As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters.
Summary
Today’s selection consists of two short Surahs. The first is Surah 102, At-Takãthur or The Piling Up. This Surah gives a warning against piling up material wealth or power rather than pursuing the higher spiritual rewards in life. Tafseer for this Surah talks about the three kinds of yaqin (certainty of knowledge) in verse 5.
The second is Surah 103, Al-‘Asr or Time Through the Ages. This Surah reminds us that history shows that Evil comes to an evil end and time is always in favor of those who have Faith. Tafseer for this Surah concerns the meaning of the Surah’s name and its significance.
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Verses
Surah 102 (At-Takãthur)
Bis-millahi ar-rahman, ar-raheem.
In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.O mankind, you have been distracted by the rivalry of piling up worldly gains against one another.[1] You will never be satisfied until you get into the grave.[2] Nevertheless, soon you shall come to know.[3] Again, nevertheless, soon you shall come to know.[4] Nay! were you to know with certainty of mind, (you would beware!)[5] Because on the Day of Judgment when you shall see the hell,[6] and see it with the certainty of your own eyes[7] – you shall believe it, but that belief is going to do you no good because – on that Day, you shall be questioned about the blessings (faculties and resources that you were given in the worldly life – as to how you used them?)[8] 102:[1-8]
Ameen.
Tafseer
On the three kinds of certainty of knowledge in verse 5:
Three kinds of yaqin (certainty of knowledge) are descbied in 69:51. The first is certainty of mind or inference mentioned here: we hear from someone, or we infer from something we know: this refers to our own state of mind. If we instruct our minds in this way, we should value the deeper things of life better, and not waste all our time in ephemeral things. But if we do not use our reasoning faculties now, we shall yet see with our own eyes, the penalty for our sins. It will be certainty of sight. We shall see Hell.
Surah 103 (Al-‘Asr)
Bis-millahi ar-rahman, ar-raheem.
In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.By the time through the ages![1] Verily mankind is in loss,[2] except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy. [3] 103:[1-3]
Ameen.
Tafseer
On the meaning of the Surah’s name:
Al-‘Asr may mean (1) Time through the Ages, or long period, in which case it comes near to the abstract idea of time, Dahr, which was sometimes deified by the Pagan Arabs; (2) or the late afternoon, from which the ‘Asr canonical prayer takes its name. A mystic use of both these ideas is understood here. An appeal is made to Time as one of the creations of Allah, of which everyone knows something but of which no one can fully explain the exact significance. Time searches out and destroys everything material. No one in secular literature has express the tyranny of “never-resting Time” better than Shakespeare in his sonnets; see Sonnets 5 and 64. If we merely run a race against Time, we shall lose. It is the spiritual part of us that conquers Time.
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.