With the mercy and blessings of Allah, brothers and sisters, may Allah keep you well. We begin with you the questions of the seventh part on this blessed day of Ramadan, asking Allah to bless us, you, and all Muslims. We have nine questions today, extracted from today's part, so we begin with Allah's blessing.
Question: The Prophet (peace be upon him) was commanded to ask the polytheists a question in a manner that ridicules their falsehood as if it were the talk of madmen. What is this question?
Answer: It is the saying of Allah, the Most High: "Say, 'Do you indeed witness that with Allah there are other gods?'" (Quran 6:19)
Educational Commentary: What is striking in the saying of Allah, the Most High: "Say, 'What thing is greater testimony?'" is His saying: "Do you indeed witness that with Allah there are other gods?" Thus, the believer is taught to proclaim the truth he believes in with pride and ridicule falsehood as if it were the talk of madmen. For this claim of the existence of gods with Allah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) is commanded to make his people feel that no rational person would say such a thing, even though it was a deeply rooted belief in the Arabian Peninsula and the world at that time. Thus, the believer should be in every era; certain and dignified, not shaken by the fabricated reality.
Question: Some disbelievers see signs of faith in this world, and their minds are inclined towards faith, but their stubbornness and attachment to personal interests suppress these thoughts, and they continue in their disbelief. Mention a verse from the seventh part that refers to this meaning.
Answer: The saying of Allah, the Most High: "But what they had been concealing before has become manifest to them." (Quran 27:72)
Explanation: The verse before it says: "And if you could but see when they are set before the Fire and say, 'Oh, would that we could be returned [to life] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be of the believers.'" So His saying "became manifest to them what they had been concealing" means that now it has become clear to them what had occurred to them in the world of the truth of this religion, but they had been concealing it out of stubbornness. Ibn Ashur said: "Faith would occur to them when they saw its signs, but their stubbornness and attachment to dominance and pride in acknowledging the favor of the Messenger would prevent them."
Question: Some people use a verse to argue that Allah cannot be seen, but there is a word in this verse that nullifies their argument. What is it?
Answer: The word (perceive Him) in His saying, the Most High: "Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives vision; and He is the Subtle, the Acquainted." (Quran 6:103)
Doctrinal Clarification: Some people have used this verse to argue that Allah cannot be seen, but the people of the Sunnah have focused on the word "perceive Him"; for perception is comprehension, and we do not comprehend Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, in knowledge or sight. However, this does not prevent us from seeing Him, Glorified is He, if He honors us with entry into Paradise. There is a great difference between "the eyes do not see Him" and "the eyes do not perceive Him."
Question: A verse from today's part that means His saying, the Most High, in Surah Qaf: "But they denied the truth when it came to them, so they are in a confused state." What is it?
Answer: His saying, the Most High: "And We will turn their hearts and their eyes [back], as they did not believe in it the first time, and We will leave them in their transgression, wandering blindly." (Quran 6:110)
Lesson Learned: These people were brought the truth and knew it was guidance, yet they rejected it. The retribution was of the same kind as their action: Allah turned their hearts so that they could no longer distinguish between truth and falsehood. Truth is precious, and the heart is between two fingers of the Merciful. If a person rejects the truth when he knows it, the consequence may be that his heart is obscured so that he no longer knows the truth from falsehood afterward.
Question: A person who neglects contemplation and following the evidence, if exposed to physical pressures, may desire to follow the truth out of fear, but this desire disappears with the removal of pressure. Mention a verse that refers to this meaning.
Answer: His saying, the Most High: "And if they were returned, they would certainly return to what they were forbidden, and indeed, they are liars." (Quran 6:28)
Analysis: When these people were brought before the Fire, they wished to return to faith, but Allah knows that their souls have become so corrupt that even if they saw the Fire with their own eyes and then returned to the world, their desires would overcome them, and they would return to denial; because they had not accustomed themselves to following the evidence, but lived according to their desires.
Question: A verse that teaches the Muslim to balance fear and hope. What is it?
Answer: His saying, the Most High: "Know that Allah is severe in penalty and that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (Quran 5:98)
Guidance: This verse combines both aspects; "severe in penalty" so that the believer may fear Him and not rely on His forbearance, and "Forgiving and Merciful" so that he may not despair of His mercy and not be tempted by Satan with despair.
Question: Mention two words from a verse that indicate that the argument of the Quran is established upon everyone who has reached it in all ages.
Answer: The words (and whoever reaches) in His saying, the Most High: "And it has been revealed to me that this Quran is to warn you and whoever reaches [it]." (Quran 6:19)
Meaning: The warning by the Quran and the argument with it is not limited to those whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) addressed only, but it is established upon every human being who reaches this book until the Day of Resurrection.
Question: A verse in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) is comforted that what the polytheists intended for him was actually destruction upon themselves. What is it?
Answer: The saying of Allah, the Most High: "And they prevent [others] from him and keep away from him; but they do not destroy except themselves, and they do not perceive." (Quran 6:35)
Linguistic Nuance: In Arabic, the word "comfort" means the removal of sorrow from someone who is afflicted or the raising of morale. The polytheists prevent people from entering Islam and keep themselves away from it, but the truth is that their scheming and prevention does not harm the call, but rather they destroy themselves, and they do not realize it.
Question: A verse from today's part that indicates that the believers are alive and the disbelievers are dead. What is it?
Answer: The saying of Allah, the Most High: "Only those who listen will respond. But the dead - Allah will raise them up; then to Him they will be returned." (Quran 6:36)
Quranic Explanation: This is one of the great explanations of the Quran; the believers are those who listen with a beneficial hearing and pure hearts, so they respond. As for the disbelievers, they are "the dead" due to the death of their hearts, so hearing the truth does not benefit them until Allah raises them. This style is called by the scholars "intertwining," where the disbelievers are placed in contrast to the living (those who listen), to indicate that the disbeliever is dead of heart, even if he is alive in body.
With this, we have completed the questions of the seventh part. May Allah bless you and reward you for your follow-up. May Allah accept from us and you good deeds. Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow, God willing.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.