Turning Foes into Friends

Text under Scrutiny

 

وَ لَا تَسۡتَوِی الۡحَسَنَۃُ  وَ لَا السَّیِّئَۃُ  اِدۡفَعۡ  بِالَّتِیۡ  ہِیَ  اَحۡسَنُ فَاِذَا الَّذِیۡ بَیۡنَکَ وَ بَیۡنَہٗ  عَدَاوَۃٌ کَاَنَّہٗ  وَلِیٌّ حَمِیۡمٌ  وَ مَا یُلَقّٰہَاۤ  اِلَّا الَّذِیۡنَ صَبَرُوۡا  وَ مَا یُلَقّٰہَاۤ  اِلَّا  ذُوۡحَظٍّ  عَظِیۡمٍ  وَ اِمَّا یَنۡزَغَنَّکَ مِنَ الشَّیۡطٰنِ نَزۡغٌ فَاسۡتَعِذۡ بِاللّٰہِ   اِنَّہٗ  ہُوَ السَّمِیۡعُ الۡعَلِیۡمُ.(41: 34-36)

 

 

 

A. Individual Activity Segment

 

Step 1: Fill out the first lines of the following tables by placing the translation of the Arabic word below it and then make the scrambled sentence into a meaningful one in the last lines of each of the tables.

 

 

I

 

وَ:  and

لَا:  not

تَسۡتَوِی:  equal

الۡحَسَنَۃُ:   good

وَ:  and

لَا: not

السَّیِّئَۃُ:  evil

 

وَ	لَا	تَسۡتَوِی	الۡحَسَنَۃُ	وَ	لَا	السَّیِّئَۃُ

 

 

II

 

اِدۡفَعۡ:   retaliate [evil]

بِالَّتِیۡ:   with

ہِیَ:   that which

اَحۡسَنُ: is better

 

اِدۡفَعۡ	بِالَّتِیۡ	ہِیَ	اَحۡسَنُ

 

 

III

 

فَ: so

اِذَا:  you will see

الَّذِیۡ:  he who

بَیۡنَکَ:  between you

وَ: and

بَیۡنَہٗ: between him

عَدَاوَۃٌ:  enmity

کَاَنَّہٗ:   as if he

وَلِیٌّ:  friend

حَمِیۡمٌ: dearest

 

فَ	اِذَا	الَّذِیۡ	بَیۡنَکَ	وَ	بَیۡنَہٗ	عَدَاوَۃٌ	کَاَنَّہٗ	وَلِیٌّ	حَمِیۡمٌ

 

 

IV

 

وَ: and

مَا:  none

یُلَقّٰہَاۤ: will acquire this

اِلَّا:  except

الَّذِیۡنَ:  those who

صَبَرُوۡا: show patience

 

وَ	مَا	یُلَقّٰہَاۤ	اِلَّا	الَّذِیۡنَ	صَبَرُوۡا

 

 

V

 

وَ:  and

مَا:  none

یُلَقّٰہَاۤ:   will acquire this

اِلَّا:   except

ذُوۡحَظٍّ:   thefortunate

عَظِیۡمٍ: truly

 

وَ	مَا	یُلَقّٰہَاۤ	اِلَّا	ذُوۡحَظٍّ	عَظِیۡمٍ

 

 

VI

 

وَ:  and

اِمَّا:  if

یَنۡزَغَنَّکَ:  tempts you

مِنَ:  from

الشَّیۡطٰنِ:  Satan

نَزۡغٌ:  a temptation

فَ: so

اسۡتَعِذۡ:  seek refuge

بِاللّٰہِ: with God

 

وَ	اِمَّا	یَنۡزَغَنَّکَ	مِنَ	الشَّیۡطٰنِ	نَزۡغٌ	فَ	اسۡتَعِذۡ	بِاللّٰہِ

 

 

VII

 

اِنَّ: indeed

ہٗ:   He

ہُوَ:  He

السَّمِیۡعُ:  all hears

الۡعَلِیۡمُ: knows all

 

اِنَّ	ہٗ	ہُوَ	السَّمِیۡعُ	الۡعَلِیۡمُ

 

 

Step II: Write out the complete translation here: (note: before you do this exercise, please hide with a sheet of paper if the standard translation written in the next step is visible to you)

 

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Step III: Comparison to a Standard Translation

 

Good and evil are not equal. Retaliate evil with that which is better, and he who is your enemy will become your dearest friend. But none will acquire this except those who patiently endure; none will acquire this except those who are truly fortunate. If you receive a temptation from Satan that tempts you, seek refuge in God. It is God who hears all and knows all. (41:34-36)

 

Step IV: Random Checking of Translation by the Instructor

 

Step V: Writing out the Arabic Text

 

وَ لَا تَسۡتَوِی الۡحَسَنَۃُ  وَ لَا السَّیِّئَۃُ  اِدۡفَعۡ  بِالَّتِیۡ  ہِیَ  اَحۡسَنُ فَاِذَا الَّذِیۡ بَیۡنَکَ وَ بَیۡنَہٗ  عَدَاوَۃٌ کَاَنَّہٗ  وَلِیٌّ حَمِیۡمٌ  وَ مَا یُلَقّٰہَاۤ  اِلَّا الَّذِیۡنَ صَبَرُوۡا  وَ مَا یُلَقّٰہَاۤ  اِلَّا  ذُوۡحَظٍّ  عَظِیۡمٍ  وَ اِمَّا یَنۡزَغَنَّکَ مِنَ الشَّیۡطٰنِ نَزۡغٌ فَاسۡتَعِذۡ بِاللّٰہِ   اِنَّہٗ  ہُوَ السَّمِیۡعُ الۡعَلِیۡمُ. (41: 34-36)

 

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Step VI: Reading aloud the Arabic Text by a Participant

 

وَ لَا تَسۡتَوِی الۡحَسَنَۃُ  وَ لَا السَّیِّئَۃُ  اِدۡفَعۡ  بِالَّتِیۡ  ہِیَ  اَحۡسَنُ فَاِذَا الَّذِیۡ بَیۡنَکَ وَ بَیۡنَہٗ  عَدَاوَۃٌ کَاَنَّہٗ  وَلِیٌّ حَمِیۡمٌ  وَ مَا یُلَقّٰہَاۤ  اِلَّا الَّذِیۡنَ صَبَرُوۡا  وَ مَا یُلَقّٰہَاۤ  اِلَّا  ذُوۡحَظٍّ  عَظِیۡمٍ  وَ اِمَّا یَنۡزَغَنَّکَ مِنَ الشَّیۡطٰنِ نَزۡغٌ فَاسۡتَعِذۡ بِاللّٰہِ   اِنَّہٗ  ہُوَ السَّمِیۡعُ الۡعَلِیۡمُ.(41: 34-36)

 

Step VII: Volunteers’ Direct Translation of the Verses

 

 

 

B. Group Study Segment

 

Step I: Comprehension Questions

 

1. What do you think is the meaning of “what is better” in “Retaliate evil with that which is better”?

 

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2. According to the verse, it is the patient who are able to adopt this behaviour. Suggest some ways which can create patience in a person.

 

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3. What do you think is the temptation of Satan mentioned in the last part of the verse?

 

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4. Share with us any incident in which you retaliated the evil of a person in a good way

 

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C. Evaluation Segment

 

How Patient are You?

 

1. While having a meal in a restaurant, the waiter accidentally spills some gravy over your new suit. You:

i. tell him not to worry about it, as you know it was an accident.

ii. call him an idiot and demand some sort of compensation.

iii. get up calmly from your chair and then go and clean your clothes in the rest room.

iv. show your anger by slapping/punching him.

v. say nothing to him even though you are very annoyed with him in your heart.

 

2. You are asked to show a new, and extremely talkative person round at work. You:

i. don not feel annoyed and treat him well all through.

ii. get tired of his incessant chatter and tell him to give you some peace and quiet.

iii. get tired of his incessant chatter and tell him to shut up in a very rude way.

iv. feel annoyed at this incessant chatter but say nothing to him.

v. express your frustration by speaking harshly but then immediately say sorry to him

 

3. Your son is very bad at mathematics and makes a lot of mistakes while you make him do his homework. You:

i. scold him a lot and keep telling him that he is a dunce.

ii. show patience and try to make him understand.

iii. feel frustrated and hire a teacher for him without making him realize your frustration.

 

4. You and your husband have arranged to meet some friends for tea, but when it is time to go, your husband is not ready. You:

i. wait patiently until he is ready and phone your friends to excuse your late arrival.

ii. speak harshly to him for not getting ready in time but then apologize.

iii. scream at him and then say that you are going immediately if he is not ready.

 

5. Your computer hangs up right in the middle of an important piece of work. You:

i. feel frustrated and switch the computer off and hope that it will be working when you switch it back on again.

ii. feel annoyed but decide that getting annoyed will only make the situation worse.

iii. scream and abuse the computer.

iv. leave it aside and do some other work without feeling annoyed.

 

6. If someone rightly criticizes you, how do you react?

i. You feel hurt, but you do not show it.

ii. You don’t react at all because you think that the criticism was right.

iii. You make a face to show your displeasure.

iv. You yell at and abuse the person and tell him that he has no right to criticize you.

 

7. An hour has passed after your appointment time and the doctor is taking a lot of time to see patients. You:

i. go and scold the receptionist and the staff for making you wait.

ii. keep smiling at people and read some more old magazines.

iii. stand up and storm out of the waiting room, as you just can’t stand waiting a minute longer.

iv. feel frustrated but keep waiting.

 

8. You are late for work and your car will not start. You:

i. get out and kick the wheel as hard as you can.

ii. take some deep breaths to calm yourself down.

iii. calmly phone your place of work to tell them what has happened, and then sort out the car.

 

9. Your servant boy accidentally breaks your very expensive crystal jar. You:

i. scold and beat him.

ii. deduct his salary.

iii. resign to the will of God.

iv. express your anger but then say sorry to him.

 

10. If someone throws up in your car, you would:

i. stop the car and tell the person to get down.

ii. tell him not to worry as it was not in his control.

iii. express your anger but then say sorry to him.

iv. feel angry but say nothing to him.

 

 

 

D. Follow-Up Segment

 

I Listen to the Recital of these Verses

http://thequranrecitation.com/fussilat.html?language=arabic

 

II Memorize these Verses

 

III. Improve yourself through Self-Evaluation

Write a “Patience” diary for two weeks. Each day write down the patience you have show in various aspects of your behavious. At the end of two weeks, share this with your closest friend or with your instructor or just destroy it.

Make a commitment to yourself that in future you will be more even more patient.

 

IV Reconsider the Quiz

Go back and study the quiz you have attempted. In particular, study the answers in which you have scored less. Re-evaluate your choices and make a commitment to improve in this area.

 

V Become a Volunteer for the Patience Awareness Campaign in the Following Ways

 

(1) Search the Internet for:

i. Videos about Patience

ii. Songs about Patience

iii. Essays and Stories about Patience

iv. Poems about Patience

v. Powerpoint Presentations about Patience

 

(2) Conduct this Patience Awareness Workshop among your Friends

 

(3) Design Activity-Based Workshops for Kids about Patience

 

(4) Create a Website about Patience

 

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