The parable of Balaam and King Balaq:
Quran 59: 16-17, which mean:
[God – be glorified – gave a parable about the hypocrites who covenanted to help and support the Jews -- against Prophet Mohammed and the believers -- , but they broke their covenant, and He said:]
(
16.
Like the devil
m
when he said to man
n
: "Be ungrateful [to the grace of your Lord!
o
]"
Then when [Balaam] became a disbeliever
p
, [King Balaq] said: "I am quit of you
q
; for surely I fear [that] God, the Lord of the worlds [may punish me
r
.]"
17.
So their end is, both [the king and Balaam] are in the Fire, therein dwelling forever; such is the rewarding of wrong-doers
s
.)
.................................................. .........
16
m i.e. their likeness is like Balaq son of Zippor, the king of Moab, who was a human devil; he deceived Balaam son of Beor, the worshipper.
16
n Balaam son of Beor, the worshipper.
16
o And pray God for destruction of the Children of Israel.
It means: He invited him to an act including the disobedience of God’s command, then when he obeyed the command of the king and disobeyed the command of God, he became a disbeliever and ungrateful.
16
p And the Children of Israel came to fight them and defeat them, Balaam came to the king seeking about his protection and to rescue him from the Children of Israel and save him from the killing.
16
q Because you did not avert the might of the Children of Israel from me, neither did you guide me to the right and to the submission to them and to make peace with them; so that we might have been safe of the killing in the life of the World and from the punishment in the Next Life, had you guided me to the monotheism and to worship God alone.
16
r On account of what I did.
Afterwards, the Children of Israel captured and killed them both.
17
s Who wrong and deceive people with their lies and deception, and who lead them to destruction.
http://quran-ayat.com/pret/59.htm#a59_16
quran-ayat.com/pret/59.htm#a59_16
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The story of Balaam is cited also in another aya of the
Quran 97: 1-3, which mean:
(
1.
Surely We revealed it on the ‘Grand Night’
a.
2.
But can you imagine what the ‘Grand Night’ is?
b
3.
[To worship God on] the ‘Grand Night’
c
is better than [Balaam's
d
worshiping of God that lasted] one thousand months [then he disobeyed Him.
])
.................................................. .......................
1
a Which is the 27th Night of the lunar month of Ramadan.
The meaning: Its revelation was commenced in the ‘Grand Night’.
2
b This is to point out to its high value.
3
c i.e. to keep vigil on this night for worshipping God, for prayers and glorification of God is better than the worship of a worshipper who worshipped God for one thousand months then he disobeyed Him; this worshipper was Balaam, son of Beor.
3
d He was Balaam, the son of Beor. [Refer also to our interpretation of the
Quran 7: 175-177 and
59: 16.]
http://quran-ayat.com/pret/97.htm#a97_1
quran-ayat.com/pret/97.htm#a97_1
================================================== ====
Moreover,
the mule of Balaam which spoke, by God's might, is cited in the
Quran 27: 82, which means:
(
And when the word [of punishment] was pronounced against them
a
, We brought for them a beast from the earth, which spoke to them that people had not believed [before] in Our signs.
b)
.................................................. ...............
82
a i.e. the associaters: the companions of King Balak, to leave Balaam be and do not task him to pray against the Children of Israel, but they did not leave him be, but insisted on him to go with them, and so he went with them.
And then We brought for them a beast from the earth, i.e. from the land of Pethor, in order that Balaam ride on it and go to Midian to King Balak. But midway
the beast spoke and started to talk to them and prevent Balaam from going with them. But neither did Balaam act according to its words, nor did the companions of Balak refrained from their demand, until they reached Midian and met King Balak, and Balaam complied with the words of King Balak.
82
b Even if they see such signs with their own eyes and hear them with their own ears.
http://quran-ayat.com/pret/27.htm#a27_82
quran-ayat.com/pret/27.htm#a27_82
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My comment on the story of Balaam and King Balak of Moab:
What made Balaam the worshiper slip from his high rank of worship and that God gave him miraculous signs: whenever he prayed, God answered his prayer, and his tongue was not under his own control, but speaks according to God's will!
Moreover, he worshiped God for tens of years (1000 months), then he fell down with such bad fall!
So he was poor, and all of a sudden, jewels and gold was given to him.. this the deception of wealth! What would he benefit from the money, and he was an old man .. about to die this day or tomorrow?
Or was he afraid of the king of Moab and his men? No, he could have apologized and said: "This is out of my control."
Another point: he might have the grandiose feeling or the Ego: he saw himself that God answered his prayer and he worshiped God for a long time... then all of a sudden Joshua came with his people and they were honored more than he was honored or like his honor!?
Anyhow, he was unlucky, and all his work turn to be in vain, and he lost his reward and went to Hell following his death.
So in this respect, he was similar to Satan, who worshiped God for hundreds of years in his material life of the World, then when he died he became a chief of the angels .. so he had the self-conceit and pride .. and could not imagine that Adam might be honored over him!
Quran 15: 33, which means:
(
[Iblies] said: "I am not to prostrate myself to a human being whom You create out of a black putrid clay.")
http://quran-ayat.com/pret/15.htm#a15_33
quran-ayat.com/pret/15.htm#a15_33
Last edited by Torch light; May 28th, 2018 at 03:43 PM..