seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 2:151. Just as We sent to you a messenger from among you, who recites Our revelations to you, and purifies you, and teaches you the Book and wisdom, and teaches you what you did not know.
152. So remember Me, and I will remember you. And thank Me, and do not be ungrateful.
153. O you who believe! Seek help through patience and prayers. God is with the steadfast.
154. And do not say of those who are killed in the cause of God, “Dead.” Rather, they are alive, but you do not perceive.
155. We will certainly test you with some fear and hunger, and some loss of possessions and lives and crops. But give good news to the steadfast.
156. Those who, when a calamity afflicts them, say, “To God we belong, and to Him we will return.”
157. Upon these are blessings and mercy from their Lord. These are the guided ones.
158. Safa and Marwa are among the rites of God. Whoever makes the Pilgrimage to the House, or performs the Umrah, commits no error by circulating between them. Whoever volunteers good—God is Appreciative and Cognizant.
159. Those who suppress the proofs and the guidance We have revealed, after We have clarified them to humanity in the Scripture—those—God curses them, and the cursers curse them.
160. Except those who repent, and reform, and proclaim. Those—I will accept their repentance. I am the Acceptor of Repentance, the Merciful.
I copied this from the commentary at muslim.org.
The ˝Safå and the Marwah are two mountains near Makkah. They were the scene of Hagar’s running to and fro in quest of water when left alone with Ishmael in the wilderness. These two mountains now serve as two monuments of the reward which patience brought, and it is as a memorial to Hagar’s patience that they are now gone round by the pilgrims.
On the ˝Safå was an idol called Usåf, and on the Marwah one called Nå’ilah, which the pilgrims touched in the days of ignorance, and hence the apprehensions of the Muslims in going round them (IJ). “The people of Madßnah were averse to going round the ˝Safå and the Marwah”, though no reason for their aversion is given. The concluding portion of the verse again generalizes the subject. The suffering which a man has to endure in the doing of good is not left unrewarded, for Allåh is Bountiful in rewarding. In these words the Muslims are in fact exhorted to prepare themselves for enduring sufferings to establish Truth, being at the same time told that they will be amply rewarded for their sacrifices
See.... it comes back to Ishmael again. Just like I wonder about the baby that "died" in the story of David and Bathsheba.... I have always wondered about Hagar and Ishmael. The Bible is about Sarah and Isaac..... but there is another side to the story in truth..... Hagar did what her "master" Sarai [Sarah before the covenant] instructed.... I guess in today's lingo... we would say Abram [Abraham before the covenant] raped Hagar to produce a male heir. That's what women were for back then.... to produce offspring. They had no real say in anything....definitely not their own bodies.
Then when Sarai got pregnant.... Hagar was out... the smudge had to be wiped away..... but in truth... Sarah and Abraham mistreated Hagar and Ishmael.
There was no "metoo" movement back then.... women had no real say in anything until about 1920 and this was centuries before Jesus was born.
So Ishmael was more than Isaac's bastard brother. Ishmael was tossed by humans but protected by God. Safa and Marwah seem to be perfectly good monuments. They should remind us that all life is in God's hands. If someone mistreats you.... God is ready to pick you up.... if you believe.
