SURAH 91 ASH-SHAMS

Surah 91

Ash-Shams - The Perspicuous System - سورة الشمس       

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE SURAH: 

It is always a difficult task to extract the theme from any poetry or sometimes even prose format, furthermore to explain it is even more difficult as the depth of the message is expressed in very few words. A strong imagination is required to visualize the author's perception when the author is not present and the language is not in vogue - hence a need for a brief arises so as to understand the message easily from the authors point of view. This surah discusses a very important and difficult subject. I honestly lack the knowledge and skill to present it, although the system of Mankind is self evident and is as bright and prominent as the Sun, it does not need an introduction. But very few understand it.

The respected author is trying to explain the nitty-gritty of the perspicuous system of agitated mind and discusses the hidden potential one possess. As man is the most complicated machine hence some confusion and anxiety arises when one follows it without understanding it. Just growth of self is not an easy task, it requires a tremendous will to fight between physical and non-physical entities. Fighting with the self is the most difficult thing.

Soul or Nafs or Psyche has the affinity towards negative thoughts and material gains. Soul governs the body from head to toe. Reason, Emotion and Desire are parts of the souls. Reason always acts as a fulcrum between Emotions and Desire, and tries to balance it. If the scale of anxiety, worry, apprehensions, doubts overcomes the power of reasoning, then the person becomes a psycho because his Nafs losses its balance.

The respected author is emphasizing to understand the power of higher and lower consciousness. Reason being the part of higher consciousness; emotions and desires are the motivating factors which come under the ambit of lower consciousness. Soul or psyche is a mental or psychological structure of man and it should be diligently kept open to positive thoughts and gradually grow it. If one buries the soul under apprehensions, doubts, ignorance or superstitions and rejects all signs of sensibility, he will eventually have to face the wrath of their Rabb.

The Rabb functions as the center of thought, behavior and consciously or unconsciously directs the brain to respond to the social, physical or environmental changes. The strong inclination towards materialistic possessions drives the Self to cross all limits, ignoring the ethics of Humanity and the consequence is that he faces inhumane conditions.    

Interpretation:

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

With the identification of the Allah, the Rehman, the Rahim

1 وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا 

And by the perspicuous / crystal clear thought and that brightens it

2 وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَاهَا 

And by the confusion / doubt that follows it  

3 وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّاهَا 

And by the flow of thoughts / dawn which clears it 

4 وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَاهَا 

And by the anxiety, when over-powers it

5 وَالسَّمَاءِ وَمَا بَنَاهَا 

And by the higher consciousness which builds / produce it 

6 وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَاهَا 

And by the lower consciousness which carries it 

7 وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا 

And by soul which is a equal part of it

8 فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا 

Then inspired it by diligently opening it

9 قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا 

Indeed he succeed who increase / purify it

10 وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا 

And indeed he fails who buries it

11 كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ بِطَغْوَاهَا 

 The state of being thamud (good for nothing thoughts) rejected with transgressing it 

12 إِذِ انبَعَثَ أَشْقَاهَا 

When the most ill-natured aroused it 

13 فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ نَاقَةَ اللَّهِ وَسُقْيَاهَا 

Then it is said to them by the inner voice (rasul) of the meticulous system to obtain knowledge from it 

14 فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَعَقَرُوهَا فَدَمْدَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِذَنبِهِمْ فَسَوَّاهَا 

Then they rejected him (rasul) and hamstrung it (Nafs) so their mind / consciousness smeared on them with long continuous evil so they were equal part of it
 
15 وَلَا يَخَافُ عُقْبَاهَا

And he feared not the consequences of it 


In spite of presence of the honorable messenger / rasul in us and educating us about the role of consciousness and the power of Nafs, which is the nucleus of our system, we rejected its teaching and ultimately destroyed our Nafs. As a result the Rabb smeared upon us psychological sufferings that are a labyrinth for us and it was difficult to come out of it. This happened because we did not realize the repercussions of not abiding the messenger's voice precious instructions. 




                 Lexicon Meaning ---  Traditional Meaning

الشَّمْسِ - the pharse  جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ in 10:5 / 25:45 / 71:16 made me realize that in the context of the book Quran the word  الشَّمْسَ is not physical object because whenever the word جَعَلَ is used it signifies the making is of non physical object. Thus instead of Sun I interpreted as perspicacious / clear thoughts - genitive feminine noun 

اللَّهِ نَاقَةَ - Meticulous System of Consciouness --- She Camel of Allah

سُقْيَاهَا - obtain knowledge --- bar it not from drinking
            from it