1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,759 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2 00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:32,299 The gentle commentary 3 00:00:32,299 --> 00:00:35,299 on the book "Introductory Cards 4 00:00:35,299 --> 00:00:38,299 to 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 Nassif, 6 00:00:42,299 --> 00:00:44,359 may Allah preserve him. 7 00:00:44,359 --> 00:00:46,359 Surah al-Ahzab: 8 00:00:46,359 --> 00:00:48,359 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 9 00:00:48,359 --> 00:00:50,359 All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, 10 00:00:50,359 --> 00:00:52,359 and may peace and blessings be upon the Seal of 11 00:00:52,359 --> 00:00:54,359 the Prophets and Messengers, and upon his family. 12 00:00:55,119 --> 00:00:57,119 We are still with the gentle commentary 13 00:00:57,119 --> 00:00:59,119 on the introductory cards, 14 00:00:59,119 --> 00:01:01,119 and with Surah al-Ahzab, I pause with it 15 00:01:01,119 --> 00:01:03,119 for three observations. 16 00:01:03,119 --> 00:01:05,120 The first pause 17 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,120 concerns the opening of the Surah, for it 18 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,150 begins with a vocative address in general, 19 00:01:09,150 --> 00:01:11,150 and specifically, it opens with addressing the Prophet, 20 00:01:11,150 --> 00:01:13,150 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 21 00:01:13,150 --> 00:01:15,150 We have previously mentioned that a Surah 22 00:01:15,150 --> 00:01:17,150 opened with a vocative address allows 23 00:01:17,150 --> 00:01:19,150 tracing the vocative calls throughout it 24 00:01:19,150 --> 00:01:21,150 to help outline its division, 25 00:01:21,150 --> 00:01:23,150 recognize its sections, 26 00:01:23,909 --> 00:01:25,909 and indeed grasp its central objective. 27 00:01:25,909 --> 00:01:27,909 However, here 28 00:01:27,909 --> 00:01:29,909 I would like to make an addition, because this 29 00:01:29,909 --> 00:01:31,909 vocative address carries a unique distinction: 30 00:01:31,909 --> 00:01:33,909 it is among the verses of 31 00:01:33,909 --> 00:01:35,909 the Surah that opens with a vocative call, 32 00:01:35,909 --> 00:01:37,909 yet it specifically commences by addressing 33 00:01:37,909 --> 00:01:39,909 the Prophet, peace be upon him. 34 00:01:39,909 --> 00:01:41,909 And we know that the Prophet, peace be upon him, 35 00:01:41,909 --> 00:01:43,909 was addressed at the beginning of several Surahs 36 00:01:43,909 --> 00:01:45,909 with the description of Prophethood. 37 00:01:45,909 --> 00:01:47,909 Yet no Surah comes addressing him 38 00:01:47,909 --> 00:01:49,909 at its very beginning, 39 00:01:49,909 --> 00:01:51,909 in its opening verse, 40 00:01:52,670 --> 00:01:54,930 with: "O Messenger," 41 00:01:54,930 --> 00:01:56,930 but rather with: "O Prophet." 42 00:01:56,930 --> 00:01:58,989 Among them is this magnificent Surah. 43 00:01:58,989 --> 00:02:01,180 This establishes a general principle: 44 00:02:01,180 --> 00:02:03,180 whenever a Surah begins 45 00:02:03,180 --> 00:02:05,180 by addressing the Prophet, peace be upon him, 46 00:02:05,180 --> 00:02:07,180 the general rule is 47 00:02:07,180 --> 00:02:09,180 that this Surah accords 48 00:02:09,180 --> 00:02:11,180 special care 49 00:02:11,180 --> 00:02:13,180 to the Prophet, peace be upon him, 50 00:02:13,180 --> 00:02:15,180 and to highlighting his lofty stature. 51 00:02:15,180 --> 00:02:17,180 For Prophethood differs from Messengership, 52 00:02:17,180 --> 00:02:19,180 and among their differences 53 00:02:19,180 --> 00:02:21,180 is that Prophethood, according to some views, 54 00:02:21,939 --> 00:02:23,939 signifies an immensely elevated rank. 55 00:02:23,939 --> 00:02:25,939 This is clearly manifest in this Surah. 56 00:02:25,939 --> 00:02:27,939 Other Surahs also begin in this manner, 57 00:02:27,939 --> 00:02:29,939 though I do not intend to trace 58 00:02:29,939 --> 00:02:31,939 every Surah that begins with "O Prophet" here; 59 00:02:31,939 --> 00:02:34,009 if you trace them, you will find them 60 00:02:34,009 --> 00:02:36,009 likewise, while some of them 61 00:02:36,009 --> 00:02:38,009 require deeper contemplation, such as Surah al-Talaq. 62 00:02:38,009 --> 00:02:40,009 One may refer to the statements of 63 00:02:40,009 --> 00:02:42,009 the exegetes regarding it and why it opened 64 00:02:42,009 --> 00:02:44,009 in that particular matter 65 00:02:44,009 --> 00:02:46,009 by addressing the Prophet, peace be upon him, 66 00:02:46,009 --> 00:02:48,169 concerning divorce. 67 00:02:48,169 --> 00:02:50,169 Here, Allah said: "O Prophet." 68 00:02:50,930 --> 00:02:52,930 Thus, alongside the Surah's special connection 69 00:02:52,930 --> 00:02:54,930 to the Prophet, peace be upon him— 70 00:02:54,930 --> 00:02:56,930 and indeed it is so, as I have stated— 71 00:02:56,930 --> 00:02:58,930 and although the Surah establishes the Muslim community 72 00:02:58,930 --> 00:03:00,930 upon piety as its core theme, 73 00:03:00,930 --> 00:03:02,930 it nevertheless possesses a distinctive emphasis: 74 00:03:02,930 --> 00:03:04,930 namely, the aspect of proper etiquette 75 00:03:04,930 --> 00:03:06,930 toward our master, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. 76 00:03:06,930 --> 00:03:08,930 You will find a number of verses 77 00:03:08,930 --> 00:03:10,930 that clearly demonstrate this, 78 00:03:10,930 --> 00:03:13,060 such as: "O Prophet! 79 00:03:13,060 --> 00:03:15,060 Indeed, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, 80 00:03:15,060 --> 00:03:17,060 a warner, and a caller to Allah by His permission, 81 00:03:17,060 --> 00:03:19,060 and an illuminating lamp." 82 00:03:19,819 --> 00:03:21,819 “Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” (33:56) 83 00:03:21,819 --> 00:03:23,819 "And send blessings upon him and salute him with peace." 84 00:03:23,819 --> 00:03:26,139 And other such verses. 85 00:03:26,139 --> 00:03:28,139 One can trace this theme of showing proper reverence 86 00:03:28,139 --> 00:03:30,139 toward the Messenger of Allah all the way to the verses: 87 00:03:30,139 --> 00:03:32,139 “O ye who believe! Be not as those who slandered Moses, but Allah proved his innocence of that which they alleged, and he was well esteemed in Allah's sight.” (33:69) 88 00:03:32,139 --> 00:03:34,139 "Then Allah cleared him of what they said." 89 00:03:34,139 --> 00:03:36,139 Thus, addressing the Prophet, peace be upon him, 90 00:03:36,139 --> 00:03:38,139 with this specific title 91 00:03:38,139 --> 00:03:40,139 is an artistic opening (bara'at al-istihlal) 92 00:03:40,139 --> 00:03:42,139 that points us toward the overarching aim of the Surah, 93 00:03:42,139 --> 00:03:44,139 as well as an essential matter that ought 94 00:03:44,139 --> 00:03:46,139 to be observed throughout the Surah: his revered status, peace be upon him. 95 00:03:46,139 --> 00:03:48,139 The second pause: 96 00:03:48,900 --> 00:03:50,900 looking at the two aforementioned 97 00:03:50,900 --> 00:03:52,900 halves of the Surah, 98 00:03:52,900 --> 00:03:54,900 we find that the end of the first half 99 00:03:54,900 --> 00:03:56,930 contains a strong exhortation 100 00:03:56,930 --> 00:03:58,930 to remember Allah abundantly: 101 00:03:58,930 --> 00:04:00,930 "O you who have believed, 102 00:04:00,930 --> 00:04:02,930 remember Allah with much remembrance," and the following verses. 103 00:04:02,930 --> 00:04:04,930 Meanwhile, the beginning of the second half 104 00:04:04,930 --> 00:04:06,930 is a fragrant commendation 105 00:04:06,930 --> 00:04:08,990 of the Prophet, peace be upon him: 106 00:04:08,990 --> 00:04:10,990 "O Prophet! 107 00:04:10,990 --> 00:04:12,990 Indeed, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner," 108 00:04:12,990 --> 00:04:14,990 which are the verses I previously cited. 109 00:04:14,990 --> 00:04:16,990 Through this, I wish to address an important point: 110 00:04:16,990 --> 00:04:18,990 namely, that Medinan Surahs, 111 00:04:18,990 --> 00:04:20,990 while discussing legal rulings 112 00:04:20,990 --> 00:04:22,990 across many of their chapters, 113 00:04:22,990 --> 00:04:24,990 including this Surah, 114 00:04:24,990 --> 00:04:26,990 are never devoid of moral and spiritual admonition. 115 00:04:26,990 --> 00:04:28,990 This is distinctly evident 116 00:04:28,990 --> 00:04:30,990 in this Surah and in Surah an-Nisa' 117 00:04:30,990 --> 00:04:32,990 in particular, as well as in other Surahs. 118 00:04:32,990 --> 00:04:34,990 Yet each Surah 119 00:04:34,990 --> 00:04:36,990 possesses a unique character in its admonition. 120 00:04:36,990 --> 00:04:38,990 Here, we find that uniqueness lies 121 00:04:38,990 --> 00:04:40,990 in occupying oneself with remembrance of Allah, 122 00:04:40,990 --> 00:04:42,990 invoking blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 123 00:04:42,990 --> 00:04:44,990 and recognizing his esteemed rank. 124 00:04:44,990 --> 00:04:46,990 It is as though this corresponds 125 00:04:46,990 --> 00:04:48,990 to several verses 126 00:04:48,990 --> 00:04:50,990 found within the Surah; 127 00:04:50,990 --> 00:04:53,149 for among the historical events tied 128 00:04:53,149 --> 00:04:55,149 to the Surah was the incident 129 00:04:55,149 --> 00:04:57,149 of the marriage of the Prophet, peace be upon him, 130 00:04:57,149 --> 00:04:59,149 to the woman who had previously been married 131 00:04:59,149 --> 00:05:01,149 to Zayd, 132 00:05:01,149 --> 00:05:03,149 his adopted son— 133 00:05:03,149 --> 00:05:05,149 whom he had adopted before 134 00:05:05,149 --> 00:05:07,149 divine legislation was revealed abolishing 135 00:05:07,149 --> 00:05:09,149 adoption—so the Prophet, peace be upon him, 136 00:05:09,149 --> 00:05:11,149 married the former wife 137 00:05:11,149 --> 00:05:13,149 of his adopted son. 138 00:05:13,149 --> 00:05:15,470 In such circumstances, there can be much 139 00:05:15,470 --> 00:05:17,470 idle gossip and rumors. 140 00:05:17,470 --> 00:05:19,470 Therefore, there came the command: "Remember Allah 141 00:05:19,470 --> 00:05:21,470 with abundant remembrance," 142 00:05:21,470 --> 00:05:23,470 followed by: "Indeed, Allah and His angels 143 00:05:23,470 --> 00:05:25,470 confer blessings upon the Prophet," and: "Indeed, 144 00:05:25,470 --> 00:05:27,470 We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner." 145 00:05:27,470 --> 00:05:29,470 Thus, occupying oneself with the remembrance of Allah 146 00:05:29,470 --> 00:05:31,470 during times of confusion and civil discord 147 00:05:31,470 --> 00:05:33,470 is a demanded duty—not merely in this specific incident, 148 00:05:33,470 --> 00:05:35,470 but as a general rule. 149 00:05:35,470 --> 00:05:37,470 Likewise, recognizing the stature of the Prophet, peace be upon him: 150 00:05:37,470 --> 00:05:39,470 when people engage in wrongful chatter, one must realize 151 00:05:39,470 --> 00:05:41,470 and be mindful that the Prophet's rank 152 00:05:41,470 --> 00:05:43,470 is truly immense. 153 00:05:43,470 --> 00:05:45,470 This brings us to the third pause, 154 00:05:45,470 --> 00:05:47,819 which concerns the occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul). 155 00:05:47,819 --> 00:05:49,819 Twelve occasions have been mentioned for this Surah, 156 00:05:49,819 --> 00:05:51,819 varying in their authenticity 157 00:05:51,819 --> 00:05:53,860 and in the strength of their indication of revelation. 158 00:05:53,860 --> 00:05:55,860 Some of them can help 159 00:05:55,860 --> 00:05:57,860 in determining the chronology of its revelation. 160 00:05:57,860 --> 00:05:59,860 I had written here "order of revelation," 161 00:05:59,860 --> 00:06:01,889 but no, they help in determining the chronology of revelation. 162 00:06:01,889 --> 00:06:03,889 The occasions of revelation mentioned in the Surah, 163 00:06:03,889 --> 00:06:05,889 along with others, 164 00:06:05,889 --> 00:06:07,889 help establish the timeline of revelation. 165 00:06:07,889 --> 00:06:09,889 He then cited a narration 166 00:06:09,889 --> 00:06:11,889 regarding the Battle of Uhud, 167 00:06:11,889 --> 00:06:13,889 at the end of which 168 00:06:13,889 --> 00:06:15,889 Anas said: "We used to see, 169 00:06:15,889 --> 00:06:17,889 or think, 170 00:06:17,889 --> 00:06:19,889 that this verse was revealed concerning him 171 00:06:19,889 --> 00:06:21,889 and those like him," 172 00:06:21,889 --> 00:06:23,889 to the end of the verse. 173 00:06:23,889 --> 00:06:25,889 Here arises an objection that was not suitable 174 00:06:25,889 --> 00:06:27,889 to mention 175 00:06:27,889 --> 00:06:29,889 in the book for the sake of brevity: 176 00:06:29,889 --> 00:06:31,889 namely, that this phrasing— 177 00:06:31,889 --> 00:06:33,889 "we used to see" 178 00:06:33,889 --> 00:06:35,889 or "we used to see or think"— 179 00:06:35,889 --> 00:06:37,889 might lead one to believe the matter 180 00:06:37,889 --> 00:06:39,889 was not definitively asserted. 181 00:06:39,889 --> 00:06:41,980 However, al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar pointed out 182 00:06:41,980 --> 00:06:43,980 that this hesitation did not come from the Companion; 183 00:06:43,980 --> 00:06:45,980 rather, it was from one 184 00:06:45,980 --> 00:06:47,980 of the narrators of the hadith, whereas the definitive wording 185 00:06:47,980 --> 00:06:49,980 is established in the narration of Sahih Muslim 186 00:06:49,980 --> 00:06:51,980 and the Musnad of Imam Ahmad. 187 00:06:51,980 --> 00:06:53,980 So this verse was revealed after 188 00:06:53,980 --> 00:06:55,980 the Battle of Uhud, 189 00:06:55,980 --> 00:06:57,980 whereas the verses preceding it and following it 190 00:06:57,980 --> 00:06:59,980 speak about the Battle of the Trench— 191 00:06:59,980 --> 00:07:01,980 the Battle of al-Ahzab. 192 00:07:01,980 --> 00:07:03,980 This is what I missed noting regarding the dating of revelation 193 00:07:03,980 --> 00:07:05,980 in the book; 194 00:07:05,980 --> 00:07:07,980 I will include it in the next edition. 195 00:07:07,980 --> 00:07:09,980 I wrote: "All of this 196 00:07:09,980 --> 00:07:11,980 helps determine the dating of much of it." 197 00:07:11,980 --> 00:07:13,980 It should have been added that 198 00:07:13,980 --> 00:07:15,980 a portion of it was revealed during the Battle of al-Ahzab, 199 00:07:15,980 --> 00:07:17,980 and the Battle of al-Ahzab, 200 00:07:17,980 --> 00:07:19,980 according to the well-known view, took place in the fifth year 201 00:07:19,980 --> 00:07:21,980 Fifth, there is a minor disagreement 202 00:07:21,980 --> 00:07:24,180 regarding this matter, though it is merely 203 00:07:24,180 --> 00:07:26,180 a semantic difference. I do not wish 204 00:07:26,180 --> 00:07:28,180 to delve into the Prophetic biography (Seerah), 205 00:07:28,180 --> 00:07:30,180 but I would note that knowledge of the Seerah 206 00:07:30,180 --> 00:07:32,180 is instrumental in understanding the Qur'an, 207 00:07:32,180 --> 00:07:34,180 discerning the chronology of revelation, 208 00:07:34,180 --> 00:07:36,180 and other such matters. 209 00:07:36,180 --> 00:07:38,180 I will suffice with this much, 210 00:07:38,180 --> 00:07:40,180 and send peace and blessings 211 00:07:40,180 --> 00:07:42,180 upon our master Muhammad, 212 00:07:42,180 --> 00:07:44,180 and upon his family and all his Companions.