بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
6-9-1438
Surat ash-Shams
سورة الشمس
Division of the Surah:
1) الأقسام - The Oaths
Verses 1 to 8
2) جواب الأقسام - The Subject of the Oaths
Verses 9 to 10
3) Thamud
Verses 11 to 15
What is the wisdom behind mentioning Thamud? Allah gave Thamud ءايات مبصرة; the she-camel. They asked for a 10 month old she-camel to come out from a rock, and Allah fulfilled their request. This was a clear sign - clear like the sun. But after they saw it, they preferred blindness over guidance. The signs are clear, but it is upon you to decide whether to purify yourself or corrupt yourself.
There are 11 oaths in Surat ash-Shams, which is 15 verses long. We should magnify all what Allah swears by.
المقسم به (Object of the Oath) = Great Signs of Allah (الآيات العظيمة)
جواب القسم (Subject of the Oath) = The Successful Soul and/or The Unsuccesful Soul (النفوس المفلحة أو الخائبة)
The جواب القسم is present and it is جملة خبرية.
The Oaths
There are three pairs of changing opposites:
الشمس (Sun) x القمر (Moon)
النّهار (Day) x الليل (Night)
السّماء (Heavens) x الأرض (Earth)
The نفس also has changing opposites:
زَكَّاهَا (Purified) x دَسَّاهَا (Corrupted)
Allah subjected all these signs for the نفس. We have the choice to use these signs and elevate ourselves or to not use it and degrade ourselves. We are responsible. We either cause failure to ourselves or make ourselves successful, depending on our actions.
Oath #1 - و الشمس (By the Sun)
-> Allah swore by the sun. The sun is bright, clear, gives you light and heat. In Surah Yunus [10:5]:
"It is He who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light"
-> The truth is like the sun. When it comes to people, it is clear like the sun.
-> Allah subjected the sun for us.
-> The sun prostrates to Allah
عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لأَبِي ذَرٍّ حِينَ غَرَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ " تَدْرِي أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ ". قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ. قَالَ " فَإِنَّهَا تَذْهَبُ حَتَّى تَسْجُدَ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ، فَتَسْتَأْذِنَ فَيُؤْذَنَ لَهَا، وَيُوشِكُ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ فَلاَ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهَا، وَتَسْتَأْذِنَ فَلاَ يُؤْذَنَ لَهَا، يُقَالُ لَهَا ارْجِعِي مِنْ حَيْثُ جِئْتِ. فَتَطْلُعُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا، فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى {وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَهَا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ }".
Narrated Abu Dhar: The Prophet (ﷺ) asked me at sunset, "Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of sunset)?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He said, "It goes (i.e. travels) till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: "And the sun Runs its fixed course For a term (decreed). that is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in Might, The All- Knowing." (36.38)
-> On the Day of Judgement, the sun will come near until it is above the heads of the people, and Allah will shade specific categories of people with His shade.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"...وَتَدْنُو الشَّمْسُ، فَيَبْلُغُ النَّاسَ مِنَ الْغَمِّ وَالْكَرْبِ مَا لاَ يُطِيقُونَ وَلاَ يَحْتَمِلُونَ..."
The sun will come so close to the people that they will suffer such distress and trouble as they will not be able to bear or stand. [Al-Bukhari]
And he ﷺ said:
سَبْعَةٌ يُظِلُّهُمُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِي ظِلِّهِ، يَوْمَ لاَ ظِلَّ إِلاَّ ظِلُّهُ إِمَامٌ عَادِلٌ، وَشَابٌّ نَشَأَ فِي عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ، وَرَجُلٌ ذَكَرَ اللَّهَ فِي خَلاَءٍ فَفَاضَتْ عَيْنَاهُ، وَرَجُلٌ قَلْبُهُ مُعَلَّقٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، وَرَجُلاَنِ تَحَابَّا فِي اللَّهِ، وَرَجُلٌ دَعَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ ذَاتُ مَنْصِبٍ وَجَمَالٍ إِلَى نَفْسِهَا قَالَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ. وَرَجُلٌ تَصَدَّقَ بِصَدَقَةٍ فَأَخْفَاهَا، حَتَّى لاَ تَعْلَمَ شِمَالُهُ مَا صَنَعَتْ يَمِينُهُ
Seven (people) will be shaded by Allah by His Shade on the Day of Resurrection when there will be no shade except His Shade. (They will be), a just ruler, a young man who has been brought up in the worship of Allah, a man who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes are then flooded with tears, a man whose heart is attached to mosques (offers his compulsory congregational prayers in the mosque), two men who love each other for Allah's Sake, a man who is called by a charming lady of noble birth to commit illegal sexual intercourse with her, and he says, 'I am afraid of Allah,' and (finally), a man who gives in charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given. [Al-Bukhari]
-> In Paradise there will be no sun or moon, because there will not be any need for them anymore.
In Surat al-Insan [76:13]:
"Reclining therein on raised thrones, they will see there neither the excessive heat of the sun, nor the excessive bitter cold, (as in Paradise there is no sun and no moon)."
-> Allah described the sun as a سراج (Lamp)
In Surah Nuh [71:16]:
"And has made the moon a light therein, and made the sun a lamp?"
Oath #2 - و ضحاها (And its Duha)
-> Allah did not just swear by the sun, but with something specifically related to it; the brightness of the sun (ضوء الشمس) at the time of Duha.
-> Duha starts 10-15 minutes after the sun rises until 10-15 minutes before Thuhr.
-> Musa عليه السلام said to Pharoah (as mentioned in Surah Ta-Ha [20:58-59]):
"Then verily, we can produce magic the like thereof; so appoint a meeting between us and you, which neither we, nor you shall fail to keep, in an open wide place where both shall have a just and equal chance (and beholders could witness the competition)."
"[Musa (Moses)] said: "Your appointed meeting is the day of the festival, and let the people assemble when the sun has risen (forenoon)."
This time has a benefit on us; it is the time of activity and brightness. Everyone would see the events with clarity.
-> The sun is so clear at this time. Similarly, the Ayaat of Allah are clear.
-> It is as if Allah is swearing by what has an effect on you. All the oaths play a role in your life; so utilize them so that you can do the best that you can do. Allah gave you the best, so do the best with it.
Oath #3 - و القمر إذا تلاها (By the moon when it follows the Sun)
-> The moon is bright, but its brightness is not like the brightness of the sun. In Surah Yunus [10:5]:
"It is He who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light"
-> Allah did not just swear by the moon, but the moon which follows the sun. It is smaller than the sun, and its light is lesser than the sun; it follows the sun. The light of the moon is reflected light from the sun. That is why the moon has different phases; it is caused by the sun. The benefit of the moon is derived when it follows the sun.
-> القمر تلا الشمس (The moon follows the sun)
تلا = تلاوة = Follow
تلاوة (Recitation is to follow what is being said)
-> What does the moon follow the sun in?
1) الإضاءة (Brightness)
The sun is bright, and the moon follows the brightness of the sun.
2) السير (Movement)
The appearance of the moon comes later than the appearance of the sun.
3) المنازل (Stages)
The phases of the moon are due to the reflection of light from the sun. The moon follows the sun; if there was no sun, there would be no phases.
-> We need the moon to know the months. In Surat al-Baqarah [2:189]:
"They ask you (O Muhammad) about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage."
-> Yusuf عليه السلام said (as mentioned in Surah Yusuf [12:4])
"(Remember) when Yusuf (Joseph) said to his father: "O my father! Verily, I saw (in a dream) eleven stars and the sun and the moon, I saw them prostrating themselves to me."
الشمس was the mother
القمر was the father
In Arabic شمس is feminine, and قمر is masculine.
Oath #4 - و النّهار إذا جلاها (By the day when it manifests the brightness of the sun)
-> The sun is a sign of the day (الشمس آية النهار)
-> The day is a seperate creation of Allah from the sun. There are planets which do not have day, although there is a sun. They are in complete darkness except for a light. Allah made النّهار to bring out and manifest the sunlight. When the light of the sun spreads all over, it is day.
-> In Surat al-Furqan [25:62]:
"And He it is Who has put the night and the day in succession, for such who desires to remember or desires to show his gratitude."
-> The day begins when the white thread of day (خيط الأبيض) becomes distinct from the black thread (خيظ الأسود) of night. This is how Allah يولج (alternates) the day and night.
Oath #5 - و الليل إذا يغشاها (By the night when it covers it)
-> The moon is a sign of the night (القمر آية الليل)
-> Allah swears by the night when it covers it (يغشاها). It is as if a blanket of darkness covers what is on the face of the earth.
-> As-Sa'di رحمه الله said:
تعاقب الظلمة و الضياء و الشمس و القمر على هذا العالم بانتظام و إتقان
The succession of darkness, light, the sun and moon in this world is systematic and with precision.
و قيام لمصالح العباد
And fulfill the needs of the slaves
This succession has an impact in our lives. If we only had day, we would not have proper rest. And if we only had night, we would not be able to accomplish so many things. In Surat al-Qasas [28:71-72]:
"Say, "Have you considered: if Allah should make for you the night continuous until the Day of Resurrection, what deity other than Allah could bring you light? Then will you not hear?"
"Say, "Have you considered: if Allah should make for you the day continuous until the Day of Resurrection, what deity other than Allah could bring you a night in which you may rest? Then will you not see?"
-> Allah created this all working systematically for the human being, and yet the human being corrupts himself.
Oath #6 - و السّماء (By the Heaven)
-> After Allah swears by the sun, the moon, the day, the night, Allah swears by their container. The place of the sun, moon, day, night is the sky.
-> السّماء is our ceiling.
In Surat al-Anbiya [21:32]:
"And We made the sky a protected ceiling, but they, from its signs, are turning away."
Oath #7 - و ما بناها (And by the One who built it)
-> Allah swears by the creation (السماء) and the One who built it (و ما بناها); how perfectly Allah built the heavens.
-> In Surah Qaf [50:6]:
"Have they not looked at the heaven above them - how We structured it and adorned it and [how] it has no rifts?"
Oath #8 - و الأرض (By the Earth)
-> In Surat an-Naba [78:6]:
"Have We not made the earth a resting place?"
-> In Surat al-Mursalat [77:25]:
"Have We not made the earth a receptacle?"
-> We are not just floating in this universe. We are protected by the sky, which is a ceiling, and live and walk on the earth.
Oath #9- و ما طحاها (And by the One who spread it)
-> As-Sa'di رحمه الله said regarding the meaning of طحاها:
أي: مدها ووسعها
Meaning: Stretched it out and made it spacious
-> Allah swears by Himself; the One who stretched out the earth and made it vast.
-> Although it is round, it is stretched. Allah did not make His earth tight and constricted on people. Allah is الواسع.
In Surat an-Nisa [4:97]:
"Verily! As for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): "In what (condition) were you?" They reply: "We were weak and oppressed on earth." They (angels) say: "Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?" Such men will find their abode in Hell - What an evil destination!"
-> In Surat ar-Ra'd [13:41]:
""See they not that We gradually reduce the land (of disbelievers, by giving it to the believers, in war victories) from its outlying borders. And Allah judges, there is none to put back His Judgement and He is Swift at reckoning."
This is not to be taken literally; the earth of Allah is vast. The land of the disbelievers shrinks for them from the victory of the believers or the death of people.
Oath #10 - و نفس (By the Soul)
-> As-Sa'di رحمه الله said:
النفس آية كبيرة من آياته التي حقيقة بالأقسام بها فإنها في غاية اللطف و الخفة، سريعة التنقل و الحركة و التغير و التأثير و الانفعالات النفيسة من الهم و الإرادة و القصد و الحب و البغض و هي التي لولاها لكان البدن مجرد لا فائدة فيه و تسويتها على هذا الوجه آية من آيات الله العظيمة
The Nafs is a great sign among Allah's signs, deserving to be the subject of Allah's oath. The Nafs is soft and transparent, swift in motion and movement, subject to change and transformation, full of emotions such as having intention, will, aim, love, and hate. Without the soul, the body would just be a motionless statue of no benefit or value. Creating the soul in this manner is one of Allah's great signs.
-> The sun, moon, day, and night can all affect and cause changes to the soul.
Oath #11 - و ما سَوَّاهَا (And by the One who perfected it)
-> سوي means there are no faults; it is perfect.
-> Allah perfected the soul in:
1) خلقة (Its creation)
2) فطرة (Its natural disposition)
Originally, the Nafs is good. Its natural disposition is pure. But there are two types of people: One who corrupts it and the other who takes care of it and develops it.
Verse 8:
"And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness,"
-> Allah inspired what was good and evil into the soul. How?
Allah inspired the natural love of good and hatred of evil, and the ability to distinguish between the things that are good for us and the things which corrupt us.
-> التقوى x فجور
The opposite of Taqwa is Fujoor
The Subject of the Oaths
#1 -
"He has succeeded who purifies it,"
-> Succesful is the person who uses everything Allah gave him to purify himself.
-> Your success or failure is determined by your actions.
-> How do I purify my soul? With Taqwa
#2 -
"And he has failed who corrupted it"
-> In Arabic, دس means to hide. The person who failed hid his good self by committing فجور.
-> The Prophet ﷺ used to say the following supplication:
-> All the oaths are to tell to you purify yourself; to not hide your good self, to bring out its goodness.
-> If you see someone who corrupted himself, you need to bring out the goodness in him.
An Analogy of the Oaths
-> The Scholars said that the sun, moon, day, and night are the places of the performance of the deeds. Your soul changes just as the sun, moon, day, and night change. Sometimes your faith is high, sometimes it is low. Sometimes there is daylight, sometimes there is night.
And the heavens and earth are the places where you choose to be; high like the heavens if you purify your soul, or low like the earth if you corrupt it.
-> They also said that:
"و الشمس و ضحاها" (By the Sun and its Duha) = The وحي (Revelation) in your life and when it shines in your heart
"و القمر إذا تلاها" (By the moon when it follows it) = The Prophet ﷺ, who follows the revelation.
The light of the moon comes from the sun. Before the revelation, the Prophet ﷺ did not have light. In Surat ash-Shura [42:52]:
"And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command. You did not know what is the Book or [what is] faith, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants. And indeed, [O Muhammad], you guide to a straight path."
"والنهار إدا جلاها" (By the day when it manifests it) = When you have Taqwa. Everyone has goodness inside themselves, you either manifest your goodness by having Taqwa or bury it by committing Fujoor.
This Taqwa appears with the sun; with the revelation.
"والليل إذا يغشاها" (By the night when it covers it) = This is when you corrupt yourself and cover your goodness and the sun.
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