Quraanic Exegesis, Dought&clear, - * Do the words of Allah, “And full-breasted maidens of equal age (wa kawaa‘ib atraaban)” describe the breasts of al-hoor al-‘iyn?

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I have a question which has been bothering me a little bit on my view of islam, regarding surah 78 verse 32-33. In english translation it says: (31) Gardens enclosed and vineyards, (32) And full-breasted'' maidens of equal age.
What does this verse mean exactly?
Does it litterally mean that people in paradise will be given women with good looking breast?
Doesnt feel good reading it in a relgious script.
I dont see why it has to be said anyway,it already says in the quran that men will get married with good looking wives . Whats the point of pointing out the look of the womens breast in paradise?
Praise be to Allah.
First of all, we thank you for getting in touch with our website and we hope that you will find it useful and beneficial.
To answer your question, we would say that any critic of any text, whether it is a sacred text or a work of human literature, must pay attention in his criticism to the environment in which the text originally appeared, in terms of time, place, people and circumstances. When the critic wants to develop a precise understanding of a particular expression, he also has to closely examine the roots of that phrase in the language in which it originally appeared, the various ways in which it is used, and the meaning and general context for which it is used.
The fair-minded researcher is the one who always assumes that translation is not able to transmit the meaning as intended, and the translation is not going to be able to choose the right vocabulary that conveys all the shades of meaning carried in the original words, on the basis of the environment in which the original words were used. If he does not bear this in mind, he will not be able to reach the proper understanding and correct conclusion.
Based on that, we say to you that with regard to the literal translation of the word kawaa‘ib, it is the plural of the word kaa‘ib, which refers to a female with developing breasts, as it says inMajmal al-Lughah, 1/787
Ibn Faaris (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Ka‘bcomes from a sound root that is indicative of a thing beginning to develop and emerge. From the same root comes the wordka‘b, which refers to the ankle, which is the bone on the two sides of the lower leg where it meets the foot; and the wordKa‘bahwhich refers to the House of Allah, may He be exalted; it is so called because of its prominence and its square shape. A woman is described as kaa‘ib when her breasts begin to develop. End quote fromMaqaayees al-Lughah, 5/186. See alsoal-Qaamoos al-Muheet, p. 131;Lisaan al-‘Arab, 1/719. This is the literal meaning of the word in terms of linguistic roots.
But it is very inappropriate to limit one’s examination to the literal, dictionary meaning of the roots of a word in any language; rather it is also essential to pay attention to the context in which the speakers of that language themselves use a word. Do you not see that the Arabs use the wordal-haa’id(lit. menstruating) in ways other than its literal meaning? Rather they may use this word to refer to an adult woman who has reached the age when she begins to menstruate; they do not mean that she has got her monthly period at that moment in time. For example, it is proven from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah does not accept the prayer of anyhaa’idwithout a head cover.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 641. It is well known in Islamic teachings that it is not valid for a woman to offer the prayer at the time of her menses; rather it is forbidden for her to do that, according to scholarly consensus, until her period ends and she purifies herself after that.
The one who understands this word according to its literal, dictionary meaning will encounter this erroneous contradiction. But the one who understands it as it is used by the Arabs, referring to an adult woman who has reached the age when she begins to menstruate, even if she is not actually menstruating at the moment, will understand the hadeeth properly and will understand the way in which the Arabs use the word.
We may say something similar about describing a woman as kaa‘ib in Arabic; it is not intended as an erotic, physical description of any part of the woman’s body, as much as it is intended as a description of the girl in terms of the emergence of the signs of femininity in her, as an indication of her young age and youthfulness, so that men would be attracted to her. At this age the signs of femininity begin to appear in the girl. The point of using this word is not to describe the size of the breasts or to note their form or shape; rather the purpose is to highlight the woman’s youthfulness.
Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The woman is atiflah(little girl) when she is small,waleedahwhen she begins to walk, then akaa‘ibwhen her breasts begin to appear, then anaahidwhen they increase in size, thenma‘sarwhen she reaches the age of puberty, thenkhawdwhen she reaches the age of a young woman.
End quote fromAkhbaar an-Nisa’, p. 228.
It says inSharh Ma‘aani Shi‘r al-Mutanabbiby Ibn al-Ifleeli (vol. 1, 2/270): A young man is calledshaabband a young woman is calledkaa‘ib. End quote.
Imam az-Zajjaaj – who is one of the leading scholars of the Arabic language – says:
The phrase “wa kawaa‘ib atraaban(translated above as: And full-breasted maidens of equal age)” means that they are all of the same age, which is the pinnacle of youth and beauty.
End quote fromMa‘aani al-Qur’an wa I‘raabihi, 4/338
Look at how the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) explain this description, kaa‘ib, as referring to one of the stages in a girl’s life; it is not intended as an erotic description of her body, even though that may be the literal meaning.
This is exactly the same as the way in which the Arabs use the word haa’id to refer to reaching the age of physical maturity; they do not mean that the woman is actually menstruating.
There is further clear evidence in the fact that the Arabs use this word in both poetry and prose in the context of describing a woman’s chastity and honourable nature, not in the context of an erotic description aimed at provoking desire. When the Arab poet describes a girl askaa‘ib, he is not referring to her breasts or their size or roundness; rather it is a description of any young girl, and this word is used in pure and refined types of love poetry that are far removed from any sexual connotations.
ath-Tha‘labi said inal-Kashf wa’l-Bayaan(10/118):
Hence al-Maawardi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on the wordkawaa‘ibin this verse: It refers to maidens or virgins. This was stated by ad-Dahhaak.
End quote froman-Nukat wa’l-‘Uyoon, 6/188.
This report from ad-Dahhaak was narrated by Ibn al-Mundhir;ad-Durr al-Manthoor, 8/398
If you study the Holy Qur’an, you will always find metaphors using words that eloquently convey subtle meanings, such as the verse in which Allah describes the marital relationship (interpretation of the meaning):
“They are your garments and ye are their garments”
[al-Baqarah 2:187].
Other examples:
“And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect”
[ar-Room 30:21]
“…or you have been in contact with women…”
[an-Nisa’ 4:43].
If you were to translate these phrases literally, the meaning would not be understood, because the literal translation of the words libaas (garments), sakan (repose) and lamas (touch, contact) does not convey what is meant. Rather the context of the verses indicates that what is meant here is a metaphor that refers to the reality of marital life, but from a spiritual point of view. But if you translate these words into English in the sense of sexual intercourse, that may lead to thinking that the Holy Qur’an speaks a great deal about physical desires and uses words that directly refer to that, when that is not the case.
We are establishing this so that you will understand the importance of the critic paying attention to Arabic usage of the word according to its context, and the importance of paying attention to the gap that a literal translation may cause between the real meaning and the literal meaning of the word.
After studying a number of translations of the meanings of the Holy Qur’an into English it becomes clear that the translators differed in the ways in which they rendered the meaning of this verse, “wa kawaa‘ib atraaban”; they fall into two categories.
The first group gave the literal meaning of the word without paying attention to the usage of this word in the context of referring to age. So the translation appeared in the following wording which caused confusion to the questioner:
“And young full-breasted (mature) maidens of equal age.”
It was translated in this manner by Dr. Taqiy ad-Deen al-Hilaali and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan, in theTranslation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur’an, printed by theKing Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an(p. 811). This is a link to their official site:
http://www.qu rancomplex.or g/Quran /Targama /Targama.asp?l =arb&t=eng& nSora=78& nAya=31
It was translated in a similar manner by both Laleh Baktiar and Ibrahim Walk.
This is an imprecise translation, not only because it does not pay attention to what we have discussed above of the intended meaning of the wordkawaa‘ib, but also because it does not pay attention to the dictionary meaning either. “Full-breasted” in English is indicative of the size of a woman’s breasts and describes them as being large and full, when in fact the literal, dictionary meaning of the wordkaa‘ibis the one whose breasts are beginning todevelop or have begun to appear, as quoted above from Arabic dictionaries. This means that they have begun to appear and take on the feminine form, not that they have become completely developed as is implied by the word “full”.
Arthur J Arberry translated it as follows:
“and maidens with swelling breasts, like of age.”
Sarwar translated it in a similar manner:
“maidens with pears-shaped breasts who are of equal age”
Another translation says:
“and voluptuous women of equal age”.
All of these are translations a focus on the physical shape of the breasts. Describing the breasts is being pear-shaped or voluptuous or swelling are phrases that are imprecise and do not reflect the intended meaning of the Arabic phrases.
The second group paid attention to what we have mentioned above and translated the meaning of the wordkawaa‘ibaccording to the context in accordance with the intended meaning, and not the unintended literal meaning. We will quote these translations here, with the names of the translators, and we call upon translators to correct their translations.
The best of them in our opinion is the translation of Maulana Muhammad Ali:
And youthful (companions), equals in age”
The other correct translations are as follows:
Marmaduke Pickthall: “And maidens for companions”
Abdullah Yusuf Ali: “Companions of equal age”
Muhammad Taqi Uthmani: “And buxom maidens of matching age”.
And Allah knows best.

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Quraanic Exegesis, Dought&clear, - * Reconciling between the verses “There is no compulsion in religion” [al-Baqarah 2:256] and “and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace, and they will be abased” [an-Naml 27:37]

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Allah, may He be exalted, says in Soorat al-Baqarah: “There is no compulsion in religion” [al-Baqarah 2:256], and this is a well-known Islamic principle. But in Soorat an-Naml we find that the Prophet of Allah Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) sent a message to Bilqees threatening her and compelling her to become Muslim. It seems to me that this is contrary to the general principle. How can you explain this?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The words of Allah, may He be exalted (interpretation of the meaning):“There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path” [al-Baqrah 2:256]are not contrary to the command to fight the mushrikeen who turn people away from the religion of Allah, cause mischief on earth and spread kufr, shirk and corruption. Fighting them is one of the greatest deeds by means of which people prosper on earth and enjoy safety and stability, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism: i.e. worshipping others besides Allah) and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone” [al-Anfaal 8:39].
Islam aims to achieve that which is in people’s interests and to protect them from that which is harmful to them.
The meaning of this verse is that the teachings of Islam are very clear and the proof and evidence of its soundness are so clear and definitive that there is no need for compulsion. Whoever comes to know the reality of Islam and is not stubborn or arrogant will enter Islam willingly. Rather the one who does not want to enter it is the one who is arrogant and stubborn, who does not accept Allah as his Lord or His Prophet as his messenger, and does not believe in the Book that was revealed to him. For that reason, those mushrikeen who adhere to their false religion and fight in support of their religion out of arrogance and seek to spread mischief and kufr on earth are to be fought.
Nothing is more indicative of that than the fact that at the beginning of Islam people entered the religion of Allah in crowds, the religion in the name of which their fathers, relatives and friends had been killed.
Many of the Sahaabah became Muslim after having fought to defend kufr, such as Khaalid ibn al-Waleed, ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas, Abu Sufyaan ibn Harb, Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan and many others (may Allah be pleased with them all). They became Muslim when the right path became distinct from the wrong path for them and the teachings and strong proof of Islam became clear to them. So they became Muslim willingly and joined the troops of Allah after having been among the troops of the Shaytaan.
This is also indicated by the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. So, will you (O Muhammad SAW) then compel mankind, until they become believers?” [Yoonus 10:99]. In other words, you are not able to do that and it is not within your power; no one except Allah is able to do any of that.
End quote fromTafseer as-Sa‘di, p. 374
Ibn Jizziy (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “There is no compulsion in religion” means: the religion of Islam is very clear and its proof of its soundness is self-evident, so there is no need to compel anyone to enter this religion. Rather anyone who has sound understanding will enter it of his own accord, without compulsion. This is indicated by the words,“Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path” [al -Baqarah 2:256], i.e., it is clear that Islam is the right path and kufr is the wrong path, so there is no need for compulsion after this has become clear.
End quote fromat-Tasheel, p. 135
As-Sa‘di(may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This refers to the perfection of Islam, because its proofs are perfect and the signs of its soundness are clear. Because it is the religion of reason and knowledge, the religion of sound human nature and of wisdom, the religion of righteousness and piety, the religion of truth and guidance, and it is perfect and acceptable to human nature, there is no need to compel anyone to enter it, because compulsion is only needed in the case of that which is off-putting and contrary to the facts and truth, or that of which the proofs and signs are not clear. Otherwise, anyone who comes to know this religion then rejects it and does not accept it, it is because of his stubbornness, because right path has become distinct from the wrong path, so no one has any excuse for rejecting it and not accepting it. There is no contradiction between this idea and the many verses that speak of jihad. Allah enjoined fighting so that the religion (worship) will all be for Allah alone and to ward off the aggression of those who are hostile towards Islam. The Muslims are unanimously agreed that jihad is ongoing and that jihad in word and in deed is a permanent obligation. Any commentator who thinks that this verse contradicts the verses of jihad, and is certain that it has been abrogated, holds a weak view, as is obvious from the wording and the meaning and as is clear to anyone who studies the verse, as we have pointed out.
End quote fromTafseer as-Sa‘di, p. 954
He also said:
“Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path” [al-Baqarah 2:256]means: once the one becomes distinct from the other, there is no room for compulsion, because compulsion can only be in the case of an issue the soundness and merits of which are not clear. But once it is clear that well-being and happiness in this world and in the Hereafter are connected to it, then what reason can there be for compulsion?
Something similar may be said concerning the verse (interpretation of the meaning):“And say: ‘The truth is from your Lord.’ Then whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve” [al-Kahf 18:29]., i.e., this is the truth that clear evidence demonstrates is true, so that whoever wants to believe may do so and let whoever wants to disbelieve may do so.
End quote fromal-Qawaa‘id al-Hisaan, p. 119
Az-Zarqaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the sword and the concept of jihad in Islam, that was not for the purpose of imposing belief on people or forcing any individual or group to worship Allah; rather it was to ward off those who would wield the sword, to prevent them from humiliating and persecuting the one who entered Islam, and to compel them to leave the call of truth alone without any obstacle or hindrance, so that there will be no more titnah and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone (cf. 8:39).
End quote fromManaahil al-‘Irfaan, 2/406
Some of the scholars are of the view that this verse applies specifically to the People of the Book and those who come under the same rulings, such as the Magians; they are not to be compelled to enter Islam, because Allah, may He be exalted, says:“Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued” [at-Tawbah 9:29].
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If one whom it is not permissible to compel is compelled to enter Islam, such as a dhimmi (non-Muslim living under Muslim rule) or a non-Muslim who has been granted security, he is not deemed to be a Muslim unless he shows signs of having become Muslim voluntarily.
End quote fromal-Mughni, 10/96.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The disbelief of one who is compelled to leave Islam is not to be regarded as anything significant and neither is the faith of one who is compelled unlawfully to believe, such as the dhimmi who is complying with the conditions (of being protected by the Muslim state and so on), as Allah, may He be exalted, says concerning him:“There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path” [al-Baqrah 2:256]. This is unlike the one who is compelled (to enter Islam) for a legitimate reason, such as those who were fought of people who are in a state of war with the Muslims, until they become Muslim, if the fight against them was to make them choose between becoming Muslim or paying the jizyah.
End quote fromal-Istiqaamah, 2/320
See also the answer to question no. 165408
The point is that the verse does not mean that people should be compelled to enter the religion of Allah reluctantly and by force; rather what it means is that Islam is easy and clear, with no compulsion to enter it. The one who enters Islam becomes one of its people, and the one who does not enter Islam is either one of the ahl adh-dimmah or one of those who have a covenant with the Muslims; he is to be granted his rights to safety and security and he has to pay the jizyah, or he is one of those who are in a state of war with the Muslims and must be fought lest he spread corruption and kufr in the land.
Secondly:
The words of Allah, may He be exalted, to His Prophet Sulaymaan (peace be upon him):“Go back to them. We verily shall come to them with hosts that they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace, and they will be abased” [an-Naml 27:37], do not contradict what we have said above. The Prophet of Allah Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) had gained control over the land, as Mujaahid (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Four people gained control over the earth, east and west, two believers and two disbelievers. The two believers were Sulaymaan ibn Dawood and Dhu’l-Qarnayn, and the two disbelievers were Nebuchadnezzar and Nimrood ibn Kan‘aan (Nimrod son of Canaan). No one but they gained power over it.
Tafseer at-Tabari, 5/433
The king must be obeyed, especially if he issues commands that are in the people’s interests and are good for the people and the country, such as believing in Allah and shunning kufr. So it is not permissible for anyone to go against him in that regard, and whoever does go against him must be fought, because he may cause trouble in the kingdom and spread kufr and corruption in the land, and others may follow him in that.
Moreover, there is nothing in the verse to suggest that he compelled the queen, Bilqees, or anyone else to become Muslim. Rather what it refers to is fighting her and her army. In fact she became Muslim voluntarily, because of what she saw of the great signs that Allah granted at Sulaymaan’s hands; it was not because of fear of fighting and the sword. Allah, may He be exalted, tells us (interpretation of the meaning):“She said: ‘My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, and I submit (in Islam, together with Sulaymaan (Solomon), to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists)’” [an-Naml 27:44].
From the above it is known that the command to fight does not mean compelling people to become Muslim.
Thirdly:
If we assume that this story refers to Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) compelling the Queen of Saba’ (Sheba) and the people with her to accept his laws that Allah sent down to him, this has to do only with the laws of Sulaymaan (peace be upon him), which were different to our laws. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way” [al-Maa’idah 5:4].
As-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: These laws, that were different for different nations, are what changed according to changes in times and circumstances. All of them were aimed at achieving justice at the time when they were prescribed.
Emd quote fromTafseer as-Sa‘di, p. 234
Moreover, this ruling, which allows the dhimmi to continue following his religion and to be granted protection by the Muslims, and does not require compelling him to enter the religion of Allah, will change at the end of time, when ‘Eesa (Jesus – peace be upon him) comes down. He will abolish the jizyah and will not accept anything but Islam, and there will be a great deal of good and blessing throughout the earth. This is one of the things which indicate that fighting the mushrikeen who turn people away from the religion of Allah is one of the greatest means of bringing goodness and blessings to the people, common folk and elite alike.
Al-Bukhaari (2222) and Muslim (155) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, soon the son of Maryam will descend among you as a just judge, he will break the cross, kill the pigs and abolish the jizyah, and wealth will become so abundant that no one will accept it.”
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “and (he will) abolish the jizyah”, the correct view concerning their meaning is that he will not accept it, and he will not accept anything from the kuffaar except Islam. He will not leave alone those who are willing to pay the jizyah, because it will not be good enough; rather he will not accept anything except Islam or execution. This is the view of Abu Sulaymaan al-Khattaabi and other scholars, may Allah have mercy on them.
Based on that, it may be asked: Will this be different from the Islamic ruling that exists today, which is that if the kitaabi (Jew or Christian living under Muslim rule) pays the jizyah, it must be accepted and it is not permissible to fight him or compel him to become Muslim?
The answer to that is that this ruling is not ongoing until the Day of Resurrection; rather it is limited to the time before ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) comes down. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has told us in these saheeh hadeeths that it will be abrogated. But ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) is not the one who will abrogate it; rather it is our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who explained that it will be abrogated. ‘Eesa will rule in accordance with our sharee‘ah, which indicates that his refusal to accept the jizyah at that time is what is prescribed by our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
And Allah knows best.

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For children, - Repentance in Islam (Tawbah, Taubah, Tobah): Seeking Forgiveness (Al-Istighfaar, Istighfar)

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Allah (SWT) Most High says in Noble Qur'an, "Ask your Lord for forgiveness and then turn in repentance to Him..." (11:3)
Also Allah (SWT) Most High says in Noble Qur'an, "O you who believe! Turn (in repentance) to Allah with sincere repentance; Perhaps your Lord will remove your evil from you... " (66:8)
It should not be forgotten that we, being human beings are prone to committing sins. Sinless are nobody in the universe except the Masumeen and the Noble Prophet Muhammad (saw). To seek pardon from Allah (SWT) is the instant remedy for every problem. Once a person came to Imam Ali (as) and asked him for the solution of repaying the debts, Imam Ali (as) was told to do Tawbah and seek repentance from Allah (SWT). The other person came asking for the remedy of a sickness, Imam Ali (as) was prescribed the same Tawbah and seek repentance from Allah (SWT). Yet another person came asking for the bestowing of an offspring from Allah (SWT) and Imam Ali (as) was also told to do Istighfar as much as possible.
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "The sign of the people of Hell is mostly because of the postponement of repenting (Tawbah and Istighfar)."
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "A sincere repentant never sins again as the milk drawn from the breast never can go back to its source."
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "The repentant from a sin is as same as him who did not commit it."
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Nothing is more favorable to Allah (SWT) than a male or female repentant believer."
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "There are four signs of one who is repentant: (1) He is sincere to Allah (SWT) in his actions (2) He shuns falsehood (3) He is firmly attached to truth and (4) He is eager to do good."
Imam Ali (as) said: "The sin that makes you sad and repentant is more liked by Allah (SWT) than the good deed which turns you arrogant."
Imam Ali (as) said: "A sincere repentant: (1) is ashamed of his past sins (2) takes up the duties overlooked and fulfils them (3) makes good the willfully ignored conditions of a trust managed by him (4) forgives those who provoke him (5) does not demand repayment of loans from those who are in financial distress (6) makes firm determination not to sin ever again (7) surrenders his self to the adoration, devotion and service of Allah (SWT) when it had swelled to the point of exploding due to inordinate consumption of worldly pleasures, transgression and disobedience."
Imam Zainul Abideen (as) said: "My God! You are He who has opened a door to Your pardon and named it 'repentance' for You said, 'Repent to God with unswerving (sincere) repentance' (66:8). What is the excuse for him who remains heedless of entering the door after its opening?"
Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "If a servant repents sincerely, Allah (SWT) loves him (and) so conceals his sins."
Repentance is the cord of Allah (SWT) which those repenting must necessarily grasp; they need to clean their interior of their sins and testify against themselves before their Lord.
They should be repentant from the depths of their hearts with regards to their past misdeeds, and fearful with regards to the remaining period of their lives. The Auliya Allah (Friends of Allah (SWT)) repent for the (inappropriate) thoughts that may have passed through their minds, while the special ones repent for engaging themselves in anything other than Allah (SWT), even as the general masses repent for the sins committed by them.
It is vital that, in order to make amends for past (mis)deeds and refrain from committing sins in the future, the person repenting should not look upon any sin as being trivial and insignificant, but should always experience regret over his past lapses, keep his soul away from various kinds of lust and guide it towards struggle (against lust) and worship.
Allah (SWT) loves a believer who seeks forgiveness by asking for Tawbah and Istighfar. Tawbah is among the most praiseworthy acts of virtue for the believers.
Allah (SWT) is more pleased with the repentance of His servants than a person who found his lost camel in a waterless desert. In fact, Allah (SWT) loves to see the believer repent more than He hates to see him sin.
Allah (SWT) accepts the repentance of a believer for as long as he is not at the point of death. He (or she) who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin. Indeed Allah (SWT) loves a believing servant who sins and then realizes his mistake and greatly repents with a true heart and seeks His forgiveness, mercy, and intends with a true heart to never repeat the sin.
When a believer commits a sin and seeks Tawbah, Allah (SWT) becomes so happy and says: "My servant committed a sin and then he came to realize that he has a Lord who holds the sinner responsible and accountable, and also that He has a Lord who forgives the sins if asked for forgiveness: So let him be forgiven."
Believers are on a path of continual improvement. People do make mistakes, but believers analyze their mistakes and take positive actions to correct them. This examination is critical for creating purity in every action. In this way, believers develop a lifestyle which is firmly grounded in the principles of faith, and as loved by Allah (SWT) and His Noble Prophet Muhammad (saw). All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who repent.
Dua: Oh Allah (SWT), let us become better Muslims by repenting for our sins, major and minor, intentionally or unintentionally, openly or secretly, and accept our repentance, and save us from repeating our sins. Aameen.

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Quraanic Exegesis, Dought&clear, - * How many years didNooh (peace be upon him) live?

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Did Nooh (peace be upon him) live for 950 years, and why does it state in the Qur’an that he lived for one thousand years (sanah) less fifty years (‘aam)? Is there a difference between the words sanah and ‘aam (both mean “year”)?
Praise be to Allah
There are important lessons to be learned from the life of Nooh (peace be upon him).
He lived for many centuries that he spent among his people, calling them to Allah, may He be exalted, feeling compassion for them lest He punish them, hoping that He would bestow His mercy upon them. He never felt despair or wanted to give up; rather he hoped that Allah would guide them at his hands, no matter how long it took. The years of his life offer lessons for callers, teachers and educators in patience, determination and faith.
His life also offers lessons to all people, so that they may understand that death will inevitably come, no matter how long one lives, and that one’s life is no more than a series of days that end with sunset every day, so as to conclude the story of his soul that was given an opportunity to attain eternal happiness in Paradise, so what a victory it is if it strove to attain this happiness, and what a loss it is if it fell short and was heedless.
Ibn Abi’d-Dunya narrated inaz-Zuhd(no. 358) with his isnaad from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
The Angel of Death came to Nooh (peace be upon him) and said: O longest-lived of the Prophets, how did you find this world and its pleasures? He said: Like a man who entered a room with two doors, and he stood in the middle of the room for a brief moment, then he went out of the other door. End quote.
The discerning Muslim is the one who pays attention to these lessons and develops the determination and resolve to strive. He should not be preoccupied with the details of history which the revelation did not highlight or explain, and for which there is no sound proof or shar‘i evidence.
That includes asking about the age of Nooh (peace be upon him). There were several scholarly opinions concerning it among the early generations of the Sahaabah and Taabi‘een, but there is nothing proven concerning it in the Qur’an or Sunnah, such that we could be certain that one of these opinions is correct. However, we will quote these opinions here for the sake of increasing knowledge of what is narrated in the books of the early generations:
1. 950 years. This is the view of Qataadah.
It says inTafseer al-Qur’an al-‘Azeemby Ibn Katheer (6/268):
Qataadah said: It was said that his entire lifespan was one thousand years less fifty; he remained among them for three hundred years before he began to call them, and he called them for three hundred years, and after the Flood he lived for another three hundred and fifty years. End quote.
A similar report was narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim inat-Tafseer, no. 18041
2. 1050 years. This was the view of Ibn ‘Abbaas.
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
Allah sent Nooh (as a Prophet) when he was forty years old, and he remained among them for one thousand years less fifty, calling them to Allah; after the Flood he lived for another sixty years, until the people increased in numbers and spread out. End quote.
Inad-Durr al-Manthoor(6/455), as-Suyooti attributed it to Ibn Abi Shaybah (7/18), ‘Abd ibn Humayd, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Haatim, Abu’sh-Shaykh, al-Haakim (9/251), who classed it as saheeh, and Ibn Mardawayh.
3. 1020 years. This was the view of Ka‘b al-Ahbaar.
Ibn Abi Haatim narrated inat-Tafseer(no. 18043): Abu Zur‘ah told us: Safwaan told us: al-Waleed told us: Abu Raafi‘ Ismaa‘eel ibn Raafi‘ told us: from Zayd ibn Aslam, from ‘Ata’ ibn Yasaar, from Ka‘b al-Ahbaar, concerning the words of Allah,“and he stayed among them a thousand years less fifty years” al-‘Ankaboot 29:14]: After that, he lived for another seventy years.
4. 1400 years. This was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas, and was also the view of Wahb ibn Munabbih
See:Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 13/332
5. 1650 years. This was the view of ‘Awn ibn Abi Shaddaad
It was narrated that ‘Awn ibn Abi Shaddaad said:
Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, sent Nooh to his people when he was three hundred and fifty years old, and he called them for one thousand years less fifty years, then after that he lived for another three hundred and fifty years.
Narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim inat-Tafseer(no. 18044); al-Tabari inJaami‘ al-Bayaan, 20/17
6. 1700 years. This was the view of ‘Ikrimah
It was narrated that ‘Ikrimah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The age of Nooh (peace be upon him) including the time before he was sent to his people and after he was sent was one thousand, seven hundred years. End quote.
Inad-Durr al-Manthoor(6/456), as-Suyooti attributed it to ‘Abd ibn Humayd.
Ibn Katheer said inTafseer al-Qur’an al-‘Azeem(6/268), after stating that the previous views were odd: The view of Ibn ‘Abbaas is more likely (to be correct). End quote.
Secondly:
The commentators also differed concerning the reason behind the use of the wordssanahand‘aam(both meaning “year”). There are two opinions:
1.
Some of the commentators are of the view that it is a stylistic reason only, because repeating the same word is heavy on the tongue, so a different word was used the second time, namely ‘aam, to make it lighter.
Az-Zamakhshari said inal-Kashshaaf:
If you say: why is the wordsanahused the first time and the word‘aamused the second time? I would answer by saying that repeating the same word in a single phrase should be avoided in the interests of eloquence, unless that is done for a purpose, such as for emphasis or exaggeration or highlighting a point, and the like. End quote.
Something similar is mentioned inat-Tahreer wa’t-Tanweer, 20/146
2.
The wordsanah(year) is used to highlight the difficulty of the years that Nooh (peace be upon him) spent calling his people. They were years of paucity in terms of goodness, rain and blessing (barakah), and in terms of the difficulty that Nooh (peace be upon him) encountered in calling his people, as they responded by turning away and persecuting him. Then after the flood and the destruction of kufr on earth, he spent years of abundance and ease. The Arabs refer to times of drought and famine assanahand times of ease and plenty as‘aam.
Ar-Raaghib al-Asfahaani said inMufradaat Alfaaz al-Qur’an(2/140):
The‘aamis like thesanah(both words mean “year”) but the wordsanahis often used to refer to the year in which there is hardship or drought. Hence a drought is calledsanah. The word‘aamrefers to a year in which there is ease and plenty. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Then thereafter will come a year (‘aam) in which people will have abundant rain and in which they will press (wine and oil)”
[Yoosuf 12:49]
“and he stayed among them a thousand years (sanah) less fifty years (‘aam)”
[al-‘Ankaboot 29:14].
Burhaan ad-Deen al-Biqaa‘i said inNazm ad-Durar(14/404):
The word sanah is used to refer in a negative manner to the days of kufr (disbelief)… and He said “‘aam” to highlight the fact that after they (the disbelievers) were drowned, Nooh’s life became one of ease because of the faith of the believers and the abundance of the earth. End quote.
Imam az-Zarkashi said something similar inal-Burhaan fi ‘Uloom al-Qur’an, 3/386
Some of the scholars put these two opinions together because there is no reason why these two opinion cannot be regarded as complementary. When it comes to opinions of the commentators – so long as they do not contradict one another – they may all be adopted, which is preferable to rejecting some of them.
Ibn ‘Aadil said inal-Lubaab, 12/429:
Here I paid attention to a subtle point, which is that different words for “year” are used. In the first case it sayssanahand in the second case it says‘aam, lest the wording be too heavy (and so that the words will flow more easily on the tongue). Moreover, the word‘aamis used specifically with regard to the fifty years, so as to highlight that when the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was rid of them, he enjoyed good times after that. The Arabs refer to abundance by saying‘aamand to drought by sayingsanah.
And Allah knows best.

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