IN THE NAME OF ALLAH (S.W.T) THE MOST BENEFICIENT, THE MOST MERCIFUL.
Journey through the Sura Al-Fajr:
The Dawn (Chapter 89)
"Allah forgives the mistakes of whoever recites Sura Fajr on the
'Ten Nights' (i.e., the first ten nights of Zul-Hajj), and it will
become a light on Dooms Day for the one who recites it at other
times (of the year)." – Prophet Muhammed (s.a.w)
This is a unique surah in its style, and in its true nature, ties in with new beginnings and the commemoration of events of Karbala and Imam Hussein (a.s). This sura like many other suras was revealed at Mecca and has 30 verses.
At any rate, these great rewards and outstanding merits are for the ones who recite the Sura as a preparation for their own self-improvement and self-perfection.
Verses
There are several oaths mentioned in the first part of the Sura that have no precedent and are primarily for warning the transgressors about the divine punishment.
1- ‘’By the Dawn’’ and 2 -' By the Ten Nights
The term / fajr / originally means 'break open', and since the light of the dawn breaks the dimness of night it is called / fajr /.
On the other hand, some commentators have said that it means ' break of dawn at the beginning of Muharram (the first month of the Muslim new year). ‘ Introducing this Sura as Imam Hussein (a.s) may be for the reason that the clear example of the 'peaceful soul', mentioned at the end of the Sura, is Imam Hussein’s soul, as the idea has also been cited from Imam Sadiq (a.s) about the same verses.
Still, others have commented on it as meaning ' break of dawn on the day of the Feast of Sacrifice ' where the important rituals of the pilgrimage to Mecca are fulfilled and it follows close to the Ten Nights.
Finally, there are some who have commented on it as meaning ' break of dawn for the month of Ramadan', or ' break of dawn on Fridays'.
Overall, the verse has such a broad meaning that involves all the above commentaries, though some of its examples are clearer and more important than the others.
Some have considered it’s meaning even beyond this and have said that the objective point for the term ' break of dawn ' is ' any light that glitters in the dark '.
Therefore, the glitter of the light of Islam and Mohammad (s.a.w) in the gloom of ignorance, at that time, is one of the examples of / fajr ' break of dawn ‘. In addition, the glitter of the break of dawn for the Rise of Imam Mahdi (a.s), when the world will be completely darkened by corruption, transgression and injustice is considered another example of this.
The rise of Imam Hussein on the bloody plains of Karbala, is another example, when he pulled back the black curtains of deceit revealing the tyrannies of the Ummayides and unveiling the real face and nature of those devils.
Furthermore, all the Divine revolutions that have occurred in the history of the world, against disbelief, ignorance, transgression and cruelty are, also, examples of fajr.
Light of wakefulness that appears of one who sins if it turns him towards repentance that is known as fajr. Awakening is shift of consciousness in which thinking and awareness separate and it is not an event but a purpose one undergoes. Of course, this is an expansion on the concept of the verse, while the apparent meaning of the verse has the same meaning / fajr / with the sense of ' the break of dawn '.
Commentators say that the ‘Ten nights’’ refer to either the first ten nights of zul-hajj, or the last ten nights of Mahe Ramadan or the first ten nights of Muharram.
In any event, the oath to these ten nights is an evidence of their great importance, since oaths are always made to very important things.
3- "By the Even and the Odd."
This is another mystic expression. It may mean all the things, for in them are the even and odd ones, or it may mean opposite in sexes and energies and the other qualities in men, material and the natural phenomena active in the universe.
4- And by the Night when it Departs
What an interesting concept!!! The movement of the night is in relation to night, itself, (the term / yasr / based on / sura / ' to walk at night ' here, is written as an analogy instead of /yasri/ due to the pause at the end of the verse) as if ' night ' were a living creature with senses and movement and travelled in the darkness, by itself, moving toward a bright dawn. An Oath taken to the darkness which moves to light, a moving darkness not a stationary one. Darkness is frightening when it becomes fixed and still but when there is movement to light it becomes valuable.
Although, if it refers to a definite night, relating to the previous oaths, it means the night before ' the Feast of Sacrifice ' when the pilgrims of Mecca go from 'Arafat to the Sacred Monument, /muzdalafah/, and, spending the night in that sacred place, go toward Mina at sunrise. (T place on the night before ' the Feast of Sacrifice ' and sees, with his own eyes, the exact meaning of this verse:
5-"Is there (not) in this an oath for those who have sense’’
Truly in this in that there is an oath for those who have understanding. /HIJR/ in this context means understanding. If I summarize this ayah, Is this not enough evidence in this phenomena for people who have intellect so having told us that At the end of ignorance there is knowledge, at the end of night there is day, at the end of sleep there is consciousness and that the nature of creation is always to be in constant movement towards wakefulness.
It does not end here…there is more to this surah which we all have to learn from.
Therefore I conclude by saying that
‘’ If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old. You will just keep growing.”
Bibliography
- The Holy Quran with special notes from Agha Pooya Yazdi
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http://www.irib.ir/worldservice/quran/t ... tents1.htm
- Family and friends