Category: Understand the Qur’an Ayah by Ayah

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Allah says in the Qur’an:

And if Allah had extended [excessively] provision for His servants, they would have committed tyranny throughout the earth. But He sends [it] down in an amount which He wills. Indeed He is, of His servants, Acquainted and Seeing.” [42:27]

He tells us what would happen in society if He extended provisions for all His people i.e. made everyone rich, given everything we wanted; the result would be that we would have corrupted the land. Let’s look at the times we live in today. The percentage of very wealthy people is very small compared to the rest of the world, yet most of the corruption and crime that happens comes at the hands of the very rich.

Let’s take alcohol for example. A multi-billion pound industry run by some of the richest people in the world. How much crime was facilitated by alcohol alone? How much corruption and fitna has been caused by the poison that these rich people sell and the rich leaders of nations allow to be sold? Statistically every single country or city or county that used to be dry had a massive spike in crime after the introduction of alcohol.

This concept is similar to that of a “sadaqa jariya” (continual charity) in the way that we can trace our Islam back or through others such as parents or teachers; we are able to do good deeds because we learned from somewhere else. Crime works in that way too. The criminals themselves are still responsible but we cannot simply wave off the fact certain crimes were facilitated through certain policies in the certain neighbourhoods set by wealthy individuals taking control however they like, caring only about their bottom line which is to make more money.

Now Allah tells us that if we were all in those upper positions we would be heedless. Many of the working class people would rather party every day and night rather than go to work; imagine they had the chance to do that because of wealth – there will be chaos everywhere. When are there the most car accidents, fights and hospital treatments? Weekends, when everyone is free and the bars are full. Most of these wealthy people become “mutraf”, completely deluded by wealth, not a care about anything or anyone.

So instead Allah sends down provision with limits however He deems fit, which strikes a balance in the dunya. Let us remember that 2 of the 5 things we shall be questioned about on the day of judgement are about wealth – where we got it from and where we spent it. The more someone has, the more they will have to take responsibility for.

May Allah assist all those who are struggling financially and open doors to halal solutions for all issues.

Allah knows best.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Allah says in the Qur’an:

” Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned.” [2:245]

He gives mankind an opportunity, one that many of us overlook or misunderstand. The phrase in Arabic used for “goodly loan” is “qardan hasana” which is referring to a loan that one offers someone without a date of return, thus the receiver may return the loan whenever they are able or fit to. Allah here is asking us to give Him a loan which may seem odd since He is the one who provides us with everything we possess.

So what kind of loan is Allah talking about here? The first thing that comes to our minds is wealth, our money, giving charity and spending in the path of Allah. However, that is only part of it as Allah does not say “whoever spends from their money”, rather He covers all of what He has given us, as mentioned in another ayah:

“Believe in Allah and His Messenger and spend out of that in which He has made you successors. For those who have believed among you and spent, there will be a great reward.” [57:7]

Thus it is not merely our wealth but also our skills, our ability to control our emotions etc. An example could be anger; if one were to be provoked and the anger is held back for the sake of Allah, that is a loan – and Allah tells us that it will all be paid back in multiplicity.

How will it be paid back we may ask? Many of us assume all the wealth we spend and sacrifices we make for the sake of Allah will be paid back in money but that’s not always the case. Allah can give us back things that are worth a lot more than wealth such as physical/mental health, stability of family relations or most important of all: mercy in the afterlife. Assuming money is all that we should get back and within our own set time is not what “qardan hasana” is all about.

As Muslims, we spend for Allah and do not look at what we get back. We as believers must be fully convinced by Allah’s words when He tells us that He will give back to His slaves. Allah ends with a reminder for us all, that we shall return to Him. That day is when what we see as valuable now will mean nothing and all that will be left is what we spent in the dunya.

May Allah make us of those who spend in His way, from our wealth, abilities and more in the sincerest and purist form.

Allah knows best.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Allah highlights to us in Surat Az-zumar an attitude that can only lead us astray. Allah says in the Qur’an:

“And when adversity touches man, he calls upon his Lord, turning to Him [alone]; then when He bestows on him a favor from Himself, he forgets Him whom he called upon before, and he attributes to Allah equals to mislead [people] from His way. Say, “Enjoy your disbelief for a little; indeed, you are of the companions of the Fire.” [39:8]

Allah speaks of the people who only turn to Him when they are in need. When facing trouble, you will find them fulfilling the rights of Allah, trying their best to avoid sins. Yet as soon as Allah takes the trouble away, their belief fades along with their good deeds.

The word Allah uses here for trouble is “dur” which accounts for all types of issues whether it is physical or psychological etc. He also uses the word “khawalnahou” derived from the verb “khawala” which means wrapped up, layer after layer, which in this ayah means favour after favour. So once all the favours were given to these people, they become blinded and forget who they called to when they had trouble.

Then He goes further and speaks of the next step these people take which is to deceive others into their own deviant ways. An example could be someone struggling with money and begged Allah for help. Once Allah fulfils this person’s financial needs, they drift away from Him and then move onto haram income. When others look at this person and see the apparent blessings they would want the same and thus follow this person’s inpermissible ways.

Let us ask ourselves, are we only close to Allah when we need help? Or do we stick by our Deen in both rough and easy times?

May Allah make us of those who are truly pious in all situations and keep us from drifting away from Islam through the blinding cloud of  temporary materialism, let us remind ourselves that Allah says:

“Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.” [57:20]

Allah knows best.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

“And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, “My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You.” [ Allah ] said, “You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me.” But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, “Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers.” [7:143]

Here Allah narrates to us a conversation He had with Musa. After many conversations with Allah, Musa wished to see Allah with his own eyes. To Allah, this has crossed the line seeing as Musa was already granted the pleasure of speech with Him which other prophets and people were not. Allah teaches him a lesson by destroying a mountain in front of his eyes and in turn shows us too, that what Allah has given us is enough.

We see many people especially in our day and age that say “I will believe it when I see it” and use this to deny many things including Allah. There are also many people who are already convinced that the Qur’an is from the creator, yet they wish to see something of the unseen or a miracle of the eye in order to develop their belief. Well, Allah continues in the next verse:

“[ Allah ] said, “O Moses, I have chosen you over the people with My messages and My words [to you]. So take what I have given you and be among the grateful.” [7:144]

Musa was given Allah’s speech and he was told to grasp it and be grateful, and we were given the Qur’an. Those who are seeking beyond the Qur’an to secure their belief have not truly grasped the word of Allah; those who have really engaged the book will know that there is nothing more to ask for. The book of Allah in its infinite wisdom is more than enough for our faith, if only we were to take a hold of it.

Let us also not forget that Allah guides those who open their heart to Him and it will not be through seeing the unseen or some sort of miracle that will guide us – as there were many generations in the past who were given these miracles and still denied Allah. Allah says:

“And those who disbelieved say, “Why has a sign not been sent down to him from his Lord?” Say, [O Muhammad], “Indeed, Allah leaves astray whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him] -” [13:27]

May Allah make us of those who truly grasp the book of Allah.

Allah knows best.

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Allah says in the Qur’an:

“The Day every soul will find what it has done of good present [before it] and what it has done of evil, it will wish that between itself and that [evil] was a great distance. And Allah warns you of Himself, and Allah is Compassionate to [His] servants.” [3:30]

Allah gives a description of how our deeds will be placed in front of us on the day of judgement. As we know everything is recorded; all our good and bad deeds, how ever big or small are recorded. The phrase “min kheyrin” (from the good deeds) tells us that it includes all the good deeds even the good actions that are not even done on purpose. Sometimes we do good without even realising it, Allah still writes it down as a hasanah.

However, this also applies to bad deeds. Bad deeds that we are not conscious of will also be brought in front of our eyes. For these people they will wish that there was a lifetime between them and these sins. It’s almost as if the people are saying that they wish they had another life to never commit anything of what they were shown. Allahs follows this up with a warning of Himself – to remind us that confronting Him with these sins will be an even bigger trial.

Although Allah paints this scary picture in the middle of the ayah, He then adds something beautiful, something we should not take for granted. He tells us, that He is compassionate to His people. After beginning with hope of the good deeds we don’t realise we do, He ends with hope – the fact that Allah leans more towards mercy than punishment.

May Allah make us of those that are conscious of the bad deeds we commit and of those who make a lot of Istighfar. Let us not forget: the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! If you did not commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and seek forgiveness from Allah; and Allah will certainly forgive them.” [Muslim]

Allah knows best.