Q. Could you please recommend an authentic commentary on the Qur’an in English, with contemporary relevance. It would be more beneficial if it is also useful to a non-Muslim who is interested in religion.
Could you also please explain whether the Southern Indian tradition of lighting an oil lamp on occasions such as the inauguration of a project or a public service is against Islam. Some Muslim scholars refuse to do so, saying that it is un-Islamic. Can a religion known for its tolerance and compassion consider such an action objectionable if it is part of local tradition?
K.S. Nayar
A. The Qur’anic commentary I recommend is In the Shade of the Qur’an by Sayyid Qutb. This is a twentieth century commentary written originally in Arabic. Six volumes of its English translation by Adil Salahi and Ashur Shamis have so far been published by The Islamic Foundation, Ratby Lane, Markfield, Leicestershire LE67 9SY, England. These volumes cover up to the end of Surah 7, i.e. over one quarter of the Qur’an. This commentary is written for Muslims, but a non-Muslim should also find it interesting. The commentary written by Ibn Katheer over 600 years ago has also been recently translated into English, but this is difficult to follow by anyone who is not familiar with the older style of Qur’anic commentaries.
If the practice you have mentioned is associated with some religious aspect, or with a superstition, it may be forbidden to follow. If it is a purely local custom that has no religious significance, then there is nothing wrong with it. However, the fact that some scholars in your area object to it suggests that it has some such aspect. Even if it is believed that it helps to ensure God’s blessing of the occasion, or to expel evil spirits, then it becomes forbidden for a Muslim to do. This is not a matter of tolerance, but a question of faith. We cannot attach God’s blessings to a ritual of any sort other than what Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has taught us.
