Question: Who frowned and turned away from the blind man?

[pharess]

Salaams!

At least everyone is in agreement that the verses 80:1-10 refer to an incident in Mecca when Abdullah bin Umm Maktum, a blind man, came to a gathering where the Prophet was talking to some people among whom were some leaders of Quraysh. When Abdullah bin Umm Maktum came to that gathering, someone frowned and turned away from him.

Question: Who frowned and turned away from the blind man?

The Qur’an does not give the name. The Sunni version of the event say that it was the Prophet of Islam who frowned and most Shi’I sources, following the teachings of the Imams of Ahlu ‘l-Bayt (who obviously knew the Prophet better than others) say that it was one the leaders of the Quraysh who frowned and turned away from the blind man.

Obviously the correct version is that which does not contradict the Qur’an and no one can challenge this method of determining the significance of any event or incident mentioned in the Qur’an including identifying the person or persons involved in a particular event or incident.

You will find that the Qur’an rejects the Sunni version while the Shi’I version does not contradict the Qur’an.

Here are the reasons for the above statement:

1) Allah addresses the Prophet:

Nun, I swear by the pen and what (the angels) write that you are not, by the grace of your Lord, a lunatic; and that surely you shall have a perpetual reward (for your work); and most surely you are on the sublime (level) of morality. (68:1-4)

This testimony of the Prophet’s character was revealed before the verses of surah Abasa. Therefore, how can a person described by Allah as one who is on a sublime level of character or morality, behave in such a manner?

2) In the very early stage of his mission, the Prophet was clearly told how to behave in conveying the message to the people: And warn thy nearest relatives; and be kind to him who follows you of the believers (26:214-215).

Therefore it seems almost improbable that the Prophet who is told by Allah to be kind to the believers would frown when approached by the blind person.

3) Allah addresses the Prophet:

And do not drive away those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, they desire only His favor; neither are you answerable for any reckoning of theirs, nor are they answerable for any reckoning of yours, so that you should drive them away and thus be of the unjust. And thus do We try some of them by others so that they say: Are these they upon whom Allah has conferred benefit from among us? Does not Allah best know the grateful? (6:52-53)

These verses were revealed because the leaders of the Quraysh once told the Prophet not to sit with the oppressed and weak people and if he turned away from them then they would accept him as their leader. From these verses one can deduce that the act of frowning and turning away from the blind man cannot be attributed to the Prophet.

Now those who say that it was the Prophet who frowned have to give us proof from the Qur’an that the Prophet’s character was not of a sublime level and thus it was possible for him to behave in that manner. This is a challenge for those who believe as such!

Thanks and sorry for the long post.

W/S

[pharess]

Salaams!

The Qur'an remained silent as to who frowned and even if one is curious to know who frowned, the answer is not in the Qur'an because it is not a Book of names but a Book of principles. There is a tradition which mentions that a man from the Banu Ummayyah frowned at the blind man. However if one asks the question: "can the Prophet frown at a blind or poor man?", then the Qur'an has an answer in surah Qalam verse #4, i.e. the Prophet was on a sublime level of morality and thus it is not possible for him to behaved in this manner.

There are two aspects when looking at the verses 1-10 in this surah:

1. The significance of these verses is not who frowned and if the Qur'an resorted to mentioning names, then the verses will be restricted to the occasion of its revelation and lose its universality and the moral lesson it teaches.

2. The surah deals with a moral standard; Allah admonishes those who regard the poor and blind people low because they have an equal potential of purifying themselves.

Based on the above, and since the religion of Islam is also built on the foundation of the Prophet's sublime character, it is not possible that the Prophet frowned at the blind man supposedly Abdullah Ibn Maktum.

QUOTE
[Shakir 31:18] And do not turn your face away from people in contempt, nor go about in the land exulting overmuch; surely Allah does not love any self-conceited boaster;

[One-Truth]

Asslamu 3'ala mani attaba3'a al huda,

What are you talking about? When you mention the name of prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him, say "peace be upon him". Narrations of prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him, told us that whenever prophet Mohamed saw Ibn Maktoum after the incident he used to say "this is the man that Allah, subhanah wa t'3ala, had put blame on me for (the word in arabic is 3'atabany). The whole sura explains itself and I hope you understand that the Quran was not revealed to the one you are claiming who frowned on the blind man. You, shia, have your own way of saying, seeing and interpreting the wholly Quran.
May Allah guide all those that are astry amen.

[pharess]

salam all
correct yourself akhy ,im a muslim full stop.
i have no alliances to whoever it be "sect"
el hamdulilah Allah blessed me with lil knowledge that i m using to discover the truth,and comprehend & embrace as much as i can,and may Allah swt increases my knowledge and give a true guidance and "yakeen"
this is an intersting quote "only"
as usual we get anger to be our first representative
accusations" to be our tongue and sunnah "attitude"
let's be more "deen"and "knowledge"
wassalam.......i hope you answer by the quraan that our profet is guilty-------or by the other hadeeth and narrations.
Remember I'm not taken sides and i warn you that you are accusing the profet sw.
Allah knows best when i read the surrah right now..it says
Aabassa watawala an jaaaho al aama..
it speaks as him the other -Allah swt is not speaking to Mohamad sw as usualy in the quraan "Innaka laala kholkin AADEEM" it does not say Inaho laala khlokin Aadeem..
shiaa scholars will always amaze me mashallah ,and as a sunni ,i will never reject the true sunnis
Yes there are few things that we should correct them on it as well..but with the manner they are using
not by takfeer and Terrorism
We in sunni countries like to argue soo much .
we want just to argue and most of us want life.
it is soo funny how lots of people think the shiia are just liars and acting
So" me "who most of my teacher from primary school were shocked by my vast imagination ,never got into thinking that shiaa who we all see rally with their womens in full hijab and men with beard etc...and shouting Allaho Akbar could be doing that to confuse us "sunnis"and lie to us
EVERYTHING THEY DO IS JUST TO MOCK US AND MISLEAD US
Inna lilahi Winna ilayhi Rajioun.

[One-Truth]

Pharess,
You did not say anything on the surah you are talking about. Let's not go around and talk about nothing to say nothing. The surat was revealed to prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him, and clearly talks about him and not a pseudo person. Allah subhanahu wa ta'3ala is the one who corrected his prophet to make him the best of the best and I guess that you will be more inclined to follow the sufis who say that prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him, is not a human being but a star or noor (light) which goes again the Quran and the teaching of prophet Mohamed,peace be upon him, himself. Your shia scholars amaze me too when they try to give explanation to the Quran that only them and their followers could understand such as when they say that when Allah subhanhu wa ta'3ala say in surat al Bakara (2/67): And remember Moses said to his people: "Allah commands that you sacrifice a heifer ( a cow)....." your scholars said tha the heafer (cow) is our prophet's wife our mother Aicha, may the curse of Allah be upon them and all those who believe them. Amen.
I guess you still have your imagination which is good but do not use it to mis-interpret the Quran or your deen.
If you are amazed by your shia pseudo scholars and this is only a straight forward question: what do you say when they curse Aicha? Abu bakr and Omar (RA)? and lets not wander out of the subject we are talking about please.
May Allah guide us to His right path. Amen.

[pharess]

salam
akhy one more time i will ask you to please use another manner in dialogue .
the world know and knew plenty conflicts due to lack of respect in dialogue and im blessed enough to point it out.
but im also flesh not to be some holy man.
because if any body believes that there is a holy man or women is a dump idiot.
we all sin we all get tempted but the best are the mokhlissen those who seek to be near Allah swt.
by a true diker and ibadah.not gossip and low talk.
it is interesting to Know and have a hiwar ,if we share it with plp of the book why not amongst eachothers.?
wasslam