notes

Chapter 2 =

2:2 ~> The reading is the book/kitab. "This is the book."

2:2-4 ~> Guidance is found in it directed towards: 1) the God fearing, 2) believers in the useen, 3) those who keep up 'salat' 4) who spend of God's provisions, 5) believers in revelation, 6) and those who regard the hereafter.

2:5 ~> The aforementioned are on right guidance and WILL prosper.

2:6 ~> Those who are 'disbelievers' (kafaroo) are bound to disbelieve regardless.

2:7 ~> Their awareness is snuffed out.

2:8-10 ~> Those who say what they do not do decieve themselves for the fact that they are "false". This practice is cancerous.

2:11-12 ~> These people do not see the wrongs in their works (perhaps because of the snuffed out awareness), but rather see their works as good.

2:13 ~> They do not want to follow a straighter course besides the one they are already bound to or the one that is set before them and they deny others.

2:14 ~> An example of 2:8-10 because they say one thing and really believe in another.

2:15 ~> These people will tread this path of theirs and have mockery in it.

2:16 ~> Their road/journey is an unworthy one and they've traded in the better one for the worst.

2:17-18 ~> The man sets up a light which left them (perhaps any followers of any appointed leader) in the dark and they were unwilling to return or back away from it. One could say that these people set up a system of their own which brings them to perdition, but they will stand by it till the end. This brings back memories of how I am told in 2:15 that these people travel a path of mockery and unworthiness as said in 2:16.

2:19-20 ~> A cloud which is overwhelming to the brim haunts the people, they turn their hearing from it, i.e. rejecting faith. They are blind to the ways of God, but when they see in it something of agreement to their own way they will follow it and still remain lost nonetheless. They voluntarily pamper down their awareness. This relates to the earlier desciption of these kafireen/rejectors who have a snuffed out awareness as is stated in 2:7.

2:21 ~> This is a petition for the people to serve God who is referred to as the Guardian of the people.

2:22 ~> Being a provider for our every need, there should be no cause for the people to give/bring rivals to God. The earth and sky is likened to a home; earth = bed, canopy = roof above one's head, and the fruits of the earth for our sustenance is like the food we have in our own homes to sustain us.

2:23 ~> If one doubts the truth of the reading, one should bring what is true, contrary to the reading if they are truthful.

2:24 ~> The people cannot bring truth contrary to the reading because any anti-thesis to it would in fact be false. Those who try to bring the anti thesis should fear a fire since they are rejectors (kafireen) of the truth and look for something contrary to it, which is falsehood.

Men and stones are said to feul a fire. Stones may be in referrence to the hard hearts of the rejectors (kafireen) who are naturally men or of mankind. This fire may well be the burning desires or jinn and nullify the malaika. This is not necessarily referring to the hereafter, but referring to the actual conditions of these people, the rejectors (kafireen). A hard or closed heart can be the furnace with which base desires are set aflame and thus these uncontrolled desires are sort of like a firey furnace.

2:25 ~> This can be seen as a CONDITON of the people who are believers and work righteousness. I see the garden as a place of growth (note this is what gardens are) and freely flowing rivers as clear and unobstructed awareness or thoughts. In this state the fruit of the growth and clear awareness is constant success perhaps, i.e. the prosperous ones who are guided in 2:5. These people have pure thought, "they have therein companions pure" in opposition to those who have evil and obstructed thoughts in 2:14.

2:26-27 ~> Here it is said that God will not turn back or shrink from using ALL things that may be similar. There are those, the believers, who will learn from these similar things. There are others (kafaroo) who will be at a lost simply because they turn from these things (2:16) and reject them, the truth. These people do themselves wrong in: 1) Turning from the straight path as in 2:16, 2) breaking their covenants with God, 3) breaking links, 4) doing bad things in the world (in 2:11-12 they do these things probably because they see good in the evil and/or crookedness they do and engage in).

2:28-29 ~> God is referred to as the entity or force responsible for the human cycle of life and death and is proposed to be a grand designer who has provided and brings forth provisions. It's knowledge is perfect. After this life and death cycle (A) Giving life to man, B) Giving death to man, C) Giving life to man again) we are to return to God.

2:30 ~> God declares to the malaika It's plan to put a khaleefatan or a substitute/successor on the earth. The malaika wondered if this khaleefatan would be one that would do evil in the earth in opposition to their celebration of God's praise and their glorification of God. God tells the malaika how their knowledge is limited to It's own.

2:31-32 ~> Adam is taught the nature/names of all things, to which the malaika were not acquainted. The malaika declare that they only know what they are taught. I've a declaration regarding this situation. It seems that adam is pre-programmed with certain assets just as the malaika are. God's wisdom and knowledge is declared to be above all others.

2:33 ~> Through the understanding adam exhibited before the malaika it is made clear God's knowledge of all things. God is aware and knows the seen and the hidden.

2:34 ~> The malaika heeded God's command to make submission to adam. Iblis (the one who became perplexed) expressed refusal and haughtiness to this command, i.e. a rejector/kafireen. It can be said that these three things: 1) the malaika, 2) adam and, 3) Iblis are different portions of the makeup of man. Adam is a balance between this control and loss of control.

2:35 ~> God calls for adam and his spouse to grow and expound in this growth and not to approach disobedience which will stain them with transgression and do them harm.

2:36 ~> Satan, the force that causes opposition, impeded on their growth and there would now be enmity between the parties. Earth is to be a temporary home and a means through which to live.

2:37 ~> In mercy God turns to adam through inspiration.

2:38-39 ~> The aforementioned parties are expelled from this felicity due to transgression, but will have no fear or grievance if they follow the guidance that is bound to come from God. Otherwise these will abide in a fire or in other words be feul for their passions and desires.

2:40 ~> The COI are called to remember God's favor to them and to fulfill their covenants as God will fulfill It's own. They are to fear none but God.

2:41-46 ~> Some of the duties called for are:

1) Believe in what is revealed.

2) Do not deny or trade in what is revealed.

3) Be dutitful towards God.

4) Do not dilute or hide the truth you know of.

5) Hold fast to 'salat'.

6) Hold fast to 'zakat'.

7) Submit.

8) Practice what you preach and do not be without sense with this, i.e. enjoining good on others and neglecting your OWN soul.

9) 'Salat' and patience are to be a means of help and it is not hard for the humble who are aware that to God is the return.

2:47 ~> COI are asked to remember the blessings given them by the Initiator, God. They are preferred by God perhaps due to some covenant between the two parties.

2:48 ~> The nafsun/self is for itself only on an appointed day. It cannot be of aid nor give intercession nor give ransom or have a supporter. It, the nafsun/self is for itself on this appointed day/yawm. We are often told how we will be held responsible for the courses we walk.

2:49 ~> A trail from God to the COI was in the treatment given them by the people of Pharoah. They were punished harshly, the children were killed (perhaps in another way of saying this the COI were being killed as children by having a crooked upbringing, such as idolatry later exhibited among the elders) and the women were raped. From this ayat it is clear how the Initiator can test the people with whom It has a covenant with great hardship that may seem unfair.

2:50 ~> The sea was parted for them (COI) thus resulting in their being saved. The sea represents the unstable enviroment of the evil people (represented by the people of Pharoah). It's parting presented a path out of this crookedness and the COI saw the results of the practices of the evil people.

2:51-52 ~> While Moses is with God the people become crooked by taking to the calf. They were forgiven this folly. We should be aware that we should be thankful that God does forgive us our follies.

2:53 ~> Moses was given al kitab/scripture and the criterion/al furqana (perhaps from this meeting Moses had in 2:51). These could guide the people. Kitab may refer to reality, the book of reality and of course a criterion shows what is right and what is wrong.

2:54 ~> Putting al furqana to use Moses shows the COI what they did was not right, but rather wrong. He orders them to kill themselves (that evil aspect they have driven on in their idolatry) in order to gain forgiveness from God. We are told God forgives the repenter who denies that evil within them. We must have control over our desires.

2:55-56 ~> The COI wanted to see God plainly with their eyes. Perhaps they saw a sign which caused them to be revived from the death they were in and to be appreciative.

2:57-59 ~> God provides what is necessary, the goodly provisions. People wrong themselves in what they do. The COI enter a town and the evil people switch things around. This scene seems to be something like this: The town is the condition of the believers who enter God's system in submission and thus their loads, which could be the mental slavery etc are removed. They can eat as much as they wish (gain knowledge) as they race towards salvation. Contrast that with the second scene of the disbeliever who confounds the truth with falsehood thus they are afflicted with a grievious condition.

2:60 ~> Moses is lookiing for a way to give the people unobstructed awareness, to have clarity. The rock represents the hearts of the COI which are hard to God, but Moses strikes a cord and the rivers begin to flow and the message is recieved clearly to them. We should not be corrupter in the land and take from what God gives to us.

2:61 ~> A profound statement Moses makes to the people who are asking for extra things to satisfy their desires is: 'Would you trade that which is lowly with that which is good?'. We do not need to indulge in the decorations of this world, only keep with the necessities and we will be better off. We are told that the COI remained under God's wrath for disbelieving in It's signs, killing prophets with no justification, and in all disobeying and transgressing.

2:62 ~> There will be no fear or disgrace on those (regardless of who they are) who believe in God, the last day, and does good work. They'll be rewarded by God accordingly.

2:63-64 ~> Here we are told about a covenant taken by the COI, that they should take what God gives them (the truth perhaps) and to remember it in order to be righteous. This covenant is a stable one, thus the mount represents stability. Since God has given favour and mercy to these people they will not be of the losers. This favour and mercy may well be the guidance spoken of in 2:38 which may also encompass the covenant.

2:65-66 ~> Trangressors of the sabbath, during and afterwards, were told to be despicable apes, perhaps a condition of the transgressors that they do not learn.

2:67 ~> Moses sought that he would not be one of the ignorant probably because it should be plain to him that the command of Allah is to be obeyed.

2:67-71 ~> The people keep seeking more and more detailed descriptions to the command that they should sacrifice a heifer. In each answer to their inquiries the same answer is given in different ways it seems, that it should be of good breed, the sacrifice. In the final sequence of this episode it is said that they did this back and forth questioning because they did not have the mind to do such a thing.

2:72-73 ~> A piece of the heifer is used here in some sort of act involving a nearly dead man and a disagreement over what was done. How is Allah bringing the dead to life?

2:74 ~> The previous episode stirred the people's hearts to a hardness from which no sort of understanding could emerge. Also they became so angry that there was no humbleness before Allah on their parts.

2:75 ~> Should we expect to be followed in obedience to Allah by those who blantantly change the truth they know of?

2:76-77 ~> An interesting narration is presented here where after being false to others these people contend with one another over disclosing the decrees of Allah to others, seeking perhaps to make it esoteric knowledge betwixt themselves so that the people cannot use it against them. For example, let's say that I know the punishment for adultery is a hundred lashings [24:2], but I decide not to disclose this info to others so that my crime will go unpunished.

2:78 ~> There are ignorant people who only know from what there hear about the decree from others.

2:79 ~> Those who use Allah's name to rack in income are condemed.

2:80 ~> Allah will uphold promises, but we should not speak about or promote promises from Allah that we do not know about.

2:81-82 ~> People will inherit what they have earned in their endeavors.

2:83 ~> The people turned their backs on a covenant in which they were to serve Allah exclusively, do good to parents, relatives, orphans, and any in need, to use good words to all people, adhere to reaching out/salaat and betterment/zakaat.

2:84-86 ~> A covenant to which a promise was made was violated when these people slayed their own and drove them out of the land, and would even ransom captives. The reward they recieve is based on what has gone forth before them, these who try to by salvation.

To Chapter 8.