Starting again with our look at Sura Ya Sin

036.066 وَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَطَمَسْنَا عَلَى أَعْيُنِهِمْ فَاسْتَبَقُوا الصِّرَاطَ فَأَنَّى يُبْصِرُونَ

Walaw nasha’o la-tamasna ‘aala a’ay-unihim faistabaqoo alssirata fa-anna yubsiroona

If it had been our Will, We could surely have blotted out their eyes; then should they have run about groping for the Path, but how could they have seen?

If Allah (SWT) had wanted us not to be able to understand the difference between right and wrong, then that would be the case and we would not have known the true path as in another verse it says that if Allah (SWT) “had so willed he could indeed take away their hearing and their sight” This is a metaphor for taking away this ability to see right and wrong. And then the path would be hidden from them, they would not have the ability and therefore how could they perceive what is true. Here basura means to see something with the mind’s eye. It is the lack of insight, the lack of common sense or the ability to discern a moral ethical truth. And indeed if Allah (SWT) had wanted he could have blotted out that sight in each of us. But Allah (SWT) is merciful.

036.067 وَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَمَسَخْنَاهُمْ عَلَى مَكَانَتِهِمْ فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مُضِيًّا وَلا يَرْجِعُونَ

Walaw nasha’o lamasakh-nahum ‘aala makana-tihim fama istata’aoo mudiyyan wala yarji’aoona

And if it had been Our Will, We could have transformed them to remain in their places; then should they have been unable to move about, nor could they have returned after error.

If it had been Allah (SWT)’s will that people should have no freedom of will or moral choice then he would have made us, from the beginning with a spiritually and morally stationary nature, entirely rooted in our instincts lacking all ability to advance and incapable of either positive development or retreating from a wrong course. But again Allah (SWT) is merciful and has given us the ability to see and the ability to choose. Then when we find ourselves on the wrong course, we can repent. Allah (SWT) in his infinite mercy for us has given us this ability for tauba, and without it we could not correct ourselves when we are on a wrong course.

036.068 وَمَنْ نُعَمِّرْهُ نُنَكِّسْهُ فِي الْخَلْقِ أَفَلا يَعْقِلُونَ

Waman nu’aammir-hu nunakkis-hu fee alkhalqi afala ya’aqiloona

If We grant long life to any, We cause him to be reserved in nature: Will they not then understand?

Allah (SWT) says in 4:28 that man has been created weak. We have a certain amount of time and as we age, those of us whom Allah (SWT) has granted this long life, our faculties begin to decline. It is harder for us in the end than when we are young. Allah (SWT) is reminding us of this here. Is it not then common sense to start early in our lives to take on the moral responsibilities that we have been given? It is our choice. Another way of looking at this is that our minds and our insight are not fully developed when we are children. Therefore they are not responsible for the same things as adults are. Then we are transformed again insha’allah to adults, with clarity of sight and mind, then as we age the clarity begins to fall away again. Is this not a sign for those who would see? Will you not then, use the common sense that Allah (SWT) has given you?

Part 2

036.069 وَمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ الشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ إِنْ هُوَ إِلا ذِكْرٌ وَقُرْآنٌ مُبِينٌ

036.070 لِيُنْذِرَ مَنْ كَانَ حَيًّا وَيَحِقَّ الْقَوْلُ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ

Wama ‘aallam-nahu al-shi’ara wama yanbaghee lahu in huwa illa thikrun waqur-anun mubeenun

Liyunthira man kana hayyan wa-ya-hiqqa alqawlu ‘aala al-kafireena

We have not instructed the Prophet in Poetry, nor would that suit him, this is no less than a reminder and a divine discourse making things clear:

To the end that it may warn everyone who is alive [of heart} and that the word may bear witness against all who deny the truth.

What is the Quran reminding us of? It is not a collection of fairy tales and imaginative stories that the prophet Muhammad (SAW) made up. It is a clear revelation from Allah (SWT). It reminds us of our path, it reminds us of the revelations that Abu Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, Da’ud, and all the prophets, allayhi salaam, had brought. And in this context we are reminded that we, personally, are responsible for following that guidance or not.

Can we not, again, I remind myself as I remind you, use our intelligence. Here Allah (SWT) is telling us directly what it was given to us for. To be able to perceive the message he has given us and to act on that. To live as he has asked us to live, to follow the path that, without that intelligence we would be stumbling in the dark for.

And we should also always remember that when Allah (SWT) accepts our repentance, we should remember to give thanks in sajdah The Prostration of Thankfulness (Sajdat ush-Shukr).

The majority of the scholars say that it is preferred to make prostrations of thankfulness (shukr) when one receives a bounty or is rescued from some trial. Abu Bakr reports that, when the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam received something which pleased him or some glad tidings, he would make the sajdah in thanks to Allah.

And al-Baihaqi records, that when ‘Ali (AS) wrote to the Messenger of Allah, informing him that Hamadhan had embraced Islam, the Prophet prostrated, and when he raised his head, he said: “Peace be upon Hamadhan, peace be upon Hamadhan.”

‘Abdurrahman ibn ‘Auf relates that the Messenger of Allah went out once and he followed him until he entered a grove of palm trees and prostrated. His prostration was so long that ‘Abdurrahman feared that Allah had taken his soul. ‘Abdurrahman came to look at him and he raised his head and said: “What is wrong, Abdurrahman’?” Abdurrahman mentioned what had happened, and he said: “Gabriel alehi as-salam came to me and said: ‘Shall I not give you glad tidings’? Allah says to you, Whoever prays upon you, I pray upon him. Whoever salutes you, I salute him.’ Therefore, I prostrated to Allah in thanks.”

Al-Bukhari records that Ka’b ibn Malik made a sajdah when he received the news that Allah had accepted his repentance

So let us go from here today again committed to increasing our understanding, to follow the straight path that Allah (SWT) has so clearly shown us and to live each second, each breath of our lives in Dhikr Allah. In remembrance of our maker and the one who we will surely face.

و الله علم