﷽
*Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 255:*
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ
Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. [This Verse 2:255 is called Ayat-ul-Kursi.]
*COMMENTARY*
This is the Āyat-ul-Kursi, the "Verse of the Throne" who can translate its glorious meaning, or reproduce the rhythm of its well-chosen comprehensive words. Even in the original Arabic the meaning seems to be greater than can be expressed in words.
The attributes of Allāh are different from anything we know in our present worlds: He lives, but His life is self-subsisting and eternal: It does not depend upon other beings and is not limited to time and space. The attribute of Qaiyūm includes not only the idea of "Self-subsisting" but also the idea of "Keeping up and maintaining all the life." His life being the source and constant support of all derived forms of life. Perfect life is perfect activity, in contrast to the imperfect life which we see around us, which is not only subject to death but to the need for rest or slowed-down activity, (something which is between activity and sleep, for which I in common with other translators have used the word "slumber") and the need for full sleep itself. But Allāh has no need for rest or sleep. His activity, like His life, is perfect and self-subsisting. Contrast with this the expression used in Psalms lxxviii. 65. "Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine."
After we realise that His Life is absolute Life. His Being is absolute Being, while others are contingent and evanescent, our ideas of heaven and earth vanish like shadows. Such reality as our heavens and our earth possess is a reflection of His absolute Reality. The pantheist places the wrong accent when he says that everything is He. The truth is expressed when we say that everything is His. How then can any creatures stand before Him as of right, and claim to intercede for a fellow-creature? But He in His Wisdom and plan may grade His creatures and give one superiority over another. Then by His will and permission such a one may intercede or help according to the laws and duties laid on him. Allāh's knowledge is absolute, and is not conditioned by Time or Space. To us, His creatures, these conditions always apply. His knowledge and our knowledge are therefore in different categories, and our knowledge only gets some reflection of Reality when it accords with His Will and Plan.
Throne: seat. In our thoughts we exhaust everything when we say "the heavens and the earth." Well, then, in everything is the working of Allāh's power, and will, and authority. Everything of course includes spiritual things as well as things of sense.
A life of activity that is imperfect or relative would not only need rest for carrying on its own activities, but would be in need of double rest when it has to look after and guard, or cherish, or help other activities. In contrast with this is the Absolute Life, which is free from any such need or contingency. For it is supreme above anything that we can conceive.
﷽
*Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 256:*
لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut (anything worshipped beside Allāh) and believes in Allāh, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allāh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
*COMMENTARY*
Compulsion is incomplete with religion: because...
1. Religion depends upon faith and will, and these would be meaningless if induced by force.
2. Truth and Error have been clearly shown up the Mercy of Allāh that there should be no doubt in the minds of any persons of goodwill as to the fundamentals of faith.
3. Allāh's protection is continuous, and His Plan is always to lead us from the depths of darkness into the clearest light.
Handhold: something which the hands can grasp for safety in a moment of danger. It may be a loop or a handle, or anchor. If it is without flaw, so that there is no danger of breaking our safety is absolutely assured so long as we hold fast to it. Our safety then depends on our own will and faith: Allāh's help and protection will always be unfailing if we hold firm to Allāh (Sub-haanahu wata'aala) and trust in Him.
*Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 255:*
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ
Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. [This Verse 2:255 is called Ayat-ul-Kursi.]
*COMMENTARY*
This is the Āyat-ul-Kursi, the "Verse of the Throne" who can translate its glorious meaning, or reproduce the rhythm of its well-chosen comprehensive words. Even in the original Arabic the meaning seems to be greater than can be expressed in words.
The attributes of Allāh are different from anything we know in our present worlds: He lives, but His life is self-subsisting and eternal: It does not depend upon other beings and is not limited to time and space. The attribute of Qaiyūm includes not only the idea of "Self-subsisting" but also the idea of "Keeping up and maintaining all the life." His life being the source and constant support of all derived forms of life. Perfect life is perfect activity, in contrast to the imperfect life which we see around us, which is not only subject to death but to the need for rest or slowed-down activity, (something which is between activity and sleep, for which I in common with other translators have used the word "slumber") and the need for full sleep itself. But Allāh has no need for rest or sleep. His activity, like His life, is perfect and self-subsisting. Contrast with this the expression used in Psalms lxxviii. 65. "Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine."
After we realise that His Life is absolute Life. His Being is absolute Being, while others are contingent and evanescent, our ideas of heaven and earth vanish like shadows. Such reality as our heavens and our earth possess is a reflection of His absolute Reality. The pantheist places the wrong accent when he says that everything is He. The truth is expressed when we say that everything is His. How then can any creatures stand before Him as of right, and claim to intercede for a fellow-creature? But He in His Wisdom and plan may grade His creatures and give one superiority over another. Then by His will and permission such a one may intercede or help according to the laws and duties laid on him. Allāh's knowledge is absolute, and is not conditioned by Time or Space. To us, His creatures, these conditions always apply. His knowledge and our knowledge are therefore in different categories, and our knowledge only gets some reflection of Reality when it accords with His Will and Plan.
Throne: seat. In our thoughts we exhaust everything when we say "the heavens and the earth." Well, then, in everything is the working of Allāh's power, and will, and authority. Everything of course includes spiritual things as well as things of sense.
A life of activity that is imperfect or relative would not only need rest for carrying on its own activities, but would be in need of double rest when it has to look after and guard, or cherish, or help other activities. In contrast with this is the Absolute Life, which is free from any such need or contingency. For it is supreme above anything that we can conceive.
﷽
*Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 256:*
لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut (anything worshipped beside Allāh) and believes in Allāh, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allāh is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
*COMMENTARY*
Compulsion is incomplete with religion: because...
1. Religion depends upon faith and will, and these would be meaningless if induced by force.
2. Truth and Error have been clearly shown up the Mercy of Allāh that there should be no doubt in the minds of any persons of goodwill as to the fundamentals of faith.
3. Allāh's protection is continuous, and His Plan is always to lead us from the depths of darkness into the clearest light.
Handhold: something which the hands can grasp for safety in a moment of danger. It may be a loop or a handle, or anchor. If it is without flaw, so that there is no danger of breaking our safety is absolutely assured so long as we hold fast to it. Our safety then depends on our own will and faith: Allāh's help and protection will always be unfailing if we hold firm to Allāh (Sub-haanahu wata'aala) and trust in Him.
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