- Quran Juz 16 – Qaala Alam
Summary
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• The 15th Juz ended with the dialogue between Sayyiduna Musa and Sayyiduna Khidr (alaihuma assalam)
• Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) once gave a speech, the words of which touched his people greatly.
• Someone from the assembly of listeners asked Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) as to who the biggest scholar then was on the face of earth. Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) responded that he was.
• Though Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) is highly regarded in the Court of Allah, he was asked to travel toward the then greatest person of knowledge, Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.).
• So Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) set off with one of his young companions Yusha bin Noon in search of Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.), to learn from him divine secrets.
• On their way, Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) asked Yusha for food, when they were tired of traveling.
• Yusha said that the fish which they had kept as their tiffin came back to life where the two seas met, and swam into the water, and Shaytan made him forget to report about it.
• Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) said that it was their very destination to meet Khidr. So, they walked back to the place. And Allah says that they were able to spot His chosen servant (Sayyiduna Khidhr), to whom Allah had given Ilm Ladunni (divinely inspired knowledge).
• The famous Arab Tafseer by Ibn Kathir called this knowledge as Ilm Ghaib.
• When they met, Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) sought the special knowledge from Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.), but the latter said that it is beyond his endurance to acquire it, and that Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) wouldn’t remain patient during the process of its acquisition. Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) remained insistent.
• Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.) then asked Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) to remain patient during the process, and not to question anything on what he did. Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) promised. Then they set off.
• They boarded a ship; Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.) made a hole on the ship. Unable to remember his promise, Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) questioned Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.) about this act. Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.) recollected his words when he said that Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) wouldn’t be able to remain patient. Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) asked him not to take his questioning into account. They moved on.
• They went on until they saw a boy. Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.) killed him. Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) said instantly: “Have you killed a harmless soul?” Sayyiduna Khidr again said that he already told he wouldn’t be able to be patient on his actions. But again Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) asked him not to take his questioning into account.
• They moved on, until they reached a place where both asked for food from the locals, but the people refused to offer them their hospitality. Sayyiduna Musa and Sayyiduna Khidr (alaihuma assalam) then found a wall there which was on the verge of falling. Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.) repaired it, to which Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) said that he could take his wages from those people for his work.
• Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.) said it is the time for them to part (as Sayyiduna Musa alaihissalam objected again for the third time). But before that, Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.) said he would tell him the wisdom behind all of these three acts of his.
1. Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.) made the boat defective as there was an oppressor king nearby who used to snatch away the boats. However, the boater who gave them a ride was completely dependent on the vessel to earn his living. Since it was made defective, the men of the oppressor king wouldn’t seize it. The boater’s ship remained with him.
2. The parents of the murdered boy were pious. But he was to become a disbeliever, and a possessor of an evil character, which would pain his parents a lot. Thus he was killed and Allah would grant them a better substitute in the form of another child.
3. The wall was repaired by Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.) because there was a pious man living in that place. He was about to pass away. So he buried a treasure and built a wall on top of it so that when the his children grew up, they could figure it out by themselves.
• None of the above-mentioned acts were performed by Sayyiduna Khidr (a.s.) by himself, but on the Commands of Allah.
• There’s a learning in the above-mentioned incidents. In our daily lives, we see young people or even children pass away, others suffer huge losses in their businesses, few meet with accidents, while a few get entangled in a problem or a disease. But definitely there remains hidden wisdom of Allah behind all of these incidents we observe, which we may or may not comprehend. There is a great difference between the world that is visible to us and the one which is invisible.
• These incidents also negate the theory of materialism which confines the world to mere matter. Unfortunately, today the world confines science to materialism. But there are sciences and aspects beyond what we can see.
• Verses 83 onward talk about Dhulqarnain, who was gifted with material & spiritual powers. His victories spread from east to west.
• During his conquests, he came across a nation which was often troubled by barbaric and savage people who the Quran called Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog).
• Dhulqarnain built an iron wall and saved the troubled nation against Yajuj and Majuj.
• One of the signs of Qiyamah is that Yajuj and Majuj will bring down this wall and fight amongst each other. In other hadiths, it is said that they will die due to natural calamities while fighting against Sayyiduna Isa (Jesus – alaihissalam).
• Dhulqarnain used to believe in Allah despite his excessive wealth, tremendous victories, and vast governance.
• At the end of the chapter, it is advised to the believers, who wish to meet their Lord in the hereafter, not to the ones who are materialistic, to do good and not to ascribe any partner to Allah.
• Surah Maryam: Apart from Tawheed, messengership, resurrection, accountability (on the day of judgement), this chapter mentions many prophets, in particular Sayyidah Maryam and Sayyiduna Isa (alaihimussalam).
• The chapter starts with the heartfelt prayer of Sayyiduna Zakariyya (alaihissalam), who had become very old. His wife too had become old; she was infertile. Yet, Sayyiduna Zakariyya (a.s.) raised his hands and prayed to Allah for being granted a son. Allah accepted his prayer, and he received the glad tidings of a son named Yahya.
• Allah granted prophethood to Sayyiduna Yahya (alaihissalam) right during his childhood, and then revealed upon him a divine book. He was pious and was exemplarily good to his parents.
• Then the Holy Quran talks about the miraculous birth of Sayyiduna Isa (Jesus Christ - peace be upon him).
• He was born without a father, and his mother Sayyidah Maryam (alaihs assalam) was a virgin.
• It so happened that once Sayyidah Maryam (a.s.) saw someone in front of her who gave her the glad tiding of a son.
• Sayyidah Maryam (a.s.) wondered how she can bear a child when she was not married, and that she wasn’t even an unchaste woman.
• The giver of the glad tiding revealed that it was an angel, and that it is not impossible for Allah to grant her a son without a male intervention.
• Therefore, Sayyidah Maryam (a.s.) conceived, but when she got labor pains, she became anxious as to how she would be able to convince people about her chastity. At that time she was resting on the branch of a dry palm tree. An angel appeared and told her to relax by looking at the beautiful face of her son, and if someone questioned her about him, she should route their question to the infant.
• Therefore, when she reached her neighborhood, people objected strongly.
• They all told Sayyidah Maryam (a.s.) that her father and her mother were pious, so how come she could do what she’d done.
• The infant Sayyiduna Isa (a.s.) then spoke out miraculously to defend his mother’s chastity. He said: “I am the slave of Allah” – which is the truth and the belief of the Muslims. The Christians call him the son of God, and the Jews call him the son of adultery (Astaghfirullah).
• After the mention of this incident, the Holy Quran talks about Sayyiduna Ibraheem’s (a.s.) dialogue with his polytheistic father Aazar (many Mufassireen [commentators of the Quran] said he was Sayyiduna Ibraheem’s uncle]. The subsequent verses also show the great character and morality Sayyiduna Ibraheem (a.s.) possessed.
• From verse 51 the Quran talks about various prophets including Sayyiduna Musa, Sayyiduna Haroon, Sayyiduna Ismail, Sayyiduna Idrees (alaihimussalam). It also mentions about the inheritors of these prophets who followed their wishful desires, abandoned Salah (prayers), and invited trouble for themselves.
• The end of the chapter talks about resurrection as a fact, whereas the ascription of a son to Allah is strongly condemned.
• Surah Taha: This chapter mentions Sayyiduna Musa’s and Sayyiduna Adam’s (alaihimussalam) stories in detail.
• Taha is one of the names of Prophet Muhammed ﷺ. Allah consoled our holy prophet ﷺ and advised him not to involve himself in extreme affliction and pain by constantly standing in prayers at nights. Allah told our beloved ﷺ that He did not reveal the Quran for him to take trouble for himself. (SubhanAllah!)
• Sayyiduna Musa’s (a.s.) story begins from verse 10. These verses talk about the time when he received prophethood and messengership. He was also ordered by Allah to bring people toward Tawheed and to exhort Bani Israel toward prayers. He was also granted the miracles of changing his staff to a serpent, and the enlightening of his hand.
• Verses 25 to 28 are the famous prayer words of Sayyiduna Musa (a.s.) which Muslims still use today.
• The remaining verses talk about Sayyiduna Musa and Sayyiduna Adam (alaihissalam).
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