Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Sura 15 - Al-Hijr

The title, Al-Hijr, comes from the name of a town that was judged.

Date, Context and Theme

This sura continues the theme of warning the Meccans against rejecting Muhammad and the word of Allah. One of the main themes seems to be that you can still see the towns that were judged and so you can know that Allah will judge you.

Structure

vv. 1-18, The Meccans are rejecting the Qur’an.
vv. 19-25, Allah has given them so many good things.
vv. 26-44, But the Meccans are following the way of Satan and will go to hell.
vv. 45-48, While the Muslims will go to paradise.
vv. 49-50, Muhammad is to announce this message, ie, vv. 26-48.
vv. 51-77, The example of Abraham, Lot and the judgement of Sodom and Gomorrah which can be seen now.
vv. 78-79, The example of the people who lived in a forest and were judged and can be seen now.
vv. 80-84, The example of the judgement of the people of Al-Hijr which can be seen now.
vv. 85-99, The application of all this for Muhammad.

What I found interesting.

1. I found it interesting that the Qur’an says you can see where Allah has judged other towns (Sodom, the forest town, and Al-Hijr). I assume that this means that there were old towns around Muhammad and there were stories associate with them as to how they met their demise.

2. The Qur’an is called a “Reminder” and Muhammad a madman.
And they say: O thou unto whom the Reminder is revealed, lo! thou art indeed a madman! 15:6

Lo! We, even We, reveal the Reminder, and lo! We verily are its Guardian. 15:9



3. The words of Satan are interesting. Allah creates Adam from mud and then commands all his angels to bow down before Adam. Satan refuses and it seems that his reason is a very monotheistic reason.
He said: I am not one to prostrate myself unto a mortal whom Thou hast created out of potter's clay of black mud altered! 15:33

Satan’s answer seems correct but there may well be a good explanation for this.

4. Again we see that the earlier prophets are made to address the issues that Muhammad has with the Meccans.
And bring thee the Truth, and lo! we are truth-tellers. 15:64

5. Here is a reference to the Qur’an being mistreated by the Meccan. Therefore it is not only the unfaithful Christians and Jews who have mistreated their scriptures.
Those who break the Qur'an into parts. 15:91

6. Again we see that in all the story that are told there are very few details.

5 comments:

  1. And they say: O thou unto whom the Reminder is revealed, lo! thou art indeed a madman! 15:6 <----- This is in reference to the fall accusations they made against the Prophet. The Quran is not calling him a MadMan nor directing people to do so. This is the first page I have seen of your reading of the Quran. I am afraid you will take much of what the books contains incorrectly and clearly out of context.

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  2. The plot they came up with : The next discussion centered on the question as to how Muhammad(pbuh) was to be described. That each should give a different description would be an affront to their own credibility. What, then, would be the allegation that may be made in common between them? Some said, "Let us say that Muhammad(pbuh) is a soothsayer." To this, Waleed bin Mugheera, a prominent tribal chief retorted, "That can never be. For, by Allah, he is not a soothsayer and we have seen soothsayers. Muhammad’s words are not the prophecies of soothsayers." Yet others said, "We shall say that he is a madman." Then said Waleed, "He is not a madman. We have seen madmen and he has nothing either of their mad talk or of their antics and devilish tendencies." At this, they said, "Then, in that case, let us say that he is a poet." But Waleed countered, "He is no poet. For we are aware of all the types of poetry and, for a surety, it is not poetry that he uttereth." The people then said, " Let us say, then, that he is a sorcerer." But Waleed retorted once again, "He is no sorcerer and he uses neither their knots nor their lutes."

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  3. The resolution : "Then what is it that you propose?" they demanded. He then declared, "Verily, there is a particular sweetness in his words. Its value is expansive, even as fruit-laden are its branches. For a certainty, all that you may utter against him will, in time, prove to be meaningless and futile. It is, therefore, suitable that he be described as a magician who is out to disrupt the ties between father and children, husband and wife as well as between the older and the younger brother!" Accept this the people did. They started, also, the propagation likewise.

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