Part 5: Tafseer of Ayatul Kursi- The Divine Protection

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Read the previous Part 4: The Greatest Ayah in the Qur’an

Ayatul Kursi consists of 10 verses

“Allah – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.” (2: 255)

Listen to Ayatul Kursi,[mp3:http://www.areweprepared.ca/audio/ayatulkursi.mp3]

Verse 1

اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ

“Allah, there is none worthy of worship except Him.”

The Declaration of Tawheed

• Verse one is exactly equivalent to لا إله إلا الله

• This great kalimah is made of two essential parts:
  – Negation of worship to other than Allah from His creation- لا إله
  – Affirming tawheed al uluhiyyah* for Allah- إلا الله

* It is the belief that Allah alone is the true Ilaah who has no partner or associate. The Ilaah means al-Ma’looh i.e. al-Ma’bood, the only true God who deserves to be worshipped out of love and magnification.

No Tawheed without Negation

Our Tawheed is not sound and pure, until we disbelieve in every single diety that was worshipped besides Allah.

Allah says:

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّـهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ

And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], “Worship Allah and avoid Taghut.” (Al Nahl: 36)

Allah again says:

فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّـهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ وَاللَّـهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.” (Al Baqarah: 256)

What is Taghut?

• Taghut is from the word at-tughyan, which means: going beyong the limits.
• Umar Ibn al Khattab (RA) said: “The taghut is shaitan”
• Jabir (RA) said: “The taghuts are the soothsayers and fortune-tellers upon whom the devils descend.”
• Imam Malik (RA) said: “Taghut is that which is worshipped besides Allah.’
• So this is what has been mentioned by certain people. However, Imam Qayyim Rahimullah has given a very comprehensice definition. So he said, “The taghut is all that which causes the person to exceed the limits with regards to that which is worshipped, followed, or obeyed. So the taghut in any nation is whosoever people turn to other than Allah and His messenger for matters of judgment; or is pleased to be worshipped besides Allah; or is followed without a clear proof from Allah; or is followed without a clear proof from Allah; or is obeyed in that which is known to be disobedience to Allah.”

  The scholar mentioned, any sport, entertaintment or anything which exceeds the limit and makes us forget the remembrance of Allah (not praying on time, missing the prayer, etc) is Taghut.

Shortfall in Understanding

• Many people confine the concept of shirk to Idol-worship.
• “American Idol”. The word idol means:
  – Am image used as an object of worsip
  – A false God
  – One that is adored, often blindly or excessively
• Some people worship the “Mighty dollar”

No exaggeration, this is what the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Miserable is indeed the slave of the dinar (a gold coins), and miserable is the slave of the dirham. Miserable if the slave of al Qateefa (fancy piece of garment) and miserable if the slave of al-khameela (another fancy material). Miserable and vanquished is he! Let there be no one to help him in as much as pulling a thorn that he would step on.” (Al-Bukhari)

• He is called in the hadith a slave.
• His likes and dislikes are revolving around what makes him more money.
• Relationshipes are built or destroyed based on financial gain or loss.
• He loved and hates only for the sake of his personal interest.
• He enslaved himself to money and therefore detached himself from his Creator.

The worship of al- Hawa (following a specific desire or inclination)

Allah says:

“Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah? Then will you not be reminded?” (Al Jathiya: 23)

The human desire in this ayah means one’s inclinations towards an ideology, pilosophy or a madhab that is not in compliance with Allah teachings. It could be:

• School of though
• Religious organization
• Excessive love and admiration for one specific teacher or sheikh without using the light of knowledge
• A group or party that is preferred over the rest of Muslims with truth or falsehood.

Allah says:

“They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah, and [also] the Messiah, the son of Mary. And they were not commanded except to worship one God; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him.” (At Tawbah: 31)

Following a specific desire or an inclination (Al Hawa) is not always an act of shirk. If this Hawa leads someone to commit shirk or kufr, then he could be described as someone who worship his hawa besides allah.

If his hawa leads him to commit a major sin or minor sin, then he technically remains within the fold of Islam as a sinful person until he repents to Allah.

Affirmation

• Affirming tawheed for Allah is also called ‘Tawheed al Ibadah’ in worship. This has been included in the second part of the Kalimag of tawheed.
• All forms of Ibadah (prayer, dua, sacrifice, etc) must be directed only to Allah.
• There is absolutely no need for any form of intercession or mediation between man and god.

Allah says:

Say, “Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims. (Al An’am: 162-163)

Excellence of the kalimah of Tawheed

It was described by the Messenger of allah as the best form of remembrance.

“The best form of remembrance is saying: ‘La ilaha Illa Allah’ and the best supplication is ‘Alhamdulillah'” (Tirmidhi)

Allah says:

“And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.'” (Ibrahim: 7)

Alhamdulillah is described as the best supplication, even though it seems that it does not contain any request. In reality, whoever is saying Alhamdulillah is thanking Allah, and whoever is grateful to his Lord, he is asking for an increase of His bounties.

• Whoever testifies that, “There is none worthy of worship except Allah” seeking the face of Allah, he will be protected from the punishment of Hell fire. (Bukhari)
• The most deserving of the Prophet’s intercession on the Day of Judgment is someone who said, “La ilaha Illa Allah” with pure intention and full conviction. (Bukhari)
• Saying “La ilaha Illa Allah” is the highest brach of Iman. (Muslim)
• The Best forms of Du’a contain the statement of Tawheed

The greatest virtue of the statement of Tawheed is only attainable by:

• One who loves it, and is satisfies with it.
• Who is sincere.
• Who believes in its meaning without any doubt.
• Who accepts its implications and abides by them.

Read The next Part 5 (a): Tafseer of Ayatul Kursi (Verse 2)