Eternal Light

The angry, superstitious people of this town are throwing their threats.  Our three messengers are still standing firm upon their message, not sinking to the level and attitude of the people of the town. Emotions are running high. Then, a cloud of dust almost forms in the distance as someone…someone from the very outskirts of the town, comes in a great hurry…comes running… Running towards a goal….

Recap:

• See Heartbeats(1) and/or Heartbeats(2) if you haven’t already.
• Get a Quran/Tafsir/ or GO TO THIS or HERE
• This post will be Tafsir for Surat Yasin Ayahs 20-24
• Look out for the Daw’ah Tips we learn from the following man….

Bismillah… Ayah 20…

And there came running from the farthest part of the town, a man

SubhanAllah the image: A man from the END of town comes running… Imagine that someone found out that someone he/she loves very much is in great danger…wouldn’t they also come running from the end of the world if needed to give that person the message?

The word used in the verse is actually not “running”… it is “yas’aa” يسعى

Does this word sound familiar at all?

Yas’aa…. As in Sa’iee…

Clue: Makkah…

When you do Umrah or Hajj, the action of walking/running between Safa and Marwa is called “sa’iee”…

For someone who is (in present tense) doing that we would say “yas’aa”. What’s the connection? It’s not just random running; it is running with intent.  With a clear direction, a goal, mission. So in fact, it is not the speed that is important, and he may not have been running exactly, but whatever walk it was, it was with intent.

Who is he? The Quran leaves him anonymous: ‘rajul’…’a man’… Remember when we said that the three messengers were performing a mandatory task? Here is our volunteer.

So what did he  come say? saying: “O my people! Obey the Messengers;

He says now, O my people! We know he is a man FROM THESE PEOPLE when he says “my”…and an ordinary man.  Not their Prince, not their President…but a simple resident… A man from this town. A man who simply cares about his people.

Daw’ah Tip: When you do volunteer Daw’ah with those of your race or town-connect with them. This volunteer shows  that he is one of them by saying “my people” and then he advises them to obey the messengers…

His reasons being….

Ayah 21

Here he gives them two reasons to follow the messengers:

1.  He says: “They are not asking for wages”…Non-Profit…and in that they are sincere…It’s true isn’t it?  When you’re online and run into some crazy ad, trying to persuade you into something, as soon as you see “Enter Credit Card Details Here:” or “Pay-Pal” or “We accept Visa and MasterCard” you close the window and are dismiss it as a rip-off. But is being sincere enough?

2. No, which is why he adds, “and they are guided”.  Guided; worthy of following.  This goes against their attacks of the messengers being liars and whatnot.

Daw’ah Tip: When giving Daw’ah point out rational points, such as “What do you think any of us would benefit (materialistically) by doing this?”

Ayah 22  

The dialogue now takes a super-interesting turn. Our beloved volunteer here goes from speaking to the people to an inner dialouge-but apparently he is thinking outloud!

I know the translation says that the Volunteer questions himself  ”And why should I not worship He (Allah)….”  But the “Why should I not?” comes off kind of bland.  Realize that he is really questioning himself, and perhaps the people listening, “Why wouldn’t I?”

Ok.  Now about the switch. Why? What would you suppose??

Think about it….

One way I would explain it: Have you ever seen/heard your mom when she is really upset and starts lecturing?  How often does it take that turn as well?  For example, “Kids! You need to listen! Go do your homework!!…..(the-switch) I don’t think I ever gave my mom such a hard time! I did this stuff without being told, I wouldn’t dare give my mom such a hard time!”

Something like that.

Where she is kind-of telling the kids that, but mostly she just really questions the bizarre attitude or behavior of the kids…and wonders how their ways of thinking are different. In a way, this volunteer is the same.  He starts off advising his people, then verbalizes how he rationalized belief.  His rationalization: Allah created me, and to Allah I return.

In the Ayah, the Arabic word translated as created me is “fatarany” (and not “khalaqany”)…”Fatar” is the first first creation.. It is the bringing into the existence. The first creation of matter.  Allah alone is “al-Fatir”… He is the best of  ”Al-Khaliqeen” (so people can ‘create’ something things (khalq) but not bring into existence).

Daw’ah Tip: Don’t turn it into a ‘you, you, you’ session.  Put yourself in their shoes.  Try statements such as the ones in these ayahs…For example, “The way I see it, I should worship the one who brought me into existence.”  or “Is it just me or is the One I will return to the most worthy of worship?”

Ayah 23

And he now he asks a really good question…

Wait, notice how our Volunteer is the one asking all the questions?

Did you notice he is the one in the driver’s seat?  The one leading the conversation? Doing the Daw’aa?  We don’t hear the responses of the people!! As if they were dumbfounded…

So he asks: Shall I take besides Him aliha (gods), if the Most Beneficent (Allah) intends me any harm, their intercession will be of no use for me whatsoever, nor can they save me? Good point.  These “other gods” will they intercede for me? Will they save me from the true creator? NO.  Thus, are they worthy of worship?? NO!

Daw’ah Tip: Ask confronting questions such as, “Does ….. that you worship bring you any benefit? Do you honestly believe they can save you from harm?”

Daw’ah Tip: Our volunteer says “if Al-Rahman intends me any harm…” he uses the same word that they used against the messengers.  Use the same vocabulary as your audience.

But this is an internal dialouge...So our Volunteer completes his train of thought…What if he were to worship these other ‘gods’ that could not help him or save him? He would be….

Ayah 24

“Then verily, I should be in plain error. (I think it makes more sense if you say: Then verily I would be in a state of ‘Dallaal Mubeen”) Dallal Mubeen: -Dallal is the opposite of Huda.  It is a state of being lost and astray. Of being ‘in error’. -Mubeen.  I hope you remember this word from Ayah 17! Remember Balagh Mubeen? Clear Message? Well, if you have a clear message, and disbelieve, then you are clearly astray…

Daw’ah Tip: Make you statements short and concise.  Have a point in mind you want to reach to..

Ok, so we’ve heard this volunteer’s thoughts now.  His conclusion??

Find out in Hearbeats(4) inshAllah!

Let’s-Apply-Together:

• Try these Daw’ah Tips and see if you can come up with more (and share them )
• Remember; this was a volunteer! But he was sincere, he came from the end of town.  When we really want to make something known, we’ll “make the trip” (in our day this is usually like 30 minutes)
• INTERACTIVE QUESTION: In Ayah 22, the Volunteer rationalizes that he should worship the one who created him and to Him they shall return….In your opinion, why is this so convincing??

And Allah Knows Best