seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 21:11. How many a guilty town have We crushed, and established thereafter another people?
12. Then, when they sensed Our might, they started running away from it.
13. Do not run, but come back to your luxuries, and to your homes, that you may be questioned.
14. They said, “Woe to us; we were unfair.”
15. This continued to be their cry, until We made them silent ashes.
16. We did not create the sky and the earth and what is between them for amusement.
17. If We wanted amusement, We could have found it within Us, were We to do so.
18. In fact, We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it crushes it, so it vanishes. Woe unto you, for what you describe.
19. To Him belongs everyone in the heavens and the earth. Those near Him are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they waver.
20. They praise night and day, without ever tiring.
21. Or have they taken to themselves gods from the earth who resurrect?
22. If there were in them gods other than God, they would have gone to ruin. So glory be to God, Lord of the Throne, beyond what they allege.
23. He will not be questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.
24. Or have they taken, besides Him, other gods? Say, “Bring your proof. This is a message for those with me, and a message of those before me.” But most of them do not know the truth, so they turn away.
25. We never sent a messenger before you without inspiring him that: “There is no god but I, so worship Me.”
26. And they say, “The Most Merciful has taken to himself a son.” Be He glorified; they are but honored servants.
27. They never speak before He has spoken, and they only act on His command.
28. He knows what is before them, and what is behind them; and they do not intercede except for him whom He approves; and they tremble in awe of Him.
29. And whoever of them says, “I am a god besides Him,” We will reward him with Hell. Thus We reward the wrongdoers.
Here's today's commentary.
The metaphor in √a©ßd, cut off, is taken from seed-produce which is reaped, and in khåmid, extinct, from fire which is extinguished, and the ashes of which are left smouldering. The above verses contain a clear warning for the opponents.
It is a continuance of the warning given in the previous verses. They were made to witness signs of the truth of the Prophet and they are now told to bear in mind that these signs were not in vain. In nature every cause has an effect and every end is achieved by means. Life must be taken seriously, not as a jest.
The in is here nåfiyah, i.e., negativing the statement already made (“by no means”). Pastime, lahw, in this verse carries the same significance as sporting in the previous verse. The commentators say that lahw, in the dialect of Yaman, signifies wife or child, and thus the statement made in the verse is a refutation of the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ is the son of God.
Mark the deep conviction of the Prophet as to the ultimate triumph of Truth in the world. Certainly Truth had dawned on his mind in full resplendence. The forces of darkness and falsehood, which were uppermost in Arabia when these words were uttered, were brought to naught in his lifetime and, however powerful they may appear to be, they cannot even today make a stand before the onward march of Truth.
There is order in the universe because one law pervades the whole of it, and one law clearly points to one Author and Maintainer of that law. The unity of law is a clear proof of the Unity of the Maker.
Note that here Allåh is spoken of as Rabb al-‘Arsh, the nourisher unto perfection (“Lord”) of the ‘Arsh, so that the ‘Arsh, or the Throne itself is sustained by God, and it is not God Who is sustained by the ‘Arsh.
The great and fundamental truth of the Unity of Allåh is common to all religions; no prophet ever taught polytheism.
Refuting the doctrine that Jesus Christ is the son of God, it is added that they are honoured servants. The words draw our attention to the fact that others besides Jesus were spoken of as the sons of God, but that the title signified nothing more than that they were honoured servants, and that therefore Jesus was the son of God exactly in the same sense.
This verse affords a conclusive testimony for the sinlessness of prophets. In the first place they speak not till Allåh has spoken, i.e., they speak according to what He has taught them, not speaking of their own accord. And secondly, when they act, they act according to His commandment. Thus both their words and deeds are in accordance with Divine will, and therefore sin or disobedience of God cannot be attributed to them. The context shows clearly that the verse speaks of prophets, and not of angels.
Some people just need to "shut up". Everything those people say confuses the matter even more.
I know of a preacher.... who was a nice looking, well spoken, well educated man. Everyone liked him.... but he was a liar.... and he got into the church.... preaching. He didn't really want to be a preacher.... his mom wanted him to be a preacher. It was her dream for him since the day she learned he had been conceived. She took him to church with her every time the doors were open. All his toys, even the stuff on the walls in his bedroom were centered around the church. He was indeed going to be given every opportunity to be a preacher.
That preacher even learned the language of the church right along with learning to speak..... and walk. His mom made sure he was in the room every time she could get an opportunity.......
Alas.... it did not work.... he never accepted the One True Living God. He knew all the stories in the Bible by heart. He memorized all the poetic Psalms and all the other "important" verses.... but he never Believed any of it. He was just a parrot.
One morning mom had obviously been in the ear of the preacher of the church. That morning the sermon was about "working the faith". Mom almost threw the boy into the Isle... and since she always sat up front so she wouldn't miss a heavenly word, he found himself in front of the isle.... leaning on a step in front of the preacher. On top of that.... he was kneeling right there when mom's preacher asked the question.... "Do you want to put your faith to work? Do you want to go to the Seminary?" And so he became a preacher.
He knew it all.... but he didn't preach it right. He didn't care... he was only making mom happy. He began to forget the verses he memorized unless they were the verses that opened the pocketbooks and brought in plenty of offerings. He kept the "board" who ran the finances of the church.... very happy. He had a fine home, a fine car, nice clothes, and everyone adored their new preacher. Yep he took over the church he had grown up in. Mom was so happy.
I figure when this man gets to Judgement....mom will be there.... and she will apologize. She will blame herself when her son joins her in Hades for lying to the people of God. She will blame herself forever for Judging her son to be good enough to take a place behind the pulpit. She blames herself for pushing him into such a glorious position. She saw.... then.... her son was never a preacher, or a student.... he only loved his mom and didn't want to embarrass her.
Now.... they are just silent ashes.... a story to be passed on about choosing the right person to head the church. A story about listening for God to lead rather than doing things so that mom won't be embarrassed when she goes to her Sunday Sewing Circle. Now.... they are no more relevant than silent ashes. She passed and he quit. Silent ashes..... that's how mom's dreams turned out.
They didn't listen.... and now they are.... as silent ashes.
