A few questions, worrying me a lot, Please help me!

[maverick83pk]

Dear Learned Brothers & Sisters,

Please can you help me understand the following areas of Quran, which are making me uneasy since i have now switched to QC Islam, and no longer call myself a sunni:

1) What is "Maqam-e-Mehmood" in 17:79?
2) To whom does God say in 94:4 "we have raised your Zikr" Is it the personal zikr of Prophet Muhammad pbuh? or is it the zikr (quran) given to him which is elevated? If it is the personal zikr of Prophet then the traditionalists give the excuse that since God has elevated the zikr of Prophet, who are you (QC people) to ask us not to glorify him all day long and not sing naats about him.
3) What is the correct understanding of 12:76?? Did God make a seemingly cunning plan for the Prophet Jospeh and then approve of it? because God is all Just as we know about Him? then why did God approve of this clever stratagem, which appears questionable to some people.

Please, i implore you all after Allah swt to help me answer these questions, may Allah swt reward you immensely for your time and efforts. JAK

Regards,

Nabil Arshad Farooqi

[deleted]

Peace. In 94:4, it's directed to a singular male, so it means ~"your rememberence", "rememberence of you". All of 94:1-8 is directed to a singular male.

[maverick83pk]

Dear Eliiah,

Thank you so much for your input. What does this verse mean then? To whom is it directed? What is its after-math? Are traditionalists correct then in glorifying Prophet Muhammad pbuh?

Please can you be so kind to provide me with inputs, and also can you please enlighten for me the right rendering of other two questions.

P.S: Other great learned people are also requested humbly to sort me out. Please!!

[Hamzeh]

Asalamu Alykum

I'll try to answer your questions Insha'Allah

1) What is "Maqam-e-Mehmood" in 17:79?

17:78 Establish regular prayers - at the sun's decline till the darkness of the night, and the morning prayer and reading: for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony.

Yusuf Ali 17:79 And pray in the small watches of the morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for thee: soon will thy Lord raise thee to a Station of Praise and Glory!

My adjustment 17:79 And pray in the small watches of the morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for thee: (AAasa) It may be that your Lord will raise thee to a Station of Praise and Glory!

Allah(swt) is informing the Prophet Muhammad that an additional prayer is required of him other than the 5 daily prescribed prayers to the believers. Please note that the word "AAasa" I have translated it as "It may be" as I compared it to the same word used in verse 17:8.

2) To whom does God say in 94:4 "we have raised your Zikr" Is it the personal zikr of Prophet Muhammad pbuh? or is it the zikr (quran) given to him which is elevated? If it is the personal zikr of Prophet then the traditionalists give the excuse that since God has elevated the zikr of Prophet, who are you (QC people) to ask us not to glorify him all day long and not sing naats about him.

94:4 And raised high for you your repute.

In my humble opinion Allah did indeed raise the Prophet's reputation and people all around the world know very well who this great person is. Through the Quran we are reminded how a wonderful compassionate hard working soul he was. And how a good example he is to believers. Allah the Most Compassionate and Most Generous has often raised certain people to high ranks in this world. He has bestowed upon them remembrance and honour through later generations with salutations of peace when they maybe mentioned. Please see the verses below:

(37:108-109) And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times: "Peace upon Abraham."
(37:119-120) And We left (this blessing) for them among generations (to come) in later times: "Peace upon Moses and Aaron."
(37:129:130) And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times: "Peace upon Elias."


3) What is the correct understanding of 12:76?? Did God make a seemingly cunning plan for the Prophet Jospeh and then approve of it? because God is all Just as we know about Him? then why did God approve of this clever stratagem, which appears questionable to some people.

12:76 So he began (the search) with their baggage, before (he came to) the baggage of his brother: at length he brought it out of his brother's baggage. Thus did We plan for Joseph. He could not take his brother by the law of the king except that Allah willed it (so). We raise to degrees (of wisdom) whom We please: but over all endued with knowledge is one, the All-Knowing.

It seems that in this beautiful heart warming story the purpose of this plan was to expose the whole situation that happened and to reunite Joseph and his family by God's will. At the end no harm was done to the brother. As it seems that Joseph was a law abiding citizen to the land that he was not able to keep his brother for no good reason, however one notes in verse 12:69 that Joseph had informed his brother not to grieve before the plan even took place. At the end it was to expose and bring everything to light by God's will.

12:69 Now when they came into Joseph's presence, he received his (full) brother to stay with him. He said (to him): "Behold! I am thy (own) brother; so grieve not at aught of their doings."

Insha'Allah that helped in some way

Salam

[maverick83pk]

Dear Hamzah,

Thanks for your inputs, however, im still unclear about this station of Praise and Glory, what is this station actually? Is it some station in the Judgement Day on which the prophet Muhammad will intercede for people as the traditionalists claim? or is it a worldy station in which the Prophet is praised for his feats and achievements?

If it is worldly station, then how do we know that he reached this station? what is our source of information and more importantly what is that information? ahadees? history? the same sources which also casts serious doubts on the prophet's character's integrity. Im quite confused!

Regarding Prophet Jospeh's incident i find Dr. Shabbir's translation far better than others, in his translations he states that it was one of the 12 brothers of benjamin who put the cup of king in benjamin's bag, and not Prophet Joseph as detailed in the Bible! and the same idea carried over by the traditionalists as well, for other purposes, like providing moral justification to their dubious ahadees and objectionable events portrayed in them regarding Prophet Muhammad pbuh.

Anyway, please let me know about this Maqaam-e-Mehmood! I thought Quran was against "personality worship" of all sorts, as it directed towards "God worship"

Regards,

Nabil Arshad Farooqi

[good logic]

Peace maverick83pk.

1) 17;79 GOD is talking to the messenger in the context that it is the same system as all other messengers. i.e GOD is asking him to get closer and closer to Him and attain a "higher rank" . To  become of the rank of "Assabikoon". by doing 17:78 and 17:79

Have a look here:
17:77
سُنَّةَ مَن قَد أَرسَلنا قَبلَكَ مِن رُسُلِنا وَلا تَجِدُ لِسُنَّتِنا تَحويلًا
This is consistently the case with all the messengers we sent before you. GOD s system never changes.
17;79 وَمِنَ الَّيلِ فَتَهَجَّد بِهِ نافِلَةً لَكَ عَسىٰ أَن يَبعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقامًا مَحمودًا
...So your Lord may raise you to a higher rank/honourable rank...When you return to HIM !" Yabaathaka" indicates this to me.

2) 94:4 for me just means GOD has chosen the prophet  to deliver the message, this indeed is an honourable position for this life which in turn leads to an honourable position in the next. It has nothing to do with humans idolising,( Doing dhikr/repeating nonsense words...etc) the prophet!!!

3) My view Joseph s brother was already consulted  beforehand:
12:69
وَلَمّا دَخَلوا عَلىٰ يوسُفَ ءاوىٰ إِلَيهِ أَخاهُ قالَ إِنّى أَنا۠ أَخوكَ فَلا تَبتَئِس بِما كانوا يَعمَلونَ
Also the brothers had a say which law should apply and had no objection to the outcome. Everyone was a winner in the end
.I do not see any issue there!

Of course ,my understanding.
GOD bless you.
Peace.

[Wakas]

peace maverick,
 
Re: 1)
A better (i.e. more accurate) translation of 17:79 is shown below:
 
Establish the salat at the setting of the sun to the darkness of the night; and the reading (of) dawn; indeed, the reading (of) dawn is witnessed. [17:78]
And from the night so remain awake with it additionally for yourself, perhaps your Lord will raise you (to) a status praiseworthy/praised. [17:79]

Note how what follows "perhaps" is linked to what came prior, and simply implies that if you read The Quran more, it is more likely one can achieve a more praiseworthy status. Seems self-explanatory to me.

maqam can mean: stature/dignity/rank/status/stance/position as well as standing place.

[maverick83pk]

Dear Good logic and Wakas,

Thanks a lot for your inputs and clarifying my ambiguities.