāhu sadaqatun/ (whatever we leave must be used as alms (in the way of Allah)), which had been understood from some narrations, has been added to it.

To shorten our discussion, we conclude this statement with an explanation from Fakhr-i-Rāzī, the famous commentator of

Sunnites, who has cited about Sura An-Nisā’, No. 4, verse 11. He says that one of the allotments that has been set for this verse (the verse of children’s heritage) is what is the majority of the jurisprudents of Sunnites believe and it indicates that prophets (a.s.) do not leave any thing as heritage, while Shi‘ite have (generally) opposed this matter. It has been narrated that when Fatimah (a.s.) demanded her heritage, they deprived her from it attaching to the Prophet’s tradition which says: “We prophets do not leave any heritage, and whatever we leave must he used as alms (in the way of Allah)” At this time Fatimah (a.s.) reasoned to the generality of the above mentioned verse (the verse of children’s heritage) as if she wanted to point to this fact that the whole Qur’ān cannot be appropriated with a single narration.”

Then, Fakhr-i-Rāzī adds: “Shi‘ites say that supposing that allotment of the Qur’ān be permissible with a single narration, it is not permissible here because of following three reasons:

could it be possible that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) taught this tradition to the one who did not need it and restrained it from the one who needed it?

Then, Fakhr-i-Rāzī gives a short answer to the above-mentioned known reasoning and says: “After speaking with Abūbakr, Fatimah (a.s.) became content with that speaking. Besides, the consensus has reached to this that the word of Abūbakr is right.”⁽¹⁾

But it is clear that the answer of Fakhr-i-Rāzī is not sufficient for the abovementioned reasoning, because, as was narrated from the Sunnite famous sources, Fatimah (a.s.) not only was not contented but she was so angry that she did not speak even for a word with Abūbakr until the end of her life.

Moreover, how could there be a consensus upon this subject while Ali, Fātimah (a.s.) and Abbās, who had been trained in the center of revelation, had opposed it?

17 وَحُشِرَ لِسُلَیْمَ-انَ جُنُودُهُ مِنَ الْجِنّ ِ وَالإِنسِ وَالطَّیْرِ فَهُمْ یُوزَعُونَ

Commentary,verse: 17

In different occasions the Qur’ān has talked about jinn and one of the suras of the Qur’ān is also called Jinn. Now, here, it refers to some of their qualities:

Jinn is a creature which has sensation and has been addressed by Allah, where the Qur’ān says: “O’ assembly of the jinn and mankind!…”⁽¹⁾

Some of Jinn are believers while some others of them are disbelievers. They are male and female and naturally they have venereal desire. Some of them worked for Solomon as builders and divers, as the Qur’ān says: “And the Satans, (including) every builder and diver.”⁽²⁾

It is understood from the verses of the current Sura and those of Sura Saba’, No. 34, that the government of Solomon had not an ordinary circumstance but it was formed by some extraordinary events and various miracles, some of which are mentioned in this Sura (like Solomon’s governing over Jinn and birds), recognition of the talk of ants, and speaking with ‘Hoopoe’, and another part of it has been mentioned in Sura Saba’, No. 34.

In fact, Allah showed His Might in making appear this great government and the forces it possessed; and we know that, from the view point of a monotheist, these affairs are easy, simple and untroubled for Allah, the Mighty.

By this verse, the Qur’ān says:

“ And gathered together unto Solomon his hosts of jinn and men and birds …”

The number of his forces was so large that, in order to regulate the army, it was ordered that the primary rows of forces should stop until when the last rows could move and reach others. The verse continues saying:

“… and they were kept in order and ranks.”

The Qur’ānic word /yūza‘ūn/ is derived from /waza‘a/ in the sense of ‘to restrain, to hold back’. When this word is used in respect to army it means that the first part of the army should be stopped until the ending part of it joins, and they would not be divided.

The Arabic word /waza‘/ is also applied in the sense of ‘avarice, and intensive interest’ so that it hinders man from other affairs.

It is understood from this application that the forces of Solomon were both abundant and they worked under a special order.

The Qur’ānic word /hušira/ is derived from /hašr/ which means: ‘bringing out the crowd of army from the resting place’, and causing them to start toward the battle-field, and the like. It is understood from both this meaning and the meaning used in the next verse that Solomon had led an army to a place, but it is not quite clear that which one it is among Solomon’s military expeditions. Taking the content of the next verse in mind, which speaks about reaching Solomon to the

land of ants, some say that it had been a region near Tā’if, while some others have said it had been a land near Syria.

However, since the statement of this matter had not any effect from the point of ethical and educational aspects, it has not been spoken of.

By the way, some commentators have discussed whether the whole human beings, jinn, and birds were the army of Solomon, or a part of them formed his army. This discussion seems rather needless, because undoubtedly Solomon did not govern the whole earth and the realm of his government was Syria, Jerusalem, and probably some other lands around there. It is also understood from the later verses that Solomon had not any dominion over Yemen at that time, and he gained his authority over there after the event of ‘hoopoe’ and the submission of the Queen of Sheba.

The Qur’ānic phrase /tafaqqad-at-tayr/, mentioned in the coming verses, shows that among the birds, which were in the obedience of Solomon, there was a hoopoe that when Solomon did not see it over there he asked about it. If all birds were included and there were thousands of hoopoes among them, this meaning could not be correct. (Be careful)

18 حَتَّی إِذَآ أَتَوْا عَلَی وَادِ الَّنمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ یَآ أَیُّهَا النَّ-مْلُ ادْخُلُوا مَسَاکِنَکُمْ لاَ یَحْطِمَنَّکُمْ سُلَیْمَ-انُ وَجُنُودُهُ

وَهُمْ لاَیَشْعُرُونَ

Commentary,verse: 18

The Arabic word /naml/ philologically means ‘creeping with small feet’. The Qur’ānic word /namlatun/, because of its Arabic nunnation, can be meant ‘a big ant which is a commander’. In this case, there is commandership and administrationship in the life of ants. This nunnation can be meant as the sign of uncertainty of the ant. In this case, the message of the verse is that if an undefined one gives a sympathetic warning that warning must be attended to.

However, Solomon with this great army started and went until they reached the valley of ants. Here, an ant, addressing other ants, said that they should go into their dwellings, so that Solomon and his army might not crush them while they are unaware. The verse says:

“ Until when they came to the Valley of Ants, an ant said: ‘O you ants! Get into your habitations, so that Solomon and his hosts may not crush you, being unaware’.”

There are some explanations to say that how this ant became aware of the presence of Solomon and his hosts in that

land, and how it announced this happening to other ants, which will be referred to later.

By the way, it is understood from this sentence that the justice of Solomon was made manifest to even the ants because the sentence implicitly means if the hosts are aware of the existence of the ants they will not tread that weak animal, then if they tread the ants it is because they do not know it.

19 فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِکاً مِن قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبّ ِ أَوْزِعْنِی أَنْ أَشْکُرَ نِعْمَتَکَ الَّتِی أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیَّ وَعَلَی وَالِدَیَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحاً تَرْضَاهُ وَأَدْخِلْنِی بِرَحْمَتِکَ فِی عِبَادِکَ الصَّالِحِینَ 19. “ Then he smiled, laughing at its words, and said: ‘My Lord! Dispose me that I may be thankful for Your bounty, which You have bestowed on me and my parents, and that I may do righteousness such as You are pleased with, and admit me, by Your mercy, among Your righteous servants’.”

Commentary,verse: 19

One of the principles and conditions of leadership and administration is tolerance. Solomon (a.s.) heard that the ant said about him and his troops that they were unaware, but he (a.s.) did not show it and he only smiled. Criticism and a right speech must be heard from any one and it must be received, because accepting criticism is a value. Solomon admired the word of the ant and smiled. Commentators are divided as for what was the cause of Solomon’s smile. It appears that the self of this event was a wonderful matter that an ant called other ants to beware of the great army of Solomon and that it attributed that army of being unaware. This amazing affair caused Solomon’s laugh, as the verse says:

“ Then he smiled, laughing at its words, …”

Some of commentators have said that this smile was a smile of joy, because Solomon understood that even ants confessed to the justice of Solomon and his troops and accepted their piety.

Some others have said that his joy was for the reason that Allah had given him such a power that at the time of the great anxiety and excitement of the army he was not neglectful of the sound of an ant either.

However, here Solomon turned to the presence of Allah and asked a few things as follows:

“… and said: ‘My Lord! Dispose me that I may be thankful for Your bounty, which You have bestowed on me and my parents, …”

Solomon asked Allah to teach him how he could thank for the great bounties that He had granted him and his parents to be able to use them in the way that He had commanded and was the cause of His pleasure so that he would not deviate from the right path, since being thankful for those abundant favours is not possible save with His succour and aid.

The next thing he asked for was as follows:

“… and that I may do righteousness such as You are pleased with, …”

This statement points to this matter that what was important for Solomon was not the remaining of that great army and his government with those vast organizations, it was important for him to do such righteous deeds that caused His pleasure. And in view of the fact that the Arabic word /’a‘mala/ is a verb in present tense, which is used in that language for the continuation of the action, it is an evidence that he asked Allah for the continuation of this succour.

Finally, the third thing he asked was that he said:

“… and admit me, by Your mercy, among Your righteous servants’.”

20 وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّیْرَ فَقَالَ مَالِیَ لآ أَرَی الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ کَانَ مِنَ الْغَآئِبِینَ 21 لاُعَذّ ِبَنَّهُ عَذَاباً شَدِیداً أَوْ لاَذبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَیَأْتِیَنّ-ِی بِسُلْطَانٍ مُبِینٍ 22 فَمَکَثَ غَیْرَ بَعِیدٍ فَقَالَ أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ وَجِئْتُکَ مِن سَبإٍ بِنَبَإٍ یَقِینٍ 20. “ And he reviewed the birds; then he said: ‘How is it with me that I do not see the hoopoe? Or is it that he is of the absentees?’”

Commentary,verses: 20-22

Through this group of verses, the Qur’ān has pointed to another height of the amazing life of Solomon, and reiterates the event of hoopoe, and the Queen of Sheba. At first it speaks about Solomon (a.s.) and hoopoe, whom he (a.s.) sought after but he did not see it. The verse says:

“ And he reviewed the birds; …”

This phrase clearly indicates that Solomon (a.s.) was carefully observing the circumstances of the country and his government in a manner that even the absence of a bird was not concealed before his eyes.

No doubt that the purpose of the bird, here, is the hoopoe, since in the continuation of the statement the Qur’ān adds:

“… then he said: ‘How is it with me that I do not see the hoopoe? …”

“… Or is it that he is of the absentees?’”

Concerning the fact that how Solomon recognized that hoopoe was not present among the gathering of birds, some commentators have said: that it was for the sake that, at the time of his traveling, birds did cast a shadow over his head and, because of the existence of an opening (hole) in that vast canopy, he found out the absence of the hoopoe.

Some others have considered a mission for the hoopoe in his organizations and they have said that the hoopoe was commissioned to find the places where there was water and when the bird had gone to search for water, he (a.s.) found it absent.

However, this statement that at first he said: “… I do not see the hoopoe …” and then he added “… Or is it that he is of the absentees …” may point to this matter that whether the hoopoe is absent without having a plausible excuse or it has been absent with a plausible excuse.

An way, an organized, ordered, and powerful government has to put all movements, activities, and actions and reactions that happen in its country and realm under consideration; and it must not neglect even the presence and absence of a bird, an ordinary agent, and this is a great lesson.

Finally, some other commentators have said that the objective of hoopoe, here, is a particular ‘Hoopoe’. Their reference is the existence of Alif and Lām at the beginning of the Arabic word, ‘Al-Hudhud’, as well as the hoopoe’s power of anthropology and its theological ability. The explanation of

this meaning will be offered later. (the commentary of Furqān, and Fi-Zilāl)

Once Abūhanifah asked Imam Sādiq (a.s.): “Why did Solomon ask only about hoopoe among all birds?” The Imam (a.s.) said: “Its reason is for the fact that a hoopoe sees the existence of water inside the earth, the same as we see oil in a crystal container.” (Majma‘-ul-Bayān, the Commentary)

As for the punishment of the hoopoe, some commentators have mentioned a few examples; including separating it from its fellow, pulling off its feathers, putting it under sunshine, banishing it from Solomon’s court, or putting it in the same cage with an enemy. (The commentaries of Rūh-ul-Bayān and Kanz-ud-Daqā’iq)

One point, however, must be noted that reviewing and being kind to inferiors, visiting their work, and asking about their affairs are among the Islamic, ethical, social, educational, and administrative principles.

Then, in order not to judge in its absence, and in the mean-while the absence of the hoopoe does not affect other birds, still less the persons who undertook some sensitive and important jobs, Solomon added:

“ Certainly will I chastise him with a terrible chastisement, or will I slaughter him, or he brings me a clear reason (for his absence).”

The purpose of the Arabic word /sultān/, here, is a reason which causes one’s authority and ability to prove one’s mind, and the Arabic word /mubīn/ is an emphasis on the matter that this faulty one must certainly bring a clear reason for his own fault.

Solomon (a.s.), in fact, without judging in its absence, threatened the offender by the necessary chastisement if the fault is proved. He even considered two stages for his threat in order that it could be proportional to the kind of the sin: the stage of punishment without execution, and the stage of execution.

By the way, he showed that he surrendered to proof and logic even in front of a weak bird and he would never rely on his power and abilities.

“ But the hoopoe tarried not long, …”

The hoopoe returned and, addressing Solomon, said that it had known something which he (a.s.) did not know and it was an assured news from the land of Sheba. The verse says:

“… then he (came and) said: ‘I have comprehended that which you have not comprehended, and I have come to you from Sheba with a sure tiding’.”

As if the hoopoe has seen the signs of anger in Solomon’s face. Then, in order to remove his distress, the bird shortly and closely announced of an important matter that Solomon, even with his whole knowledge, was not aware of it. Then, when the anger of Solomon was lightened, Hoopoe began explaining it, which will be described through later verses.

It is worthy nothing that Solomon’s troops, and even the birds that obeyed him, had felt such a freedom, security, and daring in Solomon’s justice that, without any fear Hoopoe frankly and explicitly says: “… ‘I have comprehended that which you have not comprehended, …”

The Hoopoe’s treatment with Solomon was not like the treatment of the flattering men of courts with the tyrannical kings, who, for communicating a fact at first flatter and make

themselves so low before them as an insignificant atom. Then they humbly state their aim inside many sorts of flatteries and never try to deliver a definite statement; so they always use some delicate allusions lest the king’s feeling be a little injured.

Yes, the hoopoe clearly said that its absence was not unreasonable and he had brought Solomon some news that he was not aware of it.

By the way, this meaning is a great lesson for all human beings that there may be a small creature, like hoopoe, which knows a matter that the most knowledgeable man of the people of the time is unaware of it; and no one should be proud of his knowledge even he is Solomon with that vast knowledge of prophecy.

23 إِنّ-ِی وَجَدتُّ امْرَأَةً تَمْلِکُهُمْ وَأُوتِیَتْ مِن کُلّ ِ شَیْءٍ وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِیمٌ 24 وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوْمَهَا یَسْجُدُونَ لِلشَّمْسِ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَزَیَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّیْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِیلِ فَهُمْ لاَیَهْتَدُونَ 23. “ Verily I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given of everything, and she possesses a magnificent throne.”

Commentary,verses: 23-24

However, Hoopoe explained the event of going to the land of Sheba and its Queen under the name of Bilqiys, as follows:

“ Verily I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given of everything, and she possesses a magnificent throne.”

By these three short sentences, the hoopoe told Solomon nearly all qualifications of the country of Sheba and that how it was governed. First of all, it said that it was a habitable country with all kinds of merits and potentialities. The next matter was that a woman was ruling over there who had a very glorious court, perhaps even more glorious than the organizations of Solomon, since though the hoopoe had certainly seen Solomon’s throne it mentioned that of the Queen as ‘a magnificent throne’. By this speech, the hoopoe made Solomon understand that he should not think that the

entire world was in the realm of his government and that the great throne and magnificence was allocated only to him.

By hearing this news, Solomon began contemplating, but the hoopoe did not give him time and added another amazing matter, when it said:

“ I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, …”

The Hoopoe explains that Satan has dominated over them and has so ornamented their deeds to them that they boast of worshipping the sun, and thus Satan has hindered them from the right way and they have so engaged in idolatry that I do not believe they return easily from that way. The verse continues saying:

“… and Satan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them and he has barred them from the (right) way, so they are not guided aright.”

In this way, the hoopoe made clear the spiritual and religious situation of those people and announced that they had earnestly fallen in idolatry, and their government encouraged them to adorring the sun, so people usually follow the religion of their kings.

Their idol temples and their other circumstances show that they insist on paving this wrong way: they like it and they boast of it. In the conditions that both the whole people and government are wrongly on one line, their guidance is very improbable.

That marvellous story indicates that some animals possess a high understanding, such as hoopoe who understood and realized some concepts, like: man and woman, crown and throne, government and ownership, monotheism and idolatry, sun and prostration, Satan and his ornamentations, right and wrong, guidance and misguidance.

25 أَلاَّ یَسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الَّذِی یُخْرِجُ الْخَبْءَ فِی السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَرْضِ وَیَعْلَمُ مَا تُخْفُونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ 26 اللَّهُ لآ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِیمِ 25. “ So that they prostrate not themselves to Allah, Who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and the earth and knows what you hide and what you reveal.”

Commentary,verses: 25-26

The Arabic word /xab’/ means ‘concealed and hidden’. Ali (a.s.) Says: “(The value of) man is hidden under his tongue.”⁽¹⁾

The growth of plants, as well as falling rains, are the clear examples of bringing forth those which are hidden in the heavens and the earth.

The ears (of corn) are hidden inside a corn and the Might of Allah brings it forth from inside of it. All the things that alter from potentiality to actuality are the extensions of this very verse. However, it says:

“ So that they prostrate not themselves to Allah, Who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and the earth and knows what you hide and what you reveal.”

The Qur’ānic word /xab’/, which means anything hidden and concealed, here points to the omnipotence of Allah’s knowledge due to the unseen of heavens and earth. Thus, the

verse means why they do not prostrate themselves to the Lord Who knows the unseen of the heavens and the earth and the secrets hidden in them.

Some commentators have rendered it to rain (respecting the heavens) and plants (respecting the earth), this in fact, is from the kind of statement of a clear extension.

Alike them are those commentators who have commented this phrase upon ‘bringing out the creatures from the unseen of nonexistence into existence’.

It is interesting that the holy verse firstly speaks of the knowledge of Allah unto ‘the secrets hidden in the heavens and the earth’, and then it refers to the secrets concealed in the hearts of people.

Why the hoopoe, among all attributes of Allah (s.w.t.), emphasized on the issue of His knowledge due to unseen and seen in the macrocosm and microcosm, it may be in relation to the fact that Solomon, with all his abilities and knowledge, was not aware of the country of Sheba and its qualities, and it says that we must seek the grace of the Lord for Whom nothing is concealed.

Or it is in relation to the known matter which is said that hoopoe has a special sense by which it can understand the existence of water inside the land that contains it. Then it speaks of Allah Who is aware of all the things which are concealed in the world of existence.

At last, the hoopoe concludes his saying with the following statement:

“ Allah, there is no god but He! Is the Lord of ‘Arsh, the Mighty (throne of Supreme Authority).”

Thus, the hoopoe emphasized on ‘unity of worship’ and ‘Unity of Lordship’ of Allah and the negation of any polytheism, and then put an end to his speech.

By the way, what is cited in this part of the verse contains a lot of points which can be effective in the life of all human beings and in the process of all governments.

1- The chief of a government, or an administrator, must be so careful and aware of the order of his organizations that he recognizes and realizes even the absence of an ordinary and insignificant member, and pursues its affairs.

2- He must be careful of the offence of a single member and, in order not to affect others, he must apply the necessary precautions.

3- No one should be judged in his absence, or to pass a judgment by default. The one should be allowed to defend himself if possible.

4- The amount of forfeit must proportionate to the crime. So, for every crime a suitable punishment must be decided, and hierarchy should be observed, too.

5- Everybody, even the greatest powers of the society, must submit to reason and logic though the reason is uttered by a very insignificant person.

6- There must exist so much freedom and explicitness in the atmosphere of the society that, at the necessary time, even an ordinary person can tell the chief of the government: “I have comprehended that which you have not comprehended.”⁽¹⁾

7- Sometimes some ordinary persons or the smallest ones get information of something that the greatest scientists and the most powerful ones are unaware of it, and we must never be proud of our knowledge.

8- In the society of human beings, the reciprocal needs are so much so that sometimes some great men, such as Solomon, are dependant on a bird.

9- Though there are many eligibilities in women, and even this very story shows that the Queen of Sheba possessed an extraordinary understanding and perspicacity, the leadership of a government is not consistent with the situation of their spirit and body; so the hoopoe also surprised of it and said: “Verily I found a woman ruling over them, …”⁽¹⁾

10- People often have the same religion that their rulers have. Therefore, we read in this story that the hoopoe says: “I found her and her people prostrating to the sun …” (The words are first about the prostration of the Queen and then that of the people.)

27 قَالَ سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ کُنتَ مِنَ الْکَاذِب-ِینَ 28 اذْهَب بِکِتَابِی هَذَا فَاَلْقِهْ إِلَیْهِمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا یَرْجِعُونَ 27. “ (Solomon, after hearing hoopoe’s information,) said: ‘Soon we will see whether you have told the truth or whether you are of the liars.”

Commentary,verses: 27-28

The Divine prophets’ communication and writing letters to disbelievers and polytheists has a long background, and the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) did it, too. He (p.b.u.h.) wrote some letters to the rulers of several countries, such as Iran and Byzantine. In order to reach to some leading and cultural aims, sending messages, advisors, cultural counselors, officers, and taking the lead in these affairs had been the conduct of the divine prophets.

Of course, when confronting some complicated systems and governments, we cannot encounter them simply, and, thus, recognizing them secretly and far from the eyes is the deepest kind of cognitions.

Therefore, Solomon carefully listened to the words of the hoopoe and began thinking. Solomon might mostly thought that that news was right, and there was no reason for it to be a lie so great. But since it was not a simple issue and it related to the fate of a country and a great nation, he should not suffice

only to the statement of a single informer, and he ought to investigate more about this sensitive subject. Thus, the Qur’ān announces:

“ (Solomon, after hearing hoopoe’s information,) said: ‘Soon we will see whether you have told the truth or whether you are of the liars.”

This statement clearly proves that for important matters, which relate to the fate of people, one must pay attention to the information received from a simple member and soon it must be sufficiently researched about.

Solomon did neither accuse nor condemn hoopoe, nor did he verify its speech without any proof, but he took it as the cause of a research. He said:

“ Go you with this letter of mine, and throw it down unto them, then turn away from them, and (wait to) see what (answer) they return.”

29 قَالَتْ یَآ أَیُّهَا الْمَلَؤُا إِنّ-ِی اُلْقِیَ إِلَیَّ کِتَابٌ کَرِیمٌ 30 إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَیْمَ-انَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِیمِ 31 أَلاَّ تَعْلُوا عَلَیَّ وَأْتُونِی مُسْلِمِینَ 29. “ (When the Queen of Sheba received the letter,) she said: ‘O chiefs! Verily there has been thrown unto me a noble letter.”

Commentary,verses: 29-31

Guidance and preaching must be delivered kindly and mercifully; beginning with the holy phrase: ‘In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful’.

Solomon (a.s.) wrote a very short and comprehensive letter and, giving it to the hoopoe, he told the bird to throw it down unto them and then return and wait in a corner to see what reaction they would have.

It is understood from the Qur’ānic phrase “Throw it down unto them” that the hoopoe should throw it down when the Queen of Sheba was sitting in the gathering among her people so that there would remain no room for forsaking and denying it. This also makes it clear that there is no proof for the commentary of some commentators who have said the hoopoe entered the castle of the Queen of Sheba and her room and threw the letter on her chest or her throat, though it is not so inconsistent with the sentence mentioned in the next verse

which says: “…Verily there has been thrown unto me a noble letter.”

The Queen of Sheba opened the letter and was informed of its content. Since she had formerly heard of the fame of Solomon and the content of the letter indicated that he had taken a severe decision about the country of Sheba, she fell into a deep thought; and since she used to consult with the chiefs of her entourage, she invited them. As the Qur’ān says:

“ (When the Queen of Sheba received the letter,) she said: ‘O chiefs! Verily there has been thrown unto me a noble letter.”

Had the Queen of Sheba truly not seen the bringer of the letter? But, with the content of the letter, she felt the nobility of the letter and she never thought that it might be a fabricated letter.

Or she saw the letter with her own eyes, and its surprising circumstance proved that there was a reality over there and it was not an ordinary thing. Whatever it was, she relied on the letter with certainty.

The matter that the Queen says that the letter is a noble and worthy one, may be for the magnificent content of it, or for its beginning which began with the name of Allah, and its ending was correctly signed and sealed;⁽¹⁾

or its sender had been a noble person, each of which has been guessed by the

commentators. Or all of them may be found in this consistent concept, because there is no contradictory between them.

It is true that they were sun-worshippers, but we know that many of the idolaters believed in Allah, too, and called Him as the Lord of lords. They counted His respect and glorification important.

Then, the Queen of Sheba referred to the content of the letter when she said:

“ Verily, it is from Solomon; and verily it is: ‘In the Name of Allah. The Beneficent, the Merciful’.”

“ Exalt not yourselves against me, and come to me in submission.”

It is not probable that Solomon had written the letter with these very Arabic phrases; therefore the above-mentioned phrases can be paraphrased, or they are the summary of Solomon’s letter that the Queen of Sheba reiterated for her people.

It is interesting that the content of this letter was indeed not more than three sentences: one sentence was the name of Allah, and the statement of His attributes of mercifulness and compassionateness.

The second sentence was a recommendation for controlling the low desire and abundance of self-superiority, which is the origin of many personal and social corruptions.

And the third one was to submit to the truth. And if we carefully notice them, there was nothing more which was necessary to be mentioned.

Section 3:Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

Point

Solomon wants the Queen with her throne to be brought to him – He who had the knowledge of a part of the Book offers to bring the Queen with her throne within the twinkling of the eye – the Queen surrenders and embraces the Truth

32 قَالَتْ یَآ أَیُّهَا الْمَلَؤُا أَفْتُونِی فِی أَمْرِی مَا کُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْراً حَتَّی تَشْهَدُونِ 33 قَالُوا نَحْنُ اُولُواْ قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُواْ بَأْسٍ شَدِیدٍ وَالاَمْرُ إِلَیْکِ فَانظُرِی مَاذَا تَأْمُرِینَ 32. “ She said: ‘O chiefs! Pronounce to me respecting my affair; no affair have I decided except in your presence’.”

Commentary,verses: 32-33

The Queen of Sheba, Bilqiys, was a wise intelligent one and possessed a high standard of the ability of recognition. She had also some men and counselors with whom she used to propound the news and events of the locality. Therefore, after being aware of the content of Solomon’s letter and informing it to her people, she, addressing them, said as follows:

“ She said: ‘O chiefs! Pronounce to me respecting my affair; no affair have I decided except in your presence’.”

By this action of hers, she wanted to attract their attentions to her and, thus, strengthen her situation among them. By the meantime, she wanted to estimate and study the amount of their agreement with her decisions.

The Arabic holy word /’aftūnī/ is derived from /fatwā/ which originally means ‘the proper and correct judgment in complicated affairs’. By this means, the Queen of Sheba both told them the complexity of the issue, and made them attentive to this matter that they should take care of expressing their views, so that they might not go a wrong way.

The Qur’ānic word /tašhadūn/ is derived from /šuhūd/ in the sense of ‘presence’, a presence which is accompanied with cooperation and consultation.

Then, in the next verse it says:

“ They said: ‘We possess force and we possess great might. The affair rests with you; so see what you will command.”

Thus, they not only showed their submission to her and to her commands, but also their willing to relying on power and their participation in the battlefield, since Bilqiys was the commander of the armed forces of her time.

34 قَالَتْ إِنَّ الْمُلُوکَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا قَرْیَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوا أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَآ أَذِلَّةً وَکَذَلِکَ یَفْعَلُونَ 34. “ She said: ‘Verily the kings, when they enter a township, despoil it, and make the noblest of its inhabitants the meanest; and thus they (always) do’.”

Commentary,verse: 34

We should not rely only on our power; we must also keep the potentialities of others in mind. Those who were around Bilqiys said: “We possess force and we possess great might”. But Bilqiys warned them not to take the power of Solomon so little. Then, when the Queen understood their willing for fighting, while she had not inwardly any inclination for this job, in order to quench this thirst and to encounter this matter calculatedly, she said as follows:

“ She said: ‘Verily the kings, when they enter a township, despoil it, and make the noblest of its inhabitants the meanest; …”

This sentence means that the kings may kill a group of people, captivate another group, and finally they make others homeless, and they spoil their properties as much as they can.

Then for the sake of some further emphasis, she said:

“… and thus they (always) do’.”

In fact, the Queen of Sheba, who was a king herself, knew the kings well that their program was summarized in too things: ‘despoil’, and ‘making the noblest into meanest’, because the kings used to think only over their own interests, not over the interests of nations and exalting them. These two things always contrast to each other.

35 وَإِنّ-ِی مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَیْهِم بِهَدِیَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ یَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ 35. “ And verily I am going to send a present unto them, and (wait to) see with what (answer) the messengers return.”

Commentary,verse: 35

Point

The tyrants and the kings knew that the Divine prophets did not seek for money, yet they tried to attract them and make them quiet thereby. So, the Queen of Sheba added implying that before anything else, they should test Solomon and those around him to see, indeed, what was their condition. Was Solomon a king, or a prophet? Was he a destroyer, or a reformer? Did they use to drug nations to meanness, or to honour? So, for this aim they might use of some presents. That was why she said:

“ And verily I am going to send a present unto them, and (wait to) see with what (answer) the messengers return.”

Kings are often interested in presents very much, and their weakness is found in this very point. They can be made submit by precious presents. The Queen announced if Solomon submit by these presents, it will be known that he is a ‘king’, and we will stand against him, applying our power, because we are powerful. But if he shows heedlessness to us and insists on his statements and suggestions, it makes it clear that he is the messenger of Allah and we must treat him wisely.

The Qur’ān has not mentioned anything about the kind of presents that the Queen of Sheba sent for Solomon; it has only shown their greatness by applying the word ‘present’ as an undefined noun, but commentators have mentioned many

matters in this regard, some of which are not free from exaggeration and legend.

Some of the commentators have cited that she sent five hundred selected slaves and five hundred particular slave-maids for Solomon, while slave-men were clothed with beautiful dresses and having ear-rings in their ears with bracelets on their bands; and slave-girls were clothed with men clothing and ornamented with beautiful hats. Then she had written in her letter addressing Solomon that if he was a prophet he would recognize slave-men and slave-girls from each other. She mounted them on worthy horses which were ornamented very heavily, and sent them accompanied with a considerable amount of jewelry.

By the way, she told her representative that if he observed that Solomon’s look was wrathful to him as soon as he arrived, he should know that it was the manner of the kings; but if Solomon received him kindly and with good temper, he should know that Solomon was a prophet.

some points on Letter Writing:

Whatever was said in the abovementioned verses about the content of Solomon’s letter to the people of Sheba can be a sample for the style of letter writing, and this is sometimes of the important matters of life. This letter begins with the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, and the essential subject is said through two calculated sentences.

It is understood from Islamic history and narrations that our Islamic great leaders always emphasized that letters should be written shortly, free from useless matters, and completely calculated.

Through a circular, Amir-ul-Mu’mineen, Ali (a.s.) wrote to his employees and representatives that they should make their

pen-points sharp and make the lines of their writings close (to each other), and avoid writing unnecessary matters in their letters, because the Muslim properties could not bear any loss.⁽¹⁾

Making the pen-points sharp causes that the words be written in a small form, and the lines being close to each other, and omitting unnecessary things from the letter results not only economy in wealth and private properties but also saving the time of both writer and reader, and sometimes abundance causes that the main purpose of the letter be confused among the additional and ceremonial sentences so that both the writer and the reader of it may not obtain their goal. Principally, someone’s letter is a sign for showing his personality and it is like one’s messenger. Ali (a.s.) says: “Your messenger is the interpreter of your intelligence while your letter is more eloquent in expressing your true self.”⁽²⁾

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) says: “One’s letter is an evidence for the standard of his wisdom and the situation of his insight, and his messenger is an indication to the level of his understanding and his intellect.”⁽³⁾

This delicate point should also be noted that some Islamic narrations denote that the reply to a letter must be similar to the reply of a greeting. Imam Sādiq (a.s.) in a tradition says: “Answering a letter is obligatory in the same manner that answering a salutation is obligatory.”⁽⁴⁾

36 فَلَمَّا جَآءَ سُلَیْمَ-انَ قَالَ أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَآ ءَاتَانِیَ اللَّهُ خَیْرٌ مِمَّآ ءَاتَاکُمْ بَلْ أَنتُم بِهَدِیَّتِکُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ 37 ارْجِعْ إِلَیْهِمْ فَلَنَأْتِیَنَّهُم بِجُنُودٍ لا قِبَلَ لَهُم بِهَا وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُم مِنْهَآ أَذِلَّةً وَهُمْ صَاغِرُون 36. “ And when (the messenger of the Queen) came to Solomon, he (Solomon) said: ‘What! Aid you me with wealth? But what Allah has given me is better than what He has given you. Nay, it is you (and not I) who exult in your present’.”

Commentary,verses: 36-37

Point

The motive of the Divine prophets is not gaining worldly materials. The friends of Allah do not sell themselves for money. They are kin, alert and act decisively. They see the corruptible plans behind the presents and they avoid them while rebuking their senders.

However, the officials of the Queen of Sheba, carrying the caravan of presents, left Yemen toward Syria, where Solomon lived. They imagined that Solomon would become happy by seeing those abundant presents and might praise them.

But when they confronted Solomon, there appeared a surprising scene in front of them. Not only Solomon did not receive them well, but also he said whether they wanted to

help him with their wealth, while wealth was nothing in comparison with knowledge, guidance and prophethood. He added it was worthy for them to become happy with presents, but it was worthless for him. The verse says:

“ And when (the messenger of the Queen) came to Solomon, he (Solomon) said: ‘What! Aid you me with wealth? But what Allah has given me is better than what He has given you. Nay, it is you (and not I) who exult in your present’.”

Thus, Solomon (a.s.) made the criterion of their values belittle, and manifested that there were other criterions for the values that comparing with which the criterions current among mammonists are very weak and worthless.

Then, in order to show his decisiveness in the issue of right and wrong, Solomon, (sending back the presents with them), told the special official of the Queen of Sheba as follows:

“ Go back to them: so we will certainly come unto them with (such) hosts which they shall not be able to meet, and certainly will we expel them out therefrom in disgrace, while they will feel humbled.”

The application of the word /’aŏillah/ (in disgrace) is for the first case and the word /sāqarūn/ (humbled) is for the second case. This indicates that not only they will be expelled from their land, but they also will be encountered it with humiliation and degradation, in a manner that they will lose all their castles, properties, and glorious ranks, because they, resorting to guiles, do not submit to the true religion.

This threat, of course, for the representatives who observed the Solomon’s situation closely and visited his troops, was an earnest and considerable threat.

Regarding to what was said in previous verses by which Solomon wanted them two things: ‘abandoning self superiority’ and ‘submitting to the truth’ and that they did not reply to these two great things and they resorted to sending presents as a reason for not accepting them, that was why he threatened them by military force.

If the Queen of Sheba and her entourage had demanded a proof, evidence, miracle and the like, Solomon would have considered them rightful to investigate more. But sending presents showed that they were in a denial position.

We surely know this fact, too, that the most important inconvenient thing that the hoopoe told Solomon (a.s.) about this nation who lived in Yemen was that they had ignored the Mighty Lord Who dominates both the unseen and the seen of the skies and the earth and they were worshipping the sun, a worldly creature.

Solomon became inconvenient with this problem, and we know that idolatry is not something that the divine religion remains silent for it, or bears the idol worshippers as a religious minority. By applying force, he (a.s.) may destroy the idol temples, if necessary, and vanishes idolatry and the polytheistic creed.

The abovementioned explanation makes it also clear that Solomon’s threat does not contrast with the principle of “There is no compulsion in religion”,⁽¹⁾

because idolatry is not a religion, but it is a superstition and deviation.

some points:

1- It is worthy to note that, from the view point of Divine religions, ‘virtue’ does not mean that a person deprives himself from the wealth, property and material potentialities of the world, but the reality of ‘virtue’ is that one does not make himself captive to them but he must be a ‘commander’ over them. By rejecting the precious presents that the Queen of Sheba had sent for Solomon, this great Divine prophet showed that he was a ‘commander’ not a ‘captive’.

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) in a tradition says: “With Allah, and with His prophets and saints, the world is smaller than that they become happy for something of it or they become sad (for losing it). Thus, it is not suitable for any knowledgeable or intelligent one to be happy for the ephemeral material of the world.”⁽¹⁾

2- In this part of the life story of Solomon, there are some expressive lessons involved in the verses of the Qur’ān:

A) The essential goal of sending army is not killing human beings; but its goal is that the enemy should consider in a weak situation for him and that the enemy does not find the power of fighting with them. “… with (such) hosts which they shall not be able to meet, …”

This meaning is similar to the same thing that the Muslims are ordered: “And prepare against them whatever you can of (military) power and of war-horses, to frighten thereby the enemy of Allah, …”⁽²⁾

B) Solomon does not threaten his enemies to death, but he threatens them that they will be expelled from their castles with despise and humiliation; and this is worthy noting.

C) Solomon does not attack his enemies unexpectedly, but he informs them of his attack previously.

D) Solomon does not prospect to others’ wealth, but he says whatever Allah has given him is better. He does not consider the merits of Allah only in material and financial power, but he is honoured with having knowledge, faith and spiritual merits.

38 قَالَ یَآ أَیُّهَا الْمَلَؤُا أَیُّکُمْ یَأْتِینِی بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن یَأْتُونِی مُسْلِمِینَ 39 قَالَ عِفْرِیتٌ مّ-ِنَ الْجِنّ ِ أَنَاْ ءَاتِیکَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِکَ وَإِنّ-ِی عَلَیْهِ لَقَوِیٌّ أَمِینٌ 38. “ (Solomon) said: ‘O chiefs!) which of you can bring to me her throne before they come to me in submission?’”

Commentary,verses: 38-39

There is a concept of ‘violence’ and ‘strength’ in the Arabic word /‘ifrīt/ here.

After returning the representatives of Bilqiys with their presents, and that the Queen of Sheba became aware that Solomon was not a king, she decided to come to him personally in order to see the circumstances closely. Solomon was informed of her decision and made himself ready to show his power.

Finally the representatives of the Queen of Sheba took their presents and other things and returned to their own country. They explained what happened in their mission for the Queen and the people around her. They also stated about the greatness of the miraculous land and sovereignty of Solomon, each of which was an evidence that Solomon was not an ordinary person, or a king, and that he was really a messenger of Allah, because his government was also a godly government. It was why the Queen of Sheba and a number of the chiefs of her people decided to come to Solomon and

personally investigate this important problem and also to know what kind of religion Solomon had.

From any source it was, this news was given to Solomon. Then he decided to show his marvellous might to the Queen of Sheba and her companions before they could reach his land, so that they could become familiar with the reality of his miracle previously, and surrender to his call.

So, Solomon, addressing his entourage, stated as follows:

“ (Solomon) said: ‘O chiefs!) which of you can bring to me her throne before they come to me in submission?’”

Although some of the commentators have tried to find some reasons for bringing the throne of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, none of them are consistent with the contents of the verses of the Qur’ān, and Solomon’s aim for this program is clear. He wanted to show them his might and an extraordinary action to be fulfilled so that the way of their unconditioned submission and their faith to the power of Allah might be leveled and there would not need to attend in battlefield for fighting and shedding tear.

He wanted to send faith into the depth of the entity of the Queen of Sheba and her entourage so that others would easily accept the invitation to faith and submission, too.

In the next verse, the Qur’ān implies that two persons of them announced their readiness for the aim. The suggestion of one of them was surprising and that of the other was more surprising. The verse says:

“ One audacious among the jinn said: ‘I will bring it to you before you rise up from your place; …”

He said he could do that action very easily and he would not commit any treachery in that valuable deposit. The verse continues saying:

“… I have strength for it and I am trusty’.”

However, the life story of Solomon is full of wonders and supernatural events; and it is not surprising that a jinn be able to do such an important action in a short time in front of Solomon where he (a.s.) was sitting for judging between people, solving the affairs of his country, or for advice and guidance.

40 قَالَ الَّذِی عِندَهُ عِلْمٌ مّ-ِنَ الْکِتَابِ أَنَاْ ءَاتِیکَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن یَرْتَدَّ إِلَیْکَ طَرْفُکَ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهُ مُسْتَقِرّاً عِندَهُ قَالَ هَذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبّ-ِی لِیَبْلُوَنِی ءَأَشْکُرُ أَم أَکْفُرُ وَمَن شَکَرَ فَإِنَّمَا یَشْکُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن کَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبّ-ِی غَنِیٌّ کَرِیمٌ

and whoever is ungrateful, then my Lord is

Self-Sufficient, Bounteous.”

Commentary,verse: 40

Point

It is narrated from Imam Hādī (a.s.) that the one with whom was some knowledge (of a part) of the Divine Book was ’Āsif Burkhiyā, Solomon’s minister and his sister’s son.⁽¹⁾Imam Bāqir (a.s.) said: ‘The great name of the Allah contains seventy three letters and ’Āsif-ibn-Burkhiyā knew only one letter of it, by the power of which he did such a surprising thing.”⁽²⁾

This verse indicates that the second person who demanded to bring Bilqiys’ throne was a righteous man who had a

considerable part of knowledge of the Divine Book, as the Qur’ān says about him:

“ One with whom was some knowledge (of a part) of the (Divine) Book said: ‘I will bring it to you before your eye twinkles’. …”

And when Solomon agreed with that matter, he brought the throne of the Queen of Sheba there, in front of Solomon, in a very short moment by using his spiritual power. The verse continues saying about Solomon:

“… Then when he saw it settled before him, he said: ‘this is of the grace of my Lord that He may try me whether I am grateful or am ungrateful; and whoever is grateful, verily he is grateful for his own soul, …”

Then Solomon added:

“… and whoever is ungrateful, then my Lord is Self-Sufficient, Bounteous.”

The Commentators have cited many things that who this person was, where from he obtained this wonderful power, and what the objective of the knowledge of Divine Book was.

But the apparent of the verse shows that this person was one of the specific faithful companions of Solomon whose name has often been introduced in history books as ‘’Āsif Burkhiyā’ who was Solomon’s minister and his sister’s son.

The purpose of ‘the knowledge of the Book’ is having some information from the content of the Divine Book. It was a deep knowledge which made it possible for him to do such an extraordinary action. Some believe that the purpose of it was ‘Preserve Tablet’, the same tablet of the knowledge of Allah that this person knew a part of it. It was by the same reason that he could bring the throne of the Queen of Sheba at the presence of Solomon in a very short moment.

Many of the commentators, and others, have thought that this faithful person had known ‘the Exalted Name of Allah’; the same great name before which everything becomes humble and gives man an extraordinary power.

This point is necessary to be mentioned that, contrast to what many people think, knowing the Exalted Name of Allah does not mean that one says a proper word and gains those abundant wonderful effects; but the purpose is to be qualified with that qualification of that name. That is, he must create the quality and meaning of that Divine Name inside his soul so that, from the point of knowledge, piety, faith, and morals, he develops and he himself becomes an example of that Name. This spiritual development, which is a ray from that Exalted Name of Allah, creates such an extraordinary power in man.⁽¹⁾

Upon the Qur’ānic sentence: “I will bring it to you before your eye twinkles”, commentators have delivered different considerations. But, regarding to other verses of the Qur’ān, its reality can be found out. Sura ’Ibrahīm, No. 14, verse 43 says: “… Their eyes (and eyelids) not blinking …” which implies that on the Hereafter Day people will be so terrified that their eyes will be in a gazing state and even their eyelids do not blink.

Thus, the purpose of this Qur’ānic sentence is that before Solomon had time enough to blink, that person could bring the throne of the Queen of Sheba before him.

some points:

Answer: It might be for the sake that ’Āsif was Solomon’s legate, and Solomon wanted to introduce him to all in that sensitive time. And, there is a detailed tradition narrated from the tenth Imam, Ali-ibn-Muhammad-il-Hādī, cited in the commentary of ‘Ayyāshī, by which he (a.s.) gave the same answer to Yahy-ibn-’Aktham.⁽¹⁾

In the verses under discussion the one, who brought the throne of the Queen of Sheba before Solomon in the shortest time, has been introduced as “One with whom was some knowledge (of a part) of the (Divine) Book”, while in Sura Ar-Ra‘d, No. 13, verse 43 the Qur’ān says: “…Say: ‘Allah is sufficient as a witness between me and you and he with whom is the knowledge of the Book.”

Abūsa‘īd Khidry narrates a tradition from the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and says: “I asked him about the meaning of the ‘one with whom was some knowledge (of a part of the (Divine) Book’, (which is found in the story of Solomon). He answered: ‘He was the inheritor of my brother Solayman-ibn-Dāwūd’. I inquired: “Whom is it about the one: ‘with whom is the knowledge of the Book’?” He answered: ‘He is my brother Ali-ibn-Abi-Tālib’ (a.s.)”⁽¹⁾

Paying attention to the difference between the meaning of the holy phrase: “Some knowledge (of a part) of the (Divine) Book,” which is used for a constituent knowledge, and the holy phrase: “The knowledge of the Book’, which refers to a universal knowledge, makes it clear that how far was the distance between the knowledge of ’Āsif and the knowledge of Ali (a.s.).

As it was said in the above, some Islamic narrations indicate that the Exalted Name of Allah contains seventy three letters one of which ’Āsif-ibn-Burkhiyā knew and he could do such an extraordinary action. There are seventy two letters of it with

the Imams of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) and a letter is particular to the Pure Essence of Allah.⁽¹⁾

It is interesting that Solomon said this sentence not only when he saw the throne of the Queen of Sheba in front of Him, but also he added: “… that He may try me whether I am grateful or am ungrateful, …”⁽⁴⁾

Formerly we reiterated in this very Sura that Solomon said all his merits and bounties are from Allah, and he humbly asks Him to grant him the chance of being gratitude for them and to give him success to be able to get His pleasure because of them.

Yes, this fact is the criterion of recognizing the sincere monotheists from haughty mammonists, and this is the manner of the noble persons with capacity and personality comparing those haughty ones who have no capacity.

It has become common that some apparently Muslims write only the Solomon’s sentence: “This is of the grace of my Lord” at the top of the arrival door of their castles without

having any belief in it and that it has any trace in their deeds. But it is important that this meaning could be seen not only at the top of their arrival door, but also in all aspects of their lives and in their hearts so that their behaviour shows that they consider them all from the grace of Allah and try to thank Him by their deeds.

The Virtues of Amir-ul-Mu’mineen and Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.)

The verse under discussion remarks: “One with whom was some knowledge (of a part) of the (Divine) Book said: ‘ I will bring it to you before your eye twinkles.’ …”, but at the end of Sura Ar-Ra‘d, No. 13, Allah says to His Messenger (p.b.u.h.): “And those who disbelieve say: ‘You are not a messenger’. Say: Allah is sufficient as a witness between me and you and he with whom is the knowledge of the Book.”⁽¹⁾

Some Islamic traditions indicate that the purpose of ‘the one with whom is the (whole) knowledge of the Book’ is Ali-ibn-Abītālib (a.s.). When a person who knows a part of the Book brings the throne of Bilqiys to Solomon in a twinkling of eye, then how much power has, in his lifetime, the one who knows the knowledge of the whole Book?

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) says: “The knowledge of the one with whom was the knowledge of a part of the Book comparing Ali’s knowledge is like the amount of water which is on the wing of a fly with respect to a sea.”⁽²⁾

Another tradition indicates that Imam Sādiq (a.s.), pointing to his chest, said: “And with us, by Allah, is the knowledge of the Book utterly.”⁽¹⁾

Some Islamic traditions indicate that, disregard to time and place, Imams, the infallible, (a.s.) can attend in some places. For example, Imam Jawād (a.s.) at the moment of his father’s martyrdom, went from Medina to Tūs. Imam Kāzim (a.s.) came out of his prison and presented in Medina. At the time of his captivity, Imam Sajjād (a.s.) went to Karbalā and buried his father’s body, Imam Hussayn (a.s.). Before his martyrdom, Imam Hussayn (a.s.) took a handful of the soil of Karbalā and gave it to Um-us-Salamah in Medina. Therefore, folding of the earth miraculously and rapidly by Imams has happened and has some particular records. (Tafsīr-i-Atyab-ul-Bayān).

41 قَالَ نَکّ-ِرُوا لَهَا عَرْشَهَا نَنظُرْ أَتَهْتَدِی أَمْ تَکُونُ مِنَ الَّذِینَ لاَ یَهْتَدُونَ 41. “ (Solomon) said: ‘Disguise her throne for her, we will see whether she follows the right way or she is one of those who do not go aright’.”

Commentary,verse: 41

This verse points to another surprising scene of instructive event of Solomon (a.s.) and the Queen of Sheba.

In order to test the level of wisdom, perspicacity and intelligence of the Queen of Sheba, and to prepare a ground for her faith to Allah, too, Solomon ordered that her throne, which had been brought there, should be altered in an unknown state for her in order that they see whether she could recognize it, or not. The verse says:

“ (Solomon) said: ‘Disguise her throne for her, we will see whether she follows the right way or she is one of those who do not go aright’.”

Though the coming of the Queen’s throne from the country of Sheba to Syria was enough for her not to recognize it, yet Solomon ordered that some changes should be done on it. These changes may have been removing some signs or jewels of the throne, or changing some colours of it, or the like.

But there arises a question that what was the goal of Solomon in testing the wisdom, perspicacity, and intelligence of the Queen of Sheba?

The test might be done for the sake that he could know with which logic he ought to confront her, and what kind of reason should he bring for her to prove the ideological basic

principles. Or he had the thought of suggesting marriage to her in mind and he wanted to know whether she had really the competency of being his wife, or not. Or, indeed, Solomon (a.s.) wanted to give her a responsibility after she believed in Truth. He must know how much she was capable to undertake the responsibilities.

For the Qur’ānic sentence /’atahtadī/ (Does she follows the right way), there have also been mentioned two commentaries: Some have said that the purpose was the recognition of her own throne, while some others have said that the objective was her being guided to the path of Allah by seeing this miracle. But the apparent of the verse leads to the first meaning, although the first meaning itself had been a premise for the second meaning.

42 فَلَمَّا جَآءَتْ قِیلَ أَهَکَذَا عَرْشُکِ قَالَتْ کَأَنَّهُ هُوَ وَاُوتِینَا الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهَا وَکُنَّا مُسْلِمِینَ 43 وَصَدَّهَا مَا کَانَت تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهَا کَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ کَافِرِینَ 42. “ So when she came, she was asked: ‘Is your throne like this?’ She said: ‘It is as it were the same. And we were given the knowledge before it, and we were submitting’.”

Commentary,verses: 42-43

However, when the Queen of Sheba arrived, someone pointed to the throne and asked her whether her throne was like that. The verse says:

“ So when she came, she was asked: ‘Is your throne like this?’ …”

The apparent of the verse shows that the speaker of this statement was not Solomon himself, else it was not appropriate for the sentence to be said in a passive voice form, because the name of Solomon has been mentioned before and after it, and his words are expressed in an active form. Moreover, it was not fit for the grandeur of Solomon that he speaks like that at the beginning of the arrival of Bilqiys.

However, the Queen of Sheba gave the most wisely and calculated answers, when she said:

“… ‘It is as it were the same. …”

If she said it was like it, she would be wrong; and if she said it was exactly the same, she would have said something contrast to precaution, because, with that length of distance, it

was impossible that her throne could be brought to the country of Solomon in an ordinary way, save that there had been done a miracle. Moreover, it is recorded in history books that she had been protecting her precious throne in a safe place in her particular castle in a room with some firm and strong doors, which was being guarded by some watchful men. Yet, with all the changes which that throne had received, the Queen of Sheba could recognize it. Then, immediately she added:

“… And we were given the knowledge before it, and we were submitting’.”

This means that she implied if the purpose of Solomon by these deeds was that they comprehended his miracle, they had formerly been aware of his legitimacy by other signs, and even before observing this surprising supernatural event they had believed, and these things were not needed.

Thus, Solomon stopped her from worshipping what was besides Allah, although she was formerly one of the disbelievers. The verse says:

“ And he barred her from the worship of others besides Allah, verily she was of the disbelieving people.”

Yes, by seeing these clear signs, she said farewell to her last dark position and entered into a new stage of life which was full of light of faith and certainty.

44 قِیلَ لَهَا ادْخُلِی الصَّرْحَ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةً وَکَشَفَتْ عَن سَاقَیْهَا قَالَ إِنَّهُ صَرْحٌ مُّمَرَّدٌ مِن قَوَارِیرَ قَالَتْ رَبّ ِ إِنّ-ِی ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِی وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَیْمَ-انَ لِلَّهِ رَبّ ِ الْعَالَمِینَ 44. “ It was said to her: ‘Enter the palace,’ but when she saw it she deemed it to be a great expanse of water and bared her legs. (Solomon) said: ‘Verily this is but a palace smoothed of crystal’. She said: ‘My Lord! Verily I have been unjust to myself, and I surrender with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds’.”

Commentary,verse: 44

We must not encounter the wealthy ones in a way that they think ‘Faith’ means ‘poverty’. The material potentialities should be at the service of propagation of religion. Industry and financial potentialities can be used in the path of Solomon-like goals for the guidance and leading others.

However, in this holy verse, another scene of this event is referred to. The explanation is about the act of entering the Queen of Sheba into the particular castle of Solomon.

Solomon had ordered that the yard of one of the castles should be built of crystal, and beneath it there would be flowing water. When the Queen of Sheba arrived there, she was told to enter the yard of the castle.⁽¹⁾

When the Queen looked at it, she imagined it was a stream. So she bared her legs in order to pass it through, (while she

had got surprised about the existence of a stream there).⁽¹⁾

The verse says:

“ It was said to her: ‘Enter the palace,’ but when she saw it she deemed it to be a great expanse of water and bared her legs. (Solomon) said: ‘Verily this is but a palace smoothed of crystal’. …”

There arises here a question that why Solomon, who was a Divine prophet, had such an extraordinary splendid palace. It is true that he was a ruler, but was it not possible that he also had a simple means of life like other prophets?

It did not matter to Solomon that for surrendering the Queen of Sheba, who considered all her power and greatness in her beautiful throne and her glorious castle and the like, he would show her that all her splendours were very little in his view, so that this action could become a turning point in her life for reviewing the standard of values and criterion of personality.

It does not matter that instead of a military expedition, which results to destruction and shedding tear, Solomon makes the mind and thought of the Queen of Sheba so overpowered that she does not think of it at all; in particular that she was a woman and gave prominence to such ceremonial issues.

Many commentators have specially cited that, before reaching the Queen of Sheba to Syria, Solomon ordered that such a castle should be built; and his aim was exhibition of power for surrendering her. That action indicated that a great power, from the point of apparent military forces, was in the hand of Solomon that made him able to accomplish such things.

In other words, this expenditure for creating security and peace in a vast province, and accepting the true religion, and also preventing the large expenditure of war, was not a significant matter.

So, when the Queen of Sheba observed that scene, she expressed, as the verse says:

“… She said: ‘My Lord! Verily I have been unjust to myself, and I surrender with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds’.”

She confessed that formerly she used to fall prostrate before the sun, worshipped idol, applied ornaments, and considered herself the most superior one in the world. But now, she understands that how little and insignificant her power is. And basically, these ornaments and dazzling glares do not satiate one’s soul. She repents of her past deeds and says that she has come to the Lord of the worlds accompanied with her leader, Solomon.

It is interesting that here she uses the word /ma‘a/ (with Solomon) in order to clarify that, in paving the path of Allah, they are equal and brethren, not like the manner and custom of tyrants that some of them have power over some others and a group are involved as captives in the grips of another group. Here there is not any one victorious and overcome, and, after accepting the Truth, all are in the same row.

It is true that the Queen of Sheba had announced her faith before that, too, and she said: “… And we were given the knowledge before it, and we were submitting.” But here the submission of the Queen reaches its climax, and, therefore, she announces her faith to the Truth with emphasis. She had seen a number of signs of the legitimacy of Solomon’s invitation before, such as: coming of the hoopoe in that special condition; the lack of acceptance of those valuable presents which had

been sent from the side of the Queen; bringing her throne from a long distance in a short moment; and, finally, observing the extraordinary power and greatness of Solomon while he had a particular manner which had no similarity with the behaviour of kings.

Some moods of Solomon, which are expressed in previous thirty verses and point to many different issues, were discussed. Now some other parts of them are referred to in the following:

the abovementioned verse, that the arrogant confess their sin and surrender to the Lord of the worlds. So, by mentioning this very point, the Qur’ān puts an end to the above story.

By the way, at last the Queen of Sheba believed and gave the suggestion of marriage to Solomon, and said:

“… I surrender with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds’.”

Section 4: Saleh and Lot

Point

Saleh sent toward the people Thamūd. The people rejected Saleh’s admonition, thus they were destroyed – Lot commanded to proceed towards his people – They disbelieved and were destroyed

45 وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَی ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحاً أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ فَإِذَا هُمْ فَرِیقَانِ یَخْتَصِمُونَ 46 قَالَ یَا قَوْمِ لِمَ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِالسَّیّ-ِئَةِ قَبْلَ الْحَسَنَةِ لَوْلاَ تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّکُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ 45. “ And indeed We sent unto (the tribe of) Thamūd their brother Saleh, saying: ‘Worship you Allah!’ but behold, they became two parties quarrelling with each other.”

Commentary,verses: 45-46

Next to a part of life stories of Moses, David, and Solomon (a.s.) mentioned in the previous verses, the fourth prophet, a part of whose life story is referred to in this Sura, is Hadrat Saleh, the prophet of Thamūd people. At first, it says:

“ And indeed We sent unto (the tribe of) Thamūd their brother Saleh, saying: ‘Worship you Allah!’ …”

As it was also said before, the application of the concept of ‘their brother’, which has been used in the story life of several prophets, is a hint to their ultimate love and affection unto their peoples. In addition to this, in some instances, it points to their relationship with those people, too. However, the entire messengership and invitation of this prophet is summarized in the holy phrase “Worship you Allah!” Yes, the servitude of Allah is the essence of all teachings of the messengers of Allah. Then, the verse continues saying:

“… but behold, they became two parties quarrelling with each other.”

Those two groups, who quarrelled with each other, were the believers, from one side, and the obstinate disbelievers, from the other side. Imam Bāqir (a.s.) said: “A group attested the invitation of Hadrat Sālih but another group rejected it.” (Tafsīr-i-Nūr-uth-Thaqalayn)

These two groups are referred to in Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7, verse 75 as ‘The arrogant’ and ‘those who were considered weak’. It says: “The chiefs of the arrogant among his people said to those who were considered weak – those of them who believed – ‘Do you know that Saleh is sent by his Lord?’ they said surely we believe in what he has been sent with’.” “Those who were arrogant said: ‘We, indeed, disbelieve in that which you believe’.” (Al-’A‘rāf, verses 75-76)

Of course, this conflict of two groups of believers and disbelievers existed among the peoples of many prophets, although some of them were deprived of even these adherents and nearly the totality of their people were rejecters of the truth.

Finally, in order to awaken them, Hadrat Saleh (a.s.) began warning them, and made them aware of the painful chastisements of Allah. But not only they did not take counsel, but also took that very matter as a reason for their obstinacy, and persistently wanted him that they should be involved with the Divine punishment if he was truthful.⁽¹⁾But Saleh replied them as follows:

“ He said: ‘O my people! Why will you hasten on the evil before the good? …”

Why do you concentrate your thought on meeting the Divine punishment? If the Divine chastisement meets you, it will put an end to your life and there will not remain any time for you to believe. Let yourselves try the legitimacy of my statement by the grace and blessings of Allah which will embrace you as the result of Faith. The verse continues saying:

“… Why do you not ask forgiveness of Allah so that you may be dealt with mercifully?”

Why do you seek for evils and the descent of punishment? What is this obstinacy and arrogance for?

Those who rejected the call of prophets and asked for the promised punishment were not limited to the people of Saleh, this matter is repeatedly seen in the Qur’ān concerning other peoples, too, including the people of Nūh.⁽²⁾

In relation to the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) and some fanatic and obstinate polytheists, the Qur’ān says: “And (remember) when they said: ‘O Allah! If this (Qur’ān) is the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky, or bring us a painful punishment’.”⁽³⁾

This is, indeed, surprising that some persons want to try the truthfulness of the call of the prophet by the way of Divine destructive punishment, not by the way of asking for Divine mercy; while certainly they do verify the probable legitimacy of those prophets in their hearts, though they deny it by tongue.

This behaviour is like a person who claims he is a physician and says this medicine is curative and that one is fatal, and then, in order to test him, we use the fatal medicine, not the curative one.

This is the ultimate ignorance, folly and fanaticism, while ignorance has many fruits of this kind.

47 قَالُوا اطَّیَّرْنَا بِکَ وَبِمَن مَّعَکَ قَالَ طَآئِرُکُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ تُفْتَنُونَ 47. “ They said: ‘Ill omen do we augur from you and those with you’. He said: ‘Your ill omen is with Allah. Nay! You are a people who are being tried’.”

Commentary,verse: 47

Point

The Arabic word /tatayyur/ is derived from /tayr/ which means ‘a bird’. Some of Arabs used to leave a bird at the time when they wanted to travel. If it went to the right direction they would start their traveling, and if it flew to the left (they augured ill and) they would suspend their traveling.⁽¹⁾In Islam auguring ill has been considered disbelief. To augur ill leads to leaving the main reasons and going toward superstitions.

There are many occurrences in the Qur’ān which indicate that the Divine prophets had been augured ill. The people of Pharaoh thought that their afflictions had come because of Moses (a.s.). The Qur’ān says: “…and if any evil afflicted them, they took it bad omens due to Moses …”⁽²⁾Jesus (a.s.) was told: “… For us, we augur an evil omen from you …”⁽³⁾In the above mentioned verse, the disbelievers told Sāleh: “… ‘Ill omen do we augur from you and those with you’. …”

However, this arrogant nation, instead of listening to the sympathetic advice of their great prophet and applying it, they

opposed him with some vain words and baseless conclusions, among them is their following statement:

“ They said: ‘Ill omen do we augur from you and those with you’. …”

It seems that there was drought, and deficiency of crop and foodstuff for the people of Moses in that year. They said that all those afflictions and difficulties were because of unpleasant advent of Moses and his followers who brought them and their society misery and omen. By resorting to the weapon of ill omen, which is often the weapon of arrogant and superstitious persons, they wanted to overcome the strong logic of Moses (a.s.). But in answer to them, he said that their evil fortune was with Allah, and it was their own deeds that resulted such miseries and afflictions, as punishments. In fact, this was a great Divine trial for them.

The verse continues saying:

“… He said: ‘Your ill omen is with Allah. Nay! You are a people who are being tried’.”

These are some Divine trials. They are some warnings and awakening subjects for those who have some suitability and competency to awake from the sleep of negligence and, by going to the path of Allah, improve themselves.

There are also some people in some societies who do not believe in Allah, although they have earned some considerable good grades in knowledge and science but, in the meantime, they have some superstitions and similar vain beliefs in them and they still have a warm market for fortune-telling and soothsaying among them, so that the illusive subject of luck and horoscopy has many customers.

But the Qur’ān through a short sentence says: “Your ill omen is with Allah.” This means your luck, your victory, your defeat, and your success and failure all are with Allah, Who is Wise, and His favours are divided among men according to their competencies, those very competencies which are the reflection of their Faith, action, speech and behaviour.

Thus, the Qur’ān drives out the followers of Islam from the valley of superstition to reality and from devious way toward straight Path.

some traditions Upon Bad Omen:

48 وَکَانَ فِی الْمَدِینَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ یُفْسِدُونَ فِی الاَرْضِ وَلاَ یُصْلِحُونَ 48. “ And there were in the city nine (groups of) persons who made mischief in the land and would not reform.”

Commentary,verse: 48

The Arabic word /raht/ is used for ‘a group of people among whom there is a warm relation’.

This holy verse refers to another part of the life story of Sāleh (a.s.) which completes the previous part and concludes the story. It concerns the plot of nine groups of pagans and hypocrites who wanted to kill Sāleh, but their evil plot failed. The Qur’ān says:

“ And there were in the city nine (groups of) persons who made mischief in the land and would not reform.”

Regarding to the fact that the Arabic word /raht/ in lexicon means a group of persons who are less than ten or less than forty members, makes it clear that these small groups, each of which had a separate line, were similar to each other in one thing and it was making mischief in the earth, disturbing the social system and the creedal and ethical principles. The Qur’ānic phrase /lāyuslihūna/ (would not reform) is an emphasis on this matter, because it sometimes happens that someone makes a mischief and later he regrets and tries to amend himself, but the real mischief mongers are not like that. They go on their corruption constantly and never try to rectify their wrong.

Paying attention to the Arabic conjugation of the verb /yufsidūn/ (make mischief), which is in future and simple present tense form and indicates to the duration of the action, it shows that this action was their permanent deed and they used to commit it.

Each of these nine groups had a chief, and probably every one of them was from a separate tribe.

49 قَالُوا تَقَاسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ لَنُبَیّ-ِتَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِیّ-ِهِ مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِکَ أَهْلِهِ وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ 49. “ They said: ‘Swear a mutual oath by Allah that surely we will make a sudden attack on him and his family by night, then we will tell his heir, we were not present at the slaughter of his household, and verily we are truthful’.”

Commentary,verse: 49

The content of this holy verse is similar to the state of the pagans of Mecca who united by an oath and decided to surprise and kill the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) in his bed while he was asleep, but the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) asked Hadrat Ali (a.s.) to sleep in his bed and thus the enemy’s plot was nullified.

Certainly by the appearance of Sāleh and his pure religion in the society, those groups were driven to extremities, and it was in that condition that, as the verse says:

“ They said: ‘Swear a mutual oath by Allah that surely we will make a sudden attack on him and his family by night, then we will tell his heir, we were not present at the slaughter of his household, and verily we are truthful’.”

The Arabic word /taqāsamū/ (swear a mutual oath), in an imperative verb form, means: ‘everybody must participate in making an oath and promise to achieve this great plot’, a promise in which there is no change or return.

It is interesting that they made an oath by Allah. It indicates that, besides worshipping idols, they believed in Allah, the Creator of the skies and the earth, too. Therefore, they used to make an oath to Him in relation to important

matters. It also shows that they were so proud that they did this great crime of theirs by mentioning their names; as if they wanted to worship, or to do a godly service. This is the custom of haughty misguided disbelievers.

The Qur’ānic word /lanubayyitannahū/ (surely we will make a sudden attack on him) is derived from /tabyīt/ which means ‘to surprise and to attack suddenly by night’. The application of this meaning here shows that, in the meanwhile, they were afraid of the adherents of Sāleh and his tribe. Therefore, in order that they could reach their own goal and, in the meantime, they might not confront the anger of his followers, they designed the plot of a sudden attack at night and colluded that if Sāleh’s followers came to them, all of them with together take an oath that they had no role in that event absolutely, and even they were not present there nor had they witnessed it.

50 وَمَکَرُوا مَکْراً وَمَکَرْنَا مَکْراً وَهُمْ لاَ یَشْعُرُونَ 51 فَانظُرْ کَیْفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَةُ مَکْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَاهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْ أَجْمَعِینَ 50. “ And they devised a device, and We devised a device (too), but they were not aware;”

Commentary,verses: 50-51

The means of annihilation of the people of Thamūd has been referred to in several occurrences of the Qur’ān with different explanations:

It does not matter, of course, that these three punishments might have occurred simultaneously.

One of the aspects of the device of Allah is giving respite and bounty to the sinners, so that they be busy with them, and when their time is over they are suddenly involved in the chastisement of Allah.

History announces that there was a mountain in a side of the city and it had a slit where the temple of Sāleh was. Sometimes Sāleh (a.s.) went there at night in order to worship and prattle with Allah as two lovers.

They decided to lie in ambush there and when Sāleh came over there they would kill him, and then, after his martyrdom,

they would attack his home by the same night and kill his household, too, and return to their houses; and when they were questioned about it, they would say they knew nothing.

But Allah nullified their plots surprisingly and their plans remained invalid.

When they were lying in ambush in a corner of the mountain, some pieces of the mountain fall and a huge rock from upward of it came down over them and destroyed them in a short moment. The verse says:

“ And they devised a device, and We devised a device (too), but they were not aware;”

Then, the next verse implies that not only those people, but also their adherents were destroyed. It says:

“ And behold, how was the end of their device! For We destroyed them and their people all together.”

As it has been mentioned formerly, the Qur’ānic term /makr/, in the Arabic literature, means any ‘application of a remedy’, and it does not pertain exclusively to satanic and harmful plans that is used in the Persian language today. Thus, it is used in both harmful plans and good devices. Rāqib in Mufradāt says: “/makr/ (device) is that which hinders one to reach his goal.”

Therefore, when this word is used about Allah, it means: ‘nullification of harmful plots’; and when it is used about mischief mongers, it means: ‘impedimental acts against reproving programs’.

52 فَتِلْکَ بُیُوتُهُمْ خَاوِیَةً بِمَا ظَلَمُوا إِنَّ فِی ذَلِکَ لاَیَةً لِقَوْمٍ یَعْلَمُونَ 53 وَأَنجَیْنَا الَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا وَکَانُوا یَتَّقُونَ 52. “ So those are their houses in empty ruins for they were unjust. Verily there is in this a sign for a people who have knowledge.”

Commentary,verses: 52-53

The Arabic word /xāwiyah/ means ‘corruption, annihilation, and destruction’, and it is also used in the sense of ‘empty of dwellers’.

Chastisement is not limited to that of Hereafter, sometimes oppressors are punished in this world. This situation is also the same for the effects of faith and piety which is not particular to the Hereafter. The pious people observe the result of their deeds in this world, too.

However, regarding to their annihilation and final fate, the holy Qur’ān says:

“ So those are their houses in empty ruins for they were unjust. …”

Their houses are utterly ruin and there is no people to have activities therein, and there have remained no sign of their glories, bounties and sinful gatherings.

Yes, the fire of cruelty and injustice caused them and all their belongings to be burnt and destroyed. This is a clear sign for the end of the act of those who are unjust. The verse continues saying:

“… Verily there is in this a sign for a people who have knowledge.”

But in this event those who were not guilty were not burnt in the fire of the guilty ones and were not involved in the evil fate of wrongdoers. The verse says:

“ And We saved those who believed and used to keep from evil.”

54 وَلُوطاً إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ وَأَنتُمْ تبْصِرُونَ 55 أَئِنَّکُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرّ ِجَالَ شَهْوَةً مِن دُونِ النّ-ِسَآءِ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ 54. “ And (We sent) Lot, when he said to his people: ‘Do you commit indecency while you see (its iniquity)?’”

Commentary,verses: 54-55

The people of Lot used to commit sodomy in their public meetings and before the eyes of each other. Sura Al-‘Ankabūt, No. 29, verse 29 says: “… and you commit dishonour in your assemblies? …” In the above verse, the Qur’ān also says: “… while you see (its iniquity)?” which means ‘you commit indecency before the eyes of each other, or you commit sin consciously and with insight.

Sodomy is one of the great and hideous sins, because the later verses of the Sura indicate that it consequently brings the chastisement of Allah.

Some other verses of the Qur’ān refer to the fact that wife is necessary for calmness, educating and raising up generation, and cooperation in living; but, here, the Qur’ān points only to the phenomenon of lust, because the people of Lot had not any aim of their shameful act but lust.

Next to mentioning parts of the life stories of Moses, David, Solomon, and Saleh and their peoples, the fifth prophet whom has been referred to in this Sura, is Lot, the great prophet of Allah.

This subject has repeatedly been referred to in the former Suras of the Qur’ān, such as Al-Hijr, Hūd, Ash-Shu‘arā, and Al-’A‘rāf, where some matters have been mentioned in this ground.

This repetition, and the like of it, is for the fact that the Qur’ān is not a book of history in which an event may be wholly explained for one time and it usually does not refer to that event again. But Qur’ān is a book of education for training good men, and we know that in educational themes sometimes the conditions require that an incident should be repeated again and again, in order that it could be reminded and be dealt with from different dimensions.

However, the story of the people of Lot, who are known in the world for their sexual deviation, Sodomy, and for other hideous deeds, as well as their fate at the end of their life, can be an example for those who are drowned in the cesspool of lusts; and the spread of this pollution among societies requires that this instructive event to be mentioned repeatedly. Here the Qur’ān says:

“ And (We sent) Lot, when he said to his people: ‘Do you commit indecency while you see (its iniquity)?’”

The Arabic word /fāhišah/, as we have said aforetime, means some deeds that the indecency and ugliness of which is manifest, but here the purpose of it is the shameful act of Sodomy.

The Qur’ānic phrase /’antum tubsirūn/ (while you see) refers to this fact that you see the ugliness and the evil results of this hideous action with your eyes, and you observe that your society has wholly become polluted, so that even your own children are not secured. Why do you see, but yet you do not awake?

Then, in the next verse, it says:

“ What! Do you approach men lustfully

instead of women? …”

In fact, at first the Qur’ān points to this action as an indecent action, /fāhišah/, then it explains it more clearly so that there remains no ambiguity for anybody. This is one of the styles of decorum in order to state an important thing. Then for making clear that the motive of this action is ignorance, it says:

“… No, you are a people that are ignorant.”

This ignorance is the ignorance to Allah, the ignorance to the purpose of creation and laws of creation, and the ignorance to the evil effects of this important sin. If a person, contemplates deeply, he will understand that how much ignorantly this evil action is. The reason why this sentence is stated in interrogative form is for the sake that they hear its answer from the inside of their own conscience so that it may be more effective.

The End of Part 19

56 فَمَا کَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلآَّ أَن قَالُوا أَخْرِجُوا ءَالَ لُوطٍ مِن قَرْیَتِکُمْ إِنَّهُمْ أُنَاسٌ یَتَطَهَّرُونَ 56. “ But the answer of his people was naught except that they said: ‘Drive out the people of Lot from your city; verily they are people (who seek to be) pure.”

Commentary,verse: 56

Since the wrong doers have not any acceptable logic before the Divine prophets, they use force against them.

The former discussions with the strong logic of Lot, the Divine prophet, in front of those polluted people, explained that how he dissuaded them from the hideous act of Sodomy by his reasonable and eloquent statement, and he showed them that this act is the consequence of ignorance and being unaware of the law of creation and all human values.

Now, we see the answer of this polluted nation to the logical statement of Lot (a.s.). The holy Qur’ān says:

“ But the answer of his people was naught except that they said: ‘Drive out the people of Lot from your city; verily they are people (who seek to be) pure.”

This answer is an implication to the low level of their thought and the extraordinary fall of their ethical affairs.

Yes, in the environment of the polluted ones, chastity is a crime and a defect. The chaste and modest ones, like Yūsuf, are put in prison, and the household of the divine prophet, because of their chastity and avoidance from pollution, are banished, while the persons like Zulaykhā, are free and possess ranks. Lot’s household must be banished, but the people of Lot can live in peace in their city freely.

This is the clear example of the word of Qur’ān where it says about the wrong doers that their hearts were sealed because of their deeds and their eyes were veiled and their ears had heaviness.⁽¹⁾

It is also probable that because of their being sunk in corruption and being accustomed to pollution, concerning Lot’s household, they said in mockery: “… They are people (who seek to be) pure…”. These people implied that Lot’s household imagined that their piety was chastity and the act of the people of Lot was impious. What a wonderful and ridiculous thing!

And it is not surprising that, as the result of getting accustomed to a shameful action, the sense of recognition of a person changes. The famous story of a tanner, who was constantly with the purified skins and his sense of smell had got accustomed to that bad smell, is well known. When he was passing the market of perfume-sellers, he became unconscious, and the concerning doctor ordered that he should be brought into the market of tanners to ‘recover his sense’. We have heard this story and it is an interesting sensible example for this logical matter.

57 فَأنجَیْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ إِلاَّ امْرَأَتَهُ قَدَّرْنَاهَا مِنَ الْغَابِرِینَ 58 وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَیْهِم مَّطَراً فَسَآءَ مَطَرُ الْمُنذَرِینَ 57. “ So We saved him and his household, except his wife, We had decreed her to be of those that tarried.”

(of brimstone), and evil was the shower of those who had been warned.

Commentary,verses: 57-58

The Divine leaders are under the protection and support of Allah: “So We saved him …”

The fruit of people’s piety and virtue in this world is their being saved from the wrath of Allah.

The Arabic word /qābirīn/, which means: ‘those that tarried and were annihilated’, has been used seven times in the Qur’ān and all of them are about Lot’s wife.

It has been cited in narrations that Lot taught those people for about thirty years but none believed in him except his household, (and among them even his wife had the creed of pagans).⁽¹⁾

It is evident that such a group, who might not be improved, could not have a room for living in this world and they should be annihilated. Therefore, this verse says:

“ So We saved him and his household, except his wife, We had decreed her to be of those that tarried.”

Then, when Lot and his family came out of the city at the appointed time, (in midnight of the night when the city was full of corruption and shame), a terrible earthquake turned their land completely upside down, and, in the morning, a shower of brimstone came over there. The verse says:

“ And We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone), and evil was the shower of those who had been warned.

We had a detailed discussion about the people of Lot and their fate, as well as the evil effects of Sodomy, when explaining holy Sura Hūd, No. 11, verse 77-83, which is not necessary to be repeated here again.

There is only one point, of course, that seems necessary to be mentioned here, as follows:

As a factor for duration of man’s seed and the calmness of his soul, the law of creation has set the sexual attraction between two opposite sexes, and its change toward Sodomy disturbs both the spiritual calmness and the social peace. And since these social laws have a trace in man’s nature, this change causes a kind of disorder in the system of the entity of man.

Lot, the great prophet of Allah, attracted the attention of that deviated nation to this natural trace and said to them: “Do you commit indecency while you see (its iniquity)?” This ignorance and unawareness of the law of life was in the sense of foolishness that drugged them towards this devious way.

It is not marvellous that other laws of creation may change due to this nation, too, and instead of a wholesome rain water, a shower of brimstone rains down over them, and their peaceful land turns over by an earthquake, and, consequently, not only they are destroyed but also no trace remains from them.

Section 5: Allah’s Chosen Servants

Point

Allah’s Bounties – Peace upon Allah’s Chosen Servants – Arguments proving the Unity of Allah

59 قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَسَلاَمٌ عَلَی عِبَادِهِ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَی ءَآللَّهُ خَیْرٌ أَمَّا یُشْرِکُونَ 59. “ Say: ‘Praise be to Allah, and peace be on His servants whom He has chosen. Is Allah better, or what they associate (with Him)?’”

Commentary,verse: 59

Not only the punishment of the wrong doers, but also the deliverance and the salvation of the believers are because of Allah’s Grace, which must be thanked. “Say: ‘Praise be to Allah, …”

Both the praise of the servants of Allah and peace being on them are mentioned beside the praise of Allah. “… Praise be to Allah, and peace be on His servants …”

However, next to the end of the explanation of the life stories of five Divine prophets, as well as the fate of their peoples, the verse under discussion addresses the holy Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) and, as drawing a conclusion from the former statements and as a premise for speaking with pagans, implies that all praise belongs to Allah Who annihilated the former disgraceful nations, such as the people of Lot, lest the

kind of their corruption might spread all over the earth. The verse announces:

“ Say: ‘Praise be to Allah, …”

Praise belongs to the One Who sent the corruptors such as the people of Thamūd and the arrogant people of Pharaoh to destruction so that their manner might not be continued as a tradition among others.

And, finally, the praise belongs to the One Who bestowed those plenty bounties and might on His faithful servants, like David and Solomon, and by which guided some misled ones like the people of Sheba.

Then, it adds:

“… and peace be on His servants whom He has chosen. …”

Peace be on prophets, such as: Moses, Saleh, Lot, Solomon, and David (a.s.), and peace be upon all Divine prophets and their true followers. Then, the verse continues saying:

“… Is Allah better, or what they associate (with Him)?’”

That is, which is better, the Lord Who has those infinite powers, strengths and bountiful merits, or the idols which idolaters associate to Allah (s.w.t.) and they absolutely affect nothing?

In the explanations of the life stories of the former prophets, we realized that idols could never help their worshippers at the time of coming misfortunes and afflictions, while Allah did not leave the believers alone in none of their difficulties and His merciful grace came to help them.

60 أَمَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَرْضَ وَأَنزَلَ لَکُم مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَنبَتْنَا بِهِ حَدَآئِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ مَا کَانَ لَکُمْ أَن تُنبِتُوا شَجَرَهَآ أَءِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ یَعْدِلُونَ 60. “ Or Who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down for you water from the sky? Then We caused to grow thereby beautiful gardens; it was not in your power that you grew the trees thereof. Is there any god with Allah? Nay! They are a people who deviate.”

Commentary, verse: 60

Contemplation about Divine creation is the best way for getting near to Allah.

Every tree or plant that grows is under the observation of Allah and by His Will. After explaining some outstanding parts of the life stories of five Divine prophets, there was an expressive question in the content of the previous verse implying whether Allah, with His infinite power, is better or the worthless idols which the idolaters produced. The verses under discussion explain this meaning and, putting the pagans under trial, state the clearest reasons of Unity. At first, it refers to the creation of the heavens and the earth, as well as the descent of rain and the bounties emerged from it, where it says:

“ Or Who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down for you water from the sky? Then We caused to grow thereby beautiful gardens; …”

The Arabic word /hadā’iq/ is the plural form of /hadīqah/ and, as many commentators have said, it means a garden which is surrounded with a wall and it is secured from any thing, like the pupil of eye which is protected among eyelids. Rāqib says in Mufradāt: “The word /hadīqah/ is originally used for a land where there is gathered some water, like the pupil of the eye that there is always water therein.

It can be concluded from these two statements that the Arabic word /hadīqah/ means a garden which has both a wall and enough water.

The Arabic word /bahjat/ means the beauty of colour and apparent goodness which causes the spectators to be full of joy.

At the end of the verse, the Qur’ān addresses the servants of Allah and says:

“… it was not in your power that you grew the trees thereof. …”

You should only sow the seed and irrigate it, but He who has created life inside this seed and commands the sunlight, the life giving drops of rain, and the pieces of soil to grow this seed is only Allah.

These are some facts that none can deny, or attributes them to other than Allah. It is He Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and is the sender of rain. He is the cause of all beauties and favours in the world.

Even paying attention to the colouring of a flower, the delicate and regular arrangement of leaves inside each other that have circulated around the central point of the flower and cry of the existence of life, are enough to acquaint man with the glory, power and knowledge of Allah. These are the facts which move the man’s heart and call him toward Him.

In other words, Unity in creation (Unity of Creator) and Unity in Lordship (the Unity of the Deviser of this world) are counted as the basis of the Unity of the object of worship.

Therefore, at the end of the verse, the Qur’ān says:

“… Is there any god with Allah? Nay! They are a people who deviate.”

61 أَمَّن جَعَلَ الاَرْضَ قَرَاراً وَجَعَلَ خِلاَلَهَآ أَنْهَاراً وَجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَاسِیَ وَجَعَلَ بَیْنَ الْبَحْرَیْنِ حَاجِزاً أَءِلَهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ بَلْ أَکْثَرُهُمْ لاَ یَعْلَمُونَ 62 أَمَّن یُجِیبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَیَکْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَیَجْعَلُکُمْ خُلَفَآءَ الاَرْضِ أَءِلَهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ قَلِیلاً مَا تَذَکَّرُونَ 61. “ Or Who made the earth a resting place, and made in it rivers, and placed firm mountains therein, and placed between the two seas a barrier. Is there any god with Allah? Nay! Most of them do not know.”

Commentary, verses: 61-62

This verse refers to the merit of peace and firmness of the earth as a resting place for human beings in this world, and compares the artificial idols of the idolaters with Allah. It says:

“ Or Who made the earth a resting place, and made in it rivers, and placed firm mountains therein, and placed between the two seas a barrier. …”

Thus, there are four great bounties mentioned in this verse, three of which are about calmness.

The calmness of the earth itself which in the meantime that it rotates around itself and around the sun as well as its travel in the constellation of solar system, its movement is so monotonous and quiet that its habitants never feel it, as if it is standing fix in a point and has not any movement.

Another one is the existence of the mountains. As it was said before, they have surrounded the lands of the earth and their rots have clung to each other and have formed a strong armour against the inner pressures of the earth. This armour resists against the outward movements created by flow and ebb resulted from the gravity of the moon, too, and it is also a barrier against the great storms that disturb the calmness of the earth.

Another one is the natural hinder which is between the two flows of a part of the sweet and salty water of some seas or oceans. This unseen inviolable obstruction is not any thing but the difference of the density of the sweet water and that of the salt water which causes the water of the great rivers that comes into the sea does not mix with its salty water for a considerable length of time and, therefore, the flow and ebb of the sea bring it over a great part of the lands of the seashore whose farms are ready to be irrigated. The explanation of this very meaning was cited in the commentary of Sura Furqān , No. 25, verse 53.

In the meanwhile, there are some sources of water inside the different layers of parts of the earth. The water of these sources is the origin of liveliness and greenness of cultivated farms and fruitful gardens. A part of the sources of such water is located in mountains and another part is inside the layers of the earth.

Can this system be the fruit of a deaf and blind cause and that of an origin with no intellect and knowledge?

Have idols any function in the creation of this wonderful system? Even the idolaters themselves do not claim such a thing. So, at the end of the verse, this question is repeated, saying:

“… Is there any god with Allah? …”

And then it continues saying:

“… Nay! Most of them do not know.”

In the next verse, the words are about solving difficulties, removing the distresses, and answering the supplications. It implies which is better, your worthless idols or Allah. It says:

“ Or Who answers the distressed one when he calls on Him and removes the distress, …”

Yes, at the time when all the doors of the world of means are shut to a man and he is helpless from any point of view, the only one who can unlock the lock of difficulties, brings the light of hope into the hearts and opens the doors of mercy to the distressed ones is only His Pure Essence, not anyone else.

In view of the fact that this reality as a natural feeling is inside the soul of all human beings, idol worshippers also forget all their objects of worship when they entangle with the huge waves of the sea and refer to the Grace of Allah, as the Qur’ān says: “Then, if they embark on a boat, they call on Allah, making their devotion sincerely (and exclusively) to Him; …”⁽¹⁾

Then the holy verse implies that not only He solves and removes the difficulties but also He makes you successors in the earth. The verse says:

“… and makes you successors in the earth. Is there any god with Allah? Little it is that you heed!”

Invoking Allah and prattling with Him is a worthy and an indispensable act. Supplicating to the Presence of Allah, and asking Him for solving the difficulties, specially at the time of distress, is necessary for everybody.

Wherever our invocation is not answered, there is a reason for it, as follows:

1- Our invocation had not been for a good deed but we considered it as good.

2- The manner in invocation has not been earnest and accompanied with distress.

3- We have not been sincere in our invocation. That is, while we have turned to the presence of Allah, we have had some hope in others, too. It is true, of course, that sometimes, instead of accepting our supplication, He gives us something similar to it, or sometimes, instead of our demand which is not expediential for us with Allah, He banishes a misfortune from us; and sometimes instead of answering our invocation in this world, He will compensate it in the Hereafter; and sometimes instead of doing a favour to us, He favours to our descendants. All of these meanings have been mentioned in the Islamic narrations.

Of course, the condition of fulfilment of invocation, in general, is the existence of sincerity in one’s invocation and having no hope in others. Allah is aware of those who ask Him for something in silence, but He likes that His servants ask their needs by their tongues.

It is interesting that in some Islamic narrations this verse has been rendered into the rising of Hadrat Mahdī (a.s.).

Imam Bāqir (a.s.) in a tradition says: “By Allah, as if I see Mahdī (a.s.) who has leaned against the Black Stone (of Ka‘bah) and calls Allah by his legitimacy …” Then he said: “By Allah, he is the distressed one in the Book of Allah in the verse which says: ‘Or Who answers the distressed one when he calls on Him, and removes the distress, …’”⁽¹⁾

In another tradition, Imam Sādiq (a.s.) says: “This verse has been revealed concerning Mahdī from the progeny of Muhammad (p.b.u.h.). By Allah he is the distressed one, when he keeps up two units prayer in the station of Abraham and offers a petition unto the presence of Allah, Almighty and Glorious, He answers him and removes the distress and makes him successor in the earth.”⁽¹⁾

No doubt, the purpose of this commentary, as we have seen many instances similar to it, is not confining the concept of the verse to the specious rank of Hadrat Mahdī (a.s.), but the verse has a vast scope of meaning and one of its clear denotation expansions is Hadrat Mahdī (a.s.). That time is the time that corruption has covered everywhere, the doors of hope have been shut, everybody is helpless so that humankind is in an earnest blind alley, and the state of distress is seen throughout the world. At that time, in the most sacred point on the earth, the Holy Mosque, he invokes Allah and asks for removing the distress. Then Allah makes this invocation the outset of his worldly sacred revolution and, according to the holy phrase: “… and makes you successors in the earth …”, He makes him and his followers the successors on the earth.

Concerning the importance of supplication, the conditions of the acceptance of invocation, and that why some prayers will not be answered, we have discussed in details when commenting on Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 186.

63 أَمَّن یَهْدِیکُمْ فِی ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرّ ِ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَن یُرْسِلُ الرّ ِیَاحَ بُشْرَاً بَیْنَ یَدَیْ رَحْمَتِهِ أَءِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَی اللَّهُ عَمَّا یُشْرِکُونَ 63. “ Or Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings of His Mercy? Is there any god with Allah? Exalted High is Allah above what they associate (with Him).”

Commentary, verse: 63

The ‘guidance in the darkness of the land and the sea’ may be the guidance that comes through stars, because in another occurrence of the Qur’ān we recite: “… and by the stars they find the right way.”⁽¹⁾

The best way of theology for us is to pay attention to the difficulties and problems of life and that there appear some ways by which those problems may be solved or there come some hopes to the grace of Allah.

If we use our conscious as a judge, we will find out that there is no god save Allah.

So, this holy verse refers to the subject of guidance when it implies asking which is better idols or Allah, and says:

“ Or Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings of His Mercy? …”

There are some winds that indicate to the descent of rain. These winds, as special heralds of good tidings, come before

falling rain. Their duty in fact, is also to guide people to the descent of rain.

The application of the Qur’ānic word /bušrā/ (heralds of glad tidings) concerning the winds, and the word /rahmat/ (Mercy), concerning the rain, both are interesting, because the winds carry the moisture of weather by pieces of cloud arising from seas and oceans, and bring them to the dry and thirsty lands and give them goodness by the descent of rain.

Also it is raining that causes the merit of life to be seen throughout the earthly globe. Wherever it comes down, it brings goodness, mercy, bounty and life.

The Qur’ānic word /bušr/ is the abbreviated form of /bušur/ which is the plural form of /bašūr/ that means ‘the heralds of glad tidings’.

(Some more details about the function of winds and rains is mentioned in the commentary of Sura Al-’A‘rāf, No. 7, verse 57)

At the end of the above verse, the Qur’ān, addressing the pagans again, says:

“… Is there any god with Allah? …”

Then, without waiting for any answer, it immediately says:

“… Exalted High is Allah above what they associate (with Him).”

64 أَمَّن یَبْدَؤُا الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ یُعِیدُهُ وَمَن یَرْزُقُکُم مِنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالاَرْضِ أَءِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَکُمْ إِن کُنتُمْ صَادِقِینَ 64. “ Or, Who originates the creation, then reproduces it, and Who gives you sustenance from the heaven and the earth? Is there any god with Allah? Say: ‘Bring your proof if you are truthful’.”

Commentary, verse: 64

From verse 60 of this Sura up to this verse, the holy phrase “Is there any god with Allah?” has been repeated for five times, which is for the purpose of nullification of paganism and negation of false gods.

From the viewpoint of the Qur’ān, no created phenomenon vanishes, but it is from the viewpoint of us that they disappear. Resurrection is not for returning some vanished things so that some people imagine that it is an impossible job. It is returning the creatures to their first form, after some changes that have occurred in their physical forms. In other words, the same power which created it at first, can return it again either. Thus, this verse speaks about ‘origin and end’, and comparing their objects of worship with Allah, says:

“ Or, Who originates the creation, then reproduces it, …”

And He Who sustains you between this beginning and end, is Allah, it continues saying:

“… and Who gives you sustenance from the heaven and the earth? …”

Yet, do you believe that there is a god with Allah?

“… Is there any god with Allah? …”

Tell them if they have such a creed, they should bring their proof if they are truthful. The verse says:

“… Say: ‘Bring your proof if you are truthful’.”

In fact all of the former verses were about the origin and the signs of the greatness of Allah in the world of existence as well as His merits and bounties, but in this verse the Qur’ān changes the discussion into a delicate passage unto the subject of Resurrection, because the initiation of creation is itself an evidence upon the end of it, and the ability of creation is counted as a clear reasoning for Resurrection.

By this explanation, the answer of the question of many commentators is made clear. They say those pagans, who are addressed by these verses, often did not believe in Resurrection (resurrection of the body), in this case, how is it possible that we ask them and want them to confess?

The answer to this question is accompanied with a reason which makes the opposite party confess, because when they confess that the initiation of the creation belongs to Him, and it is He Who gives these sustenance and merits, it is enough that they accept that there is a possibility of returning to life again in the Hereafter.

By the way, the purpose of ‘the sustenance of the heaven’ is rain, sunlight, and the like; and the purpose of ‘The sustenance of the earth’ is the plants and different foodstuff which grow directly from the earth or originate indirectly from it, like cattle, mines, various things that man gets from it and enjoys them in his life.

65 قُل لاَّ یَعْلَمُ مَن فِی السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَرْضِ الْغَیْبَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَمَا یَشْعُرُونَ أَیَّانَ یُبْعَثُونَ 66 بَلِ ادَّارَکَ عِلْمُهُمْ فِی الاَخِرَةِ بَلْ هُمْ فِی شَکٍّ مّ-ِنْهَا بَلْ هُم مِنْهَا عَمُونَ 65. “ Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the Unseen save Allah and they do not know when they shall, be raised’.”

Commentary, verses: 65-66

Unseen is of several kinds and Allah teaches a kind of it to the prophets, as the Qur’ān says: “(O Prophet!) These are of the tidings of Unseen which We reveal unto you. …”⁽¹⁾But another kind of it, such as the knowledge of the time of the occurrence of Hereafter, is particular to the Holy Essence of Allah.

The application of /man/ (who) in Arabic literature is for intellectual beings. Therefore, besides the angels, there may be some intellectual creatures in the heavens who, like human beings, will be raised up in Hereafter.

Since in the former verse the words were about Hereafter and Resurrection, these couple of verses refer to this subject from different points of view.

At first, it answers the question of those pagans who had repeatedly asked and said: “When does Hereafter occur?”, it says:

“ Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the Unseen save Allah and they do not know when they shall, be raised’.”

No doubt the knowledge of Unseen, including the date of the happening of Hereafter, belongs to Allah, but it does not contrast to the fact that He gives a part of the knowledge of Unseen to some ones that He desires; as Sura Jinn, No. 72, verses 26 and 27 say: “He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make anyone acquainted with His secrets.” “Except to him whom He chooses as a messenger, …”

In other words, the knowledge of Unseen, essentially, independently, and illimitably, is particularized to Allah, and whatever others know is from His origin, but, in any case, the date of the occurrence of Hereafter is exceptional from this affair, and no one is aware of it.

Then the next holy verse refers to the lack of knowledge, unawareness and doubt of pagan about Hereafter. It says:

“ Nay, but their knowledge falls as to the Hereafter; nay, they are in doubt about it; nay they are quite

blind unto it.”

The Qur’ānic word /’iddārak/ has originally been /tadāruk/ in the sense of ‘arranged one after another’. Thus the concept of the sentence in this verse is that they used all their knowledge about Hereafter but they gained nothing. That is why, next to it, the verse says: “… Nay, they are in doubt about it, nay they are quite blind unto it.” The evidence of it is that the signs of Hereafter are seen in the life of this very

world, including: the return of the dead land to life in summer, the trees that become fruitful after winter, and observing the greatness of Allah’s power in whole creation. All of these are some evidence for the life possible after death, but they pass by them as if they are blind. In other words, pagans do not know when they will be raised up and they are doubtful about it. Now the verse announces that they will understand its reality in Hereafter. Their knowledge about Hereafter will become complete in Hereafter and they will find certainty about it, a certainty which will be in vain, while they are doubtful about it in this world.

Section 6: The Resurrection, Sure

Point

Everyone shall be resurrected – The judgment shall come to pass – Bounties of Allah – Nothing in the heavens or in the earth is hidden from Allah’s knowledge – To rely upon Allah – The Dead can not listen and the Deaf can not hear – A walking one shall be created on earth who will speak about the disbelief of the people.

67 وَقَالَ الَّذِینَ کَفَرُوا أَءِذَا کُنَّا تُرَاباً وءَابَآؤُنَآ أَءِنَّا لَمُ-خْرَجُونَ 68 لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا هَذَا نَحْنُ وءَابَآؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ إِنْ هَذَآ إِلآَّ أَسَاطِیرُ الاَوَّلِینَ 67. “ And those who disbelieve say: ‘When we have become dust, and our fathers (too), shall we certainly be brought forth (again)?’”

Commentary, verses: 67-68

One of the things that the enemies do is to create doubts in ideological subjects.

If we do not accept a fact, it is not a reason that it will not occur, or it does not exist.

This verse states the logic of the rejecters of Resurrection in one sentence, it says:

“ And those who disbelieve say: ‘When we have become dust, and our fathers (too), shall we certainly be brought forth (again)?’”

They only sufficed to this matter that it is impossible that a man becomes dust and comes to life again, while they were dust at first and they came into being from dust. Is not it possible that they return to dust and then come forth for a new life?

It is interesting that there are eight instances in the Qur’ān with the same meaning wherein, as soon as they come to imagination of impossibility of Hereafter, they have paved the path of denial.

Then they add:

“ Indeed we had been promised this, we and our fathers before (too), …”

They say that they were promised it before but they found no sign of it, therefore, these promises are not anything but imaginations and superstitions. The verse continues saying:

“… (but) these are not but fables of the ancients.”

Thus, they begin from impossibility of the occurrence of Hereafter and, after that, they take it as the foundation of an absolute denial. It seemed that they expected Resurrection would happen very soon, and, since they did not see it in their own lifetime, they negated it. However, these statements are the sign of their pride and negligence.

By the way, through this wrong interpretation, they wanted to belittle the Prophet’s word about the Hereafter and to say that this is one of the baseless old promises which others gave to their ancestors, too, and it was not a new matter for them to be dealt with.

69 قُلْ سِیرُوا فِی الاَرْضِ فَانظُرُوا کَیْفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُ-جْرِمِینَ 70 وَلاَ تَحْزَنْ عَلَیْهِمْ وَلاَ تَکُن فِی ضَیْقٍ مِمَّا یَمْکُرُونَ 69. “ Say: ‘Travel in the earth and see how the end of the guilty (ones) has been’.”

Commentary, verses: 69-70

Several times the Qur’ān, by the Arabic phrase /sīrū/ (travel) or the phrase /’afalam yasīrū/ (did you not travel), has encouraged people to travel in the earth, and in many of them the purpose has been for warning, awareness, and taking an example from the life of wrong doers.

Visiting the remained traces of the oppressors of history is one of the means of growth and training.

Former verses said about the fanatic pagans and their denial of Resurrection when they rejected it by their own derides and ridicules.

In this noble verse, the Qur’ān addresses the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and says:

“ Say: ‘Travel in the earth and see how the end of the guilty (ones) has been’.”

You say that these promises have also been given to your ancestors, and they did not give heed to them, too, nor they were damaged. But if you travel in the world and watch the traces of these criminal, sinful ones, the deniers of monotheism and Resurrection of the old, which are found in the locality of the land of Hijāz, your own land, you will understand that the fact is something else.

Do not hasten, your turn will come, too. If you do not amend yourselves, you will have the same evil fate, either.

The Qur’ān has repeatedly invited people to travel in the earth and observe the traces of the old, the ruined lands of the nations who have been seized by the Divine punishment, the destroyed castles of the kings of the ancient, the scattered graves and the rotten bones of the oppressors, and the remaining ownerless properties of the haughty wealthy ones. The Qur’ān specially declares that studying these traces, which are the alive, expressive, and concrete history of the ancient people, in fact, makes the minds aware, and gives insight to them. Sometimes, visiting one of these effects creates such a storm of vigilance in the soul and spirit of man that studying several thick history books does not have it.

A rather detailed explanation in this regard has already been offered in Sura ’Āl-i-‘Imrān, No. 3, verse 137.

It is worth noting that, in this verse, instead of applying the Qur’ānic word /mukaŏŏibīn/ (rejecters) the word /mujrimīn/ (the guilty) has been used. This points to the fact that their denial was not because of their mistake in their research, but the origin of it was obstinacy, enmity, and being polluted by kinds of crimes.

71 وَیَقُولُونَ مَتَی هَذَا الْوَعْدُ إِن کُنتُمْ صَادِقِینَ 72 قُلْ عَسَی أَن یَکُونَ رَدِفَ لَکُم بَعْضُ الَّذِی تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ 73 وَإِنَّ رَبَّکَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَی النَّاسِ وَلَکِنَّ أَکْثَرَهُمْ لاَ یَشْکُرُونَ 74 وَإِنَّ رَبَّکَ لَیَعْلَمُ مَا تُکِنُّ صُدُورُهُمْ وَمَا یُعْلِنُونَ 71. “ And they say: ‘When shall this promise (of chastisement) come to pass, if you are truthful?’”

Commentary, verse: 71-74

Whenever the Divine prophets warned people concerning Hereafter and the punishment of Allah, some people asked about the time of the occurrence of Hereafter. But in view of the fact that none knows the time of Hereafter except Allah, the prophets did not answer them, and they only warned the people of the principle of the punishment of Allah, not its time.

The pagans, of course, in order to observe the Divine chastisement, had some haste with ridicule, and instead of taking counsel from the warning of their kind prophet and paying attention to their fate, they ridiculed them, as the verse indicates:

“ And they say: ‘When shall this promise (of chastisement) come to pass, if you are truthful?’”

This verse addresses the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) but the matter is used in plural form, because the true believers also said the same thing that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) announced and naturally they are the addressees of the verse, too.

Through the next verse, the Qur’ān, with a very truthful tone, answers this ridiculous statement of theirs, when it says:

“ Say: ‘May be that it is after you, a part of what you seek to hasten’.”

Why do you hasten? Why do you consider the Divine punishment so little? Why do you not have pity to yourselves? Do know that chastisement is certainly earnest! Probably the punishment of Allah has come above you because of these very words of yours, and soon will fall over you and annihilate you. What is this ceaseless obstinacy for?

The Arabic word /ridf/ is derived from /radf/ which means ‘to be set after each other’.

Concerning the objective of this punishment, some of the commentators have said that its purpose is the same sharp struck that these obstinate disbelievers received in the Battle of Badr, the first Battle of Muslims against pagans, in which seventy chiefs of the pagans were killed and seventy persons of them were taken captives.

There is also another probability that the purpose of it is the common painful punishment, but at last it was removed because of the existence of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) among them who was “… a Mercy for (all) the worlds”⁽¹⁾

And Sura Al-’Anfāl, No. 8, verse 33 is an evidence upon this meaning. It says: “But Allah is not to punish them while you are among them, …”

The application of the Arabic word /‘asā/ (may be) in the verse is from the tongue of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and it does not matter, and it is also in the word of Allah, though some commentators have considered something else. It points to the existence of premises required for something, though these premises may be faced with some barriers and they do not lead to the ultimate result.

Then, in the next verse, it states the fact that if Allah does not hasten in punishing you, it is because of His grace and Mercy on you so that you may have enough time to amend yourselves and recompense your past. It says:

“ And verily your Lord is the Lord of grace unto the people, but most of them are not grateful.”

By verse No. 74, it implies that if they imagine that the delay in their punishment is for the sake that Allah is not aware of the evil and ugly thought they have in their minds, they make a great mistake, because the Qur’ān says:

“ And verily your Lord well-knows what their breasts conceal and what they manifest.”

He knows the secrets of their inward as much as He knows their outward deeds, and principally inward and outward, visible and invisible, all are the same for Him.

75 وَمَا مِنْ غَآئِبَةٍ فِی السَّمَآءِ وَالاَرْضِ إِلاَّ فِی کِتَابٍ مُّبِینٍ 75. “ And there is nothing hidden in the heavens and the earth but it is in a Manifest Book.”

Commentary, verse: 75

All the hidden affairs of mankind, intentions, the occurrence of Hereafter, the time when Divine mercy or chastisement come, and other secrets, are among the Unseen of the heavens and the earth.

The objective of the Qur’ānic phrase: /kitābin mubīn/ here may be the Protected tablet and the infinite knowledge of Allah.

However, this verse implies that not only Allah knows their inward and outward secrets, but His knowledge is also so vast that includes every thing. The verse says:

“ And there is nothing hidden in the heavens and the earth but it is in a Manifest Book.”

It is clear that the Arabic word /qā’ibah/ has a vast scope of meaning which encompasses everything that is hidden from our senses, irrespective of the concealed deeds of the servants, their esoteric intentions, and the secrets that are also hidden in the heavens and the earth, as well as appearance of Resurrection, the descent of divine punishment and the like. Then, there is no reason that, like some commentators, we comment it on only one of these affairs.

The objective of /kitābin/, as was said in the above, is the Protected Tablet, the same source of the infinite knowledge of Allah which has been referred to in Sura Al-’An‘ām, No. 6, verse 59.⁽¹⁾

The contents of the former verses show that, in order to shirk believing in Resurrection and its responsibilities, the rejecters of Resurrection expressed their objections in three ways:

1- To return to life after becoming dust is improbable, because, as they believed, dust could not be the source of life.

2- This kind of belief belongs to the ancient, and it is not a new thing.

3- The lack of the descent of punishment for the rejecters of Resurrection, because, they said, if the rejecters must really be punished in this world, why does not this punishment seize them?

For the answer of the first and the second instances, the Qur’ān has left it to their clearness, because we always see by our eyes that dust becomes the source of life. At first, we were dust and then we came into being as a living creature.

The state of a thing being old or belonging to the ancient does not decrease its importance, because the main laws of this world, from pre-eternity to future eternity, are wholly fix and unchangeable. The fix principles in philosophical principles, mathematic problems, and other sciences are abundant. Is the Pythagoras’ multiplication table invalid because it is old, or is its being ancient as a reason for its weakness? Or if we see that justice is good and injustice is bad, and it is so and it will be so forever, is it a reason for its falseness? In principle, many times, the perpetuity of something proves its authenticity.

Concerning their third objection, the Qur’ān answers that they should not hasten for meeting chastisement. It is the grace of Allah that He gives them respite and does not punish them promptly, but they must be careful that chastisement will come though it comes late.

76 إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْءَانَ یَقُصُّ عَلَی بَنِی إِسْرَآئِیلَ أَکْثَرَ الَّذِی هُمْ فِیهِ یَخْتَلِفُونَ 77 وَإِنَّهُ لَهُدًی وَرَحْمَةٌ لّ-ِلْمُؤْمِنِینَ 76. “ Verily this Qur’ān relates to the Children of Israel most of what they differ in.”

Commentary, verses: 76-77

This verse shows that at the time of the advent of the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.), the contents of the Torah and Evangel could not solve the differences of the People of the Book, and only the Qur’ān, which is a dominant over the former heavenly Books, has the ability of solving the discords.

Yes, solving the deep doctrinal differences, also by an uninstructed prophet who could neither read nor write, is the sign of miracle and legitimacy of the Qur’ān.

In previous holy verse, the words were about (both) Origin and End, while the verses under discussion, by pointing to the subject of prophethood and legitimacy of the Holy Qur’ān, completes this discussion.

On the other side, the former verses pointed to the infinite knowledge of Allah (s.w.t.), and in these verses this subject is explained more.

Furthermore, in those verses the addressees were pagans, but here the words are about other disbelievers, such as the Jews and their differences. At first, it says:

“ Verily this Qur’ān relates to the Children of Israel most of what they differ in.”

The Children of Israel had discords among them in many things; like about Maryam, Jesus, the prophet whose glad tidings had been mentioned in the Torah, and that who this prophet was, and in many ordinances and religious affairs. The Qur’ān came and said the true matter in this field. It said Jesus introduced himself explicitly and said he was a servant of Allah Who had given him a heavenly Book and assigned him a prophet, “He (miraculously) said: ‘Verily I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet’.”⁽¹⁾The Qur’ān also made it clear that Jesus was born only from mother and without father, and that was not an impossible affair for Allah, because He created Adam without parents from the dust: “The likeness of Jesus, with Allah, is as the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust …”⁽²⁾

Concerning the Divine prophet whose qualities are clearly mentioned in the Torah, the Qur’ān considers that those qualifications adapt to the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.), because they adapt to none but him.

However, one of the missions of the Qur’ān is to struggle against the differences which have come into being because of mixing the superstitions with the true teachings of the Divine prophets. So, every prophet was commanded to put an end to the discord originated from distortions and confusions of right and wrong; and since the fulfilment of such an action is not possible to be done by an illiterate person in the environment of ignorance, it is clear that it is from the side of Allah.

In view of the fact that struggling against any discord is the cause of guidance and mercy, the next verse, as a general principle, says about the Qur’ān:

“ And verily it is a guidance and mercy for the believers.”

Yes, it is guidance and mercy because the evidence of its truthfulness has lain in the magnificence of its content.

The Qur’ān is guidance and mercy because it shows both the way and the style of paving the way.

The Qur’ānic term /mu’minīn/ (believers) mentioned specially in this verse, is for the sake that, as was pointed out before, a person cannot enjoy this Divine source unless he has a stage of faith in him, that is, he must have a receptive state for accepting the truth and submitting to Allah.

78 إِنَّ رَبَّکَ یَقْضِی بَیْنَهُم بِحُکْمِهِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِیزُ الْعَلِیمُ 79 فَتَوَکَّلْ عَلَی اللَّهِ إِنَّکَ عَلَی الْحَقّ ِ الْمُبِینِ 78. “ Verily your Lord will judge between them by His judgment, and He is the Mighty, the Knowing.”

Commentary, verses: 78-79

Judgment is one of the dignities of the Lordship of Allah, because there is no ignorance, fear, instinct and happenings effective in Him, and his judgment is completely just.

The opponents of the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) used to seek pretext while the way of Faith had no ambiguity.

It was why some of the Children of Israel resisted against the facts that the Qur’ān had stated and did not submit to the truth. This verse says:

“ Verily your Lord will judge between them by His judgment, and He is the Mighty, the Knowing.”

In this verse, this fact, that the final Judgment is on the Hereafter Day, is not explicitly mentioned, but considering the next two verses which exactly speak about the differences between the Children of Israel and the judgment of Allah, and that the Day of Judgment is clearly mentioned therein, it makes manifest that the objective in the verse under discussion is also the same. Sura Al-Jāthiyah, No. 45, verse 17 says: “Verily the Lord will judge between them on the Day of Judgment as to those matters in which they set differences.”

Something similar to this verse is also recited in Sura Yūnus, No. 10, verse 93.

Qualifying Allah (s.w.t.) to ‘Mightly’ and ‘Knowing’ is an indication to the couple of qualifications which are necessary for a judge who must be aware enough and be able to execute the judgment. Allah is the Most Mighty, the most Knowing.

Since these statements, besides expressing the greatness of the Qur’ān and being a threat for the Children of Israel, are counted as a means for calmness and peace of mind of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), through the next verse the Qur’ān says:

“ Therefore rely on Allah, …”

To rely on Allah Who is the Mighty, the Knowing, is relying on the One Who is invincible and Omniscient, and relying on Him Who has given you the Qur’ān, with that magnificence. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) is commanded to rely on Allah and does not afraid of the oppositions of the enemies, because the Qur’ān says:

“… verily you are on the manifest truth.”

80 إِنَّکَ لاَ تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَی وَلاَ تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَآءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِینَ 81 وَمَآ أَنتَ بِهَادِی الْعُمَیِ عَن ضَلاَلَتِهِمْ إِن تُسْمِعُ إِلاَّ مَن یُؤْمِنُ بِاَیَاتِنَا فَهُم مُسْلِمُونَ 80. “ Verily you cannot make the dead to listen nor can you make the deaf to hear the call when they turn away backward.”

Commentary, verses: 80-81

In the culture of the Holy Qur’ān death and life have been used for both ‘the natural death and life’ and ‘the spiritual death and life’.

Those who are not affected by the word of Truth are considered dead in the culture of the Qur’ān, and vice versa. As in many occurrences of it the Qur’ān says not to think of the martyr as dead, they are alive, happy, and being provided sustenance with their Lord. Therefore, those obstinate, stone-hearted ones who are alive are really dead, and the martyr, who have passed away, are really alive. It is better to speak rather more clearly. There are some stages for life: 1) The vegetal life, upon which the Qur’ān says: “… Who gives life to the earth after its death …”⁽¹⁾2) The animal life, about which the Qur’ān says: “… Who gives you life …”⁽²⁾3) Spiritual life,

as the Qur’ān says: “That it may give admonition to any (who are) alive, …”⁽¹⁾That is, they are those who have safe intellect and nature. It also says: “… he invites you to that which gives you life, …”⁽²⁾

However, in this holy verse, the Qur’ān implies that if they do not accept this ‘clear truth’ and your enthusiastic words do not affect in their cold hearts, it is not wonderful for:

“ Verily you cannot make the dead to listen …”

Your addressees are the alive ones, those who have a lively, vigilant, and truth-seeking spirit, not those dead who seem alive but bigotry, obstinacy, and constant committing sin have suspended their thought and contemplation. Therefore, the verse continues saying about those who are alive but their ears are spiritually deaf:

“… nor can you make the deaf to hear the call when they turn away backward.”

Then by the next verse, the Qur’ān implies that if, instead of hearkening ears they had eyes with insight in such case, though the sound did not reach their ears, they might find the Straight Path by signs and marks, but it is a pity that they are blind, too, and as the verse says:

“ Nor can you lead the blind against their straying; …”

Thus, all the ways of conception the truth are shut to them: their hearts are dead, their ears are deaf, and their eyes are blind. So, the Qur’ān continues saying:

“… you can make none hear save those who believe in Our revelations and who have surrendered.”

In fact these two verses refer to a clear collection of the factors of cognizance and the way of man’s communication with outward world. The sense of discrimination and vigilant intellect is against despondency; a hearkening ear for attracting the words of Truth is against being heedless to them through the ear; and an eye with insight of observing the feature of right and wrong through the eye.

But obstinacy, contumacy, blindly imitation, and sin, make the truth seeking eyes of man blind, make his ear deaf to hear the truth, and also cause his intellect and heart (mind) not to work. If all prophets, the saints, and the angels come to guide such persons, it will be in vain, because their communication with the outward world of their entity has utterly been ceased and they refer to only themselves.

In other words, he who is physically alive but is so engaged in lusts that he neither hears the cry of an oppressed, nor does he hear the sound of the seeker of the truth, nor does he sees the feature of an indigent, nor does he observe the effects of the greatness of Allah in the scene of creation, nor does he even contemplate about his past and future, such a person in the logic of the Qur’ān is dead. But those whose works are spread and used in the world after their death and whose thoughts, ways of manner, and conditions are introduced as guide, leader and example for others; such persons are spiritually alive forever.

However, we mention this point again that the purpose of Faith and submission is not in that he had accepted the facts of religion from before, so that it is actualization of what has already been actualized, but the aim is that man should have the mood of truth seeking state and humiliation before the command of Allah, else he will never hearken to the words of Divine prophets. Yes, if the hearer is stone-hearted the true speech, even from a pure and eligible speaker, does not affect on him. It is like a consumed lamp which does not give light by connection with any electricity.

A weak sect from among Muslims have taken the verse “Verily you cannot make the dead to listen” as a means for their deviated thought. They say that the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h.) has passed away and he does not hear any word, therefore it is meaningless that we pilgrimage and, addressing him, state some matters.

The answer to this sect is that the verse is in the position of a simile. It is like the simile of the heart of a cruel person from the point of effectiveness which is likened to stone, as the Qur’ān says: “Then your hearts hardened after that as stone …”⁽¹⁾Of course, it does not mean that for everything their hearts are like stone, because the Qur’ān has accepted the purgatory life for the martyr and there are some narrations cited in the Sunnite and Shi‘ite sources, as follows:

1- Muhammad-ibn-‘Abdul-Wahhāb in the book entitled: Al-Hidyat-us-Sunniyyah, P. 41, says: “The prophet has a purgatory life after his death which is superior to the life of the martyr and he hears the greeting of those who greet him.

2- There are many traditions recorded in Shi’ite and Sunnite sources in this field that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and

Immaculate Imams (a.s.) hear the words of those who salute them from near and far distances and answer them, and even the deeds of people are said to them.⁽¹⁾

3- It is cited in Sahīh Bukhārī: “The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) spoke with the annihilated pagans of the Battle of Badr;” and when he was asked by ‘Umar, he (p.b.u.h.) said: “By Allah, in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, you are not a better hearer (than them).”⁽²⁾

4- At the end of the Battle of Jamal, Hadrat Ali (a.s.) said: “Make the corpse of Ka‘b-ibn-Sur sit!” Then he (a.s.) told him, while he had been killed: “Woe be to you that did not enjoy your knowledge and Satan caused you go astray and sent you to Hell.”⁽³⁾

82 وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَیْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَآبَّةً مِنَ الاَرْضِ تُکَلّ-ِمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ کَانُوا بِاَیَاتِنَا لاَ یُوقِنُونَ 82. “ And when the word is fulfilled against them We shall bring forth for them a moving creature from the earth that shall speak unto them, because people did not believe in Our revelations.”

Commentary, verse: 82

Some Islamic traditions announce that when human beings suspend the act of enjoining what is right and fulfil none of them, they will obligatory deserve the Divine displeasure, wrath and chastisement, and, at this time, a creature will come out from between Safā and Marwah in order to inform the believer that he is faithful and to inform the disbeliever that he is an infidel.⁽¹⁾

It is then that the duty will be removed and no repentance will be accepted, and this is one of the signs of Hereafter.

However, the words in the former verses were about the pagans who hastened for meeting the Divine punishment or the occurrence of Hereafter and impatiently expected it to happen. They told the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) why those punishments that they were promised did not come to them? Why the Hereafter did not happen? The verse under discussion points to a part of the events that happen at the threshold of Resurrection, and depict the painful fate of these obstinate rejecters. It says:

“ And when the word is fulfilled against them We shall bring forth for them a moving creature from the earth that shall speak unto them, because people did not believe in Our revelations.”

The objective of the Qur’ānic phrase: “… the word is fulfilled against them …” is Allah’s command which will be issued for the punishment they have been promised, or the occurrence of Resurrection and the manifestation of its sign. These are the signs that by observing them every one will become humble and submissive, and he will be completely certain that the promises of Allah were true and the Hereafter is near. In that circumstance the doors of repentance will be closed, because the faith in that condition will be a constrained belief which is not accepted.

These two meanings are not separate from each other, because approaching the Day of Hereafter is accompanied with the punishment of the wrong doers.

Concerning this earthly creature and that what or who he is, and what program he will have, the Qur’ān has stated ambiguously. It seems that the Qur’ān wanted to speak shortly about it, for sometime the effect of the word is in that the horrible matter should be said in curtain.

The Qur’ān only implies that this is a creature that, at the threshold of Resurrection, Allah will bring it forth from the earth and this creature will speak with people, saying that the people do not believe in the verses of Allah. In other words, his job is to separate the rows from each other and to distinguish between the row of rejecters and hypocrites and the row of believers.

It is evident that, by seeing this scene, the rejecters will become regretful from their own dark past, but they will not have any way to return.

In Islamic narrations, the commentary books, and Shi’ite and Sunnite sources of traditions, there are many matters about the details of the Qur’ānic phrase: /dābbatan min al ’ard/ (a moving creature from the earth) as well as its exact qualities and specifications, a short explanation of which is as follows:

The Arabic word /dābbah/ means ‘a moving creature’, and the word /’ard/ means ‘earth’, and in spite of the belief of some commentators, the word /dābbah/ is not applied only for moving creatures other than humankind, but it has a vast meaning and encompasses human beings, too. We recite in Sura Hūd, No. 11, verse 6: “And there is no moving creature on the earth but its sustenance is on Allah, …”

Sura An-Nahl, No. 16, verse 61 says: “And if Allah were to take people to task for their inequity, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving being, …”

Sura Al-’Anfāl, No. 8, verse 22 says: “Verily the worst of animals in the sight of Allah are the deaf, the dumb, who do not understand.”

Concerning the adaptation of this term with its meaning, as it was already said in the above, the Qur’ān has referred to it ambiguously, and the only quality that it has stated for it is that the creature speaks with people and compendiously defines the disbelievers. But there are a lot of discussions in this regard in Islamic narrations and commentaries of the commentators all of which can be referred to in two commentaries:

1- A group of commentators of the Qur’ān believe that it is an extraordinary living and moving creature which is not of the kind of human and has a wonderful shape. They have cited some wonders about it that are similar to the miracles of Divine prophets.

This moving creature will appear on ‘the last day’ and will speak about disbelief and Faith, and, by putting marks on the hypocrites, will make them infamous.

2- Another group, following numerous Islamic narrations recorded in this field, say that this moving creature is a man, an extraordinary man. He is a moving and active man, one of whose main actions is separating the rows of Muslims from hypocrites and putting marks on them. Some narrations even indicate that the Rod of Moses and the Signer of Solomon will be with him; and we know that the Rod of Moses is the secret of power and miracle, and the Signer of Solomon is the secret of Divine government and domination. Thus he is a powerful man who divulges the facts.

Hathīfah narrates a tradition from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) who, qualifying /dābbat-ul-’Ard/ (a moving creature from the earth), said: “(He is so strong that) no one can reach him nor any one can flee from him. He puts a sign on the forehead of every believer and writes ‘believer’ between his eyes, and puts a sign on the forehead of every disbeliever and also writes ‘disbeliever’ between his eyes; and he has the Rod of Moses and the Signer of Solomon.⁽¹⁾

Some narrations have adapted it to Amir-ul-Mu’minīn Ali (a.s.). It is recorded in the commentary of Ali-ibn-’Ebrāhīm, narrated from Imam Sādiq (a.s.): “Once a man told ‘Ammār Yāsir that there is a verse in the Qur’ān which has disturbed his mind and caused him to be doubtful. ‘Ammār asked which verse it was and he answered the verse which says: “And when the word is fulfilled against them We shall bring forth for them a moving creature from the earth that shall speak unto them, because people did not believe in Our revelations”, and he added

which moving creature it was. ‘Ammār said: ‘By Allah! I do not sit on the ground, nor do I eat any food nor drink any water before I show you /dābbat-ul-’ard/. Then he, accompanying with that man, came to Ali (a.s.) while he was having food. When he (a.s.) saw ‘Ammār he told him to come in. ‘Ammār came near, sat down and ate food with Ali (a.s.). That man seriously wondered, while he has watching that scene incredibly, because ’Ammār had promised him and had made an oath that he would not eat any food before fulfilling his promise, as if he had forgotten his promise and his oath!

When ’Ammār stood up and said good by to Ali (a.s.), that man, addressing him, said he made an oath not to eat food nor drink water, nor sit on the ground unless he show the man /dābbat-ul-‘ard/. ‘Ammār answered him: ‘Did I not show it to you if you understood?’”

A tradition similar to this one is narrated from ’Abūthar recorded in the commentary of ‘Ayyāshī.⁽¹⁾

‘Allamah Majlesī, with a valid document, has cited in Bihar-ul-’Anwār that Ali (a.s.) was asleep in the mosque when the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) came in there. He (p.b.u.h.) roused Ali (a.s.) from sleep and said: “Get up O’ moving creature of Allah!”. One of the companions asked the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) whether they are right to call each other by that name, and the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: “No. this name is specialized to Ali, and he is /dābbat-ul-’ard/ about whom Allah has said in the Qur’ān: ‘And when the word is fulfilled against them We shall bring forth for them a moving creature from the earth that shall speak unto them, because people did not believe in Our revelations’.” Then he (p.b.u.h.) said: “O’ Ali! On the last day, Allah will restore you to life in the best form

and there will be a means in your hand by which you will mark the enemies.”⁽¹⁾

According to this tradition, the abovementioned verse is about ‘return to life’, and it adapts to the next verse which is about ‘return to life’.

The Late Abul-Futūh Rāzī records in his commentary book concerning the above verse: “According to the information we received by the way of our Companions, the Qur’ānic phrase /dābbatul ’ard/ is an implicit declaration to Hadrat Mahdī, the Lord of the age (a.s.).”⁽²⁾

Keeping this tradition and the above traditions in mind, we can take a more general concept from the holy phrase /dābbat-ul-’ard/ and adapt it to each one of the great leaders who rises in ‘the last day’ and has an extraordinary movement by which he differentiates between right and wrong as well as believer and disbeliever.

This meaning involved in the narrations which indicate that the Rod of Moses and Signer of Solomon, which are the secrets of power, victory and government, will be with him, is a frame of reference that ‘ a moving creature from the earth’ is a very active human.

And also the fact which is mentioned in the narrations that he will mark the believer and disbeliever and separate their rows, adapts to the meaning that the creature is a human.

The quality of ‘speaking with people’ which is mentioned in the text of the Qur’ān is also appropriate to this very meaning.

On the other side, there are some other references in the above verse itself added to many traditions concerning the

commentary of the verse, all show that the objective of /dābbat-ul-’ard/ here is a human with the qualities mentioned in the above. He is a very active human being who specifies the right and wrong as well as the believer from unbeliever and hypocrite. It is a human being who will appear at the threshold of Resurrection and himself is one of the signs of the greatness of Allah.

Section 7: The coming of the Day of Judgment

Point

Signs or the symptoms of the dawn of the Day of Judgment – The bounties of Allah – The blowing of the Terrific Trumpet – and announcing the dawn of the Day of Judgment – The doers of good shall be liberally rewarded and the wicked shall be punished for their own deeds.

83 وَیَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ مِن کُلّ ِ اُمَّةٍ فَوْجاً مّ-ِمَّن یُکَذّ ِبُ بِاَیَاتِنَا فَهُمْ یوزَعُونَ 84 حَتَّی إِذَا جَآءُوا قَالَ أَکَذَّبْتُم بِاَیَاتِی وَلَمْ تُحِیطُوا بِهَا عِلْماً أَمَّاذَا کُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ 83. “ And on the Day when We shall muster out of every nation a party from those who belied Our revelations, and they shall be kept in rank.”

Commentary, verses: 83-84

Point

This verse indicates that Allah shall muster only a part out of every nation, while in Hereafter all people will be mustered. This makes it clear that the above verse does not relate to Hereafter but it relates to /raj‘at/ ‘return to life’ in which a group of men will be quickened before Resurrection. So, this verse says:

“ And on the Day when We shall muster out of every nation a party from those who belied Our revelations, and they shall be kept in rank.”

The Arabic word /hašr/ means ‘to cause to camp’, and ‘to send out a group from their place and to move them toward the battle-field, and the like’.

The Arabic word /fauj/, as Rāqib says in Mufradāt, means ‘a group who travel speedily’.

The Qur’ānic word /yūza‘ūn/ means ‘keeping a crowd of people in a manner that a group of them joins another’ and this meaning is usually applied upon some tremendous crowds, the like of which was used for the troops of Solomon in this Sura.

Thus, the verse, on the whole, indicates that there will come a day when Allah will raise to life a group from any nation and will send them forth for the retribution of their deeds.

Many of the commentators have considered this holy verse as a reference for the subject of /raj‘at/ ‘return to life’ and the return of some evil doers and good doers to this world at the threshold of the Hereafter, since if it was referring to the Resurrection and Hereafter the application of the holy phrase ‘out of every nation a party’ would not be correct, because in Hereafter all people will be mustered, as the Qur’ān in Sura Al-Kahf, No. 18, verse 47 says: “… and We muster them nor shall We leave out any one of them.”

Another reference is that before this verse the words were about the signs of Resurrection at the end of this world, and the coming verses also point to the same subject, therefore, it is not probable that the verses before and after it speak about the events which happen before Resurrection, but the middle verse speaks of the Resurrection. The agreement of the verses

requires that all of them speak about the events before the Resurrection.

There are also many narrations in this ground that we will point to them when commenting the meaning of /raj‘at/ (return to life).

The concept of ‘Raj‘at’ is one of the famous creeds of Shi‘ah, the commentary of which, in a short sentence, is as follows. After the advent of Hadrat Mahdī (a.s.) and at the threshold of Resurrection a group of ‘true sincere believers’ and a group of ‘very vicious disobedient infidels’ will return to this world. The former group (true believers) will pass some degrees of development and the latter group will receive some harsh retributions.

The Late Sayyid Murtadā, who is one of the dignitaries of Shī‘ah, says: “After the advent of Hadrat Mahdī, Allah, the Exalted, will cause some of those who have passed away aforetime to return to this world in order that they take part in the rewards and honours of his victory and observe his government throughout the world, and He will cause a group of obstinate enemies to return to this world to punish them.”

Then, Sayyid Murtadā adds: “The reasoning of this sect is that no intellectual person can deny the power of Allah upon this thing, because it is not an impossible matter, while some of our opponents deny this subject so earnestly that it seems improbable and they count it impossible.”

Then he adds: “The proof for the legitimacy of this belief is the consensus of Twelvers, because none of them has ever opposed this belief.”⁽¹⁾

It is understood, of course, from the words of some of the ancient scholars of Shī’ah, and the Late Tabarsī’s in Majma‘-

ul-Bayān that a very minority of Shi‘ah did not believe in this belief and commented /raj‘at/ in the sense of the return of the domination and government of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.), not the return of persons and that the dead be quickened, but their opposition is in such a way that it does not harm consensus.

However, there are a lot of statements here that, in order not to go out of the way of commentary discussion, they are referred to in short as follows:

1- No doubt, the act of restoring some dead persons to life in this world is not one of the impossible things, as the restoring all human being to life in Hereafter is quietly possible. To surprise for such an affair is like the wonder of a group of pagans of the Age of Ignorance concerning the subject of Resurrection, and mocking it is similar to their mockery upon Resurrection, because intellect does not consider it impossible; and the Power of Allah is so vast that all these affairs are easy for Him.

2- According to the Holy Qur’ān, the occurrence of /raj‘at/ (return to life) has happened for five instances of the former nations:

A. The first instance is about a prophet who was passing by a township the walls of which were ruined and the bones of the bodies of its people were scattered over there. He asked himself how Allah might restore these dead bodies to life. Then Allah caused him to die and after one hundred years He restored him to life and asked him how long he had tarried. The prophet in answer said he tarried for one day or a part of a day. But Allah said he tarried for one hundred years.⁽¹⁾

Whether this prophet is ‘Uzayr or other prophet it is the same, the important matter is the life after death in this world.

The Qur’ān says: “… so Allah made him die a hundred years, then He raised him up …”

B. The Holy Qur’ān in Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 243 also speaks about another group who, being afraid of death and, with pretext of plague, restrained from going to the Holy War. They went out of their houses and Allah issued the command of death for them and then they were restored to life. “… Then Allah said to them; ‘Die’ (and they died); then He restored them to life. …”

C. Again in Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verses 55 and 56, concerning the Children of Israel, we recite that a group of them, after asking Moses for seeing Allah, died because of thunderbolt, and, the Qur’ān says: “Then We raised you up after your death in order that haply you might be thankful.”

D. In Sura Al-Mā’idah, No. 5, verse 110, among miracles of Jesus (a.s.) we recite: ‘… and you did raise the dead (from their graves), by My leave; …” This shows that Jesus (a.s.) used to use this miracle of his repeatedly to raise the dead, and this is counted as a kind of /raj‘at/ for some men.

E. Concerning the dead body and finding his murderer, the Children of Israel were quarrelling. Sura Al-Baqarah, No. 2, verse 73 says: “So, We said: ‘strike him (the corps) with a part of it (the sacrificed cow)’. Thus, Allah gives life to the dead and shows you of His signs, so that you might understand.”

In addition to these five instances, there are also some other instances mentioned in the Qur’ān, like the story of ‘the Companions of the Cave’ which was something similar to /raj‘at/ (return to life); and the story of Hadrat Ebrāhīm and the four birds that, after killing them, returned to life again in order to illustrate the possibility of Resurrection of human beings for him. This is also notable in the subject of /raj‘at/.

However, how is it possible that a person accepts the Qur’ān as a heavenly Book and, with these clear verses, does also reject the possibility of /raj‘at/ (return to life)? Basically, is /raj‘at/ something other than returning to life after death? Is /raj‘at/ not counted as a small example of Resurrection in this small world? He who accepts Resurrection with its vast scale, how can he deny the subject of /raj‘at/ (return to life in this world)?

3- Whatever was said, up to here, proved the possibility of the occurrence of /raj‘at/ (return to life), and there are also many traditions narrated from Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) which confirm its happening. Since our discussion has not the capacity of mentioning all of them, it is enough to refer to the number of them which the Late ‘Allāmah Majlesī has collected and introduced. He says: “How is it possible that a person believes the truthfulness of the statements of Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) but he does not accept the widely transmitted traditions of /raj‘at/, the explicit traditions the number of which reaches about two hundred and that more than forty reliable persons of the narrators and famous scholars have referred to them in more than fifty books. If these traditions are not widely transmitted, what kind of tradition is widely transmitted?”⁽¹⁾

A Few Traditions as Examples:

1- Imam Sādiq (a.s.) said: “The first one to whom the earth (grave) will be cleft and he will return to the world is Husayn-ibn-Ali (a.s.).”

2- Imam Bāqir (a.s.) said to ‘Bukayr-ibn-’A‘yan’: “Verily the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) and Ali (a.s.) will return to life.”

3- Imam Sādiq (a.s.) said: “There will come with Ghā’im (a.s.) twenty seven men from behind Kūfah; fifteen persons of them are from the people of Moses (a.s.), those who used to guide (others) to the Truth and to call (them) to it; and seven persons of the Companions of Kahf; and Yūsha‘-ubnu-Nūn, Salmān, ’Abū-Dujānat-il-’Ansārī, Miqdād, and Mālik-i-’Ashtar will be his helpers and governors.”⁽¹⁾

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) in a tradition says: “Verily /raj‘at/ (return to life) is not general but it is informal, because only a group will return to life that have pure faith or pure infidelity.” (Bihār-ul-’Anwār, Vol. 53, P.39).

This holy tradition defines the philosophy of /raj‘at/, because a group of sincere believers who had encountered some barriers on the path of spiritual perfection in their life and their perfection remained incomplete, the Divine Wisdom requires that they continue their path of perfection by returning again to this world, so that they can be witnesses of the worldly government of Truth and Justice and participate in building this government, since participation in the formation of such a government is one of the greatest honours.

On the contrary, some of the hypocrites and obstinate tyrants, besides their special retribution in Hereafter, must tolerate some punishments in this world similar to what the people of Pharaoh, ‘Aād, Thamūd and Lot tolerated, and its only way is /raj‘at/ (return to life in this world).

During the period of /raj‘at/ (return to life in this world), the disbelievers will be reprimanded for both their beliefs and

their behaviour. Concerning the time when they are brought for reckoning, the verse says:

“ Till when they come (before their Lord), He will say: ‘Did you reject My revelations while you had no comprehensive knowledge of them? Or what was it you did?’”

The speaker of this statement is Allah and the objective of the Qur’ānic term /’āyātī/ is the miracles of Divine prophets, or the commandments of Allah, or all of them.

And the purpose of the phrase ‘you had no comprehensive knowledge’ is that without doing any research about it and being unaware of the reality of a matter, they began to reject it. This is the ultimate ignorance of a person that with rather no research and having no knowledge about something tries to deny it.

In fact, they will be asked of two things: one is their rejection while having not any research, and the other is the deed they used to do. If the above verse is taken as about Hereafter and Resurrection, its meaning is clear, but if it refers to /raj‘at/ (return to life in this world), as the agreement of the verse requires, it points to this fact that at the time of returning some of the wrong doers to this world, the one who is vicegerent of Allah and is the ‘master of affairs’ will investigate them and then he will punish them in this world as much as they deserve. This punishment does not hinder their Hereafter punishment. It is like the state of many of the criminals who tolerate the ‘fixed punishment for certain crimes’ in this world and, if they do not repent, their proper chastisement in Hereafter is reserved.