آنا جعلنا في آعناقهم آغلالا فهي آلي آلاذقان فهم مقمحون.36:8

‘INAA JA’ALNAA FE A’NAAQIHIM AGHLAALAN FA- HIYA ‘ILAA AL- ADHQAANI FAHUM MUQMAHOON

We have put yokes round their necks right up to their chins so that their heads are forced up (and they cannot see)

When we do not accept the guidance of Allah (SWT) which is given with compassion and mercy what happens to us? We are in a state of sin and that sin is like a shackle around our necks ever burdening us and making our necks stiff. What is the image of a stiff necked person. That person is terribly hobbled. Unable to look around. In terms of the spirit, it too is hardened by this, the heart is made harder and harder and further from Allah (SWT) And remember these shackles are of our own making when we refuse to believe when we refuse to follow this guidance of Allah (SWT)

وجعلنا من بين آيديهم سداومن خلفهم سدافآغشينهم فهم

لايبصرون 36:9

WA- JA’ALNAA MIN BAYNA AYDEHIM SADDAN WA- MIN KHALFIHIM SADDAN FA- AGHSHAYNAAHUM FAHUM LAA YUBSIROON

And We have put a bar in front of them and a bar behind them and further We have enshrouded them in veils; so that they cannot see

And this leads further into a kind of spiritual stagnation. We are unable to go back and unable to go forward. All guidance becomes lost to us and it is as if we are blinded by the veils of dark and light that we have earned by our unbelief.

وسوآء ءليهم ءآنذرتهم آم لم تنذرهم فهم لايومنون36:10

wa- sawaa’ ‘alayhim andhartahum ‘am lam tundhirhum laa yu’minoon

The same is it to them whether thou admonish them or thou do not admonish them: they will not believe.

And when this ultimate state of spiritual impoverishment comes. When the sinner cannot advance or retreat and when all light and guidance is seemingly cut off, what then? They are deaf and blind to guidance, where can the go from here? What difference does it make if we advise them or not? They do not listen and seemingly cannot alter their state.

إِنَّمَا تُنْذِرُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الذِّكْرَ وَخَشِيَ الرَّحْمَنَ

بِالْغَيْبِ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِمَغْفِرَةٍ وَأَجْرٍ كَرِيمٍ36.11

‘innamaa tundhir man ittaba’a adhdhikr wa- khashiya ar- rah.maan bi- al- ghayb fa- bashshirhu bi- maghfirah wa- ‘ajr karem

You can only admonish: those who follow the reminders and fear the Most Gracious unseen: give them therefore good tidings of Forgiveness and a Reward most generous

As for those who are concerned, who have obstinately delivered themselves to evil, The preaching of Allah’s message has no appeal because their own will, their own nafs shuts them out. But there are others who are anxious to hear Allah’s message and receive Allah’s grace. They love Allah and fear to offend against his holy law and their fear is not merely superficial but deep seated for while they do not yet see Allah nor do other people see them they have the same sense of Allah’s presence as if they saw him and their religion is not a mere pose to be seen of men. To such persons the message of Allah comes as good news because it shows them the way of forgiveness for anything wrong in their past and it gives them the promise of a full reward in the future arising out of Allah’s unbounded bounty.

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى وَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوا وَآثَارَهُمْ وَكُلَّ

شَيْءٍ أحْصَيْنَاهُ فِي إِمَامٍ مُبِينٍ036.012

‘inna nah.nu, nuhye al- mawtaa wa- naktub maa qaddamo wa- ‘aathaarhum wa- kull shay’ah.saynaahu fe ‘imaam muben

It is true! We shall raise up the dead and We record that which they sent before and that which they leave behind and of all things have We have made a clear accounting

Clearly what we do here in this life is recorded and kept as a record to be read back to us at the time of our resurrection. Allah (SWT) knows all in our hearts and in our souls. Is this not a clear message for us? For those who believe and have Taqwa for Allah (SWT) it is a message of hope and mercy and kindness because our obedience is rewarded many times.

Part 2

Narrated Anas ibn Malik

Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Everything has a heart, and the heart of the Qur’an is Ya-Sin. Allah will record anyone who recites Ya-Sin as having recited the Qur’an ten times.”

Narrated AbuHurayrah

Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “A thousand years before creating the heavens and the Earth, Allah recited Ta-Ha and Ya-Sin, and when the angels heard the recitation they said, ‘Happy are the people to whom this comes down, happy are the minds which carry this, and happy are the tongues which utter this.”

Narrated Ata’ ibn AbuRabah

Ata’ has been told that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “If anyone recites Ya-Sin at the beginning of the day, his wants will be supplied.”

What do these ahadith point to? How we follow the guidance of allah (SWT) affects us just as much in this life right here right now.

In our hearts, if we read Ya Sin it is equal to reading Quran ten times. If we look in our own hearts and find love and obedience to Allah (SWT) it is like finding and obeying him with our whole bodies ten times. This is the opposite of having a chain around our neck! It is that we are open to Allah (SWT) and open to his guidance and compassion and mercy.

And rasul allah (SAW) tells us that our we and our minds and our tongues will be happy when we utter this just as Allah (SWT) recited it to the angels long before we were here on earth.

And our recitation of it causes our wants to be supplied. What else could possibly happen, when our hearts are open to Allah (SWT) we know we are receiving clear guidance, our whole body rejoices and our tonges are happy. In this state how could we ever NOT receive what we need from Allah (SWT) even to knowing that the record that will be read about us on that final day will show that we had Taqwa for Allah (SWT) and that we loved rasul allsh (SAW) and followed his sunnah.

Oh Allah, Let us rejoice in knowing this clear guidance, this light in our lives, let us not be among those whose necks and hearts are stiffened up and who know not Allah (SWT) and are not in your grace and mercy. Let us be among those that understand and know and believe, even when you are hidden from us. And let us be among those that worship for your sake and not for the sake of being seen in our religion.

For all this we pray, ameen.