Surah 90 - AL-BALAD #

SURAH - 90 سورة البلد

Al-Balad- The Languid / Lethargic / wanting in intelligence

Brief :

This surah is not about any city or town but about that unfortunate person who possesses 'languid attitude' or wanting in intelligence or lack vigour or is inert/lazy. The word balad بَلَدًا and its derivatives have occurred in Quran 19 times and its most popular and modern meaning is city or land. One of the meaning of balad according to Hans Wehr and Edward William is idiot, stupid, languid, wanting in intelligence. The theme of the Quran is not about some city, planets, stars or fruits but it talks about how different thoughts affect the human nature or mind.   

The respected author of the Quran presents the role of the Rabb by personifying it as a person, a common Quranic style, address in theophany format. Note the book Quran is called Qaul e Rasul [69:40 & 81:19] and we have to understand the entire Quran within this context only. The Book Quran is written in a theophany format where inherent Rasul is the speaker and the main protagonist. The verse says "I have nothing to do with lazy type of minds but the behaviour can be resolved if one understands that that life is meant for struggling and helping others. Everyone of us has to reap what they have sown. The main message of this surah is that  man evolves through struggle, but if it is believed that life is easy, then he is wrong. The author again cautions mankind that if they think that they are not accounted for their actions, they are mistaken.

Any person living a life of ease and comfort, always prefers to ignore the difficulties of life and chooses the easy path. If one has to grow he has to come out of the comfort zone and confront the realities of life. The definition of Insaan is one who is social, always ready to help others, maintains cordial relationships at the cost, remains in touch with the people around him - sacrificing what he covets most. The consequences of living a life of comfort, disconnects him from the bitter realities of life and gradually he drifts away from his near and dear ones. Health and possessions are not permanent partners, neither they are inter-connected. When his end comes he is lonely because when he had everything, he did not take care of his wealth, health or relationships but lived a self-centered life.

The author also tries to explain about the prosperous path which looks steep at the beginning but yields good results in the end. The steep path is to help near and dear ones at the time of scarcity. The path which does not insist on sacrifice of time, health, wealth, relationships will eventually lead a life of condemnation, covered in fire of envy. 

Such people ultimately become the signs or lessons for others to take heed.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

With the exalted identification of the System of consciousness, The Rehman, The Rahim.

Interpretation:

1 لَا أُقْسِمُ بِهَـٰذَا الْبَلَدِ

I (Rasul) don't take part with such lazy / languid mind / person - (translators have deliberately ignored to translate لَا - a very serious mistake, just to justify their version of interpretation)

2 وَأَنتَ حِلٌّ بِهَـٰذَا الْبَلَدِ

And you can resolve with such lazy person / mind - (2:126, 14:35, 95:3)

3 وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ

And what you sow so shall you reap

4 لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ

Verily we have evolved social mind in pain / struggle

5 أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ

Does he not reckon that someone will evaluate him ?

6 يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا

He boasts "I have wasted wealth glutinously" 

7 أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ 

Does he not reckon that someone observes him ? 

8 أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُ عَيْنَيْنِ 

Have we not made for him spring of sources ? 

9 وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ 

And speech and reputations

10 وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ

And guided him with the judgement

11 فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ

But he has not attempted the path that is steep 

12 وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ 

And what makes you know the path that is steep ? 

13 فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ 

Let go the covetous

14 أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ 

Or supplying the means of subsistence in the day of scarcity 

15 يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ 

To a UNIQUE / MATCHLESS, who are near / close 

16 أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ 

Or to a needy (whose thinking is blocked) in need of the process of knowledge

17 ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ 

Then he has become one of those who believed and recommended one another with patience and recommended one another with pity 

18 أُولَـٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ 

They are those who are blessed 

19 وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ

And those who disbelieve / hide with our signs, they are those who are condemned

20 عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌ

They will be engulfed in jealousy 

SURAH 91 ASH-SHAMS

Surah 91

Ash-Shams - The Perspicuous System - سورة الشمس       

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE SURAH: 

It is always a difficult task to extract the theme from any poetry or sometimes even prose format, furthermore to explain it is even more difficult as the depth of the message is expressed in very few words. A strong imagination is required to visualize the author's perception when the author is not present and the language is not in vogue - hence a need for a brief arises so as to understand the message easily from the authors point of view. This surah discusses a very important and difficult subject. I honestly lack the knowledge and skill to present it, although the system of Mankind is self evident and is as bright and prominent as the Sun, it does not need an introduction. But very few understand it.

The respected author is trying to explain the nitty-gritty of the perspicuous system of agitated mind and discusses the hidden potential one possess. As man is the most complicated machine hence some confusion and anxiety arises when one follows it without understanding it. Just growth of self is not an easy task, it requires a tremendous will to fight between physical and non-physical entities. Fighting with the self is the most difficult thing.

Soul or Nafs or Psyche has the affinity towards negative thoughts and material gains. Soul governs the body from head to toe. Reason, Emotion and Desire are parts of the souls. Reason always acts as a fulcrum between Emotions and Desire, and tries to balance it. If the scale of anxiety, worry, apprehensions, doubts overcomes the power of reasoning, then the person becomes a psycho because his Nafs losses its balance.

The respected author is emphasizing to understand the power of higher and lower consciousness. Reason being the part of higher consciousness; emotions and desires are the motivating factors which come under the ambit of lower consciousness. Soul or psyche is a mental or psychological structure of man and it should be diligently kept open to positive thoughts and gradually grow it. If one buries the soul under apprehensions, doubts, ignorance or superstitions and rejects all signs of sensibility, he will eventually have to face the wrath of their Rabb.

The Rabb functions as the center of thought, behavior and consciously or unconsciously directs the brain to respond to the social, physical or environmental changes. The strong inclination towards materialistic possessions drives the Self to cross all limits, ignoring the ethics of Humanity and the consequence is that he faces inhumane conditions.    

Interpretation:

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

With the identification of the Allah, the Rehman, the Rahim

1 وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا 

And by the perspicuous / crystal clear thought and that brightens it

2 وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَاهَا 

And by the confusion / doubt that follows it  

3 وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّاهَا 

And by the flow of thoughts / dawn which clears it 

4 وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَاهَا 

And by the anxiety, when over-powers it

5 وَالسَّمَاءِ وَمَا بَنَاهَا 

And by the higher consciousness which builds / produce it 

6 وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَاهَا 

And by the lower consciousness which carries it 

7 وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا 

And by soul which is a equal part of it

8 فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا 

Then inspired it by diligently opening it

9 قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا 

Indeed he succeed who increase / purify it

10 وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا 

And indeed he fails who buries it

11 كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَاهَا 

 The state of being thamud (good for nothing thoughts) rejected with transgressing it 

12 إِذِ انبَعَثَ أَشْقَاهَا 

When the most ill-natured aroused it 

13 فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ نَاقَةَ اللَّهِ وَسُقْيَاهَا 

Then it is said to them by the inner voice (rasul) of the meticulous system to obtain knowledge from it 

14 فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنبِهِمْ فَسَوَّاهَا 

Then they rejected him (rasul) and hamstrung it (Nafs) so their mind / consciousness smeared on them with long continuous evil so they were equal part of it
 
15 وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَاهَا

And he feared not the consequences of it 


In spite of presence of the honorable messenger / rasul in us and educating us about the role of consciousness and the power of Nafs, which is the nucleus of our system, we rejected its teaching and ultimately destroyed our Nafs. As a result the Rabb smeared upon us psychological sufferings that are a labyrinth for us and it was difficult to come out of it. This happened because we did not realize the repercussions of not abiding the messenger's voice precious instructions. 




                 Lexicon Meaning ---  Traditional Meaning

الشَّمْسِ - the pharse  جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ in 10:5 / 25:45 / 71:16 made me realize that in the context of the book Quran the word  الشَّمْسَ is not physical object because whenever the word جَعَلَ is used it signifies the making is of non physical object. Thus instead of Sun I interpreted as perspicacious / clear thoughts - genitive feminine noun 

اللَّهِ نَاقَةَ - Meticulous System of Consciouness --- She Camel of Allah

سُقْيَاهَا - obtain knowledge --- bar it not from drinking
            from it