In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Gentle Commentary
on the book *Identification Cards*
for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an,
by Dr. Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Aziz Ibn Umar Nasif,
may Allah preserve him.
Surah al-Naml (The Ant).
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon
the Messenger of Allah.
We continue with our gentle commentary
on the book *Identification Cards*
by Muhammad Nasif.
I have mentioned his name here
because some brothers asked,
"What is this book
that you are commenting on?"
Today, we are with Surah
al-Naml.
I have three reflections regarding it.
The first reflection:
It is mentioned in the schematic diagram
and in the book itself
that Surah al-Naml
is one of the *Mathani*.
It is stated in the diagram,
under its classification,
that it is one of the *Mi'in* (surahs of about one hundred verses).
It was written as *Mi'atayn* (two hundred), which is an error.
It is not one of the *Mi'atayn*,
nor is it one of the *Mi'in*.
The term *Mi'atayn* is not used here in these classifications;
rather, the term used is *Mi'in*.
It is, in fact, one of the *Mathani*.
If you observe its merit,
you will find that its merit
is among the *Mathani* given to the Prophet (peace be upon him)
in place of the Gospel.
I mean, on the same page,
a surah is either classified as this
or as that.
It has been previously noted that
the hadith written
on the twelfth page of the book
was recorded using a weak narration,
and this is a mistake.
The correct version is what
has been narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him):
"I was given the seven [long surahs] in place of the Torah,
and I was given the
*Mi'in* in place of the Psalms,
and I was given the
*Mathani* in place of the Gospel, and I was favored with the *Mufassal*."
We have already discussed
the meaning of the *Mi'in*, *Mathani*, and *Mufassal*,
and the seven long surahs.
Someone might say—
and they have the right to ask—why not pause at this issue?
Many surahs were not addressed
as to whether they are *Mi'in* or *Mathani*
or among the seven long ones.
The truth is that the importance of this issue
lies in several matters.
The first is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) divided the Qur'an
based on this classification,
so it is incumbent upon us
to pay attention to it.
This will become clear, Allah willing, when we reach
the *Mufassal*,
for knowledge of the *Mufassal*
has several unique benefits
that will appear there.
The scholars have subtle indications,
and the matter requires further
research into the *fiqh*
of this hadith which
I read: "I was given in place of
the Torah the seven, and I was given in place of
the Psalms the *Mi'in*, and I was given in place of the Gospel the *Mathani*,
and I was favored with the *Mufassal*."
I included it in the book as a following [of tradition],
yet it requires
reflection and research, so that perhaps
my Lord will make it easy for me
or for someone else to write about it
and reflect more deeply.
But as I said, regarding the *Mufassal*,
some benefits
of this classification
will become apparent.
The second reflection: It came
regarding the subject of Surah al-Naml.
After mentioning its subject,
it was stated at the end of the discussion:
"Just as the merit of knowledge
and the discussion about it
is very apparent in the surah."
The truth is
that this was apparent
to me the day I wrote the book,
but every time I reflected on
the surah more,
I became more certain of it, and my
understanding of it increased, by the grace of Allah first
and last. I concluded that
the entire surah is linked to knowledge,
or most of it.
The fundamental theme of the surah
is perhaps the knowledge of Allah,
and wisdom is added to it.
Knowledge is clear in the surah.
I say here
that in some places,
such as the story of Solomon,
"And We gave David and Solomon knowledge,"
and the story of Salih (peace be upon him),
how their plotting was their own undoing:
"We destroyed them and their people, all of them.
So those are their houses, desolate because of the wrong they did.
Indeed in that is a sign for a people who know."
And in other verses, you find
the issue of knowledge.
But even in the verses where it is not apparent,
you realize that it has a connection to knowledge.
This leads us
to the
third reflection.
The third reflection
looks at the second section
or the second part of the surah.
The surah has an introduction
that introduces the Book,
praises it,
and clarifies the state of
the opponents who do not believe in the Hereafter.
Then comes a section
containing stories
where there is a clear indication of knowledge.
As for the second part,
which is what I want to talk about—
and the discussion of it follows
from the second point
or the second reflection—
if you reflect upon it,
you will find that the first verse in it,
in the second part, is: "Say, 'Praise be to Allah,'"
and the last verse
in this section,
which is the last verse of the surah,
is: "And say, 'Praise be to Allah.'"
Between them are directives
on how to call the ignorant
and lead them to knowledge,
and it clarifies that their denial
was due to
their lack of concern for knowledge,
and their denial was
without knowledge.
“Nay, but they denied that, the knowledge whereof they could not compass, and whereof the interpretation (in events) hath not yet come unto them. Even so did those before them deny. Then see what was the consequence for the wrong-doers!” (10:39)
[They have no] knowledge of it.
But in this surah, He said:
"Rather, their knowledge is arrested regarding the Hereafter."
“Nay, but doth their knowledge reach to the Hereafter? Nay, for they are in doubt concerning it. Nay, for they cannot see it.” (27:66)
“Nay, but doth their knowledge reach to the Hereafter? Nay, for they are in doubt concerning it. Nay, for they cannot see it.” (27:66)
And other such verses that
clarify their ignorance and call them
to knowledge by reflecting on the signs of Allah
in the heavens and the earth.
So, this second part
of the surah,
even if knowledge does not appear in it
as clearly as in the first part—
because the first part was speaking
about people of insight,
Solomon and others,
and pointed to the ignorant—here, the focus
is on calling these people to knowledge.
And all knowledge is in the Qur'an.
Here I say that
Surah al-Naml requires
a longer time and detailed research
that gives us
the landmarks of true knowledge
upon which education should be based,
whenever education is established
anywhere—in schools, in universities,
in any place
where true knowledge is sought.
It must not be absent
from the Muslims:
the knowledge intended in the Qur'an,
the knowledge praised in the Qur'an.
This is a very long subject,
but it is apparent in Surah al-Naml,
how it can be a model
for discussing knowledge.
Otherwise, as I said,
the subject is vast and encompasses the entire Qur'an.
I ask Allah
to teach me and you.
May Allah send peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his companions.
...and upon all of them, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.