The Advanced Level of Islamic Understanding Courses

Quran Times Cultural Institute

A short Commentary of Chapter Al-Noor

Session1 (1-3)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

In the name of Allah

Chapter Noor (The Light) contains lightening verses to encourage people to be pure and faithful which revealed in Medina. The holy prophet of Islam said: One who recite this chapter and try to practice it will be reward by Allah so much and will be prosperous.

سُورَةٌ أَنزَلْنَاهَا وَ فَرَضْنَاهَا وَ أَنزَلْنَا فِيهَا ءَايَاتِ بَيِّنَاتٍ لَّعَلَّكمُ‏ تَذَكَّرُون

A Surah which We have sent down and which We have enjoined (Faradnaha), and in it We have revealed manifest Ayat, that you may remember.)

سُورَةٌ أَنزَلْنَاهَا...

Here Allah is pointing out the high esteem in which He holds this Surah, which is not to say that other Surahs are not important.

وَ فَرَضْنَاهَا...

Means that Allah has explained what is lawful and unlawful, commands and prohibitions, and the prescribed punishments and it is enjoined them upon you and those who come after you.

وَ أَنزَلْنَا فِيهَا ءَايَاتِ بَيِّنَاتٍ لَّعَلَّكمُ‏ تَذَكَّرُون

Means, clearly explained that you may remember.

Remembrance (ذکر) mentioned dozens of time in Quran and it takes an important position in it. It means, we should remember the favors of God all the time so that we will be more obedient.

Thinking to different graces of Allah emphasized in Quran because the functions of people are the best signs of their methods of thinking. So Allah ordered people to correct it in different chapters.

الزَّانِيَةُ وَ الزَّانىِ فَاجْلِدُواْ كلُ‏ وَاحِدٍ مِّنهْمَا مِاْئَةَ جَلْدَةٍ وَ لَا تَأْخُذْكمُ بهِمَا رَأْفَةٌ فىِ دِينِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَ الْيَوْمِ الاَخِرِ وَ لْيَشهدْ عَذَابهَمَا طَائفَةٌ مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِين

(2. As for the fornicatress and the fornicator, strike each of them a hundred lashes, and let not pity for them overcome you in Allah's law, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day, and let their punishment be witnessed by a group of the faithful.

This honorable Ayah contains the ruling on the law of retaliation for the person who commits illegal sex, and details of the punishment. In fact God prescribed punishment differently for a person who has never been married and for a person who has had intercourse within the bounds of a lawful marriage.

The prescribed punishment for the first group is flogging each of them with a hundred stripes and for the second group is stoning to death.

Stoning to death is not brought in the Holly Quran but it is said by Prophet Mohammad (p.b.h & f) and according to the verses of the Holly Quran, His saying is a proof for us and it’s a must like the verses of Quran.

There are some misunderstandings about this Islamic rule but in a short scan about Islam it is clearly understandable why Islam is so rough about this sin (committing illegal sex). Also conditions of prescribed punishment (stoning to death) is so hard and it is rarely happened. A Sinner who committed illegal sex, should be free, adult and of sound mind and also should witness four times about his sin. In addition of that four eyewitnesses should bear witness about what they saw. In this case sinners must stone to death.

وَ لَا تَأْخُذْكمُ بهِمَا رَأْفَةٌ فىِ دِينِ اللَّه إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَ الْيَوْمِ الاَخِرِ …

(Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allah,) "If the matter is taken to the ruling authority, the punishment has to be carried out and cannot be stopped.

The meaning of the Ayah is: "Do not feel too sorry for them where the laws of Allah are established.'' This does not mean that we should not naturally feel pity when carrying out the punishment. What is prohibited here is the kind of pity that may make the judge ignore the punishment altogether. This is what is not permitted for the judge

(if you believe in Allah and the Last Day).Means, then do that, carry out the punishments on those who commit illegal sex, and strike them hard, so that he and others like him will be deterred by the terror of that so the society will be secure.

..وَ لْيَشهدْ عَذَابهَمَا طَائفَةٌ مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِين

(And let a party of the believers witness their punishment.) This is more humiliating for the people who are guilty of illegal sex, if they are flogged in front of the people. This is because it is more effective as a deterrent and it conveys the sense of scandal and rebuke.

الزَّانىِ لَا يَنكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَ الزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَا إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ وَ حُرِّمَ ذَالِكَ عَلىَ الْمُؤْمِنِين

The fornicator shall not marry anyone but a fornicatress or an idolatress, and the fornicatress shall be married by none except a fornicator or an idolater, and that is forbidden to the faithful

Here Allah tells us that the Zani (male who is guilty of illegal sex) does not have intercourse except with a Zaniyah (female who is guilty of illegal sex) or a Mushrikah (female idolator), meaning that no one would go along with him in this action except a sinful woman who is also guilty of fornication, or a Mushrikah who does not think it is unlawful.

This kind of marriage has so many disadvantages which they are clear for wise people. In a short, the most important disadvantages related to training up the children.

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