Lecture on the Second Night

QUranic verses on Qisas were compared with similar rules from Old Testament and New Testament.

References:
Surah Kahf, verses 1-5
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُ عِوَجَا {1}
[Pickthal 18:1] Praise be to Allah Who hath revealed the Scripture unto His slave, and hath not placed therein any crookedness,

قَيِّمًا لِّيُنذِرَ بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا مِن لَّدُنْهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا حَسَنًا {2}
[Pickthal 18:2] (But hath made it) straight, to give warning of stern punishment from Him, and to bring unto the believers who do good works the news that theirs will be a fair reward,

مَاكِثِينَ فِيهِ أَبَدًا {3}
[Pickthal 18:3] Wherein they will abide for ever;

وَيُنذِرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا {4}
[Pickthal 18:4] And to warn those who say: Allah hath chosen a son,

مَّا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ وَلَا لِآبَائِهِمْ كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةً تَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ إِن يَقُولُونَ إِلَّا كَذِبًا {5}
[Pickthal 18:5] (A thing) whereof they have no knowledge, nor (had) their fathers, Dreadful is the word that cometh out of their mouths. They speak naught but a lie.

Surah Baqarah, verses 179, 178


يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالأُنثَى بِالأُنثَى فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاء إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ ذَلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ فَمَنِ اعْتَدَى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ {178}
[Pickthal 2:178] O ye who believe! Retaliation is prescribed for you in the matter of the murdered; the freeman for the freeman, and the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. And for him who is forgiven somewhat by his (injured) brother, prosecution according to usage and payment unto him in kindness. This is an alleviation and a mercy from your Lord. He who transgresseth after this will have a painful doom.

وَلَكُمْ فِي الْقِصَاصِ حَيَاةٌ يَاْ أُولِيْ الأَلْبَابِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ {179}
[Pickthal 2:179] And there is life for you in retaliation, O men of understanding, that ye may ward off (evil).

Surah Ma'idah, verses 44-45


إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُواْ لِلَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالأَحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُواْ مِن كِتَابِ اللّهِ وَكَانُواْ عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَاء فَلاَ تَخْشَوُاْ النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ بِآيَاتِي ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ {44}
[Pickthal 5:44] Lo! We did reveal the Torah, wherein is guidance and a light, by which the prophets who surrendered (unto Allah) judged the Jews, and the rabbis and the priests (judged) by such of Allah's Scripture as they were bidden to observe, and thereunto were they witnesses. So fear not mankind, but fear Me. And My revelations for a little gain. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are disbelievers.

وَكَتَبْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِيهَا أَنَّ النَّفْسَ بِالنَّفْسِ وَالْعَيْنَ بِالْعَيْنِ وَالأَنفَ بِالأَنفِ وَالأُذُنَ بِالأُذُنِ وَالسِّنَّ بِالسِّنِّ وَالْجُرُوحَ قِصَاصٌ فَمَن تَصَدَّقَ بِهِ فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَّهُ وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أنزَلَ اللّهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ {45}
[Pickthal 5:45] And We prescribed for them therein: The life for the life, and the eye for the eye, and the nose for the nose, and the ear for the ear, and the tooth for the tooth, and for wounds retaliation. But whoso forgoeth it (in the way of charity) it shall be expiation for him. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are wrong-doers.

Surah Ma'idah, 46-47
وَقَفَّيْنَا عَلَى آثَارِهِم بِعَيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الإِنجِيلَ فِيهِ هُدًى وَنُورٌ وَمُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَهُدًى وَمَوْعِظَةً لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ {46}
[Pickthal 5:46] And We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow in their footsteps, confirming that which was (revealed) before him in the Torah, and We bestowed on him the Gospel wherein is guidance and a light, confirming that which was (revealed) before it in the Torah - a guidance and an admonition unto those who ward off (evil).

وَلْيَحْكُمْ أَهْلُ الإِنجِيلِ بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ فِيهِ وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ {47}
[Pickthal 5:47] Let the People of the Gospel judge by that which Allah hath revealed therein. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are evil-livers.

Old Testament, Book of Exodus 21, line 12
http://www.readbookonline.net/read/989/11168/

Lecture on the First Night

References used in the lecture which I had noted:
Surat al-israa' (also known as Sura Bani Israil), chapter 17 and verses 9 and 10.
Israa: The Night Journey
{9}

إِنَّ هَـذَا الْقُرْآنَ يِهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا

[Pickthal 17:9] Lo! this Qur'an guideth unto that which is straightest, and giveth tidings unto the believers who do good works that theirs will be a great reward.

وأَنَّ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا

{10}

[Pickthal 17:10] And that those who believe not in the Hereafter, for them We have prepared a painful doom.

Surat al-Baqara, verse 179:

وَلَكُمْ فِي الْقِصَاصِ حَيَاةٌ يَاْ أُولِيْ الأَلْبَابِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ {179}

[Pickthal 2:179] And there is life for you in retaliation, O men of understanding, that ye may ward off (evil).

Also references from Nahjul Balagha were used:
Sermon # 197 and Hikmat # 420

Introduction - Read this first...

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

We are accustomed to buying books for use i.e. ‘understanding’. Unfortunately, when it comes to the Holy Qur’an we do not keep a Quran for ‘use’ instead as a tradition and for blessing. But the Holy Qur’an itself calls itself:

‘Certainly this Qur’an guides to that which is the ‘most upright’’
(Surah Isra 17, Ayah 9-10)
Well then if Qur’an is making this huge claim that it is the best book and it gives solutions for all our problems then why can’t we use it as such?

Why don’t we learn the skills necessary to use Qur’an as a Manual for making a perfect human and a perfect society?

This is the main idea and the main thrust behind this year’s English Majalis at MOMIN.

We are using the Qur’an in our Majalis for finding solutions to a variety of individual, social, and political problems.

The rules of Qisas, marriage, divorce, treatment regarding parents, belief in Imamat, reality of Kitab-e-Mubeen and Imam-e-Mubeen etc are discussed for this reason.

We also doing another thing: we are comparing the rules Ahkam of Holy Qur’an with other systems of the world particularly the American system to see how Qur’an offers the best system.

In the 6th lecture for exmple you find how to resolve marital disputes.

Then a major topic is the focus of some of the majalis: three stages of guidance:

1. Guidance to the ways of Salaam (Subulus Salaam)
2. Being brought out of darkness towards light
3. Allah’s guidance towards the Siratul Mustaqeem

People of the Sirat are those upon whom Allah favors have come. They are Prophets and Imams not others. Others only find guidance, due to obedience Ita’at, toward the Sirat. Qualities of Sirat are important for our understanding so that we do not take the verses of Holy Qur’an lightly when we read Surah Hamd five times in our prayers.