Quranic Terminology: (Reach):

The Laughter-Inducing Supplication by the Muhammadans to God to Make them 'Reach' the Next Ramadan

Published in May 12, 2019

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Introduction:

1- It is noteworthy that many of the Arab Muhammadans supplicate to the Lord God, during each Ramadan, that He would make them 'reach' the next Ramadan! The widespread of such illogical and silly supplication within the culture of masses, who are like cattle/parrots repeating anything they hear without thinking, is deplorable and laughable at the same time.  

2- The reason: one's lifetime, or the duration of one's life on earth, is predetermined by the Lord God before one is born. This is expressed in the Quran as fulfillment of one's predestined term. This requires some detailed explanation in the points below.

"...For every term is a book." (13:38): the time of one's death is preordained before one is born:

1- Each predetermined time of death of each human being is written before one is born: "No soul can die except by God's leave, at a predetermined time in a book..." (3:145).

2- During sleep, souls return to Barsakh momentarily and then to the human bodies upon awaking; death means that souls return to Barsakh for good, or until the Day of the Resurrection: "God takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that have not died during their sleep. He retains those for which He has decreed death, and He releases the others until a predetermined time..." (39:42). For more details, we refer our readers to our two books, in English, about death and Barsakh, found on these links, respectively:

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=120

http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=138

3- Many people die at the same time but in different locations on earth; no one can postpone or hasten death: "For every nation is an appointed time. When their time has come, they cannot delay it by one hour, nor can they advance it." (7:34).

4- Dying people wish to have a chance to perform (more) good deeds; the Lord God urges monotheists to spend money for charity and for His sake before their death: "And give from what We have provided for you, before death approaches one of you, and he says, "My Lord, if only You would delay me for a short while, so that I may be charitable, and be one of the righteous ones. "But God will not delay a soul when its time has come..." (63:10-11).

5- One's duration on earth is preordained by the Lord God, in a book, before one is born; one's lifetime cannot be elongated or shortened. The countdown for one's death begins once one is born out of the womb; for instance, if a man is predestined to live for exactly 60 years, when he was born, his age is 60 years but 1 minute, and later on, it is 60 years but 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, a year, 2 years,...etc. until he dies at the age of 60. The Lord God says the following in the Quran: "God created you from dust, then from a small drop; then He made you pairs. No female conceives, or delivers, except with His knowledge. No living thing advances in years, or its life is shortened, except it be in a book. That is surely easy for God." (35:11).

6- Anyway, this topic is a chance for our person to write an article about the Quranic term (reach) as part of the Quranic terminology.

Firstly: (reach) means to attain a certain time/stage:

1- Reaching or attaining puberty: within Quranic stories:

1/1: This is about Joseph: "When he reached his maturity, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. We thus reward the righteous." (12:22).

1//2: This is about Moses: "And when he reached his maturity, and became established, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. Thus do We reward the virtuous." (28:14). 

2- Reaching a certain stage in life: "We have enjoined upon man kindness to his parents. His mother carried him with difficulty, and delivered him with difficulty. His bearing and weaning takes thirty months. Until, when he has attained his maturity, and has reached forty years, he says..." (46:15); "O people! If you are in doubt about the Resurrection - We created you from dust, then from a small drop, then from a clinging clot, then from a lump of flesh, partly developed and partly undeveloped. In order to clarify things for you. And We settle in the wombs whatever We will for a designated term, and then We bring you out as infants, until you reach your full strength. And some of you will pass away, and some of you will be returned to the vilest age, so that he may not know, after having known..." (22:5).

3- Quranic legislations about attaining puberty:

3/1: This is about orphans attaining puberty:

3/1/1: Preserving their money by adult guardians: "And do not come near the property of the orphan, except with the best intentions, until he reaches maturity..." (6:152); "And do not go near the orphan's property, except with the best of intentions, until he has reached his maturity..." (17:34)

3/1/2: Testing their guidance (or coming of age) so that their money is given to them: "Test the orphans until they reach the age of marriage. If you find them to be mature enough, hand over their properties to them..." (4:6).

3/2:  Children must ask permission to enter into chambers/houses at certain times, but once they reach/attain puberty, permission is required in all times of the day as is the case with adults: "O you who believe! Permission must be requested by your servants and those of you who have not reached puberty. On three occasions...When the children among you reach puberty, they must ask permission, as those before them asked permission..." (24:58-59).

4- Reaching the old age:

4/1: Within Quranic stories; e.g., about Zachariah: "He said, "My Lord, how can I have a son, when my wife is barren, and I have become decrepit after reaching the old age?"" (19:8); "He said, "My Lord, how will I have a son, when I have reached old age, and my wife is barren?" He said, "Even so, God does whatever He wills."" (3:40).

4/2: Legislations about reaching the old age; e.g., here: "Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him, and that you be good to your parents. If either of them or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them a word of disrespect, nor scold them, but say to them kind words." (17:23).

5- Reaching fulfillment of one's life duration (i.e., death):

5/1: "It is He who created you from dust, then from a seed, then from an embryo, then He brings you out as an infant, then He lets you reach your maturity, then you become elderly - although some of you die sooner - so that you may reach a predetermined age, so that you may understand" (40:67). Each person embarks on the journey of life in a train which moves ahead and never goes back or stops; once one's station is reached, one descends/dies as one fulfilled the predestined lifetime. Sadly, most people forget the inevitability of death; they rarely remember death and the Hereafter.

5/2: This is about human beings and jinn: "..."Our Lord, we have profited from one another, but we have reached the term that you have assigned for us."..." (6:128). Reaching the term here is death after fulfilling the predestined duration of one's life. Glorified be the Holy Name of the Living Lord God Who never dies.

6- When divorced women and widows attain their three-month waiting period:

6/1: We have explained the Quranic legislations of divorce in the article titled "Contradictions in Divorce Legislations between The Quran and The Sunnite Jurisprudence", found in English on this link: ( http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=15977 ). The three-month waiting period/term for divorced women (spent in their husbands' houses) is of vital importance to see if they might return to their husbands or end the marriage (in the presence of at least two witnesses who sign divorce papers) and remarry and to see if they are (not) pregnant: "When you divorce women, and they have reached their term, either retain them amicably, or release them amicably..." (2:231); "When you divorce women, and they have reached their term, do not prevent them from marrying their husbands, provided they agree on fair terms..." (2:232); "Once they have reached their term, either retain them honorably, or separate from them honorably. And call to witness just people from among you..." (65:2).

6/2: This is about the widows and their right to re-marry when their waiting period/term is fulfilled: "As for those among you who die and leave widows behind, their widows shall wait by themselves for four months and ten days. When they have reached their term, there is no blame on you regarding what they might honorably do with themselves. God is fully acquainted with what you do." (2:234).

Secondly: reaching a place:

1- Reaching the Sacred House in Mecca:

1/1: Within Quranic stories: when Qorayish polytheists prevented Muhammad and the early believers with him from pilgrimage: "It is they who disbelieved, and barred you from the Sacred Mosque, and prevented the offering from reaching its destination..." (48:25).

1/2: Within Quranic legislations regarding the case of being prevented from reaching Mecca: "And carry out the Hajj and the Umrah for God. But if you are prevented, then whatever is feasible of offerings. And do not shave your heads until the offering has reached its destination..." (2:196).

2- Reaching other places on earth:

Within the Quranic stories:

"Until, when he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no shelter from it." (18:90); "Then, when they reached the junction between them, they forgot about their fish. It found its way into the river, slipping away." (18:61); "...Their father was a righteous man. Your Lord wanted them to reach their maturity..." (18:82); "And Pharaoh said, "O Haman, build me a tower, that I may reach the pathways. The pathways of the heavens, so that I may glance at the God of Moses; though I think he is lying."..." (40:36-37).

Within Quranic legislations:

"And if anyone of the polytheists asks you for protection, give him protection so that he may hear the Word of God; then escort him until he reaches the place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know." (9:6); "And in them you have other benefits as well, and through them you reach your destinations. And on them, and on the ships, you are transported." (40:80).

Thirdly: making the Divine Message reach others:

1- This is about conveying it by the Lord God's messengers: "That He may know that they have conveyed the messages of their Lord..." (72:28); "Those who deliver the messages of God, and fear Him, and never fear anyone except God..." (33:39).

2- This is about conveying it by some of the Lord God's messengers: Noah: ""I deliver to you the messages of my Lord, and I advise you, and I know from God what you do not know."" (7:62); Hud: ""I convey to you the messages of my Lord, and I am a trustworthy adviser to you."" (7:68); "If you turn away, I have conveyed to you what I was sent to you with; and my Lord will replace you with another people, and you will not cause Him any harm. My Lord is Guardian over all things."" (11:57); "He said, "The knowledge is only with God, and I inform you of what I was sent with; but I see you are an ignorant people."" (46:23); Saleh: "Then he turned away from them, and said, "O my people, I have delivered to you the message of my Lord, and I have advised you, but you do not like those who give advice."" (7:79); Shuaib: "So he turned away from them, and said, "O my people, I have delivered to you the messages of my Lord, and I have advised you, so why should I grieve over a disbelieving people?"" (7:93).

3- This is about Muhammad's conveying the Quranic Message: "O Messenger, convey what was revealed to you from your Lord. But if you do not, then you would not have delivered His message. And God will protect you from the people. God does not guide the disbelieving people." (5:67); "Say, "What thing is more solemn in testimony?" Say, "God is Witness between you and me. This Quran was revealed to me, that I may warn you with it, and whomever it may reach. Do you indeed testify that there are other gods with Allah?" Say, "I myself do not testify." Say, "He is but One God, and I am innocent of your polytheism."" (6:19).

4- Each of the Lord God's messengers had but one Divine Book; none of them had Sunna or hadiths at all; both Moses and Aaron had one Divine Book: "And We blessed Moses and Aaron. And We delivered them and their people from the terrible disaster. And We supported them, and so they were the victors. And We gave them the Clarifying Book." (37:114-117).

Fourthly: the Quranic verb (reach) in other different contexts:

1- About not reaching/attaining the impossible: "And do not walk proudly on earth. You can neither pierce the earth, nor can you reach the height of mountains." (17:37); "To Him belongs the call to truth. Those they call upon besides Him do not respond to them with anything-except as someone who stretches his hands towards water, so that it may reach his mouth, but it does not reach it. The prayers of the unbelievers are only in vain." (13:14).

2- About reaching a certain stage of life; e.g., within the story of Abraham and Ishmael: "Then, when he reached an enough age to accompany him, he said, "O my son, I see in a dream that I am sacrificing you; see what you think." He said, "O my Father, do as you are commanded; you will find me, God willing, one of the patient."" (37:102).

3- About reaching a certain stage of civilization and knowledge: this is about Arabs when the Quranic message was being revealed: "Those before them also denied the Truth, yet they have not attained one-tenth of what We had given them. They rejected My messengers, so how was My disapproval?" (34:45); "That is the extent of the knowledge they reached. Your Lord knows best who has strayed from His path, and He knows best who has accepted guidance." (53:30).

4- The verb to (reach) in metaphoric style in some Quranic verses:

4/1: This is about Moses: "He said, "If I ask you about anything after this, then do not keep company with me. You have received/reached excuses from me."" (18:76).

4/2: This is about extreme fear: "When they came upon you, from above you, and from beneath you; and the eyes became dazed, and the hearts reached the throats, and you harbored doubts about God" (33:10).

4/3: This is about dying soul reaching the throat of a dying person: "So when it has reached the throat." (56:83).

4/4: This is about the soul of the dead person reaching Barsakh, its original place, which is higher than the physical, observable universe: " Indeed, when it has reached the elevated place." (75:26).