1
7. PIOUS PEOPLE’S DU‘Ā (SUPPLICATION) IN THE QUR’ĀN (6) Among the pious people’s du’a (supplication) mentioned in the Qur’ān are: h. the believers in general, and they are, as far as I know, fifteen of them: three verses mentioned in sūrat al-Baqarah Q. 2: 201, 285, and 286); seven verses in sūrat Al ‘Imrān (Q. 3:8, 9, 16 , 191, 192, 193, and 194); one verse in sūrat al Mu’minūn (Q. 23:109); three verses in sūrat al-Furqān (Q. 25:65, 66, and), and one verse in sūrat al-Taḥrīm (Q. 66:8). We shall deal here the verses mentioned in in sūrat al-Baqarah as follows: 1. The believers make this du’a as mentioned in the Qur’an as follows: ْلْ َر َّب َناْآ ِت َناْفِيْال ُّد ْن َياْ َح َس َنةْْ َوفِيْ ْاْلخ َِرِْةْ َح َس َنة ُْ َو ِم ْن ُه ْْمْ َمنْْْ َيقُو )102:ارْ(البقرة ِْ ابْال َّن َْ َو ِق َناْ َع َذ And of them there are some who say: “Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!” (Q. 2:201) This verse is dealing with the du‘a of the believers during their pilgrimage. In the previous verse Allah told the pilgrims among Muslims to remember Allah as they remembered their forefathers, even more. But of mankind there are some who say: “Our Lord! Give us Your bounties in this world!.” and for such there will be no portion in the Hereafter. (Q. 2: 200). This is because, as mentioned by Ibn ‘Abbās, one among the people in the time of Jahiliyyah, used to stand during the pilgrimage season, said that his father used to help the poor, help others by ending their disputes with his money. What they remembered were the good deeds of their fathers. Then Allah revealed to the Prophet and the Muslims in their pilgrimage to remember Allah as they remembered their fathers, but even more. When some Bedouins used to supplicate while they were in ‘Arafah asking Him to make a rainy day, a fertile year, and a year of good child bearing, without mentioning the affairs of the Hereafter. Then Allah reminds the Prophet and the Muslim
2
not to forget to supplicate for their affairs of the Hereafter which is more important. Then Allah taught us by praising the believers who made their supplication for all good aspects of this life and the Hereafter, as well as His protection from the Hellfire. The Prophet s..a.w. himself used to say this supplication. When the Prophet s.a.w. visited a weak and sick man whether he had made supplication, he said: “O Allah! Whatever punishment you saved for me in the Hereafter, give it to me in this life.” The man became very weak in his bed. The Prophet s.a.w. told him that he could not stand Allah’s punishment, and he advised him to cite the supplication to give him the goodness of this life, of the Hereafter, and protection from the Hellfire, as mentioned in the above verse, and he healed. 2. In the following verse Allah mentions that the Prophet as well as the believers believe in what was revealed to him, believe in Allah, His Angles, His Books and Messengers without making any distinction among His Messengers, and state that they obey and at the same time ask Him forgiveness and mercy. َِّْ نْ ِب اّلل َْ ونْ ُكلْْآ َم َْ لْإِلَ ْي ِْهْمِنْْْ َر ِّب ِْهْ َو ْالم ُْؤ ِم ُن َْ لْ ِب َماْأ ُ ْن ِز ُْ نْالرَّ سُو َْ آ َم َ ُ ْنْأ َحدْْمِنْْْ ُر ُسلِ ِْهْ َو َقالواْ َسمِعْ َنا َْ قْ َبي ُْ ِّلْ ُن َفر ْ َ َْو َم ََل ِئ َك ِت ِْهْ َو ُك ُت ِب ِْهْ َو ُر ُسلِ ِْه ْ)182:كْ ْالمَصِ ي ُْرْ(البقرة َْ كْ َر َّب َناْ َوإِلَ ْي َْ َوأَ َطعْ َناْ ُغ ْف َرا َن The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) “We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers” – and they say, “We hear and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all). (Q. 2:182( The Muslims believe in all prophet sent by Allah to mankind. They are unlike the Jews who believe in Prophet Mūsā (Moses) a.s., but reject Prophet ‘Īsá (Jesus) a.s., nor
3
the Christians who believe in Prophet ‘Īsá (Jesus) a.s., but reject Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. 3. The verse continues with following one: ْ َ ْتْ َر َّب َنا ل ْْ تْ َو َعلَ ْي َهاْ َماْا ْك َت َس َب ْْ لْوُ سْ َع َهاْلَ َهاْ َماْ َك َس َب ْ َّ ِّللا ُْ َن ْفساْإ َّْ ُْْلْ ُي َكلِّف َْ لْ َعلَ ْي َناْإِصْ راْ َك َماْ َح َم ْل َت ُْهْ َعلَى ْْ لْ َتحْ ِم ْ َ ْ ُت َؤاخ ِْذ َناْإِنْْْ َنسِ ي َناْأَوْْْأَ ْخ َطأْ َناْ َر َّب َناْ َو ْ لْ َطا َق َْةْلَ َناْ ِب ِْهْ َواعْ فُْْ َع َّناْ َو اغفِرْْْ َل َنا ْ َ ْلْ ُت َحم ِّْل َناْ َما ْ َ ِينْمِنْْْ َق ْبلِ َناْ َر َّب َناْ َو َْ ْالَّذ ْ )286:ينْ(البقرة َْ تْ َم ْو َل َناْ َفا ْنصُرْ َناْ َعلَىْ ْال َق ْو ِْمْ ْال َكاف ِِر َْ َوارْ َح ْم َناْأَ ْن Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for hat (evil) which he has earned. “Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians); our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Mawla (Patron, Supporter and Protector) and give us victory over the disbelieving people.” (Q. 2:286) Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that the companions of the Prophet told him that they knew how to repent from their bad deeds and bad words; they asked him how to repent from their temptation (devilish insinuation), and how to avoid it. The angel Gabriel came to him revealing, “Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope” It means that temptation cannot be avoided, but can be ignored. Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas also mentioned some Qur’anic verses indicating Allah’s easiness in practising Islam, as follows: (88ْ:ينْمِنْْْ َح َرجْْ)الحج ِْ لْ َعلَ ْي ُك ْْمْفِيْال ِّد َْ َو َماْ َج َع … and He has not laid upon you in religion any hardship…(Q. 11:88) (282ْ:ّللا ُْ ِب ُك ُْمْ ْاليُسْ َْرْ َولْي ُِري ُْدْ ِب ُك ُْمْ ْالعُسْ َْرْ)البقرة َّْ ْي ُِري ُْد ...Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you…(Q. 2:185) (21ْ:ّللاْ َماْاسْ َت َطعْ ُت ْْمْ(التغابن ََّْ َْفا َّتقُوا
4
So keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can…(Q. 64:16) Ibn Kathīr states that the previous verse, i.e., verse 284 worried the companions of the Prophets s.a.w. It runs as follows: )182:ْ(البقرة...ُ ّللا َّْ ْ َوإِنْْْ ُت ْب ُدواْ َماْفِيْأَ ْنفُسِ ُك ْْمْأَوْْْ ُت ْخفُوْهُْي َُحاسِ ْب ُك ْْمْ ِب ِْه... … And whether you disclose what is in yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it… (Q. 2:284) Then revelation came to make easy for them, that any devilish insinuation or temptation would be tolerated as long as they do not act upon it. The verse that worried the Companions of the Prophet became abrogated by this verse. The Qur’an commentator Ibn Kathīr gives the commentary of verse 286 above as follows: “Our Lord! Push us not if we forget or fall into error,” means “if we forget an obligation or make an error while we do not know its ruling.”1 “Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did not lay on those before us (Jews and Christians)” means “do not require us to perform difficult deeds as You required the previous nations, even if we are able to perform them.”2 “Our Lord! Put not on us a burden In a ḥadīth narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas, the Prophet s.a.w. said: ْْإِنَّْ ّْللاَْ ْ َت َج َاو َْز ْ َعن )ان ْ َو َما ْاسْ ُت ْك ِرهُوا ْ َعلَ ْي ِْه ْ(وراهْابنْماجة َْ “ْ أ ُ َّمتِي ْ ْال َخ َطْأ َْ َوال ِّنسْ َيVerily, Allah tolerates from my community mistake, forgetfulness, and being compelled.” (Reported by Ibn Mājah) 1
2
Muhammad Asad is referring “to the heavy burden of rituals imposed by the Law of Moses upon the children of Israel, as well as the-world renunciation recommended by Jesus to his followers”. We learn that in the Old Testament it states, “Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales.” (Leviticus 22:9; Deuteronomy 14:9). Therefore, shellfish which some people say contains high cholesterol such as lobsters, oysters, shrimp, clams and crabs are all forbidden. It is advised that shellfish should be avoided to lower cholesterol. But the other view states that shellfish has very little cholesterol, such as crabs, mussels, oysters, clams, scallops and lobster. According to Yale New Haven Hospital,
5
greater than we have strength to bear” means “do not inflict upon us misfortune or trial which we have no power over it.” Allah accepted the above three supplication. In a ḥadīth qudsī narrated by Abu Hurayrah, Allah said, “ َن َع ْْمYes,” (I shall accept your supplication), whereas in another version narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās, Allah said, ت ُْ “ َق ْْد ْ َف َع ْلI did” (accept your supplication) (Both ḥadīth were reported by Muslim). “Pardon us” َواعْ فُْ ْ َع َّناmeans “between us and You regarding what You know of our shortcoming and errors.” ْ َوmeans “between us and “And grant us forgiveness” اغفِرْْ ْلَ َنا Your servants, so that do not expose to them our errors and evil deeds.” “Have mercy on us” َوارْ َحمْ َناmeans “in what will come in future, so that with your guidance do not let us fall into another error.” It is said that the offender (evil doer) needs three things: Allah’s forgiveness, His concealing it from people, and His protection from other errors in future. “You are our Mawla” ْ ت ْ َم ْو َل َنا َْ أَ ْنmeans “You are our protector, supporter and helper. We totally rely on You, and the power is solely from You.” “…and give us victory over the disbelieving people” ين َْ َفا ْنصُرْ َنا ْ َعلَى ْ ْال َق ْو ِْم ْ ْال َكاف ِِرmeans “those who reject Islam and the message of the Prophet, and worship other than You.” One example of the strict law in Judaism is the observant of the Sabbath (“Shabbat”) day where Jewish people have to rest. The Old Testament states: “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and “those claims [that shellfish and seafood have high cholesterol] hadn't entirely stand up. Much of the excess cholesterol from seafood comes from polyunsaturated fats, which are actually beneficial to heart health. Knowing how much cholesterol is in seafood can help you incorporate it into your diet without going over the recommended 200 to 300 milligrams per day.” On the other hand, according to the New Testament, Jesus in his teaching on worldlyrenunciation said: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25).
6
all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 10:22). “I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy” (Ezekiel 10:21). The Sabbath day is so holy that violating it is a grave offence and the punishment for the offender although was originally death, now with more lenient punishment. The observant Jews would obey 39 forbidden acts, and therefore, would not drive their cars on the Sabbath day. It is because it is prohibited on that day from forbidden act no. 37, namely, kindling a fire (the combustion of engine by burning gasoline and oil), and forbidden act no. 39, namely, taking an object from the private domain to the public, or transporting an object in the public domain (the movement of the car). The restrictions of the Sabbath day can only be violated in case of necessity, to save life. (CIVIC, 27 February, 2015) :المراجع ْ المكتبةْالشاملة (ْهـ020ْ.تفسيرْالطبريْ(ت (ْهـ182ْ.تفسيرْالقرطبىْ(ت (ْهـ887ْ.تفسيرْابنْكثيرْ(ت Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur: Percetakan Zafar Sdn Bhd, 2005 Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’ān. Gibraltar: Dar alAndalus, 1984. Holy Bible: New International Version http://articles.islamweb.net/media/index.php?page=article&lang=A &id=13431. http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm#Animal http://www.sabbathtruth.com/free-resources/article .