1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,759 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. 2 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:32,259 A Gentle Commentary 3 00:00:32,259 --> 00:00:35,259 on the book "Identification Cards 4 00:00:35,259 --> 00:00:38,259 for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an" 5 00:00:38,259 --> 00:00:42,259 by Dr. Muhammad Ibn Abdul Aziz Ibn Omar Naseef, 6 00:00:42,259 --> 00:00:44,460 may Allah preserve him. 7 00:00:44,460 --> 00:00:46,460 Surah Al-Anbiya'. 8 00:00:46,460 --> 00:00:48,259 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. 9 00:00:48,259 --> 00:00:52,539 Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. 10 00:00:52,539 --> 00:00:55,539 We are continuing with our gentle commentary on "Identification Cards," 11 00:00:55,539 --> 00:00:57,539 and we have arrived at Surah Al-Anbiya'. 12 00:00:57,539 --> 00:01:00,670 I wish to pause and reflect on three points regarding it. 13 00:01:00,670 --> 00:01:03,570 As for the first point, 14 00:01:03,570 --> 00:01:07,180 it concerns the historical dating of the surah's revelation. 15 00:01:07,180 --> 00:01:10,459 The author notes that its style 16 00:01:10,459 --> 00:01:12,459 and its occasion of revelation 17 00:01:12,459 --> 00:01:16,459 might suggest an intensification of the conflict with the disbelievers. 18 00:01:16,459 --> 00:01:21,140 As I have mentioned before, the phrase "might suggest" 19 00:01:22,519 --> 00:01:25,519 signals that this matter is an interpretive judgment (ijtihad) 20 00:01:25,519 --> 00:01:28,519 and not grounded in definitive proofs. 21 00:01:28,519 --> 00:01:31,519 Rather, it is an inference drawn directly from the text. 22 00:01:31,519 --> 00:01:34,420 For indeed, we find within the text— 23 00:01:34,420 --> 00:01:36,420 meaning within the Qur'anic verses themselves— 24 00:01:36,420 --> 00:01:38,420 an intense and forceful tone. 25 00:01:38,420 --> 00:01:41,420 “Their reckoning draweth nigh for mankind, while they turn away in heedlessness.” (21:1) 26 00:01:41,420 --> 00:01:44,450 And so forth; there is severity 27 00:01:44,450 --> 00:01:46,450 and intimidating admonition. 28 00:01:46,450 --> 00:01:49,450 “And if a breath of thy Lord's punishment were to touch them, they assuredly would say: Alas for us! Lo! we were wrong-doers.” (21:46) 29 00:01:50,450 --> 00:01:53,450 Along with other similar verses. 30 00:01:53,450 --> 00:01:55,700 Thus, the style is unmistakably severe. 31 00:01:55,700 --> 00:01:57,700 The second factor is the occasion of revelation. 32 00:01:57,700 --> 00:02:01,700 The reported occasion of revelation reflects conflict 33 00:02:01,700 --> 00:02:05,700 and a contentious debate between that particular man 34 00:02:05,700 --> 00:02:09,150 and the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 35 00:02:09,150 --> 00:02:11,599 Combining both elements together 36 00:02:11,599 --> 00:02:13,729 gives the impression— 37 00:02:13,729 --> 00:02:15,729 though we cannot be entirely certain— 38 00:02:15,729 --> 00:02:19,759 it suggests an escalation in the struggle against the disbelievers. 39 00:02:19,759 --> 00:02:26,080 Consequently, this indicates that it is not among the earliest surahs to be revealed. 40 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:31,080 This aligns well with what was recorded regarding the date of its revelation 41 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,080 and its chronological order, as it is counted among the seventies. 42 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,080 The well-known transmission adopted in the book 43 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:43,080 sometimes agrees with the other historical traditions 44 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:47,080 and sometimes diverges from them, as we have seen previously 45 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,080 across numerous examples. 46 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,080 Therefore, you will notice this throughout the book; 47 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:54,080 otherwise, I explicitly point it out in certain places, 48 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,080 and I have likely drawn attention to it elsewhere. 49 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,180 As for the second point, 50 00:02:59,180 --> 00:03:01,620 it pertains to the prophetic narratives. 51 00:03:01,620 --> 00:03:05,099 It is well known that Surah Al-Anbiya' contains a great number of stories. 52 00:03:05,099 --> 00:03:14,189 In fact, these narratives are among the greatest aids in discerning the central theme of the surah, 53 00:03:14,189 --> 00:03:20,580 especially if they encompass a substantial portion— 54 00:03:20,580 --> 00:03:23,740 a significant part of the surah. 55 00:03:23,740 --> 00:03:26,960 Even when it is only a brief story, 56 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:28,960 it still maintains a connection to the overarching purpose of the surah. 57 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:33,250 However, in a surah like this, where the stories extend 58 00:03:33,250 --> 00:03:38,539 over more than two pages, or around more than three pages— 59 00:03:38,539 --> 00:03:40,539 three faces of the pages in the Mus-haf— 60 00:03:40,539 --> 00:03:44,539 they become especially helpful for comprehending the objective of the surah. 61 00:03:44,539 --> 00:03:48,819 Even so, one must also understand 62 00:03:49,819 --> 00:03:52,819 their structural composition and rhetorical phrasing; 63 00:03:52,819 --> 00:03:55,819 they must be understood within the context of the surah as a whole. 64 00:03:55,819 --> 00:03:58,819 It is, therefore, a reciprocal relationship. 65 00:03:58,819 --> 00:04:04,300 Perhaps something of this will become clearer in the third point. 66 00:04:04,300 --> 00:04:07,400 And in this third point, I say: 67 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:12,400 reading the surah from beginning to end in a single sitting 68 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:16,529 is essential for uncovering its core objective, 69 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:24,560 and vital for benefiting from and noticing its subtle insights and allusions. 70 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:29,720 An example will make the point clear, and this surah is an evident example. 71 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:34,199 We notice, for instance, at the beginning of the surah: "Mankind's reckoning has drawn near," 72 00:04:34,199 --> 00:04:38,259 and toward the end of the surah: "And the true promise draws near." 73 00:04:38,259 --> 00:04:44,259 We notice at the beginning of the surah: "He said: My Lord knows every word spoken in the heaven and the earth," 74 00:04:44,259 --> 00:04:48,259 while at the end of the surah: "He said: My Lord, judge with truth; 75 00:04:48,259 --> 00:04:53,839 and our Lord is the Most Merciful, Whose help is sought against what you describe." 76 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:58,319 When we look thereafter at the stories situated 77 00:04:58,319 --> 00:05:02,319 between these verses—right in the middle, after "Mankind's reckoning has drawn near," 78 00:05:02,319 --> 00:05:06,319 after "My Lord knows every word spoken in the heaven and the earth," and before "And the true promise draws near," 79 00:05:06,319 --> 00:05:09,449 and "My Lord, judge with truth"— 80 00:05:09,449 --> 00:05:13,449 we find that these stories are in complete harmony 81 00:05:13,449 --> 00:05:15,449 with what precedes them and what follows them. 82 00:05:15,449 --> 00:05:19,860 Notice the phrase: "My Lord knows every word spoken in the heaven and the earth, 83 00:05:19,860 --> 00:05:22,310 and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." 84 00:05:22,310 --> 00:05:28,540 You will observe throughout the prophets' stories in this surah a distinct emphasis on divine knowledge, 85 00:05:28,540 --> 00:05:32,949 and on Allah hearing His prophets and answering their prayers. 86 00:05:32,949 --> 00:05:35,949 This also corresponds seamlessly with the conclusion of the surah: 87 00:05:35,949 --> 00:05:39,949 "My Lord, judge with truth; and our Lord is the Most Merciful, Whose help is sought." 88 00:05:39,949 --> 00:05:43,050 Consider the word "Whose help is sought": from whom is help sought? 89 00:05:43,050 --> 00:05:46,050 The One Who rescued Abraham from the fire, 90 00:05:46,050 --> 00:05:50,050 the One Who likewise delivered Jonah from the whale, 91 00:05:50,050 --> 00:05:54,050 the One Who granted Zechariah a son, and so forth. 92 00:05:54,050 --> 00:05:59,050 Thus, you see that what comes before and after the narrative harmonizes perfectly with the narrative itself. 93 00:05:59,050 --> 00:06:03,050 Through this, the ultimate objective of the surah is understood. 94 00:06:03,050 --> 00:06:07,050 Therefore, we can refine our understanding of the surah's central theme 95 00:06:07,050 --> 00:06:11,050 by examining both the stories and the opening and closing passages of the surah. 96 00:06:12,050 --> 00:06:16,050 I would say that the surah's central theme is identified through reflecting upon its sections— 97 00:06:16,050 --> 00:06:18,050 and among its sections, of course, are the stories— 98 00:06:18,050 --> 00:06:22,050 that its theme, or rather within its sections where the stories are mentioned, 99 00:06:22,050 --> 00:06:26,050 is known through reflecting upon its divisions: that its core subject is 100 00:06:26,050 --> 00:06:29,050 refuting the specious arguments of the disbelievers, 101 00:06:29,050 --> 00:06:33,050 warning them of the approaching reckoning and the true promise, 102 00:06:33,050 --> 00:06:36,139 and reassuring the Master of the Messengers, 103 00:06:36,139 --> 00:06:41,139 particularly through the narratives recounted within the surah. 104 00:06:41,139 --> 00:06:43,850 I will suffice with this much, 105 00:06:43,850 --> 00:06:47,850 and I ask Allah to grant me and you the full benefit of His Magnificent Book. 106 00:06:47,850 --> 00:06:52,069 And may Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and Companions. 107 00:06:52,069 --> 00:06:54,069 And all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.