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Showing posts with label Chapter 28. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chapter 28. Show all posts

Monday 10 July 2023

Desire not corruption in the land for Allah does not like the corrupter

The main theme of Qur'an and Islam is goodwill, humanity and hearts that throb for the wellbeing of others rather than one's own. Those who have in abundance must doll out as much as they can in charity to help others and in doing so pleasing Allah and sending their charity ahead of them so that they are rewarded with Allah's pleasure on the Day of Judgment.

On the contrary, many who have plenty are more interested in adding more to their coffers than spending to please Allah. And in doing so, they cross all limits of corruption and by usurping the resources of others. It is for such people that Allah warns them that He does not like such people and will nab them both in this world and the life of the hereafter. History stands witness to this Divine promise as many wealthy nations and people perished, leaving behind tales of their corruption, dishonesty and utter disregard for Divine warnings.

In Surah 28 Al Qasas, Allah describes the one of the wealthiest rich men of all times, Qarun, who was bestowed so much, yet he added more to his wealth by depriving others of theirs and did not help the poor. "Qarun was one of Moses’ people but he rebelled against them.  God gave him so many treasures that even the keys to open the containers the treasures were kept in would have been heavy for strong men to carry.  The people said to him do not gloat because God does not like those people who gloat.  Use what God has given you to attain a good abode in the Hereafter.  Be good to others as God has been good to you, and do not cause mischief; God does not love the mischief makers.  But Qarun replied that all that I have is only because of my own knowledge and ability.  Did he not understand that God has destroyed many people before him, many that were mightier in strength and richer in wealth? But criminals are not always called immediately to account. And God did not like his boastful claims and all his wealth was destroyed along with him"

In the backdrop of above tale of Qarun, this is what is being said in the 77th verse of Surah 28 Al Qasas (The Story / The Narrative) reproduced herein under:

وَابۡتَغِ فِيۡمَاۤ اٰتٰٮكَ اللّٰهُ الدَّارَ الۡاٰخِرَةَ​ وَلَا تَنۡسَ نَصِيۡبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنۡيَا​ وَاَحۡسِنۡ كَمَاۤ اَحۡسَنَ اللّٰهُ اِلَيۡكَ​
  وَلَا تَبۡغِ الۡـفَسَادَ فِى الۡاَرۡضنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الۡمُفۡسِدِيۡنَ‏ 
(28:77) But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like the corrupter."

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:
Here we see the right balance that is characteristic of the divine way of life. It makes the wealthy look forward to the life to come hoping to be among the successful on the Day of Judgement, without depriving him of his share of enjoyment in the present life. In fact, the divine system urges him to do so as a duty, so that he does not discard life’s pleasures and look down upon the life of this world.

God has created the pleasures and luxuries of this life so that people may enjoy their share of these, and work towards obtaining them. Thus, human life is set on the way to progress and man fulfils the task God has assigned him on earth. The only proviso is that in such enjoyment of pleasures they should seek the reward of the hereafter. Thus, the wealthy neither deviate from the road leading to heaven, nor neglect their duties as a result of their riches. When they seek the hereafter, their enjoyment of pleasure becomes a form of gratitude to God and proper acceptance of His blessings. Thus, it is, in turn, a way to earn more reward. The divine way of life achieves harmony and balance in human life. It enables man to progress spiritually without suffering deprivation or wasting natural resources.

“Do good just as God has done good to you.” The money you have is a gift God has granted you out of his kindness. Hence, it should be received with gratitude and used for good purposes, and doing kindness to other people.

“Do not seek to spread corruption on earth.” Corruption takes many forms including injustice, indulgence in pleasure, paying no heed to God’s guidance or to the hereafter, doing what causes envy and hatred, spending money wastefully and blocking its proper use. “For God does not love the ones who spread corruption,” in the same way as He does not love those who are exultant.

Yusuf Ali Explanation
That is, 'spend your wealth on charity and good works. It is Allah Who has given it to you, and you should spend it in Allah's cause. Nor should you forget the legitimate needs of this life, as misers do, and most people become misers who think too exclusively of their wealth'. If wealth is not used properly, there are three evils that follow: (1) its possessor may be a miser and forget all claims due to himself and those about him; (2) he may forget the higher needs of the poor and needy, or the good causes which require support; and (3) he may even misspend on occasions and cause a great deal of harm and mischief. Apparently Qarun had all three vices.

In the backdrop of the above quoted verse from Qur'an and the explanation thereof, we should be more magnanimous in charity, even it be a single piece of date. And be not like rich and arrogant people like Qarun, and his likes in our present-day life who rob people of their rightly earned means of sustenance and live a life of arrogance and heartlessness. 

This ayah from Surah al Qasas seeks to strike balance between Dunya (worldly life) and Aakhirah (The Hereafter). Your involvement in worldly activities should not go to such extent that you tend to forget Aakhirah and the life to come. Similarly, your involvement in religious or spiritual activities should not make you an ascetic in that you tend to ignore the lawful enjoyment that this world has to offer.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Qur'an Wiki
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Thursday 15 April 2021

My Lord! I have indeed inflicted wrong on myself, so do forgive me


There are many prayers and supplications in the Qur'an, generally attributed to the prophets and the pious, to show to the believers that whenever someone makes a mistake, even a prophet, they have instantly asked for forgiveness of Allah and repented their action. And as promised Allah forgave them for Allah has always advised His servants to repent if they make a mistake and ask forgiveness of their Lord.

The following invocation taken from 16th verse of Surah 28. Al Qasas is one such invocation attributed to Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him):

قَالَ رَبِّ اِنِّىۡ ظَلَمۡتُ نَفۡسِىۡ فَاغۡفِرۡ لِىۡ فَغَفَرَ لَهٗ​ؕ اِنَّهٗ هُوَ الۡغَفُوۡرُ الرَّحِيۡمُ‏ 
(28:16) Then he prayed: "My Lord! I have indeed inflicted wrong on myself, so do forgive me," wherefore Allah forgave him for He is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful.
The background to this verses is when Prophet Musa entered into the city at a time when the people thereof were heedless, and he found therein two men fighting; the one of his own sect and the other of his enemies. And he who was of his sect asked his aid against him who was of his enemies. So Moses smote him with his fist and made an end of him. Said he, "This is of the work of Satan, for verily, he is an enemy that manifestly misleads."
What the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) meant by this prayer was: “O my Lord, forgive this sin of mine, which you know I have not committed willfully, and also cover and conceal it from the people.”

" Allah forgave him for He is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful " This has two meanings and both are implied here: Allah pardoned Moses’ error as well as concealed his sin from the people so that neither any Egyptian, nor any official of the Egyptian government, passed that way at that time that he might witness the incident. So, the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) got an opportunity to escape undetected from the place of the occurrence of murder.

Wiki Qur'an:
Prophet Musa goes on to show genuine regret for what his anger caused, acknowledging that by so doing, he had wronged himself, had burdened himself with such results. He appealed to God for forgiveness. God responded to his prayer, knowing that his repentance was genuine: “So He forgave him. He alone is Much-Forgiving, Merciful.”

Read more about the two attributes of Allah mentioned in the above said verse:
  • Al-Ghafur (الغفور) - The Forgiving, The Pardoner
  • Ar Rahim (الرحيم) -  The Most Merciful
Please listen to eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan explaining this verse:
We should, therefore, never lose hope of mercy of Allah if we sin and  instantly repent and ask forgiveness from Allah. Rest assured we shall be forgiven provided we have make the invocation from a sincere heart with a pledge not to sin again. May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs / verses (ayat) of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Seek an abode in the Hereafter -but forget not your share in this world


Today we share the 77th verse from Surah Al Qasas which has three important commandments for every Muslim to follow:
  • Seek by means of the wealth that Allah has granted you the Abode of the Hereafter, but forget not your share in this world,
  • and do good as Allah has been good to you, 
  • and do not strive to create mischief in the land, for Allah loves not those who create mischief.
If a believer wholeheartedly and faithfully follows these three commandments, he will surely earn the best of both worlds:

وَابۡتَغِ فِيۡمَاۤ اٰتٰٮكَ اللّٰهُ الدَّارَ الۡاٰخِرَةَ​ وَلَا تَنۡسَ نَصِيۡبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنۡيَا​ وَاَحۡسِنۡ كَمَاۤ اَحۡسَنَ اللّٰهُ اِلَيۡكَ​ وَلَا تَبۡغِ الۡـفَسَادَ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ​ؕ 
اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الۡمُفۡسِدِيۡنَ‏ 
(28:77) Seek by means of the wealth that Allah has granted you the Abode of the Hereafter, but forget not your share in this world and do good as Allah has been good to you and do not strive to create mischief in the land, for Allah loves not those who create mischief."

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir
( وَابْتَغِ فِيمَآ ءَاتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الاٌّخِرَةَ وَلاَ تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا But seek, with that which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world;) means, `use this great wealth and immense blessing Allah has given you to worship your Lord and draw closer to Him by doing a variety of good deeds which will earn you reward in this world and the Hereafter.'

(وَلاَ تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world;) `That which Allah has permitted of food, drink, clothing, dwelling places and women. Your Lord has rights over you, your self has rights over you, your family has rights over you, and your visitors have rights over you. So give each of them their due.'

(وَأَحْسِن كَمَآ أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ and be generous as Allah has been generous to you, ) `Be generous to His creatures, as He has been generous to you.'

(وَلاَ تَبْغِ الْفَسَادَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ and seek not mischief in the land.) meaning: `do not let your aim be to spread corruption on earth and do harm to Allah's creation.'

(إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ Verily, Allah likes not the mischief-makers.)
Yusuf Ali  Explanation
That is, 'spend your wealth in charity and good works. It is Allah Who has given it to you, and you should spend it in Allah's cause. Nor should you forget the legitimate needs of this life, as misers do, and most people become misers who think too exclusively of their wealth'. If wealth is not used properly, there are three evils that follow: (1) its possessor may be a miser and forget all claims due to himself and those about him; (2) he may forget the higher needs of the poor and needy, or the good causes which require support; and (3) he may even misspend on occasions and cause a great deal of harm and mischief. Apparently Qarun had all three vices.

Muhammad Asad Explanation
( Seek instead, by means of what God has granted thee, [the good of] the life to come,) I.e., by spending in charity and on good causes.

(without forget-ting, withal, shine own [rightful] share in this world;) Lit., "and do not forget . . .", etc.: a call to generosity and, at the same time, to moderation (cf. 2:143 -"We have willed you to be a community of the middle way").

Tafsir Al-Jalalayn:
But seek, in that which God has given you, of wealth, the Abode of the Hereafter, by expending it in obedience to God, and do not forget your share of this world, that is, [do not forget] to strive in it for the sake of the Hereafter; and be good, to people, by [giving] voluntary alms, just as God has been good to you. And do not seek to cause corruption in the earth, by committing acts of disobedience. Surely God does not love the agents of corruption’, meaning that He will punish them.

Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs:
(But seek the abode of the Hereafter) Paradise (in that which Allah hath given you) through that which Allah has given you of wealth (and neglect not thy portion of the world) do not leave your portion in the Hereafter because of your portion in this worldly life; it is also said: your portion of this worldly life will not diminish because of spending from it for the Hereafter, (and be thou kind) to the poor and needy (even as Allah hath been kind to thee) by giving you wealth, (and seek not corruption in the earth) do not commit transgressions and oppose the command of the Messenger Moses, Allah give him peace; (lo! Allah loveth not corrupters) who commit transgressions,

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Thursday 18 February 2021

My Lord, I am truly in great need of any good that You might send down to me.


A true believer always turns to Allah when in distress, for none other than Allah can bless him and ease his sufferings. The invocation selected today in our series of posts on Selected Invocations  (Dua / دُعا) from Qur'ān is one such invocation which is attributed to Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) when he was homeless and was dire need of a shelter and livelihood. 

When (after his departure from Egypt) Moses headed towards Midian, he said: "I hope my Lord will show me the right Path." This incident has been mentioned in Qur'an from verse 22 onwards in Surah 28 Al Qasas: When he arrived at the spring of Midian, he found there a crowd of people watering their flocks, and he found apart from them two women holding their flocks back. He asked the women: "What is it that troubles you?" They said: "We cannot water our flocks until the shepherds take their flocks away, and our father is a very old man. Moses watered their flocks and then prayed:

فَسَقٰى لَهُمَا ثُمَّ تَوَلّٰٓى اِلَى الظِّلِّ فَقَالَ رَبِّ اِنِّىۡ لِمَاۤ اَنۡزَلۡتَ اِلَىَّ مِنۡ خَيۡرٍ فَقِيۡرٌ‏ 
(28:24) On hearing this Moses watered their flocks for them, and then returned in a shaded place and said: "My Lord, I am truly in great need of any good that You might send down to me."

Prophet Musa did not have any food for the last several days. He came under the shade of a tree and prayed to Allah describing his condition and need. The word Khair " خَيۡرٍ " is sometimes used for wealth as in the case of إِن تَرَكَ خَيۡرًا ٱلۡوَصِيَّةُ (he leaves some wealth - 2:180). Sometimes it is used for strength like أَهُمۡ خَيۡرٌ أَمۡ قَوۡمُ تُبَّعٍ۬ (Are they better, or the people of Tubba - 44:37) and sometimes for food as in the verse under reference. (Qurtubi)

Allah listened to His servant and from here on a chain reaction commenced. Moses got married to one of the damsels whose flock he watered and found a home and a family. This is how Allah listened to his invocation and helped him when he was in dire need of shelter. 

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
The maidens are gone, with smiles on their lips and gratitude in their hearts. What were the reflections of Moses as he returned to the shade of the tree? He returned thanks to Allah for the bright little vision which he had just seen. Had he done a good deed? Precious was the opportunity he had had. He had slaked his thirst. But he was a homeless wanderer and had a longing in his soul, which he dared not put into words. Those shepherds were no company for him. He was truly like a beggar in desperate need. For any little good that came his way, he was grateful. But what was this?-this vision of a comfortable household, presided over by an old man rich in flocks and herds, and richer still in two daughters, as modest as they were beautiful? Perhaps he would never see them again! But Allah was preparing another surprise for him.

This small yet powerful supplication is enough to invoke the blessings of Allah provided one has true faith in Allah and his destiny. So whenever one is in distress, one must recite this small yet very powerful dua for Allah may listen to him and redress his grievance.

Please listen to eminent Muslim scholar, teacher, Imam and linguist Nouman Ali Khan explaining this verse:
May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs / verses (ayat) of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
  • The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
  • The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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