Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: "We will make you recite, so you will not forget" to His saying: "So remind, if the reminder benefits" from Surat al-A'la.
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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 those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows:
This is the fifty-second session of the weekly gatherings held every Thursday of every week, except for days during the vacation or days when the gathering causes hardship for the people. This is the session for the third week of the month of Shawwal in the year 1404. We will speak first about what remains of the Surah "Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High," from the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-A'la 87:6-7] This is a promise from Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) that He will make him recite the Qur'an and the Messenger will not forget it; He will make him recite it and he will not forget it. The Messenger (peace be upon him) used to be impatient when Jibril would come to deliver the revelation to him, so Allah said to him: [Al-Qiyamah 75:16-19], so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) would listen until Jibril finished reciting the revelation, and then he would recite it.
And here He says:[Al-A'la 87:6-7] meaning: except what Allah wills for you to forget, for the matter is in His hand, Mighty and Majestic. [Ar-Ra'd 13:39] [Al-Baqarah 2:106-107] Perhaps the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would be made to forget a verse from the Book of Allah, but he would quickly remember it, peace and blessings be upon him.
And His saying, the Exalted:[Al-Anbya 21:110] means: Indeed, Allah the Exalted knows the open, what a person speaks aloud and is heard, meaning: what is hidden and does not appear, for Allah knows it, as He said, the Exalted: [Qaf 50:16] So He knows, Mighty and Majestic, the open, and He also knows what is hidden.
This is also a promise from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to His Messenger (peace be upon him) that He will make it easy for him for the easy path. What is the easy path? The easy path is that his affairs are made easy, especially in the obedience of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was informed that: Sahih al-Bukhari 4945 every son of Adam has his place in Paradise written for him, if he is among the people of Paradise, and his place in the Fire written for him, if he is among the people of the Fire, then the people of happiness are made easy for the deeds of the people of happiness, and the people of misery are made easy for the deeds of the people of misery. Then he recited His saying, the Exalted:
And this hadith cuts off the argument of one who argues with divine decree regarding sins against Allah, who disobeys Allah and says: "This is written for me." We say: This is wrong, because the Messenger (peace be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2136 Does anyone prevent you from doing good if you want to? Never. Does anyone force you to commit a sin if you do not want to? Never, no one.
Therefore, if someone forced you to commit a sin and coerced you into it, there would be no sin upon you, and the consequences that follow the act of one who chooses it would not follow your act. Even disbelief, which is the greatest of sins, Allah the Exalted said about it:[An-Nahl 16:106]
So we say: Do, O human being, do good and avoid evil, so that Allah will make it easy for you for the easy path and keep you away from the difficult path. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was promised by Allah that He would make it easy for him for the easy path, so He would make matters easy for him. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not fall into hardship and distress without finding an exit for it, peace and blessings be upon him.
Then He, the Exalted, commanded him to remind, and He said:[Al-A'la 87:9] meaning: Remind the people, remind them of the verses of Allah, remind them of the days of Allah, admonish them, [Al-A'la 87:9] meaning: in a place where the reminder benefits. Accordingly, "if" is conditional, and the meaning is: If the reminder benefits, then remind; and if it does not benefit, then do not remind, because there is no benefit in reminding a people whom we know will not benefit. This is what was said about this verse.
And some scholars said: The meaning is: Remind in all cases, for the reminder benefits all these people. So the condition here is not intended to mean that he does not remind unless it benefits, but the meaning is: Remind if these people benefit from being reminded. So the meaning, according to this opinion, is: Remind in all cases, and the reminder will benefit. Who will it benefit? It will benefit the believers, and it will benefit the one who reminds as well. So the one who reminds benefits in all cases, and the one who is reminded, if he benefits from it, is a believer, and if he does not benefit from it, that does not diminish the reward of the one who reminds in any way.
So we remind whether the reminder benefits or not.
And some scholars said: If he thinks that the reminder will benefit, it is obligatory, and if he thinks that it will not benefit, he has a choice: if he wishes, he reminds, and if he wishes, he does not remind.
But in any case, we say: It is necessary to remind, even if you think that it will not benefit, for it will benefit you, and the people will know that the thing you reminded them about is either obligatory or forbidden. And if he is silent and the people are doing what is forbidden, the people will say: If this were forbidden, the scholars would have reminded about it, or if this were obligatory, the scholars would have reminded about it. So it is necessary to remind, and it is necessary to spread the Shari'ah, whether it benefits or not.
Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, mentioned who will be reminded and who will not be reminded, and we will speak about it, if Allah wills, in the next session or the next gathering, so that we have more time for questions. And as is our custom, a person asks one question from the right and one from the left, and comments on the questions are not made until after the end of the gathering, if there are any comments. So we start with the first one from the right.
As for what follows:
This is the fifty-second session of the weekly gatherings held every Thursday of every week, except for days during the vacation or days when the gathering causes hardship for the people. This is the session for the third week of the month of Shawwal in the year 1404. We will speak first about what remains of the Surah "Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High," from the saying of Allah the Exalted:
(6) We will make you recite, [O Muhammad], and you will not forget, (7) Except what Allah should will. Indeed, He knows what is declared and what is hidden.
سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلا تَنسَى * إِلاَّ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ إِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْجَهْرَ وَمَا يَخْفَى * وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَى(16) Move not your tongue with it, [O Muhammad], to hasten with recitation of the Qur'an. (17) Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation. (18) So when We have recited it [through Gabriel], then follow its recitation. (19) Then upon Us is its clarification [to you].
لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ * إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ * فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ * ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُAnd here He says:
(6) We will make you recite, [O Muhammad], and you will not forget, (7) Except what Allah should will.
سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلا تَنسَى * إِلاَّ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُAllah eliminates what He wills or confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.
يَمْحُوا اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ وَعِنْدَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ(106) We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth [one] better than it or similar to it. Do you not know that Allah is over all things competent? (107) Do you not know that to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and [that] you have not besides Allah any protector or any helper?
مَا نَنْسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ * أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلا نَصِيرٍAnd His saying, the Exalted:
Indeed, He knows what is declared
إِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْجَهْرَAnd what is hidden.
وَمَا يَخْفَىAnd We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْأِنْسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُAnd We will make it easy for you toward the ease.
وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَىThere is none of you but has his place written for him in Paradise or in the Hell- Fire.
ما من أحد من الناس إلا وقد كُتب مقعده من الجنة ومقعده من النارThey said: O Messenger of Allah! Should we then leave off doing deeds and rely [on what has been written]? He said: No, work, for everyone is facilitated for what he was created for.
قالوا: يا رسول الله! أفلا ندع العمل ونتكل يعني على ما كتب؟ قال: لا، اعملوا فكل ميسر لما خلق لهSo as for he who gives and fears Allah and believes in the best, We will make easy for him the easy way
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى * وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَىAnd this hadith cuts off the argument of one who argues with divine decree regarding sins against Allah, who disobeys Allah and says: "This is written for me." We say: This is wrong, because the Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
Work, for everyone is facilitated for what he was created.
اعملوا فكل ميسر لما خلق لهTherefore, if someone forced you to commit a sin and coerced you into it, there would be no sin upon you, and the consequences that follow the act of one who chooses it would not follow your act. Even disbelief, which is the greatest of sins, Allah the Exalted said about it:
Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief... except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith. But those who [willingly] open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a great punishment;
مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِهِ إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْأِيمَانِ وَلَكِنْ مَنْ شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْراً فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌSo we say: Do, O human being, do good and avoid evil, so that Allah will make it easy for you for the easy path and keep you away from the difficult path. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was promised by Allah that He would make it easy for him for the easy path, so He would make matters easy for him. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not fall into hardship and distress without finding an exit for it, peace and blessings be upon him.
Then He, the Exalted, commanded him to remind, and He said:
So remind, if the reminder should benefit;
فَذَكِّرْ إِنْ نَفَعَتِ الذِّكْرَىif the reminder should benefit;
إنْ نَفَعَتِ الذِّكْرَىAnd some scholars said: The meaning is: Remind in all cases, for the reminder benefits all these people. So the condition here is not intended to mean that he does not remind unless it benefits, but the meaning is: Remind if these people benefit from being reminded. So the meaning, according to this opinion, is: Remind in all cases, and the reminder will benefit. Who will it benefit? It will benefit the believers, and it will benefit the one who reminds as well. So the one who reminds benefits in all cases, and the one who is reminded, if he benefits from it, is a believer, and if he does not benefit from it, that does not diminish the reward of the one who reminds in any way.
So we remind whether the reminder benefits or not.
And some scholars said: If he thinks that the reminder will benefit, it is obligatory, and if he thinks that it will not benefit, he has a choice: if he wishes, he reminds, and if he wishes, he does not remind.
But in any case, we say: It is necessary to remind, even if you think that it will not benefit, for it will benefit you, and the people will know that the thing you reminded them about is either obligatory or forbidden. And if he is silent and the people are doing what is forbidden, the people will say: If this were forbidden, the scholars would have reminded about it, or if this were obligatory, the scholars would have reminded about it. So it is necessary to remind, and it is necessary to spread the Shari'ah, whether it benefits or not.
Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, mentioned who will be reminded and who will not be reminded, and we will speak about it, if Allah wills, in the next session or the next gathering, so that we have more time for questions. And as is our custom, a person asks one question from the right and one from the left, and comments on the questions are not made until after the end of the gathering, if there are any comments. So we start with the first one from the right.