20) Quran Study: Surah 3

Study From Behrouz 1020, Sura 3 By M Sabahi, Insurance, Fear, Worry

Speaker 1 (0:34) Audhu Billahi min ash-shaytani r-rajim, Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. (0:43) As usual, I ask God to help me and all of us to understand the Qur'an better and better every day. (0:53) If you don't mind, I would like to start from the beginning of the surah, for the specific reason of Ayah 7, that we didn't get a chance to talk too much about it last night. (1:08) Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, Alef, La, Mim, God, there is no God except He, the Living, the Eternal. (1:18) He sent down to you this scripture, truthfully confirming all previous scriptures, and He sent down the Torah and Gospel, before that, to guide the people. (1:30) He sent down the statute book. (1:33) Those who disbelieve in God's revelations incur severe retribution. (1:38) God is almighty avenger. (1:41) Nothing is hidden from God in the earth or in the heaven. (1:46) He shapes you in the wounds as He wills. (1:49) There is no God except He, the Almighty, the Most Wise. (1:54) He revealed to you this scripture, consisting of straightforward verses, which are the essence of the scripture, as well as multiple-meaning verses. (2:04) Those who harbor doubt in their hearts will pursue the multiple-meaning verses to create confusion and to seek different meanings. (2:12) No one knows their true meaning except God and those who possess knowledge. (2:20) They say, we believe in this, for it all comes from our Lord. (2:25) Only those who possess intelligence will take heed. (2:28) I'll stop at this point. (2:32) And the first six verses doesn't need much explanation, because we have gone through it before. (2:45) The surah starts similar to surah 2, with Aleph, Lam, Min. (2:54) And with the expression, there is no God except He, which is the major expression that we always use to make sure that we worship God, and He is the God of all of us. (3:22) In verse 5, God is saying that there is nothing hidden from Him, either on the earth or in the heaven. (3:33) And then, in verse 6, God gives us something that we can see, we can experience, and understand, so that we know we get a glimpse of the greatness of God. (3:48) Then in 7, which I'd like to go a little bit into it, and maybe discuss it because of the importance of it and how it has been used, He reveals to you this scripture, consisting of straightforward verses, which are the essence of the scripture, as well as multiple-meaning verses. (4:15) First, what I would like to focus on is straightforward verses. (4:24) The reason I'm bringing this out is that these verses and these specific words are the topic of a lot of discussions among the Muslim scholars, all over the Muslim world. (4:40) Straightforward verses are the ones which are straightforward. (4:43) The Arabic word is mokkamat, which there is no question about it. (4:51) You have to do this a lot, you have to pay the charity, and things in that nature that we saw all through Surah number 2, which all of them were explained clearly, exactly, that we know all about. (5:09) Then, God goes on saying, these straightforward verses are the essence of the scripture. (5:20) The essence of the scripture, I tried to read about it, and this is something that we can discuss a little bit, is what it is to, in English, the essence of the scripture. (5:41) I don't know how strong it is to an English-speaking person, but in Arabic I'd say it's Umul Kitab, which the literal meaning, I think, is the mother of all the books. (5:52) And then we go to the multiple-meaning verses, which in Arabic they say Mutashabahat. (6:03) These are verses that you can't get confused, or you can't do the interpretation that you want to. (6:13) And then God explains that those who harbor doubts in their heart will pursue the multiple-meaning verses to create confusion, and to seek different meanings. (6:24) This is the most interesting part of it, because myself, at least, being a Muslim, and being raised in an Islamic environment, I can very easily, very soundly relate to this, because this is exactly what is happening, and we have felt it all throughout our lives, how these multiple-meaning verses are becoming the essence of the scripture, and the essence of the scripture is put aside. (7:00) So you see all the time an effort that is put into understanding, I put it, quote-unquote, understanding the Qur'an, is devoted to the understanding of the multiple-meaning verses, the Mutashabihat, and then in that process people completely forget about the essence of the major points of the scripture. (7:25) And with that, they confuse the other people. (7:29) And I don't have to go to specific examples of this, but you can see it everywhere. (7:34) I'm sure you can see it in other religions, but I have no idea of how those things are done. (7:39) But this clearly shows that how even Satan can use those multiple-meaning verses to divert you from the major issues which are the essence of the book. (7:56) And then God goes on and says, no one knows their true meaning except God, which is something that we have discussed, and we know that he is ultimately the only teacher of the Qur'an. (8:11) And then says, those who possess knowledge. (8:14) Who are the people who possess knowledge? (8:19) If you are a person who goes to a religious school, you become dressed in a specific case, in a specific way, and then you spend all of your life dealing with Mutashabihat rather than worrying about the major issues, does that make you a person that you have to possess, you are the one who possesses the knowledge? (8:43) Or everybody else, or anybody can have the possession of that knowledge. (8:50) The Arabic word for this, possess knowledge, is rasahuna fal-al. (8:59) Today I was listening to Adeeb, rasahuna I think in Farsi, at least the way we understand it, is somebody who is seeking, who is really trying to find new things, it doesn't matter if it is Qur'an or anything that you want to find out. (9:21) And these are the people who are seeking, who are thirsty for the truth, or to gain knowledge about any issue, in this case about the Qur'an. (9:31) And you acquire that knowledge by going and trying and seeking and reading and researching. (9:44) How much you do that, I think I have a magnetic field there for the children. (10:06) So this is interesting to see who are the people who possess the knowledge, (10:12) the people who can bombard you with all these Arabic verses (10:15) which I have firsthand experience of it, (10:18) because if we dare to ask questions or raise questions (10:23) about things that cross your mind in school or in society, (10:29) then those people who supposedly possess the knowledge (10:33) wouldn't be able to answer you (10:35) and they would resort to saying that (10:39) you are becoming a disbeliever, (10:44) you are questioning God and all of these things. (10:47) When they didn't have an answer, they would relate directly that to God, that you are questioning God. (10:52) Why? (10:53) God has all the answers. (10:55) Thank God that now that I read the Qur'an, I find out that everything is here. (11:01) So possessing or getting that knowledge only goes to the people who are, I use the Arabic, and the ones who are seeking to find the answer. (11:14) They are after finding the true meaning of the Qur'an. (11:20) And then God says, they say those people who possess the knowledge, we believe in this, for it all comes from our Lord. (11:31) Only those who possess intelligence will take heed. (11:35) Nothing to elaborate too much on this. (11:39) Clearly it says what it means. (11:44) I will stop here, and I would like to put it to discussion on this verse specifically. (11:52) If any additions or any subtractions or any whatever could be done to this before I go to the next verse. Speaker 3 (12:08) This is one of the most important verses discussed on it, and also many times they use this against the miracle of Qur'an. (12:22) Because the Alif, Laam, Meem, and these letters have been accepted by them as multi-meaning verses, and they mistranslate this verse, and by this way they say only God knows the meaning of these letters. (12:42) Whoever claims that he knows the meaning of these letters, they are liars, and they are hypocrites. (12:49) And it is very interesting for me because this verse by itself has multi-meaning. (12:55) Now let's check. (12:57) Look at the second half of the verse. (13:02) No one knows their true meaning except God. (13:05) Now in Qur'an there is no full stops, comma, this kind of quotation marks. (13:12) Now let's try to understand the puzzle for the multi-meaning of this verse. (13:19) No one knows their true meaning except God. (13:22) Put full stop there now, and then end, make a capital, look at the meaning, just change the opposite. (13:32) No one knows, according to them, they stop in God. (13:36) They say no one knows their true meaning except God, stop. (13:40) And those who possess knowledge, they say we believe in this. (13:43) According to them, those who possess knowledge, they cannot understand because they put stop in God. (13:50) And I discussed on this subject with them, I said, according to you, if you stop in God, the meaning just change in opposite. (14:00) But if you don't stop, if you pass, the meaning just opposite. (14:04) Somebody can understand. (14:07) And what is your proof that you have to stop there? (14:10) They said there is no proof, but many scholars agree on this subject. (14:16) Okay, now do you confess that this verse has two meanings? (14:21) Depends on your stop. (14:22) If you stop on God, nobody will know, but if you don't stop, if you put comma, some people will understand. (14:32) Isn't it? (14:32) Yes. (14:33) This verse has two meanings. (14:36) That means this verse is by itself multi-meaning verse. (14:41) And do you claim that you know this verse? (14:45) According to you, nobody knows multi-meaning verses. (14:48) Now you say this verse by itself has a multi-meaning, and that means according to you, you contradict with yourself. (14:56) You cannot claim that you know the meaning of this verse. (14:59) You cannot speak on this verse. (15:02) And this is a very good discussion, but I don't know how could I reflect to you. (15:08) And I want to give some examples, because by examples, it may be clarified. (15:15) For example, word Rasul, messenger, in Quran, has multi-meaning. (15:20) One is, you can use this for prophets, also for messengers that don't receive books. (15:26) And they manipulate, they try to change the meaning of these words, Rasul and Nabi. (15:35) And also, for example, word Nafs, has double meaning, has three meanings in Quran. (15:42) Nafs, soul, yourself, or your ego. (15:46) For example, just in the beginning, they fail in the meaning of these multi-meaning words. (15:55) For example, chapter 2, verse 50? (16:00) And 54, they say, God says, you shall repent to your creator and kill your egos. (16:11) Other translation, they say, kill yourself, instead of ego. (16:16) The word Nafs, they don't understand. (16:17) In fact, 30 verse later, God says, you didn't obey me, you killed yourself. (16:24) You didn't obey my covenant. (16:26) It is just compared with 30 verse later. (16:30) But they don't understand. (16:32) God exposed them by these multi-meaning words. (16:35) But people who have information, full information of Quran, they can understand which words, according to text, in the text, has this meaning. Speaker 2 (17:12) Sure. Speaker 3 (17:19) Also, Rashad. (17:21) As a matter of belief, not information, God would say, none of the... Speaker 8 (17:29) What's happening? Speaker 2 (17:37) He's trying to catch the cricket. Speaker 3 (17:39) And the... (17:46) Cricket. Speaker 8 (17:54) Cricket. Speaker 1 (18:02) Go ahead, Adib. Speaker 3 (18:30) Adib. (18:31) Game over. Speaker 1 (18:32) Game over. Speaker 2 (18:33) Okay. Speaker 1 (18:33) I think the cricket stopped him. (18:37) One thing that I can add to what Adib said, if we look at 2.146, God says, those who receive the scripture recognize the truth herein, just as they recognize their own children. (18:52) However, some of them conceal the truth knowingly. (18:55) And 147, surah 2, this is the truth from your Lord, do not harbor any doubt about it. (19:02) So, that could help to understand that people who have possessed the knowledge, who can gain that knowledge, everybody can do it, and who you know better than anybody else, hopefully your children. (19:21) Okay. (19:22) If there is no... (19:24) Question? Speaker 4 (19:25) In the Arabic text, in other words, then why is there? (19:38) You see, the reason why I raise the question is because we are told in the Quran what they want to see in the verses. (20:02) And they will, they will, in their mind, say that their why is not present. (20:11) And I think that's critical. (20:12) That's critical in terms of... Speaker 1 (20:45) I don't have a thought. Speaker 2 (21:07) What God is saying, instead of saying the negative, God is saying the positive. (21:12) What God is saying is, those who disbelieve are very stupid. (21:14) We have to be stupid to disbelieve in God. (21:22) For God is only about to possess us. Speaker 1 (21:29) Okay. (21:31) Go. (21:33) Yes. Speaker 6 (21:38) What is written on Mubtiyanat, in Mubtiyanat? (21:45) What argument... (21:46) For example, I have Jum'ah, I have three clothes of... Speaker 2 (22:01) That's Mubtiyanat. (22:05) Mubtiyanat is to believe in God alone, do the Salat prayer, fast the month of Ramadan, say your zakat, and go to heaven. Speaker 6 (22:12) That's Mubtiyanat. (22:14) That's the point. Speaker 2 (22:17) You have to rest your minds there. (22:18) You notice that the people who take to the Quran have a certain number of verses that they need. (22:25) The Quran says, be your wife. Speaker 8 (22:27) Everybody... Speaker 2 (22:28) They have certain verses. (22:30) I mean, they need the major thing, the worshipping God alone, and leading a righteous life, and they pick certain mysterious or obscure verses that they totally misunderstand and that keeps them away. (22:45) So what Farhad is saying is that it's always true. (22:50) More books written about the allegorical verses than the straightforward verses. Speaker 3 (23:02) But it's not a matter of the state of words or multiple meanings. (23:07) It's only an addition and speculation on Hadith. (23:14) On evolution, for example, it is very straightforward, but the Hadith is not something related with it. Speaker 6 (23:22) There are many arguments on that. (23:24) Whether you can share some... Speaker 3 (23:25) Because they don't accept Quran alone. Speaker 2 (23:28) Yes, the... (23:32) I want to clarify further what I was saying. Speaker 4 (23:44) I don't think it was clear. (23:45) What I was referring to is that the Wah shows how Satan can misguide one letter in the Quran One letter, the Wah, which means and, in their minds, in their perceptions, it has no significance, and that's what I meant. (24:00) That they can be misguided, Satan can misguide them with one letter, let alone the word. Speaker 2 (24:05) Exactly. (24:06) That's the case with the washing the feet or wiping the feet. (24:09) It's one letter that decides that the feet should be washed. (24:13) And there are heroes who can wipe their hands, and this letter, feet, makes us wash the feet, not wipe the feet. Speaker 1 (24:52) Like prayers that the believers should use to ask God to always help them and guide them and ask for the mercy from God. (25:09) The meanings are very clear, but this is something that we always have to, as Rashad frequently reminds us, that you have to ask God all the time, don't be shy. (25:23) Just talk to him, ask him, and remind yourself of him. (25:28) These are what these two verses are. (25:32) Verse 10 Those who disbelieve cannot be helped. (25:37) Those who disbelieve cannot be helped by their money or children against God. (25:42) They are the fuel of hell. (25:44) Like Pharaoh's people and others before them who rejected our revelations, God punished them for their sins. (25:50) God is strict in enforcing retribution. (25:54) Say to those who disbelieve, you will be defeated, then gathered in hell. (25:58) What a miserable abomination. (26:01) I'll stop. (26:03) These three verses are related to each other. (26:09) It explains about the disbelievers and God is clearly telling us that those who disbelieve cannot be helped. (26:22) You can see every day in your life you can see people who think their money or children or whatever they have in this world can help them. (26:37) They think they can use that against God. (26:41) My experience is that even with those people that think they don't believe in God, if you try to pinpoint tell them, let's go down to the bottom of the whole issue. (26:56) Is there any God or not? (26:59) People usually when you get to that point are not ready to say it. (27:03) There is some kind of, not all of, but there are people who would say. (27:08) My experience is that this is the basic. (27:11) Even those that disbelieve, some think they are afraid of saying it. (27:20) God is saying that these people are not going to be helped by their money or children. (27:27) The example is Pharaoh and people before them that have rejected the revelations. (27:38) God tells us how to deal with the disbelievers that is telling us that those disbelievers will be defeated and gathered in hell and this is what their destiny is. (27:55) I'll go on, verse 13. (27:58) Believers, the ultimate victors. (28:01) An example has been set for you by the two armies who clashed. (28:05) One army was fighting in the cause of God while the other was disbelieving. (28:10) They saw them as twice as many with their own eyes. (28:13) God supports with his victory whomever he wills. (28:18) This should be a lesson for those who possess vision. (28:22) 14 Adorned for the people are such pleasures as women, children, piles upon piles of gold and silver, trained horses, livestock and crops. (28:35) Such are the vanities of this world. (28:38) God possesses a far better abode. (28:41) 15 Let me inform you of something that is far better than death for those who live a licentious life at their lord's gardens with flowing streams and pure spouses. (28:54) They rejoice in God's approval. (28:56) God is seer of his worshippers. (29:00) 16 They say, O Lord, we have believed. (29:03) Forgive us our sins and spare us the agony of hellfire. (29:08) They are steadfast, truthful, submitting, charitable, mediators at dawn. (29:15) I will stop at 17 and go back to 13. (29:20) We have quite often discussed it about how God protects the believers. (29:26) When you believe in God as the verse that Rashad has continuously reminded us of, those who believe, they have nothing to grieve, they have nothing to fear. (29:40) And this is exactly what it means. (29:44) If you can during everyday life you can test yourself very easily. (29:51) Things come up. (29:53) And if you find that fear or that grief in your system, I think it's a very good indication that you are forgetting who is the one who is God. (30:06) And I think at least for me this is a great reminder that during everyday experience in life, you see this. (30:18) And if you practice it, you'll see that God always helps you. (30:22) My personal experiences through my life has been that I have been in situations that nobody except God could have saved me or could have helped me. (30:33) And it has always happened. (30:37) I didn't know it now that I look back and see the things or the adventures or the situations that myself and my family have gone through. (30:50) We have been in places and situations that only God could have helped us to be able to stay out of trouble or things in that region. (31:00) And I think this is when God says that they saw them as twice as many with their own eyes. (31:09) It should be referring to a specific incident in history. (31:14) I don't know what it is. (31:15) But was there a war or something that happened which Rashad can tell us? (31:22) This is like approval. (31:24) God is sure of his worshippers. (31:27) These allegorical flowing streams and pure spouses that are used in here are usually flowing streams or something that in nature, wherever you go, you see it is beautiful. (31:43) It's just something that reminds you of the beauty of a place. (31:49) And pure spouses, I guess, I don't want to go too far into this one but again this is a human nature that this is what people want. (32:01) So God is using this. (32:02) It's not telling us that you will have a lot of water, H2O, and a lot of women or men over in the heaven. (32:10) But to tell you how beautiful it is if you get there. (32:15) And at the end God says, God is sure of his worshippers. (32:19) So if you worship God alone, he is the one who sees it all. (32:24) These people who are worshipping God alone, they say Our Lord, we have believed. (32:30) Forgive us for our sins and spare us the agony of hellfire. (32:34) This is something that we should always remind ourselves to say and ask God for the sins that we have committed in the past or we may commit every day to be forgiven. (32:49) And God is merciful, gracious, and he is a forgiver. (32:53) If you are sincere in your asking God and God is the knower of what is in your heart, then you'll see the result. Speaker 2 (33:05) And then at 17 God very clearly God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is God is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is is of Islam. Speaker 1 (48:34) I have one question myself in the translation of He is the Absolute God, the reason is that I read the Farsi book, I think it's the translation for Qa'imul Bilqist which they have translated or interpreted, either literally or interpretation, that He is the God that spreads the justice. (49:06) He is the one, the justice, and He is the one who, the justice is in His own hands and He is the one who makes sure that justice is done all over the world. (49:20) We just translated He is the Absolute God, I just wanted to see what is, what... Speaker 2 (49:35) So again the difference is that you translate this as describing what that God is, la ilaha illallah, yeah, yeah, okay, okay. Speaker 1 (50:43) In 19, the only religion approved by God is Islam, and as you know those who receive the scripture dispute this fact knowingly, this is due to jealousy and therefore for those who reject God's revelation God is most directly reckoning. (51:04) Everybody I think here knows about how people react when you tell them about the final scripture and they dispute, you can see this, you can, you have experienced it and you see it every day in life, and God is saying that this is due to jealousy on their part, and God is promising that there is going to be a strict reckoning for those people. (51:38) 20 is a verse which I find it very interesting and I think it is something that we have to really keep in mind. (51:49) God is guiding us, telling us how to react to those people who argue with you. (51:55) This is God's word saying, if they argue with you or anyone who believes in the scripture and they dispute with you, God is saying, tell them, I have submitted myself to God, me and those who follow me. (52:11) And then again says, say to those who receive the scripture as well as those who did not receive any scripture, ask them, do you accept Islam as your religion? (52:24) If they accept Islam, then they are guided. (52:27) If they turn away, then your sole mission is to deliver the message. (52:32) God is hearer of all the people. (52:39) I have seen this, something relating to verse 20 and how you react or you argue or talk to other people, because those people who are aware of the scripture and they believe that they are Muslims or Christians or Jews, I haven't had any interaction with anybody other than Muslims. (53:03) Somewhere in their heart they believe that they are the ones who are the righteous, they are the right ones and they argue with you. (53:10) And if you try to go too far and try to use or try to judge them, usually you lose the major part of your intention, you lose the point. (53:32) God is telling us that you have to give them the message and tell them that this is what I think, this is what I believe, which is directly from this Quran. (53:43) I'm not making up anything on my own, this is what it is in this Quran. (53:48) If they accepted it, that's fine. (53:49) If they didn't, then I have no right to tell them that they are disbelievers, they are going to go to hell, because this is not my... (53:59) God is saying that if they turn away, then your sole mission is to deliver the message. (54:06) Because God is the one who leads the people to righteousness or to disbelief. (54:17) And my personal experience is that when you get to such an argument, usually the other people that talk to you, they pull you towards things that are not the major issues. (54:34) They try to bring out the minor issues and then if you play in their ballgame, then you get lost into petty arguments. (54:46) Arguments, not the point that you want to raise and that's delivering the message that this is what I believe and my belief is in Quran. (54:58) And one thing that I remember once we asked here from Rashad about this point, that whether I can label someone as you are a disbeliever, there's another verse we'll get to inshallah, that don't take friends among the disbelievers. (55:15) How can I decide whether this guy is a believer or not? (55:17) If he says that I'm a disbeliever, that's fine, but if you don't know he thinks that he's a believer. (55:23) What was said that night was that any time, any day, God is the one who is capable of leading a person to righteousness or averting him from righteousness. (55:37) So any day that can happen to someone and I have seen it even in the short period of time that I have been exposed to the true Quran and I've been reading it. (55:49) So you have to be very patient, we have to be very patient and we have to always keep in mind that the sole mission is to deliver the message. (56:00) Whether they take heed or they don't, whether they reject it or not, that is something that God is the seer of all the people and he is the one who does it. (56:11) So I stop here and leave it for discussions. Speaker 5 (56:20) What is the responsibility of a believer? (56:23) For example, I want to compare a Muslim with the Christians and other sects. (56:27) I can see Christian missionaries go in the heart of Africa and spread the Christianity. (56:33) For example, right now in the places that war is going on in Nicaragua, you will see all these nuns that are in the heart of the war. (56:43) But I don't hear a Muslim doing that. (56:46) And over here you read that do not argue. (56:49) What is my responsibility to spread the word of God? (56:53) How can I spread it to other people? Speaker 2 (56:55) You are telling your action there that the sole mission is to deliver the message. Speaker 1 (57:04) Yes, your sole mission is to deliver the message. Speaker 2 (57:08) If they argue with you... Speaker 5 (57:29) Do you invite other people to your religion if they don't accept it? Speaker 7 (59:49) Do you submit? (59:54) Door opener. Speaker 2 (59:56) Hardly you can find anyone who can dare saying, We know each other for 25 years.