Welcome to our weekly program “Path Towards Enlightenment” in which we present you a fluent and easy-to-understand explanation of the ayahs of God Almighty’s final revelation to mankind, the holy Qur’an.

We start from where we left you last Friday and here are ayahs 50 and 51 of Surah Ankabut:

وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا الْآيَاتُ عِندَ اللَّـهِ وَإِنَّمَا أَنَا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِهِمْ أَنَّا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَرَحْمَةً وَذِكْرَىٰ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

"They say, ‘Why has not some sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say, ‘The signs are only with Allah, and I am only a Manifest Warner."

"Does it not suffice them that We have sent down to you the Book which is recited to them? There is indeed a mercy and admonition in that for a people who have faith."

Last week, we said the holy Qur’an is indeed a manifest miracle of the mission of the Almighty’s Last and Greatest Messengers, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). Its flawless eloquence and its timeless wisdom, in view of the fact that the Prophet of Islam was neither taught by anyone nor had any teacher, are indicative of Divine Wisdom to establish Islam as the universal creed for all mankind. The ayahs that we recited to you now refer to the illogical demand of the pagan Arabs, whose minds couldn’t comprehend the manifest miracle of the holy Qur’an, and in the their blighted intransigence, they kept on saying as to why he does not demonstrate miracles like the prophets of the past. Why he does not do what we ask him to do? Why he does not make springs gush out in dry deserts? Why he does not change the mountains of Mecca into gold?

As is clear by these words, the pagan Arabs were not really seeking any miracle. By trying to ignore the manifest miracle of the Qur’an which was in their midst, and asking for extemporarily miracles instead, whose signs never remain, they actually wanted to show miracles as a worthless play, so as to call the Prophet a sorcerer. Such obstinate behaviour by the pagan Arabs is indicative of the fact that they merely sought ways to justify their evil practice of polytheism. Their retarded minds failed to comprehend that a supernatural demonstration has a time, place, and necessity, but is definitely not whim, amusement or pastime to entertain disbelievers. Moreover, despite their claim to be masters of eloquence in Arabic language, they were trying to ignore the matchless beauty of the holy Qur’an, which is indeed a permanent miracle, and whose likeness, they cannot bring, even if it means composing a small surah. In short, God knows very well the persons who seek the truth and those who resort to pretexts for continuing their wicked ways. The Prophet, for his part, is commanded by God to say that as the emissary of the Almighty Creator, he is only a Plain Warner chosen to guide the human race. As is clear by the next ayah, which draws attention to the dynamism of the holy Qur’an as admonition and a mercy for mankind, especially those who have faith.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. The Qur'an is the Living Miracle of Last and Greatest Prophet, and hence universal and for all mankind.

2. In every age, the holy Qur’an, as God's Final Revelation to mankind, continues to respond to all spiritual needs of human beings, who, if they properly use their God-given intellect, can easily comprehend its contents.

3. The holy Qur’an prevents mankind from falling into ignorance by opening the doors of infinite mercy.

Now we listen and read ayahs 52 and 53 of Surah Ankabut:

قُلْ كَفَىٰ بِاللَّـهِ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ شَهِيدًا ۖ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۗ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْبَاطِلِ وَكَفَرُوا بِاللَّـهِ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ ۚ وَلَوْلَا أَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى لَّجَاءَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلَيَأْتِيَنَّهُم بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ

"Say, ‘Allah suffices as a Witness between me and you: He knows whatever there is in the heavens and the earth. Those who put faith in falsehood and defy Allah, —it is they who are the losers."

"They ask you to hasten the punishment. Yet were it not for a specified time, the punishment would have surely overtaken them. Surely it will overtake them suddenly while they are unaware."

These ayahs command the Prophet of Islam to tell the disbelievers that Allah suffices as the Witness between me and you, since as the Almighty Creator, He knows whatever is the heavens and the earth. This means that those who disobey God and indulge in all sorts of falsehood are the real losers. The next ayah tells those of the pagan Arabs who mock at the teachings of Islam and ask the Prophet to bring down divine punishment, if he is true, that God's wrath would have descended upon them, had it not been for His Mercy which has specified a time for everything in order to give them ample time to repent, reform and rectify their behaviour. The next part of the ayah warns them that divine punishment will certainly overtake the obstinate believers and sinners, while they are unaware.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. It is the disbelievers who are the real losers, even if they think themselves to be smart and continue to ridicule the words of God and faith, while the real success is for the true believers.

2. God confirms the honesty and integrity of Prophet Mohammad (blessing of God upon him and his progeny).

3. The All-Merciful God is not in haste in sending down punishment for the obstinate disbelievers, and has specified time for everything, in order to give ample time for the wrongdoers to repent, reform and rectify their ways.

Now we listen and read ayahs 54 and 55 of Surah Ankabut:

يَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ

يَوْمَ يَغْشَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ وَيَقُولُ ذُوقُوا مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

"They ask you to hasten the punishment, and indeed hell will besiege the faithless."

"On the day when the punishment envelopes them, from above them and from under their feet, and He will say, ‘Taste what you used to do!"

In continuation of the previous ayahs, these ayahs mean to say: why do you long for divine punishment; when divine mercy is all around you, as a prevention from the torment of hell into which the disbelievers will eventually fall, for their intransigence and sins. Hell is the result of sins, wrongdoings, injustice, oppression, and bloodshed, and there is no escape when it engulfs the wicked. Hell is thus not like a terrible storm, floods, or a devastating earthquake that may destroy much but soon pass away, leaving survivors to rebuild. As is evident by the next ayah, when Divine Punishment envelops those who deserve it, from above from below, and from every side, the All-Merciful Lord Who had given the sinners ample time in life to repent and reform, will say: what you are now tasting is that for which you longed for, by ridiculing the preaching of the Prophets and mocking at God's commandments.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. The delay in divine punishment is proof of the fact that God the All-Merciful gives ample time for disbelievers and sinners to repent and reform.

2. Divine Punishment and the fires of hell in afterlife, are the result and manifestation of one's own sinful deeds committed during the transient life of the world, without bothering to seek forgiveness from the Lord Most High.

FK/AS/ME