Have you ever seen the bright radiance on the faces of the people who are closer to Allah, the ones whose time is spent in remembrance of Allah and doing things as ordained by their Creator? That is the more one remembers Allah the more his heart is cleansed of evil thoughts and takes him away from the worldly thoughts and worries. This is exactly the theme of the 28th verse of Surah 13. Ar Ra'ad (The Thunder) as shared below:
اَلَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَتَطۡمَـئِنُّ قُلُوۡبُهُمۡ بِذِكۡرِ اللّٰهِ ؕ اَلَا بِذِكۡرِ اللّٰهِ تَطۡمَـئِنُّ الۡقُلُوۡبُ ؕ
(13:28) Such are the ones who believe (in the message of the Prophet) and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah. Surely in Allah's remembrance do hearts find rest.
That is to say that to the degree that you remember Allah, your heart will be calm and cheerful. His remembrance carries with it the meaning of total dependence upon Him, of turning to Him for aid, of having good thoughts about Him, and of waiting for victory from Him. Truly, He is near when supplicated: He hears when He is called and He answers when He is invoked, so humble yourself before Him and ask of Him sincerely. Repeat His beautiful blessed name, and mention Him as being alone worthy of worship. Mention His praises, supplicate to Him, and ask forgiveness from Him: you will then find - by the will of Allah- happiness, peace, and illumination. [1]
How can we remember Allah so that our hearts are at rest, peaceful and comforted? Herein under are some tips:
- Unflinching Faith in Allah
- Total trust in Allah (Tawakkul). ...
- Constant mention of Allah (Dhikrullah). ...
- Supplication (Duah)
- Positive attitude for every distress
Let us read how Muslim scholars interpret this verse:
Yusuf Ali Explanation:
The Sign or Miracle is not something external: it is something internal, something in your mind, heart, and soul. It depends on your inner spiritual experience. If you turn to Allah, that light, that experience, will come. If you do not, Allah will not force you.
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
Ie., not through marvels and miracles, but through the Qur’ān when it fully expounds the attributes of God, His established practices and the arguments of His comprehension. However, for this it is necessary that a person is prepared to recognize the truth per se.
Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:
This is followed by an image of believing hearts which enjoy a congenial atmosphere of reassurance, happiness and peace. They find comfort in their feeling that their bond with God is a real one, and that they are close to Him, secure with His support.
They are without worry, and worry is normally only generated when one is left alone or when one is unsure of one’s way. Such people understand God’s wisdom behind man’s creation, origin and destiny. They also find comfort in feeling secure against aggression, harm or evil, except as God wills for them. This is coupled with a resigned acceptance of whatever trial God wishes to test them with. They are reassured that God will always bestow on them His grace, giving them guidance, abundance and security in this life and in the life to come.
Such comfort in the heart is a profound reality in the hearts of believers who deeply and truly feel the meaning of faith. They have a bond with God which they recognize. They cannot express the meaning of such a bond in words.
It touches their hearts, generating a feeling of happiness and reassurance that they do not stand alone in this universe. Whatever surrounds them is a friend, because it is all made by God under whose protection they live.
No one on earth is more miserable than those who are deprived of the blessing of a close relationship with God. Those who, having severed the most essential bond with their Creator, feel that they have no relationship with all around them are bound to suffer great misery. Who can be more wretched than one who does not realize why he has been created, or where he is heading, or why he suffers? Forlorn indeed is the one who goes about his life feeling isolated in an endless desert, having to strive without support, guidance or help.
In life we often experience moments which none can withstand unless we are certain of God’s support and protection, regardless of whatever resources of fortitude, perseverance and power may be at our command. There are moments in life that render all that useless. But such moments can be faced easily by those who find their comfort in God.
Now you may listen to the following short clipped video to explanation of the aforesaid Ayat by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:
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.
You may refer to more Selected Verses from Sürah 13. Al Ra'd - The Thunder already published.
For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
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
- 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.
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