Quran-Tafsir.

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Surah Al-Baqarah
Part 4 (Ayahs 209-287)

This is the fourth part of Surah Baqarah, Insha Allah please go to Quran-Tafsir.org for the first second, and third parts.

209. O you who believe! Enter into Al-Islam completely and do not follow the footsteps of the Shaitan. Surely he is to you a clear enemy. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by calling out to the believers. Allah (swt) is addressing you and me in this ayah. Our Creator and Sustainer, our Lord and Master is addressing us with that which is most precious and dear to us, and that is our Iman. Before you even read the rest of the ayah, consider who is being addressed, consider the Addressor, and consider with what He (swt) is addressing you. When you consider all of these you will realize how important it is for you to pay complete attention to what Allah (swt) is telling you in this ayah. Allah (swt) says in this ayah O you who believe! Enter into Al-Islam completely. To understand what Allah (swt) is telling us to do in this ayah, we first have to understand each word in this ayah. The first word that we must strive to understand is Al-Islam. Notice that Allah (swt) uses the definite article to qualify this word. The definite article, which in English is the and in Arabic is al is used to qualify and specify a word. So Allah (swt) is not referring here to simply any Islam but Allah (swt) is referring here to The Islam. Which Islam is The Islam you might ask. Islam linguistically means peace or submission but it is not simply any peace or submission that Allah (swt) is speaking about here. Rather Allah (swt) is referring to the Din that He (swt) revealed to the Prophet (saw) and that He (swt) Himself called Al Islam. So it is not simply any peace or surrender, but is the specific way of life that was revealed to the Prophet (saw). That is what Allah (swt) is referring to in this ayah. The next word that we must understand in order to understand the command of Allah (swt) in this ayah is the word enter. What does it mean to enter into this Din of Al-Islam? When you enter into your house, when you go from being outdoors into being indoors, your entire surroundings change. You are in a completely different place than you were before. Similar should be the effect when you enter into this Din of Islam.

Your entire life should change. Your entire outlook on this world must change. The purpose of your life must change. Everything that you think, everything that you say, and everything that you do now has a purpose. Entering into this Din of Al-Islam is a complete transformation. Instead of living for yourself, you now live for Allah (swt). Allah (swt) is the purpose of your existence and everything that you do is for Him (swt). The next word that we must understand from this ayah is the word completely. This is perhaps the most important word in this ayah, and it is the word that most Muslims today have forgotten. What does Allah (swt) mean when He (swt) says that He (swt) wants us to enter AlIslam completely? There are actually two meanings here. One meaning is that we ourselves must enter Islam fully. We must enter it with our minds, our hearts and our limbs. This means that our thoughts, our emotions and our actions should be in accordance with Islam and it must be in the service of Islam. Any action that you do, any word that you say, and even any thought that you have must be part of your worship and servitude to Allah (swt). Strive not to even have a thought that is displeasing to Allah (swt). For example when you see a beautiful woman, not only you must not even look at her or talk to her but you must not even think about her. You must fight against the lusts that you have for her, and fill your heart with thoughts of your Rabb instead. Your actions, your words, your emotions and your thoughts must all be for Allah (swt). Al-Islam is a state of total submission to Allah (swt) and to enter into this submission completely is to submit everything that you have to Him (swt). The other meaning of the word completely in this ayah is that we must enter into all of Al-Islam and not only the parts that are convenient to us or only the parts that are to our liking. AlIslam is a complete package; it is a total way of life that covers every component of the life of the individual and the society. Many Muslims today take only parts of this Din and they leave other parts. For example they only follow the rulings and the injunctions related to worship, and they ignore the rulings related to government, economics, social interactions, and even the rulings related to the states of the heart such as the prohibition of jealousy and the obligation of patience and love for fellow Muslims. So Muslims today have forgotten the command of Allah (swt) to enter into Al-Islam completely. They pick and choose which parts of Al-Islam they want to enter into,

they only enter into the parts that they like and they leave the parts that they do not like. How corrupt a people have we become? How is it that we cannot even fulfill this simple command that our Lord has given us? May Allah (swt) forgive us! May Allah (swt) help our Ummah to gain a correct understanding of this Din! May Allah (swt) help us to see what a rich and vast way of life He (swt) has revealed to us! In the second part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says, do not follow the footsteps of the Shaitan. Surely he is to you a clear enemy. In the previous part of the ayah, Allah (swt) told us to enter into the Din of Al-Islam completely and in this part of the ayah Allah (swt) tells us not to follow the footsteps of Shaitan. Allah (swt) also reminds us that Shaitan is our clear and open enemy. The implication here is that if we fail to enter into Al-Islam completely then we would be following the footsteps of Shaitan. To follow the footsteps of Shaitan means to follow the way of Shaitan, the way of disobedience to Allah (swt). If you fail to adopt all of Islam and instead you adopt only the parts of it that are to your liking then you are in fact following the footsteps of Shaitan. So anyone who does not believe in the Islamic State is in fact following the devil. They are picking and choosing which parts of this Din they want to follow. That is something that we do not have the right to do. Allah (swt) has sent you as a Message. In that Message Allah (swt) has clearly told you what to do. Then here you are with your pride and arrogance, your evil and rebellion, your insolence against the Lord and Master, to say that I am going to follow this and that, but I do not like this and that so I am not going to follow it. Who are you to say that? How dare the slave question the Master! This is only from Shaitan. Since the dawn of time there has been a war between the forces of Allah (swt) and the forces of Shaitan. The forces that call to complete submission to the Creator and Sustainer in all matters of life and the forces that call to associate partners with Him (swt). You have a choice now to obey the command that Allah (swt) gave you and enter into Al-Islam completely. Based on that choice you make you will choose which side that you want to take in this war. There are no shades of gray in this war; there is only the path of Allah (swt) and the path of devils. So you decide now whose side you want to be in. If you want to give up or give in, thus following the footsteps of Shaitan and choosing to be in his camp, then

remember that he is your clear enemy. He will only lead you to misery and suffering in the life of this world, and he will lead you into total destruction and a painful and lasting punishment in the next world. This is because the outcome of this war is that the forces of Allah (swt) will eventually prevail. How can they lose when they have the Lord and Master of the universe on their side? Any victory that the forces of Shaitan may have is only a temporary one in the life of this world. When the Last Day comes, you will know who is the real victor and the real loser. So think now about this conflict, think now about this command that Allah (swt) has given you, and you decide for yourself what you want to do with the rest of your life. Do you want to dedicate it to your Creator and Sustainer, the One and the Irresistible, or do you want to give it to your clear enemy? May Allah (swt) guide us all to make the correct choice!

210. But if you slide back, after the clear proofs have come to you, then know that surely Allah is Al-Aziz and Al-Hakim. In the previous ayah Allah (swt) commanded us to enter into the Din of Al-Islam completely and Allah (swt) warned us against following Shaitan. Allah (swt) reminded us that Shaitan is our clear enemy. Thus any way of life that we choose except Al-Islam is a way of total ruin and destruction. How can there be anything else when it is the path of our enemy? So the choice was clear and you have made the choice to live a life of worship and servitude to Allah (swt). You have chosen Allah (swt) over Shaitan. But Shaitan is always after you; remember that he has made a promise to lead you astray. So even after you have committed to live a life of worship and servitude to Allah (swt), he can still come and try to tempt you astray. In this ayah, Allah (swt) tells you what will happen to you if you do follow the temptations of Shaitan. Allah (swt) tells us what will happen to all of us if we choose to turn away from Him (swt) after He (swt) had made the distinction between His (swt)s path and the path of our enemy so clear.

Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying But if you slide back. Notice how beautifully Allah (swt) describes going back to the way of Shaitan after you have entered into the Din of Allah (swt). You will be sliding back. Imagine yourself climbing a mountain. At the top of this mountain is the goal of your life and that is the Pleasure of Allah (swt). If you choose to follow the way of Shaitan, you will be sliding back in your path up this mountain. You will be going back to being that despised creature that only follows its lusts and desires. You will be going back to that low state after Allah (swt) had guided you to a much nobler purpose for your existence. This is exactly what you will be doing if you do not dedicate your entire self to Allah (swt). You will be sliding back down towards destruction instead of going closer to your goal. May Allah (swt) save us from that ever happening to us! Then Allah (swt) says after the clear proofs have come to you. Why do you believe in this Message? Do you not believe in it because you are absolutely certain that it is the Truth? Why is that you are absolutely certain? It is because Allah (swt) has established clear and undeniable proofs for this Message. This is a Message that calls on us to believe in the Creator and Sustainer of this universe, and every single thing in this universe is an evidence to the Existence, the Oneness and the total Sovereignty of this Creator. What we see in the universe about the Creator and what the Quran tells us is exactly the same. How then could this Quran not be the Truth when it describes the Creator for us so perfectly, matching exactly the perception that we have of Him (swt) when we study the reality around us? Not only does the Quran describe Allah (swt) perfectly, but Allah (swt) also sent the Quran with a Miracle of its own. We know that if all of mankind came together, and they all helped each other, they would not be able to produce even one small Surah like the Surahs of the Quran. Fifteen hundred years of history and the Arabic language itself testify to this fact. There are hundreds and hundreds of other proofs that Allah (swt) has given us to verify the Truthfulness of this Message. Everything from the life of the Prophet (saw) to the kind of society this Quran built is an evidence to the Truth of this Message. Insha Allah all of these will help us to arrive in the absolute certainty of this Message. Once you arrive at the certainty, you have to remind yourself that this Message is no joke. It truly is from Allah (swt). Many of us tell ourselves that we believe in this fact, but many of

us fail to realize the consequences of this belief. Our behavior and our emotions in the life of this world is a testament to this fact. What should we do if we choose to turn away from this Message after Allah (swt) has sent it to us with clear proofs? If we choose to do that, if we choose to slide away, then we should know that surely Allah is Al-Aziz and Al-Hakim. When we say that Allah (swt) is Al-Aziz we are saying that He (swt) is the Mighty and the Powerful. He (swt) is the Defeater Who overcomes all and Who is not defeated by any. The forces of Shaitan may appear strong in the life of this world. They may control all of the wealth and all of the resources of this planet. Their power may seem to be endless and their lure may seem to be irresistible. But you should know that this is only an illusion. The real Might and the real Power is only with Allah (swt) and there is none who can stand against Him (swt). So if you choose to turn away from Allah (swt), then you should know that you will have no one to help you against Him (swt). Allah (swt) is Power itself and so how could there by anyone who can even hope to oppose Him (swt)? Allah (swt) is also Al-Hakim. He (swt) is the Most Wise. He (swt) is the manifestation of the perfection of Wisdom. Such Perfect Wisdom can only come from Perfect Knowledge and so the name Al-Hakim also gives the meaning that Allah (swt) is All-Knowing. Why would you then ever choose a way of life other than the way of life prescribed by the Most Wise and the All Knowing? When you know this Name of Allah (swt) do you then think that you can come up with a better way of life than He (swt)? If you choose to turn away from this way of life then you are turning away from the way of life prescribed by the All-Knowing and the Most Wise. All of the power and all of the judgment is with Allah (swt), He (swt) can do all things and all things return to Him (swt) for judgment. So why then would you ever want to turn away from Him (swt)? Those who turn away from this Message after it reaches them clearly have no excuse whatsoever in front of Him (swt). May Allah (swt) save us from being among those! May Allah (swt) help us to remember His (swt)s Names so that we will realize Him (swt) and so that we will not turn away from Him (swt)!

211. Do they wait except for Allah to come to them in the shadows of clouds and the angels? Then the matter would have been decided. And to Allah to the matters return. In this ayah Allah (swt) asks us a question to make us think and reflect. In the previous ayah, Allah (swt) commanded us to enter into the Din of Al-Islam completely. Allah (swt) reminded us how He (swt) has given us clear signs and undeniable arguments to help us to reach certainty that this Message is indeed the Truth. The only people who would not follow this Message now are those who do not want to follow it. The ones who are looking for an excuse not to follow it. The ones who would rather serve their desires than submit to Allah (swt). These are the people whom Allah (swt) asks us to think about in the question that He (swt) is asking us in this ayah. Remind yourself that in the context of these ayahs Allah (swt) is not speaking only about the disbelievers but He (swt) is also speaking about those Muslims who fail to enter this Din of Islam completely. Now look how Allah (swt) describes these people who refuse to submit to the Truth when they know it, the ones who refuse to enter into Al-Islam completely. The question which Allah (swt) asks in this ayah is Do they wait except for Allah to come to them in the shadows of clouds and the angels?. Why are people refusing to enter into the Din of Al-Islam completely? What are they waiting for? Are they waiting for the Day of Judgment that they know will come? The Day of Judgment is a reality that is only waiting to happen. It is only a matter of time. You might think it is a long way away. But remember that your Day of Judgment is your death and death can come at any time. So consider the question that Allah (swt) is asking you in this ayah. If you have failed to enter Islam completely as Allah (swt) has commanded you to, then think about what you will do when the Day of Judgment comes? When you are made to stand before Allah (swt) and He (swt) questions you ask to why you did not follow His (swt)s command, what then will you say? What excuse will you give? These are the questions that Allah (swt) wants us to ask ourselves in this ayah. When we ask ourselves these questions it should motivate us to fulfill the command of our Rabb and enter into Islam

completely as He (swt) has commanded us to. We should not wait for that tremendous day in which Allah (swt) comes to us in the shadows of the clouds with the angels. May Allah (swt) save us from that day! So this is a day that we must be terrified of. This is a day that should motivate us to enter into Islam completely. This is the general meaning that we can take from this ayah. We must take this meaning and remind ourselves that the exact description that Allah (swt) is giving in this ayah is mutashabiyat. Only Allah (swt) Knows the exact description that He (swt) gives in this ayah. When Allah (swt) says Allah to come to them in the shadows of clouds, we cannot think about how this will happen. The meaning of this description is known only to Allah (swt). Because our minds are limited we cannot comprehend how this will happen. We cannot imagine Allah (swt) to be a body that moves through time and space because we know that Allah (swt) is beyond time and space. As for this ayah, we believe in it, we take the general meaning from it, and we leave the true knowledge of how it will happen to Allah (swt). Allah (swt) Knows best! In the second part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says Then the matter would have been decided. Here Allah (swt) reminds us that when the Day of Judgment comes then the matter of where we will end up would already have been decided. At that moment the test is over, and we longer have the option to choose. For every second of your life now you have a choice. But at that moment when your lifespan finishes, when the sand in your hourglass runs out, the choice that you have now will no longer be there. The matter would be decided, and you will either be told to go the Fire or to go the Garden. You will be told to go and stay forever. Can you even begin to imagine what this means? So now in these precious moments of your life, while you still have a choice, make the correct choice. Make the choice to enter into Islam completely. Submit your body, your words and even your heart completely to Allah (swt). Nothing else matters in this entire universe. In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says And to Allah to the matters return. Every single matter returns to Allah (swt) for decision. The final decision of where we will end up will be made by Allah (swt) Alone. The matter of judgment for every single person rests with Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) Alone. So do not seek anything from anyone in this world. Remember that the

matter is only with your Lord. No one else can do anything for you. Your whole affair rests with Allah (swt). Allah (swt) is the purpose of our lives and He (swt) is the end of our journey. Every matter returns to Allah (swt) including yours and mine. He (swt) is the only One Who will decide where we will end up. So remember that your life is nothing but a journey to Allah (swt). Do you what you can today to the best of your ability to prepare for the end of your journey. Know with certainty that in the end the matter will return to Him(swt)!

212. Ask the children of Israil how many we gave them of the Clear Signs. And whoever changes the Blessing of Allah after it has come to him, then surely Allah is Severe in Punishment. Let us remind ourselves once again about the context in which these ayahs were revealed. The Islamic State had just been established and Allah (swt) had once again raised a nation of men and women to carry His (swt)s Message to mankind. Now Allah (swt) was revealing ayahs that were preparing this nation for their important task of carrying this Message to mankind. In the previous ayah, Allah (swt) commanded these Muslims to enter into the Din of Islam completely. How can you carry this Message to others when you yourself do not implement this Message fully in your life? Allah (swt) also reminded us not to wait until the Day of Judgment to enter into this Din completely, because on that Day when the angels come through the clouds, then the matter would already have been decided. After that day you cannot do one more good deed or say one more good word. Allah (swt) also told us of all of the Clear Signs that He (swt) has given us so that we can know that this Message is indeed the Truth. In this ayah Allah (swt) reminds us once again of the nation that came before us, the nation to whom the task of carrying this Message was given before.

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Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying Ask the children of Israil how many we gave them of the Clear Signs. We know that the children of Israil were given several Signs to prove to them that this Message is indeed the Truth. They saw the staff of Musa (as) turn into a snake, the saw all of the plagues and the curses that fell upon the people of Firaun, they saw the ocean part in two directly in front of their eyes and they even saw the mountain being raised and placed above them. They knew that it was only Allah (swt) Who could produce such miracles and so they knew that the Message that Musa (as) had been sent with was indeed the Truth. Despite this certain knowledge that they had, they still refused to follow this Message. Even though they were certain that this Din was from Allah (swt), they still refused to enter into it completely as they had been commanded to do. Allah (swt) tells us about them here as an example so that we can avoid being like them. Allah (swt) shows us that it is not simply a matter of being shown signs and miracles, a human being can be shown all of the signs and miracles in the world but unless he has the humbleness and the sincerity within himself to submit to Allah (swt), then he will never accept these signs. So in the case of the children of Israil there is a terrible warning for us, we must not think that just because we have such a powerful Miracle like the Quran, our Iman is then safe. We must still strive to humble ourselves and submit ourselves before the Ultimate and the Magnificent. Otherwise we will not perceive all of the signs that are in front of us. The children of Israil had countless signs and they still turned away from this Message. This was only because of their pride and arrogance. May Allah (swt) save us from ever becoming like them! May Allah (swt) enable us to always turn to Him (swt) and to submit ourselves completely to Him (swt)! May Allah (swt) allow us to see all of the signs and to draw closer to Him (swt) through them! In the second part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says And whoever changes the Blessing of Allah after it has come to him. This is exactly what the children of Israil did. Allah (swt) gave them His (swt)s Blessing by giving them this Message and giving them the honorable task of carrying this Message to mankind. But what did they do with this Blessing that Allah (swt) had given them? They changed it. They made lawful what Allah (swt) had prohibited and they made prohibited what Allah (swt) made lawful. They told their people that they no longer needed to rule by the Law of Allah (swt) and that the people should be content with the laws of man. They also

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told their people that it was no longer a duty to carry this Message to mankind, and they even claimed that they are above the rest of mankind and that the rest of mankind does not deserve the blessings of this Message. They also changed the descriptions of the Final Messenger that was in their Book so that their people and their children would not follow the Prophet (saw). This Message of Islam was the Blessing of Allah (swt) for them and they changed it. What then is their repayment for changing the Message of Allah (swt)? Allah (swt) says then surely Allah is Severe in Punishment. You know how weak you are and how susceptible your body is to pain. How much discomfort do you feel from the prick of a needle or something hot touching you? So you know how much pain the creatures of this world can inflict upon you. You know how much pain a knife or a disease can cause you. Now think about Allah (swt), how much pain can He (swt) inflict upon you if He (swt) wanted to hurt you? Allah (swt) could inflict pain on you like you had never known before. So when Allah (swt) says that He (swt) is severe in punishment you should realize that this is something that should send chills down your spine. Not even the most frightening horror movie should be as terrifying as this ayah of the Quran. The pain that Allah (swt) can inflict upon those whom Him (swt) is not pleased with is far worse than any pain that any person has suffered in the life of this world. Far, far worse. May Allah (swt) save us! Are you scared now? If you are not then you should realize that Muslims today are doing exactly the same thing that Allah (swt) criticizes the children of Israil for in this ayah. We also have changed the Blessing of Allah (swt) after it has come to us. We have changed Islam from a complete Din that addresses every aspect of life into a few rituals. Even if it is not you or me that has changed it, if we keep silent while the majority of the Ummah still has the perception that Islam is only a few rituals then we are supporting those who have changed this Din by our silence. So we should all make an effort to correct the understanding of this Ummah towards their Din. By us keeping quiet we are acknowledging that Islam is only a few rituals when in reality it is so much more. So we have to teach the Muslims what Islam truly is. We have to show them how it is a complete ideology that gives guidance in every aspect of life. If we do not make the effort to the best of our ability, then we have to fear the threat that Allah (swt) has given us in this ayah.

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Such would be what we would deserve for preventing the Mercy and Justice of this Message from reaching the Muslims and from reaching mankind. May Allah (swt) save us from that terrible punishment! May Allah (swt) give us His (swt)s enabling grace to teach the Muslims what Islam really is! May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to guide all the good and sincere people in this world to the Light of this Message! This Message that Allah (swt) has sent is His (swt)s Blessing and Favor for all mankind. We ask Him (swt) to make this Message a reality in the world once again. When we see all of the suffering and all of the pain that is happening in the world today, we can see how all of humanity is thirsty for it.

213. The life of this world has been made to seem attractive to those who do kufr, and they mock those who believe. But the ones who have Taqwa will be above them on the Day of Standing. And Allah gives to whom He wills without measure. In the previous ayah Allah (swt) told us about the children of Israil. They were the ones who were sent this Message before our Ummah. They were given clear signs and evidences to prove to them that this Message was indeed the Truth. They were sent prophet after prophet and messenger after messenger calling them to return to the worship and servitude of Allah (swt). They were told time and time again to enter into this Din completely. Despite all of this, they still turned away from this Message. What is it that could make a people turn away from a Message that is so clear? What is it that could make a people turn away from Allah (swt) when He (swt) is the Ultimate Reality? How could a people still go astray when they had been given such clear warning? How can a people disbelieve after they had been shown such clear signs? How can a people be so ungrateful when Allah (swt) has been so Kind and Generous to them? Allah (swt) answers these questions for us in this ayah.

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Allah (swt) says, The life of this world has been made to seem attractive to those who do kufr. It is nothing but the life of this world that turns people astray from the worship and servitude of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) tells us in this ayah that the life of this world has been made beautiful for those who choose to turn away from this Message. They see the world as attractive and beautiful, and they desire it with a strong desire. The Prophet (saw) has told us how this world is a Garden for the one who does kufr. One of the meanings of this hadith is that the one who does kufr is the one who wants to stay in this world for as long as possible and who wants to enjoy himself in this world to the full extent possible. He does not care about anything except his pleasure. All that he cares about is satisfying his lusts and desires. Such is how much the life of this world has been made to seem attractive and alluring to him. But is this world worth so much? The Prophet (saw) has also told us that this world is not even worth the wing of a mosquito to Allah (swt). What then is the real value of the life of this world? What can you do with a wing of a mosquito? The human being is presented with a choice on whether to accept or reject this Message that has come to him from Allah (swt), For those who choose to reject this Message and disbelieve in it, Allah (swt) makes the life of this world seem attractive to them. Even though this world is really worthless, Allah (swt) makes it look so beautiful for them. This is part of their punishment for rejecting this Message when they knew that it was the Truth. This then leads them further astray. So they chase after this world, and they forget Allah (swt) and they forget the Message that He (swt) has sent to them. What then will be their condition when they return to Him (swt)? May Allah (swt) save us from this punishment! May Allah (swt) allow us to see the life of this world for the reality that it truly is! A temporary and fleeting existence that is doomed to destruction. In the second part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says and they mock those who believe. Those who choose to follow the life of this world cannot understand those who believe. They are so in love with the pleasures of this world that they cannot understand how anyone would give it up. They consider those who give up the life of this world to be fools. So they mock them and ridicule them wherever they see them. This was exactly what many of the enemies of this Message did to the early Muslims at the time of Prophet (saw). Many of the Sahabah in Makkah,

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like Bilal (ra), Ammar bin Yasir (ra) and Suhayb ar-Rumi (ra) were ridiculed and mocked by the Quraysh chiefs because of their beliefs. The Quraysh chiefs thought these noble Sahabah to be fools because they had believed in this Message. But in reality the true fools were themselves. Allah (swt) explains why in the next part of the ayah. Allah (swt) says But the ones who have Taqwa will be above them on the Day of Standing. The ones who believe are the ones who have Taqwa and they will be above the disbelievers on the Day of Standing. All of mankind will be standing before Allah (swt) on that Day. But on that Day, Allah (swt) will raise in rank some people and He (swt) will bring low others. The true believers who had Taqwa of Allah (swt) like Bilal (ra), Ammar bin Yasir (ra) and Suhayb ar-Rumi (ra) will be raised high in rank. While the Quraysh chiefs who chose the life of this world will be brought low. So as all of mankind stands on a Day that is fifty thousand years long, the Quraysh chiefs will look up and see the noble Sahahbah whom they used to mock. They will see these Sahabah raised high above them. They will see them above them and ready to enter the Garden, while they know that they themselves are doomed for the Fire. Then they will realize the true reality and they will know who were the real fools. Then they will know who it is who deserves to be mocked. They will curse themselves for not following this Message that they knew was the Truth. They will curse themselves for being deceived by the allures of the life of this world. They would wish that they are with the Sahabah whom they see above them. But they know that they had sealed their fate when they chose to reject this Message that had been sent to them by their Creator. They know that they had earned the Wrath of their Creator when they chose to mock His beloved. May Allah (swt) save us from making the same mistake that they did! May Allah (swt) save us from being deceived by this world! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says And Allah gives to whom He wills without measure. Many of the early Muslims were mocked and ridiculed because they were poor. They chose to spend all of their time in worship and in gaining knowledge about this Din. They did not go chasing after the life of this world. They also gave away all of their wealth in the cause of Allah (swt). So they were left without much of the wealth and glitter of this world. This was another reason why the Quraysh chiefs used to mock at them. The ones who rejected this

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Message for the life of this world could not understand how anyone would ever give up the material things of this world. For them the accumulation of material goods was the purpose of their existence. So they could not understand how anyone would give it up? But the believers gave away much of their material possessions and their wealth. They gave it away only hoping for the reward from Allah (swt) for it. This was because they knew Allah (swt). Allah (swt) is the One Who gives without measure, and for those who give their wealth hoping for reward from Allah (swt), they will be provided for by the One Who gives without measure. Allah (swt) will give them without measure both in this life and the next. In this world, Allah (swt) will give them the sweetness of Iman in their hearts and He (swt) will give them the tranquility and the serenity of Knowing Him (swt). Allah (swt) will also provide for their needs and the needs of their families. Allah (swt) may not give them riches but He (swt) will give them enough to get by. Allah (swt) will give them contentment in whatever they have of this world, and He (swt) will give them the love of mankind. Allah (swt) will also give victory for their nation and success for their cause. All of this is only in the life of this world, but what Allah (swt) will give them in the Hereafter is much more and is far better to what they have been given in this world. What will Allah (swt) give them in the Hereafter? Allah (swt) will allow them to have an easy death, to have peace and tranquility in the grave, to be saved from the terrors of the Last Day, to be given a quick reckoning, to be saved from the Fire, to be admitted into Gardens of Bliss, to have the most delicious foods therein and the sweetest of drinks, to have the touch of companions pure and gentle, but best of all is to the gain the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and the chance to behold Allah (swt). Can anything be better than this? The quantity of such gifts cannot even be measured, and that is why Allah (swt) is the One Who gives without measure to whom He (swt) wills. May we be among those whom Allah (swt) wills to give all of this for! So what is it that made Bilal (ra), Ammar bin Yasir (ra) and Suhayb ar-Rumi (ra) worthy of these great gifts? They received these great gifts because they were not deceived by the life of this world. They chose Allah (swt) instead of the life of this world. They realized the reality of this worldly life and how it pales when compared to the Reality of Allah (swt). They realized how everything that they had was only from Allah (swt) and so they had an obligation to show

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gratitude to Him (swt) by serving Him (swt). They realized how Allah (swt) was the Perfect One and so only He (swt) deserved all of the worship and servitude. May Allah (swt) allow us to come this realization as well! May Allah (swt) guide us along their path! May Allah (swt) give us the ability to make the choice that they did! May Allah (swt) save us from the temptations of this world!

214. Mankind was once one nation, so Allah raised among them prophets as bearers of good news and as warners, and He sent down with them the Book with the Truth so that He may judge between mankind wherein they differed. And only the ones who were given it (the Book) differed concerning it, even after the Clear Signs had come to them. So Allah by His Leave guided the ones who believed to the Truth in what they (the disbelievers) had differed. And Allah guides whom He will to the Straight Path. In the previous ayah, Allah (swt) told us how the life of this world had lead many among mankind astray. The only ones who were not tempted away by the life of this world were those few sincere believers whom He (swt) had guided. These were those who chose Allah (swt) over the glitter of the life of this world. Allah (swt) told us how they would be raised above the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment. In the life of this world, the disbelievers used to mock at them but on the Day of Judgment, Allah (swt) will raise the believers above the disbelievers and everyone will know who are the winners and who are the losers. Now a question to ask ourselves

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is that is this how mankind always was? Was mankind always divided into this group of believers and disbelievers? In this ayah, Allah (swt) answers this question. In this one ayah, Allah (swt) gives us the history of mankind and He (swt) shows us how we have found ourselves today in this battle between Iman and kufr. Allah (swt) begins this lesson of history by telling us that in the beginning Mankind was once one nation. We know that the first human being was Adam (as) and he (as) was a righteous prophet who knew that the purpose of existence was the worship and servitude of Allah (swt). Adam (as) taught his children this purpose of existence, and they remained on the guidance that he (as) gave them for generations. It was at this time that mankind was one nation. Mankind was one family of believers. All of them knew that what that mattered in life was the worship and servitude of Allah (swt) and so they dedicated their lives to this purpose. Instead of chasing after this world, the family of Adam (as) spent their hours in worship and servitude to Allah (swt). Remembering Allah (swt) and glorifying Him (swt) in the hours of the morning and the evening. It was a society that did not see the moral corruption and degradation that we see in the world today. They knew that Allah (swt) was the purpose of their existence and so they abided themselves by the Law of Allah (swt) both inwardly and outwardly. This brought peace and tranquility to each of their individual lives and their collective life as a family and a society. In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says so Allah raised among them prophets as bearers of good news and as warners. Now why would Allah (swt) send prophets if mankind was already one nation that had already been guided? This part of the ayah may lead to confusion among some people who have this question. But those who are familiar with the style of the Quran can easily see the meaning here. You see when Allah (swt) narrates history for us, He (swt) does not tell us each and every single event. Rather Allah (swt) focuses on the events that are important and He (swt) leaves out those events that can be derived from context. So we can tell from the context of these ayahs that the reason why Allah (swt) sent these prophets and messengers was because mankind had become divided after they had once been united, and mankind had disbelieved after they had once believed. So even though Allah (swt) does not explicitly tell us that mankind differed and divided after they had once been one nation, we can

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derive this fact from the context of the other parts of the ayah. This style is part of the Miracle of the Quran, and it is how Allah (swt) can put so much meaning into only a few words. So far in our history lesson we have learned that mankind was once one community of believers submitting themselves to Allah (swt). But then they began to disbelieve and differ. They disbelieved in the total Oneness and absolute Sovereignty of Allah (swt) and they divided amongst themselves into various sects and nations. Their father Adam (as) had taught them to be united and worship Allah (swt) Alone, but they had allow themselves to be lead astray by Shaitan. So Allah (swt) send prophets and messenger to guide them back to Him (swt). These prophets came with good news for those who would believe in them and they came with warning for those who would choose to disbelieve. The good news is the peace and tranquility, and the Mercy and Justice that comes from this Message when it is implemented in the life of this world, and it is the Garden and Pleasure of Allah (swt) in the next world. The warning is the chaos and the injustice, the misery and the suffering, the confusion and the doubt that comes from turning away from this Message in this world and the Fire and being denied from Allah (swt) in the next world. This was what the prophets came with in order to call the people back to Allah (swt). Then Allah (swt) says and He sent down with them the Book with the Truth so that He may judge between mankind wherein they differed. So not only were the prophets and messengers sent as bearers of good news and givers of warning, but they were also sent with the Book. The Book has the Truth in it. The Truth in terms of beliefs where it tells the people which beliefs are true and which are false and the Truth in terms of actions where it tells them which actions are pleasing to Allah (swt) and which are not. The purpose of Allah (swt) sending the Book was so that with it He (swt) may judge between mankind concerning wherein they differ. Human beings naturally have disputes and conflicts. The purpose of a government and the purpose of a system of courts is to resolve these conflicts and to take care of the affairs of the society. So one of the reasons why Allah (swt) has sent down this Book is so that He (swt) may Judge between mankind and so that He (swt) may resolve their disputes and conflicts through His (swt)s Book. The Quran is just as much a legal book on the basis of which a government and a system of courts can be formed as it is a book of admonition and spirituality. It has detailed rules

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on how an economic system is to be formed that can be used to distribute the wealth of a nation. It also has laws on to how a social system can be formed to regulate the interactions of the people in the society. An entire society can be formed based on the principles established in this Book. We did once and we can do it again. How can people know ayahs such as these and still say that Islam is not political in nature? Allah (swt) is clearly telling us here that one of the reasons why He (swt) send down this Book is so that He (swt) may judge and rule mankind. So from this part of the ayah we can see that there were two purposes to Allah (swt) sending down the Book. One reason was to return mankind to the Truth after they had divided and disbelieved, and another reason was so that He (swt) may Judge between the people and resolve all of their conflicts and disputations. So the Quran today can be used to unify our Ummah and it can be the foundation upon which the systems of the Islamic State are formed. If only the Muslims would look at the Quran today in this way. If only the Muslims would look for guidance sincerely from their Creator and not from some saint, or imam, or king. In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says And only the ones who were given it (the Book) differed concerning it, even after the Clear Signs had come to them. So Allah (swt) sent the Book with which to guide mankind to Him (swt). The word Book here could refer to any of the Books that were given to any of the previous nations. The Message in all of these Books was the same; all of the Books were only calling mankind to return to the worship and servitude of Allah (swt). In this ayah, Allah (swt) tells us that even those who were given the Book began to differ among themselves. Allah (swt) tells us that they differed even after the Clear Signs had already come to them. They knew for certain that this Book was from Allah (swt). But they disbelieved in it and they differed concerning it even after they had been given the Clear Signs. Once again this shows us the evil nature of the human being. He has been a given a Book from Allah (swt) that reminds him of the reason why he was created. He has been shown Clear Signs so that he may know that this Message is indeed the Truth. But still he chooses to turn away from it. This shows us the absolute Love and Mercy of Allah (swt) and the evil and the ingratitude of the human being. May Allah (swt) save us from ever becoming like them! May Allah (swt) remind us how much of a Mercy this Quran is!

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Now did everyone who had been given the Book choose to disbelieve in it? No, Allah (swt) tells us in the next part of the ayah how there were some sincere believers in this Message. Allah (swt) says So Allah by His Leave guided the ones who believed to the Truth in what they (the disbelievers) had differed. There were some who had chosen to believe in this Message. They chose to be sincere and humble before Allah (swt). They had chose Allah (swt) over the life of this world. Allah (swt) rewarded such people for their choice by giving them guidance. The guidance from Allah (swt) that guides them to the Truth. The Truth about which the rest of mankind had differed and disagreed on. This is the reward that Allah (swt) gives for those who choose to be sincere and those who choose to submit to Him (swt). This is the gift of guidance from Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) make us among the sincere! May Allah (swt) grant us the gift of guidance! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says And Allah guides whom He will to the Straight Path. Guidance comes from only Allah (swt). We cannot be true believers only by our choice. The only choice that we have is to seek the guidance from Allah (swt) and beg of Him (swt) to give it to us. We ourselves cannot guide ourselves but we need Allah (swt) to guide us. But we must always believe that if we strive hard to seek His (swt)s Pleasure, if we strive to dedicate our entire lives to Him (swt), then we have a hope that Allah (swt) will guide us. Although the guidance comes from Allah (swt), remember that you still have a responsibility to seek that guidance from Him (swt) by doing the actions that are pleasing to Him (swt). The more that you sincerely do to seek the Pleasure of Allah (swt), Insha Allah the more that He (swt) will guide you. Remember that at the end of the day, as Allah (swt) tells in this ayah, Allah (swt) will only guide those whom He (swt) pleases. So in order to receive this guidance we must make ourselves among those Allah (swt) is pleased with. Only then will Allah (swt) guide us. We must try our best to be worthy of that guidance, and we beg and plead to Allah (swt) to grant it to us. One lesson that we can take from this ayah is to see how mankind truly is one nation. Even though we are so divided today, this is not how we were meant to be. We were meant to be one nation united under one flag and serving one purpose. This flag is the black and white flag that bears the Kalimah. This purpose is the worship and servitude of Allah (swt). This is how we

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once were and this is how we must strive to be once again. May Allah (swt) make it so! May Allah (swt) make the flag of Islam spread to every corner of this world as He (swt) promised it would! May Allah (swt) unite mankind as one nation once again!

215. Or do you think that you will enter the Garden while there has not come to you the like of which came to those before you? They were afflicted with deprivation and hardships and were so shaken until even the Messenger and those who believed with him said When will the Help of Allah come? Now, surely the Help of Allah is near. In this ayah Allah (swt) continues to prepare the Muslim Ummah for carrying His (swt)s Message to mankind. We have seen how in the previous ayahs Allah (swt) reminded the Muslims that the effort to carry this Message to mankind was a struggle and a battle that had gone on seen the beginning of time. On the one hand there were the sincere believers who submitted themselves to Allah (swt). They dedicated themselves to Allah (swt) and to carrying His (swt)s Message to mankind. These were those whom Allah (swt) had guided to Him (swt). On the other hand were those who had chosen to reject this Message. These were those for whom the life of this world had been made beautiful. So they turned away from Allah (swt) to chase after the material and ephemeral pleasures of this world. This is the conflict for which Allah (swt) was preparing the Muslim Ummah in these ayahs. Now it is true that the sincere believers have Allah (swt) on their side, but does this mean that the battle will be easy for them? Can they expect to spend the entire day in the masjid making Dua to Allah (swt) to give them victory and not make any effort of their own? Allah (swt) answers such questions in this ayah.

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Allah (swt) answers these questions by asking us a question. Allah (swt) asks us Or do you think that you will enter the Garden while there has not come to you the like of which came to those before you?. We as human beings always need to remind ourselves that we are here on this earth as part of a test. This test is the purpose of our existence. Every moment of our lives we are being tested. At every moment of our lives Allah (swt) is recording if we are doing the actions that are pleasing to Him (swt) or if we are doing the actions that are pleasing to our own lower selves. The level of this test is based on the rank of the one being tested. No one is tested more than the messengers of Allah (swt). They are the highest in rank so their test is the most severe. After the prophets and messengers it is those who choose to carry this Message to mankind who are tested the most severely. This is because like the prophets, the dawah carriers are those who the closest to Allah (swt). Because the messengers and the dawah carriers are close to Allah (swt) He (swt) wants to test them more. Because the more that Allah (swt) tests them the more that He (swt) can love them when they strive and show patience for Him (swt). While those who are distant from Allah (swt) are those who have been given easy and comfortable lives. They enjoy their lives and rarely think about their Lord. How can Allah (swt) love such a people? So we see that it is based on our performance on this test that we will gain the Love, the Pleasure and the Mercy of Allah (swt), and it is only with the Mercy of Allah (swt) that we can enter the Garden. If Allah (swt) is pleased with us then He (swt) will give us His (swt)s Mercy and it is only with His (swt)s Mercy that any of us can enter the garden. So our good performance on this test does not guarantee us the Garden, rather it only gives us a chance to gain the Mercy of Allah (swt) and only through the Mercy of Allah (swt) can we gain the Garden. No matter how much patience we have, and no matter how much we strive, our actions alone do not even qualify us for a moment in the Garden. So Allah (swt) asks the believers in this ayah if they hope to enter the Garden without going through any kind of test at all. Allah (swt) reminds them that this life is indeed a test, and He (swt) reminds them how severely those who carried this Message in the past were tested. Allah (swt) thus changes their entire outlook towards this life. This life is nothing but a quest for the Pleasure of Allah (swt). The tests are but parts of this quest.

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If you have any doubts about the nature of this life you only have to look to those who came before you. Those who carried this Message before the Ummah of the Prophet (saw) were severely tested and Allah (swt) reminds us of this fact in this ayah. Allah (swt) says They were afflicted with deprivation and hardships. Although we translated the words that Allah (swt) uses in this ayah to describe the trials that they went through as deprivation and hardships in reality the original Arabic words give a far deeper meaning. These words give meanings of misery, extreme poverty, hardships, sufferings, illness, and deprivation. However much a human being can suffer because of physical pain and emotional pain as well being deprived of food, drink, shelter and clothing, that is how much the past nations suffered when they carried this Message to mankind. You cannot even imagine the level of pain that they went through! This is how severely those before us were tested. May Allah (swt) save us from trials that are so great! May Allah (swt) not lay upon us a burden like He (swt) laid on those before us! How great were these trials that the dawah carriers of the past had to go through? How much did they suffer? Up to what limited were they tested? Allah (swt) describes their situation by telling us how they were so shaken until even the Messenger and those who believed with him said When will the Help of Allah come? . The trials were so severe that it shook them as if they were being shaken by an earthquake. They were so shaken by these trials that even the Messenger of Allah (swt) and those sincere believers who were with him began to cry for the Help of Allah (swt) to come. This was how severe and how trying these trials were. Can you even imagine how difficult it must have been? Here is a man who is the Messenger of Allah (swt), a man whom Allah (swt) spoke with. But even he was put through such great trials that even he cried out for the Help of Allah (swt) to come. This shows how he and the believers with him were pushed to the limit. But it also shows us that Allah (swt) loves them and that He (swt) has kept a great reward in store for them for their patience. The reason why Allah (swt) gave them such a great trial is because He (swt) wants to reward them greatly. These trials were great indeed. They were so great that even the messenger himself was questioning as to when the Help of Allah would come. But the greatness of the trial also shows the greatness of the reward that awaited them.

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In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says Now, surely the Help of Allah is near. Just when you think when there is no more hope left. Just when you think that the believers have lost and the forces of kufr have won. Just when you think that the Muslims will never gain victory. Just when you think that the suffering and the misery of the Muslims cannot get any worse. Just when you think that this dawah will never be successful and that Islam will never return. Just when you would think that all hope is lost. This is when the Help of Allah (swt) is near. Your Lord will test you to the limit, and if you can have patience for just one moment more, then you will find the Help of Allah (swt). The Help of Allah (swt) is victory. This was the point that the Messenger and the believers whom Allah (swt) had described in the previous ayah were at. This was how desperate their situation had become. That is when Allah (swt) says Now, surely the Help of Allah is near. So never give up hope. The Help of Allah (swt) is coming. The nations who were carrying this dawah before you suffered in ways that you cannot even imagine. So whatever difficulty that you are going through now, know that it is nothing like what they went through and remember that it is part of the test that Allah (swt) has prepared for you. This test is only so that Allah (swt) may raise your rank and bring you closer to Him (swt). So always keep your trust and your hope on Allah (swt) and always repeat to yourself this part of the ayah Now, surely the Help of Allah is near. May the Help of Allah (swt) come soon! May Allah (swt) give this Ummah victory! Now it is important to remember that this ayah does not give the meaning that the life of the dawah carrier is filled with suffering. Nor does it give the meaning that any of us will have to face trials as those that Allah (swt) is describing in this ayah. We should always pray to our Lord to keep us safe from such trials. The true believer, the dawah carrier, in fact has the most content and the most peaceful of lives. There are many great scholars whom when their students visited them in prison they would find them smiling and in complete peace. This would be so even though these great scholars were being tortured or severely beaten. So this ayah does not give the meaning that the life of the believer is filled with suffering. Rather it only serves to remind us that we are all tested. Some of us more than others. Thus be patient with all that befalls you. Realize that with Allah (swt) you can overcome any trial and His (swt) Help is always near.

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216. They ask you what they can spend. Say Whatever you spend from good, it should be for parents, for near relatives, for orphans, for the Miskeen, and for the travelers. And whatever you do from good, surely Allah Knows it well. In the previous ayahs, we saw Allah (swt) preparing the Muslim Ummah for carrying this Message to mankind. Allah (swt) reminded them how the effort to carry this Message to mankind was a struggle that had existed since the dawn of time. It was for this purpose that Allah (swt) had sent all of the prophets and messengers. Allah (swt) also reminded the Muslims how they would have be patient and steadfast because the role of carrying this Message required the nation that bears this responsibility to go through severe test and trials. Only those who demonstrate patience have a chance of their actions being accepted by Allah (swt). Only those who show patience have a hope of getting the Help of Allah (swt). Not only is it required to show patience and steadfastness through trials and difficulties, but the mission of carrying this Message also requires sacrifice. One of these sacrifices was that of wealth and resources. So in this ayah, Allah (swt) teaches us how we should be willing to part with our wealth if we are among those who would carry this Message to mankind. At the time of the Prophet (saw), many of the Muslims were ready and willing to sacrifice their wealth to gain the Pleasure of Allah (swt), but they were unsure as to who was the most deserving of their wealth. They wanted to give their money in the way of Allah (swt) but they were not sure who to give it to. Allah (swt) addresses their doubts in this ayah. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying They ask you what they can spend. Once again we can see how the Quran is not a static book, but it responds to the questions and situations that arose in the lives of the Muslims. This fact that the Quran is dynamic is a further proof of its Miracle because not only is at it the height of Arabic but it is Arabic that came in

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response to the environment. To compose a Quran like this on the fly, and in response to the questions put forth by the people would be impossible for any human writer to accomplish, let along for someone illiterate like the Prophet (saw). So in this part of the ayah, we see Allah (swt) Himself responds to the questions of the Muslims when they asked what they could spend. Look how beautiful also is the attitude of the early Muslims; they were looking to spend their hard earned wealth. Muslims today grip their wealth and they hold on to it thinking that it is their only savior. While the early Muslims at the time of the Prophet (saw) were asking the Prophet (saw) how to spend their wealth. What will it take to return our thinking and behavior to that of the early Muslims? Allah (swt) responds to the questions of the early Muslims by commanding the Prophet (saw) to Say Whatever you spend from good. Before we look at whom Allah (swt) has commanded us to spend on, notice that Allah (swt) refers to spending from the good. Thus the command to spend is from the good. So the spending here is not restricted to spending money, but it is anything that you can spend from the good. The good is what you have that you give up sincerely to seek the Pleasure of Allah (swt). This could be your time, your effort, your food, your home, or your transportation. All that we give up to seek the Pleasure of Allah (swt) is that which is good. Then Allah (swt) lists the groups of people on whom we must spend. Allah (swt) says it should be for parents, for near relatives, for orphans, for the Miskeen, and for the travelers. We covered the importance of spending on each of these categories of people in our tafsir of ayah 178 of this Surah. Please refer to that ayah if you would like to be reminded of why it is so important to spend on these groups of people. A question to ask ourselves here is that why does not Allah (swt) tell us to spend on dawah and jihad? If dawah and jihad are so important then why does Allah (swt) not mention them here? Why does Allah (swt) mention these categories of people first? Is not the mission of this Ummah to spread the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind? So should dawah and jihad have priority when it comes to spending for the way of Allah (swt)? We believe the answer to these questions is that it is most important to take care of those need in our own society first. Muslims care for all mankind but we should first make sure

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that our own family and our own community is taken care of before we try to help others. So first we should spend on our families, then we should spend on those who are most deprived and most in need in our own community. Once these people have been taken care of then we can spend our wealth on the effort of dawah and jihad in carrying this Message to mankind. As always, Allah (swt) Knows best! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says And whatever you do from good, surely Allah Knows it well. Here Allah (swt) once again reiterates that He (swt) Knows well even the smallest of good deeds that we do. So we must never belittle any good deed. Even if all the charity that we can give is to smile in the face of our brother, then that is what we must do. The Knowledge of Allah (swt) when it comes to our deeds is even beyond our comprehension. If we do even the smallest of good deeds, but we keep our intention for Allah (swt) in that deed then we can hope for Allah (swt). We can hope for a reward from Him (swt) for even the smallest of good deeds that we do. As long as your intention was pure, Allah (swt) will reward you for even the smallest of deeds that you did for Him (swt). So spend from everything that you have for your Creator. Do not only spend from your money but also spend from the moments of your life. Spend for your parents, spend for your family, spend for the poor, spend on all that is pleasing to your Lord. Realize that your Lord knows well all that you spend for Him (swt). Realize that this life is nothing but spending more and more of what you have for Him (swt). May Allah (swt) allow us to spend from all that is good like the early Muslims did! May Allah (swt) allow us to do as many good deeds as possible, small and big, to seek His (swt) Pleasure and may we do them realizing that He (swt) Knows about them well!

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217. Prescribed for you is fighting although it is disliked by you. But it may be that you hate a thing and it is good for you and that you like a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows while you do not know. We see in this ayah how Allah (swt) continues to prepare the Muslims for their role of carrying His (swt)s Message to mankind. In the previous ayah, Allah (swt) reminded the Muslims how it was necessary to spend from their wealth. They should spend on their family, and their relatives and those in need. Allah (swt) also reminded them how He (swt) Knows whatever they spend of good and He (swt) Knows every good action that they do. But this task of carrying the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind not only requires the sacrifice of wealth and resources but it also requires fighting and warfare. It is to this aspect of carrying the Message to mankind that Allah (swt) brings our attention to in this ayah. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying Prescribed for you is fighting. Now that the Islamic State had been established, Allah (swt) obligated fighting for the Muslim community. The fighting that Allah (swt) obligates has only two purposes. Either to defend the Muslims or to remove the obstacles that prevent the Message of Allah (swt) from reaching mankind. These are the only two reasons where it is permissible to fight. Our scholars also maintain that one of the preconditions for the obligation of fighting is the existence of the Islamic State and a Khalifah who rules over it. The Khalifah is the only one who can wage jihad and send the Muslim armies out for war. This was the way of the Prophet (saw) and the early companions. They never fought when the Islamic State was not present. Allah (swt) Knows best. So for us today jihad is an obligation but that obligation necessitates the presence of the Islamic State. So the first obligation is to establish the Islamic State with a Khalifah who rules over it following only the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of His (swt)s Messenger (saw). Where in

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the Muslim world today does such a State exist? If you were to study the political structure of the government of those countries today who claim to be Islamic States you will see that they do not even come close to what the Islamic State should be. All of them violate the very first principle of the Islamic State in that they give sovereignty to other than Allah (swt). This false god could be a king or a president or a parliament or a shura council. None of these are sanctioned in the governmental structure of the Islamic State, instead they are all systems of government that have been borrowed from the West. Thus what we find in the Muslim world are Western and kufr governments that have Islam sprinkled here and there so as to fool the ignorant masses. But in reality there is no Islamic State today. So jihad is still an obligation for the Muslims today, to save our brethren who are oppressed and whose home is occupied by the enemies of this Message, just as it is an obligation to bring down the governments that dare to rule by other than the Law of Allah (swt) and who prevent the Message of Allah (swt) from reaching their people. But to accomplish this obligation we first have to work to restore the Islamic State, and so that is the more pressing obligation. As always Allah (swt) Knows best. Allah (swt) then says although it is disliked by you. The vast majority of humans do not like fighting in battle. You have to leave the comfort and safety of your home, you have to part with your family whom you love, you often have to travel and make a journey to an unknown land. You also have to leave your business, your trade or whatever obligation that you may have at home. You also have to make great financial sacrifices. When the Islamic State was first formed, the Muslim soldiers paid for their own weapons, armor and mount. All of this is required only at the beginning, then when you are actually fighting you have to exert a great amount of effort when you are in combat with your enemy. You have to exert effort to gain strength to overpower your enemy just as you must exert effort to gain the courage to face your enemy and to stand your ground while you are in combat. You know that there is a very good possibility of becoming injured in battle, of feeling pain, or losing limbs, of being taken prisoner and being tortured, and even of death. The Muslim soldier who goes out into battle has to deal with all of these. So most humans, including you and me, do not like fighting. Allah (swt) acknowledges this fact in this ayah when He (swt) says about fighting that it is disliked by you.

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However in the next part of the ayah Allah (swt) says But it may be that you hate a thing and it is good for you and that you like a thing and it is bad for you. We as human beings always need to remind ourselves how limited our knowledge is. We only know about the world what we can sense, we do not know anymore beyond that. Take the example of a pen, just by looking at that pen can you tell whether it is a good object or an evil object? You cannot, you only know that it can be used for both good and evil, but you yourself cannot say whether that object is good or evil. All that you really know about that pen is its shape and color. The same can be said about anything that we sense in the universe. All that we can sense are the physical qualities of it. We cannot say if it is good or evil. So we as humans should not be the ones to judge and say what is good and what is evil. This is because we cannot sense or perceive the good of something just like we cannot sense or perceive the evil of a thing. All that we can sense are colors and shapes, noises and smells. So how do we know what is good and what is evil? We do not, rather only the Creator of good and evil Knows what is good and Knows what is evil. Good then is what Allah (swt) says is good and evil is what Allah (swt) says is evil. So we should submit ourselves to the fact that good is what Allah (swt) says is good and evil is what Allah (swt) says is evil. This realization is part of our submission to our Creator. Take fighting for example. You probably dont like fighting, not only for the reasons cited above but also you might think why should we kill other human beings. You do not like the idea of killing another human being. But now suppose that human killed your entire family. Supposing he brutally tortured your father or brother or son and he raped and ravaged your mother or sister or wife or daughter. Would you still be hesitant about killing him after you can see the great evil that he has done? Probably not. This shows how your hesitation to fight is only an emotion that you have. But emotions can change based on the circumstance and the person. So you do not have the right to say whether fighting and killing is good and bad. You cannot sense the good or bad in that action just like you could not sense the good or bad in the pen. Only Allah (swt), the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and the All-Knowing Knows what is good and bad. So what Allah (swt) tells us in the Quran and Sunnah as good is what is good and what Allah (swt) tells us in the Quran as bad is what is bad. You should also realize that the ones whom Allah (swt) is asking

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you to fight have done a far greater evil than what we described above. They are preventing the Message of Allah (swt) from reaching mankind. Can you even imagine a greater evil than that? You love Allah (swt) the most so you should consider any injustice that is done against Him (swt) to be even worse than any injustice that is done to your own family. These people have done injustice to Allah (swt) by preventing His (swt)s Message from reaching mankind and by preventing His (swt)s Law from being implemented in the land. In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says And Allah Knows while you do not know. This is only to remind us how limited our knowledge is. The problem is that we as humans have a disease of pride and arrogance. We know so little but we think we know a lot. We pass judgments and have opinions on issues about which we know nothing. When the Creator and Sustainer and the Lord and Master of the universe tells you that fighting is good for you, who are you then to come and say that is not good. How can you come and say that there is no fighting and no jihad in Islam when there are ayahs such as these in the Book of Allah (swt)? For you to say that is the height of arrogance and rebellion against Allah (swt) and we can only advice to have fear of Allah (swt). Remind yourself of the Fire and remind yourself how Allah (swt) will punish those whom He (swt) is displeased with. We seek refuge in Allah (swt) from Him (swt) ever being displeased with us. Allah (swt) tells us clearly in this ayah that our knowledge is nothing and that it is He (swt) Who has all the Knowledge. So we should humbly submit to whatever command Allah (swt) gives us whether it is to our liking or not. We must always remember that it is the human who must submit to the Divine and not the Divine to the human. Think about who you are and think about Who Allah (swt) IS and then you will realize who should be the servant and who should be the Master. Another lesson that we can take from this ayah that we should be satisfied with whatever situation Allah (swt) places us in life. We do not know what is good for us, so Allah (swt) may give us some difficulty or trial in this world or He (swt) may hold something back that we desire. If that happens then we should remember that there might be some good in that for us. We may not see that good or realize that good at that moment but Allah (swt) Knows that good and that is why He (swt) gave us that particular trial or difficulty. Thus we should be patient through all of the

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adversities that we face in life. We should remember what Allah (swt) has told us in this ayah and we should submit completely to Him (swt), If we are sincere to Allah (swt) then we must remember that there is good in everything that happens to us. Allah (swt) Knows better than us and we submit completely to Him (swt).

218. They ask you about the Sacred Month and fighting in it, Say Fighting in it is a great sin, but to block (people) from the Path of Allah and to do kufr to Him, and (to block people) from the Masjid Al-Haram, and to drive out its people from it is a greater sin with Allah, and Fitna is worse than killing. And they will not stop fighting against you until they turn you away from your Din. And whoever from you turns away from his Din and then he dies as a disbeliever, these are the ones whose works are ruined in this life and the Hereafter. These are the companions of the Fire and they will abide therein forever. In the previous ayah we saw how Allah (swt) obligated the Muslims to fight in His (swt)s way. They had to fight to remove the obstacles that were preventing the Message of Allah (swt) from reaching mankind. Allah (swt) told them that they had to fight even though they disliked fighting and Allah (swt) reminded them that He (swt) Knows and they do not know. So as we look back on the history of the Islamic State in these ayahs, we saw first how jihad had become permitted after it was once forbidden and now it had even become an obligation. When these

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ayahs were revealed, the armies of Allah (swt) marched forth against the enemies of this Message. Since the Islamic State had been established, fighting had been prescribed by Allah (swt) to remove the obstacles to this Message. Now when this ayah was revealed the worst of enemies for the Islamic State at that period was the powerful tribe of Quraysh. They were the Prophet (saw)s own tribe and they rejected him (saw) even when they were certain that he (saw) was the Messenger of Allah (swt). They were also the most powerful of tribes in the Arabian peninsula and they were also the tribe that benefited the most from the status quo. So they were the ones who were the most opposed to the Message of Allah (swt) because they knew that it would bring a complete revolution in their land. The Prophet (saw) himself also knew that the Quraysh were the States worst enemy and so he (saw) would send out raiding parties to attack their trading caravans. The Prophet (saw) wanted to damage their economic infrastructure so that they could be weakened and thus not pose a threat to the dawah. One of these raiding parties was lead by a Sahabi by the name of Abdullah bin Jash. Now it so happened that Abdullahs raiding party intercepted one of the trading caravans belonging to Quraysh. They attacked the caravan, killing one of its guards and taking the others as prisoners. They returned with the caravan and their prisoners back to Madinah. However what Abdullah and his companions had failed to realize was that the night on which they had attacked the caravan was a night of the Sacred Month of Rajab during which fighting and killing was prohibited. So by mistake the Muslims had initiated a conflict and spilt blood during a month in which fighting and killing was forbidden. These Muslims had accidentally violated the sanctity of the sacred month. Now the enemies of Islam, including the Quraysh and the Jews, used this opportunity to launch a propaganda campaign against the Muslims. They told everyone how the Prophet (saw) and the Muslims had violated the sanctity of the Sacred Months. They ignored the fact that this incident had happened by mistake and that it was only a few Muslims who had actually done it. The ignored the fact that the majority of the Muslims were not involved in this incident and they did not even support what had been done. They ignored the fact that the Prophet (saw) himself was displeased with the actions of Abdullah and that he (saw) refused to take the booty from the caravan that the Abdullahs raiding party had captured. The enemies of

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this Message did not care about all of this, they were only looking for an excuse to attack Islam. They only wanted to portray Islam in a negative light so that they can drive as many people away from it as they could. So they ignored everything else and they focused only on the fact that the Muslims had violated the sanctity of the sacred month by shedding blood in it. They kept pressing this point and they made sure the whole world heard it. This was a very difficult episode for all of the Muslims; they were the victims of a vicious propaganda campaign that turned all of the Arabs against them. Everyone was talking about how the Muslims had violated the sanctity of the sacred months. That was when Allah (swt) revealed this ayah. Allah (swt) says They ask you about the Sacred Month and fighting in it. Many Muslims were unsure what to do in the situation that they had found themselves in it. They did not know how to react to the propaganda and the lies that were coming from the enemies of Islam as a result of this incident. They wondered if what Abdullah bin Jash and his companions had done was as evil as how the enemies of this Message made it out to be. So they came to the Prophet (saw) and they addressed their concerns to him (saw). Then Allah (swt) revealed this ayah in response to their inquires. Allah (swt) commands the Prophet (saw) to Say Fighting in it is a great sin. First Allah (swt) acknowledges that fighting in the Sacred Month is a great sin. It was Allah (swt) Who had made the months sacred, and anyone who violates the Sacred Months violates what Allah (swt) had made sacred. So we see that Allah (swt) does not absolve Abdullah bin Jash and his companions completely. Allah (swt) shows them how what they had done was indeed a wrong action, and Allah (swt) lets them know that they should have been more careful and made sure that it was not the Sacred Month of Rajab before they initiated any fighting. However in the next part of the ayah Allah (swt) exposes the reality of the situation and He (swt) shows us how the evil ones really were. Allah (swt) says but to block (people) from the Path of Allah and to do kufr to Him, and (to block people) from the Masjid Al-Haram, and to drive out its people from it, is a greater sin with Allah, and Fitna is worse than killing. This was what the Quraysh chiefs had done. They had done all of this. So how dare they question the Muslims for committing an impious action when they had done the worst of actions?

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They had blocked people from the Path of Allah (swt) by preventing this Message from reaching the people. They had made all sorts of lies and fabrications about this Message so that the people thought that this Message was evil without realizing that it was from Allah (swt). They had also made kufr to Allah (swt). Recall how we said that this word means to cover. They had covered the Truth of this Message when they knew that it was the Truth. They had also done kufr by covering all of the favors and blessings that Allah (swt) had bestowed on them. They also blocked the Muslims from coming to the Masjid Al-Haram for Hajj and Umrah. How evil are a people who would block the true worshippers of Allah (swt) from even coming to the House of Allah (swt)? They had also driven the Prophet (saw) and the Muhajiroon out of Makkah. They also caused great Fitna by forcing many Muslims to abandon their Din through oppression, torture and persecution. This Fitna was far worse than killing because they were driving people away from Allah (swt), What could be a greater evil than turning people away from Allah (swt)? So even though Abdullah bin Jash and his companions had done wrong by fighting in the sacred months, the Quraysh had done much greater wrong and so they had no right whatsoever to criticize the Muslims in any way. Allah (swt) then says And they will not stop fighting against you until they turn you away from your Din. Here Allah (swt) exposes the true nature of the enemies of this Message. Not only have they turned away from this Message themselves, but they want to drive as many people as they can away from it as well. They know that this Message is a threat to their way of life. They have chosen to be a slave of their desires instead of being a slave of Allah (swt). They know that if this Message gains supremacy and the Law of Allah (swt) is established in the land, then they would no longer be able to live a life of serving their desires and exploiting the people. The Islamic State would establish a society in which all of their avenues to satisfy their lusts and desires have been closed off as well as one that establishes fairness and justice for all people. This is what they want to prevent at all costs because they want a society in which they can satisfy all of their lusts without any limits and they can exploit all of the people. They want a society in which they can sleep with their neighbors wife and they can take exuberant amounts of interest from the people. The only way of life that will outlaw these evil practices is this Din of

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Islam. The enemies of this Message know this reality about the Din of Allah (swt), so they will do everything they can to prevent it from gaining from supremacy. Furthermore they also know that the strength of Islam does not come from the military capabilities of its armies or the resources of its lands but rather the strength of Islam come from its people. So they will stop at nothing to turn Muslims away from their Din. We can see the same scenario playing out in the world today. The enemies of this Message recognize that Islam is the only threat remaining to their way of life. So they are trying every way possible to turn Muslims away from their Din. They are making all kinds of false propaganda about this Message. In addition to feeding this propaganda to the non-Muslims they also feed it to the Muslims through the mass media. They make Muslims think that their Din is one of barbarism and terror. They make Muslims think that their Din is outdated and not compatible with a modern society. A Din that allows slavery, oppresses women and exploits minorities. All of these are fabrications and distortions in order to fool the Muslims who have no knowledge about their Din. In addition to this, they oppress the Muslims and make their lives difficult; they make it hard for the Muslims to practice their Din correctly. How hard is it for a Muslim today to abide by all of the laws of Islam? The society in which he lives makes it very difficult for him to live the life that his Creator requires of him. In addition they attempt to create dissension and disorder among the Muslims by dividing them into various groups and sects. That is why you see the Muslims divided today not only into various nation-states but also into various sects and groups, each one claiming that they are the ones following the Quran and Sunnah. The enemies of Islam do all of this with the objective of making the Muslims leave their Din, and as Allah (swt) tells us in this ayah they will not give up in their efforts. They will not give up until they are able to turn the Muslims away from their Din. So do not expect any abatement in this storm of ideas and situations that are trying to take you away from your Din. They have a mission and they are going to keep trying so do not ever think that they will give up. So can you then even begin to imagine how important it is that we strive to hold on to our Din living in the world that we are living in today? We must try our best to hold on to our Din and we must beg Allah (swt) to keep us on the Straight Path of living our lives to seek His (swt)s Pleasure.

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What will be our fate if we should turn away from our Din? What will be our fate if we give in to the pressure that the enemies of this Message are placing on our community? Allah (swt) tells us in this ayah And whoever from you turns away from his Din and then he dies as a disbeliever, these are the ones whose works are ruined in this life and the Hereafter. If we leave our Din and choose kufr over Iman, may Allah (swt) save us from that, then this will be our situation. All of the good deeds that we ever did would be lost. The reward for every single Salah you made, for every Zakat and charity that you gave, for your Hajj and Umrah, every day of fasting, for your kind treatment of others and for your fulfilling your trusts and obligations, all of that would be lost. You would find yourself as a loser both in this life and in the Hereafter. May Allah (swt) save us from that! From this we can also see the importance of doing as many good deeds as possible in the effort to hold on to our Din. The more good deeds that you have done, the more reluctant you would be to leave the folds of Islam because you do not want to miss the reward for all that you have done. This is why it is important especially in todays day and age to try and do as many good deeds as possible. Perhaps this is all that will save us from the armies of kufr and their plots. May Allah (swt) enable us to do as many actions as possible that are pleasing to Him (swt) before our death comes! Those who turn away from the Din after having been guided to it would be denied the Mercy of Allah (swt) in the Hereafter. There is only one situation possible for a people who have been denied the Mercy of Allah (swt) in the Hereafter, Allah (swt) says, These are the companions of the Fire and they will abide therein forever. May Allah (swt) save us from this! You cannot not even begin to imagine the pain and misery that you would feel if you would have the Fire as your companion. May Allah (swt) save us from the torment of the Fire! Once you have left the folds of Islam the only way to save yourself is to come back into the Din once again. The scholars say that if you should come back to Islam after becoming apostate, then you would regain the reward of all your actions which you had lost when you had become apostate. But such is a reality that none of us want to face. How would any of us know if we would ever come back to this Din after having left it? That is why we have to strive and struggle to hold on to our

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Din when we have it. We have to do all that we can to protect ourselves from the plots and machinations of our enemies. May Allah (swt) enable us to hold on to our Din through all of the trials that the enemies of this Message put us through! May Allah (swt) always remind us that nothing else matters in this life except worshipping and serving Him (swt)!

218. Surely the ones who believe, and the ones who emigrate, and the ones who strive hard in the Path of Allah, these hope for Allahs Mercy, and Allah is Forgiving Merciful. In the previous ayah Allah (swt) showed us who the evil party truly was in the episode where Abdullah bin Jash (ra) and the Muslim raiding party had attacked the Quraysh caravan. It was the Quraysh who were to blame for rejecting Allah (swt)s Message when they knew that it was the Truth, for blocking the Message from reaching the people, for driving the Muslims away from their home and from barring access to the Masjid Al-Haram. If they had accepted this Message when it first came to them, then this whole conflict would not even have started. They are the ones who had rejected this Message when they were certain that it was the Truth. So they are the ones who had started this conflict. We also mentioned how the Prophet (saw) himself was reluctant to take the booty that Abdullah and his raiding party had captured. But then we saw how Allah (swt) revealed the previous ayah and showed the Prophet (saw) and the Muslims who the evil ones were and who were truly deserving of blame. Allah (swt) clearly showed us that it was the Quraysh who were really to blame and not the Muslims. Once Allah (swt) revealed that ayah, the Prophet (saw) then took the booty that Abdullah bin Jash and his party had captured. Now that Allah (swt) had showed us that it was the Quraysh who were to blame, He (swt) now brings our attention to who are the good people are.

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In this ayah, Allah (swt) says Surely the ones who believe, and the ones who emigrate, and the ones who strive hard in the Path of Allah, these hope for Allahs Mercy. This describes Abdullah bin Jash (ra) and the Muslims with him (ra). They are the ones who had believed in the Message that Allah (swt) had sent, they are the ones who had left their home in Makkah seeking the Pleasure of Allah (swt), and they are the ones who had strove hard in the Path of Allah (swt). They did all of this hoping for the Mercy of Allah (swt). In this ayah, Allah (swt) acknowledges their sacrifices and their efforts. Allah (swt) also shows us how they are the good people and not the evil people that the propaganda of the enemies of this Message had made them out to be. They are the ones whom Allah (swt) is pleased with so what else should matter after that? In this ayah Allah (swt) tells us why He (swt) is so pleased with them. Mawdudi tells us in his tafsir of this ayah how the word that Allah (swt) uses here for striving includes fighting but it is far more comprehensive that that. It is any kind of struggle or effort that is made to seek the Pleasure of Allah (swt). So anyone who struggles with his tounge, or his pen or his sword to establish the Law of Allah (swt) in the land and to remove the obstacles to the Message of Allah (swt) is a Mujahid, the one who strives in the Path of Allah (swt). Such slaves are the ones who hope for the Mercy of Allah (swt). The Mercy of Allah (swt) is our only hope both in this life and in the Hereafter. The Mercy of Allah (swt) is peace and tranquility in the life of this world and salvation in the Hereafter. So we must never lose hope in the Mercy of Allah (swt), rather we must always strive to attain it like the early Muslims did. May Allah (swt) give us the ability to do that! Notice also how Allah (swt) says that it is the ones who strive for Him (swt) who can hope to attain His (swt)s Mercy. How can you hope to attain the Mercy of Allah (swt) if you do not make any effort? Only if you strive for Him (swt), only if you try, will He (swt) be pleased with you. Only if He (swt) is pleased with you will He (swt) show you mercy. So we see from this ayah how foolish are those who persist in sin and still hope for the mercy of Allah (swt). The ones who do not make any effort and still hope for the mercy of Allah (swt). How can such people hope to receive mercy? Rather Allah (swt) clearly tells us here the criterion that must be met in order to receive this mercy.

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Then Allah (swt) says and Allah is Forgiving Merciful. Allah (swt) tells Abdullah bin Jash and the Muslims that He (swt) is Forgiving and Merciful. He (swt) will Forgive them the mistake that they made when they attacked the Quraysh trading caravan in Rajab, and He (swt) will grant them His (swt)s Mercy in this life and the next. The Mercy of Allah (swt) in this life is the peace and tranquility that comes from knowing Allah (swt). What sorrow and difficulty can trouble any believer when he has certainty in Allah (swt)? They Mercy of Allah (swt) in the Hereafter is happiness and bliss that we cannot even begin to describe with our limited words and intellect. May Allah (swt) make us among those who experience this Mercy! May Allah (swt) forgive us all of our sins and our shortcomings! May Allah (swt) accept our striving in His (swt)s Path!

219. They ask you about intoxicants and gambling, Say In them is great sin and some benefit for mankind but the sin of them is far greater than their benefit. And they ask you what they can spend, say what is in surplus. That is how Allah makes clear to you the Signs so that you may reflect. In this ayah Allah (swt) continues to prepare the Muslim community for carrying His (swt)s Message to mankind. Just as Allah (swt) tells them what are the obligations that they must perform, Allah (swt) also tells them what are the evils and harms that they must avoid. Sayyid Qutb tells us in his tafsir of this ayah that among the favorite pastimes of the Arabs at the time of the Prophet (saw) was drinking and gambling. That was how they spent free their time. Their days and nights were consumed drinking wine and playing games. At the time when this ayah was revealed, Allah (swt) had not yet made drinking intoxicants and gambling unlawful so there were still some Muslims who indulged in them. Now some of the extremely pious Muslims like

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Umar (ra) and Muadh ibn Jabal (ra) realized how evil wine and gambling were. They saw how such evils consumed the free time of the Muslims, how they caused Muslims to become intoxicated thus dulling and distorting their minds, how they made Muslims lose their wealth in pursuit of these trivialities. They realized how a nation that was given this most important of tasks in carrying the Message of the Creator and Sustainer of the universe had no time to waste on these trivialities. So these pious Muslims came to the Prophet (saw) and told him (saw) how they noticed this evil in wine and gambling and how they were consuming the time and the wealth of the Muslims. They asked the Prophet (saw) what was the ruling of Allah (swt) on these. They were hoping that Allah (swt) would expose the evil of wine and gambling to the Muslim community. In this ayah, Allah (swt) responds to their inquiry. Allah (swt) commands the Prophet (saw) to say in response to their inquires Say In them is great sin and some benefit for mankind but the sin of them is far greater than their benefit . Allah (swt) tells the Muslims in this ayah that while there is some benefit in wine and gambling, the sin in them was far greater than their benefit. This is not the ayah where Allah (swt) had made wine and gambling unlawful, but we can see that Allah (swt) is preparing the Muslims for their prohibition. That prohibition is to come later on in Surah Maidah. But in this ayah, Allah (swt) makes the Muslims realize how the evil in wine and gambling is far greater than their benefit. The benefit in wine comes the profit that can be made from their sale because many Arabs would buy wine for cheap prices in As-Sham and sell them for a higher price in Arabia. Wine also helps in releasing tension and loosening inhibitions. The benefit in gambling is that it can be said that it allows you to obtain something without much hard work. There is also a certain thrill and enjoyment that comes from playing games of chance. So there is some benefit in them that Allah (swt) acknowledges. But Allah (swt) also tells us that the evil in drinking wine and gambling is far greater than whatever little benefit there may be in them. Drinking inhibits the mind, while the mind is how we can remember Allah (swt) and the mind is what controls us from the actions that are displeasing to Allah (swt). So then how evil is a drink that dulls our mind when our mind is the key to our Rabb? Al-Qurtubi tells us in his tafsir of this ayah how even the root word for the word wine comes from a word that means to cover. It covers the mind and

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prevents one from remembering Allah (swt). So why would you ever approach such a drink? Similarly the evil of gambling is that it prevents you from going out in the world and seeking the sustenance of Allah (swt). When you go out in the world, toiling and laboring hard in order to gain your sustenance, this also is part of your worship and servitude to Allah (swt). Muslims who hope to make fast money by gambling miss out on the great reward that they can get by seeking the sustenance from Allah (swt) in a lawful manner. It is only laziness that comes from Shaitan that prevents you from wanting to work. Shaitan knows that it is in good actions where the salvation of the son of Adam lies, so he tries to prevent the son of Adam from working by making him lazy. May Allah (swt) save us from him! Another evil of gambling is that it is time consuming. The Muslims time in the life of this world is limited. He has to accumulate as many good deeds as he can before he returns to his Lord. He has to work to establish the Law of Allah (swt) in the land and to carry the Message of Allah (swt) to the people. So where then does this leave him time for such frivolities like gambling? Another evil in both drinking and gambling is that they are both terribly addictive. Anything that is addictive turns your mind away from Allah (swt) and towards it. You only think about your next drink of wine or how you are due for a lucky streak in the next game that you play. These thoughts distract you from Allah (swt) when you were created to remember Him (swt) and to serve Him (swt). May Allah (swt) make us realize how evil both intoxicants and gambling are, and may Allah (swt) turn us and our families away from them! In the second part of the ayah Allah (swt) says And they ask you what they can spend, say what is in surplus . In this part of the ayah, Allah (swt) brings our attention to another question that many of the Muslims had. We saw in ayah 216 how Allah (swt) told the Muslims to spend on parents, close relatives, the orphans, the needy and the travelers. So Muslims knew who to spend on, but they did not how much to spend. So in this ayah, Allah (swt) tells them how much they should give in charity. Allah (swt) tells the Muslims that after they have spent on what they are and their families need, after they have discharged their responsibilities on them for whom it is an obligation to spend on, then whatever is remaining in surplus is what should be spent in charity. So our first responsibility is to take care of our families and ourselves. Once we have discharged our responsibility to our families and those whom we are obligated to

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spend on, then we can give to those people whom Allah (swt) mentioned in ayah 216 from what is left over from our wealth. An exception to this rule is spending on parents, if our parents are in need then they are among those whom are obligated to spend on. We should not only spend on them from what is in surplus of our wealth but rather we should take care of them as we would take care of our own wife and children. This is the level of obligation that Allah (swt) has placed on taking care of our parents. We have an obligation to spend on them if they are in need and we can even spend on them in charity if they are not in need. So in this part of the ayah we can see that Allah (swt) tells the Muslims that the wealth that must be spent in charity is the wealth that is in surplus. Whatever wealth is left over when they have fulfilled all of their duties and obligations. Allah (swt) Knows best. In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says That is how Allah makes clear to you the Signs so that you may reflect. The Signs that Allah (swt) speaks of here are the ayahs of the Quran. The ayahs of the Quran are the communications of Allah (swt) to mankind, in these ayahs Allah (swt) tells us what He (swt) is pleased with and what He (swt) is displeased with. Our purpose in life is to worship and serve Allah (swt) and in these ayahs Allah (swt) tells us how to fulfill that purpose. In this part of the ayah, Allah (swt) reminds us how not only has He (swt) given us the ayahs of the Quran so that we may be shown how to fulfill the purpose of our existence but He (swt) has also made these ayahs clear so that we may reflect upon them and so that we may understand them. Although there is reward for simply reading the Quran, we have to remember that Allah (swt) did not reveal the Quran simply to be read. Rather He (swt) revealed the Quran so that mankind may know the purpose of their existence. So it is a Book that was revealed to be understood. Allah (swt) made the Quran clear for us so that we may reflect on it and so that we may understand it and implement it in our lives. For example from this ayah we can clearly see how wine and gambling are displeasing to Allah (swt), but to give in charity after we have fulfilled the financial obligations to our families is pleasing to Allah (swt). Thus in order to please our Creator we have to strive to stay away from all forms of intoxicants and gambling, and we have to rush to spend our wealth in charity after we have fulfilled all of our responsibilities to our families. This is how Allah (swt) makes clear His (swt)s communications so that we may understand.

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221. In this world and the Hereafter. And they ask you about the orphans. Say To work righteousness towards them is best. And if you mix your affairs with theirs then they are your brethren. And Allah Knows the mischief-maker from the righteous. And if Allah willed, He could have put you in difficulty. Surely Allah is All-Powerful All-Wise. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying In this world and the Hereafter. Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims of the existence of both of these worlds. Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims that their worship and servitude of Him (swt) affects them in both this world and the Hereafter. It is wrong for them to focus all of their attention on this world just as it is wrong for them to look completely at the Hereafter and forget this world. Both this world and the Hereafter have an important role to play in the life of a Muslim as he or she strives to fulfill the purpose of existence. In order to worship and serve Allah (swt) correctly this world is important because it is the place of testing. The life of this world is the realm that Allah (swt) has chosen to test us in. So every moment that we spend in the life of this world is important because it is an opportunity for us to do even better in the test that Allah (swt) has given us. Similarly the Hereafter is important because it is where we will be rewarded or punished based on how well we did our test. So as Muslims it is important that we realize both the importance of this world and the Hereafter. Then Allah (swt) says And they ask you about the orphans. Before Allah (swt) sent the Prophet (saw), orphans were treated very badly in the society of the Arabs. These young and innocent children were often exploited and oppressed by those who were supposed to be their guardians and their caretakers. The ones who were charged to take care of orphans would steal their wealth and treat them unjustly. Then Allah (swt) revealed ayahs of the Quran promising a grave punishment for those who mistreated orphans. When Muslims heard these ayahs they became terrified of ever mistreating any of the orphans that were under their care. They did not in

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any way want to misappropriate any of the wealth of the orphans who were under their care. Their terror of Allah (swt)s punishment reached such a level that they did not even want to mix their own food with that of the orphans who were under their care. So they would give the orphans food on a separate plate and they would never even touch this food. This was the amount of fear that they had for doing any kind of injustice to an orphan, they did not even want to take one morsel of food that belonged to the orphan. Now look at the behavior of the people before the Quran and after the Quran. Before the Quran they would abuse the orphans and take all of their property, and after the Quran these same people took such special care of the orphans that they even gave them separate meals. This is how the Book of Allah (swt) can transform a people. Why then do you not look to it and reflect on it so that it can transform you? Now such a situation with the orphans became very difficult for many of the early Muslims who were taking care of these young children. After all, the orphan was still a child that was living in their house. But the fear that the Muslims had of ever stealing anything that belonged to the orphans drove them to the point that they treated the orphans as if they were aliens or strangers. There was a total separation between their family and that of the young orphan. You can imagine how such a situation would be difficult on both the orphans and their Muslim guardians. That was when Allah (swt) revealed this ayah to alleviate the suffering and difficulties of the Muslims. Allah (swt) begins to address the situations of the orphans by commanding the Prophet (saw) to Say To work righteousness towards them is best. Allah (swt) tells the Muslims that the best thing for them to do is to work righteousness towards the orphans, to treat them justly and kindly. This means that the Muslims should not steal the wealth of the orphans like was done in the days of ignorance, but at the same time they should not make the orphan child feel like a stranger in their home. Rather their attitude and their behavior towards the orphans has to be one of righteousness where they always look out for the best interests of the orphans. They have to be just and fair with the orphans, and at the same time they have to be kind and compassionate. They have to do whatever it is that will make the orphan happy. They have to behave towards the orphans in a just and fair manner and in a way where Allah (swt) would be pleased with them.

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Then Allah (swt) says And if you mix your affairs with theirs then they are your brethren. Here Allah (swt) tells the Muslims that if the mix their food with that of the orphans or even if they combine their wealth with that of the orphans, then there is no blame on them because the orphans are also Muslims and so they are all brothers in Islam. So as long as the Muslims do not steal from the orphans or take what is theirs unjustly, then there is no blame on them if they mix their food, property and wealth with that of the orphans. This is because they are all brothers in Islam. Then Allah (swt) says And Allah Knows the mischief-maker from the righteous. In the previous part of the ayah, Allah (swt) gave the Muslims the permission to mix their wealth and their food with that of the orphans. But here Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims that they still need to be righteous and not take anything that belongs to the orphans unjustly. Even though they were now given permission to mix their food and their wealth with that of the orphans, they still need to be careful not to steal any of that food or wealth in any way. Allah (swt) Knows those who are righteous and those who are mischief-makers. If they try to make mischief by stealing what really belongs to the child, then they should that remember Allah (swt) Knows what they do. They should know that they will be answerable before Allah (swt) on the Last Day. Then Allah (swt) says And if Allah willed, He could have put you in difficulty. Here Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims that if He (swt) wanted, He (swt) did not have to legislate this law. He (swt) could have left the situation as it was before, where the Muslims were terrified to even mix their food with that of the orphans. It was only from the Mercy of Allah (swt) that He (swt) legislated this law that allows the Muslims to mix their affairs with that of the orphans who are under their care. The Muslims must then remember the Grace and Mercy of Allah (swt) when He (swt) gave them this allowance, and they must be careful not to take advantage by unfairly taking of the wealth that belongs to the orphans. The Muslims must always remember that if Allah (swt) wanted, He (swt) could have made matters far more difficult for them. They must then show gratitude for their Lord for this by abiding His (swt)s Law. It would be the height of injustice and rebellion if the Muslims were then to take advantage of this allowance by using this opportunity to take from the wealth of the orphans.

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In the final part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says Surely Allah is All-Powerful All-Wise. Allah (swt) is All Powerful in that He (swt) can legislate any law that He (swt) wants and there is no one who can have any say in the laws that Allah (swt) legislates. Allah (swt) is also All Wise in that the laws that He (swt) legislates is what is best for the community. Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims that these laws that He (swt) has given them concerning the orphans and their treatment are from Him (swt). There is no one who can overturn these laws because Allah (swt) is the Most Powerful and there is no one to overpower Him (swt) and overturn His (swt)s Law. There is also no one who can bring any law for the orphans better than these because Allah (swt) is also the All-Wise. The Muslims then have no choice but to submit and implement the laws of Allah (swt) as He (swt) has given it to them. These laws come from the One Who is the All-Powerful and the All-Wise, who then can question laws that come from such a Source? May Allah (swt) make us as a Muslim community realize the One from whom our Shariah has come from, and may that realization make us strive to not implement any other law in our lives other than His (swt)!

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222. Do not marry the Mushrik women until they believe. A believing slave woman is better for you than a Mushrik woman even though she may please you. And do not give (your women) in marriage to the Mushriks until they believe. A believing slave is better for you than a Mushrik although he may please you. These call to the Fire while Allah calls to the Garden and Forgiveness by His permission, and He makes clear His Signs for mankind so that they may remember. In this ayah we see that Allah (swt) continues to build the foundations of the Muslim nation that will carry His (swt)s Message to mankind. In this ayah, Allah (swt) brings our attention to the foundation of the Muslim society and that is the Muslim family. Allah (swt) begins by bringing our attention to the foundation upon which the Muslim family is built and that is marriage. Since marriage is the foundation of the family and the family is the foundation of the society, we can see how important a proper Islamic marriage is for the Muslim community. In this ayah, Allah (swt) shows us how marriage must be built on a foundation of belief and submission to Him (swt). Allah (swt) begins by saying Do not marry the Mushrik women until they believe. Allah (swt) commands the believers not to marry the women who make Shirk with Allah (swt) until they believe in the Oneness of Allah (swt). What could be a greater crime than to associate partners with Allah (swt)? What could be a greater evil than to think that you have another god, lord or master besides Allah (swt)? How then could any Muslim love such a person? When you live for Allah (swt) how could you then love a person who does not live for Allah (swt) like you do? Any marriage where both partners do not believe in the Oneness of Allah (swt) and do not submit completely to Allah (swt) will not earn the Pleasure of Allah (swt), furthermore it will not be conducive to building a strong Islamic society. So Allah (swt) commands the Muslims not to marry

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women who associate others with Allah (swt). Allah (swt) commands the Muslims to build their marriages and their families on the worship and servitude of Him (swt). Allah (swt) then says A believing slave woman is better for you than a Mushrik woman even though she may please you. Here Allah (swt) shows us the value of Iman. Marriage to slaves was harshly looked down upon by the people during the time of the Prophet (saw). It was a social taboo that no one practiced. To marry a slave was to put yourself at the level of a slave and thus everyone avoided it. Now Allah (swt) shows the Muslim community the value of Iman by letting them know that a slave woman who has Iman in the Oneness of Allah (swt) is better than a free woman who associates partners to Allah (swt). When Allah (swt) says this to a people who used to look down upon slaves and who would never consider marriage to slaves, they can realize how important Iman is and how repulsive it must be for them to marry Mushrik women. Allah (swt) tells the Muslims that if they are looking for a marriage partner it is better for them to choose a slave woman that has Iman in the Oneness of Allah (swt). A slave woman with Iman is better than a free woman who believes in another god besides Allah (swt) or obeys another lord besides Allah (swt). This shows how it is Iman that matters in the Sight of Allah (swt) and not social status or wealth. Then Allah (swt) says And do not give (your women) in marriage to the Mushriks until they believe. A believing slave is better for you than a Mushrik although he may please you. Here we see that Allah (swt) commands the Muslims not to give their daughters and the women who are under their care to men who associate partners with Allah (swt). Allah (swt) tells them that it is better for them to give their daughters to a believing slave than a man who believes in another god besides Allah (swt) or who obeys another master besides Allah (swt). Notice also for both of these cases how Allah (swt) says that the Muslims must leave the Mushriks even if the Mushriks are pleasing to them. Allah (swt) acknowledges that the Mushrik women and the Mushrik men are appealing. There may be many a Musrhrik woman who a Muslim sees to be very attractive and there may be many a Musrhrik man who a Muslim father sees as wealthy and powerful and so he would love to give his daughter to him. This is how you will see the Mushriks. But this pleasure and this temptation that you see from them is only from

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Shaitan. Shaitan wants you to be disobedient to Allah (swt), so he will make the Mushrik very pleasing to you. He will make you admire them for their beauty, or their wealth or their social status. He will tell you that you need them and he will remind you of all the pleasures and joys that you can get if you should marry them. This is all part of his deception. When he comes to you and says such things to you, remember what Allah (swt) tells you in the next part of this ayah. Then Allah (swt) says These call to the Fire while Allah calls to the Garden and to Forgiveness by His permission. What does a Mushrik man or woman call to except the Fire? They do not believe in the Oneness of Allah (swt). They dedicate their lives to other than the worship and servitude of Allah (swt). Will it not then be the case that they will call their marriage partner to the kind of life that they live? A life of heedlessness to Allah (swt). A life of disobedience and sin to the Law of Allah (swt). They will take you away from Allah (swt) consciously or unconsciously. They may deliberately try to turn you from your Din by trying to convince you that Allah (swt) should not be all that important in your life. Even if they do not do it deliberately they still might take you away from Allah (swt) just by being someone who is your spouse but who is not from your Din. When you live with them and you spend your time with them, you will talk with them about what is on their minds not realizing that this is speech that does not earn the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and you will do the activities that are pleasing to them not realizing that these are actions that do not earn the Pleasure of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) created you so that you will strive to seek His (swt)s Pleasure by worshipping Him (swt) and serving Him (swt). Allah (swt) blessed you by giving you this Din of Islam so that you will know how to correctly worship Him (swt), so that you will know the purpose of your existence. How then will your Rabb like it when you choose a marriage partner that takes you away from this purpose? Just by being who they are, a Mushrik, they are calling you to the displeasure of Allah (swt) and the displeasure of Allah (swt) is the Fire. May Allah (swt) save us from the Fire! Allah (swt) on the other hand calls to the Garden and to His (swt)s Forgiveness by His (swt)s permission. Is this not much better than what they call you to? Yes it is true that the beauty of the Mushrik woman, as well as her wealth and her social status may be pleasing to you, but these are fleeting enjoyments of the life of this world. Her beauty will eventually fade with the

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passage of time, and she could even more easily lose her wealth and her social status in a matter of moments. Is it then worth it to give up the Garden and to give up the Forgiveness of Allah (swt) for the ephemeral pleasures of the life of this world? The Garden is pure bliss and it is forever, and the Forgiveness of Allah (swt) is worth even more than that. For Allah (swt) to forgive us for all of the sins that we have done and to forgive us for all of our shortcomings in our worship and servitude of Him (swt) and for Him (swt) to accept us as a creation of His (swt) that He (swt) is pleased with. How wonderful would that be? Is even the most beautiful, and the wealthiest and the most high standing of Mushrik women worth sacrificing that for? This part of the ayah is also further evidence that Allah (swt) uses metaphors in the Quran. Notice that Allah (swt) says here that He (swt) calls to the Garden and to His (swt)s Forgiveness. But can anyone of us literally hear Allah (swt) calling us? Of course not, but rather this is a metaphor to mean that Allah (swt) calls us through His (swt)s prophets and messengers. It could also mean that Allah (swt) calls us through His (swt)s Book. We understand the meaning but we can also see that the literal meaning is not what is meant here, but rather it is an example of the many ayahs in Quran where Allah (swt) uses metaphors. So we see once again how those who say that we must only take the literal meaning from every ayah are wrong. The Prophet (saw) said that a woman can be married for her beauty, for her wealth, for her social status or for her Din and then he (saw) told us to marry our wife for her Din. So not only must we choose a believing wife as Allah (swt) has commanded us to in this ayah, but we must try to choose a spouse whose Din is strong. When you realize that the very purpose of your life is the worship and servitude of Allah (swt), you will see why the Prophet (saw) told you to do this. What man does not desire a beautiful wife or a wealthy wife or a wife of high standing? The same is true for sisters when they seek their husbands. There is nothing wrong in seeking these from our spouses. But the Din of our spouses must be given priority over all of these. If any perspective spouse does not have Din, then none of these should matter. This is because we exist to worship and serve Allah (swt), and unless the Din of our spouse is strong we will never be fulfill the purpose of our existence. As Sayyid Qutb said in his tafsir of this ayah, there is no bond between any human beings that is stronger than the bond of marriage. Your spouse is your

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partner in life so make sure that you choose a partner that will help you to fulfill the purpose of your life rather than hinder you from it. May Allah (swt) give us and give all the sincere Muslims spouses that will help them to fulfill their purpose of worshipping and serving Him (swt)! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says and He makes clear His Signs for mankind that they may remember. Allah (swt) makes His (swt)s Signs clear for mankind so that they may remember the purpose of their existence. Allah (swt) created mankind to worship and serve Him (swt) and Allah (swt) sent the Quran to mankind so that they may know how to accomplish this purpose of their existence. In the ayahs of the Quran, Allah (swt) made clear how He (swt) is to be worshipped and served. From this ayah, we can see that even the choice of our spouse is part of our worship and servitude to Allah (swt). By choosing a believing spouse whose Din is strong we are serving our Rabb but by following our lusts and our greed and choosing other than that we are turning away from serving our Rabb. So always remember why you were created, and always make the choices that will enable you to fulfill the purpose of your creation. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to do that! May Allah (swt) give us spouses that He (swt) is pleased with! Also notice in this ayah that although the command not to marry Mushriks is clearly intended for Muslims, Allah (swt) ends the ayah by telling us how He (swt) has made His (swt)s signs clear for mankind. This shows us that this command is also directed towards mankind as well. Allah (swt) desires for all mankind to become Muslim and then to implement this command. This is why in this ayah He (swt) says that His (swt)s signs have been made clear for mankind. All of mankind are addressed in the ayahs of the Quran and all of mankind are being called upon to respond to them. But can most of mankind today hear this call? Who then can be blamed for that?

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223. And they ask you about menstruation. Say, It is a impurity, so keep away from women during menstruation, and do not come near them until they are purified. So when they are purified, then come to them as Allah has commanded you. Surely Allah loves those who make Tawbah and those who purify themselves. In the previous ayah we saw how Allah (swt) commanded the Muslims that the spouse that they choose must be one with Iman. Allah (swt) told them to keep away from those men and women who associate partners with Allah (swt), even if they may be pleasing to the Muslims by their beauty or their wealth or their status. Thus we saw how the foundation of the Muslim family must be based on belief and submission to Allah (swt). We saw how the very purpose of these two people coming together to form this union must be done as an act of worship and servitude to Allah (swt). Now once a couple comes together we all know what they do in order for Allah (swt) to give them children. Here Allah (swt) brings the attention of the Muslims to an issue that was very controversial at the time of the Prophet (saw) in regards to this private action between a man and wife. Allah (swt) says And they ask you about menstruation. Some Muslims came to the Prophet (saw) and asked him (saw) about the ruling of Allah (swt) on menstruation. From this fact alone we can see the attitude that the early Muslims had towards their Din. They did not see their Din as only their prayers and their fasting, but they saw their Din as a complete way of life. A way of life that addressed every aspect of their life, even this most private aspect. They realized that every moment of their life was part of their test. They knew that even their time with their wives in the night was part of their worship and servitude of Allah (swt). So they came and asked the Prophet (saw) what is the correct action that they should do with their wives when their wives are menstruating. They wanted to know what Allah (swt) wanted them to do.

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In response to this inquiry, Allah (swt) commands the Prophet (saw) to say It is a impurity, so keep away from women during menstruation. Women who are going through their monthly courses are impure just like men are after they have had an ejaculation. During this time of impurity, there are certain actions that women cannot do. They cannot pray, fast, touch or recite the Quran or enter a masjid or place of prayer. Similarly as Allah (swt) tells us in this ayah, their husbands cannot have sexual relations with them during this time. This does not mean that your wives must be avoided completely when they are going through monthly courses, rather it only means that you cannot have sexual intercourse with them during this time. You can still talk to them, eat with them, play with them, and the scholars even say that you can enjoy them from the part of their body that is above their navel. The only rule is that you must keep away from their private parts during this time. So what Allah (swt) means by keep away from women is that you cannot have sexual intercourse with them during menstruation. Recall how Allah (swt) called our Ummah a middle nation. We can see with the ruling that Allah (swt) has given us regarding menstruation how He (swt) has given us the middle path, the correct path in between the two extremes that other cultures and religions follow. There are some religions and cultures that avoid women completely when they are menstruating. They treat women as if they are carrying some kind of plague. They do not sit with them, they do not talk with them, they do not eat with them, and they do not even stay in the same room with them. Other cultures do everything with women when they are menstruating, even having intercourse with them from where the blood is coming. So the ruling that Allah (swt) has given us here is the middle way and the correct way between these two extremes. Then Allah (swt) says and do not come near them until they are purified. As we said, menstruation is a state of impurity. Here Allah (swt) emphasizes the fact that Muslims must not approach their wives for intercourse until they have been cleansed of this impurity. The scholars say that a woman purifies herself by making the ghusul or the full bath after her courses have ended. The fact that Allah (swt) repeats the command not to come near our wives when they are menstruating in this part of the ayah shows us what a terrible sin it is to have sexual intercourse with ones wife while she is menstruating. It is an action that is most displeasing to

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Allah (swt) and we must avoid it all costs no matter how much our desires may prompt us to come near them. May Allah (swt) give us Sabr! Then Allah (swt) says, So when they are purified, then come to them as Allah has commanded you. Once their wives stop bleeding and when they have made ghusul, then Muslims may approach their wives for sexual intercourse as they would usually do. In his tafsir of this ayah, Mawdudi says that the command of Allah (swt) in this ayah refers to the desire that we all have for our wives. This desire is a command that Allah (swt) has placed in all of us. We go to our wives to fulfill this command that Allah (swt) has placed in us. So we can see from this part of the ayah that Allah (swt) is telling us that after our wives have purified themselves, we may approach them with desire as we would normally do. Allah (swt) Knows best! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says Surely Allah loves those who make Tawbah and those who purify themselves. Allah (swt) loves those who make Tawbah and He (swt) loves those who purify themselves. When we are alone with our wives in the privacy of our homes we are especially vulnerable to Shaitan. He may come to us and make us do actions with our wives that are displeasing to Allah (swt). These actions may include approaching our wives for intercourse while they are menstruating or it could mean keeping away from our wives completely where we do not even speak to them. As we mentioned, both of these extremes are forbidden by Allah (swt). We have an obligation to be good with our wives and keep their company just as we have an obligation to stay away from their private parts while they are menstruating. But Allah (swt) reminds us in this part of the ayah that if we should slip and transgress the Law of Allah (swt) in regards to our wives while they are menstruating, then we should rush to make Tawbah to Him (swt). We should rush to make repentance to Allah (swt) because Allah (swt) loves those who repent to Him (swt). When we break the Law of Allah (swt) we should not tell ourselves that we are safe since no one saw what we were doing. We should know that Allah (swt) Knows what we did, and if we do not repent to Him (swt) then He (swt) may take us to task for it. We know how frightening a prospect it is to be in the Wrath of Allah (swt). So if we have ever broken the Law of Allah (swt) when we are alone with our wives, then we should rush to make Tawbah to Allah (swt).

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Allah (swt) also tells us in this ayah how He (swt) loves those who purify themselves. This is an encouragement for the sisters to rush to make the ghusul once their monthly courses have ended. Their ghusul is a purification for them, and Allah (swt) loves those who purify themselves. Allah (swt) gave them pure water with which they can clean their bodies and return to a state of purity. A state in which they can make their prayers, fast, enter the masajid as well as recite and touch the Book of Allah (swt). Through the ghusul, they can also come to a state in which their husbands can come to them for intercourse and through that they can both fulfill the purpose of their marriage; to raise a family of children who are worshipping and submitting to Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) allow all of us to implement His (swt)s ruling concerning menstruation! May Allah (swt) allow us to rush to make Tawbah to Him (swt) when we transgress His (swt)s Law! May Allah (swt) allow us to purify ourselves for Him (swt)! We can also note in this ayah how Allah (swt) says that He (swt) loves those who purify themselves. The ones who purify themselves have the Love of Allah (swt), what could be better than that? If we want the Love of Allah (swt) then we also must rush to purify ourselves as well. Imam Ghazzali (ra) said that there are four levels to purification. The first is that we must purify our bodies and our clothes of all filth. The second is that we purify our limbs of all sins. The third is that we purify our hearts of all diseases. The fourth is that we purify our lives of all that is not Allah (swt). When we reach this highest level of purification then we live only for Allah (swt). Everything that we do is only to earn the Pleasure of our Lord and Master. We exist only to please Him (swt). So Insha Allah we should always be in the habit of purifying ourselves. This life is nothing except giving up all that is not Allah (swt) and journeying towards Him (swt). Before we leave our discussion of this ayah, we can notice how Merciful and Compassionate Allah (swt) has been towards women with this ruling that He (swt) has given concerning menstruation. As we mentioned there are some cultures who treat menstruating women as if they are some kind of disease. They do not even go near them and they do not even speak to them. While there are other cultures who view women only as an object of sexual pleasure. These cultures have no problem with using the body of a woman to sell something. They also do not respect and regard the woman when she is going through this difficult period of

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her life. Many husbands from such a culture would have intercourse with their wives even when they are menstruating. They do not care about cleanliness, decency or morality. They see themselves as nothing more than apes that have evolved. So since they are animals, they can do whatever animals do to satisfy their carnal desires. Allah (swt) rescued the woman from both of these extremes with the Din that He (swt) revealed to the Prophet (saw). Women are the creation of Allah (swt) just like men are, and He (swt) loves the believing women just as much as He (swt) loves the believing men. Allah (swt) gave both the believing men and the believing women an important role to play in the mission of carrying His (swt)s Message to mankind. Each has their job and their function as they both strive to fulfill their purpose of worshipping and serving Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) make the Muslims and make all of mankind realize that this is the correct Din that correctly governs the relationship between men and women! May Allah (swt) make them realize that there is no other way of life that will help them find peace and tranquility in this world and eternal joy and bliss in the next life except this Din!

224. Your wives are fields for you, so go to your fields whenever you like, and send forth good for yourselves. Have Taqwa of Allah and know that you will meet Him, and give good news to the believers. Marriage is the bond around which the Muslim family is built and the Muslim family is the basis of the Muslim society, so we remind ourselves once again of the importance of marriage in Islam. Allah (swt) has already described for us in previous ayahs the relationship between a husband and wife. Recall how Allah (swt) described the husband and wife as garments for each other, they each protect the other from sin and disobedience to Allah (swt) and they are both very close to each other just like their garments are. In this ayah, Allah (swt) continues to describe for

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us the relationship that a husband has with his wife. So as we read these ayahs we should remind ourselves of the importance of marriage in Islam. We should also remind ourselves of how the Muslim society is built on this relationship of love, tenderness and compassion. We should also remind ourselves once again, how the very purpose of marriage, the very purpose of a man and woman coming together to form this union is nothing other than the worship and servitude of Allah (swt). The One and the Irresistible. The One to whom all must return. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying Your wives are fields for you, so go to your fields whenever you like. Here Allah (swt) makes a metaphor to the fields that a farmer goes to plant his seeds. Through this metaphor, Allah (swt) reminds us once again that the goal of any marriage, the goal of any man and woman coming together to perform that blessed act must be the seeking of righteous children. Children who will be worshippers and servants of Allah (swt). Children who will glorify and magnify Allah (swt) through their words and through their actions and through their hearts. So although we take pleasure from our wives, and there is nothing wrong with that, such is not the purpose why Allah (swt) placed this desire and this need within us. The reason why Allah (swt) placed this need within us, the reason why we get married, the reason why we approach our spouses in our bedrooms is to have righteous children who will be worshippers and servants of Allah (swt). Children who will carry on this responsibility of taking the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind once we have returned to our Rabb. This goal of producing righteous children is so important that Allah (swt) commands us to go to our wives whenever we like. This desire that men have for women is strong, and Allah (swt) is the One Who made it so. This is so that we realize how important it is to have righteous children, children who will worship and serve Allah (swt) and children who will carry the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind after us. Thus whenever we want to we should go to our wives. In the Shafi school the husband has many responsibilities that he must fulfill for his wife including clothing her, feeding her, giving her shelter and taking care of all her other needs. But the only one responsibility that the wife has to her husband is that she must make her body available to him whenever he desires her. This is so that they can both fulfill the purpose of their marriage. So though we take pleasure from our wives that must not be the sole reason for our coming together.

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Rather we must have a hope when we come to our wives that our union will produce a child that will glorify Allah (swt). A child that will serve Allah (swt). A child that will work for this Din. That is why we should mention the Name of Allah (swt) when we approach our wives, and we should keep this intention and have this hope every time we are with them. May Allah (swt) grant all the sincere Muslim brothers and sisters in our Ummah children who will be even better worshippers and servants of Allah (swt) than we are! Then Allah (swt) says and send forth good for yourselves. Our children are the good that we send forth for ourselves. We know from the hadith of the Prophet (saw) that a righteous child will be a source of reward for us even after we have left this world. So once again we have to stress that the purpose of marriage should be the upbringing of righteous children who will worship and serve Allah (swt). That should be your intention when you are selecting your spouse, that should be your intention when you make the marriage contract, that should be intention when you approach your spouse in your bedroom, that should be your intention when your child is born, and that should be your intention as you raise your child. When you lived your life to worship and serve Allah (swt), would you not also want your children to do the same as well when you leave this world? So make sure you have this intention as you build your family and you raise your children. If you do, then Insha Allah it will be good that you send forth for yourself in the Hereafter. Then Allah (swt) says Have Taqwa of Allah and Know that you will meet Him. It is not easy to raise children. Anyone who says that it is easy to raise children has not done a good job of raising their children. It is a daunting task that requires patience, forbearance, mercy, kindness, and strength. These are just to name a few of the many requirements that any good parent needs to have. But although it is difficult, you must still strive to raise your children well. Not only to raise them well but also to raise them to dedicate their lives to Allah (swt) like you have done. If you should become lazy in this striving then you should remember what Allah (swt) says in this part of the ayah. You should get that fear of Allah (swt). You should ask yourself how it will be when you meet Allah (swt) and you have to answer for why your children are not His (swt)s humble worshippers and obedient servants like they were created to be. You will have to answer for why you allowed your children to go astray. Allah (swt) gave you your children, so

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what excuse will you give Him (swt) if you have allowed your children to turn away from the purpose of their creation? You know what the purpose of creation is, so make sure you teach your children this purpose and you bring them up in a way that they fulfill this purpose. May Allah (swt) enable us all to have Taqwa of Him (swt) in regards to our children, and as we raise them, may we always remember that we will one day soon leave them and go to meet Allah (swt)! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) commands the Prophet (saw) to Give good news to the believers. This part of the ayah is general and it always hold true. The believers should always be given the best of news. Anyone who has even drop of Iman in their hearts will eventually go to Paradise to abide therein forever. That is the best news one can give to any human being. So rather than waiting for someone to tell you the news that you have received a promotion, or the news that a business transaction was successful, or the news that you made the honor roll in school, or the news that a house or car that you wanted is yours, you should hope for the good news of Paradise and the good news of the Pleasure of Allah (swt). You should hope that you will receive this news and you should hope that your family will receive it as well. Thus you should raise your children to be believers so that Insha Allah they will receive this news when they leave this world. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to raise our children to be believers who will receive this good news! This prayer is one that we should always be making especially in the times that we live in today. Especially in these dark times when the ideas of Kufr and Bidah are rampant in the minds of the Ummah, and it is becoming commonplace for the youth of this Ummah to renounce their Iman completely. This is a time when it is especially important for you to look after the beliefs of your children. Teach them about the Quran and the Sunnah. Remind them of the purpose of their existence. May Allah (swt) save us and save our children from these dark times! May Allah (swt) keep our Iman strong so that we also will be given the good news of the believers!

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225. And do not make Allah a hindrance through your oaths from doing good, having Taqwa, and making peace among mankind, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing. In this ayah Allah (swt) continues to mould the first Muslim community that will be responsible for carrying His (swt)s Message to mankind. Here Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims what they were created for. They were created to worship and serve Allah (swt). They were created to be a source of good in this world. This is the purpose of their existence. In this ayah Allah (swt) reminds them that there is nothing that should stand in the way of them fulfilling this purpose for which they were created. Not even their own oaths and promises. Not even the oaths and promises that they made in the Name of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) says And do not make Allah a hindrance through your oaths from doing good, having Taqwa, and making peace among mankind. The worship and servitude of Allah (swt) is nothing but doing good, having Taqwa, and making peace among mankind. Doing good means doing the actions that Allah (swt) is pleased with such as prayer, fasting, having patience, fighting jihad and carrying dawah. Having Taqwa means having fear of Allah (swt) and staying away from the actions that are pleasing to you but are displeasing to Allah (swt). So even if you desire zina, looking at women, backbiting, or taking interest you still avoid it because of the fear of Allah (swt). Making peace between mankind is doing good for others by helping them through their difficulties, by helping to resolve their disputes, and by establishing the Law of Allah (swt) over them so that they can they can experience the Mercy and Justice of the systems of Allah (swt). For non-Muslims making peace among mankind also includes inviting them to Islam because there is no peace like the peace that comes from knowing Allah (swt). These three duties are the mission of the Muslim. So Allah (swt) tells us in this ayah that we should not let anything get in the way of this mission. Not even the oaths that we make. Even if we made an oath in the Name of Allah (swt), we should not let that oath be an obstacle in fulfilling our mission. So for example, suppose you made an oath that you would never speak to your

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cousin, and you even mentioned the Name of Allah (swt) over that oath. Allah (swt) is telling you here that to break that oath and maintain ties of kinship as part of your worship and servitude to Allah (swt) is better for you than to hold on to your oath and break the ties of kinship with your cousin permanently. In this way you do not allow anything to prevent your worship and servitude of Allah (swt). You do not allow anything to prevent you from doing good. When it comes to the breaking of oaths, there is a kafara or expiation that must be paid. Since this is not a tafsir of fiqh, we will not go into the details of that here. If you find yourself in a situation where you made an oath in earnest and you have to break it, please consult the books of fiqh or talk to a scholar to find out how you should pay the expiation for your oath. Of course we should respect and revere the Name of Allah (swt), and so we should not make useless oaths using the Name of our Rabb. To make a meaningless oath in the Name of Allah (swt) is to show disrespect to Allah (swt), may Allah (swt) save us from ever doing that! But at the same time if we do make an oath in the Name of Allah (swt), and it was an oath for an action that was not pleasing to Allah (swt) then we should not let that oath hinder us from the worship and servitude of Allah (swt). Even if that oath has the Name of Allah (swt) over it, we should not let it hinder us from our mission. We should pay the expiation and return to the actions that Allah (swt) is pleased with. That is the meaning of this ayah as we see it and of course Allah (swt) Knows best. In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says and Allah is Hearing, Knowing. Here Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims to be careful of the oaths that they make. They should not make an oath that they do not intend to keep and then mention the Name of Allah (swt) over that oath. If they do then they should remember that Allah (swt) Hears the false oath that they made and He (swt) Knows that they did not intend to keep it. Allah (swt) has created you to worship and serve Him (swt) and He (swt) has forbidden you from lying. So how evil is it to make an oath with the Name of Allah (swt) and then not keep that oath? Allah (swt) is Hearing and Knowing. We should always remember that. This knowledge that we have of Allah (swt) and the Names of Allah (swt) should prevent us from doing the actions that are displeasing to Him (swt). May Allah (swt) give us the ability to only speak the words that He (swt) is pleased with! May Allah (swt) give us the ability to never make an oath in His (swt) Name unless we truly mean it from the depths of our

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hearts! May Allah (swt) give us the ability to fulfill the mission that He (swt) has given us in this life! Nothing matters except that we strive to worship and serve Allah (swt) in everything that we do.

226. Allah will not take you to account for that which is vain in your oaths, but He will take you to account for what your hearts have earned. And Allah is Forgiving Forbearing. Recall how Allah (swt) ended the previous ayah by reminding the early Muslim community that He (swt) was Hearing and Knowing. This was mentioned specifically in relation to the oaths that they made. This reminder must have created a sense of fear among many of the early Muslims. They would have remembered every single oath that they ever made, and then they would have remembered how they even made some oaths that might not have been pleasing to Allah (swt). For example some of them might have sworn to Allah (swt) about something which they were not certain was the truth or not, or they might have sworn to Allah (swt) about something which they thought was true but it did not turn out to be the truth, or some of them in the days of Ignorance might even have sworn to something that was a lie. Many of the early Muslims used to be idol worshippers in their past before Allah (swt) brought them to the Light of Islam, so some of them may even have made oaths to their idols. In the previous ayah, they were reminded how Allah (swt) is Hearing and Knowing in regards to their oaths, and then they remembered all these oaths that they had made in their past. Oaths that may not have been pleasing to Allah (swt). So these early Muslims must have been gripped with fear. The Sahahbah were always thinking about Allah (swt) and what they feared the most was Him (swt) being displeased with them in any way. That is why in this ayah Allah (swt) reassures them that He (swt) will not hold them to account for such oaths. When we see what Allah (swt) reveals in this ayah we cannot help but think how much of a reassurance this must have been for the early Muslims. How Kind and Merciful is our Rabb?

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Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying Allah will not take you to account for that which is vain in your oaths. This means that Allah (swt) will not take us to task for those oaths that we make unintentionally. So for example if you make an oath and you even mention the Name of Allah (swt) over that oath, but you did not mean to make that oath and it was just something that you tounge said, then Allah (swt) will not hold that oath against you. Allah (swt) will not hold you accountable if you fail to fulfill that oath or if you fail to pay the expiation for it. This is true only if you did not have the intention in that oath, if it was really just a slip of your tongue. Now as we mentioned in the previous ayah, we should respect and revere the Name of our Rabb and we should not make oaths in vain using the Name of Allah (swt). But if ever we do, if we are in a debate or argument and we say such an oath unintentionally, then we can see from this ayah that Allah (swt) will not hold that oath against us. From this we can see the Mercy and Compassion of Allah (swt) for this Ummah. Allah (swt) could have easily held us accountable for these kinds of oaths as well, and He (swt) could have easily punished us if we failed to fulfill these oaths. But Allah (swt) IS Kindness and Mercy, so Allah (swt) will not hold us accountable for oaths that we make in vain and oaths that we make unintentionally. How Wonderful and Perfect is our Rabb Who is so Kind and Compassionate! This part of the ayah is also a consolation for the early Muslims. In the days of Jahilliya, they were in ignorance to the Oneness of Allah (swt) and ignorant to His (swt)s Law. As we mentioned at that time they may have made some oaths that may not have been pleasing to Allah (swt). So they can see from this part of the ayah that Allah (swt) will not hold them to task for those oaths that they made in their days of ignorance. These include the oaths made to idols and even the oaths made to Allah (swt) for something that was not true. Allah (swt) is pardoning them completely for such oaths. How Kind and Merciful is our Rabb! In the second part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says but He will take you to account for what your hearts have earned. The oaths that you made with intention, knowing in your heart that you were making this oath, these are the oaths that Allah (swt) will hold you to account for. So if you make an oath, and you know that you are making this oath and you realize the consequences of this oath, only then will Allah (swt) hold you accountable for that oath. Such an

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oath is what your heart has earned because it is in your heart that the intention for the oath lies. You fully intended to make this oath when you spoke those words and you even knew that it was displeasing to your Lord. That is when you are held responsible for your oaths. Once your heart has earned this oath, it is like a burden that your heart is carrying. The oath must now be fulfilled or the expiation must be paid for it. Otherwise you will meet Allah (swt) on the Day of Judgment with that oath not fulfilled. That should be a reality that none of us should want to be faced with. That unfulfilled oath on our necks is just like a sin. It must be taken care of in the life of this world before our death or the Last Day arrives. May Allah (swt) save us from unfulfilled oaths! May Allah (swt) enable all of us to fulfill the oaths that we have made! In the final part of this ayah Allah (swt) says And Allah is Forgiving Forbearing. Once again we see Allah (swt) calming the fear of the early Muslims. We see how Allah (swt) reminds them that He (swt) is Forgiving and Forbearing. Allah (swt) will forgive them the oaths that they have made in the past, and He (swt) will forgive them the oaths that they made unintentionally. He (swt) may even forgive them the oaths that they have made intentionally if they strive not to repeat that sin in the future. The same is true for us as well. Even if we have made the oaths that are displeasing to Allah (swt), and we have earned the punishment of Allah (swt) upon us for these oaths that we have made, we still have to remember that Allah (swt) is Forbearing. Allah (swt) could punish for these oaths, but He (swt) does not. In His (swt)s Majesty and His (swt)s Sublimity, Allah (swt) withholds the punishment that is due upon us even though He (swt) had the Full Power and the Complete Authority to punish us. Furthermore there is also a very good chance that Allah (swt) will forgive us if we rush to repent for that false oath that we made, and we promise never to do it in the future. That is why Allah (swt) is Forgiving and Forbearing. When we hear these Beautiful Names of Allah (swt), it should motivate us to worship and serve Him (swt) even more. How can you not love a Being that is so Pure and so Majestic! May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to do that! How Beautiful and how Majestic and how Perfect a Master do you have? Should you not strive to do everything in your power to serve such a Master?

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227. The ones who make illa to their wives, they should wait four months. Then if they go back, then surely Allah is Forgiving Merciful. As we read these ayahs where Allah (swt) is building the first generation of Muslims to carry His (swt)s Message to mankind, we see how He (swt) has given them rulings concerning marriage and rulings concerning oaths. Marriage is the foundation of the Muslim family, which is the foundation of the Muslim society. Similarly the oath or the word of a Muslim defines who he or she is. The worth of a Muslim is his oath or promise. So we see the importance of these two rulings for the early Muslim community. In these ayahs Allah (swt) is teaching the early Muslims how they should base their marriages on Iman and He (swt) is teaching them how they should always fulfill their oaths. These Quranic teachings are among the foundations of our Din, and we as an Ummah need to learn them today. We as an Ummah today have reached a state where we are so far from the Din that we also need to be inculcated with the basics of this Din like these early Muslims were. Family and promises. These are two of the foundations of a Muslim, and these are what this ayah speaks about. May Allah (swt) give us the ability to learn all of the lessons in all these ayahs! In this ayah, Allah (swt) brings the attention of the early Muslims to a special kind of oath that used to happen between the husband and wife in the period of Jahilliya that was called the illa. In the time of Jahilliya, the age of ignorance before this Message was sent, when a husband and wife were going marital troubles and there were disputes between the two of them, the husband would make illa to his wife. Basically this was an oath where he swears not to have sexual relations with her for an extended period of time. This was meant to be a form of punishment for the wife. The scholars tell us how the illa in the time of Jahilliya would sometimes last years. We have to remember that this was a society in which men had all of the power. So they would put off their wives for months upon months or years upon years. We can imagine how

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difficult this must have been on the wife. The husband may have had other wives or slave girls, but the wife would have to wait for years in a lonely bed and she could not even ask for a divorce. In this ayah Allah (swt) destroys this cruel way in which the illa was practiced in the time of Jahilliya. Allah (swt) begins this by saying The ones who make illa to their wives, they should wait four months. So here we see that Allah (swt) tells the Muslims that the maximum period for the illa must be four months. If the husbands are going to make illa to their wives it must be for four months or for a period shorter than that. Four months is the maximum duration for the illa. Once the four months are over, the husband must start having sexual relations with his wife again or he must divorce her. Four months is the maximum period that the wife can be left without having sexual relations with her husband. You may be asking yourself at this point as to why Allah (swt) did not destroy this practice of illa completely if it is so unfair to women. Why does He (swt) only restrict it to a period of four months? First of all you should realize that it is wrong for you to question Allah (swt). When your Rabb legislates a Sacred Law, your only job is to take it and implement it will full submission. But in this ruling, we can see the benefit of illa if it is implemented only for a relatively short period of time. What was unfair for women in the time of Jahilliya was not the illa itself but the long period for which it lasted. However if the maximum duration of the illa can be kept to four months, then there are benefits in it that we can see. Sometimes when simple disputes arise between a husband and wife, the two of them may need some time apart from each other. Once they spend some time away from each other, they will begin to realize how much they love each other and how much they need each other. Temporary separation often brings love. But their period apart cannot be for too long. A long separation can be difficult on both the husband and the wife. That is why Allah (swt) sets the maximum period of the illa to four months. The husband can make the period less than four months but not more. So we see the Mercy of Allah (swt) for both the husband and the wife in this ruling that He (swt) legislates. Allah (swt) beautifully changed this practice of evil from the time of Ignorance to a practice in which there was good for both the husband and the wife.

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In the second part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says, Then if they go back, then surely Allah is Forgiving Merciful. In this part of the ayah, Allah (swt) tells the Muslims that if they should go back on the illa, if they should retract their oaths to abstain from their wives, then they will find Him (swt) Forgiving and Merciful. In other words Allah (swt) prefers when the husbands go back on the illa and return to their wives. So for example suppose a Muslim man makes an oath to abstain from his wife for two months. But then within that two months he wants to break this oath and go back to her. Allah (swt) is saying in this ayah that if the couple then comes back together then they will find Allah (swt) to be Forgiving and Merciful. Allah (swt) wants the Muslim family to be together. Even if they have to break an oath to come together Allah (swt) still wants them to be together. He (swt) will forgive and pardon the breaking of the oath in this instance. So Allah (swt) is telling the Muslim men in this part of the ayah that if should they go back on their promise to abstain from their wives then they will find Him (swt) to be Forgiving and Merciful. The scholars disagree as to whether the expiation must be paid if the husband takes back the illa before the time he specified in his oath ends. But the lesson that we can take from this ayah is to see how Allah (swt) wants the Muslim couple to come back together. Allah (swt) is telling the Muslim couple that if they should go back to each other then they will find Allah (swt) to be Forgiving and Merciful. Thus Allah (swt) is encouraging the Muslim couple to come together and be a family once again. One lesson of the many lessons that we can take from this ayah is to see that husbands and wives should not be separate from each other for too long. The importance of family in our Din cannot be stressed enough, and it is the bond between the husband and the wife that keeps the family together. The stronger is the bond between the husband and the wife, the stronger the family will be. The stronger the family is the stronger the society as a whole will be. So husbands should be careful not to keep away from their wives for a period of more than four months. In this ayah Allah (swt) has told us that the maximum period for which a husband can be away from the wife is four months. This is the absolute maximum period of time that a Muslim couple can go without being with each other. When this time period elapses then they must come back together.

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A sad circumstance that we see developing in the Muslim Ummah today is that many husbands leave their wives in their home country to come and work in the West. Many of these brothers are unable to bring their wives to be with them in the West, and they cannot go back home either. Back in their home country they cannot find work to support their family. So what happens is that Muslim families are divided for years as the father works in the West and the mother is left alone with the children in the home country. The only result is that the Muslim family, which is the very foundation of our society, starts to crumble. This is one of the many sad circumstances that this Ummah has to contend with as it tries to live without the Islamic State. The Capitalist economic system that rules over the world today has set up a world order where the Western nations have all of the wealth and resources and all other nations have little or nothing. They have pillaged our lands and they continue to pillage our lands of all of our wealth and resources. This has left very little for the people who live in those countries. So Muslim families have to become separated over great distances for them get enough sustenance to survive. Can you imagine how painful it must be for the husband to see another day pass without seeing his family and how painful it must be for the wife and children to see another day pass without seeing their husband and father? Such is the reality of the world today. In this ayah our Lord has set the limit for which a husband and wife can be away from each other at four months. Because of our situation in the world today this limit is exceeded by a long period of time. Not only is this displeasing to Allah (swt) but it also causes suffering for the Muslims. This also is most displeasing to our Lord. So how then can you say that we do not need the Islamic State and that we can be happy with the world as it is today. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to bring back the Islamic State so that this Ummah can experience the Mercy of the Din of Allah (swt) once again! May Allah (swt) reunite all of the families in this Ummah that have become separated! May Allah (swt) reunite these families on the worship and servitude of Him (swt)! Nothing matters in this life except the worship and servitude of Allah (swt)!

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228. And if they have resolved on divorce, then surely Allah is Hearing Knowing. In the previous ayah Allah (swt) told us about the illa and how it was a period for which the husband would abstain from sexual relations with his wife for up to four months. This was a way in which marital disputes can be settled. A period of up to four months was decreed for the husband and wife to keep away from each other in their bedroom. They should both hope to resolve their differences in this time, and come to realize how much they love each other and how much they need each other. But what should happen if the four months should elapse and the couple is still not able to resolve their differences. In that case as we can see from this ayah, Allah (swt) permits divorce as an option. Allah (swt) says in this ayah And if they have resolved on divorce, then surely Allah is Hearing Knowing. The scholars say that divorce in Islam is not desirable, some scholars even say that is the most disliked of the permissible actions to Allah (swt). But Allah (swt) still permits it because there are some couples who are simply not compatible. There are some couples who cannot bring themselves to love each other no matter how much they try. Allah (swt) tells the Muslims in this ayah that if the husband and wife are settled on divorce, then He (swt) is Hearing and Knowing. Allah (swt) Hears and Knows about all that happened between the couple that led the two of them to this situation where they are faced with divorce. If the husband was unjust with the wife or if the wife was unjust with the husband, then Allah (swt) Hears this injustice and He (swt) Knows them both well. So the lesson that we can take from this ayah is to see that Allah (swt) does allow divorce for couples who are not compatible with each other. But since divorce is a disliked action, it should only be taken as a last resort when there is no other option left. Allah (swt) wants the Muslims to be happy, He (swt) does not want either the wife or the husband to suffer through a marriage that is not working. But at the same time the husband and the wife both need to remember that Allah (swt) is Hearing and Knowing. If either of them was unjust to the other or if either of them failed in their responsibility to the other or if either of them failed to be kind and

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compassionate to the other, then they should remember that Allah (swt) is Hearing and Knowing. They should remember that they are only in this world to worship and serve Allah (swt), and part of that servitude is the good treatment of their spouse. So they should do all that they can to make their partner happy in order to avoid a divorce. Only when all else fails should the couple opt for divorce. If the husband and the wife see that they are truly not happy and they are not what the other wanted then Allah (swt) has given them this way out. May Allah (swt) help all Muslim couples remember that their first duty is to Him (swt) even in their relationship to each other! Many other religions of the world do not even allow divorce and the scholars of these religions are critical of Islam for permitting divorce. But their criticism does not change the fact that the rate of divorce among their followers is still much higher than that of Muslims. Their criticism of Islam and its permitting divorce does not change the fact that among their society even the concept of marriage has become a joke. Men and women in their culture would have dozens of sexual partners before they resolve on one of them to marry. Some of their couples even live together for years before they get married. Even after marriage if either the husband or the wife should sleep with another person, this is not looked upon as a terrible crime as it is looked upon in Islam. Some husbands and wives even permit their spouses to have relationships outside of their marriage, that is how disgusting and corrupt their culture is. How different is this from Islam where Allah (swt) teaches both men and women to save themselves from their childhood for their wives and their husbands? A Muslim man is not even allowed to look with lust at a woman who is not his wife, he has to save himself completely for her. The same is true for Muslim women. Is it a surprise then that the rate of divorce is much higher in their society than it is in ours? In our culture Allah (swt) permits divorce but only as a last option when all other means of reconciliation fail. This shows the importance that Allah (swt) has placed on preserving the marriage and thus preserving the family. So we see that the importance of the family in our Din cannot be stressed enough. This is why every effort must be made to maintain the family. May Allah (swt) help us!

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229. And the divorced women should keep to themselves in waiting for three periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs if they believe in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands have the greater right to take them back in that period if they desire reconciliation. And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in equity. And the men are a degree over them. And Allah is Mighty, Wise. In the previous ayah we saw how Allah (swt) began to teach the Muslim community about divorce. We mentioned how Islam was one of the few religions where divorce was permissible and how it was a way out for couples who are not compatible. However we also mentioned how divorce was an action that was disliked by Allah (swt), and it was best for a couple to try and reconcile their differences and avoid divorce if it was at all possible. However for those couples who are determined on divorce, they need to know how it should be performed. Even the method in which divorce is to be performed is legislated by the Law of Allah (swt). So here in this ayah Allah (swt) tells the Muslims how divorce is to be performed. The fact that Allah (swt) would reveal an entire ayah detailing how divorce is to be performed shows us how important marriage and family are in the Din. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying And the divorced women should keep to themselves in waiting for three periods. The first phase of the divorce is that the woman has to go through a waiting period. In this time she is not married to her husband but she cannot marry anyone else either. The length of this waiting period is based on her monthly courses and there is a difference of opinion among the scholars as to its exact duration. Some scholars say

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she has to wait for three periods of menstruation while others say that she has to wait for three period of purity between menstruation. We will not go into the details of their debate here because this is not a tafsir of fiqh. We urge the reader who is interested in this topic to read the books of fiqh that cover this topic. For us the lesson that we can take from this ayah is to see how Allah (swt) is giving the Muslim couple yet another chance to reconcile their differences and come together. This is a time for the husband and wife to be apart, and perhaps in this time, they will realize how much they need each and how much they love each other. Often times when you spend time away from a person you realize how much need them and how much love them. With this realization it is hoped that Muslim couple may come back together. In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs if they believe in Allah and the Last Day. Here Allah (swt) tells the Muslim women that it is forbidden for them to conceal what He (swt) has created in their wombs. This could be a child or it could be their monthly courses. Both of these are to be found in the wombs of women and both of these are known only by those women. So she should not conceal her pregnancy or her monthly courses when she is in this waiting period. Remember that the waiting period of the woman that we discussed above is based on her monthly courses, so it is very important that she be honest about the duration of this time. She cannot make the waiting period shorter or longer by lying about her monthly courses. Similarly she cannot lie about a child that she might be carrying. If she is with child, then the husband has a right to know about it because it is his child as well. So in this part of the ayah Allah (swt) tells the women who are in their waiting period for divorce that they should not conceal a pregnancy and they should not conceal their monthly courses. If they do conceal, then they will have to answer for their sin when they meet Allah (swt) on the Last Day. May Allah (swt) save all our sisters from meeting Him (swt) with this sin on the Last Day! In the next part of the ayah we see that Allah (swt) says And their husbands have the greater right to take them back in that period if they desire reconciliation. Here we see one of the reasons why Allah (swt) legislated the waiting period for women. It is a time in which their husbands can take them back if they both desire reconciliation in that period. Allah (swt) tells us

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in this ayah that during this waiting period the husbands can take back their wives back if both of them want to come back together. The wife does not have to go back to her husband if she does not want to, and it would be a sin on the husband if he takes her back only to have sexual relations with her. Rather they can only come back together if they both want to come back together. Now a question that you may have is what does Allah (swt) mean by the greater right that the husbands have? This means that it is husbands of the women who have a right to them over anyone else during this period and it is the husbands who can choose to take them back. So the women are not lawful for anyone else during this waiting period, it is only their husbands who have a right to take them back and resume the marriage. No other suitor can approach the woman for marriage till the waiting period ends and the divorce is finalized. In the waiting period it is the husbands who have the right to take them back. This is a right that Allah (swt) has given to the husbands. Allah (swt) Knows best! Then Allah (swt) says And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in equity. This part of the ayah is general and not restricted only to the subject of divorce. Here Allah (swt) says that Muslim women have rights over Muslim men just as Muslim men have rights over Muslim women. The rights that Muslim women have over men is that their husbands have a responsibility to provide for them and to treat them with kindness and understanding. The rights that Muslim men have over their wives is that their wives have a responsibility to obey them, provided that their husbands do not tell them to do anything forbidden. They both have a responsibility to treat each other with respect and kindness and a responsibility to try to make each other happy. If either the husband or the wife fails in this duty, then he or she is answerable to Allah (swt). So from this part of the ayah we see that Allah (swt) is telling us that both husbands and wives have mutual rights over each other in Islam. Then Allah (swt) says And the men are a degree over them. Many people would read the translation of this ayah and think that Allah (swt) has given preference to men over women in Islam. People who think in such a way a truly ignorant about Allah (swt) and His (swt)s Book. Why would the Creator of both men and women, who is Just and Merciful, treat one of them

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better than the other or give preference to one over the other? So it is no way true that Allah (swt) has given preference to men over women. Men and women are all the creation of Allah (swt) and He (swt) does not love any person more because of their sex. Allah (swt) loves the ones who are the most obedient to Him (swt), be they men or women. What then is the meaning of this part of the ayah? If you connect this part of the ayah with the previous part, then you will see the meaning of this part clearly. What Allah (swt) is saying is that men have a greater degree of responsibility over women. It is the responsibility of the husband to take care of the family, to provide for the family, to look after the safety and the well being of the family. This is all in addition to the responsibility that both men and women have in carrying the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind. All of this burden and responsibility Allah (swt) has placed on the shoulders of the husbands. Some scholars even say that women are to be envied in Islam because they do not have as many duties and responsibilities as men. The only responsibility that women have is to take of their husbands and their family. Once they have done that then they have fulfilled all of the responsibilities that their Creator has given them. Of course they can do more if they wish and they will be rewarded by Allah (swt) but such would not be an obligation on them. Men on the other hand have a far greater responsibility and if they fail in this then they are answerable to their Creator. So we see that what Allah (swt) says in this part of the ayah is not that men are better than women but that men have a greater degree of responsibility than women. As always, Allah (swt) Knows best. Those who say that Allah (swt) has given preference to men over women or that women are less than men in Islam are truly ignorant both about Islam and about how women in other ideologies besides Islam are treated. We challenge you to find any ideology that treats women better than Islam. If you are thinking about the West today then you are severely mistaken. What can you say about an ideology that treats the body of a woman like an object? This is a society that has no problem using the body of a woman to sell a can of beer. Her body is something to be displayed like some object or toy. They tell her that this is the only value that she has. This is what they have reduced her existence to. Just an object of decoration like a fancy car or a big house. But then again what do you expect from a people who not long ago in their history did not

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even see women as human? Read the books of the Europeans and you will see that not long ago they used to debate as to whether the woman was even human or not. Those who said that she was human still said that her only role was to serve the man. It is not only the West today but every single ideology, thought, religion or system of life since the existence of man has always looked down upon women and has always transgressed against and oppressed women. In the Hindu tradition for example it was expected until not long ago for the woman to jump into the fire used to cremate her husbands body. Similarly many Jewish Rabbis would make a prayer where they would thank god for not being born a woman. In all of these societies women have always been treated as less than men. Women have always been looked down as despicable creatures. This is because these religions and ideologies have been made by men and men desire power over women. That is why these men have created a culture where they have given themselves power over women. Islam is the only ideology that is not from the mind of man but rather it is from the Creator of both men and women. That is why in Islam Allah (swt) has given both men and women their rights and Allah (swt) has given both of them their proper roles in the Muslim family and the Islamic society. We do not need to go over all of the rights that Allah (swt) has given women in Islam here because that would take pages and pages of this tafsir. We invite the reader who is interested to go and research the topic for themselves. We also challenge the reader to find even one ayah or hadith that says that men are better than women. There is none. The enemies of Islam often use this ayah but we can see how they have twisted and distorted the original meaning of the ayah. However we will mention here that not only has Allah (swt) given women countless rights in Islam but He (swt) has also given them the greatest blessing. That blessing is that women are also entitled to the Garden and to gain the Pleasure of Allah (swt) just like men are. How wonderful is that? This Message that leads to the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and to the Garden of eternal bliss was revealed just as much for women as it was for men. All of the laws of Islam, with a few exceptions, apply to women just as they do for men. Allah (swt) addresses women in this Message just as He (swt) addresses men. So for example the command to pray, the command to fast, the command to give Zakat, the command to make Hajj, to command to carry dawah, all of these commands apply to women just as they do for men. All

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of these are steps that women can take in their journey to their Lord. What could be better than that? So how can anyone find faults with the way this Din treats women when it was revealed for women just as it was revealed for men? Rather it is only ignorant people and people who want to find faults with Islam in order to attack this Din who have a problem with the role of women in Islam. In reality however their problem lies much deeper than simply finding faults with role of women in Islam, their problem is that they do not really believe that this Din is from Allah (swt). If they truly believe that this Din is from Allah (swt), then they will not question any of its laws because they know it is from the All-Knowing and the All-Wise. They will realize that we as humans whose knowledge is so limited are not one to question the All-Knowing and the All-Wise. Thus we see that Allah (swt) ends this ayah by saying And Allah is Mighty, Wise. Realize now Who these laws come from. The One Who has Power over all things. The One Who has all of the Knowledge. The One Who has the Perfect Wisdom. It is not the place for men or women to question any of the laws of Allah (swt). When you realize Who these laws come from, you know that all that you can do is submit to them with full submission. Such is the Majesty and the Sublimity of the Being that revealed this Law. May Allah (swt) help us all to realize this fact!

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230. The divorce is twice. (After that) keep them with Maruf or let them go with kindness. And it is not lawful for you to take back any part of what you have given them, unless they both fear that they cannot keep within the limits of Allah, but if you fear that you cannot keep within the limits of Allah, then there is no blame on them both for what she takes back. These are the limits of Allah so do not transgress them. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah these are the Dhalimoon. In this ayah Allah (swt) continues to give the early Muslim community rules on how the divorce is to be conducted. From these detailed laws we can see once again the importance that Allah (swt) has placed on family and the importance that He (swt) has placed on the relationship between men and women. In the previous ayah we saw how Allah (swt) legislated that the first step in divorce is that women are placed in a waiting period. This is meant to be a period of reconciliation between the husband and the wife, a time apart from each other in which they can work out any differences that they have. We also mentioned how it was hoped that the two of them would come back together during that period. Allah (swt) also mentioned in the previous ayah how men have certain rights over women and how women have certain rights over men. In this ayah Allah (swt) continues to give the rules concerning divorce. In particular, Allah (swt) destroys a certain kind of divorce from the time of ignorance that was particularly cruel and unfair to women. In the time of Jahilliya, men would divorce and take back their wives several times. They would divorce them then take them back only to divorce them again. This process repeated again and again. Husbands would divorce their wives over the most trivial of matters. They would

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not let their wives be happy with them and they would not let their wives go to find another husband either. They treated their wives like property whom they could just keep and let go whenever they wanted. So they just divorced and remarried these poor women whenever they felt like it. In this ayah Allah (swt) destroys such a cruel practice. Allah (swt) says, The divorce is twice. Here Allah (swt) puts a limit on the number of times that a man can divorce his wife. Here Allah (swt) says that a man can only pronounce divorce on his wife twice. Then Allah (swt) commands the Muslim husbands (After that) keep them with Maruf or let them go with kindness. After men have pronounced divorce on their wives two times, they then must keep their wives with Maruf or let them go with kindness. The word Maruf covers all of the duties and obligations that a husband has towards his wife. So if a husband should decide to keep his wife then he should treat her well and fulfill all of her rights and obligations. If he is not able to do that then he should let her go with kindness. To let them go with kindness is the third and final divorce. Notice that even in the way that Allah (swt) commands Muslims to divorce their wives there is kindness and mercy. It should not be an argument or debate where the husband and wife separate filled with hatred for each other. It should not be a divorce where the marriage ends with husband and wife fighting with each other, each one running to the best lawyer that they can find so that they can the most property and the most control over the children. Rather when a Muslim couple divorces, it should be with love and kindness. Both husband and wife should realize that they were both created to be the worshippers and servants of Allah (swt). So Allah (swt) should take priority in their lives over everything else. If they can both see that their marriage is not working and that they are not compatible as a couple, then they can part ways but it must be with kindness and mercy. Instead of having hatred for each other they must both remember the purpose of their existence and that is the worship and servitude of Allah (swt). When they both live for Allah (swt), then they know that they cannot waste the precious moments of their life in this world having hatred for each other. They know that there are more pressing matters in their life that demand their attention. Matters such as how best to please their Lord. May Allah (swt) help us all to reach this ideal!

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Then Allah (swt) says And it is not lawful for you to take back any part of what you have given them. We know that when a Muslim man gets married, he has to pay a Mahar to his wife. This is a gift that the husband gives to this wife when their marriage contract is ratified. In addition to the Mahar, a husband may buy several other gifts for his wife over the course of their marriage. In addition to the Mahar and the gifts there is also whatever the husband spends to take care of his wife as he is obligated to do while they are married. All of this includes what a husband may give his wife over the course of their marriage. In this part of the ayah Allah (swt) tells Muslim husbands that if they divorce their wives then it is not permitted for them to take back anything that they may have given their wives. Not the Mahar. Not the gifts. Not all that he bought to support her. All that he has spent on her while they were married belongs to her. Since he has touched her she is now entitled to keep everything that he has given her and everything that he has spent on her. If the husband tries to take anything back or if he even asks for something back then this is a sin upon him for which he has to answer to Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) save us all from doing the actions that are displeasing to Him (swt)! In the next part of the ayah we see that Allah (swt) says unless they both fear that they cannot keep within the limits of Allah, then if you fear that you cannot keep within the limits of Allah, then there is no blame on them both for what she takes back. This part of the ayah is actually referring to a special kind of divorce called Al-Khul. This is a divorce that the wife initiates when she is in some way displeased with her husband. She does this divorce by giving her Mahar or a portion of her Mahar back to her husband. When she returns this Mahar and the husband then accepts what she returns then the two of them are divorced. This is the divorce called Al-Khul and this is what Allah (swt) tells us about in this part of the ayah. In the special case of this kind of divorce the husband is allowed to take back the Mahar and there is no blame on him if he does. Once again we see the Mercy and Justice of Allah (swt) for women in that He (swt) has given them the right to divorce their husbands if they feel that the marriage is not working. Notice also how Allah (swt) describes this kind of divorce. Allah (swt) says that this is the divorce where the husband and wife both fear that they cannot keep within the limits set by Him (swt). This

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means that both of them fear that they cannot do their responsibility to the other. Allah (swt) has commanded both husband and wife to live in kindness with each other, and He (swt) has commanded each of them to fulfill the rights of the other. If either of them feels that they cannot keep the rights of the other, or they are unable to treat each other with kindness, then they are transgressing the limits of Allah (swt). This is because the limits of Allah (swt) include that both husband and wife be kind with each other and they each fulfill each others rights. So if the wife reaches a point where she can no longer live in kindness with her husband, she just does not find the love for him, or if she feels that she can no longer fulfill her duties as a wife like coming to the bedroom when he calls her, then she can initiate this divorce called Al-Khul. She does this by giving back her Mahar or a portion of it. The divorce of Al-Khul is the only time when there is no blame on the husband for taking back the Mahar that he gave his wife. Allah (swt) Knows best! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says These are the limits of Allah so do not transgress them. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah these are the Dhalimoon. These laws concerning marriage and divorce are the limits set by Allah (swt). It is not right for either the husband or the wife to transgress these limits. So for example it would be a sin on the husband to divorce his wife more than two times just as it would be a sin on him to take her back only to have sexual relations with her. Similarly it would a sin on the wife to refuse to give her husband the Mahar if she intends to divorce him through Al-Khul just as it would be a sin on her to hide a pregnancy or her monthly courses during her waiting period. Similarly it would be a sin if either of them failed to fulfill the obligations that they have to the other or if they failed to treat each other with kindness. Both the husband and the wife need to realize that these limits have been set by Allah (swt). Their Lord and Master, their Creator and Sustainer, the One to Whom they will return for judgment. They should realize that if they transgress these limits, if they do the actions that are displeasing to Allah (swt), then they would be among those whom Allah (swt) is referring to in this ayah as the Dhalimoon. Do they realize what it means for Allah (swt) to include them in the company of such people? These are the people who commit evil, injustice and transgression. Would they ever want to be counted among such people? Would they ever want to return to Allah (swt) as such? So they must do everything to avoid the actions that are

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displeasing to Allah (swt) and they must do everything to avoid being from among the Dhalimoon. May Allah (swt) give us all the ability to do that! May Allah (swt) give His (swt)s enabling grace to all the Muslim husbands and wives to always be in His Pleasure and to never be from among the Dhalimoon!

231. So if he divorces her, then she is not lawful on him after that, until she marries another husband, then if he divorces her then there is no blame on them both if they reunite provided they are sure that they can keep within the limits of Allah. These are the limits of Allah that He makes clear for a people who know. In this ayah Allah (swt) continues to relate for us the rules concerning divorce. Allah (swt) describes for us each step of how the divorce should be performed. We can see from these ayahs how divorce is one of the most important rulings in Islam. Although it is an action that is disliked by Allah (swt), it is still an action that must be handled very delicately. This is because it is an action that breaks the Muslim family. The Muslim family which is the foundation of the Muslim society. Thus from the importance that Allah (swt) has placed on divorce we can see the importance that He (swt) has placed on marriage and family. We see that although divorce is necessary for Muslim couples who are not compatible, it must still be handled very carefully. Thus we see Allah (swt) give the Muslim community detailed laws on how the divorce is to be conducted. We saw from a previous ayah how the husband was only allowed to divorce his wife three times. After that he must let her go with kindness or keep her and fulfill all of her rights. Now in this ayah Allah (swt) tells us the only one condition on which the couple may then come back.

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Once again as we look at these ayahs we are reminded that the Quran is a legal text. It is a detailed law on how the human being should conduct the affairs of his life. It is not a Book simply to be read when someone passes away or in Ramadan. It is a practical Book that must be implemented in every aspect of the life of the individual and the society. When will the day come when the Muslims will look to the Quran in this way? May Allah (swt) make that day sooner rather than later! Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying So if he divorces her then she is not lawful on him after that,. Recall from the previous ayah how Allah (swt) said that the divorce was twice. After that the husband must keep his wife with Maruf or he should let her go with kindness. In this ayah Allah (swt) addresses the situation of a Muslim couple who want to come back together after they have been divorced twice. Notice once again the expansiveness of this text and how there is no situation that it does not address. First Allah (swt) says to the husband that his wife is no longer lawful for him after the second divorce. After the second divorce, even if the husband and the wife both want to come back together they will not be allowed to. If they were to get married after the second divorce, it would a sin on both of them. After they have been divorced two times, there is only one way in which they can come back together after that. Allah (swt) says in the next part of the ayah until she marries another husband, then if he divorces her then there is no blame on them both if they reunite. After the second divorce the only way that the husband and wife can come back together is the wife marries another man and then he divorces her. Once this other husband divorces the wife then she is allowed to come to her first husband. She may also return to her original husband if her second husband passes away. This is the meaning that we believe Allah (swt) gives in this ayah and Allah (swt) Knows best. In his tafsir of this ayah, Ibn Kathir tells us of a practice called Tahlil. This was a practice where a woman would purposely get married to another husband only to go back to her original husband. Ibn Kathir also tells us how Prophet (saw) cursed the ones who practiced Tahlil. So we see that although Allah (swt) allows a woman to go back to her first husband after she has been married to another, neither the husband or the wife can purposely arrange for a marriage to

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another man only so that the two of the can get back together. Such a practice is forbidden in the Law of Allah (swt), and the two husbands and the wife who knowingly participate in such an action earn the Wrath of Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) save all of us from ever being among those who earn His (swt)s Wrath! In the next part of the ayah we see that Allah (swt) puts a condition on the two of them coming back together. Allah (swt) says, provided they are sure that they can keep within the limits of Allah. Here we see that Allah (swt) says that the husband and wife can only come back together if they are both sure that they can both keep within the limits of Allah (swt). The limits of Allah (swt) are the rules of Allah (swt) concerning marriage. For the husband to keep within the limits of Allah (swt) he must fulfill all of his duties and obligations towards his wife and he must treat her with kindness, and similarly for the wife to keep within the limits of Allah (swt) she must fulfill all of her duties and obligations towards her husband and she must treat him with kindness. So if the two of them are sure that they have love for each other, that they desire each other, that they believe they can better worship and serve Allah (swt) together, then they can go back to each other even after a second divorce and even after another man has already married her and left her. Then in the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says These are the limits of Allah that He makes clear for a people who know. Once again we should remind ourselves Who these laws come from. These laws are not from any human, but they are from the Lord and the Master and the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth. How then should we revere and respect these laws when we know from where they come? Our first duty is to believe that these laws are from Allah (swt), and then we should strive to implement them in our lives in order to seek the Pleasure of Allah (swt). So when you fulfill the rights of your spouse and you treat them with kindness, you are not doing it for them but you are doing it for your Lord and Master as He (swt) has commanded you to do. And has Allah (swt) made His (swt)s laws difficult to understand or in any way unclear or obscure? Are the laws of Allah (swt) in the Quran and Sunnah confusing and contradicting? No! Rather as Allah (swt) says in this ayah about His (swt)s laws that He makes clear for a people who know. All of the laws of Islam are clear for a people of

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knowledge and understanding. There have been thousands and thousands of scholars in the history of this Din and none of them have ever complained that the laws of the Quran and Sunnah are confusing in any way. The laws of Allah (swt) are clear for the people of knowledge. It is only ignorant people who have no knowledge that think the Quran or Sunnah is confusing or unclear. Allah (swt) has made His (swt)s Law clear for a people who have a sincerity to worship and serve Him (swt). Such people read the Quran and the Sunnah and they know which are the actions that are pleasing to Allah (swt) and which are the actions that are displeasing to Him (swt). So they know how they can fulfill the purpose for which they were created. May Allah (swt) make us among such people! How Merciful and Compassionate then is the Creator Who has made His (swt)s Law so easy for us to understand? May we all strive to learn the Law of Allah (swt) so that we may know how to please Him (swt)! Nothing else matters in this life!

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232. And when you divorce women, and then they complete their terms, then either keep them with Maruf or release them with Maruf. And do not keep them to hurt them, and whoever does that has surely harmed his own self. Do not take the signs of Allah as a joke. And remember the favor of Allah on you and what He revealed to you from the Book and the Wisdom admonishing you with it. Have Taqwa of Allah, and know that surely Allah is with every single thing Knowing. In this ayah we see that Allah (swt) continues to relate to the early Muslims the proper way in which divorce should be conducted. In the previous ayah we mentioned the importance of divorce in that it affects the very foundation of the Muslim society and that is the Muslim family. That was why it needed to be handled very delicately and it must be taken very seriously. Since this relationship between husband and wife is the very foundation of the Muslim society every aspect of it must be handled with care and reverence. These laws concerning marriage and divorce are part of the Din of Allah (swt), and the Din of Allah (swt) is no object of jest or play. That is why we see that Allah (swt) has dedicated many ayahs of this Surah to the subject of divorce. Allah (swt) begins this ayah And when you divorce women, and then they complete their terms, then either keep them with Maruf or release them with Maruf. Here Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims once again what must be done when the waiting period of their wives ends. They must keep them with Maruf or let them go with Maruf. Once again we can note the Mercy and Compassion that Allah (swt) has for our sisters. Even during divorce which is time when

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husbands would naturally have some anger or ill feelings towards their wives, Allah (swt) still commands the Muslim husbands to treat their wives with kindness and compassion and to fulfill all of their rights and obligations. We have already discussed the duties and obligations of the husbands towards their wife if they decide to keep them. If they should release them, the husbands duties include allowing their wives to remarry another husband and making sure they are taken care of until they find another husband or until they return to their families. Then Allah (swt) further emphasizes the kindness and compassion that we must have for our sisters when He (swt) says And do not keep them to hurt them, and whoever does that has surely harmed his own self. If a husband should choose to keep his wife when her waiting period is over, he must not have any intention to cause her any harm or difficulty, should he do he would be committing a sin in front of Allah (swt). As we can see from this ayah, any husband who purposely hurts his wife or causes her undue hurt or suffering is only harming himself. He is harming himself in the life of this world by taking the love and compassion out of his marriage and bringing a life of misery and suffering for himself and his family. Even worse is that he is harming himself in the Hereafter by incurring sin for his action. We all know that any sin incurred in the life of this world can be transformed into unspeakable pain and suffering in the Hereafter. May Allah (swt) save us from that! So we see from this part of the ayah that Allah (swt) commands the Muslim men who decide to keep their wives after their waiting period to keep them with love and compassion and not to hurt them or cause them any pain or suffering. Then Allah (swt) says, Do not take the signs of Allah as a joke. The scholars say the signs of Allah (swt) in this ayah refer to the laws of Allah (swt). The laws of Islam are also among the signs that this Message could only have come from Allah (swt). Anyone who studies the laws of Islam will see how they are the best set of laws to govern and rule the lives of human beings. At the level of the individual, the family and the society these laws organize and conduct the lives of Muslims in such a way as to bring them peace and tranquility. If you even look at only the economic system of Islam you will see how it distributes the wealth of the land fairly and it ensures that the needs of all its citizens are taken care of. Only Allah (swt) could have legislated such a perfect system for the human. This system of life comes from the law of Allah (swt) and

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we see from this part of the ayah how Allah (swt) commands us not to treat His (swt)s laws as a joke. The scholars say that if we fail to practice the laws of Allah (swt) in our lives or if we fail to implement them correctly in our society then that is how we would be treating them as a joke. We know that this system of life comes from Allah (swt), how then would we be if we fail to implement it or if we fail to practice it in our lives? Could you picture yourself returning to Allah (swt) after having taken His (swt)s signs for a mockery. May Allah (swt) save us from that! Then Allah (swt) says And remember the favor of Allah on you and what He revealed to you from the Book and the Wisdom admonishing you with it. We should not take the laws of Allah (swt) as a joke because the laws of Allah (swt) are a favor and blessing of our Lord upon us. The Book and the Wisdom in this ayah refer to the Quran and Sunnah, which are the two primary sources from which we derive the Law of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) tells us in this part of the ayah how He (swt) revealed it to us to admonish us with it. This Law controls our behavior so that we would only do the actions that are pleasing to Allah (swt) and we stay away from the actions that are displeasing to Him (swt). This Law blocks all of the paths that lead to the displeasure of Allah (swt) and shines a light on the path that leads to His Pleasure. Thus it shows you how to reach the goal for which you were created. Now do you see how it is a tremendous favor and blessing of Allah (swt) on you? Should you not then do everything in your power to implement this Law in your life? Should you not do what you can to implement this Law in the society in which you live? In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) commands us to Have Taqwa of Allah, and know that surely Allah is with every single thing Knowing. Allah (swt) sent us His (swt)s Law so that we would implement it in our lives. Taqwa of Allah (swt) and the realization that He (swt) Knows every single thing is the primary motivator in implementing this Law and the primary deterrent from breaking it. When you remember and you realize that Allah (swt) Knows every single thing, He (swt) Knows all your actions and He (swt) Knows the intention behind your actions, will you not then strive to do the actions that are pleasing to Him (swt) and strive to keep away from the actions that are displeasing to Him (swt). This realization of the Knowledge of Allah (swt) in regards to our actions and the striving to only do what is pleasing to Him (swt) based on

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this realization is what Taqwa of Allah (swt) is. So when you remember that Allah (swt) Knows about all of your actions, that is when you will have Taqwa of Him (swt). This is what Allah (swt) reminds us of in this part of the ayah. Taqwa of Allah (swt) is especially important in relation to the laws concerning marriage and divorce. Even in something as private as family life and the dealings with ones own spouse, this Taqwa must still be maintained. Remember that even your dealings with your wife are within the realm of the Knowledge of Allah (swt) and you will be held accountable for how you treat her. If you hurt her for no reason, remember that you are only hurting yourself. A small pain that you may cause her in the life of this world will be transformed into a tremendous pain for you when you meet Allah (swt) because He (swt) Knows all that you did to her. This is what Allah (swt) reminds the early Muslims and reminds us of in this part of the ayah. To always have Taqwa of Allah (swt) and to remember that He (swt) Knows everything. May Allah (swt) save us from ever being unjust to our spouses and may Allah (swt) help us to always remember the consequences of that!

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233. And when you divorce women, and then they complete their terms, then do not prevent them from marrying their husbands if they both agree between themselves in Maruf. With this is admonished who among you believes in Allah and the Last Day. This is more virtuous for you and purer. And Allah Knows while you do not know. We can see that Allah (swt) begins this ayah with the exact same words with which He (swt) began the previous ayah. Allah (swt) says And when you divorce women, and then they complete their terms. These words indicate that time when the waiting period of a woman comes to an end when the couple must decide whether they want to come back together or whether they want to separate. This is the most crucial point in the divorce because it is here that the outcome of their relationship is determined. In the previous ayah, Allah (swt) reminded Muslim men that when this moment comes they must not take their wives back in order to harm them or cause them suffering in any way. Rather Allah (swt) told them to either keep their wives with Maruf or to let them go with Maruf. In this ayah, Allah (swt) continues to describe what must be done at this crucial moment when the waiting period of the wife comes to an end and the decision is made as to whether she returns to her husband or not. Allah (swt) then says in this ayah then do not prevent them from marrying their husbands if they agree between themselves in Maruf. This part of the ayah is actually addressing the families of the wives whose waiting periods have ended. Allah (swt) says in this ayah that when the waiting period of a woman has come to an end, then she should not be prevented from marrying her husband if both of them agree to come back together in Maruf. So when her waiting period comes to an end, and she wants to return to her husband, then she should not be prevented from doing so. As long as she and her husband want to come back

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together in Maruf, meaning they observe all of the laws of Allah (swt) and they treat each other with the love and kindness they each deserve, then the family of the wife should not stand in the way of the wife returning to her husband. The scholars tell us how at the time of the Prophet (saw) this ayah was revealed to address this exact situation. Maqil ibn Yasir was a companion of the Prophet (saw). When his sister was divorced by her husband and her waiting period had ended, her husband wanted to take her back and she wanted to go back to her husband. But Maqil refused to marry her to him because the man had divorced her in the first place. Maqil even swore an oath that he would not allow the two of them to come back together. So much so was his animosity towards this man who had divorced his beloved sister. Then Allah (swt) revealed this ayah commanding the early Muslims not to prevent a Muslim couple from coming back together when both husband and wife desired to come back together. When this ayah was revealed Maqil immediately allowed his sister to marry her husband and he even paid the expiation for his oath. From this not only can we see the eagerness of the early Muslims to follow the commands of Allah (swt) but once again we see Allah (swt) exhorting the Muslims to maintain the bonds of family. Allah (swt) is encouraging Muslim couples to come together and to build families. So no only should Muslims get married and seek to build families themselves, but also they should not stand in the way of other Muslims getting married if they can see that both husband and wife are pious and they are good for each other. So we see from this part of the ayah as well that the importance of family in Islam. The importance of maintaining the bonds of family cannot be stressed enough. It is the sincere brothers and sisters of this Ummah who will bring back the Islamic State, and not tanks and atomic bombs, so our focus should be on building strong Muslim families rather than trying to research the latest weapons technologies. May Allah (swt) guide us! Then Allah (swt) says With this is admonished who among you believes in Allah and the Last Day. Here Allah (swt) is reminding the Muslims of the nature of these commands that He (swt) is giving them. It is an admonition for the one who believes in Allah (swt) and the Last Day. Notice how Allah (swt) links these commands with the belief in Him (swt) and the Last Day. Allah (swt) is telling the Muslims that if you believe in Me and the meeting with Me on the

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Last Day, then do not do the actions that are displeasing to Me. For example do not prevent your women from marrying their husbands. Even if you are angry at the husbands for having divorced your sister, your fear for Allah (swt) and standing before Him (swt) on the Last Day should overcome that anger you have. This is one of many examples in the Quran where Allah (swt) links the behavior in this world with the belief in the Hereafter. Your behavior in this world is affected by your belief in the Hereafter. When you are certain that you are going to stand in front of Allah (swt) on the Last Day, and you are sure that Day is coming soon, then Insha Allah you will only do the actions in this world that are pleasing to Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) help us all to prepare for the Last Day to the best of our ability with the actions that are pleasing to Him (swt)! Then Allah (swt) says This is more virtuous for you and purer. We can all understand the situation that Maqil ibn Yasir must have been in. A man had just divorced his beloved sister. Maqil obviously must have thought very highly of his sister. He may have thought that his sister is so pious, so beautiful and so noble that this man should have considered himself fortunate to have her. So you could see why he would have been so upset when this man divorced her and why he would have been so reluctant to give her back to him. Would you have acted any differently in his situation? But Maqil was missing the bigger picture in that by the fact his sister wanted to go back to her husband despite the fact that he had divorced her shows that she still has love for him. And as we mentioned divorce is a last option that must be implemented only when there is no love left between the couple and they are both sure that they do not want to be with each other. So Maqil did not realize that it would have been in the best interests of his sister, and her husband and the Muslim community as a whole if they stayed together. So for him to allow their marriage despite his grievances would be more virtuous for him and it would have been purer. Purifying yourself before Allah (swt) includes surrendering your desires for His (swt)s. Doing what Allah (swt) wants for you rather than what you want for yourself. That is what true virtue and piety is. A good person is one who surrenders his will to that of his Creator and Sustainer, his Lord and Master. Allah (swt) reminds Maqil and reminds us of that fact in this part of the ayah. May Allah (swt) help us all to submit our desires and feelings to Him (swt)!

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Finally Allah (swt) says And Allah Knows while you do not know. In the final portion of this ayah, Allah (swt) reminds us that it is He (swt) Who Knows while we do not know. Like Maqil we are being asked to submit our desires to the Law of Allah (swt). This must be done with the realization that Allah (swt) Knows while we do not know. Allah (swt) Knows what is best for us and we do not. We should not question the Law of the Creator in any way but we should only submit to it with a full submission. We can become so arrogant with what little knowledge that we have that we tend to forget how it is Allah (swt) Who has all of the real knowledge and how our knowledge when compared to His (swt)s is nothing. So when Allah (swt) tells us to do something we must do it knowing that command comes from the All-Knowing. Even if we do not feel like doing it and we feel like doing something else, we must still remind ourselves that our knowledge is little and that what Allah (swt) has commanded us to do is better for us even if we may not realize it. We must still do it because the command comes from the One Who has all Knowledge. Allah (swt) Knows what is best for us and we submit to His (swt)s Knowledge with a full submission. We must always tell ourselves that Allah (swt) Knows while we do not know and that is why we have to follow all of His (swt) laws without question. Look at the case of Maqil in this ayah. When Allah (swt) told him that it was better and purer for him to allow his sister to go back to her husband then he only submitted to this command with a full submission. Even though this command meant him having to admit that he was wrong and him allowing his sister to go back to a man who had divorced her Maqil still submitted to it. This must be our attitude as well. When it comes to the Sacred Law our job is not to question but instead our job is only to listen and obey. So even if our limited knowledge and our desires tell us to do one thing, and Allah (swt) tells us to do something else, we must do what Allah (swt) wants. Allah (swt) Knows while we do not know. May Allah (swt) help us and help all Muslims to realize and remember this fact!

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234. And the mothers should suckle their children for two years, this is for whoever wishes to complete the time of suckling, and on the father is their sustenance and their clothing with Maruf, and no soul is burdened more than it can bear. And the mother shall not be made to suffer for her child nor the father for his, and on the heir is incumbent similar to that. If they both decide on weaning the child by mutual consent and consultation, there is no blame on them. And if you desire to engage a wet nurse for your children then there is no blame on you so long as you pay fully what you would give in Maruf. And have Taqwa of Allah and know that surely Allah is with all that you do Seeing. One of the most important issues that comes up in any divorce is that of children and that is what Allah (swt) addresses in this ayah. In this ayah, Allah (swt) specifically addresses what must be done with young children who are less than two years. This is that vital age when the infant is most in need of its mother. It is when the child is most vulnerable and most in need of care. Allah (swt) tells us here of the responsibility of both the father and the mother during this critical age in the life of their child. Once again we can see from this ayah the importance that Allah (swt) has placed on family. Let us remind ourselves once again that Surah Baqarah was one of the first Surahs revealed in Madinah to guide the Islamic community that had formed there. In these ayahs we see that Allah (swt) has not given detailed rulings on the foreign policy of the

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Islamic State or detailed laws on how to regulate the economy of the State, although these a very much a part of Islam as well. Rather the laws for these matters can be found in the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw). While here in the Quran, which is the foundation of Islam, we see laws relating to the foundation of the society and that is the family. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying And the mothers should suckle their children for two full years. Here Allah (swt) commands the Muslim mothers to breastfeed their children for the first two years. The breastfeeding should be present as long as she has the ability to do so. The breastfeeding of the child is an obligation on the mother for the first two years as long as she has the ability to do so. Even if she is divorced from her husband, she still has a responsibility to suckle the child. The milk that flows from her breast really belongs to that child and it is not right for her to deny it that. . Allah (swt) specifically emphasizes that is must be for two full years to show that the child has a right to that milk for the first two full years of its life. Even today doctors are discovering all of the benefits that can come to the child from the mothers milk. Breast milk has exactly the right amount of nutrients for the child and it also has antibodies to help protect the child from disease. Then Allah (swt) says this is for whoever wishes to complete the time of suckling. Not all mothers are able to complete two full years of breastfeeding for their child. Sometimes their milk may run dry, sometimes they might be sick, or there may be some other valid reason why the child should begin eating food other than its mothers milk. So Allah (swt) tells us in this part of the ayah that the command to breastfeed the child is only for those mothers who are able and who do not find any valid reason not to breastfeed. Allah (swt) Knows best! Then Allah (swt) says and on the father is their sustenance and their clothing with Maruf. This is true for the couple who is still married and even for the couple who is divorced when the child is less than two years of age. It is the responsibility of the father of the child to provide for the food, the shelter and the clothing of both the mother and of the child while she is breastfeeding it in those first two years. We see from the ayah that the father must provide with Maruf. In his tafsir of this ayah, Imam Qurtubi defines this as what is without excess or negligence. So he does not have to overspend on them but he cannot leave them without their

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needs. The father must remember that this spending is a duty that he has for Allah (swt) and if he spends too little then he is responsible before Allah (swt) for neglecting his obligations. May Allah (swt) save us all from that! Then Allah (swt) says and no soul is burdened more than it can bear. Here Allah (swt) says that the father does not need to provide for the wife and the child that which is more than his capacity. So the wife cannot demand from the husband the most expensive of clothing or the largest of houses. He has a responsibility to take care of her but only within his ability. From here we can see the Mercy and Justice of Allah (swt) for all parties. There is Mercy and Justice for the husband, for the mother and for the child. Even in divorce we can see that Allah (swt) ensured that the needs of the child are taken care of. Then Allah (swt) says And the mother shall not be made to suffer for her child nor the father for his. The scholars say that the meaning of this ayah is that neither the husband nor the wife can cause undue suffering for each other because of that child. For example the husband cannot neglect the obligations that he has to provide for the wife, and the wife cannot demand more than what is in the husbands capacity to pay. Even if they are divorced, the husband and wife still have a responsibility to look after their child. They cannot use their child as a way of venting any anger or ill feelings that they may have for each other. If they do then they are both answerable to Allah (swt). In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says and on the heir is incumbent similar to that. Here Allah (swt) is saying that in case the father passes away, then it is the responsibility of his heir to look after the mother and the infant. So whoever inherits from the father, these are the people who are now responsible for the mother and the child. They must provide for and take care of the mother and child just as the father would have. From this part of the ayah we can see how even when the father has passed away, Allah (swt) has legislated laws to ensure that the mother and child are taken care of. How Merciful and Compassionate is Allah (swt) to the sisters and the children of this Ummah. Why is it that we as a nation have forgotten this mercy and compassion on our part?

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Then Allah (swt) says If they both decide on weaning the child by mutual consent and consultation, there is no blame on them. Here Allah (swt) says how if for some reason that the mother is not able to breastfeed the child, then the child may be weaned on food other than its mothers milk provided that both the mother and the father agree to this. So after mutual consultation between the father and the mother and after their agreement that it is what is best for the child, then there is no sin on them if they wean the child before it reaches two years. Then Allah (swt) says And if you desire to engage a wet nurse for your children, there is no blame on you so long as you pay fully what you would give in Maruf. If the mother is not able to produce sufficient milk for the child then a wet nurse may be used to breastfeed the child for her. Here Allah (swt) says that there is no blame on the mother or the father if they employ a wet nurse to breastfeed their child in such a situation. The only condition is that the wet nurse must be paid in full for her services. Once again the amount must be what is Maruf, that is not too extravagant or too little. We can also see from this part of the ayah how Allah (swt) commands that all debts, no matter how trivial, must be paid. From this part of the ayah scholars have ruled that it is an obligation for all employers to pay their employees and for all employees to fulfill their duties. Finally Allah (swt) says And have Taqwa of Allah and know that surely Allah is with all that you do Seeing. Notice how after Allah (swt) gives us commands, He (swt) always reminds us of His (swt)s Names and attributes. Here Allah (swt) gave the Muslims several detailed commands on how to deal with young children. Allah (swt) expects all of these commands to be implemented and none of them to be neglected. So He (swt) reminded the Muslims to have Taqwa of Him (swt) and He (swt) reminded them how He (swt) is with all of their actions Seeing. He (swt) Sees every single thing that they do. So for example when a mother decides not to breastfeed her child even when she is able then she should remember that Allah (swt) is Seeing her do that, and when a father does not pay enough to support his divorced wife and their infant child even when he is able then he should remember that Allah (swt) is Seeing him do that. If either husband or wife decide to neglect any of their duties then they must remember that Allah (swt) is Seeing.

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The early Muslims realized Who Allah (swt) IS and they could picture themselves with the reality of having to face Allah (swt) on the Last Day. They knew that on that Day they would have to answer for all of their actions and they knew that Allah (swt) is Seeing to all of their actions. So they had this Taqwa of Allah (swt) and they did not do the actions that were displeasing to Him (swt). May Allah (swt) enable us to gain this Taqwa of Him (swt) as well! May Allah (swt) help us to remember that He (swt) is always Seeing every single one of our actions!

235. And the ones who die from you and leave behind wives, they should keep to themselves in waiting for four months and ten days, then when they have completed their term, there is no blame on you for what they do with themselves in Maruf. And Allah is with all your actions Well Aware. The foundation of the Islamic society is the family and in this ayah we see that Allah (swt) continues to give us rulings on the family life of our community. We remind ourselves as we read these ayahs about the importance that our Lord has placed on family. The way in which we deal with our families should be every much an act of worship and servitude to Allah (swt) as our prayers and fasting are. On the Last Day, Allah (swt) will question us on how we dealt with our family just as He (swt) will question us on our prayers and our fasting. So far Allah (swt) has already told us about marriage, divorce and children. Now He (swt) gives us rulings for another important aspect of family life and that is how we deal with widows. There would always be many widows in the early days of the Islamic State because many men would go out in the path of Allah (swt) never to return to their families. Instead of returning to their wives they would go their Lord.

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In this ayah Allah (swt) tells the entire community how the widows of such martyrs should be treated. Of course the ruling here applies to all widows regardless of how their husbands died. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying And the ones who die from you and leave behind wives. Here Allah (swt) is bringing our attention to widows. They are the women who are left behind when Muslim men pass away. Once again we can see the care and importance that Allah (swt) has placed on women. He (swt) dedicated an entire ayah in His (swt)s blessed Book only to ensure that widows are properly cared for. Islam is a complete way of life and there are so many different subjects that Allah (swt) could have addressed in this ayah of the Quran. But Allah (swt) chose to address the subject widows because He (swt) cares for them. Who then can say that Islam neglects women or that Islam does not treat women well. Those who say so are unaware of the Source from where this Din originates. They are ignorant as to what is in the Quran. Regarding such widows Allah (swt) says they should keep to themselves in waiting for four months and ten days. This is the mourning period for a widow in Islam. During this period she cannot marry anyone and she cannot accept explicit marriage proposals from anyone. She also cannot beautify herself or adorn herself for men in any way. The majority of the scholars also say that during this period she cannot leave her deceased husbands home unless absolutely necessary. So for example she can only go to the market for provisions during the day if she does not have anyone else to go out for her, and she can only go out for medical treatment if it is absolutely needed. Otherwise she must remain in the home of her husband during her mourning period. Allah (swt) Knows best! In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says then when they have completed their term, there is no blame on you for what they do with themselves in Maruf. Here Allah (swt) says that when the mourning period is over, the widow should be free to do whatever she wants, as long as it is Maruf, meaning as long it is in conformity with the Law of Allah (swt). So after the mourning period, she is free to accept marriage proposals, free to beautify and adorn herself, free to travel wherever she wishes and she is free to get married to another husband. Neither her relatives, nor the relatives of her deceased husband nor the Islamic State can prevent her from

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doing so. Once her mourning period has ended she can do with herself as she pleases, just as long as it is in accordance with the Law of her Lord. We can see the Wisdom of Allah (swt) in legislating this period of mourning for widows. Are there any two people who are closer in life than a husband and a wife? A husband and wife have a special companionship that is unlike any other. That is why women need time to get over the loss of their husbands. When anyone we know passes away, the Prophet (saw) has said that the time for mourning should only be three days except in the case of a wife whose husband passes away. Her period of mourning is as Allah (swt) says in this ayah, four months and ten days. This is for her to get over the loss of the person who was closest to her in life. Some scholars have also noted that this is a period when it can be ascertained for certain that she is not pregnant. Allah (swt) Knows best! In the final part of the ayah, Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims that Allah is with all your actions Well Aware. Allah (swt) is Well Aware of every single action that you do. There is not even the smallest of actions that you can do that He (swt) is not well acquainted with. So we can see once again how Allah (swt) links obedience to His (swt)s laws and rulings with the knowledge of His (swt)s Names and attributes. The ones who know Allah (swt)s Names and attributes will think twice about doing the actions that are displeasing to Him (swt). When you know that Allah (swt) Knows Well every single action that you do, will you not then be extremely careful with your actions? Can you afford to give yourself the luxury of even a moment of heedlessness to Allah (swt)? No, because although you may not always be aware of Allah (swt) you should know that Allah (swt) is always Aware of you and that He (swt) is Aware of all that you do. And it is only your deeds that you take with you to your grave and it is only your deeds that you will meet Allah (swt) with. So should you not then strive to remember Allah (swt) at every moment of your life and strive to only do the actions that are pleasing to Him (swt)? Remind yourself again and again that Allah (swt) is even more Aware of your deeds than you are. Even the smallest of deed, an action that would not even take you a moment to do, Allah (swt) Knows about it even more than you do. So how much then should we be aware of our Lord? How much should we be asking Forgiveness of Him (swt)? May Allah (swt) give us all the ability to do that!

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236. And there is no blame on you in giving a hint regarding proposal of marriage to these women or keeping it concealed to yourself. Allah Knows that you will think of them in this way. But do not make a contract with them in secret except that you may say a word in Maruf. And do not resolve on marriage until the prescribed period reaches its end. And know that surely Allah Knows what is on your mind so fear Him. And know that surely Allah is Forgiving Forbearing. We mentioned in the previous ayah how there were many widows in the early days of the Islamic State. Many of the Muslim men would go out in jihad in the path of Allah (swt) and they would not return to their wives, rather they would return to Allah (swt) as martyrs. Now Muslims at the time of the Prophet (saw) knew the importance of family. So they knew that their Muslim sisters should not be left without husbands. They knew that Allah (swt) created men and women for each other, and both of them should not be left without the other. So many Muslim men in the early days of the Islamic State wanted to wed these sisters who were widowed. Because of this the sisters who were widowed had a long line of potential suitors waiting for them. These brothers were waiting for the mourning period of these widows to finish so that they can propose to them. All of these Muslims wanted to make sure that their sisters in Islam were taken care of. They knew the importance of family in this Din and they knew the importance of every sister having a husband. Now some of the brothers found it difficult to wait for four months and ten days to

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propose, they wanted to propose to the widow sooner so that another man would not beat them to her. For such brothers, Allah (swt) revealed this ayah. Once again we can note from this ayah the importance that Allah (swt) has placed on making sure that all of our sisters are taken care of. The care that Allah (swt) has taken to make sure that as many Muslim families as possible are established. We can see from this ayah that Allah (swt) does not want anything to stand in the way of a good Muslim brother and sister from becoming husband and wife. Not even the mourning period of the widow. Allah (swt) says in this ayah And there is no blame on you in giving a hint regarding proposal of marriage to these women or keeping it concealed to yourself. If a Muslim brother was interested in a Muslim sister who was a widow in her mourning period, and he desperately wanted to propose to her before anyone else did, Allah (swt) says to him in this ayah that he may give a hint of a proposal. For example he may say how fortunate would be the husband who could have you as a wife or he could even say I hope Allah (swt) may bring us together as husband and wife or something to that effect. It is not a direct proposal but it is a hint at a proposal. Through this proposal the sister may understand his intentions and she may keep herself for him when her mourning period ends. But on the other hand if the brother wants to keep his desire to himself until the mourning period is over, and then propose to her directly, then that is acceptable as well. Both of these options are acceptable for the Muslim brothers who are interested in Muslim sisters who are widowed. Then Allah (swt) says Allah Knows that you will think of them in this way. Here Allah (swt) tells the Muslim brothers that He (swt) Knows that they think about proposing to the Muslim sisters who are widowed. Allah (swt) Knows them and He (swt) Knows that they will have this intention. So it was only part of His (swt)s Mercy and Compassion for this Ummah that He (swt) gave this allowance where the brothers can make this indirect proposal. From this we can see the Mercy of Allah (swt) for this Ummah, and we can see how Allah (swt) wants Muslim sisters to be wed as soon as their mourning period ends. We can also see how Allah (swt) wants Muslim families to be formed and righteous children to be raised.

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In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says But do not make a contract with them in secret except that you may say a word in Maruf. Now here is a word of caution in this part of the ayah. Allah (swt) tells the Muslim brothers that although He (swt) has given them the allowance to make this indirect proposal, this does not mean that they can make an explicit proposal nor can they actually make a marriage contract. Such an action would be forbidden while the sister is still in her mourning period. All that they can do is say a word in Maruf. This word in Maruf refers to the indirect proposal that they make towards the sister. Even their words in this indirect proposal must be in conformity to the Law of Allah (swt). They cannot say to her anything explicit, anything lewd or anything unbecoming of a Muslim. They can only say that which is decent and that which is indirect like the example we gave above. Anything more than this would be forbidden because the sister is still in her mourning period. Allah (swt) Knows best! Then Allah (swt) says And do not resolve on marriage until the prescribed period reaches its end. Here Allah (swt) explicitly reminds us that no marriage is to be proposed or contracted until after the mourning period of the widow ends. So although there could be an implicit proposal, Allah (swt) makes it clear in this part of the ayah that it must not be an actual marriage proposal and there can be no marriage contract signed. Then Allah (swt) says And know that surely Allah Knows what is on your mind so fear Him. Allah (swt) Knows the intentions of all Muslim brothers and sisters towards each other. If they have a desire to get married once her mourning period ends, then He (swt) Knows whether they intend to abide by His (swt)s Law or whether they are inclining towards satisfying their lusts. So Allah (swt) reminds them of His (swt) Knowledge and He (swt) reminds them to fear Him (swt). Allah (swt) has given them these allowances so that they can get married according to His Law once her mourning period ends. However if they try to circumvent the Law of Allah (swt) and do anything more than an indirect proposal with honorable and decent words then they should remember that Allah (swt) Knows what they are doing. Not only does Allah (swt) Know what they are doing but He (swt) also Knows what is on their minds. They should remember how Allah (swt) is going to take them to task for every single one of their actions on the Last Day. Thus in this part of the ayah Allah (swt) is reminding these brothers and sisters that He (swt) Knows what is on

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their minds. If they are even thinking of going beyond the limits that He (swt) has set here then they should know that He (swt) Knows what they are thinking. They should remember that on the Day of Judgment it could be the smallest of deeds that could change the scale. Finally Allah (swt) says, And know that surely Allah is Forgiving Forbearing. Whenever Allah (swt) mentions fear of Him (swt) it used to send chills down the spines of the early Muslims. They would almost become paralyzed with the fear of Allah (swt). So in this part of the ayah, Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims that He (swt) is also Forgiving and Forbearing. He (swt) is Forgiving in that if they had a small intention in their hearts to break the Law of Allah (swt), but they did not follow through with that intention then Allah (swt) would Forgive them and He (swt) would not punish them. Similarly Allah (swt) is also Forbearing in that even when they do the actions that would warrant the punishment of Allah (swt), He (swt) does not punish them immediately but rather He (swt) delays the punishment and He (swt) even wipes away the punishment if they sincerely make repentance to Him (swt). Such is our Lord. He (swt) Forgives again and again and He (swt) withholds the punishment again and again. How then can you give up on your Lord no matter how many sins you have done? How then can you think that He (swt) will never forgive you? Whenever we fall into sin may Allah (swt) always help us to remember how Forgiving He (swt) IS! May Allah (swt) make us among those who are always making Tawbah to Him (swt)! May Allah (swt) help us to remember that He (swt) is the Forgiving and Forbearing!

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237. There is no sin on you if you divorce women before you have touched them and before you have given them their Mahr, but give them a gift, the rich according to his means and the poor according to his means. A gift with Maruf. A duty upon the Mohsineen. In this ayah, Allah (swt) gives us rulings on what must be done when women are divorced before the marriage is consummated and before the Mahar is paid. Once again we remind ourselves that the Mahar is an obligatory gift that the husband must give to his wife when they get married. We remind ourselves also that the consummation of the marriage is the couple spending the night together. Here Allah (swt) gives the ruling of what must be done if the couple desire a separation while the Mahar has not yet been paid and the marriage has not yet been consummated. From this ayah we are once again reminded of the importance of marriage and family in this Din. The fact that Allah (swt) would dedicate so many ayahs to this subject shows the importance of it. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying There is no sin on you if you divorce women before you have touched them and before you have given them their Mahr. The Arabs at the time of the Prophet (saw) used to look down upon any divorce that occurred before the marriage was consummated. They used to think that even if the couple decides that they are not right for each other, they should still consummate their marriage first before they divorce. Here Allah (swt) shows how such thinking is wrong. If the marriage contract has been signed, but then the couple can clearly see that they are not right for each other, then there is no obligation on them to spend the night together. This time of intimacy should only be for couples who love each other and who want to spend their lives together with each other. If the couple can see that they

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are not right for each other, then they can end the marriage before they even touch each other. Allah (swt) says in this part of the ayah that there is no sin on them in this case. The paying of the Mahar is closely linked with the consummation of the marriage. Once the marriage has been consummated, the husband must then pay the Mahar that he agreed to in the marriage contract, otherwise it would be a sin on him. Allah (swt) Knows best! So what must the couple do if they divorce before the husband pays the Mahar and before they consummate the marriage? Allah (swt) says but give them a gift. The husband must give his wife a gift if he should divorce her before consummation and before payment of the Mahar. Regarding this gift Allah (swt) says that it must be for the rich according to his means and the poor according to his means. Once again we see the Mercy and Justice of Allah (swt) in the laws that He (swt) legislates. Allah (swt) cares for the Muslim sister so He (swt) legislates that she should receive a gift during this difficult time of divorce. Even though her husband has not even have touched her, she still receives this gift to console her during this difficult time of divorce. Allah (swt) also cares for the Muslim brother in that He (swt) does not order him to give a gift that it beyond his means. The Muslim brother should only give what is according to his means given his current financial situation in life. He does not need to give more than he can afford. At the same time however, he must remember that the order to give this gift came from his Lord so he should not give a gift that is worthless or of low value. He must give the best that he can afford according to his situation. Allah (swt) Knows best! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says A gift with Maruf. A duty upon the Mohsineen. This part of the ayah is an indication that the bestowal of this gift is an obligation for all Muslim men who are in this situation where they are divorcing their wives before they have consummated the marriage and before they have paid the Mahar. Here Allah (swt) shows Muslim men that marriage is no joke and similarly divorce is no joke. They are both something that must not be taken lightly. Even if the marriage ended before the husband and wife had a chance to consummate the marriage and even before the Mahar was paid, the husband still has to give this gift. If he does not give this gift he will be sinning in front of Allah (swt), and he will have to answer before his Lord on the Last Day. We can also note how Allah (swt) describes the gift as being

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with Maruf. Recall how we said that this means not too extravagant and not too niggardly. So one does not have to sacrifice all of ones wealth in this gift but at the same time it must be a gift of some value. The value that you place in this gift shows the regard that you have for Allah (swt) and the extent to which you are willing to sacrifice to obey His (swt)s command. So we see from this final part of the ayah that this gift is an obligation for all husbands who divorce their wives before consummation of the marriage and before the Mahar is paid. Both the rich husband and the poor husband must give the best gift that he can afford to the woman that he is letting go. By giving this gift he is showing regard for Allah (swt) and he is also showing love and compassion for the woman that he is letting go. Such a gift will also show how even a divorce such as this will not end with any hard feelings between the Muslim brother and sister or between their respective families. Thus the overall unity of the Muslim community will be preserved. Even in this situation where Muslim couples see that they are not right for each other and they have to part, they will part on love and brotherhood. May Allah (swt) help us all to realize the love and compassion that He (swt) has placed in His (swt)s Law! May Allah (swt) help us to realize that all that matters is that we submit to Him (swt)! May Allah (swt) help us to realize that one of the ways in which we submit to Him (swt) is by showing love and compassion to our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters and to our fellow brother and sisters in humanity!

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238. And if you divorce them before you touch them but after you give them the Mahar, then give them half of the Mahar, except if she should relinquish it, or he in whose hand is the marriage should relinquish it completely, and to relinquish is closer to Taqwa, and do not forget Fadl between yourselves, surely Allah is with what you do All-Seeing. Remember in the previous ayah how Allah (swt) gave us the ruling of what must be done when a couple is divorced before they have consummated the marriage and before the Mahar has been given. Allah (swt) told us how the husband was obligated to give a gift to the woman he was letting go. It was gift that was according to his means, according to what he can afford. In this ayah Allah (swt) gives us the ruling on how to conduct the divorce where the marriage has not been consummated but the Mahar has already been paid. Once again we should note the details in the Law of Allah (swt), how the Law covers every situation that could arise in the lives of the Muslims. Allah (swt) begins the ayah by saying And if you divorce them before you touch them but after you give them the Mahar. Here Allah (swt) clearly describes for us the situation for which the ruling that follows will be applied. Once again we can note the clarity with which Allah (swt) gives us rulings in the Quran. Allah (swt) makes it clear how the previous ayah applied to the case where the Mahar had not been paid and the marriage was not consummated, and this ayah also applies to where the marriage is not consummated but it is where the Mahar has already been paid. So who is there who can say that the ayahs of the Quran are not clear, and who is there that they can seek to bring their own interpretation when the meaning that the words gives is so clear?

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For this situation, Allah (swt) says then give them half of the Mahar. If a husband divorces his wife before the consummation of the marriage then he is obligated to allow her to keep half of the Mahar. If the entire Mahar had already been paid in full before the divorce, then after the divorce the wife must give back half of it. So the ruling in this case is that the husband gets half and the wife gets half. Once again we can see Allah (swt) give rulings that are especially favorable to our sisters. The husband is still obligated to give her half of the Mahar even when he has not even touched her and she is no longer his wife. Who then can come and say that the laws of Islam are unfair for women? Do these look like the laws that were made by men in a desert society that used to completely exploit and oppress women? No rather these are the laws that come from the Creator and Sustainer of this universe. Would you not then give them the respect that they deserve? Then Allah (swt) says except if she should relinquish it. Here is an exception to the ruling above. Here Allah (swt) says that if the wife wants to she can give up her half of the Mahar, and she can return it to her husband. So for the sisters who may come from wealthy families or the sisters who may want to show kindness to their husbands, they can give up their share and return it to the former husbands. Then Allah (swt) says or he in whose hand is the marriage should relinquish it completely. This is yet another exception to the ruling of the wife getting half and the husband half. Most of the scholars say that whom Allah (swt) means by he in whose hand is the marriage is the husband. So here Allah (swt) is saying that if the husband wishes he can forego his entire claim on the Mahar and give it completely to the wife. This means that the wife would get to keep the entire Mahar just as she would have if they had consummated the marriage even though in this situation they have not. So another exception to each spouse getting half of the Mahar is that the husband gives the wife the entire Mahar even though he has divorced her without ever touching her. Allah (swt) Know best! Then Allah (swt) says and to relinquish is closer to Taqwa. This is directed to both the husband and the wife. Allah (swt) tells each of them that it is better for each of them to give up their share of the Mahar. So whoever of them both remembers Allah (swt) more, whoever of them

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fears Allah (swt) more, that one would rush to give up their share of the Mahar. Because as they can see from the words of their Rabb in this ayah, such is closer to Taqwa. What is most important is that mutual love and compassion be preserved in the Muslim community even during times of divorce. Each member of the Muslim community should love to sacrifice for the sake of Allah (swt) in order to please another member of the community. This way the love exists between the members and the community remains united and strong. Our Ummah needs to be united as one body, and in ayahs like this, Allah (swt) ensures that even small family squabbles over something like the Mahar in a divorce does not get in the way of that unity. Everyone should love each other, and everyone should be willing to sacrifice for each other. How far is the Muslim Ummah today from the model that Allah (swt) expects of us in the ayahs of the Quran? Then Allah (swt) says and do not forget Fadl between yourselves. The word Fadl gives the meaning of kindness, bounty, and grace. Allah (swt) is the owner Immense Fadl and He (swt) has given us more than we could possibly ever imagine. But in this part of the ayah, Allah (swt) reminds us how we must not forget Fadl between ourselves. Each member of the Muslim community must give with generosity as much as he or she can to the other members. Not only must you give your Muslim brothers and sisters what is their right and their due, but you must also try to give them more than what they deserve from you. Is this not what Allah (swt) has done to you? This part of the ayah applies not only to husbands and wives in regards to the Mahar, but to all Muslims in their dealings with each other. This Fadl between Muslim brothers and sisters does not have to be money or wealth, it could even be a smile or a kind word. We should give as much as we can to each other and consider as a part of our worship and servitude to Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) enable us all to be as generous as we possibly can to our Muslim brothers and sisters! For that is part of our worship and servitude to Allah (swt) as well! Finally Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims surely Allah is with what you do All-Seeing. Allah (swt) Sees every single one of our actions. There is not a single action that we can do that Allah (swt) does not witness. For all the husbands and wives who found themselves going through this kind of divorce, their knowledge that Allah (swt) Sees all that they do was a motivation and incentive for them to do the right thing and strive to give up their share of the

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Mahar. Each of them knew that should they be the one to forfeit the Mahar and give it up to the other party, then Allah (swt) Sees what they do and He (swt) would be pleased with that. Is there anything better than doing an action that Allah (swt) is pleased with and having the knowledge that He (swt) is Seeing you do that action? How wonderful a feeling is it to know that right at this moment your Lord is witnessing you and perchance He (swt) may be pleased by what He (swt) is Seeing? Allah (swt) Sees everything. So this is a fact that we as Muslims must be conscious of throughout our daily lives. Whenever you feel lazy in doing your acts of obedience to Allah (swt), remember that right now at this very moment Allah (swt) Sees what you are doing. Whenever you are tempted to disobey Allah (swt) and break His Law then also remember that Allah (swt) Sees what you are doing. May Allah (swt) help us to remember Him (swt) at every moment and may He (swt) help us to remember how He (swt) is Seeing each and every one of our actions!

239. Keep guard over your prayers, and the middle prayer, and stand before Allah qanitin. Here we see that in between the ayahs concerning divorce, Allah (swt) reminds us of our Salah. Sayyid Qutb comments on this ayah by reminding us how this change in the subject matter of the ayahs is another aspect of the Miracle of the Quran. Allah (swt) is the only One Who can easily and smoothly change the subject matter and theme of the ayahs of the Quran without the change seeming out of place and without confusing the listener. Such a drastic yet smooth transition in the meaning of the words is a feat that is not achievable by the human writer. Only Allah (swt) is Able can compose a Quran where the meaning of the ayahs can be changed so easily and so smoothly. Sayyid Qutb also mentions how this ayah shows that all of Islam is part of our worship and servitude of Allah (swt). The way in which we marry and we divorce is just as much a part of our worship and servitude to Allah (swt) as our prayers are. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by reminding us; Keep guard over your prayers. Our Salah is something that we must guard like we would guard our family and our wealth. If we were

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to miss making a Salah at its appointed time then it would be like we lost that Salah. So to guard our Salah is to be mindful of the time for prayer and to strive to perform each prayer when the time comes. No matter what the difficulty, no matter what else you may have to do, when the time for Salah comes you must perform it. There is no excuse. This is because to lose your Salah would be even worse than losing your family or your wealth. Because if you lose your Salah you then you would be losing that which is most precious in your life; the Pleasure of Allah (swt). Think about Who Allah (swt) IS, then think about what you are losing, then realize how great is the loss of even one Salah. May Allah (swt) enable all of us to be constant in our prayers and may Allah (swt) save us from ever missing even one Salah! Then Allah (swt) says and the middle prayer. Here Allah (swt) is telling us that we should especially keep a guard over our middle prayer. The scholars have various opinions over which of the five daily prayers is the middle prayer, but the strongest opinion and that of the majority of the scholars is that it refers to Salatul Asr. The reasoning that many scholars give is that this is the prayer that comes in between the five and it is the prayer during which one finds oneself most occupied with the activities of life. Because you are usually busy with your day when this Salah comes, this is the prayer that you are most likely to miss if you are not careful in guarding it. So the lesson that we can take from this part of the ayah is that we should strive to keep a guard over all our prayers, but we must be especially careful with Salatul Asr. May Allah (swt) enable us all to make Salatul Asr and all our other prayers on time! Finally Allah (swt) ends this ayah by saying and stand before Allah qanitin. This part of the ayah is to remind us that our Salah should not just be five minutes of our day where we say some words that we do not understand while simply moving our bodies up and down. Many scholars have reminded us that the more heedless we are of Allah (swt) during our Salah, the greater the chance is of our Salah not being accepted by Allah (swt). How then can we expect to fare before Allah (swt) on the Last Day when even our Salah is not in order? So Allah (swt) reminds us that when we stand for our Salah we have to sand qanitin. This means that when we stand before Allah (swt) in our Salah it must be with full humility and complete obedience. Our entire selves must be dedicated to Allah (swt) during our Salah. Nothing else should distract us

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from Allah (swt) during our Salah. Our minds must be focused on Allah (swt) during our Salah. When we are standing we should be thinking about the meaning of the Quran that we are reciting, when we are bowing we must magnify the Greatness of Allah (swt), when we are prostrating we must extol the absolute Perfection of Allah (swt), and when we are sitting we must think about the supplications that we are making. All of this humility, obedience and complete submission is captured in the word qanitin. May Allah (swt) make us among those who make our Salah to Him (swt) qanitin!

240. But if you fear, (then make your prayers) on foot or riding, but when you are safe then remember Allah as He has taught you all that you used to not know. In the previous ayah, Allah (swt) reminded us how we needed to keep guard over all our prayers and how we need to be especially careful about Salatul Asr. Allah (swt) also reminded us how we need to make all our prayers qanitin. This means with complete obedience and full humility before Allah (swt), with our entire selves focused on Allah (swt). So the Salah must always be guarded closely, you have no excuse before Allah (swt) if you lose even one of your Salah. In this ayah, Allah (swt) shows us how even during times of fear the Salah must be made. Allah (swt) says in this ayah But if you fear, (then make your prayers) on foot or riding. You may think that the only time in which you may have a genuine excuse for purposely not making one of your prayers is when you feel that you are in real danger. When you feel that there is an enemy army that is about to attack you, or you feel there is a predator that is stalking you, or a hurricane or a sandstorm is about to strike you. During such a time, you may feel that if you should occupy yourself with Allah (swt), if you should take those ten minutes to devote your entire body to Him (swt) for your Salah, then this danger may overcome you and you may lose

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your life. You know that Salah is so important and so you may think that such a time is the only time where you may have an excuse for missing it. But look at what Allah (swt) says in this ayah. Allah (swt) says that even in such a state of fear, you must still make your Salah. Even when you are in such danger, you do not have an excuse for missing your Salah. Allah (swt) says in this ayah that you can make your Salah on foot or riding. This means you do not need to face the qibla, and you do not even need to make a full prostration or a full bowing. The scholars say it is enough to recite the words and nod your head for the movements. So we see that even in this time of fear, Allah (swt) has not given us an excuse to miss our Salah. Even in a time of great fear, the Salah must still be made. Can you then even begin to realize how important our Salah is? Many scholars have equated to Salah to Iman, it is something that must always be present, if it leaves then so does Iman. May Allah (swt) save us from that! In the second part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says but when you are safe then remember Allah as He has taught you. This means that when you find yourself in a safe place and free from the danger, then you should make your Salah as usual. Notice how Allah (swt) describes the Salah as something that He (swt) has taught us. This part of the ayah is then a further evidence that all of the Sunnah is from Allah (swt). Because we know that the actual method in which the Salah is to be performed is not to be found in the Quran but rather it is in the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw). So even though the Prophet (saw) taught the Muslims how to make our prayers, we see from this part of the ayah that it was Allah (swt) Who taught the Prophet (saw) and so it was really Allah (swt) Who taught us as well. The fact that even the way in which we make our prayers has been taught to us by the Lord and Master of the universe should motivate us even further to make our prayers on time and with as much perfection as we can possibly muster. Everything about our prayer is from Allah (swt), every movement that we make in it and every word that we say in it, so we must consider how fortunate we are that we get the chance to perform this blessed ritual at least five times a day. May Allah (swt) help us to remember every time we approach our Salah that this was an action that was ordained by Him (swt) and this an action that is loved most by Him (swt)!

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In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says He has taught you all that you used to not know. This part of the ayah is general and it does not apply only to the Salah, rather it applies to everything in this Din that Allah (swt) has taught us. So it includes the Salah and all of the other rulings of Islam that Allah (swt) has taught us. This Din is the perfect code of living with which the human being can organize his life. This is true both at an individual level and a societal level. At a societal level this Din has laws and rulings with which all the conflicts that ever arise between humans can be resolved. It has a detailed governmental structure, a detailed economic system and a detailed social system. All of these systems will bring justice and fairness to all people living under the Islamic State. At an individual level this Din has laws and rulings that will bring the human closer to Allah (swt) and show him how to realize the purpose of his existence. Once the human realizes the purpose of his existence, he will know peace and tranquility like he has never known before. He knows that nothing can happen in this world except by the permission of Allah (swt), and he knows that nothing else matters in life except the worship and servitude of Allah (swt). When the human being realizes this, then everything that he does he does for Allah (swt) and he is content with whatever Allah (swt) gives him in this life. So what could be a greater gift that Allah (swt) has given all of mankind than this Din? In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) reminds us that this Din is a way of life that He (swt) taught us. It is a way of life about which we did not know. We were ignorant and we were lost, then Allah (swt) guided us by sending to us the Prophet (saw) and teaching us this Din. How grateful then must we be to Allah (swt)? May Allah (swt) help us all to realize what an immense blessing this Din is! May Allah (swt) help us to live this Din at every moment of our lives!

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241. And the ones who die from you and leave behind wives should bequeath for their wives a years provision and residence without turning them out, but if they leave (of their own accord), there is no sin on you for what they do with themselves with Maruf. And Allah is Mighty Wise. After telling us about the importance of Salah, Allah (swt) concludes the rulings for divorced and widowed women in these ayahs. From these ayahs, we can see once again the special place that Allah (swt) has given for women in this Din. We see how Allah (swt) has dedicated so many ayahs in this special Surah to make sure all of the needs of our sisters are taken care of and to make sure that they are well looked after. We can note a specific emphasis on those sisters who are widowed and those who are divorced because they are most in need of being taken care of. Does this then seem to be a Din that neglects women or that does not care for women? Does this seem to you like a Din that was made by the minds of men? Living in the world that we live in today, we can never fully understand where women were before Allah (swt) revealed this Message, and how far He (swt) took them and how high He (swt) raised them with this Message. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying And the ones who die from you and leave behind wives should bequeath for their wives a years provision and residence without turning them out. In this ayah Allah (swt) is saying that those Muslim husbands who pass away should make sure that they leave behind for their wives provisions and residence for at least one year. It is an obligation for all Muslim husbands to leave behind for their wives enough money to provide for them for at least one year. They must also leave behind a residence for at least one year. Allah (swt) also commands in this ayah that the widows are not to be turned out from their homes. This shows that the widow has a right to stay in her husbands home for at least one year.

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If anyone were to try and evict her from her home, be it the government or the relatives of the deceased husband, they would then be committing a great sin in the Sight of Allah (swt). So we see from this part of the ayah that residence and provisions for at least one year is an obligation that all widows in the Islamic State have. If the estate of her husband is not enough to provide for her, then this responsibility falls on the State. The Islamic State must provide for the widows and make sure all of their needs are taken care of. Do any of the kufr governments that rule over the Muslim lands today fulfill this obligation? One lesson that we can take from this ayah is that we also must try to the best of our ability to make sure that we leave provisions and a residence for our wives and families in case that we are no longer there for them. We have a responsibility to provide for them even when we are no longer with them. We have to be aware of the desperate situation that our Ummah is in today, the Islamic State does not exist and so we cannot expect for the government to take care of them like it did before. None of us knows when our death will come, so we should all make sure that even at this moment we have enough saved up to provide for them for at least a year. These provisions include food, clothing and whatever else that they may require. As Allah (swt) says in the ayah, we must also make sure that they have a home in which to stay for at least a year. Now we know that life insurance and the like are forbidden in the Law of Allah (swt). So from the wealth that Allah (swt) has given us, we have to make sure that we leave enough for them should Allah (swt) take our souls tomorrow. May Allah (swt) help all Muslim to realize the command that He (swt) has given in this ayah, and to leave enough for their wives and families should death take them! In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says but if they leave (of their own accord), there is no sin on you for what they do with themselves with Maruf. We learned from the previous ayahs that the idda or mourning period of a widow is four months and ten days. This is the period in which she is not allowed to marry and she is not allowed to accept direct proposals for marriage. However in this ayah Allah (swt) says that once the idda of a widow expires then she is free to leave the house of her deceased husband and get married if she wants to. She can do whatever she wants with herself as long as it with Maruf, meaning as long as it in conformity

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with the Law of Allah (swt). So the obligation of the husband is to make sure that she has provisions and residence for at least one year, but if she wants to, she could leave and find another husband on her own once her idda ends. Allah (swt) has left is to her discretion, she can do what she pleases. If she wants to find another husband once her idda ends, that is lawful for her and if she wants to stay in the home of her deceased husband then she can be sure that all of her needs will be taken care for at least six months after that. How Merciful and Kind is Allah (swt) to the sisters of this Ummah? Some of the commentators on this ayah have told us about the treatment that women used to receive in the Arabian society before Allah (swt) sent this Message. How during the age of ignorance, the Arabs used to force the widow to wait by herself in isolation for an entire year. She was not allowed to have contact with anyone, she had to pass a year in solitude and isolation. Furthermore when her idda was over, she was subjected to a most humiliating and degrading of practices. First she was placed on a donkey, then camel dung was placed on her lap. Then was then paraded through the streets and alleys and she had to throw this dung from her lap to show everyone that her mourning period was over and that she was now eligible for marriage. This was the situation of widows in Arabian society before Islam came. Their situation in other societies was probably not that different. Now look how Allah (swt) completely transformed the situation of such widows when He (swt) revealed this Message. First Allah (swt) reduced the mourning period from one year to four months. Furthermore even during this mourning period she no longer needed to remain in isolation but she could see her relatives and she could meet other women. Then even during the year after her husbands death Allah (swt) mandated that all of her needs were taken care of by obligating that she be given a home and that she be given all the provisions that she could require. Finally Allah (swt) outlawed humiliating and degrading practices such as this. Look at where women were before this Message was sent and look where they are after, then ask yourself if this Message could have come from any except Allah (swt)? Ask yourself if the treatment that this Din gives for women is as cruel as the enemies of Islam have made it out to be? You have to realize that these people have an agenda and their agenda is from Shaitan.

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In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says And Allah is Mighty Wise. This is to remind us once again of the Source of this Din. None but Allah (swt) could have revealed this Din. Only the One Who is Mighty in that He (swt) can reveal any rulings that He (swt) wants could have revealed this Din. Some men at the time of the Prophet (saw) may have questioned as to why Allah (swt) revealed a Din that has given so many allowances to women? Allah (swt) reminds such doubters that He (swt) is Mighty so He (swt) does as He (swt) pleases. When Allah (swt) legislates a law, there can be none to question it. Allah (swt) is Mighty and so there is no force that can overcome Him (swt), no one to oppose Him (swt) or His Legislation. Thus you cannot resist the Law of Allah (swt), even if it is not to your liking you must still submit to it. This is because this Law comes from the Mighty and so there is no resisting it. So while some men may have complained as to why women were being given so many rights and why their power over their women was being taken away and why they have so many obligations that they must fulfill towards women, all of this complaining does not matter. These laws come from Allah (swt), the One Who is Mighty and Who cannot be defeated, so these laws must be submitted to. These laws also come from the One Who is the Most Wise, the One Who has all Wisdom and the One Who Knows what is in the best interests of all human beings, both men and women. So even if we cannot immediately see the wisdom in the laws of Allah (swt), we must still submit to them because we know that they come from the One Who is the Most Wise. We must remember the place of Allah (swt) and we must remember our place. We are not one to question the laws of Allah (swt). We are not ones to say that the laws of Allah (swt) are unfair to men or unfair to women. When a law comes from the One Who is the most Wise then we must submit to it regardless of our desires. We have to realize that it is Allah (swt) Who has Wisdom and we have none. We have to always remind ourselves that this Din comes from One Who is Mighty and the One Who is Wise. There is no opposing it and there should be no opposing it. Instead there should only be complete submission. May Allah (swt) enable all of us to realize that this Din comes from Him (swt), and may Allah (swt) allow all of us to submit to it with a complete submission!

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242. And for the divorced women a provision with Maruf. A duty on the Muttaqoon. In the previous ayah we saw how Allah (swt) had legislated that all Muslim husbands must leave behind provisions and a home for their wives when they pass away. We also saw how Allah (swt) had legislated similar rulings for sisters who are divorced. In this ayah Allah (swt) emphasizes the ruling that He (swt) gave in those ayahs. Allah (swt) emphasizes even further how the needs of all Muslim sisters should be taken care of. Allah (swt) says in this ayah And for the divorced women a provision with Maruf. Here Allah (swt) legislates that all women who are divorced should be given a provision by their former husbands. This provision depends on the circumstance of the divorce. As we have mentioned, this provision is to be a generous gift if the marriage was not consummated and the Mahar was not paid, or it is to be at least half of the Mahar if the marriage was not consummated but the Mahar was paid, or it is to be the full Mahar if the marriage was consummated. In all three of these cases, the divorced women receive a generous provision to make sure that they are well taken care of. So once again we see the Mercy and Love that Allah (swt) has for all the sisters in this Ummah. Regardless of their situation Allah (swt) has provided them with something. Allah (swt) also says that such a provision is A duty on the Muttaqoon. This shows that such a provision for divorced women is an obligation on all Muslim husbands. If they fail to give their wives this provision, they will be sinning in front of Allah (swt) and He (swt) will question them on the Last Day. So once again we see rulings in the Quran that are especially favorable for the sisters of this Ummah. Even if they were at fault in the divorce, even if they did not fulfill all of their obligations to their husband, they will still receive this provision from their husbands. With laws such as these, who then is there who can say that Islam is unfair to women? It is only the most ignorant of people who make such statements. It is only those who have an agenda to destroy this Din who make such statements. May Allah (swt) help all of us to realize the Mercy and Compassion that this Din has for all of the creation!

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243. That is how Allah makes clear to you His Signs so that you may reflect. Allah (swt) concludes this section of the Surah with this statement. In this section we have seen Allah (swt) give us many rulings concerning prayer, marriage, divorce, family life, laws of inheritance and the mourning period for women. Can anyone come and say that these rulings are in any way unclear? Were then in any way difficult to understand? After reading these ayahs can we say that we do not know what they mean? Should we think that these rulings are difficult or impossible to implement or follow in our lives? Of course not, because as Allah (swt) says in this ayah That is how Allah makes clear to you His Signs. These rulings and laws in the Quran are the Signs of Allah (swt) and He (swt) has made it perfectly clear for us. If we follow them then we will attain the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and we would be fulfilling the purpose of our existence. If we fail to follow them, we will be earning the displeasure of Allah (swt) and we would be turning away from the purpose of our creation. It is as simple as that. Allah (swt) tells us in this ayah that He (swt) made His (swt) Signs clear for us so that we may reflect on them. There are two aspects to this reflection. One is that we reflect on them in order to understand them, to learn how to correctly implement them in our lives. This is what the scholars of fiqh do. Another aspect of this reflection however is that we think about these laws and we realize how perfect they are and so we realize how they could only have come from Allah (swt). Think to yourself now whether such a Din could have from any except Allah (swt). This Din is the perfect system of life for the human being, do you think any human with a limited intellect could have come up with this Din? No, rather the laws of this Message and the way of life that they establish are in the themselves a proof for this Message. Never has mankind ever known tranquility and prosperity like it has known under Islam. This Din is a complete way of life with laws and rulings addressing every aspect in the life of the human being. So from the time you open your eyes in the morning to the time you go to sleep at night, there is a ruling that addresses each and every action that you can take. From the way in which you deal with your family to the structure of your government to the management of your wealth to your relationship

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with your Creator, all of this has been addressed in this Din. Allah (swt) has made this Din clear to you so that you may reflect on it and so that you may know that it is indeed from Him (swt). So we see from this the ayah how Allah (swt) tells us that He (swt) has made the rulings of Islam clear so that we may ponder over them, so that we can see the perfect system they bring, so that we may see how they address the human being perfectly, and then we can realize that such a Din could only be from Him (swt). May Allah (swt) guide us all to come to this realization! How unfortunate is it that today Islam is not being implemented in its entirety? So many people, both Muslims and non-Muslims, are unaware of how this Din is a complete way of life. Rather they only see Islam as a few rituals. Thus all these people are unaware of this clear evidence that Allah (swt) has placed in this Din. They are ignorant of one of the clearest Signs for this Message. Do you not think that when a person sees a Message as a complete way of life then he would be more attracted to it? Today one of the reasons why many non-Muslims are not interested in Islam and the reason why many Muslims have lost confidence in Islam is because they see it only as a religion like Christianity and Hinduism. So they think it is only superstitions of the past and that it has nothing to offer the modern world. They do not see it to be the complete way of life that it truly is. That is why they are not attracted to it and that is why they have turned away from it. We can even look back to the time of the Prophet (saw), it was only when the Islamic State was established and after it gained supremacy in the land did the people start entering into the Din in large numbers. Before the Islamic State was established, those who followed the Prophet (saw) were very few. So yet another reason why we need to work to bring back the Islamic State is so that both Muslims and non-Muslims will realize this Din for what it really is. Insha Allah when they come to this realization they will be guided to Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to return Islam to being a complete way of life as it used to be not so long ago! This way all of mankind would see this Message as it should be and perchance Allah (swt) may guide them to it!

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244. Have you not looked to those who went forth from their homes fearing death and they were in the thousands, so Allah said to them Die, then He gave them life. Surely Allah is full of Bounty to mankind but most of mankind do not give thanks. With this ayah, Allah (swt) begins a new section of this beautiful Surah. We remind ourselves once again of the environment in which this Surah was revealed. The Islamic State had just been established. After being silent for so many centuries, the dawah of calling mankind back to Allah (swt) had begun once again. A small community of believers in a farming village were being prepared to carry the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind and from them Allah (swt) would build the greatest civilization that mankind had ever known. It was in the midst of such greatness that Allah (swt) revealed this Surah to train and prepare this community for this tremendous mission. In the previous ayahs we have seen how Allah (swt) gave this community several important rulings related to prayer, to family life, to fasting and pilgrimage, and rulings to ensure that all the women within the community are looked after and taken care of. So we see that among the first of rulings that Allah (swt) gives this community are those to ensure that their wives and their families are taken care of. Then Allah (swt) gives them rulings to ensure that they strengthen their relationship with Him (swt) through prayer, fasting and pilgrimage. Once they had strengthened their connection with Allah (swt) and they had provided for their families, they were now ready to go forth into the world and carry this Message to mankind. We can take a lesson from this part of the ayah for ourselves as well, we can realize that in order to carry this dawah, we have to make sure that our relationship with Allah (swt) is strong and we should also make sure that our families are taken care of. What kind of a dawah carrier neglects his family or neglects his relationship with Allah (swt)? How can he call others to this Message when he

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himself is neglecting the very fundamentals of it? May Allah (swt) save us from ever becoming like that! Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying, Have you not looked to those who went forth from their homes fearing death and they were in the thousands. Sayyid Qutb tells us in his tafsir of this ayah how there are several reports among the mufasir as to whom this ayah refers to, but he also notes how most of those reports are weak. So we do not have any confirmed narration about whom this ayah refers to. But Sayyid Qutb also notes that for us to derive the lesson of this ayah it is not important for us to know exactly whom this ayah is referring to. So instead of relying on weak narrations we will only look for the lessons for our lives in this ayah. This is our Din and it should not be taken as a joke. Everything that we believe in must be established on solid evidence, if there is no strong evidence to link a particular narration to the lips of the Prophet (saw) then we should be careful about taking it. Our knowledge in this Din is what motivates our behavior so we have to be sure that our knowledge is certain knowledge. May Allah (swt) guide us all to that which is true! So we see that Allah (swt) is bringing our attention and the attention of the early Muslims to a group of people who tried to flee from death. Notice how Allah (swt) describes this group of people as being in the thousands and yet they still feared death. There were so many of them and still they were scared of death. This reminds us once again how death is a constant in the universe of Allah (swt). No matter how powerful you are, no matter how many other people you may have with you, no matter how hard you may try, you can never overcome death. All of mankind will continue to live in complete dread of death except those whom Allah (swt) has had Mercy on, we ask Allah (swt) to make us among those! So these were a group of people who fled from their homes in the thousands because of fear of death. Once again we say that we are not going to speculate on who these people were. For us to take the lesson from this ayah it is not important for us to know who these people were and even why they fled from their homes fearing death. They could have been fleeing from an enemy or from a disease or from some natural disaster. Allah (swt) Knows best! However what we are going to try to take the lesson from what happened to them. May Allah (swt) guide us to the guidance in His (swt)s Book!

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In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says so Allah said to them Die, then He gave them life. Notice once again here the beauty of the Quran. Allah (swt) tells us the entire story of these people in only a few words. Look at the depth of meaning that these words carry, could they have come from any but Allah (swt)? In only a few words Allah (swt) relates everything that happened to them. Allah (swt) tells us about these people that even though they left their very homes because of death, Allah (swt) just told them to die and they died. Once again we do not need to speculate on whether or not Allah (swt) spoke with such people or the manner of that speech, we simply take the lesson that they died when Allah (swt) decreed that they should die. This shows that even though they tried to escape death, they could not do it. They even left their homes to try and escape death but they could not escape the decree of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) has already written the time and place of death for each one of us before we are even born. There is nothing that we can do to change this. This is the lesson that we should take from this ayah. This is the lesson that Allah (swt) was teaching the early Muslims as He (swt) prepared them to carry this Message to mankind. Even if you and all your people leave your homes in the thousands and run away, you will still not be to escape death. You will only die when Allah (swt) has decreed for you to die, not a moment sooner and not a moment later. May Allah (swt) enable us all to constantly remember this fact! May Allah (swt) make all of our deaths a good one, one in which we are completely submitting to Him (swt)! Allah (swt) tells us in this ayah how after He (swt) told them to die, and then they died, He (swt) then brought them back to life. Notice how Allah (swt) does not even need to mention the fact that they died after He (swt) had told them to die. It is enough for Him (swt) to simply say that He (swt) told them to die, from this we can assume that they died, It is understood that His (swt)s Will is what will always be. Allah (swt) only says of something and it is. So this shows us how both life and death are under the complete control of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) gives life to whom He (swt) pleases and He (swt) takes death from whom He (swt) pleases. As we can see from this ayah, Allah (swt) can even resurrect a people back to life after they have died. Allah (swt) can destroy an entire nation and then bring them back to life only by His (swt)s Will. Such is the Power of Allah (swt), what then can you do with such Power except submit completely?

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In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says Surely Allah is full of Bounty to mankind but most of mankind do not give thanks. Here Allah (swt) reminds us how He (swt) is full of Bounty to mankind. Even life and death are from His (swt)s Bounty. How much of a bounty from Allah (swt) are life and death to mankind? As Allah (swt) has told us in other ayahs of the Quran, He (swt) created both death and life in order to test us. This test is indeed the greatest of bounties for mankind. It is a chance for us to prove ourselves to Allah (swt). To show Him (swt) that we are indeed worthy of His (swt) Love and Mercy. What could be a greater bounty than this? Nothing else in the creation that we can see has been given this bounty. Nothing else has been given this chance to come closer and closer to Allah (swt). Only mankind has been given this greatest of gifts; the free will on whether or not to accept and submit to this Message that Allah (swt) has sent. The free will to choose whether or not we want to come closer to Allah (swt) with every action that we take and with every moment of our lives. As Imam Ghazzali (ra) said, every moment of our lives is a gem whose value cannot be described in words because every moment in life is a chance for us to come closer to Allah (swt). However as Allah (swt) also tells us in this ayah, most of mankind do not give thanks for this gift that He (swt) has given. To give thanks for this gift is to believe in this Message that Allah (swt) has sent and then to strive to our utmost to worship and serve Allah (swt) as this Message commands us to do. If we fail to do that then we are being ungrateful to Allah (swt) for this great bounty that He (swt) has given us. Just think about it for a second, Allah (swt) has given you this gift of life, and He (swt) has told you about everything that will happen to you after your death, and He (swt) has given you the complete guidance on what you can do to worship and serve Him (swt) before death comes. How ungrateful and rebellious will you then be if you throw away this precious gift only to follow your low desires, or only because you are lazy, or only because you are proud and arrogant? Such would be utter foolishness that cannot even be described in words. May Allah (swt) save us from ever being ungrateful to Him (swt)! May Allah (swt) help us to realize this greatest of bounties that He (swt) has bestowed on us!

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245. And fight in the way of Allah, and know that surely Allah is Hearing Knowing. In the previous ayah we saw how Allah (swt) gave the early Muslims a story to remind them that life and death are completely under His (swt)s control. The human being is an extremely forgetful creature and he is easily deceived by the life of this world. So even though every Muslim should have known that death and life are only from Allah (swt), Allah (swt) reminded them again of this fact. In this ayah we see the reason why Allah (swt) reminded them that life and death are only from Him (swt). Allah (swt) begins this ayah by giving the early Muslims a command, Allah (swt) says And fight in the way of Allah. In this ayah, Allah (swt) gives the early Muslim community a clear order to fight in His (swt)s cause. We know that for over thirteen years of dawah in Makkah, fighting was not allowed. Now that the Islamic State had been established, Allah (swt) gives the command for the early Muslim community to fight. As we mentioned there are only two reasons when fighting is permissible in Islam. The first is to remove the obstacles in the way of the dawah, these obstacles are the kufr governments which prevent this Message from properly reaching the people. The second reason is to defend the lives of Muslims who are oppressed. These two were the only reasons why the early Muslims fought. They never fought for honor or glory, for wealth or plunder, or to liberate a homeland. They only fought for Allah (swt). To allow the Message of Allah (swt) to reach the people and to save the lives of the servants of Allah (swt). So in this ayah Allah (swt) gives a clear command for the Muslims to fight because fighting is an integral part of this dawah once the State has been established. For those of us who are living in a world without the Islamic State, there are still several lessons that we can take from this ayah. Firstly we should realize that in order to fulfill the command for jihad we first have to establish what makes jihad possible and that is the Islamic State. Allah (swt) has given us a command in this ayah to fight, but the only way that we can implement this command is if we reestablish the Islamic State. So for our situation today this is a

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command to establish the State. Once the State has been established, then we will be able to fulfill this command to fight. So because fighting to save the Muslims and remove the obstacles in the dawah is an obligation, working to bring the State that enables fighting also becomes an obligation. Another lesson that we can take from this ayah is to realize that there are many ways in which we can fight in the way of Allah (swt). Although fighting with the sword or with other material force is not allowed without the State, we can still fight with our pens and our tongues. We can fight to defend the ideas and tenets of Islam from the onslaught that is attempting to overwhelm it from all fronts today. We can strive to give people the correct understanding about Islam and to remove all innovations and misconceptions. We can struggle with our tongues and our pens to call the people back to Allah (swt). So although we have to wait for the State to return to fight with material force, we can still fight with ideas and thoughts to defend Islam and to carry the idea of Islam as a complete way of life into the minds of the Muslims. May Allah (swt) give us all the ability to fight in His (swt)s cause! In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) gives another command when He (swt) says know that surely Allah is Hearing Knowing. Here Allah (swt) commands the early Muslims to know with certainty that He (swt) Hears and Knows everything. This is a fact about which certain knowledge without any doubts must be established because it is certain knowledge that leads to action. When the Muslims know for certain that Allah (swt) Hears the call that is sounded to fight in His(swt)s way and they know for certain that Allah (swt) Knows those who respond to this call and those who sit back, then they will think twice about not heeding this call. When the Muslims know for certain that Allah (swt) Hears and Knows everything, then they will be motivated to strive to seek His (swt)s Pleasure. Allah (swt) Knows the reason why those who held back did not go forward, He (swt) Knows whether their excuse was a valid one or not. Allah (swt) Knows what is in the deepest recesses of their hearts and He (swt) Hears the words that they spoke to themselves as they decided whether or not to go forward in the way of Allah (swt). Similarly we also must be aware that Allah (swt) Hears and Knows everything. All of us know that it is an obligation for us today to strive hard in the path of Allah (swt). We can see the situation that our

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Ummah is in, and we know that there is no one else who can save her except us. So the time for making excuses is over. If we make excuses to ourselves then we have to remember that Allah (swt) Hears our excuses and He (swt) Knows whether they are valid excuses or not. Fighting in the way of Allah (swt) is by no means an easy task, but this is the most important of matters and so it demands our due attention. There should be nothing that is more important in our lives than worshipping and serving Allah (swt), striving in the way of Allah (swt), and working to see that the Din of Allah (swt) is made dominant once again. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace, there is no might nor power except in Him (swt)!

236. Who is the one who will lend to Allah a goodly loan, so that He may double it for him many times over, and Allah straitens and enlarges, and to Him shall you return. In the previous ayah we saw how Allah (swt) commanded the Muslims to fight in His (swt)s cause. We had also mentioned previously how when the Islamic State was first formed, the soldiers had to pay for their own weapons, amour and mount. We have to remind ourselves now of the humble beginnings of the Islamic State. Madinah was only a farming village where the people only had enough to sustain themselves. The vast majority of its people were date farmers who only had what they grew in their date farms, and what little they can get from trade. When it began the Islamic State was not a mighty empire with vast reserves of resources or several colonies under its dominion. Allah (swt) chose the weakest and most deprived of lands in which to begin the dawah, but in time He (swt) raised it to be the greatest empire this world has ever seen. Its dominion would stretch from one corner of the known world to another. But when the Islamic State began we have to remember that it was poor and weak, so it needed all that the Muslims could offer. That is why Allah (swt) encourages them to spend all that they can for this dawah.

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Allah (swt) begins this ayah by asking a question, Who is the one who will lend to Allah a goodly loan. Allah (swt) is calling out to all of the Muslims and He (swt) is asking for a volunteer. Allah (swt) is asking them who can lend to Him (swt) a goodly loan. Now some may ask why Allah (swt) would need a loan when He (swt) is the One Free of all needs. The answer to this inquiry is that this loan is part of the test that Allah (swt) has given us. When you give your wealth to Allah (swt), you are demonstrating your love for Him (swt), your submission to Him (swt), and your willingness to sacrifice for Him (swt). So in this ayah Allah (swt) is encouraging the Muslims to spend their wealth in His (swt)s way as part of the test that He (swt) has given them. They are called on to spend to support the dawah, to spend to build the armies to spread the Message of Allah (swt), and to spend to establish the Din of Allah (swt) in the land. This wealth that they spend is a goodly loan that they will give to Allah (swt). Mawdudi tells us in his tafsir of this ayah that when Allah (swt) describes the loan as a goodly loan it means that it must be a loan that is given purely for the Pleasure of Allah (swt). You must sacrifice your wealth, your time, and your efforts seeking only Allah (swt) with them and nothing else. If your intentions are tainted with some ostentation, or some arrogance, or some desire of praise from the people of this world, then such a loan will not be accepted by Allah (swt). Remember that what matters at the end of the day is that you strive your best to worship and serve Allah (swt) and not that you establish the Islamic State. When you meet Allah (swt) on the Last Day, He (swt) will not question you on whether you established the State or not, but rather He (swt) will question you on whether or nor you spent as many moments of your life remembering Him (swt) and striving to worship and serve Him (swt) by doing the actions that are pleasing to Him (swt). So you must be sincere to Allah (swt) in what you do, and you must make Allah (swt) as the goal of all your actions. So when you spend it must only be for Allah (swt) and no one else. May Allah (swt) give us all the ability to do that! Other scholars add that what Allah (swt) means by a goodly loan is a loan the source of which is pure and lawful. Allah (swt) does not want for you to spend for Him (swt) from that which is acquired through unlawful means. So then obviously any money that is earned through interest or theft will have no reward with Allah (swt), no matter with how much sincerity it may have been

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given. Similarly if you spend your time in the dawah, but you ignore the time that must be spent looking after your family or taking care of your obligations, then this is time that is not accepted by Allah (swt) as well. It is time that should have gone for your family and not for the dawah. This is because it is an obligation for you to look after your family and to take care of their needs just as it is a obligation to work in the path of Allah (swt). Now do not ever feel that you do not have enough time to do all of this, if you put your trust in Allah (swt) then you should have a hope that He (swt) will bless the time that you have and allow you to accomplish all of your needs and obligations. Remember that most of the Sahabah were not monks who dedicated all of their time for worship; rather they had families and responsibilities as well. However despite this fact, they still found the time to address all of their obligations towards Allah (swt). They still established the Islamic State with the Prophet (saw), and they still defeated all of the enemies of this Message. They did this despite the fact that they were humans like you and they had responsibilities like you. May Allah (swt) bless us like He (swt) blessed them! May Allah (swt) allow us to spend every moment of our lives in worship and servitude to Him (swt)! May Allah (swt) allow us to give to Him (swt) only that which is pure and lawful! What does Allah (swt) say about this goodly that the Muslims give? Allah (swt) describes it as a loan that He may double it for him many times over. So whoever gives to Allah (swt) this loan they can be certain that Allah (swt) will double it for them over and over again. You give to Allah (swt) a little bit of wealth or a little bit of time or a little bit of effort, and Allah (swt) will double what you give Him (swt) again and again. He (swt) will then return what you have given Him (swt) both in this life and the Hereafter. What can you expect from the One Who owns everything and Who can give without limit? You can expect rewards and blessings that you never thought possible. So be sure that whatever you give to Allah (swt) will be returned to you in ways that you never thought to be possible. So what is stopping you from spending all that you have for Allah (swt)? The only thing that you have truly lost is that which you fail to give to Allah (swt) when you had the chance to. Allah (swt) then says and Allah straitens and enlarges. This is to remind the Muslims that just as Allah (swt) controls life and death, He (swt) also controls our provisions. Allah (swt)

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can straiten the provisions for whom He (swt) pleases and He (swt) can enlarge the provisions for whom He (swt) pleases. Everything that we have is from Allah (swt) and He (swt) will increase and decrease what He (swt) gives as He (swt) pleases. So this reminds the early Muslims that just as they should not sit back from fighting in the way of Allah (swt) because of fear of death, they should also not hold back from spending their wealth in the way of Allah (swt) because of fear of poverty. It may be that they give away a large portion of their wealth and they then become richer or it may be that they hold back their wealth and they then become poorer. They do not control their wealth and their provisions, but rather it is Allah (swt) who controls their wealth and provisions and He (swt) straitens and enlarges as He (swt) pleases. May Allah (swt) help us to realize this fact! May Allah (swt) provide for us and may He (swt) provide for all for the sincere Muslims who strive and sacrifice in this dawah! The lesson that we can take from this part of the ayah is that we should not fear poverty. We know from other ayahs of the Quran that Shaitan will threaten us with poverty in order to prevent us from spending in the path of Allah (swt). We should not listen to him, rather we should put our trust in the One Whom we love the most, the One Whom we live for, and we should hope that He (swt) will provide for us and for our families all that we would ever need. If you think about it for a moment, Allah (swt) has commanded you to worship and serve Him (swt), do you not then think that Allah (swt) would not provide for you if you should fulfill His (swt)s command? How would Allah (swt) be if He (swt) commanded you to do something and then He (swt) did not give you what you need to fulfill His (swt)s command? Why would Allah (swt) command you to worship and serve Him (swt) and then not provide for you if you do so? We can never think such about Allah (swt). Rather we have to know with certainty that Allah (swt) will provide for us if sincerely work in His (swt)s cause. Now of course we have to use the ways and means that Allah (swt) has placed in this world to acquire wealth and provisions such as trade or employment, but we must never rely on those means. Rather we must know that it is Allah (swt) Who provides for us. So we must never neglect our obligations to Him (swt) because of fear of poverty. Rather we should spend and work in His (swt)s cause and trust that He (swt) will take care of us. It is really a weakness in your Imam if you think that you will be in poverty should you worship and serve

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Allah (swt) correctly. If you fear that you will lose your job if you make your Salah or if you fear that your savings will be depleted if you give Zakat. This kind of thinking really shows a deficiency in your Iman and an inability to comprehend the clear meaning that Allah (swt) gives in this ayah. Allah (swt) clearly tells you in this ayah that He (swt) is the One Who straitens and enlarges. So the quantity of provisions that you receive depends purely on Him (swt). May Allah (swt) help us all to realize this! May Allah (swt) save us all from fear of poverty and may Allah (swt) enable us all to spend from what He (swt) has given us to seek His (swt)s Pleasure! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says and to Him shall you return. We mentioned how the human being was a very forgetful creature, so this is to remind the Muslims once again the reason why they should spend and the reason why they should fight in the cause of Allah (swt). You only fight and you only spend in preparation for this Day when you will return to Allah (swt). When you return to Allah (swt), He (swt) will judge you for each and every one of your actions. How hard did you strive in the way of Allah (swt), how much did you sacrifice from your wealth and your time for Him (swt), how much thanks did you give to Him (swt) for this great bounty of life that He (swt) has given you. This meeting with Allah (swt) is the goal for each and every one of us, after this meeting our fate for all eternity will be decided. From that moment on it will only be an eternity of pleasure or an eternity of pain. As hard as we may try we can never fully realize the consequence of what this means. So do you not then want to do everything in your power to prepare for this meeting? To prepare for your return to your Originator. May Allah (swt) make all of our return to Him (swt) a good one! We began with Allah (swt) and life is nothing but a journey back to Him (swt)!

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247. Have you not looked to the elders of the children of Israil from after Musa when they said to a prophet of theirs Raise for us a king so that we may fight in the way of Allah. He said Perchance, if fighting was ordained on you, you may not fight. They said What would be the matter with us that we would not fight in the way of Allah when we have been driven from our homes and our children. But when fighting was ordained on them they turned away, except a few among them. And Allah Knows the Dhalimoon. We saw in the previous ayahs how Allah (swt) commanded the Muslims to fight in His (swt)s way and to spend in His (swt)s way. Allah (swt) also reminded the Muslims that He (swt) Hears all that they say and He (swt) Knows all that they do, and that He (swt) is the Source of their provisions and to Him (swt) they will eventually return. Once the Muslims had certain knowledge of this, there should have been no reason for them to hesitate to respond to the call of Allah (swt). We also saw in the previous ayahs how Allah (swt) had given them a story of a nation in the past that tried to flee death but were unable to. This serves to remind the Muslims that there is no escape except to Allah (swt). In this ayah we see that Allah (swt) gives them yet another story from a nation of the past. This nation was the nation that had carried this dawah before the Muslims, a nation whose example Allah (swt) had cited several times previously so that the Muslims can take lessons from their mistakes. Allah (swt) shows the Muslims what was the response of these people when they were called to their duty for their Lord.

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Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying Have you not looked to the elders of the children of Israil from after Musa when they said to a prophet of theirs Raise for us a king so that we may fight in the way of Allah . Sayyid Qutb tells us in his tafsir of this ayah how similar to the previous story about which Allah (swt) had told us, there are no definitive narrations to establish which prophet and which generation among the children of Israil this ayah is referring to. Some scholars like Mawdudi have surmised based on historical evidence and based on what is found in the Bible that it most likely refers to the Shamwil (as) or Samuel in the Bible and the generation of the children of Israil who were with him (as). But for us to take the lesson from this ayah it is not important for us to know exactly which prophet and which generation of the children of Israil this ayah is referring to. Rather we should look to what happened to them and how they responded to the test that Allah (swt) gave them. Allah (swt) brings our attention in this ayah to the time when the elders among the children of Israil asked their prophet to raise for them a king. The reason for their requesting a king was so that they can fight under him. This was a time when a powerful enemy had taken over the lands of the children of Israil. After being the nation that had once carried the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind, the children of Israil had become deluded by the life of this world. They had given up the dawah and they had become a disunited people. Now instead of fighting against the enemies of this Message they had begun fighting amongst themselves. Because of this, their lands were taken over by their enemies and their children were enslaved. They knew that they needed a leader who can unite them once again, who could rally them to fight against their enemies. So they went to their prophet and asked him for this leader. Notice that when they are asking their prophet to raise for them a king, they are really asking Allah (swt). They knew that their prophet had no power to raise a king on his own, but it was only Allah (swt) Who had the Power to do this. But it seems as if they had become so far from Allah (swt) that they could not even mention His (swt) Name when they needed something from Him (swt). They knew that Allah (swt) was the cause for everything but they could not articulate this fact with their words. This is why they asked their prophet to ask Allah (swt) on their

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behalf. They had become so distant from Allah (swt) that they could not ask Him (swt) themselves. We should not let the same happen to us. When we have a need, first and foremost we have to ask of Allah (swt). We do not need to go through any intermediaries to reach Allah (swt), rather we should ask Allah (swt) directly for all of our needs. We have to know that it is Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) Alone Who helps us in all situations. We have to call out His (swt)s Name and beg of Him (swt) like the humblest of beggars begs. Allah (swt) Knows of our sins much better than we do, so we should not let them prevent us from asking of Him (swt). Even when we are in the situation where we have to ask of others to fulfill our needs, we have to remember that we are really asking of Allah (swt) and that it is Allah (swt) Who is fulfilling our needs. May Allah (swt) enable us to turn to Him (swt) for all that we need! Their prophet responds to their request to raise for them a king by saying to them Perchance, if fighting was ordained on you, you may not fight. Their prophet wanted to remind them that what they were asking for was for jihad to become obliga]]ted upon them once again. Their prophet was reminding them that once the political authority has been established over them, then fighting becomes an obligation for them. Their prophet wanted to ensure that they were ready for this responsibility. As we know fighting is by no means an easy task, it takes all the courage, patience, determination and resolve that one can muster. Their prophet wanted to make sure that they were ready for this. So he tells them that perchance they may not fight even if fighting is prescribed for them. He is bringing to them the worst-case scenario to see how they would respond. There is a lesson that we can take from this part of the ayah for ourselves as well. We see what is happening to our Muslim brothers and sisters in the world today. We wish that we could fight in the way of Allah (swt) to rescue them from the oppression that they are suffering. We are waiting for the Islamic State to be reestablished so that we can go out and fight in the path of Allah (swt). But we have to ask ourselves if we are truly ready for this? If the State was established tomorrow and the Khalifah calls you for jihad, are you certain that you will have the courage to go forward? Imagine yourself now holding a gun, standing on the battlefield, and

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having to face an army that is larger than yours and is more technologically equipped than yours. When you see a fleet of helicopter gun ships coming at you from the horizon, will you then be able to stand your ground? If you are facing off against a squadron of large tanks, will you be able to stand your ground? If today you do not even have the Iman and the Sabr to lower your gaze when a beautiful woman passes by and you do not have the strength to be mindful and constant in your Salah, how then do you think that you will be able to stand your ground at that moment? So we all wish that we can fight in the way of Allah (swt), but we have to be sure that we are ready for what this entails. We have to build within ourselves the strength to fulfill this obligation when we are called to it. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to make ourselves ready for this obligation! What then was the response of the children of Israil when their prophet posed to them this question? They said What is the matter with us that we would not fight in the way of Allah when we have been driven from our homes and our children. First of all we can note the confidence in their reply, they are so certain that they will be able to stand their ground and fight when the call for jihad would be given. They are saying, What is the matter with us that we would not fight, they cannot even perceive a reason for them not fighting. They are so sure that they will be able to go forth when the call to arms is given. They are so certain of themselves. This is because they do not comprehend the reality of fighting, they think it to be a simple matter. So they cannot see any reason for them not going forth to fight. Then they even give a reason why they should go forward and fight. They tell their prophet of how they had been driven from their homes and how their children had been taken as slaves. The children of Israil at this period in history had reached such a desperate state. Their homeland had been overrun by their enemy and even their own children had been taken away from them. This should have been more than enough reason for anyone to go and fight. They knew that Allah (swt) had obligated that the lives of the Muslims be saved and that the lands of the Muslims be liberated. So they are telling their prophet that they have the best reasons to fight, and so they will fight. They are certain that they will be able to go and fight if only Allah (swt) would give them a leader. But what happened when they were given that leader?

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Allah (swt) says But when fighting was ordained on them they turned away, except a few among them. When Allah (swt) gave them the king whom they were asking for, and when He (swt) obligated fighting under him then most of these chiefs ran away from this obligation. See how they had so much confidence and they were so sure that they would go forth in the way of Allah (swt) to fight, but when the time came to transform words into actions, most of them turned away. Sayyid Qutb mentions how there were no people who had more of a reason to fight than the children of Israil in this situation. Their lands were occupied by the enemies of this Message, their very children were taken as slaves by these enemies, and then they had been given a king specifically by Allah (swt) to lead them into battle. This means that Allah (swt) Himself, Who was their Lord and Master, their Creator and Sustainer, was calling on them to fight, Furthermore they were the nation whom Allah (swt) had chosen to carry His (swt)s banner and to carry His (swt)s Message to mankind. So there should have been no reason for these people not to fight. The only reason for their turning away of course was the love of this world and the fear of death. The scholars mention how prior to the time when their enemies had conquered them, the children of Israil had immersed themselves in the life of this world. They had been given this world in plenty, and they had drowned themselves in it. They started enjoying everything that the life of this world has to offer, soon they did not even care if what they enjoyed was allowed by the Law of Allah (swt) or not. They enjoyed everything and anything. They gave up the dawah and calling to Allah (swt), and they became a people who lived for the life of this world. That was their situation when their enemies came upon them. Now when they were about to be overcome by their enemies, they had lost the will to fight because of their love for this world. When Allah (swt) and their king called them to fight they did not respond to the call. They just kept thinking to themselves about the possibility of not getting all those pleasures that they had to come love so dearly. They kept thinking about the possibility of feeling pain and discomfort. All that they wanted was to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain. They did not care for Allah (swt) at all. Anyone who has such love of this worldly life in their hearts has no room for Allah (swt) in their hearts, they are not willing to sacrifice their lives for the cause of Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) save us from ever becoming like such people!

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However Allah (swt) tells us that there were a few among them who did go forward into battle as they promised that they would. The narrations tell us that these few were able to achieve the victory over an enemy that was much more powerful than they were. This shows how it is not the number of people you have in your army, or the technology that your soldiers are using which determines whether victory will be yours or not. Rather it is how close each of your soldiers is to Allah (swt). How much courage and determination that they have to fight. The Muslim Ummah today should pray more for a warrior like Khalid bin Whalid (ra) than for all the military technology of the West. These few among the children of Israil who went forth with their king and stood their ground were the closest among them to Allah (swt). Because of their trust in Allah (swt) and their hope in Him (swt), they were able to overcome an enemy that was much more powerful than they were. May Allah (swt) give this Ummah soldiers like these and soldiers like the companions of the Prophet (saw)! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says And Allah Knows the Dhalimoon. This is a reminder and a threat to those who had turned away from their obligation to fight. If you turn away from your duty and your obligation to Allah (swt), then you should know that Allah (swt) Knows you very well. There is nowhere that you can go to hide from Allah (swt). To turn away from the obligations that you have to Allah (swt) is Dhulm. It is injustice and evil. You have no excuse in front of Allah (swt) for turning away from this obligation. You know that fear is not an excuse. Allah (swt) will not accept any of these excuses on the Day of Judgment. You know that Allah (swt) is your Creator and your Sustainer, so you should know that you only live for Him (swt)! You are who you are at this moment only because of Allah (swt) and if were not for He (swt) then you would cease to exist. So why do you want to live your life for any but He (swt)? When the call for jihad is given then you have no excuse to stay hiding in your house like a small child or an old woman. If you do, then you should fear Allah (swt) and you should fear the Day in which you will return to Him (swt). May Allah (swt) save us all from being among the Dhalimoon!

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248. And their prophet said to them, Surely Allah has raised for you Talut as a king. They said How can he hold kingship over us when we have a greater right to the kingship than he, and he has not been given abundance of wealth. He said Surely Allah has chosen him above you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and strength. And Allah gives His kingship to whom He pleases. And Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing. In this ayah Allah (swt) continues with the story that He (swt) began in the previous ayah. As we read these stories it is very important that we look for the lessons in them that we can apply in our lives. We should not think of these stories as mere forms of entertainment or play, but we have to remember that this is the Speech of Allah (swt). We should not think of these stories as something that happened a long time ago to a people who were very different from us. Rather we should think that each of these ayahs and the stories in each of these ayahs as directly addressed to us. So in these events that Allah (swt) relates to us there is great wisdom and benefit here that will lead us to Him (swt), may Allah (swt) help us all to discover that wisdom and benefit. Recall from the previous ayah how the elders among the children of Israil had asked their prophet to raise for them a king so that they can fight in the way of Allah (swt). In this ayah, Allah (swt) tells us what happened when this king that they had asked for was given to them. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying And their prophet said to them, Surely Allah has raised for you Talut as a king . This is the response of their prophet to their request of raising for them a king. Their prophet tells them that Allah (swt) has raised for them Talut as a king. Talut was a poor man from among the children of Israil and Allah (swt) chose him to be a king over them. They were asking Allah (swt) for a king and a king is what they were given. But it was a king that Allah (swt) chose.

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Now we should note that this was not a kingship in which Talut would have complete sovereignty, but it was a kingship where sovereignty belongs to Allah (swt) Alone. We know that one of the basic tenets of our Aqeedah is that all sovereignty belongs to Allah (swt), so we cannot imagine that a king whom Allah (swt) would appoint would rule by his own law and not the Law of Allah (swt). Rather we can be certain that Talut would only rule by the Law of Allah (swt). He is only a representative of Allah (swt) like the Khalifah of the Islamic State is. Furthermore we also know that Talut had a prophet at his side, and he himself may even have been a prophet, so he must have ruled by the Law of Allah (swt). What we can be certain of is that in no way was he like the so called kings who rule over the Muslim lands today, the ones who are exploiting the Muslims and giving away the resources and the wealth of this Ummah to the enemies of this Message. The ones who make alliances with the enemies of this Message and the ones who allow the unclean soldiers of disbelief to come into the land that Allah (swt) has made sacred and commanded to be purified. Talut was in no way a king like these pretenders. May Allah (swt) save us from their oppression and may Allah (swt) give us a righteous ruler who will rule us by His (swt)s Law! In the next part of the ayah Allah (swt) says They said How can he hold kingship over us when we have a greater right to the kingship than he, and he has not been given abundance of wealth. Here Allah (swt) shows us what was the response of the children of Israil when Allah (swt) told them that He (swt) had raised Talut for them as a king. They question as to how Talut can be king over them. They could not imagine how someone like Talut could be chosen over them and could be given power over them. They give two reasons for their objections. First they say that they are more entitled to the kingship than he is. The scholars say this is because Talut did not come from a noble family, while each of the elders who made this request had noble lineage. So they thought that only someone of noble blood could have the kingship. The other reason was that Talut was a poor man. They thought that only someone possessing a great deal of wealth was worthy of being a king. These elders were far wealthier than Talut was. Because of their wealth and their lineage they thought that one of them should have been the king instead of them.

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This then is another characteristic of the people of this world in that they are always lusting for power. They love the life of this world and they love to hold power over others in this world. This is a characteristic of such people that we must strive to avoid. We must never seek power and we must never seek control over the people. We only work for the Islamic State so that sovereignty will return to Allah (swt). We ourselves should have no desire for power whatsoever. If we find within ourselves some desire for power then we must strive for the sake of Allah (swt) to remove that feeling from our hearts. Insha Allah this effort that we make will also be one for which we will be rewarded. May Allah (swt) save us from ever becoming like such people! So we can see from this part of the ayah how these elders among the children of Israil judged people, and we see how this is not the right way in which to judge. Our estimation of people must not be based on how much wealth they possess or how noble their family is. These things mean absolutely nothing to Allah (swt). How can one man be better than another based on his lineage or his wealth? Does his wealth or his lineage show how close he is to Allah (swt)? The Prophet (saw) said the one who is slowed by his works will not be increased by his lineage. So wealth and nobility mean nothing to Allah (swt). These should never be used in our criteria to judge people, it is only those whose hearts are attached to the life of this who look to such things. Another lesson that we can take from this ayah is that people should not be given positions of power and authority based on their lineage. This is what these elders from the children of Israil wanted to do and Allah (swt) criticizes them for this fact. So positions of power should never be given to people because of their linage. Umar (ra) specifically told his son Abdullah (ra) not to seek the Khilafah after him even though Abdullah (ra) was one of the most qualified of people for that position. Umar (ra) was even reluctant to appoint Abdullah (ra) as governor of a province or any or other position of authority. Unfortunately many of the Khalifahs who followed Umar (ra) did not have this foresight and so they did not stick to the guidance of the Quran like he (ra) did. Many Khalifahs appointed their own family to positions of power even if they were not the best qualified. We believe that this was a mistake and that positions of power should always be given to those most qualified and not be based on lineage or family. Allah (swt) Knows best and we ask Him (swt) to guide us!

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In the next part of the ayah we see that their prophet tells the elders why Allah (swt) chose Talut to be a king over them. Allah (swt) relates to us the words of their prophet, He said Surely Allah has chosen him above you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and strength. This is the reason why Allah (swt) chose Talut over the elders from the children of Israil; it is because he had great knowledge and strength. From this we can also see the criteria that we should look for in our own leaders. First they should have knowledge, they should know how to rule the people and conduct the affairs of the State. They should have knowledge of the Law of Allah (swt) so they can know what is the correct rule that should be applied for a given situation. They should also have knowledge of the world around them so they can know the reason why events happen and they can know how best to respond to them. Secondly they should also have strength. This is not so much physical strength as it is strength to deal with the pressures and trials that come with leadership. A leader is one who must be willing to work night and day for his people. He is one who has no time for rest or amusement. He must also deal with all of the situations that arise in his kingdom and he must deal with the people fairly. He must also be strong in that he does not become seduced by his power into acting unjustly with his people. So the two criteria that we should look for in our leaders are knowledge and strength. Allah (swt) had blessed Talut with both knowledge and strength and this is why Allah (swt) chose Talut to be a leader over the children of Israil in this time when they were most in need of a leader. Then Allah (swt) says And Allah gives His kingship to whom He pleases. This is to remind the children of Israil that the kingdom belongs to Allah (swt) and He (swt) gives it to whom He (swt) pleases. They are not the ones to set the criteria for who should be king because the kingship does not belong to them. Rather it is Allah (swt) Who is the Owner of the heavens and the earth and so it is for Allah (swt) to give dominion to whomever He (swt) pleases. Thus Allah (swt) is telling these elders that the choice of who should be king is not up to them but it is up to Him (swt). He (swt) owns the kingdom and He (swt) gives it to whomever He (swt) pleases. This part of the ayah is also a clear evidence that sovereignty belongs only to Allah (swt), and the only legitimate government in the Sight of Allah (swt) is one that rules by His (swt)s Law completely. This is the only government for which Allah (swt) has given the authority to exist.

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Such a government has not existed in the world today now for over a hundred years, and we can see the sorry state that mankind is in because of that. May Allah (swt) give us a dominion that He (swt) is pleased with once again! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) reminds us of two of His (swt)s Names when He (swt) says And Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing. Notice how these two Names link beautifully with the theme of this ayah. Talut was the best king for the children of Israil in that desperate hour of theirs, even though many of them did not realize this fact. He was the one who was able to save them from the oppression and tyranny that they were under, he was able to do this even though the number of them who joined him and fought under him were very few. So how great a Bounty from Allah (swt) was Talut for them as a king. Of course even the praise that one would give to Talut should really be given to Allah (swt). It was Allah (swt) Who gave him his knowledge and his strength, and it was Allah (swt) Who allowed him to prevail over his enemies who were much more powerful than he. So Allah (swt) was Full of Bounty and Grace to these people who in no way deserved it. Allah (swt) had given them the responsibility of carrying the His (swt)s Message to mankind, they had turned away from this obligation to chase after the life of this world, then when their own desires got them in trouble, when their own laziness and negligence had caused them to be overcome by their enemies, they came running to Allah (swt) for help. Instead of allowing them to suffer in the turmoil that they themselves had caused, Allah (swt) raised for them a king who lead them to victory and saved them from the oppression that they were under. How Bountiful is Allah (swt)! However Allah (swt) also reminds them that He (swt) is All-Knowing. Allah (swt) Knows all of the favors and blessings that He (swt) had bestowed them. The fact that they had received so much blessings and gifts from Allah (swt) makes them all the more responsible to strive to worship and serve Him (swt) even more. Allah (swt) Knows this fact and Allah (swt) reminds them that He (swt) Knows this fact. The only nation that Allah (swt) has been blessed more than the children of Israil is the nation of the Prophet (saw). And if we would only think about how much of a blessing the Quran and the Prophet (saw) are then we would realize that Allah (swt) has blessed us exponentially more than He (swt) blessed them. So how much should we strive to worship and serve Allah

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(swt) in order to be grateful for this blessing? Ask yourself this question and remind yourself that Allah (swt) is All-Knowing. Allah (swt) Knows well all of the favors and bounties that He (swt) has bestowed on you. So you cannot hide anything from Him (swt)! May Allah (swt) enable us to live up to the gifts and bounty that He (swt) has given us! May Allah (swt) Know from us only that which He (swt) is pleased with!

249. And their prophet said to them Surely a sign of his kingship is that there shall come to you At-Tabut wherein is peace and tranquility from your Rabb, and relics left behind by the family of Musa and the family of Haroon, carried by the angels. Surely in that is a sign for you if you are believers. In this ayah Allah (swt) continues with this story where He (swt) tells us about the children of Israil and the king that He (swt) had appointed over them. Recall from the previous ayahs how the children of Israil were in a desperate situation and how they had gone to their prophet asking him to ask Allah (swt) to raise a king for them so that they can fight under him. But when Allah (swt) chose Talut for them as a king, they dared to contend with the choice of Allah (swt) because he was not wealthy and he was not of noble lineage. Now Allah (swt) could have forced them to accept Talut as their king or He (swt) could have taken their king away from them and left them without a leader once again, but as we see in this ayah, Allah (swt) in His (swt)s Mercy and Bounty gives them a great sign to prove to them that Talut was indeed a king ordained by Him (swt). From this we can continue to see examples of the Mercy and Generosity of Allah (swt), and the ungratefulness and rebellion of man.

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Allah (swt) says And their prophet said to them Surely a sign of his kingship is that there shall come to you At-Tabut. The sign that Allah (swt) gave to them to prove to them that the kingship of Talut was indeed ordained by Him (swt) was At-Tabut. Most of the scholars say that At-Tabut is what is referred to in the Bible as Ark of the Covenant. This is a special wooden chest that Musa (as) and the other prophets of the children of Israil would take with them whenever they went out in battle. It is said that At-Tabut would give the soldiers of the children of Israil peace and comfort during the battle and it would enable them to overcome their enemies. It was passed down among the children of Israil for generations, and each prophet or leader would always take it when they went out on jihad and through it Allah (swt) would give them victory. But when the children of Israil had become deceived by the life of this world and they had given up dawah and jihad in the way of Allah (swt), Allah (swt) caused them to lose At-Tabut. Without AtTabut, they suffered one defeat after another from their enemies. So we can say that At-Tabut was a Mercy to the children of Israil from Allah (swt) that allowed them to have victory over their enemies. Now in order to prove that the kingship of Talut was indeed a valid one, Allah (swt) would return At-Tabut to them. In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) describes At-Tabut for us by saying wherein is peace and tranquility from your Rabb. As we mentioned that the distinguishing feature about At-Tabut was that it was a source of peace and tranquility. There was something that emanated from this special wooded chest that gave the righteous people around a sense of peace and comfort. As we mentioned this was especially helpful during times of battle when fear and nervousness tend to overtake one. Some commentators have gone into details about what exactly was it in At-Tabut that gave them this peace and tranquility, but since there are no strong narrations to support any of these claims we will not go into them here. Rather we will just take the general meaning that At-Tabut was a source of peace and tranquility for the children of Israil and so it was a great blessing for them from Allah (swt). Then Allah (swt) says and relics left behind by the family of Musa and the family of Haroon. So we see that not only was At-Tabut a source of peace and comfort for the children of Israil but within it there were several important artifacts from the families of Musa (as) and Haroon

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(as). Once again the commentators have gone into details about what these articles were, some of them said that At-Tabut contained the staff of Musa (as), and the turban of Haroon (as), and the basin from which the children of Israil ate Manna, and the pieces of the tablets on which the Tawrah was written and so forth. But for us to derive the benefit and the lesson from this ayah, it is not important for us to know exactly what these relics were. Rather we should think about what is the lesson in their receiving this gift that we can apply in our lives. We should always remind ourselves that we are reading these stories in order that they may guide us to Allah (swt) and not to entertain us. So we should always be looking for the lessons and the guidance that is in them. We should search for the guidance in these ayahs and we should restrain ourselves from speculating about what we do know about it. The lesson that we can take from this part of the ayah is that At-Tabut did contain several valuable relics from the families of two of the children of Israils greatest prophets. This shows how valuable At-Tabut was to them, and what a great favor and blessing that Allah (swt) conferred upon them when He (swt) returned it to them. This shows us how Merciful and Generous Allah (swt) can be, even to a people who have been so disobedient and rebellious to Him (swt)! Then Allah (swt) describes At-Tabut as being carried by the angels. The narrations tell us that the angels carried At-Tabut and descended from the sky with it, and then they placed it in front of Talut while all of the children of Israil were looking on. How Merciful and Generous was Allah (swt) in that He (swt) gave them this great sign. Would they then have any doubts about Talut being the king that has been chosen for them by Allah (swt) after seeing this? Allah (swt) sent His (swt)s own special messengers to deliver At-Tabut to Talut. In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says Surely in that is a sign for you if you are believers. This is to remind the children of Israil once again how At-Tabut was a great sign for them. Just think about the tremendous blessings that it contains. It was a source of peace and tranquility for them, it was a way in which they can achieve victory over their enemies, it contained the most important artifacts and relics of their heritage, and it was delivered to them by the angels. How could anyone of them have hesitated after seeing such a great sign?

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The lesson that we can take from this in our lives is that once Allah (swt) has shown us His (swt)s signs and we have increased in our Iman through them, then we must reciprocate by increasing in our worship and servitude of Allah (swt). Let us remind ourselves once again of the context in which Allah (swt) sent to them At-Tabut. They were being asked to fight in the path of Allah (swt) against a powerful enemy and they were being asked to submit to a king who was not of noble blood and who was not possessing of great wealth. Both of these were two great acts of submission to Allah (swt) that they were being asked to do. To swallow your pride and submit to a king that you would have otherwise looked down upon and then to follow him into battle against a powerful enemy. But Allah (swt) gave them this great sign in order that they may do these acts of submission to Him (swt). Similarly for us, Allah (swt) has given us the greatest of signs in the Quran. Should we not then strive to worship and serve Allah (swt) because of this great sign that we have been given? Should we not submit ourselves to the Law of Allah (swt) because of the increase that the ayahs of the Quran have given our Iman? May Allah (swt) give us the ability to do that! May Allah (swt) allow us to contemplate on His (swt)s signs and draw nearer to Him (swt) through them! May Allah (swt) allow us to do the actions that are pleasing to Him (swt) as a demonstration of our Iman! May Allah (swt) guide this Ummah to the certainty of faith that she will need to overcome the trials and difficulties that await her!

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250. So when Talut departed with the army, he said Surely Allah will test you with a river, so he who drinks from it is not of me, but he who does not taste it is of me, except he who takes with his hand as much as fills his hand. But they drank from it, except a few among them. And when they crossed it, he and those who believe with him, they said We have no power today against Jalut and his forces. But those who were certain that they would meet Allah said how many a small group has vanquished a large group by Allahs permission. And Allah is with the Sabiroon. In this ayah Allah (swt) tells us about what happens when Talut and his army set out to fight against the people who were oppressing the children of Israil. After they had received the great sign of At-Tabut, the children of Israil were certain that Talut was indeed their king. They were certain that he was the king who had been ordained for them by Allah (swt) to give them victory over their enemies. So they went forth with him to do battle against the powerful force that had been oppressing them. Here Allah (swt) tells us of this epic battle where the believers faced of against the enemies of this Message. We can see how this story was especially relevant for the early Muslim community that was being formed when this Surah was revealed. They too were being called to fight in the path of Allah (swt) against an enemy that was much more powerful than they were. In fact there are lessons in this story for any weak and oppressed people who have to face of against a force that is far more powerful than they are. Is that not our situation today? The dawah today is weaker than it has ever been, and its enemies are more powerful

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than they have ever been. But as we will learn from this ayah Insha Allah, this does not matter if we have Allah (swt) on our side. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying So when Talut departed with the army. Here Allah (swt) is bringing our attention to the time when Talut and his army had marched out into battle. The narrations tell us that the army had to cross the desert during a period of intense heat. Those of us who have never been an arid desert cannot even begin to imagine how tormenting the heat can become. But just try to imagine yourself as being one of the soldiers in this army. You are marching forward in the path of Allah (swt) to save your people from a powerful enemy who wants to destroy you and who wants to prevent the Message of Allah (swt) from reaching mankind. You find yourself in the scorching heat of the desert. There is nothing to shade you from the sun, the heat becomes so intense that every inch of your body feels it, it is so bad that even the wind is hot and fierce and it provides you with more discomfort rather than any relief. This was the situation that the army of Talut was in, and as we see from this ayah it was indeed a great test for them from Allah (swt). As you read the remainder of this ayah, ask yourself how you would have fared on that test if Allah (swt) had made you one of the soldiers in that army? In the next part of the ayah Allah (swt) relates to us the words of Talut to the soldiers in his army when he said Surely Allah will test you with a river. This is the test that Allah (swt) had given them. In the heat of the desert, when they were all parched and extremely thirsty, they came upon a river flowing with cool water. Talut then said to them he who drinks from it is not of me but he who does not taste it is of me, except he who takes with his hand as much as fills his hand. This was what they were required to do in order to pass this test. Despite the fact that they were extremely thirsty, they had to refrain themselves from drinking the water of this river. The most that they could drink was one handful. This was a test for them from Allah (swt). Some commentators cite the fact that since Talut knew this river was a test from Allah (swt) to say that he was a prophet as well as a king. Others say that this is not necessarily so because he may have had the prophet who had appointed him as king with him, and it may have been this prophet who had told him that the river was a test. In either case, the lesson for us in this part of the ayah is to see this great test that the soldiers in the army were subjected to. Would we able to

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pass this test? From this we can see that if we also want to work in the path of Allah (swt), and stand against the enemies of Allah (swt), then we have to expect tests similar to this. May Allah (swt) save us from the test that we do not have the strength to bear! Then Allah (swt) says But they drank from it, except a few among them. Here we see that most of the soldiers failed the test. They were so thirsty that they kept on drinking from the river even when they were specifically told not to. They were not able to control their desires and their passions for the sake of Allah (swt). The test that Allah (swt) has given us in the life of this world is not much different from this test that this army of the children of Israil had to face. Our test in the life of this world is nothing but controlling our desires and our passions for the sake of Allah (swt). We know that we live to worship and serve Allah (swt), so for every moment of our lives we may feel like doing something that is displeasing to Allah (swt) but we control that feeling and overcome it and instead do what is pleasing to Allah (swt). We keep forcing ourselves to do what is pleasing to Allah (swt) until what we feel like doing is that which is pleasing to Allah (swt). Even though it is difficult that is what we do. We subjugate our desires until it is in accordance with the Law of Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) allow us all to reach that station! The soldiers who obeyed the command of Talut were those who only drank a handful of water. They only drank the one sip that they could fill the palms of their hands with. They obeyed the command of their leader and made themselves content with small amount of water. The narrations tell us that those who drank only a handful were satisfied with what they drank, but those who kept on drinking were still thirsty even after they had drank. Such are the two kinds of people that we can find the in the life of this world; the ones who are pleased with whatever Allah (swt) has given them and the ones who are always craving more to satisfy their lusts and desires. One is a group that lives to serve Allah (swt) and the other is a group that lives to serve themselves. This latter group of people will never achieve satisfaction and contentment. They will always be thirsting for one thing after another. While the former of these groups will always be content because their hearts are attached to their Lord. They only want to please their Lord so they are content with whatever He (swt) gives them. May Allah (swt) make us among those who are content with whatever He (swt) has decreed for us!

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So most of the soldiers in the army of Talut failed the test and they had to go back home, they were not allowed to accompany Talut as he went to face the enemy of their people. The scholars tell us that the army of Talut had numbered in the thousands when they had left their home, but after this test at the river, only 313 of them were able to continue with him. The remaining thousands all had to go back home. Sayyid Qutb tells us in his tafsir of this ayah that this was actually for the best. Because those soldiers who are weak and who are not able to control their desires and passions for the sake of Allah (swt) will not be of any help in the battle. They will run at the first sign of a more powerful enemy. So they would hurt the believers more than they would help them because when they run away, they may abandon critical posts in the formation of the army. So only 313 of the original army of Talut continued marching forth, and the scholars note that this is the exact number of Muslims who fought with the Prophet (saw) in the battle of Badr. In the next part of the ayah Allah (swt) says And when they crossed it, he and those who believed with him. So here Allah (swt) tells us that Talut and the few who had passed the test crossed the river as they continued their march towards their enemy. Not only did they cross the river but they conquered it. The river was the test that Allah (swt) had given them and they passed this test. Notice that Allah (swt) refers to the ones who had passed the test as believers. This is because only those who had the deep and firm conviction were able to control themselves and prevent themselves from drinking the water when they were so thirsty. That is why many scholars have said that our patience is equal to our Iman, the more Iman that we have the more patience that we will have and the more patience we have the more Iman that we will have. Then Allah (swt) says they said We have no power today against Jalut and his forces . Mawdudi and other scholars are of the opinion that the pronoun they in this part of the ayah refers to those soldiers who had failed the test and who had to go back home, and that it does not refer to Talut and the soldiers who had passed the test. This is because these are words of those who have no trust in Allah (swt), and so it not befitting that Talut and the soldiers who had passed the test would speak such words. Talut and the true believers would never say that We have no power today against Jalut and his forces because they know that Allah (swt) is

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on their side. Rather it was the soldiers who had failed the test and who were sent home that spoke these words. Now you might question that if these words were spoken by the soldiers who were sent home, then why would the use the pronoun we in their speech and not say they. This is because even though they were sent home, they were still part of the nation of the children of Israil just like Talut and the ones who had passed the test were. So in the battle that was about to ensure, they would still be supporting Talut and his army. Thus they considered themselves to be part of the army of Talut even though they themselves were not fit to join the army. This opinion seems correct to us and as always Allah (swt) Knows best! Now let us look to the words that they spoke. They said that they have no power today against Jalut and his forces. They said this when they saw how small their army had become. As we mentioned the original army numbered in the thousands and now it was only a few hundred. So when the soldiers who were returning home saw this they said that this army has no power today against Jalut and his forces. They could not imagine how such a small army could defeat Jalut and his mighty forces. The army that they saw was so weak and so few that it seemed as if it had no power at all. Once again these people had forgotten about Allah (swt). From the perspective of these soldiers however only the strongest and mightiest of armies could have stood a chance against Jalut. Jalut was the leader of the powerful enemy that they had to face. Not only did he have a huge and powerful army to fight for him, but he himself was enormous. One narration in Qurtubis tafsir says that his shadow stretched for over a mile and that he was able to defeat entire armies on his own. Can you then imagine the kind of creature that he was? Allah (swt) Knows best but he probably was not even human. So those of weak faith questioned how they could ever prevail against an enemy that was so powerful. How could an army of only 313 defeat an enemy that was gargantuan? The reason for their apprehension was because they had forgotten Allah (swt). These people only saw the life of this world and they did not remember Allah (swt). They forgot that nothing can happen except by the permission of Allah (swt) and they forgot that Allah (swt) has power over all things. They only thought about what they saw in the life of this world and so they could never imagine Jalut and his powerful forces ever being defeated.

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Now contrast this attitude with the attitude of the true believers that Allah (swt) tells us about in the next part of the ayah, when He (swt) says But those who were certain that they would meet Allah said how many a small group has vanquished a large group by Allahs permission. And Allah is with the steadfast. Once again we can note how Allah (swt) describes those few and sincere believers who had passed the test as those who were certain that they would meet Allah. It is this certainty of belief that had allowed them to pass the test and refrain themselves from drinking when they were so thirsty, and it is this certainty of belief that took away all of their fear when they saw the mighty Jalut and his powerful forces. It is the certainty of belief in Allah (swt) and the meeting with Him (swt). Our words cannot sufficiently describe the Majesty and the Sublimity of Allah (swt), but when you believe in Him (swt) and you are certain that you are one Day soon going to meet Him (swt), then does anything else matter in your life? What could be more important in your life than Allah (swt) and preparing for the meeting with Him (swt)? Once you reach certainty in Allah (swt) and in the meeting with Him (swt), then you will do anything for Him (swt). All that you care about is that when you meet Allah (swt), that He (swt) is pleased with you. Such was the case of these true believers who were with Talut; they could control the most severe of thirsts for Allah (swt) and they were not overwhelmed with fear when they saw themselves facing of against an enemy as powerful as Jalut and his forces. All that they said was how many a small group has vanquished a large group by Allahs permission. They know that numbers mean nothing to Allah (swt). No matter how small and weak they are, and no matter how powerful and numerous their enemy may be, they know that they can vanquish their enemy completely if such be the Will of Allah (swt). They know that Allah (swt) is Able to do all things and that He (swt) is even Able to give them victory against such a powerful foe. They even cite the numerous times that such has happened in the past. They know that on several occasions in the past, a weak and small force has defeated a much larger and more powerful force because such was the Will of Allah (swt). If Allah (swt) gives His (swt)s permission to what you desire, then it will become a reality. It will be so no matter how much the odds are against you and no matter how unlikely it may seem based on what you can sense. All that matters in this universe is Allah (swt). He (swt) can make anything into a reality.

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This is what we need to remember as well when we work in this dawah. We should not worry about how great are the odds against us. All that matters for us now is to work sincerely in this dawah to the best of our ability. We should not worry about how weak we may be and how powerful they may be. As Allah (swt) tells us in this ayah, there have been many instances in the past where a small force has overcome a much larger force. All they needed was the permission of Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) give His (swt)s permission for this dawah to be victorious once again! Then we see Talut and the true believers who were with him say And Allah is with the Sabiroon. The Sabiroon are those who have Sabr. Sabr is one of those words that cannot adequately be translated to English. Among the meanings that it carries are patience, steadfastness, firmness, courage, determination, and the willingness to press forward no matter how much resistance that you may face. Talut and the true believers with him hoped that they are among the Sabiroon. Because they know that Allah (swt) is with the Sabiroon. What does it mean for Allah (swt) to be with you? It means that you have His (swt)s support and help, it means that you have His (swt)s protection and mercy. Once you have this, what else do you need? Once you have this, what enemy can overcome you? What can possibly stand in your way? What objective can you not reach? All that Allah (swt) asks of you is that you show a little sabr for Him (swt), if you can find it within yourself to have sabr for the sake of Allah (swt), then there is no limit to what you will able to accomplish because you will have Allah (swt) with you. You can change the world because you have the Lord and Master of the universe with you. All that He (swt) asks of you for Him (swt) to be with you is that you have a little patience and steadfastness. May Allah (swt) grants this to us! May Allah (swt) make us among the Sabiroon!

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251. And when they came face to face with Jalut and his forces, they said Our Rabb, pour down on us sabr, and make firm our feet, and give us victory over the people who do kufr. In this ayah we see the battle cry of the believers as they faced their enemy. Remember the desperate situation that they were in. They were hopelessly outnumbered, they had to overcome the most powerful of enemies, and they were fighting for the salvation of their people. Can you imagine a situation more desperate than this? What can one do in this time of need except call out to Allah (swt)? What can do at such a time other than put all of ones hopes in Allah (swt) and hope that He (swt) is there? In this ayah Allah (swt) tells us the prayer with which these sincere believers called out to Him (swt). This is the prayer that we also must try to make during our time of difficulty and need. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying And when they came face to face with Jalut and his forces. So Allah (swt) brings our attention to the moment when Talut and the small army of believers who were with him met their enemy. They were now face to face with their foe and their swords were about to meet. Allah (swt) tells the early Muslims about this moment because He (swt) Knows that they will have to face something similar. Was the battle of Badr all too different from this? Were many of the battles in which the armies of Allah (swt) had to fight all too different from this? Imagine yourself to be a solider in that army at that moment, what is the first thing that will come to your mind? You live for Allah (swt) and at that most desperate time of need, you will only call to Allah (swt). That is what Talut and the believers who were with him did. But what exactly did they call out to Allah (swt) for? Did they only pray to Allah (swt) to keep them safe and not to let them become injured? Did they only pray for their enemy to be defeated? No rather they prayed Our Rabb, pour down on us sabr, and make firm our feet, and give us victory over the people who do kufr. This is the prayer in the Book of Allah (swt) for all those who strive hard in His

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(swt)s way, so this is the prayer that He (swt) is pleased with. Let us now look at each part of their prayer. May Allah (swt) help us to memorize this prayer and to make it every moment of our lives as we struggle for Him (swt)! First and foremost they prayed for sabr. Notice that they did not simply ask Allah (swt) to give them sabr, but they asked Allah (swt) to pour down on them sabr. They were in such desperate need for sabr that they asked Allah (swt) to pour it down on them like He (swt) pours down rain. They were asking to be drowned in sabr. It is only through sabr that the believer can overcome the difficulties that he faces, and the greater the difficulty the more sabr that is required. So the believer needs sabr throughout his life because at every moment of his life he is faced with challenges and difficulties. However there is no task that is more difficult and more challenging than calling to the path of Allah (swt) and working to make His (swt)s Din supreme. That is why this work requires more sabr than you can possibly ever imagine. So the believers pray to Allah (swt) to pour down upon them sabr. May Allah (swt) pour sabr down upon us as well, Allah (swt) Knows we need every drop of it! Then we see that the believers pray to Allah (swt) and say, make firm our feet. They knew that they are required to work and strive for the victory to come. They knew that the victory will not come if they are just sleeping at home, or if they are just praying in the masjid the whole day long. They knew that they had to work to get the victory. But they also knew that they could not do it on their own. They knew that themselves were a weak and cowardly people who would run from an enemy that was more powerful than they were. This was how they saw themselves. Even though these were the soldiers who had passed the test of the river, they still saw themselves to be weak. They were never arrogant and proud but rather they knew that they needed Allah (swt) at every step of the way. They knew that if Allah (swt) does not make their feet firm then they would fall. They knew that they would turn and run if their Lord was not their to support them and give them strength. So they ask Allah (swt) to make their feet firm, to allow them to stand their ground and fight. May Allah (swt) make our feet firm in this dawah and in practicing His (swt)s Din in our life! All success is from Allah (swt)!

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Finally they say, and give us victory over the people who do kufr. The victory is only from Allah (swt), about this there can be no doubt and this fact we cannot forget. No matter how hard we work and no matter how much effort we may put, the victory will never come from our own works. It is Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) Alone Who will bring the victory. The believers who were with Talut knew this fact and so they prayed to Allah (swt) to give them victory. You might ask now that if victory is only from Allah (swt), why should we even work then? Why cant we just sleep and wait for Allah (swt) to bring the victory, or else why do we not just pray for the victory and do nothing else? Why should we put any effort in this dawah? Those who ask questions like these have forgotten the purpose of their existence. We work only to worship and serve Allah (swt). Everything that we do is only for the Pleasure of Allah (swt). That is the test that Allah (swt) has given us in the life of this world. So we work in this dawah only because Allah (swt) has commanded us to work to establish His (swt)s Law in the land and because He (swt) has commanded us to work to carry His (swt)s Message to mankind. We work only as an act of submission to Allah (swt) and not because we think our works will bring victory. Victory is only Allah (swt). All that we can do is work to the best of our ability and with the most sincerity to Allah (swt), and then we hope that Allah (swt) finds us worthy enough to grant victory to. May Allah (swt) grant this Ummah victory!

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252. So they defeated them with the permission of Allah, and Dawud killed Jalut, and Allah gave him the kingdom and the wisdom, and taught him of what He pleased. And were it not for Allah repelling some of mankind with others fasad would spread all over the earth, but Allah is of great bounty to all the worlds. In this ayah Allah (swt) tells us of the outcome of the battle. Notice that Allah (swt) does not go into the details of what happened during the battle, rather He (swt) only tells us the outcome of the battle. This is because it is not important for us to know exactly how the victory was achieved. Rather what is important for us to know is that Allah (swt) gives victory for the believers in several ways and that it is only Allah (swt) Who gives victory. So if we work sincerely in His (swt)s path then we are guaranteed victory. That is why we must always pray to Allah (swt) to give us victory and we must pray to Allah (swt) for sabr to continue working in His (swt)s path and to never give up. No matter how strong are the forces that may come to take us away from this path, we have to pray to Allah (swt) to keep our firm feet in it. If we ever that we think that we do not need Allah (swt) then we have already lost. Allah (swt) begins by saying So they defeated them with the permission of Allah. In his tafsir of this ayah, Qurtubi says that the word hazama that Allah (swt) uses in this part of the ayah means to break completely. So not only did the army of Talut defeat their enemies but it was a complete and full defeat. They completely destroyed their enemy to the one point that Allah (swt) describes their enemy as being completely broken. However as we see from this ayah, it was only possible with the permission of Allah (swt). Everything happens with the permission of Allah (swt), and anything can happen with the permission of Allah (swt). So they achieved a resounding victory, but it was only with the permission of Allah (swt). Such is the Power of Allah (swt) in that He (swt) can grant such a complete victory over an enemy so powerful.

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Now why did Allah (swt) choose to give this band of believers the victory? What did they do that made them worthy of the victory? To understand that we have to look at the first word with which Allah (swt) began this ayah. Allah (swt) began this ayah with the word fa which as we know means so or because. Thus this word links the meaning in this ayah with the previous ayah. In the previous ayah we saw that these believers prayed to Allah (swt) and they were steadfast on this path of dawah and jihad. So the reason why they received the victory was because they prayed and because they were steadfast. They kept on calling on their Lord and they kept on striving on this path. This was why Allah (swt) deemed them worthy to give the victory to. So now if we want Allah (swt) to bless us with victory as well we know what to do. Think about this the next time you think about giving up. Then Allah (swt) says and Dawud killed Jalut. At that time, Dawud (as) was only a small child and he had only accompanied the army because his seven older brothers were soldiers in it. At one point during the battle, Jalut called out to the soldiers of the children of Israil to meet him for single combat. Because he was such an enormous and terrifying foe none of the soldiers went forward. Finally it was only young Dawud (as) who agreed to march forth against this goliath. Talut agreed to send him forward because none of the other soldiers were willing to go forward. One can see from this how terrifying Jalut must have been. Let us not forget that these were the soldiers who had passed the test and shown their resolve for the sake of Allah (swt). They had demonstrated their courage and their sabr by not drinking from the water and from marching forward against the army of Jalut. But when the time came to face Jalut in single combat, none of them could find the courage to do it. This shows how much of a monster Jalut must have been. It also shows the bravery of young Dawud (as) and the trust that he had in Allah (swt). It is said that when Jalut saw this young boy coming towards him, he started laughing. Dawud (as) on the other hand took his slingshot, mentioned the Name of Allah (swt) over it, and fired. The stone hit Jalut right in between the eyes with so much force that he fell down and died right there. Once again this shows that no matter how small and weak you are, if you have Allah (swt) on your side and you put your trust in Him (swt), then you can do anything. May Allah (swt) give us the resolve and the complete trust in Him (swt) that young Dawud (as) had on that day!

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Then Allah (swt) says and Allah gave him the kingdom and the wisdom. The narrations tell us that when Dawud (as) killed Jalut, Talut rewarded him by allowing him to marry his daughter and to have the kingdom after him. This was a reward that Allah (swt) gave to Dawud (as) in the life of this world. In addition, Allah (swt) also gave him wisdom. The scholars say that this refers to prophethood, which Allah (swt) also conferred on Dawud (as). So Allah (swt) made Dawud (as) a king and a prophet. Such are the gifts and the bounties of Allah (swt) that He (swt) gives to those whom He (swt) is pleased with. When you work hard and strive in the way of Allah (swt), your Rabb will reward you both in this life and the next. But despite all the riches of this world, there is no better reward in the life of this world for the true believer than Allah (swt) allowing him to come closer to Him (swt). What could be better in this world than to come closer to Allah (swt)? To live just one more moment for Him (swt) rather than for yourself? Is that not the best of this world? The closest to Allah (swt) are the prophets, they are the ones who work the hardest for Him (swt) and they are the ones whom He (swt) is the most pleased with. So most of us would love the reward that Dawud (as) got of the great kingdom and the princess but how many of us would love the reward of prophethood and being able to come near to Allah (swt)? May Allah (swt) help us to remember that with Him (swt) does the true happiness lie! Then Allah (swt) also tells us how He (swt) also taught him of what He pleased. This refers to a special knowledge that Allah (swt) taught Dawud (as). This was an additional gift that Dawud (as) received on top of the kingdom and prophethood. The scholars have given several opinions on what exactly this knowledge is. Some say it was the knowledge on how to make a special kind of armor that made the soldiers of the children of Israil extremely powerful and almost undefeatable. Others say that it was the speech of birds, and others say other things. But for us what is important is to see how Dawud (as) received this gift from Allah (swt) because of his efforts in the path of Allah (swt) and because of his trust in Him (swt). We can take the lesson that if we work hard in the path of Allah (swt), then He (swt) will also grant us knowledge of many things that we did not know. May Allah (swt) grant us the knowledge to bring victory for this Ummah and the knowledge to come closer to Him (swt)!

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Then Allah (swt) says And were it not for Allah repelling some of mankind with others fasad would spread all over the earth. There are several meanings that Allah (swt) gives in this part of the ayah. One meaning is that were it not for Allah (swt) repelling the disbelievers with the believers, then fasad would spread all over the earth. Recall from previous ayahs that we discussed how we said that the word fasad gave meanings of corruption, evil ,disorder, indecency and lewdness. So Allah (swt) is telling us in this part of the ayah that were it not for Him (swt) holding the disbelievers in check with the believers fasad would spread all across the land. We can see how this happened in the battle between the army of Talut and the army of Jalut. The army of Talut was the believers and they were fighting for the sake of Allah (swt). They were fighting to establish the Law of Allah (swt) in the land, to spread the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind, and to save the lives of the Muslims. The army of Jalut on the other hand was fighting to kill the Muslims and take their land, to prevent the Message of Allah (swt) from spreading, and to establish a Din that does not rule by the Law of Allah (swt). So we can see how if the army of Jalut had been victorious, then fasad would have spread over the land. When the world is deprived of the light of the Message of Islam, it knows nothing but darkness. We can see how that is so from the world today and from the world before this Message was sent. Yet another meaning of the words And were it not for Allah repelling some of mankind with others fasad would spread all over the earth that scholars give is that through the righteous believers Allah (swt) prevents His (swt)s punishment from reaching the earth. The righteous believers are the ones whom Allah (swt) has guided. They are the ones who do the actions that are pleasing to Allah (swt) and they stay away from the actions that are displeasing to Him (swt). It is only because of them that the punishment of Allah (swt) does not descend on mankind. If it were not for these few righteous believers, then Allah (swt) would find no good in the people of the world and He (swt) would destroy them like He (swt) destroyed the nations of Ad and Thamud. So it is only through the righteous believers that Allah (swt) has guided that He (swt) saves all of mankind from His (swt) punishment. May Allah (swt) make us among those rihteous believers!

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In the final part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says but Allah is of great bounty to all the worlds. Man is contemptible creature. If Allah (swt) left the world to him, he would spread fasad all across the land. He would simply follow his desires, and he would not care how much injustice to others he has to do. Corruption and disorder would spread all over the earth. But Allah (swt) tells us in this final portion of the ayah that He (swt) is full of bounty to all of the worlds. Allah (swt) could have let have let mankind destroy themselves, but He (swt) in His (swt)s Bounty and Mercy sent guidance to mankind. This guidance showed the way to the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and it gave man a purpose in life. Through this guidance Allah (swt) raised nations of righteous believers who called to Him (swt). Their dawah and their righteous actions saved the rest of mankind from the punishment of Allah (swt). They were thus part of the Mercy and Bounty of Allah (swt) to all mankind. May Allah (swt) send down His (swt)s Mercy and Bounty to mankind, He (swt) Knows that we are in desperate need of it!

253. These are the signs of Allah that we recite them onto you with Truth, and surely you are of the messengers. This ayah is a consolation that Allah (swt) gives for the Prophet (saw). To properly understand this ayah, we have to remind ourselves once again of the context in which it was revealed. Recall that the Islamic State had just been established, and the dawah had just been launched. So the Prophet (saw) was calling on the Muslims to march forth into battle to spread the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind and to defeat the enemies who were seeking to destroy this Message. This was a tremendous task that required the greatest of efforts. The Prophet (saw) knew that the Muslims would not follow just anyone on such a great mission; they would only follow a messenger sent by Allah (swt). Can you then even begin to imagine the weight that was on the shoulders of our beloved (saw)? That was why Allah (swt) revealed this ayah to comfort him (saw).

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First Allah (swt) says These are the signs of Allah that we recite them onto you with Truth. This is to remind the Prophet (saw) of what the Quran is. These ayahs that Allah (swt) is reciting onto the Prophet (saw) are the Book of Allah (swt), they are the very words of Allah (swt). Each and every single ayah is a sign for all time that it could only be from Allah (swt). This blessed Book is the proof of the Prophet (saw), and Allah (swt) reminds him (saw) of this fact in this part of the ayah. It is a sign because such a Book with such ayahs could not have been composed by the minds of men. We have spoken already in ayah 24 about how the Quran is inimitable from a linguistic aspect. No Arab has ever composed words in the Arabic language that are on the level of the Quran. The depth of meaning that they convey and the beauty of their composition has been unmatched in the history of the Arabic language. In addition we also spoke about how the Quran is inimitable in that it contains narrations of the previous nations and prophets that no one except Allah (swt) could have known about. These nations existed centuries before the time of the Prophet (saw), and their events that Allah (swt) relates to us happened in a land that was far from the where the Prophet (saw) and the Arabs lived. Thus there is no way that the Prophet (saw) or any of the Arabs could have known about these narrations. So because the verses of the Quran are at a level of the Arabic language that no one could match and because they contained narrations that no one could have know about, they are a clear sign that they could only be from Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) give us certainty in His (swt)s signs! What then is the consequence of these ayahs being from Allah (swt)? It means that the Prophet (saw), the man who brought these ayahs to us, has indeed been sent by Allah (swt). This is what Allah (swt) reminds the Prophet (saw) of in the second part of this ayah when He (swt) says and surely you are of the messengers. Just like Allah (swt) reminded the Prophet (saw) that these ayahs are the Book of Allah (swt), He (swt) reminds the Prophet (saw) that he (saw) is the Messenger of Allah (swt). What a tremendous consolation this fact must have been for the Prophet (saw), to be reminded that he (saw) is indeed the Messenger of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) reminds the Prophet (saw) that while it is true that he (saw) has to face insurmountable odds, just like young Dawud (as) had to face when he battled Jalut, he (saw) is the still the Messenger of Allah (swt). No matter how powerful his (saw)s enemy may be, he (saw) is still the Messenger of

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Allah (swt). That means wherever he (saw) goes and whatever he (saw) does, he (saw) will always have Allah (swt) with him (saw). What enemy can stand against you when you have Allah (swt) on your side? So just like the Prophet (saw) was comforted by this ayah, we have to be comforted by this ayah in our efforts as well. The Quran is the Book of Allah (swt) and it is our Book as well, the Prophet (saw) is the Messenger of Allah (swt) and he (saw) is our Messenger as well. The Book that we are calling to has the Signs of Allah (swt) and the man in whose path we are following is the Messenger of Allah (swt). If we can remain true to these, then of a surety we can be certain that Allah (swt) will be with us. How then could our dawah fail no matter how high the odds against us are? May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to hold fast to His (swt)s Book and to follow the way of His (swt)s Messenger!

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254. These are the Messengers. We gave grace to some of them more than others, from them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in degrees. And we gave Isa, the son of Maryam, the clear signs and we strengthened him with Ruh-AlQuddus. And had Allah willed, the ones who came after them would not have fought after the clear signs had come to them, but they differed, some of them believed and some did kufr, and if Allah had willed they would not have fought, but Allah does what He pleases. Recall from the previous ayah how Allah (swt) comforted the Prophet (saw) by reminding him (saw) that he (saw) was indeed of the messengers. In this ayah, Allah (swt) reminds the Prophet (saw) what a great honor it is to be among the messengers. Allah (swt) shows the Prophet (saw) how he (saw) is not only a Messenger of Allah (swt) but he (saw) is a Messenger whom Allah (swt) has favored and whom Allah (swt) has raised in rank above other messengers. In addition in this ayah Allah (swt) also comforts the Prophet (saw) by letting him (saw) know that even in the past there were those who turned away from the messengers, and Allah (swt) lets him (saw) know that if He (swt) pleased He (swt) could have guided them. But they chose to turn away from the messengers and Allah (swt) allowed them to turn away. Thus the Prophet (saw) and the messengers who came before him (saw) are not to blame and they are not at fault. Just imagine what a great comfort these words must have been for the blessed heart of the Prophet (saw). First they let the Prophet (saw) know of the great station that he (saw) has with Allah (swt) and then they let him (saw) know that his responsibility is only the delivery of the Message. He (saw) will not be responsible in any way if the people turn away.

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Allah (swt) begins this ayah with a small yet powerful statement, Allah (swt) says These are the Messengers. This is to bring our attention to who these men were. They were Messengers from Allah (swt). Can you then even begin to comprehend how important they were? They were our connection with the Divine. They are the means through which we may know what is pleasing to Allah (swt). They show us the purpose of our existence. They bring the communications of our Creator and Sustainer to us. We have been created by Allah (swt), we return to Allah (swt), and for every moment of our lives we are being sustained by Allah (swt). It is through the messengers that we know Allah (swt) and it is the messengers who guide us to Allah (swt). Each one of them is free of sin and each one of them fulfilled all of their duties and responsibilities. Thus they are the most honored and revered of human beings. They are the role models for all of mankind to emulate and follow. They are the Messengers of Allah (swt). Thus Allah (swt) consoles the Prophet (saw) by letting him (saw) know that he (saw) is indeed from these messengers. Not only is the Prophet (saw) one of the Messengers of Allah (swt), but he (saw) is the leader of all the messengers. We see this from the next part of the ayah where Allah (swt) says We gave grace to some of them more than others. Thus Allah (swt) gave to some of the messengers more than He (swt) gave to others. Allah (swt) bestowed His (swt)s gifts and blessings to some messengers more than others. But there was no messenger to whom He (swt) gave more than the Prophet (saw). Allah (swt) made the Prophet (saw) the messenger who was sent to all mankind while the other messengers were all sent to a particular nation. Allah (swt) gave the Prophet (saw) His (swt)s Final Message to which the people will be called to till the end of time. Allah (swt) gave to the Prophet (saw) the greatest Miracle and the enduring Miracle in the Quran. The Prophet (saw) is the only messenger who will be allowed to make intercession on the Day of Judgment. Allah (swt) made the Prophet (saw) the leader of the messengers and this is known by the fact that he (saw) lead all of the prophets in prayer when he (saw) went on the Isra. These were just a few of the ways in which Allah (swt) favored the Prophet (saw) above all the other messengers and above all mankind. Allah (swt) reminds the Prophet (saw) of this fact in this ayah, what a consolation it must have been for him (saw) to hear these words from his Rabb!

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Because the Prophet (saw) was the most honored and the most blessed of the messengers of Allah (swt), then how fortunate should we feel to be a member of his (saw)s Ummah? What is preventing us then from working in the path of Allah (swt) when we know that we are following in his (saw)s footsteps? The Messengers of Allah (swt) were all honored, but none was more honored than the Prophet (saw). So how fortunate and blessed are we that he (saw) is our messenger and that we are in his (saw)s Ummah? There were other messengers like Musa (as) who would wish that they were part of the Ummah of the Prophet (saw). They would want to give up being a messenger of Allah (swt) only so that they could be a member of our nation. Then how fortunate are we to be in the Ummah of the Prophet (saw). He (saw) brought to us the very words of Allah (swt) in this Quran. Why do you think it is that Allah (swt) commanded us to love the Prophet (saw) more than we love our parents, our children and even our own selves? It is because the Prophet (saw) is our connection with Allah (swt), so what human being can be more important in our lives than him (saw)? May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to follow the Prophet (saw) in everything that we do to the best of our ability! Then Allah (swt) says, from them were those to whom Allah spoke. Here Allah (swt) tells us that there were some of His (swt)s messengers to whom He (swt) spoke directly. The scholars say that there are at least three messengers about whom we can be certain that Allah (swt) spoke with directly. These are Adam (as), Musa (as) and of course the Prophet (saw). So here we see that Allah (swt) further comforts the Prophet (saw) by letting him (saw) know that not only is he (saw) one of those messengers whom Allah (swt) favored and blessed above others, but he (saw) is also among those few messengers with whom Allah (swt) directly. We know that the Prophet (saw) spoke directly with Allah (swt) when he (saw) went on the Miraj. This was the time when he (saw) went on the journey up to the heavens. This journey happened during an especially trying and difficult period of the Prophet (saw)s life. The dawah had been progressing for years without success and he (saw) had lost his two supporters in his (saw)s wife and uncle. Can you even begin to imagine what an experience it must have been to communicate directly with the Majestic and the Sublime? What a relief and a comfort must this have been for the Prophet (saw) at a time when he (saw) was going through such difficulties and trials?

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Then Allah (swt) says and He raised some of them in degrees. Here Allah (swt) reminds the Prophet (saw) that there were some prophets and messengers whom He (swt) raised in degrees. This part of the ayah is general and there are many meanings that it gives. One meaning is that Allah (swt) raised the honor and the status of some of the messengers above others. For example some of the messengers like Nuh (as), Ibrahim (as), Musa (as) and Isa (as) are messengers whom everyone knows about. Allah (swt) has raised their rank and gave them a special place of mention and honor among mankind. Another meaning of this part of the ayah is that Allah (swt) has raised the station in the Garden given to some of the messengers above others. Because of their striving and their sacrifices, Allah (swt) has raised some of the messengers to the highest stations of the garden. Allah (swt) gave them the stations that are closest to Him (swt). In both of these meanings we see that there is none whom Allah (swt) has raised more than the Prophet (saw). When we take the first meaning we see that the Prophet (saw) is the most honored and the most revered of the messengers of Allah (swt). There is no prophet or messenger or even any human being whose name is mentioned all over the world more than the name of the Prophet (saw). At every moment of time there is a caller to prayer calling the name of the Prophet (saw), and bearing witness that he (saw) is indeed the Messenger of Allah (swt). The Prophet (saw) has also been raised to the highest station in the highest garden. That place is Garden where the pleasure is the most felicitous, that place that is the closest to Allah (swt). This is the station where Allah (swt) has placed His (swt)s beloved messenger (saw). So we see from this part of the ayah that Allah (swt) has raised the Prophet (saw) in degrees above other messengers. He (swt) has done so in more ways than one. Allah (swt) consoles the Prophet (saw) by reminding him (saw) of this fact. May Allah (swt) always help us to remember how fortunate we are to be in the Ummah of this blessed Messenger (saw)! Then Allah (swt) says And we gave Isa, the son of Maryam, the clear signs and we strengthened him with Ruh-Al-Quddus. Here Allah (swt) reminds the Prophet (saw) of the messenger whom he (saw) was following. The messenger that directly preceded the Prophet (saw) was Isa (as). How noble a messenger was Isa (as) and how much of an honor was it for the Prophet (saw) to follow him. Just like the Prophet (saw), Isa (as) was a messenger who was

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given several clear signs and proofs, and Isa (as) was strengthened and helped by Gibreel (as). Please see our discussion of ayah 88 of this Surah for a more detailed description of those clear signs and how Isa (as) was supported by Gibreel (as). In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says And had Allah willed, the ones who came after them would not have fought after the clear signs had come to them. What happened after the prophets and messengers were sent? Did all of the people follow them? Did everyone believe? Was there even one prophet or messenger who had every one of the people to whom he was sent believe in him? No, rather there were always those who opposed the messengers. There were always those who chose to turn away from the Message that their Creator had sent them. There were always those who chose to fight against the messengers and prevent them from taking the Message of Allah (swt) to the people. It is to this fact that Allah (swt) brings the attention of the Prophet (saw) to in this part of the ayah. Allah (swt) reminds the Prophet (saw) how the messengers who came before him (saw) were also opposed and fought against by their people. Just like he (saw) was opposed and fought by his (saw)s people. Allah (swt) also tells the Prophet (saw) that had it been His (swt)s Will then these evil people would not have opposed the messengers and they would not have fought against them. Allah (swt) could have guided them if He (swt) wanted to, but they chose to turn away so Allah (swt) let them go astray. Even though Allah (swt) could have guided them, He (swt) lead them go astray because they chose to go astray. They opposed the messengers and they prevented the Message of Allah (swt) from reaching mankind. Can you even begin to imagine their evil in that they would deny their people the Message that has been sent to them by their Creator? They will get the repayment for their deeds when they meet Allah (swt) on the Last Day. So we see how this part of the ayah is also a consolation for the Prophet (saw) who was being rejected by his own people and who was being fought against by his own people. It was the Prophet (saw)s own tribe of Quraysh who were the foremost in their opposition to this Message. They were the foremost in their striving to destroy this Message. So Allah (swt) tells the Prophet (saw) in this part of the ayah that he (saw) is not alone. Just like he (saw) was being rejected by the people to whom he (saw) was sent, the messengers before him (saw) were also rejected. They were also

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opposed and they were also fought against. Their own people fought against their messengers. If Allah (swt) had willed, they would not have done so. But they chose to fail the test that Allah (swt) had given them, so He (swt) let them fail. May Allah (swt) save us from becoming like them! May Allah (swt) save us from ever turning away from the Message that He (swt) has sent! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says but Allah does what He pleases. Allah (swt) could have guided those people who opposed and fought against His (swt)s messengers if He (swt) wanted to, but Allah (swt) allowed them to go astray because of the evil that they had done. They chose to go astray so Allah (swt) let them go astray even though He (swt) has the Power and Ability to guide them. Thus Allah (swt) shows us that there are no rules which apply to Him (swt), Allah (swt) can do whatever He (swt) pleases because He (swt) is the complete Lord and Master of all things. Allah (swt) can guide whomsoever He (swt) pleases and He (swt) can send astray whomsoever He (swt) pleases. Thus this part of the ayah both demonstrates the Power of Allah (swt) and at the same time it is also a threat for those who oppose this Message. Allah (swt) is telling them not to think that He (swt) would save them if they themselves choose kufr over iman. Allah (swt) could guide them, but He (swt) could let them go astray as well. The matter is up to Allah (swt) and He (swt) does what He (swt) pleases. So they should try their best to please Allah (swt) and hope that they are among those who He (swt) chooses to guide. If they choose to reject this Message when it comes to them, then what hope can they ever hope of Allah (swt) guiding them? May Allah (swt) make us among those for whom He (swt) desires good, those whom He (swt) desires are guided to Him (swt)!

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255. O you who believe, spend out of what we have provided for you before there comes a Day in which there will be no bargaining, nor friendship and no intercession. And the ones who do kufr, they are the Dhalimoon. After consoling the Prophet (saw) in the previous ayahs, Allah (swt) once again addresses the believers in this ayah. Recall how Allah (swt) had called on the believers to fight in His (swt)s way, and He (swt) had given them the example of Talut and his army and how they defeated a force that was much more powerful than they were because they had Allah (swt) with them. So Allah (swt) tells the believers that if they fight sincerely in His (swt)s way, then He (swt) will be with them. They will be able to overcome any army as long as they put their trust in Allah (swt) and they have Taqwa and Sabr for Him (swt). In addition to fighting, what was also required of the early Muslim community at that time was spending in the way of Allah (swt). Recall that we mentioned how every soldier in the army had to pay for his own armor, mount and weapons. In addition there were many Muslims who wanted to fight but they could not afford these requirements for battle, so many Muslims had to spend on others in addition to spending on themselves. All the Muslims had to spend as much as they can spare to equip the Muslim army for battle. So in this ayah, we see Allah (swt) calling on the early Muslims to spend so that His (swt)s Law is established and so that His (swt) Message is carried to mankind. Allah (swt) says in this ayah O you who believe, spend out of what we have provided for you before there comes a Day in which there will be no bargaining, nor friendship and no intercession. Once again we see Allah (swt) calling out to the believers and He (swt) addresses them as believers. He (swt) calls on them with that quality that they have which establishes their relationship with Him (swt). Allah (swt) links the Iman with the action by saying that if you are a believer then you must manifest your Iman through your actions. What is there to Iman if there are no actions to support it? How can anyone call themselves believers without doing a single act of obedience to Allah (swt)? The scholars have told us how the Iman supports

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the actions and the actions support the Iman. The more Iman that you have the more actions that you will do that are pleasing to Allah (swt) and the more actions that you do that are pleasing to Allah the more Iman that you will have. So in this ayah, Allah (swt) addresses the early Muslim community by their Iman in Him (swt) and He (swt) calls on them to spend to demonstrate their Iman in Him (swt). If you believe in Allah (swt), then spend for Allah (swt) to show your Iman. We can also notice that Allah (swt) calls on the believers to spend from that which He (swt) has provided for them. This is to remind the believers that everything that they have really belongs to Allah (swt). Allah (swt) is saving the believers here from a particular kind of thinking. We have some things in this world, and we start thinking that we are deserving of them. We think that they belong to us and that we have them because of the great person that we are or because of the many accomplishments that we have achieved. We attribute all that we have to ourselves and to our works. We forget that we are in reality nothing and that we have in reality done nothing. We do not deserve even one penny that we have or even morsel of food that we eat or even one drop of water that we drink. Rather everything that we have is a gift from the Most Merciful and Most Bounteous, a gift that we have done nothing to deserve. So when we spend for the sake of Allah (swt), we are only returning the gifts that we have back to their real Owner. May Allah (swt) always help us to remember this fact! May Allah (swt) allow us to spend everything that we have for Him (swt)! So Allah (swt) calls on the believers to spend, Allah (swt) links their spending with their Iman in Him (swt), and He (swt) shows them how spending was necessary to demonstrate their Iman in Him (swt). Then Allah (swt) reminds them that what they are being asked to spend is not what they own because of their own merits, but it is what Allah (swt) has bestowed on them as part of His (swt)s Mercy and His (swt)s Bounty. Then Allah (swt) links their spending with the Last Day. That Day which should always be on the mind of every believer. Allah (swt) describes that Day as a Day in which there will be no bargaining, nor friendship and no intercession. No bargaining means that there is nothing you can give to gain Paradise or be saved from the Fire. Even if you have all of the riches of the heavens and the earth, Allah (swt) would not accept it from you on that Day. Allah (swt) is the One Free of all needs, so there is nothing that you can

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give Him (swt) to save yourself on that Day. No friendship means that you cannot rely on any friend or any companion to help you on that Day. It is a Day in which you will even run from your own parents, your own children and your own wife. You will run from them and they will run from you. Such is the absolute terror of that Day. So how can you expect any human being to save you on that Day? No intercession means that there will be no intercession without the permission of Allah (swt). When the judgment comes down on you, do not count on someone else coming and interceding on your behalf. No one will be able to intercede for you without the permission of Allah (swt). Not some saint, not your righteous children and not even the Prophet (saw). Such is the Day to which Allah (swt) brings the attention of the early Muslims to in this ayah. Allah (swt) calls on them to spend before this Day comes to them. The early Muslims knew that this Day is coming and that it is coming soon. It is a predator that is chasing you and with every second of your life that passes it comes closer. Do you not then want to do everything that you can to prepare for it? Do you not then not want to use every second of your life to prepare for it? So spend from that which Allah (swt) has given you. Your Prophet (saw) has told you to save yourself from the Hellfire even if it be with half a date. So anything that you can give, you should give. It could even be your time and your energy if you do not have much wealth to spend. You can give anything, the only condition is that you give seeking the Pleasure of Allah (swt). The only purpose of your giving must be to attain the Pleasure of Allah (swt). The objective of your giving must only be to please Allah (swt). You should give knowing that Allah (swt) is Seeing you give and with a hope that He (swt) is pleased with your giving. That is how you can prepare for this awesome Day. All that matters when this Day comes is that Allah (swt) is pleased with you, because only He (swt) can help you on that Day and only He (swt) can save you. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to do the actions that are pleasing to Him (swt)! May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to spend from what He (swt) has provided us! May Allah (swt) be pleased with us on that Day! Why are the believers being called on to spend? Why are they being called on to fight? In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) answers these questions. Allah (swt) says And the ones who do kufr, they are the Dhalimoon. To understand this ayah correctly, we have to remind ourselves of the meanings of these words. Remember that the word kufr means to cover. It

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means to cover the Truth when you know it and you recognize it. This refers to all those who openly opposed this Message. They knew that it was indeed the Truth from Allah (swt) but they still chose to turn away from it. They chose to serve their desires and their pride rather than serve their Creator and their Sustainer. How can you describe such people except as Dhalimoon? The Dhalimoon are those who do Dhulm, and as we mentioned Dhulm means injustice, evil, and corruption. What can be a greater evil than to deny the Message that you receive from your Creator and your Sustainer? What could be a greater injustice than preventing this Message from reaching mankind? What could cause greater corruption than denying the world the Mercy and Justice of this Message? Such evil is so great that it must be fought against and it must be opposed no matter what the cost. Our Creator did not create us without telling us exactly what to do, He (swt) has told exactly what to do. It is only man in his pride and arrogance that has turned away from this Message. How can he then be described except as one of Dhalimoon? That is why the believers are being called on to spend and fight in this ayah; it is to stand up to these evil men who would deny the Message of Allah (swt). There is no greater evil than this. In order to bring down this evil Allah (swt) has even allowed us to shed blood. That is the extent of this evil that we are opposing. Life is sacred and to cause any kind of harm to another living creature is a great evil. But an even greater evil is to prevent the Message of Allah (swt) from reaching the people and to deny Allah (swt) the Sovereignty on the earth. That is why this evil must be fought and we have to spend everything that we have in fighting this evil. May Allah (swt) help us and support us, because we certainly cannot do it by ourselves! May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to turn back to this Message! May Allah (swt) make us among those who stand up for and defend this Message like the Prophet (saw), the Sahabah, and the righteous scholars and martyrs did!

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256. Allah. There is no illah except He. Al-Hayy Al-Qayyoum. No daze takes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Who is there that can intercede with Him except by His permission. He Knows what is in front of them and what is behind them, and they encompass nothing of His Knowledge except what He wills, His Kursi spreads over the heavens and the earth, and He does not tire in preserving them. And He is Al-Alee Al-Atheem. This is Ayat-ul-Kursi, the greatest ayah in the Quran. In the previous ayahs, Allah (swt) reminded us of the battle between those who oppose this Message and those who stand up for this Message. This ayah is that Message. The very essence of the Message that Allah (swt) has sent can be summarized in this ayah. So when Allah (swt) calls on you to fight in His (swt)s way and to spend in His (swt)s way and to strive with your utmost in His (swt)s way, the Message of this ayah is what you are striving for. This Message of Islam is nothing but a call to all mankind to submit completely to Allah (swt). This is Tawhid and this is the essence of this Message and this is the meaning of this ayah. This ayah describes Allah (swt) for us and it shows us why it is that only He (swt) is the One Who deserves to be submitted to. The Message of Islam is nothing but a call to Allah (swt). Allah. This is how Allah (swt) begins this ayah. Allah (swt) reminds us of the greatest of His (swt)s Names. The Name that most describes Him (swt). By mentioning this Name, Allah (swt) gives us a summary of the entire ayah right from the very first word in the ayah. Because the rest of the ayah simply describes Who Allah (swt) IS. The meanings given by this Name

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cannot adequately be described in a language as weak as English. The closest that we can say to its true meaning is that Name Allah means the One Who has all of the attributes of perfection and Who has no weakness or imperfection, and as a consequence of which is the Only One who deserves all worship, obedience and submission. In other words, it means the Perfect One deserving of all worship, praise, adoration, respect and obedience. All of the other Perfect Names of Allah (swt) are captured in this Name Allah. So when you say Allah (swt) is the Most Merciful, the Most Powerful, the All-Knowing, the Most Wise, the Most Patient, the Most Pure, all of these Names are captured in the Name Allah. Allah (swt) is the Perfect One and so He (swt) deserves that you worship Him (swt) and that you submit completely to Him (swt). Another meaning that this Name gives is the One Who baffles and confuses the mind. The One Who if you try to comprehend Him (swt) with your mind, it will leave your mind dazed and confused. Now this meaning does not mean that we should not think about Allah (swt) or that we should not reflect on His (swt)s Greatness. It only means that our minds cannot fully comprehend or encompass His (swt)s Essence. You can think about Allah (swt), but if you try to really understand Him (swt), you should know that your mind will never be able to. As one Imam said, think of your mind as a small cup and think about the Essence of Allah (swt) as an ocean. How can a small cup hold the ocean? So this should be a rule for us as we study this ayah. In this ayah, Allah (swt) has told us about Himself and so that we can learn a lot about our Rabb from this ayah. But at the same time we should remember that there is so much about Him (swt) that we do not know. This is because the finiteness of our minds cannot contain the Infiniteness of His (swt)s Essence. This is why one of the meanings of His (swt)s Name is the One who baffles and dazes the minds. This is only the beginning of the meanings that this Name Allah gives. Then Allah (swt) says There is no illah except He. Recall from our discussion of Surah Fatihah how we said that there were two meanings for the word illah. One meaning is god or that which is worshipped, and another meaning is that which fills the heart and occupies the mind. So your illah is not simply the god that you worship, but rather it is the purpose of your existence. You live and you exist only for your illah, nothing else matters in your life except it. It is all that you think about, and everything you do is for it. So for some people their illah is an idol or a

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human being that they adore. For others it is their wealth, for others it is their family, for others it is their own pride and glorification, for others it is satisfying their lusts and desires, and some people have several illah. In this part of the ayah, Allah (swt) tells us that the Only One Who truly deserves to be illah is He (swt). In fact there should be no illah whatsoever except Allah (swt). Notice that Allah (swt) did not simply say that He (swt) was the only illah, but rather He (swt) says that there is no illah except Him (swt). This is to emphasize that there is no illah whatsoever except Him (swt). So think now as to who or what is the illah in your mind. What do you think about most from the time you open your eyes in the morning till the time you go to bed at night? If it is not Allah (swt), then realize how far you are from Allah (swt) and how far you have to go in your journey to Him (swt). This does not mean that all hope is lost for you, it just means that means you have to redouble your efforts in drawing nearer to Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) give us all the enabling grace to make Him (swt) the illah in our lives! Then Allah (swt) says Al-Hayy Al-Qayyoum. These are two of the greatest Names of Allah (swt). Once again the meanings that they give cannot be given justice in English. But we will try our best to scratch the surface of the deep meanings given in these Names. May Allah (swt) help us! Al-Hayy means the Alive. The One Who is always Alive. The One Who has Life and the One to Whom Life does not come and go like it does for the rest of creation. Allah (swt) is Alive at this moment, Allah (swt) has always been Alive and Allah (swt) will always be Alive. There is nothing else that has Life like this, everything else has experienced non-existence. Allah (swt) on the other hand is always Alive. Al-Qayyoum is derived from the word qiyam, which means to stand. The meaning that it gives is that Allah (swt) is the One Who is Self-Subsisting. Allah (swt) is the One Who is always standing without the need for any support or helper. Of course by standing we do not mean standing like we stand, but we mean Existing. Allah (swt) is always Existing and He (swt) does not need anything else or anyone else for His (swt)s Existence. Everything else needs Allah (swt), nothing else can exist on its own, nothing else can stand on its own. Allah (swt) on the other hand is always Existing and He (swt) at the same time is also supporting the existence of everything else. In other words the Name Al-Qayyoum means the One Who needs nothing and the One Who all else needs. These are the beginnings of

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the meanings that these two Names give. Now ask yourself, does anything else deserve to be the illah in your life except such a Being? When you know that such is Allah (swt), how can you then care about anything else? This part of the ayah is also a clear proof for the Existence and the Oneness of Allah (swt). Just look at the world around you. Can you see anything that is always Alive like Allah (swt)? Can you see anything that is Self-Subsisting like Allah (swt)? No rather everything that you can see lives and dies. Everything that you can see only exists for a certain period of time. There was a time when it did not exist and there will be a time when it will no longer exist. This is true for everything. It is true for humans, it is true for animals, it is true for plants, and it is even true inanimate objects. Everything exists only for a certain period of time, there is nothing that has existed forever. Just like everything exists only for a limited amount of time, we can also see that everything is in need of something else for its existence. For example you need air to breathe, food to eat, and even a space in the universe to occupy. If you do not have these, then you cannot exist. Similarly everything else in this universe needs something else to exist. Nothing that we can sense can stand on its own or exist on its own. Everything needs something else. That something else that everything needs is Allah (swt). Allah (swt) is the One Who is providing for and sustaining everything in existence. That is why Allah (swt) is the Necessary Existent, when we look at our own selves and we look at the universe around us then we can see that all of this cannot exist without Allah (swt). There is simply no way to explain the existence of everything in this universe without Allah (swt). Even the most hard core atheist still cannot explain how a universe filled with limited things that are dependent on something else for their existence can come into existence on its own and can sustain itself on its own. They will continue to deny Allah (swt) but they cannot explain this universe without Allah (swt). So while you cannot sense Allah (swt) directly, you should know that in you yourself and in everything else in this universe besides you there are signs for Allah (swt). So know Allah (swt) through yourself and through all that you can sense around you. Allah (swt) is both the Manifest and the Hidden. He (swt) is Manifest for those who look for Him (swt) and He (swt) is Hidden for those who turn away from Him (swt). Which of these groups do you want to be in?

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Then Allah (swt) tells you more about Himself. Now do you see why the Quran is the greatest Book ever, it is a Book about the Most Great. Allah (swt) then says No daze takes Him nor sleep. Daze is that state you experience between wakefulness and sleep. It is that moment of heedlessness that overtakes you when you are about to go to sleep. Sometimes you also feel it when you are really tired. Allah (swt) tells us in this part of the ayah that no daze takes Him (swt) and that He (swt) does not sleep. This means that Allah (swt) does not need any rest whatsoever. That feeling of daze and that feeling of a need to sleep or rest does not come to Allah (swt). In fact there is not even one moment when Allah (swt) is heedless to what He (swt) is doing, there is not even one moment when Allah (swt) is inactive. For every moment Allah (swt) is sustaining and maintaining this entire universe, and if He (swt) were to turn away from it for even a second then this whole creation would be destroyed. Can you then even begin to comprehend how tremendous your Master IS? How then can you ever turn away from Him (swt)? We mentioned in the previous part of the ayah how the Name Al-Qayyoum means that Allah (swt) is sustaining the existence of everything in the heavens and the earth. Maintaining the existence of every single thing does not tire Allah (swt) in the least. If Allah (swt) were to be heedless of the heavens and the earth for even a moment, for even a fraction of a second, then everything in the heavens and the earth would be destroyed. Such is how much every single thing needs Allah (swt). So too do you need Allah (swt). Think about it now, Allah (swt) is sustaining and maintaining you for every second of your existence. He (swt) does not take any breaks, any rest, or any sleep in sustaining you or the universe around you. How then can you be heedless of Him (swt)? How then can you let anything else be the illah in your life except Him (swt)? Why do you want to let anything else be the purpose of your existence except Him (swt)? Why do you want to give even one moment in your life to anything other than Him (swt)? This part of the ayah is also a clear refutation of the Judeo-Christian belief that says that God created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh. See how different is our Aqeedah from that of the Jews and Christians, how we differ in even the most fundamental tenets of our belief. They actually believe that god needs a day of rest. In their minds god is nothing more than an old man with a big beard living in the sky. He can do some things but he also gets

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tired and needs rest. See now how corrupted and false is their belief. How can you believe that a being is perfect if that being needs rest like you do? Do you truly believe the originator of the heavens and the earth to be like that or is that merely imagination that you yourself have made up in your minds to liken your god to yourself? May Allah (swt) save our Ummah from such corruption in our Aqeedah! May Allah (swt) save us from ever likening Him (swt) to the creation! Then Allah (swt) says To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. This means that every single thing in the heavens and the earth belongs completely to Allah (swt). This includes you and me; we belong completely to Allah (swt). What does it mean that you belong to Allah (swt)? It means that that He (swt) is free to do with you as He (swt) pleases. Once you realize this, how can you complain for anything that happens in your life? Know now that your life is not yours to live with as you please but you were created Him and to live your life in worship and servitude to Him. So strive with every moment of your life to please Him and be pleased with whatever He gives you in life. Another meaning that this part of the ayah gives is that all authority and sovereignty belongs to Allah (swt) Alone. When you say that He is your complete Master and your complete Owner, then how can anyone tell you what to do except He? How can you obey anyone except He? Complete obedience and complete sovereignty must be only for Allah (swt). Only His Law the valid Law that can rule the earth, and everyone must obey Him, So both at the societal level and at the individual level all obedience must be only for Allah (swt). At the societal level this means that only the Law of Allah (swt) can rule the land, and at the individual level this means that you have to obey only Allah (swt) in everything that you do. For every moment of your life, you have to see what is the action that is pleasing to Allah (swt) and then do that action. You also have to work to see to it that the only law that rules the land is the Law of Allah (swt). This is how you can realize the complete authority and sovereignty of Allah (swt) both in your life and the life of your society. This is what Allah (swt) wants from you in this part of the ayah. Do you really think that Allah (swt) will be pleased with you when He (swt) says To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and then you live you life the way that you want and you rule the earth the way that you want. You do in your life that which displeases Allah (swt) and you

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permit to exist on the earth that which displeases Him (swt). Do you really think that He (swt) will be pleased with you then? So this is a clear evidence for submitting to Allah (swt) completely in our lives and for working to bring the Islamic State. Then Allah (swt) says Who is there that can intercede with Him except by His permission. With this part of the ayah Allah (swt) brings our attention to the Day of Judgment. As we have mentioned, Allah (swt) created us to worship and serve Him (swt). Allah (swt) gave us the free will to choose whether we will fulfill this purpose for our creation. So for every moment of our life we are being tested on how well we are worshipping and serving Allah (swt). If He is truly the illah in your heart, then for as many moments in your life you should try to think about Him (swt) and for as many moments in your life, you should try to do the actions that are pleasing to Him (swt). This is how you worship and serve Allah (swt) and this is the test that He (swt) has given you in the life of this world. And on the Last Day, you will return to Allah (swt) and He (swt) will judge you on how well you fared on this test. Thus your whole life has really been leading up to that Day when you return to your Rabb. It is to this Day that Allah (swt) brings your attention to in this part of the ayah. Then He asks you a question about this Day. He says Who is there that can intercede with Him except by His permission. You know from Surah Fatihah that He is the Master and the Owner of the Last Day. So you know that He (swt) is the Only One to Judge you. In this ayah, He asks you if there is anyone who can intercede with Him (swt) for you on that Day? When His Judgment comes down on you, is there anyone who can prevent or stop that Judgment? Is there anyone who can change that Judgment? Of course the answer to all of these questions is no because you know that He is the complete Master and Owner of that Day. So why should you care about anyone else in your life except He? Is there anyone else who can help you on that Day? Even the Prophet (saw) who was the best human being to ever walk on the face of this earth will have to ask His for permission before he (saw) can make intercession? How then can you place your hopes in those who are less than the Prophet (saw) in His Sight? So in this part of the ayah as well Allah (swt) is calling on us to make Him (swt) as the illah in our lives, calling on us to make Him (swt) as the purpose of our lives. Allah (swt) is reminding us that there is no one else for us besides Him (swt) on that Last Day when our fate for all eternity will be

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decided. So why then do you want to give even a moment of your life to other than Him (swt)? May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to do everything that we can to prepare for that Day to prepare for that meeting with Him (swt)! Then Allah (swt) says He Knows what is in front of them and what is behind them. Here He tells us that His (swt)s Knowledge covers everything. The pronoun them in this ayah refers to all of creation. He Knows the past of every single thing, He (swt) Knows what happened to it since its creation. Similarly He Knows the future of every single thing. He Knows where every single thing will end up. So even the rock on a mountain, Allah (swt) Knows whether that rock will one day fall down or not. He Knows all about you as well. He Knows every moment of your life better than you do. He (swt) Knows all that happened to you and all that you did since the day you were born and He (swt) Knows all that will happen to you and all that you will do till the day that you die. So how then can you turn away from Him (swt)? Why then should you care about anything or anyone except Him (swt)? One lesson that we can take from this part of the ayah is that Allah (swt) Knows us very well. So you have always remind yourself that He Knows everything about you, He (swt) Knows all the sacrifices that you make for Him (swt). However much you sacrifice and strive, He Knows all of your efforts and all of your determination. So you can be sure that He (swt) will reward you for all your efforts. He even Knows what is in the deepest recesses of your heart so not only does He Know the action itself but He Knows the sincerity behind that action. any action that you do sincerely for Him (swt), you can be sure that He (swt) Knows about it and that He (swt) will reward you for it. So why should you worship and serve any but Him (swt)? Why should you dedicate your life to any but Him (swt)? Turn your face away from the creation and towards the One Who Knows you more than you even know yourself. Seek your reward from the One Who Knows all of your striving. When you dedicate yourself to a Being of such Perfect Knowledge then nothing you do will ever be wasted. He Knows everything that you do for Him. He Knows every single moment that you gave to Him. Nothing whatsoever escapes His Knowledge. He Knows everything you do and He will recompense you for everything you do. Both in this world and the next. Both with pleasures and a station of nearness to Him.

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Then Allah (swt) says and they encompass nothing of His Knowledge except what He wills. What is our greatest achievement other than our knowledge? Is there anything that makes us more proud than our knowledge? Everything that we as human beings have accomplished is because of the knowledge that we have been given. All of our technological advancements, all our scientific discoveries and inventions, and these material comforts in which we live, is only possible because of the knowledge that we have been given. So our knowledge is our greatest achievement, but it often makes us proud and arrogant. Because we have been able to accomplish so much through our knowledge, it often leads us to forget our place in the creation. But in this part of the ayah Allah (swt) reminds us that all of our knowledge comes from Him (swt) and we cannot take any of His (swt)s Knowledge except what He (swt) wills. Should that then not humble us before Him (swt)? We think we are so great because of the knowledge that we have, we may even think that we know everything there is to know. In this part of the ayah, Allah (swt) shows how foolish such thinking is. He shows us how we in reality know nothing and that all Knowledge is with Him (swt). What little knowledge that we have is what has been given to us by Him by His will and permission. If it were not for Him (swt) and His (swt)s Mercy on us, we would remain ignorant, lost and confused. If it were not for Him (swt), then you would not have any knowledge at all. Where then is your arrogance and pride now? May Allah (swt) forgive us for our arrogance! May Allah (swt) continue to bestow His (swt)s Knowledge on us! We have progressed and evolved in our knowledge since the time that Allah (swt) placed Adam (as) on this earth. Each generation builds on the knowledge of the previous generation and so each generation knows more than the previous generation. When it comes to knowledge of science and knowledge of how this world operates we as human beings have reached peaks of knowledge that our ancestors had never reached before. We have stood on their shoulders and reached heights that they have never reached before. However there is one negative side effect to this advancement in knowledge that we have reached, it has made some us believe that we can explain this universe without Allah (swt). We know a little bit about how the physical world around us works, and we think that knowledge makes us independent of Allah (swt). We think that we do not need Allah (swt) anymore and we even go to the extent of thinking that we can

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explain this universe without Him. Is this not the height of arrogance and stupidity? People who think in such a way need to be reminded how little knowledge they possess, they need to be reminded of all that they do not know, and how they still cannot explain the existence of this universe without Allah (swt). All knowledge is only with Him and we do not take any of His (swt)s Knowledge except what He (swt) wants. So we need to remind ourselves of how little we know and how we will never reach that stage in the evolution of our knowledge where we can ever be independent of Allah (swt). No matter how smart the scientist may become and no matter how much he may discover, he will never be able to explain how a limited and dependent universe can come into existence on its own and how it can maintain itself on its own? In his arrogance he may think that he can but he will never be able to do. May Allah (swt) always make us realize how limited our knowledge and may He (swt) always make us humble in our knowledge! Mawdudi mentions in his tafsir of this part of the ayah that because our knowledge is so limited, we cannot be the ones to come up with a system of life for ourselves. We as human beings do not know what is best for ourselves because we do not know what is good or bad about anything. Let us take an example to illustrate this point, imagine for a second that you find yourself standing in front of a table that has a plate of beef and a plate of pork. Can you yourself without revelation from Allah (swt), without a Law from Allah (swt), say that the beef is good and the pork is bad? Is there anything in the smell of the pork or the taste of the pork that tells you that it is bad? No, rather based on what you can sense about it you cannot say if is good or bad. In fact the pork may smell very good to you and you may feel like eating it. So there is nothing about the pork that you can sense with which you say whether it is good or bad. Thus if you cannot know through your senses that the pork is bad then how can you know that it is bad? It is only Allah (swt) Who Knows all about it, Who Knows all about this universe Who can tell you that the beef is good and the pork is bad. This is because He (swt) has all of the Knowledge and you have very little knowledge. So how can we be the ones to say what is right and wrong, how can we be the ones to make the laws for our society when we ourselves cannot even sense the good and the bad in a thing? How do we, such ignorant and emotional creatures, know which laws are best for the people? Rather the Only One to say what is right and wrong and the Only One to

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make the Law is Allah (swt). Only in the Islamic State does the Law of Allah (swt) exist, and until the State returns mankind will continue to live in darkness and oppression. Lead around by fools who think they know what they are doing but in reality do not. May Allah (swt) help all of mankind to realize that only He (swt) can be the Sovereign and the Judge in their lives! May Allah (swt) make us realize how ignorant we truly are! Then Allah (swt) says His Kursi spreads over the heavens and the earth. This part of the ayah is mutashabiyat, this means that its true meaning is known only to Allah (swt). Recall how we said from the previous part of the ayah that the knowledge that Allah (swt) has given us is only a little. We know from the mutashabiyat ayahs that there are even some ayahs of the Quran whose true meaning Allah (swt) has been kept hidden from us. However there is still a general meaning that we can take from these ayahs, and these general meanings still serve their purpose in bringing us closer to Allah (swt) just like all of the others ayahs of the Quran do. But their true meaning is known only to Allah (swt), and this is knowledge that He (swt) has not bestowed on us. The general meaning that we can take from this ayah is that the word Kursi means the Knowledge of Allah (swt) as well as the Power and Authority of Allah (swt). So Allah (swt) tells us in this part of the ayah that both His (swt)s Knowledge and His (swt)s Power and Authority spreads all over the heavens and the earth. There is not one inch of the world where the Knowledge of Allah (swt) or the Power of Allah (swt) does not reach. This meaning is what is in conformity with the rest of the ayah where Allah (swt) has described to us His (swt) Knowledge and His (swt)s Power and how He (swt) is the Only One Who deserves to be worshipped and served because of that. Just as the Knowledge and the Power of Allah (swt) spreads to every corner of the creation, so too does His (swt)s Authority. Allah (swt) is the only One Who has the right to rule and legislate. Only His Law is the Law to rule every corner of this universe. Thus we say that the true meaning of the word Kursi is known only to Allah (swt). The general meaning that we can take from it is that it refers to the Knowledge of Allah (swt) as well as His Power and Authority. Such has been the meaning that the majority of the mufasir have given for this part of the ayah, including Ibn Abbas (ra), who was the Sahabi for whom the Prophet (saw) himself prayed to Allah (swt) to give him (ra) knowledge of the Quran. So when the

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great scholars of our Ummah have given this interpretation for this ayah, who are we then to come and give another interpretation? Who are we to say that this ayah must be understood literally? Such would be utter foolishness because not only does the literal interpretation of this ayah contradict the opinion of the vast majority of our scholars, but the literal interpretation of this ayah also contradicts the rational basis upon which we established our Aqeedah. The literal interpretation of this ayah puts limitations on Allah (swt), and we know that Allah (swt) is Far Above any weakness or limitations. Praised and Glorified be He (swt)! May Allah (swt) save our Ummah from those who want to put limitations and restrictions on our Rabb! The ones who want to liken Him (swt) to the creation! May Allah (swt) save us from them! Then Allah (swt) says and He does not tire in preserving them. Not only does the Power and the Knowledge of Allah (swt) spread to every corner of the heavens and the earth but He does not tire in the least bit in preserving them and maintaining them. Can you then even begin to imagine His Power? Every single thing in the heavens and the earth is being sustained and maintained by Him and it is not tiring Him (swt) in the least. The very existence of every single thing is being preserved by Him and He (swt) does not tire in the least bit . Such is the Power and Majesty of Allah (swt), what can you do with such a Being except submit to Him (swt) completely? So in this part of the ayah as well we see that Allah (swt) calling on mankind to submit with their all to Him (swt). Allah (swt) is the One maintaining and preserving you and the world around you for every moment of your existence, so why do you want to make anything else as the purpose of your life other than Him (swt)? How can you live in heedlessness of Him and dedicate your life to other than Him? Rather you should make Him as the focus of your life, this is in essence Tawhid and this is the Message of this ayah and the Message of this Din. Sayyid Qutb also mentions in his tafsir of this ayah how this part of the ayah is a clear refutation of the Aristotelian belief that god created the universe and then let it be. Allah (swt) clearly shows us in this part of the ayah how not only did He (swt) create the heavens and the earth but that He (swt) is maintaining and preserving them for every moment of their existence. Allah (swt) does not tire in maintaining and preserving them, this means that He (swt) has always been maintaining and preserving them and that He (swt) will continue to maintain and preserve

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them till the Last Day. So how can you then ever tire in your worship and servitude of Him (swt)? It is only the fools who do not know Him who think that they can live a life without Him. In the final part of this ayah Allah (swt) says He is Al-Alee Al-Atheem. These are two more of His Beautiful Names. Allah (swt) describes Himself to us with His (swt)s Names and so we should seek to draw closer to Him (swt) through these Names. Al-Alee is the One Who has the Perfection in all attributes. For example we say that Allah (swt) is the One Who is the Most Knowing, the Most Powerful, the Most Wise. All of these attributes have reached their pinnacle and their perfection in Allah (swt) and that is the meaning given by His (swt)s Name Al-Alee. This Name does not mean the Most High in the literal sense because we know that Allah (swt) is beyond time and space. He (swt) is not the highest in terms of location, rather all the perfect attributes reach their height of perfection in Him (swt). As always, Allah (swt) Knows best. Al-Atheem means the Most Great and the Most Majestic. The Most Tremendous. How can you describe Him (swt) as anything else other than this after what you have learned about Him (swt) in this ayah? Is there anything greater than Allah (swt)? Is there any being that is more majestic than Allah (swt)? Is there anything or anyone more tremendous? No, not even the mightiest king or the tallest mountain could ever compare to Him. When you know all of this about Allah (swt) then is there anything that should be more important in your life than He (swt)? Is there anything else or anyone else for whom you should dedicate every moment of your life? So this ayah is nothing but a call to all mankind to submit completely to Allah (swt). He describes Himself to us and shows us why He (swt) is the One Who deserves to be worshipped and why He (swt) deserves to be submitted to. The Message of this ayah was what the early Muslims were striving, struggling and spending to uphold and carry. It is also what Allah (swt) calls upon us to take up and carry. When you think about the Greatness of Allah (swt), can you imagine another purpose for your life other than carrying this Message to mankind? May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace! So we see from this ayah how Allah (swt) has summarized for us this entire Message. This Message is nothing but a call to Allah (swt). A call to spend ones life in worship and servitude of Allah (swt). When you truly realize Who Allah (swt) IS that is when you will see that

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there is no value to life except spending it in the worship and servitude of Allah (swt). This ayah tells you Who Allah (swt) IS. The more that you understand the meanings of this ayah the more that you will realize Allah (swt). The more that you realize Allah (swt) the more that you will see how there is no point to life except living this Din that He (swt) has sent to you. So we should all strive to reflect on the meanings of this ayah. We should all strive to memorize this ayah and recite it to ourselves often. Each time we recite it we should think about our Lord as He (swt) has described Himself in it and we should seek to draw closer to Him (swt) with it. May Allah (swt) allow this most beautiful of ayahs be a means with which we can approach Him (swt)!

257. There is no compulsion in Din. Surely the Right Way has become clear from error. So whoever does kufr to the Taghut, and has Iman in Allah then surely he has grasped the firmest handhold that will never break. And Allah is Hearing Knowing. In the previous ayah Allah (swt) told us what was the essential of this Message, Allah (swt) told us what was the foundation of this Message. Allah (swt) reminded us how this Message was nothing but a call to submit to the Oneness and the Absoluteness of He (swt). Allah (swt) described Himself (swt) to us so that we can realize how He (swt) is the Only One Who deserves to be worshipped and the Only One Who deserves to be submitted to in all affairs of life. Allah (swt) reminded us how the propagation of this Message was what we should live for and what we should strive for. So the spread of this Message to mankind is what we live for, it is what we strive for, and it is what we sacrifice all that we have for. We realize the Greatness and the Majesty of Allah (swt) and so we have submitted to Him (swt). Similarly we want to see all of mankind submit to Allah (swt) as well just like we have. We are so sure and we are so convinced of this Message

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that we want nothing more than to see all of mankind believe in this Message just like we have. But does this then mean that we can go so far as to force this Message on the people? After all it is the Truth right? How can we leave the people living in ignorance and darkness? Should we not force this Din upon them? It is to these questions that Allah (swt) brings our attention to in this ayah. Allah (swt) says There is no compulsion in Din. Basically this ayah means that you cannot force anyone to become Muslim, you cannot force this Din upon anyone. Allah (swt) says clearly that there is no compulsion and no force in the Din. So the first meaning that we can take from this part of the ayah is that it is forbidden for us to force anyone to become Muslim. You cannot put a gun to someones head and tell them to become Muslim or else they would die. Everybody should be free to choose whether they want to accept Islam or not. So the most apparent meaning that this ayah gives is that in no way can we force anyone to accept this Din. If any Muslim were to force any non-Muslim to accept Islam then he would be doing a great sin for which he will have to answer to Allah (swt) on the Day of Judgment. This meaning of the ayah is also a clear refutation of those so called historians who say that Islam was spread by the sword. Their imaginative stories conjure up images in our minds of Muslim soldiers entering non Muslim lands and putting their swords on the necks of people telling them to say that Allah (swt) is One and the Prophet (saw) is the Messenger of Allah (swt). Such an image could not be further from the truth. Why would any Muslim soldier who is fighting for the sake of Allah (swt) perform an action that is clearly forbidden by Allah (swt)? We see from this ayah that Allah (swt) has clearly forbidden compulsion in the Din. The meaning of this ayah is a fundamental rule that all Muslims knew well. So it is inconceivable that any Muslim would have forced anyone to accept this Din at the sword, rather these are stories made up by the enemies of this Message. They know that Islam is the Truth, they see that it is the Truth, but they want to prevent it from spreading to mankind so they make up these lies about it. They make up these lies while completely ignoring the fact that Allah (swt) has forbidden compulsion by force in this ayah, and completely ignoring the fact that millions of non Muslims lived freely and practiced their religion freely within the Islamic State for the last fourteen hundred years of the States existence.

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So we can see that all that they say about Islam being a religion of violence and terror and of it being spread by the sword is nothing fabrications and propaganda to fool the people. Those of us who have even the most basic understanding of the Quran can see their lies for the falsehood and the propaganda that they are. May Allah (swt) save us and save the people from the lies and the deception of the enemies of this Message! Notice also that Allah (swt) did not say that there is no compulsion in Islam but He (swt) said there is no compulsion in Din. So another meaning that this part of the ayah gives is that there is to be no compulsion in any Din. There cannot exist any circumstance where the people are being forced to accept one Din over another. Rather all people must be given the freedom to choose what they want to believe in. Because belief is what in the heart of a person, and you cannot force something into someones heart. So another meaning that Allah (swt) gives in this part of the ayah is that no person should be forced to accept any belief. Now let us look at the secular and materialistic societies that dominate the world today and let us ask ourselves if people truly have the freedom to choose their Din in such societies. You might say that they do because such societies claim to guarantee freedom of belief. Even this so called freedom of belief can be called into question when we see the oppression and persecution these societies levy upon Muslims. Even the country that is the champion of secularism and the originator of secularism is now forcing Muslim sisters to walk in the streets naked. So now where is their freedom of belief? But let us assume for now that even if there is such a concept of freedom of belief in their society, do you still think that the people are correctly receiving the Message of Allah (swt) in such societies? Do you think that their governments and their media are telling them the Truth about this Message? Or are they merely spreading lies and propaganda by telling their people that this is a Din of terror and this is Din that takes away freedoms? Let us even put that on the side for the moment, and let us then make the far-fetched assumption that the people can still receive the Message of Allah (swt) correctly in such societies. Even if the people do correctly receive the Message of Allah (swt) in the societies of the West, and this is a far-fetched assumption, do you think that the kind of society that these people live in is conducive to make the people accept the Message of Allah

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(swt)? These people have created a society where the children are taught from a very early age that they are nothing but intelligent apes. So basically they are nothing more than animals. What does an animal live for other that satisfaction of its lusts and carnal pleasures? So how receptive will a person be to the Message of Allah (swt) when he has grown up thinking that he was an ape and thinking that all that there is to life is eat, sleep, defecate and satisfy his carnal lusts? How will he respond to a Message that is now calling on him to submit completely to Allah (swt)? Will he be very receptive to such a Message? Will he make the effort to find out whether this Message is the Truth or not, or will he prefer to live his life in ignorance so that he can continue to be a slave of his lusts and desires rather than being a slave of Allah (swt)? So you can see how by the very existence of such societies, they are forcing their people to accept their Din and their way of life. They are preventing the Message of Allah (swt) from reaching the people. Thus the people in such societies do not have the freedom to choose whether they want to accept the Message of Allah (swt) or not because the people never correctly receive the Message of Allah (swt) and they live in a society that makes them want to turn away from the Message of Allah (swt). That is why Allah (swt) legislated that jihad must take place. We are not saying that people must be forced to accept Islam, even though this Message is the Ultimate Truth we are still not saying that the people must be forced to accept it. But we are saying that all of the material obstacles that prevent the Message of Allah (swt) from reaching the people must be removed. That is why jihad is necessary, to remove the material obstacles that stand in the way of the dawah. These material obstacles are the governments that rule over the people. The governments that force the people to accept a corrupted belief and a corrupted way of life without allowing the Message of Allah (swt) to correctly reach them. That is also why when we look back to the time of the Prophet (saw), we see that when he (saw) established the Islamic State, Allah (swt) then commanded the Muslims to fight in order to bring down the governments that prevented the Message of Allah (swt) from reaching the people. These governments force their Din on the people, and as Allah (swt) says in this part of the ayah there is to be no compulsion in Din. So the Prophet (saw) and the Sahabah fought and strove to remove these obstacles to the dawah and to ensure that the Message of Allah (swt) correctly reached the people. Only then

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would the people have the real freedom to choose what they want to believe. Only then did they all choose Islam. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to reestablish the Islamic State so that there can be no compulsion in Din once again! Another reason why it is necessary to fight to establish the Law of Allah (swt) in the land is because of what we said previously in Ayat-al-Kursi. Everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah (swt), so this earth belongs to Allah (swt) as well. Therefore it is not right for anyone but Allah (swt) to rule over this earth. So when the Muslims fight to bring down the governments of Taghut and replace it with the Law of Allah (swt) they are in effect returning the sovereignty over the earth to its rightful Owner. Once the Islamic State has been established, the people are given the freedom to choose as to whether they want to accept Islam or if they want to keep their religion and practice it in private. The Din is never forced upon the people to accept as a way of belief, but they must accept Allah (swt) as the Sovereign over the earth because the earth belongs to Allah (swt) and not to them. So the people are free to keep their religion, but the law that must rule over the earth is only the Law of Allah (swt). This is not forcing the people to accept Islam but this is only returning Sovereignty to its rightful Owner. May Allah (swt) help us all to realize this! It is also ironic that the Christians and the Orientalists would accuse Muslims of forcing Islam on the people without looking at their own history. Sayyid Qutb tells us in his tafsir of this ayah how the Christians were the foremost among those who forced their religion on other people. For example when Constantine, the Roman Emperor, made Christianity the official religion throughout his empire, he forced the people throughout the empire to adopt Christianity. Everyone across the Roman Empire had to accept Jesus Christ as their lord and savior or else face torture and death. Similarly when the Christians retook Spain in the fifteenth century, they had the Inquisitions where they rounded up all those who were not Christian in Spain and forced them to believe in Christianity or face torture and death. Similarly the natives of the New World that they colonized, exploited and pillaged received the same treatment. The conquistadors would go with the cross in one hand and the sword in the other. So how dare they accuse us of forcing people to believe by the sword when the history of their own religion is filled with so much blood?

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But then what do you expect from a religion that is so foolish and filled with so much falsehood? A religion that teaches that god has a son, that god is one yet god is three, that god has a mother, that the pope speaks with god, and other foolish beliefs. How can you expect anyone to believe in a religion that has such foolish beliefs? So they know that the only way that they can make the people accept such a ludicrous religion is by forcing it upon the people. That is why we can see that most of the people entered into Christianity either because they were forced to or because they saw some benefit in them for it in this worldly life. For example during the Colonial times, many people knew that it was the religion of the colonizers and so they thought that they get some benefit by following their religion. Very few people adopted Christianity because they were convinced that it was the Truth from Allah (swt). Most of the people were forced into it in one way or another. So then how dare that they accuse Islam of forcing people to believe by force? They should first look to their own history. The fact that Christianity was forced on the people is also why today you can see so many Christians abandoning their religion for secularism, materialism, atheism, and even the eastern religions. They can see that their religion is nothing but falsehood. Their religion is nothing but falsehood, and falsehood knows no end except destruction. Then Allah (swt) says Surely the Right Way has become clear from error. This is why there can be no compulsion in the Din of Islam. It is the Truth, it is the Right Way, and Allah (swt) has made it clear from all the ways of error and falsehood. Notice in this ayah how Allah (swt) emphasizes with certainty that Islam has surely been made clear from all the ways of error and falsehood. So once Islam has been made clear, why do you need to then force this Message on the people? Anyone who is sincere and who reflects on it will easily recognize it as the Truth. There is no other religion in the world today that calls on the worship of Allah (swt) Alone like Islam does. There is no other religion that presents the Creator as the Perfect One with no flaw or weakness like Islam does. There is no other religion that presents such clear proofs and evidences like Islam does. So from this part of the ayah we see that Allah (swt) has made the Right Way of His (swt)s Message clear from all of the wrong paths of error and falsehood. So the people should be free to choose which path they want to follow. You know the Truth, now you

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choose whether you want to follow it or not. The people know that following this Message was what they were created to do, if they choose not accept it then they will have to face Allah (swt) on the Last Day with their decision. In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says So whoever does kufr to the Taghut, and has Iman in Allah then surely he has grasped the firmest handhold that will never break. We saw from the previous part of the ayah that Allah (swt) has made this Message clear from all of the ways of error and misguidance. So what does it mean to believe in this Message and to follow this Message? Allah (swt) tells us in this part of the ayah. The first part of following this Message is turning away from the Taghut; it is doing kufr to the Taghut. The Taghut are all of the false gods that are worshipped instead of Allah (swt) and also all of the false masters and kings who are obeyed instead of Allah (swt). These could be idols or human beings or devils. So Allah (swt) first demands that you turn away from the worship of any but Him (swt) and that you turn away from the servitude of any but Him (swt). The next part of believing in this Message and following this Message is to have Iman in Allah (swt). It is to have the deep and firm conviction in Allah (swt) as He (swt) has described Himself in the Quran. So you must believe in Allah (swt) as He (swt) has described Himself in Ayat-al-Kursi and you must believe that Allah (swt) is the only illah in your life. This belief must make you dedicate your whole life for Allah (swt). If you are able to do this, then you will be among those whom Allah (swt) has described as surely he has grasped the firmest handhold that will never break. This Iman in Allah (swt) in your heart and this Din of Islam in your life is what Allah (swt) has described as the firmest handhold that will never break. As long as you hold on to it, it will never leave you, as long as you are sincere to it, it will never abandon you. This is because this Din is the Truth, and while the falsehood will be destroyed and will vanish, the Truth will remain. So you can be certain that if you believe in Allah (swt) with utmost conviction and you practice this Din of Al-Islam to the best of your ability, then you have grabbed hold of the firmest of handholds that will never break. May Allah (swt) enable us all to grab hold of this Din of Islam and to hold on to it till the Day in which we meet Him (swt)! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) reminds us once again that He (swt) is Hearing Knowing. So the Message has been made clear, and the people are free to accept it or reject it.

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In this part of the ayah, Allah (swt) tells us that whatever choice the people make, He (swt) is Hearing and Knowing. If they chose to believe in this Message when they know it is Truth, then He (swt) Hears their acceptance of this Message and He (swt) Knows that their acceptance was sincere in their hearts. If they chose to reject this Message when they know that it is the Truth, then He (swt) Hears their rejection and He (swt) Knows the corruption in their hearts when they rejected a Message that they knew was the Truth. He (swt) Knows that they knew that this Message was the Truth, and He (swt) Knows how they turned away from it even when they were certain that it was the Truth. If they were ignorant of this Message because it never reached them correctly, then Allah (swt) Hears that the Message never reaches them and He (swt) Knows their situation as well. Allah (swt) Knows that they are not to be held responsible because He (swt) Hears that they have never received this Message. Allah (swt) Hears and Knows all things so Allah (swt) Hears all those who accept this Message and those who do not, and Allah (swt) Knows the hearts of all people if they are sincere to Him (swt) when His (swt)s Message reaches them. So Allah (swt) reminds us in this part of the ayah as well that there is to be no compulsion in Din, Allah (swt) Hears all and Knows all and He (swt) Hears and Knows those who accepted this Message and those who did not. May Allah (swt) Hear from us words that please Him (swt) and may He (swt) Knows from us sincerity in our hearts!

257. Allah is the Protecting Friend of the ones who believe, He takes them out of every kind of darkness and into the Light. But as for the ones who do kufr, their protecting friends are the Taghut, they take them from the Light into every kind of darkness. These are the companions of the Fire, they will stay therein forever.

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In the previous ayah Allah (swt) reminded us that there is to be no compulsion in the Din. Everyone should be given the free choice as to whether they want to accept this Message or not. The Truth of this Message has been made clear from the error and the falsehood of all other beliefs and ways of life. So now the people should be free to decide whether they want to accept this Message or not, that is after all is the test that every soul have been given in the life of this world. This Message is nothing but an call to total submission to Allah (swt) Who is as He (swt) has described Himself (swt) in Ayat-ul-Kursi. The ones who are sincere and who recognize their own weakness and who recognize the Greatness and the Majesty of Allah (swt) will follow this Message, and the ones who are arrogant and who want to follow their lusts and their desires will turn away from this Message. In this ayah, Allah (swt) tells us what will happen to those who accept this Message and what will happen to those who turn away from this Message. Allah (swt) says Allah is the Protecting Friend of the ones who believe. The first thing that Allah (swt) does is that He (swt) establishes this special relationship with the ones who choose to accept this Message and the ones who choose to believe in it. This then is further incentive for you to accept this Message because if you do, then you too will have this special relationship with the Lord and Master of the universe. What is this special relationship that you will have with Allah (swt)? Allah (swt) will be your Protecting Friend. A friend is someone close to you, a friend is someone who is always there for you whenever you need him or her, a friend is someone whom you can take comfort in during times of sadness and difficulty, and someone whom you can share moments of joy and happiness with. Allah (swt) is telling you in this part of the ayah, that if you believe in Him (swt) as He (swt) should be believed in, then He (swt) will be your Friend. Who could have a better friend than Allah (swt)? Does the one who has Allah (swt) as a friend need any other friends from the life of this world? Do they need anyone else? Allah (swt) is the Friend Who will always be with you, and Who will never abandon you. Even when you are in the darkest moments of your life, and you look around and see no one else around you, you can know that Allah (swt) will be with you during those moments. Even when you are in your grave, you know that Allah (swt) will be with you. So how can you find a better friend than Him (swt)? Furthermore not only will Allah (swt) be your friend, but He (swt) will be your Protecting

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Friend. This means Allah (swt) will take care of you wherever you go. Allah (swt) has all Might and all Power, and if He (swt) is your Protector then what do you have to fear from the creatures of this world. Anything in this world that may seek to harm you is His (swt)s creation and under His (swt)s complete Power and Control. What then can possibly happen to you, what harm or misfortune can befall you, if you have Allah (swt) as your Protecting Friend? Who in this world can be a better friend than Allah (swt)? Who in this world can be a better protector than Allah (swt)? So Allah (swt) reminds us in this first part of the ayah that if we choose to believe in this Message that He (swt) has sent, then He (swt) will be our Protecting Friend. This is what Allah (swt) will do for us if only we believe in this Message that He (swt) has sent to us. Once Allah (swt) has become your Protecting Friend, what then will He (swt) do to you? How will He (swt) reward you for your belief in Him (swt) and your total submission to Him (swt)? Allah (swt) says He takes them out of every kind of darkness and into the Light. This is what Allah (swt) does for those who choose to believe in the Message that He (swt) has sent. He (swt) takes them out of every kind of darkness and into the Light. The Light here refers to this Din of Al-Islam and the darkness refers to every single way of life other than it. So notice how Allah (swt) uses the singular for the Light because there is only One True belief and way of life, and how Allah (swt) uses the plural for the darkness because there are so many false beliefs and so many corrupted ways of life. This Din has been described as Light because it brings peace and tranquility for the people, it also brings justice and equity. It gives people a sense of purpose in their lives and it shows the way to the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and the Garden in the Hereafter. All of the other ways of life are darkness because they bring the opposite of this. All other ways of life bring misery and suffering for the people, injustice and deprivation for the society and the show the way to the Wrath of Allah (swt) and the Fire. May Allah (swt) save us from the Fire! So for the ones who choose to believe in this Message, Allah (swt) will take them out of all kinds of darkness and into the Light of this Message. What then is the situation of those who choose to reject this Message when they know that it is the Truth? Allah (swt) says about them But as for the ones who do kufr, their protecting friends are the Taghut. They have protecting friends also but their protecting friends

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are the Taghut. Mawdudi tells us in his tafsir of this ayah that Taghut here refers to anything and everything that takes you away from the complete worship and servitude to Allah (swt). You know that Allah (swt) is your Creator, and you know that He (swt) is Sustaining your existence for every moment of your life, even those who chose to reject this Message are aware of this fact. Because of this you know that you must make Allah (swt) as the purpose of your life, everything that you do must only be for Him (swt). So anything that takes you away from Allah (swt) is Taghut. This could be a human being that you adore, this could be a king that you obey, this could be the material things of this world that you crave after, this could be money, this could be your lust for women, or it could even be your own pride. Anything and everything that takes you away from Allah (swt) is Taghut. Thus for those who choose to reject this Message when they know that is the Truth Allah (swt) punishes them by appointing the Taghut to be their protecting friends. What do the Taghut then do to those who have chosen to reject this Message? What kind of friends are they? What kind of protectors are they? Allah (swt) says they take them from the Light into every kind of darkness. So here Allah (swt) has given these a people a chance to come into the Light. Allah (swt) has sent them His (swt)s Message. But they have willfully chosen to turn away from this Message. Allah (swt) shows us how these people are punished in the life of this world because of their evil in rejecting the Message of Allah (swt) that they knew was the Truth. Allah (swt) appoints for them Taghut to be their protectors and to be their friends. These Taghut then take these people away from this Message and plunge them further into darkness. Whatever darkness it was that made them turn away from the Light of Allah (swt)s Message, whether it was a false religion or their lusts for this world or their pride and arrogance, these Taghut take them further into that darkness. What is the result of their going into darkness and away from the Light of this Message? What is the result of their turning away from the purpose of their creation? Allah (swt) says, These are the companions of the Fire, they will stay therein forever. Allah (swt) describes them as being the companions of the Fire. That shows us how close they are to the Fire. Can you imagine what it is like to be so close to a Fire that is seventy times hotter than the Fire of this world? Not only are they so close to the Fire but they will be in that Fire forever. Can you even

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begin to imagine how terrifying this is. May Allah (swt) save us! May Allah (swt) save us! May Allah (swt) save us from all of the Taghut that may seek to take us away from Him (swt)!

258. Have you not looked to the one who argued with Ibrahim about his Rabb because Allah had given him the kingship. When Ibrahim said My Rabb is the One Who gives life and causes death. He said I give life and cause death. Ibrahim said But surely Allah brings the sun from the east, so bring it now from the west. So the one who disbelieved was confounded. And Allah does not guide the people who do Dhulm. In the previous ayahs we have seen how Allah (swt) has set the stage for this battle between those who choose to believe in this Message and those who choose to reject this Message. The battle between those choose to stand up for this Message and who work to carry it to mankind and those who choose to suppress this Message and keep it hidden from mankind. This Message is the Ultimate Truth because it is a call to submit completely to the Ultimate Reality. In this ayah, Allah (swt) shows us how this battle is just as much a battle of ideas and thoughts as it is a material battle of swords. Allah (swt) brings our attention to a time when this battle of ideas took place between one of His (swt)s noble messengers and a powerful and tyrannical king. As you read this ayah, look at the powerful and undeniable arguments that Allah (swt) brings to support this Message and look at the foolishness of the arguments of those oppose this Message. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying Have you not looked to the one who argued with Ibrahim about his Rabb because Allah had given him the kingship. Here Allah (swt)

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brings our attention to the time when Ibrahim (as) debated with Nimrod who was the emperor of Babylon. Once again we see that Allah (swt) uses the words Have you not looked. Why does Allah (swt) use these words when this was a reality that the Prophet (saw) and the Muslims have never physically seen? One reason for this is that Allah (swt) wants us to reflect and think about this story so deeply that it comes to the point where it is almost as if we perceive it directly. So imagine yourself now to be in the court of Nimrod. It is a grand and spacious hall because Nimrod who was one of the most powerful kings who ever ruled over this earth. There sits Nimrod on his throne and he has his army, his ministers and the rest of his entourage at his side. On the other side of this battle line is only Ibrahim (as). Now it may seem as if he (as) stood alone, but in reality he (as) had Allah (swt) with him (as). This is the scene that Allah (swt) wants you to bring to mind. Notice also that Allah (swt) does not refer to Nimrod as king or emperor or even by his name, but rather Allah (swt) refers to him as the one who argued with Ibrahim about his Rabb. This is a derogatory title that Allah (swt) has given for Nimrod. He will forever be known in the Book of Allah (swt) as the one who argued with the messenger of Allah (swt) about his own Lord and Master. Such is the fate that he made for himself when he chose to reject this Message. What did he argue with Ibrahim (as) about? He argued what most kings and men of power argue about, and that is a refusal to submit to the Authority and the Rule of Allah (swt). Why did he argue in such a way? Allah (swt) says in the ayah that it is because Allah had given him the kingship. So because he had been given power in the land and the rule over men, he had become corrupted by this power. Thus when the messenger of Allah (swt) came to him and told him to relinquish sovereignty of the land to the One to Whom it belongs, he refused to do so. Rather he argued and debated with the messenger of Allah (swt) because he had this power in the land that he did not want to give up. So corrupted was he by the power that he had been given that he dared to argue with a man that he knew was the messenger of Allah (swt). One lesson that we can take from this part of the ayah is to see how power corrupts. When you are given power over the people then this power that you have been given could take you away from Allah (swt). It might make you arrogant and proud of yourself and you may see yourself as something more than an abject slave of Allah (swt). You may think that you are above

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prostrating before Allah (swt). You may think that you are above obeying the Law of Allah (swt). Such is the danger of being in power and being given authority. So if you have been given power of any kind. Whether you are a leader in the community or the head of your household or even the teacher of students, you must be careful and not let this power make you arrogant. You must be careful and not let this power take you away from Allah (swt). Remember that it was Allah (swt) Who gave you your power and remember that Allah (swt) can take it away at any moment if you ever choose to become arrogant and if you ever choose not to serve Him (swt). Such is the only way that you can save yourself from becoming like Nimrod and those who became corrupted by their power. Now how did Ibrahim (as) begin this battle of ideas with Nimrod? How did Ibrahim (as) show Nimrod that this Message that he (as) brought was the Truth and that it must be submitted to? How did Ibrahim (as) show Nimrod that Allah (swt) was the true Lord and Master Who alone must hold sovereignty? Allah (swt) tells us When Ibrahim said My Rabb is the One Who gives life and causes death. Allah (swt) is the Only One Who has complete control over life and death. This fact alone should show why Allah (swt) is the One True King for all mankind. Why would you ever want to follow a king who cannot even bring life or cause death? So in this part of the ayah we see how Ibrahim (as) links the Power and Ability of Allah (swt) with the fact that He (swt) must be submitted to and obeyed. Allah (swt) is the One Who gives life and causes death, thus Allah (swt) has complete Power over all mankind, thus Allah (swt) must be obeyed and submitted to by all mankind. The idiot Nimrod responded to the argument of Ibrahim (as) by saying, I give life and cause death. Once again notice his foolishness and his stubbornness; his utter refusal to acknowledge a fact that he knows is the truth. He knew that it was only Allah (swt) who gave life and caused death but he was so keen on holding on to his power that he was looking for some argument to bring against what he knew was the truth. He had the audacity to say that he was the one who gave life and caused death. How evil is a man who claims a Power that belongs exclusively to Allah (swt) for himself? The narrations tell us that what he did was take two prisoners from his jail. One was about to be set free and one was about to be killed. He killed the

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one who was about to set free and he set free the one who was about to be killed. Based on this, he claimed that he controlled life and death. Of course we can see the utter foolishness of his claim. First of all he did not really give life because what Ibrahim (as) meant was that Allah (swt) can give life to that which has no life, that is a feat which no human being can accomplish. Can any human being give life to that which has no life? Secondly Allah (swt) is the only cause of death. There is not one thing in this universe that causes death. There is nothing that can beidentified as the sole cause of death. People die of various circumstances and of various situations, so there is no factor that can be identified as the single cause of death. Sometimes people fall dead for no apparent reason, and sometimes people are in the worst of car accidents or they fall from the highest buildings and they do not die. So there is no cause for death except Allah (swt). Allah (swt) is the cause of death in that we will only die when He (swt) has decreed for us to die. So we see how foolish was Nimrod in thinking that he controls life and death. He failed to see that the real Controller of life and death was Allah (swt). Now Ibrahim (as) could have easily shown Nimrod the foolishness of his argument like we have. But Ibrahim (as) chose to bring an even more powerful argument to counter his argument, an argument that would completely destroy any claim that Nimrod had to sovereignty in the land. Ibrahim (as) says But surely Allah brings the sun from the east, so bring it now from the west. Ibrahim (as) shows Nimrod how it is Allah (swt) who controls the movements of the celestial bodies, does any human being have power to control these? Can even the most powerful king, even if he rules over the entire earth, bring the sun from the West on even one day of all the days in which Allah (swt) brings the sun from the east? This universe works according to the Laws that Allah (swt) has placed over it. Can any of the false kings or legislators who claim sovereignty change any of these Divine Laws? Can they bring the sun from the West on even one day? What right then do they have to be a sovereign on the land? Ibrahim (as) challenges Nimrod and orders him to bring the sun from the West if he indeed has any legitimate claim to sovereignty over the land. Was there anything that Nimrod could do to meet this challenge of Ibrahim (as)? Of course there was not, thus Allah (swt) describes his situation by saying So the one who

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disbelieved was confounded. Notice now how Allah (swt) describes Nimrod here as the the one who disbelieved. Mawdudi tells us in his tafsir of this ayah how it was not in Allah (swt) that Nimrod refused to believe in, but rather it was in the fact that he had to submit to the sovereignty of Allah (swt). As a king that was what he was refusing to accept. So while he believed in Allah (swt) as the Creator and Sustainer, he refused to accept Him (swt) as King and Master. But Allah (swt) must be believed in as He (swt) IS and not how we want Him (swt) to be. Nimrod did not want to relinquish the political authority of his kingdom to Allah (swt), that is why he disbelieved in Allah (swt) as the Lord and Master. But just because Nimrod refused to believe in Allah (swt) as the Lord and Master does not change the fact that Allah (swt) is the Lord and Master. So Nimrod was only deceiving himself as to the reality of his Rabb. What then could Nimrod do about the challenge of Ibrahim (as) to make the sun rise from the West? When Ibrahim (as) presented him with this challenge, Allah (swt) describes him as being confounded. This English word does little to convey the sense of utter shock and helplessness that Nimrod found himself in. There was absolutely nothing he could do to answer the challenge of Ibrahim (as). He was even at a loss of words. Not only could he in no way answer the challenge of Ibrahim (as) to bring the sun from the west but there was nothing further that he could even say to argue that he had a right to be king or hold any power in the land. He realized now the complete Power of Allah (swt) and he realized his own inability and weakness. He realized Who was the Master and who was the servant. He realized Who was the Creator and who was the created. He realized Who was the Controller and who was the one being controlled. So he had been completely defeated and there was nothing further left for him to say. There were no more arguments for him to bring. Do you think that he then yielded to the Truth of this Message? Once Ibrahim (as) had presented Nimrod with these undeniable arguments that he could not deny or counter, did he then yield to these proofs and acknowledge this Message as the Truth? Did he relinquish the sovereignty of his kingdom to Allah (swt) as he knew he should have? Of course he did not. This is because he had reached a stage in his corruption and his evil where all he cared about was holding on to his power, he no longer cared for the Truth and he no

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longer cared for being sincere to Allah (swt). That is why Allah (swt) then says, Allah does not guide the people who do Dhulm. Allah (swt) could have guided Nimrod to the Truth but He (swt) did not because Nimrod was among those who did Dhulm. He did Dhulm because he turned away from this Message when he knew that it was the Truth, and he persisted in acts of great evil and oppression. How evil and unjust is a man who refuses to believe in the Message that comes to him from his Creator? How evil and unjust is a man who dares to usurp the sovereignty of the land from Allah (swt)? Even when he is warned and told to come back to the Truth, he still refuses. Even when he is shown clear signs and given undeniable arguments, he still refuses to give up the power that he is clinging to. Such a person is guilty of the worst forms of Dhulm, and so he does not deserve the guidance of Allah (swt). Because he has denied himself the guidance from Allah (swt) it will be that no matter how many signs and arguments he is shown, he will never accept the Message of his Creator. Such was the case of the fool Nimrod. May Allah (swt) save us from his fate! Now ask yourself this, despite his stubbornness and obstinacy, did Nimrod have any chance of winning this battle of ideas between him and Ibrahim (as)? No, because he was fighting against the Truth, he was fighting against Allah (swt). So Allah (swt) clearly shows us in this ayah how there can be only one victor in this battle between Truth and falsehood. This is because falsehood does not stand a chance against the Truth. The false gods do not stand a chance against Allah (swt). So the enemies of this Message may argue and debate forever, but they will never be successful because what they are standing on is falsehood and what they are opposing is the Truth. In the end they will all end up like Nimrod, completely confounded and defeated. May Allah (swt) uphold the Message of Truth and keep us firm in it! This then is the conflict that Allah (swt) brings the attention of the early Muslims to in these ayahs. The conflict between Truth and falsehood. The conflict between those who submit to Allah (swt) and those who turn away from Him (swt). The conflict between those who dedicate their lives to serving Allah (swt) and those who dedicate their lives to serving themselves. This conflict is at the very core of existence. It is a conflict that takes many different forms. This is a conflict that rages within the human soul as it rages with ideas and thoughts as it rages with

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swords and shields. You now have the choice as to which side you want to take in this conflict. Remember now Ayat-ul-Kursi and remember how Allah (swt) described Himself (swt) in it. Once you realize Allah (swt) the choice is clear.

259. Or like the one who passed by a town that was overturned on its roofs. He said How shall Allah give this town life after its death. So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years and raised him up again. He said How long have you remained like this?. He said I have remained like this for a day or a part of a day. He said No, you have remained like this for a hundred years, so look at your food and your drink, they have not spoiled, and look at your donkey. And thus We have made you a sign for the people. And look at the bones how we bring them together and how we clothe them with flesh. So when it became clear to him, he said I know that surely Allah has Power over all things. In the previous ayah Allah (swt) had showed us how the battle between those who stand for this Message and those who oppose it is just as much a battle of ideas and thoughts as it is material battle. Allah (swt) gave us the beautiful example of the debate between Ibrahim (as) and the tyrant Nimrod. Allah (swt) showed us how Ibrahim (as) completely destroyed any argument that Nimrod could bring by challenging him to bring the sun from the West if he indeed had any power or any legitimate claim to sovereignty in the land. Thus Ibrahim (as) demonstrated how it is Allah (swt) Who has all the Power in the universe and so it is only Allah (swt) Who has the right to

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rule over the earth. In this ayah, Allah (swt) continues to give us examples of His (swt)s Power and He (swt) continues to show us why it is only Him (swt) Who can rule in the land. Allah (swt) gives us another story that clearly shows how all Power is with Him (swt) and that is why He (swt) is the only One Who must be submitted in all affairs of life. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying Or like the one who passed by a town that was overturned on its roofs. In the previous ayah Allah (swt) had told us of the debate between Ibrahim (as) and Nimrod to show us how He (swt) had all the Power and all the Authority to rule. Here Allah (swt) brings our attention to another example to demonstrate the same point. Here Allah (swt) tells us about a man who once passed by a town that had been completely abandoned and ruined. It is not important for us to know who this man was or where this town was, once again what we need to look for is the lesson in this story, we need to see how this story demonstrates that all Power and Might rests with Allah (swt) Alone. We should always look for how each ayah of the Quran can bring us closer to Allah (swt) and we should prevent ourselves from worrying about unnecessary details. So the identity of the man and the location of the town are not important for us, rather what is important is the lesson in this story. Allah (swt) describes the town that this man passed by as being overturned on its roofs, this is to show how completely ruined and devastated the town was. Not only were there no people in this town but even the roofs of the houses and buildings had fallen down and become overturned. It was a completely abandoned and ruined town. Upon seeing this town in such a condition, the man said How shall Allah give this town life after its death. The town was so devastated and ruined that the man wondered to himself how Allah (swt) could ever revive this town after it is in such a condition. Imagine that you also see such a town before you. There is not a single human soul in sight whatsoever. The houses are ruined and their roofs have fallen down. Even you might ask yourself how life could ever return to such a devastated place. So upon seeing such a ruined town, the man asked himself how Allah (swt) could ever return life to such a place. So Allah (swt) chose to demonstrate to this man how He (swt) had Power to give life to anything. Allah (swt) says, So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years and raised him

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up again. Right there on the spot when he had asked this question, Allah (swt) caused him to fall down dead. Allah (swt) let his body remain dead for a hundred years, and then after a hundred years had passed, Allah (swt) raised him to life once again. See now the Power of Allah (swt), how easily He (swt) can cause death and how easily He (swt) can give life. We as human beings, in all our years of existence on this planet, despite all our scientific and technological advancements, still have not mastered death. The human being knows that if there were any way for him to overcome death, he would have done so. But he has realized now that this is a realm upon which he has no power whatsoever. When the time for a human soul comes, there is nothing that all of mankind can do to prevent the angel of death from taking it. Death and life are under the complete Power and Control of the All-Powerful, we as human beings have no power over it whatsoever. So what right then do we as human beings have to legislate laws in the land? How can we usurp the power to rule from Allah (swt) when we cannot even control when we will die? Who are we to tell others what they can do and how they can live their lives? Then when Allah (swt) had raised this man back to life, Allah (swt) asks him a question. Allah (swt) says, How long have you remained like this?. This part of the ayah has lead to some confusion among some of the commentators of Quran. They had debated on whether it was Allah (swt) Who had spoken with this man directly or if it was a human an angel speaking for Allah (swt), they further debated on whether this means that the man is a prophet or not. But before we ask ourselves questions like these we once again we need to remind ourselves that this ayah is giving us a lesson about the Power and Authority of Allah (swt), and for us to realize that lesson we do not need to know about details such as these. Allah (swt) chose not to tell us these details so we should not inquire into it too much and we should not make guesses and assumptions only to satisfy our curiosity. We always have to remember that we are learning the Quran in order to be guided to Allah (swt), and not to be entertained or to be informed about history. So when we learn the Quran, we should only look for the guidance and nothing else. So the general meaning that we can take from this part of the ayah is that Allah (swt) spoke with the man after he had awakened. Now when the man woke up, it must have felt to him like he had just been sleeping, so Allah (swt) asks him how long he thinks he had been sleeping?

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The man replies by saying I have remained like this for a day or a part of a day. So the man thought that he was sleeping for only a day or for only a part of a day. He had been dead for over a hundred years but he could not perceive it at all, rather he thought he was only sleeping for a day or a part of a day. This shows how we can often arrive at the wrong conclusion if we do not study the reality of our surroundings deeply. This man based his response only by looking quickly at his surroundings and based on how he felt. He woke up and he saw the sun had moved in the sky, so he made the assumption that he had been sleeping for a day or for a part of the day. He did not take the time to study his reality closely. Because of that he arrived at the wrong conclusion, thinking that he had been sleeping for a few hours when in reality he had been dead for a hundred years. So one lesson that we can take from this is that we must study our surroundings deeply and gather all of the information before we reach a conclusion. We should not jump to a conclusion before we study the reality closely and have all of the information. In the next part of the ayah we see that Allah (swt) says No, you have remained like this for a hundred years, so look at your food and your drink, they have not spoiled, and look at your donkey. So here Allah (swt) tells the man about the truth of his situation, and to prove it Allah (swt) turns his attention to the reality that he had previously failed to study. First Allah (swt) tells him that he indeed had been dead for a hundred years, imagine how much a shock this must have been for the man who as far he was concerned was only a few hours ago alive and questioning how Allah (swt) could give life to a dead town. Now in order to prove this unbelievable fact Allah (swt) first tells the man to look at his food and drink. Allah (swt) shows him how his food has not spoiled at all. Now it seems, and Allah (swt) Knows best, that the kind of food that this man was carrying with him was the kind of food that spoils very easily and very quickly. So if the man really had been sleeping for the entire day, as he had claimed to be, then all of his food and drink would have spoiled. But Allah (swt) shows him how the food and drink had not spoiled to prove to him that he indeed had not been sleeping for the entire day like he had thought. Then Allah (swt) tells the man to look at the donkey that he had been riding. The donkey had died, decomposed and was only scattered bones. Unlike the man, and his food and

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drink, the donkey had not been preserved through the passage of time. When the man saw the skeleton of his donkey next to him, he realized the truth of what Allah (swt) told him. He realized then that he indeed had been dead for over a hundred years. He finally comprehended the reality of his situation. Then Allah (swt) tells the man why He (swt) had caused him to die and why He (swt) had brought him back to life after a hundred years, Allah (swt) says And thus We have made you a sign for the people. It was a sign for all people to demonstrate the Power and Ability of Allah (swt), Allah (swt) has Power over all things and Allah (swt) is Able to do all things. Who else but Allah (swt) can cause a man to die and then bring back him to life after a hundred years? When this man returns to his people, and tells them his story, they would all see clearly the Power and Ability of Allah (swt). Just think how wondrous it must have been for his people to see this man returning home after being away for hundred years, returning home without showing any sign of age. They would clearly see that it is only Allah (swt) Who has the Power to do this. They would clearly see how it is only Allah (swt) Who controls life and death. Thus the man and his miraculous resurrection is a clear sign for all people that it is Allah (swt) Who all Power over life and death. See how this man was questioning how Allah (swt) could give life to a dead town, and then Allah (swt) had made the man himself a sign for how He (swt) controls life and death. How Powerful and Wise is our Rabb! Then Allah (swt) says And look at the bones how we bring them together and how we clothe them with flesh. Now Allah (swt) turns the attention of the man to the bones of his dead donkey. Allah (swt) then brings the donkey back to life right before the mans very eyes. Allah (swt) first brought the bones back together, arranging them in place and then He (swt) clothed the bones with flesh. The way in which Allah (swt) brought the donkey back to life further demonstrates how only He (swt) has complete Power over life and death. Who but Allah (swt) can give life to dead and decomposing bones? Thus Allah (swt) shows the man how just as He (swt) can bring him back to life after being dead for a hundred years, Allah (swt) can even bring a animal back to life when it is nothing but scattered bones.

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In the final part of this ayah Allah (swt) says So when it became clear to him, he said I know that surely Allah has Power over all things. Now we once again see the reason why Allah (swt) had caused this man to die and had brought him back to life, we see the reason why Allah (swt) tells us of these events in the Quran, it is to demonstrate the Power of Allah (swt) over all things. It is to show how it is only Allah (swt) Who has complete Power over life and death. The man was questioning how Allah (swt) could give life to a town after it had been completely ruined, and instead of showing the town being revived, Allah (swt) actually caused the man himself to die only to bring back to him after a hundred years. Allah (swt) then made this man as a sign for all people to show that it is He (swt) Who has complete Power over all things and that is He (swt) Who has complete control over life and death. Allah (swt) shows us here how it is only He (swt) the All-Powerful Who can control life and death, there is nothing in the creation that has any power over life and death except He (swt). So does that not show how we should submit completely to Allah (swt)? How can we follow the law of any other sovereign except Allah (swt)? Who else deserves to be our Lord, Master and King except He (swt)? How could you follow or obey any king, president or parliament when they are only human beings like you who cannot even control life and death? Allah (swt) is the only One Who gave you your life and He (swt) is the only One Who can take it away, so how then can you turn away from Him (swt)? These false sovereigns cannot even control the moment in which they will die. While Allah (swt), All-Powerful and Most Magnificent is He (swt), has complete Power over the lives of every single living creature. Who then is more deserving of your submission and your obedience? Who is more deserving to rule over this earth? May Allah (swt) help us all to see! May Allah (swt) help us all to realize that there is no life for us except in serving Him (swt)!

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261. And when Ibrahim said My Rabb, show me how you give life to the dead. He said Do you not believe?. He said Yes (I believe), but it is just that my heart may be at peace. He said Then take four birds, and tame them to your call, then put a part of them on every mountain, and call them, they will come to you in haste. And know that surely Allah is Mighty, Wise. Before we discuss this ayah, let us take a moment to remember the theme of the ayahs in this part of Surah. These ayahs had been revealed when the Islamic State had just been established, and the first Muslim community had just been formed. Now there was finally a citystate that ruled completely by the Law of Allah (swt), and there was a large group of people who were ready to take up the Cause of Allah (swt). As Allah (swt) called on these people to strive and sacrifice for this Message, Allah (swt) reminded them of the essential of this Message in Ayat-ulKursi. In that beautiful ayah Allah (swt) told the Muslims about Himself (swt) and He (swt) showed them how He (swt) deserved all of the worship and servitude because of Who He (swt) IS. Allah (swt) is the Perfect One, the Creator of every single thing, the Maintainer and Sustainer of every single thing, the One Who has complete Authority and Control on the Last Day, the Day on which all of mankind will return to Allah (swt). This is Allah (swt), so who else deserves any worship, servitude or obedience besides Him (swt). In the previous ayahs we also saw how Allah (swt) also reminded the Muslims that it is He (swt) Who has complete control over life and death. This also shows us how it is only Allah (swt) Who deserves all of the worship and all of the obedience. Now in this ayah Allah (swt) continues to demonstrate for us His (swt)s Power and His (swt)s

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complete Control over life and death. This then is theme of these ayahs. They tell us about Allah (swt) and how He (swt) deserves all of the worship and servitude because of Who He (swt) IS. Once you realize that it is only Allah (swt) Who controls life and death then why would you ever want to worship or serve any other than the He (swt)? Why would you ever want to give your life to any other than the One Who has complete control over life and death? Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying And when Ibrahim said My Rabb, show me how you give life to the dead. Here Allah (swt) brings our attention to a request that Ibrahim (as) once made to Him (swt). Ibrahim (as) once asked Allah (swt) to demonstrate for him (as) how He (swt) gave life to the dead. The reason why Ibrahim (as) had made this request was because of a curiosity that he (as) had as to how it is that Allah (swt) can restore life after death, it was not because he (as) in any way doubted the Power of Allah (swt) over life and death. This fact is proved in the next part of the ayah. First Allah (swt) asks Ibrahim (as) Do you not believe?, this means do you not believe in My complete power over life and death?. To which Ibrahim (as) responds by saying Yes (I believe), but it is just that my heart may be peace. Here Ibrahim (as) shows us that he (as) indeed did believe in the complete Power of Allah (swt) over life and death, but he (as) only made this request so that his heart may be at peace, so that his curiosity could be satisfied. The Ability to give life is one of the greatest manifestations, if not the greatest manifestation of the Power of Allah (swt). Ibrahim (as) believed with utmost certainty in this Power of Allah (swt), but he only wanted to see how Allah (swt) did it so that his curiosity could be satisfied and his heart could be at peace. We ourselves may believe in something with utmost certainty, but it is something so amazing that we might have a curiosity to see how it is happening, such was the case with Ibrahim (as). So it is important for us to remember from this part of the ayah that Ibrahim (as) asked Allah (swt) for a demonstration of how He (swt) gave life only out of curiosity and not of doubt. It is very important for us to believe that all of the prophets believe in Allah (swt) and all of the Perfect Names of Allah (swt) with utmost certainty. Then Allah (swt) tells Ibrahim (as) what he must do in order to see how Allah (swt) gives life to the dead. Allah (swt) says, Then take four birds, and tame them to your call. First Ibrahim (as) had to take four birds, the scholars say that they were each different kinds of birds.

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Then Ibrahim (as) had to tame them to his call, this means that he (as) had to train them to come to him (as) whenever he (as) called them. So we can imagine that Ibrahim (as) took some time to find these four birds, and then take the time to train them to come to his call. This must have been difficult, but it was necessary for the amazing demonstration that Allah (swt) was going to show him (as). Despite this difficulty Ibrahim (as) did what Allah (swt) had commanded. Ibrahim (as) was always one who fulfilled every single order that Allah (swt) gave him (as). Then Allah (swt) says, then put a part of them on every mountain. The scholars say that what Ibrahim (as) had to do next was that he had to kill each of the four birds. Then he had to cut their bodies into several pieces, then he had to mix the remains of all four birds with each other. So the flesh, feathers and bones of one of the dead birds was mixed with another of the dead birds. Then he had to a put this mixed portion of each bird on a different mountain. So each mountain had the remains of different birds, and the remains were all mixed together. All of this meaning that we have described here is given in this portion of the ayah. Notice once again how Allah (swt) puts so much meaning in only a few words. Then Allah (swt) says call them, they will come to you in haste. So imagine this now, not only is each of the birds dead, but each of them had been cut up into several pieces, and not only have they been cut up into several pieces, but the remains of each of them has been mixed with the remains of another of them and they have all been placed on different mountains. Now Allah (swt) tells Ibrahim (as) to merely stand in one place and to call out to the birds. Once Ibrahim (as) did that he saw each of the birds coming towards him. Not only had each of the birds been brought back to life, but each of the birds was whole and as it should be, none of the birds had any of their body parts mixed with another bird. When Ibrahim (as) called out to them, he saw them all coming towards him (as). Not only did they come, but they came in haste. So it must have been a very short time from the moment that Ibrahim (as) called out to the birds till the time that he saw them flying towards him (as). Thus not only had Allah (swt) resurrected the birds after their bodies had been cut up and mixed together, but He (swt) had done in it instantaneously. Such is the Power of Allah (swt) over life and death.

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Then Allah (swt) says And know that surely Allah is Mighty, Wise. This is a command from Allah (swt) to Ibrahim (as). Allah (swt) commands Ibrahim (as) to know with certainty that He (swt) is indeed Mighty and Wise. Allah (swt) reminds Ibrahim (as) of the reason for Him (swt) giving him (as) this demonstration. It is only so that Ibrahim (as) would know that surely Allah (swt) is Mighty and Wise. The Power of Allah (swt) and the Perfection of His (swt)s Names are the reason why we worship and serve Him (swt). So our gaze in the life of this world must be directed towards looking at manifestations of the Power of Allah (swt). Just like Ibrahim (as), we ourselves can see several examples of how Allah (swt) gives life in the world around us. No matter where you are in the world you can see the Power of Allah (swt) in the world around you and you can draw closer to Him (swt) through your observations. For example if you live in the West look at how the trees come alive with leaves in the springtime after being dead for a long winter. Who do you think it is Who gives the trees life once again? If you live in the desert lands then see how Allah (swt) brings the rain and see how He (swt) gives life to the dead earth with that rain. Even look at the birds you see in the world around you, look at how Allah (swt) gives them by life by providing their sustenance. As you see the birds eating in front of you, then know that it is Allah (swt) Who provides for them and that surely Allah (swt) is Mighty and Wise. Allah (swt) is Mighty because He (swt) has the Power to give life to all the creatures of the world and Allah (swt) is Wise because He (swt) gives life to those whom He (swt) in His (swt)s Eternal Wisdom deemed to have life. So look at the world around you, and look at yourself, and see the Might and Wisdom of Allah (swt) all around you. May Allah (swt) allow us to benefit from the signs in the world around us in drawing nearer to Him (swt) like Ibrahim (as) did!

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262. The example of the ones who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah is as the example of a grain that grows seven ears, in each ear is a hundred grains, and Allah multiplies for whom He pleases, and Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. The two most prized possessions for a human being are his life and his wealth. In the previous ayahs Allah (swt) reminded us that it was He (swt) Alone Who had complete control over life and death. Thus Allah (swt) exhorted us to give our lives for His (swt)s cause. In this ayah, Allah (swt) brings our attention to that other most prized possession of ours and that is our wealth. Allah (swt) shows us how we must spend our wealth despite our love for it. To encourage us to do this, Allah (swt) shows us the immense and uncountable reward that He (swt) has kept reserved for those who sincerely spend their wealth for Him (swt). Allah (swt) shows us how what He (swt) has kept reserved with Him (swt) for us is exponentially better than anything that this world has to offer. Thus He (swt) turns our attention away from the fleeting chattels of the life of this world and towards Him (swt). Allah (swt) makes us realize how our existence in the life of this world is nothing but releasing our passions and desires for this life and the material things of this life and instead journeying towards Him (swt). To show us exactly how much reward that He (swt) has kept for those who sincerely spend for Him (swt), Allah (swt) gives us a beautiful parable. Allah (swt) says The example of the ones who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah is as the example of a grain that grows seven ears, in each ear is a hundred grains, and Allah multiplies for whom He pleases. Sayyid Qutb tells us in his tafsir of this ayah of the beautiful imagery that this parable conveys. When you read this ayah in the original Arabic and with a deep comprehension of its meaning, you can almost see a field of grains right there in front of you. You can almost see the grain opening up and multiplying right before your very eyes. This is how the early Muslims felt

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when they read this ayah. They could picture this image that Allah (swt) gives so vividly in their minds. When they did then they knew that Allah (swt) was multiplying the reward of anything that they spent sincerely for His (swt)s sake. Not only multiplying it once or twice but multiplying it seven hundred times! Can you even imagine the kind of reward that must be? So for example look at anything that you have which you give sincerely for Allah (swt). The moment you take this possession and give it away, the moment it leaves your hand, at that very moment a reward is generated for you. Then this reward is multiplied, how many times is it multiplied? We see from this ayah that Allah (swt) multiplies that reward seven hundred times. Seven hundred times. The reward of your spending is multiplied seven hundred times. Can you even begin to imagine how much your reward is growing when it is multiplied this many times? Such is the reward from the Merciful and the Gracious and the Bountiful. How can you expect anything less from Him (swt)? What exactly is this reward that Allah (swt) has given you? First and foremost, it is the Pleasure of Allah (swt). When you spend sincerely for the sake of Allah (swt), then you should know that the One Who created you and the One Who is keeping you alive at this very moment is pleased with you. If you truly realize Allah (swt) then you will see that this in fact is the best of rewards. Then the next reward is the eternal pleasure and bliss of the Garden. Then it is the forgiveness of sins and being saved from the punishment. Then it is peace and contentment in the life of this world. Then it is sustenance and provisions in the life of this world. All of these are part of the reward of Allah (swt). When you spend sincerely for Allah (swt), you can be sure that He (swt) will give you all of this and He (swt) will multiply it for you. So what is it that you must spend in order to get this reward? Mawdudi tells us that this ayah is general and so anything that you spend sincerely seeking the Pleasure of Allah (swt) will earn this reward. First and foremost you should know that it is your family who has the greatest right to your wealth, so first you must make sure all of their needs are met. The best charity that you can give is the charity to ensure that the needs of your family are met. Then there is spending on the orphans, the poor and those of your Muslim brothers and sisters who are going through times of difficulty. Then it also includes spending for the dawah. Spending to spread the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind and spending to establish the Law of Allah (swt) in the land. The amount

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to spend is not specified, but the more you spend, the more reward that you will get. The only key to bear in mind is that your spending must be sincerely for the sake of Allah (swt). You cannot seek any other objective in your spending other than the Pleasure of Allah (swt). If you ever try to seek anything from the creation because of your spending, such asking them for a favor in return or thinking that they owe you in any way, then you should not expect any reward from Allah (swt). Allah (swt) ends this ayah by reminding us of two of His (swt) Most Beautiful Names, Allah (swt) says Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing . The Name Al-Wasi simply cannot be adequately translated to English. It means the All-Embracing, but it means far more than that. It means the One Who is Boundless and without limits. The Generosity and Bounty of Allah (swt) is Boundless and has no limits. Allah (swt) will give and give without counting or keeping track. There is no limit to what Allah (swt) can give. So know that you are being rewarded for what you give by One Who has no limit in how much He (swt) can reward. Whatever your expectations are for your reward from Allah (swt), you should know that Allah (swt) has already exceeded your expectations. You should also know that Allah (swt) is All-Knowing. Allah (swt) Knows about every single thing that you spent for Him (swt), and Allah (swt) Knows the intention that was in your heart when you spent it. So what is stopping you from spending sincerely for Allah (swt)?

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263. The ones who spend their wealth in the path of Allah then do not follow what they have spent with reminders of their generosity or with injury, for them is their reward with their Rabb, they will have no fear on them, nor shall they grieve. In the previous ayah, Allah (swt) told us about the enormous reward that He (swt) has kept reserved for those spend sincerely in His (swt)s Way. In this ayah, Allah (swt) emphasizes how important sincerity is in the spending. The Prophet (saw) has told us that all actions are by intentions, so how can you expect to have an action rewarded by Allah (swt) unless that action is done purely for Him (swt). You should know that if you share that intention that should be for Allah (swt) with any other in the creation, then He (swt) will give you no reward for it whatsoever. Allah (swt) is Pure and He (swt) only accepts what is done purely for His (swt)s sake. So in this ayah, Allah (swt) reminds us how everything that we spend in the way of Allah (swt) must be sincerely for Him (swt). In this ayah, Allah (swt) brings our attention to those who spend sincerely for Him (swt) and gives them as an example for us to follow. Allah (swt) describes such people by saying The ones who spend their wealth in the path of Allah then do not follow what they have spent with reminders of their generosity or with injury. First of all we should notice that Allah (swt) describes such people as those who spend their wealth for Him (swt). Everything that these people spend, from their wealth to their effort to their time is only for Allah (swt). They do not spend for themselves but they only spend for their Lord and Master. However it is the second part of their description that is the key to understanding this ayah. Allah (swt) describes such people as those who do not follow what they have spent with reminders of their generosity or with injury. Many scholars say that what Allah (swt) means here by injury is demanding favors in return for what is spent on others. So the ones who are sincere when they have spent on others, they do

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not remind the person whom they have spent on of their generosity, nor do they do they ask to be paid back in any way for what they have spent. Rather they know that the reward for what they have done is only from Allah (swt). If you think about it, those people who remind others of their generosity and those who cause others injury because of their charity are missing the main component of their spending and that is keeping their intention sincerely for Allah (swt). When they were spending on others, they never had their intention purely for Allah (swt), because if they did then they would never remind others of their generosity or cause others harm because of the generosity. They would not even care about others because their hearts would have been attached purely to Allah (swt). So ask yourself now, why you should ever want anything from the creation when you know Allah (swt). Read to yourself Ayat-ul-Kursi and remind yourself of the kind of Rabb that you have. Why would you ever care about anyone but Him (swt)? What is there in this world that can compare to Him (swt)? So Insha Allah, whenever we spend on others, let us remind ourselves that they are not the reason why we are spending on them. Rather let us remind ourselves that we are on a journey towards Allah (swt), and as we spend our wealth and our time, we are traveling on this path towards Him (swt). If we even think about any of the creation while we are on this path, then we might lose our way to Allah (swt). So do not even worry about the creation, but rather give and give thinking only about Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) give us all the ability to do that! In the final part of the ayah, Allah (swt) tells us what will be the reward of those who give sincerely for Him (swt) while seeking nothing from the creation. Allah (swt) says for them is their reward with their Rabb, they will have no fear on them, nor shall they grieve. They have their reward with Allah (swt) and who is better to reward than Allah (swt)? Can any of the creation even come close to giving the reward of Allah (swt)? Furthermore such people who give their all only for Allah (swt) will have no fear on them whatsoever. What do they have to fear when they know that Allah (swt) is with them and that He (swt) is going to take care of them both in this world and the Hereafter? They will also not grieve over what they have given away because they know that they will find it with Allah (swt) with a reward that is multiplied several times over. May Allah (swt) make us to be among such people!

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264. Kind words and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And Allah is Free of all needs and wants, Forbearing. In the previous ayah, Allah (swt) reminded us how anything that we spend must only be for Him (swt). Allah (swt) reminded us what a great sin it was to spend while seeking something from the creation. Allah (swt) taught us how to turn our hearts away from the creation and towards Him (swt). By turning our hearts away from the creation and towards Him (swt), Allah (swt) also perfected our behavior and character. Allah (swt) turned us into the kind of people who live for Him (swt) instead of living ourselves. In this ayah, Allah (swt) emphasizes how good character and behavior are much more pleasing to Him (swt) than any charity that we can give. Thus Allah (swt) brings us closer to being that perfect human being, that human which is a representative of Him (swt) on the earth. In this ayah Allah (swt) says, Kind words and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. Here Allah (swt) reminds us that if someone comes to us and asks for our help, it is much better for us to speak to them kind words and ask for their forgiveness for not giving them, rather than giving and injuring that person later on with reminders of our favor to them. Even if what we were to give them is more valuable than the heavens and the earth, speaking kindly to them and asking their forgiveness is still better than giving and injuring them later on. Thus Allah (swt) shows us how our behavior with the people, even the beggar who comes and asks for change, is more important than any charity than we can give. When you give someone charity, you are only giving them the material things of this world, but when you behave with someone correctly you are respecting and regarding them as a human being and as a fellow son or daughter of Adam (as). That is why kindness and forgiveness are much better than the most valuable of charity. That is why the Prophet (saw) himself has said that he (saw) was not sent except to perfect the character. May Allah (swt) allow us to inculcate this good character

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within ourselves! May Allah (swt) allow us to forgive those who wrong us and may Allah (swt) give us the strength to ask forgiveness of them! May Allah (swt) allow us to speak words of kindness with all people! May Allah (swt) allow us to be that perfect human being that He (swt) created us to be! In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says And Allah is Free of all needs and wants, Forbearing. Here Allah (swt) shows us that He (swt) is in no way in need of anything that we may give, He (swt) is Free of all needs and wants. Sometimes we can become so proud of what we have given in the path of Allah (swt). We tell ourselves that we spent this and that we spent that in the way of Allah (swt), and we praise ourselves for how generous and how righteous we are. Allah (swt) shows us in this part of the ayah, how utterly foolish such thinking is. Allah (swt) does not need anything from you, so do not feel proud of anything that you may have given Him (swt). All that you have given Him (swt) is for your own good; it is really a gift that He (swt) has given you. So instead of feeling proud of what you have spent in the way of Allah (swt), you should thank Allah (swt) for giving you the enabling grace to spend and to earn your reward through that spending. Allah (swt) is also Forbearing in that He (swt) does not punish you immediately for what you have done, but rather He (swt) pardons you again and again. If you have spent seeking something from the creation, or you have become proud and arrogant because of what you have spent, then you should know that Allah (swt) is Forbearing. Allah (swt) could punish you immediately for your insolence and your arrogance and your ingratitude, but He (swt) pardons you again and again. Why then can you not purify your intentions so that you give only for Him (swt) and that you do not feel proud or arrogant because of what you have given? Can you not see that Allah (swt) has no need for you and yet He (swt) continues to sustain and He (swt) continues to reward you for your spending and He (swt) continues to pardon you? Again and again. This is Allah (swt), why then have you turned away from Him (swt). May Allah (swt) help us to remember His (swt)s Beautiful Names and may those Names aid us in our journey to Him (swt)!

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265. O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah by reminders of your generosity and by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men and who does not believe in Allah and the Last Day, his example is like the example of a smooth rock covered with dust, then a heavy rain falls on it and leaves it bare, they are not able to do anything with what they have earned, and Allah does not guide those who do kufr. In the previous ayahs, Allah (swt) showed us how important it was that our hearts be attached only to Him (swt) when we spend anything. When we give away our wealth, and we know we have a great love for our wealth, we should not seek with the giving away of our wealth anything of this world, but rather we should seek Allah (swt) and we should attach our hearts to Him (swt). Trying to please Allah (swt) in everything that we do should be all that matters in our life. To do other than this will be denying ourselves the reward for that spending in the Hereafter. In this ayah Allah (swt) tells us what will be the consequence if we spend our wealth and seek through that spending anything of this world. Allah (swt) says . O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah by reminders of your generosity and by injury. See now the consequence of seeking this world in your charity. If you give expecting favors from others, or even if you give while thinking about what you are giving and whom you are giving it to instead of thinking of Allah (swt), then you should know that your entire act of giving in charity might be rendered in vain. All that you do will be in vain if you do it for other than the sake of Allah (swt). If that should happen then there will be no reward for your action whatsoever in the Hereafter. Instead as we know from the hadith of the Prophet (saw), if you give while seeking to win praise from the people because of your generosity, then you will be earning punishment for yourself. Think about it now, you are giving

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away your wealth and you are getting in return for it punishment from Allah (swt). This shows us how important our intention is. This shows us how important it is that we keep our intention only for Allah (swt). Otherwise we will have no reward from Allah (swt) and we would even have punishment for saying that we are spending for Allah (swt) but seeking instead the creation by it. May Allah (swt) save us from that! May Allah (swt) allow us to keep our intention only for Him (swt) so that we can find the reward of what we spend when we meet Him (swt)! In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men and who does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. When we give anything in charity, and then if we remind others of what we have given them or we if demand favors back from them because of what have given them, then we would be becoming like the hypocrites. We can clearly see that the one whom Allah (swt) is describing in this part of the ayah is the hypocrite, the one who only does good deeds to be seen of others and who does not believe in Allah (swt) and the Last Day. The one who does not believe that he lives only to worship and serve Allah (swt) and that he will return to Allah (swt) on the Last Day. So if were to spend our wealth while thinking of the creation instead of thinking of the Creator then we would be going further away from that perfect human being that Allah (swt) created us to be and we would be coming closer to the hypocrite. Can you even begin to imagine how frightening a prospect that is? You know that the lowest depths of the Fire have been promised for the hypocrite. May Allah (swt) save us from that! Such is the danger of making anything other than Allah (swt) as the motivation in our works. May Allah (swt) save us from that! May Allah (swt) save us from even coming close to hypocrisy! In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) gives us a similitude to describe the person who spends while seeking a reward from the creation. Allah (swt) says his example is like the example of a smooth rock covered with dust, then a heavy rain falls on it and leaves it bare. Imagine in front of you now a smooth rock that is covered with dust. The dust is all over the rock, so it looks like there is a lot of dust on the rock. But in reality it is just dust. This is how the deeds of the hypocrite are, it is also how the deeds of the one whose heart is not attached to Allah (swt) are. They always think that they have done a lot of good deeds. But in reality it is

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nothing but dust. In reality their deeds mean nothing to Allah (swt). That is why Allah (swt) says that when a heavy rain comes, it washes away all of the dust that was on the rock. When the rainwater washes away the dust you can see the smooth surface of the rock. All that they thought was a lot was only dust. Similarly on the Last Day Allah (swt) will wash away all of the deeds that the hypocrites and those whose hearts are not attached to Allah (swt) did. They did their actions seeking something other than Him (swt) so they cannot expect any reward from Him (swt). They will see the worthlessness of all that they did on that Day. Then the truth of the hypocrisy in their hearts will be exposed and bare for all to see, just like that rock is exposed and bare when the rainwater washes away all the dust that is on it. May Allah (swt) save us from that ever happening to us! May Allah (swt) keep our sincerity only for Him (swt) in everything that we do! Then Allah (swt) says they are not able to do anything with what they have earned. What good is dust? How will deeds that are not done purely for the Pleasure of Allah (swt) ever be accepted by Allah (swt)? In this part of the ayah, Allah (swt) tells us how worthless will be all of their actions that they did for other than Him (swt). They will not be able to do anything with them whatsoever. These deeds will not bring them the Pleasure of Allah (swt), they will not bring them the Garden and they will not save them from the Fire. Because they were not done purely for Allah (swt) He (swt) will not accept them in any way, so they are worthless. This part of the ayah should frighten even those of us who think that we are sincerely working to worship and serve Allah (swt). We may work hard and strive with our money, time and energy to seek the Pleasure of Allah (swt). But at any moment, Shaitan may come and throw feelings of ostentation and pride into our hearts. We might start thinking that we are the best and we might start looking down on others. We might start thinking about how pious we are and how sinful the rest of creation is. Then slowly but surely Shaitan will turn our intentions away from Allah (swt) and towards the creation. So for example, we would start spending our money while seeking a reward from the creation. We will boast to people about how much we have spent, or we might even simply mention it to people, and there will be a dark corner in our hearts that is looking for their praise. The way to save ourselves from this is by turning to Allah (swt) and asking Him (swt) to help us purify our intentions. Then we also must strive to make Allah (swt) as the

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only objective in everything that we do. Finally we must avoid telling others about what we have done and we must try to keep our good deeds as hidden as we can. Do not let anyone know of all the good that you did, it is enough that Allah (swt) Knows. This may seem to you like it is difficult, but read this ayah and look at the consequences of what will happen to you if you do not. May Allah (swt) save us! May Allah (swt) make Him (swt) the goal in all of our actions! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says Allah does not guide a people who do kufr. Recall how we said that the word kufr means to cover. It could mean covering the Truth while you know it like the disbelievers have done, or it could mean covering the favors and blessings of Allah (swt) on you. This second form of kufr could be something that even the believers can be guilty of. Have we shown Allah (swt) enough gratitude for all that He (swt) has given us? Have we even tried? The way in which we show gratitude to Allah (swt) for all that He (swt) has given us is by striving to worship and serve Him (swt) in all that we do. It is by spending and sacrificing everything that we have only for Him (swt). So if we spend and think about others while we spend, or if we seek a reward from others for our spending, are we not then being completely ungrateful to Allah (swt) for all that He (swt) has given us? Are we not doing kufr to all of the favors, blessings and gifts that Allah (swt) has given us? What will be our fate if we do that? Allah (swt) tells us in this ayah Allah does not guide a people who do kufr. We know that we are all in desperate need of the guidance from Allah (swt), we ourselves do not know how to please Allah (swt), we ourselves do not have the willpower to strive to worship and serve Allah (swt). We need Allah (swt) to guide us, to show us that which is pleasing to Him (swt) and then to give us the will and the strength to follow what we know to be pleasing to Him (swt). So if we do kufr to all that Allah (swt) has given us, then He (swt) will not guide us. How disastrous would that be, if we are not being guided to Allah (swt) then to where are we being guided? May Allah (swt) save us! May Allah (swt) give us His (swt)s guidance!

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266. And the example of the ones who spend their wealth to seek the Pleasure of Allah and for firmness of themselves is as the example of a garden on a high place, heavy rain falls on it and it doubles its yield of harvest, and if heavy rain does not fall on it, then light rain suffices. And Allah is with what you do All-Seeing. In the previous ayah Allah (swt) gave us a beautiful example to describe those who spend their wealth for other than Him (swt). Those who spend and strive for the sake of the creation instead of the Creator. Allah (swt) told us how their example was like that of a smooth rock that was covered with dust. When the rainwater fell on such a rock, it washed away all of the dust and left the rock bare. Allah (swt) told us how such will be their deeds on the Last Day. There will be nothing that they could do with those deeds. It will all be rendered in vain. Their whole life that Allah (swt) had given them so that they could worship and serve Him (swt) in it would have been a complete waste. Such is the fate of those who attach their hearts to other than Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) save us from ever becoming like them! In this ayah Allah (swt) tells us about the opposite of such people. In this ayah Allah (swt) gives us an example that describes those who spend their wealth sincerely for Him (swt). Allah (swt) paints an image in our minds for us to realize the reality of those who spend sincerely for Him (swt). This is the example of the Prophet (saw) and the Sahabah (ra). They gave everything that they had sincerely for the sake of Allah (swt). It was through their sacrifices and their sweat and their blood that the Islamic State was raised from being a tiny farming village into the greatest empire this earth has ever seen. Read this ayah and see how pleased Allah (swt) is with these people whom He (swt) is describing, then ask yourself why you cannot be like them.

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First we see that Allah (swt) says And the example of the ones who spend their wealth to seek the Pleasure of Allah and for the strengthening of their souls. Just like those from the previous ayah Allah (swt) describes these people as those who spend their wealth. But the difference between these two groups is the intention in their spending. Remember that Allah (swt) described those in the previous ayah as the ones who spend their wealth to be seen of men, and as the ones who remind others of their favors and as the ones who seek to get something back from others. They are the ones whose heart is attached to the creation and not to Allah (swt), so when they spend they think about the creation instead of thinking about Allah (swt). But now look at the intention of those whom Allah (swt) is describing in this part of the ayah. First and foremost they seek the Pleasure of Allah (swt). They know Allah (swt). They know that He (swt) is their Creator, they know that He (swt) is their Sustainer and their Nurturer. They know that He (swt) is the Perfect One with all of the Perfect Names and attributes. So there is no one that they want to please except Him (swt). Their whole life is nothing but a quest for the Pleasure of Allah (swt). So as Allah (swt) tells us in this ayah, when they spend they spend only to seek the Pleasure of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) also describes such people as spending for firmness of themselves. The scholars say that this means that they always check their intentions to make certain that what they are spending is only for Allah (swt). We spoke previously about how easily pride and ostentation can come into any action that we originally try to do sincerely for Allah (swt), so here Allah (swt) shows us here how we must constantly check our intentions to make certain that they are only for Him (swt). The ones who spend purely for Allah (swt) and who always check their intentions are whom He (swt) is pleased with, may Allah (swt) make us among those! Allah (swt) then describes the example of such people by saying as the example of a garden on a high place, heavy rain falls on it and it doubles its yield of harvest, and if heavy rain does not fall on it, then light rain suffices. Gardens that are on high elevations always yield more harvest because of their altitude. If there is heavy rain, they double the amount of fruits that they would normally produce. If there is no heavy rain, then even a drizzle is enough to produce abundant fruit. Allah (swt) blesses these gardens with more fruits and harvest

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because of their high elevation. Such is also the case of the believer who spends sincerely for Allah (swt) and who always checks his intentions to make certain that they are for Allah (swt). If he spends more of his wealth, then Allah (swt) will double his reward many times over just like He (swt) doubles the harvest from the high garden when the heavy rain comes. But even if the believer spends only a little, Allah (swt) will still reward him just like Allah (swt) still produces fruit for the high garden even if only a drizzle falls on it. So how beautiful is this example to describe the true believers who spend their wealth only to please Allah (swt). If they spend a lot they will be rewarded even more than they spend, but even if they do not spend a lot they are still rewarded because of their intention for Allah (swt). Their reward is always much more than what they spent just like the high garden yields much more than the rain that falls on it. All of this is because of the sincerity that they had for Allah (swt). They do not care about anything else except pleasing Allah (swt) and coming closer to Him (swt). That is how the Prophet (saw) and the Sahabah were, and that is how we should try to be as well. Everything that we do must be only to please Allah (swt). As long as we have our intention sincerely for Allah (swt), then Allah (swt) will reward us even if what we spend for Him (swt) is relatively little. So do not worry if you do not have millions to give in charity. Insha Allah even the smallest of amounts that you give sincerely seeking Allah (swt) will bring a great reward for you with your Rabb in the Hereafter. May Allah (swt) make us among those who spend everything that they have only for Him (swt)! May Allah (swt) make us like that garden on a high place and may Allah (swt) allow us to see the harvest of what we spend when we meet Him (swt)! Allah (swt) ends this ayah by saying And Allah is with what you do All-Seeing. This is to remind us that Allah (swt) sees every single action that we do. There is not one second of your life that Allah (swt) is not Seeing you. He (swt) is always Watching. This also shows us that the reward that Allah (swt) told us about in the previous part of the ayah is not limited to spending, but it can be for any action that we do sincerely for Allah (swt). So for any action that you do, you should know with certainty that Allah (swt) is Seeing you do that action. There is not a single moment in your life when Allah (swt) is not Seeing you. So do good, do the actions that are pleasing to Allah (swt). If you do a lot, then know that Allah (swt) will double your rewards over

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and over again. Even if you do a little, Allah (swt) will still reward you. There is not a single action that you can do that Allah (swt) does not See, and so there is not a single action for which you cannot get reward from your Rabb if you keep your intention sincerely for Him (swt). So strive to do good with every moment of your life, and remember that Allah (swt) is Seeing all that you do.

267. Would any of you love to have a garden of palms and vines with rives flowing underneath, in it is all kinds of fruit for him, and when old age has taken him and he has weak children, a fiery whirlwind should smite it and it be all burnt? Thus does Allah make His signs clear that you may reflect. In the previous ayahs Allah (swt) told us how important it was to spend from our wealth in order to support the dawah and in order to help our Muslim brothers and sisters. Allah (swt) also reminded us how everything that we spend must be sincerely spent for His (swt)s sake, our only objective in spending must be to gain the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and we must always check ourselves to make sure that our intentions are purely for Him (swt). Finally we also mentioned that this sincerity for Allah (swt) is not only for spending wealth but also for any action that we may do. Every single action that we do must be done sincerely for Allah (swt), with pleasing Him (swt) as the only objective behind that action. Now what would happen to us if we do not have this sincerity? What would happen to us if we should lose our sincerity? In this ayah, Allah (swt) gives us a beautiful parable to show us the case of those who spend their wealth and do their acts for other than Him (swt).

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Most of this ayah is a question that Allah (swt) is asking us. The purpose of this question is to make us think and reflect. Allah (swt) begins this question by saying Would any of you love to have a garden of palms and vines with rives flowing underneath, in it is all kinds of fruit for him. So here Allah (swt) is describing a beautiful garden. It has date palms and grapevines running throughout it. For the Arabs at the time of the Prophet (saw), dates and grapes were the most sought after fruits, and so such a garden as Allah (swt) is describing here would have been like Paradise like them. Allah (swt) further describes this garden as having rivers flowing underneath it and having all kind of fruits in it. How beautiful is that? Allah (swt) describes this garden just like He (swt) has described Paradise in other ayahs of the Quran. Who among us would not want such a garden? When we read the first part of this question we may tell ourselves that we would all love to have a garden like that. Such a garden would be the closest to Paradise that we can have on this earth. But now look at what Allah (swt) says in the second part of the ayah, and when old age has taken him and he has weak children, a fiery whirlwind should smite it and it be all burnt?. So in the first part of the ayah Allah (swt) described a man who has a beautiful garden. It provides him with all kinds of fruits so it takes care of all of his needs. No doubt it must have taken this man a long time to plant and nurture such a garden. Now imagine this man who spent his whole life making this garden for himself, he hoped that this garden would take care of him when he reaches old age. But what does Allah (swt) say will happen to the garden? Allah (swt) says that this garden will be burnt and destroyed by a fiery whirlwind. Now think of yourself to be in the situation of this man. You spent your whole life making this garden for yourself to take care of you when you reach old age. You placed all your hopes in this garden. Then a powerful storm comes and completely destroys your garden. What can you do? You are an old man; you do not have the energy to plant another garden. Furthermore, as Allah (swt) says in this ayah, you do not even have children to help you. All of your children are weak, and instead of them helping you, they are themselves in need of you. Can you imagine yourselves in such a situation? Would you ever like to be in situation? That is what Allah (swt) is asking you in this part of the ayah.

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This is the example of the one who spends his wealth for other than Allah (swt) and who does his actions for other than Allah (swt). You work hard your whole life; you spend and sacrifice from your wealth and your time and your energy. You think that you will find these deeds for you on the Last Day. You think that this wealth that you spent and these actions that you did will take care of you on the Last Day. But on the Day of Judgment you will see that they are all lost, it is like a fierce whirlwind came and destroyed all of your deeds. The reason for this is that you did not have the sincerity purely for Allah (swt) in what you did. There was a small degree of ostentation and arrogance and seeking repayment from the creation in your actions. So because you tainted your actions by thinking of the creation instead of focusing on the Creator, He (swt) will not accept them. All of your actions will be burnt and turned to ashes just like the garden of the man whom Allah (swt) is described in this ayah. At that moment when he needed his garden the most all he found was ashes, similarly will you find only ashes when you need your good deeds the most. The only way to save yourself from this is by always checking the intentions in your actions. Are you acting purely for Allah (swt) or are you thinking about the creation even a little bit? Now do not feel that all hope is lost if you do find some impurity in your intentions, what is important is that you try your best your clean it. Allah (swt) Knows what is in the deepest corners of our hearts, and as long we strive to the best of our ability to keep our intentions purely for Him (swt), then Insha Allah we will find Him (swt) to be Forgiving and Merciful. May Allah (swt) accept all of our actions and may Allah (swt) save us from ever making anything or anyone other than Him (swt) to be the purpose of our lives! May Allah (swt) save us from our desires for the created things and may Allah (swt) help us to turn our attention towards Him (swt)! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says, Thus does Allah make His signs clear that you may reflect. This beautiful parable is from the signs of Allah (swt). See how beautifully it describes the reality of the person who acts for other than Allah (swt). Allah (swt) has made it harsh and shocking because He (swt) wants to wake you up and make you think about your reality. It is very easy for us to forget about Allah (swt) and start thinking about the life of this world, it is very easy for us to start thinking about the creation instead of thinking about our Creator, that is why Allah (swt) gives us this powerful parable to make us think about the

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foolishness of turning away from Him (swt). Only Allah (swt) could have given a parable as beautiful as this. It is a shame that most of us could not have read it in the original Arabic, there is so much of the meaning that is lost in the translation. That is why we must all make our best effort to learn Arabic, it would be one of the best acts of worship that we can do. Even though we do not have Arabic, from this parable we can see the depth of meaning in it and the relevance of it in our lives. This parable is from the signs of Allah (swt), and He (swt) has made it clear for us so that we may reflect on it. So think about this parable, every time you feel like showing off in your actions and every time you start thinking about the creation in your actions and every time you want to seek a reward from the creation, think about this parable. Think about that man who lost his garden to a fiery whirlwind. Only by keeping your intention sincerely for Allah (swt) can you save yourself from the horror that Allah (swt) has described in this parable. You know Allah (swt) and you know that only He (swt) is deserving of all of your actions. So why then do you ever want to act for anyone other than He (swt)? When you know that Allah (swt) Knows the sincerity in your heart and you know the reward that He (swt) can give you both in this life and the next, why then do you want to take that sincerity and that purity in your actions away from Him (swt)? That is the lesson of this parable. It is a warning for us to never turn our intention in our actions away from Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to benefit from this parable! May Allah (swt) allow us to keep our intention purely for Him (swt) in everything that we do! May Allah (swt) help us to take the lesson from all of the signs that He (swt) had made clear for us in His (swt)s Book!

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268. O you who believe, spend from the pure things that you earn, and what we bring out from the earth for you, and do not aim to spend at that which is bad from it, what you would not take yourselves except with closed eyes, and know that surely Allah is Free of all needs and Worthy of all praise. In this ayah we see that Allah (swt) continues to give us rulings concerning spending in His (swt)s way. Spending in the cause of Allah (swt) is one of the most important parts of our worship and servitude to Allah (swt). This is because we as human being all have a natural desire for wealth and for the material things of this world. We like it when we have something that we can touch and feel and take benefit from and call all our own. We do not like it when we part with our material goods and we especially do not like it when we have to part with our money. So when we spend from what we have sincerely for Allah (swt), it is one of the most important parts of our worship and servitude to Him (swt). This test that Allah (swt) has given us is nothing but spending from what we love of this world to seek His (swt)s Pleasure. As we know this mission that Allah (swt) has given us to establish His (swt)s Law in the land and to spread His (swt)s Message to mankind requires us to spend all that we have. Thus we see Allah (swt) continue to give us rulings and injunctions concerning spending in His (swt)s way. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying O you who believe, spend from the pure things that you earn. So here we see our Rabb calling out to all of the members of our community and encouraging us to spend for Him (swt). Once again we should note how Allah (swt) connects the spending with the Iman. If we are truly believers then we should not hesitate to spend for Allah (swt). The spending demonstrates and validates our belief in Allah (swt). We can also note how Allah (swt) tells us to spend from the pure things that you earn. The scholars say that what Allah (swt) means here by pure is lawful. So Allah (swt) is calling us to spend from the lawful

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that we earn. The lesson that we can take from this is that anything that we spend from what is not lawful will not be accepted by Allah (swt). So if we spend from something that we have stolen, or if we spend from something that we have earned through interest or insurance, or other unlawful means, such spending will not be accepted by Allah (swt). Such spending would also be a sin because Allah (swt) has specifically told us in this ayah to only spend from that which is pure and lawful. So the person who spends from unlawful wealth would be earning double the punishment, one from earning the unlawful wealth and one from trying to spend that unlawful wealth for Allah (swt) when He (swt) has specifically commanded him not to. May Allah (swt) save us from all the wealth that is unlawful! Most of the time the wealth that we have earned lawfully is the wealth that we have worked the hardest to get. It is not wealth that simply fell onto our laps, but it is wealth that struggled and strived throughout our life to get. So this is the kind of wealth that Allah (swt) would like us to spend. This wealth is our prized possession, so when we spend this wealth we demonstrate our love and submission to Allah (swt) more than we would if we spent wealth that came to us easily. What we are spending now is not just money or material things but we are also giving up the efforts and striving that we exerted in order to gain that wealth. As always, the more the effort and the greater the sacrifice, the more it is beloved to Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) allow us to spend from what we love only to please Him (swt)! May Allah (swt) save us from gaining any wealth through unlawful means and may Allah (swt) enable us to only give Him (swt) that which is lawful! Then Allah (swt) says and what we bring out from the earth for you. So in this part of the ayah Allah (swt) calls on the Muslims to also spend of what He (swt) has brought out from the earth for them. How much does Allah (swt) bring out from the earth for us? Firstly there are all of the different kinds of fruits and vegetables, then there are the minerals and the gems, and there are also all of the natural resources like oil, coal and natural gas. All of this is from the earth and Allah (swt) brings it out for us so that we can spend it to seek His (swt)s Pleasure. So from this part of the ayah we see Allah (swt) calls on the Muslims to spend from what He (swt) brings out from the earth in His (swt)s cause.

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Now we know that this Ummah has the most fertile lands and the richest lands when it comes to natural resources. The energy resources that the modern world depends on today belongs to this Ummah. For example most of the oil in the world today flows under the feet of the Muslims. But do we see the Muslims benefiting from this wealth? No on the contrary what we see is the enemies of this Message plundering the Muslim lands and taking all of this wealth for themselves. They use the oil from the Muslim lands for their huge pick up trucks and war machines while the children of this Ummah are starving. They waste these resources for their pride and their show and their greed. They waste it while there are so many Muslims in the world today who need it. But we cannot only blame the West for this catastrophe, we also have to blame the fools and the puppets who are ruling the Muslim lands and giving our wealth to the enemies of Allah (swt). So in this ayah we see Allah (swt) telling the Muslims to spend what He (swt) brings out from the earth to seek His (swt)s Pleasure, but what we see in the world today is the opposite. We see the Muslim rulers spending what Allah (swt) has produced from the earth to earn His (swt)s Wrath! They are giving the wealth of this Ummah to the disbelievers while we are in desperate need of it. Such is our state of affairs since we have turned away from Allah (swt) and turned away from ruling by His (swt)s Law. May Allah (swt) make this Ummah wake up from her slumber! May Allah (swt) return the riches that He (swt) has given this Ummah back to their rightful owners! In the next part of the ayah we see Allah (swt) say and do not aim to spend that which is bad from it, what you would not take for yourselves except with closed eyes. In this part of the ayah we see that Allah (swt) is telling us that we should not spend for His (swt)s cause that which is of low quality and that which we would not like for ourselves. Allah (swt) describes this low quality wealth and merchandise as that which we would only accept with our eyes closed. This means that it is of such low quality that we would only accept with reluctance. So we should never spend for Allah (swt) that which we would not like for ourselves. Rather we should spend for Allah (swt) from that which is best. Remember that when you spend for the cause of Allah (swt), you are not simply giving to some Islamic movement or to some poor Muslim but you are really giving to Allah (swt). Do you think that Allah (swt) would like it if you gave Him (swt) which

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is poor quality and which you would not like for yourself? Allah (swt) Who has given you everything that you have. Allah (swt) Who is the purpose of your existence. Do you think that He (swt) will like it? So here we see that Allah (swt) commands the Muslims that they should not spend for His (swt) cause that which is low quality. Rather they should spend from that which is of the very best. Now for the person who is poor and who can only afford to give that which is of poor quality, Insha Allah, Allah (swt) will accept that from him if it is the best that he can give. But for the rest of us when we spend for the cause of Allah (swt) we should spend from the best that we have. May Allah (swt) give us the ability to do that! Now this does not apply only to money and wealth, but it applies to anything that we may have. Whenever we spend anything for Allah (swt), we must only spend from the very best of what we have. So if we spend our effort to perform a certain task, we have to do it in the best way possible. This is especially true when we do that task to for the sake of Allah (swt). When we are doing something for the sake of Allah (swt), we have to make sure that we do it in the best way possible. Unfortunately many Muslims today fail to realize this. So you would see many brothers when they are studying for their college courses they would study to the best of their ability, or when they are doing their work they would do it to the best of their ability. They want that good grade or that yearly bonus that they think their striving will bring them. But at the same time when these same brothers are studying Arabic or learning about Islam, you will see them to be very lazy and not put much effort into what they are doing. Is this how you want to be? Do you want to give to Allah (swt) what you will not even give to yourself? Do you not know that Allah (swt) has prescribed excellence in everything? How much excellence do you think that He (swt) expects when you work for Him (swt)? Do you want to be like those fools who care more for this world than they do for their Creator? May Allah (swt) save us from ever being like this! May Allah (swt) allow us to spend for Him (swt) from that which is of the very best! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says and know that surely Allah is Free of all needs and Worthy of all praise. Do you think that Allah (swt) needs anything that you give? No, rather He (swt) is the One Who is Free of all needs. There is absolutely nothing that Allah (swt) is in need of. While you and me on the other hand are in need of so much just for us to

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exist. So anything that you give Allah (swt) is only for your own sake, you are the one who stands to benefit from it and not Allah (swt). So then why would you give something of poor quality? Do you want your reward to be diminished in the Hereafter? Do you want your station with Allah (swt) to be lowered? Similarly Allah (swt) is also the One Worthy of all praise. He (swt) will be praised and thanked by everything in the heavens and the earth regardless of if you give anything to Him (swt) or not. So you are not hurting Allah (swt) in the least by giving something of less quality, you are only hurting yourself. So give to Allah (swt), give Him (swt) your money and your time and your energy. Insha Allah soon a Day will come in which you will be glad you did.

269. Shaitan threatens you poverty and commands you to faksha, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and Fadl, and Allah is All-Embracing All-Knowing. So now you know that you must spend from what you have to gain the Pleasure of Allah (swt). You know that you must make only Allah (swt) as the reason for your spending, never seeking praise from the people or seeking any favor in return. Not only must you spend your wealth for Allah (swt), but you must also spend your time, efforts and energy. Not only must you spend from what you have for Allah (swt), but you must also spend from the best of what you have for Allah (swt). Your life is nothing but giving up what Allah (swt) has given you because of love for Him (swt). But there is one who does not want you to give to Allah (swt). There is one who does not want to see you spend for Allah (swt) and strive for Allah (swt). This ones mission is to take you away from Allah (swt). This one is your worst enemy and he flows through you like your blood. In this ayah Allah (swt) brings your attention to this one so that you can ask Him (swt) to save you from him. How can you be safe from your enemy unless you know him?

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Allah (swt) says, Shaitan threatens you poverty and commands you to faksha. Shaitan is the one who is your open enemy who seeks to take you away from Allah (swt). In this ayah, Allah (swt) describes him as threatening you with poverty. Whenever you want to spend for Allah (swt), he comes and whispers in your ear and tells you that if you should spend for Allah (swt) then you would become poor. He puts such questions in your head as what if all your money runs out?, who will take care of you and your family?, tomorrow you will be on the street, tomorrow you will have no food, who can you go to beg to help you?. These are just a few of the questions that he puts in your head because he wants to prevent you from spending in the way of Allah (swt). He wants to take you away from Allah (swt). But anyone who has even a little bit of knowledge can see that these are the questions of a fool. Allah (swt) is the One Who provides us with everything that we have, and so we always have to trust in Him (swt) to take care of all of our needs. That is why the best defense against Shaitan is the remembrance of Allah (swt). Insha Allah, when you remember Allah (swt), when you remember Who He (swt) IS and what He (swt) has done for you and what He (swt) can do for you, then Shaitan cannot come near you. May Allah (swt) save us from poverty! May Allah (swt) save us from Shaitan! Allah (swt) also tells us in this part of the ayah that Shaitan commands us to do faksha. There is no good English translation for this word. It gives meanings of satisfying ones low desires, lusts and inclinations. All of the indecent, immoral and lewd sexual acts are covered by this word. Even greed for material things is covered by this word. So that low desire you have within yourself for members of the opposite sex, as well as that desire you have to do unspeakable acts with them, as well as your desire for more and more material things of this world, all of these meanings are given by this word faksha. This is exactly what Shaitan commands you to do. So the next time you have this feeling within yourself, know that it is from Shaitan. Know also that he is your open and clear enemy, and he wants nothing for you but for you to suffer destruction and pain and for you to displease your Lord. So when he commands you to do faksha, do not obey him. No matter how many times he may command you, and no matter how strong the feeling is, do not give in. Yes it is difficult, but remember that it is for this struggle that Allah (swt) will love you and that He (swt) will reward you with nearness to Him (swt) and the

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Garden. Shaitan will try to fool you into thinking that these thoughts are not from him, he will bring to your mind how good it will feel to do what he is telling you to do. But you should know that this is all tricks and deception. These thoughts are indeed from him and if you should do what he says it will only bring you pain and misery. May Allah (swt) help us to always remember Him (swt) whenever the devil comes to us! May Allah (swt) save us from the evil of our own souls! So Shaitan tries to prevent you from spending in the way of Allah (swt) by threatening you with poverty, and instead he commands you to do faksha. But what does Allah (swt) promise you? Allah (swt) says in this ayah Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and Fadl. How wonderful is that? How wonderful is that? If you spend sincerely for Allah (swt), He (swt) will first and foremost give you His (swt)s Forgiveness. How wonderful would it be to have the Forgiveness of Allah (swt)? We have all committed so many sins and we have all fallen short on so many of our obligations to Allah (swt). We are all in desperate need of the Forgiveness of Allah (swt). So when we spend from what we have sincerely for Allah (swt), He (swt) promises to give us His (swt)s Forgiveness. A chance to be cleansed of all of our sins and be a creature that is worthy in the Sight of Allah (swt). That alone should be enough for an incentive to spend for Allah (swt). But we see in this part of the ayah, that Allah (swt) promises us even more. Allah (swt) promises us Fadl. In his tafsir of this ayah, Imam Qurtubi says Fadl means provisions in this world and provisions and expansion in the next. So if we spend sincerely for Allah (swt), He (swt) promises us more and more both in this world and the next. Allah (swt) will take care of all our needs in this world, and He (swt) will give us rewards immeasurable and unimaginable in the next world. This is a promise from Allah (swt) that He (swt) is giving you in His (swt)s Book. How wonderful is that? Finally Allah (swt) ends this ayah by saying Allah is All-Embracing All-Knowing. Whenever Allah (swt) mentions His (swt)s Names in the Quran it is always connected with the meaning of the ayah. When Allah (swt) uses the name Wasi in this ayah, it means AllEmbracing. This Name is connected both the Forgiveness of Allah (swt) and with the Fadl of Allah (swt). Literally Wasi means wide and all-encompassing, and that is how Allah (swt) is in relation to both His (swt)s Forgiveness and His (swt)s Fadl. If you spend sincerely for Allah

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(swt), then you will find His (swt)s Forgiveness to be All-Embracing and All-Encompassing. It will spread and cover all of your sins and transgressions not matter how big and how numerous they may be. Imagine if you have an ocean of sins, then know that the ocean of the Forgiveness of Allah (swt) is even greater, and this ocean will encompass and drown your ocean of sins. This is how Allah (swt) is Wasi in terms of His (swt)s Forgiveness. Similarly the Fadl is also Wide and Encompassing. There is no limit to how much Allah (swt) can give you both in this life and the Hereafter. If you spend sincerely for Allah (swt), then you will find that He (swt) will give you more than you could ever ask for and more than you could ever deserve. Allah (swt) will give you more than you ever dreamed possible. Allah (swt) also wants us to remember from this ayah that He (swt) is All-Knowing. Shaitan threatens us with poverty and he tells us not to spend for Allah (swt), rather he commands us to do faksha. Allah (swt) Knows whether we listened to him or not. Allah (swt) Knows exactly how much we struggled and strove against Shaitan. When the desires flared within us so strong, Allah (swt) Knows exactly how much effort we put to fight these desires. Allah (swt) Knows the extent of our struggle against Shaitan even more than we do, that is why He (swt) is the Best to Judge us and the Best to reward us for all that we did throughout our life. So remember these two Names of Allah (swt) and do battle with Shaitan the next time that he comes close to you. May Allah (swt) give us all success!

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270. He gives Al-Hikmah to whom He pleases and whoever is given Al-Hikmah surely he has been given abundant good, but none take heed except the people of intellect. In the previous ayah Allah (swt) commanded us to do battle with Shaitan. Allah (swt) reminded us how Shaitan would threaten us with poverty every time we tried to sacrifice our time or money for Him (swt). Allah (swt) also reminded us how Shaitan tempts us with faksha, and sometimes the faksha can seem very appealing to us. But if we do battle with Shaitan for the sake of Allah (swt) and we overcome him for the sake of Allah (swt), then Allah (swt) promises to reward us with Forgiveness and Fadl from Him (swt). There is no better reward for any effort than Forgiveness and Fadl from Allah (swt). But is it just any person who is able to do battle with Shaitan and overcome their desires and passions? This is a tremendous challenge and is it just any person who is up to it? Allah (swt) brings our attention in this ayah to a certain kind of people, these are the people who are able to overcome Shaitan and their low desires. We ask Allah (swt) to make us among these people. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying He gives Al-Hikmah to whom He pleases. So here in the first part of the ayah Allah (swt) is telling us that there are certain group of people to whom He (swt) gives Al-Hikmah. There are many opinions given by the scholars as to what Allah (swt) means by the word Al-Hikmah. Some scholars have said that it means Interpretation of Quran, others have said that it means knowledge of the actions that are pleasing to Allah (swt), and others have said that it means the fear of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) Knows best, but it seems that all of these opinions are correct. In other words, the word Al-Hikmah encompasses all of these meanings. So there is a special group of people to whom Allah (swt) gives Al-Hikmah, these are the people who are able overcome Shaitan and fulfill their purpose of worshipping and serving Allah (swt). Allah (swt) gives Al-Hikmah to whom He (swt) pleases, this means whomever He (swt) wants to. May Allah (swt) make us among those!

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Then Allah (swt) says whoever is given Al-Hikmah surely he has been given abundant good. What does it mean to have Al-Hikmah? It means that for every moment of your life, you know what is pleasing to Allah (swt). It means that you understand the deep and profound meanings of the Quran. It means that Allah (swt) has opened the doors of His (swt)s Book for you. This knowledge, this Al-Hikmah that Allah (swt) has given you generates the fear of Allah (swt) within you, and the fear of Allah (swt) is what we all seek. It is the fear of Allah (swt) that prevents us from doing the actions that are displeasing to Allah (swt) and it is the fear of Allah (swt) that motivates us to do the actions that are pleasing to Him (swt). This then leads us the Pleasure of Allah (swt), the eternal bliss of the Garden in the next life, and the peace and tranquility of being close to Allah (swt) in this life. So how good is it if you are among those to whom Allah (swt) has given Al-Hikmah? Allah (swt) gives Al-Hikmah to whom He (swt) pleases so your job is to be among those whom Allah (swt) is pleased with. You have to be someone who is always attached to the Book of Allah (swt), someone who is always trying to memorize it and learn more from it. You also have to be one who is always striving to do the actions that are pleasing to Allah (swt) and striving to avoid the actions that are displeasing to Him (swt). You also have to be among those who are always asking forgiveness from Allah (swt) for all of your sins and your shortcomings. Only if you do this will you be among those whom Allah (swt) is pleased with. Only then will you be among those who are granted Al-Hikmah. In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says but none take heed except the people of intellect. Here Allah (swt) is telling us that only the people who use their minds will take heed to the commands and prohibitions of Allah (swt). This Din is not instinctual, you are not born knowing how to pray or knowing that alcohol is forbidden. You have to use your mind to learn this Din, you have to use your mind to study the Law of Allah (swt) to know what is pleasing to Him (swt) and what is not. You even have to use your mind to know Allah (swt), to recognize all of the signs that He (swt) has scattered across the universe for you. Signs that will help you to recognize His (swt)s Existence, His (swt)s Oneness, and His (swt)s total Sovereignty over all of the creation. You also need to use your mind to recognize the signs that Allah (swt) sends with

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his prophets and messengers so that you can know who is a true Messenger from Allah (swt). It is shame that many Muslims today have completely turned off their minds when it comes to understanding the Din. They blindly follow scholars without thinking or reflecting. They want their scholars to think for them, and they just do whatever their scholars tell them to do. You will find that such people are the most vulnerable to Shaitan. He can easily drive them to sin because Allah (swt) is not on their minds. To save ourselves from this we have to use our minds to understand this Din and to reflect on Allah (swt). It is only through our minds that we can reach Allah (swt) in the life of this world. Now it is true that our mind has limitations, and we also have limitations in our knowledge that we need to always be aware of. But this does not meant that we should turn off our minds to this Din, especially when it is only through our minds that we can know Allah (swt) and know that which is pleasing to Him (swt). We have to seek the knowledge that will benefit us and bring us closer to Allah (swt) and we should stay away from the knowledge that will confuse us and that will take us further away from Allah (swt). We should not use our minds to think about that which we have no knowledge of, rather we should use our minds to bring us closet to Allah (swt). Only then can we make ourselves among the people of intellect who will take heed to Allah (swt). The ones who contemplate about Allah (swt) and the Greatness and Majesty of Allah (swt) in the deepest corners of their heart. The ones who strive at every moment of their lives to find out that which is pleasing to Allah (swt). The ones to whom Allah (swt) has granted Al-Hikmah. May Allah (swt) make us among these people of intellect who use their minds to come closer to Him (swt)!

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271. And all that you spend of almsgiving and all that you vow of promises, surely Allah Knows it. And for the Dhalimoon there are no helpers. In the previous ayah, Allah (swt) reminded us that only those are given Al-Hikmah take heed to this Message. They are the ones who use their intellect to contemplate on the signs of Allah (swt) and they use their minds to understand the Law of Allah (swt). They know Allah (swt) in all of His (swt)s Greatness and Majesty and they know that which is pleasing to Him (swt). But we also learned from the previous ayah that Al-Hikmah is something that Allah (swt) must give. We ourselves cannot get Al-Hikmah for ourselves but rather we need Allah (swt) to give it to us. So how do we be among those to whom Allah (swt) has given Al-Hikmah? Allah (swt) answers that question in this ayah. Allah (swt) says And all that you spend of almsgiving and all that you vow of promises, surely Allah Knows it. All the charity that you give, be it in your money or your property or your time, you have to be sure that Allah (swt) Knows it. Allah (swt) Knows the obligatory Zakat that you spend and He (swt) Knows the voluntary Sadaqah that you give. Allah (swt) Knows what you give secretly and what you give in public. Allah (swt) also Knows what was in your heart when you spent, He (swt) Knows whether or not your intention was sincerely for Him (swt) or not. Allah (swt) even Knows the extent of your desire to please Him (swt) that was present in your heart when you spent. How much did you love Allah (swt) when you spent and how much of your spending was purely because of love for Him (swt)? So we see that Allah (swt) Knows all about everything that you spend. Why then would you ever not want to spend for Him (swt)? We also see from this part of the ayah that Allah (swt) also Knows of all of the promises that you make. Allah (swt) Knows whether or not you were sincere when you made those promises. Allah (swt) Knows which of your promises you fulfilled and which of them you broke.

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Even if you broke your promises, Allah (swt) Knows if you even tried to keep them or if you always had an intention to break them. Allah (swt) even Knows the reason why you broke your promise, if it was a valid reason or not. Allah (swt) also Knows all of your obligations that you had for others. He (swt) Knows whether you lived up to those obligations or whether you failed in them. So we see that just as Allah (swt) Knows all about your spending, He (swt) Knows all about your promises and your vows. Allah (swt) Knows even the smallest of good that you do. Now what is the connection between this ayah where Allah (swt) says that He (swt) Knows all about your spending and all about your promises and the previous ayah where Allah (swt) said that He (swt) gives Al-Hikmah to whom He (swt) pleases? The connection is that those whom Allah (swt) is pleased with, because they spend sincerely for Him (swt) and they always keep their promises and they fulfill their vows, these are the ones whom Allah (swt) will bless by giving them Al-Hikmah. This special knowledge with which you can know what is pleasing to Allah (swt). This special knowledge that will save you both in this life and the next. Allah (swt) grants it to whom He (swt) is pleased with, and we see from this ayah that the ones whom Allah (swt) is pleased with are those who spend sincerely for Him (swt) and those who fulfill their promises and their vows. So we see that Al-Hikmah is a Bounty and Mercy from Allah (swt) that He (swt) grants to those whom He (swt) is pleased with. To prove ourselves worthy of this, all we have to do is strive to spend from what we have for Allah (swt) and we have to try our best to keep all our oaths and promises. May Allah (swt) give us the ability to do that! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says And for the Dhalimoon there are no helpers. The Dhalimoon are those who do Dhulm and Dhulm means every kind of evil, injustice and darkness. Is not the worst of injustices to turn away from your Creator and Sustainer? Even when a clear Message reaches you from Him (swt), you still turn away from Him (swt). You turn away from Him (swt) when you know that He (swt) is Allah (swt), the Perfect One, the One Who is sustaining the heavens and the earth for every second of their existence. You know all this about Allah (swt) and you still turn away from Him (swt). Can you then be described as anything that but being from the Dhalimoon? The Dhalimoon are those to whom Allah (swt) has not granted Al-Hikmah. They are the ones who refuse to spend sincerely for Allah (swt), if

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they spend they only to spend to be seen of others. They are also the ones who break their promises and fail to live up to their obligations. Would you ever want to be among such people? May Allah (swt) save us from ever being among the Dhalimoon! Allah (swt) describes the Dhalimoon in this ayah as the ones who have no helpers. Why is it that the Dhalimoon refuse to spend sincerely for Allah (swt)? Why is it that they refuse to give what they have for Allah (swt)? Why is it that they break their promises and fail to fulfill their oaths? Often times it is because they do not realize their need and their absolute dependence on Allah (swt). They think that they are independent or self-sufficient, or they think that for whatever problem they may have there is always someone for them to go to help. They think that their own power, or their own wealth or their people will save them. Such fools have forgotten about the Last Day. On that Day they will realize their need for Allah (swt). They will see that there is no one to help them and no one to save them from Allah (swt). So we see now the situation of those who do not spend for Allah (swt) and those who break their promises. The ones whom Allah (swt) has not blessed with Al-Hikmah. They will be left powerless and helpless on the Last Day, that Day in which you need all of the help that you can get. May Allah (swt) save us from being in that situation! May Allah (swt) save us from among the Dhalimoon!

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272. If you disclose your Sadaqah, it is well. But if you conceal it and give it to the poor, that is much better for you, and also it will cover for you some of your sins, and Allah is with all that you do Well-Aware. So from these ayahs that we have been studying we can see the extreme importance of spending to gain the Pleasure of Allah (swt). When we spend from our wealth for Allah (swt) then we are giving up the material things of this world that we may desire only because of our love of Allah (swt). Thus we are demonstrating that our love for Allah (swt) is much stronger than our love for this world. Is that not the perfect demonstration of faith when you sacrifice of this world because of what you believe? In this ayah Allah (swt) shows us some more benefits to spending for His (swt)s sake. All of this reminder and admonition is a Mercy from Allah (swt) for us; remember that He (swt) does not need our charity. But rather it is we who need to spend in order to gain His (swt)s Pleasure and fulfill the purpose of our creation. So even though Allah (swt) does not need our spending, He (swt) still reminds us again and again to spend for His (swt)s cause. All of these reminders and admonitions are for our benefit and not for His (swt)s. How Kind and Compassionate is Allah (swt) towards us and at same time how ungrateful and unjust are we to Him (swt)! Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying If you disclose your Sadaqah, it is well. Here Allah (swt) tells us that there is no sin upon us if we make our charity known to others, or if others find out about it. So it is not an obligation to give charity in secret, we may give charity in public also. However when we give charity in public what we need to be careful is that we never give to show off in front of others, we do not spend with the intention of being seen by others. We must always remember that Allah (swt) created us to worship and serve Him (swt), so everything that we do must only be for Him (swt). If we can avoid this danger of ostentation, then there are several benefits to spending in public also. One of them is that when others see us spending, it

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will encourage them to spend as well. You yourself may see others spending, and then you might ask yourself why you can not spend as well. You might realize the lies that Shaitan has told you about spending leading to poverty. So the lesson that we can take from this part of the ayah is to see that there is nothing wrong with spending in public as long as we spend only to seek the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and not to show off in front of others. Then Allah (swt) says But if you conceal it and give it to the poor, that is better for you. Here Allah (swt) tells us that if we make secret what we are spending, that would be much better for us. This means that Allah (swt) will give us much more reward for spending that is done in secret than He (swt) would give for spending in public. This is because when we spend in secret, there is the real sincerity to Allah (swt). There is no one to see that act except Allah (swt), so there is no way for Shaitan to put any degree of ostentation or pride into that act of charity. In our hearts it will truly be an action that is done purely for Allah (swt). Another advantage to spending in secret is that the recipient of the charity does not feel bad from everyone seeing him to be in need. Another benefit that we can see from this ayah is that the poor are among the best recipients of our charity. Those who do not even have enough for a meal to eat, or clothes to wear or even a home in which to stay. When we give in secret to them, desiring no reward from them, but seeking only the Pleasure of Allah (swt) then Insha Allah this is one of the best of actions that we can do. Imam Qurtubi in his tafsir of this ayah mentions a narration of Al-Abbas (ra) where he (ra) said The charitable act is only complete when it contains three characteristics: hastening it, thinking it small and concealing it. When you hasten to spend in charity, there is less of a chance of Shaitan preventing you from spending because we all know that the urge to horde wealth is always within us. So when we procrastinate there is more of a chance that Shaitan will come and prevent us from spending. When you think of your spending to be small, Insha Allah you can save yourself from praising yourself and thinking big of yourself because of your spending. Because should this happen then you will be reluctant to spend in the future, you will start telling yourself that you have already spent enough. Finally when you conceal your spending you save yourself from ostentation and showing off in front of the people. Thus you keep your Sadaqah purely for

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Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) give us all these three characteristics every time that we spend for Him (swt). Then Allah (swt) says and it will cover for you some of your sins. Here is yet another tremendous benefit that we can get from spending in secret. Not only will Allah (swt) reward us greatly for our spending to only seek His (swt)s Pleasure, but He (swt) will also cover some of our sins because of this spending. How many sins have we all done? How desperately in need are we for Allah (swt) to cover our sins? So for each act of charity that we spend, even if we give only a half date, we can be sure that Allah (swt) is covering some of our sins. For every sin that we cover in the life of this world, there is less of a chance that we will find that sin to be a source of punishment for us in the next world. Thus we should all strive to give more and more to cover that mountain of sins that we all have. May Allah (swt) give us all the ability to do that! Finally Allah (swt) reminds us that Allah is with all that you do Well-Aware. Do not ever think that any act of charity that you do is in vain, do not even think that any good deed that you do is in vain. The word khabeer that Allah (swt) uses in this part of the ayah is to describe His (swt)s relation to your actions is one of close and intimate knowledge, as well as full and detailed knowledge. So Allah (swt) Knows all about your actions, even more than you yourself know. Then what does it matter if anyone else sees your charity or your good deeds, is it not enough for you that the One for Whom you exist Knows about them? May Allah (swt) help us to always remember that He (swt) is khabeer with everything that we do for Him (swt).

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273. Not on you is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills. And whatever you spend from good it is for yourselves, and you are not spending except to seek the Pleasure of Allah, and for whatever you spend from good, it shall be paid back to you in full and you shall not be wronged. To understand this ayah let us go back to the context in which it was revealed. The Islamic State had just been established and the Muslim community that was to carry the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind was being formed. To demonstrate their Iman and to support the dawah as well as to support each other, Allah (swt) was encouraging the Muslims to spend of their wealth. Allah (swt) reminded the Muslims that the only concern for each of them when he or she spends must be to please Him (swt). In this ayah, Allah (swt) continues to emphasize that all that we spend must be only for Him (swt). Allah (swt) shows us in this ayah how even inviting the people to Islam cannot be a reason for our charity, but rather He (swt) must be the only reason for all that we spend. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying, Not on you is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills. The scholars say that this ayah was revealed when some of the Muslims at the time of the Prophet (saw) held back from giving charity to non-Muslims in the hope that this might invite them to Islam. These Muslims thought that when the poor among the non-Muslims saw that only Muslims were receiving charity this might then encourage them to inquire about Islam and be guided to the Truth. So Allah (swt) revealed this ayah telling the Muslims that the guidance of the people was not upon then, but rather it was upon Him (swt). It is Allah (swt) Who guides whom He (swt) pleases. In other words, the Muslims cannot make anyone accept Islam simply by their giving or by their restraining from giving charity, rather it is only Allah (swt) who can guide the people to Islam and Allah (swt) guides whom He (swt) pleases.

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Then Allah (swt) says, And whatever you spend from good it is for yourselves. Here Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims that all of the charity that they give is really for themselves and not for anyone else. Whenever you give charity, you should always think that you are giving it for yourself and not for others. You are the one who is seeking a reward from Allah (swt) for that charity in the Hereafter, so it is for you more than it is for anyone else. You should not seek a return from anyone else for your charity, not even their accepting Islam. Every good deed that you do is only for your own good. Note also that Allah (swt) describes the charity as being from good. This is to once again emphasize that the charity must be given from lawful sources of wealth and it must be given with the sincerest of intentions. Then Allah (swt) says, and you are not spending except to seek the Pleasure of Allah. Here Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims that they are spending seeking only the Pleasure of Allah (swt). This should be the only reason for their spending. Likewise for us this should always be the only reason for our spending; it should only be to seek the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and for no other reason. We should not even try to convert people or bring people towards Islam through our charity; our charity and our spending must only be for Allah (swt). We should never think that our charity will be a reason for the people coming closer to Islam because we know that only Allah (swt) guides and Allah (swt) will guide whom He (swt) wills. In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) says and for whatever you spend from good, it shall be paid back to you in full and you shall not be wronged. Here Allah (swt) reminds the Muslims that every single thing that they have spent for Him (swt) shall be repaid in full. Who is better at keeping a promise than Allah (swt)? So why should we worry about seeking anything from the creation from of our spending? Even their guidance to Islam should not be a reason for our spending. Every single penny that we spend should only be for Allah (swt). We exist only for Allah (swt) so He (swt) should be the reason for all that we spend and all that we do. If we keep this intention then we can be certain that Allah (swt) will reward us in full and that He (swt) will not do us any wrong. If our intention is purely for Allah (swt), then our reward will not be reduced even a little. So let us turn our focus away from the creation and towards the Creator. From Him (swt) we can expect a full reward and from Him (swt) we will know no injustice.

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Now we are not saying from learning this ayah that we should not give dawah to nonMuslims or that we should not spend to support the dawah. We are simply saying that we should not refrain ourselves from spending on non-Muslims in the hope that they would accept Islam. Our hope for their acceptance of Islam should not be the reason for our spending. That was what some of the early Muslims did and that was why Allah (swt) revealed this ayah. So we should still carry dawah and we should still support the dawah financially, but our intention in our spending and our intention in our dawah should never be to convert people. Rather our intention should be only to please Allah (swt) and we should always remember that it is Allah (swt) Who guides whom He (swt) pleases.

274. For the poor, the ones who are straitened and detained in the way of Allah, and are unable to move in the earth. The ignorant one thinks them to be free of want because of their abstaining from begging, but you will recognize them by their mark, they do not beg of the people at all, whatever you spend of good surely Allah Knows it well. In the previous ayahs, Allah (swt) reminded us of the importance of spending sincerely for Him (swt). Allah (swt) encouraged us to spend and Allah (swt) reminded us to keep our intention sincerely for Him (swt). Allah (swt) told us how even the bringing of the people closer to Islam should not be a reason for our spending but rather He (swt) should be the only reason for our spending. One question that can be asked at this point is that who is it that Allah (swt) is most pleased with us to spend on? Who does Allah (swt) like for us to spend on? In this ayah, Allah (swt) brings our attention to a special group of people who are the most deserving of our charity.

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Allah (swt) says For the poor, the ones who are detained in the way of Allah. The scholars say that this part of the ayah was revealed about a group from among the Muhajiroon. There was a group from among the Muhajiroon who had left their home and all of their wealth behind in Makkah to make hijra to Madinah for the sake of Allah (swt). When they reached Madinah they had dedicated all of their time for the service of the dawah. They spent their days and their nights fighting in jihad, learning the Din, teaching it to others, and in worship of Allah (swt). They dedicated their entire lives to Allah (swt). Because they dedicated all of their time in the service of the Din, it did not leave them any time to seek a livelihood and earn any kind of wealth for themselves. So they were all extremely poor, they were so poor that they even had to live in the masjid of the Prophet (saw). They did not have a home of their own. In this ayah, Allah (swt) tells the Muslims that it is this group from among the Muhajiroon who had dedicated themselves to the Din who were the most deserving of their charity. When the Muslims spent on these poor Muhajiroon, they were really spending to support the dawah, they were spending on the effort to establish the Law of Allah (swt) in the land and the effort to carry the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind. In addition to referring to them as poor, Allah (swt) refers to these Muhajiroon as the ones who are straitened in the way of Allah. There are several meanings given in this part of the ayah. One meaning is that they are straitened in the way of Allah (swt) because they had given up all of their wealth in the way of Allah (swt). They had left their homes and all of their property, as well as their profession and livelihood to make hijra for the sake of Allah (swt). Thus they were straitened in the way of Allah (swt) because of the loss of their wealth and the loss of their professions as a result of their hijra. Another meaning that this part of the ayah gives is that the fact that they were part of the Muslim community prevented them from engaging in trade and business. We know that most of the Muhajiroon from Makkah were traders and businessmen by profession. When they joined the Muslim community and alienated themselves from the powerful tribe of Quraysh, they were unable to conduct trade anymore. No one would trade with them because they were the enemies of Quraysh. This was another way that they were straitened in the way of Allah (swt). Yet another meaning that this part of the ayah gives is that the fact that

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they were engaged in serving the Din full-time prevented them from earning a livelihood and thus they were straitened because of their service of the dawah. They were poor because they had dedicated all of their time and energy for the Din of Allah (swt). In all of these ways they were straitened in the way of Allah (swt), that was why they were beloved by Allah (swt) and He (swt) encouraged the Muslims to spend on them. In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says The ignorant one thinks them to be free of want because of their abstaining from begging. Here Allah (swt) continues to describe for us those poor among the Muhajiroon who had dedicated their lives to serving the dawah. One of the qualities of these Muhajiroon is that they would never beg of others. Even though they were often in desperate need of the most basic of necessities such as food, shelter and clothing, they would never beg of others. Even though they were working for the salvation of the Muslim Ummah and the salvation of all mankind, they would never beg of others. One reason for this could be because they loved their Muslim brothers and sisters and they did not want to put them through any difficulties by begging them, they knew that their Muslim brothers and sisters were also in need of their wealth and their food for their own families. So even though these poor Muhajiroon had every reason to beg, since they were the ones who were carrying out the important task of serving the Din, they refrained themselves and they controlled themselves from asking of others. Another reason for their restraining themselves from begging could have been their humility and their humbleness before Allah (swt). They did not see themselves as deserving the comforts and material pleasures of the world. Rather they were happy serving Allah (swt). So they continued serving Allah (swt) by fighting in jihad, learning knowledge, teaching others and through prayer in the late hours of the night. They still refrained themselves from begging though they themselves were often extremely hungry, without proper clothes and without a place to call home. Because they refrained from begging, Allah (swt) says that the ignorant one will think to be free of want. The ignorant person does not know their situation, he sees them walking in the streets and he thinks that their needs are all taken care of. He does not know that they do not have a home to go to and they may not even have had a meal on that day. So Allah (swt) brings

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the attention of the Muslims to these members of their community who are in desperate need for their help but who refrain themselves from begging. Then Allah (swt) says but you will recognize them by their mark. The scholars differ as to what Allah (swt) means here by mark. Some scholars have said that it means their humility and their humbleness in behavior, others have said that it is the exhaustion and hunger that can be seen on their faces, others have said that it is their tattered clothes, others have said that it is from the fact that they live in the masjid, others have said that it is the mark of prostration on their foreheads which comes from constant prayer. Allah (swt) Knows best but it seems that all of theses opinions are correct. So from this part of the ayah we see that Allah (swt) is commanding the early Muslim community to give charity to these poor Muhajiroon and He (swt) is telling them that these are some of the signs by which they can be recognized in the community. Then Allah (swt) says, they do not beg of the people at all. They are often in desperate need but they do not beg of the people at all. Here Allah (swt) is praising the poor among the Muhajiroon for their restraining themselves from begging. This shows us that begging and constantly asking of others is an action that Allah (swt) is not pleased with. As much possible we should refrain ourselves from asking of others and depending on others. Rather we should always depend on Allah (swt) to take care of us and to provide for us. May Allah (swt) make that easy for us! Sayyid Qutb tells us in his tafsir of this ayah how beautifully these words of the Quran describes and brings to life the plight of these poor among the Muhajiroon. If you were to read this ayah in Arabic with a deep comprehension of the language, it would be as if you have come face to face with these people. This is how vividly Allah (swt) describes their situation in this ayah. Using only a few words Allah (swt) describes their situation in such detail that it is almost as if you are actually in their shoes and you can feel their pain and you can experience their plight. May Allah (swt) give us all the ability to learn the Arabic language in depth so that we can taste the beauty of the Quran just like Imam Shaheed Sayyid Qutb did! May we realize that one of the keys to gaining the full understanding of the Quran is a deep understanding of the Arabic language!

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Finally Allah (swt) ends this beautiful ayah by saying whatever you spend of good surely Allah Knows it well. So here we see that Allah (swt) is encouraging the Muslims to spend on these poor among the Muhajiroon, and here Allah (swt) tells them that whatever they spend they have to know that Allah (swt) Knows it well. So any kind of support that they offer to these poor Muhajiroon who are serving the dawah, no matter how big or small that it may be, they have to know that Allah (swt) Knows it well. The fact that Allah (swt) Knows our good deeds is a source of great hope for us. When we know that Allah (swt) Knows about each and every one of our good deeds, it gives us great hope because we know that every single action that we do might earn us the Pleasure of Allah (swt). This is what we live for so we should not belittle any good deed, rather we should strive to do as much good as we can. May Allah (swt) give us the ability to do that! One lesson that we can take from this ayah is that the students of knowledge are among the best recipients of our charity. Even today there are brothers and sisters who have dedicated themselves to serving the Din full-time by spending all of their time in seeking knowledge of the Din. We as an Ummah have reached a level where our knowledge of this Din has plummeted to levels that it had never reached before, and so we as an Ummah today are totally ignorant of this Message that Allah (swt) has sent us. If we are ever going to be a revived nation once again, if we are ever going to try and change our pathetic situation then we need to go back to the Quran and Sunnah to find a way out. We need to produce an ijtihad that details a methodology on how the revival of our nation can be achieved. In other words, we need brothers and sisters to study the Quran and Sunnah in depth and find out the way in which our desperate situation can be rectified. We have to believe that the answer is there in the Quran and Sunnah, it is only up to us to strive to find that answer or at least to financially support those who are performing this task. So we should try to find those who are studying this Din with the objective of gaining the knowledge that will revive this Ummah, and we should do what we can to support them financially. If we ourselves are unable to take up this task of reviving this Ummah then the least that we can do is to support those that do. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to do that!

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275. The ones who spend their wealth by night and by day, secretly and openly, for them their reward is with their Rabb, no fear shall be upon them nor shall they grieve. In the previous ayah Allah (swt) told us how among those who are the most deserving of our Sadaqah are the ones who were serving the dawah full-time. They are the ones who have dedicated all of their time and energy to learning the Din in the hope that they can find a way to revive our Ummah from the desperate situation that we are in. Because they are spending all of their time and energy in studying the Din, they need for us to support them financially. Now what should we expect for ourselves if we do spend our money to support these brothers and sisters, or if we ourselves are from among them? What should we expect for ourselves in return? In this ayah, Allah (swt) answers these questions. Allah (swt) says The ones who spend their wealth by night and day, secretly and openly, for them their reward is with their Rabb. This task of serving the Din; of reviving the Ummah, of establishing the Law of Allah (swt) in the land and of carrying the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind, is a task that requires all of our time, all of our effort and all of our wealth. We should try to be among those who are actively working for this Din by studying it, or we should be among those who are supporting them to the best of our ability. Either way it would be a task that takes all of our time and all of our wealth. That was how the early Muslim community was when the Islamic State was first established. The Muslims in Madinah at that time knew the great responsibility that was on their shoulders. So all of them were either actively engaged in the dawah themselves or they were supporting it to the best of their ability. We should try to be like them, the ones who dedicated their all for the Message of Allah (swt). This ayah should be more than enough of an incentive for us to try to be like them, simply read again what Allah (swt) is saying in this ayah. Allah (swt) is saying that the ones who sincerely spend all of their wealth for His (swt)s sake will have their reward in full with Him (swt). Allah (swt) is telling you that you will have your reward in full. Can you even begin to imagine the kind of reward that this will be?

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Just look at how beautifully Allah (swt) describes such people in this ayah. Allah (swt) describes such people as spending their wealth night and day for Him (swt), so there is no hour of their life that is not dedicated to Allah (swt). Not even a minute in their life goes by except that they are dedicating in spending what they have for their Rabb. They are spending both secretly and openly. So there are moments in their life when others see the sacrifices that they make, and there are also moments when no one sees their sacrifices except Allah (swt). They are dedicating all that they have only for Allah (swt). That is how we should try to be as well. Nothing should matter in our life except spending every moment that we have in the service of our Rabb. Of course this is a very high ideal but it is what we should always be striving to reach. What can we expect as a reward when we do this? Allah (swt) says that our repayment is with Him (swt). Allah (swt) Knows the exact extent of our sacrifices and our striving. The human being is given to laziness and lethargy. Our nature is that we would rather spend the moments of our lives in heedlessness to Allah (swt). But when we strive to remember Allah (swt) and we strive to do what is pleasing to Him (swt), even though it may be difficult for us, then we have to be sure that Allah (swt) Knows our striving. Allah (swt) Knows how hard we fought against ourselves to remain true to Him (swt). The human being is also given to stinginess and miserliness. We do not like to give away the things that we have, least of all we do not like to give our money. But when we sacrifice for the sake of Allah (swt) of the things that we love, we have to know that Allah (swt) Knows our sacrifices. Allah (swt) Knows all about our sacrifices and our striving and He (swt) is telling us in this ayah that our reward and our repayment is with Him (swt). Can you then even begin to imagine the kind of reward that Allah (swt) has kept with Him (swt) for you if you sincerely sacrifice and you sincerely strive for Him (swt)? Allah (swt) the One Who is rich beyond all needs and the One Who has all of the treasures of the heavens and the earth is telling you in this ayah that He (swt) has a repayment for you with Him (swt). Can you even begin to imagine the reward that Allah (swt) has for you? Can you imagine how wonderful and how bountiful it will be? It is a reward that will be beyond your dreams and further than your imagination. All that you have to do to receive it is strive sincerely for Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) make us among those who give everything that they have for Him (swt)!

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Then Allah (swt) says, no fear shall be upon them nor shall they grieve. Such is the condition of those who dedicate themselves to Allah (swt) both in this life and the next. When you give your all for Allah (swt), do you not think that He (swt) would not then love you? When Allah (swt) loves you then how can you expect your situation to be both in this life and in the Hereafter? What do you have to fear from this world when you know that Allah (swt) is with you? What do you have to fear in the Hereafter when you know that you are returning to Allah (swt)? Why should you be sad in the life of this world when you know that all the good and all the bad in your life is from Allah (swt)? When you know that He (swt) will reward you for you gratefulness with the good and He (swt) will reward you for your patience with the bad? When you realize this then how can you be sad? When you give yourself completely to Allah (swt), just as you will know no grief or fear in the life of this world, you will also know no grief or fear in the Hereafter. This then is the situation of those who spend all that they have for Allah (swt), so why then do you not want to be from among them? May Allah (swt) give us all the ability! Allah (swt) is the Most Loving and the Most Merciful. All of the love and mercy that every mother has for a child is only a tiny fraction of the Mercy of Allah (swt). So when Allah (swt) tells you in these ayahs to spend sincerely for Him (swt), then you have to believe that it is for your own good. Allah (swt) does not need anything that you give Him (swt). Rather every single thing that you spend and every single thing that you do seeking with it only the Pleasure of Allah (swt) is only for your own good. All of this encouragement and motivation that Allah (swt) is giving you in these ayahs is only from His (swt)s Love and Mercy for you. Allah (swt) wants you to be happy in the life of this world. Allah (swt) wants you to be saved from the Fire in the Hereafter. Allah (swt) wants to give you the Garden. He (swt) desires this for you because He (swt) loves you. That is why you see in these ayahs that Allah (swt) is encouraging you again and again to spend for Him (swt). The more sincerity that you have in your actions for Allah (swt), the more that your reward will be, the more your reward is the better it is for you. So why then do you not want to strive and spend for your Lord?

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276. The ones who eat riba will not rise up except as rises the one whom Shaitan has driven mad by his touch. That is because they say, trade is just like riba, but Allah has permitted trade and forbidden riba. Then to whomsoever the admonition has come from his Lord, and he desists, he shall have what has already passed and his affair is with Allah, but whoever returns to it these are the inmates of the Fire, they will stay there forever. The basis of the Islamic Economic System had been given in the previous ayahs. Allah (swt) told us how our economic system was built on Zakat and Sadaqah, it was built upon a system where the wealth and resources of the land are shared by all of the members of the society. A system where every member of the society has a great incentive to give in order to help and support others. This principle of social corporation and charity is the foundation upon which the Islamic economic system is built. The government exists to serve the people and to ensure that the needs of everyone in the Islamic State are taken care of. As a sharp contrast to the Islamic economic system, in this ayah Allah (swt) brings our attention to the basis upon which the economic systems of the enemies of this Message are based. Their economic systems are based on an idea that the goal of the human being is to hoard as much wealth as possible. It is based on a principle that the government should do as little as possible to take care of the people. The result of their economic system is a society in which the vast majority of the people have very little while most of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of a very few people. To facilitate this idea they have made riba as the basis of their economic system. Riba is any kind of interest or usury. There are actually several different forms

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of riba, in fact the Prophet (saw) has even told us that there are over seventy different forms of riba. We advise the reader who is interested in finding out the different forms of riba to consult the books of fiqh that deal with this subject. For our purposes we will think of it as any kind of interest or usury, and we will look to what Allah (swt) says in these ayahs about those who deal in it. When you hear what Allah (swt) has to say about riba you then ask yourself if He (swt) would be pleased with Muslims living contently in any county whose economy is based on this. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying The ones who eat riba will not rise up except as rises the one whom Shaitan has driven mad by his touch. Most of the commentators are of the view that in this ayah Allah (swt) is describing the Day of Judgment. Allah (swt) is describing what will be the condition of the people who used to deal with riba when they are resurrected on the Last Day. We see from this ayah that such a person would be brought back to life in a state of madness and insanity. When they rise up from their graves they will be totally insane. They would not know anything or recognize anything, but instead they would have totally lost their minds. Can you imagine how humiliating it will be for them and for their family and for the rest of mankind to see them in this state? A state of complete madness and lunacy. But this is only the beginning of their punishment in the Hereafter for the horrible sin that they committed in the life of this world. May Allah (swt) save us from riba! Sayyid Qutb however is of the opinion that this ayah is not only referring to the Day of Judgment but is also referring to the condition of those who deal with interest in the life of this world as well. He says that we can see how those who consume riba are possessed with a kind of madness. Their greed for wealth has driven them to almost the point of insanity, and they are willing to do anything to increase their wealth. All that these people care about is their wealth, and all that they desire is an increase in their wealth. This is a form of madness that the people who consume riba suffer from in the life of this world. And who else is the source of such madness except Shaitan? He has made money as the illah in these peoples hearts and they have gone mad in their love for it and their desire for an increase in it. They will do anything for an increase in their wealth, even selling their souls to the devil. May Allah (swt) save us from ever becoming like them!

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This madness is not only restricted to those who deal with riba but to the society as a whole. This is because in the world today riba has covered every aspect of the society and there is no one who lives in such societies who has been able to escape it. Even Muslims who want to abide by the Law of Allah (swt) by staying away from riba are still affected by riba in one way or another. As long as you live in a society whose very foundation is based on riba, there will be no way for you to escape it. Riba in such societies is like a madness that will spread to every person within it. There is no one who can remain safe from it. We can see the effects of this madness in the societies of the world today. First and foremost is the grossly unfair distribution of wealth and resources that exists at a global level. If you were to look at every single human being that is living on this planet right now, you will find that the vast majority of them have very little. Many of them are suffering from abject poverty and many of them are dying of starvation. The reason why the people in these countries have so little is because the countries themselves are very poor. These countries do not have the infrastructure or the industry in place to compete with the wealthy nations on a global level. They do not even have a proper education system with which they can educate their people to be skilled workers. One of the main reasons why these countries are so poor is because they are spending all of the wealth that they have to pay interest on the loans that they borrow. The fact that they are in debt also leaves them at the mercy of their lenders and allows their lenders to control their economy. So the result is that the people in these countries and the countries as a whole remain very poor. At the same time you will also find that the wealthy have wealth beyond imagination. Not only do they have exceeding amounts of wealth, but also they waste and squander this wealth on frivolous and useless luxuries. Everything from caviar dinners to high rise hotels to luxury jets. For them life is nothing but the satisfaction of their desires and the showing off of their wealth and status. Even the so-called middle-class that supposedly exists between these two extremes are nothing but workers who toil away for most of their days and who in reality own or have very little. Everything that they have is owned by some bank or some lender and they themselves spend their whole lives to pay back the interest on the loans that they took.

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This unfair distribution of wealth is only the first effect of an economic system that is based on riba. This in turn creates several other tragedies at both the individual and societal level. At the individual level you will find people suffering from all kinds of anxiety and depression. They know that the world order in which they live has created a world in which the resources and wealth of the society is very limited, so all of the people are always afraid that they will find themselves in poverty tomorrow and that they will not be able to take care of themselves and their families. At the societal level you will find nations and tribes going to war with each other for control over land and control over the material resources of the land. These conflicts result in bloodshed and even more suffering for the people. All of this because of an economic system that is based on riba and a belief system that is based on the worship and servitude of wealth and desires instead of the worship and servitude of Allah (swt). The whole world is gripped by this madness as if they have been touched by the devil just as Allah (swt) describes in this ayah. May Allah (swt) save this world from the evils of riba! May Allah (swt) bring back the Islamic State so that the wealth of this earth can be shared fairly by all of its people! Some Muslim scholars think that we can save ourselves from riba by simply eliminating it from the economic systems of Muslim countries. But they fail to realize that the evils of riba are not simply limited to the economic system of one Muslim county. Rather the economic systems of the entire world today are based on riba and we can never be free of it until this entire world order is changed. As the world moves closer towards globalization, the economies of all of the world nations will become even more integrated and dependent on each other. So even if a few Muslim countries were to try and rid their economies of interest they would still not be able to escape riba. That is why we can never be free of riba until the Islamic State returns and the entire earth comes under the Sovereignty of Allah (swt) as it should be. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to bring back the State so that justice and fairness can be restored to all of the people of this earth! Until we do all of mankind will be consumed by this madness for wealth that the devil has injected into us. As long as we are consumed by this madness the only result will be suffering and misery for all people in one way or another, and even worse if that we would be earning the Wrath of Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) save us!

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In the next part of the ayah Allah (swt) says, That is because they say, trade is just like riba. In this part of the ayah Allah (swt) tells us the reason why the ones who deal with riba are made to suffer this humiliating punishment on the Day of Judgment and why their lust for wealth has driven mad in the life of this world. It is because they used to claim that trade and riba were the same. What kind of a fool would ever think that trade and riba were the same? Anyone who uses their mind can clearly distinguish between trade and riba. There are so many differences between the two even at the most fundamental level. Trade is the simple exchange of goods and services while riba is taking interest payments on loans. Only those who make money by riba, whose very business is riba would ever make such a claim that trade and riba are the same. For these people their business itself is riba. But even for such people who say that trade and riba are the same, it is clear that they never believed in it. They know the difference between trade and riba because the differences are so obvious. Rather they only make such a claim as an excuse for themselves to continue to deal with riba. Because of their lies and because of their excuses, Allah (swt) will give them madness in this life of this world and on the Last Day they will rise up as truly insane. May Allah (swt) save us from ever becoming them! Then Allah (swt) says but Allah has permitted trade and forbidden riba. The difference between trade and riba is clear, and Allah (swt) clearly tells us in this ayah that He (swt) has permitted trade and forbidden riba. In these few words, Allah (swt) has permitted all kinds of trading and He (swt) has outlawed all kinds of riba. So any kind of trade be it you exchanging one dollar for a can of soda, or ten thousand dollars for a car, or your services at a company or business for a salary, any kind of trade is permitted with this ayah. Similarly any kind of riba, any kind of loan that is repaid with any kind of interest above the capital, is forbidden in this ayah. See then the Power of the Quran in that it is able to give so many rulings, so much meaning, with only a few words. Can any legislative text except the Book of Allah (swt) be capable of such? In the next part of the ayah, we see that Allah (swt) says Then to whomsoever the admonition has come from his Lord, and he desists, he shall have what has already passed and his affair is with Allah. The meaning of this part of the ayah is that anyone who

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has made profits from riba in the past before they knew about its prohibition are allowed to keep the profits that they have earned. In other words they are not obliged to return the profits that they made from riba before riba was forbidden. Their affair is then up to Allah (swt), and He (swt) will take care of them. We know that Allah (swt) will not punish for what is done in ignorance, so we have to believe that such people have a great hope for Mercy from Allah (swt). But the key lesson to take from this part of the ayah is that these people desist in dealing with riba once they know that it is forbidden. They hear the admonition that comes from their Lord prohibiting riba and they stop dealing in it as a true and obedient servant should. Only then are they allowed to keep their profits and only then will Allah (swt) take care of their affair. So once you know that riba is forbidden and once you know that there are several different forms of riba, you have to stop dealing in it. People today try to put several different labels on riba such as finance charges, or time value of money, or bank fees or bonus points and so forth. It is up to you to find out if what you are paying or giving is riba or not. Once you know that it is riba or even if you are not sure if it is riba, then you have to stop dealing with it. This is the only way to save yourself from the reality that Allah (swt) describes in the next part of the ayah. Allah (swt) says but whoever returns to it, these are the inmates of the Fire they will stay there forever. There are very few sins for which Allah (swt) has specifically promised the Fire. Mostly the Fire is only promised for those who know that this Message is the Truth and they then reject it. But dealing in riba is such a terrible crime that Allah (swt) has promised the Fire even for the Muslims who deal with it. This is how hateful riba is to Allah (swt). The Prophet (saw) has said that there are over seventy different forms of riba, and the least hated of them to Allah (swt) is still a greater sin than committing incest with your own mother. Can you then even begin to imagine how hated this action is by your Rabb? It is an action that is so hated by Allah (swt) that He (swt) describes those who deal in it in His (swt)s Book as the companions of the Fire and as staying there forever. May Allah (swt) forgive us! May Allah (swt) save us from ourselves!

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277. Allah will destroy Riba, and give increase to Sadaqah and Allah does not love every ungrateful sinner. In the previous ayah Allah (swt) told us about the evils of riba and the horrible fate that awaits those who deal with it. We saw how it brings nothing but pain and destruction to the people who deal in it and the societies that are built upon it. This is what the people have done to themselves by choosing to deal in riba. In this ayah Allah (swt) tells us what He (swt) Himself will do to riba. This only shows us once again how hateful this action is to our Lord. Allah (swt) then shows us what He (swt) does to Sadaqah, which is the opposite of riba. Allah (swt) says Allah will destroy Riba, and give increase to Sadaqah. The English word destroy does not fully convey the meaning of the Arabic word yamhaq that Allah (swt) uses to describe what He (swt) will do to riba. In addition to destruction, it gives meaning of curse and blight and being deprived of all good and being stripped of all blessings. This is what Allah (swt) promises that He (swt) will do to riba. We ourselves can see how Allah (swt) has done that to riba in the world today. In the previous ayah, we mentioned all of the pain and suffering that riba has brought to the world today. Even the ones who actually consume riba and think that they have become wealthy because of it in reality live a life of misery and suffering. They may have wealth but they are always in constant fear of losing their wealth and so their life is nothing but anxiety and misery. They are always lusting for more wealth and so this only adds to their misery and suffering, And this is only in the life of this world, we know of the unspeakable and unimaginable horror that awaits them in the next world. This is how Allah (swt) destroys riba. He (swt) brings pain and suffering to all those who choose to deal in it and that they have is deprived of all good and blessing. May Allah (swt) save us from that! That is what Allah (swt) will do to riba. Sadaqah on the other hand is the opposite of riba, and so Allah (swt) will do to Sadaqah the opposite of what He (swt) will do to riba. While riba is stealing wealth from the people because of your love for yourself, Sadaqah is giving your wealth

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to the people because of your love of Allah (swt). So Allah (swt) will bless Sadaqah and He (swt) will cause it to grow more and more. Allah (swt) will also give peace and tranquility to the one who gives Sadaqah in the life of this world. Such a person knows that they are spending their wealth for Allah (swt) and they know that Allah (swt) will love them if they spend their wealth sincerely for Him (swt). As Allah (swt) told us in a previous ayah such people will have no fear upon them and they will not grieve. We also know that for such people in the Hereafter they have their reward with their Rabb. Allah (swt) is the Owner of all the treasures of the heavens and the earth, and He (swt) can reward them to an extent that is beyond all imagination. So for the one who spends their wealth sincerely for Allah (swt) in Sadaqah, they will see an increase of their wealth in the life of this world, they will see peace and tranquility in the life of this world, and they will have a reward that is beyond imagine in the Hereafter. May Allah (swt) allow us to be among such people! In the final part of this ayah Allah (swt) says, Allah does not love every ungrateful sinner. Those who deal with riba are all ungrateful sinners. They are sinners in that they are specifically doing an action that their Lord and Master has told them not to do, and they are ungrateful in that they are showing ingratitude to their Creator and Sustainer for all that He (swt) has given them. Allah (swt) has told you that dealing in riba is forbidden, Allah (swt) has also told you exactly how displeasing it is to Him (swt) for you to deal in riba, and Allah (swt) has even told you what is the evil consequences that you will suffer both in this world and the next world should you continue to deal in it, How then can you continue to deal with riba? How can you be so disobedient to Allah (swt) when you know that He (swt) is your Lord? How can you be so ungrateful to Allah (swt) for all that He (swt) has given you? If you should continue to deal with riba after all that you know now, what other words can be used to describe you other than being an ungrateful sinner? Know now that should you continue to deal with riba not only would you be an ungrateful sinner, but you will also be deprived of the Love of Allah (swt). What does it mean to be deprived of the Love of Allah (swt)? Allah (swt), your Creator. Allah (swt), the One Who is sustaining you and maintaining you for every moment of your existence. Allah (swt), the One to Whom you will return and the One Who will judge you and decide whether your eternal

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home will be one of pleasure or pain. This is Who Allah (swt) IS. You think now to yourself whether you would ever want to be among those who are deprived of the Love of Allah (swt), then ask yourself if you want to continue dealing with riba. May Allah (swt) save us!

278. Surely the ones who believe and do good deeds and establish Salah and give Zakat, for them their reward is with their Rabb. There will be no fear on them and they will not grieve. In the previous ayah, Allah (swt) told us how He (swt) does not love all those who deal in riba and how He (swt) will curse, blight and destroy all the riba in this world. Allah (swt) also told us how everyone who deals in riba while they know that is wrong is an ungrateful sinner. Such people are deprived of the Love of Allah (swt) and there is no greater tragedy that can befall any human being than losing the Love of Allah (swt). Now if these are the people whom Allah (swt) has cursed and who have lost the Love of Allah (swt), then who are the people who have the Love of Allah (swt)? For those who have dealt in riba and realized how evil it was, how can they regain the Love of Allah (swt)? How can we gain the Love of Allah (swt)? How can we save ourselves and be worthy in the Sight of Allah (swt) once again? Allah (swt) answers such questions in this ayah. Allah (swt) says Surely the ones who believe and do good deeds and establish Salah and give Zakat, for them their reward is with their Rabb. These are the ones who have the Love of Allah (swt). In this ayah, Allah (swt) reminds us of those actions that are the most beloved to Him (swt). This is what we must do to gain the Love of Allah (swt). First and foremost we must believe. We must believe in Allah (swt) as He (swt) has described Himself in His (swt)s Book and on the words of His (swt)s Messenger (saw). We must believe in Him (swt) as the One

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and Only, the Creator and the Sustainer of all, the Lord and Master of everything, the Perfect One with all of the Perfect Names. We must also believe in the Angels and the Books and the Prophets and Messengers. We also need to believe in the Last Day and the eternal life after this one in Paradise or the Fire, may Allah (swt) save us from the Fire! So if you want Allah (swt) to love you, the first thing you must do is believe in Him (swt) and you must believe in all that He (swt) has told you in His (swt)s Book and on the words of His (swt)s Messenger (saw). After belief we see that Allah (swt) tells us to do the good deeds. Good deeds are all the actions that are pleasing to Allah (swt). So doing good deeds means always doing the actions that Allah (swt) has made obligatory and trying to do as many of the actions that Allah (swt) has made recommended as possible. It also includes always staying away from the actions that Allah (swt) has made forbidden and trying ones best from to avoid the actions that are disliked to Him (swt). Doing good deeds is asking oneself for every moment as to what would be the action that is most pleasing to Allah (swt), and then striving to do that action. Then Allah (swt) specifically mentions two of these actions that are especially beloved to Him (swt). The Salah and the Zakat are the foundations of this Din and they are the best of actions that you can do to gain the Love of Allah (swt). Salah is when you establish your connection with Allah (swt), you submit your entire body to Him (swt). As always we can see that Allah (swt) does not simply tell us to perform the Salah, but He (swt) commands us to establish the Salah. This means the Salah must be performed with all of its conditions and it must be done in a state of total submission to Allah (swt). Similarly the giving of Zakat is also an action that is beloved to Allah (swt). When you give your wealth only for Allah (swt), the wealth that you love and the wealth that you strove hard for. When you give it only to gain the Pleasure of Allah (swt), such an action is beloved to Allah (swt). Now when you do these actions that are pleasing to Allah (swt) that is how you can be among those who are beloved to Allah (swt). What will be for you once you gain the Love of Allah (swt)? Allah (swt) says for them their reward is with their Rabb. There will be no fear on them and they will not grieve. Think to yourself again as to who can reward better than Allah (swt). Think to yourself how beautiful it would be to live without fear and without grief. How much peace and tranquility would

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you have in the life of this world? How much joy and bliss would you have in the next world? Contrast this now with the misery and anxiety felt by those who deal with riba in the life of this world and with the pain and torment that awaits them in the next life. For you to be saved from that and get what Allah (swt) is promising in this ayah, all that you have to do is believe in Allah (swt) and do the actions that are pleasing to Him (swt). Why then can you not do that? So even if you have done sins as great as riba, you should know that your Rabb is Forgiving and Merciful. If only you would give up dealing in riba and if only you would believe and do the actions that are pleasing to Allah (swt), then He (swt) will forgive you and reward you both in this life and in the Hereafter. What could be better than that? What could be better than Forgiveness from Allah (swt) and a reward on top of that? Such Mercy and Bounty even after we have committed sins as great as riba. May Allah (swt) give us the strength to leave all riba! May Allah (swt) make us among those who always remember His (swt)s Mercy and Forgiveness!

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279. O you who believe, have Taqwa of Allah, give up what remains due to you from riba, if you are truly believers. In the previous ayahs Allah (swt) had told us about the fate of those who chase after this world and their desires by dealing in riba and He (swt) had also told us the fate of those who chase after His (swt)s Forgiveness and Mercy by believing in Him (swt) doing the actions that are pleasing to Him (swt). Although dealing in riba is one of the greatest sins, its prohibition was one of the last of rulings that Allah (swt) revealed to the Prophet (saw). So when the prohibition came down from Allah (swt), there were still some Muslims who were dealing in riba and there were still some Muslims who were owed money through riba. It is with this later group of Muslims whom Allah (swt) deals with in this ayah. Allah (swt) says O you who believe, have Taqwa of Allah, give up what remains due to you from riba, if you are truly believers. Once again notice how Allah (swt) begins this ayah by addressing the Muslims through their belief in Him (swt). Thus notice the link that Allah (swt) makes between the belief and the actions. It is as if Allah (swt) is saying that if you are truly believers then you have to demonstrate your belief through your actions. If you are truly believers then you have to give up your riba and if you do not give up your riba then there is something wrong with your belief. Then we see Allah (swt) tells the believers to have Taqwa of Him (swt). The scholars say that whenever Allah (swt) gives a ruling that is difficult to implement, Allah (swt) always reminds the believers to have Taqwa of Him (swt). It is this fear of Allah (swt) that should motivate you to implement even the most difficult of rulings. What you fear the most is Allah (swt), you know that He (swt) can punish you more than anyone else and you know that He (swt) can cause you pain like you have never known. So you do not care how much pain and suffering that you have to go thorough in this world and you do not care how much loss that you have to bear,

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you will do anything just as long as Allah (swt) is not displeased with you. That is why though this Taqwa you are even able to implement the most difficult rulings Insha Allah. Then Allah (swt) commands the believers to give up all that remains due to them from riba. Many Muslims, including the Prophet (saw)s own uncle Al-Abbas, had large sums of money owed to them through riba. Here Allah (swt) commands all of them, including the Prophet (saw)s own uncle, to forsake and dissolve all of the debts that are owed to them through riba. They are not allowed to ask others for the riba that is owed to them nor can they accept it if is offered to them. See now how detestable a sin dealing with riba is in the Sight of Allah (swt). Not only has Allah (swt) prohibited riba, but Allah (swt) has also prohibited the collecting of riba that is owed from before the prohibition. These Muslims had this riba owed to them before it was made haram, but Allah (swt) still forbade them from asking for it. This shows how great an evil riba is in the Din of Allah (swt). Notice also how Allah (swt) ends this ayah by saying if you are truly believers. Once again we see Allah (swt) link the action with the belief. Allah (swt) reminds all of the Muslims that if they are truly believers, then they must forego all of the riba that is owed to them. Even if it is an extremely large amount of money, you must still let it go. How can anyone who truly believes in Allah (swt) deal with something that is so detestable to Allah (swt)? Do you not realize who Allah (swt) IS? Have you forgotten Ayat-ul-Kursi? Do you not see that you are in need of Allah (swt) for every moment of your existence? Can you not see that Allah (swt) has made dealing in riba forbidden and it is an action that it hated to Him (swt)? Allah (swt) has told you that He (swt) would rather See you have intercourse with your own mother inside the Kabbah then deal with riba, can you then even begin to imagine how hated this action is to Him (swt)? So how then can you claim to be a believer in Allah (swt) and go near riba? The only explanation is that there is something seriously wrong with your belief. Because if you are truly a believer then you will not even go near riba when you know now how hated it is to Allah (swt). Even if you did not know about all of the evil that riba brings for both you and your society, even if it means you losing your money, you still would not do it because you know how hated it is to your Rabb. May Allah (swt)

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help us all to realize the evils of riba! May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to demonstrate our belief to Him (swt) by staying away from riba even though it is difficult for us!

280. And if you do not, then be warned of war from Allah and His Messenger, but if you repent then for you is your principal, do not wrong and you will not be wronged. In the previous ayah we saw Allah (swt) call out to all of the believers and tell them to give up what remains due to them of riba. For the Muslims at the time of the Prophet (saw) like the uncle of the Prophet (saw), they had to give up the riba that was owed to them even if it a large amount and even if they had made those riba contracts before Allah (swt) had forbidden it. Thus Allah (swt) showed us what an evil and detestable action dealing in riba was. In this ayah, Allah (swt) tells the Muslims what are the consequences that they would have to suffer if they do not obey the command of Allah (swt) and give up the riba that is owed to them. Allah (swt) says And if you do not, then be warned of war from Allah and His Messenger. What a frightening prospect is this? What chance does a feeble human being have against Allah (swt)? Can you even begin to imagine what are the consequences for Allah (swt) declaring war on you? If you were to declare war on someone you try your best to obliterate your foe in every way possible. Now think about Allah (swt) declaring war on you, in how many ways could He (swt) cause you pain and suffering? Yes, Allah (swt) is Kind and Merciful, but He (swt) is also the Strictest in Punishment. So when you want to continue to deal with riba, when you want to keep your money in that savings account, when you want to keep that mortgage, are you sure that Allah (swt) has not waged war on you? Perhaps all of the pain and suffering that you are going through now is because of the war that Allah (swt) has waged on you. If this is the case then you should rush to rid yourself of all traces of riba. You should know that if Allah (swt) has truly waged war on you then the pain and suffering that you may feel in this life is only the

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beginning. The real punishment awaits you in the Hereafter. Ibn Abbass (ra) has said in his tafsir of this ayah that the person who deals with riba and refuses to give it up will be given weapons on the Day of Judgment and they will be told that they are going to fight with Allah (swt). Can you imagine yourself fighting with Allah (swt)? That will be a battle in which you will know nothing but pain upon pain. May Allah (swt) save us from that ever happening to us! This is what it means to be at war with Allah (swt), pain and suffering in this life and a terrible punishment in the Hereafter. But now what does it mean to be at war with the Messenger of Allah (saw)? Because Allah (swt) also says that a declaration of war must be taken from the Prophet (saw). The scholars say that this is a command from Allah (swt) to the Prophet (saw) for him (saw) to declare war on all those who continue to deal in riba. The ones who are refusing to stop even when they have been explicitly commanded to. It is a command to fight against those who ask for the riba that is owed to them and against those who accept the riba that is given to them. It is a battle against all who deal with riba. So if a Muslim province deals in riba, it becomes an enemy of the Islamic State. The Prophet (saw) or his (saw)s Khalifah can attack that community and force them to give up dealing in riba. As for the individual Muslim who deals in riba, they are given a choice. They can either repent and give up all of their claims to riba or else they would have to be put to death by the sword. That is how evil riba is! May Allah (swt) save us from ever dealing in it! Then Allah (swt) says but if you repent then for you is your principal. Here Allah (swt) tells the Muslims that if they repent and give up all of their claims to riba then they are allowed to keep their principal. So for the lender who gave out a loan on which he had charged riba, all that he could ask for in return was the principal of the loan. He could not ask for any interest over that principal. From this point onwards there was to be no riba in the Islamic State and the Muslim community. Finally Allah (swt) ends this ayah by saying do not wrong and you will not be wronged. To take riba when your Lord and Master has specifically told you not to, and when He (swt) has told you that it is the most detestable of actions to Him (swt) is the most wrong of actions that you can do. Allah (swt) assures the believers in this ayah that if they can refrain

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themselves from this wrong action, then no wrong would be done to them. No wrong would be done to them in the Hereafter or in this world. Some people may think that being asked to give up all of their wealth is truly unfair for them. They know that they have worked hard to acquire that money and they know that they and their family need that money, so they may be thinking that it is wrong for them to give up all the money that is owed to them. Allah (swt) assures such people that no wrong would be done to them. Rather if they are sincere to Allah (swt), then He (swt) will reward for all that they did for Him (swt), He (swt) will reward them either in this world or in the next. Even if they may have had to sacrifice some of their money, they can be assured a reward for all that they spent both in this life and the next. They will not be wronged in any way; this is a promise from Allah (swt) and who is better at keeping promises than Allah (swt)?

281. And if the debtor is in difficulty, then let there be postponement until a time of ease, but if you remit the debt it is better for you, if only you knew. In the previous ayah Allah (swt) told the believers of the consequences that they would have to face if they did not give up riba. They would have to face war with Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw). They would face pain and suffering both in this life and the next. The only way that those who ate riba could save themselves from this declaration of war was to give up all the riba that was due to them. All that they could ask of their debtors was the principal amount that they originally lent to them. They could not even ask for a dirham or penny of riba over that amount. No matter how big the loan was and for not matter how long it was borrowed, all that they could ask for in return was their principal. In this ayah Allah (swt) shows us how even in asking for that principal to be returned they have to be merciful and understanding to their debtors.

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Allah (swt) says And if the debtor is in difficulty, then let there be postponement until a time of ease. Look here at the Mercy and Kindness of Allah (swt) for all the members of this Ummah. In the previous part of the ayah Allah (swt) told the creditors that they would be allowed to have their principal if they forego the interest that was due on it. But here Allah (swt) tells them that if their debtors are in some hardship then they should give them time to repay the loan. Even here we see how Allah (swt) ensures that fairness and justice is done for all people of this Ummah. This ruling is good for the debtors because it saves them from having to give up their money if they are in a time of difficulty, it may very well be that for them to return the money at that moment would mean them losing all of their money. However this ruling is even better for the creditors because when they give those debtors who are in difficulty some time to repay the loan they are doing an action that is pleasing to their Rabb. They are doing an act of worship and servitude to Allah (swt) for which they can seek a reward from Him (swt). So see how Kind and Merciful is Allah (swt) to all Muslims with this law where He (swt) has legislated that the debtor in financial difficulties must be given time to repay their loan. Finally Allah (swt) says but if you remit the debt it is better for you, if only you knew. Here Allah (swt) tells the debtors that for them to give up the debt that is owed to them would be even better for them. It is usually the case that those in financial difficulties are in desperate need of the money. So it would an act of great charity for the creditor to allow the one who borrowed the money from them to keep that money. It would be action that is most beloved to Allah (swt). Allah (swt) says that such would be better for them. Allah (swt) loves when we give up the things of this world to seek His (swt)s Pleasure. So to give up their money in this situation is what is better for the creditors. Now the fools and those whose hearts are attached to this world would question how it would be better since they would be losing their money. But the true believers know that it is indeed better because it is the action that is the most pleasing to Allah (swt). They know that nothing should be more important in their lives than earning the Pleasure of Allah (swt). So they would gladly sacrifice their money to attain this goal. Allah (swt) also says in this ayah if only you knew. If only we knew the reality of the world in which we live. If only we knew that this

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world is only an illusion when compared with the Real Allah (swt). If only we knew how short our life in this world would be. If only we knew how the Day of Judgment would be like. If only we knew how the pleasure of the Garden and the pain of the Fire would be like. If we knew then we would definitely realize that it is far better for us to allow the debtor to keep the money if we can see that they are in a difficult situation than to demand its return. Such would be best because such would earn the Pleasure of Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) help us to realize the reality of this world as it is!

282. And have Taqwa of the Day when you will return to Allah, then every soul will be paid back in full what it has earned, and they will not be wronged. Most of the scholars agree that this ayah was the very last ayah that was ever revealed to the Prophet (saw). Some scholars even say that this ayah was revealed only three days before the Prophet (saw) left us to be with his (saw)s Rabb. Before you even think about the meaning of the ayah, think about what it means for this ayah to be last ayah of the Book of Allah (swt). These words are the very last words that Allah (swt) has chosen to speak to mankind through revelation. So these words should suffice mankind till the Day we all return to Him (swt). And it is to this very Day that Allah (swt) brings our attention to in this ayah. This very last ayah that Allah (swt) sent as revelation to mankind. Can you then even begin to imagine how important the Day of Judgment must be in your life? Allah (swt) says And have Taqwa of the Day when you will return to Allah. To have Taqwa is to have fear and to have consciousness. It is to seriously think about it and it is to worry about it. How often do we seriously think about the Day in which we will return to Allah (swt)? How scared are we of that Day? Have you really even thought about the consequences of that Day? Can you think to yourself now how it would be like for you on that Day? You should think

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about it, you should picture yourself standing before Allah (swt) on that Day. When you are standing before Allah (swt) on that Day you will curse yourself. You will curse yourself for not spending more of the moments of your life \ worshipping and serving Allah (swt). You will curse yourself for the sins and transgressions that you have done. You will curse yourself for not giving up more of what you had for Allah (swt). You will curse yourself for not dedicating more of your actions for Allah (swt). You will cure yourself for not realizing the true reality of this universe. So in this ayah we see Allah (swt) commanding all of the believers to remember this Day, to have fear of this Day, and to do everything in our power to prepare for this Day. Your entire life will be shown to you on this Day, every moment of your life will be shown to you. Then your final abode for all eternity will be decided on this Day. How then can you not think of this Day? Even more important is that this is the Day on which you will return to Allah (swt). This is the Day on which you will meet Allah (swt). Can you then even begin to understand the Greatness of this Day? Can you begin to realize how much you must prepare for it? Then we see Allah (swt) say then every soul will be paid back in full what it has earned. This is what will happen to you on the Day of Judgment. You will be paid back in full for all that you have done. You will be paid back in full for all of the evil that you have done and you will be paid back in full for all of the good that you have done. There is no sin that you have done that will escape Allah (swt) and there is no good deed that you done have which Allah (swt) did not record. So you will see all the good and evil that you did. You have to believe that every single deed that you have ever done will be presented before you on this Day. Do not think that there is even one deed that you can do that has escaped Allah (swt). If you think in such a way then you do not understand your Lord and Master. So look back at your life now, do you think that you have done enough good? Do you think have avoided enough evil? If you think you have then you are deluding yourself, and you are not giving Allah (swt) the right estimation. When you truly realize Allah (swt) and you realize all that He (swt) has done for you, then you know that you can never do enough for Him (swt). Rather your whole life must be a struggle to do as many good deeds as possible and to avoid as many sins as possible. So always remember this Day, and

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remember that is Allah (swt) Himself Who will judge you on that Day. Insha Allah this reminder should be enough to prepare you for this Day. Finally Allah (swt) ends this beautiful ayah by saying and they will not be wronged. One thing that you can be certain of is that absolutely no injustice will done to you on the Day of Judgment. Allah (swt) Knows your own actions more than you know your own actions and Allah (swt) Knows your heart more than you know your own heart. So Allah (swt) Knows how much love you have for Him (swt) and how much you strove for Him (swt) because of that love. So when it comes to your good deeds, Allah (swt) will reward you more and more, even more than you deserve. When it comes to your sins, Allah (swt) will only punish you as much you deserve, and He (swt) may even forgive you many of your sins or even all of them if He (swt) so pleases. We ask Allah (swt) for that! So your life in this world is what you must give for Allah (swt) and on the Day of Judgment, He (swt) will reward you on how well you lived your life for Him (swt). This is a transaction in which you will suffer no injustice whatsoever. No wrong will be done to you whatsoever. So what are you scared of? Why do you hesitate? Why do you not resolve that from this moment on you are going to try your best to give everything that you have for Allah (swt)? You will not regret it when you meet Allah (swt) on that Day. Know now that for every second of your life that passes that Day only comes closer. May Allah (swt) help us all to do everything that we can to prepare for it!

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283. O you who believe! When you borrow from one another a debt for a fixed term, then write it down. Let a scribe write it down in justice between you, and the scribe should not refuse to write as Allah has taught him, and let him who owes the debt dictate, and he should have Taqwa of Allah his Rabb, and not diminish anything of what he owes, but if he who owes the debt is of low understanding, or weak, or unable himself to dictate, then let his guardian dictate with justice, and let it be witnessed by two witnesses from among your men, and if two men are not available then a man and two women, of such as you approve to be witnesses, so that if one of the two women should the other can remind

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her, and the witnesses should not refuse when they are summoned, and be not averse to writing it down whether it be small or large, along with its appointed time of payment, that is more just with Allah and stronger as evidence, and the best way of avoiding doubt between you, except when it is a trade that you carry out on the spot among yourselves, then there is no blame on you if you do not write it down, and have witnesses when you sell to one and another, and let no harm be done to the scribe or the witness, and if you do it is certainly a sin on your part, and have Taqwa of Allah, and Allah is teaching you, and Allah is with every single thing All-Knowing. This is the longest ayah in the Quran. In this ayah, Allah (swt) details for the Muslims how all loans and financial agreements are to be conducted. After telling Muslims about the evils of riba and reminding them of the Day in which they will have to return to Him (swt), Allah (swt) brings their attention in this ayah to how they should conduct all loans and financial agreements. Allah (swt) wants fairness and equity to be established between all members of the community in all affairs of life. Even in matters relating to the affairs of this world there must be equity and justice. Even in matters relating to the affairs of this world there must be remembrance of Allah (swt). This is so that Allah (swt) is always remembered and the unity of this community is always preserved. Before we begin our discussion of this ayah we should see how this ayah is a precise legal document. In this ayah Allah (swt) gives specific and detailed rules about how loans and financial agreements are to be conducted. Allah (swt) addresses every possibility that could arise in the formation of these contracts, and He (swt) tells us exactly what must be done should these circumstances arise. But despite the fact that this ayah is an exacting legal document, it still does not lose the literary Miracle of the Quran. That ability of the Quran to convey a depth of meaning using only a few words is still present in this ayah despite the fact that it is such a precise legal document. Furthermore while transmitting that deep meaning the beautiful and harmonious tone of the Quran is still present in the ayah despite the fact that is a legal document. Now if you were to read any legal document that has been written by any human writer, it would probably be the most boring work you have ever read. It would be so dry and it would not sound the least bit like

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poetry in any way. There would be no beauty in the words because it is only a set of dos and donts, only a set of terms and conditions. But this not so with the Quran, here Allah (swt) has given us the most precise and exact legal document detailing how financial agreements are to be conducted but He (swt) has presented it to us with the beauty and the harmony of words that are found throughout the Quran. You could listen to this ayah like you would listen to a song or poem and it would ease your soul and move your heart just like all of the other ayahs of the Quran do. You could even listen to it again and again without ever becoming bored of it, but in reality what you are listening to is a legal document detailing rules on how loans and financial agreements are to be conducted. Who would think that people would ever listen to a legal document just for the sake of listening to it? Who would think that there would be beauty in the words of a legal document? This is part of the Miracle of the Quran that it could present a subject that would normally be so dry and dull in a way in which it moves your heart and brings you closer to Allah (swt). Just listen to this ayah in the original Arabic and you can see for yourself, Insha Allah then you will see that none but Allah (swt) could have composed such a Book. Sayyid Qutb mentions in his tafsir of this ayah how this ayah is even more an evidence for the Miracle of the Quran because since it is a legal document, it has to be exact and precise. No human writer could have composed a precise and legal document such as this while still maintaining the beauty and depth of meaning that is present in the Quran. Such a feat is impossible for the human writer to ever achieve. If you think that you can do it then why dont you try May Allah (swt) help us all to ponder on this fact and realize through it that this Book could have come from none but Him (swt)! This ayah is also a clear evidence against those who say that Islam has no practical relevance in the life of this world. These people say that Islam should only be for the Hereafter. These people say that Islam is nothing but a religion like Christianity or Hinduism where you simply prepare for the next life through ritual acts of worship. Such people are proved wrong in this very ayah where Allah (swt) has given detailed rules pertaining to all financial agreements. See then how Islam has a direct impact on the lives of the human being as they conduct their affairs in this world. See how Islam is not simply prayer and fasting, but it is a complete way of life

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that addresses every aspect in the life of the human being. It is only Shaitan who wants to make you think that Islam is only a religion like Christianity and Hinduism. This way you will only remember Allah (swt) when it is time for the five prayers or only in Ramadan instead of at every moment of your life like you were created to do. May Allah (swt) save us from their lies! May Allah (swt) allow us to live Islam! Before we discuss this ayah we once again have to emphasize that this is not a tafsir of fiqh. Contract law in Islam is a very detailed subject, so here we are not going to give all the rules here on how contracts should be formed. Such is not the intention of our tafsir. So you should not refer to it as a manual of fiqh to be used in your everyday life. If you desire to know how contracts are to be formed in Islam, we advise you to consult the books of fiqh or a scholar that you know and trust. For our purposes we are only going to give a general overview of this ayah and we are going look for the general guidelines and benefits that we can apply in our lives. Success comes only from Allah (swt)! Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying O you who believe! When you borrow from one another a debt for a fixed term, then write it down. Here Allah (swt) is telling the Muslims that whenever they loan out money to each other, or whenever they enter into any kind of financial obligation where they have to pay back each other over a period of time, they should then commit the terms of their agreement to writing. So any kind of agreement where money is borrowed or money has to be exchanged over a period of time must be committed to writing. Notice here the emphasis that Allah (swt) has placed on writing down the terms of the agreement, Allah (swt) specifically says to write it down. That shows the importance that Allah (swt) has pressed on writing these contracts down. We should remind ourselves at this point of the people to whom this ayah was first revealed. The Arabs at the time of the Prophet (saw) hardly wrote anything down. Almost all of their contracts and debts were through oral agreements and promises. Another factor that we have to bear in mind is that writing instruments and materials were scarce in their culture, they did not have computers or even pen and paper like we have today. Despite this fact that writing was very uncommon in their society, Allah (swt) still orders that all loans and financial agreements be written down. From this we can see the great

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importance that Allah (swt) has placed on making sure all of these contracts are written down. Each and every single term of the contract must specifically be written down. Then Allah (swt) says Let a scribe write it down in justice between you. Once again we see the emphasis on writing, Allah (swt) specifically says that a scribe must be present to write down the agreement between the two parties. Although the debtor or the creditor may themselves be lettered and capable of writing down the contract, Allah (swt) still mandates that a third party be present. So instead of telling either of the two parties to write, Allah (swt) says that a scribe must be present and he must write the details of the contract. This is to ensure that the document will be impartial since it has been written by someone who is not affiliated with either of the two parties. We can also see the emphasis on fairness from the fact that Allah (swt) commands the scribe to write with justice, so he must not be biased to either of the two parties. When the scribe writes the terms of the contract he must be fair and equitable to both parties because the contract is written by his very hands. He must not add anything of his own or remove anything without letting both parties know about it. Thus we see Allah (swt) commands that the contract must be written down by a scribe and that the scribe must write with justice. We see the emphasis that Allah (swt) has placed on fairness and equity, this is so that the love between brothers is never broken and that the unity of our community is always preserved. Then Allah (swt) says, and the scribe should not refuse to write as Allah has taught him. Here we see that Allah (swt) is saying that if any scribe is called upon to write this contract between two Muslims, then he must come and write. He cannot refuse when he is called upon to write. Allah (swt) reminds the scribe that it was He (swt) Who had taught him to write and given him that ability. So the scribe must be grateful to Allah (swt) and he must not refuse this duty when he is called upon to fulfill it. This is the right of Allah (swt) between two of the servants of Allah (swt) which he must help to complete with the gift that Allah (swt) has given them, Then Allah (swt) says, and let him who owes the debt dictate. So the debtor is the one who should dictate to the scribe the terms of the agreement. Sayyid Qutb tells us that this is because the debtor is the one who is the weaker of the two parties in this agreement. The debtor is the one who owes the money so this contract is against him. The creditor on the other hand

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has the power because the money belongs to him and the contract is supporting him. From this we can once again see the Love and Mercy that Allah (swt) has for the weak in the society. The debtor is the weak one, he is the one who is in need of the money and he is the one with the responsibility to repay the money, so Allah (swt) allows him to be the one who will dictate the terms and conditions of the contract to the scribe. The terms of the contract should also include how much is borrowed and for how long. The debtor is the one who would know this because he is the one who knows how much he needs and he knows when he can pay it back. Another reason for allowing the debtor to dictate is that when he is the one who dictates the contract that contract would always be on his mind. He will always think about this contract, the terms and conditions of this contract, and so he will always remember that it is a responsibility that he has to fulfill. Even though Allah (swt) has allowed the debtor to dictate the terms of the contract, Allah (swt) also says he should have taqwa of Allah his Rabb, and not diminish anything of what he owes. So even when he is dictating the terms of the contract, the debtor must always remember Allah (swt), he must be aware of Allah (swt) and he must be fearful of Allah (swt). Thus we see how even the writing of business contracts is part of our worship and servitude of Allah (swt). In Islam there is no separation between the worldly life and the spiritual life, your whole life should be nothing but submission to Allah (swt). When the debtor remembers Allah (swt) as he is dictating the terms of the contract, he should remember that the creditor is also his Muslim brother. He should realize that Allah (swt) would not love for him to cheat his Muslim brother or diminish his Muslim brother from what is due to him. So this taqwa of Allah (swt) will ensure that he dictates the contract in a manner that is fair to him and to the creditor who is his brother in Islam. If this taqwa is built into the people and they always remember Allah (swt), just think to yourself how much better the society would be. The people would not be trying to cheat each other and deprive each other of their rights and property. The people would realize that they live for a greater purpose than merely accumulating wealth or satisfying their desires. They will realize how Allah (swt) should be the purpose of their existence and how every single thing that they do

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must only be for Him (swt). Even when they make business contracts, it must be done to please Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) give this Ummah the enabling grace for us to realize the completeness of our Din! May Allah (swt) enable us to realize how our Din addresses every single aspect of our life! Then Allah (swt) says but if he who owes the debt is of low understanding, or weak, or unable himself to dictate, then let his guardian dictate with justice. Here Allah (swt) says that if the debtor is unable to dictate the terms of the contract, for whatever reason, then the person who is his guardian may dictate for him. See once again the precision and detail of this legal document and how it accounts and addresses every possibility. Most of us would never think that the debtor would be someone who is unable to dictate a contract because most of us are capable of doing it. Thus we would never think to add a clause such as this in the contract. But Allah (swt) Knows us more than we know ourselves so He (swt) accounts for this possibility. Allah (swt) Knows that there will be some debtors who are of weak understanding, and some debtors who are not strong enough to stand up for what they want, and some debtors who are unable to dictate because they have a problem speaking or who do not speak the language of the scribe. There could be several reasons why the debtor is unable to dictate the terms of the contract, should any of these conditions arise while the contract is being formed then Allah (swt) mandates here that the guardian of the debtor can dictate on his behalf. We can also see here how Allah (swt) also commands that the guardian must dictate with justice. Once again we see a command to establish justice, all praise and thanks be to Allah (swt), how Merciful and Just is He (swt) with this Ummah. Even the guardian of the debtor must be sure to dictate the terms of the contract with justice. He has to be just both to the creditor and the debtor. He has to be just with the creditor so that he does not cheat him or take his money unfairly, and he has to be just with debtor so that dictates fairly on his behalf. So just as the guardian has a responsibility to the creditor in that he does not put in any unfair terms in the contract, he also has a responsibility to the debtor in that he must represent his interests fairly. Allah (swt) has mandated that every guardian is responsible for those who under their care. They

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must always do what is in the best interest of those under their care. May Allah (swt) help all of us who are guardians to fulfill our responsibilities to those who are under our care! In the next part of the ayah Allah (swt) says, and let it be witnessed by two witnesses from among your men. From this part of the ayah we see that it is not enough to simply write down the contract, but there must also be two witnesses presiding over it. We can see from here how many a precaution Allah (swt) is giving us in order for us to avoid conflict between us. How many a precaution Allah (swt) is giving us to ensure that the brotherhood and unity of our Ummah is always maintained. Do you yourself not know of all the fights and quarrels that arise between Muslim brothers and sisters because of debts that are not paid or money that is owed? Such conflicts are known to tear at the very fabric of our community. In order to avoid such conflicts Allah (swt) has mandated several safeguards that we must take. First we should put the agreement that is between us in writing, we ourselves cannot write the contract but a scribe must write it with justice to ensure that it is impartial and fair. Then, as we see from this part of the ayah, Allah (swt) has mandated that there be not one but two witnesses present to witness the contract and to witness all of the terms in the contract. Notice also the language that Allah (swt) uses. Allah (swt) says that the contract must be witnessed by two witnesses. Allah (swt) repeats the word for witness both in the verb of witnessing and the noun of witness, thus Allah (swt) emphasizes that every part of the contract should be carefully witnessed. Allah (swt) also says in this ayah that the witnesses must come from from among your men. This means that the witnesses must be two Muslim men, the scholars also add that they must be sane and mature. A weak-minded person or a child are not qualified to be witnesses. So from this part of the ayah we see that the contract must be witnessed by two male witnesses. To understand the next part of the ayah we have to remind ourselves once again of the context in which this ayah was revealed. When this ayah was revealed both men and women in the Muslim community played the particular role that Allah (swt) had created each of them for. Allah (swt) has given the man the role of providing for the family and He (swt) has given the woman the role of looking after the children and the home. Both of these roles are equally important roles, and Allah (swt) has created both men and women to best fulfill their particular

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role. We cannot say that men have been given a better role than women nor can we see that women have been given a better role than men. In fact one can even say that the role of the woman is more important because it is she who raises the children. It is she who looks after the child, and nurtures the body and the mind of the child. This child who will be given the responsibility of being the representative of Allah (swt) on the earth, Allah (swt) has given the woman the duty of taking care of and bringing up this child. Now ask yourself is there any role in this whole world that is more important and more honorable than that? Allah (swt) has created the woman to fulfill this important role, she has been created in such a way. She may not be physically strong like the man who needs to go out into the world and work, but she has the deep emotional attachment with the child and she meticulously and carefully looks after the child. This is just what the child needs. So the place of the woman is at the home with the children, that was the role for which Allah (swt) created her. This is what we must bear in mind as we learn this part of the ayah. So when this ayah was revealed it was mostly Muslim men who went to the marketplace and it was mostly Muslim men who made contracts such as these. That is why Allah (swt) first legislated that two men must be called upon to witness the contract. Men were the ones who were experts in the affairs of the marketplace, and so they knew best about these contracts. It is not because Allah (swt) has shown favor to men over women, as we have already discussed all human beings are the creation of Allah (swt) and He (swt) does not prefer a man over a woman only because he is a man. Even the best and most pious men today do not even come close to the nearness to Allah (swt) that women like Khadija (ra) and Aisha (ra) had. So we see that the only reason why Allah (swt) legislated that men be given preference in witnessing these contracts is because men are knowledgeable in the how to conduct business and trade. This was the role for which Allah (swt) created them. Now it was the case when this ayah was revealed that many of the Muslim men would leave the Islamic State to go fight in jihad, and to teach the new Muslims in different lands about the Din and to spread the Message of Allah (swt) to mankind. So sometimes the situation would arise when Muslim men were not to be found to be witnesses over these contracts. Now recall

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how we said that Allah (swt) accounts for every possibility in the rulings that He (swt) gives, so Allah (swt) also accounted for the possibility of two male witnesses not being present. In that case, Allah (swt) says and if two men are not available then a man and two women. Some ignorant people read this part of the ayah and think that Allah (swt) has discriminated against women because He (swt) has made the testimony of a woman to be equal to half that of a man. They claim from this ayah that the Quran treats women as intellectually inferior to men. People who think in such a way are totally ignorant of this Din, not to mention the utter insolence and disrespect that they show to their Lord and Master by thinking in such a way about Him (swt). Those people need to be told that first and foremost the Quran is from Allah (swt), and it is not our place to question Him (swt). Once we establish without a doubt that the Quran is indeed from Allah (swt), then our only task is to submit to it completely. If you think that this Quran is not from Allah (swt) then produce another like it. When you can see that you cannot then submit to it completely like you know that you should. This should be the way of the sincere. There should be no questioning but rather there should only be complete submission. Once we have established this fact then we can then show them that there is a very good reason why Allah (swt) has legislated that there be two women in place of one man. It is as we said that the woman is inexperienced in the affairs of the marketplace, such is not meant to be her realm. So she may be unfamiliar with the way that such contracts are written, she may be unfamiliar with the rules and conditions of buying and selling. That is why it is only when it comes to being a witness over business contracts that Allah (swt) says that two women must be used in place of one man. For all of the other situations in which witnesses may be called, such as witnessing of various crimes for which a punishment is due or even the witnessing of the Muslims above mankind, the witness of a woman is equal to that of a man. The witnessing for these issues is far more important than the witnessing of business contracts. So if the woman really was intellectually inferior to a man why would not Allah (swt) make her witness to be half of a man in such situations as well? Why would Allah (swt) give her the important task of raising up the children of this Ummah if she was intellectually weak like these people claim that the Quran says? We also know that a large portion of this Din has been transmitted to us through women

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like Aisha (ra) and Umm Salamah (ra), why would Allah (swt) decree this if they were intellectually inferior to men? Would Allah (swt) have allowed us to learn our Din from women if they were intellectually weak? So we see that those who make such a claim are truly ignorant about this Din. It is only in the specific area of witnessing business contracts that Allah (swt) has legislated two women to take the place of a man. Then Allah (swt) says such as you approve to be witnesses. In this part of the ayah, Allah (swt) tells us that those whom we choose to be witnesses must only be those whom we approve of being witnesses. So it must be someone who is trustworthy, who has a good memory, who is not known to tell lies, and it must be someone who we can be sure will be impartial and fair to both parties. The Muslims objective in writing this contract must be to please Allah (swt), thus it must be a contract that achieves equity and fairness for both parties. Remind yourself once again that in this Din there is no difference between the affairs of this world and the affairs of the Hereafter. There is no separation between church and state. Rather our entire life, every action that we take, is part of our worship. Everything that we do is only to please our Creator. Even when we write business contracts we have to strive to be fair and impartial. So the witnesses who preside over this contract must be those who will aid in achieving this objective. This is what we must always keep in mind when we choose witnesses. In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says so that if one of the two women should err the other can remind her. We already mentioned in a previous part of the ayah how most women were inexperienced with business contracts and financial agreements, so in this part of the ayah Allah (swt) tells us why He (swt) legislated that two women are required to witness over the contract. It is so that if one of the women should forget or make any mistake, then the other can remind her and correct her. They can each support each other and help each other in their role of witnessing over the contract. We should not think of this part of the ayah as being unfair to women but instead we should see it as a great Mercy that Allah (swt) has given to our sisters. If they are ever called upon to witness over a business contract, they can be sure that there will be someone there to help them. So we see that the two principles that are recurring in all of the laws that Allah (swt) legislates are Mercy and Justice.

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Then we see Allah (swt) say, and the witnesses should not refuse when they are summoned. Here we see Allah (swt) tell us that whenever the witnesses are summoned they should respond. This could be either to witness the actual contract being written or it could be being summoned to court to give a testimony of their witness. In either case the witnesses should respond when they are asked to come forward. From this we can once again see the importance that Allah (swt) has placed on the presence of witnesses, whenever they are summoned they should not refuse to come. Then Allah (swt) says and be not averse to writing it down whether it be small or large. Here Allah (swt) tells us that every single loan or debt that is undertaken between Muslims should be written down, there are no exceptions. Sayyid Qutb asks us to note from this ayah how beautifully Allah (swt) has legislated laws that take into account the very nature of the human being. Human beings are by nature lazy, we often think to ourselves that if the debt is only for a small amount then there is no reason for us to write it down. We always want to find the easy way out for everything, we always want to do the least amount of work. This is how we are by nature. So Allah (swt), Who Knows our nature better than we do, specifically tells us to write down all of our contracts. We are also forgetful by nature in that we would often forget to write it down. We always think about the money, and what we can do with the money and when we can repay the money, that we often forget to write down the terms of the loan. Here Allah (swt) tells us that there should be nothing that prevents us from writing down all of our loans and debts in the manner that He (swt) has legislated in this ayah. This should be so regardless of how small or large that loan may be. Allah (swt) also says, along with its appointed time of payment. So the date on which the loan is to be returned must be clearly documented. This is where conflicts often arise with debts and loans. When people make loans or financial agreements, they leave the date on which the money is to be returned or the date on which the goods are to be shipped as vague. This then leads to conflicts between both parties because both parties have a different idea in their minds about the when the date is. In order to prevent this confusion and this conflict

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between Muslim brothers, Allah (swt) clearly legislates that the due date of the loan must be specified in the contract. Then Allah (swt) says that is more just with Allah and stronger as evidence. Why did Allah (swt) mandate for at least two witnesses to be present? Why did Allah (swt) order the witnesses to come forward when they are summoned? Why did Allah (swt) order the debt to be put in writing? Why did Allah (swt) mandate that the time in which the loan is to be repaid be clearly specified? Allah (swt) answers such questions in this part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says that such is more just with Him (swt). Allah (swt) is the Just and He (swt) loves for justice to be done among His (swt)s servants. When there are safeguards such as witnesses and written documents then we can be certain that justice will be done for all parties. It would be very difficult for anyone to cheat anyone else or for anyone to be unfair with anyone else. In the case that such conflicts should ever arise, the witnesses and the contracts would provide for the best evidence to resolve those conflicts. No one can change the ink on paper and no one can change the words of the witnesses if they are true to Allah (swt). So here we see the reason why Allah (swt) legislated for all of these safeguards to be in place, it is to provide justice for all parties and to establish the strongest evidence. Then Allah (swt) says and the best way of avoiding doubt between you. As we said it is human nature to be forgetful. This is how Allah (swt) created us. So Allah (swt) has legislated the presence of these safeguards to prevent us falling from into situations where we would forget and where we would doubt. When the contract has been detailed in writing, and when there are two witnesses presiding over it, then there is less of a chance for anyone to forget what is in the contract and so less of a chance for anyone to doubt. Everything has been clearly detailed in writing and there are witnesses to support what has been written. So in this part of the ayah we once again see the Mercy of Allah (swt) for this Ummah in that He (swt) has legislated laws that will prevent us from doubt and confusion in our business contracts. Avoiding such doubts helps to avoid conflicts between Muslim brothers and helps to keep the community strong. All praise and thanks are for Allah (swt)!

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In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says except when it is a trade that you carry out on the spot among yourselves, then there is no blame on you if you do not write it down. This is the exception in which a contract would not have to be made. When a transaction begins and ends on the spot, then there is no need to record that transaction in writing. So if you were to buy some fruits in the market and you paid the entire price for them right there, then you do not have to record it in writing. This is because the transaction ended right there, there is nothing further concerning it that needs to be recorded and remembered for the future. No one owes anyone else in the future anything as a result of that transaction, all the debts are settled right there on the spot. So these are the only transactions for which writing is not required and Allah (swt) Knows best! Then Allah (swt) says and have witnesses when you sell to one and another. In the previous part of the ayah Allah (swt) told us that for transactions that begin and end on the spot there is no need to record them in writing. From this part of the ayah we see that witnesses must still be present to witness such transactions. Allah (swt) tells the Muslims that whenever they buy and sell from each other, there should be witnesses present to witness the transaction. Most of the scholars say that the presence of witnesses in this situation is only a recommendation and not only an obligation. However we can still see how the presence of witnesses, especially for transactions involving large sums of money would be helpful. As we mentioned human beings are forgetful and we all have a desire for the material goods of this world. Insha Allah when there are witnesses present it ensures that we will all deal fairly with each other and that we would not try to take advantage of each other. So Insha Allah we should try to abide by this recommendation that Allah (swt) has given us and have witnesses present when we buy and sell goods and services that cost a large sum of money. Then Allah (swt) says and let no harm be done to the scribe or the witness, and if you do it is certainly a sin on your part. Most of us cannot even imagine members of the early Muslim community who were with the Prophet (saw) doing any kind of harm to the scribes or witnesses in order to serve their own material interests. All of the Sahabah knew how fleeting this world was and they knew what a great sin it was to harm any Muslim in any way. But Allah (swt)

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revealed this Quran for all generations of Muslims, and Allah (swt) Knew that the generations who would follow that early community would not be as pious as they were. Also as we have mentioned, Allah (swt) accounts for every possibility in the laws that He (swt) legislates, so He (swt) also legislated laws for the possibility of people abusing the scribes or the witnesses for their own benefit. Thus Allah (swt) specifically says that no harm is to be done either to the scribe or the witnesses. Anyone who harms them will be carrying a great sin on his neck. We all should realize by now how frightening it is for Allah (swt) Himself to call you a sinner in His (swt)s Book. May Allah (swt) save us from that! In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says and have Taqwa of Allah, and Allah is teaching you. Many people would read this ayah about contracts and they would think that the writing down of contracts is not terribly important. They would not think of it like they think of prayer and fasting. Such people have a mentality that this Din is only for the Hereafter and it has nothing to do with the life of this world. These are Muslims who have been heavily influenced by the ideology of secularism that dominates the world today. This is an ideology which completely disconnects religion from the daily affairs of life. Such Muslims might even be shocked to find an ayah like this in the Quran, for them Islam is nothing but praying, fasting and going to Hajj. In this ayah Allah (swt) reminds such people to have Taqwa of Him (swt) and He (swt) reminds such people that it is He (swt) Who is teaching them these laws. The rulings in this ayah are from Allah (swt), it is what He (swt) has taught us. So carrying them out is every much a duty upon us like our Salah and our fasting are. Who are we to decide which are the rulings that we are going to follow and which we are not going to follow? As Allah (swt) has told us already we have to enter into this Din completely. We cannot pick and choose which of the rulings we want to follow and which we do not want to follow. Just because we live in a world today where all of the other religions have been compromised so that they become compatible with the ideology of secularism does not mean that we can do the same with Islam. Those other religions are falsehood and you can compromise on falsehood. You can change it to whatever suits your whims and desires because it is falsehood. But you cannot do that with this Din. This Din is from Allah (swt), it is what He (swt) has taught us, and this Din is the Truth. So if we think about

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changing it, we should have Taqwa of Him (swt) first. Fear Allah (swt) and fear what He (swt) can do to you if He (swt) is displeased with you. May Allah (swt) save us! Finally Allah (swt) ends this beautiful ayah by saying and Allah is with every single thing All-Knowing. Once again Allah (swt) links the rulings that He (swt) has given in the ayah with His (swt) Names. This time Allah (swt) reminds us how He (swt) Knows every single thing. There is not a single thing that escapes the Knowledge of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) gave our community several rulings in this ayah, He (swt) Knows exactly those who carried it out, and those who were lazy in it, He (swt) Knows those who had fear of Him (swt) and those who turned away from Him (swt), and He (swt) Knows those who were true and sincere to His (swt)s Din and those who try to change it to suit their whims and desires and to suit the society in which they live. Allah (swt) Knows every single thing and one Day soon He (swt) is going to gather me and gather you to Him (swt). How do you think that you are going to answer Him (swt) then if you failed to carry out these rulings? Always think about that Day on which you will be judged how well you lived your life according to this Din. So realize now that this Din is not simply your prayers and your fasting but rather it is your entire life. Everything that you do is part of this Din. Then remember what Allah (swt) tells you in this part of the ayah. He (swt) Knows every single thing. He (swt) Knows every single action that you have taken. So always remember that every moment that passes, every action that you take, could be the moment and could be the action that determines where you will abide for all eternity. So try your best and remember that Allah (swt) Knows everything that you do. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace so that He (swt) will Know from us only that which He (swt) is pleased with!

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284. And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe, then let there be a pledge with possession, but if one of you trusts the other, then he who is trusted should deliver his trust and let him have taqwa of Allah his Rabb, and do not conceal the testimony, and whoever conceals it his heart is surely sinful, and Allah is with all that you do Knowing. In the previous ayah, Allah (swt) gave us important rulings on how to conduct loans and financial agreements that extend over a period of time. We saw the completeness of our Din and how it addresses every sphere of our lives. We also saw how Allah (swt) addresses every possibility that could arise in the rulings that He (swt) gives. Now what if we find ourselves in a situation where we have to make a financial agreement and we do not find a scribe or we do not find proper writing instruments or we do not find qualified witnesses, what should we do in such a situation? Allah (swt) answers such questions in this ayah. Once again you should note the completeness and the thoroughness of this Divine Law, and how it covers every situation that could arise in the lives of the Muslims. Allah (swt) says And if you are on a journey and cannot find a scribe. The scholars say that being on a journey is only one example of the many situations in which a scribe would not be available. So the ruling that Allah (swt) gives in this ayah applies for journeys and applies for any other situation in which a scribe is not to be found, it even applies for the situation in which writing instruments are not to be found. The ruling in this ayah covers every situation in which writing would not be possible. Notice once again how the rulings cover every single possibility that the Muslim community could face, could these laws then have come from any but the AllKnowing? Allah (swt) has given us rulings for every aspect of our lives, but how many Muslims

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today apply the Din in their lives? How many Muslims allow the Law of Allah (swt) to guide their behavior? May Allah (swt) allow this Ummah to wake up from her slumber! In such a situation where a scribe is not to be found, Allah (swt) says then let there be a pledge with possession. Here Allah (swt) tells the Muslims that when they are in a situation where a scribe is not to be found then they can give a pledge with possession. This is basically something of value that the creditor holds on to as collateral until the debtor returns his loan. So for example the narrations tell us of an incident when the Prophet (saw) took some barley from a Jew in Madinah. The Prophet (saw) allowed the Jew to hold on to a shield that belonged to him (saw) until he (saw) was able to return the barley. The scholars tell us that the creditor cannot use what he is holding on to in any way, he cannot derive any benefit from it. All that he can do is hold on to it until the debtor returns what was borrowed from him. Mawdudi says that one exception to this rule is cattle, the creditor can take the milk from the cattle in exchange for the fodder that he feeds to the cattle while he is holding on to it. Once again we can see the completeness of this Din and how it addresses every situation that can arise in the life of our community. In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says then he who is trusted should deliver his trust and let him have taqwa of Allah his Rabb. This part of the ayah is addressing both the creditor and the debtor, both of them have a trust with the other. The debtor has a trust that he will return whatever it is that he has borrowed, and the creditor has a trust that he will take care of whatever it is that he is holding as collateral. They both have a trust to each other and they both have a trust to their Creator. So Allah (swt) reminds both of them that they are each trusted by the other and Allah (swt) commands both of them to deliver their trust. Allah (swt) then links this trust that they have with each other to taqwa of Him (swt). If you think about breaking the trust that you have made with your Muslims brother, then you should first fear Allah (swt). Remember that Allah (swt) is your Rabb, the One Who created you, the One Who sustains you and the One to Whom you will return. Do you want to displease Him (swt) by betraying your Muslim brother over the fleeting things of this world? Is a few material possessions of this world worth the Wrath of Allah (swt)? So we see how Allah (swt) moulds the behavior of the Muslims by reminding them of Him (swt).

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Then Allah (swt) says and do not conceal the testimony. This is a command to both the creditor and the debtor as well. Each of them gave a promise to the other that they would return each others property. The debtor has to return what he borrowed, and the creditor has to return what he is holding as collateral. If either of them dared to steal from the other, then that one would have to hide the testimony that he has given, he would have to hide the promise that he made to return what he took. So in this part of the ayah Allah (swt) commands both the debtor and the creditor not to steal, and also not to hide the promises that they made to each other. Sayyid Qutb tells us in his tafsir of this ayah that this command not to hide testimony is not only restricted to the testimony taken for pledges, but it is also a general command not to hide any testimony. So it is prohibited for us to hide any testimony. A Muslim always has the responsibility to stand up for the truth and to speak the truth. He or she should always be a beacon of good in the society; they must do whatever they can to benefit others around them. This means never concealing the truth that they know. When they know that something is the truth, they should not hide it in order to serve their own interests. By doing so they harm themselves and the society in which they live. They harm the society because the truth is hidden from the people and justice is not done, and even worse they harm themselves by earning the Wrath of Allah (swt) and by bringing down the punishment of Allah (swt) on themselves. May Allah (swt) save us from that! May Allah (swt) save us from ever hiding the Truth that we know! In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says and whoever conceals it his heart is surely sinful. Anyone who conceals such a testimony is surely sinful. They are sinful because they are hiding the Truth only to get some material benefits of this world. Not only are they sinful, but Allah (swt) specifically says that their hearts are sinful. What does it mean to have a sinful heart? It means that they have a heart that does not wish to submit to Allah (swt), a heart that would rather serve its desires than serve its Creator and Sustainer, its Lord and Master. A heart that is far from Allah (swt), a heart that does not realize the Greatness and Majesty of Allah (swt), a heart that is heedless of the Real (swt). This is why their heart is given to sin. This is why their heart thinks only about the life of this world. It is a heart that is far away from Allah (swt). May

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Allah (swt) save us from ever having a heart like that! May Allah (swt) allow us to return to Him (swt) with a heart that is dedicated purely to Him (swt)! Finally Allah (swt) ends this ayah by reminding us that Allah is with all that you do Knowing. We do so many actions from the time that we open our eyes in the morning till the time that we do to bed at night. We have done so many actions from the time we came out of mothers womb up to this moment in time. Many of these actions that we have done were not witnessed by any person. There are many actions that we do which we ourselves do not know about and there are many other actions that we do that we ourselves forget. In this part of the ayah Allah (swt) reminds us once again that He (swt) Knows about every single one of our actions. Allah (swt) Knows very well every single action that we have ever done from the time that we entered this world right up to this very moment in time. Can you then even begin to imagine Who Allah (swt) IS? Can you even begin to realize Who Allah (swt) IS? Such is Allah (swt)! He (swt) Knows in great detail every single action that you have ever done from the time that you came into this world up to this moment. Now look back at your life and ask yourself are there more actions that you have done which Allah (swt) would be pleased with or which He (swt) would not be pleased with. If you are truly sincere in this reflection you will find many actions that Allah (swt) would be displeased with and only a few actions that He (swt) would be pleased with. This realization should make you strive to do more of the actions that Allah (swt) is pleased with and strive to avoid the actions that He (swt) is displeased with. When you know that Allah (swt) Knows every single thing that you do then why do you want to allow even a moment in your life to pass while you are not doing something that is pleasing to Him (swt). Have you forgotten Who Allah (swt) IS? Have you forgotten that one Day soon you are going to return to Him (swt)? May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to do what is pleasing to Him (swt) at every moment of our lives! May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace so that He (swt) would only know from us that which is He (swt) is pleased with!

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285. To Allah alone belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and if you disclose what is within yourselves or you conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it, then He will forgive whom He pleases and He will punish whom He pleases. And Allah has Power over every single thing. With this ayah Allah (swt) begins the last section of Surah Baqarah. In this Surah, Allah (swt) has given us several important rulings that serve as the foundation of our servitude to Him (swt), and He (swt) has given us several important lessons that we can learn from the previous nations who came before us. Foremost among these lessons were those that we learned from the children of Israil who were the nation that bore this Message before us. This was the Surah that Allah (swt) revealed to build the first Muslim community when the Islamic State was first established. So in many ways this Surah contains the foundations and the essence of Islam. There are rulings in this Surah concerning the pillars of our Din including the prayers, fasting, spending in charity and the pilgrimage. There is also much mention of dawah and jihad, as well as laws pertaining to the family life and marriage. However as Allah (swt) ends this Surah, He (swt) brings our attention back to Himself (swt), because in the end He (swt) should be all that matters in our life. This entire Din is nothing but bringing mankind to Allah (swt). Allah (swt) begins by saying To Allah alone belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Here Allah (swt) reminds us that every single thing in all of creation belongs only to Him (swt). Everything belongs to Allah (swt) completely and it belongs only to Him (swt). The Arabic letter lam that Allah (swt) uses here to indicate possession is also a tool of exclusiveness, so in addition to giving the meaning that all things belong to Allah (swt) it also gives the meaning that all things belong only to Him (swt). So all of your possessions that you think you own really belongs to Allah (swt). Thus you can only use everything that you have in a

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way that is pleasing to Him (swt). Even you belong completely to Allah (swt), so do not think that you are free to do whatever you like with your life. Rather you are the complete slave of Allah (swt), so you can only do with your life that which He (swt) is pleased with you doing. Think about it, would any owner like it if what belonged to him was used in a way that was displeasing to him? So when you know that everything that you have belongs only to Allah (swt), how can you think that He (swt) would like it if you used what was His (swt) in disobedience to Him (swt)? If only mankind today would realize the meaning of this ayah then we would not see all of the problems that we find in the world today. Everyone is fighting for the things of this world without realizing that everything really belongs to Allah (swt). Everyone cares only for themselves without realizing that they should only live for Allah (swt). We waste and squander the resources of this world without realizing that everything that we have really belongs to Allah (swt), and it is only a trust that we have been given. If only the people would live for Allah (swt) as they had been created to do, then we would not see all of the misery and suffering that we find in the world today. How can a heart know sorrow or fear when that heart is attached to Allah (swt)? May Allah (swt) help us all to realize the meaning of this ayah! This ayah is also a clear evidence that all of the sovereignty on the earth must belong only to Allah (swt). How can you say that the earth belongs only to Allah (swt) and then you make the rules for how the earth is to be governed? What did you do to make this earth yours for you to do with it whatever you pleased? We are all the property of Allah (swt) and so we must submit to Him (swt) in everything that we do. We must submit to Him (swt) as individuals and as a society as a whole. Only then could we realize what Allah (swt) has commanded us to do in this ayah. So how unfortunate is it that today there is no land in this earth where sovereignty belongs only to Allah (swt) when He (swt) clearly says in this ayah that this whole earth belongs only to Him (swt). In the next part of the ayah Allah (swt) says if you disclose what is within yourselves or you conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. The scholars say that what Allah (swt) means here by what is within yourselves are the thoughts that you have in your mind. So in this part of the ayah Allah (swt) is saying that for all of the thoughts that are in your mind, it does not matter if you disclose these thoughts with your words or you disclose them with your actions

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or instead if you keep them hidden to yourself, Allah (swt) will still take you to account for all of them. So we see from this ayah that Allah (swt) will hold us to account even for the thoughts that are in our minds. Now when this ayah was first revealed it troubled the Companions of the Prophet (saw). So they went to the Prophet (saw) and told him (saw) that Allah (swt) had given them a burden that is more than they can bear. They said that they are able to control the actions that they do, but they are often not able to control the thoughts that they have. Sometimes thoughts come into their minds that they do not like and they do not want Allah (swt) to take them to account for those thoughts. So after the Sahabah (ra) went and complained to the Prophet (saw), Allah (swt) then revealed the ayah where He (swt) said Allah does not burden a soul more than it can bear. One of the meanings of this ayah was that a Muslim would not be held accountable for those thoughts that come to his mind involuntarily that he does not act upon and that he does not speak out. This is actually the last ayah of this Surah and Insha Allah we will discuss it some more when we reach it. So the last ayah of this Surah then abrogates this ayah where Allah (swt) says that He (swt) will take us to account for our thoughts. In this ayah Allah (swt) says that He (swt) will take us to account for our actions and words that we disclose and also for our thoughts that we keep hidden to ourselves. In the last ayah Allah (swt) abrogated the second of these rulings and so now we are only responsible for our actions and our words and not for our thoughts. So in the last ayah of this Surah Allah (swt) absolved us of being responsible for our thoughts that we keep hidden. However the scholars say that are some thoughts that we have for which Allah (swt) will take us to account. These are the thoughts that we voluntarily have and that we voluntarily keep in our minds. So Allah (swt) will not take us to account for the thoughts that involuntarily come into our minds but He (swt) will take us to account for the thoughts that we voluntarily have. An example of the voluntary thoughts for which we will be taken to account are the thoughts where we are determined to carry out an evil action or say an evil word, but for which we never got the chance. So suppose for example that you had a firm resolve in your mind to go to the bar and drink beer. You know that such an action would be displeasing to Allah (swt), but you still did it anyway to satisfy your lusts and desires. Now suppose that on your way to the

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bar you met with an accident and died. So you never actually performed the action of drinking beer in the bar, but since you had the resolve to in your mind Allah (swt) will still take you into account for it. This is an example of a thought that although it was hidden in your mind and you never disclosed it with your action of actually drinking the beer, Allah (swt) will still hold you to account for it because you had the firm intention to carry out the action. Thus from this ayah we should learn to be terrified of Allah (swt), we should not even think about sin. If the thought of a sin comes to our mind we have to destroy that thought as quickly as we can. If we entertain that thought and we think about committing that sin then we must know that we are walking down a very dangerous path. May Allah (swt) save us! Another category of voluntary thoughts for which you will be taken into account are what the scholars call the diseases of the heart. These are thoughts such as hatred, envy, pride, arrogance, miserliness, and thoughts similar to these. All of these are thoughts that you are forbidden to have, so you will be held accountable for each of these thoughts. There are also some thoughts which you are obliged to have, and if you do not have these thoughts you will also be held accountable just like you will be held accountable for not having all of your prayers or all of your fasting. These are thoughts such as having patience through times of hardship, being grateful for bounties and favors from Allah (swt), being sincere in all of your actions to Allah (swt), being humble before Allah (swt), and having love for Allah (swt) and love for all that Allah (swt) loves as well as having hatred for all that Allah (swt) hates. These are thoughts that we are obliged to have. All of these are only thoughts that we have in our minds, but as we see from this ayah, we will be held accountable for these thoughts just like we will be held accountable for our actions. These thoughts are hidden in our hearts, and often times nobody else knows about these thoughts except us. But Allah (swt) Knows about them, and He (swt) will hold us to account for them. However we should once again note that it is only for those thoughts that we voluntarily have for which Allah (swt) will take us to account for. Allah (swt) will not hold us to account for those thoughts that we cannot control. So say for example that there was a Muslim brother, and for whatever reason you do not like this brother. If you keep this hatred within yourself, and you allow this hatred to grow, only then will Allah (swt) take you to account for this hatred that you

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have. Even if you never act on this hatred or you never express this hatred with your words, Allah (swt) will still hold you to account for it because of the fact that you did not fight this feeling when it came to you and you allowed it to linger and grow in your heart. So this was hatred that you voluntarily had in your heart and so Allah (swt) will hold you accountable for it. If on the other hand, you told yourself that this person is still your Muslim brother, and that whatever he did wrong you still have to love him for the sake of Allah (swt), and you fight this feeling of hatred that you have in your heart, then Insha Allah Allah (swt) will not hold you to account for this thought that came into your heart. Rather He (swt) will reward you because you strove to love for His (swt)s sake. Even if this evil thought still lingers in your mind, Insha Allah Allah (swt) will not punish you for it because you saw that this thought was wrong and you tried to clean your heart of it. So we see from this part of the ayah that there are some thoughts that we have in our minds for which Allah (swt) will hold us accountable. Among these are the thoughts where we resolved to perform acts of disobedience to Allah (swt), and among these are thoughts where we do not fight the corruptions of our heart like jealousy, hatred and arrogance. May Allah (swt) perfect our thoughts and feelings as He (swt) has allowed to perfect our behavior! In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says then He will forgive whom He pleases and He will punish whom He pleases. Allah (swt) Knows what we do in the open and what we keep hidden. Allah (swt) Knows the actions that we show and the words that we say as well as the intention that was in our hearts when we did those actions or spoke those words. Allah (swt) even Knows the actions that we did which no one else saw! Everything that we do is in the Knowledge of the All-Knowing. In this part of the ayah Allah (swt) says that He (swt) will forgive whom He (swt) pleases and He (swt) will punish whom He (swt) pleases. All authority, decision and judgment rests only with Allah (swt). Only He (swt) will be the One to say who will be forgiven and who will be punished. Whoever Allah (swt) wants to be forgiven He (swt) will forgive and whoever Allah (swt) wants to be punished He (swt) will punish. He (swt) has all of the Power to do as He (swt) pleases. Do you realize from this then how much you must strive to please Allah (swt)? You must strive to please Allah (swt) both in your thoughts and in your actions, because only if Allah (swt) is pleased with you will you find contentment and tranquility both in this life and

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the next. Only He (swt) has the Power to give you the fulfillment of the purpose of your creation, all of the material things of this world will only give an extremely fleeting pleasure but leave you in thirst and misery. So we see from this part of the ayah that Allah (swt) has all of the Power to forgive whom He (swt) pleases and punish whom He (swt) pleases. We should then turn to no one but Him (swt) and seek His (swt)s Forgiveness with every fiber of our being and we must flee His (swt)s punishment with every fiber of our being. May Allah (swt) help us to realize Who He (swt) IS and may He (swt) give us the enabling grace to worship and serve Him (swt) as is His (swt)s right! Another lesson that we can take from this part of the ayah is that we must never feel safe from the punishment of Allah (swt), and at same time we must never give up hope on the Mercy of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) can punish anyone, and He (swt) can forgive anyone. So no matter how many good deeds you may have done, you must never feel sure that Paradise is guaranteed for you. If Allah (swt) wanted, He (swt) could still punish you for the sins that you have, and you know that you have done many sins. At the same time no matter how many sins you have committed, you should never give up on the Mercy and Forgiveness of Allah (swt). If Allah (swt) wanted He (swt) could forgive you even if you came to Him (swt) with a mountain full of sins. Allah (swt) could forgive all of those sins if He (swt) so pleases. So know that Allah (swt) forgives whom He (swt) wants and He (swt) punishes whom He (swt) wants, and if He (swt) wanted He (swt) could forgive you and if He (swt) wanted He (swt) could punish you. The matter is completely up to Him (swt), so why then should you seek to please anyone but Him (swt)? Finally Allah (swt) ends this ayah by saying And Allah has Power over every single thing. Allah (swt) can do whatever He (swt) wants to, there is nothing that is outside the Power of Allah (swt). If Allah (swt) wanted to, He (swt) could forgive the worst of sinners and if Allah (swt) wanted He (swt) could punish the most pious of men. There is nothing that He (swt) cannot do; He (swt) is not bound by rules and laws. Rather He (swt) does whatever He (swt) pleases and He (swt) can do all that He (swt) pleases to do. So the lesson for us is that nothing should matter in our lives except Allah (swt). No one else has any power to bring us any harm or any benefit except He (swt) and He (swt) has Power to do all things. So for every moment of your life that

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passes, try to spend that moment trying to please Allah (swt). As long you believe that you have pleased Allah (swt) then you should be content. No matter what happens as long as you spent that moment sincerely trying to please Allah (swt) then you should know that that moment is a treasure that is waiting for you when you leave this world. On the other hand if a moment of your life passes you by and you think that you may have displeased Allah (swt) in that moment, then you should seek His (swt)s Forgiveness and rush to bring yourself back to Him (swt). May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to do that!

286. The Messenger believes in all that was revealed to him from his Rabb, and (so do) the believers. Every single one of them believes in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, (they say) we do not differentiate between any of His messengers, and they say We hear and we obey, Your Forgiveness our Rabb and to you is the journeying. These last two ayahs of Surah Baqarah are among the most special of ayahs in the entire Quran. There are many hadith of the Prophet (saw) that tell us of the virtues of these two ayahs. The Prophet (saw) encouraged us to memorize these two ayahs and recite it to ourselves often, he (saw) especially encouraged us to recite them before we go to bed. So every night before you go to bed you should recite these two ayahs to yourself. Many scholars are even of the opinion that these two ayahs are the only two ayahs in the entire Quran that were not revealed to the Prophet by the angel Gibreel (as), but rather they were given to the Prophet (saw) directly by Allah (swt) when he (saw) journeyed to his Rabb on the miraj. This shows us how special these two ayahs are. There is an endless ocean of meaning in these two ayahs, and we

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could never hope to capture all of that in our humble tafsir. Rather we are only going to scratch the surface of these meanings and we ask Allah (swt) to guide us all. Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying The Messenger believes in all that was revealed to him from his Rabb. The Prophet (saw) believed in every single thing that was revealed to him (saw) by Allah (swt). Allah (swt) created the human being to know Him (swt), to believe in Him (swt) and to serve Him (swt), and Allah (swt) made the Prophet (saw) as the perfect model that all humans can emulate if they want to fulfill this purpose of their creation. There is nothing that is more important than Iman or certain belief in Allah (swt), and if we want to have the most perfect Iman then the Prophet (saw) is the best of examples for us to follow. The Prophet (saw) believed in Allah (swt) with a firmer convection than any of us could even hope to achieve, so if should we desire to have Iman then the example of the Prophet (saw) is what we should follow. That is why Allah (swt) emphasizes the fact in this ayah that the Prophet (saw) believes, Allah (swt) tells us that if we want to believe with that level of certainty then we should look to the Prophet (saw) as the example to follow. We should do what he (saw) did in order to even hope to come close to the Iman that he (saw) had. Nothing is more important than Iman and following in the way of the Prophet (saw) is the way to achieve Iman. This is because no one had a more perfect Iman than the Prophet (saw). May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to follow the Prophet (saw) in everything that we do! In addition to an exhortation to the believers to follow in the way of the Prophet (saw), this part of the ayah is also a consolation for the Prophet (saw). Allah (swt) is reminding the Prophet (saw) that he (saw) does indeed believe. There is nothing that is more beloved to Allah (swt) than Iman in Him (swt), and here Allah (swt) consoles the Prophet (saw) by reminding him (saw) that he (saw) does have Iman. Not only does he (saw) have Iman, but he (saw) has the most perfect Iman. Thus he (saw) is the most beloved to Allah (swt). Imagine how difficult it must have been for the Prophet (saw) to have carried this Message. He (saw) was surrounded by disbelievers and hypocrites. Everyone came to him (saw) with doubts and arguments. Even those few believers who were with him (saw) constantly looked to him (saw) as a source of support. So how heavy was the responsibility on his (saw)s shoulders? That is why Allah (swt) consoles the Prophet

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(saw) here by reminding him (saw) that he (saw) did indeed believe. Not only did he (saw) believe but he (saw) had the most perfect belief. May Allah (swt) bestow on us the Iman and the nearness to Allah (swt) that the Prophet (saw) had! Then Allah (swt) says and (so do) the believers. Here Allah (swt) praises all of the believers by linking their belief to the belief of the Prophet (saw). Even though none of us will ever reach the certainty of belief that the Prophet (saw) had, Allah (swt) still connects our belief with his (saw)s belief because of His (swt)s Love for us and also because the Prophet (saw)s love for us. Can you even begin to imagine how wonderful this is? Allah (swt) is connecting our Iman with the Prophet (saw)s Iman. Who is greater than Allah (swt)? Who is more special than the Prophet (saw)? What is more valuable more than Iman? How wonderful is it that Allah (swt) Himself links your Iman with that of the Prophet (saw)s? So in this ayah Allah (swt) praises all of the believers by affirming their belief in Him (swt). From this fact alone you should realize how honorable a station you have because Allah (swt) has blessed you with belief in Him (swt). Allah (swt) has blessed you with belief in the Message that the Prophet (saw) brought. Can you then imagine the Love that Allah (swt) has for you? So know that even if the whole world should hate you, you are still loved by Allah (swt) because of your belief in Him (swt). So one lesson that we can take from this ayah is to see how much Allah (swt) has praised the believers. This shows us that we should not have any hatred for any Muslim. Just by the fact that that person believes in the Message that the Prophet (saw) brought makes him beloved to Allah (swt) because of that belief. Belief in the Message that the Prophet (saw) brought is the difference between eternity in Paradise and eternity in the Fire. We know that even the worst of sinners will eventually go to Paradise only because of their belief. So belief in this Message is the most important thing, and we should find within ourselves to love all of the believers because of their belief. No matter what they may have done, no matter how much Shaitan may try to put animosity for them in our hearts, we should still love them for the sake of Allah (swt). So spread Salams between your brothers and try your best to love them because they are Muslims. Allah (swt) Loves them because they have believed in this Message so why cant you? May Allah (swt) give us all the ability to do that!

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Allah (swt) then further describes the believers by saying " Every single one of them believes in Allah and His angels and His books and messengers. Although Islam requires of us to believe in more than this, this is the foundation of our belief. The central tenet of our Iman is our belief in Allah (swt), the angels, the Books, and the Messengers. Our entire Din is based on the belief in Allah (swt), the Creator, the Source from where we all originated. The Sustainer Who maintains our existence for every moment of our lives. The Lord Who we must obey in everything that we do. The Journeys End to whom we must all return. Allah (swt) sent us our Din through the angels who brought down the revelation from the heavens. This Message that the angels brought down was in books, and the books were brought to us by the Messengers. So we see how belief in Allah (swt), and belief in the angels, and belief in the books, and belief in the messengers serves as the foundation for our belief in everything else. Everything else that we believe in, including our belief in the Last Day and our belief in the Garden and the Fire, is because of our belief in Allah (swt), His (swt)s angels, His (swt)s books, and His (swt)s messengers. Allah (swt) is the One Who tells us what to believe in through the Message that He (swt) sends to us. Allah (swt) sends that Message through the angels in books that are conveyed to us by the messengers. This is the path that revelation takes in order to reach us. So our belief in each of these is the foundation of our belief in everything else. Notice also how Allah (swt) reminds us that the angels, the books, and the messengers all belong to Him (swt). This is because this Message is from Allah (swt), and all of these are merely intermediaries that bring us the Message from Him (swt). So even though our belief has been conveyed to us by a messenger who brought a book that was given to him by an angel, the source of our belief is still Allah (swt). This is why we must believe in everything that is in this Quran with utmost certainty. The Source of this Book is the All-Knowing. Then Allah (swt) says (they say) we do not differentiate between any of His messengers. In this part of the ayah Allah (swt) relates to us the speech of the believers. Allah (swt) shows us how the believers are those who not only believe in the messengers, but they also do not make any distinction or differentiation between any of the messengers. We believe in all of

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the messengers equally as being from Allah (swt). All of the prophets and messengers are from Allah (swt) so what right do we have to differentiate between them? Who are we to say that we will accept some of them and reject others? No, rather we believe in all of the prophets and messengers as being sent by Allah (swt), we make no distinction between any of them and we believe in all of them. So we can see how this part of the ayah is a direct attack to the Jews and Christians. They differentiated between the messengers of Allah (swt), they chose to follow some of the messengers and they choose to reject others. They only made this choice and this distinction based on their desires. They were certain that these prophets and messengers that came to them were indeed from Allah (swt). But because they wanted to follow their lusts and their desires they rejected the messengers who brought them a Message that they did not like. But this is not the way of the believers, the ones whom Allah (swt) is pleased with, they live only to worship and serve Allah (swt) so they believe in all of the prophets and messengers that Allah (swt) has sent to them without making and differentiation between them. Another lesson that we can take from this part of the ayah is that we affirm that all of the messengers were indeed sent with the same Message. By the fact that we do not make any distinction between any of the messengers shows that we affirm that all of the messengers were sent with the same Message. If any two messengers were sent with a different message then we would not be able to affirm all of them. So when we say that we believe in all of the messengers we are saying that they were all sent with the same Message. This Message is nothing but a call to the absolute Oneness of Allah (swt). This Message is nothing but a call to spend our whole life in worship and servitude to Allah (swt). Total submission to Allah (swt) both at the level of the individual and that of the society, this was the Message of every single messenger that Allah (swt) has sent and so we believe in all of them. Then Allah (swt) describes the believers as saying, We hear and we obey. After belief in the messengers that Allah (swt) has sent, this is what He (swt) expects next of the believers. They should hear what the messengers tell them and they should obey what they heard. There should be total obedience. There should not be any questions asked, or any hesitations, or any doubts. You have to listen to what the Prophet (saw) tells you to do and then you should do it.

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The lesson that we can take from this ayah is that our relationship to the Prophet (saw) must be one of complete obedience. We know that he (saw) has been sent to us from our Lord and Master, and we know that every command that he (saw) gives us is indeed from Allah (swt). So whatever the Prophet (saw) tells us to do we should do it without question or hesitation. We hear the command and we obey it, that is what Allah (swt) is pleased with us doing as we can see from this ayah. What is there to this life except seeking the Pleasure of Allah (swt)? When you realize that this is your goal then how can you ignore what the Messenger of Allah (swt) says? May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to follow every single command that reaches us from the Prophet (saw)! Finally Allah (swt) describes the believers as saying Your Forgiveness our Rabb and to you is the journeying. In the previous parts of the ayah Allah (swt) told us that we have to believe in the Message that He (swt) has sent us through His (swt)s messengers, and then we must hear and obey every single command that our messenger gives us. This is what Allah (swt) created each and every single one of us to do. This is what He (swt) created you and me to do. But do we always live up to this ideal? Do we always dedicate every moment of our life to Allah (swt) like we were created to do? No of course not. There are many times when we fall short of this ideal. There are many commands that the Prophet (saw) has given us that we did not do, and there are many prohibitions that Prophet (saw) told us to stay away from that we indulged in. Because of this transgression we may have earned the Wrath of the One Who sent the Prophet (saw) to us. Because of this transgression, Allah (swt), the One Who is our reason for being may be displeased with us. If this is our situation, then what should we do? What is it that we need? All that we can say in such a situation is Your Forgiveness our Rabb. We call out for the Forgiveness of Allah (swt). There is nothing that we crave more than the Forgiveness of Allah (swt). We acknowledge that the Forgiveness comes only from Allah (swt) and we call out to Him (swt) to grant it to us. Notice in the language of the ayah that the believers do not even explicitly ask Allah (swt) for Forgiveness but rather they just say Your Forgiveness our Rabb. This is because what else could be our relationship with the Forgiveness of Allah (swt) except to desire it eagerly. The reason that we desire the Forgiveness of Allah (swt) so eagerly is because we have

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all committed so many sins and we have all fallen short on so many obligations. Did you know that looking at any woman who is not your wife with any kind of desire is a major sin, did you know that speaking anything about a Muslim that he would not like you saying is a major sin, did you know that missing even one prayer on purpose is a major sin, did you know that living in the land of kufar and not carrying dawah is a major sin, did you that dealing with riba in any way is a major sin, did you know that not working to bring back the Islamic State is major sin. How many of us are guilty of these major sins? It is only from the great and tremendous Forgiveness of Allah (swt) that you and me are not in the Fire right now. It is only Allah (swt), the Perfect One, Who could have this much Forgiveness and Mercy. So how much should you crave the Forgiveness of Allah (swt)? More than you crave water on the last hour of fasting you have to crave the Forgiveness of Allah (swt). You have to beg Allah (swt) to grant it to you. That is why in this ayah the believers only say Your Forgiveness our Rabb. After the believers beg Allah (swt) for Forgiveness they then say, to you is the journeying. Our whole life is a journey, and Allah (swt) is the end of our journey. Think about it, your whole life is nothing but a journey to Allah (swt). Look at your life now and reflect on whether or not you are living your life as a journey to Allah (swt). How often during your day do you think about Allah (swt)? How many of your actions that you do throughout your day do you do for Allah (swt)? If you were sincere with yourself, you will not be satisfied with yourself in your answers to these questions. Thus you have to constantly remind yourself that your life is nothing but a journey to Allah (swt). It is nothing but a journey to Allah (swt) and with every breath that you take and with every moment that passes you are coming closer and closer to your destination. So everything that you do must be in preparing for the end of your journey. In your thoughts and in your actions you must strive to please Allah (swt), this is how you make your journey and this is how you prepare for arriving at your destination. So from this ayah we see that our whole life ends with Allah (swt) and thus He (swt) should be the purpose of our lives. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to dedicate every moment of our lives for Him (swt)! It is possible if Allah (swt) answers our prayer!

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287. Allah does not burden any soul more than it can bear, for it is what it has earned and against it is what is has deserved, our Rabb do not punish us if we forget or if we make a mistake, our Rabb do not place on us a burden like you placed on those before us, our Rabb do not place on us a burden that we do not have the strength to bear, and pardon us and forgive us and have mercy on us, you are our Maulana, so give us victory over the people who do kufr. This is the last ayah of Surah Baqarah. With this ayah Allah (swt) completes this wonderful Surah. Now that you have completed Surah Baqarah, ask yourself what you can walk away with as you leave this Surah and move on to the rest of the Quran Insha Allah. Ask yourself why Allah (swt) placed this Surah at the very beginning of the Quran even though it was revealed during the later years of the Prophet (saw)s mission. We know that one reason is because this Surah contains the foundations and essence of this Din. Every aspect of this Din from matters of Aqeedah to laws and regulations to advice and exhortations are present in this Surah. This is why this Surah is the foundation of this Din and this is why this is one of the most important of Surahs. If you look closely you will see that this last ayah is nothing but a dua. The dua began in the previous ayah and it concludes in this ayah. The Prophet (saw) said dua is ibadah, in other words supplication is the very essence of worship. Our worship of Allah (swt) is nothing but our expressing our complete need for Him (swt). So why did Allah (swt) choose for this last ayah of this most important of Surahs to be a dua? It is to show us how important dua is. Not only is the dua one of the best of deeds that we can do, a deed that carries a lot of reward, but also the dua itself demonstrates our need of Allah (swt). It demonstrates how we are weak and how Allah (swt)

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is Strong. It shows how we are unable and how Allah (swt) is Able. So when we make dua to Allah (swt) we are showing Him (swt) that we need Him (swt). We are acknowledging how we are nothing and how He (swt) is everything. When we humble ourselves before Allah (swt) through our dua in such a way, it is an action that we do that He (swt) is well pleased with. That is why Allah (swt) shows us the importance of dua by making this ayah into a dua. May Allah (swt) give us the ability to turn to Him (swt) in dua again and again! Allah (swt) begins this ayah by saying, Allah does not burden any soul more than it can bear. We touched briefly upon this part of the ayah in a previous ayah when we talked about how Allah (swt) revealed this part of the ayah to console the Muslims by letting them know that He (swt) would not take them to account for the thoughts that involuntarily came into their minds. Recall in that ayah how Allah (swt) was telling us that He (swt) Knows what we disclose and what we conceal and that He (swt) would take us to account for both what we disclose and what we conceal. But we cannot control the thoughts that come into our minds, sometimes dark thoughts come into our minds that we do not want to express in words. In this part of the ayah Allah (swt) tells us that He (swt) will not hold us accountable for such thoughts. This is because controlling the thoughts that enter into our mind is beyond our ability, it is a burden that is more than we can bear. So Allah (swt) will not impose this on us. This is part of the Love and Mercy of Allah (swt) upon us. He (swt) will not hold us to account for what we do not have the power to stop. So the first lesson that we take from this part of the ayah is that Allah (swt) will not hold us to account for thoughts that involuntarily come into our minds. Another meaning of this part of the ayah is that Allah (swt) will not hold us accountable for what we do out of forgetfulness, what we do out of coercion, what we do by accident or what we do by mistake. So for example suppose you missed one of your prayers because you truly forgot, you were busy with your day and the time for a prayer came and went without you even remembering to pray. Since you genuinely forgot to pray we see from this ayah that Allah (swt) will not hold you accountable for it. Or suppose you drank some water in Ramadan while you forgot that you were fasting, in such a case as well Allah (swt) will not hold you accountable for what you did. Of course we should still make our best effort to remember that we are fasting and

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to remember our prayers, but in case we forget we know from this ayah that Allah (swt) will forgive us. Similarly if we are forced to do something we will not be held accountable for that either. So for example supposing that someone forces you to eat pork, and they threaten you or your family if you do not, in such a situation you are allowed to eat and Allah (swt) will not hold you accountable if you do. Even though pork is clearly forbidden in the Sacred Law of Allah (swt), you are excused in this situation because you were forced to eat by coercion. So another meaning of this part of the ayah is that we will not be accountable for what we are forced to do. Similarly Allah (swt) will also not hold you accountable for anything that you do by accident or by mistake. So for example if you hit your Muslim brother by accident and you caused him harm, you will not be held accountable for that action if that action was completely unintentionally on your part. No matter what wrong that you may have done, you will not be held accountable for that wrong if you did not intend to do it. So we see that yet another meaning that this part of the ayah gives is that the believers are absolved of all of the wrongs actions that they have done unintentionally. Allah (swt) will not hold them to account for those actions because such would be a burden that is more than they can bear. How Merciful and Compassionate is Allah (swt) with this Ummah! Yet another meaning that this part of the ayah gives is that Allah (swt) promises that He (swt) will not give us any rulings that are more than our capacity to bear. So we know from this part of the ayah that every single command that Allah (swt) has told us to do is within our capability. There is not a single obligation that Allah (swt) had laid down upon us which we cannot do nor a single prohibition that is beyond our capacity to avoid, every single command that Allah (swt) has given us is indeed within our ability. Think about practically for a moment, five daily prayers, fasting in the month of Ramadan, lowering the gaze, what human being cannot do these actions? These are all within the ability of every human being. Allah (swt) had not told you to pray fifty times a day or to fast for five days consecutively. Those would have been rulings that would have been impossible for you. But all of the rulings that Allah (swt) has given you are within your capacity to bear. So when you know that you will get the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and the Forgiveness of Allah (swt), why then do you not want to do these actions?

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How unfortunate is it today that so many Muslims complain that this Din is too difficult for them to practice? Especially for those of us who live in the West, we always find some reason to complain about implementing the Law of Allah (swt) in our lives. Why cant we see that Allah (swt) is clearly telling us in this ayah that He (swt) will not impose on any soul a burden more than it can bear? This means there should be no ruling in the Din that is beyond our ability to implement or beyond our capability to bear. Any command that Allah (swt) tells us to do should be within our ability to implement, and any prohibition that Allah (swt) tells us to stay away from should be within our ability to avoid. So if you are among those people who have this mentality that what Allah (swt) has told you to do in this Din is beyond your ability, then look to what Allah (swt) is telling you in this ayah. Ponder over these words and ask yourself if it really is impossible for you to do what Allah (swt) had commanded you. Is it really impossible for you or is it merely Shaitan telling you that it is impossible for you? May Allah (swt) give us all the ability to implement every command that He (swt) has given us in this Din because He (swt) has not laid down upon us a burden more than we can bear! The believers then continue their dua by saying for it is what it has earned and against it is what is has deserved. For every soul will be all of the good deeds that it has earned, and against it will be all of the evil deeds that it has deserved. The language of the ayah gives the meaning that the good deeds are what you strive to achieve, they do not just come to you but you have to make the effort to acquire them. You have to go out and get your good deeds. However the language of ayah also gives the meaning that the bad deeds are what come and attach themselves to you. You do not need to strive to achieve your bad deeds but they come to you and they attach themselves to you. They come to you because of the sins that you do. The English translation of this ayah does little to capture the beauty of the way Allah (swt) describes this reality. The good deeds are what you strive for and you earn them, and the bad deeds are what come to you and attach themselves to you. This beautiful description is given in the language of the ayah but it is lost in the translation. May Allah (swt) give us all the ability to learn the Arabic language so that we can taste this beauty of the Quran ourselves!

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So from this part of the ayah we see that all that a soul will have for it is what is has earned, and all that a soul will have against it is what it has deserved. Thus the only thing that you really have is your Iman in Allah (swt) and the good actions that you have done for His (swt)s sake. All that you have against you are the evil actions that you have done in disobedience to Allah (swt). This is what your whole life comes down to, so see how beautifully Allah (swt) has summarized in these few words of the Quran what your whole life has to be about. If you constantly strive to remember only this part of the ayah, it will be enough for you to remain obedient to the Law of Allah (swt). It will also save you from desiring anything but the Pleasure of Allah (swt) in all that you do. In the next part of the ayah Allah (swt) describes the believers as saying our Rabb do not punish us if we forget or if we make a mistake. We already mentioned how Allah (swt) had decreed that He (swt) would not punish us if we do an act of disobedience by mistake or by forgetfulness. But Allah (swt) did not have to make such a Decree. If Allah (swt) wanted, He (swt) could have punished us even for those actions that we did by mistake and for those actions that we do by forgetfulness. We are the complete property of Allah (swt) and He (swt) can do with us whatever He (swt) pleases. It was only part of His (swt)s Love and Mercy for us that He (swt) chose not to punish us for our forgetfulness and for our mistakes. So we should always be praying to Allah (swt) to grant us this Love and Mercy. We have to beg Allah (swt) not to punish us when we make mistakes and when we forget. Another meaning of this part of the ayah is that in addition to asking Allah (swt) not to punish us for those actions that we genuinely do out of mistake and forgetfulness, we are also asking Allah (swt) not to punish us for those wrong actions that we do with intentionally. Even those wrong actions that we do out willfully, we still do them in a state of forgetfulness to Allah (swt). We still do them by mistake. If we truly remember Allah (swt), if we truly remember our obligation to Allah (swt), if we truly remember the punishment of Allah (swt), then we would never commit any sins. But there are moments in our life where we just forget. We are by our nature forgetful creatures, and we often forget Allah (swt). We forget our responsibility to Allah (swt) and we forget the punishment of Allah (swt). This is why we fall into sin. If we were truly conscious of

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Allah (swt) and we maintained that taqwa throughout our life, then we would not do any actions that are displeasing to Him (swt). So many of the wrong actions that we do, we do out of forgetfulness and we do by mistake. After we have committed the sin we then realize how wrong we were. When we remember Allah (swt) we realize what a wrong thing it is that we have done. So in this part of the ayah we are asking Allah (swt) not to punish us for those actions as well. We realize that we were wrong in what we did, so we beg and plead Allah (swt) not to punish for these actions. In the next part of the ayah, Allah (swt) describes the believers as saying our Rabb do not place on us a burden like you placed on those before us. Here the Ummah of the Prophet (saw) pray to Allah (swt) and ask Him (swt) not to place on them a burden like He (swt) placed on the previous nations. There are at least two meanings that this part of the ayah gives as well. One meaning is that we are asking Allah (swt) not to give us laws as difficult as He (swt) gave to the previous nations. Allah (swt) legislated many difficult laws for the nations before us and here we ask Him (swt) not to give us laws that are as difficult as those. For example we know that the children of Israil were given several difficult laws. They could only make their prayers in a temple, and whenever there was an impurity in their garments they had to completely cut off the piece of the garment where the impurity was. In comparison to this Allah (swt) has given us much more lenient laws. Allah (swt) has made the entire earth a masjid for us to pray in, so wherever we are when the time for prayer comes we can pray. We do not need to go and look for a masjid when the time for prayer comes, but we can pray wherever we are. Similarly Allah (swt) has legislated that whenever some impurity falls on our garment we do not need to cut of the entire piece of that garment but we can simply wash that garment and it will be considered pure once again. So one of the meanings of this part of the ayah is that we are asking Allah (swt) not to give us laws as difficult as He (swt) placed on the nations before us. Another meaning of this part of the ayah is that we are asking Allah (swt) not to subject us to trials and tribulations like He (swt) placed on those before us. There is a narration where a companion who was being brutally tortured by the enemies of this Message came to the Prophet (saw) and asked him (saw) to make dua to give victory for the Muslims and to save the Muslims

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from such oppression. Instead of making the dua like this noble companion had asked him (saw) to, the Prophet (saw) instead became upset and he (saw) reminded this companion of all of the trials and tribulations that those before had gone through. All of the believers who stand up for the Truth will always face trials and tribulations at the hands of the enemies of this Message. In this part of the ayah we are asking Allah (swt) not to make the trials and tribulations that we face as difficult as the ones before us had to face. We know that what the Prophet (saw) and the companions had to face was far greater than anything we could ever bear. So we beg and plead to Allah (swt) for Him (swt) not to place on us such trials as He (swt) placed on them. May Allah (swt) answer our prayers! May Allah (swt) reward all those who suffer and strive to carry His (swt)s Message to mankind and to establish His (swt)s Law in the land! May Allah (swt) save us from the trials that they had to bear! Then Allah (swt) describes the believers as saying our Rabb do not place on us a burden that we do not have the strength to bear. Allah (swt) already promised us that He (swt) would not lay on us a burden that is more than we can bear so why is that we once again ask this of Allah (swt)? The scholars say that it is to stress and emphasize how much we desire this of Allah (swt). We know that we are weak creatures. We know that there are so many obligations that we fall short of and we know that there are so many prohibitions that we indulge in. So we ask Allah (swt) to lighten our responsibilities as much as possible. We realize the consequences of our life in this world, we realize that this life is a test and we realize what would happen to us if we were to fail in this test. We realize that failure in this test could mean the Fire for us, so we beg and plead Allah (swt) to give us the easiest and lightest of burdens that He (swt) can give us. So we should all realize how weak we are, and how desperate we are for the Love and Mercy of Allah (swt). That is why we should all beg and pray to Allah (swt) to give us as light and as easy a burden as possible, and at the same time we should rush to fulfill all of our duties and responsibilities to the best of our ability. This short life is all that we have, and the moments are passing away, when it is over all that will remain for us is either the Fire or the Garden forever. May Allah (swt) save us! May Allah (swt) not place on us a burden that is more than we can bear!

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Then the believers say and pardon us and forgive us have mercy on us. Not only do we ask Allah (swt) to give us as light a burden as possibility in terms of our responsibility on this earth, but we also know that we have committed several sins. So in this part of the ayah we plead and beg of Allah (swt) to eliminate and destroy all of our sins. Only if Allah (swt) were to wipe out all of our sins would we all have any chance of salvation. Allah (swt) has no reason to remove our sins from us since we did them through our free will knowing that it was wrong for us to indulge in them, yet here we still humbly beg and plead of Him (swt) to remove our sins. First we ask Allah (swt) to pardon us, the Arabic word that Allah (swt) uses here gives the meaning of not only pardoning sins but also of completely wiping them out and destroying them. This is what we ask Allah (swt) to do with all of our sins. Then we ask Allah (swt) to forgive us. We ask Allah (swt) for us to be worthy in His (swt)s Sight once again. For all the sins that we have done, it would not be unreasonable for Allah (swt) to never consider us to be worthy in His (swt)s Sight again. He (swt) had given us so many signs and He (swt) had given so much warning and He (swt) had made this Din so easy for us, if we still fall into sin after all of that then it would not unreasonable for Allah (swt) to curse forever after that. But we are asking Allah (swt) in this part of the ayah not to do that, instead we are asking Him (swt) to let us be worthy in His (swt)s Sight again, in other words we are asking Allah (swt) to Forgive us. The Forgiveness of Allah (swt) is the real Forgiveness and it is more Sublime and Powerful than we could ever imagine, we ask Allah (swt) in this part of the ayah to grant that to us. Finally we ask Allah (swt) to have have mercy on us. What more can we say about this? We beg and plead Allah (swt) to bestow on us from His (swt)s Mercy? The Mercy of Allah (swt) is both in this life and the next. In this life the Mercy of Allah (swt) is being free from pain and sickness, being free from anxiety and sorrow, being free from fear and distress. Every moment of your life that passes where in you are content is from the Mercy of Allah (swt) and every moment that passes where in you are not content is from the removal of that Mercy. You can never fully realize how desperately you are in need of the Mercy of Allah (swt) in the life of this world, and you can never fully realize how much you need it in the next world. In the Hereafter the Mercy of Allah (swt) is being saved from the terrors of the Last Day, to be given an easy and lenient reckoning, to be saved from the torment of the Fire, to being

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admitted into the Garden, to gaining the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and to be given the opportunity to gaze upon Allah (swt). Who among us would not want that Mercy? So we beg and plead Allah (swt) to give us that Mercy! In the final part of this ayah, Allah (swt) teaches us to pray to Him (swt) by saying you are our Maulana, so give us victory over the people who do kufr. The word Maulana means Protector, Caretaker, and Supporter. First and foremost we acknowledge that Allah (swt) is our only Protector and Caretaker, without Him (swt) we would be lost, and without Him (swt) we would be destroyed. We depend completely on Him (swt) for everything. So because Allah (swt) is our Maulana, we ask Him (swt) to give us victory over the people who do kufr. Now you should wonder as to why Allah (swt) teaches us to end our dua in this way. Why did Allah (swt) tell us to end our dua by asking Him (swt) to give us victory over the people who do kufr? Why did not Allah (swt) make us end our dua in asking Him (swt) for Forgiveness or by asking Him (swt) to bless the Prophet (saw)? Why did Allah (swt) specifically tell us to end our dua by asking Him (swt) to give us victory over the people who do kufr? It is because this shows that we are a nation that is on a mission. Since the time of Adam (as) there has been a battle between those who chose to uphold the Message of Allah (swt) and carry it to mankind and those who choose to oppose the Message of Allah (swt) and work for its destruction. This latter group of people are the ones who do kufr, they know that this Message is indeed the Truth from Allah (swt) but they choose to reject it. Not only do they reject it but they actively work to destroy it. So the mission of our nation is to defend the Message of Allah (swt) against those who would seek to destroy it. In every time and age there have been those who have stood up for the Message of Allah (swt) and there have been those who have sought to destroy it. You have to choose now as to which of these two camps you want to be a part of. There are only these two sides that you can join, there is only right and wrong, only truth and falsehood. But before you make your decision you should realize that one of these two groups has Allah (swt) as their Maulana. What could be better than that? What could be better than having the Lord and Master, the All Powerful and the All Knowing, as your Guardian, Protector, and Supporter? This shows that the victor in this conflict has already been determined. So all that is left for you to do now is to choose as to whether you

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want to be on the side that will be successful or on the side that will be the losers. You learned about Allah (swt) in this Surah, would you like for Him (swt) to be your Maulana or your enemy? This Surah has taught us that life is nothing but a choice that we make. Do we want to submit to Allah (swt) or do we want to turn away from Him (swt)? If you are reading this now then know that you have been given the greatest of blessings. You have been given a few more moments of your life to make the correct choice. So make the correct choice and choose Allah (swt), nothing else matter except Him (swt). May Allah (swt) answer this dua that we make to Him (swt) again and again! May Allah (swt) be the Maulana for this Ummah! May Allah (swt) give her victory over all of her enemies! May Allah (swt) destroy all those who oppose His (swt)s Message and all those who oppress the members of the nation of His (swt)s beloved messenger (saw)!

All praise and thanks belongs to Allah (swt), our tafsir of the fourth part Surah Baqarah ends here.

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