The Holy Quran Text. Translation & Commentary (volume One)

No One Can Do Anything Without the Permision of God

In the above verses, we read that the sorcerers could not hurt any one except by the permission of God! such a denotation connotes that no one can do anything without the permission and the will of God! This idea is of course not a COMPULSION in contrast to the FREE WILL OF MAN. It rather means that every individual power of the creatures, is rooted in the power of the Omnipotent creator Lord, and it is one of the most important principles of MONOTHEISM. From this motive we may even say that: a fire burns and a sword cuts, only if Allah wills; and if HE wills not, they don't cut and burn. Therefore, it is not so that a magician may do whatever he wants, or can do something against the will of God, and can set bounds for God's Grace or HIS realm of power. Burnings and cutting and etc., are functions granted to things by their Creator Lord, and the limited FREE WILL that He has given MAN is a means of trial and developement.

يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تَقُولُواْ رَعِنَا وَقُولُواْ انظُرْنَا وَاسْمَعُواْ وَلِلْكَـفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ(( 104 )) 104- O, BELIEVERS! SAY NOT (TO THE PROPHET) RA"INA" (A WORD WITH TWOFOLD MEANING: ARABIC= ATTEND US AND IN HEBREW IT MEANS: ``OUR EVIL ONE'') BUT SAY ONZURNA (WHICH IS AN UNAMBIGUOUS WORD OF THE SAME MEANING=ATTEND US) AND PAY ATTENTION, AND FOR UNBELIEVERS AWAIT A PAINFUL CHASTISEMENT.

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مَّا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ وَلاَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّنْ خَيْر مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَاللهُ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ وَاللهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ(( 105 )) 105- THE UNBELIEVERS OF THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, AND THE POLYTHEISTS (PAGAN ARABS) DO NOT LIKE THAT ANYTHING GOOD SHOULD COME DOWN TO YOU FROM YOUR LORD; BUT ALLAH ALLOCATES FOR HIS MERCY WHOM HE WILL; AND ALLAH IS OF GREAT GRACE.

THE COMMENTARY OCCASION OF REVELATION (VERSE NO. 104)

IBN-ABBASS, has narrated that: ``when the prophet rehearsed the Qura"nic verses to his companions and disciples, some of the audience would ask for a pause or delay, so that they could follow up or take a note. For this purpose they made use of the word RA"INA" which means: please attend us and give us time. But this Arabic word could have a two fold meaning, and in HEBREW language could mean: `you are our evil one'. So the word was ridiculed by the Jews and by a little twist it could give out that insulting meaning of its HEBREW version. Therefore, an unambiguous word UNZORNA with the same meaning was suggested to replace the disapproved word RA"INA"''

COMMENTS

The general lesson that we may take out of this incident is that: We should not give pretexts or false reasons to those who may use it as weapon against us. Even we should beware of issuing a phrase or short sentence, that can be misused by our enemies; and we have to guard ourselves against the cynical tricks of using such words, that sound complementary to the ear, but may have a hidden barb in them. Here is where our duty is manifested more clearly: We sometimes do something or say something, deliberately or unkowingly, by which we give a rope

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to our internal or external enemies to hang us! By misusing that, they get into a fuss, and high annoying ado about trifles.

VERSE NO. 105 This uncovers the rancour and hatred of the PAGANS, as well as the faithless, and heretic PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, against we Muslims, saying: ``It is never the wish of those without faith among the people of the BOOK: nor of the pagans, that anything good should come down to you from your Lord, but Allah will choose for HIS special grace whom HE will - For Allah is of Great Grace.''

Yea! The enemies were not willing to see Muslims with the honour of following a great Messenger of God and a Glorious Divine Book, such as the HOLY QURA"N; merely for being jealous of us, and bearing our grudge! But no one can stop the Grace of God from reaching HIS servants, whenever and wherever HE WILLS.

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ءَايَة أَوْنُنسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْر مِّنْهَآ أَومِثْلِهَا أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْء قَدِيرٌ(( 106 )) 106- WHATEVER OF VERSES WE ABROGATE OR CAUSE TO BE FORGOTTEN, WE BRING A BETTER THAN THAT, OR SIMILAR. DON'T YOU KNOW THAT ALLAH HAS POWER OVER ALL THINGS.

أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاَْرْضِ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلاَ نَصِير(( 107 )) 107- DON'T YOU KNOW THAT TO ALLAH BELONGS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVENS AND THE EARTH (AND HAS EVERY RIGHT TO CHANGE HIS COMMANDMENTS ON PURPOSES) AND BESIDES HIM YOU HAVE NEITHER PATRON NOR HELPER.

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THE COMMENTARY THE PURPOSE OF ABROGATION (VERSE NO. 106)

Here again argument is about the JEWISH propagandas against Islam. They were saying to Muslims: ``The true religion is that which the Jews hold, and the right QIBLA, is only that direction to which your prophet used to stand in prayer (i.e. JERUSALEM.)'' When according to the verse: 2:144, Muslims changed their QIBLA from JERUSALEM to KAABA in MECCA, the Jews got a new pretext for objection and criticism. They reasoned: ``If the first QIBLA was right, then the second one which is KAABA must be wrong, and if the second QIBLA is right, then all your prayers done towards JERUSALEM, must have been nullified and rendered of no value!''

Here through this verse the flimsy reasons and hollow pretexts are answered saying: ``Whatever of verses we abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better than that or similar. Don't you know that Allah HAS power over all things?''

God's message from age to age is always the same, but its form may differ according to the needs and exigencies of the times. Therefore it is absurd to treat such verses as 2:115 as if it was abrogated by the verse 2:144, about QIBLA. One has to know that QURA"NIC revelations have been sent down in progrssive mode. We do turn in our prayers from Jerusalem towards, KAABA, but we never believe that God is only in one place. To any direction we turn we confront with the face of God, which of course cannot be seen with physical eyes. He is everywhere and nowhere! VERSE NO. 107

This verse is a complementary to the previous verse, and implies that God is the Creator and the owner of everything. It is a sign of HIS infinite power that his creation should take so many forms and shapes not only in the material world, but in the world of man's thought and expression: ``Don't you know that to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth? and besides HIM you have neither patron, nor helper.''

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أَمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَسْئَلُوا رَسُولَكُمْ كَمَا سُئِلَ مُوسَى مِن قَبْلُ وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ الْكُفْرَ بِالاِْيمَـنِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ السَّبِيلِ(( 108 ))

108- DO YOU WANT TO ASK YOUR PROPHET AS (THE IRRATIONAL QUESTIONS THAT) MOSES WAS ASKED OF OLD? AND WHOEVER CHANGES FAITH TO FAITHLESSNESS, HAS SURELY STRAYED FROM THE RIGHT PATH. (THE EVEN WAY OF NATURE)

THE COMMENTARY OCCASION OF REVELATION (VERSE NO. 108)

IBN-ABBASS has narrated that: ``VAHAB-IBN-ZAID and RA"FER-IBN-HARMALIH came to the prophet and said: If you get a letter from our Lord being addressed to us, so that we may read it, or if you make us streams of water to flow, we shall believe that you are a true prophet! To answer them it revealed: ``Do you want to ask your prophet as Moses was questioned before? But whoever changes from faith to unbelief, has of surety strayed from the even way. (OF NATURE AND CREATION)

BASELESS EXCUSES

It might have been the change of QIBLA that some of the Muslims as well as the pagans, who were enticed by the Jews, to ask the prophet irrational questions, as Moses was constantly harassed with foolish, offensive, and disingenuous questions by his own people. Hereby QURA"N gives a notice to Muslims not to follow the attitude taken by the Jews, and not to ask that sort of impertinent question, that they too, may come to a fate similar to that of the Israelites. Of course, we should not mistake rational or scientific questions which are asked for real

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instruction, with the questions for creating excuses and objections - Questions for real instruction and increasing knowledge is not prohibited, but rather encouraged and recommended. Even it is not forbidden in Islam to ask a prophet for miracle, in order to improve one's faith or to make someone a convert, because such are the ways of understanding and comprehensions.

وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ لَوْيَرُدُّونَكُم مِّن بَعْدِ إِيمَـنِكُمْ كُفَّاراً حَسَداً مِّنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم مِّن بَعدِ مَاتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الْحَقُّ فَاعْفُواْ واصْفَحُوا حَتَّى يَأْتِىَ اللهُ بِأَمْرِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْء قَدِيرٌ(( 109 ))

109- MANY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK WHISH THEY COULD TURN YOU BACK TO INFIDELITY, AFTER YOU HAVE BELIEVED; OUT OF SELFISH ENVY, AFTER THE TRUTH HAS BECOME CLEAR TO THEM. BUT YOU FORGIVE AND OVERLOOK, TILL ALLAH BRINGS FORTH HIS COMMAND.

SURELY ALLAH HAS POWER OVER ALL THINGS.

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَوةَ وَءَاتُوا الزَّكَوةَ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لاَِنْفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْر تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللهِ إِنَّ اللهَ بِمَآ تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ(( 110 ))

110- AND PERFORM THE PRAYER, AND PAY THE ALMS- TAX, (THE TITHE) AND WHATEVER GOOD YOU SEND FORWARD FOR YOUR SOULS, YOU SHALL FIND IT WITH ALLAH, (IN THE LIFE TO COME) FOR ALLAH SEES WHATEVER YOU DO.

THE COMMENTARY THE OBSTINATE JEALOUSES (VERSE NO. 109)

Most of the people of the book, and in particular the JEWS, were not only content with rejecting the new truth. They also insisted to

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make Muslims to recant their belief and renounce their religion. This verse was revealed to this effect that: ``Many of the people of the BOOK wish they could turn you back to infidelity after you have believed, from selfish envy; after the truth has become clear to them.'' In this relation the Holy Qura"n advises Muslims to be patient and forgiving against jealousy andd injustice, and it might be that by such overlook and forgiveness God's purpose would be fulfilled but we don't know the whole of God's plan.

VERSE NO. 110

Through this verse two very important instructions are given to Muslims: The first one is keeping spiritual connection with God by performing the daily prayers, and the second instruction is to have physical and social contacts with people by paying the alms-tax. The verse ends with the promise that nothing of our good deeds such as charity and prayer; and of course our bad deeds too, will be abolished or done away with, as the verse alludes to: ``And whatever good you send forward for your souls you shall find it with Allah, (IN THE LIFE TO COME) for God sees all that you do.

وَقَالُوا لَن يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلاَّ مَن كَانَ هُوداً أَوْ نَصَـرَى تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَـْنَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ(( 111 ))

111- AND THEY SAID: ``NONE SHALL ENTER PARADISE, UNLESS HE BE A JEW, OR A CHRISTIAN.'' SUCH ARE THEIR DESIRES. SAY BRING UP YOUR PROOF IF YOU ARE TRUTHFUL.

بَلَى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ للهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَهُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ(( 112 )) 112- YES! WHOEVER SUBMITTED HIMSELF TO ALLAH, AND IS A GOOD-DOER, HIS WAGE IS WITH HIS LORD; ON THEM SHALL BE NO FEAR, NOR SHALL THEY GRIEVE.

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THE COMMENTARY THE MONOPOLISTS OF PARADISE (VERSE NO. 111)

This verse allude to another vain desire and flimsy claim of a group of the Jews as well as Christians, and gives them a knocking-down answer: ``They said none enters the Paradise, unless he be a Jew, or a Christian.'' It firstly mentions that this is their wish and vain desire to which they will not reach. Then the prophet is addressed here: ``Say to the people of the BOOK, if you are truthful in that claim, then bring your proof. VERSE NO. 112

After proving that their claim is not supported by any reason, and they can never monopole the Grace of God and HIS Garden of Bliss, the verse presents a general law for salvation and entering the paradise, to wit: ``Whoever submits his whole self to Allah and is a doer of good acts, he will have his reward with his Lord in the life to come, which results to salvation and entering paradise.''

وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ النَّصَـرَى عَلَى شَىْء وَقَالَتِ النَّصَـرَى لَيْسَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى شَىْء وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ الْكِتَـبَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ فَاللهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ فِيَما كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ(( 113 ))

113- THE JEWS SAID: THE CHRISTIANS STAND NOT ON ANYTHING (IN THE MATTER OF GOD)

AND THE CHRISTIANS SAID: THE JEWS STAND NOT ON ANYTHING; YET THEY RECITE THE (SAME) BOOK. SO SAID THE IGNORANTS LIKE WHAT THEY SAID. THEN ALLAH WILL JUDGE BETWEEN THEM ON THE DAY OF RESURRECTION IN WHAT THEY DIFFER.

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THE COMMENTARY OCCASION OF REVELATION (VERSE NO. 113)

Some commentators have narrated from IBN-ABBAS that: ``When a Christian mission from NAJRAN, visited the prophet; some of the Jewish rabbis were also present there, and both party were engaged in a hot dispute with each other, in the presence of Holy Apostle!'' One of the Jews whose name was RAFEA-IBN-HARMALEH, said to the Christians: ``Your religion stands on no foundation, and in the matter of God stands on nothing. He denied and rejected the revelation of the New Tastament, and also the prophethood of Jesus Christ.'' A man also from among the Christian group, got up and said the same things to the Jews; and to this effect the verse NO. 113 revealed.

THE CONFLICT DUE TO MONOPOLISM

In the preceding verse, we read some of the vain, and hollow claims of the Jews, which were not supported by any proof or reason. In fact when unreasonable claims put a leg forward, monopolism appears, and the final consequence of that, shall be conflict and clashes of divergence of opinions.

``The Jews said that the Christians stand on nothing; and the Christians passed the same word to the Jews that they stand not on anything. Yet both parties recite the Scripture. So said the pagan Arabs, and the ignorants like their saying.'' This was indeed a proof of their ignorance that both of the parties studied the same scripture or at least a similar book, but all of them refused to tolerate each other's divergence of ideas and opinions: Therefore God will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection in what they differ.

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَـجِدَ اللهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ وَسَعَى فِى خَرَابِهَا أُوْلَـئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن يَدْخُلُوهَا إِلاَّ خَآئِفِينَ لَهُمْ فِى الدُّنْيَا خِزْىٌ وَلَهُمْ فِى الاَْخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ(( 114 ))

114- AND WHO IS MORE UNJUST THAN HE WHO FORBIDS THE MOSQUES OF ALLAH FROM HIS NAME BEING MENTIONED IN

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THEM, AND TRY TO RUIN THEM. SUCH MEN SHOULD NOT ENTER THEM EXCEPT IN FEAR. FOR THEM IS DISGRACE IN THIS WORLD, AND IN THE LIFE TO COME A GREAT TORMENT.

THE COMMENTARY OCCASION OF REVELATION (VERSE NO. 114)

It is narrated from HAZRAT IMAM SADIQ (AS): ``That the pagans in Mecca tried to shut out the Muslim Arabs from the scared shrine of KABBA, which was the house of God, as they used to call it, and a universal place for worship of Allah.

COMMENTS

The verse taken in a general sense, may address the Pagan Arabs, the Jews, the Christians, and all those who tread on the same path of invading the freedom of worship, by preventing others from entering a public mosque; so long as a person enters reverently, and does nothing outwardly to cause offence to the other worshippers.

``And who is more unjust than he who forbids the mosques of Allah from HIS name being mentioned in them, and try to ruin them?'' The verse is continued saying: ``Such men should themselves not enter the mosques except in fear.'' That is to say: All the MONOTHEISTS OF THE WORLD, should unite and stay firmly in order to cut out the hands of such unjust men from the Sancturies and universal centers of worship; or else the sanctity and the very existence of such centers will be destroyed; and God's wrath will fall upon the destroyers in the form of disgrace in this life and great torment in the life to come!

وَللهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ فَأَيْنَمـَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللهِ إِنَّ اللهَ وَسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ(( 115 )) 115- TO ALLAH BELONGS THE EAST AND THE WEST; THEREFORE, WHEREVER YOU TURN, THERE IS THE PRESENCE OF ALLAH. HE IS OMNIPRESENT AND ALL-KNOWING

THE COMMENTARY OCCASION OF REVELATION. (VERSE NO. 115)

IBN-ABBASS said: This verse revealed about the change of QIBLA; when Muslims were commanded to turn their face in their prayer towards KABBA instead of the Temple in Jerusalem. When it happened so, the Jews objected saying; it is not possible to change QIBLA! Then the verse was sent down saying, wherever you turn your face there is the presence of Allah to whom belongs the East and the West The ARABIC ``WAJH'', literally means FACE, but as a physical face cannot be proved for Him, it was taken to mean His PRESENCE.

COMMENTS

The preceding verse, mentioned of ruining the house of God, and the center of worship; by invading the freedom of worship in them; and now the same argument is continued saying: East and West belongs to God, and wherever you turn your face you will be face to face with Allah, because He is OMNIPRESENT and ALL-KNOWING. That is to say: God is not chained or bound in a private place, such as mosque or church in order to be worshipped therein only. No where is empty of the presence of the OMNIPRESENT; and wherever you look to, you will find HIM present there.

وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللهُ وَلَداً سُبْحَـنَهُ بَل لَّهُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاَْرْضِ كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَـنِتُونَ(( 116 )) 116- AND THEY (THE JEWS AND CHRISTIANS) SAY: ALLAH HAS TAKEN FOR HIMSELF A SON! GLORY BE TO HIM! RATHER TO HIM BELONGS WHATEVER IS IN THE HEAVENS AND EARTH. ALL ARE OBEDIENT TO HIM.

بَدِيعُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاَْرْضِ وَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْراً فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ(( 117 )) 117- ORIGINATOR OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, AND WHEN HE DECREES AN ORDER, HE SAYS TO IT, ``BE'' AND IT ``WILL BE''.

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THE COMMENTARY SUPERSTITION OF THE CHRISTIANS, JEWS, AND PAGANS

(VERSE NO. 116) The superstitious belief, that God may beget a son, is accepted by some Christians, as well as some of the Jews; but it is emphatically repudiated by Islam: ``They say: Allah has taken for HIMSELF a son! Glory be to HIM!''

Such an idea derogates the glory of God, and is indeed blasphemy, to say that God may beget a son in material sense. If words have meaning, this idea means attribution of material nature of the lower animal function of sex. Why should God, the All-Power and All-Knowing, need to take a son for HIMSELF? The All-Mighty WHO, when decrees a matter will say: ``BE'' and it ``WILL BE'', and He, who all the creation is obedient to Him; will be derogated in glory to ascribe a son or a daughter to Him.

VERSE NO. 117 God is not only the owner of all existence, and all the creatures but also the creator and the Originator of all of them, such as the heavens and the earth; and whatever is in them. everything owes it's origin to Allah who is the basis of existence and the cause of all causes.