Surat Yaasin Verse 25-27 Class 9 - Lesson 13

Learning Objectives: Provide an explanation of verses 25 to 27 of Surat Yasin Continue with the story of Sahib Yasin mentioned in verses 20 onwards Memorise Surat Yasin up to verse 27

Verses 25-27 إِنِّي آمَنتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ فَاسْمَعُونِ Indeed I have faith in your Lord, so listen to me. قِيلَ ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ ۖ قَالَ يَا لَيْتَ قَوْمِي يَعْلَمُونَ He was told, ‘Enter paradise!’ He said, ‘Alas! Had my people only known بِمَا غَفَرَ لِي رَبِّي وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ for what my Lord forgave me and made me one of the honoured ones!’

The brutal killing of Habib Najjar In the last lesson, we saw the arguments presented by Habib Najjar (referred to in the Qur’an as Saahib Yaasin) to his people in support of the messengers. The people had no intellectual response to Habib’s arguments, so they resorted to violence instead in order to stop him from influencing the people in support of the messengers. Habib was killed in a very brutal way in order to make an example out of him.

Reflection: Often when a person is presented with intellectual arguments for which he/she no answer and knows deep down that the arguments are correct, they react in one of two ways: a) Admit to the correctness of the person’s point and commit to following this new found truth, even if it takes them out of our comfort zones. b) Reject or ignore the arguments raised and retaliate by making personal attacks (verbal or physical) at the person making the arguments. Can you think of examples of such situations from your own lives? How did you react when sound advice was given to you? How should you have reacted?

قِيلَ ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ ۖ قَالَ يَا لَيْتَ قَوْمِي يَعْلَمُونَ He was told, ‘Enter paradise!’ He said, ‘Alas! Had my people only known بِمَا غَفَرَ لِي رَبِّي وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ for what my Lord forgave me and made me one of the honoured ones!’ Up to verse 25 of Surat Yasin, we are told the arguments that Habib Najjar raised with his people. Very beautifully, the following verses do not directly state the outcome of the conversations between Habib and his people. Instead, the Qur’an straight away jumps to the events directly after Habib’s martyrdom. Reflection: Why do you think the Qur’an jumps from his arguments with his people to his honoured position after death? What affect does this create?

CAN YOU THINK OF ANY MORE POSSIBLE REASONS? Some possible suggestions: 1) To tell us that the difficult death Habib suffered is actually very insignificant compared to the great bliss he is now living in. 2) To tell us that if we are standing up to support the truth and supporting the oppressed, we should not think about the possible negative consequences that could result in doing this for us, because what we will gain with Allah (SWT) is far greater than the consequences in this world. 3) To show us how quick Allah (SWT) is at rewarding the good doers. CAN YOU THINK OF ANY MORE POSSIBLE REASONS?

قِيلَ ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ... He was told, ‘Enter paradise!’… The paradise being referred to here is the paradise in Barzakh (not the paradise in the Hereafter). Barzakh is the intermediary realm between this physical world and the Hereafter. It is where the souls of the dead reside while awaiting the Day of Judgement and the start of the Hereafter: حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ When death comes to one of them, he says, ‘My Lord! Take me back, لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ ۚ كَلَّا ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا ۖ وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ that I may act righteously in what I have left behind.’ ‘By no means! These are mere words that he says.’ And before them is a barrier until the day they will be resurrected. (23:99-100)

After the initial questioning in the grave, the souls are sorted into three main categories: 1) The really good souls are placed in a paradise in Barzakh, where they reside in bliss, as a prelude to the paradise in the Hereafter. 2) The really bad souls are placed in a hell in Barzakh, where they are punished and live in disgrace, as a prelude to the hell of the Hereafter. 3) The vast majority of souls, which were neither extremely good or extremely bad, are placed to sleep in a deep slumber, until the second trumpet is blown marking the beginning of the Day of Judgement, when they will awake to face their main accounting.

In various verses of the Qur’an, this mini paradise and hell of Barzakh, are mentioned. Below is one example of each: الَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ طَيِّبِينَ ۙ يَقُولُونَ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمُ ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ —those whom the angels take away while they are pure. They say [to them], ‘Peace be to you! Enter paradise because of what you used to do.’ (16:32)   وَلَوْ تَرَىٰ إِذْ يَتَوَفَّى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۙ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَارَهُمْ وَذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ Were you to see when the angels take away the faithless, striking their faces and their backs, [saying], ‘Taste the punishment of the burning. (8:50) Task: Compare the description of the paradise and hell of Barzakh given in the verses above.