Verses from Surah Al-Kahf (30-49)

51. For explanation see Surah al-Tawbah, note 154 and al-Ra`d, note 45 of this work.

52. Muslim reports the Prophet as having said, “A believer’s jewelry will reach up to the extent his ablution (water) reaches” (Qurtubi, Shawkani).

It was fashionable for the kings of the past to wear jewelry. Allah promises that the inhabitants of Paradise will be treated like kings (Qurtubi).

`Ikrimah has been reported as saying that the people of Paradise will be adorned with gold, silver and pearl bracelets. Yet they will not be heavy on them since they will be made of “Nur” (Alusi). Qur’anic verses support ‘Ikrimah’s statement about the kinds of jewelry (though not about its material). It said (22: 23), “They will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls”, and (76: 21), “And they will be adorned with bracelets of silver” (Qurtubi).

The allusion could as well be to women’s adornment in Paradise (Au.).

53. Green garments symbolize ever freshness of life in Paradise (Au., with a phrase from Asad).

54. When a bed or couch is covered with a canopy then it is referred to as “arikah” pl. “ara’ik” (Ibn Jarir, Shawkani).

55. Some scholars of classical times, such as Ibn ‘Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah, have read the word “thamar” (meaning fruit) as “thumur” (meaning varieties of wealth). Ibn Jarir prefers this variant reading. But, Ibn Kathir believes “fruit” is a better understanding.

56. Some linguists have expressed the opinion that the construction of the sentence lends a sense of argument. That is, the two were discussing a subject, albeit somewhat heatedly, or, arguing over something, probably this life and the nature of its trials.

57. That is, he went into the orchard puffed up with pride and vanity (Au.).
Yusuf Ali writes: “It was not wealth that ruined him, but the attitude of his mind. He was unjust, not so much to his neighbor (i.e., companion), as to his own soul. In his love of the material, he forgot or openly defied the spiritual. As verse 37 shows, he took his companion with him, to impress him with his own importance, but the companion was unmoved.”

58. What he meant is: “I deserve my affluence. It is a sign of my Lord’s approval of me. Accordingly, when I return – if I ever have to – then, there should be a better deal waiting for me there in the new habitat also” (Au.).

59. Majid comments: “The man fondly imagined that his affluence was solely due to his merit and not to any beneficence on the part of God.”

60. The human body is composed of some 100 trillion cells (100,000,000,000,000). Pregnancy starts with the fusion of two microscopic cells that become one. However, in no time the resultant single cell splits into two: each daughter cell being an exact replica of the mother cell. Each of the two daughter cells again split to become four: with each new daughter cell an exact replica of the two mother cells. Then the four split to become eight, and so on. Initially, every new cell of the billions is a replica of the first cell. But after a while, variations start showing up: variations that are essential if the cells are to become the component parts of a variety of organs – hands, feet, nerves, heart, brain, etc.  But this is amazing, something very unusual. For, every new cell has the same set of DNA: the coded chemical message that determine the size, shape, function, and life of the parts of the body. With the variation, (which affects only the outer structure, the nucleus housing the DNA carrying coded messages remaining unchanged), various organs start taking shape in different parts of the embryo: first the tip of the back bone, the heart, and later, the limbs, eyes, ears, and so on. This phenomenon almost gives the freedom to the cell to determine its future course of development, e.g., whether it will become part of the backbone, or the toe. The situation becomes more complicated when we realize that since the brain is still not in place, and billions of cells are deciding their own fate, apparently, each by itself, there has to be some kind of communication between the trillions of them to determine the division of position and work. But, if there is, then, the question is, what central organ is there that controls the communication so that a brain cell does not become a heart cell or vice a versa. This is only one of the problems within the developing embryo. A study reveals that there are several such phenomenon explained very poorly by the biologists, in vague terms, with lots of holes in the arguments, studded with plenty of ‘perhapses’, ‘probablys’, and ‘maybes’ which force us to pay greater attention to the verse at hand (Au.).

61. Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir and others write: The Sahihayn report that the Prophet said to Abu Hurayrah, “May I not lead you to a treasure from the treasures of Paradise? It is to say,

لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله

“There is no force nor any power save with Allah.’

62. That is, in the Hereafter (Ibn Kathir).

63. Although literally, “accounting”, but according to Ibn ‘Abbas, Dahhak and Ibn Zayd, the textual word “husban” has been used here in the sense of a scourge (from the heaven: Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). In fact, writes Zamakhshari, literally also the word can mean scourge.

64. That is, it was destroyed by a scourge that descended on it by night (Qurtubi).

65. Mawdudi writes against an earlier verse, “The person concerned did not deny the existence of God.. (for) kufr does not merely consist in denying the existence of God. In addition, pride, arrogance, vainglory and denial of the Hereafter also constitute kufr of God; for the faith required of man does not merely consist of affirming God’s existence; it also requires affirming Him as the Master, the Lord, and the Sovereign. Whosoever focuses his attention exclusively upon himself, who considers his attainments, his wealth and his high social standing not as gifts from God but the result of his own ability and effort, who thinks that his wealth will endure and that none has the power to deprive him of it, and who thinks that he is accountable to no one – such a person in fact does not believe in God in the sense in which he is required to..”

66. That is, the manpower he had boasted of earlier, failed to protect his orchards (Ibn Kathir).

67. There have been at least four interpretations of the word “walayah”, of which of course only one could be chosen for translation.

68. Water has often been cited as illustrative of the life of this world. Why? Qurtubi transmits what the hukama’ had to say: Several similarities can be noticed between water and this world, such as, e.g., water does not stay in one place. It keeps moving. So is this world. It keeps moving. Water never lasts. It disappears. So will this world. No one can enter into water without wetting himself. Similarly, no one can enter into this world without polluting himself. Finally, so long as water is in proper measure, it is beneficial and under control. But when it increases in quantity, it acquires destructive properties. That is also the situation with this world. A measured quantity is beneficial. But its large portions are destructive. In a hadith of Muslim, the Prophet said, “He succeeded who was given just enough and was content with what was given him.”

69. Al-Baqiyat al-Salihat: Is it a general term or has it a specific meaning? The opinion of Ibn ‘Abbas, Sa`id b, Jubayr, Ibrahim and others was that the allusion is to five daily Prayers. However, in a second opinion of Ibn ‘Abbas, Mujahid, ‘Ata ibn abi Rabah, and many others, the allusion is to the words:

سبحان الله, والحمد لله, ولا إله إلا الله, والله أكبر

In fact, Abu Hurayrah reported a hadith to this effect. Nevertheless, `Uthman b. `Affan, Muhammad b. Ka`b al-Qurazi and others included a few other words to the above words to say, al-Baqiyat al-Salihat are the following:

لا إله إلا الله, وسبحان الله, والحمد لله, والله أكبر, ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله العلي العظيم

The above words are confirmed by a report in Tabarani, Ibn Shahin, and Ibn Marduwayh (Shawkani) about which Haythami said that except for one narrator, the rest are trustworthy (S. Ibrahim).

Nevertheless, Nasa’i has another report, declared Sahih by Hakim, which saysthat the Prophet said,

خذوا جنتكم قيل يا رسول الله من أي عدو قد حضر ؟ قال : بل جنتكم من النار قول سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا إله إلا الله والله أكبر فإنهن يأتين يوم القيامة مقدمات معقبات ومجنبات وهي الباقيات الصالحات

“Release your Paradise.” He was asked, “From what enemy that has showed up?” He replied, “Rather, your Paradise from the Fire, the words:

سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا إله إلا الله والله أكبر

“for,” the Prophet continued, “on the Day of Judgment they will come as vanguards, rearguards and the protecting ones. They are the al-baqiyat al-Salihat” (Shawkani).

The above report has been declared Sahih by Albani also (S. Ibrahim).

But, in a third opinion of Ibn ‘Abbas, seconded by Ibn Zayd, every good deed is al-Baqiyat al-Salihat.

Now, Ibn Jarir writes, if it is asked, which statement is correct, the answer is, is there a contradiction between them?

With reference to the above words, viz., al-Baqiyat al-Salihat, Imam Razi mentions Imam Ghazali’s remarks, which we present here in a modified form:

Saying Subhana Allah means to express that Allah is free of all defects that a mind can imagine, or above any suggestion made that is unbecoming of Him. Al-Hamdulillah means to express that He is the source of all that is good and beautiful, and hence, He must be praised. Saying la ilaha illa Allah is to acknowledge that the One who is the source of all that is, is the “only” source of all that is. Finally, saying Allahu Akbar is to acknowledge that He is greater than that He could be understood by reason alone.

70. Wealth promises continuity of good life, and children. But, to fasten hope on rewards in the Hereafter is nearer to realizing one’s dreams than fastening hopes on wealth and children in this world. For, one might achieve wealth and children but not the satisfaction that was hoped for (with a point from Thanwi).

71. The allusion by the word “barizatun” is, according to the classical commentators, to the earth being rendered flat, barren, featureless and without a place for anyone to hide behind.

72. That is, you have come to Us today in a lonely state, without the worldly belongings that you were proud to possess, even as We created you at first: naked, un-circumcised, without a headgear or footwear (Alusi and Asad combined).

73. Most scholars have, on the strength of another verse, said that the allusion is to the Master Book of Records, in which the deeds of the creation are entered, even as they are entered in individual Record books. But a few have thought that the allusion is to the Records of the individuals that will be placed in the right or left hand of the people on the Day of Judgment.

74. Ibn ‘Abbas said: Even such insignificant acts as a laughter would be found recorded in the Book of Deeds (Ibn Jarir). Ibn abi Hatim has, however, another report from Ibn ‘Abbas. He said, “A smile at a believer out of mockery or out of derision is the small thing referred to here, and a laughter in his ridicule the big one” (Alusi, Shawkani). When someone laughed when a man passed wind in the presence of the Prophet, he asked in exasperation, “Why should one of you laugh at something that another does?” (Alsui)

  (To be continued)