Clarification for Everything - Episode 22
Meanings from Surahs Saba, Fatir, and Ya-Sin
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. May Allah greet you, brothers and sisters. Today's competition, as we announced to you a short while ago, we will start summarizing the questions in the last ten days, insha'Allah. However, we try to make every day beneficial for those who attend.
The questions for today's part will be easy, insha'Allah, and the two questions from previous parts may have more excitement than difficulty.
Question One: Methodology of Individual Invitation
The first question states: In attempting to convince those who are on falsehood, do not limit your invitation to them while they are in a group; for they tempt each other and increase each other's stubbornness in adhering to falsehood and not being affected by the truth. Mention a verse that indicates this meaning.
Answer: It is the saying of Allah, the Most High: "Say, 'I only advise you of one thing: that you stand for Allah in pairs and individually, then reflect. Your companion has no madness. He is only a warner to you before a severe punishment.'" (Surah Saba: 46).
This, brothers, is one of the principles of invitation; when you invite a person, do not leave him among others only. The most effective invitation is usually the one that is done individually. If the person being invited is among a group of bad friends, they usually increase each other's stubbornness to show that none of them is affected by the speech. The light of truth may seep into his heart, but he fears the gaze of his friends, so he immediately turns to rejection and casting trivial doubts so as not to appear convinced. Therefore, take him aside: "that you stand for Allah in pairs and individually."
Question Two: Regulations of Interaction and Purity of Hearts
Some young men and women find it difficult to discipline themselves in their interactions with the excuse that "intentions are good," "the purpose is noble," and "the heart is pure." Mention a verse that makes it obligatory to discipline oneself first and foremost.
Answer: It is the saying of Allah, the Most High: "And when you ask them (the wives of the Prophet) for something, ask them from behind a screen. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts." (Surah Al-Ahzab: 53).
Here, Allah, the Most High, addresses the best of men in the world (the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them) regarding the regulation of their relationship with the best of women in the world (the Mothers of the Believers). The divine reasoning is: "That is purer for your hearts and their hearts." If this address is for the purest of hearts, then it is all the more necessary that there should be regulations in our interactions, and we should not excuse the violation of these regulations with the purity of intention.
Question Three: Hindering Man from His Desires
How many oppressors have indulged in pleasures, heedless, as if the world is eternal for him, and in a moment, he is deprived of everything (wealth, ships, food, desires), and all that is cut off from him without return. Mention a verse that depicts this condition from today's part.
Answer: It is verse 54 from Surah Saba: "And a barrier was placed between them and what they desired, just as it was done with their predecessors. Indeed, they were in doubt, [worrying] anxiety."
This is a very frightening verse for those who understand it. "And a barrier was placed between them" means that they were cut off and prevented from all that they desired. A person may be prosperous and indulgent in sins against himself, then a moment comes (like a traffic accident in a moment of heedlessness) that leads to a barrier being placed between him and all his pleasures, and he remains in torment if he dies as a non-Muslim.
Question Four: The Prophet ﷺ is Closer to Us Than Ourselves
The Prophet ﷺ has a right over us more than we have over ourselves, so it is not appropriate for anyone to see his commands and prohibitions as if they are a private matter, but he ﷺ has the right to dispose of us more than our right to dispose of ourselves. Mention a verse that indicates this meaning.
Answer: The saying of Allah, the Most High: "The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves." (Surah Al-Ahzab: 6).
This is indicated by the story of the Prophet's ﷺ marriage to Jalibib, may Allah be pleased with him, from a girl from the Ansar. When her parents hesitated, the believing, rational girl came out and said, "Are you returning the command of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? Hand me over to him, for he will not ruin me."
Allah, the Most High, has established this rule out of His knowledge of the Prophet's ﷺ mercy for his nation; for he is more merciful to us than we are to ourselves, and he fears for us more than we fear for ourselves.
Question Five: Trading in Religion and the Right of Allah
This question is from the previous parts and is worth 5 marks.
Among the oppressors are those who do not limit themselves to wasting the right of Allah, but they trade in religion and make it a means to their desires, pretending to glorify the right of Allah by making "something" of the matter for Allah, while in reality, this leads to their desires, while they are very stingy with the provisions of the world to spend on the sanctities of Allah. Mention the verse and mention a strange hint at the beginning of it.
The intended verse: "{And they have assigned to Allah from what He has created of crops and livestock a share, saying, 'This is for Allah,' by their claim, 'and this is for our partners...'" (Surah Al-An'am: 136).
Now, we come to the strange hint at the beginning of this verse, which some found difficult or searched for, which is His saying, the Most High: "{And they have assigned to Allah from what He has created of crops and livestock a share}."
The Rhetorical Hint in Presenting Allah's Right
The strange composition here lies in presenting the name of Allah "{to Allah}" before the word "{a share}." In the language of the Arabs, presenting what is right to be delayed indicates restriction or attention, but here the hint mentioned by the interpreters (including Ibn Ashur, may Allah have mercy on him) is that these polytheists - and those who followed their path in trading in religion - pretend to present Allah's right with their tongues, saying "this is for Allah," but they made this share "indefinite" (a share), meaning something small, vague, with no value compared to what they hoard for themselves, their desires, and their partners.
Trading in Religion and Presenting Desires
It is amazing that they present the name of Allah in the sentence "{And they have assigned to Allah}" to make people and themselves believe that they glorify the Creator, but the truth is that they are stingy; what is for Allah (by their claim) is easy for them to give to their partners and desires, and what is for their partners does not reach Allah!
This is the condition of those who trade in religion; they make for Allah a "marginal" share in their lives, in their prayers, in their wealth, while the great centrality is for their desires and personal interests, and yet they boast that they "have made a share for Allah" as if they are favoring the Lord of the Worlds, and this is the height of ignorance and oppression.
Note from the Lecturer:
I see some brothers in the comments writing "by their claim," yes it is a strong word in the verse indicating the falsity of this division, but the hint I wanted is in the structure of "presenting the prepositional phrase" with "indefiniteness of the share" to indicate the meanness of what they presented while claiming glorification.
We now move to the next question...
We now move to another question from the previous parts, which is a question that requires contemplation of the condition of the heart and its reliance on Allah, the Most High.
Question Six: Allah's Sufficiency for His Servant
The question states: Often, the people of falsehood threaten the people of truth with cutting off sustenance, or defaming reputation, or tightening their livelihoods, causing fear to enter the hearts of some. Mention a verse from the twenty-fourth part (Surah Az-Zumar) that responds to all these threats with a few words that cut off the root of fear from the heart and grant complete tranquility.
Answer: It is the saying of Allah, the Most High: "Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? And they frighten you with those other than Him. But whom Allah sends astray, there is no guide for him." (Surah Az-Zumar: 36).
Masha'Allah, I see the answers are very quick. Brother "Abu Bakr" was the first, then sister "Sarah," then "Umar Al-Faruq."
A Moment with "Isn't Allah Sufficient for His Servant"
This verse, my brothers, is the psychological security rule for the believer. Allah, the Most High, poses the question in an interrogative form: "Isn't Allah sufficient for His servant?" The natural and certain answer is: Yes, my Lord, You are sufficient for us.
Look at the amazing connection in the verse: "And they frighten you with those who are besides Him." Anyone who frightens you with anything other than Allah, whether it be a director at work, an oppressor in authority, or an enemy lurking for you, is "besides Him"; meaning, lesser than Him, weaker than Him, and does not possess for himself any benefit or harm except by His permission.
So, if the servant realizes his servitude to Allah, Allah suffices him from every worry and turns away from him every evil. The point here is with the word "His servant"; the more your servitude to Allah increases, the more Allah's sufficiency for you increases.
Distribution of Marks:
Abu Bakr: Two marks (for the speed of the answer and the correctness of the text).
Sarah: One mark.
Umar al-Faruq: One mark.
We now move to our final question in this episode, which is a question from Surah "Yaseen" that we read today in the twenty-second part.
Question Seven: The Positivity of the Believer and the Nobility of Purpose
The last question from Surah "Yaseen" says: A man was not prevented by distance, nor by being a single individual, nor by the disbelief of his people in three of the messengers, from moving for the sake of Allah's religion with all positivity and advice. Mention the verse that describes his coming, and the verse that describes his wishing good for his people even while he is in the gardens of bliss after his death.
The Answer:
- The verse of coming: "And there came from the farthest end of the city a man running. He said, 'O my people, follow the messengers'" (Yaseen: 20).
- The verse of wishing good: "It was said, 'Enter Paradise.' He said, 'Oh, I wish my people knew. With what my Lord has forgiven me and made me among the honored ones'" (Yaseen: 26-27).
Masha Allah, brother "Osama Nasser" and sister "Umm Mahmoud" have given precise and quick answers.
A Moment with the Believer of the Family of Yaseen
Look, my brothers, at this excellent model of positivity; "And there came from the farthest end of the city," he was not hindered by the distance, "a man running," he did not walk slowly but was hastening, eager. And more amazing than that is "the purity of his heart"; after they killed him and he saw the honor of Allah for him in Paradise, he did not say "May Allah avenge them" or "They deserve what has befallen them," but he said with the nobility of the believer: "Oh, I wish my people knew." He wished that they would know what he is in of bliss so that they may believe and be happy like him.
This is the heart of the sincere caller; he carries good for people even while they harm him, and he moves for his religion even if he is alone.
End of the Episode:
With this, we have reached the end of today's episode of "Explaining Everything." We have seen great meanings in Surah Saba about individual calling, in the Parties about the purity of hearts and the priority of the Prophet peace be upon him, and in Yaseen about the positivity of the believer.
We bless everyone who won marks with us today, and we will meet you tomorrow, God willing, in a new episode and renewed spiritual meanings from the Book of Allah.
May Allah keep you in His care, Who does not lose those who entrust Him, and peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.