Sunday, October 7, 2012

Ending of surah Altawba

As I was finishing my memorization of surah Altawba, something hit me. The verse before lasts speaks so beautifully about Prophet Muhammad's characteristics, and his final characteristic is that he is رءوف رحيم, kind and merciful. Upon seeing these 2 words, I recalled that these same 2 words were mentioned recently in this chapter, in fact just a few verses before this one. Looking back at it, I saw that a previous verse did in fact mention the two exact qualities of kindness and mercy (رءوف رحيم), but this time it was not given as the Prophet's characteristic, but rather as the one and only God's characteristic. Look at that specific verse :

[لَّقَد تَّابَ اللَّهُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ فِي سَاعَةِ الْعُسْرَةِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِيقٍ مِّنْهُمْ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّهُ بِهِمْ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Allah turned a favor to the Prophet, the Muhajirs (those who migrated to Medina from Makkah), and the Ansar (the 1st believers of Medina),- who followed him in a time of distress, after that the hearts of a part of them had nearly swerved (in faith); but He turned favor to them (also): for He is unto them Most Kind, Most Merciful.]

God talks about how he was merciful to the Prophet and to those who stuck by him in times of hardship. Because of God's kindness to the Prophet, He characterizes Himself with that quality of mercy of kindness. Now going forward to the verse in the end of the Surah, now God speaks of the Prophet and his dealings with his own people:

[لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Now has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that you may be harmed: ardently anxious is he over you: to the Believers is he most kind and merciful.]

Now God gives that same compassionate quality of رءوف رحيم (kindness and mercy) to His Prophet. Could it not be that out of God's kindness and mercy, which he first spoke of in verse 117, he reflected that same quality unto his dear Prophet in concluding the chapter in verse 128? So out of God's own kindness and mercy, he enveloped his final Prophet with kindness and mercy.

Another interesting fact about the ending of this long chapter Altawba is that God's final last conclusion to His prophet is an actual supplication:
[فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ
But if they turn away, Say: "Allah suffices me: there is no God but He: In Him is my trust,- He is the Lord of the Throne (of Glory) Supreme!"]

What a beautiful supplication for the Prophet and for every one of us in fact. God is enough for me. He suffices me. I depend on Him alone. I fully rely on Him alone. In Him I put my total trust and no one else. If we each had that as our motto, embodied in our thoughts, we truly would never feel alone.

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