seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 13:27. Those who disbelieve say, “If only a miracle was sent down to him from his Lord.” Say, “God leads astray whomever He wills, and He guides to Himself whoever repents.”
28. Those who believe, and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of God. Surely, it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find comfort.”
29. For those who believe and do righteous deeds—for them is happiness and a beautiful return.
30. Thus We sent you among a community before which other communities have passed away, that you may recite to them what We revealed to you. Yet they deny the Benevolent One. Say, “He is my Lord; there is no god but He; in Him I trust, and to Him is my repentance.”
31. Even if there were a Quran, by which mountains could be set in motion, or by which the earth could be shattered, or by which the dead could be made to speak. In fact, every decision rests with God. Did the believers not give up and realize that had God willed, He would have guided all humanity? Disasters will continue to strike those who disbelieve, because of their deeds, or they fall near their homes, until God’s promise comes true. God never breaks a promise.
Here's that long commentary that kept me from merging two groups of verses yesterday.
The answer to this question is given in the concluding words of the section: “disaster will not cease to afflict them because of what they do, or it will alight close by their abodes, until the promise of Allåh come to pass”. This promise related to the utter annihilation of the power of the disbelievers. The question why is not a sign sent down to him? here as elsewhere in the Holy Qur’ån, is really a demand for the promised annihilation of their power and their vanquishment, and the answer is always conveyed in somewhat similar terms, stating first that they should ask for mercy; that the Qur’ån has healing power, the condition of the faithful being a witness to it; that the fate of the former generations affords a lesson; that smaller calamities continue to afflict them, and in these they can see the signs of their ultimate vanquishment; and that finally, if all those tokens are rejected, the great calamity will not fail to overtake them.
The contrast with those who turn to God makes it clear that Allåh’s pleasure to leave some in error is exercised only in the case of those who, though invited to God, do not turn to Him but choose to remain in error. The first part may also be translated thus: Allåh leaves in error who will (remain in error).
29a. Ô∂bå, as an infinitive noun (from ∆åba, meaning it became good), means a good final state or good future (LL).
According to some, the words la-kåna hådha-l-Qur’ån are understood, i.e. it is this Qur’ån (JB). But the answer is contained in what follows and there is no omission here. That the Qur’ån should work great wonders is not here treated as an impossibility, but rather as a fact, for we are immediately told that the commandment is wholly Allåh’s, which is equivalent to saying that it will be brought about soon by His commandment. At the time when these verses were revealed, difficulties in the spread of Islåm appeared like mountains. Formidable opponents of the Prophet stood undoubtedly like impassable mountains — and they were given the name of jibål, or mountains, by the Arabs — in the way of the advance of Truth. That they were made to pass away is a matter of history. The words qu∆∆i‘at bi-hi-l-ar˙u may mean the earth were cloven asunder, by which is to be understood that the Qur’ån would go deep down into the hearts of men, which are compared here to the earth, which would thus be cloven asunder, with streams and springs flowing in it. Another significance of the words is that the earth will be travelled over. There were no facilities at that time for going to distant corners of Arabia, to say nothing of the distant countries of the world. Yet so irresistible was the urge within the hearts of Muslims to deliver the message of Truth that not only was the whole of Arabia travelled over by the message-bearers of Islåm within ten years after this in the Prophet’s lifetime, but within a hundred years after the Prophet, Islåm had traversed the whole of the known world, spreading from the farthest East in China to the farthest West in Spain. As regards the last statement, the dead were made to speak, it is again a matter of history. Men who were dead spiritually now spoke with such power that the whole earth from end to end responded to their call. See 6:122, where it is made clear that by the dead in the terminology of the Qur’ån are somtimes meant the spiritually dead and by giving life is meant their spiritual quickening.
Wow... all of Arabia heard the Quran within 10 years.... without cars, radios, televisions or Google. I was watching Have Gun Will Travel the other day... and there was a guy quoting the Quran to Paladin... and Paladin was quoting it back to him. Now I could see how that would spread the word.... after all that's how they spread Christianity. But there was no television back in the 600's when the Quran was assembled. People couldn't get up, turn on the set, pour a cup of coffee and watch their favorite worship service in their jammies. Of course the clever character who is Paladin has also conversed about Buddhism as well. But that didn't plant in the US like Islam.
It seems that commerce helped spread the information. I would assume supply runs would result in the exchange of information.... but Arabia is a huge territory and I want to think that even back in the 600's it would have been a chore to travel all over Arabia. On top of that... they thought the world was flat. But then again if the ignorant were correct, that would only require the word to be spread over half the world... because if we lived on the other side we would fall off so there would be no need for worship there.
Let's face it... if something is meant to spread.... then it will. That is contingent on God wanting it to spread. If God wants humans to get a message... nothing is going to stop it.
Consider that volcano off the coast of Spain. If that volcano sets off an earthquake, the jolt will ripple all the way to the eastern coast of the United States. The earthquake in or on La Palma Island, Spain....would make waves in New York City and Miami! That's almost incomprehensible to me. But then again... what Hitler did in Germany made it's way here and he didn't have Google either.
I think this is saying.... if God wants us to worship Him.... no one will stop the message.
