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"}.