Lessons From Sūrah al-Taghābūn

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Lessons From Sūrah al-Taghābūn

Imam Marc Manley

Nov 30

 

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In this reflection we note that Allāh describes some of the qualities of the People of Jannah (Paradise) and the Fire. As for the people of Jannah, Allāh forgives their sins and compensates their shortcomings in return for their belief and devoted to Him. As it relates to the People of the Fire, this sūrah also gives some of the qualities of kufr (disbelief) which includes rejecting God’s message, covering up the truths they secretly believe, and a general dishonesty manifested in their slandering the Prophet ‎ﷺ, a major sin.

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Another reflection point is how this sūrah affirms its absolute, incontrovertible truths, of which some of the most important ones are affirmation of the physical resurrection on the Day of Judgment. This is highlighted by Imām al-Shanqīṭī’s commentary in his word, Aḍwā’ al-Bayān, on the Arabic word, balā (بلى):

أيْ: أنَّ الكُفّارَ ادَّعَوْا أنَّهم لا يُبْعَثُونَ قائِلِينَ: إنَّ العِظامَ الرَّمِيمَ لا تُحْيا، قُلْ لَهم يا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ: بَلى ورَبِّي لَتُبْعَثُنَّ، وبَلى حَرْفٌ يَأْتِي لِأحَدِ مَعْنَيَيْنِ الأوَّلُ رَدُّ نَفْيٍ، كَما هُنا.

الثّانِي: جَوابُ اسْتِفْهامٍ مُقْتَرِنٍ بِنَفْيٍ نَحْوَ قَوْلِهِ: ﴿ألَسْتُ بِرَبِّكم قالُوا بَلى﴾ [الأعراف: ١٧٢]

“That is, the disbelievers claimed that they would not be resurrected, saying: ‘Surely decayed bones cannot be brought back to life.’ Say to them, O Prophet of Allāh: “Indeed, by my Lord, you shall surely be resurrected”. The particle (ḥarf) balā serves two purposes: first, it refutes a negation, as is the case in this verse. Second, it answers a question accompanied by a negation, such as in His statement: ‘Am I not your Lord? They said: “Indeed, yes” (balā)’.”

Additionally, balā can be defined by:

بَلَى: حَرْفُ جوابٍ لِلتَّصْديقِ يَقَعُ بَعْدَ لا النَّافِيَةِ فَيَجْعَلُهُ إِثْباتا، وَتَأْتِي جَوَاباً لِلاسْتِفْهامِ الْمَقْرونِ بِنَفْيٍ الأعراف آية 172أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ قالُوا بَلَى (قرآن)ً

Balā is a particle (ḥarf) of affirmation used to transform a negation into an affirmation when it follows a particle of negation. It is also used as a response to a rhetorical question containing negation, as in Sūrat al-Aʿrāf (7:172): “Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes, indeed.”

Next we examine the nature of trials and tribulations which the Qur’ān defines as muṣībah (مصيبة). While muṣībah can indeed mean “a calamity” or “tragedy” there is a deeper meaning here to ponder. First, let’s examine the base definition of the verb which muṣībah is constructed from: aṣāba (أَصابَ). This verb carries several meaning, most prominently the meaning of “to hit a target”, hence,

أصاب السَهمُ الهَدَفَ

“The arrow hit the target.”

as well as,

أَصابَ عُصْفورَيْنِ بِحَجَرٍ واحِدٍ

“He hit two birds with one stone.”

In other words, aṣāba (أَصابَ) conveys a meaning associated with accuracy and deliberateness. So in the context of a calamity or hardship, the Muslim must understand that it has not occured by happenstance or by accident, which is popularly understood, but rather it is a deliberate act by Allāh which can be understood as a test of faith or as recompense/punishment for sins (or both!). The lesson here is that as Muslims, hardships serve as reminders to turn back to Allah through repentance (tawbah). Even punishment can act as a form of divine “tough love.”

In shā’ Allāh we’ll continue our reflections next week. You can listen to the full khāṭirah (lecture) here on YouTube:

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