Urdu’s most wrongly interpretted she’r ‘Khuda nay aaj tak us qaum ki haalat naheen badli’

خدا نے آج تک اس قوم کی  حالت  نہیں  بدلی

نہ ہو جس کو خیال آپ اپنی حالت کے بدلنے کا

 مولانا ظفر علی خان

This she’r is thought to be translation of a Qurani Ayah. But research has proved that it is wrong interpretation. In fact Allah has said in this Ayat that He never changed the good condition of people into bad until they themselves wished so. But, Muslim leaders have been quoting the she’r in the meaning that Allah never changed the condition of people for better from bad until they wished so. Tayyaba Qidwai has analysed the couplet in the right perspective (Muslim Saleem – September 05, 2012)

I think this shaer is a direct translation of a very oft quoted verse of the Quran – Surah Raad – that is, Surah 13 Verse 11,which says,

Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves.

Al-Qur’an, Surah Ar-Ra’ad 13:11

This surah from the Quran has in fact been quoted by many Muslim Intellectuals, in their speeches and in their articles when they are talking about the “stagnation” of Muslims and they quote this ayat to say that if Muslims do not change their present condition by themselves, there will be no help coming from the Almighty.

But, are these intellectuals really quoting the essence of this particular ayat?

I think the concept expressed in this particular ayat is wrongly interpreted by people who have not understood the message in the whole surah.That is why Muslim Saleem Sahib has also misunderstood the thought behind this shaer, as to why  Allah decided to change the condition of the “evil” people of Arabia by sending a Rasool, who never wanted to change themselves .

In essence,the “condition” being talked about in the Quran is the condition of  goodness of people . Once a state of goodness and purity and sincerity is achieved by people, Allah does not change their state of well-being by sending His punishment.

In the Tafseer of Ibn Katheer, the verse is explained thus -

http://www.quran4u.com/Tafsir%20Ibn%20Kathir/PDF/013%20Ra’d.pdf

(11. For him (each person), there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the command of Allah. Verily, Allah will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves. But when Allah wills a people’s punishment, there can be no turning it back, and they will find besides Him no protector.)

In the commentary of Mohammad Asad. Surah Raad ( 13) Verse 11.

Verily, God does not change men’s condition unless they change their inner selves and when God wills people to suffer evil ( in consequence of their own evil deeds ) there is none who could avert it. For they have none who could protect them from Him.

From these it appears that the verse is talking about the state of goodness of people, rather than their state of  stagnation or inertia, or “evil”.He created man virtuous and pure,gave him intelligence and knowledge, but inspite of all this,man distorts his own image and goes against the Will of Allah. It is only when man has made his own sight blind and changed his soul ,that is, he himself chooses to become evil,that  Allah’s Wrath will descend on him and the favourable position in which Allah placed him will be changed.

When people do decide to leave the way of goodness and adopt evil ways, there can be no one to stop His punishment from coming.

So, if you trace the correct origin of this shaer and read the tafsir of the whole Surah Raad, you will get the answer to your question, Inshallah.

Thanks and Regards

Tayyaba Qidwai
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(This directory has been compiled by Muslim Saleem)

Muslim Saleem reciting his ghazals at Jashn-e-Muslim Saleem at MP Urdu Academy, Bhopal on December 30, 2012. The Jashn was organised by World Urdu Youth Forum to acknowledge Muslim Saleem’s literary contribution and service to Urdu through his websites and blogs,

From Left) Zafar Naseemi, MP Urdu Academy Chairman Saleem Qureshi, Dr. Barqi Azmi, Prof Afaq Ahmad, Dr. Qasim Niazi, Muslim Saleem at Jashn-e-Muslim Saleem at MP Urdu Academy, Bhopal on December 30, 2012.