Living The Quran
From Issue: 1063 [Read full issue]
Lord of Daybreak
Al-Falaq (The Daybreak) Sura 113: Verses 1-5
"Say: I take refuge with the Lord of Daybreak from the worst of things that He created and from the worst of the darkness of the night when the dark intensified, and from the worst of those who practice magic, blowing on the knots and from the worst of one who is jealous when jealous."
The hajj, through its movements, declares a message as the Quran does with words. It has been recommended one should read the whole Quran during the hajj. Thus, we must have come to the end of the Quran by now. Now, at the completion of the hajj, let us learn a lesson from the last words of the Holy Book.
The last words of the Quran speak about a danger and the last movements of the hajj speak about stoning. In the last phase of the hajj, the words are about the stoning of three idols and in the last surah of the Quran, negation of three powers. At the completion of the hajj, danger still exists. It addresses the followers of Abraham to fear this danger. At the completion of the Quran, the words refer to an evil and it addresses the Abrahamic Prophet to fear this evil. Amazing! The Quran has ended and danger has not ended. The victorious mission has ended and danger has still not ended. Prophecy has ended and danger has still not ended. Amazing! The Quran comes to an end with two surahs. The words in both of which speak about taking refuge from evil. In both, it is God Who warns. And the person He warns is a person who has completed the mission of monotheism in history, the person who perfected the mission of Abraham. He is Muhammad. And the hajj comes to an end with a two-day pause in both of which stoning is referred to and in both it is God Who warns. The person He warns is the initiator of the mission of monotheism in history. And you, a follower of the Prophet of Islam.
O you who have come to the end of the Tradition of Abraham, not with action but with the secret, where do you go in comfort from Mina? At the completion of the hajj, O Haji! Let us read to the end of the Quran and see what danger threatens the mission of our victorious Prophet. In addition, before we depart from Mina and leave behind the three destroyed idol bases for our daily life, let us hear the last Message of God as to what danger He warns of to His friend—the human being appointed by Him to the people:
The first idol: the dark night, the domination of night, darkness and oppression. The second idol: the blower and its agents: sorcerers of dispersion and those who waste thoughts, ethics and awareness, pavers of the way of thoughts and culture for the dark night, hypnotizers of the masses in the skirt of the overspreading night. The third idol: an envious person. The fifth column of darkness, the unconscious plaything of blowers.
All these are the work of night. These three evils are the wickednesses of the night. Let the night die. Let the morning dawn rise, O God of dawn! "Lord of the Daybreak." Let daybreak appear, the breaker of morning pour a stream of white light over the valley of Mina. When the blade of the sun tears down the tent of the dark night, it removes the sovereignty of darkness and oppression from Mina, drives blowers who have taken shelter under the dark night to hide under rocks and in the caves of Mina and, finally, when the power of night ceases, the deceit of the sorcerers of the night cease, complexes of envy also remain shut and harmless, buried in the depths of friends!
Compiled From:
"Hajj: Reflections on its Rituals" - Ali Shariati