#surah 22

[sweetness-of-faith]

Quran 22:36-41

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم 

وَالْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَاهَا لَكُمْ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ ۖ فَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا صَوَافَّ ۖ فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرَّ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرْنَاهَا لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ * لَنْ يَنَالَ اللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَٰكِنْ يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَىٰ مِنْكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُحْسِنِينَ 

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدَافِعُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ خَوَّانٍ كَفُورٍ * أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَاتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ ظُلِمُوا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ نَصْرِهِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ * الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّا أَنْ يَقُولُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا ۗ وَلَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ * الَّذِينَ إِنْ مَكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ 

سورة الحج، من آية 36 إلى 41 

We have made camels b part of God’s sacred rites for you. There is much good in them for you, so invoke God’s name over them as they are lined up for sacrifice, then, when they have fallen down dead, feed yourselves and those who do not ask, as well as those who do. We have subjected them to you in this way so that you may be thankful. 

It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches God but your piety. He has subjected them to you in this way so that you may glorify God for having guided you. Give good news to those who do good: God will defend the believers; God does not love the unfaithful or the ungrateful. 

Those who have been attacked are permitted to take up arms because they have been wronged– God has the power to help them– those who have been driven unjustly from their homes only for saying, ‘Our Lord is God.’ If God did not repel some people by means of others, many monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, where God’s name is much invoked, would have been destroyed. God is sure to help those who help His cause– God is strong and mighty– those who, when We establish them in the land, keep up the prayer, pay the prescribed alms, command what is right, and forbid what is wrong: God controls the outcome of all events. 

Quran 22:36-41

[quranreadalong]

THE BAD QURAN, PT 21: SURAH 22

22/78 (28%) of surah 22 was bad, with the majority of it being in the second half but one very exciting portion being in the first half. Let’s jump right in.

The surah starts by telling us that on the Day of Judgement, women will miscarry and mothers will forget their children as they behold The Doom (22:2). Following that happy thought is an even happier thought, with 22:3 informing us that men who “disputeth concerning Allah without knowledge, and followeth each froward devil” will go to hell (22:4). 22:9 reiterates that such disputers are definitely going straight into The Fire, and 22:10 says that they’ll deserve it. Those with shaky faith--praising Allah in good times but other gods in bad times--will similarly be losers in the afterlife, 22:11 tells us. They will also deserve it, since praying to gods other than Allah is evil (22:13).

Then we get to a really fantastic Doom section, full of all sorts of exciting imagery. 22:18 starts us off. Many people deserve the Doom, Allah tells us. What sorts of people, you ask? Well, “as for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them; boiling fluid will be poured down on their heads” (22:19), “their skins too, will be melted” (22:20); “for them are hooked rods of iron” (22:21) and they will never be allowed to leave (22:22). Lovely!!!

After that, 22:25 just summarizes the above, saying that disbelievers will have a painful doom etc. Other disbelievers are doomed ayat: 22:51, 22:57, etc. 22:71-72 states plainly that “The Fire! Allah hath promised it for those who disbelieve. A hapless journey's end!”.

Talking about the punishment of the disbelievers is a bit boring tbh. What else do we got? Let’s see... 22:39 says that those who have been “wronged” are allowed to fight against those who “wronged” them. As we saw in a sahih hadith, this is in reference to Mohammed allowing his goons to attack Quraysh traders because the latter threw his ass out of Mecca after his little pledge stunt. Clearly that warrants murdering traders during truce months!

Well, at least that was a different sort of bad ayah. We then return to the usual--22:45 is about how many generations of disbelievers Allah has killed, destroying their cities (22:48; see: Hud, Saleh, Lot, Shuaib, etc).

After the strange ayah that may or may not be in reference to the “satanic verses”, 22:53 tells us that Allah allows Satan to throw in some fake revelations so that he will mislead the disbelievers, who will remain in doubt until they are punished (22:55). Fair enough!

SPECIAL BONUS SECTION: HALL OF SHAME!

The following ayat condemn disbelievers to hell and pinged our kuffar hell counter. They will be copied and pasted word-for-word. Enjoy… the doom!

Among mankind is he who disputeth concerning Allah without knowledge, and followeth each froward devil;   For him it is decreed that whoso taketh him for friend, he verily will mislead him and will guide him to the punishment of the Flame. 

And among mankind is he who disputeth concerning Allah without knowledge or guidance or a scripture giving light,  Turning away in pride to beguile (men) from the way of Allah. For him in this world is ignominy, and on the Day of Resurrection We make him taste the doom of burning. 

And among mankind is he who worshippeth Allah upon a narrow marge so that if good befalleth him he is content therewith, but if a trial befalleth him, he falleth away utterly. He loseth both the world and the Hereafter. That is the sheer loss. 

These twain (the believers and the disbelievers) are two opponents who contend concerning their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them; boiling fluid will be poured down on their heads, Whereby that which is in their bellies, and their skins too, will be melted; And for them are hooked rods of iron. Whenever, in their anguish, they would go forth from thence they are driven back therein and (it is said unto them): Taste the doom of burning.

those who disbelieved and denied Our revelations, for them will be a shameful doom. 

And when Our revelations are recited unto them, thou knowest the denial in the faces of those who disbelieve; they all but attack those who recite Our revelations unto them. Say: Shall I proclaim unto you worse than that? The Fire! Allah hath promised it for those who disbelieve. A hapless journey's end! 

...you know, the guy whose translation I’ve been using, Pickthall, was a convert. I wonder what his relationship with his disbelieving family members was like. (Incidentally, he was an apologist for Ottoman war crimes and genocide against Armenians, which I did not know until I just looked at his wiki page. PROBLEMATIC!!)

The next surah opens by talking about sex slaves and closes with complaints about disbelievers. It’s gonna be a good time.

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[quranreadalong]

#121, Surah 22

THE QURAN READ-ALONG: DAY 121

Well, we ended the day yesterday with a very detailed description of the torture that disbelievers will endure in hell. Today’s section is slightly more pleasant; some people believe that the transition between Mecca and Medina ayat is somewhere around here, perhaps accounting for the tone shift.

Also, four months have gone by since the start of this, can u believe. We’re 42% of the way done, so over 10% per month... meaning, I guess, we’re looking at ending this in six months at most. But I’d say we’re more than halfway there, a lot of the stuff in the second half of the Quran is repeated material.

Let’s continue. 22:23 is the good counterpoint to last section’s disbelievers-are-hellbound screed, saying that Muslims who do good works will be rewarded by jewellery and silk in jannah, because they were guided onto the proper path (Islam) during their lives. Following that is a more gentle but still bad Doom Unto Disbelievers rant, this one targeting disbelievers who prevent the Muslims in Medina from entering Mecca to perform the pilgrimage will face the doom. Incidentally there are recorded cases of individual Muslims going from Medina to Mecca and performing the pilgrimage long before the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, just not the entire group of them all together bc they were afraid of it being used as an opportunity to conquer Mecca...

Anyway, this brings us to a description of the building of the Kaaba. Abraham built it, if you recall, and Allah assigned it as a place of pilgrimage. He instructs people to invoke his name over sacrificed cattle on certain days, in reference to Eid al-Adha, then to eat the meat and give what remains to the poor (which is good). During this time, people are also to purify themselves and go on hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

As another reminder, since we haven’t been on this subject in a while: you can go on pilgrimage to the Kaaba whenever, called umrah, but the hajj is the one that is religiously required and it only occurs in the last month of the Arab lunar calendar, along with Eid al-Adha. That is late August of 2018 if y’all are keeping track. Muslims should follow the rules about the hajj and cattle sacrifice etc, and they shouldn’t lie about Allah by saying there are other gods. Those who sacrifice animals to Allah demonstrate piety and bring blessings and advantages onto themselves. The discussion on animal sacrifice continues, with 22:34 saying that Allah has told “every nation” of godfearing people to invoke his name over the sacrificial animals. Fair enough! It’s all neutral.

22:36 mentions sacrificial camels and instructs Muslims to also give some of their meat to the poor, like the beef, which is still good. Again, sacrificing camels shows devotion to Allah, and Allah will defend those who believe in/worship him.

Well, this section hasn’t been too bad! It’s a pretty nice change from the last section, actually, I mean it’s all--

Sanction is given unto those who fight because they have been wronged; and Allah is indeed Able to give them victory

--oh for fuck’s sake! Can we go, like, twenty lines without a bad ayah? Please? Ugh, we haven’t had to break out the tafsir lately, let’s go take a look at why Mohammed is instructing people to fight. Take it away, Abu Bakr.

When the Prophet (ﷺ) was expelled from Makkah, Abu Bakr said: 'They have driven out their Prophet to their own doom.' So Allah, Most High, revealed: 'Permission (to fight) is given to those who are fought against, because they have been wronged; and surely, Allah is able to give them victory (22:39).' So Abu Bakr said: 'Then I knew that there would be fighting.'

Ah, it’s just Mohammed vowing that they’ll fight the Quraysh because his dumb ass got kicked out of Mecca after that whole pledge thing we talked about in surah 9. Figures. Anyway this turns into self-pity after that, with Mohammed saying that evildoing idolators would have destroyed synagogues/churches/etc throughout history if Allah hadn’t stopped them. Whatever, at least that one is neutral.

Let’s end the day on a pleasant note, as 22:41 tells people to “pay the [zakat] and enjoin kindness and forbid iniquity”. Good!! I’m gonna leave it there because the surah then returns to disbelievers-are-doomed territory lolol

NEXT TIME: Blah blah townships destroyed, blah doom, blah hell.

The Quran Read-Along: Day 121

Ayat: 19

Good: 4 (22:23, 22:28, 22:36, 22:41)

Neutral: 13 (22:24. 22:26-27, 22:29-35, 22:37-38, 22:40)

Bad: 2 (22:25, 22:39)

Kuffar hell counter: 0

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[sweetness-of-faith]

القرآن: سورة الحج  Quran: Surah 22 - The Pilgrimage 

[sweetness-of-faith]

سورة الحج

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم 

وَجَاهِدُوا فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ ۚ هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ ۚ مِلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَفِي هَٰذَا لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ ۚ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِاللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَاكُمْ ۖ فَنِعْمَ الْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ 

سورة الحج، آية 78 

Strive hard for Allah as is His due: He has chosen you and placed no hardship in your religion, the faith of your forefather Abraham. Allah has called you Muslims ––both in the past and in this [message]––so that the Messenger can bear witness about you and so that you can bear witness about other people. So keep up the prayer, give the prescribed alms, and seek refuge in Allah: He is your protector––an excellent protector and an excellent helper. 

Quran 22:78

[sweetness-of-faith]

Quran 22:72-76

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم  

وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ تَعْرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الْمُنْكَرَ ۖ يَكَادُونَ يَسْطُونَ بِالَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِنَا ۗ قُلْ أَفَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِشَرٍّ مِنْ ذَٰلِكُمُ ۗ النَّارُ وَعَدَهَا اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ 

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ لَنْ يَخْلُقُوا ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ ۖ وَإِنْ يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْئًا لَا يَسْتَنْقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ۚ ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ * مَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ 

اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ * يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۗ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ 

سورة الحج، من آية 72 إلى 76

[Prophet], you can see the hostility on the faces of the disbelievers when Our messages are recited clearly to them: it is almost as if they are going to attack those who recite Our messages to them. Say, ‘Shall I tell you what is far worse than what you feel now? The Fire that Allah has promised the disbelievers! What a dismal end!’ 

People, here is an illustration, so listen carefully: those you call on beside Allah could not, even if they combined all their forces, create a fly, and if a fly took something away from them, they would not be able to retrieve it. How feeble are the petitioners and how feeble are those they petition! 

They have no grasp of Allah’s true measure: Allah is truly most strong and mighty. 

Allah chooses messengers from among the angels and from among men. Allah is all hearing, all seeing: He knows what lies before and behind them. All matters return to Him. 

Quran 22:72-76

[sweetness-of-faith]

سورة الحج

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم 

وَإِنْ يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَعَادٌ وَثَمُودُ * وَقَوْمُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَقَوْمُ لُوطٍ * وَأَصْحَابُ مَدْيَنَ ۖ وَكُذِّبَ مُوسَىٰ فَأَمْلَيْتُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ 

فَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ فَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَبِئْرٍ مُعَطَّلَةٍ وَقَصْرٍ مَشِيدٍ * أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا ۖ فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَٰكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ 

سورة الحج، من آية 42 إلى 46 

If they reject you [Prophet], so did the people of Noah before them, and those of Ad, Thamud, Abraham, Lot, Midian. Moses too was called a liar. I gave the disbelievers time, but in the end I punished them. How I condemned them! 

How many towns steeped in wrongdoing We have destroyed and left in total ruin; how many deserted wells; how many lofty palaces! 

Have these people [of Mecca] not travelled through the land with hearts to understand and ears to hear? It is not people’s eyes that are blind, but their hearts within their breasts. 

Quran 22:42-46

[sweetness-of-faith]

سورة الحج

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم 

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنْسَكًا لِيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُمْ مِنْ بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ ۗ فَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَلَهُ أَسْلِمُوا ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُخْبِتِينَ * الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ عَلَىٰ مَا أَصَابَهُمْ وَالْمُقِيمِي الصَّلَاةِ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ 

سورة الحج، آية 34-35

We appointed acts of devotion for every community, for them to celebrate God’s name over the livestock He provided for them: your God is One, so devote yourselves to Him. [Prophet], give good news to the humble whose hearts fill with awe whenever God is mentioned, who endure whatever happens to them with patience, who keep up the prayer, who give to others out of Our provision to them. 

Quran 22:34-35