Surat Al-Furqan describes in a beautiful passage the qualities of the “Merciful’s Servants”.  Part 1 highlighted the application of 5 verses. And this article continues the discussion.

{And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty.

Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated – Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work.

For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.

And he who repents and does righteousness does indeed turn to Allah with [accepted] repentance.} (Al-Furqan 25:68-71)

 

With Tears in Eyes, Taxi Passenger Repents (Story)

So I’ve never done anything mentioned in this verse, alhamdulillah. I also pray that Allah protects me and all of you from any of these sins because we never know what influences of the Satan we will fall victim to.

But, what I love about this collection of verses is that Allah chose to mention His attributes of Forgiveness and Mercy after warning against these heinous actions in particular.

It isn’t by coincidence that after the most grievous of sins are mentioned, Allah reminds us about the door of tawbah or repentance.

If Allah never closes that door on us, don’t close it on yourself by thinking any sin is unforgivable.

Say the Truth

{And [they are] those who do not testify to falsehood, and when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity.} (Al-Furqan 25:72)

The second part of this verse reminds me of several parties and get-togethers I went to both in high school and college. There was so often language used that was not befitting of any Muslim.

From cursing, making inappropriate sexual references, backbiting and gossiping, it brought a discomfort to my heart.

The very least a Muslim can do in those situations is leave with dignity.

Be Mindful

{And those who, when reminded of the verses of their Lord, do not fall upon them deaf and blind.} (Al-Furqan 25:73)

There was a companion of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) who, upon hearing a verse beginning with “o, you who believe,” would sit up straight and listen attentively.

 

Fulfilling the Quran’s Mission

Think about it. The Quran is not merely a book to be read. It is an address to human and jinn alike. Allah regularly describes those who deny Him and His words as deaf and blind.

On the Day of Judgement, some humans will be resurrected blind. This is described in the following verse:

{And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind.} (Taha 20:124)

Can you imagine how incredibly terrifying that would be? Imagine the screaming, the sounds of explosions, the feeling of intense heat from a sun beaming down on you. Now, imagine you can’t see it happening.

Your immediate reaction would be to run and hide but you can’t even see where to go.

The faith of the believer is constantly in balance of hope and fear. We hope Allah will guide us to the righteous path so we are never deaf or blind to Allah’s guidance. And we fear His punishment if we ever are.

Beautiful Duaa

{And those who say, “Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous.} (Al-Furqan 25:74)

 

Surat Maryam: A Family’s Source of Spirituality

This duaa is an incredibly comforting one. I remember hearing Sheikh Abdul Nasir Jangda describing the metaphor at MAS-ICNA several years ago. Although the translation says “comfort to our eyes,” it really is “coolness to our eyes.”

So, imagine the burning desert during a sandstorm. The winds are picking up and sand is getting whipped around and is constantly getting into your eyes.

Now imagine, with the irritation, dryness and burning in your eyes, you find a spring of water. You collect some water with your hands and rinse it over your eyes. That relief is the kind being referenced in this duaa.

One thing one of my mentors told me is that you are never too young to start praying for your possible future spouse and children. It may seem odd but a believer is always looking forward and thinking about what it is that will bring him/her closer to Allah.

The test of marriage is one that is so constantly understated. When one of my closest friends got engaged, I advised her. I knew that there are shayateen or devils who specifically seek to destroy marriages. These shayateen are constantly waging war against Islamic marriage so be mindful of them and be mindful of Allah. It begins with this duaa.

Allah refers to children as the “decoration” of this world. And with every decoration, there comes trial through it.

It is incredibly difficult for parents to watch their children turn away from the faith. I’ve spoken to mothers who were just devastated seeing their children in err.

So Now What?

The goal of this piece was to help you understand that there are easy ways to become ibad Arahman. In fact, you’re probably doing it already. But, you have to recognize those actions and do them with the intention to please Allah. May He make us from ibad Ar-Rahman, the Merciful’s servants, Ameen.

Run Back to Him

You meet people who look at you and they insult religion and insult you. This is not because they don’t like you, this is not because they mean what they are saying.

It’s because in their heart, they have gone to hardness and they have misled themselves and they don’t even realize it. Because Allah says in the Quran:

If you forget me I will cause you to forget yourself. (59:19)

You won’t even realize why you’re like that. And his solution is one. All he has to do is what Allah says in the Quran:

So flee to Allah. Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner. (51:50)

Run Back to Him

Allah is saying to you run back to Him. It can’t get more romantic and beautiful than that. He is saying: “I don’t want you to go, come back!”

And the moment you make repentance and you’re saying: “O Allah forgive me…” Do you feel the burning? Do you feel the eyes welling up?

You can feel the heart when you’re going to pray, you can feel the emotions coming. This isn’t you… you can’t decide, “I want to repent,” you can’t decide, “I want to be forgiven”…

This is Him. And He puts khushu in your heart, and He pulls you; you just took instant step and He guided the rest. You just instigated the slightest bit of your heart towards Him and He says: “Think of Me and I’ll think of you; come to Me, I’ll come to you; walk to Me, I’ll come to you at speed.”

Who else can remove the sins and forgive you except Allah? A believer is certain that, “I just repented and Allah has forgiven me.” And it is a must to believe that when I repent, I am forgiven.

Allah says:

I forgive sins and I accept repentance.

He will definitely forgive you and He will definitely accept your repentance.

Run back to Me.

You’ve walked far away when you commit sins. You go away from your Lord, run back to that beginning, the fitrah. Polish the heart, remove the black spots and come back and He will forgive you. He says:

I am in love of those who repent. So long as my slave continues to come back to Me, so long as he realizes I am a forgiving Lord. Oh my angels bear witness I will forgive him no matter what he does.

Allah’s Mercy is Always There, Learn How to Tap into It

I was speaking to a young man and through the conversation I heard him say, “I don’t make du`aa’ anymore.”

I asked him, “Why not?” and he replied, “I made du`aa’ for some things and I never got them so I just gave up!”

I asked him if he was happy in his life, he said, “Not really.” Then I asked him if he felt he needed the mercy of Allah in his life, and at that he replied very enthusiastically, “Of course I do!”

Now this made me think very deeply about some things in life. Is it right that we (mankind in general) go on expecting things from our Creator while we sit down passively, mostly just observing life and hardly doing anything for anyone else unless it somehow fits in with our scheme of things?

Is it right if a kid wants something from his mum and dad but he is doing and saying things they do not like, going out without their permission, dressing in an unacceptable way, not pulling his weight around the house, and so on, then he just come right out and ask for money, or new clothes, or whatever, and then grumble when they refuse, and perhaps adding how unfair life is and how very unreasonable they are?

Let’s look at it another way.

Fight Your Depression with Surat Ad-Duha (Video)

Imagine you had someone you called your friend but this person spoke badly about you behind your back and only came hanging around when he wanted something—then one day he comes to you and asks a big favor. Most likely you would tell him to forget it and simply ignore him if he started complaining.

So we all acknowledge that on the human level life is a matter of give-and-take; it’s a matter of rights and responsibilities.

What about your relation with your Creator?

Is it right that we enjoy the bounty of this marvelous creation and, even though everything was created for the benefit of man, we go ahead and make use of things for our own benefit and comfort without thinking of others?

Is it right to fail to give others their rights and expect our rights, and often fail to take care of the creation that Allah provided for us?

How often do you use things that you know will pollute the environment—the same environment that Allah created for you?

We are dropping litter, using chemicals, and generally tapping into the wasteful and excessive way of life in the modern world, without really thinking seriously about our responsibility to yourself, those around us, the world, and our Creator.

Then when we get sick because of the polluted and chemical-filled environment, you turn in desperation to the Lord of all asking for help and healing. Then as soon as we are well again, you go back to the old habits of misusing, if not destroying, the environment.

How Merciful Allah is! Even though you keep making the same mistakes; even though you misuse yourself, others, and the world around you, He still comes to your aid! He, the Almighty, gives you enough opportunity to change, to see the errors of your ways and to make a fresh start.

Have you ever noticed how your body heals as does the environment? So where is your place in all this?

A person can drink alcohol and abuse his body until he gets liver disease—and then blame fate! Likewise a person could neglect the rights of his family and even abuse them when he is in the prime of his life and filled with strength, but when he gets old and is left alone and feeling lonely, he curses life and complains how difficult life is! Do you find that you sometimes do things like this?

Have you ever passed by a river that is polluted and said how awful it is that “mankind” destroys nature? But then haven’t you ever tipped chemicals down the sink that end up in the river system, and somewhere along the line, contributed to this awful state of pollution?

Your Guide to Allah’s Mercy and Forgiveness

What I want to say is that you have to be willing to take your responsibilities seriously. The first step is to realize that Allah has called upon mankind to be the caretakers of this world.

Allah the Almighty said:

{You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin what is good, and forbid what is wrong and you believe in Allah…} (Aal-`Imran 3:110)

We have to understand that the nature of this life is not just to make money and live a comfortable life of ease. We have to be willing to give: to give to those around us, our family and friends and our communities; to participate in the voice of society that calls for justice; to speak out against violations against mankind and the earth.

When toxic waste is dumped, what do you do? When logging companies are allowed to destroy one of the last remaining rainforests on earth, what do you do? When people are abused and oppressed, what do you do? If your answer is “nothing.” Then you should think again.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “

Whoever, among you, sees something abominable should rectify it with his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do so, then he should do it with his tongue; and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (hate it) in his heart, and that is the least of Faith. “(Muslim)

Allah created us to worship Him, and a part of that worship is to keep within His boundaries—the rules He has provided us with, knowing full well that whatever He has ordered us to keep away from is in fact bad for us.

So imagine a person who is selfish, stubborn, and harsh. He couldn’t care less about the effects of dumping their factory’s toxic waste into any place convenient (for them).

He lives his life trying to make more and more money and gathering up material wealth; he doesn’t really care whose head he steps on to get up the social ladder, and basically he doesn’t really care about anyone except himself.

If such a person prays to the Creator of all—should he expect his du`aa’ to be answered? Listen to what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said about this:

“Allah the Almighty is good and accepts only that which is good. Allah has commanded the Faithful to do that which He commanded the Messengers, as He Almighty has said:

{O ye Messengers! Eat of the good things, and do right. } (Al-Mu’minun 23:51)

And Allah the Almighty has said,

{O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you. } (Al-Baqarah 2:172)

Then he mentioned the case of a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty and who spreads out his hands to the sky saying: O Lord! O Lord! While his food is unlawful, his drink unlawful, his clothing unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully, so how can he be answered? ” (Muslim)

Then what about the person who isn’t as corrupt as the above-mentioned person, but in his own way demonstrates weakness and apathy.

Imagine someone who stops trying every time things get difficult; someone who takes on the habit of saying “I couldn’t be bothered” or “I’ll do it later” even though he knows what is right. He knows very well that he should pray and fast, but it just seems too tough in that moment, and he feels he can get his life in order later.

Whenever a problem arises, he takes the easy way out. You’ll never find him standing up for what is right, taking the side of an oppressed person, or in fact, doing any kind of noble deed. Then when he wants something, he prays and when his prayer isn’t answered when and how he wants, he gives up on that, too. Now does that make sense?

What does Allah want from you? Remember He gave you your life, your family and friends, a series of situations, and all the creation around you.

Do you think He gave you all this just for fun and games? Or to realize the reality, understand yourself and your role in life, and appreciate your Creator and spread the message of truth wherever you are?

The mercy of Allah is ever present. It is you who must learn how to tap into that mercy and learn to live your life in a way that will make you deserving of that mercy. The same power that controls the universe promises to turn to you if you turn to Him! It’s like this because your Creator gave you freedom of choice, so you can try to face life either with His help or without it.