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dailytafsirofquran · 3 years

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Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Surah Al-Baqarah Ayah 23-24

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

23. And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down (i.e. the Qur'an) to Our servant (Muhammad), then produce a Surah (chapter) of the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allah, if you are truthful.

24. But if you do it not, and you can never do it, then fear the Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers.

The Message of Messenger of Allah is True

Allah says;

And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down (i.e. the Qur'an) to Our servant (Muhammad), then produce a Surah of the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allah, if you are truthful.

Allah begins to prove the truth of Prophethood after He stated that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him.

Allah said to the disbelievers, (And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down (i.e. the Qur'an) to Our servant) meaning, Muhammad, (then produce a Surah) meaning, similar to what he brought to you.

Hence, if you claim that what he was sent with did not come from Allah, then produce something similar to what he has brought to you, using the help of anyone you wish instead of Allah. However, you will not be able to succeed in this quest.

Ibn Abbas said that, (your witnesses), means "Aids.''

Also, As-Suddi reported that Abu Malik said the Ayah means, "Your partners, meaning, some other people to help you in that. Meaning then go and seek the help of your deities to support and aid you.''

Also, Mujahid said that, (and call your witnesses) means, "People, meaning, wise and eloquent men who will provide the testimony that you seek.''

The Challenge

Allah challenged the disbelievers in various parts of the Qur'an.

For instance, Allah said in Surah Al-Qasas, Say (to them, O Muhammad): "Then bring a Book from Allah, which is a better guide than these two (the Tawrah (Torah) and the Qur'an), that I may follow it, if you are truthful''. (28:49)

Also, Allah said in Surah Al-Isra, Say: "If mankind and the Jinn were together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another.'' (17:88)

Allah said in Surah Hud, Or they say, "He (Prophet Muhammad) forged it (the Qur'an).''

Say: "Bring you then ten forged Surahs like it, and call whomsoever you can, other than Allah (to your help), if you speak the truth!'' (11:13) and in Surah Yunus, And this Qur'an is not such as could ever be produced by other than Allah (Lord of the heavens and the earth), but it is a confirmation of (the revelation) which was before it (i.e. the Tawrah, and the Injil), and a full explanation of the Book (i.e. Laws decreed for mankind) _ wherein there is no doubt _ from the Lord of all that exists.

Or do they say: "He (Muhammad) has forged it!''

Say: "Bring then a Surah like it, and call upon whomsoever you can besides Allah, if you are truthful!'' (10:37-38)

All of these Ayat were revealed in Makkah.

Allah also challenged the disbelievers in the Ayat that were revealed in Al-Madinah.

In this Ayah, Allah said, (And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in Rayb) meaning, doubt. (Concerning that which We have sent down (i.e. the Qur'an) to Our servant) meaning, Muhammad, (then produce a Surah (chapter) the like thereof) meaning, similar to the Qur'an.

This is the Tafsir of Mujahid, Qatadah, Ibn Jarir At-Tabari, Az-Zamakhshari and Ar-Razi.

Ar-Razi said that this is the Tafsir of Umar, Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn Abbas, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and the majority of the scholars. And he gave preference to this view and mentioned the fact that Allah has challenged the disbelievers as individuals and as groups, whether literate or illiterate, thus making the challenge truly complete. This type of challenge is more daring than simply challenging the disbelievers who might not be literate or knowledgeable. This is why Allah said, Bring you then ten forged Surahs like it) (11:13)

and,

They could not produce the like thereof. (17:88)

Therefore, this is a general challenge to the Arab disbelievers, the most eloquent among all nations. Allah challenged the Arab disbelievers both in Makkah and Madinah several times, especially since they had tremendous hatred and enmity for the Prophet and his religion. Yet, they were unable to succeed in answering the challenge, and this is why Allah said, But if you do it not, and you can never do it, indicating that they will never be able to answer the challenge. This is another miracle, in that, Allah clearly stated without doubt that the Qur'an will never be opposed or challenged by anything similar to it, for eternity. This is a true statement that has not been changed until the present and shall never change.

How can anyone be able to produce something like the Qur'an, when the Qur'an is the Word of Allah Who created everything!

How can the words of the created ever be similar to the Words of the Creator!

Examples of the Miracle of the Qur'an

Whoever reads through the Qur'an will realize that it contains various levels of superiority through both the apparent and hidden meanings that it mentions.

Allah said,

Alif Lam Ra. (This is) a Book, the verses whereof are perfect (in every sphere of knowledge, etc.), and then explained in detail from One (Allah), Who is Wise and well-acquainted (with all things). (11:1)

So the expressions in the Qur'an are perfect and its meanings are explained. Further, every word and meaning in the Qur'an is eloquent and cannot be surpassed. The Qur'an also mentioned the stories of the people of the past; and these accounts and stories occurred exactly as the Qur'an stated. Also, the Qur'an commanded every type of righteousness and forbade every type of evil, just as Allah stated, And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. (6:115)

meaning, true in the stories it narrates and just in its Laws.

The Qur'an is true, just and full of guidance. It does not contain exaggerations, lies or falsehood, unlike Arabic and other types of poems that contained lies. These poems, conform with the popular statement, "The most eloquent speech is the one that contains the most lies!''

Sometimes, one would find a long poem that mainly contains descriptions of women, horses or alcohol. Or, the poem might contain praise or the description of a certain person, horse, camel, war, incident, fear, lion, or other types of items and objects. Such praise or descriptions do not bring any benefit, except shed light on the poet's ability to clearly and eloquently describe such items. Yet, one will only be able to find one or two sentences in many long poems that elaborate on the main theme of the poem, while the rest of the poem contains insignificant descriptions and repetitions. As for the Qur'an, it is entirely eloquent in the most perfect manner, as those who have knowledge in such matters and understand Arabic methods of speech and expressions concur.

When one reads through the stories in the Qur'an, he will find them fruitful, whether they were in extended or short forms, repeated or not. The more these stories are repeated, the more fruitful and beautiful they become. The Qur'an does not become old when one repeats reciting it, nor do the scholars ever get

bored with it. When the Qur'an mentions the subject of warning and promises, it presents truths that would make solid, firm mountains shake, so what about the comprehending, understanding hearts! When the Qur'an promises, it opens the hearts and the ears, making them eager to attain the abode of peace - Paradise - and to be the neighbors of the Throne of the Most Beneficent.

For instance, on the subject of promises and encouragement, the Qur'an said,

No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do. (32:17)

and,

(There will be) therein all that inner selves could desire, and all that eyes could delight in and you will abide therein forever. (43:71)

On the subject of warning and discouragement; Do you then feel secure that He will not cause a side of the land to swallow you up! (17:68)

and,

Do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allah), will not cause the earth to sink with you, and then it should quake!

Or do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven (Allah), will not send against you a violent whirlwind!

Then you shall know how (terrible) has been My warning. (67:16-17)

On the subject of threats, the Qur'an said, So We punished each (of them) for his sins. (29:40)

Also, on the subject of soft advice, the Qur'an said,

Tell Me, (even) if We do let them enjoy for years. And afterwards comes to them that (punishment) which they had been promised. All that with which they used to enjoy shall not avail them. (26:205-207).

There are many other examples of the eloquence, beauty, and benefits of the Qur'an.

When the Qur'an is discussing Laws, commandments and prohibitions, it commands every type of righteous, good, pleasing and beneficial act. It also forbids every type of evil, disliked and amoral act.

Ibn Mas`ud and other scholars of the Salaf said, "When you hear what Allah said in the Qur'an, such as, O you who believe! then listen with full attention, for it either contains a type of righteousness that Allah is enjoining, or an evil that He is forbidding.''

For instance, Allah said, He (Muhammad) commands them for Al-Ma`ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained); and forbids them from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden); he allows them as lawful At-Tayyibat (i.e. all good and lawful things), and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khaba'ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful things), he releases them from their heavy burdens and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them. (7:157)

When the Ayat mention Resurrection and the horrors that will occur on that Day, and Paradise and the Fire and the joys and safe refuge that Allah prepared for His loyal friends, or torment and Hell for His enemies, these Ayat contain glad tidings or warnings. The Ayat then call to perform good deeds and avoid evil deeds, making the life of this world less favorable and the Hereafter more favorable. They also establish the correct methods and guide to Allah's straight path and just legislation, all the while ridding the hearts of the evil of the cursed devil.

The Qur'an is the Greatest Miracle given to the Prophet

The Two Sahihs record that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,

Every Prophet was given a miracle, the type of which brings mankind to faith. What I was given is a revelation that Allah sent down to me. Yet, I hope that I will have the most following on the Day of Resurrection.

This is the wording narrated by Muslim.

The Prophet stated that among the Prophets he was given a revelation, meaning, he was especially entrusted with the miraculous Qur'an that challenged mankind to produce something similar to it. As for the rest of the divinely revealed Books, they were not miraculous according to many scholars. Allah knows best.

The Prophet was also aided with innumerable signs and indications that testify to the truth of his Prophethood and what he was sent with, all thanks and praise is due to Allah.

Meaning of `Stones

Allah said,

Then fear the Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers.

`Fuel' is wood or similar substances, used to start and feed a fire.

Similarly, Allah said, And as for the Qasitun (disbelievers who deviated from the right path), they shall be firewood for Hell. (72:15)

and,

Certainly you (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! (Surely) you enter it. Had these (idols) been alihah (gods), they would not have entered there (Hell), and all of them will abide therein. (21:98-99)

The stones mentioned here are the giant, rotten, black, sulfuric stones that become the hottest when heated, may Allah save us from this evil end.

It was also reported that the stones mentioned here are the idols and rivals that were worshipped instead of Allah, just as Allah said,

Certainly you (disbelievers) and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell! (21:28)

Allah's statement, (prepared for the disbelievers), It appears most obvious that it refers to the Fire that is fueled by men and stones, and it also may refer to the stones themselves. There is no contradiction between these two views, because they are dependent upon each other.

`Prepared' means, it is `kept' and will surely touch those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger.

Ibn Ishaq narrated that Muhammad said that Ikrimah or Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn Abbas said, (prepared for the disbelievers), "For those who embrace the disbelief that you (disbelievers) have embraced.''

Jahannam (Hellfire) exists now

Many of the Imams of the Sunnah used this Ayah to prove that the Fire exists now. This is because Allah said, (prepared) meaning, prepared and kept.

There are many Hadiths on this subject. For instance, the Prophet said, Paradise and the Fire had an argument..

Also, the Prophet said,

The Fire sought the permission of her Lord. She said, 'O my Lord! Some parts of me consumed the other parts.'

And Allah allowed her two periods to exhale, one in winter and one in summer.

Also, there is a Hadith recorded from Ibn Mas`ud that the Companions heard the sound of a falling object. When they asked about it, the Messenger of Allah said, This is a stone that was thrown from the top of Jahannam seventy years ago, but only now reached its bottom.

This Hadith is in Sahih Muslim.

There are many Hadiths that are Mutawatir (narrated by many different chains of narrations) on this subject, such as the Hadiths about the eclipse prayer, the night of Isra etc.

Allah's statements, (Then produce a Surah of the like thereof) (2:23), and, (A Surah like it) (10:38), this includes the short and long Surahs of the Qur'an.

Therefore, the challenge to creation stands with regards to both the long and short Surahs, and there is no disagreement that I know of on this fact between the scholars of old and new.

Before he became Muslim, Amr bin Al-`As met Musaylimah the Liar who asked him, "What has recently been revealed to your fellow (meaning Muhammad) in Makkah?''

Amr said, "A short, yet eloquent Surah.''

He asked, "What is it?''

He said, By Al-`Asr (the time). Verily, man is in loss, (103:1-2)

Musaylimah thought for a while and said, "A similar Surah was also revealed to me.''

Amr asked, "What is it?''

He said, "O Wabr, O Wabr (i.e. a wild cat), you are but two ears and a chest, and the rest of you is unworthy and thin.''

Amr said, "By Allah! You know that I know that you are lying.''

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opalescentegg · 7 years

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I’m Easter-drunk and I wanna talk about medieval marriage conventions.

(Because no one saw that drunk history reblog and decided to ask me, “Hey, Opal, what are your views on the weirder parts of medieval marriage?” I’ll try not to misspell too many things---no promises. SO! Medieval marriage. Just how fucked up was it?? Very fucked up, of course. But for the purposes of this....discussion, I’ll be focusing primarily on the conventions found in medieval England. Why England? Well, for starters, it has an incredible history of legal documentation. Seriously, the legal courts (from local shire courts all the way up to the royal courts) recorded damn near everything, and for the longest time too! I know that many medieval kingdoms saw themselves as the stewards of the Roman legal (and sometimes cultural) tradition, but in medieval England that anctually worked out okay (if you allow the inclusion of the Anglo-Saxon wittan, which eventually became the modern jury, but I’m getting ahead of myself). Also, England was the only place where FEUDALISM ACTUALLY WORKED. Seriously! Everywhere else it was given plenty of lip-service but, well---in France you ended up with a few centuries of “local” counts that held more power than the fucking king; then there was the Holy Roman Empire (famously not holy, not Roman, and not and Empire, to paraphrase both Voltaire and one of my favorite university professors---it was also, generally speaking, a hot mess, even on a good day); and Spain (seven fucking centuries of Reconquista does not a stable feudal society make, so sorry); and Italy.....look, the city-states are awesome, but are also about as un-feudal as it gets, so they basically don’t count for anything outside of their economic, and occasionally Crusade-oriented, bubble. Alright, to be fair, most of that last bit had nothing to do with anything----I just really needed to get some of that off my chest. But the documentation thing is actually germane to this topic. First and foremost is the fact that the “terms” of marriage were pretty sketchy for a long, long, long time. One particular complaint that crops up again and again in English shire court rolls has to do with just how married different parties in a couple saw themselves. A lot of this had to do with the language of marriage vows, as well as how marriages were “performed” back before the.....oh, let’s say thirteenth century. For a long while, marriages were considered legitimate if both parties spoke some church-approved vows to one another, and did so with full sincerity and fear of God, etc., etc. The problem there was that which words were church-approved was not always clear. Oh, sure, someone might have the general gist of them, but not the particulars---and since most of the peasantry during the Middle Ages was illiterate, it’s not like they could just write it down for later. Also, the “approved” words tended to change when new popes, bishops, etc. were elected, and it often took a while for information about changes to vow templates (among other things) to trickle down. There was also a more pragmatic element to all of this. Namely, although churchmen certainly hoped that young lovers would seek out a church for the legitimization of their union, they were more than aware of the fact that some people either did not have that option (the nearest church being, perhaps, too far away) or would find themselves too swept up in passion to seek out the nearest house of God. That’s part of why the church-approved vows existed in the first place---the idea was that, in the absence of either the clergy or community witnesses of good standing, a couple could still make a vow before God and therefore legitimize a marriage (though it always helped if they sought out a priest afterwards, to really legitimize it; but, especially in the early Middle Ages, that wasn’t strictly necessary). This is where is gets weird. Also rape-y. So...consider yourself warned, I guess. First of all: THOSE VOWS. There was a lot of confusion regarding vows (part of why the church started insisting that all marriages take place inside a church, with clergy present---less easy to fuck it all up that way). It wasn’t unusual for a man to sort of half-vow to stay with a woman, then for them to consummate the relationship, then for the man to insist that they were not actually married while the woman (citing what she thought was a true vow) insisted they were. Interestingly, this could be brought before the court as a case of rape, seeing as how complete, explicit consent in a sexual act was not necessarily given by both parties----and, believe it or not, the medieval church was DEEPLY concerned with consent; despite any and all social and economic disparities, a marriage was supposed to be (ideally) a union between two equal souls, and that equality meant that both parties had to agree to said union by their own free will, lest they commit the grave sin of bearing false witness before God Himself (not to say that the parties could not be cajoled, coerced, or threatened into “consent” beforehand, only that no one could actually be dragged to the altar, wailing and weeping, without any clergyman worth his salt immediately declaring the pending union void due to lack of consent---no matter what Hollywood might show you.) The point is that the woman (or, occasionally, the man, because that did happen too) could sue for marriage. This was somewhat more of a concern for women, as it concerned their “virginity” or “virtue.” If a woman had been married and was widowed, chances were that she inherited some property from her late husband, and so could levy that on Ye Olde Marriage Market. The prospects for completely unmarried girls and women were more tenuous. Look. For this next part, you need to STOP THINKING LIKE A MODERN PERSON. It sucks, I know, but you must understand how medieval people thought. The short version is that: virginity was an economic commodity. That’s how both men and women thought of it. So, if a peasant girl with little in the way of a dowry, and who had never been married before (and therefore had no inheritance from a deceased husband) was looking to marry, her “virginity” was the best bargaining chip she had. Therefore, if some strapping beau had made what SHE considered vows of marriage before fucking her into the heath, she’d likely feel quite justified in dragging him to the local shire court and suing for marriage----because he had unambiguously “compromised her virtue,” and done so under false pretenses: grounds for a rape accusation, if ever there was one. And, oh, sweet children, it gets worse. I have seen comments on this here Tumblr claiming that medieval women who were victims of rape would be forced to marry their rapists. This is.......not untrue. I cannot and will not say that such things did not happen (especially if a child resulted of that forced coupling; depending on whose medical treatises you read, conception was sometimes viewed as occurring only if both parties involved had orgasms, the idea being that women released an “essence” at the moment of climax the same way men did----the upshot is that a few learned men, I hope, at least tried to make sex actually pleasurable for their wives; the downside is that pregnancy via rape could be cited as “evidence” that a female victim “””enjoyed,””” and was complicit in, her own assault.) However. Things get.....interesting, if not a little uncomfortable, when the situation is turned on its head. You see, women did marry their rapists. But some of them did it willingly----hell, some of them did it forcefully. This is where the “virginity” thing really comes into play. Because if a girl or woman who had successfully “defended her chastity” for all her life suddenly found herself on the receiving end of a sexual assault-----well, it wasn’t unusual for her to drag her attacker before the court and sue for marriage. But why the fuck would she want to????? I get it, trust me. Still, you must remember what I said about virginity earlier. For a peasant girl, her “virginity” was her only bargaining chip in the marriage market; a rape meant that bargaining chip was gone; sometimes things could be smoothed over by a hefty payment of money and/or livestock to the girl’s father/male guardian to “make up” for the loss of virtue and (by extension) family honor, but this was of course not always possible; and so the only way to maintain honor (and, therefore, economic security, and even economic viability in the marriage market, should her husband pass away) was to marry the rapist. Oh, and DON’T THINK for even a SECOND that there weren’t ladies literally hauling their assaulters into the courtroom and, basically, telling them to LIE IN THE BED THEY FUCKING MADE. Look. Just. NEVER think that medieval women, even the poorest and least of the lot, didn’t have power. It was a fucking shitty kind of power, but damn if they didn’t exploit it wherever they could. Case in point: when a rapist wasn’t really a rapist. Soooo, now you’ve heard of medieval women suing her rapist for marriage in order to preserve her social and economic standing! Well, guess what? Sometimes both of them faked it~!! Yeah.....this is where it gets super fucked up. Because sometimes a girl loved a boy. But her father didn’t like that boy, probably for economic reasons, and forbade her from consenting to marry him (because the father was aware of those prickly couples-only church vows, etc, etc.) So how’s a girl to get around this predicament? Why, by being “carried off” ( “rape” coming from an older word meaning “forceful seizure”) by some man (the lover) and his cohorts (his friends, there to watch his back and basically make sure no one comes to kill him after witnessing his “abduction” of the maiden, if anyone witnessed it at all). Then they spend a few days hanging out in the woods before the daughter comes home to her father and says something to the effect of: “Oh, wow, yeah, so this guy, he just grabs me right out of the fields and carries me off the the woods, while I’m kicking and screaming of course, and forces himself on me right there, totally against my will, but the good news is that he’s completely willing to marry me to like make amends or whatever, and oh by the way it just happens to be that guy I’m really into but that you totally hate, what’s a girl to do ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ” BUT. Because the woman could call it a rape, and even be backed up by witnesses (the lover’s friends----I know it seems weird, but in the Middle Ages witnesses (fuck, personal references) were basically the only currency outside of the gold florin that mattered worth a damn), she could “sue” for marriage, and end up marrying the man she’d wanted all along, no doubt to the consternation of her father. ................Yeah, the Middle Ages were pretty fucked up.

#history #what can i say i'm a chatty drunk #here's your latest unwanted essay #i should be a college student for life is all i'm saying

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