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Tafseer
Justin
08/17/01 at 16:01:05
Salaam alaikum, Does anyone have the tafseer for this ayat or know where I can find it online? „O ye who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers.‰                       {Qur‚an Al-Munafiqun:9} I am just wondering what this means.  I don't remember the ayat, but I believe there was something similar to this that said that your wives and children are a test for you.  Does that mean that you should choose working for the sake of Allah over spending time with your family?  As a recently married man and an expecting father I am confused about what all of this means.  If anyone can direct me to some good resources please contact me at jhvitfeldt@hotmail.com. Jazakum Allah Khairn, Justin

Re: Tafseer
Saleema
08/17/01 at 22:00:05
[slm] It's not wives the divert from the path of Allah. It's husbands as well. The word should be spouses in place of wives. Both partners can be a diversion and a test from Allah as well as your children. What tafsir are you reading? by Whom? and how old is the edition? [wlm]

Re: Tafseer
sarah
08/17/01 at 23:17:51
Assalamu Alaykum, Saleema, I think Justin is reading the translation, not tafseer... he is requesting the tafseer. Justin, I think the ayaat you are refering to is from Surah-at-Taghabun which from the Yusuf Ali translation says: [quote]O ye who believe! Truly, among your wives and your children are (some that are) enemies to yourselves: so beware of them! But if ye forgive and overlook, and cover up (their faults), verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Your riches and your children may be but a trial: but in the Presence of Allah, is the highest, Reward. [64:14-15][/quote] This topic was addressed in a question and answer from Dr. Bilal Philips in his web site which says: [quote]Q. Allah has said that wives and children can become a fitnah for man, what about the opposite? A. When Allah speaks about wives and children becoming a fitnah for man, it is obvious that the converse of the saying is also true. That is that the husband can also become a fitnah on the wife or the parents become a fitnah on the children or the child becomes a fitnah on the husband or wife. What is being said is that all things that we love dearly can become a fitnah on us when our love for them exceeds the limits that Allah has set and this can take us to hell. [/quote] So to answer you question: [quote]Does that mean that you should choose working for the sake of Allah over spending time with your family?[/quote] Well spending time with your family *is* working for the sake of Allah. Once you are married and have children, spending time with them, being a good husband and father, and teaching them about Islam becomes one of your main obligations and duties.   From what I understand, these verses are refering to situations where any relationship is pulling you away from remembering Allah, and causing you to do things that are haram.  Allah knows best.  I hope that helps.

Re: Tafseer
se7en
08/18/01 at 01:14:04
wa alaykum as salaam wa rahmatAllah, The Tafsir of Ibn Kathir (abridged) does not have anything in detail on this ayah. But.. I found an [url=http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/4482/article65.html]article[/url] by Sr. Iman Badawi (a former Albany sister :) ) that says: [i]Allah ordered us not to let any of our daily activities distract us from salah, when He (swt) said: "O you who believe, let neither your wealth nor your children distract you from the remembrance of Allah. And those who do so, they will be the losers." [al-Munafiqoon:9] The scholars of tafseer say: "The remembrance of Allah in this verse means the five daily prayers. If anyone is so busy in buying and selling, or with his daily work of earning a livelihood, or with his children, (such) that he cannot perform prayers on time, he will be among the losers." [The Major Sins, adh-Dhahabi] [/i] Hamza Yusuf also talked about this ayah in one of his lectures.  Lemme see if I can find it..

Re: Tafseer
bhaloo
08/18/01 at 06:51:53
slm The ayah the brother is referring to is from Surah Al-Munafiqun (surah #63) ayah #9.  Ibn Kathir's tafsir of this ayah along with ayahs number 10 and 11, I will now post. 63:9-11 9. O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah.  And whosoever does that, then they are the losers. 10. And spend of that with which We have provided you before death comes to one of you, and he says: "My Lord! If only You would give me respite for a little while, then I should give Sadaqah from my wealth, and be among the righteous. 11. And Allah grants respite to none when his appointed time comes.  And Allah is All-Aware of what you do. The Importance of not being too concerned with the Matters of the Worldly Life, and being Charitable before Death. Allah the Exalted orders His faithful servants to remember Him frequently and to refrain from being distracted from His rememberance by indulging in their properties and children excessively.  Allah informs them that those who engage in this life, its delights and attributes and were busied from the obedience and remembrance of Allah, for which they were created, will be among the losers.  They will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection.  Allah encourages the believers to spend in His cause, "And spend of that with which We have provided you before death comes to one of you, and he says:"My Lord If only You would give me respite for a little while, then I should give Sadaqah from my wealth, and be among the righteous." Surely, every person who fell into shortcomings will regret it by the time of his death will ask for respite, even a short period, so that he does better and attains what he missed.  No, rather what occurred, has occurred and what is coming, shall indeed come.  Each will be held accountable for his mistakes.  As for the disbelievers, they will as Allah said about them, :And warn mankind of the Day when the torment will come unto them; then the wrongdoes will say:"Our Lord! Respite us for a little while, we will answer Your call and follow the Messengers!" (It will be said):"Had you not sworn aforetime that you would not leave."(14:44) and "Until when death comes to one of them, he says: "My Lord! send me back. So that I may do good in that which I have left behind!" No! It is but a word that he speaks; and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected." (23:99-100) Then Allah said: "And Allah grants respite to none when his appointed time comes.  And Allah is All-Aware of what you do." meaning when the time of death comes, no one will be granted respite. Allah said: "And Allah is All-Aware of what you do."
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