Surah Yasin 345919

Surah Yasin Para 22-23 Surah Yasin is probably the most frequently read chapter of the Quran, in our country. Numerous benefits are associated with its reading, especially in the mornings or whenever there is any difficult situation; or if someone is critically ill; or just for barakah. You get invited for reading it in gatherings; like khatam-e-Quran, khatam-

e-Yasin (reading it 41 or 71 times in one sitting) is a familiar and popular ritual, believed to be the remedy for all sorts of problems. Rarely does anyone pause to think that Surah Yasin like the rest of the Quran has a message in it for our guidance. Nobody bothers to find out what that message is. Mostly we prefer to treat this magnificent reminder like some magic words which will relieve us of our miseries. Whereas the truth is that if we read this Surah, just once but with proper understanding and apply its wisdom in our lives, it can truly relieve us of our misery of uncertainty and save us from the agony of going round and round in a senseless pursuit of worldly interests. Not only this but it can also help us throw away the burden of accumulated negligence regarding the hereafter, making us feel bright and optimistic about attaining the rewards of paradise. We all want permanent and everlasting success and happiness, but unfortunately we try to find it in this world, where it was not meant to be. The life in this world is only a test and instead of running after its illusions, the only thing that we need to pursue in this world is the straight path that will lead us to the fulfilment of our desires,

in the hereafter, which is when our actual life will begin. That is why Allah has taught us the dua “Ihdinassirat al mustaqeem” (guide us to the Straight Way) which we read in each and every unit of our five daily prayers. But only praying for guidance is not enough; we need to have a role model to follow in whom we can trust. Therefore Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) as a perfect example for us to follow till the end of time. The Quran is the guide book and the life and personality of the Prophet (s.a.w) is the practical application of this guidance. Therefore Allah begins this magnificent Surah with the assurance that if we want success in both the worlds we need to believe and follow our Prophet(s.a.w) who is truly one of the Messengers and is on that straight path of guidance:

{1} Ya Seen.

{2} I swear by the Quran full of wisdom

{3} !" Most surely you are one of the messengers

{4} $ %& '( ) $ * +, On a straight path

Next Allah tells us that this Quran is not just an ordinary thing. Now we might say that of course we know it’s a sacred book of Allah, and so we put it on high shelves, never putting anything on top of it,

holding it above newly married couples and reading it when someone dies. We think this is it! We have done our duty by showing this book the proper respect and now we can live our lives according to our own desires and self created standards of goodness. What we don’t want to acknowledge is the fact that The Quran was not meant just to be placed on high shelves, rather it should have been given the highest place on our priority list. We take care not to put anything on top of it but when faced with any situation in life do we stop to consider whether we might be putting our own desires on top of its teachings? Holding it above the bride and bridegroom was never taught to us; it is our self created innovation for which we should seek forgiveness of Allah. But its spiritual protection should certainly be held above us as a refuge from shaitan and as a guide for our entire lifetime. And the way we neglect it in our life and so religiously read it for the dead, it seems as if we have forgotten that it’s a magnificent guide for the living and not just an offering for the dead. Why Allah continues to let us live in spite of our thankless attitude is because He is Al- Raheem: the repeatedly merciful. So He keeps giving us chances to come back to him. But we should not forget that He is also Al-Aziz; The overpowering!

{5} . / /0 1 23 (This is) a revelation of the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.

What is the purpose of the Quran? Why did Allah sent this revelation to the Prophet (s.a.w)? As a warning to a nation whose forefathers were not warned and so they had become heedless (ghafil). Primarily it refers to the people of Makkah to whom no

messenger had come after Prophet Ismail (a.s) who was the son of Ibrahim (a.s) Now the teachings of the prophets had gradually been forgotten and although the Arabs called themselves the followers of Ibrahim and Ismail but in reality they had gone far away from the spirit of Islam, replacing Allah’s religion with a few self created rituals and worshipping idols made of wood and clay instead of worshipping the One and only Allah. If we compare it with our own situation, we find that there are amazing similarities of attitude. We also call ourselves Muslims and claim to believe in the Quran and the last Prophet of Allah but in reality there are only a handful of people who actually know what the Prophet’s life was all about and what were his teachings. Similarly there are some people who “read” the Quran but again only a few of them understand its message. We don’t worship Idols of course and believe in one Allah but let’s be honest; Do we really follow Allah’s commands in the way we plan and live our lives? Who are we following or “worshipping”? Our homes, our jobs, money, comfort, our own desires, or our own philosophies of life? As the Prophet (s.a.w) said in a Hadith: “The worst Idol that is worshipped instead of Allah is the desire of the self” What is the solution? What can bring us out of this ignorance and forgetfulness? What will save us from Allah’s punishment in the hereafter? It is definitely the Quran and nothing else. Not just in bits and pieces but a proper study, verse by verse, word to word. So that we might get in touch with our reality and our purpose of life and most of all we need to get in touch with Allah, our Creator and Sustainer:

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That you may warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, so they are unaware.

When I look at the Quran and its amazing clarity and depth, I wonder how a nation who has this treasure of wisdom can ever deviate from the straight path. Also I find it shocking that most people think it is not important to study this Book. They are mostly the highly educated, intellectual people who deny the need to act upon Allah’s commands. Allah has stated the same thing in the next Ayat:

{7} 7;( D 5 > < ? EF B +, G 7 H. I Already the word has come into effect upon most of them, so they do not believe.

Allah says that most people will not believe in it.......but why? Hasn’t Allah provided them with the resources to acquire knowledge and guidance? The fact is that the truth is obvious like the bright sun but they have their eyes closed to it.

{8} 7 '( >< 58K ML +" N > < PO Q = B > 8 5;, B N< 5; 0 R 5!" Surely We have placed shackles on their necks, and these reach up to their chins, so they have their heads raised aloft.

The shackles in their necks are actually the pride of self importance that keeps their head high in the air, so that they cannot see their own reality of helplessness in front of the absolute authority of Allah. They think that the power they have in this world is going to

remain with them forever and hardly think of dying or the hereafter. The glamour of this worldly life is like a wall in front of them which makes them totally forgetful of the Akhirah:

P > < ? 5; T = U< VI > W X ( VI > IB A ( 5; 0 R {9} Y Z And We have made before them a barrier and a barrier behind them, then We have covered them over so that they do not see.

Imagine yourself in an elevator.........you have walls all around you without any window and a roof on top. As you move up or down you can never know which floor you are on unless you see the indicators. No matter how intelligent you might be, you cannot perceive what is outside that enclosed space. Similarly the majority of people are so immersed in their worldly pursuits that they have erected invisible walls around themselves. Any talk of Allah, or Quran or Islam just bounces off these walls without touching them in any way. They have to lower these barriers themselves so that the truth of Quran might penetrate their hearts. Allah is telling the Prophet (s.a.w) here, that if the people of Makkah were not listening to him it was not because of any lack of effort on his part. The fact was that their own pride and prejudice was preventing them from acknowledging the truth. His warning could benefit only those people who wanted to take advice when it was given to them and who feared Allah:

$ R B \$ W ] A ^ _TZ< ` ] 5A . N T X F a: b Z3 ( 9 : ;3 5!" {11} c$ F You can only warn one who follows the message and fears the Most Merciful unseen. So give him good tidings of forgiveness and noble reward.

The remarkable point of this Ayat is that these people fear “the Most Merciful”!! How amazing it is that while some people use the same excuse for their lack of commitment, that Allah is so comionate so we don’t need to worry too much about the day of judgement; the true believers fear Allah despite His Mercy..........It is for this kind of humbleness that Allah has given the good news of forgiveness and honourable rewards. The fear of ability in the Akhirah is the most potent force which propels a believer towards purifying his heart and his actions. Because he knows that he is being watched all the time, and his thoughts and deeds are all being recorded by Allah. To reinforce this belief we need constant reminders otherwise we tend to get entangled in our day to day affairs and our life stretches out before us like an endless ocean. That is why Allah has sent us this following Ayat which acts as a most powerful reminder of the seriousness of our test in this world.

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! +37 N ! ! 5!" {12} $ Z( h$ 5(" N< Surely We give life to the dead, and We write down what they have put forth and what they have left behind, and We have enumerated everything in a clear .

Before we move on, let’s take a moment and ponder upon this beautiful Ayat which reflects the truth of our existence. Allah is telling us in very clear words that He is definitely going to raise the dead..........which means that our life is not going to end just like that. We are going to be born again so that we might be given the due return for our deeds. That is why each and every action of ours is being recorded in a clear Book. These include the deeds that we do and also the footsteps or impressions that we leave behind through our attitude and behaviour. How can we be careless after reading such a warning? Imagine that all around you are cameras, which are clicking away constantly day and night; capturing images of what you do, both alone and in company, recording the words that you say and the words that simply echo in your minds which we call ”thoughts”. Not only that but these cameras are also recording something which might not be readily visible to human eye............that is the impressions we create around us. The hidden effects of our deeds. For example if you write a book on Islam, it will not be recorded simply as the writing of one book , rather all the people who embraced Islam due to it, will also be counted in your favour. Similarly if you make a false accusation against someone, it will not be simply written as one mischief only, rather the damage created by that will also be counted against you. The examples could go on and on but the thing to understand is that whatever we do or say is not simply the act that appears at the time but it has an everlasting impact too. So we need to be very careful because apparently we might be doing great deeds of goodness but in such a way that it might drive a lot of people away from religion. It makes me think that if we understand this one Ayat and really absorb its message then our environment would be so much better

where everybody would be conscious about his own affairs and would be extra careful in his dealings with others. There would be no one hanging around without a purpose because there will be an awareness that we are going to have to answer for all our time on this earth. And the best thing about this is that no one can ever be judgemental about themselves or others because we simply cannot count the effects of our deeds and personalities. So until the time we are declared free from hell fire and actually gain an entry into paradise we can never be quite sure of ourselves. What an eye opener it is for those who want to see! To further illustrate this important concept, Allah states an example of a town where He sent two messengers. But the people of that town rejected them. So Allah sent a third messenger too but the people continued to blame them instead of believing that they had really brought the truth from Allah. It is human weakness that people don’t want to be proved wrong so when they see that their lives are going totally against the message brought by the Messengers of Allah, they start finding faults with them instead of accepting their own mistakes and correcting themselves. Look at their rash comments:

j i :, 5;_( ;& ;R ; 7>%;3 f k A 5! l3 5!" 758 {18} i B They said, "Indeed, we consider you a bad omen. If you do not desist, we will surely stone you, and there will surely touch you, from us, a painful punishment."

And while these people were busy trying to establish their superiority, by denying the truth, there came upon them a man who had come running from the remote part of the city, calling to them: “O My people! Follow these Messengers. Follow the ones who ask no reward of you and are rightly guided.” Now, one might ask, who was this person? Allah doesn’t tell us his exact identity because it is not important for us to know who he was, rather what he said and did was so remarkable that it has been recorded for us as an eternal example of unquestioning and complete belief in Allah, acceptance of His message and Loyalty for His Messengers. It is apparent that he had not attended any regular lectures on Tauheed because he had come from the further part of the city. He hadn’t had any direct with the messengers, yet whatever he had heard of Allah’s message had had such a deep impact on him that he was ready to give up all his former beliefs and ideas, in order to enter completely into the religion of Islam. His humility and acceptance of his own reality before the creator is amazing; as is apparent from his words:

{22} 70R 3 m " N! l < n:f I Z, B P N 5( And what reason have I that I should not serve Him Who brought me into existence? And to Him you shall be brought back;

5Ok e > %, 5We N_;, ] 3 fP op A . q " rO > m !q ( : s 3BB {23} : ; P Should I take other than Him [false] deities [while], if the Most Merciful intends for me some adversity, their intercession will not avail me at all, nor can they save me?

{24} $ Z'( G$ Q t NWf OK" N_!" Indeed, In that case I shall most surely be in clear error:

Just look at his logic and realistic attitude. He recognizes that since Allah had created him and has all the power then why should he worship anything else? It is not difficult for him to accept his helplessness before Allah; a reality which remains hidden from those people who cannot see beyond the walls of their false pride. He begs them to listen to him, one more time:

{25} 70 5< _A A u ;( N_!" Indeed I have believed in your Lord, therefore listen to me.

Consequently they killed that man and as he died he found that he had been granted paradise:

{26} 7 0 N(7 8 u 5 G 58 r ;v 1 Xq 1 8 It was said, "Enter Paradise." He said, "I wish my people could know

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( N; 0 R N_A9 N W = 5A Of how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honoured."

He was honoured by Allah simply because of his true faith, and comion for his people. Because even after being granted the paradise he is feeling sorry for his fellow men. If he would have been self-centred like the majority of people nowadays, he would have simply rejoiced in his good fortune and that’s it. What is our attitude when we see someone heading towards self destruction? We think well he deserves punishment and Oh thank God, I am such a pious person, Alhamdulillah.......... Do we feel any pain of his disbelief? Do we feel sorry for the countless people who do not have any awareness of what’s going to befall them in the hereafter? If not, then what kind of faith is this? If we ponder upon it, this is really the ideal combination; belief in the Creator and tenderness towards His creation. One is not acceptable without the other. We need to work upon both, even though it is difficult to shove off our natural tendency of hoarding everything good for our own self and simply not caring about others. It will be sheer folly to think that we will please our Lord just by having perfect belief in Him, if we are not loving and comionate towards other people. And similarly it is not good enough to do charitable deeds for mankind if we don’t have the right Aqeedah. As for those who disbelieve even after seeing all the signs and hearing all the true warnings, Allah doesn’t need any armies to destroy them all. He is comionate and merciful but His punishment is also very swift:

{29} I( 5X " It was not but one shout, and immediately they were extinguished.

And it doesn’t end here, because the actual day of reckoning has yet to come when the due rewards and punishments will be dealt out to all. No one can escape that day:

{32} p ( 5;I f bi R 5f 1x F " And Indeed all of them shall surely be brought before Us.

The disbelievers could not come to with the idea of resurrection. They said it was not possible for dust and bones to be turned again into human beings. And the sad thing is that nowadays even the Muslims have become so detached from the Quran that their faith in the hereafter has also become blurred. Allah wants us to look carefully and contemplate on the signs which He has placed for us in this world so that we might realize that it is not difficult for Allah to give life to the dead:

7F U m ; < 5VZ. 5>; ( 5;R X B 5?5; . B r % y 9 U > f rz {33} And a sign for them is the dead earth. We have brought it to life and brought forth from it grain, and from it they eat...

Most of us have become so absorbed in the race of materialism that we ignore the numerous blessings of Allah. We take these things for granted although each one of these is a miracle of Allah. Why is Allah telling us about it in the next Ayat? Because when we think about the amazing beauty of Allah’s creation, then it makes us feel

aware of Allah’s love and mercy. The heart becomes soft and fills up with awe and iration for this Supreme Creator who made such fabulous things for us:

{34} 7 0 ( 5> < 5! v< j $ 5;, B 1$ s! ( { $ 5;R 5> < 5; 0 R And We make therein gardens of palms and grapevines and We make springs to flow forth in it,

{35} T 5< B > IB m % , 5( ^ g ( 7F U That they may eat of the fruit thereof, and their hands did not make it; will they not then be grateful?

What has caused us to be so blind to the beauty of nature? It is mainly because of an ever growing struggle for material gains. Look at the overcrowded streets of over populated cities and see the restlessness in the expressions of people. Their way of talking, their manner of driving, their dealing with each other is like they are in some kind of mad race, in which no one knows where they have come from or where they are headed to........ All this comes to a halt when the day turns into the night, so softly and imperceptibly that we hardly notice it. The whole world seems to be covered by a dark comforting blanket. Isn’t it a miracle in itself? But only if we contemplate.....

{37} 7 | '( ? Kw< 9 5>; m ; ( } & ! 1 f > f rz And a sign for them is the night. We remove from it [the light of] day, so they are [left] in darkness.

Next Allah talks about the Sun and Moon, how each of them orbits in its own path, with its own speed, never deviating from their path, nor obstructing the other. Their obedience is so focused unlike us Human Beings, forever deviating from the right track, interfering into other’s affairs, wasting time and energy on non productive issues:

N< 1x F 9 5>; H A5 1 f 5 ~ 9 I 3 B 5> N]Z; T 5 {40} 7 Z& $ < Neither is it allowable to the sun that it should overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day; and all float on in a sphere.

Another amazing sign of Allah’s control over everything is the way He enables us to move across waters in ships. It is a miracle, because we know that even a small needle cannot hold itself on top of the water, and just look at the huge ships that remain floating? Who has caused it to happen except Allah?

{41} 7 T W N< > %_9K 5; . 5!B > f rz And a sign to them is that We carried their offspring in the laden ship.

And in the middle of that endless expanse of water who can save us from drowning except Allah. But the ungrateful people don’t acknowledge the greatness of Allah and go on living as if they are

the masters of their own lives. So if they are reminded that they should fear Allah, they remain totally unmoved:

{45} 7. 3 f0 W X 5( IB A 5( 73 > 1 8 K" And when it is said to them: Beware of what is before you and what is behind you, so that mercy may be had on you.

{46} t 0 ( 5>; , 7!5F 5f" > _A9 { 5 _( r$ _( > 3U 3 5( And no sign comes to them from the signs of their Lord except that they are from it turning away.

The main reason for their arrogance is that they don’t believe in the Akhirah. Their mockery is obvious in the way they ask about it:

{48} 8 q 5* %;F " I , 7 :? +%( 77 And they say: When will this threat come to , if you are truthful?

But the fact is that the day of judgement will come on its appointed time whether we believe in it or not, whether we fear it and prepare accordingly or prefer to close our eyes to it:

{53} p ( 5;I f bi R " It will not be but one blast, and at once they shall all be brought before Us;

That is going to be another world and things will be totally different there. There will be no illusions that day. And no injustices:

{54} 7 0 3 %;F 5( 5f" / v 3 5 5Ok e i W ! | 3 5 h 7 5< So this day no soul shall be dealt with unjustly in the least; and you will not be recompensed except for what you used to do.

Next we have the beautiful picture of paradise. The hardships one might face in this world in order to remain true to Allah, are nothing when you view it from the perspective of the Hereafter. What are a few years of sacrifice as compared to the eternal bliss of Paradise?

{55} 7>F 5< 1$ ] e N< h 7 r ;v j 5 * B f" Surely the companions of Paradise, that Day, will be amused in [joyful] occupation -

{56} D %( €9U +, G$ 5 N< > R ‚ B ? They and their shall be in shades, reclining on raised couches.

{57} 7,I 5( > rz > F 5< 5> < > They shall have fruits therein, and they shall have whatever they desire.

Who are these lucky people? Do they live on any other planet, in some other environment, where it’s “easy” to follow Islam? Where there are no temptations? Where there is no shaitan? No they are right here with us but we hardly pay any attention to them. So the believers in spirit and the believers in name, live side by side. The

truthful and the liar might be brothers, living in the same house, the honest and the criminal might be working as colleagues. No one knows where he stands in the sight of Allah. The sincere Momin and the hypocrite might be offering their Salat in the same mosque shoulder to shoulder, But on that day they will no longer be intermingled:

{59} 7( v 5>'B h 7 ‚5%( [Then He will say], "But stand apart today, you criminals.

What happens when you point out someone in a gathering, telling him he has done something wrong? The first reaction is shame and it is immediately followed by defensive arguments. But in that world of the hereafter, the criminals will not be allowed to offer any false excuses:

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On that day We will set a seal upon their mouths, and their hands shall speak to Us, and their feet shall bear witness of what they earned.

Today it might seem impossible that our hands and feet could be speaking against us. But if you think about it, if Allah could teach our tongues to speak, then how can He not put the same capability in our limbs? After all He is the one who created us, but the sad truth is that we have forgotten the Creator:

{77} i Z'( i YX 7 ? Kw< r$ W l '! ( ^ 5; X 5!B 5&!w B Does man not consider that We created him from a [mere] sperm-drop - then at once he is a clear adversary?

Allah is asking such a simple question here, from all those who have doubts about the resurrection:

+A > E ( H s B +, 9$ q 5A y 9 U { 5& H X n:f B {81} 0 ƒ 5fs 7 ? Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like of them? Yes! [it is so] and He is the Knowing Creator

We really need to focus our hearts and minds on the presence and Power of Allah who is the Creator, Owner and Provider of all things. The more we learn about Him, the easier it will be to understand His message and to follow the true path of Success. Nothing is difficult for Him to accomplish. If we are living here in spite of disobeying Him, it doesn’t mean that we can get away with it. It’s just Allah’s Mercy and Comion that He has given us a life span in which we have the means to acquire guidance and can turn towards him in sincere repentance. But if we don’t change our ways then we are going to have to pay for our wrong doings. It was so easy for Allah to make this universe and it is equally easy for Him to destroy it all in the blink of an eye or even sooner than that. What will save us then, except our good deeds that we did in the hope that Allah might

accept them and have mercy on us. Thus ends Surah Yasin, telling us once again in very clear words that Allah is the Absolute Owner of everything and we all have to return to Him. What other words will wake us from our heedlessness if not these?

{82} 7 < F m G 7 B 5Ok e q 9B K" ^ ( B 5!" His command, when He intends anything, is only to say to it: Be, so it is.

{83} 70R 3 m " d$ N e a1F { 7 ( ^ I A n:f 5 Z & < Therefore glory be to Him in Whose hand is the kingdom of all things, and to Him you shall be brought back. *****

Surah As-Saaffat Para-23 Bismillahir Rahman ir Rahim As I had studied and then wrote the review for Surah Yaseen, I had been thoroughly gripped by a feeling that this is it..... All has been said and explained in such clear strong words. So what else is there to say? But Allah created Man and He knows our weakness of forgetfulness, and He knows the dangers lurking around us. Therefore Quran reveals its reminders to us in waves upon waves. As soon as one recedes, the other one comes to take us in its effect. Thus, a person who holds on to this great book never goes astray.

Even if he is at times deluded by the devil and his own self, he soon reverts back to this magnificent fort of faith and finds himself even more committed to Allah’s obedience. So let’s step into the awesome world of Quran and discover the words of Allah in Surah As-Saaffat. The main theme of this Surah is Tauheed, (oneness of Allah) and Akhirah (the life of the hereafter). As in the following Ayaat (verses) Allah Himself testifies that “your God is one” and He is the Rabb of everything:

{4} Ii . 7 > " f" Most surely your Allah is One:

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The Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, and Lord of the sunrises.

Although the pagans of Makkah, to whom these verses were primarily addressed, believed in Allah; yet they had associated other partners with Him in the form of statues. When Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) called them to the true religion of One Allah, they did not accept his message because basically they were afraid to give up their reckless way of life which allowed them to do whatever they desired. Since they couldn’t find fault with the Quran so they tried to ridicule the Prophet (s.a.w) and his followers. Even today we see this behaviour among so called Muslims who believe in Allah but do not consider it important to be obedient to Him. We have to understand that a mere declaration that “there is no God but Allah”, is not enough. To prove this statement we need to follow His commands as revealed in the Quran and the teachings of His Prophet (s.a.w).

So what happens when someone reminds them of their duty towards Allah? Instead of accepting the truth, they make fun of it:

{13} F : 5 aFK K" And when they are reminded, they pay no attention.

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And when they see an Ayah (a sign, a proof or an evidence) from Allah they mock at it.

Today they hold long debates denying the Day of Judgement, but when they will have to face the reality on that appointed day, they will cry out in horror:

{19} | ; ? Kw< \z I . \z R ‚ N ? 5!w< So it shall only be a single shout, and behold, they will be staring!

{20} _I h 7 :? 5; 5 758

And they shall say: O woe to us! this is the day of recompense.

Then it will be said to them

{38} U j :0 7€: !" Most surely you will taste the painful punishment.

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And you shall not be rewarded except (for) what you did.

So we see that a big factor which influences our daily existence is our belief in the day of recompense. If this is distorted or blurred in confusion then we cannot move on the right track. For surely, the desire to succeed, together with the fear of failure, provides the

motivation to do well in any test, and what is this life except a test of our faith and obedience to the one Allah? Those who this test by remaining true to their commitment with their Lord, will be given great honour on the Day of Judgement:

{41} hi 70 ( ƒ i ‚ 9 > k B For them will be a known provision,

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Fruits, and they shall be highly honoured,

{43} 0; { 5;R N< In gardens of pleasure,

The question that used to baffle me the most, all through my school years, is that being Muslims, when we do have this belief that we are going to be held able for our actions, then why don’t we avoid sins? If we believe in reward and punishment then why are we so casual about not fulfilling Allah’s rights and people’s rights? What makes us believe that it is good enough if we just pick and choose bits and pieces from our religion and reject the things which are inconvenient for us to follow? Later on I realized that we learn these attitudes from our environment. Most of us are just following the trends. We don’t really think for ourselves, nor do we have any direct communication with Allah through Quran. It is our families and friends who have a profound influence on our beliefs, especially if we ourselves are out of touch with the authentic sources of knowledge. So it becomes extremely important to find the right friends and the right company so that we might be positively inspired by their righteousness and build our lives on sound principles. I was reminded of all of this by reading the following Ayaat in which we see a scene from the Paradise where people are

reminiscing about their former life and a person among them relates to the others how a companion of his used to put doubts in his mind regarding the resurrection. Now we should pay close attention to these verses because it is quite probable that we might be facing a similar situation, in which those who are far removed from the knowledge of Quran cannot accept anyone taking up religion seriously. So they give logics and all sorts of philosophies to dissuade us from our faith, using words like “extremism” and such. And sometimes the pressure becomes too much. That is why Allah has recorded this conversation in the Quran so that we can be reassured that one day the difficulties we sometimes face for the sake of Allah will seem very insignificant, and we will be grateful that we held on to the right way:

{51} i 8 N 5F N_!" > ; _( 1z €58 G 58 A speaker from among them shall say: Surely I had a companion (in the world)

{52} 8 _IY ;€B G 7 Who said: What! are you indeed of those who accept (the truth)?

{53} 7;I 5;€B 56(5|, 56A3 5;F 5;% ( :€B

What! when we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we then be certainly brought to judgment?

Just as in this life we are curious about the outcome of our friends’ results, so it will be offered to this person in Paradise, if he would like to see where his companion had ended up after going through the ability of Judgement Day:

{54} 70 fl'( %!B 1 ? G 58 He shall say: Would you (care to) look ?

{55} v d7 N< ^ < b f„5< Then he will look down and see him in the midst of the Hellfire.

At once he realizes how fortunate it was that he had remained firm in his conviction about the day of recompense and had not faltered under his companion’s negative influence. Imagine his relief at having been saved from a similar fate:

{56} q % {IF " m f53 G 58 He shall say: By Allah! you had nearly ruined me;

And look at this attitude---he knows that if he had followed his companion and given up his true beliefs then he could be burning along with him but he does not brag about his intelligence or piety, rather acknowledges the fact that it was Allah’s mercy on him that He had kept him on the right track:

{57} p ( u ; N_A9 r 0 ! 57 And had it not been for the favour of my Lord, I would certainly have been among those brought forth (to Hell).

Truly, to be saved from all misconceptions and negative influences that might lead us to Hell and to be guided towards Paradise is the ultimate success:

{60} |0 ‚ 7 W 7 > :" Most surely this is the mighty achievement.

But the thing to understand is that guidance and success are not given away just at random, rather Allah reminds us that to attain

this highest honour we all need to work hard. It will be foolishness to expect that we will be granted a free visa to paradise when we see that in this world where Allah is the provider of all our needs, He still has created a system in which we have to work for everything. Nothing comes easy......not even a morsel of food just enters your mouth by itself....you have to move your hands to the food and then take it to your mouth!! So get your concepts straightened up and identify the things that really matter, define your goals and then go for it.....with all the talents, capabilities and energy Allah has given you. that utmost struggle is the key to success:

{61} 7( 50 1 0 < :? 1 E For the like of this (success) --those who work, should be working for.

Another hurdle in our way to Paradise is that we blindly follow the faith of our forefathers. In other words, for a large majority of people, Religion is just a set of traditions that is transferred from one generation to the next. Allah puts this in such clear and direct words:

{69} a5t " Surely they found their fathers on the wrong path,

{70} 7, > ? 9 5g +, > < So they too hastened to follow in their footsteps!

Isn’t it ironical that for every other aspect of life we have devised new ways of living, and consider it backwardness to follow the elders; yet when it comes to religion we are not bothered to analyse

where we are headed to...... But then if ignorance and misconceptions are thus followed by generation after generation; what will be the fate of mankind? Obviously no one can save us except Allah, our Creator and Provider. The way He keeps giving us the means to fulfil all our physical, material needs; similarly He kept sending us His Messengers who guided people away from ignorance towards the light of guidance. Again it was left up to the free will of people whether they took heed of these warnings or not......

{72} 9: ;'( > < 5; 9 B I And certainly We sent among them warners.

{73} 9: ; r Z8 5, 5F … F | !5< Then see how was the end of those warned,

And now Allah tells us about His chosen Messengers who had committed their lives to the mission of bringing people to Allah’s obedience. The first example is that of Prophet Nuh (a.s) who spent 950 years, preaching Allah’s message to his nation. When after all his efforts the people continued to reject him, He asked Allah for help. After that there was a great flood in which the whole nation was drowned and only the Prophet and His followers were saved:

{76} |0 j ( m ? B ^ 5; v! And We delivered him and his followers from the mighty distress.

{77} 8 5Z ? m %_9K 5; 0 R

And We made his offspring the survivors.

Although very few people accepted his teachings, yet the greatest acceptance and appreciation is from Allah Himself who honours him in the following words:

{79} 50 N< † $ 7! +, hi 5 Peace and salutation to Nuh among the nations.

{80} ;& n/v ! : F 5!" Thus do We surely reward the doers of good.

{81} ;( D 5!q 5Z, ( m !"

Surely he was of Our believing servants.

The next Prophet, whom Allah honoured by calling him His friend, was Ibrahim (a.s)........what a supreme honour! But how did he get this title? His story is of extreme submission and selflessness. He was born into a society which had forgotten all about Tauheed and everywhere people were blindly worshipping idols made of wood and stone. His own father was an idolater and held an esteemed position in the king’s court due to his craftsmanship. But Ibrahim (a.s) did not blindly follow the traditions. Instead he started questioning people about their beliefs:

{85} IZ0 3 K5( m ( 7 8 m AU G 58 K " When he said to his father and his people: What is it that you worship?

{86} I3 m f q rO > 5O W €B

Is it falsehood (as) gods besides Allah-- do you desire?

Apparently no one listened to him in spite of all his reasoning with them. So one day when he was all alone while his people had gone to attend their national fair, Ibrahim (a.s) went into the temple of their gods and addressed them:

{91} 7F U 3 5B G 5< > %> +" ‡ < Then he turned aside to their gods and said: “What! do you not eat (of the offerings before you)?”

{92} 7l ;3 5 5( “What is the matter with you that you do not speak?”

Then he began striking them one after the other and destroyed them. As soon as the people discovered what had befallen their idols, they came running to Ibrahim (a.s) because they were sure no one else could do such a thing. But instead of being afraid of what they might do to him, Ibrahim (a.s) faced them with courage:

{95} 7% ; 3 5( IZ0 3B G 58 He Said: “What! do you worship what you (yourself) carve out?”

{96} 7 0 3 5( X m f

“While Allah has created you and what you make.”

It is quite often the case that when people can’t put down somebody at logic and reasoning, then all they can think of, is to subdue their opponent with force. So they decided to prepare a furnace for Ibrahim and to throw him into the blazing flames. But Allah saved him by His miracle that when he was thrown into the fire, it cooled down instantly. Even after seeing such a manifestation of Allah’s greatness, the people refused to believe, so Ibrahim (a.s) left his country saying:

{99} I> N_A9 +" ` i " G 58 And he said: Verily, I am going to my lord; He will guide me.

{100} 5Y ( N ` ? _j9

My Lord! grant me (offspring) from the righteous.

Allah listened to his prayers and blessed him with the good news of a son, even though at that time both Ibrahim (a.s) and his wife Hajarah (a.s) were quite old. Imagine how happy he must have been when his son Ismail (a.s) was born, who later on became a prophet too. But His trials had not ended there, as Allah had yet another test for him........When his beloved son reached the age of about 13, Ibrahim saw in his dream that Allah was commanding him to sacrifice his son. As prophets’ dreams are a kind of revelation so he knew he had to obey Allah’s command, however painful it was to do so. He called Ismail and told him about his dream, asking him his opinion. Imagine a son being asked such a question.........what do you suppose would be the reply? The calm, unperturbed response of Ismail was so amazing that Allah recorded it in His Quran for eternity so that we might know the rewards of setting an excellent example for our children by our own actions. If the father is willing to sacrifice all his life, even the love for his sole child, for the sake of Allah then that child will also be following the same standard of patience and submission before Allah’s decisions:

| !5< AK B N_!B h 5; N< ˆ9B N_!" N;A 5 G 58 N 0 & m 0 ( ‰ A 5<

A5Y ( m f d5e " N!I v % ( D 3 5( 1 0 < u AB 5 G 58 ˆ3 K5( {102} And when he (his son) was old enough to work with him, he (Ibrahim) said: O my son! surely I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offering you in sacrifice to Allah); So look what you think. He said: O my father! do what you are commanded; if Allah please, you will find me of the patient ones.

And so Ibrahim (a.s) laid down his son prostrate upon his forehead for sacrifice. As he was about to put the knife to his neck, Allah called out to him to stop!

{104} " 5 B ^ 5;q 5! And We called out to him saying: O Ibrahim!

{105} ;& n/v ! : F 5!" 5@ ' u 8I* I 8 You have indeed shown the truth of the vision; surely thus do We reward the doers of good:

{106} Z d5Z 7 > :" Most surely that indeed was a manifest trial.

By narrating this event Allah has made it so clear to us that to sacrifice our own pleasures for the sake of His obedience, is the ultimate proof of a person’s faith. Those who this test of love and submission are honoured by Allah in this world and also the next.

{108} X Š N< m , 5;F 3 And We perpetuated (praise) to him among the later generations.

{109} " +, hi 5 Peace and salutations be on Ibrahim.

{110} ;& n/v ! : F

Thus do We reward the doers of good.

Next Allah reminds us of the trials faced by Prophet Musa (a.s) and his brother Haroon (a.s) who also became a prophet. They had been given the awesome task of delivering Allah’s message of Tauheed to Pharaoh who had established himself as a god to his people. It was an uphill task all the way. Finally, after all their struggles, Allah saved them and their followers from the tortures of the evil forces of Pharaoh:

{115} |0 j ( 5> ( 7 8 5? 5; v! And We delivered them both and their people from the mighty distress.

{116} Z5] ? 7!5 < ? 5! Y !

And We helped them, so that they became victors.

Not only this but they were blessed with the sacred book of Torah and were guided to the right way. Their good names have been preserved in the generations to come. This is really a great reward for all their sacrifices:

{119} X Š N< 5> , 5;F 3 And We perpetuated (praise) to them among the later generations.

{120} 95? +7( +, hi 5

Peace be on Musa and Haroun.

{121} ;& n/v ! : F 5!"

Even thus do We reward the doers of good.

Ilyas (Elias) was also Allah’s messenger who had been sent to a nation who worshipped their invented god named “baal”. He told them that Allah is the only one who has the right to be worshipped. But they denied him. Apparently this was not a success story but when you work for Allah then the outcome of your efforts in this world do not matter. Look, how Allah appreciates his sincerity and hard work:

{130} 5 G " +, hi 5 Peace be on Ilyas.

{131} ;& n/v ! : F 5!"

Even thus do We reward the doers of good.

{132} ;( D 5!q 5Z, ( m !" Surely he was one of Our believing servants.

Now Allah re Prophet Lut (a.s) who put up with an extremely difficult situation, trying to guide a whole nation of homosexuals into leaving their evil practices. But they would not listen to him so Allah destroyed them all and saved his messenger and a handful of his followers. Except his wife who used to take sides with the wrong doers.

{134} 0 R B m " When We saved him and his followers, all--

{135} A5] N< 6‚7v, 5f"

Except an old woman (his wife) who was amongst those who remained behind.

{136} X Š 5! (q g Then We destroyed the others.

An important lesson in this story is that everyone is responsible for his own actions. No matter how closely you might be related to a righteous person, it cannot save you unless your own deeds are in obedience to Allah. Some people have this misconception that since we are the followers of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) then we will surely go to Paradise. Or that we belong to this group or to that family so we are the chosen favourites of Allah. It is precisely to remove this wishful thinking that Allah has given us such a detailed picture of all these Prophets......how they spent their lives and how they were rewarded for what they did. The next story, which is of Prophet Yunus (a.s), is a remarkable example of Allah’s mercy. Younus (Jonah) called his people to the Oneness of Allah but was disheartened by the constant denial of his

nation, and their unwavering rejection of Allah’s message. When he felt that they were not going to change their ways, he thought it was time that he should leave them to their fate and so he went off in a fury, without realizing that he should first wait for Allah’s command before taking such a step. Upon reaching the sea shore he boarded a crowded ship, which started to drown just as they reached the middle of the sea. When they began casting of lots to decide whom to overthrow to lighten the ship, Younus’s name came up and so He was thrown into the sea, where a big fish swallowed him whole.......

{140} 7 T W +" H AB K " When he ran away to a ship completely laden,

{141} p . I ( 5 < ? 5&< So he (agreed to) cast lots, and he was among the losers.

{142} i ( 7 ? { 7 m % 5<

So the fish swallowed him while he did that for which he blamed himself

Now imagine what a horrible situation it was for a person who was already heartbroken by the obvious failure of his efforts and struggles in the way of Allah. But now he had realized his mistake of taking a hasty decision and giving up on himself and his people too soon. So immediately he asks for forgiveness, glorifying Allah and itting his error. Allah says:

{143} _Z& ( 5F m !B 57 < had he not been of them who glorify Allah,

{144} 7E0 Z h 7 +" m ;l A N< ‹ Z

He would certainly have remained in its belly till the day of resurrection.

So Allah saved him by causing the fish to throw him up on the desolate shore, where a plant grew by Allah’s orders to give him shade and food. When he was restored to good health, Allah sent him to a nation which believed in him.....

{147} I/ B … $ B r k( +" ^ 5; 9 B And We sent him to a hundred thousand (people), or even more.

{148} $ . +" ? 5;0 %< 7;( Š<

And they believed, so We gave them enjoyment for a while.

It is a clear reminder that even if Prophets, who are the chosen people of Allah, can be held able for their slight errors then who are we to think that paradise will be granted to us automatically. I simply love reading this story because it removes all hopelessness from my heart. It reassures me that while making mistakes, is a human weakness, but glorifying Allah and repenting for one’s mistakes is so much appreciated and rewarded by Allah. I have myself experienced it that every time I do sincere Tauba, I feel renewed and energized to start living again with a clean heart and soul. How merciful Allah is for giving us these practical solutions to problems that seem impossible to cure. And so after this beautiful journey through time, in which we saw these perfect people whom Allah chose as His messengers, we have the following age in which Allah puts an end to the mythology of the ancient Arabs, who used to believe that the angels were Allah’s daughters. Thus they made statues in their likeness and worshipped them as gods believing that they brought them good luck and fortune. It was a pity that after all the teachings of Tauheed which the Messengers had delivered to them, they still couldn’t come out

of their distorted beliefs. So Allah is asking them, what’s wrong with you? How can you make such tales? Is there any proof for your statements?

{154} 7 3 … F 5( What is the matter with you, how do you judge?

{155} fF: 3 5< B

Will you not then ?

{156} i Z'( z 5l h B Or have you a clear authority?

The angels know what their place is, in the order of the universe and they are aware of their responsibilities. They say:

{164} hi 70 ( hi 5( m 5f" 5;( 5( And there is not one of us (angels) but has his assigned place (or position),

{165} 7Œ<5Y ; 5!" And most surely we are they who draw themselves out in ranks,

{166} 7 _Z& ; 5!" And we are most surely they who declare the glory (of Allah).

The people of Makkah used to say that had they been given a Devine revelation, then they would be the true believers. But as time and events proved later on, it was just an empty claim:

{167} 77 7!5F " And surely they used to say:

{168} U _( 6F K 5!I ;, fB 7

Had we a reminder from those of yore,

{169} Y s m f q 5Z, 5;

We would certainly have been the servants of Allah-- the purified ones.

{170} 7 0  7 & < m A W <

But (now) they disbelieve in it, so they will come to know.

It is an attitude that is found among people even today. They boldly claim that when Allah wishes He will bring them to the true guidance. And they don’t want to be reminded of the fact that they have to ask for this guidance and they have to pay the price, which is hard work and sincerity of purpose. It cannot be simply handed to them on a tray. And do they think that Islam depends on them? No it is Allah’s true religion and He is enough to uphold it. So Allah reminded the disbelievers of Makkah that His Prophet(s.a.w) and his followers will definitely be victorious:

{171} 5!q 5Z0 5;% F u Z I And certainly Our word has already gone forth in respect of Our slaves, the messengers:

{172} 97Y; > > !"

Most surely they shall be the triumphant ones

{173} 7Z5] > 5!I ;R f"

And most surely Our hosts alone shall be the victorious ones.

And all praise to Allah who is perfect and free from all that the disbelievers associate with Him:

{180} 7WY 5, \ /0 _j9 _A9 5 Z Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Honour and power, (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him.

{181} +, hi 5 And peace be on the messengers.

{181} 50 _j9 m f I

And all praise and thanks is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. *****

What a glorious end to a magnificent Surah! I pray to Allah that He might make it easy for us to understand the truth of His message and to apply it in our lives. This is what really matters after all.

Surah Saad Para-23

Today when so much is being said and done against the religion of Allah, this Surah came to me as a powerful reminder of how important it is for us to open this great Book of Allah, understand it and convey it to others so that our hearts may find peace and we may follow Allah’s commands with conviction and desire. We need to be fully convinced that even if some people are using every possible

measure in trying to distort the image of Islam, it certainly is the true religion. Surely, doubt is like a poison which eats away at our faith, making us lose our focus and sense of direction. Therefore Allah is assuring us here that this Noble Quran is full of goodness and guidance but the disbelievers are in sheer arrogance and are deliberately deviating from what is good:

. . Ž & A {1} F a: nK  Saad, I swear by the Quran, which is full of onition.

{2} ƒ $ 5e \$ /, N< W F :f 1 A

But those who disbelieve are in self-exaltation and opposition.

And then they ridicule the person who brings to them the message of Allah......Just like the disbelievers said about the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.):

78: 5 1 A nF K _( oe N< " Rather, they are in doubt about My message. Rather, they have not yet tasted My punishment.

What if we come across a similar situation? What should we do when someone makes fun of our religion or says negative things about our Prophet or the good people who are following His Sunnah (way of life) by conveying the message of Quran to others? Allah says: be patient, don’t talk back, don’t react in a negative way, rather make

yourself knowledgeable, increase your awareness about the virtuous people who have come before you and learn from them how to live, how to face various situations:

{17} j i B m !" I U K q q 5!I Z , F K 77 5( +, Z* Bear patiently what they say, and Our servant Daud (David), the possessor of power; surely he was frequent in returning (to Allah).

The Prophet Da’ud (David) was a magnificent King and Allah had given Him extraordinary voice so that when He sang praises of Allah, the mountains and the birds ed in this glorification of their Lord. And he was also blessed with a grand kingdom along with two most prized qualities of character:

{20} j 5ls 1 Y < r

^ 5; 3 m ( 5!q I e And We strengthened his kingdom and We gave him wisdom and a clear judgment in speech.

This shows that for a man to rule the land; or to lead any nation or organization; or even a household, the most important thing after Allah consciousness is “Hikmat”. This can best be defined as the ability to make the right decision at the right time. Such a person is not ruled by his emotions or desires; rather he speaks and acts with wisdom and sincerity. His second quality; that we need to develop too; is to communicate effectively. The most brilliant ideas or detailed instructions can turn useless if they are not communicated to others in the right manner. So Allah said to His Prophet, Da’ud (a.s)

5 _H 5A ‘ 5; A . 5< y 9 U N< rO W X ~ 5; 0 R 5!" q q 5 > m f 1 Z , 7Œp :f f" m f 1 Z , fp < ˆ7> b Z%3 {26} j 5& h 7 7&! 5A Ii Ie j i :,

O Da’ud! surely We have made you a ruler in the land; so judge between men with justice and do not follow your own desires, lest it should lead you astray from the path of Allah; (as for) those who go astray from the path of Allah, they shall surely have a severe punishment because they forgot the day of reckoning.

From the above Ayat it is obvious that the two things which cause misguidance and disaster is firstly to blindly follow one’s desires and secondly to be forgetful of the Day of Judgement. You look around and you see people living as if they are going to live here forever; going about their daily routine without any sense of ability. Allah is focusing their attention to the fact that He has not created this world without a purpose:

WF :f ' K 5O„ 5A 5> ; A 5( y 9 U d5& 5; X 5( {27} 9 5; ( W F :fa 1z 7 <

And We did not create the heaven and the earth and what is between them in vain; that is the opinion of those who disbelieve then woe to those who disbelieve on of the fire.

It means that to deny the day of recompense is “Kufr” (disbelief). Allah asks them, how can they even think that the good and the bad will be treated alike?

h B y 9 U N< I& W 5F { 5 5Y 7 , 7;( :f 1 0 v ! h B {28} 9 5vW 5F % 1 0 v !

Shall We treat those who believe and do well like the mischief-makers in the earth? Or shall We make those who guard (against evil) like the wicked?

The people who bring up such doubts about the Day of Judgement claim to have a lot of reasoning behind their philosophies and appear to be very knowledgeable and clever. But Allah challenges them that if they are so intelligent then they should contemplate over the verses of the Quran, if they really want to find the truth:

{29} j 5Z U 7 B fF: % m 35 AI a ~i 9 5Z( " ^ 5; / !B j i 5%F This Book which We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) is highly blessed, so that they may ponder upon its verses and the men of understanding may learn a lesson from it.

Da’ud (a.s) was granted a son, Suleiman (a.s) who also became a Prophet. Here Allah mentions his most superior quality......that he was “Awwab”; which means that he used to turn to Allah in every situation:

{30} j i B m !" I Z 0 0 ! 5 q I 5;Z ? And to Daud We gave Suleiman, (Solomon) most excellent devotee! Surely he was frequent in returning (to Allah).

This attitude of humbleness before Allah was especially irable in Prophet Suleiman (a.s) who had been blessed with all the powers of a grand kingdom and wide-spread authority not only over the land and people but also over Jinn and animals and birds- even on the air which used to flow at his command. But instead of being arrogant he always ed that in reality everything belonged to Allah, so all that grandeur further increased his love for Allah.......as is apparent in the following incident:

{31} q 5 v { 5;< 5Y _NT 0 5A m , y , K " When one evening, excellent-bred horses were presented before him....

j 5v 5A { 9 73 +%. N_A9 F K , s `. u Z Z. B N_!" G 5<

{32}

Then he said: Surely I have adopted the love of these good things with a view to glorify my Lord-- until they disappeared from sight.

{33} ƒ 5;, U ƒ 7'&5A 56 & ( H W l < N, 5?'q9

(he said) Bring them back to me; so he began to his hand over their legs and necks (with affection)

These are one of my most favourite and delightful Ayaat, because I feel so liberated to know that Allah has allowed us to love and ire the “worldly” things (Halal things not Haram......be careful!) on the condition that this love should increase our love for the Creator and it should not make us arrogant or negligent of our basic duty towards Allah. So Allah has not completely put a ban on our emotional needs.....they just have to be channelized into a proper direction. The main focus of our love should be Allah. And for His sake if something enables us to work more efficiently in Allah’s way then there is no harm in loving that thing; be it wealth or material blessings, or love for the righteous people for the sake of Allah. Such a person who re and ires Allah when he ires one of His creation; provided it’s not something which Allah has forbidden; will actually be rewarded for it. That is why Allah says about Suleiman (a.s):

{40} j $ Š( & . +W / 5!I ;, m f" Surely he has a place of nearness to Us and will have an excellent place of final abode.

Learning about the righteous people of Allah, is a source of great inspiration for us, therefore Allah gives us another example of patience and perseverance from the life of His Prophet, Ayub (a.s). He was afflicted with a terrible skin disease which made it impossible for others to endure his presence, so all his family and friends left him one by one but even in his anguish and isolation he never complained and did not stop worshipping Allah. So as a reward for his patience, Allah granted him back his health and his family and a kingdom much more splendid than ever before. Thus Allah appreciates Him:

{44} j i B m !" I Z 0 0 ! 6A5* ^ 5!I R 5!"........ .......Certainly We found him full of patience. He was an excellent devotee, who turned to Us over and over again.

The Quran is full of such brilliant examples:

{45} 9 5YAU nIU N B j 70 ƒ 5 " " 5!q 5Z, F K And Our servants Ibrahim and Ishaq and Yaqoub, men of power and insight.

All these Prophets were given magnificent power and vision. What a great combination it is when a person has depth of insight and far sightedness, and also has the power to bring his plans and ideas into action. Vision alone is nothing but dreams and to act without insight is mere foolishness. But the combination of both these faculties produces excellent results. Without doubt, it is a gift from Allah and here Allah tells us why he chose these people for this gift and also for the gift of Prophet-hood:

{46} 9 I ˆF K r$ Y 5sA ?5;Y X B 5!"

Surely, We chose them for their special quality of keeping in mind the abode of Hereafter

So this is the key: Remembrance of Akhirah, the hereafter. I often observe that Allah has made us in such a way that our natural abilities remain hidden unless there is a motivation to bring them out. When you are focused on a high target then your hidden powers come to surface to assist you in attaining those goals. So when you focus your sight on the hereafter, your vision is increased and when you decide to work for it then other physical powers come into action too. So I have learned that Allah gives to us according to our aspirations. Then we see that Allah reminds us of some other Prophets too:

{48}9 5 X U _( 1x F 1 W K b & 1 ,5 " F K And Ismail and Al-Yasha and Zulkifl; and they were all of the best.

So many people try to read Quran like an ordinary book; not giving it its due recognition or importance; forgetting that it is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. They don’t understand that it is Allah’s greatest favour on us that He enables us to understand His words. But this favour cannot be attained without proper respect for the Message as well as the Messenger. So they leaf through its translations and criticize things which they don’t understand.......One of their most common remarks is about the mention of earlier nations and the Prophets. It seems irrelevant to them.......the stories of the former people. The fact is that these lessons from the history of the world motivate us to assess ourselves and see how we can too, become the favourites of Allah and save ourselves from Allah’s anger and punishment.

Nothing else can make us believe in the Hereafter, except the Quran, which portrays such beautiful and attractive pictures of the paradise that inspire us towards making ourselves entitled for this delightful place...

{49} j $ Š( & % f" i F K :? This is a reminder; and most surely there is an excellent resort for those who guard (against evil),

{50} j 7AU > f rO %W'( $ I , { 5;R The gardens of perpetuity, the doors are wide opened to receive them.

{51} j $ e \$ “ EF r$ > F 5WA 5> < 7,I 5> < k %(

Reclining therein, calling therein for abundant fruits and delicious drink.

{52} j i 3B  fl { * 58 ? I ;, And with them shall be those (bashful virgins) restraining their eyes, (companions) equals in age.

{53} j 5& h 7 I, 73 5( :? This is what you are promised for the day of reckoning.

The best thing about Paradise is that with it will never end:

{54} q$ 5W! ( m 5( 5;8 ‚ :" Most surely this is Our sustenance; it shall never come to an end;

But Allah has created everything for a purpose and just as he created this beautiful paradise for his faithful slaves, He has also created Hell fire for those who deny His rights and those who disobey Him. What else can make us strong enough to give up our bad habits....... except the reminder of this terrible torture?

{55} j $ Š( T = 5fl f" :? This (shall be so); and most surely there is an evil resort for the rebellious ones;

{56} q 5> k Z< 5>!7 Y ;>R

Hell; they shall enter it, so evil is the resting-place.

{57} ƒ i 5&= i . ^ 78: < :? This (shall be so); so let them taste it, boiling water and festering blood (pus).

Next Allah describes how the companions of the Hell Fire will be fighting among themselves. It is natural for people to blame and curse one another when going through extremely painful times. But the one thing which caught my attention is that they will be surprised not to find among themselves the good people whom they ridiculed in the world for following the right way, whom they called names such as extremists and fundamentalists:

{62} 9 e U _( ?'I0 ! 5;F 5O5R9 ˆ! 5 5; 5( 758 Then they will say (to one another) “But why do we not see those who we deemed wicked-

{63} 9 5YAU > ; , u = ‚ h B 5V s ? 5!: s 3B And whom we used to ridicule? Or has our eye-sight failed to notice them?”

It is the final reward that counts; so it shouldn’t bother us if people talk against us in this world for following Allah’s religion. What harm can their comments do except to their own selves? In this life, too, the negative minded person keeps burning inside with hatred and fury and envy, and in the hereafter too they shall burn in a greater fire. May Allah save us all from such an end (Ameen)

Thus Allah comforts His Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) who was being severely pressurised by the opposition of the Disbelievers of Makkah:

{65} 9 5> I . 7 m f 5f" m$ " ( 5( 9i : ;( 5!B 5!" 1 8 O Prophet tell them, : I am only a Warner, and there is no god but Allah, the One, the Subduer (of all):

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The Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, the Mighty, the most Forgiving.

The absolute power and authority of Allah and the horrors of the Day of Judgement are the two realities which often remain hidden from our thoughts and this is the main reason for our casual attitude towards religion:

{67} i |, UzZ! 7 ? 1 8 Say: It is a message of importance,

{68} 7t 0 ( m ; , %!B (And) you are turning aside from it:

But a question arises that when there were so many Prophets coming to guide the people one after the other; and they all worked with so much sincerity; then why did a majority of people not believe? What led them to their disbelief and ultimately their destruction? Even today when we have the Blessed Quran and the teachings of our Prophet Muhammad, (s.a.w).....why is it that so many people are not willing to accept this message? What stops them? We find the answer to this in the following story: It all started from day one, when Allah created Man:

{71} $ „ ( 6T A Hi 5X N_!" r €5 'A9 G 58 K " Behold when your Lord said to the angels; Surely I am going to create a man from clay:

{72} IR 5 m 70 < N.'9 ( m < u s W ! m %7 Kw< So when I have made him complete and breathed into him of My spirit, then fall down and prostrate yourselves before him.

So what happened was that they all prostrated except Iblees (the devil) who acted arrogantly and so he disobeyed. Allah asked him:

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% B nI A u X 5 I v & 3 B 0 ;( 5( A" 5 G 58 {75} 50 ( Allah said: O Iblees! what prevented you from prostrating yourself to him whom I created with My two hands? Are you too proud or do you think that you are one of the exalted ones?

Look at his answer......aren’t the same words lurking in the back of our minds too? The sense of superiority.....

{76} $ „ ( m % X 9$ 5! ( N;% X m ; _( i X 5!B G 58 He said: I am better than he; you have created me of fire, and you created him of dust.

What could have been the reward for such arrogance? That too before the Creator of the Worlds....

{77} i R9 !w< 5>; ( ” X 5< G 58 Allah said: Then get out of here, for surely you are accursed:

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And surely My curse shall be on you till the day of judgment.

But then Iblees asked for respite till the day of judgement which he was given. So he swore in his anger and frustration that he was going to mislead all men and take them along with him to the Hell except those who were sincere to Allah. Even he knew that he could not mislead the committed ones!

{82} 0 R B > ;7 = U 3/0Z< G 58 Iblees said: Then I swear by your honour, I will surely mislead them all

{83} Y s > ; ( ~ q 5Z, 5f" Except your chosen sincere devotees among them.

So this is our test: To recognize our enemy- Iblees and to make ourselves strong against his evil influence. Nothing can give us this strength except Allah’s remembrance and His Quran. We need to familiarize ourselves with this great book by spending time with it regularly,

consistently......

sometimes

just

reading

its

text,

sometimes understanding it and sometimes conveying its message to others. But mostly we need to act upon it ourselves and also remind others about it too. It is the only way out. If we don’t accept this truth now then surely the time is coming very close when we will all see the complete reality with our own eyes. At the end we have this reminder which is the gist of this entire Surah:

{87} 50 a i F K 5f" 7 " This (Quran) is nothing but a reminder to all the nations;

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And before long you will certainly know its truth.

Surah Az-Zumar Para 23-24 Bismillahir-Rahman-ir-Rahim Belief in the oneness of Allah is called “Tauheed”. When we believe that only Allah is our Lord and only He himself is the Creator, the Owner, the Provider and the Master of our destiny, then all our worship will be purely for Allah, all our hopes will be associated only with Allah; consequently our major concern will be to win His pleasure and likewise our only fear will be of His anger or displeasure. This is the first and foremost pillar of Islam and we have to hold tight to it because to associate any partner with Allah completely overturns the whole structure of one’s religion. Thus we see that in the Surahs which were revealed in Makkah, the principle of Tauheed was strengthened into the hearts of the believers, along with vivid descriptions of the life of the hereafter, so that they could clearly see the absurdity of the glamorous world of idols that the disbelievers had created around Ka’ba in the name of religion. Surah Az-Zumar is also one of the Surahs of the Makkan period, and revolves around the main theme of Tauheed and openly challenges the disbelievers to face the fact that there is no substance in their false idols and if they don’t accept the true religion they will face unending torment of Hell fire. It begins with an open declaration from Allah:

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Now, surely, sincere obedience is due to Allah (alone) and (as for) those who take guardians besides Him, (saying), We do not serve them save that they may make us nearer to Allah, surely Allah will judge between them in that in which they differ; surely Allah does not guide him aright who is a liar, ungrateful.

Although we believe in the unseen and have faith in Allah and the angels and the Heaven and Hell without having seen them but Allah has displayed numerous signs in the universe for us to feel His presence. So in the next verses Allah makes us ponder over His signs of “Tauheed”:

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He has created the heavens and the earth with the truth; He makes the night cover the day and makes the day overtake the night, and He has made the sun and the moon subservient; each one runs on to an assigned term; now surely He is the Mighty, the great Forgiver.

How could all of this be happening with such precision and harmony if there were more gods except Allah? Then take a good look at your own self and see where have you come from? How can anyone be arrogant after reading this Ayat? Could anyone else design such creation other than Allah?

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{6} He has created you from a single being, then made its mate of the same (kind), and He has made for you eight of the cattle in pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers-- a creation after a creation-- in triple darkness; that is Allah your Lord, His is the kingdom; there is no god but He; whence are you then turned away?

Although after such solid proofs there should be no doubt in the Absolute Oneness of Allah, however it is very common that some people continue to hold fast to their wrong beliefs simply because of their rebellious attitude. They don’t want to accept the truth because then they will have to accept that they were not right. So this arrogance keeps them misguided. Allah is warning them that in such a case they will themselves be the losers:

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If you disbelieve, then verily, Allâh is not in need of you, He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you. No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, so He will inform you what you used to do. Verily, He is the All-Knower of that which is in the hearts.

It is very interesting to note that even those who stubbornly refuse to submit before Allah; call to Him when they face some calamity and know that no one can save them except Allah. However, as soon as they come out of that situation they act like they have completely

forgotten whom they were calling in time of distress. Who are they fooling except themselves?

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And when some hurt touches man, he cries to his Lord (Allâh Alone), turning to Him in repentance, but when He bestows a favour upon him from Himself, he forgets that for which he cried for before, and he sets up rivals to Allâh, in order to mislead others from His Path. Say: "Take pleasure in your disbelief for a while: surely, you are (one) of the dwellers of the Fire!"

Worship is not just a set of rituals to help you through difficult times, rather it is the expression of love and submission for the Creator at all times, especially in the quietness of night, when a true believer prostrates before the Lord of the universe, fearing the horrors of the day of recompense, yet at the same time hoping for Allah’s mercy:

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Is one who is obedient to Allâh, prostrating himself or standing (in prayer) during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disbelieves)? Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?" It is only men of understanding who will (i.e. get a lesson from Allâh's Signs and Verses).

What has enabled these people to develop this kind of relationship with Allah that keeps them awake at night? It is their knowledge that makes all the difference. The awareness that Allah is to be feared is the greatest knowledge. That is why we see that at the

end of the above Ayat Allah honours these people by saying that those who know cannot be like the ones who do not know. Some people have been misled into believing that the Allah-fearing people must necessarily be living a pathetic life, having no comforts of the world. Allah puts an end to this misconception:

rz ;& . 5 !'I ^ : " rz 0 m f y 9 B Say: O my servants who believe! be careful of (your duty to) your Lord; for those who do good in this world is good, and Allah's earth is spacious; only those who are patient will be paid back their reward in full without measure.

Still some people fear that if they adopt the true religion and abide by its teachings then maybe people will make negative comments and single them out for ridicule. So in the following verses it seems as if Allah is saying “Why should you fear anyone except Me? Just tell them that this is what I have been ordered by the Lord, to purely worship Him and no one else......”

{11} _I m f 56Y s ( m f I Z, B B { ( B N_!" 1 8 Say: I am commanded that I should serve Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience.

{12} & G B 7FB U { ( B And I am commanded that I shall be the first of those who submit.

If someone calls you a loser, tell them who the actual loser is.......

> & W !B & X :f 5s f" 18 m !q _( %k e 5( IZ, 5< {15} Z & s 7 ? K 5B r ( 5 h 7 > ? B Then serve (worship) what you like besides Him. Say: The losers surely are those who shall have lost themselves and their families on the day of resurrection; now surely that is the clear loss.

What a terrible punishment they will face:

m A m f  _7s K 1z  > % 3 ( 9 5; _( 1z  > 8 7 < _( > {16} 735< q 5Z, 5 ^ q 5Z, They shall have coverings of fire above them and coverings beneath them; with that Allah makes His servants to fear, so be careful of (your duty to) Me, O My servants!

Sometimes we think that staying pure in this day and age is next to impossible and how can we give up certain things which have become so essential to us even though they lead us away from Allah’s path? At such times we must that this life is just a test and maybe it takes a lot of struggle to give up things which displease Allah but then see how much reward there is for those who stay away from wrong ways:

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And (as for) those who keep off from the worship of the idols and turn to Allah, they shall have good news, therefore give good news to My servants,

How do these people manage to stay away from evil? Are they born lucky? Allah tells us that they have two qualities due to which they get guidance; one is that they listen carefully and then they act upon what is good....

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Those who listen to the word, then follow the best of it; those are they whom Allah has guided, and those it is who are the men of understanding.

In this life we have a choice of action. We can do good or bad. But once this test is over then we cannot change the results and there is no chance of a re-test. On one side there will be people burning in the hell and on the other side is such luxury, such beautiful description of Paradise....a promise from Allah and we know that He doesn’t go against His promises:

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{20} q 50 m f … s 5 m f I , 9 5>!U 5>% 3

But (as for) those who are careful of (their duty to) their Lord, they shall have high places, above them higher places, built (for them), beneath which flow rivers; (this is) the promise of Allah: Allah will not fail in (His) promise.

This Quran is full of these onitions but then why don’t people take it seriously? Maybe Arabic is not their language but then what about the vast Arabic speaking world? Are they all living according to the Quranic teachings? Is Hadith their guiding principle in their day to day life? If not, then why is it so? We have been told in the Quran that Allah has made Quran easy to understand; revealed it in a language that is easy to learn. So if language is not a problem then why is it that so many Muslims are not following the true way of life and are not exactly reflecting a good representation of Islam? Allah gives the answer in the next Ayat:

r 5 a 1z 7 < m _A9 _( 9$ 7! +, 7 > < h 5 w ^ 9 I * m f † e < B {22} $ Z( G$ 5t N< k B m f F K _( >A78 What! is he whose heart Allah has opened for Islam so that he is in a light from his Lord (like the hard-hearted)? Nay, woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah; those are in clear error.

This happens to be one of my most favourite Ayaat and fills me with a deep sense of gratitude to Allah. He has made us in such a beautiful way. We see and we hear and we receive information but the heart is the place where this information is processed. So if there is an acceptance in the heart for something then it is not only understood, rather its effect is circulated like blood in the whole body. On the other hand if the heart doesn’t open up, then no matter how logical or valid the information might be, it just won’t be understood or accepted by that person. This opening of the heart for truth is a special gift from Allah given to those who truly desire it, leaving aside their prejudices, willing to it their mistakes, willing to take Allah as the most Superior-Being.......superior to their logic and their desires.....superior to their own sense of superiority. Otherwise we see people who become even more hard hearted if they are reminded about Allah or Islam, because Allah has put a seal on their hearts due to their rebellion and their bloated egos. See how Allah describes the effect of His words on the “open hearted” people:

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Allâh has sent down the best statement, a Book (this Qur'ân), its parts resembling each other in goodness and truth, oft-repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allâh. That is the guidance of Allâh. He Guides therewith whom He pleases and whomever Allâh sends astray, for him there is no guide.

As for those who prefer to live by their own rules, here is a warning which makes my heart tremble in fear.........fear for the displeasure of Allah and His punishment:

{25} 0 T 5 ‹ . ( j :0 ? 53U< > Z 8 ( :f j f:F Those before them rejected (prophets), therefore there came to them the chastisement from whence they perceived not.

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So Allah made them taste the disgrace in this world's life, and certainly the punishment of the hereafter is greater; did they but know!

For us Muslims, who have this Quran, there is no excuse for being ignorant or unaware. Allah has told us the same thing in countless ways:

fF: % > f0 f 1$ E( a1F ( :? N< ‘ 5; 5;A t I {27} And certainly We have set forth to men in this Quran similitudes of every sort in order that they may .

In the clear Arabic language which has no ambiguity:

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An Arabic Qur'ân, without any crookedness (therein) in order that they may avoid all evil (which Allâh has ordered them to avoid, fear Him and keep their duty to Him)

The people of Makkah who were the first recipients of this magnificent revelation, believed in Allah as the creator of the world but they had appointed various idols as partners of Allah, and believed them to be the masters of their destiny. They couldn’t accept the message of Tauheed, even though it was being presented to them in Quran, which was their own language. Allah challenges their belief in the following Ayat:

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1 fF7 % m , m f N Z& . 1 8 m % . 9 { 5 & ( ? 1 "Sufficient for me is Allâh; in Him those who trust (i.e. believers) must put their trust.

They also doubted the concept of resurrection. Allah says, don’t they witness a death every night and then re-birth every morning of their lives? Who is the one who wakes them up when they lose all sense of their existence?

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It is Allah who recalls the souls at the time of their death, and of the living during their sleep. then He withholds the souls of those on whom He has ed the decree of death and sends the others back till an appointed term; most surely there are signs in this for those who reflect.

There are so many beautiful verses and ideas in the Quran which I yearn to share with those who have kept themselves stubbornly isolated from everything related to Allah and His religion and I feel such pity for them for this senseless deprivation but the problem is that they are not willing to listen.......

K" \ X Š 5A 7;( D 5 :f j 78 { ‚U e ^ I . m f F K K" {45} T Z %& " m !q ( :f F K And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter shrink, and when those besides Him are mentioned, lo! they are joyful.

I wish they would know that this life is soon going to end and then we will all have to pay for all our sins........but the payment there is nothing but punishment.....our bank balances and grand houses and luxurious automobiles won’t have any worth at all....

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{47}

If the wrongdoers possessed all the treasures of the earth and as much more besides it, they would gladly offer it to redeem themselves from the painful punishment on the Day of Resurrection. For there will become apparent to them from Allah what they would never have imagined.

And nobody would be able to deny anything because it will all be out in the open:

{48} 7€/ > %& m A 7!5F 5( >A ƒ 5. 7Z& F 5( { 5k_ > IA And the evils of that which they earned will become apparent to them, and they will be encircled by that which they used to mock at!

When we read the verses which describe the punishment of the day of Judgement, it is quite natural to feel a heavy burden on the heart; and of course that’s what they are meant for in the first place, so that we might be persuaded to bring about a positive change in our attitude towards life. But Allah is so kind and merciful to us that He doesn’t want us to lose hope. So here is good news for all of us and especially those who mistakenly believe that they have gone so far in their wrong ways that now there is no use in turning back to the straight path.......

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Say: O my servants! who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving the Merciful.

Some people stop here and think, ok this is great...we can live the way we want and of course it’s only human to make mistakes, so Allah is telling in the Quran that don’t be afraid and Allah will forgive us all our sins....?? No, it’s not meant like this; You have to read further

to get the whole picture. Forgiveness is on condition that you repent to Allah and submit to His commands:

Y ;3 5 g j :0 3U B 1 Z 8 ( m 7 B _A9 +" 7Z !B {54} "And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islâmic Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him, (in Islâm), before the torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped.

So that covers the past and the present. Repent for the past sins and make a decision now to submit before Allah and accept His religion; But, what to do in future? Islam is a complete religion so it takes care of all three phases of our lives:

rO %] A j :0 3U B 1 Z 8 _( _A9 _( " G / !B 5( & . B 70Z3 {55} 0 T 3 5 %!B And follow the best that has been revealed to you from your Lord before there comes to you the punishment all of a sudden while you do not even perceive;

Allah is again warning us here that we should not let ourselves procrastinate about this decision of Tauba (Repentance) to Allah. Shaitan knows how powerful this treatment is to the soul of a believer. He knows how it will give him energy to move in life, all refreshed and clean; and hopeful and optimistic.....believing in Allah with an open heart and doing everything to Please His Lord......so the devil spares no effort in making us delay this process until the time when the person will eventually lose his resolve and thus will plunge back into the devil’s obedience instead of Allah’s worship. Thus Allah warns us:

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Lest a person should say: "Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allâh and I was indeed among those who mocked at the truth (the Qur'ân, and Muhammad SAW and at the faithful believers, etc.)

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Or (lest) he should say when he sees the torment: "If only I had another chance (to return to the world) then I should indeed be among the excellent ones.”

If someone neglects his duty in this world and goes to the next one without accepting Allah’s guidance then no such excuse will be accepted from him. Rather it will be said:

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% 5>A uAf: < N35 3d5R I 8 +A {59} Aye! My communications came to you, but you rejected them, and you were proud and you were one of the unbelievers.

What a pity it is that we don’t realize the greatness of Allah. Isn’t that why we remain heedless in spite of all the warnings?

r ( 5 h 7 m %p Z 8 560 R y 9 U ^ 9 I 8 H. m f 9I 8 5( {67} 7F T 5, +503 m !5 Z m ; A { i 57l ( { 5& And they have not honoured Allah with the honour that is due to Him; and the whole earth shall be in His grip on the day of resurrection and the heavens rolled up in His right hand; glory be to Him, and may He be exalted above what they associate (with Him).

Have we ever visualized about the Day of Judgement? Have we ever been curious what is going to happen to us? Or is our imagination limited only to the petty affairs of this world?

dI> 'T _ Z;5A dL NR j 5% b t 5>_A9 9 7;A y 9 U u 8 e B {69} 7 | 5 ? _H 5A >; A N p 8 And the earth shall shine with the light of its Lord, and the Book shall be laid down, and the prophets and the witnesses shall be brought up, and judgment shall be given between them with justice, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.

Imagine how everyone will be given their share according to their deeds. There will be no injustice....

{70} 70 W 5A , B 7 ? u , 5( $ W! 1ΠF u a< And every soul shall be paid back fully what it has done, and He (Allah) knows best what they do.

And when the wrong doers will be led to the doors of Hell, the guardians will ask them with surprise- had no one warned them of their end? Had no one read to them the verses of their Lord?

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And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups, till, when they reach it, the gates thereof will be opened (suddenly like a prison at the arrival of the

prisoners). And its keepers will say, "Did not the Messengers come to you from yourselves, reciting to you the Verses of your Lord, and warning you of the Meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say: "Yes, but the Word of torment has been justified against the disbelievers!

Just imagine how painful it will be to accept their mistake on that day in front of so many people and knowing that they are going to be thrown into the fire like useless rubbish..... How great will be the shame and regret....... (Astahgfirullah) But this is not all; there is going to be another crowd, groups of honoured people who will be led to the Paradise. Look at the welcome they receive...

u %< 5" > A9 7 3 :f H {73} I5X 5?7X q 5< %Z „ , hi 5 5>%!/ X > G 58 5>A7AB And those who are careful of (their duty to) their Lord shall be conveyed to the garden in companies; until when they come to it, and its doors shall be opened, and the keepers of it shall say to them: Peace be on you, you have done well; therefore enter it to abide.

Isn’t it simply beautiful.....Such a glorious reward for such fine people, who lived their lives in complete obedience and submission to their Lord; Forever fearing his anger and striving for His pleasure.....all the while having an undying conviction in the promises of Allah.............Just feel their pleasure at having reached their final destination for which they had worked and prayed all their lives:

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{74} ( 50 R B 0 ;< d5T! ‹ .

And they will say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allâh Who has fulfilled His Promise to us and has made us inherit (this) land. We can dwell in Paradise where we will; how excellent a reward for the (pious good) workers!"

And thus the test and its judgement will come to an end. The angels will surround the throne of Allah and will glorify Him with His praises:

N p 8 > _A9 I A 7 _Z& ˜ 0 G7 . ( a<5. r €5 ˆ3 {75} 50 _j9 m f I 1 8 _H 5A > ; A And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne (of Allâh) from all round, glorifying the praises of their Lord (Allâh). And they (all the creatures) will be judged with truth, and it will be said. All the praises and thanks be to Allâh, the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists)."

With this the “picture” comes to an end. It’s like Allah has just taken us on a tour of our future. We have seen the hell and the Paradise. The sad regrets of the people going into hell are resounding in my heart, just side by side with the joyous exclamations of the victorious ones...........The question is; Which group do I belong to? And, what about you? Where do you see yourself? As the Prophet (s.a.w.) told us:

Al Mar’u Ma’a Man Ahabba Meaning: A man will be with the one he loves So it means that the company I keep in this world is most likely to be my companions in the next world too. So take a look at those you love to hang out with.......where do you see them in this picture of the hereafter? And what about our own record of deeds? Take a good look at the journal of your life...... What have you accomplished so far? It’s all being written down, recorded with the minutest details; With an irremovable ink. The only thing that can wipe its writing is Tauba.....a

sincere repentance. So take this decision while there is still time. Before the bell rings to announce the end of the test......

d5e ( 5f" y 9 U N< ( { 5& N< ( H 0 Y < 9 7'Y N< } W ! {68} | ; hi 5 8 ? Kw< ˆX B m < } W ! g m f And the trumpet shall be blown, so all those that are in the heavens and all those that are in the earth shall swoon, except such as Allah please; then it shall be blown again, then lo! They shall stand up awaiting....