Allah is Sufficient for us; and what an excellent Guardian He is!

The highlighted portion of the 173rd verse of Surah Al-i'Imran is the most recited verse when believers are in distress, yet they affirm their allegiance to Allah for they know that it is only strong trust in Allah that would ensure a satisfaction in their hears and resolve for Allah being sufficient for them and than no else can harm them even in the most grim situations. The verse reassures the believers that the strongest barrier against all the threats of the enemy is Faith and trusting in Allah.

Thus believers are advised to remember Allah by reciting this verse (" حَسۡبُنَا اللّٰهُ وَنِعۡمَ الۡوَكِيۡلُ " - Allah is Sufficient for us; and what an excellent Guardian He is!) whenever they are in pain or fear of overcome by others, or they have incurred a loss that hurts them or uncertainty prevails over the affairs that scare them and shrinks their hearts or if some something they encounter that is beyond their comprehension and understanding and inability to overcome.

This verse is related to the setback at the Battle of Uhud, when the Muslims after achieving victory of the forces of pagans of Makkah were overcame by the disbelievers for their overconfidence. Yet despite the setback, the Prophet of Allah assembled a small force to chase the returning forces of pagans of Makkah despite their claims of returning with a superior force, as is being said in the first portion of the verse. Read the incidence after the verse: 

اَلَّذِيۡنَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ اِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدۡ جَمَعُوۡا لَـكُمۡ فَاخۡشَوۡهُمۡ فَزَادَهُمۡ اِيۡمَانًا  ۖ وَّقَالُوۡا حَسۡبُنَا اللّٰهُ وَنِعۡمَ الۡوَكِيۡلُ‏ 

(3:173) When people said to them: 'Behold, a host has gathered around you and you should fear them', it only increased their faith and they answered: 'Allah is Sufficient for us; and what an excellent Guardian He is!'

This verse alludes to those devoted servants of Islam who willingly accompanied the Holy Prophet in his pursuit of the Quraish at that critical juncture.

After the Battle of Uhd, the Quraish marched back towards Makkah. When they had covered a good deal of distance from Al-Madinah, they realized that they had not utilized the golden opportunity of crushing the power of Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) and they began to regret: what a folly have we committed by losing that excellent chance! Accordingly, they halted and held a council of war. Though they were in favour of returning to Al-Madinah and making a sudden attack, yet they could not muster up courage and continued their march towards Makkah. At the same time, the Holy Prophet surmised an attack from the enemy; so he assembled the Muslims on the next day after the battle of Uhd and said, "Let us go in pursuit of the Quraish." Although that was a very critical situation, yet the believers and the devoted servants of Allah responded to the call and willingly marched with the Holy Prophet to Hamra-ul-Asad, a place at a distance of 8 miles from Al-Madinah, VV. 173-175 were sent down a year after the Battle of Uhd, but have been included in this discourse because they deal with the events which are connected with the same.

This refers to the terrifying rumours which were being spread in Al-Madinah. On the occasion of his return from Uhd, Abu Sufyan had challenged the Muslims to a fight the following year at Badr. But when the time approached, he could not find courage on account of the famine that was raging in Makkah. So in order to save face, he tried to shift on to the Muslims the responsibility for the postponement. Accordingly, he sent a special spy to Al-Madinah to terrify them by spreading rumours that the Quraish were making great preparations for war and collecting such a large army as could defeat any army in Arabia. This device of Abu Sufyan succeeded in producing the desired panic. When the Holy Prophet made an appeal to the Muslims to meet the Quraish in combat at Badr, it failed to produce any encouraging response. So much so that the Messenger of Allah had to declare before the gathered assembly, "I will go to the combat all alone, if none else is willing to go." It was then that 1,500 devotees volunteered to accompany him, and he reached Badr with them. From the other side, Abu Sufyan left Makkah with an army of 2,000 men. But after two days' journey, he told his men that it did not appear to suit them to have a fight that year, and that they would come next year for it. Accordingly, he returned to Makkah with his men. The Holy Prophet, however, waited for him at Badr for eight days. During these days, his Companions did profitable business with a trading party. Then he came to know that the disbelievers had gone back to Makkah, and he returned to Al Madinah.

Tafsir Jalal - Al-Jalalayn:

Those to whom (alladhīna, substitutes for the previous alladhīna, ‘those who’, or an adjectival qualification [of it]) people, that is, Nu‘aym b. Mas‘ūd al-Ashja‘ī, said, ‘The people, Abū Sufyān (the leader of the pagans of Makkah) and his companions, have gathered, their multitudes, against you, in order to exterminate you, therefore fear them’, and do not go out to [encounter] them; but that, saying, increased them in faith, in their belief in God and in certainty, and they said, ‘God is sufficient for us, He will deal fully for us with their affair; an excellent Guardian is He’, the One to whom the matter is entrusted. They thus set out with the Prophet (s) and arrived at the market-fair of Badr, but God had cast terror into the hearts of Abū Sufyān and his followers and so they did not turn up. They [the believers] had merchandise with them, and so they traded and made profits. 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(Those unto whom the people said, "Verily, the people have gathered against you, therefore, fear them.'' But it (only) increased them in faith) it means, those who threatened the people, saying that the disbelievers have amassed against them, in order to instill fear in them, but this did not worry them, rather, they trusted in Allah and sought His help,

(and they said: "Allah is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs.'')

Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah Alone is Sufficient for us and He is the Best Disposer of affairs for us.'')

"Ibrahim said it when he was thrown in fire. Muhammad said it when the people said, `Verily, the people have gathered against you, therefore, fear them.' But it only increased them in faith, and they said, `Allah is Sufficient for us and He is the Best Disposer of affairs for us.''' Abu Bakr Ibn Marduwyah recorded that Anas bin Malik said that the Prophet was told on the day of Uhud, "Verily, the people have gathered against you, therefore, fear them.'' Thereafter, Allah sent down this Ayah.

Tafsir Kashani - Kashani:

Those to whom people said, before their arrival at the witnessing, 'The people have gathered against you, therefore fear them', in other words, they have taken into account your existence and reckon with, so you reckon with them; but that, statement, increased them in faith, that is, in certainty and in affirmation of the Oneness by negating any other [than God] and not being concerned by it. By negating what is other than God they attained the very affirmation of God when they said: 'God is sufficient for us. So they witnessed Him before returning to the differentiated mode of the attributes with uprightness, saying: an excellent Guardian is He', which are the words that Abraham, peace be upon him, said when he was cast into the fire and it became coolness and safety for him [cf. Q. 21:69].

You may like to listen to eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan explaining the above said verse:

May Allah help us to be steadfast and reassures us that Allah is sufficient for us and that no harm can come to us as long as we have firm and strong belief in Allah. May 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'an. You 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 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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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.

Read More

Allah loves those who spend plenty in His way, restrain their anger and forgive others

At many a place in the Qur'an, Allah has described the character traits of a true believers and we have shared some in our earlier posts. Today we share verse 134 of Surah 3. Al-i'Imran which spells out three more character traits of a Muslim:

الَّذِيۡنَ يُنۡفِقُوۡنَ فِى السَّرَّآءِ وَالضَّرَّآءِ وَالۡكٰظِمِيۡنَ الۡغَيۡظَ وَالۡعَافِيۡنَ عَنِ النَّاسِ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ يُحِبُّ الۡمُحۡسِنِيۡنَ​ۚ‏ 

(3:134) who spend in the way of Allah both in plenty and hardship, who restrain their anger, and forgive others. Allah loves such good-doers." 

Giving away part of one's wealth is a difficult thing to do for many loves money more than anything. Had man being so generous and giving away and helping others, none would have been poor in this world. But true believes are those who spend in the way of Allah even if they have plenty or are in hardship, yet they give out to others to help them in their destitute. When Muslims migrated from Makkah to Medina, the Muslims of Medina received them with open arms, shared their houses and helped them with food and money so that trey could settle down. This was one of the supreme sacrifice that the Muslims of Medina undertook to help out their brethren. It is for such believers, Allah promises bounties and comforts of Jannah, the Paradise.

“God loves the benevolent.” Those who spend their money at times of prosperity and hardship are benevolent. Similarly, those who do not hesitate to forgive others after having been angered by them are also benevolent. The Qur’ānic verse tells us that God loves all who are benevolent. Use of the term “love” here is significant. Its pleasant, friendly, bright and compassionate shades are in perfect harmony with the pleasant and honourable atmosphere of help and forgiveness.

Because God loves the benevolent and the good turns they do, those who love God also love to be benevolent. They have the best of all motives. The final comment is, then, not only an inspiring description, it is a statement of fact. [2]

Another quality of a believer is the suppression of anger. We all know how instantly most of us lose our temper when wronged or even when our view point is not taken. But those who have firm faith in Allah, control their anger even under trying times and display this superb quality of a true believer for he leave everything to Allah and in return expects a better reward.

They “restrain their anger, and forgive their fellow men.” Fearing God also works in this respect, providing similar motives and leaving similar effects. Anger is a human reaction which is normally combined with or followed by a fit of temper. It is both natural and essential to man. However, it can only be overcome through that higher perception made possible by the positive effects of fearing God and the spiritual strength which man achieves through looking up to horizons which are far superior and more sublime than man’s own needs and interests.

Restraining anger is only the first stage; it is not sufficient on its own. A person may restrain his anger but harbour a grudge. His outward fury becomes a deeply- seated, inward rancour. Needless to say, anger and fury are preferable to harbouring grudges and rancour. The Qur’ānic verse emphasizes that the God-fearing do not allow their anger to become a grudge. They forgive others and do not harbour any ill feelings. When anger is deliberately restrained it becomes a burden, a fire which burns internally sending its smoke over man’s conscience in order to blur his vision. Forgiveness, however, ensures a release from that burden. It gives peace of heart and conscience, as well as an easy movement in a more sublime world. [2]

Forgiving others is one big feat of exemplary character, specially when one himself has been wronged. Under such trying times, if one still forgives the oppressor and embraces him taking him as a fellow brethren, perhaps this the most liked act by Allah.

The community which enjoys God’s love and, in turn, loves God and in which forgiveness replaces anger and rancour is a strong, brotherly and closely-knit community. We see here how this directive is clearly relevant to both the military battle and to the battle of life. [2]

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: Allah said, while describing the people of Paradise: Those who spend (in Allah's cause) in prosperity and in adversity) in hard times and easy times, while active (or enthusiastic) and otherwise, healthy or ill, and in all conditions, are the blessed ones. 

Allah says in another Ayah: (Those who spend their wealth (in Allah's cause) by night and day, in secret and in public) [2:274] 

These believers are never distracted from obeying Allah, spending on what pleases Him, being kind to His servants and their relatives, and other acts of righteousness. 

As for those who suppress their anger, Allah says: (who repress anger, and who pardon men;) for when they are angry, they control their anger and do act upon it. Rather, they even forgive those who hurt them. 

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said: (The strong person is not he who is able to physically overcome people. The strong person is he who overcomes his rage when he is angry.)

This Hadith is also recorded in the Two Sahihs. Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said: (He who gives time to a debtor or forgives him, then Allah will save him from the heat of Jahannam (Hell-fire). Behold! The deeds of Paradise are difficult to reach, for they are on top of a hill, while the deeds of the Fire are easy to find in the lowlands. The happy person is he who is saved from the tests. Verily, there is no dose of anything better to Allah than a dose of rage that the servant controls, and whenever the servant of Allah controls it, he will be internally filled with faith.)

Imam Ahmad recorded that Sahl bin Mu`adh bin Anas said that his father said that the Messenger of Allah said: (Whoever controlled rage while able to act upon it, then Allah will call him while all creation is a witness, until He gives him the choice of any of the Huris (fair females with wide, lovely eyes - as mates for the pious) he wishes.)

Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah collected this Hadith, which At-Tirmidhi said was "Hasan Gharib''.

Ibn Marduwyah recorded that Ibn `Umar said that the Messenger of Allah said, (There is not a dose of anything that the servant takes which is better than a dose of control of rage that he feels, when he does it seeking Allah's Face.) Ibn Jarir and Ibn Majah also collected this Hadith.

Allah said, (who repress anger) meaning, they do not satisfy their rage upon people. Rather, they refrain from harming them and await their rewards with Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored. 

Allah then said, (and who pardon men;) They forgive those who treat them with injustice. Therefore, they do not hold any ill feelings about anyone in their hearts, and this is the most excellent conduct in this regard.

This is why Allah said, (verily, Allah loves the Muhsinin (the good-doers)). This good conduct is a type of Ihsan [excellence in the religion]. 

There is a Hadith that reads, (I swear regarding three matters: no charity shall ever decrease the wealth; whenever one forgives people, then Allah will magnify his honor; and he who is humble for Allah, then Allah will raise his rank.)

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'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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.

Read More

Hold fast together to the cable of Allah and be not divided

Unity is defined as being together or at one with someone or something. It's the opposite of being divided. Unity is being in harmony or one in spirit. The age old dictum "unity is the strength" has always been true and its opposite has divided families, societies and nations, leading to mistrust, strife and wars. 

We can always overcome the disunity with humility, love, and the fear of God. Islam has always advocated the virtue of unity and at many  a places in Quran believers have been asked to hold tight to the rope of Allah, that is His guidance as embodied in His commandments. The following 103rd verse of Surah Al i Imran points towards to unity and Muslims are commanded never to be divided:

وَاعۡتَصِمُوۡا بِحَبۡلِ اللّٰهِ جَمِيۡعًا وَّلَا تَفَرَّقُوۡا​ وَاذۡكُرُوۡا نِعۡمَتَ اللّٰهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ اِذۡ كُنۡتُمۡ اَعۡدَآءً فَاَ لَّفَ بَيۡنَ قُلُوۡبِكُمۡ فَاَصۡبَحۡتُمۡ بِنِعۡمَتِهٖۤ اِخۡوَانًا ۚ وَكُنۡتُمۡ عَلٰى شَفَا حُفۡرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَاَنۡقَذَكُمۡ مِّنۡهَا ​ؕ كَذٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّٰهُ لَـكُمۡ اٰيٰتِهٖ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَهۡتَدُوۡنَ‏ 

(3:103) Hold fast together to the cable of Allah and be not divided. Remember the blessing that Allah bestowed upon you: you were once enemies then He brought your hearts together, so that through His blessing you became brothers. You stood on the brink of a pit of fire and He delivered you from it. Thus Allah makes His signs clear to you that you may be guided to the right way.

The expression 'cable of Allah', in this verse, refers to the 'religion of God'. The reason for use of the word 'cable' (habl) is that it both establishes a bond between man and God and joins all believers together. To take a firm hold on this cable means that the believers should attach profound importance to their religion: this should always be the centre of their concerns; they should continually strive to establish it; and the common desire to serve it should make them co-operate with each other.

As soon as Muslims turn their attentions away from the fundamental teachings of their religion and lose sight of establishing its hegemony in life they begin to concern themselves with matters of secondary importance. And, just as they rent the communities of the former Prophets, enticing people away from their true objective in life, so schisms and dissensions are bound to plague their lives. If Muslims do this they are bound to suffer indignity and disgrace both in this world and the Next as happened with the followers of the previous Prophets.

( You stood on the brink of a pit of fire and He delivered you from it) This refers to the state of the Arabs on the eve of the advent of Islam. There were animosities among the tribes which regularly broke out into fighting; every now and then there was much bloodshed. Things had reached a point that the entire Arabian nation seemed to be on the verge of destroying itself. It was due to the blessings of Islam alone that it was saved from being consumed by the fire to which this verse alludes. The people of Madina had embraced Islam some three or four years before these verses were revealed. They had witnessed the blessing of Islam as it unified into one brotherhood the Aws and Khazraj, two tribes which had long been sworn enemies. Moreover, both tribes treated the migrants from Makkah in a spirit of sacrifice and love seldom seen even among members of the same family.

(Thus Allah makes His signs clear to you that you may be guided to the right way.) If they had eyes to see they could conclude for themselves whether their salvation lay in adhering firmly to this religion or in abandoning it and reverting to their former state; i.e. decide whether their true well-wishers were God and His Messenger or those Jews, polytheists and hypocrites who strove to plunge them back into their former state.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir:

(And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves.) It was said that, (to the Rope of Allah) refers to Allah's covenant, just as Allah said in the following Ayah, (Indignity is put over them wherever they may be, except when under a covenant (of protection) from Allah, and from men;) [3:112], in reference to pledges and peace treaties.

Allah's statement (and be not divided among yourselves), orders sticking to the community of the believers and forbids division. There are several Hadiths that require adhering to the Jama`ah (congregation of believers) and prohibit division. Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(It pleases Allah for you to acquire three qualities and displeases Him that you acquire three characteristics. It pleases Him that you worship Him Alone and not associate anything or anyone with Him in worship, that you hold on to the Rope of Allah altogether and do not divide, and that you advise whoever Allah appoints as your Leader. The three that displease Him are that you say, `It was said,' and, `So-and-so said,' asking many unnecessary questions and wasting money.)

Allah said, (and remember Allah's favor on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His grace, you became brethren) [3:103].

This was revealed about the Aws and Khazraj. During the time of Jahiliyyah, the Aws and Khazraj were at war and had great hatred, enmity and ill feelings towards each other, causing long conflicts and battles to occur between them. When Allah brought Islam, those among them who embraced it became brothers who loved each other by Allah's grace, having good ties for Allah's sake and helping each other in righteousness and piety. 

Allah said, (He it is Who has supported you with His Help and with the believers. And He has united their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah has united them)[8:62,63], until the end of the Ayah. Before Islam, their disbelief had them standing at the edge of a pit of the Fire, but Allah saved them from it and delivered them to faith. The Messenger of Allah reminded the Ansar (from both Aws and Khazraj) of this bounty when he was dividing the war booty of Hunayn. During that time, some Ansar did not like the way the booty was divided, since they did not get what the others did, although that was what Allah directed His Prophet to do. The Messenger of Allah gave them a speech, in which he said, (O Ansar! Did I not find you misguided and Allah directed you to guidance because of me Were you not divided beforehand and Allah united you around me Were you not poor and Allah enriched you because of me)

Whenever the Prophet asked them a question, they would answer, "Indeed, Allah and His Messenger have granted us bounty.''

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

The simile is that of people struggling in deep water, to whom a benevolent Providence stretches out a strong and unbreakable rope of rescue. If all hold fast to it together, their mutual support adds to the chance of their safety.

Yathrib was torn with civil and tribal feuds and dissensions before the Messenger of Allah set his feet on its soil. After that, it became the City of the Prophet, Madinah, and unmatched Brotherhood, and the pivot of Islam. This poor quarrelsome world is a larger Yathrib: can we establish the sacred feet on its soil, and make it a new and larger Madinah?

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

"a pit of fire" - a metaphor of the sufferings which are the inescapable consequence of spiritual ignorance. The reminder of their one-time mutual enmity is an allusion to man's lot on earth (cf. 2:36 and 7:24 ), from which only God's guidance can save him (see {2:37-38}).

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

This refers to the Qur’an because this is the rope which is stretched from the heavens to the earth between God and His servants. It is this rope which is the means to reach God and it is also our covenant with Him. Consequently, holding firmly the rope of God means nothing but to firmly grasp the Book of God and in no situation leave it. Holding steadfast is qualified by the word جَمِیۡعًا and the prohibition وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوۡا. This means that this requirement is from Muslims in their collective capacity. The Almighty wants that all these people should firmly grasp this rope and not become divided by forsaking it. While being united they should adhere to the Qur’an, read it and reflect on its verses. They should gather counsel from it, turn to it in all their affairs considering it to be a barometer of justice and before its verdicts give no importance to any other thing whatsoever.

This is a reminder of the great favour reaped by the Arabs only because of the Qur’an. Before the revelation of this Book, every tribe was an enemy of the other and they would be engaged in fighting and warfare. There was no unifying thread between them on the basis of religion also. Each tribe had its own deities. Their interests clashed with one another in the fields of politics and economics as well. However, when in the form of the Qur’an, this rope was handed to them, then in the words of Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi it knitted them together and weaved them into a locket of pearls and foes became friends and well-wishers.

The implication is that with this explanation this reminder has been sounded because a slight mistake in this matter can result in grave trials. Thus people should be well aware that if they want to sustain love and unity among them they must hold fast to this Book otherwise they will revert to the age of jahiliyyah they used to be in. It was undeniable that they were standing at the brink of an abyss of fire when the Almighty caught them by their hands and saved them from it. So, now if they forsake this Book, there is a strong chance that they will fall in this abyss and then will not be able to save themselves from its flames.

The very next verse 104 (And let there be appointed among you a community who calls towards righteousness, enjoins virtue and forbids evil. [Diligently arrange for this] and [remember that those who do so] will only attain salvation.) is a directive is given to the Muslims in their collective capacity: in order to hold steadfast to this directive of the Qur’an, they must depute some people from among themselves to enjoin good and forbid evil. It is in this capacity that glad tidings of success are given. It is evident from this that this directive relates to those in authority. Consequently, in an Islamic state, the pulpit of the Friday prayer and the department of police serve this very purpose. Through the Friday sermon, those in authority call them towards righteousness and urge them to refrain from wrongdoings while the police holds people accountable who perpetrate acts which are considered as crimes as per law.

Verse By Verse Quran Study Circle Explanation:

• We learn the virtue of unity and brotherhood for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. We see in the example of the Sahabah radhiAllahu ‘anhum, the pious predecessors and the leaders of the different schools of thought that despite their disagreements, they remained united. They were not of those who would boycott one another or do character assassination if someone differed from them.
• As students of knowledge, it is an obligation on us to stay united. We should not let the differences in understanding a topic lead to breaking ties or slandering one another.
• It is this disunity and hatred that keeps many people away from studying and understanding the Deen. When the founders of Islamic institutes, the Imams of the masajid and their followers are fighting with anyone who is different from them, then how will the hearts be united and Islam be strong?
• We also learn that love, affection, and unity is a special favor of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, whether you have come together for the promotion of His Deen or you live as a family, ask Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala to put love, affection, unity, and mercy among you. Do not be divided over petty matters. Hold on to Allah’s Book and do what He commands you to do.

More than ever before, the Muslim world today is at the verge of utter disunity, for we have stopped reading Quran  with understanding and have swayed away form its teachings. Today Muslims are fighting Muslims (Saudi Arabia and Yemen) and these fighting have been sponsored by none other than Muslim countries. The Palestinians and Kashmiris are fighting for their independence, but very few Muslim countries back their efforts and even side with the belligerents. Had Muslims been united, no one would have dared to do any harm to them. Time is now to unite and shun sectarian differences and hold really fast to the cable of Allah and remove petty difference and stand united once again to revive the glorious past of Islam. 

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'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

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
• 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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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.

Read More

'Our Lord, disgrace us not on the Day of Resurrection; indeed You never go back on Your promise.

Sometime back, we shared an invocation as mentioned in the 193rd verse of Surah 3. Al-i'Imran. Today in its continuation, we are sharing the next connecting verse which makes this beautiful supplication complete wherein the true believers ask for their forgiveness by reminding Allah that He never goes back on His promises that He as made: 

رَبَّنَا وَاٰتِنَا مَا وَعَدتَّنَا عَلٰى رُسُلِكَ وَلَا تُخۡزِنَا يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ ​ؕ اِنَّكَ لَا تُخۡلِفُ الۡمِيۡعَادَ‏ 

(3:194) 'Our Lord, fulfil what You promised to us through Your Messengers, and disgrace us not on the Day of Resurrection; indeed You never go back on Your promise.

Such people do not doubt the fact that God will fulfil His promises. What they do doubt is whether they will be reckoned among those for whom those promises were made. Hence they pray to God to make them worthy of His promised rewards. They are afraid lest they remain targets of slander and ridicule by the unbelievers in this world, and then be disgraced in the Hereafter before the same unbelievers who may mock them once again saying that their faith has been of no avail to them.

Prominent 14th century Muslim scholar and exegete Ibn Kathir " ابن كثير " explains this verse, relating it with the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)  as  under:

"رَبَّنَا وَءَاتِنَا مَا وَعَدتَّنَا عَلَى رُسُلِكَ" ("Our Lord! Grant us what You promised unto us through Your Messengers'') for our faith in Your Messengers, or, and this explanation is better; grant us what You promised us by the words of Your Messengers,

"وَلاَ تُخْزِنَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ" ("and disgrace us not on the Day of Resurrection,''), before all creation,

"إِنَّكَ لاَ تُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ" ("for You never break (Your) Promise.''), for surely, the promise that You conveyed to Your Messengers, which includes us being resurrected before You, shall certainly come to pass.

It was the Prophet's tradition to recite the ten Ayat at the end of Surah Al `Imran when he woke up at night for (voluntary) prayer. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "I slept one night at the house of my aunt, Maymunah. The Messenger of Allah spoke with his wife for a while and then went to sleep. When it was the third part of the night, he stood up, looked at the sky and recited,

"إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَاخْتِلَـفِ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لاّيَـتٍ لاٌّوْلِى الاٌّلْبَـبِ " (Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding) [3:190].

The Prophet then stood up, performed ablution, used Siwak (to clean his teeth) and prayed eleven units of prayer. When Bilal said the Adhan, the Prophet prayed two units of prayer, went out (to the Masjid) and led the people in the Dawn prayer.'' This was also collected by Muslim.

Ibn Marduwyah recorded that `Ata' said, "I, Ibn `Umar and `Ubayd bin `Umayr went to `A'ishah and entered her room, and there was a screen between us and her. She said, `O `Ubayd! What prevents you from visiting us' He said, `What the poet said, `Visit every once in a while, and you will be loved more.' Ibn `Umar said, `Tell us about the most unusual thing you witnessed from the Messenger of Allah .' She cried and said, `All his matters were amazing. On night, he came close to me until his skin touched my skin and said, `Let me worship my Lord.' I said, `By Allah I love your being close to me. I also love that you worship your Lord.' He used the water-skin and performed ablution, but did not use too much water. He then stood up in prayer and cried until his beard became wet. He prostrated and cried until he made the ground wet. He then laid down on his side and cried. When Bilal came to alert the Prophet for the Dawn prayer, he said, `O Messenger of Allah! What makes you cry, while Allah has forgiven you your previous and latter sins' He said,

«وَيْحَكَ يَا بِلَالُ، وَمَا يَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أَبْكِيَ، وَقَدْ أُنْزِلَ عَلَيَّ فِي هذِهِ اللَّيْلَة» (O Bilal! What prevents me from crying, when this night, this Ayah was revealed to me,)

"إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَاخْتِلَـفِ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لاّيَـتٍ لاٌّوْلِى الاٌّلْبَـبِ " (Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding.) - (Woe to he who recites it but does not contemplate it.).''

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, a present day Muslim scholar and exegete sums up this verse beautifully: "Instead of showing vanity on their faith, these men of vision here are seen submitting before their Lord in utter humility. They are imploring Him to forgive their sins and ease out for them the way they tread for His cause just as He has granted them the urge to accept the truth."

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'an. You 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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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.

Read More

Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and keep us safe from the chastisement of the Hell Fire

The difference between disbelievers and believers is the choice of world: The former prefers the earthly world and remains engrossed in its attractions and pleasures for he foes not believe in the life of the Hereafter. The believer on the other hand considers the earthly life as a test, tries to avoid its attractions as much as possible and concentrates on the life of the Hereafter. And for this very reason, he is always praying for his forgiveness and safety form the chastisement of the Hell Fire which will be final abode of the disbelievers and the sinners. 

The following verse from Surah 3. Al-i'Imran is manifest of a believer's life:

اَلَّذِيۡنَ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ رَبَّنَاۤ اِنَّنَاۤ اٰمَنَّا فَاغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوۡبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ​ۚ‏ 

These are the ones who pray: 'Our Lord! We do indeed believe, so forgive us our sins and keep us safe from the chastisement of the Fire' (Surah 3. Al-i'Imran: 16)

In the verse above, Allah describes the Muttaqin, His pious servants, whom He promised tremendous rewards, (Those who say: "Our Lord! We have indeed believed'') in You, Your Book and Your Messenger. 

Those who more often than not invoke the blessings of Allah and pray: (so forgive us our sins) because of our faith in You and in what You legislated for us. Therefore, forgive us our errors and shortcomings, with Your bounty and mercy, and cry: (and save us from the punishment of the Fire.)

This invocation is meant to urge the addressees to change their outlook: instead of considering this transient life to be real life, they should look towards the Hereafter where an eternal and everlasting life awaits them.

And who are these people, Allah Himself answers in the very next verse:

اَلصّٰـبِرِيۡنَ وَالصّٰدِقِـيۡنَ وَالۡقٰنِتِـيۡنَ وَالۡمُنۡفِقِيۡنَ وَالۡمُسۡتَغۡفِرِيۡنَ بِالۡاَسۡحَارِ‏ 

(3:17) men who are steadfast, truthful, obedient, spend (in the way of Allah) and implore the forgiveness of Allah before daybreak.

That is, they are those who remain steadfast in the cause of Truth; who do not lose heart when they either suffer losses or are subjected to afflictions; who do not despair when they encounter reverses; who are not seduced by temptations. They are the ones who remain faithful to the Truth, even when it apparently stands no chance of prevailing.

If they feel difficulty in keeping to righteousness, the remedy lies in resorting to Prayer and patience. From these two attributes they will derive the strength needed to follow their chosen course. The literal meaning of 'sabr' is to exercise restraint, to keep oneself tied down. It denotes the will-power, the firm resolve and the control over animal desires which enables man to advance along the path of his choice - the path that satisfies his heart and conscience - in utter disregard of the temptations within, and of all obstacles and opposition without. The purpose of this directive is to urge man to develop this quality and to reinforce it from the outside by means of Prayer.

If a person combats with determination and resoluteness the hardships of poverty, sickness, war and other similar things and whatever point of view he holds as correct, adheres to it without any semblance of hopelessness, worry and complain, then this is patience. Here the Qur’an has highlighted this trait in its recipients the foremost. The reason for this is that the greatest hindrance in the way of people who are being invited to accept the truth is that they have not been able to cultivate the quality of patience in them.

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'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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.

Read More

Our Lord! let not our hearts deviate after Thou hast guided us

Leaving one's faith of birth and entering into the fold of Islam is one's very difficult and ultimate decision, for it entails leaving one's family and friends besides age old habits and inclinations. But equally difficult is to maintain the faith once adopted and cling to it for it entails a lot of rebuttal and isolation. Such are the difficult times for the reverts as are experienced and expressed in many revert experiences that I have shared or are available on the social media.

For such reverts and even believers with weak faith, Allah has given them a supplication in the 8th verse of Surah 3. Al-i'Imran:

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغۡ قُلُوۡبَنَا بَعۡدَ اِذۡ هَدَيۡتَنَا وَهَبۡ لَنَا مِنۡ لَّدُنۡكَ رَحۡمَةً ​ ۚ اِنَّكَ اَنۡتَ الۡوَهَّابُ‏ 

They pray to Allah: "Our Lord!" (they say) "let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure.

Ibn Kathir explains that the above said verse means meaning, "Do not deviate our hearts from the guidance after You allowed them to acquire it. Do not make us like those who have wickedness in their hearts, those who follow the Mutashabih in the Qur'an. Rather, make us remain firmly on Your straight path and true religion.'' And make our hearts firm, and increase in our Faith and certainty. Truly, You are the Bestower.

Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir recorded that Umm Salamah said that the Prophet used to supplicate:

يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِك

(O You Who changes the hearts, make my heart firm on Your religion.)

He then recited, the above said ayat: ("Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower.'')

At the end of the verse, a powerful attribute of Allah, Al-Wahhab (الوهاب) - The Liberal Bestower, The Giver of Gifts, has been mentioned. When Allah's blessings are asked for, it is this attribute of Allah which answer back and tell the believers not to be unhappy for He is a Liberal Bestower, never turns back any supplication made to him. 

Thus all Muslims who feel weak and reverts who come under immense pressure from those they have left, should more often than not supplicate to Allah reciting the above said ayat for help and satisfaction of the heart. 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'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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.

Read More

Selected Verses from Quran: Every soul shall have a taste of death

Death is the ultimate reality that man often forgets. If we look around, most of the living beings are oblivious of this hard truth, for if they knew they would not have been concentrating on amassing wealth and hurting others. No one but Allah know how much longer a man has to live and every other second that we live is a reminder by Allah to be prepared for one's death for the angel of death can strike anyone and in an instant the life is over. 

In fact the moment a child is born, the clock of death, not of life, start to click and the alarm rings silently one day and the life is over. Therefore, Allah has reminded man at many a times in the Quran of the bitter truth and has warned man to be ready to taste the death for a very different world awaits him after the death. Those who believe in it and are prepared every second to say goodbye to this world and do deeds that will take them to heaven will be the ones who will be successful in the end:

كُلُّ نَفۡسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ الۡمَوۡتِ​ؕ 

وَاِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوۡنَ اُجُوۡرَكُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ​ؕ فَمَنۡ زُحۡزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَاُدۡخِلَ الۡجَـنَّةَ فَقَدۡ فَازَ​ؕ وَمَا الۡحَيٰوةُ الدُّنۡيَاۤ اِلَّا مَتَاعُ الۡغُرُوۡرِ‏ 

(Surah 3 Al i Imran: 185) Every soul shall have a taste of death and you shall receive your full reward on the Day of Resurrection. Then, whoever is spared the Fire and is admitted to Paradise has indeed been successful. The life of this world is merely an illusory enjoyment.

The life of this world (as it appears) is a thing that deceives because it helps create false impressions which deceive one about me ultimate results of deeds and misdeeds. One may thus be misled to take apparent prosperity or adversity as the criterion of Truth or falsehood. If one is apparently prosperous in this life, it is wrong to conclude that the one is on the right side and high in God's favour. On the other hand, if another is suffering from misfortunes and is a victim of adversity, it does not necessarily mean that the one is on the wrong side and incurs the disfavour of God. For often the results in this world are just the opposite of those which are to be met with in the Next World. The latter are, however, real and therefore deserve one's greatest consideration. 

Tafsir Ibn Kathir:
Allah issues a general and encompassing statement that every living soul shall taste death. In another statement, Allah said,

(Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish. And the Face of your Lord full of majesty and honor will remain forever (Surah 55 Ar Rahman: 26-27)

Therefore, Allah Alone is the Ever-Living Who never dies, while the Jinn, mankind and angels, including those who carry Allah's Throne, shall die. The Irresistible One and Only, will alone remain for ever and ever, remaining Last, as He was the First. This Ayah comforts all creation, since every soul that exists on the earth shall die. When the term of this life comes to an end and the sons of Adam no longer have any new generations, and thus this world ends, Allah will command that the Day of Resurrection commence. Allah will then recompense the creation for their deeds, whether minor or major, many or few, big or small. Surely, Allah will not deal unjustly with anyone, even the weight of an atom, and this is why He said,

(185. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full)

Who Shall Gain Ultimate Victory? Allah said,

(And whoever is moved away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful.) meaning, whoever is kept away from the Fire, saved from it and entered into Paradise, will have achieved the ultimate success.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said, 

«مَوْضِعُ سَوْطٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا، اقْرَأُوا إِنْ شِئْتُمْ »

(A place in Paradise as small as that which is occupied by a whip is better than the world and whatever is on its surface. Read if you will),

Yusuf Ali explanation:
The death of the body will give a taste of death to the soul when the soul separates from the body. The soul will then know that this life was but probation. And seeming inequalities will be adjusted finally on the Day of Judgment.

Longfellow's Psalm of Life: "All this world's a fleeting show. For man's illusion given". The only reality will be when we have attained our final goal.

From this verse we learn that the real success is the success in the Hereafter. Possessions, titles and wealth of this world do not matter. Our deeds matter. Pay attention to what is important. Therefore, we must be patient over what others say. Be conscious of your response to opposition.

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:

Here the sūrah addresses the Muslim community, explaining the values it should hold dear, and for which it should make sacrifices. It also speaks of the hardships and the suffering which it is bound to encounter on the way and encourages the Muslims to remain steadfast, show strong resolve and to always maintain fear of God.

The fact that this life on earth is limited to a certain date, which will inevitably come, must be well established in believers’ hearts. Good people as well as bad people will certainly die. Those who fight a campaign of jihād and those who slacken, those who feel pride in their faith and those who are humbled by others, the brave who accept no injustice and the cowards who will do anything to remain alive, those who have great aspirations and the ones who seek only cheap enjoyment, will all die. No one will be spared: “Every soul shall taste death.” It is a cup from which every living thing will have to drink. There is no distinction whatsoever between one soul and another when it comes to drinking this cup. What distinction there is concerns a different value: the ultimate result. “You shall be paid on the Day of Resurrection only that which you have earned. He who shall be drawn away from the Fire and brought into paradise shall indeed have gained a triumph.” It is with regard to this value that the distinction will be made. It is this destiny which will separate one group of souls from another. The value is one worth striving for and one to be taken very seriously: “He who shall be drawn away from the Fire and brought into paradise shall indeed have gained a triumph.” 

 

The Arabic phrase rendered in translation as “shall be drawn away” is much more expressive than its English equivalent. This is because its very sound adds to its meaning and connotation. It gives the listener the sense that the Fire has strong gravity, that it pulls towards it anyone who draws near or enters its orbit. Such a person, then, needs support from someone else who draws him slowly and gradually away from its overpowering gravity. He who can be forced out of its orbit and become free of its pull will enter paradise, and he will have gained a great triumph.

 

It is a very vivid image, its lines delineated in sharp relief. We see movement, an overpowering force and a strong resistance. The fire beckons those who yield to the overpowering temptation of sin. Is it not true that a human being needs to be gradually drawn away from temptation? This is indeed how he is drawn away from the Fire. Despite the hard work and alertness this requires, man will always be in deficit with regard to the good work he needs to do. His only hope is for God to bestow on him His grace. That is what being “drawn away” from the fire really means. It is only through God’s grace that man is spared the punishment of hell.

 

“The life of this world is nothing but an illusory enjoyment.” There is enjoyment in this life, it is true. But it is not real enjoyment; it is deceptive indeed; an enjoyment which leads to illusions. As for the real enjoyment which gives lasting happiness and ecstasy, this can only be found in the life to come. It is the triumph gained when one is brought into Paradise. When this fact is well established in the believer’s heart, when he is no longer so keen to stay alive, since every soul shall taste death anyway, and when he has recognised the illusory nature of the enjoyment of this life, God tells the believers of the trials which they shall have to endure in their possessions and persons. By then, they are well prepared for the sacrifice.

Reflections

 The way to apply this part of the verse in your daily life is to stop for a second before you enjoy the pleasures you encounter, no matter how minor. Stop and think before you enjoy a warm shower, a cold drink, a delicious meal, a hefty paycheck, a fancy car, a new set of clothes, and so on. Stop and realize that what you have before you is an illusion. While it is real in the sense that it is a created, tangible, physical thing, there is a much deeper, hidden reality attached to what you are about to enjoy, such that you will be living in a state of deception if you are oblivious to this reality. And this reality is the opposite of the deception mentioned in this verse, which we should likewise beware of. One aspect of the deception to be aware of is that our enjoyments give us a false sense of power.

 

 Another aspect of this deception is the sense that what you are about to enjoy will always be there. In the moment when you’re thinking of nothing but the pleasure or relaxation that any given luxury has to offer, it is not likely to cross your mind that this luxury could disappear in the blink of an eye. Hold up that glass of cold water and remember the very last verse of Surah al-Mulk: [“Tell me: if all your water were to sink away, who will supply you with flowing water?"] Sitting with your wives, your husbands, your children, your friends - how do you know they will all be alive tomorrow? Next time you are enjoying some time with any of them, remind yourself of v. 26 of Surah ar-Rahman: [“Whatsoever is on it [the Earth] will perish.”] When you pull into your driveway and are about to walk into that large home, stand there for a minute and think of the story of the two men with the gardens in v. 32-43 of Surah al-Kahf, and realize that between one second and the next, all of this could be gone. Anything you currently enjoy - big or small, alive or inanimate - could disappear. The sense of comfort you experience is merely the response to a deceptive illusion put before you by Allah.

 

A third point of deception is that you lose a sense of what true enjoyment is and what is isn't. Our minds are such that when we spend a long time chasing after a second-rate goal or luxury and finally attain what we seek, we cannot imagine that there is anything better than what we have. Imagine you are lost in a desert, having had nothing to eat or drink for days. Suddenly, you come across a piece of dry bread, a bit of old cheese, and a jug of luke-warm water. It will resemble a feast for you because of your intense hunger, and you will think to yourself as you finally nourish your aching body that this is all you want. You are so happy to finally be able to satisfy your hunger and thirst with this second-rate meal that you're not thinking about having fresh bread, fresh cheese, and clean, cool water.

 

 The reality the verse is exposing to you is that whatever you could possibly enjoy here is nothing in comparison to the pleasures found in Paradise. But because it is the life of this world which is tangible to us now, and the life in Paradise is known to us only through the Qur’anic verses and the Prophetic statements, you should stop before delving into each luxury and remind yourself that you are about to enjoy a mere illusion of pleasure in compari-son with the reality that awaits you in the Hereafter, whether it be the joys of Paradise or the horrors of Hellfire.

 

Each of these three points of deception vs. reality has a practical effect on your personality once you internalize them:

1. As for the first: it teaches you humility;

2. As for the second point: it teaches you greater appreciation for what you have at the time;

3. As for the last: it develops a greater attachment between your heart and the Hereafter, and detaches you from the frivolties of this temporary life.

You may now like to listen to eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan explaining the afore mentioned verse:

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'an

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

Photo | References: |1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

Reading the Holy Quran 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 Sūrahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Holy Quran officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Holy 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 following sources: 

• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid

In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given on each page. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

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