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 Gentle Commentary 3 00:00:32,299 --> 00:00:35,299 on the Book of Introductory Profiles 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 Nasif, 6 00:00:42,299 --> 00:00:44,460 may Allah preserve him. 7 00:00:44,460 --> 00:00:46,460 Surah Maryam. 8 00:00:46,460 --> 00:00:48,460 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, 9 00:00:48,460 --> 00:00:51,460 and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. 10 00:00:51,460 --> 00:00:52,700 "My Lord, make things easy and help!" 11 00:00:52,700 --> 00:00:54,700 We are still with "The Gentle Commentary 12 00:00:54,700 --> 00:00:56,700 on the Introductory Profiles," 13 00:00:56,700 --> 00:00:58,700 and with Surah Maryam, concerning which I have three reflective pauses. 14 00:00:58,700 --> 00:01:00,890 The first pause 15 00:01:00,890 --> 00:01:02,890 concerns the placement of the surah, 16 00:01:02,890 --> 00:01:04,890 which is one of the standard entry points 17 00:01:04,890 --> 00:01:06,890 in the book, as you know. 18 00:01:06,890 --> 00:01:08,890 It pertains to explaining the correlation 19 00:01:08,890 --> 00:01:10,890 between this surah and the one preceding it, 20 00:01:10,890 --> 00:01:12,890 and the primary reference for this 21 00:01:12,890 --> 00:01:14,890 is *Tanaasuq ad-Durar* by as-Suyuti, 22 00:01:14,890 --> 00:01:16,890 as I have mentioned before. 23 00:01:16,890 --> 00:01:18,890 He stated that it is the nineteenth surah 24 00:01:18,890 --> 00:01:20,890 in the sequence of the Mushaf. 25 00:01:20,890 --> 00:01:22,890 Among the correlations with al-Kahf is that its stories 26 00:01:22,890 --> 00:01:24,890 comprise wondrous events, 27 00:01:24,890 --> 00:01:26,890 yet the stories of Maryam are even more wondrous. 28 00:01:26,890 --> 00:01:28,890 Surah al-Kahf contains wondrous 29 00:01:28,890 --> 00:01:30,890 things, but 30 00:01:30,890 --> 00:01:32,890 the existence of a child without 31 00:01:32,890 --> 00:01:34,890 a father is far more wondrous. 32 00:01:34,890 --> 00:01:36,890 This more wondrous story 33 00:01:36,890 --> 00:01:38,890 was preluded by a wondrous one as well, 34 00:01:38,890 --> 00:01:40,890 namely the story of Zakariyya. 35 00:01:40,890 --> 00:01:42,890 It is as though the story of Zakariyya 36 00:01:42,890 --> 00:01:44,890 paved the way for the story of Maryam, 37 00:01:44,890 --> 00:01:46,890 and the stories of al-Kahf 38 00:01:46,890 --> 00:01:48,890 paved the way for the stories 39 00:01:48,890 --> 00:01:50,890 of Maryam—meaning the narrative 40 00:01:50,890 --> 00:01:52,890 at the beginning of Surah Maryam, 41 00:01:52,890 --> 00:01:54,890 unlike the story of Ibrahim 42 00:01:54,890 --> 00:01:56,890 and those after him. 43 00:01:56,890 --> 00:01:58,890 Here, the question arises: 44 00:01:58,890 --> 00:02:00,890 these surahs were not revealed in this sequential order 45 00:02:00,890 --> 00:02:02,890 when they were revealed to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; 46 00:02:02,890 --> 00:02:04,890 so how can it be claimed that it began with the wondrous 47 00:02:04,890 --> 00:02:06,890 and then moved to the more wondrous? 48 00:02:06,890 --> 00:02:08,889 If we consider the chronological order of revelation according to the well-known view, 49 00:02:08,889 --> 00:02:10,889 we would find that Maryam was revealed before 50 00:02:10,889 --> 00:02:12,889 al-Kahf. To this I say: 51 00:02:12,889 --> 00:02:14,889 First, scholars 52 00:02:14,889 --> 00:02:16,889 have two approaches. Some scholars hold 53 00:02:16,889 --> 00:02:18,889 that there is no need 54 00:02:18,889 --> 00:02:20,889 for an exegete to occupy himself 55 00:02:20,889 --> 00:02:22,889 with looking into 56 00:02:22,889 --> 00:02:24,889 the rationales behind the arrangement of surahs 57 00:02:24,889 --> 00:02:26,889 in the Mushaf, 58 00:02:26,889 --> 00:02:28,889 among whom is at-Tahir ibn 'Ashur, may Allah have mercy on him. 59 00:02:28,889 --> 00:02:30,889 Other scholars attempt 60 00:02:30,889 --> 00:02:32,889 to discover these thematic connections, 61 00:02:32,889 --> 00:02:34,889 fully aware that it is a matter of ijtihad, 62 00:02:34,889 --> 00:02:36,889 such as as-Suyuti 63 00:02:36,889 --> 00:02:38,889 and al-Biqa'i, among others. 64 00:02:38,889 --> 00:02:40,889 Therefore, discussing 65 00:02:40,889 --> 00:02:42,889 the sequence of the surahs in the Mushaf 66 00:02:42,889 --> 00:02:44,889 is not a matter unanimously agreed upon 67 00:02:44,889 --> 00:02:46,889 as being something one ought 68 00:02:46,889 --> 00:02:48,889 to delve into. 69 00:02:48,889 --> 00:02:50,889 That is the first point. 70 00:02:50,889 --> 00:02:52,889 Second, when we look at 71 00:02:52,889 --> 00:02:54,889 the chronological history of the revelation of the surahs, 72 00:02:54,889 --> 00:02:56,889 the explanations focus 73 00:02:56,889 --> 00:02:58,889 on how the discourse corresponds 74 00:02:58,889 --> 00:03:00,889 to the immediate contextual requirements of the revelation of that surah. 75 00:03:00,889 --> 00:03:02,889 But when we look at 76 00:03:02,889 --> 00:03:04,889 their sequence in the Mushaf, 77 00:03:04,889 --> 00:03:06,889 we examine the arrangement ordained and chosen 78 00:03:06,889 --> 00:03:08,889 by Allah for this Qur'an, 79 00:03:08,889 --> 00:03:10,889 so that it remains for the Ummah of the Prophet, peace be upon him, 80 00:03:10,889 --> 00:03:12,889 perpetually preserved in this order. 81 00:03:12,889 --> 00:03:14,889 These are two distinct matters. 82 00:03:14,889 --> 00:03:16,889 For instance, we say that Surah al-'Alaq 83 00:03:16,889 --> 00:03:18,889 was revealed 84 00:03:18,889 --> 00:03:20,889 first, 85 00:03:20,889 --> 00:03:22,889 or that the opening of Surah al-'Alaq was revealed first; 86 00:03:22,889 --> 00:03:24,889 so we examine its suitability in being 87 00:03:24,889 --> 00:03:26,889 the very first thing the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard. 88 00:03:26,889 --> 00:03:28,889 This is a connection related 89 00:03:28,889 --> 00:03:30,889 to the chronology of the surah's revelation. 90 00:03:30,889 --> 00:03:32,889 Yet there is another connection: how Surah al-'Alaq elaborated 91 00:03:32,889 --> 00:03:34,889 upon 92 00:03:34,889 --> 00:03:36,889 certain matters mentioned in Surah at-Tin. 93 00:03:36,889 --> 00:03:38,889 “Surely We created man of the best stature” (95:4) 94 00:03:38,889 --> 00:03:40,889 And regarding "Recite!", he said... 95 00:03:40,889 --> 00:03:42,889 “Createth man from a clot.” (96:2) 96 00:03:42,889 --> 00:03:45,050 Thus, there are two distinct perspectives, 97 00:03:45,050 --> 00:03:47,050 as was clearly pointed out 98 00:03:47,050 --> 00:03:49,050 by al-Biqa'i in his Tafsir. 99 00:03:49,050 --> 00:03:51,050 There is no contradiction between the two matters: 100 00:03:51,050 --> 00:03:53,050 each verse was suited to the time 101 00:03:53,050 --> 00:03:55,050 in which it was revealed, and then the surah 102 00:03:55,050 --> 00:03:57,050 is suited to its canonical placement 103 00:03:57,050 --> 00:03:59,050 in the Mushaf—which is, 104 00:03:59,050 --> 00:04:01,050 as I said, a matter of scholarly deduction. 105 00:04:01,050 --> 00:04:03,080 The second pause 106 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,110 concerns 107 00:04:05,110 --> 00:04:07,110 the only woman who 108 00:04:07,110 --> 00:04:09,110 was explicitly mentioned by name in the Qur'an, 109 00:04:09,110 --> 00:04:11,210 and after whom this surah was named: 110 00:04:11,210 --> 00:04:13,210 Surah Maryam. 111 00:04:13,210 --> 00:04:15,210 The most remarkable thing is that she is not from the Household of the Prophet, peace be upon him; 112 00:04:15,210 --> 00:04:17,209 she is not of the family of the Prophet, peace be upon him, 113 00:04:17,209 --> 00:04:19,209 nor from the Muhammadan prophetic household, 114 00:04:19,209 --> 00:04:21,209 nor is she an Arab, 115 00:04:21,209 --> 00:04:23,209 nor is she from the female Companions, for example. 116 00:04:23,209 --> 00:04:25,209 Rather, she is a Muslim woman 117 00:04:25,209 --> 00:04:27,209 who guarded her chastity. 118 00:04:27,209 --> 00:04:29,209 Truth be told, I have not come across— 119 00:04:29,209 --> 00:04:31,209 and this may be due to my own shortcoming 120 00:04:31,209 --> 00:04:33,209 or something slipping my mind— 121 00:04:33,209 --> 00:04:35,209 I have not seen an in-depth study 122 00:04:35,209 --> 00:04:37,269 devoted to this woman whom 123 00:04:37,269 --> 00:04:39,269 Allah honored 124 00:04:39,269 --> 00:04:41,269 in a manner He did not honor any other woman in all creation. 125 00:04:41,269 --> 00:04:43,269 For no woman was named, not even the wife of Pharaoh, 126 00:04:43,269 --> 00:04:45,269 despite her immense virtue, as He said: 127 00:04:45,269 --> 00:04:47,269 "And Allah presents an example of those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh." 128 00:04:47,269 --> 00:04:49,269 Yet He did not explicitly state her name, 129 00:04:49,269 --> 00:04:51,269 nor did He explicitly name any 130 00:04:51,269 --> 00:04:53,269 of the Mothers of the Believers. 131 00:04:53,269 --> 00:04:55,269 The virtue of all 132 00:04:55,269 --> 00:04:57,269 of them is established; 133 00:04:57,269 --> 00:04:59,269 the virtue of all those noble women 134 00:04:59,269 --> 00:05:01,370 is undeniable, yet 135 00:05:01,370 --> 00:05:03,370 this woman was singled out 136 00:05:03,370 --> 00:05:05,370 with this unique distinction. 137 00:05:05,370 --> 00:05:07,370 It is therefore incumbent that one seeks to comprehend 138 00:05:07,370 --> 00:05:09,370 the true station of this woman, 139 00:05:09,370 --> 00:05:11,370 her worth, and her attributes. 140 00:05:11,370 --> 00:05:13,370 Remarkably, some people 141 00:05:13,370 --> 00:05:15,370 have come to imagine 142 00:05:15,370 --> 00:05:17,370 that Christians have a greater claim to Maryam than we do. 143 00:05:17,370 --> 00:05:19,370 This is completely false, for Christians hold 144 00:05:19,370 --> 00:05:21,370 an improper belief concerning her, 145 00:05:21,370 --> 00:05:23,370 attributing to her that which you well know, 146 00:05:23,370 --> 00:05:25,370 things that should not even be mentioned. 147 00:05:25,370 --> 00:05:27,370 As for us, we believe that she is 148 00:05:27,370 --> 00:05:29,370 a created servant having no share 149 00:05:29,370 --> 00:05:31,370 in divinity whatsoever, 150 00:05:31,370 --> 00:05:33,370 and that Allah has taken neither a companion nor a son. 151 00:05:33,370 --> 00:05:35,370 Furthermore, naming 152 00:05:35,370 --> 00:05:37,459 this surah Maryam 153 00:05:37,459 --> 00:05:39,459 serves as a form of invitation 154 00:05:39,459 --> 00:05:41,459 to Christians, for Christians 155 00:05:41,459 --> 00:05:43,500 love Maryam 156 00:05:43,500 --> 00:05:45,500 even prior to their Islam. Thus, when 157 00:05:45,500 --> 00:05:47,500 one embraces Islam and learns that Maryam 158 00:05:47,500 --> 00:05:49,500 is in the Qur'an, or when called to Islam 159 00:05:49,500 --> 00:05:51,500 and sees how revered Maryam is in the Qur'an, 160 00:05:51,500 --> 00:05:53,500 this profoundly draws him 161 00:05:53,500 --> 00:05:55,500 to Islam. I recall that one Christian, 162 00:05:55,500 --> 00:05:57,500 upon embracing Islam, remarked: 163 00:05:57,500 --> 00:05:59,500 "I gained Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 164 00:05:59,500 --> 00:06:01,589 without losing the Messiah." 165 00:06:01,589 --> 00:06:03,589 He may have authored a book on that, 166 00:06:03,589 --> 00:06:05,589 and he posted a lengthy video on YouTube. 167 00:06:05,589 --> 00:06:07,850 Thus, when Christians 168 00:06:07,850 --> 00:06:09,850 realize that we deeply honor 169 00:06:09,850 --> 00:06:11,850 Maryam and 'Isa, this leaves an impact 170 00:06:11,850 --> 00:06:13,850 on them, just as it was among the things 171 00:06:13,850 --> 00:06:15,850 that moved the Negus, may Allah have mercy on him. 172 00:06:15,850 --> 00:06:17,850 So, this is the second pause, 173 00:06:17,850 --> 00:06:19,850 and I urge researchers 174 00:06:19,850 --> 00:06:21,850 to produce studies on 175 00:06:21,850 --> 00:06:23,980 Maryam, peace be upon her. 176 00:06:23,980 --> 00:06:25,980 Such study should not merely consist of compiling 177 00:06:25,980 --> 00:06:27,980 the verses, but of deeply contemplating them 178 00:06:27,980 --> 00:06:30,009 and extracting their subtleties, 179 00:06:30,009 --> 00:06:32,259 for they are numerous verses across 180 00:06:32,259 --> 00:06:34,300 various surahs, as you know. 181 00:06:34,300 --> 00:06:36,300 The third and final pause 182 00:06:36,300 --> 00:06:38,490 concerns 183 00:06:38,490 --> 00:06:40,490 what has been transmitted regarding the occasion of revelation. 184 00:06:40,490 --> 00:06:42,490 He mentioned that an occasion of revelation was recorded for it, 185 00:06:42,490 --> 00:06:44,490 one of which is that the Prophet, 186 00:06:44,490 --> 00:06:46,490 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said 187 00:06:46,490 --> 00:06:48,490 to Jibril: "What prevents you from visiting us 188 00:06:48,490 --> 00:06:50,490 more often than you do?" 189 00:06:50,490 --> 00:06:52,490 Whereupon there was revealed: 190 00:06:52,490 --> 00:06:54,490 “We (angels) come not down save by commandment of thy Lord. Unto Him belongeth all that is before us and all that is behind us and all that is between those two, and thy Lord was never forgetful -” (19:64) 191 00:06:54,490 --> 00:06:56,490 "To Him belongs whatever is before 192 00:06:56,490 --> 00:06:58,519 us and whatever is behind us." 193 00:06:58,519 --> 00:07:00,519 I wanted to dwell upon this occasion because you will notice 194 00:07:00,519 --> 00:07:02,519 that the verses preceding it 195 00:07:02,519 --> 00:07:04,519 and following it 196 00:07:04,519 --> 00:07:06,519 do not relate to it 197 00:07:06,519 --> 00:07:08,519 directly. The opening of the surah 198 00:07:08,519 --> 00:07:10,519 up to the prostration describes the righteous servants of Allah, 199 00:07:10,519 --> 00:07:12,519 while what follows the prostration refutes 200 00:07:12,519 --> 00:07:14,519 the disbelievers and clarifies 201 00:07:14,519 --> 00:07:16,519 their deviation from the straight path. 202 00:07:16,519 --> 00:07:18,519 And these verses were revealed 203 00:07:18,519 --> 00:07:20,680 for this specific reason; therefore, 204 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:22,810 keeping this context in mind 205 00:07:22,810 --> 00:07:24,870 helps one 206 00:07:24,870 --> 00:07:26,870 avoid forced interpretations. 207 00:07:26,870 --> 00:07:28,870 Some scholars attempt 208 00:07:28,870 --> 00:07:30,870 to find an intricate textual link between this verse 209 00:07:30,870 --> 00:07:32,870 and the verse directly 210 00:07:32,870 --> 00:07:34,870 preceding it, 211 00:07:34,870 --> 00:07:36,870 whereas, in reality, it is distinct from it 212 00:07:36,870 --> 00:07:38,870 and was placed here by divine command. 213 00:07:38,870 --> 00:07:40,870 Among those who take a balanced approach regarding 214 00:07:40,870 --> 00:07:42,870 textual correlations and take such aspects into account 215 00:07:42,870 --> 00:07:44,870 is Sidi al-Tahir Ibn Ashur. 216 00:07:44,870 --> 00:07:46,870 Hence, he remarked here 217 00:07:46,870 --> 00:07:48,870 regarding "And we descend not except by the command of your Lord," 218 00:07:48,870 --> 00:07:50,870 saying that it is the conjunction of one passage to another, 219 00:07:50,870 --> 00:07:52,870 despite the change in addressee. 220 00:07:52,870 --> 00:07:54,870 In the preceding verse, "Then there succeeded after them 221 00:07:54,870 --> 00:07:56,970 an evil generation who neglected prayer..." 222 00:07:56,970 --> 00:07:58,970 he stated: it is the coupling of one narrative to another, 223 00:07:58,970 --> 00:08:00,970 despite the shift in addressee. 224 00:08:00,970 --> 00:08:02,970 By "story" he does not mean a literal tale; rather, 225 00:08:02,970 --> 00:08:04,970 it signifies connecting one theme to another theme 226 00:08:04,970 --> 00:08:06,970 alongside a shift in the addressee. 227 00:08:06,970 --> 00:08:08,970 And Allah commanded His Messenger 228 00:08:08,970 --> 00:08:11,129 to recite it here 229 00:08:11,129 --> 00:08:13,129 because it was revealed to form part of the Qur'an, 230 00:08:13,129 --> 00:08:15,129 just as he, may Allah have mercy on him, stated. 231 00:08:15,129 --> 00:08:17,129 This is an essential point, and alongside it lies an insight 232 00:08:17,129 --> 00:08:19,129 which I will dwell upon briefly, 233 00:08:19,129 --> 00:08:21,220 apologizing for taking too much of your time. 234 00:08:21,220 --> 00:08:23,220 These verses that appear 235 00:08:23,220 --> 00:08:25,259 as parenthetical insertions, 236 00:08:25,259 --> 00:08:27,379 as in this verse—and an even more prominent example— 237 00:08:27,379 --> 00:08:29,379 “Stir not thy tongue herewith to hasten it.” (75:16) 238 00:08:29,379 --> 00:08:31,379 are like "Do not hasten with it..."; the verses before and after it 239 00:08:31,379 --> 00:08:33,379 in Surah al-Qiyamah discuss 240 00:08:33,379 --> 00:08:35,379 other matters, and then the address shifts to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. 241 00:08:35,379 --> 00:08:37,419 And in other surahs, 242 00:08:37,419 --> 00:08:39,419 there are indeed similar parallels, 243 00:08:39,419 --> 00:08:41,419 where the Prophet, peace be upon him, is addressed amidst the verses. 244 00:08:41,419 --> 00:08:43,639 This reminds us 245 00:08:43,639 --> 00:08:45,639 of the lofty status of the Prophet, peace be upon him, 246 00:08:45,639 --> 00:08:47,639 and that he was the very first person addressed by the Qur'an. 247 00:08:47,639 --> 00:08:49,639 It was descending directly upon his heart, 248 00:08:49,639 --> 00:08:51,639 conveying a general address to mankind, 249 00:08:51,639 --> 00:08:53,639 and then suddenly directing a particular instruction specifically to him. 250 00:08:53,639 --> 00:08:55,639 We should never lose sight of this reality, 251 00:08:55,639 --> 00:08:57,639 for it is among the things that illustrate 252 00:08:57,639 --> 00:08:59,639 the supreme stature of the Prophet, peace be upon him, 253 00:08:59,639 --> 00:09:01,639 and keeps his presence vivid 254 00:09:01,639 --> 00:09:03,639 in our minds. 255 00:09:03,639 --> 00:09:05,639 When we say in the prayer, "Peace be upon you, 256 00:09:05,639 --> 00:09:07,639 O Prophet," 257 00:09:07,639 --> 00:09:09,639 and as we recite the Qur'an, 258 00:09:09,639 --> 00:09:11,639 suddenly, amidst the deep absorption 259 00:09:11,639 --> 00:09:13,639 in the descriptions of the Resurrection, we find 260 00:09:13,639 --> 00:09:15,639 that we hear Allah saying to His Prophet: 261 00:09:15,639 --> 00:09:17,639 "Do not move your tongue with it." We immediately recall 262 00:09:17,639 --> 00:09:19,639 this noble Prophet, to whom Allah 263 00:09:19,639 --> 00:09:21,639 said: "So how will it be when We bring 264 00:09:21,639 --> 00:09:23,639 from every nation a witness, 265 00:09:23,639 --> 00:09:25,639 and We bring you as a witness against these people?" 266 00:09:25,639 --> 00:09:27,639 He will come as a witness over us, 267 00:09:27,639 --> 00:09:29,639 having conveyed the message and delivered this Book 268 00:09:29,639 --> 00:09:32,279 to his Ummah. 269 00:09:32,279 --> 00:09:34,279 We must therefore hold 270 00:09:34,279 --> 00:09:36,279 ourselves accountable regarding how we engage 271 00:09:36,279 --> 00:09:38,279 with this Book, 272 00:09:38,279 --> 00:09:40,279 and remember that he, peace and blessings be upon him, 273 00:09:40,279 --> 00:09:42,279 is a witness over us. 274 00:09:42,279 --> 00:09:44,279 I ask Allah to grant us all success in doing what He loves and is pleased with. 275 00:09:44,279 --> 00:09:46,279 May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad 276 00:09:46,279 --> 00:09:48,279 and upon all his family and Companions, 277 00:09:48,279 --> 00:09:50,279 and all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.