As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters.
Summary
Today’s selection is from Surah 15, Al-Hijr or the Rocky Tract, verses 1-15. These verses discuss how, on the Day of Judgment, the unbelievers will wish that they themselves were Muslim and that Allah has taken personal responability for preserving the Qur’an.
Tafseer for this selection regards the name of this Surah – Al Hijr or the Rocky Tract.
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Verses
Bis-millahi ar-rahman, ar-raheem.
In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.Alif L’ãm Rã. These are the verses of the Divine Book, the Glorious Qur’an which makes the things clear.[1] 15:[1]
The Day will come when the unbelievers will wish that they were Muslims.[2] Leave them alone to eat and enjoy themselves and be deluded by false hopes, for soon they will find out the Truth.[3] Never did We destroy a town whose term of life was not ordained beforehand.[4] No people can forestall their doom, nor can they postpone it.[5] They say: “O you to whom the reminder (The Qur’an) is being revealed! You are surely insane.[6] Why don’t you bring us the angels, if you are of the truthful ones?”[7] O Muhammad, tell them: “We do not send down the angels except for just cause (to execute Our scourge), and when they come, people are not given respite.[8] 15:[2-8]
Surely We have revealed this reminder (The Qur’an); and We will surely preserve it Ourselves.[9] Certainly We sent Messengers before you among the early nations;[10] but whenever a Messenger came to them, they mocked him.[11] Thus do We let doubt creep into the hearts of the criminals;[12] that they do not believe in it (The Qur’an), despite the examples of the people who passed before them.[13] Even if we had opened a gate in Heaven and they ascend through it and keep on ascending,[14] still they would have said, ‘Our eyes have been dazzled; rather we have been bewitched.'”[15] 15:[9-15]
Ameen.
Tafseer
Concerning the meaning of “Al-Hijr” or the “Rocky Tract”:
The “Rocky Tract” is undoubtedly a geographical name. On the maps of Arabia will be found a tract call the Hijr, north of Madinah. Jabal Hijr is about 150 miles north of Madinah. The tract would fall on the high way to Syria. This was the country of the Thamud.
The Thamud people were the successors to the culture and civilization of the ‘Ad people. They were cousins to the ‘Ad, apparently a younger branch of the same race. Their story also belongs to Arabian tradition, according to which their eponymous ancestor Thamud was a son of ‘Abir (a brother of Aram), the song of Sam, the song of Noah. With the advance of material civilisation, the Thamud people became godless and arrogant, and were destroyed by an earthquake. Their prophet and warner was Salih, and the crisis in their history is connected with the story of a wonderful she-camel.
This concludes today’s episode of the 17 Verses Podcast. I hope that this selection has helped increase your understanding of the holy Qur’an just a little bit.
Thank you and be well.