SURAH AL-BAQARAH
Ayah 17.
مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي اسْتَوْقَدَ نَاراً
فَلَمَّا أَضَاءتْ مَا حَوْلَهُ ذَهَبَ اللّهُ بِنُورِهِمْ
وَتَرَكَهُمْ فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ لاَّ يُبْصِرُونَ
Their likeness is that of a person who kindled a fire; when it illuminated all around him, Allah took away their light, and left them in darkness, unable to see.
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Now Allah describes the different degrees/levels of Munafiq behavior.
“Their likeness is that of a person who kindled a fire”
The parable given in this ayah is for you to imagine that you are in pitch black surrounding (representing the world without any guidance). The person who kindled a fire represents the Prophet s.a.w who brought light (true guidance) to the lives of the people. This is the correct way of life.
“when it illuminated all around him, Allah took away their light”
The Munafiquun have been surrounded with the light (guidance) and yet they turned away. So Allah removed the light (guidance) from them.
“and left them in darkness, unable to see.”
Leaving them unable to understand any simple logic of truth anymore.
The light is still there for anyone to benefit from it. Guidance is still available for the rest of the people.
One person lights a fire. Allah took away “their” light, not “his” light. The light was not taken away from the fire but was taken away from those who walked away from the light.
نُور “Nuur” = “Light” and also means “Eyes”. No light means their sight was taken away.
Any human organ needs some stimulation for it to continue functioning. Example if you close your eyes for 10 years never opening it, you will become blind. Any amount of light in front of you is useless. If you have been sitting for 10 years never standing up, you will lose your ability to walk. The same goes to the heart. If the heart has not been following/accepting guidance for so long, it will loose its capacity to accept guidance. Any amount of faith will be lost. Any amount of “dakwah”(preaching) is useless.
ظُلُمَاتٍ “dzhulumaatin” = multiple shades of darkness. Their ability to accept guidance diminish over time while their problems will increase over time.
As for the common Muslims, some things in our lives are questionable on whether our actions are truly following the behavior of a complete believer or not. There are different degrees of obeying the religion (prohibitions and commands) and there are also different levels of Munafiq behavior (hipocracy).
Darkness represents coldness. People when feeling cold out in the darkness will be attracted to the warmth and brightness from a fire. It is an instinctively logical thing to do. Instead, they went away from the fire, refusing the light and warmth of the fire. Therefore the light was taken away from them.
Anyone who is feeling an emptiness in life, when he sees guidance, he will be attracted to it. Ask anyone who has truly accepted guidance. He is contented with his life as he has seen the truth of life.
A person who is walking in total darkness feeling cold, he will start to have his mind playing tricks on him. He will see and understand success in life in a different view than what the Master has said. Finally his heart will still not be contented. There is something missing but he don’t know what.
SURAH AL-BAQARAH
Ayah 18.
صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لاَ يَرْجِعُونَ
Deaf, mute, blind. They will not return.
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“Deaf, mute, blind.”
There is no mentioning of the word “and” eg. “deaf AND mute AND blind” ;
Taking out the word “and” = “Deaf, mute, blind” = meaning all three of their senses are gone at the same time.
Imagine a person lost in the desert at night. If he lost his sight, he still has the ability to hear people shouting and looking for him. If he lost both his sight and hearing, he can still shouts and people may hear him and search in the direction of the shouts. If only one or two senses are gone, they will still be able to get back to the light (guidance) since they still have the remaining senses left.
“They will not return.”
But since all three are gone, they will never be able to return back to the light. The Mushrikuun were right there when the Messenger was bringing guidance and they turned away. As for born Muslims who are surrounded by guidance, will you turn away?
Some do not have the “moral will” or strength to hang on to the Deen. No courage to practice the Deen in front of non-muslims. If a so-called “muslim” is not doing any Solah, he is not asking for any guidance. Therefore he will get none, left as deaf, dumb and blind. He has lost any access to guidance. The remembrance to ask for guidance has disappeared.
A baby develops in the sequence of being able to = (1) hear (listening), (2) crying (voice) and (3) vision. If the baby is (1) deaf, (2) mute, (3) blind, he will have a tough time in life?