About the book

Interpretation of the Thirtieth Part of the Holy Qur'an

“Am'ma Part”

 

Authored by

the great humane eminent scholar

Mohammad Amin Sheikho

(His soul has been sanctified by Al’lah)

1890-1964

 

Checked and introduced by

The researcher and thinker

Prof. A. K. John Alias Al-Dayrani

 

**First Edition**

Foreword by Prof. Abdul-Kadir John Alias Al-Dayrani

In Am’ma Part there is a reference to sensible and material cosmic miracles to be deeply contemplated with clear thinking so that they may become passages that lead those who seek to recognize the Grand God to get a link with their Provider.

If they continue this contemplation until they perceive the greatness of these miracles they will be able to perceive the Majesty of He who perfectly created them; and then their spirit, having submitted before the making and magnified it, will turn to submit and magnify the Maker. At this point they will move from witnessing by physical eye to witnessing by heart and spirit and thus His Light (glory to Him) will flow into the spirits of those who aspire to see Him, allowing them to realize His Magnificence. This is a spiritual witnessing before which a spirit bows and to which it returns in every bowing of every prayer, and in this way our prayer to God and our communication with Him become real not only formal ones.

Only then the spirit will surrender to Al’lah and swim absorbed in oceans of sights of His Supreme Attributes, having got its heart-eye open and enjoyed being near to the source of all donation and bliss. It will return to cordiality after coolness and to closeness after farness and will sink with love, infatuated by God after cold shunning. Thereby the spirit will be able to have food and drink from the spring of the Godly Presence that makes it thereafter never incline to any worldly mean desires, rather it will rise up through ladders of perfection, being pleased with approaching its Provider. Such spirits will drink from Him water in abundance that grants them eternal life after which they will never feel thirsty and will never die.

It is true that all spirits are deathless, but those faithful spirits who have believed and attained a link and communication with their Provider until they become enlightened by His Light, the Almighty: those spirits will have surrendered to and got eternal life by the Eternal Soul which provides them with Lofty breathes and Gardens of bliss.

Following these rules allows these spirits to get an access to the Godly Presence and to be colored with humanist perfection. All qualities of evil, cunning, and deception will be wiped out from them to be replaced with all qualities of virtue and morality that cause real happiness to penetrate into their hearts and to settle therein. Only the owners of such spirits will gain sublimity and will mount up to true humanity.

Anyone who starts his way with considering these cosmic signs which the verses of Am’ma Part refer to and spur on will no doubt witness the realities and facts of this life and the life to come and so becoming a wise scholar.

Am’ma Part is a high school including object lessons to be studied. To this school our father Abraham had joined and in it he (pth) took lessons and studied until he became a great personality and a father of Prophets.

The companions of the Cave (its sleepers) had begun their study with courses in this school. They sought to recognize the true God so they used their thought in the signs of this creation which are mentioned in Am’ma Part until they could witness the Grand Maker. Then, He drove away their blindness and illuminated their hearts, allowing them to witness His magnificent majesty. He granted them life in both body and spirit and made them an ideal for those who want to avoid bad ends gain loftiness and high grades over all of the creatures, and an example for every one that is longing for utmost sublimity.

All of the companions of the noble Prophets with those of God’s Envoy (cpth) had verified the verses of Am’ma Part through the meditation of the creatures.

The noble migrators followed by those who aided them n Al-Medina applied these verses which were revealed in Mecca until they ascended high degrees of loftiness and perfection. Thus they got an attic faith that did not be shaken when the Arab tribes apostatized after the departure of our lovely Messenger (cpth). Moreover, they could later on defeat the Persians and the Romans, looking forward to help them reach the Gardens of bliss and enjoy happiness here and there.

Studying, verification and scrutinization of the verses of Am’ma Part with continuous contemplation is the way that leads humanity to scientifically know that there is no god but Al’lah. This is the real science which the Almighty wants mankind to learn so that they may practice their humanity in right ways and feel with awe from this Grand God (glory to His Names). God says: “Then, know that there is no god except Al’lah…”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 47, Mohammad (Mohammad), verse 19

And enough science for man is to fear God.

When one attains such science he will realize God’s existence and will see that Al’lah the Almighty is near, looking, watching and controlling everything, so he will follow the straight path and will never deviate from His Commands. At this stage, his link with God becomes firm and his love for Him and His Messenger grows more until he joins to his companions (cpth) who have become qualified for doing favor. Such people will rise up to the highest degree of humanity and so achieving God’s purpose behind His creation in ascending high grades of perfection and enjoying drawing nearer to Him.

The book of Am’ma Part is containing the school of the father of Prophets, our master Abraham (pth) where he studied and from which he graduated to perform weighty deeds.

The verses of Am’ma Part are including Al’lah’s Supreme Attributes. When the noble companions of our Messenger Muhammad (cpth) put them into practice until they got them into mind they became the masters of this world and brought out people from darkness into the light. They turned them from blind beast to utmost humanity and absolute superiority.

They became elevated in their life and after death. By God, understanding the verses of Am’ma Part led to make miracles.

Great scientific conquests and holy revelations were achieved when the noble companions saved us from the Roman and the Persian colonialism and paved the way for the graduates of this school to conquer the whole land. Indeed they were luminous lamps and lights that illuminated the ways of guidance and peace for all humanity.

So, every person should learn with certainty about the verses of Am’ma Part to deem themselves far above gazing with those that are disrespected, for Al’lah has nominated us for a high standing, if only we pay heed to it.

In Am’ma Part we can see how Al’lah overwhelms us with His Favor and Charity and guards us by His Mercy and great Care.

Within it, we can see the Godly Justice has been manifested Itself with Its most magnificent meanings.

How great is he who recites them or reads them! How great is he who draws attaintion to them or publishes them! For those people are indeed sources of truth, right and religion.

All of these blessings are but drops from the ocean of the favor of he (cpth) who rose high above all that is high. Glorify him (cpth), then, and appreciate him (cpth) in order that you can comprehend these meanings and be able to apply them. Let him (cpth) be your highest example and your leader forever and ever.

By Am’ma Part the noble companions woke up from their heedlessness; with it God’s Envoy had started his way to God, and it is that which upgraded the Arab State then the good chosen nations and people and moved them to life filled with bliss and happiness after they had lost themselves in worlds of darkness.

This is the way leading to the Gardens, this is the school by which one can leave the ranks of animalization to graduate as a real human being and soar through the ranks of humanity. By following this way humanity will be pleased to be near to the Most High Donor and then all other creatures, including heaven and earth, will feel at ease with them. This is the significance of the word ‘Man’ in Arabic.

Am’ma Part was not the school where only our great father Abraham (pth) studied and mounted high degrees, nay all of the masters of sublimity, the noble Messengers and the great Prophets joined to it and moved up through its orbits, and then they guided all nations to it, so bringing them into light, splendor and pleasure, and allowing them enjoy this life and the life to come.

— Prof. A. K. John Alias Al-Dayrani

Al-Fatiha Fortress

(The Opening)[1]

1. “In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.”

2. “Praise is to God, the Provider of the worlds.”

3. “The Compassionate, the Merciful.”

4. “And the Possessor of judgment-day.”

5. “You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.”

6. “Guide us to the straight path.”

7. “The path of those whom You have favoured, of those who have never incurred Your wrath, and of those who have not gone astray.”

§§§§§

Interpretation of Al-Fatiha Fortress

(The Opening)

The Prophet (cpth),[2] says in the noble Hadith: “No communication with God is performed by that who doesn’t read the Opening chapter of the holy Book ‘Al-Fatiha’.”[3]

Another Hadith is: “Whoever prays a prayer without reciting the Opening chapter of the Book; his prayer is imperfect, imperfect, imperfect.”[4]

So, what is the greatest secret related to Al-Fatiha which makes the communication with God depending on it?

The communication with God is the link between the spirit and its Provider, and its close connection with its Creator’s Light. This is the communication with God in its reality. If it does not result in this link and connection; it will be only mere movements with no sense, meaning or reality; that is to say, it will be mere sayings and movements.

But how can we get this link with our Provider?

How can we perform this communication with God in its essence and reality?

Al-Fatiha, then, shows you the perfection of God (glory to Him), and by seeing the perfection, love will be generated and the link will be achieved.

This is the desired fruit of reading it in each bow when performing the communication with God.

The more the believer reads Al-Fatiha, the more he witnesses and knows the Godly perfection he maintains, and the higher rank he gradually rises to loving God through this communication. The noble saying denotes: “Communication with God is the elevator of the believer.”[5]

It is a ladder through which he ascends in loving and knowing God from a state to another. It is a ladder through which the believer advances gradually in seeing the way of virtue; time after time, because this link makes the spirit being illuminated by the light of right, so it becomes able to distinguish the path of good from that of evil.

Thus, God says: “Communication with Me prohibits man from doing fornication or evil, but remembering Al’lah is greater.”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 29, Al-’Ankabut (The Spider), verse 45

The Almighty God has ordered us to seek refuge in Him from the cursed Satan when we want to recite the Qur’an. He said: “So when you want to recite the Qur’an, seek refuge in God from Satan, the cursed.”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 16, An-Nahl (The Bees), verse 98

So, what is the meaning of “seeking refuge”?

What do we mean by saying, “in God”?

Who is “Satan”?

What is the meaning of “the cursed”?

“Seeking refuge and might” means to seek a shelter, a protection and power from the owner of might and glory. So, ‘Seek refuge’ means that I ask for might and take shelter and protection in the Owner of glory and might.

“In God” means ‘in the Obeyed’. ‘The obeyed’ here is that whose control and command affect every creature with no exception, whether he likes or not, for His control and command contain but good and mercy.

Each creature moves according to his assigned function and performs the works he has been created for.

For example, the camel is directed and exploited for serving man, so it carries his baggage. The bee is steered and obliged to take the honey out of the flowers. The terrestrial globe is controlled by the Almighty’s command when it rotates. The moon is also directed when it rotates round the earth in continual movement and circulation.

So, He, the Almighty controls its movement and directs it as He likes. The entire universe is subject to God’s Will and it cannot get out of the control of this Obeyed. That is what we understand of the word “In God.”

“Satan” in Arabic is called ‘Shaitan’ which is derived from the two verbs ‘shatana’ and ‘shata’. The verb ‘shatana’ means ‘avoided the right’. The verb ‘shata’ means ‘burned’.

So, “Satan” who is far from the right, exposed himself to burning, and being perishable. He is striken by burning and damnation because of his farness from the right.

“The cursed” means ‘the one who always suffers from torment because he is deprived of being near to God’.

“The cursed” means, also, the one who is continually hit by affliction and misery as farness away of God and shunning are the reasons beyond each affliction and the source of each misery.

So, the whole statement “I seek refuge in God from the cursed Satan” means ‘I seek protection and might in the Obeyed whose command controls everything, from Satan who became always tortured and deprived of every good out of his farness from the right.’

If you spiritually resort to Al’lah when reading the Qur’an and enter into the Presence of the Obeyed who made all creatures submissive and yielding to His command, there you will be in fortified fort and inaccessible place where no devil can enter.

In this fort, the whispers of Satan will cease from reaching you, the deafness of the ears will disappear, and the veil of the eyes will be uncovered.

Then, you will hear the speech from the Speaker (glory to Him) as well as you will see and witness the benefits and the good things folded under His commands.

Verse no. 1

1. “In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.”

After saying “I seek refuge in God from the cursed Satan,” you can say “In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.”

So, what is the meaning of “In the Name of God”?

What is the meaning of “the Compassionate”?

And what is the meaning of “the Merciful”?

To catch the meaning of “In the Name of God” we give an example, when the judge pronounces the judgement, he says: “in the name of the law,” that is “I am the judge, revealing the punishment which the law has decided.” Also, when the president says: “I speak in the name of people”, he means “I reveal what they ask me to reveal and declare what they wish for.”

Accordingly, our saying “In the Name of God” means ‘I recite but the words of Al’lah to myself and to the others, revealing God’s command and delivering the Obeyed’s words.’

But, what is the attribute of this ‘Obeyed’? He is “the Compassionate, the Merciful.”

The attribute “Compassionate” encompasses every being and its good spreads over each one of all creation.

“The Compassionate” is He who obliges all the creation with the cure i. e. the spiritual cure.

The Almighty Al’lah handles the patient, the poor, the anxious and the grieved according to His Name ‘Compassionate’. Therefore, the sickness, the poverty, the anxiety, the grief, and even each affliction and torment: All of that is compassion from Al’lah, by them the spiritual cure and gradual advance from a state to a state can be got.

Mostly, the affliction forms a motive that results in returning to God’s Advice, and a cause that draws the far spirit near to Al’lah.

There, by its nearness it attains the cure and gets rid of the dirties attached to it.

In general, when the affliction hits that who deserves it, it will be a kind of good and compassion from Al’lah, and it will always bring benefits for its owner.

By the Name “Compassionate”; the sickness becomes health for the sick, the poverty wealth, the failure success, and the difficulty ease. By the Name “Compassionate”, all the creation graduate in tasting the Godly favour time after time. By the Name “Compassionate”; you, man, have come out of nonbeing into being, by it you live, and also by it you will be raised to life after death.

By the Name “Compassionate”, the believer ascends gradually in the Godly knowledge from a rank of perfection to a higher one day after day. By the Name “Compassionate”, the torment of people of Fire will increase so that its severe torture will make them forget the pain of their spiritual diseases which arises from their compliance with their whims in the worldly life and their breach of the Commands of the Provider of the worlds. So, they will be immersed in the extreme torment of Fire wishing to forget the dreadful torment of their spirits and the horrible destruction of their diseases.

Through the Name “Compassionate”, the Almighty will reveal Himself to the believers in Paradise so that they elevate in the ranks of nearness and ascend on the ladders of perfection from a degree to a higher one, and so on. The good contained in this Name never stops nor does the Compassionate’s Favour end.

Thus, “the Compassionate” is that who manifests Himself to His obedient followers with compassion, and that is not restricted to the obedient believers. His Compassion spreads over the whole creation according to their states in this life and the hereafter.

So, you see the believers in Paradise enjoying what their Provider has prepared for them of the eternal bliss which is fit to their states, whereas you see the unbelievers in Fire being treated by the Hell torment which is fit to them due to the diseases they have; and that is a kind of Al’lah’s Mercy. He is (glory to Him) Compassionate upon His creation because He Himself is Merciful.

“The Merciful” is that who manifests Himself to His obedient followers in grace and welfare. This Name is limited to the believing obedient follower. They live good life in this world enjoying the favour of their Merciful Provider, as well as they enjoy the eternal bliss He has prepared for them in Paradise.

Verse no. 2

2. “Praise is to God, the Provider of the worlds.”[6]

To understand this noble verse, we explain each word of it, and then we can understand it as a whole.

We say, “Praise” expresses the appreciation to the benefactor which is generated in the spirit, and the commendation to the donor and giver which arises in it.

The gratitude which we feel towards that who has driven the good to us is a kind of praise, and the commendation which we show to that who has granted us the grace and whom the good has come from; is also a kind of praise.

As we see, the praise is a spiritual case. It arises in the spirit towards the benefactor and the giver when we see his favour and his charity.

Yet, nothing could be praised unless it was inclusive of every good in all its faces and far from any defect or lack.

Similarly, a person could not be praised unless his benevolence was comprehensive and favour was prevalent. That is some of what we understand of the word ‘Praise’.

So, who is that who should be praised?

Who is that who deserves to be praised so that everybody or even every being and every spirit praise him for each deed or action?

The Messenger tells us on behalf of Al’lah that praise should be only to God. Therefore He says: “to God”, that is ‘to the Obeyed’.

As previously mentioned in the word “I seek refuge and feel proud of God from the cursed Satan”; ‘the Obeyed’ is that who made everything submit to His Will willy-nilly.

He alone steers the creation, and He alone is the Director of their affairs who directs them for their benefit as He wants.

So, what we understand of our saying ‘Praise is to God’ is that anything God brings to His obedient followers is full of good and charity, and any action performed by Him, the Almighty, for His creation is loaded with the Godly favour and kindness. This is not limited to Man, yet it spreads over each of the creatures. God is praised for every event occurring in this universe.

So, if the veil was uncovered; every creature, without exception, would praise God the Almighty for what He has brought to him. The sick would praise God for the diseases He has befallen him with.

So is it for the troubled and the grieved, they would praise God for the troubles and the grief He has afflicted them with. The criminal, when he would be driven to the Fire, would praise God for the pain and the torture he would pass through therein. So, ‘Praise is to God’ is at any case in this life and in the hereafter.

This means that all what God drives to His obedient followers[7] is mere good and mercy, and all what He treats them with is absolute grace and beneficence.

If you attain link with God, you will see that in details and believe that all the praises should be to God. Thus, ‘Praise is to God’ means ‘to the Obeyed’. He, the Almighty, is obeyed because He is the Provider of the worlds.

“The Provider of the worlds”: ‘The Provider’ means ‘the Sustainer’ who provides the entity with existence, growth, power and life.

“The Provider” means the Owner of continuous sustain whose sustain does not cease a twinkle – nor less than that – from His creation.

The word “worlds” is the plural of ‘world’. The stars in the space, the beasts, the birds, and the fish in the seas, the bees, the germs, mankind, the jinn, the red cells, and others: each of them is a world.

Also, the plants contain many worlds, and each world contains worlds, and so on...

The Almighty God provides all these worlds moment after moment and time after time. He is (glory to Him) the Provider of all the worlds. So, praise is to God, the Obeyed, as He is the Sustainer and the Director. Everything praises Him because He moves it in a way that suits it and entails good for it.

But why does Al’lah treat His creation with kindness and bring them nothing but that which contains good?

The Messenger demonstrates that Al’lah treats His creation so because He is the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Verse no. 3

3. “The Compassionate, the Merciful.”

Therefore, the Almighty says: “The Compassionate, the Merciful”: He is Compassionate with His creation when He brings the distress to the opposers as a treatment so as to be cured of defects and the spiritual diseases they hold. He is also Compassionate when He brings the grace, the charity and the favour to the charitable faithful (one) because he deserves that and because of the healthy life he enjoys. He is (glory to Him) Compassionate with these two parties because He Himself is Merciful.

Verse no. 4

4. “The Possessor of Judgment-day.”

The “Possessor” is the Owner of possession and the owner of power and rule.

“Judgment” refers to the right and to giving the right to its owner justly.

The “Judgment-day” begins in Al-Azal and lasts forever. It is one day that has no end and the Possessor of it is the Provider of the whole worlds.

In these three verses, there is a demonstration from God to the spirit. If it recognizes the attributes of the Creator aforementioned, it will then submit and surrender to Him; it will resign itself to Him saying: “Oh, Owner of might and power! Oh, Compassionate! Oh, Merciful! Oh, Possessor of Judgment-day! I worship none except You. You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help.”

Verse no. 5

5. “You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.”

“Worship” means ‘obey’, because the worship is accomplished when the obedience is fulfilled, such as the obedience of the servant to his master and that of the worshiper to his Creator.

In this noble verse, there is a pledge given by the obedient follower (abd) that he covenants his Provider to obey Him in each of His commands.

The worship is not restricted to performing the prayers, fasting, going on pilgrimage or paying the alms, yet the “worship” is a comprehensive word that comes within selling and buying, within dealing with people, and within each deed.

So, when you say “You alone we worship…”, here, your covenant with your Provider is to be a worshiper that obeys Him alone and does not obey anyone else beside Him as you have known His clemency and His Compassion and witnessed His Majesty and Grandeur.

You say “You alone we worship…” because your spirit has felt that it has no refuge except to Al’lah, and no guide to the good except Him.

You say: “Oh, Provider! You are the Praised at any case. You are the Provider of the worlds, the Compassionate, the Merciful. You are the Possessor of myself and the Controller of everything. I find no Obeyed whom I obey nor a guide who leads me to what secures my happiness except You. You are my Obeyed Provider. I do not disobey Your Order in my movements. You are my worshiped Lord. I follow but your guidance in each of my acts.”

You say that as your spirit has been immersed in God’s Majesty and Greatness and has witnessed His Favour and Mercy, therefore it stood submissive at His Presence.

Then, you ask your Lord who is Merciful to you to help you in following the right path because you are beset by the false desires and whims, as well as the obstacles and hindrances are surrounding you aiming at preventing you from doing good.

So, your spirit may yearn for one of the wicked and forbidden desires, and insist on getting it which makes its germ reach its heart. Here, if Al’lah prevents you from getting it and does not supply you with power and might, the germ of that desire will overwhelm you and will creep into each of your spirit’s atoms. Thereupon, your spirit will be surrounded by that desire from all its sides, so that you will not be able to get out of it nor can you find a way or a means to return to your Provider, and it will keep engaged in its lust which prevails over it fully occupying its field. Therefore, as a result of your Provider’s Compassion, He gives a way to your desire and supplies you with power, and there you will be able to do what you were insisting on and to attain your purpose.

The noble saying denotes: “Deeds come according to the intentions. So, each man will get what he has intended.”[8]

And the Almighty says: “He who disobeys the Apostle after what has been revealed to him of the guidance and follows a path other than that of the faithful, shall be given what he has chosen. We will cast him into Hell: a dismal end.”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 4, An-Nisa’ (Women), verse 115

In another verse He says: “He that desires the fleeting life shall, before long, receive whatever We will for whomever We want. Then Hell is ready for him where he will be burnt despised and helpless.

“As for him who desires the hereafter and strives for it as much as he can, being a true believer, their endeavours shall be rewarded.

“Of the bounties of your Provider, We bestow freely on all these as well as those; the bounties of your Provider, none are deprived”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 17, Al-Isra’ (The Night Journey), verse 18-20

If you have an intention to do something, and you are determined and insistent on getting it; there, you will get the sustain with power and might from Al’lah, and there you will fall to action. By that, the germ of the desire gathers in one place and the spirit’s field will be free from what was fully occupying it. After that, God inflicts diseases on that disobedient follower and brings calamities to him. God says: “And was it so, when a disaster smote you had done equal wrong twice, you said: ‘How is this?’ Say (unto them, Oh Mohammad): ‘it is from yourselves. Lo! Al’lah is Omnipotent’.”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 3, Al ‘Imran (The Family of ‘Imran), verse 165

If he turns to his Provider by this disaster, Godly light will flow into the spirit by which it can see the reality of its desire and find its wickedness and the great evil it contains. Consequently it loathes it, disdains it and never inclines to it again.

God says: “And indeed We will make them taste of the lightest chastisement before the greatest chastisement in order that they may return (repent).”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 32, As-Sajda (The Prostration), verse 21

But if the calamity hits the spirit and it does not come close to its Provider; the germ of desire will keep stuck to it, gathering in one of its sides, and it will remain so until it dies. There, if it is accustomed to come near to Al’lah and has got the link with its Provider during its life, the torment of the tomb or the blazing (heat) of the fire, later on, will be a way helping it to come close to God in order to be cured.

But if it has not got the link with its Provider during its life nor has it attained a knowledge about His Supreme Attributes which makes it taste His love and become cured of what has been attached to it; there the fire will be as a screen standing between it and the pain of the wicked desire that destroys it. The intense pain of the Fire will make it forget the pain of the wicked desire’s disease.

Then, according to the Mercy of God, He does not get it out of the Fire, so it keeps burning therein forever. This is the state of the spirit contaminated with the germ of malignant desires of the worldly (secular) life. The calamities, the torment of the tomb and the blazing Fire are but ways and means of treatment which lead the spirit to be near to Al’lah (to Paradise).

Then, by that nearness, the witnessing of the truth will be obtained as well as the cure of the germ of the forbidden desire that stuck to the spirit when being far from Al’lah, will be got.

Yet if the believer could truly turn to his Provider, he would be able to see the evil and the harm contained in the forbidden desire by the light of his Provider. There, the entrance to God would protect him from falling and his spirit would be clean of its bad defects, so he would never incline to the forbidden nor would he do it at all. Therefore, our Provider has commanded us to keep connecting our spirit with Him and to direct them truly to Him in order to perform the real communication through which we see none except Him. And Al’lah is with the one of us as long as he keeps communicating himself with Him.

That is the legitimacy of the prayer: “...communication with God (prayer) forbids from doing fornication and evil...”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 29, Al-’Ankabut (The Spider), verse 45

In this way aforementioned, our communication with God prevents us. So, that whose prayer was not in this way, would remain blind seeing no good nor evil, moreover you see him inclined to evil thinking that it is good.

God says: “As for Thamud, We offered them Our guidance, but they preferred blindness to guidance. Therefore, a hideous scourge overtook them because of what they were doing.”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 41, Fussilat (Explained), verse 17

Therefore, caring to make our spirits not inclined to a wicked desire, we ask the Almighty to support us with His Help in order to see its reality. That is why we say the verse “and You alone we ask for help.”

But what is this help we ask the Almighty for?

It is His guidance to us by His light in order to distinguish between our good desires and our bad ones. Therefore, we say: “Guide us to the straight path.”

Verse no. 6

6. “Guide us to the straight path.”

When we say: “He guided one to the way”, it means that he led him to it, showing it to him and acquainting him with it.

In this verse, you get the piety, that is, after you have restored (yourself) to your Creator seeking refuge in His Loftiness and after you have entered into His Presence; you ask Him to grant you His light in order to help you seeing the path of right and make the way of right guidance clear to you.

In fact, things have appearance and reality. By the sun’s light, the eye can see the appearance of things without seeing their realities. The reflection of the body is printed on the retina of the eye, and there the spirit sees and feels it.

In this case the spirit views the reflection and the appearance, whereas it cannot witness the essence and the reality.

Witnessing the reality needs a great light which is greater than the light of the sun, as it needs a penetrating and keen sight which reaches the essence. That great light which manifests the plain and clear truth to you is the light of Al’lah, the Almighty, and that keen sight is but the spirit itself as a whole free from any veil that blocks its view.

In this noble verse, you enter spiritually into God’s Presence asking for His guidance and calling Him to bestow His light upon you.

If you were truthful in your turning and your request; there you would be illuminated by God’s Light. This Godly light would uncover the reality of things to you, so you would be able to distinguish the good from the bad. It would be a discrimination from Al’lah that makes you see the path of right clear and luminous.

God says: “You who have faith. Be under God’s Light and believe in His Messenger. He will grant you two portions of His mercy and He will bestow on you a light to walk through...“

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 57, Al-Hadid (Iron), verse 28

So, this Godly light enlightens the way of right to the spirit and makes it distinguish between the virtue and the vice. The faithful asks his Provider for guidance in all his affairs as well as he asks Him inspiration to the right and soundness in each of his matters. The sacred saying denotes: “My obedient followers! All of you are astray except those whom I have guided. So, ask Me for guidance and I will guide you.”[9]

If you get this illumination by God’s Light and attain a vision when reading the verse in respect, there you will see that the entire universe is encompassed with justice and established upon the right. You will witness that all the creation are directed to a straight path.

The oppressive ruler is not empowered except over a bad and unfair men, nor the criminal felon is helped except against a sinful aggressor. Similarly, God does not control the doer of favour and charity except to an obedient follower that has done good and showed charity before. Therefore, you ask God to make you walk upon a straight path which brings you grace and welfare, so you say: “The path of those whom You have favoured…”

Verse no. 7

7. “The path of those whom You have favoured, of those who have never incurred Your wrath, and of those who have not gone astray.”

“The path of those whom You have favoured”: that is, “My God! Please, make my movement for serving Your obedient followers. Make me one of those who had treated Your creation with good and charity so they became worthy of Your bounty and benefaction. Those who want to be near to You will not be so except by helping Your creation. So, please, my God! Make me one of the company of Your charitable obedient followers who devoted themselves wholeheartedly to help Your creation, so they gained Your satisfaction and You rewarded them with Your Paradise and favour for their good deeds.”

“Of those who have never incurred Your wrath”: they are those who have confessed the Providence to You and the mission to Your Messenger. They admitted that there is no God except Al’lah and Moses is the speaker with Al’lah, there is no God except Al’lah and Jesus is of God’s soul, and there is no God except Al’lah and Mohammad is the Messenger of Al’lah; then they never deviated from obeying You and never turned away from Your Statute.

Or, you can say about those who have never incurred Your wrath; those who have attained Your content in Al-Azal world till now. They are your Prophets and Messengers.

But those who incurred Your wrath:

Please my God! Keep me far from those who have incurred Your wrath as they heard Your words through Your Messengers but disobeyed You and broke Your command.

Therefore, their behaviour with Your obedient followers was fraught with cunning and filled with damage and vice.

They incurred Your anger and Your discontent because they deprived themselves of what You have prepared for them of favour and welfare, and lost the everlasting bliss You have kept for them.

“And of those who have not gone astray”: They have not recognised or witnessed Your Supreme attributes, and that was the reason that caused their deviating from the path of right and guidance. They thought that the good act entails loss and damage while the aggression and cunning entail winnings and benefits.

So, please God! Protect me from going astray from You. Because he who went away from You, the vile whims would overcome him and consequently all his deeds would be bad.

Oh my God! Please protect me from being far from You. You are clement and merciful Provider, and You are the source of every virtue and good.

Those who have gone astray from You would ruin themselves and would lose everything.

Oh, my God guide me to be a faithful of those who have been guided to You by Your Messengers, as they have followed their instructions and obeyed You through them. Those who have achieved true faith, such as the companions of the Prophet Mohammad (cpth) who had kept their pledge and attained their covenant with Al’lah.

Oh, my God! keep me far from those who denied You, and have gone far from You and Your Messengers.

 

An-Nas Fortress

(Oblivious Mankind, Oblivious Jinn kind)

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

1. Say; I proudly take refuge in the Provider of oblivious (people).

2. The King of oblivious (people).

3. The (steering) God of oblivious (people).

4. From the evil of the sneaking whisperer.

5. Who whispers evil in the chests of oblivious (people), and who withdraws:

6. Out of jinns and of oblivious mankind.

§§§§§

Interpretation of An-Nas Fortress

(Oblivious Mankind, Oblivious Jinn kind)

In this noble fortress, The Almighty God guides you, Oh man to the way which saves you from the evil of Satan and his whispers. If you follow His guidance you will then view the fact of everything; so you will be able to distinguish between the bad and the good as well as this enemy will have no way to overcome you. It is you who overcomes this enemy.

Therefore, God says: “Say; I proudly take refuge in the Provider of oblivious (people). The King of oblivious (people). The (steering) God of oblivious (people). From the sneaking whisperer.”

Verse no. 1

1. “Say; I proudly take refuge in the Provider of oblivious (people).”

The word “say” is an address to the Messenger (cpth). It means “say to My obedient followers and tell them to seek refuge proudly in Me.” It is also an address to man himself. If man reads this verse “takes refuge”, he will feel as if he hears it recited by Al’lah on His noble Messenger, and there, as mentioned before in Al-Fatiha (the Opening) fortress, the reader’s spirit will enter with the Messenger’s into God’s Presence, so it understands what it says and gets the Godly purpose of such saying.

So, the word “say” denotes: You, man,! Say to yourself: “I proudly seek might and protection.” Let your state be always a state of one proud of his Provider, clinging to his Leader and resorting to his God and Director.

The Almighty has revealed to you three attributes of His, so as to be a reason that leads your spirit to come nearer to Him and a motive that makes you see the necessity of this nearness. Thus, you find no choice except seeking for His Might and keep resorting to Him as He is: “the Provider of oblivious (people).”

“The Provider” as mentioned previously in the Opening fortress is the Grower who supplies with life. His sustain is not restricted to one element of yours, yet it includes your spirit, your body, your soul and each of your organs.

In some details, we say: The eye and what it contains of systems and layers that help it to see the things, the ear and what it contains of membranes and stapes that help it to hear the voices, the heart and what is in it of ligaments and tendons, the digestive system and what is connected to it of glands and juices, you can say each atom of your body’s and each cell of yours whatever small and minute it be, even that which is inconceivable and your thought can not hold: the existence of all of that depends on this continuous Sustain by which their being lasts and their entity and formation remain.

The Almighty’s Supply to you is comprehensive and permanent, and it never stops or ceases even for a single moment.

Verse no. 2

2. “The King of oblivious (people).”

The Almighty is also “The king of oblivious (people).” “The king” is that who possessed people by His Support and Provision. Due to their need to Him, they are surrendering to Him and in bad need of His Favor and support. So, they have to keep connecting with Him and entering into His Presence by their spirits and their bodies.

Verse no. 3

3. “The (steering) God of oblivious (people).”

And the Almighty is “The (steering) God of oblivious (people).” As mentioned before in the Opening fortress, “God” is the obeyed and the steering willy-nilly. So Al’lah is the steering God of oblivious people who directs them according to their choice to what suits them and secures their benefits. By Him, the Almighty, your works and all your affairs are directed, and also by Him the steering of each organ of yours is.

By Him the hand works and moves, the eye sees and looks, the ear listens and hears, the nose smells, the mouth chews, the tongue moves and talks, the heart expands and contracts, the chest moves up and down… etc.

In short, any sense and any member of yours are but directed by a command of God and subject to His steering. You have the will and the choice whereas the might, the power, and the steering in deeds are from Him, the Almighty.

So, the Provider of oblivious people, the King of oblivious people and the steering God of oblivious people orders you to keep seeking refuge in Him in every moment.

The word “oblivious” is “An-Nas” in Arabic. It is a gender name of all sons of Adam.

Mankind were called so because their coming to this world and their coming out to the world of shapes and bodies made them forget their knowledge of Al’lah in Al-Azal world, the world of spirits, and this physical body became the veil which prevented the spirit from knowing itself concerning its weakness, need and absolute lack to its Creator and the continuity of its former knowledge. God says through His Messenger’s tongue: “...and none will remember except those who come back (to God)...”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 40, Ghafir (The Forgiver ‘God’), verse 13

In another verse He says: “and none will remember except those who have minds.”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 3, Al ‘Imran (The Family of ‘Imran), verse 7

Thus, if you truthfully seek God’s Might, the owner of these qualities aforementioned, and wholly resort to Him, there you will be safe and above the evil of the sneaking whisperer. That is why God says: “From the evil of the sneaking whisperer.”

Verse no. 4

4. “From the evil of the sneaking whisperer.”

“Evil” means ‘harm’ and ‘damage’.

“Whisperer” is derived from the verb ‘whisper’ which means ‘speak secretly with evil suggestions’.

“Sneaking” is derived from the verb ‘sneak’ which means ‘to go stealthily’.

So, “the sneaking whisperer” is the devil, and this statement indicates two qualities of his.

He is “whisperer” because he whispers evil suggestions to the spirit when it is far from God.

Verse no. 5

5. “Who whispers evil in the chests of oblivious people, and who withdraws”

“Withdraws” Satan withdraws because he becomes defeated and expelled and draws back shrunk and retrogressive when the spirit returns to seek God’s Might and Help and comes back to Him.

If it keeps on its nearness and gets a permanent link with its Provider, the devil will have no control over it at all; nor can he approach it or dares whisper to it.

This spirit remains in fortified fort and inaccessible place as long as it stays at God’s Presence and has a permanent communication with Him. But if it comes out of this Holy Presence, the whisperer will hasten to it tempting with what saddens and dejects it and with what entails evil and harm.

As for the way of whispering evil, the Almighty has illustrated it to us when He says: “Who whispers evil in the chests of oblivious people.”: the Almighty has mentioned to us ‘the chest’ because it is the spirit’s location and center.

Thus the devil whispers to the spirit and makes it imagine his temptation.

Finally, the Almighty has revealed the entrance of the devil to you and the way by which he sneaks to you. He says: “Out of jinns and oblivious people.”

Verse no. 6

6. “Out of jinns and oblivious people.”

According to what is shown by this noble verse, the devil whispers to man through two ways:

1) A hidden interior way by which you do not see him by your eyes nor touch by your senses, but feel him in your secret and perceive him by your spirit when he himself comes to you tempting with what leads to God’s disobedience. And that is what intended by the word “jinns”.

2) An obvious clear way: that is when he comes to you wearing the dress of people far away from God and talks to you through their tongues about what holds damage to you. He makes that which leads to break God’s order seem fair to you by means of them while it results in what leads to your misery and distress. That is what is meant by the word “oblivious people” in this last verse.

Thus, if you enter into God’s Presence seeking refuge in Him, you will save yourself from the evil of the whisperer and live happily as a master who cannot be defeated under the protection and bliss of your Merciful and Noble Creator.

Al-Falaq Fortress

(All that’s Coming to Appearance)

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

1. Say I proudly take refuge in the Provider of the break (Al-Falaq)

2. From the evil of what He creates

3. From the evil of the dusky (devil), when he enters the hole(of chest)

4. From the evil of the spitters in the ties (sorceress)

5. From the evil of the envier, when he envies

§§§§§

Interpretation of Al-Falaq Fortress

(All that’s Coming to Appearance)

In this noble Fortress, Almighty God clarifies that resorting to Him saves us from all kinds of evil and protects us from them.

This fortress has adopted in its demonstration the same way followed by An-Nas fortress before.

It mentions to us the mightiness of our Provider so as to make our spirits submit to Him and turn truthfully towards Him. As it reveals the fruit we gain out of our resorting and the benefit we get out of our seeking might in our Provider.

If An-Nas (Oblivious Mankind, Oblivious Jinn kind) fortress was as a preparatory lesson that informs man first of all of his Provider and reveals that seeking might in the Almighty protects him from the evil resulting from the devil’s insinuations and whispers; this fortress, Al-Falaq one, moves man to a field higher than that. It shows him that his Provider whom he seeks refuge in, is the Provider of all universe and the Sustainer with life of all this existence. Then, after that, it details to us the evil that we can avoid if we resort to our Provider. Therefore, God says: “Say I proudly take refuge in the Provider of the break (Al-Falaq).”

Verse no. 1

1. “Say I proudly take refuge in the Provider of the break (Al-Falaq).”

This noble verse calls us to turn to Al’lah for recourse and might.

“Say I proudly take refuge”: That is, tell your spirit, man, to seek might and protection in the Provider of the break (Al-Falaq).

“Break” is derived from the verb “break” which means to uncover the thing after its hiding and to dispel its darkness.

“The break” here is a comprehensive word including all what the Almighty has brought out into existence and what He will do of that which was being and known for Him before in Al-Azal world, the day of creating the spirits.

So, this word includes the earth and the heaven, the sun and the moon, the heat and the cold, the day and the night, the man and the animal. It even contains everything God has created or will create in this being and will bring it into the view and the world of shapes and bodies.

So, Al’lah (glory to Him) is the Provider of the break, i. e. He is the Sustainer who supplies all what is in the universe with life.

But from what do we take refuge in the Provider of the break?!

The Almighty has clarified that to us when He says: “From the evil of what He creates.”

Verse no. 2

2. “From the evil of what He creates.”

“The evil” is the wicked desire arised in the creature’s spirit when being far from God. But in this verse, it refers to the harm generated from the desire and the damage resulted from it after its coming out of spirit into the field of action.

“Creates”: This action comes out of God, because by the Almighty God, the creation is accomplished, that is bringing out what is in the spirit into existence; as well as He is the supplier with movement.

The creature desires and chooses in his spirit, then the creation is accomplished by the Almighty.

Thus, the meaning of His saying: “From the evil of what He creates.” as a whole is: I seek refuge in God from the harm and damage issued from the creature which Al’lah creates according to this creature’s desire and choice.

Verse no. 3

3. “From the evil of the dusky (devil), when he enters the hole (of chest).”

“The dusky” means the dark. It is derived from the word ‘dusk’ which means the deep darkness.

“The dusky” here refers to the devil, because due to his turning away from God and his farness from Him, he became of gloomy spirit.

“Enters the hole”: ‘hole’ here is meant to be man’s chest, because when man shuns away from God, the dusky comes to him spiritually and enters into his chest. Then, he sets making the bad actions that seem fair to the spirit so as to get out the harmful things which were produced in it because of its distance from its Provider. By such doing and tempting, the determination on obtaining the desire arises. If the spirit kept on its farness and insisted on having its desires it would do what the devil had tempted it by; there, its bad act would return with hard torture and severe pain for it.

That torture and pain are caused by the dusky.

So, when resorting to Al’lah, the spirit will be safe from the torment and misery which come out of the bad action arising from the devil’s temptation and cunning.

This verse is firmly connected with the previous verse. It shows us that the evil which befalls us by other creatures is arising and resulting from the malicious deeds which the devil had tempted us by, so we did them and caused damage to the other creatures by them. And that is demonstrated by the noble saying of the Prophet (cpth) when he teaches us to say: “Oh Al’lah of all! I take refuge in You from the evil of myself and from the evil of each creepy that You control. (Verily, my Provider judges according to a straight path).”[10] The last sentence between brackets is the Prophet’s saying to us.

This invocation illustrates to us what is mentioned in this fortress and reveals the evil of our spirits.

It denotes that the damage which we cause to the others entails a damage caused by one of the creatures to us.

This invocation, also, clarifies that nothing afflicts us except by God’s Leave and within justice.

So, if we do what makes us earn punishment for, He will turn our harm back to us by one of the creepy, that is any creature which creeps on earth.

This is the real meaning of the statement “creepy that You control.” mentioned in the noble saying.

Thus, undoubtedly, there is no evil befalling if it was not preceded by an evil done by us and we have inflicted it on others.

The Almighty says: “And was it so, when a disaster smote you, though you had smitten (with a disaster) twice (as great) that you said: ‘How did this disaster smote us?’ Say (unto them, Oh Mohammad): ‘It is from your selves. Lo! Al’lah is Omnipotent’.”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 3, Al ‘Imran (The Family of ‘Imran), verse 165

Verse no. 4

4. “From the evil of the spitters in the ties.”

“Spitters” is derived from the verb ‘spit’ which man throws out of his mouth. Also, ‘spit’ means ‘throwing’ and ‘casting’.

For example, when we say, the snake spit out its venom, it means that it threw it out and casted it into the stung’s body, so the snake is ‘spitters’ in such case.

Thus, “the spitters” are ‘the throwers’ and in this noble verse, the word “spitters” expresses the witches.

As for the word “ties”, it is the plural of ‘tie’ which refers to everything that can be concluded and firmly connected, as it refers to that which holds the things and binds them.

In this verse, the intended meaning of “ties” is the social relationships, such as marriage relation which binds and firmly fixes the relation between the husband and his wife, and the relations that connect the friends with each other.

So, “the spitters in the ties” refers to the vicious spirits which use the magic as a means that helps them attain their mean purposes.

The witches are throwers, because they throw the malice and the cunning existing in their spirits, and by such acts, they sow dissension between one and another.

Magician’s throwing as understood of the word “in the ties” mentioned in this verse, takes two forms:

§ Either the purpose of his throwing is positive, that is, he aims at bringing two persons close together. So his effort fully turns to make the tie and establish the relation.

§ Or his purpose is negative, that is by sowing the division and stirring up discord and aversion between one and another. As the devil did between our master Joseph and his brothers, God says: “…after Satan has sown enmity between me and my brothers…”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 12, Yusuf (Joseph), verse 100

In this case, his effort turns to devastating the tie and unsettling the established relation.

God says: “...they (people who are far from God, followers of Satan and wish to learn and practice magic) learn from them (human and jinn devils) what makes them create discord between husband and wife”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 2, Al-Baqara (The Cow), verse 102

But how does damage flow from the magician to the bewitched?

How can the throwers (the witches) have an effect upon a person?!

Outwardly: The magician drives the devil by his spit towards the bewitched and uses him to make the later imagine whatever he wants.

Inwardly: The devil uses the magician’s spirit by whom he reaches the bewitched and makes him imagine whatever he wants of that which causes harm and inflicts damage.

In some details, we say:

When the magician directs himself towards the bewitched, the ray of his spirit flows to him, so the devil seizes the opportunity and penetrates into that ray to enter through it into the bewitched. There, he makes him imagine whatever he likes, such as making ties or abrogating them, or dissolving the existent relations.

Yet the absolute fact is that neither the magician would be given power to drive the devil nor the devil could use the magician’s spirit except if the bewitched was an oppressive man before and he deserved to be afflicted with that harm by both the devil and the magician.

God says: “...but they (magicians) can harm none with it except by AL’lah’s leave.”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 2, Al-Baqara (The Cow), verse 102

Thus, the wicked desire generated in man’s spirit when being far from God as well as that harm caused by it and which man inflicts on others are that which makes man’s deeds have a recourse on him and makes these two malignant partners overpower and conjure him, whereas if he was near to God, he would not do any evil and certainly he would not be subject to any damage or harm caused by them.

So, resorting to the Provider of the break (Al-Falaq) protects us from the evil of the spitters in the ties.

Verse no. 5

5. “From the evil of the envier, when he envies.”

“The envier” is a man shunning from Al’lah. When he sees the grace upon the others, he appeals to it, likes it and wishes to get it instead of its owner.

“When he envies”: That is, when he intends to envy and that appealing and liking of that grace come out him. The harm caused by his envy is that which is called in spoken language (causing damage by eye).

You might ask “how damage befalls the envied by the envier?”

I say, when seeing the grace and feeling great fancy towards it, the envier’s spirit flows towards the envied one until it becomes in touch and contact with it, and its ray overlaps with his ray. Here, the way becomes open before the devil to use the envier’s spirit as a path and a way through which he passes to the spirit of the envied person to smite him by what he does of illness and damage. At that time, the envier’s spirit for the devil will be as the wire for the electric energy.

Thus, the devil can’t find a way leading to the envied’s spirit without the envier, nor would he be able to enter into his spirit or hurt and cause damage to him in case he was near to God and resorting to Him.

Entering into God’s Presence makes the spirit surrounded by His light from all its sides. Thereby, it becomes in unaccessible place where the Godly light stands as a rampart between it and the devil. So, if he wanted to break through it, he would be burnt and perished.

As your resorting to God keeps you safe from the evil of the envier, it also makes his spirit unconnected with yours, and yours unattached to his inclination.

So, your family, your children, and even the things belonging to you, as well as all people whom you love and they love you, will be safe of being subject to any damage caused by the eye due to your resort to God. That damage is the evil of the envier.

Drawing nearer to the Provider of the break (Al-Falaq), and the permanent resorting to Him protect man from all kinds of evil and drive him away of all what he hates and what may come upon him of illness or damage.

Al-Ikhlas Fortress

(Sincerity)

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

1. “Say: He is Al’lah, the only One.”

2. “Al’lah is the Omni Provider who provides all but never being provided. He supplies all, He is not supplied by any, He needs not any.”

3. “He begot none nor was He begotten.”

4. “And to Him none is equal.”

§§§§§

Interpretation of Al-Ikhlas Fortress

(Sincerity)

After our Provider has ordered us to resort to Him in the two previous fortresses, and after we have known that the continuous resorting to Him is a way that saves us from anything unpleasant and any evil that may afflict us, the Almighty wanted to move us to a higher degree of knowledge by this fortress. So, He mentioned verses that acquaint us with His supreme Self and His Attributes, a sort of acquaintance that makes us stick spiritually to Him. Therefore He says:

Verse no. 1

1. “Say: He is Al’lah, the only One.”

“Say” means, as mentioned before in the two exorcisms: you, man! Say to yourself and let it know that the one whom you have been ordered to resort to and to keep seeking might in, is Al’lah.

The word “Al’lah” is the Name of the Supreme Self whose pronunciation guides you to the Named One (loftiness to His Majesty). It reveals to you that if you know Him, you will be passionately in love with Him and your spirit will fly adoring and loving what it witnesses of His honoring and favor.

So, the Provider of the people and the break (divisible ones) is Al’lah whom the spirits entering into His Presence will be infatuated of, and the mind will be fascinated at witnessing His Perfection when looking at. He (glory to Him) is the Omniscient, the Wise, the Most kind, the Cognizant, the Clement, and the Merciful. He (glory to Him) is the Owner of the endless perfection and is that whose supreme Attributes guide you to.

The Almighty God, as reported in the noble saying, has ninety-nine Names, “God has ninety-nine Names, and he who counted them will enter Paradise”[11]

And the word “Al’lah” is inclusive of them all. When you mention the word “Al’lah”, you mention the Greatest Name of God which includes all the Names indicating the perfection’s attributes.

So, the meaning of your saying “Say: He is Al’lah, the only One” is: say to your spirit that, the Provider is Al’lah, the owner of perfection whom it will adore if it witnesses His Bounty and draws nearer to Him.

“The only One” This verse explains to us the word “Al’lah.” It denotes that the Owner of perfection, who is the Almighty God, is the only One concerning His knowledge and wisdom, His might and potency, His clemency and mercy. He is the only One concerning Himself and singular in each of His Attributes.

Verse no. 2

2. “Al’lah is the Omni Provider who provides all but never being provided. He supplies all, He is not supplied by any, He needs not any.”

“The Omni Provider” means the supreme Everlasting who is not supplied by anyone nor does He need any.

For his existence, the creature needs a Creator who creates and provides him, and for his living, he needs a living who blows life into him and keeps him constantly alive. Also, in order to obtain his power he needs Him who is mighty to supply him with power and send it into him.

If this sustenance ceases for a single moment, his power will vanish, his life will stop, and his being will be wiped out. He will lose each endowment and will miss each character or property he has.

On the contrary, Al’lah (glory to Him) is not supplied by any nor does He need any. He is the Omni Provider concerning Himself and each of His Attributes. He is of self-existence and is Omni Provider concerning His existence, that is He has not been supplied with His being by any nor does the continuance of His being depend on any. He is of self-power and is Omni Provider concerning His power, that is He needs no supplier that supplies Him with power. On the contrary, the power is obtained from Him. He is the source of every power and the Sustainer with power. He is also of self-life, and is Omni Provider concerning His life. His life has not been obtained from others. He is the origin of the life which He sends into all the universes and in each of their atoms ‘i.e. the atoms of this universe and the other universes.’

Thus, the Almighty is of self-attributes, that is, He has not got them from others. He, as previously mentioned, is Omni Provider concerning His life and His Attributes.

The Almighty wanted to detail that to you, so He says:

Verse no. 3

3. “He begot none nor was He begotten.”

“Begot” means had a son. Since the son is equal to his father and similar to him concerning the properties, therefore, Al’lah (glory to Him) begot none, that is, He need not having a son who has self or qualities equal to His. How would He have a son when the Omni Provider, as aforementioned, is of Self-existence and Self-Attributes, while the son is certainly begotten from another. Accordingly, He need not having a son who has attributes similar to His. He needs none.

“Nor was He begotten”: Since the father is an origin and a means of his son’s existence, so God (glory to Him) was not begotten and it is unbelievable for Him to have a father, because the Omni Provider, as we saw, is of Self-existence and Self-Attributes.

Verse no. 4

4. “And to Him none is equal.”

Since the “equal” is the ‘peer’ and the ‘match’ so it is impossible to find one peer or equal to Al’lah, the Omni Provider, as He has no father nor son, and none can have these qualities. He is peerless in Him Self and One in all what have been revealed of His Attributes in this Fortress.

He is the Source of the whole perfection, and the perfection comes out of Him. By entering into His Presence, the spirit is colored with a stain of perfection, as it derives the perfection. In all of that, He is the only One. He has no beginning and there is no end to His existence (glory to Him).

Al-Masad Fortress

(Palm Fibre)

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

1. “Failing were the hands of Abu Lahab and so was he.”

2. “Nothing has his wealth and deeds availed him.”

3. “He shall suffer a flaming fire.”

4. “And so shall his wife, carrier of wood.”

5. “In her neck, there was a cable of fiber.”

§§§§§

Interpretation of Al-Masad Fortress

(Palm Fibre)

Having clarified to us in ‘An-Nas’ and ‘Al-Falaq’ Fortresses the evils that we can be safe from in case we seek refuge in our Provider and resort to our Creator, and having acquainted us with His Attributes in ‘Al-Ikhlas’ Fortress so that we may get by such acquaintance an incentive which urges us to that entering and a motive that drives us to resorting, the Almighty God wanted in this noble Fortress to show us the necessity of resorting and entering. So, He mentioned to us the results of shunning and the state of being far from God. He says:

Verse no. 1

1. “Failing were the hands of Abu Lahab and so was he.”

“Failing were the hands of one” means that they were unable to achieve the deeds he intended to do.

“Abu Lahab” is a man descended from Quraish. He was one of the greatest Messenger’s (cpth) uncles.

In the Pre-Islamic times, Abu Lahab was rich and wealthy. He used to lend people money and to get an interest and usury on it. So, when God sent His Messenger with guidance and right religion, Abu Lahab felt worried about his worldly desires. Therefore, he stood against the Messenger (cpth) and set opposing him, thinking that he could repel the right or extinguish God’s light. But “Failing were the hands of Abu Lahab” i. e. they fell short and were unable to resist the right, and his efforts came to nothing.

“And so was he”: That is, he has faced full and perpetual loss. He could not refute the right by his opposition, on the contrary, his attempts entailed shame and loss for him in the worldly life and his deeds brought loss upon him in the other abode, so he became one of the people of fire who will abide therein forever.

So, the whole meaning of the statement “Failing were the hands of Abu Lahab” in short is that: Abu Lahab failed to drive the right away or refute it, and his opposition was of no use and resulted in nothing for him.

“And so was he”, that is, and he has fully and eternally perished himself. He has lost the life here and the honor he was going to get in case he became a Muslim, as well as he has lost the hereafter and the bliss he was going to enjoy therein.

Verse no. 2

2. “Nothing has his wealth and deeds availed him.”

“Nothing has his wealth and deeds availed him.”: That is: When Abu Lahab amassed what he amassed of money and opposed what he wanted to oppose, he did all of that but to protect his life and to keep enjoying the desires it has. But when God’s judgment came and he deserved perdition, his wealth did not save him nor did it help him at all. That which he earned and the deeds which he did could not protect him from God’s judgment. So, the torment afflicted him and the misery befell him forever and ever.

Verse no. 3

3. “He shall suffer a flaming fire.”

“Suffer”: experience pen or difficulty.

“Fire” refers to each substance shining and burning. The meaning intended of “Fire” here is the evil mixed with the spirit of Abu Lahab and the burning lusts and wickedness that grew in it.

“Flaming fire” means “fire of great burning and blazing.”

So, what we understand of the verse “He shall suffer a flaming fire” is that the bad deeds which Abu Lahab did will be a flaming fire inside him at his death, and the mean desires arised in his spirit will burn him and will be an immaterial fire for him.

In such a case, his evil deeds will be, then, his fire and his torment. So the vicious spirit of the opposer becomes his immaterial fire which inflames and burns him.

Because of God’s Compassion and to treat his disease and torture that caused his spirit such a fire and a painful torture; He gives orders to throw him into fire where its pain be a treatment for the spiritual fire he feels, and its burning is a reduction of the spiritual burning he suffers.

We seek refuge in God of the state of people of Fire as they suffer two natures of fire. God says: “This is the Hell (the fire of loss and evil deeds) which the criminals deny. They move between it and a temporal fire in rotation.”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 55, Ar-Rahman (The Mercy Giving), verse 43-44

Verse no. 4

4. “And so shall his wife, carrier of wood.”

In this noble verse, there is a demonstration of the torment that will arise in the spirit of Abu Lahab’s wife as well as the reason that caused her such a suffering.

God Says: “And so shall his wife,” that is, her spirit shall also be a hell for her at death, and alike her husband’s state, the malicious deeds she perpetrated in her life will turn into burning fire inside her.

Then the Almighty revealed the cause which entailed that for her. He says:

“Carrier of wood.”: “wood” means that which is prepared from trees to be fuel fire. But “wood” here is meant to be the deeds which this woman was doing trying to turn people away from God and that instigation which she did with the others so as to inflame the sedition against the Messenger (cpth).

So, these deeds, that instigation and that sedition are the wood she was carrying and moving with. It is that which will draw those pains upon her and make her at the same position with her husband, suffering what he suffers. Therefore, her spirit will be a completely flaming fire which causes her bitter torments and makes her undergo an everlasting fire at the doom day.

Verse no. 5

5. “In her neck, there was a cable of fiber.”

The word “her neck” means that which passes through her neck of the speech, issuing out of her spirit and chest and running on her tongue.

The statement “cable of fiber” aims at describing that connected and continuous speech as well as describing that spiritual state existing inside her concerning the intention of harming, the full resolution of opposing the Messenger (cpth) and the determination she has.

So, what we understand of the verse: “In her neck, there was a cable of fiber.” is that the evil words which were emanating from her spirit, running on her tongue and continuing as the continuity of the rope, were arising from full intention and firm determination inside her. They were like the well-knit rope which mostly cannot be cut at all.

So, if you, man, did not get close to your Provider nor did you truly seek refuge in Him, certainly and undoubtedly you would do what Abu Lahab and his wife did and you would fall in what they fell in.

God says: “He that does good, does it for his own self.”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 41, Fussilat (Explained), verse 46

And He says: “That who strives, he strives but for his own advantage. Allah is in no need of the worlds.”

The Holy Qur’an,

Fortress 29, Al-’Ankabut (The Spider), verse 6

An-Nasr Fortress

(Divine, Victory)

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

1. “When Allah’s victory and demonstration come.”

2. “And you see people embrace God’s faith in groups.”

3. “Let (yourself) sink praising your Provider and seek His forgiveness. He is ever the most Forgiving.”

§§§§§

Interpretation of An-Nasr Fortress

(Divine, Victory)

In this noble fortress, there is a comfort from God to his Messenger, and a showing of His Favor upon him. There is, also, an acquainting for us with God’s Sympathy and Tenderness upon His creatures.

When the Messenger (cpth) felt sad about his uncle ‘Abu Lahab’ who opposed him and lost that favor which he would have got in case he had believed; the Almighty God

Imprint

Publisher: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Text: Amin-sheikho.com
Editing: Prof. A. K. John Alias Al-Dayrani
Publication Date: 12-13-2012
ISBN: 978-3-7309-9578-5

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