Clarifying Everything - Episode 4: Meanings in the Fourth Part of Surah Al-Imran
Introduction and Announcement of Winners
Peace be upon you, may the mercy of Allah be with you. Greetings to you, brothers and sisters. We welcome you to the fourth episode of the competition "Clarifying Everything."
First, we would like to announce the names of the winners from yesterday's episode:
- The first question: Sister Nan Muhammad from Gaza.
- The second question: Hajar Hajar from Germany.
- The third question: Muhammad Hanfi from Egypt.
- The fourth question: Noor Omar.
- The fifth question: Salim Qasebati from Germany.
- The sixth question: Muhiuddin from Germany.
Today, brothers, we continue and ask questions from Surah Al-Imran. Indeed, today's part (the fourth part) has a special place in the heart; it heals the chest and strengthens the will in times of tribulation. The entire Quran is the speech of Allah and all of it is beautiful without a doubt, but even with Allah, the Quran has levels. The best of the Quran is Surah Al-Fatihah. The truth is that this part is very beautiful, especially if a person contemplates it in times of tribulation; he endures, stands firm, and raises the spirits.
Question One: Psychological Distress as a Mercy
We will start with the first question, which may contain some difficulty, but we are used to having brothers and sisters who overcome all obstacles.
Question One: Mention the number of a verse that indicates that being exposed to psychological distress can be a mercy in that it alleviates the feeling of another psychological distress?
In simpler terms: A person may face a problem that causes a strong negative feeling (fear, sadness, regret), then later faces something that causes an even stronger negative feeling, to the extent that it makes him forget the first feeling. When this second cause is removed, the person feels relieved because the first one has diminished due to the second. Mention a verse that indicates this?
The Answer and Explanation
The first to answer was sister Qatra Al-Nada. The verse is the saying of Allah, the Almighty, in Surah Al-Imran (verse 153): {When you were climbing and not turning on anyone, and the Messenger was calling you from behind, so He rewarded you with distress for distress so that you would not grieve over what you missed or what befell you. And Allah is Knowing of what you do}.
The one who reads the verse may find the meaning unclear at first: {So He rewarded you with distress for distress so that you would not grieve}, how can distress be the cause of not grieving? It is expected logically that distress brings grief.
The explanation of the verse, and Allah knows best: The Companions were initially afflicted with two distresses; the distress of the battle turning against them and the killing among them in Uhud, and the distress of missing the spoils. Allah decreed for them a new distress, which was the news of the "death of the Prophet ﷺ", which was a great distress that made the previous two distresses seem insignificant. When it became clear to them that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was safe, this distress was lifted from them after it had made them forget the first two distresses. Thus, the news of the Prophet's death was a mercy and a relief for them because it made their feeling of the first distress diminish.
I also found a narration from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that agrees with this meaning, narrated by Imam Ahmad and Al-Hakim, in which Ibn Abbas said: "We were so happy that it was as if nothing had happened to us" (meaning when they saw the Prophet ﷺ alive).
Question Two: The Rule of Obligation and Guarantee
Question Two: Mention a verse that obligates the believers with an obligation and guarantees them a guarantee that comforts their hearts from the fear of the conspiracies of their enemies and their power?
Brother Omar Sabah answered. The answer is the saying of Allah, the Almighty: {And if you are patient and fear Allah, their cunning will not harm you in the least. Indeed, Allah is, with what they do, Encompassing}.
Explanation of the Rule of Obligation and Guarantee
This rule was discussed by Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him; Allah, the Almighty, obligates you with a command and guarantees you guarantees. The wise and clever one is he who is preoccupied with the obligation (the command) and trusts in the guarantee.
In this verse:
- The Obligation: {Be patient and fear Allah}.
- The Guarantee: {Their cunning will not harm you in the least}.
Ibn Al-Qayyim says: "One of the signs of happiness is that he directs his attention to the command of Allah without His guarantee, and one of the signs of deprivation is that his heart is empty of concern for His command and concern for His guarantee." So if you are patient and fear Allah, do not fear airplanes, missiles, or conspiracies, because Allah is Encompassing of all things.
Question Three: Restriction or Emphasis?
Question Three: Mention a verse that contains a phrase that one might think is "for restriction" while it is "for emphasis"?
An example of this is His saying: {And they kill the prophets without right}, so His saying "without right" is not a restriction (as if there is killing with right), but it is to explain the heinousness of the act. We want another verse in the same vein from today's part.
Brother Ishaq Sanduqah answered. The answer is the saying of Allah, the Almighty: {O you who have believed, do not consume usury, multiplied and compounded, but fear Allah that you may succeed}.
The place of the evidence: {Multiplied and compounded}. One might think that if usury is not multiplied and compounded, it is permissible, and this is a mistake. The restriction here is to emphasize the heinousness of their act and their extortion of people, and usury is prohibited, whether little or much, by other clear texts. Similarly, His saying: {And do not exchange My signs for a small price}, for the entire world is a small price in comparison to the signs of Allah.
Question Four: The Style of the Lord's Address to the Servant
Question Four: Mention a verse that talks about a situation in which the Prophet ﷺ acted very well, but the verse attributes the merit to Allah alone in guiding His Prophet, indicating that the Quran is the speech of Allah and not composed by humans?
Sister Israa Mahmoud and sister Qatra Al-Nada answered. The verse is (159) from Surah Al-Imran: {It is out of mercy from Allah that you were gentle with them. And if you had been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you...}.
A Stop with the Verse
The Prophet ﷺ in Uhud was left by his companions, his face was wounded, his front teeth were broken, and he had every right to rebuke them, but he did not. Here, the Quran came to attribute this great character to the mercy of Allah: {It is out of mercy from Allah that you were gentle with them}.
If the Quran had been composed by humans who wanted to glorify themselves, they would have attributed this merit to his personal nobility and the elevation of his morals. However, the Quran addresses the Prophet ﷺ in his capacity as a servant commanded, and attributes all merit to Allah, the Almighty.
Question Five: The Interruptive Sentence "You Have No Power Over the Matter"
Question Five: An interruptive sentence came in a beautiful place, revealing that the Prophet ﷺ is a messenger from his Lord and does not have the power to predict or claim anything from his oppressors, but rather he must submit to the decrees of fate?
Brother Said Muhammad and brother Muhammad Jaballah answered. The answer is His saying: {You have no power over the matter}.
Context of the Sentence
When the Prophet ﷺ was wounded in Uhud and was wiping the blood from his face, he said: "How can a people prosper who wounded their Prophet?" So Allah revealed: {You have no power over the matter, whether He forgives them or punishes them, for they are wrongdoers}.
This sentence came interruptively in the context of discussing the fate of the disbelievers: either killing, suppression, repentance, or punishment. Allah says to His Prophet: The decrees of fate are in My hands, you do not decide their prosperity or lack thereof. Indeed, Allah forgave many of them, such as Khalid ibn Al-Walid and Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl, and they became leaders of Islam. This speech can only come from an Almighty Lord to His chosen servant.
End of Episode and Note for the Future
These were the five questions for today. Honestly, due to certain circumstances and time constraints, we limited ourselves to this amount. Otherwise, these pages - and I want to give you a sneak peek - are filled with lessons, benefits, and insights. If God wills, in the coming days, if we open the competition to the entire Quran, expect many questions from these pages specifically.
Consultation with Followers
We are considering making the competition a bit more challenging because, praise be to God, we have brothers and sisters from whom we learn. Therefore, we may change the competition system starting tomorrow or the day after:
- Either the competition becomes open to the entire Quran, from cover to cover.
- Or we make one question from today's portion and other questions open from the thirty parts.
We will publish a post for consultation and voting on this matter, God willing.
Thanking the Participants
We thank everyone who participated with us today:
- Brother Saeed Muhammad from London.
- Brother Mohammed Jaballah from Egypt.
- Brother Ishaq Sandouqa from Jordan.
- Sister Israa Mahmoud from Jordan.
- Sister Qatret Al-Nada from Jordan (Amman).
Today, our brothers and sisters from Jordan have made us proud. While affirming that believers are brothers and that this is your nation as one, we consider this competition in the spirit of "And in that let the competitors compete" and in the spirit of dividing the army into tribes as the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to do to protect competition in righteousness and piety.
May God reward you for this blessed session, and we are happy to have the competition with you. Until we meet again tomorrow, God willing.
Peace be upon you and God's mercy.