In the previous article of this series “Matn al Sakhawiyya”, six lines of the poem and their corresponding mutashabihat were discussed. This article proceeds with the next few lines, bi idnillah.
To recall what was previously discussed:
1.The difference between Surah Al Baqarah and Al-‘A`raf in a couple of verses.
2. The word أبى is mentioned in Al Baqarah and not Sad, in the story of Adam alayhisalaam and Iblees.
3. The difference between Surah Al Baqarah and Āli `Imran in the similar verses at the end of the 1st and 3rd juz, respectively.
Imam al Sakhawiyy then mentions:
What is brought to attention here is that, both these verses in Surah al Baqarah are from the second juz. One of them has وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ [verse 191] and the other has وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ [verse 217]. The Sheikh points out that أشد comes before أكبر.
The next stanza is one that is most commonly confused, and this would really help if remembered, bi idnillah.
For those in their Hifdh journey, the verses mentioned here will be familiar. It isn’t surprising to reach such a verse and get stuck in the ending or confused whether the ayah mentions ءاياته or الآيات. The above stanza explains that ‘كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ’ is only mentioned in four places in the Quran. The others must be different. So one should be able to recite confidently when reaching the above mentioned ayahs. However, one needs to note the different last words in each of the ayahs.
The four ayahs mentioned by the Sheikh are as follows:
- حَقًّا عَلَى الْمُتَّقِينَ وَلِلْمُطَلَّقَاتِ مَتَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
(Surah Al Baqarah: 241, 242)
2. وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا ۚ وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُون
(Surah Āli `Imran:103)
3. لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّهُ بِاللَّغْوِ فِي أَيْمَانِكُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ يُؤَاخِذُكُمْ بِمَا عَقَّدْتُمُ الْأَيْمَانَ ۖ فَكَفَّارَتُهُ إِطْعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَاكِينَ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ أَوْ كِسْوَتُهُمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ ۖ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ كَفَّارَةُ أَيْمَانِكُمْ إِذَا حَلَفْتُمْ ۚ وَاحْفَظُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ (Surah Al Ma’idah: 89)
4. وَإِذَا بَلَغَ الْأَطْفَالُ مِنكُمُ الْحُلُمَ فَلْيَسْتَأْذِنُوا كَمَا اسْتَأْذَنَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
(Surah An-Nur: 59)
The Imam then sheds light on another common tricky mutashabih of the Quran. When Allah mentions the Heavens and the Earth, mostly the Heaven السماء is mentioned before the Earth الأرض. There are a few instances in the Quran however, where the Earth is mentioned before the Heavens. The next few lines of the poem attributes to this.
The poem mentions the words in the corresponding ayahs, for the reciter to recall the places during recitation whereالأرض occurs before السماء.
It goes without saying that other than these 5 specific places in the Quran, السماء precedes الأرض.
1. Āli `Imran: 5: After لا يخفى –
إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ
2. Yunus: 61: After – وما يعزب
وَمَا يَعْزُبُ عَن رَّبِّكَ مِن مِّثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ
3. Ibrahim: 38: After – وما يخفى (not mentioned in the poem)
رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ مَا نُخْفِي وَمَا نُعْلِنُ ۗ وَمَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَى اللَّـهِ مِن شَيْءٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ
4. Taha: 4: After – ممن خلق
تَنزِيلًا مِّمَّنْ خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ وَالسَّمَاوَاتِ الْعُلَى
(notice here it is السماوات in the plural form)
5. Al Ankabut: 22: After – وما أنتم بمعجزين
وَمَا أَنتُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ
May Allah make the Quran we have memorized etched in our hearts so that we are able to recite it without faltering or erring. May He increase our love for His Book and make it our companion in Dunya and al-Akhirah.
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