Surah 69:44 And if he were to invent any sayings in Our name

Surah 69 verse 44 : 

wa lau - and if
ta qaw-wala - he spoke / invented 
alayna  - upon /against Us 
ba'dha  - some / any 
aqa-weel - sayings

Surah  69:44   "And if he were to invent any sayings in Our name" (Yusuf Ali translation).

This post is especially for the note of Muslim readers. 
It may be slightly eye slogging for non Muslim readers.  

However I do recommend that non Muslims also read this. 
When people say things about religion, please ask them WHY? 
Then also ask them to show their proofs for whatever they say.

A few posts back on July 19th, I uploaded one Dr Moaz Nair's article about Ibn Khaldun, Omar Khayyam, Mansour Hallaj etc all being atheists, free thinkers and agnostics. 

That post has gone quite viral.  There were over 25,000 page views and I believe some folks have viralled it via WhatsApp, email, Twitter etc which actually multiplies the readership.  Thank you, including to my friend Dato Professor Fauzi.

Just this morning I received via WhatsApp another viral message - it is another Blog post that I put up quite some weeks ago. They seem to circulate. Thank you again.

There were many comments to that "Ibn Khaldun was an atheist, free thinker, etc" post.  

• Some commenters said that it was time to reinterpret the Quran according to the 21st century. 
• One person even said that we should discard or forget about those verses of the Quran that were "outdated" or not relevant.

How wrong you are.     The Quran says (40:56) :

"Surely, those who argue against Allah's AYAAT without authority (SULTAAN) are exposing the arrogance that is hidden inside their chests, and they are not even aware of it. Therefore, seek refuge in Allah; He is the Hearer, the Seer"

It simply means you should NOT argue about any book (Shakespeare,  The Malay Annals, the Quran etc) without first having read it.  This is simple common sense.

If you insist on arguing about the Quran without having read it then not only will you be drowning in ignorance but you will also be drowning in arrogance.  

So you must read the Quran to know what is in the Quran and what is NOT in the Quran.    Then life becomes much easier for you and hopefully the rest of us.  

Then you will not waste time arguing about things that ARE NOT in the Quran as though they are part of the Quran. 

Let me give you THREE examples of things that are NOT in the Quran. 

1.  There is absolutely ZERO connection between the word HIJAAB that appears in the Quran and the hijab head cover that they tell the women to wear. ZERO CONNECTION.   In the Quran HIJAAB has NOTHING to do with head covers.

2. There is absolutely ZERO connection between the word AURAAT that appears in the Quran and the hair on women's head. ZERO CONNECTION.   In the Quran AURAAT has NOTHING to do with the hair on women's head. 

(Err .. a quick question - if a woman shaves her head bald ie no more hair, or the woman is naturally bald, then does she still have to keep her bald head covered?)

3. There is ABSOLUTELY NO MENTION of stoning the adulterers to death in the Quran. 

You cannot  interpret or misinterpret the Quran about hijaab as head cover, about women's hair as part of auraat or about stoning people to death for adultery.   

Why? Because these subjects or topics ARE NOT FOUND INSIDE THE QURAN.   

There is also really no need to interpret or tafseer the Quran by anyone. 

The Quran says it is its own best interpretation or its own best tafseer.  

Dont believe me?  Please see this:

Surah 25:33  Walaa ya'too-na-ka bi mathalin illa  ji'na-ka bil haqqi WA AHSANA TAFSEERA.

"Whatever argument they come up with, we provide you with the truth, and the BEST TAFSEER." 25:33.

And they shall not bring to you any argument, but We have brought to you (one) with truth and THE BEST TAFSEER.  25:33.

So whatever tafseer (exegesis, interpretation) of the Quran that you have (Ibnu Kathir, Tafseer Jalalayn, Tabari etc)  the Quran is still its own best tafseer 

WA AHSANA TAFSEERA." Surah 25:33.

The Quran is also its own BAYAAN or EXPLANATION.  

Dont believe me? Here is the reference :


Surah 3:138

Arabic transliteration : Haatha BAYAANUN lin-naas wa-hudan wa-mau-itha-tun lil - mut-taqeena


"This is an explanation (BAYAAN) for the people, and a guidance (HUDAN) and enlightenment for the righteous."  3:138

So if some one comes to you and says, "I have a better BAYAAN (explanation) for the Quran" then please show them Surah 3:138 above.  

Tell them "Haatha BAYAANUN lin-naas.." i.e.  "this is an explanation for the people".

Ask them how do they want to "explain the explanation"?

(BAYAAN the BAYAAN again)?

So the Quran is its own best TAFSEER or interpretation (Surah 25:33 above) and 

the Quran is the explanation for mankind (BAYAANUN LIN NASS) Surah 3:138 above.

So most certainly there is NO NEED TO INTERPRET THE QURAN according to the 11th century, 15th century or 21 century. 

The message of the Quran is evergreen. 

The Quran is an ahistorical document.   It is NOT tied to any period in history.

Let me give you some simple examples :

Surah 39:18   "They are the ones who listen to ALL speech, then follow the best. These are the ones whom Allah has guided; these are the ones who possess intelligence."

The people who possess intelligence are those who will listen to everyone's speech, they will listen to all the views out there and then they will follow the best thereof.  These are the people who are guided.

This means freedom of speech because only with freedom of speech everyone can express their views.

This means democracy because only with freedom of speech you can have real democracy.

This means freedom of the Press because only with a free Press can you read all the views out there.

So whether 11th century, 15th century, 21st century or 25th century this verse is still relevant and  applicable.      There is no need to reinterpret this verse according to the 21st century or the 16th century.

Here is another one :

61:2   O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do?
61:3 Most abominable in the sight of Allah is that you say what you do not do.

It simply means "Do not say one thing and then do something else".
It simply means you must deliver what you promise.
It simply means jangan cakap tak serupa bikin.

So whether 11th century, 15th century, 21st century or 25th century this verse is still relevant and  applicable.    There is no need to reinterpret this verse according to the 21st century or the 16th century.

So it is wrong to say the Quran has to be interpreted according to the date on the calendar. 

We just have to read the Quran carefully.  Does the Quran tell us to chop off the hands of the thief?

Here is Surah 5:38  -  "The thief, male or female, you shall cut off (fa-iq-ta-oo) their hands as a punishment for their crime, and to serve as an example from Allah. Allah is Almighty, Most Wise."

Then the following verse has a bit of Oops! in it. Read here :

Surah 5:39 If one repents after committing this crime, and reforms, Allah redeems him. Allah is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

Oops! The thief's hand has already been chopped off (fa-iq-ta-oo).  If he repented its a bit too late.  You cannot rejoin the hand that was chopped off (fa-iq-ta-oo).

Now here is the same word 'cut' (qata') in another verse. In the story of Joseph, some gossiping women were so amazed at Joseph's beauty that they nicked their hands with their knives :

Surah 12:31 "When she heard of their gossip, she invited them, prepared for them a comfortable place, and gave each of them a knife. She then said to him, "Enter their room." When they saw him, they so admired him, that they cut (qata') their hands . They said, "Glory be to Allah, this is not a human being; this is an honorable angel."

Certainly the women did not CHOP off their own hands. They merely knicked their hands with a knife. 

There are other verses in the Quran where the word qata' is used to refer to 'cutting off the enemy' or 'isolating the enemy' in the battlefield. 

Going back to the thief, my view is 'restrain their hands' from stealing or isolate them in jail.   

Only then the next verse Surah 5:39 makes more sense  

Surah 5:39 If one repents after committing this crime, and reforms, Allah redeems him. Allah is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

In closing please refer the verse at the very top of this post Surah 69:44.

"And if he were to invent any sayings in Our name" (69:44) 

Here is some context - please read these very short verses from Surah 69:38-47. This is from the Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation.

69:38-47 

69:38       I call to witness what ye see,

69:39 And what ye see not,

69:40 That this is verily the word of an honoured apostle;

69:41 It is not the word of a poet: little it is ye believe!

69:42 Nor is it the word of a soothsayer: little admonition it is ye receive.

69:43 a Message sent down from the Lord of the Worlds.

69:44 And if he were to invent any sayings in Our name,

69:45 We should certainly seize him by his right hand,

69:46 And We should certainly then cut off the artery of his heart:

69:47 Nor could any of you withhold him (from Our wrath).

So the Rasul / messenger simply cannot make up his own sayings or his own words and then lay it upon Allah.  

If he had done such a thing then he would have been seriously punished  (69:46 And We should certainly then cut off the artery of his heart).

Here are two final verses. These two verses mention the word hadith.

Surah 39:23     Allah has revealed herein the best Hadith (AHSANA AL HADITH); a book that is consistent, and points out both ways. The skins of those who reverence their Lord cringe therefrom, then their skins and their hearts soften up for Allah's message. Such is Alah's guidance; He bestows it upon whoever wills (to be guided). As for those sent astray by Allah, nothing can guide them."

So the Quran is the AHSANA AL HADITH or best hadith. 

Now here is Surah 45:6  which also mentions the word hadith :

Surah 45:6   These are Allah's revelations that we recite to you truthfully. In which Hadith other than Allah and His revelations do they believe?

Clearly the verse says "These are Allah's revelations that we recite to you truthfully".

Then it says "In which Hadith other than Allah and His revelations do they believe?"

So this is some information from the Quran.