RENAISSANCE NOVEMBER 2020

Qur’ ā nic Exegesis 8 Monthly Renaissance November 2020 ﻣۡﺮٍ ﺣﻜﻴۡﻢٍ ۙ﴿ ٤﴾ ﴿ۚ ۡ ﻧﺎﻛﻨﺎﻣﺮۡﺳﻠ D ﻣۡﺮً ﻣﻦۡ ﻋﻨۡﺪﻧﺎ ٥﴾ ﻫﻮ ﻟﺴﻤﻴۡﻊ ﻟۡﻌﻠﻴۡﻢ ۙ﴿ M ﻧﻪ D رﺣۡﻤﺔً ﻣﻦۡ رﺑﻚ ٦﴾ because We wanted to warn people. 5 In this night, all affairs of wisdom are allocated specially by Our directive. 6 And because with the special mercy of your Lord We were to send a messenger [to these people.] 7 Surely, only He hears and knows. blessings. It is a great blessing and favour of God for them. If they do not duly value it, the consequences will be grave for them. 5. If God Himself decides to warn people, it is not something ordinary. Thus that night was selected for this warning about which it is stated ahead that important matters are allocated on it. It is evident from this that just as in the material realm, there are special seasons and months for certain things, in a similar way, in the spiritual realm also there are special days and times of the year which are set aside for special tasks and activities. If a certain matter is assigned in these days by God, then man reaps the benefit of this matter by observing it on the day and month fixed for it. Thus if the messenger of God fervently sought this night of destiny or urged others to do so, it should not be a cause for wonder. After being informed by the Almighty that this is a blessed and exalted night, this is the only reaction that can emanate from a believer. Muslims while trying to follow the Prophet (sws) try to seek this night every year in the month of Rama ḍā n and diligently worship God. 6. This is actually a mention of the exaltedness of the decision that was made in that night. Im ā m Am ī n A ḥ san I ṣ l āḥī writes: The purpose of referring to the revelation of the Qur’ ā n on this night is that its revelation is neither an accidental happening nor a concoction by the Prophet (sws); it is also not ill-suited nor inappropriate to the requirements of time nor a product of fancy. On the contrary, it is the materialization of a scheme chalked out by the Almighty to guide His creatures. Thus He has revealed it on a night which is specifically reserved for the distribution of all wise matters. Hence, it is the duty of those for whom it has been revealed to duly honour it; otherwise, they should remember that the Almighty will never forgive their contrary attitude towards something He has revealed in such an elaborate manner. It is not a baseless thing which they can dismiss with a bout of laughter and make it dissipate in thin air. Accepting or rejecting it – both entail serious consequences which are bound to ensue. (Am ī n A ḥ san I ṣ l āḥī , Tadabbur-i Qur’ ā n , vol. 7, 269) 7. Ie., in order to warn people, God wanted to send not merely a prophet ( nab ī ) but a messenger ( ras ū l ). About messengers, it has been