The Majestic Quran

93 Some commentators translate jamal not as camel but as “thick twisted rope” ( Razi ), meaning it will be impossible for an arrogant person to enter Paradise. 94 The phrase A‘raf’ is “companions of the high places” for more see the introduction to the chapter. 95 This period of “six days” is not six lots of twenty-four hours. In the Quran ( Chapter Al-Hajj 22: 47), a day is equated with a thousand years, this isn’t literal either, a thousand represented the largest numerical concept then known to the Arabs, unlike in India at that time where they already had words for 100,000 ( lakh ) and 10,000,000 ( crore ). So this refers to six relatively distinct eras and doesn’t conflict with the scientific theory that the universe was created 14 billion years ago, with the Big Bang. 96 This is interpreted as the completion of the creation of the universe and God has control of it. 97 It may be that dim memories of this story, preserved incorrectly in their folk-tales, form the basis of the pagan Arab superstitions detailed in Chapter Al-An‘am (6: 136–150). 98 Jethro is the biblical Jethro, father-in-law of Moses. 99 The Arabic word ta’ir means “bird”. The pagans had lots of superstitious practices: before embarking on a journey they would release a bird into the air, and if it flew towards the right it would signal success. 100 Mutabbar means “broken”, like broken pottery or glass that can’t be repaired. 101 “The best of what is in them,” means follow what God commanded and avoid what He forbids or, if two lawful alternatives existed, as with pardoning and retaliation, adopt pardon (Al-Qurtubi). 102 Suqita fi aydihim , is an idiom meaning, “it fell into their hands,” referring to the moment of bewilderment when it is no longer possible to deny the truth, the evidence is in one’s hands, “staring one in the face.” 103 “ Ummi ” is from Umm meaning the mother, the Quran calls Makkah ‘ Umm al-Qura ’, mother of cities. Since the Prophet r was born there he is referred to as Ummi. A person who is not tutored is also called Ummi ; here it means that God taught him directly without a human teacher. 104 It is a collective obligation on the community to “enjoin the common good and forbid evil” ( Chapter Al ʿ Imran 3: 110). In this example, there were three groups: obedient, those who advised the wrongdoers to obey the law; and those who saw no point in advising the wrongdoers (Al-Qurtubi). 105 Did they literally turn into apes or is this a metaphor? The most likely meaning is they became objects of ridicule like monkeys often are. However, it is totally wrong to call Jews monkeys. 106 The Day of Alast , was the first assembly of human souls. While memory of this momentous assembly in the divine presence may have faded from human consciousness, it remains etched in human nature. That’s why whenever a person is properly guided, the seed of faith in God sprouts and grows. 107 Al-Qurtubi refers to a traditional Jewish story of a scholar called Bal’am ibn Ba’ura’, when he spoke thousands of students wrote down his words until, one day, he chose to write that the world had no maker, and became a disbeliever. 108 Meaning the Prophet Muhammad r . 109 This is one of the verses of prostration.