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Holy
Quran Section
>
Commentary
of the Holy Quran by Dr. Basharat
Ahmad
>
Chapter
53 (An-Najm - The Star) Commentary
of Chapter 53 (An-Najm -- The Star) of the Holy
Quran: Section 1: Eminence to be attained by the Prophet: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. 01. By the star when it sets! Section 2: Nothing avails against Truth: 26. And how many angels are in the
heavens, whose intercession avails naught except after Allah
gives permission to whom He pleases and chooses. Section 3: Allah’s Power manifested in destruction of Falsehood: 33. Seest thou him who turns back,
Section
1: 1. By the star when it sets! Najmun means a star, in particular, the constellation of the Pleiades by means of which Arab travellers seek their destination whilst traversing the desert in which no semblance of a roadway can be found, especially during the night, when not even the slightest inkling of a road can be detected. This is alluded to in another verse of the Holy Quran: "And by the stars they find the right way" (16:16). Idha hawa means when it sets or declines. This is so because if the Pleiades are exactly overhead one can have no indication from them of the right way. Of course, when they incline to the West or to the East, the right direction can be easily ascertained and the traveller can be guided by them to the desired course in his journey. In this verse, Allah, Most High, swears by the star when it declines from its zenith, and in doing so, it strenuously emphasises the evidential nature of the oath. A question arises here: To what matter does the testimony point? Here we must understand that on many occasions the answer to the oath is contained in the oath itself and so there is no need for a further clarifying sentence. This is especially common in the Holy Quran which employs evidence from the physical world and the laws of nature in order to provide proof of the hidden spiritual world and matters relating to it. Thus, many a time, the Holy Quran leaves it up to the intellect and understanding of man to fathom the answer to the evidence that it presents. In other words, man should use his intellect to examine the manifest in order to draw the right conclusions concerning the hidden. Thus the Holy Quran intends, through the use of oaths, to focus attention on the sublimity and importance of a particular matter and it devolves on man to use his native powers of the mind to ferret out the underlying meaning and so there is no need for an explicit answer to the oath. It is also a well-accepted principle among the intelligentsia that a direct parallel exists between the physical and the spiritual worlds in that a similarity of relationship runs through both spheres. So, if testimony is drawn from the physical world in regard to a particular matter, then a wise person, by using his initiative, can draw the conclusion that a similar law must reside in the spiritual world. Such is the case here, also. We are told that if in the physical world, when a traveller in the desert or the sea or the wilderness can find no trace of a road in the darkness of the night and has to resort to the stars to reach his destination, why should the same not apply to a wayfarer in spiritual matters? In other words, Allah, Most High, is reminding us that when there are no earthly means of guidance on land and sea and darkness envelops the world on all sides, and in accordance with this verse of the Holy Quran: "Corruption hath appeared on land and sea..." (30:41), and all kinds of misguidance fall like the darkness of the night, and all existing religions and creeds have been tainted by innovation and error, and there is no sight of the straight path, is it not necessary for the Almighty to create a heavenly star of guidance for spiritual wayfarers as He did for travellers in the physical world? And why a star? one may ask. As a heavenly guide, a star never deviates from the right course and so its guidance can never be wrong. Similarly, that person who cuts himself off completely from all earthly attractions and attaches himself so closely to the Almighty as if he were resting in His arms, and who, as it were, has progressed from an earthly to a heavenly station is the only one who can become such a guide of whom there can be no fear nor likelihood of his straying from the right path. For his is a star that is lit from the light of Allah, Most High, and therefore twinkles in the sky like a heavenly star. Having divorced himself from low, earthly associations, he ascends close to his Creator and sparkles with the light of celestial guidance, knowledge and deep spiritual perception. Thus, this is the real heavenly guide who, like a star, becomes the true leader for mankind in the dark night of error and misguidance. The expression idha hawa, when it sets, is used to point out that unless that perfect man who is cut off from everything besides Allah, Most High, and who has ascended to Him, and whose heart is brimming over with love and compassion for all the creatures of Allah, Most High, does not descend towards them from on high, mankind can never benefit from him. Thus, those who are drawn close to Allah, Most High, become the bearers of guidance and leadership for the world. They are sent from Allah, Most High, as commissioned ones, as if they are descending from heaven to earth, and are inclining towards mankind from their lofty, heavenly station. They thus become the source of guidance for those who have lost their way or are caught up in the snares of their own lusts. As a result, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is that heavenly guide who is made resplendent by Divine light and shines forth like a star and who, having risen so far above base and earthly desires, appears as if he has no connection with this mundane existence to such an extent that he is not of earth but of heaven. In spite of his sublime status however, and his total absorption in Allah, Most High, his leaning towards mankind with guidance is only a manifestation of his deep human compassion and sympathy which filled his pure heart to the brim. This propensity was also an expression of his solicitude for mankind and his compelling desire to furnish guidance to them and not a result of any personal desire of his. Further, it was by Allah’s command that he leaned towards humanity and not through his personal wish. Just as the guidance of a star is unerringly accurate, so, too, our Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the consummate guide. In other words, his leadership is sound and authentic because he, too, like the stars, never ever deviates and proof of this is proffered in the following verse: 2. Your companion errs not, nor does he deviate. We are told that there can be three reasons for not accepting a perfect guide: 1. One may not be truly aware of the circumstances of such a person, or The doubters are asked to reflect on the character of this person who claims to be the perfect guide, that is, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and see for themselves that he is completely free of these three defects. Firstly, the verse says: "He is your companion." That is, he is living in your company day and night. For forty-five years now he is among you and you must know every detail of his life – his childhood, his youthful years were all spent under your eyes, so is there any falsehood, or defect, or weakness in him that you can point out? Is it not true that he led a straight life from the very beginning so much so that in your own estimation he is well-known as a truthful and reliable person? Secondly, the verse states: "He does not err." That is, he never forgets, meaning that his knowledge has always been authentic. He always stands on the firm footing of truth and impeccable principles and has never fallen prey to errors that will lead him towards the path of deviation or transgression. Whatever plans and policies he devised for himself or for his people were always based on sound judgement and so they always bore righteous fruits. The third point mentioned is that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) never deviates. In other words, they are told that he has spent a whole lifetime in their midst and they are asked whether he has ever acted without genuine knowledge or whether they had seen him do anything wrong. This verse provides a most powerful testimony to the impeccable character of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). This evidence is placed before his enemies, and they are challenged to contradict it if they dared. And it is a fact that no one was able to do so for they, themselves, had been acknowledging the excellent morals of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) from the very beginning, so how could they deny it now. Not only is the Holy Prophet (pbuh) declared free of any sin in this verse but his teachings, too, are guaranteed immunity from error. In short, this verse provides definitive proof of the Holy Prophet’s purity and sinlessness. The claim that he was a heavenly guide who was kindled from the light of the Almighty was well-known to them for day and night he lived in their presence. Indeed, the truth is that although he lived with them, yet, like a star, he was very far from them. 3. Nor does he speak out of desire. The Holy Prophet’s guidance is true and free from imperfection because whatever he teaches mankind is devoid of any personal desire of his. In fact, he is far above such personal concerns and has long ago renounced earthly motivations that he has become like a heavenly inhabitant. Thus, whatever guidance he gives to the world is in fact Divine revelation which was entrusted to him to impart to man. In the verse, "It is naught but revelation that is revealed," the pronoun huwa (it) pertains to the Holy Quran. To attribute it to speech is not correct for no one is of the firm opinion that every utterance of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), or at least all his words after he received prophethood, emanated from Divine revelation. Of course, while it is true that in matters of intellectual judgement he was infused with the light of inner revelation, yet we will have to agree that it was limited to religious matters. Nevertheless, here the word yantiqu (he speaks) is of general import and his words and actions were free from the taint of egoistic desires like greed and base appetites even before prophethood not to mention after he received the mantle of prophethood. It is not essential at all to believe that if any word does not proceed from Divine revelation then it is automatically inspired by greed or lust. Look at how many good words and deeds are spoken and done by righteous people without the benefit of Divine revelation. Yet, can we deny that they are free from cupidity and base desires and that they act only for the pleasure of Allah, Most High? Thus, by stating that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) does not speak out of his own desire Allah, Most High, wishes us to understand that so far was he removed from low egoistic desires that at no time was his actions ever motivated by these base passions. So how can it be possible for such a purified heart to begin to fabricate anything against his Creator? Instead, it is the custom for Allah’s revelation to descend on such a person who has already purged his inner self of all base emotions and whose actions are inspired by nothing else than seeking the pleasure of his Master. It is then that such a heart becomes qualified to receive Divine revelation. Thus, this Holy Quran is nothing but Divine revelation which descended on the Holy Prophet’s pure heart which was already purged of all base passions. 5. One Mighty in Power (shadid-ul quwa) has taught him. The meaning of mirratun is strength, whilst dhu mirratin signifies a powerful or a brave person or a person who is gifted with intellectual strength and wisdom. In the verse, "The Lord of Strength. So he attained to perfection," Dhu mirratin (the Lord of Strength) is an attribute of Allah, Most High. Shadid-ul quwa refers to someone who is extremely powerful and this, too, is a reference to the Almighty. Quwa is the plural of quwwatun and the plural is employed here to denote honour and reverence. In the expression, dhu mirratin (Lord of Strength), reference is made to physical and intellectual powers and so connotes a person whose intellectual acumen and sagacity are so immense that no one can overpower him in these matters whilst the phrase, shadid-ul quwa (Mighty in Power), connotes strength in action. That is, he is the possessor of such power that in the grandeur of his actions no one can compare with him. We are told in the above verses that the One Who taught the Holy Quran is very powerful and extremely wise. As the guidance comes from One Who possesses exceeding powers, therefore, His laws are inexorable and if man should break them, he cannot expect to lead a prosperous life and the dominance of this guidance in every situation is certain. Furthermore, as the teaching proceeds from the Lord of Strength (Dhu mirratin), it is therefore based on wisdom and truth and is perfectly appropriate and can never be controverted by science or by any other form of human knowledge. Thus, so perfect was the knowledge that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) acquired, and so relevant and so overwhelmingly was it in terms of truth and wisdom, that he was prepared to confront the whole world with the greatest confidence. Further, his practical faculties were in such a well-balanced state that as regards all his powers, they were all so measured and moderate that not one of them had ever crossed the bounds of moderation, neither was any faculty of his suppressed by the others so as to render it stunted, and manifest proof of all this was his impeccable conduct in practical affairs. Therefore, in these verses, side by side with his perfect knowledge we are told that every single practical ability of his was on the level of moderation so that he had on both counts attained perfection. In other words, not only was he spotless in character but also perfect in every other conceivable way. 7. And he (huwa) is in the highest part of the horizon (ufuq). The personal pronoun huwa (he) refers to the Holy Prophet (pbuh). Ufuq means the point at which the furthest limit of the sky seems to meet the ends of the earth, that is, the horizon. It also signifies the furthest limit, side, region or tract. This means that in regard to his perfection in knowledge and character, he had achieved the most noble and most lofty station possible. In other words, his Divine knowledge and spiritual capabilities and the fact that all his practical faculties were on the path of temperance had propelled him to the furthest limit of perfection beyond which it was impossible for any human to proceed. And although every faculty of his had reached perfection, yet he observed the golden mean; and so sublime were his morals that no human being in the world could be compared with him. Furthermore, the manifestation of every virtue of his reached the pinnacle of perfection just when circumstances were in total contrast to his station in life. For example, he became a king, yet he lived the life of a poor man. If he had eschewed kingship and chosen the life of poverty, then there would have been no proof that all his faculties were fully developed. Similarly, the perfection of his faculty of forgiveness could be seen when his bloodthirsty enemies were defeated and could have expected all kinds of retaliatory punishments from him. Yet he forgave them all. In like manner, his forgiveness of his friends when, through error and disobedience, they had become deserving of punishment for causing the community to suffer untold damage to life and property is standing proof of the perfection of his faculty of forgiveness. In short, we are told in this verse that not only was he perfect but more than that, his perfection had reached the furthest limit possible for human nature and human capabilities and that he had surpassed in excellence all those in the past as well as in the future. As ufuq also means side, it is a further indication that the Holy Prophet’s transgression had reached the furthest limit of human capability. In other words, he had arrived at the side of Allah’s throne so that he was midway between Him and mankind. That is, he did not become God, but he had traversed every requirement and every stage of human perfection. That is the miraj (ascension) which is the culmination of human progress, several stages of which were shown to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) by means of an extraordinary vision in which he traversed all the heavens and finally stood at the side of Allah’s throne where neither angel nor man could dare. The vision of the Miraj (Ascension of the Holy Prophet) was only a testimony of the Holy Prophet’s perfection which, in fact, he had always achieved. 8. Then he drew near, nearer yet (Thumma dana fa-tadalla), Tadalla is derived from dalwun meaning a bucket, whilst dalla means to let down something like a bucket from a high place to a low place. Tadalla also means to come close to, or to desire familiarity and mutual love. Many people are of the opinion that these verses refer to the Angel Gabriel who came close and closer yet even though his nearness is not such a momentous affair that it should be remarked upon with such fanfare. To the contrary, the reference here is to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) as it was in verse 6: "So he attained perfection," and verse 7: "And he is the highest part of the horizon." In addition, the doer of the action in this verse under discussion, "Then he drew near, drew nearer yet," is the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The phrase, qaba qausaini (the measure of two bows), can be interpreted in three ways. Firstly, qaba (bow) is taken to mean measure and the expression qaba qausaini is construed as the distance of two bows from which the inference is drawn that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was at a distance of two bow-lengths from Allah, Most High. This is a meaningless interpretation for such a distance can be limited to physical bodies and not to a servant and his Creator Who is limitless. The second interpretation is a much more rational one. According to this, qaba (bow) is taken to mean the chord of a bow and qaba qausaini is interpreted as one chord between two bows as Khaffaji in his commentary explains. He says that in the days of Ignorance, when two Arabs desired to manifest a strong covenant of mutual friendship, they used to place one bow directly over another so that the two chords and the bows became one. Then the two covenant takers would take up the bows together so as to make them one and would shoot an arrow from it, thus signalling that thenceforth the both parties would shoot an arrow from the same bow. The meaning of the symbolism was that so inseparably united were they in friendship that from then onwards, the friend of one would become the friend of the other and vice versa, the enemy of one would be the enemy of the other and nothing could overturn that decision. The underlying significance of verses 8 and 9 is that the Holy Prophet had developed a relationship of such intimate closeness with Allah, Most High, that it resembled the joining of the two bows by covenant takers, and so it necessarily followed that the pleasure of one was the pleasure of the Other, and opposition to one was tantamount to opposition to the Other. Therefore, the opponents should take heed, for now if the Holy Prophet (pbuh) shoots an arrow against an enemy, Allah, Most High, will shoot the same arrow at that target, and whoever contracts an alliance with the Holy Prophet (pbuh) will find that Allah becomes his friend. This, too, carries the same purport of several other verses of the Holy Quran like the following, for example: 1. "Whoever obeys the Messenger, indeed, he indeed obeys Allah ..." (4:80). After mentioning "the measure of two bows," the verse goes on to say: "or closer still," meaning that although the covenant of friendship and amity between two people who had joined their respective bows into one was indeed a powerful sign, yet the Holy Prophet’s proximity to Allah, Most High, was even more intimate than that. In other words, the relationship of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) to Allah, Most High, surpassed by far, reciprocal bonds of friendship between human beings. Thus, when the Holy Quran states: "He attained perfection (fastawa)," that is, in knowledge and character or, in other words, perfection of morals, it also mentions: "He drew nearer yet (Dana fa tadalla)," thus indicating that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had achieved the closest union possible with Allah, Most High. The third meaning suggested by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Mujaddid of the fourteenth century, is also one which is highly intellectual and profoundly spiritual in nature. He explains that since qaba means a chord, the phrase qaba qausaini signifies that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had reached that rank where he was one chord belonging to two bows, namely, the bow of Divinity and the bow of servitude. In other words, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) approached, on the one hand, so close to Allah, Most High, that there remained not the least vestige of duality in him, whilst on the other hand, he drew close towards mankind with such deep solicitude and compassion that he attained the stage of selflessness, so that in regard to human beings also, his union with them had reached the ultimate limit. Hazrat Mirza Sahib interpreted tadalla (he drew near) as coming down towards mankind like a bucket, for dalla (to come close) is derived from dalwun which means a bucket. The significance of his inclining towards mankind like a bucket is that just as a bucket can serve two purposes – firstly, to take out and throw away foul and dirty water and secondly, to bring pure, life-giving water for others to drink – so, too, the Holy Prophet’s totally selfless love and compassion for mankind served two purposes: firstly, he got rid of their impure and filthy water and secondly, he gave them to drink the water of pure, unadulterated heavenly life. In other words, he cleansed them of all that was corrupt and abominable in their life and gave them to drink to their fill of the elixir of righteousness, purity and cleanliness. In short, on the one side, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had ascended to Allah, Most High, to the furthest possible limit so that there was no veil between him and his Creator. On the other side, he descended so close towards mankind that there was no barrier between him and Allah’s creation. As in this ascent to Allah, Most High, and descent to mankind his excellences had reached the culminating point, he was firmly and completely established midway between the bows of Divinity and servitude just like the diameter of a circle. The phrase, au adna (and closer yet), reveals to us that in his elevation towards Divinity and his descent towards service to mankind the degree of closeness to both parties was so great that it was beyond the power of human intellect, imagination and thought to encompass it. The following diagram gives us a picture of this relationship:  In the above circle, the line that runs through the middle of the circle, that is, the diameter, is the chord between two bows. Thus, the one who occupies the mid-point between these two bows contains within himself the boundary between Allah, Most High, and mankind and that is the station of intercession on the Day of Resurrection – an honour that was conferred on only one person in the world, past and future, and that illustrious personality was none other than our Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). In other words, that is the spiritual link between man and his Maker and this is the zenith of human perfection, the recipient of which is only the pure, unsullied soul of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), on account of his total and unsurpassable excellence and nobility. Although other righteous and holy personages like prophets, messengers and saints were blessed with this connecting link, yet they could not attain that centre point in the circle’s diameter – a point that symbolises the heart of all excellences of the perfect man. Again, the phrase, au adna (closer yet), points to the furthest limit that was destined since the beginning of creation for a particular person, and that person was the Holy Prophet (pbuh) who was the boundary between the Creator and His creation, or to put it another way, between the Benefactor and the recipients of Divine grace. As a result, the world received through him the gift of the Holy Quran, a Book which is unique in its knowledge and its teachings. Whoever is perfect in his union with Allah, Most High, and whose capabilities are the loftiest in rank and whose relationship with the Almighty is the strongest of all is accordingly graced with the equivalent degree of Divine revelation of a glorious and elevated rank. So, as the Holy Prophet’s bond with Allah, Most High, was more sublime, more excellent, and more elevated than that of other persons, the revelation granted to him was of a corresponding degree of majesty. 10. So He revealed to His servant (‘abdihi) what He revealed (ma auha) Ma auha (what He revealed) is a reference to the revelation of the Holy Quran. Here ma (what) is a particle denoting majesty, thus signifying that Allah, Most High, sent down to His servant a most extraordinary revelation in the form of the Holy Quran. This turn of phrase exists in the Urdu language also. For example, when a person wishes to express his approval of the startling beauty of a particular place or scene, the following mode of expression is employed: "We went to that place and suffice it to say, we saw what we saw." Although this sentence does not reveal what was seen, yet the listeners will definitely understand that the scene was unusually beautiful and impressive. In this verse also, by saying: "He revealed to His servant what He revealed," the intention is to create the same impression. What was revealed? Allah, Most High, seems to be saying: "Indeed, how can We explain to you what We revealed?" the meaning is that it was a revelation of such grandeur and majesty that even if Allah, Most High, explained it to us in words we would not be able to discern its sublime nature. By using the phrase, "His servant," the motive is to point out that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is indeed deserving of such an exceptional revelation, for he had traversed all the stages of perfect servitude and had arrived at the utmost point of obedience beyond which it was humanly impossible to proceed. This is why Allah, Most High, chose the delightful title of "His servant." Thus, whatever communication was passed to that beloved servant and whatever bounties vouchsafed to him were beyond the ability of man to comprehend. Sufficient it is to say that something was spoken, and we should leave it at that. It is evident, therefore, that indescribable and grand words were spoken and ineffable favours were granted of such magnitude that mere words are insufficient to convey understanding to man. 11. The heart (fu’adu) was not untrue in seeing what he saw (ra’a). Fu’adu means the heart, as well as the centre of power or capabilities, while ra’a signifies something seen or knowledge acquired. This verse pertains to the revelation of the Holy Quran. However, the vision that was shown to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) on the night of the Miraj (Ascension) is also included within its ambit because of the Holy Prophet’s close union with Allah, Most High. We are told that whatever was revealed to the Holy Prophet’s heart, which Satan could not enter and in which no vain or egoistical desire existed, and whatever knowledge was vouchsafed to him was far removed from the possibility of falsehood, for the heart on which the Throne of the Almighty was seated and which was so closely connected to Him to the extent of being one chord between two bows, could never be influenced by either Satan, or base promptings of the animal self. In fact, no falsehood could approach such a heart. Many commentators of the Holy Quran think that this verse related to the Miraj and opine that whatever vision the unsullied heart of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) saw was true and authentic and there was no falsehood in what his heart saw. This meaning is very accurate, but it has confirmed the fact that the Holy Prophet’s Ascension was not with his physical body. It was, instead, an unprecedented spiritual vision in which was divulged to him a view of the stages of closeness he had indeed traversed in his journey towards Allah, Most High. For if he had gone up to the heavens with his material body and had seen everything with his physical eyes, then the Holy Quran would have mentioned that fact. However, the verse states that whatever he saw was seen by his heart and the seeing of the heart is not accomplished with physical eyes. That sublime station is referred to as "the measure of two bows" where not only was the mighty revelation of the Holy Quran given to him but it was also there that he was blessed with all kinds of wondrous and miraculous sights which can lead man to the final point of certainty and deep spiritual insight. Further, in receiving that revelation and in witnessing those delightful spiritual scenes, the heart of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) made no mistake. And how could there be error? If the mirror of the heart is clean and smooth, then the reflection that falls on it will be a true representation. 12. Do you then dispute with him as to what he saw? Whatever revelation of the Holy Quran was given to the Holy Prophet (pbuh), or whatever spiritual phenomena were disclosed to him were all communicated to everyone. So why should the objectors have any quarrel with these matters? Every revelation he received, he passed on to the public at large for he was the one who was sent by Allah, Most High, for that very purpose. So their objection to him is pointless, for if they desired to dispute with anyone it should have been with Allah, Most High, for it is He Who revealed His messages to him or unveiled to him spiritual mysteries. Everything that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) heard from Allah, Most High, he imparted to his people. He was only the bearer of a message from his Creator. 13. And certainly he saw (ra’a) Him in another descent (nazlatan ukhra), Ra’a means to see. Whom did he see? It was his Lord that he saw. Ibn Jarir in his commentary of the Holy Quran quotes Ibn Abbas as saying: "He (the Holy Prophet) saw his Lord with his heart," and this does not contradict 6:104 of the Holy Quran: "Vision comprehends Him not and He comprehends all vision." Hasan also related that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) saw his Lord. The following verse, 53:17, also supports this interpretation: "The eye turned not aside, nor did it exceed the limit." Nazlatan ukhra (another descent). One form of Allah’s descent came about through Quranic revelation by means of which the spiritual light of the Almighty used to descend from time to time on the immaculate heart of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). However, we are told that besides this, the phenomenon of Allah’s descent was experienced by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) in another way and that took place at the "farthest lote tree" (sidratil muntaha) where the imperial crown of heaven and earth was placed on the head of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). Sidratun is a berry or lote tree and sidratun muntaha signifies a lote tree the like of which does not exist. Qazi Baidawi has written that it was the custom among the Arabs that when the people had to congregate on momentous occasions especially for the coronation of a king – an event that brought together a very massive gathering which could not be accommodated in their tiny tents and large public halls were non-existent at that time – they used to sit under a lote tree which was one of the largest shade-giving trees in Arabia. On many occasions the tree used to be stripped of its thorns so that the audience would not be hurt by them and there the chief or king would be crowned according to custom. With this in mind, Allah, Most High, has employed an Arabian turn of phrase to establish the fact that He, Himself, had crowned the Holy Prophet (pbuh) as Emperor of heaven and earth and so there was none who could stand against him. In other words, this was a heavenly lote tree and not an earthly one so that the decision that was made there by Allah, Most High, and the subsequent coronation of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) could not be derailed by anyone in the world under any other earthly lote tree. The phrase, sidratil muntaha (at the farthest lote tree) indicates that although prophets and messengers were crowned under various lote trees in heaven, yet the tree under which the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was invested with his earthly and heavenly kingship was the one which stood at the ultimate limit of progress and perfection, thus signifying that his pre-eminence in knowledge and conduct had reached the furthest possible point of perfection. Thus, in these verses, we find mention of the Holy Prophet’s vision which he saw on the night of the Miraj when he was blessed with the most glorious manifestation of his Lord’s glory and circumstances dictated that this should take place under "the farthest lote tree" in accordance with the custom of his country. But even more so, it was disclosed to him that this tree was near to Heaven which is the genuine resting-place of man’s life of true happiness and total bliss. In other words, it is that lofty, elevated station from the roots of which spring all heavenly and earthly bounties and on which depends all celestial life, whether of this world or the next. According to Ibn Asir in the Nihayah, the use of the phrase, "the farthest lote tree," points to another deep and subtle point and that is, it signifies the point where knowledge of all the worlds has come to an end and beyond that lies the world of the unseen which no one except Allah, Most High, knows. It is also another way of saying that the deeds of man cannot proceed beyond that point for that was the furthermost boundary of humanity. And of all mankind, this was the honour and status reserved for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) alone. 16. When that which covers covered (ma yaghsha) the lote-tree; Ma yaghsha (what covered) is another expression indicating honour just as that expressed in verse 10: "So He revealed to His servant what He revealed (ma auha)". In other words, that lote tree under which the coronation took place in the presence of a heavenly assembly was the place where the Holy Prophet (pbuh) witnessed the most wonderful and most remarkable Divine splendour concerning which the commentary, Ruh-ul Ma‘ni, says that the covering was really the light of the Lord of Glory and Honour. That is, that particular station was transformed at that moment into a manifestation of Divine refulgence and the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was covered with the radiance of the Lord of Honour and all kinds of extraordinarily magnificent Divine bounties and heavenly signs which are beyond the ability of man to comprehend. Of course, our Holy Prophet (pbuh) saw all these singular sights in their fulsome grandeur. Basar as well as basirat means the eye. It is clearly evident from the above verses that what is mentioned in this verse related to the eye of the heart (spiritual eye). Therefore, the meaning of "eye" here is insight (basirat) or the inner eye. Ma zagha (did not turn aside) means that the eye held firm. In other words, the eye of the heart endured the sight and never wavered. Ma tagha (did not exceed the limit) tells us that he did not overstep the boundary. That is, he made no mistake as regards what he saw and heard. In this verse, attention is focussed on highlighting the natural capabilities and the perfection of the Holy Prophet’s spiritual powers. When human senses and powers are not strong enough to bear the burden of a particular task, they then suffer failure and man can derive no benefit from them. For example, if a load is too heavy, then man’s strength and arms are rendered useless. Again, if man were to look directly at the sun, his eyes would not be able to tolerate its brilliance and so he would not see anything and might very well end up blind. Similarly, if the eye of man’s heart (spiritual eye) cannot endure the dazzling splendour of the sight of Divine resplendence, then he may suffer from a bout of fainting or giddiness as happened to Prophet Moses (pbuh) when he beheld the luminous radiance of the Creator on the mountain and could not bear it (7:143). However, Allah, Most High, has testified in this verse to the consummate inherent capacities of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) by saying that when the Holy Prophet (pbuh) saw the Divine manifestation, his eye was not averted from it. In other words, he was able to bear it and was not thrown into such confusion as to cause his spiritual eye to err. As mentioned above, this verse stands as a glowing testimony to the Holy Prophet’s perfectly developed spiritual powers and natural capabilities. However, it brings into light something further: as the Holy Prophet’s spiritual eye never ever deviated in his daily life from Allah, Most High, but instead the eye of his heart was always fixed on the Almighty, therefore, this eye which had become habituated to seeing Allah, Most High, was able to withstand the splendid radiance of Allah, Most High, at the time of the glorious manifestation of this vision, that is, the Miraj (Ascension). Thus, in the light of these clear verses, we cannot accept any opinion which says that on the Day of Resurrection when the Divine splendour is manifested everyone will swoon except Prophet Moses (pbuh), for he had already fainted once before when he first experienced the glory of the Almighty (7:143). This is not a matter of taking turns in fainting so that if a person swooned before, he has already endured it at his turn, and so it is the turn of others to suffer giddiness. Instead, this matter pertains to the perfection of inherent capabilities, and of all mankind, if there was in the whole history of the world one eye that withstood the glory of Allah’s manifestation, it was the eye of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). So there is no reason to suggest that he would not be able to do so again on the Day of Resurrection. The next verse (18) says: Certainly he saw of the greatest signs of his Lord. In other words, the Miraj was not restricted to the manifestation of the Holy Prophet’s excellence and singular rank. More than that, he was also shown magnificent signs that included good news relating to himself and also to the success that would crown his religion in the future. The use of the phrase Rabbihi (of his Lord) can mean those signs which relate to the Holy Prophet’s own providential spiritual nurturing or to the spiritual fostering that a whole world would receive through his mission. As such, these signs served the purpose of giving him advance knowledge of the success of his mission in future ages. 19. Have you then considered Lat and Uzza, Lat was the idol of the tribe of Thaqif in Ta’if and was in the shape of a human being whilst Uzza was the idol of the tribe of Ghatfan in Nakhlah and this one was in the image of a tree. Manat was the goddess of Khuza‘ah and was made of stone and so it has been mentioned separately and the designation, ukhra (another) is used here as a form of reproach. All three had feminine names as if they were goddesses who were regarded as daughters of the Almighty. In these verses, conclusive proof is furnished against the worshippers of these false gods in that it is pointed out to them that if the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was inviting them to serve a particular Deity, he was doing so on the basis of perfect knowledge (‘ala wajhil basirah). Whatever claims to faith and deep spiritual knowledge he has made have been done only after thorough scrutiny and mystical insight. On the other hand, they are asked whether they had seen, with their own eyes, the goddesses they were worshipping and whether they had witnessed any miraculous signs from Lat, Uzza and Manat. If not, then what was the purpose of worshipping them? Further, they should reflect on how foolish it was for them to fall into the pit of idol-worship. These verses provide a decisive sign of the truth of the religion of Islam and its superiority over all other creeds. We are told here that Islam did not content itself with giving to the world a few principles for people to believe and practise, but it went far beyond that in that the Founder of the religion had himself acted upon his teachings and had personally experienced the efficacious effect of these principles that the religion was exhorting mankind to accept. In addition, when he had reached the desired destination and had traversed every stage of perfect certainty and profound spiritual insight and had been united with Allah, Most High, he, as a confirmed mystic, presented these teachings to the whole world so that people might believe and act according to them. Every adherent of a religion believes his religion to be true and invites the whole world to accept it. He may even boast that his is the best in the world. In fact, every person in his own right holds the belief that he has a monopoly on heaven. The Holy Quran itself describes this kind of thinking when it says in unambiguous words: "But they became divided into sects, each party rejoicing in that which was with them" (12:53). So, if Islam, too, should merely claim to lead people to salvation and closeness to the Creator without furnishing any proof, then it would fall under the same category as "each party rejoicing in that which was with them," for every creed makes the same claim (without evidence). Mere assertion without proof is of no value. This is why Islam most emphatically proclaims the fact that if the Holy Prophet (pbuh) has invited people to a certain way of life, he has done so on the grounds of certain knowledge in that he, himself, had experienced the truth of it. But even more so, he has given the guarantee that anyone who follows him and conducts himself according to the principles he has taught will also acquire deep insight and will become a mystic who, after traversing every stage of conviction and spiritual insight, will himself find his Creator as the Holy Quran promises in the verse: "Say: This is my way: I call to Allah, with certain knowledge — I and those who follow me. And glory be to Allah! and I am not of the polytheists" (12:108). This is a claim which is supported by evidence which no one or nothing can controvert. This is repeated in another verse of the Holy Quran: "And they say: None shall enter the Garden except he who is a Jew, or the Christians. These are their vain desires. Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful" (2:111). In other words, they are told: "Produce a man from among you who has arrived at the sought-after destination after following your principles and who reached the Almighty by acting according to your religious teachings, and who became in this very life the recipient of that heavenly life of which you boast. If you cannot, then know that your claim is baseless and has no foundation of truth in it." Two experiences from the life of Maulana Nur-ud-Din are presented to solidify this point. The first related to a Muslim who was present in an assembly in which a famous, high-ranking Brahmo Samaj leader was expounding the claims of his religion to a mixed gathering of Hindus, Muslims and Christians in the Punjab. The audience was deeply impressed by his presentation, but this Muslim, who was pious and soft-hearted, felt a profound pain in his heart for the religion of Islam. This led him to go outside and fall into prostration seeking from Allah, Most High, a way to prove the superiority of Islam. When he returned to the assembly, he asked permission to speak for five minutes and this having being granted, he addressed the Brahmo Samaj leader thus: "You have been telling us the ways of finding God. Have you, yourself, tried those ways and found Him?" To this, the leader replied: "No, but it is my opinion." The Muslim then put forward the Holy Prophet’s claim given above (12:108) and also the same promise given to all followers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and thus Islam emerged triumphant. Maulana Nur-ud-Din also narrates his personal experiences with several Arya Samaj preachers. He asked them, as lovers of the Vedas, whether they had read these scriptures themselves. They replied in the negative stating that their topmost pandits read them, and to another question they admitted that some of these pandits acted according to the Vedas whilst others did not. To the key question: "Do you find God by following the Vedas?" they replied in the negative, saying that only their four Rishis had done so and no other from among them, even if they were to spend twelve years under the banyan tree of Buddha studying the Vedas and engaging in spiritual exercises at the same time. Maulana Sahib then pointed out to them that they were making claims without the required evidence and told them that in Islam, on the contrary, there had always been, throughout the centuries, countless righteous and saintly persons who had followed the Holy Quran and found Allah, Most High. He then put forward the living example in that country of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Mujaddid of the fourteenth century, who made the same claim as given in the said verse above, 12:108, and his open statement that, today, it is only through Islam that people can find their Creator for all other religions had strayed from the straight path (siratul mustaqim). Mirza Sahib also challenged doubters to come and stay with him in order to experience for themselves the truth of his claims. The following poetic verses of his serve as an example of how boldly Mirza Sahib proclaimed his challenge to the whole world: I let my imagination travel to all directions The outstanding achievement of the Mujaddid of the Age, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, is that at the time when atheism and materialism were flourishing, he furnished living and palpable proof of the truth of Islam that gave it supremacy over all false religions and creeds, for it was so potent a proof that it provided definite and incontrovertible evidence for any religion that claimed to be a true and living one. What kind of road is it, he asked, that will not lead a traveller to the destination he seeks, or what teaching is it that if someone should act on it, he will still find the door of salvation closed? The true path is indeed the one that can lead us to the desired destination in any age and so he proclaimed to the world, in the most forceful and vociferous manner, that by following the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet (pbuh) he had found the living God Who is the only One deserving of worship and devotion. Furthermore, that was now the only road that will make a person meet his Creator for all other avenues were blocked. Look at how trenchantly he declared his conviction in poetic style: Do not run away from Islam for this is the path of true guidance, This is the question that the Holy Quran posed to all those idol-worshippers: "Have you ever seen those idols you worship or have you visited them?" This is a rhetorical question implying that they had not seen them, nor witnessed any miracle from them. Thus, without any sight or proof of them and without any other tangible evidence, they were content to follow their ancestors blindly in this kind of false worship. Further, how strange it is that these people do not realise how laughable is their position to ascribe daughters to Allah, Most High, whilst having daughters themselves is considered a hateful thing! We can see from this how erroneous was their concept of the Almighty. If this were not so, then, of necessity, if they had possessed even an inkling of spiritual insight or true knowledge of their Creator, they would always have ascribed beautiful names to Him and would never have entertained anything of Him that would bring shame and disgrace even upon their own selves. Thus, these verses point to the wrong ideas that idol-worshippers have in their minds of their Creator and remind them that true servants of the Almighty must have a noble concept of the beauty of His sublime and exalted qualities. This matter is addressed in the following verses: 21. Are the males for you and for Him the females? Diza comes from daza meaning to defraud and so diza signifies injustice or oppression or cruelty. It cannot be denied that the concept of the Almighty in the minds of idol-worshippers is a debased one belonging to the lowest category of thinking. Otherwise they would not have worshipped a piece of stone or any artificial image. Compare the majesty of the Creator and Nourisher of the heavens and the earth and the whole universe with the position of a lifeless idol! To harbour the thought that this image is the Creator and Master of the two worlds can be nothing else but the mark of a disordered mind. A person with a sound mind cannot even begin to think of such an idea. Some simple-minded friends of mine insist that these idols are used to help them focus their concentration (on God). I reply by asking them how that could be so. Can the mental picture of the true Creator of all the worlds, the Possessor of power and knowledge, the Ever-living, Self-subsisting One ever resemble an idol which is just a piece of stone that cannot even drive away a fly and which, furthermore, cannot feel or move? If this is their concept, then it is a very low one. They should ponder deeply and ask themselves these questions: What image or reality will this picture represent? Will it be the beautiful qualities of the Almighty, or His knowledge or power, or what else? When they cannot concentrate on anything in particular through these idols, then to claim that they concentrate their attention on the image of God through them is false and totally opposed to truth. A story is related of one of the companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) that in the pre-Islamic days of ignorance, he was given a rich piece of crumbled bread soaked in sugar and butter-oil and told by his parents to offer it to an idol that used to occupy a customary position at the entrance of their home. Accordingly, he did so by placing it in front of the idol and then left. A short while later, a dog came along and after eating the choice piece of bread, it lifted its hind leg and urinated on the idol. This holy companion witnessed this scene from a distance and a deep hatred and repugnance for idol-worship sprang up in his heart. As a result, as soon as he heard the Holy Prophet’s invitation to worship one God, Allah, Most High, he straightaway accepted it and became a Muslim. Thus, it is plainly evident that the concept of Allah, Most High, that idol-worshippers hold is a very contemptible and inferior one. Allah, Most High, possesses the loftiest and most sublime attributes. That is why the thoughts of the Almighty that the Holy Quran puts in the minds of worshippers at the time of formal prayer (salah) are those that are infused by meditating on the attributes of Allah, Most High, especially these four: Rabb (Sustainer), Rahman (Beneficent), Rahim (Merciful) and Malik (Master) which are like the mother of all the other attributes, and no wise person can object to them, nor can any superior picture of the Creator be devised by man. 23. They are naught but names which you have named, you and your fathers — Allah has sent no authority for them. They follow but conjecture and what (their) souls desire. And certainly the guidance has come to them from their Lord. The unbelievers are told that those gods and goddesses and other images of theirs to which they had ascribed all kinds of names were really nothing but conjecture that had no basis in reality. They had no concrete proof of their existence and neither did their fathers. Evidence can come from three sources: the intellect, divine inspiration, or signs of external assistance. There was no intellectual evidence to support the existence of these gods and idols; neither was there any existing revealed book to prove that Allah, Most High, had sent down such a teaching; neither could those idol-worshippers produce any sign to show that Allah, Most High, gave support to an idolater in his fight against the doctrine of Unity, nor had the idols come together to help their devotees. They are told that Allah, Most High, has never revealed any illuminating evidence to endorse the practice of idolatry. In fact, all they had to offer was adherence to whims and fancies. The clause, ma tahwal anfusu (what their souls desire) also means that when man renounces the worship of one God, he either falls in prostration before the creation of the Almighty, or becomes a slave of the base desires of his ego. In reference to this, Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani, in his book, Futuh-al Ghaib, wrote that true submission to one God can never be totally achieved until man gives up the worship of the creation of Allah, Most High, and restrains himself from obedience to, and worship of his base, egoistic emotion. As regards the former – worship of the creation of God – only foolish people and not intelligent ones do so. However, when it comes to the latter – worship of the lower self – we find many very high-ranking nobles and many supposedly educated people falling prey to it. Veneration of low desires means that man follows the dictates of his own ego in preference to the commands and teachings of the Almighty. It can also mean that idol-worshippers give themselves to the worship of these fictitious creatures which they believe to be gods, or they are captives of their own low desires which are not founded on the principles of truth or proper guidance. Whatever feeling arises in their mind, they follow, and like beasts, they yield to their animal desires. Since they had fallen to that level of degradation, was it not incumbent on their loving, cherishing Sustainer (Rabb) to come to their assistance and send, from Himself, guidance to them? This is exactly why the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was commissioned by his Lord and Sustainer to fulfil their spiritual need and the bringing of this guidance was in accordance with the demand of Allah’s Providence (Rububiyyat), the cherished goal of which was to elevate them, by means of that teaching, from the lowest to the highest level of guidance. So how unfortunate it was for them to turn away from the guidance of their Lord and submit to the promptings of their own lower self! 24. Or shall man have what he wishes? These verses furnish an answer to the inner temptation that makes unbelievers reluctant to forsake their egoistic desires in favour of Allah’s guidance. They are warned to give up obedience to their low passions for if they do not, it will surely lead them to destruction in the Hereafter. As a matter of fact, even in this very life, all the desires and ambitions of man are not fulfilled. Many grandiose plans and designs regularly fall by the wayside. Once, Hazrat Ali (rta) was hurrying to the mosque for evening prayer (Maghrib) for the call to prayer (adhan) had already been given. He was in a hurry because he was the Khalifa (Caliph) and his duty was to lead the congregation in prayer. Now, it was his custom never to refuse to give an answer to a question. Thus, a few atheists thought that this was a good opportunity to put him in a quandary. This was their thinking: "He is hastening for prayer so he cannot stop, so let us ask him for proof of the existence of God. He will either rush off and so we will score a victory, or he may stay to answer. But as it is a subject that demands a lengthy response, he will miss his prayer if he stays back to reply. So again, we will have achieved our purpose." Accordingly, they posed their question to him. He gave them a pithy, but eloquent sentence, pregnant with wisdom and then entered the mosque. This was his reply: "I recognise my Lord by my broken plans." So many extremely powerful men of authority are there who have met with such abject failure in their grand plans and ambitions that we are forced to accept that there is another Being, Mighty and Powerful, Doer of what He intends, before Whose will the designs of man become so insignificant as if they had never even been conceived. What a beautiful supplication our Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught us when he gave us the following: "O Allah! There is none who can withhold what Thou grantest, and there is none who can give what Thou witholdest, and greatness does not benefit any possessor of greatness as against Thee." In short, since by following his low desires man loses both the Hereafter and this life, too, why should he not adopt the wise course and comply with the commands of that Being Who is Master not only of the next world, but of this world, too? If he should acquiesce, he would be elevated by his Lord (Rabb) from the lowest stage to the highest and would enjoy success in both worlds. Why should he be foolish as to be a slave of his desires, which as everyone can see cannot be fully attained here, not to mention the Hereafter. In the above verse (25), mention is made first of the Hereafter and then this life is spoken of after. The reason is that in the world of the Hereafter, Allah’s attribute of Malikiyyat (Ownership and Mastership), under which the consequences of deeds come into being, will be perfectly manifested. Although this attribute is operative in this world, too, yet it is somewhat hidden from the veiled eyes of people. So as a result of this glorious manifestation in the next life, attention is drawn to the Hereafter first and this life second. Note: In this section, two points are emphasised: the Holy Prophet’s servitude and closeness to Allah, Most High, and his perfect love for and compassionate service to the creation of Allah, Most High, as a result of which he has been given in the Holy Quran the most exalted station (maqam mahmud). Shaf‘atun (intercession) comes from shaf‘a, meaning to make a thing one of a pair and shaf‘atun refers to an inner or spiritual union. We should bear in mind that Islam teaches us that no one can be responsible for the deeds of another neither can one bear the burden of another person and so the question of intercession cannot contradict this principle. Intercession can never mean that the person on whose behalf a recommendation is made is automatically saved. What it means is that if a person forms a strong spiritual bond or connection with a pure and holy person he can derive benefit and blessings in two ways: firstly, purification from the commission of wrong deeds in this life and secondly, forgiveness in the next life when he has to face the consequences of his deeds. We shall look at each form of intercession separately. 1. An example of the first kind of intercession – aligning oneself with a holy person – is like that of a big tap. If a person should affix a hose to that tap, water begins to flow into it. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is like the big tap into which the water of spiritual life flows from the fountain of Allah’s Oneness and His deep spiritual knowledge. If a person should join his spiritual hose to this large tap, he begins to enjoy and drink to his fill of spiritual delights. Or, we may look at it in another way: the Holy Prophet’s body is like a large electric line filled with Divine bounties. Whoever connects to this line shares in these blessings and himself becomes spiritually illuminated. This is the connection to which the Holy Quran alludes in the verses: "Say: If you love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you, and grant you protection from your sins. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger; but if you turn back, Allah surely loves not the disbelievers" (3:31-32). In other words, the only relationship that will avail us is the one we made with the person we followed or to put it in a different way, a spiritual bond can be formed only by truly obeying a true and holy personality. Thus on the day of Resurrection when physical connections will be cut off and physical or family relationship will not be of any use to us, only a spiritual alliance or union will become manifest and that will be the basis, in many cases, for the forgiveness of sins. In order to understand the principle of forgiveness of sins, a few words of explanation are necessary. Take, for example, man’s limbs which are attached to his body. If he suffers pain in any one of them, his whole body shares in it, but if that same limb is amputated and is even thrown into a fire, his body does not suffer any feelings of hurt. In the same way, if a person formed a spiritual bond with a prophet or saintly person whom he follows obediently and for some reason he has committed a mistake which is liable to punishment, then that holy person with whom the bond is made is bound to feel pain in his heart for his erring follower. Every day in this life we notice that if a child is slapped by another how much agony the hearts of the parents suffer. That is because there is an inherent connection between parents and child even though that bond is just a physical one. Thus, if a person had already formed a close spiritual alliance with a messenger of Allah by following him in this life, and on the day of Resurrection if he has to suffer punishment for his sins, then because of that prior spiritual union, the messenger who was obeyed will definitely feel pain for his disciple. Thus, in that eventuality, at the very first opportunity, if the messenger is given permission to intercede for his follower, he will surely make a request to Allah, Most High, for forgiveness of this disciple’s sins. It is a grievous error to believe that disobedient people will become worthy of the messenger’s intercession. The reason is that since these transgressors had formed no relationship with the messenger, therefore, no anguish will arise in his heart for their forgiveness. It is true that Allah, Most High, can forgive whomsoever He wishes. However, intercession demands a prior spiritual bonding which can come only through obedience to the preceptor. If a person has not followed the messenger, there is no connection between them, so how can intercession arise? Besides the above, there are a few other considerations which are important for us to understand in relation to intercession, the first of which is that there is a difference between supplication (du‘a) and intercession (shafa‘ah). Supplication is general and applies to everyone. Both sinner and saint are given permission to make their petition before their Lord and there is no restriction in that, neither is there any special limitation. However, intercession, which is in itself a petition, possesses an intrinsic peculiarity: the intercessor presents himself before the Almighty and makes a plea to Him on behalf of the sinner saying, as it were: "O Allah! Kindly forgive this servant for my sake." This is the point that makes intercession without permission unlawful in Islam as the Holy Quran asks: "... who is he who can intercede with Him except by His permission?" (2:256). Intercession without permission is not permissible, for however close a servant may be to Allah, Most High, he has no authority to stand before his Creator and make petition in this style: "O Allah! Forgive this servant on my behalf." This is contrary to the attribute of Allah: Ghaniyyul ‘anil ‘alamin (Self-sufficient above the worlds) which tells us that He has no fear for anyone nor does He need anybody. So, for a person to present himself and make a petition for a saviour like the above is tantamount to flaunting his own self-importance. For example, if Zaid should ask Abu Bakr to forgive a particular person for his (Zaid’s) sake, it will mean that Zaid is saying in effect: "If you value my friendship in any way and you ascribe some respect to my request, then please comply, otherwise I fear that there will be an estrangement in our relationship." Allah, Most High, is supremely exempt from this kind of attitude for He has fear for no one. No servant of His has the privilege to address Him as that mentioned above, for He is As-Samad, meaning that everyone is in need of Him but He stands in need of no one. His glory is such that it is the servants who have to seek His pleasure all the time and not the reverse. Thus, no servant can intercede without leave from Him and this is mentioned in several places of the Holy Quran. For example, we read in 2:48: "... and neither will intercession be accepted on its behalf nor will compensation be taken from it." Again, look at how emphatically the Holy Quran denies intercession without permission when it asks this question as a form of rebuke: "... Who is he who can intercede without His permission?" (2:255). Of course, intercession with prior approval from Allah, Most High, is allowed as we are told in the following verse: "On that day no intercession avails except of him whom the Beneficent allows, and whose word He is pleased with" (20:109). We must remember here that intercession serves two purposes: It is to afford forgiveness to a servant who had made a bond with a prophet, or a messenger, or a pure-hearted soul, and the other is to elevate the honour and dignity of the righteous intercessor to whom Allah has given permission to intercede and whose recommendation he has accepted. Like the righteous ones and those drawn close to Allah, Most High, the angels, too, will make intercession and it is clear that they will do so only for those who had formed a spiritual bond with them, and those people can only be the ones who were sensitive to the pure angelic inspirations and had accepted and acted according to them. The Hadith tells us that their spiritual connection with these angels who inspire goodness in the hearts of men become stronger and stronger day by day, and as they gradually advance to higher stages of goodness so, too, they make a relationship with angels of higher and higher rank, for just as there are different stages of goodness, in like manner, there are diverse ranks of angels inspiring man to perform righteous actions. So, the higher the level of virtuous deeds man performs, the more elevated is the rank of angels with whom he progressively makes a connection until, ultimately, a union with the Holy Spirit comes into being. Thus, the angels, too, will intercede only for those who had fashioned a spiritual relationship with them and all this will come about only after permission or leave from Allah, Most High, Who will do so only for those who had made a spiritual connection with those people drawn close to Him or with the angels, and who had become followers of the righteous ones, and also who had acted on angelic inspirations. In the next life, family connect | ||
