Exegesis of Surat Qaf, verses (6-9), and other selected verses, and what is derived from them.

The Shaykh : This is the one hundred and thirtieth of the meetings known as "The Open Door," which take place every Thursday of every week. This Thursday is the eighteenth of the month of Safar, 1417. We begin this meeting by continuing the exegesis of Surat Qaf, and we have reached the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: The interrogation here is for rebuke; He rebukes them, the Exalted, asking why they did not look into this? Why did they not look at the sky and the wonders of power within it that indicate that Allah the Exalted is capable of reviving the dead, which these deniers denied? And His saying: includes the sight of the eye and the sight of the heart. The sight of the eye is with the eye, and the sight of the heart is with the heart, which is reflection.
And His saying: One might say: The word is of no benefit because it is known, since the sky is known to be above. But we say: The explicit mention of it being above them is an indication of the greatness of this sky, and that despite its height, elevation, vastness, and greatness, it indicates the perfection of its Creator and His power, (Exalted and Majestic is He).
Allah the Mighty and Majestic built it with strength and made it strong, so He said, (Exalted and Majestic is He): meaning: strong. And He said: meaning: with strength. We do not know how Allah the Mighty and Majestic built this structure, but we know that He created the heavens and the earth in six days: the earth in four days and the heavens in two days, as He said: And His saying: means: He adorned its appearance with the great, luminous stars He created in it, which are orderly in their movement. These stars, Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him), who is one of the imams of the Tabi'un, said, (may Allah have mercy on him): "Allah created these stars for three purposes: as adornment for the sky, as signs by which guidance is found, and as projectiles for the devils. Whoever seeks in them anything other than that has wasted his share and assumed what he has no knowledge of." This refers to what the astrologers claim regarding using the movements of these stars to infer earthly events, to the extent that they base a person's happiness or misery on these stars. For example, they align the rows and say: If he was born under such-and-such a star, he is happy; if he was born under such-and-such a star, he is miserable. This has no effect; I mean, the movements of the stars in the sky have no effect on what happens on earth.
Then He said: meaning: there are no openings in the sky, i.e., no cracks or splits; rather, it is built firmly and strongly. These are three matters:
First: Allah the Mighty and Majestic spread out the earth, although it is very small compared to the sky, but it is spread out for the creation, flat for them, as He said: Second: We cast into it mountains, i.e., firm mountains that the winds do not shake, so they are fixed, and they also anchor the earth.
meaning: of every kind, pleasing to the beholder. The intended meaning of "kind" here is type, meaning that what grows on the earth is of multiple, varied types, to the extent that you see a small patch of land that contains types of these varieties that differ in color, differ in size, and differ in texture, between hard and soft, and other great differences. Indeed, they differ even in taste if they are of the fruit-bearing kind, as He said: So who is capable of this? Who is capable of creating these things that contain of every kind, pleasing, although they are in one place and watered with one water, and the earth is also one? The answer is Allah the Mighty and Majestic. Who is capable of this? You come to the grassy land in which Allah the Exalted caused to grow varieties of plants, and you are amazed. You see this one, for example, has yellow flowers, and this one white, and this one purple, and this one open, and this one closed, and other great signs. This is the greatest proof that Allah is capable of reviving the dead, which these deniers of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) denied, and they said:
The One capable of creating these great creatures is capable of reviving the dead.
Then it is said: Who created man? It is Allah. And the recreation of creation is easier than its initial creation, as He said: So if you, O polytheists, acknowledge that Allah is the Creator and that He is the One who created you and brought you into existence, why do you deny that Allah will return you, when His command is
Allah the Exalted said: meaning that Allah the Exalted encouraged us to look at the sky and the earth and what happens in them. meaning: for the sake of insight and remembrance. The scholars said: The difference between insight and remembrance is that insight is continuous, and remembrance is upon forgetting. So these verses remind you if you forget and give you insight if you are ignorant. It may also be said: The difference between them is that insight is the opposite of ignorance, and remembrance is the opposite of forgetting. Both statements are true. The important thing is that if you look at the sky and the earth and what is in them of the plants that Allah the Mighty and Majestic deposited, you will gain insight with your heart and also remember if you forget. But for whom is this insight and remembrance?
It is not for every person. How often do the disbelievers look at the signs, but only those who benefit from them are meaning: those who turn back to Allah the Exalted. Then He said, the Exalted: And we will stop here until the next lesson or the next meeting, if Allah wills. And next week will be a holiday, i.e., the meeting will be in fifteen days from now. We ask Allah to return us and you with a good return, and to grant us beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds.

The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Shaykh : There is no problem; it has no sound. This is for the recording.

The questioner : Perhaps our Shaykh is from the Eastern Region. Perhaps our Shaykh will allow me two questions, if possible.

The Shaykh : I do not allow more than one question.

The questioner : Just one, then.