seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 16:120. Abraham was an exemplary leader, devoted to God, a monotheist, and was not of the polytheists.
121. Thankful for His blessings. He chose him, and guided him to a straight path.
122. And We gave him goodness in this world, and in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous.
123. Then We inspired you: “Follow the religion of Abraham, the Monotheist. He was not an idol-worshiper.”
124. The Sabbath was decreed only for those who differed about it. Your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection regarding their differences.
125. Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good advice, and debate with them in the most dignified manner. Your Lord is aware of those who stray from His path, and He is aware of those who are guided.
126. If you were to retaliate, retaliate to the same degree as the injury done to you. But if you resort to patience—it is better for the patient.
127. So be patient. Your patience is solely from God. And do not grieve over them, and do not be stressed by their schemes.
128. God is with those who are righteous and those who are virtuous.
This is from the commentary.
Ummat means originally a way, course or mode of acting, a nation or a community, but it also signifies a righteous man who is an object of imitation, one who is known for goodness, a man combining all kinds of good qualities, one who has no equal.
The word ‘alå sometimes carries the significance of against, and the meaning here seems to be that the Sabbath, the Jewish day of worship which should have made them walk in the footsteps of righteous Abraham, was turned against them because of their violation of it, because they differed about it and did not observe it as a day of Divine worship. Or, the statement is made to show that it was not necessary for the Muslims to observe a day of worship, as even Abraham, a model of virtue for both the Jews and the Muslims, did not observe a particular day of worship, while the very people who were required to observe it, the Jews, violated the commandment.
The principle laid down for preaching and religious controversy by the “unlearned Arabian” has yet to be learned by the most advanced people, whose controversies are carried on with no other object than that of fault-finding, and whose preaching only aims at carping at others. It shows the breadth of mind of the Holy Prophet, more especially when it is remembered that the injunction was given at a time when the Muslims were being most severely persecuted and there was the greatest reason for adopting a harsh attitude.
There is a prophecy in the words if you take your turn. The Muslims were being persecuted most cruelly, and they were told that the time would come when they would dominate their erstwhile persecutors. In that case they are allowed to punish them for their guilt, but it is twice added, here and in v. 127, that they should show patience when they had the upper hand and do good even to their enemies, for Allåh is with those who do good.
The title of this section of verses, which make up the last of this chapter titled "the Bee"..... is "the way to greatness".
My grandfather was a twin, in a family of thirteen children. My grandmother had seven children. I am the oldest of five children. I had three children and adopted one.... and my daughter had two children to raise. Do you see a trend here?
OK... back to Abraham.... the father of Isaac and Ishmael. The father of the Jewish and Muslim traditions. The father of the biggest sibling rivalry ever!
Sarah and Hagar.... and of course Abraham.... the biggest love triangle ever!
Abraham was going to slay Isaac.... it was God who stopped him. Good thing.... history would have been a whole lot different if Abraham sacrificed his baby for God.
I was thinking the other day..... if we were supposed to be monogamous..... from the beginning... Adam and Eve.... why did Abraham have two women to fight over who's baby was the best? If we were supposed to be monogamous..... why did that good king David have 300 wives and 700 concubines? No.... I'm not against monogamy..... it's just one of those things that don't make sense!
So.... I figure I can ask Jesus why or ask God why..... but I think I'll get a much clearer picture if I wait until I get home to Heaven.
I have to be patient..... remember the bees that were buzzing me at the beginning of this chapter.... they were patient too.... one of them found the path around me... and the others followed. They had work to do.... honey to make.... a queen to take care of... and my desire to smoke a cigarette on the back deck.... well that was just a cow on the tracks. Something in the way to get around. Sure they could have stung me... and that would have made me move. If all of them stung me.... I would move permanently..... but ..... if they stung me... they would die... and if they die... there would be no honey... and the queen would be alone.
We all have a job to do. We are to make it down a path that will take us to our destiny. We can run.... hopped up on caffeine and run out of steam before we get to our destiny. We can meander.... and take in all the sites... putting our queen bee in danger. We can work with purpose.... patiently following the given path to the given blossoms..... patiently waiting for the impediments to move out of our way... as we know they will.
The title of this section of verses is "the way to greatness". I think they should have called it "relentless patience".
I, quite frankly, still cannot comprehend how David had any time at all to run a country with 300 wives.... and when he had time to pick up 700 concubines!!
Women must have shone in those days with "relentless patience".
