Almighty and Merciful

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

Verily, in this is an Ayah (proof or sign), yet most of them are not believers.

وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ

And verily, your Lord! He is truly the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful.

The above two verses are from Surah Al Shu'araa. They are mentioned 8 times in this chapter between different stories of prophets. They act as a transition between the stories. 

Interestingly, before telling us all these stories, God first addresses Prophet Muhammad, as this chapter came down in a time of hardship and persecution for him and the believers. God is telling him to pretty much take it easy and not to be so hard on himself for their ignorance. After comforting him, the stories of previous prophets begin, as if telling him "don't worry these prophets also went through tough times while delivering the message to their people". Thus, it was a form of empathy in a way. Between these stories you see the two repetitive verses above. 

In these two verses, God emphasizes His attributes of Aziz and Raheem (All Mighty and Merciful). After the 8th time that they're mentioned and after all the stories, God speaks directly to Prophet Muhammad again. He is comforting him and telling him to be humble. What he tells him next is interesting. He says

 وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الْعَزِيزِ الرَّحِيمِ

And put your trust in the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful. 

See anything here? He uses the same two attributes that He had been using as transitions between other prophets' stories. So it's giving Prophet Muhammad a direct link to them so to say. But this time, He is commanding him to rely on the Aziz and Raheem. Just as the others relied on God and stood by their message, you oh Muhammad should do the same. This can be understood from reading the chapter although it doesn't literally say it. 

The very next 2 verses are interesting too. It gives God an additional attribute. 

الَّذِي يَرَاكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ

Who sees you (O Muhammad) when you stand up (alone at night for prayer)

وَتَقَلُّبَكَ فِي السَّاجِدِينَ

And your movements among those who fall prostrate. 

إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

Verily! He, only He, is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.

The verses continue on to speak to the prophet and say that God who is almighty and merciful is the One who sees you when you get up at night, and sees you repeatedly prostrating. It didn't just say "the one who sees you praying". It's much more descriptive. It shows us that prophet Muhammad actually and physically rose up to the challenge. The fact that it says that he is literally getting up hints that. And finally God says He is the all hearer and all knower. Why? Because He hears the prophet as he prays to Him and knows of his constant prostrations. 

Subhanallah how just a few verses can tell us so much and in such a subtle way. 

Moses and the Pharaoh

Read this discussion between prophet Musa(Moses) and the Pharoah in Surah Al Shuaraa verses 23-38:

1. قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَا رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ

2. قَالَ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِن كُنتُم مُّوقِنِينَ

3. قَالَ لِمَنْ حَوْلَهُ أَلا تَسْتَمِعُونَ

4. قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ وَرَبُّ آبَائِكُمُ الأَوَّلِينَ

5. قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَكُمُ الَّذِي أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ لَمَجْنُونٌ

6. قَالَ رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

7. قَالَ لَئِنِ اتَّخَذْتَ إِلَهًا غَيْرِي لَأَجْعَلَنَّكَ مِنَ الْمَسْجُونِينَ

8. قَالَ أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكَ بِشَيْءٍ مُّبِينٍ

9. قَالَ فَأْتِ بِهِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ

10. فَأَلْقَى عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُّبِينٌ

11. وَنَزَعَ يَدَهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ بَيْضَاء لِلنَّاظِرِينَ

12. قَالَ لِلْمَلَإِ حَوْلَهُ إِنَّ هَذَا لَسَاحِرٌ عَلِيمٌ

13. يُرِيدُ أَن يُخْرِجَكُم مِّنْ أَرْضِكُم بِسِحْرِهِ فَمَاذَا تَأْمُرُونَ

14. قَالُوا أَرْجِهِ وَأَخَاهُ وَابْعَثْ فِي الْمَدَائِنِ حَاشِرِينَ

15. يَأْتُوكَ بِكُلِّ سَحَّارٍ عَلِيمٍ

16. فَجُمِعَ السَّحَرَةُ لِمِيقَاتِ يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ

23. Fir'aun (Pharaoh) said: "And what is the Lord of the 'Alamin(mankind, jinns and all that exists)?"

24. Musa (Moses) said: "Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, if you seek to be convinced with certainty."

25. Fir'aun (Pharaoh) said to those around: "Do you not hear (what he says)?"

26. Musa (Moses) said: "Your Lord and the Lord of your ancient fathers!"

27. Fir'aun (Pharaoh) said: "Verily, your Messenger who has been sent to you is a madman!"

28. Musa (Moses) said: "Lord of the east and the west, and all that is between them, if you did but understand!"

29. Fir'aun (Pharaoh) said: "If you choose an ilah (god) other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners."

30. Musa (Moses) said: "Even if I bring you something manifest (and convincing)?"

31. Fir'aun (Pharaoh) said: "Bring it forth then, if you are of the truthful!"

32. So [Musa (Moses)] threw his stick, and behold, it was a serpent, manifest.

33. And he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white to all beholders!

34. [Fir'aun (Pharaoh)] said to the chiefs around him: "Verily! This is indeed a well-versed sorcerer.

35. "He wants to drive you out of your land by his sorcery, then what is it your counsel, and what do you command?"

36. They said: "Put him off and his brother (for a while), and send callers to the cities;

37. "To bring up to you every well-versed sorcerer."

38. So the sorcerers were assembled at a fixed time on a day appointed.

Something hit me while reading their discussion. The entire discussion is between Pharoah and Musa. It's he said, he said, he said, etc. It's a dialogue. At the beginning of their dialogue when Musa brings up God, Pharoah immediately mocks him by addressing those around him. And the verse specifically says "those around him". He tells them as if mocking Musa, "don't you hear what he's saying?!" And then the next time pharaoh speaks he tells the people around him that their prophet is crazy. And then as Musa continues his determination to preach the oneness of God, Pharoah threatens him. So Musa asks "have I not shown you something that's clear"?  Pharoah then replies by asking for the proof of clarity. He says "bring it on" basically. Then Musa brings it. He gives him two miracles in a row. The stick turned into a snake and his hand became clear as white. 

What does Pharoah do after witnessing these miracles with his own two eyes? Immediately he turns to his people. And this time not to anybody. The verse specially says to the chiefs, the nobles. He does not even direct his attention to Musa anymore. This is where his kingdom, wealth and honor were threatened. He felt it. He saw the truth yet he ignored it. And not only that, he attacked Musa accusing him of sorcery. He couldn't handle the truth. It's simple as that. And these verses show it so clearly. It's an eye opener.

Sometimes we see something so clear yet our nafs, our ego, isn't ready for it. Just as Pharoah couldn't let go of his pride for the truth, and wasn't ready to forgo his kingdom. So much so that he couldn't even keep us his dialogue with Musa anymore. He couldn't address him after seeing his miracles. He turned his attention to the chiefs so they can take over the conversation. He had nothing to say. NOTHING. It was all clear now. 

May we see truth as clarity and not be blinded. 

Repentance in Surah AlFurqan

إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَٰئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا

Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for Allah will change the evil of such persons into good, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful,

وَمَن تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَإِنَّهُ يَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَتَابًا

And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah with an (acceptable) conversion;-

These two verses are interesting to me because of the repetition of the words تاب وعمل صالحا (Repent and does good). The previous verses were talking about someone who had associated a partner with God, killed a human life, or commited adultery. And one who does either of these will surely get what he deserves for doing so. EXCEPT. Except who? The one who repents, believes, and does good actions. This is the first verse above. He who repents, meaning he regrets his mistake, and who believes, meaning he realizes what he did was wrong and believes that he should obey his God, and does righteous actions, meaning he immediately replaces his mistake with something good. Once he takes these steps what will God do? God will then replace his sins with rewards. So just as the person replaces his bad with good, God will similarly replace his sin with reward. 

And there is more. The next verse reiterates that this person then repented and did good. Why the repetition and what's the difference? This brings up the meaning of true repentance. Now that the person already realized his mistake, regretted it, and did something good, now he has to CONTINUE his righteous path. How? He repents again, but this time meaning he does not go back to the mistake and avoids ever going back to it ever again. And what else does he do? He does good. But interestingly God does not specify what good this person does in this verse. He does not say "does good actions" , but rather He says "does good", so it is more vague than the first verse. This gives the implication that this person didn't just do a good action after his mistake, but now this person is living a righteous life, a good life. Everything he gets into is goodness. He does goodness, speaks goodness, befriends goodness, encourages goodness, etc. The second verse thus emphasizes the lifestyle this person had after his repentance. And what is his reward for this? God says "then he will have truly repented" meaning that God will surely forgive him completely. 

May we have the strength to not only repent after our mistakes, but to also continue living a righteous lifestyle after. Ameen. 

Falling of a leaf

Perhaps God gave us 4 seasons to reflect on our own selves and each of our individual seasons. Sometimes we spring and we're all up and about, and other times we fall and shed tears of our own. Yet the fall season is beautiful to look at. We see green leaves on the trees all summer then all of a sudden, they change color and fall one by one. It amazes me every time to read the verse where God says "Not one leaf falls except that He knows of it". Just as He knows of every leaf falling off the tree, He is also all-knowing of every tear falling from your eyes. We know He is there. And just as He brings back life to the trees in the spring, He will bring back the coolness in your eyes. It's just the season :)

Mercy of a mother

As a mother waking up to care for a sick baby overnight, I realized something last night. Lack of sleep wasn't a concern while with her. All I could think of was her health. The mercy mothers have for their kids is unimaginable. Yet I was reminded of the saying by prophet Muhammad(PBUH) who said that God is more merciful to us than a mother is to her child. Sometimes we think He is inflicting us with pain when He is really curing us. Just as we give shots to our babies to heal them and annoy them with a syringe to clean out their nose while the baby does not realize these things are actually done for their good, God can also inflict us with what we call pain or tough times in order to cure us in the long run and remove the dirt from within. We cannot always fully comprehend why we are put in certain situations just as Moses couldn't comprehend why Alkhidr was sinking the people's ship. It was for THEIR own good in the long run. We have limited eyesight and the key is to TRUST, just as our children trust us when we inject them with a vaccine or stuff a syringe up their nose to help them breathe. Perhaps God's inflictions on us will help us breathe in a different manner. 

God's Grace

Surah Al Noor is 64 verses all together. Yet within the first 21 verses alone, God makes this same statement 4 times:

وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ

If it weren't for Allah's favor and mercy on you

Take a look:

Verse 10:

وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ حَكِيمٌ

If it were not for Allah's grace and mercy on you, and that Allah is Oft-Returning, full of Wisdom,

Verse14:

وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَا أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

Had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy unto you in this world and in the Hereafter, a great torment would have touched you for that whereof you had spoken.

Verse 20:

وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

And had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, And that Allah is full of kindness, Most Merciful.

Verse 21:

 وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

And had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allah purifies whom He wills, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Only God knows the wisdom behind this repetitive statement, but it certainly makes you wonder why it was repeated 4 times so close to each other. Indeed, without God's grace, His favors on us, and His mercy, we would be no where. I would have not been able to write this. You would not have been able to read this. But He favored you and I, and all of us. Should we not be thankful? Alhamdulillah. All thanks and praise are due to Him. 

Where is your heart?

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ

Verily those who live in awe for fear of their Lord;

وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ

Those who believe in the Signs of their Lord;

وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِرَبِّهِمْ لَا يُشْرِكُونَ

Those who join not (in worship) partners with their Lord;

وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوا وَّقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُونَ

And those who dispense their charity with their hearts full of fear, because they will return to their Lord;-

أُولَٰئِكَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَهُمْ لَهَا سَابِقُونَ

It is these who hasten in every good work, and these who are foremost in them.

These are verses 57-61 in Surah Almu'minoon. God is describing a people in 4 specific traits. What are these traits? Take a look at the verses. Do you see a pattern of some sort? All of these verses have the word ربهم (their lord). Interesting. It could have easily said God, instead of their lord. But this shows us something. These people did not just fear God, obey God, love God, etc. They actually had a relationship with Him. He is THEIR lord, THEIR caretaker, THEIR #1 priority in life. You can sense that from the number of times it was mentioned in these verses. So aside from the qualities the verses mention, the way the verses were put together shows us how they lived their life. Their life was for God, their heart was attached to their creator. It's a truly beautiful quality to have yet how many of us truly have that?

And moving on to the last verse. What's their reward? It actually doesn't mention one! Usually when God describes people with great qualities in the Quran, He then describes their reward for having those qualities. Here, He doesn't. He describes another characteristic that is the epitome of their overall traits. He says that these are the people who hasten to every good and they prioritize it. They hasten to prayer, and are the first to pray it at its time. They hasten to give charity, and are the first to give it. They love their parents, they are the first to give them a kiss in the morning. May we be of those who hasten to goodness and be the first ones there. Ameen. 

Lastly, something I noticed in this last verse also is that a few verses back, God was talking about those who ignored his message. He says, "do they think that we hasten them to goodness?"  And now he mentions hastening to goodness again. But this time, He is not hastening the believers to goodness. It's they themselves who hasten to goodness. They took it upon themselves to do good. They chose goodness so God chose them. 

3 conclusions from Surah Al Nisaa

While reading Surah Al Nisa today, I couldn't help but realize 3 things. 

1- لَّا يَسْتَوِي الْقَاعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ غَيْرُ أُولِي الضَّرَرِ وَالْمُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ عَلَى الْقَاعِدِينَ دَرَجَةً وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْحُسْنَىٰ وَفَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ عَلَى الْقَاعِدِينَ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith) Hath Allah promised good: But those who strive and fight Hath He distinguished above those who sit (at home) by a special reward,-

Read the Arabic part if you can of this verse. Allah says that he gave preference to those who strive for him over those who do not. By how much? One step, one degree higher. He says just one daraja. Yet in concluding the verse He repeats that He has preferred those who strive verses those who don't one more time, but now He says by "a grand reward". What does that tell you? That God's one step of elevation is not just one step. One step with God equals a magnificent reward. How kind is our Lord!

2- بَشِّرِ الْمُنَافِقِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا

To the Hypocrites give the glad tidings that there is for them (but) a grievous penalty;-

This verse is so full of power. God tells the prophet to tell the hypocrites of their punishment. But God didn't just say tell them. He uses the word "Bashir" which is almost always used with good news. It's a gladtiding. Something to look forward to. But here God uses it with something bad. Why? It's a mockery for them. It's as if he is making a total fool out of them. That is powerful. 

3- I couldn't help but realize the ending of many of the verses in this chapter. This chapter is full of rulings placed by God. And in the end of these verses, He gives himself a characteristic. After setting the rule, He then concludes by saying and God is most forgiving most merciful, or God is all knowing and most wise, or God is all seeing and all hearing. As I was reading this chapter, I was seeing the characteristic of God (All knowing and most wise) over and over repeatedly. And at the same time, God concluded the chapter by saying He knows of all things. That kind of got me wondering. But then again, this is the chapter of rulings, and some times to us people, we cannot fully comprehend why that ruling is set, or what's the wisdom behind it. And maybe, just maybe, that is why God reminds us constantly in this chapter that he is after all, the most wise. There is wisdom behind each and every ruling. And not just that, but God also knows what we know not. Thus, these rulings are there for specific reasons that we at many times do not know why. But because we do know that God is all knowing, we trust that they are there solely for our benefit. Thank you ya Allah. Thank you for teaching us and setting these rules to protect us. 

Giving

A friend asked me about different ways to give charity last week and it made me think of different ideas. We generally think charity is solely monetary, when in fact, it can be much more than just money. 

As I was reading verse 133 in Surah Ali Imran today, it hit me even more. 

الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men;- for Allah loves those who do good. 

This aya really nails this discussion more than anything I would have been able to come up with. It struck me most because typically in the Quran you always see the word Yunfiquoona (spend) followed by the word amwaalahum (money). Not in this verse. God says spend. Spend what? He did not specify subhanallah. It could be your time, your energy, your attention, your smile, yes your money, and the list goes on. This is the kindness of Allah. He did not limit our options for us. There are numerous and infinite ways for us to give. See what you yourself excel in, and give from that. You're a good cook? Invite people for dinner. You're skilled in a sport? Coach a team. You love kids? Offer to babysit. And the list goes on...

It's in your hands

Reading this one verse in Surah Maryam told me something for the first time:

فَلَمَّا اعْتَزَلَهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَكُلًّا جَعَلْنَا نَبِيًّا

So when he had turned away from them and from those whom they worshipped besides Allah, We gave him Ishaque (Isaac) and Ya'qub (Jacob), and each one of them We made a Prophet.

The story is talking about prophet Ibrahim(Abraham) and how he saw his father and his people worshipping idols. It talks about his kind advice to his father, and how he begged him to worship One God rather than these idols that do nothing. But his father did not take heed. So what did Ibrahim do? He left. He left his father and the people that were doing wrong. And because of that, God gave him something better, 2 sons who became prophets. 

On a deeper note, look at the verse closely, it says فلما "only after" Ibrahim left the wrong environment did God grant him 2 sons. It's as if it's saying: because he left that bad environment, God then answered his call and gave him a righteous offspring. 

Think about this for a second. How many times have we called on God for something but we did not get it? What should you do? Look at yourself. Look around you. Look at what environments you are in. Who are your friends? How do you use your time? If there is wrong or lack of God in your life, then change that. Get out of that environment. Change your state of mind. Go back to God and leave what is wrong. Then see how God will give and give in abundance, as he did with Ibrahim peace be upon him. It's in your hands to take that initial step. 

Prayer and Paradise

Chapter 23 in the Quran- Surah Al muminoon (the Believers) starts off by describing the believers' traits:

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

Successful indeed are the believers 

الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ

Those who humble themselves in their prayers;

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ

Who avoid vain talk;

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ

Who are active in deeds of charity;

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ

Who guard their private parts,

إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

Except with those joined to them in the marriage bond, or whom their right hands possess,- for (in their case) they are free from blame,

فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ

But those whose desires exceed those limits are transgressors;-

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ

Those who faithfully observe their trusts and their covenants;

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

And who guard their prayers(observe the daily prayers on time);-

أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْوَارِثُونَ

These will be the heirs,

الَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

Who will inherit Paradise: they will dwell therein (for ever).

The very beginning of the Surah tells us about successful people, or believers. The next 8 verses then describe these successful people's characteristics. And then verses 10 and 11 tell us their prize. Which is what? Paradise forever. 

Paradise is at our feet here! Take a look and examine these traits. After you do that, go back and notice something unique. The very first characteristic given to these successful believers is that they PRAY with khushoo', or humility and humbleness and sincerity. Now go to the last trait. What is it? Those who guard and keep timing of their PRAYERS on schedule. Allah described them through their prayers both in the beginning and the end. The first one is how they actually pray and the last one is when they actually pray and how they prioritize their prayers. What does that tell us? Well, two things essentially. 

1- Prayer is more important than we think. It's the essence of a believer. It IS what distinguishes u from others, what helps you succeed.  

2- It's not just about how you pray, it is when you pray. And at the same time, it's not enough to prioritize your prayers and pray them all on time. It also involves the way you pray each prayer and the amount of sincerity you give it. These two go hand in hand. A successful prayer thus is one prayed on time continuously and prayed with khushoo' and sincerity. 

We ask Allah to help us balance both of these traits, and embody the characteristics of these successful believers. Ameen. 

If God wills

I have been reading Surah Al-Kahf about every Friday for God knows the past how many years. But for the first time I noticed something I had never noticed before all those years!

Look at this verse #24:

إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ وَقُلْ عَسَىٰ أَن يَهْدِيَنِ رَبِّي لِأَقْرَبَ مِنْ هَٰذَا رَشَدًا

Except (with the saying), "If Allah wills!" And remember your Lord when you forget and say: "It may be that my Lord guides me unto a nearer way of truth than this."

This well-known verse teaches us to always say "inshallah" or "God willing" before ever committing to doing something. And almost everyone knows that this command is in this Surah. 

Yet as I was reading the rest of the Surah last Friday, I saw this word "inshallah" again. I had never noticed before or paid any attention to it! When Musa tells the khader in Aya 69 that he will be patient with him on his journey, Musa uses this word:

قَالَ سَتَجِدُنِي إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُ صَابِرًا وَلَا أَعْصِي لَكَ أَمْرًا

Musa (Moses) said: "If Allah wills, you will find me patient, and I will not disobey you".

Thus, not only did God command us to say inshallah in this Surah, but he also gave us an example of someone putting the word to use in a story. And not just any someone. A prophet. Prophet Musa. And what better way to learn something than learning it from a prophet. Subhanallah. We see God's wisdom throughout the Quran. But sometimes it can be so subtle, and that's where the importance of deep pondering and understanding comes. May we always be of those who reflect and ponder. Ameen. 

Surah al-Anbiya, verse 35

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ
Every soul shall taste death, and We are testing you through both disaster and good fortune, and in the end you will be brought back to Us.
{21:35}

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "A person will be tested according to his religious commitment. The stronger his religion, the harder he'll be tested".

Umar bin Alkhattab also said: "We were tested through hardships and we bore them with patience. Yet when we were tested with pleasures, we were impatient in enjoying them and were thankless to God".

Makes you think twice about what comes your way! I guess we shouldn't always see good things as pleasures when they can be the reason we forget God or become thankless. Because in that sense, that good becomes a test. At the same time, a hardship could be a means of return to our creator, or as the Prophet stated, a sign that our religious commitment to God is in tact. Not everything is black and white. We need to read between the lines sometimes. As the verse says, tests and tribulations come in forms of good and bad fortune to us.

May God help us recognize these tests and elevate our faith because of them. Ameen.

Conclusion of Surah Al Nahl

In my last post, I touched on how Surah AlNahl (chapter 16 in the Quran) speaks of God's blessings for us, from animals to rain, to senses to reproduction and so much more. If you have not read that post, I would recommend reading it first before this one.

After reading about all these blessings from God to us, I couldn't help but realize how the concept tied in so well with the conclusion of the chapter.

In verse 112, Allah says:
وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا قَرْيَةً كَانَتْ آمِنَةً مُّطْمَئِنَّةً يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًا مِّن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ اللَّهِ فَأَذَاقَهَا اللَّهُ لِبَاسَ الْجُوعِ وَالْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ
And Allah puts forward the example of a township that dwelt secure and well content; its provision coming to it in abundance from every place, but it (its people) denied the Favors of Allah (with ungratefulness). So Allah made it taste hunger (famine) and fear, because of that which they (its people) used to do.

Then in verse 114 He says:
فَكُلُوا مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا وَاشْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ
So eat of the lawful and good food which Allah has provided for you. And be grateful for the Graces of Allah, if it is He Whom you worship.

And in verse 121, He says:
شَاكِرًا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ اجْتَبَاهُ وَهَدَاهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
(Prophet Abraham was) thankful for His (Allah's) Graces. He (Allah) chose him and guided him to a straight path.

Compare all these 3 verses. They have a common denominator, and that is being grateful for God's blessings.

In verse 112, God speaks of a nation that was blessed, but because they failed to acknowledge these blessings were from God and because of their denial, that lead to their very destruction.
In verse 114, God then commands us to acknowledge His favors upon us and thank Him and not be ungrateful.
Finally in verse 121, God speaks of prophet Abraham, and He gives us a quality that this noble prophet had. What was it? Being thankful to his Lord for all the blessings he had.

You see how throughout the entire chapter, God is naming blessing after blessing, favor after favor, and then to conclude, commanding us to acknowledge these blessings and warning us to not be ungrateful? Opening your eyes and seeing this makes the entire chapter tie in so well together. No wonder this chapter is also known as "Blessings" because that really is the gist of what you can conclude. God gave us so much, so why be ungrateful? The least we can do is acknowledge what He gave us, and be thankful. Yes, be thankful.

All of His blessings and favors including the Bee

Surah Alnahl (chapter 16 "the bee") is profound in meaning in the sense that it speaks of God's favors and blessings made for humans on earth. Read this beautiful chapter. You will see how God so eloquently tells us how he made the rain for us to grow our vegetations, how he made animals for us to ride on and take us from place to place, how stars are a source of direction and navigation for us, how the ocean has adornments for us to use (i.e pearls), how he gives us children and grandchildren and a whole offspring from ourselves, and how he gave us shade from things he created such as the trees, and so many other blessings.

3 specific verses in this Surah, which is also referred to the chapter of blessings, really caught my attention.

Verse 66
وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِي الْأَنْعَامِ لَعِبْرَةً نُّسْقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِي بُطُونِهِ مِن بَيْنِ فَرْثٍ وَدَمٍ لَّبَنًا خَالِصًا سَائِغًا لِّلشَّارِبِينَ
And, behold, in the cattle [too] there is indeed a lesson for you: We give you to drink of that [fluid] which is [secreted from] within their bellies between that which is to be eliminated [from the animal's body] and [its] life-blood: milk pure and pleasant to those who drink it.

This verse talks about milk and how it's production is a miracle in and of itself. Interestingly, God mentions that it comes from between blood and intestines. What does that have to do with milk? Subhanallah (Glory be to God), today in this day and age we know that scientifically, milk is created when nutrients from the intestinal tract are carried by blood to the mammary glands! Who would have known that this scientific fact is in the Quran, and has been since over 1400 years ago! How amazing.

Verse 69:
ثُمَّ كُلِي مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ فَاسْلُكِي سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلًا يَخْرُجُ مِن بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيهِ شِفَاءٌ لِّلنَّاسِ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
"Then, eat of all fruits, and follow the ways of your Lord made easy (for you)." There comes forth from their bellies, a drink of varying color wherein is healing for humanity. Verily, in this is indeed a sign for people who think.

This verse is referring to the bee that God created. The drink from the bee refers to honey, and indeed it has various colors of amber, brown, light, etc. And also indeed is it a source of healing. People use it for sore throats, coughs, colds, etc! What's even more interesting is that when referring to the bee that produces the honey, God mentions the female bee, and we know why today: only female bees produce honey. The queen bee is the one in charge, and all worker bees are female! Subhanallah once again!

Lastly, look at verse 78:
وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُم مِّن بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
And Allah has brought you out from the wombs of your mothers while you know nothing. And He gave you hearing, sight, and affection/intellect that you might give thanks (to Allah).

Here, God speaks of us as newborns, where we are in the womb and then come to the world. He then mentions 3 characteristics that babies have. And interestingly, He mentions them in the same exact order as they appear. In the womb, the baby first hears then sees then after growing up it will start having affection and intellect. That can blow your mind. Surely the One who created us will know which characteristics we develop first, and this verse is one of many proofs of Him! Subhanallah, Glory be to God.

{Reference used for some facts is Yahiya Emerick's "The meaning of the holy Quran in today's English"}.

Verse 16 and 17 in Surah Alhadeed

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَلَا يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ
Has not the Time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth which has been revealed (to them), and that they should not become like those to whom was given Revelation aforetime, but long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious
transgressors

اعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ
الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its death! already have We shown the Signs plainly to you, that you may understand

My dear grandfather explained verse 16 as a calling from Allah addressing the believers. He is reminding them to have spirituality and God consciousness. And more importantly He is telling them in a subtle way: love Me so I will love you. And remember Me so I will remember you.

I also read another great reflection on this verse and the next one by my dear brother who said:

This is a powerful reminder indeed. It's a rhetorical question. Is now not the time? Of course it is the time. If not now then when? When's it's too late? Submit to Allah before it's too late.

Allah(swt) is giving us an example of those before whose hearts turned to stone because they did not remain steadfast in submission to Allah. But the next verse is a reminder as well that Allah is ever-loving and ever-merciful. It's starts with "know"... know with 100% certainty and conviction that Allah gives life to the earth after it's death. Likewise, he can soften your heart after it has turned to stone. So don't fret, don't give up. Return to Allah in complete submission. Allah has made his revelations clear for us so that we may understand, as the verse concludes.

May Allah make us from those who submit to Him in remembrance and love. Ameen.
.

Satan refused to prostrate

In Surah Alhijir, we see the story of Satan and how he refused to bow to Adam, the first human God created. Three verses struck me in this story. Look at the following carefully which come repeatedly throughout this story:

Verse 26:
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ
And indeed, We created man from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud.

Verse 28:
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِّن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ
And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: "I am going to create a man (Adam) from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud.

Verse 33:
قَالَ لَمْ أَكُن لِّأَسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ
[Iblis (Satan)] said: "I am not the one to prostrate myself to a human being, whom You created from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud."

Read the verses and the whole dialogue between God and satan. What I found most interesting was the fact that these 3 verses all emphasize one thing: the component of which man was created from. God is emphasizing this component 3 different times in this Surah and within just a few verses apart. Why is that do you think?

First of all, it could be emphasizing the insignificance of mankind. How they are literally created from nothing, merely clay or mud. That teaches us to be humble and not so arrogant. We are so small and yet our egos can get so big. When God keeps repeating the component we ourselves were created from, that should humble us down a bit.

Secondly, the repeated component could be showing how arrogantly blind Satan was. All that was preventing him to obey God and prostrate was the simple fact that the human was created from clay and mud. That's it. Nothing else. He even says it himself in the story. It shows you his stubbornness and inability to look past that fact. The component man was crated from is what ultimately built Satan's ego and made him disobey God, leading to his eternal damnation. Doesn't that sound childish? It does. And the fact that the component man was created from was repeated 3 times can prove that. Subhanallah.

Prophet Yusuf (Joseph)

Reflecting on Prophet Yusuf's story from beginning to end really nails the essence of tawakkul, or relying on God. In thinking about it, if Yusuf's brothers had not thrown him in the well, he wouldn't have become such an influential leader in Egypt in the end. His hardship at the beginning of the story is what actually lead to his very own success. Yet, throughout this hardship, Yusuf stayed patient, fully relying on God, not knowing what would happen of him, but at the same time, knowing that his God would never give him a hardship more than he can handle, and that God who is Merciful had a plan for him. That is true tawakkul, or reliance on God: Trusting that He will take care of you amidst your pain and worry. Sometimes we only see the big picture, which is the struggle we are facing, but we forget to trust that there is light at the end of the tunnel. The next time something bad happens to you, rather than looking at it as an obstacle, think of what palace it can lead you to, just as the well lead Yusuf there.

Solution to Distress

Allah(swt) says in the concluding verses of Surah Al-Hijir, 97-99:

وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدْرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ
Indeed, We know that your heart is distressed at what they say.

فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُن مِّنَ السَّاجِدِينَ
So glorify and praise your Lord and be of those who prostrate (to Him).

وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ
And worship your Lord until certainty comes unto you (i.e. death).

Reading these words carefully, look at what is happening. Allah(swt) is telling the Prophet: we know what you are going through; we know your heart is hurting from these people's words. You see sympathy and care in this verse toward our beloved prophet Muhammad(PBUH). Many times, you yourself go through hardships in life and you have companions to support and sympathize with you. But it usually stops there. Looking closely at what Allah tells Prophet Muhammad next, He does not sympathize with him and leave it be. Instead he gives him an actual SOLUTION to his distress. He gives him a command as result of his hurting. It's like saying: I know you're in pain, so do the following in order to heal. What are those steps here? Allah tells him: Glorify God, Praise Him, Prostrate, Pray, and Preoccupy yourself with worship until your very last breath.

Has your heart ever been hurt? Try this. Pray, cry in worship to God, praise Him for the good things you do have, have constant remembrance of Him, live for His sake. There is your solution. Not to just this one problem, but to every problem. Follow these steps to your best and let God handle the rest.

Dua of prophet Ibrahim

Prophet Ibrahim's supplications to God are mentioned in Surah Ibrahim verses 35-41. Take a look:

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَامَ
And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said: "O my Lord! Make this city (Makkah) one of peace and security, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols.

رَبِّ إِنَّهُنَّ أَضْلَلْنَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ فَمَن تَبِعَنِي فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّي وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
"O my Lord! They have indeed led astray many among mankind. But whoso follows me, he verily is of me. And whoso disobeys me, - still You are indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

رَّبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ
"O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Ka'bah at Makkah); in order, O our Lord, that they may perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), so fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks.

رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ مَا نُخْفِي وَمَا نُعْلِنُ وَمَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ
"O our Lord! Certainly, You know what we conceal and what we reveal. Nothing on the earth or in the heaven is hidden from Allah.

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَهَبَ لِي عَلَى الْكِبَرِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَسَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ
"All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has given me in old age Isma'il (Ishmael) and Ishaque (Isaac). Verily! My Lord is indeed the All-Hearer of invocations.

رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي مُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَاءِ
"O my Lord! Make me one who performs As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and (also) from my offspring, our Lord! And accept my invocation.

رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُ
"Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents, and (all) the believers on the Day when the reckoning will be established."

Truly these supplications by our dear Prophet Ibrahim are beautiful and touching. Did you notice anything different in his calling upon His lord? One thing is notice how he switches between saying "my lord" or رب and "our lord" or ربنا. It's interesting to see how he uses my lord in one supplication and then our lord in the next. Why do you think that is? After giving it some thought, I personally seemed to notice that when mentioning رب or my lord alone, Ibrahim is specifically asking for something for his own family. Yet when he mentions ربنا or our lord, he is asking for something bigger and intending it for his people and the nation to come after him, the believers, etc. so that is why he mentions "our" lord in those verses. That is what I came up with. If you have another reflection, please share in a comment. I would love to ponder more on it!

Surah al-Rad and Ibrahim

These 2 Surahs that come after each other are quite similar in meaning and flow. The ending of each Aya(verse) almost rhymes with each other in these 2 Surahs. They have a very nice flow to the ear when you hear or read them. In addition to that, both Surahs are spiritually uplifting. They speak of Allah's power, His might, His favors, His creation on earth, in the sky, and all around us. They have extremely deep analogies and parables that one can ponder about for hours, and receive various meanings. The verses in both Surahs describe who will be the winners and who will be the losers on the final day of judgement.

But one interesting note I would like to point out is a verse in Surah Al-rad(which comes before Ibrahim). Allah says in verse 19 of Al-rad:
أَفَمَن يَعْلَمُ أَنَّمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ الْحَقُّ كَمَنْ هُوَ أَعْمَىٰ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ
Is he who knows that what has been revealed to you from your Lord is the truth like the one who is blind? Only those of understanding will heed.

Here God mentions that only people of understanding will take heed. He refers to them in Arabic as أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ. Who are these people? Well, the next 3 verses describe their honorable characteristics very well. After reading about them, one will give these people a high status. May God make us from أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ. Ameen.

Now in concluding this Surah and then reading the next, Surah Ibrahim, you can make an interesting connection. The very last verse of Surah Ibrahim then concludes with mentioning these very same people: أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ! As if reminding us of them as a final conclusion. This time Allah says in verse 52 of Ibrahim:
هَٰذَا بَلَاغٌ لِّلنَّاسِ وَلِيُنذَرُوا بِهِ وَلِيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَلِيَذَّكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ
This (Quran) is a Message for mankind, in order that they may be warned by, and that they may know that He is the only One God, and that those of understanding may take heed.

This last verse of Ibrahim helped tie my thoughts to the Surah before it, as if they are one in meaning, because of their profound analogies and spiritual depth. Read these 2 surahs consecutively for yourself and God-willing you will see the same and even more.

Beginning of Surah Ibrahim

In reading the first few verses of Surah Ibrahim, I quickly realized something. Read the first 25 verses alone and see what strikes your mind. This is what got to me:

Look at these verses:

Verse 1:
الر كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ
Alif-Lam-Ra. (This is) a Book which We have revealed unto you in order that you lead mankind out of darkness into light by their Lord's Permission to the Path of the All-Mighty, the Owner of all Praise.

Verse 11:
قَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ إِن نَّحْنُ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا أَن نَّأْتِيَكُم بِسُلْطَانٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
Their Messengers said to them: "We are no more than human beings like you, but Allah bestows His Grace to whom He wills of His slaves. It is not ours to bring you any authority (proof) except by Allah's Permission. And in Allah (Alone) let the believers put their trust.

Verse 23:
وَأُدْخِلَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ تَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلَامٌ
And those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah and His Messengers and whatever they brought) and did righteous deeds, will be made to enter Gardens under which rivers flow, - to dwell therein forever, with their Lord's Permission. Their greeting therein will be: Salam (peace!).

Verse 25:
تُؤْتِي أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
Giving its fruit at all times, by its Lord's Permission, and Allah sets forth parables for mankind in order that they may remember.

Look closely at these 4 verses. What is the commonality between them? They all mention "God's permission". In the first 25 verses alone, God is reminding us over and over again, somewhat discreetly,that NOTHING can happen without His permission. Whether it be people being guided in verse 1, or giving someone proof of God in verse 11, or the believers entering paradise in verse 23, or a tree bearing its fruit in verse 25; NONE of these things happen haphazardly. They are by God's permission alone. God wants us to realize this in the very first verses of this Surah, yet how many people notice and actually deeply look into His signs? May God guide us to open our eyes and notice His signs to us. Ameen.