Appearance
Verses 125–129
وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَنْ طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ ١٢٥ وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُمْ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۖ قَالَ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ النَّارِ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ ١٢٦ وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ١٢٧ رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُسْلِمَةً لَكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ ١٢٨ رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ١٢٩
- And [remember] when We made the House a rendezvous for men and a [place of] security, and take [for yourselves] a place of prayer on the standing-place of Abraham. And We enjoined Abraham and Ishmael [saying]: Purify [you two] My House for those who make circuit and those who abide [in it for devotion] and those who bow down [and] those who prostrate themselves.
- And [remember] when Abraham said. My Lord! make it a secure town and provide its people with fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and the last day He said: And whoever disbelieves, I will grant him enjoyment for a short while, then I will drive him to the chastisement of the Fire; and it is an evil destination.
- And [remember] when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House: Our Lord! accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing.
- Our Lord! and make us both submissive to Thee and [raise] from our offspring a group submitting to Thee, and show us our ways of devotion and turn to us [mercifully], surely Thou art the Oft-returning [with mercy], the Merciful.
- Our Lord! and raise up in them a messenger from among themselves who shall recite to them Thy communications and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them; surely Thou art the Mighty, the Wise.
Commentary
َإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَنْ طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ ١٢٥
(2:125) And [remember] when We made the House a rendezvous (al-Mathābah) for men and a [place of] security and take [for yourselves] a place of prayer on the standing-place of Abraham. And We enjoined Abraham and Ishmael [saying]: Purify [you two] My House for those who make circuit and those who abide [in it for devotion] and those who bow down [and] those who prostrate themselves.
It refers to the legislation of the ḥajj and the sanctuary offered by the House. al-Mathābah (rendezvous; a place to which one returns) is derived from thāba, yathūbu (he returned, he will return).
… and take [for yourselves] a place of prayer on the standing-place of Abraham: The conjunctive “and” joins this order with the preceding sentence turning that also into order.
In that case the complete sentence would have the following connotation: And when We told the people, return to, and do the ḥajj of the House and take (for yourself) a place of prayer … Other alternative, suggested by some exegetes, is to imply a deleted word “We said.” Accordingly, the meaning would be: and We said, take (for yourselves) a place of prayer …
al-Muṣallā is deverbal noun of place, derived from al-ṣalāh (to pray, to invoke); the sentence means: take (for yourselves) a place of prayer and invocation at the place where Abraham had stood.
Apparently, the preceding sentence is a sort of introduction, pointing to the reason why prayer in that place was prescribed; that is why this sentence does not put emphasis on “prayer”—in other words, it does not say, and pray in the standing-place of Abraham; it literally says, and take on the standing-place of Abraham a place of prayer.
And We enjoined Abraham and Ishmael [saying]: Purify [you two] My House: al-ʿAhd (to enjoin, to obligate). The order to purify the House may mean to keep it exclusively reserved for the worship by those who go around it making circuits, those who abide in it for devotion, and those who pray in it. In this sense, it would be an istiʿārah bi al-kināya, and would imply: keep My House exclusively reserved for My worship. Alternatively, the order may be to keep it clean; to be on guard lest it is dirtied by careless people.
al-Rukkaʿ and al-sujūd are plurals of al-rakiʿ (one who bows down) and al-sājid (one who prostrates, one who does sajdah) respectively, the phrase refers to those who pray.
وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُمْ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۖ قَالَ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَأُمَتِّعُهُ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ أَضْطَرُّهُ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ النَّارِ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ ١٢٦
(2:126) And [remember] when Abraham said. My Lord! make it a secure town and provide its people with fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and the last day. He said: And whoever disbelieves, I will grant him enjoyment for a short while, then I will drive him to the chastisement of the Fire; and it is an evil destination.
In this way Abraham called on his Lord to bestow security and safety as well as sustenance on the residents of Mecca; and the prayer was granted. Far be it from God to quote in His speech an unaccepted prayer without hinting at its rejection; if He were to do so, His talk would amount to a vain ridicule—far beneath the sublime dignity of His truthful speech. He says: … and the truth do I speak (); Most surely it is a decisive word, and it is no a jest ().
The Qur’an has quoted numerous prayers which this great Prophet had pleaded before his Lord; for example, his prayer for himself in the beginning of his life; his prayer at the time of his emigration to Syria; his invocation to keep his good name alive; his prayer for himself, for his progeny and parents, and for the believing men and women; his invocation, after building the House, for the residents of Mecca; his prayer and pleading for a prophet to be sent from among his progeny. His prayers and the favors he asked from God are a canvas which graphically shows his hopes and expectations, creates before our eyes a clear picture of his endeavors and efforts in the way of God, and provides a glimpse of his sublime spiritual virtues. In short, these prayers show his status before God and his nearness to Him. One may write a detailed history of his life, basing it on his stories and the laudatory phrases used for him in the Qur’an; and we shall write something on these lines in Chapter 6 (The Cattle).
… such of them as believe: Abraham asked his Lord to give the residents of Mecca security and provide them with fruits. At the same time he realized that not all of the residents would be believers, that some of them would be unbelievers; also he understood that his prayer for their sustenance was general—it covered the believers as well as the unbelievers; and he was aware that he had already declared himself to be separate from the unbelievers and their idols (as God says about him: but when it became clear to him that he, that is, his father, was an enemy of Allah, he declared himself to be clear of him []. Here God bears witness that Abraham had declared his separation from every enemy of God, not excepting even his father). In this background, as soon as he realized that his prayer included both the believers and the unbelievers, he added the proviso, such of them as believe …,” although he was well aware that, according to the social structure of this world, sustenance could not be given only to the believing group, to the exclusion of the unbelievers; yet he qualified his prayer. Even so, God knows better how He should decide about His creatures and what He should decree concerning them. Therefore, Abraham’s prayer was granted for the believers, and was extended to cover the unbelievers also. The reply given to Abraham implies that God would give them sustenance according to the system He has created in this world; in other words, believers and unbelievers both would be given their livelihood, because restricting it to the believers would entail unnecessarily breaking the usual and established system.
Abraham could have said: and provide the believers of this town with fruits; but he did not, because what he wanted to ask was an attraction, a dignity, for the town which would be centred around the Sacred House of God. That House was built in a valley devoid of every agricultural (1st produce; and if it were not provided with fruits and food-stuff, nobody would settle in it, and the place would remain uninhabited.
And whoever disbelieves, I will grant him enjoyment for a short while: The word translated, “I will grant him enjoyment,” has been read umtiʾuhū and umattiʿuhū from the verbal noun’s paradigms al-ifʿāl and al-taf-ʿīl respectively. Meaning of both readings is the same.
… then I will drive him to the chastisement …: It further shows the great dignity of the House and is meant to give even more pleasure to Abraham. The import of the verse is as follows: I have granted your prayer (to increase this House’s honor by giving sustenance to its believing residents) and have decided to include even the unbelievers in that livelihood; but the unbelievers should not be deluded by that; they should not think that the sustenance comes to them because they have got any honor in the eyes of God; it is actually in honor of this town, because I have accepted your prayer and given you more than you had asked. As for the unbeliever, I will surely drive him to the chastisement of the Fire and it is an evil destination.
وَإِذْ يَرْفَعُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْقَوَاعِدَ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ١٢٧
(2:127) And [remember] when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House: Our Lord! accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing.
al-Qawāʿid is plural of al-gaʿidah which literally means that part of building which “sits” in the earth’; hence it has been translated as foundation, upon which the rest of the building is raised. “Raising the foundations” is an allegorical expression, it counts the walls (which were raised upon foundations) as a part of the foundation; another allegorical aspect is to ascribe the rise to the foundations alone without mentioning the walls, although it were the walls which were raised. The words “of the House,” point to the intended allegory.
Our Lord! accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing: The prayer comes direct from Abraham and Ishmael, without any introductory clause like “They said” or “They prayed”; such a clause is not even implied here. When we read the words, “when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House,” the scene is flashed before our eyes; it is as though we see them busy building the walls, and then we dramatically hear their voices and their prayer directly from them—there is no need of any intermediary to report to us what they said or did. Such dramatic presentation is often used in the Qur’an, and it is among its most beautiful styles—and all its styles are beautiful. It presents the story in the most effective way, bringing it within the purview of our senses. It is a style which surpasses all manners of narration and reporting.
Abraham and Ishmael did not mention the thing or action which they prayed to God to accept, that is, they did not say, accept from us this construction of Thy House. It shows their humbleness and humility before their Lord; they thought that it was a very insignificant work on their part and was not worthy of their Lord. This omission of the object has given the following connotation to their prayer: Our Lord! accept from us this insignificant deed, although it is not worthy of Thy name; surely Thou art hearing our prayers, knowing our intentions.
رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُسْلِمَةً لَكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ ١٢٨
(2:128) Our Lord! and make us both submissive to Thee and [raise] from our offspring a group submitting to Thee, and show us our ways of devotion and turn to us [mercifully], surely Thou art the Oft-returning [with mercy], the Merciful.
The words translated here as submissive and submitting are muslim and its feminine muslimah, respectively. Obviously, the definition of islām (submission), with which we are familiar, and which comes to our minds as soon as we hear the word, islām, is just the elementary grade of servitude; it distinguishes a professed convert from the one who openly rejects the faith. This elementary islām means professing the matters of faith and doing necessary deeds, no matter whether it is done with true belief or hypocritically. Now, Abraham was a prophet, a messenger and one of the five uluʾ al-ʿazm messengers, who gave us the upright faith. It is unthinkable that such a great Prophet had not attained, at the time when he was praying, this most elementary grade of islām. Likewise, his son, Ishmael, was a messenger of God and had been offered as sacrifice in His way. Can it be said that they had got that much islām but were unaware of it? Or that, although they were aware of having attained to that islām but wanted to continue on it? Just look at the context of the prayer: Those who prayed were so near to God; they were praying while building His Sacred House; they knew whom they were praying to, and who He was and how great His splendor is. Could they, in that position, ask for such a trivial grade from the Lord Almighty? Moreover, this grade of islām is among those things which are within the power of man himself; and that is why man can be ordered to accept it; as God says: When his Lord said to him: Be a Muslim, he said: I submit myself to the Lord of the worlds (). Obviously, such a quality or action cannot be attributed to God; likewise, it is meaningless to ask from God to do a work which has been placed within the power of the man himself. (Of course, it may be done if there is some special condition which makes Divine interference justifiable.)
Therefore, the islām they had asked for was not that islām whose definition we are familiar with. Islām has many grades, as may be see in the verse quoted above: When his Lord said to him (that is, Abraham): Be a Muslim, he said: I submit myself to the Lord of the worlds (). Abraham was ordered to be a Muslim at a time when he was already a Muslim. Clearly, the islām which he was told to attain was other than the islām he had already attained. There are many such examples in the Qur’an.
This sublime grade of islām—which we shall explain in detail later on—means total servitude, unconditional surrender of all a servant has got to his Master. No doubt it is within a man’s power to prepare the conditions facilitating its attainment. Yet, when we look at an average man and the usual condition of his heart and mind, such a high standard seems beyond his power to attain. In other words, it is not possible for him—in the conditions surrounding him—to get to that sublime islām. From this point of view, that islām is not different from other positions of al-wilāyah (guardianship) and its lofty stages, or from other grades of perfection—all of them are beyond the reach of an average man, because he cannot fulfil their necessary conditions. In this sense, it is possible to count that islām as a Divine gift which is beyond a man’s power to attain by himself. Consequently, it is perfectly right for a man to pray to God to bestow on him that sublime quality and make him a Muslim of that high rank.
Moreover, there is another deeper connotations: It is only actions which are attributed to man and emanate from his free will and power; as for his attributes and deep-rooted traits (which are etched on his psyche by repeated actions), they are in fact beyond his power. Therefore, they may be—or let us say, should be—attributed to God, especially if they are good and virtuous attributes which should better be attributed to God rather than to man. This observation is based on the style used in the Qur’an. For example:
My Lord! make me keep up prayer, and from my off-spring [too] (); … and join me with the good ones (); My Lord! grant me that I should be grateful for Thy bounty which Thou has bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I should do good such as Thou art pleased with, and make me enter, by Thy mercy, into Thy servants, the good ones (); Our Lord! and make us both submissive to Thee and [raise] from our offspring a group submitting to Thee ().
It is now clear that the islām which Abraham and Ishmael had asked for was something different from the islām to which the verse refers: The dwellers of the desert say: We believe. Say: You do not believe but say: We submit (we accept islām); and faith has not yet entered into your hearts.
The islām they prayed for was of a high rank and sublime grade which we shall explain later on.
… and show us our ways of devotion and turn to us [mercifully], surely Thou art the Oft-returning [with mercy], the Merciful: This also points to the sublime meaning of islām, just referred to al-manāsik (translated here as ways of devotion) is plural of al-mansak which means “worship” or “act of worship,” as God says: And to every nation We appointed [acts of] worship … (). It is a maṣdar used as the first construct of a genitive case. We have explained earlier that a maṣdar used in this way proves the existence of that work or action. Therefore, the phrase, “our ways of devotion,” refers to those acts of worship which they were doing or had already done; it does not refer to any action which they intended to do in future. In this context, the phrase “show us” does not mean “teach us” or “help us to do”; rather it means “strengthen us by showing us the realities of our acts of worship,” as we pointed out earlier while writing the verse: and We revealed to them the doing of good [deeds] and the establishing of prayer and the giving of zakāt (). And later on we shall explain that the revelation mentioned in this verse means to strengthen the doer of that deed; it does not mean teaching them their responsibilities and obligations. Probably, it is to this reality that the verses refer: And remember Our servants, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, men of strength and insight. Surely We purified them by a pure quality, the remembering of the [final] abode.
The above explanation makes it clear that this prayer was for an islām and an insight into worship completely different from ordinary meanings of these terms. The same is the case with their prayer, tub ʿalaynā (usually translated as, forgive us).
Abraham and Ishmael both were prophets, protected by God from every error and sin; they could not make any mistake or error; they did not need God’s forgiveness and pardon as we do when we commit sins, (that is why we have translated it in a literal way: turn to us mercifully).
Question: It is all right to interpret islām, showing the ways of devotion and forgiveness in the way you have done maintaining the dignity of Abraham and Ishmael (peace be on them both). But it is not necessary to apply the same meanings when these words are used for their offspring. Abraham did not include his offspring with himself and Ishmael, except in the prayer for islām, and that also in a separate sentence. They did not say: Make us and a group of our offspring submissive to Thee; instead they prayed for themselves, and after that separately pleaded for their offspring, saying, and [raise] from our offspring a group submitting to Thee. There should be no difficulty in believing that what they had in mind was islām in its general meaning covering all its ranks and grades—even the most elementary one. Even this elementary grade of islām gives good results and is instrumental in creating good environment in the society. It would not be wrong if Abraham asked his Lord for this islām; even the Prophet invited people to just that type of islām—if they testified that there was none to be worshipped except God and Muḥammad was His Messenger, they were accepted as Muslims, their lives were protected, marriage with them was allowed and they became entitled to inherit from their Muslim relatives. Therefore, it should be perfectly right to say that the two sentences refer to two separate ranks of islām: Our Lord! and make us both submissive to Thee, would mean the highest rank of islām in conformity with the prestige of Abraham and Ishmael; and [raise] from our offspring a group submitting to Thee, would refer to the elementary grade of islām befitting a nation which included hypocrites and people of weak faith as well as those with firm belief—and all are called Muslims.
Reply: Position of legislation for the guidance of people is totally different from the position of praying to God, and each has its own rules; what is valid on one plane is not necessarily good on the other. The Prophet prescribed a minimum standard for his ummah, that is, to utter the two testimonies of the Oneness of God, and his own prophethood; it was done with a view to widen the circle of islām and to protect the healthy religious system—that manifest islām protected the essence of islām as a shell protects the kernel.
But the plane of invocation and prayer to God is much higher than that. At this level, appearances loose their value; it is the reality that matters here; the objective here is actuality and truth, and the desire is for nearness to God. At this level, the prophets are not influenced by appearance. It was not because of any worldly love of his offspring that Abraham prayed for his progeny. Had it been so, he would have prayed first of all for his father and would not have declared his separation from him as soon as he came to know that he was an enemy of God. Also, if he would have been concerned with appearances, he would not have prayed in the following words: And disgrace me not on the day when they are raised, the day on which neither property will avail, nor sons, except him who comes to Allah with a heart submissive (); nor would have he said: And make for me a truthful tongue among the posterity (), instead he would have said, make for me a remembering tongue among the posterity.
Keeping all this in view, it is easy to understand that when he asked from his Lord to raise a Muslim group from among his offspring, he did not mean the elementary rank of islām; he wanted for them the reality of islām. The Qur’anic words, “a group submitting to Thee,” support this interpretation. If he wanted only the appearance of islām and not its essence, it was enough to say, “a group submitting,” there was no need to add, “to Thee.” (Ponder on this point.)
رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ١٢٩
(2:129) Our Lord! and raise up in them a messenger from among themselves who shall recite to them Thy communications and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them; surely Thou art the Mighty, the Wise.
He (that is, Abraham) was praying for the Prophet; and the Prophet used to say: “I am the prayer of Abraham.”
Examining Narrations
- al-Kattānī said: “I asked Abu Abdullah about a man who forgot to pray two rakʿahs near the standing-place of Abraham, in al-ṭawāf (circuit, circumambulation) of the ḥajj and ʿumrah. He said: ‘If he is still in the town (Mecca), he should pray the two rakʿahs near the standing-place of Abraham, because verily God says: and take [for yourselves] a place of prayer on the standing-place of Abraham; and if he has departed (from it) then I will not order him to return.’ ” (al-Kāfi)
Author’s comment: Almost similar traditions have been narrated by al-Shaykh in al-Tahdhīb and by al-ʿAyyāshī in his al-Tafsīr with several asnād (that is, chains of narrators). Particulars of this rule (that is, prayer should be offered near or behind the standing-place—as is narrated in some traditions that: “No one should pray the two rakʿahs of al-ṭawāf except behind the standing-place …”) are inferred from the word min (from; here translated as on) used in the order, and take … a place of prayer on (or, from) the standing-place …
- Imam al-Ṣādiq said explaining the words of God: Purify [you two] My House …: “Keep the polytheists away from it.” (al-Tafsīr, al-Qummi)
- Imam al-Ṣādiq said: “ Verily God, Mighty and Great is He! says in His Book: ‘Purify (you two) My House for those who make circuit and those who abide (in it for devotion) and those who bow down (and) those who prostrate themselves.’ Therefore, it is proper for a servant not to enter Mecca except that he is clean, (and) has washed away his sweat and dirt and has purified himself.”
Author’s comment: This meaning has been narrated in other traditions also. The idea, that if the place of arrival is clean then the one who arrives should make himself clean, may be inferred from other verses too. See, for example, the verse: and the good things are for good ones and the good ones are for good things ().
- Ibn ʿAbbās said: “When Abraham brought Ishmael and Hagar, he settled them at Mecca; and a time passed; and the people of (the tribe of) Jurhum came to settle there and Ishmael married a woman from that tribe; and Hagar died; and Abraham asked permission of Sārah (to visit Ishmael); so she allowed him but imposed a condition on him that he would not come down (from his riding animal). Thus Abraham arrived (at Mecca) and Hagar had died, so he went to the house of Ishmael; and he asked his wife: ‘Where is your husband?’ She told him: ‘He is not here, he has gone hunting.’ And Ishmael used to go outside al-Ḥaram (the boundary) to hunt and then return. Abraham said to her: ‘Do you have anything to entertain a guest?’ She said: ‘I have nothing and there is nobody with me.’ Then Abraham said to her: ‘When your husband comes, tell him (my) salām and tell him to change the threshold of his door.’ And Abraham went away. Then Ishmael came and felt the scent of his father. So he asked his wife: ‘Had anyone come to you?’ She said: ‘An old man had come to me with such and such features (describing him scornfully).’ (Ishmael) said: ‘Then what did he say to you?’ She said: ‘He said to me to give you (his) salām and to tell you to change the threshold of your door.’ So, Ishmael divorced her and married another (woman). Thereafter, Abraham remained (at his place) as long as God wished him to remain (there). Then he asked permission of Sārah to visit Ishmael; and she allowed him, but (again) imposed the (same) condition that he should not come down (from his riding animal). Then Abraham came until he reached the door of Ishmael. And he asked his wife: ‘Where is your husband?’ She said: ‘He has gone for hunting and, God willing, he will come back just now; you come down, may God have mercy upon you!’ He asked her: ‘Do you have anything to entertain a guest?’ She said: ‘Yes.’ Then she brought milk and meat. (Abraham) thereupon prayed and blessed her. Had she brought on that day bread, wheat, barley or date, (Mecca) would have become the most plentiful of all the world in wheat, barley or date. Then she said to him: ‘(Please) come down so that I may wash your head.’ But he did not come down. So she brought (the stone which thereafter was known as) the standing-place (of Abraham) and put it on his (right) side, and he put his foot on it, and his foot mark was impressed on it; (in this way) she washed the right side of his head; then she shifted the stone to his left side and washed the left side of his head, and (again) his foot mark was imprinted on it. Thereupon (Abraham) said to her: ‘When your husband comes, give him (my) salām and tell him that the threshold of his door is now in order.’ When Ismāʿīl came back, he felt the scent of his father, and asked his wife: ‘Had anyone come to you?’ She replied: ‘Yes, a venerable (old) man, of loveliest features and most pleasant fragrance; he said to me this and this and I told him this and this; and I washed his head and this is the imprint of his feet on (his) standing-place.’ (Hearing this), Ismāʿīl said to her: ‘That was Abraham.’ ”(Majmaʿ al-bayān)
Author’s comment: al-Qummi has narrated in his al-Tafsīr a nearly similar tradition.
- Imam al-Ṣādiq said: “Verily, Abraham settled in a valley of Syria. When he got his son Ishmael from Hagar, Sārah was extremely grieved because she herself had no child. And she used to hurt Abraham and make him unhappy with respect to Hagar. So Abraham complained to God about it, and God sent a revelation to him: ‘The likeness of woman is like the curved rib; if you leave it (as it is), you will benefit from it, but if you (try to) make it straight, you will break it.’ Thereafter, (God) ordered him to remove Ishmael and his mother (from that place). He said: ‘O Lord! to which place?’ (God) said: ‘To My holy place, and My sanctuary, and the part of the earth which I created first (of all the earth); and it is Mecca.’ Then God sent Gabriel down to him with al-Burāq; and (Gabriel) made Hagar, Ishmael and Abraham ride on it. And whenever Abraham passed a good place with trees, cultivation and date-palms, he used to say: ‘O Gabriel! here? here?’ And Gabriel used to reply: ‘No, go on, go on.’ (It continued) until they reached Mecca and (Gabriel) made them alight in the place where the House is.
And Abraham had given Sārah a promise that he would not come down until he came back to her. When they alighted in that place, there was a tree there; Hagar spread on that tree a sheet she had with her, and thus they found a shade under it. When Abraham arranged their affairs and settled them there, he wished to leave them to return to Sārah. Hagar said to him: ‘O Abraham! Are you leaving us in a place where there is neither human being to keep company nor water nor cultivation?’ Abraham said: ‘God, Who has ordered me to settle you in this place, will suffice you.’ Then he took leave of them. When he reached Kadaʾ (a mountain in Dhu Ṭuwā), Abraham turned around and said: O our Lord! surely I have settled a part of my offspring in a valley uncultivable near Thy Sacred House, our Lord!, that they may establish prayer; therefore make the hearts of some people yearn towards them and provide them with fruits, haply they may be grateful (). Then he went away, and Hagar remained (there). When the sun rose high, Ishmael became thirsty; Hagar stood at the running-place, and she ascended the Ṣafā, and mirage glittered before her in the valley and she thought that it was water; so she descended to the valley and ran (to it). When she reached Marwah, she could not see Ishmael, therefore, she returned until she reached Ṣafā and again she looked (around, with the same effect); until she did likewise seven times. When she was on Marwah, in the seventh round, she looked at Ishmael and lo! water had appeared from under his feet. She returned and gathered sand around the water—the water was flowing and she “reined” (Arabic: zammat) it with (the sand) which she put around it, and that is why it was called zamzam. And the (tribe of) Jurhum had come down at Dhu ʿl-majaz and Arafat. When water appeared at Mecca, the birds and wild animals gathered around it; the Jurhum saw this gathering of the birds and animals at that place and followed them until they found a woman and a child settled there—they were sitting in the shade of the tree and the water had appeared for them.
They said to Hagar: ‘Who are you? And what is the matter with you and this child?’ She said: ‘I am the mother of the son of Abraham, the friend of God, and this is his son; God has ordered him to settle us here.’ They asked her: ‘Would you allow us to remain near you?’ She told them: ‘Until Abraham comes.’ When Abraham came to visit them the third day, Hagar said: ‘O friend of God! there are some people of Jurhum here; they request you to allow them to settle near us; so will you allow them?’ Abraham said: ‘Yes.’ Then Hagar allowed them and they settled near them, and erected their tents. In this way Hagar and Ishmael got on friendly terms with them. When Abraham came to see them the second time, he looked at the large number of people around them, and he was extremely happy. When Ishmael grew up—and each one of the Jurhum had presented one or two goats to Ishmael—so Hagar and Ishmael supported themselves with them. When Ishmael came of age, God ordered Abraham to build the House … When God ordered Abraham to build the House, he did not know where to build it; so God sent Gabriel and he drew a line at the site of the House … So, Abraham built the House and shifted Ishmael from Dhū Ṭuwā. And he raised (the House) nine hands in height. Then (Gabriel) led him to the place of the (Black) Stone, and Abraham took it out and fixed it in the place where it is at present. When he built it, he made two doors for it, one in the east and the other in the west; and the door that was in the west is (now) called al-Mustajār. Then he put on it tree (trunks) and al-adhkhar (a sweet smelling grass) (as roof). And Hagar put on the door a sheet she had with her and under which they used to sit. When he built and completed it, Abraham and Ishmael performed their ḥajj. Gabriel came to them on the day of al-tarwiyah, that is, 8th Dhu ʿl-ḥijjah, and said: ‘O Abraham! stand up and quench your thirst from water’ (because there was no water in Minā or ʿArafāt); that is why it was named the day of al-tarwiyah (to quench thirst). Then (Gabriel) took him out to Mina and he stayed there in the night, and Gabriel did with Abraham what he had done with Adam. Thus, when Abraham completed the construction of the House, he said: ‘My Lord! make it a secure town and provide its people with fruits, such of them as believe in God … ’ ” The Imam explained the fruits as the fruits of the hearts, that is, make people love them, so that they may befriend them and return to them (year after year). (al-Tafsīr, al-Qummi)
Author’s comment: This is the gist of this story, and it covers many of the traditions narrated about this subject. Some other traditions say that there had happened many miraculous things in the history of the House. For example, some traditions say that the House in the very beginning was a dome of light; it had descended on Adam and settled in the place where in later days Abraham built the Kaʿbah; and that dome remained in the place till the deluge of Noah; when the earth was submerged in water, God took that dome up; and its site was not submerged, that is why the Kaʿbah is called the Ancient House.
Other traditions say that God sent the foundation of the House down from the Garden.
Yet others say that the Black Stone came down from the Garden—and it was whiter than snow—then it turned black when it was touched by the unbelievers.
- Also it is narrated from Imam al-Bāqir or al-Ṣādiq that he said: “Verily God ordered Abraham to build the Kaʿbah and to raise its walls and to show the people their ways of devotion (that is, ḥajj). Thereupon, Abraham and Ishmael built the House, every day (the height of) a knee until it reached the place of the Black Stone.” And Imam al-Bāqir said: “Then the (mountain) Abu Qubays called to him: ‘I have something in trust for you;’ and it gave him the (Black) Stone, and he put it in its place.” (al-Kāfī)
- al-Thawrī says: “I asked Abu Jaʿfar about the Stone. He said: ‘Three stones came down from the Garden: the Black Stone which was put in place by Abraham, and the Standing-place of Abraham, and the stone of the Israelites.’ ” (al-ʿAyyāshī)
And a tradition says that the Black Stone was an angel.
Author’s comment: There are very many such traditions narrated by both the Shia and the Sunni narrators; and although these traditions are āḥād and do not reach, in words or meanings, the standard required for a mutawātir narration, still they are not unique in the field of religious descriptions, nor is there any reason to discard them altogether.
As for the narration that the dome was sent down to Adam or that Abraham rode al-burāq for his journey to Mecca and other such miraculous happenings which have a super-natural character, there is no reason to say that they were impossible. Moreover, God had given His prophets many such miracles and super-natural signs, and the Qur’an mentions many such events.
So far as the coming down of the foundations of the House, the Black Stone and the Standing Stone (which is said to be fixed in the structure now known as the Standing-place of Abraham) and other such things are concerned, there are many such examples found in the Qur’an and traditions. Many vegetables and fruits are said to be from the Garden, or from the Fire and its out-burst. Of the same genre are the traditions of “substance” saying that the substance of the good people is from the Garden and that of the evil ones is from the Fire; or that they are from al-ʿilliyyīn (lofty place; the Book of the deeds of the virtuous) and al-sijjīn (prison; the Book of the deeds of the evil ones), respectively. Of similar nature are the traditions to the effect that the Garden of al-barzakh (the period between death and the Day of Judgment) is in some specified place on this earth, and the Fire of al-barzakh in some other place in it; and that the grave is either a section of the Garden’s or a pit of the Fire’s. There are many such informations which one is sure to come upon while studying the traditions. And, as we said earlier, they are so huge in number that the whole lot cannot be discarded, nor is it possible to question its authenticity. They are parts of the Divine realities expounded by the Qur’an and followed by the traditions. The fact is that all the things seen in this material world have been sent down by God; whatsoever is good and lovely, or is a means to or a receptacle of good, has come down from the Garden and will return to it; and whatsoever is bad and evil, or is a means to or a receptacle of evil, has come down from the Fire and will return to it. God says: And there is not a thing but with Us are the treasures of it, and We do not send it down but in a known measure (). It shows that everything exists with God, and it is an existence without any limit or measure; when it is sent down—a gradual descent—then it becomes subject to limits and measures. This verse describes the descent of all things in general. But there are also in the Qur’an specific examples of this descent. God says: … and He has sent down for you eight of the cattle in pairs … (); … and We have sent down the iron … (); And in the heaven is your sustenance, and what you are promised (). We shall further explain the meanings of these verses in their proper places, God willing. They however prove that every thing descends to this world from God. Other verses show that they are also to return to him, as He says: And that to your Lord is the end goal (); Surely to your Lord is the return (); … to Him is the eventual coming (); … now surely to Allah do all affairs eventually come (). There are many verses in the Qur’an of the same connotation.
Also, God has made it clear that everything—and all things presently are in middle of their journey—follows a course demanded by its origin, and that origin has some effect on its success and failure, its good and evil, as the Qur’an says: Say: Every one acts according to his own manner … (); And every one has a direction to which he should turn … (). We shall explain all these verses in their places; here they have been quoted just to complete the picture, and make the subject of our discussion clearer. What these verses prove is this: There is reason to believe that the traditions which say about a material thing that it came down from the Garden or from the Fire (when that thing has some connection with the next life’s happiness or unhappiness) are on the whole correct, because they are, generally speaking, in conformity with the Qur’anic principles—although it does not mean that each and every such tradition is correct or trustworthy. Ponder on this point.
Someone has said: “The Divine words: And [remember] when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House … , manifestly show that the two prophets built this House for the worship of God in that country of the idol-worshippers. But the story-tellers and those exegetes who followed them have embroidered what God had said. They have added a lot of fanciful details, as, for example, that the House was from the very beginning and Adam did its ḥajj; that it was taken to the heaven during Noah’s flood; that the Black Stone was one of the stones of the Garden. Their main purpose was to present the religion in an attractive garment, adorning it with fascinating narratives. Such myths may impress the masses; but the people who have knowledge and wisdom know that spiritual excellence depends on Divine bestowal—it is God Who makes one thing to excel the others. The Kaʿbah has excellence because it is the House of God, that is, attributed to Him; the Black Stone is excellent because people have been ordered to kiss it—in this respect it represents the hand of God. It has no bearing on its excellence whether originally it was a ruby or a pearl or some other rock; nor do such tales add to its real glory. In reality it makes no difference in the eyes of God whether a stone is black or white. The Kaʿbah has got its distinction and honor because God has called it His House, and has appointed it as the centre for various acts of worship which cannot be performed in any other place—its glory does not lie in the fact that its stones are more valuable than other stones, or that its site is the most attractive of all, or that it was sent down from the lofty heavens. Likewise, the excellence of the prophets is not based on any distinctive feature of their bodies nor on the quality of their apparel. They got excellence because God chose them especially, and selected them for His prophethood which is a spiritual thing; otherwise many people in the world were far superior to them in their adornments and enjoyed greater worldly bounties.”
He continues to say: “These traditions are untrustworthy because they contradict each other and some are self-contradictory; they are unauthentic because their chains of narrators are not correct; they are unacceptable because they go against the apparent meaning of the Qur’an.”
He further says: “These traditions are Israelite myths, propagated among the Muslims by unbelieving Jews to make [the religion of] Islam look ridiculous, in order to keep the People of the Book away from it.”
Author’s comment: There is a grain of truth in some things he has said: But he has gone far beyond the limit in disputation, and consequently has lost his bearings and arrived at a hypothesis much more atrocious and repugnant, Let us have a critical look at his arguments:
Objection: “These traditions are untrustworthy and unacceptable because they contradict each other and are against the Qur’an.”
Reply: The fact that some of them contradict the others could be a matter of worry if we were to accept them one by one as separate independent units. But when we accept the whole in their collective capacity (that is, when we say that the whole lot should not be discarded because, taken all together, they do not tell us anything that is against reason or against the Qur’an or accepted traditions), then it is of no importance if there are some minor discrepancies between individual traditions. But one point must be made clear here: What we have said just now, concerns the traditions narrated from the infallible sources like the Prophet and his sinless family members. So far as other exegetes among the Companions and their disciples are concerned, they, in this respect, are just like any other people; for us it makes no difference whether their talk is free from contradiction or riddled with it.
In short, there is no justification to discard a tradition, or a group of traditions, unless it goes against the Qur’an or other authentic traditions, or the marks of forgery and lie are stamped on it. (However, when it comes to the basic religious knowledge and fundamental beliefs, the only thing accepted as proof is the Book of God and the authentic traditions of the Prophet and his sinless progeny; nothing else counts in this area.)
It is now clear that there are some things which must be accepted, that is, the Qur’an and the authentic traditions; and there are others which must be rejected, that is, all that goes against the Qur’an and the authentic traditions. Then there is a third group: the traditions concerning which there is neither any proof compelling us to reject it, nor forcing us to accept it. These are the traditions which are neither impossible in reason nor unacceptable according to the Qur’an and authentic traditions—and there is no reason why they should be discarded altogether.
Objection: These traditions are unauthentic according to their chains of narrators.
Reply: The above given explanation also dispels this doubt, because weakness of the chains of narrators does not oblige us to reject the whole group, unless it is against the reason, the Qur’an or the authentic traditions.
Objection: They are against the words of God; And [remember] when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundation of the House …
Reply: I wish I knew how this verse proves that the Black Stone was not from the Garden! Or, that the dome did not come down to that place in Adam’s time (and there was, therefore, no question of its being taken up at the time of the flood)! The only thing the verse says is that this construction, made of stone and mud, was built by Abraham. What has this got to do—either for or against—the traditions mentioned earlier. The only difficulty with those traditions is that the objector does not like them. And this dislike is based, not on the principles of religion, but on his biased views. He does not believe that the prophets had any spiritual realities within them; he does not think that the exoteric side of religion is based on its esoteric aspect; he unconsciously is so much over-awed by today’s natural sciences that he tries to find a material cause not only for material happenings but even for spiritual things—if they have even a slight connection with matter. For him, the matter rules over all happenings, not excepting the sociological principles.
This man should have pondered on this point: The natural sciences deal with the matter; its properties and its various compounds; they look at the relationship of a natural effect with its cause. Likewise, the various sociological disciplines study the social relationships among various event taking place in society.
But the natural and sociological sciences have no concern at all with the realities which are beyond the sphere of matter, outside its field of action; they have no jurisdiction even over immaterial connections existing between a material thing and an event taking place in the visible world. The natural sciences and disciplines have no authority or right to confirm or reject these immaterial realities. It is within the jurisdiction of natural science to say that construction of a house depends on things like mud, stone and mason; it may explain how black stones may take the shape of a room. Likewise, sociological disciplines may describe the factors which led to the building of the Kaʿbah—it may explain a part of Abraham’s biography, Hagar’s life, Ishmael’s story, history of Tahamah, arrival of the tribe of Jurhum and things like that. But these sciences and disciplines have no right to discuss what was the relation between a certain stone on one hand and the Garden or the Fire on the other; nor have these branches of knowledge any right to express any affirmative or negative opinion about such narratives.
And you have seen that the Qur’an clearly says that even material and physical things have been sent down from the treasure which is with God, and that they would ultimately return to Him—either to the Garden or to the Fire. Also, the Qur’an says that the deeds and actions—which are but physical movements and positions—ascend to God acid arrive at His presence: To Him do ascend the good words, and the good deed lifts them up (); again it says: to Him reaches the piety on your part (), and piety is but action or a characteristic acquired through repeated actions. It is essential for a student of religion to meditate on these verses and to understand that the religious realities do not have any relationship with material or sociological matters per se; they depend on the facts which are beyond the reach of material disciplines.
Objection: The excellence of the prophets, and the things attributed to them like the Kaʿbah or the Black Stone, is not based on a material quality; it is a spiritual excellence bestowed by the Divine Grace.
Reply: What he says is right. But he should understand what is the real meaning of what he says. What is that spiritual reality which creates excellence? Is it a mentally posited abstract idea created by social needs, like the designations and offices found in every nation, for example, presidency, leadership of the party, the high price of gold and silver, respect of the parents, sanctity of the laws of the land? All these are subjective and imaginative abstract forms which the societies have laid down to meet their own needs; but they have no existence outside the imagination, beyond subjective consideration. Such honors and distinctions cannot be found outside the social life which created them to fulfil its needs; and God is too sublime for such needs to reach His presence. Therefore, such social distinctions have no relevance to an excellence given by God to any of His creatures.
If the objector thinks that the excellence of the prophets is just like the above-mentioned imaginary and unreal honors, then why should a house or a stone be denied a similar excellence? And if he believes that an excellence given by God is the real one, as is found in light vis-à-vis darkness, in knowledge vis-à-vis ignorance, and in wisdom vis-à-vis idiocy, then of course it would be a real and actual excellence. In that case, the quiddity of the existence of a prophet would be different from the quiddity of other human beings—even if our senses are unable to grasp it. And such real excellence and distinction is in keeping with the sublimity and sanctity of the Divine actions and wisdom. God says: And We did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in sport. We did not create them both but with the truth, but most of them do not know (). Such a distinction is real, spiritual, metaphysical and beyond the reach of physical nature. And if such real excellence may be given to the prophets, why can it not be bestowed on some other things, like the Kabʿah and the Black Stone, and so on? And, may be, it is this real immaterial excellence which has been described in such words that the people could easily understand.
Would that I knew what would such people do about those Qur’anic verses which say that the people of the Garden will be given cups, ornaments and dresses of gold and silver. These two metals have no inherent excellence except that their price remains high because of their scarcity. If so, then why should they be used for exalting the people of the Garden? What wealth will they represent in the Garden? After all, the economics of this world will not be valid there!
These and other such Divine words and exoteric expressions are the curtains which hide the esoteric realities; they are the veils covering Divine secrets. And if such expressions are accept-able for the realities of the next world, they can as easily be used for some facts of this one.
- al-Zubayri says: “I said to Abu ʿAbdillah: ‘Tell me about the ummah of Muḥammad, who are they?’ He said: ‘The ummah of Muḥammad are the Children of Hāshim in particular.’ I said: ‘And what is the proof that the ummah of Muḥammad are his family members you have mentioned, to the exclusion of the others?’ He said: ‘(It is) the words of God: And [remember] when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House: Our Lord! accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing. Our Lord! and make us both submissive to Thee and [raise] from our offspring a group [ummah] submitting to Thee, and show us our ways of devotion and turn to us [mercifully], surely Thou art the Oft-returning [with mercy], the Merciful. When God answered the prayer of Abraham and Ishmael and did (promise to) raise from their offspring a submissive ummah and raised up in them a messenger from among themselves, that is, from among that ummah itself, to recite to them His communications, and to teach them the Book and the wisdom, Abraham beseeched God for another bounty; and asked for that ummah’s purity from polytheism and idol-worship in order that the affair of that Messenger might remain firm and strong among them and they might not need to follow anyone other than themselves. That is why Abraham said: and save me and my sons from worshipping idols: My Lord! Surely they have led many men astray; then whoever follows me, he is surely of me, and whoever disobeys me, Thou surely art Forgiving, Merciful (). It proves that the imams, and the submissive ummah in which Muḥammad was raised, cannot be except from the offspring of Abraham, because he had said: “save me and my sons from worshipping idols.” ’ ” (al-ʿAyyāshī)
Author’s comment: The argument of the Imam is absolutely clear. Abraham had asked this submissive ummah to be from his offspring in particular; and the next sentence, Our Lord! and raise up in them a messenger from among themselves …,” show that the same submissive group is the ummah of Muḥammad—and the word, ummah, as used here, does not refer to the people whom Muḥammad was sent to; nor to those who answered his call and believed in his prophethood, because that ummah is not confined to the offspring of Abraham and Ishmael; the word in the present context refers to a particular submissive ummah from the offspring of Abraham. Thereafter, Abraham prayed to his Lord to protect him and his sons from idol-worship, to keep them away from polytheism and error—and this Divine protection is ʿiṣmah (infallibility; sinlessness). Also we know that there were a lot of people among the offspring of Abraham and Ishmael—the Arabs of the Muḍar, or particularly the Quraysh—who had gone astray and worshipped idols. It proves that when Abraham prayed for his “sons” to be protected from idol-worship, he did not mean all his sons; he was praying only for his infallible offspring, that is, the Prophet and his purified progeny. These, then, are the ummah of Muḥammad in the prayer of Abraham. Probably, it was for this fine distinction that Abraham changed the word, “offspring,” to “sons”; this view is strengthened by the phrases following this prayer, then whoever follows me, he is surely of me, and whoever disobeys me, Thou surely art Forgiving, Merciful. Note the opening word, “then,” which shows that what follows is based on what has preceded; thereafter, he confirms that those who would follow him would be from him, a part of him; but then he stops and does not say anything about the opposite group, as though he does not recognize them, they are strangers to him. (Think it over.)
The Imam said that Abraham “asked for that ummah purity from polytheism and idol-worship.” Actually, he had asked protection only from worshipping the idols; but then he mentioned why he had asked for that protection: surely the idols have led many men astray. In this way, the original prayer for protection from idol-worship became an all-encompassing prayer for protection from all types of straying and error, ranging from idol-worship to small sins—because every sin is a sort of polytheism, as we have already explained under the verse: The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed favors … ().
The Imam said: “It proves that the imams, and the submissive ummah in which Muḥammad was raised, cannot be except from the offspring of Abraham.” That is the imams are the submissive ummah, and they are from the off-spring of Abraham, as explained above.
Objection: You say that the word, ummah, in this verse refers to a small group of the Muslims, and not to the whole nation; you use the same interpretation in some other verses, for example, You are the best nation raised up for [the benefit of] men … (). But this obliges us to interpret the word in a metaphorical way—without any justifiable reason. Moreover, the Qur’an addresses itself to the whole ummah who believed in the Prophet; it is a self-evident fact which does not need any proof.
Reply: It was long after the revelation of the Qur’an and the spread of Islam that the phrase, ummah of Muḥammad, was popularly used for “all those who believe in his prophethood.” It is a later usage.
The original meaning of this word is “people,” “nation,” “group,” as God says: and blessing on you and the people (umam, plural of ummah) from among those who are with you; and there shall be people (umam) … (). This word is sometimes used even for one person; Surely Abraham was a people [devoutly] obedient to Allah (). Therefore, it is the context or the intention of the speaker which decides how big or small a circle this word describes in a sentence. Now the words, Our Lord! and make us both submissive to Thee and [raise] from our offspring a group submitting to Thee, were spoken in prayer, and as explained earlier, they could refer to only a selected group out of the multitude who believe in the prophet. Likewise, the verse, You are the best nation raised up for (the benefit of) men, was revealed to show the favor of God on the people thus addressed; its import is to increase their prestige and enhance their dignity. Surely, these words could be addressed to the whole ummah who call themselves Muslims. How could it apply to the Pharaohs and Dajjals of this ummah who did not leave any vestige of the religion without destroying, and who did not come across any religious virtue without crushing it? (We shall explain it in detail when writing on this verse.) In short, this verse is like the talk of God with the Children of Israel: and that I made you excel the nations (); we should not forget that a man like Korah (Qārūn) was one of them, and surely this talk does not include him. Likewise, the complaint of the Prophet, O my Lord! surely my people treated this Qur’an as a forsaken thing (), cannot cover all his ummah—there are among them the lovers of the Qur’an, the men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of God. On the other hand, there is the verse , which is addressed to the whole ummah, and covers all those who believed in the Prophet and even those to whom he was sent: This is a people that have passed away; they shall have what they earned and you shall have what you earn, and you shall not be called upon to answer for what they did.
Discourse
The discussion “An Academic Discourse (The Philosophy of Hajj)” appears here in the printed volume. Read it in the Al-Mizan App.
See Eng. vol. 13 (1st ed.) published by WOFIS. (Ed.) ↩︎
uluʾ al-ʿazm are those prophet messengers who were given the shariah (the Law) and were fortified by God with patience and forbearance. (Ed.) ↩︎
al-Burāq is a heavenly mount that carried the Prophet on his night journey. (Ed.) ↩︎
The place between Ṣafā and Marwah where the ḥājis (pilgrims to Mecca) run seven times. (Trans.) ↩︎