Аль-Бакара 2:151–157

These verses conclude the discussion on the theme of the Qiblah قبلہ or religious orientation. So, Verse 151 repeats the second part of the prayer of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) with which the discussion had begun (Verses 127 - 129). He had, as one would recall, prayed Allah to accept his founding of the Ka'bah کعبہ ، and to send among his progeny a Messenger from among themselves. The subsequent discussion on the subject of the Qiblah قبلہ has already shown that the first prayer has been heard and accepted. Now, Verse 151 declares that similarly the second request has also been granted, suggesting that since the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been sent in answer to the prayer of the founder of the Ka'bah کعبہ ، it is no wonder that it should be appointed as his Qiblah قبلہ . Verse 151 has specifically mentioned that the new Prophet (Muhammad ﷺ) is sent with the same attributes as specified by Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) in his prayer, namely: (1) He recites to them the verses of the Qur'an; (2) He teaches them the Book and the wisdom; (3) He purifies them; (4) He teaches them things which his listeners did not know of, nor could they be found in the earlier Divine Books or through individual reason.

Since Allah has, in granting the two prayers, sent such great blessings to mankind, Verse 152 asks men to "remember" Him as the Supreme Benefactor, and to render Him thanks by being obedient. As long as they do so, Allah will "remember" them in showering on them His material and spiritual blessings. The verse ends with the reminder that men should not be ungrateful to Allah in denying His blessings or in being disobedient.

In the light of this commentary, one can see that the word "as" (in Arabic, the letter Kaf which denotes a comparison between two terms) provides the link between Verse 151 and Verse 152. But, according to al-Qurtubi, the word Kaf or "as" is connected with the first phrase of Verse 152 -: "Remember Me, then". Viewed in the line of this syntactical relationship, the two verses, taken together, would mean that the ability to "remember" Allah is as much a blessing for men as the ordination of the new Qiblah قبلہ and the coming of the Last Prophet ﷺ ، and hence it is the duty of men to render thanks to Allah, so that they may continue to receive His favours.

The merits of 'Dhikr' ذکر (Rememberance)

Dhikr ذکر : or "Remembrance" essentially pertains to the heart, but in so far as the tongue is the interpreter of the heart the oral recitation of a Divine Name or a verse of the Holy Qur'an is also described as Dhikr ذکر . In other words, oral Dhikr ذکر can be worth the name only when it is accompanied by the "remembrance" of the heart. As the great Sufi poet Rumi points out, the recitation of a Divine Name can have no efficacy if one keeps thinking of cows and donkeys while repeating it mechanically with the tongue. One must, however, bear in mind that even a mechanical Dhikr ذکر without the heart being engaged in it is not altogether futile. It is related that the great Sufi Abu ` Uthman, hearing a man complain of such a situation, remarked that one should be grateful to Allah even for this favour of having drawn at least one organ of the body, the tongue, into His service. (Qurtubi)

The merits of Dhikr ذکر are, indeed, innumerable. What greater merit could one wish for than the assurance that when a man "remembers" Allah, He too "remembers" him. Abu ` Uthman once claimed that he knew the time when Allah remembered His servants. The listeners grew curious as to how he could determine this. He replied that, according to the promise made in the Holy Qur'an, when a Muslim remembers Allah, He too remembers him, and thus everyone can know for himself that as soon as he turns to Allah and remembers Him, Allah too remembers him.

Let us add that Verse 152 means to say that if men "remember" Allah by obeying His commandments, He will "remember" them by granting His pardon and His rewards. The commentator Said ibn Jubayr has, in fact, interpreted the Dhikr ذکر or "Remembrance" of Allah as obedience and submission to Him. He says:

فمن لم یطعہ لم یذکرہ وان کثر صلاتہ وتسبیحہ

"He who has not obeyed Him has not remembered Him, even though he has kept himself externally busy in offering (nafl نفل : supererogatory) prayers and reciting His praises."

This explanation is fully supported by a hadith cited by Al-Qurtubi on the authority of "Ahkam al-Qur'an احکام القرآن " by Ibn Khuwayz Mandadh. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that one who has been obeying Allah – that is, following the injunctions with regard to the lawful (Halal حلال ) and the unlawful (Haram حرام ) - has truly been remembering Allah, in spite of being deficient in (nafl نفل : supererogatory) prayers and fasting, while one who has been disobeying divine commandments has, in fact, forgotten Allah, in spite of devoting long hours to nafl نفل prayers, fasting and recitation of His praises.

The great Sufi Master Dhu al-Nun al-Misri has said that the man who remembers Allah in the full sense of the term forgets everything else, and that, in reward of such a total absorption, Allah Himself takes care of all his concerns, and grants him something far more valuable for everything he loses. Similarly, the blessed Companion Mu` adh ؓ has remarked that in so far as winning absolution from divine wrath is concerned, no good deed on the part of man can compare with Dhikr ذکر . And in a hadith reported by the blessed Companion Abu Hurayrah ؓ ، Allah Himself says that so long as the servant keeps remembering Him and his lips keep moving in Dhikr ذکر ، Allah is with him (for a more elaborate discussion of the subject, see Dhikrulldh ذکراللہ by the author).

As we have already seen, the enemies of Islam have been objecting to the change in the ‘orientation of Qiblah قبلہ ، wishing to produce in the minds of the people doubts about the validity of Islam as a religion. The earlier verses have, in answering these objections, removed all such misgivings. But some of the enemies simply ignored the answers, and still persisted in their hostility. This situation was likely to dishearten the Muslims. So, the present verse nullifies such a re-action on the part of the Muslims by prescribing the method of overcoming one's grief or anxiety.

The patience and the Salah نماز :

And the method consists in turning to patience and prayers; for Allah assures us here that He is with those who are patient. This promise applies, above all, to those who offer prayers, whether fard فرض (obligatory) or nafl (supererogatory), for prayers are the supreme form of worship.

In explaining the context, we have mentioned a specific situation, but the verse, in fact, identifies the elixir for all the ills which are a necessary part of human existence, whether they be wants and needs, or anxiety and suffering. The Holy Qur'an itself has indicated; in a very subtle and eloquent way, the general efficacy of this remedy by employing a generalizing expression - "seek help" - without specifying the situation in which help is to be sought. (Mazhari)

Now, the two ingredients of this remedy are patience and prayers. The Arabic term Sabr (صبر) is much more comprehensive than its usual English equivalent, "patience". Lexically, the word "Sabr" signifies "restraining oneself, or keeping oneself under control." In the terminology of the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith, Sabr صبر has three modes:

(1) Restraining oneself from what the Shari'ah has declared to be illegal or impermissible (Haram حرام).

(2) Forcing oneself to be regular in the observance of the different forms of worship and to be steadfast in obeying the commandments of Allah and the Holy Prophet ﷺ .

(3) To endure all kinds of trouble and pain - in other words, to understand clearly and to believe that it is the will of Allah to make one suffer, and to hope that one shall receive a reward for this suffering. With regard to this last point, let us add that, on the authority of the commentator Said Ibn Jubayr, Ibn Kathir says that if one cannot help uttering a word of grief or a sigh of pain, it does not go against Sabr صبر ، or nullify it.

People generally identify Sabr صبر with the third mode alone, and ignore the first two which are, indeed, more basic and essential. We cannot insist too much on the fact that all the three are equally obligatory, and that every Muslim is required to practice all the three forms of Sabr صبر . In the terminology of Holy Qur'an and the Hadith, Al-Sabirun is the title of those who are steadfast in observing all the three forms with equal rigour. According to the Hadith, people will hear a call on the Day of Judgment, "Where are the Sabirun صابرون ?"; at this, those who had been constant in observing the three forms of Sabr صبر will stand up, and they will be allowed to enter Paradise without having to present the account of their deeds. In citing this hadith, Ibn Kathir points out that it is corroborated by the Holy Qur'an itself: إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُ‌ونَ أَجْرَ‌هُم بِغَيْرِ‌ حِسَابٍ : "The Sabirun صابرون shall certainly receive their full reward without reckoning." (39:10)

As for the second ingredient of the prescription, it is Salah نماز (Prayer). Although Sabr صبر ، as we have just explained it, covers the different forms of worship, including prayers, all of them being its branches. Salah نماز ، however, has been mentioned separately, because that is the most perfect model of Sabr صبر . For, in the state of Salah نماز ; one binds oneself to obedience and worship, and restrains oneself not only from all that is sinful or reprehensible but even from what is otherwise permissible - e.g., from eating or drinking or talking. Hence, Salah نماز is a visible demonstration of Sabr صبر which signifies keeping oneself under control in shunning everything sinful and in submitting oneself totally to obedience.

A remedy to all problems

Moreover, Salah نماز does possess a special efficacy in releasing man from all kinds of trouble and pain, and in fulfilling all his needs. We may not be able to explain it rationally, but the efficacy is present as a characteristic quality in the very nature of prayers - as happens in the case of certain medicines too. But the efficacy shows itself only when prayers are offered in the proper way and according to the physical and spiritual etiquette laid down by the Shari` ah. If our prayers seem to be fruitless, it is because we have been deficient in observing this etiquette, and have not turned to Allah in single-minded devotion and total submission. Let us not forget that, according to the Hadith, whenever the Holy Prophet ﷺ was faced with a grave problem of any kind, he always hastened to offer nafl prayers, and through the barakah بر کہ (benediction) of the prayers Allah came to his aid and resolved the problem satisfactorily.

As to how Sabr صبر can save man from all kinds of trouble and pain and resolve all his difficulties, the secret has been revealed in the last phrase of this verse - "Surely, Allah is with those who are patient." That is to say, as a reward for Sabr صبر man receives the honour of the "company" of Allah. And it goes without saying that when the might of the Lord of the Worlds Himself has come to the aid of a man, what pain or trouble can overcome him, and who can prevent his concerns from prospering?

Earlier, alluding to an unpleasant incident, patience and steadfastness were inculcated and the excellence of Sabirun (the patient people) was mentioned. The next verses mention, in some detail, other unpleasant incidents and culminate in describing the excellence of pa-tience, and perseverance in it. Those verses give preference to the theme of war with infidels over other themes for two reasons: first, the sacrifice of life is a grand sacrifice; whoever steadfastly endures this loss will, undoubtedly, learn to be patient on losses of lesser magnitude; second, it is relevant to the situation too, as the objectionist on the orientation of Ka'bah کعبہ had been facing it.

Injunctions and related considerations:

According to Islamic traditions the dead person is given some kind of a "new life" in Barzakh44 برزخ which develops in him a sensitivity to punishment and reward. Regardless of whether one is a believer or disbeliever, virtuous or vicious, this taste of life-in-Barzakh برزخ is given to everybody. However, the life there has many categories: one of them is for the general lot, while some others are for prophets and virtuous people. The later ones vary in their degree of excellence. A number of scholars have collected relevant facts to assert their points of views, about the life-in-Barzakh برزخ . All of them cannot be summed up here. I will restrict myself here, to presenting the considered and the very balanced view of my worthy teacher Maulana Ashraf ` Ali (رح) of Than a Bhawan; incidentally, his view is in close conformity with the teachings of the Holy Qur'an, as also, those of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .

44. An intermediary stage which begins with death and stretches till the Doomsday.

The Martyrs are not dead

One who dies in the cause of Allah is a Shahid (Martyr) and, although, it is correct and even allowed to call him "dead", yet we are forbidden to regard their death like ordinary deaths. For, though, life in Barzakh برزخ is given to' everybody which gives him perception of reward and punishment but Shahid شھید in the Barzakh برزخ life is qualitatively different from the one given to other persons. The distinction a Shahid شھید has over others in Barzakh برزخ is that in effect, for the fullness and sensitivity of life, his perception is, keener and deeper. As, for instance, the life sensation is there in finger tips, as also, it is there in heels, but the sensitivity of finger tips is sharper than that of heels. The effect of the finer life-quality of a Shahid شھید in Barzakh برزخ reaches his physical body as well; whereas ordinarily bodies remain unaffected. Consequently, a Shahid's body does not waste away, decay or mingle with dust. On the contrary it retains it freshness and a semblance of being alive too. This is duly endorsed by Ahadith and observations. They are, therefore, reported as living and we are forbidden to call them dead. However, for all worldly purposes they are treated at par with the dead; their properties are divided and their wives can remarry. Lives of prophets in Barzakh برزخ have a further distinction. Their life-sensitivity is even finer and keener than that of Shahids. In Barzakh برزخ their bodies retain their life-quality and, in some ways, its manifestation is extended to this life as well; their properties are not divided and their wives cannot again enter into wedlock.

The most strong in the retention of this life-quality are the prophets, then are the Shahids شُهَدَا ، then the ordinary human beings. Nevertheless, according to some ahadith some of the men of Allah and virtuous people share this excellence with Shahids شُهَدَا . Apparently, those who die while exercising stringent discipline against their selves (مجاھدہ النفس) are ranked with Shahids شُهَدَا . In other words, though this verse specifically refers to Shahids شُهَدَا as against the broad humanity, it does not, for that reason, exclude the virtuous and the truthful. If, therefore, the body of a Shahid returns to dust, as bodies of ordinary persons, generally do, the chances are that the person did not, perhaps,, die in the cause of Allah which is the only criterion of martyrdom (Shahadah شهَادہ).

In case a person who fulfilled all the prerequisites of martyrdom and, beyond, any doubt, died in the cause of Allah and whose martyrdom (Shahadah شهَادہ) has been unmistakably and repeatedly demonstrated, his body must not, on the authority of a hadith , return to dust. If, in spite of Ahadith, the body mingles with earth (what, in fact, has made the author of Ruh al-Ma` ani doubt is how can, in spite of Ahadith, the body of a Shahid شھید be eaten away by earth) the explanation would be that according to Hadith the body would not return to dust; however, it does not deny the process of decay and decomposition caused by other factors like geo-chemical reaction, body enzymes, and bacteria. Neither does it confute the verse.

Other compound objects like weapons, medicines, food, and the commingling of various natural elements like water, fire and air had, undoubtedly, their effects on the bodies of prophets in this world and, obviously, the life-quality of Shahid شھید in Barzakh برزخ is not superior to that of the prophets in this world; if, therefore, the other ingredients register their impact on the bodies of Shahids شُهَدَا in برزخ Barzakh it does not confute, in any sense, the meanings of Ahadith which say the Shahids' bodies are sacred to earth.

Another answer is that the distinction which Shahids have over others is apparent from the fact that, comparatively, their bodies remain unspoiled for a pretty long time, although the likelihood of their disintegration in the longer run does exist. The aim of the hadith should, therefore, be explained by saying that the immunity from decay for such a long time is, in itself, an excess on the customary behaviour of dead bodies. Eternal preservation, and preservation for a considerable long time, both are an "excess on the customary behaviour" of dead bodies.

By the words, " لَّا تَشْعُرُ‌ونَ ": "you perceive not", the Holy Qur'an asserts the fact that the life in Barzakh برزخ transcends all sensory perceptions.

Patience in hardship: The way to make it easy

The nature and the significance of the severe test man is put to by Allah has been thoroughly discussed while explaining the verse’ وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ رَ‌بُّهُ 'And when his Lord put Ibrahim to a test'.

Whatever their magnitude, accidents are unnerving. But a prior knowledge of such accidents makes it easier to bear them and be patient about them. Since the entire Ummah is addressed here, the Ummah should realize that the world is a place of hardships and labour; it is a place of ordeal. It will not, therefore, amount to impatience if one does regard such accidents as either strange or a remote chance. And as the Ummah, generally, displays the spirit of patience in all its deeds, the reward of Mercy is common to everyone who strives to be patient. But as the quality and degree of patience varies from person to person, everyone will be rewarded individually according to and commensurate with his quality of patience.

A formula of peace in hardship

That the patient people used to recite: إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَ‌اجِعُونَ : 'We belong to Allah and to Him we are to return' is, in fact, an inculcation of the principle of virtue. The suggestion is that this is what the patient people should say as it brings excellent reward, relieves from the burden of sorrow and suffering and consoles effectively the grieved heart.