السلام عليكم

أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَا بَنِي آدَمَ أَنْ لا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ(36:60)

 Alam a’Ahad ilaykum ya banee adama an la ta’Abudoo alshshaytana innahu lakum ‘Aaduwwun mubeenun

“Did I not enjoin on you, O Children of Adam, that ye should not worship Satan; for truly he is your open enemy?-

وَأَنِ اعْبُدُونِي هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ(36:61)

 Waani o’Abudoonee hatha siratun mustaqeemun

“And that ye should worship Me, for that is the Straight Path?

So Allah (swt) not only warned us against following our enemy Shaitan but he has also given us a way out, his mercy is overwhelming, we do not have to fumble around wondering what to do, he (Allah (swt)) tells us clearly to worship him and that is صراط المستقيم. The way straight to him and straight in that it never deviates from the goal which is to live as a Muslim and to follow Allah (swt) guidance.

For it is up to us, it is reported by Abu Huraira in a sahih hadith that Rasul Allah (SAW) Allah’s Apostle said, “All my followers will enter Paradise except those who refuse.” They said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Who will refuse?” He said, “Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me is the one who refuses (to enter it).” Think about that! The one who refuses to enter! You refuse the blessings of Allah (swt) and the garden by walking another path. For Allah (swt) says in the next ayah.

 

وَلَقَدْ أَضَلَّ مِنْكُمْ جِبِلا كَثِيرًا أَفَلَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْقِلُونَ(36:62)

 Walaqad adalla minkum jibillan katheeran afalam takoonoo ta’Aqiloona

“But he did lead a great many of you astray. Did you not, then, use your reason?

Again Allah (swt) is reminding us of our ability to reason. When we see those around us who have gone astray, who have deviated from the path, we know that they are going wrong. They have let darkness overcome them and they are an example for the rest of us. Do we not see them, do we not know when we recognize those things in ourselves?

And in a hadith narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah – Some angels came to the Prophet while he was sleeping. Some of them said, “He is sleeping.” Others said, “His eyes are sleeping but his heart is awake.” Then they said, “There is an example for this companion of yours.” One of them said, “Then set forth an example for him.” Some of them said, “He is sleeping.” The others said, “His eyes are sleeping but his heart is awake.” Then they said, “His example is that of a man who has built a house and then offered therein a banquet and sent an inviter (messenger) to invite the people. So whoever accepted the invitation of the inviter, entered the house and ate of the banquet, and whoever did not accept the invitation of the inviter, did not enter the house, nor did he eat of the banquet.” Then the angels said, “Interpret this example to him so that he may understand it.” Some of them said, “He is sleeping.” The others said, “His eyes are sleeping but his heart is awake.” And then they said, “The houses stands for Paradise and the call maker is Muhammad; and whoever obeys Muhammad, obeys Allah; and whoever disobeys Muhammad, disobeys Allah. Muhammad separated the people (i.e., through his message, the good is distinguished from the bad, and the believers from the disbelievers).”

 

هَذِهِ جَهَنَّمُ الَّتِي كُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ(36:63)

 Hathihi jahannamu allatee kuntum too’Aadoona

“This, then is the Hell of which you were repeatedly warned!

And now the facts of what they have earned are right before them. They now realize what they will reap. Had they realized this before after the repeated warnings, both in this life and in the many books that had been revealed before the Qur’an they would be spared but now it is too late.

 

اصْلَوْهَا الْيَوْمَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ (36:64)

 Islaw-ha alyawma bima kuntum takfuroona

Burn in it this Day, for your persistent rejection of Truth.”

And now experience the reality of it. For Allah (swt) also says in Sura Al-Hajj:

 

وَالَّذِينَ سَعَوْا فِي آيَاتِنَا مُعَاجِزِينَ أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ(22:51)

 

Wa allatheena sa’aaw fee ayatina mu’aajizeena ola-ika as-habu aljaheemi

“But those who strive against Our Signs, to frustrate them,- they will be Companions of the Fire.”

They will be companions of the fire says Allah (swt). There can be no doubt.

 

الْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ عَلَى أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَتُكَلِّمُنَا أَيْدِيهِمْ وَتَشْهَدُ أَرْجُلُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ (36:65)

 Alyawma nakhtimu ‘ala afwa-hi-him watuk-allimuna aydeehim watash-hadu arjuluhum bima kanoo yaksiboona

That Day shall We set a seal on their mouths. But their hands will speak to us, and their feet bear witness, to all that they did.

So here we see that saying “Actions speak louder than words”. They’re mouths are sealed because no amount of pleading or excuses will avail them. Their bodies, their hands and feet will speak out loudly about what they did in life. And this is a metaphor also because the eyes will bear witness to what they had seen and the ears and the skin all bear witness. So we need to use our reason to think on these things, to ponder them and act on them for surely these signs are a clear message.

 Part 2

Abu Musa narrates in a sahih hadith that Rasul Allah (saw) said, “My example and the example of what I have been sent with is that of a man who came to some people and said, ‘O people! I have seen the enemy’s army with my own eyes, and I am the clear warner; so protect yourselves!’ Then a group of his people obeyed him and fled at night proceeding stealthily till they were safe, while another group of them disbelieved him and stayed at their places till morning when the army came upon them, and killed and ruined them completely So this is the example of that person who obeys me and follows what I have brought (the Qur’an and the Sunna), and the example of the one who disobeys me and disbelieves the truth I have brought.”

And Allah (swt) says:

 

أَفَلا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلافًا كَثِيرًا (4:82)

 Afala yatadabbaroona alqur-ana walaw kana min ‘Aindi ghayri Allahi lawajadoo feehi ikhtilafan katheeran

Will they not then, try to understand this Qur’an? Had it come from anyone but Allah they would surely have found in it many contradictions.

The unity of the Quran is greater than that of any other sacred book. How can we account for that except by the unity of Allah’s purpose and design. If the Qur’an had a human source we would have expected much discrepancy. This is from three reasons. 1. The Messenger (saw) who brought it forth was not an educated man, he was not learned in religion nor was he a philosopher. 2. The Qur’an was revealed over a long period of time, in various places, in various circumstances and 3. It is addressed to all types of men and women, it is a universal message. And Yet when it is properly understood its various pieces fit together beautifully even though they may not be in chronological order. This is because there was only one inspirer of this Qur’an and that was Allah (swt). And his message is consistent throughout.

This is an important message to leave here with brothers and sisters. That Allah (swt) is the speaker in this Qur’an. That he wants us to understand what is in it, and when we understand it, to act and worship and obey from the deepest part of our hearts.

اللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ(5:105)

 

Allahi marji’aukum jamee’aan fayunabbi-okum bima kuntum feehi takhtalifoona

The goal of you all is to Allah; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute

 و الله ءلم

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