32:17 – The Great Rewards that Await the Righteous

Surah As-Sajdah, Verse 17 -  the Great Rewards That Await the Believers

Have we ever wondered what Jannah (Paradise) is like? 

Maybe try to picture it in your imagination - stretch your imagination to the furthest limits, and envision the most the greatest pleasure your mind can possibly conceive. Go ahead and be a child again.
 
Done? Ok.
 
Fact: Jannah is better. WAY better.
 
The fact that you CAN imagine it, means it's not good enough to be categorized as a “reward” in Paradise.
 
In a Hadith qudsi, the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) said,
Allah said: "I have prepared for my Righteous slaves, that which the eye has never seen,
The ear has never heard,
And the heart has never imagined"
 
The Prophet continued and said, "if you wish, you can recite -
فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَّا أُخْفِيَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

"No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do" (as-Sajdah 32:17)
(Hadith narrated @ Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book #54, Hadith #467)

No matter how much we fantasize Paradise it will never be as good as what Allah prepared for us. Allah has only revealed a tiny fraction of pleasures in this dunya; our senses have never experienced anything close to what's in store for the righteous slaves of Allah.
 
Of course if you still wanted those stuff you can imagine, you can STILL have it:
وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِي أَنفُسُكُمْ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ

"Therein you shall have (all) that your inner-selves desire, and therein you shall have (all) for which you ask for." (Fussilat 41:31)
 
Such a great reward! Allahu akbar! Do we actually think it's FREE?

How much effort do we put to get a JOB (which we sometimes don't even like)? How much effort do we put to get straight A's in exams? How much effort do we put into our hobbies?
 
So why is it, when it comes to the eternal, never ending pleasures of Jannah, the true success of our existence, we procrastinate, make excuses, we’re complacent with minimum effort, "not ready",  "too difficult", "too tired", find loopholes to bypass obligations, and so on..?

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا مِنكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ الصَّابِرِينَ
"Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah tests those of you who strove hard (in His cause) and (also) tests those who are As-Sabirin (the patient &  steadfast)?" (3:142)
 
Let's set our eyes on the prize and put in the sincere effort towards it - you only have one shot to get this reward. If you miss Paradise, there's only one alternative.
And we don't wanna go there.
 
May Allah make us amongst those who steadfastly put in the effort to earn His Pleasure and His Mercy, in optimistic hopes of entering Jannah. Ameen!

25:74 - Beautiful Du'aa for the family.

Nice du'aa which we hear all the time, and we should make very often :

رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

"Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes,

and make us leaders for the Muttaqun (people of taqwa / righteousness /piety, etc)” (25:74)

There are 2 parts to this du'aa -

Part 1. Bestow our wives and offspring the coolness of our eyes

The phrase "qurratu a'yun" (literally translated "the coolness of the eyes") is an Arabic phrase that encompasses all forms of happiness.

So here we ask Allah to gift to us spouses and our offspring, to be the source of happiness in dunia and hereafter.

Also, realise that perhaps our family members - our parents, spouse, sibling, etc -  could be making this du'aa, so the next question to us is, are WE a coolness of our eyes to our family members? Or a burden? Or a headache and source of stress? What is the first expression on our faces to our family after a long day at work? Do we feel proud of them if Allah were to question us about them?

So many of us are so nice to other such as friends and colleagues, but fierce when it comes to the family. This isn't the trait of a believer.

The Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) said -  "the best of you are those who are best to his family;

And I am the best of you"  (Tirmidzi)

So we should all take initiative to be the best to his family, regardless of whether it is reciprocated or not,  or if other family members "aren't used to it". Change has to start somewhere, why not let it be from you? We want our family to be a coolness of our eyes, let's first be a coolness to their eyes.

There's a subtle hint on the reality of family halpiness here -  when we make this dua, we say "hab"  lana. "hab" in Arabic means to request to gift/bestow. This is a subtle adab and manners when we ask Allah, to "gift" it, not demand to "grant" us.

Because the reality is, a happy family that is the coolness of our eyes is a gift from Allah. Many righteous prophets of the past were tested with severe difficulties and opposition from their own family members - the wife of Prophet Lut,  the son of Noah, Abu Lahab the uncle of Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam).

So if your family does grant you happiness in dunya and hereafter, you owe it to yourself to be grateful to Allah. And if your family is difficult, well, realize that the best of mankind were also tested like this – be patient, and aspire to achieve the 2nd part of this du’aa..

Ease and difficulty are both tests and a trust from Allah, so use that trust wisely, and let not your love for tour families divert you from the remembrance of Allah (63:9)

Part 2. And make us leaders of the muttaqun (people of taqwa -  righteousness)

Firstly, we can learn from this that when we ask Allah, ask for the best things. Don't be mediocre in your du'aa.. Allah is All-Rich, all Generous and owns all in the heavens and the earth. Ask for the best!

Allah says the most honourable people on earth are the people of taqwa (righteosuness) (49:13). Allah didn't tell us here to make du'aa to be the people of taqwa: He tell us to aspire to be the LEADERS of the people of taqwa -  the ones who guide other people to be muttaqun. So we’re not just asking Allah to make us the best – but to be people who groom others to be the best!

And in this context, it refers to our family. Our primary role in our family - is to be of those who aid each other to achieve taqwa. As imam Ibn Al-Qayyim commented on this du'aa, "Obviously, if you want to be a leader of the people of taqwa, you yourself need to be a person of taqwa".

And by making this du'aa, we are in fact making a statement of commitment that we aspire towards this - to lead by example, and to guide others toward righteousness.

If we want Allah to grant this du'aa to us, we need to fulfill OUR end of the bargain.

Then insha Allah, we’ll have the coolness of the eyes we all seek, and be amongst the imam of the muttaqun =).

May Allah bestow upon our spouses and our offspring - the coolness of our eyes, and make us the leaders of the muttaqun (righteous).. ameen!

18:58 - Allah Delays His Punishment : What are YOU doing about it?

The Imam of Masjidil-Haram wept tonight during qiyam (taraweeh) prayers when he recited this verse:

وَرَبُّكَ الْغَفُورُ ذُو الرَّحْمَةِ لَوْ يُؤَاخِذُهُم بِمَا كَسَبُوا لَعَجَّلَ لَهُمُ الْعَذَابَ بَل لَّهُم مَّوْعِدٌ لَّن يَجِدُوا مِن دُونِهِ مَوْئِلًا

“And your Lord is Most Forgiving, Owner of Mercy.
Were He to call them to account for what they have earned, then surely, He would have hastened their punishment.
But they have their appointed time, beyond which they will find no escape.”
(Surah Al-Kahf 18:58)

The reality is, we are guilty of committing sins all of the time, but unlike the judiciary system of this dunia, Allah doesn’t punish us immediately – out of His Mercy, He delays it to allow us time to repent from our sins and to turn back to Him.

But this offer is for a limited time only; to turn to Him by our “appointed time - beyond which they will find no escape”.

Now, just because we live an easy and comfortable life, doesn’t necessarily mean Allah is pleased with us. It could very well be that this period of comfort is proof AGAINST us – “After all this ease and comfort, all the time and health in the world to change towards the better, you still failed to do it!?”.

After all, let us not forget some examples in the Qur'an of people who lived comfortable and wealthy lives - Fir'awn, Qarun, Abu Jahl...

Every single one of us is guilty of committing sins; the only difference is whether we choose to repent from them, or just ignore them and make it a source of regret against us.

The Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Every son of Adam sins; the best of sinners, are those who continuously repent (tawbah) to Allah” (Tirmidzi, hasan)

So this Ramadhan, let’s take this opportunity to :
 
1) Send our thanks and shukr to Allah that He hasn’t yet punished us for our wrongdoings, big or small.
 
2) Recollect the sins we are accountable for, and turn back to Him in repentance.
 
3) Appeal to the mercy of Allah to “just pardon us” for whatever other sinful acts we are guilty of, but unaware – and hope that through our good deeds & sincerity, Allah will be merciful to us and pardon us.

And great timing it is; since we’re just about on the half-way mark through the blessed month of Ramadhan, let us train ourselves to continuously make the du’aa that the Prophet taught A’isyah to make during the Night of Laylat ul-Qadr:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
Allahmma innaka ‘afuwun tuhibb-ul ‘afwa, fa’fu ‘anni
“O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me”
(Narrated in Ahmad, ibn Majah & Tirmidzi, sahih)

May Allah remove the arrogance and procrastination from our hearts to turn to Him in sincere repentance and seeking His forgiveness.. Ameen.

12:21 - Your Difficulties are a Means of Achieving Greatness .. If You Allow It To Be.

Allah establishes His Affairs in amazingly unexpected ways.

After Allah describes the story of Yusuf as he is abandoned by his own siblings, and then after wrongfully  taken as a boy-slave across different owners, He says "thus (this is how) we ESTABLISHED Yusuf in the land".

وَقَالَ الَّذِي اشْتَرَاهُ مِن مِّصْرَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاهُ عَسَىٰ أَن يَنفَعَنَا أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُ مِن تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

"And he (the man) from Egypt who bought him, said to his wife: "Make his stay comfortable, may be he will profit us or we shall adopt him as a son."
Thus did We establish Yusuf (Joseph) in the land, that We might teach him the interpretation of events.
And Allah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of mankind know not."(12:21)

Now, wait a minute.. who in the world would have thought that a child being sold into SLAVERY was a means to establish him in the land?

It was through slavery that Yusuf was raised and educated under the house of the minister, which triggered a chain of events that eventually led Yusuf to be amongst the leaders of Egypt that saved the country through severe drought.. Had he not been sold as a slave, he wouldn't have had the means to achieve this. Yes, it took a good 40 years or so, but it when the moment of triumph came, it really hit home run.

What can we learn from this? Sometimes in life we go through hard times &  super tough situations & deal with super obnoxious people - in fact it is these situations that make us wiser, more competent, and expose our true nature for our own development.

Yusuf never took the situation of slavery as a negative thing; quite the contrary. He didn't know what his fate will be.. Just make the best out of your situation; he used this opportunity to learn the ropes from his master and gained competency in management and leadership as a minister, a skill he would hone when he is "established in the land".

So don't hate or despise the state that you are in, no matter how bad it is.  Make the best out of it and extract as much good as you can out of it. If it is unbearable, then this is your opportunity of hijrah for the sake of Allah - in one way or another

Either way, this could be the training ground that Allah Decreed for you to become a better person and opportunities for greatness: if not in this dunya, then definitely in the Hereafter, insha Allah. Allah decrees only what is best for His righteous slaves.

So focus on being righteous.

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
So verily, with the hardship, there is relief (94:5)


وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُون
"And Allah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not."

7:47-48 - "Don't gather us with the oppressors!"

وَإِذَا صُرِفَتْ أَبْصَارُهُمْ تِلْقَاءَ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا لَا تَجْعَلْنَا مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ
And when their eyes will be turned towards the dwellers of the Fire, they will say: "Our Lord! Place us not with the people who are Zalimun (oppressors and wrong-doers)."

وَنَادَىٰ أَصْحَابُ الْأَعْرَافِ رِجَالًا يَعْرِفُونَهُم بِسِيمَاهُمْ قَالُوا مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنكُمْ جَمْعُكُمْ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

And the men on Al-A'raf (the wall) will call unto the men whom they would recognise by their marks, saying: "Of what benefit to you were your great numbers (and hoards of wealth), and your arrogance?"
(7:47-48)




Allah describes the people of al-A'raf (the barrier between paradise and hellfire) will beg Allah not to gather them with the oppressors & tyrants*, that on the Day of Judgment, they don't want anything to do with these tyrants.

It's interesting to note that in this world, things are quite the opposite. Multitudes of people will much rather play sheep & side with the "super powers" because of their political strength and wealth, no matter how oppressive or tyrannical they are & no matter how evil their deeds are made manifest. Few people dare to take the path of justice out of fear of harm, and fear of getting their stomachs deprived.

Yet on the Day of Judgment, these blind followers will disassociate themselves and want nothing to do with the tyrants, & in fact will disown & rebuke them - "of what use was all your wealth, great numbers and arrogance!" (7:48).

So let's set our conscience clear and not act like the sheep who will wait until they are the "border line case" at al-A'raf before we start rejecting the oppressors. 
Stand up for what's right.

* the word used is "dzalim" - though the context of this verse refers "dzalim" more to polytheism and disbelief, this word generally refers to any and all types of oppression.

11:49 - Be PATIENT, Remember the END in mind - the good end is with the righteous

Last night on 12th Ramadhan, the imam of Masjid An-Nabawi led the congregational prayer of qiyam (Taraweeh) prayers a very powerful and emotional recitation; he wept when he recited the following verse..

  تِلْكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهَا إِلَيْكَ مَا كُنتَ تَعْلَمُهَا أَنتَ وَلَا قَوْمُكَ مِن قَبْلِ هَٰذَا فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
“This is of the news of the unseen which We reveal unto you (O Muhammad SAW), neither you nor your people knew them before this.
So be patient. Surely, the (good) end is for the People of Taqwa (Muttaqun)”
(Surah Hud 11:49)

The context of this verse after narrating the catastrophic flood during the time of Prophet Noah (Nuh), who spent 950 years steadfastly calling people to the true religion to worship only one God and not to associate partners with Him; yet his people never ceased to insult him and try thwarting his efforts. And in the end? All of his people were drowned, save a handful of believers (only 80, in some narrations) – and Nuh returns to the Pleasure of His Lord in Paradise forever, among the ulul ‘azm of the Messengers : top 5 human beings ever in existence.

So after reminding us in this context, Allah commands us – stick to it, BE PATIENT: If you are righteous person of taqwa, the good ending will DEFINITELY be yours. Yes, things may seem rough and difficult, at times, it might seem you’re on the losing end, it might seem that your efforts are ‘fruitless’, your friends or family might not treat you in the best way – but the reality is, people more righteous and beloved to Allah have been subjected to much extreme trials. So how can we give up so easily despite our lousy efforts?

It's also a concise warning against those who have deficiencies in their taqwa: you better get on board. There are only two endings, and the good ending is on the other side.

So don’t let ourselves be deceived by what our eyes perceive in this world. Allah recognizes the effort you exert, and He's Reserved a great payoff for your taqwa. Let the people oppose, let the people insult – Remember the End in mind : the path to success can sometimes be a lonely road, but it's worth it.


فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
“..so be patient – verily, the good ending is for the people of taqwa”

7:26 - And the clothing of Taqwa, that is Best.

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْآتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ 
“O Children of Adam! We have bestowed clothings upon you to cover yourselves and as an adornment;
and the clothing of taqwa, that is BEST.
Such are among the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs) of Allah, that they may remember.” (Surah Al-A’raf 7:26)

This ayat give profound lessons on the function of taqwa in our lives. The primary purpose of clothing / raiment (the word “libas” in this verse) is to cover ourselves; and in the context of this verse, specifically our private parts (ref: Tafsir ibn Kathir).

Just like how clothing protects and covers our private parts, likewise, taqwa – that drive to perform good deeds and refrain from evil – will prevent us from performing evil deeds & thus exposing the true nature of our evil desires. It is that taqwa that remembers the Day of Recompense, when no atom’s weight of good or evil will be obscured from our sight (99:7-8). ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Zaid ibn Aslam said, “When one has taqwa of Allah, (through this), Allah covers his errors. Hence the ‘clothing’ of taqwa”.

And if we take the general meaning of “libas” – as garment/clothing, then its functions are even more diverse – it is to provide comfort for us, it beautifies us, it defines our identity. Such is taqwa – when we’ve exerted the effort to improve it, it serves these functions to our soul.

So let us remind ourselves on the holistic goals of fasting as mentioned in surah Al-Baqarah 2:183 – to build TAQWA. Focus your fasting & other ibadah this Ramadhan to develop the consciousness of Allah, the enthusiasm and drive to do good deeds, that deliberate “shield” to consciously avoid sins.

May Allah make us amongst those who emerge out of Ramadhan with the most beautiful and comfortable of garments, which will identify us as the 'muttaqun' (the people of taqwa) in His Sights. 
Ameen!

18:13-16 = Support and Harness the Potential of the Youth

As a society and an organization, we can learn & adopt some profound lessons from the story of the People of the Cave in the Qur’an@ Surah al-Kahf, verses 13-16.

These were a small group of youth & young men, who were dedicated to upholding their values & beliefs of Tawheed: of worshipping the One True God Alone and not ascribing partners to Him. But they were rejected by their society who persecuted & oppressed them; as a result these youth abandoned their town to seek refuge to find a place where they can practice their beliefs in peace – and they met at a cave (Ref: Tafsir ibn Kathir).

What lessons can we extract from this?

Many a times we see youth and ‘new staff’ have brilliant ideas and are very enthusiastic about doing the ‘right thing’ & fixing errors within the organization; unfortunately they are quickly labelled as “idealistic”, “naïve”, “skema”, “over-ambitious”; we shut them down and this underutilized potential ends up departing us (i.e. resign, hijrah to where their ideas can take root); or they experience ‘burnout’ & just resort to being mediocre. 

Either way, our society/organization retains the ‘status quo’ and have impeded our capability for progress, revealing our collective failure & weakness as a society/organization to support positive change.

So for those of us who:

1. Have authority or influence in a society/organization, be on the lookout for young visionaries, don’t criticize them; rather channel their enthusiasm to drive your group to new heights: even if it goes against the ‘norm’. Don't chase them out to a 'cave'.

2. Feel ‘idealistic’ and enthusiastic about change – especially in your deen: be steadfast and don’t let the environment deter your spirit to mediocrity. And don’t let arrogance or hastiness get the best of you: perhaps your time to flourish has not yet come. We should thank Allah for having blessed us with the desire to get things done right.

May Allah make us amongst those whom the Prophet said, “There will always be a group from my Ummah (who are firm) upon the truth, predominant – whoever abandons them will not harm them – until the order of Allah comes” (Narrated in Tirmidzi)



Remember: it's not easy for a 'new idealist kid on the block' in the work place, to be committed to doing the right thing to do; it's much easier to just stick to "the established work culture", be a likeable fella and not cause any trouble.

And to a greater extent, for the youth to be committed to principles and ideals is no easy task - especially when it comes to being committed to invest in the success Hereafter. The distractions, peer pressure and endless availability of etnertainment options all make it an uphill battle to remain steadfast. 
Which is why the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) described in a hadith, that amongst the seven groups of people who receive the Shade of Allah - on the Day that there will be no shade except His Shade, and the Day where the sun will be held up a mere mile above our heads - one of that group is the youth that has been nurtured to the worship of Allah. 

Those who hold on to their ideals despite the discouraging circumstances. 

May Allah make us amongst those who harness this capability from our youth - ameen!

نَّحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ نَبَأَهُم بِالْحَقِّ إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى

"We narrate unto you (O Muhammad SAW) their story with truth: Truly! They were young men who believed in their Lord (Allah), and We increased them in guidance"

وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا فَقَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَٰهًا لَّقَدْ قُلْنَا إِذًا شَطَطًا

"And We made their hearts firm and strong (with the light of Faith in Allah and bestowed upon them patience to bear the separation of their kith and kin and dwellings, etc.) when they stood up and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, never shall we call upon any ilah (god) other than Him; if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity in disbelief."

  

 

هَٰؤُلَاءِ قَوْمُنَا اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ آلِهَةً لَّوْلَا يَأْتُونَ عَلَيْهِم بِسُلْطَانٍ بَيِّنٍ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا

"These our people have taken for worship aliha (gods) other than Him (Allah). Why do they not bring for them a clear authority? And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah."

وَإِذِ اعْتَزَلْتُمُوهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ فَأْوُوا إِلَى الْكَهْفِ يَنشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِ وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُم مِّنْ أَمْرِكُم مِّرْفَقًا

(The young men said to one another): "And when you withdraw from them, and that which they worship, except Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave, your Lord will open a way for you from His Mercy and will make easy for you your affair (i.e. will give you what you will need of provision, dwelling, etc.)."

(Surah Al-Kahf 18:13 - 16)