Fixed seasons for mankind and for the Pilgrimage

Fixed seasons for mankind and for the Pilgrimage

Surah ‘Al-Baqarah (The Cow) – Chapter – 2)

Stage – 1, Verse – 189a of 286, Section – 24 of 40 (Part - 2)

BisMIllaahir-Rahmaanir-Rahiim

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

  

They ask thee, (O Muhammad), of new moon. Say: They are fixed seasons for mankind and for the Pilgrimage.

Yas-‘aluunaka  ‘anil- ‘Ahil-lah.  Qul  hiya  mawaa-qiitu  lin-naasi  wal-Hajj.

Lesson

‘Ahil-lah – (the new moon), ‘Ahil-lah is plural of Hilaal. About the moon, the questions of the people were nearly like, “first rising of the moon, then it’s increasing date-wise and then its decreasing date-wise, and then until the time of its disappearing – why it is so? And what is the reason of these changes?

Mawaaqiitu – (times, seasons), it is plural of miiqaat which means prescribed time or instrument and a measure of the time.

The changes, which come in the moon, those may be commonly seen and felt. It is a natural thing; asking about these things by the mankind because he remains restless for getting more and excessive knowledge. Some people asked from the Messenger of God Almighty (grace, glory, blessings and peace be upon Him) about the reasons of increase and decrease of the moon: What are the causes of rising and disappearing of it? The Prophet (grace, glory, blessings and peace be upon Him) responded these questions with the inspiration of God Almighty: The advantage of increasing and decreasing of the moon is that it becomes easy to fix the days, dates, months and years for the worldly matters and lawful accounts of the people with it.

The foundation of the worshiping whims and ascribing plurality to Allah Almighty would be cut with this clear description of the Holy Qur’an. Many nations of the world used to adore the moon. These like nations adored the new moon believing it demi-god. Increasing of the moon was considered blessed and the decreasing as wretched. So those people did not use to even marry during the last dates of the moon. The Holy Qur’an declared the purpose of increasing and decreasing of the moon; that the times and period for working by the human being can be fixed easily with it. It helps also in worships and lawful accounts besides the worldly matters. The word Hajj (Pilgrimage) has been used particularly here because it was a very important part of the lives of Arabian people.  

  

Due to some extra advantages in the Lunar account; the Holy Qur’an has preferred it from the Solar account:

·         In the solar calendar, many difficulties happen because it remains in the same condition. Which ordinary change comes due to rising of the sun and its setting, the people cannot guess it.

·         Availability of well acquainted person, who keeps the correct solar account, is much difficult in backward and uncivilized territories.

·         Everybody (literate and illiterate) can estimate the time and date due to regularly equal changes in the conditions of the moon.

·         The weather doesn’t affect on the rising of the moon and its setting. So different months come in different weathers on the entire earth and the Muslims of every country and territory can perform their worships turn by turn in every season.

Transliterated Holy Qur’an in Roman Script & Translated from Arabic to English by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazaar, Lahore, Lesson collected from Dars e Qur’aan published By Idara Islaah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated Urdu to English by Muhammad Sharif)