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Review of instances of yarshudu and rasad in the Quran

Introduction

2 sets of closely related words, yarshudu meaning “to guide” and rasad meaning “hidden” in the Quran are reviewed here, while we know that an Arabic word may have different meanings in different contexts. There are 19 instances of yarshudu and its derived forms, while there are 4 instances of rasad and its derived forms, which are detailed out below:

  • 19 instances of yarshudu and its derived forms in the Quran classified into 7 different groups are shown in the table below:

    Note: The above table is populated with data obtained from the corpus.quran.com

Details of instance of yarshudu

There is only one instance of yarshudu in the verb form I meaning “to guide” in the Quran found in verse 186 in Surah Baqarah, which is detailed out below:

[2:186] And when has asked you (Muhammad) My servants about Me, then indeed, I am near. I respond to an invocation of the supplicant when you call Me. So they shall respond to Me and shall believe in Me so that they may guide (wal’yu’minuu bi-i la`allahum yarshuduuna).

Details of Instances of rashaad

There are 2 instances of rashaad in the noun form meaning “right” in the Quran found in 2 verses in Surah Ghaafir, which are detailed out below:

[40:29] (said a believing man from Pharaoh’s people) “O my people, today, for you is the kingdom being dominant in the earth. Then who will help us from a punishment of God if it had come to us?” Pharaoh said, “I will not show you except what I see, and I will not guide you except to the right path (wa-maa ahdeekum illaa sabeela al-rashaadi).”

[40:38] And the one who had believed said, “O my people, follow me; I will guide you to the right path (ahdeekum sabeela al-rashaadi).”

Details of instances of rush’d

There are 6 instances of rush’d in the Quran in the noun form meaning “right” found in 6 verses in 6 Surahs, which are detailed out below:

[2:256] There is no compulsion in the religion. Certainly, the right has become distinct from the wrong (qad tabayyana al-rush’du mina al-ghayi). So whoever disbelieves in the false deities and believes in God, then certainly, he  has grasped with the strongest handle; there is no breakage of it. And God is Hearer, Knower.

[4:6] The orphans shall be tested until when they have reached an age of the marriage; then if you have deemed sound judgment from them (fa-in aanastum min’hum rush’dan), then you shall handover their wealth to them. You do not consume it in extravagance and haste that they will grow up. And whoever has been rich, then he shall refrain, and whoever has been poor, then he shall consume (a portion of it) in a fair manner. Then when you have handed over their wealth to them, you shall have witnesses on them. And it has been sufficed with God as a Reckoner.

[7:146] I will turn away from My revelations those who turn arrogant in the earth without the truth; and if they see every proof, they will not believe. And if they see the right path (wa-in yaraw sabeela al-rush’di), they will not accept it as a path; and if they see the wrong path, they will accept it as a path. That is of that they have denied in our revelations, and they have been heedless from them.

[18:66] Moses said to him (an unknown servant of God), “Can I follow you – on that you will teach me of what is right you have been taught (bimaa `ullim’ta rush’dan)?”

[21:51] And certainly, we have given Abraham his rightness before (aataynaa ib’raaheema rush’dahu min qablu) and we have been Knower of him.

[72:2]It (Quran) guides to the right (yahdee ilaa al-rush’di), so we (jinns) have believed in it and we will never associate anyone with our Lord.”

Instances of rashad

There are 5 instances of rashaad in the Quran in the noun form meaning “right way” found in 5 verses in 2 Surahs, which are detailed out below:

[18:10] When had retreated the youths to the cave, then they said, “Our Lord, grant us mercy from Yourself, and make easier for us our affair in right way (wa-hayyee lanaa min amrinaa rashadan).”

[18:24] Except, “If God wills.”  And remember your Lord when you had forgot and say, “It may have been that my Lord will guide me to nearer than this right way (yahdeeyani rabbi-i li-aqraba min haadhaa rashadan).”

[72:10] And that we do not know whether evil has been intended for whoever is in the earth or their Lord has intended right way for them (am araada bihim rabbuhum rashadan).

[72:14] And that we (Jinns) are submitters from us, and from us there are unjust. So whoever has submitted, then those have sought right way (fa-ulaaika taharraw rashadan).

[72:21] Say, “Indeed, I (Muhammad) do not possess any harm for you, nor (do I possess) right way (wa-laa rashadan).”

Details of instances of rasheed

There are 3 instances of rasheed in the noun form meaning “right” in the Quran found in 3 verses in Surah Hud, which are detailed out below:

[11:78] His people had come to him rushing to him; and before they had been to do the evil deeds, he said, “O my people, these are my daughters, they are purer for you. So fear God and do not disgrace me in presence of my guests. Has there not been a right man from you (a-laysa minkum rajulun rasheedun)?”

[11:87] They said, “O Shu`aib, does your prayer direct that we leave what our forefathers used to worship, or that we do not deal with our wealth what we will? Indeed, you are surely the forbearing, the right (innaka la’anta al-haleemu al-rasheedu) .”

[11:97] To Pharaoh and his elders. But they had followed Pharaoh’s command, even Pharaoh’s command was not with right (wa-maa fir’`awna bi-rasheedin).

Details of instance of raashiduun

There is only one instance of raashiduun in the active participle form meaning “guided one” in the Quran found in Surah al-Hujuraat, which is detailed out below:

[49:7] And you shall know that God’s messenger is among you, if he were to obey you in most of the matter, surely, you would have been in difficulty, but God has endeared the faith to you and has made  it pleasing in your hearts, while He has made hateful to you disbelief, and defiance, and disobedience. Those – they are the guided ones (ulaaika humu al-raashiduuna).

Details of instance of mur’shid

There is only one instance of mur’shid in the active participle form meaning “guide” in the Quran found in Surah al-Kahf, which is detailed out below:

[18:17] And you may see the sun when it has risen inclining away from their cave to the right, and when it has set passing away from them to the left, while they are in the open space from it. That is of God’s signs. Whomever God guides, then he is the guided one, and whomever He lets go astray, then you will not find for him a protector, (nor) a guide (fa-lan tajida lahu waliyyan mur’shidan).

This set of verses in the Quran also support that whomever God guides in the earth, is guided to the right path and whatever he does, he does in a right way, and whomever He lets go astray, is not the guided one. Whoever wants to guide him, he must believe in God, and He has given him religion to distinguish the right from the wrong. Those whom God has turned away from His revelations for their arrogance, then when they see the right path, they will not accept it but when they see the wrong path, they will accept it. The Quran guides to the right, and those who believe in it, they never associate partners with God, while God is the only One who possesses the right way and He bestows it upon whomever He wills. Those who have disbelieved follow their forefathers and do their business as they wish disregarding what God has revealed to them through His messengers. He has mentioned Pharaoh, a great tyrant in the earth, who claimed that he will guide to the right and many people had believed him. However, God has protected those who are guided making disbelief, defiance and disobedience hateful to their hearts, while whomever He lets go astray, there is no protector nor a guide for him. God is a Guide while both right path and right way belong to Him, which directs us only to follow what He has revealed to us. But it is unfortunate that there are many people around us who are misguided but pretend to be guided and guide the other people to the right but these people never verify for themselves whether they meet the criteria given by God to be the guided ones. God has made it very straightforward for the people to know that those who are guided, their destination is Paradise, while those who have gone astray, their destination is Hell, is an opportunity for every one of us to look forward to the destination after leaving this world, while none can think anything other than believing in God and His revelations to be in better place of return, even though we hear a lot of vain talks from the vast majority of people around us to accept the wrong path to make the destination to Hell.

  • 6 instances of rasad and its derived forms in the Quran classified into 4 groups are shown in the table below:

    Note: The above table is populated with data obtained from the corpus.quran.com.

Details of instances of rasad

There are 2 instances of rasad in the noun form meaning “hidden/waiting” in the Quran found in 2 verses in Surah al-Jinn, which are detailed out below:

[72:27] except whomever He has permitted of a messenger, then indeed, He reveals an unknown from his past and his future (fa-innahu yasluku min bayni yadayhi wa-min khalfihi rasadan).

[72:9] And that we had been to take positions for hearing from it, so whoever listens now will find waiting a powerful projectile for him (fa-man yastami-i  al-aana yajid lahu shihaban rasadan).

Details of instances of mir’saad

There are 2 instances of mir’saad in the noun form meaning “waiting/watcher” in the Quran found in 2 verses, which are detailed out below:

[78:21] Indeed, Hell has been in waiting (inna jahannama kaanat mir’saadan).

[89:14] Indeed, your Lord is surely the Watcher (inna rabbaka la’bi-al-mir’saadi).

Details of instance of mar’sad

There is only one instance of mar’sad in the noun form meaning “a place of ambush” in the Quran found in Surah Bara’ah, which is detailed out below:

[9:5] So when has passed the sacred months, then you shall kill the idol worshipers wherever you have found them, and shall seize them, and shall surround them, and shall sit for them at every place of ambush (wa-uq’`uduu lahum kulla mar’sadin). Then if they have repented and have established the salat prayer and have given the zakat, then you shall leave their way. Indeed, God is Forgiving, Merciful.

Details of instance of ir’saad

There is only one instance of ir’saad in the verbal noun form meaning “station” in the Quran found in Surah Bara’ah, which is detailed out below:

[9:107] And those who have taken masjid for harm and disbelief, and division among the believers, and as a station for whoever has warred against God and His messenger before (wa-ir’saadan liman haaraba allaha wa-rasuulahu min qablu); and surely, they swear: “We have not intended except the good,” and God bears witness that indeed, they are surely liars.

This set of instances is a diverse group but decodes crucial messages, which confirms the revealing of new news from the past and the future through choosing a messenger, misusing of masjids by the liars who swear that their intention is good and Hell is waiting for the transgressors, and God is watching us what we are doing, and there is no escape from His punishment for the evil deeds.

However, reviewing both the 2 sets of instances together may help us to understand appropriate messages in the different contexts to avoid misconception of the messages in the relevant verses, while instance level review can make more explicit the message in the verses.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (11/18/2022).