seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 22:In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.
1. O people, be conscious of your Lord. The quaking of the Hour is a tremendous thing.
2. On the Day when you will see it: every nursing mother will discard her infant, and every pregnant woman will abort her load, and you will see the people drunk, even though they are not drunk—but the punishment of God is severe.
3. Among the people is he who argues about God without knowledge, and follows every defiant devil.
4. It was decreed for him, that whoever follows him—he will misguide him, and lead him to the torment of the Blaze.
5. O people! If you are in doubt about the Resurrection—We created you from dust, then from a small drop, then from a clinging clot, then from a lump of flesh, partly developed and partly undeveloped. In order to clarify things for you. And We settle in the wombs whatever We will for a designated term, and then We bring you out as infants, until you reach your full strength. And some of you will pass away, and some of you will be returned to the vilest age, so that he may not know, after having known. And you see the earth still; but when We send down water on it, it vibrates, and swells, and grows all kinds of lovely pairs.
6. That is because God is the truth, and because He gives life to the dead, and because He is Capable of everything.
7. And because the Hour is coming—there is no doubt about it—and because God will resurrect those in the graves.
8. And among the people is he who argues about God without knowledge, or guidance, or an enlightening scripture.
9. Turning aside in contempt, to lead away from the path of God. He will have humiliation in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection We will make him taste the agony of burning.
10. That is for what your hands have advanced, and because God is not unjust to the servants.
This is the commentary.
Zalzala means originally he put him into a state of commotion or agitation (LL). It is noteworthy that the word is specially used in connection with wars implying a casting of terror into the heart. Thus in 33:11 and also in a prayer of the Prophet the word is used in connection with the terror or affliction of war. And zalåzil, which is plural of zalzalah, means difficulties, trials, afflictions (LL).
In the Holy Qur’ån, al-så‘ah or the Hour does not necessarily imply the day of Judgment. It often implies the time of judgment in this life, the time when the threatened doom overtakes a people, and this seems to be the significance here. Some consider that a severe shaking of the earth is meant as a sign of the approach of the great judgment, but even in that case it might imply any terrible calamity, such as a great war.
The devil here is, as very frequently in the Holy Qur’ån, the devil in human form.
The word ba‘th (raising) is used in three senses in the Holy Qur’ån, viz., (1) the raising of the dead to life according to their good or evil deeds on the Judgment day; (2) the raising of the spiritually dead to life by the prophets; and (3) the raising up of prophets by Allåh for the guidance of mankind. The word as used here may include all three cases, whether it is the denial of the Resurrection or the denial of Allåh’s raising the Prophet, or the denial of the Prophet’s raising them to spiritual life. The argument contained in this and the following verses is equally applicable to all, but it most prominently refers to the spiritual resurrection of the dead.
These words explain the meaning of Adam’s or man’s creation from dust, which is frequently referred to in the Holy Qur’ån, for all people are here spoken of as being created from dust. Man’s creation from dust implies the ultimate springing of all life from earth.
The various stages through which every human child passes are spoken of here, the object being to show how humble is his origin. Or, the reference may be to the various stages through which man has passed in his evolution to the present stage of perfection. Attention is thus drawn to the fact that, just as the physical evolution of man is gradual, so is his spiritual growth and development.
By the worst part of life is meant dotage and decrepitude (Rz).
The stirring and swelling of the earth means its stirring and swelling with the growth of herbage. The illustration draws attention to the fact that revelation quickens dead hearts as rain quickens dead earth. The next verse makes it plain: He gives life to the dead and He is Possessor of power over all things.
To understand what is meant by those who are in the graves compare 35:22: “Surely Allåh makes whom He pleases hear, and thou canst not make those hear who are in the graves”. The significance is that even the incorrigible will be raised to a spiritual life.
Oh brother... you are probably not going to believe this.... but.... hubby and I were just talking about this yesterday.
Have you ever had a random memory pop up and require your attention and some kind of action? It's like I remember the day something terrific happened when I was six and I get this urge to thank someone for a wonderful day.... but they aren't around anymore.... so it bugs me like a worry wart.... until the next thought comes along. Or, I'll get this idea that one of my kids or nieces is in horrible trouble but I can't help them. I won't sleep for days worrying over something they have already dealt with and gone on with life.
I'm 71... getting old. I suffer from dotage and decrepitude some days.... basically it's senility that is creeping in. My dad lost to senility.... my mom passed due to complications of Alzheimer's Disease. My grandfather swore that being retired brought on the senility, dotage, and decrepitude in his life. He swore if he had stayed busy his brain wouldn't have had time to come up with these dreadful thoughts. When I saw those words "dotage and decrepitude".... I didn't recognize them at first. When I saw them... I knew they were familiar words.... but they were never about me... they were more about the old lady with that ugly wart on her nose down the street.
When we're babies... we don't know anything.
When we're old... we don't remember anything.
God will take care of us through it all. I think that's what these verses are about. God is in charge of the journey.... He's interested to see how we will make the journey. If we make the journey correctly... it will end in Heaven. If we mess it up... demand God step back.... or go away... or ignore Him purposefully.... well we'll go to Hades and be miserable for eternity.
By the way... I love the description of the change from dust to human in verse 5. A clump of cells... now known as a fetus.... all came from a few particles of dust that God turned into a human...... great description of the beginning of humanity. Women certainly don't get "dusty wombs" but our ability to conceive comes from dust... interesting.
We are all on a Pilgrimage....
