Surah al Baqarah

1. Surah al Baqarah Ayahs 74 – 82

2. RECAP • - Last week we talked about the incident of the Baqarah (the Cow) • Lessons: • Asking too many irrelevant questions • Not following the commands of Allah immediately • Not having the love of another more than the love of Allah SWT • Not making the simple deen more complicated with more questioning

3. OUTLINE • Ayahs 74-82 • The example of different types of rocks to represent different types of hearts • Deceiving the beleivers • Writing the book with your own hands • Distorting the Torah/Qu’ran • Following one’s own desires • Reflections

4. AYAH 74 Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah . And Allah is not unaware of what you do.

5. Ayah 74 - Roots • Thumma: after the incidence of the cow and seeing the dead man come alive; indicates the sequence of events; the second event is much worse than the first • The Bani Israel did not repent, instead their hearts became hardened • Qaaf Seen Waw– hardness; thick, dry; doesn’t absorb any moisture; doesn’t accept any change

6. Ayah 74 - Roots • HaaJeemRaa– your hearts have become like rocks; metal is hard too, but it melts but rocks don’t melt • Sheen DaalDaal– to tie a firm/strong knot; over here it means more intense; rocks can break or crumble but a hard heart has no benefit • FaaJeemRaa– rivers gush forth from these rocks

7. Ayah 74 - Roots • Sheen QaafQaaf – when something very hard breaks apart; you would never think they would break (a little bit of water comes from these rocks) • Khaa Sheen Yaa – such fear in the person’s heart due to immense respect; this fear is developed through knowledge • These rocks fall down from Allah’s fear (i.e. landslides, earthquakes)

10. Hearts • Softened • HeartsHardened

11. What causes Hardness of Heart

12. Cure for Hardness of Heart IbnHajar Al-Asqalaanee’s advice on cure of Heart

13. Lessons Some people have hearts that are harder than rocks. Our Actions show our Status of Heart Our Delay in obedience of Allah, makes our hearts harder We should keep checking our hearts!

14. Du’a of Rasool Allah (s.a.w)

15. Rocks have some sort of life in them! لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ If We had sent down this Qur’ān upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming apart from fear of Allāh. [al-Hashr: 21] Before the Prophethood of the Prophet(s.a.w.), rocks would also say salaam to him. On the day of judgement - these rocks would give testimony as well. Black Stone will testify on the Day of Judgement.

16. AYAH 75 Do you covet [the hope, O believers], that they would believe for you while a party of them used to hear the words of Allah and then distort the Torah after they had understood it while they were knowing?

17. Ayah 75 - Roots • TaawMeemAain– to long/hope for something; intensely wanting something • FaaRaawQaaf– the group mentioned here is their scholars • KaafLaamMeem– lit. to give injury/wound; it’s the effect; some words are so strong that they leave a deep impression

18. Ayah 75 - Roots HaaRaaFaa– the edge or brink of something; bending from one direction to another; when its used for words, it means to change the speech and give it a wrong meaning • TahreefLafzia– to change the words; omitting or adding; changing even a symbol • TahreefManawia– to give a wrong interpretation to the words; out of context

20. 22 More Interpretations • 1. When Allah SWT spoke to Musa A.S. some of the other people heard it, but when they went back to their people, they changed the kalaam • 2. Qu’ran – when they would listen to it, and understand it, they would change the words of the Prophet SAW out of mockery

21. Lessons Not Respecting the Speech of Allah is a Crime Allah is comforting believers and Rasool Allah (s.a.w) Guidance is in the hands of Allah alone Knowledge Alone is not equivalent to Guidance We should not change the words of Allah, but change ourselves Changing Kalam of Allah is worst than disobeying Allah

22. AYAH 76 And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We have believed"; but when they are alone with one another, they say, "Do you talk to them about what Allah has revealed to you so they can argue with you about it before your Lord?" Then will you not reason?

23. Ayah 76 - Roots • HaaDaalThaa– (Hadith); lit. new; something that comes into existence; new information • HaaJeemJeem– a journey that a person undertakes; over here used for an argument in which both parties are aiming to overcome each other

24. Ayah 76 – Context • The Bani Israel would say that they believe (only with their tongue) in the Prophet SAW • Allah SWT opened the signs for them (made it very clear) about the Prophet SAW, but their scholars are reprimanding them that why are you telling the Muslims that we know the truth about the messenger

25. Lessons Hiding the Truth, Doesn’t change the Truth Our Ego should not come in the way of our belief They knew that Rasool Allah (s.a.w) was the messenger they were waiting for

26. Du’a of Rasool Allah (s.a.w) O Allah! Purify my heart from hypocrisy, my deeds from any kind of Ria (boasting), my tongue from lying and my eye from treachery. For indeed only You know the treachery of the eyes and what lays hidden in the breasts.

27. AYAH 77 But do they not know that Allah knows what they conceal and what they declare?

28. Ayah 77 - Roots • Seen RaawRaaw – to keep a secret in your heart • But nothing is hidden from Allah SWT

29. Lessons Allah can reveal any secret at any time Our Denial of Truth, wont change the Truth Intelligence is not in deceiving others

30. AYAH 78 And among them are unlettered ones who do not know the Scripture except in wishful thinking, but they are only assuming.

31. Ayah 78 – Roots • HamzaMeemMeem–umm (mother); being in the same state as when your mother bore you; no formal knowledge • 1. those people who don’t read, write, or record anything • 2. those who have not been given a scripture/religious knowledge • 3. those who do not have knowledge of the Book, although they have a book

32. Ayah 78 – Roots • Meem Noon Yaa– wishful thinking; false hopes; making an image in your head; this word is also used for lies • IbnAbaas: refers to lies; fabricated concepts in the deen, that has no basis in the Qu’ran or sunnah • Recitation without understanding the words; only knowing the letters of the book (SCARY!)

33. Ayah 78 – Roots • Dhaaw Noon Noon – thoughts a person has based on observation; could be true or false • Not having truths or evidences, just blindly following • Ulamaah – educated people; they would alter the truth/book; mix the truth with falsehood; knowledge, but no faith or action • Ummeeyin – uneducated masses; have learned the deen only in their homes; dependent on their scholars

34. This is the Right of the Book

35. What are some of our Amani? Didn’t we make up some shortcuts to Jannah?

36. Gate of Heavens? The urs (death anniversary) of Saint Baba Farid is observed every year in Islamic/lunar month of Muharram, that lasts for ten days. Hundreds of thousands pilgrims and visitors come every year to pay homage to this great Saint. The principal event of urs is crossing of gate that called BahishtiDarwaza (Gate of Heavens). Followers believe by crossing this gate all of your sins are pardoned and one becomes neat and clean again. Some critics say it is unholy to cross this gate with this intention but believe its sanctity. Critics argue it is good to cross this gate with resolution not to do sins in future life. This "Gate To Heavens' remains open ten consecutive nights after sunset to sunrise and padlocked during the day time. This gate is padlocked all the year except these ten days.[1]

37. Similar State of Muslim Ummah • Bida’a replaces sunnah • Ummeeyin busy in the rat race, so they do not learn the book • Most of us only read the book without understanding • Very dependent on our imams or scholars to explain to us what the book means • Use the book only for fatwas or rulings, but not guidance for life

38. Lessons Further from Qur’an, Deeper in Wishful Thinking By day dreaming, we can’t achieve our goals Criteria of being Educated = Knowledge of Qur’an To Know the Qur’an is not only the job of scholars, its a Guidance for All Mankind

39. AYAH 79 So woe to those who write the "scripture" with their own hands, then say, "This is from Allah ," in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn.

40. Ayah 79 – Roots • WawYaaLaam– used to threaten someone; supplication against someone • Severe punishment • Distress/sorrow/regret • A valley in the hell fire located between 2 mountains; a fall of 40 years

41. Ayah 79 – Roots • KaafTaa Baa – Kataba: to write; Kitaab: Book • 1. refers to the scholars of the Bani Israel; they write the Torah with their own hands; re-wrote the book • 2. Kitaab over here refers to fatwas and interpretations; pretended it was revealed; putting Allah’s name on it to sell it.  using the deen to earn some dunya

42. Ayah 79 – Roots • Kaaf Seen Baa – to acquire something; • 1. gained a very small earning by doing this for a very big price • 2. gained sin and punishment in the hereafter

43. Lessons Don’t say ‘its in Qur’an’ or ‘its from Hadith’ , if you are not sure Don’t Use Deen to Acquire Dunya Writing Something Misguiding is a Source of Destruction Whatever you write, Check if it is helping Deen or Harming Deen Inventing Things in Deen is a Great Sin

44. AYAH 80 And they say, "Never will the Fire touch us, except for a few days." Say, "Have you taken a covenant with Allah ? For Allah will never break His covenant. Or do you say about Allah that which you do not know?"

45. Ayah 80 • Am – belief in the hereafter was corrupted; does your family, or your actions determine your fate in the Hereafter? • - Being from “sayyed” family • - Having a dream that you don’t have to pray anymore

46. Lessons We should know what exactly is Deen To Say What You Hear is enough for you to be a liar Don’t say anything before checking its authenticity Don’t label things Halal or Haram without knowledge

47. AYAH 81 Yes, whoever earns evil and his sin has encompassed him - those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.

48. Ayah 81 - Roots • Balaa – 1. negates the previous statement; 2. affirms the next statement • Allah SWT is saying, no that’s not true, if you have done evil, you will be in the hell fire • Seen WawHamza– inherently bad and looks bad; refers to a sin; the greatest sin is shirk • KhaaTaawHamza– doing a sin that is based on forgetfulness; negligence

50. Lessons Allah is clearing up our concept One sin leads to another Good deeds can be erased by our sins We are accountable for the sins we commit