Part of The Gentle Commentary (series completed)
· Lesson 16 of 117
The nice comment on the book of cards identifying the surahs of the Holy Qur’an | D. Muhammad Nassif | Surat Al-Zalzalah
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
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The concise commentary on the book *Bitaqat al-Ta'rif*
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*bi-Suwar al-Mushaf al-Sharif*,
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by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nasif,
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may Allah preserve him.
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Surah al-Zalzalah.
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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
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Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all worlds,
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and peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets,
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and upon all his family and Companions.
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We continue with our concise commentary on *Bitaqat al-Ta'rif*,
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and we have now reached Surah al-Zalzalah.
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We have three points of reflection concerning it.
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The first point pertains to what has been narrated regarding the virtues of this surah,
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namely what has been established in the hadith that it is a comprehensive surah.
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And since this is the case,
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it ought to be studied specifically
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and actualized in the lives of Muslims.
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It is difficult for a person—just as it was difficult for that Companion—
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and difficult for many people
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to fully grasp all the meanings of the Qur'an
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and study it in its entirety.
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So what do you think about studying this comprehensive surah
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in a way that truly impacts one's life?
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Perhaps it can be explained
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using modern educational methods
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and impactful approaches,
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especially for the younger generation.
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Imagine a child raised upon the realization that: "Whoever does
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an atom's weight of good will see it,
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and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it."
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As for the second point of reflection,
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it concerns the opening of the surah.
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It begins with a conditional clause,
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and generally, surahs that open with a condition—
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and the conditional particle used here is *idha* (when)—
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point to a time of immense significance.
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And this time is exceedingly momentous:
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the time of the final earthquake.
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The particle *in* (if) was not used here;
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rather, *idha* (when) was used,
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so that we may realize that
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the Earthquake is definitively bound to occur.
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Thus, we must prepare for this appointed time,
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which is among the most critical
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appointments set for us.
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Indeed, it is an appointment unlike any worldly appointment,
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for human appointments may fail to be kept,
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whereas this is Allah's promise, which is never broken.
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As for the third point of reflection,
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it relates to the theme of the surah.
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As noted, reflecting on its title and verses
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clearly shows that it addresses the Day of Resurrection
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in terms of the intensity of its terrors and the witnessing of one's deeds.
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The specific aspect highlighted here is deliberate;
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for if you look at Surah al-Qari'ah that follows, for instance,
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it also speaks of the Day of Resurrection, but from another perspective.
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Here, this surah focuses on the sheer intensity of the terror
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and the witnessing of deeds,
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while al-Qari'ah—which is also from the short surahs of the Mufassal—
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deals with the same subject, the Day of Resurrection, but in a different manner.
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And I would like to conclude here
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with the statement of Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi,
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may Allah have mercy on him, when he said:
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"That I should recite during my night
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until morning
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*Idha Zulzilat*
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and *al-Qari'ah*,
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adding nothing else to them,
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repeating them both
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and pondering their meanings,
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is more beloved to me than
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hastily chanting through the entire Qur'an in a single night,"
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or as he said, "scattering it haphazardly."
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These are two magnificent surahs that truly deserve deep contemplation.
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This is sufficient,
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and Allah knows best. May Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad,
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and upon his family and Companions, and grant them peace.