Du’a of the Qur’an Part 10: al-Sa’di

In his collection of various reflections on the Qur’an that he penned during Ramadan, Sheikh ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sa’di included a beautiful section on some of the du’a found within the Qur’an. What follows is his explanation of the du’a of Nuh, as found in surah Hud:

ومثل قول نوح لمَّا لامه اللهُ بسؤال نجاة ابنه الكافر، الذي ليس من أهله، وأن هذا عمل غير صالح، فقال: ﴿قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَإِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُنْ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ﴾[هود: 47] فتوسل بربوبية الله واستعاذ به أن يسأله سؤالا ليس له به علم، وإنما حمله عليه مجرد محبة النفس لا إرادة رضى الله، واعترف بأن هذا الذي جرى منه يوجب التضرع والاستغفار، وأنه إن لم يغفر له ربُه ويرحمه كان من الخاسرين،فالناس قسمان: رابحون: وهم الذين تغمدهم الله بمغفرته ورحمته، وخاسرون: وهم الذين فاتتهم المغفرة والرحمة، ولا يحصل ذلك إلا بالله. ـ

Another example of a comprehensive du’a is what Nuh said when Allah reprimanded him for asking for his disbelieving son to be saved, when Allah told him that his son was not one of his people and that this was not a righteous action. At this point, Nuh said:

رَبِّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ ۖ وَإِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُن مِّنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

Lord, I seek refuge with You from asking You for what I have no knowledge of. If you do not forgive me and show mercy to me, I will be one of the losers. [11:47]

“Seek the Forgiveness of Your Lord and Then Turn to Him in Repentance”: Tafsir al-Tabari

Allah begins surah Hud by saying:

الر ۚ كِتَابٌ أُحْكِمَتْ آيَاتُهُ ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتْ مِن لَّدُنْ حَكِيمٍ خَبِيرٍ * أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّـهَ ۚ إِنَّنِي لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ * وَأَنِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُم مَّتَاعًا حَسَنًا إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِي فَضْلٍ فَضْلَهُ ۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ كَبِيرٍ

Alif Lam Meem. This is a Book whose verses are perfected and then explained in detail from One Who is All-Wise and Well-Acquainted. * Saying “worship none but Allah.” I am certainly a warner from Him to you and a bringer of glad tidings. * And, “Seek the forgiveness of your Lord and then turn to Him in repentance. He will grant you good enjoyment until an appointed time and give His abounding Grace to every owner of grace. But if you turn away, then I fear the torment of a Great Day for you. [11:1-3]

While commenting on the third ayah, the great mufassir Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari summed up the passage by writing:

قال أبو جعفر : يقول ، تعالى ذكره : ثم فصلت آياته ، بأن لا تعبدوا إلا الله ، وبأن استغفروا ربكم . ويعني بقوله : ( وأن استغفروا ربكم ) ، وأن اعملوا أيها الناس من الأعمال ما يرضي ربكم عنكم ، فيستر عليكم عظيم ذنوبكم التي ركبتموها بعبادتكم الأوثان والأصنام ، وإشراككم الآلهة والأنداد في عبادته . ـ

I, Abu Ja’far, say: Allah is saying: Then His ayaat were explained in detail – that you should not worship anyone or anything besides Allah and that you should seek your Lord’s forgiveness. And the meaning of His statement:

وَأَنِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ

And “seek the forgiveness of your Lord …”

is that you – O mankind – should perform those actions which are pleasing to Allah. As a result, He will pass over the grave sins that you committed in worshiping idols and statues and associating other gods and partners with Him in worship.

Surah Hud and Its Sisters: Tafsir al-Qurtubi

In the introduction to his tafsir of surah Hud, the famous explainer of the Qur’an al-Qurtubi mentioned and then discussed a hadith regarding this surah, first bringing his preferred explanation and then mentioned some alternative explanations:

روى الترمذي عن ابن عباس قال : قال أبو بكر – رضي الله عنه – : يا رسول الله قد شبت ! قال : شيبتني هود والواقعة والمرسلات وعم يتساءلون وإذا الشمس كورت . قال : هذا حديث حسن غريب ، وقد روي شيء من هذا مرسلا . وأخرجه الترمذي الحكيم أبو عبد الله في ” نوادر الأصول ” .ـ

al-Tirmidhi relayed from ibn ‘Abbaas that Abu Bakr said, “O Messenger of Allah, your hair has become grey!” The Messenger replied,

“Hud [11], Waaqi’ah [56], al-Mursalat [77], ‘Amma yatasaa’aloon [78] and al-Takwir [81] have turned my hair grey.”

al-Tirmidhi said about this, “This hadith is hasan gharib,” and there is also another narration with a gap in its chain on this topic.

Subtle Points Regarding the Punishments of Shu’aib’s People: Tafsir ibn Kathir

While discussing the story of Prophet Shu’aib in surah Hud, al-haafidh Ismaa’eel ibn Kathir mentioned:

قال الله تعالى : ( ولما جاء أمرنا نجينا شعيبا والذين آمنوا معه برحمة منا وأخذت الذين ظلموا ) وهم قومه ، ( الصيحة فأصبحوا في ديارهم جاثمين ) وقوله ( جاثمين ) أي : هامدين لا حراك بهم . وذكر هاهنا أنه أتتهم صيحة ، وفي الأعراف رجفة ، وفي الشعراء عذاب يوم الظلة ، وهم أمة واحدة ، اجتمع عليهم يوم عذابهم هذه النقم كلها . وإنما ذكر في كل سياق ما يناسبه ، ففي الأعراف لما قالوا : ( لنخرجنك ياشعيب والذين آمنوا معك من قريتنا ) [ الأعراف : 88 ] ، ناسب أن يذكر هناك الرجفة ، فرجفت بهم الأرض التي ظلموا بها ، وأرادوا إخراج نبيهم منها ، وهاهنا لما أساءوا الأدب في مقالتهم على نبيهم ناسب ذكر الصيحة التي أسكتتهم وأخمدتهم ، وفي الشعراء لما قالوا : ( فأسقط علينا كسفا من السماء إن كنت من الصادقين ) [ الشعراء : 189 ] ، قال ( فأخذهم عذاب يوم الظلة إنه كان عذاب يوم عظيم ) [ الشعراء : 189 ] ، وهذا من الأسرار الغريبة الدقيقة ، ولله الحمد والمنة كثيرا دائما . [ ص: 348 ] ـ

Allah’s statement:

وَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا شُعَيْبًا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَأَخَذَتِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا

And when Our command came, We saved Shu’aib and those who believed with him, out of mercy from Us. And the shriek seized those who had wronged …

i.e. Shu’aib’s people

الصَّيْحَةُ فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي دِيَارِهِمْ جَاثِمِينَ

… and they became fallen prone within their homes. [11:94]

And Allah’s statement:

جَاثِمِينَ

fallen prone

i.e. lifeless and motionless.

Here, Allah mentioned that a loud shriek, while in surah al-A’raaf He mentioned an earthquake, and in surah al-Shu’araa’ He mentioned punishment on a dark day. They were just one nation, but on the day of their punishment all of these forms of punishment came together, but in each instance Allah only mentioned what was fitting for the context. So in surah al-A’raaf after the people said:

The Contents of Surah Hud: Ibn Taymiyah

In one of his many writings, ibn Taymiyah briefly addressed the contents and themes of surah Hud by writing:

قد افتتح السورة فقال كتاب أحكمت آياته ثم فصلت من لدن حكيم خبير ألا تعبدوا إلا الله إنني لكم منه نذير وبشير فذكر أنه نذير وبشير نذير ينذر بالعذاب لأهل النار وبشير يبشر بالسعادة لأهل الحق

Allah began the surah by saying:

كِتَابٌ أُحْكِمَتْ آيَاتُهُ ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتْ مِن لَّدُنْ حَكِيمٍ خَبِيرٍ * أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّنِي لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ

A Book whose verses are perfected and then presented in detail from one who is Wise and All-Knowing. ‎‏* Do not worship any besides Allah. Indeed, I am a warner to you from Him and a bringer of good tidings [11:1-2]

So Allah mentions that the Prophet is a warner and a bringer of good tidings: a warner who warns of the punishment that the people of the Hellfire will receive and a bringer of good tidings who gives good tidings of ultimate joy for the people of the truth.

ثم ذكر حال الفريقين في السراء والضراء فقال ولئن أذقنا الإنسان منا رحمة ثم نزعناها منه إنه ليؤوس كفور ولئن أذقناه نعماء بعد ضراء مسته ليقولن ذهب السيئات عني إنه لفرح فخور إلا الذين صبروا وعملوا الصالحات أولئك لهم مغفرة وأجر كبير

He then mentioned the condition of both groups of people in times of prosperity and in times of adversity by saying:

وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً ثُمَّ نَزَعْنَاهَا مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ لَيَئُوسٌ كَفُورٌ * وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَاهُ نَعْمَاءَ بَعْدَ ضَرَّاءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ ذَهَبَ السَّيِّئَاتُ عَنِّي ۚ إِنَّهُ لَفَرِحٌ فَخُورٌ * إِلَّا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ

And if We give man a taste of mercy from Us and then We withdraw it from him, he is certainly despairing and ungrateful. * But if We give him a taste of favor after hardship has touched him, he will surely say, “Bad times have left me.” He is exultant and boastful – * Except for those who are patient and do righteous deeds; those ones will have forgiveness and great reward. [11:9-11]

ثم ذكر بعد هذا قصص الأنبياء وحال من اتبعهم ومن كذبهم كيف سعد هؤلاء في الدنيا والآخرة وشقي هؤلاء في الدنيا والآخرة فذكر ما جرى لهم إلى قوله ذلك من أنباء القرى نقصه عليك إلى قوله وذلك يوم مشهود

After that, He mentioned stories of the Prophets, the conditions of their followers and the conditions of their deniers, and then how their followers achieved joy in both this life and the next and how their deniers experienced sorrow in both this life and the next. So He mentioned what happened to them until His statement:

Which Comes First, Glad Tidings or Warnings?: Badr al-Deen ibn Jama’ah

Throughout the Qur’an, Allah has described the Prophet as both a bringer of glad tidings and a warner, such as in the following ayaat:

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا

We have certainly sent you with the truth as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner [al-Baqarah 2:119]

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا

O Prophet, We have certainly sent you as a witness and a giver of glad tidings and a warner [al-Ahzab 33:45]

بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا فَأَعْرَضَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ

Giving glad tidings and warnings, but most of them will turn away so they will not listen [Ha Meem Sajdah 41:4]

In his book addressing small differences between otherwise similar ayaat, Badr al-Deen ibn Jama’ah (one of the teachers of al-haafidh ibn Kathir) posed and answered the following question:

مسألة: قوله تعالى: (إِنَّنِي لَكُمْ مِنْهُ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ (٢) قدّم النذارة هنا، وفى الأحزاب والبقرة وحم السجدة قدم البشارة؟ ـ

Question: Regarding Allah’s statement:

إِنَّنِي لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ

I am certainly a warner and giver of glad tidings from Him to you [11:2]

Here, Allah mentioned warnings first, while in surahs al-Ahzab (33), al-Baqarah (02) and Ha Meem Sajdah (41), He mentioned glad tidings first – why is that?

Pray As You Have Seen Me Pray: Tafsir al-Qurtubi

In part of his discussion of surah Hud, Imam al-Qurtubi included the following discussion:

ذكر الله سبحانه في كتابه الصلاة بركوعها وسجودها وقيامها وقراءتها وأسمائها فقال : أقم الصلاة الآية . وقال : أقم الصلاة لدلوك الشمس الآية . وقال : فسبحان الله حين تمسون وحين تصبحون وله الحمد في السماوات والأرض وعشيا وحين تظهرون . وقال : وسبح بحمد ربك قبل طلوع الشمس وقبل غروبها . وقال : اركعوا واسجدوا . وقال : وقوموا لله قانتين . وقال : وإذا قرئ القرآن فاستمعوا له وأنصتوا على ما تقدم . وقال : ولا تجهر بصلاتك ولا تخافت بها أي بقراءتك ; ـ

Throughout His Book, Allah mentions the prayer by referring to its bowing, prostrating, standing, recitation and by their names.

He says:

وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ

And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night … [11:114]

أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَىٰ غَسَقِ اللَّيْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ ۖ إِنَّ قُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا

Establish prayer at the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night and the recitation of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed. [17:78]

فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ * وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ

So exalted is Allah when you reach the evening and when you reach the morning. * And to Him belongs praise throughout the heavens and the earth. And exalted is He at night and when you are at noon. [30:17-18]

Links Between Surah Yunus and Surah Hud: Sheikh Muhammad al-Rabee’ah

Sheikh Muhammad al-Rabee’ah, a professor in the College of Shree’ah at al-Qasim University, devoted one of his books to the study of themes of surahs. In one section on the link between a surah‘s name and its theme, the sheikh gave the following example:

وفي سورة يونس تركيز على الموعظة والدعوة بالترغيب ولذلك افتتحت بالتذكير بآيات الله تعالى وحال المكذبين بها، وتخلل ذلك عرض للطف الله تعالى بأوليائه، وعباده المؤمنين والتائبين، وتضمنت الموعظة بالقرآن كما قال تعالى (يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ) ]يونس: 57 [، ولذلك تضمنت قصة قوم يونس الذين آمنوا بعد ما دعاهم يونس وهددهم بالعذاب فكشف الله عنهم العذاب، فهذه القصة هي النموذج الإيجابي للغرض الذي تركز عليه السورة. ـ

Surah Yunus contains a focus on exhortations and calling the people to Islam through glad tidings and inspiring hope. That is why it begins with a reminder of Allah’s signs and how those who deny them respond to them. This is interspersed with mentions of Allah’s kindness towards His close ones and repentant believing slaves. And exhortations are a part of the Qur’an, as Allah said:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

O mankind, an exhortation has come to you from your Lord, and a healing for what it is the chests, and a guidance and a mercy for the believers. [10:57]

That is why this surah includes the story of the people of Yunus who believed after Yunus had supplicated for their punishment and informed them of it, and then Allah lifted the punishment from them. So this story is a positive example of the central theme of this surah.

Being Patient During and After Trials: Tafsir al-Sa’di

Allah says in surah Hud:

وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً ثُمَّ نَزَعْنَاهَا مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ لَيَئُوسٌ كَفُورٌ * وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَاهُ نَعْمَاءَ بَعْدَ ضَرَّاءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ ذَهَبَ السَّيِّئَاتُ عَنِّي ۚ إِنَّهُ لَفَرِحٌ فَخُورٌ * إِلَّا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَـٰئِكَ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ

And if We give man a taste of mercy from Us and then We withdraw it from him, indeed, he is despairing and ungrateful. * But if We give him a taste of favor after hardship has touched him, he will surely say, “Bad times have left me.” Indeed, he is exultant and boastful – * Except for those who are patient and do righteous deeds; those will have forgiveness and great reward. [11:9-11]

In his famous book of tafsir, sheikh ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Naasir al-Sa’di commented on these ayaat by writing:

يخبر تعالى عن طبيعة الإنسان، أنه جاهل ظالم بأن الله إذا أذاقه منه رحمة كالصحة والرزق، والأولاد، ونحو ذلك، ثم نزعها منه، فإنه يستسلم لليأس، وينقاد للقنوط، فلا يرجو ثواب الله، ولا يخطر بباله أن الله سيردها أو مثلها، أو خيرا منها عليه. ـ

Allah is informing us of the nature of man, that he is ignorant and unjust because when Allah causes him to experience some of His mercy, such as health, provision, offspring, etc., and then later removes it from him, man gives in to hopelessness and lets himself be ruled by despair. He does not feel any hope for Allah’s reward, nor does it cross his mind that Allah might return that blessing to him, or might give him another similar blessing, or might even give him something better that what he had had.

Shall We Force You to Believe?: Tafsir al-Shinqitee

In surah Hud, Allah recounts the story of His prophet Nuh, beginning with his calling his people to tawheed, a list of their doubts as to why they disbelieved in him, and then Nuh’s responses to their doubts. Sheikh Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shinqitee comments on the first part of Nuh’s response to his people by writing:

قوله تعالى : قال يا قوم أرأيتم إن كنت على بينة من ربي وآتاني رحمة من عنده فعميت عليكم أنلزمكموها وأنتم لها كارهون . ـ

Allah’s statement:

 قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّي وَآتَانِي رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِهِ فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنُلْزِمُكُمُوهَا وَأَنتُمْ لَهَا كَارِهُونَ

Nuh said, “O my people, what do you think if I am on clarity from my Lord, and a Mercy has come to me from Him, but that has been obscured from your sight – shall we compel you to accept it while you have a strong hatred for it? [11:28]

ذكر تعالى في هذه الآية الكريمة عن نبيه نوح : أنه قال لقومه : أرأيتم [ 11 \ 28 ] ، أي : أخبروني إن كنت على بينة من ربي [ 11 \ 28 ] ، أي : على يقين ونبوة صادقة لا شك فيها ، وأعطاني رحمة منه مما أوحى إلي من التوحيد والهدى ، فخفي ذلك كله عليكم ، ولم تعتقدوا أنه حق ، أيمكنني أن ألزمكم به ، وأجبر قلوبكم على الانقياد والإذعان لتلك البينة التي تفضل الله علي بها ، ورحمني بإيتائها ، والحال أنكم كارهون لذلك ؟ يعني ليس بيدي توفيقكم إلى الهدى وإن كان واضحا جليا لا [ ص: 178 ] لبس فيه ، إن لم يهدكم الله جل وعلا إليه . ـ

In this noble ayah, Allah mentions that His prophet Nuh said to his people:

أَرَأَيْتُمْ

Do you think …