Enbiya 33-35:
- Geceyi de, gündüzü de, güneşi de ayı da yaratan O'dur. Bunların herbiri kendi yörüngelerinde gitmektedir. Biz, senden önce de hiç bir beşere ebedilik vermedik. Şimdi sen ölürsen, onlar ebedi yaşayacaklarını mı zannediyorlar?. Her canlı ölümü tadacaktır ve sizi gerçek değerinizi ortaya çıkarmak için hayır ve şer ile sınıyoruz (وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً). Nihayetinde hepinizin dönüşü Biz'edir.
(
B-L-W ب ل و
بَلاءٌ “ ” (balaun), “ ابَتلَاءٌ ” (ibtela-un).
Raghib says this word has two meanings:
- To obtain information about one’s welfare or to acquire information about him.
- For the real condition of something to become known, whether good or bad.
When the word is used for God, it would have only the second meaning, because God knows it all, and one cannot even imagine that He is unaware of any condition {T, R}. Therefore, the word’s basic meaning is to portray the reality.
بَلِیَ “ ” (bali), “ يَبْلٰی ” (yabla) is used for a cloth to become old and worn. Because when a cloth has been worn out, its real condition comes to light. Therefore “ ابلَاءٌَ ” (bala) is used for a man’s real personality to come out during times of difficulties and misery. But it does not necessarily mean that identity of everything has to be bad. It can also be good. That is why it could also mean the real personality of someone during happy times. There are two times when a man’s reality becomes manifest, times of misery and times of happiness. At both these times, his real self appears.
اَلْمُبَالا ه “ ” (al-mubalah): to boast, or to pride oneself as to the better position in life against another {M}.
اَبْتَلا “ ” (ibtelaa): to select, to choose {T}.
The struggle between Right and Wrong goes on. In this struggle we get familiar with different facts of life. Sometimes one is faced with trying aspects and at other times with peaceful aspect of life’s happiness. This has been described by the Quran as “ اَبْتَلٰی ” (ibtela), meaning the different faces of life
which keep appearing. In surah Al-Fajr, this meaning is made clear (see 89:15-16). This way man can determine as to see how far his capabilities go, because he can only face the difficult aspects of life to the extent to which his latent qualities have developed. These hurdles that he faces are actually a man’s opportunities for development of his own personality. This is what “ اَبْتَلٰی ” (ibtela).
To explain this truth the Quran says:
76:2 we give birth (initiate the birth) of Man with a mixed sperm and arrange it, so in the womb its latent capabilities gets developed and he grows into a seeing and hearing human child
إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نبَّْتَلِﻴْهِ
فَجَعَلْنَاﻩُ سمَِﻴْعاً بَصِيْر اً
This is what “ اَبْتِلاَءٌ ” (ibtelaa) is and its correct definition is for latent elements to become evident and grow.
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