A hidden discord in plurality?

As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaah

I’ll be going back abroad for a few months inshaa’Allaah to complete some studies. I’ll try to keep up with the blog posts bi’ithnillaah until I return sometime in Ramadhaan.

Before I go however, I’d like to share a very interesting piece I came across a few days ago

What do you notice about the following verse in Soorah al-Baqarah?

The English translation of the meaning says,

“Allah is the Wali (Protector) of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light. But as for those who disbelieve, their Auliya (supporters and helpers) are false deities, they bring them out from light into darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.” [al-Baqarah: 257]

If you look closely at the words in bold you’ll see there is a clear difference between the Arabic and the English. Light and Darkness are both usually singular, but in the ayah Allaah `azza wa jall has pluralized ‘darkness’ – dhulumaat. Why?

As explained by Shaykh Muhammad al-Maghaamisi, there is profound rhetoric behind this because it indicates that Allaah `azza wa jall (when comparing two opposites), He uses the singular of a word while pluralizing its comparative, to show an element of tafdeel (preference), unity, strength and absolute truth in that which He kept in the singular form. If something is singular, it is unique and can never cause confusion, whereas if something is plural there are many faces to it, it comes from many different angles & it’s confusing to distinguish one from the other etc.

So when Allaah says in the above verse that He “brings them out from darkness (many ‘darknesses’) into light (one unique light).” – He `azza wa jall is highlighting out the preference of the Light (guidance) over the darkness (misguidance) by simply pluralizing that which is inferior (darkness) to indicate a lack of جمع (unity, connection etc).

This is also present in the 1st verse of Soorah al-‘An’aam.

“All praise and thanks be to Allaah Who created the heavens and the earth, and orginated the darkness and the light. Yet those who disbelieve hold others as equals with their Lord.” [al-An'aam: 1] 

This amazing depth of language is further highlighted in the ayah where Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’aala says,

“And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained for you that you may become righteous.” [al-An'aam: 153]

The word ‘Siraat’ (singular) is used for the ‘Straight Path’ whereas the word ‘subul’ (plural of sabeel) is used to indicate all other ways that misguide a person.

 

A final example to drive home this profound concept:

What do you notice in this verse from Soorah al-Nahl?

“Have they not observed things that Allah has created, (how) their shadows incline to the right and to the left, making prostration unto Allah, and they are lowly?” [al-Nahl: 48]

The English translation has put the terms ‘right’ and ‘left’ as singular (mainly because there is no plural!), but Allaah `azza wa jall in the verse kept the word ‘yameen’ (right) as singular but has instead used ‘shamaa’il’ – which is the plural of ‘shimaal’ (left). This shows the preference of right (yameen) over the left (shimaal).

Subhan’Allaah just by simply changing the singular of a comparitive into a plural, Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’alaa opens up a whole new chapter of understanding that goes much deeper than what is first apparent. He `azza wa jall adds so much more meaning into an ayah without adding a single extra word or sentence – concepts are so eloquently contained into a single usage of a word.

May Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’aala give us a deep understanding of His Book, and may we derive full benefit from it. Ameen

Only a portion?!

As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaah

Allaah `azza wa jall, says in Soorah al-Nisaa:

“Whosoever intercedes for a good cause will have a ‘naseeb’ thereof, and whosoever intercedes for an evil cause will have a ‘kifl’ of it. And Allah is Ever All-Able to do everything.” [al-Nisaa: 85]

Let’s have a look at these 2 separate words (in bold)

نصيبٌ

كِفْلٌ

They both mean the same thing – they both mean ‘portion’ or ‘a part of something’. Allaah `azza wa jall is informing us that the one who intercedes for a good or a bad cause will receive a portion of that deed written down for him. But why the 2 different words if they both mean the same thing?Well, do they mean exactly the same thing? Let’s take a look.

The word ‘kifl’ is very ‘muhaddad’ – restricted and bounded. In language it means: a portion that is equal in all spheres, as they say النصيب المساوي –an equal portion, no shortcoming therein nor any ‘ziyaada’ – increase. Allaah `azza wa jall used this word here to inform us that the one who does intercede for an evil cause will only receive an equal portion thereof – there is no injustice. As He says in Soorah al-Ghaafir:

“Whosoever does an evil deed, will not be requited except the like thereof…” [al-Ghaafir: 40]

As for the word ‘naseeb’ then again it also means ‘portion’ but amazingly it has an added meaning of ‘ziyaada’ (increase) and that the portion can be multiplied. It is for this reason that when speaking of the reward/portion of the one who intercedes for a good cause, Allaah subhaanahu wa ta’aala uses the word ‘naseeb’.

As is known, out the mercy, favour and generosity of Allaah, the reward for good deeds are multiplied by ten times and more (up to 700 times) whereas the evil deed is only written down once and this is highlighted ever so subtly and yet so profoundly in the simple ayah above: “Whosoever intercedes for a good cause will have a ‘naseeb’ thereof, and whosoever intercedes for an evil cause will have a ‘kifl’ of it. And Allah is Ever All-Able to do everything.” [al-Nisaa: 85]

It is for this reason that the above ayah in Soorah al-Ghaafir ends with…

“Whosoever does an evil deed, will not be requited except the like thereof, and whosoever does a righteous deed, whether male or female and is a true believer, such will enter Paradise, where they will be provided therein without limit.” [al-Ghaafir: 40]

Mashaa’Allaah what an insight eh?

Arabic Poetry [2]

As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaah

I think it was Abu al-Aswad al-Du’ali, the grammarian who said,

و أحبب إذا ما أحببت حبّاً مقارباً *** فإنك لا تدري: متى أنت نازع
When you love, love with a love that draws you close
For you do not know: when will you depart?

و أبغض إذا أبغضت غير مجانب *** فإنك لا تدري متى أنت راجع
And when you hate, hate without turning away
For you do not know when you will return

و كن معدناً للحلم و الصْفح عن الأذى *** فإنك راءٍ ما عملت و سامع
Be a source of perseverance and forgive the harm
For you will soon see and hear what you worked

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Here’s one of my favourite comebacks:

اصبرْ على كيد الحسود *** فإن صبْركَ  قاتِله
فالنار تأكل نفسها *** إن لم تجد ما تأكله

Be patient over the plots of the envier
Truly, your patience will kill him
For the fire only consumes itself
If it doesn’t find something else to consume

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Abu Ya’laa said, ‘I heard Ishaaq ibn Abi Israa’eel say: I heard Ibn ‘Uyaynah say, “If it was said ‘bring out the best of this city’, there would come out people that were unknown.’

And al-Karizi said so wisely:

و لا تمشِ فوق الأرض إلا تّواضعاً *** فكَم تحتها قومٌ هم منكَ أرفع
فإن كنت في عز و خير و منعة *** فكم مات من قوم هم منك أمنع

And do not walk upon the earth except in humility
For how many people underneath it are more exalted than you
If you are in glory, goodness and strength
Then how many have died that were more stronger than you

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Abul Ja’far al-Baghdaadi said,“I read upon the door of a castle in Sind:

نزل الموت منزلاً *** سلب القوم و ارتحل
“Death has descended with a great descent
It has taken the people and went away”

I said, ‘What is this?!’ They said, ‘All the people in the castle have died and in the morning this was found written on the door, no-one knows who wrote it.’