In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A Gentle Commentary on the Book "Identification Cards for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an"
By Dr. Muhammad ibn Abdulaziz ibn Umar Naseef, may Allah preserve him.
Surah Ghafir.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
We are still with the gentle commentary on the identification cards, and specifically with Surah Ghafir.
I have three reflective pauses regarding it.
The first pause concerns what has been mentioned of its virtues,
Which is authentically established from Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him.
In the book, it was inadvertently mentioned as rejected, whereas it is actually established,
And the author did not mention the one who graded it as hasan (good) in its takhrij.
The reality is that it was graded hasan by the editor of Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Dr. Hikmat Bashir Yasin:
"The likeness of the Qur'an..."
And ponder over this parable:
"The likeness of the Qur'an is that of a man who set out to seek a suitable pasture and dwelling for his family,
And he passed by the traces of a beneficial rainfall; while he was walking through it and marveling at it,
He suddenly came upon lush, fertile, and verdant meadows.
So he said: 'I was amazed by the first rainfall, but this is even more amazing and wondrous!'
It was then said to him: 'The likeness of the first rain is like the greatness of the general Qur'an,
And the likeness of these lush, fertile meadows
Is like the family of Ha-Mim in the Qur'an.'"
Look at the visualization of Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him:
He sees that the one reciting the Qur'an is as if he is following green landscapes
That grew grass after drought due to the rainfall of the Qur'an,
Beautiful places that people eagerly seek out.
And we recognize this in our own environment,
Whereas in other lands, people might not be as affected by this,
Because greenery is naturally present everywhere there.
Then, when the reciter reaches the Ha-Mim surahs,
He has arrived at lush, fertile meadows;
Meaning that they are extraordinarily fruitful.
This conveys the profound importance of these surahs,
And it imparts—which is the point I wanted to pause at—
That this noble Companion,
Who is among the most knowledgeable Companions regarding the Qur'an,
Felt as though he were on a magnificent journey,
Moving between the surahs of the Qur'an,
Consciously aware of transitioning from one surah to another,
Especially when he reaches these magnificent surahs.
Here, I am reminded of the saying of Malik ibn Dinar:
"Indeed, the Qur'an is the springtime of the believers,
So what has the Qur'an cultivated in your hearts, O people of the Qur'an?"
Or as he said.
The second pause
Pertains to what is observed in this surah
Regarding the multiplicity of the names of the Day of Resurrection.
In it, the Day of Meeting (Yawm al-Talaq) is mentioned,
And He said: "And warn them of the Approaching Day (Yawm al-Azifah),"
“And, O my people! Lo! I fear for you a Day of Summoning,” (40:32)
"The Day you will turn around and flee,"
"The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening,"
"And the Day the Hour will be established,"
“The Fire; they are exposed to it morning and evening; and on the day when the Hour upriseth (it is said): Cause Pharaoh's folk to enter the most awful doom.” (40:46)
"Indeed, We will support Our messengers,"
“Lo! We verily do help Our messengers, and those who believe, in the life of the world and on the day when the witnesses arise,” (40:51)
"And the Day the witnesses will stand."
“Moses said: Lo! I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every scorner who believeth not in a Day of Reckoning.” (40:27)
“Moses said: Lo! I seek refuge in my Lord and your Lord from every scorner who believeth not in a Day of Reckoning.” (40:27)
The names of the Resurrection abound in this surah,
And these names generally require deep understanding and study.
One must learn about the Day of Resurrection;
And among the things that grant us knowledge of the Day of Resurrection
Is knowing its various names:
Why is it called the Hour?
Why is it called the Day of Calling (Yawm al-Tanad)?
And so forth.
From this, I transition to the third pause,
For it is directly connected to it:
The names of the Resurrection are plentiful in this surah,
And this is perfectly aligned with its overarching theme,
Highlighting a methodological principle for us
That might otherwise be overlooked regarding the theme of the surah.
For the central theme of the surah
Is clarifying the state of those who dispute concerning the clear Qur'an,
Refuting them, and warning them.
The surah revolves around disputation and argument.
Notice: "Ha-Mim,"
“The revelation of the Scripture is from Allah, the Mighty, the Knower,” (40:2)
"The Forgiver of sin and Accepter of repentance, Severe in punishment..."
“The Forgiver of sin, the Accepter of repentance, the Stern in punishment, the Bountiful. There is no Allah save Him. Unto Him is the journeying.” (40:3)
“None argue concerning the revelations of Allah save those who disbelieve, so let not their turn of fortune in the land deceive thee (O Muhammad).” (40:4)
Disputation is mentioned right at the beginning of the surah.
And many of the surahs that
Begin by mentioning the stances of the deniers and disbelievers,
Especially within the Ha-Mim family,
The surahs beginning with Ha-Mim—
I say: these surahs begin with these divine descriptions,
And then you find the entire surah
Harmonizing consistently with these attributes,
Whether in what it mentions of the states of the disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection—
You find it completely fitting—
Or in the historical narratives and other subjects it presents.
Thus, the surah is fundamentally built upon the theme of debate and disputation.
In it is the story of the Believer from the Family of Pharaoh,
Which is not mentioned anywhere else in the Qur'an.
The story of Moses has been mentioned frequently,
But the Believer of the Family of Pharaoh was not mentioned
Except in this particular surah,
As an exemplar of the type of debate and argument that pleases Allah
When calling the disbelievers to truth.
Then He said: "And when they will dispute with one another in the Fire,"
So He mentioned a mutual disputation,
Which is a form of argument,
On that Day—we seek refuge in Allah—after their perdition.
“And when they wrangle in the Fire, the weak say unto those who were proud: Lo! we were a following unto you; will ye therefor rid us of a portion of the Fire?” (40:47)
This is a continuation of the theme of disputation.
And here I return to the second pause,
In which I said that there are mentioned—
That the names of the Resurrection are mentioned abundantly in the surah.
What is the connection between this and disputation?
Or what is the core point I wish to arrive at?
The point I want to emphasize is that disputation,
Just as it requires rational and intellectual proofs—
When you encounter someone arguing against the verses of Allah—
Just as it requires rational proof,
It also necessitates admonitions that instill awe and fear;
It requires intimidating reminders (tarhib).
When some people encounter a so-called "rationalist"—
Though had he truly used his intellect, he would have recognized his Lord and affirmed His Oneness—
They engage with him purely through intellectual debates,
Forgetting to remind him of the Hereafter.
Yet Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He,
In the very surah built around the theme of disputation,
Multiplied the mention of the names of the Resurrection,
As if alerting us
That in our da'wah—
While the surah indeed includes rational arguments
And proofs for the Oneness of Allah
Across multiple verses—
Alongside them, it also explicitly mentions
The Day of Resurrection by its numerous names.
Thus, this awe-inspiring intimidation
Is entirely appropriate during disputation and debate.
Even if you possess rational proofs,
You establish the proofs while also instilling fear of Allah's reckoning.
Glory be to Allah, the Supreme!
The people of falsehood inevitably flee
From these terrifying, warning verses;
They hate listening to them.
If you truly deny the fundamental truth of the matter,
Why then do you fear the Hellfire,
And why do you become agitated and uncomfortable
When we mention it, and mention the Resurrection
And what will take place therein?
Indeed, this approach
Is what should be adopted
By callers to Islam when they engage in debate:
Reminding others of the Hereafter.
It is an appeal that resonates directly with the innate human disposition (fitrah)
And awakens it,
So that it may perhaps return to its Lord,
And perhaps that disputant
Will be deterred, repent,
Turn back to the truth, concede,
And believe in the Resurrection.
I will suffice with this amount.
May Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad,
And upon his family and companions.