As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters.
Summary
Today’s selection is from Surah 10, Yûnus or Jonah, verses 21-40. These verses speak of how people call upon God only when they are suffering but do not do so when they are comfortable and safe. Examples of this worldly life are given. The deities worshiped by the mushrikeen are not even aware they are being worshiped. Lastly, reason and truth about Allah are pitted against these so-called Gods and the Qur’an is the basis for Allah’s revelation.
If you enjoy the podcast, HELP SPREAD THE WORD! Tell your friends and family, subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher and write us a review.
Verses
Bis-millahi ar-rahman, ar-raheem.
In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.When We show mercy to mankind after some calamity had afflicted them, they begin to plot against Our revelations! Tell them: “Allah is more swift in plotting than you; indeed Our angels are recording all the plots you make.”[21] He is the One Who enables you to travel through the land and by the sea; until when you are on board a ship, as the ship sails with a favorable wind and they feel happy about it; but when there comes a stormy wind and the waves reach them from all sides and they think they are being overwhelmed: then they pray to Allah with their sincere devotion, saying, “If You deliver us from this, we shall become your true thankful devotees!”[22] Yet, when He does deliver them, behold! The same people become unjustly rebellious in the land. O mankind! Your rebellion is against your own souls – (you may enjoy) the transitory pleasure of this world – in the end you have to return to Us, then We shall inform you of what you have done.[23] 10:[21-23]
The example of this worldly life (which you love so much that you have even become neglectful of Our signs) is like the water which We send down from the sky; it mingles with the soil and produces vegetation which becomes the food for men and animals. Then, at the very time when the crops are ripened and the land looks attractive, the people to whom it belongs think that they are able to cultivate it, and there comes Our scourge upon it, by night or in broad day, and We mow it down thoroughly as if nothing existed there yesterday! Thus do We spell out Our signs for those who are thoughtful.[24] 10:[24]
Allah invites you to the Home of Peace and guides whom He pleases to the Right Way.[25] Those who do good deeds shall have a good reward and even more than they deserve! Neither blackness nor disgrace shall cover their faces. They will be the inhabitants of paradise; they will live therein forever.[26] As for those who have done evil deeds, they will be rewarded with like evil: disgrace will cover them – they shall have none to protect them from Allah – as if their faces have been covered with patches of the dense darkness of night. They will become the inmates of the Fire; they will live therein forever.[27] On the Day when We shall gather them all together, We shall say to those who committed shirk (associated other deities with Us): “Stay where you are, you and those whom you set as partners with Us.” We will separate them from one another, then the shorakã’ (partners they had set up with Us) will say: “It was not us that you worshiped![28] Allah is an all-sufficient witness between you and us, (even if you worshiped us) we were quite unaware of your worship.”[29] Thereupon, every soul shall know what it had sent forth, as they will be brought in the Court of Allah, their true Patron, and their invented falsehoods will leave them in the lurch.[30] 10:[25-30]
Ask them: “Who provides your sustenance from the heaven and from the earth? Who has control over hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? Who regulates the universe?” They will soon reply: “Allah.” Say: “Why do you not then fear Him for you going against the truth?”[31] The same Allah is your real Lord: What is left after the truth except falsehood? How then can you turn away?[32] Thus has the Word of your Lord proved true in regards to the transgressors that they do not believe.[33] Ask them: “Can any of your shorakã’ (the deities you worship besides Allah) create anything and then repeat its process?” If they do not answer, then tell them: “Well, Allah creates and then repeats the process. Then how is that you are so misled?”[34] Again ask them: “Is there any of your shorakã’ who can guide you to the truth?” If they do not answer, then tell them: “Well, Allah can guide you to the truth. Then who is more worthy to be followed: He that can guide to the truth, or he that cannot and is himself in need of guidance? What is the matter with you? What kind of judgement do you make?”[35] The fact is that most of them follow nothing but mere conjecture and conjecture is in no way a substitute for the truth. Surely Allah is well aware of all that they do.[36] 10:[31-36]
This Qur’an is not such as could be produced by anyone other than Allah; in fact it is the confirmation of prior revelations (Psalms, Torah, and Gospel) and fully explains the Holy Book (prior scriptures); there is no doubt in this fact that it is (revealed) from the Lord of the Worlds.[37] Do they say: “He (the Prophet) has forged it?” Tell them: “If what you say be true; then produce one Sürah like this, you may even call to your aid anyone you want other than Allah.”[38] Nay! They do not believe that which they cannot grasp, for they have not yet seen its prophecy fulfilled. The same way those who passed before them disbelieved. But see what was the end of the wrongdoers![39] Of these people there are some who will believe in it and some who will not: and your Lord best knows the troublemakers.[40] 10:[37-40]
Ameen.
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.