Exegesis of Surat al-Tur, verses (1-8), and other selected verses, and what is derived from them.

The Shaykh : Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said: The Basmala is a verse from the Book of Allah that was revealed at the beginning of every surah except Surat al-Bara'ah, for it was not revealed to separate it from Surat al-Anfal. For this reason, it was not written in the mushaf, and it is not part of the surah with which it begins. Thus, it is not part of al-Fatihah, contrary to what we observe in the mushafs where it is written or counted as part of al-Fatihah for the sake of timing.
And the correct view is that it is not part of al-Fatihah, and that the first verse in Surat al-Fatihah is the saying of Allah the Exalted: And the verbal and practical Sunnah indicates this. As for the verbal Sunnah, what is established in the authentic hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that Allah said: قسمت الصلاة بيني وبين عبدي نصفين: فإذا قال: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ قال الله: حمدني عبدي، وإذا قال: الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ قال: أثنى علي عبدي، وإذا قال: مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ قال: مجدني عبدي، وإذا قال: إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ قال: هذا بيني وبين عبدي نصفين ولعبدي ما سأل، فإذا قال: اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ * صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا الضَّالِّينَ قال الله: هذا لعبدي ولعبدي ما سأل I have divided the prayer between Me and My servant in two halves: So when he says: *Al-hamdu lillahi Rabbil 'alamin* (Praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds), Allah says: My servant praised Me. And when he says: *Ar-Rahmanir-Raheem* (The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy), He says: My servant extolled Me. And when he says: *Maliki yawm id-deen* (Master of the Day of Recompense), He says: My servant glorified Me. And when he says: *Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'een* (You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help), He says: This is between Me and My servant, and for My servant is what he asked. So when he says: *Ihdinas-siratal mustaqim* (Guide us to the straight path) *Siratal-ladhina an'amta 'alayhim ghayril-maghdoobi 'alayhim wa lad-dalleen* (The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have earned Your anger or of those who are astray), Allah says: This is for My servant, and for My servant is what he asked..
As for the practical Sunnah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not recite "Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim" aloud in the night prayer, but he recited al-Fatihah aloud. This indicates that it is not part of al-Fatihah, and this is the stronger opinion.
Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says:
These are things by which Allah swore.
The first is al-Tur, which is the mountain upon which Allah spoke to Musa ibn Imran (peace be upon him). For Allah the Exalted first spoke to him upon Mount al-Tur, so this mountain has an honor and virtue that surpasses other mountains. For this reason, many scholars stated that it—namely, Mount al-Tur—is the best and most noble of mountains. On this basis, it would be more noble and better than Mount Hira, yes, more noble than the Cave of Hira, yes, it would be better than Mount Hira where the revelation began for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). This is the apparent statement of many scholars, but there is a consideration regarding this apparent view, because the Messenger (peace be upon him) was spoken to from Hira, but Jibril spoke to him as a messenger from Allah. From there began the best of the messages to the best of the messengers. Also, Hira is within the Makkah sanctuary, for it is part of the sanctuary where hunting is not permitted and trees are not cut down, and the sanctuary is the best of places. It is possible to interpret the statement of many scholars in this way, saying: except for Mount Hira.
The Book inscribed on parchment. The scholars differed on this, and this disagreement is based on the word "raqq." Is "raqq" everything in which writing is done, such as leather, paper, bone, stone, and others? Or is it specific to what is written on skins and the like? If we say the former, then the intended meaning of "the Book" is several things, including: the Preserved Tablet, including: the books in the hands of the angels, including: the Noble Qur'an, including: the Torah. It encompasses several books, if we say that "raqq" is everything, what is it? Everything in which writing is done.
And if we say that "raqq" is paper and the like in which writing is usually done, then the Preserved Tablet is not included in this, and the intended meaning is either the Torah or the Qur'an. Those who said it is the Torah preferred their view because it was paired with al-Tur, and al-Tur is the place from which Musa (peace be upon him) was spoken to, so the inscribed Book was the Torah that Musa brought.
And those who said the intended meaning is the Noble Qur'an preferred that because Allah mentioned al-Tur, from which revelation was sent to Musa, and the Book, which is the Qur'an, to whom was it revealed? To Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). So Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, mentioned the most noble of the messages to the Children of Israel by alluding to it through the mention of al-Tur, and mentioned the most noble of the messages with which Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent from the Children of Isma'il. On this basis, it is established that the intended meaning of the inscribed Book is what? The Noble Qur'an.
Rqq: It is what is written on, such as leather and the like. It was also said: everything on which writing is done, even stone, because they initially wrote the Qur'an on stones and on the backs of bones and on palm fronds, because paper was not widely available.
And His saying "unrolled" is a description of the Book, and it is possible that it is a description of the "raqq," and the meaning is the same. The intended meaning of "unrolled" is the separated one that is in the hands of every reader. And this applies perfectly to what? The Noble Qur'an, for it is, praise be to Allah, before every reader, even the young among Muslims read it.
This is the third thing by which Allah swore in these verses, and it is a house in the seventh heaven called al-Dirah or al-Sarah because of its height. This house is entered by seventy thousand angels every day, seventy thousand angels every day who worship in it and then do not return to it. So tell me, based on this, what is the number of angels? What is it?
Only Allah can count them. Who can count the days? And then who can count seventy thousand? Every day they enter this Inhabited House and do not return to it.
And it was said: The intended meaning of the Inhabited House is the House of Allah on earth, which is the Ka'bah, because it is inhabited by those who circumambulate, those who retreat, those who stand, those who bow, and those who prostrate. Is it possible to interpret the verse as including both meanings? We would like to mention a rule in exegesis, which is that "if a verse can be understood in two meanings equally and there is no contradiction between them, it must be interpreted as including both" because the One who spoke it, Allah, Glorious and Exalted, knows what meanings it can hold. And if He did not specify that one meaning is intended, then it must be interpreted as including all the meanings it can hold, meaning: the correct meanings, not the false meanings. So let us look now, is there a contradiction between the thing sworn by being the Ka'bah or the Inhabited House in the sky? What appears is that there is no contradiction, because both houses are revered; that one is revered by the people of the sky, and this one is revered by the people of the earth, and there is no obstacle.
So the correct view is: that the verse includes both this and that, unless there is an indication that the intended meaning is the Inhabited House in the sky.
Allah swore by the raised ceiling, which is the sky. Allah the Exalted said: And He said: So the sky is a ceiling and the sky is raised. Therefore, the raised ceiling is the sky. And Allah named it a ceiling because it covers the entire earth from all sides, just as a ceiling covers a room from all sides. And Allah the Exalted swore by the sky because of the great signs in it, such as stars, sun, moon, and precision and craftsmanship. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: Meaning: repeatedly: And He informed that there are no openings in the sky, there is no cracking, there is no defect, there is no splitting, it does not wear out over a long period, so it is worthy of Allah swearing by it.
The word "sea." It was said: The intended meaning is the sea upon which is the Throne of the Merciful, Mighty and Majestic, as He said:
And it was said: The intended meaning is the sea on earth, because it is the observed, known one, in which are signs of Allah that astonish the minds.
And the correct view is: that the intended meaning is the sea of the earth, because the "al" in "the sea" is for the known, the mental known, meaning: the known sea that you know. So Allah swore by it because of its great signs: fish, waves, and other things we know and do not know.
And among the greatest of its signs of Allah is what He, the Exalted, alluded to in His saying: Meaning: restrained. And from it, "sajara al-kalb" means: in the language, what is the meaning here? In the language, it is said: "sajartu al-kalb" means: I tied it so it would not escape. The restrained sea: restrained by the power of whom? By the power of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
We all know that the earth is spherical. If we were to look at this sea according to nature, it would overflow onto the land, because it has no walls to prevent it; there are no walls. The earth is spherical like a ball, so if we looked at this sea according to nature, we would say: it must overflow onto the land and drown it. But Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) holds it back by His power (Glorified and Exalted is He). It is *masjur*, meaning: prevented from overflowing onto the land and drowning its people. This is one of the signs of Allah. Pour, for example, water over a ball; where does it go? It covers it on the right and the left. But this sea cannot overflow onto the land by the power of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Look at the wisdom: sometimes, during the days of the tide and ebb, the same sea extends greatly for several meters, and perhaps miles, and then recedes. Who extended it? If He had willed, it would have remained extended until it drowned the earth. And who pulled it back? It is Allah. For this reason, this sea is worthy of Allah swearing by it.
In the sea are great signs. It is said: there is nothing on land, whether animal or tree, that does not have a counterpart in the sea. In fact, it is more, because the sea represents about seventy percent of the surface area, which is very large. So, it contains things that are not on land. For example, there is a fish in the shape of a human, one in the shape of a wolf, one in the shape of a hyena, one in the shape of a snake, one in the shape of a scorpion, and there are things for which we do not see a counterpart on land. These are among the signs of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
The *masjur* sea. So, the greatest sign in the sea is that it is *masjur*, meaning what? Meaning it is prevented from overflowing onto the land and drowning its people.
It is also said that *masjur* means that which will be kindled, i.e., ignited, as Allah the Exalted said: meaning: it was ignited. So, these are two opinions. The *masjur* sea means, in the first opinion: the one that is prevented. And the *masjur* sea is the one that will be kindled, i.e., ignited. And when will this be? On the Day of Resurrection. This water that we observe now, which if a coal fell into it or passed over a coal would extinguish it, will be fire on the Day of Resurrection. This water will be kindled and become fire. This is among the signs of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). These are two opinions: the first opinion is that *masjur* is the one prevented from overflowing onto the land and drowning its people.
The *masjur* is the one that will be kindled, i.e., ignited, and that will be on the Day of Resurrection.
Can we say that the intended meaning is both meanings? Yes, because there is no contradiction between this and that. So, both are among the signs of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Meaning: whether we say *masjur* is the one prevented from overflowing onto the land, or *masjur* is the one that will be kindled, i.e., ignited, all of that is among the signs of Allah.
And the *masjur* sea, after that?
This is the answer to the oath. The sentence here is affirmed by affirmers, indeed by three: the multiple oath, five oaths, and the *lam* in His saying: *la waqi'*, and the *inna* in His saying: This sentence is affirmed by three affirmers: by an oath with five things, and when it is an oath with five things, it is as if He swore upon them five times. The second is by *inna*, and the third is by the *lam*.
Meaning: the punishment of Allah, which He has promised, must occur. This is, by Allah, a great and affecting sentence, but it does not affect except a soft heart, softer than foam or more so.
As for the hard heart, it does not care about it; it passes over it as if it were a snowflake. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), when he read this verse, would become ill until he was visited; he would become ill from the intensity of the effect it had on his heart until he was visited. If it is a reality and there is no repeller for it, is it not worthy of us to fear? Yes, by Allah, this is what is worthy.
And His saying: Meaning: it must occur. But is this affirmation regarding the punishment of the believers or the punishment of the disbelievers? Let us look. Allah the Exalted said: Combine this verse with the verse in *al-Tur*, and you will find that His saying: is upon whom? Upon the disbelievers. So, the punishment of Allah upon the disbelievers has no repeller; no one repels it, neither before its occurrence nor after its occurrence. For this reason, intercession does not benefit them to lift the punishment from them.
As for the punishment of Allah for the believer, the original ruling is that it occurs. Every sin for which Allah has threatened with punishment, the original ruling is that it occurs. But despite that, it may be lifted by the favor of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). It may be lifted by intercession. It may be lifted by good deeds that overwhelm the bad deeds. Have you not seen that Allah says: Have you not known that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So, the punishment is lifted from him.
And based on this, we say: the punishment of Allah occurs upon the disbelievers inevitably, and there is no repeller for it. As for the sinners among the believers, the original ruling—answer me, people—the original ruling is that it occurs. What prevents it, when Allah has warned the servants and frightened them and explained it to them? But despite that, it may be lifted by multiple causes.
Then *ma* is a negation, and *dafi'* is a postponed subject, and *min* entered it as an extra for emphasis. Meaning: there is no one, even if his status and power are great, who repels the punishment of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) ever. He does not prevent it and does not lift it. Because *dafi'* here, our brothers, *dafi'* includes prevention and lifting. It includes prevention before occurrence and lifting after occurrence. No one repels the punishment of Allah; he does not prevent it from descending, nor does he lift it when it descends. Rather, that is with Allah alone.
We ask Allah the Exalted to treat us and you with His pardon, and to forgive us what has passed of our sins and what is present. Indeed, He is over all things capable. And to the questions, and we... the hour, and it appears that it is sleeping today, yes, and about ten minutes have passed. We start from the right.