INTRODUCTION TO SURAH AL-BALAD
Named after the word البلد [al-Balad] in verse 1, both the message given to our Prophet in verses 1-4 and the message given to all humanity in verses 13-16 indicate that the time of the surah’s revelation was a troubled period during which Muslims were under siege.
Like other Meccan surahs, the main theme of this surah is to differentiate “those who believe in the Day of Judgment and Retribution” from ‘those who do not believe’ based on their characteristics and to strengthen the beliefs of the believers. In addition, the topic of “enduring hardship” is also addressed in a unique style directed toward our Prophet.
Topics that could fill books of narrative are instead conveyed in brief, impactful sentences in Surah al-Balad. In this respect, the surah is one of the great examples of the art of “ijaz”.
35 / SURAH AL-BALAD
Meaning of the verses
1-4Not as you think! All the people who live in this city; all the people reproduced and lived from the first human is the evidence that, We have certainly formed man into a hardship. And you are one of these people; you will also be in hardship.
5Does he think that anyone will never overcome him?
6He says: “I have spent wealth in abundance!” 7Does he think that no one ever sees him?
8,9Have We not given him two eyes, a tongue and two lips?
10And We have shown him the distinct two paths.
11But he has not rushed to that steep ramp.
12And what has made you know what that steep ramp is?
13It is freeing of slave 14,15or feeding an orphan who is around on a day of severe hunger16or those poor, jobless in misery. 17And then being among those who have believed and advise patience to one another and advise mercy to one another.
18Those are the companions of happiness, high positions.
19And those who conceal Our Ayat are the ones who are the companions of the ominous-sinister. 20Upon them is a fire, gates of which are closed very tightly.
Analysis of the verses
Verses 1-4:
1-4Not as you think! All the people who live in this city; all the people reproduced and lived from the first human is the evidence that, We have certainly formed man into a hardship. And you are one of these people; you will also be in hardship.
The literal meaning of verses 1-4 is, “No! I swear by this town – and you are entering it – and by the father and the one born, that We have indeed created man in distress.” we have rendered the metaphorical meanings as a paraphrase.
Not as you think!
The beginning of the surah with the particle لا [la=no] signifies that a matter is under discussion and there are people who are discussing this issue. As we said in our analysis of Surah al-Qiyamah, the preposition لا [la=no] at the beginning of the sentence is a rejection of the wrong idea put forward on the subject being discussed. Verses 5-20, the second part of the surah, reveals the nature of the issue being discussed. According to this, people who are overly attached to the world because of their surpluses, possessions, children, etc., believe that no one can overpower them or hold them to account, and they argue with believers about this. That is why the surah begins with the preposition la [no], which rejects these ideas of the infidels.
All the people who live in this city; all the people reproduced and lived from the first human is the evidence that,
The city, the father, and nature, which constitute the oath part of this oath sentence, are used as evidence for the thesis put forward in the reply part of the oath sentence, that We have indeed created man in distress.
We think that this sentence, which is the first element of the oath sentence, should be analyzed better by taking into account the basic features of the oath sentence, instead of saying “the virtue of Mecca or some people is emphasized”.
BALAD:
The word بلد [balad] is used in the Arabic language in meanings such as “country, city, large village [the region in which one gathers, in which one lives], chest, hairless area between the two eyebrows, land, grave”. It is undisputed that the word is used in this sentence in the sense of “settlement”.[1]
In most of the classical sources, the preposition ال [al] at the beginning of the word al-balad was taken to mean “covenant” without taking into account that the sentence was a sentence of oath, and it was suggested that the town in question was the city of “Mecca”. Unfortunately, this assumption has been maintained in the later works that have been created without any evidence. However, when all the elements of the oath sentence and the message of the oath sentence are taken into consideration, it is understood that this view is wrong. The correct interpretation is to recognize that the article al- in this sentence denotes generality (istiğraq), indicating that the term البلد [al-balad] symbolizes all settlements in the world. This is because the statement in response to the oath(qasam), ‘We created man in real distress,’ is universally applicable, not only to Mecca but to the entire world. Therefore, the creation of human beings in distress is not unique to the city of Mecca. The towns where people are in distress are the towns all over the world, that is, all the towns.
FATHER and BEGOTTEN [CHILD]:
The words “father” and “begotten” in the verse have been explained in the classical works in contradiction to the essential characteristic of the oath:
The father is “Adam” and the offspring is “his offspring” (Allah has omitted them because they are the most interesting beings He created on earth).
The father is “Abraham and Isma’īl” and the offspring is “our Prophet” (because Allah swears by Mecca here. Abraham is the founder of Mecca, and Isma’īl and Muhammad are its (most honored) inhabitants).
The father is “Abraham” and the son is “all the descendants of Abraham.” (For his descendants include both Arabs and Persians. For all the descendants of Abraham dwelt in Damascus, Egypt, Beit al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] and the virtuous regions of the Arab lands. The Ar-Rum are also among them. For the Romans are the children of Isha b. Ishaq).[2]
Some Qur’anic scholars, such as Ibn ‘Abbas, have taken the preposition ma in the original verse to mean “nafy” and have understood the expression as “who begets and who does not beget”.
In our view, this expression signifies ‘all fathers, mothers, and children’ through the rhetorical device of Taghlib (predominance). This is because, considering both the oath and its response, it is clear that everyone, without exception, faces hardship; this includes all fathers, those born, and those who give birth.
We have certainly formed man into a hardship.
This is the basic/fundamental message of the oath, which means that no human being is ever in complete security and happiness, and that human beings are always going through difficult stages of hardship, toil and danger, because human beings were created in hardship. To fully grasp the meaning of the verse, one must understand the term كبد [kebed].
كبد [KEBED]:
This word was first used with the phrase كبده [kebedehu], which means to hit one’s lung, and with the verb conjugation كبد الرّجل كبدا فهو كابد [kebede’r-rajulu, kebden fe huwa qabidun], which means when one’s lung hurts or swells and expands. However, it was later used to express all kinds of distress and fatigue. As a matter of fact, the Arabic word مكابدة [mukabada = trouble, hardship] derives from this word. Although it is used in many meanings in terms of metaphor and metonymy, the word كبد [kebed] is generally used in the sense of “the terror, violence and strength of something”.[3] Even in the expression تكبّد اللّبن [takebbada’l-lebenu], which means the hardening of milk [becoming yogurt], the word كبد [kebed] is used.
There are also those who say that the word also means “station, direction, straightness, tough and strong creation”.[4] However, These meanings may not stem from the root meaning of the word, but rather from local usage. In any case, these meanings cannot be considered appropriate for this verse, as they would be in complete contradiction with the meaning of the oath.
Various interpretations have been offered regarding the type of hardship conveyed by the word كبد [kebed] :
* Religious tribulations and difficult duties, such as the tribulation of being grateful for good things and patient for bad things, and the tribulation of enduring hardships in the fulfillment of worship.
* The tribulations in the Afterlife, such as death, the darkness of the grave, the resurrection after death, being presented to Allah, and the tribulations until one reaches Paradise or Hell.[5]
However, these views are unlikely to be accurate. For the tribulations that are suggested in these views cannot be taken as evidence for the thesis that man was created in tribulation, nor can they be cited as a reference.
If one thinks carefully, From the moment of conception, humans face continuous hardship, trouble, and risk; he or she grows up and lives through suffering. Birth, childbirth, education, social relations, the struggle for existence, biological, physiological and mental problems are all ordeals. Rich people suffer and poor people suffer… Both the king and the slave suffer… Parents are troubled, as are children…. Both the sick and the healthy person complain about the heat or cold… This chain goes on and on.
Given that the world is full of hardship and trouble, at least the Afterlife should be free from these troubles and people should be peaceful and happy there. It would not be wise for those who live in hardship and distress in this world not to think that they will face the same hardship, distress, suffering and torment in the Afterlife, as in the examples above. On the other hand, there may be some relief, albeit partial, at the end of the hardship and suffering in this world. For example, a person who worked and struggled with various hardships in his youth may retire at a certain age and no longer have to endure the same hardships in his old age. Therefore, the fact that human beings can only achieve their goals by going through some hardships and difficulties is a divine principle and an unchangeable characteristic of the order that the Creator has established by saying, “We have indeed created man in distress”.
This divine principle also implies that humans will be resurrected after death. For it would not be in accordance with His mercy for Allah to have created and programmed man only to live in hardship and suffering. Therefore, there must be another world after this world, which is a land of hardship and suffering. Undoubtedly, this second world is the Afterlife.
-And you are one of these people; you will also be in hardship.-
In order to understand this phrase, which appears as a parenthetical sentence [cümle-i mu’terize] within the Qasem section, the word حلّ [hıll] must first be well understood. According to the various meanings of the word hıll, the meaning of this expression can be listed as follows:
1) According to the meaning of the word حلّ [hıll] as “to enter”, the expression means “You are in this town, you have entered it and stayed there”.
2) According to the meaning of the word “khill” as حلال [lawful], the expression means: A) “You are lawful for them” because the infidels, although they respected this town and did not do anything disrespectful there, considered it lawful to persecute our Prophet whom Allah honored by giving him the duty of prophethood, and they did not show him the respect they showed to others, and they even thought of killing him if they had the opportunity. B) For our Prophet, it means, “You have never done anything forbidden in this town out of respect for the Baytullah.”
Qatadah gave the following meaning to the verse and explained it as follows:
“You are not a sinner, and it is lawful for you to kill whomever you wish in Mecca.” This is because Allah opened the gates of Mecca to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and made it lawful for him. Such a conquest was never granted to anyone before him. Thus, He made what He wished lawful and what He wished unlawful and acted as He wished. Thus, while he killed ‘Abdullah b. Hatel and Maqīs b. Sababah and others who were clinging to the cover of the Ka’bah, he made it forbidden to kill those who entered Abu Sufyan’s house.[6]
In our opinion, the preferred meaning of this verse among the above meanings is that you are in this town, you have entered it, and you have stayed there, in which case the message is as follows: “You are a father, a son, a human being living in this environment. You were also created in adversity, you have no privilege in this regard, so you will also suffer these adversities.” This means that enduring hardship and hardship is an inherent characteristic of humanity, and that every human being, even in our Prophetic state, is subject to this principle.
Thus, with this verse, God refutes the notion “a human being with extraordinary qualities” that could be attributed to our Prophet by the ignorant and ill-intentioned. However, the message of the verse has been distorted by contrary interpretations, and our Prophet has almost been turned into a second god endowed with extraordinary qualities.
Verse 5:
5Does he think that anyone will never overcome him?
After the oath addressed to our Prophet, this verse begins a new passage dealing with the Afterlife. The type of human denier, who has been characterized without being named since Surah Al-Alaq, is again before us. The messages of warning to infidels and good news to believers continue. From the repetition of this theme so many times, it is clear how important the issue is. Reading this passage in conjunction with the passages with the same content in the previous surahs will facilitate a better understanding of the sura.
The verse does not specify in which matter the disbeliever believes that he cannot be opposed. A) “Does he think that he is in charge of all affairs and that no one can oppose him in anything he wants to do, and that no one can change his situation?” B) “Or does he think that no one is able to resurrect him after his death, and that no one is able to answer him for what he has done?”
According to both meanings, the question at the beginning of the verse falls into the category of “unanswerable question” called “istifham-ı inkâri”. In this case, the meaning of the sentence can be appreciated as follows: “Do not let him think so! Allah is the One who is able to resurrect him, to call him to account for what he has done, and to disgrace him in this world. So let him not disbelieve that there is no other power above him.”
The one referred to as he in the verse is the infidel. Although the pronoun “he” is used for the entire human race, the flow of the verse suggests that it refers to some haughty and arrogant people who are characterized repeatedly in other verses.
Various sources cite Abu al-Ashad, Usayd b. al-Kaladat al-Jumahī, Amr b. ‘Abd al-Dīd, Walīd b. Mughīra, Abu Jahl b. Hisham, Kharis b. ‘Amr b. Nawfal b. Abdimenaf as the reason for the descent of these verses. The common characteristic of these people, whose names change according to the sources, is their “pride”.
Verse 6:
6He says: “I have spent wealth in abundance!”
لبد [LUBED]:
The word لبد [lubed] means “piled on top of each other, stacked, stacked, intertwined like felt”. Indeed, the Arabs say مال لبد [mâlün libedün] for wealth that is abundant and not feared to run out.[7] Therefore, we translated the expression مالا لبدا [malen lubadan] in the verse as ‘heaps upon heaps of wealth”.
The Arabs of the Jahiliyyah period were unhesitant in spending large sums on what they regarded as signs of prestige and pride, according to their customs. For example, they would give great rewards to poets, feed thousands of people at marriage and death ceremonies, celebrate gambling winnings by slaughtering camels, and spend lavishly on festivals, competitions, and similar ceremonies. Such expenditures were seen as marks of generosity and greatness, and poets would compete to compose odes for those who spent in this manner. Taking this into consideration, the verse can be understood as ” This infidel, in arrogance with his wealth, says, ‘It makes no difference to me, even if I squander heaps of wealth, for I am abundant in it” or “He boasts of spending wealth in enmity toward the Prophet.”
There is another view that this verse was revealed in response to a statement of al-Kharis b. Nawfal, who claimed that the expenditure of wealth in the way of religion was a wasteful expenditure and tried to ensure that our Prophet (and thus the religion) was not obeyed. Muqatil b. Sulayman narrates the words of al-Kharis b. Nawfal, spoken with the intent to torment the Prophet, which are cited by historical sources as the reason for the revelation of this verse, as follows
When al-Kharis b. Nawfal committed a sin, he would ask the Messenger of Allah for a fatwa. Our Prophet (pbuh) would order him to give expiation. Al-Kharis said, “Since I obeyed Muhammad, I have spent a lot of wealth in the way of expiation and obedience to him.”[8]
Verse 7:
7Does he think that no one ever sees him?
That is, the arrogant fail to realize that Allah observes them. Allah sees how they acquire their wealth, why they use it, with what intention, for what purpose and how much they spend.
As noted in the analysis of verse 6, this verse serves as a warning to those who spend their wealth in enmity toward the Prophet, those who seek prestige by doing so according to their understanding, and those who falsely boast, ‘I have squandered much wealth,’ when they have not—informing them that Allah sees their actions and will hold them accountable.
Al-Kalbī, one of the great Islamic scholars, said the following about this verse:
He was a liar who did not spend anything. Therefore, Allah revealed his lies by saying, “Does he think that Allah does not see what he does and what he does not do, what he spends and what he does not spend? On the contrary, Allah sees him and knows that what he says is the opposite of what he says.”[9]
Verses 8-10:
8,9Have We not given him two eyes, a tongue and two lips?
10And We have shown him the distinct two paths.
In these verses, Allah Almighty reminds man, whom He has created in distress, of some of the blessings He has bestowed upon him, especially the proud man who is proud of his strength and wealth, and shows him the purpose of his creation, and points out that He has the power to repay him for what he has done, as the Knower of his every situation.
TWO EYES, A TONGUE AND TWO LIPS:
The organs listed here are metaphorical. While animals possess these same organs, they cannot recognize Allah, comprehend or believe in the Afterlife, nor are they aware of responsibility. Man, on the other hand, when he opens his eyes and looks around him, he can see the signs of truth and recognize the difference between right and wrong. With his tongue and lips he can reveal his personality and express what he feels. Because behind these organs is the ability to think and understand. Thus, the ultimate purpose of these organs is to serve as “a source of reason and knowledge”.
NAJDEYN [TWO SPECIFIC WAYS]:
The word نجد [najd] is used in meanings such as “the top of a mountain, an open and busy road, a high place, a high place, a place to sit such as a cushion, a floor, a treeless place, an experienced master guide, valor, sweating profusely, a breast”.[10] Here, however, the general meaning of the passage obliges us to accept the meaning of the word as “an open and busy road [a clear path]”. As a matter of fact, none of the scholars, except Ibn ‘Abbas, has given an explanation of this verse by taking into account other meanings of the word other than “breast”.
The word نجدين [najdeyn] in the verse means “two clear paths”. These are two paths that can be named as good and evil, faith and disbelief, truth and falsehood, and are opposite to each other. Our Lord’s choice of the word najdeyn from among the many words for the two paths is to indicate that they are not two ordinary paths, but two very distinct paths that can be seen from a great distance, like the peak of a mountain.
After these explanations, the verse can be interpreted as follows: “We have not only given man reason and the ability to think, and left him to find his own way, but We have also guided him, and We have made clear to him the two paths before him, good and evil, righteousness and error, which are clearly distinguishable from each other, so that he may choose what he wills with thought and will.”
These two paths are mentioned in many places in the Qur’an with different expressions:
1-10The Qur’an and the social enlightment that it spreads, the Messenger and believers who follow the Qur’an, those peoples who are enlightened with the light of the Qur’an, those peoples who are deprived of the light of the Qur’an, scholars and the knowledge that exalts the scholars, those who are utterly ignorant and the principles and mentalities that make them like this, those who have found their selves and the factors which make find the self – then Allah inspired man instincts of transgressing and protecting himself/commiting sin and abilities of being under the guardianship of Allah; He coded to his genes – is the evidence that, he who purifies his self has truly been saved. And he who consciously denies it, has definitely lost.
(Shams/7-9)
29And say: That truth is from your Rabb. So whoever wills, let him believe and whoever wills, let him consciously deny/disbelieve”. Indeed, We have prepared a fire, walls of which will surround them for those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah. And if they wish that it should rain, a water that scalds faces like molten metal will be rained. How an evil drink it is! How an evil place to seek refuge!
(Al-Kahf/29)
256There is no compulsion in the religion; faith has been separated clearly from the denial of the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb; good from evil, truth from going astray. So, whoever disbelieves in Taghut ; denies it and believes in Allah, he has grasped a handhold that never breaks. Allah is the One Who hears best, knows best.
(Al-Baqara/256)
28,31Noah said: “O my people! Have you ever thought about that if I am upon an explicit evidence from my Rabb and He has bestowed upon me His mercy and this fact has been concealed from you?! – Will we compel you to it even though you do not like it?”
(Hud/28)
And the verses of Al-Kafirun/6, Yunus/99, Tangâbun/2, Az-Zumar/7, Az-Zumar/15, Fussilat/40, Al-Insan/2-3, An-Nahl/9, As-Sajdah/13, Mâide/48, An-Nahl/93, Yunus/108, Isrâ/15, An-Nahl/36, Ash-Shu’ara/20, Hud/15-16, Isrâ/18.
Verse 11:
11But he has not rushed to that steep ramp.
‘Aqabaa: The word عقبة [‘aqabaa] means “a difficult, steep and difficult slope, a dangerous pass”.[11]
IKTIHAM:
The word اقتحام [iktiham] means “to turn to something difficult and arduous for oneself, to undertake a difficult task”.[12] Thus, the Arabic words قحم يقحم قحوما اقتحم اقتحم اقتحاما اقتحاما تقحّم تقحّما تقحّما [kahame, yekhumu, kuhûmen, iktehame, iktihâmen, tekahheme, tekahhumen] all imply that a person undertakes great deeds, attempts difficult tasks, and endures hardships.
From the wording of the passage, it is clear that of the two clear paths that our Lord says He shows man in verse 10, one is the ‘aqaba [the difficult, arduous path] and the other is the easy path. In this case, the verse means “he did not attempt the difficult path, but chose the easy path”.
The first of the two distinct paths, the ‘aqaba, is “the arduous path to the heights, but with difficult passages”. In order to overcome this path and reach the heights, a person must constantly struggle against his ego, his desires and the devil’s mischief. The second path is easy. One does not need to go through hardship to take this path; it is enough to free oneself and loosen the bonds of one’s ego. Thus, the person who falls into misguidance chooses the easier of the two paths and follows it until it leads him to the abyss.
On the one hand, this verse emphasizes the passivity and simplicity of infidels, and on the other hand, it shows the believers the path to Paradise. However, it also warns that this path is a difficult and arduous one, and that paradise is not cheap or free. In order to reach paradise, the steep slope between the person and paradise must be overcome. This means that if a person wants to reach paradise, he should spend his money, property or labor to overcome that steep slope, and not spend it on paths that are easy for the ego but lead to a bad and harmful fate.
In the classical works, there are some stories that ‘aqaba’ means “the paths in the Afterlife”, “a path between Paradise and Hell”, “a path placed above Hell”.[13] In our opinion, as can be easily understood from the following verses, ‘aqabah [steep slope] is the “path of struggle against the enemies of Allah [i.e., the enemies of Hwa’a and the devils of man and jinn]” as stated in the Qur’an.
Verse 12:
12And what has made you know what that steep ramp is?
With the word اقتحام [iktiham], which is implied in this verse, the verse is as follows: وما ادراك ما اقتحم العقبة [wa ma edrake ma iktehame’l-‘aqaba=What informed you about the attack on ‘Aqaba]?
This expression emphasizes the significance of confronting ‘Aqaba rather than implying that it is unknowable. This task is difficult and arduous, but the end result is happiness, both individually and as a society. That is, out of hardship will come mercy. Therefore, all humanity, especially our Prophet, is directed to attack ‘Aqaba, a difficult and arduous task.
Verses 13-16:
13It is freeing of slave
14,15or feeding an orphan who is around on a day of severe hunger
16or those poor, jobless in misery.
FEKKU RAKABA [FREEING A SLAVE]:
The word فكّ [fekk] means ‘to untie a bond or remove a shackle,’ indicating the removal of an obstacle restricting freedom.[14] For example, untying a pledge and releasing a pledge is also expressed by the phrase فكّ الرّّهن [fekk al-rehn]. That is, everything that has been released has in fact been released. The expression فكّ الحطاب [fekku’l-hitâb=uncontrolled speech, release of speech] also comes from this root.
In the past, it was customary among the Arabs to bind captives by their necks and hands, and the word فكّ [fekk] was used to describe the release of these bindings. Later, although the custom of binding captives in this way was abolished, the word fekk continued to be used for the release of captives, and the release of captives was expressed by the word فكاك. [fekak, release].[15]
The word رقبة [rakaba] literally means “neck”. Over time, this word has come to be used figuratively in the sense of “person, person, person”, especially for a person who has lost his freedom, a captive or a slave.[16]
The phrase فكّ رقبة [fekku rakaba] means “to free a neck that is bound by the bonds of slavery, that is, to free a person, a human being, from captivity, to liberate him, to end his slavery”. This, of course, requires that a person must first gain his or her own freedom and free his or her own neck from all forms of domination. Indeed, another meaning of the phrase “fakku rakaba” is “freeing oneself from the yoke”. It should be noted, however, that the yoke in this sense is the mortgage [obligation of responsibility] that each person is under with his own work and earnings, and it is imposed by our Lord:
38,39Every one who has found his self – except for the companions of the right – is a pledge for what he has earned.
(Al-Muddaththir/38, 39)
21And as for those who believed and descendants of whom followed them in faith; We will join their descendants with them. We will not deprive them anything of their deeds. Everyone is retain for what he earned.
(Tūr/21)
Slavery is an institution that dates back to the ancient times of human history, to ancient Greece and Rome, which history considers “civilization”, and is a disgrace in terms of human values. It was only in the twentieth century that this institution was declared illegal by international conventions and prohibitions. This shameful institution, which involves the ownership of one human by another, was implicitly condemned by our Lord 14 centuries ago by encouraging ‘freeing slaves’ as a righteous act leading to paradise. This is because, as explained above, the act of freeing slaves is considered one of the deeds above ‘aqaba, which must be attacked and overcome.
Since the liberation of even a single individual is considered to be one of the virtuous and heroic acts that will lead a person to Paradise, the value of the struggle for the total eradication of slavery in the eyes of Allah is a matter that every Muslim should think carefully about.
Our Lord has declared that another act of “attacking ‘aqaba” is to feed a close orphan or a destitute person who is helpless on the ground, during a day of famine. This virtuous deed comes immediately after the divine exhortation to free the slaves.
The word مسغبة [mashgabah] is the imperfect infinitive from سغاب [seghab], which means “hunger” (especially “hunger in distress and fatigue”). Abū Hayyan states that the word means “hunger in general”, but it is also used for “thirst”.
Moments of hunger, when food is scarce, act as a touchstone revealing the depth of faith. To be able to feed someone else in need during such a general hunger, when one is facing hunger oneself, is in a sense to save that person’s life. This is why feeding the hungry at such a time is considered an attack on ‘aqaba’, like freeing a slave. However, the verse lists those most deserving of being fed as follows:
Verse 13-18:
13It is freeing of slave 14,15or feeding an orphan who is around on a day of severe hunger 16or those poor, jobless in misery. 17And then being among those who have believed and advise patience to one another and advise mercy to one another.
18Those are the companions of happiness, high positions.
It is clear that what is meant by closeness is closeness of lineage. However, it is also undoubted that closeness of religion is also within this scope. It would not be wrong, in our opinion, to consider the closeness of neighbors within this scope.
In the disbelieving and unruly jahiliyyah society, orphans, even if they were relatives, were always subjected to injustice and oppression. For this reason, the Qur’an, which repeats the commandments to treat orphans well one after another, is almost overflowing with such commands. Even years later in the surahs that were revealed in Madinah, when Islamic laws were being enacted on matters of inheritance, wills and marriage, orphans were still commanded to be treated well (see al-Baqara 220, al-Nisaa 1-10, Al-Anfal 41). This shows how hard-hearted this society was in oppressing orphans.
215They ask you what they should spend for the cause of Allah/what they should give for sustenance. Say: “That/sustenance which you give from good/from your wealth; time, knowledge are for your parents, closest people, orphans, the needy and travelers”. And whatever you do of good, indeed Allah is the One Who knows it best.
Al-Baqara/215
6Prophet is closer to the believers than themselves and wives of Prophet are mothers of the believers. And as for relatives; they are all same in the decree of Allah, -except for treating your protectors in a manner that is acceptable for all- they are more privileged than the believers and the emigrants. This is written in the Book.
Al-Ahzab/6
The word متربة [metraba] is the imperfect infinitive from تراب [turâb], which means “earth” and means “to be grounded”. The phrase za metrabe in the verse is a reference to poverty and severe need, which is expressed in Turkish by the phrase “laid in the earth and leaning on a stone”. In other words, because of his poverty and need, he is clinging to the earth with nothing to cover him and nothing underneath to lay him on the ground, and he is extremely poor, miskin. In Turkish, the term “crawling” is used for such poor people.
In times of general famine, it is not uncommon to find people in such dire need and poverty. Feeding such desperate people, regardless of kinship, is like climbing a steep slope, requiring great inner strength and determination. Its value, in fact, stems from the selflessness demonstrated in overcoming this difficulty.
Indeed, giving freely in times of famine and hardship is one of the most difficult things to do, and as such, it deserves a higher reward and remuneration than in normal times. Those who accomplish this are the brave ones who conquer the steep path:
177It is not “being righteous” to turn your faces to east and west. But, “the righteous people” are the ones who believe in Allah, the day of Akhirat [Afterlife]/the Last Day, angels, the Book, prophets; who give their wealth to relatives, orphans, needy, travelers and paupers and the ones who do not have freedom even though they love wealth and who give their wealth by loving Allah and who establish Salah [establish and maintain the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community], who give zaqah; the tax that the believers sincerely give as a liability of belief and duty of servitude so that the religion of Allah may be spread, maintained and Salah may be established. And they are the ones who fulfill their promise when they promise and who have patience in the times of hardship, illness and war. They are the ones who are true. And they are the ones who have entered under the guardianship of Allah.
(Al-Baqara/177)
5-22Indeed, “the righteous people” will drink from a bowl containing camphor, from a spring gushing out of which servants of Allah will drink who give away their food to the poor, the orphan and the captive for the love of Allah/even though they love it, saying: “We feed you only for the countenance of Allah only and we do not expect from you a recompense and gratitude; and yes, we fear our Rabb on an austere and distressful day”
(Al-Insan/8)
92You can not attain the degree of “righteous person” unless you spend from that which you love for the cause of Allah. And whatever you spend, indeed Allah is the One Who knows it best.
(Ali-Imran/92)
This kind of giving does not provide sensual pleasure; rather, it requires self-sacrifice. Such acts as freeing a slave, helping someone financially, paying a debtor’s debt, helping a helpless person who is burdened and in debt, feeding a hungry person, supporting an orphan who is a relative or a neighbor, helping those who are in need due to bankruptcy and poverty, etc., do not give people the fame and prestige that spending for pleasure brings, but they bring their owners to the spiritual pleasure and Afterlife gain of the success of passing through that steep pass called ‘aqaba.
When Surah Beled was revealed, the Muslims were under siege by the polytheists in Mecca. At that time, the believers were also deprived of any social support institutions to lean on. Slavery was widespread both in the Arabian Peninsula and in the surrounding region. Slaves were treated very harshly and cruelly. When some of these slaves, such as Yasir and his family, Bilal the son of Rebah, Suhayb and others – may Allah be pleased with them all – became Muslims, they were subjected to very harsh and unbearable torture by their cruel masters. It was then realized that these slaves could only be freed from their tyrannical masters by buying them. Abu Bakr was the first to respond to this call, as was his custom, and he obeyed the order without hesitation, with peace of mind, and in a straightforward manner.
The historian Ibn Ishaq narrates:
Hazrat Bilâl, who was freed by Hazrat Abu Bakr, was one of those who grew up among the people of Jumhur. He was devoted to Islam and his heart was pure. When the midday heat came, Umayya b. Khalaf would take him out and lay him on his back on the sands of Mecca, then he would order a large rock to be brought and that rock would be placed on Bilâl’s chest. Then he said to him, “You will remain like this until you die. Or you will deny Muhammad and worship Lat and Uzza.” Even under these ordeals, our Prophet Bilâl would say, “Allah is one, Allah is one!”
One day, as they were torturing Bilâl with the same tortures, Hz. Abu Bakr came across him. Because Hazrat Abu Bakr’s house was near the people of Jumhur. He said to Umayya b. Khalaf: “Do you not fear Allah and treat this poor man like this? How long will you continue to do so?” Umayya said, “You are the one who corrupted him. Save him from what you see!” Abu Bakr said, “All right, I will do it. I have a black slave of your faith who is stronger and more durable than him. He is also of your religion. I will give him to you in exchange for this.” Umayya said, “I accept.” Then Abu Bakr said, “All right, then. He is yours,” and he gave his slave to Umayyah and freed Bilâl.
Before migrating to Madinah, Hazrat Abu Bakr had freed six other slaves. Bilâl was the seventh. They were ‘Amir b. Fuhayrah (who had participated in the Battle of Badr and was martyred in the Battle of the Well of Maune), Umm Abis and Zenira. When Abu Bakr freed her, she became blind. When the Quraysh said, “It was none other than Lat and Uzza who blinded her eyes,” Zenaira said, “They lied. For the sake of Allah’s Bayt, Lat and Uzza can neither harm nor benefit.” Thereupon, Allah Almighty restored her sight. Abu Bakr also freed Nehdiya and her daughter. They were slaves of a woman from the sons of ‘Abduddâr. She had sent flour of her own with them. She said to them, “By Allah, I will never be able to free you.” Abu Bakr said, “O mother of so-and-so, break your oath.” She said, “All right, I will break it, you broke it, you set them free.” When Abu Bakr said, “How much do you give them for?” she said, “This much.” Our Hazrat Abu Bakr said, “All right, I have taken them, they are both free.” He turned to the women and said, “Give him back his flour!” When they said, “Shall we empty some of it and give it back?” he said, “If you like…”
Our Hazrat Abu Bakr came across a jariya from the sons of Muammil, a tribe of the Children of Adiyy. This concubine is a Muslim. Prophet ‘Umar was still a polytheist at that time. He tortured and beat her to make her leave Islam, and when he got tired of beating her, he said to her, “I am sorry! I am not leaving you out of pity, I am leaving you because I am tired of it.” And she said, “May Allah do this to you!” So Abu Bakr bought her and set her free.
Ibn Ishaq said: “Muhammad b. Abdullah b. Abu Atik narrated to us from ‘Amir b. Abdullah b. Zubayr. ‘Amir also heard it from one of his own family. He said to his father, Abu Bakr: “My child! I see that you always free the weak slaves. If you free strong and powerful people, they will protect you and support you.” “My father!” said Abu Bakr, “I want to do what I want to do only for the sake of Allah.”[17]
According to the above account, Abu Bakr attacked that steep slope and tried to overcome it by buying and releasing the suffering slaves from their masters only for the sake of Allah. This was because the conditions in the Arabian Peninsula at that time required the freeing of slaves as one of the necessary things to be done in order to overcome the steep slope in the way of Allah.
Verse 17:
17And then being among those who have believed and advise patience to one another and advise mercy to one another.
In addition to the above-mentioned characteristics, this verse also states that one must also be a believer in order to cross the ‘aqaba’ and reach paradise. In many places in the Qur’an, it has been explained that good deeds have value only when they are accompanied by faith, and that only then will they lead to salvation, and wherever it is mentioned that those who do good deeds will be rewarded, it has been stated that faith is also a must:
124And whoever from among men or women does amendatory deeds while being believer, they will enter Jannah [Heaven/Paradise]. And they will not be treated unjustly, not even as much as the speck of a date seed.
(An-Nisa/124)
97And whoever does good deeds, whether female or male, We will make her/him live a good life. And We surely will give them their reward with much better than what they do.
(An-Nahl/97)
38-44And that one who has believed said: “O my people! Follow me so I may guide you to the path of reason. O my people! This simple life is only a temporary enjoyment. But Akhirat [Afterlife] is definitely what is the home of settlement. Whoever does an evil deed, he will be recompensed only with the same of what he did. And whoever, man or woman, does amendatory deeds while he is a believer, then they will enter Jannah [Heaven/Paradise], being given provisions therein without account”. And he said: “O my people! What is the matter with me that I invite you to the salvation while you invite me to the fire? You invite me to disbelieve in Allah and to associate with Allah that of which I have no knowledge. Yet I invite you to Allah Who is very powerful and very forgiving. It is undisputable that to what you invite me is truly that to which there is no call in this world nor in Akhirat [Afterlife]. And indeed, our return is to Allah. And surely the transgressors are the ones who are the companions of Jahannah [Hell]. And you will soon remember what I say for you. And I rely only on Allah. Surely, Allah is the One Who sees His servants best”.
(Mu’min/38- 44)
Our Lord does not promise any reward for the good deeds done by those who do not believe, and He has made it clear that He will not accept the good deeds done without faith:
105They were the ones who consciously denied/disbelieved in the Ayat of their Rabb and meeting Him so, all deeds that they did have become worthless. On the day of Qiyamat [Resurrection], We will not take them into account/give them any importance.
(Al-Kahf/105)
85And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, then it will never be accepted from him. And one who seeks a religion other than Islam will be among the losers in Akhirat [Afterlife]
(Ali-Imran/85)
91Indeed, those who disbelieved; consciously denied the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb and die while they are disbelievers; never will the whole capacity of earth of gold be accepted from any of them –even if they give it as ransom/compensation-. It is those for whom an unbearable punishment will be. And there will be no helpers for them.
(Ali-Imran/91)
16Those are the ones for whom there is nothing but fire in Akhirat [Afterlife]. And what they did and produced will be lost there. And that which they did will definitely be worthless.
(Hud/16)
Another point that should not be overlooked here is the fact that the phrases “to recommend patience” and “to recommend mercy” are mentioned together with faith in the verse. This means that it is not enough to be a believer in order to cross ‘aqaba’, but that believers must also recommend patience and mercy among themselves. Thus, the society will be a society of believers who preach patience and mercy among themselves. In such a society, evil deeds will be eliminated and only good deeds will be done, both individually and collectively. This is the kind of society that our Lord wants people to form. Our Lord has revealed His desire for such a society by mentioning “recommending patience” and “recommending mercy” as two characteristics of a believing society.
In the Qur’an, verses on the topic of Atonement point to the very important principle of group fasting. Group therapy-group rehabilitation.
Group therapy-rehabilitation method is widely used in our country as well as in the world in the fight against alcohol, drug and gambling habits, which are among the problems of today’s society.
GROUP THERAPY
Group therapy enables individuals with similar challenges to interact in a supportive environment.
When participants with similar problems are together, group members share their experiences, motivate each other and exchange ideas. They have time to think about how they can apply what they have learned to their lives. The group acts as a rehearsal for the life they will rejoin.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GROUP REHABILITATION
People become more self-aware when they are in relationships with others rather than alone. In a group, an individual begins to reveal their true character, including both strengths and weaknesses. As this communication increases, sharing also increases. By showing each other the causes behind their problems with the help of a specialist, they foster healthy behaviors among themselves. With this method, the deficiencies often observed in individual efforts, as well as time, effort, and resource losses, are prevented.
By showing the reasons behind the problems to each other in the company of experts, they create healthy behaviors for each other.
Group Rehabilitation is very important both in terms of reintegrating the individual into the society and removing these problems from the society rapidly. With this method, the deficiencies seen in individual efforts and the loss of time, labor and resources are prevented.
People become more self-aware when they are in relationships with others rather than alone. In a group, an individual begins to reveal their true character, including both strengths and weaknesses. As this communication increases, sharing also increases. By showing each other the causes behind their problems with the help of a specialist, they foster healthy behaviors among themselves. With this method, the deficiencies often observed in individual efforts, as well as time, effort, and resource losses, are prevented.
– Those with social inhibitions overcome them within the group, providing a sense of belonging and acceptance.
– Social skills are developed and adaptation to society is easier.
– Seeing that others have the same problem normalizes the problems and gives hope for a solution.
– Problems shared in the group encourage participants to share their problems.
– Sharing the problems of other members of the group increases awareness of one’s own behavior.
– Listening to different perspectives gives the idea that there is more than one way to address problems.
– The feeling of helping others increases self-confidence.
The subject of patience, which we have emphasized several times before with extensive explanations, and which we have said that it has nothing to do with passivity and wimpiness, on the contrary, it expresses a full activity and struggle, is discussed in many places in the Qur’an. Because patience is a characteristic that a believer should always have throughout his life. The test of patience starts from the beginning of the path of faith. It requires patience to obey Allah’s commands, to fulfill the duties of servitude by obeying Him, to avoid Allah’s prohibitions and things that encourage people to sin by leaving bad morals, and to follow clean morals. While many of the benefits and pleasures of this world await on the path of disbelief, it is only through patience that man can obey Allah’s laws and cope with the deprivations and calamities he encounters on this path. It is the epitome of patience for a person to continue to struggle in the way of Allah, to be persecuted, humiliated and even emigrate for this cause, while his own ego and will, his family, community, society and even most of the people in the world oppose him in relation to the benefits he rejects with the back of his hand on the path of faith.
It is not at all unlikely that a person will fail in some or all of these difficult tests. However, if the society in which a person lives is a society of individuals who are both patient and who advise patience, then with mutual help, this difficult test will be easier to accomplish and success will be achieved by the society. Such a society is a great power, an army that is difficult to defeat on the path to goodness for humanity.
Another characteristic that our Lord wants in a believing society is that its members should be merciful to one another. Believers should not be hard-hearted, merciless and cruel, but on the contrary, they should be merciful and compassionate people who can be a partner in each other’s troubles. As they recommend these qualities to each other and compete with each other in possessing them, “mercy” becomes a fundamental characteristic of the believing society. This quality is a very important equipment that distinguishes the believer’s society from others.
From all this, it is clear that our Lord wants the believers to be the ones who do good deeds that will surpass the ‘aqaba’, who recommend patience and mercy to each other, and to form a society of such people.
The term sümme [then] mentioned just before the attributes [faith, encouraging patience, and mercy] necessary to overcome the steep slope [‘aqabah] emphasizes that these qualities are more comprehensive, broader, and higher in rank than the other attributes listed in verses 13-16. That is, the word “after” here has no temporal meaning. This is because “faith” is an attribute that must be present in a person before, not after, freeing slaves and feeding the poor. Without faith, there is no point in freeing slaves or feeding the poor.
It is possible to understand the following from our Lord’s message about overcoming ‘aqabah: To overcome the steep slope [‘aqabah], the necessary steps include freeing a slave, feeding an orphan on a day of hunger, or supporting a poor person struggling on the ground, and above and in addition to these, to be one of those who have faith and recommend patience and mercy. Patience is an essential trait required both for faith in general and specifically for overcoming the steep slope. For believers to recommend patience to one another is another level above being patient themselves. This is because by recommending patience to each other, Muslims will be able to support and share the heavy burden of the struggle to “realize the system of faith on earth” in addition to their individual obligations, and thus, as a community, they will be able to gain much more from this recommendation than can be achieved by the patience of each individual alone. Even if this is essentially based on individual patience, it is another thing for the whole society to be made up of such individuals.
Thus, Verse 17 delineates one of the principal duties of a believer within an Islamic society. This duty is this: The believer should not be a weakening member of society, but rather a strengthening member. He should not be a shouter of defeatism, but a strong voice of social progress and dynamism. He should be the source of peace, not the inciter of impatience.
Verse 18:
18Those are the companions of happiness, high positions.
Verses 13-17 enumerate the qualities that believers should possess while in the world, and in this verse, those who possess these qualities are given the title of ashâb al-maymene. Those who are deemed worthy of this title are those who challenged ‘Aqaba’ and freed slaves, rescued captives, fed an orphan who was close to them on the day of hunger, or fed a poor helpless person who was in need, who believed and recommended patience and mercy even if they did not have the means to do so, who were useful to themselves and others, and for these deeds their books will be given to them on their right sides in the Afterlife.
ASHÂB AL-MAYMENE:
In lexicons, the term ميمنة [meymene] is derived from يمين [yemîn] meaning ‘right hand’ or from يمين [yemîn] or يمن [yumn]. implying ‘prosperity’ or ‘good fortune’.”
If it is accepted that the word is derived from يمن [yumn], the phrase ashab al-maymene means “one who has good fortune, abundant, happy”. If it is accepted that it is derived from the word yemîn, then it means “right hand” and it is understood that it is used in the verse in the sense of “high rank”. For the Arabs, the right hand is a symbol of strength and honor. As a matter of fact, people who were respected would be seated in the right corner in the assemblies and the value given to a person would be indicated by the expressionفلان منّى باليمين [fulânun minnî bi’l-yemîn=he is my right arm].[18] This expression is still in use today.
Verse 19:
19And those who conceal Our Ayat are the ones who are the companions of the ominous-sinister. 20Upon them is a fire, gates of which are closed very tightly.
ASHABU’L-MES’EME:
The word مشئمة [meş’eme] is derived from the word شئم [shu’m] and means “bad luck, misfortune”. Since the Arabs used the word shu’ma [bad luck] and the word شمال [shimâl = left hand] in the same sense, the meaning of the word shu’ma is stated as “left hand” in dictionaries. The Arabs considered it bad luck for a bird to fly from the left side of an expeditioner, and the “left hand” was a symbol of weakness and inferiority. As a matter of fact, people who were considered insignificant and inferior were seated on the left side in assemblies, and a person’s worthlessness was indicated by the expression فلان منّى بالشّمال [fulânun minnî bi’sh-shimâl=he is my left arm].[19] In summary, اصحاب المشئمة [ashab al-mas’ema] are the miserable people whom Allah has humiliated and they will be on the left side in His presence. Our Lord has also mentioned these two groups of people in al-Waqqa/27 and 41.
“In verse 19 of the surah, Allah Almighty does not use any other characterization for the “people of the left” other than those who disbelieve in Our revelations. The reason for this is that disbelief encompasses all evils and even outweighs all evils. That is to say, no good deed is conceivable with disbelief, and even if infidels do good deeds, these good deeds will not benefit them in any way. Because disbelief erases everything. Therefore, there is no need to mention that infidels do not free slaves or feed the poor. They are the inauspicious, evil people of the “meş’eme”, whose ledgers will be opened from the left side. They have remained behind the steep slope and have not attacked it to overcome it.
Verse 20:
20Upon them is a fire, gates of which are closed very tightly.
The expression الموءصدة [al-mû’sadat] is used for “doors”.[20] Accordingly, the verse can be paraphrased as follows: عليهم نار موءصدة الابواب [‘alaihim nârun mû’sadat al-abwâb = a fire will be released upon them whose doors are closed]. They will be in such a Fire, and they will not be able to come out of it because its gates are closed upon them. This means that the gates of Hell are closed on them, leaving no door open for those inside to exit. The message that the exit routes of the infidels will be closed is also mentioned in Surah Al-Kahf in the following words:
29And say: That truth is from your Rabb. So whoever wills, let him believe and whoever wills, let him consciously deny/disbelieve”. Indeed, We have prepared a fire, walls of which will surround them for those who do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah. And if they wish that it should rain, a water that scalds faces like molten metal will be rained. How an evil drink it is! How an evil place to seek refuge!
(Al-Kahf/29)
Allah is the one who knows best
[1] (Lisan al Arab, article “bld” )
[2] (Razi; al-Mefatih al-Ghayb)
[3] (Razi; al-Mefatih al-Ghayb)
[4] (Razi; al-Mefatih al-Ghayb)
[5] (Razi; al-Mefatih al-Ghayb)
[6] (Razi; al-Mefatih al-Ghayb)
[7] (Lisan al Arab, article “lbd” )
[8] Muqatil
[9] (Qurtubi; al-Jami’a li Ahkami’l Qur’an)
[10] (Lisan al Arab, article “ncd” )
[11] (Lisan al Arab, article “akb” )
[12] (Lisan al Arab, article “ghm” )
[13] (Qurtubi; al-Jami’a li Ahkami’l Qur’an)
[14] (Lisan al Arab, article “fkk” )
[15] (Razi; al-Mefatih al-Ghayb)
[16] (al Isfahani; al Mufredat )
[17] Ibn Ishaq, Siyar.
[18] Mawdudi, Tafhim, explanations of Surah Al-Waqi’ah.
[19] Mawdudi, Tafhim, explanations of Surah Al-Waqi’ah.
[20] (Lisan al Arab, article “e s d” )