سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Reading Lata'if al-Isharat by Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayri
Ayahs 241–250 of 286
وَلِلْمُطَلَّقَٰتِ مَتَٰعٌۢ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۖ حَقًّا عَلَى ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
And for divorced women is a provision according to what is acceptable - a duty upon the righteous.
There shall be provision for divorced women honorably-an obliga- tion on those who fear. The allusion is that you [men ]should not combine separation with depriva- tion thereby doubling the difficulty for them [women].
كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you might use reason.
So God makes clear His signs for you so that you might understand. �[These are] guideposts dalāÌil so learn refined behavior through what has been pointed out to you-you will prosper by that which you come to understand from the allusions ishārāt of My decree.�
۞ أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا۟ مِن دِيَٰرِهِمْ وَهُمْ أُلُوفٌ حَذَرَ ٱلْمَوْتِ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مُوتُوا۟ ثُمَّ أَحْيَٰهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ
Have you not considered those who left their homes in many thousands, fearing death? Allah said to them, "Die"; then He restored them to life. And Allah is full of bounty to the people, but most of the people do not show gratitude.
Have you not seen those thousands who went forth from their habi- tations fearful of deathḍ God said to them �Die!� Then He gave them life. Truly God is bounteous [dhū faḌl] to people but most people are not thankful. When [the children of Israel] deemed God's power to restore [them] unlikely He showed [His power] to them directly in their own selves. The outward disclosure of that however did not benefit those who had not sharpened their insight regarding divine unity tawḥīd. Anyone whose insight has been strengthened will not be harmed by a lack of these direct forms of evidence for they have already realized through their faith in the unseen the truth of what they have been told.
وَقَٰتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ
And fight in the cause of Allah and know that Allah is Hearing and Knowing.
So fight in God's way and know that God is Hearing Knowing. This means �If pain touches you and a cry rises up from you know that God hears your cry knows your states and sees your affairs.� The verse brings about an easing of the pain they endure. They said: While most people want ease and comfort I wish to complain to you for then you will hear.
مَّن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يُقْرِضُ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًۭا فَيُضَٰعِفَهُۥ لَهُۥٓ أَضْعَافًۭا كَثِيرَةًۭ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَقْبِضُ وَيَبْصُۜطُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned.
Who is it that will lend to God a beautiful loan, and He will multiply it for him many times? And God contracts and expands, and to Him you shall be returned. In this verse the generous Lord, He of tremendous and celebrated name, the lovingly kind, the caressing, the holder-majestic is His unity and holy His sanctum-caresses His servants, both the rich and the poor. He caresses the rich by asking loans from them, for loans are asked of friends. YaḤyā Muʿādh said, “I wonder at anyone who still has wealth, when the Lord of the Throne wants to borrow it.” A sound hadith says, “God descends and says, 'Who will supplicate Me that I may respond to him?' Then He spreads His two hands and says, 'Who will lend to one who is neither lacking nor wrongdoing?'” What do you know of the generosity and largesse found in this asking for a loan? This is a largesse that you might say is a painting on the spirit. From it the tree of joy is in fruit and in it the eyes of revelry are awake. He is saying, “Who is it that will give a loan to Him who is neither a wrongdoer that he might take it away, nor a poor man not able to pay it back?” Anyone who rec- ognizes the worth of this declaration will put forth the bounteous wealth of spirit and heart and say, “I will exert my heart and spirit with none but You. My heart is Your property-I will not intervene! If with an allusion You ask for my spirit, I will send it at once without hesitation.” One day ʿAlī Murtaẓā went home, and Ḥasan and Ḥusayn were weeping before FāṬima Zahrā. ʿAlī said, “O FāṬima, what happened to the brightness of my eyes, the fruit of my heart, and the joy of my spirit that they are weeping?” FāṬima said, “O ʿAlī, it seems that they are hungry, for a day has passed and they have eaten nothing.” She had placed a pot on the fire, so ʿAlī said, “What do you have in the pot?” She said, “There is nothing in the pot except plain water. I put it on the fire to keep the children happy, for they think I am cooking something. ” ʿAlī's heart became constricted. He had a cloak that he had put aside. He took it to the bazaar and sold it for six dirhams and bought some food. He returned and told FāṬima. She said, “You have succeeded O Abu'l-Ḥasan! May you remain in good.” ʿAlī went to go back to the mosque of the Messenger and saw a nomad who was selling a camel. He said, “O Abu'l-Ḥasan! I am selling this camel. Buy it!” ʿAlī said, “I can't. I don't have the price.” The nomad said, “O Abu'l-Ḥasan! I will sell it to you until the time when spoils arrive or a gift comes to you from the House of Wealth.” ʿAlī bought the camel for sixty dirhams and set off in front of it. Another nomad came to him and said, “O ʿAlī, sell this camel to me.” He said, “I will sell it.” He asked, “How much?” He answered, “For as much as you want.” He said, “I will buy it for 120 dirhams.” ʿAlī said, “I have sold it to you,” and took 120 dirhams from him. He went back to his house and said to FāṬima that he would give sixty dirhams to that nomad and they would use the other sixty. He went out looking for the nomad. He saw MuṣṬafā and he said, “O ʿAlī, where are you going?” ʿAlī told him his story. God's Messenger became happy and …
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلْمَلَإِ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰٓ إِذْ قَالُوا۟ لِنَبِىٍّۢ لَّهُمُ ٱبْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًۭا نُّقَٰتِلْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ هَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِن كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ أَلَّا تُقَٰتِلُوا۟ ۖ قَالُوا۟ وَمَا لَنَآ أَلَّا نُقَٰتِلَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَدْ أُخْرِجْنَا مِن دِيَٰرِنَا وَأَبْنَآئِنَا ۖ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا۟ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا مِّنْهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
Have you not considered the assembly of the Children of Israel after [the time of] Moses when they said to a prophet of theirs, "Send to us a king, and we will fight in the way of Allah "? He said, "Would you perhaps refrain from fighting if fighting was prescribed for you?" They said, "And why should we not fight in the cause of Allah when we have been driven out from our homes and from our children?" But when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers.
Have you not seen the council of the children of Israel after Moses when they said to a prophet of theirs �Send for us a king and we will fight in God's way.� He said �Might it be that if fighting is prescribed for you you will not fightḍ� They said �Why should we not fight in God's way when we have been expelled from our habitations and our childrenḍ� Yet when fighting was prescribed for them they turned their backs except a few of them; and God has knowledge of the evildoers. They approached the matter as one of free choice ikhtiyār demanding that their prophet ask permission for them to fight. When they were granted that for which they were themselves responsible they stopped short out of laziness takāsul and changed their course toward the homelands of desertion takhādhul and indifference taghāful. It is said that outwardly they spoke with toughness and seriousness about fighting to defend their possessions and their dwellings when they said �Why should we not fight in God's way when we have been expelled from our habitations and our childrenḍ� But they did not achieve their objective because their resolve was not purely for the right of God. If they had said �Why should we not fight in the way of God for He has commanded us and made [this] an obligation on usḍ He is our Chief and Protector and His command is binding on us� then perhaps they would have fully achieved what they had set out to do.
وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًۭا ۚ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِٱلْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلْمَالِ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُۥ بَسْطَةًۭ فِى ٱلْعِلْمِ وَٱلْجِسْمِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يُؤْتِى مُلْكَهُۥ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ
And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, Allah has sent to you Saul as a king." They said, "How can he have kingship over us while we are more worthy of kingship than him and he has not been given any measure of wealth?" He said, "Indeed, Allah has chosen him over you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature. And Allah gives His sovereignty to whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing [in favor] and Knowing."
Then their prophet said to them �Verily God has raised up Saul for you as king.� They said �How can he be king over us when we have better right than he to kingship seeing he has not been given amplitude of wealthḍ� He said �God has chosen him over you and has increased him broadly in knowledge and body jism. God gives the kingship to whom He will; and God is Embracing Knowing. They forgot [God's] right of free choice ikhtiyār and viewed the situation instead with the eye of the external world. They deemed it unlikely that Saul could be a king because he was poor and without property. [God] explained to them that merit is by the choice of the Real and that if [Saul] lacked wealth �God has increased him in knowledge and has favored him over you by his knowledge and body jism.� It is said that He meant that [Saul] was praiseworthy in the qualities of the self nafs not large in [his] physical frame binya for as it is said in the adage �So and so is a name without a body fulān ism bi-lā jism� that is a man without substance.
وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ ءَايَةَ مُلْكِهِۦٓ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمُ ٱلتَّابُوتُ فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَبَقِيَّةٌۭ مِّمَّا تَرَكَ ءَالُ مُوسَىٰ وَءَالُ هَٰرُونَ تَحْمِلُهُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَةًۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, a sign of his kingship is that the chest will come to you in which is assurance from your Lord and a remnant of what the family of Moses and the family of Aaron had left, carried by the angels. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers."
Their prophet said to them, “The sign of his kingship is that there will come to you the ark within which is tranquility from your Lord.” Whenever someone finds a drink from the cup of recognition on the carpet of the religion's good fortune, the cupbearer of that drink is the sultan of tranquility. The exalted lodging place of the sultan of tranquility is the capital city of the heart: He it is who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the faithful [48:4]. The subtle reality of the heart is the dwelling place of the attribute of eternity: “Surely the hearts are between two fingers of the All-Merciful.” What a great difference there is between two groups of people! The tranquility of one group was in the ark, and the ark was under the determination of the Children of Israel, sometimes here and sometimes there, sometimes like this and sometimes like that. The tranquility of the other group is in their hearts, in the grasp of the Real's attributes. The Adamite has no hand in it, the angel no access to it. He comes between a man and his heart [8:24]. Shiblī said, “The curtains were taken down and the veils lifted in the realities of the secret core, and many unseen things were unveiled to my secret core. I saw hell like a roaring dragon and rapacious lion. It was playing with the people and pulling them to itself with its tail. It saw me and displayed its mightiness. It wanted its share from me. I gave it all of my outward organs and parts and had no fear of their burning. I had no concern for outward burning because of my inner burning.” The Pir of the Tariqah said, “All fires burn the body, but the fire of friendship burns the spirit. No one can be patient in face of that spirit-burning fire.” If He burns you, say “Burn!”, if He caresses, say “Caress!” It's best for the passionate man to be put between water and fire. Shiblī said, “When I gave my makeup and form to the fire, the turn of the heart arrived. The fire wanted my heart. I said, 'I will toss it away without fear.' A voice came to my secret core, 'O Shiblī, leave the heart alone, for the heart is not yours, nor is it under your determination.
فَلَمَّا فَصَلَ طَالُوتُ بِٱلْجُنُودِ قَالَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُبْتَلِيكُم بِنَهَرٍۢ فَمَن شَرِبَ مِنْهُ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّى وَمَن لَّمْ يَطْعَمْهُ فَإِنَّهُۥ مِنِّىٓ إِلَّا مَنِ ٱغْتَرَفَ غُرْفَةًۢ بِيَدِهِۦ ۚ فَشَرِبُوا۟ مِنْهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا مِّنْهُمْ ۚ فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهُۥ هُوَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ قَالُوا۟ لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا ٱلْيَوْمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُم مُّلَٰقُوا۟ ٱللَّهِ كَم مِّن فِئَةٍۢ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةًۭ كَثِيرَةًۢ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ مَعَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ
And when Saul went forth with the soldiers, he said, "Indeed, Allah will be testing you with a river. So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not taste it is indeed of me, excepting one who takes [from it] in the hollow of his hand." But they drank from it, except a [very] few of them. Then when he had crossed it along with those who believed with him, they said, "There is no power for us today against Goliath and his soldiers." But those who were certain that they would meet Allah said, "How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah. And Allah is with the patient."
And when Saul went forth with the hosts he said �God will try you with a river; whoever drinks of it is not of me and whoever tastes it not he is of me except for him who scoops up with his hand. The allusion in this verse is that God ������ tests human beings in their association with others with this world and with the lower self. There are some whose association with these things is limited to that which is required for [them to earn a] basic livelihood and what is necessary for their salvation and security. There are others who go beyond the limit of what is required and extend their association with things of the world self and creation for the sake of carnal desire and their own preference. There is nothing from God in that which involves doing a prohibited thing. There is nothing from this path Ṭarīqa in that which involves holding on to more than what is needed. But they drank of it except a few of them; Likewise the elect in every moment are few in their number but sublime in their worth. and when he crossed it with those who believed they said �We have no power today against Goliath and his troops.� They viewed the situation with the eye of the external world and were overcome with mortal fright. God fortified their hearts telling them that the Real ������ helps His friends if He wills it. Those who thought they would meet God said �How often a small company has overcome a numerous one by God's leave; and God is with the patient.� [The victory is] not by them but by the permission of God through what He has willed and through His aid and His help. God is with the patient through help support and strength.
وَلَمَّا بَرَزُوا۟ لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ قَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًۭا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
And when they went forth to [face] Goliath and his soldiers, they said, "Our Lord, pour upon us patience and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people."
So when they went forth against Goliath and his troops they said �Our Lord pour out upon us patience and make firm our feet and grant us victory over the disbelieving folk!� So when they went forth against Goliath and his troops [the hosts of Saul] exonerated themselves of all power and strength and turned to God seek- ing His succor asking for His aid and trusting in His help. They said �Our Lord pour out upon us patience and make firm our feet. First they sought firmness and patience for the sake of the sufferings they had previously endured and then they said �and grant us victory over the disbelieving folk!� The most important of their concerns was patience and standing up to the enemy and only after that [were they concerned for] help for themselves. Patience [in enduring sufferings] is the right of the Real ḥaqq al-ḥaqq while help is their portion. They stepped forward to assert His right ������ and to succeed for His sake and then to find their worldly portion from [His] help. Moreover [the hosts of Saul] indicated that they were seeking help against [the enemy] not out of revenge for what had been taken from them but because they [the enemy] were disbelievers enemies of God. The [hosts of Saul] stood in every way for God through God. Because of that they were helped and found victory.
Commentary: Lata'if al-Isharat by Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayri. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.
