Exegesis of Verses (5 - 6) of Surat al-Mujadilah.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment:
As for what follows:
This is the thirty-second meeting after two hundred of the meetings known as the Open Door Meeting, which takes place every Thursday. This Thursday is the fifteenth of the month of Muharram in the year 1421.
We begin today's meeting with what has become customary, which is the exegesis of the Book of Allah the Mighty and Majestic. In the previous meeting, we spoke about the verses concerning zihar. So let us now ask: What is zihar?
It is when a man likens his wife to one who is forbidden to him permanently, such as saying: "You are to me like the back of my mother," or "like the back of my sister," or "like the back of my aunt" or "my maternal aunt."
What is its ruling?
It is an abomination of speech and a lie.
Its expiation, if a person wishes to return to this woman from whom he has committed zihar:
He must free a slave. If he cannot find one, he must fast for two consecutive months before he touches his wife. If he touches her during the two months, he must start over. If he is unable to fast for two consecutive months, he must feed sixty poor people. This is zihar and this is its ruling.
Then He the Mighty and Majestic said:[Al-Mujadila 58:5]
[Al-Mujadila 58:5]
The opposition is called muhadadah because this opponent was in one direction and the Shari'ah was in another, and between them was a boundary. It is also called mushaqaqah, as He the Mighty and Majestic said:[Al-Hashr 59:4].
He said:[Al-Mujadila 58:20]
Meaning: those who oppose Allah and His Messenger.
[Al-Mujadila 58:5]:
Meaning: they were humiliated and disgraced, as came at the end of the surah: [Al-Mujadila 58:20].
No one opposes Allah and His Messenger except that Allah the Mighty and Majestic humbles him, and his humiliation is in proportion to the opposition he committed, as a fitting recompense.
Then, does this humiliation occur in this world, or in the Hereafter, or in both?
The answer: It may occur in this world only, it may occur in the Hereafter only, and it may occur in both. The important thing is that their ultimate end is humiliation. Instead of being arrogant toward the truth and proud of it, they were humbled.[Al-Mujadila 58:5] Meaning: from among those who opposed Allah and His Messenger from the previous nations, what happened to them?
They were subjected to disgrace and humiliation, refuge with Allah, and their stories became read in the Book of Allah the Mighty and Majestic. The Muslims draw near to Allah the Exalted by reading their stories and reciting them in their prayers.
Yes, He said:[Al-Mujadila 58:5] Meaning: these who oppose Allah and His Messenger have opposed Allah and His Messenger with knowledge, because Allah has revealed clear verses, meaning: signs of the truth of the messengers and the validity of their message, clear and manifest signs that are not hidden from anyone, and yet they oppose Allah and His Messenger.
[Al-Baqarah 2:90] Meaning: for every disbeliever.
And here someone might ask: Why was the context of the verse "and for them is a humiliating punishment" because He said:[Al-Mujadila 58:5]?
He made it explicit in the place of the implied to indicate that these who opposed Allah and His Messenger are disbelievers, and to include them and others, even though everyone who disbelieves is an opponent of Allah and His Messenger, but mentioning the description is more eloquent.
[Al-Mujadila 58:6] : This is connected to what came before, meaning: they have this humiliating punishment if Allah the Mighty and Majestic resurrects them. Allah will resurrect them all, He will not leave a single soul; all creation will be resurrected.
Meaning: brother, what does "inform them" mean?
The questioner : He informs them.
The Shaykh : He informs them of what they did, and this informing is so that they know that they are the ones who wronged themselves. Allah the Mighty and Majestic said:[Al-Isra 17:13-14], O my brothers, if a merchant gives you a ledger and says: "Look at your account," does he treat you justly or does he wrong you?
He treats you justly. A person says: "Take the ledger, you are now the appraiser, or it is recorded against you in your presence, look at the ledger." This is the height of justice. For this reason, some of the Salaf said: "He has treated you justly who made you an accountant for yourself." So when the book is read, it is found that it does not leave out a small thing or a large thing except that it has recorded it. I believe in this reality and know that it will be for you:[Al-Isra 17:13] Every person, believer and disbeliever [Al-Isra 17:13-14].
Allah the Mighty and Majestic said Meaning: He has recorded it. This is taken from pebbles, because the Arabs in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance did not read or write, so they recorded things with pebbles, counting them with pebbles. And on this basis came the saying of the poet:
"And I am not the one with more pebbles than them *** Rather, honor belongs to the one with more"
Meaning: that in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, if they wanted to count their people, they counted them with pebbles. They would take pebbles equal in number to the people and then put them in a bag or container until they wished to recall the number, and there it was, the existing pebbles.
So the origin of means: He has recorded it. And from where is it taken?
From pebbles, because the people in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance only counted numbers with pebbles.
With what did Allah record it?
He the Mighty and Majestic recorded it with His knowledge, and He recorded it through His messengers who write, as He the Mighty and Majestic said:[Az-Zukhruf 43:80] Meaning: We hear the secret and the whispered conversation, and the messengers are present writing.
[Al-Mujadila 58:6]: This phrase is an affirmation of what came before in terms of meaning, meaning: that Allah is a witness over everything, whether it is an action, a statement, or a thought in the heart. All of this, Allah is a witness over it. The purpose of this is to clarify the encompassing knowledge of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and then the warning, O brothers, the warning from opposition, because if a person knows that Allah is a witness over everything, what does he do?
He fears and refrains from sins and performs the obligatory duties. Read the Qur'an and you know its meaning. The intention is not merely the information that Allah is a witness over everything; this is certainly intended, but it is not the only intention. The intention is that you should fear that Allah will witness against you for something He the Mighty and Majestic does not approve of. Pay attention to this point, for most people read and do not understand. We must understand:[Al-Baqarah 2:265] [Al-Baqarah 2:282], and the like. The purpose of this is for us to know this attribute of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, or to worship Allah in accordance with it?
The answer: The second along with the first. O my brother, if you know that Allah is All-Knowing of everything, will you oppose Allah?
You do not oppose Him, neither in secret nor in public. If you know that He is a witness over everything and that He will inform you of what you did, you will be ashamed, by Allah, you will fear, because you will meet your Lord soon:[Al-Inshiqaq 84:6] The "fa" (so) indicates the nearness of the thing, its order and succession.
: Soon, and how near the Hereafter is to this world. Count the time you have left behind as if it were a moment. The future is likewise; it will pass by you as if it were a moment, and then you are at the door, having met your Lord. Fear, O my brother, do not be deceived by this world, and do not be deceived by Allah through delusion. This world is transient. How many a person had his youth plucked while he was at the height of joy and merriment and departed this world. And how many a middle-aged man had settled into the world and possessed of wealth, status, and honor what no one else had, and then he is thrust into the dirt. Is this not the reality?
Then what is beyond that?
Beyond that is the Promised Day, the Witness and the Witnessed, the terrors and the terrors. The day that makes children white-haired, the sky split open by it. His promise was to be fulfilled.
O Allah, enliven our hearts with Your admonition, O Lord of the worlds.
My brothers, this world is not a home of permanence. Take this as recorded. What is the home of permanence?
The Hereafter. For this reason, the believer from the family of Pharaoh said:[Ghafir 40:39]. Most people today have made this world their home of permanence and forgotten the Hereafter. For this reason, He said in the same verse: .
When 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by a group counting their tasbih with pebbles, he said: "Hold on. There is no good deed you do that Allah has not recorded it. What is the need for these pebbles? But count your bad deeds so that you may repent from them". And this is from his jurisprudence (may Allah be pleased with him). You do not count that you said tasbih eighty times, or a thousand, or two thousand, or that you sent prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) likewise. This is known, written, and not lost. But count the bad deed, what bad deed you did, so that you may repent to Allah and turn away from it.
Yes, the limited dhikr by a number set, such as: the tasbih after the prayers. Whoever said "Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi" (Glory be to Allah and His praise) one hundred times, and "I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent" one hundred times, and the like. The limited is set, the unlimited is not set. Nothing is lost. If you set a limit and then boast and say: "I sent prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) a million times," the meaning is that you have done a favor upon the Messenger. Or if you say: "I remembered Allah a thousand times," the meaning is that you have done a favor upon Allah. Do not set a limit except for what the Shari'ah has set, and let the rest be free. Remember Allah much, send prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) much, and everything is counted.
We ask Allah to grant us and you the ability to take heed from the noble verses and the Prophetic hadiths, and from the great creations. Now we begin with the questions, starting with the oath.
As for what follows:
This is the thirty-second meeting after two hundred of the meetings known as the Open Door Meeting, which takes place every Thursday. This Thursday is the fifteenth of the month of Muharram in the year 1421.
We begin today's meeting with what has become customary, which is the exegesis of the Book of Allah the Mighty and Majestic. In the previous meeting, we spoke about the verses concerning zihar. So let us now ask: What is zihar?
It is when a man likens his wife to one who is forbidden to him permanently, such as saying: "You are to me like the back of my mother," or "like the back of my sister," or "like the back of my aunt" or "my maternal aunt."
What is its ruling?
It is an abomination of speech and a lie.
Its expiation, if a person wishes to return to this woman from whom he has committed zihar:
He must free a slave. If he cannot find one, he must fast for two consecutive months before he touches his wife. If he touches her during the two months, he must start over. If he is unable to fast for two consecutive months, he must feed sixty poor people. This is zihar and this is its ruling.
Then He the Mighty and Majestic said:
Indeed, those who oppose Allah and His Messenger are abased as those before them were abased
إن الذين يحادّون االله ورسولَه كبتوا كما كُبت الذين من قبلهمthose who oppose Allah and His Messenger
الذين يحادون الله ورسولهThe opposition is called muhadadah because this opponent was in one direction and the Shari'ah was in another, and between them was a boundary. It is also called mushaqaqah, as He the Mighty and Majestic said:
That is because they opposed Allah and His Messenger. And whoever opposes Allah - then indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.
ذلك بأنهم شاقوا الله ورسوله ومن يشاقق الله فإن الله شديد العقابHe said:
Indeed, the ones who oppose Allah and His Messenger - those will be among the most humbled.
إن الذين يحادون الله ورسوله أولئك في الأذلينThose
أولئكare abased as those before them were abased
كبتوا كما كبت الذين من قبلهمThey were humbled.
كبتواIndeed, the ones who oppose Allah and His Messenger - those will be among the most humbled.
إن الذين يحادون الله ورسوله أولئك في الأذلينNo one opposes Allah and His Messenger except that Allah the Mighty and Majestic humbles him, and his humiliation is in proportion to the opposition he committed, as a fitting recompense.
Then, does this humiliation occur in this world, or in the Hereafter, or in both?
The answer: It may occur in this world only, it may occur in the Hereafter only, and it may occur in both. The important thing is that their ultimate end is humiliation. Instead of being arrogant toward the truth and proud of it, they were humbled.
as those before them were abased
كما كبت الذين من قبلهمThey were subjected to disgrace and humiliation, refuge with Allah, and their stories became read in the Book of Allah the Mighty and Majestic. The Muslims draw near to Allah the Exalted by reading their stories and reciting them in their prayers.
Yes, He said:
And We have certainly sent down verses of clear evidence
وقد أنزلنا آيات بيناتAnd for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment.
وللكافرين عذاب مهينAnd here someone might ask: Why was the context of the verse "and for them is a humiliating punishment" because He said:
are abased as those before them were abased. And We have certainly sent down verses of clear evidence. And for the disbelievers
كبتوا كما كبت الذين من قبلهم وقد أنزلنا آيات بينات وللكافرينHe made it explicit in the place of the implied to indicate that these who opposed Allah and His Messenger are disbelievers, and to include them and others, even though everyone who disbelieves is an opponent of Allah and His Messenger, but mentioning the description is more eloquent.
On the Day when Allah will resurrect them
يوم يبعثهم اللهA day
يومThen He will inform them.
فينبئهمThe questioner : He informs them.
The Shaykh : He informs them of what they did, and this informing is so that they know that they are the ones who wronged themselves. Allah the Mighty and Majestic said:
(13) And [for] every person We have imposed his fate upon his neck, and We will produce for him on the Day of Resurrection a record which he will encounter spread open. (14) [It will be said], "Read your record. Sufficient is yourself against you this Day as accountant."
وكل إنسان ألزمناه طائره في عنقه ونخرج له يوم القيامة كتاباً يلقاه منشوراً * اقرأ كتابك كفى بنفسك اليوم عليك حسيباًHe treats you justly. A person says: "Take the ledger, you are now the appraiser, or it is recorded against you in your presence, look at the ledger." This is the height of justice. For this reason, some of the Salaf said: "He has treated you justly who made you an accountant for yourself." So when the book is read, it is found that it does not leave out a small thing or a large thing except that it has recorded it. I believe in this reality and know that it will be for you:
And [for] every person We have imposed his fate upon his neck
كل إنسان ألزمناه طائره في عنقهand We will produce for him on the Day of Resurrection a record which he will encounter spread open. (14) [It will be said], "Read your record. Sufficient is yourself against you this Day as accountant."
ونخرج له يوم القيامة كتابا يلقاه منشوراً * اقرأ كتابك كفى بنفسك اليوم عليك حسيباًAllah the Mighty and Majestic said
Allah has recorded it, but they have forgotten it
أحصاه الله ونسوهAllah has recorded it
أحصاه"And I am not the one with more pebbles than them *** Rather, honor belongs to the one with more"
Meaning: that in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, if they wanted to count their people, they counted them with pebbles. They would take pebbles equal in number to the people and then put them in a bag or container until they wished to recall the number, and there it was, the existing pebbles.
So the origin of
Allah has recorded it
أحصاه اللهFrom pebbles, because the people in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance only counted numbers with pebbles.
Allah has recorded it, but they have forgotten it
أحصاه الله ونسوهHe the Mighty and Majestic recorded it with His knowledge, and He recorded it through His messengers who write, as He the Mighty and Majestic said:
Or do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private conversations? Yes, [We do], and Our messengers are with them recording.
أم يحسبون أنا لا نسمع سرهم ونجواهم بلى ورسلنا لديهم يكتبونAllah had enumerated it, while they forgot it; and Allah is, over all things, Witness.
أحصاه الله ونسوه والله على كل شيء شهيدHe fears and refrains from sins and performs the obligatory duties. Read the Qur'an and you know its meaning. The intention is not merely the information that Allah is a witness over everything; this is certainly intended, but it is not the only intention. The intention is that you should fear that Allah will witness against you for something He the Mighty and Majestic does not approve of. Pay attention to this point, for most people read and do not understand. We must understand:
And Allah, of what you do, is Seeing.
والله بما تعملون بصيرAnd Allah is a Witness over all things.
والله على كل شيء شهيدAnd Allah is Knowing of all things.
واالله بكل شيء عليمThe answer: The second along with the first. O my brother, if you know that Allah is All-Knowing of everything, will you oppose Allah?
You do not oppose Him, neither in secret nor in public. If you know that He is a witness over everything and that He will inform you of what you did, you will be ashamed, by Allah, you will fear, because you will meet your Lord soon:
O mankind, indeed you are laboring toward your Lord with [great] exertion and will meet it.
يا ايها الإنسان إنك كادح إلى ربك كدحًا فملاقيهthen you will meet Him
فملاقيهThen what is beyond that?
Beyond that is the Promised Day, the Witness and the Witnessed, the terrors and the terrors. The day that makes children white-haired, the sky split open by it. His promise was to be fulfilled.
O Allah, enliven our hearts with Your admonition, O Lord of the worlds.
My brothers, this world is not a home of permanence. Take this as recorded. What is the home of permanence?
The Hereafter. For this reason, the believer from the family of Pharaoh said:
O my people, this worldly life is only [temporary] enjoyment, and indeed, the Hereafter - that is the home of [permanent] settlement.
يا قومي إنما هذه الحياة الدنيا متاع وإن الآخرة هي دار القرارAllah has recorded it, but they have forgotten it
أحصاه الله ونسوهWhen 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by a group counting their tasbih with pebbles, he said: "Hold on. There is no good deed you do that Allah has not recorded it. What is the need for these pebbles? But count your bad deeds so that you may repent from them". And this is from his jurisprudence (may Allah be pleased with him). You do not count that you said tasbih eighty times, or a thousand, or two thousand, or that you sent prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) likewise. This is known, written, and not lost. But count the bad deed, what bad deed you did, so that you may repent to Allah and turn away from it.
Yes, the limited dhikr by a number set, such as: the tasbih after the prayers. Whoever said "Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi" (Glory be to Allah and His praise) one hundred times, and "I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent" one hundred times, and the like. The limited is set, the unlimited is not set. Nothing is lost. If you set a limit and then boast and say: "I sent prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) a million times," the meaning is that you have done a favor upon the Messenger. Or if you say: "I remembered Allah a thousand times," the meaning is that you have done a favor upon Allah. Do not set a limit except for what the Shari'ah has set, and let the rest be free. Remember Allah much, send prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) much, and everything is counted.
We ask Allah to grant us and you the ability to take heed from the noble verses and the Prophetic hadiths, and from the great creations. Now we begin with the questions, starting with the oath.