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KITAB, QURAN & ARABIC

CHAPTER 1     KITAB, QURAN & ARABIC –     IS "ARABIC" THE NAME OF A LANGUAGE OF MIDDLE EAST AND THE BOOK QURAN ...

Tuesday 8 July 2014

SURAH 114 - AN NAAS

  
CHAPTER 5 – SEEKING REFUGE WITH THE RABB OF THE AGITATED MIND

Surah 114سورة الناس

AN NAS - THE AGITATED MIND

PURPOSE OF THE SURAH:


The main concern of the respected author is to explain the role and position of Rabb/Allah in the entire Quran; surah An-Naas, the last surah of the book Quran is one of that attempt. The respected author wants to emphasize on one of the characters of the Rabb, that is an agitated Mind / Consciousness by help of this surah. The purpose of portraying the attributes of Rabb does not mean to encourage the trend of counting His name on beads but its main purpose is to identify the quality and importance of the Rabb of An-naas - i.e. agitated mind or an unsettled mind / consciousness can also be very dangerous if not taken care properly.

The instruction is given to readers about the character of An-Naas and surprisingly An-Naas does not mean mankind. An-naas is the agitated or disturbed person with agitated mind-set who cannot decide his course of action and he / she is concerned about the welfare of his life and the world at large. This confused or agitated character is in the human nature maybe that’s the reason the traditional translators have translated it as mankind. This character of agitation can be good if applied in right sense or it can be bad if the intention is bigotry.
But all of mankind does not come under this category as some are content in whatever state they are in. The root word of Naas isن و س   and the root word of insaan is ا ن س. Here the addressee is the listener or the reader. He / she is instructed to be aware of such perturbed personalities, whose mind is so perturbed and they are prone or vulnerable to unintentional evil thoughts. The mind is the God (ilah) and the Owner (malik) of such agitated people. If the evil thoughts enter the mind, it will corrupt that person. A corrupt mind is like an evil master ruling over us. So seeking refuge from such conditionings which corrupts the mind / consciousness is what the respected author’s main concern.

In surah Fateha "Quran" states that the Rabb is Malik i-yaum-i-deen.  And here too "Quran" emphasizes that He is also Malik-i-Naas. In both the surahs the emphasis is on Rabb as Malik or Boss. Having a good boss is very important in life. And our Boss, the mind has an anomalous character which depends upon our own behavior or the thoughts we are entertaining. Becoming an obedient employee and not falling prey to the evil prompting is the key message of the surah An- Naas and Quran at large. In this surah the emphasis is given on An-Naas i.e. -The agitated mind / ConsciousnessOne of the behaviors of the Mind is to get agitated.
Do we really act as His slave or are we really concerned about the evil sneakers around us, who are ever ready to spoil / corrupt our mind / consciousness? We should remember that we are the manifestation of Rabb - "Quran” mentions that we are Insaan, which means a social and helpful character. An agitated man or a disturbed mind (An-naas) cannot be construed as a common human (Insaan) who is social and take care of others. An-Naas is a reclusive character with burning desire to have all the answers to their questions. Such people are advice to take care of their mind, because without right guidance nobody can have all the answers. To have questions in mind is good thing but sometimes the answers a late to come. The period between a question and the right answer is the moment of agitation. 
It is not easy to serve humanity (Insaaniyat) without taking care of our own Rabb. By just imitating the physical appearance and eating habits of the “honorable Messenger” no one can attain the ‘halo’ status of humanity. We have to be with the Rabb, our Master, our ilah, our Malik all the time 24/7. We cannot become Insaan (human) in the day and become Haiwaan (animal) in the night.

The surah is reminding us that the Rabb is our Owner and our God who is always with us and we should take care of not letting it get agitated. The Surah is about An-Naas and not about Insaan. An-Naas is an agitated character whereas Insaan is social or benevolent character. So care should be taken not to make the agitated mind take any wrong steps so as to become violent or aggressive. The mind should always remain balanced and cool by our righteous thoughts. The peace of mind can only be achieved if we ward off sneaking evil thoughts from our surroundings and our system of consciousness. We should take precaution or be safe from such evil thoughts as they are prone to sneak in the mind and ultimately can cause mental damage to us and the society at large. The agitated characters are the people of action, if any negativity enters their mind they are prone to act in a hurry. Peer pressure is the biggest cause of negativity.

Critical Analysis of the surah: 

Same mistake is carried forward by the translators from surah Al-Falaq to surah An-Naas. They have botched up the verses of the "Quran" by fidgeting with their vague assumptions. They do not have an iota of fear of accountability and responsibility towards the community for misleading the followers of the noble "Quran". One fifth of the world population relies on this book for guidance and to misguide them is a heinous crime against humanity. In surah Ikhlaas they have comfortably changed the meaning of Ahad into Wahid.  And here they have fearlessly changed the meaning of the agitated mind (ناس) as the mankind (الانسان). This does not mean that the eminent translators lack Arabic translation skills. This shows that their mind is not clear from their preconceived notions and their beliefs or their cultural understanding is more valuable to them than making an attempt to recheck the meaning of Naas from the classical lexicons and change their stance.

They are so blinded to the facts that they cannot differentiate between the two simple words which even a beginner of Arabic language can identify. The onus of responsibility falls on them, for misleading the lovers of Quran and distorting the message that is full of psychological ethics, meant for the guidance of people who are confused between two opinions or the courses of action to be taken. "Muslims" all over the world rely on this book for guidance. The world will not forgive these eminent "scholars of Islam". The malady in which the whole world is suffering, especially "muslims", is only because of distorted interpretation by these self-proclaimed “protectors of Islam” and the masses that follow them blindly.


Because of these terrible mistakes while translating the Glorious Quran, the masses who love the Quran tremendously, fail to extract the correct guidance from this wonderful book and the result is some become blind followers, ready to die for every word of the holy text while some expel themselves from the folds of “Islam”.

If the "muslims" truly want to change their present condition they should change their doctors and should go in for a second opinion, and question their prescriptions - Why is their plight not improving? This can happen only if we open up the omnipotent mind and stop following blindly, these so called doctors. The respected author emphasizes that the Mind is the jugular vein of our body and our existence. The mind is also termed as Nafs by the Arabic lexicons. So it is our duty to protect the mind from negative and wrong influences as it is a vital part of our evolution. This can only be possible if we safeguard our mind from evil forces. 


 قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ -کہہ دو میں لوگوں کے رب کی پناہ میں آیا  (urdu translation)

- Verse 114:1 in urdu: Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind". This traditional translation makes one feel that we are seeking refuge from the Rabb, in the same way as we ask for refuge from the Shaitaan -  بالله من الشيطان الرجيم أعوذ - Since childhood I knew that we ask for protection from the satan - the accursed one, but this was perplexing to me as to why do we have to seek protection from the Rabb or in the lord of mankind ? Instead of asking for help from the Rabb, we are asking for protection from Rabb or with Rabb as though Rabb is as dangerous as Satan. But the message gets drastically clear when instead of mankind we replace it with an agitated mind. The agitated mind is a dangerous companion without proper guidance and care.The honorable author warns that the mind of an agitated person is always wavering, so he should be careful about his Rabb / Mind as it is prone to go astray. Because if the mind is influenced with wrong ideas then there is no place of refuge or safety as mind / consciousness is our continuous companion and we cannot detach ourselves from it. The safety of mind is equally important; therefore it instructs us to seek refuge along with the Rabb / Mind.

The traditionalists have portrayed it as though there are different lords for different species. Translating Rabb as Lord of Mankind, Lord of Animals, and Lord of Worlds smells as if Lord is an anthropomorphic Boss. I had always believed throughout my life that God was only one and that no vision can grasp Him. I could not understand this anthropomorphic nature of lord in the entire "Quran" at that time. I could not imagine Rabb / God in that form and it was beyond my intellect to accept such interpretations. Interpreting verse 1 as “Rabb of agitated mind”, cleared my confusion and it also vindicated my point that Rabb is mind / consciousness and sometimes it could get agitated too.

How the evil forces penetrate into our mind, is explained in verse 4-6. Man is endowed with free will and we have been warned by the author to be careful about the unseen forces and the sneaking temptations which may corrupt us. It is up to us to make our Rabb either our friend or our enemy

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

With the identification of the System, The Self Explanatory, The Most Helpful.

Interpretation:

1) قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ 

 Say " I continuously seek refuge with the Governor / Fountainhead (Rabb) of the agitated mind

2) مَلِكِ النَّاسِ 

The Owner of the agitated mind

3) إِلَـٰهِ النَّاسِ

God of the agitated mind

4) مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ 

From the sneaking of evil whisperer

5) الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ 

That whispers in the girth/mind of the agitated mind

6) مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ

From the process of hidden passion of the agitated mind” 

Contextual and Lexicon Meanings:

قل   = Say (order to repeat)

أَعُوذ  = I seek protection/preservation/refuge- (seek here means to desire to have protection)

بِرَبِّ =  With Fountainhead / Governor / Consciousness

مَلِكِ  = Owner

إِلَـٰهِ  = Ideology, doctrine, god, controller, one who is adored, worshiped

الْخَنَّاس  = The sneaking

مِن = From

شَرِّ  = Evil

يُوَسْوِسُ   = Whisper, temptation

صُدُورِ = minds, highest part, chest, heart, returning to origin, backward, girth 

الْجِنَّةِ = The Unseen [knowledge], Covered, hidden, invisible, latent (forces)...

وَ  = Generally used as conjunction but it is also used to explain or elaborate 

النَّاسِ  = The agitated people / mind - in a state of commotion* also means jinn - EWL page 2866

When we have understood that the Rabb is our constant companion in the state of happiness or sadness. We also know that the negative peer pressure or glamour can lead us to depression (Iblees) and can take us to a point of stagnation (Jahannum) where we are unable to think. If we wish to protect our Rabb from these negative forces which can spoil our basic knowledge of peace, then we should guard our-self from wavering individuals which can dethrone our position of bliss to the position of hell.

The respected author of the “Quran” is emphasizing on us by uttering Qul (say - mental verb) in order to gain the attention of our senses who are listening. When an important announcement or reminder is made by the teacher he makes sure that the student is attentive. So the teacher makes sure that the student repeats his sentence or paragraph. This is done in order that the valuable message gets imprinted in the mind of the student. Here the student is our own senses The cosmic mind keeps on reminding (Zikr) the listener these verses that the state of bliss is more important and it needs to be protected from daily temptations. If the mind gets corrupted it will rule over him / her and drag him to the state of stagnation (Jahannum). If we store good things in our mind, the cosmic mind and our mind will have the same frequency which will lead us to a Peaceful Life. What we feed into our mind, the same thing controls our life, so be careful while feeding because our mind is our continuous associate. The thoughts are our main food of the mind, so be cautious what thoughts we feed it with. Ultimately we will be governed or ruled by what we have fed it with.

Important note:

The root word of ناس (Nas) is نؤس  - the basic meaning is a state of commotion, moved to and fro, hanging down, agitation, wavering etc. When AL is added to Naas it becomes a peculiar quality of specific class of people with specific mind set and not the entire mankind as perceived by many. The character of such people is to ‘agitate’ because of the agitation in their mind. They are restless souls and always in a continuous thinking process, working in specified field, they keep on changing their mind until they find a break-through. Some among these classes of people are committed to their cause, whether right or wrong . The author is emphasizing on us that we should be aware of such characters as they are hidden from the society and they are not easily recognizable. They have a burning passion inside them to find the solutions which bothers them. 

The root word of
الْجِنَّةِ  is جنّ. The basic meaning here denotes concealed or hidden. When Al is prefixed, it becomes a specific function. Majnoon, junoon and janana are its derivatives -  possessed by strong emotions, pregnant woman respectively. Furthermore with the suffixed ة (feminine marker) to الْجِنَّةِ it indicates some hidden mechanism or process of knowledge, pregnant with knowledge...all inside man.

صُدُورِ  = The basic meaning is to return, revert, turned or went back, issued, proceeded of any affair, highlighted part, upper part or highest part, precedence or priority, girth – Sadur also means what is in the mind (intellect) رحيب الصدور  = Free-minded – المصدر = Chief Judge or Prime minister to the King.

LESSONS TO BE LEARNT FROM THE SURAH:

1.  Your Conscious / Mind / Governor (Rabb) is your God

2. Your Conscious is your Boss (Malik)

3. Protect your Rabb from negative whispering (Khanas)

4. Seek refuge from agitated Mind / Consciousness / Governor

5. Agitated mind can be very dangerous, take care of it, be a Mutaqi.




       








SURAH 113 AL-FALAQ

UNDERSTANDING THE QUALITY OF RABB

SURAH 113 - سورة الفلق
 AL-FALAQ - THE GERMINATION


GENERAL BELIEF ABOUT THE SURAH:

The title AL- FALAQ and the word FALAQ appearing in the first verse of the surah describe the characteristic or nature of Rabb. Surah Falaq and surah Naas are also termed as surah of "Isti' azah" by the traditionalists. Hence they are called Mua' vvizatain (the two surah of refuge). The word Falaq and its derivatives appear 4 times in the “Quran” (6:95-96), (26:63) and (113:1) the general meaning of which is to split, break, sprout, clave, germinate extra.

The first verse in the surah is about seeking refuge. The readers are instructed to seek refuge but the question is from whom and why? I have been hearing about these two surahs since childhood that they are said to be an antidote for black magic, evil eye and it works against the haunting of ghosts. This type of belief is endorsed by different hadith literature, and is a prime cause of big businesses of witch-craft flourishing under its pretext. But "Quran" does not support such type of theories, on the contrary it rejects the claim of those who say that even the messenger was affected by black magic {and they were the actually wrong doers}. These two surahs are said to be revealed as an antidote for black magic. "It's the wrong doers or wicked people who say that you are following a man who is affected by magic" - (17:47) traditional translation.

"Al-Quran" is the book of guidance and a criterion (2:185). Its purpose is to impart guidance to individuals with wavering minds and to help them distinguish right from wrong. The reason for poor plight of the followers of "Quran" is not because of this marvelous book but because they fail to extract marvelous guidance from it. They treat this book as though it’s a book with magical formulas that can perform miracles and give instant solutions to dwindling businesses, health issues and can fulfill all their wishes by just rote reading. "Quran" instructs its follower to use their common sense and if they fail to do so they will be in a filthy condition - (10:100). “Quran” further emphasizes not to blindly rely even on its verses (25:73), but use our senses (17:36) still we treat this "book" miserably (25:30).

The general belief about these surahs is that it cures the person affected by black magic or possessed by ghosts. If one recites these two surahs and puffs it on the affected person, the person comes out of the black magic spell.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SURAH:

 
Another example of how the translators have botched up the verses of the "Quran" by making a mockery of the vibrant Arabic words and destroying the wonderful eternal message with their own assumptions. They do not have an iota of fear of getting caught in the act and being humiliated. In surah Ikhlaas they have conveniently changed the meaning of Ahad into Wahid. And here they have recklessly changed the meaning of Bi to Fi or Min in verse 113:1. This selection of wrong meaning does not mean that the eminent translators lack Arabic translation skills, but this shows that their concern for preserving traditionalism is far greater than the intactness of the message by the honorable messenger. They are so blinded to the facts that they cannot differentiate between the 3 simple prepositions which even a learner who is a beginner of the Arabic language could identify. The onus of responsibility falls on them, for misleading the lovers of "Quran" and distorting the message meant for the agitated minds. Sadly "Muslims" all over the world rely on this book for guidance without making an effort to understand on their own. 

The world will not forgive these eminent "doctors of Islam" who are misleading the masses to follow wrong interpretation of “Quran”. The malady in which the whole world is suffering, especially "Muslims" is only because of these self-proclaimed doctors / scholars. If the "Muslims want to change their present condition they should change their doctors and take a second opinion about their beliefs as to - Why their plight is not improving? 
Is Allah is unjust? Why His promise is failing, or is it that we have not understood the correct message of “Quran”?

The promises can only be attained if we open up the omnipotent mind and simply stop following blindly the so called doctors / scholars and question each and every diktat of theirs. We should also introspect our own ideologies. The true guidance is with our Rabb only. So follow our Rabb as it has the potential to grow and take us out from the labyrinth of ignorance to light. This feat is possible because our fertile mind possesses the quality to germinate (Falaq) that is to sow new seeds in order to revive / reform again and awaken the dormant mind towards positive virtue - this is what the respected author's concern is throughout the entire "Quran".
Coming to the point  قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ  - Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak / dawn - کہہ دو صبح کے پیدا کرنے والے کی پناہ مانگتا ہوں - in urdu. This traditional translation makes one feel that we are seeking refuge from the Rabb in the same way as we ask for refuge from the Shaitaan أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم  - Since childhood we have been taught that we should ask Allah for protection from the Satan - the accursed. But this was perplexing to me as to why do we have to seek protection or refuge from the Rabb or in the lord of daybreak? Instead of asking for help from the Rabb, we are asking for refuge from Rabb as if Rabb is as dangerous as Satan. And this was even more confusing that, why do we have to ask for refuge from / in the Lord of the dawn, when there is no فى  (Fi) orمن  (Min) used in the verse (113:1).

The traditionalist have portrayed as though there are different lords for different times. Because of this a question pops up in my mind, are there different Rabbs for different timings? It compelled me to think on those lines - God of dawn, God of afternoon, God of evening, and God of night - I began to think all such humbugs. Since I had always believed throughout my life that God was only one, I could not understand this context at that time. Why emphasis is given to God of Dawn - was a bit confusing and this always lingered in the mind. I had been a thinking child, always reasoning and creating questions for myself. These anxieties led me towards the light and one day I had the answers to my multiple curiosities. 

Here the traditional translators by their vague translations are making a general impression that the Lord of dawn is a deity who is protecting us and we should come under His protection for our safety and ward off evil. But the truth is that the beloved messenger is instructing us to protect ourselves along with our Rabb who is as precious as our own body part. The actual translation should be- "I seek protection with the germinal mind". The meaning of بِرَبِّ   is- with Rabb and not - in Rabb or - from Rabb as portrayed by many translators in various languages.

As the surah suggests that every individual has to seek / find the protection along with the Rabb and not alone. Rabb and 'We' are not two different entities but one and they are inseparable. The Rabb is the cause of our physical existence and all encompassing that. The general perception is that the Rabb or God is not part of us and we have to pray or cry in order to seek His help or attention, like a baby who cries for milk when hungry. We firmly believe that somebody divine who resides at the 7th Heaven sees and hears our prayers and judges all our actions or acting. But here the respected author is instructing us to protect our-self along with the Rabb who is within us. When - with (Bi) is attached to Rabb it signifies a sense of belonging, possession or presence with or within ourselves. When we realize that the Rabb is an integral part of us, like how eyes, ears, tongue, hand, legs etc are, we become more confident, fearless and responsible and more accountable that the Rabb is an integral part of us and we cannot escape from Him.

 And if we plead with our own part of body, to protect us as being portrayed by the traditional translators, then it seems more absurd to us. This absurdity made me think if the Rabb is an integral part of us why we should call Him to protect us or why we seek refuge in or from Him. On the contrary it becomes our duty to protect Him (Rabb) from any harm, same way as it becomes our duty to protect our body organs along with our mind or consciousness from getting wounded. 

Non physical things depend on physical things and vice versa. A lung depends on air, eyes depend on light, tongue depends on speech, Brain depends on mind etc. All our physical entity depends on non physical entity. Physical entities are temporary, superficial and useless without these powerful everlasting invisible entities. They are the driving force behind every vehicle. {Preposition is used it show the position of the noun.} Here the noun is Rabb and the preposition Bi (with) attach
ed to it, which is emphasizing on the position of Rabb within our self or with us. This is what bi-rabbi means.

Like everyone I was also under the belief that Rabb is that entity which is not a part of us and it is in the Rabb's domain to protect us from evil forces, hence we are praying to him and seeking protection from him. But the fact is Rabb is the head of our whole unit and is embedded in our own system. We have to take care of it in order to receive benefits from it. The System Rabb plays a vital role in deciding how we will spend our lives. It is closer than our jugular vein (50:16).

As the surah suggests that every individual has to seek / find the protection along with the Rabb and not alone. Rabb and We are not two different entities but one. In other words for the sake of understanding I may rephrase it and say I seek protection along with my family. So family and I are one - one unit, I am not alone. I am concerned or attached to my whole family. Rabb and I are not isolated but are one entity. If I want to live a proper life I should take care of my Rabb and Rabb will take care of me. As my family and I are not separate but one unit, same way me and my rabb are one unit, not separable.

Brain a physical organ has somewhat similar qualities / faculties / characters as of non-physical or invisible mind but it has its limitations. Rabb or mind is everywhere but brain cannot travel everywhere. The brain is like a station which catches the frequency of waves of mind and is broadcasted through the tongue or like a computer which is futile without its software. As without air, lungs are useless, same way without mind or rabb brain is useless.  We observe that the brain is the power house of our body, which houses multiple faculties that commands the whole body to function. For example, the brain controls emotional, physical activity, the digestive system and bowel movements of the body. The Role of Rabb is greater than that of the brain. The mind / Rabb shapes our life, our thoughts which ultimately decide the course of our destiny. Brain acts as a transformer, which receives and stores the frequency from the mind and turns it into action. There are many faculties in the brain. But the brain catches a particular frequency which is compatible with the strength of memory or capacity of the brain. The strength of the storage or the memory capacity depends on what and how much data your brain receives or is capable of receiving. If the data is good and productive the frequency will tune up and will be focused to that capability or faculty. The data that we feed into the brain through mind are like seeds which germinate (falaq) and grow into a good or a bad tree. Quran talks about Kalimat which are actually not words but are various processes of communication between us and our mind. Expressions / assertions / words are actually energies which affect us in our growth or even stagnation. Quran has explained this in parables (14:24-27).

The chapter is about the characteristics or nature of the mind (Rabb) to germinate. The basic meaning of the word AL-FALAQ /الْفَلَقِ  is to break, as used in breakthrough or breaking of the seed, it also means to crack as used in cracking of eggs or emergence of light from darkness – But to term the word falak as day-break or the dawn is doing injustice with the context and the message. Terming Rabb as Lord of day-break or King of night break does not make any sense; neither does it convey any message to the readers. Mind has a peculiar nature - to give birth to ideas good or bad and that needs to be protected or taken care of, from the evil (Sharr) thoughts. Actually Rabb is like our fertile ground, whatever seed we sow, it will germinate and become a good tree or a bad tree, depends on what we have sown in and how we have protected or nourished it. Hence I have taken the meaning of FALAQ as germination, in accordance with the lexicon.

QUL is an order to be attentive, from a sincere teacher, to educate our-self about the germinal nature of the mind. Germination means the ability to grow after a period of dormancy, for example - the sprouting of a seedling from a seed. Al-Falaq is a specific quality describing the Rabb and its anomalous behavior to germinate.

How we should seek protection is explained in verse 2-5 and surah 114. Man is endowed with free will and we have been warned by the respected author to be careful about the germinal nature of mind and the evil which takes birth inside it. If it is not guarded from the sneaking evil around us it can create discontent, dispute and finally we can fall from our paradise. It is up to us whether to make our Rabb as our friend or our enemy, either ways He will be our constant companion.

   
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

With the identification of the System, The Rehmaan, The Rahim

INTERPRETATION:

    قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ

(1) Say “I seek protection with up-bringer of the germinal mind


      
 مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ

(2) From evil, what He created / evolved (given birth)


      
 وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ

(3) And from darkness of evil, when advances   

      وَمِن شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ

(4) And from the inspiring evil, in the firm beliefs  

       
 وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ

(5) And from the evil of (the) envious one when he envies".


الْعُقَدِ - Genitive masculine noun are the deep rooted beliefs that dwells and breeds in the mind. The beliefs are created by the germination of certain idea or doctrine and then it is lodged in the mind. That's why the author's deep concern is to protect the mind from germinating wrong doctrine that can lead to wrong beliefs, resulting in ruining the mind and the life at large. عقيدة (doctrine) is the derivative of عقد.


نفاثات  - genitive plural noun which means to blow or inspire. Protection is also sought from jealous people whose practice of envy can ruin us. Gossips, false propaganda and rumors are evils (sharr) that can destroy anyone, so the respected author recommends us to take precaution from such evils by not getting inspired by it.


SURAH FALAQ FROM TRADITIONAL POINT OF VIEW:  

According to traditionalists the honorable messenger was under the effect / spell of magic, and this was the reason why surah Falaq and surah Naas were revealed - to break the magical spell, that is why these surahs are called Mu'avvizatain (Two surahs of refuge). These surah's are the main references given by the practitioners of "black magic" to support their belief. And these types of translations are the main cause of authenticating the irrational beliefs of the common man in believing in supernatural powers, thus affecting their normal life. They say that if the “holy messenger” can be affected by magic so why can't an ordinary person like us come under its spell.
In fact in the surah Bani Israel 17 verse 47 clearly states that - the wrong-doers say that you are following a person affected by magic - and in surah 13:11 according to traditional interpretation it states that the messenger is protected from front and behind - - it is clearly stated that, it is the wrong doer or evil people who believe in this story, and that the messenger was affected by magic. "Quran" simply wants to clarify that here it is evil people / one who thinks negatively- it is they who believe in magic and not the wise.  

So there is a contradiction in traditional belief and traditional translation itself. Just think before believing in anything - This is my only concern. Please your common sense. No offense intended.

Quran states that the wrong-doers believed that the honorable messenger was under some magical influence. Our traditional thinkers who also believe in the same way as those of the wrong doers, that the messenger was under the spell of black magic for the during six months period of propagation. And based on this Hadith, people wrote a fictional novel like the ‘Satanic verses’.

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE SURAH:

We are cautioned here to take care of our Mind. Not being entrapped or letting any negativity nurture in it. One must be in complete control mentally, prior to the culmination of any evil thoughts. Promote the cultivation of positivity, thus breaking away from the shackles of wrong beliefs and not getting blown away by wrong environment or peer pressure. Here we learn that Falaq is to germinate our mind in order to bring in positive reformation and revival.

The anomalous nature of mind is such that it will protect us only if we take care of it from evil surroundings which prompt us to act otherwise. Understanding the Rabb and achieving peace of mind is the main concern of the surah and the entire "Quran" too.

 So take care of your Rabb and it will take care of you by default and that‘s no secret.















SURAH 111 AL- MASAD

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Surah 111- سورة المسد


AL-Masad - Long tedious mental journey


The entire book Quran is about following our own script [Al-Kitab] and this surah is not an  exception.

As the name of this Surah suggests, it’s about a long tiresome and tedious mental journey one has to undergo. The reason being - man gets deviated from his intense field of interest in order to achieve some livelihood or earnings. As a result, he is not satisfied with what he has achieved. He continuously burns in his own anger that it would have been much better if he had followed his instincts / inner script. If a man does not enjoy his work it feels like he is carrying a unnecessary burden on his head. The ultimate result is that he perishes under this continuous mental burden because of his obstinate nature.

Man is naturally bestowed with a typically fixed pattern of behavior called instinct in the form of a script (Kitab). The innate script continuously remind him of his original role he has perform in order to live a satisfactory life. The burden of not following his instinct or the script (Kitab) always lingers in his mind and the journey of life becomes boring, full of burden and disinterests him.

The traditional translation portrays "Allah" as a powerless / helpless God, who curses Abu Lahab for his misdeeds, caused by him against the "Messenger of Islam". According to traditional translators this surah is supposed to have been revealed in order to console the "messenger" that his opponents would face hardship in the future. This is a direct insult to those who believe in the philosophy of animate omnipotent God. Why an "Omnipotent God" would curse a local mischief-maker.

So if we believe in the theory of circumstances of revelation (Shaan-e-Nazool) pertaining to this surah, the timeless message becomes defunct for the present as well as the future generations. According to general understanding the addressor here is Rabbul Aalamin, who seems to cater to only the "messenger's" personal consolation, whereas "Quran" claims that it is a guidance for the entire Mankind. 

By following the traditional translation we fail to grasp the message from this surah. The timeless message of the "Quran" becomes time bound/limited. The readers fail to understand the logic behind "Curse from the Almighty" which is actually the nature of the weak people and it does not behove the persona of the "Almighty God." The traditional translations have degraded the Omnipotent Almighty by their interpretation.  

  بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم        
      
      With the identification of the System of consciousness, The Rehman, The Rahim.

      Interpretation:

تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ

State of resources/ability [yada] diminishes/perishes one who adopts / nourishes rage [Abi lahab], thus he is perished,

In short the verse is conveying that the person who nurture/harbor grudges, rivalry, anger, jealousy, greed his ability, capability, resources diminishes/perishes and his entire mind body and soul engulfs in flames, burn in rage...


مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ   2
     
    He is not satisfied concerning his accumulation and what he has achieved.

سَيَصْلَىٰ نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ  

      Soon he will be burnt in the fire of intense rage, {the fire within}

وَامْرَأَتُهُ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ   4. 
    
     And his obstinate state has to carry the burden, {for his decision}

فِي جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِّن مَّسَدٍ   5. 
   
      Affected in its long entrapped desire from continuous tedious / tiresome journey.

Meanings:

مَّسَدٍ = Pursued a journey laboriously, continued the journey day and night [thinking], continuous travel, mentally boring journey, tedious journey, etc - genitive masculine indefinite noun

تَبَّتْ = Suffered loss, diminutive, became lost or perished or died or dying, in a state of being in loss, punish, imprecated loss, became beaten, cause loss, suffer to himself or whole person, loss of youth, old man, destroyed him, traveled along it (furrowed by passengers), etc - 3rd person feminine singular perfect verb

يَدَا = Hand, power, resources, money, means, benefits, agency- nominative feminine dual noun

أَبِي
The word ابو means father and أَبِي is my father, one who adopts is also a father, nourisher, rears or upbrings - genitive masculine singular noun

لَهَبٍ = Thirsty, fiercely, intensely, fire without smoke, ardent, impetuous, violent, burned, rage, wrath, hungry, inflamed with anger, passion - genitive masculine indefinite noun/adjective

أَغْنَىٰ = Free from want, in a state or condition having no wants or having few wants, rich, wealthy, no needs, content, sufficient, satisfy.- 3rd person masculine singular perfect verb

مَالُهُ = His inclination, love it inimical, accumulation, vacillated deviated from his course, inclined his heart, attracted.- nominative masculine noun - 3rd person masculine singular possessive pronoun

كَسَبَ = He collected, he gained, acquired, or earned, achieved - 3rd person masculine singular perfect verb

سَيَصْلَىٰ = He will face the heat, destruction, wheedled, roasted, burned, suffered the heat, endured the heat - prefixed future particle sa - 3rd person masculine singular imperfect verb

امْرَأَتُهُ = Obstinate nature, disputing, contending - root word م ر ى - any system or mechanism is feminine in Arabic grammar. - nominative feminine noun - 3rd person masculine singular possessive pronoun

الْحَطَبِ = The collectively, The aid, assistance, ones incites, urges, instigates against such a one, calumniation, slander, became lean, or meager, he took upon himself the burden or responsibility, enmity is like fuel which kindles fire, he who confuses in speech, who acts unjust towards himself, like collector of wood by night and bitten by viper, someone who does not restrain his tongue. - genitive masculine noun

حَمَّالَةَ = Carry, pregnant, to bear the load - accusative feminine singular active participle

جِيدِهَا = Became affected by thirst, thirsted vehemently or was at point of death or destruction as though destruction rained upon him, affected by longing desire hence long neck ( beauty sign for females) - genitive masculine noun/adjective - 3rd person feminine singular possessive pronoun



حَبْلٌ = Bound, tied, making a covenant, promise, entrapped, captivated, bond, union, link of connection, mutual connection - nominative masculine indefinite noun


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MORAL OF THIS SURAH:

Holding on to anger is like drinking poison.

One must do what he loves, or - Love what he is doing.

Don’t curb your inner voice.

Man is a creation of desire and not a creation of need.


Your aspirations are nature's design, follow it and you won't be disappointed.

Obstinate nature is harmful.

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Why I have interpreted أَبِي as my father / one who adopts - references from traditional translations:


First Reason:


(12:80:30) abī My father فَلَنْ أَبْرَحَ الْأَرْضَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْذَنَ لِي أَبِي أَوْ يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ لِ - Here Abi means my father

(26:86:2) li-abī My father - وَاغْفِرْ لِأَبِي إِنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ - Here Abi means my father

(111:1:3) abī (of) Abu - تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ - Here also Abi must mean my father or one who adopts, rears...


Second reason:

 أَبِي لَهَبٍ is a indefinite article. The tanween indicates lahab is an indefinite article and there is no ال prefix to Lahab as well. Abu means father - the root word being ابؤ. It is not a proper name of a person.


(28:23:25) wa-abūnā and our father -  قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِي حَتَّىٰ يُصْدِرَ الرِّعَاءُ وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ

(111:1:3) abu-al-Lahab father (of) Lahab تبت ىدا ابؤ اللهب ؤ تب  could have written like this. 

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مَالُهُ - ًWhy I have not interpreted مَالُهُ  as his wealth:


The traditionalist have taken the root word of مال  as مؤل whereas I have taken as مال. Maal means inclination, affection, fondness, accumulation, purposeful deviation from his course. 
مؤل - means wealth, property etc.

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