In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate, Salaam and welcome to our weekly program "Path towards Enlightenment" in which we present you a fluent and easy-to-understand explanation of the ayahs of the holy Qur’an. We start from where we left you last Friday and here are ayahs 28 to 30 of Surah Ya Sin:

 “After him We did not send down on his people a host from the sky, nor We would have sent down.”

“It was but a single Cry, and, behold, they were stilled [like burnt ashes]!”

“How regrettable of the servants! There did not come to them any apostle but that they used to deride him.”

Last week we ended our several-weeks long explanation of the tragic events in the Syrian city of Antioch and how the infidels denied, imprisoned, tormented, and finally martyred the apostles sent to them for guidance by Prophet Jesus (AS) on the commandment of Allah. Even Habib an-Najjar the righteous carpenter of Antioch was martyred because of his defence of the apostles.

The ayahs that we recited to you now mean to say that those who belied the mission of the messengers of God and killed the believers, made themselves deserving of divine punishment – not just in the Hereafter, but in the mortal life of the transient world as well.

Killing of a true believer is among the cardinal sins. The Merciful Lord describes His favours and means to say that the true believer Habib Najjar was killed, We did not send on the sinners any army from heaven – they never deserve that We may send any troops from the sky to finish them. So, We annihilated them merely with a heavenly shriek.

According to a narration, at that very moment when Habib was martyred, and according to another narration the next day and according to a third narration, after three days thereafter, God decided to punish the oppressors. God ordered Archangel Gabriel to smite the unbelievers with a frightening cry or shriek that snuffed out life from their bodies. There was silence everywhere since dead persons neither move nor do words come out of their lifeless mouths. They resembled burnt ashes.

The next ayah means to say how regretful is the condition of the sinners? They refuse to listen to the words of guidance and ridicule the messengers of God sent to them.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. Those who mock, belie and oppress the God-oriented upright leaders, should await Divine Wrath any moment.
2. The righteous should not be afraid of the threats of bullies and rogues; whenever God deems appropriate, they will be destroyed in a short time.
3. All prophets were mocked, but they never abandoned their mission to guide the people.

Now we listen to ayahs 31 and 32 of Surah Ya Sin:

“Have they not regarded how many generations We have destroyed before them who will not come back to them?”

“And all of them will indeed be presented before Us.”

In continuation of the previous ayahs, this ayah addresses all human beings and says: Why do not you study the history of the past nations and the fate they suffered because of their disobedience of God? Do you not realize how the nations before you were wiped out, despite possessing power, wealth and technologies? Today there is no trace of them, and on the Day of Resurrection all of them will be raised for the final judgment.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. We ought to study history and contemplate upon the fate suffered by the nations of the past in order to take lessons!
2. After death, there is no way to return to the world, which means the belief in reincarnation by certain idol-worshippers, such as the Hindus, who think a dead person will be reborn in form of another body or animal, is totally absurd and illogical, since this is against the fundamental principle of Divine Justice.

Now we listen to ayahs 33 to 35 of Surah Ya Sin:

“A sign for them is the dead earth, which We revive and out of it bring forth grain, so they eat of it.”

“And We make in it orchards of date palms and vines, and We cause springs to gush forth in it,”

“So that they may eat of its fruit and what their hands have cultivated. Will they not then give thanks?”

The previous ayahs mentioned the issue of resurrection and the presence of servants before God. These ayahs mean to say that one of the best signs and undeniable signs of resurrection after death is the revival of the barren earth, which blooms in spring and turns green with flowers and fruits, after autumn had denuded the trees of their leafs and winter turned them into almost dead twigs.

Here in this ayah the word ‘grain’ means a corn seed. The chief grains are wheat, barely, lentils and rice etc. By way of development, a seed of wheat becomes a ear or cluster. Thereafter, a seed gives seventy to seven hundred seeds. This shows God’s Might and indicates that the universe is being directed by the Infinite Power.

You sowed a date seed. Then it bears branches and leaves producing hundreds of dates, each of which contains the same seed stone. This is manifestation of God’s powerful might. The One Who created wheat also gave you teeth to eat it. Who created taste in your tongue and Who made this date fruit so sweet in taste?

The ayah also mentions grape, which in the beginning is very sour before it gradually sweetens. Sometimes its extreme sweetness sickens man. Who is behind the quantitative and qualitative changes in grapes? Is it anyone except the One and Only God? He gives life to a dry barren earth. He makes the grass to grow.

These are all signs of resurrection of the dead on the Day of Judgment.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. Nature is the Book of God's creation, and by contemplating on its wonders, we realize the Infinite Power of God Almighty.
2. The yearly cycle of the revival of the plants and vegetation and the bounties of nature, are intended to awaken human conscience regarding the Day of Resurrection.
3. Human beings should be grateful to God for His bestowing of various types of food in the form of cereals, fruits and vegetables, but unfortunately, many people are ungrateful.

AS/MG