Interpretation of Fortress 89 (The Coming Appearance)
I seek refuge in God from the cursed Satan
In the Name of God, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful
1. “And (behold) the dawn (the coming appearance);”
2. “And the ten nights;”
3. “ Then the even and the odd;”
4. “Then the night, when it flows!”
5. “In these, is there an adjuration for a rational person?”
6. “Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with (the tribe of) ‘Ad,”
7. “(The people of) Iram, the many-columned city,”
8. “Whose like was never again created in any land?”
9. “And with (the tribe of) Thamud, who brought rocks to the valley?”
10. “And with Pharaoh, the owner of the stakes?”
11. “These (all) transgressed all bounds in the lands,”
12. “And made them teem with corruption,”
13. “Therefore your Provider poured a scourge of punishment down upon them.”
14. “Your Provider is Ever Watchful.”
15. “As for the human, when their Lord tries them by bestowing favors and blessings on them, do they say, ‘My Lord honors me?
16. “And when He tries them by restricting His provision towards them, do they say, ‘My Lord degrades me?”
17. “No (you do not)! Rather you show no kindness to the orphan,”
18. “Nor do you urge one another to feed the poor.”
19. “And you consume inheritance greedily,”
20. “And you love riches with inordinate love.”
21. “No! For when the earth is gathered together entirely and finally,”
22. “And your Provider comes, and the angels in row upon row;”
23. “And Hell, on that Day, is brought near: on that Day human will remember, but what will remembrance avail them then?”
24. “They will say, ‘Ah, would that I had put forward (goodness) for my life (that was to come)!’
25. “However, on that Day their torture will not be inflicted upon them by anyone (other than themselves); “
26. “Nor will any bind their bonds upon them.”
27. “Oh, spirit in rest and satisfaction!”
28. “Return to your Provider, well-pleased and well-pleasing.”
29. “Enter into My servants,”
30. “And enter My Paradise.”
§§§§§
In this noble Fortress, the Almighty Allah wants to warn humanity of the consequences of their conduct and the outcomes of their actions.
He reveals to them that if they do not return to their senses and desist from their errors, destruction and distress will be their reward, just as happened to the nations cited by Allah as examples. However, if they turn from their negligence and avoid their bad end before they die, they will live an easy and comfortable life, and their spirit will be happy and jubilant when it returns to its Provider after the current life, because of the good deeds it has rendered.
Learning lessons from the affliction that descended upon the nations that were destroyed is not accomplished without belief, and believing in the Day of Account is associated with and depending on believing in God. Therefore the Almighty began this Fortress with Verses which acquaint humanity with the Creator Who brought them into this current existence, and Who is, at the same time, the Originator and the Director of the entire universe. If a person then thinks of the universal signs which are before their eyes, they will believe in their Provider. This belief will lead them to abide by God’s Orders and refrain from transgression and straying from His Path. This will allow such a person to take off the beastly garment which they had been wearing, and turn into a real person of humanist qualities and actions.
It is only then that they will draw what is good to themselves, and drive away the loss which is about to afflict them.
Out of God’s Love for you, human, He addressed you by saying:
Verse no. 1
1. “(And (behold) the dawn (the coming appearance);”
The word “dawn” imports the gradual and successive appearance which is coming. It also indicates everything that comes from nonexistence into existence consecutively and continually.
Accordingly, the meaning of the word “dawn” is not restricted to the light which appears at the end of the night, but includes everything that the Almighty uncovers for you, for your benefit and your life, from the world of what is hidden to the world of being and what is in view.
For example, this includes the buds, the flowers and the fruit which appear on trees, and also the plants which grow from seeds which were buried under the soil and all the leaves, fruit and blessings which come out of them. That is to say, everything which is essential for your life and your continuous existence which appears gradually from the unseen world and emerges into the world of witnessing and viewing, slowly coming into existence over time, little by little, is folded under the word “dawn”.
The conjunction “and”, which is the letter ‘wa’ in Arabic, precedes the word “dawn” and so draws the attention to the greatness of this phenomenon. It turns you to the accurate formation and the amazing arrangement of all that is brought into view, to the Wisdom of their Creator, and to all of the miracles that can be perceived within them and which point to their Maker.
This Verse denotes:
Oh human! Behold the world, then think deeply of all the substances and the fruit which successively appear and gradually emerge to ensure your life and subsistence!
Consider the continuous movement and current arrangement through which the plants grow and fruit is produced at the appointed time.
Had there been no Creator that creates, the course of life would not have continued and the constant emergence of things and all of creation would have stopped; indeed, the whole world would have vanished.
Think of all of this, and then you will be guided to the Creator.
After drawing our attention to the blessings which He brings into existence for our sake, the Almighty wanted to tell us that His Direction is based on a great discipline which also deserves contemplation. It refers to the Originator, Who makes everything excellently and forms them upon the utmost degree of perfection. Therefore He says:
Verse no. 2
2. “And the Ten Nights;”
Through this statement God wants to tell us that the creation of blessings and fruit is connected and depends on a system of “Ten Nights” without which no plant can rise, no crops can be produced, no attar can be smelled and no fruit can ripen.
This statement means that the production, steering and creation which follow in succession in the most perfect form and the most admirable way are achieved through these “Ten Nights”.
At the epoch of the great scholar M. Amin Shikho, one day one of his students asked the great scholar M. Amin Shikho (God has sanctified his secret) about the meaning of these Verses {1-And (behold) the dawn (the coming appearance) 2- And the ten nights 3-Then the even and the odd 4-Then the night, when it flows!}
And that had been before the eminent scholar illustrated this blessing interpretation which you are studying now. The great scholar said to him: “I will answer your question in the next week if the Almighty God wills”.
Then he appealed and supplicated wholeheartedly with a great eagerness to the Almighty God to make him witness the meaning of these noble fortress, after a week the student returned again to ask the great scholar about the meaning of these Verses, but the great scholar answered that he had not been inspired the meaning yet by God and he would answer him the next week if the Almighty God willed, however the great scholar remained in his supplication strongly and faithfully for the whole week until the stated date from the next week has come within the same question from the student, the great scholar answered again that God didn’t pour down the meaning in his heart yet, and promised to answer him in the next week, accordingly three weeks has passed throughout his thinking of these noble fortress (Surah), his appealing and supplication before Al'lah was greater than the extension of the spacious universe, within his great sincerity and love to the Almighty God and his highly exalted approach to the victory Giver, the All- Knowing and the All-Majestic the Almighty Al'lah, He the Almighty revealed the sublime Divine meanings of these noble Verses for him to witness deservedly their complete realities and descended its sublime meaning in his honorable heart, so when the exact date came he met the student and said: Oh my son if you brought an empty glass of water in that night it would be filled with my tears as I witnessed the meaning of these noble fortress (Al-Fajer Surah) by the Almighty God's Light. And continued his speech explaining to him these Divine meanings of this holy Surah, the meaning we have mentioned above about {And (behold) the dawn (the coming appearance)} and the rest of the interpretation of this Surah, saying:
“And the Ten Nights;”
To provide further illustration of this we say:
It is noticeable that the duration of the night is not constant, but increases and decreases at different times of the year.
We can see that the length of the night differs from day to day, but becomes equal in the length of the day on a certain day in spring, namely, the 22nd of March. On this day, both the day and night last for twelve hours.
After this, the night begins to decrease by one minute – or somewhat more or less – until it reaches its minimum length on a certain day of summer. This day is the 22nd of June, when you can see that the summer night is very short.
After reaching this minimum limit, the night begins to lengthen little by little, until it again becomes of equal length with the day, on the day of the autumn equinox, the 22nd of September.
Then it continues to increase, until it reaches its maximum length on the 22nd of December during the winter. On that day, you can see that the night is very long.
Once again, the night then shortens until the spring equinox arrives, when the night lasts as long as the day, as it did before, and so the cycle continues.
Now, over the course of one year, if you add up these minutes and seconds of increases in the duration of the night to the decreases in its duration as the seasons change, you will find that the total number of minutes of change is equal to one hundred and twenty hours: that is to say, ten nights.
Through this differentiation in the duration of the night, the plants enjoy the rays of the sun during the day – each according to its nature – so that they come into being and appear in a regular way marked by unified perfection; thus life on earth is well organized. This fixed system produces the seasons, and without it the climatic zones would become different and life would be disordered, even becoming impossible.
I wonder, who decreed this course for the earth and moved it in such a regular way? Does this system not include an indication that there is a Wise Creator and Omnipotent Provider?
However, the production of these blessings – necessary for human life – which are folded under the word “Dawn” also depends on factors other than the four seasons, as expressed by the words “Ten Nights”. The Almighty also mentions these elements so that we will think of them and scrutinize them. He says:
Verse no. 3
3. “Then the even and the odd;”
”The even”: this pertains two things; in this Verse it refers to the earth, which is associated with the moon.
The moon is connected to the earth. Wherever the earth moves, the moon follows, always accompanying the earth, orbiting around it and never leaving it. For this reason, the Almighty calls them “even”.
As for the word “odd”, it refers to the sun: the blazing body which supplies the earth and its moon with light, sending its bright rays to them.
This Verse says: you, human! Behold the moon and its correlation to the earth, and then ask yourself:
Who has joined it to the earth and related them to each other so that there is no separation between them?
Ponder the moon’s circulation around the earth, and the phases through which it passes during each lunar month!
Think of its effects on the sea and its waves, and how it causes the sea to rise and fall as it waxes and wanes!
Notice its role in the growth of plants and crops!
Consider carefully the benefits of this planet (the moon) and the Power that fixes it in space!
Consider that Grand Might which connected it to the earth!
Once you have done this, move your attention from the moon to the sun, and think of how it supplies the whole galaxy with light and heat!
Think of its effects on the sea waters and how it vaporizes them and causes the rain to fall, which in turn causes the plants to grow!
Does not this prove the existence of an Arranger Who has arranged everything, and of a Creator Who has created perfectly?
To acquaint us with the earth’s revolve which brings us the night, and with the part played by the night in generating these boons, God gives us the following Verse so that we may think of this sign – in addition to the previous signs – so that our belief will grow deeper and deeper, until we completely surrender to our Creator. He says:
Verse no. 4
4. “Then the night when it flows (depart)!”
To ‘flow’ is to run gently.
The night encircles the globe in gentleness and imperceptible motion, traveling around it during a twenty four hour period, moving without cessation. I wonder: who has created this darkness and made it circulate the earth continuously?
Who allowed it to cause the effects which it causes?
What would the state of humanity be in the case that the earth had revolved too slowly or too quickly?
Suppose that the night was to last for many hundreds of hours or for only two or three hours. In this case, would any crop be able to grow? Would any person or animal be able to live?
This order, which is established on the basis of such perfection, is certainly a clear indication that there is a Mighty God and One Who is Wise and All-Knowing.
Having drawn our attention to these universal miracles whose perfect system and marvelous arrangement are undeniable, the Almighty says:
Verse no. 5
5. “In these, is there an adjuration for a rational person?”
To “take an adjuration”: to swear. When a statement is preceded by an adjuration it is supposed to be emphatically true and beyond doubt.
An “a rational person” is that which keeps something under control, and here it is specifically referring to ‘thought’. In fact, if a person takes the benefit of their power of thought, they will be able to keep their actions under control and will be prevented from falling into error, aberration or perversity.
With this Verse, the Almighty addresses humanity, saying: “After I have revealed Verses to you which direct you to the direction of this great universe, if you actually use a bit of your ability of thinking, human, can you swear that there is no Organizing Creator and All-Powerful, Wise Provider of this universe?”
Thought is a precious jewel with which the Almighty graced humanity. It is the basis of attaining knowledge and the only means to achieve belief.
Anyone who neglect their ability to think to subside and become inactive, and allow their desire to overcome their thinking will be like a brute beast which knows nothing about anything other than eating and drinking.
How far from the humanist rank such a person will be! How ignorant of humanism they will be!
Oh, human! Think deeply of what is around you so that you may be guided to your Creator and derive a light from His Light, which will help you to advance in the darkness of your life. At that time, you will see the way of your happiness and will be able to distinguish between your advantage and your disadvantage.
Self-Activity:
1- I should always think of the cosmic signs (wonders) because they are the means which guide us to achieve the true belief in the Almighty God, also I should resort to Him before and during my thinking and appeal wholeheartedly and faithfully to Him the Almighty asking Him to reveal the reality of the statement (There is no God but Al'lah) and make me witness it heartedly, thereby our Master Mohammad (cpth) and the great scholar M. A. Sheikho (his soul has been sanctified by Al'lah) will be as an enlightening Real Sun which lightens my way and reveals the Divine knowledge. Human is a thinking creature. Anyone who neglects his ability to think, consequently will be inactive depriving himself from Divine exaltedness and highness because the Almighty God has graced humanity with the ability to think that they can attain higher rank of approaching God and render good actions to approach nearer to Him, however the prophet (cpth) contemplated and thought about the cosmic wonders (signs) such as the sun and moon, the day and night …etc. Which are certainly clear indications that there is Mighty God, the One Who is Wise and All-Knowing and that is the way to attain true belief.
So, observe the sun everyday to see the sunrise and the sunset and how it changes its place in unlimited accuracy…and contemplate that the length of the day and the night is not constant but increases and decreases regularly, all that indicates that there is Wise Creator and Omnipotent Provider Who controls and organizes all the universe making its production just to serve human out of His Mercy and Sympathy.
2- Memorize Fortress Al-Fajer very well with your teacher in your school and cooperate with your friends and family at home trying to memorize it very well and to understand its great interpretation, then try to discuss this interpretation with whom you love.
Questions and Exercises:
1- The Almighty God says {And (behold) the dawn (the coming appearance)}, what does this Verse indicate?
2- What was the answer of the great scholar to the student after he was revealed and witnessed the Divine realities and meanings of Al-Fajer Surah?
3- The Almighty God says: {In these, is there an adjuration for a rational person}, what is the meaning of this Verse?