Appendix One

The Parable of the Hypocrites 111-128 1'Iay Allal1 l1ave mercy upon him His Name: HE IS T HE I~L,\nf, THE I:JAFI2, the exegete, the legal jurist, h:n·kh :tl-lslfun: Abu c.-\bdullah Shamsu-d-Din . 1fuhammad Ibn . :\bu Bakr - better known as Ibn Qayy;n1 al-Jawziyyah. His Birth and Education: He w:is born into a noble and knowledgeable fan1ily on 7th Safar 69 1H in the Yillage o f Zar>, near Dan1ascus, Syria. From an earl) age he set about acquiring knowledge o f the Islamic sciences from the scholars o f his tin1e. D escribing his de..~ire for knowledge, al-1:lafi~Ibn Rajab, Dha_J /Tabaqat-l-lfa11ii/Jilah 1 [4/ 449] said, ' He had an intense loYe for knowledge. for books, publications and writings.' Ibn Kathir, al-Bidiiyah 1J'a-11-1Vih,iJ•ah [14/ 235] said, 'He acquired from such books what others could not acquire, and he developed 11 a deep understanding of the books of the Salaf and of the Khalaf.' His Teachers and Shaykhs: They include Shihab an-Nablusi, QaqiTaqI ad-Din ibn Sulayman, from whom he studied ryadith; Qa9I Badr ad-Din ibn Jama<ah; Safi ad-Din al-Hindi; Isn1a«il ibn 1\tfulJa1nmad al-tfarrani, from who1n he studied fiqh and usul; and also his father, from whom he. learnt the Ia,vs of inheritance. However, the tnost notable of his teachers was Shaykh al-Islam lbn Tayn1iyyah, ,vhon1 he accompanied and studied under for sixteen years.

Al-Hafi? Ibn I(athJr (14/234) said, 'He attained great proficiency in 1nany branches of kno\vledge; particularly knowledge of tafsir, l)adith, and usul. When shaykh Taqi ad-Din ibn Tayrniyyah returned from Egypt in the year 712H, he stayed with the shaykh until he died; learning a great deal of knowledge from hitn, along with the knowledge that he had already occupied hin1sclf in attaining. So he became a unique scholar in n1any branches of knowledge.' His Manners and Worship: Many of his students and conten1poraries have borne ,vitness to his excellent character and his manners of worship. Ibn Rajab (4/450) said, He: - may Allah have mercy on him - was constant in worship and performing the night prayer. reaching the limits in lengthening his prayer and dc\'orion.

He was constantly in a state of rlbikr and had an intense love for /\IHih. He also had a deep love for turning to Allah 12 ~ _, ___ in rcp('n~met\ hmnblin~ him~df tn Him with n dt""cp sense (,f humilit y and hdpkssncss. Hl~ would thrnw himself :\t the.· d\)Ol"S of Di\'inc ohcdic.·ncc ;md scr\'itudc. lnd<."ed, l ha,·c not seen the likes of him with rc,~~rds ' to such mattcn-. lbn K~thir (14/ 234) ~~id. He \\-:\S constant in humbly entreating :md c:llling upon his Lord. He recited wdl :md had fine nunncrs, He had a gn' at deal of ln\'c and did not h:uhour n1w cn,·v.

'- . or m:1licc to\\-:trds :1nyonc, nor did he seek to harm or find fault with them. 1 \\":\S one of those who most oftL'n kq">t company with him :md w;\s o ne of the most bclon:·d of people to him. I do no t know of :1nyonc in the world in this time. who is :1 greater \\'Ot~hippcr t hnn him. His pr:ty<:r used to be \'e.ry lengthy, with prolo nged bo,,·ing and prostr:ttions. His colkabT\1es would criticise him tor this, yet he ne\'cr retorted h:lck, nor did he :,b:,ndon this pr:tctice. i\by All:ih bestow His mercy upo n him. His Students and \Vorks: .\m o ngst his n1ost prominent students were: lbn 1'.athir (J.774H). adh-Dh:1h~bi (d.748H), lbn Rajnb (d.751 H) and lbn 1 .-\b<lu-l-Hadi (d.744H). as well as two of his sons, lbrahi1n and Sharafu-d-Din 'Abdullah. lbnu-l-Qayyi1n authored o\'er si.,ty works.

His books and writin~,s are characterised b\', their touching'-' address to the heart ~tnd soul. as well as their accuracy, precision, strength of argun1ent and d~pth of rt'sc:arch. 13 In the field of fiqh and usul, his writings include: I'lin111-l1\111111aqq1l;i11; Tt1ruqu-l-ij11k111!J!Jah; lghdthatu-1-Lahfdn; Tu!Jfat11-l1l1a111/iid; A/_Jkd111 Ahlu-1-Dhimmah; and al-FunisiJyah. In the field of l:iadith and sirah they include: Tahdhib Si.man Abi DdJJJiid; al-Mandru-1-Munif; FaJJJd'id al-ijadithfyyah; Jald'u-1-Ajhdm; and Zadu-1-Jlrfa 'ad In the field of beliefs: ljtimd' al-Juyiish al-lsltim!Jyah; as-$awd'iqu-lMursalah; Shifa<u-1-'Ali/,· Jftid!Ju-1-AnJJap; al-Kafryatu-sh-Shafiyah; and Kitdb ar-R.ii/_J. In the field of akhlaq (morals) and tazkiyah (purification): Maddriju-s-Sdlikin; ad-Dd' wa-d-Dawa:· al-Wabi/u-s-$ayyib; al-FaJJJti'id; Risdlatu-t-Tabiikfyyah; MiftafJ Dar as-Sa'ddah; and 'Uddatu-s-$tibirin. In the sciences of the Qur,an: at-Tibytin Ji Aqstimi-1-Qultin; and A mthtil al-Quitin. In language and miscellaneous issues: Badd'i al-Fmvti'id Tv.,o books have also been written collating the exegetical con1ments of ibn al-Qayyim from his various works: Tafsir alQa_Jyim and Tafsir al-Munir. 1\ few of his works have also been translated into the English language: the Magnificent Journey; the Invocation of God; Medicine of the Prophet; Ztid a/-}\1a'tid.

Statements of the Scholars about him: I bn Raj ab (4/ 44) said, 14 He h:ld deep knowledge concerning tafsir and the fundamentals of the religion, reaching the highest degree concerning them both. Similar was the case in the field of ryadith, with regards to understanding its meanings, subtleties and deducing rulings from them. Likewise was the case in the field of fiqh and its usu. I, as well as the Arabic language. He did a great service to these sciences.

He was also knowledgeable about rhetoric, grammar, and suliik as well as the subtleties and details that occur in the speech of the people of lasa1111nif. Al-lj.afi'.? lbn Hajar, ad-Duraru-1-Kdminah (4/21), He possessed a courageous spirit as well as vast and comprehensive knowledge. He had deep knowledge concerning the differences of opinions of the Scholars and about the ways of the Salaf. Ibn J:fajar also said in his commendation to ar-Raddu-1-Wafir, And if there were no virtues of shaykh Taqi ad-Din [Ibo Taymiyyah], except for his famous student, shaykh Shamsu-d-Din ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah - the author of many works, which both his opponents and supporters benefited from - this would be a sufficient indication of his [Ibn Taymiyyah's] great position. al-Hafi? Ibn Na~ir ad-DimishqI, ar-Raddu-1-Wqfir [p. 69] said, He possessed knowledge of the sciences, especially tafsir and usill.

He also said: 15 Abu Bakr ~lul~ammacl lbn al-~luhib said, as found in his letter. "I said in front of our Shaykh, a1-1\1izzi, ·I s Ibnu-1-Qa yy im at the same level as lbn Khuzaymah?' He replied, 'He is in this time, what Ibn 1--:huzaymah , was in his time."' As-Suyu!i, B11gf!) al11-I111/'i'cit [1 / 62] said, 1 His books had no equal and he strove and became one of the great Imams in [the field o~ tafsir, }:ladith, the Book, the Sunnah, furii\ and the Arabic language. 'Ali al-Qari, al-Mirqdt [8/251 ], It will be clear to whoever aspires to read the explanation of 1\1a11tizilt1-s-Sd'iri11 [i.e. Maddrij as-Sdliki11], that they [Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibnu-1-Qayyim] are from the great o nes of Ahlu-s-Sunnah 1va-l-Jama--<ah, and from the anJ/f)'ti' of this Ummah. Qaq.i Burhan ad-Din az-Zur'a said as quoted from him in Dhayl Tabaqdl al-lfa11dbilah, There is none under the heavens who has greater knowledge than he.

His Death: Imam lbnu-1-Qayyim passed away at the age of sixty, on the 131h night of Rajah, 751 H, may Allah shower His Mercy upon him. 16 " And indeed \-X'e have set forth for mankind, in this Qur·an e,·ery kind of parable... " [al-Rii11r. 58] There are a number of a_)'at (verses) in the Qur'an by which Allah, the ~lost High, brings greater clarity and ·insight when explaining things to mankind. This is done through the use of deep and meaningful amthal (parables) that are clear for the human intellect to co1nprehend and ponder over in order to understand the message fully. It is from His infinite \Visdom that Allah Destjned these parables to become rooted in His Final Revelation until the Last Day - through which mankind can increase in knowledge and recognise guidance and embrace the truth. \'\'idun 'Uliim al-Qur'a11 (the sciences of the Qur'an), numerous works have been ,vritten by Muslim scholars throughtout history; in all fields of Qur'anic studies. In discussing the unique style and theme and content of the Qur'an, there is little by ,vay of English literature that identifies and explains the invaluable parables found therein.

This publication is intended as an introduction to some 17 - ------· - - - . - - -- - -- - - - - - -- ---·---·-·-- of the n:~sons and wise.loins and beauty of a select few, which All:ih uses for :1 deliberate and poignant purpose. ' Pan1._~011 ~( thr Q11r'ti11' is a tin1cly translation of one of the finest, yet concise books written on the topic by one of the most distinguished scholars o f the last seven centuries. Ibn Qayyim al-J awziyyah 's inimitable and distinctive understanding of the Qur'an and l~adith was acknowledged by his peers, while hjs comn1entaries and interpretations remain unique in accuracy. His cognisance o f Islamic sciences can be witnessed through some of the exceptional work he has produced in various fields. I invoke Allah to 1nake this short work beneficial for its readership and that He makes it a catalyst for us all to draw an evercloser bond ,vith His Noble and Magnificant Book.

And indeed tawjiq and guidance is from Allah alone. 18 With the Nan1e of .Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful All Praise is due to All:ih alone, the Lord of the \'\'o dds, :\nd m:,y pc:icc :1nd hles~ings he upon the best of Creation, ~h1l~:unn\:\d ~llld his F:imil~· :1nd Companions :iltogcthcr. ·rhc 1-lypocritcs described in the Bonk of ,\ll~h <)ur Sh:iykh (lbn Taymiyyah), 111:1y t\ll:ih lrnvc nwrcy upon hitn - s:1id: Scvt-r:tl pambk·s :1nd cxnmpks have been utilised in the (Jur·~n. which c:mnot be comprehended except hy those who h;\n~ k111 )wkdgc. These cx:11nplcs have hcen expressed by d1~win~ si1nilarit ics betwc:cn one t hinnM and :u1ot her in relation to the rulin~; " :ind hy closing the gaps hctwt:cn ahstr:.u:tcd n1cnrnl ideas an<l t;\ngihlc object s by mean of an c.:xmnpk that C:\1\ he pcrcd\'cd by tlw senses, or a sensory cx:1111plc hy means of :\nothcr - so th:u the first one may b<.· n:gardc:d in tenns of the second. Tht· cx:unplc of this is not ed in the (')ur':in wh~n /\11:ih, the !\lost Hi~h. ~ s:ws . about the hypocrites: 19 "Their example is that of one who kindled a fire, but when it illuminated what was around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness [so] they could not see. Deaf, dumb and blind - so thev will not return [to the right path]. Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning.

They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death. But Allah is encompassing of the disbelievers... Indeed, Allah is over all things competent." 1 In these t1_) tit, Allah draws two examples of the condition of the 1 hypocrites: An example with fire, and another with ,vater, because of what is present in water and fire in terms of the qualities of illumination, beaming and life-giving, as fire is an element providing light, and \Vater is an element of life. Allah, the Glorious, has contained within the Revelation (Qur'an) that descended from 1 al-Baqarah (2): 17-20 - see the appendix for a lengthy discussion on this verse 20 Heaven, life for the hearts and their illun1ination; trus is why He has called it "Rii(/' (spirit) and "Nur' (light). Whoever accepts it, shall enjoy living in the light and whoever does not take heed of it, are (spiritually) dead in darkness.

He, the Most 1-Iigh, has infonncd of the condition of the hypocrites - concerning their gain from the Revelation; that they are like the one who tries to light a fire so that it 1nay light up his surroundings and that he may benefit from it (due) to their entering into Islam, so they enjoyed and benefited from its illu111ination and they believed in it and they 1nixed with the believers, but when their association (with believers) lacked the "/(~hi of ls/d111", which is the essence of their hearts, Allah took away their light. The reason for using the words ''their light" instead of " their fire" in this exan1ple is because fire provides burning and illumination, therefore, Allah took away the feature of illumination from it and left them with the attribute of burning and darkness. This resembles those who were blessed with the sense of seeing then became blind, and those who recognised (the truth) then denied it, and those who embraced Islam and then abandoned it in their heart. Allah then mentions their condition in relation to the water parable, as the companions of the ½-'l ~ ($ayyib), whlch is the rain that pours down or descends from the sky in darkness, accon1panie<l by thunder and lightning - due to the weakness of their vision and minds, the warnings, adn1onitions, comn1and1ncnts, prohibitions, the dire consequences of evil and threats expressed in it; and mode of address that resembles lightening bolts - become too intense for them. Thus, their condition is the condition of one who is struck by rain in the darkness with thunder and lightning, and due to his weakness and fearfulness, puts his fingers in his cars o ut of fear lest a bolt of lightning should strike hin1.

And we and others have observed 1nany times how n1any confu~cd 21 immature students of the Jahmiyyah and the inno,-ators - if th~- hear anything from the a_pil or Prophetic l;iadith of the Di,-inc Attributes opposing their belief - turn a\\·ay from them as if they are frightened asses, fleeing from a lion. Then they say. 'close this door upon us and read us something o ther than this·. You ~ec their hearts are repelled as they rush a\\·ay obsrinatcly due to the heaviness and difficulty o f kno\\ing the Rabb, ~lost Glorious and 11ost High, and His Names and Attributes upon their n1inds and heart. Like\\ise, such are the 11111sbriki11 (polytheists) of different types when pure Ta11 (;id (monotheism) is presented to rhem and the 1 a__ytit that con1pletel~- invalidate their beliefs are recited to them.

The \Xlater by \X/hich One SurviYes and Li,·es Due to their polytheistic associations, their O.c. the hypo crites) hearts become full of loathing and abhorrence and the call to TmJJ/_Jid lies heavy upon them. If they could find a \\'3Y to block their ears from hearing (the truth) they \\·ould do so. This \\-:\S the situation of the enemies of the l\fessenger of Allah ~ who found the call of Ta1JJ/1id very heavy and burdensome, therefore their hearts denied it. In aJl this, there is an ob\-ious simibritv and :in es tabli shed example fro n1 their brethren fro n1 anlong .... the hypocrites in relation to the water cxan1ple cited by Allah; this is because when their hearts becan1e alike (tn doubt) so did their deeds. 22 Fire and \Vater .\ll:1h. l ~:'\ :1lt cd is l·k • .i\lcntio11t·d the two cx:unplcs - of tire and \\":\ll'r - in S,imh al-Ra'd ( rhundt.·r). but this titnc when speaking of t hl' bdic\'crs; Altih s:1ys, " }·le sends down from the sky. . r:,in, and val1cvs flow. :1rrording to thdr measure, and the torrent carries away tht' rising foam. And from that (ore) which they h<:at in the fire, making adornments and utensils, is a foam likl' it.

Thus Allah shows (the example of) truth an<l fal sehood. As for the foam, it vanishes (being) passnl aw:,y; but as for that which benefits the people, it n·- mains on the earth. Thus docs J\llilh set fonh 23 examples." 2 In this ayah, Allah compared the Revelation that was revealed by Him to the (spiritual) life of the hearts, and the hearing and sight faculties to water that brings life to the earth with plants; and compared the hearts to the valleys, since a large heart can accommodate great amount of knowledge just as a large valley can accommodate a lot of water. As for a small heart, it can only accommodate according to its size just like a small valley. Hearts bear guidance and knowledge according to their capacity in a similar manner to the flow of water when it comes in contact with earth and runs over it; it picks up scum and foam.

Similarly if knowledge and guidance come in contact with the hearts, they agitate what is present in them of lusts and doubts to uproot them and carry them off similar to how medicine works; when it is consumed it interacts with the body to rid it of harmful elements in order to ensure achieving absolute healing despite the taste of bitterness it causes. This is the way in which Allah "shoJlls (the example of) truth andfalsehood". Then He mentions the example with the fire, saying "Andfrom that (ore) 1vbich t/J{'_), heat in the fire, making adornments and utensils, is a joa111 like it''; it is the filth and dirt that is removed during the process of casting gold, silver, copper and iron - the fire removes it, differentiating it and separating it from the valuable metal that is of benefit, and these impurities a~e cast and discarded "it vanishes (being) passed aJJJay". In the same way, lusts and doubt are tossed by a believer's heart and discarded, just as the flowing water and the fire discard the foam, scum and impurities, and what remains in the bottom of the valley is pure water which people drink from 2 al-Ra'd (13): 17 24 and irrig-:1tc with and give to their livestock. And in the san1e w~1y, pure and unndultcrntcd faith scttlcs in the centre of the heart :tnd takes root, fron1 whic:1 the person hin1sclf benefits and others :1lso benefit frotn it. \X/ho evcr docs not co n1prchcnd these two cx:unplcs and do cs no t reflect over them and try to understand what is intended by them, then he is no t fro m aino ng those peo - ple (who have the qualities n1entioned in the two examples) ; and Allah is the Granter of success. 25 Worldly Life and the Hereafter Frotn these examples, is Allah's Statement: ''Verily the example of (this) worldly life is but like water (rain) which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb - (those) from which men and livestock eat - until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people think that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and \Y/e make it as a (cleanmown) harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday.

Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people . th ough t. ,,,· who give \ )"1in11I ( 10): 24 26 Allah the Ivlost Glorious, draws a comparison of the worldly life in that it appears beautified in the eye of the beholder, so he becomes amazed and dazzled with its splendour, so that he beco1nes inclined to it and desires it and becomes misled by it - until he reaches the stage where he thinks he possesses it and has free reign over it, (then) all of a sudden it is snatched away from him when he needs it the most and a barrier is cast between him and it. Thus, Allah, Most High, compares this situation with the land on which rain falls causing it to sprout vegetation and its plants attain perfection and its visual beauty attracts the onlooker, deceiving him and making him think that he has po\ver over it and has complete ownership of it. Then all of a sudden, Allah's Command comes down upon it, and sudden disaster overtakes its vegetation, causing it to becon1e as if previously it had amounted to nothing. He therefore becomes dejected and his hands retain nothing of it. Sin1ilar is the condition of the world and the one \Vho puts all his reliance on it.

This form of likening is from the most profound of similitude and analogy, because as this world is subject to these misfortunes, while Paradise is safe from it (as) Allah, Most High Says: '~-4.nd Allah invites to the Home of Peace and guides who111 He JJJi/ls to a Straight path" - so here Allah has called it "home ofpeace" due to it being safe from the worldly disasters. Allah called to this guidance universally and chooses in particular whoever He wills for accepting this call to guidance - the former is from His Justice and the latter is His Favour. 27 Sigl1t a11d Hearing Fro rn these exa1nples is the q)·tib, .. The ex:1mplc o f the two p:1rtics is like the blind :1nd dc:if. :m<l the seeing and hearing. Arc they equal in con1p:1riso11 ? Then. will you not remember?""' \Vhcrcin Allah, th<.: 1'vlost G lorious and High, n1entio ns the dh,- bdievcrs and characterises then1 as being unable to hear o r see; and then 1ncntio ns the believers and describes thcn1 with faith (i1111in) and good deeds and hurnility to thcit· Lord - thus ch~,mctcrising thcn1 with the out\vard n1odc of worship.

Then in reference to characterising hmnankind with inward rnode of worship, He nrnck one o f the nvo groups like the blind and the deaf in the wa} that his ht.·:1rt was blind fro1n seeing the truth and his hearing de 4 //,id ( l I): 24 28 o ne " ·ho is blind in terms of seeing e,·en the m ost n1anifest o f things, and his hearing is deaf fron-1 being able to hear any sound - and the other gro up as h~ning a seeing and hearing heart~ like the o ne ,vho is able to see with his e\·es and hear \\ith his ears. Thus the t!)'ah includes two analogies and likenesses, followed by a negation of the equiYalence o f these two gro ups by asking '~-4re !Vt. J' equal in co11,pnrison?'' 29 The Likeness of the Polytheist with the Spider's Home _-\nd from these examples is the t!J'iih, ''T he example o f those who take an·ljpi' other than .-\llah is like the example of a spider who makes a home. If che\· but knew"~ .-\llah, the :\lost Glorious, n1entions that they (the polytheists are weak and those that they take as their allies are e,·en ,veake than them; and they (the polytheists) in their weakness and wha · al-:-J11lwh1il (29): 41 30 -- - - they seek thro ugh their takjng of allies and suppont.~ ( 0 th.er than Allah) is like a spider taking its home (as a '\,·ebJ ,rl--Jch is tl:e flin1sicst and weakest o f homes. Under this exarnpk.. tbo~e polytheists arc as weak as can be wh en they took allies and st._tppor:t:r$ other than AJlah and gained nothing fro m thc.m except m ore ",;.·e.akncss, as Allah, the ~f ost High , said in the a_Jtih, "':\nd they ha,·c t:t ken besides Allah [false] deities that they would be fur them (a source of] h ono ur_ ~ o~ T hose ·'gods" ,,·ill d eny their wo rship of them and ,,-ill be ag ainst them oppon e n ts [on the D ay o f Judgem cnr)_,.,, And His saying, ' > ,. ~ ~ l,j__;i!J .,, ., , ,, • .,, "' _,b.

J 0.,-_J:JJ_':J':.J t. ~~ /. ,,.,.,, _,\~I;: -, f~ .,l\'~~~,~J.)~ .> . ) '" ., ~ ~~~~~_;~~ "And they ha,·c taken besides 1\llah (false] d eiti~s. hoping that they would be helped. They :tre no t :ible to help them , and they will be b rought forward as sold iers in attendance (against those who wo r.;hipped ,. ,\ la~)',1111 ( 19): 8 1-82 31 thcm)."7 He also said - after mentioning the destruction of (past) polytheistic nations: "And \Xie did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves. And they were not availed at all by their gods who m they invoked o ther than Allah when there came the Command of your Lord. And they did not increase tliem in other than ruin."8 So these are four places in the Qur'an that show that the one who takes a supporter or an ally (i.e. deity) other than Allah, seeking strength or support from them, receives nothing except the exact opposite of what he seeks. In the Qur'an, there are more instances of this case, and this one is from amongst the best examples and most manifest and indicative of the utter falsity of associating partners with Allah (committing shirk).

The loss of the one who does so, is attaining only what is completely contrary to his aims. If it is argued that they are aware of the fact that the spider's home is the feeblest of homes, then how is it that the knowledge of this is negated by Allah's saying "if lhe. J' hut k11e1v'? The answer to that is that He, the Most High, did not negate fro1n the knowledge of the feebleness of the spider's home, but rather Yasin (36): 74-75 II I/Jid (11 ): 101 32 1 he 11chrated them ha,·ing the kno,vledge that their taking of protectors (supporters) other than Him was like the spider taking his home (as a ,veb); for if they really kne,v that, they would ne,·er bad done it. Rather they assumed that their taking of protectors other than Him benefits them in terms of might and power - while the reality of the situation is contrary to ,vhat they assume. 33 Example of the One Whose Deeds are Like a Mirage or a Drowning in a Deep Sea And from these examples is Allah, the Most High's saying, "As for those who disbelieve - their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks (it) is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing but finds Allah before Hirn, and He will pay him in full his due; and Allah is swift in account.

Or [the state of 34 a disbeliever is] like darkness within a vast sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are dark clouds, some of them upon others (in darkness). When one puts out his hand [therein], he can hardly see it. And he to whom Allah has not granted light - for him there is no light."9 Allah, the 11ost High, mentions two examples regarding the disbelievers; one example in which they are compared to a mirage - and the other, to layers of darkness on top of one another. This is because those who turn away from guidance and truth are of two types: one who mistakenly thinks he is actually on some firm basis - and when the truth finally reveals itself to him, it becomes clear to him that it was contrary to what he used to believe. This condition corresponds to the people of ignorance and the people of innovation and vain desires, who think they are on the path of guidance and knowledge and once the reality of matters are made evident, it finally becomes clear to them that they were on no firm ground whatsoever.

And that their beliefs and deeds that were founded upon these (i.e. upon misguided beliefs and whims) ,vere like a mirage that appears to the eyes of the distant observers, as water while there is no actual reality to it. Similar are the deeds which are performed for other than the sake of Allah, Exalted is He, and not according to His Commandments; the doer of these deeds thinks of the them as earning him benefit while they are not at all. And it is regarding such deeds that Allah, Exalted is He, has said about them, 'J al-N1ir (24): 39-40 35 "And \X'e wilJ regard what they have done of deeds and make them as dispersed dust." 10 And reflect over Allah's making of the mirage in the desert - a land that is barren and ,vithout buildings, trees, plants and people because the location of the mirage is in this desolate land that contains nothing. And the mirage itself has no reality, hence this corresponds to the condition of their (i.e. the ignorant and the innovators) deeds and their hearts which are devoid of faith and guidance. lt is also wo rthy to ponder the underlying meaning in A11ah's saying "a thirs(J· one thinks (it) is ivater'' - (the original text in the qyah usc.: s the term 0\-;: ~I\ 'al-?ham'dn') as it refers to the one whose thirst has intensified to the point that he imagines seeing the 1niragc: and thinks of it as real water, so he follows and finds nothing upo n reaching it; and realised that his dire need for it deceived him . Such arc thost: whose deeds, because they were not in obedience of the :\1cssengcr (~) and not for the sake of Allah, they wen : made to be like the mirage that was raised up away from them (when they reached it) despite their dire thirst, so they found nothing (of benefit from their deeds).

On the contrary they found <>n) ,y Allah, E.xaltcd is He, (in wait for thcn1) and He rewarded them the actual worth of their deeds and paid their actual dues (which amounted to nothing). It is authentically narratc<l in the l:rndith of Abu Sa(id al-Khudri (ra1.l!J'Allcih11 'a11h11) from the Prophet (~) wherein Allah shows Himself on the Day of Resurrection, that Jfc)lfirc shalJ be brought in the appearance of a mirage, and it shall be said to the Jews "111/Jat did_you 11serl lo 111orship?" to which they wrn say "111e Nsed I// JII/Jrship 'l} Zf1yr, 1h11 S(J11 oj Allah" so it will be said ,,, u/.J·urqd11 (25): 21 36 - to them ')'011 haJJe lied;./1/lah had 11either a co11sort 11or a so11. So ,,,hat is it 11 tbt1~)'0II wa11t?" They shall answer J1Je 111a11/)'ON logive 11s drink ." It \Vill be said to them "Dni,k" (from the mirage \vhich will in reality will be Hellfire) and they shall fall into Hellfire. Then it \Vill be said to the Christians " 111hot didJ'OU use lo 111orship?'' to which they will say "ll'<' 11sed lo JJ1orship the 111/essiah, the so11 of A llah'' so it will be said to them "]OIi have lied; Allah had neither a co11sort 11or a so11. So 1J1hat is it tbalJOII 111011/?" Th ey shall answer "u1e JJ't111l) 'Ot1 logive 11s d1i11k ." It \vill be said to them ''Drink" and they too sha11 fall into H ellfire - to the end of the f:lad.

Ith.11 T his is also the co ndition o f every person who ascribes to falsehood, that his falsehood shall deceive him and let him do\vn despite his great need for it (i.e. truth/ salvation), since falsehood has no truth or realitv to it, and it is like its name indicates; void o f J benefit. Thus, when a person adopts a belief contrary or variant to the truth, then th e resultant deeds become nullified due to the falsity o f their aim, just like a person ,vho performs a deed do ne fo r other than the sake of Allah, Exalted is He, or not according to hjs Command. Furthermore, the doer o f such deeds suffers nullification o f his deeds as \veil as receiving the opposite of \vhat he ,vas hoping for. Consequently, his work and deeds not o nly \Vent in vain, but he also suffered punishment due to the lack o f any benefit from it; and from receiving the opposite o f \.vhat he expected. This is \vhy Allah, the Most High, Says ''finds A llah hefore Hli11, and H e 1l'illPtlJ' hi/// 1i1f11II his due" - so this is the example o f the misguided person who imagines himself to be on the path of guidance.

II Reported by Sa}:lII~ al-Bukhari [#7001]. 37 Example of the One who Recognised Truth and Guidance but Acted Contrary to It The second type of people are like layers of darkness accumulated one over the other, and they are those who recognised the truth and guidance but preferred over it, the darkness of falsehood and misguidance. So over them accumulated layers of darkness - the darkness of their natures and the darkness of their souls; the darkness of their ignorance and the darkness of following deviation and vain desires. This was because they did not really comprehend (the truth) despite kno\ving about it, so they became ignorant. Their condition is like that of the one who is in a deep sea with no shoreline, and he has been overcome by \vaves upon whjch are \vaves upon wruch are dark clouds, so he is surrounded by the darkness of the sea and the darkness of the waves and the darkness of the clouds, such (darkness) correspond to the state he (the person described in the example) is in, which Allah has not removed him from - into the light of itntin (faith). And these two examples - the mirage that he thought \Vas water, which is the element of life; and the darkness which is the direct 38 7 opposite o f light - are examples that are in correspondence to the two examples gi\·en (earlier) regarding the hypocrites and the belie\-ers that are example of water and the example of fire where He made the believers' share of it, life and light - and the hypocrites share the darkness (which is the opposite of light) and death (the opposite of life).

Similarly in the two examples (described in this section), the share of the disbeliever of the ,vater is the mirage that deceives the one looking at it \vhile it actually does not exist; and also in their share is the layers of darkness. It is possible that the intended meaning is the condition of every group of disbelievers and that they ha\-e cancelled out the element of life and illumination by their turning away from the Divine Revelation - in ,vhich case the t\\·o examples give different characterisations for the same group. It is also possible that the t\vo examples refer to the ,~arying conditions o f (different types of) disbelievers, and that those upon whom the fust examples apply to, are those who performed deeds \vithout kno\vledge or foresight, and in fact on ignorance and mere good assumption on the actions of some predecessors, thinking that they were doing well. And those upon ,vhom the second example applies are the ones ,vho have preferred misguidance over guidance and falsehood over truth, and have gone blind to it (i.e. the truth and guidance) after they had been able to see, and rejected it after they had known it. This is the condition of the ones ,vho have received (Allah's) \v'rath, and these are the people surrounded by layers of darkness, while the former (example) was the condition of those,vho have gone astray.

The condition of those who have (His) Grace besto,ved upon them is different: i.e. those described in the aytil, 39 "Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within a glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil ofj a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah sets forth examples for mankind, and Allah is All-Knower of all things." 12 To the 0 1ah, "That Allah may reward them [according to] the best of what they did, and increase them from His bounty.

And Allah gives provision to whom He wills without account."'' 12 al-N,ir (24): 35 rJ/-N1ir (24): 38 40 - - - ·- - --- - ~ - - ------ - --- - Thc.: ~c t!J'fil co ntain in them the attributes c,f the thrcc g ro ups: those who h ave (Allah's) (jracc bcst,-,wc<l upo n them wh~,_<:, c example.: is given by lig ht, those who have gon e astray who5<: exa mple is hrivcn by the rnirag c and tho se upo n \vho m .r\Jlah's \X'rath has ck sccn<lcd who se example is given b y the laye rs of darkness, and Allah kno ws b est. The first exa mple fro m amo ng the ru-o groups o f fal seho od is o f those peo ple who perfo rm deeds that ' are void and d o not fetch them any benefit - and the o ther g roup is that o f unbcneficial deed s in additio n to false creed and beliefs. Both of these are in direct o ppo sition to the guidance and true religion; and this is why the co nditio n o f the seco nd g ro up \\ith the "crashing wa\-es" o f do ubtful and o bscure tnatters and co n - taminated kno,,.,·Iedge in their h earts is co mpa red \\i th the crashing of wa\·es in the sea. These \\'a,-es pile up o n each o ther and above th em are d ark clo uds - such are the wa\-es o f d o ubt and ambiguity in their darken ed hear ts; h earts o,er \\-hich laye rs o f clouds o f d evjation and vain desires and falsehood haYe settled. Let the sensible person then contemplate the condition of the t\vo groups and co mpare bet\veen them and the t\\'0 examples~ and let him realise the g reatness of the Qur'an and its splendo ur: that this Revelation is fro m One ,vho is \X;ise and Praise\,-orthY.

He in fo rms that the necessary consequence of this (co nten1plation) is that; H e did not provide them \\1th light, rather left then1 in the darkness in ,vhich they were made and fro n1 which He did not remove them and bring to the lig ht (of guidance). Fo r Allah is the Supporter o f those who believe, ren1oving then1 fro n1 darkness into light, and in the ,1!11s11ad (o f I1nan1 Al~n1ad) on the :iutho ri ty of (Abdullah ibn ' U n1ar (rat/iJ:.rl/liih11 ca11h11ma) th:it the Prophet (~) said, " Allah m ad e th e creatio n in darkness and cast upon them fro m H is light, whoever got son1ething fro n1 this light 41 was gwded by it, and whomever (the light) missed "vent astray.,, 14 This is why I say, the pens have dried on what is in Allah's Knowledge. Allah, Exalted is He, made the Creation in darkness and for whomsoever He wished guidance, He made for him existent light, which enlivened his heart and his spirit, just like the body has life because of the spirit that is breathed into it. So life is of two types - the life of the body due to the nip (spirit) that is breathed into it and the (spiritual) life of the spirit and the heart with light (of guidance), and this is why Allah has called the Revelation (a nip) because of the dependence of real life upon it, as Allah, Exalted is He, said, ,., ~ -,,,,,,,, / ,.,,., ~ > '-::;:..-, ~--~..,..,. ......> '!~½~~~<f~,J;1~eJ\~\Jf- "He sends down the Angels with the riifJ (Revelation) of His Command unto whom He Wills of His slaves,' 15 and, ,O.)~; { ~ ,,,,,,,, .,.,~ /,j~·,o 1:- , , .-t\\ ~\~ J...r ~rJ_; ~ - < Y(.S" ,., ~ ,., "He casts the riif. J (Revelation) of His command upon whom He will of His slaves..." 16 14 Al)mad, (#27761-27766); al-Tirmidhi, (#2642) and others - graded as ~a~ by Al-Albaru in 'Japif; a/Jami' al-Saghir', (#1764). 15 al-Nap/ (16): 2 I(, Cha.fir (40): 15 42 :tnd.

And thus have \Xie inspired to you (0 Mul:iammad) a ni~ (Re,·ebtion) of Our command. You knew not what the Book was nor what Faith is. But We have made it (Qur'an) a light whereby 'vlc guide whom We will of Our Shn-es."17 He therefore made the Revelation a "nip" and a guiding light - and whomsoever He did not give life with this nip, he is (in reality) dead, and whomsoever He did not provide light from it (i.e. the ReYelation) he is in darkness without light. From among these examples, the a_ydh, " Or do you deem that most of them hear or understand? They are but as the cattle, nay, but they are further astray from the path (than cattle)." 18 1 I In which Allah likened the majority of people with cattle, and ] the common equating factor between the two is in not accepting guidance and not being led by it.

He described the majority of p al-Sh,mi (42): 52 lb al-Furqtin (25): 44 43 these people as actually being more astray than cattle, because beasts can at least be led bv their riden so thev. find their way. and ; follow the path without deviating from it right or left. As for the majority of people, the Nlcssengers called them to the right path but they neither respond nor are guided, and cannot differentiate between what brings then1 harm and ,vhat brings them benefit - while cattle can at least distinguish between the plants or the routes that harm it so they avoid and prefer over it what is beneficial in these. Though 1\llah neither created cattle with hearts that comprehend nor with tongues that can speak, while He gave it to those people, but still they did not benefit from what He bestowed upon them of mind, heart, tongue and hearing and sight; ,vhich n1akes the1n even more astray than animals. The one who is not guided to the straight path (even) ,vith indicators towards it, is n1ore misguided and ,vorse in condition than the one who is not guided because there are no indications for him. Another example related to this section is the tJ_J'ah, "He strikes a similitude of your own selves.

Have you, from among those whom your right hands possess, partners to share as equals in the wealth \Xie have bestowed on you, so that you fear them as you fear each other? Thus We explain the signs for people who have 44 scnse." 1') And this is an analogical proof that Allah has brought forth against the polytheists who have put up partners for Him from among His slaves and His dominion. He had established against then1 a proof ,vhose truthfulness they know deep inside themseh·es not requiting anything other than it - and from among the clearest and far-reaching of proofs is one that a person takes from his own self and then establishes against him a proof that is universally established and accepted. So, He said to them "Have)'OIi, frolll a111011g those 11bo1J1J'Ollr ,ight ha11ds possess, part11ers i11 the ,vealth a11d frw1;6," do your slaves have (an equal) share in your wealth and families such that you and they are the same in their share, causing you to fear that they will partake and divide up from your wealth and misappropriate part of it? As the associate or partner fears his associate? lbn 'Abbas co mn1ented (about the qJ'ah), ')011 fear that th(!)' lllt!J' inhe,it)'Ott s11ch like)'Of t do among each other (i.e. 111ithi11J'0Hrf a111ilies) ", the meaning of his statement is that, would any of you be pleased that his slave be his partner and share-taker in your money and wealth, having equal hand in its use and disposal?

Rather he fears that he (the slave) may monopolise his ,vealth in the process, just as he fears his other associates and those from the free individuals (i.e. non-slaves). So if you are not pleased with such a situation for yourself, why have you made Me (Allah) equal to objects from my creation ,vho belong to Me totally? Thus if this situation is instinctively and logically inconceivable to you - even though it is in reality permissible for you and con1•1 al-R1i111 (30): 28 45 ceivable in your right, since your slaves are not in reality possessed by you, rather they are your brothers whom Allah has given you authority over and both you and they are My Slaves - then how is it that you deem such a situation permissible with Me, even though those whom you have assigned as My "partners" are in fact my slaves, My property and My created beings. And this is how the ayat ought to be explained to those of sound minds. 46