Alif-Lam-Ra. As stated earlier, the knowledge of these Isolated Letters is only with Allah^-SWT and His^-SWT Prophet^-SW. The devoted servants of Allah^-SWT , who are competent in knowledge of Deen are also blessed with this knowledge to a certain degree. For the Muslims in general only recitation suffices and it is not proper to attempt an interpretation by mere conjecture or approximation.

 

These Ayat are of a Glorious Book, a treasure of wisdom. It is very easy to understand even for an unlettered shepherd, provided he has a sound mind. For if the message is full of wisdom but the listener has no intellect he shall not understand it. For instance, some people are amazed that Allaah^-SWT has revealed His^-SWT Message unto a human being to warn mankind of the perils of life. This is thoroughly logical for if the Prophets^-AS were raised from another creation like angels or Jinn, mankind could not have benefited from them. First of all an angel would not have been visible to the human beings, and to be visible he would have to assume a human form. Then why an angel, who differs in his qualities and in his requirements from the human beings? Therefore, it was not rational at all. To raise a Prophet^-AS from amongst the mankind was absolutely logical but they fail to understand this simple point.

 

The Holy Prophet^-SW must convey glad tidings to those who have embraced Islam, for they have certainly stepped into righteousness, indeed a very strong foothold. It neither breaks nor can ever be lost because it is from their Rabb^-SWT and is everlasting. Giving rewards on deeds is directly related to His^-SWT Providence; that is why the Attributive Name Rabb^-SWT is used here. But the non believers have such perverted minds that they label the Holy Prophet^-SW as a perfect magician who brings information from both near and far-off places, or gives accurate prophecies to establish himself^-SW.

 

It is a wonder of their ignorance that they have come up with such a silly argument. Don't they know the magnificence of the Holy Prophet^-SW‘s Rabb^-SWT ? He^-SWT is so powerful that He^-SWT created the entire universe for mankind. He^-SWT simply says Be and it is. Yet He^-SWT set a sequence in the creation of universe and spread earth and the heavens in six days. Not only did He^-SWT give them existence but also immense potentialities of which man knows very little. Many properties of the earth remain undiscovered by man, let alone the heavens. Allah^-SWT made Arsh as His^-SWT Throne to administer the affairs of His^-SWT Kingdoms and established Himself^-SWT on it, in the way befitting Him^-SWT .

 

Opinion of the Mo'tazilah (The Dissenters)

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They are of the opinion that the expression "Established Himself^-SWT on the Throne" means that Allah^-SWT is personally seated on the Throne and by virtue of His^-SWT Knowledge He^-SWT is present everywhere. In other words, His^-SWT Knowledge encompasses everything while He^-SWT Himself^-SWT is seated on the Throne. This opinion has been outrightly rejected by the exegetical scholars. They answer on the authority of authentic Ahadith that any being which can be confined within a certain place will have a form and limits and will consequently he mortal. Allah^-SWT is above any confinement or limits, therefore the Ayah actually connotes that it is only His^-SWT Command and Authority that prevails over the Throne and where from the entire universe is administered. In other words, it is the Secretariat of His^-SWT Universal Kingdom. He^-SWT takes all decisions by Himself^-SWT and none can dare intercede on anyone's behalf without His^-SWT formal permission. Only those whom He^-SWT will allow to intercede will do so for only those of whom He^-SWT approves. And He^-SWT has forbidden any intercession for the non believers. O' Prophet^-SW Your^-SW Rabb^-SWT is the Most Exalted and Independent and the only way to attain His^-SWT Pleasure is through His^-SWT obedience and worship. All this can be understood through simple logic, and there is nothing complicated about it! Don't people have even this much of sense?

 

All mankind shall return to Him^-SWT ultimately as it is not created for extermination. The Creator has deputed man to this world with special qualities. One Day all Children of Aadam^-AS as shall gather before Him^-SWT and face accountability, whence they will proceed to their eternal abode. There is not the slightest doubt in this, as it is Allah^-SWT's Promise, which is always true. If the infidels think that once the universe is destroyed and the human beings are reduced to ashes, they cannot be quickened. They must realize that Allah^-SWT created the universe out of nothingness and when there was nothing. He^-SWT made everything. It is neither difficult nor impossible for Him to recreate them and that is exactly what He^-SWT is going to do. Otherwise, the discrimination between good and bad will become meaningless. If there is no concept of accountability in the Hereafter, the very idea of virtue and evil becomes worthless. Therefore, it is certain that mankind will be gathered before Him^-SWT so that the righteous are duly rewarded and the evil-doers are given boiling water to drink and other painful punishments, a natural outcomes of their conduct.

 

From the manifestations of His^-SWT Omnipotence, see the sun and the moon whose heat and light respectively are controlled sources of existence and up bringing for an unlimited number of creations. The scorching sunlight causes the sea to evaporate but at the same time an ant survives its heat and uses it to hatch its eggs. The elephant and the mosquito receive heat according to their individual requirements. This distribution is controlled by Him^-SWT , the Creator Who^-SWT will certainly bring everyone back to life once again. From the light of the sun and the moon He^-SWT has caused innumerable effects on animals, plants and the inert substances. He^-SWT has even placed atomic power in the smallest of particles. As the seed develops into fruit it is nurtured by solar heat as well as by the soothing moonlight, which ushers in the sweetness. Whereas die sun is responsible for causing evaporation from the seas thus providing the basic source of life on earth, the moon is busy causing high and low tides to ensure sustenance of life in the sea. Both are enjoined to provide the seasonal transition, the alternation of days and nights, to help keep an accurate count of years, months, days and the moments even by a layman. Since both the sun and moon have been put to this job, there is no harm in following the solar or the lunar calendar. As waning and waxing of the moon makes the calculation of months and days much easy, the Islamic worships are scheduled on the latter. It is also Sunnah to go by the lunar calendar in daily life. But it is not forbidden to follow the solar calendar to conduct the business of life.

 

This entire system cannot be futile. It is all based on reality and for this very purpose, the Creator manifests His^-SWT Omnipotence for those who have sense.

 

The alternation of the day and night, the upheavals of time, the immaculate order of this apparently scattered universe, the creations dwelling in the heavens and the earth, are all manifestations of His^-SWT Greatness and complete Sovereignty. But to know all this one has to have a relationship with Him^-SWT , which can be established by believing in Him^-SWT and by His^-SWT obedience. Although these logical signs are numerous, yet the disbelief and sin blind the intellect. Hence it is oniy the obedient who can understand.

 

People who have mistaken this temporal life as their ultimate goal and are pleased with it fail to learn a lesson from the vicissitude of time. Rather they have no hope of ever having to stand before Allah^-SWT for accountability. They are not moved by the innumerable visible signs and Allah^-SWT's Book or the Message of His^-SWT Prophet^-SW .These are the people destined for Hell because of their conduct. The fortunate folk who acquire the light of faith, and are driven by it and by a staunch belief in the Akhirah to act righteously in obedience of Allah^-SWT , will be guided by Him^-SWT to the exalted stations of His^-SWT Nearness in the Akhirah. In other words, faith guides the believer to noble deeds in this life and takes him to Allah^-SWT ’s Pleasure and Jannah in the Akhirah, which is a place of eternal lushness and greenery, orchards and fruits, matchless and everlasting. Their dialogue will be Allah^-SWT ’s Praises. His^-SWT Blessings will increase every moment to be acknowledged by cries of Subhan Allah^-SWT , Subhan Allah^-SWT (Praise be to Allah^-SWT ) echoing all around. They will never be grieved with one another and will exchange greetings of peace, with love and affection. Their meetings and dialogues would conclude on Allah^-SWT ’s Praise, Who is the Provider of the whole universe. Be it this world or the next, all the blessings and pleasures are bestowed by Him^-SWT .