Christian
Churches of God
No. Q025
Commentary on the Koran: Surah 25 “The Criterion”
(Edition 1.5 20170915-20201221)
Surah 25 deals with the Criterion of Right and Wrong which deals with
the preparation of the Body of the Faith.
Christian
Churches of God
E-mail: secretary@ccg.org
(Copyright
© 2017, 2020 Wade Cox and Alan
Brach)
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Commentary on the Koran: Surah 25
“The Criterion”
Pickthall
Translation; ESV used throughout unless otherwise noted.
Introduction
Surah 25 Al-Furquan “The Criterion” takes its name from the subject in verse
1 The Criterion (of Right and Wrong). This is the preparation in the Holy
Spirit of the elders of the Muhammad or Council of the Church in their
preparation to become messengers to the faithful and to mankind under direction
of the Holy Spirit. These are the ones who become the 144,000 and the Great
Multitude of Revelation chapter 7 to be called out over the 2000 years as the
72 of the elect councils per year of the 144,000 (and with the Great
Multitude) of the called and chosen of the Churches
of God. These elements are explained in
the paper The Harvests of God, the New Moon
Sacrifices, and the 144,000 (No
120).
*****
25.1. Blessed is He Who hath revealed unto
His slave the Criterion (of right and wrong), that he may be a warner to the
peoples.
Psalm 113:2-3 Blessed
be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore! 3From
the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!
1Kings 3:9 Give your
servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may
discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great
people?
Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is
for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by
constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
1Corinthians 2:14 The
natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are
folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are
spiritually discerned.
Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way
you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Job 28:28 And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
25.2. He unto Whom belongeth the Sovereignty
of the heavens and the earth, He hath chosen no son nor hath He any partner in
the Sovereignty. He hath created everything and hath meted out for it a
measure.
God
created the elohim as sons of God and sent Messiah from among them all (as sons
of God) who were the messengers to mankind so that
mankind might be helped and qualify all as elohim by declaration, as coheirs
with Christ.
“Is
it not written in your law; I said ye are gods (Elohim and Theoi) all of you ....
(and scripture cannot be broken)” (Psa. 82:6; Jn. 10:34-36).
Psalm 103:19 The LORD
has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
Psalm 115:3 Our God
is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
Job 38:7 when the
morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Psalm 97:9 For you, O LORD, are
most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods (elohim).
Jeremiah 32:17 'Ah, Lord
GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and
by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.
Isaiah 40:12 Who has
measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a
span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in
scales and the hills in a balance?
Job 38:5 Who determined its
measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
God generated His angelic sons by giving the command and they came to be. All
are subordinate to Him and all are of one creation including Messiah. Satan is
also among them (Job 1:6; 2:1).
25.3. Yet they choose beside Him
other gods who create naught but are themselves created, and possess not hurt
nor profit for themselves, and possess not death nor life, nor power to raise
the dead.
All of the Host are created, including
the demons or jinn, and are not gods in the sense that Eloah is God.
See also Psalm 97:9 at ayat 25.2 above.
Daniel 4:35 all the inhabitants of the earth are
accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of
heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or
say to him, "What have you done?"
Deuteronomy 32:39 See now
that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
1Corinthians 8:5-6 For
although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are
many "gods" and many "lords"— 6yet for us there
is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one
Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
25.4. Those who disbelieve say: This is naught but a lie that he hath
invented, and other folk have helped him with it, so that they have produced a
slander and a lie.
25.5. And they say: Fables of the
men of old which he hath had written down so that they are dictated to him morn
and evening.
2Timothy 4:3-4 For the
time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching
ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4and
will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
2Peter 1:16 For we
did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2Peter 2:3 And in
their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from
long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
2Peter 1:20-21 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
25.6. Say (unto them, O Muhammad):
He who knoweth the secret of the heavens and the earth hath revealed it. Lo! He
ever is Forgiving, Merciful.
So
also the Mysteries of God are revealed to His servants the prophets right up
into the Last Days and the three final prophets or messengers of the elect (Jer.
4:15-16 and Rev. 11:3ff).
Deuteronomy 29:29 The
secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed
belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this
law.
1John 1:9 If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
Lamentations 3:22 The
steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
25.7. And they say: What aileth this
messenger (of Allah) that he eateth food and walketh in the markets? Why is not
an angel sent down unto him, to be a warner with him.
25.8. Or (why is not) treasure
thrown down unto him, or why hath he not a paradise from whence to eat? And the
evil-doers say: Ye are but following a man bewitched.
25.9. See how they coin similitudes for
thee, so that they are all astray and cannot find a road!
See 2 Peter
1:20-21 at ayat 25.5 above.
2Peter 3:3 knowing
this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing,
following their own sinful desires.
Jeremiah 7:27 So you
shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall
call to them, but they will not answer you.
Ezekiel 2:7 And you
shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are
a rebellious house.
Luke 16:31 He said to him, 'If
they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if
someone should rise from the dead.'
Now they were not convinced and they killed the messengers of the faithful in Arabia
and the Middle East after the Rightly Guided Caliphs including Ali and Hussein
and suppressed the Scriptures, and do so to this day.
25.10. Blessed is He Who, if He will, will assign thee better than
(all) that - Gardens underneath which rivers flow - and will assign thee
mansions.
That
is the reward of the elect.
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say
to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He
does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is
the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no
power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with
him for a thousand years.
John 14:1-3 Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in
God; believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms. If it
were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to
myself, that where I am you may be also.
25.11. Nay, but they deny (the
coming of) the Hour, and for those who deny (the coming of) the Hour We have
prepared a flame.
25.12. When it seeth them from afar, they
hear the crackling and the roar thereof.
25.13. And when they are flung into a narrow
place thereof, chained together, they pray for destruction there.
25.14. Pray not that day for one
destruction, but pray for many destructions!
25.15. Say: Is that (doom) better
or the Garden of Immortality which is promised unto those who ward off (evil)?
It will be their reward and journey's end.
25.16. Therein abiding, they have
all that they desire. It is for thy Lord a promise that must be fulfilled.
25.17. And on the day when He will
assemble them and that which they worship instead of Allah and will say: Was it
ye who misled these my slaves or did they (themselves) wander from the way?
25.18. They will say: Be Thou Glorified!
it was not for us to choose any protecting friends beside thee; but Thou didst
give them and their fathers ease till they forgot the warning and became lost
folk.
25.19. Thus they will give you the lie
regarding what ye say, then ye can neither avert (the doom) nor obtain help.
And whoso among you doeth wrong, We shall make him taste great torment.
2Peter 3:4 They will
say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell
asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of
creation."
Revelation 20:15 And if
anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the
lake of fire.
Revelation 11:15 Then the
seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his
Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.
Zephaniah 1:15-16 A day of
wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and
devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick
darkness, 16a day of trumpet
blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty
battlements.
See also Revelation 20:6 at
ayat 25.10 above.
The
First Garden of Paradise is the reward of the elect of the First Resurrection
and they inherit eternal life and they rule with Christ for a thousand years.
Revelation 5:10 and you have made
them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.
Matthew 24:24 For false christs
and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to
lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
2Thessalonians 2:9-12 The
coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false
signs and wonders, 10and with all wicked deception for those who are
perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11Therefore
God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12in
order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure
in unrighteousness.
Proverbs 19:9 A false
witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.
Proverbs 12:19 Truthful
lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Lamentations 3:64 You will
repay them, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
25.20. We never sent before thee
any messengers but lo! they verily ate food and walked in the markets. And We
have appointed some of you a test for others: Will ye be steadfast? And thy
Lord is ever Seer.
25.21. And those who look not for a
meeting with Us say: Why are angels not sent down unto us and (Why) do we not
see our Lord! Assuredly they think too highly of themselves and are scornful
with great pride.
God
speaks to mankind through His servants the prophets and not usually through
Angels unless to the prophets and not since the formation of the church and the
granting of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost or Eid (see Hebrew and Islamic
Calendar Reconciled (No. 053)).
Jeremiah 25:4-5 You have
neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently
sent to you all his servants the prophets, 5saying, 'Turn now, every
one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the LORD
has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever.
Luke 16:31 He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses
and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from
the dead.'
1Peter 4:12-16 Beloved,
do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as
though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice
insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad
when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted for the name of
Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
15But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer
or as a meddler. 16Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not
be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
1Timothy 6:16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in
unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and
eternal dominion. Amen.
Matthew 23:12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and
whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
James 4:6 But he
gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives
grace to the humble."
1Corinthians 3:18 Let no
one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age,
let him become a fool that he may become wise.
25.22. On the day when they behold the angels, on that day there will
be no good tidings for the guilty; and they will cry: A forbidding ban!
25.23. And We shall turn unto the
work they did and make it scattered motes.
John 5:28-29 Do not marvel at
this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29and
come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who
have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his
angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according
to what he has done.
Acts 17:31 because he has fixed a day on which
he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of
this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
25.24. Those who have earned the Garden on
that day will be better in their home and happier in their place of noonday
rest;
25.25. A day when the heaven with
the clouds will be rent asunder and the angels will be sent down, a grand
descent.
25.26. The Sovereignty on that day
will be the True (Sovereignty) belonging to the Beneficent One, and it will be
a hard day for disbelievers.
25.27. On the day when the
wrong-doer gnaweth his hands, he will say: Ah, would that I had chosen a way
together with the messenger (of Allah)!
25.28. Alas for me! Ah, would that
I had never taken such an one for friend!
25.29. He verily led me astray from
the Reminder after it had reached me. Satan was ever man's deserter in the hour
of need.
See Daniel 4:35 at ayat 25.3 above.
1Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the
Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of
an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ
will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be
caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so
we will always be with the Lord.
Matthew 24:31 And he will send out his angels with a loud
trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end
of heaven to the other.
Revelation 20:11-12 Then I saw a great
white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled
away, and no place was found for them. 12And I saw the dead, great
and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book
was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was
written in the books, according to what they had done.
1Peter 5:8 Be
sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a
roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
2Corinthians 4:4 In their case the god of this
world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the
light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
25.30. And the messenger saith: O my Lord! Lo! mine own folk make this
Qur'an of no account.
These
are rebellious idolaters of Becca and the Arabs generally who deny the
Scriptures and the words of the Koran.
Mark 7:13 thus making void the
word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things
you do."
Luke 10:16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
John 8:47 Whoever is of God hears the words of
God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
25.31. Even so have We appointed unto every
prophet an opponent from among the guilty; but Allah sufficeth for a Guide and
Helper.
So
all prophets are opposed by the false prophets and defamed. Beware when men
speak well of you for thus they did of the false prophets.
John 15:18-19 If the world hates
you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19If you were of
the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the
world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Matthew 10:22 and you will be hated by all for my name's
sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 48:14 that this is God, our God forever
and ever. He will guide us forever.
25.32. And those who disbelieve say: Why is the Qur'an not revealed
unto him all at once? (It is revealed) thus that We may strengthen thy heart
therewith; and We have arranged it in right order.
25.33. And they bring thee no similitude but
We bring thee the Truth (as against it), and better (than their similitude) as
argument.
25.34. Those who will be gathered
on their faces unto hell: such are worse in plight and further from the right
road.
Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
John 16:12 I still have many
things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
2Peter 3:18 But grow
in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the
glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
1Peter 2:2 Like
newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up
into salvation—
Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore
let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not
laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward
God, 2and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the
resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
Colossians 1:10 so as to
walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in
every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Mark 4:11 And he said to them, "To you has been
given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in
parables,
Ephesians 1:9 making
known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set
forth in Christ
1John 5:20 And we
know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we
may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus
Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Revelation 21:8 But as for the
cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually
immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake
that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.
25.35. We verily gave Moses the
Scripture and placed with him his brother Aaron as henchman.
25.36. Then We said: Go together
unto the folk who have denied Our revelations. Then We destroyed them, a
complete destruction.
Exodus 5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh,
"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, that they may
hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'"
Exodus 6:27 It was
they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel
from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.
Exodus 7:16 And you
shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying,
"Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness." But so
far, you have not obeyed.
Exodus 15:4 Pharaoh's
chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk
in the Red Sea.
25.37. And Noah's folk, when they denied the messengers, We drowned
them and made of them a portent for mankind. We have prepared a painful doom
for evil-doers.
Genesis 6:13 And God
said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the
earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with
the earth.
Genesis 7:4 For in
seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every
living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith
Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear
constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the
world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
See Revelation 21:8 at ayat 25.34 above.
25.38. And (the tribes of) A'ad and
Thamud, and the dwellers in Ar-Rass, and many generations in between.
25.39. Each (of them) We warned by examples,
and each (of them) We brought to utter ruin.
Many
communities were warned by the messengers sent to them. They were advised to
mend their ways and repent of their evil deeds. They were given examples of
those before them and how they perished when they did not heed the warnings
delivered to them by their messengers. This
theme is repeated in Surah after Surah.
25.40. And indeed they have passed by the
township whereon was rained the fatal rain. Can it be that they have not seen
it? Nay, but they hope for no resurrection.
The
cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire which was the fatal rain
from Yahovah in the heaven.
Genesis 19:24 Then the
LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven.
2Peter 2:6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned
them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the
ungodly;
Jude 1:7 just as Sodom and
Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual
immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a
punishment of eternal fire.
Hebrews 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
Isaiah 26:19 Your dead shall live; their bodies
shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is
a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.
25.41. And when they see thee (O Muhammad)
they treat thee only as a jest (saying): Is this he whom Allah sendeth as a
messenger?
25.42. He would have led us far away from our
gods if we had not been staunch to them. They will know, when they behold the
doom, who is more astray as to the road.
25.43. Hast thou seen him who chooseth for
his god his own lust? Wouldst thou then be guardian over him?
25.44. Or deemest thou that most of
them hear or understand? They are but as the cattle - nay, but they are farther
astray?
2Chronicles 36:16 But they
kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his
prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was
no remedy.
Deuteronomy 6:14-15 You shall
not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— 15for
the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the LORD
your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the
earth.
1John 2:16-17 For all
that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and
pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17And
the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of
God abides forever.
Psalm 49:20 Man in
his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
25.45. Hast thou not seen how thy
Lord hath spread the shade - And if He willed He could have made it still -
then We have made the sun its pilot;
25.46. Then We withdraw it unto Us,
a gradual withdrawal?
Psalm 121:5 The LORD
is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
Jonah 4:6 Now the
LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a
shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly
glad because of the plant.
Isaiah 4:6 There
will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter
from the storm and rain.
Joshua 10:12-13 At that
time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over
to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand
still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon." 13And the
sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their
enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the
midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.
Isaiah 38:8 Behold, I
will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back
ten steps." So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it
had declined.
God
chooses the miracles and also the shade lengthens and then the shade contracts
until it disappears in places close to the Equator and the process is repeated
again. Understanding grows when we please our Master in faith but it can also
be taken away when we turn our back on him.
25.47. And He it is Who maketh night a
covering for you, and sleep repose, and maketh day a resurrection.
Psalm 4:8 In peace
I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Proverbs 3:24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Ecclesiastes 5:12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Psalm 121:5-6 The LORD is your keeper; the
LORD is your shade on your right hand. 6The sun shall not strike you
by day, nor the moon by night.
Daniel 12:2 And many
of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting
life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
25.48. And He it is Who sendeth the
winds, glad tidings heralding His mercy, and We send down purifying water from
the sky,
25.49. That We may give life thereby to a
dead land, and We give many beasts and men that We have created to drink
thereof.
25.50. And verily We have repeated it among
them that they may remember, but most of mankind begrudge aught save
ingratitude.
Psalm 104:13-14 From your
lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your
work. 14You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for
man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth.
Isaiah 30:23 And he
will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the
produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your
livestock will graze in large pastures,
Isaiah 44:3 For I
will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour
my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.
Romans 1:21 For
although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him,
but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were
darkened.
2Timothy 3:2 For
people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive,
disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.
Colossians 2:12-13 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
The rains bring the dead earth back to life. God brings us back from the dead
by His mercies and prepares us in understanding with the Holy Spirit.
25.51. If We willed, We could raise
up a warner in every village.
Psalm 115:3 Our God
is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of
the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all
nations, and then the end will come.
The warning message goes to every village as determined by God. In this day He has given us an open door into
every home through the miracle of the internet. Yet man fails to seek God and
heed the message.
25.52. So obey not the disbelievers, but
strive against them herewith with a great endeavour.
Acts 5:29 But Peter
and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.
Acts 4:19 But Peter
and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen
to you rather than to God, you must judge,
25.53. And He it is Who hath given independence to the two seas (though
they meet); one palatable, sweet, and the other saltish, bitter; and hath set a
bar and a forbidding ban between them.
The
text has a logical link in the following texts:
مَرَجَ
الْبَحْرَيْنِ
يَلْتَقِيَانِ
- بَيْنَهُمَا
بَرْزَخٌ
لاَّ
يَبْغِيَانِ
فَبِأَىِّ
ءَالاءِ
رَبِّكُمَا
تُكَذِّبَانِ
(He has let loose
the two seas meeting together. Between them is a barrier which none of them can
transgress. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny) (55:19-21)
أَمَّن
جَعَلَ
الاٌّرْضَ
قَرَاراً
وَجَعَلَ
خِلاَلَهَآ
أَنْهَاراً
وَجَعَلَ
لَهَا رَوَاسِىَ
وَجَعَلَ
بَيْنَ
الْبَحْرَيْنِ
حَاجِزاً
أَءِلـهٌ
مَّعَ اللهِ
بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ
لاَ
يَعْلَمُونَ
(Is not He Who has
made the earth as a fixed abode, and has placed rivers in its midst, and placed
firm mountains therein, and set a barrier between the two seas Is there any god
with Allah Nay, but most of them know not!) (27:61)
Yet
here it also is intended to refer to the Water of the Holy Spirit where the two
ways of life run side by side – one way of obedience to and faith in God that
leads to eternal life and attainment of the First Resurrection and the other in
which man, guided by what seems right in his own eyes, actually leads to ruin
and destruction in this physical life and consignment to the Second Resurrection
in judgement.
Our
minds can be cleansed through the process of repentance and baptism leading to
a resurrection to eternal life as the salt water of the sea can be cleansed
through the process of filtration to obtain sweet drinking water.
The ayat is also
used to explain the concept of the separation of Fresh and Salt Water through
evaporation. Rashad Khalifa makes that notation in his translation. There is a
separation between two seas but they are both salt and cannot be drunk. The
mouths of the Nile and the Amazon could also be referred to but there is no
certainty in that regard.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
translates the two seas as two bodies of flowing water and in footnote 3111
says that they refer to the oceans - the salt seas and the other to the body of
water fed by rain whether above ground or underground. Though these will mingle
they stayed apart.
There is spiritual
meaning also in regard to the Resurrection through Baptism. This is taken from
the next verse or ayat regarding the creation of man. This has also cross
reference to the Surah Al Tarikh or the Morning star in which man was created
from the issue of Blood and Water from the side of the Morning Star at his
death.
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter by the narrow
gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and
those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and the way
is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Romans 8:13-14 For if
you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to
death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are led by
the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Galatians 5:17 For the
desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are
against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing
the things you want to do.
Isaiah 59:2 but your
iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have
hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
25.54. And He it is Who hath
created man from water, and hath appointed for him kindred by blood and kindred
by marriage; for thy Lord is ever Powerful.
Psalm 139:14-16 I praise
you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul
knows it very well. 15My frame was not hidden from you, when I was
being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16Your
eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Ecclesiastes 11:5 As you do
not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with
child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
Job 10:9-12 Remember
that thou hast made me of clay; and wilt thou turn me to dust again? 10Didst
thou not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese? 11Thou
didst clothe me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and
sinews. 12Thou hast granted me life and steadfast love; and thy care
has preserved my spirit. (RSV)
The
child comes from a drop of fluid from the father that unites with the ovum from
the mother. Man is about 60% from water, 55% in the case of women. The rest are
chemicals from the earth.
Surah
23 verse 14 also refers to the process of creation above.
Genesis 2:24 Therefore
a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they
shall become one flesh.
Psalm 147:5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his
understanding is beyond measure.
The
physical creation will be raised to a spiritual creation through repentance and
baptism and a lifetime of education and training through adversity and trials.
25.55. Yet they worship instead of Allah that
which can neither benefit them nor hurt them. The disbeliever was ever a
partisan against his Lord.
Jeremiah 10: 5 Their
idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have
to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot
do evil, neither is it in them to do good.
Romans 3:10-12 as it is written: “None is
righteous, no, not one; 11no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12All
have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not
even one.”
The
disbeliever tries to aid the cause of untruth as they are minions of Satan who
want to frustrate the plan of God. Satan encourages man to do as he pleases so
they are partners in their rebellion against God.
25.56. And We have sent thee (O
Muhammad) only as a bearer of good tidings and a warner.
25.57. Say: I ask of you no reward for this,
save that whoso will may choose a way unto his Lord.
25.58. And trust thou in the Living One Who
dieth not, and hymn His praise. He sufficeth as the Knower of His bondmen's
sins,
25.59. Who created the heavens and
the earth and all that is between them in six Days, then He mounted the Throne.
The Beneficent! Ask anyone informed concerning Him!
25.60. And when it is said unto them: Adore
the Beneficent! they say: And what is the Beneficent? Are we to adore whatever
thou (Muhammad) biddest us? And it increaseth aversion in them.
Jeremiah 25:4 You have
neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently
sent to you all his servants the prophets,
Jeremiah 35:15 I have sent to you all my servants the
prophets, sending them persistently, saying, 'Turn now every one of you from
his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve
them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your
fathers.' But you did not incline your ear or listen to me.
1Corinthians 9:16-17 For if I preach the gospel, that
gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I
do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have
a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.
1Timothy 1:17 To the
King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever
and ever. Amen.
Psalm 69:5 O God,
you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.
Exodus 20:11 For in
six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and
rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made
it holy.
Psalm 95:3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King
above all gods.
Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered
him, "It is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him
only shall you serve.'"
Romans 8:7 For the
mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to
God's law; indeed, it cannot.
See Psalm 97:9 at ayat 25.2; 1Timothy 6:16 at ayat
25.21 and Psalm
145:8 at ayat 25.54 above.
25.61. Blessed be He Who hath placed in the
heaven mansions of the stars, and hath placed therein a great lamp and a moon
giving light!
25.62. And He it is Who hath appointed night
and day in succession, for him who desireth to remember, or desireth
thankfulness.
Genesis 1:14-16 And God
said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the
day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and
years, 15and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to
give light upon the earth." And it was so. 16And God made the two great
lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the
night—and the stars.
Hosea 6:6 For I
desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt
offerings.
Mark 12:33 And to
love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the
strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole
burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and
what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and
to walk humbly with your God?
25.63. The (faithful) slaves of the
Beneficent are they who walk upon the earth modestly, and when the foolish ones
address them answer: Peace;
25.64. And who spend the night
before their Lord, prostrate and standing,
See Micah 6:8 at
ayat 25.62 above.
Deuteronomy 10:12 And now,
Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your
God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all
your heart and with all your soul,
Ecclesiastes 12:13 The end
of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this
is the whole duty of man.
Isaiah 66:2 All these
things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD.
But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in
spirit and trembles at my word.
Hebrews 12:14 Strive
for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the
Lord.
Psalm 1:2 but his
delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
25.65. And who say: Our Lord! Avert from us the doom of hell; lo! the
doom thereof is anguish;
25.66. Lo! it is wretched as abode and
station;
25.67. And those who, when they spend, are
neither prodigal nor grudging; and there is ever a firm station between the
two;
Proverbs 19:23 The fear
of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be
visited by harm.
2Timothy 4:18 - The Lord
will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly
kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
2Thessalonians 3:3 But the
Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.
1Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his
relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith
and is worse than an unbeliever.
2Corinthians 9:7 Each one
must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Deuteronomy 15:10 You shall
give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him,
because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all
that you undertake.
25.68. And those who cry not unto any other
god along with Allah, nor take the life which Allah hath forbidden save in
(course of) justice, nor commit adultery - and whoso doeth this shall pay the
penalty;
25.69. The doom will be doubled for
him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein disdained for ever;
Those
who live their lives striving to be in compliance with the commandments and
statutes of God the Most High attain the First Garden of Paradise, the First Resurrection,
and the others who do as they please and reject the revelations of God will
face corrective judgement during the Second Resurrection.
Exodus 20:3 You shall
have no other gods before me.
2Kings 17:35 The LORD
made a covenant with them and commanded them, "You shall not fear other
gods or bow yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them,
Romans 13:9 For the
commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You
shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are
summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
See Revelation
20:6 at ayat 25.10 and Revelation 21:8 at ayat 25.34 above.
25.70. Save him who repenteth and
believeth and doth righteous work; as for such, Allah will change their evil
deeds to good deeds. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.
25.71. And whosoever repenteth and doeth
good, he verily repenteth toward Allah with true repentance –25.72. And those who will not witness
vanity, but when they pass near senseless play, pass by with dignity.
25.73. And those who, when they are
reminded of the revelations of their Lord, fall not deaf and blind thereat.
25.74. And who say: Our Lord!
Vouchsafe us comfort of our wives and of our offspring, and make us patterns
for (all) those who ward off (evil).
25.75. They will be awarded the
high place forasmuch as they were steadfast, and they will meet therein with
welcome and the ward of peace,
25.76. Abiding there for ever.
Happy is it as abode and station!
Ezekiel 18:21-22 “But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live.
Mark 1:15 and saying,
"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and
believe in the gospel."
1Peter 3:10-12 For “Whoever desires to love
life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from
speaking deceit; 11let him turn away from evil and do good; let him
seek peace and pursue it. 12For the eyes of the Lord are on the
righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is
against those who do evil.”
Daniel 12:3 And those
who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who
turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Exodus 15:26 saying,
"If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do
that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all
his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the
Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer."
Titus 2:6-8 Likewise,
urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7Show yourself in all
respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity,
dignity, 8and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an
opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
1Timothy 4:12 Let no
one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in
conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
Isaiah 58:14 then you
shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the
earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of
the LORD has spoken.
Isaiah 33:16 he will
dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his
bread will be given him; his water will be sure.
Luke 14:14 and you will be
blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the
resurrection of the just.
See Revelation 5:10 at ayat 25.19 above.
25.77. Say (O Muhammad, unto the
disbelievers): My Lord would not concern Himself with you but for your prayer.
But now ye have denied (the Truth), therefor there will be judgment.
See 1Timothy 5:8 at ayat 25.67 above.
James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
Romans 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
Romans 2:7-8 to those who by patience in
well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
8but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but
obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
Titus 1:16 They
profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable,
disobedient, unfit for any good work.
Jude 1:4 For certain people
have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation,
ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our
only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
It is by the Holy Spirit that the elect of the Churches of God are
prepared for their tasks and are rendered fit as Messengers of God and examples
of the faith.
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