1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,759
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

2
00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:32,299
The gracious commentary

3
00:00:32,299 --> 00:00:35,299
on the book "Identification Cards

4
00:00:35,299 --> 00:00:37,299
for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an"

5
00:00:38,299 --> 00:00:42,299
by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nasif,

6
00:00:42,299 --> 00:00:44,359
may Allah preserve him.

7
00:00:44,359 --> 00:00:46,359
Surah Luqman.

8
00:00:46,359 --> 00:00:48,359
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

9
00:00:48,359 --> 00:00:52,490
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.

10
00:00:53,250 --> 00:00:55,250
We continue with our gracious commentary on the identification cards,

11
00:00:55,250 --> 00:00:57,659
focusing on Surah Luqman.

12
00:00:57,659 --> 00:00:59,659
I would like to make three brief observations regarding it.

13
00:00:59,659 --> 00:01:01,759
The first observation concerns the name of the surah.

14
00:01:01,759 --> 00:01:05,760
Although its name shares a common feature with other surahs

15
00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:07,760
in being the name of a man,

16
00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:09,760
the crucial difference between it

17
00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:11,760
and those other surahs

18
00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:13,760
is that this individual's

19
00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:15,760
status as a prophet is disputed,

20
00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:17,760
and the more renowned opinion is that he was not a prophet.

21
00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:19,760
This contrasts with the other men

22
00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:21,859
after whom surahs were named.

23
00:01:22,620 --> 00:01:24,620
Does this not draw our attention to something

24
00:01:24,620 --> 00:01:26,620
whose corroboration is found in

25
00:01:26,620 --> 00:01:28,620
the words of Allah the Exalted: "And whoever obeys Allah [and the Messenger—they will be with those]

26
00:01:28,620 --> 00:01:30,620
“Whoso obeyeth Allah and the messenger, they are with those unto whom Allah hath shown favour, of the prophets and the saints and the martyrs and the righteous. The best of company are they!” (4:69)

27
00:01:30,620 --> 00:01:32,620
upon whom Allah has bestowed favor: the prophets,

28
00:01:32,620 --> 00:01:34,620
the steadfast affirmers of truth,

29
00:01:34,620 --> 00:01:37,099
the martyrs, and the righteous"?

30
00:01:37,099 --> 00:01:39,290
Prophethood

31
00:01:39,290 --> 00:01:41,290
cannot be attained through personal exertion,

32
00:01:41,290 --> 00:01:43,290
whereas the rank of the steadfast affirmers of truth and the degrees below it

33
00:01:43,290 --> 00:01:45,290
are realms wherein a person expends

34
00:01:45,290 --> 00:01:47,290
every effort to attain them.

35
00:01:47,290 --> 00:01:49,349
So I say—and this is a subject

36
00:01:49,349 --> 00:01:51,349
for mutual study and contemplation:

37
00:01:51,349 --> 00:01:53,349
Does naming a surah

38
00:01:53,349 --> 00:01:55,349
after Luqman, who was not a prophet

39
00:01:55,349 --> 00:01:57,670
according to the more sound view,

40
00:01:57,670 --> 00:01:59,670
remind us that one may ascend

41
00:01:59,670 --> 00:02:01,670
to immense spiritual heights, even though

42
00:02:01,670 --> 00:02:03,670
one cannot reach the station of prophethood?

43
00:02:03,670 --> 00:02:06,150
The station of prophethood is truly magnificent,

44
00:02:06,150 --> 00:02:08,150
yet it remains beyond our reach.

45
00:02:08,150 --> 00:02:10,180
So might this surah

46
00:02:10,180 --> 00:02:12,180
serve as a means

47
00:02:12,180 --> 00:02:14,180
to bring him closer to our reach, or

48
00:02:14,180 --> 00:02:16,180
should we elevate his status because the righteous

49
00:02:16,180 --> 00:02:18,500
are companions to the prophets?

50
00:02:18,500 --> 00:02:20,500
Indeed, Luqman accompanied

51
00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:22,500
in a spiritual sense

52
00:02:22,500 --> 00:02:24,500
those very prophets by having his name become

53
00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:26,599
the title of a surah in the Qur'an.

54
00:02:26,599 --> 00:02:28,599
I present this issue purely as

55
00:02:28,599 --> 00:02:30,599
a matter of reflection, rather than

56
00:02:30,599 --> 00:02:32,599
an assertion of definitive certainty.

57
00:02:32,599 --> 00:02:34,599
It is merely an attempt on my part

58
00:02:34,599 --> 00:02:36,599
to indicate that

59
00:02:36,599 --> 00:02:38,599
in the names of surahs, as in other matters,

60
00:02:38,599 --> 00:02:40,599
there is ample room for scholarly reflection and contemplation.

61
00:02:40,599 --> 00:02:42,729
The second observation

62
00:02:42,729 --> 00:02:44,789
concerns the dating and chronological context of the surah.

63
00:02:44,789 --> 00:02:46,789
It has been authentically established

64
00:02:46,789 --> 00:02:48,789
that parts of this surah were revealed before

65
00:02:48,789 --> 00:02:50,860
the verse in Surah al-An'am.

66
00:02:50,860 --> 00:02:52,860
For on the authority of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud,

67
00:02:52,860 --> 00:02:54,860
may Allah be pleased with him: when this verse was revealed,

68
00:02:54,860 --> 00:02:56,860
“Those who believe and obscure not their belief by wrongdoing, theirs is safety; and they are rightly guided.” (6:82)

69
00:02:56,860 --> 00:02:59,050
"[...and did not obscure] their faith with wrongdoing,"

70
00:02:59,050 --> 00:03:01,050
it weighed heavily on the Companions of the Messenger of Allah,

71
00:03:01,050 --> 00:03:03,050
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and they asked:

72
00:03:03,050 --> 00:03:05,050
"Which of us has not obscured his faith with wrongdoing?"

73
00:03:05,050 --> 00:03:07,050
Thereupon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

74
00:03:07,050 --> 00:03:09,050
"It is not as you think.

75
00:03:09,050 --> 00:03:11,050
Have you not heard the words of Luqman

76
00:03:11,050 --> 00:03:13,050
to his son: 'Indeed, associating partners with Allah is a tremendous wrongdoing'?"

77
00:03:13,050 --> 00:03:15,110
And this

78
00:03:15,110 --> 00:03:17,110
makes us realize that

79
00:03:17,110 --> 00:03:19,110
the chronology of revelation can sometimes be deduced

80
00:03:19,110 --> 00:03:21,110
from unexpected sources.

81
00:03:21,110 --> 00:03:23,110
A mere interpretation of one verse by another

82
00:03:23,110 --> 00:03:25,110
can reveal to us

83
00:03:25,110 --> 00:03:27,110
that one verse preceded another, just as

84
00:03:27,110 --> 00:03:29,110
is the case here. I would also mention another example:

85
00:03:29,110 --> 00:03:31,110
Surah al-Ma'idah

86
00:03:31,110 --> 00:03:33,110
is widely held to have been revealed quite late,

87
00:03:33,110 --> 00:03:35,110
yet it contains verses mentioned

88
00:03:35,110 --> 00:03:37,110
before the Battle of Badr,

89
00:03:37,110 --> 00:03:39,400
within the discourse of the Companions with the Prophet,

90
00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:41,400
peace be upon him,

91
00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,400
“They said: O Moses! We will never enter (the land) while they are in it. So go thou and thy Lord and fight! We will sit here.” (5:24)

92
00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,400
which occurred in that account.

93
00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,400
Thus, the main point is that

94
00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,400
interpreting the Qur'an by the Qur'an,

95
00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:51,400
or rather, interpreting the Qur'an by the Sunnah,

96
00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,400
sheds light on aspects of

97
00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,530
the chronology of revelation.

98
00:03:55,530 --> 00:03:57,530
The third and final observation

99
00:03:57,530 --> 00:03:59,659
is that the central theme of the surah

100
00:03:59,659 --> 00:04:01,659
is the vital necessity of seeking guidance

101
00:04:01,659 --> 00:04:03,780
through the Wise Book of Allah.

102
00:04:03,780 --> 00:04:05,780
We notice that

103
00:04:05,780 --> 00:04:07,780
it is stated in the surah:

104
00:04:07,780 --> 00:04:09,780
"And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech

105
00:04:09,780 --> 00:04:12,389
to mislead from the way of Allah..."

106
00:04:12,389 --> 00:04:14,389
And the vast majority of the salaf (early generations),

107
00:04:14,389 --> 00:04:16,389
including our masters

108
00:04:16,389 --> 00:04:18,389
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

109
00:04:18,389 --> 00:04:20,389
and 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas,

110
00:04:20,389 --> 00:04:22,490
may Allah be pleased with them,

111
00:04:22,490 --> 00:04:24,490
interpreted this verse

112
00:04:24,490 --> 00:04:26,490
as referring to singing.

113
00:04:26,490 --> 00:04:28,490
Certain contemporary thinkers have taken issue with this view.

114
00:04:28,490 --> 00:04:30,550
I do not wish

115
00:04:30,550 --> 00:04:32,550
to dwell at great length on this,

116
00:04:32,550 --> 00:04:34,550
but I want to emphasize that this verse aligns impeccably with the context.

117
00:04:34,550 --> 00:04:36,550
Interpreting the verse as referring to singing

118
00:04:36,550 --> 00:04:38,550
is exceptionally appropriate to the textual flow.

119
00:04:38,550 --> 00:04:40,550
For this reason, Ibn Kathir commented

120
00:04:40,550 --> 00:04:42,550
on these verses, saying regarding "And of the people...":

121
00:04:42,550 --> 00:04:44,550
He said:

122
00:04:44,550 --> 00:04:46,550
"When Allah the Exalted mentioned the state of the felicitous—

123
00:04:46,550 --> 00:04:48,550
who are guided by the Book of Allah

124
00:04:48,550 --> 00:04:50,550
and derive benefit from listening to it,

125
00:04:50,550 --> 00:04:52,550
just as Allah the Exalted stated:

126
00:04:52,550 --> 00:04:54,550
“Allah hath (now) revealed the fairest of statements, a Scripture consistent, (wherein promises of reward are) paired (with threats of punishment), whereat doth creep the flesh of those who fear their Lord, so that their flesh and their hearts soften to Allah's reminder. Such is Allah's guidance, wherewith He guideth whom He will. And him whom Allah sendeth astray, for him there is no guide.” (39:23)

127
00:04:54,550 --> 00:04:56,550
'[Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration.] The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver therefrom,

128
00:04:56,550 --> 00:04:58,550
then their skins and their hearts soften

129
00:04:58,550 --> 00:05:00,550
to the remembrance of Allah.

130
00:05:00,550 --> 00:05:02,550
That is the guidance of Allah by which He guides whom He wills,

131
00:05:02,550 --> 00:05:04,550
“Allah hath (now) revealed the fairest of statements, a Scripture consistent, (wherein promises of reward are) paired (with threats of punishment), whereat doth creep the flesh of those who fear their Lord, so that their flesh and their hearts soften to Allah's reminder. Such is Allah's guidance, wherewith He guideth whom He will. And him whom Allah sendeth astray, for him there is no guide.” (39:23)

132
00:05:04,550 --> 00:05:06,550
and one whom Allah sends astray has no guide'—He coupled it with the mention

133
00:05:06,550 --> 00:05:08,550
of the state of the wretched,

134
00:05:08,550 --> 00:05:10,550
who turn away from benefiting

135
00:05:10,550 --> 00:05:12,550
from listening to the speech of Allah,

136
00:05:12,550 --> 00:05:14,550
turning instead to listen to

137
00:05:14,550 --> 00:05:16,550
musical pipes and song

138
00:05:16,550 --> 00:05:18,550
accompanied by melodies and musical instruments,

139
00:05:18,550 --> 00:05:21,100
as Ibn Mas'ud stated

140
00:05:21,100 --> 00:05:23,100
regarding the words of the Exalted: 'And of the people is he who buys

141
00:05:23,100 --> 00:05:25,100
the amusement of speech.' He said: 'By Allah, it is

142
00:05:25,100 --> 00:05:27,100
singing!'—to the end of his narration."

143
00:05:27,100 --> 00:05:29,100
The point to take note of in this correlation

144
00:05:29,100 --> 00:05:31,129
is that the surah speaks of the Qur'an,

145
00:05:31,129 --> 00:05:33,129
and issues a warning

146
00:05:33,129 --> 00:05:35,129
regarding whoever is preoccupied with anything besides the Qur'an.

147
00:05:35,129 --> 00:05:37,579
We do not claim that this

148
00:05:37,579 --> 00:05:39,579
verse is the sole proof

149
00:05:39,579 --> 00:05:41,579
for the prohibition of singing,

150
00:05:41,579 --> 00:05:43,579
for the proofs prohibiting singing are numerous.

151
00:05:43,579 --> 00:05:45,670
Rather, the statements of the salaf (early generations) came

152
00:05:45,670 --> 00:05:47,670
as if drawing attention

153
00:05:47,670 --> 00:05:49,670
to the inclusion of

154
00:05:49,670 --> 00:05:51,670
this particular practice within the general scope of

155
00:05:51,670 --> 00:05:53,670
the matter; otherwise, the issue of

156
00:05:53,670 --> 00:05:55,670
the prohibition of singing was already firmly established among them.

157
00:05:55,670 --> 00:05:57,800
And Allah knows best.

158
00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:59,800
With this, we bring to a close

159
00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:01,800
these three observations. I ask Allah

160
00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:03,800
to benefit us through the Magnificent Qur'an,

161
00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:05,800
and to make it an argument in our favor

162
00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:07,800
and not an argument against us.

163
00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:09,800
May Allah send blessings upon Muhammad and upon his family and Companions,

164
00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:11,800
and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.