Quran for Young Adults 16,17 - Surah Nisaa 66-70, Surah Tahreem 1-12

4:65

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Sahih International

But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.

4:66

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Sahih International

And if We had decreed upon them, "Kill yourselves" or "Leave your homes," they would not have done it, except for a few of them. But if they had done what they were instructed, it would have been better for them and a firmer position [for them in faith].

4:67

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Sahih International

And then We would have given them from Us a great reward.

4:68

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Sahih International

And We would have guided them to a straight path.

4:69

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Sahih International

And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.

4:70

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Sahih International

That is the bounty from Allah , and sufficient is Allah as Knower.

If Allah had told you to even kill yourself or become homeless which  makes absolutely no sense, do it and there would be khayr and goodness in it. We NEED to have the confidence that EVERYTHING Allah revealed to us no matter how little sense it makes, is for our own good. We need to stand by what we believe and believe it with absolute conviction.

 Intellectual confidence is not equal to emotional confidence. Intellectual confidence means knowing in your head that it is the right thing. Emotional confidence means acting upon it without fear and not being lazy about it. Intellectual confidence has to do with aql and emotional confidence has to do with the heart. True confidence is translated into actions. True confidence means that we do not doubt the sunnah and seerah of the Prophet SAWW, and we stand by it, even if people call you crazy. Being called crazy for following the sunnah is also a sunnah of the Prophet SAWW. Islam does not mean to fit into the crowd. Islam is not for fitting into the crowd and going with the flow. We have lost both intellectual and emotional confidence. To develop intellectual confidence, read the seerah of Prophet SAWW.
Allah will give a great reward and an easy road when we stand up for Allah.
Obey Allah AND the messenger. There is no OR. It is AND. It means whoever obeys Allah i.e. the messenger, Then Allah mentions the 4 categories of people who will be in Jannah. Nabiyyen Siddiqeen Shuhada and Saliheen. We cannot be from amongst the Nabiyyen and Siddiqeen but the remaining categories are open. Rafeeq are those friends we hang out and chill out with. When we lose companions by following deen, Allah will replace them with beautiful companions.

We live in 2015. We are used to certain things around us. When we see something over and over again, we become used to them. When we follow Islam, we stand out. Islam is strange for the majority. Even if the vast majority is going opposite to you, you have to rethink for yourself: what you are used to VS. Islam. e.g. people are fighting for gay rights/gay marriages and if you raise your voice, then they will call you judgmental and inhumane. You need intellectual confidence and emotional confidence to fight these new phenomena. Don't worry about getting into trouble for speaking the truth. Every Prophet also faced a lot of opposition for speaking the truth. This their sunnah.
Allah has also made some things halaal, but that does not make it fardh and binding upon us e.g. eating peanuts is halaal, but it is not fardh. We have the right to not eat it. It is fine as long as you do not criticize it and do not criticize those who consume it. It is your personal decision. e.g. polygamy is also halaal in Islam, as long as you treat wives equally. That does not make it binding. Most cultures in the muslim world are not used to polygamy and it is not binding and you can be uncomfortable with it. But it is allowed as long as you meet the requirements. Our messenger SAWW also had multiple wives but he was the best towards them. We should not have any discomfort towards this idea and they are all the mothers of the believers! RA. They are Ummuhaat ul Momineen and we have to respect them and take care of them like our own mothers. Islam means SUBMISSION. You have to submit to Allah SWT and Prophet SAWW and believe that it is the best. You need to love everything they do and believe in it. Do not even let the thought cross your mind that these ideas are strange and unacceptable for you.

We have to understand what Prophet SAWW did. We should know it clearly and that will increase our faith, If somebody comes up to us and says something about the Prophet SAWW, we should first make sure it is authentic and the moment we are sure, we should LOVE it and not let second thoughts cross our mind and we should understand the context in which it was done. e.g. some people manipulate an incident and say that the Prophet SAWW asked to cut somebody's tongue off.  A tribal leader became a muslim and he was used to getting the major share of the spoils of war. When he became a muslim, he got an equal share so he began to make poetry that Islam humiliated him. So Prophet SAWW ordered Umar RA to cut his tongue off(which meant that Umar RA give him money to shut him up because he was demoralizing the whole army).
We need to understand everything because we want to understand how he dealt with everything with hikmat and wisdom. He does not owe an explanation to us. We are not trying to judge his actions. He SAWW is only answerable before Allah SWT. We should understand with humility. Learn to understand everything in the right context.

The more we learn Islam, the angrier we get as a people and the more hate we spread. Islam teaches us to hate the sin but never the sinner.

Islam has set beautiful laws. But they are often manipulated by people and misused. That does NOT make the law wrong. The person manipulating it is wrong. Allah says Wattaqullah(Be conscious of Allah) so that you do not misuse it. Allah is watching you! e.g. people misuse divorce laws,polygamy laws

66:1

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Sahih International

O Prophet, why do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

66:2

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Sahih International

Allah has already ordained for you [Muslims] the dissolution of your oaths. And Allah is your protector, and He is the Knowing, the Wise.

66:3

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Sahih International

And [remember] when the Prophet confided to one of his wives a statement; and when she informed [another] of it and Allah showed it to him, he made known part of it and ignored a part. And when he informed her about it, she said, "Who told you this?" He said, "I was informed by the Knowing, the Acquainted."

66:4

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Sahih International

If you two [wives] repent to Allah , [it is best], for your hearts have deviated. But if you cooperate against him - then indeed Allah is his protector, and Gabriel and the righteous of the believers and the angels, moreover, are [his] assistants.

66:5

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Sahih International

Perhaps his Lord, if he divorced you [all], would substitute for him wives better than you - submitting [to Allah ], believing, devoutly obedient, repentant, worshipping, and traveling - [ones] previously married and virgins.

66:6

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Sahih International

O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.

66:7

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Sahih International

O you who have disbelieved, make no excuses that Day. You will only be recompensed for what you used to do.

66:8

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Sahih International

O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, "Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent."

66:9

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Sahih International

O Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination.

66:10

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Sahih International

Allah presents an example of those who disbelieved: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of Our righteous servants but betrayed them, so those prophets did not avail them from Allah at all, and it was said, "Enter the Fire with those who enter."

66:11

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Sahih International

And Allah presents an example of those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, "My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrongdoing people."

66:12

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Sahih International

And [the example of] Mary, the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel, and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.

The background of this ayah is that the Prophet SAWW used to spend a part of his day with each of his wives and he gave them equal time. Every wife tried to get some extra time from him SAWW. One of the wives brought some honey and the Prophet SAWW used to eat it so it would take some extra time. The next wife said that I don't like the smell of this honey so the Prophet SAWW decided to not eat it anymore. SO Allah sent down these ayahs:Why do you make haraam what Allah has made halaal? The prophet SAWW's actions have great repercussions because he is a role model for the whole ummah, so Allah made sure to point this out. Allah has forgiven it already and is just pointing it out. Allah did this so that the Prophet SAWW's personal preferences do not get confused with Islam. So even in this age, the people who are doing work of dawah and are scholars should make sure their personal preferences stay separate from Islam. Only Prophet SAWW was complete and perfect and all other scholars have certain specializations and they do not know or do everything perfectly. We raise the status of our scholars and public speakers so much that we think they know everything and we even turn to them for guidance on those things that are beyond their understanding. The Prophet SAWW is the only man who carried the burden of the whole ummah on his shoulders, and after him the WHOLE ummah and millions of people carry the same burden and they are still unable to do it.

The Prophet SAWW learned a secret and told it to one of his wives RA. She told somebody else and said do not tell anyone. We also do the same when we share a secret. Everyone ends up knowing it and everyone thinks it is still a secret. Allah revealed that she had let the secret out. These passages are about protecting the trust and not having any competition/jealousy. Such problems even happened in the Prophet SAWW's household so it can also happen in our homes so we need to take guidamcme from Quran on these issues. Then Allah says if you try to defend yourself in front of the Prophet SAWW, then Allah and the angels and the righteous believers are behind him. All these domestic problems are guidance for the whole of humanity. Allah sent this ayah to warn the wives that they are the role model for women and if they do not realize their position, Allah can replace them with better wives. Both sides need to become clear and open in their conversations. Jealousy and breaking the trust can ruin the communication. If you keep things inside, they keep boiling until you explode like a volcano.

It is a Madni Surah but Allah calls out to Kuffaar in ayah 7. In the ayah before and after this, Allah calls out to the Momineen. The answer is that these ayahs are ABOUT believers but Allah calls the believers as kuffaar because they will be from those who did kufr on the day of judgement because they did not follow Allah's advice. If they learn the lesson and internalize it then they are called believers as in ayah 8. Allah often shifts from the future to the past and back again to the present just like they do in movies. Allah often gives us a picture of the future.

Allah begins by telling the momineen to protect themselves from A fire. Allah does not say THE fire. And Allah pinpoints the momineen so even they are in danger. Allah chose to say A fire because the people had been so careless and reckless in their lifestyle as if they are not even aware that there is a fire prepared for them. So Allah reintroduces the fire as A fire. Because they were living their lives as if they do not know about THE fire. Imagine your house is on fire. You will run for safety and protect your family next. You cannot help others if you are not in a safe position yourself. We need to understand that we are in danger and we need to protect ourselves from the fire. We need to be concerned about ourselves.

We need to know how to differentiate culture from religion. We begin to think that our own culture=Islam. We need to know the difference. We mix them up. We are just born into our religion and we never contemplate or choose our religion for our ownselves by going through an intellectual and spiritual process. We sometimes lose deen in when we blend in a culture. Islam does not forbid us from celebrating our own cultures but we just need to make sure nothing is against the spirit of deen. Deen should be OVER culture. We should hold on to our own celebrations, and not celebrate the festivals of other religions. e.g. we wish one another merry christmas although this festival is based upon shirk and shirk is so offensive to Allah SWT that the earth and skies might split open because this is so severe. We will keep losing chunks of our deen with every generation if we get lost in culture.

The fuel of this fire is people and stones. Idols were made of stones. Stone turns into lava when it burns. It is like a volcanic eruption. This is a fire which will never extinguish and we will never die in it. We will be given fresh skins and fresh pain. Nauzubillah. The prison guards are angels. People will beg the guards for mercy but they will only do what Allah commands them to do. These guards are intense and harsh in their punishment. Can you imagine your family in such a prison? They will never get used to the pain. This fire is FOR the believer who rejects Allah's commands. It is for yaa ayyahulazeena aamanoo. Empty kalimah does not matter if we do not believe it with our heart or act accordingly. We can only judge one another by what is apparent. Allah knows truly what is inside us. Allah will address them as disbelievers on that day. Don't make excuses today. The people were asked to believe in the fire but they refuted it. If we do not believe, then there is no accountability.

Turn back to Allah in a way that is pure and sweet. Allah wants us to turn back to Him with love. It does not count if our tawbah is not from the heart and is superficial. We live in a culture where we have to act tough and we have to fight our emotions. We cannot cry in front of others or show any emotion otherwise we will be made fun of. We can't show respect to seniors. We have to put others down to prove ourselves. Our entertainment is so violent now. We become stripped of our emotions and we stop feeling human anymore, and then we get into crimes and violence. We don't own our problems anymore and we blame others because we have to appear perfect. Our culture has beautified bad morals and sensationalized them. Being respectful and decent is considered uncool and dumb now. We need to make tawbah again and again. There is no end to it. We can never be confident. Allah will not disgrace the Prophet SAWW because people are responsible for their own actions and they will not even be called momineen in front of the Prophet SAWW.

There will be a light for those who believe on their right, because of their good deeds. Everybody will have to walk over hellfire,whether believer or disbeliever. When we see it, we do shukr. It will be pitch dark. Even the fire of hell will be pitch dark. We will only be able to see our own light and nobody else's light. The light will be proportion to our good deeds. Some people will have light in which they can barely see. You kept putting yourself in difficult situations displeasing to Allah and you kept delaying change. You kept procrastinating and getting into questionable things. You thought you had time. You started thinking to yourself that it is not that bad. You did not consider your sin bad enough. Shaytaan got to you by making you think like that. A wall will be dropped in front of the one who did sin and they will not get anybody else's light, but if somebody had a scrape of faith, a wall will be dropped for them with a door and they will eventually get out.

Ya Allah, complete our light for us and covers our mistakes. Sins prevent the light from shining brightly.

Allah then presents the example of the wives of Nooh AS and Loot AS, their wives did not believe. This proves that change comes from Allah and not from you and me. They cannot go to Jannah just because they are the wives of the Prophets; We have to save our families from the fire but even after we do our best, if they don't turn back to Allah, we are not going to be answerable for that. We should just do our best and never give up on them.

Then Allah gives the example of the wife of Firawn who could have anything in the world she wanted. She could have all the palaces, all the material things. She is not like the women of today who don't care where the husband gets the money from as long as he pays the bills, and women who don't question where the money is being earned from. We don't care about halaal or haraam anymore. But Firawn's wife had nothing to do with this wealth and she wanted a house near Allah, the King of kings. She had no authority to turn to in dunya because Firawn had all the authority. Rescue me from him and HIS deeds(I do not endorse his deeds and want nothing to do with them).

Then Allah mentions Maryam AS, Hazrat Isa AS spoke in her defence the day he was born when people accused Maryam AS. Hazrat Isa AS was born a hafiz of the Torah of Musa AS whose original form had been lost by then. His birth was a miracle by Allah SWT.

Qualities of Ibaad ur Rahman (Surah Furqan 61-77)

One of the signs of hypocrisy is that when we hear ayahs of the Qur'an regarding character, we don't do muhasabah of our own selves but we try to look for weaknesses and faults in others. We should always analyse our own selves and look in the mirror, instead of trying to fit ayahs of Quran to the lives of others. The Qur'an is first and foremost for our own betterment and guidance. It is a healthy exercise to make a list of the good and bad character traits mentioned in the Qur'an, and see where you need betterment. Let us reflect on the following ayahs with the niyyah of self reflection and purification of our own selves.

تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ بُرُوجًا وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَاجًا وَقَمَرًا مُّنِيرًا25:61

Blessed is He who has placed in the sky great stars and placed therein a [burning] lamp and luminous moon.

سماء (translated as "sky" or 'heavens') is used for two different

meanings. It is sometime used for the great mass of the sky, and

sometimes for every thing which is above us in the direction of the sky?,

including the atmosphere between earth and sky and the space. The Holy

Quran has used this word for both these meanings in different verses.

When it speaks of the sky as a huge mass having gates guarded by

angels which are opened at particular times, it takes the word for the first

meaning. But when it describes the rain coming down from the sky, it

takes the word 'sky' for the second sense.

Allah mentions the stars, sun and moon as they contain signs for us. When we ponder and contemplate over the creation, the movements and the resulting phenomena, we gain an insight and recognition of the One who created everything. 
Our prayer times are associated with the movement of the Sun, and our Islamic calendar is associated with the movement of the moon. So, the sun and moon will also be a witness to our ibadah on the Day of Judgement.  

وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةً لِّمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُورًا - 25:62
And it is He who has made the night and the day in succession for whoever desires to remember or desires gratitude.

منير is reflected light. Allah specified the source of the moon's light much before it was scientifically proven. This is one of the miracles of the Qur'an

Allah mentions that the night and day are created for those who want to remember Allah or to show gratitude. There are two reasons people pray: some pray to remember Allah  at the times they were instructed to pray, and some feel so much appreciation for Allah that they feel compelled to offer gratitude. Praying to offer gratitude is of a higher level.

When we reflect and ponder upon the Universe around us, the sun and the moon, the night and the day, it will increase us in awe and appreciation of Allah. When we think about these blessings, we will feel an inherent gratitude towards Allah. All of the creation points towards the Supreme and Magnificent Creator. It is not possible for such a flawless universe to exist without a designer.

Realities of the universe and Qur'an

It is vital that we clear our thinking on the subject matter of the Holy

Qur'an. It should be clearly understood that Qur'an is not a book of

philosophy or astronomy. It does not deal with the subject of realities of

the universe or the form, positioning and movements of its components

e.g. stars, planets etc. But at the same time it does mention repeatedly

about things on the earth and in the sky and in between them, and

invites to ponder over them to set one's beliefs right. 

On going through all such verses one can make out clearly that the idea behind them is to set

right the beliefs of the people or to help them draw benefits for their

religious or mundane needs. For instance, Qur'an has repeatedly

mentioned about the earth and sky the stars and planets and their

movements and the effects of these movements for man to ponder over in

order to comprehend and understand that this spectacular phenomenon

has not come into being on its own but there is someone who has created

all that, and that someone is Almighty Allah. 

For the ordinary man it is not necessary to acquire knowledge of astronomy and related sciences

but instead it is sufficient for him to observe the alternation of day and

night, their shortening and lengthening of duration, the change in the tilt

of sun bringing different seasons, the rising and waning of the moon, the

eclipses of the moon and the sun, which every individual see happening.

A common man sees them happening with perfect precision and knows

that it is going on without the slightest alteration for centuries. Then he

can draw the conclusion that there is some Power who has created it, and

is running and holding it. That "someone" or that "Power" is none else but

Allah. To arrive at this conclusion one neither has to acquire any

special philosophical knowledge or any research data nor the Quran has

asked to do so. All that Qur'an has asked in this regard is to pay attention

to these phenomena which one can see by simple observation.

Also the Holy Prophet and his companions did not make any arrangement to

study astronomical or cosmic theories or to collect data and information on

the shape and form of celestial bodies. Therefore it is

abundantly clear that the Qur'anic verses inviting people to ponder over

the cosmological signs did never intend that the space travel and the

efforts to conquer the moon and other planets are the basic objectives of

the Qur'an.

The fact of the matter is that the Holy Qur'an neither invites people's

attention towards any old or new philosophical thesis or scientific research

nor does it deal with them, nor does it reject them. The plain and simple

manner in which the Holy Qur'an deals with the subjects concerning

universe and His creation is to confine their mention only to the extent

they are related to the man's religious or worldly needs, and what man

can comprehend and learn easily. On the other hand Qur'an does not

involve itself in complicated philosophical discussions and researches

which are beyond the comprehension of common man and which

sometimes create more confusion in the minds of people for their ever

changing nature because of the unending discoveries and inventions

being made with the passage of time. The Holy Qur'an however does make allusions

at certain places toward some realities covering subjects like astronomy,

space, atmosphere, meteorology, oceanography, geology etc. but to the

extent it is needed for human life here or in the Hereafter.

Qur'an makes references about His creatures on earth related with

botany, zoology, petrology and social sciences including trade, agriculture,

industry etc., but again to the extent it is required to guide the man to

fulfill his religious and worldly duties.

Criteria of acceptance or rejection of scientific and philosophical

theories in the commentary of the Holy Qur'an

The classical and modern religious scholars are unanimous on the

point that if a statement is lucid and unambiguous in the Qur'an but it

contradicts with any old or new theory, it is not permissible to try to twist

the Qur'anic version to try to bring in it line with the modern theories. In

such a situation the related theory would be regarded as based on some

misconception. However, in the matters in which Qur'an does not give

any express statement and where more than one interpretations are

possible from the wordings of the Qur'an, then in that situation the

interpretation closer to observations and evidence would be regarded as

correct.

It is, therefore, clear that all the modern researches and discoveries

cannot be held to be the exact objective of the Qur'an, as suggested by

modern scholars. Similarly, these discoveries cannot be held to be

repugnant to the Holy Qur'an, as observed by some conservative scholars.

The fact is that these issues are not the subject matter of the Qur'an

which is silent about them. If a reality is proved by experiments or

observations, it cannot be taken as contradictory to the Qur'an, and that

which is not yet'proved no effort should be made to impose it on the

Qur'an through fanciful interpretations.

وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا - 25:63

And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,

The slaves of the Extremely, Ultimately merciful, loving and caring عباد الرحمان. This is the highest honour Allah has given to His special slaves. Allah mentions the qualities of Ibaad ur Rahman in the following ayahs.

The first quality: 

We are عباد slaves of Allah. Slave is someone who is the property of their Master, and their whole life is dedicated to their Master. We have a negative connotation of slavery and immediately think of "forced" slavery. The slavery of Allah is beautiful as we willingly submit ourselves to Allah, without any coercion. It is to surrender completely before Allah and to make all deeds and desires conforming to His pleasure with one's own choice. A recognition of Allah through His attributes and His creation inspires awe, reverence and submission in us. The slavery of Allah frees us from the slavery of people!

Note that Allah has specifically associated His Ibaad with the Sifah of 'Rahman'. Rahman is the one who is unbelievably and extremely loving, caring and merciful, and His mercy extends to all creature. We should emulate this attribute and spread love, mercy and kindness to everyone.


The second quality:

We should be humble like the Earth beneath us, as we've come from the Earth and will be returned to it. A person's humility is reflected in the way they walk, speak and interact with others. The Ibaad ur Rahman walk humbly, without any pride and without being intimidating and condescending. They don't try to put other people down. The ayah does not refer to merely the way they walk, but to their entire attitude towards others. This does not mean that we should walk slowly, without any vigour,  like a sick person. That is also against sunnah. Rather, we should adopt a balanced approach and walk at a normal pace.

The third quality:

The Ibaad ur Rahman walk away from جاهل people and respond with "Peace". Either they literally respond with words of peace, or their attitude is peaceful i.e. they do not let their emotions get the better of them, and they respond with that which is better. Their voice does not raise in response to someone else raising their voice, and they do not become overwhelmed by their emotions. If people treat them badly, they don't come down to their level. They can control their temper and handle difficult situations.

جاهل is someone who has no self control, and no restriction of his emotions, and such people are usually loud and obnoxious. They try to put others down and ignite their emotions.  Our test is in maintaining self control and not being of the جاهلون. If we control ourselves and do not become offensive, that is the best response. If somebody tries to arouse negativity in us, we need to stay relaxed and respond with dignity and calmness. In any relationship, both partners should never get mad at the same time. One person should remain calm if the other person is being emotional and angry. 

Notice that these are the people Allah truly loves, and notice how Allah does not emphasise first on prayers, but he first emphasises on dealings with others. It is a very important part of deen to have good ikhlaq towards others and be the best in character.

وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا - 25:64

And those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer]

The fourth quality:
They spend a part of their night praying to Allah. They give up their sleep for the sake of Allah. Special mention of night worship is made here firstly, because this time being a time of rest, requires extra effort, and secondly because it rules out the possibility of showing one's worship to others.

Allah mentioned huquq ul ibaad before this huquq Allah. This shows the value of huquq ul Ibaad in the eyes of Allah. We do not have to have ALL of these qualities to get Allah's love, but Allah loves every single one of these qualities.

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اصْرِفْ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَامًا - 25:65
And those who say, "Our Lord, avert from us the punishment of Hell. Indeed, its punishment is ever adhering;

إِنَّهَا سَاءَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا - 25:66
Indeed, it is evil as a settlement and residence."

The fifth quality:
Allah has special love for people who are fearful of Hellfire.  When a child is afraid of something, he runs to the one he loves e.g. his parents. Similarly, this fear drives us towards Allah as Allah is the only protection and refuge from it. Allah loves it when we ask Him for protection from hellfire. When we have a genuine worry of disappointing Allah and entering Hellfire, it is drive us to do good deeds and have taqwa. So, we should never be lazy in seeking protection from Hellfire. We should memorize this dua and recite it regularly. We should not be content with our good deeds and assume that we are automatically protected from Hellfire, but we should continuously make dua for acceptance of our deeds and steadfastness of Imaan. We should always be fearful of deviating from the right path.

Hellfire is terrible as a temporary مستقرا and a permanent abode مقاما. Muslims who had Imaan will not remain in Hellfire permanently but they will be taken out of the fire after they have served their punishment. But, we should not be mentally prepared to be in hellfire even for a few seconds. Some people continue to do sins because they think they will eventually be purified and be taken into Jannah. Some people make a mockery of Hell. Hellfire is so horrifying that the people who see Hellfire will wish for death. They would not be able to bear even a moment of punishment. Allah has given us such graphic descriptions of hell so that we take measures to protect ourselves from it. May Allah protect us all!

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ قَوَامًا - 25:67
And [they are] those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, [justly] moderate

The sixth quality:
Allah loves those who spend money on their needs, but they neither commit excess اسراف nor spend money sparingly بخل. Israaf means to cross limits, and here it refers to overspending on things that we actually need e.g. expensive restaurants, branded clothes, huge mansions, expensive cars etc. It also refers to spending on futile and sinful things. Allah did not define overspending because the threshold is different for different people according to their circumstances. We should not buy things we cannot afford and end up getting buried under debt and loans.

Iqtaar means to spend with miserliness. In Islamic jurisprudence it means to be tight fisted where a believer is directed to spend. In case one does not spend at all at a place where he has been directed to spend, then that is the worst situation. We should adopt a middle, balanced path. قواما is someone who stands straight, and does not lean in either direction. It is a standard that one does not deviate from.

It was narrated from Abu Al-Ahwas, from his father, :

That he came to the Prophet [SAW] wearing shabby clothes. The Prophet [SAW] said to him: "Do you have any wealth?" He said: "Yes, all kinds of wealth." He said: "What kinds of wealth?" He said: "Allah has given me camels, cattle, sheep, horses and slaves." He said: "If Allah has given you wealth, then let the effect of Allah's blessing and generosity be seen on you." (Susan Nasai)

Unfortunately, people who have been blessed with money begin to act like they own the whole world. Money should not be in the heart but it should only be in the hands. Allah distributes wealth and resources unequally between people so that they learn to share and care for one another. 

وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا - 25:68
And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty.

يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا - 25:69

Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated -

The seventh, eighth and ninth quality:
Allah was just describing Ibaad ur Rahman, the people he loves! Why did Allah mention the one who refrains from the  most basic major sins here? Refraining from shirk, murder and adultery is one of the primary fundamentals in deen.  Murder and adultery are often mentioned together because they are equally grave sins in the eyes of Allah. قتل is physical murder and زنا is spiritual murder. 

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying. The adultery of the eye is the lustful look and the adultery of the ears is listening to voluptuous (song or talk) and the adultery of the tongue is licentious speech and the adultery of the hand is the lustful grip (embrace) and the adultery of the feet is to walk (to the place) where he intends to commit adultery and the heart yearns and desires which he may or may not put into effect. (Sahih Muslim)

 اثاما refers to punishment of sin, and according to some, it is the name of a valley of Hell where the punishment will be severe. 
Allah says that He will multiply their punishment for them, and such sinners will abide in Hell permanently. In the context of these verses it is certain that this punishment will be exclusive to those who were infidels (Mushrikeen) and also indulged in adultery or homicide. It is clear that no believer will be condemned forever in the Jahannam, no matter how big a sin he has committed. Muslims will be taken out of the Jahannam when they have completed their term there.

إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَٰئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا - 25:70

Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.

The point here is that if any one does any of these mistakes, they begin to think that they can never be a good person. They begin to lose hope in themselves and in Allah. Allah is giving people hope of forgiveness. We should renew our Imaan, go back to Allah and make tawbah if we did any of these actions in the past.  Allah loves those who turn to Him, repent and follow bad deeds with good deeds.  

On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Junadah, and Abu Abdur-Rahman Muadh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

Have taqwa (fear) of Allah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people.(Tirmidhi)

Essentials of Tawbah:
Having remorse in the heart
Repenting to Allah
Making a resolution to never commit the sin again
If the sin was related to a person: Seeking their forgiveness and trying to set things right

When people repent sincerely, they rejuvenate their Imaan. A sign of acceptance of tawbah is that their life begins to change and they find the strength to refrain from sins. Allah  erases their bad deeds so this leaves only good deeds in their record. Another interpretation is that Allah converts their mountain of bad deeds to a mountain of good deeds, based on sincere repentance.


وَمَن تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَإِنَّهُ يَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَتَابًا - 25:71



And he who repents and does righteousness does indeed turn to Allah with [accepted] repentance.

Allah also gives hope to those believing sinners who may not have committed the above mentioned major sins but they committed other mistakes. Allah states that whoever repents and does good deeds, will be appreciated by Allah. Allah values the tawbah of everyone, whether their sin was small or huge, so all of us should turn to Him over and over again.

Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“Allah, Blessed is He and Most High, said: ‘O son of Adam! Verily as long as you called upon Me and hoped in Me, I forgave you, despite whatever may have occurred from you, and I did not mind. O son of Adam! Were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky, then you sought forgiveness from Me, I would forgive you, and I would not mind. So son of Adam! If you came to me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you met Me not associating anything with Me, I would come to you with forgiveness nearly as great as it.’” (Tirmidhi)

But, this does not give license to us to do sins with the hope of forgiveness. Do not try to tricks Allah through insincere intentions. But know that if you genuinely faltered without knowledge, Allah is forgiving.

وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَامًا - 25:72
And [they are] those who do not testify to falsehood, and when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity.


The tenth quality:

That is they do not participate in the meetings where lie and falsehood

is common. The biggest falsehood is the kufr (disbelief) and shirk, and

the next in order comes the common lies and acts of sin. In other words the

blessed and favoured servants of Allah avoid attending such gatherings. This could refer to any gathering of disobedience e.g. non muslim festivals, concerts, dance and alcohol parties etc.

Another meaning could be that they do not give false testimony i.e. they do not testify to falsehood. It is a well known fact that both Holy Qur'an and Sunnah declare the false evidence as a great sin and an enormous evil

The eleventh quality:
After making tawbah, we need to protect ourselves from even the minor things that have the potential to lead us away from Allah. To protect ourselves, we might need to change our environment or the company that distracts us from Allah. We need to stay away from even the path that can lead us back to sin.

لغو is useless talk and activity, and all frivolous things. When the Ibaad ur Rahman see lagw happening around them, they keep on walking. They walk away from such situations in a dignified, graceful manner without making a huge deal out of it. They do not feel a sense of arrogance and superiority for not indulging in لغو.  

When we turn back to Allah, we feel agitated that others haven't turned back to Allah. We begin to pass blind judgements on others. We want guidance for other people so badly that we find it hard to restrain our frustration around them. Have hikmah and don't be a dawah warrior or part of righteous police.  Know where to speak and what to speak. Handle situations with wisdom. If you have given up a sin and made tawbah, don't try to impose it on others by force. 

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ لَمْ يَخِرُّوا عَلَيْهَا صُمًّا وَعُمْيَانًا - 25:73
And those who, when reminded of the verses of their Lord, do not fall upon them deaf and blind.


The twelfth quality:
Allah was describing those that He loves. In between, Allah mentions an essential quality of those He love: They reflect upon the lessons of the Qur'an, pay heed, and do not become deaf and blind to the advice being given.  They internalise the message of the Qur'an and strive to be of the Ibaad ur Rahman. They do not ignore the truth and follow their own whims and desires. 

Self-study of religious precepts is not enough but they need to be

acted upon in the light of interpretation given by classic scholars

As it is condemned in the verses under study that Divine message is

ignored. It is also pointed out with equal emphasis that it is listened and

acted upon without due diligence, that is without comprehending the

intent and spirit of the precept and according to one's own sweet will.

It is a matter of great satisfaction that there is a new tendency among

the younger generation and modern educated people to study the Qur'an

but to achieve this purpose they often deem it enough to study the Qur'an

and try to understand it through the translations of the Qur'an on their

own. This practice being against the correct principles of learning

something, often makes them fall into misconceptions. It is a well-settled

fact that education and knowledge cannot be imparted only through

books unless guidance of a teacher is available for explaining the

intricacies of the subject which normally go unnoticed by an ordinary

reader. It is rather strange why people feel that this basic rule does not

apply to Qur'an and its related subjects and try to indulge in interpreting

the Holy Book according to their own wishes.

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا - 25:74
And those who say, "Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous."

The thirteenth quality:

This verse contains a prayer for one's spouses and children.

What is alluded here is that the righteous servants of God do not care

about correcting themsehes only, but also take care of the virtuous

actions of their children and spouse, and keep trying for their

improvement, and it is a part of their efforts that they pray Allah to make

them take the right path.

هبه is a gift. A gift is something that is given because of rahmah, not because we deserve it, and not due to our own efforts. These people make dua: Give us the gift of the coolness of the eyes. 

What does قرة اعين coolness of the eyes mean? 

1.Tears of immense joy

Make us so happy with our spouse and children that when we look at them, it brings tears of happiness in our eyes.

2.Finding refuge & relief from a storm

The world outside is like a raging storm, and is full of stress, problems and difficulties. When we come home, we find peace and refuge in our homes, through our spouses and children.

The Arabs when travelling in the desert would wrap their face as a protection from sandstorms. But they couldn’t afford to cover their eyes without losing their vision, so they would say “My eyes are becoming warm.” And when they finally found a cave, they would say “My eyes are becoming cool.”

3. When something stays in one place قرار : not being able to take your eyes off someone because you are mesmerized by them. 

Make me so in love with my spouse that when I look at them, I don't want to look at anyone else. Make us so pleased with them that our eyes don't wander. 

When you're happy with your spouse and children, you don't compare to others or wish for someone better. 

Sometimes, dua does not literally change the reality but makes reality more beautiful for us. Dua can lead us to contentment and sukoon.

Make us leaders over متقين. Taqwa is to take precaution and seek protection. Every person is the Imam or head of their family and dependants. If the family has taqwa of Allah, the person automatically becomes the Imam of the muttaqeen. So, the purpose of dua was not to seek a high status, but to have a family that follows the right path and emulates righteousness. We make dua that Allah grants us such taqwa, that it inspires those around us to have a consciousness of Allah, and to emulate our good deeds. We make dua that Allah makes us a leader over those who have taqwa and protect themselves in every situation. 

أُولَٰئِكَ يُجْزَوْنَ الْغُرْفَةَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا وَيُلَقَّوْنَ فِيهَا تَحِيَّةً وَسَلَامًا - 25:75
Those will be awarded the Chamber for what they patiently endured, and they will be received therein with greetings and [words of] peace.

خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ حَسُنَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا - 25:76
Abiding eternally therein. Good is the settlement and residence.

غرفة: Upper story/ large, high ceiling rooms.

It will be for those who had patience. Patience is to exercise self control, stay away from sins, hold on to the truth and strive to do good deeds, and to deal with people in a beautiful, patient manner. Allah will receive the people of Jannah with Salam. They will be in a state of absolute peace in Jannah. It will be a beautiful place to live in, temporarily and for long term. 

Why did Allah mention temporary? Temporary means that some people will get upgraded repeatedly within Jannah. Different people will be on different levels in Jannah.Every level would appear perfect to them. But in Jannah, if we want to meet our family we will move to higher levels with them and get upgraded permanently. But, we cannot pull someone out of hellfire into Jannah. We should try to get to the highest place in Jannah.

'Ubadah bin As-Samit narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:

"In Paradise, there are a hundred levels, what is between every two levels is like what is between the heavens and the earth. Al-Firdaus is ts highest level, and from it the four rivers of Paradise are made to flow forth. So when you ask Allah, ask Him for Al-Firdaus." (Tirmidhi)

قُلْ مَا يَعْبَأُ بِكُمْ رَبِّي لَوْلَا دُعَاؤُكُمْ ۖ فَقَدْ كَذَّبْتُمْ فَسَوْفَ يَكُونُ لِزَامًا - 25:77
Say, "What would my Lord care for you if not for your supplication?" For you [disbelievers] have denied, so your denial is going to be adherent.

Your Master does not care for you at all, had it not been for your dua. If you do not care about Allah and do not make dua to Him, then Allah will not care about you.  You would have no value or importance in the sight of Allah, if you do not make dua to Him. This was a reference to the Mushrikeen who had rejected Allah and refused to call upon Him. 

This shows that Allah cares for people who make dua to Him.  If you do not care to make dua, Allah does not care about you. Allah made us recite duas in these ayahs so that means that Allah cares for us, and wants us to turn to Him!  We should continuously make dua to Allah and turn to Him at all times.