Re: DARSE QURAN by Alaama Parwez
[FONT=&] SURAH 12 Yoosuf –The man with vision who works hard to bring about the needed change in the way people live their lives through education for the well being of human community [/FONT]
[FONT=&]This Surah is named YOOSUF from root ALIF, SEEN and FAA and YAA, WOW, SEEN and FAA. Concrete meaning of this root is constructive. Something or someone constructive, a person who completes something or makes it work, someone who adds something useful or of value to something to make it work, someone or something that adds value to something or someone. Someone who improves something or builds upon a provided foundation. Someone unfortunate, someone in painful suffering, someone regretful or sad about something, an increase or addition, taken away, subtraction, loss, decrease, anger, sorrow, to offend, to challenge, to be contentious, grief, sadness, the one who bring about change for the better, a revolutionary, a man with vision etc etc.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Like suras before it this surah is also not named YOOSAF because it is a name of a prophet and that his story is mentioned in the Quran in this surah but because of relevance of the name used to the subject matter of the surah. This Surah is about needed qualities in leadership as well as following, the management and the managed, so that a community could be brought about and maintained successfully on basis of guidance of Allah. If a populace fails to breed or groom beneficial leadership or following then it cannot bring about community spirit or community based upon it. Not only that but even if a community is already there it can start crumbling as quality of leadership or following starts going down this is why not just bringing about but maintenance of the proper human community is also of vital importance. In this surah we are told story of two communities a)children of Israel and b)people of Egypt. Both communities do well at the start but as time goes on both fail to cope due to lack of visionary and capable leadership and following. Israel goes down because rivalry starts within the community as Jacob grows old and community needs new leadership to succeed Jacob. Old man is old man even if he happens to be a messenger of God because a human is basically a human first and then anything else so any human being under goes through same natural processes and problems as any other human being. In this community only Joseph has the real potential to carry on Israel into future but rivals plan his demise and so lose his leadership due to their ignorance based arrogance. This brings Israel down because when things start happening there is none to see them through to lead Israel safely out of troubles. The story of Egypt is also similar that while things ran a bit smoothly everything was mainly ok in Egypt but as time went by troubles started to appear because Egyptian society was based on rivalry and undermining and undercutting each other and the king of Egypt had no idea how to handle them so Egypt was also to go down but it was saved by leadership of Joseph. He not only saved Egypt from ruining itself but also pulled back Israelites as well and along them many other communities from the brink of destruction. All because he was into getting information about things and was totally submerged into making sense of things and because he understood things he was able to look at problems and offer solutions systematically and methodically and that is how he managed to save humanity from potentially disastrous consequences. This is why this story is told in the Quran so that this prophet and his followers could learn the lessons in there for bringing about an education based revolution in their society. When Joseph landed in Egypt after his rivals managed to get rid of him from their community because he was the candidate for leadership and that is not what they wanted, he then proved himself as a useful member of his newly adopted community in Egypt. This caused Joseph yet more problems because the community leadership there also became threatened by his mindset, attitude and behaviour with other people ie he was a person who worked for well being of others. Because of this problem he was thrown in prison, but when Egypt as a whole faced problems the king asked him to take control and run the country using his management skills for handling land and resources, means of production and distribution and people. He did this for years and turned the kingdom round from the brink of destruction. As he became famous for his hard work and wisdom his original community also heard about him and came to see if they too could get some help and after a few trips they found out that it was the very same person managing things in Egypt whom they thrown out of their community earlier so that they themselves could become leaders of their community. However they had not developed any skills for it and so ended up regretting their whole plan against Joseph because they and their community failed to rise to challenges that faced them. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Proclaim! In the name of Allah, the provider of psychological, sociological and biological needs of mankind,[/FONT]
[FONT=&]1) Alif Laam Raa. These are statements of the clear book that makes things clear.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]As explained already word AAYAAT is full of complementary concepts and meanings just like words KITAAB and MUBEEN. The Quranic words and their structuring in verses of the Quran makes the Quran a unique text that is comprehensive in concepts and meanings. Opening up these words in their individual concepts and meanings could turn a single verse into pages of writings due to richness they encompass. This is the main reason this work adopted a way of interpreting the Quran that could help those who have little knowledge of Quranic Arabic so that they could appreciate the Quran better in comparison to simple translations and interpretations of the Quran. If people have basic knowledge of things as explained in detail then this book is self explanatory and therefore very good at making things clear for those who wish to understand them and so make the necessary effort to know them.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]2) We have revealed it as a proclamation in a language that makes things distinctively clear so that you the mankind who have learned how make sense of things make efforts to understand it and abide by it for your better future as a proper human community.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]As explained already the Quran is revealed in a language that is fit for the time and at the stage of its development that was right for serving its purpose. This language links humanity into its past and has the ability to pass on a message that could in time be better understood by mankind without the need for change in the text of the Quran. The Arabic language is root based and when the Quran was revealed it was neither far too simple nor far too advance. Had it been too simple then people will have had great difficulty in decoding the message because it will have been like baby talk where in the very same word is used by baby to express all his ideas due to limited vocabulary. On the other hand had the language become far too advanced then that will have ended up a precision language which will have explained each and every thing in precise detail using vast amount of text that humans could not get through during whole of their lives. So a compromise had to be made by Allah to reveal the Quran so that it served its purpose. This is why the Quranic use of language helps development of human mind because when same word is used for expressing various concepts and meanings then one needs to think out what it means in the context it is used ie it forces one to think and more one thinks the more developed person one becomes because of expansion in volume of information and its understanding. The Quran tells people to ponder over its verses and don’t just read its text and pass over without thinking and trying to understand what is said in the text. All this has been explained in detail already. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]3) So let Us furnish you the mankind by means of this Quran with purposefully balanced information to abide by because without having this information earlier you acted like foolish people.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Here mankind are told that without revealed guidance of Allah they will have remained in the darkness of ignorance for a very, very long time because learning through personal experience alone is a very slow process. It is because teaching by Allah has been prompting mankind to draw their attention to things they otherwise will not have noticed helped mankind learn and do things quicker. Most of what the Quran is going to tell us has been explained already in detail on basis of these verses that are going to come in surahs to come. Short comments are only added to draw reader’s attention as to where those explanations came from. This is how each and every verse of the Quran has been interpreted by adding information from other verses from elsewhere in the Quran. So that a person does not get confused by reading one bit of information about something in one verses here and another somewhere else in another verse. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]4) Call to mind the time when Joseph said to an elder of his nation, O father of my community! I see brilliant future in unity of people as a community therefore I would like to see the current leadership and the following accept my vision for their better future.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word ABEEHI means father as explained already but also elder, leader, chief, predecessor, ancestor, guardian or someone who in some respect looks after someone as a father figure etc. The Quran is not talking about dreams people have during their sleep and their nonsense interpretations by people but visions as their ambitions for their future etc.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]5) He replied, O son of my nation! Disclose not this ambition of yours to your fellow community members just as yet in case any of them scheme a plot against you and catch you unprepared because the opposition based upon harmful and destructive mindset, attitude and behaviour is an open enemy of proper human community ideology.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Here the Quran advises that personal ambitions based upon goodwill for humanity should not be disclosed to people who have no respect for well being of humanity because they may start plotting against the person and the people who hold such thoughts thereby inflict harms and destructions upon the person and the people.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]6) Rest assured it will happen as you imagined because you will be chosen by your Creator and Sustainer for His mission so He will teach you how to diagnose problems properly relating individuals and communities and find their proper solutions that is how He will fulfil His mission through you and the ideological children of Jacob as He fulfilled it through your ideological forefathers Abraham and Isaac before you. That is how your Creator and Sustainer makes obvious for mankind that He rules the universe through wisdom.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]7) Indeed in the account of Joseph and his community brethren there are lessons for would be leaders and supporters who want to learn how they should or should not conduct themselves in relation to fulfilment of their needs and desires as a people.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]8) His community fellows who stood against his vision for a proper human community said to each other, see Joseph and his supporters they are loved and respected more by our community leadership than us even though we are a group of powerful people of this community. Our leadership is obviously wrong in not considering us for the leadership of our community.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]9) Some said to others, in order to throw Joseph out of community leadership contest let us fight Joseph thereby force him out of this place to some far-off land so that the attention of leadership of your people focuses upon you alone as proper candidates for leadership of the community because only after doing that you can be of those who reach their ambition of becoming leaders of the community.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word AWITRAHOOH is from root TWAA, RAA and HAA. Concrete meaning of this root is to distance something from something in some way. Also something that is at a distance from something, to throw out or throw away, to discard, to separate, a bow that is capable of throwing an arrow the farthest, an eye that can see thing farthest, farsightedness, thinking ahead, a person who can see thing into the future, cast out, cast off, to banish, to forlorn etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]10) At this one of them said, you cannot fight Joseph but if you must do something instead get hold of him quietly and throw him into some dungeon till he could be picked up by some bandits so that he is out of our way.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word GHAYAABAT is from root GHAIN, YAA and BAA. Already explained but also to cause absence of something or to hide something away or put something away in such a way that it is no longer visible on the stage to take part in a play or scheme of things.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word JUBB is from root JEEM, BAA and BAA. Concrete meaning of this root is something that covers up something completely in such a way that it becomes cut off or isolated from something in some way. Also a dress that covers a person fully, overall, something that gathers things inside it eg a bag or sack, a ditch or a well or a cave or a deep hole the bottom of which is not visible, an abyss, a dress made of pieces of cloth, well, to separate, to cut off, to divide or cut or part or sever, the crust of the earth, hard rocky land, a well with wide mouth, a well full of water, a shallow well, false deity, sorcery, the devil, idol, prison, a place of hiding, a place where something could be kept hidden or out of sight, vault, safe, dungeon, slavery, captive, prisoner etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word SAIYAARAH is from roots SEEN, WOW and RAA and SEEN, YAA and RAA and SEEN, RAA and WOW/YAA. This root has been explained already it means to attack, to be suddenly upon someone as if to attack someone, to mount something, surah of the Quran, biography, to travel by night, surrounding wall of a fort or castle, the watch tower of a castle, height, to rise, honour, dignity, to be better or stronger, to overwhelm or overcome, awe, a bracelet as symbol of power or authority, leading general of an army, a person in-charge of a group or people or troops, commander, a beautiful structure that is very high like a tower, staircase, ranks, strong and beautiful breed of camels, fighters, bandits, plunderers or looters, hostage takers, slave traders, traders, caravans, to jump, to show skills when fighting, to show courage, to dance, to show anger, to appoint as a leader or chief, to subject one to slavery or to take prisoner or hostage, caravan etc etc.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]11) So they ask their community elder, O chief of our nation! Why do you not appoint us as security guards over Joseph instead of those already responsible for it because we surely are his sincere well-wishers?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word NAASIHOON is from root NOON, SWAAD and HAA. Concrete meaning of this root is to prepare something for some task in such a way that it is fit for fulfilling the purpose it is prepared for. Also to put two pieces of a cloth together and stitch them in such a way that they fit each other perfectly, to sew clothes, a person who sews clothes, tailor, needle, to make one thing fit with the other, to reconcile, to prepare two sides to compromise with each other, to advise, to offer advice, purity, to be free of impurities, to purify, honey, sweetness, to purify honey, pure honey, a dress that is prepared and fits the person beautifully, to be a well wisher, to remove rift, to repair something torn in such a way that it is not noticeable, to be of help, to have sympathy for, to stick to something in such a way not to come off it, to patch up, rain falling on arid land, to quench thirst of land or animals or people, sincerity, counsel, to be good hearted, to act in good faith, admonishment, one who takes good care, mentor, to be true in thoughts and actions etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]12) Pass on his security responsibility to us for future so that he could move about for taking care of his business without worrying about his security. We will indeed take good care of him.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]13) He said to them, I will be anxious if you accompanied him because I am concerned in case some bandit attacks him the while you are caught unprepared off your guard.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word ZIHBU is from root ZAAL, ALIF and BAA. Concrete meaning of this root is something that hunts down something. Also predator, hunter, wolf, something that tear things apart, creditor, a malicious person, a harmful or destructive person, a person who lives on others, to devour veraciously, a person who attacks others for personal gains, a greedy or selfish person who hunts down others for personal gains, to frighten, to condemn, to cry loudly, to use bad language, to be in agitated state, to be unstable, to try different moves or tricks to get something, to come from different directions to make it a surprise, wolf like, ruffian, nobility, to act in a devious way, forelock, summit, bandit, robber etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]14) They said, if a bandit could attack him despite our number and strength then surely we would be a worthless people.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]15) That is howthey were able to take him away because they plotted to place him into a dungeon. However We revealed this to Joseph that a time will come when you will make their this course of action a lesson for them but just now they are not learned enough to understand the harm they are inflicting upon themselves as a community.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]When a people try to undermine their future leadership that has the potential to lead the community then people are set for a leader who is not as capable as the one undermined and as that happens, the community is set for decline. The only capable leader for the time being is Jacob but he is getting old and that means he is not going to be able to carry on as he could when he was young. This is why a capable successor is must if this community is to keep its dignity level at least to what it is. By bringing in incapable people as leaders the community is bound to be undermined because it is not going to have information and understanding needed for unity, peaceful, progressive and prosperous community. Joseph showed that he had the potential to become a great leader due to being a man with vision for the future of the community. This his rivals will come to realise when they fail their community by not being people of vision. Nation building and maintaining needs a lot of hard work, which only a capable leadership can provide with equally good following that understands what leadership demands and why and how it can help to get it. Just as transfer of knowledge ie information plus its understanding needs a capable teacher so it needs a capable student. If either of them is incapable then there is going to be problem with teaching or learning and in both cases proper transfer of knowledge will fail to take place. The same is true when there is incapable leader or following. That is why nations rise or fall depending upon how good or bad they and their leaderships are.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]16) At the end of the period of their responsibility for security of Joseph they returned to their chief crying in tears.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]These people were made responsible for security of Joseph on temporary basis when their time is over they return but without Joseph and then offer excuses as to why Joseph has not come back with them.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]17) They said, O our chief, we went on our individual businesses ahead of each other leaving Joseph behind to look after our things and at length the bandit attacked and made off with him. It is not that you are going to be satisfied with our this explanation but we are telling the truth.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]18) That is how through rivalry and animosity they brought about denial of his right to succession of community leadership. He said, no I am not satisfied with your explanation rather people involved in your group have made you to cook up a tale regarding this matter. However steadfast persistence is needed for reaching the truth about this matter, so universal set-up systems and laws of Allah should be relied upon regarding that which you assert.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word DAMIN is from root DAAL, MEEM and WOW/YAA. This root has been explained already it means bloodshed, to bleed, blood revenge, to be red in colour, to kill chances of someone to be something, to kill off potential of someone, to kill in cold blood, to murder, to shed blood of someone, to stop someone from being something, to kill off ambition in someone for being something etc etc.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word QAMEESIH is from root QAAF, MEEM and SWAAD. Concrete meaning of this root is to wrap up in something. Also to put on a robe or gown, to wear something, to wear a shirt or to wear a crown or gown as a symbol of authority, the lifting of both front legs of a horse to stand on hind legs and then put them both on the ground at the same time, to jump about, to dance around, to beat about the bush, to become unstable or agitated or confused, unbroken horse that jumps about when rider gets on its back the very first time, to wrap oneself into something, to wrap up oneself into an authority figure, cover, wrapper, envelope, the robe of authority or nobility or honour or succession to throne or leadership, garment, gown, shield, shelter, to masquerade, to quake, to be jumpy, to be agile, to gallop, tunic, caliphate etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]19) At length a party of bandits came by and they sent one of them to carry out the deal so he laid down his weaponry and came to see the merchant. After seeing the young man he said, O goodness! What a young man and took him to his group. Even though they kept him in hiding like a treasure yet Allah makes obvious what they did.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word WAARID is from root WOW, RAA and DAAL. Concrete meaning of this root is to reach something. Also to attack, to blossom, rose, pink or rosy colour, tuft, cotton, reaching of animal to waterhole, to go forth, be brave and move forward, to get water ready for animals to drink, artery of heart, to come upon something, to come across, blossoms, flowers, to come out in flowers, tree with hanging branches, watering place, drinking herd or flock, to drive animals to drink at a watering hole, daily task assignment, turn, road, destination, to approach, to arrive, jugular vein, to appear, to supply, to lead to, water fetcher, to enter etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word DALWAH is from roots DAAL, LAAM and WOW/YAA. Concrete meaning of this root is the easy way or mean to reach something in some sense for some purpose. Also to reach something, a way to get to something, ladder, a bucket lowered into a well to reach water to get water, to demand what one is looking for, to make a request for what one needs to someone, to bribe someone to get something done by an official, to look deeper into things to try to understand them, to get to know a situation more closely, to wonder, to find something strange, to hang down, to come near, to lead on, to tempt, to deceive, to submit a proof, to offer money as a bribe, to use one’s good offices, to lure, to entice, to trap, to let down, to draw near, to bring closer, pail or bucket, to lay down the weapon etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]20) His brethren sold him cheap in a hurry for a petty price of a few Dirhams to bandits, for that is what he was worth in their sight.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word BAKHSI is from root BAA, KHAA and SEEN. Concrete meaning of this root is to reduce to. Also to diminish, to reduce, to deny full dues, to decrease, to deny someone fair return or outcome, to pay someone less than they are due, to under value or underestimate, to treat one less than deserved, defective, imperfect, incomplete, faulty, to be cruel, to inflict harm, to damage, to take away legal rights, income tax, to force someone into some situation, to force someone into accepting or doing something, to damage one’s eye or ability to judge things properly etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word ZAAHIDEEN is from root ZAA, HAA and DAAL. Concrete meaning of this root is to have little interest in something. Also to hold something in low esteem or value, to take something as useless, to have nothing to do with, take no interest in something or show no interest in something, a person bereft of mannerism or etiquette or respect for rights of others, something disdainful, something in very small amount or quantity, to abstain from, to renounce, to abandon, to forsake, to withdraw, abstemious, abstinent etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]The community fellows of Joseph decided to get rid of him in a way that they knew because they were bad apples in the community who had contacts with similar people out of their community so they made a deal with a group of people who were highway robbers to take him away and do with him whatever they liked. All they were interested in was that somehow he is out of their way so that they are free to do as they like in their community. In any human population there are people who try to do something for their population and others who try to take undue advantage of people so if they deem anyone in their way they plot to get rid of that person by using various tricks and mechanism to get their way. One must look at these verses in sense of society, politics and economics and how people interact and participate in their population. The Quran is not a book of pooja paat or mere a book of baseless stories. It is about educating humanity about real issues of daily life that face mankind and the ways to solve them. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]21) The Egyptian who bought Joseph from the bandits and freed him said to his community, treat him honourably as if he is one of us, he could prove very beneficial for us so perhaps we can adopt him as a son of our community. That is how We established Joseph in that piece of land and taught him the sense of handling all the affairs that need proper handling in a place. Allah has set-up systems and laws to govern all affairs though most of the people learn not to become aware of all this.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This verses explains why Joseph was bought by a leading personality of Egypt because he saw great potential in Joseph to be able to do great things in future. This he proved by talking a lot of sense about things. A proof that Allah does not choose dumb people as his messengers. The Quran itself tells us that dumb people cannot benefit anyone so nobody will adopt any such person because that will be a burden on them instead of being beneficial. It also proves that people who are chosen as messengers of Allah are ordinary people who are born like other people and grow like other kids but more sensible as they are keen observers and learners from those observations. This is why they are able to argue their cases confidently and successfully against chiefs and priests and wealthy people of their communities. Foolish people have no confidence even in themselves never mind being able to convince others.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]22) When he reached maturity We had already bestowed on him ability of gathering information about things and ways of making sense of all that. That is how We reward those who work hard to make the world beautiful for mankind.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]23) However the ruling elite and priestly class of the community under whose jurisdiction he was working, decided to try and change his way of doing things by closing all the ways of doing things to him saying, come join our way of doing things. He replied, I seek protection in universal set-up systems and laws of Allah, the creator and sustainer of mine Who has entrusted me with responsibility of this good land to manage things therein properly. Surely those who transgress His set limits therefore inflict harms and destructions upon each other prosper not.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]It is because Joseph treated each and every person properly the people in-charge there became neglected by their people because that is what people do ie go to those people for help whom they find helpful. So they paid more attention to Joseph and that turned them jealous and so they conspire against Joseph to get him out of their way.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]24) Yet party of ruling and priestly classes went ahead in order to try and change his mind and he too would have inclined towards its way of doing things had he not been shown by his Creator and Sustainer the results of their course of actions. That is how We shielded him from doing anything whereby he could harm and destroy others and bring gloom and doom upon himself therefore he remained true follower of Our guidance.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]25) As each of the parties tried to outdo the other its own way the opposite party was involved in foul play right from the start because it attacked his person instead of his vision in order to shatter his personality. That is how the opponent party landed both the parties at the court of the chief of the community saying to him, what punishment does someone who intended harm and destruction against your community deserve other than imprisonment or a painful chastisement?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]26) Joseph said, it was this party of rulers and priests that tried to move me away from my way of doing things and a group of people of this community was present at this event and saw all this. The community chief said that if his vision was attacked the right way then party of rulers and priests is telling the truth and he is lying[/FONT]
[FONT=&]27) but if it was attacked the wrong way then he is speaking the truth and the party of rulers and priests is lying.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]28) So when community chief examined the statements of the witnesses and came to conclusion that he was attacked the wrong way so that his personality is destroyed he said to party of rulers and priests, it is one of the tricks of you the party of rulers and priests. Your conspiracy was mighty indeed! [/FONT]
[FONT=&]29) He said, O Joseph, ignore their way of doing things and O party of rulers and priests, seek correction of the way you do things because you were indeed the ones who did things the wrong way.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]30)However the word spread among communities of the township that party of ruling elite and priestly class under the governor of Egypt has conspired to change the way of doing things of its civil servant because the rest of the community has fallen madly in love with him the way he does things for it. In fact, wesee it totally overcome by his love.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word SHAGHAF is from root SHEEN, GHAIN and FAA. Concrete meaning of this root is the membrane enclosing the heart. Also affect, influence, the centre, the pericardium, to smite, to pierce, to infatuate, to be smitten with love, ardent love, passion, to penetrate the innermost part, to scrutinise, to cross examine, to enter into something, to get to the bottom of something, to penetrate deeply, to find out something through search, to investigate a matter, to look into something thoroughly, to rip open the cover to uncover something, top lift the cover from something, to crush or squeeze or press, to force out something from something, to pry etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]31) At length when the embarrassing remarks became unbearable for party of ruling elite and priestly class, it invited them and prepared for them a banquet and gave each of them an opportunity to scrutinise his way of doing things. As they readied themselves for cross examination of his way of doing things, the party called on Joseph to come out to face them. When they examined him for his way of doing things, they were so amazed that they ended up shooting themselves in the foot so they exclaimed spontaneously, by goodness of Allah! He looks nothing like an ordinary person rather he looks like a highly ranked knowledgeable official of a noble descent.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word HAASH is from roots HAA, ALIF and SHEEN and HAA, WOW and SHEEN and HAA, SHEEN and WOW. Concrete meaning of this root is disassociation or association of something from or with something for some reason. Also brink, shore, side, end, distant, excluded, included, to be free of something, refuge, shelter, enclosure, exception, unfamiliar, to avoid, to turn away from, to hold off, interjection with word Allah eg Allah forbid or Allah be my witness or O my Allah etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]32) The party of ruling elite and priestly class said, this is he about whom you blamed me. No doubt I conspired to change him but he escaped my set-up trap for him. If he does not do things the way I say, he should be thrown into prison indeed to be disgraced.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]33) Joseph said, O my Creator and Sustainer! I rather go to prison than do things the way they demand of me but unless You inspire me with some way out of their cunning trap for me I may end up trapped among them and forced to become of those who live not by Your guidance.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word SIJNU is from root SEEN, JEEM and NOON. Concrete meaning of this word is to restrict something in some way. Also to imprison, to restrict, to limit, the written text, record, record office, prison, a place wherein are kept written records, confinement, detention, containment, official seal or stamp, insignia, a distinguishing mark, a badge indicating honour or rank, an account of deeds etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]34) That is how his Creator and Sustainer inspired him with proper response warding off their cunning trap from him and that is how He makes obvious for mankind that He is indeed comprehensive in observation of all things.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]35) But even after all the evidence they had seen they still decided to send him to prison for a time.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]In a strange community of people Joseph is forced to change his way of life to be like them in doing things but he decides to take a stand. Here the Quran is telling mankind that only a human being who takes a stand against what people do as usual to hurt each other beings about a change. In other words only a brave person takes a stand for the well being of humanity and initiates a revolt or revolutionary change partially or as a whole. It is not something that can happen overnight but a start has to be made and once any such movement starts it takes on momentum of its own so as people become more and more aware of it they keep joining it and so comes about a change in an entire community. In fact masses only come out on the streets for two main reasons a)they are unhappy with their customs or traditions or laws or b)because they are not being served according to their customs, traditions and laws. In case of people being unhappy with services of their state administrations the fight is all about forcing people and institutions through public pressure to function properly according to law and deliver the goods and services to the public at large properly but in case of custom, tradition or law being unjust the fight is all about changing the way of life in a kingdom or state. This fight is as hard as the stance of people in position of power and the will of the people to fight off stance of rulers and their supporters. If people in power give-in to the demands of masses then there comes about a change for the better which also raises hope for any further change that may be needed in time to come but if rulers do not give-in then things remain as they are and get even worse as rulers take revengeful actions in reaction to this revolt. All revolutions that come about through struggles for power over each other end up in bloodshed but not those revolutions that are brought about on basis of education. Why do revolutions come about? They come about due to natural changes in the natural world that are not under human control eg people cannot stop people from being born and from growing up. This increases human population and people have needs and those needs need to be fulfilled or there is going to be trouble ahead. So people who are educated and forward thinking they know things by keeping an eye on the real world changes and plan ahead but ignorant fools only start thinking when nature confronts them and by that time it is too little and too late to overcome the problems therefore people start taking out their frustration on each other. This is how stupidity leads people to their own destruction by their own hands. The other reason for people ending up at each other’s throats is due to the way of life they adopt for themselves as a society ie if they are living by way of life based upon personal gains at the expense of each other then time comes when poverty become unbearable for most of the people in a society and so they take out their frustration against those whom they see as responsible for their this situation eg rulers, mullahs, money lenders, their touts and supporters. This is because as explained already; rulers, priests and money lenders adopt such goals as are destructive for most of the people in the society therefore they also adopt such programs and they adopt such unjust and unfair laws to go with their goals and programs. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]So people who end up in painful suffering have no choice but to live as they can or fight for change for the better. This is result of how people try to use and abuse each other for their personal gains instead of adopting a way of life that ensures well being of all people in the community. This is why Allah sent revelations and messengers to guide people so that they educate each other and come together and establish a proper human community in a kingdom based upon guidance of Allah. Allah has set goals and given people a program to accomplish those goals according to his provided guidelines. The power structure in this way of life is based upon guidance of Allah and people as a community who put an administration in place so that it serves all the people in the community by managing human population, land and resources as well as means of production and distribution properly. Though ultimate ruler in this power structure is Allah through his book but it is up to people as a proper human community to interpret the message of Allah in light of real world realities that face them. So it is not up to any particular person to rule anyone rather it is community that has to choose who is most fit to serve people according to the book of Allah. Such a person is then appointed by people as the chief administrator of the community by the community along with rest of people who are needed to serve community as administrators for heading various departments. However all administrators are still under the community and do not have any powers outside the ones given to them by the community according to the book of Allah for serving the proper human community. This is why anyone who is found to be unfit to serve the community is to be replaced without any delay and the same is to happen when a person oneself tells community that one is no longer fit to fulfil his obligations due to whatever problem one is facing. All this has been explained already about community set-up, organisation and regulation as well as monitoring and trial period etc etc. This is real democracy because it is people based where interest of community comes before any individual, institution and its administration. All individuals, institutions and the community come under the constitution because the constitution is supreme. In short that is how people are organised to self regulate themselves as institutions and individuals. Monitoring and correction units are put in place just to ensure everything is running smoothly so that goals are fulfilled or objectives are achieved. This is the difference between constitutions for running a proper human community which ensures well being of mankind and a human population wherein people use and abuse each other for petty personal gains. When a person tries to treat others well it rings alarm bells for any people who treat others as their slaves because soon people who are treated ill are going to gather into a massive movement as a group for bringing down those in positions of power.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]36) Two young men also entered the prison with him. One day they discussed with each other their individual ambitions so one of them said, I had a dream that in time I will become source of knowledge for the people. The other said, I had a dream of taking on responsibility of livelihood for people in which partake people who prove to be excellent in this kind of work. Tell us how can we have such outcomes for our these ambitions, we ask you about it because we see that you are a man who directs others for benefiting each other.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]37) Josephreplied, I willexplain to you how you should go about fulfilling your dreams before you start working on them to get the outcomes you desire because this is part of the knowledge about making sense of things which my Creator and Sustainer has taught me. In fact, I have nothing to do with rule of people who do not commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind according to guidance of Allah because they deny mankind the right to fruit of their hard work.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]38) So instead I follow the guidance of Allah and guide others to do the same just like my forefathers Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. It is not fitting that we take any sovereigns other than Allah. This is our missionary task set by Allah for us for the well being of mankind yet most of the people do not benefit from it.[/FONT]
[FONT=&] It is of vital importance that people understand words and concepts attached to them for proper understanding of deen. Failing that one cannot understand deen. For example, Arabic is a root based language and roots are a construct based upon a few letters working as one unit from which many words are derived for various grammatical reasons. If we trace Arabic back in time it comes from Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, Akkadian etc languages. Before people invented Arabic script alphabet used to be presented in pictorial form and those pictures represented certain concepts and since each letter had a meaningful concept attached to it when a few letters were put together the individual meanings of individual letters became an explanation and took an overall meaning and then derived meanings. For example, what we call ALIF was presented as a head of a bull and meant strength or BAA was presented as a tent and it meant house. Now one can see why word ABB means father ie because it is written by using letter ALIF and BAA. So a father figure is someone upon whom depends household or he is strength of the house or in-charge of the house. This is why roots have multiple derived meanings ie words have a history behind their formation. This is why people even today can decipher ancient inscriptions because they can go back in time how people might have used those words and what they meant to them. Just as there is a tree of life ie how life came about and evolved so there is a tree of languages ie how human languages came about and evolved with time. It is one thing to know meanings of a word but another to know why a word is given that meaning. Unless one knows the reasons behind any meanings given to any word it is not possible to see the depth and width involved in the expression.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Take root SHEEN, KAAF and RAA of word YASHKUROON. The meaning attached to this root is thanks ie a word we use when someone does something for us that we need or want. The question is, what is the basic concept behind this meaning? God provided us humans with all we will ever need or want, he also provided us with guidance. When the Quran tells us to be grateful what does it actually mean? It means appreciate things by using gifts of God ie grow, prosper, develop by using what you are given as told. This cannot happen if we say thanks by word but no thanks by deed. God has given us everything and we by word say thanks God but we at the same time say no thanks to God because we do not use what he has given us appropriately to benefit from it as we are supposed to. This idea of thanking God therefore proves totally absurd and meaningless. We seek help of others and others seek help from us, the question is, do we understand what is going on in this process? When someone asks us for help, it means one has some need that one wants fulfilled. What happens when a need is not fulfilled? The person fails to grow or develop because one has become stuck. By helping such a person we are actually helping him to start growing again or become unstuck or free against and start moving. Now imagine that one asks for our help but when we help him he abuses our help by misusing it, will you help that person again when you know what he has done already? This time even if you help again you will ensure one does not abuse your help again. If you do not then you are not a good helper either because you are not helping the right person properly so you are not fulfilling your responsibility either. You are abusing your capacity of helping someone who does not appreciate your help. So your help is wasted and you let it go to waste. On the other hand you could have helped the right person who could have appreciated your help.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This is important point because our ability to help is gifted and we are not allowed to misuse it. It is like you are part of a government and people have put you there to manage their funds and affairs and you just do as you like instead of using what you are given as told by the government. The result of misuse is that things depreciate in value instead of appreciation ie instead of growing they shrink. If this use and abuse of things continues imagine the end result. This is why we need to learn more than just simple meanings of words to really understand the message of the Quran. Actions speak louder than words and just saying thanks God is meaningless if you are abusing his gifts in reality by your actions. Appropriate use of things is proper thanks because it adds to value and helps growth and improper use of things is no thanks because it causes devaluation and depreciation and depression. This is how due to ignorance of deen the ummah is strangling itself out of existence or driving itself into painful suffering. It shows foolishness of people who tell us useless things as deen as well as foolishness of ourselves because we follow such people who have turned our deen into a meaningless thing. This is why we must come back to the Quran and learn how to understand it properly so that we become aware of what our deen really is.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]39) O my fellow inmates! Tell me, what is better, many different rulers or just one sovereign, Allah, the one capable of handling all affairs?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]40) Those whom you take as rulers other than Him are nothing but mere name sake rulers which you and your forefathers have put in place on basis of baseless ideas through make beliefs for which Allah has revealed no authority whatsoever. Surely sovereignty belongs to none but Allah Who has ordained that you take none as ruler save Him. That is the way of doing things which is properly balanced yet most of the people do not learn to understand it.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word TABUDOON is from root AIN, BAA and DAAL. It has been explained already but let us see how language came about, evolved and works using this root for explanation to help us understand things a bit better. As explained already that words in Arabic language come from roots not other words. Roots are made of a single alphabet letter or a few of them joined together as in word ABD ie AIN, BAA and DAAL. The question is what is origin of roots? Roots were invented from words used for concrete realities as explained already. These words were originally written in form of pictures. Since Arabic comes from other languages eg Syriac, Aramaic, Hebrew or Akkadian etc so the letters in Arabic alphabet are representations of those pictures. For example, letter AIN used to be written in form of a picture and that picture was of an eye. Letter BAA was written in form of a picture and that picture was of a tent and likewise letter DAAL was written in form of a picture and that picture was of a door. However when these three letters are brought together to be a root it brings with it all the concepts and therefore meaning possible for these letters. If letter AIN is an eye than it describes what eye is and what it does or is used for therefore all such meanings are possible for letter AIN that have something to do with eye and its working. Since eye is used for seeing things therefore its meanings include concepts like guarding something or keeping an eye on something. Likewise since eye cries and tear run down hence the same letter also means water spring. Letter BAA is shown as a tent or house and in Hebrew it is called BEIT which means house in Hebrew but with a little bit thought one can see from Arabic that BEIT is called BAIT which is a house therefore what a house is and what it is used for all such meanings can be derived from this letter. The case is very same for letter DAAL ie it is called DAALETH in Hebrew which mean door. Since we know what door is and what purpose it serves a lot of meanings can be derived from it. Just as a house is a place or an idea that is used as a shelter for protection against all kinds of dangers from which a shelter can protect so a door is something that is a way or mean to something so it has many concepts and meanings attached to it. Just as all these letters have individual meanings so when they are used together as a root, the root contains all these possible meanings in it which each individual letter has on its own. The rest is decided by the context in which these roots are used for words that are derived from them. For example, a word could be a subject in a sentence or an object or a verb eg AABID, MABOOD or IBAADAH. Likewise the context in case of the Quran is that each word is used either by Allah or by a human. Also a word is used in context of DEEN or MAZHAB by Allah or by a human being. Moreover a person could be a follower of the Quran or its opponent. All these like points made clear here and elsewhere in this Quranic explanation will be found very helpful by people who wish to know the Quran better. Just as the explained letters have meanings so do other letters eg ALIF=head of a bull, BAA= a house, TAA=womb, JEEM=camel, DAAL=door, round HAA=window, HAA=fence, WOW=hook, ZAA=sword, KAAF=palm of hand, YAA=whole hand, LAAM=ox-gaud, MEEM=water, NOON=fish, SWAAD=snake, AIN=eye, FAA=mouth, THAA=fishhook, QAAF=eye of the needle, RAA=head, SHEEN=tooth, TWAA=mark etc etc. Just as letters are meaningful words they were also assigned alphanumerical values for purpose of calculations eg ALIF=1 and BAA=2 and so on. In those times there were no separate figures or symbols for numbers as we have them today. Most shapes of letter were used for more than one letter and were distinguished by dots and diacritical marks eg look at Arabic letters BAA, TAA and THAA or JEEM, HAA and KHAA etc. Not only that but even for same letter different pictorial presentations were used that meant to stand for same concept or meaning but emphasised a particular aspect. All this seems a very complex and complicated stuff but not if one learns it. Anything is difficult due to ignorance but easy once a person has gone through experimentation or training. It is these meanings of letters that can help discover true meanings of letter in the beginning of some of the Quranic surahs eg ALIF, LAAM and MEEM in surah 2 verse1. Same can be said about word ALLAH ie ALIF, LAAM, LAAM and HA. Letter ALIF means head of a bull that indicates authority or power or force or strength etc. Letter LAAM means ox-goad, something a person uses to drive something with towards something eg one drives a heard of cattle with a stick or staff or like a sheppard keeps a flock of sheep under his control. Letter MEEM means water, something that quenches thirst or fulfils a need just as without knowledge a person feels useless and empty because one cannot do anything to fulfil one’s needs. Word Allah also can be interpreted this way even though it is used as a proper noun in the Quran for an ever existing being who created all and revealed his message in form of books like the Quran through messengers like Muhammad. In the Quranic context it is not right to translate word Allah as God because word God is about kind of being Allah is. It is ok to use word God for word ILAAH. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Allah is only one of his kind according to the Quran ie there is nothing else that is ever existing or with similar ever existing attributes and nothing else can act like God because nothing else has abilities or powers to act like God. This is why deen of Islam is about oneness of God and oneness or unity of mankind. Allah is all alone as a being because there is nothing is like unto him in existence, attributes and actions. In Arabic language a particle of speech is used as an interjection to draw attention of something by calling upon it or express desire or a longing. It is YAA and it means O or OH eg YAA ALLAH=O God. The rule according to text of the Quran is that when anyone is called upon using particle YAA there is no incidence where a noun has been identified as AL=the. It is always YAA MOOSA=O Moses. In other words when something is called upon specifically or in particular then no further identification is needed or used by use of article the. It is because the name identifies the object of attention and then yaa simply draws his attention to caller or the caller draw attention of other to the called. Since Muslims always used words YAA ALLAH or YAA ILAAH and never YAA AL-ILAAH therefore it is proof that Allah is proper noun for God and does not come from AL-ILAAH. It does not mean moon God either because the Quran does not allow creatures to be called Gods and gives reason that these are created by God. So a created being is not a God and it cannot be a God so it should not be called a God or taken for a God. In deen of Islam, not only calling anyone else a God is SHIRK=polytheism but even to attribute any attribute or act like that of Allah is also taken as accepting another God beside Allah. This is why mankind must live by way of life advised by Allah or by living their lives any other way they are committing act of shirk ie treason. It is like one is living in a kingdom under a king and one does not accept authority of the king. Allah is king of his universe and all that exists in it therefore anyone who does not take is set goals and guidelines seriously is committing treason because it is like creating a state within a state. This is why people who do not learn way of life advised by Allah or do not live by it are called KUFAAR or KAAFIROON ie the rejecters and the opponents of deen of Allah. It is a very serious offence in the sight of Allah and it also has serious implications and consequences for mankind. It is because without the base of deen of Islam there is no way people could become a proper human community or family. This is why Islam is a DEEN and not a MAZHAB. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Verses like this one expose the lies of rulers, priests, money lenders, their touts and supporters who derive their authorities in the name of God through each other. In this situation rulers have no authority to appoint any priests or hand over community wealth to anyone as his personal property in the name of God and likewise priests have no authority to put rulers in place for community in the name of God. It is all a mechanism set up by such people working together to make fool of masses to deprive them of their God given rights to all that exists. It is due to this mechanism priests fool masses by instilling in their minds ideas of sins and forgiveness and their power of intervention in affairs of God as intercessors and atonement through sacrifice and donations as charity etc etc. This is why masses inflict more harm on each other because they have the idea in their heads that in the end God will forgive them whatever their sins may be. This is why people do such evil thinking it is good which priests instil in their heads which is in fact doctored indoctrination to make people do things they want them to do in the name of God and this is how rulers, mullahs and money lenders use and abuse masses. This like verses explain to people that whatever goals and guidelines their rulers, priests and money lenders have set for themselves to abide by are their own creation for their own ends to use and abuse weaker members of human community and Allah has sent them not nor approved them instead Allah has revealed opposite goals and guidelines for people to abide by for ensuring their own well being. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]41) As to your dreams O my inmates! Each of you will be released soon from the prison and one of you will serve wine of knowledge to your king and the other will be placed firmly on state affairs of which people will have their provisions. That is howyour ambitions will become realities regarding which you asked for directions.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]42) Then to the one who he thought will be elevated to the position of advisor to his king out of both of them said, do let your king know about my case. But the opponent of guidance of Allah made him forget to mention the case of Josephto his king, so he remained in the prison a few more years.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]43) Then one day the king of Egypt said to his counsel, I see a number of big splits in my people in which are involved many weak members of our society but I also see a number of long periods of stability and prosperity as well as number of periods of instability and exploitation and hardship. O chiefs! Explain to me how can I reach my desired outcome if you can analyse the situation and the circumstances and plan ahead in order to guide me.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]44) They replied, these are testing situations and we are not skilled in dealing with situations like this.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word ADGHAAS is from root DWAAD, GHAIN and SAA. Concrete meaning of this root is to put different things together in such a way that they become entangled. Also medleys of dreads, random thoughts, mixture of ideas, to take a handful of something as sample to estimate the whole, by looking at a sample of something judge the whole, depression, worrisome situation or circumstances, nightmare, a quantity of anything that a person has in his grip, a bunch of flowers that person can hold in his hand, vase, limited means or capacity, bundle, unravelling of hair, a camel suspected to be suffering from an afflicted hump, confusion, mixture, hallucination, handful of plant stalks, incoherent mix etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word AHLAAM is from root HAA, LAAM and MEEM. Concrete meaning of this root is stability due to consistency and balance. Also dream, vision, thought, to have wet dreams, to attain puberty, to gain wisdom, to be patient, clemency, a sensible person, nipple, a young goat, rationality, sensibility, intelligence, reason, mind, forbearing, prudent, a person not disturbed or angered by small things, courageous, a person capable of planning ahead, sincere, a person who keeps oneself under control even when angry, a person who does not jump into things without thinking about the consequences, a beast of burden when it becomes capable for being used for carrying loads, a healthy and strong person both physically and mentally, a person who always works according to rules and regulations, soft, tender hearted, kind or compassionate when dealing with others etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]45) Thereupon one of the two released prisoners remembered after a long time and spoke up, I will tell you how to handle this situation just send me to Joseph.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]46) So he came and said, O Joseph my truly well wishing friend! Explain to us how to handle the situation wherein are involved a number of big splits in people in which are involved many weak members of society and also wherein are possible a number of long periods of stability and prosperity as well as number of periods of instability and exploitation and hardship, so that I return to the people who sent me and let them know the solution to their problems.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Egypt originally was ok but due to changes in Egypt rivalry based system became adopted so people became divided and as gap between rich and poor grew therefore a time was reached when people became uneasy and troubled to such degree that the king became alarmed so he put the problem he saw before his council seeking their advice and opinions. They failed to advise him properly but the while they discussed this matter one of the council members remembered Joseph due to his ability of solving problems. So he asked to be sent to Joseph to ask for his advice in this situation. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]47) He replied, you should actively cultivate good relations among all people in the land for a number of years till it becomes a normal way of life then whatever good relationship you manage to develop maintain it in its good state though you will participate in this program just a little.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]48) However your failure to reach the target after this advice could bring upon you a number of years of hardship and troubles that will render useless whatever steps you would have taken already save a little which you may have specifically paid attention to. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]49) But if you managed to repair and maintain your society after that will come a period of abundant prosperity during which the people will benefit greatly.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]50)However instead of following the program as told by Joseph the king said, bring this man to me. When the messenger came Josephsaid to him, go back to your king and ask him about the case of those communities that lost their case due to loss of their ability to produce worthy argument. Indeed my Creator and Sustainer has exposed their plot for people to see for what it was.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]51) The king called them in to his court and questioned them saying, what do you say about the incident when you attempted to wrong foot Joseph? They replied, Allah forbid! We know of no harmful motive on his part against our community. The party of ruling elite and priestly class that was under governor of Egypt said, now that the truth has come to light, it was I who attempted to wrong foot him against his way of doing things. The fact is, he is absolutely trustable.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]52) Joseph said, by this inquiry I meant to let the governor of Egypt know that I did not betray him in his absence regarding the responsibility he assigned to me and that Allah does not let the plots of the treacherous succeed for long.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]53) This I did, not because I am free of human needs and desires but to prove that human needs and desires prompt one to do harm to others even for petty personal gain unless one follows program of my Creator and Sustainer for peace, progress and prosperity of mankind and that is how program of my Lord protects humanity against harm and destruction.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]The values according to which Joseph worked in Egypt were attacked by priests of Egypt because he wanted to treat people as human beings but the way of life in Egypt was based upon master slave relationship between people. This is what now forced Egyptians to leave and join the way of doing things Joseph told them about right from the start. This shows how people do not see sense in perfectly sensible explanations till they fall in trouble and then learn things the hard way but even that is not the case for people like Pharaoh in time of Moses. These people were very fortunate that they saw troubles and straight away looked for their solutions and accepted the changes needed for their better future. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]54) The king said, bring him to me so that I appoint him to assist me in taking care of affairs of the kingdom. When Joseph was brought to the king and they had mutual talk the king said, from now on you have an honourable place among us and you will enjoy our full confidence.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]55) Seeing the situation that kingdom was going to be destroyed through disintegration by civil wars if right steps were not taken Joseph requested the king, let me deal with the people and resources of the land. Certainly I know how to manage people and resources to avoid what is otherwise inevitable and rest assured I have all the knowledge needed for the task ahead.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This verse shows that capable people must put themselves forward for community work for whatever work they are good at or are capable of so that they could contribute and the community could benefit from their contributions. If a people have community spirit then they fight off any disaster no matter how bad it is. It gives people motivation and courage to appreciate each other’s works and contributions. On the other hand using and abusing each other disheartens people about each and all use and abuse each other and no one care what happens to any other person. The harmful and destructive mindset, attitude and behaviour has no advantage for humanity other than short lived personal gain. This becomes a problem for living one’s life because a human goes through various stages in one’s life that put one in an advantageous position in one respect at one time with another person but at the same time or at another time it puts one at a disadvantaged position with the same person or another person. So if one takes advantage of one person another takes advantage of him so pressure is on from both sides at both the times which makes life a misery due to being full of unnecessary worries and anxiety and at times regrets. In a human population with community spirit there is no pressure because there is no danger present from each other. All people have to worry about is how can they do more and more for the betterment of each other as a community. This is how way of life advised by Allah takes people out unnecessary troubles and hardships.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]56) Thus We established Joseph in the land to live therein in any way he wished within Our set limits. We bestow understanding of Our program for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind upon whoever works for it because We do not let the outcome of the people who work hard for well being of each other go to waste.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]57) So reward is even greater in future for those who commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind because they remain consistent with Our program, constitution and law for the well being of mankind.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]58) That is how there came to see Joseph his brethren and as they came in his presence he recognized them but they failed in recognizing him.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]In time as Joseph became famous as a helpful person his community fellows also heard about his reputation so they came to see him just to see if they can get something out of him. When people do not live by advice of God then they fail to see problems they need to take care of and themselves become serious problem for each other through rivalries and animosities. This increases problems due to natural disasters many folds. It is like one is already drowning and others are throwing stones at him instead of putting their effort into saving him. This is why humanity fails to make progress at the speed it ought to. When people waste their efforts on fighting each other they fail to pay attention to matters that really matter for their survival. They fail to farm on time or destroy crop through fighting each other so hunger strikes. Mankind need to spend more and more time on monitoring and planning in advance for taking care of all their needs and then work on those plans to be ready for all eventualities well in time. This is why people need to stick to education that gives them a community worth the name and then concentrate on other things that need to be done. If rain does not happen it should matter not because there is plenty of water here on the surface of the earth which humanity should take advantage of. This cannot be done unless people observe natural phenomena and see how things happen in nature and then try doing them. The more people become capable of doing this the more independent of nature mankind can become. After all why or how we invented things so far and why don’t people do the same more and more so that human problems could be solved instead of investing in wars with each other and trying to waste human power and resource? It is time that humanity came together and coordinated its efforts and complemented each other in planning and doing things so that past mistakes do not continue and new mistakes could be prevented as much as it is humanly possible. This is the major lesson in this story ie how people managed to avert crisis by working together according to divine plan. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]59) At length when he had equipped them with whatever they needed he said to them, come again to me with other bother of yours with approval of father of your nation. Do you not find me fulfilling needs of people properly and I deal with people in a dignified way?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]60) However if you do not come to me with your other brother then you will not have my personal assistance because you will not have my personal attention.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]61) They replied, we will certainly try our best to get him from his father. This we will surely try.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]62) So Joseph told his officials to load their things they brought for trading back into their loads in such a way thatthey should come to know about it onlywhen they reach back to their people so that they could come again.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]63) When theyreturned to father of their nation they said, Father! Assistance as of now is denied to us unless we take with us our brother therefore send our brother with us so that we may get our measure, we will take full responsibility for his safety and security.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]64) He said, should I trust you for his security as I once trusted you for security of his brother? However laws of Allah are unique when it comes to security of mankind because He is provider of the program with all the necessities that can ensure unity, peace, progress and prosperity of humanity.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]65) However in time when they opened their baggage they discovered that their stuff for trading had been returned to them. Father! They said, what more do we need? Here is our stuff for trading given back to us. This means we can get more things of need for our people and we will take good care of our brother if you let him go with us because we can get an extra caravan load of things.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]66) The father of their community replied, I will never send him with you unless you enter in an agreement with me according to law of Allah under oath that you will surely bring him back to me unless you are overcome by some other unforeseen situation rendering you helpless. After they had entered agreement under oath he said, law of Allah is our basis for this agreement you entered.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]The purpose of swearing under oath in Islam is to hold the person under legal obligation according to law of Allah. This means if the person making a pledge under oath deliberately fails in his duty then he is to be punished for doing so. It is as if one has lied under oath in the court of law. The other point to be noticed here is the way agreement is made ie people are exempt from responsibility if something happens to them which is beyond their capacity to handle and this exemption is brought in by the very person who wants the agreement of them. The person dictating the terms is ensuring that the other party is not under undue pressure due to this obligation. It shows how fair minded people think ie instead of taking advantage of the other party they ensure that they are not taken undue advantage of. The question is, what happens if you force upon people things that are beyond their capacity? They will not be able to fulfil such obligations and will be forced to do wrong things including making false pledges which they will mean not to carry out and this means both the parties will end up losers as a community. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]67) Moreover he advised them saying, O my children! Do not drive yourselves into isolation and obscurity by following a path blindly instead explore different ways to be part of wider human community and remember that I cannot tell you anything against the set-up systems and laws of Allah because none has the right to set-up systems and laws other than Allah. Upon His set-up systems and laws I rely and upon His set-up systems and laws should rely all those who wish to rely upon something dependable that never fails including yourselves. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Here father of nation advises his people to be people with wisdom who are able not only to know the truth themselves but help others to find out truth for themselves because that is the only way people can find a solid common ground or foundation to be a community or build one on that foundation. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]68) So when they made the entry as their father of community had advised them soon it became clear to them that nothing can benefit anyone against the set-up systems and laws of Allah, nonetheless it was community responsibility that Jacob addressed. After all he possessed the knowledge which We had given him even though most of the people do not bother to learn to be sensible.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]69)When they entered upon Joseph, he called his brother to himself andsaid, it is I your brother Joseph, so grieve not at what they havebeen doing to us and our people.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]70) At length when Joseph had finished arranging the load of their provisions, he informed his brother about journey of his own life. Later on when they were on the way back home a crier called out to them saying, O people ofthe caravan! You may have taken something without our permission.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word JAHAAZ is from root JEEM, HAA and ZAA. Concrete meaning of this root is things that are needed for a journey or for which a journey is undertaken. Also luggage, travel gear, things of need, load, stuff, equipment, gear, tools, rig, to fit out, to prepare, to equip, to make ready, to finish off, to be quick and light-footed, to equip with necessary gear or tools, to rig up, to provide with necessary provisions, supplies, the load that is loaded on a beast of burden, load on the camel or donkey, things bought or obtained etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word SIQAAYAH is from root SEEN, QAAF and YAA which has been explained already but it also means to give a drink, to water land or animals or plants, to make drink, to give a party, to teach knowledge to help quench thirst for knowledge, to fulfil need of knowledge of a people, to serve drink, to irrigate, to perform a daily act or task, to provide with drink or knowledge, to seek source for drinking or to seek or look for water or knowledge, to deliver a lecture, to explain things, to discuss or debate things, to inform someone about things, drinking cup or goblet etc etc.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word RAHL is from root RAA, HAA and LAAM. Concrete meaning of this root is to be on the move. Also to be on the journey, sack, bag, camel litter, saddle, something to base something upon, foundation, honour, death, to die, to be on journey to next life, to move or shift from one place to another, to shift from one state of existence to another, a structure for placing the Quran or a book upon for reading, a journey, a story, a story about journey of one’s life, anything like a saddle that is put on the camel to help one sit on the camel for travelling or to load on the camel stuff, camel, the place or idea from which one travels to another place or idea, to change mind or place, a distance that one travels in one day, to travel, to set out to do something, to go away, travel gear or bags, saddle-bag, to take as a mount, a strong traveller, luggage, journey, pack, trip, tour etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]71) They turned round and asked, what is it that you find missing?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]72) The officials said, we have lost the vessel of the management with which we measure things and the one who finds it and brings it back will be awarded a camel-loadof provision, I guarantee it.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]73) Joseph’s brethren said, by Allah! You should know by our behaviour during our stay here that we did not come here to cause any trouble in yourland and we are not a people who take things belonging to others without their permission.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]74) The official said, what should be the outcome for the person who has taken something belonging to others if you prove to be wrong?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]75) They replied, the outcome for him inwhose stuff you find the measuring vessel of the kingdom will be that he should compensate you for what he did to you, that is how wepunish those who do wrong.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]These verses tell about mindset, attitude and behaviour of people who are quick in claiming their innocence and putting blame on others when anything goes wrong instead of holding back and waiting for the outcome of an inquiry as to what actually has happened. Here the officials loose the state vessel for measuring things and they think that these people whom they served last the management may have left that vessel by mistake in their luggage so they follow them and ask them if that vessel is in their stuff. The vessel could not be checked unless luggage was opened and searched. Instead of letting them get on with search they say we are not thieves ie they try to hinder search as if they did steal the vessel. After the vessel is found and they are proven wrong they take no time and straightaway accuse their community brother for deliberately stealing the vessel. Not only that but they also accuse his brother as well for stealing for no reason at all. This steeling they may be referring to is about leadership of the community about which they became jealous and decided to get Joseph out of their way. In that case it is they who tried to steal his rightful place in the community. It shows how foolish these people were and yet these people wanted to become leaders of their community. They had no sense of self respect and dignity of their own community. Seeing this situation Joseph decides not to send his brother back home with them just in case they do something to him as they already had done what they did to Joseph himself. He tells them I am holding him back as a result of you people being proven wrong about vessel not being in your stuff. Since you proved wrong so I am holding your brother back. Now they start moaning about problems they have back home in their own community. This forces Joseph to disclose himself and let them know who he is so that they learn some lesson from all this. Seeing their mindset, attitude and behaviour he decides to move all of his community to where he himself is because otherwise there was no more leadership in that community to take it forward seeing the mindset, attitude and behaviour of his fellow member of the community. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]76) Thereafter Joseph first began to search the packs of others before the pack of his brother. Finally he took the vessel out ofhis brother’s package. Thus We let Joseph plan to teach his brethren a lesson, for He could not hold back his brother underthe law of the kingdom but Allah fulfils His plan always. We exalt in ranks of dignity whoever works according to Our set-up systems and laws because above all the learned is the One Who makes all the information obvious for them to learn from.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Because community brothers of Joseph exposed themselves, Joseph was able to save his brother from them and was also able to plan next move for the whole of his community. In this verse Allah also tells mankind how he has set-up things that people have lots of things to observe and learn from to help themselves develop and progress. The physical search of luggage is less about catching a thief but more about making a people realise their mistakes ie the harms and destructions they inflicted upon each other as a community. It is an exercise to search their minds to turn them into proper human beings. It is like extracting information from them using some external pressure to make them realise what they have done and how harmful and destructive it was for humanity. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]77) After accusation of theft the brethren of Joseph remarked, this is no surprise if he has committed a theft because his brother also committed a theft before him. Despite hearing this Joseph suppressedhis feelings and did not reveal anything to them but said to himself,what a terrible situation you people are putting yourselves in and Allah will make obvious the truth about that concerning which you accuse me.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]They accuse Joseph for stealing their right to be community leaders but by the mindset, attitude and behaviour they are showing they are in fact exposing their own weaknesses as human beings therefore unfit for becoming leaders. On the contrary Joseph created a place for himself in the new community that he became a member of, which is a clear proof that he was capable of leading any community unlike these jealous people who conspired against him and stole his rightful place in that community and as a result the community ended up in serious troubles. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]78) They said, O noble person in authority! The father of the accusedis a great leader of the nation who may not take this lightly, so take one of us instead of him. We surely see that you are of those who do things to make life beautiful for others through fulfilling their needs.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]79) Joseph replied, I seek protection through guidance of Allah therefore far from me be that we seize other than the one with whom we found our property or we will be unjust indeed.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]80) When they lost their hope of moving Joseph, they went aside to confer in private. The leading one among them said to rest, you know that your father had taken a solemn pledge in the name of Allah and you also know how you fell short of your duty to Allah with respect to Joseph therefore I am not going to leave this land until the father of our nation permits me or Allah decides for me the matter some other way because He is the only one who is rightful ruler of all those who claim to be the rulers.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]81) So go back to father of your nation without me and say, father, your son has committed theft. We did not see him stealing but we can testify only to what we know. How could we guard against this unforeseen situation?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]82) You may enquire from the people of the city where we stayed and the caravan in which we travelled that we are surely telling the truth.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]83) When Jacob is told this he said, no! You yourselves havecontrived a story once more. However I will remain steadfastly persistent in pursuing this case. May be thereby Allahwill bring them all back to me because He makes His wisdom known to mankind through His rule.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]84) He turned his face away from them crying, Alas for Joseph! His eyes became filled with tears of grief and he became overwhelmed by sorrow.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]85) They said, by Allah! you will not cease to remember Joseph until you ruin your health or kill yourself through this grief.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word HARADAA is from root HAA, RAA and DWAAD. Concrete meaning of this root is to become harmed by something in some way. Also to ruin, to be ruined, to become weak, defective, faulty, to become mental, to become physically unfit, to become tired of something, to be at the brink of becoming ruined, to become ill, to become totally useless or worthless, to have no value, to depreciate, to become depressed, a person suffering from a serious mental or physical injury, to encourage someone to do something that rejuvenates one, to make someone do something that makes one stand on his feet but if one fails to do it then one could become ruined, base person, corruption, to corrupt, to perish, to be in danger of death, to degenerate mentally or physically, to urge, to spur, to encourage, to rouse, to exhort, emaciated, foolish person etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]86) He said, I complain of my distress and grief according to set-up systems and laws of Allah because I know from Allah what you do not understand yet.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word ASHKOO is from roots SHEEN, KAAF and WOW/YAA. Concrete meaning of this root is a skin bag used for carrying water that opens only at one end. Also to let all out, to say whatever is in one’s mind, to poor out all the content in a container to empty it, to bring out worry or concern, to complain, lamp, a cavity in a wall for placing of lamp, to share information about one’s situation or circumstances, to expose oneself before others, lamp holder, to grieve, to show or reveal one’s grief, to submit a complain, to launch a complain, to complain vigorously etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word BASSI is from root BAA, SAA and SAA. Concrete meaning of this root is to reveal something that bothers one to someone. Also to spread, to disseminate, to cause to multiply, to disclose sorrow or worry or illness, to disperse, to scatter, to generate, spread out, to publicise, to let others know, to draw attention of others to oneself, to invent something, to let know something to others that is not known already to them, to make obvious, scattered moth, the dust particle that are spread by wind, to spread things in great numbers etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word HUZNEE is from root HAA, ZAA and NOON. Concrete meaning of this root is anxiety or worry or regret that causes distress or rage or depression. Also a sense of being trapped or cornered, having sense of being incomplete or defective or weak or broken or useless, feeling isolated or neglected or ignored or unwanted, a feeling of pain due to lack of things of need, distraction, confusion, anguish, feeling oppressed or suppressed, a feeling of helplessness, a feeling of lack of support or love, the worry about daily bread, barren land, hardship, difficulty, feeling threatened, feeling oneself in danger, rocks, boulders, sadness, sorrow, rocky hard going terrain, to cause hardship, to distress, to become sad, to grieve, responsibility, to cause unrest, to feel disturbed, to become agitated etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Mankind need to become aware of the fact that whatever happens outside in the real world affects inside of people and whatever is in the minds of people it affects outside world when they act it out. So world can only become beautiful if people try to interact with each other in a way that makes world beautiful therefore any participation in the world by people that makes world ugly should be avoided by each and every person. People should not feel happy by undermining each other but by ensuring well being of each other.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]87) O my children! Go and search for Joseph and his brother and never give up hope in blissful, dignifying and secure life providing guidance of Allah. In fact none give up hope in guidance of Allah save people who reject and oppose His guidance.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word TAHASSASOO is from root HAA, SEEN and SEEN. Concrete meaning of this root is a hissing sound. Also faint noise, whispering sound, concealed gentle sound, a feeling, to search out, to seek information, to look for, to inquire about something, to perceive something through the senses, to find out, to probe, to spy, to kill, to rout, to strike hard, movement, to remove the dust, to slay, to eradicate, to eliminate, to destroy, to become conscious of, to become aware of, to see, to gather intelligence about, to collect information discreetly about, churning sound, murmur etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]88) So when they return to Egypt and entered the office of Joseph they said, O honourable manager of the kingdom! We and our people are in terrible distress due to lack of things of need because we are running out of anything of value so please give us as much as at least fulfils our needs and thereby prove your commitment to well being of mankind true to us. Surely Allah fulfils those who prove their commitment to well being of mankind true.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This verse shows mankind that if they do not commit themselves to way of life advised by Allah in deeds as a proper human community then this is the situation in which people end up as a result. All because some people want to live by a way of life based upon personal gains at the expense of others. As such a way leads to divisions and rivalries and animosities therefore people fail to develop and progress as they ought to if they learned to live as a proper human family. Such people have no other way to survive but to pick up the begging bowl and go round seeking help of others. Such help is not there unless a people with proper mindset, attitude and behaviour are there. Helpful people are the ones whom these people wanted to destroy to begin with but instead end up destroying themselves. This is how the Quran explains why people must live the way they are told and not the way they think because life based upon personal gains is short lived and is full of unnecessary worries as has been explained already. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]89) Hearing this he said, do you know what youdid to Joseph and his brother when you acted out of ignorance?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This is how people who kill or banish people from their populations who are capable of helping them develop and progress end up destroying themselves. This fault is not only of rulers, mullahs and money lenders but also of masses who rather live in bliss of ignorance till it is too late. It is because the first people who end up in terrible painful suffering are masses not leaders. This is why it is masses whose awareness and alertness is of vital importance and not just of their leaders. Only if people have sense they can steer their leadership in the right direction and vice versa.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]90) In surprise they cried, what! Are you really Joseph? He said, Yes! I am Josephand this is my brother. Allah surely has gifted us. In fact he who is constantly consistent with set-up systems and laws of Allah for the well being of humanity Allah does not let the outcome of works of such people who try to make their world beautiful for mankind go to waste.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]91) They said, by Allah! Surely we can now see the evidence as to why Allah has chosen you as a messenger instead of us. We have indeed been guilty of side stepping His guidance.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]92) Josephsaid, there is no penalty for you to suffer today for your past harmful and destructive works and guidance of Allah will protect you if you will live by it in future, for He is the only one whose blissful, dignifying and secure life providing program can deliver His sustenance properly for mankind. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word TASREEB is from root SAA, RAA and BAA. Concrete meaning of this root is condemnation. Also blame, penalty, to fold up a cloth, to end the feud, to wrap up the matter, to conclude, to seek no revenge, to not to rebuke, not to seek compensation, forgive, to remove fat from the veins, to blame, to seek revenge, to seek redress to some matter, to remind about wrong doing, city, thin layer of fat over the stomach, fingers, to point out faults, to abuse, to reproach, to upbraid, reproof etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]93) Go take the news of my khilaafah and place it before my father, he will rediscover his happy sight. Thereafter come back to me with all the members of your community.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This verse tells us Jacob moved to Egypt along with all his people on request of Joseph. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]94) When the caravan started from Egypt the father of their nation in Canaansaid, Certainly I feel the presence of Joseph even though you the people around me may think I am out of my mind.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]95) They said, by Allah! You are still suffering from your old delusion.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]96) However when the bearer of the good news arrived, he put the news of his khilaafah before him so he regained his happy sight and he said, did I not tell you thatI know due to understanding of set-up systems and laws of Allah what you people do not learn to understand?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]97) They said, O our father! Bring about harm and destruction free community for our protection and better future because we have inflicted harm and destruction upon each other in the past and that is why we suffered painfully due to that.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]98) He replied, soon I will bring about a harm and destruction free community for you as advised by my Creator and Sustainer, surely He protects mankind through His program for their blissful, dignified and secure existence.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]99) After a while when they came to Joseph he asked leaders and supporters of his community to become his protectorates and said, now that you have come to Egypt if program of Allah is implemented fully and remains enforced then you will find yourselves at peace and in secure existence in here and will progress and prosper.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]But all this changed after death of Joseph because children of Israel became slack and fell away from the way of life that was advised by Allah through Joseph and before him through Jacob and so on. Had people remained steadfast when Jacob became old and did not throw out Joseph they will have become leading people but instead they chose a different way of life and ended up the way they did. When Jacob died he asked them to promise that they will never change their way of life after him but they did. So people who came to deen of Islam after they became blessed in every way they just became far too much involved in all sorts of blessings and left the study of the scriptures alone so they failed to raise new generations that could keep themselves blessed with blissful, dignified and secure existence. This is why knowing foundation and the building built upon is very important to see whether it is consistent or not and whether it can ensure bright future or not and if everything is found in order then to ensure its proper maintenance. Negligence at any point in time can prove fatal for a people. This is how nations rise, stay in proper state of existence or fall. A clear proof that to raise future generations properly is absolutely necessary for mankind.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]100) That is how he raised the management and the managed of his community to heights of blissful, dignified and secure existence because they all accepted his proposal and acted upon it faithfully so he said, O father of my nation, this is the fulfilment of my vision that I had long ago, because my following of program of my Creator and Sustainer has turned it into a reality. It was beauty of His guidance indeed as planned by Him that He brought me out of prison to put me to work whereby He brought you all here from the unproductive socioeconomic political and economic landscape even though the rivals had stirred up strife between me and my community brethren. For sure my Creator and Sustainer fulfils His plan through ways and means beyond control of humanity due to lack of its awareness. Surely He is maker of His wisdom obvious for mankind to learn from to make proper sense of things and manage them wisely.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This verse should leave one in no doubt that this universe is set-up by Allah to work in a particular way for fulfilling purpose of its creator and sustainer and only those people or nations can rise and remain in blissful, dignified and secure existence that make proper sense of his guidance and follow it faithfully. In other words thinking and doing things the wrong way does not produce good results other than as by products as already explained in detail. The universe is set-up in such a way that good works definitely produce good results with bad by products but even bad works end up producing good results as by products and that is the reason no matter whatever people do it moves the world forward in a better direction. In short if people live by a way of life that is advised by Allah, it is bound to produce good end results but even if they live by any other way of life, they still end up going in the right direction due to conflicts between people which force them to find a better position with respect each other even though these are only minor steps in the right direction. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]101) O Creator and Sustainer of mine! You have indeed given a piece of land under my management and taught me all the knowhow about all the affairs of the kingdom. The originator of the heavens and the earth Your program has been my protector from the very beginning of my life and it will remain my protector to the very end of my life, so fulfil me completely so long as I truly remain committed to your set-up systems and laws thereby keep me as a part of those who try their best to put things right for mankind and maintain them. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]102) Even though these accounts which We have revealed to you are a collection about the past events when you the people were not there with brethren of Joseph who together conspired and schemed against him[/FONT]
[FONT=&]103) yet they are revealed for you so that you too strive as he did in the face of adversity and opposition because most people are not going to commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind otherwise, no matter how much you may desire it for them.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This verse explains why Allah sent his revelations for people ie to give them solid foundation to stand upon and help each other to come and stand upon the same platform and then work together as a proper human community for blissful, dignified and secure existence. What a slap on faces of rulers, mullahs and money lenders who say we believe in God yet use and abuse fellow human beings instead of coming to aid of each other for better world.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]104) This is why you are not to demand any wage for educating people with this information, it is because this Quran is to be made accessible for all the people in the world through your hard work for their benefit.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Another strong slap for users and abusers of humanity, who work for ensuring copyrights of intellectual property so that thereby they could use and abuse others. When people were not born with anything as theirs then what right do they have to try and stop each other from benefiting from whatever the world has to offer to all mankind? This is why people should fight against laws that divide them and put obstacle in the way of unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]105) There are many proofs for it throughout the heavens and the earth which people come across yet they pay no attention to them for proper understanding of things [/FONT]
106) and as a result most of them who declare commitment to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind in the name of Allah yet abide by ways of life or rules of laws advised by other than Allah.
Who are these people who declare their commitment to upholding the message of Allah yet do the opposite? It is rulers, mullahs, money lenders, their touts and supporters who claim to be Muslims yet think and do things just like those who reject and oppose message of Allah. This is why ummah must slap some sense into minds of its rulers, mullahs, money lenders and their touts and supporter so that ummah itself could live in unity, peace, progress and prosperity and could help rest of humanity to do the same by inviting it to the message of Allah properly.
107) Do they really feel comfortable and have certainty of mind despite their thoughts and actions against Our advised way of life which is bound to bring them terrible painful suffering in due course as they have been forewarned by Allah or do they feel comfortable and have certainty of mind regarding the Hour of uprising that it will not come upon them all of a sudden while they are not expecting it?
This verse draws attention of people to a very important point that if people will keep accepting just any way of life by anyone instead of way of life advised by Allah thereby remain stuck to their make beliefs and useless rituals and so they will keep living under rulers, mullahs and money lenders then in due course they will feel that their lives are getting really bad and getting worse and worse. It is because these rulers, mullahs and money lenders will keep taking undue advantage of them and time will come when painful suffering will saturate population as this use and abuse keeps spreading and starts affecting everyone. It is therefore better that people go for what is right and have no worries for future because all become aware what is expected next and it is all well and good for them so long as all stick to way of life advised by Allah.
108) Tell them clearly that the way Joseph did things is my way of doing things also therefore I invite all of you the people in the world to Allah on the basis of verifiable information that I and my supporters possess. Behold! Right of being a Sovereign in this universe only belongs to Allah and His program is the best for mankind for accomplishing His goals according to His provided guidelines therefore I am not of those who abide by ways of life other than the one advised by Allah.
109) All the messengers We sent before you O Muhammad, were human beings of great courage, to such We sent Our revelations after choosing them from among the people of their own townships. Have these people who reject and oppose Our guidance not travelled through the land and seen what was the end of those who passed away before them due to ignoring Our advice? From the end results of their ways of doing things you should be able to know that the end result was better for those who did things the way they were consistent with Our advice for their own well being. So why don’t you learn to understand things properly so that you do things the way they benefit you as a proper human community?
110) Respite was always granted to human populations until Our messengers gave up hope of reformation of some of their people so they left them to themselves because they came to the conclusion that their these people will keep on denying each other their rights to Our provided sustenance, however Our advice came to be of help to those who chose to do things Our way whereby We delivered them their goals but Our foretold consequences could not be averted by those who lived their lives against Our advised way of life and became criminals inflicting harms and destructions upon each other thereby ended up destroying each other.
111) There is a lesson in these like accounts of the human populations of the past for the people who learn things to understand them for their own betterment. This account of Joseph revealed in the Quran is not an invented tale but a confirmation of what is true in the previous scriptures, a detailed explanation of all things mankind need to learn to live a blissful, dignified and secure life because it is a roadmap to unity, peace, progress and prosperity of people who commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind.
Surah 13 AL-RAAD–A thundering message for mankind to inspire them into action for bringing about a proper human community for creating a blissful, dignifying and secure life providing kingdom based upon revelation of Allah
This Surah is named RAAD from root RAA, AIN and DAAL. Concrete meaning of this root is a force that causes movement. Also thunder, forceful or vigorous message that inspires people into action or campaign or agitation to accomplish or establish a goal, tumult, chaos, confusion, tremor, upheaval, uprising, shiver, shudder, tremble, threat, fright, flab, faint hearted, weak minded, jelly like thing, wobbly thing, instability, something unstable, thundering rhetoric, vain talk, talkative, state of confusion or chaos, revolt, rebuke, condemnation, to brag, to boast, loud rumbling noise etc etc.
This Surah is named AL-RAAD because it carries a thundering message for dignifying humanity through explanation as to what this universe is all about and place of humanity in it which is irrefutable. The concept of living according to a program, constitution and law is very powerful for mankind because humanity cannot live in chaos and confusion forever therefore it must organise and regulate itself, so that it could have a life worth living in the end. The message is powerful because it challenges religious make beliefs and useless rituals forcefully explaining why and how things happen in nature ie they are not result of some kind of magic but happen because of planning, processes, systems, structures and mechanisms etc put in place and all people need to do is observe them carefully to understand things and then try and learn how to replicate them and take advantage of them. Man is not created a slave to nature but to be its mini master one day. This is why this Surah explains set-up systems and laws at work in nature so that mankind realise how they can organise and work together to have a regulated smooth life that is less susceptible to upheavals and bloody revolutions. If people already know what to expect then they save themselves from lots of unnecessary worries and troubles. To understand natural laws is very important for mankind eg if we know how the fire works then we could rely on it when we use it to do something but if we did not know how it worked or could never find out then our lives will be turned upside down. For example, we make tea on fire and it works the same for all ie it heats up the water. If it heated water some times and at times frozen it instead of heating then we could never come to know what to expect each time we put the water filled kettle on fire. This is how God explains that likewise if you also lived by set-up systems and laws and regulated your lives sensibly then a lot of chaos and confusion we see in everyday life will reduce to a minimum. This is why laws of nature are never suspended and miracles are not shown because that would have confused humanity instead of leading them to certainty. It is a very decisive Surah as to why miracles should not be expected and that it is a false concept in light of set-up systems and laws of nature. There are only three ways to approach something to discover its reality. Top down approach, bottom up approach and half-split method. This means you either start from the very top and work downwards or start at the very bottom and work upwards and or start somewhere in the middle and work upwards as well as downwards. One can adopt any approach that makes things easier.
Existence of God can be proven using all three ways. If we go by top down approach we can begin by supposing existence of God on the basis that nothing can come to being by itself out of nothingness so there has to be some intelligent being there already with ability to create. However, to positively confirm that further the concept of revelation has to be brought in to complete the argument. It is because existence of God on its own serves no purpose for us human beings ie we cannot know why that existing being created the universe and what is our role in his scheme of things. If we start from creation and revelation then we can do the same ie prove thereby existence of God because the universal realities and Quranic message back each other up fully so if the Quranic claims can be proven through observation of universal realities then such information and universe could not have come about from any other source than the creator and sustainer of the universe. It is because human beings are not developed that much even today to produce as much information as the Quran contains in the way the Quran contains it therefore the Quran has to be from the creator and sustainer of the universe. Likewise one can start with study of the Quran or the universe and keep going till one reaches the final conclusion. The other point that is very important to remember is that not each and everything is created or done by God. God created things using his natural set-up systems and laws but once man came about he also created and did things to show that he has the ability to create and do things in his own right. The material that man uses for his creativity was created by God in its original form but it was man who learned from nature and started copying it and modified things to suit himself. By splitting part of God in scheme of things and part of man and other things, it is then possible for mankind to see whether man can point a finger at work of God. This is very, very important point to remember always. For example, the Quran is sent in Arabic language, why? It is because it was not God who created languages of things but things themselves created them and so did human beings. God always chose the best language at any given time and place to send his message for human beings. The Quran was sent in Arabic because the most useful and suited language for humanity and divine message was Arabic at the time for this era. It is because it was based on concept of root meanings of words and that means concepts attached to root were helpful in explaining same message to an earlier people as well as a later people. Any precise language would not have been a good vehicle for conveying the message for changing world and people. It is an idea similar to idea of formation of laws that you use cause based laws, so if the cause remains the same, the effect remains the same or the same laws applies if same situations and circumstances occur. It explains the concept of good and evil ie God created fire but it is up to users as to how they use it. It is like people created guns and knives but it is up to users to use them for benefit or loss. Creator of something cannot be blamed for its improper use.
Proclaim! In the name of Allah, the provider of psychological, sociological and biological needs of mankind,
1) Alif Laam Meem Raa. These are parts of the program that are revealed to you the mankind through the messenger from your Creator and Sustainer as the verifiable truth yet most of the people do not commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind according to it.
When the Quran talks about verifiable truth it means if the given plan for building a human community is put into practice then it will deliver the goods and when that happens the truth about these statements of the Quran will become obvious as a real world reality. Even before that program is put in place people can look at it and see if it is workable or not. This situation is like that of a map for building a house. If the map looks ok on the paper when examined carefully then there is little doubt that it will not work in reality. This is what the Quran tells people to accept as a trust in word of Allah. It does not ask people to put their faith in God blindly as mullahs will have us do to make fools of us. The program of Allah is perfect for its stated purpose yet people do not want to know it, why not? It is because Allah has created people with differences between them ie they are not all exactly the same ie identical. Some are strong others weak. All these differences are functionary differences for purpose of Allah but people are supposed to level out these differences by standing in for each other rather than standing up against each other by trying to dominate each other to take undue advantage of each other by undermining and undercutting each other as explained already. Despite this explanation people rather remain ignorant and act arrogantly which results in some people trying to use and abuse others for personal gains instead of living for each other by ensuring well being of each other as a proper human community based upon guidance of Allah.
2) Your Creator and Sustainer is Allah Who has raised all the galaxies in the universe without any visible support that you could see therefore His sovereignty rightfully extends over all the kingdom and due to that right He has subjected the sun and the moon to His set-up systems and laws so each is pursuing its program for an appointed time and that is how He organised and regulated all affairs in the universe as He has explained through His revelations so that you the mankind also meet the set standard of your Creator and Sustainer for your unity, peace, progress and prosperity with full confidence for your own well being.
This like verses in the Quran have parallel meanings eg systems and laws are put in place to let mankind rise and fall as nations by adopting or not adopting the right course of thoughts and actions as explained. The world is given rise to or is brought about by Allah without any apparent physical means eg from where Allah has brought about the matter to create this world if there was nothing else there other than Allah himself? All this is explained to show that Allah is a being with knowledge and power. The Quran does not answer the questions like where did the world come from and how did the revelation get here other than saying that these were just acts of Allah so people should have faith based upon rational thinking. It answers all the rest of questions in reasonable detail and uses that to prove the Quran is word of Allah. In other words, it is not provable directly by physical connections that Allah has created this world or that he has sent any revelations like the Quran however all other claims are proven through indirectly verifiable evidences as explained already. Of course, there is no way for humanity to prove otherwise either so it is not possible to create any reasonable doubt on the authenticity of the claim that the Quran revelation of Allah and that universe is the creation of Allah. Particularly when the Quranic explanations about the real world are exactly as the universe and things in it actually are. Moreover the Quran is a book that only helps mankind to ensure their own well being so it is a win, win situation even if we cannot directly connect the creation and the revelation to Allah actually physically. Although we did not see Allah creating things or revealing his messages nonetheless we can rationalise them that he did as explained already. Word ISTAWAA also carries meanings within itself that Allah has a firm properly balanced personality therefore he is capable of keeping all other things properly balanced and firmly founded. This is why the way of life advised by Allah is proper way of life because it puts mankind on solid foundation or path to accomplish the objectives and thereby fulfil the purpose for which Allah has created mankind. People who live by any way of life other than the one told by Allah become corrupt because they do so for gaining power over others by undermining them so corrupt mindset leads them to corrupt attitude and corrupt attitude leads them to corrupt behaviour therefore it is not possible for the powerful people not to be corrupt. So long as some people are corrupt others are bound to suffer at their hands. This is why people must learn the Quran and live by it so that corruption could be minimised even if it could not be ended 100% due to possibility of human errors.
3) He it is Who has expanded the earth and brought about therein high mountains and low valleys flowing with water whereby He brought about fruits of every kind resembling each other as well as He brought about the phenomenon of the night by covering the daylight. Surely therein are proofs for those who learn and think about purposes for existence of things, how they are brought about and evolved and the way they work to fulfil their set out tasks to fulfil their stated purposes.
The use of definite articles with nouns in the Quran needs special attention eg when we talk about cows and say that cow, we mean a particular cow among the category of cows. The Quran mostly uses the definite article in a different sense ie it tells us that the defined noun not only applies to category of a particular thing but anything else in a similar sense as well. This is why many of the Quranic verses end up with parallel complementary meanings because the very same text applied to other things as well in some other sense. Instead of isolating something of a particular category within that category it breaks the isolation and makes all other things inclusive as well. This is why word AL-ARD does not only mean this planet earth upon which we live but the base upon which we stand or something within our reach as compared to something beyond our reach. This is why word AL-SAMAWAAT not only means heavens it can also mean solar system planets as well as other galaxies that are far away as compared to our own galaxy called Milky Way. Moreover words ARD and SAMAA could be people in position of power and down trodden ie high flyers and down to earth etc. In short the Quran speak in context of science, society, politics and economics etc all at the same time. In each of the contexts the overall sense is only complementary and all inclusive. For example see the explanation of the very first verse of the Quran ie BISMILLAH. The point made is that observe the way natural world works as a unit and build likewise a human community that functions properly as if human community is a machine with all its components doing their jobs as they should in order to ensure proper working of a machine.
4) In the earth there are tracts side by side of gardens of grapes, of cornfields and of palm trees with single and multi trunks, they are all watered with the same water yet we make some of them excel in taste than others. Surely therein are evidences for people who use their intelligence to observe and learn to understand things.
5) Now if there is anything strange then it is their asking, as we the human community are lying in the dust due to rifts and wars, is there any way that we could be raised to dignified life again? It is strange because these are the very people who oppose the program of their Creator and Sustainer that leads to blissful, dignified and secure existence so how can they have the blissful, dignified and secure life? Because of that mindset, attitude and behaviour they cannot be free of yokes they have put around each other’s necks that are making their lives full of hardship and unbearable and so they are the ones who will end up in yet more agony and suffering and live therein for as long as they live unless they rise up to change things for the well being and betterment of themselves through help of this program.
Is it not strange that people know that the ways of life they have adopted are only delivering them painful suffering by hands of each other yet they are bothered not even with thinking about the fact that they could live their lives some other better way? The Quran puts forth a way of life that has power structure bottom up rather than top down. It is because people are told to live by the book of Allah but as a community. As explained already people are not independent individuals in their existence minding their own business. It is because people come from each other so they cannot be independent of each other due to biological linkage. It is because people are naturally connected to each other and because they cannot fulfil their all needs all by themselves as individuals so they must come together and learn to live with each other in a way that ensures well being of each and every human being. This is why if people will come together then they will have to organise and regulate themselves as a community so that their needs could be met by them through working together as a proper human community. It is for this organisation and regulation the Quran gives people the foundation that they need through a program for accomplishing set out goals by providing them with guidelines. Unless people adopt this way of life they can never be prosperous because they cannot develop and progress without peace between themselves and that is why the need for unity between people. This is why the goals set by the Quran for people cannot be avoided by mankind no matter whatever they think or do to avoid them and that is why domination of way of life told by the Quran is inevitable. It is because unless and until people adopt the advised way of life the bloodshed between people is inevitable. This is why the message of the Quran must be understood and spread by people among themselves to help them unite and become a great human community. This also tells us what kind of power structure is needed for that kind of community organisation and regulation. It is bottom up power structure because it has to be a mass movement whereby people come together because they like the Quranic program for the Quranic goals according to the Quranic guidelines. So as they come together for accomplishing the set goals they will need an administration that serves them as it suits them. So community is not ruled by administration but served by it because the boss is community not the administration. The administration is worker of the community as needed by the community. This is why it is a bottom up power structure that Quran dictates for humanity and not the top down power structure where a few powerful people take over the community by force and start using and abusing a community for their own ends. This is fundamental difference between Islamic way of life and any other way of life wherein power rests with rulers, not general public. This is why the Quran condemns rulers, money lenders and mullahs because they try to justify their rule over a human population as their God given right so that they could use and abuse people in the name of Allah. This is why people must learn the Quran properly so that they could see what the actual message of the Quran is. The Quran wants people to educate each other to a level whereat they can understand what a self regulated human society in action will look like. This explanation must also let people know that to declare a war is up to Quran based community and not up to the administration of the community. This is why rule by so called Muslim rulers is not based upon the Quran. Ummah is supposed to resist any takeover by a few powerful individuals because that is infidelity or unfaithful behaviour or action.
6) By not accepting and following the given program they are giving you the clues that they prefer inflicting yet more harm and destruction upon each other and keep suffering painfully at hands of each other instead of going for beautiful works that help them towards unity, peace, progress and prosperity as a people, however due to similar mindset, attitude and behaviour destroyed themselves many of the generations that passed away before them. Even though your Creator and Sustainer is provider of security through His blissful and dignifying program for mankind against harm and destruction they inflict upon each other yet He has also set–up systems and laws that strictly enforce His law of consequences to make people face the results of their own thoughts and actions.
7) That is why the rejecters and opponents of Our program, goals and guidelines say, why is no proof sent to him by his Creator and Sustainer as per our demands? But do they not realise that your job as Our messenger is only to deliver Our given message to them? You are a forewarner against the consequences of not following the given program just like forewarners that were sent to every nation before them and their revelations carried their own proofs within them needing no miracles they demand because that served no purpose.
8) Allah made obvious for people what each community had to carry out to have a blissful, dignified and secure life below which it could not afford to fall or transgress it because everything has a set program from Him to follow.
The Quran explains in verses like these why human beings have been created for purpose of self learning because other things have been created programmed to a much greater degree which when observed by people will help them learn. This is why people are given brains, senses and bodies consistent with ability to become learned. If we look at a human baby how he develops as he grows by looking and listening to other things he comes in contact with this explanation by the Quran becomes very obvious. Had Allah created all things capable of self learning but none of them programmed at all then could they learn anything at all? No. Things could only function properly if all were created fully programmed or only some of them were created fully programmed and others programmed to a lesser degree. These like explanations the Quran contains in its verses, could human beings ever think about them let alone write a book like the Quran? Also how did things program themselves and for what purpose? As explained already if things were not pre-programmed they could not come into existence or even be able to function. The very ability of things to come into existence and function properly shows they have been created by some being with such capabilities for some purpose of his own. The Quran is so full of wisdom that only an ignorant and unwise person will take it as human work. There is nothing more capable of wisdom than human beings or their creator and that is why if people did not produce the Quran themselves because it is beyond their capability then who produced the Quran? If human beings are not capable of creating the universe and themselves or the universe is not capable of creating itself and things in it then where did it come from other than someone capable has brought it about?
9) He alone is in a unique position as a planner to make manifest in due course for the mankind the future developments including results of their own thoughts and actions as well as the present.
The Quran repeats the phrase AALIMUL GHAIBI WASHAHAADAH. It does not mean Allah knows the visible and the invisible because Allah did not make anything that is beyond human capability to come to know it. What it means is that Allah has planned things and that plan is going to unfold itself before the very eyes of human beings as time goes on. So whatever people think and do, the outcome of that is to become obvious for them and because that is the way the universe is set-up to work therefore people should think and do things with outcome of their thoughts and actions in their minds so that they do not think harmful and destructive thoughts nor take harmful and destructive actions or terrible things will happen which people will not like for themselves to happen to them. This is why forewarning is emphasised very much throughout the Quran. So people are supposed to learn from the results of their past actions so that they continue doing what produced good results for mankind and stop doing things that turned the world into a terrible world and in future plan for the better world.
10) It makes no difference to fulfilling of the plan of Allah as to how it unfolds and results of your thoughts and actions are made obvious whether any of you do things in secret for your personal gains at the expense of each other or in the open for the well being of each other as a community, whether any of you do things under the cover of darkness for harming and destroying humanity or walk about doing things that ensure well being of humanity in broad daylight.
Allah has planned the world fail proof and fool proof, so it is unaffected by whatever people do as far as the end result is concerned. People can only take the short route to the destination preset by Allah or the long route. One way is based upon learning and teaching each other thereby doing things as revealed and getting to the destination and the others is forcing each other to move in the very same direction by beating each other up. So it is left to the people to choose any route they like. So far only a minority of people have chosen a bit of short cut but most of the people have chosen a very long course to reach their very same destination. This is why the world is making progress but in tiny steps instead of giant steps in leaps and bounce.
11) For each nation there is a set time and place among nations according to the set-up universal systems and laws of Allah that decide its time and place, there are nations before or in front of it and nations after or behind it that surround it. All are subject to law of cause and effect so they reap what they sow because Allah never changes the living condition of a people for the better by suspending His law of cause and effect therefore until they take steps to change themselves as a people for the betterment of themselves no such change can occur and letting things get worse can lead them only to further harm and destruction by their own hands. Behold, when set-up systems and laws of Allah afflicts a people with misfortune it is only because they bring it upon themselves therefore none can ward it off them because that is the result of set-up systems and laws of Allah nor can they find any protection against His set-up systems and laws other than following the advised course of actions faithfully.
This like verses in the Quran take the idea of magic and miracles head on that Allah has created this world based upon chains of causes and effects so if anyone wants anything to happen one has to make it happen otherwise it will not happen by magic or miracle. This is why the Quran tells people to learn divine message so that they become aware how the universe is set-up by Allah to work so that then people do not look to other ways and means for things to happen than the ones explained for them by the maker of the universe. This is why if people want to turn their world into a paradise then the only way to do that is to learn the guidance from Allah and act upon it ie think and do the works that will make world beautiful and not think and do things the way the world becomes a living hell for most of the people of this world. This is not possible unless people unite on basis of peaceful existence which is not possible unless people develop and make progress so that they are prosperous ie needs of all people are met sufficiently. Any other way people can only divide and discriminate against each other and become trapped in prejudices and hatred and wars. All this then can only lead humanity into a terrible state of existence. This is why having right mindset, attitude and behaviour is absolutely vital for people and that can only come about if people take the message of Allah seriously.
12) He is the One Who shows you the lightning to draw your attention whereby He brings you hope of prosperity by means of heavy laden clouds.
The Quran repeats verses like this because they are of great importance ie people learn through prompting. When things happen in the real world they draw attention of people so that people observe things and learn lessons from them and do what needs to be done for ensuring their own well being as a proper human community as already explained in detail. Natural world is set-up to be used by people to benefit from by learning and doing things and that is the reason people have been given brains, senses and bodies to interact and participate in the universe as their environment. By drawing attention to various things the Quran tries to expand human thinking. This is how revelation of Allah gave basis to methodical human thinking which helped humanity develop and prosper.
13) That is how the thunder strives hard to manifest His glory and so do the people on His mission due to faithfully following His program for the well being of mankind. However He lets them strike down any people who work hard towards their own destruction because they fight against the program, constitution and law of Allah and He is strict in enforcing His program through His set-up systems and laws.
The purpose for which Allah created this universe and mankind in it cannot remain unfulfilled no matter what because Allah has put in place systems and laws to carry out his program so the message is also a clear forewarning for mankind to follow the guidance or suffer the consequences of your unnecessary and uncalled for thoughts and actions against each other. The revelation and the natural universe are thundering messages from the creator and sustainer of mankind which leave one in no doubt as to what is expected of people and if they will not do as told then what is in store for them or what is coming for them.
14) Invitation to His rule alone is the right one because those who invite to rule of others than Allah they can never fulfil them at all. They are like a man with his hands stretched out towards the water as if asking water to come to his mouth and is waiting for it to reach his mouth but it does not. Therefore invitation of those who oppose mission of Allah calling towards rule of other than His rule is nothing more than an exercise in vain
15) because whatever is in the heavens and the earth is bound by universal systems and laws of Allah regardless of having the ability to choose or not and so do even their own means of survival be it for the bright period of prosperity or be it for the dark period of regression.
Word ZILAAL is from root ZWAA, LAAM and LAAM. Already explained it means something that is used as protection against some danger in some sense, to be under umbrella of or to live under protection of, shelter, refuge, security for survival, umbrella, protection, shadow, cover, protective shield etc etc.
Word GHUDOO is from root GHAIN, DAAL and WOW. Concrete meaning of this root is morning. Also tomorrow, future, morning or daytime meal, time between breaking of dawn and rising of the sun, the morrow, early hours of the morning, the day that comes after today, the act of going out, the outward trip, midday meal, bright future, a period of prosperity etc etc.
Word ASAAL is from root ALIF, SWAAD and LAAM. Concrete meaning of this root is root. Also base or foundation of something upon which it is based, origin, stand, standard, value, family tree, tree, constitution, code of life, law, something that gives basis to something or helps it rise, to be deep-rooted, well founded, firmly founded, to eradicate, to uproot, to destroy, stem, time before sunset, evening, fall time, regression, to decline, falling time of the sun or a nation, disappearance or destruction time of a people etc etc.
Here Allah explains the fact that all that exists follows program of Allah for his set purpose regardless it is a living thing or a nonliving thing with ability of less or more choice. All things are bound by cause and effect law so nothing happens outside the law of cause and effect. A huge slap on the faces of stupid mullahs who promote magic and miracle concept in the name of Allah falsely thereby confuse ignorant, illiterate, uneducated simple minded people and use and abuse them thereby. This is why people who are educated need to help these simple minded people by educating them otherwise our world cannot change for the better. To help change the world for the better people need help of each other as much as they can get so that all have education to be able to see their way to brighter future clearly.
16) So ask them, whose set-up systems and laws then govern all the heavenly bodies including this earth? Say, it is systems and laws of Allah alone. Ask them, when this is the case throughout the universe then why do you take rulers other than Him who in reality cannot work for the well being of their own kind because they cannot protect their people against inflicting harms and destructions upon each other? Say, are the blind and senseless and the seeing and sensible equal or is the darkness and ignorance same as the light and knowledge? Or have those whom they take for sovereigns created anything like the creation of Allah in their sight that they have the right to be the rulers along with Allah? Say, if that is not the case then why don’t you accept Allah as the sole creator of all things and therefore the only one with right to sovereignty, the one Irresistible.
As explained already the rulers people accept cannot deliver to them their needs because they have taken over rule to rule people to use and abuse them for their own agendas and not to serve them. This is top down structure of ruling that is only good for the ruling elite, money lenders and mullahs and not for humanity at large. Bottom up structure advised by the Quran is very different because it is there for serving humanity by setting it up in a way to ensure all its needs are properly met. As explained already deen of Islam is all about proper management of people and resources and means of production and distribution for the well being of humanity. So there are no rulers to be served, no need for monetary system or business for profit system or people or any mullahs to push make beliefs and useless rituals that serve no purpose. This is why, people better learn the Quran and use it for their own benefit otherwise there is no end in sight to protect people against use and abuse by each other.
17) It is He alone who sends down water as rain from the heaven and each channel flows according to its measure whereby the torrent bears a swelling foam like the scum which appears from the metals that are melted in the furnace for making ornaments and utensils. By such exemplary arguments Allah proves what is true and what is false. As for the scum, it is thrown away due to being worthless but that which is useful for the mankind remains behind in the land. This is how Allah puts forth exemplary arguments to prove His message clearly.
The Quran is full of verses explaining set-up systems and working of things in the universe in order to draw attention of people to see how things are put in place to work so that they do not sit and look for magical and miraculous solutions of their problems and instead get up learn and do things the way they are told so that their world becomes a blissful, dignified and secure place for their existence. This is what is meant by kingdom of Allah. This surah is coming up with explanations one after the other for educating people about things to enable them to be masters of their own destiny. The Quran could not have been written by clever people because if the Quran was written by powerful clever people themselves then they could not keep people ignorant, illiterate and uneducated and if people became clever as rulers and money lenders then they could not use and abuse them. The poor and weak people are mostly ignorant, illiterate and uneducated so they could not have written the Quran therefore the only option is that the Quran is revelation of Allah as it claims. In the world wherein we are born and live each person tries to make fool of others so why anyone will write a book which educates people and makes things clear for them? Moreover why will so called prophets of Allah educate others and make them clever instead of using and abusing them for their own ends? Even today people fight for copyrights over intellectual property, so it makes no sense why books that make people clever should be written and spread free of charge? This is a very strange thing that makes no sense at all unless we accept that such books came from Allah for the very purpose the books claim they were sent for. This is how make beliefs and useless rituals are rejected and condemned by the Quran and so are rejected and condemned rulers, money lenders and their mullahs and supporters for inventing and spreading falsehood in the name of Allah and his messengers and his scriptures.
18) Beautiful results in form of bright future await for thoughts and actions of those who respond positively to program of their Creator and Sustainer. As to those who refuse to respond positively to His manifesto even if they had all that is in the earth and as much more beside that to offer as a ransom in order to save themselves from the painful suffering that is to follow them as a result of their own harmful and destructive thoughts and actions it will not avail them the results the program of Allah will. This is why they are bound to land themselves in terrible consequences of their own harmful and destructive thoughts and actions that will make their lives hell by hands of each other and that is a terribly painful state of existence to be in.
The Quran repeatedly tells mankind that value of guidance of Allah is so great that it is worth much more than the value of heavens and the earth could offer. It is because people cannot become a brotherhood merely by having things, if anything it is because they want to have everything they are at the throats of each other turning their world into a terrible place out of jealousy, rivalry, animosity and hatred which lead them to terrible wars with each other. It is only the guidance of Allah that teaches them how to be proper human beings and a brotherhood of mankind. No wonder people cannot come together even if they spent all they have because ultimately it is purpose of life that binds mankind together in the name of their creator and sustainer. If we look at history, many powerful and wealthy people ended up in terrible depression near the end of their lives regretting their actions and the way they lived their lives due to making so many people unhappy in the world only for life of several decades. What a loss if you do not live for helping mankind live a happy and comfortable life. The other point the Quran makes is the way the world will end up if people will not live as told that none will come to aid of another when one suffer so one will have to bear it on one’s own. Is this really good way of living for people if they have brains?
19) Is he who has made himself aware that it is the verifiable truth that has been sent to you by your Creator and Sustainer like the one who deprives himself of this information and its proper understanding? Only those who learn to understand Our goals and guidelines for them properly become sensible and conscientious of their responsibilities towards each other.
20) Such are the ones who fulfil their constitutional obligations by Allah for the benefit of the human community so they do not fall short of their commitment to rule of Allah for the benefit of the mankind.
21) Such are the ones who bring together people to form a proper human community on the basis of that which is revealed by Allah because they pay due attention to program of their Creator and Sustainer due to fearing harmful and destructive consequences of their harmful and destructive thoughts and actions against each other if they do not.
The Quran here clarifies position of a people who truly follow it ie they try to unite people so that there is peace between them as a community so that they work for development of humanity to help it become prosperous. This is the only way to eliminate divisions, rivalries, animosities and hatred between people that leads them to fights and wars between themselves that land them in destruction. The Quran is not about a human society wherein people live like enemies in rival groups nor it is for a society wherein they mind their own business instead it is for a human community that is all inclusive wherein people look after each other ensuring well being of each other the best they can. So people who equate the Quran to a book that is harmful and destructive for humanity are ignorant, arrogant and stubborn be they mullahs or secularists.
22) Therefore they are the ones who privately and publicly remain steadfastly engaged in mission of their Creator and Sustainer in order to establish an advised community supportive network for opening up the way for delivering to all Our provided livelihood for turning round the human population that inflicts harms and destructions upon each other through works that make the world beautiful for ensuring well being of mankind as a proper human community. These people are therefore bound to end up in an excellent state of affairs in due course
23) because in blissful, dignified and secure life providing kingdoms they will enter and so will such people as will mend rifts between mankind in order to bring about peaceful human societies from among their elders and their colleagues as well as their youngsters because the missionaries will succeed in getting Our message through to them by all means
24) saying to them, you have achieved peaceful existence for yourselves due to your steadfastness in pursuit of your set out goals through provided program according to given guidelines therefore excellent indeed is the state of affairs for you in the blissful, dignifying and secure life providing kingdom in the end.
Word DAAR is from root DAAL, WOW and RAA. Concrete meaning of this root is something that is central in some sense. Also circle, to circle around, to go round, to turn, a halo, a frame, a wide open space between mountains, to treat, to manage, a dwelling, a house, to have a setback, to be afflicted, to dispute with, to dissuade, to try to move away something from something, to roll, to run, to operate, to transact, to exchange, to hand, home, abode, mansion, town, city, neighbourhood, village, hereafter, a single person, bad turn of fortune, something around which something revolves, centre of attention, focal point, destiny, a location, to locate, terminal, end of a journey, destination, goal, objective, a place, kingdom, a piece of land, a state of existence, government, organisation, management, committee, administration etc etc.
These verses of the Quran should leave none in doubt as to what kind of human society the Quran wants people to bring about for themselves through steadfast constant struggle by themselves according to guidance of Allah. The Quran explains in detail what kind of human society it wants for humanity and how it can be brought about by people themselves. So the real question people need to ask themselves is, do they want the kind of human community the Quran advises for them and if so, are they prepared to work for it the way they should? Only if mankind want the Quran based community and are willing to work for it that it can be brought about not otherwise. So long as ummah will blindly follow its rulers, money dealers and mullahs like sheep having no sense of anything at all, such an ummah is not going to come about.
25) As for those who fulfil not their constitutional obligations to each other as a proper human community according to guidance of Allah for ensuring well being of each other after declaring their commitment to program of Allah and instead of bringing people together to form a proper human society as per guidance of Allah cause rifts between mankind thereby wars in the land for that reason upon such people rests humiliation and destruction because such people are bound to end up in such terrible state of affairs.
Ummah should look at itself today and see if this verse is not talking about it because people of ummah have no interest in knowing the message of the Quran properly and follows it faithfully. All because people follow make beliefs and useless rituals and think all will be alright. If they see it is getting worse they do more of the same thinking they have not done enough already instead of stopping and thinking what actually may have gone wrong due to which they have ended up where they should not have.
26) It is because Allah deliver vast amount of sustenance through His advised way of life for those who choose to work for it as a proper human community but limits it for the rest who adopt ways of life opposite to that. Therefore those who adopt the way of life advised by Allah live a happy life in this world however life of this world is very short as compared to life that is yet to come.
The Quran tells mankind, this life is not the only life but there awaits people yet another life if they want it which is even better than the best of life they can bring about for themselves in this world. It is going to be awarded by Allah to those who work for making this life beautiful for each other as a proper human community. People do raise question if there is going to be another life in hereafter but such a question cannot be answered through direct evidence. Answering this question indirectly one can say, if the Quran is right about things in this world then it must be right about things it says about the next world as well or that we cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that there is certainly no life in hereafter. However, the other way to answer this question is to say, does it really matter if there is no life in hereafter if we struggle for a better life in this world? In other words it should make no difference for our struggle for creating a better life for ourselves in this world. If we do get another chance with even better life then that is only a bonus. If we do not get that we still do not lose anything, do we? If we do not struggle for better world in this life then life is not worth living anyway and if we succeed then well and good. So the Quranic explanation shows us a win, win situation no matter how we look at it. Life itself is not important but quality of life is of vital importance in the context of the Quran. If life itself was important then people could never kill each other or themselves in form of committing suicide. This is why struggle for quality of life should be the focus of humanity and that is why people should work towards improving our world so that people feel happy living in this world which we create for ourselves. This is how the Quran makes obvious which way of life is inevitable to become the only way of life in the world as people become educated and work towards better world bit by bit. So no wonder the Quran tells mankind that deen of Islam (ie the way of life that leads to unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind) will ultimately become the way of life of all people in the world.
27) After all this explanation those who reject and oppose Our guidance still say, why has no miracle been sent to him (the messenger for us) by his Creator and Sustainer as per our demands? Say, Allah leaves to go astray whoever so desires by remaining ignorant of His program, constitution and law and He guides to His advised way of life whoever works hard to study it to understand it properly and implement it faithfully to turn it into a reality.
28) It is people like that who commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind with full confidence in their minds due to guidance of Allah. Be aware! The confidence in minds comes only through proper study of the message of Allah.
29) So those who commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind therefore strive hard to mend rifts between people to bring about unity through peace, for them there will be blissful, dignified and secure existence and a wonderful kingdom to end up in.
30) That is why We have sent you among this final people as Our final messenger with Our final message just like we sent messengers to all the nations gone before this, so that you proclaim to them this message that has been revealed to you yet they stand in opposition to the revelation of the one Who provided this information to raise mankind to life of bliss, dignity and security. Say, He alone is my Creator and Sustainer and there is no rightful sovereign other than Him in this kingdom of the universe therefore upon His set-up universal systems and laws I rely and to His pointed out goals for mankind I turn to accomplish.
31) So no miracles are needed for the goals set for the mankind to accomplish because if there is any teaching that could help mankind move the mountains or slice the earth or could raise the dead and speak to them then this is the very Quran that will help you do all that however the primary purpose of this Quran is only to guide mankind through this program as to how they should live in this world to have a blissful, dignified and secure life for themselves as a single human family working together for the well being of each other in the name of their Creator and Sustainer in the hope of a better future. So it is up to people to accept this Quran as a guidance or reject it and see the results for themselves for their thoughts and actions without this guidance, however upon universal systems and laws of Allah depends the outcome of all that happens. Do those who have committed to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind not realise that had Allah enforced His will He could have forced all the people to follow His guidance? So those who reject and oppose Our message they will continue to be stricken with disaster or it will come near to their homes until the promise of Allah comes true in form of revolts or civil wars and wars between nations because Allah breaks not the link between the cause its effect.
This verse is telling us that humanity is going to accomplish a lot of surprising things that people just now cannot even think about today just as people of the past could not imagine the progress humanity has made since its origin to date. Moreover the Quran is said to be such a book that if people lived by it they will be able to raise dead people one day. This verse makes a very important point about life after death. It tells us that mankind will be able to move mountains and tear through the earth. This is very first soorah of the Quran which is speaking in such a powerful voice, predicting huge development and progress by mankind. Yet it warns mankind that so long as humanity does not learn sense to live peacefully with each other as a single family things will remain terrible for mankind due to fights over personal gains at the expense of each other.
32 Surely messengers before you were mocked even though I gave respite to those who opposed them for learning and understanding their program yet they heeded not so in time l caught them inflicting harms upon each other to the point of destruction, so how true proved My forewarning in their case?
33) Therefore is there any like Him Who has established such a universal system to bring each person the results of what one does? Not at all yet they ascribe sovereignty to others along with Allah. Say, prove right of rule for any of them whom you attribute with right of sovereignty along with Allah or are you telling Him of something He is unaware of in this universe or is it just a matter of coining words for you as make beliefs? Indeed to the rejecters and opposers of rule of Allah their own scheming is made pleasing by each other and that is how they are taken away from the guidance of Allah by themselves and each other. That is how Allah lets stray whoever chooses, so he has none to guide him.
Assuming nonsense beliefs and rituals is very common among ignorant, illiterate and uneducated people and rulers, money lenders and mullahs play a big role in it because it suits them to do that and to keep things that way. This is why people do not let people become educated and thinking people because this means trouble for lazy and crazy rulers, money lenders and mullahs who live of other’s hard works than being productive themselves and helping others do the same. People become skulkers and shirker in two ways ie either by forcing others to work for them like rulers, money lenders and mullahs or by being lazy who have no sense of purpose at all and therefore see no need for doing anything with their lives. One type of people force others by tricks and mechanisms to work for them so that they could survive on their backs the while others just live of others by getting their sympathies and that is how they too use and abuse others eg some children live of their parents long after they become adults doing nothing at all for the betterment of themselves and others. It is abuse of rights and responsibilities if people do not do what they can or are stopped from doing what they can by others. Such interactions and participations prove very damaging for human communities because they prevent humanity from development and progress.
34) Such will suffer in this world and their suffering will only get worse in time to come as there is nothing to protect them against using and abusing each other, other than guidance of Allah which they themselves reject and oppose.
35) A description of the blissful kingdom which those who are consistent with the program of Allah for the benefit of humanity are told to bring about is that rivers of livelihood should flow throughout it and its provisions should be continuous to provide shelter from all sort of troubles and hardships. Such should be the land of those who are consistent with guidance of Allah for the well being of mankind and in comparison the land of those who reject and oppose His program will be a place full of pain and suffering.
36) This is why those to whom We have given any scripture before this and they faithfully act upon it rejoice at what has been sent to you though there are other groups from among the same people who reject and oppose some parts of it. Say, I am told to serve the rule of law of Allah alone and not to take any for a ruler other than Him. Therefore upon His set up systems and laws in the universe I rely and not upon magic or miracles and to His program I turn for guidance which is realistic and practical.
37) And this is the very purpose for which We have sent Our framework for governance of Our kingdom in such form of Arabic language that makes things distinctively clear for mankind for all times to come. However if you the followers of Our program were to follow the make beliefs and useless rituals of rejecters and opponents of Our program after Our set goals and guidelines have reached you then you will have nothing to protect you from falling victim to harms and destructions by each other against which Allah has already forewarned you.
The Quran not only talks about Arabic language but also the precise stage of its development whereat it became suitable for the revelation of the Quran. These like points that are of huge importance make the Quran a very different scripture from all the rest because such things are not mentioned in those scriptures that are of huge importance. As explained already if language was under developed or over developed it could not fulfil the purpose of revelation because it could not convey the message of Allah properly for consumption of mankind. The Quran also talks about ruling system that Allah has revealed for mankind to live by and proves it unequalled by any ruling system that humans could ever bring about by themselves. This is why the surah like challenge is repeated in the Quran in different ways to prove that the Quran is in fact a message from Allah for guidance of mankind. It precisely for the reason that the Quran wants to prove it is word of Allah that it puts forth the challenge that none can come up with a better way of life for mankind than the one suggested by the Quran. For last so many centuries the Quran remains unchallenged and so it will remain always because no other way of life based upon divide and rule foundation can stop people from dominating each other and undermining each other and therefore fighting each other and killing each other as explained in detail. This is why as time goes on the coming about of kingdom of God is becoming more and more reality because people are getting fed up with wars and killings and destructions pushed upon humanity by some of its most harmful and destructive elements. As people value unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind more and more we are bound to end up in a kingdom based upon guidance of Allah. It will happen quicker if more and more people learned the Quran and spread its message and thereby helped mankind toward a blissful, dignified and secure existence.
38) And for the very same reason of implementing Our program for ensuring well being of mankind We sent messengers before you whereby We brought about for them supporters by means of consistent ideological succession and following. It was never possible for a messenger to bring for any people any proof other than the message of Allah because for each period there was a clearly set out program, constitution and law for mankind to adhere to faithfully to ensure their own well being.
39) Allah let nations perish or establish themselves depending upon their following or not following His revealed programs because with Him rested the right and the responsibility for originating all the programs for the well being of mankind.
This verse tell mankind why nations rise and fall ie by following the laws of nature or going against them as explained by Allah through his revelations to mankind. A very strong slap on faces of mullahs who stopped Muslims from studying the universe and things in it labelling it unIslamic knowledge. How stupid these mullahs could be and how silly of Muslims who followed such ignorant fools and ruined themselves and this ummah and rest of humanity that still awaits proper message of deen of Islam throughout the world.
40) For that reason it is up to Our set-up systems and laws whether We let you the followers of the Quran see some of that with which We have forewarned your opponents or We fulfil Our promise of blissful, dignified and secure existence to you, because it is your duty to deliver Our message to mankind and it is up to Our set-up systems and laws to take mankind to task for their harmful and destructive thoughts and actions against each other.
41) Do rulers, money lenders and mullahs therefore not see already that through Our set-up systems and laws We are bringing about gradual reduction in their power in every way whereby they use and abuse mankind throughout the world? Therefore it should be clear enough for you the mankind that right to rule belongs to Allah alone and there is none to override His set out program because He is strict in holding all things to behave within their set limits.
Word ATRAAF is from root TWAA, RAA and FAA. Concrete meaning of this root is eyesight. Also blinking or to blink, to twinkle, edge, utmost part, extremity, to be extreme, novelty, sight, glance, border, part, group, band, party, community, ruling elite, section, end, a notable or noble person, good things, a person in position of power, chief, manager, government, ruler, guardian, guard, watchman, a [person who keeps an eye on things, limit, fast, quick, hurry, to look at something with a stealth eye, spy, a stead, a horse of good breed etc etc.
This verse is talking about changes that come about in human world due to changes in the natural world ie nature forces mankind to change so that they could continue existing due to adopting the new natural environment that comes about with time. For example, originally human population was very limited but with time it expanded so people were forced to change the way they lived otherwise they could not survive. Changes as explained already come about either through education whereby people prepare for things to come before hands or that when harmful and destructive things happen to people they look for ways to save themselves in future from similar harms and destructions. This is evolutionary change that comes about without anyone triggering it other than nature. The messengers sent by Allah try to change people through education and try to prepare them in advance for what is to come as much as they can. People also bring about change due to violent interaction and participation in their human societies hence we have bloody revolutions. So no matter what change cannot be stopped by mankind so the day is bound to come when people will have to accept the way of life revealed by Allah for ensuring their own well being. This is how absolute power of monarchs is gone and so is gone absolute power of mullahs and it is time for money based power structure to also collapse to give way to rule of law based world, the law which is firmly founded due to being properly balanced. This is why establishment will lose its power and public at large will gain its power and tghat is how top down power structure will collapse giving way to bottom up power structure as explained already.
42) Behold! Those before them schemed against Our program but all their schemes were within grasp of set-up systems and laws of Allah. He makes obvious the results of all that which each nation does therefore in time those who reject and oppose His program will come to know who is to end up in a blissful, dignified and secure life providing kingdom.
43) Yet those who reject and oppose Our revealed message say, you are not a messenger. Say, the consistency of set-up universal systems and laws by Allah with His revealed scripture is sufficient as a proof between me and you as well as the person or nation that has learned and understood His book and acts faithfully upon it.
This surah as a whole is very different from the surahs before it. It is a very powerful message that combines all that which is mentioned in surahs before already in bits and pieces to draw attention. This surah puts forth arguments that are beyond challenge. Strong enough to deliver a knockout blow to all kinds of falsehood spread in the name of Allah, his messengers and scriptures.
[FONT=&] SURAH 12 Yoosuf –The man with vision who works hard to bring about the needed change in the way people live their lives through education for the well being of human community [/FONT]
[FONT=&]This Surah is named YOOSUF from root ALIF, SEEN and FAA and YAA, WOW, SEEN and FAA. Concrete meaning of this root is constructive. Something or someone constructive, a person who completes something or makes it work, someone who adds something useful or of value to something to make it work, someone or something that adds value to something or someone. Someone who improves something or builds upon a provided foundation. Someone unfortunate, someone in painful suffering, someone regretful or sad about something, an increase or addition, taken away, subtraction, loss, decrease, anger, sorrow, to offend, to challenge, to be contentious, grief, sadness, the one who bring about change for the better, a revolutionary, a man with vision etc etc.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Like suras before it this surah is also not named YOOSAF because it is a name of a prophet and that his story is mentioned in the Quran in this surah but because of relevance of the name used to the subject matter of the surah. This Surah is about needed qualities in leadership as well as following, the management and the managed, so that a community could be brought about and maintained successfully on basis of guidance of Allah. If a populace fails to breed or groom beneficial leadership or following then it cannot bring about community spirit or community based upon it. Not only that but even if a community is already there it can start crumbling as quality of leadership or following starts going down this is why not just bringing about but maintenance of the proper human community is also of vital importance. In this surah we are told story of two communities a)children of Israel and b)people of Egypt. Both communities do well at the start but as time goes on both fail to cope due to lack of visionary and capable leadership and following. Israel goes down because rivalry starts within the community as Jacob grows old and community needs new leadership to succeed Jacob. Old man is old man even if he happens to be a messenger of God because a human is basically a human first and then anything else so any human being under goes through same natural processes and problems as any other human being. In this community only Joseph has the real potential to carry on Israel into future but rivals plan his demise and so lose his leadership due to their ignorance based arrogance. This brings Israel down because when things start happening there is none to see them through to lead Israel safely out of troubles. The story of Egypt is also similar that while things ran a bit smoothly everything was mainly ok in Egypt but as time went by troubles started to appear because Egyptian society was based on rivalry and undermining and undercutting each other and the king of Egypt had no idea how to handle them so Egypt was also to go down but it was saved by leadership of Joseph. He not only saved Egypt from ruining itself but also pulled back Israelites as well and along them many other communities from the brink of destruction. All because he was into getting information about things and was totally submerged into making sense of things and because he understood things he was able to look at problems and offer solutions systematically and methodically and that is how he managed to save humanity from potentially disastrous consequences. This is why this story is told in the Quran so that this prophet and his followers could learn the lessons in there for bringing about an education based revolution in their society. When Joseph landed in Egypt after his rivals managed to get rid of him from their community because he was the candidate for leadership and that is not what they wanted, he then proved himself as a useful member of his newly adopted community in Egypt. This caused Joseph yet more problems because the community leadership there also became threatened by his mindset, attitude and behaviour with other people ie he was a person who worked for well being of others. Because of this problem he was thrown in prison, but when Egypt as a whole faced problems the king asked him to take control and run the country using his management skills for handling land and resources, means of production and distribution and people. He did this for years and turned the kingdom round from the brink of destruction. As he became famous for his hard work and wisdom his original community also heard about him and came to see if they too could get some help and after a few trips they found out that it was the very same person managing things in Egypt whom they thrown out of their community earlier so that they themselves could become leaders of their community. However they had not developed any skills for it and so ended up regretting their whole plan against Joseph because they and their community failed to rise to challenges that faced them. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Proclaim! In the name of Allah, the provider of psychological, sociological and biological needs of mankind,[/FONT]
[FONT=&]1) Alif Laam Raa. These are statements of the clear book that makes things clear.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]As explained already word AAYAAT is full of complementary concepts and meanings just like words KITAAB and MUBEEN. The Quranic words and their structuring in verses of the Quran makes the Quran a unique text that is comprehensive in concepts and meanings. Opening up these words in their individual concepts and meanings could turn a single verse into pages of writings due to richness they encompass. This is the main reason this work adopted a way of interpreting the Quran that could help those who have little knowledge of Quranic Arabic so that they could appreciate the Quran better in comparison to simple translations and interpretations of the Quran. If people have basic knowledge of things as explained in detail then this book is self explanatory and therefore very good at making things clear for those who wish to understand them and so make the necessary effort to know them.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]2) We have revealed it as a proclamation in a language that makes things distinctively clear so that you the mankind who have learned how make sense of things make efforts to understand it and abide by it for your better future as a proper human community.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]As explained already the Quran is revealed in a language that is fit for the time and at the stage of its development that was right for serving its purpose. This language links humanity into its past and has the ability to pass on a message that could in time be better understood by mankind without the need for change in the text of the Quran. The Arabic language is root based and when the Quran was revealed it was neither far too simple nor far too advance. Had it been too simple then people will have had great difficulty in decoding the message because it will have been like baby talk where in the very same word is used by baby to express all his ideas due to limited vocabulary. On the other hand had the language become far too advanced then that will have ended up a precision language which will have explained each and every thing in precise detail using vast amount of text that humans could not get through during whole of their lives. So a compromise had to be made by Allah to reveal the Quran so that it served its purpose. This is why the Quranic use of language helps development of human mind because when same word is used for expressing various concepts and meanings then one needs to think out what it means in the context it is used ie it forces one to think and more one thinks the more developed person one becomes because of expansion in volume of information and its understanding. The Quran tells people to ponder over its verses and don’t just read its text and pass over without thinking and trying to understand what is said in the text. All this has been explained in detail already. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]3) So let Us furnish you the mankind by means of this Quran with purposefully balanced information to abide by because without having this information earlier you acted like foolish people.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Here mankind are told that without revealed guidance of Allah they will have remained in the darkness of ignorance for a very, very long time because learning through personal experience alone is a very slow process. It is because teaching by Allah has been prompting mankind to draw their attention to things they otherwise will not have noticed helped mankind learn and do things quicker. Most of what the Quran is going to tell us has been explained already in detail on basis of these verses that are going to come in surahs to come. Short comments are only added to draw reader’s attention as to where those explanations came from. This is how each and every verse of the Quran has been interpreted by adding information from other verses from elsewhere in the Quran. So that a person does not get confused by reading one bit of information about something in one verses here and another somewhere else in another verse. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]4) Call to mind the time when Joseph said to an elder of his nation, O father of my community! I see brilliant future in unity of people as a community therefore I would like to see the current leadership and the following accept my vision for their better future.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word ABEEHI means father as explained already but also elder, leader, chief, predecessor, ancestor, guardian or someone who in some respect looks after someone as a father figure etc. The Quran is not talking about dreams people have during their sleep and their nonsense interpretations by people but visions as their ambitions for their future etc.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]5) He replied, O son of my nation! Disclose not this ambition of yours to your fellow community members just as yet in case any of them scheme a plot against you and catch you unprepared because the opposition based upon harmful and destructive mindset, attitude and behaviour is an open enemy of proper human community ideology.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Here the Quran advises that personal ambitions based upon goodwill for humanity should not be disclosed to people who have no respect for well being of humanity because they may start plotting against the person and the people who hold such thoughts thereby inflict harms and destructions upon the person and the people.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]6) Rest assured it will happen as you imagined because you will be chosen by your Creator and Sustainer for His mission so He will teach you how to diagnose problems properly relating individuals and communities and find their proper solutions that is how He will fulfil His mission through you and the ideological children of Jacob as He fulfilled it through your ideological forefathers Abraham and Isaac before you. That is how your Creator and Sustainer makes obvious for mankind that He rules the universe through wisdom.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]7) Indeed in the account of Joseph and his community brethren there are lessons for would be leaders and supporters who want to learn how they should or should not conduct themselves in relation to fulfilment of their needs and desires as a people.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]8) His community fellows who stood against his vision for a proper human community said to each other, see Joseph and his supporters they are loved and respected more by our community leadership than us even though we are a group of powerful people of this community. Our leadership is obviously wrong in not considering us for the leadership of our community.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]9) Some said to others, in order to throw Joseph out of community leadership contest let us fight Joseph thereby force him out of this place to some far-off land so that the attention of leadership of your people focuses upon you alone as proper candidates for leadership of the community because only after doing that you can be of those who reach their ambition of becoming leaders of the community.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word AWITRAHOOH is from root TWAA, RAA and HAA. Concrete meaning of this root is to distance something from something in some way. Also something that is at a distance from something, to throw out or throw away, to discard, to separate, a bow that is capable of throwing an arrow the farthest, an eye that can see thing farthest, farsightedness, thinking ahead, a person who can see thing into the future, cast out, cast off, to banish, to forlorn etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]10) At this one of them said, you cannot fight Joseph but if you must do something instead get hold of him quietly and throw him into some dungeon till he could be picked up by some bandits so that he is out of our way.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word GHAYAABAT is from root GHAIN, YAA and BAA. Already explained but also to cause absence of something or to hide something away or put something away in such a way that it is no longer visible on the stage to take part in a play or scheme of things.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word JUBB is from root JEEM, BAA and BAA. Concrete meaning of this root is something that covers up something completely in such a way that it becomes cut off or isolated from something in some way. Also a dress that covers a person fully, overall, something that gathers things inside it eg a bag or sack, a ditch or a well or a cave or a deep hole the bottom of which is not visible, an abyss, a dress made of pieces of cloth, well, to separate, to cut off, to divide or cut or part or sever, the crust of the earth, hard rocky land, a well with wide mouth, a well full of water, a shallow well, false deity, sorcery, the devil, idol, prison, a place of hiding, a place where something could be kept hidden or out of sight, vault, safe, dungeon, slavery, captive, prisoner etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word SAIYAARAH is from roots SEEN, WOW and RAA and SEEN, YAA and RAA and SEEN, RAA and WOW/YAA. This root has been explained already it means to attack, to be suddenly upon someone as if to attack someone, to mount something, surah of the Quran, biography, to travel by night, surrounding wall of a fort or castle, the watch tower of a castle, height, to rise, honour, dignity, to be better or stronger, to overwhelm or overcome, awe, a bracelet as symbol of power or authority, leading general of an army, a person in-charge of a group or people or troops, commander, a beautiful structure that is very high like a tower, staircase, ranks, strong and beautiful breed of camels, fighters, bandits, plunderers or looters, hostage takers, slave traders, traders, caravans, to jump, to show skills when fighting, to show courage, to dance, to show anger, to appoint as a leader or chief, to subject one to slavery or to take prisoner or hostage, caravan etc etc.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]11) So they ask their community elder, O chief of our nation! Why do you not appoint us as security guards over Joseph instead of those already responsible for it because we surely are his sincere well-wishers?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word NAASIHOON is from root NOON, SWAAD and HAA. Concrete meaning of this root is to prepare something for some task in such a way that it is fit for fulfilling the purpose it is prepared for. Also to put two pieces of a cloth together and stitch them in such a way that they fit each other perfectly, to sew clothes, a person who sews clothes, tailor, needle, to make one thing fit with the other, to reconcile, to prepare two sides to compromise with each other, to advise, to offer advice, purity, to be free of impurities, to purify, honey, sweetness, to purify honey, pure honey, a dress that is prepared and fits the person beautifully, to be a well wisher, to remove rift, to repair something torn in such a way that it is not noticeable, to be of help, to have sympathy for, to stick to something in such a way not to come off it, to patch up, rain falling on arid land, to quench thirst of land or animals or people, sincerity, counsel, to be good hearted, to act in good faith, admonishment, one who takes good care, mentor, to be true in thoughts and actions etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]12) Pass on his security responsibility to us for future so that he could move about for taking care of his business without worrying about his security. We will indeed take good care of him.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]13) He said to them, I will be anxious if you accompanied him because I am concerned in case some bandit attacks him the while you are caught unprepared off your guard.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word ZIHBU is from root ZAAL, ALIF and BAA. Concrete meaning of this root is something that hunts down something. Also predator, hunter, wolf, something that tear things apart, creditor, a malicious person, a harmful or destructive person, a person who lives on others, to devour veraciously, a person who attacks others for personal gains, a greedy or selfish person who hunts down others for personal gains, to frighten, to condemn, to cry loudly, to use bad language, to be in agitated state, to be unstable, to try different moves or tricks to get something, to come from different directions to make it a surprise, wolf like, ruffian, nobility, to act in a devious way, forelock, summit, bandit, robber etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]14) They said, if a bandit could attack him despite our number and strength then surely we would be a worthless people.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]15) That is howthey were able to take him away because they plotted to place him into a dungeon. However We revealed this to Joseph that a time will come when you will make their this course of action a lesson for them but just now they are not learned enough to understand the harm they are inflicting upon themselves as a community.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]When a people try to undermine their future leadership that has the potential to lead the community then people are set for a leader who is not as capable as the one undermined and as that happens, the community is set for decline. The only capable leader for the time being is Jacob but he is getting old and that means he is not going to be able to carry on as he could when he was young. This is why a capable successor is must if this community is to keep its dignity level at least to what it is. By bringing in incapable people as leaders the community is bound to be undermined because it is not going to have information and understanding needed for unity, peaceful, progressive and prosperous community. Joseph showed that he had the potential to become a great leader due to being a man with vision for the future of the community. This his rivals will come to realise when they fail their community by not being people of vision. Nation building and maintaining needs a lot of hard work, which only a capable leadership can provide with equally good following that understands what leadership demands and why and how it can help to get it. Just as transfer of knowledge ie information plus its understanding needs a capable teacher so it needs a capable student. If either of them is incapable then there is going to be problem with teaching or learning and in both cases proper transfer of knowledge will fail to take place. The same is true when there is incapable leader or following. That is why nations rise or fall depending upon how good or bad they and their leaderships are.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]16) At the end of the period of their responsibility for security of Joseph they returned to their chief crying in tears.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]These people were made responsible for security of Joseph on temporary basis when their time is over they return but without Joseph and then offer excuses as to why Joseph has not come back with them.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]17) They said, O our chief, we went on our individual businesses ahead of each other leaving Joseph behind to look after our things and at length the bandit attacked and made off with him. It is not that you are going to be satisfied with our this explanation but we are telling the truth.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]18) That is how through rivalry and animosity they brought about denial of his right to succession of community leadership. He said, no I am not satisfied with your explanation rather people involved in your group have made you to cook up a tale regarding this matter. However steadfast persistence is needed for reaching the truth about this matter, so universal set-up systems and laws of Allah should be relied upon regarding that which you assert.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word DAMIN is from root DAAL, MEEM and WOW/YAA. This root has been explained already it means bloodshed, to bleed, blood revenge, to be red in colour, to kill chances of someone to be something, to kill off potential of someone, to kill in cold blood, to murder, to shed blood of someone, to stop someone from being something, to kill off ambition in someone for being something etc etc.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word QAMEESIH is from root QAAF, MEEM and SWAAD. Concrete meaning of this root is to wrap up in something. Also to put on a robe or gown, to wear something, to wear a shirt or to wear a crown or gown as a symbol of authority, the lifting of both front legs of a horse to stand on hind legs and then put them both on the ground at the same time, to jump about, to dance around, to beat about the bush, to become unstable or agitated or confused, unbroken horse that jumps about when rider gets on its back the very first time, to wrap oneself into something, to wrap up oneself into an authority figure, cover, wrapper, envelope, the robe of authority or nobility or honour or succession to throne or leadership, garment, gown, shield, shelter, to masquerade, to quake, to be jumpy, to be agile, to gallop, tunic, caliphate etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]19) At length a party of bandits came by and they sent one of them to carry out the deal so he laid down his weaponry and came to see the merchant. After seeing the young man he said, O goodness! What a young man and took him to his group. Even though they kept him in hiding like a treasure yet Allah makes obvious what they did.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word WAARID is from root WOW, RAA and DAAL. Concrete meaning of this root is to reach something. Also to attack, to blossom, rose, pink or rosy colour, tuft, cotton, reaching of animal to waterhole, to go forth, be brave and move forward, to get water ready for animals to drink, artery of heart, to come upon something, to come across, blossoms, flowers, to come out in flowers, tree with hanging branches, watering place, drinking herd or flock, to drive animals to drink at a watering hole, daily task assignment, turn, road, destination, to approach, to arrive, jugular vein, to appear, to supply, to lead to, water fetcher, to enter etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word DALWAH is from roots DAAL, LAAM and WOW/YAA. Concrete meaning of this root is the easy way or mean to reach something in some sense for some purpose. Also to reach something, a way to get to something, ladder, a bucket lowered into a well to reach water to get water, to demand what one is looking for, to make a request for what one needs to someone, to bribe someone to get something done by an official, to look deeper into things to try to understand them, to get to know a situation more closely, to wonder, to find something strange, to hang down, to come near, to lead on, to tempt, to deceive, to submit a proof, to offer money as a bribe, to use one’s good offices, to lure, to entice, to trap, to let down, to draw near, to bring closer, pail or bucket, to lay down the weapon etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]20) His brethren sold him cheap in a hurry for a petty price of a few Dirhams to bandits, for that is what he was worth in their sight.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word BAKHSI is from root BAA, KHAA and SEEN. Concrete meaning of this root is to reduce to. Also to diminish, to reduce, to deny full dues, to decrease, to deny someone fair return or outcome, to pay someone less than they are due, to under value or underestimate, to treat one less than deserved, defective, imperfect, incomplete, faulty, to be cruel, to inflict harm, to damage, to take away legal rights, income tax, to force someone into some situation, to force someone into accepting or doing something, to damage one’s eye or ability to judge things properly etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word ZAAHIDEEN is from root ZAA, HAA and DAAL. Concrete meaning of this root is to have little interest in something. Also to hold something in low esteem or value, to take something as useless, to have nothing to do with, take no interest in something or show no interest in something, a person bereft of mannerism or etiquette or respect for rights of others, something disdainful, something in very small amount or quantity, to abstain from, to renounce, to abandon, to forsake, to withdraw, abstemious, abstinent etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]The community fellows of Joseph decided to get rid of him in a way that they knew because they were bad apples in the community who had contacts with similar people out of their community so they made a deal with a group of people who were highway robbers to take him away and do with him whatever they liked. All they were interested in was that somehow he is out of their way so that they are free to do as they like in their community. In any human population there are people who try to do something for their population and others who try to take undue advantage of people so if they deem anyone in their way they plot to get rid of that person by using various tricks and mechanism to get their way. One must look at these verses in sense of society, politics and economics and how people interact and participate in their population. The Quran is not a book of pooja paat or mere a book of baseless stories. It is about educating humanity about real issues of daily life that face mankind and the ways to solve them. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]21) The Egyptian who bought Joseph from the bandits and freed him said to his community, treat him honourably as if he is one of us, he could prove very beneficial for us so perhaps we can adopt him as a son of our community. That is how We established Joseph in that piece of land and taught him the sense of handling all the affairs that need proper handling in a place. Allah has set-up systems and laws to govern all affairs though most of the people learn not to become aware of all this.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This verses explains why Joseph was bought by a leading personality of Egypt because he saw great potential in Joseph to be able to do great things in future. This he proved by talking a lot of sense about things. A proof that Allah does not choose dumb people as his messengers. The Quran itself tells us that dumb people cannot benefit anyone so nobody will adopt any such person because that will be a burden on them instead of being beneficial. It also proves that people who are chosen as messengers of Allah are ordinary people who are born like other people and grow like other kids but more sensible as they are keen observers and learners from those observations. This is why they are able to argue their cases confidently and successfully against chiefs and priests and wealthy people of their communities. Foolish people have no confidence even in themselves never mind being able to convince others.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]22) When he reached maturity We had already bestowed on him ability of gathering information about things and ways of making sense of all that. That is how We reward those who work hard to make the world beautiful for mankind.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]23) However the ruling elite and priestly class of the community under whose jurisdiction he was working, decided to try and change his way of doing things by closing all the ways of doing things to him saying, come join our way of doing things. He replied, I seek protection in universal set-up systems and laws of Allah, the creator and sustainer of mine Who has entrusted me with responsibility of this good land to manage things therein properly. Surely those who transgress His set limits therefore inflict harms and destructions upon each other prosper not.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]It is because Joseph treated each and every person properly the people in-charge there became neglected by their people because that is what people do ie go to those people for help whom they find helpful. So they paid more attention to Joseph and that turned them jealous and so they conspire against Joseph to get him out of their way.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]24) Yet party of ruling and priestly classes went ahead in order to try and change his mind and he too would have inclined towards its way of doing things had he not been shown by his Creator and Sustainer the results of their course of actions. That is how We shielded him from doing anything whereby he could harm and destroy others and bring gloom and doom upon himself therefore he remained true follower of Our guidance.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]25) As each of the parties tried to outdo the other its own way the opposite party was involved in foul play right from the start because it attacked his person instead of his vision in order to shatter his personality. That is how the opponent party landed both the parties at the court of the chief of the community saying to him, what punishment does someone who intended harm and destruction against your community deserve other than imprisonment or a painful chastisement?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]26) Joseph said, it was this party of rulers and priests that tried to move me away from my way of doing things and a group of people of this community was present at this event and saw all this. The community chief said that if his vision was attacked the right way then party of rulers and priests is telling the truth and he is lying[/FONT]
[FONT=&]27) but if it was attacked the wrong way then he is speaking the truth and the party of rulers and priests is lying.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]28) So when community chief examined the statements of the witnesses and came to conclusion that he was attacked the wrong way so that his personality is destroyed he said to party of rulers and priests, it is one of the tricks of you the party of rulers and priests. Your conspiracy was mighty indeed! [/FONT]
[FONT=&]29) He said, O Joseph, ignore their way of doing things and O party of rulers and priests, seek correction of the way you do things because you were indeed the ones who did things the wrong way.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]30)However the word spread among communities of the township that party of ruling elite and priestly class under the governor of Egypt has conspired to change the way of doing things of its civil servant because the rest of the community has fallen madly in love with him the way he does things for it. In fact, wesee it totally overcome by his love.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word SHAGHAF is from root SHEEN, GHAIN and FAA. Concrete meaning of this root is the membrane enclosing the heart. Also affect, influence, the centre, the pericardium, to smite, to pierce, to infatuate, to be smitten with love, ardent love, passion, to penetrate the innermost part, to scrutinise, to cross examine, to enter into something, to get to the bottom of something, to penetrate deeply, to find out something through search, to investigate a matter, to look into something thoroughly, to rip open the cover to uncover something, top lift the cover from something, to crush or squeeze or press, to force out something from something, to pry etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]31) At length when the embarrassing remarks became unbearable for party of ruling elite and priestly class, it invited them and prepared for them a banquet and gave each of them an opportunity to scrutinise his way of doing things. As they readied themselves for cross examination of his way of doing things, the party called on Joseph to come out to face them. When they examined him for his way of doing things, they were so amazed that they ended up shooting themselves in the foot so they exclaimed spontaneously, by goodness of Allah! He looks nothing like an ordinary person rather he looks like a highly ranked knowledgeable official of a noble descent.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word HAASH is from roots HAA, ALIF and SHEEN and HAA, WOW and SHEEN and HAA, SHEEN and WOW. Concrete meaning of this root is disassociation or association of something from or with something for some reason. Also brink, shore, side, end, distant, excluded, included, to be free of something, refuge, shelter, enclosure, exception, unfamiliar, to avoid, to turn away from, to hold off, interjection with word Allah eg Allah forbid or Allah be my witness or O my Allah etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]32) The party of ruling elite and priestly class said, this is he about whom you blamed me. No doubt I conspired to change him but he escaped my set-up trap for him. If he does not do things the way I say, he should be thrown into prison indeed to be disgraced.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]33) Joseph said, O my Creator and Sustainer! I rather go to prison than do things the way they demand of me but unless You inspire me with some way out of their cunning trap for me I may end up trapped among them and forced to become of those who live not by Your guidance.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word SIJNU is from root SEEN, JEEM and NOON. Concrete meaning of this word is to restrict something in some way. Also to imprison, to restrict, to limit, the written text, record, record office, prison, a place wherein are kept written records, confinement, detention, containment, official seal or stamp, insignia, a distinguishing mark, a badge indicating honour or rank, an account of deeds etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]34) That is how his Creator and Sustainer inspired him with proper response warding off their cunning trap from him and that is how He makes obvious for mankind that He is indeed comprehensive in observation of all things.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]35) But even after all the evidence they had seen they still decided to send him to prison for a time.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]In a strange community of people Joseph is forced to change his way of life to be like them in doing things but he decides to take a stand. Here the Quran is telling mankind that only a human being who takes a stand against what people do as usual to hurt each other beings about a change. In other words only a brave person takes a stand for the well being of humanity and initiates a revolt or revolutionary change partially or as a whole. It is not something that can happen overnight but a start has to be made and once any such movement starts it takes on momentum of its own so as people become more and more aware of it they keep joining it and so comes about a change in an entire community. In fact masses only come out on the streets for two main reasons a)they are unhappy with their customs or traditions or laws or b)because they are not being served according to their customs, traditions and laws. In case of people being unhappy with services of their state administrations the fight is all about forcing people and institutions through public pressure to function properly according to law and deliver the goods and services to the public at large properly but in case of custom, tradition or law being unjust the fight is all about changing the way of life in a kingdom or state. This fight is as hard as the stance of people in position of power and the will of the people to fight off stance of rulers and their supporters. If people in power give-in to the demands of masses then there comes about a change for the better which also raises hope for any further change that may be needed in time to come but if rulers do not give-in then things remain as they are and get even worse as rulers take revengeful actions in reaction to this revolt. All revolutions that come about through struggles for power over each other end up in bloodshed but not those revolutions that are brought about on basis of education. Why do revolutions come about? They come about due to natural changes in the natural world that are not under human control eg people cannot stop people from being born and from growing up. This increases human population and people have needs and those needs need to be fulfilled or there is going to be trouble ahead. So people who are educated and forward thinking they know things by keeping an eye on the real world changes and plan ahead but ignorant fools only start thinking when nature confronts them and by that time it is too little and too late to overcome the problems therefore people start taking out their frustration on each other. This is how stupidity leads people to their own destruction by their own hands. The other reason for people ending up at each other’s throats is due to the way of life they adopt for themselves as a society ie if they are living by way of life based upon personal gains at the expense of each other then time comes when poverty become unbearable for most of the people in a society and so they take out their frustration against those whom they see as responsible for their this situation eg rulers, mullahs, money lenders, their touts and supporters. This is because as explained already; rulers, priests and money lenders adopt such goals as are destructive for most of the people in the society therefore they also adopt such programs and they adopt such unjust and unfair laws to go with their goals and programs. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]So people who end up in painful suffering have no choice but to live as they can or fight for change for the better. This is result of how people try to use and abuse each other for their personal gains instead of adopting a way of life that ensures well being of all people in the community. This is why Allah sent revelations and messengers to guide people so that they educate each other and come together and establish a proper human community in a kingdom based upon guidance of Allah. Allah has set goals and given people a program to accomplish those goals according to his provided guidelines. The power structure in this way of life is based upon guidance of Allah and people as a community who put an administration in place so that it serves all the people in the community by managing human population, land and resources as well as means of production and distribution properly. Though ultimate ruler in this power structure is Allah through his book but it is up to people as a proper human community to interpret the message of Allah in light of real world realities that face them. So it is not up to any particular person to rule anyone rather it is community that has to choose who is most fit to serve people according to the book of Allah. Such a person is then appointed by people as the chief administrator of the community by the community along with rest of people who are needed to serve community as administrators for heading various departments. However all administrators are still under the community and do not have any powers outside the ones given to them by the community according to the book of Allah for serving the proper human community. This is why anyone who is found to be unfit to serve the community is to be replaced without any delay and the same is to happen when a person oneself tells community that one is no longer fit to fulfil his obligations due to whatever problem one is facing. All this has been explained already about community set-up, organisation and regulation as well as monitoring and trial period etc etc. This is real democracy because it is people based where interest of community comes before any individual, institution and its administration. All individuals, institutions and the community come under the constitution because the constitution is supreme. In short that is how people are organised to self regulate themselves as institutions and individuals. Monitoring and correction units are put in place just to ensure everything is running smoothly so that goals are fulfilled or objectives are achieved. This is the difference between constitutions for running a proper human community which ensures well being of mankind and a human population wherein people use and abuse each other for petty personal gains. When a person tries to treat others well it rings alarm bells for any people who treat others as their slaves because soon people who are treated ill are going to gather into a massive movement as a group for bringing down those in positions of power.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]36) Two young men also entered the prison with him. One day they discussed with each other their individual ambitions so one of them said, I had a dream that in time I will become source of knowledge for the people. The other said, I had a dream of taking on responsibility of livelihood for people in which partake people who prove to be excellent in this kind of work. Tell us how can we have such outcomes for our these ambitions, we ask you about it because we see that you are a man who directs others for benefiting each other.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]37) Josephreplied, I willexplain to you how you should go about fulfilling your dreams before you start working on them to get the outcomes you desire because this is part of the knowledge about making sense of things which my Creator and Sustainer has taught me. In fact, I have nothing to do with rule of people who do not commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind according to guidance of Allah because they deny mankind the right to fruit of their hard work.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]38) So instead I follow the guidance of Allah and guide others to do the same just like my forefathers Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. It is not fitting that we take any sovereigns other than Allah. This is our missionary task set by Allah for us for the well being of mankind yet most of the people do not benefit from it.[/FONT]
[FONT=&] It is of vital importance that people understand words and concepts attached to them for proper understanding of deen. Failing that one cannot understand deen. For example, Arabic is a root based language and roots are a construct based upon a few letters working as one unit from which many words are derived for various grammatical reasons. If we trace Arabic back in time it comes from Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, Akkadian etc languages. Before people invented Arabic script alphabet used to be presented in pictorial form and those pictures represented certain concepts and since each letter had a meaningful concept attached to it when a few letters were put together the individual meanings of individual letters became an explanation and took an overall meaning and then derived meanings. For example, what we call ALIF was presented as a head of a bull and meant strength or BAA was presented as a tent and it meant house. Now one can see why word ABB means father ie because it is written by using letter ALIF and BAA. So a father figure is someone upon whom depends household or he is strength of the house or in-charge of the house. This is why roots have multiple derived meanings ie words have a history behind their formation. This is why people even today can decipher ancient inscriptions because they can go back in time how people might have used those words and what they meant to them. Just as there is a tree of life ie how life came about and evolved so there is a tree of languages ie how human languages came about and evolved with time. It is one thing to know meanings of a word but another to know why a word is given that meaning. Unless one knows the reasons behind any meanings given to any word it is not possible to see the depth and width involved in the expression.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Take root SHEEN, KAAF and RAA of word YASHKUROON. The meaning attached to this root is thanks ie a word we use when someone does something for us that we need or want. The question is, what is the basic concept behind this meaning? God provided us humans with all we will ever need or want, he also provided us with guidance. When the Quran tells us to be grateful what does it actually mean? It means appreciate things by using gifts of God ie grow, prosper, develop by using what you are given as told. This cannot happen if we say thanks by word but no thanks by deed. God has given us everything and we by word say thanks God but we at the same time say no thanks to God because we do not use what he has given us appropriately to benefit from it as we are supposed to. This idea of thanking God therefore proves totally absurd and meaningless. We seek help of others and others seek help from us, the question is, do we understand what is going on in this process? When someone asks us for help, it means one has some need that one wants fulfilled. What happens when a need is not fulfilled? The person fails to grow or develop because one has become stuck. By helping such a person we are actually helping him to start growing again or become unstuck or free against and start moving. Now imagine that one asks for our help but when we help him he abuses our help by misusing it, will you help that person again when you know what he has done already? This time even if you help again you will ensure one does not abuse your help again. If you do not then you are not a good helper either because you are not helping the right person properly so you are not fulfilling your responsibility either. You are abusing your capacity of helping someone who does not appreciate your help. So your help is wasted and you let it go to waste. On the other hand you could have helped the right person who could have appreciated your help.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This is important point because our ability to help is gifted and we are not allowed to misuse it. It is like you are part of a government and people have put you there to manage their funds and affairs and you just do as you like instead of using what you are given as told by the government. The result of misuse is that things depreciate in value instead of appreciation ie instead of growing they shrink. If this use and abuse of things continues imagine the end result. This is why we need to learn more than just simple meanings of words to really understand the message of the Quran. Actions speak louder than words and just saying thanks God is meaningless if you are abusing his gifts in reality by your actions. Appropriate use of things is proper thanks because it adds to value and helps growth and improper use of things is no thanks because it causes devaluation and depreciation and depression. This is how due to ignorance of deen the ummah is strangling itself out of existence or driving itself into painful suffering. It shows foolishness of people who tell us useless things as deen as well as foolishness of ourselves because we follow such people who have turned our deen into a meaningless thing. This is why we must come back to the Quran and learn how to understand it properly so that we become aware of what our deen really is.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]39) O my fellow inmates! Tell me, what is better, many different rulers or just one sovereign, Allah, the one capable of handling all affairs?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]40) Those whom you take as rulers other than Him are nothing but mere name sake rulers which you and your forefathers have put in place on basis of baseless ideas through make beliefs for which Allah has revealed no authority whatsoever. Surely sovereignty belongs to none but Allah Who has ordained that you take none as ruler save Him. That is the way of doing things which is properly balanced yet most of the people do not learn to understand it.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word TABUDOON is from root AIN, BAA and DAAL. It has been explained already but let us see how language came about, evolved and works using this root for explanation to help us understand things a bit better. As explained already that words in Arabic language come from roots not other words. Roots are made of a single alphabet letter or a few of them joined together as in word ABD ie AIN, BAA and DAAL. The question is what is origin of roots? Roots were invented from words used for concrete realities as explained already. These words were originally written in form of pictures. Since Arabic comes from other languages eg Syriac, Aramaic, Hebrew or Akkadian etc so the letters in Arabic alphabet are representations of those pictures. For example, letter AIN used to be written in form of a picture and that picture was of an eye. Letter BAA was written in form of a picture and that picture was of a tent and likewise letter DAAL was written in form of a picture and that picture was of a door. However when these three letters are brought together to be a root it brings with it all the concepts and therefore meaning possible for these letters. If letter AIN is an eye than it describes what eye is and what it does or is used for therefore all such meanings are possible for letter AIN that have something to do with eye and its working. Since eye is used for seeing things therefore its meanings include concepts like guarding something or keeping an eye on something. Likewise since eye cries and tear run down hence the same letter also means water spring. Letter BAA is shown as a tent or house and in Hebrew it is called BEIT which means house in Hebrew but with a little bit thought one can see from Arabic that BEIT is called BAIT which is a house therefore what a house is and what it is used for all such meanings can be derived from this letter. The case is very same for letter DAAL ie it is called DAALETH in Hebrew which mean door. Since we know what door is and what purpose it serves a lot of meanings can be derived from it. Just as a house is a place or an idea that is used as a shelter for protection against all kinds of dangers from which a shelter can protect so a door is something that is a way or mean to something so it has many concepts and meanings attached to it. Just as all these letters have individual meanings so when they are used together as a root, the root contains all these possible meanings in it which each individual letter has on its own. The rest is decided by the context in which these roots are used for words that are derived from them. For example, a word could be a subject in a sentence or an object or a verb eg AABID, MABOOD or IBAADAH. Likewise the context in case of the Quran is that each word is used either by Allah or by a human. Also a word is used in context of DEEN or MAZHAB by Allah or by a human being. Moreover a person could be a follower of the Quran or its opponent. All these like points made clear here and elsewhere in this Quranic explanation will be found very helpful by people who wish to know the Quran better. Just as the explained letters have meanings so do other letters eg ALIF=head of a bull, BAA= a house, TAA=womb, JEEM=camel, DAAL=door, round HAA=window, HAA=fence, WOW=hook, ZAA=sword, KAAF=palm of hand, YAA=whole hand, LAAM=ox-gaud, MEEM=water, NOON=fish, SWAAD=snake, AIN=eye, FAA=mouth, THAA=fishhook, QAAF=eye of the needle, RAA=head, SHEEN=tooth, TWAA=mark etc etc. Just as letters are meaningful words they were also assigned alphanumerical values for purpose of calculations eg ALIF=1 and BAA=2 and so on. In those times there were no separate figures or symbols for numbers as we have them today. Most shapes of letter were used for more than one letter and were distinguished by dots and diacritical marks eg look at Arabic letters BAA, TAA and THAA or JEEM, HAA and KHAA etc. Not only that but even for same letter different pictorial presentations were used that meant to stand for same concept or meaning but emphasised a particular aspect. All this seems a very complex and complicated stuff but not if one learns it. Anything is difficult due to ignorance but easy once a person has gone through experimentation or training. It is these meanings of letters that can help discover true meanings of letter in the beginning of some of the Quranic surahs eg ALIF, LAAM and MEEM in surah 2 verse1. Same can be said about word ALLAH ie ALIF, LAAM, LAAM and HA. Letter ALIF means head of a bull that indicates authority or power or force or strength etc. Letter LAAM means ox-goad, something a person uses to drive something with towards something eg one drives a heard of cattle with a stick or staff or like a sheppard keeps a flock of sheep under his control. Letter MEEM means water, something that quenches thirst or fulfils a need just as without knowledge a person feels useless and empty because one cannot do anything to fulfil one’s needs. Word Allah also can be interpreted this way even though it is used as a proper noun in the Quran for an ever existing being who created all and revealed his message in form of books like the Quran through messengers like Muhammad. In the Quranic context it is not right to translate word Allah as God because word God is about kind of being Allah is. It is ok to use word God for word ILAAH. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Allah is only one of his kind according to the Quran ie there is nothing else that is ever existing or with similar ever existing attributes and nothing else can act like God because nothing else has abilities or powers to act like God. This is why deen of Islam is about oneness of God and oneness or unity of mankind. Allah is all alone as a being because there is nothing is like unto him in existence, attributes and actions. In Arabic language a particle of speech is used as an interjection to draw attention of something by calling upon it or express desire or a longing. It is YAA and it means O or OH eg YAA ALLAH=O God. The rule according to text of the Quran is that when anyone is called upon using particle YAA there is no incidence where a noun has been identified as AL=the. It is always YAA MOOSA=O Moses. In other words when something is called upon specifically or in particular then no further identification is needed or used by use of article the. It is because the name identifies the object of attention and then yaa simply draws his attention to caller or the caller draw attention of other to the called. Since Muslims always used words YAA ALLAH or YAA ILAAH and never YAA AL-ILAAH therefore it is proof that Allah is proper noun for God and does not come from AL-ILAAH. It does not mean moon God either because the Quran does not allow creatures to be called Gods and gives reason that these are created by God. So a created being is not a God and it cannot be a God so it should not be called a God or taken for a God. In deen of Islam, not only calling anyone else a God is SHIRK=polytheism but even to attribute any attribute or act like that of Allah is also taken as accepting another God beside Allah. This is why mankind must live by way of life advised by Allah or by living their lives any other way they are committing act of shirk ie treason. It is like one is living in a kingdom under a king and one does not accept authority of the king. Allah is king of his universe and all that exists in it therefore anyone who does not take is set goals and guidelines seriously is committing treason because it is like creating a state within a state. This is why people who do not learn way of life advised by Allah or do not live by it are called KUFAAR or KAAFIROON ie the rejecters and the opponents of deen of Allah. It is a very serious offence in the sight of Allah and it also has serious implications and consequences for mankind. It is because without the base of deen of Islam there is no way people could become a proper human community or family. This is why Islam is a DEEN and not a MAZHAB. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Verses like this one expose the lies of rulers, priests, money lenders, their touts and supporters who derive their authorities in the name of God through each other. In this situation rulers have no authority to appoint any priests or hand over community wealth to anyone as his personal property in the name of God and likewise priests have no authority to put rulers in place for community in the name of God. It is all a mechanism set up by such people working together to make fool of masses to deprive them of their God given rights to all that exists. It is due to this mechanism priests fool masses by instilling in their minds ideas of sins and forgiveness and their power of intervention in affairs of God as intercessors and atonement through sacrifice and donations as charity etc etc. This is why masses inflict more harm on each other because they have the idea in their heads that in the end God will forgive them whatever their sins may be. This is why people do such evil thinking it is good which priests instil in their heads which is in fact doctored indoctrination to make people do things they want them to do in the name of God and this is how rulers, mullahs and money lenders use and abuse masses. This like verses explain to people that whatever goals and guidelines their rulers, priests and money lenders have set for themselves to abide by are their own creation for their own ends to use and abuse weaker members of human community and Allah has sent them not nor approved them instead Allah has revealed opposite goals and guidelines for people to abide by for ensuring their own well being. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]41) As to your dreams O my inmates! Each of you will be released soon from the prison and one of you will serve wine of knowledge to your king and the other will be placed firmly on state affairs of which people will have their provisions. That is howyour ambitions will become realities regarding which you asked for directions.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]42) Then to the one who he thought will be elevated to the position of advisor to his king out of both of them said, do let your king know about my case. But the opponent of guidance of Allah made him forget to mention the case of Josephto his king, so he remained in the prison a few more years.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]43) Then one day the king of Egypt said to his counsel, I see a number of big splits in my people in which are involved many weak members of our society but I also see a number of long periods of stability and prosperity as well as number of periods of instability and exploitation and hardship. O chiefs! Explain to me how can I reach my desired outcome if you can analyse the situation and the circumstances and plan ahead in order to guide me.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]44) They replied, these are testing situations and we are not skilled in dealing with situations like this.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word ADGHAAS is from root DWAAD, GHAIN and SAA. Concrete meaning of this root is to put different things together in such a way that they become entangled. Also medleys of dreads, random thoughts, mixture of ideas, to take a handful of something as sample to estimate the whole, by looking at a sample of something judge the whole, depression, worrisome situation or circumstances, nightmare, a quantity of anything that a person has in his grip, a bunch of flowers that person can hold in his hand, vase, limited means or capacity, bundle, unravelling of hair, a camel suspected to be suffering from an afflicted hump, confusion, mixture, hallucination, handful of plant stalks, incoherent mix etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word AHLAAM is from root HAA, LAAM and MEEM. Concrete meaning of this root is stability due to consistency and balance. Also dream, vision, thought, to have wet dreams, to attain puberty, to gain wisdom, to be patient, clemency, a sensible person, nipple, a young goat, rationality, sensibility, intelligence, reason, mind, forbearing, prudent, a person not disturbed or angered by small things, courageous, a person capable of planning ahead, sincere, a person who keeps oneself under control even when angry, a person who does not jump into things without thinking about the consequences, a beast of burden when it becomes capable for being used for carrying loads, a healthy and strong person both physically and mentally, a person who always works according to rules and regulations, soft, tender hearted, kind or compassionate when dealing with others etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]45) Thereupon one of the two released prisoners remembered after a long time and spoke up, I will tell you how to handle this situation just send me to Joseph.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]46) So he came and said, O Joseph my truly well wishing friend! Explain to us how to handle the situation wherein are involved a number of big splits in people in which are involved many weak members of society and also wherein are possible a number of long periods of stability and prosperity as well as number of periods of instability and exploitation and hardship, so that I return to the people who sent me and let them know the solution to their problems.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Egypt originally was ok but due to changes in Egypt rivalry based system became adopted so people became divided and as gap between rich and poor grew therefore a time was reached when people became uneasy and troubled to such degree that the king became alarmed so he put the problem he saw before his council seeking their advice and opinions. They failed to advise him properly but the while they discussed this matter one of the council members remembered Joseph due to his ability of solving problems. So he asked to be sent to Joseph to ask for his advice in this situation. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]47) He replied, you should actively cultivate good relations among all people in the land for a number of years till it becomes a normal way of life then whatever good relationship you manage to develop maintain it in its good state though you will participate in this program just a little.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]48) However your failure to reach the target after this advice could bring upon you a number of years of hardship and troubles that will render useless whatever steps you would have taken already save a little which you may have specifically paid attention to. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]49) But if you managed to repair and maintain your society after that will come a period of abundant prosperity during which the people will benefit greatly.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]50)However instead of following the program as told by Joseph the king said, bring this man to me. When the messenger came Josephsaid to him, go back to your king and ask him about the case of those communities that lost their case due to loss of their ability to produce worthy argument. Indeed my Creator and Sustainer has exposed their plot for people to see for what it was.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]51) The king called them in to his court and questioned them saying, what do you say about the incident when you attempted to wrong foot Joseph? They replied, Allah forbid! We know of no harmful motive on his part against our community. The party of ruling elite and priestly class that was under governor of Egypt said, now that the truth has come to light, it was I who attempted to wrong foot him against his way of doing things. The fact is, he is absolutely trustable.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]52) Joseph said, by this inquiry I meant to let the governor of Egypt know that I did not betray him in his absence regarding the responsibility he assigned to me and that Allah does not let the plots of the treacherous succeed for long.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]53) This I did, not because I am free of human needs and desires but to prove that human needs and desires prompt one to do harm to others even for petty personal gain unless one follows program of my Creator and Sustainer for peace, progress and prosperity of mankind and that is how program of my Lord protects humanity against harm and destruction.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]The values according to which Joseph worked in Egypt were attacked by priests of Egypt because he wanted to treat people as human beings but the way of life in Egypt was based upon master slave relationship between people. This is what now forced Egyptians to leave and join the way of doing things Joseph told them about right from the start. This shows how people do not see sense in perfectly sensible explanations till they fall in trouble and then learn things the hard way but even that is not the case for people like Pharaoh in time of Moses. These people were very fortunate that they saw troubles and straight away looked for their solutions and accepted the changes needed for their better future. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]54) The king said, bring him to me so that I appoint him to assist me in taking care of affairs of the kingdom. When Joseph was brought to the king and they had mutual talk the king said, from now on you have an honourable place among us and you will enjoy our full confidence.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]55) Seeing the situation that kingdom was going to be destroyed through disintegration by civil wars if right steps were not taken Joseph requested the king, let me deal with the people and resources of the land. Certainly I know how to manage people and resources to avoid what is otherwise inevitable and rest assured I have all the knowledge needed for the task ahead.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This verse shows that capable people must put themselves forward for community work for whatever work they are good at or are capable of so that they could contribute and the community could benefit from their contributions. If a people have community spirit then they fight off any disaster no matter how bad it is. It gives people motivation and courage to appreciate each other’s works and contributions. On the other hand using and abusing each other disheartens people about each and all use and abuse each other and no one care what happens to any other person. The harmful and destructive mindset, attitude and behaviour has no advantage for humanity other than short lived personal gain. This becomes a problem for living one’s life because a human goes through various stages in one’s life that put one in an advantageous position in one respect at one time with another person but at the same time or at another time it puts one at a disadvantaged position with the same person or another person. So if one takes advantage of one person another takes advantage of him so pressure is on from both sides at both the times which makes life a misery due to being full of unnecessary worries and anxiety and at times regrets. In a human population with community spirit there is no pressure because there is no danger present from each other. All people have to worry about is how can they do more and more for the betterment of each other as a community. This is how way of life advised by Allah takes people out unnecessary troubles and hardships.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]56) Thus We established Joseph in the land to live therein in any way he wished within Our set limits. We bestow understanding of Our program for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind upon whoever works for it because We do not let the outcome of the people who work hard for well being of each other go to waste.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]57) So reward is even greater in future for those who commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind because they remain consistent with Our program, constitution and law for the well being of mankind.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]58) That is how there came to see Joseph his brethren and as they came in his presence he recognized them but they failed in recognizing him.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]In time as Joseph became famous as a helpful person his community fellows also heard about his reputation so they came to see him just to see if they can get something out of him. When people do not live by advice of God then they fail to see problems they need to take care of and themselves become serious problem for each other through rivalries and animosities. This increases problems due to natural disasters many folds. It is like one is already drowning and others are throwing stones at him instead of putting their effort into saving him. This is why humanity fails to make progress at the speed it ought to. When people waste their efforts on fighting each other they fail to pay attention to matters that really matter for their survival. They fail to farm on time or destroy crop through fighting each other so hunger strikes. Mankind need to spend more and more time on monitoring and planning in advance for taking care of all their needs and then work on those plans to be ready for all eventualities well in time. This is why people need to stick to education that gives them a community worth the name and then concentrate on other things that need to be done. If rain does not happen it should matter not because there is plenty of water here on the surface of the earth which humanity should take advantage of. This cannot be done unless people observe natural phenomena and see how things happen in nature and then try doing them. The more people become capable of doing this the more independent of nature mankind can become. After all why or how we invented things so far and why don’t people do the same more and more so that human problems could be solved instead of investing in wars with each other and trying to waste human power and resource? It is time that humanity came together and coordinated its efforts and complemented each other in planning and doing things so that past mistakes do not continue and new mistakes could be prevented as much as it is humanly possible. This is the major lesson in this story ie how people managed to avert crisis by working together according to divine plan. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]59) At length when he had equipped them with whatever they needed he said to them, come again to me with other bother of yours with approval of father of your nation. Do you not find me fulfilling needs of people properly and I deal with people in a dignified way?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]60) However if you do not come to me with your other brother then you will not have my personal assistance because you will not have my personal attention.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]61) They replied, we will certainly try our best to get him from his father. This we will surely try.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]62) So Joseph told his officials to load their things they brought for trading back into their loads in such a way thatthey should come to know about it onlywhen they reach back to their people so that they could come again.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]63) When theyreturned to father of their nation they said, Father! Assistance as of now is denied to us unless we take with us our brother therefore send our brother with us so that we may get our measure, we will take full responsibility for his safety and security.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]64) He said, should I trust you for his security as I once trusted you for security of his brother? However laws of Allah are unique when it comes to security of mankind because He is provider of the program with all the necessities that can ensure unity, peace, progress and prosperity of humanity.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]65) However in time when they opened their baggage they discovered that their stuff for trading had been returned to them. Father! They said, what more do we need? Here is our stuff for trading given back to us. This means we can get more things of need for our people and we will take good care of our brother if you let him go with us because we can get an extra caravan load of things.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]66) The father of their community replied, I will never send him with you unless you enter in an agreement with me according to law of Allah under oath that you will surely bring him back to me unless you are overcome by some other unforeseen situation rendering you helpless. After they had entered agreement under oath he said, law of Allah is our basis for this agreement you entered.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]The purpose of swearing under oath in Islam is to hold the person under legal obligation according to law of Allah. This means if the person making a pledge under oath deliberately fails in his duty then he is to be punished for doing so. It is as if one has lied under oath in the court of law. The other point to be noticed here is the way agreement is made ie people are exempt from responsibility if something happens to them which is beyond their capacity to handle and this exemption is brought in by the very person who wants the agreement of them. The person dictating the terms is ensuring that the other party is not under undue pressure due to this obligation. It shows how fair minded people think ie instead of taking advantage of the other party they ensure that they are not taken undue advantage of. The question is, what happens if you force upon people things that are beyond their capacity? They will not be able to fulfil such obligations and will be forced to do wrong things including making false pledges which they will mean not to carry out and this means both the parties will end up losers as a community. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]67) Moreover he advised them saying, O my children! Do not drive yourselves into isolation and obscurity by following a path blindly instead explore different ways to be part of wider human community and remember that I cannot tell you anything against the set-up systems and laws of Allah because none has the right to set-up systems and laws other than Allah. Upon His set-up systems and laws I rely and upon His set-up systems and laws should rely all those who wish to rely upon something dependable that never fails including yourselves. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Here father of nation advises his people to be people with wisdom who are able not only to know the truth themselves but help others to find out truth for themselves because that is the only way people can find a solid common ground or foundation to be a community or build one on that foundation. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]68) So when they made the entry as their father of community had advised them soon it became clear to them that nothing can benefit anyone against the set-up systems and laws of Allah, nonetheless it was community responsibility that Jacob addressed. After all he possessed the knowledge which We had given him even though most of the people do not bother to learn to be sensible.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]69)When they entered upon Joseph, he called his brother to himself andsaid, it is I your brother Joseph, so grieve not at what they havebeen doing to us and our people.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]70) At length when Joseph had finished arranging the load of their provisions, he informed his brother about journey of his own life. Later on when they were on the way back home a crier called out to them saying, O people ofthe caravan! You may have taken something without our permission.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word JAHAAZ is from root JEEM, HAA and ZAA. Concrete meaning of this root is things that are needed for a journey or for which a journey is undertaken. Also luggage, travel gear, things of need, load, stuff, equipment, gear, tools, rig, to fit out, to prepare, to equip, to make ready, to finish off, to be quick and light-footed, to equip with necessary gear or tools, to rig up, to provide with necessary provisions, supplies, the load that is loaded on a beast of burden, load on the camel or donkey, things bought or obtained etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word SIQAAYAH is from root SEEN, QAAF and YAA which has been explained already but it also means to give a drink, to water land or animals or plants, to make drink, to give a party, to teach knowledge to help quench thirst for knowledge, to fulfil need of knowledge of a people, to serve drink, to irrigate, to perform a daily act or task, to provide with drink or knowledge, to seek source for drinking or to seek or look for water or knowledge, to deliver a lecture, to explain things, to discuss or debate things, to inform someone about things, drinking cup or goblet etc etc.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word RAHL is from root RAA, HAA and LAAM. Concrete meaning of this root is to be on the move. Also to be on the journey, sack, bag, camel litter, saddle, something to base something upon, foundation, honour, death, to die, to be on journey to next life, to move or shift from one place to another, to shift from one state of existence to another, a structure for placing the Quran or a book upon for reading, a journey, a story, a story about journey of one’s life, anything like a saddle that is put on the camel to help one sit on the camel for travelling or to load on the camel stuff, camel, the place or idea from which one travels to another place or idea, to change mind or place, a distance that one travels in one day, to travel, to set out to do something, to go away, travel gear or bags, saddle-bag, to take as a mount, a strong traveller, luggage, journey, pack, trip, tour etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]71) They turned round and asked, what is it that you find missing?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]72) The officials said, we have lost the vessel of the management with which we measure things and the one who finds it and brings it back will be awarded a camel-loadof provision, I guarantee it.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]73) Joseph’s brethren said, by Allah! You should know by our behaviour during our stay here that we did not come here to cause any trouble in yourland and we are not a people who take things belonging to others without their permission.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]74) The official said, what should be the outcome for the person who has taken something belonging to others if you prove to be wrong?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]75) They replied, the outcome for him inwhose stuff you find the measuring vessel of the kingdom will be that he should compensate you for what he did to you, that is how wepunish those who do wrong.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]These verses tell about mindset, attitude and behaviour of people who are quick in claiming their innocence and putting blame on others when anything goes wrong instead of holding back and waiting for the outcome of an inquiry as to what actually has happened. Here the officials loose the state vessel for measuring things and they think that these people whom they served last the management may have left that vessel by mistake in their luggage so they follow them and ask them if that vessel is in their stuff. The vessel could not be checked unless luggage was opened and searched. Instead of letting them get on with search they say we are not thieves ie they try to hinder search as if they did steal the vessel. After the vessel is found and they are proven wrong they take no time and straightaway accuse their community brother for deliberately stealing the vessel. Not only that but they also accuse his brother as well for stealing for no reason at all. This steeling they may be referring to is about leadership of the community about which they became jealous and decided to get Joseph out of their way. In that case it is they who tried to steal his rightful place in the community. It shows how foolish these people were and yet these people wanted to become leaders of their community. They had no sense of self respect and dignity of their own community. Seeing this situation Joseph decides not to send his brother back home with them just in case they do something to him as they already had done what they did to Joseph himself. He tells them I am holding him back as a result of you people being proven wrong about vessel not being in your stuff. Since you proved wrong so I am holding your brother back. Now they start moaning about problems they have back home in their own community. This forces Joseph to disclose himself and let them know who he is so that they learn some lesson from all this. Seeing their mindset, attitude and behaviour he decides to move all of his community to where he himself is because otherwise there was no more leadership in that community to take it forward seeing the mindset, attitude and behaviour of his fellow member of the community. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]76) Thereafter Joseph first began to search the packs of others before the pack of his brother. Finally he took the vessel out ofhis brother’s package. Thus We let Joseph plan to teach his brethren a lesson, for He could not hold back his brother underthe law of the kingdom but Allah fulfils His plan always. We exalt in ranks of dignity whoever works according to Our set-up systems and laws because above all the learned is the One Who makes all the information obvious for them to learn from.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Because community brothers of Joseph exposed themselves, Joseph was able to save his brother from them and was also able to plan next move for the whole of his community. In this verse Allah also tells mankind how he has set-up things that people have lots of things to observe and learn from to help themselves develop and progress. The physical search of luggage is less about catching a thief but more about making a people realise their mistakes ie the harms and destructions they inflicted upon each other as a community. It is an exercise to search their minds to turn them into proper human beings. It is like extracting information from them using some external pressure to make them realise what they have done and how harmful and destructive it was for humanity. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]77) After accusation of theft the brethren of Joseph remarked, this is no surprise if he has committed a theft because his brother also committed a theft before him. Despite hearing this Joseph suppressedhis feelings and did not reveal anything to them but said to himself,what a terrible situation you people are putting yourselves in and Allah will make obvious the truth about that concerning which you accuse me.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]They accuse Joseph for stealing their right to be community leaders but by the mindset, attitude and behaviour they are showing they are in fact exposing their own weaknesses as human beings therefore unfit for becoming leaders. On the contrary Joseph created a place for himself in the new community that he became a member of, which is a clear proof that he was capable of leading any community unlike these jealous people who conspired against him and stole his rightful place in that community and as a result the community ended up in serious troubles. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]78) They said, O noble person in authority! The father of the accusedis a great leader of the nation who may not take this lightly, so take one of us instead of him. We surely see that you are of those who do things to make life beautiful for others through fulfilling their needs.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]79) Joseph replied, I seek protection through guidance of Allah therefore far from me be that we seize other than the one with whom we found our property or we will be unjust indeed.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]80) When they lost their hope of moving Joseph, they went aside to confer in private. The leading one among them said to rest, you know that your father had taken a solemn pledge in the name of Allah and you also know how you fell short of your duty to Allah with respect to Joseph therefore I am not going to leave this land until the father of our nation permits me or Allah decides for me the matter some other way because He is the only one who is rightful ruler of all those who claim to be the rulers.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]81) So go back to father of your nation without me and say, father, your son has committed theft. We did not see him stealing but we can testify only to what we know. How could we guard against this unforeseen situation?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]82) You may enquire from the people of the city where we stayed and the caravan in which we travelled that we are surely telling the truth.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]83) When Jacob is told this he said, no! You yourselves havecontrived a story once more. However I will remain steadfastly persistent in pursuing this case. May be thereby Allahwill bring them all back to me because He makes His wisdom known to mankind through His rule.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]84) He turned his face away from them crying, Alas for Joseph! His eyes became filled with tears of grief and he became overwhelmed by sorrow.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]85) They said, by Allah! you will not cease to remember Joseph until you ruin your health or kill yourself through this grief.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word HARADAA is from root HAA, RAA and DWAAD. Concrete meaning of this root is to become harmed by something in some way. Also to ruin, to be ruined, to become weak, defective, faulty, to become mental, to become physically unfit, to become tired of something, to be at the brink of becoming ruined, to become ill, to become totally useless or worthless, to have no value, to depreciate, to become depressed, a person suffering from a serious mental or physical injury, to encourage someone to do something that rejuvenates one, to make someone do something that makes one stand on his feet but if one fails to do it then one could become ruined, base person, corruption, to corrupt, to perish, to be in danger of death, to degenerate mentally or physically, to urge, to spur, to encourage, to rouse, to exhort, emaciated, foolish person etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]86) He said, I complain of my distress and grief according to set-up systems and laws of Allah because I know from Allah what you do not understand yet.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word ASHKOO is from roots SHEEN, KAAF and WOW/YAA. Concrete meaning of this root is a skin bag used for carrying water that opens only at one end. Also to let all out, to say whatever is in one’s mind, to poor out all the content in a container to empty it, to bring out worry or concern, to complain, lamp, a cavity in a wall for placing of lamp, to share information about one’s situation or circumstances, to expose oneself before others, lamp holder, to grieve, to show or reveal one’s grief, to submit a complain, to launch a complain, to complain vigorously etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word BASSI is from root BAA, SAA and SAA. Concrete meaning of this root is to reveal something that bothers one to someone. Also to spread, to disseminate, to cause to multiply, to disclose sorrow or worry or illness, to disperse, to scatter, to generate, spread out, to publicise, to let others know, to draw attention of others to oneself, to invent something, to let know something to others that is not known already to them, to make obvious, scattered moth, the dust particle that are spread by wind, to spread things in great numbers etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word HUZNEE is from root HAA, ZAA and NOON. Concrete meaning of this root is anxiety or worry or regret that causes distress or rage or depression. Also a sense of being trapped or cornered, having sense of being incomplete or defective or weak or broken or useless, feeling isolated or neglected or ignored or unwanted, a feeling of pain due to lack of things of need, distraction, confusion, anguish, feeling oppressed or suppressed, a feeling of helplessness, a feeling of lack of support or love, the worry about daily bread, barren land, hardship, difficulty, feeling threatened, feeling oneself in danger, rocks, boulders, sadness, sorrow, rocky hard going terrain, to cause hardship, to distress, to become sad, to grieve, responsibility, to cause unrest, to feel disturbed, to become agitated etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Mankind need to become aware of the fact that whatever happens outside in the real world affects inside of people and whatever is in the minds of people it affects outside world when they act it out. So world can only become beautiful if people try to interact with each other in a way that makes world beautiful therefore any participation in the world by people that makes world ugly should be avoided by each and every person. People should not feel happy by undermining each other but by ensuring well being of each other.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]87) O my children! Go and search for Joseph and his brother and never give up hope in blissful, dignifying and secure life providing guidance of Allah. In fact none give up hope in guidance of Allah save people who reject and oppose His guidance.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word TAHASSASOO is from root HAA, SEEN and SEEN. Concrete meaning of this root is a hissing sound. Also faint noise, whispering sound, concealed gentle sound, a feeling, to search out, to seek information, to look for, to inquire about something, to perceive something through the senses, to find out, to probe, to spy, to kill, to rout, to strike hard, movement, to remove the dust, to slay, to eradicate, to eliminate, to destroy, to become conscious of, to become aware of, to see, to gather intelligence about, to collect information discreetly about, churning sound, murmur etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]88) So when they return to Egypt and entered the office of Joseph they said, O honourable manager of the kingdom! We and our people are in terrible distress due to lack of things of need because we are running out of anything of value so please give us as much as at least fulfils our needs and thereby prove your commitment to well being of mankind true to us. Surely Allah fulfils those who prove their commitment to well being of mankind true.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This verse shows mankind that if they do not commit themselves to way of life advised by Allah in deeds as a proper human community then this is the situation in which people end up as a result. All because some people want to live by a way of life based upon personal gains at the expense of others. As such a way leads to divisions and rivalries and animosities therefore people fail to develop and progress as they ought to if they learned to live as a proper human family. Such people have no other way to survive but to pick up the begging bowl and go round seeking help of others. Such help is not there unless a people with proper mindset, attitude and behaviour are there. Helpful people are the ones whom these people wanted to destroy to begin with but instead end up destroying themselves. This is how the Quran explains why people must live the way they are told and not the way they think because life based upon personal gains is short lived and is full of unnecessary worries as has been explained already. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]89) Hearing this he said, do you know what youdid to Joseph and his brother when you acted out of ignorance?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This is how people who kill or banish people from their populations who are capable of helping them develop and progress end up destroying themselves. This fault is not only of rulers, mullahs and money lenders but also of masses who rather live in bliss of ignorance till it is too late. It is because the first people who end up in terrible painful suffering are masses not leaders. This is why it is masses whose awareness and alertness is of vital importance and not just of their leaders. Only if people have sense they can steer their leadership in the right direction and vice versa.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]90) In surprise they cried, what! Are you really Joseph? He said, Yes! I am Josephand this is my brother. Allah surely has gifted us. In fact he who is constantly consistent with set-up systems and laws of Allah for the well being of humanity Allah does not let the outcome of works of such people who try to make their world beautiful for mankind go to waste.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]91) They said, by Allah! Surely we can now see the evidence as to why Allah has chosen you as a messenger instead of us. We have indeed been guilty of side stepping His guidance.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]92) Josephsaid, there is no penalty for you to suffer today for your past harmful and destructive works and guidance of Allah will protect you if you will live by it in future, for He is the only one whose blissful, dignifying and secure life providing program can deliver His sustenance properly for mankind. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]Word TASREEB is from root SAA, RAA and BAA. Concrete meaning of this root is condemnation. Also blame, penalty, to fold up a cloth, to end the feud, to wrap up the matter, to conclude, to seek no revenge, to not to rebuke, not to seek compensation, forgive, to remove fat from the veins, to blame, to seek revenge, to seek redress to some matter, to remind about wrong doing, city, thin layer of fat over the stomach, fingers, to point out faults, to abuse, to reproach, to upbraid, reproof etc etc. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]93) Go take the news of my khilaafah and place it before my father, he will rediscover his happy sight. Thereafter come back to me with all the members of your community.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This verse tells us Jacob moved to Egypt along with all his people on request of Joseph. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]94) When the caravan started from Egypt the father of their nation in Canaansaid, Certainly I feel the presence of Joseph even though you the people around me may think I am out of my mind.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]95) They said, by Allah! You are still suffering from your old delusion.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]96) However when the bearer of the good news arrived, he put the news of his khilaafah before him so he regained his happy sight and he said, did I not tell you thatI know due to understanding of set-up systems and laws of Allah what you people do not learn to understand?[/FONT]
[FONT=&]97) They said, O our father! Bring about harm and destruction free community for our protection and better future because we have inflicted harm and destruction upon each other in the past and that is why we suffered painfully due to that.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]98) He replied, soon I will bring about a harm and destruction free community for you as advised by my Creator and Sustainer, surely He protects mankind through His program for their blissful, dignified and secure existence.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]99) After a while when they came to Joseph he asked leaders and supporters of his community to become his protectorates and said, now that you have come to Egypt if program of Allah is implemented fully and remains enforced then you will find yourselves at peace and in secure existence in here and will progress and prosper.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]But all this changed after death of Joseph because children of Israel became slack and fell away from the way of life that was advised by Allah through Joseph and before him through Jacob and so on. Had people remained steadfast when Jacob became old and did not throw out Joseph they will have become leading people but instead they chose a different way of life and ended up the way they did. When Jacob died he asked them to promise that they will never change their way of life after him but they did. So people who came to deen of Islam after they became blessed in every way they just became far too much involved in all sorts of blessings and left the study of the scriptures alone so they failed to raise new generations that could keep themselves blessed with blissful, dignified and secure existence. This is why knowing foundation and the building built upon is very important to see whether it is consistent or not and whether it can ensure bright future or not and if everything is found in order then to ensure its proper maintenance. Negligence at any point in time can prove fatal for a people. This is how nations rise, stay in proper state of existence or fall. A clear proof that to raise future generations properly is absolutely necessary for mankind.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]100) That is how he raised the management and the managed of his community to heights of blissful, dignified and secure existence because they all accepted his proposal and acted upon it faithfully so he said, O father of my nation, this is the fulfilment of my vision that I had long ago, because my following of program of my Creator and Sustainer has turned it into a reality. It was beauty of His guidance indeed as planned by Him that He brought me out of prison to put me to work whereby He brought you all here from the unproductive socioeconomic political and economic landscape even though the rivals had stirred up strife between me and my community brethren. For sure my Creator and Sustainer fulfils His plan through ways and means beyond control of humanity due to lack of its awareness. Surely He is maker of His wisdom obvious for mankind to learn from to make proper sense of things and manage them wisely.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This verse should leave one in no doubt that this universe is set-up by Allah to work in a particular way for fulfilling purpose of its creator and sustainer and only those people or nations can rise and remain in blissful, dignified and secure existence that make proper sense of his guidance and follow it faithfully. In other words thinking and doing things the wrong way does not produce good results other than as by products as already explained in detail. The universe is set-up in such a way that good works definitely produce good results with bad by products but even bad works end up producing good results as by products and that is the reason no matter whatever people do it moves the world forward in a better direction. In short if people live by a way of life that is advised by Allah, it is bound to produce good end results but even if they live by any other way of life, they still end up going in the right direction due to conflicts between people which force them to find a better position with respect each other even though these are only minor steps in the right direction. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]101) O Creator and Sustainer of mine! You have indeed given a piece of land under my management and taught me all the knowhow about all the affairs of the kingdom. The originator of the heavens and the earth Your program has been my protector from the very beginning of my life and it will remain my protector to the very end of my life, so fulfil me completely so long as I truly remain committed to your set-up systems and laws thereby keep me as a part of those who try their best to put things right for mankind and maintain them. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]102) Even though these accounts which We have revealed to you are a collection about the past events when you the people were not there with brethren of Joseph who together conspired and schemed against him[/FONT]
[FONT=&]103) yet they are revealed for you so that you too strive as he did in the face of adversity and opposition because most people are not going to commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind otherwise, no matter how much you may desire it for them.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]This verse explains why Allah sent his revelations for people ie to give them solid foundation to stand upon and help each other to come and stand upon the same platform and then work together as a proper human community for blissful, dignified and secure existence. What a slap on faces of rulers, mullahs and money lenders who say we believe in God yet use and abuse fellow human beings instead of coming to aid of each other for better world.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]104) This is why you are not to demand any wage for educating people with this information, it is because this Quran is to be made accessible for all the people in the world through your hard work for their benefit.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Another strong slap for users and abusers of humanity, who work for ensuring copyrights of intellectual property so that thereby they could use and abuse others. When people were not born with anything as theirs then what right do they have to try and stop each other from benefiting from whatever the world has to offer to all mankind? This is why people should fight against laws that divide them and put obstacle in the way of unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]105) There are many proofs for it throughout the heavens and the earth which people come across yet they pay no attention to them for proper understanding of things [/FONT]
106) and as a result most of them who declare commitment to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind in the name of Allah yet abide by ways of life or rules of laws advised by other than Allah.
Who are these people who declare their commitment to upholding the message of Allah yet do the opposite? It is rulers, mullahs, money lenders, their touts and supporters who claim to be Muslims yet think and do things just like those who reject and oppose message of Allah. This is why ummah must slap some sense into minds of its rulers, mullahs, money lenders and their touts and supporter so that ummah itself could live in unity, peace, progress and prosperity and could help rest of humanity to do the same by inviting it to the message of Allah properly.
107) Do they really feel comfortable and have certainty of mind despite their thoughts and actions against Our advised way of life which is bound to bring them terrible painful suffering in due course as they have been forewarned by Allah or do they feel comfortable and have certainty of mind regarding the Hour of uprising that it will not come upon them all of a sudden while they are not expecting it?
This verse draws attention of people to a very important point that if people will keep accepting just any way of life by anyone instead of way of life advised by Allah thereby remain stuck to their make beliefs and useless rituals and so they will keep living under rulers, mullahs and money lenders then in due course they will feel that their lives are getting really bad and getting worse and worse. It is because these rulers, mullahs and money lenders will keep taking undue advantage of them and time will come when painful suffering will saturate population as this use and abuse keeps spreading and starts affecting everyone. It is therefore better that people go for what is right and have no worries for future because all become aware what is expected next and it is all well and good for them so long as all stick to way of life advised by Allah.
108) Tell them clearly that the way Joseph did things is my way of doing things also therefore I invite all of you the people in the world to Allah on the basis of verifiable information that I and my supporters possess. Behold! Right of being a Sovereign in this universe only belongs to Allah and His program is the best for mankind for accomplishing His goals according to His provided guidelines therefore I am not of those who abide by ways of life other than the one advised by Allah.
109) All the messengers We sent before you O Muhammad, were human beings of great courage, to such We sent Our revelations after choosing them from among the people of their own townships. Have these people who reject and oppose Our guidance not travelled through the land and seen what was the end of those who passed away before them due to ignoring Our advice? From the end results of their ways of doing things you should be able to know that the end result was better for those who did things the way they were consistent with Our advice for their own well being. So why don’t you learn to understand things properly so that you do things the way they benefit you as a proper human community?
110) Respite was always granted to human populations until Our messengers gave up hope of reformation of some of their people so they left them to themselves because they came to the conclusion that their these people will keep on denying each other their rights to Our provided sustenance, however Our advice came to be of help to those who chose to do things Our way whereby We delivered them their goals but Our foretold consequences could not be averted by those who lived their lives against Our advised way of life and became criminals inflicting harms and destructions upon each other thereby ended up destroying each other.
111) There is a lesson in these like accounts of the human populations of the past for the people who learn things to understand them for their own betterment. This account of Joseph revealed in the Quran is not an invented tale but a confirmation of what is true in the previous scriptures, a detailed explanation of all things mankind need to learn to live a blissful, dignified and secure life because it is a roadmap to unity, peace, progress and prosperity of people who commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind.
Surah 13 AL-RAAD–A thundering message for mankind to inspire them into action for bringing about a proper human community for creating a blissful, dignifying and secure life providing kingdom based upon revelation of Allah
This Surah is named RAAD from root RAA, AIN and DAAL. Concrete meaning of this root is a force that causes movement. Also thunder, forceful or vigorous message that inspires people into action or campaign or agitation to accomplish or establish a goal, tumult, chaos, confusion, tremor, upheaval, uprising, shiver, shudder, tremble, threat, fright, flab, faint hearted, weak minded, jelly like thing, wobbly thing, instability, something unstable, thundering rhetoric, vain talk, talkative, state of confusion or chaos, revolt, rebuke, condemnation, to brag, to boast, loud rumbling noise etc etc.
This Surah is named AL-RAAD because it carries a thundering message for dignifying humanity through explanation as to what this universe is all about and place of humanity in it which is irrefutable. The concept of living according to a program, constitution and law is very powerful for mankind because humanity cannot live in chaos and confusion forever therefore it must organise and regulate itself, so that it could have a life worth living in the end. The message is powerful because it challenges religious make beliefs and useless rituals forcefully explaining why and how things happen in nature ie they are not result of some kind of magic but happen because of planning, processes, systems, structures and mechanisms etc put in place and all people need to do is observe them carefully to understand things and then try and learn how to replicate them and take advantage of them. Man is not created a slave to nature but to be its mini master one day. This is why this Surah explains set-up systems and laws at work in nature so that mankind realise how they can organise and work together to have a regulated smooth life that is less susceptible to upheavals and bloody revolutions. If people already know what to expect then they save themselves from lots of unnecessary worries and troubles. To understand natural laws is very important for mankind eg if we know how the fire works then we could rely on it when we use it to do something but if we did not know how it worked or could never find out then our lives will be turned upside down. For example, we make tea on fire and it works the same for all ie it heats up the water. If it heated water some times and at times frozen it instead of heating then we could never come to know what to expect each time we put the water filled kettle on fire. This is how God explains that likewise if you also lived by set-up systems and laws and regulated your lives sensibly then a lot of chaos and confusion we see in everyday life will reduce to a minimum. This is why laws of nature are never suspended and miracles are not shown because that would have confused humanity instead of leading them to certainty. It is a very decisive Surah as to why miracles should not be expected and that it is a false concept in light of set-up systems and laws of nature. There are only three ways to approach something to discover its reality. Top down approach, bottom up approach and half-split method. This means you either start from the very top and work downwards or start at the very bottom and work upwards and or start somewhere in the middle and work upwards as well as downwards. One can adopt any approach that makes things easier.
Existence of God can be proven using all three ways. If we go by top down approach we can begin by supposing existence of God on the basis that nothing can come to being by itself out of nothingness so there has to be some intelligent being there already with ability to create. However, to positively confirm that further the concept of revelation has to be brought in to complete the argument. It is because existence of God on its own serves no purpose for us human beings ie we cannot know why that existing being created the universe and what is our role in his scheme of things. If we start from creation and revelation then we can do the same ie prove thereby existence of God because the universal realities and Quranic message back each other up fully so if the Quranic claims can be proven through observation of universal realities then such information and universe could not have come about from any other source than the creator and sustainer of the universe. It is because human beings are not developed that much even today to produce as much information as the Quran contains in the way the Quran contains it therefore the Quran has to be from the creator and sustainer of the universe. Likewise one can start with study of the Quran or the universe and keep going till one reaches the final conclusion. The other point that is very important to remember is that not each and everything is created or done by God. God created things using his natural set-up systems and laws but once man came about he also created and did things to show that he has the ability to create and do things in his own right. The material that man uses for his creativity was created by God in its original form but it was man who learned from nature and started copying it and modified things to suit himself. By splitting part of God in scheme of things and part of man and other things, it is then possible for mankind to see whether man can point a finger at work of God. This is very, very important point to remember always. For example, the Quran is sent in Arabic language, why? It is because it was not God who created languages of things but things themselves created them and so did human beings. God always chose the best language at any given time and place to send his message for human beings. The Quran was sent in Arabic because the most useful and suited language for humanity and divine message was Arabic at the time for this era. It is because it was based on concept of root meanings of words and that means concepts attached to root were helpful in explaining same message to an earlier people as well as a later people. Any precise language would not have been a good vehicle for conveying the message for changing world and people. It is an idea similar to idea of formation of laws that you use cause based laws, so if the cause remains the same, the effect remains the same or the same laws applies if same situations and circumstances occur. It explains the concept of good and evil ie God created fire but it is up to users as to how they use it. It is like people created guns and knives but it is up to users to use them for benefit or loss. Creator of something cannot be blamed for its improper use.
Proclaim! In the name of Allah, the provider of psychological, sociological and biological needs of mankind,
1) Alif Laam Meem Raa. These are parts of the program that are revealed to you the mankind through the messenger from your Creator and Sustainer as the verifiable truth yet most of the people do not commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind according to it.
When the Quran talks about verifiable truth it means if the given plan for building a human community is put into practice then it will deliver the goods and when that happens the truth about these statements of the Quran will become obvious as a real world reality. Even before that program is put in place people can look at it and see if it is workable or not. This situation is like that of a map for building a house. If the map looks ok on the paper when examined carefully then there is little doubt that it will not work in reality. This is what the Quran tells people to accept as a trust in word of Allah. It does not ask people to put their faith in God blindly as mullahs will have us do to make fools of us. The program of Allah is perfect for its stated purpose yet people do not want to know it, why not? It is because Allah has created people with differences between them ie they are not all exactly the same ie identical. Some are strong others weak. All these differences are functionary differences for purpose of Allah but people are supposed to level out these differences by standing in for each other rather than standing up against each other by trying to dominate each other to take undue advantage of each other by undermining and undercutting each other as explained already. Despite this explanation people rather remain ignorant and act arrogantly which results in some people trying to use and abuse others for personal gains instead of living for each other by ensuring well being of each other as a proper human community based upon guidance of Allah.
2) Your Creator and Sustainer is Allah Who has raised all the galaxies in the universe without any visible support that you could see therefore His sovereignty rightfully extends over all the kingdom and due to that right He has subjected the sun and the moon to His set-up systems and laws so each is pursuing its program for an appointed time and that is how He organised and regulated all affairs in the universe as He has explained through His revelations so that you the mankind also meet the set standard of your Creator and Sustainer for your unity, peace, progress and prosperity with full confidence for your own well being.
This like verses in the Quran have parallel meanings eg systems and laws are put in place to let mankind rise and fall as nations by adopting or not adopting the right course of thoughts and actions as explained. The world is given rise to or is brought about by Allah without any apparent physical means eg from where Allah has brought about the matter to create this world if there was nothing else there other than Allah himself? All this is explained to show that Allah is a being with knowledge and power. The Quran does not answer the questions like where did the world come from and how did the revelation get here other than saying that these were just acts of Allah so people should have faith based upon rational thinking. It answers all the rest of questions in reasonable detail and uses that to prove the Quran is word of Allah. In other words, it is not provable directly by physical connections that Allah has created this world or that he has sent any revelations like the Quran however all other claims are proven through indirectly verifiable evidences as explained already. Of course, there is no way for humanity to prove otherwise either so it is not possible to create any reasonable doubt on the authenticity of the claim that the Quran revelation of Allah and that universe is the creation of Allah. Particularly when the Quranic explanations about the real world are exactly as the universe and things in it actually are. Moreover the Quran is a book that only helps mankind to ensure their own well being so it is a win, win situation even if we cannot directly connect the creation and the revelation to Allah actually physically. Although we did not see Allah creating things or revealing his messages nonetheless we can rationalise them that he did as explained already. Word ISTAWAA also carries meanings within itself that Allah has a firm properly balanced personality therefore he is capable of keeping all other things properly balanced and firmly founded. This is why the way of life advised by Allah is proper way of life because it puts mankind on solid foundation or path to accomplish the objectives and thereby fulfil the purpose for which Allah has created mankind. People who live by any way of life other than the one told by Allah become corrupt because they do so for gaining power over others by undermining them so corrupt mindset leads them to corrupt attitude and corrupt attitude leads them to corrupt behaviour therefore it is not possible for the powerful people not to be corrupt. So long as some people are corrupt others are bound to suffer at their hands. This is why people must learn the Quran and live by it so that corruption could be minimised even if it could not be ended 100% due to possibility of human errors.
3) He it is Who has expanded the earth and brought about therein high mountains and low valleys flowing with water whereby He brought about fruits of every kind resembling each other as well as He brought about the phenomenon of the night by covering the daylight. Surely therein are proofs for those who learn and think about purposes for existence of things, how they are brought about and evolved and the way they work to fulfil their set out tasks to fulfil their stated purposes.
The use of definite articles with nouns in the Quran needs special attention eg when we talk about cows and say that cow, we mean a particular cow among the category of cows. The Quran mostly uses the definite article in a different sense ie it tells us that the defined noun not only applies to category of a particular thing but anything else in a similar sense as well. This is why many of the Quranic verses end up with parallel complementary meanings because the very same text applied to other things as well in some other sense. Instead of isolating something of a particular category within that category it breaks the isolation and makes all other things inclusive as well. This is why word AL-ARD does not only mean this planet earth upon which we live but the base upon which we stand or something within our reach as compared to something beyond our reach. This is why word AL-SAMAWAAT not only means heavens it can also mean solar system planets as well as other galaxies that are far away as compared to our own galaxy called Milky Way. Moreover words ARD and SAMAA could be people in position of power and down trodden ie high flyers and down to earth etc. In short the Quran speak in context of science, society, politics and economics etc all at the same time. In each of the contexts the overall sense is only complementary and all inclusive. For example see the explanation of the very first verse of the Quran ie BISMILLAH. The point made is that observe the way natural world works as a unit and build likewise a human community that functions properly as if human community is a machine with all its components doing their jobs as they should in order to ensure proper working of a machine.
4) In the earth there are tracts side by side of gardens of grapes, of cornfields and of palm trees with single and multi trunks, they are all watered with the same water yet we make some of them excel in taste than others. Surely therein are evidences for people who use their intelligence to observe and learn to understand things.
5) Now if there is anything strange then it is their asking, as we the human community are lying in the dust due to rifts and wars, is there any way that we could be raised to dignified life again? It is strange because these are the very people who oppose the program of their Creator and Sustainer that leads to blissful, dignified and secure existence so how can they have the blissful, dignified and secure life? Because of that mindset, attitude and behaviour they cannot be free of yokes they have put around each other’s necks that are making their lives full of hardship and unbearable and so they are the ones who will end up in yet more agony and suffering and live therein for as long as they live unless they rise up to change things for the well being and betterment of themselves through help of this program.
Is it not strange that people know that the ways of life they have adopted are only delivering them painful suffering by hands of each other yet they are bothered not even with thinking about the fact that they could live their lives some other better way? The Quran puts forth a way of life that has power structure bottom up rather than top down. It is because people are told to live by the book of Allah but as a community. As explained already people are not independent individuals in their existence minding their own business. It is because people come from each other so they cannot be independent of each other due to biological linkage. It is because people are naturally connected to each other and because they cannot fulfil their all needs all by themselves as individuals so they must come together and learn to live with each other in a way that ensures well being of each and every human being. This is why if people will come together then they will have to organise and regulate themselves as a community so that their needs could be met by them through working together as a proper human community. It is for this organisation and regulation the Quran gives people the foundation that they need through a program for accomplishing set out goals by providing them with guidelines. Unless people adopt this way of life they can never be prosperous because they cannot develop and progress without peace between themselves and that is why the need for unity between people. This is why the goals set by the Quran for people cannot be avoided by mankind no matter whatever they think or do to avoid them and that is why domination of way of life told by the Quran is inevitable. It is because unless and until people adopt the advised way of life the bloodshed between people is inevitable. This is why the message of the Quran must be understood and spread by people among themselves to help them unite and become a great human community. This also tells us what kind of power structure is needed for that kind of community organisation and regulation. It is bottom up power structure because it has to be a mass movement whereby people come together because they like the Quranic program for the Quranic goals according to the Quranic guidelines. So as they come together for accomplishing the set goals they will need an administration that serves them as it suits them. So community is not ruled by administration but served by it because the boss is community not the administration. The administration is worker of the community as needed by the community. This is why it is a bottom up power structure that Quran dictates for humanity and not the top down power structure where a few powerful people take over the community by force and start using and abusing a community for their own ends. This is fundamental difference between Islamic way of life and any other way of life wherein power rests with rulers, not general public. This is why the Quran condemns rulers, money lenders and mullahs because they try to justify their rule over a human population as their God given right so that they could use and abuse people in the name of Allah. This is why people must learn the Quran properly so that they could see what the actual message of the Quran is. The Quran wants people to educate each other to a level whereat they can understand what a self regulated human society in action will look like. This explanation must also let people know that to declare a war is up to Quran based community and not up to the administration of the community. This is why rule by so called Muslim rulers is not based upon the Quran. Ummah is supposed to resist any takeover by a few powerful individuals because that is infidelity or unfaithful behaviour or action.
6) By not accepting and following the given program they are giving you the clues that they prefer inflicting yet more harm and destruction upon each other and keep suffering painfully at hands of each other instead of going for beautiful works that help them towards unity, peace, progress and prosperity as a people, however due to similar mindset, attitude and behaviour destroyed themselves many of the generations that passed away before them. Even though your Creator and Sustainer is provider of security through His blissful and dignifying program for mankind against harm and destruction they inflict upon each other yet He has also set–up systems and laws that strictly enforce His law of consequences to make people face the results of their own thoughts and actions.
7) That is why the rejecters and opponents of Our program, goals and guidelines say, why is no proof sent to him by his Creator and Sustainer as per our demands? But do they not realise that your job as Our messenger is only to deliver Our given message to them? You are a forewarner against the consequences of not following the given program just like forewarners that were sent to every nation before them and their revelations carried their own proofs within them needing no miracles they demand because that served no purpose.
8) Allah made obvious for people what each community had to carry out to have a blissful, dignified and secure life below which it could not afford to fall or transgress it because everything has a set program from Him to follow.
The Quran explains in verses like these why human beings have been created for purpose of self learning because other things have been created programmed to a much greater degree which when observed by people will help them learn. This is why people are given brains, senses and bodies consistent with ability to become learned. If we look at a human baby how he develops as he grows by looking and listening to other things he comes in contact with this explanation by the Quran becomes very obvious. Had Allah created all things capable of self learning but none of them programmed at all then could they learn anything at all? No. Things could only function properly if all were created fully programmed or only some of them were created fully programmed and others programmed to a lesser degree. These like explanations the Quran contains in its verses, could human beings ever think about them let alone write a book like the Quran? Also how did things program themselves and for what purpose? As explained already if things were not pre-programmed they could not come into existence or even be able to function. The very ability of things to come into existence and function properly shows they have been created by some being with such capabilities for some purpose of his own. The Quran is so full of wisdom that only an ignorant and unwise person will take it as human work. There is nothing more capable of wisdom than human beings or their creator and that is why if people did not produce the Quran themselves because it is beyond their capability then who produced the Quran? If human beings are not capable of creating the universe and themselves or the universe is not capable of creating itself and things in it then where did it come from other than someone capable has brought it about?
9) He alone is in a unique position as a planner to make manifest in due course for the mankind the future developments including results of their own thoughts and actions as well as the present.
The Quran repeats the phrase AALIMUL GHAIBI WASHAHAADAH. It does not mean Allah knows the visible and the invisible because Allah did not make anything that is beyond human capability to come to know it. What it means is that Allah has planned things and that plan is going to unfold itself before the very eyes of human beings as time goes on. So whatever people think and do, the outcome of that is to become obvious for them and because that is the way the universe is set-up to work therefore people should think and do things with outcome of their thoughts and actions in their minds so that they do not think harmful and destructive thoughts nor take harmful and destructive actions or terrible things will happen which people will not like for themselves to happen to them. This is why forewarning is emphasised very much throughout the Quran. So people are supposed to learn from the results of their past actions so that they continue doing what produced good results for mankind and stop doing things that turned the world into a terrible world and in future plan for the better world.
10) It makes no difference to fulfilling of the plan of Allah as to how it unfolds and results of your thoughts and actions are made obvious whether any of you do things in secret for your personal gains at the expense of each other or in the open for the well being of each other as a community, whether any of you do things under the cover of darkness for harming and destroying humanity or walk about doing things that ensure well being of humanity in broad daylight.
Allah has planned the world fail proof and fool proof, so it is unaffected by whatever people do as far as the end result is concerned. People can only take the short route to the destination preset by Allah or the long route. One way is based upon learning and teaching each other thereby doing things as revealed and getting to the destination and the others is forcing each other to move in the very same direction by beating each other up. So it is left to the people to choose any route they like. So far only a minority of people have chosen a bit of short cut but most of the people have chosen a very long course to reach their very same destination. This is why the world is making progress but in tiny steps instead of giant steps in leaps and bounce.
11) For each nation there is a set time and place among nations according to the set-up universal systems and laws of Allah that decide its time and place, there are nations before or in front of it and nations after or behind it that surround it. All are subject to law of cause and effect so they reap what they sow because Allah never changes the living condition of a people for the better by suspending His law of cause and effect therefore until they take steps to change themselves as a people for the betterment of themselves no such change can occur and letting things get worse can lead them only to further harm and destruction by their own hands. Behold, when set-up systems and laws of Allah afflicts a people with misfortune it is only because they bring it upon themselves therefore none can ward it off them because that is the result of set-up systems and laws of Allah nor can they find any protection against His set-up systems and laws other than following the advised course of actions faithfully.
This like verses in the Quran take the idea of magic and miracles head on that Allah has created this world based upon chains of causes and effects so if anyone wants anything to happen one has to make it happen otherwise it will not happen by magic or miracle. This is why the Quran tells people to learn divine message so that they become aware how the universe is set-up by Allah to work so that then people do not look to other ways and means for things to happen than the ones explained for them by the maker of the universe. This is why if people want to turn their world into a paradise then the only way to do that is to learn the guidance from Allah and act upon it ie think and do the works that will make world beautiful and not think and do things the way the world becomes a living hell for most of the people of this world. This is not possible unless people unite on basis of peaceful existence which is not possible unless people develop and make progress so that they are prosperous ie needs of all people are met sufficiently. Any other way people can only divide and discriminate against each other and become trapped in prejudices and hatred and wars. All this then can only lead humanity into a terrible state of existence. This is why having right mindset, attitude and behaviour is absolutely vital for people and that can only come about if people take the message of Allah seriously.
12) He is the One Who shows you the lightning to draw your attention whereby He brings you hope of prosperity by means of heavy laden clouds.
The Quran repeats verses like this because they are of great importance ie people learn through prompting. When things happen in the real world they draw attention of people so that people observe things and learn lessons from them and do what needs to be done for ensuring their own well being as a proper human community as already explained in detail. Natural world is set-up to be used by people to benefit from by learning and doing things and that is the reason people have been given brains, senses and bodies to interact and participate in the universe as their environment. By drawing attention to various things the Quran tries to expand human thinking. This is how revelation of Allah gave basis to methodical human thinking which helped humanity develop and prosper.
13) That is how the thunder strives hard to manifest His glory and so do the people on His mission due to faithfully following His program for the well being of mankind. However He lets them strike down any people who work hard towards their own destruction because they fight against the program, constitution and law of Allah and He is strict in enforcing His program through His set-up systems and laws.
The purpose for which Allah created this universe and mankind in it cannot remain unfulfilled no matter what because Allah has put in place systems and laws to carry out his program so the message is also a clear forewarning for mankind to follow the guidance or suffer the consequences of your unnecessary and uncalled for thoughts and actions against each other. The revelation and the natural universe are thundering messages from the creator and sustainer of mankind which leave one in no doubt as to what is expected of people and if they will not do as told then what is in store for them or what is coming for them.
14) Invitation to His rule alone is the right one because those who invite to rule of others than Allah they can never fulfil them at all. They are like a man with his hands stretched out towards the water as if asking water to come to his mouth and is waiting for it to reach his mouth but it does not. Therefore invitation of those who oppose mission of Allah calling towards rule of other than His rule is nothing more than an exercise in vain
15) because whatever is in the heavens and the earth is bound by universal systems and laws of Allah regardless of having the ability to choose or not and so do even their own means of survival be it for the bright period of prosperity or be it for the dark period of regression.
Word ZILAAL is from root ZWAA, LAAM and LAAM. Already explained it means something that is used as protection against some danger in some sense, to be under umbrella of or to live under protection of, shelter, refuge, security for survival, umbrella, protection, shadow, cover, protective shield etc etc.
Word GHUDOO is from root GHAIN, DAAL and WOW. Concrete meaning of this root is morning. Also tomorrow, future, morning or daytime meal, time between breaking of dawn and rising of the sun, the morrow, early hours of the morning, the day that comes after today, the act of going out, the outward trip, midday meal, bright future, a period of prosperity etc etc.
Word ASAAL is from root ALIF, SWAAD and LAAM. Concrete meaning of this root is root. Also base or foundation of something upon which it is based, origin, stand, standard, value, family tree, tree, constitution, code of life, law, something that gives basis to something or helps it rise, to be deep-rooted, well founded, firmly founded, to eradicate, to uproot, to destroy, stem, time before sunset, evening, fall time, regression, to decline, falling time of the sun or a nation, disappearance or destruction time of a people etc etc.
Here Allah explains the fact that all that exists follows program of Allah for his set purpose regardless it is a living thing or a nonliving thing with ability of less or more choice. All things are bound by cause and effect law so nothing happens outside the law of cause and effect. A huge slap on the faces of stupid mullahs who promote magic and miracle concept in the name of Allah falsely thereby confuse ignorant, illiterate, uneducated simple minded people and use and abuse them thereby. This is why people who are educated need to help these simple minded people by educating them otherwise our world cannot change for the better. To help change the world for the better people need help of each other as much as they can get so that all have education to be able to see their way to brighter future clearly.
16) So ask them, whose set-up systems and laws then govern all the heavenly bodies including this earth? Say, it is systems and laws of Allah alone. Ask them, when this is the case throughout the universe then why do you take rulers other than Him who in reality cannot work for the well being of their own kind because they cannot protect their people against inflicting harms and destructions upon each other? Say, are the blind and senseless and the seeing and sensible equal or is the darkness and ignorance same as the light and knowledge? Or have those whom they take for sovereigns created anything like the creation of Allah in their sight that they have the right to be the rulers along with Allah? Say, if that is not the case then why don’t you accept Allah as the sole creator of all things and therefore the only one with right to sovereignty, the one Irresistible.
As explained already the rulers people accept cannot deliver to them their needs because they have taken over rule to rule people to use and abuse them for their own agendas and not to serve them. This is top down structure of ruling that is only good for the ruling elite, money lenders and mullahs and not for humanity at large. Bottom up structure advised by the Quran is very different because it is there for serving humanity by setting it up in a way to ensure all its needs are properly met. As explained already deen of Islam is all about proper management of people and resources and means of production and distribution for the well being of humanity. So there are no rulers to be served, no need for monetary system or business for profit system or people or any mullahs to push make beliefs and useless rituals that serve no purpose. This is why, people better learn the Quran and use it for their own benefit otherwise there is no end in sight to protect people against use and abuse by each other.
17) It is He alone who sends down water as rain from the heaven and each channel flows according to its measure whereby the torrent bears a swelling foam like the scum which appears from the metals that are melted in the furnace for making ornaments and utensils. By such exemplary arguments Allah proves what is true and what is false. As for the scum, it is thrown away due to being worthless but that which is useful for the mankind remains behind in the land. This is how Allah puts forth exemplary arguments to prove His message clearly.
The Quran is full of verses explaining set-up systems and working of things in the universe in order to draw attention of people to see how things are put in place to work so that they do not sit and look for magical and miraculous solutions of their problems and instead get up learn and do things the way they are told so that their world becomes a blissful, dignified and secure place for their existence. This is what is meant by kingdom of Allah. This surah is coming up with explanations one after the other for educating people about things to enable them to be masters of their own destiny. The Quran could not have been written by clever people because if the Quran was written by powerful clever people themselves then they could not keep people ignorant, illiterate and uneducated and if people became clever as rulers and money lenders then they could not use and abuse them. The poor and weak people are mostly ignorant, illiterate and uneducated so they could not have written the Quran therefore the only option is that the Quran is revelation of Allah as it claims. In the world wherein we are born and live each person tries to make fool of others so why anyone will write a book which educates people and makes things clear for them? Moreover why will so called prophets of Allah educate others and make them clever instead of using and abusing them for their own ends? Even today people fight for copyrights over intellectual property, so it makes no sense why books that make people clever should be written and spread free of charge? This is a very strange thing that makes no sense at all unless we accept that such books came from Allah for the very purpose the books claim they were sent for. This is how make beliefs and useless rituals are rejected and condemned by the Quran and so are rejected and condemned rulers, money lenders and their mullahs and supporters for inventing and spreading falsehood in the name of Allah and his messengers and his scriptures.
18) Beautiful results in form of bright future await for thoughts and actions of those who respond positively to program of their Creator and Sustainer. As to those who refuse to respond positively to His manifesto even if they had all that is in the earth and as much more beside that to offer as a ransom in order to save themselves from the painful suffering that is to follow them as a result of their own harmful and destructive thoughts and actions it will not avail them the results the program of Allah will. This is why they are bound to land themselves in terrible consequences of their own harmful and destructive thoughts and actions that will make their lives hell by hands of each other and that is a terribly painful state of existence to be in.
The Quran repeatedly tells mankind that value of guidance of Allah is so great that it is worth much more than the value of heavens and the earth could offer. It is because people cannot become a brotherhood merely by having things, if anything it is because they want to have everything they are at the throats of each other turning their world into a terrible place out of jealousy, rivalry, animosity and hatred which lead them to terrible wars with each other. It is only the guidance of Allah that teaches them how to be proper human beings and a brotherhood of mankind. No wonder people cannot come together even if they spent all they have because ultimately it is purpose of life that binds mankind together in the name of their creator and sustainer. If we look at history, many powerful and wealthy people ended up in terrible depression near the end of their lives regretting their actions and the way they lived their lives due to making so many people unhappy in the world only for life of several decades. What a loss if you do not live for helping mankind live a happy and comfortable life. The other point the Quran makes is the way the world will end up if people will not live as told that none will come to aid of another when one suffer so one will have to bear it on one’s own. Is this really good way of living for people if they have brains?
19) Is he who has made himself aware that it is the verifiable truth that has been sent to you by your Creator and Sustainer like the one who deprives himself of this information and its proper understanding? Only those who learn to understand Our goals and guidelines for them properly become sensible and conscientious of their responsibilities towards each other.
20) Such are the ones who fulfil their constitutional obligations by Allah for the benefit of the human community so they do not fall short of their commitment to rule of Allah for the benefit of the mankind.
21) Such are the ones who bring together people to form a proper human community on the basis of that which is revealed by Allah because they pay due attention to program of their Creator and Sustainer due to fearing harmful and destructive consequences of their harmful and destructive thoughts and actions against each other if they do not.
The Quran here clarifies position of a people who truly follow it ie they try to unite people so that there is peace between them as a community so that they work for development of humanity to help it become prosperous. This is the only way to eliminate divisions, rivalries, animosities and hatred between people that leads them to fights and wars between themselves that land them in destruction. The Quran is not about a human society wherein people live like enemies in rival groups nor it is for a society wherein they mind their own business instead it is for a human community that is all inclusive wherein people look after each other ensuring well being of each other the best they can. So people who equate the Quran to a book that is harmful and destructive for humanity are ignorant, arrogant and stubborn be they mullahs or secularists.
22) Therefore they are the ones who privately and publicly remain steadfastly engaged in mission of their Creator and Sustainer in order to establish an advised community supportive network for opening up the way for delivering to all Our provided livelihood for turning round the human population that inflicts harms and destructions upon each other through works that make the world beautiful for ensuring well being of mankind as a proper human community. These people are therefore bound to end up in an excellent state of affairs in due course
23) because in blissful, dignified and secure life providing kingdoms they will enter and so will such people as will mend rifts between mankind in order to bring about peaceful human societies from among their elders and their colleagues as well as their youngsters because the missionaries will succeed in getting Our message through to them by all means
24) saying to them, you have achieved peaceful existence for yourselves due to your steadfastness in pursuit of your set out goals through provided program according to given guidelines therefore excellent indeed is the state of affairs for you in the blissful, dignifying and secure life providing kingdom in the end.
Word DAAR is from root DAAL, WOW and RAA. Concrete meaning of this root is something that is central in some sense. Also circle, to circle around, to go round, to turn, a halo, a frame, a wide open space between mountains, to treat, to manage, a dwelling, a house, to have a setback, to be afflicted, to dispute with, to dissuade, to try to move away something from something, to roll, to run, to operate, to transact, to exchange, to hand, home, abode, mansion, town, city, neighbourhood, village, hereafter, a single person, bad turn of fortune, something around which something revolves, centre of attention, focal point, destiny, a location, to locate, terminal, end of a journey, destination, goal, objective, a place, kingdom, a piece of land, a state of existence, government, organisation, management, committee, administration etc etc.
These verses of the Quran should leave none in doubt as to what kind of human society the Quran wants people to bring about for themselves through steadfast constant struggle by themselves according to guidance of Allah. The Quran explains in detail what kind of human society it wants for humanity and how it can be brought about by people themselves. So the real question people need to ask themselves is, do they want the kind of human community the Quran advises for them and if so, are they prepared to work for it the way they should? Only if mankind want the Quran based community and are willing to work for it that it can be brought about not otherwise. So long as ummah will blindly follow its rulers, money dealers and mullahs like sheep having no sense of anything at all, such an ummah is not going to come about.
25) As for those who fulfil not their constitutional obligations to each other as a proper human community according to guidance of Allah for ensuring well being of each other after declaring their commitment to program of Allah and instead of bringing people together to form a proper human society as per guidance of Allah cause rifts between mankind thereby wars in the land for that reason upon such people rests humiliation and destruction because such people are bound to end up in such terrible state of affairs.
Ummah should look at itself today and see if this verse is not talking about it because people of ummah have no interest in knowing the message of the Quran properly and follows it faithfully. All because people follow make beliefs and useless rituals and think all will be alright. If they see it is getting worse they do more of the same thinking they have not done enough already instead of stopping and thinking what actually may have gone wrong due to which they have ended up where they should not have.
26) It is because Allah deliver vast amount of sustenance through His advised way of life for those who choose to work for it as a proper human community but limits it for the rest who adopt ways of life opposite to that. Therefore those who adopt the way of life advised by Allah live a happy life in this world however life of this world is very short as compared to life that is yet to come.
The Quran tells mankind, this life is not the only life but there awaits people yet another life if they want it which is even better than the best of life they can bring about for themselves in this world. It is going to be awarded by Allah to those who work for making this life beautiful for each other as a proper human community. People do raise question if there is going to be another life in hereafter but such a question cannot be answered through direct evidence. Answering this question indirectly one can say, if the Quran is right about things in this world then it must be right about things it says about the next world as well or that we cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that there is certainly no life in hereafter. However, the other way to answer this question is to say, does it really matter if there is no life in hereafter if we struggle for a better life in this world? In other words it should make no difference for our struggle for creating a better life for ourselves in this world. If we do get another chance with even better life then that is only a bonus. If we do not get that we still do not lose anything, do we? If we do not struggle for better world in this life then life is not worth living anyway and if we succeed then well and good. So the Quranic explanation shows us a win, win situation no matter how we look at it. Life itself is not important but quality of life is of vital importance in the context of the Quran. If life itself was important then people could never kill each other or themselves in form of committing suicide. This is why struggle for quality of life should be the focus of humanity and that is why people should work towards improving our world so that people feel happy living in this world which we create for ourselves. This is how the Quran makes obvious which way of life is inevitable to become the only way of life in the world as people become educated and work towards better world bit by bit. So no wonder the Quran tells mankind that deen of Islam (ie the way of life that leads to unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind) will ultimately become the way of life of all people in the world.
27) After all this explanation those who reject and oppose Our guidance still say, why has no miracle been sent to him (the messenger for us) by his Creator and Sustainer as per our demands? Say, Allah leaves to go astray whoever so desires by remaining ignorant of His program, constitution and law and He guides to His advised way of life whoever works hard to study it to understand it properly and implement it faithfully to turn it into a reality.
28) It is people like that who commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind with full confidence in their minds due to guidance of Allah. Be aware! The confidence in minds comes only through proper study of the message of Allah.
29) So those who commit to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind therefore strive hard to mend rifts between people to bring about unity through peace, for them there will be blissful, dignified and secure existence and a wonderful kingdom to end up in.
30) That is why We have sent you among this final people as Our final messenger with Our final message just like we sent messengers to all the nations gone before this, so that you proclaim to them this message that has been revealed to you yet they stand in opposition to the revelation of the one Who provided this information to raise mankind to life of bliss, dignity and security. Say, He alone is my Creator and Sustainer and there is no rightful sovereign other than Him in this kingdom of the universe therefore upon His set-up universal systems and laws I rely and to His pointed out goals for mankind I turn to accomplish.
31) So no miracles are needed for the goals set for the mankind to accomplish because if there is any teaching that could help mankind move the mountains or slice the earth or could raise the dead and speak to them then this is the very Quran that will help you do all that however the primary purpose of this Quran is only to guide mankind through this program as to how they should live in this world to have a blissful, dignified and secure life for themselves as a single human family working together for the well being of each other in the name of their Creator and Sustainer in the hope of a better future. So it is up to people to accept this Quran as a guidance or reject it and see the results for themselves for their thoughts and actions without this guidance, however upon universal systems and laws of Allah depends the outcome of all that happens. Do those who have committed to working for unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind not realise that had Allah enforced His will He could have forced all the people to follow His guidance? So those who reject and oppose Our message they will continue to be stricken with disaster or it will come near to their homes until the promise of Allah comes true in form of revolts or civil wars and wars between nations because Allah breaks not the link between the cause its effect.
This verse is telling us that humanity is going to accomplish a lot of surprising things that people just now cannot even think about today just as people of the past could not imagine the progress humanity has made since its origin to date. Moreover the Quran is said to be such a book that if people lived by it they will be able to raise dead people one day. This verse makes a very important point about life after death. It tells us that mankind will be able to move mountains and tear through the earth. This is very first soorah of the Quran which is speaking in such a powerful voice, predicting huge development and progress by mankind. Yet it warns mankind that so long as humanity does not learn sense to live peacefully with each other as a single family things will remain terrible for mankind due to fights over personal gains at the expense of each other.
32 Surely messengers before you were mocked even though I gave respite to those who opposed them for learning and understanding their program yet they heeded not so in time l caught them inflicting harms upon each other to the point of destruction, so how true proved My forewarning in their case?
33) Therefore is there any like Him Who has established such a universal system to bring each person the results of what one does? Not at all yet they ascribe sovereignty to others along with Allah. Say, prove right of rule for any of them whom you attribute with right of sovereignty along with Allah or are you telling Him of something He is unaware of in this universe or is it just a matter of coining words for you as make beliefs? Indeed to the rejecters and opposers of rule of Allah their own scheming is made pleasing by each other and that is how they are taken away from the guidance of Allah by themselves and each other. That is how Allah lets stray whoever chooses, so he has none to guide him.
Assuming nonsense beliefs and rituals is very common among ignorant, illiterate and uneducated people and rulers, money lenders and mullahs play a big role in it because it suits them to do that and to keep things that way. This is why people do not let people become educated and thinking people because this means trouble for lazy and crazy rulers, money lenders and mullahs who live of other’s hard works than being productive themselves and helping others do the same. People become skulkers and shirker in two ways ie either by forcing others to work for them like rulers, money lenders and mullahs or by being lazy who have no sense of purpose at all and therefore see no need for doing anything with their lives. One type of people force others by tricks and mechanisms to work for them so that they could survive on their backs the while others just live of others by getting their sympathies and that is how they too use and abuse others eg some children live of their parents long after they become adults doing nothing at all for the betterment of themselves and others. It is abuse of rights and responsibilities if people do not do what they can or are stopped from doing what they can by others. Such interactions and participations prove very damaging for human communities because they prevent humanity from development and progress.
34) Such will suffer in this world and their suffering will only get worse in time to come as there is nothing to protect them against using and abusing each other, other than guidance of Allah which they themselves reject and oppose.
35) A description of the blissful kingdom which those who are consistent with the program of Allah for the benefit of humanity are told to bring about is that rivers of livelihood should flow throughout it and its provisions should be continuous to provide shelter from all sort of troubles and hardships. Such should be the land of those who are consistent with guidance of Allah for the well being of mankind and in comparison the land of those who reject and oppose His program will be a place full of pain and suffering.
36) This is why those to whom We have given any scripture before this and they faithfully act upon it rejoice at what has been sent to you though there are other groups from among the same people who reject and oppose some parts of it. Say, I am told to serve the rule of law of Allah alone and not to take any for a ruler other than Him. Therefore upon His set up systems and laws in the universe I rely and not upon magic or miracles and to His program I turn for guidance which is realistic and practical.
37) And this is the very purpose for which We have sent Our framework for governance of Our kingdom in such form of Arabic language that makes things distinctively clear for mankind for all times to come. However if you the followers of Our program were to follow the make beliefs and useless rituals of rejecters and opponents of Our program after Our set goals and guidelines have reached you then you will have nothing to protect you from falling victim to harms and destructions by each other against which Allah has already forewarned you.
The Quran not only talks about Arabic language but also the precise stage of its development whereat it became suitable for the revelation of the Quran. These like points that are of huge importance make the Quran a very different scripture from all the rest because such things are not mentioned in those scriptures that are of huge importance. As explained already if language was under developed or over developed it could not fulfil the purpose of revelation because it could not convey the message of Allah properly for consumption of mankind. The Quran also talks about ruling system that Allah has revealed for mankind to live by and proves it unequalled by any ruling system that humans could ever bring about by themselves. This is why the surah like challenge is repeated in the Quran in different ways to prove that the Quran is in fact a message from Allah for guidance of mankind. It precisely for the reason that the Quran wants to prove it is word of Allah that it puts forth the challenge that none can come up with a better way of life for mankind than the one suggested by the Quran. For last so many centuries the Quran remains unchallenged and so it will remain always because no other way of life based upon divide and rule foundation can stop people from dominating each other and undermining each other and therefore fighting each other and killing each other as explained in detail. This is why as time goes on the coming about of kingdom of God is becoming more and more reality because people are getting fed up with wars and killings and destructions pushed upon humanity by some of its most harmful and destructive elements. As people value unity, peace, progress and prosperity of mankind more and more we are bound to end up in a kingdom based upon guidance of Allah. It will happen quicker if more and more people learned the Quran and spread its message and thereby helped mankind toward a blissful, dignified and secure existence.
38) And for the very same reason of implementing Our program for ensuring well being of mankind We sent messengers before you whereby We brought about for them supporters by means of consistent ideological succession and following. It was never possible for a messenger to bring for any people any proof other than the message of Allah because for each period there was a clearly set out program, constitution and law for mankind to adhere to faithfully to ensure their own well being.
39) Allah let nations perish or establish themselves depending upon their following or not following His revealed programs because with Him rested the right and the responsibility for originating all the programs for the well being of mankind.
This verse tell mankind why nations rise and fall ie by following the laws of nature or going against them as explained by Allah through his revelations to mankind. A very strong slap on faces of mullahs who stopped Muslims from studying the universe and things in it labelling it unIslamic knowledge. How stupid these mullahs could be and how silly of Muslims who followed such ignorant fools and ruined themselves and this ummah and rest of humanity that still awaits proper message of deen of Islam throughout the world.
40) For that reason it is up to Our set-up systems and laws whether We let you the followers of the Quran see some of that with which We have forewarned your opponents or We fulfil Our promise of blissful, dignified and secure existence to you, because it is your duty to deliver Our message to mankind and it is up to Our set-up systems and laws to take mankind to task for their harmful and destructive thoughts and actions against each other.
41) Do rulers, money lenders and mullahs therefore not see already that through Our set-up systems and laws We are bringing about gradual reduction in their power in every way whereby they use and abuse mankind throughout the world? Therefore it should be clear enough for you the mankind that right to rule belongs to Allah alone and there is none to override His set out program because He is strict in holding all things to behave within their set limits.
Word ATRAAF is from root TWAA, RAA and FAA. Concrete meaning of this root is eyesight. Also blinking or to blink, to twinkle, edge, utmost part, extremity, to be extreme, novelty, sight, glance, border, part, group, band, party, community, ruling elite, section, end, a notable or noble person, good things, a person in position of power, chief, manager, government, ruler, guardian, guard, watchman, a [person who keeps an eye on things, limit, fast, quick, hurry, to look at something with a stealth eye, spy, a stead, a horse of good breed etc etc.
This verse is talking about changes that come about in human world due to changes in the natural world ie nature forces mankind to change so that they could continue existing due to adopting the new natural environment that comes about with time. For example, originally human population was very limited but with time it expanded so people were forced to change the way they lived otherwise they could not survive. Changes as explained already come about either through education whereby people prepare for things to come before hands or that when harmful and destructive things happen to people they look for ways to save themselves in future from similar harms and destructions. This is evolutionary change that comes about without anyone triggering it other than nature. The messengers sent by Allah try to change people through education and try to prepare them in advance for what is to come as much as they can. People also bring about change due to violent interaction and participation in their human societies hence we have bloody revolutions. So no matter what change cannot be stopped by mankind so the day is bound to come when people will have to accept the way of life revealed by Allah for ensuring their own well being. This is how absolute power of monarchs is gone and so is gone absolute power of mullahs and it is time for money based power structure to also collapse to give way to rule of law based world, the law which is firmly founded due to being properly balanced. This is why establishment will lose its power and public at large will gain its power and tghat is how top down power structure will collapse giving way to bottom up power structure as explained already.
42) Behold! Those before them schemed against Our program but all their schemes were within grasp of set-up systems and laws of Allah. He makes obvious the results of all that which each nation does therefore in time those who reject and oppose His program will come to know who is to end up in a blissful, dignified and secure life providing kingdom.
43) Yet those who reject and oppose Our revealed message say, you are not a messenger. Say, the consistency of set-up universal systems and laws by Allah with His revealed scripture is sufficient as a proof between me and you as well as the person or nation that has learned and understood His book and acts faithfully upon it.
This surah as a whole is very different from the surahs before it. It is a very powerful message that combines all that which is mentioned in surahs before already in bits and pieces to draw attention. This surah puts forth arguments that are beyond challenge. Strong enough to deliver a knockout blow to all kinds of falsehood spread in the name of Allah, his messengers and scriptures.
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