English Translation of Al-Quran
[36].Surah Yaseen [Yaseen]
Ayat 13. And put forward to them a similitude; the (story of the) dwellers of the town, [It is said that the town was Antioch (Antakya)], when there came Messengers to them.
Ayat 14. When We sent to them two Messengers, they belied them both, so We reinforced them with a third, and they said: “Verily! We have been sent to you as Messengers.”
Tafseer of Surah Yaseen, Ayat 13 and 14. Set forth to them, by way of a parable, the (story of) the Companions of the City. Behold! there came messengers to it. Many of the classical Commentators have supposed that the City referred to was Antioch. Now Antioch was one of the most important cities in North Syria in the first century of the Christian era. It was a Greek city founded by Selecus Nicator, one of the successors of Alexander, about 300 B.C. in memory of his father Antiochus. It was close to the sea, and had its seaport at Seleucia. Soon after Christ his disciples successfully preached there, and they “were called Christians first in Antioch “, Acts, 11:26. It afterwards became the seat of a most important Bishopric of the Christian Church. In the story told here “by way of a parable”, the City rejected the Message, and the City was destroyed: 36:29. Following Ibn Kathir, I reject the identification with Antioch decisively. No name, or period, or place is mentioned in the text. The significance of the story is in the lessons to be derived from it as a parable, for which see the next note. That is independent of name, time, or place. Ayat 14. When We (first) sent to them two messengers, they rejected them: But We strengthened them with a third: they said, “Truly, we have been sent on a mission to you.” Allah sends His messengers or teachers of Truth by ones and twos, and where the opposition is great and He considers it necessary, he supports them with others. Their mission is divine, but they do not claim to be more than men. This is used by the unjust and the ungodly as if it were a reproach, whereas it should commend them to men, for mankind is glorified by such commission and by Allah’s Self-revelation. The Message is clearly expressed in human language, but because it exposes all evil, men think it unlucky, as it checks their selfishness. It is often the poorest and most despised of mankind, from the outskirts or “farthest parts of the City”, those who accept the Message and are willing to work and die for it. The stiff-necked resist and accomplish their own destruction.
English Translation of Hadith
Hazrat Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ [SAWW](PBUH) used to observe Itikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan and say, “Seek Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree) in the odd nights out of the last ten nights of Ramadan.”
[Al-Bukhari Book 03, Chapter 32, Hadith # 234].
Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah Luqman Ayat 08. “Those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, for them are Gardens of delight (Paradise)”
We learn from this Hadith that Lailat-ul-Qadr occurs in any of the five odd nights – 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th – of the last ten nights of Ramadan. Its exact date has not been revealed for the reason that people keep themselves awake for prayer for a larger number of nights. Had its date been fixed, people would have kept awake for prayer only on that night. There is a general belief among the scholars that it is fixed on the 27th night of Ramadan. But this is not correct. Hadith do not confirm this view.
