Page 201 - An Index to the Qur'an

you turn, the Face of Allah is there. Allah is All- and Allah has knowledge of all things. (24:35)
Encompassing, All-Knowing. (2:115) He said, ‘The Lord of the East and the West and
The fools among the people will ask, ‘What has everything between them if you used your intel-
made them turn round from the direction they lect.’ (26:28)
used to face?’ Say, ‘Both East and West belong to So they pursued them towards the east. (26:60)
Allah. He guides whoever He wills to a straight Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything
path.’ (2:142) between them; Lord of the Easts. (37:5)
It is not devoutness to turn your faces to the East If someone shuts his eyes to the remembrance of
or to the West. Rather, those with true devoutness the All-Merciful, We assign him a Satan who be-
are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, comes his bosom friend. They debar them from
the Angels, the Book and the Prophets, and who, the path, yet they still think they are guided–so
despite their love for it, give away their wealth to that, when he reaches Us, he says, ‘If only there
their relatives and to orphans and the very poor, was the distance of the two Easts between you
and to travellers and beggars and to set slaves and me!’ What an evil companion! (43:36-38)
free, and who perform prayer and give the alms; The Lord of the two Easts and the Lord of the two
those who honour their contracts when they Wests. (55:17)
make them, and are steadfast in poverty and ill- No! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and Wests
ness and in battle. Those are the people who are that We have the power. (70:40)
true. They are the people who guard against evil. Lord of the East and West–there is no god but
(2:177) Him–so take Him as your Guardian. (73:9)
What about the one who argued with Ibrahim
about his Lord, on the basis that Allah had given EATING
him sovereignty? Ibrahim said, ‘My Lord is He They (the Disciples) said, ‘We want to eat from
Who gives life and causes to die.’ He said, ‘I too it and for our hearts to be at peace and to know
give life and cause to die.’ Ibrahim said, ‘Allah that you have told us the truth and to be among
makes the sun come from the East. Make it come those who witness it.’ (5:113)
from the West.’ And the one who was a disbe- Do not eat anything over which the name of
liever was dumbfounded. Allah does not guide Allah has not been mentioned. To do so is
wrongdoing people. (2:258) sheer deviance. The Satans inspire their friends
And We bequeathed to the people who had been to dispute with you. If you obeyed them you
oppressed the easternmost part of the land We would then be idolaters. (6:121)
had blessed, and its westernmost part as well. He (Yusuf's father) said, ‘It grieves me to let him
The most excellent Word of your Lord was ful- go with you I fear a wolf might come and eat
filled for the tribe of Israel on account of their him up while you are heedless, not attending
steadfastness. And We utterly destroyed what him.’ (12:13)
Pharaoh and his people made and the buildings Two servants entered prison along with him.
they constructed. (7:137) One said, ‘I dreamt that I was pressing grapes.’
Mention Maryam in the Book, how she withdrew The other said, ‘I dreamt I carried bread upon
from her people to an eastern place. (19:16) my head and birds were eating it. Tell us the
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. true meaning of these dreams. We see that
The metaphor of His Light is that of a niche in you’re one of the righteous.’ (12:36)
which is a lamp, the lamp inside a glass, the glass (Yusuf said,) ‘My fellow-captives, one of you
like a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an will serve his lord with wine, the other of you
olive, neither of the east nor of the west, its oil all will be crucified and birds will eat his head. The
but giving off light even if no fire touches it. Light thing you asked about is foreordained.’ (12:41)
upon Light. Allah guides to His Light whoever He And He created livestock. There is warmth for
wills and Allah makes metaphors for mankind you in them, and various uses and some you
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