RENAISSANCE MARCH 2021

Qur’ ā nic Exegesis 9 Monthly Renaissance March 2021 ن ﻌۡﻘﻠﻮۡن﴿ M ﻫﻢۡ ﻵﻹ ^_ۡ` ﻟﺬﻳۡﻦﻳﻨﺎدوۡﻧﻚﻣﻦۡ ورآء ﻟۡﺤﺠﺮٰت ٤﴾ 6ٰe وۡ ﺣ ^f و ﻟﻮۡ ﻧﻬﻢۡ ﺻ ٰ ﻏﻔﻮۡرٌ رﺣﻴۡﻢٌ ﴿ ً ﻟﻬﻢۡ و ﷲ ^ۡ) ﺎنﺧ k ج ﻟﻴۡﻬﻢۡ ﻟ mۡn ﺗ ٥﴾ a great reward too. (2-3) There is no doubt [O Prophet!] those who call out to you from outside the quarters, most of them lack understanding. 8 If these people had patiently waited so that you yourself would have come out to them, it would have been far better for them. 9 Nevertheless [forgive them.] God is Forgiving, Ever-Merciful. (4-5) guidance. Hence the extent of this feeling in a person governs the blessing of piety he may earn. Here this is regarded to be connected with lowering one’s voice before the voice of the messenger. This is because this lowering of the voice is the outward expression of the inner piety a person has. Im ā m Am ī n A ḥ san I ṣ l āḥī writes: … A person who tries to raise his voice over that of another shows by this very act of his that he regards himself to be superior to him. This attitude closes doors to gain and to acquiring more. Anyone who adopts this attitude with the Messenger of God will not only be deprived of the blessings and benefits of the Messenger but also of the urge from God because the Messenger is God’s Messenger. (Am ī n A ḥ san I ṣ l āḥī , Tadabbur-i Qur’ ā n , vol. 7, 489) 8. The attitude delineated here is of the same people whose style of conversation is mentioned earlier. The reason for this was the arrogance with which these people were afflicted. They thought that God’s Messenger should feel that they have done a favour to him by accepting his obedience. Hence if they come to meet him, they should be welcomed by him without any delay. Thus when they did not see him sitting in a gathering, they would call out to him from outside his living quarters. The verse rebukes them on this naivety and also indicates to the Prophet (sws) that he should ignore them; even though they are being impolite but the majority of them are not aware of his rank and status. Hence it is better to forgive them. 9. The verse expresses yearning on the deprivation of these people. Im ā m Am ī n A ḥ san I ṣ l āḥī writes: … The implication is that had they recognized and valued the fountain they had reached, their thirst would have been quenched; it is their loss that because of not duly honouring this opportunity they lost what they had, much less gain something from it. (Am ī n A ḥ san I ṣ l āḥī , Tadabbur-i Qur’ ā n , vol. 7, 91)