Allaah Alone is Waahid!

Allaah Alone is One.
As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaah wa barakatuh

Point #1:

Reading through Soorat Maryam had me thinking of various points, one of which was the repetitive use of the word فرد as opposed to the word واحد – they both mean ‘one’/single/alone etc but people tend to use them interchangeably. I wondered if there was more to this & then I noticed that throughout the Qur’aan when it speaks of Mankind being raised up and the wrongdoers brought to Allaah for judgement it says that they will come, فرادى (alone) and the word waahid is not mentioned as much.

So why is this the case if they both mean the same thing?!

Well, do they both mean exactly the same thing?

No actually, not if we dig deep enough.

They say that:

 الفرد: لا يفيد الانفراد من القرن

الواحد : يفيد الانفراد من القرن في الذات أو الصفة

In other words, the term fard has no special connotation to it, and the one who is described as being fard is one that is alone, with no special value or rank. He is completely alone and carries nothing of material gain or even honour in some cases.

This is in contrast to the term waahid which indicates that although the person is one and alone, they have شأن (status), degree and is distinguished from others. They are alone but yet they carry with them much more, like respect, honour and value.

This is remarkable considering how Allaah (`azza wa jall) always describes Himself in the Qur’aan as being ‘Waahid’ and never ‘Fard’

Point #2:

This is also the reason perhaps, that Allah says:

أَفَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ بِآيَاتِنَا وَقَالَ لَأُوتَيَنَّ مَالاً وَوَلَداً
“Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our Verses and says: “I shall certainly be given wealth and children.” [Maryam 19: 77]

وَنَرِثُهُ مَا يَقُولُ وَيَأْتِينَا فَرْداً

“…We shall inherit from him all that he talks of (i.e. wealth and children), and he shall come to Us alone (fardan)” [Maryam: 80] – i.e. without all the materialistic gains and honour/position which he had attributed to himself.

Interestingly, it also says in Soorah al-An’aam:

وَلَقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا فُرَادَى كَمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ
“And truly you have come unto Us alone (furaada) as We created you the first time…”

 [al-An’aam 694]

In tafseer al-Kashaaf [by Zamakshari], it mentions that this verse actually came down regarding al-Waleed ibn al-Mugheerah who incredibly was nicknamed ‘al-Waheed’ by the people They say that he was called so due to his leadership, wealth and honour. 

Subhanallaah, what a powerful message then this ayah sends to him, when Allaah says, ‘You have come to Us alone’ – using the term fard instead of waahid [so Allah has replaced Waleeds/Waheed’s honorable name into a humiliated one (Fard)].

Point #3:

If you thought that was something, see what He `azza wa jall says in al-Muddathir (in those 16 verses that were revealed about al-Waleed):

ذَرْنِي وَمَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيداً
“Leave Me Alone (to deal) with whom I created Alone (waheed).”

Subhanallaah! Indeed, what a humiliation for al-Waleed ibn al-Mugheerah. Truly, Allaah alone is al-Waahid al-Waheed.

Allaahu akbar.

Differences in terms taken from: سلسة الفروق اللغوية

Source: http://fajr.wordpress.com/2008/06/04…-alone-is-one/

 

FOOTNOTE: Al Waleed was the father of Khalid ibn al Waleed, a Noble from Quraysh and from the clan of Bani Makhzoom. He was so rich, wealthy and honored by the Quraysh – that he was titled as al Waheed/Independent from anyone else in wealth/honor/children etc. (as explained above.)


Also see;
http://linguisticmiracle.blogspot.com/2010/04/al-walid-and-what-can-i-possibly-say.html

The heavens are all but rent apart and the earth split asunder and the mountains brought crashing down. (Maryam 19:90)

تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الْأَرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدّاً

The heavens are all but rent apart and the earth split asunder and the mountains brought crashing down.

(Maryam 19: 90)

 
Kaada is used to express that the verb it qualifies was on the brink of happening but didn’t. To emphasize exactly how close it was to happening, imagine the verb being the man in the picture below, and the occurrence as the tightrope:

So in the verse you quoted, for example,

تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الْأَرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدّاً
Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins,

The context is that of the Jews and the Christians claiming that Allah has a child.

So what is the link? al-Razi says there are a number of angles to it;

The first is that Allah is saying, “I would do this to the sky and the earth and the mountains out of My anger, were it not for My mercy!” (Imagine the scenario you often see in cartoons when a parent will say to their child when he has reached the end of his tether, “I’m so angry I could strangle you!” sometimes also accompanying the words by grabbing their childs neck. Of course they don’t do it because it is their child, but they may apply pressure to the neck so that it hurts the child, and they are on the brink of doing it.)

The second angle is that this is a way of illustrating how serious and grave their claim is, and how is shakes and destroys the bases and foundations of tawheed [His Oneness].

And the third angle is that were the heavens, earth and sky to actually understand and grasp what was being said, then this would have actually happened to them because they would not be able to take the weight of the claim.

So the purpose of kaada in this verse, then, is to bring the even near to us and emphasise the seriousness of it in our understanding.

Powerful Rhyming Scheme in surah Maryam.

Rhyming Scheme in Surah Maryam.

In Surah Maryam the rhyming pattern is very distinct and consistent throughout the beginning of the Surah all the way up until the point that it begins to address Isa (alayhis Salam).

Listen to [or read] Surah Maryam [surah/chapter 19], starting from verse [19:]2, all the way to verse 33. This is a narrative of the story of Prophet Zakariyyah, and Maryam/Mary (peace be upon them.) Then it begins briefly on the birth of Prophet ‘Eesa/Jesus.

So at the end of every aayah/verse, there is an “iyya” sound at the end. I.e.  زَكَرِيَّا [Zakariyyah] (in the 2nd verse), with شَقِيًّا [Shakkiyya] (on the 32nd verse), حَيًّا Hayya [meaning ‘Life’] (on the 33rd verse). With the 33rd verse referring to Jesus talking whilst being a baby.

 

Suddenly, a Drastic change takes place – the Rhyming Scheme changes totally:

ذَٰلِكَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ۚ قَوْلَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي فِيهِ يَمْتَرُونَ

That is Jesus, the son of Mary – the word of truth about which they are in dispute. [Maryam 19:34]

The last word now is ‘yamtaroon‘.

Why is this rhyming scheme changed?

Part of the characteristics of the Quran is that it is something meant to be recited and heard by the people. When someone is listening to this, and they notice an abrupt change they will automatically pay more attention. The rhyme scheme is not beautification only, but it serves a very real purpose in drawing attention to a very important point in the Surah.

This important point in the Surah is clearing the doubts on  the character Jesus son of Mary, about whom they are in dispute. This abrupt change makes you notice a difference in rhythm and tune, it must be really big news for the tune/rhythm/theme to change totally after so long.. It gives focus, and clears the doubts of the sincere listener.

Rhythm continues…

After that part is finished, Allah starts talking about Ibrahim/Abraham (alayhis Salam) and his story [from Surah Maryam 19:34 onwards], it returns back to the original pattern (with ‘Iyya‘ at the end of the verses again).. To continue the flow of what was being mentioned previously of the narratives of the righteous.

http://muslimmatters.org/2007/05/25/quranic-incoherence-2-miracles-respond/