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Surah 44 AL-DUKHAAN-The state of confusion due to darkness of ignorance that can only be overcome through light of knowledge
This surah is names AL-DUKHAAN from root DAAL, KHAA and NOON. Concrete meaning of this root is fine particles of dust that rise in the air or with wind and prevent people from seeing through to other side clearly. Other meanings are smoke, haze, mist, steam, mirage, drought, trickery or technique used to hide actual thing or ideology or process or mechanism or function. Sign or signal for coming troubles or problems or disputes or fights or wars. Famine, hunger, exploitation, use and abuse, doom and gloom, very hot day, bad time or a period of scarcity or a period full of mischiefs, matter in its gaseous state, a person of bad character or conduct etc etc.
This surah is named AL-DUKHAAN because the Quran talks about confusion that covers humanity whereby it leads itself into life of hell again and again. In this surah Quran explains importance of certainty through knowledge. If people have solid base to begin with then they have something to build upon their future with certainty. If they do not then they remain confused and in an unstable situation which keeps them from progressing so they cannot achieve prosperity and their all initiatives keep on ending in failures sooner or later. The Quran explains how mankind can overcome their uncertainties and be stable and productive so that they could end up in blissful and dignified life.
Proclaim! In the name of Allah, the provider of psychological, sociological and biological needs of mankind,
1] HAA MEEM.
2] By the evidence in this book that makes distinct Our advised way of life for mankind,
3] it is clear that We have revealed this Quran during the period of darkness of ignorance to enlighten mankind with information for their growth and development because We have been warning mankind always against adopting ways of life that lead to harm and destruction.
4] Therein every principle for living a productive and constructive life has been explained wisely for mankind,
5] as a roadmap from Us. Certainly We have been sending messages through Our messengers as guidance for mankind always.
6] So this Quran is also a blissful and dignifying program from your Creator and Sustainer. He is aware of all things and makes them obvious for benefit of mankind.
7] The Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that lies in between them, should you bother to verify things to assure yourselves!
8] There is no ruler for this universe but He alone. He brings nations to life if they follow His program and leaves them to perish if they do not. He is the one who created and sustained you as well as your forefathers of old.
9] Yet they the mankind fool about in doubt and confusion.
10] So you should wait for the time when the world will become filled with all kinds of troubles clearly visible,
Once message has been clearly explained yet people do not respond to it as they ought to then only choice that remains for divine messenger is wait and see. Wait and see what? The outcome of what people are doing to each other. As social decline reaches to its lowest at that time people look for ways out of it and then the very message that has been rejected by them already becomes very much acceptable to them. So long as masses can carry on with their lives as usual they do not care what anyone says but as things come to a standstill and life becomes a burden people start paying attention to anything just in case it helps them. This is how divine message then spreads like fire in jungle because it gives them hope and security.
11] engulfing such people. This will be the painful suffering that will befall such people as a result of their own actions.
12] At that time they will say, our Creator and Sustainer, provide us shelter from this suffering because we agree to commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind.
13] But how can acceptance of Our message at that stage benefit them? Because Our messenger who makes things clear has already come to them
14] yet they turn away from him saying, he is a madman who has been taught and set against us by our enemies!
This verse explains why people accused the divine messenger of madness because they took him for an agent of some other people who filled his ears against them ie they took him for person who had been given an agenda as a conspiracy against these people. This accusation is raised even today against the message of the Quran by rulers, money lenders, mullahs and those who suck up to them or support them. The fact however is that this message is all about brotherhood of human family and those who only want to live for themselves at the expense of rest of humanity do not want to live by this idea so they make up excuses to avoid coming under rule of Allah. This fact soon comes to light all by itself as gulf between people widens with time and no one feels safe living that way. It is because rivalries and animosities do not let people live long as hatred comes about and wars break out between various factions due to their personal interests and gains. This then proves to mankind the divine message was not conspiracy by anyone against anyone but a straight forward blissful and dignifying way of life that could have saved humanity from all these troubles that finally engulf mankind because of the ways of life they adopt for themselves.
15] However We will withhold afflictions from you for a while as you turn to Our advised way of life but you will go back to your bad old ways of living.
16] If that time comes, We will find you caught up in grave consequences of your actions, that is how Our set-up systems and laws will help you back on proper track.
17] Likewise We put through struggle people of Pharaoh when Our messenger came to them offering them blissful and dignified life by
18] saying to Pharaoh, let people of Allah turn to me for guidance because I am to you all a messenger who can bring about peace between all people in the land.
19] Do not hold yourselves above the law of Allah, surely I have come to you with an authority that is verifiably true.
20] I want to set up a kingdom in the name of Creator and Sustainer of mine and yours in order to save my people from your harmful and destructive system of ruling.
21] If you do not wish to commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind then stay away from my people.
22] When Pharaoh and his chiefs refused his proposal he relied upon set-up systems and laws of his Creator and Sustainer saying, these people are surely committed to criminal behaviour against each other.
23] So We said, take My people on a journey away from this darkness of ignorance, surely you will be followed by masses.
24] However leave the masses that are divided who wish to remain so because they are groups that are bound to drown in their self created troubles.
Whenever there is a split in leadership masses follow each leadership that suits them under the situation and circumstances. Likewise some people follow Moses others keep following Pharaoh. However there comes a time when fights breakout between groups that follow Pharaoh so they end up ruined because of the ways of life they adopted for themselves. This is how people who followed Moses end up inheriting what they leave behind. The Quran tells a very different story about Moses and Pharaoh than told by Jews and Christians. More likely due to their wrong interpretations of their own scriptures.
25] How many gardens and springs they left behind!
26] And agriculture and grand palaces!
27] And means of luxury and comfort which they used to enjoy!
28] Such was their end! That is how We let other people inherit what belonged to them.
29] So the destruction they brought upon themselves caused no damage to the working of the heavens and the earth rather they gave themselves no time to think things through.
30] But that is how We delivered children of Israel from a humiliating suffering
31] inflicted by Pharaoh who was most arrogant among such inordinate transgressors.
32] Behold! We chose them at the time for making Our plan obvious to the nations in the world.
33] We gave them from Our lessons to learn themselves and teach to others wherein was involved struggle to make them manifest in reality.
Allah never gave any scripture to any people to read it for their daily worship but to read it for understanding the program, constitution and law and spread it to get support from rest of human community to implement the program so that mankind could have blissful and dignified existence. A very clear indication that mullahs are misleading their people in the name of God and scriptures.
34] This story is for these people who say,
35] there is no life worth living after our fall of the old as a people and there is no way we could be raised again to life of dignity as a people.
36] Bring us story about our forefathers if they rose again after their fall if you speak the truth.
The Quran brings in stories of both ancient people ie the one who rose to success and those who failed themselves with reasons as to why one people succeeded and the other failed. This way it warns those who are living their lives the wrong way and gives hope to those who wish to rise again but have lost foundation to do so therefore feel hopeless. The Quran tells them that fallen nations were raised again by divine inspirations so if you want to rise again then here is the program to follow. Give up divisions and unite so that you could have peace between yourselves. Peace should be used to make progress through cooperation and hard work so that prosperity of whole nation is the end result. So any people who want to rise must prove they are better in their mindsets, attitudes and behaviour than those who ended up destroying themselves. Just saying I want to rise is not enough rather words should be backed up with hard work that leads to required end result. Allah makes no empty promises to mankind like mullahs and rulers and money lenders etc.
37] Are these people better than the people of Tubba and those who were before them? We let them destroy themselves for the reason that they became such criminals as inflicted fatal blows against each other.
38] We did not created the heavens the earth and all that lies in between them just for pass time.
39] We have created them for a set purpose but most of them do not bother to learn to understand things purposefully.
This like verses are repeated in the Quran telling us Allah created the universe in such a way that all causes have effects and all people get outcome of their thoughts and actions. It is because mankind must get to stage of unity so that there is peace between them. Only then people can work together and make full progress to bring about prosperity of mankind. Once people reach that stage only then people could think about higher goals like exploration of the universe and realisation of divine presence and its power and creative capability. Allah has set-up natural systems and laws to ensure all actions have outcomes, this is why fire burns and water quenches thirst. Nothing can contravene laws of nature. Allah has also given laws for people to live by as proper human community and if any people contravene those laws the outcome of that is fall of a nation. Something that social scientists need to study in detail and then help reorganise humanity upon proper foundation provided by the Quran so that human world could deliver itself from all its self created problems. These two sets of laws cannot let people live in peace if they do not show respect for them as appropriate. This has been explained already in this work elsewhere.
40] Surely the time to face outcome of their own actions is set for them as a people
41] At that time no close friend can benefit his close friend, so there is no support for any people
42] save those who abide by blissful and dignifying program of Allah. Surely He is majestic provider of blissful and dignifying program for mankind.
43] Verily principle of quick personal gain at the expense of others
As explained already word SHAJARAT indicated branches or divisions like in a family tree or as in a constitution of an organisation or a state etc. Likewise word ZAQQOOM is about difficulties or troublesome situations. Since the Quran talks about divisions in human community and the reasons behind them so it depends on context how such words are to be interpreted. Since people live either as a proper human community that is sharing and caring or as a population that exploits each other thereby ends up using and abusing each other that is why these verses which deal with people who cause troubles need to be interpreted that way. These verses deal with people who make life hell so they explain how they make life hell by using social, political, economic, religious and cultural systems, structures, mechanisms, procedures and practices. When use and abuse reaches tipping point social upheavals become inevitable and masses go into revenge mode. Toppling people in position of power and crushing them under their feet. This brings about change in social and political landscape in the land the Quran talks about. Uprising when it takes place changes things drastically in a state or society. Old world orders give way to new ones. Since revolutions are rarely peaceful the Quran wants people to become educated and not let things go that far or all people involved live to regret things due to losses such upheavals bring to a society.
44] is adopted by those who lose the dignity of earning their own living.
45] As if they are exempt from shouldering their assigned responsibilities. This pressurises their societies,
46] like boiling water in a pot.
47] Soon a call rises, seize such a one and drag him into the middle of pit of fire of hatred he has created,
48] that is how scalding water is poured over his harmful and destructive goal,
Hot water is an idiom that spells trouble. If hot water is poured on a plant it kills it just like burning of ice cold liquid. Ice also burns plants in winter times or wintry weather. Likewise if a human society does not keep its environment such that helps it grow and develop then it too dies away. This is why use and abuse based populations are doomed or at least cannot grow and develop to the degree they need to, to have lives worth living ie they become stuck. People who start using and abusing others whom they consider not their part soon reach the stage whereby they also start using and abusing those whom they consider their part. That is because people who exclude others from their circle keep reducing their circle till they are all alone. This is why it is better to be inclusive instead of exclusive.
49] and the voice says, experience all this yourself now through which you put others because you thought of yourself as a powerful and above the law!
50] This is the uprising and upheaval the idea of which you used to brush aside as a joke that it could ever take place.
While things work for those at the top, they do not consider other human beings as human beings instead they take them for their slave labourers or as animals like donkeys and horses but when tide turns it is payback time. If both parties were sensible they could avoid such seesaw situation that keeps both parties unstable due to each other.
51] As for those who are consistent with Our guidance and each other, they have secure foundation to build their future upon
52] in blissful kingdoms with ever flowing fountains of things of their need and want,
53] clothed with fine conducts and manners, settling themselves on stage of dignity complementing efforts of each other.
54] Such is their state of existence! All because Our guidance makes it possible to come together for such people as are of pure and beneficial mindset, attitude and behaviour.
Words HOORIN EEN means people who have such mindsets, attitudes and behaviours that are mutually beneficial for them. Their minds are free of deceptive motivation against each other as well as they think about benefiting each other. What Quran is telling mankind here is that a proper human community can only results from such human beings who do not harm each other and work hard for the betterment of each other. When such people come about the fruits of their labour are many folds because their efforts do not go to waste in trying to fight against each other.
55] This is why therein they will have anything they want but peacefully
56] because therein they will not wish to experience fall after seeing the initial fall. That is why they will avoid becoming stuck in a situation that makes life hell
When a sensible people have bad experience in life they do not wish to repeat it if they can help it. Before divine kingdom becomes an established reality people go through hell at hands of each other due to rivalries and animosities therefore if they get an opportunity for society that is opposite of that then they do not wish to lose it therefore they try to raise future generations better so that what they have brought about lasts for them too.
57] as a result of knowledge from your Creator and Sustainer. That is a great achievement.
58] That is why We have made this Quran easy to understand through explanations in your own language so that they may learn it and spread it for the benefit of mankind.
59] If the mankind still refuse to accept Our guidance then wait and they too need to wait to see outcome of their actions.
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