Topics Starting with Ba

Baabal

Baarish

Baatil (Falsehood)

Baabal

Baabal was the capital of the ancient Babylonian civilization.  One of the folklores popularized by the ancient Jews was about the presence of two angels—Haroot and Maroot- that God sent to Babylon.  It was widely believed that these angels taught people how to practice magic.  The Qur’an rejects this folklore tale and calls it nothing more than people’s figment of imagination.

 The word has been used in the Qur’an only in this ayah 2:102.

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Baarish  (Rain-also see ‘rizq’)

All life originated from water (21:30) all living things depend upon water for existence.  This great blessing from Allah has been  made freely available to all living creatures without measure to sustain life and plant grant growth.

 Rain –a life-sustaining source

1. The crops originate from water generated by rains.  All sustenance comes from Allah for all creatures and therefore no one has monopoly over them.  The distribution of sustenance should be under the dictates of the Divine laws (2:22, 6:100-110, 14:32, 16:10-11, 20:53, 23:18-20, 31:10, 35:27, 40:13).

2. The provision generated by rainfalls (10:31, 27:64, 35:3).

 Rain is a blessing from Allah (swt)

1. Allah (swt) showered His blessings in the form of rain and natural resources but many nations became arrogant and thankless.  They were destroyed because of their transgression (6:6).

2. Some examples of nations that were favored by Allah for blessings (rain, beauty, plentiful life-sustaining resources) and destroyed because they transgressed limits were Aad (the followers of the prophet Hood—11:53), and the nation of Noah (71:11).

Rains are Divine Blessing that revive the barren earth

1. The rains give new life to a ‘dead’ earth (2:164, 16:65, 22:63, 25:49, 30:24, 32:27, 45:5).

2. The earth gets life that results in the growth of plants/crops (22:5).

3. The life of earth is also a parable of life bestowed after the death (7:57, 30:48,52, 35:9, 43:11, 50:11).

The Quality of life commensurate with capacity and potential

1. Just as a bad soil gives rise to unhealthy crops and a good soil generates a healthy crop, the human deeds get rewarded by acting on guidance revealed to mankind through prophets (7:58).

2. Rains are handled by streams, canals and rivers according to what they can hold (13:17).

3. The rainfalls grow plants and crops, yet they also serve to sweep away loose soil and dry plants as scum.  What remains useful and beneficial for mankind survives and the rest get swept away (13:17).

Hope and dismay are intertwined

1. The oppositions to struggle and effort increase human resolve and make it stronger.  Interaction with difficulties and hardships often results in greater good and improvement in quality of life.  That is why men are asked not to get swayed away by failures and  untoward circumstances.  Thus the Qur’an puts forth a parable of a thundering cloud that ends up in abundant, beneficent rains (13:12).  Those who build their houses in the unsafe areas, they suffer loss (13:13, 30:24).

2. The same rain that does good to earth, can destroys those who are do not take appropriate precautions according to Allah’s laws (24:43).

3. Allah is merciful who may send down rain of mercy when there is no hope (42:28). 

Winds are harbingers of the rain

Just as the winds bring the news of the benevolent rains, the hope brought by beneficial actions carry the good news of prosperity in the form of a healthy system of life (7:57, 27:63)..

The parable of ‘Life of the Earth’

The rains bring about abundant produce, beauty and prosperity on Earth.  It is the same abundance of the wealth and resources that must be handled and distributed according to Allah’s laws.  Those who hoard and keep the power of use of these resources to themselves bring about abolition of these resources Thus, the life of this word is like a rain that comes and does its job, but the lasting benefit remains only for those who manage to use the outcomes of Allah’s blessings wisely (10:24, 18:45). 

The Divine System

1. Since Allah is the Provider, He has provided, out of His Infinite Mercy, most of the resources for all living beings (men, animals etc) free and abundant without asking or working for—yet there is a portion that man is entitled to because of his own labor, efforts and positive actions that he should not only use for himself, but also to benefit those who have not been, for any reason, able to push struggle for.  Those are the needy and the poor and the deprived/oppressed.

2. Allah, the Almighty, causes rain to fall according to the laws He has established for this purpose.  If He desired, He would have caused the earth to remain impervious (23:18), or,

3. the rain water could have remained saline and thus unfit for human consumption (56:68:70), or,

4. the rain water could have gone down the strata of earth and would have never come out (67:30).

5. However, for water to fall in a form that maintains its vital utility is according to Allah’s plans (80:25:31).    

6. Thus, according to the Divine System, the water first evaporates, then condenses above the surface of Earth, precipitates into heaps (clouds), gets carried away by winds and ultimately fall down back to earth as rain (15:22).

7. Sometimes, the excess water remains deposited on the top of mountains in the form of ice, then melts down from them to form streams and rivers.  It is also according to the physical laws Allah has established for this process (15:24).

The Divine Laws are understandable , yet mankind need Divinely revealed guidance

1. Many would think that Allah runs the universe according to the His laws but man can live his life according to his own laws.  Not so.  For example:

“Ask them Who furnishes provisions in the Heavens and the Earth?”  They would say “Allah”.  Then why do they not regulate their lives according to the revealed Divine System (29:63, 10:31)?            

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Baatil [Falsehood]

Universe not created without purpose and untruths

1. Allah has not created anything in this Universe without purpose and defined assignment of duty. Those who ponder and reflect upon the Universe will know this fact (3:191).

2. Nothing in the Universe has been created for idle sport and vain objectives. Falsehood will vanish and the Truth will prevail (21:16-18).

3. It is kufr (unbelief) to even think that the Universe and all that it contains have been created in vain. And the kufr takes the unbelievers to ruin (38:27).

Conflict between the Haq [Truth] and the Baatil [Falsehood]

1. It is the Haqq (the Truth) that will win over the Baatil (Falsehood). The Truth shatters the brains of Falsehood (21:18).

2. The Truth cannot be weakened by vain desires of forcing Falsehood and ridicule. Falsehood is the darkness that perishes when the luminance of the Truth arrives (18:56, 17:81).

3. The Falsehood separates from the Truth like a scum (13:17)

4. The Falsehood cannot create or restore anything. The darkness of Falsehood disappears when the light of the Truth shines on ((34:48-49)

5. Come the moment of truth, the dealers of falsehood will perish. The Truth is duly revealed and conveyed through the messengers of Allah (45:27; 40:78).

6. Allah blots out vanity, and proves the Truth by His Word. Allah does blot out or confirm human actions according to His Laws (42:24; 13:39).

7. The strength of the Truth ultimately prevails even though the Falsehood may have more resources (as in the Battle of Badr). Allah's law which is the Truth always prevails at the end of the day (8:7-8).

8. The battle between the Truth and the Falsehood continues but the Truth always prevails. The rejecters of the Truth argue with False arguments (40:5; 18:56)

9. Those who propound, espouse, and fight in the name of the Falsehood are doomed in both worlds. The Falsehood has no ground to stand on (45:27; 40:78; 7:173).

The deeds of those who follow Baatil

10. Thus truth was confirmed, and all that they did was made of no effect (7:118; 10:81-82)

Allah by His words does prove and establish His truth, however much the sinners may hate it.

11. Those who care about the glitter of this world and do not belief in life after death get their rewards in this world. They will not have any portion in the Hereafter (11:15-16).

The distinction between a believer and an unbeliever

1. The Truth as revealed to, and brought by, the prophets and messengers cannot be overwhelmed by the Falsehood. The revealed Truth cannot be undone or weakened or ridiculed (40:5; 18:56).

2. Allah's blessing in the form of continuity of human race and family life must not be denied. Rejecters of the faith in Allah will be the ultimate losers (16:72; 29:52).

3. The believers follow the Truth and the unbelievers follow the Falsehood because the revealed messages are the only sources of the Truth (47:2-3).

4. This Universe and all it contains has not been created without a defined purpose and objective. Therefore thinking about how to make the most of it while at the same time being thankful to the Creator is understood by those who possess knowledge (3:190-192).

5. The favors bestowed upon us by Allah must always be credited to Allah as He is the ultimate Bestower. Those who think they get the reward of their hard work on their own deny the Truth and follow the Falsehood by remaining thankless (16:71-72; 29:67).

6. The rejecters of the Truth will always blame those who follow the Truth and label them as followers of Falsehood; in fact, it is they themselves who are blameworthy (29:48; 30:58).

The Truth is in the Qur'an

1. The Truth is only in the Qur'an. Anything that clashes with It, is False (47:2-3; 111:16).

2. No falsehood can approach the Qur'an from before or behind it: It is sent down by One Full of Wisdom, Worthy of all Praise. (41:41).

3. That is because Allah is the (only) Reality, and because whatever else they invoke besides Him is Falsehood; (31:30; 22:64).

Mixing of the Haq and the Baatil

1. The Truth has to be the Whole Truth. The Truth cannot be mixed, or contaminated with Falsehood (2:42; 3:71).

Baatil in one's actions

1. Eating up or usurping by foul means something that does belong to one is tantamount to procuring something with Baatil (2:188).

2. Devouring someone's money/property by cheating/coercion (even though trade is legitimate) (4:161; 4:29).

3. Priests and anchorites (and by analogy many religious 'scholars') mislead and cheat people off their property/money. This is a severely punishable crime (9:34).