Quran issues

25 Duas from the Holy Quran

(And when My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I respond to the dua (prayer) of every suppliant when they calleth on Me - Quran 2:186)

25. Our Lord! Perfect our light for us and forgive us our sins, for verily You have power over all things. (66:8)

INNER MEANING OF THE QUR`AN
from
"Living Islam – East & West"

By: Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri

Nothing in existence takes place unless there is a reason behind it. Our scientific endeavors and technical achievements have all progressed because of the search for cause and effect, building up the information base for what is now our contemporary, modern society, with its far-reaching programs probing further into outer rather than inner space. Whatever we pursue in our intellectual life, using our brain capacity, is based on a sharable pattern that we can understand within the context of a language or culture. Whenever we are shocked, disappointed, afraid, or uncertain, it is because a discontinuity has taken place in our thought pattern. If someone suddenly begins speaking in a language one cannot understand, there will be an immediate freeze in the communication. So discontinuity is what we do not accept or like, by our innate nature.

The fundamentals in the source-book (the Qur`an) came down in one instant upon the Prophet of Islam and unfolded outwardly over twenty three years. These two apparently opposing statements are not incompatible because the Book has always existed. The Book of Creation existed before the creation was made manifest. An analogy is to reflect upon any outer program. Before we embark on the construction of a house, the design already exists somewhere, maybe in the mind of the potential owner or the architect, and it unfolds in a pattern that is outwardly visible. And so with Qur`an: it is a pattern, a map, like a transparency which one can take and superimpose on any aspect of existence to see it's meaning. It is as if one needs a gradational or topographical presentation which collates the map of life in a fashion that is understandable to us. If the knowledge of the map is alive and available, one will see Reality wherever one looks, and it will never change. God says in the Qur`an in Surat al-Mulk:

He who created the seven heavens in one above another; you see no incongruity in the creation of the Beneficent God; then look again, can you see any fault? Then turn back the eye again and again; your look shall come back to you confused and fatigued.
(67:3-4)

There is no fault in the original design. This does not mean that there is no fault in the situation created by the human element. In other words, the designer's intention is the perfect connectedness of it all, but we are given limited freedom to act. Within that limitation we will bring about injustice. So injustice in this world is our doing, inadvertently. This will continue until we realize that we have no option but to be in submission, to be in Islam, to give in to the decree of the Creator. Once that process has begun, then we have started an the path that was intended for us, by choice.

The Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, had no choice -- he was in the Garden. There was nothing other than uniformity so he could only be obedient -- he had no other choice. He learned the meaning of disobedience by obediently listening to that vibration called Shaytan. Now here we are in this Reality which is based on duality. We find ourselves born wanting to live forever seeking friendship, and abhorring enmity, seeking security and fearing insecurity, having varying degrees and different contexts of love and hate. We are all the same. The Qur`an says:

We created you from one self. (4:1)

The manifestation of hatred, insecurity, fear or love differs from one person to another, indeed from time to time for the same person. Before breakfast the manifestation of the desire for the person who has awakened hungry is to eat a good breakfast. After breakfast, if he is sensible, the last thing he wants is a second course. We find ourselves in a situation that hinges on duality, and yet there is a thread in it for all of us which we may refer to as humankind or humanity. We are one lot, we are one people, homosapiens –- there is a common denominator.

Let us now look at the inner meaning of the Qur`an. There cannot be an inner unless there is an outer and the outer is a true reflection of the inner. Therefore, from the Qur`anic point of view, all things in this existence, whether they are material, intellectual or even subtler elements, are interconnected. From this point of view everything is divine, having emanated from the same Divine Source. So truly speaking, there is no such thing as a visible element of our way of life separated from the invisible element.

To put it another way, in reality there is no difference between the traditional and the mystical way of Islam. Where does one end and the other begin? How can you differentiate between the outer and the inner? The outer has an inner reality, and the inner will manifest in the outer realm. An intention will eventually manifest itself in an action. Where is the boundary that prevents that continuum? Where does the atom end and the physical reality of matter begin?

There are interspaces between these systems. As you know, scientists can describe various systems according to different scientific theories. We can describe a gravitational system in detail in the science of physics, but when you come to thermodynamics or the subatomic world, there is another system we can still describe. We know the interrelationships between these systems and yet we cannot define them precisely. So we must refute this separation of the outer and the inner.

God says in the Qur`an:

He is the First and He is the Last. He is the Evident and He is the Hidden.
(57:3)

Where is it that He is not? So if we are talking about a unified state, the foundation of all inner sciences, then wherever we begin, we are bound to end up at its opposite. If one begins with outer concern such as the ritual of purification, one will eventually end up with inner concern. If one begins by cleaning the house from the outside, a time will come when the inside will be cared for. And the Qur`an makes this point in one ayah, if not in many. The Qur`an says:

And purify your clothes. (74:4)

We must understand that the purification of outer garments is superfluous unless one is concerned about the purification of one's body, mind and heart, for they all interconnect. A man is known by how he lives, what he eats, and his immediate environment. The prophetic tradition tells us that one who keeps the company of a people for forty days becomes like them. Inadvertently their characteristics are imbibed.

If one has an inner eye, reflecting upon the outer meanings of the verses of the Qur`an will lead one to their inner meanings. Existence is entirely balanced on opposites -- life and death, man and woman, good and bad, sleep and wakefulness, health and disease -- and we want at all times to be in the middle. Imbalance results from not being in the middle. Let us examine the virtue known as courage. On one side of courage is cowardice, and on the other is recklessness. Courage is that very fine point right in the middle. Every other virtue is the same -- balanced between two extremes. Regarding this, the Qur`an Says:

And we have created you a middle nation. (2:143)

This nation is the people of unification, people who want to know the truth, and whose Qur`an is every breath of life.

Let us share one short surah (chapter) of the Qur`an, Surat al-Shams (The Sun), so that we may see how the inner and the outer are totally connected.

I swear by the sun and its brilliance,
And the moon when it follows the sun
(91:1-2)

God -- Glory, Majesty, and Might are His alone -- is reminding us by the effulgence of the sun in the form of an oath, swearing by it. By the radiant sun which gives us warmth and heat. God has started by giving us a physical proof of one of the major causes of life on this earth - - the sun. By the fact that there is this self-fusing, self-perpetuating light which is the sun. And by the moon which reflects the sun's light.

And the day when it exposes it,
And the night when it draws a veil over it.
(91:3-4)

Here God reminds us of the other two opposites -- day and night.
The description is very beautiful even from a poetic point of view, that this incredible effulgent day suddenly has something thrown over it to hide and cover it. Allah now reveals another pair of opposites to strengthen the oath even further.

And by the heaven and Him who made it, and by the earth and Him who extended it.
(91:5-6)

And then Allah comes to us:

And by the self and Him who made it perfect (91:7)

A related derivation of the word for self is nafas which means 'breath'. We are hanging on air, inhaling and exhaling -- again two opposite states, yet we become arrogant and forget this fact. Do we really identify ourselves with these physical forms, walking about!

God immediately brings us from the cosmic story to the microcosmic story. We are the reflectors of the macrocosm. The subtle implication, the inner meaning of the verse, is that this self must contain all the double elements that were mentioned in the preceding verses. Its arrangement is fithrah, innate, preprogrammed subgenctically form within. That preprogramming develops through stages and time in a contiguous fashion. The root meaning for innate (fitrah) is 'to crack'. The child breaks into this world with a cry of despair at being dislodged from the aqueous, contented, mild situation of the preceding nine months, where it knew only the mind of the mother's heart. Suddenly the child is ejected into a gaseous environment and disconnected from that umbilical situation. Immediately the programmed unfoldment of the self begins. The child is born wanting to connect. The first connection is physical. The first worship is to maintain the body -- that is the temple that the child knows innately, and the mother's breast is the object which fulfils that need. In time, if one grows in consciousness, one recognizes that the breast is the earth from which we take our physical sustenance.

And by the self and Him who made it perfect. (91:7)

implies that the self has within itself perfection and completeness
of the inner and outer, a combination of visible and invisible realities.

Then God says:

Then He inspired it to understand immorality and piety. (91:8)

He who is pious is aware at times that he is hanging between these two opposites and that at any moment he may slip. Thus he wants to be in such a wakeful state that his inner and outer are completely connected, otherwise he knows he will slip into the abyss, the abyss of suspicion, doubt, inner hatred, or any of the other abysses that we can inwardly suffer from. It could even be the abyss of outer misbehavior, such as falling asleep behind the wheel of a car for ten seconds in traffic! Piety (taqwa) is that perpetual, spontaneous, continuous and natural awareness. The word does not have a dualistic sense. Immorality or decadence, the opposite of piety, takes one far away from reality. Yet how can we know nearness unless we know what is far? There must be recognition of what is far so that we may then, by our own will, seek nearness. Man can sink to a level of decadence and degeneration lower than any other created thing. And yet the Qur`an tells us that the Angels prostrated themselves to the Adamic consciousness.

These Angelic powers or energies are fully programmed in their own channels but we are unable to penetrate them. It is another world to that which we cannot gain full access for our own sake. Think of our own physical world. If we had eyesight good enough to observe all the creational activity going on around us, we would not be able to place things in the middle perspective. Likewise, if we could receive all the other invisible signals that are going on, angelic or otherwise, call them Angels, radar or infra-red or whatever, untestable, unmeasurable, unseeable, untouchable energy waves so to speak -- if we were sensitive to all those energy bundles or waves -- we would be so encumbered that, in all probability, we would lose our sanity. Right now, around us, there are millions of waves going back and forth. Fortunately, we have been endowed with selective perception and our horizon is limited. Within this limited horizon we can subjectively test and realize the unlimited horizon that contains it.

So, on the one hand, we have immorality and decadence and on the other, piety and complete awareness. The choice is ours. We make that choice according to the degree of our desire for knowledge. The successful one is he who purifies himself.

He will indeed be successful who makes it grow in purity. (91:9)

The verbal root of the word for 'succeed' is 'to plough, till, or cultivate'. Success then implies turning over the soil of the self so that it is aerated and soft and then becomes conducive for the growth of success.

The same is true of the heart. The root of 'heart' in Arabic is qalb. The verb qalaba means 'to turn'. If the heart is attached to a specific thing then that is the limit of cognizance. If the heart turns, however, then it can select what is most appropriate.

Another meaning for the Arabic word which means 'to purify' is 'to increase'. If the impurities of a substance are removed, substance actually increases, not in quantity but in quality. Also, a derived noun, zakah, means charity. Purification of the self is a consequence of giving away and leads to increase. Allah prescribes for us precisely through the example of His Prophet that of the great beings who followed him, so that we may know even in the most vulgar circumstances, how to give justly. Within this system nobody is overlooked.

Those who completely and utterly know in themselves that they have no right to own anything in this world, and are at best the guardians of a few things for a short while, are accommodated. Those who think they will take their few possessions to the grave must also be accommodated. All are God's creation.

Sharia and Environment

One of the meanings of the word Islam is peace, while the heaven that

is promised for those who do good is called Dar al- salam (the

residence of peace) [1]. It is ironic, in these times, to remember that

Baghdad was once known as Madinat al-salam (the city of peace). Now

with smoke of war still rising, and the devastation of the environment

still causing great anxiety, I think it is very relevant to talk about

the Islamic legal stand towards the environment.

In Islam the relationship between humankind and the environment is part

of the social existence, an existence based on the fact that everything

on earth worships the same God. This worship is not merely ritual

practice, since rituals are simply the symbolic human manifestation of

submission to God. The actual devotions are actions, which can be

practised by all the creatures of earth sharing the planet with the

human race. Moreover humans are responsible for the welfare and

sustenance of the other citizens of this global environment. The Holy

Quran contains many verses that can be referred to for guidance in this

respect. The following verse, verse 21 of the second chapter, is an

invocation, a plea to man to choose the right society, the correct

society, which originated with Allah when mankind was created:

"O people! Worship your Lord, Who hath created you and those before

you, so that ye may ward off (evil):"

The word in this verse which is translated as "may ward off evil" is in

Arabic tatuqun. It also implies becoming pious and becoming God-aware.

In this verse Allah begins to speak directly to all groups of people,

whether believers, or non-believers. He attempts to activate them, to

awaken them to the realization of the importance of worshipping Allah.

Whenever the words "O mankind" occur in Arabic it attracts the

attention of the listener to the remainder of the verse. In this way

it alerts the listener and reminds him to pay special attention.

Note that Allah says - "O people" - not "O believers", or "O

non-believers".

"O people! Worship your Lord, Who hath created you and those before

you, so that you may ward off (evil):

Who hath appointed the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a

canopy; and causeth water to pour down from the sky, thereby producing

fruits as food for you. And do not set up rivals to Allah when ye know

(better)."

In these verses there are several statements which are directed to all

humankind, they describe our surroundings as an inter-active

environment in the following way.

1- They call upon humankind to worship God

2- Reiterate that all beings were created by one Creator

3- Remind us that the Earth has been put at our disposal as a place of

peace and a bed upon which to rest

4- That the sky is a canopy or roof for the Earth

5- That water is caused to fall as part of the whole system

6- And finally that fruit and a livelihood is provided

Human Appointment

Water is the basis of all life on our planet and a reminder of this

serves to emphasise the oneness of creation. The whole of heaven and

earth is a single system united under Allah (subhana wa ta`alla). This

system has been placed under human responsibility, to be cared for and

not misused as we can conclude by returning to verse 22 of Surat

al-Baqara. The word lakum (for you) in the phrase "created for you"

contains the message that the Earth is not for one generation but for

every generation, past, present and future. Furthermore it is quite

obvious that Allah created the human race for a great reason, namely

that they might act as viceroy upon the Earth. They are masters,

governing this vast domain. Their role on earth and in all that

happens therein is of prime importance. Their mastery of the earth is

for its betterment and development and not for evil or misuse. Humans

are responsible before their Creator for all their actions but

particularly the actions that their viceregency requires. The Quran

states specifically that this responsibility will be checked by God

himself to see how it has been performed [2]. The creation of humankind

and supplying them with the necessary knowledge was preparation for

their major task. This task is one of supervising the system of

submission to God, and ensuring that it is applied. It is a system

that cherishes all aspects of life and he who violates this system will

be punished as a result [3].

The Quranic commentator, Ibn Kathir, tells us that verse 30 of sura 2

is a reminder to humankind of how God described them to the inhabitants

of heaven before they were created:

"And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a

viceroy in the earth, they said: Wilt Thou place therein one who will

do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy praise and

sanctify Thee? He said: Surely I know that which ye know not."

Why a Human Viceregent?

The human is the only creature with the special qualities that enable

him to serve the earth, one of these qualities being knowledge:

The next verse, verse 31, describes how and why mankind was given the

ability to know the names of creation, which is an important symbol of

knowledge, unique to the human race from among all other creatures

including the angels:

"And He taught Adam all the names, saying : Inform me of the names of

these if ye are truthful."

The ability to name that which they see around them is of great value

to human beings. Without this ability, life becomes a great mystery

and all matters can easily become a bewildering and confusing

conundrum. A mountain can be identified only if a coding word is

available, without this special word it can be a hill or even a valley.

The angels which are another kind of creature were asked to do the same

as Adam. Their answer was:

"Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which Thou hast taught

us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower, the Wise." [4]

God's response was to demonstrate to the angels the powers that we

humans were given by Him, and indeed it is a demonstration to us as

well.

"He said: O Adam! Inform them of their names, and when he had informed

them of their names, He said: Did I not tell you that I know the secret

of the heavens and the earth? And I know that which ye disclose and

that which ye hide." [5]

After Adam had displayed the knowledge which Allah had granted him, the

angels were ordered to prostrate themselves before him. This they did.

The prostration of the angels to Adam illustrates the dignity which

mankind possesses, even though he corrupts the earth and sheds blood.

Humankind was granted a position above the angels, they were given the

secret of knowledge and an independent will which permits them to

choose their own way. The duality of human nature - the ability to

pave their own way together with the duty of viceregency are the

reasons for their dignity.

This ability of humankind which is unique to them puts the surrounding

creation in a very difficult position if humans did not do what is

right for them. Having placed the human race on earth and given them

the duty of operating the life support system Allah decided that these

fantastic creatures needed a manual to operate the system properly or

at least to operate that part of the complex cosmic system relevant to

them. They were given the different instructions that evolved

according to their need. The Islamic law or Shari'a was the latest

updated manual to be given to humans. The word Shari'a itself means,

in Arabic, the source of water from which you can drink without the

need for an implement" [6]. While water is considered as the source of

life, the Shari'a is concerned not only with life because it is, for

Muslims, the source for knowledge about life, death and the Hereafter

[7]. We human beings can be looked upon as passengers travelling between

two towns with the Shari'a as the map that we should refer to for the

shortest route between the two.

Actions in Islamic Law

The concept of action in Islamic law worth considering since it

identifies the difference between what we are allowed to do and what we

are not allowed to do. Humans actions according to Shari'a or Islamic

law are divided into the following categories:

1 Obligatory actions Wajib

2 Devotional and ethical actions Mandub

3 Permissible actions Mubah

4 Abominable actions Makruh

5 Forbidden actions Haram

Elements of the environment and Islamic law

The conservation of the environment from an Islamic legal viewpoint can

be seen as follows. I have used water as an example throughout:

It is a duty (wajib) upon the Muslim to clean himself with water before

prayer and it is a devotional (mandub) action for a Muslim to have a

bath before going to pray the congregational prayer on a Friday. Using

water in the daily needs is normally permissible (mubah) but if the

normal circumstances change and there is a scarcity of water then to

use water can become abominable (makruh) or even prohibited (haram).

According to the tradition of the prophet of Islam, a Muslim is ordered

to be economical with water (as with all other elements and resources

of life) even if he is taking his water from a fast flowing river. The

prophet said to someone who was using excessive amounts of water to

make ablution (wudu) "do not waste (water)". The prophet was then

asked whether there is wastage if water was used for the purpose of

wudu? He replied, "in anything there can be waste" [8]. The word

"anything", in this hadith, discloses an important point for the

environmental education of Muslims. They must strive not to waste

anything, but especially not the vital elements of life that have been

mentioned.

The prophet is reported to have said "people are partners in water,

pasture land vegetation and fire" [9]. This partnership indicates

permission in using all these elements of life, and if someone does not

respect the implicit partnership then he might lose his rights. This

form a good legal basis for future legislation in Muslim countries.

The elements of life need not be restricted to these three factors but

can be extended to all similar elements including air, food and

essential resources.

A theory of the sustainable utilization of the ecosystem may be deduced

from Islam's assertion that life is maintained with due balance in

everything: "Allah knoweth that which every female beareth and that

which the wombs absorb and that which they grow. And everything with

Him is measured". [10]

Islam also acknowledges that humans are not the only creatures worthy

of protection. All that God has created are "nations" similar to that

of the humans [11]. Muhammad is reported to have said "all creatures are

God's dependants and the most beloved to God, among them, is he who

does good to God's dependants. [12]

It is interesting to note that early Muslim lawyers spoke about the

legal rights of animals and living creatures which humans should

respect. They did not speak about these rights as an optional action,

which could be done or not done but as rights that should be protected

by law. Al-`Izz bin `Abd al-Salam (died 660 A.H.) stated the

following:

"The right of animals and other creatures upon man are as follows:

- He should spend on it (time, money or effort) even if it is aged or

diseased such that no benefit is expected from it. His spending should

be equal to that on a similar animal useful to him.

- Nor should he overburden it.

- Nor should he place with it whatsoever may cause it harm, be it of

the same kind or of other species.

- He should slaughter them properly and considerately, he should not

cut their skin or bones until their bodies have become cold and their

life passed away.

- He should not slaughter their young within their sight.

- He should give them different resting shelters and watering places

which should all be cleaned regularly.

- He should put the male and female in the same place during their

mating season.

- He should not hunt a wild animal with a tool that breaks bones,

rendering it unlawful for eating.

Human-Earth relationship

The word earth 'ard in Arabic is the noun given to both the planet and

the soil. This word is referred to many times both in the Holy Quran

and in the traditions of Muhammad P.B.U.H., with the Quran mentioning

the earth the total of 485 times. The earth is the source from which

humankind is made and the place where they end their final journey:

"from the earth did We create you and into it shall We return you and

from it shall we bring you out once again" [13]. The words used to

describe the Earth in the Quran are numerous, showing its value and how

it should be treated as our own and only refuge. Sometimes the Quran

referred to it by using the same word used for the cradle - mahd [14].

On other occasions it is described as a living place - mustaqrr [15], or

a place for settling - qarar [16]. It is also said that those who

corrupt it or corrupt its contents will have an awful doom [17] and that

the Earth belongs only to God: "to him belongs what is in the heavens

and on the earth and all between them and all beneath the soil" [18].

Humans are but the managers and administrators and the Quran warns that

fasad or corruptions will be prevalent on earth due to human

disobedience of God: "corruption has appeared on land and sea because

of (the meed) that the hands of people have earned, that God may give

them a taste of some of their deeds in order that they may turn back

from evil" [19]. This disobedience will lead, according to the Quran

interpreters, to the following: "Tribulations, catastrophes both on

land and sea. The meaning of fasad is, according to Baydawi, dryness

of the land, many fires, many drowned and a reduction in the blessings

of God. While Ibn Kathir states that fasad will result in lower crops

in both food plants and fruits" [20].

Islam as an Environmental Catalyst

It has been shown over the last 10 years that campaigning for the

conservation of the environment within the Islamic faith is productive.

The Muslim masses are very willing to listen and sympathetic once

someone has explained to them the value Islam places on the

environment. One interesting aspect of the Islamic faith that can be

especially effective to the Muslim lay-person is the relationship

between the environment and the various regular rituals that might be

practised. Prayer, for instance, is timed according to the Earth's

planetary movements and water is an essential element used to prepare

the believer both physically and spiritually. Haj or pilgrimage is

timed according to the seasons, and during it animals and vegetation

are given sanctuary. Indeed if a pilgrim kills any living creature or

cuts down any kind of tree he risks nullifying his pilgrimage. Fasting

is timed according to the sighting of the moon and is performed in

conjunction with dawn and sunset. While Islam is an intensively

monotheistic religion and undoubtedly rejects animism, all these

natural phenomena and elements of life are environmental factors that

Islam utilises and maintains. Although the system was Divinely inspired

it can easily be disturbed if environmental devastation takes place.

I should like to conclude my paper by stating that Islam like any major

religion is a two edged blade. It can be exploited in the wrong way if

misconceived, manipulated or used to affect the masses incorrectly.

Alternatively if the true sublime and shining image is employed,

nothing, I believe, will result but goodness and happiness to mankind.

Dr. Mawil Izzi Dien (Samarrai)

Lecturer in Islamic Studies

St. David's University College - Lampeter

University of Wales

SA48 7ED

U.K.

Email: [email protected]

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References

1.Quran,6:127

2.Quran, 10:14

3.Quran, 35:39

4.Quran, 2:32

5.Quran, 2:33

6.A. Anis, Al- Wasit (Cairo 1973), 1:479

7.Zaydan, Al - Madkhal (Baghdad 1967) ,44

8.Burhanfuri, Kanz al-`Ummal ,9:327

9.Narrated by Abu Daud.See Islamic Principles for the conservation of

the Environment ,9

10.M.Izzi Dien's Article In Ethics of Environment and Development,

edited by: J.R & J.G Engel (U.K 1990) ,194

11.Quran,6:38

12.Ajluni,Kashf al Khafa' (Damascus- 1983),1:457

13.Quran,20:55

14.Quran,20:25,43:10,78:6

15.Quran,27:61

16.Quran, 40:64

17.Quran,2:27

18.Quran,20:6

19.Quran,30:41

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