( وَكَلْبُهُم بَاسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِالْوَصِيدِ ۚ )
“With their dog stretching out its forelegs at the entrance”
A dog was immortalized in the Qur’an because of righteous companionship!
So choose your friends as carefully as you choose your clothes;
A companion pulls you — either upward or downward!
You might try to change someone for the better, yet he drags you down instead;
Even if you remain unchanged, it is enough that you are to be criticized due to accompanying him.
A person, in the eyes of others, follows the religion of his close friend.
The Arabs used to seek a companion before the road,
And a neighbor before a home!
A righteous friend is one of life’s blessings:
He is a deep well where you can entrust your secrets,
A mature mind to share your decisions with,
A comforting shoulder to lean on in distress,
And a gentle hand to lift your burdens!
A dog was remembered forever simply for walking with righteous companions!
A whale was immortalized for carrying Yunus (peace be upon him)!
An ant was remembered for the smile of Suliman (peace be upon him)!
A hoopoe was honored for delivering a message!
Surely, we are more deserving of this!
( وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ )
“Live with them in accordance with what is fair and kind.”
“Kindness” is a broad term; it includes every good and gentle act!
Your smile in her face is kindness!
A sweet word is kindness!
A warm embrace is kindness!
A gift, whether for an occasion or not, is kindness!
Listening to her complaints is kindness!
Caring about her health is kindness!
Not cutting her off from her family is kindness!
Respecting her opinion is kindness!
Respecting her hobbies is kindness!
Helping her with household and children’s responsibilities is kindness!
Supporting her in her religious matters is kindness!
Being patient with her mistakes is kindness!
Showing compassion to her is kindness!
Taking care of her when she is sick is kindness!
Tolerating her mood swings is kindness!
Notice the precision in the Qur’anic expression:
“Live with them in accordance with what is fair and kind.”
Not: “According to custom,”
Because societal customs often follow crooked and unjust standards!
You kill a man’s tenderness in the name of “strong personality.”
You make him cold in the name of “preserving masculinity.”
You make him harsh and rigid in the name of “being the man of the house.”
Some of our behaviors are nothing more than psychological disorders aged over time until they became “customs.”
Manhood is not doing what everyone else does;
It is to do what is right!
Let none of you be a mere follower; If people do good, he does good; and if they do wrong, he does wrong.
In serving his family, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was the best of men:
He helped with chores at home.
He smiled the most in his house.
He did not shy away from saying he loved his wife.
About Khadijah, he said: “I was blessed with her love.”
And among his final words were: “Treat women kindly.”
( وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنسَانِ مِن طِينٍ )
“He (Allah) first created man from clay.”
Allah the Al-Mighty created Adam (peace be upon him) from clay, and He created Eve from Adam’s rib.
So if Eve was part of Adam, then Adam is Eve’s whole.
No matter how much a man loves a woman, he makes her a part of his life just as she was originally a part of his being.
But when a woman loves a man, she makes him her entire life just as he was originally her entire essence.
Women are more sincere in love than men!
This is neither a criticism of men nor a praise of women!
It is the natural disposition that God instilled in humanity for the continuation of creation.
The origin of creation is deeply embedded in human nature.
God created Adam from dust,
Dust is the womb from which trees and plants are born, and that is why man finds his value in work and production!
But God created Eve from a rib in Adam, near his heart,
That is why a woman’s relationship with production is more distant!
When she produces, it does not fully fulfill her identity; only a part of it.
She finds some joy in what she produces because it satisfies part of the dust she was made from, a fraction of her essence.
Yet, she only truly finds herself when she loves, for she was created from a part near the heart. A woman finds herself as a tender wife and a nurturing mother.
That is why the longing for motherhood in women is stronger than the longing for fatherhood in men because fatherhood is just one of many roles in a man’s productive life.
Whereas motherhood is the highest expression of love,
Without it, a woman may feel emotionally incomplete,
Because it disrupts the primary function she was created for!
That is why a man has no problem if a woman helps him with the burdens of material life as long as she does not take over his role.
But he feels uncomfortable being dependent on a woman,
Because he is a creature of the earth!
Whereas a woman does not feel ashamed to be cared for by a man,
She welcomes him fulfilling her material needs,
She never feels weak or lacking because of it;
For she is a creature of the heart!
A woman should appreciate what a man produces, no matter how small.
In doing so, she helps him fulfill his earthy nature!
And a man should grant a woman the freedom to express her heart and pamper her, allowing her femininity to flourish.
In doing so, he helps her fulfill her heartfelt essence!
( تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا ۚ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ )
“We grant the Home in the Hereafter to those who do not seek superiority on earth or spread corruption: the happy ending is awarded to those who are mindful of God.”
He (Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him) ascended to the seventh heaven, then returned to the earth.
He would mend his own sandals and milk his own sheep.
And he would eat with the poor.
Such are the truly great; the higher they rise, the more humble they become!
He once went out with his companions who decided to slaughter a sheep:
One said, “I will slaughter it.”
Another said, “I will skin it.”
A third said, “I will cut it up.”
And he said, “I will gather the firewood.”
Such are the truly great; they refuse to distinguish themselves over others!
He was entrusted with great wealth,
Yet he would distribute it generously among the people, forgetting himself!
He died while his armor was held in pledge with a Jewish man!
Such are the truly great; they insist on remaining dignified and self-sufficient!
One day, while leading the prayer, Al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abu Taleb crawled onto his back during prostration,
And he did not lift his head until his grandson had gotten down!
In another prayer, he heard the crying of a child among the women’s rows,
So he shortened his prayer and recited briefly!
So as not to preoccupy a mother’s heart with concern for her child!
Such are the truly great; they were created to show mercy!
He forbade his companions from standing up for him out of reverence.
And once, when he entered upon them and they instinctively stood, he became displeased.
Hassan noticed the annoyance on his face, so he recited poetry to him:
“Standing for the noble is an obligation,
And neglecting that obligation is not right!
I wonder at those with reason and understanding,
How can they see such beauty and not rise?!”
He (the Prophet) smiled, content and pleased.
Such are the truly great; when someone apologizes, they accept it!
There Is No Harm In A Person Working For His Worldly Life,
As Long As He Does Not Forget His Hereafter!
And There Is No Harm In Making His Home Beautiful,
As Long As He Does Not Forget His Grave!
( مَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ لَآتٍ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ )
“But as for those who strive for their meeting with God, God’s appointed time is bound to come; He is the All Seeing, the All Knowing.”
He dwells in the hearts of those who love Him,
And soothes their longing to meet Him,
He comforts their hearts,
And blesses them with what people normally fear!
As if He is saying to His beloved ones:
Nothing separates you from Me but death!
But this does not mean that one must wish for death to be a true believer!
The love of life is a natural human instinct.
In this, the believer and the disbeliever are alike.
‘Aisha once asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about Allah’s saying: “They dislike meeting Allah, so Allah dislikes meeting them.”
She said: “O Messenger of Allah, which of us loves death?”
He replied: “That is not what is meant, O ‘Aisha.”
And he explained that when a person is near death, they are shown their place either in Paradise or Hell
If the disbeliever sees his place, he hates to meet Allah; and so Allah hates to meet him even more!
( فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَىٰ هَٰؤُلَاءِ شَهِيدًا )
“What will they do when We bring a witness from each community, with you [Muhammad] as a witness against these people?”
The greatest witness,
In the greatest case,
Before the greatest court,
With the Greatest Judge!
This is the ultimate case of existence:
To affirm the Oneness of Allah in His Lordship and Divinity!
For this purpose, the heavens and the earth were created,
The messengers were sent,
The Holy Books were revealed,
The scales of justice were set,
The reckoning was prepared!
It is the reason for the creation of both Jinn and mankind.
And you can recite Allah’s words:
( وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ )
“I created jinn and mankind only to worship Me.”
Yet out of His mercy, He made every act of obedience a form of worship:
Earning a lawful livelihood is worship.
Feeding your spouse is an act of charity.
Being kind to your neighbor is worship.
Removing harm from the road is a charity.
Smiling at someone is a charity.
Even fulfilling marital desires is rewarded.
They were surprised and asked: “O Messenger of Allah, do we get rewarded for fulfilling our desires?”
He said: “If he were to fulfill it in a forbidden way, would he not bear sin? Then if he fulfills it in a lawful way, he is rewarded!”
The greatest witness:
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) says to Ibn Masood: “Recite to me.”
Ibn Masood replies: “O Messenger of Allah, should I recite it to you while it was revealed to you?”
He said: “I love to hear it from others.”
So Ibn Masood recited from Surah An-Nisa’ (Chapter of the Women). And when he reached this verse, the Prophet’s eyes overflowed with tears.
Then He (peace be upon him) said to Ibn Masood: “Enough!”
Every Messenger will testify on the Day of Judgment that he conveyed the message.
And the greatest testimony will come from the one greatest in character and rank.
He will say: “O Allah, they have delivered (the message).”
How noble he is!
Even in this moment of honor, he sees it not as a privilege but as a responsibility.
And he feels the weight of it, and weeps!
The greatest court:
There, skins will speak of what they felt!
Eyes will testify to what they saw!
Feet will bear witness to where they walked!
Hands will confess what they seized!
Rights will be restored;
There are no lawyers twisting truth into falsehood,
No case closed for lack of evidence,
There, everyone will take what is theirs and give what is due,
When there is no gold or silver!
The court will not adjourn until the hornless sheep is avenged against the horned one!
Even the sheep that struck another unjustly ill face justice: blow for blow!
The Greatest Judge:
The Compeller of the heavens and earth will rise for judgment!
There is none among you but Allah will speak to directly, without interpreter between him and his Lord!
Allah will say to him:
( اقْرَأْ كِتَابَكَ كَفَىٰ بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا )
“Read your record. Today your own soul is enough to calculate your account.”
So let us write now what we will be pleased to read tomorrow before Him!
( وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ )
“No one knows your Lord’s forces except Him.”
With water, He avenged for Noah!
With a fire, He affirmed the truthfulness of Abraham!
With a whale, He preserved Yunus!
With frogs, lice, and blood, He defended upon Moses!
With a spider, He concealed Muhammad (peace be upon him)!
With the sea, He drowned Pharaoh!
With a mosquito, He humiliated Nimrod!
With rats, He brought down the dam of Ma’rib!
With a termite; an insect barely visible to the naked eye, He nullified the Quraysh pact!
At the gates of Mecca, He made the elephant of the Abyssinians disobey them!
And when the people of the House (Al al-Bait) had no army, the Lord of the House had His own army!
They cleared the path between Abraha and the Ancient House.
While ‘Abdul-Muttalib stood afar, his sword in its scabbard, raising his hands in supplication:
“O Allah, a servant protects his own property—so protect Yours!
Let not their cross and power overcome You!
If You will to leave them and our Qiblah, then do as You will!”
And He answered the call—and sent forth His Ababil birds!
Glory be to Him, who enlists water, fire, mosquitoes, locusts, lice, frogs, whales, termites, rats, and the Ababil birds!
This universe is His army,
And all within it are His soldiers!
He beats the drums of war against His enemies using the weakest of His creation!
And His command over tyrants is: “Be!”—and it is!
( قَالَتْ فَذَٰلِكُنَّ الَّذِي لُمْتُنَّنِي فِيهِ ۖ وَلَقَدْ رَاوَدتُّهُ عَن نَّفْسِهِ فَاسْتَعْصَمَ ۖ وَلَئِن لَّمْ يَفْعَلْ مَا آمُرُهُ لَيُسْجَنَنَّ وَلَيَكُونًا مِّنَ الصَّاغِرِينَ )
“She said, ‘This is the one you blamed me for. I tried to seduce him and he wanted to remain chaste, but if he does not do what I command now, he will be put in prison and degraded.'”
Two women from Egypt raised a prophet in their palaces:
The first was Zulaikha, the wife of Al-Aziz, who raised Yusuf (peace be upon him), in her palace.
The second was Asiyah, the wife of Pharaoh, who raised Moses (peace be upon him), in her palace.
They shared status, power, and prestige,
But they differed in piety, faith, and righteousness.
Zulaikha was the wife of Egypt’s second-in-command, according to the political system of the Pharaohs,
While Asiyah was the wife of Pharaoh himself—the first-in-command politically and considered a god religiously.
That means Asiyah had even greater status and authority than Zulaikha, though they lived in different eras.
Yusuf came centuries before Moses, and thus Zulaikha before Asiyah.
Each woman raised a prophet from childhood to adulthood in her palace.
Zulaikha raised Yusuf before he turned ten, after Al-Aziz bought him and gifted him to her.
Asiyah raised Moses from the moment he was born, after God revealed to his mother to nurse him, place him in a basket, and cast him into the Nile.
Zulaikha let her desire overpower her motherly instinct—she desired Yusuf as a woman desires a man.
Asiyah let her motherly love overpower all else—she wanted Moses as a mother wants a child.
She cared for him with love, protected him with her gaze, and embraced him with the tenderness of her heart.
Zulaikha threw Yusuf in prison.
Asiyah saved Moses from being slaughtered.
Zulaikha sought the world.
Asiyah sought the Hereafter.
Zulaikha did not believe in Yusuf until she reached old age, when she became a humiliated old woman, having lost her husband, then her wealth and status, and eventually her sight.
Asiyah believed in Moses the first day he called her to God.
Zuleikha’s desire separated her from her husband,
While Asiyah’s faith separated her from her husband!
Zuleikha’s husband died angry with her,
Asiyah died while her Lord was pleased with her!
She believed that true honor lies in the Hereafter, and that is why she prayed:
( رَبِّ ابْنِ لِي عِندَكَ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ )
“Lord, build me a house near You in the Garden.”
When Pharaoh knew about her faith, he crucified her!
Yet even as she was departing from life and her soul was leaving her body, she smiled,
Because she saw her house in Paradise!
Wealth does not corrupt a person,
And poverty does not purify one!
What matters is not with whom a person lives, but how he live?!
The woman whose husband proclaimed, “I am your Lord, Most High,” used to bow down morning and evening and say, “Glory be to my Lord, Most High.”
And what matters is not where one lives, but how he lives?!
Asiyah lived in a palace, but her heart was attached to a home in Paradise!
( هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَوِّرُكُمْ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ ۚ )
“It is He who shapes you all in the womb as He pleases.”
Indeed, Allah has distributed beauty among people just as He has distributed provision!
Whoever He enriches, He does so out of His bounty,
And whoever He withholds from, it is not due to any deficiency—but everything with Him is in due measure!
And so it is with beauty:
Whoever He creates as beautiful, it is but a drop in the ocean of His infinite creativity.
And whoever He creates with less beauty, it is not due to any inability on His part—but everything with Him is in due measure!
So if your beauty deceives you, remember that once upon a time, there was a man who lived on this earth—so beautiful he seemed like a dream, so beautiful that women cut their hands while gazing at him.
Had only Zulaikha cut her hand, it would be a tale of a woman enchanted by a man.
Beauty has always been relative — what you see as beautiful, others may see as ordinary.
But when all the women present cut their hands without even noticing, it meant that the beauty of Yusuf (peace be upon him) was universally agreed upon.
He was dazzling to the point of awe, extraordinarily handsome!
So elegant, they doubted his humanity: “This is not a man.”
But what did this astonishingly beautiful man do?
He was radiant in his character before his appearance, beautiful in his heart before his looks.
Even in prison, people sought him out to interpret their dreams—because he was among the righteous!
And as the ruler of Egypt, people sought his charity—because he was among the righteous!
Neither places changed him, nor did high positions alter him!
He would walk through the fields, oversee agriculture, build grain silos, and safeguard people’s harvests!
He carried on his shoulders the responsibility of feeding a nation during seven years of famine!
This is the true beauty!
And out of His mercy, Allah made people vary in beauty—and also in taste.
So no matter how little beauty someone may possess, there is always someone who finds it attractive.
There is always a man who sees a woman as the most beautiful on earth—while others may find her ordinary.
And there is a man, complete in masculinity and beauty, seen as perfect by one woman—while others may see him as average.
And then, there is something called affection.
Glory be to Him—if tastes had not differed, goods would have perished!
( وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدْرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ )
“We are well aware that your heart is weighed down by what they say.”
People are hurt by harsh words just as they are hurt by the strike of a sword!
And sweet words delight them as much as a precious gift!
Revelation descended upon him (Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him). Gabriel came to him and took him from Mecca to Jerusalem, where he led the Prophets in prayer and received the leadership of humanity. Then he ascended to the heavens—one by one—until he reached the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (Sidrat al-Muntaha); a place no prophet or even a near angel had ever reached before!
God gave him the river of Al-Kawthar.
He joined his name to His own.
And yet, he was still hurt by vile words and his chest would tighten because of them!
So how much more likely is it that those below him would be hurt and their hearts troubled?!
Every word has two dimensions:
- Content
- Tone or delivery
If the content is beautiful, don’t ruin it with an ugly delivery!
And remember, the one who arrogantly said, “I am your Lord, the Most High,” God still sent a Prophet to him with the command: “And speak to him gently.”
And if the content is ugly, then don’t compound it with an ugly tone!
Don’t let your speech be doubly offensive: both in meaning and in manner.
Taste your words before you speak them;
If you find them sweet in your own mouth, they will likely taste sweet to others’ ears!
And if they are bitter, that bitterness will reach others as well!
The truth has no need for vile language.
Beautiful goals cannot be achieved by disgraceful means.
The means must be worthy of the goal.
There is no cause greater than the call of a prophet
And yet, his Lord said to him:
( وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ )
“Had you been harsh, or hard-hearted, they would have dispersed and left you.”
( إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيرًا )
“The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of Hell, and you will find no one to help them.”
Open disbelief is better than false belief—even though both are evil!
Had hypocrisy not been a greater sin than open disbelief, Allah would not have placed the hypocrites in the lowest depths of Hell!
This is clear and self-evident from the flow of the Qur’anic verses.
The Arabs of Mecca did not know hypocrisy—or more accurately, they did not practice it.
In my view, this is due to two main reasons:
The First: Quraysh were pure in their Arab identity. They were the most eloquent in speech, the most expressive in metaphor, and of the highest lineage.
The pure Arab race had known many disasters, but it did not know cowardice as part of its makeup.
Hypocrisy appeared in Medina, due to the diversity of races, religions, and political loyalties.
Medina was a melting pot of competing forces, with intense struggles for identity and recognition.
There were the Aws and Khazraj tribes, along with Jews and some Christians—all coexisting in a tense environment.
These various groups practiced politics for a time—and politics, at its core, is one of the arts of hypocrisy.
Quraysh did not know this dynamic;
They enjoyed political stability, and leadership roles were fairly distributed among the due members.
This resulted in unity rather than fragmentation.
The second: I believe that it is no less important than the first:
Is that Islam in Mecca was weak and persecuted.
The political power and material dominance were held by the religion of Quraysh.
But in Medina, the tables turned; Islam became the authority, and those who did not genuinely join it became a minority.
They faced two options:
Either to openly declare their disbelief and swim against the current of the community!
Or pretend to be believers while secretly harboring disbelief!
And this is what happened!
They had to choose: either oppose the ruling power and lose what they hoped to preserve through hypocrisy,
Or blend in, pretending to believe!
A person only shows the opposite of what he truly believes,
When fear is involved!
Otherwise, the natural state is for actions to reflect beliefs!
( وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ ۛ شَهِدْنَا ۛ أَن تَقُولُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَٰذَا غَافِلِينَ )
“[Prophet], when your Lord took out the offspring from the loins of the Children of Adam and made them bear witness about themselves, He said, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ and they replied, ‘Yes, we bear witness.’ So you cannot say on the Day of Resurrection, ‘We were not aware of this,’”
From what I have read, heard, and deduced, I see that the history of humanity can be summarized in ten stages:
1- The Stage of Non-Existence: In this phase, humanity was equal to all other parts of the universe—nonexistent. There was only Allah, and nothing else besides Him.
2- The Creation of Adam (peace be upon him): Allah the Al-Mighty commanded lifeless clay to become a fully formed human being—and so it was.
3- The Creation of Eve: Allah created Eve from the rib of Adam so that he may find comfort in her and she in him. This wise and purposeful design laid the foundation for the continuation of humanity.
4- The Stage of the Covenant (Al-Dharr): This is the stage mentioned in the verse. Allah brought forth all of Adam’s descendants, in the form of tiny beings like ants, and made them testify to His Oneness and Lordship. They bore witness. Then He returned them to Adam’s loins so that each soul would be born at its appointed time—never early, never late.
5- Life in Paradise: Allah granted Adam and Eve life in Paradise, allowing them to enjoy all of its trees—except one. But Satan whispered to them and tempted them until they ate from it. This disobedience was the reason for their descent to Earth.
6- Earthly Succession (Khilafah): This stage extends from the descent of Adam and Eve to Earth until the first blast of the trumpet by Israfil.
7- The Individual Barzakh: This is the life of souls after the body’s death. Each soul experiences either bliss or torment, beginning at the moment of death and lasting until Israfil’s second trumpet blast when the people will rise for reckoning.
8- The Collective Barzakh: This is the phase between the two trumpet blasts of Israfil, when all souls are left lifeless by Allah for however long He wills.
9- The Day of Judgment: The great court of the Hereafter where the scales are set, the records are opened and all people stand before the Judge of the heavens and the earth for their reckoning.
10- Eternal Life: It is the final and everlasting destination—either in Paradise or in Hell.
What are the lessons learned from the verse?
First Lesson:
The issue of Tawheed (the Oneness of God) is the greatest matter of the universe—indeed, its only true concern. For it, Allah created humanity, sent the messengers, revealed the scriptures, established the scales (of justice), opened the records, and set the stage for Paradise and Hellfire!
It is a matter for which no charity, gold or silver, dirham or dinar, fasting or prayer will be accepted without it. Because of its importance, Allah gathered all of humanity on one plain and took from them a solemn covenant that He Alone is their Creator, Sustainer, Companion, and Reviver—and that He will gather them again to judge how they honored the covenant they once bore witness to!
Second Lesson:
When Allah gathered humanity in the form of pre-human particles (Dharr), He did not speak to them about sustenance—for that is His responsibility. Nor about offspring—for that is His gift. Nor about lifespan—for that is His decree!
He only spoke to them about Tawheed, for that is their responsibility and sole purpose!
Third Lesson:
Allah created all human souls at once and preserved them with Him. When He wills to bring a human into being, He commands the angel to breathe that soul into the body and record its provision, lifespan, and deeds.
Fourth Lesson:
Each body is created with one specific soul. That soul resides in the body for a time between the missions of two angels: The first is sent to breathe it into the fetus in the womb. The second is the Angel of Death who removes it when its time is over and its record is sealed.
Fifth Lesson:
Souls do not decay like bodies; they are preserved in their realm. Before entering the body, they are safeguarded.
After death, they are preserved in either bliss or torment
Thus, all claims of reincarnation or soul transmigration are baseless—intellectual absurdities, born of ignorance. Belief in them is clear disbelief, contradicting the Qur’an, authentic Hadith, and the creed of Islam.
Sixth Lesson:
Atheism is a trend!
Yes—a trend among those who wish to escape all forms of authority and accountability, even from the One Who created them from nothing.
Every soul once bore witness to God’s Oneness and Lordship. But once it came into the world, it broke its promise and violated its covenant.
Tawheed is a natural instinct!
The human soul admits inwardly that there is a power greater than itself governing this universe.
Yet those discontented with their fate choose atheism to appear strong and independent. Even polytheism, ironically, is an admission of this instinct of declaring the Oneness of Allah.
This is a sick and deviant instinct!
Those who worshipped idols did so to fulfill a need to worship a mighty force, but they were mistaken about Whom that force truly was!
And those who threw a beautiful girl into the Nile during times of drought were seeking mercy from a power they knew controlled the universe. But instead of turning to the Causer, they turned to the cause!
Seventh Lesson:
From all that has been said, it becomes clear that Allah created souls separately from bodies.
But does that mean there is no connection between the soul and body?
No—there is a connection, but it is of a highly complex nature.
This relationship varies depending on the stage of life:
In the Realm of Dharr, there is no body, so there can be no relationship. A relationship between two things, one of which exists in the realm of non-existence, contradicts logic.
In the worldly life, the relationship between the body and the soul in the worldly life exists. We all know it and experience it in our daily lives. Pleasure and suffering in this world are primarily for the body, and the soul follows. When we are in a pleasant environment, with good food, and surrounded by loved ones, it is the body that enjoys these things, but the soul also feels at ease because it follows the state of the body.
The opposite is also true. If we tie a person with ropes and throw him onto the scorching desert sand, we are physically tormenting the body, but the soul will also feel anguish and distress due to the connection between the body and the soul.
However, in the Barzakh (the intermediate world after death), the relationship between the body and the soul still exists, but it is the reverse of what it is in this world: the torment or bliss is upon the soul, and the body follows!
As for the Hereafter, the relationship between the body and the soul is equal — both are subject to the same reward or punishment equally!
And Allah knows best and is the Most Wise.
( اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا ۖ لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ سُبْحَانَهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ )
“They take their rabbis and their monks as lords, as well as Christ, the son of Mary. But they were commanded to serve only one God: there is no god but Him; He is far above whatever they set up as His partners!”
Adi bin Hatem al-Ta’i—who had been a Christian—once came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) wearing a silver cross around his neck. he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) reciting Allah’s saying:
( اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ )
“They take their rabbis and their monks as lords.”
Adi said: We did not worship them.
So the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: Did they not make lawful for you what Allah made unlawful, and you obeyed them? And made unlawful what Allah made lawful, and you obeyed them?
Adi replied: Yes, they did.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: That is their worship.
This Qur’anic verse expands the concept of shirk (associating partners with Allah)!
And this Prophetic interpretation shows that the typical image people have of shirk—which is to worship idols and devote prayer to them—is only one form of shirk, not the entirety of it!
This brief yet profound account carries wide implications and offers multiple lessons:
First Lesson:
We recognize the truth by its alignment with revelation—not by the people who follow it.
The path is not correct simply because someone you love walks it; the path is correct only if it conforms to the Shari‘ah.
Second Lesson:
Islam does not accept any partnership in legislation!
When Allah sent His last Messenger, He sent him with a complete way of life to regulate worldly affairs for the sake of success in the Hereafter.
The Qur’an is a constitution of action, not just verses to be recited over the dead or read for blessings or to be completed in Ramadan. It is a comprehensive system touching all aspects of society:
The Qur’an is a political system: It outlines the duties of rulers, the means by which they are appointed and removed, and defines the relationship between the ruler and the subject.
It defines how Muslims deal with other nations, knowing that Muslims do not live alone on a deserted island.
The Qur’an is a social system: It governs the family, neighborly relations, road rights, and individual rights.
The Qur’an is an economic system: It prohibits riba (usury), permits trade, defines inheritance, regulates wealth distribution, and outlines the rights of both rulers and citizens regarding public funds.
The Qur’an is a penal system: It first encourages forgiveness and moral excellence, closes the doors to temptation and wrongdoing, and then—if necessary—prescribes corporal punishments (like amputation, stoning, or flogging) to reform society through disciplining wrongdoers.
No human society—from the time of Adam (peace be upon him) to the Day of Judgment—has ever existed without a system of laws and penalties.
Third Lesson:
If the law makes something permissible that Allah has forbidden, it remains forbidden!
And if it prohibits something that Allah has permitted, it remains permitted!
There is no room for partnership in legislation.
Whoever clings to a man-made law that violates Divine law will come on the Day of Judgment bearing its burden.
Fourth Lesson:
Do not fall into the same errors as the People of the Book!
What is forbidden is what the Shari’ah declares forbidden, not what a religious scholar declares forbidden!
What is lawful is what the Shari’ah permits, not what a religious scholar permits!
Respect for scholars is obligatory, but following them in misguidance does not absolve anyone from responsibility!
( وَإِذِ اعْتَزَلْتُمُوهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ فَأْوُوا إِلَى الْكَهْفِ يَنشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِ وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُم مِّنْ أَمْرِكُم مِّرْفَقًا )
“Now that you have left such people, and what they worshipped instead of God, take refuge in the cave. God will shower His mercy on you and make you an easy way out of your ordeal.”
How astonishing is the matter of this religion;
When the hearts of men harden against it, God softens for it the hearts of mountains!
When hearts become like stones—or even harder,
God makes the stones like hearts—or even more merciful!
The youths of the cave,
The monk in the story of the trench,
And the Prophet (peace be upon him) with his companion during the migration,
They all sought refuge in caves!
When people abandon this religion, the rocks embrace and shelter it!
Wherever a person’s religion resides, there lies his true homeland!
If homeland were dearer than religion, the Companions of the Cave would have forsaken their faith and remained in their city!
If homeland were more precious than religion, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would not have left Mecca!
Yet he stood at its edge on the day of Hijrah, bidding it farewell with tears in his eyes and said:
“By Allah, you are the most beloved land to me, and had your people not driven me out, I would not have left.”
He was forced to leave it only because of the religion he brought.
They offered him kingship, leadership, wealth, and women,
Yet he said to his uncle:
“O uncle, by Allah, if they placed the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand, commanding me to abandon this matter (religion), I would not abandon it until Allah makes it prevail or I perish in the process.”
So the hearts of men became too narrow for the one they once called “the truthful, the trustworthy”,
Yet the cave of Thawr expanded to embrace him!
( وَقِيلَ يَا أَرْضُ ابْلَعِي مَاءَكِ وَيَا سَمَاءُ أَقْلِعِي وَغِيضَ الْمَاءُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ وَاسْتَوَتْ عَلَى الْجُودِيِّ ۖ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًا لِّلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ )
“Then it was said, ‘Earth, swallow up your water, and sky, hold back,’ and the water subsided, the command was fulfilled. The Ark settled on Mount Judi, and it was said, ‘Gone are those evildoing people!'”
The most eloquent short story in history;
A masterpiece of narration, a marvel of conciseness!
A story so immense in its events that the entire language should rally to tell it:
A sky that rains without pause!
An earth that gushes without fatigue!
An ark built in the middle of a desert,
Only to float on waves like mountains,
When there was nothing but water!
Inside it: the future of this world:
A faithful few, and from every kind, two!
Some drowned. Others survived.
And the entire planet was washed clean from the corruption of its inhabitants!
All of this—had it been told with excessive elaboration—would not have been faulted.
But this is the Qur’an:
Such is the mastery of storytelling—leaving no doubt that it is from Allah.
“It was said”: in the passive voice though it was a moment of triumph and power
And rightly so—for the One with such Might and Majesty to declare Himself at the beginning of the narration:
But He is Allah!
This monumental event,
This overwhelming vengeance,
He does not even refer to Himself!
His command is but “Be,” and it is.
A planet nearly drowned—then dried with just the word “Be.”
“And the matter was concluded”:
Once again, the brilliance of conciseness!
Others would need pages of details;
The kind victors revel in when recounting their victories,
But not in the account of God!
He does not narrate the events of the drowning to showcase His power.
It is Qur’anic speech, far above gloating though they well deserved it!
But He, Glory be to Him, teaches us to march toward the goal,
And those who stand in the way are but obstacles.
So we shall remove them from our way so that the journey may continue!
( كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰ أَن تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ )
“Fighting is ordained for you, though you dislike it. You may dislike something although it is good for you, or like something although it is bad for you: God knows and you do not.”
Just as He said: “Fasting is ordained for you.”
He also said: “Fighting is ordained for you.”
Thus, Jihad is an act of worship just like prayer and fasting!
And just as prayer and fasting are only accepted when performed according to the manner prescribed by the Shari’ah,
So too is Jihad!
If a man were to pray Dhuhr as five units instead of four, claiming he did so out of love for God and His Messenger,
We would say to him: Your prayer is invalid because love for God means worshipping Him in the way He commanded through His Prophet!
And if someone fasted forty days instead of the prescribed thirty days of Ramadan,
We would tell him: God has no need for your worship!
This is the standard for every act of worship.
Jihad, likewise, is an act of worship;
And whoever fights for this religion in a way other than what this religion teaches; his jihad is rejected!
Just as God does not accept a fifth unit in Dhuhr nor rewards it, but rather punishes it!
So too is every unlawful drop of blood spilled in the name of Jihad, It remains forbidden no matter whose banner is raised!
Because Jihad involves people’s lives, wealth, and honor, it is one of the acts of worship most in need of knowledge and deep understanding before it is undertaken!
Jihad rooted in ignorance transforms fighters into butchers and bandits,
Because they begin drawing their rulings from personal whims or from mimicking their enemies blow for blow!
Islam has never needed anyone to dictate how it should act or what it should do!
Corrupt means do not lead to noble ends!
What we see today in the name of Jihad is deeply shameful!
In the past, before some modern forms of Jihad emerged, we used to fear for Muslims from non-Muslims.
Today, we fear for Islam and Muslims from Muslims themselves or from those who claim to be!
We love God and His Messenger just like you,
We want Islam to rise—perhaps even more than you do,
But you present yourselves as a mad alternative replacing one tyrant in a suit with another in a beard!
Oppression is one faith—no matter the identity of the oppressor!
We do not want to exchange the cruel hand of a secular executioner for the pious hand of one who performs ablution!
We oppose the executioner regardless of his religion!
And we do not deny that what you are doing is called Jihad,
But we ask you: Is it jihad for or against Islam?
We believe that the Lord Who sent a Prophet, who instructed his army not to cut down a single tree, nor demolish a place of worship, nor frighten the innocent, nor fight except those who fight them;
That same Lord could never approve of what you are doing!
( قَالُوا إِن يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ أَخٌ لَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَلَمْ يُبْدِهَا لَهُمْ ۚ قَالَ أَنتُمْ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا ۖ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ )
“[His brothers] said, ‘If he is a thief then his brother was a thief before him,’ but Joseph kept his secrets and did not reveal anything to them. He said, ‘You are in a far worse situation. God knows best the truth of what you claim.'”
The life of Prophet Yusuf (Jpeace be upon him) was profoundly tied to shirts—three shirts, each with its own story:
A shirt used in a lie!
A shirt used as proof of innocence!
A shirt used as a cure!
The lie:
When his brothers threw him into the well, they smeared his shirt with the blood of a goat and presented it to their father, Jacob (peace be upon him), claiming a wolf had devoured him.
But no crime is ever perfect; they forgot to tear the shirt!
They overlooked the absurdity: how could a wolf strip off his shirt without tearing it—and then eat him?!
The proof of innocence:
When Yusuf fled from the wife of Al-Aziz (Zulaikha), she grabbed his shirt and tore it from behind. Unsure who was guilty—Yusuf or Zulaikha—Allah caused a young child from her Zulaikha’s family spoke: “Check the shirt. If it is torn from the front, he attacked her. If it is torn from the back, he fled and she chased.” They looked—and knew he was innocent!
The cure:
Later, when Yusuf kept his brother Binyamin (Benjamin) by slipping a royal cup into his bag, the brothers returned without him. Their father Jacob wept so much until he lost his sight. Then Yusuf sent his shirt to be placed over his father’s face. And by Allah’s will, his sight was restored.
These are the stories of three shirts,
But in this verse lies a fourth shirt!
It was not the shirt of Yusuf but of his grandfather, Prophet Isaac (peace be upon him). This shirt has its own story!
Yusuf was motherless—his mother, Rachel, had died giving birth to Binyamin.
To compensate him, Allah placed love for him in the heart of his aunt Faiqa, who could not bear to be separated from him just as Jacob could not.
So she devised a plan to keep him!
She had with her a sacred shirt of her father, Isaac. When young Yusuf visited her, she dressed him in that shirt beneath his clothes.
When it was time to return him to his father, she claimed that she lost that shirt.
They searched and found it on Yusuf!
According to the customs of the Canaanites at that time, any thief was to become the property of the item’s owner for two years!
When they found the shirt on Yusuf, Faiqa insisted on the rule and kept Yusuf with her for two years, caring for him with great tenderness.
This is the story behind the brothers’ words:
“If he is a thief then his brother was a thief before him.”
What are lessons derived from the Verse?
First lesson:
People often ignore their own faults while magnifying yours!
These were grown men who once conspired to kill their own younger brother.
Only one of them intervened, convincing the others to throw him in a well insteadto be caught up by a group of people who took him far.
They forgot their plot to murder a child!
They forgot throwing him into a dark well!
They forgot the lie they told their father!
They forgot the sorrow they inflicted on him for years!
But they still remembered a childhood incident Yusuf had no control over!
Such is the way of people throughout time:
Their sins are always minor, no matter how great,
While yours are unforgivable, no matter how small!
So know your worth and expect little from people!
Second Lesson:
Yusuf kept his secrets!
Old wisdom says: The master of his people is the one who overlooks!
To survive, you must learn to ignore!
If you confront others with everything you know about them, soon you will find yourself alone.
Ignore, overlook, let things pass;
This is not hypocrisy
It is the etiquette of Prophets!
Yusuf kept his pain and knowledge to himself.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said:
“We smile in the faces of people, though our hearts curse them.”
Read the situation wisely!
Sometimes, confrontation is necessary,
But more often, you must play the role of the unaware!
Life must go on and without selective silence, it cannot!
( وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ )
“Another of His signs is that He created spouses from among yourselves for you to live with in tranquility: He ordained love and kindness between you. There truly are signs in this for those who reflect.”
Has anyone ever wondered why Allah created Eve from Adam’s rib, when He was fully capable of creating her from dust independently, just as He created Adam?
It is because the essence of a creation remains within the being, even if it takes on a different form afterward.
Angels, for example, are inherently inclined toward obedience. Even if they had the capacity to disobey, very few would ever do so because their essence, created from light, is pure goodness.
In contrast, Jinn have the capacity for both obedience and disobedience. Most of them are disobedient because their origin—fire—is largely associated with evil. Only a few are righteous, just as we benefit only partially from fire.
For this very reason, God created Eve from Adam’s rib so that her essence would carry the nature of his creation.
So that Eve would always feel she is part of Adam, and Adam would always feel that Eve is a piece of him!
It is the perfection of the Creator—the wise way in which man and woman are drawn to each other, for the purpose of populating the Earth that was made for them!
Note the precision in the expression from the Quran: “For you to live with in tranquility.”
The Arabic uses the particle (For) for causation, meaning the reason she was created from man is for he may find peace in her. Her finding peace in him is implied in the context.
He did not say: “For you may live with her!”
Marriage is more than a partnership under one roof!
Husband and wife are bound by more than a shared home or a shared bed!
“For you to live with in tranquility!”
It means: make them your home within your home, your shelter within your shelter.
Just as a man retreats to his house for protection and comfort, he retreats to his wife in the same way.
When God created Eve from Adam’s rib, He made her—by origin—a piece of him. And being a part of him, he must treat her accordingly.
As a part of himself;
He should protect her as he protects his own eyes—without which his life would not be complete. In the same way, man’s life is incomplete without woman!
And in return, she was created from him so that she would naturally long for him—like a stranger yearning for his homeland, or an orphan yearning for his father!
In this way, Allah the Almighty perfected a wise method to ensure the continuity of humankind, in which both man and woman find sweetness in their roles!
The man, when he loves this delicate part of himself,
And the woman, when she loves the whole from which she came!
( قَالُوا حَرِّقُوهُ وَانصُرُوا آلِهَتَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ )
“They said, ‘Burn him and avenge your gods, if you are going to do the right thing.'”
This verse refers to Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), after he destroyed the idols that his people worshipped. The story of Ibrahim is well-known and does not need to be repeated here.
Our focus now is purely linguistic,
Specifically, on the verb “burn”!
Why did the Qur’anic text quote the people of Ibrahim saying, “Burn him” instead of “Set him on fire”?
Do not both words convey the same meaning?
The answer: No!
Linguists unanimously agree on an important principle:
Any difference in structure (word form) necessarily implies a difference in meaning.
There are no two words that are completely synonymous in meaning, even if we think of them as synonyms!
What is commonly referred to as synonymy is merely an approximation to aid understanding.
But in terms of nuance and depth of meaning, no two words convey the exact same meaning.
So, what is the difference between “Burn him” and “Set him on fire”?
The verb (to set on fire) refers to the act of igniting something to destroy or consume it.
The verb (to burn) carries an additional meaning: to humiliate or disgrace through the act of burning.
And this was exactly the aim of the people of Ibrahim; they sought to humiliate him!
If they only wanted to kill him, they would not have gone to the great trouble of collecting so much firewood!
They gathered the wood in a deep valley.
They spent days doing so—young and old, men and women alike.
One interpreter, Al-Masudi, even mentioned that women among the people of Ibrahim, when sick, would vow: “If I recover, I will gather firewood for the burning of Ibrahim.”
The fire was so intense from all the wood that they could not even approach it. They had to launch Ibrahim into it using a catapult, because it was impossible to throw him in by hand.
This intent—to humiliate through burning—is found elsewhere in the Qur’an, affirming without doubt that (the act of burning) implies humiliation, not just destruction.
When Moses (peace be upon him) returned from the mountain and found the Children of Israel worshipping the golden calf made by the Samaritan from jewelry and ornaments belonged to women from the Children of Israel, he said:
( وَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ إِلَٰهِكَ الَّذِي ظَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفًا ۖ لَّنُحَرِّقَنَّهُ ثُمَّ لَنَنسِفَنَّهُ فِي الْيَمِّ نَسْفًا )
“Look at your god which you have kept on worshipping– we shall grind it down and scatter it into the sea.”
Here too, the verb used is “burn” not “set on fire.”
It would have been sufficient for Moses to destroy the idol, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) did when he destroyed the idols of Quraysh during the Conquest of Mecca. But Moses used burning to show the humiliation of that false god in front of his people (the Children of Israel).
Moses, by necessity, told his people that Allah is All-Mighty and by burning the calf, he was showing them the disgrace of the object they had honored.
The calf, in the end, was just an object—but the burning of it was a fitting punishment, in accordance with the principle: “The recompense is of the same nature as the deed.”
Because they had glorified and worshipped it, he wanted to show its worthlessness and disgrace!
On Social Media:
If You Do Not Have A Continuous Good Deed,
Then At The Very Least
Do Not Leave Behind A Continuous Sin;
You May Die, But It Will Live On After You!
( قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكَ يَا سَامِرِيُّ * قَالَ بَصُرْتُ بِمَا لَمْ يَبْصُرُوا بِهِ فَقَبَضْتُ قَبْضَةً مِّنْ أَثَرِ الرَّسُولِ فَنَبَذْتُهَا وَكَذَٰلِكَ سَوَّلَتْ لِي نَفْسِي * قَالَ فَاذْهَبْ فَإِنَّ لَكَ فِي الْحَيَاةِ أَن تَقُولَ لَا مِسَاسَ ۖ وَإِنَّ لَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَّن تُخْلَفَهُ ۖ وَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ إِلَٰهِكَ الَّذِي ظَلْتَ عَلَيْهِ عَاكِفًا ۖ لَّنُحَرِّقَنَّهُ ثُمَّ لَنَنسِفَنَّهُ فِي الْيَمِّ نَسْفًا )
“Moses said, ‘And what was the matter with you, Samiri?’ * He replied, ‘I saw something they did not; I took in some of the teachings of the Messenger but tossed them aside: and my soul prompted me to do what I did.’ * Moses said, ‘Get away from here! Your lot in this life is to say, “Do not touch me,” but you have an appointment from which there is no escape. Look at your god which you have kept on worshipping– we shall grind it down and scatter it into the sea.”
These verses are among the most remarkable in the Qur’an, both in form and meaning—though the entire Qur’an is wondrous. It is linguistic enchantment in expression and unique in meaning!
And why would not it be, when the eloquence of some people alone can capture minds? The Prophet (peace be upon him) once said, upon hearing Al-Zibriqan bin Badr defend himself with powerful speech: “Indeed, some speech is a form of magic!”
So if this is the eloquence of people, what about the eloquence of the Lord of people?!
As for Al-Samiri, opinions vary widely regarding his identity, with different interpretations aligning or differing at times.
After extensive reading, the view I lean toward is the following:
Al-Samiri was Musa bin Zafar, from a tribe of the Children of Israel called “Samira”, so he was referred to by his tribal affiliation, and his name was lost to history. This is a well-known phenomenon in every era:
Abu Bakr is better known than Abdullah bin Abi Quhafa!
Al-Jahiz more than Amr bin Bahr!
Al-Mutanabbi more than Ali bin Al-Husain!
And likewise for Al-A‘sha, Al-Shanfarā, Al-Akhtal, and Abu Tammam!
Al-Samiri was close in age to Moses (peace be upon him). He was born during the years when Pharaoh was slaughtering the newborn males of the Children of Israel and sparing the females—after Pharaoh saw a fire burning his palace in a dream and the interpreters told him that a child would be born among the Israelites who would bring down his kingdom.
At that time, pregnant women from the Children of Israel would retreat to the mountains and caves to give birth;
If the newborn was a girl, they would return with her—there was no threat.
If it was a boy, they would leave him there to avoid Pharaoh’s soldiers!
But Allah entrusted the care of those abandoned boys to angels, and it was Gabriel who took care of Al-Samiri!
That is the reason Al-Samiri later knew about the trace of Gabriel’s horse and the “handful” he mentions in the verse, which we will come back to shortly.
As for why the mother of Moses did not do the same and give birth in the mountains?
It is because Allah had decreed for this child to be on the front lines of the divine battle, not hidden in the background!
When Allah decrees a matter, He facilitates the means—whether in accordance with custom or against it. It makes no difference to Him. Means are but soldiers of Allah to execute His will—they apply to creation but not to the Creator.
Time passed: Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s palace, while Al-Samiri grew up elsewhere.
When the time came for the Exodus from Egypt, Al-Samiri was among his people.
When Pharaoh chased the Israelites to the sea, Moses struck the sea with his staff, parting it, and the Israelites crossed.
Pharaoh pursued them with his army.
Gabriel, riding his horse Haizum, stood between Moses and Pharaoh;
Where Gabriel’s horse stepped, the sand came to life—as if it held a spirit!
This was part of the blessing of Gabriel, whom Allah described multiple times in the Qur’an as “the Spirit.”
Al-Samiri recognized Gabriel from when he had seen him in his youth.
The rest of the Israelites did not notice because they had no prior experience with Gabriel.
This is the meaning of the verse: “I saw what they did not see.”
The important point is that Al-Samiri took with his hand that dust as if it held life and kept it.
After Moses led the Children of Israel across the sea, Allah commanded the sea to collapse upon Pharaoh and his army!
Then Moses went to his appointed time with his Lord, leaving his brother Aaron in charge of the people.
While Moses was away, Al-Samiri gathered the gold jewelry of the Israelite women and the ornaments they used to borrow from the Egyptian women and took them at that day.
He told them: This gold is not lawful for you!
Then he collected and melted it down. He formed from it a calf, and cast into it the dust he had taken from the footprint of the angel!
The calf then produced a sound like the lowing of a real calf and appeared alive!
Al-Samiri ordered them to worship the calf, and most of them obeyed except for Aaron and a small group from the Children of Israel!
When Moses returned, he took the calf, burned it, and exiled Al-Samiri from the community, commanding the people to avoid all contact with him.
This is the meaning of the verse: “Your lot in this life is to say, ‘Do not touch me.'”
So, what lessons can we draw from these verses?
First Lesson:
Moses, who was raised by Pharaoh, became a prophet,
While Moses (Al-Samiri), who was raised by Gabriel, made the people worship a calf!
What matters is not how you begin, but how you end!
Second Lesson:
The will of Allah is always fulfilled;
It is not delayed by caution, nor prevented by planning, nor escaped by strategy.
Pharaoh slaughtered thousands of infants, fearing that one of them might be the boy who would bring down his kingdom.
And yet, that very boy was raised in his own palace!
Third Lesson:
Hearts are soldiers of Allah; He steadies them to fulfill His decrees and softens them to carry out His will.
He strengthened the heart of Moses’ mother so she could cast him into the river!
And He softened the heart of Asiyah, Pharaoh’s wife, so she would take him in and care for him!
He took Moses from one mother and gave him to another!
Fourth Lesson:
There is nothing strange about Gabriel having raised Al-Samiri, even though Al-Samiri ended up a disbeliever.
A disbeliever can emerge from a believer’s house, like the son of Noah,
And a prophet can come from a disbelieving home, like Ibrahim, son of Azar.
A wife can be a disbeliever while her husband is a believer like the wives of Noah and Lot.
And Allah built a house in Paradise for Asiyah, even though her husband on earth claimed, “I am your lord, the Most High.”
No matter what creation gives to creation, it can never match what the Creator gives to His creation.
Yet He is disbelieved in, is not thanked, and is worshiped alongside others!
In the Qudsi Hadith, Allah says:
“O My servants! I am astonished; I create, yet worship is directed to others! I provide, yet thanks are given to others!”
(Reported by Al-Baihaqi in Shu‘ab al-Iman, from Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him))
Fifth Lesson:
People forget quickly;
Allah saved them from Pharaoh,
He parted the sea for them,
He drowned their enemy,
But once they reached the shore, they worshipped a calf they made with their own hands!
So if this is how people treat God, then how do you think they will treat other people?!
Do good because you are good, not because others deserve it!
And the wise person never expects gratitude from people;
As long as your deed is with Allah, nothing is ever lost.
But if someone does you a favor, and you cannot repay it, just do not forget it.
Ingratitude is painful!
And if Allah is angered by denial of blessings and lack of appreciation despite being free of need;
Then how much more should people, who need one another, feel anger when met with ungratefulness?!
( نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ بِمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ )
“We tell you [Prophet] the best of stories in revealing this Qur’an to you. Before this you were one of those who knew nothing about them.”
This verse is at the beginning of Surah Yusuf.
And from a literary perspective, Surah Yusuf represents the Sidrat al-Muntaha (ultimate boundary) of Qur’anic storytelling, in terms of the narrative structure, which begins even before the characters take their places in the story’s architecture!
Or in terms of the completeness of its characters—both main and secondary—in such a way that their traits can be generalized to represent characters across the entire Qur’anic narrative!
Also, in terms of the diversity of narrators and the shifts in the time of narration and the time of the story itself, this surah alone would require volumes to encompass its literary structure—whether in plot, characters, time and place—not to mention the magic of its eloquence and the depth of its meaning. But for now, the focus is on the characters!
Characters in Surah Yusuf, as in most Qur’anic stories, are divided into main and secondary!
We are used to approaching Qur’anic characters as if they are flesh-and-blood individuals, unaware that these characters carry within them symbols and meanings that go far beyond their human aspects!
They contain broader horizons and deeper meanings than the human cage we confine them in!
When the Qur’an speaks to us about Yusuf, it wants us to understand the symbol that Yusuf represents!
This, I believe, applies to all Qur’anic characters—whether righteous or wicked—they are essentially a collection of symbols, meanings, and values!
The message is not always about the physical character of flesh and blood, but rather about its symbolic meaning!
Thus, Yusuf symbolizes chastity, and Zulaikha (the wife of the Aziz) symbolizes desire!
And this is exactly the struggle the Qur’an wants to convey to us: The struggle between chastity and desire!
This also explains why Allah mentioned only twenty five Prophets in the Qur’an, although according to authentic traditions, their number exceeds a hundred thousand. The reason being, those whose human personalities were not mentioned are, in fact, represented through the symbols found in those who were mentioned! This is the miracle of conciseness!
And what applies to Yusuf (chastity) and Zulaikha (desire) extends to the rest of the characters:
Jacob / fatherhood,
Yusuf’s brothers / envy,
Akhenaten / authority and kingship,
The women / bad company,
The Aziz / a multifaceted character: husband / social status,
The child / the testimony of truth,
The two prison mates / the general public.
This is why Abraham is Moses, and Nimrod is Pharaoh!
And the flood, frogs, locusts, lice, blood, the staff, the elephant, the birds of Ababil, and the donkey of the ‘Uzair—they are all soldiers of God!
And Qarun represents the union of wealth and power!
Moreover, characters may differ in type, but they serve the same symbol. For example, the ant that feared for her people lest Solomon’s army crush them unknowingly—her symbolic meaning is the same as the man who came running from the farthest part of the city in Surah Yasin!
( وَلَمَّا سَكَتَ عَن مُّوسَى الْغَضَبُ أَخَذَ الْأَلْوَاحَ ۖ )
“When Moses’ anger abated, he picked up the Tablets.”
First Lesson:
Do not expect people to be angels.
Even a Prophet of strong resolve (Moses peace be upon him) grew angry and threw down the Tablets;
Because at the end, he is human being!
Second Lesson:
The noble are quick to repair what they have damaged.
And here is Moses picking up what he had thrown.
If you mistakes, apologize!
If you ruin something, make it right!
(وَمَا كُنتَ تَتْلُو مِن قَبْلِهِ مِن كِتَابٍ وَلَا تَخُطُّهُ بِيَمِينِكَ ۖ إِذًا لَّارْتَابَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ)
“You never recited any Scripture before We revealed this one to you; you never wrote one down with your hand. If you had done so, those who follow falsehood might have had cause to doubt.”
Some people persist in twisting the meanings of Qur’anic texts in an attempt to deny the Prophet’s illiteracy. At times, they interpret the term “the unlettered Prophet (peace be upon him)” as being from Umm al-Qura (Makkah), claiming it is merely a geographical reference.
Other times, they assert he was not actually illiterate, but was simply associated with an illiterate people — the Arabs — and thus labeled as such.
This is an erroneous interpretation, and a misguided defense of the Prophet, as if illiteracy were a flaw!
They forget that God does not send a Prophet with a flaw that would undermine his mission — especially not the final Prophet!
He was from Quraysh and no one knew Muhammad (peace be upon him) better than they did.
When they denied his message, they accused him of being a poet, because they knew poetry did not contradict illiteracy.
Most pre-Islamic poets were illiterate and composed their poetry orally.
The famous Mu’allaqat poems that were hung on the walls of the Ka’ba were written by the few literate Arabs not the poets themselves.
Yet they never accused the Prophet of having written the Qur’an himself because they knew he neither read nor wrote. This verse is a clear and unequivocal statement of his illiteracy, denying any knowledge of reading or writing.
But those who irrationally defended him confused illiteracy with ignorance. Illiteracy is the opposite of reading and writing! Ignorance is the opposite of knowledge!
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was illiterate, but he was not ignorant!
This persistence on denying his illiteracy reflects a lack of understanding of his message. When people insist that a Prophet must be literate to be complete, they act as though God sent him as a schoolteacher!
I am not aware of any considerable scholarly opinion that denies his illiteracy.
These are well-meaning emotions that have led to misguided interpretations and strange explanations — nothing more.
On the contrary, many moments in the Prophet’s life clearly confirm his illiteracy:
In Sahih Muslim, in the narration of Al-Bara’ about the Treaty of Hudaibiyah: When Suhail bin Amr came to negotiate on behalf of Quraysh, the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered his Companions to write the treaty.
When Suhail read: “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,”
He said: “I do not recognize this. Write instead: In Your name, O Allah.”
The Prophet said to Ali: “Write it as he said.”
Then Suhail read: “This is what Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, has agreed to with Quraysh,”
He said: “If we acknowledged you as the Messenger of Allah, we would not have fought you! Write instead: Muhammad son of Abdullah.”
The Prophet said to Ali: “Erase it.”
Ali said: “By Allah, I will not erase it.”
The Prophet said: “Show me where it is!”
So Ali pointed it out, and the Prophet erased it himself!
If he had been literate, he would not have needed anyone to show him the word!
As for the statement attributed to Al-Sha‘bi (Shurayh bin ‘Amr Al-Kufi) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not die until he had read and written, this is a false and unreliable claim!
Even if, for argument’s sake, we accepted it — it would be evidence against them, not for them — because they admit he was originally illiterate!
And if he was not, what would be the point of saying he did not die until he could read and write?!
( إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ )
“We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an so that you [people] may understand.”
The Qur’an has always been a focal point for scholars. They anchor their minds upon its verses, and work their intellects through its words.
Among them is the jurist, preoccupied with extracting legal rulings from the text.
Others are the reciters, devoted to perfecting its pronunciation and rules of recitation (Tajweed).
There are also the grammarians, who are occupied with its sentence structures—through derivation, analogy, and deduction.
The rhetoricians study its eloquent metaphors, its enchanting rhymes, the awe of its similes, and the precision of its metaphors.
Linguists examine its vocabulary—its roots, usages, and dialectical variations.
Each has found in the Qur’an what they seek!
This Qur’an is a vast sea of knowledge with no shores. Minds navigate through it with no anchor, except what the researcher can draw from its text.
One long-standing debate among scholars has been whether all the Qur’an’s vocabulary is purely Arabic?
Is there any non-Arabic word in the Qur’an?
What about the influence of non-Arabic languages on Arabic over time? The intermingling of languages is inevitable—no matter how eloquent or rich a language may be.
The apparent meaning of the Qur’anic verses suggests that all its vocabulary is purely Arabic.
And many early scholars fiercely defended this thought.
People have held three main views on the issue:
Two are considerable and based on knowledge, and the third is flawed—held by those who speak about the Qur’an out of desire, ignorance, or malice.
The First View:
It completely denies the presence of any non-Arabic word in the Qur’an. This was the opinion of scholars like Imam Al-Shaf’i, Ibn Jarir Al-Tabari, Abu ‘Ubaidah Ma’mar bin al-Muthanna, Qadi Abu Bakr, and Ibn Faris. Al-Shaf’i was particularly stern in rejecting any other opinion!
The Second View:
It accepts that some non-Arabic words exist in the Qur’an. Its proponents were scholars deeply grounded in both language and religion—well-respected figures with reputable works and sincere devotion to defending the Qur’an. Among them were Ibn Hisham, Al-Tha‘alibi, and Al-Suyuti.
These two views are valid and we can coincide between them. The third, however, is baseless and will be addressed later.
It is misguided to categorically deny that non-Arabic words appear in the Qur’an. Evidence for their presence is numerous and undeniable. Some examples include:
Persian words: Abārīq (pitchers), Sijjīl, Istabraq (brocade), Dīnār (gold coin), Yāqūt (ruby), and Misk.
Greek words: Al-Raqīm (inscription), Ṣirāṭ (path), Qisṭās (scales), and Iblīs.
Abyssinian (Ethiopic) words: Jahannam (Hell), Malā’ikah (angels), Aḥdūd (ditches).
Old Turkish words: Ghassāq.
Hindi words: Mishkāt (niche).
So how can we reconcile the two views, especially when the Qur’an clearly affirms its Arabic nature in many verses?
These words are mu‘arrabah — Arabized.
In linguistic terms, “mu‘arrab” refers to a word originally from a non-Arabic language that the Arabs adopted and used in their speech for a long time before the revelation of the Qur’an.
Thus, these words became fully Arabic by usage and form.
When the Arab Arabized, they did not take the words from other languages as they are.
Rather they made some modifications to their phonetic and morphological system to coincide with tongue of the Arab.
So, those who say “there is no non-Arabic word in the Qur’an” are correct—from the standpoint that these words had already become Arabic through usage and adaptation, even if their origins were foreign. And when the Qur’an was revealed, it used these words that the Arab had used for a long time.
And those who say “there are non-Arabic words in the Qur’an” are also correct—from the standpoint of tracing the root origins of the words before they were Arabized.
It is a matter of etymological research, not a denial of the Qur’an’s Arabic identity.
As for the third view, the flawed one:
It claims that the Arabs had no knowledge of these words and only became familiar with them through the Qur’an, surrendering to its linguistic force.
This opinion is invalid; its proponents are either ignorant or malicious.
The Quraysh—whom God described as “a contentious people” were known for their argumentative nature and sharp tongues. If these words were truly foreign and unknown to them, they would have used that as an argument against the Qur’an’s authenticity. But they never did. They were the most eloquent of Arabs, home to master poets and eloquent orators.
Instead of objecting, they surrendered to the majesty of the Qur’an’s eloquence and its purely Arabic nature—because they knew it better than anyone else.
Also no people, other than Quraysh, argued against the Qur’an by these words.
Even the tribes of Tamīm and Hudhayl, known for their eloquence and deep understanding of Arabic, submitted to the Qur’an just as Quraysh did!
( قَالَ آمَنتُمْ لَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آذَنَ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَكُمُ السِّحْرَ ۖ فَلَأُقَطِّعَنَّ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُم مِّنْ خِلَافٍ وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِي جُذُوعِ النَّخْلِ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ أَيُّنَا أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا وَأَبْقَىٰ )
“Pharaoh said, ‘How dare you believe in him before I have given you permission? This must be your master, the man who taught you witchcraft. I shall certainly cut off your alternate hands and feet, then crucify you in the trunks of palm trees. You will know for certain which of us has the fiercer and more lasting punishment.'”
One might expect the verse to say “on the trunks of palm trees,” not in them—because crucifixion typically happens on the outer surface, not inside the trunk. So what is the rhetorical significance of using “in” instead of “on” in this verse?
Both the Kufan and Basran schools of Arabic grammar agree that prepositions can at times interchange. One preposition can replace another.
However, the Kufans say that substitution is a feature of the preposition. They believe this substitution does not necessarily add meaning.
The Basrans, led by Sībawayh, say that the origin is that each preposition shall be at its position, and such alternation occurs only when it adds depth or emphasis—and this is the correct view.
Here, the crucifixion occurred by two methods:
The First: He nailed the victims to the palm trunks so forcefully that parts of their flesh penetrated into the wood.
The second: Binding them with ropes so tightly and severely that their flesh became entangled with the bark—thus, they were not merely crucified on the trees, but as if they had merged into them.
This is the power of the Qur’an’s eloquence—the use of in instead of on emphasizes the savage brutality of Pharaoh’s punishment. It was not a mere act of execution, but a gruesome form of mutilation and torture, using their bodies as an example.
A powerful moral lesson from the verse: Never lose hope in anyone!
The magicians who came to oppose Moses (peace be upon him) in the morning were crucified by evening as firm believers—they never renounced their faith despite Pharaoh’s threats.
And likewise, do not place absolute trust in someone solely based on their early righteousness!
The same people who crossed the sea with Moses (peace be upon him) ended up worshipping the golden calf shortly afterward.
Hearts are between the fingers of the Most Merciful—He turns them as He wills. God guides to this religion people no one would expect.
‘Umar bin al-Khattab, who once persecuted Muslims, became the Farooq of this Ummah and brought down the two mightiest empires in history: Persia and Rome!
Khalid bin al-Waleed, who once led the Muslims to defeat at Uhud, became the Sword of Allah!
‘Ikrimah, whose blood was deemed lawful on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, later died a martyr at Yarmouk as a commander under Khalid!
This religion is for those who are sincere not just those who came first.
By sincerity, a person can surpass those who had a head start!
( وَنَصَرْنَاهُ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمَ سَوْءٍ فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ )
“And We granted him victory from the people who rejected Our signs– they were evil people, so We drowned them all.”
We have previously discussed that the Kufan and Basran grammarians agreed that prepositions in Arabic can alternate; that is, one can replace another.
The Kufans believed that this alternation is a feature of prepositions, and that one replacing another does not necessarily imply a change in meaning.
Meanwhile, the Basrans, particularly Sibawayh, held the view that such alternation must result in an added layer of meaning—and this is the correct opinion.
Allah could have said: “And We granted him victory over…”
But instead, He said: “We granted him victory from…”
So, what does this prepositional alternation add to the meaning?
The verse is speaking about Noah (peace be upon him):
It is known that the people of Noah were destroyed by drowning after God commanded him to build the ark and to carry upon it pairs of every kind. The word “victory” typically implies there was a confrontation,
But no such confrontation occurred!
Thus, “We gave him victory” here actually means “We saved him”; the confrontation was between his people and the water, and he emerged safe and unharmed.
If the water (God’s army) won the confrontation, then it was also an answer to Noah’s prayer. So while Noah was victorious in the result, he was, in reality, saved.
God changed the wording—using “gave victory” instead of “saved”, and changed the preposition—to leave us to discover the miraculous depth of meaning in the Qur’anic text!
( طَلْعُهَا كَأَنَّهُ رُءُوسُ الشَّيَاطِينِ )
“And its fruits are like devils’ heads.”
This is the most powerful simile in the Qur’an!
And the Qur’an, in its entirety, is more eloquent than any part of it alone.
In language, a simile exists to clarify meaning, particularly when something unknown is compared to something known!
A person measures what he does not know by what he knows, and thus the meaning becomes clear!
But here, God compares the unknown to another unknown!
The goal is not to obscure meaning but to intentionally leave it unknown;
As human beings fear what they do not understand!
And the purpose of the verse is to instill fear.
The Qur’anic text does not seek ambiguity, since it is, at its core, a clarification for humankind.
But the Most High intentionally complicated the image to intensify the sense of terror, and His speech balances hope and fear.
Since the image people hold of devils is already one of ugliness, and the ugliest part of anything is its head, where the face lies, He left the rest for us to imagine:
He let us envision an unknown tree, bearing unknown fruit, yet its ugliness is deeply felt within the soul!