320 Page Notes

20  Surah Taha (continued)

Page 320 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 320 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 320 of the Quran covers Surah Taha (Chapter 20), verses 114 through 125.

This section contains highly pivotal theological and historical transitions. It begins with a command to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to pray for an increase in knowledge, then moves back in time to the very beginning of human history: the covenant with Adam, his forgetfulness, the command to the angels to prostrate to him, Iblis's (Satan) refusal, the deception in the Garden via the "Tree of Eternity," and the subsequent descent of mankind to Earth. The page concludes with a severe warning regarding the spiritual and physical consequences for whoever turns away from Allah’s reminder.

The authentic Hadiths and prophetic traditions connected to these verses provide essential legal, psychological, and eschatological (End Times) commentary.

1. Hadith Context for Verse 114 (The Prophetic Supplication for Knowledge)

Verse 114 contains a unique command to the Prophet ﷺ regarding his relationship with the receiving of revelation:

"...And do not hasten with the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, 'My Lord, increase me in knowledge' (Rabbi zudni ′ilma)."

The Sunnah of Seeking Beneficial Knowledge:

In classical Hadith literature, it is recorded that the Prophet ﷺ would constantly repeat the prayer commanded in this verse. However, he added a specific prophetic parameter to it, distinguishing between knowledge that brings spiritual utility and knowledge that is merely academic or harmful.

The Prophet ﷺ used to say in his daily supplications:

"O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge (′Ilman nafi′an), a good provision, and deeds that are accepted."

He would also actively seek refuge from the alternative, praying: "O Allah, I seek refuge with You from knowledge that does not benefit." Scholars of Hadith note that verse 114 is the only place in the entire Quran where Allah explicitly commands His Prophet to pray for an increase in anything, establishing the pursuit of sacred knowledge as the highest human endeavor.

• Primary Citations:

  • Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of the Sunnah, Hadith 250 (Classified as Sahih).

  • Sahih Muslim, Book of Dhikr, Supplication, and Repentance, Hadith 2722 (For the refuge from non-beneficial knowledge).

2. Hadith Context for Verse 115 (The Nature of Adam's Forgetfulness)

Allah describes the foundational human flaw in verse 115:

"And We had already taken a promise from Adam before, but he forgot; and We found not in him determination."

The Inherited Characteristics of Mankind:

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ linked the text of verse 115 to a grand metaphysical event—when Allah extracted all the souls of mankind from the back of Adam. During this event, Adam saw a beautiful light shining between the eyes of one of his descendants (Prophet Dawud/David) and noticed Dawud was only decreed to live for 60 years. Adam offered to give 40 years of his own lifespan to Dawud.

The Prophet ﷺ narrated what happened when the Angel of Death later arrived to take Adam's soul at the end of his term:

"Adam said, 'Do I not have forty years left?' The Angel replied, 'Did you not give them to your son Dawud?' Adam denied it, so his offspring denied; and Adam forgot, so his offspring forgot; and Adam made a mistake, so his offspring made mistakes."

The Prophet ﷺ used this narration to directly contextualize verse 115, explaining that human forgetfulness (Nisyan) and denial are deeply rooted genetic and spiritual traits inherited directly from our first father.

• Primary Citations:

  • Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Chapters on Tafsir, Hadith 3076 (Explicitly categorized under the commentary of Surah Taha; graded Sahih).

  • Musnad Ahmad, Vol. 4, Hadith 2268.

3. Hadith Context for Verses 120–121 (The Deception of Iblis and the Tree)

Satan whispers his ultimate deception to Adam in verse 120:

"Then Satan whispered to him; he said, 'O Adam, shall I direct you to the Tree of Eternity (Shajarat al-Khuld) and a kingdom that will not waste away?'"

Prophetic Description of the Trees of Paradise:

While Iblis used the false, alluring name "Tree of Eternity" to trick Adam into disobeying Allah, the Prophet ﷺ provided the authentic reality of the massive botanical structures inside Paradise to show how unnecessary Adam's transgression actually was.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"In Paradise, there is a tree so immense that a rider can travel in its shade for one hundred years without ever crossing it. Recite if you wish: 'And shade extended' (Surah al-Waqi'ah:30)."

• Primary Citations:

  • Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of the Stories of the Prophets, Hadith 3251.

  • Sahih Muslim, Book of Paradise, Hadith 2826.

4. Hadith Context for Verses 124–125 (The Depressed Life and Blind Resurrection)

The page concludes with a terrifying spiritual law for those who reject Islam:

"And whoever turns away from My Remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed/confined life (Ma'ishatan Danka), and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind.' He will say, 'My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [formerly] seeing?'"

The Prophetic Explanation of the "Confined Life" (Ma'ishatan Danka):

The companions questioned the Prophet ﷺ regarding the exact nature of this "depressed or confined life," noting that many wealthy disbelievers seem to live in large mansions with immense luxury.

The Prophet ﷺ explained that Ma'ishatan Danka does not refer to worldly financial poverty, but rather to the spiritual suffocation and torment inside the grave ('Adhab al-Qabr) before the Day of Judgment even begins.

The Prophet ﷺ said regarding verse 124:

"Do you know what 'a depressed life' refers to?" The companions said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "It refers to the punishment of the disbeliever in his grave. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, ninety-nine dragons (Tinnin) are set upon him... breathing upon his body, biting and scratching him until he is resurrected on the Day of Judgment."

• Primary Citations:

  • Sahih Ibn Hibban, Vol. 7, Hadith 3122 (Classified as Sahih).

  • Musnad Abu Ya'la, Hadith 6644.

  • Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Commentary on Surah Taha, Verse 124), where this prophetic definition of the verse is heavily relied upon to establish the reality of the intermediate realm (Barzakh).