TAFSIR OF SURAH AL-ISRAA (THE NIGHT AND THE DAY ARE SIGNS OF ALLAH) - NOTES & AUDIO

By Shaikh Abdullah Faisal Morning Dars: April 16, 2013

TAFSEER SURAH ISRA – The Night And The Day Are Signs Of Allah

Notes by fatimah 38

Verily, this Qur'ān guides to that which is most just and right and gives glad tidings to the believers (in the Oneness of Allāh and His Messenger, Muhammad SAW, etc.). who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a great reward (Paradise). (Al-Isra 17:9)

The Quran is aqwam (upright) because it has no inconsistencies or mistakes
The Quran has no oppression in it
You can't reject the cutting of the hand of the thief

Cut off (from the wrist joint) the (right) hand of the thief, male or female, as a recompense for that which they committed, a punishment by way of example from Allāh. And Allāh is All Powerful, All Wise. (Al-Ma'idah 5:38)

The Quran brings glad tidings of paradise to the believers
It is also a warning to the kuffar that the hellfire is waiting for them

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "I possess no power of benefit or hurt to myself except as Allāh wills. If I had the knowledge of the Ghaib (unseen), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe." (Al-A'raf 7:188)

This ayah (7:188) is evidence that the Quran is a warner as well as a bringer of glad tidings

Verily, this Qur'ān guides to that which is most just and right and gives glad tidings to the believers (in the Oneness of Allāh and His Messenger, Muhammad SAW, etc.). who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a great reward (Paradise). (Al-Isra 17:9)

Women impure are for men impure, and men impure for women impure and women of purity are for men of purity, and men of purity are for women of purity: these are not affected by what people say: for them there is forgiveness, and a provision honourable. (24:26)

WHEN ARE YOUR DEEDS QUALIFIED TO BE CLASSIFIED AS SOLIHAAT?
Two conditions have to be found

     1) it has to be done with sincere intentions

2) it has to be done in accordance with the sunnah of the prophet

Some people are sincere but they are sincerely wrong because they don't practice Islam in accordance to sunnah
The first son of Adam was not sincere so Allah rejected his sacrifice

.... "Verily, Allāh accepts only from those who are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - see V.2:2)." (Al-Ma'idah 5:27)

Allah will not accept the deeds of kuffar

And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad SAW), as it was to those (Allāh's Messengers) before you: "If you join others in worship with Allāh, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers." (Az-Zumar 39:65)

Allah even warned the prophet Muhammad of the nullifying of his deeds if he commits shirk
To do good for a person and then to keep talking about it invalidates your actions
Shirk invalidates actions
Riya (showing off) in deeds invalidates actions

Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (RA) reported that Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said: "O people, save yourselves from this shirk (ash-Shirk al-Khafi) for it is more inconspicuous than the creeping of ant." So someone, whom Allah willed to say, said: 'How do we save ourselves from it while it is more inconspicuous than the creeping of ant ya Rasool Allah?' Prophet (SAW) said: “Say: Allahumma inni audhubika minal nushrika bika shayaan na'alamuhu, wa nastaghfiruka lima la na'alam (O Allah we take Your refuge from doing shirk with You knowingly, and ask for Your forgiveness for doing it unknowingly)" [Musnad Ahmed (4/403) No. 19622 and Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaibah (6/70) No. 29547]

Backbiting and slandering causes one to lose their solihaat
Borrowing money and not giving it back also causes a person to lose their solihaat because on judgement day you have to give away your solihaat
Apostasy causes you to lose your solihaat

'Abdullah b. Amr b. al-As is reported to have said: Verily a person asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) who amongst the Muslims was better. Upon this (the Holy Prophet) remarked: From whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe. (431 hadith found in 'The Book of Faith (Kitab Al-Iman)' of Sahih Muslim.)

Narrated By Abu Hazim from Sahl bin Sa'd: The Prophet said, "I am your predecessor (forerunner) at the Lake-Fount, and whoever will pass by there, he will drink from it and whoever will drink from it, he will never be thirsty. There will come to me some people whom I will recognize, and they will recognize me, but a barrier will be placed between me and them." [Sahih Bukhari (8/120) No. 6583]

You need your solihaat especially in the grave
There are 70 snakes in the grave
Your deeds come with you to the grave to comfort you there

Anas ibn Maalik (RA) reported that Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said, “Three things follow the deceased, two return while one remains. His family, his wealth and his deeds follow him. His family and his wealth return while his deeds remain behind.” [Bukhari 6514, Muslim 2960, Tirmidhi 2386, Ahmed 12081, Nisai 1933]

The only currency Allah will accept from you on the day of judgement is your solihaat
Why do you give away your solihaat so easily by backbiting and slandering people?

And that those who believe not in the Hereafter (i.e. they disbelieve that they will be recompensed for what they did in this world, good or bad, etc.), for them We have prepared a painful torment (Hell). (Al-Isra 17:10)

And man invokes (Allāh) for evil as he invokes (Allāh) for good and man is ever hasty [i.e., if he is angry with somebody, he invokes (saying): "O Allāh! Curse him, etc." and that one should not do, but one should be patient]. (Al-Isra 17:11)

People invoke Allah for good for themselves but they invoke Allah for bad on others who harmed them but it would have been better to have sabr
It is permissible to invoke the curse of Allah upon hypocrites and kaafirs

Ibn Umar (RA) narrated the Prophet (SAW) said, “The believer that mixes with people and endures the hardship they cause, he is better than the believer who does not mix with people and so does not endure the hardship they cause." [Musnad Ahmad (5/365) No. 23147, Sunan Ibn Majah (5/160) No. 4032, Sunan Tirmidhi (4/243) No. 2507]

The muslim that mixes with the muslims and endures the hardship they cause is better because this muslim will benefit the community
man by nature is impatient

Sahl ibn Sa’d Sa’idi reported that Allah’s Messenger said, “Deliberation is from Allah, but haste is from the devil”. [Sunan Tirmidhi (4/367) No. 2012]

Hastiness causes mistakes making you have start again from the beginning and then the shaitaan laughs at you

And We have appointed the night and the day as two Ayāt (signs etc.).

Then, We have made dark the sign of the night while We have made the sign of day illuminating, that you may seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may know the number of the years and the reckoning. And We have explained everything (in detail) with full explanation. (Al-Isra 17:12)

The night and the day are two of the signs of Allah yet people take it for granted because they see it everyday
The alternation of day and night is one of the arguments used against the atheists
The morning breathes yet it has no soul

And the Dawn as it breathes away the darkness (81:18)

And have made the night as a covering (through its darkness), (An-Naba 78:10)

And have made the day for livelihood. (An-Naba 78:11)

The night has been made as a covering for people to rest
The day has been made bright for people to earn a livelihood
Opportunists use the night to do a lot of haram because the night makes your vision impaired so people cannot testify against others

Say: "I seek refuge with (Allāh) the Lord of the daybreak, (Al-Falaq 113:1)

"From the evil of what He has created; (Al-Falaq 113:2)

"And from the evil of the darkening (night) as it comes with its darkness; (or the moon as it sets or goes away). (Al-Falaq 113:3)

Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding. (Aali Imran 3:190)

Those who remember Allāh (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying):

"Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire. (Aali Imran 3:191)

The systematic alternation of night and day proves that God exists
The meaning of 'And We have explained everything (in detail) with full explanation' is that Muhammad has explained to us everything with full explanation
Allah told us to pray but did not tell us how to pray
Muhammad taught us how to pray

"Pray as you have seen me praying..." [Sahih Bukhari, Vol 1, Book 11, Hadith #604]

Muhammad taught us how to make hajj properly

Say (O Muhammad SAW to mankind): "If you (really) love Allāh then follow me (i.e. accept Islāmic Monotheism, follow the Qur'ān and the Sunnah), Allāh will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allāh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Aali Imran 3:31)

This ayah (3:31) is used to refute the pervezis (hadith rejecters)
The sunnah of Muhammad (S.A.W) is what explains the Quran fully

.... And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it), and fear Allāh. Verily, Allāh is Severe in punishment. (Al-Hashr 59:7)

With clear signs and Books (We sent the Messengers). And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad SAW) the reminder and the advice (the Qur'ān), that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought. (An-Nahl 16:44)

Allah told us to take what Muhammad give us and abstain from what he forbids because Muhammad is the explainer of the Quran

Say (O Muhammad SAW to mankind): "If you (really) love Allāh then follow me (i.e. accept Islāmic Monotheism, follow the Qur'ān and the Sunnah), Allāh will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allāh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Aali Imran 3:31)

The Quran commands us to follow hadiths

(Imam) Abu Ja'far [as]said: The people were people of apostacy after the Prophet save three. I said (the narrator): Who are these three? He said: al-Miqdad bin al-Aswad, Abu Tharr al-Ghafari and Salmaan the Persian....

and that is the meaning of His saying: 3:144. Muhammad is no more than a Messenger: many were the Messengers that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then turn back on your heels? [Rijaal al-Kash-shi: pp. 12-13. From:Ash-Shi'a WasSunnah, Ehsan Elahi Zaheer, p.49]