Pars Today

Welcome to our latest episode of “Path towards Enlightenment”, which is an endeavour to make you and us familiar with an easy and fluent explanation of God’s Final Scripture to all mankind, the holy Qur’an that was revealed to the Last and Greatest of all Messengers, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny).

As you know last week we started explanation of “Surah Ma’arej” – the number 70 in the serial order of compilation of the holy Qur’an – which has 44 Ayahs and was revealed in Mecca, although according to exegetes, some of its Ayahs were revealed in Medina. The title of the Surah derives from the word “Ma’arej” mentioned in Ayah 3 regarding the places of ascent or lofty stations where by the permission of the Almighty Creator angels can ascent. The Surah focuses on the Day of Resurrection and warns the polytheists and disbelievers of the dire consequences of their lack of faith, while defining the characteristics of the peoples of Paradise and Hell. The opening Ayahs concern the sending down of torments in this world such as the one that befell a denier of the Divinely-designated Wilayah or Leadership of the Prophet’s Immaculate Cousin and Son-in-Law, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS).

We continue from where we had left you in the last episode of ‘Path towards Enlightenment’, and here are Ayahs 8 & 9:

“The day when the sky will be like molten copper,

 “And the mountains like dyed wool,

If you might recall, in our explanation of the previous Ayahs of this Surah last Friday, we said believers have been advised to be patient and resistant vis-à-vis the persecution by disbelievers, without losing hope in Divine Mercy, because the fate of the faithless is sealed even though they think punishment is far away, while it is very near. It is belief in the Day of Resurrection and Judgement that makes one patient against hardships.

The Ayahs we recited to you now draw the picture of the end of the world when the sky shall be like molten metal and the mountains shall be like flakes of dyed wool of different colour. In other words, they will be torn asunder and melt, while the seemingly mighty mountains shall be shattered and scattered through the wind as if they wool. Such a frightful transformation shall precede the creation of a new world wherein mankind shall be resurrected for the final judgement.

These Ayahs teach us that:

1. The present structure of the world will be completely dismantled and reconstructed.
2. All mankind will be revived to life even if their bones had powdered due to the lengthy centuries and millenniums, and will be assembled for the reckoning of deeds.

Now we listen to Ayahs 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 of the same Surah:

“And no friend will enquire about a friend.”

“They will be placed within each other’s sight; the guilty one will wish he could ransom himself from the punishment of that day at the price of his children,

“His spouse, and his brother,

“And his kin which had sheltered him,

“And all those who are on the earth, if that might rescue him.”

The Ayahs that you heard are a horrendous description of the Day of Resurrection in the reconstructed world when people will be so preoccupied with the record of their past deeds that no friend will ask about the fate of another friend, even when they see each other, since the sinners think of only saving themselves from the torments at any cost. They would desire to victimize even their own children, spouses, brothers, and kith and kin that were their protectors, as well as all the people on the planet in a bid to find deliverance from the terrible punishments that are the result of their own evil deeds, but to no avail.

These Ayahs teach us that:

1. On the Day of Resurrection friends and relatives will see each other, but no one will be of help to anyone, and no son, daughter, wife, sister, brother, kith, and kin, can be the ransom for averting Divine punishment.
2. In our worldly life, we ought to be careful about the correctness of our beliefs, words, and deeds that should not be against what the Almighty Creator has decreed for our welfare through prophets, heavenly scriptures, and the true saints, in order to ensure our salvation.
3. There is no escape from the Justice of the All-Merciful Lord Who never wrongs anyone and has shown immense compassion, which means it is intransigent disbelief and evil deeds that seal the fate of the sinners.

In conclusion of this week’s episode of Path towards Enlightenment, let us listen to Ayahs 15, 16, 17, and 18 of Surah Ma’arej:

“Never, indeed it is a blazing fire!

“That strips away the scalp,

“It claims him who turned away [from the truth] and forsook it,

“And (those) amassing and hoarding [wealth];”

These Ayahs mean to say that no ransom is accepted to save those destined to be cast into the blazing fire of Hell, which burns away limbs and even the skin head. These terrible flames pull towards them those who had turned away from Divine Commandments, ridiculed Prophets, and mocked at Saints and the Righteous guides, who used to warn against the consequences of disbelief and sins, that not just includes oppression of fellow human but acquiring wealth through hook or crook and hoarding it, with spending it for good cause and the welfare of humanity.

We learn from these Ayahs that:

1. There is no escape from Divine Punishment for those who continued their evil ways and indulged in deviated beliefs even when given ample time for repentance.
2. There is no harm in earning money or acquiring wealth through lawful means, but after meeting one’s needs, this should be spent in the way of Allah and the welfare of the needy.

RM/AS/SS