Simple
translation:
“And recite what has been revealed to
you of the Scripture of your Lord-God:
none can change His Words, and you can find no refuge other than with
Him.”
(18:27)
Explanatory
translation:
“And recite (and teach) what has been revealed
to you of the Scripture of your Lord-God (i.e., the Qur’an): none
can change His Words (in this Qur’an as was done to previous
scriptures), and you (the reader) can find no refuge other than with
Him (when He judges on the basis of what is revealed in this Qur’an).”
Commentary:
It is clear that Allah Most High is
here guiding the believers to the basic instrument of protection against the
attacks of Dajjal. It is the recitation of the Qur’an in general,
and Surah al-Kahf in particular. That recitation, in turn, invites the reader
to ponder over the message of the Qur’an and to study it with diligence
and with the assurance that it is uncorrupted and can never be corrupted. It
also invites the ‘doubting Thomas’ to ponder over the phenomenon of a Qur’an
that was revealed more than fourteen hundred years ago, and yet remains to this
day in its original text without experiencing any changes whatsoever, while
everything else in the world of Gog and Magog has already been corrupted or is
in the process of being corrupted.
Every time a believer recites from the
Qur’an he or she should, at the end, make Du’ah (supplication)
asking Allah Most Kind not only to accept the recitation just made but, in
addition, asking to be blessed with the ‘Ilm (knowledge), Hikmah
(wisdom), Hidayah (guidance), Nur (light) and Shifa
(healing) of the Qur’an, and that the Qur’an may be a guide,
friend and protector in this life, at the moment of death, in the grave, and on
the day of judgment. This will help build a shield between the believer and Dajjal
and thus offer protection from Dajjal.
Simple
translation:
“And let your heart be contented with
those who call on their Lord-God morning and evening seeking His face; and do not let your eyes pass
beyond them in quest of the pomp, glitter and beauties of this world's life;
and pay no heed to any whose heart We have rendered heedless of all remembrance
of Us because he had always followed his own desires, abandoning all
that is good and true.”
(18:28)
Explanatory
translation:
“And (until that time of judgment comes)
let your heart be contented (in seeking the company of those sincere believers)
who call on their Lord-God morning and evening (with all their heart and
soul), with desire (in their hearts) for (i.e., to gaze at)
His very face (hence this is not mechanical worship); and do not let
your eyes pass beyond them in quest of the pomp, glitter and beauties of this
world's life (let not the godless world seduce you with its attractions, or
bribe you with a handout to get you to turn away from such sincere servants of
Allah Most High); and pay no heed to (do not obey, do not follow the
leadership of) any whose heart We have rendered heedless of all remembrance
of Us because he had always followed (only) his own desires (i.e.,
his own agenda in his lust for power or fame or wealth, etc.), abandoning
all that is good and true (and waging war on the true servants of Allah).”
Commentary:
In this hauntingly beautiful verse Surah
al-Kahf gives additional advice and warnings regarding the method with which
believers should respond to the dangers of the godless world in the age of
trials of Dajjal, and of oppression and corruption of the Gog and Magog
world-order. The essence of that guidance is that they should carefully choose
the company that they keep, the people with whom they associate and, hence, the
Jama’ah to which they belong.
They should keep the company and
remain attached to those sincere servants
of Allah Most High who radiate constant piety, humility and godliness in
their personality and firmness of conduct in their resolve to remain faithful
to Allah Most High and His blessed Messenger (peace be upon him) while war on Islam is
raging in the world. And they should avoid the company of those who exhibit
godlessness, sinfulness, greed, lust, pride, haughtiness, arrogance, vindictiveness
and spite in their conduct, and who support those who are waging war on Islam.
Such would be a people who pursue their own worldly agenda and whose works
would be in vain. This writer warns that it is precisely such people who now
rule over Muslims in so many parts of the world, while the sincere servants of
Allah Most High are marginalized, demonized and silenced.
Simple
translation:
“And proclaim (that) the Truth has come from your
Lord-God: (and that) people are free to either accept or reject it.
Verily, for all who sin against themselves We have readied a fire whose
billowing folds will encompass them from all sides; and if they beg for water,
they will be given water (hot) like molten lead, which will scald their faces:
how dreadful a drink, and how evil a place to rest!”
(18:29)
Explanatory
translation:
“And proclaim (to the godless world that) the (uncorrupted)
Truth has come from your Lord-God (in this Qur’an): (and that)
people are free to either accept or reject it (since Islam insists on
freedom of choice in the matter of choosing between Truth and falsehood).
Verily, for all who sin against themselves (by choosing to reject Our
Truth, i.e., this Qur’an, and by waging war on Islam, on the rightly
guided scholars of Islam and on the sincere servants of Allah Most High) We
have readied a fire whose billowing folds will encompass them from all sides;
and if they beg for water, they will be given water (hot) like molten lead,
which will scald their faces: how dreadful a drink, and how evil a place to
rest!”
Commentary:
Islam preserves freedom of choice in
the matter of choosing between Truth and falsehood, but when a people choose to
reject Truth then they must be prepared to face the awesome consequence of the
choice which they freely made.
We have a stunning example here of the
powerful psychological impact of sacred imagery. The picture drawn of hell,
with boiling hot water being given to thirsty sinners who beg for water, and of
that water scalding their very faces, is such as to drive terror into the
hearts of those enemies who wage war on Islam in this modern age.
If, despite this clear and unambiguous
Islamic declaration of ‘freedom of choice’ in religion, and of religious tolerance,
the war on Islam and on the rightly guided scholars of Islam and on the sincere
servants of Allah Most High were to still persist, then let such wicked people
know of the terrible punishment that awaits them.
Simple
translation:
“Behold, as for those who attain to
faith and are righteous in conduct - verily,
We will never withhold the reward of those who persevere in doing
good:”
(18:30)
Commentary:
Those who hold on to faith in Allah
Most High, despite the price they may have to pay for such, – those whose conduct
is righteous, and who persevere in doing good despite the avalanche of evil
which surrounds them from all sides, are here given an assurance of Allah’s
protection and blessings!
Simple
translation:
“theirs shall be gardens of perpetual
bliss - through which running waters flow - wherein they will be adorned with
bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of silk and brocade, wherein
upon couches they will recline: how excellent a recompense, and how goodly a
place to rest!”
(18:31)
Commentary:
This is a great example of the
tremendous psychological impact of imagery on the mind. Sacred imagery is used to
not only drive fear into the hearts of sinners but it also makes a significant
positive input in building enthusiasm for pursuing the religious way of life.
Gardens, rivers, bracelets of gold, green garments of silk and brocade, couches
for reclining, – all of these are very pleasing and enjoyable to the pure of
heart.
Modern television, on the other hand,
makes an equally tremendous negative impact on the mind and imagination - particularly
that of the child, replacing sacred imagery with sinfulness, vulgarity and all
that subtly corrupts the mind and heart.
Parents of young children, and of even
adolescents, should carefully consider removing the television from the home in
order to protect the mind of the growing child from being corrupted through
profane imagery.
To Be Continued....
No comments:
Post a Comment