Hadeeth Sharif: verse 61: a) whoever intended to do good deed or a bad deed.

Narrated Ibn Abbas: The Prophet [PPBUH] narrating about his Lord said: “God ordered (the appointed angels over you) that the good and the bad deeds be written, and He then showed (the way) how (to write). If somebody intends to do a good deed and he does not do it, then God will write for him a full good deed (in his account with Him); and if he intends to do a good deed and actually did it, then God will write for him (in his account) with Him (its reward equal) from ten to seven hundred times, to many more times: and if somebody intends to do a bad deed and he does not do it, then God will write a full good deed (in his account) with Him; and if intended to do it ( the bad deed) and actually did it, then God will write one bad deed (in his account).” (Sahih Al-Bukhary).

 b) Narrated Abu-Hurairah: The Prophet [PPBUH] said:” Angels come (to you) in succession by night and day, and all of them get together at the time of Al-Fajr and Al-‘Asr prayers. Then those who have stayed with you overnight, ascend to God who asks them (and He Knows the answer better than they):”How have you left My slaves?” They reply: “we left them while they were praying and we came to them while they were praying.” The Prophet [PPBU] added:”if anyone of you says Amen (during the prayer at the end of the recitation of Surat Al-Fatihah), and the angels in heaven say the same, and the two sayings coincide, all his past sins will be forgiven.” Sahih Al-Bukhary).

Verse 74:  Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet [PPBUH] said:”On the Day of Resurrection, Ibrahim will meet his father Azar whose face will be dark and covered with dust. (The Prophet) Ibrahim will say (to him): ‘Didn’t I tell you not to disobey me?’ His father will reply:’ today I will not disobey you.’ Ibrahim will say: ’O’ Lord! You promised me not to disgrace me on the Day of Resurrection; and what will be more disgraceful to me than cursing and dishonoring my father?’ Then God will say (to him): ‘I have forbidden Paradise for the disbelievers.’ Then he will be addressed: ‘O’ Ibrahim! Look! What is underneath your feet?’ He will look and there he will see an animal –male hyena- blood-stained, which will be caught by legs and thrown in the Hell-Fire. “Sahih Al-Bukhary.)

Commentary:

 God’s loving care do encompasses us round throughout life, and deliver us from dangers by land and sea. He is the only Protector; how can we then forget Him or run after things that are mere creatures of His, and shall perish, while He is the Eternal God, adored by Ibrahim and all the Prophets?

(Verse 61)- a) Guardians: most commentators understand this to mean guardian angels. The idea of guardianship is expressed in a general term. God watches over us and guards us, and provides all kinds of agencies, material, moral, and spiritual, to help our growth and development, keep us from harm, and bring us nearer to our Destiny. b) Angels: the word used is (rusul = the Sent Ones), the same word as for human Apostles and Messengers sent by God to teach mankind. The agents who come to take our souls at death are accurate in the performance of their duty. They come neither before nor after their appointed time, nor do they do it in any manner than that fixed by the Command of God.

(Verse 62)- The only Reality: Al-Haqq, the Truth, the only True One. The point is that our illusions of the life of this lower world now vanish, when we are rendered back to God, from whom we came. And now we can express in terms of Time. Here is the answer to the taunt of those who were impatient of the working of God’s Plan. (See verses 57-58 earlier).

   (Verses 63-64)- a) in continuation to the four heads of argument referred to in comments on verse 56, we have three more heads here in verses 63-65: (5) your calling upon Him in times of danger show that in the depths of your hearts you feel His need: (6) God’s Providence saves you, and yet you ungratefully run after false gods: (7) it is not only physical calamities that you have to fear; your mutual discords and vengeances are even more destructive, and only faith in God can save you from them. b) Zulumat: dark recess, terrible lurking dangers, as in deserts or mountains, or forests, or seas. c) There are two readings, but they both ultimately yield the same meaning: (1) Khufyatan: silently, secretly, concealed, from the depth of your inner heart, suggesting unspeakable terror. (2) Khiefatan: out of terror or fear, or reverence, as in verse 205 from Surat Al-A’raf 7 – to come).

(Verse 65)- a) Calamities from above and below: such as storms and blizzards, torrential rain, etc., or earthquakes, floods, landslides, etc. b) as seen in verse 40, where this refrain commences the argument now drawing to a close.

(Verses 66-67)- At the date of this revelation, the Apostle’s people had as a body –not only rejected God’s Truth- but were persecuting it. The Apostle’s duty was to deliver his Message, which he did. He was not responsible for their conduct. But he told them plainly that all warnings from God had their time limit, as they would soon find out. And they did find out within a very few years. For the leaders of the resistance came to an evil end, and their whole system of fraud and selfishness was destroyed, to make room for the purer Faith of Islam. A part from that particular application, there is the more general application for the present time and for all time.

 (Verse 68)- (See Surat Al-Nisa’ 4 verse 140): If any gathering truth is ridiculed, we must not sit in such company. If we find ourselves in it, as soon as we realize it, we must show our disapproval by leaving.

(Verse 69)- “Evil to him who evil thinks” or evil does. Every man is responsible for his own conduct. But the righteous have two duties: (1) To protect them-selves from infection; and (2) to proclaim God’s Truth, for even in the most unlikely circumstances, it is possible that it may have some effect.

(Verse 70)- a) (See verse 32). Where we are told that the life of this world is mere play and amusement: and Religion and the Hereafter are the serious things that require out attention. Worldly people reverse this, because they are deceived by the allurements of this life. But their own acts will find them out.      B) We must never forget our own personal responsibility for all we do, or deceive ourselves by the illusion of the vicarious atonement.

(Verses 71-72) – In continuation of the seven heads of argument referred to previously, we have here the final two heads: (8) who would –after receiving guidance from the living, eternal God- turn to helpless idols?  If we are to do so, we would indeed show that we were made into fools, wandering to precipice: (9) therefore accept the only true guidance, the guidance of God, and obey His Law, for we shall have to answer before His Judgment-seat.

(Verse 73)- The argument mounts up here, leading to the great insight of Ibrahim –the true in Faith- who did not stop short at the wonders of nature, but penetrated “from nature up nature’s God”. God not only created the heavens and the earth; with every increase of knowledge we see in what true and perfect proportions all Creations is held together. Creatures are subject to Time, but the Creator is not: His word is the key that opens the door of existence. It is not only the starting point of existence, but the whole measure and standard of Truth and Right. There may possibly be –to our sight in these great world- aberrations of human or other wills, but the moment the trumpet sounds for the last day, His Judgment-seat will –with perfect justice- restore the dominion of Right and Reality. For His Knowledge and wisdom cover all reality.

(Verses 74-75)- Now we come to the story of Ibrahim. He lived among the Chaldeans, who had great knowledge of the