Death in Quran (4) story of man’s existence

In one short verse, the Noble Quran analyses the whole story of man’s existence on this earth. It begins, by the will of Allah, with a state of death and ends with death, after which Allah will restore life again, and the ultimate return thereafter shall be to Him from whom life originated.

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How do you, disbelieve in Allah, in which state are you veiled from Him, when…

When you were dead, and He gave life to you

Why do you not see the proof of the Creator in His creation?

Then He will give you death after your term of life is completed and your lifespan ends,

Then He shall give life to you again, at the Resurrection, and then unto Him you will be returned! Whereupon He shall requite you according to your deeds

How can ye reject the faith in Allah?

The mysteries of life and death are in Allah’s hands.

When you die on this earth that is not the end.  You were of Him, and you must return to Him.  

Look around you and realize your own dignity; it is from Him.  

Giving Life after Death

The verse 2:28 addresses all humankind, denouncing their disbelief in Allah who gives life and takes it away,

“How can you reject Allah who has given you life after you were dead? He will cause you to die again then He will bring you back to life. To Him you shall return.

Denial or rejection of Allah after seeing all these manifest signs is certainly despicable and utterly unjustifiable. The Quran here faces humankind directly with facts they cannot deny or question. It refers to their life and the phases of human existence.

Allah brought man out of a state of death and gave him life. This transformation is a fact that cannot be ignored or denied, and can only be explained by acknowledging the creative power of Allah.

Life is not an illusion, but how has it come about?

Who has initiated this unique phenomenon we call life, which distinguishes the living from the dead in this world?

Life represents an extraordinary dimension that is the complete antithesis of death, but where does it originate?

Humankind has to face this question and answer it in a way that will satisfy man’s curiosity and put his heart and mind at rest. It is simply not enough to dismiss it or attribute life to anything other than a creative power that is itself very different from creation.

The immediate answer to this question is that life comes from Allah. Let those who dispute this come up with another answer.

The verse questions man’s denial of, and disbelief in, Allah “who has given you life after you were dead”.

How impertinent of man to reject Allah, the origin and the cause of life. It affirms that Allah “will cause you to die again”, a fact that is beyond dispute and of which we are constantly reminded.

It adds that “Allah will bring you back to life’’, which has been, and still is today, a matter for endless argument and debate. Yet, if people would only reflect on how man came to be in the first instance, there would be no reason for bewilderment or rejection of life after death.

“And to Him you shall return.” As it was from Him you have come, to Him you shall return, in total fulfilment of His will and purpose.

Thus, in one short verse, the whole book of life is opened and. closed. The whole story of man’s existence on this earth is reviewed. It begins, by the will of Allah, with a state of death and ends with death, after which Allah will restore life again, and the ultimate return thereafter shall be to Him from whom life originated. In this brief picture, we can visualize Allah’s awesome power and appreciate its deep impact on our hearts and minds.

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The verses 2:28 in different translations:

QARIB:

How can you disbelieve Allah? Did he not give you life when you were dead, and he will cause you to die and then restore you to life? Then you will return to him.

SHAKIR:

How do you deny Allah and you were dead and he gave you life? Again, he will cause you to die and again bring you to life, then you shall be brought back to him

PICKTHAL:

How disbelieve ye in Allah when ye were dead and he gave life to you! Then he will give you death, then life again, and then unto him ye will return.

YUSUFALI:

How can ye reject the faith in Allah?- seeing that ye were without life, and he gave you life; then will he cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to him will ye return.

This is Allah (46) Allah Is the Best of Judges, The Fairest of them

Allah’s Knowledge Embraces All Things; He Knows Everything

The Productive Debate Between The Prophet Shuayb And The Leaders Of Madyan

In Allah We Have Put Our Trust, Shuayb And The Believers Said

Allah Is The Best Of Deciders, The Best Of Adjudicators

The Believers Could Not Convert Unless Allah Takes Away The Knowledge From Their Hearts

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Many people do not know Allah. This series is an attempt to help them in order to know and acknowledge their Creator.

Verses 7:87-89 of the Noble Quran talk about:

1) The productive debate between the Prophet Shuayb and the Leaders of Madyan,

2) Allah is the best of deciders, the best of adjudicators,

3) Allah’s knowledge embraces all things; He knows everything,

4) The believers could not convert unless Allah takes away the knowledge from their hearts and

5) Allah is the best of judges, the fairest of them.

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In the previous article, the Prophet Shuayb said unto the people of Madyan (Midian):O my people,

worship Allah! you have no god other than Him,

give full measure and weight and do not diminish the value of people’s goods, and do not work corruption in the earth,

Do not Lurk on every road that people use to threaten, scare and take the clothes of strangers, and to turn away the believers from Allah’s path.

And remember when you were but few, and then Allah multiplied you. And behold what was the end of the agents of corruption, before you, for denying their messengers, that is, behold how destruction was the conclusion of their affair.

Then, Shuayb said unto them:

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The meaning of verse 7:87

And if there is a party of you who believe in that with which I have been sent, and a party who do not believe, in it, then have patience and wait until Allah judges between us and you, by delivering the affirmer of this truth and destroying the denier of it. Allah is the best of judges, the fairest of them.

 

The meaning of verse 7:88

The chieftains of Madyan, who were scornful and disdainful towards believing said:

‘Surely we will expel you, O Shuayb, and those who believe with you, from our township, unless you return to embrace our creed, our religion

(herein, the plural person  predominates over the singular in their address [to Shuayb] because Shuayb was never part of their religious community; and so in the same [plural] way Shuayb responded.

Shuayb said:

‘What, should we return to it, even though we are averse, to it? Even though we hate it?) would you force us to do this even though we hate it?

(the interrogative herein is meant as a disavowal).

 

The meaning of verse 7:89

The Prophet Shuayb continued:

We would be forging a lie against Allah if we were to return to your creed after Allah has delivered us from it.

We should have invented a falsehood against Allah if we returned to your religion after Allah has rescued us from it

It is not, right, for us to return to it, unless Allah our Lord wills that [it be so] and forsakes us.

In other words, it is not permissible for us to embrace your religion: associating others with Allah unless Allah takes away the knowledge from our hearts.

Our Lord embraces all things through His knowledge, that is to say, His knowledge embraces all things, including my situation and yours. In Allah we have put our trust.

Then Shuayb prayed:

Our Lord, decide with truth, adjudicate with justice, between us and our people, for You are the best of deciders’, adjudicators; for You are the best of those who make decision, the best of judges.

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Verses 7: 7:87-89 in different English translations of the meanings of Arabic Quran:

QARIB:

87) If there are some among you who believe in that which i have been sent and others who disbelieve it, be patient until Allah shall judge between us. he is the best of judges. ‘

88) The proud assembly of his nation said: ‘we will expel you shu’aib and those who believe with you from our village unless you return to our creed. ‘ he replied: ‘even though we hate it?

89) We would have invented lies about Allah if we returned to your creed from which Allah has saved us, it is not for us that we return into it again except if Allah, our Lord wills. for our Lord has embraced everything with knowledge, and in Allah we have put our trust. our Lord, open between us and our nation with truth, you are the best of openers. ‘

 

SHAKIR:

87) And if there is a party of you who believe in that with which am sent, and another party who do not believe, then wait patiently until Allah judges between us; and he is the best of the judges

88) The chiefs, those who were proud from among his people said: we will most certainly turn you out, o shu’aib, and (also; those who believe with you, from our town, or you shall come back to our faith. he said: what! though we dislike (it)?

89) Indeed we shall have forged a lie against Allah if we go back to your religion after Allah has delivered us from it, and it befits us not that we should go back to it, except if Allah our Lord please: our Lord comprehends all things :n his knowledge; in Allah do we trust: our Lord! decide between us and our people with truth; and thou art the best of deciders

 

PICKTHAL:

87) And if there is a party of you which believeth in that wherewith i have been sent, and there is a party which believeth not, then have patience until Allah judge between us. he is the best of all who deal in judgment.

88) The chieftains of his people, who were scornful, said: surely we will drive thee out, o shu’eyb, and those who believe with thee, from our township, unless ye return to our religion. he said: even though we hate it?

89) We should have invented a lie against Allah if we returned to your religion after Allah hath rescued us from it. it is not for us to return to it unless Allah our Lord should (so) will. our Lord comprehendeth all things in knowledge. in Allah do we put our trust. our Lord! decide with truth between us and our folk, for thou art the best of those who make decision.

 

YUSUFALI:

87) “And if there is a party among you who believes in the message with which i have been sent, and a party which does not believe, hold yourselves in patience until Allah doth decide between us: for he is the best to decide.

88) The leaders, the arrogant party among his people, said: “o shu’aib! we shall certainly drive thee out of our city – (thee) and those who believe with thee; or else ye (thou and they) shall have to return to our ways and religion.” he said: “what! even though we do detest (them)?

89) “We should indeed invent a lie against Allah, if we returned to your ways after Allah hath rescued us therefrom; nor could we by any manner of means return thereto unless it be as in the will and plan of Allah, our Lord. our Lord can reach out to the utmost recesses of things by his knowledge. in the Allah is our trust. our Lord! decide thou between us and our people in truth, for thou art the best to decide.”

Chapter 6 of the Quran (55) Abraham’s Descendants – A

Allah guided Abraham to the straight path. Allah honoured Abraham by bestowing upon him and his Descendants prophethood and surrender to Allah. The idolators and astrologers.threatened Abraham that their gods will hurt him amd make him infertile. But, Abraham’s God, Allah, made him the father of the prophets.

 

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In In the previous articles, Allah bestowed upon the wisdom and the knowledge. Allah guided him and showed to him the straight path to worship Him.

Allah invited Abraham to a miraculous trip in the space to show him that the stars, the sun, the planets and the moon are but creatures.

Abraham perfectly used his wisdom and knowledge to debate his people.

As you knew, Abraham’s people were idolators and astrologers.

The idolators used to worship many idols made of stones.

The astrologers were planets’ worshippers, moon’s worshippers and/or sun and stars’ worshippers.

Abraham’s father was among the idolators.

Abraham’s duty was to peacefully convince all those wrong worshippers that they are wrong.

Abraham told his father and the indlators that worshipping idols is but unreasonable because idols are not by any means our supreme Creator.

 

In addition, Abraham desired to show up his astrologers’ people that they are wrong in their belief.

Abraham gave them three indirect lessons to show them that they have mistaken believe in in the supreme Creator who has created the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Planets etc.

The first Abraham’s indirect teaching was to the group of his astrologers’ people who were planets’ worshippers and used to worship Venus.

The second Abraham’s indirect teaching was to the group of his astrologers’ people who were the moon’s worshippers.

The third Abraham’s indirect teaching was to the group of his astrologers’ people who were the Sun’s worshippers.

 

Abraham’s people, the idolators and the astrologers threatened him that their gods would severely harm him with many malicious things like diseases, poverty, infertility etc.

 

As a matter of fact, Abraham was infertile up to his age of eighty years.

Was that because those false gods had really harmed him so that he will never ever have a son?

 

The answer is found in Ayah 6:84; Allah says:

 

We guided Abraham to the straight path, the same as We have guided Noah before Abraham

We bestowed upon Abraham; Isaac and, his son, Jacob

We guided Isaac and, his son, Jacob, to the straight path.

We honoured them by bestowing upon them prophethood and surrender to Allah

Abraham was the seed of Noah

And among Noah and Abraham’s Descendants were David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron

We guided all of them by bestowing upon them prophethood and surrender to Allah.

All of them confess Allah’s divine Oneness; and this is how We requite the virtuous.

Moreover, their reward in the Afterlife will be great in the Eternal Paradise.

 

They threatened Abraham that their gods will hurt him amd make him infertile.

But, Abraham’s God, Allah, made Abraham the father of the prophets.

 

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The verse 6:84 in different translations

 

QARIB:

We gave him isaac and jacob and guided both; and we guided noah before them, among his descendants were david and solomon, job, joseph, Moses and Aaron as such, we recompense the gooddoers,

 

SHAKIR:

And we gave to him ishaq and yaqoub; each did we guide, and nuh did we guide before, and of his descendants, dawood and sulaiman and ayub and yusuf and Haroun; and thus do we reward those who do good (to others)

 

PICKTHAL:

And we bestowed upon him Isaac and jacob; each of them we guided; and noah did we guide aforetime; and of his seed (we guided) david and solomon and job and joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do we reward the good.

 

YUSUFALI:

We gave him Isaac and Jacob: all (three) guided: and before him, we guided noah, and among his progeny, david, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron: thus do we reward those who do good: