Surah Kahf- Introduction and Tafsir

Surah Al-Kahf: Introduction and Tafsir

Introduction to Surah Al-Kahf

This chapter, Surah Al-Kahf, takes its name from the 9th verse of the surah. The actual names of chapters of the Quran did not come from the Prophet for the most part, but they came from the companions and their students, the early scholars. So perhaps sometimes you'll find different names for different surahs. Don't get confused. For example, Surah Al-Baqarah, Surah Al-Tawbah, Surah Al-Isra is also called Surah Bani Isra'il, Surah Al-Insan is also called Surah Ad-Dahr. Usually, the early companions, those who were with the Prophet, would name the surah based on the context of the surah or some important story found in the surah.

Understanding Tafsir: The Science of Quranic Interpretation

The Meaning and Foundation of Tafsir

Tafsir itself began in the time of the Prophet. There are some important tools we should have before we talk about any explanation of the Quran. Tafsir comes from a word which means to be clear, the opposite of ambiguity. To be clear, to be unveiling, to be apparent. Tafsir of the Quran means the explanation of the Quran.

Al-Imam As-Suyuti, may Allah have mercy on him—Imam As-Suyuti died in 911 after Hijri, when he was also a Muslim—he was from Egypt, may Allah have mercy on him. Imam As-Suyuti mentioned in Al-Itqan, the book that he wrote called Al-Itqan fi Ulum Al-Quran, it's a very interesting book, a masterpiece inshallah. He mentions in that book that Tafsir of the Quran basically means the tools needed for someone to be able to gain a scholarly connection with the Quran and understanding its meanings, its applications, its context, and also how to make istinbat, how to derive rulings from the Quran, as he considered under that definition, may Allah have mercy on him.

The Relevance of Tafsir in Our Lives

For us here in America, especially those of us who are working 9 to 5 and struggling to pay $4.50 at the gas pump, what we need from Tafsir of the Quran is basically application: how to practice the religion correctly, how to preserve the religion amongst our family, and how to do something good in society. It's really what we want to take from the Quran. None of us are going to make istinbat of rulings; we're not going to derive rulings from the Quran. Number two, how to develop an intimacy with the Quran that will empower us to transcend our own weaknesses and articulate a religious expression within the confines of Northern California. If we can do that, Alhamdulillah.

So the goal of this Tafsir is, to be honest with you, simplicity—not to make things over-complicated. Those of us who study overseas have the propensity at times to come back and say things that no one understands except us. This is a disaster: the separation between the scholars and the students of knowledge and the masses of the people. So we want to empower ourselves by getting close to the Quran.

Breaking Down Barriers to Quranic Understanding

The Quran is a source of guidance, to get close to Allah, to develop a personal relationship with Allah. And this

is one of the dangers of the discourse that's permeated in America maybe the last ten years: that in order to develop just a basic relationship with Quran, you have to spend like ten years in Al-Azhar and get a PhD, or you have to climb some mountain in the Alps and sit with someone and read the Quran 7,000 times before you're able to develop a personal basic relationship with the Quran.

But as Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim and also Imam Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah mentioned, the verses of Quran are divided into three. One of those are those verses that everybody can understand. Anyone can pick up the Quran and read (قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ - qul huwa Allāhu 'aḥad) inshallah and understand. (أَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ - 'aqimi aṣ-ṣalāh) (Quran 17:78) Aqeem as-salat—establish salat means to pray. So we have to be careful in the age of post-modernity where people are looking for some type of spiritual anchor that we don't distance you from your book, the book which Allah has sent.

So the other objective behind this class for myself and for you is to be able to plug into the Quran. As a brother who goes to work every day, how can the Quran become relevant to you in Cisco? How can the Quran become relevant to you as a young professional? How can the Quran become relevant to you if you're single and about to get married? How can the Quran become relevant to you as a mother or as a father? We need relevancy when it comes to our religion, and we're lacking it, even in the Middle East, unfortunately. The masses of the Muslims, you find them completely separated from the scholars. So inshallah, to bring some relevancy to your life, we ask Allah to give us tawfiq inshallah. We ask Allah to make the Quran relevant to us and applicable to us.

At the same time, we have to rely on scholars. And anything that we don't understand, we should ask the people who know if we don't know, inshallah.

The Methodology of Tafsir

Tafsir started in the time of the Prophet, and the scholars followed a simple methodology when they came to discuss the tafsir:

Number one: The Quran explains itself.

Number two: The Prophet explains the Quran through the Sunnah. As Imam Ash-Shafi'i mentioned in his Risalah, Imam Ash-Shafi'i died in 240 Hijri. The Prophet's job is to explain the Quran, to make the Quran clear for the people.

Number three: The tafsir of the sahaba, the companions, those who came after him, like Mujahid. Qatadah, may Allah be pleased with him, read the Quran a number of times with Ibn Abbas. Every time he stopped and made tafsir of each verse, and Ibn Abbas would correct him. Actually, fortunately, his tafsir exists, and there were some centers of tafsir in the Muslim world: in Medina, in Mecca, in Iraq.

After that comes the tafsir of the Tabi'in, the successors of the sahaba. Mujahid, Ibn Abi Najih, and other scholars.

And then tafsir of the language—what does the Arabic language say about this verse?

Sometimes Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, would not understand a verse of Quran. Umar, don't be shy if you don't understand something from Quran. Even Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, all the time he said to

the companions, "What is this verse?" This is Umar. None of us are like Umar. Even those of us who speak Arabic, our Arabic is not like one drop of the Arabic of Umar.

So don't feel distanced. And those of you, those of you who were born to Arab families and the only thing you speak is English, don't allow yourself to feel down on yourself. The Arabic language hasn't been spoken correctly for more than a thousand years. So don't allow these complexes to weaken your ability to relate to the Quran. It's very important that you feel empowered when you come to the Quran. The Quran is going to give you that boost.

After that is the Tafsir of opinion with some conditions. We don't have time to mention all of them, but the ulama mentioned about 13 to 15 conditions for somebody who makes Tafsir of opinion.

Seven Points of Introduction to Surah Al-Kahf

Point One: The Name of the Surah

That takes us to the 18th chapter of Quran. MashaAllah, what a chapter. Alhamdulillah. And inshallah, I hope we can walk hand in hand with this beautiful garden down the slope of the cave. It's a very beautiful surah. And I'm sure many of us—I know when I first became Muslim, I read Surah Al-Kahf before I became Muslim and then after I became Muslim. Those are very fond memories, reading Surah Al-Kahf, even though I didn't understand any Arabic in those days, just being mesmerized by the beauty of this chapter, Alhamdulillah, and the power of this chapter.

This chapter gets its name from the ninth verse, as I said, Surah Al-Kahf. It's one of five chapters that begins with Alhamdulillah.

Point Two: The Virtue of Gathering for Quran

The Prophet praised these kinds of gatherings. He related in authentic hadiths: People will not gather in a basement—we used to say that—one of the houses from the houses of Allah, the masajid, the mosques, or Islamic centers now, to gather and recite the Quran, to study the Quran, to ponder on the Quran, except the angels will come, Alhamdulillah. The angels will bring with them sakinah and rahmah. So right now, Alhamdulillah, our intentions are correct inshallah. We'll become such angels.

Number two, the Prophet said: (خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ - khayrukum man ta'allama al-qur'āna wa 'allamahu) "The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it." Authentic hadith, that the best of you are those who learn and teach the Quran. So we ask inshallah this gathering to make us from those who study the Quran and learn the Quran. It doesn't just mean memorization of Quran. It's also to struggle to understand the Quran itself. The most difficult thing is not to memorize Quran. The most difficult thing is to understand the Book of Allah.

Number three, the Prophet said in an authentic hadith: (أَهْلُ الْقُرْآنِ هُمْ أَهْلُ اللَّهِ وَخَاصَّتُهُ - 'ahlu al-qur'āni hum 'ahlu Allāhi wa khāṣṣatuhū) "The people of Quran are the people of Allah." So how special, how lucky you are and how lucky I am also, Alhamdulillah. Allah chose us to come together just to think about the Quran, just for one hour, hour and a half. You know, you have work now, so you have an excuse inshallah. You can come for one hour, listen, benefit, gain a few lessons that we can apply in our lives and move on, Alhamdulillah. So we ask Allah to facilitate that for us.

Point Three: Five Surahs Beginning with Alhamdulillah

Under the introduction, there are seven points, by the way. So number one is the name of the surah comes from the ninth verse of the surah. Number two is that it's one of five surahs which begins with Alhamdulillah.

Point Four: Three Amazing Stories and the Wisdom Behind Stories

This surah contains three of the most amazing stories found in the Book of Allah, and there is wisdom behind stories. Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah said: "Stories of the righteous people are more beloved to me than fiqh." (أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ فِقْهِ - 'aḥabbu 'ilayya min fiqhi) He said that stories of the righteous people are more beloved to me than fiqh. Why do you think so? Why do you think that Abu Hanifah rahimahullah likes to read about the stories of the righteous people, how they acted and how they conducted themselves? What do you think?

Inspiration. Stories are very inspirational. I remember in the States for like ten years, there was the book Chicken Soup for the Soul—number one, number one, number one. It's a collection of stories basically, more than a collection of stories.

Real life application. Stories represent real life. If you translate those stories, right? The young brother, mashaAllah, said stories represent real life. How many have read a story in the Quran and been able to correlate that to something that happened to them that day? Or reflect on it and say, "Well, this is what Ibrahim did, this is what Musa did, this is what—hopefully the good stories also—this is what Yusuf did, this is what Ashab Al-Kahf did." So the stories, mashaAllah, can be read and built into a narrative that we find in our life.

Simplicity. How many rulings—there was a discussion amongst the fuqaha: Do ayat ahkam, verses which contain rulings, have to be stories? Most have said yes. Also, when you read something bad about someone else that they do, it's easier for you to swallow the medicine, right? It's easier if somebody comes to you and says, "You did this, and you did this, and you did this." We should think about this sometime with our kids when they come home, and we're waiting for them in the front room like a street fight or something. Maybe there's a wiser way to be the guide of our children. Sometimes young people with their parents—because parents will always make mistakes, we know, mashaAllah—so how to correct each other, we find in the stories. Sometimes you might read something in a story that you have a problem with, but since it's not hitting you right in the face, it's more like a soft jab. It's easier to correct yourself and accept the lessons found in the stories.

Excellent, mashaAllah, excellent suggestions. So two things come out of stories, and that's the fourth point. The wisdom behind stories is number one, as Abu Hanifah mentioned, following the example of the righteous people and building a narrative by which you can live by an example.

For example, if you listen to rap music—like I used to listen to rap music, right? Used to, used to, mashaAllah. I don't know about no one. I don't even know what's out there—Half a dime or fifty cents, I don't know. But anyway, when I was young, I would listen to those songs, and then when something would happen, I would hear the song play in my head. Right? So if I was playing basketball, I remember this guy named Mark Baker did something to me. So I remember I heard like a song like, you know, "Smash him, slap him, throw him, kill him." I couldn't kill him, so I had to stop and just throw him, right?

So those songs become like the Quran of Shaitan, right? They start to guide your mind, and that becomes the base of your constructs. Same with television shows. Sometimes if you watch a movie, right, you come out feeling like you were the one watching for a while. You know, like you put yourself in check. You know, check yourself before you wreck yourself, because you might start acting like those people. That study is done.

So by having a relationship with stories in the Quran, we build a bank to refer to it. We can act on it. We can act differently. So when we get married, we have kids, we live inshallah a noble example—not, you know, Ice Cube and whoever and all that stuff, but Alhamdulillah, Ashab Al-Kahf.

Point Five: Three Main Goals of the Surah

The goals of this surah that come with the stories and that are reinforced by the stories are three. That's the fifth one.

Number one is struggling towards Allah. Somebody asked me one time, "How did you memorize the Quran?" I said, "I gave up television." "So what do you mean you gave up television?" I said, "Akhi, I couldn't keep watching television throughout the day and memorize the Quran. It's not going to happen."

So we have to take steps towards Allah. We have to make sacrifices. We have to work. And the story of the people of the cave shows great sacrifice in that: peer pressure, leaving their friends, going against the grain, being able to trust in Allah, and being strong.

As one young Muslim brother told me in Egypt a month ago—he's about 23, he's going to med school this year—he said, "Brother Suhaib, you have to realize amongst young people, man, being Muslim is just not cool." I said, "What do you mean being Muslim is not cool? When I was young, being Muslim was cool." He said, "No, it's not cool anymore. The rhetoric is not there that reinforces that type of behavior in society."

So going against the grain, developing your own rhetoric, being strong, being able to cling and hold on to Allah is a very important lesson to take.

Number two, humility and seeking knowledge: the story of Musa, and belief in the unseen, having faith in the promise of Allah.

Number three, justice and thankfulness: of course, that's the last story of this book.

So those are three important themes of the surah that are reinforced by the stories.

Point Six: The Main Objectives of the Chapter

The contents of the chapter itself, the main objectives of the chapter:

Number one: Truth is not related to quantity or power. Doesn't matter how much you have, doesn't matter how much you've amassed or how powerful you are. If you're powerful and you don't have a relationship with Allah, you're weak. And if you're seen as weak by the people but you have a strong relationship with Allah, you're powerful.

Number two: Belief in Allah over oneself. Trusting Allah, no matter how successful we become in life, no matter how great we become or how awesome we think we are, we have to realize that everything is due to

Point Six: Al-Kitab - The Perfect Book

Allah says (الْكِتَابَ - al-kitāba) the book. And this is the definite article in the Arabic language, which means it's complete. Al- Kitab. This is the book. This book is complete. It has no mistakes. It is the book. There's nothing like this book.

Point Seven: Emphasis Through Repetition

And then He says: (وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُ عِوَجًا - wa lam yajʿal lahu ʿiwajan) "And He did not make in this book any crookedness." In the Arabic language, there's something going on that really, really has to move you. And that is that Allah says (الْكِتَابَ - al-kitāba) the book. And He describes the book by saying Al-Kitab. In the Arabic language, it means this is the perfect book. This is the perfect book. There's nothing like this book, has no mistakes, no deficiencies. He says: (وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُ عِوَجًا - wa lam yajʿal lahu ʿiwajan) "And He did not make any crookedness therein."

Why did He say that? He already said Al-Kitab. It's the perfect book. If I said, "That's the man." For example, we're playing basketball, me and the young homies right there, and I'm dunking on all of them. And then after I dunk on them, after the brother throws me an alley-oop and I catch it—wow, Sheikh Muhammad's son, right?— and after that, if they said, "That's the man," right? In slang, that's the man. Carries that same meaning: perfect. MashaAllah.

But if they said, "That's the man. He got mad hops." That means he can jump really high in English. "That's the man. He can jump really high. He can violate the principles of basic physics." That's what it means: he got hops. Okay? "That's the man. He's got hops." "He got hops" is like what? It's like emphasizing how I performed. He's giving you the picture.

Same here. This is a perfect book, and there's no crookedness. Allah didn't make any crookedness in it. It's what's called at-tawkid. The sentence is used to emphasize this book has no issues. You got it? (الْكِتَابَ - al-kitāba). Al-Kitab what?

Here, there's something going on. The Quran is building on the power of the narrative, so it's kind of like feeling now the language. Here also, it's a little different. The book—he made a conjunction there to show you as well that this book is perfect. Got it? This is the beauty of, subhanAllah, really, the Quran. There was a sheikh who read Surat Al-Infitar and fainted. He read a surah about the Day of Judgment and he fainted because of the power, man, power of this book and the beauty of this book. That's why we still teach Arabic grammar, right? You should take advantage of the class of the sheikh in Arabic grammar because that's going to get you closer to understanding Quran.

Point Eight: The Meaning of 'Iwaj (Crookedness)

That was the fifth point. The sixth: (عِوَجًا - ʿiwajan). What does it mean by 'iwaj? (عِوَجٌ ضِدُّ الاسْتِقَامَةِ - ʿiwajun ḍiddu al-istiqāmati) Iwaj means crookedness, the absence of being straight.

Tafsir of Verses 2-3: Seven Points

Now we move to the second verse. What's the first word in the second verse (قَيّمًا - qayyiman) (Quran 18:2) What does qayyiman mean? Straight. Established. No crookedness. What did Allah just say in the first verse? What did He

say? This is the book. What's not in the book? Any crookedness. He comes back again and hits you in the second verse: (قَيِّمًا - qayyiman)

And qayyim is sighah mubalagha. This is a form in the Arabic language that shows what? Continuity. It's going to continue like this. It's not going to stop. It's qayyim.

Here, qayyim also is to what? To emphasize again the greatness of the Quran. Because Allah mentioned the Quran in the beginning and linked it to what? To His blessings on us. So this is what's called al-itnab. Itnab means what? To talk about something a lot for a reason.

The Arabs also have the opposite. They have ijaz. Ijaz means what? Few words with a massive meaning. (احْفَظ الله - iḥfaẓi Allāha) (Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2516, Musnad Ahmad 2763) The Prophet said: "Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will be mindful of you." How many pages in books on it? (احْفَظ الله - iḥfaẓi Allāha) Huh? Maybe 70, 60. I remember at least 70 pages Sheikh Jamal wrote on this hadith. Ibn Jawzi, I believe, said, "I wrote 30 pages just on this statement: Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will be mindful of you." And he said, "I didn't give this statement its right." The Arabs love concentrated—not juice—concentrated language.

But here's the opposite. Allah goes into a long discussion about the Quran. Why? What's the reason? To reinforce in our hearts the greatness and loveliness of the Quran.

For example, in Surah Taha : (وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يَا مُوسَىٰ - wa mā tilka bi-yamīnika yā mūsā) (Quran 20:17) Allah asked Musa, "What's in your right hand?" Musa said what? He said, "This is my staff." He could have just said, "This is my staff." But he said, "This is my staff. I walk with it, I rest with it, I look after my flocks with it, I protect myself with it."

Why did Musa go into this long description about his staff? Who was he talking to? If you had a chance to talk to Allah, would you make it long or short? So then how come we make dua so short? So Musa had a chance, so he goes for it. "This is my staff, it's clean, it's got little shoes and boots on it, you know, like a spoiler and so on." So he goes into it. Why? Because he gets a chance, he gets the opportunity to talk to Allah. (وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَىٰ تَكْلِيمًا - wa kallama Allāhu mūsā taklīman) (Quran 4:164)

Now what about dua? So here also, this is the same rule. In rhetoric, Allah is talking about this book in such a way to reinforce, man, the loftiness of this book. And if you want to understand that, think about who's talking. It's Allah.

Point One: Stability and Relevance

(قَيِّمًا - qayyiman). And there are in verses 2 and 3 seven points. Allah describes His book as (قَيِّمًا - qayyiman) which is a form of emphasis carrying the meaning of stability and relevance. Stability and relevance. Meaning from the time of the Prophet till the end of time, this book has what humanity needs to function until the end of time. And this guidance is for the Muslim community but for all of humanity in general.

Point Two: Guidance for the Community

And that leads us to the second point, which is guidance for the community.

Point Three: Confidence with the Quran

And the third point: confidence with Quran, man. You have to have confidence with Quran. You can ask me, but I remember once a youngster went to the mosque and he got his ear almost pulled off, man. You think he came back to the mosque? He never came back.

Number two, culturally, those of us who—and I don't like to use the division—who might have a culture which is immigrant in its basis, you have to realize that the young people that we have, Allah has blessed us to give birth to here in the West, are different. Are different. And sometimes those cultural constructs can weaken them, doesn't empower them. The style that we might use back home to motivate people might not motivate people in America, might prove the opposite.

So we have to be empowered in our relationship with Quran, in our relationship with the community-not arrogant. But we have to feel like we have wings, and the community is our wings, man. They will help us if we fall, not the opposite.

So here, confidence with the Quran entails, number one, that the Quran has general principles and axioms whose definitions can be reapplied until the end of time by scholars of law, people who are thoroughly trained in the law, who can reevaluate the situation and answer issues, difficulties, and problems that you might have.

For example, Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah: (يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ - yasʾalūnaka ʿani al-khamri wa al-maysiri) (Quran 2:219) "They ask you about alcohol and gambling." (قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ - qul fīhima ʾiṯmun kabīrun) "Say in them it's a great sin," (وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَا أَكْبَرُ مِن نَّفْعِهِمَا - wa manāfiʿu li al-nāsi wa ʾiṯmuhumā ʾakbaru min nafʿihimā) "And some benefit for people, but the sin and the evil is more than the benefit."

From that point on, scholars are going to take that and analyze things which there are no rulings for and say, "Is the benefit greater for the general masses, or is the harm greater?" If the benefit is greater, based on that understanding, then they're going to give a ruling.

Another example is blocking the means to things that are wrong. (وَلَا تَسُبُّوا الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَيَسُبُّوا اللَّهَ عَدْوًا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ - wa lā tasubbū al-laḏīna yadʿūna min dūni Allāhi fa-yasubbū Allāha ʿadwan bi-ghayri ʿilmin) (Quran 6:108) Allah said: "Don't insult the gods of other people. You do that, they're going to do what? They're going to insult your God." (لَا تَقْرَبُوا الرِّنَا - lā taqrabū al-zinā) (Quran (17:32) "Don't approach fornication."

So Allah teaches us to block the means to harm because right before modern times, the great scholars of Islamic law developed an axiom that said what? Prevention is better than cure. Till the end of time, the relevancy of Quran will be there.

Point Four: Warning and Good News

Another example: Allah says (قَيْمًا لِّيُنذِرَ بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا مِّن لَّدُنْهُ - qayyiman li-yunḏira baʾsan šadīdan min ladunhu) (Quran (18:2) Qayyiman, from leading people to the end of time to warn those who deny the Quran, don't believe in the Quran, that there is severe punishment from Allah."

Then He says: (وَيُبَشِّرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - wa yubaššira al-muʾminīna) (Quran (18:2) "To give"—another reason that the Quran was sent is to give good news to the believers, to remind them, give them hope in Allah. Those who believe and do acts—noble acts and righteous acts—the believers are mentioned in correlation with faith and practice. Faith and practice.

Point Five: The Role of This Generation

This young generation of Muslims, especially those of them, those young brothers and sisters who are just done with college or about to go into college, I have a massive hope in them, and I believe that they're going to do a lot of good inshallah. The reason is—and I'm going to challenge them, brothers and sisters—that they're going to be the generation who takes our discourse out of the mosque. And what I mean is: over the last 20 years, first we wanted just to build mosques, we built mosques, then we wanted to build Islamic centers, then we wanted to build Islamic schools. What you gonna do now? Hospital, what else?

Muslims have to start thinking about institution building. So this young generation of Muslim brothers and sisters, they're going to be the ones who take the verses of Quran and turn them into physical institutions where people can see Islam moving in their lives and benefiting.

Many people in the last 10 months said, "Muslims are the best talkers, man. But they're the worst doers. They can talk and they can talk. They can talk." But this young generation inshallah will be the ones who—those who believe and do good one of the good things that they can do inshallah. And what I encourage you is to establish institutions that help the community, not only the Muslim community but the general community.

Look at the Umma Clinic down south in L.A. How many of you know what is the Umma Clinic? It's a free clinic started by a group of students from my generation who started this clinic in the community, and you ask the people of that neighborhood about Muslims. They're not going to tell you Islam is peace and this and that. They don't even know about it. They're gonna tell you, "That Muslim guy gave medicine for my son when I couldn't afford medicine. That doctor, Dr. Umar."

So that's your role. You can do that. So Allah warns those who disbelieve in the Quran, and He gives good news to those who believe and practice and act on their faith.

Point Six: The Promise of Paradise

And Allah promises them what? (أَجْرًا حَسَنًا - ajran ḥasanan) (Quran (18:2) Paradise. When that word ajr is used in the Quran, it means Paradise. (مَّاكِثِينَ فِيهِ أَبَدًا - mākiṯīna fīhi abadan) (Quran 18:3) SubhanAllah. Allah says that they will reside in Paradise. And (مَّاكِثِينَ - mākiṯīna) means they're going to be established in Paradise. It means, young brothers and sisters, chilling, man. Chilling in Paradise.

Allah—I hear young brothers and sisters: "I'm chilling in this dunya." I said, "You're gonna chill, it's gonna be hot, it's gonna be Hellfire." Chill in Paradise, not here. Chilling in this country? Not here.

Point Seven: Forever in Paradise

Allah says: (مَّاكِثِينَ فِيهِ أَبَدًا - mākiṯīna fīhi abadan). And subhanAllah, if you're Arab, man, your blood's gotta start rising when you hear this, but it's so beautiful. Allah says (مَّاكِثِينَ - mākiṯīna): "They're gonna stay in Paradise. They're gonna be there. Nothing's gonna happen to them." But just to reassure you: (أَبَدًا - abadan) Forever. It's a done deal.

And as the ulama mentioned, Allah said (مَّاكِثِينَ - mākiṯīna): "They're gonna stay there forever." Forever. To emphasize and show you that once you get into Paradise, hey, you got it. How lucky you will be, how we'll all feel right now if you knew that you're gonna go to Jannah without any accountability. So it's a great, great mercy.

Tafsir of Verses 4-5: Nine Points

What's the time? Talk about that? Very nice. We'll do verses 4 and 5 inshallah. There are 9 points.

Then Allah says: (وَيُنذِرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا - Quran (18:4) So Allah mentions that the sending of this Quran is to warn those who reject it, to give good news to those who believe and act on it. And then He says: (وَيُنذِرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا - "And to warn those"-not just "to warn." He could have just said: (وَالَّذِينَ قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا - "And those who say this about Allah." But He mentions warning twice. The second warning is to show that what these people are saying about Allah is so grievous and so bad, I have to mention the verb again: "And to warn those who say Allah has had an offspring."

Point One: Who Is Being Addressed?

Who do you think He's talking about? And this is the importance of tafsir. He's talking about the Quraysh, not the Christians. What's the proof? Where was this surah revealed? In Makkah or Madinah? In Makkah.

And that's why Imam Ibn Kathir rahimahullah, Imam At-Tabari and others said: Right here, at this point in time, Allah is talking to the kuffar of the Quraysh. But remember earlier we said قَيْمًا that the Quran keeps being reapplied in situations. So we have a principle related to the Quran that says: Consideration is given to the generality of the wording, not to the specifics of the situation for which the verse was sent.

So consideration is given to the generality of the wording, not to the reason that the verse was sent. So it applies to the Quraysh but also applies to those who said that Allah had a son, as Allah mentions in other places in the Quran.

Point Two: No Knowledge of This Claim

Allah says: (مَّا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ - Quran (18:5) When they say this (اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا مَّا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ وَلَا لِآبَائِهِمْ - "At that moment in time when they said this, they have no knowledge. There is no knowledge." What is meant by knowledge here? Revelation, information from Allah.

Point Three: Empty Words

(وَيُنذِرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا مَّا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ - Quran 18:5) But Allah says) (كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةً تَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ - Then Allah says وَلَا لِآبَائِهِمْ Because these people, they are going to use two things as a source to prove their contention.

Number one is what? Their forefathers. When I wanted to become Muslim, one of my family members told me -it happened to you too when you became Muslim-one of my family members told me, "How could you go against the religion of your forefathers?" SubhanAllah. So number one is : (اتِّبَاعُ الْآبَاءِ - following the forefathers. Our fathers used to do this.

Number two: Allah says, in reality, in reality, everything came from where? (كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةً تَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ - "Grave is the word that comes from their mouths." The source of everything outside of their fathers is their mouth. So Allah is showing: Look, it didn't come from revelation, it didn't come from the heavens, it didn't come from Allah, it's not Quran from Allah. But it came from their ancestors and what they uttered with their mouths.

Point Four: No Ijtihad in Matters of Creed

So here we take a nice, nice important principle, and we stop. In the areas of creed, in the areas of faith, in the

areas of the foundations of faith, there's no ijtihad. Nobody can come and say, "Well, I think this because of my dad, and this because of my auntie, and this from Oprah, and that."

But in these areas, everything goes back to what? To revelation. We'll stop now inshallah. Next week we'll continue inshallah