[siddiq: a man of truth, the siddiq is
the one who believes in Allah and His Messenger by the statement of the one who
reports it, not from any proof except the light of belief which he experiences
in his heart, and which prevents him from hesitating, or any doubt entering
him, about the word of the Messenger who reported. 1
The
Siddiqin (the constantly true) are those who acquire spiritual perfection, and
thus – attain the highest rank among the followers of a prophet. In common
parlance, they are called Men of Allah, or saints.2]
Intro
(OD) Orlando Police
Dispatcher
(OM) Omar Mateen
OD: Emergency
911, this is being recorded.
OM: In the
name of God the Merciful, the beneficent [(said in) Arabic]
OD: What?
OM: Praise
be to God, and prayers as well as peace be upon the prophet of God [(said in)
Arabic]. I wanna let you know, I’m in Orlando and I did the shootings.
OD: What’s
your name?
OM: My
name is I pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of the Islamic State.
OD: Ok,
What’s your name?
OM: I
pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi may God protect him [said in Arabic],
on behalf of the Islamic State.
OD: Alright,
where are you at?
OM: In
Orlando.
OD: Where in Orlando?
[End of call] 3
“Words and deeds”
Step with me now, away from that phone call.
Away, for a spell, from Orlando Pulse nightclub and the carnage there
that fateful 12 June early morning, and step with me into the pages of the
“words of Allah,” as recorded in the Qur’an, and into the pages providing the
details of the words and deeds of the man Islam presents as “Allah’s
Messenger.”
Step with me into the pages of tafsir, provided to us by the toils,
discipline, dedication of scholars to master the Arabic language, in their
efforts to correctly understand the tenets of the Qur’an. Thus, to serve that end, master not only
Arabic but also master “vast and deep knowledge of syntax, etymology, rhetoric,
and literature of the Arabic language, as well as, that of prophetic
Traditions, principles governing jurisprudence and exegesis, doctrinal articles
of belief and scholastics.” 4
“Tafsir,” the scholars of Islam provide, interpreted, is “‘to open’ or
to explain, interpret or comment. Technically, the science of tafsir is a
branch of knowledge in which the meanings of the Qur’an are explained and its
injunctions and wisdoms are described openly and clearly.” 5
As the Qur’an bears out, as we will in time herein arrive at, the first
tafsir—explainer, discloser—of the intended “Divine” meaning of the Qur’anic
verses was none other than the one Islam calls “the Messenger of Allah,”
Muhammad, “the Prophet of Islam” himself.
Though, herein, I will speak at length to that Islamic tenet, my aim in
this post is by no means to do so “exhaustively.”
My aim in addressing that topic in this post is to provide the reader
with information, with which, once I speak to Omar Siddiqui Mateen’s obedience
to Allah, as showcased 12 June 2016, “Orlando,” the reader will have that
necessary to value the works and statements of tafsir then cited. In short. I
assure you, much more confirming the tenet of “Muhammad, the living tafsir,”
one can provide and add to it from the Islamic authoritative texts. However,
though I will speak to it repeatedly throughout the lion’s share of this
write-up, that tenet is deserving of a “chapter” of its own.
That said, according to Islamic doctrine, Allah, dispatched
Muhammad to this world for the express purpose of explaining, in and by his
[Muhammad’s] words and deeds, the intended “Divine” meanings of the Qur’anic
verses. Hence, “And We sent down the Message (adh-dhikr: The Qur’an) so that
you explain to the people what has been revealed for them and so that they may
ponder. ” (Surah Al-Nahl : 16:44, Ma’ariful Qur’an Translation.)
For such reasons, from the men of knowledge in Islam,
exegesis such as this:
“The explanatory role of the Sunnah
in relation to the Qur’an has been determined by the Qur’an itself, where we
read in an address to the Prophet in sura al-Nahl (16:44): ‘We have sent down
to you the Remembrance so that you may explain to the people what has been
revealed to them.” 6
For such reasons, “Alif, Lam, Ra. This is a book We have sent down to
you, that you may take the people out of (all sorts of) darkness into the
light…” (Surah Ibrahim: 14: 1) and this tafsir on it: “… only that sense or
interpretation of the Holy Qur’an is trustworthy which has been communicated to
us by the Holy Prophet through his word and deed. Any interpretation contrary
to it is not reliable.” 7
Thus we read this narration from al-Miqdam bin Ma ‘di
Yakrib: “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Verily, I have been given the Book and
something like it with it.” (Sahih) 8 That “something like it with
it” is his life, his Sunnah, his living tafsir.
Speaking to the same, “And Allah has surely conferred favor on the
believers when He raised in their midst a messenger from among themselves who
recited to them His verses and makes them pure and teaches them the Book and
the Wisdom…” (Surah ‘Al-‘Imran 3:164.)
From that explanation lived, “the Book and the Wisdom” taught by living
example, witnessed by the “noble Sahabah (Companions),” the intended “divine”
meaning of those verses was understood and, only then, transmitted therefrom on
to the next generation that followed them, that of the “Successors (Tabi
‘in).” And from there forward.
In all those cases, accuracy of the meaning was crucial. To pass on an
unintended meaning of the Qur’anic verses was to pass on falsehood with respect
to the words and deeds of “Allah’s Messenger,” because as stated above, as
provided in the Qur’an, his life explained in perfection the intended meaning
of Qur’anic verses. Thus, to pass on
unintended meanings, a wrong or perverted meaning of any part of those verses
was to do so at the threat of the sword to ones “pharynx.” (per Abu Hurayra,
Bakhari.)
For such reasons, the Islamic record provides, “on some occasions, the
revered Companions had to devote years together in learning a single Surah.” 9
Because, asserts the said record, they not only learned and put to memory the
words of the Qur’an verses, which they learned directly from the “prophet,”
Muhammad, but along with the learning of those words they also learned from him
[Muhammad] the detailed explanation of each verse.
Hence this report from the Sahabah: “There were people among us when
they learnt ten verses, they would not go further unless they knew their
meanings properly and acted upon them.
Thus we learnt the Qur’an and based all our actions on it.” 10
Hence, this summation from the revered scholar just-cited above, ‘Abdur
Rahman I. Doi, on the above Islamic tenet and on it summarized in the verse,
“Whatever the Messenger brought to you take hold of it, and whatever he forbids
you of, abstain from it.” 11 (“Qur’an ch. 59:7”):
In reality, the entire
life of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), whatever he did or said, was according to
the teachings of the Qur’an and hence, if all the events of his life and
teachings are taken together with all the authentic Ahadith, we get a
complete Tafsir of the Qur’an put into practice by the Messenger Of Allah
himself, the bearer of the Divine Revelations. 12
And on account of that which was “sent down,” according to Islamic
doctrine, on account of that which was “communicated to us by the Holy
Prophet,” taught through the medium of
his [“Allah’s Messenger’s"] words and deeds,
“Allah” had this to state on it: “We ourselves, have sent down the Dhikr
(the Qur’an), and We are there to protect it.” [15:9] And regarded tafsir
provides this clarity on the just-cited promise, under the sub heading, “The
Promise to Protect the Qur’an Includes the Protection of Hadith”:
As a matter of principle, all
learned people agree that the Qur’an is neither the name of the words of the
Qur’an alone, nor that of its meanings alone, instead, a combination of both is
called the Qur’an….This tells us that the Qur’an is the exclusive name of the
particular Divinely revealed Book the words and meanings of which are
simultaneously protected. 13
And from the same, this, under the heading, “Hadith is
Necessary to Understand Qur’an: The Rejection of Hadith is Really the Rejection
of the Qur’an”:
“And We sent down the Message
(adh-dhikr: The Qur’an) so that you explain to the people,” means, by
consensus, the Holy Qur’an—and, in this verse, the Holy Prophet has been given
the assignment of explaining the meaning of verses revealed to him before
people. Herein lies an open proof that the correct understanding of the
realities, insights and injunctions of the Holy Qur’an depends on the statement
of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad al-Mustafa. 14
The author follows that asserting
“if everyone, by simply acquiring the knowledge of Arabic language and
literature, were to become capable of understanding the injunctions of the Qur’an
as Divinely intended, then, the mission of explaining assigned to the Holy
Prophet,” as spoken to above, “ would have been rendered meaningless.”15
Buttressing his assertions
thereto, he adds as follows:
In Al-Muwafqat,
Allamah Shatibi has provided detailed proof that the Sunnah of the Prophet, the
whole of it, is the explanation of the Book of Allah because the Qur’an has
said about the Holy Prophet , (And surely you are at the height of a sublime
nature—68:4) and which was explained by Sayyidah ‘A’ishah by saying: (The
Qur’an was his sublime nature). Thus, the outcome is that every word and deed
which provenly [sic] issued forth from the Holy Prophet is nothing but what was
said by the Qur’an…. They [the mentioned words and deed] are … based on some kind of revelation, though it
was not made part of the Holy Qur’an. Thus, that too, in a certain way, comes
under the operative purview of the Qur’an itself. 16
Why is that that under the
purview—that which is part of “the full scope or compass of any document,
statement, subject, book, etc. [dictionary.com]--of the Qur’an is included
therein “every word and deed which provenly [sic] issued forth from the Holy
Prophet”?
I’ll let the scholars answer that
for us: “…because according to the clarification of the Qur’an nothing that he
says is prompted by his personal desire, instead of which, it is a Wahy
(revelation) from Allah Ta ‘ala: (and nor does he talk from desire. It is
nothing but a revelation revealed – 53:3-4).” 17
The revered Islamic scholar and author
of those lines follows that affirming, “This tells us that all acts of worship,
dealings with people, personal morals and habits of the Holy Prophet were, all
of them, through Divine revelation and
have the same authority as that of the Qur’an.” 18
Summing it up he then adds what I
stated in the opening lines of this post, “…this verse declares that the
purpose for which the Holy Prophet was sent is the explaining of the Qur’an.” 19
Indeed, explaining the Qur’an
through the medium of his “sayings and doings,” those word and deeds of “the
Holy Prophet” known as Hadith.
What’s more, the above-cited
author then closes that section addressing this tenet of Islam with this
declaration—heads up, all fools who assert the Islamic text IS, Al-Qaeda, and
all “Extremist” live by are those twisted and perverted:
If today a
person calls this treasure of Hadith unreliable under one or the other
pretext or artifice, it plainly means that the Holy Prophet acted against this
Qur’anic injunction when he did not explain what the Qur’an had said; or, that
he had explained it but his explanation did not remain preserved for posterity.
Under either of the two conditions, it is being suggested that the Qur’an
has not remained protected as to its meaning – the responsibility of
protecting which has been undertaken by Allah Ta ‘ala Himself: [We, Ourselves,
have sent down the Dhikr (the Qur’an) and We are there to protect it – 15:9]. 20
Expounding on verse 15:9 [cited
above] the revered scholar firmly states, “One who says that the Ahadith of
the Rasul of Allah are not absolutely protected is really saying that
the Qur’an is not protected.” 21
In other words, to assert the
“extremist” or anyone else has twisted and changed the words and meanings of
the Qur’an is to call Allah a liar.
The author adds, such a claim or
its inference “is contrary to this textual authority (nass) of the Qur’an.” He
thus affirms, “from here it stands proved that a person who refuses to accept
the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet as a binding authority of Islam is, in reality,
a denier of the Qur’an itself.”22
Reason being so, as that provided
above. As that restated below, same concept, same authoritative source,
different volume, this, under the heading, “The Holy Prophet’s Words are a
Revelation from Allah:
(And he does not speak out of (his
own) desire. It is not but revelation revealed [to him] …. 53:3 – 4] The verses
tell us that it is absolutely impossible for the Messenger to forge lies and
impute them to Allah. Nothing he utters is of his own wish or desire. He only
conveys to the people what he was commanded to convey, in its entirety, without
additions or deletions. An analysis of the various Traditions in Bukhari
indicates that there are many categories or types of wahy [inspiration or
revelation]. Type one is that in which the wordings and the meaning are both
directly from Allah. This is called Qur’an. Type two is the one in which only
the meaning comes from Allah, and the Messenger expresses the meaning in his
own words. This is called Hadith or Sunnah [Tradition]. The subject of
Hadith, which comes from Allah, sometimes lays down injunctions or rules of
conduct in clear and express terms, and at other times it establishes a general
principle from which the Messenger derives laws on the basis of ijtihad or
anology [sic] , and promulgates them. 23
Therefore, with the invaluable indispensable worthiness,
from the Islamic perspective, of the words of the “prophet” established, we
note the invaluable indispensable worthiness of narratives such as this: “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever
changes his religion [away from Islam], execute him.’”24
When we read such we know just how such arrived thereat, we
know why. We know its weight and worth in Islam.
Likewise, when we read, “It was narrated from Abdul ‘Aziz
bin Muhammad, from ‘Amr bin Abi ‘Amr, from ‘Ikrimah, from ibn ‘Abbas who said:
“ Allah’s Messenger said: ‘Whoever of you find doing the action of the people
of Lut, kill the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.” 25
So too with, “the Prophet called the Khawarij ‘the worst of the people’. This is the quality
of the unbelievers. He said, ‘An evil tribe under the sky. Blessings for the
one who kills them or the one whom they kill.’”
“He said, ‘When you find them, kill them as you would kill
an enemy.’” 26
We move on.
Preserving and
protecting “Qur’an”
Thus, with the above concept regarded, once the correct words of the
Qur’anic verses were learned and memorized, the same record provides, once,
along with that, their correct meanings and explanations; then was the duty of
the ummah to, along with preserving the correct words of the “noble Qur’an,”
likewise preserving their correct meanings.
Therein a practice, a sunnah of “Allah” noted in many a tenet of Qur’an:
accomplishing his stated promises and/or threats, via the hands, heads, and
hearts of the believers, in this instance: “We, Ourselves, have sent down the
Dhikr (the Qur’an), and We are there to protect it” (Surah Al-Hijr 15:9).
Thus, to that end, as the scholars state, “It became necessary that the
tafsir of Qur’an be preserved as a permanent branch of knowledge so that, along
with the words of the noble Qur’an, its correct meaning as well stands
protected and conserved for the Muslim ummah.” Thereby assuring, assert the scholars,
“heretics and deviationists find no room there for distortion of its meanings.”
27
Therefore, provides that same source, the scholars assert, so important
was that mission, so dedicated to it was the ummah, that it was accomplished,
by nothing less than “the grace and tawfiq [success given by Allah] of
Allah Almighty.”
Therefore, this, there unabashed certain affirmation:
…this ummah
accomplished this wonderful mission with such efficiency that today we can say
without any fear of doubt or rejection that not only are the words of this last
Book of Allah protected but also stands protected even that correct tafsir and
explanation which has reached us through the Holy Prophet and his Companions
who were prepared to sacrifice their lives for him. 28
Prepared to sacrifice their lives for him, as in, in this instance, do
so, if need be, to insure only the clear intended meaning of the Qur’an verses,
as they learned those meanings from the words and deeds of their “prophet,” as
he, according to Islam, learned them from “Allah,” were the explanations
provided in the preserved record of tafsir. And it is those works of tafsir,
the fruits of that line of, according to Islam, reliable trustworthy sources
and preservers of the “integrity” of Qur’an and tafsir, that the revered
masters of tafsir rely on in what they provide to us in their respective works.
It is those revered works, with the above- cited and stated certified
stamp of approval of the ummah, we have in our hands today.
There, as stated above, according to the Islamic record of such, by no
less than the assiduous fastidious efforts of the ummah and by “the grace and
tawfiq [success given by Allah] of Allah Almighty” to them. I therefore cite
regularly from those works. The scholars and scribes of IS likewise cite from
those works.
Because it is from such works IS gains their clear understanding of the
Qur’an. Thus, it is after the details
and guidance provided in those works of tafsir IS provides, seemingly daily,
for the world to see, Big-screen episodes of the Qur’an in living color.
Paris, San Bernardino, New York, Baghdad, Boston, Israel, Bangladesh,
Libya, Istanbul, Brussels, Orlando, Dhaka, name your nation, your state, your
province, your city, your mall, your airport, your nightclub, et cetera.
Those Allah-and-Muhammad’s-ummah preserved correct explanations of
Qur’an, we now witness and hear the bloody details of seemingly daily in our
homes as they play out across our screens, the
blueprints of them all in our hands via regard-worthy works of tafsir,
are none other than those provided by the words and deeds of “Allah’s
Messenger.”
Mr. Obama, Mr. G. W. Bush, Mrs. Clinton, and all others who tell us of
the twisted perverted texts that the “extremist” cite and use as their guidance
and reasons for their acts of violence and terror against us and others, take your charge of those texts and their
meanings being twisted and perverted to the heads of the ummah. Lay your
charges of such at the feet of “Allah’s Messenger.” Lay them at the feet of
Allah. Given, according to Islamic doctrine, as spoken to above, all the
Messenger did he did by the leave and guidance of Allah, neither said nor did
anything on his own accord but all he did he did by Allah’s revealed guidance
to him.
As shown above, according to Islamic doctrine, as the Qur’an bears out,
all Muhammad did, he did in obedience to Allah’s instruction and guidance to
him, as he [Muhammad] provided through the medium of his words and deeds
clarity in perfection of the intended “Divine” meanings of the Qur’anic
verses. Meanings and verses Allah himself
swore he would protect and defend against change or perversion.
Thus, lay your charges of “extremist” having twisted and perverted the
words and meanings of the “Qur’an” at the feet of Allah himself. Because, as stated, he himself swore that he
would keep both the words of Qur’an along with their intended meanings safe
from perversions or change.
Charge him then with negligence. Charge him with babbling. Charging him
with lying and deceit.
Because, as the Qur’an asserts, as mentioned above,
as tafsir, under the sub heading, “The Promise to Protect the Qur’an
Includes the Protection of Hadith” clarifies, this affirmation:
As a matter of principle, all
learned people agree that the Qur’an is neither the name of the words of the
Qur’an alone, nor that of its meanings alone, instead, a combination of both is
called the Qur’an….This tells us that the Qur’an is the exclusive name of the
particular Divinely revealed Book the words and meanings of which are
simultaneously protected.
This also leads us to the ruling
that the practice of people who publish the translation of the Qur’an only in a
foreign language and give it the, for example, an English Qur’an or … is not
permissible at all – because, that is not the Qur’an. 29
Wait a minute--this book I received to read, called “Koran,”
shortly after 9/11 from an acquaintance, the wife of a former Muslim, the book
the content of which, at that time, I could scarcely make heads or tails of the
message contained in its chapters and verses; that was not “Qur’an”?
No, that was not Qur’an.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Tafsir Ibn Abbas , Ten Volumes of Tafsir
ibn Kathir, Eight Volumes of Tafsir Ma ‘ariful Qur’an, the latter there, based
on volumes and volumes of master of tafsir that proceeded his said work, et.
al. – works with words as well as meanings of the Qur’an-- that is the
“Qur’an.”
Only the content of such works provides the reader with the
proper and correct understanding and thus knowledge of the authoritative “book”
of guidance of the din of Islam.
Obama and line up mentioned above, only fools make your assertions there
stated, only fools believe them. But
you, and for justifiable reason, trust your gullible audiences to be just that:
gullible, foolish, unread on the content of the subject you so stupidly, yet
“authoritatively,” speak to with either crafty prevarication or categorical
ignorance of.
We wind this segment up with a visit to “the Court of Ma’mun.”
“An Episode from the Court of Ma’mun”
In the tafsir I have quoted almost exclusively from in this post, there,
in the comments on the verse, “We, Ourselves, have sent down the Dhikr (the
Qur’an), and We are there to protect it,” (15:9) providing clarification on
that verse is a narrative credited to Imam Al-Qurtubi. It is asserted to be “authentically reported”
by him of “an event from the court of ‘Abbasi Khalifah, Al-Ma’ mun.” 30
It goes this way: Caliph
al-Ma’mun used to regularly have to his courtroom scholars to debate “on
intellectual issues.” “All scholars were
welcomed.” Thus, to that courtroom one day came a Jew. The narrative provides, the said scholar, “by
his looks, dress and manners,” appeared to be a right “elegant person.” And when he made his debate, sure enough, he
was notably “eloquent and intellectually bright.” Impressed by the man, after
the debate, suspecting the man was a Jew, Ma’mun accordingly inquired just that
from the man. The man confirmed indeed he was a Jew. To which Ma’mun then, seeking to confirm the man’s claim, asked the
man if he wanted to embrace Islam, and thus by so doing insure he [the Jew]
would “then hope to have the best treatment” from Ma’mun. 31
But the Jew said, by no means could he leave “the religion of his
forefathers.” Thus the narrative relates, “the matter ended there.” The Jew
left. Time past. Then, about a year later, about the same time of year, to the
same court and opportunity there came the same man. But this time, he came a
Muslim, and one well informed, skilled in the knowledge of Islamic
jurisprudence. And on that topic in that court he spoke with noted skill and
authority.
Upon seeing and hearing the said man, and being certain he recognized
him for “the Jew” he had spoken to the
year before, Ma’mun inquired of
him, was he “the same person who had
come last year?” The man answered, reads
the narrative, “ Yes, I am.” Then Ma’mun asked, why the change of heart, what
brought about his conversion to Islam?
To that, the narrative relates, the former Jew answered, “I am a scribe.
I write books and sell them. They bring good prices.” 32 He then
stated, after he left Ma’mun’s court the year before, after refusing to embrace
Islam, as Ma’mun had invited him to do at that time, thinking more on his
decision thereto, he said he decided to run a test of sorts. Testing the then contemporary religions. His
test went like this:
First I calligraphed
three manuscripts of the Torah in which I made some additions and deletions on
my own. I took these manuscripts of the Torah to the Synagogue. The Jews found
them interesting and bought them. Then, I did the same things with the Injil. I
calligraphed three manuscripts, complete with my additions and deletions, and
took them to the Church where the Christians were pleased with these
manuscripts and bought them from me. After that, I tried the same thing with
the Qur’an. I calligraphed three good looking [sic] manuscripts of the Qur’an,
of course with the usual additions and deletions of my own. When I went out to
sell them, I faced a problem. Every buyer I went to would take the manuscript,
look into it to determine if it was correct or not, and when he would notice
additions and deletions made into it, he would quietly return the manuscript
back to me. 33
This former Jew then stated, relates the narrative, “From this I learnt
my lesson that this Book is protected, and protected by Allah Ta ‘ala Himself,
therefore, I embraced Islam.” 34
Thus, from the events portrayed in the above narration, and no doubt,
others similar to it, the author of Ma’arful Qur’an provides the following
affirmation: “…Allah Ta‘ala has said:
(And We are there to protect it [the Qur’an] –9). Thus, When Allah Ta ‘ala
Himself arranged to have it remain protected, then, despite thousands of
efforts made by enemies, not a single change in one tiny dot or case mark could
be made.” 35
Therefore, he declares, “Today, over fourteen hundred years have passed
since even the blessed age of the Holy Prophet, and there has been a shortfall
and neglect on the part of Muslims in all areas of their religious matters.
Yet,” notwithstanding those shortfalls and neglects, “the continuous
arrangement of memorizing the Holy Qur’an all over the world stands firmly
established as it was.” 36
With strong argument, hard countering
all who claim the Qur’anic text, as defined above, have, any time, any era, any
place been twisted or perverted, he continues: “In every period of time, there
are millions of Muslims, old and young, male and female, always present on the
scene, blessed people in whose hearts and minds the Holy Qur’an lives
protected.” 37
And “before them”—those “blessed
people”-- declares this revered scholar,
“not even the highest of the high religious scholars can dare recite a single
letter of the Qur’an wrong, for there would be around at that time many,
seniors or children, who would promptly apprehend the error.” 38
That, Mr. Obama, Mr. G.W. , Mrs. Clinton and all other fools or
prevaricators who tell us of the perversion and twisting of the Qur’an by those
they call “extremist,” above is the record the revered scholars of Islam know.
It is the record any serious student of Islam likewise knows. It is also what
every Muslim knows.
I wind up this up with this terse
exegesis on Surah 15:9, from tafsir of Ibn Kathir: “Allah … stated that He is the One Who
revealed the Dhikr to him [his messenger], which is the Qur’an, and He is
protecting it from being changed or altered.” 39
Moving forward.
“Ma’riful Qur’an”
(The Wisdom of the Holy Qur’an)
The tafsir I have quoted from and will quote most often from in this
essay is that of Maulana Mufti Muhammad Shafi, eminent Islamic scholar and
professor, former grand Mufti of Darul-Uloon Deoband, prolific writer and thus
author of “about one hundred books on different Islamic and literary subjects.”
34 Not the least of those
works, his “last great work, Ma ‘arful-Qur’an,” a Comprehensive commentary on
the Qur’an. It is that work, as noted, cited from numerous times above, will
yet be often- cited in the remainder of this post.
In that work, he has relied upon the wealth of information, doctrinal
tenets, and Qur’anic explanations provided in the works of the regarded master
of Tafsir in Islamic circles who preceded him.
Highlighting the major works thereof, we begin with Tafsir ibn
Jarir. The real name of the work being,
“Jami’ al-Bayan and it was compiled by ‘Allamah Abu Ja ‘far Muhammad ibn Jarir
al-Tabari (died 310 Hijrah). ‘Allamah Tabari is a highly rated commentator, muhaddith
(hadith expert) and historian.” 40
The said comes in thirty volumes. It holds the honor of being “a basic source
for later commentaries.” 41 To
my knowledge, at the time of this writing, this work is unavailable in English.
After that is Tafsir ibn Kathir, the author of that work being, “Hafiz
‘Iman al-din Abu al-Fida’ Isma ‘il ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi al-Shafi (died 774
Hijrah), a distinguished research scholar of the eighth century.” His work, In
Arabic, published in four volumes, English abridged version, comes in ten
volumes. “This book holds a distinct
place among all books of Tafsir.”42
Next, it the Tafsir of Al-Qurtubi.
The full name of which is, “Al-Jami ‘ li-Ahkam al-Qur’an.” It’s author
is “the famous and learned writer and research scholar of Andalusia (Spain),
Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ahmad Abi Bakr ibn Farah al-Qurtubi (died 671
Hijrah) 43 The book comes in
Twelve Volumes, and to my knowledge, thus far, only Vol. 1 is available in
English. Therefore, the indispensable value in Ma’ariful Qur’an, which cites
oftentimes from those 12 volumes, thus providing in English much from that in Tafsir
Al-Qurtubi’s 12 volumes.
After al-Qurtubi’s tafsir is that of “Iman Fakhr al-din al-Razi (died
606 Hijrah),” Al-Tafsir al-Kabir. Its real name being, “Mafatih al-Ghayb. As with the lion’s share of al-Qurtubi’s
tafsir, this work also, to my knowledge, unavailable to date in English. Hence,
again, the value of it cited from repeated times throughout the eight volumes
of Ma ‘ariful Qur’an. “Imam Razi is an imam of the theology of Islam.” 44 The
work is known among scholars to be “a unique key to the Qur’an,” therefore,
enjoys the honor of a tafsir of “high rating as far as the resolution of the
meanings of the Qur’an is concerned.” 45 It comes in eight volumes.
Next major work mentioned as cited from in Ma’ariful Qur’an is Tafsir
al-Bahr al-Muhit, “written by ‘Allamah Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati al-Andalusi (died
754 Hijrah).” He “was a master of syntax and rhetoric in addition to other
Islamic fields of learning.”46 It
also, to my knowledge, yet to be made available in English.
After that, “Ahkam al-Qur’an by al-Jassas.” This work the work of Imam
Abu Bakr al-Jassas al-Razi (died 370 Hijrah), an Imam “distinguished among
Hanafi jurist.” In this work, al-Razi usurps the task of providing the correct
juristic details in Qur’anic verses containing such. Therefore, among works
that provide clarity on juristic injunctions, “this book enjoys a prominent
place among those.” 47 Once more, to my knowledge, this work yet to
be made available in English.
Next comes the work , Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthur. This, “written by ‘Allamah Jalah al-din
al-Suyuti (died 910).” The full name of this work is, “ ‘al-Durr al-Manjthur fi
al-Tafsir bi l ‘Ma’thur.’” In this work, al-Suyuti presents the sum of his
devoted efforts to collect “all narrations about the tafsir of Qur’an,” that
were available at that time, assemble, and present them all in this book. As
such, in this indispensable work, he cites the works of “hadith scholars such
as Hafiz ibn Jarir, Imam Baghawi, Ibn Marduwayh, Ibn Hibban and Ibn Majah and
others.”48 This work also, as is so with the lion’s share of the
works of the scholars of hadith just noted, to the best of my knowledge, yet to
be make available in English.
Next major work in the list of such cited in Mar’arul is the work,
“Al-Tafsir al-Mazhari.” The author of this work is, Qadi Thanaullah Panipati
(died 1225 Hijrah). The work is named after “his spiritual master, Mirza Mazhar
Jan-e-Janan Dehlavi. “ The work is said to be “very simple and clear, and extremely
useful to locate brief explanations of Qur’anic verses.”49 It also, as most those above, to the best of
my knowledge, at the time of this writing, unavailable in English.
The last in the list of major works cited in Ma’ariful Qur’an is that of
“Ruh al-Ma ‘ani.” Full name of that work is, “ ‘Ruh al-Ma ‘ani fi Tafsir
al-Qur’an al- ‘Azim wa al-Sab‘ al-Mathani. Its author, “ ‘Allamah Mahmud al-Alusi (died) 1270 Hijrah), the
famous scholar of the last period of Baghdad.” Comes in thirty volumes. And the author of Ma’ariful Qur’an states of
this “very comprehensive commentary … no future venture in connection with the
Tafsir of the Qur’an can now afford to ignore its help.” 50
Thus, winding up this section, when I state, that which I cite is that from
the authoritative voices in Islam, I do so for good and justifiable reason.
Citing those who, their testimony is, they dedicated their lives, “in the fear
of Allah,” each respective Imam, reaching back, gather up, to the very best of
his ability to do so, the revered works of the regard-worthy scholars and
makers of tafirs who preceded him, and from those works, concluding, and
presenting their works.
“Bismillah”
With the above tabled, with the opening lines of this essay in mind—“
Orlando Police Dispatcher: Emergency 911….Omar Mateen: In
the name of God the Merciful, the beneficent [said in Arabic] [“Bismillah
al-Rahman al-Rahim”] 51…. . I wanna let you know, I’m in Orlando
and I did the shootings”—to the third unnumbered page of Tafsir al-Jalalayn,
where we read, “In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent.”
From there, to verse one of
"Surat” One, Tafsir al-Jalalayn, “In the name of Allah, All Merciful, Most
Merciful, Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds….” 52
Imam Al-Qurtubi, in his tafsir, provides as verse one of “Surat” one, “In
the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful.”
With Mateen’s Bismillah in mind, we read, in the just cited work of
Al-Qurtubi , the revered Imam also provides, “Scholars say that ‘In the Name of
Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful’ is an oath from our Lord which He
revealed at the beginning of every sura.” He adds, by that oath revealed,
“Allah” “swears to His slaves, ‘What I have laid down for you, My slaves, in
this sura is true. I will fulfil [sic] for you all that I guarantee….” 53
Imam Qurtubi there also provides, “Some scholars say that “In the Name
of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful” contains all the Shariah
because it indicates the Essence and the Attributes.” 54
Al-Qurtubi also provides, “Muslim reports from Anas,” as follows:
One day while the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was among us he
nodded off and then he raised his head smiling. We asked, ‘What has made you
smile, Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘A sura was just revealed to me. It is:
“In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful! Truly We have given
you the Great Abundance. So pray to your Lord and sacrifice. It is the one who
hates you who is cut off without an heir.’” (108)” 55
From there, into the pages of Ma ‘ariful Quran, Volume one, on the
opening lines of verse one of Surah one: “(I begin) with the name of Allah, the
All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful.” (Surah Al-Fatihah, [The Opening] 1:1).
Under the heading, “Bismillah is a verse of the Holy Qur’an,” the author
of Ma’ariful Qur’an provides, some assert that Bismillah is indeed a verse in
the Qur’an and that verse is in Surah al-Naml. Others assert the Bismillah is
an integral part of Surah one, verse one.
“According to the great Imam Abu Hanifah, it is not an integral part of
any Surah except al-Naml, rather it is in itself an independent verse of the Holy Qur’an … placed
at the beginning of every surah,” thereby “distinguishing one Surah from another.”
56
Though there is absence on consensus on that matter, where there is
consensus of the scholars, with respect to Bismillah, is that it is indeed an
integral part of the Qur’an, thus likewise,
“It is a Sunnah to recite Bismillah,” because, when one does so, one is
reciting Qur’anic content. 57
Additionally, “The Holy Qur’an,” provides the author of Ma’riful Qur’an,
“again and again instructs us to begin what we do with the name of Allah.” He
adds, “ The Holy Prophet has said that no important work receives the blessings
of Allah, unless it is begun with His name.” 58
(Thus, for no trite reason Mateen’s utterance thereto, in his above
cited “work” early 12 June 2016, Pulse nightclub.)
Same authoritative source also provides, as follows:
By instructing man to begin everything with
the name of Allah, Islam has given to the whole of his life an orientation
towards Allah so that he may, with each step he takes, renew his allegiance to
the covenant with Allah that nothing he does, not even his very being can come
into existence without the will and help of Allah. Thus, all the economic and worldly activities
of man, each movement and gesture, becomes transformed into an act of worship. 59
For such reasons, Omar Siddiqui Mateen, the morning of 12 June 2016, in
the above-cited phone call he made, that work dedicated to Allah, done in the
name of Allah; in reciting his Bismillah thereto, his every movement, and
gesture thereat that fateful blood-and-death-filled morning became acts of
worship.
As Ma’ariful Qur’an speaks to the utterance of Bismillah, which Mateen
uttered that morning: “How brief is the action, which consumes neither time nor
energy, and yet how immense the gain –it is a regular alchemy, transmuting the
profane (dunya) into the sacred (din).” 60
And thus, according to Islamic doctrine, which Mateen believed full
heartedly in, by his Bismillah utterance,
he transformed his “profane” acts that morning into “sacred” acts—sacred acts
of the din of Islam.
As stated above, as borne out in the authoritative texts of Islam, acts
of worship.
For such reasons, we read in the revered works of tafsir, “acts of
worship (‘Ibadah) are not limited merely to prescribed prayers or
fasting. Imam al-Ghazzali in his book
‘Arba ‘in has enumerated ten forms which worship can take.” 61
Among those, “Prayers, Prescribed Alms giving, Fasting, Hajj,” as one
would expect to find. So too, “Reciting the Holy Qur’an, Remembrance of Allah
in all possible situations,” as well as, “Earning ones livelihood in accordance
with the regulations of the Shari ‘ah.” So too, “Fulfilling one’s obligations
towards one’s companions and neighbors,” as well as, “Persuading people to act
righteously and dissuading them from what is reprehensible and forbidden.”62
And the last of those perhaps “uncommon” but certain acts Islam counts
as worship: “To follow the Sunnah, or
the practice of the Holy Prophet.” 63
Sunnah, as presented and spoken to in the opening pages of this essay,
sunnah as Islam presents it being: words and deeds, sayings and doings of the
“Holy Prophet.”
Thus worship is implementing and following sunnah. Sunnah that Siddiqui
Mateen, true to the title he makes part of his name, believing in Allah and His
Messenger, neither hesitating nor doubting the words and commands of “the
Messenger,” sunnah, “sayings and doings
of ‘Allah’s Messenger,’” which, “Man of Allah,” “Saint” Matten put to task that
morning in Pulse nightclub.
Sunnah (worship)
at Pulse Nightclub
“I could see piles of bodies laying over the
toilet seat and slumped over. And the bottom of the toilet was just covered
with hand prints and blood,” she said, and recalled thinking, “I really don’t
think I’m going to get out of here.”
At one point, she prayed to die.
“I was just begging God to take my soul out of my
body,” Carter said.
At times, she said the shooter referenced snipers
and implied he was not acting alone.
“It
sounded like he was communicating with other people involved in it,” Carter
said…. 64
Words of Pulse nightclub massacre survivor, Patience Carter.
From her words we go to these words of "Allah's Messenger":
“…I heard the Messenger of Allah
say: If the people see evil and do not denounce it, soon Allah will send His
punishment upon them all.” 65
“The Messenger of Allah said, …
there will be a people who recite the Qur’an but it will go no further than
their collarbones; … Fighting them is a duty upon every Muslim.” 66
It was narrated that Suwaid bin
Ghafalah said: ‘Ali said: …. I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “Some people
will emerge at the end of time who are young in age and foolish. They will
speak the best of words …. They will pass out of faith as the arrow passes out
of the prey. If you meet them, kill them, for in killing them there will be for
the one who kills them reward with Allah …. “ ‘Abdur-Rahman said: “If you meet
them, then kill them, for killing them will bring to those who kill them reward
on the Day of Resurrection.” 67
It was narrated that Abu Hurairah
said: “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘I have been commanded to fight the people
until they say La ilaha illallah. If they say it then their blood and
their wealth are safe from me, except for a right that is due, and their
reckoning is with Allah….’”68
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin
‘Amir that the Prophet said: “The extinction of the whole world is less
significant before Allah than killing a Muslim man.” 69
It was narrated from ‘Ali, may
Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet said: ‘The lives of the believers
are equal in value, and they are one against others, and they hasten to support
the asylum granted by the least of them. But no believer may be killed in
return for a disbeliever….” 70
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah from the
Messenger of Allah: “The believer is the mirror of his fellow-believer, and the
believer is the brother of his fellow-believer. He protects him against ruin
and looks after him.” 71
Again, now to the words of shooting victim of Pulse
nightclub, Patience Carter, what she related of Mateen: “Through the
conversation with 911, he said that the reason why he was doing this was he
wanted America to stop bombing his country.” 72
The claimed “his” country of which this American
born, raised, and residing American Muslim speaks of: Islamic State.
As Carter also said, “So the motive was very clear to
us who were laying in our blood and other people’s blood who were injured, who
were shot — that we knew what his motive was. And he was not going to stop
killing people until he was killed, until he felt that the message got out
there.” 73
Other reports
relate, “just before the massacre, the shooter went on Facebook,” and there
posted, “America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state. You kill innocent
women and children by doing U.S. air strikes. Now taste the Islamic state
vengeance.” 74
Clearly,
Qur’anic doctrine establishes, the believer is the mirror image of his
fellow-believer, and a Muslim a brother to the Muslim, thus we deduce from such
what is done to one Muslim is as if it were done to all. Thus, we witness Mateen’s adherence to sunnah
in reading the following: “It was narrated from Sa ‘eed bin Zaid the the
Prophet said: ‘Whoever fights to protect his family is a martyr.” 75
We regard, the
Qur’anic text, as described above, as provided in lines following, likewise
establishes the doctrine of Qisas [equal retaliation]. Thus again, we
note Mateen was armed for his actions not only with firearms there in Pulse
nightclub, but also for those acts fully armed with Qur’anic blessing,
guidance, and authority.
As was so with
the troops of Allah who struck our nation, 9/11--there too, their claim was the
hits were in return for our actions abroad in Muslim nations. What’s more, of
9/11, “high school friends “of Mateen, child of Qur’an, they stated he showed elation and pleasure
upon witnessing that macabre. 76
Other reports provided, “a former classmate” of
Mateens, from “Mariposa Elementary School,” stated, “one day when he [Mateen]
was in either 4th or 5th grade, he threatened to come in
here with a gun and kill everyone.” 77
Dan Gilroy, who worked as a Security Guard with
Mateen, he said of Mateen, “he said, several times, he was going to kill a
large group of people, In fact, one time he said I would make the count the
highest.”78
The commentators on that show that day commented on
the above-cited “behavior problems” stating, “it was deep rooted…. Not
something that just started yesterday or last week. It is certainly something
that has been going on for a while. “
Indeed--Mateen was both born and raised an American
Muslim, thus raised in a U.S. based Muslim home, raised on the Qur’an and the
sunnah. Thus well versed on that in those works. Some Muslims hide their faith
well. Countless reject it but must keep concealed that repudiation. Mateen seem
not only to embrace his Muslim faith but also to wear it on his sleeve, its
precepts ever close to the surface. Thus, his “teapot” repeatedly noted,
throughout stages of his life, boiling.
Surviving
mother of the youngest victim killed that morning at Pulse Nightclub, Natalie
Murray, mother of Akyra Murray, she stated, her daughter was on her way with a
“Full ride” Scholarship to Mercy Hurst University. Akyra’s goal there: “study
criminology and sociology.” Central to that, “find out why criminals act the
way they act and what caused them to tick to be able to kill and hurt people. This is what she was going to study,”79
provided her mother in a CNN interview with Don Lemon.
Natalie
stated, “ And to think that a person like that would actually take her life at
such a young age, it’s just the saddest thing.” Indeed it is. Natalie stated,
“I can’t – I’m at a loss for words for what was going through his head. And
what made him do what he did and why he wanted to hurt those kids. That club,”
she stated, “brings from 18-years-old up. These were kids….”80
My heart
breaks for this momma’s loss, and for all the horrific details surrounding it…
I, however, am at no loss as to what was going through Mateen’s head: “dhirk” remembrance of Allah.
“Dhirk,” which
is worship. “Dhikru’ullah: remembrance
or invocation of Allah.” 81
Neither am I
at a loss as to what made him do what he did: The doctrines in the Qur’an, and
the spirit behind them, made him do what he did. The words and deeds, the sayings and doings
of the “prophet” of Islam, and Mateen’s regard and devotion to such made him do
what he did 12 June at Pulse Nightclub.
“Remember Me,”
the Qur’an provides Allah commands his ummah, “and I will remember you. “ (Surah
Al-Baqarah 2: 152.) And that “means to
say,” reads revered exegetic view provided, “if men ‘remember’ Allah by obeying
His commandments, He will ‘remember’ them by granting His pardon and His
rewards.” 82
“He who has
not obeyed Him has not remembered Him, “provides the same source, citation
attributed to “commentator Sa ‘d ibn Jubayr, asserting, “'Remembrance’ of Allah as obedience and submission to him.”
83
That explanation, “fully supported by a hadith
cited by Al-Qurtubi on the authority of “Ahkam al-Qur’an by Ibn Khuwayz
Mandadh.” He states, “the Holy Prophet has said that one who has been obeying
Allah – that is following the injunctions with regard to the lawful (Halal) and
the unlawful (Haram)—has truly been remembering Allah.” 84
“Islam,”
provide the revered scholars of that faith, “signifies ‘to obey, to submit
oneself, to surrender one’s will.’” 85
“What Islam
requires of man,” state the same, “is that he should set aside all his desires
and inclinations, and seek, in everything he does, the pleasure of his Lord.” 86
And how will such a man know what pleases his “Lord”? The scholars answer that
for us, stating, “ only when he knows the commandments of his Lord, and also
performs these tasks exactly in the manner He has prescribed. This,” they
affirm, “ is what ‘Ibadah or worship
is.” 87
They add to
that, “Thus, Islam signifies total obedience to Allah, and this obedience is
possible only when one follows the Sunnah, the Way of the Holy Prophet.” 88
Because all in
Sunnah is Halal and thus all sunnah-following actions are obeying Allah.
Neglecting one dot of following sunnah is Haram. What’s more, obeying Allah is
following sunnah examples, obeying sunnah commands , thus following the
injunctions of the lawful and the unlawful in Islam.
Allah’s word commands “Bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair.”
(Surah “AL-‘Imran 3:104)
Speaking to that Qur’anic command, Hadith provides in Sunan An-Nasa’i, and elsewhere, as follows:
“It was narrated that Tariq bin
Shihab said: “Abu Sa ‘eed Al-Khurdi said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say:
‘Whoever among you sees an evil and changes it with his hand, then he has done
his duty. Whoever is unable to do that, but changes it with his tongue, then he
has done his duty. Whoever is unable to do that, but changes it with his heart,
then he has done his duty, and that is the weakest of Faith.” 89
Comments of the scholars on the above provide, “We get to learn that witnessing the sin
taking place is also a sin, except for the one who fulfills his duty imposed
upon him by the Shar ‘iah.” 90
Speaking to the same, comments on the above-cited verse,
(3:104) include this citation: “the obligation—‘to bid the Fair and forbid the
Unfair –has been assigned to the whole community. That they discharge this
responsibility is the reason that they are placed higher over other communities.”
91
Hence, the verse, “You are the best Ummah raised for
mankind. You bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair.” (Surah “AL-‘Imran 3:110.)
That is they “enjoin what is good in accordance with the dictates of the Qur’an
and the Sunnah.” 92
Hence these sayings of the “Holy Prophet”:
“By the One in Whose Hand is my
soul!: Either you command good and forbid evil, or Allah will soon send upon
you a punishment form Him, then you will call upon Him, but He will not respond
to you.” 93
Footnotes thereat read as follows:
….an individual person who is
capable and does his best to fulfill this duty, he will surely save himself
from punishment. If no one performs this duty, then the entire community shall
be considered sinning and be punished. The reason being … stopping the
wrongdoer from committing wrong is a collective duty that must be performed by
all. 94
Adding to the above, Allah’s word commands, “O you who
believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared. And die not except in the state of
Islam (as Muslims) with complete submission to Allah.” (Surah ‘ Al-Imran, 3:102.)
It provides, as mentioned and spoken to above, with respect
to the “prophet” Muhammad, the one Islam asserts is Allah’s final messenger to
mankind, “And We sent down the Message (adh-dhikr: The Qur’an) so that you
explain to the people what has been revealed for them and so that they may
ponder. ” (Surah Al-Nahl 16:44.)
Therefore, because the Qur’an establishes, as spoken to at
length above, Muhammad, via his life, was dispatched for the express purpose of
explaining the intended meanings of the
verses of the Qur’an, “Allah’s” word likewise repeated times throughout it
commands “You who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger.”
The rest of that verse reads, “ [and obey] those in command
among you. If you have a dispute about something, refer it back to (the Book
of) Allah and the Messenger [himself, while he was alive, and then to his
Sunna].” (Surat an-Nisa’ 4:59, Al-Jalalayn, and elsewhere.)
Therefore, this Qur’anic command and assertion: “Say [to them, O Muhammad], “If you love
Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you….” ( Surat Al-Imran 3:31,
Al-Jalalayn) So too, “Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah.” (Surat
an-Nisa’ 4: 80, Ibid.)
For such reason, from the mouth of the “Messenger of Allah,”
this command: “Whoever among you lives after I am gone … you must adhere to my
Sunnah and the way of the Rightly Guided Khulafa. Hold on to it and
cling fast to it” 95
Why is that?
Once more, because, as the Qur’an asserts of all the
“prophet” said or relayed, thus , as we note footnotes thereat from the men of
knowledge in Islam on that just cited hadith read, “Regarding the fact that the Sunnah is
revelation ,” as touched on earlier in this post, “Allah has said: ‘Nor does he
speak of (his own) desire. It is only a revelation revealed.’ (An-Najm 53:24
[sic] [actual verses: 3, 4.]” 96
Therefore, on the pages written by the learned on Islam,
“Commentators and Imams have said that obeying the Messenger of Allah means to
cling to his sunna and to submit to what he brought.” 97 They add,
“Obeying the Messenger in his sunna is equivalent to obeying Allah.” 98
They state, “Sahl at-Tustari was asked about the Shari‘a of Islam and he
quoted, ‘Take what the Messenger brings you.’ (59:7.)” 99
That last line bears repeating, given, with so much talk of
rejecting Shariah in our nation but praising and promoting Islam in our nation,
that last line gives us the basic shakedown of just what Shariah is--“Sahl
at-Tustari was asked about the Shari‘a of Islam and he quoted, ‘Take what the
Messenger brings you.’ (59:7.)” Indeed, therein Shariah: Sunnah of the
“Prophet; Sunnah of the Prophet: Islam--the lawful therein done, the unlawful
forbidden and shunned-- enacted.
Because of that basic established tenet of Islam, hadith
provides, with full confidence absent one slivers thread of apology, this
“prophet” asserted as follows:
“Let me not find one of you
reclining on his couch, and when he hears of a command that I have enjoined or
a prohibition I have issued, he says: ‘We do not know; what we find in the Book
of Allah, we follow.’” (Sahih.) 100
Therein, we note, Allah’s Messenger emphatically asserts the
importance of believers moving to action in obedience to, not of what Allah
enjoined or prohibited, but, in his words, what “I have.” That is so because the regarded works of
Islam establishes, as shown herein and elsewhere, the sunna of the “prophet”
was nothing more, nothing less than sunna of Allah.
Thus, as spoken to
above, when one obeys the former by default one obeys the latter, and when
obeys the latter by default one will then obey the former. In addition, obeying
and submitting to Allah is remembrance of Allah, remembrance of Allah is
worship, and following Sunnah is obedience and submission to Allah and it is
worship.
Regarding the
above, we recall Mateen’s affirmations in the transcript of his 911 phone call:
“OM: My name is I pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of
the Islamic State.
“OD: Ok, What’s your name?
“OM: I pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi may God
protect him [said in Arabic], on behalf of the Islamic State.”
We note, thus, in the following hadith, again, Mateen’s adherence to
sunnah:
COMMAND ON THAT WHO
TRIES TO DISRUPT THE UNITY OF THE MUSLIMS
It has been reported on the
authority of ‘Arfaja who said: I have heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace
be upon him) saying: Different evils will make their appearances in the near
future. Anyone who tries to disrupt the affairs of this nation while they are
united you should strike him with the sword whoever he is. (If remonstration
does not prevail with him and he does not desist from his disruptive
activities, he should be killed.)
In another version of the tradition
narrated on the same authority through a different chains [sic] of transmitters
we have the words: “Kill him.”
It has been narrated (through a still
different chain of transmitters) on the same authority (i.e. “Arfaja) who said
similarly – but adding; “Killing them
all.” I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) saying:
When you are holding one single man as your leader, you should kill who seeks
to undermine your solidarity or disrupt your unity. 101
With that in mind, we regard, the Qur’an provides, “O those
who believe, the Qisas [even retaliation] has been enjoined upon you
–freeman for a freeman, slave for a slave and female for a female.” (Surah
Al-Baqarah 2:178) It likewise provides, “So when anyone aggresses against you,
aggress against him in the like manner as he did against you.” (2: 194) It
provides, “And if you retaliate, then retaliate just as you have been oppressed
against. (Surah al-Nahl 16:24).
Thus, the record of sunnah provides, because, for those who
wage war against Allah, his messenger, his ummah, this prescription and example
of returning like-kind wounds and killings, this sunnah of “Allah’s Messenger”:
It was narrated that ‘Aishah said:
“Some people raided the milk camels of the Messenger of Allah. He caught them
and had their hands and feet cut off and their eyes gouged out.” 102
It was narrated that Anas said:
“The Prophet only had the eyes of those people gouged out, because they had
gouged out the eyes of the herdsmen.” 103
There too, this example of “equal retaliation” against an
aggressor:
It was narrated from Sumurah that
the Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever kills his slave, we will kill him; whoever
mutilates (his slave), we will mutilate him, and whoever castrates (his slave),
we will castrates him.” 104
The above words and deeds of the “prophet” and his
companions sanctioned irrespective of the prohibition in Islam to mutilate. The
law of equal retaliation making the unlawful in Islam lawful. The words and
deeds of the “prophet” explaining the meaning of the Qur’anic verses.
As the Qur’an provided, so
explained the “prophet”: “The repayment of a bad action is one equivalent to
it….if people do defend themselves when they are wronged [--and wrong those who
have wronged them--] nothing can be held against them for doing that, [and
there is no punishment]. (Surat ash-Shura 42: 40, 41, al-Jalalayn)
And just who is it that is to be counted as the aggressors,
thus those deserving of Allah’s above provided punishment? Who is it that the
Qur’an provides are those “due”
“Allah’s” punishment” if not under the law of equal retaliation than for the “wrong” of rejecting Allah’s
messenger and the message he brought—a “wrong” of which the Qur’an provides
example after example of how Allah destroyed nations guilty of such a wrong?
The answer to those questions are provided in the Qur’anic
chronicles of the narratives relating how Allah dealt with these “guilty” nations. Narratives in the Qur’an, there to serve as
warnings, lessons, and signpost telling nations coming after those in the “examples”
what belongs to their sorrow should they reject Allah’s messenger sent to them.
“Signpost: ‘Warning!’”
“News has come to them,” states the Qur’an, come to those
who reject the “Prophet” and what he brought; news “which contains a threat
[--information about the destruction of the nations who denied their
Messengers. It contains a harsh deterrent]. ( Surat al-Qamar 54: 4, al-Jalalayan.)
“’Ad,” provides Qur’an, “denied the truth.” What truth did
they deny?
The truth that the messenger Allah sent to them was just
that: “[ Their Prophet was Hud ,” but they denied he was Allah’s dispatched
messenger to them and for doing so, “[… they were punished]. How terrible,”
warns Allah, “were my punishment and warnings! [--My warning to them before the
punishment descended on them. Then,” provides the tafsir, “ Allah explains what
that punishment was.]” (Ibid [Surat al-Qamar], 54: 18)
We will return to those details shortly. For now, however,
still focusing on just whom it is that is to be counted among those due Allah’s
punishment, we go to go to Surah az-Zukhruf (43). There we read, “…he [(Pharaoh)] swayed his
people and they succumb to him [-- and they did what he wanted and denied
Musa]…. (43: 54, al-Jalalayn)
Thus, because of those actions, the Qur’an provides, “…We
took revenge on them and drowned every one of them. We made them a thing of the
past, an example for later peoples. [They were a lesson for those after them so
that they should not do the same as those before them did].” (Ibid, [Surah
az-Zukhruf] 43: 56)
What does the Qur’an assert was the action that Pharaoh and
his people did that earned their mass destruction? They denied Musa, whom the
Qur’an states was Allah’s messenger sent to them. What lesson are we to gain
from that Qur’an provided narrative?
The lesson that nations now who reject the one the Qur’an
provides is Allah’s final messenger sent to mankind will doubtlessly likewise
incur mass punishment from Allah.
Ma’ariful Qur’an, speaking of the examples of the mass
punishment that was sunnah of Allah on nations who rejected his Messengers, it
provides this warning:
“All these nations were the
strongest and resourceful….The current set of verses [referring here to those
cited above from surah 54] show how the superpowers were destroyed by Divine
punishment….That is, when the Divine chastisement overtook these nations …
wealth and number were killed like flies and mosquitoes.” 105
The same source, different volume, commenting on the
narrative of Allah’s punishment visited on Thamud and others in Surah al-A ‘raf
(7:77-79), provides, on account of the wrong actions of the people of Thamud, “
the result was: (and they were [found dead] in their homes, fallen on their
knees –77).” 106
It expounds thereat,
“The word: (jathimim) is a derivation from the verbal noun: Juthum,
which means to be rendered motionless at one spot, or remaining sitting
(Al-Qamus). The sense is that everyone lay dead as and where one was.” 107
Commentary also there reads, “Allah Ta ‘ala, in his infinite wisdom, has
allowed these habitations of punished peoples to stay as signpost of lessons
for coming generations.” 108
As mentioned above, one example
among many that the Qur’an provides of those guilty of rejecting his messenger sent
to them and thus those deserving and thus recipients of his punishment earned
and delivered, is, the example of the
people of Thamud, the prophet Salih, and the she-camel hamstrung in the narrative.
(Surat Hud 11, and others)
Therein we read, “They
hamstrung her.” (Surat Hud [11]: 65, al-Jalalayn) They, being the people of
Thamud.
Yet the
exegesis provided there on this Qur’anic narrative states, “a man named Quddur did the action on their
instructions.” (Surat Hud 11:65, al-Jalalayn, Tafsir.)
Ma’ariful
Qur’an on the account, as it is spoken to in Surat Al-A ‘raf (7: 77 – 79)
provides, “Qadhar hamstrung her ….” 109
Adding, “The
Holy Qur’an calls this person the most cruel and wretched among the people of
Thamud: (when the one, most wicked of them, was sent [incited to kill her]
-91:12),” it provides, that incitement “brought mass punishment on the people
of Thamud.” 110
Surah
Ash-Shams provides, “(The people of) Thamud denied the truth … when rose up the
one who was most wretched of them. So, the Messenger of Allah said to them, ‘Be
careful of Allah’s she-camel ….’ But
they rejected him,” states the Qur’an, “and killed her, so their Lord sent
eradicating torment upon them, and made it equal, [Allah’s punishment] for
all.” (91: 11 – 14, Ma ‘ariful Qur’an rendered verse)
Exegesis there
provides, those such as the people of Thamud who deny the truth sent to them,
and reject Allah’s Messenger sent to them; they will “receive severe punishment
in the Hereafter. Sometimes, however, an instalment [sic] of punishment is
meted out to them in this world as is in the case of Thamud.” 111
It provides,
“the word damdama [used in the just-cited verse] refers to such tormenting
scourge as is unleashed on a person or a nation again and again, until it
destroys or crushes them completely.” There follows, “Fa-sawwaha [likewise used in the above verse] signifies that the
scourge overtook the entire nation, men, women, children, and young and old.” 112
Tafsir
al-Jalalayn provides the narrative and its explanation this way:
“Thamud denied in their excessive tyranny [and
insolence; the Messenger to Thamud was Salih]. (Surat ash-Shams 91:11)
…when the worst of them rushed ahead [--this was a man named Quddar who rushed to
hamstring the camel with their approval--](vs.: 12)
…. [as a consequence … the punishment of Allah
descended on them] --and they hamstrung her— … So their Lord crushed them [with
the punishment] for their sin and flattened them: [ in other words, He totally
enveloped them in it so that none of them escaped]. (vs.: 14.)
Speaking to
the same incident, Surat al-A ‘raf reads, with tafsir providing the full
picture concept of the event, “….and they hamstrung the She-camel [--Quddur killed it at their command by
slaughtering it with a sword --] …. So the earthquake … seized them and:
morning found them [dead], lying flattened in their homes.” (7: 77, 78, Al-Jalalayn.)
In other
words, one man, with the consent, support, and approval of the populace, did
the action.
Yet the
Qur’anic record of that event provides, “They hamstrung her.” Does so to make
clear who it was, when “The Great Blast seized hold of those who did
wrong,” just who it was that Allah held
responsible for the said “wrong.” Thus just who it was, as the Qur’an declares,
“morning found them lying flattened in their homes, [dead bodies on the
ground].” (Surat Hud 11: 67, Al-Jalalayn.)
Therefore,
from Surat ash-Shu ‘ara,’ speaking to the same account, we read, “But they
hamstrung her [--with the consent of others--] and woke up remorseful,… for the
[promised] punishment did come down on them [--and they were destroyed.” (26:
157, 158, al-Jalalayn.) In addition, the verse contains, “There is certainly a
sign in that….”
Surat adh-Dhariyat
echoes the same message, speaking of the mass destruction of the people of Ad,
“And also in
[the destructions] of ‘Ad [--there is a sign--] when we unleashed against them
the barren wind …. Which left nothing [--neither living person nor property--]
….” (51:41, 42. Al-Jalalayn.)
Following
that, “And also in [the destruction of] Thamud [there is a Sign --].” (51:43.)
Indeed, there
is a sign—there is object lesson after object lesson: “They spurned the Lord’s
command [out of arrogance, and did not obey the Messenger,] so the Blast seized
them … as they watched. They could not stand upright [--being unable to rise
when the punishment descended--] and they were not helped.” (Surat adh-Dhariyat
51: 44, 45, Ibid.)
Driving the
message home, of just why the Qur’an devotes much time and space on these
narratives, the surah continues with “and [there is a Sign in the destruction
of] the people of Nuh before [who were destroyed by Allah ….]” (51: 46, Ibid.)
Indeed, as stated
earlier, as is clear in all these Qur’an provided examples, there is a sign,
there are numerous clear object lessons. Those lessons being, when Allah’s
punishment came, it came to all the incorrigibly unrepentant who allowed the
“wrong” done to be done; Allah’s punishment came, affirms tafsir, to the entire
“area and tribe” (Surat Hud 11: 68, Al-Jalalayn.)
Therefore, as
cited above, the Qur’anic narrative of that event reads, “morning found them
lying flattened in their homes, [dead bodies on the ground].” (11: 67, .Ibid) In
other words, “Morning found,” asserts
Qur’an, not only Quddur’s dead body “on the ground,” but there also and in like
condition, the same of all those who supported him, instructed him, and
approved of his said “wrong, ” though it was Quddur alone who did the actual
act.
Thus, in
summary we read, “Yes indeed! Thamud rejected their Lord, So away with Thamud!
[This means both the area and the tribe.]” (Surat Hud 11:68, Al-Jalalayn,
Tafsir.)
Much the same
telling is told of the Ancestors to the people of Thamud, the people of ‘Ad.
Tafsir on object lesson “the people of Ad” goes this way: “…
their gardens and mansions, and palaces,” were “leveled to the ground. Their
men and animals went up in the air and zoomed back hitting the floor with their
heads.” 113
The narrative adds, “Thus, the people of Ad were eliminated
to the last man.” 114
Thus made clear the meaning in “And we eradicated those who
belied Our signs. And they were not believers.” (Surah Al-A-‘raf 7: 72)
Likewise, there in Surah Al-Araf for our benefit to learn
from the story sunnah of Allah is the example of his sunnah dealing with the
people of Lut.
That example of Allah’s sunnah therein in Surah Al-Araf
reads this way: “And (We sent) Lut, when he said to his people, “Do you commit
the shameful act in which nobody has ever preceded you from all the worlds?
[80] Surely, you come to men lustfully instead of women. No, you are a people
who cross the limits.” [81]
Tafsir al-Jalalayn renders verse 81 this way: “You … come
with lust to men instead of women. You are indeed a depraved people, [going
beyond the lawful into the unlawful.” (7:81)
Thus, the judgment the Qur’anic record there states thus
visited on the people of Lut in their city of Sadum (Sodum) for their above
crossing of Allah’s limits is, “We rained down upon them a rain. So look,”
chides Allah, “how was the fate of the sinners! [84]” (Surah Al-A-‘raf , 7:84,
Ma’ariful Qur’an rendition.)
Tafsir Jalalayn provides the verse this way: “”We rained
down a rain [of backed stones] upon them [which destroyed them]. See the final
fate of the evildoers!” (7:84)
Surah al-Hijr speaks to the same event, stating, “”We turned
the place [(their cities)] completely upside down [--Jibril lifted them to
heaven and turned them over and dropped them back to the earth --] and rained
down on them stones of hard-backed clay.” (Ibid [Al-Jalalayn], 15: 74)
“There are certainly signs in that,” affirms the Qur’an, at
least that is, “for the discerning.” (15: 75.) And just in case some of the expected-to-be
discerning are slow to that task, “Allah” affirms of these examples again,
“There is certainly a Sign [(a lesson)] in that for the believers.” (Vs. 77.)
“The people of the Thicket [--a reference to a thicket of
trees close to Madyan; they were the people of Shu ‘ayb --] were also
wrongdoers [--in denying the prophethood of Shu ‘ayb],” reads verse 78 of surah
al-Hijr (Al-Jalalayn). We will return to find the fate of this example “Allah”
has provided for the believer regarding those who reject the prophethood of the
messengers Allah sends to mankind. But for now, we read more of the Allah’s
punishment, specifically, for the people of Lut.
The
Qur’anic view on the sin of “the people of Lut”
“Ask the men of Knowledge, if you yourselves do not know,”
counsels the Qur’an, (Surah an-Nahl, 16: 43), therefore, we do just that.
Given the hit in Orlando was on a “Gay Nightclub,” we delve
into the authoritative works of Islam to see just what the revered elders of
Islam provide as the Qur’anic view on homosexuality.
We start with that on it in Surah 7, as cited above. Do so,
recalling and regarding, Allah having pressed, these examples are provided for
neither entertainment nor fillers, they are there for the believer to see how
Allah deals with those who reject his messengers sent, as stated above. The
examples the Qur’an provides, as the text of surah seven cited earlier speaks
to, are to allow the believer to “See the final fate of the evildoers!” (Surat
Al-A ‘raf 7: 84, Al-Jalalayn.)
Because, as spoken to in other parts of this essay, as
spoken to numerous times throughout the regard-worthy Islamic authoritative
works, Allah now uses the hands of his believers to deliver his punishment.
Therefore, the necessity of certifying that the readers of
Qur’an, who read that book believing it came from God, and thus, is a sacred
book with inviolable instructions and commands, clearly understand what they
should “see” in the harvest, if you will, the end result of the “work” of their
hands.
Therefore, serving that end, Tafsir on the above just-cited
verses provides the reasons for the narrative being part of Qur’an, as well as
clarity, it was no gentle rain rained down on the dwellers of Sodum, as we
read:
The Sahabah, the Tabi ‘in and
Mujtahid Imams have declared this crime and sin to be far more grave than other
acts of shame. Imam Abu Hanifah has said: The punishment given to the person
who commits this act should match the punishment which came upon the people of
Lut, by the command of Allah Ta ‘ala – that rocks rained from the skies and the
floor of the earth flipped upside down. Therefore, this person should be pushed
down from a high mountain and rocks should be thrown from above on top of him.
According to a narration of Sayyidna Ibn ‘Abbas, in the Musnad of Ahmad, Abu
Dawud, Tirmidhi, and ibn Majah, the Holy Prophet said about the people who
commit this evil act: that is, the doer of this evil deed and his passive
partner (al-maf ‘ul u bih i: with whom it was done) should both be
killed. (Ibn Kathir) 115
Who is going to be “delivering” this prescribed punishment
of Allah? Thus who is going to be seeing to it “this person should be pushed
down from a high mountain and rocks should be thrown from above on top of him”?
The believer is. As the Qur’an, ahadith, sira, tafsir, and
works of Islamic jurisprudence, “Fiqh” bear out.
Tafsir on surah four recommends much the same punishment for
the sin of the people of Sodum, and we are on our way to it. But first, we read what hadith, words of the “Prophet of Islam,” state on the topic.
We start in Sunan Ibn Majah:
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas
that the Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever you find doing the action of the
people of Lut, kill the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.”
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah
that the Prophet said concerning those who do the action of the people of Lut:
“Stone the upper and the lower, stone them both.” 116
Comments from the men of knowledge in Islam on the just
cited ahadith read, “Sodomy is one of the most immoral actions and a mortal
sin. Its punishment is more severe than the punishment of illegal sexual
intercourse.
……………..
“The Punishment of this crime is death whether committed by
married or unmarried persons.” 117
Next, from Jami ‘ At-Tirmidhi, the following:
Ibn Abbas narrated that the
Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whomever you find doing the actions of the people of
Lut then kill the one doing it, and the one it is done to.” 118
Additional notes provided along with this hadith provide the
following:
….Muhammad bin Ishaq reported this
Hadith from “Amr bin Abi ‘Amr, so he said: “Those who do the act of the people
of Lut are cursed.” And he did not mention killing in it. He did mention:
“Those who have relations with a beast are cursed.” This Hadith has been reported
from ‘Asim bin ‘Umar, from Suhail bin Abi Salih, from his father, from Abu
Hurairah, from the Prophet saying: “Kill the doer and the one it is done to.”
……………………………..
The people of knowledge differ over
the legal punishment for the sodomite. Some of them held the view that he has
to be stoned, whether married or not married. This is the view of Malik,
Ash-Shafi ‘I, Ahmad and Ishaq.
Some of the people of knowledge
among the Fuqaha from the Tabi ‘in [those learned in the application of Shari
‘a, and specifically here, those from the
Second generation of Muslims, the Followers of the Companions]—among
them Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ibrahim An-Nakha ‘im, ‘Ata’ bin Abi Rabah, and
others—said that the legal punishment for the sodomite is the illegal
punishment for illegal sexual relations. 119
Shortly here, we will thus visit the “legal punishment for …
illegal sexual relations,” but for now, scholars’ Comments posted on the above
read as follows:
….The punishment of a sodomite,
married or unmarried is stoning….This is the correct point of view.
Sodomy and lesbianism are among the
most disgusting forms of sexual satisfaction. Old civilizations were destroyed
and stones were rained upon such people, as stated in Surat Hud Verse 82. “We
turned (the cities) upside down and rained down, on them stones of baked clay,
spread layer on layer.” 120
Additionally, the following from Sunan Abu Dawud on the
subject:
It was narrated from Abdul ‘Aziz
bin Muhammad, from ‘Amr bin Abi ‘Amr, from ‘Ikrimah, from ibn ‘Abbas who said:
“ Allah’s Messenger said: ‘Whoever of you find doing the action of the people
of Lut, kill the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.” 121
It was narrated from Juraij: “Ibn
Khuthaim informed me, he said: ‘I heard Sa ‘eed bin Jubair and Mujahid
narrating from Ibn ‘Abbas, concerning a man who was never married and is found
committing the act of the people of Lut; he said: “He is to be stoned.” 122
Comments thereat of the revered scholars of Islam read as
follows: “Regarding the punishment of a sodomite, both sentences, stoning to
death and killing by sword, are valid in the light of above mentioned
narrations. 123
Certainly
understandable, as both punishments would be a form of hell raining down on the
said guilty, his/her world being turned upside down. Because, as spoken to
earlier in this work, part of what Islam requires of a man, thus, what Allah
was quick to provide the details of, part of what Islam counts as worship, is
for man to know “the commandments of his Lord.” And being thus informed, be
fully able to perform “these tasks”-- “the commandments of his Lord”—“exactly
in the manner He [“Allah”] has prescribed. This,” the elders of Islam affirm, “is
what ‘Ibadah or worship is.” (as
cited earlier herein.)
Thus,
delivering Allah’s punishment is, according Qur’anic doctrine, simply worship.
And the
details on the “prescribed” manner in which that “worship” is to be done the
Qur’an, the full purview of it, amply provides. Does so to insure, one will
know he has followed the said “prescribed” manner in the same way one will know
one has correctly followed a cake recipe: that which one produces mirrors the
end result described in the example, so too, the snapshot of the “cake” that
the recipe provided.
Now, recalling that cited above from at-Tirmidhi on “the
legal punishment for the sodomite is the illegal punishment for illegal sexual
relations,” we return once more to the counsel of the master of hadith and
makers of tafsir, to the pages of Ma’ariful Qur’an on just what it states of
the “legal punishment” prescribed for all “illegal sexual relations.”
In Surah 4 of the Quran, we read as follows:
These are the limits set by Allah.
And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will admit him to gardens
beneath which rivers flow …. [13] And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger
and crosses the limits set by Him, He shall admit him to the Fire, remaining
there for ever. And for him there is humiliating punishment. [14]
And those of your women who commit
the shameful act, then have four witnesses from among you. So, if they do
testify, then confine those women to their homes until death overcomes them or
Allah prescribes a way for them. [15] And those two of you who commit it,
torture them both. But if they repent and amend, turn away from them. Surely,
Allah is Most-Relenting, Very-Merciful. [16] (Surah Al-Nisa 4: 13 – 16, Ma’ariful
Quran rendition)
Exegesis on the above verses, our focus here primarily on
the mentioned prescribed “torture,” the revered scholars provides:
No definite Hadd (punishment) has
been described in these two verses of the Holy Qur’an. What has been said here
is limited to “torture them” and “confine the fornicating women to their
homes.” No particular method of such “torture” has been described either, and
this has been left to the discretion of the authorities. 124
Further clarification on the above verses read as
follows:
‘And those two of you who commit it (the
shameful act), torture them both”.
Here the Arabic word used for
‘those two of you’ is a masculine pronoun which presumes males on both sides.
On this basis, these commentators have opined that this verse relates to two
males committing unnatural shameful act [sic], i.e. homosexuality. 125
The said Tafsir goes on stating, though some refute the
notion that the above verse is speaking of homosexuality, nonetheless, because
there is consensus of the scholars that homosexuality is indeed, according to
Islam, illegal sexual activity, it is therefore, they affirm, “pertinent here
to give some details about the severe prohibition of homosexuality.” They then provide, along with the Qur’anic
and tafsir narrative of the people of Lut, a harsh example of how the ‘four
Caliphs’ dealt with such: in short, they “condemned those guilty of sodomy to
the fire.” 126
They sum up the discussion on punishment due those engaging
in “the shameful” “the unnatural” acts stating, “the nature of such punishments
reported by them is as severe as it can be, such as, burning into fire, bashing
under a wall felled over, throwing down from a height, stoning and beheading
with a sword.” 127 In reading the just cited, we recall Surah
Al-Araf’s provided and called for prescribed punishment for those guilty of the
sin of the “people of Lut”; recalling such, we likewise note, once again, precisely
why IS deals as it does with those guilty of homosexuality:
this person should be pushed down
from a high mountain and rocks should be thrown from above on top of him.
According to a narration of Sayyidna Ibn ‘Abbas, in the Musnad of Ahmad, Abu
Dawud, Tirmidhi, and ibn Majah, the Holy Prophet said about the people who
commit this evil act: that is, the doer of this evil deed and his passive
partner (al-maf ‘ul u bih i: with whom it was done) should both be
killed. (Ibn Kathir) 128
In short, the Qur’an is loaded with reasons authorizing
Mateen’s actions at Pulse nightclub that fateful morning. But the truth is, he
was armed from the same source to strike any number of places and
gatherings—evidenced by the Nice, France promenade hit, evidenced by the “word
of Allah”: “whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and crosses the limits set
by Him …. For him there is a humiliating punishment.” (Surah Al-Nisa 4:14)
It is both certain and clear, for the reasons Mateen stated,
for the reasons presented in this write up, and for many not listed herein but
that substantiate the same, Mateen had Allah’s punishment to deliver, and that
he did. Did it according to the Qur’anic prescribed manner.
Still many may press, why Pulse?
More likely than not, it was one, perhaps his first choice,
among the options or “routes” he had elected that would have the “scenery” he
would most enjoy on his supposed way to Paradise. Reports stated, just hours
before the terror began at Pulse, Mateen appeared to still, even then, be casing
various “opportunities” for terror.
Obviously, to have “success” in a hit, one needs, at least
to a degree, favorable conditions. Thus one would lean to the “opportunity”
that seemed to hold the best possibility for success. That night, as is clear
by the carnage the hit yielded, Pulse looked promising.
We now return to one of the verses mentioned earlier: Verse 83 of Surat Hud.
There we read of that rained down on the people of Lut,
“…each one earmarked by your Lord [--each stone bore the name of the person for
whom it was intended]. And they [(the
stones or their land)] are never far from the wrongdoers.” ([11:83] Al-Jalayan,
Tafsir.)
Tafsir ibn Kathir provides this on the verse, “Marked from
your Lord; and they are not ever far from the wrongdoers” 129 : “ ‘Marked,’
meaning the stones were marked and sealed, all of them having the names of
their victims written on them….” 130
“… and they are not ever far from the wrongdoers,”
This means that this vengeance [of Allah] is not far from similar wrongdoers.” 131
Speaking of the area visited for “this vengeance of Allah” due
the “people of Lut,” Ma’ariful Qur’an relays the narrative in surah Hud this
way:
Reports say that those habitations
were composed of four major towns where those people lived. These very
habitations have been named as ’ al-mu’tafikat’ (the towns overturned)
elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an (9:70; 69:9). When the Divine command came, the
archangel Jibrail al-Amin, dissected
the base of the land mass holding all those towns on top of it with his wing,
raised all of it upwards in a way that everything stayed where it was, even
water in a water vessel. It was in the backdrop of human, animal and canine
voices coming from the sky the he heaved all these habitations straight up
towards the sky and, then, threw the whole thing back upside down – as
appropriate to and as called for by the evil they indulged in. 132
Focusing in on Allah’s promise, and threat, in the last
cited verse, the revered work provides this warning:
At the end of the verse (83), after
having mentioned the actual punishment that hit the people of Sayyidna Lut, it
was to warn the contemporary peoples of the world that it was said: (And it is
not far from the transgressors). It means that people who insist upon indulging
in this shameful act should not consider themselves very far from this
punishment. It can come even today. The Holy Prophet said, ‘even in my Ummah,
some people will do what the people of Lut used to do. When this starts
happening, then wait, for they too would be subjected to the same punishment
that was inflicted on the people of Lut. 133
As we read all these statements attributed to “Allah” and
“His Messenger,” we do so, of course, knowing the words and statements of the
two mean little, if anything at all, to the Ummah.
“It can come even today” --“It” both can and does.
And come, just as the Qur’an, ahadith, sira, tafsir, and
maghazi provide how “Allah” came to the Jewish tribe of the Banu Nadir. When, in short here, there were past the time
of kindness. Past the time for peace agreements. Because they had rejected the
message brought by the “prophet.” And when charged by him for plotting his
murder, and thus, informed of his verdict concerning them, they likewise
rejected his verdict.
Waqidi’s account of the story puts the order, verdict, and
threat of the “prophet” in these words respectively: “Leave my land [the homeland of the Banu
Nadir Jews]. I have granted you a period of ten days. Whoever is seen after that,
his head will be cut off.” 134
The brief on the narrative of the account goes, in short,
the Banu Nadir dug in. Refused to leave.
Instead, with their cattle, their wives, and their children, took to their
fortresses. 135
Therefore, it was, asserts the Qur’anic record, “They deemed
that their fortresses would protect them from Allah. But Allah came to them
from where they did not expect, and cast fear in their hearts when they
were spoiling their homes with their own hands and with the hands of the
believers. So learn a lesson, O those who have eyes.” (Surah Al-Hashr 59: 1, as
rendered in Ma’ariful Qur’an Vol. 8.)
How did Allah come to them from whence they did not expect?
In that instance, with life-threatening fire and smoke.
Fire and smoke, from fires set by the hands of the
believers: “The Jews took refuge in their forts and the apostle ordered that
the palm-trees should be cut down and burnt.” 136
How did Allah “cast fear in their [the Banu Nadir] hearts?”
Via the actions of the hands of the believers.
For that reason, Sahih Muslim relates, “on the authority of
‘Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) ordered the
date-palms of Banu Nadir to be burnt and cut.” 137
Therewith setting the precedence, establishing the sunnah,
of creativity in Islam with respect to
weapons-- “weaponizing” what one least expects one would use as weapons.
Weaponizing that that the “enemy” provides at hand, as in weaponizing date-palm
orchards, boarding passes, American Airlines.
Weaponizing, if such will serve the cause, one’s vocational
skills and “earned” “trustworthiness.”
Thus, enabling one to
strike with that, when, where, and how one would least expect. For such
reasons, when “fitting,” doing just that is a practice commonplace with the
followers of Sunnah.
“Allah’s” punishment visited upon the Banu Nadir as
delineated above is just one more example of Allah’s “vengeance,” as cited
earlier, ever near, at the ready, thus, in line with Qur’anic doctrine, in an
instant visited unawares upon those who rejected “Allah’s Messenger,” rejected
the message he brought.
Ibn Kathir, as noted earlier, speaking on this ever-near “vengeance
of Allah” [11:83], for the said “guilty,” thus those “deserving” Allah’s
painful punishment, via that deduced from the words and deeds of the “Explainer”
of the Qur’an, the revered scholar provides this clarity on the meaning in this
“not ever far from” “vengeance of Allah”:
Verily, it has been reported in a
Hadith of the Sunan collections from Ibn Abbas, which he attributed to the
Prophet, “Whoever you find doing the deed of Lut’s people [homosexuality], then
kill the doer and the one who allows it to be done to him (both partners). 138
This calls to mind, also in the revered works of tafsir, explaining
the meaning of “Say to the believing men they must lower their gazes….” (Surah
An-Nur 24: 30), so too, speaking to the same injunction of Hijab (seclusion of
the woman) in Surah al-Ahzab (33: 53 – 55), alongside the prohibition for men
to see more than the one needed eye of potentially marriageable females is the
prohibition for them to look at the beardless boys. 139
Why? Because as is so with the female, if the Muslim man
sees the eyes, the hand, the feet, God forbid, the forearm and so forth, there
is danger of lust.
So it is with the beardless boy, according to the works of
the revered scholars of Islam.
Therefore, the prohibition comes under the Islamic tenet of
prevention--barring the way and means to the final act of sin, by making
illegal and “sinful” all acts leading to the final act of sin.
Therefore, in brief, clarifying the meaning in, “the one
whom Allah curses you shall find no helper for him” (Surah Al-Nisa 4: 52), hadith
provides, "Allah curses the ogler and the ogled at." 140
As the same source provides on the just-cited hadith,
"It means that the curse of Allah falls on anyone who looks at someone in
an evil way, someone who is a non-Mahram; that is, someone outside the
count of those in the family he is permitted to see because marriage with them
is forbidden for ever [sic] ." 141
It goes on, providing, "this is why such a nazir,
the onlooker of the other, comes under the curse of Allah. As for the manzur
ilaihi, the one looked at lustfully, the same curse will apply subject to
his or her having deliberately and invitingly caused such a look to be
cast." 142
As mentioned above, with respect to "Allah's
curse," Surah Al-Nisa provides, “…the one whom Allah curses you shall find
no helper for him.” (Vs. 52.) Including in exegesis on the verse, the same
stated source above, and others, relate, hadith provides, the Messenger of
Allah said, “Cursed is he who does what the people of Lut used to do.” It adds
on that, the hadith was “Narrated by Razin and appearing in Mishkat, the
reference is to the male homosexual.” 143
But hadith also includes the female in the above said curse,
as we read in the following hadith and others:
The Holy Prophet has cursed the
effeminate from among men (who, in dress and looks, emulate women – like
transvestites) and he has cursed the masculinized from among women (who, in
dress, looks and ways, act man-like), And he said: ‘Expel them from your
homes’” (Bukhari, from Mishkat) 144
And the same revered work provides, on those who earn the
curse of Allah, “’la ‘nah” being the
Arabic Qur’anic word. “la ‘nah’ (translated as ‘curse’ in absence
of a more exact equivalent) means being far removed from the mercy of Allah,
extremely debased and disgraced.” It continues, “For such accursed ones
admonitions are very stern.” 145
It continues, providing, “The Holy Qur’an says: (The
accursed, wherever they be, are to be caught and killed massacre-like.) (33:61)
This is their disgrace in the present life.” 146
Therefore “Orlando” – as it was with the “people of Lut,”
they, in short, were “caught” unawares of Allah’s at-the-ready
waiting-in-the-wings as it were due punishment. Their world turned upside down,
hell raining down on them.
“Orlando” echoes the death cries of former nations, it
bespeaks of the details of Qur’anic narratives of recipients of Allah’s
punishment. As do all accounts of terror at the hands of “believers.”
“News has come to
them,” states Qur’an, speaking to those who reject the “Prophet” and what he
brought, News, “which contains a threat [--information about the destruction of
the nations who denied their Messengers. It contains a harsh deterrent].” (Surat al-Qamar 54: 4, al-Jalalayn.) Harsh
threat indeed, and that threat is this, as mentioned already in many a Qur’anic
verse: people, take note of what happened to former nations who rejected
“Allah’s Messenger,” be assured, what happen to them will likewise happen to
you, should you reject “Allah’s Messenger” and thus reject the message he
brought: the doctrines of “the Qur’an.”
Recall if you will what we read earlier on the details of Allah’s
punishment visited on Thamud and others in Surah al-A ‘raf 7:77-79: “ the
result was: (and they were [found dead] in their homes, fallen on their knees
–77).” Recall, how we read, in part, the additional details on that account, of
when the “earthquake seized them.” Tafsir provides, along with the earthquake “from
down below the earth,” “from above tore in a horrendously shrill cry.” And that
“cry,” provides tafsir, “ caused everyone to die, instantly and simultaneously,
fallen upside down, (like some dead bird landing on the ground on its breast –
see ‘J athim in in Mufradat al-Qur’an.)
….
“The word: (jathimim)," expounds tafsir, "is a derivation from the verbal
noun: Juthum, which means to be rendered motionless at one spot, or
remaining sitting (Al-Qamus). The sense is that everyone lay dead as and where
one was.” 148
That is how Surah Al-Araf describes Allah’s punishment
delivered on the people of Thamud.
This is how Joshua Stephany, Chief Medical Examiner of
Orange County, Florida described Allah’s punishment, Sunnah of Allah, at Pulse
Night club, 15 June 2016:
It’s almost like time stopped.
There were still things, background TVs playing, lights blinking, drinks that
are just in poured, checks that about to pay [sic] , food half eaten, and
that’s not even thinking about the bodies on the ground I’m just looking
around, and seeing it’s like time stood still. All of the sudden everything is
gone, everything stopped.
…when you actually see everyone
lying down in one place or went down in one place or their final positions, you
can feel it.149
And in the words of Survivor Christian Cortez, this
description: “the lights went off, it was so dark. I can see people falling
dead in front of me. I could see everything was everybody was dead. Everybody
was like a truly massacre or something like that.” 150
Christian stated, he and one of his buddies ran to take
cover in “the dark bathroom with about 30 other frightened people.” He stated,
“We can see the blood was coming from under the door, like it was like water
when you break water it goes on the floor. It was the same thing but it was
blood. It was getting under the floor. It was very horrible.”151
Horrible indeed. Moreover, indeed, Sunnah of Allah at Pulse
Nightclub that fateful morning.
Recall the “people of the Thicket” I mentioned earlier, of
whom the Qur’an states, “were also wrongdoers [in denying the prophethood of
Shu ‘ayb],” rejecting the message he brought? (Surat al-Hijr 15:78,
Al-Jalalayn.)
Surah Al-Alraf provides this concerning them and their
stated “guilt”: “So, the [strong] earthquake seized them, and morning found
them [dead], lying flattened in their homes.” (7: 91) Others versions render,
“…they were [found dead] in their homes fallen on their knees.” (Ma’ariful
Qur’an rendered.)
Found dead, in other words, where they felt safe, where they
relaxed, in the place, one can say, that was to them a place of refuge.
And on the punishment visited on the “people of the
Thicket,” the people of Aikah, 152 those
whom, because of their rejection of the prophet Shu ‘ayb sent to them, the
Qur’an identifies as “wrong doers,” those who cross the limits set by Allah,
tafsir provides this narrative:
….Attracted by the shade and cool
breeze there, all inhabitants of the locality assembled under the shade of that
cloud. As Divine arrangement would have it, here were its criminals walking on
their two feet and reaching the exact spot where they were to be destroyed,
without a warrant of arrest and without a police gun pointed at them. Once they
were all there, the clouds rained fire and the earthquake shook the earth. That
killed them all. 153
Why that punishment of “Allah” visited upon the people of
Maydan to whom the Qur’an asserts Allah’s messenger Shu ‘ayb was sent?
Because “The ruling circle of those of his people who were
[too] arrogant [to believe] said, ‘We will drive you out of our city, Shu ‘aub,
you and those who believe along with you…. (Surat Al-A ‘raf 7:88)…. “The ruling
circle of those of his people … disbelieved….” (Ibid, vs.90)
Therefore, as stated above, “So, the earthquake seized them,
and they were (found dead) in their homes fallen on their knees.” (Vs. 91)
Therefore, boast “Allah,” “We seized them suddenly [with the punishment] when
they were not expecting it.” (Vs. 95.)
Making it clear just why this punishment was due thus
delivered on these people, “Allah” continues, seemingly bemoaning having been
forced to send his stated punishment on the said people, “If only the people of
the cities [who denied] had believed [in Allah and His Messenger] …. But they
denied the truth [(the Messengers)], so We seized them [and punished them] for
what they earned.” (Vs. 98)
Therefore, “Allah,” adds, “See the final fate of the
corrupters, [which was utter destruction on account of their unbelief!”] (Surat
Al-A ‘raf 7: 103)
Thus, regarding Allah’s amply provided examples and
prescription indicating his sunnah of mass slaughter, not a bit surprising, as
shooting victim, Tiara Parker, survivor from Pulse night club massacre stated,
“I thought I was going to die. I thought it was over when he [Mateen] said he
had enough bombs to light up a city block.” 154
For no slight reason, “How terrible,” provides Qur’an, “Were
my punishment and warnings!” (Surat al-Qamar 54: 21.) “Thamud denied the
warnings.” (Vs. 23) And “Early morning
brought them enduring punishment. ‘Taste’” proclaims Allah, “My punishment and
warnings!” (Vss. 38, 39.)
Warnings such as, “When Our Signs (the Qur’an) are recited
to him, he says, ‘Just myths [(lies)] of previous peoples!” (Surat al-Qalam 68:
15, al-Jalalayn) “So a visitation from your Lord came upon it while they
slept….” (Vs. 19) “Such [--the punishment of these people--] is the punishment
that will alight on those unbelievers of Makka and others who oppose Allah’s
command];….” (Vs. 33)
Making certain readers of Qur’an get it clear, just how
Allah deals with unbelievers--those who reject the Messenger Allah sends to
them and reject the message he brings--Qur’an provides, “Warnings came to
Pharaoh’s people [on the tongue of Musa and Harun, but they did not believe].
(Vs. 41.)
“They dismissed everyone of Our [nine] Signs …. And so We
seized them [with the punishment--] with the seizing of One who is Almighty,
All-Powerful….” (Vs. 42.)
Lines preceding that, tell of the messenger, Nuh, stating,
“Before them (Quraysh) the people denied the truth.” How did they deny the said
“truth”? “They denied Our slave [--Nuh--]….” (54:9.)
Thus, Qur’an provides, Allah rewarded Nuh and punished those
who rejected him and his message, “… a reward for him who had been rejected
[--help for Nuh by drowning them. That was their punishment].” (Surat al-Qamar 54:14.)
Why does IS use drowning as a punishment for those
transgressing the limits established in Qur’an and Sunnah? For the same reasons
they use beheadings: because it is one of the examples, that in the blueprint,
Allah provides in his book of examples of how he delivered his punishment on
unbelievers.
Tafsir on Surat al-Anfal, on, “I will cast terror into the
hearts of those who disbelieve, so strike their neck s [sic] [(behead them)]
and strike all their fingers and joints,” 8:12 (al-Jalalayn), it provides,
during the Battle of Badr, Allah sent Angels to reinforce the Muslim, and sent
them with the above orders.
Therefore, the Muslims at Badr followed the Allah-provided
example of how to deal with that enemy. Therefore, reads tafsir, “It happened
that a man would go to strike at the neck of an unbeliever and his head would
fall off before his sword was able to get there.” (8:12 Al-Jalalayn.)
“This,” affirms the verse following that, “[punishment] was
[visited on them] because they were hostile to [and fought against] Allah and
His Messenger. If anyone is hostile to Allah and His Messenger, Allah is severe
in retribution [to him].” (Surat Al-Anfal, 8: 13, al-Jalalayn.)
Thus of those the Muslims killed at Badr, to show the believers
how he sees this work of their hands, Allah declares, “You did not kill them
[at Badr through your own strength]: it was Allah who killed them.” (Surat
Al-Anfal, 8: 17, al-Jalalayn.)
Ma’ariful Qur’an on the verse calls this order to the alleged
angels dispatched to Badr “the fifth blessing which was beamed at Muslims in
this battlefield of Badr.”155 What’s more, it provides, at Badr, “Allah”
worked through the hands of the believers, guiding those hands by the said
actions and example of the alleged dispatched angels, and “by sending
punishment on disbelievers through Muslims they [the disbelievers] were
chastened….” 156
“In other words,” provides the said tafsir, “what is being
said here is: This is a little punishment from Us. So taste it and better
realize that, after this, the punishment of the fire of Jahannam is due….”157
Same source provides, “the enemies killed at their hands
[the hands of the believers] were not really killed by them, rather, they were
killed by Allah Ta ‘ala.” 158
Volume Two of the same, speaking to the Badr Battle said
“blessing,” as it is mentioned in Surah ‘Al-Imran 3: 124, reads, “According to
some hadith narrations, when an angel decided to attack a disbeliever, the head
of the disbeliever slid of [sic] his body all by itself.” (“From Sahl ibn Hanif Al-Hakim and Baihaqi.”) 159
Waqidi’s al-Maghazi relates of “the blessing,” Sa ‘d said, “
I saw two men on the day of Badr, fighting with [alongside] the Messenger of
God, one on his right and the other on his left. I saw him look at one and once
at the other, happy for the assistance that God most high granted him.” 160
Those were the alleged angels beheading the disbelievers at
Badr, teaching the Muslims how Allah wills to deal with unbelievers. Thus
making sunnah of Allah sunnah of the “prophet” thus sunnah of the ummah.
Thus the same record relates, among others, this narration:
Muhammad b. Yahya related to me
from Abu ‘Ufayr from Rafi b. Khadij from Abu Burda b. Niyar, who said: I came
on the day of Badr with three heads and placed them before the Messenger of
God, and said, “O Messenger of God, I killed two heads. As for the third, I saw
a tall white man strike it and it rolled before him, and I picked it up.” The
Messenger of God said, “That was one of the angels.” 161
Speaking to the same “blessing” as well as the alleged
reason for it, the same record provides, Ibn Abbas said, “The angels took the
form of those known among the people to motivate them.” 162 Thus it
relates of the event and the disbelievers slaughtered thereat, “The angels and
the believers killed them.” 163
Tafsir Ibn Kathir on the noted “fifth blessing” at Badr, reads this way:
…Ali bin Abi Talhah Al-Walibi
reported that ibn Abbas said, “Allah supported His Prophet and the believers
with a thousand angels, five hundred under the leadership of Jibril on one side
and five hundred under the leadership of Mika’il on another side. “ Imams Abu
Ja ‘far bin Jarir At-Tabari and Muslim recorded that Ibn Abs said, “While a
Muslim man was pursuing an idolator [sic] (during the battle of Badr), he heard
the sound of a whip above him and a rider saying, ‘Come, O Hayzum!’ Then he
looked at the idolator [sic], who fell to the ground. When he investigated, he
found that the idolators [sic] nose had a wound and his face torn apart, just
as if he received a strike from a whip on it, and the entire face had turned
green. 164
Certifying the believe understands precisely what scene Allah
expects from this work of their hands, the
tafsir adds, “so strike them over the necks, and smite over all their fingers
and toes,” “over the necks” refers to striking the foreheads to tear them apart
and over the necks to cut them off, and cut off their limbs, hands and feet.” 165
It provides, “Ar-Rabi ‘ bin Anas said, “In the aftermath of
Badr, the people used to recognize whomever the angels killed from those whom
they [the believers] killed, by the wounds over their necks, fingers and toes,
because those parts had a mark as if they were branded by fire.” 166
(That calls to mind, a testimony of a 911 survivor, who,
during the Democratic National Convention 2016, telling of her injuries
suffered that day, stated, where the limbs were severed, so intense was the
heat of that which severed them, that the wounds appeared cauterized.)
The record relates, “Ibn Jarir commented that this Ayah
commands, ‘O believers! Strike every limb and finger on the hands and feet of
your (disbelieving) enemies.’” (Per At-Tabari 12:431.) 167
Because as Qur’an states, “This is because they defied and
disobeyed Allah and His Messenger. And whoever defies and disobeys Allah and
His Messenger, then verily, Allah is severe in punishment.” (Surah 8. Al-Anfal
: 13, as rendered in Ibn Kathir, Tafsir).
“This,” provides the Qur’an, “is (the torment), so taste
it.” (8:14) And this, provides tafsir on that: “ This Ayah addresses the
disbeliever, saying, taste this torment and punishment in this life….” 168
And, as spoken to above, Tafsir ibn Kathir provides, “Allah
states that He creates the actions that the servants perform and that whatever
good actions they take, it is He Who should be praised for them, for He
directed and helped them perform these action.” 169.
As Qur’an asserts, “You killed them not, but Allah killed
them.” (Surah Al-Anfal : 8:17, Ibn Kathir, Tafsir rendered.)
Yes, indeed, “Allah” helped the Muslim perform the
beheadings at Badr, just as “Allah” help Mateen perform his high-profile actions
at Pulse nightclub, just as “Allah” helped the beheaders of 84 year old Catholic
Priest, Rev. Jacques Hamel deliver “Allah’s” painful punishment that morning at
the Saint-Etienne-du Rouvray Church in Normandy.170
Hence, asserts the Qur’an, of all the above provided examples
and others like them, “We left it (this action) as a Sign [for anyone who
reflects, because knowledge of it is widespread and will continue to spread].” (Surat
al-Qamar: 54: 15, Al-Jalalayn, Tafsir.)
I assure you, the Scholars, scribes, soldiers, citizens, and
patrons of IS reflected on Allah’s word and thus gain from the signpost and
patterns provided therein clear understanding. Thus their actions.
“So leave,” declares
“Allah,” “anyone who denies this discourse [(the Qur’an)] to Me! We will lead
them, step by step, [--little by little--] into destruction from where they do
not know.” (Surat al-Qalam 68: 44, al-Jalalayn.) He boast, “We destroyed those
of your kind [--like you in respect of unbelief--] in the past [nations]. But
is there any rememberer [sic] there? [This is a command, meaning, ‘Remember and
be warned!’” (Surat al-Qarm 54: 51, al-Jalalayn.)
“Taste [(experience)] My punishment and warnings!” (54: 37,
Ibid.)
Just as Mateen echoed in his facebook post as cited earlier
herein, just before the massacre began: “Now taste the Islamic state
vengeance.”
What was Mateen doing in posting that Facebook post?
Following sunnah, obeying Allah.
Allah commanded, “And give
those who disbelieve the ‘good’ news of a painful punishment.” (Surah
Al-Taubah: 9: 3, Ma’ariful Qur’an, Vol. 2 rendition.) He follows that up with,
“Kill the Mushriks wherever you find them.” (Surah Al-Taubah: 9: 5.)
[mushrik: (plural) mushrikun): someone who commits
shirk (shirk—the unforgivable wrong action of worshipping something or someone
other than Allah or associating something or someone as a partner to Him.) 171
He follows that with, “Fight
them, so that Allah should punish them at your hands and disgrace them, and
help you win against them and bring relief to bosoms of a believing people,
[14] and remove the rage of their hearts…. [15.]” (Surah Al-Taubah : 9, as
stated, Ma’ariful Qur’an rendered.)
Tafsir on that provides: “As
for the enemies [the disbelievers, they have already become deserving of Divine
punishment because of their evil deeds but this punishment will not come down
upon them from the heavens or up from beneath the Earth.” No, now, as we will
read shortly from tafsir ibn Kathir, “Instead of that,” provides tafsir, “says
the verse, that is, ‘Allah shall punish them at their hands’” [i.e., the hands
of believers]. 172
Tafsir ibn Kathir speaks to that sunnah of Allah with these
words:
These are points of wisdom for
which Allah has legislated performing Jihad, by the hands of the believers
against the disbelievers. Allah used to
destroy the previous nations that denied the Prophets, using various disasters
that encompassed these rebellious nations. For instance, Allah destroyed the
people of Nuh with the flood, ‘Ad with the wind, Thamud with the scream, the
people of Lut with an earthquake and the people of Shu ‘ayb by the Day of the
Shadow. After Allah sent Musa and destroyed his enemy Fir ‘awn and his
soldiers by drowning, He sent down the Tawrah to him in which He legislated
fighting against the disbelievers, and this legislation remained in the
successive Laws. Allah said,
“And indeed We gave Musa –after We
had destroyed the generations of old—The Scripture as an enlightenment.”
[28:43]
It is more humiliating for the
disbelievers and more comforting to the hearts of the faithful that the
believers kill the disbelievers by their own hands. Allah said to the believers
of this Ummah,
“Fight against them so that Allah
will punish them by your hands, and disgrace them, and give you victory over
them, and heal the breast of a believing people [9:14].” 173
Therefore, “Allah,” following
his sunnah, now using the hands of the believers to deliver his punishment.
“Allah,” thus, piling up the dead, ratcheting up the dead-count, now, by that
delivered by the hands of the “believers.”
Piling up the dead and/or
mangled bodies on concert hall floors, on office floors, on toilet seats, on
roadways, on sidewalks—as I write these very lines, “Breaking news” again
delivering “the ‘good’ news” of Allah’s punishment.
Punishment delivered, “this”
day, on the streets of Nice, France.
Today’s weapon of choice and attack of choice: firearm, weaponized
delivery truck, weaponized “earn trustworthiness,” and of course, “the Dhikr of
Allah … a weapon in its own right, special and spiritual, something known to
Muslims only….” 174 Striking the unbelievers when, where, and how
they would least expect it, just as Allah’s word promises “He” will do.
Thus far today’s the dead
count thereat: “60…73 … still climbing…” 175
Yes, indeed, yet another “‘soldier of Islamic State,’” another child of the
Qur’an, another good Muslim, on the move for Allah. This one, via a delivery truck delivering His
“painful punishment.”
As reports state, Islamic
State asserting of him, as they did of Mateen, as they have done, and will
doubtlessly do of others, “the person who carried out” this days attack, is a soldier of Islamic
State, “and carried out the operation in response to the calls to target
nationals of the coalition which is fighting the Islamic State.” 176
Therefore, racking up the
dead, following sunnah, thus looking to produce the scene of which Allah
boasted was his sunnah to produce with those who rejected his messengers and
the message he brought: scatter, spread, or lay dead mangled bodies in mass on
the ground or elsewhere. Fling these bodies in the air, burn them, mangle them,
dismember them, etc, all in line with Qur’an provided sunnah of Allah to be
emulated by his believers.
“But they have rejected it [--The Book which
has come to them, meaning the Noble Qur’an--] and they will soon know [the
result of their unbelief],” asserts the Qur’an. (Surat as-Saffat 37:170,
Al-Jalalayn)
As we read earlier, “‘Ad
denied the truth.” In other words, the people of ‘Ad “rejected” the messenger
and message of Allah sent to them.
“[Their Prophet was Hud and they were punished]” for having so done.
Thus, “How terrible were My punishments and warnings!” Boasted “Allah.”
“[Then,” provides tafsir on the cited verse (54:18), “Allah explains what that
punishment was.]” (Al-Jalalayn.):
We unleashed
a howling wind against them on a day of unremitting horror ….(Surat al-Qamar
54: 19, Al-Jalalayn.)
It plucked up
men like uprooted stumps. [It sucked people up form pits in the earth in which
they had taken refuge. It threw them on their heads and tore their necks so
that their heads were ripped off their bodies. They looked like the stumps of
palm trees cut down and fallen on the earth. They are likened to palm trees
because of their height]. (V. 20, ibid.)
How terrible
were My punishments and warnings! (Vs. 21)
Surat al-Haqqa renders the
narrative this way:
‘Ad were
destroyed by a savage howling wind. [It made a loud noise and had immense
strength with which it struck ‘Ad, who considered themselves strong]. (69:6,
Al-Jalalayn.)
Allah
subjected them to it [--sent it against them with force--] …. [It is said that
the word used here , husum, is the plural of hasim, from hasm, which means
cutting, as one cuts for cauterization for an illness again and again until it
is finished (tahassama).] You could see the people flattened in their homes
[--dead and prone--] just like the hollow stumps of uprooted palms. (Ibid, Vs.
7.)
That is how “Allah” explained
his punishment delivered on the people of ‘Ad that fateful day.
Here follows how a witness of
the Nice, France attack, Andres Farfan, described “Allah’s” punishment
delivered at the Nice Bastille Day Fireworks that dark horrific day.
Reports state, he said he was
celebrating having just “finished his university degree in Nice when he heard
screams coming from the beachfront.” 177
Looking out his window, he said he saw “the truck speeding
on the footpath of the road.” He said, “It was going pretty fast, I guess 60 or
75 kph…” 178 People screaming, some leaping down onto the beach side
if they could.
Andres said, seeing the crowd all bunched together as they
were, seeing the oncoming and plowing to and through the crowd delivery truck,
he had to look away, “I couldn’t watch it. I closed my eyes, and went inside
the apartment.”179
But some of his friends, he said, did just the opposite:
“they went outside.” And what they saw there made them weep, made them scream …
will undoubtedly haunt them for life …
“They say they saw bodies flying in the air when the truck
hit them.” 180
From another witness to the carnage, this witness, also a
survivor of the hit, Nice resident, 16-year-old, Kimberley Torres. Her mother
said, her daughter called her in tears, frantically telling her, “Mum, there
are dead everywhere, severed heads, severed people, there’s blood everywhere,
mother, come.” 181
In other words, in the carnage
of Bastille Day Fireworks 2016 in Nice, witnesses to it saw shades of “Allah’s”
punishment delivered to the people of
‘Ad and others: “it plucked up men like uprooted stumps,” flung them into the
air, and by the force of such, arms and legs were torn from cores, “heads were ripped
off their bodies.” (Surat al-Qamar 54: 20, Al-Jalalayn, Tafsir.)
Why was this Muslim--claimed as a soldier of Allah, one who,
like Mateen, responded to Abu Bakr al-Bagdhadi’s calls for retaliation against
nations attacking Islamic state—doing what he was doing there on that Nice
beach? What was he aiming to produce?”
He was obeying Allah.
He was following sunnah—just as did Mateen that fateful morning in Pulse
nightclub.
Thus, just as Mateen did in Orlando 12 June 2016, the
“Bastilli” killer aimed to produce the scenery, the harvest—the carnage—from
the seeds of Allah’s word sown into his heart, mind and soul. He aimed to yield
the fruit in kind with that that Allah’s word provided is “fruit,” scenery,
covering the area on which his punishment has descended.
Did so, because, for the true believer, the good Muslim,
Allah’s law, Allah’s sunnah, it comes first to the negation of all other laws
and guidance. For such reasons, Allah’s Messenger commented then asserted “What
about people who impose conditions which are not present in Allah’s Book
(Laws)? Whoever imposes conditions which
are not found in Allah’s Book (Laws), his conditions will be invalid even if he
imposed them a hundred times.” 182
Mateen, the Nice, France
attacker, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, Muhammad Ata and his 9/11 comrades and
countless other Muslims who kill and are killed for the sake of Allah, they are
following that in “Allah’s Book.” Following it and thus making invalid laws and
“conditions which are not found in Allah’s Book (Laws),” imposing conditions
spelled out in therein. Which is precisely what every Muslims is commanded to
do.
According to Islam, the alleged “prophet” of
Islam, Muhammad, was Allah’s final messenger sent to mankind. Sent with the
final Shariah (Code of conduct and life).
The Qur’anic text bears-out
thus tafsir spells out, “The Holy Prophet is the last of all prophets and
messengers of Allah, and his Shari’ah”—take note all who froth and fling at
Shari’ah but welcome Islam—“is the last Shari ‘ah of all Shari ‘ahs and is to
remain valid upto [sic] the end of time….”183
“Guide us on the straight
path,” provides Surat Al-Fatihah (1:6) . What path is that, according to
Islamic doctrine? Doi and others of like caliber in Islam answer that: “Shari’
ah is an Arabic word meaning the Path to be followed.” 184
Speaking to the straight path to be followed, Ma’ariful
Qur’an provides, “It would seem that in order to define the straight path it
should have been sufficient to call it ‘the path of the Prophet,’ or ‘the path
of the Qur’an….” It continues, stating, “ for the whole of the Holy Qur’an is
really an explanation of the straight path, and the teachings of the Holy Prophet.”
185
Dr. Mohammad Hasim Kamali, in his work, Principles of
Islamic Jurisprudence, he provides, “Sunnah means a clear path or a
beaten track … also … normative practice, or an established course of conduct.”
186
Qadi Iyad’s Ash-Shifa, speaking of that “clear path,” that
“beaten track, that “Path to be followed,” provides, speaking of the birth of
Muhammad, al ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abdu ‘l-Muttalib indicated in poetic lines, “When you
were born, the earth shone and the horizon was illuminated by your light. We travel
in that illumination and in the light and the paths of right guidance.” 187
What path according to Islamic
doctrine is that? What path is that which is Shari ‘ah, which is, as cited above,
“the Path to be followed” the “Straight Path” spoken to in Surat 1 of the
Qur’an?
Once more, speaking here now
only with great limitedness to this Islamic fact, “ Sunnah literally means way,
practice, rule of life; and refers to the exemplary conduct or the model
behavior of the Prophet in what he said, did or approved.” 188
‘”Allah’s’ Book” provides,
“You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allah ….” (Surat al-Ahzab
33:21, al-Jalalayn.)
It is clear as well as
irrefutable, Islamic doctrine is built on following Sunnah: words, deeds,
counsel, etc, of the so-called prophet, as spoken to often herein. Because the
so-called prophet was, as spelled out above, the explainer of all in “Allah’s
Book.” Thus all that was sunnah of Allah was thus sunnah of his messenger.
And
that sunnah is to be followed. Implemented. That is what “’Allah’s’ Book”
commands.
That is the “Path to be
followed,” which is, as cited above, what Shariah is. That path is following
all within the limits set by “Allah,” disregarding all limits established by
others should they infringe on commands within “Allah’s limits.”
And as we read above, for
those who reject that in “The Book,” (“But they have rejected it [--The Book
which has come to them, meaning the Noble Qur’an--]”) “they will soon know [the
result of their unbelief],” asserts the Qur’an. (Surat as-Saffat 37:170;
Al-Jalalayn, Tafsir.)
“…and watch them,” it states,
“[when the punishment befalls them], for they will soon see [ the consequences
of their unbelief].” (Vs. 175, Ibid.)
What is the punishment for?
For their unbelief in the Qur’anic message.
“They will soon know” and
“soon see” what? “The punishment” descending.
And, “When it descends,”
states the Qur’an, and descends “in their courtyard [ --the word used here, saha, means the courtyard around a
house] …. How evil will be the morning of those who were warned!” (Vs. 177,
Ibid.)
Surat az-Zumar 39:55, and
other verses, speaking to the same, pointing to that “Straight Path,” that “Path
to be followed,” that “beaten track” state, “Follow the best that has been sent
down to you from your Lord [(the Qur’an)] before the punishment comes upon you
suddenly when you are not expecting it [--unaware of its time of
arrival];” (al-Jalalayn, Tafsir.)
“Woe [-- in other words they
will be punished--],” warns the Qur’an, “ to those whose hearts are hardened
against the rememberance of Allah” -- as it is defined earlier in this text:
“He who has not obeyed Him [Allah] has not remembered Him” – “[preventing them
from accepting the Qur’an]!” (39:22, Ibid.)
“The wrongdoers,” it
proclaims, “will be told, ‘Taste what you have earned.’” (Vs.24)
“Those before them,” it
states, “also denied the truth [--by denying their Messenger’s warnings about
Divine punishment --] and the punishment came upon them from whence they did
not expect [-- in a manner which had not occurred to them].” (Vs. 25)
“So Allah made them taste
disgrace [--humiliation and debasement--] in the life of this world [--in the
form of … being killed and other things --]….” (Vs. 26) “We have given all
kinds of examples to peoples in this Qur’an,” declares “Allah,” “so that
perhaps they will pay heed—“ (Vs. 28, al-Jalalayn, Tafsir.)
Regarding all the above, I
ask, is there any where we or the people of France, and others, have fallen
short of following Allah’s commands? Are there any among us who reject that in
the Qur’an, thus reject following sunnah, thus, reject following the Shariah of
“Allah’s Messenger”? Of course there is. Of course they are.
Therefore,
according to Qur’anic doctrine, Allah’s punishment is due us. It is our
“earnings.” Thus, ready to be delivered anytime, anywhere by the hands of his
believers.
That is simple sunnah of
Allah, thus sunnah of his “messenger,” sunnah which “Allah” commands must be
followed, thus such is sunnah of the ummah.
For such reasons, as reported at
Jihad Watch just days before writing these lines, and as provided in an 8 July 2016 Department of Justice, U.S.
Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Virginia, press release, good Muslim, Haris Qamar, was
arrested on charges to provide material support and resources to Islamic state.
Part of that support and those resources being photos of potential targets in
the D.C. area for future “lone wolf” attacks.
“On
June 3,” reads the said report, “a conversation was audio and video recorded
when CW picked up Qamar in a vehicle and they drove to area landmarks on the
list Qamar had developed. Qamar allegedly said “bye bye DC, stupid ass
kufar, kill’em all”. 189
“Kill’em all,” dreams and states
this good Muslim? Kill all the kufar in the D.C. area?
Where in this world does he get such an idea? I will tell
you where: “Allah’s Book.”
As I posted at Jihad Watch commenting on that report, as I
have spoken to in numerous places in this essay, “Could it possibly be
‘Allah’s’ Qur’an-provided object lessons? Say, as in just for one therefrom,
the object lesson of ‘the people of Ad’?
“A people of whom Qur’an and reliable regarded Tafsir tell
us, ‘… their gardens and mansions, and palaces,’ were ‘leveled to the ground.
Their men and animals went up in the air and zoomed back hitting the floor with
their heads.’190
The narrative adds, as mentioned above, “Thus, the people of
‘Ad were eliminated to the last man.”
Thus the elucidated meaning in ‘“And we eradicated those who
belied Our signs. And they were not believers.”’” 191
We regard, the same works tell us, as mentioned above, in
times past Allah used “various disasters” to deliver his punishment, but now,
since first giving Moses the order to fight, now, because it is more
humiliating for the unbelievers, and more mollifying to the hearts of
believers, now he delivers his punishment via the hands of believers.
And as we have read herein, as one will easily find provided
through-out the Qur’an, Allah’s word provides for his following no shortage of
object lessons and examples of his sunnah, his practice of dealing death to
unbelievers. Moreover, oftentimes, as we have read repeatedly, the
Qur’an-provided blueprint the believer is to follow in his Qur’anic authorized
and sanctioned death-dealing is one that yields the end result of mass destruction.
What’s more,
we know all these examples in the Qur’an are there neither for filler, nor
entertainment but for the sole purpose of instruction. Enabling one thus to
draw conclusions from the story. Derive therefrom “spiritual principles,”
principles that are sunnah of Allah, thus sunnah of Islam.
As revered tafsir confirms: “The Holy Qur’an does not tell
stories for the sake of telling stories…. The real intention … is to draw
certain conclusions from the stories, and to illustrate or point out certain
spiritual principles. Now, the various episodes of a story help to bring out
various principles.” 192
And for that reason and that only, are all stories in the
Qur’an included therein: sign post, object lessons, illustrations and
blueprints for believers to follow.
Why then, many will ask, have we not yet suffered this mass
destruction spoken of in “Allah’s Book”?
Shortest answer to that: God’s grace. Included therein are
all successes thus far that have, thus far, prevented such. It is not for lack
of effort, planning, or instructions thereto. It is God’s mercy thus far spread
over us.
Aiming to wrapping this section up, we note, the second of
the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs, Ibn ‘Umar, fully understanding the reason for
as well as the meaning of the verses of Qur’an, “Ibn ‘Umar said: A boy was
assassinated. ‘Umar said, ‘If all the people of San ‘a took part in the
assassination I would kill them all.’” 193
We likewise regard, when the Qur’an states the following, it
does so with all the principles related to the following end as spoken to
herein regarded, and the verse means precisely what it states:
And such days we rotate among the
people, so that Allah may know those who believe and let some of you be
martyrs—and Allah does not like the unjust [140] –and so that Allah may purify
those who believe and eradicate the disbelievers.” [141] (Surah ‘Al-‘Imran 3,
Ma’ariful Qur’an rendered.)
Tafsir al-Jalalayn
renders the verses this way: “We send days to people in rotation …. so that
Allah can purge [and purify] those who believe … and wipe out [and destroy] the
unbelievers.” (3: 140-141.)
Conclusion
In his rally speech in Atlanta Georgia, 15 June 2016, then
Presumptive Nominee of the Republican party, Mr. Donald J. Trump, speaking of
the numerous horrors suffered by the victims in Pulse Nightclub early Sunday 12
June 2016, Mr. Trump stated, as one hears of such accounts, one is compelled to
ask, “How can this be happening in our country?”
I will tell you how it is happening in our nation, “Mr. President”:
in our nation, we have freedom to practice our religion, and to practice it
full and freely. We also have in our nation those who have as their “religion”
the way of Muhammad. That way being following the guidance provided in the
Qur’an. That is why and how, Sir, what
happened at Pulse Nightclub that death-filled June morning: a “believer”
practiced the tenets of his faith system.
That is why and what happened 9/11.
That is what happened countless other days in our nation, in
our world, as the blood flowed, as limbs were severed, faces marred and
disfigured, lives snuffed out: a “believer” obeyed Allah.
A “believer”—with the stomach for armed jihad--followed
Qur’an and sunnah guidance. The instructions and blueprints therein. That is precisely the reason why and what
happened in Orlando Sunday morning 12 June 2016: “Allah’s” word, “Allah’s”
guidance, thus, the traditions of his messenger, Muhammad, in full play and on
display for the world to see.
Allah’s word asserts, with respect to the mission of
Muhammad, “This Qur’an has been revealed to me so that I may warn you [and
frighten you] by it, [people of Mekka] and anyone else it (the Qur’an) reaches
[among jinn or man] . (Surat al-An ‘am 6: 19, al-Jalalayn, Tafsir.)
In verse 47 of that same chapter, Allah speaks to the
unbelieving lot, asking, “What would you think if Allah’s punishment were to
come upon you by night or openly by day, would any but the wrongdoing people
(the unbelievers) be destroyed?” He follows that up with admonishing his messenger
and those who follow him (Vs. 51), “Warn [and alarm] by it (the Qur’an) … so
that perhaps they will be godfearing [sic]
[… so that they will perform acts of obedience].”
Allah’s word
likewise warns, (....These [rulings] are the rulings of Allah's limits. The
unbelievers will have a painful punishment. (al-Mujadila [58]: 4, al-Jalalayn.)
It promises,
“Those who [disagree and] oppose Allah and His Messenger will be subdued and
overcome as those before them were also subdued and overcome [when they opposed
their Messengers before]….The unbeleivers will have a humiliating punishment.”
(Ibid, Vs. 5.)
What’s more,
on that “painful punishment,” as spoken to above, and on the unbelievers it is
promised to, Allah’s word provides this spurring on and this promise to his
ummah: “Fight them! Allah will punish them [by killing them] at your hands, and
disgrace them [by capture and defeat] and help you against them, and heal the
hearts of those who believe.” (Surat
at-Tawba: 9:14, al-Jalalayn, Tafsir.)
As mentioned
above, Verse 15 there provides, “Allah” elects to use the hands of the
believers because by using the hands of the believers to deliver the said
punishment of Allah “earned,” thereby, “He will remove the rage [and grief]
from their [the hearts of the believers] hearts.” (9:15, al-Jalalayn.)
We regard, the Qur’an reminds the believers of the following
contract they have with Allah:
Allah has bought from the believers
their selves and their wealth [which they expend in obedience to Allah on
things like jihad] in return for the Garden. They fight in the Way of Allah and
they kill [(read as yaqtuluna wa yuqtaluna or as yuqtaluna wa yaqtuluna “are
killed and kill”]) and are killed. It is a promise binding on Him in the Torah,
the Gospel and the Qur’an; and who is truer to his contract than Allah? [There
is no one truer than Allah when He promises. Rejoice then [--changing to the
second person from the third--] in the bargain you have made. That
[transaction] is the great victory [which obtains the Goal]. (Surat at-Tawba
9:111, al-Jalalayn, Tafsir.)
On the heels
of that spotlighted contract, with these words Allah spurs on his believing
community: “O Prophet, do jihad against the unbelievers [with the sword] and
[against the] hypocrites [ … ] and be harsh with them [through rebuke and
hatred]….” (Surah 9: 73. Al-Jalalayn.)
The revered
works of tafsir on that verse by the revered Imam, Ibn Kathir, read this way:
Allah commanded His Messenger to
strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and to be harsh against
them…. (“Strive hard against the disbelievers and hypocrites,”) “With the hand,
or at least have a stern face with them. Ibn Abbas said, “Allah commanded the
Prophet to fight the disbelievers with the sword, to strive against the
hypocrites with the tongue and annual lenient treatment of them. Ad-Dahhak
commented, “Perform Jihad against the disbelievers with the sword and be harsh
with the hypocrites with words, and this is the Jihad performed against them.
Similar was said by Muqatil and Ar-Rabi. Al-Hassan and Qatadah said, “Striving
against them includes establishing the (Islamic Penal) Law of equality against
them.” 194
In summary, in
the early morning hours of 12 June 2016, in the early days of Ramadan 2016,
honoring the tenets of his “religion,” enjoying the freedom in our nation to do
just that, America- born devotee to Allah, thus follower of Muhammad, prayed
his prayers, and in his words, for “his country,” Islamic State, killed and was
killed.
In other
words, true to his title in his name—“Siddiqui—Mateen neither hesitated nor
doubted as to the truthfulness of the commands of the “Messenger of Allah," but in full obedience to them, from his Bismillah to his dying in the way of
Allah, Mateen obeyed “Allah.”
Did so, following
that “Straight Path,” as spoken to above in what is indeed remembrance of Allah:
Mateen knew and understood “the commandments of his Lord,” therefore, with
respect to the “tasks” provided in the contract that the believer has with
“Allah,”Mateen performed “these tasks exactly in the manner He [Allah] has
prescribed.”
Therefore, 12 June 2016 Sunday morning’s slaughter in Orlando.
